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Rak Records was a British record label, founded by record producer Mickie Most in 1969. Rak was home of artists like Herman's Hermits, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Kenny, Hot Chocolate, Smokie, Arrows, Span, Racey and Kim Wilde.^[1] Rak Records were distributed via a licensing deal with EMI, which bought the company and its master recordings from Most in 1983. Most kept the company name and his Rak recording studio, which still exists in St. John's Wood along with Rak Publishing. The latter company represents artists such as Joan Jett, Ben Taylor and KK (Kevin Kerrigan).

Origin of name[link]

As the name appears on the label written in capitals and is spelt without a C (RAK), many believe it's an acronym, but 'Rak' is short for rackjobbing, or the sale of records in unusual places (i.e. other than record shops or department stores), such as petrol stations and supermarkets. Mickie Most chose to deliberately misspell the label's name as Rak rather than Rack.^{[citation needed]}

Rak Publishing[link]

Rak Publishing is currently located in London, in the original Rak recording studios complex in St John's Wood. They manage the publishing rights for songs like "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett, and "Kids In America" recorded by Kim Wilde.^[2] Rak Publishing and Tummy Touch Records are currently releasing new and archive material from the Rak catalog.

See also[link]

• Category:Rak Records artists
• Category:Rak Records albums
• Category:Albums recorded at RAK Studios

References[link]

External links[link]

• Rak Publishing official website
• Official Yahoo! Group for Rak Records
• Photos of historical Rak record labels and sleeves
• Rak Studios official website
• RAK discography at Discogs

This article about a United Kingdom record label is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart New Wave classic "Kids in America". In 1983, Wilde received the Brit Award for Best British Female.^[2] In 1987 she had a major hit in the US when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On" topped the charts. Starting in 1998, while still active in music, she has branched into an alternative career as a landscape gardener.

Early life[link]

The eldest child of 1950s rock 'n' roller Marty Wilde (birth name Reginald Smith) and Joyce Baker, who was earlier a member of the singing and dancing group The Vernons Girls, Kim Smith was born in the West London suburb of Chiswick and attended Oakfield Preparatory School, in the Southeast London area of Dulwich. When she was nine, the family moved to Hertfordshire, where she was educated at Tewin and later Presdales School in Ware. In 1980, at age 20, she completed a foundation course at St Albans College of Art & Design and, as Kim Wilde, was signed to RAK Records by Mickie Most.^[3]

Music career[link]

The RAK years[link]

Oakfield School in Dulwich

Wilde released her debut single "Kids in America" in January 1981. An instant success, it reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and scaled the Top 5 in other countries such as Germany, France and Australia.^[4] Although it achieved only moderate success in the US, peaking at number 25 when released in 1982, it is often regarded today as Wilde's signature song. Her debut album Kim Wilde repeated the success of the single, spawning two further hits in "Chequered Love" (Top 5 in the UK, France, Australia and Germany) and the UK-only single "Water on Glass". Her follow-up album was 1982's Select, led by the hit singles "Cambodia" and "View From a Bridge". Both were Number 1 hits in France and reached Top 10 positions in Germany and Australia. At the time, there was some controversy about Wilde's hesitation to do live concerts.^[5] Her first concerts in September 1982 took place in Denmark,^[6] before embarking on a UK-wide tour in October.^[7] Wilde's third album, Catch as Catch Can (1983) was a relative failure.^{[citation needed]} The first single from the album, "Love Blonde", was another success in France and Scandinavia, but failed to have major success in other countries. The failure of the album led to her leaving RAK and signing with MCA Records in the summer of 1984.^{[citation needed]}

The MCA years[link]

Wilde's first MCA album Teases & Dares was again overlooked in her home country,^{[citation needed]} but fared better in Germany, France and Scandinavia as well as scoring another German Top 10 single with "The Second Time" (which was Top 30 in the UK). The video for this song appeared in an episode of the 1980s TV hit Knight Rider in 1985.^[8] The second single, "The Touch", was not a commercial success, but the third single, the rockabilly "Rage to Love", made the UK top 20 in 1985. All of Wilde's songs up to this point, including all her major hits, had been written by her father Marty and brother, Ricky. On "Teases & Dares" she penning two songs. Meanwhile, Wilde had embarked on three European concert tours (1983, 85 and 86).^{[citation needed]}

On her fifth album, 1986's Another Step, Wilde wrote or co-wrote most of the songs. The album's lead single "Schoolgirl" flopped in Europe and Australia, but Wilde's fortunes improved in spectacular fashion with the album's second single, a Hi-NRG remake of The Supremes classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On".^[9] After topping the charts in Australia and Canada and peaking at number two in the UK, it became a US number one single in 1987. With that hit, she became the fifth UK female solo artist ever to top the US Hot 100, following Petula Clark, Lulu, Sheena Easton, and Bonnie Tyler.^[10] Wilde later admitted to "not knowing the song terribly well" beforehand: "Basically we just went into the studio with a lot of energy and not a lot of reverence. We changed quite a lot of the song and I think that's why it was so successful. It was a very spontaneous idea."^[11] Her popularity, especially in her native UK, was revitalised and she scored further Top 10 hits in 1987 with "Another Step (Closer to You)" (recorded with Junior) and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (a Comic Relief charity single, recorded with comedian Mel Smith).

In 1988, Wilde released her biggest selling album to date,^{[citation needed]} Close, which returned her to the UK top 10 and spent almost eight months on the UK album chart. It produced four major European hits: "Hey Mr.Heartache", "You Came", "Never Trust a Stranger" and "Four Letter Word", (the last 3 were Top 10 hits in the UK). The release of the album coincided with a tour of Europe, where she was the opening act for Michael Jackson's Bad World Tour.^[12] Wilde released her next album, Love Moves, in 1990. The album barely made the UK Top 40, and, although it was a Top 10 success in Scandinavian countries, it failed to sell as well as its predecessor and only spawned two minor hits, "It's Here" a Top 20 success in Middle and Northern Europe as well as "Can't Get Enough (Of Your Love)", her last Top 20 hit in France. She toured Europe again, this time opening for fellow Briton David Bowie.^[12]

A collaboration with Rick Nowels, who had produced hits for Stevie Nicks and Belinda Carlisle, resulted in the guitar-driven pop of the single "Love Is Holy" and the album Love Is (1992). The album's success was again limited to a small number of countries, though the single became another Top 20 hit in the UK,^[13] and the second single ("Heart Over Mind") also made the top 40.^[13] In 1993, she released her first official compilation album The Singles Collection 1981–1993, which was a success throughout Europe and Australia and the dancefloor-influenced single "If I Can't Have You" (a cover of the Yvonne Elliman song from the film Saturday Night Fever that was penned by The Bee Gees), became her last UK Top 20 Hit as well as a number 3 hit in Australia.^[14]

Wilde embarked on a huge "Greatest Hits" concert tour through Europe in 1994 and also toured Australia and Japan for the first time in six years.^{[citation needed]} Her next album, Now & Forever (1995), was a commercial failure worldwide.^[12] Her single "Breakin' Away", however, was a minor hit, and the follow-up, "This I Swear", was also a minor hit in Europe.^[15] She released a single "Shame" in 1996.^[16] From February 1996 to February 1997, Wilde appeared in London's West End production of the musical, Tommy.^[17] After this, Wilde started recording a new album. However, there were problems with her record company – MCA Records had by that time become part of Universal Music – and legal problems concerning the songs. Subsequently, Wilde abandoned the album which remains unreleased.^{[citation needed]}

Return to Pop[link]

On 13 January 2001, Wilde performed live for the first time in years, as a guest star in a charity show by the ABBA tribute band, Fabba.^{[citation needed]} Since November 2001, she has toured the UK three times (and once in Australia during 2003) as part of the Here and Now Tour, an Eighties revival concert series, together with artists such as Paul Young, The Human League, Belinda Carlisle, Howard Jones and Five Star.^{[citation needed]} New recordings also followed; in 2001, she recorded a new track, "Loved", for a compilation album which became a surprise hit in Belgium.^[18] She recorded the single "Born to be Wild" in 2002, and in summer of 2003 she had a major hit with "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime", a duet with German pop star Nena. The single was a Top 10 hit in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Netherlands and Switzerland.^[19]

