Tommy Quickly

Tommy Quickly is basically known for two things: he was managed by <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">Beatles</a> overseer <a href="spotify:artist:2A3KGd7NkgkLzqudWj7jbc">Brian Epstein</a>, and managed to record a <a href="spotify:artist:4x1nvY2FN8jxqAFA0DA02H">Lennon</a>-<a href="spotify:artist:4STHEaNw4mPZ2tzheohgXB">McCartney</a> composition, "Tip of My Tongue," that <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">the Beatles</a> never got around to releasing themselves. One of <a href="spotify:artist:4x1nvY2FN8jxqAFA0DA02H">Lennon</a>-<a href="spotify:artist:4STHEaNw4mPZ2tzheohgXB">McCartney's</a> slightest numbers -- it was downright wimpy, in fact -- Quickly had a minor hit with it when he made it his debut release in mid-1963. Only 18 at the time, Quickly recorded half a dozen singles in 1963 and 1964, sometimes backed by Liverpool combo the Remo Four, notching another small hit with a cover of the country standard "The Wild Side of Life," but never truly broke out into stardom. His material mostly mined the most pop-influenced end of the Merseybeat style, sounding like a more MOR version of <a href="spotify:artist:3UmBeGyNwr4iDWi1vTxWi8">Gerry & the Pacemakers</a> (who were not exactly radical innovators themselves). Quickly was at one time slated to be "given" another <a href="spotify:artist:4x1nvY2FN8jxqAFA0DA02H">Lennon</a>-<a href="spotify:artist:4STHEaNw4mPZ2tzheohgXB">McCartney</a> song, the excellent "No Reply," with <a href="spotify:artist:4STHEaNw4mPZ2tzheohgXB">Paul McCartney</a> on tambourine. But the session came to naught when Quickly was unable to sing the vocal in tune, partially because <a href="spotify:artist:4x1nvY2FN8jxqAFA0DA02H">John Lennon</a> had, it has been written, impeded Quickly's concentration by supplying Tommy with whiskey. Quickly's version of "No Reply" never came out -- <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">the Beatles</a> would record it themselves on their fourth album -- and, in fact, his career was therefore finished, as he left <a href="spotify:artist:2A3KGd7NkgkLzqudWj7jbc">Epstein's</a> management stable and quit the music business shortly thereafter. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi