The Kane Gang
OriginSeaham, England
Genres
Years active1982–1991
Labels
Past members

The Kane Gang were an English pop trio formed in Seaham in 1982.[3] The group comprised Martin Brammer, Paul Woods and Dave Brewis.[4] They scored several UK and US hits in the 1980s.[5] Named alluding to the movie Citizen Kane, the trio recorded for the record label Kitchenware, which was also home to Prefab Sprout.

History

Vocalists Martin Brammer[6] (born 13 May 1957,[7] Seaham, County Durham) and Paul Woods, with multi-instrumentalist Dave Brewis, formed the trio in 1982, after meeting while in small local bands, and signed to a small record label, which led to a deal with London Records in 1984.[3]

Their debut album, The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang (released in the US as Lowdown), was released the following year.[3] It spawned two UK hit singles: "Closest Thing to Heaven" (No. 12) and a cover of the Staples Singers' "Respect Yourself"[8] (No. 21). The latter was also a hit in Australia, reaching No. 19. The album was produced by Pete Wingfield, and featured P. P. Arnold and Sam Brown as backing vocalists.[3][9]

The band's next album, Miracle, was released in 1987 and spawned two US hit singles: "Motortown" (No. 36 US / No. 45 UK) and another cover – this time of Dennis Edwards' "Don't Look Any Further"[8] (No. 64 US / No. 52 UK). The latter hit No. 1 on the US Dance Charts.[10]

Woods left the band in 1991 to attempt a solo career.[3] Woods and Brewis also worked on an album which was never released.

Other works

The Kane Gang performed the music for the "Ooh Gary Davies... On Your Radio" jingle for BBC Radio 1.[11] As was the fashion around that time, bands would adapt songs to provide the radio station with a jingle, and embed the hook of the track in the public's consciousness. The Gary Davies jingle was based on their track "Smalltown Creed"[11] (from the LP The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang). The same track was used as the basis for the theme tune of long-running Children's BBC television programme Byker Grove, which launched the careers of Ant & Dec (as PJ & Duncan) and Donna Air.[12]

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
UK
[13]		 AUS
[14]		 US
[10]
The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang
  • Released: March 1985
  • Label: London Records (820215-1)
  • Also: Kitchenware Records (UK, KWLP2, 1985)
 2165—
Miracle
  • Released: March 1987
  • Label: London Records (828057-1)
 4182115

Compilation albums

Title Album details
The Miracle of the Kane Gang

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US Hot 100
[10]		 US Adult
[10]		 US Dance
[10]		 AUS
[14]		 UK
[13]
1983 "Brother Brother" — — — — —
1984 "Smalltown Creed" — — — — 60
"Closest Thing to Heaven" — — — 57 12
"Respect Yourself" — — — 19 21
1985 "Gun Law" — — — — 53
1987 "Motortown" 36 12 — 87 45
"What Time Is It?" — — — — —
"Don't Look Any Further" 64 — 1 — 52
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961–2006. Record Research Inc. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
  2. ↑ Hustle, The. "Episode 34 - Martin Brammer of The Kane Gang – The Hustle – Podcast". Podtail.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 155. ISBN 0-85112-579-4.
  4. ↑ "THE KANE GANG". Archived from the original on 20 January 2005. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "The Kane Gang Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  6. ↑ "Martin Brammer interview". Zioshow.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Martin Brammer | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Kane Gang: Motortown". One Hit Wonder Central. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Lowdown by Kane Gang". Archived from the original on 8 October 2007.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Kane Gang | Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  11. 1 2 Davies, Gary (3 October 2019). "I was young, free and single and treated like a rock star... then I got fired! Now I'm back after 25 years and I'm loving it". Daily Record. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Byker Grove - History of the BBC". BBC. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 296. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  14. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 163. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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