In 2006, Wilde signed a new record deal with EMI Germany and released the first single from her tenth studio album in many countries across Europe, Scandinavia and Asia. "You Came 2006" charted Top 20 in most of these countries and became her biggest solo hit in Germany since 1988.^[15] The album Never Say Never included eight new tracks plus five re-worked previous hits and has charted in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The second single from the album, which was voted for by fans on her official website was "Perfect Girl", released in November 2006 and spent nine weeks on the German Top 100 singles chart.^[15] A third single, "Together We Belong", was released in March 2007 and a fourth single, "Baby Obey Me", was released in Germany as a remix featuring German rapper Ill Inspecta.^[20] In 2001, Wilde appeared on the first Here and Now Tour around the UK and repeated this, as the only artist, four years in a row.^{[citation needed]} Also on different summer festivals and summer Here and Now events, she became a regular guest, including the Australian leg of the Tour.^{[citation needed]} Since summer 2003, Wilde has appeared on numerous festival bills and concerts all over Europe with her own show.^{[citation needed]} In the spring of 2007, she toured (The Perfect Girl tour) around Europe singing new material, and started a second leg of the tour the following autumn.^{[citation needed]} Also in the spring and summer of 2009, she toured around Europe, playing a number of festivals and concerts.^{[citation needed]} In early September 2009, a brand new single, "Run to You", recorded as a duet with Swedish rock band Fibes, Oh Fibes!, was released in Sweden. The song reached the Swedish Top 30.^[21]

In 2010, Kim signed a new record deal with Sony Music Germany. The label released her eleventh studio album, Come Out and Play on 17 August,^[22] with "Lights Down Low" preceding that as lead single.^[23] The album reached number 10 in Germany^[24] and was followed by a tour in Europe in February and March 2011.

Wilde's twelfth studio album, Snapshots, was released on 26 August 2011 and features cover versions of songs hand-picked from the last five decades. A double release of "It's Alright" and "Sleeping Satellite" was released on 19 August as the lead single. Two further singles failed to reach the chart. Kim toured in support of the album in Germany in March 2012.

Impact and recognition[link]

Kim Wilde holds the record for being the most-charted British solo female act of the 1980s, with seventeen UK Top 40 hit singles throughout the decade (including her duets with Junior Giscombe and Mel Smith).^{[citation needed]}

A number of artists have performed covers of Kim Wilde songs, ranging from pop and rock to dance and death metal versions. In 1991, Lawnmower Deth released their version of "Kids in America" as a single.^[25] The same year, English punk rock band Toy Dolls recorded a parody of "Kids in America" called "The Kids in Tyne and Wear" on their seventh studio album, Fat Bob's Feet. In 1995, indie rock band The Muffs recorded "Kids in America", which was featured in the hit film Clueless. In 2000, Canadian band Len covered "Kids in America" for the Digimon soundtrack.^{[citation needed]} American pop star Tiffany recorded a version of "Kids in America" in 2007 for her album I Think We're Alone Now: '80s Hits and More. German eurodance act Cascada, recorded a version of "Kids in America", on their Everytime We Touch album in 2007. Other famous artists to cover Kim Wilde songs are Apoptygma Berzerk, Atomic Kitten, Bloodhound Gang, James Last and Lasgo.

Wilde has provided inspiration for other artists, including Charlotte Hatherley, who wrote a song about her entitled "Kim Wilde", and included it on her debut album, Grey Will Fade. East German punk rock band Feeling B also recorded a song called "Kim Wilde", which featured on their debut album. In 1985, French singer Laurent Voulzy paid tribute to Wilde in his song "Les Nuits Sans Kim Wilde" ("Nights Without Kim Wilde"). In her graphic novel Persepolis, Iranian cartoonist Marjane Satrapi has a comic strip titled Kim Wilde. In it the main character Marji, a young Iranian girl, sings "Kids in America" in the streets of the Iranian capital. Also, when her parents go on holiday in Turkey, they buy a poster of Kim Wilde and smuggle it into Tehran for Marji. Marji pins the poster on her bedroom's wall and practices emulating Wilde.^[26]

Awards[link]

• 1996 RSH-GOLD Female Classic of 1995 (Germany)
• 1993 Bambi Award for "The Singles Collection" (Germany)
• 1990 Diamond Award (Netherlands)
• 1988 European Platinum Award as female singer who sold the most records across Europe (she shared this award with equally successful 80s singer Sandra)^{[citation needed]}
• 1984 Golden Otto Best Singer (Germany)
• 1983 BRIT Awards - Best British Female Solo Artist (UK)^[2]
• 1983 Silver Otto Second Best Singer (Germany)
• 1982 Silver Otto Second Best Singer (Germany)
• 1981 Golden Otto Best Singer (Germany)
• 1981 Rockbjörnen - Best female singer (Sweden)

Gardening career[link]

During her first pregnancy, an old interest in gardening resurfaced and she attended the famous Capel Manor college to learn about horticulture, so as to create a garden for her children. As a celebrity, she was asked by Channel 4 to act as a designer for their programme Better Gardens.^[27] A year later, she started a two year commitment with the BBC, recording two series of Garden Invaders.^[28]

In 2001, she (along with fellow horticulturist David Fountain) created the "All about Alice" garden for the Tatton Flower Show and was awarded the 'Best Show Garden' award.^[29] In 2005, she won a Gold award for her courtyard garden at the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show.^[30] She has designed and created numerous gardens during her involvement in the Better Gardens and Garden Invaders TV programmes and commissioned by individuals and organisations. She has also created gardens for Flower Shows across the UK and received, with David Fountain, an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for successfully moving (from Belgium) and replanting the world's largest tree in January 2001.^[31] After standing in its new location for six years, however, the tree was toppled by a storm in January 2007.^[32]

Publications[link]

Wilde has written two books within her gardening career. The first, Gardening with Children, was released on 4 April 2005 by Collins publishers.^[33] Translations of the book were released at the same time in Spain, France, Denmark and the Netherlands, and later in Germany.^{[34][citation needed]} Her second book, The First-Time Gardener, was released on 3 April 2006 (again by Collins), and is a beginner's guide to gardening.^[35]

Television[link]

Wilde broadened her eco-friendly image by taking on advertising jobs for various 'green' companies. For two years, she featured on adverts for the highstreet health food shop Holland & Barrett. She wrote infomercials for Bold^[36] and Timotei,^[37] and in 2008, she started advertising 'green kitchens' for Magnet.^[38]

Personal life[link]

On 1 September 1996, Wilde married her co-star in Tommy, Hal Fowler, and expressed a desire to have children as soon as possible.^[39] On 3 January 1998 she gave birth to Harry Tristan.^[40] Two years later, on 13 January 2000, Rose Elisabeth was born.^[41][42]

As of 2008, her brother Marty Wilde Jr. is a landscape gardener^[43] and her sister, Roxanne, is a backing singer for Kylie Minogue.^[44]

Discography[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Gardening with Children (2005)
• The First-Time Gardener (2006)

References[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Kim Wilde
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Kim Wilde

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kim Wilde

• Official website
• Official fansite
• Kim Wilde at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Kim Wilde Studio albums Kim Wilde Select Catch as Catch Can Teases & Dares Another Step Close Love Moves Love Is Now & Forever Never Say Never Come Out and Play Snapshots Remix albums The Remix Collection Compilations The Very Best of Kim Wilde (1984) The Singles Collection 1981–1993 The Very Best of Kim Wilde (2001) The Hits Collection Singles "Kids in America" "Chequered Love" "Water on Glass" "Cambodia" "View from a Bridge" "Child Come Away" "Love Blonde" "Dancing in the Dark" "House of Salome" "The Second Time" "The Touch" "Rage to Love" "Schoolgirl" "You Keep Me Hangin' On" "Another Step (Closer to You)" "Say You Really Want Me" "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" "Hey Mister Heartache" "You Came" "Never Trust a Stranger" "Four Letter Word" "Love in the Natural Way" "It's Here" "Time" "Can't Get Enough (Of Your Love)" "World in Perfect Harmony" "I Can't Say Goodbye" "Love Is Holy" "Heart Over Mind" "Who Do You Think You Are" "Million Miles Away" "If I Can't Have You" "In My Life" "Kids in America 1994" "Breakin' Away" "This I Swear" "Shame" "Loved" "Born to Be Wild" "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" "You Came 2006" "Perfect Girl" "Together We Belong" "Baby Obey Me" "Run to You" "Lights Down Low" "Real Life" "It's Alright" "Sleeping Satellite" "To France" "Ever Fallen in Love" Related articles Discography Marty Wilde Ricky Wilde Book:Kim Wilde

Peter Noone
Noone, performing live June 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone
Also known as	Herman
Born	(1947-11-05) 5 November 1947 (age 64) Davyhulme, Lancashire, England
Genres	Rock, pop
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1962–present
Labels	RAK, Philips, Bus Stop (UK) Bell, Philips (US)
Associated acts	Herman's Hermits
Website	www.peternoone.com

Peter Noone (born Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone, 5 November 1947, Davyhulme, Lancashire) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor, best known as Herman of the successful 1960s rock group Herman's Hermits.

