From Merseybeat to Freakbeat: The Collapse of the 1960’s Beat Music Scene

[@JCSAXON]

I got into “freakbeat” as a kid about four decades ago & it continues to motivate me. You’ve an extraordinarily considerate, detailed yet simple presentation. I’m well impressed & it’s such a perfect introductory explanation of cultural shifts that you might even save me breath as a quick reference. Thanks ⚡️

[@shorelineboy]

Wow great memories , great times , exciting , energetic, I can’t get that feeling again whenever I see videos or hear music from the 60’s . The beat era was particularly exciting. 😎

[@tomc642]

Beat music from the 60s is still the best in my book. Guitar driven sounds with strong melodies. Yes, and the bands had to be able to sing, harmonize and play their instruments.

[@freewheelingideas]

Agreed 👍

[@clydekimsey7503]

Ok, but Yes wasn't a Beat band.

[@gordonhardwick5151]

They also got robbed by their managers, agents, accountants and the Revenue. Worth a video some time?

[@juniorjames7076]

@@gordonhardwick5151 Musicians have been getting robbed by their managers, etc. since the early days of Vaudeville in the 1800s.

[@gavintuesday4959]

Sappy teeny bopper stuff. Lame within 5 years . Even the Beatles moved on

[@ianthomsonnewman4048]

I lived in England (London and Manchester) througout the 1960s but the first time that I heard the word "freakbeat" was when I came across this video.

[@127cmore]

Exactly, I'm born in 67 and love the music 🎶 from the era. This totally through me

[@pongnose]

The term was only coined in the late 80s or 90s by some music journalist. It is quite useful though since there wasn't a term for that transition from RnB and beat into psychedelic rock.

[@walterfechter8080]

"When The Night Falls" (The Eyes 1965) - my favourite "Freakbeat."

[@jenniferbrady8050]

The best era for music EVER !! Well that’s my opinion. The Cavern was such an experience I will never forget .

[@thomastimlin1724]

I can see from the old films [I was American, 8 years old in 1964] and remember being on the "outside looking in" at the Mersey Beat scene, I love the suits on the band back then...and the girls, from what I see, were sooooo cute...The Beatles along with other influence formed my love of music and I became a music teacher [band director]. There's nothin' better than hearing the Hippy Hippy Shake again.

[@danr1920]

I never heard the tree "Freakbeat" before. I am very very familiar with all the music on this video.

[@scally1969]

Merseybeat was an amazing era in music. I'm an avid fan with many hundreds of recordings from back then. But the thing about it was a lack of originality. With the exception of The Beatles, most groups didn't write their own material. Meaning they often played the same songs as the next group on the bill. With so many groups pulling from the same limited pot of songs, Long Tall Sally, Roll Over Beethoven, Money etc etc. The scene was always going to be short-lived unless groups could write their own songs and break free. Sadly, for lots of Merseybeat groups that wasn't possible. Plus the attitude of the record companies back then, who wanted a hit every 3 months. It was a crippling schedule. How the Beatles managed it was astounding, and just goes to show how good they were. Great video, mate. I would love to see a Merseybeat museum in Liverpool. Because there's so much more to the story than just The Beatles' success. After all, they were the top of their pile of around 300 groups in the city.

[@stefanhoock1917]

@@scally1969 Yes, I also think that the main reason why "the big five" of the UK bands of the '60s (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Shadows and The Who) managed to stay relevant and successful at the time (and are still considered by many folks to this day to be the cream of the crop of the many bands that emerged from the UK in the '60s) is because they mostly wrote their own material.

[@scally1969]

@stefanhoock1917 I think any record executive would have had a hard time trying to get John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards or Pete Townshend to sing "Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" I think the "Punk" attitude towards the establishment was already well and truly embedded.

[@thomastimlin1724]

@@stefanhoock1917 Can't argue with that. After all I am a well respected man about town, but I can't get no satisfaction 8 days a week...I can't explain further....

