This Day in Music History: Herman's Hermits and Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter

On this day in music history, May 1, 1965, the #1 song in the country was Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter by Herman’s Hermits. This was the third song in a row to reach #1 on the Billboard charts from a group from Manchester, England. The ones that preceded it were Freddie and the Dreamers with I’m Telling You Now at #1 from April 10, 1965 to April 23 and Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders with Game of Love from April 24, 1965 to April 30, 1965.
Herman’s Hermits was a huge success on both sides of the ocean. There lead singe was Peter Noone who was born on November 5, 1947 in Liverpool. He attended the Manchester school of Music and studied music and drama. It was here that he was discovered and found work as an actor. He was cast in roles and TV shows Knight Errant and Coronation Street. He started playing music with a Manchester band called the Heartbeats. Producer Mickie Most signed the group to a contract and produced all of their hits. They changed their name to Herman and the Hermits and later to Herman’s Hermits.
The roster of the group changed and the members of the group when this song reached #1 were Derek Leckenby, Peter Noone, Keith Hopwood, Karl Green and Barry Whitwam. Eventually most of the studio music was only recorded by Mr. Noone and studio musicians. The real group only played the songs when on tour.
In 1965 they had 3 songs in the top 30 for 6 weeks. It wasn’t planned that way. As the song Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat was moving down the chart MGM records released the song Silhouettes. Radio stations played it but they also played the album cut Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter and were getting a bigger response. It forced MGM to release that song as a single as well. Anticipation for the record was so high that it entered the charts at #12. The highest chart entry of any record. The group and the song were so popular they starred in a movie with the same name.
Their first song was a remake of the Goffin and King his I’m Into Something Good. It was the only #1 song for the group in England and the only #1 hit for Goffin and King in England.