No serious 45rpm collector can be without this single. As my friends will testify, I'm seldom serious but even I have a battered copy.

The song was the result of Lennon and McCartney trying to write a song like Buddy Holly's. It wasn't a strong candidate by their standards and only put them at #17 in the UK charts. Little then, did anybody know of the significance of this simple song.

'Love Me Do' actually sold rather well in relation to its lowly chart position. In fact this single in common with most of the Beatles records remained on sale in the UK for several years after its initial release. However, most collectors want the 'original' pressing and are not always sure they've got it.

The copy above is an original from 1962, whereas that on the right was issued in late 1963. Later versions still look like that on the right, but have a different Matrix number (that's the number engraved on the vinyl near the run-out). The 1963 black label copy is actually rarer and more valuable, but I still think there's something special about the original.

Sadly, all EMI's labels turned black during 1963 and lost the prefix 45- to their catalogue numbers showing that the 78 was no longer an alternative.

The UK record buying public were to turn their attentions to the emerging British Groups and neglect the output of their American counterparts.

However, the Americans continued to turn out good material though much of it was simply covered by British artists while the originals went unnoticed.

'Chains' was used by the Beatles on their first Album in 1963. The Cookies version wasn't totally ignored, it actually reached number 50 in the UK chart in January 1963.

Earl Jean went solo to record the original of the Goffin and King number 'I'm Into Something Good'. However this was picked up and turned into a hit by Herman's Hermits.

This record was the first release of this now legendary five-piece instrumental group. They were first put together as backing musicians, but Meek decided to try recording them with something of his own composition. Consequently, the label bears the credit 'Duke' (one of Meek's most popular pseudonyms) as do a great many others that emanated from his famous Holloway studio.

The record also bears the words: 'Production: R.G.M. Sound' to indicate that it was produced by Joe Meek- R.G.M being the initial letters of the sound wizard's real name.

Sadly, "Love And Fury" and its 'B' side "Pop'eye Twist" (a hornpipe flavoured instrumental with a topical name credited to guitarist Alan Caddy) were not sufficiently popular to earn a chart placing. However, the group's next offering- "Telstar" became one of most familiar instrumentals of the era. It was to reach the #1 position not only in the UK but also in the U.S.- an unprecedented feat by a UK group in 1962.

See the 'Tornados'