Graham Reid | | 2 min read
Walk Hand in Hand
Life and pop music were cruel to this band who were running mates with the Beatles: they too played the Cavern and Hamburg, had their first hit with a song the Beatles turned down (How Do You Do It?), shared bills with the Beatles, were managed by Brian Epstein, made their own pop movie and, as much as the Beatles, made an indelible mark which wrote “Liverpool” in people's consciousnesses.
Gerry Marsden was the man who penned the beautifully wistful Ferry Cross the Mersey.
The pity is he didn't – unlike the machine that was Lennon-McCartney – pen a whole lot more.
If John and Paul could bounce off each other (and each other's competitive ambition), Gerry was on his own.
The few that he did – like the equally beautiful and enduring Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying – showed that he was craftsman when it came to a ballad which stayed just the right side of sentimentality.
Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying
Even his archetypal Merseybeat on It's Gonna Be Alright and Why Oh Why were as exciting in their own way as the Beatles It Won't Be Long and Can't Buy Me Love. Although more simplistic.
But the band fell at a couple of hurdles: not enough original material – their first three singles, all covers, went to number one of the British charts; aside from Gerry with his cheeky grin and Scouse quickness, the band lacked distinctive personalities. Which became evident in their film Ferry Cross the Mersey which only survives viewing today for the presence of Cilla Black, the Cavern at the time and the title song.
Marsden had a distinctive rasp in his voice which he deployed so well on the ballads, not the least their cover of Rogers and Hammerstein's You'll Never Walk Alone which was one of those three number ones and became the terrace anthem of the Liverpool Football Club.
He brought an earthiness to the soaring, string soaked Fifties ballad Walk Hand in Hand which deserved a better showing on the charts. But 1965 wasn't going to be their year.
Their reign was brief and by the time the Beatles hit their groundbreaking Rubber Soul period (1965) Gerry and the pacemakers were stuck singing their hits and languishing.
It's worth checking out the soundtrack to Ferry Cross the Mersey to see how quickly the Beatles had outstripped competition: aside from the title track and Cilla's Is It Love, the other Gerry songs, the Fourmost's saccharine I Love You Too and George Martin's instrumental All Quiet on the Mersey Front (which is more Shadows than Merseybeat) seemed instantly dated, even at the time.
And if you can remember anything of the Pacemakers as individuals you'd be lucky.
Gerry was a lovely man who toured constantly under his own name for decades, always seemingly happy delivering the songs which put food on the table. He died in January 2021 and the last member of the original hit-making group, pianist Les McGuire, died in late 2023.
There have been any number of Gerry and the Pacemakers compilations and, to be honest, the one which has about 10 songs – the hits and a couple of deep cuts like Walk Hand in Hand and I'll Be There for the orchestrated ballads – is probably all you need.
However if you want the full flourish of Gerry and the Pacemakers the three CD/98 tracks collection I Like It! Anthology 1963-1966 on Cherry Red Records – which includes a live show from the Oakland Auditorium in October '64 when they were peaking – is for you.
Lotta Gerry.
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