Guitarist/vocalist Brian O'Hara and best friend guitarist/vocalist Joey Bower (born Joseph Bower, 17 November 1939, Dingle, Liverpool, Lancashire) formed the Two Jays in 1957. The group changed its name to the Four Jays in September 1959 when bass guitarist/singer Billy Hatton and drummer Brian Redman (born 21 June 1941, Huyton, Liverpool, Lancashire) joined the group. The Four Jays played at the Cavern Club on 1 March 1961, nearly three weeks before the Beatles. Rhythm guitarist/singer Mike Millward (ex-the Undertakers) joined the Four Jays in November 1961, followed by drummer/singer Dave Lovelady in September 1962. The band changed its name to the Fourmost in October 1962. On 30 June 1963, the group signed a management contract with Brian Epstein. This led to their being auditioned by George Martin and signed to EMI's Parlophone record label.
With Epstein as their manager, the Fourmost (like Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, Peter and Gordon and Tommy Quickly) had access to early Lennon–McCartney compositions. The Fourmost's first two singles were written by John Lennon. "Hello Little Girl", one of the earliest Lennon songs (written in 1957) was released on 30 August 1963 and reached No. 9 in the UK. Their follow-up single, "I'm in Love" (Lennon–McCartney), was released on 15 November 1963 and reached No. 17 in the UK. It was also notable as one of the earliest Beatles-penned songs to be released in the United States but, as with the Fourmost's other singles, it failed to chart there.
Their biggest hit followed. "A Little Loving", written by Russ Alquist, reached Number 6 in the UK Singles Chart in mid 1964. From then on, none of the group's singles cracked the Top 20 in the UK. "How Can I Tell Her", was followed by a cover version of the Four Tops' "Baby I Need Your Loving", sung by Millward, while Hatton took lead vocal on "Everything in the Garden", and "Girls Girls Girls" (originally recorded by the Coasters and a hit for Elvis Presley). Brian O'Hara composed most of their original songs, which were used as 'b' sides including 'Waitin For You', 'That's Only What They Say', 'He Could Never', and 'You Got That Way'.
On the group's only sixties album, First and Fourmost, from September 1965, they covered Jackie DeShannon's "Till You Say You'll Be Mine". Other tracks included "My Block" sung by Hatton and written by Jimmy Radcliffe, Carl Spencer and Bert Berns (originally a hit for the Chiffons in 1963), Millward sang a re-make of "The In Crowd" which featured the brass section from Sounds Incorporated, and Hatton sang two cover versions of Little Richard's "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Heebie-Jeebies". The band appeared in the 1965 film, Ferry Cross the Mersey and on the soundtrack album of the same name singing 'I Love You Too' (which appeared in two totally differing versions mono to stereo).
In early 1966 the band were rocked by the sudden death of rhythm guitarist/vocalist Mike Millward, a featured lead vocalist. They recruited George Peckham as replacement. In August 1966, the Fourmost covered another Beatles' song, "Here, There and Everywhere", followed by a cover of George Formby's "Auntie Maggie's Remedy" in November 1966. The latter song was representative of a comedic element to some of the group's recordings. George Peckham wrote and sang The country-influenced "Turn the Lights Down Low" (the b-side of "Auntie Maggie's Remedy"), a short-lived effort to branch out to less pop-oriented fare.
In 1968, now on the CBS record label, they recorded "Apples, Peaches And Pumpkin Pie", an R&B hit by Jay & the Techniques, followed by "Rosetta" (suggested by Paul McCartney, who played piano on it), and "Easy Squeezy". The group soon stopped recording, and became popular on the cabaret circuit. George Peckham left the band in 1969 to run a recording studio. Original member Joey Bower returned to the band as replacement, a later private pressing album; The Fourmost - featured O'Hara, Hatton, Lovelady and Bower - which included covers such as "Without You", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Rag Doll" and "Save The Last Dance For Me" was sold at their shows in 1975. Hatton, Lovelady and Bower all left in 1980 while O'Hara continued the group with new members, although a version of the band featuring O'Hara and older members Hatton and Lovelady did once perform at the new Cavern Club. O'Hara eventually dropped out selling the band's name. A later line up featuring longtime later member bassist/singer Bill Haisman (who had been in the later group alongside Brian O'Hara) plus John Richards (lead guitar, vocals), Gary Pearson (guitar, vocals) and Kevin Clarkson (drums, vocals) released a DVD and CD titled, The Fourmost Live at The Club Tropicana, featuring recording of a show recorded in Skegness on 7 April 2007. They performed both "Hello Little Girl" and "A Little Loving" among other covers of 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s hit songs. Bill Haisman later retired. A touring version of the band continued led by drummer/vocalist Kevin Clarkson, with Alex Leyland (rhythm guitar, vocals), Colin Walsh (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Clarkson (bass guitar, vocals).
