3CD box set spotlighting the pioneering movement that brought the world The Beatles but has been overshadowed by their success. Hits include The Searchers’ ‘Sweets For My Sweet’ (UK #1) and ‘When You Walk In The Room’ (UK #3), Billy J. Kramer With The Dakotas’ ‘Bad To Me’ (UK #1), The Swinging Blue Jeans’ ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’ (UK #2) and The Mojos’ ‘Everything’s Alright’ (UK #9).

Also featuring The Chants (featuring Eddy Amoo later of The Real Thing), The Undertakers and Lomax Alliance (both led by Jackie Lomax who later signed to Apple) and The Kirkbys and The 23rd Turnoff whose singer/guitarist was ace songwriter Jimmy Campbell. Five tracks are newly mastered from producer Joe Meek’s ‘Tea Chest Tapes’ including The Cryin’ Shames’ magnificent tear jerker ‘Please Stay’ and the previously unreleased ‘A Different Drummer’ by The Maracas.

Other rarities include an unreleased track by Birkenhead’s The Pathfinders from producer Shel Talmy’s vaults and a fab song by ex Vernons Girl, Samantha Jones found on a well-preserved acetate plus tracks by The Dennisons, The Seftons and The Perishers released on CD for the first time.

Although The Beatles aren’t present for licensing reasons, there are four Lennon and McCartney compositions donated to other acts. Merseybeat was a brief phenomenon but hugely influential throughout the world. It blew up nationwide in 1963 before Merseybeat groups spearheaded the ‘British Invasion’ of the US charts.

This box celebrates the scene on the first two discs, then on disc three presents some of the brilliant mod, freakbeat, psych and Mersey soul music that came from Liverpool when the Merseybeat bubble burst and press and public looked elsewhere.

Inspired by US rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and Motown and the D.I.Y. attitude of skiffle, the Liverpool beat groups rocked clubs such as their hometown’s The Cavern and the Star-Club in Hamburg and larger ‘Big Beat’ sessions at The Tower Ballroom in New Brighton. The Searchers and Gerry And The Pacemakers achieved success on the world stage, others never made it out of their local area, made a couple of 45s or even demos and disappeared.