The Searchers (band)

English band (founded 1959)

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The Searchers

The Searchers, c. 1965
Left to right: Mike Pender, Chris Curtis, Frank Allen, John McNally

Background information
Origin| Liverpool, England
Genres|

* Merseybeat
* pop
* rock
* rock and roll

Years active|

* 1959–2019
* 2023–present

Labels| UK: Pye, Philips, Liberty, RCA, Sire; US: Mercury, Liberty, Kapp, RCA, Sire
Members| John McNally
Frank Allen
Spencer James
Richie Burns
Past members| Tony Jackson
Mike Pender
Chris Curtis
Ron Woodbridge
Brian Dolan
Tony West
Joe Kennedy
Johnny Sandon
John Blunt
Billy Adamson
Eddie Rothe
Scott Ottaway
Website| www.the-searchers.co.uk

The Searchers are an English Merseybeat group who flourished during the British Invasion of the 1960s.[1][2] The band's hits include a remake of the Drifters' 1961 hit, "Sweets for My Sweet"; "Sugar and Spice" (written by their producer Tony Hatch); remakes of Jackie DeShannon's "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk in the Room"; a cover of the Orlons' "Don't Throw Your Love Away"; and a cover of the Clovers' "Love Potion No. 9". With the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Searchers tied for being the second group from Liverpool, after The Beatles, to have a hit in the US when their "Needles and Pins" and the Swinging Blue Jeans' "Hippy Hippy Shake" both reached the Hot 100 on 7 March 1964.

## Band history

[edit]

### Origins

[edit]

Founded as a skiffle group in Liverpool in 1959 by John McNally and Mike Pender, the band took their name from the 1956 John Ford western film The Searchers.[3]

The band grew out of an earlier skiffle group called The Army Generations formed by McNally in 1955, with his friends Ron Woodbridge (born 1938 in Liverpool; lead vocals, guitar) and Tony West (born 1938 in Liverpool, died 11 November 2010 in Hightown, Merseyside; bass). In March 1957, McNally was joined by his guitarist neighbour Brian Dolan. In 1959, the name change The Army Generations also agreed to change the name to The Searchers since January 1959. When the other two members lost interest, McNally was joined by his guitarist neighbour Mike Prendergast. They soon recruited Tony Jackson with his homemade bass guitar and amplifier, who was recruited as a lead singer, but took a back seat at first in order to learn the bass. The band styled themselves as "Tony and the Searchers" with Joe Kennedy (born 1941 in Liverpool, died 21 November 2023) on drums.

### 1960s and 1970s

[edit]

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McGarry was forced to quit the band when he was put on the nightshift at the bakery where he worked and in 1960 his place was taken by Chris Crummey (26 August 1941 – 28 February 2005), who later changed his name to Chris Curtis. Billy Beck, who changed his name to Johnny Sandon, became the lead singer. The band had regular bookings at Liverpool's Iron Door Club as "Johnny Sandon and The Searchers".[4]

Sandon left the band in late 1961[5] to join The Remo Four in February 1962.[6] The group settled into a quartet named "The Searchers", with Jackson becoming the main vocalist. They continued to play at the Iron Door, The Cavern, and other Liverpool clubs. Like many similar acts they would do as many as three shows at different venues in one night. They negotiated a contract with the Star-Club in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg for 128 days, with three one-hour performances a night, starting in July 1962.[5]

The band returned to a residency at the Iron Door Club and it was there that they tape-recorded the sessions that led to a Pye Records recording contract with Tony Hatch as producer. The first single, "Sweets for My Sweet", featuring Tony Jackson as main vocalist supported by Pender and Curtis, shot to number one in the UK in 1963, firmly establishing the band as a major spearhead of the "Merseybeat" boom, just behind The Beatles and alongside Gerry and the Pacemakers. Their first album, Meet The Searchers, sung mostly by Jackson and Pender, was released in August 1963 and reached number 2 on the British album charts the next month.[7] With a slightly changed track listing, including the song "Needles and Pins", it hit #22 in the US album charts in June 1964.[8]

In the US their first single was issued on Mercury and the second on Liberty, both without success; then a deal was arranged with US-based Kapp Records to distribute their records in America.

