Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes
Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes | |
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Origin | Liverpool, England |
Genres | Rock and roll |
Years active | 1958–1964 |
Labels | |
Past members |
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Website | www |
Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes were a
Career
The Dominoes were originally formed in north Liverpool, in 1957, from a school skiffle group called the Sinners. The original members were Arthur Baker (vocals), George Watson (guitar), Charlie Flynn (guitar), Sam Hardie (piano) and Cliff Roberts (drums). The following year, Ted Taylor,[2] called "Kingsize" for his 6.5 ft (2.0 m) height, joined as lead vocalist and guitarist. Over the next two years, Baker, Watson and Flynn all left, and the group was completed by Bobby Thompson (bass and vocals) – with whom Taylor had played in another skiffle group, the James Boys – and John Kennedy (rhythm guitar), with Geoff Bethell often standing in for Hardie on piano.[3][4][5] The band played local clubs, and Taylor developed a reputation as one of the best rock and roll singers in the Liverpool area as well as being noted for his vivid chequered jackets.[6]
By summer 1960, the group were being billed as Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. They first performed at The Cavern Club in January 1961, when they featured 17-year-old singer Cilla White, who was mistakenly renamed Cilla Black later that year by Bill Harry in an article in his magazine Mersey Beat. Soon after that appearance, Kennedy and Roberts left the band to join another group, Ian and the Zodiacs, and were replaced by John Frankland (rhythm guitar) and Dave Lovelady (drums). At the beginning of 1962, the band were placed sixth in a Mersey Beat readers' poll, topped by The Beatles.[4] Cilla Black sang regularly with the group until 1962.[3]
In early 1962, Ken Shalliker replaced Thompson on bass for several months when Thompson temporarily joined
Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes were signed by
Later activities
The original Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes split up at the end of 1964, with the Dominoes – Frankland, Casey, Thompson and Kemp, with singer Paddy Chambers – remaining in the UK to work.[5] Taylor returned with his German wife to Hamburg, where he played lead guitar for the Griff Parry Five before forming a new version of Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes with Baz Davies, Mamoud Hari, Kenny Rees and Cliff Roberts. After recording a solo single for Decca in London in 1964, "Somebody's Always Tryin'", with Jimmy Page on guitar, he gave up the music business and returned to Crosby on Merseyside. There, and later at Birkdale, he ran a family butcher's business for over thirty years until his retirement.[9]
Thompson joined
In 1999, Bear Family Records issued the complete Ariola recordings by Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. Taylor returned to live in Germany in 2006 and continued to perform with a band called The Brotherhood of Rock 'n' Soul. Kingsize Taylor died on 2 January 2023, at the age of 83.[10][11]
References
- ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Joseph C. Self, The Beatles vs. Lingasong: The Star Club Litigation Archived 21 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e "Liverpool Beat: Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes". Liverpoolbeat.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b c d "Kingsize Taylor & The Dominoes". Tropeamagazine.it.
- ^ "Kingsize Taylor". Merseybeatnostalgia.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Center of Beat: Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes". Archived from the original on 28 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Gary James' Interview With Kingsize Taylor". Classicbands.com.
- ^ a b "Savoy Records: Kingsize Taylor". Savoy.abel.co.uk.
- ^ "Er war eine "Star-Club"-Legende: "Kingsize" Taylor gestorben". Mopo. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ Leigh, Spencer (11 January 2023). "Kingsize Taylor obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
External links
- Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes discography at Discogs
- Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes at IMDb