Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Tim: On more than a few occasions previously unreleased Beatles' recordings have shown up from a number of sources.

Do you have any knowledge of recorded Searchers' material that is in a vault or on a dusty old shelf somewhere that, given sufficient interest, could be released?

Tim will perhaps have other tracks he can add, but You Got Me, Falling In Love Again from 70's supposedly a recording made for CBS and a track from Sire period called Ambulance Chaser, Tim can confirm that as I have not heard it.

There was another track called In The Heat Of The Night made as art of a proposed album when they made a one single comback on PRT some of the other tracks for that album Tim out on the 30th Anniversary Collection. I also believe can't Cry Har Enogh and In This lIfe have been recorded other than the Live Album stuff.

Thanks Roy. Was there also a Christmas title that was recorded in the studio at some point?

I have a tape somewhere with a whole lot of stuff on it that I am sure has a Christmas song on it but can't remember what it was. Will have to dig it out. I can't even remember where I got it. Probably from Tim???

Songs refered to are probably God rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and a self penned song Happiest Christmas Of All. These were released however on a German CD, Tom's Xams Party and were also on Live 2. Former was a commercial release whereas latter could only be bought at shows.

Gary Jackson the official website techo mentioned a track called Cinamon Girl to me but I have never heaRd this or of it, perhaps Gary or Tim can enlighten us.

The topic of the thread is unreleased recordings rather than numbers perfomed but not recorded, my article Fantasy Album list a number of songs I have never ever heard them do over the last 40 years, but a Searchers devotee from Norway, Toril Olsen listed quite a number of songs she state they have played and I do not doubt her veracity, but I personally have never heard them.

As I understand it Roy, this was a soundboard recording and the version in question went on for about 11 minutes

Gary

Actually it is a Neil Young song I have found, I know that back in 74 Southern Man was their act, although I personally have never heard them do it. They received some critiscm, I read, in American media for playing a long version of this song when they went out on a British Beat revival tour, critics stated they had confused the audience. Could it be this song Gary.

Roy,

I saw them do "Southern Man" at Madison Square Garden on that tour in '72. As I recall it went 13 minutes, with Frank telling the audience beforehand to hit the head if they needed to because "Needles and Pins" would be on after it. Many did.

I thought their set meandered quite a bit- "Valavehah", or what ever the title was was included as well as "Southern Man", and I don't think they ever really grabbed the audience.

Jjr wrote

"I thought their set meandered quite a bit- "Valavehah", or what ever the title was was included as well as "Southern Man", and I don't think they ever really grabbed the audience."

John: Do you suppose that this was a hint of what was to come for the Searchers as far back as 1972? It seems that this departure from their typical performance met with undesirable results. While a song does not a concert make, the fans reluctance to embrace this number this 13 minute "medley" might have been a warning.

Peter,

Absolutely, especially when you consider that they were one of I think 6 acts, with no more than 45 minutes for their set (if that). Plus, this was the period when they wore whatever, had long hair (John had a beard) and looked kind of scruffy. Not a bad look, but not one to take to a Rock Revival show (see Rick Nelson and "Garden Party-same room, same type crowd).I wouldn't have recognized them by sight except for the up to date picture in the souvenir program. And yes, they should have been warned, should have planned the set for the US market- "Sweets" was unknown here, and why they chose to modernize LP#9 with a blistering guitar solo and faster tempo when it was their biggest US hit, and most recognizable song here (and bury it in the middle of the set to boot) is anybody's guess.

Plus, as an aside, they didn't headline the bill- either Gerry or the Hermits did. They came on next to last-second half of the show. So despite the fact they were probably the ONLY "real" group on the show, and had more hits than anybody than the Hermits- if the headliner was them, have to check- they failed to head the bill. Typical Searchers.

Thanks for that John gald to know the facts bar the year were correct. There was a time during the seventies when thay abandonded the clean cut image probably thought it gave them more street cred. Something that not too many have picked up on is the fact that The Searchers biggest success in record terms in thew States was with a Tony Jackson led vocal.

Just an afterthought. They also included a medley of "You've Got a Friend/Sunday Morning Coming Down" in that set. So figure how much time they left themselves to play what the audience was there to hear,bearing in mind that while their songs were known, they weren't a household name over here.

Heard them do You'e got a friend but not the latter, who made that originally was it Jay and The Americans, John

It was a country/western tune. I think Kris Kristofferson wrote (and recorded)it. Ditto the woman who sang "Help me make it through the Night" and a bunch of others. I think some folkies did it too, e.g Judy Collins.

Kris Kristofferson wrote "Sunday Morning Coming Down", but it was a first a hit for Johnny Cash.

I like the line, "And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, So I had one more for dessert" as it describes some of my early years.