His Band and The Rebel Rouser

Description

In the early to mid-sixties, British youth made two major discoveries: bands and Rhythm and Blues. The bands weren't really new and weren't exotic (unless they came from Liverpool). Rhythm and Blues, or R&B as it would soon be called, is exotic and new or seems to be. The best of the emulators was Cliff Bennett. His first band, the Rebel Rousers, had Brian Epstein as their manager and recorded three British hits between 1964 and 1966: Got To Get You Into My Life by the Beatles and One Way Love and I'll Take You Home by the Drifters. This album, made up of numbers recorded in 1967 and 68 for BBC radio shows, straddles the transition between the Rebel Rousers supporting Cliff and their replacement by the Cliff Bennett Band. For seasoned Bennett fans, you won't miss the Rebel Rousers; their replacements do a superb job. Cliff Bennett may not have achieved the success he deserved, but he left us a wonderful legacy to which this record adds.