The Searchers
Mike Pender - guitar/vocals (born Michael Prendergast, March 3rd 1942, Liverpool)
John McNally guitar (born August 30th 1941, Liverpool)
Tony Jackson - bass guitar/vocals (born July 16th 1940, Liverpool, died August 18th 2003)
Chris Curtis - drums/vocals (born Christopher Crummey, August 26th 1942)
At one time second only to The Beatles in popularity in Liverpool, the Searchers, like the Fab Four, broadened their repertoire from its original R&B and rock 'n' roll base, but unlike The Beatles, they never really became writers and were unable to develop further. Thus after their initial success, which included a trio of British No. 1's, "Sweets For My Sweet" (1963), "Needles And Pins" and "Don't Throw Your Love Away", (both 1964), they were condemned to the club/cabaret/oldies circuit where they remained a major attraction through the 70's, 80's and 90's.
Formed in 1960 as the backing group for Johnny Sandon the group took their name from the John Ford film. Like other "Merseybeat" groups, they built up an extensive repertoire of obscure American R&B and rock 'n' roll songs, many learned from records brought home sailors who worked on the transatlantic liners that then docked in Liverpool. The Searchers were among those groups which perfected their stagecraft in the clubs of Hamburg. Sandon left early in 1962 to join another Liverpool group, The Remo Four.
Signed to Pye in 1963, they reached No. 1 with their first single, a cover of The Drifters' US hit "Sweets For My Sweet", making them the first Liverpool group from outside the Brian Epstein stable to become major stars. It was with the release of their third single, "Needles And Pins" that the band achieved their real breakthrough. The record featured a fuller production, tight harmonies and the famous jangly guitar sound that foreshadowed The Byrds.
At the height of their success, Jackson, disgruntled by the new gentle sound, left the group for a solo career. He was replaced by Frank Allen (born Francis McNeice, 14th December 1943, Hayes, Middlesex), from Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, and the Searchers continued in a folk-rock vein. Their hits included Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk In The Room", and P.F. Sloan's "Take Me For What I'm Worth".
From 1965 on, their singles, although of a consistently high standard, began to lose some of their magic and met with decreasing enthusiasm by the public. Curtis quit the band at this point, claiming to be exhausted from the constant touring. He was replaced by John Blunt, (born March 28th 1947, Croydon). They only had one more minor hit "Have You Ever Loved Somebody", but remained very popular on the club/cabaret circuit.
Singles
|
Jun '63 |
Sweets For My Sweet/ It's All Been A Dream |
Pye 7N 15533 |
UK#1 |
|
Sep '63 |
Sweet Nothin's/ What'd I Say |
Philips BF 1274 |
UK#48 |
|
Oct '63 |
Sugar And Spice/ Saints And Searchers |
Pye 7N 15566 |
UK#2 |
|
Jan '64 |
Needles And Pins/ Saturday Night Out |
Pye 7N 15594 |
UK#1 |
|
Apr '64 |
Don't Throw Your Love Away/ I Pretend I'm With You |
Pye 7N 15630 |
UK#1 |
|
Jul '64 |
Someday We're Gonna Love Again/ No One Else Could Love You |
Pye 7N 15670 |
UK#11 |
|
Sep '64 |
When You Walk In The Room/ I'll Be Missing You |
Pye 7N 15694 |
UK#3 |
|
Dec '64 |
What Have They Done To The Rain/ This Feeling Inside |
Pye 7N 15739 |
UK#13 |
|
Feb '65 |
Goodbye My Love/ Till I Met You |
Pye 7N 15794 |
UK#4 |
|
Jul '65 |
He's Got No Love/ So Far Away |
Pye 7N 15878 |
UK#12 |
|
Oct '65 |
When I Get Home/ I'm Never Coming Back |
Pye 7N 15950 |
UK#35 |
|
Nov '65 |
Take Me For What I'm Worth/ Too Many Miles |
Pye 7N 15992 |
UK#20 |
|
Apr '65 |
Take It Or Leave It/ Don't Hide It Away |
Pye 7N 17094 |
UK#31 |
|
Sep '66 |
Have You Ever Loved Somebody/ It's Just The Way |
Pye 7N 17170 |
UK#48 |
E.P.s
|
Jul '63 |
Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya - Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya/Farmer John/Love Potion Number Nine/AlrightPye NEP 24177 |
|
Aug '63 |
Sweets For My Sweet - Sweets For My Sweet/It's All Been A Dream/Since You Broke My Heart/MoneyPye NEP 24183 |
|
Jan '64 |
Hungry For Love - Hungry For Love/Doncha Know?/Oh My Lover/(Ain't That) Just Like MePye NEP 24184 |
