Customer Reviews

British Invasion: Gerry & The Pacemakers - It's Gonna Be All Right, 1963-1965

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This DVD nicely covers Gerry & The Pacemaker's history in a way that will entertain both newcomers as well as seasoned fans. It tells the group's story by moving from modern commentary to vintage clip.

Commentary is provided by Gerry Marsden(from the current Cavern in Liverpool) as well as Mersey Beat editor Bill Harry, and fans who plan to purchase the T.A.M.I. SHOW DVD will be happy to know that this DVD doen't include any footage from that Pacemakers' performance.

Gerry's commentary is interesting, entertaining, and informative. It's a delight to watch & you'll learn a lot too.

Sure there are plenty of vintage clips that don't appear on this DVD but what is included nicely illustrates what made Gerry & The Pacemakers unique and, at the same time, inseperable from the Mersey musical scene they were unmistakably part of.

If you don't want the commentary you can just watch the musical clips(two additional performances included) and there are further extras featuring Gerry in one and Bill Harry in the other. Harry also wrote the bulk of the fine booklet notes.

I was honestly surprized how much I liked this DVD. It's great!

It's Gonna Be All Right: 1963-1965 is one of four documentaries released as part of a five-DVD British Invasion box set by Reelin' in the Years Productions. Of the four artists profiled (which also include Dusty Springfield, the Small Faces and Herman's Hermits), Gerry & the Pacemakers might seem the most lightweight. But like all of the artists in this series, what U.S. audiences saw were just the tip of a larger artistic iceberg, and this collection of seventeen vintage musical performances and interviews, television and stage appearances, and contemporary interviews with Gerry Marsden and Bill Harry (founder of the Mersey Beat newspaper) tells more of the band's story beyond their oft-anthologized hits. The Pacemakers emerge as early exponents of Liverpool's beat rock, and an act that vied with the Beatles for the seaport town's music fans.

The parallels between the Pacemakers and the Beatles are many. Both were Liverpool bands with Skiffle roots that turned to covering American R&B. But honed their live performances in demanding Hamburg gigs, played the Cavern Club, were managed by Brian Epstein, wrote some of their own hits, were produced by George Martin, starred in their own film (Ferry Cross the Mersey), toured America and appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. The Pacemakers' music wasn't as edgy as the Beatles, and Marsden never really varied from his smiling, sometimes hammy, showmanship as a front-man. The group broke in 1963 with "How Do You Do It?" and "I Like It," and crossed the Atlantic the following year with "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying." Their earlier U.K. singles would find later success in the U.S., though "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "I'm the One" (#1 and a #2, respectively) remained UK-only hits.

The group was on the front-lines of the British Invasion, appearing in the 1964 T.A.M.I. Show, but like many of their peers, they never really evolved. Their success in the UK tailed off in 1965, they charted their last single in the States with 1966's "Girl on a Swing," and disbanded a month later. Unlike the Small Faces and Herman's Hermit's volumes, this film provides little documentation of the band's musicians, and few details of their time in the studio or on the road; this is more a nostalgic pass through their catalog (including a nice anecdote about "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying") than a revelatory document of the band's history. In addition to the 72-minute documentary, the full individual performances can be viewed via DVD menu options. Bonuses include additional interview footage with and extensive liner notes by Bill Harry. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Bought this in the 3 pack along with Hollies and Herman's Hermits. It was definitive music, creative and fun as were the times back then; and all these years later, people are wanting to hear this music still today. These dvd documentary disks are the most amazingly professionally produced product I have seen for any 1960's groups and were put together in the best format I have ever experienced. Quality in every way from the interviews to the many live performances on each dvd.

So good to see and hear these performers again as there is nothing today in music that will ever match the "love of simply performing the music, not for the money" mentality of so many groups we had in the 60's.

Gerry And The Pacemakers reset the bar for the British Invasion. Their Beat music was a blast, but when "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" and "Ferry Cross The Mersey" haunted the radios, it stopped you in a trance. Gerry's great voice was destined for moody ballads with graceful builds. Panoramic but personal. No wonder his cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone" became a stadium anthem moving global crowds to this day.

But Gerry Marsden also rocked and this terrific disc proves it. The energy and melodies of "I'm The One" and "It's Gonna Be Alright" are as contagious as anything from "A Hard Day's Night". His astute taste in American platters sparkles through "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues", "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", and "Skinny Minnie". And of course Merseybeat faves like "How Do You Do It?" and "I Like It" are here to shine. A special revelation is the rollicking piano of amiable Les McGuire, putting the roll into all that rocking.

