Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

_THIS TYPE OF THING CAN HAPPEN TO A GENIUS . WHAT

HAPPENED TO BRIAN WILSON ?

Brian Wilson never got over the Beatles. Aside from the mass ingestion of non-prescription pharmaceuticals, he filled his living room with sand, and went the Phil Spector solitary genius route. He wound up in the hands of an almost (if not actual) live- in shrink. It took years for him to get his s-it together to play with the Beachboys. He's got a new CD out, and has been touring solo (no more shrink). The Beachboys have fragmented into an Al Jardine outfit, and one fronted by Mike Love (with Carnie Wilson). Since I grew up on the East Coast; we thought Surf music was about Russian peasants, and the only summer song worth a rat's anus was "Up On the Roof", I never really kept up on that particular musical soap opera- unlike the Searchers', which I could never get any info on.

The more I read about Chris' problems, the more I can see why the other Searchers got worn out with them. I think it's one thing to make your point about a single or a situation, quite another to throw a fit about it. That personally would get tiring for me and it must have for Mike, John, and Frank.

Jeff

_WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF TONY HAD STUCK IT

OUT TWO MORE YEARS .

I think if Jackson had stuck 2 more years the Searchers wouldn't have been the Searchers who developed the sound we now know. The tempo slowed, the melodies and harmonies got stronger (less front man with backing singers in harmony, more three part front harmonies), and more intricate guitar. I don't think Tony would have fit the folk rock thing all that well. BUT, the band would have been able to rock with authority if he stayed. But if he did, does Chris leave sooner?

I agree John. There have been a several turning points for the Searchers over the years with the leaving of Jackson, Curtis and Pender, however, I consider that Pender's lead singing role certainly moved the group in a new direction. Had Tony remained I think that there would be a more "bluesy" quality to their music perhaps resembling the Animals to a certain extent.

_I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY YOU ASSUME THE SEARCHERS

WOULD HAVE SOUNDED MORE BLUESY IF TONY HAD STAYED

WITH THEM ? DO YOU THINK VIBRATIONS SOUNDED MORE

BLUSEY ?

Yes I consider that The Vibrations had more of a blues sound and I also found that Tony Jackson's voice was suited to the blues. It was powerful and cut through everything in the early days in my way of thinking. Also I have a recording of him doing See See Rider which is great. Although he sang "Sweets for My Sweet" overall the sweet gentler sound of The Searchers was not due to his voice, to my ear anyway.

Peter.

I agree. If you look at the Searchers music chronologically, including the Star Club stuff, you get the first harmonies on "It's All Been a Dream", but Jacson's voice is used for the rockers. I identify him with "Shakin All Over". The structure of the early stuff (to me) is solo lead, two (+) singing dual harmony in the back. They didn't harmonize much with the lead. The harmonizing with, and sharing lead picks up, and becomes dominant with Pender taking over more of the leads, and the sound becomes much less rough.

I'm sure that when Jackson and the Vibrations put out records that: (1) They wanted to cash in on the Searchers link, and sounding like them didn't hurt, (2) The Merseybeat harmony thing was still going strong, so why change gears, and (3) Tony's nosejob may have affected his voice to the point where that was what he could sing.

I still think that if he had kept his nose, and his job with the Searchers, they would have had more options on which way to go when the hits stopped coming, although I might not have enjoyed it.

_TONY COULD DO AN EXCELLENT JOB ON BALLADS LIKE

"OH MY LOVER" , "LED IN THE GAME" (LEARNING THE

GAME) AND "STAGE DOOR" . HE COULD ALSO SCREAM ON

MASHED POTATOES . HE WAS VERSATILE .

I have listened again to some of The Searchers' recordings I have with Tony Jackson singing lead and also to his post Searchers' releases as well. I must agree with John that his voice is more mainstream rock than blues.

I think one thing is pretty obvious. By forcing out Tony (or losing him), the Searchers, musically, greatly reduced their options as to the types and style of music they were going to be able to carry off without him.

i have only just found the forum and think it is a great idea. keep up the good work. in 1993 i spent a lot of time with tony jackson at the liverpool beatle convention he was great company. it was tonys first time back in liverpool for 25 years and i went on a coach trip with him around all the old merseybeat sites needless to say i asked why he left the searchers and he told me it was because of chris curtis and him having constant arguements over the direction the band should take with tony being a rocker and chris wanting to go more folky so tony left before it went nasty. 6 years before i spoke to tony i had asked mike pender about tony leaving and he said he thought it was because advisors kept telling tony he was big enough to go it alone and be a great success. i told tony this and he said it was not the case it was only because of the situation with chris.

robdave: Thanks for this great information. After listening to a collection of his songs I believe that he came very close to being successful. A number of his songs sound very much like The Hollies and The Searchers as well. Go figure!

The 20-track Tony Jackson compilation is a good body of work. At least one of Tony's post-PYE tracks sounds very Byrds' influenced. My favorite Jackson track? "Stage Door".

I wish I'd seen him live in the 60s if his early 90s' shows are anything to go by.