Winchester Cathedral By The New Vaudeville Band

Every once in awhile, and odd song becomes a huge hit, and so it was with “Winchester Cathedral” by The New Vaudeville Band.

Geoff Stephens was working as a staff songwriter and there was a calendar with a picture of Winchester Cathedral hanging in his office, and a song was born.

Stephens was a fan of vaudeville and decided to sing the song in that style, come with the use of a megaphone. He used session musicians to form the New Vaudeville Band.

“Winchester Cathedral” peaked at number four in Great Britain but it was just warming up. It entered the American charts October 29, 1966 and five weeks later it was number one. It fell to number two a week later but regained the top position for two more week beginning December 17.

The New Vaudeville Band toured the United States and even spent a year at The Aladdin Hotel in Vegas, before fading away, leaving behind one of the more unusual number 1 songs in music history.