It's the Searchers
Third studio album featuring two hit singles and Tony Jackson's final appearance.
It's the Searchers is the third studio album by English rock band The Searchers. It includes the hit singles "Needles and Pins" and "Don't Throw Your Love Away", along with covers of songs by Betty Everett, Carl Perkins, Don Gibson, The Drifters, and Tommy Tucker. The album reached number 4 on the UK album chart and was the last Searchers album to feature singer Tony Jackson.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- The Searchers
- Released
- 22 May 1964
- Recorded
- November 1963–April 1964
- Studio
- Pye Studios, London
- Genre
- Rock/Pop
- Label
- Pye
- Producer
- Tony Hatch
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don't Throw Your Love Away | Billy Jackson, Jimmy Wisner | 2:21 |
| 2 | Unhappy Girls | Fred Burch, Marijohn Wilkin | 2:38 |
| 3 | Where Have You Been | Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | 2:38 |
| 4 | Hungry for Love | Gordon Mills | 2:24 |
| 5 | This Empty Place | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | 2:07 |
| 6 | Hi-Heel Sneakers | Robert Higginbotham | 2:32 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It's In Her Kiss | Rudy Clark | 2:15 |
| 2 | I Count the Tears | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | 2:03 |
| 3 | Can't Help Forgiving You | Jackie DeShannon, Sharon Sheeley | 2:05 |
| 4 | Love Potion No. 9 | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:05 |
| 5 | Sea of Heartbreak | Paul Hampton, Hal David | 2:25 |
| 6 | I Pretend I'm With You | Chris Curtis | 2:00 |
Track listing from the source article.
Overview and recording
Tensions within the Searchers predated the recording sessions, with Chris Curtis and Tony Jackson in particular conflict. Curtis, who had become the band's leader, expressed a personal dislike for Jackson and took control of the bass playing. As a result, Jackson lost his position as lead singer, with Curtis informing him his vocals were not needed. According to Mike Pender's autobiography, internal tensions worsened when certain individuals failed to inform Jackson about recording sessions and policy discussions. Jackson ultimately sang lead on only one track, "Sho' Know A Lot About Love", sharing the vocal with Mike Pender. A later 1968 reissue of the album featured an updated cover photograph showing new bass player Frank Allen, though he did not perform on any of the album's songs. During the sessions, the band recorded two unreleased tracks: "I (Who Have Nothing)" and "Shame Shame Shame", both eventually released in 1992 on the box set 30th Anniversary Collection 1962–1992. Journalist Alan Walsh of Disc magazine claimed to have joined the band during a Pye LP session and sang backing vocals on "Sho' Know A Lot About Love".
Release
It's the Searchers was the third Searchers album released within twelve months, or fourth if counting the live German LP Sweets for My Sweet. It appeared as a monaural LP on the Pye label in the UK in April 1964, catalogue number Pye NPL 18092. The album entered the LP charts on May 30, reached number 4, and remained for 17 weeks. Early pressings and some international releases bore the title "It's Fab! It's Gear! It's the Searchers", which was later shortened. The low-budget Marble Arch Records reissued the album in 1968 with new cover art, in both mono (MAL 798) and stereo (MALS 798), but with four songs omitted.
US version (This Is Us)
The US version of the album was retitled This Is Us, using the headline from the back cover of the UK LP, and featured different cover art photographed by Alex Greco. Its track listing differed from the UK release, including older UK album tracks and B-sides while deleting six songs: "Glad All Over", "Livin' Lovin' Wreck", "Shimmy Shimmy", "Needles And Pins", "Gonna Send You Back To Georgia", and "Sho' Know A Lot About Love". It entered the LP charts on 29 August 1964 and peaked at number 97 on the Billboard Top 200.
Love Potion No. 9
The song "Love Potion No. 9", written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, was issued as an additional single from the album with "Hi-Heel Sneakers" as the B-side. It became massively popular, reaching number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on Cash Box during the winter of 1965. Lead singer Tony Jackson left the band around the time of the album's release and formed his own group, Tony Jackson And The Vibrations, immediately recording his own version of the hit, which missed the charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was It's the Searchers released?
It's the Searchers was released on 22 May 1964.
Who produced It's the Searchers?
It's the Searchers was produced by Tony Hatch.
More in Pye Records Albums
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