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Arrows (British band)

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This article is about the British 1970s group. For other bands of that name, see Arrow (disambiguation) § Groups_and_labels.

The Arrows
OriginLondon, England
GenresPop, glam rock
Years active1974–1977
LabelsRAK
Past membersAlan Merrill
Jake Hooker
Paul Varley
Terry Taylor

The Arrows were a band based in London, England. The group, which formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1977, included American singer/bassist Alan Merrill, American guitarist Jake Hooker and English drummer Paul Varley (who had replaced Clive Williams relatively early in the band's history). They had UK chart hit singles in 1974 and 1975 with "Touch Too Much" and "My Last Night with You", produced by Mickie Most on RAK Records.[1] They recorded the original version of Merrill's[2] song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", later covered by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.

Career

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The first manager of The Arrows was Peter Meaden, who had also managed The Who in the early 1960s.[3] He came up with the band's name, which originates from The Who's logo, with the arrow pointing up.

Early recordings

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The Arrows highest reaching chart hit was "Touch Too Much" in 1974 which went to number 2 in the South African charts and was in the top 20 there for 15 weeks.[4]

The band's second single "Toughen Up" made number 51 in the UK chart in 1974.[5] That year Arrows won the Golden Lion award (Belgium) in the "best new band" category[6] and performed at the ceremonies on Belgian television.

Arrows are the only band in the history to have hit records before their weekly TV series, and no records released during the run of their two television series. The band's last single was released a month before their first TV show was broadcast.[7]

Eamonn Carr of later Freddie + The Dreamers/St Cecilia fame toured as piano/keys player for The Arrows live performances.

Broadcasting

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The Arrows had two 14-week television shows in the UK called Arrows in 1976 and 1977, which were broadcast on Granada Television and produced by Muriel Young. They are the only band to have two weekly TV series and no records released during the run of either series; a result of a conflict between the band's manager Ian Wright of the M.A.M. Agency, and the group's mentor/producer Mickie Most. Each series consisted of 14 shows, 30 minutes in length. There were 28 shows broadcast in total. Their final single, "Once Upon a Time", was released one month before the first show of their first series in 1976. Joan Jett became aware of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" while on tour with her band the Runaways in England in 1976 and saw the group perform the song on their weekly show.[8]

The band's only US TV appearance was on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert in February 1975.[9] They played their UK hits, "Touch Too Much" and "Toughen Up".

Post activity

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One of Liverpool's most renowned Beatles biographers and editor of 1960s British invasion bible Mersey Beat, Bill Harry wrote his first published book about the Arrows, Arrows : The Official Story, published on Everest books in 1976.

Terry Taylor who joined the band in the autumn of 1976 for the band's second weekly TV series,[10] is currently with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings band.[11]

The Arrows song "Moving Next Door to You" (composed by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker) was used on the BBC1 TV show Homes Under The Hammer series 18, episode 70.[12] The song was the B-side of "My Last Night with You", produced by Mickie Most in 1975. After that, the BBC TV show used the Arrows song "We Can Make It Together" in series 19, episode 53,[13] the b-side of the band's single "Touch Too Much".

The Arrows album First Hit was reissued in Japan on 11 March 2015, with bonus tracks on Warner Brothers Japan.[14]

The Arrows founding band members Paul Varley (1952 – 2008),[citation needed] Jake Hooker (1953 – 2014)[15] and Alan Merrill (1951 – 2020)[16] are all deceased.

Discography

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Album

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  • First Hit (1976), Rak Records

Archival releases

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  • 1998 First Hit (reissue with bonus tracks) - CD
  • 2001 Singles Collection Plus
  • 2002 Tawny Tracks
  • 2004 A's B's and Rarities
  • 2015 First Hit (Japanese reissue with bonus tracks)

