The Tomcats were a London-based quintet (originally named The Thoughts), who, in turn, were formed out of the remnants of a skiffle band called the Playboys. Among those passing through one early line-up of the Tomcats was John "Speedy" Keen, who played drums in the band. The group didn't have any significant success in England, but in 1966 they accepted an offer to perform in Spain with what proved to be their final line-up, which was drawn from a band called Second Thoughts. They were a hit in their live performances in Spain and suddenly found an eager audience for their music--the band charted four EPs of material that ranged from covers of contemporary hits ("Paint It Black" etc.) to Spanish language songs. The group returned to England in 1967, and, keeping the same line-up, altered their sound and their name to July. A 1997 CD called The Tomcats from the Essex label collects the best covers from their four Spanish EPs and fills it out with the contents of a 1964-vintage EP by the Second Thoughts. ~ Bruce Eder