BRITISH HISTORY

They were part of the ‘British Invasion’ that took over the music world back in the 1960s, and half a century later Herman’s Hermits are still going strong, writes Kane Young

WHENthe “British Invasion’’ of UK music and culture swept the US in the mid-1960s, Herman’s Hermits were up to their turtlenecks in it, right alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Just teenagers when they emerged from Manchester in 1964, the band went on to release two dozen hit singles, including Mrs Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter, I’m Henry XIII, I Am, Silhouettes, Listen People, There’s a Kind of Hush, Leaning on a Lamp Post and No Milk Today.

Between 1965 and ’67 the group also featured in several major motion pictures, were nominated for two Grammy Awards, appeared on popular television programs of the time such as

The Ed Sullivan Show, and toured all over the world.

But drummer Barry Whitwam, who has kept the band going since singer Peter Noone left in 1971 to pursue a solo career, believes Herman’s Hermits were never properly “appreciated for what we achieved and the work we put in”.

“It’s lovely, actually, being number three [behind The Beatles and Stones],” he said.

“In fact, at one stage we were

number two, before the Stones really made it in the States. It was fabulous, fantastic.

“Mrs Brown You’ve Got a Lovely

Daughter was a big hit in Australia and went instantly to No.1 in America when it was released. No English bands were doing that.

“I’m Henry XIII? No English band had ever dared release something like that.

“But the thing is, in England, not many of the papers recognised our worldwide success. You see these ’60s documentaries, and they all seem to forget about us.

“I think maybe we were a bit too young at the time to be taken seriously. The Stones and Beatles were [about four] years older than us.

“When we hit the charts, Pete Noone was just 16 and I was nearly 18. We were the young kids on the block.

“We had the ‘boys next door’ image. We still do — but we’re the old folks next door now.”

More than half a century after the band’s cover of I’m into Something

Good became their first no.1 hit in the UK, Herman’s Hermits still play more than 200 shows around the world each year.

Whitwam, who turned 72 last month, is the only remaining original member, and says that when he retires “Herman’s Hermits will probably retire as well”.

But that seems unlikely to occur any time soon, with Whitwam — who still receives royalties every year because “nobody ripped us off in the ’60s, like they did to most other bands” — and current Hermits Geoff Foot (vocals, bass), Paul Cornwell (guitar) and Tony Hancox (keyboard) showing no signs of slowing down.

“In fact it has speeded up over the years,” Whitwam said.

“It’s good, I’m still enjoying it. I’ve never not enjoyed it, and that’s why it’s easy to do. If you don’t enjoy this kind of work, being on the road is a nightmare — I’ve seen it in other people.

“But I’m always having a good time. We enjoy what we do, and make sure the audience enjoy it too.”

Still, it’s a long way from the halcyon days of the mid-1960s, when Herman’s Hermits were one of the most popular bands in the world and enjoyed the trappings of fame, such as travelling in private planes — although apparently that’s not always as luxurious as it sounds.

“One of the planes actually broke down in the air,” Whitwam recalled.

“One of the four engines packed it in, and we had to make an emergency landing. We had The Who on board with us — they were our support act at the time.

“We landed in Albuquerque and all got out to see the mess of the engine. The flight engineer said ‘That’s it, we’re going to scrap the plane’.

“He said [fixing] one engine was worth more than the whole plane. Basically, we’d been travelling around the country with The Who on board a pile of junk.”

Herman’s Hermits first toured Australia back in 1966 — supported by a young Welsh crooner named Tom Jones — after Mrs Brown You’ve Got a

Lovely Daughter and No Milk Today both topped the charts here.

More recently, they have toured the country with 1960s contemporaries such as Manfred Mann and Gerry and the Pacemakers. Now they’re back for the 6 O’Clock

Hop tour, playing all their hits in a two-hour shows that start at the convenient time of 6pm. Herman’s Hermits perform three

6 O’Clock Hop shows in Tasmania this month: at the Devonport Entertainment Centre on August 29; Country Club Tasmania in Launceston on August 30; and at Wrest Point in Hobart on August 31. Tickets are $61, go to www.ticketmaster.com.au or phone 136 100 for bookings.