THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,389) Rockin’ Horse — “Julian the Hooligan”
I dedicate this endearingly rowdy ’71 album track (from Rockin’ Horse’s Yes It Is) and A-side to all the parents out there with mischievous sons named Julian. It is a “slightlydelic, hard rocking John [Lennonish]” number”. (Garwood Pickjon, https://popdiggers.com/rockin-horse-yes-it-is/) Oh that reminds me, let me exclude Yoko Ono!
Billy Kinsley, the song’s writer and Rockin’ Horse (see #738) co-founder (along with Jimmy Campbell) recalls:
My wife Sandra and I were on holiday in Portugal in June, 1971 and we met another couple there who had a toddler the same age as our little girl, Sarah. They kept calling out to their little boy, “Julian you’re a hooligan.” I thought, hey, that’s a great line. I wrote the lyrics right there and then.
Rockin’ Horse was formed by Kinsley and the great Jimmy Campbell (see #22, 648, 736, 737, 996, 1,096). Bruce Eder says that “[t]he goal of Rockin’ Horse was to revive the classic Liverpool sound — in that regard, Yes It Is is a phenomenal album” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/yes-it-is-mw0000549559) Yes it is!
I’ve written often about Jimmy Campbell. Matty Loughlin-Day aptly states that:
[He is a] songwriter who, for this writer’s money, could go toe-to-toe with any of the more celebrated prodigies from the region, yet who’s name is frequently met with blank faces or a shrug of the shoulders. A writer who, in a sane universe, would be esteemed alongside . . . yes, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Jimmy Campbell is arguably the archetypal lost son of Liverpool. A talent that was never quite reciprocated by the buying public and the victim of some cruel twists of fate, his is a name that is for one reason or another, never quite mentioned when discussing the plethora of musical talent that the city has produced.
But, as “Julian” was written by Billy Kinsley, let me focus on him today. Bruce Eder writes:
Billy Kinsley was the co-founder and bassist/singer with the Merseybeats (see #725). Born in Liverpool . . . he was attracted to rock & roll before he was in his teens, and got an almost premature start in the field when he and his longtime friend singer/guitarist Tony Crane formed the Mavericks. later rechristened the Pacifics, then the Mersey Beats, and finally the Merseybeats. At age 16, he was already living every young English rock & roller’s dream, playing backup to Little Richard as a member of the group, at a show in New Brighton, and between his and Crane’s singing and playing, the band was fluent in a range of styles, from serious R&B shouters to lyrical, harmony-based numbers. At the end of 1963, with one single already charted in England and a second one — “I Think of You” — about to break . . . into the U.K. Top Five. . . Kinsley decided to leave the group, owing to his impending marriage and his desire to stay closer to Liverpool. In the waning days of the year, while playing in Germany, Crane, Kinsley, and their manager approached Johnny Gustafson, bassist and singer, late of Liverpool’s Big Three trio, at a Frankfurt club called the Arcadia and offered him Kinsley’s spot. He was able to accept as soon as he returned from Frankfurt . . . . Crane and Gustafson formed a songwriting team, while Kinsley retreated to Liverpool. He didn’t abandon music, however — he kept his hand in performing locally with a group called the Kinsleys . . . . [B]y December of 1964, Billy Kinsley had returned to the fold, replacing Guatafson who was fired — if Pete Frame’s account is to be believed — for inquiring about the division of earnings within the group. . . . Kinsley’s return helped sustain the Merseybeats across an ensuing 18 months of declining fortunes, at the end of which he and Crane reshaped their sound and image entirely. Abandoning their instruments, they became the Mersey’s and, with Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp (who already managed the Who) managing their business and creative affairs, they enjoyed an immense hit with “Sorrow[.]” They failed to score with their rendition of Pete Townshend’s “So Sad About Us,” however, and several hoped-for creative hookups with the Beatles and their Apple label failed to materialize, and by late 1968 . . . had called it quits. At this point, Kinsley became a session musician, and played with Paul McCartney as well as playing on recording sessions for . . . Jimmy Campbell’s first two albums. Together, Kinsley and Campbell organized Rockin’ Horse . . . . [T]he two later played as part of the backing band for Chuck Berryon his 1972 tour of England. After cutting a pair of singles, “Annabella” and “You Make My Day,” for Epic Records, Kinsley revived Rockin’ Horse in 1975 . . . . They were signed to British Warner Bros. but before the ink was dry, they’d changed their name to Liverpool Express. They released an unsuccessful debut single, but they saw success in 1976 with “You Are My Love,” which just missed the British Top Ten but got them onto Top of the Pops four times during its nine-week chart run. Their next two singles, “Hold Tight” and “Every Man Must Have a Dream,” charted more modestly . . . . Two LPs, Tracks and Dreamin’, were also released in 1976 and 1977, respectively, and the group scored three consecutive South American hits in 1977. Liverpool Express continued right into the 1980s, their credits including a string of chart singles around the world . . . .
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-kinsley-mn0001497494#biography
Peter Gough adds:
After the breakup of Rockin’ Horse in 1972, Billy Kinsley spent a couple of years making his money recording soundalikes for the Top Of The Pops budget compilation albums . . . . He attempted a solo career, releasing two singles on the Epic record label, “Annabella” . . . in 1973 and “You Make My Day” . . . in 1974. Both were outstanding but failed to chart. . . . In 1974, Kinsley started playing five-a-side soccer as a means of keeping fit. It was on the pitch that he met Roger Craig, keyboard player in a local band called Paper Chase along with Tony Coats (guitar) and Derek Cashin (drums). Craig was a fan of the “Annabella” single and asked Kinsley if he would like to join Paper Chase, to which he agreed. Kinsley rechristened his new band Rockin’ Horse, knowing that they would get more gigs with a familiar name. He also hoped that original Rockin’ Horse, Jimmy Campbell would join him, but Campbell returned to his engineering job. Rockin’ Horse Mark II was getting plenty of bookings on the club scene but their crowd pleasing set list comprised of cover versions. After six months of gigging, Kinsley . . . [and Craig] started to write songs together. The band was renamed Liverpool Express by their manager, Hal Carter. . . . Carter . . . landed the band a recording contract with Warner Brothers. . . . “You Are My Love” a McCartney-esque ballad . . . . . . cracked the UK pop charts peaking at number 11 and would go on to be a hit in many countries around the world. An album called Tracks . . . was released in June 1976 . . . . The overall sound of the album is 10cc meets Wings, harmony pop with a very typical 1976 ‘over production’ which might put some people off, but the strength and quality of the songs helps you overcome the cheese factor. Also included on the album is a remake of the old Rockin’ Horse classic, now titled “(I Remember) Julian The Hooligan” where Kinsley sings “Julian, plugging your smokes again, telling dirty jokes again, trouble for his folks again!“.
Here is Liverpool Express’s version:
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