[@thomastimlin1724]

@@scally1969 Those guys singing "Mrs. Brown?" Actually that would have been hilarious, especially if it ws a drunk version...😂

[@scally1969]

@thomastimlin1724 Great Great music. I fear we are coming to the end of an era. I can't see much music of today that we'll still be talking about with affection in 60 years' time. Today's youth don't seem to have many "You Really Got Me, My Generation, I Feel Fine, Sympathy For The Devil, Purple Haze" and so much more, to stir their mojo and keep it working. I feel for them. Cos, boy that's food for the soul

[@LucyLennon909]

WoW! Love this 🤹‍♀️ Look back at the way Life was. Freedom of expression rang true. Much thanks to the archivests that preserved the videos and recordings.

[@freewheelingideas]

Thank you Lucy! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JAW-i5z]

Freedom of expression rang true as long as you were white, heterosexual and not socialist.

[@gorymarty56]

I love these bands n music.

[@larsholzke8475]

I cant live without it. Phantastic mentality and culture with kind of art was celebrated.

[@lacasadelabomba]

Great!! Thank you very much for this diamond 🙏

[@freewheelingideas]

Awe you’re so welcome 🙏

[@RonaldReagan1986]

Funny, that girl who said she knew the Beatles singled out that George was the one that was great.

[@garyrigby21]

Punk started in Liverpool its hard to explain but basically The Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in February 1964 kicked off all the Garage groups in the USA and Freakbeat in the UK which ultimately lead to Punk rock in the mid 70s

[@randybackgammon890]

These freewheeling vids are the most intelligent critique of 60s pop culture out there IMO.At 66 I,m old enough to remember the whole shebag (well through the soft focus of infancy) and know first hand the huge difference between the early/mid sixties and the late sixties.Different world/,music once the sixties lost its innocence and became self conceous.Still interesting for a while but dead on the dot on Dec 31st 1969

[@freewheelingideas]

Thank you for your amazing feedback!! I appreciate your support 🙏

[@Veaseify]

Once savvy business people realised there was money to be made out of the 'counter culture' the whole scene just became absorbed into the mainstream. The Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove/Soho bohemian areas of London became tourist sites by the early 70's and there really wasn't any 'underground' left by 1975 or so...

[@gorymarty56]

Very cool deep dive

[@freewheelingideas]

@@gorymarty56 thank you 🙏

[@mickeylonchar]

Fantastic Documentary, Thank you! Amazing footage! However, I was surprised there was absolutely no mention of producer Joe Meek who pioneered Freak-Beat in the early 1960s. Arguably one of the most experimental producers in music history.

[@freewheelingideas]

Yes I’ll need to do a follow up to fit that in!

[@ChrisMezzolesta]

Crawdaddy Simone! Ultimate freakbeat.

[@willemvandeursen3105]

Wow. The Pretty Things still looked like freshmen with lightly tousled hair who didn't even smoke cigarettes! When they released their unbelievably hallucinating single 'Defecting Grey', and the album of which the Who and Pink Floyd could still only dream of (SF Sorrow) I DIED of bliss, I felt hearing the sound of a far, far future! The odd thing was that Phil May's voice was totally bland, and still he sent shivers down my spine. In the albums after, their musical stories became more down to earth, but they never disappointed me. Pretties forever! 🥰

[@walterfechter8080]

Nope - they don't make 'em like this anymore! Stellar! Many thanks, Freewheeling!

[@freewheelingideas]

@@walterfechter8080 thank you so much 🙏

[@walterfechter8080]

@@freewheelingideas IF I held a position as a music instructor in a university, I'd have all of my class check out your very instructive video. You're welcome!

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

Well done

[@BeverlyLedbetter-cb1971]

I love that Mersey sound. I was very into the British invasion!✌️

[@dirkwyse1609]

Excellent research, editing, and production values. Thank you

[@freewheelingideas]

Thank you so much 😊 appreciate your kind words!

[@MarcelGomesPan]

This was a relly cool channel! ✌️☮️ Subscribing.

[@freewheelingideas]

Thank you and welcome!

[@Bill13012013]

Pictures of Matchstick Men by Status Quo deserves a mention somewhere I reckon.

[@adap2it]

Never heard the term Freakbeat.

[@thekitowl]

First time I heard the term was connected to the stranger cuts Joe Meek made.

[@1223jamez]

What about The Moody Blues? Talk about changes they are it, Go Now to Nights in White Satin!

