The Rockin' Berries

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The Rockin' Berries were a beat group from Birmingham, England.

Contents

[edit] Career

Despite a brace of UK Top 10 hits in the mid 1960s, the Rockin' Berries could make no inroads on the lucrative U.S. market, even at the height of the so-called ' British Invasion'.

Much of their recordings were at the lighter edge of the British beat music boom. Their popular music was carefully composed by British and American songwriters, with catchy choruses and harmonies lifted straight from The Four Seasons and The Beach Boys repertoire.

The Rockin' Berries themselves wrote virtually none of their own material, and this, combined with the kid glove approach, meant that they received little critical acclaim. Their best pop/rock outpourings were perfectly respectable, but poor management also veered them towards the 'all round entertainer' category. This led them to record some comedy songs that have dated badly, and further quickened their disappearance from the UK chart.

The Rockin' Berries were formed in the early 1960s, when guitarist Chuck Botfield was performing with the Bobcats, a Birmingham band, at the Star-Club in Hamburg. Several Bobcats bobbed off to create their own band, and Botfield brought in some Birmingham born friends to regroup as the Rockin' Berries.

Their strength lay in their vocal arrangements. Clive Lea led the rock and roll based material, whilst falsetto Geoff Turton steered their more noteworthy harmony filled work.

Their recording career started with a couple of flop singles from Decca Records in 1963. They then signed with the Pye subsidiary, Piccadilly. Following a minor hit with a cover of The Shirelles' "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You," their cover of The Tokens' "He's in Town," from the songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King, took them to Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, late in 1964.

Another cover of an American record, this time of The Reflections' "Poor Man's Son," was their follow-up release. More downbeat even than "He's in Town," this reached Number 5. At around the same time, the Rockin' Berries' debut album, They're in Town was released. It contained a bizarre mixture of operatic ballads, R&B, pop-rock, comedy, and the German "Ich Liebe Dich" for good measure. Nevertheless it was a reasonable success, making Number 15 in the UK Albums Chart.

However, their seeming versatility started to work against them. Their second album, Life Is Just a Bowl of Berries, was blighted by novelty and comedy tracks. They continued to record pop singles, including Goffin-King's "You're My Girl"; plus songs from British tunesmiths John Carter, Ken Lewis, and Perry Ford (who were also writing and recording hits as The Ivy League); and an obscure effort co-penned by Al Kooper, "The Water Is Over My Head".

Goffin-King's "You're My Girl" (like "He's in Town", a cover of a Tokens' hit) and "The Water Is Over My Head" were lowly placed hits in 1965, but after that there was no more chart success for the Berries.

By 1968 Turton had left for a solo career. Using the nom de plume of Jefferson, he secured a Top 30 place in the American Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970 with "Baby Take Me in Your Arms".

Turton eventually rejoined his bandmates, who continued to play the cabaret circuit for years to come. By this time their act was more akin to The Barron Knights, and The Grumbleweeds in style and content.

[edit] Band personnel

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

  • "Wah Wah Whoo" / "Rockin' Berries Stomp" (Decca F 11698) - (1963)
  • "Itty Bitty Pieces" / "The Twitch" (Decca 11760) - (1963)
  • "I Didn't Mean To Hurt You" / "You'd Better Come Home" (Piccadilly 7N 35197) - (1964) - UK Singles Chart Number 43
  • "He's In Town" / "Flashback" (Piccadilly 7N 35203) - (May 1964) - Number 3
  • "What In The World's Come Over You" / "You Don't Know What To Do" (Piccadilly 7N 35217) - (1964) - Number 23
  • "Poor Man's Son" / "Follow Me" (Piccadilly 7N 35236) - (1965) - Number 5
  • "You're My Girl" / "Brother Bill" (Piccadilly 7N 35254) - (1965) - Number 40
  • "The Water Is Over My Head" / "Doesn't Time Fly" (Piccadilly 7N 35270) - (1965) - Number 43
  • "I Could Make You Fall In Love" / "Land Of Love" (Piccadilly 7N 35304) - (1966)
  • "Midnight Mary" / "Money Grows On Trees" (Piccadilly 7N 35327) - (1966)
  • "Sometimes" / "Needs To Be" (Piccadilly 7N 35373) - (1967)
  • "Smile" / "Breakfast At Sam's" (Piccadilly 7N 35400) - (1967)
  • " Dawn (Go Away)" / "She's Not Like Any Girl" (Pye 7N 17411) - (1967)
  • "When I Reach The Top" / "Pain" (Pye 7N 17519) - (1968)
  • "Mr. Blue" / "Land Of Love" (Pye 7N 17589) - (1968)

[edit] Extended Players

  • "I Didn't Mean To Hurt You" (Piccadilly NEP 34039) - (1965)
  • "New From The Berries" (Piccadilly NEP 34043) - (1965)
  • "Happy To Blue" (Piccadilly NEP 34045) - (1965)

[edit] Albums

  • They're In Town (Piccadilly NPL 38013) - (1964) - UK Albums Chart Number 15
  • Life Is Just A Bowl Of Berries (Piccadilly NPL 38022) - (1965)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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