Singling Out The Searchers

Who was the greatest Liverpool band of the 1960s? Well, even if not everyone answers that one the same way, we can all guess who'll come out the winner on that one percentage-wise, right? So therefore, let's change the question: That group aside, who was Merseyside's finest combo of the same timespan? Now it's anybody's guess who the majority will pick, isn't it. Gerry And The Pacemakers? The Merseybeats? The Escorts? All fine combos indeed, all of whom probably kept the fire on high all night down in The Cavern Club with their pint-filled souls cranking out their heartfelt deliveries of American-influenced rock and roll, but always, and without trying, having that distinctly Liverpudlian tint apparently only comes from continued exposure to fish and chips and riverside air.

But standing out above them all was a quartet who almost always knew how to stir up the perfect mixture of great harmonies, wistful melodies, catchy guitar parts, and even hints of where the bands on the other side of the ocean were going next. So enjoyable was their music that even that other Liverpool quartet that ended up getting more attention would cite these boys as their favorite group. Who were they? As the title of one of their albums states...It's The Searchers.

It's been a while since I've done a single-by-single feature in here. Following the Pye Records' 45 sides of The Searchers one by one traces their progress from an eager young bunch of lads happy to play rock and roll to creative gents incorporating clever ideas into their discs, and then to a band without a clear focus, seemingly trying different things hoping one will stick and keep them alive while the times change a little too fast for them. But more importantly, context aside, the same sides present some of the mot pleasant pop of the decade.

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"Sweets For My Sweet"/"It's All Been A Dream" (June 1963)

A nice start, getting to the top spot on the first try. This cover of The Drifters' American hit had all the elements of the early Searchers: Tony Jackson's distinct bright voice, twangy guitar, pleasant harmonies. On the flip was another dose of sunshine with a charming if not spectacular song that sounded like a faster version of "Till There Was You."

"Sugar And Spice"/"Saints And Searchers" (October 1963)

Their second 45 for Pye, which followed a minor recharting of a rush-release by Philips of the pre-Pye recording "Sweet Nothin's", almost matched the chart success of the first, but stalled at second place under some unmovable thing by their neighbors about wanting to hold hands. But while it paled in chart status to "Sweets For My Sweets," it matched in quality. Faster and brighter and easier to sing, "Sugar And Spice" delighted. In America, the song is better remembered by way of a 1966 cover by The Cryin' Shames, by The Searchers' version is the definitive one. Less memorable is the flipside, a rocked-up "What'd I Say" stab at "When The Saints Go Marching In" that probably made for a great Cavern stage number, but failed as recorded material.

"Needles And Pins"/"Saturday Night Out" (January 1964)

Considering their reputation as a high-energy club band, The Searchers may have thought they were risking things by recording a lighter, more wistful number. The risk, if there was one, paid off splendidly when "Needles And Pins" did much more than simply become their second chart-topping single. It showed the band could indeed step into such material with ease, it broke the band in America, it spawned one of the most imitated guitar riffs in the history of rock, helping sow the seeds of jangly-pop, and, most importantly, the Jack Nitzsche-Sonny Bono composition became The Searchers' best-known song of their career and remains one of the best-loved songs of the British invasion. The song's original American interpreter was singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon. It would not be the last time The Searchers looked in her direction for material.

The flipside of "Needles And Pins," both figuratively and literally, was "Saturday Night Out," another example of the more rocking material they pumped their shows with.

"Don't Throw Your Love Away"/"I Pretend I'm With You" (April 1964)

Unsurprisingly, The Searchers opted to stick with more wistful material for the follow-up to "Pins," and their choice of topside was a fine one indeed. It was similar in structure to the previous 45, though a bit slower, but still didn't sound like a mere copy. The only thing it copied from "Needles" was the chart position. "I Pretend I'm With You" sounded a bit like the A-side, even being in the same unusual key of D Flat and roughly the same tempo, but was a simple, enjoyable song on its own.

"Someday We're Gonna Love Again"/"No One Else Could Love Me" (July 1964)

As The Searchers' first Pye single to fail to either top the charts or stop just under it, this offering, which only climbed to #11 was a relative miss. In retrospect, it's hard to find much fault with this record. Somewhere between a ballad and a rocker, in a minor key, the song was infectious enough. Perhaps the "doo dit doo da" refrain was repeated a little too much? On the backside lay a straight ballad that was nice, though it made slightly awkward listening with occasional extra beats to the count, and unexpected pauses

"When You Walk In The Room"/"I'll Be Missing You" (September 1964)

Perhaps because of the last single's comparatively low charting, Pye issued a new Searchers 45 only two months afterwards, whereas all previous singles had come no sooner than three months later. Keen to bring the band closer to the top spot, the label chose a song written by the source of the original version of "Needles And Pins," Jackie DeShannon, hoping lighting would strike twice. It turned out to be a smart move. "When You Walk Into The Room" scored a #3 charting, and was a fabulous single. Like "Needles," it incorporated a catchy riff and a wistful feel, and served as inspiration for up and coming American bands, particularly on the West Coast. "I'll Be Missing You" was a twangy ballad, the bright guitar notes ringing out nice and strong.

(Incidentally, any readers wondering when "Love Potion #9" is going to show up should note that said track was not a British single. The cover of The Clovers' American hit was released in England only as an album track on *Meet The Searchers.* The Searchers' American record label, Kapp, tried it for an A-side and were met with great success.)

"What Have They Done To The Rain"/"This Feeling Inside" (December 1964)

It was a rather risky move for a beat group during beat's golden age to release a single in which the guitars and drums on a soft number were far overshadowed by many violins, which may reflect its slightly lower chart placing (#13) than previous singles. All the same, this cover of folk legend Malvina Reynold's metaphoric description of nuclear war was one of the most beautiful sounding singles of the British Invasion. Things were more upbeat, both lyrically and musically, on the country-sounding flip.