Between clips the personable and funny Marsden quips anecdotes about early British rock, the Reeperbahn scene, The Beatles, and the Mersey explosion. Also, Liverpool music scholar Bill Harry gives us the big picture. Gerry caps it off with a 2009 solo performance of "Ferry Cross The Mersey" at the Cavern Club that tops the disc like a cherry on ice cream.

If you are a fan of the British Invasion and Gerry and the Pacemakers this DVD must be in your collection! One thing I didnt know is that Gerry and the boys did a kick ass version of Summertime (and I thought Billy Stewart was the only great one) as well as his other hits. What makes this DVD so awesome is the fact that the shots are pristine and the interviews with Gerry and other people around at the time are so informative you feel like you are in London or Britain with the group themselves.
Towards the end of this masterful production Gerry talks about what made each Pacemaker special, and why they broke up. He claims they didnt keep up with the times, they were lazy and just didnt want to deal with the business anymore. After watching this I was a little heartbroken because they were so talented they could have easily gone into the 70s with their peers like the Animals, and the Hollies. I guess this group was like the Searchers, and Billy J Kramker and the Dakotas they are one of the forgotten groups of this wonderful genre. I am a 49 year old black female who wants to thank the Brits for giving us this wonderful group and their wonderful music! This is a must buy!

"Gerry & The Pacemakers - It's Gonna Be All Right: 1963-1965" (British Invasion series)
(Reelin' In The Years, 2010)
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This DVD, available either as part of the fab, gear "British Invasion" box set, or on its own, is an endearing, nostalgic look back at one of the key bands of the early 1960s "Merseybeat" scene. It mixes new interviews with marvelous black-and-white archival footage (including a remarkable performance at a mammoth New Musical Express concert) and can be viewed either with the interviews or just viewing the complete performances drawn from TV appearances and other film sources.

Gerry & The Pacemakers were perhaps the biggest commercial success to come out of the early Liverpool/British Invasion scene (other than the Beatles, of course...) They scored several chart-topping hits, and had a nice way with a catchy melody. In contrast to the Fab Four, who made it all seem so easy, the Pacemakers looked like one of the most hard-working bands in the world -- it was decidedly effortful, but also immensely charming, in no small part because of the band's innately British homeliness. In a 2009 interview, lead singer Gerry Marsden cheerfully recalls how one fan, at the height of the band's fame, came up and thanked him for making "ugly" people look cool... And indeed, like many British stars of the time, Marsden was pretty geefy-looking: that's part of the charm, as he throws himself body and soul into every twee tune he belts out. The Pacemakers mainly played safe-sounding rock'n'pop, but they were a tight band, and Marsden had a delightfully imperfect voice, accentuated by a relentlessly upbeat stage persona. Fans will luxuriate in these vintage performances, and students of pop culture will appreciate the glimpse back at the teen scene that the Beatles came out of, and a sense of the caliber of the other bands on the scene at the time. Ultimately, when rock went psychedelic the Pacemakers weren't able to change their style and keep up with the times. But the Beat hits and sweet ballads they recorded when they were at the top of the pops stand the test of time -- this documentary is a worthy tribute to a perky, significant band. It's a fun film; if only every band of the era could be so well served. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Music Guide)

If you liked the music of Gerry & The Pacemakers, you'll enjoy this DVD. Numerous concert and old interview sections with interesting comments and background from Gerry & the creator of Liverpool's pop rag Mersey Beat, Bill Harry. Wraps up with a 2009 solo Gerry strumming his Rickenbacker and singing "Ferry Cross The Mersey" while standing in the 2009 Cavern Club, a nice touch :-)

I dearly love the music of the British Invasion, especially the stuff from Liverpool, and it's great to see all these vintage clips of Gerry and the band. I especially liked the interview segment where he said he takes his grandson on the ferry!

G&P have officially been released on DVD! Great footage! I have a big G&P website and I have never seen a few of these clips. If you like Gerry, British Invasion, or good early-mid 60s music, you'll love seeing these adorable guys again.

This historical snapshot of a very significant time in rock/pop music is a must for British Invasion fans or simply Beatles fans. It is extremely well-done and entertaining. I have always been a fan of Gerry and the Pacemakers and am even more so now. What they did in the time frame in which they did it is extraordinary. Not interested in developing away from what they started with, they remained true to themselves to the end. Gerry Marsden was a unique vocalist, a fantastic songwriter ("Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", "Ferry Cross the Mersey", etc.)
and really accomplished guitarist. The group's skills honed in Hamburg, Germany along with the Beatles resulted in a true supergroup whose statistics in the British pop charts have never been exceeded. I strongly recommend this DVD!