The Sorrows were formed in 1963 in Coventry, England by Pip Whitcher.
They released their first album, Take a Heart, in 1965 on the Piccadilly Records label which was a subsidiary of Pye Records. The Sorrows were at the time the hardest, most aggressive and contemporary R&B band of that time. One of the most overlooked bands of the British Invasion, the Sorrows offered a tough brand of R&B-infused rock that recalled The Pretty Things and The Kinks They were excellent musicians, but the band never achieved too much success. After receiving some minor chart positions on the UK Singles Chart, Phil Packham and Don Fardon left the band.
Fardon then went on to have a UK chart hit with "Indian Reservation". Wez Price took Phil Packam's place on bass guitar, whilst Roger Lomas became lead guitarist and Pip Whitcher focused on vocals. The band relocated to Italy and received minor success. Following the band's break-up Whitcher and Lomas went on to record at Air Studios under Mike Sullivan.
Various line-up toured and recorded in Italy until 1970. An album "Old Songs New Songs" was released on the Italian Miura label in 1969.
Band Members:
Don Fardon (Maughn): born 19 August 1940 - vocals - left the band in 1966
Philip (Pip) Whitcher: born 1943 - lead guitar and vocals.
Philip (Phil) Packham: born 13 June 1945 - bass guitar - left in 1966
Wez (Wesley) Price: born 19 July 1945- rhythm guitar
Bruce Finley:born 20 September 1944 - drums
Roger (Rog) Lomas:born 8 October 1948 - lead Guitar. Joined late 1966 - Later member of the Dodgers
Chris Fryers:Keyboards and guitar. Joined late 1966
Discography:
1. Take A Heart - Pye NPL 38023 - 1965
Tracks:
1. Baby / 2. No No No No / 3. Take A Heart / 4. She's Got The Action / 5. How Love Used To Be / 6. Teenage Letter / 7. I Don't Wanna Be Free / 8. Don't Sing No Sad Songs For Me / 9. Cara-lin / 10. We Should Get Along Fine / 11. Come With Me / 12. Let Me In
Rating : 8
2. Aborted 1969 Album - Pye ( cover unrelated!! )
Tracks:
1. Hey Hey (alt) / 2. New York Mining Disaster/ 3. Answer My Questions / 4. Dear Mr. Fantasy (alt)/ 5. We Can Work It Out / 6. The Makers (alt)/ 7. Heaven Is In Your Mind (alt)/ 8. Dogs And Cats / 9. Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood / 10. Same Old Road / 6´7 Shark Fishing Blues
Rating : 5
3. Old Songs, New Songs - Miura MIU 10011 - Italy 1969
Tracks:
1. Same Old Road / 2. Hey Mr Policeman / 3. Heaven Is In Your Mind / 4 Mary J / 5. Hey Hey / 6. The Makers / 7. Io Amo Te Per Lei / 8. Mr. Fantasy / 9. Rolling Over / 10. 6´7 1/2" Shark Fishing Blues / 11. Per Una Donna... No / 12. Old Songs New Songs
Rating : 4
4. The Sorrows in Italy (comp.) - Eva Records Eva 12020 - 1984
Tracks:
1. Mi Si Spezza Il Cuore (Take A Heart) / 2. Same Old Road / 3. Rolling Over / 4. Heaven Is In Your Mind / 5. Hey Hey / 6. Old Songs New Songs / 7. Io Amo Te Per Lei / 8. Vivi (Baby) / 9. Hey Mr. Policeman / 10. Shark Fishing Blues / 11. Mr. Fantasy / 12. Mary J. / 13. The Makers / 14. Per Una Donna... No
Rating : 6
5. Pink, Purple, Yellow and Red ( comp.) - Bam Caruso 1987
Tracks:
1. Take a Heart / 2. Pink, Purple, Yellow and Red / 3. I Don't Wanna Be Free / 4. Don't Sing No Sad Songs for Me / 5. My Gal / 6. Baby / 7. No No No No / 8. Cara-Lin / 9. You've Got What I Want / 10. Let the Live Live / 11. Let Me In / 12. Come With Me / 13. How Love Used to Be / 14. Teenage Letter / 15. We Should Get Along Fine / 16. She's Got the Action
Rating : 9
6. Take a Heart - Sequel NECD 480 (comp.) - 2000
Tracks:
