Take Me For What I´m Worth

mdenger · Post by **mdenger** » Mon Oct 29, 2001 11:08 pm

Hi All, finally my new page about Take Me For... is finished. As usual covers, music press, charts, pictures, leadsingers
Just point your browser at:

http://home.rhein-zeitung.de/~mdenger/

Michael

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Oct 30, 2001 3:58 am

Michael: Thanks for this informative page giving us the history associated with Take Me For What I'm Worth. I am amazed that this song did not do better in the charts. Sometimes timing is everything I guess. The photos with the Burns guitars are of particular interest to me.

sjd37 · Post by **sjd37** » Thu Nov 01, 2001 7:35 am

Nice work as usual, Michael. I can't wait for you to take on the more unusual Searchers singles, i.e. "Second Hand Dealer," "Umbrella Man," "Desdemona," etc.

I still wonder how so many quality tracks from the "Take Me..." album were all but neglected by non-Searchers fans. Surely songs like "Each Time" and "Don't You Know Why" were loaded with hit potential. I've seen "Don't You Know Why" listed in one discography as a US single, backing "You Can't Lie To A Liar," but if this release did indeed exist, both sides failed to catch on.

I do believe that "Searchers No. 4" made a dent in the US album charts, but I haven't got the actual figure here in front of me.

jjr · Post by **jjr** » Sun Nov 04, 2001 11:18 am

Those Burns guitars were the ones I saw the Searchers play at the Brooklyn Fox in Sept., 1964.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Nov 04, 2001 11:20 am

Thanks John. I am sorry that I did not recognize them from your earlier description. I am glad this matter is now laid to rest.

einar · Post by **einar** » Sun Nov 04, 2001 10:34 pm

Thanks go to Michael for his great work! I think this LP was ahead of its time. I think more of it now than I did 35 years ago. It's a real "group" effort, and I'll rate it as their best LP, tied with their first.
More, I vote for "Too many miles" as their (by far!) best self-penned song! One of my favorite Pender vocals, and the arrangement is superb! The flute part is brilliant and simply moving. I guess Tony Hatch has a "George Martin" share in this success. Does anyone know who played? A non-Searcher, I take for granted. Although I've read that Chris played some piano on this LP (at least on I'm ready, together with Hatch), I haven't heard he was a real multi-instrumentalist. (But of course, it's the arrangement that "does" it, not the performance in itself).
-Whose lead vocal on "Doggone" do you prefer, folks: Frank's on the released LP, or Chris', known from the "30 years anthology"? Personally, I thing Frank does a good job on this (although he doesn't rate himself as a lead singer). This issue could be another discussion!

Einar

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 9:02 am

Just goes to show everything is about opinions, I personally thought Too Many Miles was one of their worst selfpenned songs and had Mike trying to be Kris Kristofferson.

I do concur with everyone else though that Take Me etc the album was the best they released at PYE. Hard to believe that only 5 official albums released, excluding all the compilations etc.

If we were to take a poll on the albums in order of people's favourites I reckon the result would be this
1, Take Me etc
2. Meet the etc
3. Sounds Like
4. Sugar and Spice
5 It's The Searchers.

American releases had different titles but had a equivalent.

tim · Post by **tim** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 10:04 am

I wouldn't say each U.K. LP had an exact U.S. equivalent. The first two U.S. LPs had tracks taken from the first three U.K. releases. The third U.S. album ("The New Searchers LP") was equivalent to the fourth U.K. LP ("Sounds Like Searchers"). The fourth U.S. LP ("The Searchers No. 4") had no real U.K. equivalent. The fifth U.S. album ("Take Me For What I'm Worth") is equivalent to the fifth U.K. LP of the same name. 'Take Me' gets my vote as The Searchers best album if only because it includes the sublime "Each Time". Frank's version of "I'll Be Doggone" gets my vote over Chris's. I feel Frank's 'stronger' vocal is more suited to the song.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 10:57 am

I stand corrected Tim, but for those brits amongst us, I reckon I would be close.
An interesting theme would be, were the two Sire albums, before we get technical, let's count Searchers and The Searchers(revamp) the same album and Play for Today(Love's Melodies) the same album and Hungry Hearts more popular then the Pye Albums

sjd37 · Post by **sjd37** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 11:15 am

Einar: Chris' vocal on "I'll Be Doggone" is too quiet in my opinion. Too subtle. Frank's vocal is more in-your-face, and thus more suited to the song. I always thought it was hilarious that The Searchers chose to cover this song, since it has a "Needles and Pins"-type of riff.

