MEMORIES continues its journey through the history of rock and roll band The Dominoes.
In our last entry, we told readers how the group formed, their different line-ups and how they cut two acetates at band member Sam’s house in Cambridge Road, Crosby.
In 1959, Sam joined the police force, leaving Cliff as the only original member, and Johnny Kennedy, from Seaforth, joined the group from The Zodiacs.
By 1960, The Dominoes were being respected by many other bands around and had a large following.
Teddy Taylor became Kingsize Taylor after a slightly larger cigarette became in vogue – a name appropriate for Teddy who stood well over 6ft tall.
In 1961, former band member Sam Hardie saw The Dominoes play in the Cavern and was asked to rejoin them on the piano and the line-up became: Cliff Roberts on drums; Sam Hardie on piano; Bobby Thompson on bass guitar; Johnny Kennedy on rhythm and Charlie Flynn and Kingsize Taylor, who was the main vocalist, could both play lead or rhythm guitar.
It was around this time that a singer called Swinging Cilla, now better known as Cilla Black, joined The Dominoes.
Sam recalls: “One of our singers for a while was Cilla Black. She used to come to Crosby to practice at Cambridge Road. Cilla used to come to the door and shout ‘are the boys in?’�
But in 1962, The Dominoes followed the path of other Merseybeat groups to The Star Club in Hamburg and Cilla decided not to accompany them.
Charlie and Cliff also left the group and were replaced by Dave Lovelady on drums and John Frankland on rhythm in Hamburg where The Dominoes would play eight hour sessions with The Beatles.
Sam said: “The Beatles were very rough and ready when they first started, but they did have something very different about them.�
Find out more about The Dominoes’ time in Hamburg in next week’s Memories.
The Dominoes will perform their sell-out reunion gig at Crosby Comrades Club in October.
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