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Sugar and Spice is the second studio album by the British rock band The Searchers released in 1963. This album features the band's second big hit single "Sugar and Spice". With two successful Top 5 albums in three months, and two other Top 3 hit singles at the time, the group proved to be the strongest to emerge from Liverpool next to the Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers. They solidified their position further with another album track, "Ain't That Just Like Me", which was later released in the US and hit #61 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3]
| Sugar and Spice | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 Oct 1963 | |||
| Recorded | 1963 | |||
| Studio | Pye Record Studios | |||
| Genre | Beat[1] | |||
| Length | 29:45 (1963 LP) 45:30 (2001 CD Reissue) | |||
| Label | Pye | |||
| Producer | Tony Hatch | |||
| The Searchers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sugar And Spice | ||||
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| Alternate UK cover art (1967) | ||||
.jpg) Sugar And Spice (Marble Arch Records) | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Record Mirror |  [2] |
Overview and recording edit
The first album single, "Sugar and Spice", was written by producer Tony Hatch (using the pseudonym Fred Nightingale in order to better convince the band to record it), and he felt the song had enormous hit potential, given its similarity to the group's previous No.1 hit "Sweets for My Sweet". Both songs are similar in style, backing vocals, chord progressions, and guitar solos. Hatch plotted for it to be the next Searchers A-side. Although they disliked it and initially opposed using it, they recorded the song. Chris Curtis was annoyed by the similarities to "Sweets for my Sweet" and refused to sing on it, although he did overdub the high-pitched harmony links between verses.[4] Nevertheless, the song reached No. 2 on the UK's Record Retailer chart, just one step behind the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand".[5]
With the massive popularity of the Searchers, Pye Records decided to release a follow-up album as soon as possible for the Christmas market. The group were pulled back to the studio in the middle of their UK tour with Brian Poole and the Tremeloes and Roy Orbison, and made the new album in just three days.[6] As with their debut album, it contained more numbers from their original stage repertoire. They covered tunes by their American idols, such as Buddy Holly ("Listen to Me", "Don't Cha Know"), girl group The Chiffons ("Oh My Lover"), and The Coasters ("Ain't That Just Like Me"), and also the Merseybeat standard "Some Other Guy", which became a staple ingredient in almost every Liverpool group's set-list.
The Beatles did "Some Other Guy". We did "Some Other Guy". The Big Three did "Some Other Guy". Everybody did "Some Other Guy". But, if you listen to all the versions of "Some Other Guy", or "Money", you’ll find that no two versions are the same.
Release edit
Sugar and Spice was released as a mono LP album on the Pye label in the UK in Autumn 1963, Pye NPL 18089. It entered the LP charts on 16 November 1963 and went to No. 5 (the band's first LP Meet the Searchers still occupied No. 3 that same week)[8] and stayed for 21 weeks.[9] Four of the album's tracks were later issued on the EP Hungry for Love, which went to No. 4 in the UK charts.[10] Sugar And Spice LP was not available in the US. Instead, five of the album's twelve tracks appeared on Kapp Records' release, Meet The Searchers / Needles and Pins, issued in North America only (and with two more on another US-only LP, This Is Us).[11]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sugar and Spice" | Fred Nightingale | Tony Jackson | 2:16 |
| 2. | "Don't Cha Know" | David Box, Ernie Hall | Mike Pender | 2:03 |
| 3. | "Some Other Guy" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Richard Barrett | Tony Jackson, Mike Pender | 2:08 |
| 4. | "One of These Days" | Ronnie Hawkins, Jacqueline Magill | Mike Pender | 2:17 |
| 5. | "Listen to Me" | Charles Hardin, Norman Petty | Tony Jackson, Mike Pender | 2:12 |
| 6. | "Unhappy Girls" | Fred Burch, Marijohn Wilkin | Mike Pender | 2:38 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Ain't That Just Like Me" | Earl Carroll, Billy Guy | Chris Curtis | 2:25 |
| 8. | "Oh My Lover" | Ronnie Mack | Tony Jackson | 2:25 |
| 9. | "Saints and Searchers" | Traditional; arranged by The Searchers | Tony Jackson | 3:17 |
| 10. | "Cherry Stones" | John Jerome | Tony Jackson, Mike Pender | 2:28 |
| 11. | "All My Sorrows" | Glenn Yarborough | Mike Pender, Chris Curtis | 3:26 |
| 12. | "Hungry for Love" | Gordon Mills | Tony Jackson, Mike Pender | 2:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "C'est De Notre Age" ("Sugar and Spice" in French) | Fred Nightingale (Translator: Michel Paje) | Tony Jackson | 2:15 |
| 14. | "Süß ist sie" ("Sugar and Spice" in German) | Fred Nightingale (Translator unknown) | Tony Jackson | 2:15 |
| 15. | "Ils la Chantaient Il y a Longtemps" ("Saints and Searchers" in French) | Traditional; arranged by The Searchers (Translator: Alain Gaunay) | Chris Curtis | 3:17 |
| 16. | "Saturday Night Out" | Mark Anthony, Robert Richards | Tony Jackson, Mike Pender | 1:45 |
| 17. | "Bye Bye Johnny" | Chuck Berry | John McNally | 2:46 |
| 18. | "I Don't Want to Go on Without You" | Bert Berns, Jerry Wexler | Mike Pender | 3:27 |
Personnel edit
The Searchers
- Tony Jackson - bass, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Mike Pender - lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals
- John McNally - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Chris Curtis - drums, backing vocals, lead vocals
Additional musicians and production
- Tony Hatch – producer, piano
- Ray Prickett – recording engineer
References edit
- ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Needles And Pins: The Beat Boom". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
- ^ Watson, Jimmy (16 November 1963). "The Searchers" (PDF). Record Mirror. No. 140. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Database". Billboard. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ Peter Doggett, Sugar And Spice (CD liner notes), Sanctuary Records, 2001.
- ^ "Searchers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ Peter Doggett, Sugar And Spice (CD liner notes), Sanctuary Records, 2001.
- ^ "Searchers: You've really got a hold on me". Record Collector. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Searchers: Official Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Searchers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Searchers: UK Discography". Fan page. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Exploring Sugar And Spice". Discog.com. Retrieved 6 February 2021.