Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My old band played a couple of gigs with Mike Pender's Searchers a couple of years ago. Not a Ric in sight! He used a blue Aria 12string (and didn't even keep it in a case). Very odd.

A good show though...

Ian: Mike's Model 1993 was stolen in the early days and he has never forgotten. It would seem that he prefers the Aria on the road for that reason.

A very nice guy - no 'big star' thing about him at all. He used to (probably still does) regularly go to car auctions with Kevin my former drummer (a HUGE Searchers fan), as they both deal in used cars these days...

Mike was quite happy to authorise us to go out as a Searchers tribute - The Secret Searchers, which we did, a few times.

I doubt that John McNally and Frank Allen (who own the rights to the name "The Searchers") would have been so forthcoming with permission!

I wondered how many minutes would go by before this information would be posted Tim. Precisely one half-hour. Thanks for keeping the record straight.

I don't know if the band are still doing it, as I have parted company with them two years ago or thereabouts.

Kevin - who ran the band - was told there would be no problem with that use of the word 'Searchers', as it clearly doesn't imply that it's the same band!

I see yourreasoning Ian, but one needs to know a bit about the history of The Searchers to fully ppreciate the sensitive nature of using "Searchers" as part of any band title.

Certainly, the public has been confused on more than one occasion thinking that MIKE PENDERS SEARCHERS was "The Searchers", especially as Mike used to be the lead singer for the band.

The plot certainly thickens in this day of mp3 exchange over the internet in concert with the nostalgia circuit.

Your comments make for interesting discussion but, at least in some circles, heated debate about who The Searchers are today. Tim has reminded us of who has the rights to "The Searchers" name.

Let's hope a certain lady does not read this. I do not for one second doubt your veracity Ian but Mike was being nothing short of mischievous to state there would be no problem, Mike himself gave up the right to use The Searchers name 20 years ago though it was agreed of course, in acrimonious circumstances, that he did have a right to use Searchers provided it was preceded by Mike Pender's and all the letters were the same size etc.

There was a band calling themselves The Silver Searchers for a while, not your lot was it.

Even just a few weeks ago, without going into detail action was about to be taken in connection with the use of the name.

Uh, the name, the name... what about a 50s movie with John Wayne then (i've heard it through the grapevine the band's name actually "derives" from the name of this film) and its creators?.. Nah... just kiddin'...
PS: think i know who 'the certain lady' is...

It is now exactly 20 years since it was announced that Mike Pender was leaving The Searchers. And the problems over his billing still occur!

Not only billing Tim, but CD's, Dvd's, though in mitigation a lot of it nothing to do with Mike.

Twenty years on... and they still cannot just shake their hands and make peace? Hard to believe it. Mean, Pink Floyd seemed to have the similar problems, but somehow they got together to play at Live 8.
BTW, my kid has just told me that her suggestion is that they've already made peace several years ago but do not announce it to keep the fans "hanging on" (maybe until 50th anniversary). I'd like to be that optimistic! But then... why not, anyway?..

Sheena to use your term, your Kid, is wrong believe me.

Further, there is very little point trying to have a Searchers' comeback with the loss of Tony Jackson and Chris Curtis. Pender's departure cut deep and one can't blame Frank and John for keeping their distance.

I am grateful that the current Searchers are still performing and hope to see them one day. I quite agree Roy, hardly a scheme to attract attention.

Roy: i see i might be using the wrong word, my daughter. I do believe you, though i'd like to think everything is not THAT bad. Mean i don't know all the details, i only know the situation as described in some interviews, and of course i wouldn't want to get into something deeply personal, which was between two (or, to be more precise, three) guys who are all very nice people, i have no doubt about it. And i know that many ex-bandmates, who once were close friends, sometimes do "break up" and even refuse to talk to each other. And i find it hard to understand - well, okay, people are different, maybe i'm too lucky myself. I (or, more precisely, "we", as Mousie will support me on that no doubt) just like to hope (or should we use the word "dream" in this context?) they'll 'unite' one day.
Peter, we'd be just happy to see ANY of them live, little chance, so dreams is all we have at the moment. Not a complaint, just the way the things are. Yes i agree without Jackson and Curtis it wouldn't be a biggest pleasure for fans, but i still think to see at least the two original members together can make fans all around the globe happy.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope some day you'll join us, And the world will live as one." (C) John Lennon, of course.
Sorry for such a long post.