Gerry & the Pacemakers - Essential

Budget price collection from EMI features 28 tracks. Copy Controlled. 2003. Album Description

Comparing Compilations

There's more to the various Gerry & the Pacemakers `Best of' compilations than a mere variation in track count and/or choice.
The disc `The Best of Gerry & the Pacemakers: The Definitive Collection', released in 1991, offers most of its 25 tracks in stereo. The remastering (and in some cases remixing) has been very carefully done at Abbey Road Studios, where most of the tracks were recorded. The sound is very good, although some may argue it is not the original sound of the hits, as all singles were originally only issued in mono. Some stereo versions are quite primitive, as the tracks were recorded on 2-track: one for the backing track, one for vocals, just like the earliest Beatles recordings, but the people at Abbey Road managed to 'open' the sound. This CD also offers `Hello Little Girl', never before released - probably because The Fourmost had their recording released first (which was a minor hit).
Another good compilation is `Gerry & the Pacemakers at Abbey Road: 1963-1966': this offers 28 tracks (comprising the 25 of the aforementioned CD), but they are all in mono. This CD has been denoised, which, if properly done, will not degenerate the sound, but may affect the way you experience it. I found the sound to be a bit sharper, but not annoying. The booklet is very well done, detailing the band's history, and a bit of the history of Abbey Road studio's. This disc has been re-issued as `Essential', but alas without the informative booklet.
Recently the budget 2CD `The Best Of G&TP' has been released, offering 40 tracks, which is excellent value for money, but it leaves out some of the tracks which are on the other CD's, offering more album tracks like rock'n'roll and oldies covers.
All in all, I think that the choice is yours. If you come across a cheap compilation CD, other than the ones mentioned here, I recommend you listen to them first for sound quality - try before you buy! July 17, 2006

Everything you could want

This often overlooked group is very well represented on this great compilation. If you are not familiar with Gerry Marsden's band beyond his two famous songs "Ferry Across the Mersey" and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", this fills in the gaps quite nicely. If you are an avid Beatles fan, as I am, you already know that they had the same producer, George Martin, and that the Pacemakers inherited some early Lennon-McCartney compositions that the Fab Four passsed on, or never released. So, there is a similarity in sound, especially in the '63 - '65 songs. The difference is the Pacemakers never strayed from their roots, while the Beatles were constantly reinventing themselves. If your favorite Beatles period was when they just wanted to hold your hand, then you'll love this album. September 2, 2004

Though more MOR than most 'Invaders' - but 'very' excellent

Gerry Marsden had the perfect reedy voice to front this vintage British Invasion group. It was what really propelled them since their sound didn't include the close harmonies and/or twanging guitars of the Searchers and some of the other early British bands. Their sound was usually more middle-of-the-road compared with everyone else in the early stable.

Their initial propellant here in the U. S. was the absolutely gorgeously written-and-performed "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", which is high up on the list of greatest ballads of the last 50 years. It fit in well with the slew of mid-tempo tunes by the likes of the Searchers ("Don't Throw Your Love Away"), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas ("Bad to Me" and "Little Children"), Peter and Gordon ("A World Without Love"), and Chad and Jeremy ("Yesterday's Gone") from mid-spring of '64. These songs really defined the second wave of the 'Invasion'. It was an expressly magical moment for our young mid-sixties' generation.

When Gerry and the P's got bouncy, they ended up with mixed results. "How Do You Do It" was pleasant at best, though it charted relatively high. "I Like It" followed almost immediately in the U. S. and though pretty much a knockoff, nevertheless surpassed its model by a slim margin. And "La La La" never received the airplay it deserved - I think I only caught it once - it was possibly 4 out of 5 stars. I'm pretty sure "I'm the One" charted, but I don't think I ever heard it played.

"Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" was the only other of their ballads that fit into the neat compartment of the 'young sound' - in fact it became kind of an anthem, for obvious reasons. Some of the other ballads ("You'll Never Walk Alone", "Give Me All Your Love") seemed more like adult music (even the Beatles did this kind of stuff, but never released any as singles). They didn't sit that well with the teenage audiences who were buying most of the records, though "I'll Be There" was particularly gorgeous.

I myself was always on the lookout for their next great record, which finally came along in the shape of their only genuine rocker "It's Gonna Be Alright", definitely one of the very best songs the year it came out. Their last main chart success was the very groovy "Girl On a Swing", which fit in with the feel of some of the better late Herman's Hermits tunes from around the same time ("Listen People" and "There's a Kind of Hush"). It's definitely on the early edge of music from the 'Love Generation'. May 25, 2004

More than just the essentials

This is one of the better compilations of this group's music, containing the essential hits together with an interesting selection of other tracks that show their roots.

They began their career with three number one UK hits, these being How do you do it (an up-tempo song that was offered to the Beatles), I like it (another up-tempo song) and You'll never walk alone (the Rodgers-Hammerstein ballad from Carousel that became the anthem of both Celtic and Liverpool football clubs).

They never had another number one hit but they had three more top ten hits - I'm the one (a number two hit), Don't let the sun catch you crying (their first American hit) and Ferry cross the Mersey (also an American hit). Their only other UK hits were It's gonna be alright, I'll be there and Walk hand in hand.

Their early UK hits charted in America following the success of Don't let the sun catch you crying, though without the impact they'd had in the UK. Girl on a swing missed the UK charts completely but made the USA top thirty.

Those ten hits are the only essential tracks but they recorded many other fine songs including covers of fifties songs made famous by Chuck Berry, Hank Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis and others. Unlike some other Liverpool groups of the time, they did not look to the Beatles as a source of songs.

If you like the music of the Beatles, give Gerry and the Pacemakers a listen. You might enjoy their music. March 26, 2004

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