INTO SOMETHING GOODSeveral sages, who had not foreseen the coming British Invasion, prophesied that it was impossible for the UK to keep up its supply of high standard groups. Nevertheless, as the months passed the list of transatlantic hit-makers grew, with the fall seeing the rise in the USA of not only major artists Herman's Hermits, The Animals, The Kinks and The Zombies, but also one-hit wonders The Nashville Teens and The Honeycombs.Herman's Hermits were aguably second only to The Beatles in the hearts of American teenage girls in the mid-1960s, although, unlike their Liverpool rivals, they did not have the Midas touch when it came to composing their own hits. Therefore, much credit for their continued success should be shared with their producer Mickie Most. Most not only selected the right songs to record, but also knew which of these would be best suited for their US fans, and which ones his British followers would prefer. The group's debut disc, "I'm Into Something Good", topped the British chart giving imp-like 16 year old Peter 'Herman' Noone and his clean-cut companions the first of their 14 American and 15 UK Top 20 singles. This amiable and wholesome group appealed not only to teenagers but also to their parents. From the start, Noone knew his potential audience. 'On stage I make myself look as young as possible' he confided, 'and then all the girls in the audience go "aahh, isn't he nice".' Noone brought out the mothering |
 instinct in his fans by playing on his 'little boy lost' image, and the group's sales of over 40 million records verify that this was an astute move. In 1965, at the height of 'Hermania' in America, the group amassed 600,000 advance orders for their version of 'Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter', a music hall styled song which entered the US Top 100 at No. 12, a feat not bettered by The Beatles at the time. Incidentally, they recorded this song (which had been featured in their stage act for some time) in just 10 minutes at the end of an album session. Herman's Hermits may have been a lightweight pop group - but they were heavyweights in that lucrative field. |