Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

We have had such fun with Needles and Pin why not discuss When You Walk In The Room in some detail.

We know that this is the introduction of the Rickenbacker 12-string (Model 1993). Chris Curtis and Mike Pender (so it is said) came up with the idea of using the 12-string sound for their new upcoming recording of When You Walk In the Room. Not a bad idea, was it? Does anyone have any behind the scene information with regard to the recording of this song? Did the 12 string present extra recording isssues, for example.

Peter,

Walk In The Room is one of my all time favorites. A while back I emailed Wendy Burton to ask Frank some questions I had about the song. She foward them to Frank and he responded to my questions as follows:

Wendy wrote "Hi Rick spoke to Frank last night and gave him your message and your questions. Yours is the most interesting question to date and may appear on the web site. I was amazed that he answered them off the top of his head with hardly a moment to think."

Question: Was When You Walk In The Room actually recorded live or were there over dubs?

Answer: "It was recorded with a basic full backing track, but one track was overdubbded with extra guitars and maraccas, and there were two overdubbs of vocals - harmony and lead".

Question: Who actually sang which parts -- you, Mike and Chris?

Answer: "Mike and I did lead vocal in unison, Chris did the harmonies. It was my first record with the Searchers - recorded very shortly after I joined, in August 1964".

Question: Did both Mike and John play Rickenbacker 12 string guitars, it sure sounds like it in the recording?

Answer: "I think it was only Mike and he may still have been using his Burns 12 string then. I don't think he and John had acquired their Rickenbackers until a little later".

Question: Did they use Vox Ac 30's on this recording?

Answer: "Yes, they were Vox AC 30's".

These were direct quotes from Frank Alan through Wendy. I consider myself to be very lucky to have been responded to by Frank and will never forget his kind response.

Rick Doeschler

Thanks for sharing this Rick. Just in passing, Mike Pender recalls that his Rickenbacker was first used on When You Walk In The Room, a Model 1993 in Fireglo finish. This 12-string was later stolen and replaced with a Model 450/12 in mapleglo finish which Mike Pender still uses today. You have to love the Rickenbacker Vox combination. And yes you're spot on, Frank Allen is most kind to respond and in such detail. I loved his book. The maraccas are a prime example of the small details that Chris Curtis added to The Searchers' recordings that make them so unique.

I would hate to argue with Mike Pender's memory but I would have thought that at this time in 1964 he would have been using his Burns 12-string (unless the Burns were only for showing off in public as part of the sponsorship deal with his Rickenbacker being used in the studio).

Tim: Interesting point. After all we are going back nearly 40 years. Perhaps it is time to review the role of the Rickenbacker in the recording of "When You Walk In The Room."