Meet The Searchers

Meet The Searchers is the 1963 debut and most successful album by British rock band The Searchers. The album featured their first single released in June 1963, a version of the Drifters' "Sweets for My Sweet", which was a UK No.1 for the band, as well as their version of the Clovers "Love Potion No.9", which was released as a single in the U.S. (but not in the UK) the following year. "Love Potion No.9" peaked on the US charts at No. 3 on 19 December 1964.[4] The album was also released in Canada, Germany and South Africa, often with track listing changes.

Meet The Searchers
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 1963
Recorded1963
StudioPye Studios, London
Genre
Length30:06 (1963 LP)
38:32 (2001 CD Reissue)
LabelPye
ProducerTony Hatch
The Searchers chronology
Meet The Searchers
(1963)
Sweets For My Sweet – The Searchers At The Star-Club Hamburg
(1963)
Singles from Meet the Searchers
  1. "Sweets for My Sweet"
    Released: June 1963
  2. "Love Potion No. 9"
    Released: 1964 (USA)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
New Record Mirror[3]

Overview

Nationwide interest in the Searchers had been piqued with the success of their UK No. 1 single, and Pye Records, hoping to take advantage of this, promptly decided to follow it up with an album. It was a straightforward performance of their stage repertoire, so they covered a lot of songs by American artists like Ben E. King ("Stand By Me"), Barrett Strong (Money (That's What I Want)), The Crystals ("Da Doo Ron Ron"), The Everly Brothers ("Since You Broke My Heart") and The Isley Brothers ("Twist and Shout). Meet The Searchers mainly consisted of rock and roll or rhythm and blues material with an exception of a modern folk-style song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, made famous by The Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary. The band cut all 11 tracks in a one-day session (aside from the already recorded "Sweets for My Sweet"), just as The Beatles did with Please Please Me.[5]

Release

Meet The Searchers was released as a monaural (mono) LP album on the Pye label in the UK in the summer of 1963 [Pye NPL 18086]. It entered the LP charts on 10 August 1963, reached the No. 2 spot (The Beatles held the #1 position with Please Please Me) and charted for 44 weeks.[6] Alternatively, two EPs containing songs from the album were released in the UK. Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya, with the lead track originally recorded by The Ribbons, was released in September and reached the top spot on 5 October 1963. The second, Sweets for My Sweet (including Chris Curtis' self-penned B-side song "It's All Been a Dream"), aimed at the lucrative Christmas market in December and went to No. 5.[7]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Sweets for My Sweet"Doc Pomus, Mort ShumanTony Jackson2:28
2."Alright"Jerry Ross, Lester VanadoreTony Jackson2:09
3."Love Potion No. 9"Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerTony Jackson, Mike Pender2:05
4."Farmer John"Don Harris, Dewey TerryTony Jackson, Mike Pender, John McNally1:59
5."Stand by Me"Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerChris Curtis3:28
6."Money"Janie Bradford, Berry GordyTony Jackson2:47
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Da Doo Ron Ron"Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie GreenwichTony Jackson, Mike Pender2:25
2."Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya"James Marcus SmithTony Jackson, Mike Pender, Chris Curtis2:05
3."Since You Broke My Heart"Don Everly, Phil EverlyTony Jackson, Mike Pender2:50
4."Tricky Dicky"Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerTony Jackson, Mike Pender2:08
5."Where Have All the Flowers Gone"Pete SeegerMike Pender, Chris Curtis2:57
6."Twist and Shout"Phil Medley, Bert RussellTony Jackson2:45


2001 Reissue Bonus Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
13."It's All Been a Dream"Chris CurtisTony Jackson1:49
14."Geld (Das ist, was ich wünsche)" ("Money (That's What I Want)" in German)Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy (Translator unknown)Tony Jackson2:46
15."Landwirt John" ("Farmer John" in German)Don Harris, Dewey Terry (Translator unknown)Tony Jackson, Mike Pender, John McNally2:00
16."Mais C’etait Un Rêve" ("It's All Been a Dream" in French)Chris Curtis (Translator: Alain Gaunay)Mike Pender, Chris Curtis1:51

US version (Meet The Searchers / Needles And Pins)

Meet The Searchers / Needles And Pins)
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 1964
Recorded1963
StudioPye Studios, London
GenreRock/Pop
LanguageEnglish
LabelKapp
ProducerTony Hatch
The Searchers US chronology
Meet The Searchers / Needles And Pins)
(1964)
Hear! Hear!
(1964)
Singles from Meet The Searchers / Needles And Pins
  1. "Needles and Pins"
    Released: February 1964
  2. "Ain't That Just Like Me"
    Released: March 1964

In 1964 the so-called British Invasion started and the Searchers were at the forefront with The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five and Herman's Hermits. The group appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show with "Needles and Pins" and "Ain't That Just Like Me", both of which became hits in the US. Kapp Records got the rights and started to release the Searchers' music. In the American market, albums were typically limited to 12 tracks and it was expected for albums to include the current hit single. Kapp Records released a compilation of the British market albums Meet The Searchers and Sugar and Spice (5 songs from each) with additional songs from the single "Needles and Pins" / "Saturday Night Out". The album, released both in mono [Kapp KL 1363] and stereo [Kapp KS 3363], entered the Billboard Top 200 on 11 April 1964, went to No. 22 and stayed for 21 weeks.[8]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Original UK releaseLength
1."Needles and Pins"Sonny Bono, Jack NitzscheIt's The Searchers2:20
2."Since You Broke My Heart"Don Everly, Phil EverlyMeet The Searchers2:58
3."Oh My Lover"Ronnie MackSugar And Spice2:36
4."Alright"Jerry Ross, Lester VanadoreMeet The Searchers2:04
5."Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya"James Marcus SmithMeet The Searchers1:59
6."Tricky Dicky"Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerMeet The Searchers2:52
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original UK releaseLength
1."Ain't That Just Like Me"Earl Carroll (vocalist), Billy GuySugar And Spice2:46
2."Some Other Guy"Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Richie BarrettSugar And Spice2:57
3."Farmer John"Don Harris, Dewey TerryMeet The Searchers1:57
4."Saturday Night Out"Mark Anthony, Robert Richardsnon-album single, B-side Needles And Pins3:16
5."Cherry Stones"John JeromeSugar And Spice3:06
6."Don't Cha Know"David Box, Ernie HallSugar And Spice2:38

Personnel

The Searchers

Additional musicians and production

References

  1. Eder, Bruce. "Meet the Searchers". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  2. Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  3. Watson, Jimmy (3 August 1963). "The Searchers: Meet The Searchers" (PDF). New Record Mirror. No. 125. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  4. Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Revised and Enlarged, Billboard Books, New York, 1992
  5. "Bruce Eder: Meet the Searchers". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  6. "Searchers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  7. "Searchers: UK Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  8. "Billboard Database". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
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