Released in November 1964, Go Now was one of the singles Radio London had been playing since it first went on the air. First recorded by Bessie Banks, the song was written for her by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett. Go Now (a huge hit for the Moodies both in the UK Nationals and the US Hot Hundred) finally disappeared from the Big L Fab Forty last week, but their follow-up takes them straight back in at #27.

The band was formed in 1964 by Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (vocals, flute, percussion) and Clint Warwick (bass/vocals). They had previously been members of Birmingham bands the Krew Cats and El Riot and the Rebels.

An unidentified band member told Teenbeat Annual, "Most groups start when two or three friends get together to make their own kind of music... but we were all leaders of our own groups playing in and around Birmingham, when the chap offered to back us if we gave up our own groups and joined together - so we became the Moody Blues."

'The chap' was Tony Seconda, who became the band's manager and got them a recording contract with Decca.

"We had the most terrible rows when we started. We were all used to having our own way, but the chap who was training us made us knuckle under to the firmest discipline and eventually, we all got pulling together. Now we trust and respect each other completely."

Official Moody Blues website

Information about Frenesi Watson is scant, but she is known to have released three singles on the Pye label, and to have made TV appearances on ATV's Thank Your Lucky Stars in 1963 and 64. Two other known Frenesi Watson releases were Baby Don't You Weep/ Danny Boy and Happiness Train/The Green Willow. It seems the word Frenezi translates as 'frenzy' which is somewhat unusual for a singer who specialised in folk and gospel music.

If I Can Help Somebody is said to have been Dr Martin Luther King's favourite song.

Frenesi also sang on a jazz-flavoured World Record Club Christmas album, Winter Sunshine, recorded at the EMI studios in October '65 and released that year. She appears on four tracks, Jingle Bells, Twelve Days of Christmas, Little Donkey and Little Drummer Boy, duetting on Happy Holiday with Mark Richardson (who sings solo on other tracks). Richardson (assuming that this is the same singer) appears in Dateline Diamonds, during the end sequence, shot during the Radio London Night at the Rank Ballroom in Watford.

A collection of well-known jazz musicians (who were also EMI session men) enhanced the album. Bill Le Sage – piano,  vibes, marimba, Ronnie Ross – baritone and alto-saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet, Spike Heatley – bass, Tony Carr – drums and Ray Dempsey – guitar were accompanied by the Freddy Alexander 'Cello Ensemble. Bill Le Sage arranged and directed the album.

World Record Club was subscription-only and its releases were not available from record retailers.

Thank Your Lucky Stars line-ups from a now-defunct Dave Clark Five tribute site. (Thanks to Terence for the additional information concerning the Christmas album.)

Rare Dave Clark interview conducted in 2015 by Neil McCormick for the Daily Telegraph.

Hold What You've Got can be found on the 24-track Joe Tex CD Skinny Legs and All.

Come and Stay With Me is on Marianne's 40-track double CD, The Collection.

Click on the sleeve photos for full track listings.