"Ferry Cross the Mersey" is a song written by Gerry Marsden. It was first recorded by his band Gerry and the Pacemakers and released in late 1964 in the UK and in 1965 in the United States. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number six in the United States[2] and number eight in the UK.[3] The song is from the film of the same name and was released on its soundtrack album. In the mid-1990s, a musical theatre production, also titled Ferry Cross the Mersey, related Gerry Marsden's Merseybeat days; it premiered in Liverpool and played in the UK, Australia, and Canada.
| "Ferry Cross the Mersey" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Gerry and the Pacemakers | ||||
| from the album Ferry Cross the Mersey | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | December 1964 | |||
| Recorded | 27 May 1964 ("You, You, You": 28 September) | |||
| Studio | EMI Studios, London[1] | |||
| Genre | Merseybeat, pop | |||
| Length | 2:24 | |||
| Label | Columbia (UK) Laurie 3284 (USA) Capitol 72216 (Canada) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gerry Marsden | |||
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
| Gerry and the Pacemakers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Song title and lyrics
edit
"Mersey" refers to the River Mersey in northwest England, which flows into the Irish Sea at Liverpool. The Mersey Ferry runs between Liverpool and Birkenhead and Seacombe on the Wirral Peninsula.
Cash Box described the song as "a touching, soft cha cha best sentimental opus that Gerry vocals with much sincerity."[4]
Chart performance
edit"Ferry Cross the Mersey" became a Top 10 hit in the UK[5] and also in the U.S., where it was a bigger hit. It did best in Chicago, where it reached number one on WLS-AM.[6]
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Charity record for The Hillsborough Disaster Fund
edit| "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by the Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman | |
| B-side | "Abide with Me" by Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir |
| Released | 8 May 1989 |
| Length | 3:58 |
| Label | PWL |
| Songwriter(s) | Gerry Marsden |
| Producer(s) | Stock Aitken Waterman |
In May 1989, a charity version of "Ferry Cross the Mersey" was released in aid of those affected by the Hillsborough disaster, which had claimed the lives of 95 Liverpool fans the previous month (a 96th, Tony Bland, died in 1993 as a consequence of that disaster and a 97th, Andrew Devine, in 2021). The song was recorded by Liverpool artists the Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney and Gerry Marsden, with producers Stock Aitken Waterman also credited. The single held the number one spot in the UK chart for three weeks[13] and the Irish chart for two weeks.
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart[14] | 45 |
| Austrian Singles Chart[15] | 15 |
| Dutch GfK chart[16] | 21 |
| Dutch Top 40[17] | 20 |
| German Singles Chart[18] | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart[19] | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[20] | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[21] | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart[13] | 1 |
Other cover versions
edit- Frankie Goes to Hollywood recorded a cover of "Ferry Cross the Mersey" for the B-side of the 12-inch single "Relax", released in October 1983.[22] It was subsequently included on their later compilations Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1993)[23] and Maximum Joy (2000),[24] as well as certain copies of their debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome.
- Canadian popular musician Burton Cummings (of The Guess Who) recorded a solo version on his 1997 live album Up Close and Alone.[25]
- In 2003, Pat Metheny included an instrumental cover of the song on his acoustic album One Quiet Night.[26]
- The German-British punk rock band Die Toten Hosen released a cover version in 2020 on their album "Learning English Lesson 3 - Mersey Beat!". The album peaked at position 2 in the German album chart.
- Australian band The Jazz Kings included a cover version on their 2024 album Blue Jazz. It was arranged and sung by their pianist Jose McLaughlin, who was a former member of Gerry and the Pacemakers. The track went to No.1 on the Australian Independent Charts.
References
edit- ^ "Gerry's Datebook". Britbands.bravepages.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "Gerry & the Pacemakers > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company - Gerry And The Pacemakers - Ferry Cross The Mersey". Official Charts. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 30 January 1965. p. 16. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ a b "ferry cross the mersey | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com.
- ^ "wls650312". Oldiesloon.com.
- ^ Hallberg, Eric (193). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 – 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. ISBN 9163021404.
- ^ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. ISBN 919727125X.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 3/20/65". cashboxmagazine.com.
- ^ "Sixties City - Pop Music Charts - Every Week Of The Sixties". Sixtiescity.net.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1965/Top 100 Songs of 1965". Musicoutfitters.com.
- ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1965". tropicalglen.com.
- ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson And The Christians - Ferry Cross The Mersey". Official Charts. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden & Stock Aitken Waterman - Ferry 'Cross The Mersey". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden & Stock Aitken Waterman - Ferry 'Cross The Mersey". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden & Stock Aitken Waterman - Ferry 'Cross The Mersey". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 - week 26, 1989". Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "charts.de". charts.de. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "irishcharts.ie search results". Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden & Stock Aitken Waterman - Ferry 'Cross The Mersey". norwegiancharts.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ "The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden & Stock Aitken Waterman - Ferry 'Cross The Mersey". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 4 December 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ Catwoman (17 July 2002). "h2g2 - ZTT Records 1983-1988 Part 3: Remixes". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ Bang!... The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Frankie Goes to Hollywood | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 11 January 2021
- ^ Maximum Joy - Frankie Goes to Hollywood | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 11 January 2021
- ^ Up Close and Alone - Burton Cummings | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 11 January 2021
- ^ One Quiet Night - Pat Metheny | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 11 January 2021