The Big Three were
possibly the most highly respected musicians of all the Liverpool
groups. They evolved from a group called Cass & The Cassanovas
which were formed in the late 50's by Brian Casser. Although
originally a four-piece outfit, by 1959 they had slimmed down to a
trio comprising of Casser (guitar/vocals), Adrian Barber (guitar)
and Johnny Hutchinson (drums). In need of a bass guitarist,
Hutchinson brought in Johnny Gustafson. At that time Gustafson
didn't have a proper bass guitar so Barber converted an acoustic for
him.
Late in 1960, Casser
left the group and moved to London reducing them to a trio again. In
January 1961 the Cassanovas re-emerged as the Big Three. Despite
being a three-piece they were one of the loudest bands in Liverpool
due to Barber's talents in the electronics field. He built the band
giant amps, standing over five feet high, which were nicknamed
"coffins".
Brian Epstein signed
them to his sable and sent them over to Hamburg. It was during that
trip that Brian Griffiths joined the group, Barber left, and the
best-known line-up of the Big Three was established. Their
musicianship and attack were legendary and they exerted a
considerable influence on their contemporaries.
Epstein arranged for
them to audition for Decca Records and they recorded "Some
Other Guy". The group were not happy with the recording and
appalled when they were told that Decca would be releasing it and
wouldn't allow them a proper recording session so they could perform
the song they way they wished it to be played.
Instead of understanding
why the Big Three were so popular - because of their aggressive
sound, their wildness, their casual appearance on stage - he put
them into suits and began to dilute their sound, choosing
lightweight pop numbers and insisting, against their wishes, that
they record them.
The Big Three and
Epstein terminated their partnership in July 1963, but the damage
had been done. Gustafson and Griffiths quit, and with drummer Ian
Broad from Rory Storm & the Hurricanes formed the Seniors and
left for Germany. Hutchinson replaced them with Faron and Paddy
Chambers from Faron's Flamingo's.
By mid-'64 their days
were numbered. Paddy Chambers left and was replaced by Paul Pilnick
from the All Stars. Pilnick only stayed a short time before moving
on to Tony Jackson & the Vibrations. Hutchinson received an
offer to join Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes but declined,
opting insted to hang up his drumsticks.
Their best memorial is
probably the E.P. "Live At The Cavern", actually recorded
in 1963 and featuring the classic Griffiths/Gustafson/Hutchinson
line-up, which conveys something of the excitement they created in
their heyday.
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