The Four Pennies
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Lionel Morton, Fritz Fryer, Mike Wilshaw, Alan Buck |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Headquarters | Blackburn, Lancashire , England |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, albums |
The Four Pennies were a British beat ensemble primarily recognized for their 1964 UK number one hit "Juliet". Although they secured four more UK top 40 singles, they did not achieve chart success in the United States during the British Invasion era.
Career
Established in 1963, the founding members were Lionel Morton (vocals, rhythm guitar), Fritz Fryer (lead guitar), Mike Wilshaw (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Alan Buck (drums). The band’s name, "The Four Pennies," was selected for its commercial appeal, inspired by a gathering above a Blackburn music store located on Penny Street.
Their first single, "Do You Want Me To" (1964), peaked at number 47 on the UK charts. Later that year, they reached number one with "Juliet," a composition credited to Fryer, Wilshaw, and Morton. Initially intended as the B-side, "Juliet" was unique among 1964 British group UK chart-toppers in not entering the US charts. Philips Records’ American branch issued only two singles—"Juliet" and "Until It's Time for You to Go"—both of which found success across Europe but failed to attract notable US radio play or sales.
Following "Juliet," The Four Pennies continued to score UK hits in 1964 with "I Found Out The Hard Way" and a rendition of Lead Belly's "Black Girl." They also released the album Two Sides of Four Pennies, which notably omitted most of their singles, reflecting a typical British music industry approach of that period.
After a 1965 single failed to chart, Fryer departed to establish the folk trio Fritz, Mike and Mo. David Graham replaced him on lead guitar. This lineup returned to the UK charts with Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Until It's Time for You to Go." Their last UK chart appearance came in 1966 with a cover of Bobby Vinton's "Trouble Is My Middle Name," after which Fryer rejoined the group.
The Four Pennies wrapped up their career in 1966 with the album Mixed Bag, which did not chart, alongside two singles: Charles Bell’s "Keep The Freeway Open" and Tom Springfield’s "No More Sad Songs For Me." The band disbanded by the end of that year.
Other activities
- After leaving in 1965, Fritz Fryer formed the folk-rock trio Fritz, Mike and Mo with songwriter Mike Deighan and Maureen Edwards. Deighan had co-written material for The Four Pennies’ debut album, Two Sides of Four Pennies. The trio released two singles under Philips but failed to achieve commercial success. Fryer rejoined The Four Pennies in 1966 and later pursued a career as a record producer working with artists such as Motörhead.
- Following the group's dissolution, Lionel Morton recorded two solo singles for Philips and covered "Waterloo Road" for RCA Victor—a track penned by former members Mike Wilshaw and Mike Deighan. Morton subsequently became a children’s television presenter during the 1960s and 1970s.
- Prior to joining The Four Pennies, Alan Buck played drums for Joe Brown's Bruvvers and Johnny Kidd's Pirates.
- In 1965, The Four Pennies appeared in two films: British Big Beat, where they mimed their number one hit "Juliet," and Pop Gear, featuring performances of both "Juliet" and "Black Girl."
Band members
Original and concluding lineup:
- Lionel Morton – vocals / rhythm guitar – born Lionel Walmsley on 14 August 1942 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England
- Fritz Fryer – lead guitar – born David Roderick Carney Fryer on 6 December 1944 in Oldham, Lancashire; passed away on 2 September 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal due to pancreatic cancer. He was the grandson of pianist Herbert Fryer.
- Alan Buck – drums – born 7 April 1943 in Brierfield, Burnley, Lancashire; died on 15 March 1994 in West London from a heart attack.
- Mike Wilshaw – bass / keyboards / backing vocals – born Michael Wilshaw on 21 July 1945 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Additional members:
- David Graham, lead guitarist from Reading, Berkshire – took over from Fryer between April 1965 and early 1966 during Fryer's absence while forming Fritz, Mike and Mo. He performed on the last two UK charting singles prior to Fryer's return.
- Ray Monk occasionally filled in before managing the Preston Sony Music Centre from 1987 to 1994.
Albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Peak Chart Rankings |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| 2 Sides of 4 Pennies |
|
13 |
| Mixed Bag |
|
— |
| "—" indicates that the album did not enter the charts. | ||
EPs
| EP Title | Release Details | Peak Chart Rankings |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| The Four Pennies |
|
— |
| Spin with the Pennies |
|
6 |
| The Swinging Side of the Four Pennies |
|
— |
| The Smooth Side of the Four Pennies |
|
— |
| "—" signifies releases that failed to chart. | ||
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Peak Chart Positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | IRE | NOR | NZ | SWE | US | ||
| "Do You Want Me To"
b/w "Miss Bad Daddy" |
1963 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Juliet"
b/w "Tell Me Girl (What Are You Gonna Do)" |
1964 | 1 | 53 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 116 |
| "I Found Out the Hard Way"
b/w "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" |
14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Black Girl"
b/w "You Went Away" |
20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "The Way of Love"
b/w "A Place Where No-One Goes" |
1965 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Someone Stole the Sun"
b/w "Let Me Hear Your Voice" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Until It's Time for You to Go"
b/w "Till Another Day" |
19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "What Colour (Is a Man)"
b/w "So Now Your Gone" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Trouble Is My Middle Name"
b/w "Way Out Love" |
1966 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
See also
- List of artists who have achieved number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of Top of the Pops performers
References
- Parham, Alan, liner notes for Four Pennies CD Complete Singles & EP Tracks, Beat Merchant 3694, 2004