[@erniericardo8140]

Children (The 60's) had to make their own entertaiment - Todays children play video games for entertainment- Sad.

[@gorymarty56]

Nice part with Lennon

[@davidellis5141]

The Freakbeat scene was short lived but ultimately very influential.

[@Johnnycdrums]

Never heard of it, before this. Bare in mind, I'm from away. What does it do differently? Sounds like something some journalist dreamed up.

[@w.g.hunter1300]

@@Johnnycdrums It was something a journalist (sorta) made up. The term "freakbeat" was invented in the 80s by a guy who compiled 60s music - meant to describe the kind of music that The Who begat. 20 minutes in and this guy hasn't mentioned The Who yet, which is weird. He also hasn't discussed R&B.

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@w.g.hunter1300; Thanks, I got the idea. If we had a name for it in America, lol, I missed that one. I like it, but he was kind of vague until the end.

[@papercup2517]

@@w.g.hunter1300 Thank you for explaining the later/ retrospective origins of the name! I was definitely confused because I'd never heard of it - and I lived through it, in all its glory...

[@RadicalCaveman]

Terrific video. Small quibble: the Small Faces were a London band, not really associated with Merseyside.

[@freewheelingideas]

Thank you 🙏 I meant to connect them with the Freakbeat to psychedelic evolution. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.

[@royjudson4380]

95 percent of Bands mentioned are still on my daily playlist, i was born in January 1960

[@rgrimm63]

nearby USAF air base Burtonwood was probably a better source for those American records they obtained not Cunard liners - IMO

[@Stirling62]

Collapse? What a stupid word! Beat music is alive and well in many peoples lives! I was lucky to have lived during that period of musical and social change. I still love the music with a passion and always will!

[@Bill13012013]

13:47 (Gouldman) is Graham Gouldman from 10CC, wrote a heap of hit songs

[@thewkovacs316]

it didnt collapse, it morphed into power pop

[@paulgoldstein2569]

You ask in the video "what is there in Beat music that causes people to keep coming back to it?". One answer, there is nothing today to replace it. Music has now finished, and the whole society has gone quiet, no such thing as youth culture today. But from 1965-1966, a bit before Psychedelia, it already seemed as though the music scene was changing every month with more British Invasion bands exploding, all creating new raw sounds, while the earlier ones like The Yardbirds were seemingly getting more and more advanced. But if you were to ask anybody what happened in the music world about ten years ago, nobody would be able to say. I could only say it was the same as about 30 years ago, absolutely nothing, other than just more and more come and go type artists who nobody had ever heard of before and were never going to hear of again since. The music world will certainly never change every month again. It has all been done.

[@KebabMusicLtd]

Basically, Pop music of the beat era evolved into Rock music of the freakbeat era, and then into Psychedelia. Some groups evolved with the change, others fell by the wayside because they couldn’t or wouldn’t adapt. Interesting video that went around in circles at times and seemed to include some tracks just for the sake of it and a rather pointless interview with John Lennon at the end. All music evolves as beat music itself was an evolution of rock n’ roll music and skiffle. Rock n’ roll music and skiffle were influenced by the jitterbug dance craze of the 1940s. * Although today we acknowledge that many cities were full of slums in the 50s and 60s, to the people that lived there at that time, they were simply home and they adapted to the conditions that were familiar to them. Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard Starkey all managed to grow-up as level-headed human beings, despite the fact that they spent their childhood years living in a council house.

[@axxellein]

Good Times!

[@iwanbottos5128]

My first 2 lp's and 2 singles bought in '66 at 10 years old .A whiter shade of pale - Procol Harum . Strange effect - Dave Berry . Revolver - Beatles and route66 - Rolling Stones. Beatles was brand new , the rest was cheaper . In a record store that sold washing machines as well😅 .

[@freewheelingideas]

Sounds like my kinda place!

[@mikegoodie7905]

Great upload! Do you know who's playing the version of "Dr Feelgood" at the 12:00 mark?

[@freewheelingideas]

Rory Storm & The Hurricanes singing at 12

[@mikegoodie7905]

@@freewheelingideas Thanks! subbed & up voted👍

[@freewheelingideas]

@ thank you so much 🙏 and welcome

[@felipefreson]

Who are the Manchester mixed group playing at The Cavern on 4:05 and 8:25, please?

