Herman turns producer for songwriting friend's debut album

      Peter Noone, alias Herman, turned the tables on his good friend, Graham Gouldman, and co-produced the songwriter's first album as a singer for RCA.
      Graham, a 22 year-old Englishman, has written songs like "No Milk Today" and "Listen People" for the Hermits as well as four tunes for their upcoming motion picture. He's also played and sung on a couple of the Hermits' records.
      Now Peter works behind the scenes for Graham on his album "The Graham Gouldman Thing," scheduled for April release. Currently Graham has his first single out, called "The Impossible Years."
      Graham first got into music when he was 15 in his hometown of Manchester, England. He was playing guitar with a group called the Mockingbirds and wrote a song called "Listen People." The group and the record company they had contracted with didn't dig the song which he later gave to the Hermits for whom it became a million seller.
      Graham then wrote "For Your Love" which the Mockingbirds recorded but nothing happened. His manager wanted the Beatles to record the tune, so Graham went to a show where the Beatles and Yardbirds were playing. The Yardbirds heard it, recorded the song and it became their first hit as well as Graham's first.
      Graham started making a name for himself as a songwriter and did songs like "Look Through Any Window" and "Bus Stop" for the Hollies and "Behind The Door" for Sonny and Cher. He also produces the Mindbenders records.

         For a time, even though he was making a lot of money from his songs, Graham stuck with the group. "I enjoyed playing," he explained on a visit to GO. "I made $30 a night with the group although I had two or three hit songs on the charts . . . mainly I'm a writer, but also at the same time I'm very interested in performing. I've got sort of a bug."
      Graham said that his output of songs is very small and out of 100 or 200 songs he starts in a year he may finish four good ones. While nothing specific inspires him to write, he mainly concentrates on the things he sees around him.
     "It's very difficult to explain how I write," he said. "It's just that something clicks inside your mind. Luckily what I like the kids seem to like. I'm completely in a different world when I write. It's as if the songs are all in my mind and circumstances bring them out."
      When writing for other people, Graham explained: "The song never turns out exactly as I envisage it. Sometimes, though, the artists do things that make me ask myself: 'Why didn't I think of that?' I can never go to a record session of my own song unless I'm producing. It's too frustrating to go in as a spectator."
      The Hollies have just recorded one of Graham's new songs and it could be their next single or an album cut.
      Graham plans to return to the U.S. in the spring to make TV and promotional appearances.


Graham Gouldman (left) and Peter Noone get together at piano

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