Various Artists: Liverpool Today - Live At The Cavern

The album showcased the talents of three acts with the Cavern club's agency, Cavern Artistes. Two of these, Michael Allen and The Richmond Group, are obscure names, being otherwise unrecorded, whilst Earl Preston, the leader of the third featured act, is relatively well known, with singles released on Fontana and CBS. Bob Wooler was the Cavern's DJ: his place in Beatles history being secured when he got the band their first dates at the Cavern and introduced them to their future manager, Brian Epstein.

Released in November 1965 on the independent Ember label, Liverpool Today documents a rare slice of Merseybeat, made doubly collectable by its association with the legendary Liverpool venue, the Cavern. In a move that was not uncommon in the sixties, the recordings were actually made in a studio, albeit the neighbouring Cavern Sounds and were then overdubbed with audience reaction plus announcements by compere Bob Wooler. A truncated version of the album was released in the United States on Capitol. This reissue has been mastered from original tapes and marks the album's debut on CD. Sleeve notes are by Spencer Leigh, presenter of BBC Radio Merseyside's On The Beat. His books include volumes devoted to Merseybeat and the Cavern.

Various - Liverpool Today "Live At The Cavern" by FantasticVoyage