original v hit 2

[royclough]

Concept was slighty lost but to avoid posting on top of original topic here's another

original

[chriscurtisfan]

Frankie Laine does a nice version, but that song needs Gene Pitney's emotions! Still, I AM a Gene Pitney fan, so he will always win my vote! Thanks, Roy!

[JeffZ]

I'll go with Pitney here too.

[hamilton_square]

Here’s one for Roy, compare the original 1963 recording by the Orlons of Don’t Throw Your Love Away, released on the B side of Bon-Doo-Wah, which reached number 55 in US charts … with the Searchers number 1 UK hit of April 1964. I understand Chris Curtis was very much responsible for digging it up from heaven-knows-where and persuading the Searchers to put it out as a single

[royclough]

No contest there

[chriscurtisfan]

OUCH -- 5 seconds was plenty of the Orlons. Leave it to Chris to find a beautiful song for the Searchers. Nobody could ever do "Don't Throw" better than The Searchers!! Thanks for the comment about Chris digging it up. Between that one and Needles, I became a Forever Searchers fan! Those two songs have perfect everything!

[hamilton_square]

Speaking of Chris Curtis, following on from the UK success the Searchers had with covers of Sweets for my Sweet (by the Drifters), Needles and Pins and When You Walk in the Room (by Jackie DeShannon). Whether he went, I understand Chris Curtis was in the habit of spending inordinate amounts of time browsing round specialist record shops and even market stalls looking for rather obscure US recordings that the Searchers could cover. Visits around this time to the States proving especially fertile ground for such magpie-like pursuits.

Over the years, he reportedly built up what would be called by today’s standards, a very rare and valuable record collection. Unfortunately, nobody knows whatever happened to them. Because Chris Curtis being Chris Curtis, he either lost, gave-away or had them stolen. Such were his mood swings from time to time.

I’ve cobbled together a further three numbers that the Chris Curtis influenced Searchers gave a new leases of life to during the height of their 1963 - 65 recording popularity. It never ceases to amaze me what can be found on You Tube if one looks hard enough.

1: In early 1964, US soul singer Barbara Lewis released a single on Atlantic Records by the title of Spend a Little Time, which duly went nowhere. On the flip side was a number called Someday We’re Gonna Love Again, which these days is something of a British Northern Soul favourite.



The same year, the Searchers version of Someday We’re Gonna Love Again reached number 11 in the UK charts.



2: While in the States, What Have They Done to the Rain is better associated with Joan Baez, it was written and first recorded in 1962 as a protest song against nuclear testing by a then 62-year old US folk singer/songwriter/political activist, Malvina Reynolds.



The Searchers got to number 13 in the UK charts with their 1964 version of What Have They Done to the Rain



3: Goodbye My Lover, Goodbye was first released in the US during April 1963 by Robert Mosley, who also co-wrote the song. 1965 saw the US re-release of the song on Fame, a subsidiary label of Vee Jay Records, this time by Jimmy Hughes … neither of them left any footprints in the sand.



Meanwhile in the UK, 1965 also saw the Searchers release a version, re-titled as Goodbye My Love that got to a high of 4th in the charts … which sadly was the last time the group were to have a Top 10 British hit single.



I shall now go and lie down in a dark room for a while.

[royclough]

Never heard that Malvina Reynolds one

[chriscurtisfan]

Speaking of Chris Curtis, following on from the UK success the Searchers had with covers of Sweets for my Sweet (by the Drifters), Needles and Pins and When You Walk in the Room (by Jackie DeShannon). Whether he went, I understand Chris Curtis was in the habit of spending inordinate amounts of time browsing round specialist record shops and even market stalls looking for rather obscure US recordings that the Searchers could cover. Visits around this time to the States proving especially fertile ground for such magpie-like pursuits.

Over the years, he reportedly built up what would be called by today’s standards, a very rare and valuable record collection. Unfortunately, nobody knows whatever happened to them. Because Chris Curtis being Chris Curtis, he either lost, gave-away or had them stolen. Such were his mood swings from time to time.

I’ve cobbled together a further three numbers that the Chris Curtis influenced Searchers gave a new leases of life to during the height of their 1963 - 65 recording popularity. It never ceases to amaze me what can be found on You Tube if one looks hard enough.

1: In early 1964, US soul singer Barbara Lewis released a single on Atlantic Records by the title of Spend a Little Time, which duly went nowhere. On the flip side was a number called Someday We’re Gonna Love Again, which these days is something of a British Northern Soul favourite.

The same year, the Searchers version of Someday We’re Gonna Love Again reached number 11 in the UK charts.


2: While in the States, What Have They Done to the Rain is better associated with Joan Baez, it was written and first recorded in 1962 as a protest song against nuclear testing by a then 62-year old US folk singer/songwriter/political activist, Malvina Reynolds.

The Searchers got to number 13 in the UK charts with their 1964 version of What Have They Done to the Rain

3: Goodbye My Lover, Goodbye was first released in the US during April 1963 by Robert Mosley, who also co-wrote the song. 1965 saw the US re-release of the song on Fame, a subsidiary label of Vee Jay Records, this time by Jimmy Hughes … neither of them left any footprints in the sand.

Meanwhile in the UK, 1965 also saw the Searchers release a version, re-titled as Goodbye My Love that got to a high of 4th in the charts … which sadly was the last time the group were to have a Top 10 British hit single.

I shall now go and lie down in a dark room for a while.

Awesome information on these 3 songs dug up by The Chris Curtis , Mr. Hamilton Square! Obviously, I prefer The Searchers version of all 3. Knew MR wrote "Rain" but had not heard her version. Good thing Chris got his hands on it -- The Searchers did a magnificent job on it. I'm afraid I would not have listened to any of these 3 songs by anybody but The Searchers. Thank you for sharing your information with us! No need to go lying in a dark room if you have other historical information on The Searchers to pass on!

[hamilton_square]

Thank you for sharing your information with us! No need to go lying in a dark room if you have other historical information on The Searchers to pass on!

Well, while I’m still in the mood and seeing as you asked for it … what is the connection between the Searchers and P J Proby?

Texan born P J Proby, or to give him his full birth name James Marcus Smith, was not only a popular singer here in the UK, albeit for a short time, during the 1960s, he was also a songwriter. Sometime before he left the US for Britain, under the name of J M Smith, he wrote a number of popular songs, one of which was titled Ain’t Gonna Kiss Ya. Word has it that he tried unsuccessfully to persuade various popular US recording artists of the day to record it.

However, in 1961 he was successful in getting Ain’t Gonna Kiss Ya recorded on the Los Angeles based independent label, Rendezvous Records by the relatively unknown girl singer, Suzie Clark. The song was later covered by US all-girl vocal group, the Ribbons and released on the Marsh label during 1963. About the same time Timi Yuro also recorded the song but it was never released as a single but it as since been included in retrospective album releases of her earlier recordings.



While, like Timi Yuro, the Searchers never released their cover of Ain’t Gonna Kiss Ya as a single. The group did release it as the title number on their 1963 UK EP chart topping extended 7" play 4-track recording Ain’t Gonna Kiss Ya.

To my ears, this is the Searchers at their distinctive best because it highlights the higher (almost feminine) vocal register of Tony Jackson that set the group apart from others of the time. However, I’ve got to be honest, the day that Tony Jackson left the group was also the day that I left. Following his departure, the Searchers lost something for me; they just became another group amongst many.



Re: P J Proby … and his problems with the law

Now 72 years of age and living in a bungalow in the English village of Twyford near Evesham, Worcestershire. P J Proby has recently been charged with defrauding the UK Social Security system to the tune of £47,000. For more details CLICK HERE to read online Daily Mail article of February 3rd.

[royclough]

It was released as a single in UK by one Simone Jackson, the Searchers EP did make the singles chart in some music papers.

I'll stand corrected but Searchers picked the track up from Ribbons version.

[chriscurtisfan]

Thanks, Peter! I often wondered what the exact connection was with PJ Proby as Chris made reference to him in a Spencer Leigh interview. The Searchers version is definitely superior to any of the others posted on YouTube (I decided NOT to post them here since all were OUCH). I can't help but wonder who is supplying the OOOOOO's on Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya! As good as Tony's voice is, to my untrained ear, it drowns out Mike and Chris' equally beautiful voices when they are singing harmony. They were/are totally gorgeous men -- all of them, and Frank's arrival kept that going! Of all the bands that followed the Beatles from UK over to the US, the Searchers are still my #1 all-time Band. If I'm stranded on a deserted island, it is Searchers music I will want. And now I shall go lie down in a dark room and be quiet.

[royclough]

Believe it's Mike Pender Cheri

[chriscurtisfan]

Believe it's Mike Pender Cheri

Thanks, Roy! I didn't think it was Chris, didn't sound like him. Mike is my #2 Searchers man! And I do love his voice. I remember it was Chris who supplied the OOOOO's in Sugar & Spice -- I know he didn't like that tune, but it did well over here in the US and kept them on the charts. I don't know the order they released their music in UK, but Sugar and Spice wasn't played here until after Needles and Don't Throw. I didn't care -- just as long as it was The Searchers....

[Groupie]

No contest .........Gene Pitney