Them (band)
Encyclopedia
Them were a Northern Irish
band
formed in Belfast
in April 1964
, most prominently known for the garage rock
standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison
's musical career
. The original five member band consisted of Morrison, Alan Henderson, Ronnie Millings, Billy Harrison and Eric Wrixon.The group was marketed in the United States
as part of the British Invasion
.
Them scored two UK hits in 1965 with "Baby, Please Don't Go
" (UK #10) and "Here Comes the Night" (UK #2, Ireland #2). The latter song and "Mystic Eyes
"" were Top 40 hits in the US
.
Morrison quit the band in 1966 and went on to a successful career as a solo artist. Although Them had a short-lived existence, the Belfast group had considerable influence on other bands, such as The Doors
.
club
at the Maritime Hotel, Belfast with entrepreneurs Jimmy Conlon, Jerry McKernan and Gerry McKervey (known as the "3Js"). Morrison gave notice to the group with which he performed at the time, the Golden Eagles. With an anticipated opening night for the new R&B club approaching, he embarked on a mission to find his ideal line-up. He had recently been introduced to The Gamblers, an East Belfast group formed in 1962 by Ronnie Millings (drums
, born 1937), Billy Harrison (guitar and lead vocals, born William Harrison on 14 October 1942), and Alan Henderson (bass guitar
, born 26 November 1944). Eric Wrixon, who was still in school, had been recruited as piano player and keyboardist
. Morrison joined in on tenor saxophone
, harmonica
and vocals. The group rehearsed
over Dougie Knight's bicycle shop in Shaftesbury Square, Belfast in preparation for their debut at the Maritime. As the group now felt they needed a new name, they followed Eric Wrixon's suggestion and The Gamblers morphed into Them after the 1954 sci-fi horror film.
newspaper asked: Who Are? What Are? THEM. Similarly curious ads followed until the Friday before the gig
(April 17, 1964) announced that Them would be performing that evening at Club Rado at the Maritime Hotel. Attendance at the two hundred capacity venue
quickly grew with a packed house by the third week.
Them performed without a routine, fired by the crowd's energy: Morrison later commented that while the band was "out of our element" making records... "The way we did the numbers at the Maritime was more spontaneous, more energetic, more everything, because we were feeding off the crowd." Morrison ad libbed songs as he performed and "Gloria", the classic song he had written at eighteen years old, took shape here and could last up to twenty minutes. According to Morrison, "Them lived and died on the stage
at the Maritime Hotel" but only very rudimentary recording
s survive. One fan's recording, of "Turn On Your Love Light
", the group's most popular number, made its way to Mervyn and Phil Solomon
, who contacted Decca Records
' Dick Rowe
, who then traveled to Belfast to hear Them perform. Rowe and Phil Solomon agreed on a two year contract with the members of the band then signed up to Solomon. Morrison, at eighteen had to have his father sign for him. Within a few weeks, the group was taken to England and into the Decca's recording studio
in West Hampstead
for their first recording session.
on July 5, 1964. "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Gloria" were recorded during this session as were both sides of their first single
, "Don't Start Crying Now" and "One Two Brown Eyes" as well as "Groovin'", "Philosophy" and Bo Diddley
's "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover". This session was remarkable in its employment of two drums tracks, which can be clearly heard in the stereo mixes of "Gloria" and "One Two Brown Eyes". Rowe used session musician
s Arthur Greenslade
on organ
and Bobby Graham
on second drum kit. At this late stage it became clear that the parents of Eric Wrixon, a minor in law
, would not sign the contract on his behalf so he was replaced by Pat John McAuley. The single, released in August, did not prove successful.
Their next single, Big Joe Williams
's "Baby Please Don't Go" retained Bobby Graham, substituted Peter Bardens
on second keyboard and added Jimmy Page
on rhythm guitar
(the distinctive lead guitar
was the work of Billy Harrison). It was released in November with "Gloria" as its B-side
. In December 1964, Them made their television
debut, joining The Rolling Stones
, on Ready Steady Go!
. Their manager, Phil Solomon got the track used as the show's signature tune and within two weeks it was at #26 on a UK Singles Chart
, finally peaking in the Top Ten.
In January 1965, Them toured England
for a second time, staying at the Royal Hotel, which disc jockey
Jimmy Savile
used as his London
base. Savile helped promote the band in his column for The People
but Them earned a reputation for bad manners and sarcasm in their interviews. Billy Harrison said the attitude problem may have been caused by anti-Irish sentiments on the continent at the time. But, when they were interviewed by a reporter from the Irish Independent
, the reporter remarked, "They were the most boorish bunch of youngsters I'd come across in my short career". Phil Coulter
recalled the band's interview with a female reporter: "They would just sit and mutter monosyllabic grunts to themselves and give her off-the-wall answers". (Morrison as a solo artist raised such interviews to a "negative art form"). Their management promoted Them by scheduling appearances on Ready Steady Go! and on Top Of The Pops
where, rather than performing live, they were expected to mime and lip snyc. Morrison said of this appearance, "It was ridiculous. We were totally anti that type of thing... and we had to get into suits and have make-up put on and all that...". He also revealed how the band had, until that time, considered the programme a complete joke.
