The British Invasion #1

This song, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, has even got the music critics up in a twist about the songs chord structure.  This would be the song to start Beatlemania in the United States. Many records would be set in the coming months and throughout 1964 that would never have been broken such as the first five spots on the Billboard charts, 14 songs on the Billboard charts at one time, 6 number one albums in 1964 among many others such as duration of number ones and many more. There was supposedly no crime in the US for ten minutes during the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show February 9, 1964, as reported by many in law enforcement.

Rolling Stone Magazine would rank  ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ as #16 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest songs of all time. The single would prompt 940,000 in advance sales in the UK. In 3 days alone,  3/4 million copies had already been sold (10,000 copies In NYC every hour).

Previously the British group, the Tornados with ‘Telstar’, was #1 on the US charts for 3 weeks over Christmas 1962/63. The first time since Elvis Presley ’56, “Love Me Tender” beating out “Don’t Be Cruel” did this happen.

With  ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, the “British Invasion” of America had been broken through and launched by The Beatles.

Throughout 1964, British artists flew high at the top of the American charts; including Cliff Richard & the Shadows, The Searchers, The Dave Clark Five, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas, Peter & Gordon, Dusty Springfield,  The Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann’s, Them (with Van Morrison), The Zombies,  The Kinks, The Hollies and Herman’s Hermits.

The British Invasion #2

The Mersey Beat bands

By mid-1964 the British Invasion was well on the way starting with the Beatles fellow Mersey Beat bands:

Cliff Richard & the Shadows

Cliff Richard & the Shadows had previously released ‘Living Doll’ by Cliff Richard and the Drifters for the film Serious Change back in 1959 reaching #30. ‘It’s All in the Game’  was released Feb 15th, 1964 reaching #25 on the Billboard charts in America. Before the Beatles, Cliff Richard was one of the only British artists along with the Tornados and Dusty Springfield, to have a top 40 hit in America.  He is the third top-selling artist in Britain

 

The Searchers

The Searchers were a British band, like the Beatles, that had tried all throughout 1963 to place singles in the American charts but were unsuccessful until the Beatles broke down the gates in early 1964 they had six singles released in 1964, of these there was three notable top 20 hits:

“Needles and Pins” originally released by Jackie DeShannon, The Searchers version reached #13 on April 11th, the second British Invasion band to reach the American market after the Beatles.

“Don’t Throw Your Love Away” released in April reaching #16 originally recorded by the Philadelphia R&B group the Orlons and

“Love Potion No. 9” written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, originally recorded by the American R&B group the Clovers reaching #23 as did The Searchers releasing the song late 64′ also reaching #23 in January of 1965.

 

The Dave Clark Five

The Dave Clark Five was another British band (headed by drummer Dave Clark) that became the 2nd British Invasion group to appear on the Ed Sullivan show after the Beatles three-week run, they had six gold disc top 10 hits in 1964 with

‘Glad All Over’ released March 7th reaching #6 written by Dave Clark and vocalist Mike Smith.

“Bits and Pieces” released April 11th reaching #4 also written by Dave Clark and vocalist Mike Smith.

“Do You Love Me” released in May, was previously a hit for the Contours written by Berry Gordy.

“Can’t You See That She’s Mine” released June 20th reaching  #4 written again by Clarke and Smith.

“Because” released August 8th’s and reaching #3 written by Dave Clark and

“Anyway You Want It” released in November reaching #9 also written by Clark.

 

 

Gerry & the Pacemakers

Gerry & the Pacemakers another British Invasion Liverpool band placed two top ten hits in 1964 with

‘Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying’ released on June 6th reaching #4 and

‘How Do You Do It’ released August 8th a #9 hit which was incidentally a song the Beatles, in particularly John Lennon, who flatly refused to release the song as a Beatles single.

 

 

 Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas

Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas was another Mersey beat artist.  Billy J. Kramer  with the Dakotas as backup band, managed by Brian Epstein, produced by George Martin and recorded songs written by Lennon & McCartney, had several UK hits with ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ backed by ‘I’ll Be On My Way’. They had two top 10 hits in America

‘Little Children’ on May 2 going to #7 position by j. Leslie McFarland and Mort Shuman backed with

‘Bad to Me’ June 13th which went to #9 penned by Lennon & McCartney.

‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’ released August 15th reaching #30 and ‘From A Window’ released Sept 19 reached #23, both written by Lennon & McCartney were the last hits Kramer had in the US.

 

Herman’s Hermits

Herman’s Hermits another act that would capitalize on the Mersey Beat craze was the late 1964 hit ‘I’m Into Something Good’ released 11/14/1964’s reaching #13, even though Herman’s Hermits were not from Liverpool but Manchester. They would go on to release many hit singles in the US in the coming years of the mid 60’s.

 

Peter & Gordon

Peter & Gordon were a pop duo from England. Peter Asher whose sister actress Jane Asher dated Paul McCartney from 1963 to 1968as a result of this, Paul McCartney would write most of the duo’s hits.