|
Jul '64 |
The Searchers Play The System - The System/This Empty Place/Sea Of Heartbreak/Can't Help Forgiving YouPye NEP 24201 |
|
Nov '64 |
When You Walk In The Room - When You Walk In The Room/(I'll Be) Missing You/Someday We're Gonna Love Again/No-one ElsePye NEP 24204 |
|
May '65 |
Bumble Bee - Bumble Bee/Everything You Do/Magic Potion/If I Could Find SomeonePye NEP 24218 |
|
Sep '65 |
Searchers '65 - What Have They Done To The Rain?/This Feeling Inside/Goodbye My Love/Till I Met YouPye NEP 24222 |
|
Jan '66 |
Four By Four - Till You Say You'll Be Mine/I Don't Want To Go On Without You/Everybody Clap Your Hands/You Wanna Make Her HappyPye NEP 24228 |
|
Oct '66 |
Take Me For What I'm Worth - Take Me For What I'm Worth/Too Many Miles/Take It Or Leave It/Don't Hide It AwayPye NEP 24263 |
L.P.s
|
Jul '63 |
Meet The Searchers - Sweets For My Sweet/Alright/Love Potion Number Nine/Farmer John/Stand By Me/Money/Da Doo Ron Ron/Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya/Since You Broke My Heart/Tricky Dicky/Where Have All The Flowers Gone?/Twist And ShoutPye NPL 18086 |
|
Dec '63 |
Sugar And Spice - Doncha Know/Some Other Guy/One Of These Days/Listen To Me/(Ain't That) Just Like Me/Oh My Lover/Saints And Searchers/Sugar And Spice/All My Sorrows/Hungry For LovePye NPL 18089 |
|
Apr '64 |
It's The Searchers - It's In Her Kiss/Glad All Over/Sea Of Heartbreak/Livin' Lovin' Wreck/Where Have You Been?/Shimmy, Shimmy/Needles And Pins/This Empty Place/Gonna Send You Back To Georgia/I Count The Tears/Hi-Heel Sneakers/Can't Help Forgiving You/Sho' Know A Lot About Love/Don't Throw Your Love AwayPye NPL 18092 |
|
Mar '65 |
Sounds Like The Searchers - Everybody Clap Your Hands/Evrything You Do/Let The Good Times Roll/Find Someone/Magic Potion/Bumble Bee/Something You Got/Say You'll Be Mine/Make Her Happy/Goodnight Baby/I Don't Want To Go On Without You/A Tear FellPye NPL 18111 |
|
Dec '65 |
Take Me For What I'm Worth - I'm Ready/I'll Be Doggone/Does She Really Care For Me?/It's Time/Too Many Miles/You Can't Lie To A Liar/Don't You Know Why?/I'm Your Loving Man/Each Time/Be My Baby/Four Strong Winds/Take Me For What I'm WorthPye NPL 18120 |
|
Dec '66 |
Smash Hits - Needles And Pins/Farmer John/Sugar And Spice/What Have They Done To The Rain?/Take Me For I'm Worth/Love Potion Number Nine/Till I Met You/He's Got No Love/Someday We're Gonna Love Again/Sweets For My SweetMarble Arch MAL 640 |
Selected Re-issue
|
1992 |
The 30th Anniversary Collection - Sweets For My Sweet/It's All Been A Dream/Sugar And Spice/Needles And Pins/Saturday Night Out/Don't Throw Your Love Away/I Pretend I'm With You/Someday We're Gonna Love Again/No One Else Could Love Me/When You Walk In The Room/(I'll Be) Missing You/What Have They Done To The Rain/This Feeling Inside/Goodbye My Love/Till I Met You/He's Got No Love/So Far Away/When I Get Home/I'm Never Coming Back/Take Me For What I'm Worth/Too Many Miles/Take It Or Leave It/Don't Hide It Away/Have You Ever Loved Somebody/It's Just The Way/Popcorn, Double Feature/Western Union/I'll Cry Tomorrow/Second Hand Dealer/Crazy Dreams/Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya/Love Potion No. 9/System/Bunble Bee/Where Have All The Flowers Gone/Alright/Farmer John/Since You Broke My Heart/Tricky Dicky/Listen To Me/Hungry For Love/Ain't That Just Like Me/Don't Cha Know/All My Sorrows/It's In Her Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)/Sea Of Heartbreak/I Count The Tears/This Empty Place/Can't Help Forgiving You/Sho' Know A Lot About Love/Magic Potion/Till You Say You'll Be Mine/I Don't Want To Go On Without You/A Tear Fell/If I Could Find Someone/It's Time/I'll Be Doggone/Each Time/You Can't Lie To A Liar/Four Strong Winds/Tausend Nadlestiche (Needles And Pins)/Sub Ist Sie (Sugar And Spice)/Bye Bye Johnny/I Don't Want To Go On Without You/I (Who Have Nothing)/Shame, Shame, Shame/Someday We're Gonna Love Again/Verzeih' My Love (Goodbye My Love)/Once Upon A Time/Sweet Little Sixteen/Blowin' In The Wind/See See Rider - Jenny Take A Ride/Goodbye, So Long/I'll Be Loving You/I Don't Believe/Stage Door/Watch Your Step/Aggravation/Innocent Victim/Good Way To Fall/New Heart/I Don't Want To Be The One/HollywoodSequel NXT CD 170 |
