Gerry And The Pacemakers
Gerry and The Pacemakers.(L to R) Gerry, Leslie Macguire (keys) Les Chadwick,(bass) and Freddie Marsden on drums.Gerry and The Pacemakers, are the only act to get their first three records to No 1! ...
Gerry Marsden worked for British Railways while playing guitar in skiffle groups around Liverpool during the 50’s. His brother, Freddie joined him on drums.
He then worked in various rock groups, and eventually put his own band together with Freddy, and les Chadwick on bass, called The Mars bars. They worked around Liverpool and like other Liverpool outfits, changed their name to the Pacemakers, and scored a season at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg.
Gerry and The Pacemakers Two Lucky Breaks!
Returning to Liverpool, keyboard player Les Maguire joined on keyboard. They continued to do many dates around Liverpool and the North, were spotted and signed by Brian Epstein in June 1962, and six months later George Martin saw them.
He gave them the song The Beatles did not want to do, “How Do You Do It?”, (they did “Please, Please Me instead). This went straight to Number 1 on the English charts in March 1963. Focusing on Gerry’s ever sunny personality, The Pacemakers were the second Liverpool act to reach the No 1 slot.
In fact, Gerry and the Pacemakers next two singles, “I Like It”, (written by Mitch Murray, who also wrote “How Do You Do It”) and the old Rodgers and Hammerstein ballad “You’ll Never Walk Alone” both reached No. 1. This made Gerry and the Pacemakers the first act to have their first three records reach Number 1. This feat remains to this day.
More hits followed. “I’m The One” reached No. 2 in January 1964, “Don’t let the Sun Catch You Crying” N0.6 in April the same year, and was their biggest U.S. hi, reaching No. 4 on their charts. “It’s Gonna Be Alright” made it to 24 in the U.K. and got to 23 in the U.S.A.
The Film “Ferry Cross the Mersey” was released in1965, the theme, and 8 others of the 12 songs written by Gerry and the band reaching No. 6 on the charts.
Gerry was exceptionally clean and fun loving and was not on my list of Must Haves. But he was a good musician, toured Downunder to great success.
Gerry went solo in 1967, appeared on the stage in “Charlie Girl” and did some kids TV
Gerry Marsden returned to #1 in the UK charts a couple of times during the 1980s with re-recordings of two of his hits with the Pacemakers, with all profits going to charity. In 1985 after the Bradford Football Club stadium tragedy in which 56 were killed. He formed a group called the Crowd, which included other musicians, singers, and radio disc jockeys, to produce a new version of "You'll Never Walk Alone".On 18 April 1989, three days after the Hillsborough disaster in which 97 Liverpool F.C. fans died, he joined forces with Paul McCartney, the Christians, Holly Johnson, and the production trio Stock, Aitken & Waterman on a new version of "Ferry Cross the Mersey".
Drummer Freddie Marsden later opened the Pacemaker driving school in Formby after having previously worked for British Telecom during the 1980s. He died on 9 December 2006 in Southport, age 66.
On 15 March 2017, Gerry Marsden collapsed onstage due to a sore knee while performing at a concert in Newport, Wales. After being helped offstage, Marsden did not return but was quoted as saying the incident was "nothing serious”.
Gerry Marsden announced his retirement on 29 November 2018, in order to spend more time with family, but, on 6 June 2019, to commemorate Liverpool's win against Tottenham in the Champions League, he surprised “Take That” fans by singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" at their show at Anfield.
Original bass player Les Chadwick died on 26 December 2019. (After the original lineup broke up during the 1960s, Chadwick moved to Australia.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gerry Marsden released a new version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" in tribute to the National Health Service.
Marsden died on 3 January 2021 at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, after being diagnosed with a blood infection in his heart. He was 78 years old.
Gerry and The Pacemakers on Vinyl
This album came out in 1977, released by EMI. This covers all the bands big hits from the 60's, and is a great collection of their music.
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Side 1 1 I Like It 2 I'm The One 3 It's Gonna Be All Right 4 Away From You 5 How Do You Do It |
Side2 1 Walk Hand In Hand 2 Ferry Cross The Mersey 3 You'll Never Walk Alone 4 Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying 5 Chills |
Get The Best of Gerry and the Pacemakers HERE
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The Song That is A Liverpool Football Club Anthem
This Rodgers and Hammerstein song from the musical "Carousel", was adopted by Liverpool Football Club, and other football clubs around the world after Gerry's version reached No.1 in 1963. It is sung it is performed by a massed chorus of supporters on match day
Gerry and Pacemakers, Ed Sullivan Show
Gerry and the Pacemakers on the Ed Sullivan Show, April 11 1965
