#6: Juliet by the Four Pennies

City: Kingston, ON
Radio Station: CKWS
Peak Month: August 1964
Peak Position in Kingston ~ #5
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
Peak Position on UK Singles chart ~ #1
YouTube: “Juliet”
Lyrics: “Juliet”

The Four Pennies were a beat group from England that formed in November 1963. The members consisted of Lionel Morton (born Lionel Walmsley in 1942), Fritz Fryer (born David Roderic Carnie Fryer in Blackburn, Lancashire in 1944), Mike Wilshaw (born in 1945 in Stoke-on-Trent), and Alan Buck. (born in 1943 in Briefield, Lancashire). Morton sang as a choirboy at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Prior to the Four Pennies, Fryer and Wilshaw had been part of a popular local singing duo named The Fables, which launched in 1961. Alan Buck had been a drummer doing a few gigs with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, and a few jazz bands. The group’s name was chosen as a more commercial alternative to The Lionel Morton Four. They decided to switch to the Four Pennies after a meeting above a Blackburn music shop which was on Penny Street. The group was discovered by Marie Reidy who owned Reidys Home of Music.

In 1964, the Four Pennies appeared as an opening act for the Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. In early 1964, the Four Pennies debut single, “Do You Want Me To”, cracked the Top 50 on the British pop charts. Their followup single was titled “Juliet”.

Originally, “Juliet” was chosen as a B-side to “Tell Me Girl”. However, it caught on and DJs started playing it across the UK. The song was written by Lionel Morton, Mike Wilsh and Fritz Fryer. “Juliet” is a song about a guy who remembers last girlfriend who broke his heart. Still, he remembers her though she’s left him feeling unsure about himself.

“Juliet” peaked at #5 in Kingston (ON), #6 in Louisville (KY), #11 in Hamilton (ON), #14 in Caro (MI), and #15 in Lansing (MI).

In the summer of 1964, the Four Pennies next release, “I Found Out the Hard Way”, spent 11 weeks on the British pop chart and peaked at #14. An album titled Two Sides of the Four Pennies climbed to #13 on the UK Album chart. Two more releases cracked the UK Top 20 singles chart: a cover of the Leadbelly song “Black Girl”, and Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Until It’s Time For You to Go”. However, before the second of these singles began to chart, Fritz Fryer left the Four Pennies. He founded a folk trio called Fritz, Mike and Mo (Mo was Maureen Edwards). Fryer was replaced on guitar by David Graham. Between April 1964 and December 1965, the Four Pennies spent 49 weeks on the British pop singles chart. However, a cover of the Bobby Vinton tune, “Trouble is My Middle Name”, failed to crack the Top 30 in early 1966. It was their last charting single. Two more releases, “Keep The Freeway Open” and “No Sad Songs”, each failed to chart.

By the end of 1966 the Four Pennies dissolved. While they were popular, the Four Pennies appeared seven times on the BBC music variety show Top of the Pops. 

Lionel Morton pursued a solo career. In 1967 Morton released a cover of a minor hit by Mike Clifford from 1963 titled “What To Do With Laurie”. But Lionel Morton’s cover was a commercial flop, as was his cover of Jerry Fuller’s “First Love Never Dies”. Other releases, including “Waterloo Road”, were given a pass by DJs in Britain. He played the lead role in the musical Hair, in Glasgow in 1970. From April 1968 to December 1977, Morton was a regular presenter on the pre-school children’s programme Play School. He also reappeared during 1983-84 season. In the 1970s he concurrently was the host of the children’s show, Play Away, for a slightly older audience. Morton was formerly married for five years to British actress, Julia Foster, with whom he had a daughter named Emily.

Alan Buck got married and worked in production, including for Radio Luxembourg. He died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 50, three weeks before what would have been his 51st birthday.

Fritz Fryer became a record producer for Clannad, Horslips, Motorhead & Stackridge. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2007 at the age of 62.

After the Four Pennies broke up, in successive decades, Mike Wilshaw headlined various line-ups for the Four Pennies on oldies tours.

January 3, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:
“60s Beat, Pop, Brill Building: The Four Pennies – The World Of The Four Pennies (1996 Karussell) Flac,” Pop On the Run blog, July 2019.
Jon Robinson, “Celebration of the Blackburn band who rocked the pop charts,” Lancashire Telegraph, November 26, 2022.
John H. Warburg, “The Four Pennies (Blackburn),” Manchester Beat.com, July 1, 2015.
Boppin’ Bob, “Lionel Morton born 14 August 1942,” From the Vaults blog, August 14, 2020.

CKWS 960-AM Kingston (ON) Top 20 | August 4, 1964