Musical Hall Style
Everything old is new again. The song was written by Geoff Stephens, a British songwriter and record producer. He loved the British Music Hall, which Americans know as vaudeville. Inspiration for the song, Stephens said, came when he was staring at a calendar that had a photo of Winchester Cathedral. Stephens recorded the song with a Rudy Vallee sound in mind, and singer John Carter sang through his hands to simulate a megaphone. The track had only session musicians on it, but it went to #1 in Canada, the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the U.S. Easy Listening chart in 1966. Stephens quickly put together The New Vaudeville Band to tour. They included Bob Keer, Alan Klein (billed as “Tristram — Seventh Earl of Cricklewood”), Henri Harrison, and a changing lineup. “Winchester Cathedral” went to #4 on the U.K. Singles Chart. The song won the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording, even though it certainly was not rock and roll. It also sold more than one million copies and was awarded an RIAA gold record. There were a number of covers, including versions by Petula Clark, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Conniff, Frank Sinatra, Lawrence Welk, Dana Rollin and the New Happiness, The Shadows, and The Four Freshmen.
