CCS (band)

{{short description|English musical group}} {{Use British English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = CCS | image = File:Alexis Korner 1968 Bremen.jpg | caption = [[Alexis Korner]] and [[Peter Thorup]] at [[Bremen]] in 1968 | origin = England | genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[blues]] | years_active = 1970–1973 | label = [[Rak Records|Rak]] | past_members = [[John Cameron (musician)|John Cameron]] [[Roger Coulam]] [[Herbie Flowers]] Bill Geldard [[Alexis Korner]] [[Don Lusher]] [[Harold McNair]] [[Barry Morgan (musician)|Barry Morgan]] [[Mickie Most]] [[Alan Parker (musician)|Alan Parker]] [[Peter Thorup]] }} '''CCS''', sometimes written as '''C.C.S.''', were a British [[popular music|musical]] group, led by [[blues]] guitarist [[Alexis Korner]].<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=242}}</ref> The name was derived as an abbreviation of ''Collective Consciousness Society''.

Formed in 1970 by musical director [[John Cameron (musician)|John Cameron]] and record producer [[Mickie Most]], CCS consisted largely of [[session musician]]s, and was created primarily as a recording outfit. The personnel also included [[Peter Thorup]], vocals; [[Alan Parker (musician)|Alan Parker]], guitar; [[Harold McNair]], flute; [[Herbie Flowers]], bass; [[Roger Coulam]], keyboards; [[Barry Morgan (musician)|Barry Morgan]], drums; plus [[Don Lusher]] and Bill Geldard, trombone.<ref name="Larkin"/> Some of the musicians were also members of [[Blue Mink]].

CCS are best known for their instrumental [[cover version|version]] of [[Led Zeppelin]]'s 1969 track "[[Whole Lotta Love]]", which entered the [[UK Singles Chart]] in 1970,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first = David|last=Roberts|year= 2006|title= British Hit Singles & Albums|edition= 19|publisher= Guinness World Records Limited| location= London |isbn =1-904994-10-5|pages= 88/89}}</ref> and was used as the theme music for the [[BBC]] pop programme ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' ("TOTP") for most of the 1970s, and, in a remixed version, between 1998 and 2003.<ref name="Larkin"/> Technically, the TOTP theme was not by CCS, but was recorded by the TOTP orchestra one morning before the day's rehearsals. Nevertheless, the band was conducted by John Cameron on that occasion and many of the musicians were CCS regulars. This enabled the production to tailor the tune to the correct duration and avoided the weekly payment of royalties to the record label.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Their highest-charting singles were the [[Donovan]] song "Walking", and "[[Tap Turns on the Water]]". They also recorded three albums,<ref name="Larkin"/> including cover versions of the old blues standard "[[Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker song)|Boom Boom]]", "[[Living in the Past (song)|Living in the Past]]", and "[[(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction]]" as well as original material.

Their single, "Brother", was used as the theme to [[Tom Browne (broadcaster)|Tom Browne]]'s and [[Simon Bates]]' Sunday Top 40/20 Chart Rundown on [[BBC Radio 1]] in the 1970s. The band were also responsible for the first set of jingles for Manchester's [[Piccadilly Radio]] when the station launched in April 1974. The short-lived CCS broke up in 1973, while Alexis Korner moved on to form the group Snape.<ref name="Larkin"/>

==Discography== ===Albums=== * ''[[C.C.S. (album)|CCS]]'', also known as ''Whole Lotta Love'' (RAK SRKA 6751) (October 1970) * ''[[C.C.S. 2 (album)|CCS]]'', also known as ''C.C.S. 2'' (RAK SRAK 503) (March 1972) – [[UK Albums Chart|UK]] No. 23 * ''[[The Best Band in the Land]]'' (RAK SRAK 504) (September 1973)

===Compilation albums=== * ''The Best of C.C.S.'' (RAK SRAK 527) (1977) * ''Whole Lotta Love'' (EMI CDP 7 97553 2) (1991) * ''A's, B's & Rarities'' (EMI Gold 560 2532) (2004)

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" !align="left" valign="center"|Year !align="left" valign="center"|Title A-side b/w B-side !align="left" valign="center"|[[UK Singles Chart|UK]] <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=&q=isbn:1904994105|title=British hit singles & albums.|date=28 April 2019|website=Worldcat.org|accessdate=28 April 2019}}</ref> !align="left" valign="center"|[[Kent Music Report|AUS]] <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.austchartbook.com.au/pages/book1970-1992.htm |title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 |accessdate=28 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160227024015/http://austchartbook.com.au/pages/book1970-1992.htm |archivedate=27 February 2016 }}</ref> !align="left" valign="center"|[[RPM (magazine)|CAN]] <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5231.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles – February 27, 1971}}</ref> !align="left" valign="center|UK label & catalogue number |- |align="left" valign="center"|September 1970 |align="left" valign="center"|"[[Whole Lotta Love]]" b/w "[[Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker song)|"Boom Boom]]" |align="center" valign="center"|13 |align="center" valign="center"|- |align="center" valign="center"|37 | [[RAK Records]] 104; initial pressing had "Boom Boom" as A-side |- |align="left" valign="center"|January 1971 |align="left" valign="center"|"Walking" b/w "Salome" [US & Canada B-side: "Lookin' for Fun"] |align="center" valign="center"|7 |align="center" valign="center"|95 |align="center" valign="center"|- | RAK 109 |- |align="left" valign="center"|August 1971 |align="left" valign="center"|"[[Tap Turns on the Water]]" b/w "Save the World" |align="center" valign="center"|5 |align="center" valign="center"|95 |align="center" valign="center"|- | RAK 119 |- |align="left" valign="center"|February 1972 |align="left" valign="center"|"Brother" b/w "Mister, What You Can't Have I Can Get" |align="center" valign="center"|25 |align="center" valign="center"|- |align="center" valign="center"|- | RAK 126 |- |align="left" valign="center"|October 1972 |align="left" valign="center"|"[[Sixteen Tons]]" b/w "This Is My Life" |align="center" valign="center"|54{{Efn|Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".|name=fn2|group=upper-alpha}} |align="center" valign="center"|- |align="center" valign="center"|- | RAK 141 |- |align="left" valign="center"|February 1973 |align="left" valign="center"|"[[Shakin' All Over]]" b/w "Cannibal Sheep"(Unissued) |align="center" valign="center"|- |align="center" valign="center"|- |align="center" valign="center"|- | RAK PSR 356; promo only |- |align="left" valign="center"|June 1973 |align="left" valign="center"|"The Band Played the Boogie" b/w "Hang It on Me" |align="center" valign="center"|36 |align="center" valign="center"|8 |align="center" valign="center"|- | RAK 154 |- |align="left" valign="center"|April 1974 |align="left" valign="center"|"Hurricane Coming" b/w "Dragster" |align="center" valign="center"|- |align="center" valign="center"|- |align="center" valign="center"|- | RAK 172 |}

==References== {{notelist-ua}}

==External links== * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p16356|label=CCS}} * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p412|label=Alexis Korner}} * {{Discogs artist|CCS}} * {{IMDb name|2872210}} * [https://archive.today/20080310001615/http://www.mystrands.com/artist/52453/biography Biography at www.mystrands.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071028131030/http://alexis-korner.net/index2.html Alexis Korner discography at alexis-korner.net] * [http://www.alexgitlin.com/npp/ccs.htm CCS fansite at www.alexgitlin.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140409120719/http://www.piccadillyradio.co.uk/ Jeff Cooper's tribute site featuring a number of jingles recorded by CCS for the station]

[[Category:English blues rock musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1970]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1973]] [[Category:1970 establishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1973 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Rak Records artists]] [[Category:CCS (band) albums|*]] [[Category:CCS (band) members|*]]