Originally called the Mavericks, the band was formed by singer/guitarist Tony Crane and singer/bassist Billy Kinsley in late 1960.
[1] He was temporarily replaced by Bob Garner (later of the Creation) and permanently by Johnny Gustafson, formerly of the Big Three.
[1] With Gustafson they had two more major hits during 1964, "Don't Turn Around" and "Wishin' and Hopin'",[3] and released their only album in the latter part of that year.
A line from this song, "with your long blonde hair and eyes of blue," is included in the Beatles' "It's All Too Much", released in 1969 as part of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album.
[1] See Liverpool Express The Merseybeats' original drummer John Banks died on 20 April 1988, at the age of 44.
Kinsley and Crane re-formed the Merseybeats in 1993, and after celebrating 45 years in the music industry in 2006, they continued to tour and perform on the 'sixties circuit', and at venues in the UK, and across Europe.