Don Lang (musician)

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Don Lang (born Gordon Langhorn, 18 January 1925, Halifax, Yorkshire - died 3 August 1992, Surrey [1]) was a trombone player and singer, who led his own British band called Don Lang & his Frantic Five. He appeared on the first BBC Television show for teenagers called Six-Five Special, for which he recorded the theme tune. In 1958 his cover version of "Witch Doctor" reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, and he played trombone on the song Revolution 1 on The Beatles' famous White Album.

During the 1950s he lived in 'Denmark Avenue', Wimbledon, and could be seen driving his pink Vauxhall Cresta, Britain's answer to Elvis Presley's pink Cadillac, the 200 yards to Wimbledon village's upmarket grocer, Cullens. There he might buy what seemed to impoverished primary school children of the time extravagant luxuries, such as out of season strawberries.

He retired at the end of the 1980s, as his son, Brad Lang, became visible as a session bassist with the groups ABC, Jade Warrior, Wham!, and Wishbone Ash. Lang senior died of cancer during the summer of 1992, after a long illness. He was aged 67. His music is best known in the United Kingdom, where Castle Communications has issued compilations of some of his vintage recordings. [hongttp://music.aol.com/artist/don-lang/18797/biography]