The Flying Pickets

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This article refers to the singing group. For the technique used in labor disputes, see flying pickets.

The Flying Pickets is a British a cappella vocal group, that had a surprise number one hit in 1983 in the UK singles chart, with their cover of Yazoo's track - "Only You".

Contents

[edit] History

The name 'Flying Pickets' refers to mobile strikers who travel in order to join a picket. The group of six was founded by Brian Hibbard in 1982 from a group of actors, the "7:84 Theatre group", a fringe theatre group who had sung acapella in their production of One Big Blow, based on the 1982 UK miners' strike. "Only You", their debut single, was the British Christmas number one in 1983, spending a total of five weeks at the top, and also doing well around Europe. A second single When You're Young and in Love reached number 7, but their third, a cover of the Eurythmics' Who's That Girl barely charted. Joining Hibbard in the Group were Rick Lloyd, Gareth Williams, David Brett, Ken Gregson and Red Stripe (real name David Gittins).

They were internationally renowned for their appearances; Hibbard's huge sideburns, Stripe's thick eyeliner and 4 others showing off flamboyant suits and large hats. A group like the Pickets were very lucky to get into the charts at all, let alone have a Christmas number one and a pleasing number 7.

In 1986 Brian Hibbard and Red Stripe left the band and were replaced by Gary Howard and Hereward Kaye.[1]

Hibbard and Gittins tried desperately to stay in the music business, and formed their own act called 'Brian and Stripe', but unfortunately their first and only single failed and they returned to their separate acting careers.

The last member of the original line up David Brett left the band in 1990. However in 1994 the original line up (minus Rick Lloyd) reformed to record one more album.[2] There have been many different members of The Flying Pickets and the line-up kept changing constantly throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, since the Pickets began there have been at least 19 different band members.

Since the Original Flying Pickets split, new teams of ambitious men using the name The Flying Pickets have tried to follow in the Original's footsteps - but there have been no chart successes. The current line-up tour around Europe in lots of small venues all year round, but have not achieved the short-lived giddy heights of the original line-up.

[edit] Post picket duties

Brian Hibbard- Their founder and lead singer, Brian Hibbard, went on to act in Doctor Who, and then briefly in Coronation Street as Dougie Murray and has since appeared regularly on Welsh television. He also had a brief role as "Bobby-John Downes" on popular soap Emmerdale in 2003 and then came back for another brief spell in 2006.


David Brett- Has toured with The English Shakespeare Company and appeared as Mad Mike the Mechanic on BBC Children's TV programme Marlene Marlowe Investigates.[3]


Gareth Williams- Has toured in a production of South Pacific and also with The English Shakespeare Company, he played Nathan Detroit in a production of Guys & Dolls. He also worked with Jonathan Miller on a TV adaptation of Henry Mayhew's London Labour, London Poor.[4]


David Gittins aka Red Stripe - Got a bread round after leaving the band then decided to move to Australia where he got a job as a stage mechanist at The Victorian State Theatre. He also co-developed Techno act Poets of the Machine.[5]


Ken Gregson- Emigrated to Australia and has made an apperance on popular soap Neighbours.[6]

[edit] Members

[edit] Original

[edit] Present

  • Andrea Figallo
  • Dylan Foster
  • Andy Laycock
  • Simon John Foster
  • Michael Henry

[edit] Other Past Members

  • Hereward Kaye
  • Gary Howard
  • Nick Godfrey
  • Lex Lewis
  • Ricky Payne
  • Henrik Wager
  • Paul Kissaun
  • Fraser Collins

[edit] Discography

[edit] The Original Flying Pickets Albums

[edit] Post Brian & Stripe Albums

  • Waiting For Trains (1988)
  • At Work (1989)

[edit] The New Flying Pickets Albums

  • Blue Money - 1991
  • The Warning - 1994
  • Politics of Need - 1996
  • Vox Pop - 1998
  • Live in Hamburg - 2003
  • Everyday - 2005

[edit] Singles

Preceded by
Renée and Renato

Save Your Love

 UK Christmas Number One single

Only You

1983

 Succeeded by
Band Aid

Do They Know It's Christmas

[edit] References

1- Kaye, H., (1986) Ba Ba Da Da The Flying Pickets - 1986 [online] available at http://www.herewardkaye.com/baba.html Accessed 30 March 2007

2- The Flying Pickets., (no date) The Original Flying Pickets [online] available at http://www.theflyingpickets.co.uk/home.htm Accessed 30 March 2007

3- The Original Flying Pickets., (1994) The Original Flying Pickets: Volume 1 (from CD information booklet)

4- Ibid

5- Ibid

6- Ibid

[edit] External links

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