Tommy Quickly

Tommy Quickly is basically known for two things: he was managed by Beatles overseer Brian Epstein, and managed to record a Lennon-McCartney composition, "Tip of My Tongue," that the Beatles never got around to releasing themselves. One of Lennon-McCartney's 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 Gerry & the Pacemakers (who were not exactly radical innovators themselves). Quickly was at one time slated to be "given" another Lennon-McCartney song, the excellent "No Reply," with Paul McCartney on tambourine. But the session came to naught when Quickly was unable to sing the vocal in tune, partially because John Lennon had, it has been written, impeded Quickly's concentration by supplying Tommy with whiskey. Quickly's version of "No Reply" never came out -- the Beatles would record it themselves on their fourth album -- and, in fact, his career was therefore finished, as he left Epstein's management stable and quit the music business shortly thereafter. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide