This issue is about  the Searchers 7th Pye single WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE

RAIN (Malvina Reynolds) b/w THIS FEELING INSIDE (John McNally)

Three nice shots from Ready Steady Go - performing What Have They Done…

COUNTRY	LABEL+No.	REL.DATE	PIC.COV.	CHARTS*WEEKS
UK	Pye 7N 15739	11/1964	no	13 * 11
US	Kapp 644	1/1965	no	29 * 8
Germany	Vogue 14277	12/1964	yes	24 * 5
Sweden	see UK	1965	yes	7 * 8
Denmark	see UK	1965	yes	unknown
Australia	Astor AP 1087	1964	no	didn't chart
Italy	Pye 45NP5077	1965	yes	unknown
Japan	Pye LL 799 Y	1965	yes	unknown
Ireland	see UK	1964	no	didn't chart
Netherlands	see UK	1964	yes	25 * 9
South Africa	Pye 19	1964	no	Top Five
Philippines	Pye ???	1964	no	unknown

The A-side was mainly sung by Mike supported by Chris and Frank. Different to the ususal instrumentation Chris played bongos (which he found a bit funny on TV) and the group used strings, prior to the Beatles. According to Record Collector "This was radical departure from the normal beat group sound of the time, and it was a measure of the bands popularity that it reached as high as no. 13." Once again the group had been very innovative - a thing ignored by most people. The flip side - sung by Mike with Chris - has a catchy melody, nice vocals and good lead guitar throughout the whole song. This is also John McNally's first recorded composition (although credited to the whole group). He really has a feeling for good melodies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

above: promo UK and US

below: Netherlands (still with Tony!) and Germany

above: Denmark and Italy

below: Philippines and Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The single also appeared on three eps: Spain (see below), Sweden, Japan and the

UK (this one will be in the next chapter - as it is combined with the next single)

above left: Cover of the Swedish Ep left: Sampler Ep from New Zealand.                             An identical release also came out in the UK.

Japan: What..., Love Potion No. 9, It's In Her Kiss & Bumble Bee,  released in June 1965,

no.: LSS-302-Y - this had to be played at 33 rpm.

 

In Germany What.. was only the b-side. Vogue made one single out of a British and an

American (Love Potion...) success.

What... was the last single of the Searchers' most successful year, 1964. They had 5 hits,

two at no. 1, one top ten hit and two top twenty songs. Four eps and their three lps were

in the charts as well.

And they had managed to survive after the first personnel change in a major group of the

time.