With a name like Herman’s Hermits, you probably shouldn’t have expected the British band led by Peter Noone to go in for hard-hitting, downbeat songs. Instead, they carved out a niche among their British Invasion peers as a band willing to keep things light and occasionally comical.
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Perhaps the top example of their easygoing style came with the 1965 single “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.” We’re nearing 60 years since the song was first released, and it’s still likely to induce as many grins now as it did then.
When Peter Became Herman
When The Beatles conquered Great Britain throughout 1963, it wasn’t all that surprising that calendar year begat countless British pop bands hoping to ride the wave. Herman’s Hermits stood out in that they were younger than most of the bands forming.
As a matter of fact, their lead singer Peter Noone was all of 15 when the band first came together in Manchester. Noone gave Herman’s Hermits a bit of a jump on the competition, as he had already gained some renown by that time as an actor.
Under the leadership of manager Harvey Lisberg and producer Mickie Most, Herman’s Hermits concentrated on music that was somewhat less threatening to the adults who might have happened upon it. That meant a reliance on easy-listening pop and even more antiquated styles like music hall. Surprisingly, that style would also play well in the U.S., especially when “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” came about.
“Lovely” Stuff
“Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” was written by Trevor Peacock, who was also well-known in England for his acting work. It was performed during a television play in 1963. Noone used a primitive recording setup to tape the performance from his parents’ TV.
Noone also later claimed the song was well known as a kind of change-of-pace cover song by many British acts. When he performed it, Noone thickened up his accent to push things into comedic territory. This was accentuated when guitarists Derek Leckenby and Keith Hopwood muted their guitars, making them sound almost like ukuleles.
By the time “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” was released as a single in 1965, Herman’s Hermits had already managed three U.S. Top-20 singles. They worried the British-ness of the song would keep it from making an impact in America. Those worries were misplaced, as it became their first No. 1 hit in the States.
What is “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” About?
The title makes it sound like this will be a song about a guy trying to woo a girl by charming her mother. Instead, it’s all a little too late, as the girl has already dumped this sad sack and doused any hopes for a reunion: She’s made it clear enough, it ain’t no good to pine.
He knows what he’s lost: Girls as fine as her are something rare. The middle eight finds him reminiscing on how special it was when the two were together. But now, he’s reduced to hiding his pain: Don’t let on, don’t say she’s broke my heart.
Herman’s Hermits doubled down on the novelty song, taking an Anglicized approach later that year with “I Am Henry VIII, I Am,” which became another U.S. No. 1. With “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” these guys had already proven that charm and cheekiness can transcend all musical borders.
Photo by Stanley Bielecki/ASP/Getty Images
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