British rhythm and blues British rhythm and blues British rhythm and blues (or R&B) was a musical movement that developed in the United Kingdom between the late 1950s and the early 1960s, and reached a peak in the mid-1960s. It overlapped with, but was distinct from, the broader British beat and more purist British blues scenes, attempting to emulate the music of African American blues and rock and roll pioneers, such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. It often placed greater emphasis on guitars and was often played with greater energy. The origins of the movement were in the
Rhythm and blues other major British cities included the Animals from Newcastle upon Tyne, and Spencer Davis Group from Birmingham, and Them from Belfast. None of these bands played exclusively rhythm and blues, but it remained at the core of their early albums. The music of the British mod subculture grew out of rhythm and blues and later soul, performed by artists that were not available to the small London clubs where the scene originated. As a result, a number of bands emerged to fill this gap, including Small Faces, and most successfully the Who. The Who's early promotional material tagged them as