LISTEN-IN REVIEWS

 

SMASH HITS – “Various” (MFP 50097) December 1973

The end of year “Smash Hits” round-up on the budget label MFP was their compilation of the biggest and/or hottest hits throughout the previous eleven months, in this case we’re swept back to 1973. The year Second Division giant killers Sunderland beat defeated super Leeds in the F.A. Cup Final.

I can still clearly remember that day in May. We had no colour television but the neighbours up the road did. So, here I am sitting in a strange house full of Sunderland supporters cheering their team on.

I was by now devoted to Leeds United and I didn’t take the 1-0 defeat very well. I was only seven years old. After the game I left every one behind and ran away to the local beck and shed my tears.

OK, it’s back to this record! Most of the cover versions on the LP are slow to even slower ballads. I was patiently hoping for an up-tempo Glam Rocker to present itself but it never did.

I don’t know what the kids were drinking in 1973 to go out and spend their pocket money on singles, making these numbers big hits . . . . . but it certainly wasn’t the brain basher drink Dandelion & Burdock pop.   

The album introduced three songs not previously heard on Hot Hits. It was also another showcase for model Susy Shaw to get her kit off again.

Side 1

1. Welcome Home – From Hot Hits 19

2. Touch Me In The Morning – From Hot Hits 20

3. Stay With Me – From Hot Hits 15

4. Killing Me Softly With His Song – From Hot Hits 17

5. Yesterday Once More – From Hot Hits 20

6. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – originally by Stevie Wonder

Side 2

1. Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree – From Hot Hits 17

2. And I Love You So – From Hot Hits 18

3. Live And Let Die – From Hot Hits 19

4. You’re So Vain – From Hot Hits 16

5. Get Down – originally by Gilbert O’Sullivan 

6. Young Love – originally by Donny Osmond

COUNT AND THE COLONY – “Can’t You See?” / “That’s The Way (It’s Got To Be)” (PA-GO-GO PAG121) December 1966

I’ve had this ’60s garage 45 by Count and the Colony in my collection for several years and thought that I’d already reviewed it. However, a few weeks ago a group photograph surfaced on my Facebook feed which made me curious.

It transpired that the record went straight into a record box and consequently forgotten about! 

The group were from Bay City, MI but weren’t on the scene for very long, releasing two respectable singles on the PA-GO-GO label, operating in San Antonio, Texas.

“Can’t You See?” is full of teenage swagger with crunchy and aggressive fuzz guitar over a pounding beat. It’s a rave-up bursting with energetic raunch helped along by clattering tambourine and organ bursts.

The number was compiled years ago on ‘Teenage Shutdown’ (Jump, Jive & Harmonize) and is well worth checking out.

By contrast, the B-side “That’s The Way (It’s Got To Be)” is a slow ballad with falsetto vocals, that is until that singer decides to forget about all that and begins to talk over the beat. The lyrics are corny and the number simply doesn’t work.

BRAM RIGG SET – ”Take The Time Be Yourself” / ”I Can Only Give You Everything” (Stateside FSS 501) February 1967

This group of teenagers released this sole offering in late ’66 and were gone. They started out as George’s Boys and laid down a couple of demos at Trod Nossel Studios in Wallingford, Connecticut. Previously unreleased versions of ’Help Me’ and ’Sticks And Stones’ have been recently compiled on Sundazed compilation titled ’Don’t Press Your Luck’…

On this 2 LP vinyl set you’ll also get to hear several unreleased recordings as the the Bram Rigg Set. Not all of them work, in particular ’I Can’t Explain’ sounds diluted and weak when compared with The Who original. They couldn’t hope to compete with this classic.

’Sleepless Nights’ is a winner and could have been a perfect follow up to ’I Can Only Give You Everything’.

I’ve never been a fan of the song ’I Can Only Give You Everything’ no matter who records it. It’s just a song that doesn’t do anything for me. That’s why you get a label shot of ’Take The Time Be Yourself’. This was the French release and is quite rare. Much harder to find than the release on Kayden.

(03/10/08)

Free to freak again!

There is, when it comes down to it, no such thing as garage band music. The raw ‘n’ raunchy sound of ’66 was really only an attack of fuzzed-out dementia in search of a name.

But there is such a thing as a garage band. Probably has been as long as there’s been garages. And they’re back to haunt ya on this swingin’ compilation of 19 rockin’ new bands recapturing the primitive spirit of classick ’60s punk.

Ever since rock ‘n’ roll crept out of the southern swamp and oozed toward suburbia like a green slime, bands have needed a place to play, a place to get loco and get good. And a place to get away from creepy, square parents with fingers in their ears shrieking “TURN DOWN THAT NOISE, YOU BUMS!!”

Garages, basements, attics and soulful Fred and Wilma-type caves that passed for teen hangouts were the only places to go. And so they went, sprouting wildman hair, paisley, Beatle boots and beads.

They plugged in their Rickenbacker and Vox guitars, their Farfisas, fuzzboxes and their minds, and they made psycho noises that drove the neighbours to the nearest padded cell. Then they invaded – battles of the bands, VFW hall dances, freakouts, and happenings a-go-go.

And eventually, recording studios (or a semblance thereof), where some of the most frenetic, cryptic, brutal grunge ever heard by human and non-human ears alike was slapped down onto now-classic slabs of vinyl. Voices green and purple everywhere soon responded to the sound: BOSS!

But it wasn’t a unified scene and so it withered and died. What was essentially a regional explosion that had evolved organically in every burg and village gave way to the forces of the straight world, to commercialized and co-opted pseudodelia.

And the resultant comatose state drove the loons back into their deep, dank, dark holes in the ground for good. The garage door was locked and the basement door boarded up. And so it stayed – until now!

It’s taken the sad and snoring somnambulism of corporate ’80s slush-rock to stir the dormant garage scene back into action. But this time a cohesive effort is being made to keep the leeches away; not everyone is content to let the poison of dullsville rock seep into our lifeblood and lead us into lethargic limbo.

The WYLD sound is here to stay and it’s gonna blow yer MYND!

The garage door locks have been picked and a whole new hot generation of psych, punk, garage insane-iacs has broken in. And they’ve begun kicking out the most ruthlessly deliberate trash and reckless rave-ups since the ancestors of the First Golden Era vanished into the void.

Now, as then, the music emanating from the garage bands is diverse, because the Laws of Garagedom are confined to attitude, not style. Being cool is a way of life, not a way of doing business. 

And this time there’s an all-out battle raging against the plague of drippy, funless geek music assaulting our senses. The rebels are back!

The terminal uncoolness of Establishment fake-rock is being mowed down by the forces of the day-glo army. We’re all free to freak again!

These new garage bands have listened to the ’60s masters and have absorbed them into their ’80s blood till it’s boiled. They revere not only the Sonics, Seeds and Shadows of Knight but true obscuros like the Swamp Rats, Stereo Shoestring and Driving Stupid.

They’ve sprung up like magic mushrooms, these neo-neanderthals, to rise above and slay the suppliers of sap. And nothing can change the shape of things to come.

“Strictly speaking, there have been garage bands as long as there have been garages and rock music. But in today’s rock parlance, the term refers specifically to the American suburban bands that sprang up in the mid-60’s in the wake of the British invasion.

Another word that was originally used to refer to these bands was ”punk,” and by the late 60’s such bands were also being called ”psychedelic,” but the phenomenon remained the same – bands that were loud and obnoxiously bratty, banging out rhythm-and-blues and assorted pop trash in a style much influenced by the early Rolling Stones.

With the coming of the late 60’s, ”rock poetry,” and the self-conscious art-rock inspired by the Beatles’ ”Sgt. Pepper” album, garage-rock went underground. The term ”garage band” took on derogatory connotations; it was what you called a semi- amateur band that ineptly played renditions of better bands’ hits. But of course garage bands endured. 

