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| 1961 |
George Formby
suffers his second heart-attack and dies in Saint Joseph’s
Hospital, Preston. His funeral takes place at St Charles'
Church in Aigburth, Liverpool and over 100,000 people
line the 20 mile route to Warrington Cemetery, where
he is buried in the Booth family grave. |
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Georgie Fame joins
Liverpudlian Billy Fury's backing band, The Blue Flames,
in June 1961, playing piano |
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| 1962 |
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David Jones,
now aged 16, is nominated for a Tony Award whilst playing
the Artful Dodger in the Broadway production of Oliver. |
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Macclesfield-born guitarist and Manchester College of
Art student John Mayall
joins Mancunian drummer Hughie
Flint in the Blues Syndicate.
Another Blues enthusiast, Alexis Korner, persuades Mayall
to move to London |
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singer Glyn Ellis and bassist Bob Lang attend an audition
at the Oasis Club in Manchester although the rest of their
group, The Jets, fail to show. They recruit the services
of other musicians there. Hastily re-named Wayne
Fontana & The Mindbenders (named after
Elvis Presley's drummer and a then-recently released hit
movie), they get offered a 2 year record contract aptly
by Fontana Records |
| Allan
Clarke and Graham
Nash, childhood friends from Salford, form
The Hollies,
playing their first gig at the Oasis Club in Manchester
in December 1962 and take over The Beatles regular spot
at Liverpool's Cavern Club |
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| 1963 |
|
The Twisted Wheel
nightclub opens on Brazenose Street, just off Deansgate.
Playing blues music, it becomes Manchester's number venue
for mods to hang out. |
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Freddie &
The Dreamers |
Freddie
& The Dreamers  |
| In
May, novelty Manchester band Freddie
& The Dreamers, fronted by 5 foot
3" Freddie Garrity, have a number 3 hit with
'If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody'. It's later
included on their self-titled debut album, which
reaches no.5 in November. The group also have hits
'I'm Telling You Now' (no.2) and 'You Were Made
For Me' (no.3, selling over 250,000 copies) [video] |
|
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The Hollies |
| Stay
With The Hollies |
| The
Hollies enjoy their first chart success
in May 1963 with the single '(Ain't That) Just Like
Me' (UK no.25). It's quickly followed by the single
'Searching' (UK no.12). Their debut album 'Stay
With The Hollies' reaches UK no.2 in Feb 1964 and
spawns the hit 'Stay' (no.8) [video] |
|
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The Dakotas |
| Do
You Want To Know A Secret |
| Manchester
band The Dakotas
team up with Billy J Kramer for a no.2 hit with
a cover of The Beatles, 'Do You Want To Know A Secret'
in May. Without the Liverpool frontman, they reach
number 18 hit with the instrumental track 'The Cruel
Sea' in July, which is later included on their Number
19 EP, 'Meet The Dakotas' (Dec). [video] |
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The
Dakotas |
| Bad
To Me |
|
Lennon & McCartney write the first UK no.1 hit
for Billy J Kramer & The
Dakotas. 'Bad To Me' spends 3 weeks
at no.1, selling 250,000 copies, before being succeeded
by The Beatles own 'She Loves You' [video] |
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Billy J Kramer & The
Dakotas release debut album, 'Listen To Billy
J Kramer' (UK no.11) |
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Billy Fury replaces The Blue Flames with The Tornados.
As a result, Georgie
Fame becomes frontman of The Blue Flames |
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| 1964 |
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Georgie
Fame |
| Rhythm
And Blues At The Flamingo |
| Georgie
Fame releases his debut album. It doesn't
chart. The LP includes the single 'Do The Dog' and
it's b-side 'Shop Around', which also fails to chart.
A later EP of the same name reaches no.8 in the
UK charts, featuring the tracks 'Night Train', 'Parchman
Farm', 'Work Song' & 'Baby Please Don’t
Go' |
|
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The
Dakotas |
| Little
Children |
|
Billy J Kramer & The
Dakotas enjoy their biggest hit and
second chart topper. 'Little Children' spends 2
weeks at no.1 in Feb 1964, selling 250,000. (USA
no.7) [video] |
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Elkie
Brooks |
| Something's
Got A Hold On Me |
| 19
year old Salford born, Prestwich raised, jazz singer,
Elaine Bookbinder, the younger
sister of Dakotas
drummer Tony Mansfield, releases
a cover of the Etta James classic under her stage
name 'Elkie Brooks'.
