Herman's Hermits - Magazine Articles

THE teaming of the delicate and sometimes outrageous David Bowie, with the 'boy next door' image of Peter Noone might seem incompatible

But in fact David is the writer responsible for Peter's current big hit, "oh You Pretty Things."
Peter was attempting to relax in his luxurious London apartment as he talked about David.
"I love honest people and David is very honest. He talks about his brother who's in a mental institution. He'll say 'he's in an institution because he's a bastard and he can't face up to it.' And I think that's great that he can be that honest.
"He wrote 'Oh You Pretty Things' and played it to Mickie (Most) and he thought it sounded like my kind of record. Mickie phoned me and then played it to me and I only heard the first few bars and knew it was right. I think David is the best songwriter in England at the moment, since Paul McCartney and Lennon, and you don't hear so much from them now."
Peter had not met David prior to this, but now they are working together:
"We recorded the single with David Bowie, Clem Cattini on drums and Herbie Flowers, and I'll be using them on Top of the Pops as well."
"I think every song has a resemblance to something else," he told me. And when I commented that the number seemed closest to "Martha My Dear" he rushed to the piano to play a few bars. "It's only that sound," he said. "but otherwise it's different. I think this is the best song that I've ever made, that and 'Mrs. Brown.'

IMPROMPTU "When we went into the studio to make an album for America we only had eleven tracks and we had to have twelve. The Rolling Stones were waiting to come into the studio, and so we thought of recording "Mrs. Brown." We used to do it at the Cavern for a laugh, and we just played it straight through and made the record in one take. And that was why it was so good; because it was impromptu. This record has the same feel."
Peter Noone's split with the Hermits has been almost total, though he will be working with the

group on certain occasions. But just the same, Peter wants people to realise that he has a different identity now.
"I'm recording for the Mike Yarwood television series, and that's basically to let people know that I'm Peter Noone and not Herman anymore. Peter Noone is a new person. I will be working with the Hermits again during the summer when I'm doing a series of Sunday concerts including Yarmouth, Sheffield and Liverpool, and I'd like to do shows and fit them in, but I want to move onwards. I can't be very democratic because I'm very spoilt.
"I don't want to do one kind of music. I want to do David Bowie and other songs that you can't do with the Hermits name on the label. I've got a hit record on my own and I would like to see them get one on their own. Mickie still plays me numbers that he thinks might be suitable for the Hermits."
Now that he has changed his working name Peter feels that America is more promising than ever.
"'I Can Take or Leave Your Loving' was the last hit that we had in America two years ago. Then MGM went out of business. We could have just released a record with another company, in fact I wanted to release 'My Sentimental Friend' because I thought that was the one to go. But Mickie said no.

IDEAS "So now that I haven't had a record out there for so long people will probably accept me more easily without the Hermits. I think all the people who really care know that I'm Peter Noone now. I get a lot of letters forwarded by Mike Regan at EMI from people in America who are interested.
"As soon as I get a record company I will spend every day I can there. Mickie's got ideas on a company and I've got ideas, but we want people who are really excited about the record, like our publisher Bob Grace who really believes in it, and thinks it's a great song."

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