Herman's Hermits
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Herman's Hermits was a British rock band in the 1960s, formed in Manchester, England in 1963 (see 1963 in music). After playing live for a time, they soon met future producer Mickie Most and released "I'm Into Something Good", though they hadn't actually played on the record; only singer Peter Noone (former Coronation Street actor) actually took part. Most of their future singles followed this pattern, with Noone singing in front of various session musicians, including Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.
Name Origin
On stage, Peter used the name Peter Kovak. The change to Herman came after the band remarked on his resemblance to the character Sherman in the TV cartoon 'The Bullwinkle Show', although he misheard the name as Herman. The group, who by now were a popular dance hall and youth club attraction, and managed by Harvey Lisberg and Charlie Silverman, changed their name to Herman and The Hermits, although it soon became abbreviated to Herman's Hermits.
Herman's Hermits were hugely successful in the mid-1960s, and were much easier to listen to and more accessible than other British Invasion bands. Their first American hit was "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter", which had been recorded simply as a joke. Soon, more novelty records shot to #1 in the states, but the band simply could not maintain a British audience. This continued until 1966's "No Milk Today". Soon, however, the Monkees had replaced Herman's Hermits as the simple pop rock act, and the Hermits' career declined even further. "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)" engendered a mild revival, but soon disappeared from the charts but the band was effectively over by 1973.
After the group disbanded, Peter Noone enjoyed a brief solo career, having an unlikely hit with David Bowie's, "Oh, You Pretty Things".
On one occasion Victor Lewis-Smith allegedly introduced Peter Noone as "Peter No One of The Tremeloes".
Other songs by Herman's Hermits include:
- "I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am"
- "Oh, Mr Porter!"
- "Museum"
- "Sunshine Girl"
- "Wonderful World"
- "Silhouettes"
- "My Sentimental Friend"
- "Sleepy Joe"
- "Something Good"
- "Mrs. Brown"
Revival
As of 2005, Peter Noone is touring the US festival circuit under the Herman's Hermits name.
External Links
- [Official Herman's Hermits Site (http://www.hermanshermits.com)]