| The Four Pennies | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Blackburn, Lancashire, England |
| Genre: | Beat, Rock and roll |
| Years Active: | 1962–1966 |
| Label: | Philips |
| Associated Acts: | Fritz, Mike and Mo |
| Past Members: | Lionel Morton Mike Wilsh Fritz Fryer Alan Buck David Graham |
The Four Pennies were an English beat group most notable for their 1964 UK chart-topping song "Juliet". The band achieved four more top 40 hits in the UK, but failed to chart in the United States during the British Invasion.
The Four Pennies were founded in 1963, and initially consisted of Lionel Morton (vocals, rhythm guitar), Fritz Fryer (lead guitar), Mike Wilshaw (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Alan Buck (drums) The group's name was chosen as a more commercial alternative to "The Lionel Morton Four", and was decided upon after a meeting above a Blackburn music shop, Reidy's Home of Music, which was then situated on "Penny Street".
In their homeland, the group scored a number 47 placing with their first single, 1964's "Do You Want Me To". They then became famous for having a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart later in 1964 with "Juliet". It was written by group members Fritz Fryer, Mike Wilshaw and Lionel Morton. The ballad was originally intended for release as a b-side (b/w "Tell Me Girl").[1] "Juliet" was the only 1964 Number one by a UK group not to chart in America. The US division of Philips Records issued only two of the Four Pennies' singles stateside. Both these singles ("Juliet" and "Until It's Time for You to Go") were major European hits, but while "Juliet" did pick up some airplay on a number of US radio stations,[2] "Until It's Time For You To Go" did not. In any event, neither single picked up enough US airplay or sales to chart.
Following the UK chart-topping success of "Juliet", the Four Pennies racked up subsequent 1964 UK hits with their original "I Found Out The Hard Way" and a cover version of Lead Belly's, "Black Girl". They also issued an album, Two Sides of Four Pennies, which, as was customary for British acts of the time, mostly ignored their hit singles.
After their first single of 1965 did not reach the UK chart, Fryer left the Four Pennies to found a folk trio called Fritz, Mike and Mo. (The single's b-side, "A Place Where No-One Goes", found success in Turkey later that year). Fryer was replaced on guitar by David Graham. The revamped quartet then hit the UK chart again with "Until It's Time for You to Go", written by Buffy Sainte-Marie. 1966 saw the final UK chart entry for the Four Pennies, with a cover version of Bobby Vinton's "Trouble Is My Middle Name". Fryer then returned to the fold, replacing Graham.
They finished 1966 – and their career – with a non-charting album (Mixed Bag), and two non-charting singles: UK songwriter Charles Bell's "Keep The Freeway Open", and Tom Springfield's "No More Sad Songs For Me". By the end of the year, the group had dissolved.
Original and final line-up:
Also:
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [13] | |||
| 2 Sides of 4 Pennies |
| 13 | |
| Mixed Bag |
| — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [14] | |||
| The Four Pennies |
| — | |
| Spin with the Pennies |
| 6 | |
| The Swinging Side of the Four Pennies |
| — | |
| The Smooth Side of the Four Pennies |
| — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS [15] | IRE [16] | NOR [17] | NZ [18] | SWE [19] | US [20] | |||
| "Do You Want Me To"b/w "Miss Bad Daddy" | 1963 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Juliet" b/w "Tell Me Girl (What Are You Gonna Do)" | 1964 | 1 | 53 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 116 | |
| "I Found Out the Hard Way"b/w "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Black Girl"b/w "You Went Away" | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Way of Love"b/w "A Place Where No-One Goes" | 1965 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Someone Stole the Sun" (both sides by Fritz, Mike and Mo)b/w "Let Me Hear Your Voice" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Until It's Time for You to Go"b/w "Till Another Day" | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "What Colour (Is a Man)" (both sides by Fritz, Mike and Mo)b/w "So Now Your Gone" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Trouble Is My Middle Name"b/w "Way Out Love" | 1966 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Keep the Freeway Open"b/w "Square Peg" | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "No Sad Songs for Me"b/w "Cats" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Iko Iko" (as the Pennies)b/w "Ode to an Occasional Table" | 1976 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||