The Walker Brothers are an American pop group who released a string of hits which impacted the British and American charts in the 1960s and 1970s.
Following the sad news of Scott Walker’s death, we take a look back at some of the band’s best songs.
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What are the Walker Brothers best songs?
Scott (born Scott Engel), John Walker and Gary Leeds (later known as Gary Walker) enjoyed unique success which was almost like the reverse of the “British Invasion” that was seeing British bands dominate the US charts.
Instead, the American band manged to chart much higher in the UK charts than they did in their homeland.
Here are some of their top hits:
The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore
Following Frankie Valli’s original release in 1965, the band did their own spin on the ballad which showed off Scott’s vocals.
It’s said the record was the song playing in The Blind Beggar pub in East London when George Cornell was shot dead by Ronnie Kray because one of the bullets hit the jukebox causing it to play the refrain on repeat.
It peaked at number one in the UK charts and stayed there for four weeks. It reached number 13 in the US charts.
Redferns
Make It Easy On Yourself
Originally released by Jerry Butler in 1962, the Walker Brothers enjoyed a lot of chart success with their own version.
The track was done in the style of Phil Specter’s Wall of Sound andd ended with a long cadence chord orchestra.
The song peaked at number one in the UK charts and number 16 in the US charts.
No Regrets
The band released their version of Tom Rush’s track in 1974 and featured a much more Country twang to their music than normal.
It was released at a time known as Scott Walker’s “wilderness years” in which he released unsuccessful solo material.
The song peaked at number seven in the UK charts.
My Ship Is Coming In
Originally recorded by soul singer Jimmy Radcliffe in 1965, the band revealed their own version later in that same year.
It was titled “My Ship Is Comin’ In” in Canada and the US.
The song peaked at number three and spent twelve weeks in the UK charts.
The Electrician
The narrator of The Electrician is a torturer addressing his victim, offering a nauseating monologue accompanied by an implacable bass note and eerie, discordant strings.
The track featured on the album, Nite Flights, which saw the band make music that they wanted, rather than what labels would prefer for them to release.
The decision was clearly the right choice as Nite Flights went on to be loved by their fans.
