Karl Terry & The Cruisers..."The Sheik of Shake"
Karl Connor to use his original name preceded the MerseyBeat by quite a few years starting off with a band called the Gamblers in 1956. The band included Les Braid who went on to play with The Swinging Blue Jeans.
Karl's first band the Gamblers who were also known as the TeenAces. Les Braid pictured on the right went on to play with the Swinging Bluejeans.
They were a real Rock n Roll group, but interestingly included many standards from the forties in their act. Christened the "The Sheik of Shake" by famous DJ Bob Wooler, Karl was also referred to as "Lover Boy" for reasons that are not admitted. In October 1961 Karl Terry and The Cruisers were voted no.7 in the MerseyBeat poll and it was around this time that they turned professional. The band had a number of changes in personnel and split up in 1963 with Karl moving on to join the Delameres (A Geordie group who moved to Liverpool).
This move was short-lived and Karl joined forces with the TTs and became Karl Terry and the TTs. Karl then teamed up with members of the Clayton Squares and for a short time became the T Squares. The band went on to tour to Germany before breaking up. Karl then moved on to become a member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes before reforming Karl Terry and the Cruisers in 1967.
Karl and his band have continued on since that year to become the foremost Scouse Rock n Roll band recording "I’m Gonna Be A Wheel Someday" in 1978, amazingly Karl’s first recording. There are rumours that other tracks from that recording exist under the Title “Cruisin”, but even Karl is not sure about that one. Karl’s first real single was released a year or so later with a fabulous line-up reflecting the true sound of the Cruisers. The line up was Bob Hardy on guitar, Gaz Gaskell on Sax, Mike Kearns on Sax, Dennis Swale on Bass and Tommy McGuire Drums. Karl’s band members continued to float in and out and over time many of the famous Liverpool Musos of the era had spent time in the band. They include Vinnie Ismael from the Harlems, Lance Railton, Wally Shepard and Dave Gore all from the legendary TTs and our old friend Brian Jones from the Undertakers. Karl and The Beatmakers
On October 19th 1961 something special happened at the Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool's two leading bands The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers joined forces with Karl Terry to make up the world's first Super group billed as "The Beatmakers". The line up was George Harrison on Lead Guitar, Paul McCartney on Rhythm guitar, Pete Best and Freddy Marsden on drums, Les Chadwick on Bass Guitar, John Lennon on Piano, Gerry Marsden on Guitar and Vocals and Karl Terry on Vocals. A night to be remembered and not forgotten, unfortunately there are no known photos or tapes of this historic one off Gig. In a Time Before Credit CardsGetting credit to buy gear was surprisingly easy in the 60s. Just a quick application form, the shining new instrument was handed over and you were then issued with a payment book. You were expected to call in at the place of purchase at least once a month to make your payments. These guys must have been crazy, as none of us had any money whatsoever. But it was a different world then, and somehow we made the payments or part payments and unless you were totally uncooperative you could hang on to the gear. No debt collectors, no CCJs and most times the shops got paid. Hard to imagine now, but somehow a better and fairer system. This is Karl's first major guitar purchase, a Hofner Senator for the princely sum of 24 pounds and 1 shilling (And no Bloody VAT).
In 1994 Karl finally laid down some acetate of the what the band was all about with the great Album "Rock 'n' Roll That’s All" featuring songs including Sea Cruise, Twenty Flight Rock, Queen of the Hop, Shake, Rattle and Roll, Mess of Blues ,High School Confidential and Karl’s original What’s Wrong With Me. Throughout the history of MerseyBeat and British Rock and Roll, Karl Terry has been sharing the bill, with the Beatles, the Searchers, Billy J. Kramer, The Swinging Bluegenes, Gerry and the Pacemakers" He’s appeared with "Tom Jones" at The IMPERATOR ,Madrid, The Shadows at the Cavern, Gene Vincent at the LOCARNO[OLYMPIA] and The Troggs in Germany.
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Karl Terry is one of the great legends of the Liverpool
Beat scene and it has been my pleasure to talk to Karl recently and see him in action in a number of live
venues in and around Liverpool. He has just recently returned from yet another tour of Germany where I believe
this time round he played with the Dominoes.
Karl changed his name and formed Karl Terry and the Cruisers
in 1957 making him the oldest performing artist from the era.
Seeing Karl Terry perform live today is just one great
experience, a quite unassuming nice guy who one moment is sharing a drink with you at the bar and the next
minute he’s up on stage leaping around and doing the splits like a deranged teenager. If you get a chance go
and see him and he will transport you back to the days of Rock 'n' Bop. Karl has continued on
through the years, doing what he does best and the crowds are still rolling in.
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