Anthony Paul Jackson (16 July 1938 – 18 August 2003) was a British musician. He was known for being a member of the Merseybeat band The Searchers.

Early life

Jackson was born in Dingle, Liverpool, Lancashire. After leaving school he went to Walton Technical College to train as an electrician. Jackson was inspired by the skiffle sound of Lonnie Donegan, and then by Buddy Holly and other U.S. rock and rollers. He founded the skiffle group the Martinis.

The Searchers

Nicknamed Black Jake, he joined the guitar duo the Searchers, which had been formed by John McNally and Mike Pender in 1959. He was spotted by McNally and Pender in the Cross Keys in Liverpool, upon hearing that he "had a voice like Elvis".

The Vibrations released their own interpretation of the Searchers version of the Rhythm and Blues song Love Potion No. 9.

The band then signed to CBS without improvement and they found that there were few bookings in the UK so they toured southern Europe until even that withered. Disillusioned and out of options, Jackson left the music business.

Reformation

In 1991, Tony Jackson and the Vibrations reformed and an album of Jackson's material after the Searchers was released. The resuscitation of his career was short-lived, however, although he did appear four times with Mike Pender's Searchers between 1992 and 1995, and it ended in 1996 when he was convicted of threatening a woman with an air pistol after an argument over a phone booth, and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Personal life

After leaving the Searchers Jackson spent £200 () on cosmetic surgery on his nose. He said at the time that he had had a lifelong complex about his nose to the extent that he could not mix socially. The surgery had followed psychiatric treatment. That same year he revealed that his 1960 marriage to Margaret Parry had been effectively over for two years.

Jackson took a variety of jobs including Spanish night club manager, entertainments representative, furniture salesman, disc jockey and golf club manager.

Death

Towards the end of his life he suffered from diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver from a lifetime of heavy alcohol consumption. Jackson died on 18 August 2003 in a Nottingham hospital, he was 65. Frank Allen, who replaced Jackson as vocalist and bassist in the Searchers in 1964, said about his death:

Discography

With The Searchers

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable"

!Album details

!Year

|-

|Meet The Searchers

  • Released: August 1963
  • Label: Pye Records <small>(NPL 18086)</small>
  • Format: LP

| rowspan="3" |1963

|-

|Sweets For My Sweet – The Searchers At The Star-Club Hamburg

  • Released: October 1963
  • Label: Philips Records <small>(P48 052)</small>
  • Format: LP

|-

|Sugar and Spice

  • Released: 16 October 1963
  • Label: Pye Records <small>(NPL 18089)</small>
  • Format: LP

|}

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

!Title (A-side)

!B-side

!Year

|-

|"Sweets for My Sweet"

<small>(originally recorded by The Drifters)</small>

|"It's All Been a Dream"

| rowspan="3" |1963

|-

|"Sweet Nothin's"

<small>(originally recorded by Brenda Lee)</small>

|"What'd I Say"

|-

|"Sugar and Spice"

<small>(original version/first release)</small>

|"Saints and Searchers"

|-

|"Needles and Pins"

<small>(originally recorded by Jackie DeShannon)</small>

|"Saturday Night Out"

<small>(UK and US 2nd pressings)</small>

"Ain't That Just Like Me"

<small>(US original pressings)</small>

| rowspan="6" |1964

|-

|"Süß ist sie"

<small>("Sugar And Spice" in German)</small>

|"Liebe"

<small>("Money" in German)</small>

|-

|"Tausend Nadelstiche"

<small>("Needles and Pins" in German)</small>

|"Farmer John"

<small>(in German)</small>

|-

|"Ain't That Just Like Me"

<small>(originally recorded by The Coasters)</small>

|"Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya"

|-

|"Don't Throw Your Love Away"

<small>(originally recorded by The Orlons)</small>

|"I Pretend I'm with You"

|-

|"Someday We're Gonna Love Again"

<small>(originally recorded by Barbara Lewis)</small>

|"No One Else Could Love Me"

|}

EPs

{| class="wikitable"

!Title

!Year

|-

|Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya

  • Label: Pye Records <small>(NEP 24177)</small>

| rowspan="2" |1963

|-

|Sweets For My Sweet

  • Label: Pye Records <small>(NEP 24183)</small>

|-

|Hungry For Love

  • Label: Pye Records <small>(NEP 24184)</small>

| rowspan="3" |1964

|-

|Les Searchers Chantent En Français

  • Label: Disques Vogue <small>(PNV 24 121)</small> <small>Note: France only</small>

|-

|The Searchers Play The System

  • Label: Pye Records <small>(NEP 24201)</small>

|}

With Tony Jackson and The Vibrations

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

!Title

|-

|Fortune Teller

|-

|Bye Bye Baby

|-

|"You Beat Me to the Punch"

|-

|Love Potion No. 9

|-

|This Little Girl Of Mine

|-

|Stage Door

|-

|Watch Your Step

|-

|That's What I Want

|}

References

  • 'Paul Francis, Drummer of the Vibrations, story of being on the road and in the studio with Tony Jackson and the Vibrations'
  • Associated Press, 'Tony Jackson, Bass Player of the Searchers', (22 August 2003) Retrieved 22 May 2005
  • Retrieved 22 May 2005
  • Allen, Frank. 'Tony Jackson', jacobsladder.org.uk (August 2003) Retrieved 22 May 2005
  • Eder, Bruce. Allmusic
  • 'Obituary: Tony Jackson', Daily Telegraph (20 August 2003)
  • The Searchers' History
  • The Searchers' Records including TJ solo releases