Their next release was Them's biggest hit in the UK, "Here Comes the Night". This time the producer was the writer of the song, Bert Berns
, an American
, who had also co-written "Twist and Shout
". Berns' second keyboardist was Phil Coulter
and Andy White
played drums. Backed with "All for Myself" it charted in the UK at #2 in March 1965
, three weeks after release, and went to #24 in the U.S.
in May.
On 11 April 1965, Them made a guest appearance at the NME
Pollwinners Concert at Wembley
Empire Pool: Jimmy Savile
was MC for this event, which also included The Beatles
, The Rolling Stones
, The Kinks
, The Animals
, The Searchers
, The Moody Blues
and Dusty Springfield
. The bands had been expected to keep to their current hits, but Them audaciously segued from "Here Comes the Night" into a seven minute version of "Turn on Your Lovelight". After the performances, NME
's Derek Johnson commented that Morrison had "more genuine soul than any of his British contemporaries".
The band released their first album, The Angry Young Them
, in June 1965 (UK) and it appeared in the USA on Parrot Records
in July. But Them's next single, "One More Time", chosen by Phil Solomon, failed - according to Billy Harrison because it never constituted single material. In July 1965, the band added drummer Terry Noon and lead guitarist Joe Baldi (born Joseph Baldi, 10 March 1943, in La Spezia, Italy) but they left in September. Their second album, Them Again
, was released in January 1966 in the UK and in April 1966 in the USA.
as part of the British Invasion
. Them Again had charted in the US (later that year "Mystic Eyes
", released as a single, reached #33) and so they began a tour in May 1966. From May 30 to June 18, Them had a residency at the famous Whisky a Go Go
in Los Angeles
. For the final week The Doors
opened for Them and on the last night the two bands and Morrisons jammed a twenty-minute version of "Gloria" and a twenty-five minute version of "In the Midnight Hour
". Them went on to headline at The Fillmore
in San Francisco
, California
and then to Hawaii
, where disputes erupted among band members and with management over money. The band broke apart, Morrison and Henderson returning to Belfast while Ray Elliott (born Raymond Elliott, 13 September 1943, in Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland) and David Harvey (born David Tufney, 29 July 1943, in Bude, Cornwall) decided to stay in America.
Van Morrison has placed the Them break-up in context: "There was no motive behind anything you did [back then]. You just did it because you wanted to do it and you enjoyed doing it. That's the way the thing started, but it got twisted somewhere along the way and everybody involved in it got twisted as well, including me."(1967) "You can't take something like that, put it in a box and place a neat little name on it, then try to sell it. That's what they tried to do. That's what killed Them." (1973)
Van Morrison went on to great success and fame as a solo artist, but Them's combination of garage rock
and blues
proved a major influence on the next generations of rock musicians, and the group's best-known singles have become staples of rock and roll
.
, County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland, died 11 August 1984, Donegal, County Donegal
, Ireland
) formed a rival Them, competing with the Morrison/Henderson line-up and leading to legal action. In March 1966, the latter won the rights to the name while the former, now without Harrison but with Pat's brother Jackie McAuley (born John McAuley, 14 December 1946, in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) (ex-Them, ex-The Kult
), were only allowed to use 'Other Them' in the U.K. The McAuley brothers became, unofficially, The Belfast Gypsies (or Gipsies), though they were never actually billed as such, and recorded two singles on Island Records
(one released under the name Freaks of Nature) and one Swedish-only album, all produced by Kim Fowley
. They toured Europe billed as Them and released a French E.P. under that name but broke up in November 1966. In March 1967 Morrison made a short tour of the Netherlands
backed by Cuby & the Blizzards
and then left for New York to start his highly-successful solo
career. The rest regrouped in Belfast, recruited Kenny McDowell (born Kenneth McDowell, 21 December 1944, in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) (ex-Mad Lads) as lead singer and continued touring and recording steadily after relocating to the USA in early 1967 at the invitation of producer Ray Ruff. Two albums, Now and Them and Time Out! Time In for Them, found the band experimenting with psychedelia. Then Jim Armstrong
and Kenny McDowell returned to Belfast to perform as Sk'boo (Armstrong, McDowell and Ray Elliot reunited in Chicago in 1969 as "Truth" and recorded a number of demos and soundtrack songs later released as Of Them And Other Tales). Henderson hired session musicians for two more records for Ray Ruff's Happy Tiger Records
, in a hard rock vein with country and folk elements; Them (1970) featured Jerry Cole
as guitarist while Them In Reality (1971) featured lead guitarist Jim Parker
and drummer John Stark (both ex-Kitchen Cinq). Henderson also co-wrote a rock opera, Truth Of Truths, produced by Ray Ruff in 1971. These efforts were met with consumer indifference and in 1972 Them dissolved. They reunited briefly in 1979, without Morrison, recording another album, Shut Your Mouth and undertaking a tour of Germany.