Philips Records then released an earlier recording they held of a cover of Brenda Lee's hit 'Sweet Nuthins', which dismayed the group. It made the lower end of the UK chart, but did not disturb their momentum.

In the 1964 film Saturday Night Out the group played the title song of the soundtrack.[9]

Hatch played piano on some recordings and wrote "Sugar and Spice", the band's UK #2 hit record, under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale, a secret he kept from the band at the time. Apparently Curtis disliked this song (largely a revamp of the key aspects of first hits) and refused to sing on it. Jackson again took lead vocal, though Curtis later agreed to sing the distinctive high-harmony vocal links between verses. "Love Potion No.9", sung by Jackson, was a non-UK single lifted from the first LP that was a hit in the US on Kapp Records in 1965.

The original lineup of The Searchers in 1964. Left to right: John McNally, Chris Curtis, Mike Pender, Tony Jackson,.

Mike Pender took the main lead vocal on the next two singles, both of which topped the UK charts: "Needles And Pins" and "Don't Throw Your Love Away", each featuring Chris Curtis on co-lead/high-harmony vocal. However, live footage of these songs, as performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and NME Poll Winners concert respectively, show Pender and Jackson singing the lead vocal together in close harmony, with vocal support from Curtis.

After scoring with their hit "Needles And Pins", bassist Tony Jackson, who was only allowed one co-lead vocal on their third album (on "Sho Know A Lot About Love"), left the band and was replaced by a Searchers' Hamburg pal, Frank Allen from Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers. Jackson was then signed to Pye as a solo act and, backed by The Vibrations, issued a few singles of which the first, "Bye Bye Baby", charted in the UK in 1964. He also re-cut "Love Potion No. 9" but it failed to chart. The next Searchers single to chart in the UK during this period was "Some Day We're Gonna Love Again" (1964).[10]

Frank Allen's debut single with the band, a cover of Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk in the Room", shot to #3 in the UK, and later UK chart hits followed with "What Have They Done to the Rain", "Goodbye My Love" (which reached #4), then the folk-flavoured "Take Me For What I'm Worth" (written by P.F. Sloan). Some lesser UK chart hits followed in 1965 and 1966, with "He's Got No Love", "When I Get Home", and finally "Have You Ever Loved Somebody". An EP release, "Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya", featuring The Searchers' first LP track, "Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya" (sung by Jackson), also charted in 1963.

Pye's Sugar and Spice LP was quickly issued in 1963, consisting of tracks not used on the first album and others, plus the second single. This album charted while the first was still in the charts. Further Pye albums were It's the Searchers (1964), Sounds Like Searchers and finally Take Me for What I'm Worth (both 1965). A budget "Golden Guinea" reissue of the second album, plus a compilation Smash Hits and Smash Hits Vol 2, on Pye's budget "Marble Arch" label, were issued during 1966 and 1967 in place of any later album of new material. As late as 1970, Marble Arch issued an edited version of It's the Searchers, the group's third album, originally released in 1964.

Chris Curtis's choice of Bobby Darin's "When I Get Home" was a relative chart failure by the band's standards. This to an extent undermined Curtis's position as song selector for the band, and some internal disagreements resurfaced over musical policy and direction that had been evident earlier when Tony Jackson had left, and likely played a part in Curtis leaving as well. This departure was a major blow, as Curtis had been chief songwriter, song selector, and key high harmony voice, as well as a figurehead member and the main PR man. Curtis left the band in April 1966 and was replaced by the Keith Moon-influenced John Blunt. In January 1970 he was replaced by Billy Adamson. After Curtis' departure Frank Allen handled the high harmonies. In 1967, Curtis formed a new band called Roundabout with keyboard player Jon Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Curtis's involvement in the project was short-lived; Roundabout evolved into Deep Purple the following year.

As musical styles evolved, The Searchers did attempt to move with the times, recording covers of songs by The Rolling Stones ("Take It Or Leave it") and The Hollies "Have You Ever Loved Somebody", which was a minor UK chart hit though a rival cover by Paul & Barry Ryan probably robbed both parties of a bigger hit. They began to write their singles' A-sides, first with the Curtis-Pender track "He's Got No Love", which had a Stones-style guitar hook, and later a Pender-Allen song, "Secondhand Dealer", the final Pye single, which was a Ray Davies-style "observational" song. However, Pye records dropped the group in 1967 when their original contract expired. No further chart successes occurred.

