Second Hand Dealer

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 7:32 am

What was the inspiration for this song?A Searchers composition and single's release.Was it composed in the studio or where?Was the idea brought to the studio by one of the group and then worked on as a group?What incident gave rise to the thought of composing a song about a Second Hand Dealer?Liverpool or London inspired?Is there a good story behind this?

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Sun Nov 17, 2002 6:33 pm

I read it was written by Mike and Frank, with Mike doing (I believe) the music. It doesn't seem to have been one of the songs one guy wrote and others got co-credit on. I have never seen an interview or article explaining the how, when and why, although it was only (as I recall) the second (and last) single the group (or part of it) wrote.

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Mon Nov 18, 2002 11:34 pm

I also wish I knew more about the song, espially as it the theme for the next chapter of my pages. But there is bnothing, no article from a music paper only the NL - release I own.

Michael

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Sun Nov 24, 2002 4:11 pm

Michael, John and David: I thought that you might be interested in the following response from Frank Allen regarding a question that I had Wendy Burton ask him on my behalf through the Official Searchers' Site. My question was "I would like to know about the composition and recording of "Second Hand Dealer." I trust that Frank and John may have memories of this.
Quote:We were on a tour of Sweden in 1966. Chris Curtis was out of the band and John Blunt was on drums. At one gig we were supported by a group called The Second Hand Dealers. We were all intrigued by the name and Mike Pender and I decided to write a song with that title. I can`t remember now which came first, the tune or the lyrics but the tune was entirely Mike`s and the lyrics were entirely mine.

We were scratching in the dark as far as knowing what to record but decided to try it out as a single. Probably not very wisely. In fact it was quite catchy and I am still pleased with the construction and scan of the words but it was a bit weak to try to get back into the favour of the record buying public. At that point we needed something very strong indeed to halt the slide, and that song wasn't strong enough. Frank Allen

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Tue Nov 26, 2002 11:15 pm

Interesting remarks about the song. It shows much more about the way they worked than many other comments.

Michael

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Wed Nov 27, 2002 8:26 am

By the time The Searchers released this single, the decline in their reording fortunes was on a non stop descent regretfully. The previous two single Popcorn Double Feature and Western Union were both fine releases but the band were now finding it increasingly difficult to get airplay or TV spots to promote these release. They probably had given up promoting the releases themselves live, Western Union probably the only one they did put in their set.

Radio 1 the BBC's answer to the pirate commercial radio stations started in 67 and The Searchers were definately out of favour, I can only recall hearing Secondhand Dealer once on the radio and I used to listen to Radio One a lot at the time. One interesting note that MD may be interested in, is that it was the first PYE single certainly Searchers to be issued on a PYE Blue label rather than the customary Pink one.

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Wed Nov 27, 2002 10:31 am

I agree Roy. What I appreciate about Secondhand Dealer is its originality. While it was, perhaps, a last ditch effort to make a come-back, it shows a resourcefulness and spontaneity that the Searchers might have used to more successful ends earlier in their career. I know we have had this discussion before, but it seems to me that they would have been noticed even more had they written more songs based on their experiences. So while Secondhand Dealer was not a chart success, it shows professional growth to me and I give them full marks for the effort.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 9:00 am

In recent weeks copies of this single have fetched £152 and £103 on the ubiquitous e-bay.

The conclusion would have to be that this single eventually became a collector's item.

dbrandon · Post by **dbrandon** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 10:18 am

This single wasn't even released on the American Kapp label or on the Canadian Pye label. No doubt
that these countries had no faith at all in the band by this time. To bad, as I feel that the Searchers were making in roads to the changing of music styles of the time.

jjr · Post by **jjr** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:43 pm

I don't think "Western Union Man" was released by KAPP, either. As I recall, the first time I heard it was on a greatest hits LP ("Golden Hour"?). I know it wasn't on KAPP. I really liked "Second Hand Dealer". Good tune, delightfully depressing lyrics.

dbrandon · Post by **dbrandon** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:33 pm

Yeah that's right John, it wasn't released on Kapp
or on the Canadian Pye label. I feel that the Searchers issue of Western Union was by far better than the Five Americans version even with the middle eight guitar part that the record company wanted to leave out, I like how you described "Second Hand Dealer",delightfully depressing. Not to change the subject, but today I heard what I think would have been another perfect cover tune for THE SEARCHERS. So Sad by the Everlys Bros. I can just hear Mike, Chris and Tony signing it. Would have been great!!

jjr · Post by **jjr** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:59 pm

Don.

On the Everlys:"When Will I Be Loved", "Til I Kissed Ya". What do you think?

dbrandon · Post by **dbrandon** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:00 pm

John, "When Will I Be Loved" would have been great too. Hell, any Everly song would have been right on. The Searchers and the Everly's had the same vocal construction for their harmonies ,the only difference would be three part vocals to the Everly's two part. And while we are on this subject an Everly's b-side is on the SEARCHERS first lp "Since You Broke My Heart" . It was the flip side of their 1959 release, "Let It Be Me".

jjr · Post by **jjr** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:34 pm

That was one of two post "Needles and Pins" songs (the other was "Saints and Searchers")that made me a fan for life.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:35 am

There is a great version of an Everlys number "Always It's You" on the starclub album