Stephens was a big fan of tunes from the British music hall era (or what Americans would call "vaudeville"), so he wrote "Winchester Cathedral" in that vein, complete with a Rudy Vallée soundalike[6] (John Carter) singing through his hands to imitate a megaphone sound.
[9] The band toured extensively under the tutelage of Peter Grant, who later went on to manage The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.
[10] An initial long-playing album including the song was issued in late 1966 by Fontana Records, also titled Winchester Cathedral.
1, "Winchester Cathedral" was knocked off the summit by the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations", only to rebound to the top spot the next week.
[14] Global sales of the single were over three million, with the RIAA certification of gold disc status.