| The group were initially cast in the Buddy Holly And The Crickets mould. Decca chose them over The Beatles, whom they auditioned on the same day. They first charted with a version of 'Twist And Shout' (1963), which owed much to the Beatles' version, followed by a chart-topping cover of The Contours' US million-seller 'Do You Love Me' the same year.
Before The Tremeloes and Poole parted company in 1966, their renditions of Roy Orbison's B-side, 'Candy Man' and The Crickets' B-side ballad, 'Someone Someone' (both 1964) climbed into the UK Top 10, with the latter peaking at UK No.2.
Performing solo, Poole floundered but, after a couple of near misses, the Tremeloes (with Len 'Chip' Hawkes replacing bassist Alan Howard) started an even more successful hit run in 1967 with Cat Stevens' 'Here Comes My Baby' and their No.1 recording of an old Four Seasons' B-side, 'Silence Is Golden'. Both of these singles also cracked the US Top 20- a feat their records with Poole never achieved. Pearls of Pop 'Even The Bad Times Are Good' (1967), 'Suddenly You Love Me' (1968) and '(Call Me) Number One' (1969) are also among the nine UK Top 20 entries The Tremeloes totted up without Poole.
In 1996, the daughters of Poole, Karen and Shellie hit the charts as post-Alanis popsters Alisha's Attic. | 
