Albums That Should Exist: Herman's Hermits - BBC Sessions, Volume 1: 1964-1966

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Herman's Hermits - BBC Sessions, Volume 1: 1964-1966

Some weeks back, I posted an unreleased cover songs album by Herman's Hermits that should have been released around 1968. I hope a lot of people here got to listen to it and realize the band is better than their reputation, because, let's be honest, their reputation is awful. When people look back at the big British Invasion bands, Herman's Hermits are usually considered the most slight and forgettable. To be honest, some of their material is rather cringe-worthy. But they also did a lot of excellent stuff. Yeah, they were very poppy, but in my opinion there are few things better than a really catchy and well put together pop song.

It doesn't surprise that Herman's Hermits played for the BBC a lot in the 1960s. I have no doubt the conservative BBC was more comfortable with their type of music than the likes of Pink Floyd or Jimi Hendrix. But what does surprise me is that NONE of the band's BBC recordings have been officially released. I suspect that's because their uncool image still dogs them until the present day. But that's a shame, because I think one can make a stronger case for the band through their BBC material than their albums and singles. The BBC versions tend to be less produced and more spontaneous, and those are almost always good things, in my opinion. But also, they played a fair number of songs they never recorded in the studio, and these songs are often more rocking. There's only a bit of that on this early volume, but they do play the blues classic "Got My Mojo Working" and the Carl Perkins rockabilly classic "Matchbox."

If you like the pop style of the Hollies, you should give this a try. I think they're still hurt by their image. For one thing, their name is awful. "Herman's Hermits" sounds like a name you shouldn't take seriously, something for teenyboppers. I wonder how different their reputation would be simply if they'd had a cool name, or even a generic name. And the looks and persona of lead singer Peter Noone also suggested an entertainer aimed at teenyboppers. But if you can look past all that and just focus on the music, there's a lot to like, even though there may be a few clunkers here and there.

This album is 45 minutes long. It's the first of four volumes.

Ironically, the bonus track "Fortune Teller" is the only officially released song here, yet it easily has the worst sound quality. (Thus its bonus track status.) I included it because it's a very rare example of the band playing in concert in their early days. Apparently when they got started they could hold their own with other British bands that were heavily influenced by American R&B, and this is an example of that.

01 Ain't That Just like a Woman (Herman's Hermits)
02 Show Me Girl (Herman's Hermits)
03 Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (Herman's Hermits)
04 Silhouettes (Herman's Hermits)
05 Wonderful World (Herman's Hermits)
06 Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (Herman's Hermits)
07 Dream On [Edit] (Herman's Hermits)
08 I'm Henry the VIII I Am (Herman's Hermits)
09 Travellin' Light (Herman's Hermits)
10 I'm Talking about You (Herman's Hermits)
11 Got My Mojo Working (Herman's Hermits)
12 Just a Little Bit Better (Herman's Hermits)
13 Sea Cruise [Edit] (Herman's Hermits)
14 Take Love, Give Love [Edit] (Herman's Hermits)
15 Walking with My Angel (Herman's Hermits)
16 The Man with the Cigar (Herman's Hermits)
17 Matchbox [Edit] (Herman's Hermits)
18 A Must to Avoid (Herman's Hermits)
19 Hold On (Herman's Hermits)
20 Where Were You When I Needed You [Edit] (Herman's Hermits)