The Tomcats

about

There are at least three bands called The Tomcats, listed here in chronological order. 1. The Tomcats were a beat band of the early to mid 1960s from Perivale, United Kingdom. The founder members were Tom Newman (later founder of Virgin Records with Richard Branson, and producer of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells), Pete Cook (later luthier to John Entwistle, and creator of the 'Ned Callan' guitar range with Tom Newman), Allan James (later bass player with psychedelic band July with Newman and Jackson), and Chris Jackson, drummer. 2. The Tomcats were also a proto-psychedelic English beat band in the mid to late 1960s. Inspired by Brian Jones' interest in Eastern instrumentation, and actually produced by Stones bassist Bill Wyman, they made some recordings, including renditions of The Stones' hits, such as 'Paint It Black' and '19th Nervous Breakdown'. The Tomcats were based in Spain, where they released four Spain-only EPs before returning to the U.K. in 1966. 3. The Tomcats was the name of Brian Setzer's first rockabilly group, before transforming to the widely known Stray Cats. With Brian Setzer on guitar and vocals, Gary Setzer on drums and Bob Beecher on bass, the trio began to play clubs at Long Island in 1979. At the time Brian Setzer and Bob Beecher were also participating at another group, named the Bloodless Pharaohs, which played "art rock" music (as described by Gary Setzer). While The Bloodless Pharaohs were playing in and out New York, The Tomcats were still ho

why this is interesting

# The Tomcats (1960s Beat Band) This early 1960s ensemble merits consideration as a generational snapshot—a group whose members would later shape influential corners of progressive rock and instrument design. Tom Newman's trajectory from beat musician to Virgin Records founder and *Tubular Bells* producer illustrates how the era's creative currents flowed outward. Pete Cook's evolution into a luthier of distinction, collaborating with John Entwistle, suggests the band occupied a space where musicianship and instrument craft were inseparable. Their work documents a transitional moment: British beat music before the psychedelic turn, when technical ambition and experimental thinking were beginning to reshape popular

top songs

albums

Rock This Town

Running at Shadows - The Spanish Recordings 1965-66

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Rumble In Brighton

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Box Of Pin-Ups: The British Sounds Of 1965

A Slight Disturbance In My Mind: The British Proto-Psychedelic Sounds Of 1966

Running at Shadows: The Spanish Recordings 1965-1966

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Asubios Vol.1

Night Comes Down: 60s British Mod, R&B, Freakbeat & Swinging London Nuggets

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Looking Through A Glass Onion: The Beatles' Psychedelic Songbook 1966-72

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The Tomcats

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Get Ready For The Countdown: Mod, Brit Soul, R&B & Freakbeat Nuggets

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World Beaters Vol.2

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