KINGSIZE
TAYLOR
&
THE
DOMINOES
September 1957 to early 1958
 The
Dominoes. Formed when Cliff, Sam and Arthur left Waterloo
Grammar. Sam was a prodigious piano pumper; Cliff assembled a simple but
effective drum kit; Arthur did a passable imitation of Little Richard &
Elvis!
Made their debut at the Caradoc Mission Hall, Seaforth. Actually recorded
an album (acetates exist) at Lambda Studios in Crosby...10 tracks, including
20 Flight Rock, Great Balls of Fire, Guitar Boogie and other classics.
Line-up
 Cliff
Roberts: drums (from the Sinners - on the guitar);
Sam Hardie: piano;
George Watson: guitar, vocal;
Arthur Baker: vocal;
Charlie Flynn: guitar, vocal.
Early 1958 to August
1958
Ted Taylor joined the band which would soon be pre-fixed with his name;
Charlie started to play a bit of bass on the four lower strings of a conventional
guitar; Arthur began to lose his enthusiasm for singing.
Cut a second album at Lambda and continued to grab gigs wherever they
could. Certain parties feel that "George's nose was put out of joint by
Ted's arrival...there wasn't enough room, from an ego point of view, for
two lead guitarists" - so George did a runner.
Line-up
 Ted
Taylor: lead guitar, vocal (later formed "The James Boys");
Cliff Roberts: drums;
Sam Hardie: piano;
George Watson: guitar, vocal (to the Black Hawks);
Arthur Baker: vocal (quit show-biz!);
Charlie Flynn: bass, vocal.
The first time anyone in Liverpool had seen an electric bass was when
Freddie Bell & the Bell Boys played there in May 57. Cliff Roberts:
"They had this big fat booming bass sound - but no double bass...then we
saw this strange long-necked, 4 string guitar...a Fender bass! That was
a revelation! You couldn't get hold of one over here-they just weren't
available - but Framus introduced an electric bass, and Bobby Thompson
got one of those".
August 1958 to October
1959
 Bobby
came in to replace Charlie, who'd got his call-up papers.
Like every other group in Liverpool, they entered the Carrol/Levis talent
contest - and won their heat with 'Those Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up
That Old Gang of Mine'...plus a wild rocker!
Line-up
 Ted
Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal;
Cliff Roberts: drums;
Sam Hardie: piano.
October 1959 to August
1960
Sam had left the band to become a police cadet with the Lancs Constabulary.
Bank clerk Geoff Bethell frequently depped.
Cliff:"By now we were playing interval spots at Litherland Town Hall
- the most prestigious venue in North Liverpool...that meant free admission
for the band and our girlfriends, plus free refreshments! We were local
celebrities now...we'd made it!"
Line-up
 Geoff
Bethell: piano (from the Deltones);
John Kennedy: guitar, vocal;
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal;
Cliff Roberts: drums.
August 1960 to Spring
1961
The band split in half after a dispute over money - something about
taking less for a midweek gig. Three joined Ian's Zodiacs.
They make their Cavern debut (with Cilla) on 25th January 1961. Also
began to play regularly at the Orrell Park Ballroom. Kennedy strummed on
a Lucky 7 guitar that wasn't plugged in (but he was "a smashing singer")
and Flynn (back from the Army) played rhythm guitar and sang Sam Cooke-style
material. For a while, Cilla was Ted's girlfriend: "that was a sight for
sore eyes...she was a real beanpole, but he still towered above her at
1965!!" Towards the end of this period, Sam re-joined (tired of working
for Coppers and other well-worn jokes!).
Line-up
 Geoff
Bethell: piano;
Cliff Roberts: drums;
Charlie Flynn: guitar, vocal;
John Kennedy: guitar, vocal (finished printing apprent);
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal;
Cilla Black: vocal;
Sam Hardie: piano.
Spring 1961
 According
to Sam, "the best line-up we ever had!" Cilla continued her cameo appearances.
Despite the fact that his hands were like bunches of bananas, Kingsize
was an extremely dextrous guitarist-influenced mainly by Carl Perkins and
Chuck Berry. His favourite singers were Fats Domino and Little Richard.
