The Hullaballoos
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The Hullaballoos were one of the original British Invasion bands. Unlike what some people may have thought, they were not named after the American Hullabaloo TV show but instead for the town of Hull, England, where they hailed from.
The band consisted of Geoffrey Mortimer (bass guitar), Harry Dunn (drums), Ricky Knight (lead singer and rhythm guitar) and Andrew Wooten (lead guitar). They all sang harmony with Ricky Knight’s Buddy Holly-esque vocals.
They were more popular in America rather than their homeland and had a minor hit with I’m Gonna Love You Too. They made numerous television appearances, most notably the Hullabaloo show and some may have thought they were a band created by the show. With their very long hair (for the time) dyed blonde, they commanded a striking appearance. In fact, many people did not believe they were even a real band. The fact is that they were a real band and besides singing, they actually played their instruments. They cut two albums; England’s Newest Singing Sensations and On Hullabaloo. Both albums are available on one CD.
Their music was reminiscent of Buddy Holly but they had their own unique sound and executed some catchy tunes. However, despite their best efforts, internal strife and the usual horrible management killed the band. Ricky Knight left first and was replaced for a short time by Mick Wayne (born Michael Wayne, in 1945 died 26 June 1994), but the spark had died and they soon broke up.
They had the talent and potential to grow and become a lasting band, but it was not to be. Despite their best efforts as musicians, their management and PR people marketed them in such a way to give rise to the wrong impression that they were merely an A/R marketing ploy. Today, they languish as a minor note in early rock history, which is a real shame.
As a point of trivia, it should be noted that as of 2007, besides the Kinks, they may be the only other British Invasion band where all the original members are still alive.
