Tommy Quickly

Last updated

Tommy Quickly
Birth nameThomas Quigley
Born (1945-07-07) 7 July 1945 (age 79)
Norris Green, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Genres Pop music
OccupationMusician
InstrumentVocals
Years active1962–1966
Labels Piccadilly, Pye
Formerly of The Remo Four

Tommy Quickly (born Thomas Quigley, 7 July 1945) is an English retired rock and roll singer who recorded mostly in the early 1960s. He was a later signing of artist manager Brian Epstein, whose biggest act was the Beatles.

Contents

Quickley retired from music in 1966 after suffering a breakdown. His whereabouts from 1966 onwards are unknown, but it is believed he lives in Skelmersdale.

Early life

He was born in Liverpool to Patrick Quigley and Dorothy Gower. [1] He is the twin brother of Patricia Quigley. His childhood home was at 63 Swallowhurst Crescent in Norris Green. [1] He worked at the Automatic Telephone Company when he started singing in nightclubs with backing group The Challengers. [2]

His earliest known appearance was a civil service club in May 1962. Members of the Challengers included his sisters on vocals, Robin Gilmore on lead guitar, Pete Wilson on rhythm guitar, Ray Dawson on bass guitar, and Ian Bailey on drums. [2] He appeared with the group on the same bill as The Beatles at the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead on 31 January 1963 advertised as "Johnny Quickly & The Challengers". [2]

Professional career

Brian Epstein noticed Tommy when he opened a show at a NEMS Enterprises Beatles promotion at the Queens Hall in Widnes. [2] Spotted as the vocalist with local group the Challengers, he was not signed until almost a year later; [2] Epstein liked Quigley but not the band, suggesting first a name change (to "Tommy Quickly and the Stops"), then pairing him instead with the Remo Four. [3] The next change was in song selection; while Quickly's voice was best suited to rhythm and blues, Epstein steered him toward pop songs, starting with his first single, "Tip of My Tongue", written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles. [3] He then made the usual round of appearances on stage and in public, and was promoted by Epstein as part of his NEMS Enterprises artist stable. [3]

"Tip of My Tongue" was a flop, as were his next three singles. His fifth single, "Wild Side of Life", made the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, [3] spending eight weeks there. [4] Quickly was offered the Lennon–McCartney song "No Reply", but when he failed to issue it, the Beatles took it back and recorded it themselves. Described as young, naive and impulsive, and seemingly overwhelmed with matters since parting with the Challengers, Quickly was ill-prepared for the spotlight. When follow-up hits did not materialise, and with manager Epstein unable to push him further, Quickly retired from the music industry in 1965. [3] He left NEMS in February 1966 to sign with the George Cooper Organisation for a short time. [2] Switching to television, Quickly served as co-host of The Five O'Clock Club, a variety show aimed at children under twelve, from January 1965 to January 1966. [5] Later that year he spent tıme in Walton Hospital, Liverpool, suffering from a breakdown; he has remained out of the spotlight ever since.

Tommy Quickly and the Remo Four can be seen performing "Humpty Dumpty" in the 1965 film Pop Gear (released in the United States as Go Go Mania). [6]

Tommy Quickly is portrayed by British actor Andrew Gower in the 2020 independent short film, Humpty Fu*king Dumpty, which depicts Quickly's mental breakdown after his career failed. The film was written and directed by Stephen Walters, and released on 8 May 2020. [7]

Singles

YearCatalog numberLabelA sideB sideUK peak [8]
1963 [9] 7N 35137 Piccadilly "Tip of My Tongue""Heaven Only Knows"
19647N 35167"Prove It""Haven't You Noticed"
7N 35151"Kiss Me Now”"No Other Love"
7N 35183"You Might as Well Forget Him""It's as Simple as That"
7N 15708 Pye "The Wild Side of Life""Forget the Other Guy"33
7N 15748"Humpty Dumpty""I'll Go Crazy"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Best</span> British musician, former member of the Beatles

