simon dupree & the big sound

[BrunoXFelipe1]

What is the name of the second song?

[uzajumavol]

@BrunoXFelipe1 Thinking about my life

[BrunoXFelipe1]

@uzajumavol Thanks!

[chrisedelic77]

He does the girls voice perfect like the record

[VivianeOfAvalon]

What magic those fellas made so many decades ago with such a beautiful song - amazing it was a pop hit - I am so glad it's still working its magic!

[dadoo1617]

There are already many elements of the future with these Gentle Giant multi-instrumentalists three brothers, and their genius for composition and inspiration.

I never understood that they are always passed behind groups like Genesis or Yes, they earn them as well.

[delfia406]

Raymond, Philip and Derek. Just three brothers. HaShem Beezrat, they will come back one day.

[zimmy81]

Kites is one my of all time classic faves and he nailed it tone perfect with no gadgets, a unique voice and a superb record.

[tnbljp]

Looks a bit like Barry Ryan

[Roxsox221]

Another English band that should have been more appreciated.

[MreViewer]

The lads are having a laugh on stage while playing this classic song live with total ease! Brilliant song and performers!

[bebbwhatever]

God that's good !

[kaldemvor]

Classic 60s!

[gargol100]

First 45' I ever bought,  still sounds class......

[Edotter]

I wonder what the guys in this band who DIDN'T go on to join Gentle Giant went and did...?

[OZK033]

Love the drummer playing both songs too fast, Derek looks pissed! Also love Derek's attempt at the southern accent in the second song. Just be you, Derek!

[OZK033]

It's the Gentle Giant guys doing Moody Blues tunes! Sounds great too!

[OceanderTethyseus]

absolutely beautiful.

[gripper021164]

Class song, Class band, and Gentle Giant are legendry......Love 'em!!!

[passtheyemen]

SOOOOOO!!! Basically, Derek Shulman just blew a kiss to his keyboardist.

What a cheeky fellow, eh? If he had done that to Kerry Minnear, Minnear would have most ceartinly blushed haha!

[dedeurs]

Performed too fast and too careless. I also don't like the ridiculing of the poetic part with the sultry oriental girl. Yes, the studio single was quite sophisticated. Wind sounds, eastern instruments. Everyone else in pop biz was plucking sitars!

I've read more than once that they hated the song...unbelievable. It's one of the highlights of 1967, and that year was already bursting with highlights.

[group4taker]

First '45' I ever bought, still sounds brill..........class never fades....nice to see the video

[group4taker]

First '45' I ever bought, still sounds brill..........class never fades....

[kingcherub]

How did they go from this to Gentle Giant in such a short time? Two words: Kerry Minear, thats how!

[kingcherub]

Derek without a beard! I love it.

[edimage]

sound crap live

[ronaldodias11]

I'm glad they turned into Gentle Giant

[davidbarrett1949]

I am grateful to you for posting this for two reasons: firstly, I like "Kites"; secondly, I bought a second-hand single from a junk shop around 1971. Someone had pasted a picture, taken from a classical painting, over the label on both sides, obliterating the label completely. It intrigued me so I invested the princely sum of 5 pence and took it home. I loved it but did not recognise the group, singer or song. 39 years later I have recognised it as "Thinking about my life"! Thanks very much !

[ukfordfan]

Another Kiwi here...I had never heard this until a few years ago, when I brought a double ( UK ) CD from the Warehouse, & this was one of the tracks.

[MadUncle16]

Peter (the bass player) is my uncle... I didnt know he was this famous

[RachelBGreen]

@MadUncle16

Not one of the "original" Shulman brothers though?

[MadUncle16]

@RachelBGreen No he wasn't. check out his site homepages.ihug.co.nz/~peterkin­/

[RachelBGreen]

@MadUncle16

Peter who is now in Aukland? Have a look at this link on the Guardian website and read the comments: "/notesandqueries/query/0,5753­,-25618,00.html"

[MadUncle16]

@RachelBGreen that is so funny. i was just talking to him the other day. They were a truly great band. Lucky guy got to meet jimi hendrix. I live in Auckland, NZ as well, interestingly enough.

[sunchilde68]

JULIA OH JULIA WHERE ART THOU....I remember u loved this song..i met u years ago at a yardsale in niagara falls wher i gave u some stringart and other 60s goodies. love 2 hear from u if u see this. shes a ballet dancer and musician flowerchild of 1969 whos mom owns her dance studio if anyone can help me...this is a great piece of music and history as well.

