Recorded - late 1964 or early 1965
Released - February 1965 (US), June 1965 (UK)
#1 for weeks of May 1, 8, and 15, 1965.
We've come to the last of this apparent trio of poppier British Invasion hits. While doing research on this particular #1, I was a bit surprised at the rather massive amount of scorn and hate that Herman's Hermits get. In some cases, I see their point: The band were among the most commercial sounding of all the early British Bands. However, much to the disappointment of some of my viewers, I'm going to be defending these guys. Unlike Freddie And The Dreamers, who were hopelessly stuck in a goofy pop sound for their entire career, and The Mindbenders, who were inconsistent and largely unknown today, Herman's Hermits did make an effort to mature. Most importantly, their songs are still recognized and played to this very day.
First off, Herman's Hermits' discography is downright messy. It's tricky to determine when each song was first released, and more importantly, which country got the song first. The band's first single was a cover of Goffin/King's "I'm Into Something Good" which was first released in August of 1964. It was a #1 in the UK and a pretty respectable hit here in the US. Sometime between the later weeks of 1964 and the beginning of 1965, they recorded some new songs meant exclusively for their first US album, Introducing Herman's Hermits. One of those songs was soon extracted as a single and became their first US #1 hit.
"Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" is a song that I initially wasn't a big fan of. Then, years later after repeated tries to get into the song, something clicked. To this day, I'm still not sure what it is. Perhaps it's Peter Noone's quintessentially British singing voice in this song, which pre-dates The Kinks' more English-sounding songs. Or maybe it's the banjo-heavy arrangement which gives the songs a unique vaudeville feel.
I can see why some might not care for this song, it's written by a mostly unknown outside writer, (Trevor Peacock). Plus, the band apparently hated this song as well as their other US #1 due to both songs being more novelty tunes. What impresses me about the Hermits and why I have a degree of respect for them is that they actually managed to mature and release some really impressive subsequent singles. "Listen People" and "No Milk Today" especially are very enjoyable to listen to, despite them not being written by The Hermits themselves...hmm...
It really is a win/lose situation with this band. No, they rarely or never wrote their own songs, yes, much of their output was pure pop. Yet, I just can't bring myself to hate any of their most well known singles. There's a certain charm to songs like "Mrs. Brown". It is this charm that makes me actually enjoy repeated listens of the song and appreciate the band's music. A guilty pleasure, or a genuinely enjoyable group? You decide.
Final Verdict - A prime example of a band who have a sharply divided opinion over the years. I myself find the song charming and appreciate its camp factor, even though many people and the singer himself do not. What do you think?
Coming Up Next - "Ticket To Ride" by The Beatles.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I've got a lovely website -
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