BBC Sessions is a 2004 compilation double album featuring performances by English band The Searchers.[1][2] All songs were originally broadcast on various BBC Light Programme radio shows from 1964 to 1967. The two-CD set consists of many of the band's hits or album tracks, 30 songs, including six songs which had never been recorded by them in the studio (including Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind") and 12 tracks of dialogue, mainly handled by drummer and band's spokesman Chris Curtis.[3] The songs are essentially "live in studio" performances.[4]
| BBC Sessions | |
|---|---|
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| Live album by | |
| Released | 2004 |
| Recorded | 1964–1967 |
| Studio | BBC (the Playhouse Theatre, the Paris Theatre, Maida Vale) |
| Genre | Rock/pop |
| Language | English |
| Label | Castle |
Overview and recording
editAssembled here is every BBC recording by the Searchers that has survived to date.[5] It was not the BBC's practice to archive either the session tapes or the shows' master tapes and many of them were lost.[6] No releasable tapes of the Tony Jackson era exist, the first included here is from 1964 with Frank Allen on bass guitar and vocals. All sessions are taken from the well-known shows hosted by Brian Matthew: Saturday Club, Top Gear or Saturday Swings. "Brian Matthew always tried to make us feel at home and at ease, as did his producer, Benie Andrews," wrote about recordings Mike Pender in his autobiography.[7]
The Searchers recorded them at one of the BBC's usual locations the Playhouse Theatre, the Paris Theatre or the studio out at Maida Vale. "What usually happened was that we'd have done a gig late the previous night, and then we’d have to go in at 9.30 the next morning to tape the radio session," said guitarist John McNally. Normally there was no soundcheck and no overdubs. "We’d be a bit embarrassed by some of the stuff they broadcast," added McNally.[5] Pender agreed: "Some of our performances were not as good as we would have liked, given more time and more technical support."[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | The Show | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When You Walk In The Room" | Jackie DeShannon | not known (1964) | 2:18 |
| 2. | "Chris Curtis interview" | – | not known (1964) | 0:57 |
| 3. | "This Feeling Inside" | Chris Curtis, Mike Pender, John McNally, Frank Allen | not known (1964) | 1:39 |
| 4. | "What Have They Done to the Rain" | Malvina Reynolds | Saturday Club (30. 1. 1965) | 2:49 |
| 5. | "The Searchers: Interview" | – | Saturday Club (30. 1. 1965) | 1:32 |
| 6. | "Something You Got Baby" | Chris Kenner | Saturday Club (30. 1. 1965) | 2:46 |
| 7. | "Let The Good Times Roll" | Shirley Goodman, Leonard Lee | Saturday Club (30. 1. 1965) | 1:54 |
| 8. | "Everything You Do" | Chris Curtis | Top Gear (20. 2. 1965) | 1:50 |
| 9. | "Chris Curtis interview" | – | Top Gear (20. 2. 1965) | 1:12 |
| 10. | "Goodbye My Love" | Robert Mosley, Lamar Simington, Leroy Swearingen | Top Gear (20. 2. 1965) | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Chris Curtis interview" | – | Saturday Club (26. 4. 1965) | 0:29 |
| 12. | "Magic Potion" | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | Saturday Club (26. 4. 1965) | 2:38 |
| 13. | "Chris Curtis interview" | – | Saturday Club (26. 4. 1965) | 1:08 |
| 14. | "Bumble Bee" | LaVern Baker, Leroy Fullylove | Saturday Club (26. 4. 1965) | 2:16 |
| 15. | "Everybody Come And Clap Your Hands" | Ellie Greenwich, John Barry | Saturday Club (26. 4. 1965) | 2:23 |
| 16. | "Sweet Little Sixteen" | Chuck Berry | Saturday Swings (7. 5. 1965) | 1:55 |
| 17. | "Mike Pender, Frank Allen and John McNally interview" | – | Saturday Swings (7. 5. 1965) | 1:01 |