Early life[link]

The son of an accountant, Noone attended Wellacre Primary School in Flixton and Stretford Grammar School near Manchester. He played a number of acting roles on television, including that of Stanley Fairclough in the soap opera Coronation Street.^[1] Noone studied voice and drama at St Bede's College, Manchester and Manchester School of Music, where he won the Outstanding Young Musician Award.

Career[link]

Herman's Hermits[link]

Early in his career, he used the stage name Peter Novak. At the age of 15, he became the lead singer, spokesman, and frontman of Herman's Hermits. As "Herman", the photogenic Noone appeared on the cover of many international publications, including the Time Magazine's cover collage showing new faces in popular music.^[2]

Solo work[link]

After leaving Herman's Hermits in 1971, Noone recorded four singles for UK RAK Records, one single for UK and US Philips, and several singles for the small UK record label, Bus Stop Records. His first RAK single, "Oh! You Pretty Things", peaked at No.12 in the UK Singles Chart.^[3] It was written by David Bowie, who also played piano on the track. In 1974 Noone scored a No.15 US AC and No.101 US Bubbling Under success with "Meet Me On The Corner Down At Joe's Cafe" on the Casablanca Records label. In 1989 he had a No.19 US AC hit with his solo recording of "I'm Into Something Good" from the movie The Naked Gun.

The Tremblers[link]

Noone led a short-lived new wave group called "The Tremblers" that toured in 1980 and released one album, "Twice Nightly." Along with Noone, the members of the band were Greg Inhofer (keyboards), Robert Williams (drums, formerly with The Pop), George Conner (lead guitar) and Mark Browne (bass). According to the liner notes of the album, several musicians provided "licks & tricks," including members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, Elton John's backing band, Daryl Dragon and Dave Clark.

Family[link]

Noone has a brother Damon Noone who is also a musician and a parliamentary candidate for United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). Peter Noone is married to Mireille (née Strasser), a Strasbourg-born Frenchwoman.^[4] They were married on 5 November 1968,^[5] Noone′s 21st birthday.^[6] Because Strasser was Jewish, the Catholic Noone needed a special dispensation for the couple to be married at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in London′s Mayfair.^[6] They have a daughter, Natalie.

Film, television, and stage[link]

As Noone sings "Henry the VIII" on The Danny Kaye Show, the king's portrait comes to life.

Noone featured in the 1971 Central Office of Information film Betcher!, refereeing a contest between two gangs of kids, one who ride their bikes how they like, the other taking cycling proficiency tests. During the 1970s, Noone also starred in various stage, TV and film productions, including ABC's musical version of The Canterville Ghost, and the lead in Hallmark Hall of Fame's presentation of Pinocchio. He starred in three films for MGM: Mrs Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter, Hold On! and When the Boys Meet the Girls. He received favourable reviews in the lead role of Frederic in several Broadway theatre productions of The Pirates of Penzance during the 1980s. Also in the 1980s, Noone fronted a new-wave band called the Tremblers, and released a solo album, One of the Glory Boys.

He was the host of VH1's My Generation from 1989 to 1993, and in 2001 he was voted 'VH1's Sexiest Artist. The Viewers' Choice award'. He now lives in Santa Barbara, California, United States. One of his neighbours is Dennis Miller, and Noone occasionally appears on his radio programme. In 1992 he starred in episode 9, season 7 of Married With Children along side Richie Havens, Spencer Davis, John Sebastian, Robby Krieger, and Mark Lindsay.

He voiced Adrian of the band Tiny Cowboy in Disney Channel's show Phineas and Ferb with Davy Jones of The Monkees as fellow band member Nigel.

