THE BRITISH INVASION

Members of 1960s bands share their memories of making it big in the US with Martin Claytor

- Martin Claytor

News of a British invasion of America might be a cause for some alarm, but in the mid-1960s there was no need to panic – the movement was cultural and led to a huge boom in the long-term popularity of British music in the US. By 1964, records by American artists had been a feature in the British charts for several years but there was little sign of the American public taking notice of British music – then along came Beatlemania in the States and everything changed.

A Beatles trip to America, followed by television appearances and huge publicity, saw the group immediately dominate the US charts with a succession of hits – a further tour that year saw the band performing to wildly enthusiastic audiences, including the Hollywood Bowl gig. The Beatles, soon followed by the more blues-orientated Rolling Stones, had opened the floodgates. Suddenly, Britain was in fashion and a mainly younger American age group couldn't get enough of this type of rock and pop music.

With their singalong lyrics and catchy tunes, the records seemed more exciting than many of the traditional style of US chart songs. British bands and individual singers, achieving such success this side of the Atlantic, soon began to exploit the exciting new market – the “invasion’s” first wave had begun.

One of the most successful of the “invasion” artists were Herman's Hermits, who had several big American hits between 1964 and 1968, including two unusual No 1 records in 1965. Keith Hopwood, guitarist and backing singer with the group, sums up why Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter and I'm Henry the VIII, I Am did so well – despite never being released as A-sides over here. “It was the Englishness of it all,” he remembers. “It was really a novelty then... they were certainly not for UK consumption.”