The Ivy League (band)
| Company type | Vocal group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | John Carter, Ken Lewis, Perry Ford |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters | England |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Ivy League was an English vocal trio established in 1964, recognized for achieving two UK top 10 singles during 1965. Their signature style was characterized by lush, three-part vocal harmonies.
Career
The group was formed in August 1964 by session vocalists John Carter, Ken Lewis (previously part of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners), and Perry Ford. They initially gained recognition through their backing vocals on The Who's 1964 track "I Can't Explain." Their first single, "What More Do You Want," failed to make a significant impact, but "Funny How Love Can Be" successfully entered the UK Top 10 charts. Further chart successes included "That's Why I'm Crying" and the UK number 3 hit "Tossing and Turning." The original lineup released a single album in 1965 titled This is the Ivy League, which faced criticism for its uneven musical direction. John Carter departed in January 1966, followed by Ken Lewis about a year later. Subsequently, Carter and Lewis established the production company Sunny Records.
Tony Burrows and Neil Landon joined the band as replacements, contributing to two albums: Sounds of the Ivy League (1967) and Tomorrow is Another Day (1969). Singles such as "Willow Tree" and "My World Fell Down" saw modest success; notably, "My World Fell Down" was covered by American group Sagittarius, reaching number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Ivy League’s presence on US charts remained limited, with only "Tossing and Turning" peaking at number 83.
After their departure, Carter and Lewis formed The Flower Pot Men, who scored a UK number 4 hit with "Let's Go To San Francisco," before moving into music management. Burrows and Landon later joined the touring version of The Flower Pot Men. Subsequent lead vocalists Robert Young and Mike Curtis took over from them, while Perry Ford retained ownership of The Ivy League name until its discontinuation in 1975.
During the 1990s, several compilation collections were issued, including Major League: the Collectors' Ivy League (1998).
Despite none of the founding members remaining active in the group, The Ivy League continued to perform with Jon Brennan (vocals/bass), David Buckley (vocals/drums), and Michael Brice (vocals/lead guitar). Robert Macleod briefly participated between 1968 and 1969 but left due to immigration complications. Buckley joined in the late 1960s alongside Ford; Brennan later became part of this lineup and sustained the band’s activity through the 1970s and beyond with Ford’s approval. Brice became a permanent fixture starting in 1990.
Following their final appearances on the Sensational 60's Experience tour in early 2017, The Ivy League's last performance took place on 9 July 2017 at Pontins holiday resort in Pakefield. After decades of live performances, Buckley, Brennan, and Brice retired from professional music.
Personnel
- John Carter – vocals
- Ken Lewis – vocals, guitar
- Perry Ford – vocals
- Colin Reeves – vocals
- Clem Cattini – drums
- Mick O'Nell – organ
- Dave Winter – bass
- Mickey Keene – lead guitar
- Bill Clarke – bass
- Tony Burrows – vocals
- Neil Landon – vocals, guitar
- Robert Young (born Robert Parkes, 1953, Stockport) – vocals
- David Lund – drums
- Nigel Menday – drums
Albums
- This Is the Ivy League (1965)
- Tossing and Turning (1965; US release)
- Sounds of the Ivy League (1967)
- Tomorrow Is Another Day (1969)
- The Best Of (1988)
- The Best of the Ivy League (1991)
- Major League – The Collectors' Ivy League (1997)
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart rankings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | IRE | NL | SA | US | ||
| 1964 | "What More Do You Want" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | "Funny How Love Can Be" | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| "That's Why I'm Crying" | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Tossing and Turning" | 3 | 44 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 83 | |
| "Our Love Is Slipping Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1966 | "Running Round in Circles" | — | 100 | — | — | — | — |
| "Willow Tree" | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "My World Fell Down" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1967 | "Four and Twenty Hours" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Suddenly Things" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
|"—" indicates singles that did not enter the charts or were not issued.