Brian Poole & The Tremeloes Biography

Formed in 1958 and fronted by vocalist Brian Poole (2 November 1941, Barking, Essex, England), this UK pop group were initially known as Brian Poole And The Tremilos when they made their debut at the Ilford Palais in 1960. Poole was originally known as a Buddy Holly imitator and even went as far as wearing spectacles filled with plain glass. After his backing musicians reverted to the title Tremeloes, the entire ensemble successfully auditioned for Decca Records on 1 January 1962 and were signed in favour of the Beatles. A cover of the Isley Brothers’ ‘Twist And Shout’ brought them a UK Top 10 hit the following year. The follow-up, a reading of the Contours’ ‘Do You Love Me?’, hit number 1 in the UK and 15 other countries. American success, however, remained frustratingly elusive. Appropriately, the group’s manager Peter Walsh recruited Buddy Holly’s former mentor Norman Petty to play piano on two further UK smashes, the wistful ‘Someone Someone’ and mawkish ‘The Three Bells’. Thereafter, the group’s popularity waned and they seemed increasingly dated in comparison to the more aggressive R&B-based UK pop outfits that emerged in 1964-65. Sensing a crisis, Poole elected to leave the group and branch out into the world of big ballads. He subsequently moved into cabaret, retired to the family butcher business, and later resurfaced with a record and publishing company. Against the odds, it was his backing group, the Tremeloes, that went on to achieve enormous chart success under their own name. In later decades, Poole and most of his original Tremeloes were back ploughing the rich vein of 60s nostalgia tours. In 1996 Poole proved he was no literary slouch with the publication of Talkback: An Easy Guide To British Slang. His two daughters Karen and Shellie found commercial success in the 90s as Alisha’s Attic. In September 2006 Poole and the band reunited after 40 years for a tour of the UK. The Tremeloes comprised Munden, Hawkes, West and newer members Jeff Brown and Joe Gillingham.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.