11. British rock and roll bands were a bland imitation of American acts
British record producers and music entrepreneurs, aware of the record sales of American rock and roll acts, made several attempts to create home grown British competition. For the most part, they were unsuccessful. Acts such as Johnny Gentle, Marty Wilde, and Adam Faith had several hits in Britain, but their success was not repeated in the United States, and they received little regard in Europe, including Germany, where American rock and roll was well received. They were pale limitations of their American counterparts. There were of course some exceptions, but they were relatively few.
Billy Fury was one, who mimicked the rockabilly style on Sound and Fury in 1960 with some success (with the help of guitarist Joe Brown). Johnny Brandon went on a tour of the United States in 1956, self-billed as the “King of Rock and Roll”. He was not so regarded by American audiences. A true British rock and roll star was Johnny Kidd, who with his group the Pirates recorded Shakin’ all Over, which continued to be covered by American and British bands for decades. Beginning in the early 1960s, British rock and roll ebbed, replaced by development of beat music in the north, and rhythm and blues in London and Manchester.
