Kokomo

Biography

Four artists share the name "Kokomo": a post-rock band, a disbanded soul band and a surf/punk band and Jimmy Wisner an American pianist, arranger, songwriter, and producer, best known for his hit single "Asia Minor", released under the name Kokomo. #1 Kokomo is a post rock band from Duisburg, Germany founded in mid-2008. Their first album, Matterhorn Bob and the Black Fair was released in November 2009 to a generally-positive reception. A 12" split with Kasan was also released that year. In...

Four artists share the name "Kokomo": a post-rock band, a disbanded soul band and a surf/punk band and Jimmy Wisner an American pianist, arranger, songwriter, and producer, best known for his hit single "Asia Minor", released under the name Kokomo.

#1 Kokomo is a post rock band from Duisburg, Germany founded in mid-2008. Their first album, Matterhorn Bob and the Black Fair was released in November 2009 to a generally-positive reception. A 12" split with Kasan was also released that year. In April 2011, the band released their second album, If Wolves. Their sound is a combination of the atmosphere of post-rock, the soundscapes of ambient music and the turbulence of post-metal.

The band is comprised of Oliver L. (guitar), Rene S. (guitar), Benjamin H. (bass) and Tobias S. (drums).

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#2 Kokomo was a soul band that played the pub circuit in the 1970s in the United Kingdom.

"Kokomo has been described as the most authentic, and certainly the most traditional, funk band Britain produced during the 1970s"

The line-up was at first fairly stable, featuring a core of Dyan Birch (vocals), Frank Collins (vocals), Paddy McHugh (vocals), Tony O'Malley (keys, vocals), (all formerly in Arrival), Alan Spenner (bass), Neil Hubbard (guitar), Mel Collins (saxes), Jody Linscott (percussion), Terry Stannard (drums) and Jim Mullen (guitar).

After the first album in 1975, Jody Linscott and Jim Mullen left, and Terry Stannard was replaced by John Susswell.

Other musicians who played with the band at different times include : Glen LeFleur (drums), Tony Beard (drums), John McKenzie, musician (bass), Chris Mercer (saxophone), Andy Hamilton (saxes), Mark Smith (bass), Neal Wilkinson (drums), Neil Conti (drums). Mel Collins was an ex-King Crimson player, guitarist Neil Hubbard and bassist Alan Spenner previously worked with Joe Cocker's Grease Band, vocalist Frank Collins once led '60s pop sensations Arrival, whose lineup also included Kokomo's Dyan Birch and Paddie McHugh.

The band launched onto the U.K. pub rock scene where, until the advent of Roogalator and Supercharge during 1975, their loose-limbed funk workouts were in an absolute class of their own.

In 1975 Kokomo toured with Dr. Feelgood and Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers, the so called Naughty Rhythms tour.

The original lineup split in 1977. Various version of the band continued to perform, but broke up again when Alan Spenner died in August 1991.

External links:
Wikipedia
Fan page (includes a discography, brief bio and pictures)

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#3 James J. Wisner (December 8, 1931 – March 13, 2018) was an American pianist, arranger, songwriter, and producer. He is best known for his hit single "Asia Minor", released under the name Kokomo.

Jimmy Wisner received classical training as a youngster, and attended Temple University as a psychology student in the late 1950s. He formed the Jimmy Wisner Trio in 1959 with Chick Kinney on drums and Ace Tesone on bass. This ensemble backed musicians who toured through Philadelphia, including Mel Torme, Carmen McRae, Dakota Staton, and the Hi-Lo's.

He released several full-length albums as a jazz musician, but in 1961 recorded a rock & roll adaptation of Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor, using shellac on the hammers of a cheap piano so as to effect a honky tonk sound. So as not to alienate his jazz fans, he released the tune, titled "Asia Minor", under the name Kokomo; he was turned down by 10 labels and had to release the track on his own label Future Records. The song became a hit, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #35 on the UK Singles Chart despite having been banned by the BBC. Wisner released further singles as Kokomo on his prior label, Felsted, but did not have another hit.

Following the success of "Asia Minor", Wisner launched a successful career as a songwriter, producer, and composer for film and television. He wrote "Don't Throw Your Love Away", a #1 UK hit for the Searchers in 1964, as well as the Tymes' "Somewhere", which went Top 20 in the UK. As a producer and arranger Wisner worked with Bobby Rydell (The Joker Newley-Bricusse from Roar of the Greasepaint) as well as numerous others including Freddy Cannon, Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vinton, Herbie Mann, Len Barry ("1 - 2 - 3"), Miriam Makeba, Judy Collins, Paul Evans, Spanky & Our Gang, Tony Bennett, the Cowsills, Carly Simon, Al Kooper, Iggy Pop, Barbra Streisand, Tommy James, Brigitte Bardot, and Roberto Carlos as well as Randy & the Rainbows. He also headed Columbia Records' A&R department from 1968 to 1969, where he recorded Donna Marie, who went on to perform with the Archies.

Wisner died on March 13, 2018, at age 86.
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#4 Kokomo is a surf/punk band from Glastonbury, Connecticut. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.