Before The Beatles: The Birth of British Rock
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- Britain is known for its music. But it didn’t always used to be that way. During the classical period, while the rest of Europe was producing iconic composers, Britain trailed to the point that 19th Century Germany jokingly dubbed it “The Land Without Music.” Wrote German writer Georg Weerth in the 1840s: “The English can neither sing nor play music... They take only two or three songs learned in the cradle with them in their further lives, anything else is utterly closed to them.” Composers like Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams would kick back against that perception, but British music only truly hit its stride in the popular era. Mostly notable with The Beatles. But there was a moment between "Rock Around the Clock" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" where Britain fumbled for its own musical identity. So how did Lonnie Donegan and "Rock Island Line" catalyze the scene? How did Britain take an essentially American art form and create our own version with artists such as Cliff Richard, Vince Taylor, Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, The Shadows and The Tornados? And what were the vital steps along the way, tracks like "Telstar", "Apache", "Shakin' All Over", "Brand New Cadillac", "Rock With The Caveman" and of course "Move It"? This is the beginning of British Rock.
#TheBeatles #BritishRock #MusicDocumentary
Soundtrack:
Luar - Clouds ( / luarbeats )
Jesse Gallagher - Mer-Ka-Ba
Luar - Anchor ( / luarbeats )
00:00 Introduction
01:15 Lonnie Donegan
03:56 Tony Crombie & His Rockets
06:24 Tommy Steele
09:05 Cliff Richard
11:25 Brand New Cadillac
13:21 Billy Fury
15:12 Shakin' All Over
17:31 Apache
19:46 Joe Meek
23:13 The Beatles
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CORRECTIONS:
04:46 Radio Luxembourg was not a pirate radio station, instead one that operated in mainland Europe and therefore wasn't constrained by British broadcasting standards
05:29 "Teach You to Rock" was originally by Freddie Bell and The Bellboys NOT Belltops
07:55 It's 6-5 Special NOT 6 Point 5 Special
09:50 Ian Samwell wrote "Move It," NOT Sitwell
10:20 Though "Move It" is most definitely the first classic British rock'n'roll record, Cliff is wrong for making the claim it was the first real American-sounding rock record made outside the US. "Wild One" by Johnny O'Keefe from Australia predates it by at least a month.
15:15 All the photos of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates feature a later line-up of the band. As far as I can tell there are precious few pictures of the short-lived "Shakin' All Over" version of the group, which as well as Kidd was composed of Clem Cattini, Alan Caddy and Brian Gregg.
18:48 "Apache" was written by composeR Jerry Lordan, NOT Jack London - an American novelist who died in 1916
Yeah, I totally agree. They made a lot of f*** ups there, totally misleading
overwrite
This is rubbish. "My Old Man's a Dustman" (Lonnie) is one of the finest songs ever written followed by "Little White Bull" (Tommy Steele) ..... Then there is "There I was digging this Hole ... hole in the ground so big and sort a round" (Bernard Cribbins), Albert and the Lion (Stanley Holloway) ..... and who can forget, "Keep the Home Fires Burning" (Ivor Novello 1914) and "We are going to hang out the washing on the Siegfried Line" ...... All examples of some of the finest music that the World has ever heard.
Johnny O'Keefe's Wild One was covered not only by Jerry Lee Lewis , but Iggy Pop ... That is pretty effin Rock n Roll for a little Aussie battler ... Dropped dead in 1978
Yes, and Jerry Lordan presented Apache to the Shadows by playing it on a ukulele.
Cliff Richard was born 5 days after John Lennon
Radio Luxembourg wasn't a pirate station. They just had a powerful enough transmitter to be heard in the UK, and chose to run an English-language service.
Yep, the young George Harrison would lie in bed listening late at night, and copying down lyrics in a notebook, and figuring out the guitar chords.
You could listen to Radio Luxenburg in the Nordics countries as well, and you´re right it was not a pirate station...
Back then it was regarded as one, broadcasting on an unauthorised wavelength way over their allocated volume. The British government were positively apoplectic about it, and the Beeb were actually fiercer about them than they were about the later offshore stations. I guess they'd got used to it by then...
It was strong enough to be heard behind the iron curtain.
Luxembourg was not a pirate. It was a legit commercial station operating on mainland Europe. Like Radio Normandy and others it targeted UK consumers, because advertising. Its English pop programming was great... where I first heard Sgt Pepper, played all the way through. The Marine Offences Act 1967 made our offshore pirates properly illegal and forced the Beeb to shake up its out-of-date image. Radio 1 was born the same year, with Radio 2 (Light Program), 3 (Third Program) and 4 (Home Service) all re-named.
When a boy scout in Maryland, mid-1960's, I twisted my ankle. That evening, our troop needed to hike a mile to an outdoor concert by an R&R band. I didn't want to go because of my injury, but the scoutmaster made me limp to get there. With 3 lead guitarists, the band called "The Galaxies" played all the great instrumental electric guitar hits of the time. I was enchanted. I became an electric guitarist, and have been happily gigging with numerous bands during the past 55 years.
Oh man, Joe Meek deserves a whole episode not just for his influence, but for his life.
Its not just him, brian epstein should as well, rip these two people...
Telstar, the film.
@@stevekeys262 great movie even though there are some serious innacuracies
As does the Mersey Beat, and Gerry & Pacemakers who had 3 consecutive nr1 hits way before the Beatles, and served football history with "you'll never walk alone"
@@reuireuiop0 You’ll never Walk alone is a cover but you probably know that
I was in a skiffle band a few years ago for a college project, and it was great learning songs that my grandad used to play in his youth with his bands
This is so amazing! I didn't even know "Skiffle" existed until today. Keep that tradition alive, my friend!
I love to see Lonnie getting the credit he deserves 😊 His influence is criminally under appreciated.
