Hello,  The Searchers are a rock and roll band from Liverpool, England.  Members included, Mike Pender, John McNally, Tony Jackson and Chris Curtis.  Frank Allen replaced Jackson in 1965, John Blunt replaced Curtis in 1966 and Billy Adamson replaced Blunt in 1969.  The Searchers were known as an English beat group.  They became popular as part of the 1960′s Mersey beat scene along with The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers and others.  They originally formed in 1959 as a skiffle group in Liverpool by John McNally and Mike Pender.  They took their name from the John Wayne western, “The Searchers”.

In March of 1964 The Searchers charted their first hit record in the US on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song was  NEEDLES AND PINS  on Kapp Records.  The single was very successful charting at #13 and staying on the Hot 100 for 10 weeks.  The song has since been selected as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Their first album “Meet The Searchers” was a #2 hit album on the British album charts in the fall of 1963.  It charted at #22 in the US on the albums chart in June of 1964.  That album contained the hit version of  NEEDLES AND PINS.

Their next big Billboard hit single charted in May of 1964,  SUGAR AND SPICE  climbed up the Hot 100 to #44.  On May 30, 1964 another Searchers single made its Hot 100 chart debut.  DON’T THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY  became a big Top 20 hit record, peaking at #16 and remaining on the Hot 100 for 11 weeks.  In August another Top 40 hit made its climb up the chart,  SOME DAY WE’RE GONNA LOVE AGAIN  reached #34 and in October of 1964 a Jackie DeShannon written song,  WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM  began its run on the Hot 100, charting at #35.

The Searchers had charted 6 hit records in 1964.  On November 28, 1964 they would chart their 7th and biggest hit on the US charts.  A re-make of The Clovers classic,  LOVE POTION NUMBER NINE  became the groups only Top 10 hit record as it ran up the Billboard Hot 100 to #3 and remained on the chart for 14 weeks, their longest charting single in the US.

In 1965 they would have 4 more Hot 100 hits…WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE RAIN  at #29  and  BUMBLE BEE  at #21 would be the biggest hits.  In 1966  they would put 2 songs on the Billboard chart but would not have the success they had in 1964 or 1965.  The Searchers changing line-up would have one more Billboard Hot 100 record and that would come in September of 1971,  DESDEMONA  on RCA Victor records would just reach the chart at #94.

The Searchers charted 13 hit record in the US between 1964 and 1966.  They were the second group from Liverpool, after The Beatles, to have a hit in the US when their wonderful recording of  NEEDLES AND PINS  charted on March 7, 1964.  Tony Jackson died in 2003 at the age of 63.  Chris Curtis died in February of 2005 at the age of 63.  The Searchers music sounds as fresh today as when it was new in the early 1960′s and their big hits are very popular on oldies radio…they were one of the best groups to land on our shores during the British Invasion of the 1960′s…The Searchers.

CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW AND HEAR  THE SEARCHERS  SING THEIR BIG HIT…”NEEDLES AND PINS”….CLICK ON THE GOLDEN ERA OF ROCK AND ROLL JUKEBOX AND HEAR  THE SEARCHERS  OTHER GREAT HITS.

Needles And Pins – 1964

Till the next time—Joe