[stroudbike]

This song is clearly the inspiration for the car alarm sound. I hope that the boys are gathering the royalties from it.

[Sunflowers159]

Yes, I hear the Moody Blues influence now. I loved the song when I was a teenager and I still do now even after all these years.

[amyleigh02]

ahh, the memories this brings back.

[keyanntee]

someone needs to do a cover version - they would make a fortune

[tarb36]

@keyanntee

hi. a remix was done of this great song in the early 90's altho it was turned into a trance tune. type in ultraviolet kites and have a listen

[wardka]

This is pretty impressive for what it is -- but how in the name of all that's holy did they stand doing this stuff when their most avant-garde progressive rock sound was in the very near future? And how did they manage to make such a Giant leap?

[currypot1965]

This is real gay.

[phantomxr]

Metamorph into Gentle Giant, the greatest Prog Rock band ,the U.K. has produced,check em out!!

[magicalmysterygirl]

Very cool tune!

[TheLexyboy]

in letters of gold

on a snow white kite

i will write

I LOVE YOU

the best, ever

[TheLexyboy]

Gotta live the Mellotron..............

[FlorrieLindley]

That lpoks suspiciously like a wig

[redredreds100]

@FlorrieLindley what is a lpoks

[pandoheas]

No, it actually real hair

[TheMalcolmgraham]

great song but Billy Mckenzie's version is unbeliveable

[gordoarcane]

@TheMalcolmgraham

Indeed Billy's vocals carry the song and are sublime, just a pity the only version of his is sadly lacking in quality.

[countfour]

I used to love this song so much when I was a young kid - and I still love it. Great to see this

[mclainrose]

I CANTTT BELEIVE THAT IS DEREKKKKK!!!

[rocknrollunlimited]

Love this just as much as I did when I first heard it as a small child. Thanks for posting.

[malgray2]

Thanks for posting this song. So many memories. Pwllheli, Dop's Café and the Maes in February.

[jonny99y1]

phemonenal.. instruments and vocals are all about this classical 60s rock

[copstolemywife]

The singer could be the love child of Jim Morrison and Peter Gabriel.

[GoodSirDay724]

that's derek shulman you fool. maybe listen to gentle giant sometime.

[captainsoul1953]

I think its a Mellotron....Chamberlains were pretty unknown in the UK...and very expensive....and betyter

[sidensvans67]

Thinking of you Al.

[absoluteauthority08]

were they using a chamberlin keyboard for the strings? Or was it a Mellotron?

[PhilK22]

These lads, the Schulman brothers, went on to become a WONDERFUL classic British progressive band

GENTLE GIANT

If you've never heard them, try "Nothing at all" from their first album in 1970. Or "Funny ways" and "Isn't it quiet and cold" or "Alucard" fromk the same album.

The 2nd 3rd and 4th albums were even better

Look on the torrents and newsgroups.

[Elohandre]

@PhilK22

On the first Gentle Giant album, for me the best piece is GIANT . An amazing atmosphere, so unique and great.

[JANXDPDX]

my knees went weak when e blew the kiss......

[JANXDPDX]

kites, indeed.

[ppaulmorris]

What an excellent all round LIVE presentation.

[Goblinshead]

Classic stuff, released in the days when you did not have videos to insert an image in your head. So the memories are so much more special, Sue Jarvis, where are you, and I am not scared of your old man now, so there!

[geoffdoor]

@Goblinshead sue jarvis's dad says he's gonna smash fuck outta of you and he doesn't care whose watching your invalid wife and spacky kids he's gonna smash fuck outta of you in front of cctv he wont fucking care up and down the street all day long - not my words mate but sue jarvis dad -

[Hussarth]

gentle giant ftw

[gripper021164]

Alucard!...Why Not!....She's Nothing At All......Isn't it Quiet and cold? walkin' all alone, Happen to miss my bus and now I have to walk alone....!!!!!!!!!!!!

[philipg52]

Just superb, and live too!!!!!!!! These fella's are, or were true musicians unlike much of todays crap.

[roboticbug0202]

i know the drummer in this video, his name is tony, he is really cool, he is my dads best friend, we just randomly talked to him in a pub once not knowing he was in the band! When he told us we where gobsmacked. He now lives in france but is still a close contact, going to see him soon :)

[vtripaldi]

sahsa and digweed Northern exposure and the associates

[SLUTCHPUMP]

this takes me back to the 60s listening

to Radios Luxembourge n Caroline just

cutting edge.

