The Merseys

Cool live clip of The Merseys doing Sorrow, broadcasted on French TV.

The Mark Four-Hurt Me If You Will/I'm Leaving

THE MARK FOUR-Hurt Me If You Will/I'm Leaving Decca F12204 1965

Before the mighty Creation, there was The Mark Four. The first four are, in my opinion, pretty lame but by the release of the third, things begin to happen. 'Hurt Me If You Will' is a pretty okay beat song, not bad but there's not very much things that happens, the song keeps it's slow rhythm all the way, a rave-up would not have been wrong. The great one on this 45 is the B-side, I'm Leaving. This has somewhat a Bo Diddley beat, great guitar plucking, a booming, fat bass, bouncing drums in the Sorrows-vein and stone cold vocals from Kenny Pickett. The group made one more great 45 on Fontana, 'Work All Day (Sleep All Night)/Going Down Fast before evolving into The Creation and the rest is history.

From left: Kenny Pickett, Jack Jones, John Dalton,
Mick 'Spud' Thompson and Eddie Phillips

Hurt Me If You Will

I'm Leaving

The Wheels: Belfast Beat

Victor Catling, Rod Demick, Brian Rossi, Tito Tinsley, Herbie Armstrong

If you think that Van Morrison's Them were the only great beat group from Belfast in the 60's then you are terribly wrong. These guys, The Wheels (The Wheel-A-Ways in the US to avoid confusion with Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels), maybe released much less material than Them but they're just as great anyway! The group also had a strong relation to Them: The Wheels covered some of Them's material and Van Morrison even was a member in their very early days and plays sax at some recordings!

The Wheels formed in 1964, and had previously been playing under the name The Golden Eagles. In '65 The Wheels got a record deal with EMI Columbia, and released their debut, a cover of Them's 'Gloria' and a cover of Tommy Scott's 'Don't You Know' as B-side (which Them also would cover). 'Gloria' starts in the same tempo as Them's version, and then gets a little more up-tempo towards the end. 

In February 1966 they released their second and greatest single, 'Bad Little Woman', b/w 'Road Block', two self-penned songs. Both songs are very Them-esque songs, and 'Bad Little Woman' was later covered by The Shadows Of Knight.

The Wheels released another single in 1966, 'Kicks' b/w 'Call My Name'. Both songs are strong covers (Paul Revere & The Raiders and Them). This was the group's last single and The Wheels split up in 1967.

Brian Rossi passed away way too early in 1984.

Below is a tribute video to Brian Rossi by his daughter Tamara Rossi; it features some interesting pictures of The Wheels.

RIP Alan Weir

2011 seems to be a bad year for Scotland's The Poets. In May i wrote about the departure of their guitarist Hume Paton. Now, i am sad to say that i've newly heard that the Poets drummer Alan Weir died of cancer in Cambridge on June 9, also at the age of 66.

Alan Weir behind the drums. Also newly departed poet Hume Paton on
12-string guitar, far left.

Alan Weir 1944-2011