Like her next 7 singles, it doesn't chart. She goes
on to join Robert Palmer in Vinegar
Joe |
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Because it is not recorded on a major label, Irish record
promoter Ronan O'Rahilly fails to get Georgie
Fame's debut album played on the BBC and
Radio Luxembourg. As a result he decides to set up his
own offshore radio station. On Easter Sunday 1964, Radio
Caroline airs for the first time. |
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Herman's
Hermits |
| I'm
Into Something Good |
| In
Aug 1964, 16 year old Peter Noone,
already famous for his role as Stanley Fairclough
in Coronation Street, becomes lead singer of Herman's
Hermits and spends 2 weeks at UK no.1
with 'I'm Into Something Good', a cover of the Earl
Jean US hit, which sells over 250,000 copies. It's
later included on the self-titled UK no.16 debut
album (Feb 1965) with other hits 'Show Me Girl'
(UK. no.19) and 'Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely
Daughter' (US no.1 / UK.no.3)
[video] |
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In August, Georgie Fame
enjoys chart success, (UK no.15) with his second album,
'Fame At Last' |
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Freddie & The Dreamers
have their last UK chart success in December 1964 with
the uncharacteristically 'serious' single 'I Understand'.
It reaches no.5, selling over 250,000 copies in the process
[video] |
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John
Mayall |
| John
Mayall Plays John Mayall |
| John
Mayall makes releases the 'John Mayall
Plays John Mayall' album which captures him live
in concert in London, December 1964. The band includes
future Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie and Mancunian
drummer Hughie
Flint. Featuring the earlier non-charting
single, 'Crawling Up a Hill' the album fails to
chart. |
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| 1965 |
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Herman's
Hermits |
| Can't
You Hear My Heartbeat? |
|
in January Herman's
Hermits reach no.2 in the USA with
'Can't You Hear My Heartbeat?'. It reaches no.3
in the UK as a double a-side with 'Silhouettes'
(which also reaches US no.5)
[video] |
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in February Herman's
Hermits reach UK no.3 (USA no.5), selling
over 250,000 copies of 'Silhouettes'
[video] |
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Wayne Fontana &
The Mindbenders reach no.18 in the same month
with their self-titled debut LP |
|
in March, The Yardbirds reach UK no.3
(US no.6) with the hit 'For Your Love', a track originally
written by Graham Gouldman from Broughton,
Salford, for his Manchester band The Mockingbirds.
The Yardbirds also have hits with his other tracks
'Heart Full of Soul' (UK no.2 / US no.9) and 'Evil Hearted
You' (UK no.3). |
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Herman's
Hermits |
| Mrs
Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter |
| Herman's
Hermits knock their fellow Mancunians
off the USA number 1 spot with the single 'Mrs Brown
You've Got A Lovely Daughter', where it stays for
3 weeks.
[video] |
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Herman's
Hermits |
| I'm
Henry VIII, I Am |
| Herman's
Hermits knock The Rolling Stones '(I
Can't Get No) Satisfaction' off the no.1 spot in
the USA with the novelty 'I'm Henry VIII, I Am'
(June).
[video] |
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The Hollies
release their self-titled third album in September 1965.