Iggy and the Stooges, the late 60’s band that was an important forerunner of punk rock as we now know it, was a classic garage band. And with the coming of the new punk sensibility to New York and London in the late 70’s, garage-type bands like the Ramones and the Heartbreakers suddenly found themselves on the cutting edge of a new wave subculture.

In today’s rock, the garage is a state of mind. Some of the bands heard on the ROIR ”Garage Sale” sampler are suburban bands, but others are inner-city bands for whom the garage designation is a matter of influences and style.

New York City’s Vipers, for example, write and play contemporary pop-rock songs with stylistic roots in the mid-60’s on their own first album, ”Outta the Nest” (PVC/Jem). They also share with the Mosquitos (and many other contemporary bands) an abiding interest in pioneering 60’s psychedelic bands like the 13th Floor Elevators.

The ROIR cassette indicates that the present garage-band scene is really a spectrum of styles.

Above all, garage-rock is a do-it-yourself aesthetic. So you want to be a rock-and-roll star? If you can make enough noise to drive your family to distraction and rattle your neighbors’ windows, you’re on the way. “

By Robert Palmer (Published: March 20, 1985, NY Times)

Pop Gossip

Pete is in a bad mood. Even more than that. I’m jealous. Why?

Simple. Take a look at the picture. That Hubert Thomas is so good-looking, when we went out for lunch the other day all the dolly waitresses rushed up to serve him – and just ignored me.

When we went out into the street, Hubert was right slap bang in the middle of a rugger-type scrum of gorgeous mini skirts. and Pete Lennon, “Jackie’s” No. 1 pin-up was left on the outside looking a right Charlie.

Still, apart from all that, Hubert is a very nice guy. How did they get their name, The H.T.’s?

Simple. Hubert’s full name is Hubert Thomas Valverde. Hubert decided to drop the last one on coming to England from Gibraltar six months ago.

Hubert used to be a duo with another singer, his brother Frank. They came to England and were told they would need a backing group.

So off they went back to Gibraltar and formed a group with a few chums.

Robert Brittendem (20), bass; Adolf “Fofi” Falquero (19), lead singer; Emile Porro (16), drummer. Frank, who keeps the family’s surname flying, is 22 and plays rhythm guitar. Hubert, light brown hair and hazel eyes, is (21).

The H.T.’s were the top group in Gibraltar. They entered a beat competition and won the first prize of a silver disc.

“I was singing a song called “Smile,” which our fans used to associate us with. Halfway through, everybody burst out cheering and clapping. It was then that I knew we had made it and the time was ripe for us to come to England.”

Hubert and the group sing in five different languages – English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese.

The soft French and Italian ballads really get the girls going, as Hubert once found out.

“I forgot the name of the song, but it was a club somewhere in London. Everyone was still, just standing, listening, looking.”

“Suddenly I saw this great hefty woman – she was only about twenty – start walking towards me. She didn’t take her eyes off mine. Then she broke into a trot, then a gallop, and before I could do anything I was flat on my back and this girl was on top of me smothering me with kisses. Everybody thought it was a great laugh – except me, that is.”

Back in Gibraltar, Hubert once sang a song in a lions’ cage.

“I’d have quite enjoyed it if there hadn’t been three angry-looking lions in there with me!

Just back from a holiday in Blackpool and Liverpool, Hubert recalled the time the van got stuck on the M6.

“We were dead broke and we had to go into a pub and play a few numbers to earn the train fare home.”

One of Hubert’s hobbies is watching other groups.

“I just love The Hollies. They are so musical and professional. Maybe they are a bit too complicated. That is why they are not quite so big as they should be. We like the Walker Brothers very much too. In fact, not so long ago, Rob, Frank and myself were mobbed. ‘Please sign it here, Gary.’ ‘I love you, Scott,’ they shouted out.

But Hubert gets asked for his own autograph wherever he goes now.

“The first time it happened was in the Cavern. It was great.”

Also great is the first record by The H.T.’s “You And Me,” it’s called.

“Maybe Los Bravos opened the door for Continental groups. We hope so, ‘cos we were here first.”

Pop Gossip

If you ever see the Force West group, don’t be surprised if they’re all decked out in flying jackets and goggles. It’s just that they find it much quicker to fly to such faraway dates as Glasgow.

“We clubbed together with our manager to buy the plane,” lead singer Danny Clarke told me.

Danny is the newest member of the group. He joined the rest of the boys after two attempts. The first time they refused to have him when he auditioned for them. Six months later, however, they were asking him to join!

Danny is the group’s champion pint drinker, and on various occasions has had to be frog-marched out of pubs murmuring, “Just one more.”

Twenty-two-year-old Danny’s real name is Charles Dobson. He made his first public appearance as one of Caroll Levis’s Discoveries. He says the biggest break in his career was a fifteen quid mike. He made his TV debut with another group on BBC2 an an Oxfam beat contest.

The group had a very smallish hit with their first record, “Gotta Find Another Baby,” but their second, the very tuneful “When The Sun Comes Out,” should do well.

Five bob for an evening’s playing at the Bristol Gas Works is how Sid Phillips, the comedian drummer, describes his entry into show biz. One night he left his drums on the bus. By the time he traced them to the garage half the drums had vanished.

Another of his activities is the cinema. He just can’t bear to leave before the film ends, so he used to get his granny to bring his tea in on a tray.

Sid, five foot eight, weighing nine stone, with blue eyes and brown hair, used to be an electrician. He is is love with Ann-Margaret.

Adrian Castillo, from Bristol (as is the rest of the group), plays lead, rhythm and harmonica. He was born in a circus and that’s why he was given the job of looking after the group’s pets.

They have included a python, fruit bat and a possum with a wooden leg. But, at the moment, they only boast two Siamese cats and a poodle. 

He got his musical education as a member of a group with the doubtful name of Bert Jones’ All-Star Gas-Works Band. The biggest influence in Adrian’s career was being broke, according to the lad himself.

His former occupations were shop lifter, sorry, fitter, and expert drinker. Favourite colour is blue, rates Ursula Andress and Sean Connery.

Bass player John Strange says his beard grows on you. Strange, I thought it grew on him. Anyway, John spends most of his time running away from fans who mistake him for Manfred Mann.

A hamster taught John to play the guitar, but he’s not letting on how John made his radio debut on a walkie talkie set at St Ives in Cornwall.

Brian Trusler is the group’s lead guitarist and van driver. He has three cracked ribs to prove it. He started his pop career in Germany, and still complains about working nine hours every night. 

Pop Gossip

What is a Mead? Well, besides being a member of a group, it is a love potion. Ivan’s Meads think, or at least hope, that their music has a similar effect on their audiences.

Folks in their home city of Manchester know the boys very well, but the rest of you might need an introduction.

Keith Lawless – twenty years old. Left school at sixteen to go to Manchester Art College. Plays bass guitar. Likes omelettes and coke and his ambition is to live in comfort. By the way, he has a fantastic record collection with well over a thousand discs in it.

Eighteen-year-old Alan Powell is the drummer. He left school as soon as he turned fifteen. He doesn’t know who was more pleased, the teachers or himself. Alan had numerous jobs, working in record and music shops but every one he worked in either went broke or was burnt to the ground.

Alan learned to drum just from watching other groups. The others say he still loves watching other groups! Graham Bond and The Who are high up on his fave group list. Foodwise he likes English traditional and he doesn’t drink alcohol.

Alan has only two hobbies, buying fashionable clothes and going to watch horror films. The only thing he doesn’t like about pop is that you have to eat chis with everything.

Ivan Oliver Robinson is the one who decided what to call the group. Ivan is nineteen and has been singing with various groups since he was at school.

The Meads are a soul group more than anything. Ivan thinks you can develop a soul voice, but it helps to be quite hoarse all the time! Fave groups are The Temptations and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames.

Ivan likes big steaks washed down with rum and coke or whisky and coke. His greatest thrill so far was appearing on Scene at 6.30. and the Herman / Mindbenders tour.

