1961 in British Music

The Story of 1961

The year Britain found its instrumental voice and the Cavern Club became a legend. The Shadows' 'Apache' continued its domination into 1961, spawning a craze for twangy guitar instrumentals that swept the nation. Groups everywhere were learning the Shadows' moves – matching suits, choreographed steps, clean Fender guitars. The John Barry Seven were making sophisticated instrumental pop while John Barry himself was already scoring films, including the early James Bond soundtrack work that would define him. In Liverpool, the scene was reaching critical mass. The Beatles, freshly back from Hamburg with slicked-back hair and leather jackets, were becoming the Cavern's resident attraction. Brian Epstein, a local record store manager, first saw them in November and was stunned. The charts still leaned heavily on Americans – the Everly Brothers, Elvis and Del Shannon – but the infrastructure for a British invasion was being built. EMI's Abbey Road studios were refining their techniques. Independent record labels were springing up. BBC radio, still the gatekeeper, was slowly coming around to the idea that British youth might want to hear British voices singing British songs.