The band grew out of an earlier skiffle group formed by McNally, with his friends Brian Dolan (guitar) and Tony West (bass). When the other two members lost interst McNally was joined by his guitarist neighbour Mike Prendergast. They soon recruited Tony Jackson with his home-made bass guitar and amplifier and styled themselves Tony and the Searchers with Joe Kelly on drums. Kelly soon left to be replaced by Norman McGarry and it is this line-up—McNally, Pender (as he soon became known), Jackson and McGarry—that is usually cited as the original foursome.
McGarry did not stay long, however, and in 1960 his place was taken by Chris Crummey (who later changed his name to Curtis). Later that year Big Ron had a successful audition with Mecca and became a ballroom singer. He was replaced by Billy Beck, who changed his name to Johnny Sandon. The band had regular bookings at Liverpool's Iron Door Club as Johnny Sandon and the Searchers.
Sandon left the band in late 1961 to join The Remo Four in February 1962. The group settled into a quartet sharing the vocal lead and billed simply as The Searchers. They continued to play at the Iron Door, The Cavern, and other Liverpool clubs. Like many similar acts they would do as many as three shows at different venues in one night. They negotiated a contract with the Star-Club in the St. Pauli district Hamburg for 128 days, with three one-hour performances a night, starting in July 1962.
The band returned to a residence, at the Iron Door Club and it was there that they tape recorded the sessions that led to a recording contract with Pye Records with Tony Hatch as producer.
Hatch played piano on some recordings and wrote "Sugar and Spice"—the band’s second number one record—under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale; a secret he kept from the band at the time.
After scoring their monumental hit "Needles and Pins", bassist Tony Jackson went solo and was replaced by Hamburg pal Frank Allen of Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers.
Chris Curtis left the band in 1966 and was replaced by the Needles and Pins-influenced John Blunt, who in turn was replaced by Billy Adamson in 1970.
As musical styles evolved, the Searchers could not keep up and as a result, the hits ran out and while they continued to record for Liberty Records and RCA Records, ended up on the British "Chicken in a Basket" circuit although they did score a minor US hit in 1971 with "Desdemona".
The group continued to tour through the 1970s and were rewarded in 1979 when Sire Records signed the band to a multi-record deal. Two albums were released by them, The Searchers and Play for Today (retitled Love's Melodies outside the UK). Both records garnered great critical acclaim but did not break into the charts. They did however revitalize the group's career. According to John McNally, the band were ready to head into the studio to record a third album for Sire when they were informed that due to label reorganization, their contract had been dropped.
In 1981, the band signed to PRT Records (formerly Pye, their original label) and began recording an album but only one single, "I Don't Want To Be The One" backed with "Hollywood", saw the light of day at that time. The rest of the tracks would be released as part of 2004's 40th Anniversary collection.
Soon after the PRT release, Mike Pender left the group amidst great acrimony and now tours as Hollywood. McNally and Allan recruited former First Class vocalist Spencer James to fill Pender's shoes.
In 1988, Coconut Records signed The Searchers and the album Hungry Hearts was the result. A very contemporary sounding release, it featured modern sounding remakes of "Needles and Pins" and "Sweets For My Sweets". While the album was not a major hit, it did keep the group in the public eye.
The band continues to tour with Eddie Rothe replacing Adamson on drums and is considered to be one of the most popular 1960s bands on the UK concert circuit.
for more info see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Searchers_%28band%29
Love Potion Number Nine
The Searchers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine
I told her that I was a flop with chics
I've been this way since 1956
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
She said "What you need is Love Potion Number Nine"
She said "I'm gonna make it up right here in the sink"
It smelled like turpentine, it looked like Indian ink
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I didn't know if it was day or night
I started kissin' everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I didn't know if it was day or night
I started kissin' everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine
Love Potion Number Nine
Love Potion Number Nine
Love Potion Number Nine
The Searchers's song, Love Potion Number Nine, is a rather humorous tale about a man who goes to see a gypsy named Madame Rue, hoping to make his luck with women improve. He tells the gypsy that he has been unsuccessful with women since 1956, and she proceeds to give him a love potion to improve his fortunes. The potion smells like turpentine and looks like Indian ink, but he drinks it anyway. After taking the potion, he begins to kiss everything and everyone in sight, but when he kisses a cop on Thirty-Fourth and Vine, the cop breaks his bottle of Love Potion Number Nine, and the effects wear off.
This song is a humorous take on the idea of love potions and the idea that someone can concoct a potion that can magically make someone fall in love with you. The singer is willing to try just about anything to improve his romantic prospects, and the gypsy is willing to sell him a potion, even if it smells terrible and looks undrinkable. The song highlights the desperation that can sometimes overtake someone who is unlucky in love and willing to try anything to improve their chances.
Line by Line Meaning
I took my troubles down to Madame Rue
I went to seek help from Madame Rue to solve my love problems.
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
Madame Rue is a well-known fortune teller with a gold-capped tooth.
She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Madame Rue's place is located at the intersection of Thirty-Fourth Street and Vine.
Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine
Madame Rue sells small bottles of Love Potion Number Nine, a love potion.
I told her that I was a flop with chics
I admitted to Madame Rue that I am not successful with attracting women.
I've been this way since 1956
I have been struggling with my love life since 1956.
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
Madame Rue examined my palm and performed a magical gesture to determine the solution for my love problems.
She said "What you need is Love Potion Number Nine"
Madame Rue recommended Love Potion Number Nine as the solution to my love problems.
She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
Madame Rue flirted with me by bending down, turning around, and winking at me.
She said "I'm gonna make it up right here in the sink"
Madame Rue offered to make the love potion in her sink right then and there.
It smelled like turpentine, it looked like Indian ink
The love potion had an unpleasant smell similar to turpentine and looked like dark Indian ink.
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I drank the love potion while holding my nose and closing my eyes.
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
When I kissed a police officer at the intersection of Thirty-Fourth Street and Vine.
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine
The police officer accidentally broke my bottle of Love Potion Number Nine during our encounter.
Love Potion Number Nine
The repeated chorus emphasizes the importance of Love Potion Number Nine and its supposed efficacy for solving love problems.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Юрий Кожевников
«Пускай мне только 18 лет,
И я совсем ещё не видел свет,
Хочу я много-много узнать
И друга повстречать!
И песню повстречать!
Транзистор на моей груди поёт,
И песня битлов меня вдаль зовёт!
Ну что ж, дружище, двинемся в путь:
И песню не забудь!
И друга не забудь!»
Smurfstools Oldies Music Time Machine
Welcome to Smurfstools Oldies Music Time Machine!
We provide classic video music clips from the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's and occasionally the 1980's. We are dedicated in improving your viewing and listening pleasure by editing, restoring and remastering vintage film clips. Enjoy!
Sue Cox
No one could do Love Potion like The Searchers.
monotoSTEREO.info
Excellent Sammy! Nice work! Looks and sounds great! Thanks! 👏
Smurfstools Oldies Music Time Machine
Thanks very much Chris!
Jerkface Killa
This vid should have 25M views. Video quality 100 times better
Ace of Horns
The sound quality is incredible, holy smokes!
WryAndDry
sharper than the other prints that I have seen of this performance.
Юрий Кожевников
«Пускай мне только 18 лет,
И я совсем ещё не видел свет,
Хочу я много-много узнать
И друга повстречать!
И песню повстречать!
Транзистор на моей груди поёт,
И песня битлов меня вдаль зовёт!
Ну что ж, дружище, двинемся в путь:
И песню не забудь!
И друга не забудь!»
ken karwoski
GREAT quality, thank you!
Smurfstools Oldies Music Time Machine
You're welcome!