Since the New Vaudeville Band's 1966 No. 1 hit Winchester Cathedral was a tribute to British music hall entertainment (roughly equivalent to vaudeville in the U.S.), it was a natural fit for American bandleader Freddy Martin to record a cover version -- which he did for his 1967 album Most Requested.
After all, Martin began his recording career in 1932, just as the vaudeville era was winding down. Martin, a saxophonist, led one of the most popular sweet bands of the swing era. But he continued to front a band long after the heyday of big bands, not quitting until the early 1980s. Martin died in 1983 at age 76. From the link below, listen to (and download if you like) Winchester Cathedral.
Winchester Cathedral
None of the selections from Martin's Most Requested album appear to have been released on CD or are available as downloads.
From YouTube, here's Freddy Martin's 1948 hit The Dickey Bird Song.
And finally, Winchester Cathedral's original hitmakers, the New Vaudeville Band, perform a medley on a 1966 broadcast of the Hollywood Palace TV show. They're introduced by singer Kate Smith (!!!).
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