With Tony Meehan
He signed with Decca and released solo instrumental and vocal work with some success. Then, as part of a duo with former Shadows drummer Tony Meehan, he topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in early 1963 with "Diamonds". Harris and Meehan followed this with two further hit singles, "Scarlett O'Hara" (also written by Jerry Lordan) a UK #2, and "Applejack" (composed by Les Vandyke) reaching UK #4 also in 1963. Harris's singles were relatively unusual in that they made prominent use of the bass as a lead instrument which was an idea he got from Big Jim Sullivan, and the best of them—"Diamonds," "The Man With the Golden Arm", and "Man From Nowhere"—had a menacing, shuddering bass reminiscent of the best James Bond soundtracks. Harris was partly responsible for helping both Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones break into the music business. Page's first major session was as a rhythm guitarist on "Diamonds", in late 1962. After "Diamonds" became a hit, Harris and Meehan hired Jones to play bass in their touring band. There were several court appearances involving drunkenness and violent behaviour before the partnership with Meehan came to an abrupt end in September 1963 when a car crash (in which his girl-friend, singer Billie Davis, was also injured), meant that this success did not last long. Harris attempted a comeback as the Jet Harris Band, in 1966 and was briefly in the line-up of the Jeff Beck Group in 1967, but somewhat fell out of the music industry. He then worked variously as a labourer, bricklayer, porter in a hospital, bus conductor, and as a seller of cockles on the beach in Jersey.
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