It's no secret that I have been very disappointed in my local oldies station ever since they switched from what I consider oldies to the sixties and seventies format. Lots of the early rock and roll has been dropped in favor of stuff from the Grease soundtrack and I don't enjoy that very much. As far as I know, there isn't another place where I can hear early rock hits but I haven't done a thorough radio dig so I'm probably wrong. At least I hope I'm wrong.
Every so often I hear something from The Game on the oldies station and I think, "1980! That record came out in 1980! I'm pretty sure that means it's not from the sixties or the seventies!" I reached a new low of oldies sadness the other day when I heard Tell Her About It by Billy Joel. On the oldies station. That is from An Innocent Man and that record is from 1983. Oh, well. What can I do? Every time I think about giving up on the station they lay some Band On The Run on me and lure me back in.
Point being: I miss Herman's Hermits. If I ran the oldies station I would include much more Herman's Hermits. I miss quite a bit of the early rock music that they used to play but I think I miss Herman's Hermits most of all. The only other group that comes close is the Beach Boys. They play more late sixties Beach Boys and that just isn't my deal. Help Me Rhonda, Fun, Fun, Fun, Surfin' Safari, and Surfin' U.S.A. are where it's at if you ask me. The later stuff is okay but I just love the stripey shirt Beach Boys so much!
So I miss both of those groups but you know what the Beach Boys have that Herman's Hermits do not? Respect. Even though I prefer the early Beach Boys you may only be able to grudgingly agree that they were okay then. You may scoff at the surf sound and stand with the Pet Sounds album and all like that. You may sternly announce that Brian Wilson is a genius but you prefer the later stuff or that Brian Wilson is a genius and that is that. Whatever. I'm casual. I'm just saying that unless we are talking Kokomo (or possibly that white robe phase that Mike Love had), the Beach Boys get respect.
Herman's Hermits, not so much. For some reason they are lumped into the teen idol category when they belong in the decent rock band category. Some groups (Bay City Rollers, Hanson) can be in both categories so why does everyone overlook Herman's Hermits? Is it their groovy lighthearted sound? The fact that four out of five members were teenagers when the first record came out and that Peter Noone remained a teenager during most of their hitmaking years? The fear that if they ever hear I'm Henry VIII, I Am again they are going to smash the stereo?
Seriously, what is wrong with Herman's Hermits? Nothing, that's what! They had terrific pop tunes and great remakes of early rock/doo wop songs. How I wish the radio contained more Herman's Hermits. I still hear them occasionally but it's always There's A Kind Of Hush All Over The World (they spell it without parentheses, not everyone does) and I don't care for that tune unless it's the John Davidson version. That song was made for him; I think it's a bit schmaltzy for Herman's Hermits. I would much rather hear Can't You Hear My Heartbeat for the zillionth time.
Some time ago I tried to play some Herman's Hermits at home but I don't have those records anymore! I assume that they were fifty cent records I bought when I didn't care about LP condition and I got rid of them because they were too scratchy. I can't imagine unloading Herman's Hermits for any other reason...stop the presses! I just went to the records to double check and I have three Herman's Hermits records sitting there. What was I thinking? Oh, man. I was looking for the Hollies last time I was digging for early English pop in the H section.
It's not like the H section is that massive either! It's not even twenty records! How did I block out the magic of the Manchester sound? Probably because I really wanted to hear the Hollies and all I have is the 45 of Bus Stop. Sometimes I think that is all the Hollies I need but that is selling them short. Anyway, it's now a quarter to midnight and I just woke up from a nap (poor timing) and now that I know I have three Herman's Hermits LPs who knows how late I will be up. Not that long I suppose, most of those songs are three minutes long. I'm so thrilled with my find and now I can't wait to have a Herman's Hermits marathon. Even with this stroke of luck I am still standing by my original complaint: the oldies station should play Herman's Hermits more often.