[xxpiggystardustxx]

classic track

[Tillylampwick]

This is the first record I ever bought as a teenager, and it is still my favourite record of all time. The video is dated and it all looks so amateurish now, but the beautiful words and sound are perfect. I love it.

[therealKINDLE]

Make sure you look up the new video MTV did to for this classic track. It's quite impressive!

[7836200]

You can see why they became Prog rock! This is so commercial and very dated!

[alexey7777777]

Kites I will fly a yellow paper sun in your sky When the wind is high,when the wind is high I will float a silken silver moon near your window If your night is dark,if your night is dark In letters of gold on a snow white kite I will write "I love you" And send it soaring high above you For all to read I will scatter rice paper stars in your heaven If there are no stars,if there are no stars All of these and seven wonders more will I find When the wind is high,when the wind is high

[beeroosterm]

Stunning to know that the Shulman brothers became the core of Gentle Giant, one of the weirdest, greatest bands ever!

[melodieDeLaVie]

JUST LOVE IT !!!

BIG THANKS,:))))

[jonny99y1]

what a great song

[psychobollox]

elton john was asked to join this band after depping for the keyboard guy, eric hines.

[psychobollox]

fuck!

first record i ever owned as a five year old.

i took it to school, and the teachers thought i was on something!

[ther51]

Love this one i'v just put it on great thanks.

[hughmax]

Superb rare clip of Kites. What a most underrated singer/Performer/writer Derek Shulman was. Shame he's not performed since around 1980.

[raven470069]

Gosiu to musi mieć ponad 30 lat ja by to datował na koniec 60-tych, początek 70-tych.... dzieś sie w pamięci kolacze pierwsza piosenka...

wezmą To sobie niech przez Czasy wedruje... :D:D:D ;)

[26gosia]

....on a snow white kite

I will write "I love you.... beautiful:)))

I send to my friends such as thisnwords:))

[rmpearson]

Here are the rudiments of the greatest prog rock band - Gentle Giant!

[chatham43]

....ha..just don't know what to make of them, but a gem of a song!

[thestevo36]

you cant top the sixties kids,its where music was invented,forget elvis.

[DieHardBeatlesFan]

Yikes It's Kites forgot about this one

TA S2

[deckspinner]

I will fly a yellow paper sun in your sky When the wind is high, when the wind is high I will float a silken silver moon near your window If your night is dark, if your night is dark In letters of gold on a snow white kite I will write "I love you" And send it soaring high above you For all to read I will scatter rice paper stars in your heaven If there are no stars, if there are no stars All of these and seven wonders more will I find When the wind is high, when the wind is high chorus..

[helenmarianne1]

This was the first song to tweak my nipples .... I was 11 ...and it still does !

[sugarpig1979]

@helenmarianne1 lmao, it is a cool song

[safewayselect]

@helenmarianne1

funny you say that. My mom said the same thing

[ChocloManx]

is that a mellotron?

I find it hilarious that some of these guys did songs like Edge of Twilight.

[arnaldopata]

The Brothers Shulman of Gentle Giant. Here in your first (?) group. Psycadelic rock in your better!

[Mellotronaic]

The Newno2 should do a cover.

[drtymac]

4:12 AHAHAHAHAHAHAH.. oh god.. so cheezy. I love it.

[JekyllBoote]

All right, amyparking, what have you got lined up that disproves my point?

[cybeavertoo]

oh there has been so many beautyful popular music made after 1971 i wouldnt know where to start,but even then i think i strangely understand what u mean.The loss of musicality especially in our present times seems so sad, and yes the music-industry and there protege's wouldnt have got there without all the bad taste that floaded over us in the past decenia.The focus of the market definitely seems to b on the ordure u mean. But hey! Derek Shulman was anA&R bigshot at a major label in the eighties

[theblastocyst]

music software is what destroyed musicality

[79hz]

so right...

[JekyllBoote]

This clip is Exhibit No. 1 for the watertight case that all pop music should have come to a halt in 1971, sparing us the crap of punk, the 1980s generally, rap, grunge, and all the other ordure we have been subjected to since.

[amyparking]

old fart, you

[cybeavertoo]

young tart, u?

[Alexjhs]

Aww I adore this song..and S.D.T.B.S. Thanx for posting the vid. Still sounds amazing!

[FaerieCrone]

It has a Moody Blues quality to it, which I love.

