Last year, John McNally and Frank Allen of The Searchers announced that the Merseybeat band would be retiring in 2019, some 60 years after McNally co-founded the group and 55 years after Allen first joined up.  The Searchers will play their final show on Sunday in Milton Keynes, about 50 miles northwest of London.  But the music lives on, and today, Cherry Red's Grapefruit label releases an impressive tribute to the band's body of work with When You Walk in the Room: The Complete Pye Recordings 1963- 67.  The new 6-CD box set contains expanded mono and stereo editions of the group's five original Pye albums - Meet the Searchers (1963), Sugar and Spice (1963), It's the Searchers (1964), Sounds Like Searchers (1965), and Take Me For What I'm Worth (1965) - as well as a full disc of non-LP singles and EP tracks.

Though The Searchers may have toiled in the shadow of that other famous band from Liverpool, hits like "Sugar and Spice," "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk in the Room" remain some of the strongest recordings to come out of the mid-1960s' "British Invasion."  The band's lineup has been somewhat fluid over the years, with 1963's Meet the Searchers - their Pye debut produced by composer-hitmaker Tony Hatch - featuring Tony Jackson (lead vocals/bass), John McNally (rhythm guitar/vocals), Mike Pender (lead guitar/vocals), and Chris Curtis (drums/vocals).  Frank Allen joined the group in mid-1964 as a replacement for Tony Jackson, and the core trio of McNally, Allen and Pender played with the group between 1964 and 1985, at which point Pender struck out on his own.  (He still infrequently performs today as Mike Pender's Searchers.)

While The Searchers may have suffered for a lack of original songwriting, the cover versions they chose were almost uniformly top-notch, whether emanating from the East or West Coasts of America or somewhere in between. Sun-kissed songs like Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono's "Needles and Pins," P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri's "Take Me for What I'm Worth," and Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk in the Room" were all reworked in the popular beat style.  DeShannon's mighty discography also yielded versions of "Can't Help Forgiving You," "Till You Say You'll Be Mine," and "Each Time."

The Brill Building catalogues of Bert Berns ("Twist and Shout," "I Don't' Want to Go On Without You"), Pomus and Shuman ("Sweets for My Sweet," "I Count the Tears"), Bacharach and David ("This Empty Place," "Magic Potion"), Greenwich and Barry ("Everybody Come and Clap Your Hands," "Goodnight, Baby," "Be My Baby"), and Leiber and Stoller ("Love Potion No. 9," "Stand by Me") were likewise beneficiaries of the Searchers' pop and R&B prowess.  Motown was tapped for covers of "Money (That's What I Want)" and "I'll Be Doggone."  The tasty "Sugar and Spice" was a rare hit for the band penned by Tony Hatch, who was largely content to serve in the producer's chair for the group while churning out hit records for Petula Clark and others.

Grapefruit's set presents all five of the original U.K. albums released in mono, together with stereo versions assembled from the American albums issued on Kapp, subsequent releases on Pye's budget arm Marble Arch, or created from the multi-track tapes.  Unfortunately, multi-tracks no longer exist for "Da Doo Ron Ron," and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" from 1963's Meet the Searchers, so those two tracks are only heard in mono.  The five LPs have also been expanded with bonus material including recordings in German and French as well as alternate versions and outtakes not released until decades later.

The sixth disc, Take It or Leave It, compiles 26 non-LP sides including songs from Tony Hatch ("Saturday Night Out"), Bobby Darin ("When I Get Home"), Mick Jagger and Keith Richards ("Take It or Leave It"), and The Hollies ("Have You Ever Loved Somebody").  This disc also features a number of strong compositions from the band members, who had begun writing with the 1965 A-side "He's Got No Love" and only improved with each newly-written tune.

Grapefruit's handsome package is housed in a clamshell case, with each album in an individual mini-sleeve with original cover artwork and revised back cover artwork containing discographical annotation.  A thick 36-page, copiously illustrated booklet tells The Searchers' story via compilation producer David Wells' detailed new essay.  There are no remastering credits, though sound is good throughout.

