(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer down below)
The New Vaudeville Band - "Winchester Cathedral"
Hit Number 1: December 3, 1966
Stay at Number 1: 3 Weeks
British novelty music is a lot different from American novelty. American novelty songs brought us things like "Alley Oop" and "Mr. Custer", which only served a purpose of making the listeners laugh. British novelty, sometimes called "British Hall" or just "Vaudeville" music, was a little more sophisticated. The songs might've sounded silly and care-free, but the lyrics of these songs weren't necessarily what made them funny. In the case of "I'm Henry VIII, I Am", that song told the story of a man named Henry who married a widow. She had been married seven other times, all to guys named Henry. (I'm sure you can figure it out from there) That song's lyrics are pretty funny, but if you were to receive a copy of the lyrics from "Winchester Cathedral", you wouldn't find it funny at all. In fact, the song is rather sad without the goofy performance that the New Vaudeville Band put on with it.
The song's writer/producer, Geoff Stephens, was a big fan of the British Hall music era. He wrote "Winchester Cathedral" with the idea of making it sound funny, with someone singing through their hands to make a megaphone sound. It had been recorded entirely by session musicians, who called themselves the New Vaudeville Band. No one involved had ever expected "Winchester Cathedral" to be a major hit, including Stephens, but to their surprise it topped the charts in America and in Canada. It even won a Grammy for the Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording, even though it's very clearly not a rock and roll song. Stephens did try to recruit a band called Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, since he had to find a band to assemble after the song's success, but without any luck.
"Winchester Cathedral" remains as one of those lightning in a bottle songs, reaching an immense amount of success that it never had any business reaching. Despite the song's happy-go-lucky style, the lyrics tell a different story. A guy was to get married at the Winchester Cathedral, which is one of the largest cathedrals in England. His bride-to-be instead skips town and bails on him, leaving him "down". But instead of blaming her, himself, or anyone else, he blames the cathedral for the woman skipping out on him. That part in and of itself is kind of humorous, but the song's lyrics aren't what is supposed to make you laugh. It's that damn performance.
The song features a bellowing bassoon, dinky trumpet honks, and the aforementioned megaphone-sounding vocals. It sounds like a bunch of amateur musicians getting together and doing whatever the hell they want. It's a song that's right up there with everything I shouldn't like, but I can't bring myself to hate it. There is a harmless, cheerful vibe that the song gives off, and the way those ridiculous instruments sound together is something you can easily scoff at, but I don't see the harm in it. So, "Winchester Cathedral" is definitely not the greatest song I've ever heard, but it's one of those rare instances of chart magic that brings an underwhelming song to the top. A case of British carelessness and silliness that made Americans smile for 3 weeks.
GRADE: 5/10
SONGS REFERENCED:
The Hollywood Argyles - "Alley Oop"
Larry Verne - "Mr. Custer"
Herman's Hermits - "I'm Henry VIII, I Am"
MY INSPIRATION / MORE INFORMATION:
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