Biography
The Liverpool Five stands among the 1960s acts most deserving of renewed attention. Their circuitous path—beginning in England, followed by nearly a year of work in Germany and across Asia before they effectively turned into an American outfit just as serious recording commenced—likely contributed to their relative obscurity. Assembled in Liverpool in 1963, the original quintet featured Steve Laine handling vocals, Ken Cox on guitar, Ron Henley on keyboards, Dave Burgess on bass, and Jimmy May covering drums and vocals. Their lone early release, the Piccadilly-budget single “Lum D’ Lum D’ High” backed with “Good Golly Miss Molly,” appeared on Pye Records in Britain, yet the bulk of their 1964–1965 activity centered on Germany and Asia under the guidance of their German-based manager. A solitary 1964 German CBS single issued under the name 5 Liverpools marked their only other documented output during that period. Following an extended Asian trek, the musicians reached Los Angeles in 1965 before settling in Spokane, Washington. There, far from their origins, they secured a contract with RCA Victor and began issuing material in earnest. Over the subsequent two years the group delivered six singles and two albums that showcased remarkable versatility, shifting from the garage-punk stance of the Remains or the Standells to cockney-flavored novelties such as “What a Crazy World (We’re Living In),” Curtis Mayfield’s romantic ballad “That’s What Love Will Do” rendered in the style of the Roulettes, and the energetic shouter “Just a Little Bit.” When Dave Burgess departed in 1967 to marry, Freddie Dennis—later of the Kingsmen—took his place on bass; Ron Henley’s exit led first to Mark Gage and then Gary Milkie on keyboards, yet the band maintained continuity. Their sole national chart entry came with Chip Taylor’s “Any Way That You Want Me,” though they also left behind several strong white-soul performances that fused American punk energy with British beat influences before disbanding in 1970. The 1966 album The Liverpool Five Arrive ranks among the strongest garage-punk efforts of its year, distinguished by an unusually direct, soul-inflected quality—most evident in several Curtis Mayfield covers—amid its fuzztone guitars and driving rhythm section. The follow-up, Out of Sight, surpasses it with tougher execution, improved vocals, and occasional flashes of unexpected lyricism.
Albums
