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| The Masterminds |
Originally formed in 1963 and one of the more promising late-era Merseybeat bands, 'The Masterminds' never managed to translate their potential into serious record sales, although one of their members, Joey Molland, was destined for some international success less than a decade later. Formed in Liverpool even as the big wave of Merseybeat sounds was cresting, 'The Masterminds', previously called 'The Mindbenders', now comprised of Joey Molland on guitar and vocals, Chris Findley on keyboards, George Cassidy on bass and vocals, and Jay Rathbone on drums. For a time, Dougie Meakin played rhythm guitar and sang in the line-up as well, he being a founder member with George Cassidy of the original group 'The Dingle Dices', formed in 1961.
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| Unloading their gear into The Cavern |
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| Joey Molland ( on the right ) |
This was in late 1964 when not a lot of British bands were covering Dylan's songs, much less doing it well. The fact that they were a Liverpool band made it even more startling because, apart from 'The Searchers', the city wasn't known as a fertile field for folk-rock impulses to take root. Loog-Oldham was suitably impressed and duly signed them up to his new Immediate Records label. He brought the star-struck teens into Regent Sound Studios in London to cut 'She Belongs to Me', with the B-side being an original number, 'Taken My Love', written by Doug Meakin and George Cassidy. This was their one and only single, in the spring of 1965, with none other than a young Jimmy Page being the session guitarist during the cutting of the song which is the only Dylan song covered by a Liverpool band in the 1960s.
Despite getting an appearance miming to the single on the new Rock 'n Roll television showcase Ready! Steady! Go!, it sank without a trace, along with the group's prospects for breaking out of Liverpool. (Curiously enough, the song itself would take on a life of its own at Immediate records, as a focus of versions by 'The Nice' and Joey Vine).
It was in February 1966 that Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, managers of 'The Who' had put the word out on the Liverpool streets that they were recruiting for a new band to back 'The Merseys' in London. They saw Tony and Billy as a kind of Walker Brothers or something along those lines. Arriving at the Blue Angel, 'The Masterminds' were playing with Joey Molland, Chris Finley and George Cassidy in the line-up. They played well, all had a good image and stage presence, so were invited to join the new backing band. They all said 'yes' straight away. A drummer Tony and Billy liked was Kenny Goodlass who had been in 'The Kirkbys' and 'The Escorts', so he joined as well. 'The Masterminds broke up soon after with Jay Rathbone joining the 'Almost Blues'. This new band performed their first gig as 'The Merseys with their Fruit Eating Bears'. Kit Lambert had just visited London zoo and had seen the bears eating fruit and hence the name! Joey's recording career began in earnest in 1967 when he joined Gary Walker, of 'Walker Brothers' fame, for the group 'Gary Walker & The Rain'. Then he later joined 'The Iveys', a recording group on the Apple label, replacing original lead guitarist Ron Griffiths, and enjoyed three years of international rock stardom in the early 1970s after the group changed their name to 'Badfinger'. During his association with Apple, he made guest appearances on two George Harrison albums, 'All Things Must Pass' and 'The Concert For Bangla Desh, and the 1971 John Lennon album 'Imagine', including the single 'Jealous Guy'.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2016/05/mersey-beat-mastersounds.html
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