Lee Vanderbilt
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lee Vanderbilt (9 August 1935 – 19 February 2015), born as Kenrick Edgar Pitt, was a
Trinidadian Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The population of Trinidad is notably diverse, with approximately 35% Indo-Trinidadian, 34% ...
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
and
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
singer. Vanderbilt sometimes known under his aliases Kenrick Des-Etages and Ebony Keyes.


Biography

Vanderbilt was born as Kenrick Edgar Pitt in
San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
, Trinidad and in the late 1950s moved to the United Kingdom. At that point he changed his name to Kenrick Edgar Des-Etages. In 1964 Pitt signed his first record deal using the stage name, "Ebony Keyes", with
Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...
, releasing two songs, "Brother Joe" and "Under the Apple Tree". In 1967, after an introduction from his friend Peter Gage (a founder of Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and Vinegar Joe), he signed to
Pye Records PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...
where he released a number of singles through both their subsidiary record label
Piccadilly Records PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...
and on the label of their primary Australian distributor,
Astor Records Astor Records was an Australian recorded music manufacturer and distributor that operated from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. Astor was the trade name of the consumer electronics manufacturer Radio Corporation Pty. Ltd., a division of Electro ...
. In 1968, Pitt signed to the
United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1958 ...
, and at the suggestion of an A&R executive, changed his stage name from Ebony Keyes to "Lee Vanderbilt". While with United Artists he took part in a number of recording sessions including the recording of "Some Girls Do", the theme song for the 1969 British spy-spoof of the same name. "Some Girls Do" was released by United Artists as a single in 1969. In the same year Vanderbilt was asked to represent the United Kingdom at the
Gibraltar World Music Festival The Gibraltar World Music Festival (GWMF) is an annual music festival held in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The event features a different theme every year, inspired by the cultures of referenced part of the world. Events (2012†...
, where he won gold and bronze medals with two songs of his own composition, "How Shall I Know" and "A Woman's Way".


