Sixties With a Spot of Tea-British Invasion–Saturday Nite Nostalgia

Following this rather interesting debacle of an election result in Britain last Thursday night, I thought it fitting to do tonight’s edition of Saturday Nite Nostalgia with the British Invasion; a rock n’ roll movement that exclusively belonged to the Americans until the mid-1960s.

Officially, The Beatles kicked it off on February 7, 1964 when they first landed on American soil. However, it seems that the British Invasion was actually started by an instrumental,  “Telstar” by The Tornadoes when it hit number one on the American charts in 1962.

Then,  Dusty Springfield in 1963 when her hit, “I Only Want to Be With You” was released. She would sing it on the Ed Sullivan Show in early 1964.

Even the Beatles had their first hit aired on American radio (“I want to Hold Your Hand”) in 1963.

In Britain, the initial attempts to replicate American rock n’ roll failed commercially as it lacked two popular genres found in American music at the time: Country and Rhythm Blues. Skiffle bands and  craze of the 50s.   A young  Jimmy Page is shown, playing guitar for a Skiffle band on British TV in 1957. British teen-agers loved the rock n roll and Blues music of  the U.S. and attempted a “Do-it-yourself” approach to replicate the likes of such artists like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley (naturally), Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, James Brown and Muddy Waters.

Below is  Dusty Springfield singing “You Don’t Have to Say You Love  in 1967.

Liverpool was the original capital of the so-called “beat-boom” movement, otherwise known as the Merseybeat . It was an Atlantic port town so, Liverpool merchant sea-men came back with American Rock n roll hits; even before they were widely available in the rest of Britain.  This movement started with such groups like  Jerry and the Pacemakers and The Searchers. Below, is The Searchers’ “Love Potion #9″

Within the next few years, groups and artists such as Manfred Mann, The Rolling Stones (of course), the Animals, Peter and Gordon, the Spencer Davis Group featuring a young Stevie Winwood, John Mayall and the Blues’ Breakers, The Zombies, The Moody Blues, The Yardbirds,  Petula Clark and so many more emerged from Greater Britain. Later such artists like The Who and Donovan would follow.

Below,   John Mayall’s Blues Breakers’ “I’m Your Witch Doctor”, one of many bands Eric Clapton played with throughout his career.

The last one is  Donovan’s “Atlantis”, released in 1968; the only song I like by Donovan.  Well, that and “Catch the Wind.”  There have been some who for some strange reason, felt he was Britain’s answer to Bob Dylan. Don’t ask me why.

Happy Saturday Nite All!