Today, bands can make their own high quality recordings with home equipment or computer, but In the late 50s and early 60s bands did not have access to this type of equipment and had to use private recording studios to make demo discs in order be listened to and get work or a recording contract.

We made two demo discs – the first at Regent Sound and the second at City of London Studios – both in Denmark Street, London. They will have cost us around £50 an hour – quite expensive in those days – so you can guess we kept the number of takes to a minimum.

The first (a version of Ray Charles What’d I Say c/w an instrumental written by Jack) was used to get an agent and the initial Butlins summer season. The second demo – with the track that was to become our first release – ‘You Don’t Love Me Anymore’, c/w an old Coasters number, ‘Searchin’ – was to try to get a recording contract and was passed around the various record labels.

Our first record - You Don't Love Me Anymore-1963

Publicity Handout for the first record

Sheet Music for our first release

Daily Mirror record review June 1963 Record paper review of
our first record...

Sheet Music for the 'B' side

Our second record - What Kind of Girl Are You -1963

Record paper review of our second record...

Publicity Handout for the second record

Our third record -
Summertime Blues 1964

US release - Que Sera Sera -1965

US release - 'B' side -1965

Summertime Blues appeared on this United Artists compilation album - 1977

I'm A Hog For You Baby (a 'B' side) was on this compilation - 2007

I'm A Hog For You Baby (a 'B' side) was on this Belgian compilation

I'm A Hog For You Baby (a 'B' side) was on this Dutch compilation

A CD - believed originated from France - probably a 'bootleg'

Compilation of all our tracks - Jagga Records, Prague label

CD Case booklet for the Czech compilation

Sleeve Cover review - “Beat!Freak! bows out with this final platter promising more of the meat and bones beneath the bruised and battered torso of British pop music. The rare, the obscure, and the virtually extinct come together in an intoxicating marriage of fuzz and testosterone with 20 slabs of prime heavyweight beat pop, replete with a whiff of R&B from 1964-1968”

Review from sleeve notes - Beat!Freak! CD

All recorded tracks can be played/downloaded from the Music Player page…

The Philips recordings were made at their studios in Stanhope Place, just behind Marble Arch. The contract was for 3 releases as follows:

May 1963                      Philips BF1257
   You Don’t Love Me Anymore c/w This Sweet Girl Of Mine
November 1963         Philips BF 1285
   What Kind Of Girl Are You c/w Dreamers Funfair
April 1964                    Philips BF 1330
   Summertime Blues c/w I’m A Hog For You Baby

The Philips contract was not extended, so our Agents arranged for us to record at an independent studio – Strand Records. This resulted in a release on the Karate label in the US (but not in the UK)

March 1965               Karate 45-514
   Que Sera Sera c/w How I Cry

Since then, the occasional tracks have found their way onto compilation discs

The Beat Merchants 1963-64     – United Artists   (UDM 101/2)   UK – 1977
   Summertime Blues
British Rock ‘N’ Roll                   – Saga   (Saga RS 3)   France – 1999
   Summertime Blues
   I’m A Hog For You Baby
That British Sound Vol 7            – Blakey Records   (BlakeyCD 840)   UK – 2007
   I’m A Hog For You Baby
Teenagers Forever Vol 3            – Rare Rockin/Toto Records   (RRR 1014)   Belgium – 2005
   How I Cry
TommyKnockers Beat Club Vol 4    – Tommyknockers Records   Germany – 2011
   You Don’t Love Me Anymore
TommyKnockers Beat Club Vol 13    – Tommyknockers Records   Germany – 2012
   Dreamers Funfair
TommyKnockers Beat Club Vol 19    – Tommyknockers Records  Germany – 2012
   Que Sera Sera
Wide Skirts, Drape Coats & Brothel Creepers Vol 6    – Smith & Co Records   Holland – 2015
  I’m A Hog For You Baby
Frambles Vol 3 ‘Smash Flops’   – Jagga Records   (JRCD014)   Prague – 2015
   All 8 of our released tracks
Beat!Freak! Vol 10    – Particles Records   (PARTCD4105)   UK – 2019
   Que Sera Sera

(Page last updated on 17th January 2021)