I was amazed to see him on a repeat of 1980s game show "3-2-1" recently! Was still going strong.
Needs to be in the R&RHOF early influencer category!
I saw Neil Sedaka in concert several years ago here in the US. He was telling many great stories about his life in rock and roll. He said, "Yeah..things were going great, me, Carole King, and a bunch of us were making good money....and then in 1964...THEY came along". Everybody in the crowd started dying from laughter. His voice sounded fantastic considering his age and the performance was great. The man can still play the piano like hell and belt them out...great show.
@dancalm peaceful- To this day Neil Sedaka has yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The man is a true legend. Should be in twice- As a performer and as a songwriter.
@@jerrybrownell3633 Interesting. I did NOT know that. That's shameful frankly.. I can't believe some of the other no-talent trash they inducted in there....
The Beatles showed that you didn't have go to Julliard to be a great songwriter, Neil & Carole wrote great songs but Americans didn't have a monopoly..
YES!@@jerrybrownell3633
@@jerrybrownell3633 So are Paul Anka , Gerry Goffin Jeff Barry , Leiber / Stoller ,Buck Ram etc...None of them have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
America had "The Ventures"...but England had "The Shadows"....both great bands.
The shadows is superior. I am a great fan of shadows.
@@ct1216 Page, Clapton, Beck...etc - ALL of them were massively influenced by the Shadows. As I say, one of the greatest instrumental bands ever frankly. I just happen to like the Ventures a bit more....but that's just me. Love that surf, twangy, reverb guitar sound. Love Dick Dale, The EL Caminos (band from Tokyo - heavily influenced by the Ventures), The Aqua Velvets, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, etc... It all started when I heard my first Ventures album (it is my mother's - Ventures A-Go-Go) and then got reinforced after I saw the movie "Pulp Fiction" and started to pursue other surf and instrumental bands. One of my BIGGEST rock & roll mistakes? NOT seeing the Ventures in the early to mid-80's when I had a chance.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 - I loved the Ventures too, however, the Shadows had 'the sound'!
“Shakin’ All Over” is superior to all British music that predates the Beatles.
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates 🤟🏻
That and please don't touch are two of the greatest rock and roll songs of the 50s.
It's a hell of a song.
proper hardcore
Good move on the executives for deciding to make it the A-side.
Even still their take on ‘Yes Sir That’s My Baby’ is great and the guitars solos on it are criminally underrated
Single wise it’s one of the top 5 but album wise it’s The Sound Of Fury!!
Turn my back on you by Billy Fury is my favorite British Rockabilly/Rock & Roll tune. That & jet black machine by Vince Taylor.😎🎸🇬🇧
1962 skiffle band Motown Sect featured one Ian Willis. 53 years later he died in Los Angeles. By that time he was mainly known by his welsh nickname Lemmy.
Willis? Wasn't it Kilmister?
Skiffle was gone by 62 and Motown Sect were definitely not a Skiffle band
Willis wasn't his birth name-it really was Kilmister-but yeah pretty much true. "Lemme a quid", he always used to ask everyone in school.
While true he was named Ian Kilmister, he was going by the name Ian Willis when he was in Sam Gopal, a bluesy heavy psych act who released an album in 1969 called Escalator. He handled rhythm guitar and vocals.
@@Miler97487I have the reissue of Sam Gopal's Escalator, I think it's on Earmark. On the back there's a small pic of the producer,is he called Tony Wilson ?? I am not at home so I can't check this out. Lemmy also played previously in another band called The Rockin' Vickars.
I can add a bit hear The Beatles got their recording sound because George Martin liked the sound and the way Cliff Richard & The shadows were recorded by Lorrie Paramore so he tried to copy that up front sound that they had. Cliff and The shadows were way ahead of others and had more influence at that time more than anyone, which they do not get full credit for
They were recorded at Abbey Road as later were the Beatles. There was something about those studios that was unique.
Correction: Norrie Paramor
@@MJC1124 Thanks I did know It was Norrie not Lorrie a slip of the mind I heard one of The Shadows say was he called Lorrie and that must have been in my mind when I was typing, his name has been engraved in my mine since those days he even played the piano on one of Cliff shows maybe it was for Bachelor boy 😊😊
Great informative documentary. Cliff Richard was just 17 when he recorded Move It ( 18 when it was released).
This could have been a definitive history but more research was needed. A pity.
I was 15 in 1956 and Tony Crombie meant nothing. A 32 year old latching onto a new teen scene, old mens ballroom rock. He didn't figure at all, gone within two years back to the bigger band stuff whence he came.
Tommy Steele's Singing the Blues was a straight lift off Guy Mitchells US version which alongside Tommy's was a UK No1. I never heard Marty Robbins version being played, which was mainly a US country charts hit.
It can't be emphasized enough, how Lonnie Donegan, though not a rocker, was the driving force behind the later Brit music explosion.
As others have said, Radio Luxembourg was not a 'pirate' station.....and oh dear 'Six point five Special' !! What.
As for the rest....well done. You've pretty much caught it.
"...and a backwards recording of a toilet flush were used to evoke a rocket ship lifting off."
Now that is trivia gold. :D
You want to look how they recorded the original Dr Who theme music.
Joe Meek was a genius and invented some amazing techniques. He recorded the most bizarre things to get just the effect he was looking for on a track. The 'Johnny Remember Me' female vocals were recorded in his bathroom because the tiles provided the perfect acoustics. He also recorded marbles being dropped in a toilet because the water splash and 'plink' sound fit another song perfectly. You should watch Telstar, it's a great film and gives an insight into his methods.
@@lisaashby1547 You should look up how they first produced the theme music for Doctor Who if you are interested in special effects.
He never recorded the bass drum. He reproduced the sound by standing with one foot in the bath and the other banging on the floorboards. More trivia!
