Who actually played instruments on Needles and Pins session?

richard56 · Post by **richard56** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 12:30 am

Carol Kaye, the noted session guitar/bass player from the Los Angeles, California studio scene of the late 50's up thru the 1980's and even 1990's claims on her webpage that she played guitar (12-string) on the Searcher's Needles and Pins session. I asked her about this a few days ago on her website suggesting that maybe she had got it mixed up with the original Jackie DeShannon session which she may very well have played on and she answered that Jack Nitzche set it up for her and that the Searchers `had recorded some things here' (in California). Does anybody know anything about whether this might be true?

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 10:39 am

Richard: While this would be a most fascinating bit of Searchers' history, to my knowledge there is no evidence that the Searchers' recorded a version of Needles and Pins in California. In any event a 12 string guitar was not used in the original recording of Needles and Pins. Perhaps others will chime in here and set me straight should I be off bass.

The musicians on the original Needles and Pins were Chris Curtis, drums; Tony Jackson, bass, John McNally, six string Hofner Club 60 guitar; and Mike Pender, Gibson ES345 six string guitar.

carr · Post by **carr** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 12:27 pm

Richard Otis wrote "and she answered that Jack Nitzche set it up for her and that the Searchers `had recorded some things here' (in California)."

It may well be true. There could have been plans to do a remix for US only but like so many projects, never saw the light of day and ended up in the circular file

John

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 1:32 pm

Interesting, although CK does state she will check with someone called Russ Wepensky, to make sure she has her facts correct.

I highly doubt it as I believe the first time The Searchers set foot in the states was AFTER Needles had been issued.

She is also credited as being on Cher's version and perhaps has got confused.

What is intriquing though is that one of the sound clips on her site is called The Searchers, sounds more like a connection to the film though.

mdenger · Post by **mdenger** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 2:04 am

The Searchers first visited the US in 1964, Needles And Pins was recorded at the end of 1963.

Michael

tim · Post by **tim** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 9:51 am

It has already been well documented the guitar sound achieved by The Searchers on "Needles And Pins" was the interaction of John McNally and Mike Pender playing six-string guitars. The 12-string didn't appear on a Searchers' single until the Autumn of 1964 with the release of "When You Walk In The Room". As far as I know, The Searchers never recorded anything in stateside studios.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Sun Feb 02, 2003 9:20 am

John McNally has now confirmed apparently that this is incorrect.

A quick perusal of CK website appears to have deleted the reference, but in mitigation, she had stated to Richard that it was probably an error.

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 7:46 am

While our knowledge, in the end, has not changed on this subject to any appreciable degree, it has been a another look at the recording of Needles and Pins. At the end of the day it has give us something to talk about. Yes that's how it begins ....