The Searchers followed their star-making tenure on Pye with recordings for Liberty, RCA, and Sire, among other labels, but the 164 tracks across these six CDs are the bedrock of their musical legacy.  Filled with sugar, spice, and all things nice, When You Walk in the Room: The Complete Pye Recordings 1963-67 is comprehensive one-stop shopping for fans of one of Liverpool's greatest exports.

The Searchers, When You Walk in the Room: The Complete Pye Recordings 1963-67 (Cherry Red/Grapefruit CRSEGBOX055, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Meet The Searchers (Pye NLP 18086, 1963)

Mono

1. Sweets for My Sweet
2. Alright
3. Love Potion No. 9
4. Farmer John
5. Stand by Me
6. Money (That's What I Want)
7. Da Doo Ron Ron
8. Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya
9. Since You Broke My Heart
10. Tricky Dicky
11. Where Have All the Flowers Gone
12. Twist and Shout

Stereo

13. Sweets for My Sweet
14. Alright
15. Love Potion No. 9
16. Farmer John
17. Stand by Me
18. Money (That's What I Want)
19. Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya
20. Since You Broke My Heart
21. Tricky Dicky
22. Twist and Shout

Bonus Tracks

23. Liebe (Money (That's What I Want)) (German Version) (German Vogue DV 14116, 1964)
24. Farmer John (German Version) (German Vogue DV 14130, 1964)
25. Mais C'Etait Un Reve (It's All Been a Dream) (French Version) (from Vogue EP PNV 24121, 1964)

CD 2: Sugar and Spice (Pye NLP 18089, 1963)

Mono

1. Sugar and Spice
2. Don't'cha Know
3. Some Other Guy
4. One of These Days
5. Listen to Me
6. Unhappy Girls
7. Ain't That Just Like Me
8. Oh My Lover
9. Saints and Searchers
10. Cherry Stones
11. All My Sorrows
12. Hungry for Love

Stereo

13. Sugar and Spice
14. Don't'cha Know
15. Some Other Guy
16. One of These Days
17. Listen to Me
18. Unhappy Girls
19. Ain't That Just Like Me
20. Oh My Lover
21. Saints and Searchers
22. Cherry Stones
23. All My Sorrows
24. Hungry for Love

Bonus Tracks

25. Bye Bye Johnny (Outtake)
26. I Don't Want to Go On Without You (Outtake)
27. Once Upon a Time (Outtake)
28. C'est De Notre Age (Sugar and Spice) (French Version) (from Vogue EP PNV 24121, 1964)
29. Ils La Chantaeint Il Y A Longtemps (Saints and Searchers) (French Version) (from Vogue EP PNV 24121, 1964)
30. Sub Ist Sie (Sugar and Spice) (German Version) (German Vogue DV 14116, 1964)

CD 3: It's The Searchers (Pye NPL 18092, 1964)

 

Mono

1. It's In Her Kiss
2. Glad All Over
3. Sea of Heartbreak
4. Livin' Lovin' Wreck
5. Where Have You Been
6. Shimmy Shimmy
7. Needles and Pins
8. This Empty Place
9. Gonna Send You Back to Georgia
10. I Count the Tears
11. Hi-Heel Sneakers
12. Can't Help Forgiving You
13. Sho' Know Enough About Love
14. Don't Throw Your Love Away

Stereo

15. It's In Her Kiss
16. Glad All Over
17. Sea of Heartbreak
18. Livin' Lovin' Wreck
19. Where Have You Been
20. Shimmy Shimmy
21. Needles and Pins
22. This Empty Place
23. Gonna Send You Back to Georgia
24. I Count the Tears
25. Hi-Heel Sneakers
26. Can't Help Forgiving You
27. Sho' Know Enough About Love
28. Don't Throw Your Love Away

Bonus Tracks

29. I (Who Have Nothing) (Outtake)
30. Shame, Shame, Shame (Outtake)
31. Tausend Nadelstiche (Needles and Pins) (German Version) (German Vogue DV 14130, 1964)
32. C'est Arrive Comme Ca (Don't Throw Your Love Away) (French Version) (from Vogue EP PNV 24121, 1964)

