Peter and Gordon

Biography

Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher (b. 1944) and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling "A World Without Love×A World Without Love1964 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Lucille2:082500 Miles3:153If I Were You2:304Pretty Mary2:165Trouble in Mind2:196A World Without Love2:417Tell Me How2:198You Don't Have to Tell Me2:369Leave My Woman Alone1:5410All My Trials2:3311Last Night I Woke2:45". The duo had several subsequent hits in America in the British Invasion era, including "I Go to Pieces×I Go to Pieces1965 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1I Go to Pieces2:20A2Sleepless Nights2:11A3Tears Don't Stop2:08A4If You Wish2:11A5All Shook Up3:09A6Whatcha Gonna Do 'Bout It2:15B1Good Morning Blues3:18B2Someone Ain't Right2:28B3A Mess of Blues2:32B4I Still Love You2:30B5I Don't Care What They Say2:52", "Lady Godiva×Lady Godiva1967 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Lady Godiva2:26A2Exodus Song2:57A3Young and Beautiful2:55A4When I Fall in Love3:06A5A Taste of Honey2:35A6Baby I'm Yours2:39B1Love Is a Many Splendored Thing2:04B2The Morning's Calling2:51B3Start Trying Someone Else3:28B4If I Fell2:17B5Till There Was You2:02", "Woman×Woman1966 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Woman2:21A2Wrong From the Start2:58A3As Long as I Have You2:17A4Let It Be Me3:39A5Green Leaves of Summer3:00A6High Noon3:50B1I Know a Man2:51B2Brown, Black and Gold2:32B33:10 to Yuma3:39B4Somewhere2:39B5There’s No Living Without Your Love2:54", "True Love Ways×True Love Ways1965 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Don't Pity Me2:47A2Cry to Me3:49A3To Know You Is to Love You2:33A4I Told You So2:47A5Who's Lovin' You2:53A6Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)3:21B1Crying in the Rain2:45B2Hurtin' Is Lovin'2:28B3Broken Promises2:19B4When the Black of Your Eyes Turns to Grey2:03B5True Love Ways2:39", and "Nobody I Know×Nobody I Know1964 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksANobody I Know2:31BYou Don't Have to Tell Me2:36".

History

Peter Asher and his sister Jane were child actors in the 1950s. They played siblings in a 1955 episode of the television series The Adventures of Robin Hood. Jane dated Paul McCartney between 1963 and 1968, and Peter and Gordon recorded several songs written by McCartney but credited to Lennon–McCartney. Those hits included "A World Without Love×A World Without Love1964 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Lucille2:082500 Miles3:153If I Were You2:304Pretty Mary2:165Trouble in Mind2:196A World Without Love2:417Tell Me How2:198You Don't Have to Tell Me2:369Leave My Woman Alone1:5410All My Trials2:3311Last Night I Woke2:45" (US & UK No. 1), "Nobody I Know×Nobody I Know1964 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksANobody I Know2:31BYou Don't Have to Tell Me2:36" (US No. 12; UK No. 10) and "I Don't Want to See You Again×I Don't Want To See You Again1964 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAI Don't Want To See You Again1:59BI Would Buy You Presents2:37" (US No. 16, but not a hit in the UK).

With "Woman×Woman1966 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Woman2:21A2Wrong From the Start2:58A3As Long as I Have You2:17A4Let It Be Me3:39A5Green Leaves of Summer3:00A6High Noon3:50B1I Know a Man2:51B2Brown, Black and Gold2:32B33:10 to Yuma3:39B4Somewhere2:39B5There’s No Living Without Your Love2:54" (1966: US No. 14, UK No. 28), McCartney used the pseudonym Bernard Webb to see if he could have a hit song without his name attached. First pressings of the US Capitol single listed the composer as "A. Smith". Peter and Gordon also recorded the John Lennon–penned Lennon–McCartney song "If I Fell", which was previously recorded by the Beatles and released on their 1964 album A Hard Day's Night.
Other hits for the duo included "I Go to Pieces×I Go to Pieces1965 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1I Go to Pieces2:20A2Sleepless Nights2:11A3Tears Don't Stop2:08A4If You Wish2:11A5All Shook Up3:09A6Whatcha Gonna Do 'Bout It2:15B1Good Morning Blues3:18B2Someone Ain't Right2:28B3A Mess of Blues2:32B4I Still Love You2:30B5I Don't Care What They Say2:52" (US No. 9), written by Del Shannon and given to Peter and Gordon after the two acts toured together. The duo also recorded remakes of Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways×True Love Ways1965 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Don't Pity Me2:47A2Cry to Me3:49A3To Know You Is to Love You2:33A4I Told You So2:47A5Who's Lovin' You2:53A6Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)3:21B1Crying in the Rain2:45B2Hurtin' Is Lovin'2:28B3Broken Promises2:19B4When the Black of Your Eyes Turns to Grey2:03B5True Love Ways2:39" (1965: US No. 14, UK No. 2), and The Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him", retitled "To Know You Is To Love You×To Know You Is to Love You16 June 1965 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksATo Know You Is to Love You2:33BI Told You So2:47" (1965: US No. 24, UK No. 5).
Peter and Gordon had their last hit in the UK in late 1966 with "Lady Godiva×Lady Godiva1967 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Lady Godiva2:26A2Exodus Song2:57A3Young and Beautiful2:55A4When I Fall in Love3:06A5A Taste of Honey2:35A6Baby I'm Yours2:39B1Love Is a Many Splendored Thing2:04B2The Morning's Calling2:51B3Start Trying Someone Else3:28B4If I Fell2:17B5Till There Was You2:02", which reached No. 16 there (and No. 6 in the US), whilst their success lasted into 1967 in the US, with "Knight in Rusty Armour" and "Sunday for Tea×Sunday for TeaFebruary 1967 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASunday for Tea2:20BHurtin’ Is Lovin’2:28" both registering in the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 that year.

Peter Asher subsequently became head of A&R for Apple Records. He continued his career as a recording executive in California, where he managed and produced Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Asher also produced recordings for Cher, 10,000 Maniacs, and Diana Ross. His daughter, Victoria Asher, is a member of the alternative group Cobra Starship.
In August 2005, Peter and Gordon reunited onstage for the first time in more than 30 years, as part of two tribute concerts for Mike Smith of The Dave Clark Five in New York City. This was followed by full concerts at The Fest for Beatles Fans (formerly Beatlefest) conventions that began the following year. Paul McCartney heard about the reunion shows and sent a message to congratulate them on reuniting. Peter and Gordon told Palmiere at the Las Vegas Festival for Beatles Fans that they were to perform at the 2006 Adopt-A-Minefield show with Paul McCartney, who subsequently cancelled it because of his impending divorce from Heather Mills.
In the spring of 2007 and 2008, Peter and Gordon were featured performers in the EPCOT Flower Power concert series at Walt Disney World. Also in 2007, they performed as part of Love-In: A Musical Celebration, a tribute to the music of the 1960s, which was filmed at the Birch North Park Theatre in San Diego, California, and released on DVD in March 2009. On 21 August 2008, they performed a free concert on the pier in Santa Monica, California.
The pair played numerous times at the 50 Winters Later celebration, in February 2009, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. This was held in Clear Lake, Iowa, at the Surf Ballroom.
They subsequently performed in Chicago, New Jersey, and at the Festival for Beatles Fans convention in Las Vegas on 1 and 2 July 2009, where, according to a report by journalist Peter Palmiere for Beatlefan magazine, the pair were the performing highlight of the convention.
Gordon Waller died of a heart attack on 17 July 2009 in Ledyard, Connecticut, at the age of 64.

Certifications

"A World Without Love×A World Without Love1964 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Lucille2:082500 Miles3:153If I Were You2:304Pretty Mary2:165Trouble in Mind2:196A World Without Love2:417Tell Me How2:198You Don't Have to Tell Me2:369Leave My Woman Alone1:5410All My Trials2:3311Last Night I Woke2:45", "Nobody I Know×Nobody I Know1964 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksANobody I Know2:31BYou Don't Have to Tell Me2:36", "True Love Ways×True Love Ways1965 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Don't Pity Me2:47A2Cry to Me3:49A3To Know You Is to Love You2:33A4I Told You So2:47A5Who's Lovin' You2:53A6Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)3:21B1Crying in the Rain2:45B2Hurtin' Is Lovin'2:28B3Broken Promises2:19B4When the Black of Your Eyes Turns to Grey2:03B5True Love Ways2:39", and "Lady Godiva×Lady Godiva1967 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Lady Godiva2:26A2Exodus Song2:57A3Young and Beautiful2:55A4When I Fall in Love3:06A5A Taste of Honey2:35A6Baby I'm Yours2:39B1Love Is a Many Splendored Thing2:04B2The Morning's Calling2:51B3Start Trying Someone Else3:28B4If I Fell2:17B5Till There Was You2:02" each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs.