The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine (Gerry and the Pacemakers)

6 OCTOBER 1966


And so the short, bright career of Gerry and the Pacemakers fizzled to an end with the October 1966 release of their last single, the Paul Simon song 'The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine'. At the start of 1965 they had given us the enduring classic 'Ferry Cross the Mersey', but by 1966 their 'cheeky chappy' image and sound were out of time and place. This song was a supposedly satirical take on pop culture of the time, and while it might have seemed like an edgier direction for the group to take, their tinny piano and tippy-tappy drum sound falls flat here. The single failed to chart on either side of the Atlantic and they disbanded soon after, becoming one of the first successful acts of the 'British Invasion' to fall by the wayside.

B-side: 'Looking For My Life '
Released: October 1966
Length: 2:45
Label: Laurie Records ‎– LR-3370
Writer: Paul Simon

The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine (Gerry and the Pacemakers)