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Post by JamesT on Mar 26, 2018 19:19:48 GMT
Much speculation of late, and it has now been confirmed that they plan to retire at the end of March 2019.
The line up for the past eight years has been John McNally, Frank Allen, Spencer James and Scott Ottaway.
Apparently, there have been more than a few vicious comments about this news and much upset in the fan base.
I've seen them seven times now, and they always put in a superb performance and will be much-missed.
Makes one think about what might happen with The H in years to come?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2018 19:31:45 GMT
Never got to see them live even though they have been around seemingly forever.
They were in fact my favourite group, until i heard you know who...
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Post by gee on Mar 26, 2018 19:55:41 GMT
why the upset and nasty comments ??
jeez they had their first hit way back in 1963 like The Hollies
- can't John and Frank retire ?
John McNally suffered a stroke recently and while he's recovered and back playing those are often 'warning signs' telling you to ease up etc....
and The Searchers have been for many years one of the hardest working bands re touring (the price for their record career undeservedly sadly 'drying up' far too soon, despite that notable great comeback on Sire records circa 1979-81)
I saw them live with Mike Pender on their 20th anniversary tour back in 1982, they did a great show of older PYE hits and songs plus the terrific Sire album tracks
Chris Curtis and Tony Jackson, even latter era longtime drummer Billy Adamson are all sadly deceased now
so let's allow John and Frank to put their feet up and enjoy a very well earned rest
- and they are giving their fans a good full YEAR's notice !!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2018 21:18:24 GMT
Can't see Frank Allen retiring anytime soon, even if John does (like Tony Hicks, Frank is still in excellent shape & loves what he does). Maybe there'll be a vacancy in Mike Pender's Searchers...
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Post by JamesT on Mar 27, 2018 16:17:17 GMT
I had wondered about FA, but from what I've been reading it does sound like an end to the group performing.
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Post by johnt on Apr 11, 2018 15:17:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2018 18:00:16 GMT
Interesting to see that it was actually Frank's idea to retire.
Incidentally, a few days ago I saw Lindisfarne in concert. They were very good, but one of the guitarists (Charlie Harcourt) actually came on stage with an oxygen machine, which remained attached to him as he played (seated) throughout the entire performance! He actually played very well, but there does come a time when it's time to quit.
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Post by gee on Apr 11, 2018 19:28:54 GMT
call me a cynic but I did wonder if the decision to 'retire' the band really has far more to do with John's health situation than the apparently 100% fit Frank suddenly feeling weary of touring after all these years ?
Is Frank 'deciding' on behalf of his longtime friend ? - if so a gentlemanly move...
remember a stroke is a serious 'warning' to you to ease up...!!
perhaps not, but prior newsletters from Frank gave no indication of any fatigue on his part, he seemed to be 'up for it' with full enthusiasm
- BUT John is founder member, and I think John and Frank 'co-own' the group name (like Tony and Bobby do 'The Hollies' band name) thus maybe they had agreed in the past that IF one or the other ever had to stand down....they had agreed between them that they BOTH would decide to 'retire' the band name gracefully...yes ?
hence Frank now feeling 'tired' so it's very much officially down to him and not John etc...
Frank's statement admits they even might consider coming out of retirement in the future "if and when" etc..
whatever, it will be interesting to see if Frank is happy to remain 'retired' and anyway they have already given their public so much for so long that just 'THANKS GUYS' should be the right reply !
maybe Tony and Bobby have a pre-planned 'idea' when the time comes for one or the other to call it a day too....?
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Post by johnt on Jun 9, 2018 13:42:28 GMT
I've just got my tickets for The Searchers final gig on 31st March 2019 at The Stables near Milton Keynes.
It should be an emotional evening.
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Post by johnt on Apr 1, 2019 14:13:25 GMT
I had the pleasure of seeing the last ever Searchers concert last night at The Stables near Milton Keynes and what a show it was.
The band got a standing ovation as soon as they appeared on stage which took them all by surprise.
Their 2 hour set list was a mixture of hits, B-sides and album tracks with Frank Allen reminiscing about the songs and other things during the concert. They included Have You Ever Loved Somebody which Frank mentioned was their final UK hit record.
They also sang some covers by their own favourite artists, such as Roy Orbison's Running Scared, Buddy Holly's Peggy Sue and others, The Byrds/Bob Dylan's Mr Tambourine Man and Gary Puckett's Young Girl.
One thing I liked was when Frank paid tribute to ex-members who are no longer with us ('up there' as John McNally put it) - Chris Curtis, Tony Jackson and Billy Adamson. He also thanked previous drummers John Blunt, Eddie Rothe and even gave a special mention to Mike Pender with whom they had a falling out in the 1980s.
Frank also thanked their agent, website people, sound and lighting engineers and gave a special mention to German tour promoter Rainer Haas, who had flown over especially to see the final concert.
