Customer Reviews

Definitive Collection: Best of

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As part of the first wave of British Invasion bands, Gerry & the Pacemakers had a brief but brilliant career. Except for their final chart single in 1966 all of their hits came in a brief 10-month period.

The group, led by singer-guitarist Gerry Marsden, became the second band signed by Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. Like the Beatles, they also used George Martin in the studio, they played the Cavern and the Hamburg club scene (often sharing the same bill), and were the second Liverpool band to play the Ed Sullivan Show--three months after the Beatles.

Their first UK hit was "How Do You Do It," a song the Beatles rejected in favor of the Lennon-McCartney "Please Please Me." They would follow that up with another Mitch Murray tune "I Like It" and then the Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune ""You'll Never Walk Alone." All three songs went No. 1 in the UK. [The only group (other than Frankie Goes To Hollywood 21 years later) to have their first three singles go to No. 1 in England--not even the Beatles did this! "You'll Never Walk Alone" is finally released in the US almost two years later, but by then the band's popularity is waning and it fizzles at No. 48.]

While George Martin convinced Gerry & the Pacemakers to record someone's else's song for their first hits, Marsden (like Lennon and McCartney) would compose most of the rest of their hits, including the gorgeous ballads "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and "Ferry Cross the Mersey."

In January of 1965 the film Ferry Cross the Mersey is released. Another Marsden original "It's Gonna Be All Right" is taken from the film. Unlike their previous ballad-style numbers, this is a faster tempo song but reaches only U.S. No. 23. It marked the beginning of the end. It would be another year before Gerry & the Pacemakers would release their final chart single "Girl on a Swing." It would do no better than No. 28 in the U.S. and it failed to chart in the UK.

Here's where the Beatles and the Pacemakers parted ways. The Beatles took their eary Merseybeat sound and evolved musically. The Pacemakers did not. By the time "Girl on a Swing" was on the U.S. charts, the band had split up. What they left behind is a collection of wonderful songs to remind us of everything that was vibrant and exciting about the early sixties British pop scene. RECOMMENDED

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, were 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!

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 often pretty middle-of-the-road compared with everyone else in the early stable.

Their initial propellant 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 mediocre 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 good 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'.

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 of which a selection is included here. Unlike many British compilations, this American set avoids covers of classic fifties songs, instead focusing more on their original material.

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

This CD contains not only Gerry & The Pacemaker's hits, but also some of their less common work, which is just as fantastic. The osund quality on this CD is also amazing! Very clean and sharp to listen too. This CD won't disapoint.

...if you like the Beatles, DC5, Turtles, Herman's Hermits, etc. Pick up this collection and you'll be singing along on the first pass, wondering why you don't hear more of G&Pmakers on oldies stations today, instead of "Happy Together" for the nth time. That's ok, you'll have the Pacemakers all to yourself. Marsden's energy, charm, and enthusiasm are incredible, due in part no doubt to George Martin.

Gerry & The Pacemakers had always been one of my favorite groups from the British Invasion. I never cared to compare them to the Beatles, simply because they sounded different and original enough to succeed on their own.

I have always thought that Gerry Marsden(spelling??) had one of the clearest and distinct voices of any pop singer I'd ever heard. The fact that the original recordings were well done is revealed in this clean sounding collection. The songs are timeless, and the recording quality is changes very little from song to song...my 45's and Lp's NEVER sounded this good!

This collection touches all the bases, and includes tracks that were nothing less than a nice surprise..I don't want to into a track by track annotation...let's just say it's all good,and a must have for any fan of great British Pop.

Thats why they call it the definitive collection!
Includes all of his hits and B sides too....one or two LP tracks...and it doesnt include the bad Lp tracks either, the only downside is it misses a couple good Lp tracks, but i guess 25 songs was collectables limit(not bad for a label who usually has 12 songs on their cds). Great cd.......Buy it now

Gerry Marsden could sing with the best of the British invasion singers. Most of his hits took a strong voice and some great music arangements by George Martin. "I Like It", "How Do You Do It" and "Ferry cross the Mersey". You have to love them and you gotta let Gerry sing them.

I purchased this just for a few songs which I enjoyed listening too. But Alas! What a surprise. All the songs were enjoyable. It had stuff I've never heard. Really great. Buy Buy Buy..I know I'll enjoy this CD for the rest of my life. Try it, you'll like it!