BEING A FELLOW of a certain age I can clearly remember the birth of what we now call British R&B. It began with ‘groups’ as we called them, like The Rolling Stones who originally emerged playing Chuck Berry, Rufus Thomas, Willie Dixon and other blues covers. Other beat combos like Them (with Van Morrison), The Yardbirds, Pretty Things and Animals soon emerged, all bringing a hepped-up, somewhat anglicised slant to blues standards, or self-penned tunes that followed the 12-bar form. Even The Beatles joined in with Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Roll Over Beethoven, Rock And Roll Music, You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me, Money and many more. These groups added a jumpy, rock and roll vibe to the blues, and while they tried so hard to sound authentic, never quite…
