Peter & Jeremy ???

[GoogaMooga]

When two former duos merge into one with surviving members. I wonder how this will work out, a fifty-fifty split of songs? How will the audience react to the new vocal blend? Will this show flop? Would you go?

[Muskrat]

I’m seeing them Sunday night, in Santa Barbara.

[GoogaMooga]

I’m seeing them Sunday night, in Santa Barbara.

Did you ever see the original duos, like on the revival circuit?

[Fonz]

I’ll take his White Falcon.

[Charlie O.]

I've seen C&J a number of times - always very enjoyable. I would catch this pairing, if I was able.

[Muskrat]

Did you ever see the original duos, like on the revival circuit?

I saw Chad & Jeremy a couple of times when they were current; possibly the same shows (at the Hollabaloo?) as Charlie O. They were very big in L.A.; And Peter in his show with Albert lee in the position now occupied by Jeremy. I saw Jeremy in a play, once. And I've met Gordon. Never saw P&G, though.

[Charlie O.]

Did you ever see the original duos, like on the revival circuit?

I saw Chad & Jeremy a couple of times when they were current; possibly the same shows (at the Hollabaloo?) as Charlie O.

It's quite possible that I was not yet born then!

[GoogaMooga]

I think what Dean Torrance does, knowing Jan is irreplaceable, is get a good, but unknown duet partner. Bill Medley just performs solo.

[Muskrat]

I saw Chad & Jeremy a couple of times when they were current; possibly the same shows (at the Hollabaloo?) as Charlie O.

It's quite possible that I was not yet born then!

Why, I outta...

[Muskrat]

Good tickets still available

[bobzilla77]

I saw Peter Asher at a Christmas concert a few years ago, he was kind of a surprise addition to the lineup. Sang a great version of World Without Love with a young singing partner. Very charming. If you like that kind of stuff, I'd recommend seeing it.

[GoogaMooga]

Yes, Peter solo with another partner would be better, with Jeremy it confuses things, I'd imagine.

[Muskrat]

Yes, Peter solo with another partner would be better, with Jeremy it confuses things, I'd imagine.

How?

[GoogaMooga]

Yes, Peter solo with another partner would be better, with Jeremy it confuses things, I'd imagine.

How?

Two well-known voices, but from different duos. Rather have one known voice and a stand-in. It's like when I saw Scotty and DJ, they had an unknown guy do the vocals, a famous vocalist and it would be more like interpretations of The King.

[bobzilla77]

Yes, Peter solo with another partner would be better, with Jeremy it confuses things, I'd imagine.

How?

Two well-known voices, but from different duos. Rather have one known voice and a stand-in. It's like when I saw Scotty and DJ, they had an unknown guy do the vocals, a famous vocalist and it would be more like interpretations of The King.

It would depend on how they can work together & sing on each other's tunes. Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson worked well together as a duo in their later days.

I think it might work. I have a hard time remembering which was which sometimes. Certainly gives the promoter a bigger repertoire of familiar songs.

[Charlie O.]

Yeah, I can see it working very well.

[Muskrat]

Some of this is pretty elementary, and of course you know it. So I didn't tailor it for BCB.

His long-time singing partner, Chad Stuart, “has retired,” Jeremy Clyde explained early in the show Sunday night at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara. “So,” pointing to the fellow on his right, “I’m stuck with him.”

“Him” being Peter Asher. He was half of England’s other hitmaking duo – Peter & Gordon – but retired from the road to spend years as an artists’ manager and record producer, with much success in both fields. A few years ago, Asher returned to performing; touring (I saw him with Albert Lee as a foil) and offering half a century’s worth of show-biz reminiscences in speaking engagements. Asher’s former singing partner, Gordon Waller, died in 2009.

In their current tour, which continues into 2019, Asher and Clyde talk more than they sing (I didn’t count, but maybe 10 numbers over two hours plus intermission), and – while the songs were fine – I didn’t mind it not being a set of Greatest Hits Not that either group had huge sales, anyway, though Peter & Gordon were more popular.

Now well into their ‘70s, the two had fun with their virtual interchangeability during their hit years: both duos paid a cursory physical resemblance to one another; neither was known for their hard rock sound (though Peter & Gordon were noisier than Chad & Jeremy, who were folkier than Peter & Gordon); and they were virtual contemporaries.

The first number “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” hadn’t been a hit for either, but for Buddy Holly, who had been an early inspiration for both duos as well as pretty much every other British rocker of their day. Setting a precedent for the rest of the show, as the two sang and talked, various images were projected behind the two: Holly; the song’s composer, Paul Anka; and so on.

As the show continued, Asher did the bulk of the story-telling, with Clyde adding details and his own anecdotes from time to time. The projections ranged from stills of influential figures to candid shots of both in their earlier years, photos of other people in the stories (Asher’s sister, Jane; Marianne Faithfull; and so on); to clips of TV and film appearance by the two – in their groups, as children, and after the hit years (Clyde having continued as a professional actor, mainly in UK productions (but he showed a clip from “Downton Abbey”); Asher had been a child actor, appearing in the TV series “Robin Hood”).

A side note regarding points of view: Illustrating that Peter & Gordon would occasionally agree to do something on TV without thinking it out first, Asher showed a clip of P&G on Red Skelton’s variety show, dressed as farmers (or something) in a production number that wouldn’t have looks out of place on “The Jimmy Dean Show.” The singer feigned embarrassment; I was thinking, “Wow, they were doing a Roger Miller song (‘You Don’t Want My Love’)!”

The stories covered a lot of territory without getting too risqué. My favorite told of how each had had a quite different encounter with Marianne Faithfull before she became a star.

Asher doubled on guitar and bass guitar; Clyde played acoustic guitar; and musical director Jeff Alan Ross played piano, the more difficult guitar parts, and occasionally prodded when the stories got a bit off-track (seldom, and barely noticeable).

Besides the Holly opener, songs included a slowed-down “All Shook Up” (which had been recorded by Peter & Gordon, as had Del Shannon’s “I Go to Pieces”) and some songs identified with the performers themselves – “I Don’t Want to See You Again,” “Yesterday’s Gone,” “Lady Godiva,” “A Summer Song,” “Distant Shores,” “Willow Weep for Me,” and – written by Paul McCartney while living in the Asher family home – “A World without Love.” Each was accompanied by a story; “World” also by a snatch of McCartney’s demo, recorded in Asher’s bedroom.

Clearly scripted – it has to be pretty much the same to coordinate with the visuals – the dialogue doesn’t sound “read,” and both Asher and Clyde handle it well. I think of myself as a fan of both duos and the era and (even having seen an earlier presentation by Asher) learned a few things. And it was nice to hear the songs again, even if no “Woman.”

[Muskrat]

Double-post; sorry

[Charlie O.]

Thanks for that, M. I hope (and trust) they'll come 'round here.

[Charlie O.]

Oh, damn - they were here in July!