Presentation of GORDON WALLER:
In contrast to today’s world of disposable artists, Gordon Waller is a genuine star that has lived it and still lives the life today.
He has had gold records, No.1 hits and still writes with the same passion that he did 40 years ago as singing duo with Peter Asher.
Peter & Gordon met back around l961 at Westminster School in London who shared the same passion for music and became friends fast. Today Gordon works with Blue Pie Productions as the North American A&R Manager.
He still performs and hosts his own radio show on Blue Pie web radio called “LIVING IT.” Peter and Gordon, www.peterandgordon.com, were the Everly Brothers of the British invasion that prefigured the folk-rock of the mid-60’s. They harmonised in ear pleasing intervals, strummed acoustic guitars in tandem and recorded an impressively consistent string of hit songs. They were devout students of folk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, and they fitted this amalgam through their own pop-flavoured English sensibility.
Peter Asher was the older brother of Jane Asher, Paul McCartney’s girlfriend for much of the 1960’s. It was through this connection that Peter and Gordon gained access to one of the few Lennon-McCartney compositions unrecorded by the Beatles, the aforementioned “World Without Love”. Two other Lennon-McCartney songs became huge hits for Peter and Gordon: “Nobody I Know” spent six weeks in the Top 40 in the summer of 1964, peaking at No.12, and in the fall of 1964 “I Don’t Want To See You Again” spent six weeks in the Top 40, peaking at No.16. “Woman” spent eight weeks in the Top 40, peaking at No.16 in the spring of 1966 (the last hit which was written by McCartney under a pseudonym). Suddenly Peter and Gordon were among the most recognizable faces of the British Invasion.
Peter and Gordon also turned out to be astute song finders outside the Lennon-McCartney sphere, recording spirited versions of tunes by Del Shannon (”I Go To Pieces”), Buddy Holly (”True Love Ways”), and Phil Spector (”To Know You Is To Love You”), all of which charted well inside the US, making the Top 40.
As a duo, they appeared on every major music television show of the era, including the Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig, and Hullabaloo! They performed on tour with many major acts of the era, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Following a four-year, ten song hit spree, Peter and Gordon went their separate ways in l968. Peter Asher decided to pursue a career in Production, leaving Gordon to carry on his own, performing solo and writing songs.
In 1970 he came to America to record a solo album in New York entitled, “.and Gordon,” which did not see the light of day due to the lack of promotion on the album.
In l971 Gordon was approached by Tim Rice to play the part of Pharaoh in the musical “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Edinburgh Festival.
Due to its success, the play toured London in several prominent theatres where he received standing ovations every night for the run of the play. In June l975, Gordon got married on the Australian shores, but as fate has intended, starred again in the same play but in Sydney. The reviews and audience reception were outstanding, and at the end of the Australia run Gordon decided to give stage work a break, but continued to write the occasional song, many of which are yet to be recorded.
Today, Gordon has his music publishing company with an exclusive list of writers and performers developing their talents and careers, and has recently finished the sound track for the film “James Dean – Race With Destiny” which consists of original songs written by Gordon and his friends.