Recent[link]

He still tours with a group called 'Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone'. Noone appeared on the televised singing show American Idol on 20 March 2007 as a mentor for male contestants on the show. He performed "There's a Kind of Hush" on American Idol on 21 March 2007.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Peter Noone singing his daughter′s song "I′d Rather Be Lonely" on YouTube.com

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

"Can I Get a Witness" is a 1963 hit song by Marvin Gaye on the Tamla (Motown) label. Written and produced by Motown songwriting and producing team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song was built among gospel-styled music and heralded Gaye's beginnings in the church with a rhythm and blues/rock and roll setting. The song featured Gaye on piano, playing a boogie pattern, The Funk Brothers, and members of The Supremes in the background accompanying Gaye. The song became a hit in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom, and British musicians Lulu, Dusty Springfield, The Rolling Stones, Sam Brown and Steampacket (which featured a very young Rod Stewart) recorded cover versions of the song. Gaye's version peaked at #22 on the Hot 100 chart and its title soon became a catchphrase. Lee Michaels' 1971 version reached #39 on the Hot 100; both his and Gaye's versions peaked during Christmas week.

In popular culture[link]

• Gaye's recording is featured in the 1999 biographical film The Hurricane.

Personnel[link]

• Lead vocals by Marvin Gaye
• Background vocals by The Supremes: Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

Alan Merrill (born February 19, 1951) is an American vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, actor and model. In the early 1970s Merrill was the first westerner to achieve pop star status in Japan. He is the lead singer of the first ever released version and co-author of the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by the Arrows in 1975.^[1]

Alan Merrill

Early life[link]

Alan Merrill was born Allan Preston Sachs on February 19, 1951 in The Bronx, New York City, the son of two jazz musicians, singer Helen Merrill, and saxophone/clarinet player Aaron Sachs.

He started his semi-pro career in his mid teens when he began playing in Greenwich Village's "Cafe Wha?" with the bands The Kaleidoscope, The Rayne, and Watertower West. The groups played the club during the 1966-1968 period.

Instruments[link]

Alan Merrill is a multi-instrumentalist, but is known best for his singing ability. He is a vocalist who also plays the guitar, bass guitar, harmonica and keyboards.

Professional career in Japan[link]

In 1968, Merrill auditioned for the New York band, the Left Banke. The audition was successful, but the band dissolved. Shortly thereafter, he left to reside in Japan, and started his professional career there with the band The Lead, on RCA Victor Records. The band was a foreign Tokyo based act. The Lead had one hit single, "Aoi Bara" (Blue Rose), but the project soon fell apart when two American members of the group were deported.

In 1969 Merrill signed a solo management deal with Watanabe Productions, who contracted him to Atlantic Records, and changed his professional surname from Sachs ( pronounced sax) to Merrill because "Merrill" sounded less lascivious and was more commercially viable when spoken by young Japanese pop music fans.^[1] He recorded one album with Atlantic Records, "Alone In Tokyo", which yielded one hit single, "Namida" (Teardrops), and he became the first foreign domestic market pop star in the Japanese Group Sounds.

Merrill acted on the popular TV soap opera "Ji Kan Desu Yo", and had his own corner as a regular on the TBS "Young 720," a morning show for teens. He also was the featured principal as a model in ads for Nissan cars, Jun clothing, and GT Jeans.

In 1971 he released an LP of his own compositions titled "Merrill 1", in Japan for Denon/Columbia (a company not affiliated with the Columbia Records labels outside Japan.) He then formed the band Vodka Collins, who became Japan's top glam rock act. The band included Japanese superstars Hiroshi "Monsieur" Kamayatsu and Hiroshi Oguchi. Vodka Collins recorded one LP in 1972-1973 titled "Tokyo-New York", on the EMI Toshiba label, which is still available today in CD re-issues.

Professional career In London[link]

In 1974 in London Alan Merrill formed the band Arrows (as lead singer and bass guitarist), with drummer Paul Varley and guitarist Jake Hooker. Peter Meaden was the Arrows' first manager, but later they signed with Mickie Most's RAK Records. March 1974 the Arrows were in the top 10 in the UK charts with the song "Touch Too Much,". Arrows became a popular band with teens, and once again Merrill had slid back into the teen market he had fought hard to get out of in Japan. The Arrows had another hit single with "My Last Night With You" which made the UK top 30 in 1975, but the band's single releases were few and far between as a result of their producer Mickie Most's winding down his own career momentum.

