Search - Johnny Kidd, Pirates :: Very Best of

Run Over By The British Invasion Even Before He Could Depart

09/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Frederick Heath, born in London on December 23, 1939, got his first band going in 1956 and, because of the skiffle craze sweeping the nation at that time, led by Lonnie Donegan, Freddie Heath & The Nutters (which included co-founder Alan Caddy), took that route. Unfortunately for them, they were never able to land a recording contract.



In 1959, after thinking about calling himself Captain Kidd, Heath settled on Johnny Kidd and, with a contract from H.M.V, cut two singles. The first, Please Don't Touch (very much in the style of Gene Vincent who was more popular in the U.K. than in his home country) made it to # 25 on the British charts around May b/w Growl. However, the follow-up cover of the old Perry Como standard from 1946, If You Were The Only Girl In The World, predictably bombed when it came out in December b/w Feelin'.



A change of pace then ensued early in 1960 when, still utilizing session musicians Mike Greene on guitar, bassist Johnny Spence and drummer Frank Farley, he covered the Marv Johnson hit, You Got What It Takes, this time billed as Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (his live-appearance Pirates - and they dressed like pirates - were Caddy on guitar, drummer Ken McKay, rhythm guitarist Tony Doherty, bassist Johnny Gordon and back-up vocalists Tom Brown and Mike West). However, it too peaked at the same modest # 25 b/w Longin' Lips. Not bad results, but nothing outstanding.



All that changed in June when the band used the reverb-heavy guitar of Caddy and the talents of ex-Beat Boys Brian Gregg on bass and drummer Clem Cattini to vault Shakin' All Over to # 1 b/w Yes Sir, That's My Baby, another old standard that had just been revived in the U.S. by Ricky Nelson. Shakin', at least, would likely have charted in the U.S. had it been picked up by someone, but it wouldn't be until May 1965 that Chad Allan & The Expressions, then based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, recorded a tape and sent it to their Scepter label with a note saying "Guess Who?" The label suits liked it so much they released it - and with the name written on the note. The rest, as they say, was history.



Kidd would only come close to that pinnacle one more time with I'll Never Get Over You which topped out at # 4 in summer 1963 b/w Then I Got Everything. Before that, Restless made it to # 22 in September 1960 b/w Magic Of Love, his cover of Ray Sharpe's Linda Lu finished at # 47 in spring 1961 b/w Let's Talk About Us, and in late 1962, A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues stalled at # 48 b/w I Can Tell. Following that # 4, only Hungry For Love (# 20 in late 1963 b/w Ecstasy, and Always And Ever (# 46 in spring 1964 b/w Dr. Feelgood) managed to chart.



Effectively squashed at home by the U.K. groups springing up in the early 1960s, led by The Beatles and Rolling Srones, any chance of becoming a late addition to the British Invasion ended on October 7, 1966 when Johnny was killed in a vehicle crash. This 2-CD set gives you all the hits just mentioned and their B-sides, enhanced by a fascinating multi-page booklet.



Since the contents are not yet shown above, I have included them here for your information. Certainly a nice purchase for British collectors of hit singles.



Disc: 1: 1. Please Don't Touch; 2. Growl; 3. Steady Date; 4. Feelin'; 5. If You Were The Only Girl In The World And I Were The Only Boy; 6. You Got What It Takes; 7. Longin' Lips; 8. Shakin' All Over; 9. Yes Sir That's My Baby; 10. Restless; 11. Magic Of Love; 12. Linda Lu; 13. Let's Talk About Us; 14. Big Blon' Baby; 15. Weep No More My Baby; 16. More Of The Same; 17. I Just Want To Make Love To You; 18. Please Don't Bring Me Down; 19. So What; 20. Hurry On Back To Love; 21. I Want That; 22. I Can Tell; 23. Shot Of Rhythm And Blues; 24. Some Other Guy; 25. Popeye; 26. Spanish Armada; 27. Then I Got Everything; 28. I'll Never Get Over You



Disc: 2: 1. Hungry For Love; 2. Ecstasy; 3. Casting My Spell; 4. My Babe; 5. Doctor Feelgood; 6. Always And Ever; 7. Little Bit Of Soap; 8. Oh Boy; 9. Send Me Some Lovin'; 10. Whole Lotta Woman; 11. Your Cheatin' Heart; 12. Right String But The Wrong Yo Yo; 13. Shop Around; 14. I Know; 15. Jealous Girl; 16. Where Are You?; 17. Don't Make The Same Mistake As I Did; 18. Birds And Bees; 19. Can't Turn You Loose; 20. Gotta Travel On; 21. Shakin' All Over '65; 22. Bad Case Of Love; 23. You Can Have Her; 24. This Golden Ring; 25. It's Got To Be You; 26. I Hate Getting Up In The Morning; 27. Send For That Girl; 28. Fool



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Johnny Kidd and the original "Shakin' All Over"

Robert Badgley | London,Ontario,Canada | 12/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There has been needless debate after debate here in North America as to who had the original hit of "Shakin' All Over".The most popular answer says it was the 1964 version by Canada's own The Guess Who,who propelled it into the top 20 in 1964 in the U.S. and Canada.The fact is however it was Johnny Kidd and the Pirates in 1960(!)who had the original hit in Britain.In fact Johnny Kidd(Heath) wrote the song himself.It was their version that a younger Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman first heard four years before and liking it so much made a virtual note by note cover of it four years later.With this release the question of who did what can finally be put to rest.

Johnny Kidd had been in the music business since 1956(he wasn't called Johnny Kidd until 1960,being known by his real name of Johnny Heath).He was one of many musicians that got caught up in the skiffle craze in Britain at the time.Along with traditional instruments Skiffle groups might use drums made of cardboard,washboards,jugs,just about anything that could be used to create a decent sound.They combined the influences of the blues,country and even jazz to get their unique brand of music.Johnny went through at least three group and name changes until in 1959 he was offered a contract with EMI,and along with that came the final name change to Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.

Johnny and the group(which went through some personnel changes over the ensuing years) scored many top 20 hits.By the time the British Invasion was in full swing in the mid 60s however,Johnny's music seemed a little passe' to the record buying public and his career slumped.In /66 on a comeback tour he was involved in a car accident which unfortunately claimed his life.

The world lost a great talent that day.Johnny was not only a musician and the lead singer but he also wrote many of the groups songs.It is not overstating the facts when I say that he and the group were really ahead of their time.As you listen to the tracks in this beautiful 2-CD set you hear the many influences that infused the Pirates music such as Gene Vincent,Buddy Holly and The Shadows.Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were out and out solid rockers and this music shows they took a back seat to no one at the time.Just listen to "Please Don't Touch","Shakin All Over",the R&B tinged "Lindy Lu","A Shot of Rhythm and Blues","Hungry For Love" and tell me these and many others aren't first rate rock and roll tracks.What hits The Pirates had remained in Europe but to me they remain one of the most undervalued and unsung musical groups Britain has ever produced.

This set deserves a home in the collection of anyone who really loves rock and roll music.It is a superb collection which showcases and rights the wrong of a chapter in musical history which it has seemingly skipped over or in the very least made too light of.Johnny Kidd was a heck of a talented musican and singer and these tracks prove he could rock out with the best of his comtemporaries and with those that came shortly thereafter who successfully stormed the shores of North America."