On Sunday afternoon, mingling with the sausage vendors, crafts people, and regular Arts & Music Festival attendees, there will be a handful of starry-eyed Peter Noone fans ready to fling their under-things at the former front man of the ’60s pop band Herman’s Hermits. Anachronistic not only in the object of their affection but also in their mode of expression, they call themselves Noonatics and will be poised to swoon, ’60s-style, when the heartthrob from Manchester takes center stage at 3:15 p.m.
Last Friday, I interviewed the entertainer responsible for the anticipated ado. Speaking from his cell phone in Hartford, Conn., Noone was just like one of his pithy pop tunes: quirky, witty and endearingly British.
Peter Noone was born in Manchester, England on Nov. 5, 1947. Following in the footsteps of his father, who was a semi-professional trombone player – "You know the definition of optimism? A trombone player with a beeper." – Noone attended Manchester School of Music and Drama where, along with his voice, he developed his singular stage presence.
"My father’s friends were all a bunch of drunks and dope smokers," Noone said, "and I thought they were the coolest things. So I’ve always wanted to be a musician. But [at school] they conned me into taking acting classes. And I realized you could use all of the stuff you learned in the acting classes on stage. A lot of the Herman’s Hermits records were about things you could act out – like ‘Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.’ So being a musician and an actor are really the same thing "
In 1963, after a short stint on the British soap opera Coronation Street, Noone joined The Heartbeats, a Manchester-based beat group. According to peternoone.com, an interactive web site that provides encyclopedic amounts of information on Herman’s Hermits and Peter Noone, shortly after he joined The Heartbeats, Noone’s bandmates likened him to the Sherman character on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Legend has it, Noone misheard "Sherman" as "Herman," which eventually prompted the group to change their name to Herman’s Hermits.
With their new alliterative appellation in hand, Herman’s Hermits went from youth club attraction to national celebrity in 1964 when they released their lightweight ditty, "I’m Into Something Good." The following year, thanks to six top 40 hits including "Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter" and a rendition of the old music hall song "I’m Henry VIII, I Am," the callow quartet outsold their idols, The Beatles.
Led by Noone, Herman’s Hermits spent the next eight years enjoying life as one of Britain’s premier pop bands. They toured England, Australia and The United States, regaling international audiences with their buoyant pop songs and guileless good looks.
The band’s fame, however, could not destroy their down-to-earth dispositions. Even today, after 38 years of sustained success, a conversation with Noone reveals an entirely affable character. Noone attributes his enduring humility to the standards set by his role models.
"The Beatles and The Stones were there to keep me grounded," Noone said. "I mean, The Beatles, they were unbelievable songwriters and they were great-looking, but they were also great guys. And they were not reclusive. I used to see Paul in stores on Oxford Street and I would say, ‘As one of The Beatles, shouldn’t you be acting more like a star?’ But Paul would go to the drug store, sign autographs and then buy a toothbrush. If you don’t want to be bothered at a restaurant by fans who just bought 3 million of your records, then go home: I was taught that by [The Beatles], and it was a good lesson for a 15-year-old boy."
In 1972, when pop music began to take a more somber turn, Herman’s Hermits decided to disband, a measure that still sits well with Noone.
"By the time you’re 25, you should be out of it," Noone said. "The odds are, most people’s first three albums are their best, and then they start to repeat versions of their earlier work – or they start adding violins and sprinkles of dust. As we get older, entertainers start to impersonate ourselves. Look at Mick Jagger."
Mick Jagger, Noone is not. Rather than writing new music and recording new albums, Noone, the consummate showman, continues to delight his fans simply by performing Herman’s Hermits tunes as if it were still 1965. And even though at age 53 he has officially settled down in Santa Barbara with his wife and 15-year-old daughter, he still spends 200 days of the year on tour just like the old days.
"Show business is all about appearances," Noone said. "There is no reality. I can pretend to be a 15-year-old boy singing ‘Mrs. Brown’ and it’s a great moment. People hear the songs and it takes them back to where they were when they first heard it. And it’s the same for me. Tonight I’m going to be a 15-year-old boy again."
Like most dialogues that have taken place since Sept. 11, our conversation eventually turned to the attack on New York and Washington. Despite the solemn state of affairs, Noone could not suppress his optimism. His optimism was not only welcoming; it was also infectious.
"English people have a sense of humor about war because we’re always in one," he said. "When I was a kid in Liverpool and Manchester we used to walk around looking for people with missing limbs. Sometimes I play shows in Belfast, and it’s comforting. People come to hear about what a wonderful world it is. It’s like the USO, entertaining the troops during war."
In fact, the recent tragedy helps to highlight Noone’s sanguine vision of the entertainment industry.
"Show business isn’t about deep thought," he said. "It should give you a break from deep thought. If it didn’t, you’d have bunch of solemn people out there. I’d rather see people standing on their seats throwing their underwear."
Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone will be performing at the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 3:15 p.m. at the First Street Stage. For more information call 420-2207.