Towards the end of the concert, all the audience stood up and danced and clapped as the Searchers performed Needles and Pins, When You Walk In The Room followed with a final medley of their hits.
After the concert had finished, they found time to sit in the foyer to chat and sign autographs for a long line of admirers (myself included).
What a happy ending to over 56 years of continuous touring.
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Post by knut on Apr 1, 2019 15:51:15 GMT
That is amazing. The Searchers are really gentlemen. I will forever treasure my memory of the night they played Have you ever loved somebody in north London and dedicated it to me from the stage.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 17:35:48 GMT
Yes, they're great guys, in particular Frank. After a show late last year I gave him a copy of my book, and Frank asked for my autograph! I hope they have a long and happy retirement.
I'm glad Frank mentioned Mike last night, as well as all the others no longer with us.
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Post by stuball on Apr 2, 2019 13:51:50 GMT
Sad to hear of The Searchers retirement. All good things come to an end I suppose.
They were one of my very favourite groups from the 1964 Brit invasion, and after their popularity faded, I still searched out their singles. Got to hear them again and meet them in the '80's, when they seemed to tour endlessly. Always found Frank to be the open, friendly and most chatty Searcher, while John seemed all business and not much for small talk. Very different personalities in the group!
Wish them the very best in retirement. They gave me endless hours of listening pleasure.
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Post by dirtyfaz on Apr 2, 2019 20:56:45 GMT
Saw them several time on tours to Australia over the last 20 years. Didn't go see them the last time as I found the shows were very repetitive and the inbetween song banter the same every time. Got bored with the sameness of it all although they did excellent shows.
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Post by moorlock2003 on Apr 3, 2019 2:05:29 GMT
I saw The Searchers in New York twice in the '80s, the first time with Pender still in the band. It was great to see them in suits, a tradition I guess they kept up over the years. The second time I saw them with a dear friend of mine who is now deceased, so that show is special to me. The Searchers will always be one of my very favorite groups. And thank goodness they, unlike The Swinging Blue Jeans, accepted the offer to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, so we have that wonderful video of the band performing their first US hits "Needles and Pins" and "Ain't that Just like me" on US TV. Gotta admit I prefer their version of the latter tune to The Hollies'.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2019 7:51:14 GMT
It was great to see them in suits, a tradition I guess they kept up over the years. They went through a brief phase, around the time of their 1979 - 1981 Sire albums, of dressing more casually, but returned to the suits afterwards. I never saw them with Mike, but, after seeing both The Searchers and Mike Pender (backed by Vanity Fare) in latter years, I must confess to preferring Mike's show. He is still touring, and will, I suspect, take advantage of The Searchers' retirement by getting more prestigious gigs.
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Post by JamesT on Apr 3, 2019 10:05:09 GMT
Caught The Searchers on three dates between December and early March, with the best performance and atmosphere being at Barrow-In-Furness in early February. A fairly recent 'convert' to The Searchers, I first saw them in 2011 when they were playing a favourite, reasonably local venue. So, I thought 'Why not?'. Have seen them a total of 11 times. It's true that their setlist hasn't varied much and the banter is fairly static, but they still put in a wonderful performance with a friendly, jovial atmosphere which the audience warmed to. They have always taken time to meet fans and sign after gigs. I still think that this is not truly 'the end' - give them a year and I think there might be rumblings of the odd date or two. We'll see.
Oh, and I still think their version of 'Have You Ever Loved Somebody' is far superior to The Hollies version.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2019 11:44:27 GMT
I still think that this is not truly 'the end' - give them a year and I think there might be rumblings of the odd date or two. We'll see. There has already been some talk from Frank that John might carry on, so I guess it's not improbable they'll get a new bass player/singer if FA is no longer interested.
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Post by johnt on Apr 3, 2019 13:04:55 GMT
We managed to get John McNally's set list prompt which he left on the floor after the concert ended then we got it signed by the band afterwards. It's it 'shorthand' but you should be able to work out the songs.
