Fast-forward to the Spring of 1967. The Merseyside poetry renaissance had caught the eye (and ear) of the eminent critic and writer Edward Lucie-Smith, who put together an anthology of Henri, Patten, McGough and others (Brown, Hawkins and myself included). It was called The Liverpool Scene. Deliberately marketed like a rock album – sub-titled ‘Recorded Live Along the Mersey Beat’ – the book was launched in a welter of publicity at a lavish party held at the Cavern. Journalists came up from London, TV was alerted, a live band The Almost Blues played, and the champagne corks popped. The three principal contributors found themselves treated as pop stars. And their reputation was further enhanced during 1967 with the publication of The Mersey Sound in the Penguin Modern Poets series, which went on to become the biggest-selling poetry anthology ever.
Mike Evans, Amazing Adventure CD notes, 2009.