‘Herman and the Hermits’ transition into ‘Herman’s Hermits’:

Between ’63 – ’64 I managed ‘Herman and the Hermits’ comprising Peter Noone, Keith Hopwood, Karl Green, Alan Wrigley and Steve Titterington for whom I had already arranged sessions in London with Mickie Most but which hadn’t really worked out and they split.

In March ’64, I approached Derek Leckenby and Barry Whitwam  from another local Manchester band called the Wailers, who, on showing them our busy diary, agreed to join forces with Peter Noone, Keith Hopwood and Karl Green to form ‘Herman’s Hermits’.

I paid for an airplane ticket for Mickie Most to come up again to re-appraise the new line-up at The Beachcomber in Bolton, and he left me with a demo of ‘I’m Into Something Good’ for the band to learn and record at his studio in London on the following Sunday.

Our Part in the ‘British Invasion’:

So Herman’s Hermits recorded ‘I’m Into Something Good‘ (Goffin, King) as their debut single on 26 July 1964.  It reached No.1 in the U.K. on 30 September 1964 and stayed there for two weeks.  The song peaked at No.13 in the US later that year and No.7 in Canada.

Around the beginning of 1965 I brought my act Herman’s Hermits to the table and took a 50% stake in the Manchester, U.K. promoter Kennedy Street Enterprises who had booked The Beatles first tour.

This paid dividends when between April and May 1965, a hat-trick of Manchester-based acts, all signed for management to our Kennedy Street agency, enjoyed an unprecedented (and not since repeated) consecutive 6 week spell at No. 1 on the US Hot 100.

Freddie and the Dreamers spent two weeks at the top with their manic song “I’m Telling You Now” (10–24 April):

Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders one week with “Game of Love” (24 April-1 May) – introduced by my old pal Brian Epstein (manager of The Beatles) and feat. Eric Stewart (later of 10cc) on lead guitar:

. . . and Herman’s Hermits another three weeks with “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” (1–22 May) a feat not since repeated:

On the back of my success with Herman’s Hermits circa. mid 1964, I suddenly had access to various chart-topping bands and was able to elevate and promote my newly-signed in-house song writer, Graham Gouldman, who started writing hit after hit for The Yardbirds, The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, Jeff Beck, Cher and many other big acts.