above: Advertisement in Billboard Magazine |
Love Potion No. 9 was the Searchers biggest hit in the USA.
No wonder that Kapp was looking for a fitting follow up. Once again they used
their "Winners Circle label". Bumble Bee was - as Kapp says - released
by popular demand.
Bumble Bee b/w A Tear Fell - both taken from their then latest US LP The New Searchers (Sounds Like Searchers in the rest of the world) - Kapp KJB-49 entered Billboard charts March 20th, 1965 at no. 83, highest position no. 21 on April 24th, total chart run 8 weeks. Cash Box: highest position no. 18 Whatever the reasons were Kapp released Bumble Bee again, same catalogue no. but now coupled with Everything You Do. |
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Bumble... / A Tear were mainly sung by Mike Pender, Everything.. by John & Frank |
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above: three different pressings of the single, first release with A Tear Fell as B-side. Below: Second issue with Everything You Do + different sheet music |
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The only other country that coupled Bumble Bee with A Tear Fell was Canada: Pye Records 772, reached no. 16 in the charts |
The only other country that coupled Bumble Bee with Everything You Do was Greece: Pye Records GP-3217 |
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The following countries placed You Wanna Make Her Happy on the B-side. This number is written and sung by Mike and Chris. |
Sweden | Pye Records | 7NN 1402 | reached no. 20 |
Denmark | Pye Records | 7NN 1402 | |
New Zealand | Pye Records | 7N 15830 | |
Italy | Pye Records | 45 NP 5057 | |
Australia | Astor | AP 1115 | reached no. 7 |
below: Australia |
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above: New Zealand
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above right: Swedish cover. The record itself was pressed in Norway and used for both countries. Catalogue no. on the Swedish cover is 7N 1402, Norway had 7NN 1402 instead. Cover below the label. Below: Cover and label of the Italian release. |
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Two countries coupled Bumble Bee together with Goodnight Baby: The Philippines (Pye Dyna Records PYE - 335) and Japan (Pye Records LL - 753 - Y)
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In South Africa Pye decided to use Magic Potion as the B-side of Bumble Bee (Pye Teal PY 44. This song features Chris Curtis on vocal. |
Finally France and the Netherlands. The first French release came out on Disque Vogue, Juke Boxes Succes, a single just for juke boxes, 45-PV 15026. B-side here was If I Could Find Someone, sung by Mike & Chris. |
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Next step was releasing the Netherland version of Bumble Bee b/w Let The Good Times Roll, sung by Mike and Chris. Label was Vogue, the catalogue no. 7NH 108 (which was the one from the Netherlands (H = Holland). This single was intended for juke boxes but for regular sale including the picture cover from the Netherlands. |
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left and above: Dutch / French cover plus the two different pressings from the Netherlands. |
![]() from Dutch music magazine Muzik Parade Bumble Bee reached no. 23 in the charts. |
The EPs
The regular release in many countries was identical to the UK Pye record with the following tracks:
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The UK EP (Pye NEP 24218), entered the EP - charts on May, 8th 1965, reached no. one and stayed in the charts for 17 weeks. Not sure about the sales but this one was their only no. one EP. |
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above: Cover and two different
pressings of the successful EP plus advertisement from New Musical Express
and Record Mirror.
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Australia and South Africa used the same cover, the colours of the South African issue are a bit different. Catalogue number of the Australian EP is Astor NEP 2418, the one from SA is PE 1017. |
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Some countries took over the tracks but offered a different cover. Israel: Piccadilly 17066, Spain: Hispavox 337-04 and Sweden: Pye NEP 24218 |
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France decided to put Bumble Bee together with their strong single Goodbye My Love. Vogue: PVN 24.137 |
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In Japan Bumble Bee was coupled with two big hits: Love Potion No. 9 and What Have They Done To The Rain plus It's In Her Kiss from the It's The Searchers LP from early 1964. |
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Finally Thailand. 5''-45 Records, ED 8, Tracks here: Bumble Bee, Goodnight Baby, |
Till You Say You'll Be Mine and You Wanna Make Her Happy |
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