Royal Crown Revue

All Music Guide:

Retro-swingers the Royal Crown Revue comprised vocalist Eddie Nichols, guitarist James Achor, bassist Veikko Lepisto, tenor saxophonist Mando Dorame, baritone saxophonist Bill Ungerman, trumpeter Scott Steen and drummer Daniel Glass. Debuting in 1991 with the LP Kings of Gangster Bop, the group was almost the first to catch the wave of swing-era nostalgia that crested during the latter half of the decade; with 1995's Mugzy's Move, Royal Crown Revue made their major label debut, signing to Warner Brothers. 1997's live album Caught in the Act generated the cult hit "Barflies at the Beach." The following year's The Contender featured the single "Zip Gun Bop (Reloaded)." Walk On Fire, which appeared in 1999, featured the Revue's tightest presentation with vintage instruments including original "44" ribbon microphones. Tours of Japan and Australia were successful and the Royal Crown Revue celebrated by issuing the live effort Passport: Live In Australia in 2001.

Wikipedia:

The Royal Crown Revue (RCR) is a band formed in 1989 in Los Angeles, California. They are often credited with starting the Swing Revival movement. Live, RCR has been extremely successful: They participated in 1998's Vans Warped Tour, opened for the B-52s and The Pretenders and played at major US Jazz Festivals. The band also filmed an episode of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels", which aired in March 2010.

The band was founded by Mark Stern, Eddie Nichols and Mando Dorame out of their love of Rockabilly, Punk, Jazz, Blues, Soul and other styles of roots music. Two of Stern's siblings, Jamie and Adam rounded out the group (Mark, Adam and another brother Shawn were members of the punk band Youth Brigade).

After releasing their first album on BYO Records, the band signed with Warner Bros. and parted ways with the Stern brothers. Currently, RCR's lineup consists of singer Eddie Nichols, tenor saxophonist/arranger/writer Mando Dorame, trumpeter Scott Steen and drummer Daniel Glass. The band continues to play to capacity crowds in Australia, Europe and the US.

After filming The Mask, RCR began a residency at the landmark Los Angeles club, The Derby, which gained worldwide recognition due, in large part, to the location's inclusion in the hit film Swingers. Although the band's music was an instrumental part of The Derby's swing scene, a conflict in their Warner Brothers contract prevented Royal Crown Revue from appearing in the movie.

The RCR Horn section backed Bette Midler on her top-grossing 2003-2004 Kiss My Brass tour. Trumpeter Scott Steen was Bette's featured soloist.

RCR made numerous film, television, radio and print appearances, including The Mask, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Viva Variety, The Today Show and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In 1998 the group appeared at the Playboy Jazz Festival, recorded and performed live with Bette Midler at the Billboard Music Awards and composed the original theme for the WB Network's 1999 television season.

Current band members

Former band members

Legal controversy

From 1996 through 1998, the Royal Crown Revue was engaged in a lawsuit with the Amazing Royal Crowns after much confusion with promoters. In accordance with a July 1998 settlement, the latter band changed its name to the Amazing Crowns; in exchange, the Revue agreed to drop the lawsuit. The band was also sued by Royal Crown Cola, and won that suit. Oddly, RC Cola later offered to sell RCR's CD through a series of marketing promotions. Royal Crown Revue appeared as a question on the Jeopardy game show with the reference answer being the RC Cola lawsuit.