Singles

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Year A-side B-side Label Other
1974 "Touch Too Much"
(Nicky Chinn / Mike Chapman) 		"We Can Make It Together"
(Alan Merrill / Jake Hooker)		 RAK 171 (UK number 8)[17]
1974 "Toughen Up"
(Nicky Chinn / Mike Chapman) 		"Diesel Locomotive Dancer"
(Alan Merrill / Jake Hooker)		 RAK 182 (UK number 54)[A]
1975 "My Last Night with You"
(Roger Ferris) 		"Movin' Next Door To You"
(Alan Merrill / Jake Hooker)		 RAK 189 (UK number 25)[17]
1975 "Broken Down Heart"
(Roger Ferris) 		"I Love Rock 'n' Roll"[B]
(Alan Merrill / Jake Hooker)		 RAK 205 [18]
1975 "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"[B]
(Alan Merrill / Jake Hooker) 		"Broken Down Heart"
(Roger Ferris)		 RAK 205 [19]
1975 "Hard Hearted"
(Roger Ferris) 		"My World Is Turning On Love"
(Alan Merrill / Jake Hooker)		 RAK 218
1976 "Once Upon A Time"
(Bill Martin / Phil Coulter) 		"Boogiest Band In Town"
(Bill Martin / Phil Coulter)		 RAK 231

List of songs

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The following is a sortable table of all songs by Arrows:

Song Writer(s) Time Producer Album Year Other
"A Love Like Ours" Alan Merrill, Terry Taylor 4:13 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Always Another Train" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Terry Taylor 5:12 Bill Wyman Tawny Tracks 1977 unpublished
"At The Candy Shop" Alan Merrill, Bill Wyman 4:13 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Baby Doll" Alan Merrill, Bill Wyman 3:06 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Bam Bam Battering Ram" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker Mickie Most A's, B's, and Rarites 1974 published in 2004
"Basing Street Leslie" Alan Merrill, Paul Varley, Tetsu Yamauchi 2:06 Bill Wyman Tawny Tracks 1977
"Boogiest Band In Town" Bill Martin, Phil Coulter 3:22 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976 B-side of "Once Upon A Time"
"Bring Back The Fire" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Terry Taylor unknown 'A's B's & Rarities 1976
"Broken Down Heart" Roger Ferris Mickie Most 1975 B-side of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"
"Cheating Woman" Alan Merrill, A.B. David 3:12 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Come On, Come On, Baby" Alan Merrill 3:29 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Dare You Not To Dance" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Terry Taylor 3:08 Bill Wyman Tawny Tracks 1977
"Diesel Locomotive Dancer" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 2:42 Mickie Most First Hit (CD) 1974 B-side of "Toughen Up"
"Don't Worry 'Bout Love" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 3:00 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"Dreamin'" Johnny Burnette 2:33 Mickie Most A's, B's, and Rarites 1974 published in 2004
"Faith In You" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Terry Taylor unknown A's B's & Rarities 1976-77 published in 2004
"Feel So Good" Alan Merrill 2:55 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"Feelin' this Way" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Paul Varley 3:20 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"First Hit" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 4:22 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"French Cheating Woman" Alan Merrill, A.B. David 4:35 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Goodbyes Don't Bother Me" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Terry Taylor Bill Wyman Tawny Tracks 1977 unpublished
"Gotta Be Near You" Bill Martin, Phil Coulter 3:30 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"Hard Hearted" Roger Ferris 3:18 Mickie Most 1975 A-side of "My World Is Turning On Love"
"Horny Lips" Alan Merrill 2:42 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker[B] 2:47 Mickie Most Tawny Tracks 1975 A-side of "Broken Down Heart"
"International Gypsy Lovers" Alan Merrill 3:08 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Let Me Love You" Bill Martin, Phil Coulter 3:22 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"Love Child" Craig McLearie, John Laurenson 3:09 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"Love Is Easy" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 3:25 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"Love Rider" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Terry Taylor unknown A's B's & Rarities 1976
"Motor Running" Alan Merrill 3:05 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Movin' Next Door To You" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 2:57 Mickie Most 1975 B-side of "My Last Night with You"
"Movin' Next Door To You" (New Version) Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker Mickie Most A's B's & Rarities 2004
"My Last Night with You" Roger Ferris 2:31 Mickie Most 1975 A-side of "Movin' Next Door To You"
"My World Is Turning On Love" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 4:23 Mickie Most First Hit (CD) 1975 B-side of "Hard Hearted"
"Once Upon A Time" Bill Martin, Phil Coulter 4:28 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976 A-side of "Boogiest Band In Town"
"Rock N' Roll Hotel" Alan Merrill 3:30 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002
"Silver Stallion" Alan Merrill 3:07 unknown Walk Away Renee 1976
"Somebody to Love" Alan Merrill 4:04 unknown Tawny Tracks 1977
"Thanks" Bill Martin, Phil Coulter 4:14 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"The Stranger" Alan Merrill 2:55 unknown Walk Away Renee 1976
"Touch Too Much" Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman 3:00 Mickie Most 1974 A-side of "We Can Make It Together"
"Toughen Up" Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman 2:51 Mickie Most First Hit (CD) 1974 A-side of "Diesel Locomotive Dancer"
"Wake Up" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker Mickie Most A's, B's, and Rarites 1974 published in 2004
"Walk Away Renee" Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, Tony Sansone 2:43 Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman 1974
"We Can Make It Together" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 2:57 Mickie Most First Hit (CD) 1974 B-side of "Touch Too Much"
"What's Come Between Us" Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker 3:33 Phil Coulter First Hit (LP) 1976
"Who Done It?" Alan Merrill 3:07 unknown Tawny Tracks 2002

Cover versions

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Song Writer(s) Original artist Album Year Other
Boogiest Band In Town Bill Martin, Phil Coulter Slik Slik (CD) 1975
Dreamin' Johnny Burnette Johnny Burnette Dreamin' 1960
Thanks Bill Martin, Phil Coulter J. Vincent Edwards Thanks 1969
Walk Away Renee Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, Tony Sansone The Left Banke Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina 1966

Arrow songs covered by others

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Song Writer(s) First artist Name Album Year Other
I Love Rock 'n' Roll Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker[B] Joan Jett & the Blackhearts I Love Rock 'n' Roll I Love Rock 'n Roll 1981
Love Child Craig McLearie, John Laurenson Craig McLearie Love Child Warp Factor 1979
Touch Too Much Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman Roman Holliday
Hello		 Touch Too Much Fire Me Up
Glam Rockers 		1984
1996

References

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  1. ^ Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".
  2. ^ a b c d I Love Rock 'n' Roll was written by Merrill alone, but credited to Merrill and Hooker. The same is true of some or all of the Arrows' B-sides.[2]
  1. ^ Harry, Bill (1976). Arrows : The Official Story. Everest Books. ISBN 0-903925-61-3.
  2. ^ a b "Alan Merrill tells the story of I Love Rock 'n' Roll in his final Guitar World interview". 31 March 2020.
  3. ^ "King Of The Mods, Peter Meaden". Alanmerrill.tumblr.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  4. ^ Currin, Brian. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (A)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Toughen Up (song by Arrows) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  6. ^ "The Arrows Enduring Legacy - From Bill Harry's "Rock N Pop Shop"". Alanmerrill.tumblr.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  7. ^ "The UK 70s Arrows — "THE ARROWS SHOW" - The True Story About The..." Hailarrows.tumblr.com. March 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Ten hits you may not know were cover versions". BBC News. Retrieved 14 October 2014
  9. ^ "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert: February 8, 1975: Sparks / Stampeders / Bill Wyman / Arrows (videos)". TV.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Photographic image". Alanmerrill.com. Archived from the original (JPG) on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Rhythm Kings' Terry Taylor releases debut 'Taylor Made' solo album Bill Wyman". Billwyman.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Arrows, Moving Next Door To You, Homes Under The Hammmer". YouTube. 5 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  13. ^ Alan Merrill (8 May 2017). "Arrows, We Can Make It Together, Homes Under The Hammer BBC". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Arrows / アローズ「First Hit / ファースト・ヒット」｜ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン". Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Jake Hooker, Co-Author of 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll,' Dies at 61". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  16. ^ Sisario, Ben (30 March 2020). "Alan Merrill, a Songwriter of 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll,' Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  17. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 30. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  18. ^ "Arrows - Broken Down Heart". 45cat.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Arrows (2) - I Love Rock N Roll". Discogs.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
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