The Dowlands

During the late '50s, David Dowland and Gordon Dowland were a harmony vocal duo from Bournemouth who were basically known as <a href="spotify:artist:4ACplpEqD6JIVgKrafauzs">Everly Brothers</a> imitators, similar to the Brook Brothers. Their sound was toughened up by the presence of a backing group that included Roy Phillips on guitar and drummer Chris Warman, and they were good enough to get signed up in 1962 by producer <a href="spotify:artist:2qFfH4tRlRJtTqPoapoerO">Joe Meek</a> -- their debut recording, "Little Sue" b/w "Julie," was issued by Oriole Records, which released a string of follow-ups, including "Big Big Fella," "Breakups," and "Lucky Johnny," none of which were successful. By the end of 1963, the Dowlands were in a difficult bind -- they'd been emulating <a href="spotify:artist:4ACplpEqD6JIVgKrafauzs">the Everly Brothers</a>' sound professionally for years and were falling short commercially, while <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">the Beatles</a>, who also owed a great deal to <a href="spotify:artist:4ACplpEqD6JIVgKrafauzs">the Everlys</a>, were reshaping the music landscape around them. However, in 1964 -- rather late in the game from a British perspective -- the group reluctantly jumped on the bandwagon, finally getting onto the British charts for nearly two months with their cover of the <a href="spotify:artist:4x1nvY2FN8jxqAFA0DA02H">Lennon</a>-<a href="spotify:artist:4STHEaNw4mPZ2tzheohgXB">McCartney</a> song "All My Loving." Indeed, that record became the group's first and only U.S. single when it was picked up for release on the Tollie label. As a result, they enjoyed a year of better bookings, especially on package tours throughout England, and a follow-up single might've given them the boost they needed to continue, but none was forthcoming. <a href="spotify:artist:2qFfH4tRlRJtTqPoapoerO">Meek</a> later also produced their versions of "I Walk the Line," "Wishin' and Hopin'," and "Don't Make Me Over," the latter two of which were eclipsed by rival recordings by <a href="spotify:artist:41qTjISnBzDLRlrJEJNGKj">the Merseybeats</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5gNduPlUGHsgy1w7f71obH">the Swinging Blue Jeans</a>. Roy Phillips co-founded <a href="spotify:artist:1SfS0vGzcG9mHoYSJcVNRh">the Peddlers</a> in 1964, and by the second half of the 1960s Keith Dowland had ceased performing regularly, though David Dowland kept working intermittently for another 20 years. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi