If imitation serves as the sincerest form of flattery, then prepare to meet a rockin’ crew of fervent flatterers.

The Knickerbockers formed in New Jersey in 1964 when a pair of guitar-playing brothers, Beau and John Charles, solidified a previously fluid and semi-professional lineup by recruiting a couple of seasoned musicians to play behind them, one of whom had even played on a hit record (“Who wears short shorts? We wear short shorts!”). The band began gigging around the Tri-State area until catching their big break when singer/songwriter — and soon-to-be producer — Jerry Fuller saw them in concert and signed the group to Challenge Records, a small indie label in Los Angeles originally started by singing cowboy Gene Autry.

After their initial forays into the studio, recording some not terribly exciting singles and an album of not terribly exciting covers, the guys decided they really wanted to try and cash in on the British Invasion sound which had dominated America for the past couple of years. They previously attempted going for a Beach Boys/Four Seasons kind of pastiche without much artistic or commercial success, so why not look to the most popular group in the world? What could they do. . . with The Beatles?

Quite a lot, as it turned out.

Beau Charles and saxophonist Buddy Randell got together one day and wrote “Lies” in about half an hour, the whole band subsequently recorded a demo — which producer Jerry Fuller then rearranged — and not long afterwards, The Knickerbockers found themselves at Sunset Sound Studio in Los Angeles, where legendary engineer Bruce Botnick (soon to meet up with destiny and The Doors) captured the new song on tape. The vocals were recorded separately at Leon Russell’s home studio and Bob’s your uncle — ready, steady, go!

“Lies” was released as a single in late 1965 and climbed up to #20 on the US chart. The vocals, the music, and the arrangement sounded so much like The Beatles that many simply assumed it was the lads from Liverpool. Imitations usually sound like imitations — but this sounded like the genuine article. [It’s a little surprising that “Lies” wasn’t actually a bigger hit as it’s a sizzling slice of perfect power pop. Perhaps distribution problems occurred due to recording for a small label, or perhaps the single might have found bigger success a year earlier since by late 1965 The Beatles had already changed their sound with the more introspective Rubber Soul and were only months away from recording the decidedly non-Moptop Revolver.]

The Knickerbockers truly caught lightning in a bottle here, for nothing else they ever recorded, before or after, sounded as forceful or indelible. It’s like an entirely different band took over, only for a few days in total, solely for the purpose of creating “Lies” — as if the spirit of the Fab Four temporarily possessed these young men from New Jersey and imbued them for one, brief shining moment with their preternatural pop powers.

So don’t shed a million tears. Someday you’re gonna be happy. . . with The Knickerbockers.