“Western Union” / “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (Pye 7N. 17308) April 1967
The Searchers | Western Union | (Pye) 1967 | Reviewed alongside the original version by The Five Americans. Both good versions of a pleasant song. I include them both because the Searchers are still having a bash at the chart, and why not indeed? And because it’s only fair to include the original version as well.
A song about a man who gets a telegram from his girl friend, it starts with the S.O.S. signal. Clever. It’s not over-great but quite nice. (Disc & Music Echo, 22/04/67)
The Searchers | Western Union | (Pye) 1967
Reviewed alongside the original version by The Five Americans | The Five Americans disc has been a smash hit hit in the States and not surprisingly, because it’s very much like the Monkees. The rhythm is snappy, bouncy, irresistible – and it’s carried along by a swinging organ.
The harmonies are very much in the Monkees style, and there’s a gimmick scat passage which could easily catch on.
The beat is just as exhilarating and infectious in the Searchers‘ version, though the organ sound is mainly replaced by guitars and rattling tambourine. A very catchy tune, and I think one of these discs could well make the chart.
Could be either one, so I’ll play it safe and give them both a good chance. But my preference is for the Searchers, as they don’t lean too heavily on the Monkees.
Flips: A much more distinctive sound from the U.S. group, who employ acoustic guitars in a colourful folk-beat item with “Now That It’s Over.”
The Searchers offer a punchy beat-ballad offering a powerful tear-jerker, which makes a good B-side. (NME, 22/04/67)
Searchers talk of their flops
THE SEARCHERS latest release is a cover of an American hit “Western Union” and signs indicate that The Searchers could beat THE FIVE AMERICANS into the charts with it here.
FRANK ALLEN tells me: “The idea of recording the number was TONY HATCH’s. We heard it and didn’t think it was a great record by any means — and I thought the tune was awful . . . but everybody in Pye was raving about it. We decided that since we weren’t always right in our choice of discs, we’d go along with what the Pye people thought.
“Funnily enough, everybody seems to like the record, which surprises me — and most of the reviewers seem to reckon it better than the other version. I hope it goes in England and I hope the tune is commercial enough for here.
The Searchers | Western Union | (Pye) 1967
“Our last Top Twenty entry was ‘Take Me For What I’m Worth’, which was four records ago. The more miss records you get the more out-of-touch with what is commercial YOU become. You just can’t seem to tell anymore. We’ve made a couple of bad choices — and each miss you get makes it harder for you. I personally think that a couple of our releases would have ‘gone’ If they hadn’t have followed flop records. I thought ‘Popcorn, Double Feature’ was very good.
“Of course, we are concerned about our success in Britain. At the moment most of our work is abroad. The scene is so tied up here — to get work you have to have a hit. But we still work abroad as a top group and earn really good money. We were the first group ever to appear in Yugoslavia the other week and we’re off to Sweden for three weeks in the near future.
“Yes, there is still a lot of work to be found outside of Britain and The Searchers are still going strong . . . but we do want another hit over here again.” (Record Mirror, 05/05/67)
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