Search - Searchers :: 1963 - 2003: 40th Anniversary Collection

The Perfect Searchers History Lesson

Peter Ciraolo | Hanover, MA United States | 09/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ask anyone what Beat Group they think of when you say the words "Liverpool" and "Beat Music" in one sentence and the first name that they reply back to you will obviously be The Beatles,but there is another group from Merseyside that are just as influential and they're called The Searchers,England's own pioneers of Folk Rock.



This 2 CD set is from 2003,which is the year this group celebrated 40 years in the music business,although this Anthology only covers the band's recordings from the first 25 years of their career (1963-1988). I use the word "Anthology" instead of (as the title suggests) "Collection" because all you have to do is open up the jewel case and instead of a collection of hits,you actually receive a History lesson on The Searchers which begins right away.



First of all,you're treated to all sorts of treasures showing a pictoral history of the band through 45's,picture sleeves,LP covers,sheet music,trade newspaper ads and The Searchers as the cover story on the Liverpool based Mersey Beat newspaper.



Turn over this impressive collage of Searchers rarities and you get the fantastic liner notes tracing the band's history in words by none other than BBC Radio Merseysides #1 Mersey Beat Historian and Author,Spencer Leigh,who is the only person that is worthy of this job because of his talents,his love for the music and his complete accuracy on Mersey Beat in general. In between his detailed Searchers History lesson,he also includes excerpts from his personal interviews with various members of The Searchers themselves.



The 2 CD set itself tells a story in chapters of The Searchers music and every aspect of their career is showcased in the song selections. You can pick out where the chapters begin and end by the difference in musical styles and line up changes over the years.



From their first demos recorded at The Iron Door club come songs like "Sweets For My Sweet" and "All My Sorrows" which show where the band's directions were starting and where it was going to take them on the road to fame.



Move ahead to their live shows at The Star Club in Hamburg,Germany,where they earned their well deserved popularity by playing songs like "Sweet Nothin's" and "Rosalie".



The next move is their rise to national fame on the Mersey Beat trail with their first (of many) recordings for the Pye label "Sugar and Spice","Sweets For My Sweet" and "Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya".



The next chapter takes them into Worldwide fame with songs like "Needles And Pins" and "Don't Throw Your Love Away".



During the chapter of the mid 60's,they explore more with their Folk Rock sounds with the songs "When You Walk In The Room" and "What Have They Done To The Rain". They also use this influence on their BBC Sessions with a great cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowing In The Wind".



Next,you get to hear how The Searchers can take a cover song and make it their own with their excellent versions of P.F. Sloan's "Take Me For What I'm Worth",The Rolling Stones "Take It Or Leave It" and The Hollies "Have You Ever Loved Somebody".



We go into the late 60's Folk sounds with their last Pye release,"Second Hand Dealer" and their first Liberty (U.K.) single,"Umbrella Man".



The 70's start off with another label jump to RCA with the single "Desdemona" and ending on this label in 1973 with a great cover of The Bee Gee's 1966 song "Spicks And Specks". It wouldn't be until 1979 for the next Searchers release on a new label called Sire with a song called "Hearts In Her Eyes" and ending their release on this label in 1981 with "Everything But A Heartbeat".



The last chapter begins in 1982 with the release of their single "I Don't Want To Be The One"/"Hollywood" on the PRT lable (A division of Pye Records) and this Searchers Anthology ends in 1988 with the Coconut Records released single "Somebody Told Me You Were Crying"/"Needles And Pins (1988 Version)".



Although this 2 CD set stops at 1988,The Searchers are still together playing live to sell out shows and recording new and old songs for all of their fans and listeners all over the World.



Whether you're a long time Searchers fan or just discovering The Searchers for the first time,this Anthology is definite recommendation for your collection."

Well Compiled Collection!

Morten Vindberg | Denmark | 03/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To my knowledge this is the first Searchers compilation where all (?) chapters/labels in Searchers history are covered.



Logically main focus is put on their PYE years, with all the hits and fine album tracks. Most of these great recordings have aged very well, and voices and guitars still sound crystal clear.



The early demos and live-tracks are probably mostly included for collectors/completists, but they?re not bad.



A big shame that the group so quickly became "old hat", because though they did not have any big hits after "Take Me For What it?s Worth" from 1966, they final 5 Pye singles are really great, and it?s really hard to understand that they most or less were over-looked.



Even more obscure are their handful of Liberty singles from the late 1969?s. Though not up to the standards of the late Pye singles a few of them are really quite enjoyable ( Umbrella Man ). From this period is also included the previously unrelased "For What it?s Worth", a Buffalo Springfield song ( their only big hit from 1967 ), which is one of the scoops on this collection. Great version and by far the best Liberty recording from the band.



In the 1970?s the changed label again to RCA and they scored a well-deserved minor hit ( in some countries ) with "Desdamona". Unfortunately RCA did not believe in the band as anything more than an oldies band, and they were forced re-record their old hits for their first (and only RCA album). These re-recording are not bad, but somehow lack the charm of the originals. They did record a few originals for RCA and a couple of good singles, but this did not bring them a commercial come-back. All of these RCA recordings can be found on the compilation "Second Take", which is very recommendable; the sound on that CD is somehow duller than on the RCA-tracks included here, so apparently these recordings have been cleansed for this release.



The changed to the Sire label to release to very good and much-acclaimed power-pop albums in 1979 and 1981. Only four songs from this period are included; but both albums + a few singles can be heard on the release "The Sire Sessions". Undeservedly these two did not really cause any renewed interest in the band, and once again they had to look out for a new label.



They changed to PRT, which had bought up the rights to the Pye material, and recorded a handful of new songs. A single "Hollywood" was released and a new album was planned, but unfortunately it was never finished.



Their most recent album "Hungry Hearts" from 1988 released on the minor label Coconut is represented by three tracks, the?re quite good, but obviously sounding different with Mike Pender replaced by a new singer.



All in all a fine compilation that should stir interest to hear more of the same. Four and a half star!"

This ain't definitive.....25 tracks are in mono

B. Margolis | Minneapolis, MN United States | 09/04/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent sound, track selection (the Liberty tracks are darn rare), but 25 mono tracks - when nearly all of them have been in stereo on ealier Castle/Sanctuary CDs is unaccusable.



Otherwise, it's swell."