Guitarist-singer Earl Preston, who later fronted the larger group The Realms, organized the Tempest Tornadoes during the early 1960's, which also included Ritchie Galvin on drums and Cy Tucker playing guitar and singing. Earl Preston & the Tempest Tornadoes (or TTs) played throughout the north, and shared bills with the Beatles as early as Nov. 24, 1961, with Gerry & The Pacemakers and Rory Storm & The Hurricanes (notice how popular names evoking big winds were . . . .), and as late as Dec. 8, 1962, billed as part of The Davy Jones Show. The TTs cut hard rocking singles of "Hurt" and "Thumbin' A Ride" for the Oriole label (later bought up by Columbia Records in America, to serve as the core of British CBS)--those songs later showed up on This Is Merseybeat Vol. 1. Earl Preston & The TTs later cut "I Know Something" b/w "Watch Your Step" for the Fontana label during 1963, before breaking up, after which Preston formed a new backing group, the Earl Preston's Realms. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide