Biography
Earl Royce & the Olympics emerged in early 1963 as a short-lived Liverpool outfit caught in the rush by record labels to record any city act capable of handling basic instrumentation. Several local groups supplied the initial members, including Pete Cook from Groups Inc., who departed shortly afterward; George Peckham from the Pawns stepped in but soon left to join the Fourmost. The steady roster featured Billy Kelly, performing under the name Earl Royce, as lead singer, Jimmy Jordan on drums, Kenny Hazzard handling rhythm guitar, and Brian Dee covering bass and backing vocals. Two singles resulted: “Que Sera Sera” backed with “I Really Do” on EMI/Columbia, followed by “Guess Things Happen That Way” backed with “Sure to Fall” on Parlophone, the latter featuring piano from George Martin. Neither release registered on the charts. Greater exposure arrived via their energetic rendition of “Shake a Tail Feather” in the 1965 Gerry & the Pacemakers film Ferry Cross the Mersey. Rita “Jeannie” Hughes from Jeannie & the Big Guys joined briefly in 1964, while Frank Bowen, lead guitarist of the Trends, remained with the group from 1965 to 1966.