Biography
The Viscounts emerged as one of those peculiar pop and rock & roll fusion ensembles that flourished across both the United States and Britain during the late 1950s and early 1960s, yet consistently fared more successfully on the British side. The three-piece unit formed from the remnants of an eight-member ensemble known as Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang, a London-based variety troupe that enjoyed television exposure and completed several international tours throughout the latter portion of the decade. Don Paul, born in Manchester and already a victor in notable talent contests such as Opportunity Knocks on British television, entered the octet during 1956 and quickly connected with fellow newcomer Ronnie Wells, a recent harmonica contest winner hailing from Farnborough in Hampshire. Indian-born Gordon Mills, whose father had served as a Welsh army non-commissioned officer and who himself ranked as a leading harmonica virtuoso, joined the lineup in 1958. In contrast to Morton Fraser's view of rock & roll as merely a fleeting and occasionally irritating trend, the three members embraced the emerging style and departed the act following a performance in Dublin, adopting the Viscounts name from the aircraft model that carried them home to England.
Throughout 1959 the group honed its craft in modest workingmen's clubs before attracting the attention of Larry Parnes, then among England's foremost rock & roll managers. Almost immediately they appeared on bills with Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, and additional Parnes-managed headliners, securing a 1960 recording deal with Pye Records. Their first release paired a version of Ray Smith's hit "Rockin' Little Angel" with "That's All Right," captured in a session featuring leading British rockabilly guitarist Joe Brown. Although the single failed to register on British charts, it achieved substantial success in Australia, and the Pye affiliation itself improved their live opportunities. A summer 1960 rendering of "Shortnin' Bread," styled after recent American successes by Paul Chaplain and the Bell Notes, climbed to number 16 on the British pop charts.
At this stage the Viscounts blended rock & roll with music-hall elements, employing electric instruments in arrangements that avoided alienating listeners beyond age twenty-five. Occasional stylistic excursions into earlier periods produced their take on Paul Whiteman's "That's My Weakness Now," which in turn led the trio into trad jazz contributions for the multi-artist compilation Razzmatazz & All That Jazz, including their unexpected versions of "Ain't She Sweet" and "Yes Sir, That's My Baby." Despite their supposed rock & roll identity, they received incongruous material such as "Money (Is the Root of All Evil)," a number linked to the Four Preps, even as Liverpool contemporaries repeatedly played Barrett Strong's Motown single "Money (That's What I Want)." The Viscounts did share stages with Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran and recorded "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp Bomp Bomp)," yet surrounding musical shifts—particularly the rise of self-contained, songwriting bands delivering more forceful sounds—left them unable to adapt. They witnessed these developments firsthand when booked onto an early 1963 tour supporting Chris Montez alongside the Beatles, precisely as "Please Please Me" achieved breakthrough success.
Although the Viscounts demonstrated songwriting capability by penning several B-sides, Gordon Mills soon distinguished himself in that realm with the hit composition "I'll Never Get Over You." This development further unsettled the trio, as Mills recognized greater financial potential and reduced workload in publishing and management compared with six-night cabaret schedules and regional tours. Don Paul later recounted in his 2001 Castle anthology liner notes that once Johnny Kidd & the Pirates propelled one of Mills' songs into the Top Three, the group's future became untenable. An attempt to match the harder British beat sound via a 1964 move to EMI's Columbia label yielded three unsuccessful releases. The Viscounts disbanded in early 1965; Mills promptly wrote "It's Not Unusual" and assumed management of Tom Jones as well as former Larry Parnes client Gerry Dorsey, by then performing as Engelbert Humperdinck. Don Paul later produced Carl Wayne and Julie Covington among other vocalists, while Ronnie Wells exited music for a career as a successful restaurateur. In 2001 Castle Records issued Who Put the Bomp — The Pye Anthology, a 31-track compilation encompassing the group's complete Pye sides recorded between 1960 and 1963.
Throughout 1959 the group honed its craft in modest workingmen's clubs before attracting the attention of Larry Parnes, then among England's foremost rock & roll managers. Almost immediately they appeared on bills with Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, and additional Parnes-managed headliners, securing a 1960 recording deal with Pye Records. Their first release paired a version of Ray Smith's hit "Rockin' Little Angel" with "That's All Right," captured in a session featuring leading British rockabilly guitarist Joe Brown. Although the single failed to register on British charts, it achieved substantial success in Australia, and the Pye affiliation itself improved their live opportunities. A summer 1960 rendering of "Shortnin' Bread," styled after recent American successes by Paul Chaplain and the Bell Notes, climbed to number 16 on the British pop charts.
At this stage the Viscounts blended rock & roll with music-hall elements, employing electric instruments in arrangements that avoided alienating listeners beyond age twenty-five. Occasional stylistic excursions into earlier periods produced their take on Paul Whiteman's "That's My Weakness Now," which in turn led the trio into trad jazz contributions for the multi-artist compilation Razzmatazz & All That Jazz, including their unexpected versions of "Ain't She Sweet" and "Yes Sir, That's My Baby." Despite their supposed rock & roll identity, they received incongruous material such as "Money (Is the Root of All Evil)," a number linked to the Four Preps, even as Liverpool contemporaries repeatedly played Barrett Strong's Motown single "Money (That's What I Want)." The Viscounts did share stages with Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran and recorded "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp Bomp Bomp)," yet surrounding musical shifts—particularly the rise of self-contained, songwriting bands delivering more forceful sounds—left them unable to adapt. They witnessed these developments firsthand when booked onto an early 1963 tour supporting Chris Montez alongside the Beatles, precisely as "Please Please Me" achieved breakthrough success.
Although the Viscounts demonstrated songwriting capability by penning several B-sides, Gordon Mills soon distinguished himself in that realm with the hit composition "I'll Never Get Over You." This development further unsettled the trio, as Mills recognized greater financial potential and reduced workload in publishing and management compared with six-night cabaret schedules and regional tours. Don Paul later recounted in his 2001 Castle anthology liner notes that once Johnny Kidd & the Pirates propelled one of Mills' songs into the Top Three, the group's future became untenable. An attempt to match the harder British beat sound via a 1964 move to EMI's Columbia label yielded three unsuccessful releases. The Viscounts disbanded in early 1965; Mills promptly wrote "It's Not Unusual" and assumed management of Tom Jones as well as former Larry Parnes client Gerry Dorsey, by then performing as Engelbert Humperdinck. Don Paul later produced Carl Wayne and Julie Covington among other vocalists, while Ronnie Wells exited music for a career as a successful restaurateur. In 2001 Castle Records issued Who Put the Bomp — The Pye Anthology, a 31-track compilation encompassing the group's complete Pye sides recorded between 1960 and 1963.
Albums
