THE sound of the Sixties is back in full swing as The Searchers return to Clacton.

Since forming in Liverpool back in 1960, the Merseybeat band have racked up record sales of more than 50 million and penned some of pop music’s most enduring hits.

Named after the John Wayne western film, the group’s founder members were John McNally, who still leads the group, Mike Pender, Tony Jackson and drummer Norman McGarry.

They have performed a plethora of hits including Don’t Throw Your Love Away and Some Day We’re Gonna Love Again.

The band has fans in high places such as Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty who, when he chose Walk In The Room as one of his favourite British Invasion hits, added that he had to stop himself picking a bunch of Searchers tracks.

The line-up today is made up of stalwarts John McNally and Frank Allen, aided by Spencer James and Scott Ottaway on drums.

The last months of 2017 saw the band close a show that also boasted Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Tremeloes, Love Affair vocalist Steve Ellis and Vanity Fare.

The show almost sold out for every one of the performances.

A spokesman for the band said: “The Searchers have toured constantly throughout their five decades and continue to play between 150 and 200 concerts a year across the globe.

“And there seems to be no end in sight for an awful lot of ardent fans are very grateful indeed.”

They are performing at the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton on Sunday.

For tickets, visit the box office online at westcliffclacton.co.uk.