1. I Don't Wanna Be Free / 2. Come With Me / 3. Baby / 4. Teenage Letter / 5. Take A Heart / 6. We Should Get Along Fine / 7. You've Got What I Want / 8. No No No No / 9. Let The Live Live / 10. Don't Sing No Sad Songs For Me / 11. Let Me In / 12. How Love Used To Be / 13. Pink Purple Yellow Red / 14. My Gal / 15. Nimm Mein Herz / 16. Sei War Mein Girl / 17. Mi Si Spezza Il Cuore / 18. Vivi / 19. Verde Rosso Gialli Blu / 20. Zabadak / 21. La Liberta Costa Cara / 22. Take A Heart / 23. Let The Live Live / 24. Baby / 25. No No No No / 26. Take A Heart / 27. She's Got The Action / 28. How Love Used To Be / 29. Teenage Letter / 30. I Don't Wanna Be Free / 31. Don't Sing No Sad Songs For Me / 32. Cara Lin / 33. We Should Get Along Fine / 34. Come With Me / 35. Let Me In / 36. Gonna Find A Cave / 37. I Take What I Want / 38. Baby All The Time / 39. Hooky / 40. You're Still Mine / 41. Armchair King / 42. Do You Call That Love / 43. Phoenix / 44. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Rating : 9
7. Old Songs New Songs - Wooden Hill SKU: 10207 (comp.) - 2009
Tracks:
1. Same Old Road / 2. Hey Mr. Policeman / 3. Heaven Is In Your Mind / 4. Mary J / 5. Hey Hey / 6. The Makers / 7. Io Amo Te Per Lei (Which Way)/ 8. Dear Mr. Fantasy / 9. Rollin / 13. Per Una Donna. No (Listen To Me) (single) 14. Amore Limone (Each And Every Day)/ 15. Hey Hey (single)/ 16. 6 Ft 7 Inch Shark Fishing Blues (single)/ 17. Which Way / 18. My Way Of Thinking / 19. Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso #1 / 20. Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso #2 / 21. Ypotron // 1. Hey Hey (alt)/ 2. New York Mining Disaster / 3. Answer My Questions/ 4. Dear Mr. Fantasy (alt)/ 5. We Can Work It Out / 6. The Makers (alt)/ 7. Heaven Is In Your Mind (alt)/ 8. Dogs And Cats / 9. Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood / 10. Move Da Show* / 11. Matchbox/Rock And Rock Roll Music* / 12. Baby What You Want Me To Do* / 13. Bye Bye Bird* / 14. Let Me In* / 15. Whatd I Say* / 16. Dizzy Miss Lizzy* / 17. No Reply* / 18. A Little RocknRoll* / 19. 5-4-3-2-1* /20. Take A Heart* / (* = live reunion 1980 )
Rating : 7
Essential Albums!
Albums as listed and rated on “Rate Your Music” - July 12 - 2009
101 Take a Heart - 1965
816 Pink, Purple, Yellow and Red - 1985
843 In Italy - 1983
Check and Rate Here!
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My Suggestion For a 80 minutes (app.) Best Of Compilation:
1. Pink, Purple, Yellow and Red ( Reverberi/Despota ) Single 1967
2. Take a Heart ( Dallon ) Take a Heart
3. Don't Sing No Sad Songs for Me ( Brooks/Stillman ) Take a Heart
4. We Should Get Along Fine ( Whitcher/Fardon ) Take a Heart
5. Let Me In ( Dallon ) Take a Heart
6. Gonna Find a Cave ( Scott/Radcliffe ) Outtake
7. No No No No ( Whitcher/Fardon ) Take a Heart
8. How Love Used to Be ( Redfern/O'Sullivan ) Take a Heart
9. Let the Live Live ( Fardon ) Single 1966
10. My Gal ( Lovin Spoonful ) Single 1967
11. Which Way ( Fryers ) Acetate recorded late 1968
12. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes ( Kern/Harbach ) Outtake
13. Heaven Is In Your Mind ( Winwood/Capaldi/Wood ) Old Songs, New Songs
14. Mr Fantasy ( Winwood/Capaldi/Wood ) Old Songs, New Songs
15. Rollin' Over ( Marriott/Lane ) Old Songs, New Songs
16. Zabadak ( Howard/Blakeley ) Single 1968
17. Yprotron ( Fidenco ) Soundtrack song 1966
18. Pioggia Sui Tuo Visa #1 ( Nistri/Pilastra/Morricone ) Soundtrack late 1966
19. Pioggia Sui Tuo Visa #2 ( Nistri/Pilastra/Morricone ) Soundtrack late 1966<
20. Baby All the Time ( Unknown ) Outtake 65 / Take a Heart comp.
21. Hooky ( Lomas ) Outtake
22. Dogs and Cats ( Kit/Rod ) Aborted album
23. Answer My Questions ( Kit/Rod ) Aborted album
LINKS:
All Music
Unofficial site