Merseybeat!: The Other Groups (Applejacks, Undertakers and Others)

The big seller in the UK was the version by Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (who Decca signed instead of the Fab Four). It's ok, it was the first version I ever heard, but it's basically a tamer more poppy version of the Faron version just in a higher key:

 

This should've been a hit, as should've Bye Bye Baby. Tony Jackson's sporting a new haircut here

This would've been a great follow up to Needles & Pins

 

Keith Moon on gong from 2:10 on!

 

Ok, no discussion about Merseybeat is complete without THIS one:

This is a VERY young Mick Taylor with a great, Pop sound.....way before his other pusuits.
Enjoy this one.....

 

Not Merseybeat, but Beat...

 

By all accounts The Big Three were a great live group, but poor on record. Best heard on disc on the (previously posted) live at the Cavern 'What'd I Say', although it has been said that even the live EP did not represent them at their best.

 

Don't think we've had the Undertakers here yet -

 

Yep he was brilliant. I sort of loose interest in the Searchers material once he's kicked out. To me he was THE voice of the group, that set it apart and so brilliantly merseybeat.

 

Tony Jackson really gave the Searchers a distinct vocal sound. They had some great tunes/recordings post Tony, but the vocal blend while pleasant, was also kind of bland.

 

Time for some Brumbeat? - The Redcaps (actually from Walsall) - 'Shout' - an early UK version released eight months prior to Lulu & the Luvvers' hit with the song on the same label.


http://www.brumbeat.net/redcaps.htm

 

For some inexplicable reason this remained unreleased until about 10 years ago. It was written by the great Jimmy Campbell (Kirkys, 23rd Turnoff, Rockin' Horse). He was one of the few Merseybeat artist to progress with the times after 1963/64.

 

A couple of new Merseybeat related releases by Varèse Sarabande.



1. Love Of The Loved
2. Anyone Who Had A Heart
3. You're My World (II Mio Mondo)
4. It's For You
5. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
6. I've Been Wrong Before
7. Love's Just A Broken Heart
8. Alfie
9. Don't Answer Me
10. A Fool Am I (Dimmelo Parlame)
11. What Good Am I
12. I Only Live To Love You
13. Step Inside Love
14. Where Is Tomorrow?
15. Surround Yourself With Sorrow
16. Conversations
17. If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind
18. Something Tells Me (Something Is Gonna Happen Tonight)

 

1. Do You Want To Know A Secret (Mono)
2. I'll Be On My Way
3. Little Children (Mono)
4. Bad To Me
5. I'll Keep You Satisfied
6. I Know
7. I Call Your Name
8. Pride (Is Such A Little Word)
9. From A Window
10. I'm In Love
11. It's Gotta Last Forever
12. When You Ask About Love
13. Trains And Boats And Planes
14. Neon City

 

Playing the Bear Family Complete Merseybeats now and loving it

 

Must have been brilliant to see the Merseybeat bands live at the time

 

Bands that never released a record »

In September 1963 BBC-TV aired a documentary calledThe Mersey Sound, featuring interviews with The Beatles as well as concert footage of two songs (And you've almost certainly seen these interviews, as they've turned up in virtually every Beatles documentary ever made).

Also appearing in the film were two other Liverpool bands, The Undertakers (with Jackie Lomax) and Group One. This latter band gets quite a bit of interview time, and they are surprisingly smooth on camera.

You would think that an apearance like this would have led to at least a record contract, but apparently Group One never did release a record. Judging from The Mersey Sound this is no great loss musically, but it's very curious when you consider that when Beatlemania established itself all sorts of promoters, managers, and hustlers descended on Liverpool, signing anything with a Scouse accent.

An article written by a member of Group One:
Dave Williams -  Mersey Beat »

This site claims there may be an acetate of Group One in existence, but offers no further details.
Group one »​

 

Jeannie (Rita Hughes) left the group after a dispute over "dressing room decorum". Whatever that means.

 

Here's a Pathé newsreel about the Mersey Sound and with great colour footage of The Cavern.

 

And here's a mini-documentary from 1965 about Merseybeat.

 

Here's a nice show from 1965 and hosted by Bob Wooler. Lots of footage from The Cavern and 1960s Liverpool.

 

Aired on ABC in the US in September 1965. The member of the Hideaways who was "American as apple pie" later died in the Vietnam war.

 

Thanks for the info. I have seen many shows from that era, but I have never seen this particular show.

 

The only thing I didn't like about this show are the little kids on stage at The Cavern lip-syncing. A waste of footage, IMO as they could have show another group playing live. Still nice to see what we do get.