‘A World Without Love’ achieved number one in both the US & the UK released May 16th and written by Paul McCartney.

‘Nobody I Know’ released June 15, reaching #12, written by Paul McCartney.

‘I Don’t Want To See You Again’ released Sept 21st, reaching #16 and also written by Paul McCartney.

‘I Go To Pieces’ released in December reaching #9, written by Del Shannon.

 

Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield was the first female artist from Britain to have a top ten hit in American with the July 11th release of ‘Wishing and Hoping’ reaching #6 in the states.

 

The Honeycombs

The Honeycombs another British Beat/Pop group had a million-selling hit with the October 10th release  ‘Have I the Right?’ reaching #5 in the US.

 

These bands were later collectively known as the Mersey Beat Sound (Beatlesque) a somewhat bubble gum McCartneyesque sound that was popular with the young girls both in England and America at the time.

These Mersey Beat groups would combine with other London acts such as The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Manfred Mann, The Kinks, The Searchers, The Zombies and Them (with Van Morrison) to be part of the first wave of British invasion bands to take over America in 1964.

 

 

The British Invasion #3

 

The British Blues Bands

The London based groups were more into Blues and had a more harder sound and image. The  London Blues bands were definitely carrying the rebellious bad boy image that early rock and roll artists like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis had conveyed back in the 50’s while playing  the music of older Rhythm and Blues artists like B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters Willie Dixon going back to Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson.

By Mid 1964 within the British Invasion, the Beatles only competition in terms of songs were the Animals, Manfred Mann and the Kinks, not necessarily the Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones would later have a competition brewed up by the media and intimated by their management of a bad boy nature of the Stones .

In terms of performances, The Rolling Stones were a powerful force to reckon with in 1964 many of their early hits were covers and songs written for them by other song writers (such as “I Wanna Be Your Man” written by Lennon and McCartney). The Stones could really rock a crowd and their bad boy image was played up by their rough and ready dress down appearance. The Stones/Beatles competition in terms of songs would not truly start in America until after the number one hit ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction‘ in 1965.

 

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones had many notable singles and b-sides in 1964, they were:

“Not Fade Away” released March 6 reaching #48 in the US backed by “I Wanna Be Your Man”; “It’s All Over Now” released July 25th reaching #26 in the US backed by “Good Times, Bad Times”; “Tell Me” released August 1st reaching #24 the first Jagger/Richards penned single backed with the Willie Dixon cover “I Just Want To Make Love To You”; “Time Is On My Side” released October 17th reaching the US top ten at #6 and “Heart Of Stone”  released December 19th reaching #19.

The Stones also had 2 hit gold albums released in the US by London Records in 1964: England’s Newest Hit Makers The Rolling Stones released May 30th reaching #11 in the US and 12×5 released October 17th reaching # 3 in the US. 

 

The Animals

The Animals busted on the American scene in mid 1964 with two notable singles: “‘House of the Rising Sun” released June 19th reaching #1, a mysterious haunting blues tune anonymously written in the mists of Americana backed with the Ray Charles “Talkin’ Bout You” and “I’m Crying” written by the lead singer Eric Burdon in September reaching #19.

 

Manfred Mann

Manfred Mann would release a great garage rock, bad boy song previously released by the American vocal group The Exciters “Doo Wah Ditty Ditty” released Aug 3rd and reaching #1 in the US for 2 weeks and “Sha-La-La” released late in 64′ and reaching #12 in the US.

 

Them

Them a Belfast Ireland group marketed as British Invasion with Van Morrison would release a song that would gradually become a rock and roll standard, being covered by Jimi Hendrix and The Doors.

“Gloria” July 6th as a b-side to ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ would only reach #102. “Gloria” would be re-released as an A-side single twice, first in 1965 reaching #93 and then again in 1966 reaching #71.

 

The Zombies

The Zombies released their debut single on July 24th called “She’s Not There” written by Rod Argent it went to #2 on the US charts.  They would go on to place more songs in the charts in the coming two years 1965 and 1966.

 

 

The Kinks

The Kinks originally a Rhythm & Blues band from London would close 1964 with the twin rockers: “You Really Got Me” released Aug 26th reaching #7 and heavily influencing Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, and Punk. Built on power chords (perfect 5ths and octaves) the song listed as #82 on the Rolling Stone 500 most influential rock songs of all time; “All Day and All of the Night” similar to ‘You Really Got Me released Dec 9th also reached #7 in the US. It was rumored that Jimmy Page was a session man for this single but as it turns out Jimmy played on the b-side ‘I Gotta Move’. Both of these initial hits were written by Ray Davies, one of the more accomplished British band songwriters of the 60’s.

 

Much of the British invasion was in the slow process of dressing down such as Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones with his “Time Is On My Side” performance in what looked like a sweatshirt and the again with ‘Around and Around’, Mick & Charlie tie-less on their second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.