Charley Records later issued a 20 track compilation album also titled First and Fourmost, while EMI Records later released a CD stereo/mono version of the original 1965 album in 1999. In 2005, they also released a 33 track CD compilation The Best of The Fourmost, which included the stereo version of "I Love You Too", and four previously unreleased songs with booklet notes written by Billy Hatton.
Mike Millward died from leukaemia in 1966. Brian O'Hara took his own life in 1999. Billy Hatton died in 2017.
Original band members
Brian O'Hara, born 12 March 1941, Dingle, Liverpool, died 27 June 1999, Wavertree, Liverpool (suicide), vocalist/lead guitarist, from June 1962
Mike Millward, born Michael Millward, 9 May 1942, Bromborough, Cheshire, died 7 March 1966, at Clatterbridge Hospital, Bebington, Cheshire, rhythm guitarist/vocalist, from June 1962
Billy Hatton, born William Hatton, 9 June 1941, Dingle, Liverpool,, bassist/vocalist died 19 September 2017, Liverpool
Dave Lovelady, born David Lovelady, 16 October 1942, Litherland, Liverpool, drummer/vocalist, from September 1962
Discography
Singles
Year Single Chart positions
UK[6] AU US
1963 "Hello Little Girl" 9 - -
"I'm In Love" 17 - -
1964 "A Little Loving" 6 98 -
"If You Cry" (US Only) - - -
"How Can I Tell Her" 33 - -
"Baby I Need Your Loving" 24 63 -
1965 "Everything in the Garden" - - -
"Girls Girls Girls" 33 21 -
1966 "Here, There and Everywhere" - - -
"Auntie Maggie's Remedy" - 43 -
1968 "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" - - -
"Rosetta" - - -
1969 "Easy Squeezy" - - -
Today I'M In Love
The Fourmost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been longing to tell you, I'm in love
You'll believe me, when I tell you
I'm in love with you
You're my kind of girl
You make me feel proud
You make me want to shout aloud
Ev'ry night I can't sleep, thinking of you
And ev'ry little thing that you do
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love
Oh yeh, I'm sittin' on the top of the world
I'm in love with a wonderful girl
And I never felt so good before
If this is love, give me more, more, more, more
Ev'ry night I can't sleep, thinking of you
And ev'ry little thing that you do
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love
Oh yeh, I'm sittin' on the top of the world
I'm in love with a wonderful girl
And I never felt so good before
If this is love, give me more, more, more, more
Ev'ry night I can't sleep, thinking of you
And ev'ry little thing that you do
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love, in love
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love
The Fourmost's song "I'm In Love" is a joyful pop song that celebrates the euphoria of love. The lyrics express the singer's excitement and his longing to share with the woman he loves that he's in love. He believes that she will believe him because his emotions are genuine. The singer is so proud of the woman he loves that he wants to shout it out loud and tell all his friends about it. At night he can't sleep because he is constantly thinking about his beloved and he enjoys every little thing she does. He is relishing in the euphoria of being in love, and it's the happiest he's ever been.
The joyous lyrics of "I'm In Love" taps into the common experience of falling in love. The lyrics express how it feels to be completely smitten with someone and the happiness that follows. The carefree melody fits perfectly with the joyful spirit of the lyrics. The song encapsulates the early 1960s love songs that often had an upbeat and cheerful sound.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got something to tell you, I'm in love
I have been holding this feeling inside, but now I cannot keep it in. I am in love with you.
I've been longing to tell you, I'm in love
For some time now I have been wanting to confess something to you. I am in love with you.
You'll believe me, when I tell you
This may come as a surprise, but please trust me when I say that it is true. I am in love with you.
I'm in love with you
This feeling I have is directed at you. I am in love with you.
You're my kind of girl
You are the type of person that I am attracted to and feel comfortable with. You're my kind of girl.
You make me feel proud
Being with you gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. You make me feel proud.
You make me want to shout aloud
I have a strong desire to express my feelings for you publicly. You make me want to shout aloud.
Oh yeh, I'm sittin' on the top of the world
I feel incredibly happy and fulfilled, like I am on top of the world because of this love I have for you.
I'm in love with a wonderful girl
The subject of my affection is a truly amazing person, and that is why I am so deeply in love with her.
And I never felt so good before
This experience has brought me unimaginable happiness and contentment. I have never felt this good before.
If this is love, give me more, more, more, more
If this feeling that I have is truly what love is, then I want to experience it even more deeply and intensely.
Ev'ry night I can't sleep, thinking of you
You are on my mind all the time, to the point where I cannot even sleep at night. I am constantly thinking of you.
And ev'ry little thing that you do
Even the smallest things that you do are enough to occupy my thoughts and make me feel more in love with you.
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love
This feeling is so strong that I have to share it with others. I am telling all my friends that I am in love.
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love, in love
This feeling is so overwhelming that I cannot help but repeat myself. I am in love, and I am telling everyone I know.
Yes, I'm telling all my friends, I'm in love
This feeling is so strong that I have to share it with others. I am telling all my friends that I am in love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind