Friday Flashback: The Tornados - Telstar
Last night on a reality tv show called '24 Hours In A&E' filmed at London's King's College Hospital, an elderly man was featured who spoke excitedly about his old band from the 60s. Encouraged by the cameras he told the polite but preoccupied nursing staff all about his band The Tornados who had a number one selling record and who were the first British act to go to number one in the US. He even had a photo with him and said that whilst people may not recognise the name they would definitely know their music, and he was correct...
"Telstar" the single he was talking about was indeed the first British song to reach number one in the US Billboard Hot 100 and is very recognisable. Released in 1962, it launched the ill-fated career of eccentric producer Joe Meek who inspired a biopic in 2008 staring Kevin Spacey and Carl Barat (The Libertines).
We're not sure how the episode of 24 Hours In A&E ended but the man was Roger Jackson (stage name Roger Levern) who was the original keyboardist for The Tornados. Here is their 1962 hit "Telstar"...
'Telstar:The Joe Meek Story' Trailer:
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