[@thehoneybeerocketscientist3533]

Cool!]

[@stephenoneill245]

This is a long list of bands from back then, but what happened to the Stones, the Animals and Them, for example?

[@freewheelingideas]

Yea I thought about them but it started getting too long and I wanted to show the progression. I was thinking about doing one focused on R&B which they will be the focus.

[@clydekimsey7503]

@freewheelingideas good video, but should have either covered the entire British invasion or just Liverpool.

[@gordonhardwick5151]

Bang on. .There was more to the 60s than just Merseyside. Please my other comment

[@gordonhardwick5151]

excellent idea Mr Freewheeling and it will be very interesting as surely the Beatles also had their roots in R&B to some extent

[@We_All_Seek_Truth]

The subject and scope of this video is in its title. Merseyside pertains to Liverpool. That's all it is claiming to cover. Not the whole 60s music or the whole British invasion. Just the collapse of the best scene in the Merseyside area.

[@389383]

For some reason the site doesn't mention the John Lennon interview starting at 26:25.

[@janemcewan2194]

That certain something

[@bucksdiaryfan]

Thank god for the British Invasion. Pop music in America had gotten a bit stale, and the British bands pushed other American acts into a more creative and blues based period

[@dantean]

Easy now in retrospect for me to understand Bowie's "Pinups" as more or less a tribute to this very moment in British pop history. Brilliant. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems the history of (worthwhile) British pop of the 60s-early 70s goes something like... Skiffle Mersey Beat Mod Freakbeat Psychedelia Prog Metal What to do with blues revivalists like John Mayall, Cyril Davies, and Alexis Korner I'm not quite sure--their contributions share with jazz and classical that they're their own thing in many ways and I'm not sure they should even be discussed in a "pop" talk at all except that all the musicians involved would later form the basis of all the other bands on the above list, so how could it they not be "pop" bands, whether they liked it or not? (I mean, if Mick Jagger's singing for you, you're a pop band, right?!). Anyway, thank you for this marvelous piece. 👍

[@freewheelingideas]

You’re so welcome ✌️

[@eddie-nk4jk]

never heard before Lennon interview

[@martinkristensen8398]

It seem to me that the searchers , billy j kramer , swinging blue jeans & gerry & the pacemakers who were from liverpool all kind of drifted away in 1966 the manchester bands like the hollies , hermans hermits , freddie & the dreamers , wayne fontana & the mindbenders had a short life too except for hollies who were able to adapt to the new challenges of pop music in the late 60s & the early 70s dave clark was called the tottenham sound but also had problems in the late 60s

[@freewheelingideas]

Sounds right

[@stefanhoock1917]

Yes, with the exception of The Hollies (their last big hit in the singles charts in the UK was in 1974) most of those bands that you mentioned had lost their big "commercial momentum" by 1966, and this again demonstrates that there are usually not a lot of bands or musical acts who are able to stay commercially successful or popular for a very long time, as pop music (and the taste of the record-buying public) simply changes over time. ;-)

[@martinkristensen8398]

I have a feeling that the reason why they had troubles after 1966 was they were not part of the drug scene that began to emerge from 66 onwards these bands all had that kind of "innocence" about them and suddenly they had to compete with cream , Jimi Hendrix, stones , small faces , the who , these early bands from Liverpool & Manchester all had that kind of "thin" sound there was no aggression just a happy vibe & sound but with the changing times there was much more focus on the bass & drums suddenly everybody did it the best example could be revolver

[@clydekimsey7503]

I certainly think the Beatles were the best band from Liverpool, but i cant explain why and what was different about them from other 1960 to 1963 Liverpool bands.

[@johnp515]

More talent and more charisma.

[@writerpaperback6284]

The Big Bang of rock and roll.

[@TheMerseySound1]

They had more gimmicks, more proactive management and push from their label than the others had. It’s as simple as that

[@randibar6847]

Nobody can. It’s why the Beatles are considered Divinely Intended.

[@cgjunglemusic]

True melodic inspiration combined with the sort of energy that transports you into the moment. Their unbelievable compositional talent and breadth of variety still puts them into a league of their own.

