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The Ivy League was formed by three session singers with an extensive vocal range, John Carter, Ken Lewis (both previous members of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners) plus Perry Ford. They were first heard doing background vocals for The Who on their hit single "I Can't Explain" in November 1964 but after that the Who's producers entrusted John Entwistle and Pete Townshend with the backing vocals. Their debut single, "What More Do You Want" generated little interest but the second release, "Funny How Love Can Be" made the UK chart's Top 10. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and UK chart #3 "Tossing and Turning". The original trio released just one album, 1965's This is the Ivy League – panned in the music press as disappointing, with its excessively wide spread of musical styles and material[2] – before both Carter and Lewis left the group. Carter departed in January 1966, with Lewis leaving about one year later. The duo then set up a production company called Sunny Records.[3]

Tony Burrows and Neil Landon replaced Carter and Lewis and the Ivy League released a couple of albums, Sounds of the Ivy League (1967) and Tomorrow is Another Day (1969).[4] Several more singles followed, including the minor hits, "Willow Tree" and "My World Fell Down". A cover version of the latter song provided the U.S. band, Sagittarius, with a #70 chart placing in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.

Success for The Ivy League in the United States was slight, only "Tossing and Turning" appearing in the Billboard charts, reaching #83 on the Billboard Hot 100.[5] Carter and Lewis next masterminded The Flower Pot Men, hitting #4 in the UK with "Let's Go To San Francisco". Carter and Lewis then fulfilled the role of managers.[6] Burrows and Landon left The Ivy League to join the touring version of The Flower Pot Men, leaving Perry Ford to carry on with new personnel until he stopped using the name in 1975.

In the 1980s a band started touring under the name The Ivy League which performed the group's hits at nightclubs and Sixties nostalgia events, even though none of the earlier members were involved. In the 1990s, a number of compilations were released, including Major League: the Collectors' Ivy League (1998).[4] A band called The Ivy League continues to perform, without connection to the original band that existed between 1964 and 1975. The present day line-up consists of Jon Brennan (bass guitar/vocals); Dave Buckley (drums, vocals) and Mike Brice (guitar, vocals)

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