Television: The Beat Room

Davie Jones and the King Bees appeared on the BBC’s The Beat Room on Monday 27 July 1964, performing their single ‘Liza Jane’.

The TV show featured beat music, R&B and other pop music. It was shown on BBC 2 in 1964-5.

The acts performed before a live audience. This was the fourth edition of the show, which began on 6 July 1964. All recordings of the show were later wiped, apart from the 5 October 1964 edition.

The line-up for the 25-minute show were Kenny Lynch and the Echoes, Elkie Brooks, Georgie Fame, Davie Jones and the King Bees, and in-house dance troupe The Beat Girls.

Despite this and the band’s appearance on Ready Steady Go! on 19 June, there was little interest in the ‘Liza Jane’ single. Bowie left the band shortly afterwards, and the rest of the band split up.

Bowie was already performing with another band, The Manish Boys, during his final months with the King Bees.