| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In 63 the Searchers played 128 times on the Starclub stage, long hard nights in Hamburg/Germany. There were plans to make a live recording with various artists at the Starclub and Chris Curtis really begged to get one song - at least. There was one week time for recording using very primitive stuff. So only mono recordings were possible most of them made in the afternoon, when the Starclub was closed. The applause was copied later easily to be heard on the Searchers LP. The original album was released in October 1963 on the Philips label no. P 48052 L |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Here are the tracks:
01. SWEETS FOR MY SWEET (TONY)
02. AIN'T THAT JUST LIKE ME (CHRIS)
03. LISTEN TO ME (TONY & MIKE)
04. I CAN TELL (CHRIS)
05. SICK AND TIRED (CHRIS)
06. MASHED POTATOES (TONY)
07. I SURE KNOW A LOT ABOUT LOVE (TONY, MIKE & CHRIS)
08. ROSALIE (JOHN)
09. LED IN THE GAME (TONY & MIKE)
10. HEY JOE (MIKE)
11. ALWAYS IT'S YOU (CHRIS, MIKE & TONY)
12. HULLY GULLY (TONY)
13. WHAT'D SAY (CHRIS) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are three more things to say about this album:
the Searchers didn't get paid for it, the record company and the owner of the Starclub, Manfred Weissleder, earned the money.
Track 9 of course isn't correct. The right title is "Learning the game" an old Buddy Holly song.
Track 13 is faded out, but if you're lucky to own the single (like me) you can hear the complete song with a real ending.
I think the record company didn't care too much, even nowadays on the Starclub cd they didn't change anything. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earlier that year (September 63) Philips had released a compilation album (Twist im Starclub, UK Philips BL 7578, German Philips P 48036 L) featuring three Searchers songs:
14. SWEET NOTHIN'S (TONY)
15. SHAKIN' ALL OVER (TONY)
16. BEAUTIFUL DREAMER (MIKE)
In March 1964 three more Starclub songs were issued on Liverpool Beat, Fontana (Germany) 681557)
17. MAYBELLINE (CHRIS)
18. SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN (MIKE)
19. DON'T YOU KNOW (MIKE)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Singles |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sweet Nothin's / What'd I say German Philips 345 592 PF (63) | |
back and front cover of I Sure Know A Lot About Love / Don't You Know Starclub Rec. 148 500 (64)
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
from left to right:
Sure Know A Lot About Love / What'd I Say as it came out in Japan. (65)
Sick & Tired / Led In The Game German Philips 345 621 PF (63)
Sweet Nothin's / What I'd Say UK Philips BF 1274 (Sept. 63), reached chart position 48
Sweets For My Sweet / Listen To Me German Philips 345 606 (63) | |
 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
A rare shot of the boys with one of the the stars they met at the Starclub: Fats Domino. His songs were always a part of their recordings and live shows. | |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
 
Mercury
(US)
released two singles
from their Starclub recordings:
Ain’t That…b/w I Can Tell in 1964
Mercury 72390) in 1964 and
Sweets For My Sweet
(Mercury 72172) b/w It’s All Been A Dream in 1963.
Coupling the Starclub version with the Pye original
It’s All Been A Dream makes the impression as if it is
the Searchers hit single from the UK.
|
|
|
|
|
 | |
| |
 | |
The only ep | |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| | |
|
In the Netherlands Philips released one EP in November 1963, titled it "The Searchers Live At The Starclub" (NL-Philips 423469), used the LP cover. The tracks:
- SWEETS FOR MY SWEET
- HULLY GULLY
- SWEET NOTHIN'S
- LISTEN TO ME
All songs mainly sung by Tony (after Pye had called him leadsinger)
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
cover of the ep
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
The American LP: Hear Hear |
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It stayed for 7 weeks. In America the STARCLUB album was released on the Mercury label (US Mercury MG 20914 (mono) and SR 60914 (stereo) and called "Hear! Hear! The Searchers". It only had 12 tracks, "Always it's you" was left out.
Later that year Mercury released another album, but having not enough Searchers material side two contained a German group: The Rattles also with Starclub recordings. Title: The Searchers Meet The Rattles (US MercuryMG 20994 (mono) and SR 60994 (stereo). They used 5 of the 6 tracks that weren't on the original lp leaving out "Beautiful dreamer".
So two tracks were never released in the US. But it had a fake Starclub track on it: "It's all been a dream" (Tony), of course the flip side of their first Pye single. The cd Philips sold a few years back still had this illegal (?) song on it.
Note: The stereo editions are of course mono.
The album HEAR HEAR reached no. 63 in the US album charts in 1964.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The only Swiss release of a Searchers lp (as fas as I know) had 6 Starclub songs: Sweets, Ain't that, I can tell, Sick &, Mashed Potatoes. Label Exlibris GC 371. The other lp side used Rattles tracks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last thing to discuss: Due to playing 8 hours a night the leadsingers now were Chris and Tony, Mike ranking at no. 3, John only sang very little. Things changed since their acetats and they will change when the group got signed to Pye.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | |
May 2002 brought another re-release of the Starclub recordings. The original lp had been re-released on vinyl and as cd, a double lp had available for some timeback in the 80s (with all 19 tracks). But the latest re-release not only has the best sound quality yet but also the complete version of What'd I Say. A nice booklet is also included, the label is Bear Family Records. | |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | |
|
 | |
| |
on the left you can see the much used photo without anything printed on it. | |
|
|
|
|
|
 | |
|
|
| |
In 1965 Chris greeted his German fans from the cover of the Star Club Magazine which reported about the club and the groups who played there.
All in all - a poor magazine that didn't last too long. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
