'ERMAN'S 'ERMITS PT.1

[Mike Pell]

The featured artists for this week are Herman’s Hermits, one of the early British Invasion bands that swept this country.
They were considered part of the Merseybeat Sound despite being from Manchester and not Liverpool.
These 2 parts are dedicated to a great friend of mine, Denise.
And you will hear me debating with myself just how important a group they were.
Didn’t want to tick Denise off, lol!
Ironically, the more serious songs they did were relegated to B-sides.
But there is no denying the FUN factor of their music.
The first 2 songs I will play were huge here, yet oddly not even released as singles in Britain.
While I may be a little peculiar (yeah, that's NEW, lol!) with my selections in this Part One, by the time we get through the next episode, I guarantee I will have awakened many memory cells!
In fact, there is one here from 1965 that even I had forgotten- and listen for the Buddy Holly hiccup in it.
Although many critics dismissed them, they had players like Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones sitting in on their sessions.
So what if they weren’t the Beatles, Stones or Dylan.
Like I say, they were, and are, a FUN listen.
Enjoy!

Here's the link to 'ave a good time and 'ear some surprisingly good music, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1879


Mike

[Mike Pell]

RJ,
The only earbuds a person would borrow, they would have to be related to, lol!
I am not surprised you knew some of Herman's Hermits songs, and you will know more in Part Two...be here soon.
Yes I have seen "bloke" too, just not at my age in New York when that song was out.
And the word "pine" is in there?
Jeez, I 've never heard it!
I think of trees too, and I'm not even from Georgia, lol!
Figured you'd heard Henry VIII.
Yeah, show one "No Milk Today" person versus one who's "Got Milk"!
And although people seem to really like that song End Of The World, (and I said that it was an album cut that seemed to fit Peter Noone's voice), it is not the original.
It was a big hit in the U.S., #2 in 1963 for Skeeter Davis.
I'll have to send that one to you, so be on the lookout.
The one with the Buddy Holly hiccup was Just A Little Bit Better.
The Beatles took their NAME from Budy Holly's group the Crickets!
I can understand why you'd think of them.
But The Mosquitos...the BEST!
They can still keep me awake at night, lol!
You have a weird, entertaining mind my friend, thanks,
Mike

[RJhog (Admin)]

First of all, I borrowed some replacement earbuds from my son, so I was able to listen this morning. That being said, I wasn't expecting many bells to ring here for me because, although I've heard of Herman's Hermits, I really couldn't tell you a single song that they did. However, I have actually heard at least 3 or 4 of them.

I noticed Scott's comment on the "bloke" lyric, and yours as well on the show. I've seen that word a good bit in Classic Rock Magazine, which is produced in Europe. But I don't ever remember hearing it in a song until now. And another thing, they used the word "pine" in the same song (don't know if I spelled the word correctly), but every time I've heard the word pine in a song down here in Georgia, it refers to trees.

Henry VIII is one of the songs I've heard before.

I thought No Milk Today was a really cool song. And what a great title. I'd never guess a song that had that title would be something I would like. Seems like they could've used that in the "Got Milk?" add campaign in some fashion.

I also really liked End Of The World. What a great life lesson and message in this song. I love the lyric "live in happiness or dwell in misery". Honestly, that's what life boils down to. In my mind, the misery takes so much more energy from you than the happiness. Life's short, screw the misery and just be happy. Of course, I'm referring to all of the petty stuff. Anyway, the song has a great melody as well.

My last comment is on the song that has, according to the show, the Buddy Holly hiccup in it (I didn't get the title). For some reason, I thought of The Beatles, like I could hear them doing this song. That thought led me to the legendary band, even bigger than The Beatles. The band is The Mosquitos. Remember them, from Gilligan's Island? The plot was the same, some one ends up on the island, in this case the band The Mosquitos, everybody is ready to be rescued, it doesn't happen. But we get a performance by the band, which inspires the castaways to form a band, which makes The Mosquitos leave the island withought the castaways because they are scared of the competition. Don't ask me why I thought of all that, I just did.

Great and educational show Mike, as usual.

[Mike Pell]

RJ,
That's okay, I got it worse.
My left EAR is out- going to a doctor tomorrow.
Can hardly hear anything out of it.
It's like losing a speaker...a very expensive top-of-the-line speaker, lol!
It is preventing me from working on my annual George & John remembrance, and running out of time.
I prefer to use headphones for all my serious listening too!
Are the buds the costly kind to be repaired or easier to be replaced?
Good luck,
Mike

[Mike Pell]

Scott,
Oh man, never heard of them!
Where ya been, lol?
Another case of my moving into an older generation dammit!
You kids....hahahahaha!
They were putting on the English accents thick for a few of those songs.
Took me years to find out I am a bloke, lol, and it's "Enery"- and no "Willy"...why not?
But then why would a girl have a "Willy"?
They had an audience here because the music was so catchy from all those British Invasion groups, plus simply because they were British, that's all it took.
"Why the does the sun go on shining" is from the song End Of The World, a huge American hit by our own Skeeter Davis some years before.
"This door swings both ways" is telling a girl, and it just as easily could be a guy, what they deserve, come in or go out, and don't let the door hit you in the ass, lol!
Notice I said I wouldn't touch the implications of the title.
I've always liked the group, and Part Two will have even more quickly familiar songs that have been half or more forgotten.
Yes, Peter Noone (I always see the words no one when I see his name, lol!) did have a TV career but I missed it, as I will talk more about in the 2nd half.
I was drinking coffee, not drinking tea and certainly not smoking it.
Guess I need decaf, eh?
Hahahahahaha!
Great to hear from you pal, and thanks for listening,
Mike

[RJhog (Admin)]

Mike, it may be a few days before I can listen. My earbuds (the left one) aren't working, and I prefer to listen to the show using them. Too many distractions otherwise. Just didn't want anyone thinking I was skipping a show...

[Scott]

Going into this with a very open mind, Never heard them other than the radio stuff. I love the English accent that is obvious in the title! hahaha...

Interesting guitar on Mrs Brown lovely daughter tune, Unique technique! It's interesting when English acts sing their accent usually disappears, theirs seems to get stronger! And the Henry the VIII tune makes it even more apparent.

With Lyrics like "bloke", and 'Enry the Eighth I am", its a wonder they found an American audience. Is it 'Enry, or Enery? hahahaha...

I like the maturation of the music I hear as you play more tracks. Not sure they grew lyrically as much, but the music became more mature for sure.

Heres some choice lines....
"No milk today"
"Why the does the sun go on shining" (and various other questions of "why?") hahahaha
"This door swings both ways" (uhh.... not sure this meant the same thing back then as it would now, but ...)

I did love the "Kind of Hush" ending! It sounds kinda weirs to hear Jimmy Pages name associated to this type of pop music. Interesting though!

Didn't Peter Noon (is that right?) have some sort of career revival in the 80's? I recall seeing him on TV quite a bit back then but cant remember why...

Mike, were you drinking tea during this show?