"Goodbye My Love"/"Till I Met You" (February 1965)

Again, Pye followed up a lower charting Searchers single relatively soonafter, again only two months after "What Have They Done To The Rain." And again, the follow-up scored higher. "Goodbye My Love," though not a full-blown rocker, certainly had more power than the previous single. Heavily attacked reverberated guitars helped provide some tasty crunch, while the singers stretched the word "Goodbye" over many many syllables, making it memorable. Record buyers took it to #4. Its vinyl-mate, "Till I Met You," was a soft and pleasant nylon string guitar ballad.

"He's Got No Love"/"So Far Away" (July 1965)

This was so far the longest stretch between new Searchers 45's, coming five months after "Goodbye My Love." A lot had happened in pop music in that time. For starters, America had kicked back in response to the British Invasion with a new crop of bands incorporating elements of The Beatles and The Searchers with American heritage, most notably folk music. While this new folk-rock sound, popularized by The Byrds and The Lovin' Spoonful, with forefather Bob Dylan in the driver's seat, didn't end the British Invasion, it certainly gave the Brits something to compete with. Also in this time, The Rolling Stones had gone from being that grungy looking band among the other English groups to second in command of the British hierarchy. Consequently, The Searchers' clean and catchy pop songs and jangly guitars weren't going to keep them alive forever. Nonetheless, "He's Got No Love," the first A-side written by the band (of only two released by Pye), was a strong enough recording to put alongside the new sounds of the day. Fuzz guitar, a Stones-ish riff, and pounding drums topping a song that was excellent on its own, shaped the disc well. Unfortunately, it only made it to #12. Times were changing, and only once more would The Searchers hit the Top 20. Though who did buy it additionally acquired the mediocre "So Far Away," similar in feel to "What Have They Done To The Rain" but without violins.

"When I Get Home"/"I'm Never Coming Back" (September 1965)

Another hasty follow-up to a non-smash single, the folk-rocking "When I Get Home," though somewhat pleasant, wasn't all that strong a song. The Searchers were now proving unsuccessful at competing with the very sound they helped blossom. Its only fair charting of #35 was no real suprise. "I'm Never Coming Back" was a straight ahead rocker more akin to their early days.

"Take Me For What I'm Worth"/"Too Many Miles" (November 1965)

Musically, this was an excellent bounce-back. They tackled this P.F. Sloan ode to non-conformity superbly. This time around The Searchers were making folk-rock just as well-crafted as "Mr. Tambourine Man" or "I Got You Babe." It returned the group to the lowest placing in Top 20, despite deserving better, but showed a step in the right direction, and, undeniably brought the band new hope. "Too Many Miles" was yet another sweet and soft acoustic ballad, this time with flutes in the starring role.

"Take It Or Leave It"/"Don't Hide It Away" (April 1966)

At this point The Searchers appeared to be pulling out any trick they could think of to keep afloat. Now they were resorting to riding the coattails of more successful bands. For their first release of 1966, they turned to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who gave them this composition. If The Searchers thought this move would grant them a guaranteed hit, it didn't work. Although The Searchers did a fine job with it, The Stones released their own superior version the very same month on their Aftermath album. Record buyers agreed. Aftermath went to the top of the album charts, and The Searchers' single stopped dead at #31. The single was paired with a jazzy minor-key waltz, one of the few Searchers recordings in which piano is one of the most featured instruments.

"Have You Ever Loved Somebody"/"It's Just The Way" (September 1966)

Unsuccessful with a Rolling Stones track, The Searchers next turned to The Hollies, and ended up with one of their best topsides ever. Catchy, energetic and, importantly, not concurrently issued by its authors (though they would include it on an album almost a year later), "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" was the record of their last few that seemed most likely to restore them to the upper regions of the charts. But record buyers and radio were slowly writing off the band, and this excellent single couldn't get higher than #48, and when its chart run ended, so did The Searchers' British chart history, as none of their last three Pye singles cracked the list.

"Popcorn Double Feature"/"Lovers" (1967)

With rock music taking on more serious topics, The Searchers may have thought a song of social relevance could help them float up the hit parade. As it turned out, the once cheerful combo's look at the misery of the world sank completely, not even casting the smallest shadow on the charts.

"Western Union"/"I'll Cry Tomorrow" (1967)

Since The Searchers' chart history began descending, the only trick left in the book not yet tried was copying a recent American hit in hopes of racing it to the English charts. So when The Five Americans scored big in their native land with "Western Union," The Searchers recorded an almost note-for-note carbon copy, differing only in featuring the guitar slightly more prominently (including the solo, where the American hit had organ). But all to no avail, and the single was ignored. On the other side lay one of their best softer numbers, "I'll Cry Tomorrow," which had a nice melody and harmonies, marred only by a quasi-psychedelic outro in which a long vamp gave way to weird sound effects, quite possibly another misfire attempt to fit in with the music of 1967.

"Second Hand Dealer"/"Crazy Dreams" (1967)

The Searchers ended their Pye tenure with this self-penned ode to a garbage collector. The Kinks-ish song (Something Else era) took many roads en route to the chorus that it took repeated listening to truly determine, in fact, which part actually was the chorus. A little editing of the nearly four minute song might have given this more hit potential. The slightly funky "Crazy Dreams" was their first rocking B-side since "I'm Never Coming Back" in 1965. Lyrically, it sounded like a calculated attempt to be accepted by the hallucination generation (the singer even declares himself high). Musically, it reminded listeners (whoever they were) a tiny bit of "Sgt. Pepper's Reprise."

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