The V.I.P.s were one of the leading R&B acts to emerge from the North of England in the 1960s, and while they never reached genuine stardom, several the group's members would go on to international fame after the combo broke up. Formed in 1963, the V.I.P.s hailed from Carlisle, a town in North West England not far from the Scottish border. The core members of the V.I.P.s had previously worked together in another Carlisle combo known as the Ramrods; after bassist Dave McCumiskey left the band to relocate to London, Greg Ridley took his place, joining vocalist Mike Harrison, lead guitarist Jimmy Henshaw, rhythm guitarist Frank Kenyon, and drummer Walter Johnstone. Newly christened the V.I.P.s, they became a regular attraction at the Cosmo Club in Carlisle, and in 1964 they signed a record deal with noted producer and manager Larry Page.