Sixties
City presents
a wide-ranging series of
articles on all aspects of the Sixties, penned by the creator of the iconic
60s music paper Mersey
Beat
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Sixties
City presents
a wide-ranging series of
articles on all aspects of the Sixties, penned by the creator of the iconic
60s music paper Mersey
Beat
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"When
Cavern disc jockey Bob Wooler
and I put our heads together in 1961 to make a list of Merseyside groups,
we came up with a figure of approximately 250. Time was to prove we
had drastically under-rated the growth of musical groups in the area,
no doubt due to the vast amount of venues where aspiring musicians could
practice their trade. The groups are from the entire Merseyside
area, which includes Liverpool, Birkenhead, New Brighton, the Wirral
generally, Chester, Widnes, Warrington, Runcorn, Crosby, Formy and Southport.
These are all genuine Mersey groups, although some groups in other parts
of the country arose with the same name as some of them, such as: The
Jets, The Dakotas and The Rebel Rousers."
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"The
most popular line-up was a quartet with three guitarists – lead, rhythm
and bass – plus a drummer. The three guitarists up front would engage in
vocal harmony. The Beatles were particularly adept at this as Paul McCartney,
being left-handed, could use the same microphone as John Lennon, when they sang
together – also producing a visual effect that many of the other groups
couldn’t imitate. This basic line-up was the one generally referred to
when people later talked of the ‘Liverpool Sound’ or the ‘Mersey
Sound’, and it was most apparent with groups such as The Beatles, The Searchers,
Faron’s Flamingos and The Swinging Bluejeans. However, this image tends
to make people forget just how extensive the range of the music scene in Liverpool
was: there were duos, trios, quintets, and groups with pianos and saxophones
in their line-ups." Bill
Harry
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| Abraham & His
Lot Ahab & His Lot Abstract Minds Adam & The Apples Adam & The Sinners Al James & The Coasters Al James & The Tornadoes Al Quentin & The Rock Pounders Alby & The Sorrals |
Alfie Diamond &
The Skiffle Kings Amos & The TTs Amos Bonny Arrow & The Archers The Aarons The Abstracts The Addicts The Advals The Acorns |
The Agents The Alabamy Coasters The Alamos The AlaskansThe Albany Four The Alibis The Alley Cats The Alligators The Almost Blues The Alphas |
The Ambassadors The Anzacs The Apaches The Approachers The AristocratsThe Arrows The Assassins The Atlantas The Atlantic Skiffle Group The Atlantics |
The Avalons The Avengers The Aztecs |
| Babs and Joan Bags Blue Beats Barbara Dee Barbara Grounds Bennie & The Jumpin’ Beans Bernadette O’Toole Bernie & His Tornados Bertie Collins & The Sundowners Beryl & The Centremen Beryl Marsden Beryl Ward Beverley Fraser Billy Butler & The Tuxedos Billy Forde & The Phantoms Billy & The Sinners |
Bob Evans &
The Five Shillings Bobby & The Bachelors Bobby & The Be-Bops Bobby & The Halers Bob’s Vegas Five Brackenwood Bruce & The Cavaliers Bruce & The Spiders Buddy Dean & The Teachers The Bachelors The Backbeats The Banshees The Beat Boys The Beat Cats The Beatcombers |
The Beathovens The Beatles The Beatwoods The Beechwoods The Belltones The Big Lox Blues Band The Big Three The Bikinis The Bill Culshaw Band The Black Abbotts The Black Cat Trio + One The Black Cats The Black Bisons The Black Diamonds The Black Hawks |
The Blackjacks The Black Knights The Black Velvets The Blackwells The Blak Katz The Blue Beats The Bluebirds The Blue Boys The Blue Chips The Blue Country Boys The Blue Diamonds The Blue Four The Blue Mountain Boys The Blue Mountain Showband The Blue Notes |
The Blue Prints The Blue Streaks The Blues Angels The Blues System The Bobby Bell Rockers The Boleros The Bootleggers The Boot Hill Billies The Boys The Breakaways The Broadways The Brokers The Buccaneers The Buffaloes The Bumblies |
| Cadillac &
The Playboys Carl Vincent & The Counts Carl’s Combo Carol & The Memories Carole & The Corvettes Cass & The Cassanovas Cash & The Cashmen Chick Graham & The Coasters Christine Ching Chris & The Diamonds Cilla Black Clay & The Classics Clay Ellis & The Raiders Cliff Roberts’ Rockers Collage Cy & The Cimmarons Cy Tucker’s Friars The Cadillacs The Calderstones The Caribbeans |
The Carrolls The Cascades The Casuals The Catalinas The Cavaliers The Cave Dwellers The Cavemen The Caverners The Centaurs The Centurians The Centremen The Chain Gang The Challengers The Champions The Chants The Charmers The Cheats The Cheaters The Checkers The Chee Sydney Group |
The Cheetahs The Chelseas The Chessmen The Chuckles The Cimarrons The Cirques The Citadels The Citrons The City Beats The City Kings The Clansmen The Classics The Clayton Squares The Climbers The Clive Lord Five The Coasters The Cobblestones The Coins The Collegians The Columbians |
The Comets The Commadores The Commancheros The Concords The Condors The Confederates The Connaughts The Connoisseurs The Conquerors The Conquests The Conspirators The Contenders The Contrasts The Convicts The Copicats The Corals The Cordelles The Cordes The Corsairs The Corvettes |
The Counts The Countdowns The Country Four The Crackerjacks The Cracksmen The Creoles The Crescendos The Crestas The Cresters The Crosbys The Crossbeats The Cross Rocks The Croupiers The Cruisers The Crusaders The Cryin’ Shames The Curiosity Shoppe |
| Dale Roberts &
The Jaywalkers Danny & The Asteroids Danny & The Escorts Danny & The Hi-Cats Danny & The Strollers Danny Havoc & The Secrets Danny Havoc & The Ventures Danny Lee & The Stalkers Dave Eager & The Beavers Dave Ellis Trio Dave & The Devil Horde Dave & The Corvettes Dave & The Rave-Ons Dave Bell & The Bell Boys David John & The Mood Dean & The Capitols Dean Curtis with The Renegades Dean Devlin & The Dynamites |
Dean Fleming
& The Flamingos Dean Stacey & The Dominators Dee & The Dynamites Dee Young & The Pontiacs Dee Fenton’s Silhouettes Denis & The Newtowns Denny Seyton & The Sabres Derry & The Seniors Derry Wilkie & The Others Derry Wilkie & The Pressmen Dino & The Wild Fires DJ & The Jets Dixie & The Daredevils Duke Duval’s Rockers The Dakotas The Daleks The Daltons The Dark Ages |
The Darktown
Skiffle Group The Dateliners The Dawnbreakers The Daybreakers The Deacons The Dealers The Deans The Debutones The Decibels The Dee Beats The Dee Jays The Deepbeats The Deerstalkers The Defenders The Defiants The Del Renas The Del Rio Mountain Boys The Delacardoes |
The Delemeres The Delltones The Delmonts The Delmont Four The Delta Combo The Deltics The Demoiselles The Demons The Demon Five The Denems The Dennisons The Deputies The Detonators The Detours The Diablos The Dials The Diamonds The Dimensions |
The Dions The Diplomats The Djangobeats The Dollies The Dominators The Dominant Four The Dominating Dominators The Downbeats The Drifting Cowboys The Drone Tones The Druids The Dynachords The Dynamic Dawnbreakers The Dynamics The Dynamites The Dynamos |
| Earl Preston &
The Realms Earl Preston & The TTs Earl Royce & The Olympics Eddie & The Cadillacs Eddie & The Earthquakes Eddie & The Phantoms |
Eddie & The
Razors Eddie & The Team Mates Eddie Dean & The Onlookers Eddy Falcon & The Vampires Eleanor Russell The Earls |
The Earthlings
Blues Band The Easybeats The Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group The Eddie Lee Five The El Diablos The Elektones |
The Electrons The Epics The Escorts The Everests The Excelles The Excerts |
The Excheckers The Executioners The Exiles The Explorers The Expressions The Eyes |
| Faron & The
Burnettes Faron & The Crossfires Faron & The Tempest Tornadoes Faron’s Flamingos Foo Foo’s Flashy Falcons Four Hits & A Miss Frank Knight & The Barons Freddie & The Fireballs Freddie & The Rousers Freddie Starr & The Delmonts Freddie Starr & The Midnighters |
Freddie Starr
& The Ventures The Fabulous Adders The Factotums The Fahrenheits The Falcons The Fallons The Fast Cats The FBI The Federal Five The Feelgoods The Fenton Weill Five |
The Ferrymen The Few The Firebrands The Firecrests The Fire-Flites The Five Stars The Fix The Flames The Flintstones The Flyaways The Flyovers |
The Foggy Mountain
Ramblers The Fontanas The Footappers The Fortune Tellers The Four Aces The Four Aristokats The Four Clefs The Four Dees The Four Dimensions The Four Dymonds The Four Gents |
The Four Jays The Four Just Men The Fourmost The Four Musketeers The Four Originals The Four Sounds The Fruit Eating Bears The Futurists |
| Gary B Goode &
The Hot Rods Gee Gee & The Go Men Gene Day & The Django Beats Geoff Stacey & The Wanderers George Collins & The Sundowners Gerry & The Pacemakers |
Gerry Bach &
The Beathovens Gerry De Ville & The City Kings Group One Groups Inc. Gus & The Thundercaps Gus Travis & The Midnighters |
The G Men The Galaxies with Doreen The Galvanizers The Gay Tones The Gems The George Nield Trio |
The George King
Group The Georgians The Ghost Riders The Gibson James Band The Gibsons The Gin Mill Skille Group |
The Globetrotters The Gonks The Good Times The Griff Parry Five The Groupiers The Gunrunners |
| Hank & The
Drifters Hank Walters & His Dusty Road Ramblers Hank’s Hoppers Highly Inflammable Howie Casey & The Seniors The Hailers |
The Hammers The Handful The Harlems The Hawaiian Eyes The Heralds The Heartbeats |
The Hellions The Hi-Spots The Hi-Tones The Hi-Cats The Hideaways The Hi-Fi Three |
The Hi-Hats The Hi-Spots The Hillsiders The Hobos The Hornets The Hot Rods |
The Hot Shots The Huntsmen The Hustlers The Hylites The Hy-Tones |
| Ian & The Rebels Ian & The Zodiacs Irene & The Sante Fes |
Irene & The
Tallboys Irene Brown Irene Carroll |
The Ice Blues The Illusions The Impacts |
The Incas The Inmates The Interns |
The Invaders The Invisible Men |
| Jackie & Bridie Jackie Martin J.C.& The Strollers Jeannie & The Big Guys Jenny & The Tallboys Jerry & The Juveniles Jet & The Tornados Jet & The Valiants Jill Martin Jimmy & The Jokers |
Jimmy & The
Midnighters Jimmy & The Teenbeats Jimmy Martin & The Martinis J.J.& The Hi-Lites Joan & The Demons Joan Malloy Joe Ray Me Joey & The Kodaks Johnny Apollo & The Spartans Johnny & The Falcons |
Johnny Autumn &
The Fall Guys Johnny Burns & The Renegades Johnny Gold & The Country Cousins Johnny Goode & The Kinfolk Johnny Marlowe & The Whip Chords Johnny Martin & The Martinis Johnnie Paul & The Rockin’ Dee Jays Johnny President & The Senators Johnny Ringo & The Colts Johnny Rocco & The Jets |
Johnny Saint &
The Travellers Johnny Sandon & The Remo Four Johnny Sandon & The Searchers Johnny Tempest & The Tornadoes The Jackobeats The Jaguars The James Boys The Jaybeats The Jaywalkers The Jensons |
The Jesters The Jets The Jim Craig Trio The Johnny Gus Set The Jokers The Jubilees |
| Karina Karl Terry & The Cruisers Ken Dallas & The Silhouettes Kenny Jordan & The Rousers Keoki & The Hawaiianeers Kev Kurtis & The Four Escorts |
Kim Cross Kingsize Taylor & The Dominoes Kliff Hilton & The Merseys Kuke’s Klan Rhythmic Group The Kandies The Kansas City Five |
The Karacters The Katz The Keenbeats The Kingfishers The Kingpins The Kingstrums |
The Kinsleys The Kirkbys The Knights The Knutrockers The Kobras The Koobas |
The Kommotions The Konkers The Kordas The Krewcats The Kruzads The Kosmenauts |
| Lee Castle &
The Barons Lee Crombie & The Sundowners Lee Curtis & The All Stars Lee Curtis & The Detours Lee Eddie & The Chevrons Lee Shondell & The Boys |
Lee Shondell &
The Capitols Lenny & The Team Mates Liam & The Invaders Liam & The White Brothers Lilli Leyton Lorraine White |
Los Toros Lottie & The Weimars L’Ringo’s The Landsliders The Lavells The Lawmen |
The Lee Eddie Five The Leesiders The Legends The Les Graham Five The Les Stewart Quartet The Lidos |
The L’il Three The Lincolns The Live Jive Five The Liverbirds The Lonely Ones The Long & The Short |
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The Modern Blues Quartet. This band came out of a band called The Vogue (pictured). Thanks to band member Graham 'Chalky' White for the image and the information. |
| Mark Peters &
The Silhouettes Mark Peters & The Method Mark Swain & The Tornadoes Maura Meadows Mike & The Creoles Mike & The Explorers Mike Byrne & The Thunderbirds Mike Dee & The Detours Mike Savage & The Wildcats Mr Lee & Co Mr X & The Masks Myra Grayson The Madcaps The Mafia |
The Mailmen The Majestics The Mal Craig Three The Managers The Maraccas The Marescas The Markfour The Marlins The Masqueraders The Masterminds The Mastersounds The Mavericks The Megatones The Memphis R&B Combo |
The Memphis Three The Merchants The Mersey Blues Preachers The Merseybeats The Mersey Four The Mersey Five The Mersey Gamblers The Mersey Gonks The Mersey Men The Mersey Monsters The Mersey Sounds The Mersey Bluebeats The Meteors The Method |
The MGs The Michael Allen Group The Midnights The M.I.5. The Mikados The Miller Brothers The Minibeats The Minutes The Missouri Drifters The Modern Blues Quartet The Modes The Mohawks The Mojos The Moments |
The Monarchs The Moonrockers The Morockans The Mosquitoes The Moths The Motifs The Musicians The Music Students The Mustangs The Mystery Men The Mystics |
| Neil Olsen &
The Four Aces The Nameless Ones The Nashpool Four The Naturals |
The New Detours The New Detonators The New Pressmen The Newtones |
The Newtowns The Neons The Night Boppers The Nighthawks |
The Nightriders The Nightwalkers The Nocturnes The Nomads |
The Norfolks The Northlanders The Notions |
| Ogi & The Flintstones The Obsession |
The Onlookers The Opals |
The Original All
Stars The Others |
The Outkasts The Outlaws |
The Overlanders |
| Paul Tempest Paul & The Diamonds Paul Francis & The Wanderers Paul Francis & The Dominant Four Paul Lacelle with The Defenders (Anfield) Paul Valance & The Tremors Peter Demos & His Demons The Pete Picasso & The Rock Sculptors |
Phil Brady &
The Ranchers Phil’s Feelgoods Pride And Joy The Pacifics The Page Boys The Paladins The Panthers The Paragons The Paramounts |
The Pathfinders The Pattern People The Pawns The Pegasus Four The Phantoms The Phantom Five The Pikkins The Pilgrims The Plebs |
The Plims The Pontiacs The Poppies The Power House Six The Premiers The Presidents The Pressmen The Press Gang The Pretenders |
The Principles The Profiles The Prowlers The Pulsators The Pyramids |
| The Q Cats with Wilma York | The Quarry Men | The Quiet Ones | The Quiet Three | The Quintones |
| Ray Montrose &
The Midnights Ray Satan & The Devils Recipe Four Reds Incorporated Rhythm Amalgamated Rhythm & Blues Incorporated Rick & The Delmonts Ricky & The Dominant Four Ricky & The Vibrators Ricky Gleason & The Rebels Ricky Gleason & The Top Spots Rikki & The Red Streaks Rip Van Winkle & The Rip-It-Ups Rita & The Renegades Rita Hughes Robin & The Ravens |
Rock Beat Five Rockin’ God Rocky Stone & The Pebbles Rogues Gallery Roy & The Globetrotters Rita Rogers Rory & The Globe Trotters Rory Storm & The Hurricanes Rory Storm & The Wild Ones Roy & The Dions Roy Hepworth & The Hepcats Roy Hunter & The Falcons Roy Malloy & The Teenbeats Roy Montrose & The Midnights The Raiders The Rainchecks |
The Rainmakers The Ramblers The Ramrods The Ranchers The Ravens The Rave-Ons The Rawhides The Ray Tones The Rebels The Red Diamonds The Rebel Rousers The Red Mountain Boys The Red Mountain Rock And Skiffle Group The Red River Rockers The Regents The Remo Four |
The Renegades The Renicks The Rent Collectors The Rhythm Coasters The Rhythm Four The Rhythm Quintet The Rhythm Rockers The Richmond The Riot Squad The Rivals The Roadrunners The Robettes The Rockerfellers The Rockin’ Clippers The Rockin’ Rhythm Coasters The Rockin’ Rhythm Quartet |
The Rockin’
Rivals The Ron Pickard Combo The Rondex The Rontons The Roy Marsden Five The Runaways |
| St Louis Checks St. Paul & The Angels Satan & The Hellcats Savva & The Democrats Some People Sonny Kaye & The Reds Sonny Webb & The Cascades Sounds Plus One Steve Aldo Steve & The Syndicate Steve Day & The Drifters Steve Day & The Jets Steve Day & The Kinsmen Strawberry Fair |