“It was a great last night. Dave Berry came on and messed about on the drums and everybody threw stink bombs about.”

Also nineteen is organist Roderick Mayall who has been a grocer and carpet salesman before turning to pop. His top keymen include Graham Bond and Brian Auger. Rod’s taste in music varies from R&B to rock ‘n’ roll and jazz.

Rod’s likes include Boddington beer, chips and tropical countries. His ambition is to have no debts.

Last member of the Meads is Pat Dempsey, who makes a hat-trick of nineteen year olds. Pat left school at sixteen and went straight into a jazz band playing sax. He also plays piano and drums.

Among his likes are Chinese food, Chinese tea, and Chinese girls. Pat rates big bands, especially Zoot Money, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. His ambition is to be successful and get a collection of vintage cars.

Discography:
“The Sins Of A Family” / “A Little Sympathy” (Parlophone R 5342) 10/65
“We’ll Talk About It Tomorrow” / “Bottle” (Parlophone R 5503) 09/66

Pop Gossip

About a year ago, Roger Daltrey moved from his “manor” in Shepherd’s Bush, London (where he had been brought up), to a flat near Regent’s Park, a few miles away.  

“I hated leaving the old haunts,” he says, “but where I am now is just much handier for the action, the disc studios, music-publishing offices, TV headquarters and so on. Also there’s nothing like having such a wonderful park nearby if you get a nice day and you feel like a stroll or kip in the sun.”

One thing Roger doesn’t do in his flat is kick his heels. For ages he has been a mad-keen artist. His paintings and sketches deck the walls of his flat and already he is running out of hanging space.

“I have given one or two bits of my work to friends,” he says. “Now I’m starting to get requests galore. If this goes on, I shall have an exhibition and see how many thousands of guineas I can rake in!”

If he isn’t busy with painting, then he has another hobby in model making. Trains, planes, cars, ships – these and many things more come within the scope of the talented guy from The Who.

His fave bit of work is a four-foot model of the cutty Sark – famous naval training ship.

Like quite a few more showbiz personalities, Roger gets a kick from hunting around for antiques. Ancient rifles are specially on his wavelength.

“No,” he told our Pete, “I’m not going out hunting showbiz writers. I reckon clay pigeons are more my line.”

Sure, he has a record-player in his flat – and a portable tele, “which the rest of the group think is a great idea, so we can ALL watch it when I take it to the dressing-room.”

Roger digs TV Westerns. He is also such a raving fan of “Dr Who” he even has one or two Daleks around his flat!

Books? Roger may read the occasional Western or whodunnit. But mainly he likes top quality authors.

With all these interests, you might think Roger’s cooking ability would be limited to a cuppa and a couple of slices of toast. But our human dynamo has somehow found time to learn to be a first-class cook.

“Mind you,” he says, “this is something I try to keep from my girl friends. Otherwise they are liable to plonk themselves down and demand I fix a meal – when it should be the other way about!”

Pop Gossip

Twenty-year-old Jimmy Winston takes his career very seriously. He must do to have left The Small Faces just as they were about to emerge as a top name in the world of pop.

“I was very happy with the Faces and I will always be grateful to them for helping me to establish myself, but I wanted more say in how my career is run, so I left.”

Jimmy chose all the boys for his backing group himself and they are – Tony Kaye, from Leicester, on organ; drummer Terry Slade, from Bognor Regis; ex-session man Alex Parish on bass guitar and one-time Bluesbreaker with John Mayall; and John Weider, who spent four years studying classical violin.

The five of them live in a big house in London.

“It helps if we live together. We can get each other up,”

Film fans who know nothing about pop might recognise his impish face. Reason? He’s appeared in over thirty (yes, thirty) films.

“I had a real bout of being stagestruck. I begged my parents to let me go to stage school. In the end they said yes. Among the films you might remember me in, ‘Two Left Feet,’ with Michael Craig and Michael Crawford.

“I have played everything from a G.I. to a page-boy.”

Jimmy has been messing about on a guitar for some time when he started singing with a jazz band in Jersey.

“When I came back, I talked over with some friends the idea of forming a group and so the Small Faces came into being.”

The future for Jimmy and the boys also seems pretty set. They have been getting a great reception from the dance hall and club audiences, playing a mixture of stuff – Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Tamla-Motown and good old British pop.

They also vary the mood with first a rave-up number, then a lush ballad.

Says Jimmy. “I’m sure the kids hate wild beat hour after hour.”

Well, beat or ballad, Jimmy and the boys are making sure they are heard.

In his spare time, Jimmy likes to go horse riding, or if he’s near the sea, he goes deep sea diving or water ski-ing.

“For a quiet evening, I just curl up in an armchair and play my favourite albums.”

His fave records include Bobby Bland, B.B. King, Sandie Shaw, Stones, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey, but seriously NO trad jazz.

“Can’t stand the stuff.”

Jimmy is also very interested in antiques.

“The five of us are busy buying things for the house. I have a friend in the Navy who brings me back weird masks from foreign parts. I have got quite a good collection of grass skirts, all I need now is something to put in them.”

The group’s first disc comes out soon and you can watch it whizz up those charts, almost as fast as Jimmy drives his gleaming sports car.

Jimmy Winston & his Reflections “Sorry She’s Mine” / “It’s Not What You Do” (Decca F 12410) 06/66

PETULA CLARK – “Colour My World” / “I’m Begging You” (Pye 7N.17218) December 1966

A few weeks ago one of my long-time friends on Facebook posted this record by Petula Clark. I thought to myself what on earth has Petula Clark in her discography that would move young Mole to post a glowing appraisal of “Colour My World”? 

Of course I was intrigued and had to check out the video of her performing the number on the Ed Sullivan Show.

And do you know what? I thought it was an absolute belter and searched eBay for a mint copy of the 45.  

The ’60s music press also thought it was a worthy tune with hit single potential. Her label took out some small advertising space in NME and Record Mirror, perhaps a few others too.

The record was a flop in Britain failing to crack the important top forty.

I’m presuming this failed attempt with a drug-inspired pop rocker with tinges of psychedelia including the addition of the sitar sound meant that Petula would slink away, back into the studio and reinvest her time and effort on squaresville pop for the masses.

Pet never seems to fail in finding strong commercial numbers. No doubt this is partly due to Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent, who supply her with most of her material.

“Colour My World” is an oriental flavoured up-tempo ballad with a lot of potential. The backing is a little clockwork, but Pet’s vitality carries it off. (Melody Maker – 03/12/66)

Another Tony Hatch composition, and stamped with his unmistakable hallmark. It’s one of those happy-go-lucky bouncers, with a gay sing-along chorus.

Pet is one of the best blues-chasers in the business, and this is in familiar poppy, toe-tapping style.

FLIP: Pet’s in more intense mood in this big-build ballad. Self-penned, it sounds like she was influenced by Burt Bacharach. Strings and humming support. (NME – 03/12/66)

DUANE EDDY – “The Best Of” (RCA Camden CDS 1109) 1972

This album was found in one of the £1 record bins on a market stall in Durham a couple of months ago. Duane Eddy is well represented on the internet if anyone wants to find out more, and there’s always more information filling the blank spaces of my knowledge base. For instance, I didn’t realise that Lee Hazlewood was a key figure in Eddy’s rock ‘n’ roll twang success. 

Hazlewood co-wrote and supervised several of the tracks chosen on the LP to represent Duane Eddy’s “best” work.

For me, the most interesting number here is “(Dance With The) Guitar Man”, featuring female backing group The Rebelettes. This was released as a 1962 single on RCA backed with “Stretchin’ Out”.

BACK COVER LINER:

Who would have thought that the fair haired young man with a raunchy instrumental single that crashed into the charts back in the early sixties would in the seventies still be selling records. The single was of course was ‘Peter Gunn’ and the guitarist who gave the world a new sound was Duane Eddy.

