Britrock!!!

Someone I used to know - mentioning no names but you know who you are, Baby Michael - thought it was big and clever to claim that the Beatles were neither good nor influential. Even if you think the first claim is worthy of debate, the second is clearly preposterous. The British music scene after "She Loves You" was unrecognisable from what went before.

If you need some evidence, check out "Brylcreemed Boys and Beehived Birds", a series of four CDs featuring British rock 'n roll from the 1950s. With a few notable exceptions like Wee Willie Harris it is part insipid pap, part novelty songs. Listening to it today the insipid pap is still insipid, but some of the novelty songs have a certain period charm. Like these three.

"Rock Mr. Piper" - Billy Sproud

"Rock 'n Roll Opera" - Lee Lawrence

"You Won't Be Around" - Lorrae Desmond & Her Rebels

I wonder if a young Jeff Lynne ever heard "Rock 'n Roll Opera"?