W ith such classic hits as Sweets For My Sweet, Needles And Pins, Don't Throw Your Love Away and When You Walk In The Room, The Searchers have contributed enormously to the British music industry, with record sales well in excess of 40 million.

One of the few remaining hit touring bands that emerged from the heady days of the early 1960s, The Searchers are in as much demand today as they have been throughout their career.

2008 saw a welcome and deserved return to the UK charts with the release of The Very Best Of The Searchers album. A compilation of 25 of their famous hits and best known original recordings.

The distinctive jangling sound of the twelve-string guitar and the rich harmonies embellishing their immaculate vocals have without doubt assured The Searchers of a lasting place the history of popular music throughout the world.

From their early beginnings in the late '50s as a skiffle group formed by John McNally and a bunch of friends, through the heady days of the '60s as teenage idols, they have comfortably settled into a position well deserved by a band whose sound has influenced some of the most important artistes of our generation.

In 1962 lead singer Johnny Sandon, a country style vocalist, decided that his opportunity for greater success lay in joining forces with the respected Liverpool band The Remo Four. The Searchers, who by now consisted of John McNally, Chris Curtis, Mike Pender and Tony Jackson, decided to take their chances and continue as a four-piece and promptly hit the trail to Hamburg.

When The Beatles took the nation by storm the way was suddenly open for every other guitar twanging group to grab their chance and The Searchers took recorded a demo album.

Sweets For My Sweet, with Tony Jackson singing the lead vocals, shot to number one in the summer of 1963, quickly followed by Sugar And Spice and Needles And Pins. By the third hit the vocals had been taken over by Pender and Curtis causing dissension in their ranks. Tony, who also provided the vocal on their biggest US success Love Potion Number Nine, was not happy. The hits continued but the atmosphere had deteriorated and it was decided that Tony would be groomed for a solo career.

His replacement was to be Frank Allen, the bassist with The Rebel Rousers who they had hung around with back in the Hamburg days. When You Walk In The Room, his first single in his new position, proved to be one of their strongest and most enduring of hits.

When the hits finally failed to continue The Searchers entered a period of hard work on the cabaret circuit which proved to be good training for a career that, although they had no idea at the time, would last for more than four decades.

Meanwhile there were changes. Chris Curtis, disillusioned by the failing singles, quit the group after a 1966 tour of Australia and the Far East to follow a career in production. John Blunt replaced Chris Curtis for a three-year period until Billy Adamson took over on drums.

At the end of 1985 Pender announced his decision to go solo. It was a shock to the others.

Pender's replacement Spencer James, the one time vocalist with First Class who had charted with Beach Baby in the eighties, was a breath of fresh air. Not only did he bring a bright new look and a crystal clear and captivating voice but the band also acquired a whole new legion of younger fans, helped on by the excellent Hungry Hearts album which heralded a new era for them.

Suddenly it was hip to be a '60s band again and The Searchers were in the top strata of the groups touring on the circuit. And with the arrival of Eddie Rothe, formerly of Liquid Gold and Mud, who replaced a departing Billy Adamson at the end of 1988, a fresh wave of enthusiasm spurred them on to constantly update and improve their performances.

The remaining members of The Searchers, John McNally and Frank Allen, along with Spencer James and Eddie Rothe, are eager to continue their life of constant touring.

Monday November 16 at 7.30pm Tickets £17 (£15) from the Assembly Hall box office on 01892 530613/532072 or book online at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk