3CD box set spotlighting the pioneering movement that brought the world The Beatles but has been overshadowed by their success. Hits include The Searchers' 'Sweets For My Sweet' (UK #1) and 'When You Walk In The Room' (UK #3), Billy J. Kramer With The Dakotas' 'Bad To Me' (UK #1), The Swinging Blue Jeans' 'Hippy Hippy Shake' (UK #2) and The Mojos' 'Everything's Al'right' (UK #9). Also featuring The Chants (featuring Eddy Amoo later of The Real Thing), The Undertakers and Lomax Alliance (both led by Jackie Lomax who later signed to Apple) and The Kirkbys and The 23rd Turnoff whose singer/guitarist was ace songwriter Jimmy Campbell. Five tracks are newly mastered from producer Joe Meek's 'Tea Chest Tapes' including The Cryin' Shames' magnificent tear jerker 'Please Stay' and the previously unreleased 'A Different Drummer' by The Maracas. Other rarities include an unreleased track by Birkenhead's The Pathfinders from producer Shel Talmy's vaults and a fab song by ex Vernons Girl, Samantha Jones found on a well- preserved acetate plus tracks by The Dennisons, The Seftons and The Perishers released on CD for the first time. Although The Beatles aren't present for licensing reasons there are four Lennon and McCartney compositions donated to other acts. Merseybeat was a brief phenomenon but hugely influential throughout the world. It blew up nationwide in 1963 before Merseybeat groups spearheaded the 'British Invasion' of the US charts. This box celebrates the scene on the first two discs, then on disc three presents some of the brilliant mod, freakbeat, psych and Mersey soul music that came from Liverpool when the Merseybeat bubble burst and press and public looked elsewhere. Inspired by US rock 'n' roll, R&B and Motown and the D. I. Y. attitude of skiffle, the Liverpool beat groups rocked clubs such as their hometown's The Cavern and the Star-Club in Hamburg and larger 'Big Beat' sessions at The Tower Ballroom in New Brighton. The Searchers and Gerry And The Pacemakers achieved success on the world stage, others never made it out of their local area, made a couple of 45s or even demos and disappeared.

Tracklist:

Lee Curtis ; the All Stars - Let's Stomp
The Searchers - Farmer John
Gerry ; the Pacemakers - Slow Down
The Swinging Blue Jeans - Hippy Hippy Shake
The Big Three - Some Other Guy
Johnny Sandon ; the Remo Four - Lies
The Chants - I Don't Care
Wailin' Howie Casey ; the Seniors - Double Twist
The Undertakers - Just a Little Bit
Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas
Bad to Me
The Fourmost - I'm in Love
Faron's Flamingos - Do You Love Me
Ian ; the Zodiacs - Beechwood 4-5789
Freddie Starr ; the Midnighters - Peter Gunn Locomotion (Alternative Mix)
The Vernons Girls - Lover Please
The Chants - Come Go with Me
The Searchers - Sweets for My Sweet
Jeannie ; the Big Guys - Sticks and Stones
The Dennisons - You Don't Know What Love Is
King Size Taylor - Somebody's Always Trying
Billy Fury - Nothing Shakin' (But the Leaves on the Trees)
Glenda Collins - I Feel So Good
Howie Casey ; the Seniors - I Ain't Mad at You
Danny Seyton ; the Sabres - House of Bamboo
Cilla Black - Love of the Loved
Lyn Cornell - Sally Go Round the Roses
The Merseybeats - Our Day Will Come
Wellington Wade (Ian ; the Zodiacs) - It Ain't Necessarily So
The Kinsleys - Do Me a Favour
The Big Three - What'd I Say (Live at the Cavern)
Earl Preston ; the TTS (Featuring Cy Tucker) - Bony Moronie
Rory Storm ; the Hurricanes - Lend Me Your Comb
Savva ; the Democrats - Shakin' All Over
Mike ; the Thunderbirds - Web of Love
The Mojos - Everything's Al'right
Gerry ; the Pacemakers - Why Oh Why
The Liverbirds - Talking About You
The 'Takers (The Undertakers) - If You Don't Come Back
Tony Jackson with the Vibrations - Bye Bye Baby
The Searchers - When You Walk in the Room
The Swinging Blue Jeans - Make Me Know You're Mine
The Black Knights - I Gotta Woman
Earl Royce ; the Olympics - Shake a Tail Feather
Beryl Marsden - Music Talk
The Fourmost - the in Crowd
The Trends - the Way You Do the Things You Do
The Breakaways - That's How It Goes
Four Just Men - Things Will Never Be the Same
Tommy Quickly ; the Remo Four - Wild Side of Life
The Pathfinders - Lonely Room (Previously Unreleased)
Jason Eddie ; the Centremen - Come on Baby (Alternative Mix)
The Koobas - Somewhere in the Night
The Eyes - She
The Connoisseurs - Make Up Your Mind
Greta Ann - Sadness Hides the Sun
The Roadrunners - Cry, Cry, Cry
The Cryin' Shames - Please Stay (Alternative Mix)
Mark Peters - Don't Cry for Me
Earl Preston's Realms - Daddy Rolling Stone
The Richmond Group - Cops and Robbers
Michael Allen - I Can't Stand It
Them Calderstones - What'cha Gonna Do About It
The Four Originals - You Won't Be Leaving
The Newtowns - Tomorrow
Tony Jackson with the Vibrations - Fortune Teller
The Kirkbys - It's a Crime
The Koobas - a Place I Know
Paddy, Klaus ; Gibson - No Good Without You Baby
Paul ; Ritchie ; the Cryin' Shames - Come on Back (Alternative Mix)
Billy J Kramer with the Dakotas - We're Doing Fine
Johnny Gustafson - Take Me for a Little While
Eddie Cave ; the Fyx - Fresh Out of Tears
Chris Curtis - Aggravation
The 5 A.M. Event - I Wash My Hands in Muddy Water
The Clayton Squares - Imagination
The Merseys - Sorrow (Alternative Version)
The Thoughts - All Night Stand (Us Version)
The Maracas - the Drummer (Previously Unreleased)
The Lomax Alliance - You Better Get Going Now
Wimple Winch - Rumble on Mersey Square South
The Seftons - I Can See Through You
Bill Kenwright ; the Runaways - I Want to Go Back There Again
The 23rd Turnoff - Michael Angelo
Focal Point - Girl on the Corner
The Swinging Blue Jeans - Keep Me Warm ('Til the Sun Shines)
Samantha Jones - This Is the Real Thing (Previously Unreleased)
The Remo Four - Heart Beat
The Lomax Alliance - Give What You Take
The Perishers - Bye Bye Baby
The Merseys - So Sad About Us
The Quotations - Cool It
Satin Bells - I Stand Accused (Of Loving You)
Cilla Black - Step Inside Love

UPC: 5013929431430
Label: Strawberry
Release Date: 6.2.23
Format: CD

Let's Stomp: Merseybeat & Beyond 1962-1969 / Var - Let's Stomp: Merseybeat & Beyond 1962-1969 / Var (CD)