From: Dik de Heer 
Date: Mon Dec 22, 2003 6:30am
Subject: Born To Be With You : Brian Locking

BRIAN LOCKING 

Born 22 December 1940, Bedworth, Coventry, England 

British bass guitarist Brian "Licorice" Locking started his musical 
career at the age of seventeen as a member of Vince Taylor's
backing group, The Playboys. Apart from Locking, this group
comprised Tony Harvey (guitar), Tony Sheridan (guitar/vocals) 
and Brian Bennett (drums). Taylor and his Playboys appeared 
regularly on the pioneering UK television show "Oh Boy!" and 
released a single on Parlophone with two covers of Sun records
that were not issued in the UK at the time: Ray Smith's "Right 
Behind You Baby" and Roy Orbison's "I Like Love". By the time
Taylor's next single came out in 1959 ("Brandnew Cadillac"), the
Playboys had split up and Locking and Bennett moved to Marty
Wilde's backing group, the Wild Cats. This group developed into
the instrumental outfit The Krew Kats : Big Jim Sullivan (lead guitar), 
Tony Belcher (rhythm guitar), Brian Locking (bass) and Brian
Bennett (drums). They had a few releases on HMV in 1961, the
first of which was "Trambone". At the time this came out, I had not
heard the versions by Chet Atkins (who wrote the song) and Duane
Eddy, and was quite impressed by the Krew Kats' version. 
In October 1961 Brian Bennett moved on to the Shadows to replace
Tony Meehan and in that famous group he was soon joined by Brian
Locking, who became the Shadows' bass guitarist after Jet Harris left
to pursue a solo career in spring of 1962. 
An all-round musician, Locking's nickname was a result of his
proficiency with the 'licorice stick' (clarinet). He also provided 
variety to the Shadows sound by occasionally playing the harmonica,
notably on his own composition 'Licorice' (which has appeared on
the Fremus CD 'Atlantis'). His version of 'Stranger on the Shore' 
was a regular feature of Shadows stage performances of 1962/3, 
and, perhaps the best of all, his harmonica features heavily on the
track 'Dakota' on the 'Sounds of the Shadows' LP.

The Shadows backed Cliff Richard on all his hits, appeared with him
in his films and had hit singles and hit albums of their own.
Brian Locking only stayed with the Shadows for eighteen months, his
final appearance being at the London Palladium in November 1963. 
(He was replaced by John Rostill.) His dedication to the work of God 
through the Jehovah's Witness faith was far more important to him 
than life as a pop star and when he found that the latter was interfering 
with the former, he left the group so that he could devote all his time
to his religious activities as a Jehovah's Witness. Whilst a member of 
the Shadows, he is credited as having a large influence on the religious beliefs of both Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin.