Biography
Born Angus McKenzie on 16 December 1931 in Glasgow, Scotland, the future performer died on 21 December 1998. Although raised in that city, he quit school at fifteen and signed on with the Norwegian merchant navy. In 1951 he joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and saw action during the Korean war. After his discharge he returned to sea, jumped ship in the United States, and made his way to Nashville. Assuming the stage name Karl Denver, he performed on radio and television and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry until deportation in 1959. Once in England he joined forces with Gerry Cottrell and Kevin Neil to create the Karl Denver Trio. Impresario Jack Good discovered the group, booked them on his television series Wham!, and routed them onto a national package tour alongside Billy Fury and Jess Conrad. Extensive travels had already fostered an affinity for disparate folk traditions, so the trio’s set lists soon incorporated traditional songs from the Middle East, Africa and China.
His pliant voice covered several octaves, and the distinctive inflections drew frequent critical notice. Between 1961 and 1962 he secured four UK Top Ten entries: “Marcheta” reached number 8 in June 1961, “Mexicali Rose” also peaked at number 8 in October 1961, “Never Goodbye” climbed to number 9 in February 1962, and “Wimoweh” attained number 4 the following January. A Zulu folk song previously interpreted by the Weavers and later reworked by the Tokens as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” the track became his signature hit. Two further singles, “A Little Love A Little Kiss” and “Still,” both entered the Top Twenty over the next two years. He also presented the BBC Light Programme series Side By Side, which regularly featured the Beatles as guests. With the rise of beat groups he gradually shifted his focus to cabaret. By his own account he grew reliant on alcohol, an addiction that impeded further progress. Settling in Manchester accounted in part for his 1989 collaboration with the city’s neo-psychedelic favorites the Happy Mondays; issued as “Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer),” the single reached number 46 the following June. He additionally issued a new recording of “Wimoweh” on Factory Records. Fresh material was still being tracked at the time of his death in 1998.
His pliant voice covered several octaves, and the distinctive inflections drew frequent critical notice. Between 1961 and 1962 he secured four UK Top Ten entries: “Marcheta” reached number 8 in June 1961, “Mexicali Rose” also peaked at number 8 in October 1961, “Never Goodbye” climbed to number 9 in February 1962, and “Wimoweh” attained number 4 the following January. A Zulu folk song previously interpreted by the Weavers and later reworked by the Tokens as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” the track became his signature hit. Two further singles, “A Little Love A Little Kiss” and “Still,” both entered the Top Twenty over the next two years. He also presented the BBC Light Programme series Side By Side, which regularly featured the Beatles as guests. With the rise of beat groups he gradually shifted his focus to cabaret. By his own account he grew reliant on alcohol, an addiction that impeded further progress. Settling in Manchester accounted in part for his 1989 collaboration with the city’s neo-psychedelic favorites the Happy Mondays; issued as “Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer),” the single reached number 46 the following June. He additionally issued a new recording of “Wimoweh” on Factory Records. Fresh material was still being tracked at the time of his death in 1998.
Albums
Singles