The Searchers and how how did Kapp get all those stereo mixes?

My stereo copy of BEWITCHED by Jack Jones (KS 1365) was mastered by George Piros at Fine Recording.

 

In my opinion, some of the Chris Curtis (sometimes with the rest of the group) compositions on the albums and B-sides are actually better than the corresponding A-Side. Fantastic writer. I read a comment from Curtis before his unfortunate passing that Tito Burns didn't want to put out Curtis-sung Searchers tracks as the top sides, because it wouldn't look good when they were miming for television. I guess he had it in for Curtis, because even when they did mime a Curtis lead on the tele (for example, Magic Potion on the '65 Bacharach special), there's hardly any camera time for the guy who's actually the lead singer!!!!!

 

Some people really have issues with drummers that are also a front man, for whatever reason.

 

Guys, a few years ago, all the Searchers KAPP stereo LPSs were released on CD, one album on each Cd. Does anyone know what reissue label released then and if they are still available? Thanks!

 

Think you're mistaken. As far as I know, the KAPP albums have never been reissued on cd. However, the first five PYE albums were reissued in mono/stereo + bonus track configurations by Castle/Sanctuary about a decade ago or so, and they sound pretty good. The singles are only in mono on these, though.

 

The running order on those Kapp LPs has never been reproduced on a CD counterpart. And I think there are a few stray stereo mixes from the Kapp albums that have never been on CD at all. ('Saturday Night Out' and 'I Pretend I'm With You' are two I can think of.)

 

I Pretend I'm With You is in stereo on Audio Fidelity's "The Collection".

 

MFSL also released two-fers of "It's The Searchers/Take Me For What I'm Worth" (mostly all stereo with a few mono tracks) and "Meet The Searchers/Sounds Like The Searchers" (all mono) on gold disc.

 

They wrote some very catchy B sides. However, I think they'd been listening to The Last Time when they wrote HGNL (was it a coincidence you mentioned Andrew Loog Oldham).

 

And many a Searchers session was mastered by Bob Auger if I recall correctly. Who did superb work.

 

These LP's remind me of old girlfriends ... I guess there was a reason these platters were saved from my mass trade-ins of vinyl when CD's hit. Such regents of other LP's

 

Yeah, there they all are. Which ones are the hardest to find now? I'd vote for stereo copies of "Needles and Pins" and "This Is Us" as being pretty tough to track down in 2013. (BTW - Ever notice the unreleased title on the front cover of 'Searchers No. 4?')

 

NO! My copy is like the cover shown at the BSN discography page. (http://www.bsnpubs.com/decca/kapp/1449.jpg)




What song did it promise? (The whole title isn't visible in your picture.)

 

The first edition of the album had "Can't You Just See Me" (an Aretha Franklin cover) as a title. The Searchers recorded the backing track, and Chris Curtis decided he wasn't getting enough out of it - so he rewrote the lyrics and it became a Searchers original, "I'm Your Lovin' Man". KAPP must have had a scoop on titles to be recorded so they could print US album covers. The second edition of the album (as shown above) corrects this issue.

 

Thanks for this thread, empirelvr. Love them Searchers!!

One of the best British invasion bands IMHO. Very underrated band, with an underrated family tree for sure, with drummer Chris Curtis and his connection with "starting" Deep Purple, which of course led to Ian Gillan (the voice of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar), also rock music giants like Rainbow and Whitesnake. Crazy.

I'd love to find those first 2 US Searchers albums on Compact Disc.

 

Hmmm..I'm not home right now but I *think* I might. I'll check when I get home and report back.

 

I do know that Kapp's matrix number assignation of "Love Potion Number Nine" would have been around the same time as that for "Needles And Pins." Still, that it was an earlier recording may explain why off the bat it was issued on 45 on their "Winners Circle Series."

 

I also would be curious as if all (Kapp) 5 LP's were done for US mono or UK versions. I have all 5 lp's in Stereo. Some research to be done.

 

Like to know the answers to the above questions. Another curiosity: apparently both 'Love Potion #9' and 'Bumble Bee' were first issued as singles with orange "Kapp Winners Circle Series" labels (the company's 'oldies' line). Never seen copies of either with the normal black labels.

 

Indeed. Never seen Bumble Bee or Love Potion #9 on Kapp except on the Winners Circle oldies line. Vinyl and styrene pressings exist. I have nice examples of Needles & Pins and Love Potion #9 on Kapp Winners Circle on vinyl. Complete with original sleeves.

 

Nope. Don't have it. Sorry.

 

One thing which makes Searchers records stand out from this era, was Bob Auger's engineering. His sound balances are amazingly fine.