[M400fan]

@FaerieCrone That'll be because of the Mellotron!

[mustamaja]

I love this song.

[SLUMBERSZZ]

5awesome*****

[stere0lad]

The Associates did a cover version of this under the group name "39 Lyon Street" back in about 82. A great version of a great song. Check it out. Stere0

[zinktop]

Akkarai seemi alaginile

[BakaNewMexican]

What a great song!!! I just can't stop playing this video.

I've been a GG fan since I was in high school in New Mexico. Not too many GG fans in NM that I'm aware of!!!

I knew they got their start as SD&TBS, but I never heard their version of this song until the other day.

Someone posted a video of Billy Mackenzie covering this song on French TV onto YouTube. His cover was amazing.

It's hard to decide which version is better: Billy or Derek.

Heck, they're both great.

[klausius]

great great memories of endless Kites

(we called it Snowsong)

[billylow]

cool !! love it.

[PAULLONDEN]

This band was brilliantino

Their only album was great

especially "For who'm the bell tolls"

[LFDibley]

I've been a Giant fan for quite some time now, but I've never heard this song until now. Very beautiful, if somewhat cheesy. I suppose it wasn't written by the Shulmans?

[COGENTCOG]

written by Lee Pockriss and Hal Hackaday

[bodast]

FAN-tastic.

[glfgecko]

According to the concert listings on the official GG website (Blazemonger) they were very popular in the States , which I don't understand and indeed were Henry Cow together with King Crimson best avantgarde bands

[Beadbud5000]

In fact, The Beatles influence on music covers all spectrums. from basic rock & roll, to progressive elements and even punk!

[DrFettish]

Ive just bought an original copy of Kites from 1967 off of Ebay and it's a brilliant copy, I can't stop playing it.....

[Beadbud5000]

Is that Derek Schulman from Gentle Giant as the front man for real? It sort of resembles him after the third of forth listen. GG such a better band yet that song Kites charted to number 5. GG was beyond most people

[MisterNifty]

Not only is that Derek Shulman singing, but he really couldn't handle the immediate fame having the band accidently create a hit after borrowing the Beatle's numerous instruments after they just got through cutting "Sargent Peppers." So the experimental "Gentle Giant" was just a way for the group to remain low key as an experimental band while keeping Derek's sanity in check.

[Beadbud5000]

That sure changed in the sense of their devotion to music as Giant Approached thier zenith around 1975 or 76. I have always felt that "The Missing Piece" & "Giant For A Day" were simply attempts for commerial success for GG. Derek could handle it by then. Thank you for your insight! Very helpful!

[MisterNifty]

I've often wondered if the 3 Jewish Shulman brothers weren't shunned in England as a band. I've read that Gentle Giant really hit it big in the United States. Around the time you are speaking, 75 to 76, the record studios stepped in once again to regain artistic control from the groups by reinstituting the top ten format. This happened after the Beatles opened up the recording studios to lots of groups after they handled their own production and made hundreds of millions as a result.

[Beadbud5000]

Not really sure where you read GG were big in the US. NOT true at all. To my knowledge, they never headlined here on a concert bill.

 I chatted with a member of the Texas prog rock band that openned for them as GG was falling apart between 1978 - 1980.

If they got radio play it was on PBS stations or local college stations. When Civilian was released. nobody anywhere wanted the band anymore.

[MisterNifty]

Derek Shulman has spoken often of their "In a Glass House" album being banned in the United States. They also acheived some success with the song "Aspirations" from their "Power and the Glory" album in the United States with the later "Freehand" album their biggest breakthrough album in regards to the naive living in the US heartland. I guess one should also include Canada in with the United States when discussing fan base.

[Beadbud5000]

Prog only caught on on the coasts, never really in the central part of the US

[MisterNifty]

If you consider percussion an integral and timeless aspect of prog rock, then you can't discount the many southern rock bands who incorporated numerous ensembles of drummers. In other words, the interior of the United States probably had more creative rock music during that time than any other place on earth.

[Beadbud5000]

MisterNifty

I agree. Particularly Lynnard Skinnard, Little Feat, Allman Brothers, etc. This influence should not be denied and really neads to be recognized more on an acedemic level is you will. Richey Hayward, etc.

[MisterNifty]

Consider also such groups as "Kansas," "Molly Hatchet" and "Captain Beyond?" The first "Captain Beyond" album is another example of how percussion can give music a timeless quality. When Captain Beyond later cut their second album, Sufficiently Breathless, the group replaced their lone drummer with an ensemble of 2 percussionists.

