Peter and Gordon – Woman

When I first saw the Michael Myers character Austin Powers I automatically thought of Peter Asher. I learned about them in the 80s while listening to an oldies channel at where I used to work. Peter and Gordon were Peter Asher and Gordon Waller.

Peter Asher Austin Powers

The first song I remember hearing and liking from them was I Go To Pieces. They were part of the British Invasion to come in after The Beatles. Peter Asher had a secret weapon. His sister was going out with Paul McCartney and McCartney was living at the Ashers at this time in a room beside Peters.

McCartney first gave the duo a song called A World Without Love that John Lennon rejected because of the first line he didn’t like (Please lock me away). The record was huge… it peaked at #1 in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK in 1964.  Paul wrote  “World Without Love,” Nobody I Know,” “I Don’t Want To See You Again,” and “Woman” for the group. Woman though was different than the others.

Paul didn’t want the Lennon/McCartney name on this song. People were saying they were only hits because of who wrote the song. Peter and Gordon were told they were only jumping on the Beatle bandwagon. When this song was released it first got credited to A. Smith and then Bernard Webb. The song was rising up the charts but only after two weeks, it was traced back to Lennon and McCartney’s publishing company Northern Songs so it was exposed.

The song was a hit regardless peaking at #14 on the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, #28 in the UK, and #7 in New Zealand in 1966. The duo would have other hits not written by McCartney like I Go To Pieces and Lady Godiva. They had a longer career than I first thought. Their success lasted until 1967 but not before they amassed 10 top 40 hits in America alone.

Peter Asher would later become head of A&R for Apple Records in 1968. He signed, produced, and managed James Taylor. After Allen Klein destroyed what was left of Apple Records, Asher packed up and moved to California. He took James Taylor with him and produced him through the seventies. He also picked up another artist and produced her…Linda Rondstadt. He also produced albums by  J. D. Souther, Andrew Gold, and Bonnie Raitt. He also worked with Cher and 10,000 Mainiacs.

He became  Senior Vice-President, of Sony Music Entertainment in 1995 and held that job until 2002 when he went back to artist management. .

Peter and Gordon reunited in 2005 and played concerts when they had time. They did this up until Gordon’s death in 2009 of a heart attack. Peter would go on to Sirus Radio doing a Beatle show on their Beatles channel called  “From Me To You. ”

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He also wrote a book on The Beatles called The Beatles From A to Zed. I just read it and it is really good. It’s not a biography on the Beatles or any dirt though…it’s a fun book and he goes through the alphabet and names Beatles songs, places, things, and etc corresponding to whatever letter he is on.

Woman

Woman, do you love me?
Woman, if you need me then
Believe me I need you
To be my woman

Woman, do you love me?
Woman, if you need me then
Believe me I need you
To be my woman

And should you ask me how I’m doing?
What shall I say? Things are okay
But I know that they’re not
And I still may have lost you

Woman, do you love me?
Woman, if you need me then
Believe me I need you
To be my woman

I guess you’ll take your time and tell me
When we’re alone, love will come home
I would give up my world
If you’ll say that my girl is my woman

I’ve got plenty of time (I’ve got plenty of time)
Time just to get through it
Once again you’ll be mine (once again you’ll be mine)
I still think we can do it
And you know how much I love you

Woman, don’t forsake me
Woman, if you take me then
Believe me I’ll take you
To be my woman

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

30 thoughts on “Peter and Gordon – Woman”

  1. Give enough monkeys enough typewriters…and sooner or later two will both write about Peter & Gordon at the same time? LOL. Good column, I didn’t know this tune.

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    1. This was funny…of all the artists to postabout the same day. I had this written a year ago…I wrote it in April 2023…I have been shifting it around in my scheduled posts…I just decided today was the day.

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      2. When I posted Jim Croce last week…I thought…hmmm Dave could post him….but NOT today.

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      1. LOL… you know the last time I posteed a Peter and Gordon song? September 4, 2018… I wonder what Vegas odds woud have been.

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  2. The first album I ever bought with my own money was “In Touch With Peter and Gordon”. It included the hit “I Don’t Want to See You Again”, as well as an attempt to cover a Little Walter tune, demonstrating the influence of American blues on all British Invasion acts. Listening to “A World Without Love” again, I can imagine the Beatles’ voices singing those harmonies. And Austin Powers…oh, yeah.

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    1. I have to wonder if they have ever talked since…but they never have talked bad about each other and she never did mention him in a book.

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  4. I read Dave’s post first and almost scrolled right by! They were a talented pair and really nailed the harmonies. Didn’t hurt to have a McCartney song to kick things off. Asher certainly has had an incredible career in music,

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    1. Yea being practlically a brother in law to Paul helped… what made me want to write this was reading about Peter Asher in that Chris O’Dell book…he has been so successful not only with Gordon but more with himself.

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    1. From what I remembered he released one solo record called “…and Gordon” which I thought the name was great. I think he acted on the stage and got a regular job selling Xerox or something like that…then of course he reunited with Asher.

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  6. omigosh sitting Asher and Austin side by side there is no denying it! What a laugh. That’s a really good song. After learning Paul wrote it, it sounds totally Paul. They do a good job of lip synching for the most part, but that goofy smile means all is forgiven when he flubs it. I bet that book would be a good read.

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    1. This is the post I’ve had for a year waiting to publish. I think you asked my about Asher last April or May…it just kept moving around lol.
      I love their song “Go To Pieces”…that is what made me notice them.

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      1. I remember Chris O’Dell talking about him and working with him. I remember a few things she said about his wife also. So I’m the one who instigated your writing this post? Good 🙂

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  9. Wow, the optical resemblance of Mike Myers and Peter Asher never occurred to me! I also only knew a couple of songs by Peter & Gordon. “Woman” was new to me. I think it’s fair to say this isn’t one of Paul’s best songs. I also find the arrangement a bit too much on the lush side. In addition, I didn’t realize how many top 40 hits Peter & Gordon had.

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  10. I really liked Peter & Gordon back in the day, and remember this song well. I had no idea so many of their hits were written by Paul McCartney, and had forgotten Jane Asher was Peter’s sister. He was a talented guy, and it’s great he had such a long and successful career as a producer.

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