Shakin' All Over
Kidd and the Pirates' finest moment might have been the powerful song "Shakin' All Over", which features memorable opening guitars and solo from Joe Moretti (born Joseph Edward Moretti, 10 May 1938, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland), (who also featured on the follow-up "Restless"), and reached number one in the UK singles charts in 1960. The song and the group's proto-power trio line-up both made a strong impression on The Who, who would cover it in their 1970 album Live at Leeds, whose CD liner notes proclaim the original to be the UK's best pre-Beatles rock single. Music critics Roy Carr and Tony Tyler would later write that "Shakin' All Over" was the second-ever genuine British rock classic, following Cliff Richard's "Move It".
The distinctive 'Shakin' effect on the track, was created by Joe Moretti sliding Brian Gregg's cigarette lighter very fast up and down the guitar strings.
Despite some interesting cuts the hits tailed away in the shadow of "Shakin'". The swansong recording of this line-up in 1961, the b-side of "Please Don't Let Me Down" turned out to be a minor UK rock 'n' roll classic. The follow-up "So What" featured a racy piano solo from Thunderclap Jones. Some of The Pirates (namely Clem Cattini, Alan Caddy and later Brian Gregg) decided to jump ship, and went on to join Joe Meek's The Tornados. Kidd cut a "solo" single backed by a bigger band sound. "Hurry On Back To Love" was more bluesy than anything Kidd had previously attempted and indicated a possible new path for him.
A new Pirate trio was recruited, Johnny Spence (bass) (born John Spencer Holliday, 26 January 1942, in Birmingham, Warwickshire), Frank Farley (drums) (born Frank William Farley, 18 February 1942, in Belgaum, India) and Johnny Patto (lead guitar), who had recently backed Cuddly Dudley as "The Redcaps". Patto soon left and was replaced by Mick Green (lead guitar), who had also backed Dudley. The new line-up's first single with Kidd, "A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues" (coupled with "I Can Tell") was way ahead of the game, but only managed to enter the lower reaches of the charts toward the end of 1962.
Over time, a very visual show had developed. The group would deck out in 19th century Pirate costume in front of a huge backcloth of a pirate galleon, Kidd toying with a cutlass to great effect. Many a wooden stage received scarring from this prop until insurance cover could not be obtained for it. The group's German tours tightened their sound, as it did with many Liverpool combos who also made the trip. A projected single in keeping with the new sound, "Some Other Guy" was left unreleased in early 1963, allowing The Big Three to score their first chart entry.
The explosive rise of the 'beat groups' outshone the slow-burning R&B scene, and Kidd opted for the safety of Merseybeat with "I'll Never Get Over You", which reached number 4 on the charts in the summer of 1963. The recording session for the follow-up, "Hungry For Love", which also broke into the top twenty saw the Pirates record their own single. Both sides, "My Babe" and "I Can Tell", were powerhouse R&B that put many of the Liverpool bands in the shade, with both tracks being recorded in one take. Green left to join Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas in 1964, and was replaced by John Weider. They also added organist Vic Cooper (born Victor Cooper, 13 December 1942, in Oxford, Oxfordshire).
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