That something good was an interview with Karl Green of  Herman’s Hermits on WZRD.

 

Hosted by Alex White of the band White Mystery and organized by the staff of WZRD, the 30-minute interview was held in the student lounge on Feb. 28,  and featured a live audience..

 

“(White) loves this radio station,” said Jonathan Extract, former station manager of WZRD and one of the organizers of the event, about White. “She approached me about doing this show  “She had an opportunity to interview Herman’s Hermits and … she thought it would be a perfect location. So we’re lucky enough to receive that opportunity.”

 

Herman’s Hermits was an essential part of the British Invasion, Their first hit, and one of their most well-known songs, was a cover of Earl-Jean’s “I’m into Something Good” which reached No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart and No. 11 in the United States in 1964.

 

Green was the band’s original bassist and one of the founding members. He released his first solo album on March 1 and is touring the U.S. to promote it. NEIU was one of those stops.

The show began with Green singing the Hermit’s most well-known track “I’m into Something Good.”

 

“That was our first ever record, that we made back in ‘64.” Green said. “Lucky for us it did really well.”

 

That song is what booked the band on Dick Clark’s “Caravan of Stars” and allowed them to tour the U.S. as teenagers.

 

“Peter (Noone, another founding member) and I were 17 and we had to report to the British consulate everyday to make sure we were safe,” Green said.  

 

The other songs performed that evening were “Can’t You Feel My Heartbeat,” “Listen People,” “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” and “I’m Henery the Eighth, I Am.”

 

Green said icons like Little Richard,Deep Purple and Janis Joplin inspired him.

 

“In (their) hay day, people loved Herman’s Hermits more than the Beatles,” White said about the band. “Their show wasn’t sold out at Shea stadium and someone went up to a fangirl and said ‘Why do you think this Shea Stadium Beatles show isn’t sold out?’ and she said, ‘Because everyone loves Herman’s Hermits.’”

 

When Green finally left Herman’s Hermits in 1980, he pursued a much different art form.

 

“I went out as a tiler, would you believe?” Green said. “I just wanted to be Mr. Normal and sleep in my own bed every night and bring up kids, so I started a business installing new bathrooms and kitchens. I did that for 34 years and I really enjoyed it because it was an end product.”

 

But music remained his passion and he eventually became a sound engineer for the Queen Elisabeth Festival Hall. He started performing with Herman’s Hermits again in 2014.  

 

“Playing is what I really love,” Green said. “Performing in front of people, I think it’s the show-off in me. All musicians got to be a bit of a show-off.”

 

After Green had finished the last song and cleared the stage, White reflected on the experience.

 

“It was exhilarating!” she said. “I’m so happy it could happen here at Northeastern. I grew up in this area and it’s so cool that we’re able to bring these legends here to the school to be interviewed live on the air it’s awesome.”