Monocled Alchemist

“When You Walk In The Room” / “(I’ll Be) Missing You” (Pye 7N.15694) September 1964

The Searchers | When You Walk in The Room | (Pye) 1964 | The Jackie de Shannon song “When You Walk In The Room” makes one of the most interesting offerings we’ve had from this group. Of course, they must feel that Shannon’s a good luck charm for them since “Needles And Pins.” And this performance is going to register strongly, too.

I like the firm beaty movement of the number and the way in which Chris Curtis is singing harmony above the melody line of Mike Pender and Frank Allen. The twelve-string’s played by Pender, incidentally.

The Searchers’ own composition “I’ll Be Missing You” is a quick, lilting effort that’s not up to the same standard as the A-deck, but is pleasant enough to make weight. (Disc, 12/09/64)

Searchers’ Mad Dash For Single

THE SEARCHERS were midway through one of the busiest periods of their lives when I caught up with them recording programmes for Radio Luxembourg in London last week. They were cramming in as many promotion dates for the new single as they could before leaving on Monday for their second States visit followed by an Australia and New Zealand tour.

“We’re just about whacked,” said leader Chris Curtis before taking the “hot seat” to be interviewed by DJ Jimmy Young. “It’s been all go this week. We’ve been dashing between studios and theatres like mad-men. And yesterday we cut our new single.

Winner

“We really believe it’s going to be a winner this time. We were very disappointed about “Some Day We’re Gonna Love Again’.”

The Searchers believe they may have found a formula for Number One hits. Because they are going back to American singer-writer Jackie De Shannon, whose “Needles and Pins” composition sent them soaring to the top of the charts. This time they’ve picked Jackie’s “When You Walk In The Room” . . . a number she had released here a few months ago.

Laughs

Watching the Searchers tape a radio programme is like seeing a “live” performance of the Goon show . . . only with Liverpool accents! It was laughs all the way. In the studio each of them was being “chatted” by Jimmy Young. Apparently, last time they taped a programme for the series, The Searchers boobed and forgot Jimmy’s name.

He turned the tables on them this time by saying how nice it was to be talking to “The Beatles.” From then on it was difficult to keep a straight face. Cracks were coming from all sides, with Chris to the fore doing hysterical imitations in a high-pitched voice.

We adjourned for lunch to a nearby restaurant. “Aren’t you one of them pop groups?” asked the waitress, unwittingly giving them the cue to let forth a stream of fictitious group names.

Lightning

After a while Chris said: “Seriously though, we’re the Mike Ledgerwood Combo. Aren’t we?” grinning and jabbing me in the ribs.

After a lightning meal of Scotch broth, roast lamb, followed by jam tart and custard (John ate Mike’s) we downed some cokes and dashed back to “208.” It was time for The Searchers to add the vocals to four more numbers for the programme.

“I must get my rhythm and blues kit together for this,” said Chris, picking up a pair of maraccas and standing by for the exciting Sugar Pie Desanto number “Soulful Dress.”

While he was running through it, I had a few words with Mike about the new disc.

“We did it yesterday at Pye. We did eight numbers altogether. The others are going in the can for release on LP and EP later. Jackie De Shannon’s writing suits our style. ‘Needles And Pins’ did it. We hope this one goes as well. We’d like to forget about ‘Someday We’re Gonna Love Again.’ It’s something of a bad dream,” laughed Mike.

The flip of the new disc is a combined effort from The Searchers called “I’ll Be Missing You.” It’s out tomorrow (Friday). Before I left, I asked them if they’d heard ex-Searcher Tony Jackson’s debut disc.

“We heard it the other day. We like it and we wish him luck,” said Chris. (Disc, 12/09/64)

‘A Lucky Association’ choice for the Searchers

What makes an artist decide on a certain specific number to record? Well, either he believes that the song is particularly suited to his style, or he is of the opinion that the material is so strong it simply can’t be ignored.

But neither of those explanations applies to the Searchers’ new hit “When You Walk In The Room.” They decided to wax this song purely and simply because of what they describe as “a lucky association.”

For, if you remember, Jackie de Shannon was the co-writer of the group’s smash hit “Needles And Pins”—so, when the opportunity came along for the boys to record another of her songs, they simply couldn’t resist it.

“As you know, we’ve established something of a reputation for taking previously-released and little-known B-sides and converting them into ‘A’ sides,” explained Chris Curtis on the transatlantic phone. “This new record is a break away from that policy, for Jackie herself had it released as an ‘A’ side not so very long ago.