's 1989 book, The Heart of Rock and Soul, The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever and "Mystic Eyes
" was rated at #458. "Gloria" was listed at #208 on the 2004 Rolling Stone
magazine's feature, The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in April 1964
1964 in music
-Events:*January 1 – Top of the Pops is broadcast for the first time, on BBC television.*January 3 – Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show....
, most prominently known for the garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's musical career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
. The original five member band consisted of Morrison, Alan Henderson, Ronnie Millings, Billy Harrison and Eric Wrixon.The group was marketed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as part of the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
.
Them scored two UK hits in 1965 with "Baby, Please Don't Go
Baby, Please Don't Go
"Baby, Please Don't Go" is a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams in 1935. It is related to a group of early 20th century blues and work songs that include "I'm Alabama Bound", "Another Man Done Gone", and "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low".It has become a blues and rock...
" (UK #10) and "Here Comes the Night" (UK #2, Ireland #2). The latter song and "Mystic Eyes
Mystic Eyes
"Mystic Eyes" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison when he was leader of the band Them. It was the opening tune for the band's first album, The Angry Young Them that was released in June 1965. It was released as a single in the US and UK on November 12, 1965 and ...
"" were Top 40 hits in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Morrison quit the band in 1966 and went on to a successful career as a solo artist. Although Them had a short-lived existence, the Belfast group had considerable influence on other bands, such as The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
.
Formation
In April 1964, Van Morrison established an R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
at the Maritime Hotel, Belfast with entrepreneurs Jimmy Conlon, Jerry McKernan and Gerry McKervey (known as the "3Js"). Morrison gave notice to the group with which he performed at the time, the Golden Eagles. With an anticipated opening night for the new R&B club approaching, he embarked on a mission to find his ideal line-up. He had recently been introduced to The Gamblers, an East Belfast group formed in 1962 by Ronnie Millings (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, born 1937), Billy Harrison (guitar and lead vocals, born William Harrison on 14 October 1942), and Alan Henderson (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, born 26 November 1944). Eric Wrixon, who was still in school, had been recruited as piano player and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
. Morrison joined in on tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
and vocals. The group rehearsed
Rehearsal
For other uses, see Rehearsal or Dress rehearsal A rehearsal is a preparatory event in music and theatre that is performed before the official public performance, as a form of practice, and to ensure that all details of the performance are adequately prepared and coordinated for professional...
over Dougie Knight's bicycle shop in Shaftesbury Square, Belfast in preparation for their debut at the Maritime. As the group now felt they needed a new name, they followed Eric Wrixon's suggestion and The Gamblers morphed into Them after the 1954 sci-fi horror film.
The Maritime Hotel
On April 14, 1964, an ad in a BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
newspaper asked: Who Are? What Are? THEM. Similarly curious ads followed until the Friday before the gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
(April 17, 1964) announced that Them would be performing that evening at Club Rado at the Maritime Hotel. Attendance at the two hundred capacity venue
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
quickly grew with a packed house by the third week.
Them performed without a routine, fired by the crowd's energy: Morrison later commented that while the band was "out of our element" making records... "The way we did the numbers at the Maritime was more spontaneous, more energetic, more everything, because we were feeding off the crowd." Morrison ad libbed songs as he performed and "Gloria", the classic song he had written at eighteen years old, took shape here and could last up to twenty minutes. According to Morrison, "Them lived and died on the stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
at the Maritime Hotel" but only very rudimentary recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
s survive. One fan's recording, of "Turn On Your Love Light
Turn On Your Love Light
"Turn On Your Love Light" is an R&B-style blues song recorded by Bobby Bland in 1961. It was a both an important R&B and pop chart hit for Bland and has become one of his most identifiable songs...
", the group's most popular number, made its way to Mervyn and Phil Solomon
Phil Solomon
Phil Solomon is an American experimental filmmaker noted for his work with both film and video. Recently, Solomon has earned acclaim for a series of films that incorporate machinima made using games from the Grand Theft Auto series...
, who contacted Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
' Dick Rowe
Dick Rowe
Richard Paul Rowe was an A&R man at Decca Records from the 1950s to the 1960s.He was one of the most important producers and record executives in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and early 1960s and is the man who signed The Rolling Stones, Them , The Moody Blues, The Animals, The Zombies, John...
, who then traveled to Belfast to hear Them perform. Rowe and Phil Solomon agreed on a two year contract with the members of the band then signed up to Solomon. Morrison, at eighteen had to have his father sign for him. Within a few weeks, the group was taken to England and into the Decca's recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
in West Hampstead
West Hampstead
West Hampstead is an area in northwest London, England, situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, and South Hampstead to the south. Until the late 19th century, the locale was a small village called West End...
for their first recording session.
With Decca
Them's first recording session took place in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on July 5, 1964. "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Gloria" were recorded during this session as were both sides of their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Don't Start Crying Now" and "One Two Brown Eyes" as well as "Groovin'", "Philosophy" and Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
's "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover". This session was remarkable in its employment of two drums tracks, which can be clearly heard in the stereo mixes of "Gloria" and "One Two Brown Eyes". Rowe used session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s Arthur Greenslade
Arthur Greenslade
Arthur Greenslade was a British conductor and arranger for films and television as well as for a number of performers. In the 1950s he was pianist and arranger with the Oscar Rabin Band. He has arranged for Jack Jones, Chris Farlowe, Serge Gainsbourg, Genesis, Cat Stevens, Diana Ross and Dusty...
on organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham was an English session drummer, composer, arranger and record producer. Shel Talmy, who produced The Kinks, David Bowie and The Who, described Graham as "the greatest drummer the UK has ever produced."...
on second drum kit. At this late stage it became clear that the parents of Eric Wrixon, a minor in law
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
, would not sign the contract on his behalf so he was replaced by Pat John McAuley. The single, released in August, did not prove successful.
Their next single, Big Joe Williams
Big Joe Williams
Joseph Lee Williams , billed throughout his career as Big Joe Williams, was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar...
's "Baby Please Don't Go" retained Bobby Graham, substituted Peter Bardens
Peter Bardens
Peter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...
on second keyboard and added Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
on rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
(the distinctive lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
was the work of Billy Harrison). It was released in November with "Gloria" as its B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. In December 1964, Them made their television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
debut, joining The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, on Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the UK's first rock/pop music TV programmes. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan was assisted by record producer/talent manager Vicki Wickham, who became the producer. It was broadcast from August 1963 until December 1966...
. Their manager, Phil Solomon got the track used as the show's signature tune and within two weeks it was at #26 on a UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, finally peaking in the Top Ten.
In January 1965, Them toured England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for a second time, staying at the Royal Hotel, which disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
used as his London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
base. Savile helped promote the band in his column for The People
The People
The People, previously known as the Sunday People, is a British tabloid Sunday-only newspaper. The paper was founded on 16 October 1881.It is published by the Trinity Mirror Group.In July 2011 it had an average daily circulation of 806,544....
but Them earned a reputation for bad manners and sarcasm in their interviews. Billy Harrison said the attitude problem may have been caused by anti-Irish sentiments on the continent at the time. But, when they were interviewed by a reporter from the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, the reporter remarked, "They were the most boorish bunch of youngsters I'd come across in my short career". Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
recalled the band's interview with a female reporter: "They would just sit and mutter monosyllabic grunts to themselves and give her off-the-wall answers". (Morrison as a solo artist raised such interviews to a "negative art form"). Their management promoted Them by scheduling appearances on Ready Steady Go! and on Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
where, rather than performing live, they were expected to mime and lip snyc. Morrison said of this appearance, "It was ridiculous. We were totally anti that type of thing... and we had to get into suits and have make-up put on and all that...". He also revealed how the band had, until that time, considered the programme a complete joke.
Their next release was Them's biggest hit in the UK, "Here Comes the Night". This time the producer was the writer of the song, Bert Berns
Bert Berns
Bertrand Russell Berns , most commonly known as Bert Berns as well as Bert Russell and Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who had also co-written "Twist and Shout
Twist and Shout
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album...
". Berns' second keyboardist was Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
and Andy White
Andy White (drummer)
Andrew "Andy" White is a Scottish drummer, best known for replacing Ringo Starr on drums on The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do". White featured on the American 7" single release of the song, which also appeared on the band's debut British album, Please Please Me. He also played drums on the...
played drums. Backed with "All for Myself" it charted in the UK at #2 in March 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
, three weeks after release, and went to #24 in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in May.
On 11 April 1965, Them made a guest appearance at the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Pollwinners Concert at Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
Empire Pool: Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
was MC for this event, which also included The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
, The Searchers
The Searchers (band)
The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
, The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
and Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
. The bands had been expected to keep to their current hits, but Them audaciously segued from "Here Comes the Night" into a seven minute version of "Turn on Your Lovelight". After the performances, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
's Derek Johnson commented that Morrison had "more genuine soul than any of his British contemporaries".
The band released their first album, The Angry Young Them
The Angry Young Them
The Angry Young Them is the first album from the Northern Irish rock and roll group Them. The album was released in the UK in June 1965. The band's lead singer and songwriter was Van Morrison...
