Them biography
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career. The original five member band consisted of Morrison, Alan Henderson, Ronnie Millings, Billy Harrison and Eric Wrixon.The group was marketed in the United States as part of the British Invasion.
Them scored two UK hits in 1965 with "Baby, Please Don't Go" (UK #10) and "Here Comes the Night" (UK #2, Ireland #2). The latter song and "Mystic Eyes"" were Top 40 hits in the US.
Morrison quit the band in 1966 and went on to a successful career as a solo artist. Although Them had a short-lived existence, the Belfast group had considerable influence on other bands, such as The Doors.
Formation
In April 1964, Van Morrison established an R&B club at the Maritime Hotel, Belfast with entrepreneurs Jimmy Conlon, Jerry McKernan and Gerry McKervey (known as the "3Js"). Morrison gave notice to the group with which he performed at the time, the Golden Eagles. With an anticipated opening night for the new R&B club approaching, he embarked on a mission to find his ideal line-up. He had recently been introduced to The Gamblers, an East Belfast group formed in 1962 by Ronnie Millings (drums, born 1937), Billy Harrison (guitar and lead vocals, born William Harrison on 14 October 1942), and Alan Henderson (bass guitar, born 26 November 1944). Eric Wrixon, who was still in school, had been recruited as piano player and keyboardist. Morrison joined in on tenor saxophone, harmonica and vocals. The group rehearsed over Dougie Knight's bicycle shop in Shaftesbury Square, Belfast in preparation for their debut at the Maritime. As the group now felt they needed a new name, they followed Eric Wrixon's suggestion and The Gamblers morphed into Them after the 1954 sci-fi horror film.
Maritime Hotel
On April 14, 1964, an advertisement in a Belfast newspaper asked: "Who Are? What Are? THEM". Similarly curious advertisements followed until the Friday before the gig (April 17, 1964) announced that Them would be performing that evening at Club Rado at the Maritime Hotel. Attendance at the two hundred capacity venue quickly grew with a packed house by the third week.
Them performed without a routine, fired by the crowd's energy: Morrison later commented that while the band was "out of our element" making records... "The way we did the numbers at the Maritime was more spontaneous, more energetic, more everything, because we were feeding off the crowd." Morrison ad libbed songs as he performed and "Gloria", the classic song he had written at eighteen years old, took shape here and could last up to twenty minutes. According to Morrison, "Them lived and died on the stage at the Maritime Hotel" but only very rudimentary recordings survive. One fan's recording, of "Turn On Your Love Light", the group's most popular number, made its way to Mervyn and Phil Solomon, who contacted Decca Records' Dick Rowe, who then traveled to Belfast to hear Them perform. Rowe and Phil Solomon agreed on a two year contract with the members of the band then signed up to Solomon. Morrison, at eighteen had to have his father sign for him. Within a few weeks, the group was taken to England and into the Decca's recording studio in West Hampstead for their first recording session.
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