The Searchers interview: 60s band reflect seven decades and meeting The Beatles | Gold Meets

[@henriput854]

Thanks , the searchers great band songs top , a see this band many times live in the nighties super good , fan Henri put Belgium 🇧🇪 , we never forget you and your music 👍

[@cheetham1982]

I’ve seen them many times, the last one on a Mediterranean Irish cruise in 2016 (Cliff and the Mersey Beats were on at different junctures) I’ve also seen ex lead vocalist Mike Pender on the 60s Solid Gold tour and you can tell instantly that Mike was was the sound of the Searchers, they were and are nothing without him.

[@Fnortner01]

I remember them coming on Ed Sullivan after The Beatles. I was primed at that point to like any band from England and they did not disappoint. To me they were a part of the same magical scene. It was all very exciting and they were a big part of that excitement.

[@barrywest2170]

Brilliant band always value for money a great shame that difficulties arose and Mike Pender left the band it was never quite the same without him 🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@eamonstafford2056]

Mike Pender leaving and using The Searchers name, caused John a lot of problems. Pender and Curtis had big egos. Poor Tony Jackson left and formed his own band but that didn't work out. Sadly he developed an alcohol problem.

[@barrywest2170]

@@eamonstafford2056 Good comment 🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@eamonstafford2056]

@@barrywest2170 Barry , the Searchers toured Melbourne Oz in 2013. They put on a great little concert. Afterwards John and Frank came out and spoke to some of us who were at the concert. They were very friendly. I was not aware of the deep the rift between the current Searches and Mike Pender. I stupidly asked John if there would ever be a chance of a reunion. I got a really filthy look from John which made me feel really embarrassed that I had asked the question. John and Frank are really nice guys and I didn't mean to insult them in anyway. But the lesson I learnt out of this is do not mention Mike Pender's name to John McNally. The cuts are too deep.

[@andrewoverton5246]

@@eamonstafford2056 possibly john Mcnally needed to think how the Searchers were originally formed .If it was not for Tony Jacksons voice and Mike Pender blending with vocals there would have been no Hits for the Searchers If you do not have good vocals, no matter how good a guitar players are people need to hear Great vocal singing.Thas what they got ,Tony to me should NOT have got the boot Chris Curtis Yes. I dont find john Mcnally all that exciting why did he not stop the rift and boot Chris Curtis out so Mcnally was weak , as mike as been accused of.So John has no happy memories has he ,of the joint forming and early years of success really .No john did not like the fact the last decent vocalist left in 185 0r 1986 if memory is correct ,and that was mike Penders leaving ,but does not like anyone asking about Mike really .Mike Pender a better mixer with the public but both John and Mike were supposed to be the founders . so sadly all this backfired when the hits run Dry .It is a shame about Tony drinking his voice was brilliant and i have Take Me To The Punch with The vibrations should have been a top 10 hit i guess usual fix in record industry. i feel proud to own this hard to find record. Mike and Tony did get on .Curtis was the bad cocktail mix who was the pain in the rear.

[@andrewoverton5246]

@@eamonstafford2056 Mike Pender should have had the right to the searchers name he chose it after watching the john Wayne film,it was not John Mcnally who chose the name but he kept it ,sorry wrong guy .It should have been John Mcnally and the Searchers mid 1980s onwards. but really there were no original members left .Only a replacement to Tony Jackson ,Frank Allen who may be ok but not a singer like Tony Jackson. to me the Searchers were the original four its like the supremes example when one gets better treatment Diana Ross ,Florence Ballard suffered through it .Then came along group changes and it eventually comes to a blunt end. sadly after 1966 the searchers were no longer in the spotlight and like all groups end up on the circuit .

[@andrewoverton5246]

I have had my searchers singles on Pye label for years,i t is sad Tony Jackson is never mentioned, ,before they became famous.Tony Jackson was singing in i think liverpool cavern or the other club and he was asked to join the group ,because they needed a vocalist .So Tony and Mike sang lead ,crummy Curtis on drums sang along ,always reminds me of someone of a puppet out of a thunderbirds .He and Tony did not get on because Curtis started to play he was the main one ,in the group. I wish John Macnally would have said he and mike Pender were the start of the Searchers Frank did not join till 1964.chris Curtis was the problamatic one he caused the problems .I think he thought he was IT. Frank Allen replaced Tony Jackson. I prefer the original sound of Mike Pender and Tony Jackson vocals they balanced really well listen to all 4 early hits . To me the sound was not the same when Tony left .Even though they had a bit more success ,but not anymore top ten hits after Tony Left. Mike left in the mid 1980s and formed his own mMke Penders Searchers if you listen to Mikes searchers and sadly the lack and now RIP Tony Jackson nothing can compare .Both the searchers groups ,have survived and succeeded in their own right. But it is sad they never talk about the original members and thanks to them this is how they succeeded.in the music industry .

[@barrywest2170]

Quality comment 🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@frankcann9481]

My take exactly.

[@staypress]

But Frank Allen didnt join till Aug 64 so how can he talk about the first ed sullivan show when he wasnt with the band , plus Hamburg which was much earlier?