Impressively researched and beautifully written and edited, this is one of the most professional rock documentaries I've seen on TH-cam.
Sorry john, one mistake is that jerry lordan wrote apache, not jack london.
Called Six Five Special. Not Six Five dot Special.
@@51THESHADOW A terrible, unforgivable mistake, makes me wonder how many other gaffs were made, eg six point five ????????????
Just remembered another clanger, Ian Samwell wrote "Move It" not Ian Sitwell !!
Yep- good but More Cliff please xxx
Thank you for that great mini doco, so glad to see Cliff and the Shads get their due.
Cliff Richard may have been the English Elvis but he had no impact on the American scene. The Beatles were not impressed by him either. The Shadows were a good instrumental band.
As a Beatlesphile I was aware of this history, but it was really nice to get hear artists/songs I've only ready about as inspirations to the Beatles before.
beatles👀
You mean little grubby insects ?
@@allegra0 No the f**king BAND.
The Shadows were an inspiration to the Beatles also. The Beatles recorded 'Ain't she sweet on the Polydor label and the 'B' side was an instrumental called 'Cry for a shadow' which was composed by John Lennon and George Harrison and was a tribute to the Shadows back in 1961 before the Beatles got their recording contract with Parlophone. Drummer Pete Best was on both these recordings released in Germany. The record was re-released in the UK around 1962 or 1963 I think on the Polydor label.
@@ednammansfield8553 All groups singers from every country were influenced by previous generations, you can't say they copied anyone in particular but back in the day in the UK the only radio we had was the BBC which naturally would play UK versions/covers of American songs in preference..
I was completely ignorant before this, cheers!!
You have been changed my boy
Now you know It all, mate! Use your complete knowledge of the universe with responsibility
Apart from the fact that British musicians had the benefit of a wider range of musical influences for guitar band sounds by virtue of the UK being the home of the Folk music revival and by virtue of more ready access to black music, soul as well as rhythm and blues because of not having racially segregated radio stations and music venues, the factor you mustn't forget is the Marshall company. The Marshall Amp was developed here, evolving in hand crafted iterations in response to the wishes of British guitarists walking in the shop, steadily asking for more fuzziness, more blare, more distortion, and more heavyness. British musicians had first access to the leading edge of guitar sound technology, and stage amplification in general. Never ignore the Material Conception of History. Culture evolves with technology, especially in music, once technology becomes a variable. US guitarists had the best electric guitars to hand, from Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker, but they needed to play them through Marshall amps, and we had first dibs.
This is a great comment, and I had never made the connection to Marshall. As far as the accessibility to Black music, it was omnipresent. It's just that we had to hear it from White faces in order to appreciate it. I was talking to a friend of mine from Wales, and we were talking about how differently race and culture are viewed in the UK. For a moment, we didn't even know how special our musicians were until you told us. When we look at how we exchange culture back and forth, it's impossible to say what came first. There are English dialect pockets in the Appalachians that many linguists insist is closer to Elizabethan English than Received Pronunciation. There's also the folk music that many British and Irish immigrants brought with them. Outside of not existing were it not for the English, I'm grateful for this ability to connect.
And don't forget VOX - the AC30 was a revelation...
Nice try however we didn’t “need” the Marshall amps. I will not dispute Marshall and Vox and their greatness and place in history and pushing guitar tone into the future. I play Marshall exclusively.
However, Chet Atkins did just fine through Standels and Fenders. Also, can you tell me which Jimi Hendrix songs were recorded through fender or Marshall amps in the studio? If you don’t know, the answer might surprise you.
It always has and always will be about the playing. In America we took Irish music and made it into gospel bluegrass music and turned that into blues, rhythm and blues, bluegrass country, rockabilly music and then took variations of all that and also some big band swing and jazz and made it into rock n roll music and then you guys helped us take it home because you guys were obsessed with us. And that’s cool man, we became obsessed with you too.
"...because of not having racially segregated radio stations and music venues,..."
Yeah, for the simple reason we hardly had any black people living in the UK in the 1950s to speak of.
Virtue... What are you talking about? Virtue and rock-'n'-roll do not go hand-in-hand.
Right at the start of class came Billy Fury .
So good the Beatles wanted to be his backing group .
A brilliant artist . Sadly missed .
Fury had a heart condition, told he would die young by doctors but to still give electrifying stage performances, strange to turn out as such a respectful, kind animal lover. What a legend!
The same was true of Bobby Darin, who eventually had to keep an oxygen tank backstage to keep going. Ironically, his death in 1973 was more due to a neglected tooth ache than to his heart problems. .
@@pcno2832 Infected teeth can damage your heart... or give you septicaemia
Same can be said of every Billy Fury’s track. sleeplesss Nights ie with Billy. Amphetamine. No wonder is heart give out.🤙
Fury was before the Beatles searchers rolling stones kinks he paved the way for them the first british rocker to write his own album of songs a classic today called the Sound of Fury with Joe Brown on guitar all the songs on this album are classics
He met Elvis face to face and played everywhere the Beatles even auditioned to be his backing Group made two movies
Play it cool directed by Micheal Winner and im goonna buy me a horse Billy fury did it all his music lives on in 2023
Billy Fury whom I got to meet on three occasions and had a long conversation with back in 1969.Rog.Pacific Sunset Records.
George Bellamy, father of Matt Bellamy of Muse, played guitar in the Tornados. You can hear the influence of Telstar in Knights of Cydonia.
Oh cool I didn't know that, thanks 😊
Thank you! You can actually hear it :)
:0
HOLY SHIT THAT'S SO FUCKING COOL
George wrote ‘Ridin The Wind’ which The Tornadoes released which really resembles ‘Knights Of Cydonia’.
