'Earl Royce & The Olympics' were one of the Liverpool contingent of bands who were lucky enough to get swept up in the record company frenzy in the early 1960s to cut singles with anyone from the city that could even hold an instrument. The group was formed in early 1963 by members of several other local bands with a core line-up then becoming Billy Kelly (aka Earl Royce) on lead
vocals, Jimmy Jordan on drums, Kenny Hazzard on rhythm guitar, and Brian
Dee on bass guitar and vocals and most notably Pete Cook ( ex 'Groups Inc.') on lead guitar.
Turning professional in 1964 after signing for George Blott, they were the resident band at the Peppermint Lounge, a particularly good club which was situated above Sampson & Barlow's restaurant in London Road, Liverpool run by George Blott and his brothers.
They cut a couple of singles, 'Que Sera Sera' c/w 'I Really Do' and 'Guess Things Happen That Way' c/w 'Sure To Fall', for EMI / Columbia and Parlophone, respectively, with the legendary George Martin producing them and even playing piano on the latter, however neither of them charted. What was more noticeable than their recordings was their appearance in the 'Gerry & The Pacemakers' film 'Ferry Cross the Mersey' in 1965, in which they're seen giving an enthusiastic performance of 'Shake A Tail Feather'. It was while warming up for the film singing 'Que Sera Sera' that they were spotted by George Martin who was suitably impressed that he recorded it.
In April 1965 Cook exited the group following a dispute with other
members about their "musical policy". He was replaced by the former lead
guitarist with the Pawns, George Peckham, who had more recently been
playing bass with 'The Kinsleys'. Rita 'Jeannie' Hughes, of 'Jeannie & the Big Guys', passed through
their line-up in 1964 and Frank Bowen, the lead guitarist for 'The
Trends', was in their line-up from 1965 until 1966 as towards the end of 1965 Peckham
received an offer from the Fourmost, which he accepted, leaving the
group without a lead guitarist once more. Frank Bowen was brought in as
his replacement but their days were numbered. During a trip to Germany their van was destroyed by the police having
been vandalised and they returned to Liverpool in January 1966.
Lacking the money necessary to carry on, they disbanded.
German author Manfred Kuhlmann, who has written an extraordinary book chronicling Liverpool's 1960s beat boom, informed the Liverpool Echo that his love of Liverpool's music started when he sneaked into a German show by Earl Royce and the Olympics, aged 13 years old. He went on to become a DJ and music promoter before becoming a
regular visitor to Liverpool and even befriending many of the musicians
he loved.He said, "There is such a connection between Liverpool and
Germany now and I am proud that in Germany we understood the music from
Liverpool straight away."
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