The sum of the parts – the most influential British close harmony bands of the 20th century

While harmony singing in the US has a long history in popular music, due to largely to the gospel influences of the South, Britain has noticeably lagged behind. It wasn’t until the influences of soul and rhythm and blues filtered to this side of the Atlantic in the 1950s that doo-wop and barbershop styles entered the mainstream. But although the British were slow to start, they soon picked up the pace.