I was always a big fan of The Searchers so I was delighted when, in 1982 they recorded my song “I Don’t Want To Be The One”†
About a year or so later I heard they were performing in my area and I arranged to go. The gig was Castles in Catchgate (NE of UK) Actually it wasn’t that near but it was near the village where I grew up so stayed at my parents house. The gig was just down the road from where I went to school and the venue itself was where my own early band “Bullfrog” had rehearsed.†
When I got to the gig I went into the dressing room and introduced myself to the band. It was the line-up you see in the picture above. It was a great show and it was quite a blast to hear my song in the midst of all those classic tracks. What made it even better was that John McNally (or was it Frank Allen) introduced the song and said “this song was written by a guy who used to go to school around here and he ‘s standing at the bar over there, Steve Thompson”. I got a round of applause, it felt great.
Hello Steve
I don’t have any great faith that what I’m typing is going to find its way to you but here goes.
I’m in the process of putting together a Searchers 4-CD set for Universal, which will include “I Don’t Want To Be The One” plus another song which we think you might have written, “In The Heat Of The Night”.
Will it be OK for me to use your brief Searchers anecdote within the liner notes?
Regards
Roger Dopson