The Rockin' Berries
Chris Lea - guitar/vocals
Geoff Turton - guitar/vocals
Brian "Chuck" Botfield - guitar
Roy Austin - bass guitar
Terry Bond - drums
Formed in Birmingham in 1961, The Rockin' Berries began as a Fifties-style rock 'n' roll band called The Bobcats which included two saxophones in the line-up. The saxes were dropped and the groups' name was changed after they returned from a stint playing the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany in '63.
By 1964 they had released three singles with only minimal success, and were touring Britain with P.J. Proby. During the tour they met US producer Kim Fowley who suggested they recorded a version of Goffin and King's "He's In Town", which had been a US hit for The Tokens. This record would be their biggest hit, reaching No. 3 in the British charts.
Their other top ten record was another cover of an American hit. This time they chose to do the Reflections' "Poor Man's Son".
Subsequent releases fared less well and the Berries moved away from pop and increasingly into comedy, "all-round entertainment" and the cabaret circuit.
Turton later embarked on a solo career under the name "Jefferson", enjoying a minor hit in his own right in 1969, before eventually re-joining the group.
Singles
|
Jul '63 |
Wah Wah Woo/Rockin' Berry Stomp |
Decca F 11898 |
- |
|
Oct '63 |
Itty Bitty Pieces/The Twitch |
Decca F 11760 |
- |
|
Aug '64 |
I Didn't Mean To Hurt You/You'd Better Come Home |
Piccadilly 7N 35197 |
UK#43 |
|
Oct '64 |
He's In Town/Flashback |
Piccadilly 7N 35203 |
UK#3 |
|
Jan '65 |
What In The World's Come Over You/You Don't Know What To Do |
Piccadilly 7N 35217 |
UK#23 |
|
May '65 |
Poor Man's Son/Follow Me |
Piccadilly 7N 35236 |
UK#5 |
|
Aug '65 |
You're My Girl/Happy To Be Blue |
Piccadilly 7N 35254 |
UK#40 |
|
Nov '65 |
The Water Is Over My Head/Doesn't Time Fly |
Piccadilly 7N 35270 |
UK#43 |
|
Apr '66 |
I Could Make You Fall In Love/Land Of Love |
Piccadilly 7N 35304 |
- |
|
Jul '66 |
Midnight Mary/Money Grows On Trees |
Piccadilly 7N 35327 |
- |
E.P.s
|
1964 |
I Didn't Mean To Hurt You - I Didn't Mean To Hurt You/You'd Better Come Home/What In The World's Come Over You?/Flashback Piccadilly NEP 34039 |
|
1965 |
New From The Berries - If You Find Somebody To Love/From One Who Knows/What Can I Do?/Across The Street Piccadilly NEP 34043 |
|
Apr '66 |
Happy To Be Blue - Happy To Be Blue/The Water Is Over My Head/You're My Girl/Doesn't Time Fly? Piccadilly NEP 34045 |
L.P.s
|
1965 |
In Town - He's In Town/Let's Try Again/Ich Liebe Dich/You Don't Know What You Do/Brother Bill/Without Your Love/All Of Me/Crazy Country Hop/All I Want Is My Baby/Lonely Avenue/Shades Of Blue/Follow Me/Ain't That Lovin' You Baby/Funny How Love Can Be Piccadilly NPL 38013 |
|
Jan '66 |
Life Is Just A Bowl Of Berries - Everything I Do Is For You/Harvest Of Love/Poor Man's Son/The Way You Look Tonight/I Know An Old Lady/Happy To Be Blue/Iko Iko/When I'm Cleaning Windows/I Need You/Doesn't Time Fly?/The Laughing Policeman/My Little Red Book Piccadilly NPL 38022 |
Re-issue
|
1999 |
They're In Town - Sequel NEECD 299 |
