Track 13
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN
Gerry and the Pacemakers
The Searchers did this on their third album but Gerry did it on his debut album, in my view the Searchers version was superior in every way from a vocal and arrangement viewpoint, but before you say it, I have said that on every track, I’m biased, but as Rod Steiger once said in some movie, “That doesn’t make me a bad person”. Never bought Gerry’s album, apart from Gerry, his Pacemakers never really fitted the rock “n” roll image I thought, never saw myself as standing in the room pretending to play keyboards and be Les McGuire,but trying to play a mean guitar and being Pender was different.
Track 14
WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE RAIN
The Seekers
Probably more in keeping with how the song was thought of, very folksy, well sung, but give me The Searchers poignant version any day. Lacks that feeling, in my view, that The Searchers brought to the song.
Track 15
I COUNT THE TEARS
THE DRIFTERS
The original version of the song featured on It’s The Searchers, again only heard this years after I had heard The Searchers treatment which is more “beat” orientated. They must have liked The Drifters though at some point.
Track 16
MONEY
The Beatles
The Searchers released this track before The Beatles, as they put it on their second Album released in October 64. The song was standard fare for the Merseybeat groups in the sixties and I was never keen on the number anyway but I reckon both versions on a par with one another, The Searchers version being more of a Group effort with Pender/Curtis prominent on backing vocals with Tony Jackson on lead, The Beatles version is more Lennon the rocker led.
Track 17
DON'T YOU KNOW
The Crickets
One of my favourite tracks off The Searchers second album and they did this song basically note for note with this version from The Crickets, which features Earl Sinks on lead vocal.
Track 18
I DON'T WANT TO GO ON WITHOUT YOU
The Moody Blues
I stated in earlier articles that The Searchers, taken from their fourth album, should have released this song as a single. This version by The Moody Blues was in their Denny Laine era and they did release the song as a single, as did another Liverpool Band called The Escorts. The Moody’s version is good but not as polished as The Searchers version.
Track 19
VAHEVALA
Loggins and Messina
The only other version of the song I have found which is probably the original version, lacks in my view the “ Oomph “ that The Searchers version had, particularly the ending guitar break.
Track 20
SOLITAIRE
Willie Logan
Another from The Searchers RCA period and they released it as a single first; if they could only have got the airplay I’m convinced that it would have been a smash hit. This version is a instrumental from a little known Scottish guitarist who releases Budget type albums under the Rock Guitar plays series, this was on a rock guitar plays The Carpenters, but as I stated at the beginning some artistic license has been taken, A really emotive rendering of this number, brilliant version.
Track 21
SEPTEMBER GIRLS
The Bangles
From the Sire period and this version featured on The Bangles eponymous debut album, quite like Susan Hoffs voice on this track, very close to the Searchers treatment of the number.
Track 22
NEW DAY
Airwaves
Probably my least favourite track from the Sire period, I thought Mike was straining on this number. This, the original is for once probably the better version.
Track 23
LOVES MELODY
Ducks De Luxe
If New day was my least liked track, this was my most liked track, which featured on the re-released first album, but was not on the original issue “Searchers” actually liked the Album version more than the “single” version, for those across the pond, I’ll be corrected no doubt and rightly so, but I think it was the “single” version on the American album called Loves Melodies. Anyway this version by the oddly sounding British Group was the original version I believe, very piano led on the intro, not in the same league as The Searchers version.
Track 24
CAN'T CRY HARD ENOUGH
Smokie
The 90’s period for the Searchers and whilst never officially released by them unless we want to argue about “Live” CD, the number was a prominent feature of the act over the years since Spencer James joined. Smokie who originate from my original hometown of Bradford and who I never really forgave for redoing Needles and Pins in the seventies are fan’s of The Searchers or at least the one original remaining member of the band Terry Uttely is, did a fine version of this number on an album only released in Europe. Very close to the Searchers version, although claimed they had never heard The Searchers version.
By the way since forgiven Smokie, I actually like them a lot, probably the last group to do Walk in The Room, which was on an album they released last year.
Track 25
IN THIS LIFE
Colin Raye
Special reasons for choosing this song, but I’ll keep them to myself, a number of acts have actually done this number, just wish the Searchers had got round to doing the song sooner then they did, because their version is in my view as good as if not better than all other versions released since. This was the original version and if you’ve heard it, you’ll know that John McNally, with input from Spencer and possibly Frank, totally rearranged the song to make it their own in my view. But nevertheless Colin Raye’s original version is excellent.