"Too Many Miles" is a good song in my opinion, and the acoustic guitars are stunning--but Mike's vocal sounds like he has a clothespin on his nose. I'm not sure why he used this effect.

einar · Post by **einar** » Tue Nov 06, 2001 10:30 pm

Friends! Hehe! Of course I had to listen to "Too many miles" last night, in the afterglow of the "Kris Kristofferson impersonation"(Roy) and "clothespin" (S.J.) accusations. But no, I can't be moved on this one. I was impressed by it in 1965 (aged 13), and will stand by it today. Although "nothing beats two guitars, bass & drums" (Lou Reed), the flute arrangement adds significant quality to this song, and ranks alongside the piano solo on "Don't hide it away" as the most effective "out of formula" instrumental contribution on Searchers recordings. -This is a shot from the hip, of course, but isn't that what discussions are meant for?!
Kristofferson! It is known that he in fact had some songs recorded (cooperation with Tony Hatch!) before 1960. But I'm no expert on his career, and don't know if these songs in question were released on records. Was his voice commonly known in 1965, and/or could it really be that Mike had heard him through the Hatch connection?? Could be an interesting point!

Yours,
Einar

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Wed Nov 07, 2001 10:59 am

My comment on Kris Kristofferson was somewhat "Tongue in Cheek" but MP is definitely trying to adopt a different vocal style . I do concur however that opinions are what this excellent sit of Peter's is about, life would be boring if we all agreed. I do agree on Don't Hide It Away, my article Seachers Sing Searcers(plug)lists this as one of myown personal favourites

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Nov 07, 2001 3:47 pm

Einar: I did not know about the Tony Hatch-Kris Kristofferson connection. Let's hope someone who knows Tony Hatch's history is able to comment further. While we are on the subject though, it would be hard to think of why Mike would want to emulate the voice of Kris. Pender has an excellent voice and his tone and range is far more to my liking that that of Kistofferson's.

sjd37 · Post by **sjd37** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 10:02 am

I'm currently in a fit of hysterical laughter right now, for after trying to sing "Too Many Miles" with my nose pinched I realize that my "clothespin" description was a bit extreme! I'll just agree with Roy on this one--a "different" vocal technique. In all seriousness, I wonder if perhaps Pender was trying to sound older--like an old man looking back on a failed love affair from his youth.

david · Post by **david** » Sat Dec 08, 2001 3:39 pm

Take Me For What I'm Worth-The Searchers' Legacy Shines On.
I was so happy to see my review picked up by Amazon.Com I thought I'd share it here in the hope that visitors to this site would check out this CD and others.
The tracks from this album are presented in original mono ,matching stereo versions and bonus tracks.The album was originally recorded in 1965 and remastered for CD release.With a total of 31 tracks the CD is great value not only for the "collector" but also the younger fan who wants to check out a band whose contribution to 1960's English music between 1963 and 1966 was second only to the Beatles.This album marked the fifth of the band's sixties sojourn and by this time their playing and song selection had reached a new level of perfection.I particularly enjoyed the folk influenced Four Strong Winds.The song is unadorned with instrumentation allowing the Searchers' exquisite harmony vocals to shine through.The Searchers are nothing but eclectic.The opening track, I'm Ready, is a 1950's style rock and roll boogie complete with Jerry Lee Lewis style piano.Track two ,I'm Doggone,is Mo-Town influenced.The ballad,Does She Really Care For Me features the emotion laden vocals of Mike Pender and It's Time is penned by band member John McNally.Don't You Know Why features Everly Brothers style harmonies and Too Many Miles brings in an interesting flute lead for most of the song.60's Psychedelia gets the nod on I'm Your Loving Man.The jangling chiming guitars that gave the Byrds their jump-start are all over the track Each Time.This song in the vein of the hit single When You Walk In The Room and just as catchy could have been a single in its own right.Happily you have the oppurtunity to enjoy this fine song right here on the re-mastered CD.The title track Take Me For I'm Worth is the final one from the original song listing.This is another fine song in the electric folk idiom also released as a single and a top twenty hit for the group.The bonus tracks are notable for the hit singles, both lesser and well known.He's Got No Love,When I Get Home and Goodbye My Love sung in German.The B-side So Far Away is another gem to be discovered on this CD.Thanks to the wonders of the CD player programming switch and the great value contained on this CD listeners will be able to make up a song selection from these thirty one tracks to suit any mood in original mono,sparkling stereo versions and bonus tracks.Enjoy these performances from the Searchers in their finest hours.