The Dakotas is a group of British musicians, which initially convened as a backing band in Manchester, England. However, they are most closely associated with the singer Billy J. Kramer, a Liverpudlian who was the lead vocalist for the group during the 1960s.^[2] In the U.S., they are regarded as part of the British Invasion. The group's name arose from an engagement at the Plaza Ballroom in Oxford Street, Manchester. Their manager asked the group to return the next week dressed as Indians and called the Dakotas, founded in September 1960 by rhythm guitarist Robin MacDonald, with Bryn Jones on lead guitar; Tony Bookbinder (Elkie Brooks older brother, also known as Tony Mansfield) on drums, and Ian Fraser on bass. Ray Jones joined the band as bassist replacing Ian Fraser, and Mike Maxfield joined the band in February 1962 as lead guitarist replacing Bryn Jones after being with a Manchester band called the Coasters. The group first backed Pete MacLaine (February 1962 – January 1963). However, Brian Epstein, who was managing Billy J. Kramer, made the Dakotas an offer to become Kramer's backing band, which they accepted. Epstein insisted the name was "Billy J Kramer with the Dakotas", not "...and...". The group and Billy J Kramer then went to Hamburg to perfect their act. In addition to backing Kramer on his hits, the group itself is perhaps best known for their instrumental single called "The Cruel Sea", a composition of Maxfield that reached No.18 in the UK charts in July 1963.  The track was re-titled "The Cruel Surf" in the U.S., and was subsequently covered by The Ventures. The band released "Magic Carpet" by George Martin in September 1963. It was not a hit.^[2] Their next single, "Oyeh" (November 1964), was not a chart success either. After a row with Epstein, Ray Jones left the group in July 1964. Robin MacDonald moved to bass to make way for a new lead guitarist, Mick Green from Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, and the band continued to record with Kramer and under their own name. Maxfield left to concentrate on songwriting in 1965, leaving the Dakotas as a trio, while ex-Pirate Frank Farley replaced Mansfield on drums in 1966.^[2] However, the decline of Kramer's career through alcoholism also caused the decline of the Dakotas' career. He parted from the group in September 1967, and the band folded the following year. MacDonald, Green and Farley then joined Cliff Bennett's backing band.^]

Wayne Fontana (born Glyn Geoffrey Ellis, 28 October 1945) is an English rock and pop singer, best known for the 1965 hit "Game of Love" with the Mindbenders. Fontana was born in Levenshulme, Manchester, Lancashire, and took his stage name from Elvis Presley's drummer, D. J. Fontana. In June 1963 he formed his backing group, The Mindbenders, and secured a recording contract, coincidentally, with Fontana Records.^[1] With the band Wayne Fontana released his biggest single "The Game of Love" and after several less successful singles he left the band in October 1965. Fontana remained under contract to the label after parting with The Mindbenders and soldiered on alone, using musicians working under the name of the Opposition, notably Frank Renshaw (lead guitar) (born 22 June 1943, Wythenshawe, Manchester), Bernie Burns (drums), Stuart Sirret (bass), and Phil Keen (drums), among others. Sometimes the band was billed as The Mindbenders, sometimes just as the Wayne Fontana Band. Struggling to achieve chart success Fontana's recorded a number of songs by outside writers with b-sides being mostly his own compositions. Fontana's biggest solo single became "Pamela, Pamela" written by Graham Gouldman, it reached #5 in the Australia (Kent Music Report) and #11 in the UK Singles Chart early in 1967 also becoming his last to chart in the UK. The later singles included another Gouldman's composition "The Impossible Years" but after a streak of flopped releases Fontana took a break in 1970. In 1973 trying to re-launch his career Wayne Fontana recorded yet another Gouldman's song, "Together", b/w his original song "One Man Woman" that was co-produced with his ex-bandmate from the Mindbenders Eric Stewart. The single also failed to chart.