Monocled Alchemist

“Keep Me Warm (‘Til The Sun Shines)” taken from the EP ‘Five From The Kirkbys’ | (Top Sounds TSEP 003) February 2024

The Kirkbys | Keep Me Warm (‘Til The Sun Shines) | (Top Sounds) | WITH ONLY ONE 45 issued in their native country during their career, one could be forgiven for assuming that Liverpool’s Kirkbys weren’t the most prolific of recording groups in the 1960s.

This however was certainly not the case, as from 1962 when they taped their first demos as the Panthers to the release of their memorable 1967 single as the 23rd Turnoff, the band recorded many tracks in numerous studios.

Quite a few have been found and retrospectively released but thanks to the emergence of two acetates on the internet and another disc literally found in a skip in recent years, a quintet of alternate versions and hitherto unheard numbers have enabled FIVE FROM THE KIRKBYS.

When those first demos as the Panthers were recorded the group had already been in existence for nearly two years, and many of the core members of the band were already in place who would play on the selections on this EP record.

A 16 year old guitarist Jimmy Campbell formed the Tuxedos in Kirkby in 1960 with fellow guitar player John ‘JD’ Lloyd, and eventually future long term Kirkbys Kenny Goodlass (drums) and Alby Power (bass guitarist) joined Jimmy and John.

early recordings

Rechristening themselves the Panthers those aforementioned demos were taped at Philips Sound Recording Service in Liverpool, where four years before the Quarrymen had recorded “In Spite Of All The Danger” and “That’ll Be The Day.

With lead vocalist Gerry Savage the quintet covered Ricky Nelson’s “For You” and the Coasters “Searchin” ” and an acetate from the session is in existence. When the next bout of recording was undertaken the Panthers had become the Kirkbys at the suggestion of Cavern compere and DJ Bob Wooler and singer Gerry Savage had been succeeded by Joe Morooth who would remain with the band until December 1966.

Through their new manager Beryl Adams (who’d previously worked for Brian Epstein at NEMS) the Kirkbys went to London to tape some numbers for John Schroeder (then A&R man at Oriole records), but nothing materialised from this brief liaison.

The Kirkbys | Keep Me Warm (‘Til The Sun Shines) | (Top Sounds)

Then in August 1964 the boys were back in the capital for an audition with Decca (which they failed) but it’s possible there was a deal in the offing from the Philips Group at some point as the ‘ladder’ picture on the back of this booklet states `Fontana Recording Artistes’, but as we know no Kirkbys record ever appeared on that label.

Incidentally whilst the band were in London Jimmy was entertained by Ringo in the Beatle’s flat, where he played him an acetate of “Baby’s In Black” which they’d just recorded for the album that became Beatles For Sale.

Thanks to a fortuitous engagement at Manchester university the Kirkbys acquired a new manager in one Keith Mallett, whose brother was in Birmingham’s Renegades.

Touring Finland

After a tour of Finland in late 1964 the Renegades established quite a fan base there and scored hits in the Finnish charts including the classic “Cadillac”, and Keith Mallett arranged bookings for the Kirkbys too to play to Finnish audiences.

With a fresh drummer in Mervyn Sharp after Kenny Goodlass had departed to join the Escorts, the Kirkbys recorded “‘Cos My Baby’s Gone” and “She’ll Get No Loving That Way” – which were both credited on the labels to the five members – and finally they had a record released.

Though only issued in Finland the single made the charts over there in late 1965 and a second 45 coupling “Don’t Want You No More” and “Bless You” was released the following year. And it was during a tour of Finland late in 1965 that Jimmy wrote a song called “Michael Angelo” . . .

The group first captured a rendition of “Michael Angelo” on disc in 1966 in a Birmingham studio (which remains unreleased) and two later pre-single recordings of the song – one cut again in Birmingham in mid 1967 and another in London at I.B.C. – have subsequently appeared on CD and vinyl 23rd Turnoff compilations.

Decca contract

In August 1967 with a fresh contract secured with Decca the Kirkbys – now the 23rd Turnoff – recorded the “Michael Angelo” that would appear on their lone 45 for Deram, though actually of the band members at that time ( Jim, JD, Alby and Kenny) only Jimmy and JD appeared on “Michael” and the flip “Leave Me Here”.

The “Michael Angelo” we feature here on Five From The Kirkbys is something of a revelation, and its discovery nothing short of remarkable. Fifty years after the song was composed by Jimmy enter one Stephen Power (no relation to Alby!), but Wales’s (and very probably the world’s) keenest and most intrepid record hound . . .

The Kirkbys | Keep Me Warm (‘Til The Sun Shines) | (Top Sounds)

“So, it was a weekday in late September / early October 2015 and I was working delivering parcels in Pontypool and New Inn. The old ICI / British Nylon Spinners factory and offices located in Mamhilad (a small village just outside New Inn) had been turned into an industrial estate and one of the individual companies was a waste recycling plant with a number of large skips containing different types of recyclable waste.

This company wasn’t on my route but I thought I’d pop in and ask them if they get any records. A fella in a hi-vis tabard told me they did but there wasn’t any on site at the moment. He said to hold on anyway just in case and he went to check at the back.

He came back with a large orange industrial waste bag as he said he’d found some records in a small skip. I didn’t get a chance to look immediately as I had to get on with deliveries in the industrial estate and move onto other delivery locations.

When I finished work I took the bag home and put it in the shed. It wasn’t until three or four weeks later that I finally went through the contents of the large waste bag. At first it looked like the usual suspects of easy listening LPs, and a battered and sleeveless 1960 Ray Charles album and his “Greatest Hits Volume 2” on Stateside were the best of the LPs.

finding the acetate

There were about a dozen 45s, two copies of “Forever More” on RCA from 1970 and a Guess Who RCA 45 from 1970 which seemed to be the best mixed with Russ Conway, Bobby Rydell, Joe Brown and other early ’60s chart hits.

About halfway through the seven-inch singles it showed up. I bellowed “Oh my God!” several times from the kitchen and the missus (not a record collector by the way!) was in the living room wondering what was going on”.

Stephen had found an acetate of “Michael Angelo” recorded at Regent Sound in London, which we think was cut in late 1966 and we suspect its Joe Marooth who’s singing the lead on this unique rendition. Another fascinating insight into the development of this well-loved gemstone of British psychedelia, “Michael” ‘s coupling though is even more portentous.

The Kirkbys | Keep Me Warm (‘Til The Sun Shines) | (Top Sounds)

Jimmy’s “Keep Me Warm (‘Til The Sun Shines)” was an unknown composition to most for some thirty five years, until a 1966 version of it by the Swinging Blue Jeans was released in 2003. In interviews over the years with the Blue Jeans, the Escorts and the Kirkbys themselves, Mark A. Johnston (who compiled the 23rd Turnoff CD and LP) was told by all that Jimmy taught the SBJ the song in person rather than presenting them with a recorded demo.

This may well still be the case and our Kirkbys version here could well have been done after the (quite splendid) Blue Jeans A’ Swinging, recording, but whatever the scenario the more expeditious version we present here is rather wonderful — and all the more entertaining when considering all the musicians concerned had denied it ever existed!

On the brace of 23rd Turnoff compilations one of the (many) highlights was certainly “I’ll Be Round”, a storming offensive with soaring vocals and a riff not dissimilar to the Who’s “So Sad About Us”.

Late Beat sound

Even with restoration the sound of “I’ll Be Round” on those comps was reason-able at best (the source was probably a cassette) but an acetate appeared on eBay towards the end of 2022 and was made available to us for this EP.

Recorded at Ladbroke Sound Studio in Birmingham in June 1967 “I’ll Be Round” is now finally heard in its intended glory and is a glowing example of the late beat sound bending into psychedelia.

During 1966, the band – on the back of those Finnish RCA singles – spent some time in London taping more material for the label, recordings that were facilitated by Phil Solomons who was then head of Radio Caroline amongst his other activities.

The Kirkbys were placed with BBC radio DJ, presenter and producer Pat Campbell (he was the off screen presenter on BBC2’s The Beat Room) but his production work on “I’m Gonna Be A Big Star” for example didn’t achieve great results and the recordings were elbowed.

Solomons brought in Tommy Scott, a Scottish songwriter and producer best known in beat circles for producing the two Decca albums by Them. Scott and Solomons formed their own production team and you can see their credit on the Kirkbys only British 45 “It’s A Crime” which was released in September 1966.

Radio Caroline North

With Solomons’ control over the pirate ship playlist the record got some airplay on Caroline (you’ll hear Graham Webb of Radio Caroline North at the end of this EP), but unfortunately the single was not a big seller.

The emergence of another Kirkbys acetate on the internet (a disc amongst thousands of others bought from a publishing library), the blissful blast of “It’s A Crime” can now be heard in an earlier take to the released 45 version.

With an extended intro and more emphasis on dual lead vocals it’s another welcome addition to the band’s archive but even more satisfying to uncover is “I’m Gonna Be A Big Star”, another sterling group performance even if Jimmy and the Kirkbys were later rather dismissive of it.

It was mooted as a follow-up single to “It’s A Crime” but when that record failed to sell well there was no successor and “I’m Gonna Be A Big Star” was forgotten. So with “I’m Gonna Be A Big Star”, “It’s A Crime”, “Keep Me Warm (‘Til The Sun Shines)”, “I’ll Be Round” and … oh yes … “Michael Angelo” – that makes . . . FIVE FROM THE KIRKBYS ! (Nigel Lees)