Pop Gear (1965)

Director:

Frederic Goode

Writer:

Roger Dunton (script)

Release Date:

4 January 1965 (UK)

Genre:

Music

Tagline:

It's the new international beat that's rockin' the world!

Plot:

No plot here. Just a collection of lip-synched videos from some of the bands that were part of the "British Invasion" in 1964...

Plot Keywords:

British Invasion | Musician | Singer | Legend | Performer

Cast

Jimmy Savile	...	Himself - Host
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Allen	...	Himself (as The Nashville Teens)
The Animals	...	Themselves
Peter Asher	...	Himself (as Peter and Gordon)
Toni Baker	...	Himself (as Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas)
The Beatles	...	Themselves (archive footage)
Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas	...	Themselves
Eric Burdon	...	Himself (as The Animals)
Billie Davis	...	Herself
Spencer Davis	...	Himself (as Spencer Davis Group)
Dennis D'Ell	...	Himself - Singer (as The Honeycombs)
Chris Farlowe	...	Himself
The Fourmost	...	Themselves
The Four Pennies	...	Themselves
Karl Green	...	Himself (as Herman's Hermits)
Spencer Davis Group	...	Themselves
George Harrison	...	Himself (archive footage)
John Hawken	...	Himself (as The Nashville Teens)
Herman's Hermits	...	Themselves
Pete Hilton	...	Himself (as Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas)
Keith Hopwood	...	Himself (as Herman's Hermits)
Barry Jenkins	...	Himself (as The Nashville Teens)
Raymond Jones	...	Himself (as Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas)
Billy J. Kramer	...	Himself (as Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas)
Honey Lantree	...	Herself - Drummer (as The Honeycombs)
John Lantree	...	Himself - Bassist (as The Honeycombs)
Derek Leckenby	...	Himself (as Herman's Hermits)
John Lennon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Susan Maughan	...	Herself
Mike Maxfield	...	Himself (as Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas)
Paul McCartney	...	Himself (archive footage)
Matt Monro	...	Himself (as Matt Munro)
Eddie Mooney	...	Himself (as Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas)
Lionel Morton	...	Himself (as The Four Pennies)
Martin Murray	...	Himself - Guitarist (as The Honeycombs)
The Nashville Teens	...	Themselves
Tony Newman	...	Himself (as Sounds Incorporated)
Peter Noone	...	Himself (as Herman's Hermits)
Ken Osborn	...	Himself (as The Nashville Teens)
Ray Phillips	...	Himself (as The Nashville Teens)
Alan Price	...	Himself
Tommy Quickly	...	Himself (as Tommy Quickly and the Remo Four)
The Rockin' Berries	...	Himself
Pete Shannon	...	Himself (as The Nashville Teens)
Arthur Sharp	...	Himself (as The Nashville Teens)
Sounds Incorporated	...	Themselves
Ringo Starr	...	Himself (archive footage)
The Syndicate of Sound	...	Themselves
Gordon Waller	...	Himself (as Peter and Gordon)
Alan Ward	...	Himself - Organist (as The Honeycombs)
Barry Whitwam	...	Himself (as Herman's Hermits)
Muff Winwood	...	Himself (as Spencer Davis Group)
Stevie Winwood	...	Himself (as Spencer Davis Group)
Pete York	...	Himself (as Spencer Davis Group)

Also Known As:

Go Go Mania (USA)

Runtime:

68 min | USA:70 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:PG

Company:

Associated British-Pathé

Trivia:

The Beatles appear via some newsreel footage, singing "Twist and Shout" and "She Loves You". This is the same footage that TV show host Jack Paar showed to the American Public just weeks before their storied debut on " The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Super Night of Rock 'n' Roll (1984) (TV)

Soundtrack:

World Without Love

Billie Davis at age 18

I saw this movie on cable the other day. I was very surprised at how many great British pop artists appeared. Some obscure (at least to me) bands like The Rocking Berries, Fourmost, Tommy Quickly & The Remo 4 and Susan Maughan. I should have known more about these artists as I am no spring chicken and I loved this music.

The best surprise was a very pretty singer named Billie Davis. She was also unknown to me but not to British fans of pop as she still performs in shows with her friend Jet Harris. I got an immediate crush on this girl and she was just 18 years old in this film. She is now 61 but still quite pretty as I discovered from her fan site. Try and get her CD of her best stuff from her Decca years.

Many great performances make this a snapshot in time of the British invasion pop scene and well worth your time.