Deltachord

Tony Crane (lead guitar/vocals) and Billy Knisley (bass guitar/vocals) founded a group in 1960 called The Mavericks. The other original members were Dave Elias (rhythm guitar), Frank Sloane (drums), and Billy Butler (vocals).

The Mersey Beats derived their name from the local music newspaper, Mersey Beat, and got permission to use it from its owner Bill Harry in 1962, as one story goes, but the Merseybeats official website, www.merseybeats.co.uk says that Bob Wooler, the MC of the well-known Cavern Club renamed them in 1962. Still others say it was a local music reference anyway, by then. They later changed their name to the Merseybeats.

They were one of the best bands of the Merseyside, but they didn’t impact the American charts. They were the third group that Brian Epstein gathered under his wing, but they soon flew away because of differences in musical taste, a regrettable move in their career.

According to merseybeatnostalgia.co.uk “They had a residency at St. John’s Hall, Bootle on a Monday night and on one occassion had The Beatles as their guest group.” Their gigs at the Cavern Club with The Beatles exceeded those of all the other groups in that magical/mythical era.

Their first big 45, Its Love That Really Counts, a cover of The Shirelles’ hit, came in 1963 with a label named Fontana. In 1964, they released I Think of You, which sold a million copies. Don’t Turn Aound and Wishin’ and Hopin’ were also huge hits, while other songs that made good were Last Night, Don’t Let It Happen To Us, I Love You Yes I Do, I Stand Accused, Mister Moonlight, The Fortune Teller, and Lovely Loretta.

The Merseybeats had that rockin’ beat, but usually released ballads for their singles.

See The Merseybeats videos Don’t Turn Around and Milkman at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsysUPLCkdU

Hear The Merseybeats:

http://www.merseybeats.co.uk/
http://www.pandora.com/music/artist/4014aecc59c8c5bf

More Information:

http://www.merseybeatnostalgia.co.uk/html/the_merseybeats.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/the-merseybeats
http://www.merseybeats.co.uk/
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/villa/9500/merseybeats.htm

Videos of Merseyside, British Invasion, American Rock ‘n Roll, Blues, artists and more at:

http://www.tv.com/top-of-the-pops-uk/show/8566/episode_guide.html

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 9th, 2007 at 6:40 pm and is filed under Merseybeat/Then/Now. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.