I was just reading Wikipedia's post on the U.S. top selling act of the mid-60s, and read that despite their U.S. chart success, 7 top ten hits, including a number 1, that the group made no headway in the UK. Is that true? Did songs like 'This Diamond Ring' and 'Everybody Loves A Clown' go unnoticed there? I find this interesting because I've wondered if there was equivalents (American groups) that were successful here but not in the UK. In the States the Small Faces are practically unknown except for the one-hit-wonder 'Itchycoo Park', and The Pretty Things had no chart success.

There are many both ways.

Status Quo is another ex on a multi-hit band not making it in the states.

I might have heard "Clown", but I'm not sure.

It's interesting to me because Gary Lewis (son of Jerry Lewis) was one of the few to breakthrough the stranglehold the Brits held on American charts from 64-66. This was in no small part due to the backing musicians, like Leon Russell piano, Carl Radle bass and Hal Blaine drums. They even used a studio vocalist for Gary's vocal and then dubbed Gary on top of it.

Yes, I understand that some bands don't translate well. I was watching my Live Aid DVD this weekend and there were plenty of live acts on the Wembley stage I'd never heard, or knew of them vaguely. Oasis was not that big an act here and they seemed to have been really big in Britain.

loved 'This Diamond Ring' as a kid...remember it playing on my little radio...and on the PA at the skating rink...

Fave Gary track...love the guitar on this one. The licks at the end of the chorus have a real Brian Wilson quality...

Yes....but are you Brits?

Gary in a recent PBS performance. This was the #1 record in the U.S. on the day my wife was born.

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24FPS
I was just reading Wikipedia's post on the U.S. top selling act of the mid-60s, and read that despite their U.S. chart success, 7 top ten hits, including a number 1, that the group made no headway in the UK. Is that true? Did songs like 'This Diamond Ring' and 'Everybody Loves A Clown' go unnoticed there?

Did you check the charts in France? You'd think they would have loved Jerry's son there.

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24FPS
It's interesting to me because Gary Lewis (son of Jerry Lewis) was one of the few to breakthrough the stranglehold the Brits held on American charts from 64-66. This was in no small part due to the backing musicians, like Leon Russell piano, Carl Radle bass and Hal Blaine drums. They even used a studio vocalist for Gary's vocal and then dubbed Gary on top of it.

Yes, I understand that some bands don't translate well. I was watching my Live Aid DVD this weekend and there were plenty of live acts on the Wembley stage I'd never heard, or knew of them vaguely. Oasis was not that big an act here and they seemed to have been really big in Britain.

Don't forget Motown. Or Jay & The Americans.

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24FPS
I was just reading Wikipedia's post on the U.S. top selling act of the mid-60s, and read that despite their U.S. chart success, 7 top ten hits, including a number 1, that the group made no headway in the UK. Is that true? Did songs like 'This Diamond Ring' and 'Everybody Loves A Clown' go unnoticed there? I find this interesting because I've wondered if there was equivalents (American groups) that were successful here but not in the UK. In the States the Small Faces are practically unknown except for the one-hit-wonder 'Itchycoo Park', and The Pretty Things had no chart success.

I have never heard of Gary Lewis & The Playboys here in Sweden, and The Pretty Things or Small Faces had no chart hits here either...But we loved Canned Heat and Scott McKenzie...



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owlbynite

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24FPS
It's interesting to me because Gary Lewis (son of Jerry Lewis) was one of the few to breakthrough the stranglehold the Brits held on American charts from 64-66. This was in no small part due to the backing musicians, like Leon Russell piano, Carl Radle bass and Hal Blaine drums. They even used a studio vocalist for Gary's vocal and then dubbed Gary on top of it.

Yes, I understand that some bands don't translate well. I was watching my Live Aid DVD this weekend and there were plenty of live acts on the Wembley stage I'd never heard, or knew of them vaguely. Oasis was not that big an act here and they seemed to have been really big in Britain.

Don't forget Motown. Or Jay & The Americans.

Motown was huge in Britain. I don't know about Jay & The Americans.