The band continued to record for Liberty Records and RCA Records, and worked on the British "Chicken-in-a-Basket" touring circuit. They had a minor US hit in 1971 with "Desdemona". A contract with RCA Victor's UK wing resulted in an album of rerecorded hits titled Second Take (1972), later reissued on the budget RCA International label as  Needles & Pins. However, that was overshadowed by Pye's "Golden Hour of..." compilation of the original hits that came out at the same time. Despite recording new material, including covers of Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire" and the Bee Gees' "Spicks And Specks", which were issued as RCA singles with scant promotion, much of their new work was not issued at the time, and RCA later dropped the group.

The group continued to tour through the 1970s, playing both the expected old hits as well as contemporary songs such as an extended live version of Neil Young's "Southern Man". They were rewarded in 1979 when Sire Records signed them to a multi-record deal. Two albums were released: The Searchers and Play for Today (retitled Love's Melodies outside the UK). Both records garnered critical acclaim and featured some original tracks, as well as covers of songs such as Alex Chilton's "September Gurls" and John Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night". But with scant promotion and little if any radio airplay, they did not break into the charts. The first album was quickly revamped following release with a few extra tracks added, one song dropped (a cover of Bob Dylan's "Coming From The Heart"), and a new sleeve.

The albums did, however, revive the group's career, because concerts from then on alternated classic hits with the newer songs that were well received. A Sire single, "Hearts in Her Eyes", written by Will Birch and John Wicks of The Records, and successfully updating their distinctive 12-string guitars/vocal harmonies sound, picked up some radio airplay. Meanwhile, PRT Records actively promoted the group's sixties back catalogue, with compilations such as The Searchers File and Spotlight on the Searchers, which were on sale at group gigs, along with the Sire albums, and helped re-establish them.[11]

According to John McNally, the band was ready to head into the studio to record a third album for Sire when they were informed that, due to label reorganisation, their contract had been dropped.

### 1980s – present

[edit]

In 1981, the band signed to PRT Records (formerly Pye, their original label) and began recording an album. But only one single, "I Don't Want To Be The One"[12] backed with "Hollywood", ended up being released. They promoted this with a UK Television appearance on "The Leo Sayer Show", which was rare for them by then, but the single got little if any radio airplay (like their Sire singles) and was not stocked by most record shops.[citation needed] The rest of the tracks, except one, would be included as part of 1992's The Searchers 30th Anniversary Collection 1962-1992.

After a farewell performance in London in December 1985 Mike Pender left the group to form a new band[13] and now tours as Mike Pender's Searchers (originally a permanent band but now made up of musicians hired as necessary), performing Searchers' songs and some new material of his own.[14] McNally and Allen, following Pender's departure, recruited former First Class vocalist Spencer James as his replacement.[13]

In 1988, Coconut Records signed the Searchers and the album Hungry Hearts was the result. It featured updated remakes of "Needles and Pins" and "Sweets for My Sweet" plus live favorite "Somebody Told Me You Were Crying". While the album was not a major hit, it did keep the group in the public eye.[15]

The band continued to tour, with Eddie Rothe replacing Adamson on drums, and during that period was considered[by whom?] to be one of the most popular 1960s bands on the UK concert circuit. In turn, in 2010 Eddie Rothe left The Searchers after becoming engaged to singer Jane McDonald,[16] and was replaced on 26 February by Scott Ottaway. Rothe died on 26 March 2021 aged 67.[17]

The original bassist for the Searchers, Tony West (born 1938 in Liverpool), died in his sleep on 11 November 2010, aged 72 in Hightown, Merseyside.[18]

Billy Adamson, the band's drummer from 1970 to 1998, died in France on 11 November 2013, aged 69.[19]

In September 2017, John McNally had a stroke and stood aside from the band for two months to recover.[20]

