Certainly not as mellow as Chad and
Jeremy, British Invasion band Gerry and the Pacemakers were nonetheless
most fondly remembered for their ballads. They were the first British Invasion
band to reach #1 on the British charts, with “How Do You Do It” immediately
preceding “Love Me Do” and “I Like It” following it at the top – both of which
were upbeat, it should be noted. There two biggest hits on this side of the Atlantic,
however, were ballads penned by Marsden: “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying”
and “Ferry Cross The Mersey”. Worldwide, however, they remain best known for
their touching rendition of the Rodgers-and-Hammerstein classic “You’ll Never
Walk Alone”, which became the official anthem of soccer club Liverpool FC in
the band’s hometown, and was subsequently picked up by a number of other teams.
This past March, it was played
simultaneously on radio stations in 20 European countries as a
morale-booster during the pandemic.
Favorite songs:
Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying
I’ll Be There
It’s Gonna Be Alright
Ferry Cross The Mersey