Interested to hear your thoughts on it
Great to see some rare footage of drumming lengend and genuine top bloke Clem Cattini.
Agreed. Went on to be a session musician and I believe has played on more top 20 records than any other musician
@@johnenglish929 Clem played drums on over 40 number 1 hits in the UK, everything from ‘Shakin’ All Over’ by Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and ‘Everlasting Love’ by Love Affair to ‘Grandad’ by Clive Dunn, ‘Hot Love’ & ‘Get It On’ by T. Rex and ‘When Will I See You Again’ by The Three Degrees
@@kengreen3575 Ken, it always seemed to me that as well as being a top class session drummer (one of a number at the time) he must have been thoroughly reliable and a good bloke to get as many sessions as he did.
Correction, Apache was written by Jerry Lordon and Hank Marvin was not influenced by Bert Weldon, Hanks influences were Scotty More, Gene Gallop and Buddy Holly.
@Geoff T- Do you possibly mean Cliff Gallop? The superb lead guitarist of Gene Vincent's Blue Caps.
Actually, Jerry Lordan. It's an often misspelled and mispronounced name, as I learned growing up.
And also by James Burton in terms of bending notes. Because of Burton, he wanted a Telecaster instead of the Stratocaster and then we would never have had the Shadows sound.
Thanks for this. As a guy who grew up in the states, we didn’t hear much of what went on in Britain before the Beatles other than a little bit of Cliff Richard here and there. I remember lucky lips and bachelor boy. They didn’t do great over here but they did make the radio stations. Again thanks for this great little musical tutorial on the pre-British invasion
it is acher bilk ,first british to hit the us chart
@@tommyquia There were others; didn't Lonnie Donnegan have a top 10 hit with that "bubblegum on the bedpost" thing? Also "I remember you." by Frank Ifield. But I think Telstar was the first #1, or at least the first rock #1.
@@pcno2832 Right you are! All three made the states ! I believe Telstar was the first with the two others not far behind. Who reached American shores first if it was 1963!
@@tommyquiaTelstar was 1960 . Stranger in the shore was 1962
My bad Telstar by the tornados in 1960.
I swear, it is like you go through my music collection in order to make your videos. It is so bizarre because in the decades of listening to this stuff I've known just a couple people that listen to all this stuff (as a collection), then all the sudden some guy on the other side of the planet is playing clips of every obscure tune I own. I guess all have to say is....you've got good taste man. ;)
Yeah every one of these songs was a regular on Capital Gold (1548 AM) back in the 80s and 90s when my parents wouldn't dream of tuning their radio to anything else.
What part of "on the other side of the planet" you guys having trouble with? I obviously don't live in Britain, and yes this stuff was obscure here until maybe 20ish years ago when that Rock'n Bones comp made it available to non-collectors.
@@LividImp It's obscure to you. I wouldn't say this is special taste. My Nan has a lot of this stuff from when she was a teen.
Thank you for educating another American on The History of British Rock&Roll! Love The Beatles, but didn’t realize what came before them in England. Excellent Job!
We did have a thriving music industry in the UK in the 40/50's but most people made their money from touring, record sales only made money for the writers and labels, the singers got very little..
Singer Cliff Richard and his band 'The Shadows', was a message to a start of youth movement. "The Yong ones" It was clean and tasteful.
Thanks for mentioning Helen Shapiro, one of the greatest ever ("Queen for a night")
A really small point to keep the records straight - it's not "Six Point Five Special" just "Six Five Special" - representing a train time.
Correct. Did you that the others on the shortlist of presenters from which Pete Murray was chosen were David Jacobs, Humphrey Littleton and Sean Connery !
Cliffs "Move It" is a Brit rock classic. To myself that back in the day, It didn't sound "American". But, it's excellent RnR. Deserves a lot more credit. I'm not a Cliff fan as such but I dig this song. It ROCKS
I'm a Cliff fan right from Move it to this day October 22 . 65 years nobody is going to beat that
It was actually the B side but DJ's played it instead of the A which was a cover of the US hit Schoolboy Crush..
@@jrgboySchoolboy Crush was recorded as the A side, but when it was released Norrie Paramore, Cliff’s record manager had made Move It the A side, this was after he had taken the record home to play to his daughters and they choose Move It as the A side.
Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' debut single 'Please Don't Touch' (1959) was another corker, and an original composition too. Later covered by Motorhead with Girlschool, as well as the Stray Cats.
The young John Lennon's first band was a skiffle band called The Quarrymen, which later evolved into The Beatles, when he met Paul McCartney, who knew George Harrison and eventually after doing their apprenticeship in Hamburg and Liverpool and the edition of Ringo Starr..... interesting the only real survivors of the original British rock and roll were Cliff Richard and the Shadows, both becoming stalwarts of British pop. Cliff Richard is an international star everywhere, except in the US because of failings by his American record company and conniving activities by Elvis's manager. The US's loss, because he remains a unique singer, there is no one else who is like Cliff. Likewise Hank Marvin of The Shadows, was the first British guitar hero, plus via Cliff, he was the first British guitarist to own a Stratocaster guitar. 🎸
It should be noted that Marty Wilde went on to produce and write for his daughter Kim in the eighties. Adam Faith became an actor and business man and Joe Brown stayed in music along with Wee Willy Harris and Billy Fury on the old rock and roll circuit. Fury and Faith died tragically young, as did Johnny Kidd. Another survivor was Alvin Stardust, whose original career before the seventies was as Shane Fenton and the Fentones. Lord Sutch went on to be the leader of the Monster Raving Looney Party. 🎶
Gerry and The Pacemaker's How Do You Do, was originally given to The Beatles. They hated it, but rearranged it with the help of their producer George Martin....this is the version that became a number one for Gerry Marsden and his band, but his band's most famous hit is a rearrangement of Rodger and Hammerstein's You'll Never Walk Alone, from Carousel, which became the official anthem of Liverpool FC. 🎸⚽ 🎶
ME AND MY SHADOWS (1960) is a great British Rock Album !!