They made one more single that would be an important one. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (1975), a song that started out as a b-side to the 45 rpm Arrows single "Broken Down Heart". The song "I Love Rock 'N Roll" was composed by Alan Merrill and Arrows bandmate Jake Hooker. The record was later flipped to a-side status, and the band got only one TV performance with the song. The show's producer Muriel Young was so impressed with Arrows that she made a pitch to Granada ITV for them to have their own television series. The Arrows got their own weekly TV series Arrows in 1976, taking over the Bay City Rollers Granada TV series Shang-a-Lang. The band Arrows signed with MAM Management. Their producer Mickie Most was so angry at the band for signing the management deal, that he vowed to never release another Arrows record. So it came to pass that Arrows had their own weekly TV series and no records released during that time. Their ratings were so good that they got a second weekly series, but they released no new recordings. The Arrows disbanded shortly after the end of the second series. In 1977, Merrill married fashion model Cathee Dahmen, and formed a new group, the album-oriented rock act Runner, with Steve Gould (Rare Bird), Mick Feat (Van Morrison band), and Dave Dowle (Whitesnake). The Runner album charted in the Billboard top 100 in the United States.

Later professional career[link]

In 1980 Alan Merrill joined forces with Rick Derringer as a guitarist/vocalist in New York City. They recorded two albums, "Good Dirty Fun", and "Rick Derringer and Friends", and a film, "The Rick Derringer Rock Spectacular". In 1982 Joan Jett released the Arrows song "I Love Rock 'N Roll, " and it went to number one in the US charts for 8 weeks. Lou Rawls recorded Alan Merrill's song "When The Night Comes" as the title track of his 1983 Epic Records album. The Rawls version of the song was taken into space by astronaut Guion Bluford, the first music taken to and played in outer space.

In 1983 Merrill recorded a solo album for Polydor Records, simply titled "Alan Merrill", a collection of self-composed tracks. Some friends contributing to this record were Steve Winwood, Mick Taylor and Dallas Taylor. It was released in 1985 and received critical acclaim although it wasn't a chart hit. In 1986 Alan Merrill joined the Meat Loaf band for the promotional tour of his "Blind Before I Stop" album, and stayed for several years, recording Meat Loaf's 1987 Live at Wembley album for Arista Records. In 1989 Alan Merrill was offered a role in the television series Encyclopedia Brown on HBO, and was a part of the successful series in his role as principal character Casey Sparkz.

In 1990, a Vodka Collins reunion tour was organized. The band toured Japan, and recorded the first in a series of reunion albums, "Chemical Reaction" which was followed by "Pink Soup," "Boy's Life" and "Boys In The Band"
In New York, starting with a tribute to Don Covay Merrill began working with R&B producer Jon Tiven. This led to the "Yes I Ram" and "Blue Guru" albums in the mid 1990s featuring Alan Merrill on lead vocals. Many R&B greats recorded cover versions of material from these two albums.

Current activity[link]

In recent years, Alan Merrill has released solo albums Never Pet A Burning Dog (1998), Cupid Deranged (2002), A Merrilly Christmas (2001), Double Shot Rocks (2003) - a tribute to songwriters Otis Blackwell and Arthur Alexander, Aleecat (2004), At The Candy Shop (2006), Rive Gauche (2007) - a tribute to The Left Banke. The reissue Alien In Tokyo, EP single Hard Road, and an in concert album The Aleecat, Live In Japan were all released in 2008. New albums by Mr. Merrill titled The Face Of 69 (2010), Numbers (2011) and Snakes and Ladders (2012) were recently released.

Alan Merrill does live solo concerts internationally, both with backing bands and solo acoustic. He currently resides in New York City.

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b} "Outsight Radio Hours interview, 12 February 2012". http://www.archive.org/details/AlanMerrillOnOutsightRadioHours. Retrieved 18 March 2012. 

External links[link]

• The Alan Merrill Official Website
• Alan Merrill fan site
• Japanese Alan Merrill site
• IMDB Listing
• The band Vodka Collins' information
• The band Arrows website
• Allmusic
• Who's Who in Japanese rock 1971
• Alan Merrill with the band The Lead, 1968