The Lambrettas
| The Lambrettas | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brighton, England |
| Genres | Mod revival |
| Years active | 1979–1982 2009–present |
| Labels | The Rocket Record Company |
| Website | www.thelambrettas.co.uk |
| Members |
Doug Sanders (guitar/vocals) Phil Edwards (guitar) Ant Wellman (bass) Paul Wincer (drums) |
| Past members |
Jez Bird (vocals - deceased) Mark Ellis (bass) Steve Bray (drums) Pat Freyne (drums) |
The Lambrettas are an English mod revival band, first active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Named after the iconic Italian Lambretta scooter brand popular among Mods, the band was formed in Lewes. Their original line-up consisted of Jez Bird (singer/guitarist), Doug Sanders (guitarist/vocalist), Mark Ellis (bassist) and Paul Wincer (drummer).
Their biggest hit was in 1980, with a cover version of the 1950s Leiber and Stoller song, "Poison Ivy", which reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart. They scored a #12 hit with the follow-up, "Da-a-a-nce". In the same year, they released the album Beat Boys in the Jet Age, which reached #28 on the UK Albums Chart, and scored another minor hit single, "Another Day (Another Girl)" (hastily renamed from "Page 3" after complaints from The Sun newspaper). After the Mod revival faded, subsequent singles, which included a 1982 cover of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love", and a second album, 1981's Ambience, were commercial failures. The band played their final concert in their original incarnation in London on 14 April 1982. Bird re-formed the band for a time in the 1990s.
The band reformed in 2009 and are touring the UK and Europe. A new EP "Go 4 It" was released in February 2017 with three new tracks.
Dressing in matching mohair suits, the band named themselves after one of the mod-favoured motor scooters. The Lambrettas played various gigs around England until they were finally spotted by Elton John’s record label, The Rocket Record Company. At the time, Rocket was a new label featuring new and unknown acts. It was through this label that The Lambrettas released their first single, "Go Steady". The single did reasonably well and Rocket decided to sign the band to a longer term contract.
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