In 2018, The Searchers announced that the band would be retiring, and they ended their farewell tour on 31 March 2019.[21] They did not rule out the possibility of a reunion tour,[22] and it was announced on the band's website in 2021 that they would undertake a further farewell tour in 2023, this time with drummer Richard Burns.[23]

In August 2023, Frank Allen announced that the band were to be doing yet another farewell tour in 2024.[24][25]

The original drummer for the Searchers, Joe Kennedy, later served in the United States Navy. He died on 21 November 2023, aged 81.[26]

Drummer John Blunt died on 13 March 2024.[27][28]

In 2025 the band announced a UK tour for June.[29]

## Members

[edit]

1955–1957 (The Army Generations) | 1957–1959 (The Army Generations until January 1959, The Searchers from January 1959 onwards)  | 1960–February 1962 | February 1962 – July 1964

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* Ron Woodbridge: vocals, rhythm guitar
* John McNally: lead guitar
* Tony West: bass
* Joe Kennedy: drums

* Ron Woodbridge: vocals
* Brian Dolan: lead guitar
* John McNally: rhythm guitar
* Tony West: bass
* Joe Kennedy: drums

* Johnny Sandon: lead vocals
* Mike Pender: lead guitar, backing vocals
* John McNally: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
* Tony Jackson: bass, backing vocals
* Chris Curtis: drums, backing vocals

* Tony Jackson: lead and backing vocals, bass
* Mike Pender: lead guitar, lead and backing vocals
* John McNally: rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals
* Chris Curtis: drums, lead and backing vocals

* Mike Pender: lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
* John McNally: rhythm and lead guitar, backing and lead vocals
* Frank Allen: bass, backing and lead vocals
* Chris Curtis: drums, lead and backing vocals

May 1966 – December 1969 | January 1970 – December 1985 | January 1986 – November 1998 | November 1998 – February 2010

* Mike Pender: lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
* John McNally: rhythm and lead guitar, backing and lead vocals
* Frank Allen: bass, backing and lead vocals
* John Blunt: drums

* Mike Pender: lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
* John McNally: rhythm and lead guitar, backing and lead vocals
* Frank Allen: bass, backing and lead vocals
* Billy Adamson: drums

* Spencer James: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar synthesizer
* John McNally: lead guitar, backing vocals
* Frank Allen: bass, backing vocals
* Billy Adamson: drums

* Spencer James: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar synthesizer
* John McNally: lead guitar, backing vocals
* Frank Allen: bass, backing vocals
* Eddie Rothe: drums, backing vocals

February 2010 – March 2019 | March 2019 – April 2023 | April 2023 – present[24][25][30]

* Spencer James: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar synthesizer
* John McNally: lead guitar, backing vocals
* Frank Allen: bass, backing vocals
* Scott Ottaway: drums, backing vocals

| Disbanded |

* Spencer James: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar synthesizer
* John McNally: lead guitar, backing vocals
* Frank Allen: bass, backing vocals
* Richie Burns: drums, backing vocals

### Timeline

[edit]

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: The Searchers discography

The Searchers have a core catalogue consisting of nine studio albums.[31]

Studio Albums

* 1963 – Meet The Searchers
* 1963 – Sugar and Spice
* 1964 – It's the Searchers
* 1965 – Sounds Like Searchers
* 1965 – Take Me for What I'm Worth
* 1972 – Second Take
* 1979 – Searchers
* 1981 – Play for Today
* 1988 – Hungry Hearts

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Welcome". Merseybeatnostalgia.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
2. ^ "The Searchers". Merseybeatnostalgia.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
3. ^ "The Searchers' History". Rickresource.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
4. ^ "The Searchers 60s Pop Group Official Website". The-searchers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
5. ^ a b "The Searchers official site". The-searchers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
6. ^ "Fabgear, 'Tommy Quickly and The Remo Four', The British Beat Boom". 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
7. ^ Lazell, Barry ed., with Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, Rock Movers & Shakers, Billboard Publications, New York, 1989 p. 445
8. ^ Whitburn, Joel, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums, Billboard Books, NY 1991 p. 235
9. ^ "Saturday Night Out". IMDb. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
10. ^ "Merseybeat stars and the kings of rock and roll ..." Wakefieldexpress.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
11. ^ "Tony Jackson". The Independent. 19 August 2003. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
12. ^ ""I Don't Want To Be The One" single". Stmedia.org. Archived from the original on 1 September 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
13. ^ a b "Search Party", Sounds, 14 December 1985, p. 4
14. ^ "Tour Dates For Mike Pender's Searchers hit recording stars of the sixties". Mikependersearchers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
15. ^ "Searchin'- Sixties Merseybeat Tribute". Nwentertainments.com. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
16. ^ Amy Hunt (29 March 2019). "Jane McDonald reveals that her second husband left her in order to save her career: 'It wasn't my decision'". Womanmagazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
17. ^ "Jane McDonald announces death of fiancé Eddie Rothe at 67". BBC News. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
18. ^ Duffy, Tom (11 November 2010). "Searchers legend Tony West dies in his sleep". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
19. ^ "Passings: Billy Adamson, Drummer for the Searchers". Vintagevinylnews.co. Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
20. ^ "Five decades on the road and The Searchers still going strong". Fifetoday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
21. ^ Perkins, Helene (2 April 2018). "End of the road for Merseybeat's The Searchers after nearly 60 years". Express.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
22. ^ Parkin, Simon. "Final tour brings The Searchers to Diss". Enjoydissmore.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
23. ^ "The Searchers 60s Pop Group Official Website". www.the-searchers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
24. ^ a b "Searchers Tour News 2024". The Searchers Official Website. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
25. ^ a b "The Searchers Tour Dates 2024". The Searchers Official Website. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
26. ^ "Joseph Bernard Kennedy Obituary - Cape Cod Times". 8 December 2023. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
27. ^ "Remembering past Searchers' drummer, John Blunt". Mike Pender's Searchers. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
28. ^ Kurtz, Warren (1 April 2024). "In Memoriam March 2024: Eric Carmen, Steve Harley, the Stampeders' Ronnie King, others". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
29. ^ http://www.the-searchers.co.uk/home/dates/
30. ^ "Tour Dates 2025". The Searchers Official Website. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
31. ^ Spencer Leigh (2004). Twist & Shout!. Nirvana Books. ISBN 0950620157. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.

## Further reading

[edit]

* "The Searchers Story – The 60s and 70s – Peaks and Troughs". The-searchers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
* Frank Allen (2009). "The Searchers and Me". Thesearchersandme.com. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
* McCormack, Peter. "The Searchers History", Needles & Pins (2005). Retrieved 18 June 2005
* Fabgear, "Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four", The British Beat Boom
* Mike Pratt co-writer of "The System"

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Mike Pender's Searchers official site
* The Searchers plus Solo discography
* Articles about The Searchers by Roy Clough
* The Searchers discography at Discogs
* The Searchers at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

The Searchers

* John McNally
* Frank Allen
* Spencer James
* Scott Ottaway

* Johnny Sandon
* Tony Jackson
* Mike Pender
* Chris Curtis
* Billy Adamson
* John Blunt
* Eddie Rothe

Studio albums|

* Meet The Searchers
* Sugar and Spice
* It's the Searchers
* Sounds Like Searchers
* Take Me for What I'm Worth
* Second Take
* Searchers
* Play for Today
* Hungry Hearts

US studio albums|

* Meet The Searchers / Needles and Pins
* This Is Us
* The New Searchers LP
* The Searchers No. 4
* Take Me for What I'm Worth
* Needles & Pins
* The Searchers
* Love's Melodies

Live albums|

* Sweets For My Sweet – The Searchers At The Star-Club Hamburg
* Hear! Hear!
* The Searchers Meet the Rattles

Collectors’ editions|

* Play the System
* German, French + Rare Recordings
* 30th Anniversary Collection 1962-1992
* The Iron Door Sessions
* BBC Sessions

Singles|

* "Sweets for My Sweet"
* "Sugar and Spice"
* "Needles and Pins"
* "Don't Throw Your Love Away"
* "When You Walk in the Room"
* "Love Potion No. 9"
* "What Have They Done to the Rain"
* "He's Got No Love"
* "Take It or Leave It"
* "Desdemona"
* "Solitaire"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Mike Pender's Searchers

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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