Liverpool Five
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Steve Laine, Ken Cox, Dave Burgess, Ron Henley, Jimmy May |
| Defunct | 1968 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
Area served | Europe, Asia, United States, Canada |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Liverpool Five emerged as a beat group during the 1960s British Invasion, performing extensively throughout Europe and Asia before reaching their highest acclaim in the United States between 1965 and 1967.
Career
Originating in England in 1963 under the name Steve Laine Combo, the band consisted of Steve Laine (lead vocals), Ken Cox (guitar and vocals), Dave Burgess (bass and vocals), Ron Henley (keyboards, saxophone, vocals), and Jimmy May (drums and vocals). Their early performances took place in London venues such as the Flamingo located in Soho. Discovered by Rik and Johnny Gunnell, they embarked on a German tour in 1964 organized by the Gunnells, which led to a management deal with impresario Karl Buchmann. Buchmann included them on a major tour across Germany and Austria. To capitalize on The Beatles' global fame, they adopted the name The Liverpool Five at Buchmann’s recommendation. Although their name suggested Liverpudlian roots, most members hailed from London, except for Burgess who was from Cumbria.
While still in Germany, they recorded an album entitled Tokio International for CBS Records along with a single "Tokio" / "SkinnyMinny" released under the name '5Liverpools'. Their time in Germany also secured them a tour in Japan, where they performed at Tokyo’s Korakuen Arena during the 1964 Summer Olympics. In 1964, they released a UK single on Pye’s Piccadilly label featuring "Lum D' Lum D' Lum High" backed with "Good Golly Miss Molly".
After completing their Far East tour—a rare destination for British rock groups at that time—they moved to the United States West Coast in March 1965. Initially based in Spokane, Washington, they later established themselves in Los Angeles. From there, they embarked on extensive tours throughout the US and Canada, sharing bills with prominent artists such as The Lovin' Spoonful, Stevie Wonder, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones. A highlight was their appearance at the Hollywood Bowl during the 'Beach Boys Summer Spectacular' in July 1965 alongside The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers, and The Byrds.
Signed to RCA Victor in America, they released multiple singles and two albums produced by Al Schmitt. Their 1966 release "Any Way That You Want Me" attained position #98 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band also made appearances on national television programs including American Bandstand, Where the Action Is, and Hullabaloo, supported by concerts sponsored by local radio stations.
Significantly, The Liverpool Five were pioneers in recording "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone", which gained later fame through The Monkees, although their rendition remained unreleased initially.
Their RCA albums Arrive (1966) and Out of Sight (1967) achieved moderate popularity, particularly within the Pacific Northwest region. After undergoing lineup changes such as Fred Dennis replacing Burgess on bass, the group disbanded in 1968. Drummer Jimmy May returned to England while other members remained in the United States pursuing diverse career paths.
Prior to their breakup, they issued a final single under the moniker Common Market featuring Cat Stevens’ "I Love My Dog" with Tim Buckley’s "Wings" as the B-side.
Later years
In 1999, Rockinbeat Records released Liverpool Five- Arrive- Out of Sight across Europe, compiling all tracks from both RCA albums by the band. Later, in April 2008, Sundazed Music issued a remastered compilation CD titled The Best of the Liverpool Five (SC11158), containing eighteen selections from their RCA catalog.
The band reunited for a concert held in Sacramento, California in 2010 to commemorate lead vocalist Steve Laine’s 70th birthday, with Dennis Moffett joining them on drums. A subsequent reunion took place in 2016 in Fairfield, California celebrating guitarist Ken Cox’s 70th birthday, featuring James Grayberg as drummer.
Studio albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Tokio International |
|
| Arrive |
|
| Out Of Sight |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Arrive / Out Of Sight |
|
| The Best Of The Liverpool Five |
|
Singles
| Release date | Title | Record label | Highest chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | ||||
| 1964 | "Good Golly Miss Molly" b/w "Lum D' Lum D' Lum High" |
Picadilly 1255 | – | Non-album single |
| October 1964 | "Tokio" b/w "Skinny Minny" (Issued as the 5 Liverpools) |
CBS 1623 | – | Tokio International |
| May 1965 | "That's What I Want" b/w "Everything's Al'right" |
RCA Victor 47-8578 | – | Non-album singles |
| August 1965 | "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" b/w "Too Far Out" |
RCA Victor 47-8660 | – | |
| December 1965 | "Heart" b/w "I Just Can't Believe It" |
RCA Victor 47-8725 | – | Arrive |
| April 1966 | "She's Mine" b/w "Sister Love" |
RCA Victor 47-8816 | – | |
| August 1966 | "New Directions" b/w "What A Crazy World (We're Living In)" |
RCA Victor 47-8906 | - | Non-album single |
| October 1966 | "Any Way That You Want Me" b/w "The Snake" |
RCA Victor 47-8968 | 98 | Out Of Sight |
| March 1967 | "Cloudy" b/w "She's (Got Plenty Of Love)" |
RCA Victor 47-9158 | - | Non-album singles |
| August 1967 | "I Love My Dog" b/w "Wings" (Issued as the Common Market) |
RCA Victor 47-9302 | - |
External links
- Liverpool Five on Discogs
- Liverpool Five profile on IMDb