The Searchers
Second Take - RCA 1971 ( 13-25 CD bonus-tracks )
Tracks: 1. Sugar And Spice / 2. Don't Throw Your Love Away / 3. Farmer John / 4. Come On Back To Me / 5. When You Walk In The Room / 6. Needles And Pins / 7. Desdemona / 8. Goodbye My Love / 9. Love Potion Number Nine / 10. Sweets For My Sweet / 11. Take Me For What I'm Worth / 12. What Have They Done To The Rain / 13. The World Is Waiting For Tomorrow / 14. Love Is Everywhere / 15. And A Button / 16. Sing Singer Sing / 17. Vahevala / 18. Madman / 19. Solitaire / 20. Spicks And Specks / 21. Bite It Deep / 22. Indigo Spring / 23. I Really Don't Have The Time / 24. Think Of My Life / 25. Don't Shut Me Out
Comments:
In 1971 the Searchers signed with the new British division of RCA along with another of the great bands of the sixties, the Kinks.
After their period with hits for Pye records had dried up around 1966, they changed to Liberty records, which did not help their career back on the right track. The Searchers still had ambitions to much more than just being a sixties revival band; unfortunately this was the idea RCA had with the band. The company wanted them to re-record their old Pye hit-songs. The Searchers did this in hope it would give them opportunities to record new material as well.
These re-recordings was released on a 1972 album called "Needles and Pins", often referred to as "Second Take". Though the re-recordings were quite well done, they did not have the magic of the originals. Fortunately two new songs also found way to the album. The great single Desdemona( a minor hits in the States ) and their own "Come on Back to Me".
These two tracks and most of the bonus-tracks make this CD a fine investment; and it certainly documents that RCA did a very poor job in re-lauching the Searchers.
The Searchers still wrote and recorded great material, but only few people noticed. "The World is Still W
aiting for Tomorrow", the B-side to "Desdemona" is another fine example of this.
They also recorded a fine version of "Solitaire" for a 1973 single. The five last songs are previously unreleased, and were probably recorded for an aborted second RCA album. A big shame because "Bite it Deep" and "Don't Shut Me Out" are the Searchers at their very best; and quite close to the sound they found with their two Sire albums that were to come.
Conclusion; this is a frustrating chapter in Searchers history, but still an important and exciting one.
Back to Band pages
| 
