The Merseybeats (sometimes written as the Mersey Beats) are an English band that emerged from the Liverpool beat music scene in the early 1960s,
The group's original members were Tony Crane (vocals, lead guitar), John Banks (drums), Aaron Williams (rhythm guitar) and Billy Kinsley (vocals, bass). Kinsley left the group at the beginning of 1964 and was replaced by John Gustafson, though Kinsley returned at the end of that year. The group split in 1966, with Crane and Kinsley continuing as a duo dubbed the Merseys. The Merseys ended in 1969. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Merseybeats would stage several occasional reunions before reforming permanently in 1993.
The current line-up is Tony Crane and his son Adrian Crane on keyboards and lead guitar.
History
The Merseybeats
Originally called the Mavericks, the band was formed by singer/guitarist Tony Crane and singer/bassist
Billy Kinsley in late 1960.
They became the Pacifics in September 1961.
They were renamed the Mersey Beats in February 1962 by
Bob Wooler, MC at the
Cavern Club. In April 1962, they became the Merseybeats. By now Crane and Kinsley had joined up with guitarist Aaron Williams and drummer John Banks.
was offered a position in the group by
Brian Epstein after being dismissed from
the Beatles, but turned it down.
They signed a recording contract with Fontana Records and had their first hit single in 1963 with "It's Love That Really Counts",
With Gustafson they had two more major hits during 1964, "Don't Turn Around" and "Wishin' and Hopin',
The Merseybeats appeared regularly at Liverpool's Cavern Club, and they claim to have appeared there with the Beatles on more occasions than any other band from that era. They were also successful abroad, touring in Germany and the US in 1964, and having their own Merseybeats Show on Italian television.
The Merseys
During 1965 their initial success waned, and after a few more singles the band folded in early 1966. Crane and Kinsley continued as a vocal duo called the Merseys.
They had a major hit with their first single, a cover of
the McCoys' "Sorrow", which reached Number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.
The introduction on the record featured a bowed bass played by
Jack Bruce. A line from this song, "with your long blonde hair and eyes of blue," is included in the Beatles' "It's All Too Much", released in 1969 as part of the
Yellow Submarine soundtrack album.
David Bowie covered the song on his 1973 album
Pin Ups, from which it was released as a single and reached Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart.
The duo split in 1969, with Crane and Kinsley both going on to front several other bands.
Tony Crane and The Merseybeats
During the 1970s, Crane continued to tour and perform live as Tony Crane and the Merseybeats with various line-ups.
Liverpool Express
See Liverpool Express
The Merseybeats re-formed
The Merseybeats' original drummer John Banks died on 20 April 1988, at the age of 44.
Kinsley and Crane re-formed the Merseybeats in 1993, and after celebrating 45 years in the music industry in 2006, they continued to tour and perform on the 'sixties circuit', and at venues in the UK, and across Europe. Kinsley departed in 2020, leaving the band in the hands of Crane and his son Adrian.
Former bassist and vocalist John Gustafson died on 12 September 2014, at the age of 72.
Members of the Merseybeats (1961–1966, 1969–present)
Current
-
Tony Crane – lead guitar, lead vocals (1961–1966, 1969–present)
-
Adrian Crane – keyboards, lead guitar (2000–present)
Former
-
Billy Kinsley – bass, lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1961–1964, 1964–1965, 1969–2020)
-
David Elias – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1961–1962)
-
Frank Sloane – drums (1961–1962)
-
Aaron Williams – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1962–1966)
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John Banks – drums (1962–1966)
-
Bob Garner – bass guitar, lead vocals (1964)
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Johnny Gustafson – bass, lead vocals (1964)
-
Ken Mundye – drums
-
Allan Cosgrove – drums (1974–2000)
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Bob Packham – bass, backing vocals (1974–2021)
-
Rocking Johnny John Houghton – lead guitar, backing vocals (1979–1981)
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Colin Drummond – keyboards, violin (1986–1993)
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Dave Goldberg – keyboards (1993–2000, 2009–2011)
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Lou Rosenthal – drums (2000–2021)
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Chris Finley – keyboards (2011)
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Toni Baker – keyboards (2011)
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Alan Lovell – rhythm guitar, lead vocals (2011)
Members of the Merseys (1966–1969)
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Tony Crane – lead vocals (1966–1969)
-
Billy Kinsley – lead vocals (1966–1969)
with backing group the Fruit Eating Bears:
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Joey Molland – guitars
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Chris Finley – keyboards
-
George Cassidy – bass
-
Kenny Goodlass – drums
-
Ken Mundye – drums
The Merseybeats discography
Albums
Various artists:
This Is Merseybeat Volume One
- Oriole Records 1963
- Includes one Merseybeats track, "Our Day Will Come"
The Merseybeats
- Fontana Records June 1964
-
"Milkman"
-
"Hello Young Lovers"
-
"He Will Break Your Heart"
-
"Funny Face"
-
"Really Mystified"
-
"The Girl That I Marry"
-
"Fools Like Me"
-
"My Heart and I"
-
"Bring It on Home to Me"
-
"Lavender Blue"
-
"Jumping Jonah"
-
"Don't Turn Around"
- UK Number 12
The Merseybeats
- Fontana Records 1990
- First CD release of the album with several of the group's non-album A- and B-sides added
I Think of You: The Complete Recordings
- Bear Family Records 2002
- Compiles the group's entire discography on one CD
Anniversary Tour 2003
- Merseybeat Records 2003
- Live album
The Merseybeats/The Merseys: I Stand Accused: The Complete Sixties Recordings
- Cherry Red Records 2021
- Double CD comprising the complete discographies of both the Merseybeats and the Merseys
EPs
I Think of You
- Fontana Records March 1964
-
"I Think Of You"
-
"Mister Moonlight"
-
"It's Love That Really Counts"
-
"The Fortune Teller"
The Merseybeats on Stage
- Fontana Records March 1964
- Live EP
-
"Long Tall Sally"
-
"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry"
-
"Shame"
-
"You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover"
Wishin' and Hopin
- Fontana Records November 1964
-
"Wishin' and Hopin'"
-
"Hello, Young Lovers"
-
"Milkman"
-
"Jumping Jonah"
Singles
|
|
|
| 1963 | "It's Love That Really Counts" | 24 | Fontana Records | "The Fortune Teller" | |
| "I Think of You" | 5 | "Mister Moonlight" | |
| 1964 | "Don't Turn Around" | 13 | "Really Mystified" | The Merseybeats |
| "Wishin' and Hopin'" | 13 | "Milkman" | |
| "Last Night (I Made a Little Girl Cry)" | 40 | "See Me Back" | |
| 1965 | "Don't Let It Happen to Us" | — | "It Would Take a Long, Long Time" | |
| "I Love You, Yes I Do" | 22 | "Good, Good Lovin'" | |
| "I Stand Accused" | 38 | "All My Life" | |
|
Videos
The Merseybeats in Concert
- 1999
- Live video
The Merseys discography
Albums
The Merseybeats/The Merseys:
I Stand Accused: The Complete Sixties Recordings
- Cherry Red Records 2021
- Double CD comprising the complete discographies of both the Merseybeats and the Merseys
Singles
|
|
|
| 1966 | "Sorrow" | 4 | Fontana Records | "Some Other Day" |
| "So Sad About Us" | | "Love Will Continue" |
| "Rhythm of Love" | | "Is It Love" |
| 1967 | "The Cat" | | "Change of Heart" |
| "Penny in My Pocket" | | "I Hope You're Happy" |
| 1968 | "Lovely Loretta" | | "Dreaming" |
| "Honey Do" (as Crackers) | | "It Happens All the Time" (as Crackers) |
Notes
Further reading
-
Call Up the Groups, Alan Clayson, 1985, Blandford Press –
External links
