The League of Gentlemen (band)

The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen
Origin	Dorset, England
Genres	Post-punk, new wave
Years active	1980
Labels	EG/Polydor
Associated acts	Robert Fripp, King Crimson, XTC, Shriekback, Gang of Four
Past members	Robert Fripp; Sara Lee; Barry Andrews; Johnny Toobad (Johnny Elichaoff); Kevin Wilkinson

The League of Gentlemen were a band active during March–December 1980 that featured guitarist Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame. Other members included bass guitarist Sara Lee (who later joined Gang of Four, the B-52's, and Indigo Girls), keyboardist Barry Andrews (formerly of XTC; later of Shriekback) and percussionist Johnny Toobad, replaced late in the band's tenure by Kevin Wilkinson (later of China Crisis and Squeeze).^[2]^[3]

The 1980 group should not be confused with Robert Fripp's first semi-professional band in the 1960s, which had the same name.^[4]

Fripp referred to the 1980 band as "a second-division touring new wave instrumental dance band".^{[citation needed]}

The Trouser Press Record Guide described the League of Gentlemen's music as typically taking "a simple medium-to-fast backbeat over which Fripp and Andrews locked horns, with melodic development emerging slowly, surely, subtly."^[5] Trouser Press also suggests that the League's foray into dance oriented rock was a precursor to Fripp's reformed King Crimson in the early 1980s.^[6]

The band toured extensively in Europe and North America throughout 1980.^[7]

There are 77 specific tour dates detailed in the sleevenotes on the album The League of Gentlemen. Missing from this list are four (possibly warm-up) gigs at the 14th Century Hunting Lodge (now Lodge Farm House),^[8]^{[failed verification]} outside the grounds of Kingston Lacy near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. These gigs are dated 24 to 27 February and pre-dated the first 'official' gig on 10 April at Moles, Bath.

Discography[]

Studio album[]

The League of Gentlemen (EG/Polydor, 1981)

Live album[]

Thrang Thrang Gozinbulx (constructed from bootleg recordings) (Discipline Records, 1996)

Compilation[]

God Save the King (Editions EG, 1985)

Album Personnel[]

Robert Fripp - guitar
Sara Lee (musician) - bass
Barry Andrews - organ
Kevin Wilkinson - drums (except A4 Heptaparaparshinokh and A5 Dislocated)
Johnny Toobad - drums on Heptaparaparshinokh and Dislocated
Danielle Dax - vocals and lyrics ("Hamsprachtmuzic") on Minor Man; she also provided the cover artwork for the album

Notes[]

^ Smith, Sid. "Johnny Toobad Is Dead". Dgmlive.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
^ Tamm, Eric. "Chapter Eight: Out of Retirement – The Drive to 1981". Progressive Ears / Robert Fripp – from Crimson King to Crafty Master. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 348. CN 5585.
^ Biography by Bruce Eder. "The League of Gentlemen | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
^ Fleischmann, Mark; Robbins, Ira (1991). "Robert Fripp". In Ira A. Robbins (ed.). The Trouser Press Record Guide. New York: Collier Books. p. 263. ISBN 0-02-036361-3.
^ Grant, Steven; Fleischmann, Mark; Robbins, Ira A. (1991). "King Crimson". In Ira A. Robbins (ed.). The Trouser Press Record Guide. New York: Collier Books. p. 367. ISBN 0-02-036361-3.
^ "League of Gentlemen 1980 Tour Dates". Dgmlive.com. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
^ "Lodge Farm House near Kingston Lacy (C) Mike Searle :: Geograph Britain and Ireland". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

References[]

Tamm, Eric (2003) [1990], "8 Out of retirement—'The Drive to 1981'", Robert Fripp: From crimson king to crafty master (Progressive Ears ed.), Faber and Faber (1990), ISBN 0-571-16289-4, Zipped Microsoft Word Document, archived from the original on 3 March 2012, retrieved 26 October 2011