I know this may surprise modern children but it wasn't until 1963, at the age of 14, that I got what we called in those days a record player. It was a shared Christmas present with my sister. Somehow, after a few months, it made its way into my bedroom. Obviously I had been aware of “pop” music before that and would listen each Sunday night, under the bed covers, to the Top 20 on Radio Luxembourg, I won't mention who I think the DJ was, on my transistor radio. Oh, go and look it up.

Also, on Sunday afternoons, I would listen to Pick of the Pops with Alan Freeman, a 1-hour show in which he played a few new releases, the biggest movers in the top twenty, an LP track (look that up too) and finally the complete top ten.

The first record I bought, most likely in January 1964, was "Sugar and Spice" by The Searchers, reading the record label I remember it was written by Fred Nightingale, who was later revealed as their recording manager, Tony Hatch. I then bought every Searchers single until one called "Kinky Kathy Abernathy", who, if I remember correctly, “looked so good, greatest thing created since motherhood". This was released in 1969 and my total Searchers collection was 17 singles and 3 LP's (do you know what they are now).

The group was formed in 1959 as a skiffle group (off you go – good god even the spellchecker didn't know this word, it wanted a sniffle group – that gets right up my nose) by Mike Pender and John McNally. Last year, 2016, I went to a concert of theirs in my local town and John McNally, now aged 75, was still there, playing brilliant guitar, singing more than he used to and exchanging witty quips with Frank Allen, who joined the group shortly after I became a fan in 1964, and is a mere 73. Mike Pender left in 1985 and was replaced by Spencer James, a positive babe at 63. Drummers have been less permanent with the present occupant, Scott Ottaway having been in situ since 2010 and being just 44.

To be honest, with LP tracks, “A” sides and “B” sides, I have found it really hard to just choose 5 songs but here they are.

By the way, I shall be watching them again this year and although many of the audience may have seen their best days, it is an amazing show. Should you wish to find out if they are near you, try this.

And, on the basis that you learn something new everyday, I had always believed that the sound they got at the live concerts I went to in recent years was achieved with a backing tape of strings and keyboard pre-recorded. I have now discovered that Spencer James is a master of the synthesiser guitar which allows them to achieve that sound and, in my eyes, makes him a bloody genius. He's got a great voice too.

Enjoy.

Late News: The Searchers have announced that as of the end of March 2019 they will be retiring. Fifty six years of touring will come to an end.

The sixties was a time of protest songs and this was one of the more gentler examples. It may surprise you youngsters to know that in my life time, we used to test nuclear weapons all over the place. Well, sort of remote places but once you put all that nuclear mushroom cloud into the atmosphere and it mixes with those nice rain clouds that drop their water in less remote places, who knows where the fall-out falls. Some people thought it was silly; they also thought nuclear weapons silly too. Of course these days everyone thinks nuclear weapons are silly, except their own.

Malvina Reynolds was one such person and she also happened to be a song writer. She didn't start writing songs till she was into her 40’s so there’s hope for us all. Well, you more than me probably, but don’t tell me. This song, sung by The Searchers, was her protest about nuclear fall-out and was written in 1962, she was aged 62 at the time. A year or so later a test ban treaty was signed by some countries.

The Searchers version appealed to my folksy nature with bongos replacing drums and a string section joining in halfway through.

I found this live clip from 2017 at one of their many shows they still do each year. John McNally, on the right as you look, is nearly 76, Frank Allen, in the middle, is appoaching 74 while Spencer James, on the left, who joined the group in 1986, is now 64. You may wonder, if you didn't read the bit above, how a group of four guys stood on stage can sound like an orchestra. If you watch Mr James' hands at the end of this song you may have a clue. I understand he is a great exponent of the guitar synthesiser, which until recently I had never heard of and he can make his guitar sound like an orchestra.

I was actually looking for the second song on this medley when I came across this recording from 2009. The first song is already in my list of 30 favourites, although by a slightly less illustrious vocalist. It was actually The Searchers version I first heard and fell in love with but the second song needs to be played at my funeral. It says it all. It is only in the last seven or so years that I have understood me so how the hell did anyone else have a chance?

These songs were the last two tracks on the LP on which "Take Me For I'm Worth" was the title track. In my mind, probably the best Searchers LP. The song was written by P.F.Sloan who was an American folk and protest singer/songwriter. His most famous number, written when he was 19, was “The Eve of Destruction” recorded by Barry McQuire, which, very, very sadly could still apply today, some 52 years later. How sad.

This clip is taken from a live performance in 2009 and they do it just as well today. McNally leads the singing on "Four Strong Winds" with Frank Allen taking the second verse while Spencer James sings on the P.F.Sloan song. This is just as good as a live version could get.

Please note my earlier comments about audience age but they can still get their hands above their heads; nearly.

You might like to check this out. P f Sloan talks about the songs and sings it too. He died in 2015.

Two of the biggest hits The Searchers had were connected to an American lady called Jackie De Shannon. She had recorded a version of "Needles and Pins", co-written by Sonny Bono of Sonny and Cher fame, and they covered this and then they recorded De Shannon's own composition When You Walk In The Room.

This song, "Each Time", was also on the “Take Me For What I'm Worth” LP (see I told you it was good) and I have heard De Shannon wrote it specially for them.

Whatever, I love the guitar sounds as well as the lyrics. Definitely one of my all time favourites.

No video this time but a track from that LP. Pender and Curtis sing and, I am guessing, that someone, possibly Pender but also maybe McNally, was playing a 12-string guitar on this. It was a bit of a trademark sound for them.

By the time this song came out in November 1967, The Searchers no longer graced the charts very often. In 1965 they had released their first self-penned single called “He's Got No Love”. Their last chart entry was for a song called “Have You Ever Loved Somebody” which reached number 48 in October 1966. “Secondhand Dealer" was also self-penned and because it told a story, I loved it. It was tragic but it could so easily have been true.

It was also their final song for Pye records which had seen them have 3 Number Ones, spend 7 weeks at the top of the charts, have 12 different entries in the Top 40 and spend a total of 107 weeks there.

I decided I wanted to finish with a song The Searchers do in their concerts today, "The Rose". It is an incredible song. It was recorded by Bette Midler and it came from the film of the same name. The song was written by Amanda McBroom of whom I have never heard but as she has probably never heard of me, I guess that's OK.

The film was loosely based on the story of Janis Joplin, loosely as Joplin's family refused to allow anyone to say it was based on her life. I love the song, the sentiments, the whole thing. I am just so happy that, “as a soul afraid of dying”, I did learn to live.

Spencer James sings and no other words are necessary, except I wanted to put the lyrics up here. They are beautiful.

Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed

It's the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taking, who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter, beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love, in the spring, becomes the rose