Like
many Liverpool bands, The Searchers -- Mike Pender (Pendergast),
lead guitar; John McNally, rhythm guitar; Tony Jackson, bass and
vocals and Chris Curtis (Crummey), drums -
undertook an "apprenticeship" in the German port
of Hamburg and were signed by Pye producer Tony Hatch when they
returned to Liverpool. While in Germany they had recorded
Sweet Nothin's backed by Ray Charles' What I'd Say but their real
debut single was a cover of the Drifters' "Sweets
for My Sweet". This went quickly to number one in the
UK charts. This was followed by "Needles
and Pins", making 1963 a highly successful debut year
for the band. "Needles and Pins"
was written by Sonny Bono and Jack Nitzsche originally for Jackie
de Shannon. This track was the first Top 20 hit for the
group in the lucrative US market, and it also went to No. 1 in the
UK. Following up, Pye released the first album Meet The
Searchers which included well-known tracks such as "Farmer
John" and "Love Potion No.
9".
When Tony Jackson left the band in early 1964, Mike Pender took
over the lead vocals. The vacant bass guitar role was taken by
Frank Allen (Francis McNeice) who had been a member of Cliff
Bennett & the Rebel Rousers. The Searchers' sound was
different to many of the Merseybeat bands. One of the group's
trademarks was the distinctive harmonies that were helped by the
fact that all four could sing well.
A cover of The Shirelles' "Don't Throw
Your Love Away" gave the group its third No. 1,
followed up with "When You Walk in the
Room", a track from Jackie De Shannon. This track
featured the jingle-jangle sound of a 12-string Rickenbacker riff.
In 1965, the Searchers released "He's
Got No Love", the first time that the band had penned
one of their own singles although they had written material for
the albums that had been released.
By now the Searchers had become more popular in the US and "Love
Potion No. 9" reached the No. 3 position towards
the end of 1965.
Chris Curtis left in mid-1966 and was replaced by John Blunt. However,
like many bands the Searchers were unable to make the
transition as the music market moved away from single towards
album-oriented rock. It became increasingly difficult to get
Searchers' singles to the top of the charts. Even new singles
written by the likes of Jagger/Richard ("Take
It or Leave It" from Aftermath) or "Have
You Ever Loved Somebody", written by Alan Clarke,
Graham Nash and Tony Hicks of the Hollies, made little impression.
The latter was the group's final chart entry, reaching No. 48 in
October 1966.
Mike Pender left The Searchers in 1985 to pursue his own career.
He then hand picked the cream of musicians and vocalists to
recreate The Sound.
MIKE PENDER’S SEARCHERS is the result.
They have literally traveled the world performing in Australia,
U.S.A., Holland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, The United
Arab Emirates as well as the length and breadth of Britain,
playing and creating that distinctive sound which has become a
legend in popular music.
Two big hits of the 60s still heard regularly on the airwaves
today are "Needles and Pins"
and "When You Walk in the Room"
and both these songs are still particularly requested by audiences
to this day.
MIKE PENDER'S SEARCHERS
