If the Rolling Stones were the "bad boys" of 60s music, Herman's Hermits were their sunny counterparts, with pop hits such as “I’m Into Something Good,” “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” and “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat,” among others. They were a band even parents could like. Photogenic Peter Noone, Herman's Hermits's lead singer, brings back his group's enduring and playful hits of that era, in his performance at Ridgefield Playhouse on April 8 at 8 p.m.
In the '60s, Noone shot to worldwide fame -- and heartthrob-hood (his screaming fans are known as "Noonatics") -- with the popularity of Herman’s Hermits' songs. The band's music was so in demand, ultimately, more than sixty million records were sold, with fourteen singles and seven albums going gold.
Born in Manchester, England, Noone was unknown in the United States before Herman's Hermits, but he already had a career in England, having performed a continuing role in the very popular, long-running British TV soap opera, "Coronation Street." Other acting roles on TV there, including in "Knight Errant," "Family Solicitor" and Monro’s "Saki Stories," were also on his resume. This early acting work could have been why, beginning in the 70s, Noone made a very smooth transition into acting on stage and TV in the U.S., appearing in everything from "The Pirates of Penzance" on Broadway to "Married with Children" and "As the World Turns" on TV.
When he performs at Ridgefield Playhouse, reconnect with Peter Noone and his upbeat hits of the '60s and timetravel back when more music of the era is performed by special guest, The Way Back Machine. Tickets are $55. For more information, visit the Playhouse's website.
Do you know the Herman's Hermits' music? Tell us your favorite songs by posting below.
Herman's Hermits scored 18 Top 40 hits in the US between 1964 and 1968 -- plus more in the UK later never issued stateside. In order, their U.S. hits were "I'm Into Something Good," "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat," "Silhouettes," "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter," "Wonderful World," "I'm Henry The Eighth I Am," "Just A Little Bit Better," "A Must To Avoid," "Listen People," "Leaning On The Lamp Post," "This Door Swings Both Ways," "Dandy," "East West," "There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World)," "No Milk Today," "Don't Go Out Into The Rain," "Museum" and "I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving." Peter, a British child star, was nicknamed "Herman" as a joke because he slightly resembled the cartoon character Sherman on "The Bullwinkle Show" and the group's name grew out of that. Noone left the Hermits in 1972, headed a new group called The Tremblers and then hosted his own TV show on VH-1. Herman's Hermits made two movies -- "Hold On" and "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" -- and Peter himself has appeared in other films and TV series from "Coronation Street" (1961) to the 2010 documentary "Forever Young." Quite memorably, Peter cut a new version of "I'm Into Something Good" in 1988 for the soundtrack of "The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad" -- and scored a hit with that! Noone remains an absolutely first-rate singer-songwriter and beyond that one of the nicest and most likeable people you will ever get to know.