Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

A series of CD's issued a while back covering years 56 to 63, of artists listed only Shadows, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury, Adam Faith continued having hits, though minor, in cases of latter two, till 1966.

Most would have disappeared anyway Beatles or no Beatles and some are still performing today notably Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Cliff Richard. Shadows di Final Tour in 2004 then a final final tour in 2005 so officially no more until next lucrative offer comes along call me cynical.

Peter, Brian do you detect Irish influences here, I don't but we all have our views of course and you both have debated your point and expressed your views most eloquently and with passion.

Any memories here, most on forum I accept will never have heard of some of these, come to think of it,neither had I.

British Beat Before The Beatles Vol. 1 1956

01 - Suzi Miller - Tweedle Dee
02 - The Southlanders - Earth Angel.
03 - Suzi Miller - Dance With Me Henry
04 - The Deep River Boys - (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock.
05 - The Southlanders - Ain't That A Shame
06 - Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line
07 - Frankie Vaughan - My Boy Flat Top
08 - Dickie Bennett - Dungaree Doll.
09 - The Four Jones Boys - Tutti Frutti.
10 - Alma Cogan - Why Do Fools Fall In Love
11 - Humphrey Lyttleton - Bad Penny Blues
12 - Don Lang - Rock 'N' 'Roll Blues.
13 - Ray Ellington - Left Hand Boogie.
14 - Alma Cogan - I'm In Love Again.
15 - Tony Crombie & His Rockets - Teach You To Rock.
16 - Tommy Steele - Rock With The Caveman
17 - Ray Ellington - Giddy Up A Ding-Dong.
18 - Lee Lawrence - Don't Nobody Move
19 - Tony Crombie & His Rockets - Let's You And I Rock.
20 - Tommy Steele - Singing The Blues

British Beat Before The Beatles Vol. 2 1957

01 - Art Baxter & His Rock 'N' Roll Sinners - Don't Knock The Rock.
02 - The King Brothers - A White Sports Coat (And A Pink Carnation).
03 - The Vipers Skiffle Group - Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O.
04 - Ricky James - Party Doll.
05 - Don Lang & His Frantic Five - School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell)
06 - Rory Blackwell - Bye Bye Love.
07 - Larry Page - Start Movin'
08 - Alma Cogan - Fabulous.
09 - Tommy Steele - Butterfly.
10 - Terry Wayne - Matchbox.
11 - Frankie Vaughan - Wanderin' Eyes
12 - Jim Dale - Be My Girl.
13 - Terry Wayne - Your True Love
14 - Larry Page - That'll Be The Day.
15 - Laurie London - He's Got The Whole World In His Hands.
16 - Don Lang & His Frantic Five - Red Planet Rock.
17 - Joey Castell - Trying To Get To You
18 - Terry Dene - Baby She's Gone.
19 - Colin Hicks & The Cabin Boys - Empty Arms Blues.
20 - Joey Castell - I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone

British Beat Before The Beatles Vol. 3 1958

01 - Terry Wayne - Slim Jim Tie.
02 - Ken Mackintosh - Raunchy.
03 - Larry Page - Under Control.
04 - Wee Willie Harris - Riot In Cell Block No.9.
05 - The Most Brothers - Whole Lotta Woman.
06 - Vince Eager & The Vagabonds - Yea Yea.
07 - The Mudlarks - Book Of Love
08 - Marty Wilde & His Wildcats - Endless Sleep.
09 - Neville Taylor - Mercy Mercy Percy
10 - The Five Chesternuts - Teenage Love.
11 - Craig Douglas - Nothin' Shakin'.
12 - Cliff Richard & The Drifters - Move It.
13 - Lord Rockingham's XI - Hoots Man.
14 - Tommy Steele - C'mon Let's Go.
15 - Neville Taylor & The Cutters - Tears On My Pillow.
16 - Terry Dene - Pretty Little Pearly.
17 - Vince Eager - No More.
18 - Janice Peters - This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'.
19 - Don Lang & His Frantic Five - Queen Of The Hop.
20 - Adam Faith - High School Confidential.

British Beat Before The Beatles Vol. 4 1959

01 - Billy Fury - Maybe Tomorrow.
02 - Vince Taylor & His Playboys - Brand New Cadillac.
03 - Bill Forbes - Once More
04 - Janice Peters - A Girl Likes.
05 - Dickie Pride - Slippin' 'N' Slidin'.
06 - Dean Webb - Hey Miss Fannie.
07 - Vince Eager - This Should Go On Forever.
08 - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Please Don't Touch.
09 - Marty Wilde - Teenager In Love.
10 - Duffy Power - Dream Lover.
11 - Adam Faith - Ah, Poor Little Baby.
12 - Terry Wayne - She's Mine.
13 - Cliff Richard & The Drifters - Apron Strings.
14 - Craig Douglas - Only Sixteen.
15 - Tommy Steele - Tallahassie Lassie.
16 - The Drifters (Shadows) - Jet Black
17 - Dickie Pride - Frantic.
18 - Lorne Lesley - I Don't Know
19 - Sally Kelly - Little Cutie.
20 - Emile Ford & The Checkmates - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For.

British Beat Before The Beatles Vol. 5 1960

01 - The Shadows - Saturday Dance
02 - Dickie Pride - Betty Betty
03 - Vince Eager - Lonely Blue Boy
04 - Davy Jones - Amapola.
05 - Jody Gibson & The Muleskinners - If You Don't Know.
06 - Keith Kelly - (Must You Always) Tease Me.
07 - Dave Sampson & The Hunters - Sweet Dreams.
08 - Marion Ryan - Sixteen Reasons.
09 - Tommy Bruce & The Bruisers - Ain't Misbehavin'.
10 - Emile Ford & The Checkmates - You'll Never Know What You're Missing.
11 - Billy Fury & The 4 Jays - That's Love.
12 - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Shakin' All Over.
13 - Adam Faith - Made You
14 - Bert Weedon - Apache
15 - Marty Wilde - Angry.
16 - Ricky Valance - Tell Laura I Love Her.
17 - The John Barry Seven - Walk Don't Run.
18 - Cliff Richard & The Shadows - Nine Times Out Of Ten.
19 - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Restless.
20 - The Hunters - Teen Scene.

British Beat Before The Beatles Vol. 6 1961

01 - Robb Storme & The Whispers - Music
02 - Michael Cox - Teenage Love
03 - Josh MacRae - High Class Feeling
04 - The Allisons - Are You Sure.
05 - Helen Shapiro - Don't Treat Me Like A Child.
06 - Cliff Richard - Gee Whiz It's You.
07 - Billy Fury - Halfway To Paradise.
08 - The Krew Kats - Trambone.
09 - Lee Diamond & The Cherokees - I'll Step Down.
10 - Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers - You've Got What I Like.
11 - Michael Cox - Sweet Little Sixteen.
12 - Bobby Angelo & The Tuxedos - Baby Sittin'.
13 - Paul Raven - All Grown Up.
14 - Shane Fenton & The Fentones - I'm A Moody Guy.
15 - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Please Don't Bring Me Down.
16 - Cliff Bennett - When I Get Paid.
17 - Marty Wilde - Tomorrow's Clown.
18 - The Shadows - The Savage.
19 - Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages - 'Til The Following Night.
20 - Doug Sheldon - Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night.

British Beat Before The Beatles Vol. 7 1962

01 - Brad Newman - Someone To Love.
02 - Howie Casey & The Seniors - True Fine Mama.
03 - The Allisons - Lessons In Love.
04 - Michael Cox - Honey 'Cause I Love You.
05 - The Shadows - Wonderful Land.
06 - Jimmy Powell - Sugar Babe (Part 1).
07 - The Fentones - The Mexican.
08 - Joe Brown & The Bruvvers - A Picture Of You.
09 - Lyn Cornell - I Sold My Heart To The Junkman.
10 - Jimmy Crawford - I Shoulda Listened To Mama.
11 - Carol Deene - Johnny Get Angry.
12 - Cliff Richard & The Shadows - It'll Be Me.
13 - Shane Fenton & The Fentones - Why Little Girl.
14 - Michael Cox - Stand Up.
15 - Marty Wilde - Ever Since You Said Goodbye.
16 - Jackie Lynton - All Of Me.
17 - The Shadows - Dance On.
18 - Dean Shannon - Ubangi Stomp.
19 - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - I Can Tell.
20 - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues.

Wow. What a marvellous collection of gems.

Roy: I have 2 of these CD's. I wanted 1960, 1961, and 1962, but one volume is still missing. I'm always searching for obscure British music on CD from 1960-1970. I've been building several data bases for catalog numbers, recording info, release dates, band members, etc. I think I currently have over 10,000 individual CD tracks entered with many more to go. It's a never-ending project...

Roy that is impressive. A collection of gems for sure. Like you I do not immediately recall many of them strictly from their song title.

I am sure if I heard them I would remember at least some of them.

As far as Irish influence goes, around the same time that many of these songs were charting the Irish showbands were the big thing in Ireland. Many of them travelled quite extensively playing their brand of music that included some rhythm and blues. This is the era that nurtured such greats as Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher and of course Gary Moore just a few short years later.

It is not so much the music of Ireland that showed up in the mainstream it is the way the music was put together. In the form of straight ahead powerful music, supported by great vocals, melodic tunes, beautiful harmonies and heartfelt lyrics that quite often told a story. All of these in isolation do not add up to any influence at all. When they were all nicely knit together, I believe that without a doubt there is a subtle measure of Irish influence in evidence on some 60s tunes.

Irish songwriters developed a peculiar cadence and use of melodic sequences that is quite unique. I have noticed that Paul McCartney's songs quite often exhibit that sort of cadence and melodic sequencing. Sometimes too overtly. When I'm 64 is a fairly good example of my case in point.

OK Brian you and Peter have convinced me that Irish music played some part in music of the sixties, my opinion was and still is, was that it did not inspire all the beatgroups etc that emerged in the sixties, however subconsciously it may have.

Wow! A great collection - some names look familiar, some, unfortunately, not...
BTW - no offence meant of course, perhaps a too stupid question, but... - Roy, are you Scottish?..

Scottish!!! The name may be Roy Sheena but it ain't ROB ROY. No Yorkshire born and bred and proud of it!!!!

Okay, okay... it was just a stupid morning joke by me...
You know, influence is a thin subject, and i'd rather use the term "cultural interference" here. Sometimes, if we dig deeper into a song, we can find the influences we'd never thought about when we first heard it. Take African music, for instance...

Here's an example of British Beat before the Beatles, in fact I have a version of The Beatles doing this song if anyone wants to hear it, not as good as this, the original though, by Joe Brown and The Bruvvers (spelt like that)

http://s55.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2F5VVCEV0H8U73W4G82KF7I2GK

Roy did someone else record that song (other than the Beatles)? The reason I ask is that I remember the song by Joe Brown and the Bruvvers (I always got a kick out the name of the group), but I also have vague memories of hearing it by another artist.

Brian: "A Picture Of You" was recorded by a Brooklyn group known as the Danleers in the late 1950s. It may be the same song. I am trying to find an mp3 of it online.

Alas, it is a very different song Brain, even though the sentiments are similar to the Joe Brown number.

Thanks for checking that lead out Peter,

I'll wait to see if Roy can shed some light in the morning. As I said my memory is quite vague on this one.

I always believed Joe's was the original version as the song was co-written by Pete Oakman who was one of his backing band The Bruvvers. However one website states original as being 1960 by Jay Barry. more than that I don't know.