The Rokes

The Rokes
Also known as	The Shel Carson Combo
Origin	London, England
Genres	Beat music, rock, pop rock
Years active	1963–1970
Labels	RCA/ARC
Associated acts	Colin Hicks Rita Pavone
Website	http://www.reocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/3488/
Past members	"Shel" Shapiro Mike Shepstone Bobby Posner Johnny Charlton

The Rokes were a successful Italian pop group in the 1960s, composed of English expatriates. Their most successful songs included "Piangi con Me", the original version of "Let's Live for Today" a US hit when re-recorded by The Grass Roots; and "Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi", an Italian language version of "Cheryl's Going Home" by Bob Lind.

The group 'Shel Carson Combo' was formed by Norman David "Shel" Shapiro (born 16 August 1943, Stanmore, Middlesex), whose music career started in London as a guitarist and singer with rock and roll band Rob Storm & the Whispers. After a spell playing in Gene Vincent's backing band during a tour of Britain in 1959, Shapiro decided to form his own band, The Shel Carson Combo, with guitarist Vic Briggs (born 14 February 1945, Twickenham, Middlesex), drummer Mike Shepstone (born 29 March 1943, Weymouth, Dorset), and bassist Bobby Posner (born 6 May 1945, Edgware, Middlesex).

The band performed rhythm and blues in clubs around London and had regular shows at American base camps around the south of England plus a couple of tours in the north including Scotland, before deciding to try their luck in the club scene in continental Europe. In January 1963, they travelled to Germany, where they had a residency at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg with a short stay at the TopTen Club in Hanover. The band were then invited to tour Italy as the backing group for Colin Hicks, the brother of Tommy Steele. Guitarist Vic Briggs left the group, preferring to stay in England, and was replaced by Johnny Charlton (born 3 April 1945, Walthamstow, London). The group toured around Italy with Hicks, increasingly performing more of their own material.

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