[@gordonhardwick5151]

I seem to remember a band in the 60s who had a lot of social awareness and were into drugs, and a lot of hits, and they adapted into the 70s. Yet they don’t get a mention in your otherwise excellent documentary. Was it because they weren’t based in Liverpool, but south west London? Or was it because you’re clearly a Beatles fan ( and why not!} and were part of the great Beatles and Rolling Stones divide who couldn’t see any good in the other band!?

[@bbhalstead]

They're both very good

[@BeverlyLedbetter-cb1971]

I loved the early Pink Floyd, and the Yardbirds were so good...as were the Dave Clark Five, The Searchers and Gerry and the Pacemakers!👍

[@wonsworld61]

i think your title would be less click-baity if you changed the word "Collapse" to "Evolution"

[@darylcumming7119]

Change in musical tastes?

[@adamkincaid1234]

It's Ep stine, NOT Ep steen!

[@johnmc3862]

Fronk-en-Steen. 😅😅😅

[@georgemeacham8591]

did you omit the Stones, Animals and Them from this essay due to ignorance, forgetfulness or licencing constraints!

[@127cmore]

😂 Since when was Freakbeat a thing ?😂

[@koenraad4618]

What came after freak beat and psychedelic pop? disco, punk, new wave, synth-pop, dance trance, acid, house, and now "Taylor Swift". The dumbing down of the west expressed in music.

[@mikeede49]

The Hollies weren't a Merseybeat band, they were part of the equally flourishing but musically far superior Manchester music scene as were Hermans Hermits. A lot of Manchester bands played at the Liverpool clubs, equally a lot of Liverpool bands played at Manchester clubs. Freakbeat? Never heard of it and I was in my teens and twenties in the 60s.

[@harck1]

what ab out the animals

[@gregoryjclark81]

Say 'fuzz guitar' one more time, I dare you...

[@clydekimsey7503]

If the Beatles inspired bands could not evolve into psychedelic music, for the most part, they died. End of story.

[@thomastimlin1724]

The Beatles were smart...they knew they couldn't continue to you write the pop rock tunes, being a hit machine and constant touring, they gave a thousand percent... so they started experimenting in the studio and with more in depth writing. Some bands went in for 3 years with hits, and then realized it was done, toast. Yet I've got to hand it to Peter Noone, he's still out there being his charming old self, full of personality and his self deprecating humor and interaction with the senior audiences are what makes him a great entertainer. I think he must have had plastic surgery that put a permanent smile on his face lol.

[@alansimon1354]

What an idiotic comment! As if psychedelic music was the only noteworthy evolution for music. And anyine finishes with "end of story' as if no comeback is necessary is a waste of time

[@clydekimsey7503]

@alansimon1354 my short summation was related to the video and necessarily to the totality of rock in general. The video was about the mersey beat sound bands. The only ones that I know that were still successful after a few years were the Beatles.

[@sept6422]

Thema verschenkt. Ziemlich verschwommene Beschreibung des Wandels in der Britischen Musikscene. das letzte Viertel ein überlanges Interview mit John Lennon, was genannetes Thema wenig berührt, sondern Lennons persönliche Entwicklung betrifft. Das Thema hätte man besser behandeln müssen, indem mehr auf Psychedelische Music a la Pink Floyd eingeht. Bemerkenswert: In keinem Wort werden die Rolling Stones erwähnt, die beispielsweise mit Paint it Black einen Meilenstein gesetzt haben. Meine Bewertung: ungenügend

[@RadicalCaveman]

The Stones were a London band.

[@mememachine7044]

god dave clark five were s***

[@yves2694]

No such thing as Freakbeat 🤷🏼 Beat music

[@andrewturnbull2943]

Soul man from darwen 60 70 music Brill but you will never beat motown northern soul ska the Highland room Blackpool mecca wigan casino the torch Stoke and the and the wheel Manchester great dance music back drops spinning ktf up the mods

[@TheZimma]

YOUR TALKING A LOAD OF CRAP .ITS JUST MUSIC,SO ENJOY OR NOT.

[@RadicalCaveman]

Thank you for your brilliant contribution.