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Post by gee on Apr 3, 2019 19:47:07 GMT
I actually prefer The Hollies great harder edged fuzz guitar led version of 'Have You Ever Loved Somebody' but also like The Searchers sweeter more commercial version even if drummer John Blunt's mega hard 'Keith Moon' inspired percussive work was reduced to a power drained sound more like a 'rat scurrying across the snare drum' (as ex-Searcher Chris Curtis put it at the time) by PYE's engineer presumably on Tony Hatch's instructions to 'smooth it off' (which he did far too much from 1964 in my opinion)
I saw The Searchers a few times with Mike Pender and the late Billy Adamson on drums - notably on the '20th Anniversary' concert tour back in 1982 when they had the smart suits on (the more casual look was earlier circa 1969-71 around the time of their stint with the UK wing of RCA Victor and the 'Second Take' album in 1972)
on the '20th Anniversary' set they alternated sixties PYE hits and songs with Sire album tracks from the 1979 album 'Searchers' and the 1981 set 'Play For Today' (aka 'Love's Melodies' in the USA)
they kicked off with 'Sweets For My Sweet' then did 'Hearts in Her Eyes'....'Don't Throw Your Love Away'...'Feelin' Fine' etc
a terrific mix of nostalgic and modern style numbers having the Pender-McNally-Allen front line their vocal harmonies were pretty recognisable as their classic sound even if minus Chris Curtis high harmony voice Frank Allen did a fine job of handling those lines
they were a more 'rockin' outfit than the often too 'genteel' later PYE recordings suggested and the earlier PYE tracks with Tony Jackson plus those Pat Moran produced Sire recordings done at Rockfield studios were closer to their true live sound I would say
A classic band who should have written more original material (as Mike Pender has observed since) but back then were never encouraged that much it seems and indeed it appears the entertainment industry seemed to view them as 'old hat' once Chris Curtis exited in 1966 even if the public still liked them - a SIXTH PYE album in 1966 might have been brilliant per the 'B' sides and latter singles up to 1967 if only PYE had more faith in them
whatever, like The Hollies and fellow long running sixties bands they gave their public magnificent entertainment throughout their career in every line up
we won't see such groups again I fear...
A nice 'Complete PYE Recordings 1963-67' six CD set has just been released to tie in with their retirement
- the final fourteen songs on CD Six of this set from 'He's Got No Love' to 'Crazy Dreams' could stand as that 'missing' sixth Searchers PYE album !
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2019 21:09:33 GMT
the more casual look was earlier circa 1969-71 around the time of their stint with the UK wing of RCA Victor and the 'Second Take' album in 1972 You obviously didn't view that 1981 video I posted Gee! They were certainly wearing casual clothing much of the time during the Sire era, I've lots of videos to prove it. Here's another video, from 1980 (note Frank's leather jacket):
I do believe that it was around 1982 that they got back into the suits again.
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Post by JamesT on Apr 4, 2019 6:23:04 GMT
I still think that this is not truly 'the end' - give them a year and I think there might be rumblings of the odd date or two. We'll see. There has already been some talk from Frank that John might carry on, so I guess it's not improbable they'll get a new bass player/singer if FA is no longer interested. To be frank (!) Frank has looked knackered for most of this tour from photos I've seen. I gather he's also moved into a much smaller pad and sold most (all?) of his extensive guitar collection.
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Post by JamesT on Apr 4, 2019 6:27:45 GMT
the more casual look was earlier circa 1969-71 around the time of their stint with the UK wing of RCA Victor and the 'Second Take' album in 1972 You obviously didn't view that 1981 video I posted Gee! They were certainly wearing casual clothing much of the time during the Sire era, I've lots of videos to prove it. Here's another video, from 1980 (note Frank's leather jacket):
I do believe that it was around 1982 that they got back into the suits again.
Wonderful clip! I'm a big fan of the Sire-era recordings; sadly they've only ever played two songs from these albums in the time I've caught them live. I presented the recent Sire compilation to Frank for signing and he was most impressed and said something along the lines of "We always like to sign this one, we're very proud of these recordings".
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2019 7:44:11 GMT
I've a couple of videos of the band on two editions of a Scottish TV show called 'Hear Here' in 1981, where, dressed casually, they perform several songs from the 'Sire' era live. I was requested not to copy them or put them on youtube, but it's fascinating to see them looking and sounding so contemporary. Unfortunately, following the albums failure, they put the suits back on and went back on the nostalgia circuit, with Mike in particular particularly frustrated (he quit at the tail end of 1985).
‘Hear Here’ (1): Another Night / Take Me For What I’m Worth / What Have They Done To The Rain / Hearts In Her Eyes / Sweets For My Sweet
‘Hear Here’ (2): Needles and Pins / When You Walk In The Room / Radio Romance / Feeling Fine / Murder In My Heart / September Gurls / Another Night / It’s Too Late
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Post by JamesT on Apr 4, 2019 7:51:25 GMT
I've a couple of videos of the band on two editions of a Scottish TV show called 'Hear Here' in 1981, where, dressed casually, they perform several songs from the 'Sire' era live. I was requested not to copy them or put them on youtube, but it's fascinating to see them looking and sounding so contemporary. Unfortunately, following the albums failure, they put the suits back on and went back on the nostalgia circuit, with Mike in particular particularly frustrated (he quit at the tail end of 1985).
‘Hear Here’ (1): Another Night / Take Me For What I’m Worth / What Have They Done To The Rain / Hearts In Her Eyes / Sweets For My Sweet
‘Hear Here’ (2): Needles and Pins / When You Walk In The Room / Radio Romance / Feeling Fine / Murder In My Heart / September Gurls / Another Night / It’s Too Late
A great selection of tracks there! One I'm particularly fond of from the Sire era is 'Lost In Your Eyes'. Wonderful song and version by The Searchers.
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