Peter & Gordon

Peter and Gordon
Peter and Gordon publicity photo, 1965.
Background information
Genres	Pop
Years active	1960s, 2000s
Labels	Columbia (EMI) Capitol (US)
Website	www.peterandgordon.net
Past members	Peter Asher Gordon Waller

Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher (b. 1944) and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling transatlantic No.1 smash "A World Without Love." The duo had several subsequent hits in the so-called British Invasion-era.

Peter Asher and his sister Jane were child actors in the 1950s. They played siblings in a 1955 episode of the television series The Adventures of Robin Hood. Jane Asher dated The Beatles' Paul McCartney between 1963 and 1968, and Peter and Gordon recorded several songs written by McCartney but credited to Lennon–McCartney. Those hits included "A World Without Love" (US & UK No.1), "Nobody I Know" (US No.12; UK No.10), "I Don't Want To See You Again" (US No.16, but not a hit in the UK), and "Woman".

With "Woman", McCartney used the pseudonym Bernard Webb to see whether he could have a hit song without his name attached. First pressings of the US Capitol single listed the composer as "A. Smith". The song reached No.14 in the US and No.28 on the British charts in 1966. Peter and Gordon also recorded the John Lennon-penned Lennon–McCartney song, "If I Fell", which was previously recorded by The Beatles and released on their 1964 album, A Hard Day's Night.

Other hits for the duo included "I Go to Pieces" (US No.7, but not a hit in the UK), written by Del Shannon and given to Peter and Gordon after the two acts toured together. This was facilitated by Del Shannon's manager Irving Micahnik, of Embee and Bigtop records. Irving Micahnik and Harry Balk discovered Del Shannon and they signed away their rights to "I Go to Pieces" hoping to lure Peter and Gordon to their Detroit label; unfortunately all they did was lose the royalties they would have earned from the song. The duo also recorded remakes of Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" (US No.14 and UK No.2 in 1965), and The Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him", retitled "To Know You Is To Love You" (US No.24 and UK No.5 in 1965).