The Puppets
Encyclopedia
The Puppets were an English
pop/beat group from Preston, Lancashire, that were managed and recorded by Joe Meek
. They backed artists
such as Brenda Lee
, The Ronettes
, Dee Dee Sharp
, Gene Vincent
, Vince Eager
,Marty Wilde,Michael Cox,Duffy Power,Jess Conrad Crispian St. Peters
, Billy Fury
and Millie
. Drummer O'Reilly had been in The Rebels, who included Reg Welch on lead guitar (d. March 2006) and Derek Pearson on bass. He was then in Bob Johnson and the Bobcats (1960 - 1962), who included Bob Johnson on lead vocals (b. Robert Johnson, 30 August 1940, Preston, Lancashire d. 7 May 2011), Jim Whittle on bass and Dave Millen on guitar. O'Reilly then formed The Puppets (1962 - 1967), with Millen and Whittle and later in 1965 Don Parfitt.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pop/beat group from Preston, Lancashire, that were managed and recorded by Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
. They backed artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
such as Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
, The Ronettes
The Ronettes
The Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett ; her older sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley...
, Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.-Career:...
, Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
, Vince Eager
Vince Eager
Vince Eager is a British pop singer.As a teenager, he formed the Harmonica Vagabonds, later the Vagabonds Skiffle Group, with Roy Clark, Mick Fretwell, and bassist Brian Locking. The group reached the final round of a televised "World Skiffle Championship", and were offered a residency at the 2...
,Marty Wilde,Michael Cox,Duffy Power,Jess Conrad Crispian St. Peters
Crispian St. Peters
Crispian St. Peters was an English pop singer-songwriter, best known for his work in the 1960s, particularly his 1966 hits, "The Pied Piper" and "You Were on My Mind."-Early career:...
, Billy Fury
Billy Fury
Billy Fury, born Ronald William Wycherley , was an internationally successful English singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death...
and Millie
Millie (singer)
Millie is a Jamaican singer-songwriter, often known as "Little Millie Small", and in the United States as "Millie Small", and is best known as the singer of the 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop".-Career:...
. Drummer O'Reilly had been in The Rebels, who included Reg Welch on lead guitar (d. March 2006) and Derek Pearson on bass. He was then in Bob Johnson and the Bobcats (1960 - 1962), who included Bob Johnson on lead vocals (b. Robert Johnson, 30 August 1940, Preston, Lancashire d. 7 May 2011), Jim Whittle on bass and Dave Millen on guitar. O'Reilly then formed The Puppets (1962 - 1967), with Millen and Whittle and later in 1965 Don Parfitt.
Band members
- Des O'Reilly drums, vocals (b. Desmond Vincent O'Reilly, 28 May 1944, Deepdale Road, Preston, Lancashire).
- Dave Millen lead guitar (b. David Millen, 29 January 1943, Preston, Lancashire d. 19 January 2010, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire).
- Jim Whittle bass (b. James Whittle, 1 July 1943, Preston, Lancashire).
- Don Parfitt organ (b. Donald Parfitt, 4 January 1943, Todmordan, Yorkshire).
Discography
- "Everybody's Talking" / "Poison IvyPoison Ivy (song)"Poison Ivy" is a popular song by American songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally recorded by The Coasters in 1959. It went to #1 on the R&B chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" (Leiber/StollerJerry Leiber and Mike StollerJerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...
) (September 1963); PyePye RecordsPye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
7N15558 - "Three Boys Lookin' For Love" / "Shake With Me" (1964); Pye 7N15625 (originally withdrawn, but released in the 1990s)
- "Baby Don't Cry" / "Shake With Me" - (May 1964); Pye 7N15634