It reaches UK no.8 |
|
In September, The Twisted Wheel
nightclub moves to new premises on Whitworth Street and
starts to play very rare Detroit soul music, defining
the genre of 'Northern Soul' |
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Following the flop album 'It's Wayne Fontana & The
Mindbenders', Wayne
Fontana walks off stage halfway through
a gig in October, splitting with
The Mindbenders and leaving guitarist Eric
Stewart to become lead singer |
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The Bee Gees |
| The
Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs |
| the
brothers Gibb, better known as their stage name
'The Bee Gees',
release their debut album, a compilation of their
Australian singles from the previous 3 years (Nov
1965) |
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Wayne Fontana
scores a minor hit with debut solo single, 'It Was Easier
To Hurt Her' (UK no.36) |
 |
Davy Jones |
| David
Jones |
| David
Jones releases the self-titled album
together with 3 singles, 'Dream Girl', 'What Are
We Going To Do?' and 'The Girl From Chelsea'. Whilst
he has no chart success he is offered a part in
'The Monkees', alongside American
singers, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork,
a pop group formed expressly for a TV show. [video] |
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| 1966 |
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The
Mindbenders |
| A
Groovy Kind Of Love |
|
The Mindbenders
first single without Wayne
Fontana reaches number 2 in both the
UK and USA (Jan 1966). It sells 250,000 copies in
the UK and is later a number 1 hit for Phil Collins.
Their self-titled album only reaches UK no.28 [video] |
|
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St Louis
Union |
| Girl |
|
After winning the 1965 Melody Maker National Beat
Contest, Chorlton soul rockers, St
Louis Union, fronted by Tony Cassidy,
are rewarded with a record contract. They score
their only hit in January with a cover of The Beatles
'Girl', which reaches UK no.11. Whilst the band
appear in the film 'The
Ghost Goes Gear' they split shortly after. [video] |
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The Bee Gees
release their second album, 'Spicks and Specks' in Australia.
The headline single reaches number 1 in Australia |
|
Wayne Fontana
fails to chart with his debut solo album 'Wayne One'.
During 1966 he scores a few minor hits in the UK, the
most successful of which are 'Come On Home' (no.16) and
'Pamela Pamela' (no.11). |
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John Mayall teams
up with Eric Clapton for the 'Blues Breakers'
LP which reaches UK no.6 in July. It again features Manchester
drummer Hughie Flint
& future Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie |
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The Hollies |
| I
Can't Let Go |
| The
Hollies spend 3 weeks at UK no.2 with
the Chip Taylor cover 'I Can't Let Go' in Feb 1965.
The track is later included on their fourth album
'Would You Believe' which reaches UK no.16 in July
[video] |
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In May, Georgie Fame
reaching UK no.6 with his third album, 'Sweet Things'
|
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In the same month The Hollies
reach no.5 in both the UK and USA with the single 'Bus
Stop' [video] |
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The
Magic Lanterns |
| Excuse
Me Baby |
| Manchester
group the Magic Lanterns, lead by Jimmy Bilsbury,
have the near-miss singles 'Excuse Me Baby' (UK
no.44) in July 1966 and 'Knight In Rusty Armour'
(UK no.56). This is as close to fame as they'll
get at home although chart success in the USA is
soon to follow. |
|
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Davy Jones |
| The
Monkees |
| Following
the US no.1 hit single 'Last Train To Clarksville'
(UK no.23) in August, the first episode of The
Monkees starring Davy
Jones airs on American TV, Sep 12th
1966. The group's self-titled debut album tops the
chart in the USA and spends 7 weeks at No.1 in the
UK. Davy Jones
sings lead vocals on 'This Just Doesn't Seem to
Be My Day', 'I'll Be True to You (Yes, I Will)',
'Gonna Buy Me a Dog' and the hit 'I Wanna Be Free'
[video] |
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The Hollies |
| Stop
Stop Stop |
| At
the same time The
Hollies reach no.2 in the UK (no.7
USA) with the single 'Stop Stop Stop'. It's later
included on their fifth album 'For Certain Because'
