Peter And Gordon
In June 1964, Peter & Gordon became the very first British Invasion act after the Beatles to take the number one spot on the American charts with "A World Without Love." That hit, and their subsequent successes, were due as much or more to their important connections as to their talent. Peter Asher was the older brother of Jane Asher, Paul McCartney's girlfriend for much of the '60s. This no doubt gave Asher and Gordon Waller access to Lennon-McCartney compositions that were unrecorded by the Beatles, such as "A World Without Love" and three of their other biggest hits, "Nobody I Know," "I Don't Want to See You Again," and "Woman" (the last of which was written by McCartney under a pseudonym). But Peter & Gordon were significant talents in their own right, a sort of Everly Brothers-styled duo for the British Invasion that faintly prefigured the folk-rock of the mid-'60s. In fact, when Gene Clark first approached Jim McGuinn in 1964 about working together in a group that would eventually evolve into the Byrds, he suggested that they could form a Peter & Gordon-styled act.
Asher and Waller had been singing together since their days at Westminster School for Boys, a private school in London. "A World Without Love" was their biggest and best hit, one that sounded very much like the Beatles' more pop-oriented originals. Their other two 1964 hits, "Nobody I Know" and "I Don't Want to See You Again," were pleasant but less distinguished. Sounding like McCartney-dominated Beatles rejects (which, in fact, they were), the production employed a softer, more acoustic feel than the hits by the Beatles and other early British Invasion guitar bands. "I Don't Want to See You Again" used strings, as would several of the duo's subsequent hits, which became increasingly middle-of-the-road in their pop orientation.
Some scattered folky B-sides showed that Asher and Waller may have been capable of developing into decent songwriters, but like many of the less talented British Invaders, their lack of songwriting acumen and ability to move with the times, would eventually work against them. They did continue to hit the charts for a couple of years, with updates of the oldies "True Love Ways" (Buddy Holly) and "To Know You Is to Love You" (a variation of the Teddy Bears' "To Know Her Is to Love Her"). There was also a Top Ten cover of Del Shannon's "I Go to Pieces," and the brassy, McCartney-penned "Woman." The overtly cute British novelty "Lady Godiva," though, became their last big hit in late 1966.
After Peter & Gordon broke up in 1968, Asher became an enormously successful producer, first as the director of A&R at the Beatles' Apple Records (where he worked on James Taylor's first album). Relocating to Los Angeles in the '70s, he was one of the principal architects of mellow California rock, producing Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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Discography
18 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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In London For Tea (2011 Remastered Version)
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Knight In Rusty Armour (2011 Remastered Version)
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peter And Gordon (1966) Plus (Mono; 2003 Remaster)
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peter And Gordon Plus
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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In Touch With Peter And Gordon Plus
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hurtin' 'n' Lovin' Plus
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lady Godiva (2011 Remastered Version)
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peter And Gordon
Pop - Released by RE Musik und Media on 31 Jul 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Nobody I Know / You Don't Have to Tell Me
Pop - Released by Capitol on 29 Jun 1964
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
I Don't Want to See You Again / I Would Buy You Presents
Pop - Released by Capitol on 22 Sep 1964
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
In Touch With Peter And Gordon
Pop - Released by Parlophone UK on 1 Jan 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Hot Cold & Custard (Expanded Edition)
Pop - Released by Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company on 27 Aug 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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In Touch with Peter and Gordon
World - Released by TP4 Music on 6 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -