He appeared with this group on a bill with 'The Beatles' at the Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead on Thursday the 31st of January, 1963, advertised as 'Johnny Quickly & The Challengers'. Brian Epstein had noticed him when he opened a show at a NEMS Enterprises 'Beatles' promotion at the Queens Hall, Widnes. Brian was immediately enthralled by Tommy and thought he had the same sort of 'impish personality' as Gerry Marsden. The 17-year-old telephone fitter didn't get to sign with Epstein however until the following year, when Brian changed his name to Tommy Quickly, taking him on as a solo artist and dispensing with his band, 'The Challengers' who went on to back Steve Aldo.
Epstein then embarked on a massive promotional campaign to establish his fresh, freckle faced new signing. As George Martin had enough acts to handle at that time, Brian contacted Ray Horricks of Pye, via Dick James, and Tommy was signed to the label.
Brian then gave him a new backing band, 'The Remo Four', and a Lennon and McCartney number 'No Reply' to record. Performing slightly drunk, some blamed John Lennon for that, Tommy found it almost impossible to record and after 17 takes it was abandoned. This frustrated 'The Remo Four', who believed that if he had performed the song in the right way it would have brought them a hit.
Tommy finally made his record debut with another Lennon and McCartney number, 'Tip Of My Tongue'. Brian Epstein then spent $30,000 on a promotional tour of America including Tommy on three 'Beatles' tours, a 'Beatles' Christmas show, plus a 'Gerry & The Pacemakers' Christmas Show, a 'Gerry & The Pacemakers' tour and a 'Billy J. Kramer' tour.
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| Article from KRLA Beat magazine, November 21, 1964 |
Yet despite this major exposure, all five singles by Tommy in 1963-64 failed to register in the charts, apart from the Hank Williams song 'Wild Side Of Life', his fifth single, which made the Top 40 and spent eight weeks in the charts. His next release had been recorded live on stage at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool but flopped and Tommy, having been dropped by Pye in June 1964, left NEMS in February 1966 to sign with the George Cooper Organisation but soon after he left the music business for good.
His lack of success was puzzling, as he was an appealing young vocalist with a cheery personality, not unlike Gerry Marsden or Peter Noone of 'Herman's Hermits'. It has been reported that he had a fragile nature and being slightly immature was quite heavily into drink and drugs at one time and that was the main cause of his downfall as it made him difficult to handle and when under the influence was often unable to sing in tune despite having a good voice given the right material. In that respect he remains probably Brian Epstein's biggest failure.
His lack of success was puzzling, as he was an appealing young vocalist with a cheery personality, not unlike Gerry Marsden or Peter Noone of 'Herman's Hermits'. It has been reported that he had a fragile nature and being slightly immature was quite heavily into drink and drugs at one time and that was the main cause of his downfall as it made him difficult to handle and when under the influence was often unable to sing in tune despite having a good voice given the right material. In that respect he remains probably Brian Epstein's biggest failure.
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