CD 4: Sounds Like Searchers (Pye NLP 18111, 1965)

Mono

1. Everybody Come and Clap Your Hands
2. IF I Could Find Someone
3. Magic Potion
4. I Don't Want to Go On Without You
5. Bumble Bee
6. Something You Got Baby
7. Let the Good Times Roll
8. A Tear Fell
9. Till You Say You'll Be Mine
10. You Wanna Make Her Happy
11. Everything You Do
12. Goodnight Baby

Stereo

13. Everybody Come and Clap Your Hands
14. IF I Could Find Someone
15. Magic Potion
16. I Don't Want to Go On Without You
17. Bumble Bee
18. Something You Got Baby
19. Let the Good Times Roll
20. A Tear Fell
21. Till You Say You'll Be Mine
22. You Wanna Make Her Happy
23. Everything You Do
24. Goodnight Baby

Bonus Track

25. Wenn Ich Dich Seh (When You Walk in the Room) (German Version) (German Vogue DV 14338, 1965)

CD 5: Take Me for What I'm Worth (Pye NLP 16120, 1965)

Mono

1. I'm Ready
2. I'll Be Doggone
3. Does She Really Care for Me
4. It's Time
5. Too Many Miles
6. You Can't Lie to a Liar
7. Don't You Know Why
8. I'm Your Loving Man
9. Each Time
10. Be My Baby
11. Four Strong Winds
12. Take Me for What I'm Worth

Stereo

13. I'm Ready
14. I'll Be Doggone
15. Does She Really Care for e
16. It's Time
17. Too Many Miles
18. You Can't Lie to a Liar
19. Don't You Know Why
20. I'm Your Loving Man
21. Each Time
22. Be My Baby
23. Four Strong Winds
24. Take Me for What I'm Worth

Bonus Tracks

25. I'll Be Doggone (Alternative Version)
26. Verzeih My Love (Goodbye My Love) (German Version) (German Vogue single DV 14338, 1965)

CD 6: Take It Or Leave It: Non-Album Singles and EP Tracks

1. It's All Been a Dream (from Pye 7N 15533, 1963)
2. Saturday Night Out (from Pye 7N 15594, 1964)
3. I Pretend I'm with You (from Pye 7N 15630, 1964)
4. Someday We're Gonna Love Again (from Pye 7N 15670, 1964)
5. No One Else Could Love Me (from Pye 7N 15670, 1964)
6. When You Walk in the Room (from Pye 7N 15694, 1965)
7. (I'll Be) Missing You (from Pye 7N 15694, 1965)
8. What Have They Done to the Rain (from Pye 7N 15739, 1964)
9. This Feeling Inside (from Pye 7N 15739, 1964)
10. The System (from Pye EP NEP 24201, 1964)
11. Goodbye My Love (from Pye 7N 15794, 1965)
12. 'Til I Met You (from Pye 7N 15794, 1965)
13. He's Got No Love (from Pye 7N 15878, 1965)
14. So Far Away (from Pye 7N 15878, 1965)
15. When I Get Home (from Pye 7N 15950, 1965)
16. I'm Never Coming Back (from Pye 7N 15950, 1965)
17. Take It or Leave It (from Pye 7N 17094, 1966)
18. Don't Hide Away (from Pye 7N 17094, 1966)
19. Have You Ever Loved Somebody (from Pye 7N 17170, 1966)
20. It's Just the Way (Love Will Come and Go) (from Pye 7N 17170, 1966)
21. Popcorn Double Feature (from Pye 7N 17225, 1967)
22. Lovers (from Pye 7N 17225, 1967)
23. Western Union (from Pye 7N 17308, 1967)
24. I'll Cry Tomorrow (from Pye 7N 17308, 1967)
25. Secondhand Dealer (from Pye 7N 17424, 1967)
26. Crazy Dreams (from Pye 7N 17424, 1967)