DAVE BERRY – ’Little Things’/ ’I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail’ (Decca F. 12103) March 1965
Prepare for a surprise! Any of you who have bought, say “Baby It’s You” “The Crying Game” or even his Current one “Little Things” are not listening to The Cruisers backing Dave.
USES SESSION MEN
“I’ve only used the boys on ‘Memphis Tennessee’ Dave told me. On all his discs since, he has had session men Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan alternating between rhythm and lead, Bobby Graham on drums, and Alan Welling on bass.
“I find that it’s much easier this way,” Dave told me. “Whereas The Cruisers and I can really get a number off spot-on for stage presentation, it does take time. But in a recording studio you don’t always have that time. So the number I’m recording is shown to the four session men, who can all read music, and we start straight away.”
Dave Berry | Little Things | Decca | 1965
But on Dave’s hit “Little Things” the session didn’t start straight away—and It was his own fault.
On his way to Decca’s West Hampstead studios he lost the demonstration disc. So he had to learn it at the time of recording.
“It was the longest session I’ve ever had.” says Dave, who double-tracked his voice and added second-part harmony on the number. The lead figure was played by Jimmy Page on this one, which was supplemented by girl’s voices and two trumpets in the background.
The four boys he uses are recognised as the best in their field, but The Cruisers do a perfect note-for-note job for Dave when it comes to reproducing the numbers on stage.
“You’d never tell the difference” says Dave.
Line up of The Cruisers, by the way, is a standard one of three guitars and drums. Frank White, leader and lead guitarist. plays his specially-made double-necked Gibson guitar—it cost him close on £400 —through a Fender double Showman amplifier using two 15 ins. speakers
Alan Taylor, rhythm and vocals, plays a Levin acoustic, through a Fender Bass-man amp. Peter Cliff, the bass player, has an Epiphone with a Vox Foundation amp, and John Riley plays Slingerland drums. (Beat Instrumental, May 1965)
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