, in June 1965 (UK) and it appeared in the USA on Parrot Records
Parrot Records
Parrot Records was a division of London Records in the United States which started in 1964. Notable artists whose records were released by Parrot included: The Zombies, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Them featuring Van Morrison, Jonathan King, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, Lulu, Bobby "Boris"...
in July. But Them's next single, "One More Time", chosen by Phil Solomon, failed - according to Billy Harrison because it never constituted single material. In July 1965, the band added drummer Terry Noon and lead guitarist Joe Baldi (born Joseph Baldi, 10 March 1943, in La Spezia, Italy) but they left in September. Their second album, Them Again
Them Again
Them Again is the second album by the Northern Irish band, Them, whose lead singer and songwriter was Van Morrison. The album was released by Decca Records in the UK on January 21, 1966 but it failed to chart. In the U.S...
, was released in January 1966 in the UK and in April 1966 in the USA.
America
The group was marketed in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as part of the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
. Them Again had charted in the US (later that year "Mystic Eyes
Mystic Eyes
"Mystic Eyes" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison when he was leader of the band Them. It was the opening tune for the band's first album, The Angry Young Them that was released in June 1965. It was released as a single in the US and UK on November 12, 1965 and ...
", released as a single, reached #33) and so they began a tour in May 1966. From May 30 to June 18, Them had a residency at the famous Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. For the final week The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
opened for Them and on the last night the two bands and Morrisons jammed a twenty-minute version of "Gloria" and a twenty-five minute version of "In the Midnight Hour
In the Midnight Hour
"In the Midnight Hour" is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965 and released on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. It was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Martin Luther King, Jr. would later be murdered in April 1968...
". Them went on to headline at The Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and then to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where disputes erupted among band members and with management over money. The band broke apart, Morrison and Henderson returning to Belfast while Ray Elliott (born Raymond Elliott, 13 September 1943, in Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland) and David Harvey (born David Tufney, 29 July 1943, in Bude, Cornwall) decided to stay in America.
Van Morrison has placed the Them break-up in context: "There was no motive behind anything you did [back then]. You just did it because you wanted to do it and you enjoyed doing it. That's the way the thing started, but it got twisted somewhere along the way and everybody involved in it got twisted as well, including me."(1967) "You can't take something like that, put it in a box and place a neat little name on it, then try to sell it. That's what they tried to do. That's what killed Them." (1973)
Van Morrison went on to great success and fame as a solo artist, but Them's combination of garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
proved a major influence on the next generations of rock musicians, and the group's best-known singles have become staples of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
.
Post Morrison
In late August 1965, Billy Harrison and Pat McAuley (born Patrick John McAuley, 17 March 1944, in ColeraineColeraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, Northern Ireland, died 11 August 1984, Donegal, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
) formed a rival Them, competing with the Morrison/Henderson line-up and leading to legal action. In March 1966, the latter won the rights to the name while the former, now without Harrison but with Pat's brother Jackie McAuley (born John McAuley, 14 December 1946, in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) (ex-Them, ex-The Kult
Paul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
), were only allowed to use 'Other Them' in the U.K. The McAuley brothers became, unofficially, The Belfast Gypsies (or Gipsies), though they were never actually billed as such, and recorded two singles on Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(one released under the name Freaks of Nature) and one Swedish-only album, all produced by Kim Fowley
Kim Fowley
Kim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
. They toured Europe billed as Them and released a French E.P. under that name but broke up in November 1966. In March 1967 Morrison made a short tour of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
backed by Cuby & the Blizzards
Cuby & the Blizzards
Cuby + Blizzards – also known as Cuby & the Blizzards – are a Dutch blues group that formed in 1964 around Harry Muskee and Eelco Gelling...
and then left for New York to start his highly-successful solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. The rest regrouped in Belfast, recruited Kenny McDowell (born Kenneth McDowell, 21 December 1944, in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) (ex-Mad Lads) as lead singer and continued touring and recording steadily after relocating to the USA in early 1967 at the invitation of producer Ray Ruff. Two albums, Now and Them and Time Out! Time In for Them, found the band experimenting with psychedelia. Then Jim Armstrong
Jim Armstrong (guitarist)
James 'Jim' Armstrong is a guitarist from Northern Ireland.Armstrong's musical career started while he was still a schoolboy, when he played in Belfast's top showband, The Melotones, who were resident in the city's Romano's Ballroom...
and Kenny McDowell returned to Belfast to perform as Sk'boo (Armstrong, McDowell and Ray Elliot reunited in Chicago in 1969 as "Truth" and recorded a number of demos and soundtrack songs later released as Of Them And Other Tales). Henderson hired session musicians for two more records for Ray Ruff's Happy Tiger Records
Happy Tiger Records
Happy Tiger Records was an independent American record label that was owned by the Flying Tiger Line air freight company. Happy Tiger only operated from 1969 to 1971, but during this time managed to produce more than two dozen albums by such notable artists as Count Basie, Mason Proffit, Red...
