The Silkie were an English folk music group. Their name was derived from an Orcadian song "The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry", which they sometimes performed. They were briefly considered to be the English equivalent of Peter, Paul and Mary, with their common repertoire of Bob Dylan songs, and the original Australian folk group, The Seekers. Early days The four original members were all Hull University students who formed the group in October 1963. It consisted of Sylvia Tatler (vocals) (born 1 January 1945, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire), Mike Ramsden (guitar and vocals) (born Michael John Ramsden, 21 June 1943, Totnes, Devon), Ivor Aylesbury (guitar and vocals) (born Ivor John Aylesbury, 4 October 1942, Carshalton, Surrey) and Kevin Cunningham (double bass) (born John Kevyn Cunningham, 13 August 1940, Bootle, Liverpool, Lancashire). Their first recording was a flexi disc that was produced in 1964 for the Hull University Rag Week. This disc consisted of 3 tracks, one side featuring "John Henry" and "All My Sorrows" with "Blood Red River" on the other side. They were most at home performing folk-style cover versions of songs, especially Bob Dylan compositions. Following graduation in 1964, they spent the whole summer working at the Devon Coast Country Club in Paignton, Devon, where they also performed most evenings on stage in the ballroom. Coincidentally, another musician also working there at the same time was Liverpudlian Rod Pont (1942–2000), whose last band (Steve Day and the Drifters) had already played at The Cavern alongside The Beatles and had just split up following a stint at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg during the previous autumn. Recording contract Early in 1965, after appearing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool where they performed alongside The Spinners, they were signed by Brian Epstein who appointed Alistair Taylor as their manager. Their first single in June 1965, "Blood Red River", reached No. 14 on the Wonderful Radio London Fab 40, but failed to make any impression on the UK Singles Chart. However, they followed this up with "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" a Lennon–McCartney composition, their only chart hit. Chart success They were helped by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison to record a cover version of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" on 9 August 1965 at the IBC Studios at around the same time as The Beatles' own version was released on their album Help! The song