HOME       THE BAND       NEWS       HISTORY       BILLY'S BAG


THE BAND

 
 


The whole wide world probably knows by now that the Rubettes' incredible story began when they appeared on BBC TV's "Top Of The Pops" in 1974.

The band became an overnight success when their debut single”Sugar Baby Love” stormed to the top of the UK charts. Originally recorded as a “studio session” and sung by legendary session singer Paul Da Vinci, the record went on to sell more than 8 million copies around the World and it has become one of the all time classics !

Incredibly only weeks before that first ever TV appearance the band did not even exist, and with an element of luck and a strange twist of fate, the Rubettes unexpectedly got their big chance when the band "Sparks" were unable to appear at the very last minute. To their credit, they grabbed the opportunity with both hands, adopting a unique image with the infamous white caps and a "slick" routine to make an enormous instant impact.

The 50's and 60's American rock'n'roll/doo-wop sounds were a huge influence on songwriter/producers Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington. With a passion for that kind of music and incredible faith in their song "Sugar Baby Love", they completely masterminded the creation of the Rubettes. Even the name is typically 50's style and came from playing around with names like the Ronettes, the Diamonds etc.

From that first infectious "bop-showaddy" sound the band went on to have a string of international hits, with some more great songs from the Bickerton/Waddington partnership and clever productions moving from the sophisticated orchestration of "Tonight" to great rock'n'roll tracks like "Juke Box Jive", "I Can Do It", "Foe-Dee-Oh-Dee", etc. The Rubettes sound, with good musicianship and its distinctive hamonies, enabled the band to notch up sales of 30 million records and to deservedly build up an excellent reputation worldwide.
Like many bands, a hectic schedule of touring, recording and TV appearances etc took its toll over the years and with various members following a natural progession of solo musical and personal projects, the original band virtually ground to a halt by the end of the ‘70’s. Nothing is forever it seems and with a wave of interest in ‘nostalgia’ the band reformed in 1982 and that significant line-up stayed together until December 1999, when the last remaining remnants of the band known as the Rubettes finally disbanded.

Under a High Court ruling of 2002 there are two official Rubettes bands in existence today. With contractual obligations preventing Paul Da Vinci from joining the band when it was formed, he never in fact appeared with the original band at all. He did however feature with Bill, Alex and the rest of the guys in this Rubettes formation from 2000 until 2006, when he left for personal reasons and is replaced by the hugely talented George Bird.

“The Rubettes featuring Bill Hurd”, is an impressive classy line-up that really rocks and does the business. Such is their success, that the band have already won two international music awards, including the coveted Radio Regenbogen media prize !

Widely recognised as one of the more stylish bands from the Glam-Rock era, the Rubettes style of music is still in demand today. By blending the trademark harmony sound with superb musicianship and introducing some great new material alongside the ‘old favourites’, this exclusive and distinctly talented line-up, is thrilling audiences everywhere with its exceptional live performances.

With each and every show, the reputation of the “Rubettes featuring Bill Hurd” is growing and with incredible audience reactions and consistent great reviews, they continue to attract many new fans around the World.

  EMAIL US                                                                                                Site updated March 2008    Email webmaster