, in a hard rock vein with country and folk elements; Them (1970) featured Jerry Cole
Jerry Cole
Jerry Cole born Jerald Kolbrack was an American guitarist who recorded under his own name, under various budget album pseudonyms and as an uncredited session musician.-Biography:...
as guitarist while Them In Reality (1971) featured lead guitarist Jim Parker
James Ervan Parker
James Ervan Parker is an American Singer-songwriter and co-founder of the Huntsville, Alabama Sub-chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. Parker lives in Madison, Alabama, his home since 1985.-Early career:Parker received his first guitar from Jimmy Gilmer of The Fireballs...
and drummer John Stark (both ex-Kitchen Cinq). Henderson also co-wrote a rock opera, Truth Of Truths, produced by Ray Ruff in 1971. These efforts were met with consumer indifference and in 1972 Them dissolved. They reunited briefly in 1979, without Morrison, recording another album, Shut Your Mouth and undertaking a tour of Germany.
Acclaim
The band's 1964 recording of "Gloria" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. It was rated at #69 on Dave MarshDave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
's 1989 book, The Heart of Rock and Soul, The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever and "Mystic Eyes
Mystic Eyes
"Mystic Eyes" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison when he was leader of the band Them. It was the opening tune for the band's first album, The Angry Young Them that was released in June 1965. It was released as a single in the US and UK on November 12, 1965 and ...
" was rated at #458. "Gloria" was listed at #208 on the 2004 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's feature, The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
.
Albums
- The Angry Young ThemThe Angry Young ThemThe Angry Young Them is the first album from the Northern Irish rock and roll group Them. The album was released in the UK in June 1965. The band's lead singer and songwriter was Van Morrison...
- (1965), DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
(U.K.), ParrotParrot RecordsParrot Records was a division of London Records in the United States which started in 1964. Notable artists whose records were released by Parrot included: The Zombies, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Them featuring Van Morrison, Jonathan King, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, Lulu, Bobby "Boris"...
(U.S.); CD reissue 1990, DeramDeram RecordsDeram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through... - Them AgainThem AgainThem Again is the second album by the Northern Irish band, Them, whose lead singer and songwriter was Van Morrison. The album was released by Decca Records in the UK on January 21, 1966 but it failed to chart. In the U.S...
- (1966), Decca (U.K.), Parrot (U.S.); CD reissue 1990, Polygram
Singles
- Don't Start Crying Now / One Two Brown Eyes - (1964)
- Baby, Please Don't GoBaby, Please Don't Go"Baby, Please Don't Go" is a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams in 1935. It is related to a group of early 20th century blues and work songs that include "I'm Alabama Bound", "Another Man Done Gone", and "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low".It has become a blues and rock...
/ Gloria - (1965) UK #10, US #102 - Here Comes the Night / All For Myself - (1965) UK #2, IRE #2, US #24
- One More Time / How Long Baby - (1965)
- Gloria / Baby, Please Don't GoBaby, Please Don't Go"Baby, Please Don't Go" is a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams in 1935. It is related to a group of early 20th century blues and work songs that include "I'm Alabama Bound", "Another Man Done Gone", and "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low".It has become a blues and rock...
- (1965) US #93, US #71 (1966 Re-release) - (It Won't Hurt) Half As Much / I'm Gonna Dress In Black - (1965)
- Mystic EyesMystic Eyes"Mystic Eyes" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison when he was leader of the band Them. It was the opening tune for the band's first album, The Angry Young Them that was released in June 1965. It was released as a single in the US and UK on November 12, 1965 and ...
/ If You And I Could Be As Two - (1966) US #33 - Call My Name / Bring 'em On In - (1966)
- I Can Only Give You Everything / Don't Start Crying Now - (1966)
- It's All Over Now, Baby BlueIt's All Over Now, Baby Blue"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...
/ I'm Gonna Dress In Black (Netherlands) - (1966) - Richard Cory / Don't You Know - (1966)
- Friday's Child / Gloria - (1967)
- The Story Of Them, Part 1 / The Story Of Them, Part 2 - (1967)
- It's All Over Now, Baby Blue / Bad Or Good - (1973) GER #13
EPs
- Them - (1965) - Don't Start Crying Now/Philosophy/One Two Brown Eyes/Baby, Please Don't Go
- Them - (1984) UK #5
Compilations
- The World of Them - (1970) (UK Decca- PA/SPA-86)
- Them featuring Van Morrison - (1972) - A double LP consisting of 20 cuts from first two US albums
- Rock Roots - 1976 (Decca)
- The Story of Them - (1977)
- Them featuring Van Morrison - (1985)
- The Story of Them Featuring Van MorrisonThe Story of Them Featuring Van MorrisonThe Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison is a compilation album that includes almost every song recorded by the Northern Irish band Them during the two year history of the band when it featured Van Morrison as the vocalist for the group.-Track listing:...
- (1997), Deram; To be remastered and reissued in January, 2009. - Gold - (2005), DeramDeram RecordsDeram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
; 2006 release Universal InternationalUniversal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
; 2008 release Universal JapanUniversal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. Contains 49 tracks, all from the Van Morrison period.
Albums
- Them Belfast Gypsies - (August 1967, Scandinavia only) SonetSonet RecordsSonet Records is a jazz record label operating as an imprint of Universal Music Sweden. It was founded in Sweden in 1956.Sonet Records was established by Sven Lindholm and Gunnar Bergström, who managed the label into the 1980s. Dag Haeggqvist, the owner of Gazell Records, became an executive of the...
; CD reissue 2003, with bonus tracks, Rev-OlaRev-Ola RecordsRev-Ola Records is a UK record label formed in 1988 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer...
(by spin-off band, The Belfast Gypsies)
- Now And Them - (January 1968), TowerTower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
; CD reissue with bonus tracks 2003, Rev-OlaRev-Ola RecordsRev-Ola Records is a UK record label formed in 1988 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer... - Time Out! Time In For Them - (November 1968), TowerTower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
; CD reissue 2003 with eight bonus tracks, Rev-OlaRev-Ola RecordsRev-Ola Records is a UK record label formed in 1988 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer... - Them - (1970), Happy TigerHappy Tiger RecordsHappy Tiger Records was an independent American record label that was owned by the Flying Tiger Line air freight company. Happy Tiger only operated from 1969 to 1971, but during this time managed to produce more than two dozen albums by such notable artists as Count Basie, Mason Proffit, Red...
; CD reissue 2008, Fallout - Them In Reality - (1971), Happy TigerHappy Tiger RecordsHappy Tiger Records was an independent American record label that was owned by the Flying Tiger Line air freight company. Happy Tiger only operated from 1969 to 1971, but during this time managed to produce more than two dozen albums by such notable artists as Count Basie, Mason Proffit, Red...
; CD reissue 2008, Fallout - Shut Your Mouth - (1979), Teldec, CD reissue 2000 as Reunion Concert, SpalaxSpalax (record company)Spalax is a record label in France that specializes in progressive rock and experimental music, it features a huge krautrock catalog too. Spalax music re-released, among others, albums by Amon Düül, Cluster, Harmonia, Popol Vuh, Annexus Quam, and Bernard Szajner....
Singles
- Secret Police / Gloria's Dream - (June 1966, USA), Loma 2051 (as The Belfast Gipsies)
- Gloria's Dream / Secret Police - (October 1966, UK), IslandIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
WI 3007 (as Belfast Gipsies) - Portland Town / People Let's Freak Out - (October 1966, USA), Loma 2060 (as The Belfast Gipsies)
- People Let's Freak Out / The Shadow Chasers ('Secret Police') - (December 1966, UK), IslandIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
WI 3017 (Belfast Gypsies credited as Freaks of Nature, 'A' side with added studio effects) - Portland Town / Boom Boom - (1967, Sweden only), SonetSonet RecordsSonet Records is a jazz record label operating as an imprint of Universal Music Sweden. It was founded in Sweden in 1956.Sonet Records was established by Sven Lindholm and Gunnar Bergström, who managed the label into the 1980s. Dag Haeggqvist, the owner of Gazell Records, became an executive of the...
T 7672 (Belfast Gypsies credited as 'Them') - Dirty Old Man (At the Age of Sixteen) / Square Room - (August 1967), Sully Records 1021
- Walking In The Queen's Garden / I Happen To Love You - (November 1967), Ruff Records 1088
- Dirty Old Man (At the Age of Sixteen) / Square Room - (December 1967) TowerTower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
(newly-recorded versions of both tracks) - Walking In The Queen's Garden / I Happen to Love You - (December 1967), TowerTower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
384 (re-issue of Ruff Records 1088) - But It's Alright / Square Room - (April 1968), TowerTower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
407 ('B' side edited version of album track) - Waltz of the Flies / We've All Agreed To Help - (1969), TowerTower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
461 - Corina / Dark are the Shadows - (March 1969), TowerTower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
493 - I am Waiting / Lonely Weekends - (1969), Happy TigerHappy Tiger RecordsHappy Tiger Records was an independent American record label that was owned by the Flying Tiger Line air freight company. Happy Tiger only operated from 1969 to 1971, but during this time managed to produce more than two dozen albums by such notable artists as Count Basie, Mason Proffit, Red...
525 - Memphis Lady / Nobody Cares - (1970), Happy TigerHappy Tiger RecordsHappy Tiger Records was an independent American record label that was owned by the Flying Tiger Line air freight company. Happy Tiger only operated from 1969 to 1971, but during this time managed to produce more than two dozen albums by such notable artists as Count Basie, Mason Proffit, Red...
534
EP
- Gloria's Dream - Gloria's Dream / Secret Police / Aria Of The Fallen Angels / The Crazy World Inside Me - (1967, France only), Disques Vogue INT18079 (The Belfast Gypsies)
- Portland Town - Portland Town / It's All Over Now, Baby Blue / Midnight Train / The Gorilla - (1967, France only), Disques Vogue INT18135 (Belfast Gypsies credited as 'Them')
Personnel
Over 30 musicians have played with the group;| (April 1964 - January 1965) |
|
|---|---|
| (January 1965 - April 1965) |
Van Morrison Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely... - lead vocals |
| (May 1965 - July 1965) 'The Angry Young Them / Here Comes The Night' |
Van Morrison Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely... - lead vocals Peter Bardens Peter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer... - keyboards |
| (July 1965 - August 1965) |
Van Morrison Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely... - lead vocals |
| (about September 1965 - November 1966, as 'THEM', 'OTHER THEM', or 'BELFAST GYPSIES') 'Belfast Gypsies' |
|
| (September 1965 - April 1966) 'Them Again' |
Van Morrison Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely... - lead vocals Jim Armstrong (guitarist) James 'Jim' Armstrong is a guitarist from Northern Ireland.Armstrong's musical career started while he was still a schoolboy, when he played in Belfast's top showband, The Melotones, who were resident in the city's Romano's Ballroom... - guitar John Wilson (musician) John Wilson is a musician from Northern Ireland. He has had a prolific career, playing drums with bands such as Them, Taste and Stud. Previously with 'The Misfits', Wilson became a member of one of the numerous line-ups of Them from September 1965 to March 1966... - drums (until December 1965)
|
| (April 1966 - September 1966) |
Van Morrison Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely... - lead vocals Jim Armstrong (guitarist) James 'Jim' Armstrong is a guitarist from Northern Ireland.Armstrong's musical career started while he was still a schoolboy, when he played in Belfast's top showband, The Melotones, who were resident in the city's Romano's Ballroom... - guitar
|
| (September 1966 - October 1966, as 'THEM AGAIN') |
Van Morrison Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely... - lead vocals Eric Bell Eric Robin Bell is a Northern Irish rock musician and guitarist, best known as a founder member and the original guitarist of the rock group Thin Lizzy.-Early career:... - guitar
|
| (1966–1967) 'Now And Them' |
Jim Armstrong (guitarist) James 'Jim' Armstrong is a guitarist from Northern Ireland.Armstrong's musical career started while he was still a schoolboy, when he played in Belfast's top showband, The Melotones, who were resident in the city's Romano's Ballroom... - guitar, sitar |
| (1967–1968) 'Time Out Time In For Them' 'Corina / Dark Are The Shadows' |
Jim Armstrong (guitarist) James 'Jim' Armstrong is a guitarist from Northern Ireland.Armstrong's musical career started while he was still a schoolboy, when he played in Belfast's top showband, The Melotones, who were resident in the city's Romano's Ballroom... - guitar, sitar
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| (1969–1970) 'Them' |
Jerry Cole Jerry Cole born Jerald Kolbrack was an American guitarist who recorded under his own name, under various budget album pseudonyms and as an uncredited session musician.-Biography:... - vocals, guitar, percussion
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| (1971, as 'THEM featuring Alan Henderson') 'Them In Reality' |
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| (mid 1969 - early 1971, as 'TRUTH') 'Of Them And Other Tales' |
Jim Armstrong (guitarist) James 'Jim' Armstrong is a guitarist from Northern Ireland.Armstrong's musical career started while he was still a schoolboy, when he played in Belfast's top showband, The Melotones, who were resident in the city's Romano's Ballroom... - guitar
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| (1979) 'Shut Your Mouth' |
Eric Wrixon Eric Wrixon is a musician from Northern Ireland. He was a founder member of both Them and Thin Lizzy. It was Wrixon who came up with the enigmatic band name 'Them' but as he was a minor, his parents declined to sign a recording contract on his behalf and he was replaced prior to recording with the... - keyboards (studio sessions)
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| (from 1993 - as 'THEM - THE BELFAST BLUES BAND') |
Eric Wrixon Eric Wrixon is a musician from Northern Ireland. He was a founder member of both Them and Thin Lizzy. It was Wrixon who came up with the enigmatic band name 'Them' but as he was a minor, his parents declined to sign a recording contract on his behalf and he was replaced prior to recording with the... - keyboards, lead vocals
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External links
- The Music Collector's Guide - full chronology of Them/Van Morrison
- [ allmusic Biography: Them]
- Them the Band tripod.com
- Detailed biography Them and band member's later careers by John Berg
- Month-by-month biography of Them at Garagehangover.com