The Dakotas

Prior to their primary association with the Liverpool vocalist Billy J. Kramer, the Dakotas possessed an independent history along with a noteworthy configuration of their own, apart from any developments in Kramer's path. Originally assembled in Manchester, the group formed as a backing unit for Pete MacLaine. Between 1962 and January 1963 the lineup consisted of Mike Maxfield on lead guitar, Robin MacDonald on rhythm guitar, Tony Mansfield on drums, and Ray Jones on bass. In early 1963, shortly after the Beatles completed their second single "Please Please Me," manager Brian Epstein sought a backing band for his latest signing, Billy J. Kramer. Kramer had performed part-time with the Coasters yet sought to go professional at Epstein's urging. When the Coasters declined to accompany him, a replacement unit was required. The Dakotas, having ended their association with Pete MacLaine, accepted Epstein's offer. Although Epstein had not yet achieved worldwide dominance, he already had the Beatles and Gerry & the Pacemakers recording for Parlophone, with one of those releases, "Love Me Do," having reached the charts on a modest scale. The proposition proved appealing, and the Dakotas became Kramer's band. A capable ensemble, they readily adjusted to the Merseybeat style as it had developed by early 1963 and as the Beatles were reshaping it through their recordings and rising profile; rock & roll balladry that accommodated smooth vocals and harmonies grew essential, paired with a band sound allowing both elegance and forceful attack. Kramer achieved success on his first five singles, and amid his ascent the Dakotas likewise received spotlight opportunities. Their instrumental rendering of "The Cruel Sea" proved successful, and they registered further notice with "Magic Carpet." The first significant personnel shift occurred in July 1964 when Ray Jones departed on bass. Robin MacDonald moved from rhythm guitar to bass, and the Dakotas recruited Mick Green as a second lead guitarist. Green occupied a distinctive position, never having originated a band's sonic identity yet consistently elevating existing lineups; his tenure with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates markedly increased volume and instrumental precision. Among the earliest of the new wave of high-energy British rock guitarists, distinct from blues-oriented players such as Eric Clapton, he delivered incisive riffs and idiomatic variations across multiple styles that translated effectively in both studio and live settings. His addition created a double-lead guitar formation that rendered the Dakotas formidable onstage, although he participated in only one Kramer hit, "Trains and Boats and Planes." Kramer's sequence of hits concluded in mid-1965, yet he and the Dakotas remained prominent concert draws in England and especially the United States, where "Trains and Boats and Planes" reached the Top Ten. Tony Mansfield exited in August 1966, replaced on drums by former Pirate Frank Farley, who remained until September 1967 during the shift to cabaret work after regular concert bookings ceased. Kramer's popularity had by then diminished, and the Dakotas disbanded in late 1967. Robin MacDonald and Mick Green joined Engelbert Humperdinck's backing ensemble, while Kramer continued for a period with the Remo Four, a group that had previously succeeded the Searchers as Johnny Sandon's support act. In the mid-'70s Green and Farley formed the nucleus of a reconstituted Pirates lineup that sustained performances and recordings into the '90s.