 BEARING in mind his five-year-old succession of hit records, we thought it might be a good idea for Herman - again riding the chart - to gaze into the crystal ball to have a stab at predicting the 1969 pop scene. Would Britain or America lead the way with a "new sound?" Would 1969 see the re-emergence of big bands - as some old stagers are always forecasting. Doubtless with a nostalgic glance back at their fading press cuttings. One thing Herman is pretty adamant about: America is unlikely to produce anything very revolutionary. For in Herman's view, the USA has pretty well hit a dead end on the recording scene. "American records I listen to these days are absolutely diabolical," says Herman firmly. "They've really got in a rut. They don't seem to be able to hit back with anything to match the dent we've made on their market. They seem to have lost any sense of direction. "The New York stations are playing all that psychedelic scene stuff, while the mid-west stations are playing 'Yummy Yummy' type records. It's like having Des O'Connor and Nina Simone at No. 1 at the same time. But they are really a thousand miles apart. "Of course, what everyone needs is a new |
Beatles. "I saw Buddy Rich on the television recently and he said big bands were coming back. I'd like to see big bands come back. "But while Buddy Rich is so nasty, he can't possibly win the respect of young people - the very people who listen to Dusty Springfield. "Buddy is a tremendous drummer and musician, but by his attitude, he's done a lot of harm to big bands. "It's no good telling young people that Buddy has a great band and that he's a fine musician. They're more influenced by his attitude and personality. And a personality is so important. The Beatles have a lot of talent, but their personalities helped them along tremendously." Now that Herman is a happily married man (to Mireille), would he be taking it a little easier in the New Year? "I won't be doing any more of those 50-day tours," he said. "You do one of those and it takes you two years to get over it. "But this doesn't mean I shall be putting my feet up. I don't like sitting down. I don't believe in slippers by the fire, reading the 'Evening News' and all that gear. That's all right when you're eighty - not when you're twenty-one. "I am looking for a house in London, though. We live in a flat now. I'd like someplace that isn't too far out." And it's unlikely to be even as far out as the Dave Clark territory of Hadley Wood. For when this place was mentioned to Herman, he said: "Hadley Wood? Where's that?" Herman is not planning any radical changes in his recording policy. "Mickie Most picks all our material," he says. "He knows what's commercial. "We are recording other things. But they don't always work out. Look what happened to 'Museum.' That did only about 20,000. All our other singles have sold about 200,000." "'Something's Happening' is really a Christmas record. We thought we'd just release one for Christmas." Herman still has a yen for acting. "I flew to New York yesterday," he said. "It was to talk about several films." Herman may do some on his own - without the Hermits. "I'd like to do a straight acting role," he says. |