Merseybeat played such an important part in the development of the Beatles.
Here you can find a Merseybeat discography and more...
Here you can find a Merseybeat discography and more...
DISCOGRAPHY
Cilla Black
Howie Casey & the Seniors
Lee Curtis & the All Stars
The Dennisons
The Dominoes
The Escorts
Faron's Flamingos
Flashback
The Fourmost
The Koobas
Gerry & the Pacemakers
Ian & the Zodiacs
The Liverbirds
Billy J Kramer with the Dakotas
Liverpool Beat
Beryl Marsden
The Mojos
The Prellies
Earl Preston & the TT's
The Merseybeats
The Roadrunners
The Searchers
The Shakers
Rory Storm & the Hurricanes
Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes
The Undertakers
DVD
BOOKS
PHOTOS
REVIEWS
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Welcome to the Merseybeat section of the website.
A question asked many times is, would there have been the Beatles without Merseybeat. Well, the answer has got to be a resounding yes. The Beatles were certainly part of the Merseybeat scene, they played the same clubs, they drank in the same pubs and they dreamed of making a record. What the Beatles had above the others was the drive to get there, the talent to write songs from an early age, knowing that this was the way forward and also one Brian Epstein. Eppy worked tirelessly initially to get them gigs outside of Liverpool, then in London to get them their record deal with EMI and once they met George Martin well that was it, it was a marriage made in heaven and the old cliche, the rest is history could never had been put to a better use. But what of the other bands on the Merseybeat scene? The Epstein stable including Cilla Black, The Fourmost & Billy J Kramer was almost assured success with Lennon & McCartney supplying material that enabled them to achieve their chart breakthroughs. Gerry Marsden was writing his own material for the Pacemakers after initial chart success with a couple of Mitch Murray songs 'How Do You Do It? & I Like It, the Searchers mostly relied on the genius of Tony Hatch to supply them with hits while they wrote some brilliant B-sides. The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Merseybeats, The Mojo's & The Undertakers all achieved notable success in varying degrees before the Merseybeat boom subsided. Some bands were happier on the stage rather than the confines of a studio. The Big Three were a prime example, their live at the Cavern EP is an out & out classic but their studio output could never match their live performances. The same could be said for two Liverpool showman Rory Storm (and the Hurricanes) & Faron (Faron's Flamingos) who could never match their stage performances but were out and out stars of the Liverpool live scene. The recorded output from the Merseybeat era is increased substantially from the time the bands spent in Hamburg. Some, Lee Curtis & Kingsize Taylor had great success in Germany or West Germany as it was in the 60's and probably missed out on bigger success in the UK because they remained in Hamburg when Merseybeat was at it's peak in the UK. Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes would often end up in the studio in the early hours, record an album, see it released under a different name and never receive any royalties. Other bands big in Germany were Ian & the Zodiacs, the Undertakers & the first all girl group The Liverbirds. It was a big decision to give up your day job in the 60's and many bands including the original Remo Four/Group One remained in Liverpool where they could hold down a full time job and play nightly with the band. The Merseybeat scene is still 'alive & kicking' in Liverpool with the New Undertakers, Lee Curtis, Karl Terry and the Cruisers, the Hideaways, the Kirby's & Beryl Marsden amongst others still playing live and occasionally releasing CD's in today's Merseybeat scene.... |
Eddie M