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Colt1861Navy

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Re: Colt1861Navy post# 817

Sunday, 07/07/2002 11:51:31 PM

Sunday, July 07, 2002 11:51:31 PM

Post# of 1767
Rock 'n' Roll Artists A-Z...The Searchers

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/thesearchers/

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/thesearchers/spencerjames.htm

http://rz-home.de/~mdenger/

http://www2.rpa.net/~theboltons/Albums/searchers.html

http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/mccorp/searchers2.html

The Searchers were one of the most influential groups to rise from the 60s phenomenon, and today they still lead the pack, headlining tours all over the world, collecting awards, and recruiting new fans from all age groups. The Searchers were originally formed in Liverpool in 1960 as a backing group for Johnny Sandon, and took their name from the John Wayne film. The founder members were John McNally (who still leads the group today), Mike Pender, Tony Jackson and Chris Curtis, and they appeared regularly at the Iron Door Club until late 1961 when Johnny Sandon left to join the Remo Four the Searchers carried on at the Iron Door, the Cavern and other Liverpool clubs, sometimes playing three shows a night in different venues. During this time they forged contacts with the Star Club in Hamburg, the beat mecca of the Continent, and appeared there for the first time in July 1962: in all they played there for 128 days, with three one-hour performances a night.

On their return from Hamburg they signed a contract with Pye, under the management of Tony Hatch. issuing their first single "Sweets for My Sweet" in July 1963; it got off to a slow start, but reached the top of what was then called the "Hit Parade" in October, knocking the Beatles off the No 1 spot. The Beatles got their own back later when their album "Please Please Me" just stopped the Searchers' first album "Meet The Searchers" from reaching No.1 in the LP charts. The Searchers' second single "Sugar and Spice" - written by Tony Hatch under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale - reached No 2, and then in January 1964 came another No 1 - their most famous song "Needles and Pins" - followed very quickly by more hits such as "Don't Throw Your Love Away" and "Some Day We're Gonna Love Again".

In the summer of 1964, at the peak of this success Tony Jackson, vocalist and bass guitarist, decided to leave and form his own group The Vibrations, but from what could have been a disaster came the arrival of Frank Allen, who is still with the group today, and is generally considered to be the best "front man" on the 60s music scene. Frank, from West London, had spent three years with Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, and had got to know the Searchers when both groups were playing at the Star Club in Hamburg. Frank shared the lead vocals with Mike Pender on the very next hit "When You Walk in the Room", and other successes followed over the next two years including "Goodbye My Love", "What Have they Done to the Rain" and "Take Me for What I'm Worth".

Two years later, in 1966, following an extensive tour of the Philippines, Hong Kong and Australia, together with the Rolling Stones, the Searchers' drummer, Chris Curtis, decided to leave to start a career as a producer and songwriter - going on to produce records for Paul and Barry Ryan and later to play a part in the formation of Deep Purple. His place on the drums was taken by John Blunt, from Croydon, during whose time the Searchers recorded "Take It or Leave It", "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" and some less well-remembered singles and albums. John stayed for three years, during which time the group changed record labels from Pye to Liberty,and in December 1969 was replaced by Billy Adamson from Scotland, who had spent the decade drumming for many artistes including Emile Ford and Lulu.

In 1972the band issued an album of re-recordings of their 60's hits on the RCA label. During this period the Searchers' activity was more low-key, but they made two minor hits - Vahevala, and Solitaire - a single which might have made the charts if it hadn't been for Andy William's version. Throughout the 70s, although the hits had dried up, the Searchers progressed into the lucrative cabaret circuit, where they learned how to entertain a different public - no more screaming hysteria. but a devoted audience who appreciated a more sophisticated and polished performance

At the very end of the 70s the Searchers went into the Rockfield Studios to record two new albums for the Sire label, which were released in 1979 and 1980. This was the most important recording period for them since the early hits. The two albums - released as "Searchers" and "Play for Today" in the UK and as "The Searchers" and "Loves Melodies" in the USA contained some great songs such as "Hearts in Her Eyes", "Its Too Late", "Loves Melody", It was well produced and well received by the music press. If they had recorded some of those songs back in the 60s they would still have been a major force, but by the end of the 70s the Searchers were somewhat out of fashion, and the albums didn't do as well as they had hoped. It was a case of the right songs at the wrong time - if they'd had them earlier, or later when they were back in favour again, they could have had more hits on their hands. Nevertheless, they are songs to be proud of, and several of them are still very popular in their set twenty years later.

And so The Searchers headed into the 80s, not realising that the decade would see a massive resurgence in the popularity of 60s music and take them once again to national and international success.

A major shock to their many fans came in December 1985: Mike Pender, the lead vocalist for more than twenty years - decided to leave the group, and set up on his own as Mike Pender's Searchers, a move which still causes confusion to this day, with both groups still active on the circuit, despite a legally-binding agreement that he cannot use the name "The Searchers".

John McNally, Frank Allen and Billy Adamson could have faced disaster at this stage, particularly as Sixties Music was becoming fashionable again and appealing to a new generation, but fortune smiled on them in the shape of Spencer James, another West Londoner, who had previously played with various 70s groups including First Class. Spencer's amazing voice, his boyish good looks (he is ten years younger than the rest of the group) and his mastery of the synthesizer guitar, helped take the group on to new heights in the late 80s - major tours of the UK, the USA and Germany, and the issue of their 25th anniversary compilation album "Silver Searchers".

