Jade's Music Blog

"My acquaintance with Sorrow by the Mersey Beats started when a friend of mine wrote a song bearing more than a striking resemblance to it. I was racking my brain for days where I’d heard the song before. Then it hit me - it was Sorrow.

I’d only heard the David Bowie version at this point and I kindly told my friend he was a robber of the highest order and if David Bowie hears it he will smash him over the head with one of his moon boots.

I was then told it was not Bowie who wrote the song, but in actual fact it was by the Mersey Beats. This made me happy because I had loved this tune for ages and it had been written in the wondrous port of Liverpool.

For the next couple of months after my realisation this song seemed to be following me everywhere. I’d go out and a band would be playing it, I’d stick the radio on and I’d hear it, I’d pick up my guitar and star singing it.

Then I got invited to a gig in the Empire theatre and I was sitting back stage getting drunk and low and behold one of the Mersey beats came in. This was weird, only an hour before I was sitting in my flat with my guitar strumming one of his tunes.

He probably will not remember me as I tried not to talk too much; I’d had far too much to drink and would only make a tit out of myself. A few weeks passed and the song had stopped haunting me, Then I got a call of a mate inviting me to the Liverpool number ones gig at the Echo arena.

The weeks leading up to it I had been slagging it off to everybody as I thought (and still do) that some of the people on the bill were diabolical, but there was a few acts on that were good.

So I turned up feeling apprehensive until The Merseys walked on stage. I was praying they would do it, then as the first verse kicked in I looked to the old dear sitting next to me and I swear I could see all the memories rushing pasted her eyes.

It was quite possible she hadn’t heard this song in over 20 years and these were the memories of the time when she was having her fun.

I don’t know if that time was better than know, but the melodies were definitely sweeter."

The Aeroplanes play a live session for Janice Long on May 27, followed by gigs around the country. For more information, see www.myspace.com/theaeroplanes