Gordon Waller dead at 64

July 20, 2009 1:17 PM

Gordon Waller of British duo Peter and Gordon had died at 64 Gordon Waller, from the British duo Peter and Gordon has died of cardiac arrest in CT this past weekend. The songs I really like to listen to from them was the one Paul McCartney wrote "A World Without Love" and "True Love Ways". Sad to hear he's passed.
posted by garnetgirl (9 comments total)

I knew Peter Asher has been a record producer for years now, but had no idea what happened to Gordon, except for getting confused with either Chad and/or Jeremy. Pity that.

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posted by jonp72 at 1:50 PM on July 20, 2009

I love how the AP article says that "A World without Love," written by Paul McCartney, wasn't "up to the standard" of tracks that McCartney wrote for the Beatles, but that (according to a biographer) when McCartney re-worked it, Peter and Gordon "sang it with a pleasant laid-back yearning that transformed the song into a perfectly acceptable pop hit." The song's definitely a classic (not merely "perfectly acceptable"), albeit an underappreciated one.
posted by blucevalo at 2:05 PM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]

My favorites are the Del Shannon tune I Go to Pieces, and Woman. Love Me Baby is also good in an Everly Brothers kind of way.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:42 PM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]

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Please, lock me away.
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:08 PM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

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posted by kuppajava at 3:35 PM on July 20, 2009

How about Peter and Gordon's "racy" musical-hall style hits: Lady Godiva and Knight in Rusty Armour. The harmony in the former, at the end, when they sing (for the last time) "La-a-ady Go-di-i-i-va" is really one of the most beautiful sounds anyone has ever recorded.
posted by Faze at 5:07 PM on July 20, 2009

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Saw the lads in person in 1964--Roy Orbison was playing second act. . . great show.
posted by rdone at 5:13 PM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

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posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 9:32 AM on July 21, 2009

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posted by Superfrankenstein at 10:27 PM on July 21, 2009