Apache was written by Jerry Lordan - not Jack London as your v/o states. Also worth noting that F.B.I. was written by Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris - not Peter Gormley as it is generally credited to - and this also became a hugely popular and influential tune. I believe that The Shadows were the first UK 'pop group' to have a Greatest Hits album.
Jack London was an author that wrote "Call of the Wild" and "White fang" among others. (just filling in some detail :) )
They were also not post Drifters. They were the Drifters in the 1950s, but had to change their name because of the American group.
Also, ‘Move It’… written by Ian Samwell, NOT ‘Sitwell’. Poorly researched.
Unfortunately they do that in the US as well
- yes, and Jerry Lordan was an Australian!
This is music. No plastic synthetic drums, no auto-tune, no digital synthesisers, no silly side-chain compression. Just talent and real instruments. Why can't it still be this way?
It's boring though, to be honest. I couldn't sit down and listen to this for very long.
There are still young artists doing this style of music in the quiet corners of youtube, tiktok, etc. But we're in the era where 'simple' isn't appealing to the majority of young listeners and they prefer over-produced music. For me, I don't mind the rawness of 50's and 60's rock. But if you asked me about my opinion on the music prior (1940's era big swing bands, jazz music from the 20's, Tin pan alley, etc) I'd shrug my shoulders and say "meh, not my thing. Does nothing for me."
only one has lasted 65years because he is always fantastic God bless Cliff love as always
Amazing rock history, very well done on this, great films and details, so very sad that many here are no longer with us but we can still listen and love the music they gave to us, so brilliantly done on this, and thank you so much!
Enjoyed the video, this was the era I grew up in, and my teenage years were dominated by the Beatles, Stones and another band you failed to mention who had as many hits as the Beatles, and that was the Hollies, towards the end of the video you mention the Who, Searchers, Kinks, Zombies etc.. but absolutely no mention of the Hollies, who had more hits than any of those bands. They rarely get a mention in videos such as this and they deserve a lot more respect than they get.
Like the Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, and Dave Dee, Dozy, Mick and Tich, they weren't quite cool enough to be celebrated in the same way and don't resonate as much with subsequent generations
The Troggs, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Herd, The Mindbenders, Lulu & the Lovers, Peter & Gordon, etc, etc, etc,
Brilliant,Billy fury just superb,
And you just inspired me to get the backing tracks out and give it a whirl
Thank you
Thank you for this informative documentary about an important piece of British pop music history. The US recording industry was so secure in its superiority, that it did not
take any British acts seriously. Capital Records et al had Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Shirelles, Lesley Gore and Chuck Berry - they initially turned down the Beatles and refused to support the recordings and were even reticent about "A Hard Day's Night." However, the Ed Sullivan performances and the phenomenon of Beatlemania forced Hollywood to recognize that things had changed without them and that they had better get on the bandwagon before it leaves town.
The Shadows are my favourite band and also my grandpa's, so we often get to bond over their tunes when I play them on my guitar and then afterwards he tells me stories about it
Excellent documentary. Yank here who has recently really gotten into The Shadows, and considers "Move It" and "Shakin' All Over" (which I've long been aware of the original, thanks to The Who) on par with *any* early rock-n-roll. Also knew of Joe Meek and "Telstar", actually having remembered that one, iconic as it was, though its charting here was a bit before my time.
Proud to say I met Lonnie Donegan once, and had a brief chat - he was a true gentleman.
Me too. None of my schoolmates believed me!
Born and raised in America, but I think British rock is the most creative. There are American bands on my faves list, but most of them I think got their style and sound from the Brits.
The Brits not only modernized Rock but all of Popular Music.True the States created Rock but the Brits took it to heights that was unbelievable
The Brits dominated the 60s and 70s in terms of rock but i’d say the US owns the 80s and 90s of rock
@@rashotcake6945 In fact, America was a bit stagnant musically after disco fell out of favor, and received another musical invasion from England with new wave bands like Duran Duran, Culture Club or Tears for Fears.
Idk man, one look at The Sonics or The Wailers tells you how far into the future Rock music was already headed without much British influence. Even the big player “You Really Got Me” was inspired by the playing of Louie Louie. Surf Rock was already pushing boundaries heavily, much of what the British Invasion bands did were not innovative, they were covers or motifs of soul songs, and Jimi Hendrix created his legendary sound by means of Jazz, all born in the US. I truly believe Surf Rock, with its emphasis on young people, gradual exploration of feelings other than teenage glee, and heavily distorted guitars would have became very much like what Rock is today.
Even the first metal song is Summertime Blues covered by Blue Cheer is a dreary ironic cover of the American 1950s star Eddie Cochrane, and that band was based in SF. Even the Acid Rock culture popped off in the SF Bay Area, the same California/ West Coast that already nurtured Surf Rock. What I think poses a real problem to my theory though is what American song could replace “Paint It Black.” In the evolution of rock into metal. McJagger really had a good thing going with the Stones whole style and his singing
@@malaquiasalfaro81 jazz? I think hendrix was more inspired by blues, with the likes of muddy and Chuck and Clapton.
Absolutely phenomenal content. On par with the BBC and anything else out there. Thanks so much. You’re a legend.
I believe that Apache by The Shadows was the land mark record in Britain before The Beatles records. The Shadows 3 guitar and drum line up was so influential, not only in Britain but also the USA.
None of the Shadows stuff was Rock amd Roll, was it.
@@peterd8525 Definitely Rock and Roll ! You would have to listen to their Albums. Yes they did have variance of styles and primarily instrumental. Hank Marvin lead guitar work influenced many artists and bands such as Queen, Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend, The Beatles etc They were the biggest band in the UK prior to the Beatles.
