But just when dull, conservative people around the world thought it was safe to turn on the radio, four mop tops from Liverpool hit the airwaves with "She Loves You – Yeah Yeah Yeah!" This was followed in quick succession with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and about a hundred other brilliant pop songs. It wasn't Rock 'n' Roll as we knew it, but hey, pretty damned good all the same!

The Rolling Stones gave up being just a blues band and started writing powerful rock songs. They were followed by bands like the Kinks, the Animals, the Hollies and dozens of lesser but nevertheless entertaining bands like the Troggs, Herman's Hermits, the Searchers, Bee Gees, Dave Clarke Five, the Tremeloes, Mungo Jerry, Dave, Dee, Dozey, Mick and Tich.

The women hit their stride. Dionne Warwick's rendering of the Burt Bacharach / Hal David songbook left us begging for more. Cilla Black and Sandi Shaw did well but it was left to the magnificent Dusty Springfield to prove that the Brits could more than do justice to the best of the best. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Dusty, but the world will always love and remember you.

Herb Alpert signed to Frank Sinatra's Reprise label and filled our living rooms with Mexican joy. From Germany we got Bert Kaemfert's 'Swinging Safari' on Polydor, a new era in sound reproduction. OK Germany, if you can reproduce sounds like this we forgive you for Hitler.

Jimi Hendrix and the Walker Brothers crossed the Atlantic and hit the big time in Britain. The USA itself produced Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Mamas and Papas, the Loving Spoonful, Janis Joplin... (don't mention the Monkees!) but other than that not much of consequence was heard from the home of Rock 'n' Roll. Wilson Picket kept us awake until the Midnight Hour, Otis Redding demanded some Respect before dying in a plane crash. Aretha Franklin snuk out from behind her father's pulpit and thrilled us with devil's music. Carol King wove a gorgeous Tapestry and Neil Sedaka found his Calendar Girl. But by and large the Brits took over. Even Phil Spector's Wall of Sound couldn't ward off the British hordes. Stateside this period was known as the "British Invasion".

It has been said that if you remember the 60s then you weren't there – a reference to the drug culture that evolved during that era. The psychedelic influence is evident on records like the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', Donovan's 'Mellow Yellow', the Small Faces 'Itchykoo Park' and... and... and... something about leaving a cake out in the rain, plus dozens more. Personally I wasn't drugged, I was there yet I do remember the 1960s. So much for things that have been said.

The '60s era lasted almost twice as long as the '50s era but it came to a grinding halt when The Beatles split. The Velvet Underground surfaced and the Doors kicked in but most of the other bands fell apart at the seams. Only the Rolling Stones, Bee Gees and Van Morrison went on to achieve bigger and better success. Bob Dylan continued to continue but his output was patchy to say the least. To his credit, just as his fans were about to write him off he'd produce an album like 'Blood on the Tracks' just to prove there was life in the old croaker yet.

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