Q&A with Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits

I think we were a large part of what you would call the British invasion, but in England was known as the Beat Boom. In the USA Herman's Hermits came right after the Beatles and the Dave Clark 5 and just before the Rolling Stones. We outsold even the Beatles in 1965 and were the biggest selling recording act in the world in 1965 and 1966.

Everyone in the British Invasion was unique, and we all had different musical themes. The Beatles are not like the Stones and are not like Herman's Hermits because in order to succeed in England one had to be different and have one's own personal style. I chose to be the perfect English cheeky chappie, which was not a stretch for me and, of course, the Stones chose to be the bad boys. The Beatles went into the studio and became a recording act only. We all knew each other as England was a very small music scene and being a musician was being one of the boys in a very small boys club; girls in the music business back there were protected from musicians as well they should be.

Although we all didn't like each other's music, we knew we were members of a gang and all we wanted was to play the Cavern, the Oasis, the Locarno in Liverpool and one day get to see the USA. Some of us got to do it. I was 16 or 17 when I got back to England all the other bands would ask questions about how we did it and what they should do to get similarly successful. Each US tour we would bring our favorite English group on tour animals. Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders, The Who and The Hollies all toured the USA for the first time on our tours. We are proud of our good taste in music and friends!

Noone:

I am not a pioneer at all. I went on this magical ride. I got four friends to join me in a musical adventure that required quitting their real jobs and going ALL IN. We left home in a van with everything we owned and set off on a trip. We made a record and got fired. We made another one and it was a number one ("I'm into Something Good"). I still am in the van.

She was called Wendy Silverman and her dad was a cantor, but I still went around to her house and talked to her mother. I changed the names to protect the guilty as charged!

I like “I’m into Something Good” and “There's a Kind of Hush,” as they are sort of the beginning and the end. I think my biggest asset has always been my ability to outlive the competition - not a dead joke - as in a race, I will always try to win it. 

Two things they can be sure of, is that I will not use the words 'work' or 'portfolio' to describe my activities. I am honest on stage and am unafraid to show you my weaknesses - but not my tattoos.

Right from the first trip to the USA in early 1965, Milwaukee and Wisconsin have always been the best audiences for our music and comedy. Also, I was once married to Shirley from Laverne and Shirley and she told me all about you!