@@Bruce15485 Don't really need a history lesson as I was there at the time, but willing to be swayed. OK, s'pose you could bop along to FBI but can you name me two rock and roll tracks so I can give a listen. Loved their stuff and all budding guitarists wanted to be Hank but none of the melodious singles would have any influence as a rock and roll go to.
@@peterd8525 "Spider Juice" and "Honourable Puff Puff" off the Specs Appeal album not bad. The album "Shades of Rock" is worth a listen !
@@Bruce15485 Well, Bruce I've given them a play and neither, particularly Spider Juice, could be remotely considered as having a rock and roll beat, great as they are. In any event, these were recorded/issued in 1975. Hardly in place to be there as an early influence!
In ''57, '58, '59 I was buying Buddy Holly 45's, Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry - this was rock and roll. When the Shads came along a little later they were never considered as a rock line up behind Cliff Richard.....save for Move it, a stand out one off. Everything else from them was a projection of Cliff as a frontsman with sugarsweet pop for teenage girls. Their later stuff without Cliff was, as said, melodious (and great) but not rock.
Undeniably, Hank Marvin's guitar skills WERE a great influence on aspiring players that followed.
This was a great video! The only exposure to early British pop music was accidentally stumbling on to Lonnie Donegan when he did the chewing gum song. It hit U.S. radio as a novelty song when I was about 8 years old (1958). After that I had no exposure to British rock & roll that I knew of. Until you let us know about "Apache" and "Telstar", two of my very favorite instrumental tracks from the period. At that time I was around 11 or 12 years old. Them, of course, when I was 14 in 1964 everything changed to n a very big way. I was a Beatles fan from the git. The very first album I bought was "Meet the Beatles". So, so many decades ago. Thanks for mentioning Jerry and the Pace Makers. Jogged my memory about "Don't Let the Sun Catch you Crying". One of my all-time favorite songs. Cheers!
In the early 1960s most people listened to the BBC (there was not much else for them to listen to) and Please Please Me reached Number 1 on the BBC chart - (a fact that the BBC themselves now fail to acknowledge), that was replaced at No. 1 by Summer Holiday (Cliff) which was replaced by Foot Tapper (The Shadows) and that was replaced by How Do You Do It? (Gerry and the Pacemakers).
"Please, Please, Me". Was not the Beatles first No.1 in Brit charts -- it reached No.2.
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand". Was the Beatles first record to reach No.1 in chart ❤
Justice for Please Please Me, the real first Beatles No. 1
@@user-cx5pl2tu2h Please Please Me reached No. 1 on the BBC chart on 22nd Feb 1963 where it stayed for three weeks. From Me To You reached No. 1 on the BBC chart on 3rd May 1963 and stayed there for five weeks. She Loves You reached No 1 on the BBC chart on 6th September 1963 where it stayed five weeks. It returned to No. 1 on the BBC chart on 29th November 1963 where it stayed for three weeks before being replaced at No. 1 by I Wanna Hold Your Hand on 13th December 1963 staying there for five weeks. I Wanna Hold Your Hand was the first Beatles single to reach No. 1 in the USA.
On 27th August 1968 there was a three-way tie for No. 1 on the BBC chart - This Guy's In Love With You (Herb Alpert), I've Gotta Get A Message To You (The Bee Gees) and Do It Again (The Beach Boys). Following this the various charts used in this country were merged to form the official chart that is used today.
She Loves You was released before I wanna Hold your hand.@@user-cx5pl2tu2h
@@user-cx5pl2tu2h The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles lists From Me To You as the first Beatles No 1. Their next No 1 was She Loves You, followed by I Want To Hold Your Hand.
A couple of corrections...
Ian Samwell wrote "Move It" not Ian Sitwell.Jerry Lordan wrote "Apache" not Jack London.
Absolutely!
Mathew Bellamy’s father played guitar in the Tornados. Listen to Muse - Knights Of Cydonia to hear the connection to Telstar
Albert Hammond Jr.'s (of the Strokes) dad wrote "The Air That I Breathe" for The Hollies
Listen to ‘Ridin the Wind’ by The Tornadoes written by George Bellamy. That bares more resemblance to ‘Cydonia’ than ‘Telstar’
94MikeJ Nice, it really does
Dude these are so good and I wouldn't know a word of this otherwise
The great guitar riff on Johnny Kidd's Shaking All Over was played by Scottish Guitarist Joe Moretti, on the record only, didn't tour with them. I saw The Pirates at Aylesbury town hall, 1960, and without Moretti's guitar work it was .... oh dear!
for me British R n R Means ONE Song above ALL others Johhny Kid n the Pirates SHAKING ALL OVER Still love it as much today as the first day I heard it, many times I walked home from the West end as my fare's money sometimes my dinner money too in the juke box for Just shaking all over the golden era of British music, If only we could go back to them Great times one more time
That was ,and still is the best opening guitar rift of all time......was at school at the time....great days.
I always loved Cliff Richard since I saw his musical Summer Holiday. Thanks for making this video!
Billy Fury laid the foundation stone for singer/songwriters and was also his own producer on Sounds of Fury.
I think Jack Good was the producer, though I'm sure Billy would have had a big say in the final sound. Terrific album.
@@mesolithicman164 It was lucky you were able to correct my mistake, that will teach me to comment purely from memory, you are right, it was produced by Jack Good, with Billy writing four songs and Wilber Wilberforce responsible for six, as you say Billy, like Elvis, always knew what sounded right for him on an album.
@@barryfowles-zl5ib
You do know that Wilberforce was also Billy Fury?
Tommy Steele was Britain's first successful singer-songwriter!