“I’ve heard some critics suggest it’s a crying shame that Jackie’s own version didn’t make it. We couldn’t agree more . . . we think hers is a great disc. But the fact is that it didn’t happen—and I can assure you that no one is happier than Jackie that we’ve recorded it.”

Chris was delighted to learn that their new disc had made its chart debut last week, only a few days after its release date. He said that they regarded this new one as “a bit of a challenge,” since their previous disc did not fare any too well by their standards.

“We’ve tried to make this one more gutsy,” he went on. “And with this in view, we used two 12-string guitars on the session. The only trouble was that these instruments didn’t arrive at the studios until ten minutes before we were due to record, so we didn’t have much time for practice!”

But despite this handicap, they recorded the number in double-quick time. It required only four instrumental takes, and then—in the manner common to most groups these days —they dubbed their singing voices on after only another two takes.

“We really felt in the mood at the time,” Chris chuckled. “There’s one passage just after the middle eight when Mike lets out a tremendous growl. It was completely spontaneous—he just felt like doing it on the spur of the moment. But we liked the effect, so we kept it in!”

Chris—who, incidentally, was responsible for writing the B-side side of their current release—added that new member Frank Allen has fitted into the line-up extremely well.

“At the recording session, he blended into our sound as though he had been with the group for years—and he’s proving equally as competent on our American tour,” said Chris.

Ah yes—that American tour! There’s no need to tell you that the Searchers have been taking the States by storm. Indeed, they and Dusty Springfield broke every record at the Brooklyn Fox during their time at this venue.

“We were playing six shows a day, and packing the customers in, so the management asked if we would play an additional show on Saturday,” he revealed. “So on that day, the first show started at half past nine in the morning—and there still wasn’t a seat left”

The boys are notoriously bad early morning risers, so it’s to their credit that they managed to arrive at the theatre in time for such an early start. Chris concluded by saying that, much as the boys were enjoying their American tour (and were naturally thrilled by the reception they were being accorded), they all feel there’s no place like home.

“Above all, we’re looking forward to our British one-nighter tour in the autumn,” he said. (NME, 25/09/64)

Searchers and De Shannon

ONCE again the Searchers are shooting up the charts, and once again it’s a Jackie De Shannon song that they have revived. The last was their notable “Needles And Pins,” composed by ace American disc producer Jack Nitzsche, who is currently here in Britain.

And once again all of Miss De Shannon’s fans are up in arms about what seems to them the injustice of it all. For once again not only the song, but the arrangement has been taken from the original. The best consolation for Jackie of course is the fact that this time, she part-penned “When You Walk In The Room” so there’ll be plenty of loot royalty-wise in it for her.

But for Jackie De Shannon, lovely class songstress the fact that she isn’t making the chart grade here must be disappointing — especially considering the success of the Searchers with their discs, which are certainly no better than Jackie’s.

Not much is known here about the elusive Miss Shannon, who is named by many of our top names as one of their favourite larks. Here’s some extracts from a letter she sent recently to her friend and fan, RM writer Langley Johnson.

NOT PARTNERS

“I love England and its people very much and I have wanted to come back so very much. By the way, I am no longer partners with Sharon Sheeley, although we are still friends. I’m freelance song writing and wrote “When You Walk In The Room.” Also wrote “Alone With You” exclusively for Brenda Lee and it is No. 20 or something like that in the States. So proud of this one. I have written several others and they have been cut and are due for release here.

“I am also working on a play that has been written especially for me and I am working on the music. Along with dancing and drama classes I keep pretty busy with recordings, and I am producing recording sessions for other artistes.”

REVIVAL

Jackie visited Britain a few years ago, but not to sing or perform — just for recording business. Many of her discs which have sold reasonably well in the States haven’t been issued here — a revival of the Buddy Holly and the Crickets’ hit “Oh! Boy” is one of them. In the States Jackie has a faithful following of fans who put her every disc into the top hundred — but not very high. But there’s no doubt that the talented lass with the big reputation would like to visit Britain — preferably if she has a hit record. Now on to the Searchers.

The boys had some interesting things to say about “Needles and Pins” to Jack Fishman which he printed in nis “Radio Luxembourg Book Of The Stars,” on sale now at 12s. 6d.

“A time comes when you decide that you can do different things with tunes, so you DO them. Normally with an orchestra there’s an arranger, but a group has to work out its own arrangements. You know your own limitations. Ideas simply come, like with “Needles and Pins.”

