The Single: Sweets For My Sweet b/w It’s All Been A Dream

 

Between two Starclub engagements the Searchers had the chance to play their demonstration record to producer Tony Hatch. He was especially delighted by SWEETS FOR MY SWEET.

They recorded it for a proper release b/w IT'S ALL BEEN A DREAM (written by Chris Crummey = Curtis). Both songs were sung lead by Tony Jackson. First it seemed as if the record wouldn't do too well. Meanwhile the Searchers were back in Hamburg. Then they got the chance to play and sing at a television show in England (Thank Your Lucky Stars). But having a contract at the Starclub, they had to pay for getting out of it. As history showed that was the best thing they could have done. After the TV broadcast the single started to climb the charts up to no. one
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


British Pye single

 

UK Pye single: 7N 15533 entered the charts on June 27th, 1963, went to no. one and stayed

16 weeks in the charts.

Ireland Pye single 7N 15533 also reached no. one

Sweden Pye single entered the charts on August 17th, 1963, reached no. two and stayed for

five weeks in the charts

Netherlands Pye single 7N 15433 reached no. 18

Germany Vogue single DV 14072 reached no. 44 and stayed for four weeks.

above: single from Germany,                                above: single from the Netherlands

 

Two different covers from Sweden

 

The LP: Meet The Searchers

 

01. SWEETS FOR MY SWEET (TONY)
02. ALRIGHT (TONY)
03. LOVE POTION NO. NINE (TONY)
04. FARMER JOHN (TONY)
05. STAND BY ME (CHRIS)
06. MONEY (TONY)
07. DA DOO RON RON (TONY & MIKE)
08. AIN'T GONNA KISS YA (TONY)
09. SINCE YOU BROKE MY HEART (TONY & MIKE)
10. TRICKY DICK (TONY, MIKE & CHRIS)
11. WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? (MIKE)
12. TWIST AND SHOUT (TONY)

After the success of the single an LP was immediately recorded, containing the A - side of

the single plus songs from their stage act. The LP entered the charts on August 10th 1963,

went up to no. 2 (Beatles preventing them from being no. 1) and stayed for 21 weeks. In

January 1964 it re-entered the charts, rising to no. 5. It stayed for 23 weeks now, totally

44 weeks, almost a year. A real big success for the Searchers.
The LP was re-released many times on vinyl and as cd (at least here in Germany). First

re-release goes back to 67.

Meet the Searchers came out in the USA in March 1964 and contained 5 songs from the

British LP with the same name. It went to no. 10 and stayed 16 weeks in the charts.

THIS IS US was released in June 1964 and had LOVE POTION NO. 9 already on it. It went

as high as no. 33 and stayed in the charts for 13 weeks.

What has changed since their Star Club recordings? The back of the cover tells us that

Tony Jackson now is the lead-singer, the others are only vocalists. Probably their producer,

Tony Hatch, was responsible for that. This shows that Tony Hatch didn't realize the variety

of  four good singers. Pye didn't care too much anyway, they only wanted to make money

(as Mike Pender said in a radio interview in 86). Compare this reduction to one "lead-singer"

with George Martin's decision with the Beatles. He first thought to focus on Paul, but decided

that it would be much better to show the power of the whole group.
Hatch's decision was probably the beginning of the end for Tony Jackson. First the others

were satisfied with their huge success, but especially Chris soon felt underrated.

 

Other singles from the LP:

 

Above Germany: Four singles were released with songs from Meet The Searchers: Farmer John b/w Tricky Dicky were released twice on the Vogue label in 63 and 65, Money b/w Hungry For Love (from Sugar & Spice LP) in 63 and after the success of Love Potion No. 9 in the US the song was coupled with What Have They Done to The Rain

Above: US Kapp K-584 from April 1964, with Ain’t That Just Like Me (from Sugar & Spice LP)  as A-Side.
 

 

 

 

 


Single from the Holland trying to make money with a song sung by Mike. Came out in 65 and shows Frank Allen who isn't on the record.

On the right: Tricky Dicky / Twist & Shout single

from Peru (Pye 7N 15503)

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Holland Pye decided to release Twist And Shout together with Farmer John. The catalgue

number is 7NH-102 (H stands for Holland only releases.)

Another song came out in 1964 as the B-side of Some Day We’re Gonna Love Again.

(Vogue DV-14176) German Vogue considered No One Else Could Love Me for too weak, so

they choose Alright, a straight Rock’n Roll song. (They we were not aware that the Searchers’

sound had changed.)

Pye Denmark didn’t trust in the Searchers  first so Sweets For My Sweet only found it’s way

on a single as the B-side of Sugar & Spice.

Back and front cover of their first ep  (UK-PYE NEP 24177) It entered the EP charts on Sep. 19th  1963, reached no. 1 and stayed for 23 weeks. Sales were so high that it made no. 10 in the single charts.

(Did you know that PJ Proby wrote Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya?)

 
 


The Extended Plays (Eps)

 

Left: front cover of Sweets... EP

Below: Taiwan EP, tracks not listed on the

Below: back cover of the second UK EP PYE NEP 24183 entered EP charts on Dec. 12th 1963, reached no. 5 and stayed 18 weeks.

cover:

 

Alright

 

and

 

Since

You

Broke

My

Heart

Extremely rare 6 track ep from Thailand featuring two tracks from Meet The Searchers: Love Potion & Alright (MTR-78)

 

France:  (spread over four eps)

Above leftt: Vogue PNV 24108 with four tacks from the lp, released in 1963.

Above middle: Surf Encore (Vogue PNV 24114) their 3rd French ep with Since You Broke … from Meet … lp.

Above right: Surfin’ (Vogue PNV 24118) which has Ain’t

Gonna Kiss Ya from the first album

Left: Don’t Throw… with the two tracks  It’s All Been A Dream and Love Potion. Vogue PNV 24120 from 1964

In Mexico Pye label Gamma released two eps in 1965 with tracks from 1963, the first one: Los Searchers is on the right. Here are the details:

 

LOS SEARCHERS (Mex-Pye Gamma Rec. GO 07-262, below left): Twist And Shout, Alright, Stand By Me, Money

LOS SEARCHERS (Mex-Pye Gamma Rec. GO 07-293, below right): Love Potion No. 9, Sweets For My Sweet + Sugar… & Needles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Spain:  SWEETS FOR MY SWEET (E - Pye PYEP 2050): Sweets For My Sweet, Stand By Me, Twist And Shout, Da Doo Ron Ron (see below) AIN'T GONNA KISS YA (E - Pye PYEP 2052): Ain't Goonna Kiss Ya, Farmer John, Love Potion No. 9, Alright (no cover available)

Sweden: NEP 5021 from 1963

2nd release  of Love Potion No. 9 in Sweden - (Pye NEP 5038) - after charting in the USA

Japan:  "THE SEARCHERS" (J-Pye LSS-302-Y): Love Potion No. 9

Already their first single was featured on this 5 track ep - a sampler with Pye successes from 1963.

left: Sheet Music UK,       middlle: Cover of Beat Magazine, right: Sheet Music Australia

 

The Searchers biggest hit in the US came from those 1963 recordings. It was of course

"LOVE POTION NO. 9". It entered the charts in November 1964 and reached no. 3 in

Billboard and no. 1 in Record World. Chart run was 16 weeks. In Germany it went as high

as no. 24. It didn't come out as a single in England by the Searchers but by TONY JACKSON.

Unfortunately it went nowhere.
I wonder how the Searchers felt to be successful with a song sung by Tony.