Web Page No 2760 20th February 2021 1st Picture: Peter and Gordon

2nd Picture: Peter

3rd Picture: Gordon

4th Picture: 57 Wimpole Street

Peter and Gordon On Feb. 28th, 1964, British folk duo Peter and Gordon released their debut single, “A World Without Love.” It didn’t matter that the song was extremely melodramatic and about doomed teenage romance. It didn’t matter that neither Peter Asher nor his performing partner, Gordon Waller, 20 and 19 at the time, were natural heartthrobs; in fact Peter’s glasses, haircut, and teeth would later give Mike Myers the visual inspiration for Austin Powers. All that mattered at that “A World Without Love” was written for Peter and Gordon by Paul McCartney and therefore had the magic Beatles connection. At that time there was a demand for Beatles substitutes. So at that time a new Paul McCartney song was amazing and “ ‘A World Without Love’ went to No. 1 in the U.K., and then Europe, and then the U.S.”. In Britain, the song bumped the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” out of the top position. How did two ordinary lads wind up in possession of an original, unrecorded Paul McCartney song in the first place? It helped that Paul had been dating Peter’s younger sister Jane and it also helped that, in December 1963, Paul moved out of the flat he shared with John, George, and Ringo and into the Asher family’s West London town house at 57 Wimpole St., taking the top-floor guest bedroom down the hall from Peter’s. By this point, Paul, then 21, was already famous but the Ashers were not to ne ignored. Peter, Jane, and their younger sister Claire had all been child actors and starred in movies and TV shows. Peter’s father, Richard, was a prominent psychiatrist who discovered Munchausen syndrome. Peter’s mother, Margaret, was a professor of music and had coincidentally given oboe lessons to Beatles producer George Martin. Paul lived with the Ashers rent-free, but he probably boosted the value of their house by writing “And I Love Her,” “Every Little Thing,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” “You Won’t See Me,” and “I’m Looking Through You” on Paul McCartney wrote “A World Without Love,” or at least most of it, when he was 16. John didn’t think much of the song, so Paul hadn’t even finished it apart from the two verses finally, he did it took his guitar into his room for seven or eight minutes, and then came out with a song that was perfect.” The song’s success immediately turned Peter Asher’s life upside down he had been studying philosophy at King’s College. Peter and Gordon became only the second British Invasion act after the Beatles to have a No. 1 hit in the U.S When they got back to London, Paul McCartney already had their follow-up single waiting ‘Nobody I Know’ Later, he wrote “I Don’t Want to See You Again” and “Woman” for Peter and Gordon, and they also had hits with Del Shannon’s “I Go to Pieces,” Buddy Holly’s “True Love Ways,” and “Lady Godiva,” by Mike Leander and Charlie and Gordon Mills. In 1966, both Paul McCartney and Peter Asher moved out of the house on Wimpole Street, Two years later Peter and Gordon split up. Peter and Gordon had their last hit in the UK in late 1966 with "Lady Godiva", which reached #16 (and #6 in the US), whilst their success lasted into 1967 in the US, with "Knight in Rusty Armour" and "Sunday for Tea" both registering in the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 that year. Peter Asher subsequently became head of A&R for Apple Records. He continued his career as a recording executive in California, where he managed and produced Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also produced recordings for Cher and Diana Ross. His daughter, Victoria Asher, is a member of the alternative group Cobra Starship. In August 2005, Peter and Gordon reunited onstage for the first time in more than 30 years, as part of two tribute concerts for Mike Smith of The Dave Clark Five. In the spring of 2007 and 2008, Peter and Gordon were featured performers in the EPCOT Flower Power concert series at Walt Disney World. Also in 2007, they performed as part of Love-In: A Musical Celebration, a tribute to the music of the 1960s, which was filmed in San Diegoand released on DVD in March 2009. On 21 August 2008, they performed a free concert on the pier in Santa Monica, California. The pair played numerous times at the 50 Winters Later celebration, in February 2009, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. This was held in Clear Lake, Iowa, at the Surf Ballroom. They subsequently performed in Chicago, New Jersey and at the Festival for Beatles Fans convention in Las Vegask in July 2009. Gordon Waller died of a heart attack on 17 July 2009 at the age of 64. Peter Asher currently resides in Venice, California. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com Barry Writes: Hi Pete, Bought these at Asda (5 for £1.00) after your blog last week, I can remember buying it loose, and lemonade crystals, in paper bags, at Gregory's corner shop at the junction of Station Rd & Central Road. It was usually all gone by the time I got home.....I've only got 2 of these left now......I LOVE SHERBET !!! Best Wishes to all.

News and Views: On this day 20th February 1960 – 1965 On 20/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was USSR wins Winter Olympics On 20/02/1961 the number one single was Sailor - Petula Clark and the number one album was Tottenham Hotspur. The top rated TV show was The Army Game (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £not very interesting and 13.25 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada). On 28/02/1962 the number one single was Rock-a-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the weekwas John Glenn is 1st US astronaut to orbit earth. On 20/02/1963 the number one single was The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. On 20/02/1964 the number one single was Diane - Bachelors and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. On 20/02/1965 the number one single was I'll Never Find Another You - Seekers and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Goldie the Eagle escapes London Zoo.