“An amazing Searchers recording log!” – Mike Pender MBE
Liverpool has always been a hotbed of musical talent, from Frankie Vaughan, Alma Cogan and Billy Fury in the ‘50s, to The Real Thing, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and The Christians in the ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond. But it will always be remembered the most for that musical explosion of the ‘60s, when, for one brief moment, the city was the cultural centre of the universe, with artists that include The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer, Cilla Black, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Merseybeats, The Fourmost, and of course The Searchers.
Famous for their pioneering brand of jangly, harmonised Pop, they proved to be one of the most influential groups of all, with The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello and The Attractions, The Ramones and The Pretenders amongst those who took inspiration from the band. Yet, they’re also one of the most eclectic, with a musical legacy that encompasses Folk, Country, Rhythm ‘n’ Blues, Rockabilly, Soul, Garage, Psychedelia, Bubblegum, Proto-Glam, Reggae, Country-Rock, Orchestrated Ballads, Power Pop, New Wave, and even Power Ballads and Synth-Pop.
Profiling demos, singles, album tracks, live recordings, outtakes, radio broadcasts, solo projects and more, and with a foreword by Mike Pender MBE, ‘The Searchers – Crazy Dreams!: Every Song from Every Session, 1963-2023’ is the ultimate guide to their extraordinary 60 year career.