Randolph Peter Best is an English musician who was the drummer for the Beatles from 1960 to 1962. He was dismissed shortly before the band achieved worldwide fame and is one of several people referred to as a fifth Beatle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Epstein</span> British personal manager and impresario (1934–1967)

Brian Samuel Epstein was an English music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1961 until his death in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mal Evans</span> English road manager (1935–1976)

Malcolm Frederick Evans was an English road manager and personal assistant employed by the Beatles from 1963 until their break-up in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle (song)</span> 1965 song by the Beatles

"Michelle" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. It was composed principally by Paul McCartney, with the middle eight co-written with John Lennon. The song is a love ballad with part of its lyrics sung in French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mona Best</span> English club owner

Alice Mona Best was a British music club proprietor, best known as the owner of The Casbah Coffee Club, a club in Liverpool which served as a venue for rock and roll music during the late 1950s and 1960s. Among the bands to play at The Casbah was the Beatles, for whom her son Pete Best was a drummer at the time. Mona Best also had two other sons, John Rory, and Vincent "Roag" Best. It was later confirmed that Roag's father was Beatles' associate, music executive Neil Aspinall, although he was not registered as the father on Roag's birth certificate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lennon–McCartney</span> Songwriting partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Lennon–McCartney is the songwriting partnership between the English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney of the Beatles. It is widely considered one of the greatest, best known and most successful musical collaborations ever by records sold, with the Beatles selling over 600 million records worldwide as of 2004. Between 5 October 1962 and 8 May 1970, the partnership published approximately 180 jointly credited songs, of which the vast majority were recorded by the Beatles, forming the bulk of their catalogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alistair Taylor</span> English personal assistant of Brian Epstein (1935–2004)

James Alistair Taylor was an English personal assistant of Brian Epstein, the manager of the Beatles. As an employee at Epstein's company NEMS, Taylor accompanied him when he first saw the Beatles perform, at the Cavern Club in Liverpool on 9 November 1961. Taylor subsequently worked as the group's so-called "Mr. Fixit", devising escape routes from crazed fans and assisting the band members in purchasing property. He later became general manager of Apple Corps but was fired soon after Allen Klein arrived to address the company's financial problems. Taylor published various memoirs of his years in the Beatles' employ, including Yesterday: The Beatles Remembered and With the Beatles.

Northern Songs Ltd was a limited company founded in 1963, by music publisher Dick James, artist manager Brian Epstein, and songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles, to publish songs written by Lennon and McCartney. In 1965, it was decided to make Northern Songs a public company, to reduce their income tax burden.

<i>Birth of the Beatles</i> 1979 biopic film directed by Richard Marquand

Birth of the Beatles is a 1979 American biographical film, produced by Dick Clark Productions and directed by Richard Marquand. It was shown as a TV film on ABC in the United States, and received a theatrical release in other countries. The film focuses on the early history of the Beatles. It was released nine years after the Beatles disbanded, and is the only biographical film about the band to be released while all four members were alive. Pete Best, the Beatles' original drummer, served as a technical advisor for the production.

William Harry is the creator of Mersey Beat, a newspaper of the early 1960s which focused on the Liverpool music scene. Harry had previously started various magazines and newspapers, such as Biped and Premier, while at Liverpool's Junior School of Art. He later attended the Liverpool College of Art, where his fellow students included John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe, who both later performed with the Beatles. He published a magazine, Jazz, in 1958, and worked as an assistant editor on the University of Liverpool's charity magazine, Pantosphinx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More popular than Jesus</span> Controversial remark made by John Lennon

"More popular than Jesus" is part of a remark made by John Lennon of the Beatles in a March 1966 interview, in which he argued that the public were more infatuated with the band than with Jesus, and that Christian faith was declining to the extent that it might be outlasted by rock music. His opinions drew no controversy when originally published in the London newspaper The Evening Standard, but drew angry reactions from Christian communities when republished in the United States that July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Remo Four</span> English rock band

