This week’s “Remake of a Classic” was first released in February 1964 by the folk duo, Peter and Gordon (Peter Asher and Gordon Waller). Written by Paul McCartney, and attributed to Lennon-McCartney, it’s the biggest Lennon-McCartney hit not actually released by The Beatles. It reached number one in the UK, U.S., Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.

McCartney wrote the song when he was 16. In 1963, while he was living with Peter Asher’s sister, actress Jane Asher, he played the song for Asher who, along with Gordon Waller, had just signed a recording contract as Peter and Gordon. McCartney didn’t think the song was strong enough for The Beatles, and apparently the first line, “Please lock me away” cracked Lennon up. And so Asher asked McCartney if he could have it for Peter and Gordon. McCartney had already offered it to English pop singer Billy J. Kramer, but Kramer passed on it, and so he agreed. Asher asked him to finish the song (at that point it was only half finished), and McCartney finished it just in time for Peter and Gordon to record it at their first session at EMI Studios in London.

In addition to “A World Without Love”, Peter and Gordon had several subsequent hits in America during the British Invasion, including "I Go to Pieces", "Lady Godiva", "Woman", "True Love Ways" and "Nobody I Know".

After Peter and Gordon broke up in 1968, Asher went on to become an enormously successful producer, first as the director of A&R at the Beatles' Apple Records (where he worked on James Taylor's first album), before moving to Los Angeles in the '70s. He was one of the principal architects of mellow California rock, producing Taylor and Linda Ronstadt (among others). In August 2005, Peter and Gordon reunited for the first time in more than 30 years as part of two tribute concerts in New York City for Mike Smith of The Dave Clark Five. This was followed by full concerts at The Fest for Beatles Fans conventions that began the following year. Paul McCartney heard about the reunion shows and sent a message of congratulations.

Sadly, Gordon Waller died of a heart attack in July 2009 at the age of 64. Peter Asher has continued to perform sporadically with one of his oldest friends, Jeremy Clyde of Chad and Jeremy fame (Chad Stuart passed away in December, 2020). Together they perform hits from Peter and Gordon, and Chad and Jeremy (including the latter’s mega-hit, “Summer Song”).

This was a fairly easy tune to play…but capturing the feel and sound of the original took a little time. I didn’t want the drums to sound too modern, so I spent an entire evening tweaking the vintage and jazz sounds in the Alesis kit. On the original, guitarist Vic Flick (who was also the guy who played guitar on the James Bond theme), used a Vox electric 12 string. Since I don’t have an electric 12 string I simply played the same thing on two tracks an octave apart (except for the solo in the middle) and added some chorus.