March 1965 was another landmark month in the unstoppable rise of British pop. Every week, the charts were bursting with fresh sounds — guitars jangling, harmonies soaring, and producers pushing boundaries in the studio. Some records would define the decade; others would vanish into obscurity only to be rediscovered by collectors decades later. Let’s drop the needle and take a spin through some of the coolest British singles released that month.
The Yardbirds – “For Your Love”
The Yardbirds’ third single became their first Top 5 hit — and it also marked a turning point. For Your Love was written by Graham Gouldman (then still with The Mockingbirds) and showcased a bold, haunting minor key with harpsichord flourishes and bongo rhythms.
It was unlike anything the band — or anyone else — had released. The New Musical Express praised it as “unusual” and “a song that makes you sit up and take notice.”
But not everyone was thrilled. Guitarist Eric Clapton, a blues purist, hated the band’s new pop direction and promptly quit. His replacement? A young Jeff Beck, who admitted, “I can’t look directly at the audience… I feel like they’re all waiting for me to make a mistake so they can shout for Eric back.”
Despite the drama, For Your Love hit Number 3 in Britain, Number 6 in the U.S., and even topped the charts in Canada.
Them – “Here Comes the Night”
Van Morrison’s Belfast band were riding high after Baby Please Don’t Go, and their next release would seal their place in R&B history. Written and produced by Bert Berns — and featuring a then-ubiquitous Jimmy Page on guitar — Here Comes the Night was a soulful, hypnotic ballad unlike anything else in the charts.
Though Lulu had released a version a few months earlier (also with Jimmy Page!), it was Them’s version that captured lightning in a bottle. The NME called it “a thoroughly absorbing disc,” praising Morrison’s “distinctive soulful styling.”
The record soared to Number 2 in the UK and Number 24 in the U.S. — to this day, it remains Van Morrison’s highest-charting single in Britain and Ireland.
The Fairies – “Get Yourself Home”
They never hit the charts, but The Fairies were legends on Britain’s live circuit — known for their anarchic, R&B-driven chaos and long, shockingly untamed hair.
Their single Get Yourself Home was originally offered to The Pretty Things, who recorded it but never released it. The Fairies stepped in and made it their own, releasing one of the rawest, wildest British records of early 1965.
Drummer Twink (who would later play with Tomorrow and The Pretty Things) powered the band’s ferocious sound, but despite its energy, the record was ignored by the press and pirate radio. Still, it’s now a cult classic, appearing on Nuggets II and other garage compilations decades later.
The Manish Boys – “I Pity the Fool” / “Take My Tip”
Before Ziggy Stardust, before Space Oddity, there was Davy Jones — a teenage David Bowie fronting The Manish Boys. Their March 1965 single, produced by Shel Talmy, featured a cover of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s I Pity the Fool and, on the B-side, Take My Tip — Bowie’s first-ever released composition.
Once again, Jimmy Page provided the fuzz-guitar fireworks. Bowie later remembered: “He was wildly excited about his new fuzz box… a fresh-faced kid with a real joy for playing.”
The single drew decent reviews — Record Mirror called it “a new sound” thanks to its brass section and sax-heavy groove — but it failed to chart. Still, it offered an early glimpse of Bowie’s creative spark and flair for reinvention.
The Kinks – “Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy”
After a string of monster hits, The Kinks hit a minor bump with Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy, their sixth single. Faster and more rock ’n’ roll than their earlier distorted stompers, it still showed Ray Davies’s restless songwriting evolution.
Beat Instrumental noted, “You can’t say all their records sound the same… It’s much faster than anything they’ve attempted before.” Recorded in just three takes at Pye’s Marble Arch Studios, producer Shel Talmy admired their spontaneity: “They just walk in, play the number a couple of times, and walk out again.”
It reached Number 17 in the UK — modest by Kinks standards, but a gem in their ever-changing discography.
Donovan – “Catch the Wind”
Folk’s gentle dreamer made his debut this month. Before Sunshine Superman and the psychedelic years, there was Catch the Wind — a tender, heartfelt ballad that captured the innocence of 1965’s folk revival.
Already a familiar face on Ready Steady Go!, Donovan won hearts with his Dylan-esque sincerity. Record Mirror called it “a simple gentle number… pretty and poignant,” adding, “A hit, of course.”
It reached Number 4 in Britain and Number 23 in the U.S., marking the start of Donovan’s journey from folk troubadour to flower-power icon.
Mickey Finn – “Night Comes Down”
A name known to collectors, Mickey Finn & The Blue Men started in London’s East End playing R&B before embracing the island-inspired “blue beat” sound. By 1965, they were back to gritty blues — and Night Comes Down, the B-side of This Sporting Life, is an overlooked gem.
Featuring Jimmy Page on guitar, the song’s moody tone even hints at the dark textures The Velvet Underground would explore a few years later. Though it sank without a trace at the time, it resurfaced in cult compilations and even found new life in 2016, when it appeared in Scorsese and Jagger’s HBO series Vinyl.
The Little Darlings – “A Little Bit of Soul”
Before The Music Explosion turned it into a U.S. smash in 1967, A Little Bit of Soul was first recorded by Coventry’s The Little Darlings.
Written by John Carter and Ken Lewis — prolific pop craftsmen behind hits for Herman’s Hermits and Peter & Gordon — the original version flopped, but it’s packed with the raw guitar energy of mid-’60s British beat. The B-side, Easy to Cry, adds to its charm, even if it never found chart success.
David John & The Mood – “Bring It to Jerome”
Produced by the eccentric genius Joe Meek, this Bo Diddley cover was as inventive as it was gritty. Meek’s trademark studio trickery was on full display — the band even used a toilet chain and biscuit tin to create a metallic percussive sound.
“It sounded fantastic,” frontman David John recalled years later. The press called it “persistent” and “beaty,” though perhaps “a bit outdated.” It didn’t chart, but like so many Meek productions, it stands as a fascinating snapshot of Britain’s early R&B scene.
Dave Berry – “Little Things”
Closing out the month, Sheffield crooner Dave Berry scored a Top 5 hit with Little Things, a cover of Bobby Goldsboro’s U.S. single. Backed by session legends Jimmy Page, Big Jim Sullivan, and drummer Bobby Graham, Berry turned the song into a rich, orchestrated pop gem.
Beat Instrumental reported that Page’s guitar and the addition of trumpets gave the track its unique punch. It spent 10 weeks in the UK Top 40 — a reminder of how versatile British pop could be in 1965.
A Month to Remember
March 1965 summed up everything thrilling about mid-sixties Britain: wild R&B clubs, restless innovation, and a new generation of artists reshaping pop culture. From blues purists and garage rebels to folk poets and future icons, it was a month when British music truly had the world listening.
