Them

Them were a Northern Irish rock band formed in Belfast, in April 1964, most prominent for their 1964 garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching Van Morrison's musical career. The original five-member band consisted of Morrison, Alan Henderson, Ronnie Milling, Billy Harrison, and Eric Wrixon.Them scored two UK hits in 1965 with "Baby, Please Don't Go" (UK No. 10) and "Here Comes the Night" (UK No. 2; Ireland No. 2). The latter song and "Mystic Eyes" were top 40 hits in the US.Morrison quit the band in 1966 and went on to a successful career as a solo artist. The group had considerable influence on other bands, such as the Doors.The band's recording of "Gloria" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. It was ranked No. 69 in Dave Marsh's 1989 book, The Heart of Rock and Soul, The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever and "Mystic Eyes" was ranked No. 458. "Gloria" was listed at No. 208 in the 2004 Rolling Stone magazine's feature The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.In April 1964, Van Morrison responded to an advert for musicians to play at a new R&B club at the Maritime Hotel–an old dance hall frequented by sailors. The new club needed a band for its opening night; however Morrison had left the Golden Eagles (the group with which he had been performing at the time), so he created a new band out of the Gamblers, an East Belfast group formed by Ronnie Milling, Billy Harrison, and Alan Henderson in 1962. Eric Wrixon, still a schoolboy, was the piano player and keyboardist. Morrison played saxophone and harmonica and shared vocals with Billy Harrison. They followed Eric Wrixon's suggestion for a new name, and the Gamblers morphed into Them, their name taken from the 50s horror movie Them!

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.