Sometimes I feel the need to post something obvious to some, so here’s this year’s asinine contribution:
Gerry Mardsen (for his era) was a damn fine songwriter and musician.
Yeah, The Pacemakers were “in there”, sure they were, but they weren’t “stayed with” as they deserved, which is more than likely Epstein’s fault.
And except for Gerry, they weren’t really “pretty”, were they?
I am posting this because I miss Mr. Marsden, and I recently purchased an anthology (only available from Australia) of all their hits on 2 CD’s for only one song (I had all the others): “Right String Baby, Wrong Yo-Yo”
I first heard that song done by “Dr. Feelgood” (Piano Red), but when I heard it by Gerry and The Pacemakers, it began to rock.
And then was when me and my teen-age band (in the 60’s) began to roll.
Nothing really I need you to comment about, but I just always loved The Pacemakers for that song and many others.
Thanks for your indulgence. I know I don’t add much, but it’s nice to know that my words are being read as the AZ begins it’s “grip”.
I saw Gerry and the Pacemakers, Freddy and the Dreamers and another band I can’t recall at a college in Canberra sometime in the 70s. It was a free show in the student union. While the local support act was on a few friends and I snuck off to smoke some dope (no one was open about it then). We wandered into a room far from the music thinking it would be empty and lo and behold there were the 3 bands sitting around yacking and drinking. Rather than shoo out this group of teenagers* they said hello and were very friendly and welcoming. So we happily laid our meagre drug supply upon them and shared it with them.
The bands seemed to consist of Gerry and a lot of young guys and Freddy and a lot of young guys. They were both far, far better than they had been when they were big stars. The bands really rocked and they just tore the place up.
My enduring memory, apart from when the Pacemakers played, was just what a nice guy Gerry Marsden was. When we were talking I made some disparaging comment about the support band and he said, “If you get a chance to hear them again pay attention to the bass player, I would gladly play with him.”
Years later I was in the music business and, upon meeting all the “stars”, discovered how hard it is to be a success without becoming a dickhead.
I enjoy them, but was too young to appreciate them in their heyday. As a music geek, I have become more familiar with them and the other Mersey Beat bands that got caught up in the wake of the Beatles, but really only within the context of the Beatles’ story. I’ve seen and read many interviews and he seems like a great guy and the music was tight and solid.
If you read Bob Spitz’ bio of The Beatles, that whole Mersey period (and Epstein’s woefully immature management of them) is given a solid representation.
