Chris Curtis - After The Searchers

After The Searchers

When he left the Searchers, Curtis rang his friend, Klaus Voormann, who was in charge of the Swedish radio station for whom the band had recorded sessions in 1964. Voormann told him to come to Sweden to get himself straight.

Upon his return to London from Sweden, Curtis recorded his only solo single, "Aggravation" (backed with "Have I Done Something Wrong?"). It entered the UK singles chart at number 40 on June 26, 1966 rising to 19 the following week and then dropping out forever. He never made another single.

"Aggravation" was a Joe South song. The other musicians included Jimmy Page, Joe Moretti, John Paul Jones and Vic Flick & Bobby Graham on that record. "I did my Tom Jones hard rock voice and I was really loud," Curtis would say later.

In 1965 Curtis had written and produced "Snakes And Snails" for Alma Cogan with all the musicians who had played on "Aggravation". Now, Vicki Wickham, the editor and producer of Ready Steady Go! asked Curtis to produce the sound for the Otis Redding Special, which aired on September 16, 1966. She also introduced him to Tony Edwards, a clothier working London’s West End, who aspired to be part of the music business and was managing the singer and model, Ayshea.

At the same time Curtis produced recordings of Paul and Barry Ryan for their stepfather, Harold Davidson. Graham Nash had given him the song "Have You Ever Loved Somebody?" and he got them to sing it backed by Ten Feet, a Welsh group whom he was also producing. Pye Records asked Curtis to delay the release of the Ryans’ version so that the Searchers could release it. Curtis did not want to help his old band, however, and with the help of Harold Davidson the Ryans released the single in the week of September 12, 1966 and played it on 'Ready, Steady, Go' on October 7. Curtis also wrote "Night Time" for the Ryans with his friend Sharon Sheeley and they collaborated on several other songs.