Merseybeat: The Lighter Side
What about Gerry and the Pacemakers?
Gerry Marsden (guitar, lead vocals) and his brother, Freddie, (drums) were born in Liverpool. Gerry and the Pacemakers were second in a list of bands managed by The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein. They were most popular from 1964-1966. Gerry, formed the band in 1959.
They first named the band The Mars Bars, but they were faced with the threat of a law suit and changed their name. They had wanted backing from the company.
Their style was pop, but they had the beat, with the ryhthm guitar propeling their sound. Les Chadwick, played bass. Arthur Mack played piano until 1961, then Les McGuire took over that instrument. The movie Ferry Cross The Mersey was named after one of their hits.
Others singles of theirs include How Do You Do It?, I Like It, You’ll Never Walk Alone, which were back to back hits in 1963 in England. Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying, is another big single they had.
Richie Unterberger, of All Music Guide discloses that “it is not universally known that Gerry Marsden actually wrote much of the band’s material.” Unterberger also explains that Gerry and the Pacemakers, along with other Liverpool groups, couldn’t attain the level of creativity that The Beatles, and other top-notch British invasion groups did.
This isn’t to say they weren’t good, but they didn’t grow in style, and their mode grew outdated. They broke up in 1967.
Which of the Merseyside groups will be up next? Keep your eyes peeled to see. And what about those other top-notch bands of The British Invasion? When do we heard from The Merseyside metal, indie, punk, and jazz artists.
And, remember that moog?
Well, don’t get out of tune, but stay tuned to get your musical mind tickled.
For More Information:
http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/palms/6315/film.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/gerry-the-pacemakers
http://oldies.about.com/od/artistindexaz/Oldies_Artists_and_Bands.htm?terms=Gary+and+the+Pacemakers
Hear Gerry and the Pacemakers:
