Freddie and the Dreamers were an English beat band that had a number of hit records between 1963 and 1965. The band's stage act was enlivened by the comic antics of Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying.

History

The band, formed in March 1962 in

West Didsbury Didsbury is a suburban area of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 26,788. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there are ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

, consisted of vocalist Freddie Garrity (1936–2006), guitarist Roy Crewdson (born 1941), guitarist/harmonica player Derek Quinn (1942–2020), bassist Peter Birrell, and drummer Bernie Dwyer (1940–2002). Although the band was grouped as part of the

Merseybeat Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music genre that developed, particularly in and around Liverpool, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from American rock and roll, rhythm and blues, skiffl ...

sound phenomenon centered around

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, they came from Manchester. Prior to becoming a singer, Garrity had worked as a milkman in Manchester and bassist Birrell was a shoe salesman. They had four Top 10 UK hits: a cover of James Ray's hit " If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", which reached number 3 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in mid-1963, " I'm Telling You Now" (number 2 in August), " You Were Made for Me" (number 3 in November) and a cover of The G-Clefs' "I Understand", which hit the number 5 spot in November 1964. Their eponymous debut album was released in the United Kingdom in 1963, peaking at number five in the UK Albums Chart and reaching number 19 in the US albums chart on May 22, 1965. It was the only LP by the group to chart in America. Their subsequent four albums in the UK failed to chart. On stage the group performed rehearsed, synchronised wacky dance routines. They appeared in four British films: '' What a Crazy World'' with Joe Brown, ''Just for You'', '' Cuckoo Patrol'' with Kenneth Connor and

Victor Maddern Victor Jack Maddern (16 March 1928 – 22 June 1993) was an English actor. He was described by '' The Telegraph'' as having "one of the most distinctive and eloquent faces in post-war British cinema." Life and career Born in Seven Kings, ...

and '' Every Day's A Holiday'' (US title ''Seaside Swingers'') with Mike Sarne,

Ron Moody Ron Moody (born Ronald Moodnick; 8 January 1924 – 11 June 2015) was an English actor, composer, singer and writer. He was best known for his portrayal of Fagin in '' Oliver!'' (1968) and its 1983 Broadway revival. Moody earned a Golden Glob ...

and

John Leyton John Dudley Leyton (born 17 February 1936) is an English actor and singer. As a singer he is best known for his hit song " Johnny Remember Me" (written by Geoff Goddard and produced by Joe Meek), which reached number one in the UK Singles Cha ...

. Between 1968 and 1973, Garrity and Birrell appeared in the UK ITV children's show ''Little Big Time'', a zany music/talent/adventure show with audience participation.Nostalgia Central
''Little Big Time'' and ''Oliver in the Overworld'' Garrity and Birrell formed a new version of Freddie and the Dreamers in the mid 1970s, releasing three albums on the Arny's Shack label in 1976, 1978 and 1983, although Birrell had left before the third release.

Legacy

In the 1980 ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

History of Rock & Roll'', writer

Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for ''Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock music ...

paid tribute (of a kind) to the group:

Founding members

* Freddie Garrity – vocals (1962–2000; died 2006) *Derek Quinn – lead guitar (1962–1971; died 2020) *Roy Crewdson – rhythm guitar (1962–1971) *Pete Birrell – bass (1962–1971; 1974–1980s) *Bernie Dwyer – drums (1962–1971; died 2002)

Discography

References

External links