1989 was a very good year for the Searchers. In addition to successful nationwide package tours with "The Solid Silver Sixties Show" they signed to BMG/Ariola, and issued "Hungry Hearts" - an album of brand new songs (plus the bonus of completely reworked versions of "Needles and Pins" and "Sweets for My Sweet") on the Coconut label. It did well in Germany, and was later issued in the UK, although promotion was disappointing. This was the first album with Spencer James as the lead vocalist and included some of the best Searchers songs ever - "Somebody Told Me You Were Crying", "Forever in Love", "Fooled Myself Once Again" and No Other Love", and is much treasured by all the fans who managed to get hold of a copy before the record company rather pre-emptorily deleted it. A recent poll of Searchers Appreciation Society members resulted in "Somebody Told Me You Were Crying" being their favourite song of all, even ahead of "Needles and Pins" The summer of 1989 saw the group playing to their biggest audiences ever - two nights at Wembley Stadium in front of over 75,000 people each night - supporting Cliff Richard on a mammoth celebrity bill to mark his 30 years in show business.

The 90s have been beyond the group's and the fans' wildest expectations. They continue to headline major theatre tours around the country, and have recently started doing both halves some concerts themselves, without a support act, which gives the increasing band of loyal fans a chance to hear more of the album tracks and other gems which cannot be fitted in to a 75-minute slot on a package show. The rising popularity of 60s festivals and outdoor summer shows has brought the Searchers to the notice of many people who might not otherwise have got to see them, and there has been much overseas work - including visits to Canada, Kenya, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. They have also entertained the troops in Bosnia, Belize, Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, and on the aircraft carried HMS Illustrious on manoevres between Gibraltar and Marseilles. In complete contrast they spent a week in cabaret on the Canberra on one of her very last Mediterranean cruises before her retirement.

In 1998, in between all the regular one-nighters, they headlined a major nationwide UK spring tour with The Swinging Blue Jeans and Helen Shapiro, with Bobby Vee joining the line-up for two of the dates; returned briefly to the USA in the summer after an absence of several years, to play at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, bringing the gaming tables to a complete standstill and making a whole new generation of fans; and in the autumn gave their regular fans a private show at the fourth Searchers Appreciation Society Convention.

At the end of 1998, Billy Adamson - after nearly 29 years as the drummer and percussionist - decided to leave the group to spend more time with his family. The group was lucky enough to find an immediate replacement in Eddie Rothe, who had drummed with Liquid Gold and Mud, amongst others. Eddie quickly settled into the Searchers line-up, just in time for the hectic Christmas season and the group's early 1999 tour of the East Coast states of Australia, New Zealand and the Gulf States in the Middle East.

April of that year saw the publication of Frank Allen's book "Travelling Man - On the Road with The Searchers" - not exactly an autobiography, nor a biography of the group, although it was partly both those - but a fascinating and amusing collection of stories and observations on the trials and triumphs of the life of a travelling musician. Summer 1999 was dominated by a string of seaside theatre shows with Gerry & the Pacemakers and a two week "working holiday" cruise to the Canary Islands, Madeira and Morocco on board the luxury P & O liner "Arcadia". All the usual one-nighters were slotted in throughout the year, as well as an increasing number of all-evening solo shows. And the 20th Century ended with the Searchers being invited to join Cliff Richard for his Millennium Eve show at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, a moment they will never forget.

The year 2000 started with another tour of Australia and New Zealand, followed immediately by a four month long 65-venue UK tour - the 15th Anniversay Solid Silver 60s Tour - with Gerry & the Pacemakers, Peter Sarstedt and the Swinging Blue Jeans, which was so successful that many of the venues put on two shows per night. The summer saw a return to the USA, for shows in the big casinos in Connecticut and Atlantic City, another run of seaside shows with Gerry & the Pacemakers, and another fortnight on board "Arcadia", this time in the Mediterranean. In the autumn, they played two nights at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Birmingham, and made one of their frequent appearances at the massive 60s spectaculars staged in Germany.

Early 2001 sees the Searchers off to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the Gulf States, followed by a completely new innovation - a 3-month long "solo" tour of UK theatres, the first time they have ever done such a tour. But based on the fantastic reception they have received at their occasional "all evening" shows, this should be a great success, and will at last give them the chance to show a wider audience than their "regular" fans just what they can do given the time and the artistic freedom that a solo tour affords.

Thirty nine years on, and still full of youthful enthusiasm, the Searchers look forward to many more years of their career and thus keeping and their fans happy too. They still sound good, they still look good, they still enjoy what they do, and there can hardly be another group that pays so much attention to their good reputation and the quality of their performance. The members of the group are: John McNally (Lead Guitar, 12-string guitar and backing vocals), Frank Allen (bass, vocals and "front man"), Spencer James (Lead Vocals and synthesiser guitar) and Eddie Rothe (Drums, percussion and backing vocals).

Chronology

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/thesearchers/biog.htm

Discography

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/thesearchers/discog.htm

Latest News

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/thesearchers/latest.htm



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