Gerry and the Pacemakers

Gerry and the Pacemakers
The band in 1964.
Background information
Origin	Liverpool, England
Genres	Merseybeat, pop
Years active	1959–66
Labels	Columbia (EMI) (UK) Laurie Records (US) United Artists (US) Capitol Records (Canada)
Website	gerryandthepacemakers.co.uk
Members	Gerry Marsden Freddie Marsden Arthur Mack Les Chadwick Les Maguire

Gerry and the Pacemakers were an English beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin.^[1]

They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with their first three single releases: "How Do You Do It?", "I Like It" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".^[2] This record was not equalled for 20 years,^[2] until the mid-1980s success of fellow Liverpool band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Consequently, they stand as the second most successful pop group originating in Liverpool. Another of their most famous songs, "Ferry Cross the Mersey", refers to the River Mersey that flows into Liverpool.

History

Gerry Marsden formed the group in 1959 with his brother Fred, Les Chadwick and Arthur McMahon. They rivalled the Beatles early in their career, playing in the same areas of Hamburg, Germany and Liverpool.^[1] McMahon (known as Arthur Mack) was replaced on piano by Les Maguire around 1961.^[1] They are known to have rehearsed at Cammell Laird shipping yard at Birkenhead. The group's original name was Gerry Marsden and the Mars Bars,^[3] but they were forced to change this when the Mars Company, producers of the chocolate Mars Bar, complained.^[4]

The band was the second to sign with Brian Epstein, who later signed them with Columbia Records (a sister label to the Beatles' label Parlophone under EMI).^[1] They began recording in early 1963 with "How Do You Do It?", a song written by Mitch Murray, that Adam Faith had turned down and one that the Beatles chose not to release (they did record the song but insisted on releasing their own song, "Love Me Do").^[5] The song was produced by George Martin and became a number one hit in the UK, the first by an Epstein Liverpool group to achieve this on all charts, until being replaced at the top by "From Me to You", the Beatles' third single.^[6]

The 'Shankly Gates' entrance to Liverpool's home stadium Anfield. The anthem of Liverpool F.C., "You'll Never Walk Alone" is sung by its fans before the start of each home game with the Gerry and the Pacemakers version played over the PA system.

Gerry and the Pacemakers' next two singles, Murray's "I Like It" and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone", both also reached number one in the UK Singles Chart,^[7] the latter recorded instead of the Beatles' "Hello Little Girl", which went on to become the first hit for the Fourmost. "You'll Never Walk Alone" had been a favourite of Gerry Marsden's since seeing Carousel growing up. It quickly became the signature tune of Liverpool Football Club and, later, other sports teams around the world.^[8][9] The song remains a football anthem, there and elsewhere, inspired by Gerry Marsden's rendition rather than the Broadway original.^[10] The group narrowly missed a fourth consecutive number one when "I'm the One" was kept off the top spot for two weeks in February 1964 by fellow Liverpudlian's The Searchers "Needles and Pins".

The group's New York arrival in 1964.

Despite this early success, Gerry and the Pacemakers never had another number one single in the UK. Gerry Marsden began writing most of their songs, including "I'm the One","It's Gonna Be All Right" and "Ferry Cross the Mersey", as well as their first and biggest US hit, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", which peaked at No.4, and which Gerry Marsden initially gave to Decca recording artist Louise Cordet in 1963.^[1] She recorded the song (Decca F11824), but without commercial success. The song, written by all bandmembers, has also been covered by Les Carle, the Lettermen, Jackie DeShannon (This Is Jackie DeShannon album, 1965), José Feliciano, Dr. John, Rickie Lee Jones, Gloria Estefan (Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me album) among others.^[11] They also starred in an early 1965 film called Ferry Cross the Mersey (sometimes referred to as "Gerry and the Pacemakers' version of A Hard Day's Night"), for which Marsden wrote much of the soundtrack.^[1] The title song was revived in 1989 as a charity single for an appeal in response to the Hillsborough football crowd disaster, giving Marsden – in association with other Liverpool stars, including Paul McCartney and Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Holly Johnson – another British number one.^[1][12]

In the US, their recordings were released by the small New York City record label Laurie in 1963, with whom they issued four singles during 1963 without success (as listed below). When the Beatles broke through in January 1964, Laurie's next regular single release of "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying became a big hit and during 1964 Laurie coupled "How Do You Do It?" with "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Laurie 3261) and "I Like It" with "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" (Laurie 3271) with some success.

By late 1965, their popularity was rapidly declining on both sides of the Atlantic.^[1] They disbanded in October 1966,^[1] with much of their latter recorded material never released in the UK.

Drummer Freddie Marsden, born Fredrick John Marsden, 23 November 1940, at 8 Menzies Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, died on 9 December 2006 in Southport, age 66.

On 15 March 2017 Gerry Marsden collapsed onstage at a Gerry and the Pacemakers concert in Newport, South Wales, UK, and was helped offstage after telling the audience he was scheduled to undergo knee surgery the next week. Gerry did not return, and a spokesperson said only that he was "ill".

Discography

Singles

In the United States, a different series of Gerry and the Pacemakers' singles was issued, as their Laurie Records label created more albums, and at least two singles, which were never issued in Britain. This was a standard practice at the time; it also happened with the Beatles and the Dave Clark 5.^[13]

(Note: The US single Of "I'll Be There" is an alternate take and all subsequent reissues used the original UK take.)

Albums

† – Soundtrack, includes other artists

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of artists by total number of UK number one singles
• List of Columbia Graphophone Company artists
• List of bands from Merseyside
• List of performers on Top of the Pops

Quotation

In 1963, Gerry Marsden was quoted as saying –

NME – August 1963^[15]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gerry and the Pacemakers.

• Official Site
• Classic Bands history page
• Gerry and the Pacemakers fan site