Britain before the Beatles is generally regarded as an era in which British bands and artists were mostly unsuccessfully copying artists from America. This is true to a certain extent but, of course, there were a few exceptions. And Johnny Kidd & The Pirates were one of them.
This was one of the few British bands who could stack up well against American acts from that period and they were also one of the few bands from the UK who wrote and recorded a song that is now considered a rock and roll classic from that era: “Shakin All Over”.
Many musicians who became big names later in the 60s and 70s such as PeteTownshend, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore or Wilko Johnson, among many others, have cited Johnny Kidd and the Pirates as a major influence.
Let's take a look at the history of the band and explore the singles they released during their brief but brilliant career.