(no.23) [video] |
|
|
The same month, Georgie
Fame's fourth album, 'Sound Venture' reaches
UK no.9 |
|
Davy Jones
sings backing vocals on The Monkees worldwide
smash. 'I'm A Believer', which spends 4 weeks at no.1
in the UK, selling over 250,000 copies in Dec. It also
tops the chart in the USA [video]
|
|
Philomena Lynott buys the Clifton Grange Hotel in Whalley
Range. The hotel is soon nicknamed 'The Biz' because of
the number of showbiz personalities who stay there. Phil
Lynott later writes the song 'Clifton Grange
Hotel' on Thin Lizzy's
debut album. |
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| 1967 |
|
in February Herman's
Hermits reach no.4 in USA (Uk no.7) with
'There's A Kind of Hush'
[video] |
|
Also in Feb'67 John Mayall
and The Bluesbreakers reach UK no.10 with
their 'A Hard Road' album. The line-up now includes future
Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green,
bassist John McVie & drummer Aynsley Dunbar |
|
In March, Georgie Fame's
greatest hits album, 'Hall Of Fame' reaches UK no.12 |
 |
Davy Jones |
| More
Of The Monkees |
| The
Monkees second album spends 2 weeks at
the top of the UK charts in April and also hits
the top spot in the USA. It features the the hit
'I'm A Believer' and the Davy
Jones fronted 'When Love Comes Knockin'
(At Your Door)', 'Hold On Girl', 'Look Out (Here
Comes Tomorrow)', 'The Day We Fall in Love' and
'Laugh' |
|
 |
Davy
Jones |
| A
Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You |
|
Also in April, Davy
Jones sings lead vocals on the The
Monkees US no.2 hit 'A Little Bit Me, A
Little Bit You'. It reaches no.3 in the UK, selling
over 250,000 copies [video] |
|
 |
Georgie
Fame |
| Georgie
Fame EP |
|
In June, Georgie
Fame reaches UK no.2 with his self-titled
EP which includes a cover of 'Knock On Wood' |
|
|
Davy Jones
sings backing vocals on the The Monkees
UK no.2 hit 'Randy Scouse Git', which is released under
the name 'Alternate Title' [video] |
 |
Davy Jones |
| Headquarters
|
| In
the same month The
Monkees third album tops the US charts
and spends 6 weeks at number 2 in the UK. Davy
Jones sings lead vocals on the tracks
'Forget That Girl', 'Shades of Gray', 'I Can't Get
Her Off My Mind', 'Zilch', and 'Early Morning Blues
and Greens' |
|
|
Meanwhile The Hollies
psychedelic sixth album 'Evolution' reaches number 13
in the UK |
|
In July, Georgie Fame
has a minor hit (UK no.22) with his fifth studio album,
'Two Faces Of Fame' |
|
In July The Bee Gees
release their first International album, a psychedelic
rock album aptly named 'Bee Gees 1st'. It reaches number
8 in the UK and spawns their first UK hit, 'New York Mining
Disaster 1941', which reaches no.12. The famous track
'To Love Somebody' is also included. |
 |
The
Bee Gees |
| Massachusetts
(The Lights Went Out In)
|
| The
Bee Gees enjoy their first UK no.1
hit, where it remains for 4 weeks during September,
selling over 250,000 copies. It's also the first
no.1 single in Japan by a non-Japanese artist [video] |
|
|
In September John Mayall
reaches UK no.8 with his 'Crusade' LP. His backing band
this time includes Mick Taylor, John
McVie and a returning Hughie
Flint |
 |
Davy
Jones |
| Daydream
Believer |
|
Davy Jones
sings lead vocals on The Monkees
smash. Despite selling over 250,000 copies, it only
reaches UK no.5 (Nov 1967) but tops the chart in
the USA [video] |
|
|
Robin Gibb
& his girlfriend survive the Hither Green rail crash
in London, in which 49 people die |
|
John Mayall, without
a backing band, reaches UK no.24 with 'The Blues Alone'
LP (Nov) |
 |
Georgie
Fame |
| The
Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde |
|
Georgie Fame,
enjoys his third UK no.1 hit single in December,
topping the chart for a week, selling over 250,000.
It's later included on his 'Third Face Of Fame'
album, which doesn't chart [video] |
|
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Davy Jones |
| Pisces,
Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. |
| The
Monkees psychedelic fourth LP, gives them
their third no.1 album of 1967 in the USA. In the
UK however it only reaches no.5 in December. Davy
Jones sings lead vocals on 'She Hangs
Out', 'Cuddly Toy', 'Hard To Believe' and 'Star
Collector' as well as backing vocals on the hit
single 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' (USA no.3 / UK no.11)
[video] |
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The Dakotas
split following 3 years with no chart success |
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