| 18. | "Glad All Over" | Aaron Schroeder, Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett | Saturday Swings (7. 5. 1965) | 1:58 |
| 19. | "Chris Curtis interview" | – | Saturday Club (9. 7. 1965) | 1:05 |
| 20. | "He's Got No Love" | Chris Curtis, Mike Pender | Saturday Club (9. 7. 1965) | 2:30 |
| 21. | "Be My Baby" | Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector | Saturday Club (9. 7. 1965) | 2:37 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | The Show | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Ready" * note: there is a wrong title on the cover: "Ready Teddy" | Fats Domino, Al Lewis, Sylvester Bradford | Saturday Club (19. 10. 1965) | 2:03 |
| 2. | "Four Strong Winds" | Ian Tyson | Saturday Club (19. 10. 1965) | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Chris Curtis interview" | – | Saturday Club (19. 10. 1965) | 0:59 |
| 4. | "When I Get Home" | Bobby Darin, Russell Alquist | Saturday Club (19. 10. 1965) | 2:10 |
| 5. | "I'm Never Coming Back" | Chris Curtis, Mike Pender | Saturday Club (19. 10. 1965) | 1:59 |
| 6. | "Too Many Miles" | Chris Curtis, Mike Pender, John McNally, Frank Allen | Saturday Club (4. 12. 1965) | 2:01 |
| 7. | "Mike Pender interview" | – | Saturday Club (4. 12. 1965) | 0:39 |
| 8. | "Take Me For What I'm Worth" | P. F. Sloan | Saturday Club (4. 12. 1965) | 2:43 |
| 9. | "It's Time" | John McNally | Saturday Club (4. 12. 1965) | 1:55 |
| 10. | "Mike Pender interview" | – | Saturday Club (14. 5. 1966) | 1:10 |
| 11. | "Take It Or Leave It" | Mick Jagger, Keith Richards | Saturday Club (14. 5. 1966) | 2:34 |
| 12. | "Blowin' in the Wind" | Bob Dylan | Saturday Club (14. 5. 1966) | 2:15 |
| 13. | "Mike Pender interview" | – | Saturday Club (17. 9. 1966) | 1:00 |
| 14. | "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" | Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks | Saturday Club (17. 9. 1966) | 2:41 |
| 15. | "Medley: See See Rider/Jenny Take A Ride" | Gertrude "Ma" Rainey / Bob Crewe, Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman | Saturday Club (11. 2. 1967) | 2:13 |
| 16. | "Frank Allen interview" | – | Saturday Club (11. 2. 1967) | 1:04 |
| 17. | "Popcorn Double Feature" | Larry Weiss, Scott English | Saturday Club (11. 2. 1967) | 3:15 |
| 18. | "Goodbye, So Long" | Ike Turner | Saturday Club (11. 2. 1967) | 2:06 |
| 19. | "I'll Be Loving You" | Chris Curtis, Mike Pender, John McNally, Frank Allen | Saturday Club (25. 3. 1967) | 2:57 |
| 20. | "Western Union" | Mike Rabon, John Durrill, Norman Ezell | Saturday Club (6. 5. 1967) | 2:29 |
| 21. | "I Don't Believe It" | Robery, Charles | Saturday Club (6. 5. 1967) | 2:33 |
Personnel
editThe Searchers
- Mike Pender – lead guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
- John McNally – rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals
- Frank Allen – bass, lead and backing vocals
- Chris Curtis – drums, lead and backing vocals
- John Blunt – drums (CD 2: 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
References
edit- ^ Colin Larkin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1998. ISBN 9780857125958.
- ^ "The Searchers Discography by M. Denger (fan web)". BBC Recordings (January 1965 - March 1967).
- ^ Pete Frame (2011). The Beatles and Some Other Guys. Omnibus Press. p. 13. ISBN 9780711936652.
- ^ "The Searchers – BBC Sessions/". AllMusic, Richie Unterberger. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ a b Peter Doggett, BBC Sessions (CD liner notes), Castle Music, 2004.
- ^ Buskin, Richard (March 1995). "Raiders of the Lost Archive: The Beatles Live At The Beeb". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
- ^ a b Mike Pender (2014). The Search for Myself. Genuine Article Books. p. 96. ISBN 9780993121302.