1970s and onwards

In the 1970s, Vanderbilt was regularly in the studio, working as a session musician. Through his session work he met many artists with whom he would go on to collaborate including an aspiring musical arranger, producer and songwriter from India called Biddu Appaiah (also known simply as
Biddu Biddu Appaiah (born 8 February 1945) is a British-Indian singer-songwriter, composer, and music producer who composed and produced many worldwide hit records during a career spanning five decades. Considered one of the pioneers of disco, Euro ...
). Biddu and Vanderbilt became friends and collaborated for many years on a number of projects. In 1973, Biddu established his own production company to which he signed a number of artists, including Vanderbilt. The first commercially successful artist signed to Biddu's production company was
Carl Douglas Carlton George Douglas (born 10 May 1942) is a Jamaican-British singer best known for his 1974 disco single " Kung Fu Fighting". Based in the United Kingdom, Douglas released three studio albums, including '' Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great L ...
, who in 1974 released his well-known disco hit "Kung Fu Fighting". Carl Douglas also recorded three songs written by Lee Vanderbilt, "I Don't Care What the People Say" (Biddu-Vanderbilt), "Stand Up For Love" and "Never Had This Dream Before", all three of which appeared on his ''Kung Fu Fighter'' album in 1974. In 1976, Vanderbilt introduced his friend Tina Charles to Biddu, who Biddu signed and for whom he produced a number of worldwide hits including a single released in 1976 called "I Love to Love". The B-side of that single was a song written by Vanderbilt called "Disco Fever". Tina Charles also recorded Vanderbilt's song "All Comes Back to You" on her 1976 album, ''Dance Little Lady''. Jimmy James and the Vagabonds also signed to Biddu's production company. Jimmy James recorded a number of Vanderbilt's songs including: "Disco Fever", "Never Had This Dream Before", "Let's Have Fun", "Suspicious Love" (Biddu/Vanderbilt) and a fifth song called "If You Think that Funk is Junk Your Drunk". Biddu also had success with his own group known as the Biddu Orchestra. The Biddu Orchestra comprised a group of session musicians with whom Biddu and Vanderbilt had worked for many years. Biddu recorded two songs with the Biddu Orchestra written by Vanderbilt, "Funky Tropical" (which appeared both on his album ''Eastern Man'' and which he released as a single in 1977) and "Jump for Joy". Vanderbilt was also a backing vocalists for the Biddu Orchestra. In 1977, Vanderbilt released his only album on the
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
, ''Get Into What You're In''. The songs on the album reflected his many musical influences, including funk numbers such as "Funky Tropical" and "Show Me What You Made Off"; soulful love songs including "Coral Isle" and "Stand Up for Love"; and
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
-esque numbers "Sweet Ices" and "What a Way". The album was produced by Biddu with arrangement performed by the likes of
Gerry Shury Gerald Roland Shury (11 August 1944General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 17; Page: 0919 – 24 May 1978)England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), page 7395 was a British songwriter, arranger, a ...
,
Chris Karan Chris Karan (born Chrisostomos Karanikis, 14 October 1939) is a Britain-based Australian jazz drummer and percussionist of Greek descent. Life and career Karan was born in 1939 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Karan played in the Three Out ...
,
Rebop Kwaku Baah Anthony "Rebop" Kwaku Baah (13 February 1944 – 12 January 1983) was a Ghanaian percussionist who worked with the 1970s rock groups Traffic and Can. Biography Baah was born in 1944 in Konongo, Gold Coast. In the Akan culture of Ghana, Kwa ...
, Michael Moran. It did not achieve as much commercial success as it did critical acclaim. In addition to releasing his own album, working with artists as a session singer and percussionist and collaborating with Biddu and the other artists signed to Biddu's production company, in the 1970s, Lee Vanderbilt performed a song, written by George Barrie and
Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...
, called "The Night Has Many Eyes", for the 1973 film ''
Night Watch Night Watch or Nightwatch may refer to: Being on duty at night * The nighttime shift worked by a security guard (night watchman) * Watchman (law enforcement), organized groups of men to deter criminal activity and provide law enforcement * One of ...
'' starring
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
and
Laurence Harvey Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to Union of South Africa, South Africa at an early age, before ...
. The song was released as a single in 1973 on the Brut Record label. He wrote the theme music for the UK comedy movie '' Black Joy'' (performed by Jimmy Helms) released in 1977 and starring
Norman Beaton Norman Lugard Beaton (31 October 1934 – 13 December 1994) was a Guyana, Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom. He became best known for his role as Desmond Ambrose in the Channel Four television comedy series ''Desmond's''. The wr ...
, Trevor Thomas and Floella Benjamin; and wrote and performed "Lonely I" for the same movie. During the 1970s he also sang a number of well-known and award-winning television commercials, including the Martini Hot Air Balloon commercial;
Tia Maria Tia Maria is a dark coffee liqueur made in Italy using Jamaican coffee beans. The main ingredients are coffee beans, South Jamaican rum, vanilla, and sugar, blended to an alcoholic content of 20%. History Tia Maria was originally made in ...
's "Get It Together" commercial; and one of
Lilt Lilt was a brand of soft drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company and sold only in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, c ...
's "Totally Tropical Taste" commercials. Some other artists with whom Vanderbilt has worked are
Edwyn Collins Edwyn Stephen Collins (born 23 August 1959) is a Scottish musician, producer and record label owner. Collins was the lead singer for the 1980s post-punk band Orange Juice, which he co-founded. After the group split in 1985, Collins started a so ...
,
Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1945) is an English Rock music, rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe (band), Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest su ...
,
Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading (, born 9 December 1950) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her first major commercial success came with her third and fourth albums, '' Joan Armatrading'' (1976) and '' Show Some Emotion'' (1977), a ...
,
George Chandler George Chandler (June 30, 1898 – June 10, 1985) was an American actor who starred in over 140 feature films, usually in smaller supporting roles, and he is perhaps best known for playing the character of Uncle Petrie Martin on the television ...
,
Jimmy Helms James D. Helms (born September 27, 1941) is an American soul singer, known as a member of Londonbeat but who also had solo hits such as " Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse". Early years Helms was born in Florida. His grandfather was a Bl ...
,
Jimmy Chambers Londonbeat are a British dance-pop band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s. They currently consist of vocalists Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Chambers, and Charles Pierre. Former members include multi-instrumentalist William Hens ...
,
Anthony Moore Anthony Moore (also known as Anthony More) (born 13 August 1948) is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, i ...
,
Barclay James Harvest Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band, which following a split in 1998 now exists as two successor bands. They were founded in Oldham, in September 1966 by bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd (born 1948), guitarist/vocalist John ...
, and
Bryn Haworth Bryn Haworth (born 29 July 1948) is a British Christian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pioneer of Jesus music in mainstream rock. Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, he has released some twenty-two albums and several singles since the ...
.


Death

Lee Vanderbilt lived and worked in the United Kingdom until his death on 19 February 2015, from a severe bout of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
. He had four sons: Gary Des-Etages and Christopher "Tambu" Herbert (recording artists); Gabrial Kennedy; and Simon Des-Etages (attorney).


Discography


Album

*''Get Into What You're In'' (1977)


Singles

*"Some Girls Do" (1969) *"Baby I've Come Home" (1970) *"The Night Has Many Eyes" (1973) *"Ah! Michelle / Take My Wine" (1974) *"It's Dawn Again" (1974) *"Get Into What You're In / Funky Tropical" (1977)


Singles as Ebony Keyes

*"Sitting In A Ring" (1966) *"Country Girl" (1967) *"Cupid's House" (1967) *"Sweet Mary Anne / Don't" (1967) *"Brother Joe" (1971)


References


External links


Kenrick Des-Etages Aka, Lee Vanderbilt Aka, Ebony Keyes, Aka my Father
(More Complete Bio)
Kenrick Des-Etages @ Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanderbilt, Lee 1935 births 2015 deaths British male singers British male songwriters British session musicians Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United Kingdom