[Beadbud5000]

I take it these are all US bands? I know Arm Forces Radio effected GG, Hendrix, Daevid Allen as I have read a snipet or two on how that radio signal, though weak, was picked up in Europe. Derek talked about it in his VH1 interview in 2005. One band I understimated having a major influence on art rock of the 70's was Henry Cow

[beachcomber23]

Unique band...and seem to be trying to tell us something?

[DrFettish]

Are they all still kicking, I wonder!!!!

Brilliant band in there day....

[spiritswitchboard]

I believe the dupree never reformed after becoming Gentle Giant. After GG broke up, Derek became a record exec, signing some well known acts.

[DrFettish]

Did he, thanks for letting me know....

[Beadbud5000]

Men At Work, Tears For Fears, basically Polygram... or is it Polydor Records. Made lots of money. Music sufferes these days.

[tractionman]

Saw them at York assembly rooms, most have been about 1970. Wont forget.... got thrown out. Saw Procol Harum just before this (crap)!

[tiger2995]

Where's Derek now?

[Beadbud5000]

Derek rereleased the Gentle Giant albums on CD in 2005 on his own label. GG was hot! Simon Dupree not.

[JSS64]

I have just seen this footage. Now I know where Jarvis Cocker got his act from!!

Good song nonetheless.

[showmerightnow]

That comment about Jarvis set me laughing for five minutes! Classic! Perfect observation!

[psychopompo]

i knew the song in the version of the amazing associates...

this is cool!

[unhygenix32]

Great song.

[Zzz80]

Awesome clip and voice.

[neo64]

God, I must have first heard this 8-10 years ago when I was a kid. Such a cool song holding so many awesome memories for me

[stampeed442]

wow just love that song hes got a great vioce

love him :)

[666UFO666]

Very Cool Great Voice

[druttley]

just love the old sounds keep them comming

[chrisedelic77]

Wowie Zowie!

[ronanmurray]

Sublime!

[GrahamSolo]

Great song. Performance a bit fast though?

[1690aaaa]

Another great Scottish band, Brian Evans.

[MisterNifty]

The story of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound is a great one. "Kites" literally drove Derek Shulman crazy to the point that he had to be committed. His experience is later expressed in the album "In a Glass House" by the experimental band Gentle Giant.

[northernraider]

If you like this you will probably like " last Night in Soho" ,by Dave dee dozy Beaky mick and titch. And Love Affair doing Rainbow Valley.

[Beadbud5000]

Inmates Lullaby. One of my favorite Giant Tunes

[prometheus70]

One of my all-time favourite songs. I've never seen SD&BS on TV. Now I'd also like to see their performance of "For Whom The Bell Tolls" - another great song, one of the best UK singles in 1968.

[2007unclebuck]

Quality :) Genuinely live recording too.

[roseruby16]

Great Song

[red777photo]

great super cool

[Lammy64]

Great Song, brings back memories. Thanks for posting.X

[vinigan4]

i song this on karoke for a laugh.LOL!!!

[RayMusicbear]

"Kites," was a huge hit in the UK for Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, what a great song! I liked what he did with the spoken part, lots of fun. In the original recording there is a very sexy spoken passage by a very sexy sounding asian woman. Very cool. Plus, Derek is so cute!

[IcouldBNE1]

I guess they never really became known in the U.S. I only found out about them when looking up information on Gentle Giant.

[nikretep]

That 'one guy' was one of our 'Roadies', Brian West :-)

Not one of our best live performances ..!

Web-site - Google - 'simon dupree' - #1 on page 1.

(Comment from 'SD&BS' bass player)

[johngill]

how old are you?

[nikretep]

Too old !! One year older than Derek Shulman.

I'm fascinated by all the miss-information people have acquired.

Like the 'fact' that Derek had a nervous breakdown and had to be committed....

Can't people see a publicity stunt ? ...

As I've read this elsewhere, yet another urban legend started I suppose.:))))

[JohnKing67]

funny how they have one guy just to play the gong.

[feetonceiling]

Is it a wig?

[ffa14]

Superb clip!.Anyone seen the BBC-TV: 'Man Alive''The Ravers'documentary of late June 1967 featuring SD & TBS?.

[barryshostakovitch]

Yes I have! It was on at the Barbican in June 2005 for one night as part of an evening of music documentaries curated by Bob Stanley from Saint Etienne. It's fantastic television. And hilarious!