Turning “pins” into “pinsa” just came. The original version was an American record. It had a musical phrase in the background which we went for in a big way, and took as our start. The phrase was, originally, so far in the background that it was virtually indistinguishable. We always try to pick something in a song or record we hear, and develop it to suit our style.

So that’s what we did with the original Jackie De Shannon record of “Needles and Pins” — we took out the piano phrase on the record and changed it to a guitar phrase. We felt the tune get stronger as it went on, so we began with a single voice, then at that particular point where it builds emotionally, we added vocally to give it a still more emotional wallop.”

EDGED OUT

In fact it was the vocal on this number that eventually led to Tony’s breaking away from the Searchers, on the grounds that he was edged out vocally.

The same basic principles of adaption and alteration obviously went on with “When You Walk In The Room,” which promises to be a lot bigger than their “Someday We’re Gonna Love Again.”

And despite all the loud and angry protests or both sides, one thing is obvious. Jackie MUST make the charts here sooner or later with the high standard of her discs. And after all the Searchers aren’t covering her discs. They are merely reviving them, long after they would have made it — and also altering them slightly too.

The best way to solve the problem would be for every Searchers’ fan to listen to every new disc by Jackie in their record shops. With the two lots of artistes producing the same sound basically it wouldn’t be long before Jackie De Shannon was meeting the Searchers—in Britain! (Record Mirror, 03/10/64)

Professor Chris puts things straight

Professor Christopher Curtis wishes to begin his educational lesson this week by wishing the record-buying public on a few facts. “Jackie de Shannon did not write “Needles And Pins” and the Shangi-Las are not a well-known coloured group in America,” he instructs his readers.

In case you think I have gone round the bend, a quick explanation: Chris himself asked me to start this article this way when I ‘phoned him at his Bootle home.

“Can’t You Make It ‘Chris’s educational lesson’ or something? “he asked. “I’d like to tell everyone, through you, that it wasn’t Jackie De Shannon who wrote ‘Needles And Pins,’ it was Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono. And when we were in America, we were on the bill with the Shangri-Las – they’re white, and hardly anyone has heard of them apart from this record.”

That over, Chris told me about the Searchers’ rather unsuccessful attempt to begin their tour with Del Shannon, Peter and Gordon, and Eden Kane “down under.”

“We flew from Los Angeles to Honolulu, where we met Del and Peter and Gordon, then we went on to this Fiji place,” he began. “But the plane was on the tarmac the same time as us, and it took off for New Zealand without us!”

They flew the others out the same day, but we stayed in Fiji at the authorities’ expense. What a place! At 10 in the morning it was 90 degrees. I haven’t stopped shivering since I’ve been back.

Audiences in Australia earned a lot of praise from Chris. They’re fantastic,” he enthused. “They don’t make any noise while you’re singing. They wait until after the first number, then they go into ecstasy and yell for more all the time, so you have to carry on.

“There was one girl, though, who came up to us before a concert one night and asked if we were going to play our record ‘Anytime You Walk Through The Door’!”

That prompted Chris, John, Mike and Frank to think up some titles for their next LP. They plan, Chris revealed, to record songs that they wrote, but which other artists had altered and recorded.

Silverfinger!

“We’ll do Twenty-Two Hours To Bootle,’ Sha La Da,’ White Girl,’ ‘I Wouldn’t Swap You For A Loaf Of Bread’ and ‘Silverfinger,’” he joked, before nearly falling over laughing.

“Seriously,” he continued, “we’ll probably do some older numbers on the LP. You’ve got to keep changing all the time. It’s no use issuing stuff you’ve done before. When Frank joined our group, he said we’d done more LPs than singles. “We’ll record in a telephone booth—it’ll be a closer sound!”

The Searchers’ latest hit “When You Walk In The Room” is making the kind of chart progress usually associated with their records. Unlike “Someday We’re Gonna Love Again,” which failed to make the NME Top Ten.

“We weren’t worried by it because we’d fared better than some groups, so we were happy about that,” Chris said. “I’m glad this one’s doing well though.”

Last Saturday, the Searchers began a lone one-nighter tour of Britain with Dionne Warwick and the Isley Brothers. When that finishes, they’re off to Sweden, then Africa (they hope, if the Musicians’ Union doesn’t stop them), and then Ireland. So we won’t be seeing a lot of the globe-trotters.

“Sweden’s the place! We’ve been there before, so we know what it’s like,” Chris commented. “The girls are all blonde, and they eat like horses, so they’re a bit weighty. Can’t wait to get there.”

Seems like the Searchers will be walking into a lot of girls’ hearts during the next few months. (NME, 23/10/64)