Did C&W stuff too".
At Aintree Institute one night, Bob Wooler announced "the Beatles...direct
from Hamburg" - and then "the Dominoes...direct from the lounge bar of
the Black Bull!!" Cliff: "We used to make a bee-line for the Black Bull,
which was next door...we were known to have a few drinks! For the promoter,
the biggest problems were not the fights...but getting the bands out of
the pub, onto the stage!"
Cilla Black had made her debut with the Hurricanes; she got up and sang
'Fever' with them one night. After more guest appearances with them and
the Big Three (billed as "Priscilla" she would usually sing Always, Summertime,
and Boys), she turned down an audition with Kenny Ball - wo was then a
big deal! Instead, she sang around the local clubs with her friends the
Dominoes...whose calling card styled her "Swinging Cilla".
Wen the Dominoes buggered off to Germany without her - she didn't want
to go there anyway! - Cilla's stage appearances dwindled. Pestered by John
Lennon, Brian Epstein eventually signed her in September 1963...and the
rest is history, folks!
Line-up
 Dave
Lovelady: drums;
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal;
Sam Hardie: piano;
Cilla Black: vocal.
Summer 1961 to March
1962
Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes.
The group is voted sixth most popular on Merseyside in the first Merseybeat
readers' poll (the Beatles won!!).
By now, things were really starting to happen in Liverpool: more venues
opening every week; more groups forming every day! The others were thinking
about it, but Bobby couldn't wait to go pro...when Rory called, he jacked
in his job, got a passport the same day, and was off!
Line-up
 Cilla
Black: vocal;
Dave Lovelady: drums;
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
John Frankland: rhythm guitar, vocal;
Sam Hardie: piano;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal (joined Rory Storm & the H.).
March 1962 to August
1962
A Seaforth lad, Kenny Shalliker joined Manchester's Deke Rivers &
the Big Sound when Bobby skipped back!
The Dominoes went to Hamburg for the first time in summer 1962 and went
down so well that they were offered a residency. Dave (still studying architecture
- he'd taken leave to go to Germany) said "no"...so they wrote to Ringo
in Skegness and he said "yes".. .but days later said "sorry, but the Beatles..."
Line-up
 Cilla
Black: vocal;
Dave Lovelady: drums;
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
John Frankland: rhythm guitar, vocal;
Sam Hardie: piano;
Ken Shalliker: bass.
September 1962 to January
1963
Played Hamburg Star Club for 3 months solid - as resident group, but
also backing the cantankerous singer Davy Jones.
During this period, visiting acts to the Star Club included Jerry Lee
Lewis, Johnny & the Hurricanes, Joey Dee & the Starliters, and
their great heroes Fats Domino and Little Richard! Hey!!
Each night, Little Richard would enter the Dominoes' dressing room
and preach... "Praise the Lord!" But as far as they were concerned, he
was God!
Line-up
 Brian
Redman: drums (to the Cascades);
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
John Frankland: rhythm guitar, vocal;
Sam Hardie: piano;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal (from Rory Storm & the H.);
Gibson Kemp: drums (from Rory Storm & the H.).
February 1963 to August
1963
.....Boom time for most Merseybeat groups.
Only just 17, Gibson had to obtain a special permit from Bow St Magistrates
court before he could work in Hamburg, where they continued to whack out
solid rock'n'roll to hordes of pissed German revellers!
Line-up
 Ted
Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
John Frankland: rhythm guitar, vocal;
Sam Hardie: piano;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal;
Gibson Kemp: drums.
August 1963 to November
1963
 Howie
Casey, who hadn't been playing for a year, flew to Hamburg to promote a
Seniors single which Phillips had suddenly decided to release in Germany...and
he decided to stay with the Dominoes. "We lived in a large, spacious flat
- very luxurious compared with my first visit to Hamburg - and we'd play
two sets a night, alternating with visiting groups".
Cut loads of live stuff at the Star Club (recorded by stage manager
Adrian Barber); made albums for Phillips and Polydor (issued as THE SHAKERS).
It's quite impossible to list the records made by Kingsize Taylor &
the Dominoes... they cut 55 tracks in Germany alone (at a conservative
estimate) - plus all sorts of odds and sods elsewhere!
Steve Aldo went to Amburg in October 1963, fronting the Challengers
(who he'd taken over from Tommy Quickly in June 1963). After an argument
he left the band to make its own way home - while he stayed on and sang
with the Dominoes.
Line-up
 Steve
Aldo: vocal (to the Griff Parry Five);
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal;
John Frankland: rhythm guitar, vocal;
Sam Hardie: piano (to Tony Sheridan Beat Brothers);
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal;
Gibson Kemp: drums;
Howie Casey: sax.
November 1963 to May
1964
Returned to England to push their first Decca single, Stupidity. Appeared
on Thank Your Lucky Stars. Toured with Chuck Berry.
This line-up backed Chuck Berry on his very first UK tour (in a package
with Carl Perkins, the Blue Jeans, Animals...saw it, and it was fabulous!!)
Chuck gave them a cursory rehearsal and a load of instructions - and then
changed intros, tempos and keys willy-nilly, and glared at the band for
not responding quickly enough! Still a great show!
Line-up
Ted Taylor: lead guitar, vocal (to Kinkgsize Taylor & Griff Parry
Five);
John Frankland: rhythm guitar, vocal;
Howie Casey: sax;
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal;
Gibson Kemp: drums;
Dave Woods: sax (had been doing session in Germany with Alex Harvey).
June/July 1964
The Dominoes. The band defected from
Kingsize (it was a quarrel so trivial that no-one can remember what it
was all about) and Paddy joined from the notorious Big Three.
Gigged around Liverpool and did one nighters for the Roy Tempest Agency
- but everyone was exhausted and needed a change. When Bobby was invited
to join Cliff Bennett they knocked it on the head...the end of a great
band. Nineteen members over 7 years!
Line-up
John Frankland: rhythm guitar, vocal (to the Eyes);
Howie Casey: sax (to Pawns);
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal (to the Rebel Rousers);
Gibson Kemp: drums (to the Eyes);
Paddy Chambers: lead guitar, vocal (to the Eyes);
Dave Woods: sax (vanished to Sweden).
DISCOGRAPHY
(1963 - 1964)
SINGLES
'Money (That's What I Want)'/
POLYDOR NH 52-158 6/63
'Memphis Tennessee' (as the Shakers)
'Whole Lotta Lovin' '/
POLYDOR NH 52-272 12/63
'I Can Tell' (as the Shakers)
'Memphis Tennessee'/
POLYDOR NH 66-990 3/64
'Money (That's What I Want)'
'Hippy Hippy Shake'/'Dr Feelgood' POLYDOR NH-66-991
3/64
'Stupidity'/'Bad Boy'
DECCA F 11874
4/64
'Somebody's Always Trying'
DECCA F 11935
7/64
'Looking for My Baby'
EPs
'Teenbeat 2'
DECCA DFE 8569 4/64
LPs
Let's Do the Slop, Twist, Madison, POLYDOR 237-139
12/63
Hully Gully With the Shakers
In Germany the band recorded for Polydor as the
Shakers whilst
under contract to Philips. The Philips recordings
weren't issued
in the UK but the German single 'Never in a Hundred
Years'
(Philips 345 618 PF) shows Taylor's vocal range.
The Polydor
single of 'Money (That's What I Want)' was given
its true identity
once the Philips contract had expired. The LP
was repackaged
under the same number as Shakers' Twist Club
with Kingsize
Taylor and the Dominoes.
The 'Teenbeat' EPs were recorded live at the
Star-Club by Ariola
Eurodisc and leased to Decca for UK release.
'Teenbeat 1' features
the Rattles and 'Teenbeat 3' the Bobby Patrick
Big Six, who came
from Germany and Scotland respectively.
The Dominoes' first commercial recording was
backing Audrey
Arno on 'Bitte Bleib Doch Bei Mir (Please Stay
With Me)'/
'Limbo Italiano' (Polydor NH 52-098), credit
being given to
'Audrey Arno die Tony Taylor Band' [sic].
The singer gives an emotional performance on
the A-side, possibly
because she'd just learned of the death of her
father.
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