The Who were one of the top bands in the UK circa their second album, but they saw a scene change on the horizon with which they didn't really jive. Their beloved mods were now passé and the flower children and their music were ascending to national prominence. Rather than shift styles to follow the crowd, they saw an alternate path to maintain relevance. They had to expand their base which meant courting an American audience.
You might imagine that "My Generation" had already established their popularity or, at least, their recognition worldwide, but initially the song didn't catch in the United States like it did in Europe. They started to make headway at the Monterey Pop Festival (though they felt out of place at this hippie cultural touchstone) then followed it up with a US tour as the opening act for a very, unlike-them, Herman's Hermits.
A sort of inverse of The Who, Herman's Hermits were not that big in their own UK but really big in the United States. Part of the reason is that before they got any traction in their native music scene, Herman and His Hermits's bubblegum pop and good looks were shipped and, rather vehemently, sold to the US market as the next Beatles after only a couple singles and one major hit. They released their debut album Herman's Hermits in 1965 with different track listings in the UK for EMI and the US for MGM Records.
Note: Since Herman's Hermits released more albums in the US than in the UK, I'll mostly be following the US discography for their future blog spots. This stop, however, highlights the UK album mostly because it has the better album cover. (I also think it's a better record).
Here is the discography surrounding Herman's Hermits's debut album:
I'm Into Something Good (1964 single)
Show Me Girl (1964 single)
Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (1965 single)
Hermania (1965 EP)
Silhouettes (1965 single)
Herman's Hermits (1965 US album)
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1965 single)
Wonderful World (1965 single)
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1965 EP)
Herman's Hermits
"I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits
"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits
Pass the Headphones!!
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