Them

  • Real Name: George Ivan Morrison
  • Birth Date: 31st August 1945
  • Birth Place: Belfast, N. Ireland
  • Billy Harrison
  • 14th October 1942
  • Belfast, N. Ireland
  • Alan Henderson
  • 26th November 1944
  • Belfast, N. Ireland
  • Pat McAuley
  • 17th March 1944
  • Coleraine, N. Ireland
  • Jackie McAuley
  • 14th December 1946
  • Coleraine, N. Ireland
  • It is impossible to quote a 'classic' line-up for Them. They probably had the least stable personnel of all the famous R&B units of the era. Only Van Morrison and Alan Henderson can claim to have stayed the band's brief course from obscurity in Belfast through to world fame. The members shown above were those at the time of their UK chart success. Identifying Them's musicians is hardly helped by the fact that their singles' recordings made extensive use of session men. Frequently, the likes of Jimmy Page was brought in to add a little more brilliance than their producers thought the group capable of on their own. No doubt this added to the general discontent and jealousy that plagued the group for most its life.

    The group had originally been formed by Harrison and Henderson in Belfast during 1964, spurred on by the soaring popularity of British R&B through groups like the Rolling Stones. They soon enjoyed enormous patronage on their home ground, but their transition to the UK mainland as a touring group started as a real struggle for survival. Their first single suffered from lack of promotion, selling well in Northern Ireland where they were well known, but doing nothing elsewhere. It was their second single release 'Baby, Please Don't Go' that gained them international attention and they were able to consolidate this with the Bert Berns produced 'Here Comes The Night'- a song already covered in a different style by Lulu. However, it is possibly Morrison's wonderful 'Gloria', the 'B'-side of their first hit, with Page's masterful guitar work that had the greatest long term influence.

    Shown on the right is the only UK release on the EP format that Them had issued during their short lifetime. The EP is much sought after and very scarce, despite the fact that it sold well at the time it was issued. Some of the tracks on it are not available on their singles, so fans who want those extra songs will want to seek this record out, making it a real collector's item.
     

     

    Sadly, the internecene wrangling within the group, and the unhappiness felt by Van Morrison in particular, led to Them breaking up in 1966. Although Henderson tried to reform the group for the umpteenth time during 1967 ; on this occasion without Van, the attempt proved futile.

    1950s & 1960s 45rpm UK Discography

    • Listings include UK 45 singles releases only
    • Collector's Items are shown In Red

    Decca F11973 1964 Don't Start Crying Now/ One Two Brown Eyes  
    Decca F12018 1964 Baby Please Don't Go/ Gloria #10
    Decca F12094 1964 Here Comes The Night/ All For Myself #2
    Decca F12175 1965 One More Time/ How Long Baby  
    Decca F12215 1965 (It Won't Hurt) Half As Much/ I'm Gonna Dress In Black  
    Decca F12281 1965 Mystic Eyes/ If You And I Could Be As Two  
    Decca F12355 1966 Call My Name/ Bring 'Em On In  
    Decca F12403 1966 Richard Cory/ Don't You Know  
    Major Minor MM509 1967 Gloria/ Friday's Child  
    Major Minor MM513 1967 The Story Of Them Pt.1/ Pt.2  

    1950s & 1960s UK EP Discography

    • See upper list for UK singles releases.
    • Collector's Items are shown In Red

    Decca DFE8612 1965 "Them" #5
    Dont Start Crying Now/Philosophy/Baby Please Dont Go/One,Two Brown Eyes


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