HERMAN . . . the little boy next door, plotting a practical joke to be played on the household kitten.      HERMAN . . .the truant teenager playing hooky from his classes.      HERMAN . . .the well-dressed English lad who was voted one of the ten best dressed men in England by the British Clothing Manufacturers.      HERMAN . . .the tease who smiles impishly while hundreds of girls are tearing after him as he races for a plane.      HERMAN . . .the 5'10" blue-eyed blond who smiles like a little boy, sings up a storm, and has created musical chaos wherever he had traveled in the world of pop.      Just 18-years-old now, Herman looks like the perennial little boy. And yet, when he steps onstage - he is an experienced showman, a master performer - able to grip the audience in his hands an maneuver them in any direction which he sees fit.      He has recently completed a successful American tour, which he and the Hermits headlined along with the Animals. All across the country, crowds gathered to watch the boys perform, and before he left our shores and returned home to his foggy isle - Herman had secured at least another million hearts as souvenirs of this latest American conquest.      Oddly enough - in an era of protest songs, war songs, and epics by Mrs. Miller - Herman sings good music. He sings songs which have a melody, songs which contain a lyric with some sort of meaning, rather than just two minutes of sheer nonsense.      Capable of singing pretty ballads, such as "Listen People" and "End of The World," Herman has also been responsible for introducing the wonderful element of satire into pop music, with his hit recordings of "Henry VIII," and "Mrs. Brown."      Just recently, the Hermits, led by their now de-fanged leader, Herman, appeared in their first feature film - "Hold On" - which has been well received all across the country. . . . HERMAN THE TEASE

. . . HERMAN THE BOY NEXT DOOR      So well received, in fact, was the flick, that the boys have been signed to a new, exclusive long-term contract with MGM. All of which means that we will be seeing a great deal more of Herman in the months and years to come.      There have been rumors flying of late that Herman might just want to venture off on his own, causing the breakup of the Hermits. It has been reported by The BEAT's Tony Barrow that Herman has some new ideas, musically, which he would like to experiement with, while the other Hermits are content to continue just as they are.      Problem here is that rumors of this sort are much too easily started, and even more easily continued - even when there is little reason for them.      Musically, Herman and the Hermits have succeeded in producing a wide variety of music, and have escaped falling into one "bag" and getting trapped there for any serious length of time.      And onstage, it is really only herman who is the star of the show, cavorting all over the stage and stirring up general pandemonium among the Hermits and amplifiers who also join him under the spotlights.      So, it seems unlikely that the group would deny Herman the opportunity to make constructive suggestions about their work and the music which they will be producing in the future.      In the meantime, the boys will be concentrating on their next movie, tentatively titled "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter," hoping to duplicate the success of their first feature film.      At the same time, their latest release - "This Door Swings Both Ways" is headed toward the top of all the national pop charts, and the door to success certainly seems to be swinging wide open for Herman. And if we know Herman - he's not about to let it swing shut too soon.

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