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The final irony was to discover that Peter had been no less than 50 yards from my own London office - his car was actually parked outside my office block for three afternoons - at the London Dance Studios where he was going through dance routines with the cast for his Yarmouth Summer Season. Peter as a 'hoofer' is not exactly in the Fred Astaire class yet but his dedication is such that his instructor was almost on his knees before the enthusiastic Noone called it a day. "This is the first time I have ever done a Summer Season," Peter informed me "And the reason was simply that they were prepared to give me the freedom to do other things besides sing. Also for the first time I've got a billing as Peter Noone. I shall be doing some compere work, dancing and hopefully some comedy routines with comedian Ted Rogers - if he doesn't mind. "I've taken it on really as a kind of discipline - a challenge. In addition to a spot on the bill with the Hermits in which we will perform |
 our hits. We will be doing songs like 'Man From La Mancha,' 'Mame' 'Where Is Love' 'If I Were A Rich Man' and 'Fish and Chips'. The only thing I'm worried about is killing time between shows - I've rented the house that Engelbert Humperdinck had there last season which has a billiard table, so Mireille and I should be experts by the end of the season. I'm also planning to have piano lessons." Herman's Hermits are of course currently in the charts with their umpteenth single, 'Bet Yer Life I Do' and I asked Peter if a hit single had the same kind of excitement and importance to him today as in those early days of "I'm Into Something Good." "I think the first time you do something is always the biggest kick," said Peter. "The three-pence we get off a record isn't important to us now as much as the publicity which surrounds the achievement of having a hit in the charts. Its very important to us that people are reminded every few months that Herman's Hermits are still alive and kicking and the hit gets you on TV to emphasise the fact. "The latest single is a sustainer for us rather than an impact song but it does have a good strong melody at a time when there are not many groups who seem to be able to find them. The Beatles and the Stones were about the only two groups who come up with strong melodies. Some critics have been saying that my single is a 'Reggae' but it's a 'Twist.' The latter statement you can take with a pinch of salt or not depending upon your sense of humour. We soon found ourselves involved in other business and were conducting our own inquest in the failure of England's World cup pop squad! Peter is a Manchester United fan and very pro-Bobby Charlton. "I think the rot set in against Czechoslovakia," said Peter. "It was a terrible game - I nearly fell asleep, and why Ramsey insists on playing the man with the strongest shot in the team (R. Charlton) so deep when we obviously needed goals so badly I'll never understand. Charlton was expected to run the length of the pitch and still have enough steam to score and in that heat." |
 Lon Goddard's cartoon of Herman Next on the agenda proved to be the Elections and at least one new young voter's attitude towards the recent events. "I wanted the Conservatives in for the simple reason I think it is good to have a change," said Peter. "A Government gets too complacent if left in power too long and it's a good idea to change your leaders in the same way as I like to change my publicist every few months. "The thing which has disappointed me most about this Election has been the way in which it has been fought on the basis of personalities. People would vote for the face and the personality not the policy or the man. The amazing thing is that none of the parties have yet realised the huge number of new young voters there must be who feel totally unmoved by these political manoeuvres. No one has had the sense to reach out to these people on the very important issues which they feel deeply about. Having solved the world situation on all fronts we returned to the subject of Peter Noone entertainer and I asked him if he had ever considered doing impersonation in his act or if he had ever been offended by impressions of Herman by others. "I think imitations are best left to those who do them best like Sammy Davis Jr.," said Peter. "I'm one of those who believe that imitiation is the sincerest form of flattery so I'm never upset by it. Cartoons can be cruel but even they are a sort of compliment because it means you are at least well known enough to be recognised. The best cartoon ever drawn of me was done by Record Mirror's Lon Goddard - he got every little line right!" |
