`Hi!  I think I'll need to do this step by step, partly because it's a complicated issue and partly because my time over the next few weeks is likely to be limited and restricted to occasional short visits offline - school holidays!  Re the first paragraph: *  Imported recordings from US servicemen were important, but so were records brought over by merchant seamen, particularly in Liverpool and also other ports (London, Newcastle, Belfast etc. - also important was the connection with Hamburg), and (perhaps particularly) the visits from US blues performers such as the American Folk Blues Festival and those invited by Chris Barber and others.   *  Saying that the Liverpool and Manchester scenes were ``very similar`` would cause riots even now!  The cities were (even more so then than now) very different, and fierce rivals.  Liverpool was much more of a cultural melting-pot (and, many would say, much more innovative) than Manchester, particularly because of its role as a major international port. *  Not sure about the importance of the ``Brill Building sound``.  Obviously US pop of the time had an influence, but in many ways the young British musicians of the time actively rejected that style, while respecting the musicianship of many of the performers.  I'll carry on when I have time.  Regards,   `