@@barryfowles-zl5ibWilliam Wilberforce was a phsyeudenam for Billy Fury! Real name Ronnie Wycherley! 😊
Not to forget all this great inventive music was heard through AM radio , which often sounded like it was transmitted from another dimension. (fading in & out) Something the FM generation can hardly imagine.
Happy Mondays and Madchester PLEASE!!!
I love Cliff Richard and Shadows.
I have watched the film from the point of view of one who lived through that era. I am now in my late 70s. So much of the commentary is utter bilge. Not a single mention of the influence of Buddy Holly who toured the U.K. in March 1958 with The Crickets and who, apart from Charles Edward Berry, had a far greater influence on British R'n'R than any other single figure.
We had visits from other genuine U.S. R&R artists: - Bill Haley & His Comets ('56); Freddie Bell & His Bellboys ('57); Charlie Gracie ('57) before Holly ('58), Cochran and Vincent (both '60). Duane Eddy also toured in 1960 along with Clyde McPhatter, Bobby Darin and our own Emile Ford & The Checkmates another British band that knew how to rock.
Apache was composed by Jerry Lordan - not Jack London. Crombie & Co. were working jazz/swing musicians who turned to R'n'R to put food on their tables. The great jazz sax player and journalist Benny Green was recruited for Lord Rockingham's XI but always played in shades when on TV in 'Oh Boy!' in an attempt to cloak himself in anonymity. Vince Taylor meant nothing to us in the north of England. No mention was made of Joe Brown who honed his guitar skills at the knee of Eddie Cochran and who worked with Billy Fury on the 10" Decca LP masterpiece "The Sound of Fury" in 1960 and made the most amazing rockabilly backing ever heard, to that time, on a U.K. production.
If you take the time to read ALL the comments, you'll notice that yours is the only bilge. C'est la vie.
turned 13 in feb 60 so a lot of good memories--thank you--deryn
Cumberland gap was the song that turned me on to music. It was on a Lonnie Donegan EP that my Dad had. Thanks Dad. Thanks Lonnie!
They never mentioned Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan. Sullivan is England's greatest composer, 1842 to 1900. The Mikado is one of the greatest operas ever written. As is The Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore. Masterpieces Supreme.
I might add DIAMONDS by Tony Meehan and Jet Harris from 1962 as a key instrumental.
My dad’s always very passionate about the pre-Beatles era.......so this is a fascinating film.
TRIVIA: The US soldier shown at time mark 4.53 was actor Burgess Meredith, who played the Penguin in the Batman TV series. He also played Rocky Balboa's trainer in the film Rocky.
That clip was made during WW II, part of a short film advising American GIs stationed in Britain how to behave.
This was a VERY entertaining video! The history of British rock from the late 50’s thru the early 60’s is, unfortunately, an era that is often overlooked, even having played a HUGE role in inspiring so many of the singers and musicians hitting the charts from The Beatles on...The Who, Jimmy Page, The Big 3, The Stones, etc.
I can’t believe this video has existed for 2 years and I just NOW discover it! This was excellently & expertly made and crafted. As a huge fan of music & history and a bit of an Anglophile, I often wondered what the British pop music scene was like before The Beatles. This was very informative and answered a lot of questions for me.
I’m curious as to why some of the Brit Rockers never made a splash here in the States prior to The Beatles. I’m curious if Elvis was aware of any of these performers and had ever thought about covering their songs.
Anyway, great job! I look forward to exploring your channel. God bless!
Jason, the US record companies said the American public won't like that music, so you never got to hear it. They tried that with the Beatles music as well, but they were so big in UK that the self-opinionated executives who knew nothing about music started to see money; they knew plenty about that.
The problems faced by the Beatles to get their records released in the US and, most of all, played on the radio there are well known. The EMI-owned Capitol Records did not want to know and consequently the early records were released by small labels who did not have the marketing power of a major record label. Capitol saw their market as Nat King Cole and others of the easy listening type. Many hits by British artists in the pre-Beatles era were cover versions of US hits. A few were good, others not so good.
Just a small hint: In the 1930's, Radio Luxembourg was regarded to as a pirate radio station by national broadcasters but the station wasn't. A group of French investors recognized the potential of radio as an advertising medium. Because the French government was reluctant to give them a broadcast license for commercial radio, the group went to Luxembourg to get it there. The rest is history of course.
'Telstar' must have been on the jukebox in my local pub for over thirty years. And it would get regularly played right up until they took the machine out in the 1990s.
Telstar is completely unique and no instrumental Meek produced after that came anywhere near it. The clavioline was overdubbed twice and in different keys..
The instrumentals " Apache " and " Telestar " sound of that time are nostalgic. All music is derived from previous genres. The Beatles' tight and unique sound was a synthesis of Motown, country and American rock. What was extraordinary was the direction they took that blend of styles and created a new approach. They were the vanguard of change.
its acher bilk,first british to hit the us chart,with instrumental song stranger in the shore
Motown?
@@nachomagallanico Yes, they were very into the sound of the American girl groups whose music was in that general genre - not sure if they were all on the Motown label or not. Songs like 'Boys' and Please Mr Postman' were examples of early Beatle covers of those groups, and were part of their regular stage show well before they were released on records.
Never liked the Beatles, still don't.
@@papercup2517 Ok...I get your point, but you're talking about something else. You're talking about pop bands like the Chrodettes, who are under the term of Barbershop music, those vocals harmonies definitely influences the Beatles. But Motown is a label, and later the term was also used to name the style of music that was being made at the label. But we're talking early 70,s and artists like Diana Ross, Billy Preston, Rick James, Michael Jackson, The commodores, Stevie Wonder....all of that is post Beatles
That was great. I've heard a lot of those names and songs, but that put it perspective.
Rock and roll wouldn't have become what it was without the alliance of musicians and fans from the US and the UK. Long live Rock! 🇺🇸 🇬🇧
A very cool, comprehensive look at the beginnings of English Rock and Roll, that led to the Beatles kicking off the conquering of America. :)
Was I the only one that had sound last time? Great video either way
Me too, no problems with the first one
Wonderful history lesson, cheers from the USA.
An informative and fascinating doc. As someone who loves 60s classic rock, this is awesome.
Who remembers it was originally "Cliff Richard and the Drifters"...but they had to change to The Shadows.
Still, its amazing how tough and intense The Beatles sounded after all the greased rocknroll.
Fun Fact - "Stranger On The Shore" by Mr Acker Bilk was a US/UK #1 7 months before "Telstar".
That was one of the best Documentaries on British Rock and Roll ! Moved fast covered a lot of ground! Was a pleasure to watch!
Just subscribe! Thanks
As a RocknRoll researcher, I am so glad to have known your content, mate. Cheers!
Wonderful documentary. Thanks and regards from Medellín.
One of the most interesting films I have ever seen. I remember all these groups and their wonderful music. I am so glad to have grown up in the fifties, sixties and seventies. Bert Weedon was a marvellous guitar player. I have a question though. When I was a very little kid I used to watch a show called Pussycat Willum which also featured Wally Whyton. I believe Bert Weedon also appeared on this show. Is this correct?
I really love your channel and this is one of your best. Your videos are always superbly crafted and never fail to inform, educate and entertain. I think you’re at the point where your work is so excellent it more than competes with the best of traditional broadcast TV.
Apache was written by Jerry Lordan. Wonderful Land also. He also wrote and recorded Who Could Be Bluer? in 1960 which was a minor hit and an example of pure early 1960s pop music with strings. Writers and producers Leiber and Stoller combined strings with teen pop music in 1959 when they wrote and produced There Goes My Baby for the Drifters. This was the first teenage pop record with strings and the start of an avalanche of pop records with strings.
I think you will find Buddy Holly got there first: True Love Ways, Raining in my Heart etc.
I was about 6 years only, a little German boy on an Italian summer holiday when I heard APACHE through mediterranean speakers all along the beach in the morning and afternoon; I'd never forgotten that = beautiful e-guitar sound!!!
Wonderful Land had strings added by Norrie Paramor when the Shadows were touring Australia.
I think this has become my favorite video of yours. Close second would the one about Goth music history. Really dig your channel. Keep up the good work.
This is the best channel by far for the history of musical culture movements. Keep up the great work!
Well written and narrated, good pace and lots of interesting facts.
Tysm for this. You’ve essentially bridged my love for British new wave and American roots rock and roll. You’re the best!!!
The Sound of Fury was a brilliant LP, it still is. Worth mentioning though is that all the guitar parts on that album was played by Joe Brown, who’s own contributions to the evolution of pre Beatles British rock n Roll can not go unmentioned. Also, Ritchie Blackmore, later of Deep Purple and Rainbow, started off as a Joe Meek session musician appearing on countless records in the early 60’s for people like The Outlaws. Heinz, Lord Sutch, Glenda Collins and Freddie Starr, (yes, THAT Freddie Starr) and soon became known as the fastest guitar player in England, long before being fast and flashy was a thing.
Finally, I’m pretty sure The Searchers were from Manchester and not Liverpool and The Hollies, (although not mentioned here), was probably one of the best bands of the entire decades of the 60’s.
The Searchers were from Liverpool and The Hollies were from Manchester, although later Hollies replacement members Bernie Calvert and Bobby Elliott were from the Nelson and Burnley areas, some 20 miles north.
18:31 The original issue of Apache was on the Green Columbia label in 1960. The black label with the 45rpm device would not appear until 1962 when EMI unified their HMV, Columbia and Parlophone labels under this design as well as adding a new label to carry American releases, Stateside Records!
Cheaper to print black labels, too
Great video. I show that Apache video to friends and they are all stunned by it and it’s cool vibe
Wow , I grew up during that period. Now I wish I was in England during that period of time. Excellent video, thanks for all your work.
3:34 Props for combining both John Lennon and Jimmy Page into the same sentence, they both were massively influential equivalents in their own right, plus the Beatles already have enough representation on their own in today's pop culture, though you should have clarified that it took two years before "Rock Island Line" charted since you also mentioned that John Lennon and Jimmy Page started diving into skiffle the same year, not 1954. Also props for including Britain's musical state in the pre-pop period and the Goons, who were arguably just as defining as the Beatles in terms of popular culture. That last bit was very awesome too, switching the Beatles for the Pacemakers, an underrated group in and out of themselves.
If it hadn't been for The Goons I doubt George Martin would have been open to such experimentation by The Beatles. My September Love by Spike Milligan is a favourite of mine - only a Goon could conceive of serenading someone on a bass drum! I know Martin liked to make out that he was a big producer but the reality was he was stuck on EMI's novelty label and got lucky.
A lot of errors here. It was the Six Five Special, not Six POINT Five. Guy Mitchell did the original "Singing The Blues", not Marty Robbins. Radio Luxembourg was not a pirate station. Dennis Lotus, Dickie Valentine and David Whitfield dominated pre-rock British radio, not Crosby and Sinatra. To name a few.
@Robert Savor- Guy Mitchell's version of "Singing The Blues"(1956) spent 11 weeks at #1. Ray Conniff with his
Orchestra and Chorus provided the back up. That's Ray Conniff doing the whistling.
And no mention of Don Lang and his Frantic Five? Disgraceful.
For some inexplicable reason, this popped up in my list. Absolutely loved it and so glad I watched it.
I really love watching histories about the time before the trailblazers, basically the ones who had to see the road and map before it was ever built.
Eye opening video. I didn't realize there was so much going on before The Beatles. Thank you!!!