"He's Got No Love"

Back in 1965, "He's Got No Love" apparently charted for 10 weeks in the UK and reached #12 there; but did not appear to chart in the US. (Of course, "Love Potion #9" became a legitimate hit in both countries the same year.)  

Exactly what factors were involved in the hit-making process - especially where  non-American bands were concerned? Well, for one thing, many American males (particularly those involved with  the entertainment and news media) resented the fact that young, UK musicians were being idolized by American girls.
 
This seems proven by the number of hostile questions directed toward The Beatles during their first American press conference at New York's JFK Airport - and news footage of the event clearly shows that Ringo had been spat upon by some unseen person in a crowded hallway. (Hostility toward The Beatles in the Philippines and Japan is also a matter of public record.)
 
"Love Potion..." was a bouncy, novelty-type tune straight out of 1950's Rock & Roll. "He's Got No Love," on the other hand, was a major departure from The Searchers' Merseybeat roots. Possibly spurred by The Rolling Stones' commitment to hard-edged, Blues-based material, The Beatles released "Ticket To Ride in 1965. Loud...moody...laden with sexual innuendo. And although '65 was still a good year for all the British Invasion bands, older Baby Boomers have told me that the Beatles and the Stones were already claiming the high ground.
 
It's been said that the "gatekeepers" of pop music in 1960's America were the music directors & leading DJ's in the five or six largest cities - along with their vast teenage audiences ceaselessly calling in "requests" and buying records. Considering the large number of new singles arriving at radio stations every week, broadcasters were greatly influenced by hands-on promotion from the record companies.
 
With one major US hit under their belts in '65 - and with the Beatles and the Stones garnering more and more attention - The Searchers were, for reasons that remain unclear, denied the airplay necessary to breakout another big hit. 

"He's Got No Love" was right at the cutting edge of pop music in 1965: as Mike Pender and Chris Curtis no doubt  intended it to be. The sophisticated vocal harmonies and guitar playing exhibited by The Searchers placed them in rare company, indeed. I can only wonder if the song would've done better in the US if it had been released there in 1966...

John W - USA