Subject: Mike Pender's Favourite Searchers Songs
Question: Has anyone heard Mike Pender comment on his favourite Searchers' songs?
Response: "Well for listening to, it has to be 'Goodbye My Love', for performing without any doubt 'When You Walk In the Room."
~ Mike Pender (August 3, 2000) ~
Subject: In The Recording Studio
Question: How much time The Searchers typically spent in the studio recording their albums. I am interested in whether they rehearsed
elsewhere or just went into the studio and worked out things there.
Response: "Well for listening to, it has to be 'Goodbye My Love', for performing without any doubt 'When You Walk In the Room."
The first two Searchers albums (before I joined the group) were made live to
tape, in just two or three days each, with hardly any rehearsal at all. The
remainder of the Pye albums took two or three weeks each; they were simple
4-track recordings. We would go to the studios, sift through demos, choose
what we liked, rehearse them for a bit and record them straight away, and
then go back the next day and do some more.
The Sire albums, being over 10 years later, were done much more
professionally, on 36 tracks. Although they were on a US label, we recorded
them here in the UK at the Rockfield Studios, each over a period of about six
weeks. We rehearsed for about three or four days at Rockfield, before we
even went into the studios.
"Hungry Hearts" on the German Coconut label, was done quite differently. We
didn't have enough spare periods in what had become by then (1989) a hectic
live work schedule to go into the studios in Germany for weeks on end. The
drum tracks and synthesised bits were put down by the company, and we would
then fly out there for five or six days at a time to put on the vocals and
the guitar tracks. I think we did this on four or five occasions, spread
out over some months, when we had the time.
~ Frank Allen (August 2, 2000) ~
Subject: "Sweets For My Sweet"
Comment: There a quite a few versions of Sweets For My Sweet:
1. The Starclub Recording (with aah aah ... instead of ooh ooh.. at the end)
2. A demo record
3. The Pye single
4. The RCA recording from 72
5. The Coconut version from 89
6. The Mike Pender's Searchers' version
Sweets is still a favourite song the Searchers play live. And John McNally
once quoted it as their best song ever.
~ Michael Denger (June 21, 2000) ~
Subject: "Needles and Pins"
Comment: Has anyone noticed Chris Curtis' bass
drum pedal squeaking at the beginning of "Needles"? I think it's funny, but
testament to the fact that real people made recording the 60's, not
machines. I think it was great that the producer let it go.
~ Rex Brough (June 20, 2000) ~
Subject: "When You Walk In The Room"
Question: Jackie DeShannon's composition
"When You Walk In The Room" was a big hit for The Searchers and in my opinion is one of
the groups' greatest recordings. Does anyone have a list of groups that also covered this song?
~ Peter McCormack (May 20, 2000) ~
Response: Geoff Dadswell of the
Jackie DeShannon Appreciation Society was at the ready for this question and
kindly provided the following list of artists who, along with The Searchers, recorded
"When You Walk In The Room."