The Sandgrounders The Sandstorms The Santones The Sapphires The Scaffold The Schatz The Screaming Skulls The Searchers The Secrets The Seftons The Seniors The Senitors The Sensations The Sentinels |
The Sepias The Set Up The Shades The Shakers The Shields The Shimmy Shimmy Queens The Silvertones The Sinclairs The Sinners The Skeletons The Skylarks The Skyliners The Skyriders The Smokestacks |
The Sneakers The Sobells The Sonnets The Sorrals The Soul Agents The Soul Seekers The Spectres The Spidermen The Spinners The Spitfires The Sportsmen The Squad with Rita The Sputniks The St Louis Checks |
The Stalkers The Statesmen The Stereos The Steve Francis Four The Strangers The Strettons The Subterranes The Sundowners The Sunnysiders The Swaydes The Swinging Bluejeans The Syndicate |
| Take Five Terry Connor & The Cruisers Terry & The Tuxedos Terry & The Zodiacs That Group Them Grimbles Tiffany’s Dimensions Tiffany’s Thoughts TL’s Bluesicians Tom and Bernie Tommy & The Olympics Tommy & The Metronomes Tommy & The Satellites Tommy & The Teenbeats Tommy Jordan |
Tommy Lowe &
The Metronomes Tommy Quickly Tony Allen Tony & The Black Shadows Tony & The Checkers Tony & The Quandros Tony Carlton & The Mersey Four Tony Christian Tony Mac Set Tony & The Triads Tony & The Tuxedos The Tabs The Talismen The Team-mates The Teenage Rebels |
The Teenbeats The Te Deum 5 The Tenabeats The Teen Tones The Templars The Tempos The Tenabeats The Tennessee Four The Terry Hines Sextet The Texans The Thoughts The Three Bells The Three Deuces The Three of Diamonds The Thrillers |
The Thunderbeats The Thunderbirds The Tigers The TJs The Timebeats The Tokens The Topics The Topspots The Tornadoes The Trends The Trents The Tributes The Triffids The Triumphs The Tudor Four |
The Tudors The Tuxedos The Two Tones The Traders The Travellers The Travelons The Trebletones The Tremas The Tremolos The Tremors |
| The Undertakers | The Unicorns |
| Vance Williams
& The Rhythm Four Vic & The TTs Vic Takes Four Vicki Cheetham Vikki Lane & The Moonlighters Vince & The Hot Rods Vince Earl & The Talismen |
Vince Earl &
The Zeroes Vince Reno & The Sabres Vinny & The Dukes The Vaders The Valentinos The Valients The Valkyries |
The Vanguards The Vampires The Vara Sounds The Vegas Five The Ventures The Verbs The Vermont Quarter |
The Vernons Girls The Viceroys The V.I.C.s The Victors The Vigilantes The Vikings The Vogue |
The Volcanics The V.I.P.s The Vulcans |
| Warner’s Combo Wayne Calvert & The Cimmarons Wayne Stevens & The Vikings Wells Fargo Western Union Wolfgang Combo |
Wump & His
Werbles The Walter Quarless Combo The Wayfarers The Waysiders The Weeverbeats The Wheels |
The Wild Harkes The Wild Ones The Willows The Witnesses The Wranglers The Wreckers |
(No entries for
'X') The Young Ones |
The Zenet Trio The Zeniths The Zenith Six The Zephyrs The Zeros The Zwinging Coronets |
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Bill Harry attended the Liverpool College of Art with Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon and made the arrangements for Brian Epstein to visit The Cavern, where he saw The Beatles for the first time. Bill was a member of 'The Dissenters' and the founder and editor of 'Mersey Beat', the iconic weekly music newspaper that documented the early Sixties music scene in the Liverpool area and is possibly best known for being the first periodical to feature a local band called 'The Beatles'. He has worked as a high powered publicist, doing PR for acts such as Suzi Quatro, Free, The Arrows and Hot Chocolate and has managed press campaigns for record labels such as CBS, EMI, Polydor. Bill is the critically acclaimed author of a large number of books about The Beatles and the 60s era including 'The Beatles Who's Who', 'The Best Years of the Beatles' and the Fab Four's 'Encyclopedia' series. He has appeared on 'Good Morning America' and has received a Gold Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. |
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Bill Harry 2014 Original
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SixtiesCity 2014 |
