''Hold On!'' by

Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English rock and pop group formed in 1963 in Manchester and formerly fronted by singer Peter Noone. Known for their jaunty beat sound and Noone's often tongue-in-cheek vocal style, the Hermits charted with numerous tra ...

is the band's fourth album in the U.S. It was not released in the United Kingdom but an EP was released by EMI/Columbia (catalogue number SEG 8503.) featuring 6 tracks. It is the soundtrack album to a 1966 film featuring Herman's Hermits and

Shelley Fabares Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (; born January 19, 1944) is a retired American actress and singer. She is known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom ''The Donna Reed Show'' (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitc ...

, '' Hold On!''

Background

The film's producers had recruited Fred Karger, a Hollywood composer who had served as music director of the group's previous movie, ''

When the Boys Meet the Girls When the Boys Meet the Girls may refer to: * ''When the Boys Meet the Girls'' (film), a 1965 American musical film * ''When the Boys Meet the Girls'' (album), a 1985 album by Sister Sledge {{dab ...

'', to write the songs for the movie. In an interview on a television documentary on The British Invasion,

Peter Noone Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone (born 5 November 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He was the lead singer "Herman" in the 1960s pop group Herman's Hermits. Early life Noone was born in Davyhulme, Lancashire, England ...

recalled that the original title of the film was ''There's No Place Like Space'', for which Karger had written the theme song. However, the group and their manager

Mickie Most Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate, Arrows, Racey and t ...

agreed that the song wasn't right for them and, instead, asked co-star

' then-husband, record producer

Lou Adler Lester Louis Adler (born December 13, 1933) is an American record and film producer and the co-owner of the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California. Adler has produced and developed a number of high-profile musical artists, including The G ...

, for help. Adler recommended songwriter P.F. Sloan to compose the title track for the film. Sloan's recollection was that the film was to be renamed ''A Must to Avoid'', and he wrote a song for that title, with some contributions from his writing partner

Steve Barri Steve Barri (born Steven Barry Lipkin; February 23, 1942, New York City) is an American songwriter and record producer. Career Early in his career, Barri was a staff writer with Dunhill Records. He produced such huge hits as " Dizzy" by Tommy R ...

. When the studio vetoed that title, the film was then retitled ''Hold On!'' after another one of Sloan's songs. Ultimately, the ten-song US soundtrack album included five songs written by Karger, including the lone song sung by Fabares, four songs written by Sloan/Barri, and one Hermits cover of a 1937 British music hall song. The six-song UK EP used all four Sloan/Barri songs and just two of the Karger songs. "

A Must to Avoid "A Must to Avoid" is a song written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri and performed by Herman's Hermits. It was featured on their 1966 album, '' Hold On!'' and on their 1966 EP, '' A Must to Avoid''. The song was produced by Mickie Most. Backgrou ...

" and a re-recorded version of "Leaning on a Lamp Post" both reached the Billboard Top 10 as singles in the US; a re-recorded "Hold On!" was the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

of the latter. "

" was also a top 10 hit in the UK.

Track listing

US LP version

;Side 1 # "Hold On!" (

, P.F. Sloan) – 2:06 # "The George and Dragon" (Fred Karger,

Sid Wayne Sid Wayne (January 26, 1923 – December 26, 1991) was an American songwriter, lyricist and composer, who wrote a number of well-known songs from the 1950s to the 1980s. Almost every Elvis Presley film contained one or more works written by W ...

Ben Weisman Benjamin Weisman (November 16, 1921 – May 20, 2007) was an American composer. He wrote 57 songs recorded by Elvis Presley, more than any other songwriter. Biography Weisman was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in Brooklyn, New Yor ...

) – 2:09 # "Got a Feeling" (Karger, Wayne, Weisman) – 2:08 # "Wild Love" (Karger, Wayne, Weisman) – 2:24 # " Leaning on a Lamp Post" (

Noel Gay Reginald Moxon Armitage (15 July 1898 – 4 March 1954) known professionally as Noel Gay. was a British composer of popular music of the 1930s and 1940s whose output comprised 45 songs as well as the music for 28 films and 26 London shows. She ...

) – 2:34 ;Side 2 # "Where Were You When I Needed You?" (Barri, Sloan) – 2:48 # "All the Things I Do for You Baby" (Barri, Sloan) – 2:18 # "Gotta Get Away" (Karger, Wayne, Weisman) – 1:55 # "Make Me Happy" (Karger, Wayne, Weisman) (Sung by

) – 2:14 # "

" (Barri, Sloan) – 2:18

UK EP version

;Side 1 # "Where Were You When I Needed You?" # "Hold On!" # "The George and Dragon" ;Side 2 # "All the Things I Do for You Baby" # "Wild Love" # "

References

{{Authority control Musical film soundtracks Herman's Hermits albums Albums produced by Mickie Most 1966 soundtrack albums MGM Records soundtracks EMI Records soundtracks Columbia Records soundtracks 1966 EPs Columbia Records EPs EMI Records EPs MGM Records EPs