Band formed late fifties in Liverpool as a skiffle group. Their early sixties history doesn't differ much from other successful Merseybeat bands at the time - listening to and playing American hits, doing slave contracts with Star-Club in Hamburg, getting signed by a major record company and becoming part of the British invasion. They had their best years up to 1966 with three #1 and three further top ten on the UK list, at the same period having one #3 and four more top 30 on Billboard. This debute is a cover album with US numbers performed in a Mersey pop style, most of the tracks up-tempo. Apart from Beatles debute LP, which in a way set the agenda, it's the earliest album from the "new" British pop scene. And it has a lot of similarities with "Please Please Me". Most of the cuts have the same blend of mellow rock'n'roll and sweet vocal harmonies, even the arrangements and instrumental style sounds alike. Still I wouldn't call it copying, just another exemple from the then rather narrow genre. It's a tiny bit softer and I can't help thinking this is what early Beatles would have sounded like without John Lennon. The album was a big part of my pre-teens and one I couldn't do without now almost fifty years later. Favorite tracks - "Stand By Me" and "Love Potion No 9". First US issue 1964 (Kapp KL 1363/KS 3363) had a mix of tracks from this and second UK album "Sugar & Spice". Premiere UK with dark maroon label as shown here, thick unflexible vinyl and laminated flip/back cover. (FÖGÄ*) (PÖY*)
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