Interview
with Peter Noone, 14 August 2008
Who inspired you most to go into
music?
I was inspired by a strange mix
of catholic hymns, buddy holly, the Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison, and by the
unique vocal style of Adam Faith, who was one of the only British pop stars to
have his own sound. What do you want if you don't want money was his hit and he
sang it as Adam Faith and not copying anyone.
Have you met any of your idols?
Did they live up to yourexpectations?
I met all my idols except Holly I met Elvis and he was true gent. Same Roy
Orbison, and the Everly Brothers.
John cash, John Lennon. All gents. I think it is inspirational to young
musicians to hear that the
ir idols might be nicer and smarter
than they think expect. All mine were.
When did you first step in front of
an audience?
At Urmston Baths . I was 8 I think and I sand Phil the Fluter's Ball.
When you joined the band in 1964
they were called the Heartbeats. What prompted the name change to Hermanıs
Hermits?
We became Pete Noac and the Heartbeats and it sounded like the 50s and we
thought to get a hip name which was invented by a publican in a pub we practiced
in. I was attempting to be Buddy Holly with horn rimmed glasses and he said
"you don't look like Buddy Holly you look like Herman from the Biullwinkle
show( he meant Sherman) and that we looked like hermits and should call
ourselves thus.
Did your fame as a child actor on
shows like Coronation Street boost the bandıs popularity in Manchester?
No one my age watched TV. Our parents did so no one at a gig ever knew I was
an ex TV star.
In an era dominated by solo
artists, why do you think Britain suddenly
produced so many great bands during the early 1960s?
We were self contained and carried everything we needed for a concert with
us and orchestras were expensive, so we won.
Much has been written about
Liverpool and the Mersey Beat sound. Yet Manchester produced Hermanıs
Hermits, the Hollies, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders and Freddie and the
Dreamers. Was there a Manchester Sound?
Not at all. We had lots of places to play like Liverpool and Detroit so that's
where all the bands came from. We
were also part of the so called Mersey Sound and played as often in Liverpool as
in Manchester.
Can you describe the early days as
a struggling band in Manchester?
I was never a struggle. We had a van and we had equipment so we could always
PLAY for money. A wandering minstrel I...
Could you describe your first
meeting with legendary producer Mickie Most? What was he like to work
with?
MM came to see the band at the beachcomber club in Bolton England and after
seeing and hearing us suggested we got rid of a few of the players and call him.
We changed the band around and went to London and he signed us. He was my
best friend, my best man at my wedding, and his wife is my daughter's god
mother.
You were very young, fifteen or
sixteen, when the band released Iım Into Something Good - how did you cope with
the overnight fame?
I was 16 and had no attitude as I had been exposed to showbiz a lot already
on the top British TV series 'Coronation Street
Do you think Hermanıs Hermits had a particularly English sound that
appealed to American audiences?
I was the first BRIT to use my own accent. That helped after me they all
did it. Herman's
Hermits toured with many other bands and solo artists. Which of these
did your most admire? I liked the Beatles the stones and King Crimson and
two of Fleetwood Mac
The band enjoyed 21 British hits and 18 American hits during the
1960s. Why do you think you were so successful?
We were fucking fabulous?
Why do you think Sixties music has remained so popular with audiences?
Because I haven't died
