The United States was ready for a new direction in pop
music in early 1964. The country was recovering from the assassination of
JFK and our own rock scene was itself changing. The Beach Boys were
going strong, the Motown studio was beginning to flex its muscles, and the
Stax studio was also emerging.A scene was developing in the clubs of
Liverpool and later in Hamburg (as well as in other English cities) that saw the emergence of groups that
had built styles from American rhythm and blues and blues roots. These
groups had an almost infectious energy that characterized them and it was
just the tonic needed to set off a new movement in rock. Once the Beatles
debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show in February, 1964 the flood gates opened and
dozens of groups from the UK crossed the Atlantic to tour North American
cities.
Some of the groups that came were minor talents that produced a few
hits and disappeared. In this category you might include bands such as
Freddie and the Dreamers, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Them, The
Searchers, and Peter and Gordon. Others were more successful but still
short-lived, in this category you might place the Dave Clark Five, Herman's
Hermits, and Gerry and the Pacemakers.
The Dave Clark Five
Five of the best and most influential British groups to come in the first
wave were the Animals, the Hollies, the Kinks, The Yardbirds, and the
Zombies.
The Animals---this group was from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the northeast of
England and was led by frontman Eric Burdon. the Animals played rhythm and
blues flavored songs like The House of the Rising Sun (1964) and
Boom, Boom with a sound that
featured keyboard as much as guitar. Burdon later sang with War.
The Hollies---this group (based in Manchester) had great vocal harmonies and strong
instrumental arrangements in songs such as Look
Through Any Window (1965), Bus Stop (1966), and Carrie
Anne (1967). Graham Nash, afounding member of the group, later became
part of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
The Kinks---Led by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, the London based Kinks were
perhaps the hardest rocking of the early British groups.
You Really Got Me (1964) and All Day And All Of The Night (1964)
which featured raw power chords,
were forerunners of punk and metal.
The Yardbirds---this band was a guitar factory: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck,
and Jimmy Page all passed through this group. The New Yardbirds, led by
Jimmy Page, evolved into
Led Zeppelin.
The Zombies---Jazz-tinged songs written by keyboardist Rod Argent gave
this group a different sound heard on songs like She's Not There
(1964) and Time of the Season (1968).
