The Rockin' Vickers

Originally billed as ‘The Reverend Black and the Rocking Vicars’, the Rocking Vickers’ career lasted less than four years, during which time the group released just four singles, the topsides of which were all cover versions. The quartet was formed in Blackpool in 1963 and their repertoire was initially similar to Merseybeat contemporaries.

The group’s popularity led to a one-off single on Decca, who issued the Vicker’s version of Neil Sedaka’s ‘I Go Ape’ in 1964. Both it and the flipside, ‘Someone Like Me’, were excellent but sales proved negligible and the label dropped them. At this point, they often appeared in Manchester at the legendary ‘Oasis Club’ and had a reputation of a wild and unexpected live band, which they strenghtened by using clerical outfits as stage gear.