The Searchers are an English Merseybeat group who emerged during the British Invasion of the 1960s. 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.
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.
The band grew out of an earlier skiffle group formed by McNally in 1957, with his friends Brian Dolan (guitar) and Tony West (bass). 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 on drums. Kennedy soon left to be replaced by Norman McGarry, and it is this line-up – McNally, Pender (as Prendergast soon became known), Jackson and McGarry – that is usually cited as the original foursome.
Links to Peel[]
Peel was a fan of the Merseybeat scene and would often play the Searchers on his radio programmes. He would certainly have been aware of the group, whilst living in America between 1960 and 1967, because the group's 'Take It Or Leave It', peaked at number 9 in 1966 on the KMEN British Pop Top Ten, which he was hosting.
The Searchers tune, 'Saturday Night Out', was one of the six Merseybeat tunes that Peel played in a row on his 23 June 1972 programme.
On his 22 December 1975 show, Peel says his "child bride" (the Pig, presumably) always maintained that the Searchers were the best Merseybeat group, after the Beatles. Also that he doesn't have a copy of his favourite track by them, "When You Walk In The Room" - as he says, dropping a hint to his listeners.
Peel would continue playing the band's material at least once in each decade.
Shows Played[]
- 07 April 1972: Saturday Night Out (single – Needles And Pins b-side) Pye
- 23 June 1972: Saturday Night Out (single – Needs & Pins b-side) Pye
- 1974
- 28 November 1974: Farmer John (2xLP – Mersey Beat '62-'64 [The Sound Of Liverpool]) United Artists
- 1975
- 22 December 1975: Needles And Pins
- 1979
- 11 October 1979: Hearts In Her Eyes (LP – The Searchers) Sire
- 1980
- 15 May 1980: Saturday Night Out (LP – When You Walk In The Room) Pye
- 1982
- 19 July 1982: When You Walk In The Room (7") Pye
- 17 May 1984: When You Walk In The Room (7") Pye
- 1988
- 19 September 1988: Saturday Night Out
- 1990
- 22 March 1990: Popcorn, Double Feature (2xLP - The Searchers File) Pye
- 2001
- 28 March 2001: When You Walk In The Room (7") Pye
- 18 October 2001: Saturday Night Out
- 25 October 2001 (Radio Eins): Some Other Guy (album - Needles & Pins) Hallmark Marble Arch