Nicky Crouch's MOJOS
Our Own Music, Our Own Interpretation
by Peter R. McCormack


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"Stu James and the Mojos"
Stu James,Aynsley Dunbar,Nick Crouch,Lewis Collins
Getting The MOJOS Working


Starting life as the Nomads, the Mojos would adopt this new name sometime in 1963 at the beginning of the Merseybeat boom. From the beginning, there was emphasis on original material and after winning a song contest the group won a recording deal with Decca Records. The group was comprised of five members at the time and included Stu James on vocals, Adrian Wilkinson, guitar, Keith Carlson, bass, Terry O'Toole, piano with John Konrad on drums.

Following a poor showing on the charts with "Forever", a disillusioned Wilkinson would leave the group and Nicky Crouch formerly of Faron's Flamingos would take over guitar. Nick Crouch developed his performing skills while performing in a skiffle group known as The Hi-Cats that evolved into a rock and roll band called "The Ravens." Through the process of "natural musical selection" the group eventually became "Robin and The Ravens." For a period, Farons Flamingos would become the survival of the fittest and Crouch contributed to three recordings: "See If She Cares", "Talking 'Bout You", and an outstanding recording "Do You Love Me."

As luck would have it, Crouch arrived in the "Nick of Time" for their second single "Everything's Alright", a number that would launch the Mojos into the top ten. The song was recorded while the group was on tour in Hanburg, Germany and would reach number nine in March 1964. The formula for their creative success was described by Nicky Crouch in an interview for Spencer Leigh's book, "Let's Go Down the Cavern." Crouch explained

"We thought of the most popular beat, the most popular riff as an introduction, and the most popular concept for a pop song."

While "everything was alright" for a brief period, the group would not regain their fame. Unfortunately, the third time was not a charm for "Seven Daffodils" which barely made the top 30 position before wilting. Nicky Crouch and Stu James would hang on a bit longer recruiting Les Collins on bass and Aynsler Dunbar on the skins and changing their name to Stu James and the Mojos. The MOJOS would split for the final time in 1968.



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"Mojos on Carnaby Street"
L to R: Aynsley Dunbar,Nicky Crouch,Stu James,Lewis Collins
Photo ©1965 Nick Crouch

The MOJOS At The Temple Street Cellar


In reminiscing about his performances at the Iron Door in the early 1960s, Nicky Crouch described vividly his times at the cellar club. He summed it up by saying

"The Iron Door was hot, sweaty and glorious fun. My memories are of us there all night and Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes arriving at seven o'clock in the morning after a good night's sleep to start it off again. Also, Freddy Starr refusing to show anyone how to do his impressions. Great camaraderie, great sounds and lots of laughs.

Merseyside was cut off from the rest of the country, music wise, so we had our own brand of music and our own interpretation of how it should be done.

Going to Hamburg was like the finishing school where we all had to work very long hours and 'Mach Show' all the time. All the guitarists learned from Tony Sheridan and all the bands learned from, and helped each other. Places like the Iron Door and all the other venues around Merseyside allowed us to put our learning to good use.

Nicky Crouch has touched upon a couple of factors that are surely responsible for the brilliant music that has come out of Liverpool. To begin, the resourcefulness of the Liverpool people is second to none. By living apart from the cosmopolitan south, the artists in Liverpool were isolated from the rest of the country. It was this isolation, that enabled the Liverpool sound to develop on its own without the influence of big city promoters, music critics and the like, at least in the beginning. Couch's comment "We had our own brand of music and our own interpretation" really sums up the value of being left to one's own resources. In addition, the opportunity to perform at many venues allowed young musicians to develop their craft. The Iron Door played a major role in this regard and truly must be thought of as a warehouse for all people ... for all time.



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"Like a Rolling Stone"
Nicky Couch With Rolling Stones
1968 Photo

The Return of Nicky Crouch's MOJOS


Nicky Crouch and the MOJOS have been gaining popularity in the Liverpool area over the past several years as there has been a steadily growing interest in 1960s music for many years. Certainly some people would argue that the 1960s never left Liverpool. The members of Nicky Crouch's MOJOS bring with them a wealth of experience from the 1960s. In addition to Nick Crouch's time with Fraron's Flamingos and The Mojos, he toured with The Dave Clark Five, The Hollies and the Kinks. Later he tourned with The Rolling Stones. He plays guitar and performs vocals with his current band.

Tommy Hughes, keyboard and vocals, started with the Swinging Blue Jeans and was a co-founder of the Kansas City Five.

Les Williams, guitar and vocals, was a founding member of Billy Butler's Tuxedos and later formed the Dimensions.

Eric London, bass guitar, started with the Hi-Cats and continued through to Faron's Flamingos. He co-founded Group One with Dave Williams.

Brian Johnson, drums, started with The Strangers before moving to Ian and The Zodiacs. He later took over from Ringo Starr as drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

The group plans to record a CD late in 2004. The Iron Door will keep you posted. Nicky Crouch is a talented performer who has an impressive music history. What many of his fans may not know is that, in addition to his many musical accompishments, he has also found time to complete a Master of Science degree.




The MOJOS Recordings 1963-1964


Forever / They Say' - Oct 1963
(Decca F 11732)

Everything's Alright / Give Your Lovin' To Me - Mar 1964
(Decca F 11853)

Why Not Tonight? /Don't Do It Anymore - Jun 1964
(Decca F 11918)

Seven Daffodils / Nothin' At All - Aug 1964
(Decca F 11959)

Comin' On To Cry / That's The Way It Goes - Apr 1965
(Decca F 12127)

Wait A Minute / Wonder If She Knows - Aug 1965
(Decca F 12231)

The Mojos (EP) - Oct 1964
(Decca DFE 8591)



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Nicky Couch's MOJOS
27 Club, Liverpool
Photo ©2004 Nick Crouch

August 24, 2004 - Revised October 15, 2008
© 2001-2008 Peter McCormack. All rights reserved.


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