The Remo Four were a 1950s–1960s rock band from Liverpool, England. They were contemporaries of The Beatles, and later had the same manager, Brian Epstein. Its members were Colin Manley, Phil Rogers, Don Andrew, Keith Stokes (vocals/guitar) and Roy Dyke (drums). Andrew and Manley were in the same class at school as Paul McCartney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Lennon</span> Father of English musician John Lennon (1912–1976)

Alfred Lennon, also known as Freddie Lennon, was an English seaman and singer who was best known as the father of musician John Lennon. Alfred spent many years in an orphanage with his sister, Edith, after his father died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Barrow</span> English press officer for the Beatles (1936–2016)

Anthony F. J. Barrow was an English press officer who worked with the Beatles between 1962 and 1968. He coined the phrase "the Fab Four", first using it in an early press release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seltaeb</span> Company set up in 1963

Seltaeb was a company set up in 1963 by Nicky Byrne to exclusively look after merchandising interests on behalf of Brian Epstein, who managed NEMS Enterprises and the Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beatles in Hamburg</span> Performances of the Beatles in the German city-state of Hamburg

The original lineup of the Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best, regularly performed at different clubs in Hamburg, West Germany, during the period from August 1960 to May 1962; a chapter in the group's history which honed their performance skills, widened their reputation, and led to their first recording, which brought them to the attention of Brian Epstein. In November and December 1962 they played with Ringo Starr on drums.

The Cavern Club at 10 Mathew Street, in Liverpool was the venue where the Beatles' UK popularity started. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best were first seen by Brian Epstein at the club. Epstein eventually became their manager, going on to secure them a record contract. Best was replaced by Ringo Starr on 16 August 1962, which upset many Beatles fans. After taunts of, "Pete forever, Ringo never!", one agitated fan headbutted Harrison in the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Gower</span> English actor

Andrew Gower is an English actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Cutler in Being Human and his turn as Prince Charles Stuart in Outlander. Gower won the Spotlight Prize for Best Actor in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beatles' 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines</span> 1966 concert tour by the Beatles

The English rock group the Beatles toured West Germany, Japan and the Philippines between 24 June and 4 July 1966. The thirteen concerts comprised the first stage of a world tour that ended with the band's final tour of the United States, in August 1966. The shows in West Germany represented a return to the country where the Beatles had developed as a group before achieving fame in 1963. The return flight from the Philippines to England included a stopover in Delhi, India. There, the Beatles indulged in two days of sightseeing and shopping for musical instruments while still under the attention of the press and local fans.

Terence James Doran was an English luxury car dealer, pop music manager and music publishing executive, best known for his association with the Beatles. With Beatles manager Brian Epstein, he co-owned Brydor Cars in the 1960s, supplying sportscars to many figures in the Swinging London era, including the Beatles and members of the Rolling Stones and the Moody Blues. In 1967, he became the manager of Apple Publishing, the first appointment in the Beatles' Apple Corps business organisation. He also managed the Apple artists Grapefruit and Mary Hopkin. He was a personal assistant to John Lennon and then George Harrison. Throughout the 1970s, he worked as Harrison's estate manager at Friar Park in Oxfordshire and assisted in restoring the property.

References

  1. 1 2 "QUICKLY T". LIVERPOOL FOOTPRINTS. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mersey Beat - Tommy Quickly" . Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 363. ISBN   0-7535-0149-X.
  4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 446. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  5. "TV Pop Diaries - Five O'Clock Club". www.tvpopdiaries.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  6. Modculture (19 October 2011). "Pop Gear (1965)". Modculture. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  7. "Home | Humpty Fu*king Dumpty". HumptyFu*kingDumpty. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  8. "WILD SIDE OF LIFE". Official Charts. 28 October 1964. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  9. "Disc" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 20 July 1963.