3CD box set spotlighting the pioneering movement that brought the world The Beatles but has been overshadowed by their success.

Hits include The Searchers’ ‘Sweets For My Sweet’ (UK #1) and ‘When You Walk In The Room’ (UK #3), Billy J. Kramer With The Dakotas’ ‘Bad To Me’ (UK #1), The Swinging Blue Jeans’ ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’ (UK #2) and The Mojos’ ‘Everything’s Al’right’ (UK #9).

Also featuring The Chants (featuring Eddy Amoo later of The Real Thing), The Undertakers and Lomax Alliance (both led by Jackie Lomax who later signed to Apple) and The Kirkbys and The 23rd Turnoff whose singer/guitarist was ace songwriter Jimmy Campbell.

Five tracks are newly mastered from producer Joe Meek’s ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ including The Cryin’ Shames’ magnificent tear jerker ‘Please Stay’ and the previously unreleased ‘A Different Drummer’ by The Maracas.

Other rarities include an unreleased track by Birkenhead’s The Pathfinders from producer Shel Talmy’s vaults and a fab song by ex Vernons Girl, Samantha Jones found on a wellpreserved acetate plus tracks by The Dennisons, The Seftons and The Perishers released on CD for the first time. Although The Beatles aren’t present for licensing reasons there are four Lennon and McCartney compositions donated to other acts.

Merseybeat was a brief phenomenon but hugely influential throughout the world. It blew up nationwide in 1963 before Merseybeat groups spearheaded the ‘British Invasion’ of the US charts.

This box celebrates the scene on the first two discs, then on disc three presents some of the brilliant mod, freakbeat, psych and Mersey soul music that came from Liverpool when the Merseybeat bubble burst and press and public looked elsewhere. Inspired by US rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and Motown and the D.I.Y. attitude of skiffle, the Liverpool beat groups rocked clubs such as their hometown’s The Cavern and the Star-Club in Hamburg and larger ‘Big Beat’ sessions at The Tower Ballroom in New Brighton. The Searchers and Gerry And The Pacemakers achieved success on the world stage, others never made it out of their local area, made a couple of 45s or even demos and disappeared.

Disc one:

1.Lee Curtis & The All Stars - Let’s Stomp
2. The Searchers – Farmer John
3. Gerry & The Pacemakers - Slow Down
4. The Swinging Blue Jeans - Hippy Hippy Shake
5. The Big Three - Some Other Guy
6. Johnny Sandon & The Remo Four – Lies
7. The Chants - I Don’t Care
8. Wailin’ Howie Casey & The Seniors - Double Twist
9. The Undertakers - Just A Little Bit
10. Billy J. Kramer With The Dakotas - Bad To Me
11. The Fourmost – I’m In Love
12. Faron’s Flamingos - Do You Love Me
13. Ian & The Zodiacs – Beechwood 4-5789
14. Freddie Starr & The Midnighters – Peter Gunn Locomotion (Alternative Mix)
15. The Vernons Girls – Lover Please
16. The Chants – Come Go With Me
17. The Searchers – Sweets For My Sweet
18. Jeannie & The Big Guys - Sticks and Stones
19. The Dennisons - You Don’t Know What Love Is
20. King Size Taylor – Somebody’s Always Trying
21. Billy Fury - Nothing Shakin’ (But The Leaves On The Trees)
22. Glenda Collins – I Feel So Good
23. Howie Casey & The Seniors – I Ain’t Mad At You
24. Danny Seyton & The Sabres - House Of Bamboo
25. Cilla Black - Love Of The Loved
26. Lyn Cornell - Sally Go Round The Roses
27. The Merseybeats - Our Day Will Come
28. Wellington Wade (Ian & The Zodiacs) – It Ain’t Necessarily So
29. The Kinsleys – Do Me A Favour
30. The Big Three - What’d I Say (Live At The Cavern)
Bonus Demos
31. Earl Preston & The TTs (Featuring Cy Tucker) – Bony Moronie
32. Rory Storm & The Hurricanes – Lend Me Your Comb
33. Savva & The Democrats - Shakin’ All Over
34. Mike & The Thunderbirds – Web Of Love

Disc two:

1.The Mojos - Everything’s Al’right
2. Gerry & The Pacemakers - Why Oh Why
3. The Liverbirds - Talking About You
4. The ’Takers (The Undertakers) - If You Don’t Come Back
5. Tony Jackson With The Vibrations - Bye Bye Baby
6. The Searchers - When You Walk In The Room
7. The Swinging Blue Jeans - Make Me Know You’re Mine
8. The Black Knights - I Gotta Woman
9. Earl Royce & The Olympics – Shake A Tail Feather
10. Beryl Marsden - Music Talk
11. The Fourmost - The In Crowd
12. The Trends - The Way You Do The Things You Do
13. The Breakaways - That’s How It Goes
14. Four Just Men - Things Will Never Be The Same
15. Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four - Wild Side Of Life
16. The Pathfinders – Lonely Room (Previously Unreleased)
17. Jason Eddie & The Centremen – Come On Baby (Alternative Mix)
18. The Koobas – Somewhere In The Night
19. The Eyes – She
20. The Connoisseurs – Make Up Your Mind
21. Greta Ann - Sadness Hides The Sun
22. The Roadrunners – Cry, Cry, Cry
23. The Cryin’ Shames – Please Stay (Alternative Mix)
24. Mark Peters – Don’t Cry For Me
25. Earl Preston’s Realms – Daddy Rolling Stone
26. The Richmond Group - Cops And Robbers
27. Michael Allen - I Can’t Stand It Bonus Demos
28. Them Calderstones – What’cha Gonna Do About It
29. The Four Originals – You Won’t Be Leaving
30. The Newtowns – Tomorrow

Disc three:

1. Tony Jackson With The Vibrations – Fortune Teller
2. The Kirkbys – It’s A Crime
3. The Koobas - A Place I Know
4. Paddy, Klaus & Gibson – No Good Without You Baby
5. Paul & Ritchie & The Cryin’ Shames - Come On Back (Alternative Mix)
6. Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas - We’re Doing Fine
7. Johnny Gustafson - Take Me For A Little While
8. Eddie Cave & The Fyx - Fresh Out Of Tears
9. Chris Curtis – Aggravation
10. The 5 a.m. Event - I Wash My Hands In Muddy Water
11. The Clayton Squares – Imagination
12. The Merseys – Sorrow (Alternative Version)
13. The Thoughts - All Night Stand (US Version)
14. The Maracas – A Different Drummer (Previously Unreleased)
15. The Lomax Alliance – You Better Get Going Now
16. Wimple Winch - Rumble On Mersey Square South
17. The Seftons – I Can See Through You
18. Bill Kenwright & The Runaways - I Want To Go Back There Again
19. The 23rd Turnoff - Michael Angelo
20. Focal Point – Girl On The Corner
21. The Swinging Blue Jeans – Keep Me Warm (’Til The Sun Shines)
22. Samantha Jones – This Is The Real Thing (Previously Unreleased)
23. The Remo Four – Heart Beat
24. The Lomax Alliance – Give What You Take
25. The Perishers – Bye Bye Baby
26. The Merseys - So Sad About Us
27. The Quotations – Cool It
28. Satin Bells - I Stand Accused (Of Loving You)
29. Cilla Black - Step Inside Love