1. Dave Ashby
2. Pete Best Band (ex-Beatle's 90s live version)
3. Karla Bonoff (1979 version-Jackie DeShannon-backing vocals)
4. Brave Combo (Texas polka quartet!)
5. Lisa Burns (1978 US 45)
6. Paul Carrack (1987 UK 45)
7. The Challengers (1965 LP track)
8. Child (1978 LP track)
9. Amanda Cooper
10. Dawn Chorus & the Blue Tits
11. Jackie DeShannon (Original version)
12. Joe Dolan
13. The Fabulous Singlettes (1988 CD)
14. Michelle Fisher (1974 UK 45)
15. Fiver (1978 UK 45)
16. Steve Forbert (1982 UK 45)
17. Steve Forbert (Live 80s version on King Biscuit Hour)
18. Claude Francois (60s LP French "Les Cloches Sonnaient")
19. Ricky Gianco (Italian language version)
20. Glass Tiger with Paul Carrack (1999 US CD track)
21. Green Mountain Skyline (1986 US LP track)
22. Hellcats
23. Chris Hillman (1998 cd track by Ex-Byrd)
24. Ian and the Zodiacs (1965 U.K. LP track)
25. Lolita Jackson (1989 US 45)
26. Jay and the Americans (1975 recording on Swedish CD)
27. Jive Bunny / Mastermixers (Avoid at all costs!)
28. Sarah Jory (1994 U.K. country artist's version)
29. Annette Klingenburg
30. Billy J Kramer (1964 U.S. LP track)
31. Johnny Logan
32. Peter Mafay
33. Bobbie McGee (1976 UK 45)
34. Pat McGlynn's Scotties (1977 Japan only 45)
35. Paul Nicholas (1977)
36. Mike Pender's Searchers (90s version)
37. Pinkerton's Assorted
38. Psychotic Youth
39. Ramming Speed (1984 Disco version!)
40. Rainbow Red Oxidizer
41. Sanne Salomonsen
42. Tommy Scott (1995)
43. The Searchers (1964)
44. The Searchers (1972 RCA version)
45. The Searchers (German version "Wenn Ich Dich Seh")
46. Del Shannon (1977 LP track)
47. Skin and Bone
48. The Sports (Australian 45)
49. Bruce Springsteen (Many live versions on various bootlegs)
50. Ruby Starr (1977 US 45)
51. Status Quo (1995 UK cd single)
52. Lynn Terry (60s US 45)
53. Tiger Sue (1978 UK 45) surprisingly good version
54. Tight Fit (Part of 60s medley)
55. Pam Tillis (1994 US Country hit)
56. Sally Timms (90s US version by Ex-Mekon)
57. The Typhoons (1964 UK 45 on budget label - good version)
58. Bobby Vee (60s LP track)
59. The Ventures (1965 LP track)
60. The Ventures (Live version)
61. Stephanie Winslow (1981 US 45)
~ Song list courtesy of Geoff Dadswell (May 20, 2000) ~
and the
Jackie DeShannon Appreciation Society Website
Subject: "Have You Ever Loved Somebody"
Question: Which song did the Hollies write for the Searchers? And what was the
pseudonym under which they wrote it?"
Response: This has to be Have You Ever Loved Somebody credited to the Hollies
'corporate' songwriting name of L.Ransford. (Anyone with the Searchers Live
CD should get this one!)
Here's some additional info regarding the "Ransford"-songwriting credit : L.
Ransford was the name of Graham Nash's late grandfather. But why didn't
Clarke/Nash/Hicks (the songwriting trio) use their real names? Their
drummer Bobby Elliott explained : "We were advised by our manager that the
three names would take up too much space and not fit in the centre of the
record. We believed anything in those days !"
~ Frank Kreutz (March 30, 2000) ~
Subject: The Searchers - A Cover Band?
Comment: An examination of the majority of the Searcher's hits certainly reveals
that they were able to take good compositions and make them even
better, and perhaps more popular, than those artists who initially
recorded the songs. I am particularly interested why these talented
performers were not composing their own material to the same extent as
other artists of the day. It would seem that the original compositions
of their greatest competition (The Beatles) were particulary appealing
to those buying records in those days. Do you suppose that things might
have gone somewhat differently if the Searchers had written more of
their own material early on?
~ Peter McCormack (March 15, 2000) ~
Response: Well...Chris Curtis was probably the best writer in the group... Like
the Hollies, The Searchers were mainly restricting their own material
to B-sides at this time("He's Got No Love" being an exception). "I'll
Be Missing You" is catchy and might have had a chance as an A-side. One
of John's numbers "Don't You Know" (on the "Take Me For What I'm Worth"
LP) was a good folk rocker. But Chris left around the time that they
were developing their songwriting more and this probably hurt in that
respect. The band only released one more original A-side, the
Pender/Allen composition "Second Hand Dealer", and Pye had lost
interest in them at by that point--late '67. Even on the later Sire
LP's, The Searchers mainly stick to covers. They pick them very well
though; why "Radio Romance" or "September Girls" weren't hit singles in
the early '80's is a mystery I can't figure out.
~ Jeff Zang (March 16, 2000) ~
Subject: When I Get Home
Comment: I've always been very fond of "When I Get Home". I like Mike's vocal on
this especially, and also the 12 string guitars. I know it missed the
UK Top Twenty when it came out in 1965, and I can't figure out why.
Great harmony, nice production, good song. What happened?
~ Jeff Zang (February 24, 2000) ~
Response: Hi Jeff, I must agree, a great record, but music papers like Melody
Maker or New Musical Express regarded it as a weak song (Title:
Searchers Not At Their Best) Too bad!!
~ Michael Denger (February 24, 2000) ~
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