This was the first of a string of hits by Duane Eddy and his producer / composer associate Lee Hazlewood, who was to make a name for himself singing duets with Nancy Sinatra, amongst other things.

The Duane Eddy magic was to set many a youngster on the path of fame and fortune by making them interested in the guitar. Over and over again today’s generation of lead guitarists quote the name of Duane Eddy as one of the influences that made them take up the guitar.

On listening to this album the strong individual style and sound of Duane Eddy is well to the fore. Who else could it be? Indeed a rare talent combined with the ability to sound original and commercial are key factors in the Duane Eddy success story and they make the music sound as fresh today as when it was first recorded.

HERMAN’S HERMITS – “Herman’s Hermits” (Columbia 33SX 1727) June 1965

I was very surprised to find this album buried in a box of records in a local charity shop. There are plenty of Herman’s Hermits “Best Of” collections on budget labels hanging around junk shops but this was the first original pressing I’ve ever found. Only £2, so a decent buy. The vinyl is heavy and the recording is mono. What’s not to like?

Herman’s Hermits were never the most original group and effectively were chart teen fodder for the masses. Two of their most well known songs are included here, on their debut album. “I’m Henery The Eighth I Am” and “Mrs Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” and as you can imagine are safe beat numbers, very corny and almost ridiculous. But these singles probably sold in quantities of millions around the world.

Most interesting for me are the beat numbers “Heartbeat”, “For Your Love” and the medium-paced shuffler “Don’t Try To Hurt Me” which is very good, with a good beat and rhythm.

But what did the vintage music press think of the album back in 1965? Well, I’ve raided my extensive ’60s archive and located three reviews from NME, Disc & Music Echo and Record Mirror. These are presented below.

A set of a dozen happy Mersey beat tracks, led by Northern accented Herman (hear the difference when he is speaking in “I’ll Never Dance Again” to when he’s singing).

Amusing, too, the way he puts over Cockney songs like “I’m Henery The Eighth I Am” in a Lancashire accent! 

Tunes vary, such as going from the chirpy “Dream On” to the dramatic “I Wonder”, in which Herman proves he has quite a big voice.

The Hermits are “with him” throughout with a lively guitar-drums backing, and merge vocally with great appeal. (NME 11/06/65)

As the sleeve-note says, Herman has “the boy next door” – “youngest son” – “younger brother” image to ladies of varying age groups, and that’s the secret of his charm and success.

His voice is not wonderful, but the impish personality behind it compensates for its lack of singing power and skill.

Most of this selection is carefully chosen and done without taxing Herman’s vocal chords, and the only drag track is “I Wonder,” which is too slow and balladic for him to tackle successfully. 

The Hermits provide some earsome instrumental sounds throughout, and Herman’s double-tracking in places helps the quality of his singing.

There’s also a folky element in the album which is in tune with current fashion. (Disc 12/06/65)

The long awaited album from Herman will be no disappointment to his legions of fans. The subtle, flowing beat sound of this group is carried on throughout and the selections are well arranged.

The Buddy Holly song “Heartbeat” is given a tuneful, bubbly treatment while there’s a foot-stomping backing on “Walking With My Angel”, the old Bobby Vee hit.

~Cliff’s “Travelin’ Light” suits Herman well, and the oldies “I’m Henery The Eighth I Am” and the American chart topper “Mrs Brown” are surprisingly different.

The only let-down is “For Your Love” which isn’t as strong as the Yardbirds version. (Record Mirror 05/06/65)

Name Micheal’s kitten

Back in April 1967 there were two things on music lover’s minds. Firstly the anticipation of new Fab Four recordings and the immanent release of the new Beatles album “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

And secondly and perhaps more importantly, Mike D’Abo‘s Siamese cat, Dolly, had recently given birth to a litter of six kittens. Michael wanted a Disc reader to give one of his kittens a good home. 

Dolly, Michael D’Abo’s pedigree Siamese cat, has given birth to six beautiful kittens. These kittens are worth 15 guineas each – and the Manfred’s singer is making a special offer to a Disc reader to win one of these lovely animals as a pet.

“Anyone interested in the kitten will have to prove they can provide it with the best home and most affection,” he says.

Such a stir over Michael d’Abo and a kitten . . . 

It seems all England has gone cat conscious! Disc’s offices have been flooded with entries for Michael d’Abo’s Siamese kitten contest.

Michael is sorting through all the entries at the moment to decide which lucky reader will win the kitten. He has a tough task – but he will announce the winner next week.

Mike’s cat is caught!

Michael d’Abo has finally decided the winner of the contest in Disc to find a winner for his Siamese kitten.

After a long struggle and “a lot of sleepless nights” trying to sort through the entries, the lucky girl who will own the white kitten is 14-year-old Rachel Lambert. 

Prize-winner Rachael picks Coco the kitten!

Happiest fan in Britain this week: Disc reader Rachael Lambert, aged 14, won the Siamese kitten Michael d’Abo put up as the prize in a special contest for Disc readers . . . and last weekend Rachael went to Michael’s Kensington flat to make her choice.

SOLID GOLD TOP HITS OF THE YEAR – “Various” (Windmill WMD 245) January 1975

The “Parade of Pops” series was a direct continuation of the earlier “Pick of the Pops” series on Deacon. The title change was a result of a legal issue with Pickwick, and it so happened that Windmill took the reins just as matters were being resolved, hence the different name and label.

The first Windmill LP was in fact still called “Pick of the Pops”, but we include it here under “Parade of Pops” for obvious reasons. These albums are not numbered by volume.

The contents of these albums cross over prolifically with LPs on Flag, Pye and Stereo Gold Award among others. Windmill’s “Parade of Pops” were one of the longest-running covers series, with 26 regular instalments to their credit, going into 1976 when the series was finally shelved. It was brought back to life a couple of years later on the Chevron label.

The above information has been reproduced from the excellent website Hit Covers.

Musically, 1974 was a golden year, and we know you will enjoy this special recording by Windmill of twelve of the most exciting hits of the year.

The selection of music is varied from the romantic “Everything I Own” and “Sad Sweet Dreamer” to “Kung Fu Fighting” and “Hey Rock And Roll”. 

A record for any time or any occasion.

Highlighted on this month’s LP include hits from Carl Douglas, Suzi Quatro, The Rubettes, Bread, Mud and Showaddywaddy.

TRACKS:

Everything I Own / Sad Sweet Dreamer /  Kung Fu Fighting / Love Me For A Reason / Juke Box Jive / Hey Rock And Roll / Tiger Feet / Oh Yes! You’re Beautiful / Devil Gate Drive / Seasons In The Sun / Waterloo / Billy Don’t Be A Hero

Comments: Contains one song not included in the main series: “Devil Gate Drive”.

THE WORD D – “You’re Gonna Make Me” / “You’re Always Around” (Caprice 4983/2) November 1966

I was playing ‘Texas Punk: Volume 6’ yesterday mainly because I was interested in checking out the unreleased in the sixties Penthouse 5 cut “The Years Have Passed”.

The next set of songs on the compilation are from The Word D, an obscure group from Dallas who released only one single, then promptly broke up. 

This information intrigued me enough to dig a little deeper and also digitize the four tracks presented on this 1986 compilation, two of which were released for the first time on Cicadelic Records, presumably dubbed from a scratched acetate.

Genie Geer, who sang lead vocals on “You’re Always Around” was recently interviewed for an article published in Ugly Things No. 56.

The record label used in this feature is from the archive of Word D fan Jeff Jarema.

liners:

Jon Williams formed The Word D in the summer of 1966, after his stint in The By Fives. Jon had written a couple of songs for the group. One of these songs required a female vocalist so Jon contacted Genie Geer, a co-student of his at Bryan Adams High School.

Coincidentally, Genie had written a poem called “Today Is Tomorrow’s Yesterday” for which she had a tune in mind. They decided to use it as part of the demo.

When the four song demo was cut at Boyd Recording Studios, a single was released almost overnight on the Caprice label (a subsidiary of the Vandan label, owned by Tom Brown). 

The A-side “You’re Always Around” featured Genie on lead vocals and some great 12 string guitar by Richard Keathley. The song was played on American Bandstand and received a very high rating.

The flip was “You’re Gonna Make Me” with Jon on lead vocals (he would later redo this song with Richard and The Penthouse 5).

“Keep On Walking” was an improvement on the original version Jon had done with The By Fives, with some great psychedelic leads by Keathley.

A few weeks after the single was cut, The Word D broke up, after their agent split town due to various legal hassles. 

line-up:

Jon Williams (lead vocals, keyboards, harmonica)
Genie Geer (lead vocals)
Bob Johnson (drums)
Pat Whitefield (bass)
Richard Keathley (lead guitar)

THE PENTHOUSE 5 – “The Years Have Passed” (Cicadelic Records CIC-981) 1986

I have written about The Penthouse 5 before on my old blog, the details of which can be found here 

This combo were short lived, maybe less than two years but fortunately they released a couple of singles and recorded more studio material, unreleased during the 60s but fortunately released back in the mid 80s on Cicadelic Records.

I recently had contact from bass guitarist / vocalist Bill Looney via my YouTube channel. Bill mentioned that he thought their best ever recording was released on ‘Texas Punk Volume 6’ back in the mid-sixties.

Here’s what Bill had to say:

“The last recording from The Penthouse 5 was (what we called) “La, La, La” – featuring only 3 of us – Richard “Lurch” Keathley (guitars/vocals), Mike Echart (drums), and Bill Looney (bass/vocals).

It was recorded at Delta Studios in Ft. Worth. I think it was one of our best record songs/recordings. It was never released (originally), but got its first pressing, thanks to Michael Greisman (Cicadelic Records) in the late ’80s under the title “The Years Have Passed.”

ANITA HARRIS – “Just Loving You” (CBS 63182) 1967

This album was a recent charity shop purchase for a couple of quid last month. I knew nothing about Anita Harris‘s music other than what I’d previously heard on the tele back in the ’70s, which in my mind was orchestrated middle-of-the-road numbers that would have had your dear old Granny vigorously shuffling about in her living room wearing a smile and her best slippers. 

But the record looked in very good shape and there was barely a crease on the cover. It was also a first press on CBS from 1967. £2 seemed reasonable so I bought it. And to be fair, if only one track was decent it would be worth it. This is my mind-set nowadays.

The majority of the tracks demonstrate that Anita had a distinguished vocal range put to good use on easy listening standards like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” and slow ballads such as “Ave Maria”.

She even had time for a Beatles fusion titled “The Beatles Rhapsody” which incorporates three of their psych-pop numbers, “Strawberry Fields Forever”, “Penny Lane” and “All You Need Is Love”. Producer Mike Margolis adds some subtle psychedelic flourishes and the result is very good.

The most interesting song is the uptempo “The Playground” notable for it’s thundering bass runs, brass and best of all, hand-claps. “The Playground” was released as a single at the end of September 1967 and enjoyed regular radio airplay and very favourable music press reviews. 

Despite all of this, the record failed to sell in enough quantity to usher it into the charts and it failed to crack the top forty. 

Music Press Reviews: “The Playground” / “B-A-D For Me” (CBS 2991) September 1967

A big bouquet to Anita for attempting something totally different from her present hit “Just Loving You”. It’s a punchy mid-tempo item, with a sizzling guitar beat, pounding kettle drums and biting brass.

But the electrifying backing doesn’t detract from the husky enchantment of the gal’s voice, or the vibrancy of her approach.

It’s a self-penned number, brilliantly executed – both by the soloist and the accompanying orchestra. But in view of the fast tempo, it doesn’t have the melodic impact of “Just Loving You”. (NME 30/09/67)

This is a brave record for Anita Harris to have made. Certainly in direct contrast to her hit this isn’t a song that hits you instantly. You have to play it to gather its form, which starts with echoey emptiness about an empty playground full of memories and then it widens into a big production sound with sharp clapping and a nice compact feel.

Somehow it sounds as though she ought to be seen singing it with a stage full of nothing. I can’t explain it. I like it very much. (Disc & Music Echo 30/09/67)  

Eagerly awaited; eagerness remains unabated. It’s a fine record, with a complete change of direction and approach. Anita sings marvellously on a haunting and well written song – rocking away madly later on and with a tremendous orchestral backing. Quite definately a big hit. (Record Mirror 30/09/67)

12 CHART BUSTER HITS – “Volume 12” (Pye PCB 15011) September 1974

This album has a track-listing very similar to “12 Tops – Volume 23” reviewed earlier this week, which means that I’ve got another version of “Kung Fu Fighting” to get all funky to. Perhaps I’ll fling my feet around and bust some noses, I just don’t know yet!

Previous owner Valerie O’Hara kept her record in pristine condition, it looks and plays loud and proud. She even loved her LP enough to scribble her name on the back of the cover in a vintage ’70s style font.

It’s small things like this that make my day. I’m not one of those dead-behind-the-eyes record collector types who demand that everything is in pristine condition, even though the record may be 50+ years old.

Highlighted on this month’s LP include hits from Carl Douglas, The Glitter Band, Cozy Powell, Cockney Rebel and Showaddywaddy.

TRACKS:

LOVE ME FOR A REASON / KUNG FU FIGHTING / WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED / ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LADY / HONEY HONEY / NA NA NA / SUMMERLOVE SENSATION / JUST FOR YOU / MR SOFT / I’M LEAVING IT (ALL) UP TO YOU / Y VIVA ESPANA / YOU YOU YOU

16 CHART HITS – “Volume 1” (Contour 2870 159) February 1972

Contour was mainly interested in re-issues of other labels’ albums, their preference being from the Philips stable, although their first session-musicians covers album came out as soon as the label was established.

There were a couple of differences, the most obvious one being that each of their collections contained a budget-loving sixteen tracks. Their competitors were usually ten or twelve tracks max.

The covers, or at least this debut one did not have a photo of a saucy girl wearing next to nothing. Here they opt for a long-haired hippie chick seemingly dancing while a band plays in the background.

Volume 1 consisted of hits from 1971 including numbers by T. Rex, The Sweet, The Faces, Sly and the Family Stone and Slade.

I’m no T. Rex connoisseur but the version of “Telegram Sam” recorded on this set sounds somewhat bizarre. It’s for that reason I’ve created a digital music file and present it here for your enjoyment. 

TRACKS:

Telegram Sam / Stay With Me / Baby I’m A Want You / American Pie / Poppa Joe / Family Affair / Son Of My Father / Storm In A Teacup / Look Wot You Dun / Day After Day / Where Did Our Love Go / Have You Seen Her / I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing / My World / Day By Day / Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)

12 TOPS – “Volume 23” (Stereo Gold Award MER 119) August 1974

Former Directors of Pye jumped on the budget label bandwagon and named their label Stereo Gold Award. A Dollybird adorned their covers too but they offered 12 tracks instead of the 10 compiled by the successful ‘Top Of The Pops’ LP series on Hallmark.

Therefore two more tracks for the cash-strapped punter. What’s not to like?

Top of the pop sounds of today’s top hits while they are hot on the charts. The sounds you hear everyday on your radio and television.

Look for an exciting new album of hits every month. Build the most exciting collection of pop tunes in your neighbourhood. 

Highlighted on this month’s LP include hits from Carl Douglas, Alvin Stardust, Cozy Powell and Showaddywaddy.

For me personally, I could listen to “Kung-Fu Fighting” every day. This number brings back a load of memories when I was a kid wearing my kung-fu pyjamas. They were brown with yellow piping on the cuffs and lapels.

Kung-Fu was all the rage back in 1975, made popular by the TV series of the same name with David Carradine as a bald wandering monk. In my mind, I too was a “grasshopper” whenever I donned those pyjamas. 

TRACKS:
LOVE ME FOR A REASON / KUNG FU FIGHTING / Y VIVA ESPANA / YOU YOU YOU / CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE / MR SOFT / I’M LEAVING IT (ALL) UP TO YOU / THE BLACK EYED BOYS / WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED / HONEY HONEY / NA NA NA / ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LADY

P.P. ARNOLD – “Greatest Hits” (Immediate IMl 2009) 1977

Before I bought this for a quid in a Sunderland charity shop I had never previously heard or listened to soul singer P.P. Arnold. I had to undertake a little bit of research to fill in some of the blanks in my knowledge base.

I already knew that she was signed to Immediate and worked closely with The Small Faces. She was their backing singer on powerful hits “Itchycoo Park” and “Tin Soldier”.

She had some success as a solo singer with the 1967 single “The First cut Is The Deepest”, written by Cat Stevens, followed by “Angel Of The Morning” in 1968. These two hits barely reached the top twenty so the title of this album, “Greatest Hits” is a bit on the optimistic side.   

That being said, most of the numbers are quite listenable with the strongest cuts being the well known tunes by The Bee Gees, The Beatles, and the previously mentioned one by Cat Stevens.

“To Love Somebody” has a peculiar intro of a small child chittering away in the background before the song builds to it’s emotional climax.

The recording of “Eleanor Rigby” is also inspired with her soulful vocal merging with a baroque pop backing. Sadly though, some overwrought singing on “As Tears Go By” makes this version a disappointment. Mick and Keith no doubt dug the arrangement though, but it’s not my scene.

The self-penned funky rocker “Am I Still Dreaming” is the wildest she gets on this LP collection. A really solid backing, plenty of punch and drive from members of The Nice, who provided the backbeat.

P.P. Arnold should have insisted on performing more uptempo numbers, perhaps she did at gigs. 

The final cut is the Steve Marriott / Ronnie Lane penned “(If You Think You’re) Groovy” which sounds like a Small Faces filler B-side or album track. It sounds too busy, there is a lot going on, messy over-production.       

So there you have it. A collection filled with singles and tracks from her ’60s studio albums “Kafunta” and “The First Lady Of Immediate”. I’m not sure why the album was released in 1977, perhaps P.P. Arnold was on the comeback trail after disappearing from the music scene for a few years. 

THE LEAPING FERNS – ”It Never Works Out For Me” / “Maybe Baby” (Xpanded Sound X-103) February 1965

This is a very obscure single by a group from Santa Ana, California. Further investigation led me to the famous American surf group The Chantays who had a hit with ”Pipeline.”

Yes, they’re the same band but with a more up to date moniker for the fast changing times on the music scene.

”It Never Works Out For Me” could be described as a very early folk-rock jangler, it’s also filled with reverb guitar moves and menacing background vocal harmonies. The sound on this is arguably ahead of it’s time.

The flip is a version of the Buddy Holly tune ”Maybe Baby” and again there is reverb in the guitar. Both sides have yet to trouble the compilers which is probably the reason why The Leaping Ferns are an undiscovered joy.

This was their only single release under this name. Shortly afterwards they signed to Reprise Records and released two singles as The Ill Winds. I’ll focus on those 45s next time.

(22/08/15)

ED WOOL & the NOMADS – ”I Need Somebody” / ”Please, Please (Don’t Go)” (RCA Victor 47-8940) September 1966

This group from Utica, NY were a very popular act on the local scene releasing records and supporting major talent from Britain when they rolled into town.

They also had the British Invasion sound nailed, and on this disc from the end of 1966 are sounding very much like The Animals. The vocals on both sides have a yearning quality and are quite soulful.

The backbeat is more than adequate, the guitars have a tone that shines through the mix, especially the throbbing bass. My pick is the flip ”I Need Somebody” which has been compiled on ”Mind Blowers”

During my research I found a wiki page and decided to copy some of the information in my entry.

Ed Wool and the Nomads were formed in 1963 by Ed Wool, a graduate of the Watertown High School class of 1962. From a young age Wool was a guitar prodigy and songwriter.

He became influenced by the British Invasion sound, then later by soul and R&B. The band’s initial line-up consisted of Ed Wool on lead guitar and vocals, Phil Udaskin on bass, and Al Grant on drums. Shortly afterward, Chris Christie replaced Udaskin on bass.

In the mid-1960s Ed Wool and The Nomads became one of the biggest bands in the northern Upstate New York region and opened for acts such as Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, the Young Rascals, and accompanied the Rolling Stones along with Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles and Boston’s the Rockin’ Ramrods.

In 1966, the group secured a recording contract with RCA Victor and cut the single, ”I Need Somebody” b/w “Please, Please, Please.”

Several line-up changes ensued as the decade progressed. Bassist Christie departed and was replaced by Chuck Martuzes. Ed Wool remained the act’s focal point.

The group was known as the Sure Cure briefly, releasing the Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer-penned ”I Wanna Do It” for the Cameo-Parkway label.” In 1967, as the Pineapple Heard, they became first to record Boyce & Hart’s ”Valleri”, for the Diamond label—a year before The Monkees had a hit with it.

At the end of the decade, the band changed its name to Wool, and recorded the 1969 self-titled album, Wool.

(26/07/20)

ERNIE & the EMPERORS – ”Meet Me At The Corner” / ”Got A Lot I Want To Say” (Reprise 0414) September 1965

I’ve been meaning to write about this disc for some time but for various reasons never got around to the task. It’s a splendid little record and I’ve had it for years before recently finding out that Ernie & the Emperors made some line-up changes and their name to the more familiar Giant Crab.

I have plenty of Giant Crab records and they’re a solid outfit too playing a late 60s psychedelic rock style. ”Meet Me At The Corner” is completely influenced by the British Invasion sound, in particular the pop orientated groups like Herman’s Hermits, The Beatles and other Merseybeat groups.

It’s a decent little number and very commercial, rising to the top of the Charts in their local regions. In Santa Barbara they had a strong following and were well respected.

The flip ”Got A Lot I Want To Say” is another British Invasion influenced side but this time they add plenty of fuzz creating a much tougher sound. This number surfaced on the compilation CD ”Destination Frantic #3” but other than that appearance the song is not that well known.

There is an Ernie & the Emperors Facebook page for more details, information and photographs.

(29/07/20)

30 COUNTRY & WESTERN SUCCESSEN – “Various” (Philips 6336 152) 1974

Well, well, well . . . this record was certainly a surprise in two ways. Firstly, I bought a Sandy Shaw record from a charity shop in South Shields earlier this month, or so I thought!

Inside the cover of “The Sandie Shaw Supplement” was an album of Country & Western songs on the Philips label. After some research on Discogs I have established that the record was released some time in the mid-seventies (my guess) and I have the second disc of a two-album set.

So basically what I have is half the compilation without the cover. Reading the label credits suggest that the material on the disc was released between 1963 to 1974.

The second surprise is that I didn’t despise the country & western hi-jinks at all. I thought I would have hated this kind of racket but I suppose my music tastes have changed / mellowed over the last few years. 

My pick of the country pops goes to Roger Miller‘s wild, moonshine-gurglin’, hayride-to-the-barn “Chug-A-Lug”, one of his 1964 singles on Smash Records in USA with a release on Philips in Europe. 

tracks on disc:

Jerry Lee Lewis – “North To Alaska”
Dave Dudley – “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes”
Tom T. Hall – “I Washed My Face In The Morning Dew”
Roy Drusky & Priscilla Mitchell – “Let’s Do What’s Right Even It’s Wrong”
Roger Miller – “Chug-A-Lug”
Jerry Lee Lewis & Linda Gail – “Sweet Thang”
Dave Dudley – “Truck Drivin’ Son-Of-A-Gun”
Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”
Roy Drusky – “Waterloo”
Faron Young – “San Antonio Rose”
Jerry Lee Lewis – “Release Me”
Roy Drusky – “El Paso”
Leroy Van Dyke – “Heartaches By The Number”
Johnny Rodriguez “Born To Lose”
Roy Drusky – “The Battle Of New Orleans”

THE MALCOLM LOCKYER ORCHESTRA – “Top TV Themes” (Contour 2870 439) 1975

This album was a recent local charity shop find for a couple of quid.  Three things spring to my mind while I’m enjoying the rhythms. Firstly, the vinyl is solid mint and most likely never played.

Secondly, the cartoon illustrations are a hoot, just check out tough guy Jack Regan from The Sweeney. He’s drawn in a way that you’d think ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ although we all know that he’d smash any villain’s face in with his bare knuckles for information. 

And thirdly and most importantly, the tunes are all memorable and beautifully played and arranged. Most of them are up-tempo and quite funky in places.

As is my usual course of action when I need to know more or in the case of Malcolm Lockyer, anything – I’ve spent some time researching him for more information. 

Sadly, Malcolm Lockyer died in 1976, one year after this album collection on Contour was released. He was a well respected British film composer and conductor and enjoyed quite an illustrious career. He was only 52 when he died.

STEREO SPECTACULAR – “Volume 4” (RCA Camden CDS 1149) 1971

THE STEREO ACTION ORCHESTRA, CONDUCTED BY CYRIL ORNADEL

Cyril Ornadel is a busy and versatile man of music whose talents take him into West End shows, television series (‘Edward the Seventh’ is his latest) and into films.

And it’s a measure of Cyril’s versatility that he always manages to come up with music that is fresh, lively and above all very easy on the ear.

This fourth volume in our successful Stereo Spectacular Series takes Cyril Ornadel into the world of film themes, an area that has become increasingly important over the past twenty years or so.

For film themes aren’t only good promotion for the movie in question, they also provide the hit parade and the easy listen experts with some splendid material.

This collection certainly represents some of the real gems that have come from box office hits like “The Thomas Crown Affair”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Born Free”, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” and “Dr. Zhivago”.

Written by people like Michel Legrand, Maurice Jarre, Henry Mancini and Francis Lai these themes have found their way into the affections of music lovers everywhere.

 Cyril Ornadel & his Orchestra give them the kind of treatment that will ensure their continued popularity with all listeners of popular music.

JACK PARNELL & HIS ORCHESTRA – “Great Film Scores Of The ’70s” (Sounds Super SPR 90056) 1974

Jack Parnell & his Orchestra have recorded this exciting selection of film scores specially for Sounds Superb, as the follow up to the highly successful “Record of your Top TV Themes”.

Jack was presented with a Silver Disc, by Music for Pleasure, only three weeks after the release of the TV Themes record, and, just three weeks after that, he won a Gold Disc for sales in excess of 250,000 copies!

On this recording, however, Jack Parnell and his Orchestra leave the small screen and venture into the glittering world of Cinema. They open their set with a tasteful version of Scott Joplin’s brilliant composition The Entertainer, featured in the 1974 Oscar winning movie “The Sting”.

Remember Robert Redford’s marvellous performance? he appears in no less than three of the films included on this album, the other two being “The Great Gatsby” and “The Way We Were”.

Co-star in the latter film was Barbra Streisand, who not only gave a touching performance, but also took her version of the theme music to the top of the American Hit Parade.

Recently she also appeared in her own TV special, shown both in America and the United Kingdom and called “Barbra Streisand and other Musical Instruments”.

Jack Parnell was awarded two Emmy’s (American television’s equivalent of the Hollywood film Oscar) for his part in this extremely clever Spectacular – one for Best Musical Direction in a Musical Variety Special and the other for Best Musical Director of the Year! 

Here Jack Parnell lends his special skills as a Musical Director to all the scores on this record. Worth special mention are Paul McCartney’s Live And let Die, Alan Price’s O Lucky Man!, Michel Legrand’s Lady Sings The Blues (in the film, Diana Ross turned in one of the most moving performances seen on the Big Screen this decade) and The Three Musketeers (Royal Command Performance film of 1974), and the theme from one of the most controversial movies ever made, “The Exorcist”.

Mike Oldfield composed this particular theme called Tubular Bells and his version reached the upper echelons of both the Singles and Album charts in the United States.

The memorable music from these outstanding films, played by Jack Parnell & his Orchestra, makes and album which truly merits the title GREAT FILM SCORES OF THE ’70s.  

THE EMBROOKS – “Human Living Vampire” / “It’s Time You Realised” (Spinout Nuggets SN033) April 2021

The Embrooks have been around for a couple of decades and after their initial burst onto the scene back in the late nineties have sporadically reconvened, most recently with this MONO two-sider on Spinout Nuggets during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.   

This single is essentially their follow-up to the 2016 State Records release “Nightmare” / “Helen”, which was their first 45 since 2003.

“Human Living Vampire” is a Alessandro Cozzi-Lepri original number, here presented in a dynamic mono mix.

It’s a hard driving psych rocker with jangle, twisted drum patterns and lyrical content extolling the ‘joys’ of human vampires. Who hasn’t experienced these selfish life-sucking creatures during their lifetime? 

The other side is their faithful interpretation of “It’s Time You Realised” originally released in 1966 by Australian group The Morloch. Perhaps the best place to hear their freakbeat winner is on the compilation “Diggin’ For Gold” Volume 5. 

THE JACK CADES – “Infectious Covers” EP (Rogue Records RR-001) July 2021

The stringent lockdowns in Britain during the Covid-19 pandemic meant that groups couldn’t meet-up and practice, write new songs or perform live to their faithful followers. However, the more creative thinkers used this ‘down-time’ to remotely record music, often to a very high level of skill and expertise.   

The Jack Cades are one such band who started uploading videos of themselves performing classic ’60 garage and folk-rock numbers, usually to their Facebook page

These experiments or lockdown sessions took place during the UK’s measures to fight the coronavirus outbreaks during May / June 2020 with other key recording processes conducted early 2021. 

The remote recordings were deemed worthy for public release by French record label Rogue Records, an enterprising new label specialising in the 7″ format. 500 copies were pressed on black vinyl.

The four-track EP comprises songs made famous by The Remains, The Dovers, The Squires and The Byrds. Every cut is given respectful and reverential treatment.

Although these are low budget projects and not full studio production masters there is still enough greatness here to satisfy any 1965/66 disciple.

The Dovers’ classic folk-rock gem “What Am I Going To Do” is a particular highlight with Elsa Whittaker’s yearning vocal giving the number an updated refinement. 

songs on “Infectious Covers” EP:

“Once Before” (The Remains)
“What Am I Going To Do” (The Dovers)
“Go Ahead” ( The Squires)
“I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” (The Byrds) 

THE MOCKS – “Not Ready” / “See That Girl” (Bickerton BR045) June 2021

I’ve seen this single offered for sale by a few dealers operating on eBay but until last week, I never bothered to check out the band or buy their single. So what have we got here?

According to their Facebook page they’re three self-confessed mods who formed their band The Mocks in 2019, and based themselves in Nieuw-Vennep, the Netherlands.

There is a very long list of ultra-cool records originating from the Netherlands during the mid-sixties and hopefully The Mocks will join that throng over-time.

They have already built up a steady reputation in Europe with their energetic gigs and have recently supported the well respected Courettes.

Spanish record label Bickerton Records have signed them as regular recording artists and so far released all three of their collectable singles in picture sleeves, with a run of 500 copies per release.  

I’m obviously late to their party but it’s better late than never, as they say. But at least my entry point into their music was “Not Ready” / “See That Girl”, their debut disc from the Summer of 2021. 

I’m sure I’ll catch up with their subsequent records over time and will report my findings here on “Yellow Paper Suns”.

“Not Ready” is a medium-paced beat number, quite simple in construction, but the three lads lay down a steady rhythm and after repeated plays this tune is a solid enough first 45.

The other side “See That Girl” is faster action with fuzz, a jaunty beat and busy drums. Short and sweet. Say what you gotta say and split the scene.

DISCOGRAPHY TO DATE:

“Not Ready” / “See That Girl” (Bickerton BR045) 06/21
“The Bogey Man” / “Really Wanna Go” (Bickerton BR051) 12/21
“Out Of Sight” / “Same Old Day” (Bickerton BR056) 07/22

REVIVED 45’s – “Volume 2” (Hallmark SHM 748) 1971

The revived 45s LPs were two albums – volume 1 and volume 2 on the Hallmark label – are not really part of the Top of the Pops discography although they do sit neatly alongside it.

They both contain cover versions of songs that were hits before Top of the Pops started. They are compiled from old singles originally released on Woolworth’s Embassy record label.

Volume 2 was released in 1971. It includes standards such as “Save the Last Dance for Me” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, although the idea of including only former number 1s has been abandoned. Again, the original Embassy monos are processed into fake stereo for the LP.

Almost all of these numbers are squaresville pop and would never have caught on with the teenagers in the way that the ‘Top Of The Pops’ LPs did so easily.

It’s a shame that such an appealing front cover shot of a heavenly blond woman would house a record so mundane and humdrum that it would only rouse the seventy-odd-year-olds in local care homes around the country.   

back cover liners:
If you’re in the mood for a stroll down the memory lane of pop then you’ll be in ideal company with the songs we’ve assembled on this album of revived 45s.

For they’re all songs that share the unrivalled distinction of not only topping record charts all over the world (and quite a few of them were million-plus sellers on disc) but were directly instrumental in establishing names like Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vee, The Drifters, Cliff Richard and The Beatles as best-selling record artists.

But in fact, although this is an affectionate stroll down the pop path, yesterday isn’t that long ago. The oldest song on the collection is perhaps Hank Williams‘ immortal “Your Cheatin’ Heart” while the other titles found their niche in the pop charts of the mid-60s.

Listening to them in today’s fast changing pop climate shows just how well they’ve worn. They’re still full of melody and, although there may not be the depth in the lyrics that today’s songs possess, they’re still timeless in their appeal to entertain. What’s more they bring a real breath of the past onto every record player.

SMASH HITS ’72 – “Various” (MFP 50048) January 1973

Today was the hottest day I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. The temperature in Sunderland soared to 99F, it was difficult to feel comfortable, there was no fresh cool breeze. But at least I had a selection of ice lollies in the freezer.

I also soaked in a cold-water bath, with a few placka ducks for company, to cool down. Hot weather and week-long heatwaves like the one we’ve endured recently will perhaps become common-place in the years / decades to come, due to global warming. Who knows for sure?

One thing is certain though, cheap budget label copy-cat song remakes will always be welcomed in my house. The LP under scrutiny today dates from the start of 1973 and compiles hits, or should I say SMASH HITS from the previous year. 

“Smash Hits ’72” is basically a ‘best of’ collection from the ‘Hot Hits’ volumes on MFP. However, this set contains new recordings not compiled on the regular ‘Hot Hits’ releases.

The Slade number “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” beats the opposition this time ’round. Long live lyrics like “And you told me fool firewater won’t hurt me, but you lied.” 

Side 1

1. Popcorn – From Hot Hits 13

2. Could It Be Forever – originally by David Cassidy

3. American Pie – From Hot Hits 10

4. Beg Steal Or Borrow – From Hot Hits 10

5. Amazing Grace – From Hot Hits 11

6. Without You – From Hot Hits 10

Side 2

1. My Ding-A-Ling – originally by Chuck Berry  

2. Clair – originally by Gilbert O’Sullivan  

3. Mama Weer All Crazee Now – originally by Slade        

4. Puppy Love – originally by Donny Osmond      

5. Metal Guru – originally by T Rex

6. Ben – originally by Michael Jackson

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 63” (Hallmark SHM 997) December 1977

This is a rather late entry in the ‘Top of The Pops’ compilations for me. I tend to seek out the early to mid-seventies releases for the Glam Rock cover versions. This one dates from December ’77 and no doubt sold in huge quantities with Christmas just around the corner.

I wasn’t into buying records until a few years later because most of my £3 per week pocket money was used to buy Subbuteo teams and equipment. My money didn’t go too far especially when I had to factor in midget gems and Mars bars. Oh well, I was only thirteen years old and my record collecting days would soon be my compulsion.

I can remember a couple of these numbers from hearing them on Radio 1 back in the day and Showaddywaddy along with The Darts  were seemingly always featured on TV music show ‘Top Of The Pops’ broadcast every Thursday evening.  

I have no idea why the liners go all Russian influenced? And also for a change, the front cover is a girl wearing a gold coloured ski-jacket. No saucy seaside snap of a nubile blond wrapped only in skimpy bra and knickers. Were the label chasing a more mature audience at this stage of releases?

Sleeve notes:

Psst!… Vladimir, I think I have found it – the secret formula for making people, how you say… swing! It is contained here in this record entitled Top of the Pops.

Do you know what they have done? They have taken all the most popular tunes of the moment and put them together on one album. The sound that this produces is magnifique! I have watched the way people react – such singing and dancing as you have never seen! Our people will be well pleased.

I tell you Vladimir, with this record we will rule the world!

Side 1

• Put Your Love In Me originally a hit for Hot Chocolate

• How Deep Is Your Love originally a hit for The Bee Gees

• Floral Dance originally a hit for The Brighouse And Rastrick Brass Band

• Gettin’ Ready For Love originally a hit for Diana Ross

• Slip Slidin’ Away originally a hit for Paul Simon

• Dancin’ Party originally a hit for Showaddywaddy

Side 2

• Daddy Cool originally a hit for The Darts

• Mull Of Kintyre originally a hit for Wings

• She’s Not There originally a hit for Santana

• I Will originally a hit for Ruby Winters

• My Way originally a hit for Elvis Presley

• Mary Of The Fourth Form originally a hit for The Boomtown Rats

TOP HITS – “Various” (MFP 1319) April 1969

Once again Music For Pleasure brings you twelve ‘Top Hits’ on a single album – the sounds of pop recreated in stereo by top-flight musicians.

Put this record on at a party and the fun will begin – listen to it on your own and hear again the songs that hit the charts in ’69.

As usual, John Lennon and Paul McCartney have said ‘Get Back’ to all other songwriters, with a song that was made up on the roof of Apple’s Savile Row headquarters.

Their closest rival was their own ‘Goodbye’ , which gave Mary Hopkin her follow-up to ‘Those were The Days’ and another well-deserved hit.

‘Love Me Tonight’, a song composed on the Continent, was given a powerful Delilah-type backing and provided a sure-fire hit for Tom Jones, while ‘Ragamuffin Man’ marked the return to the charts, after an unusually long absence, of Manfred Mann.

There may not be too much sentimentality in pop these days, but ‘My Sentimental Friend’ showed that there’s always a place for this kind of sad-cheerful sound that helped Herman and the Hermits to another huge hit.

And providing a dose of old-time sentimentality was ‘My Way’ , which gave Frank Sinatra the chance to say that he’s got no regrets.

‘Dick-A-Dum-Dum’ was Des O’Connor‘s first up-tempo number, a light-hearted song that sounds like a tour of Swinging London.

‘The Windmills Of Your Mind’, the Oscar-winning theme song from ‘The Thomas Crown Affair‘, made the quiet contrast to the rest of the charts, and a newcomer among the hits was Clodagh Rodgers – in the absence of Beatle competition she would certainly have made the top spot with the imaginatively-produced ‘Come Back and Shake Me’. 

From the States came ‘Harlem shuffle’, which introduced two more names to the hit parade, the mysterious Bob and Earl. It turned out that they were a soul duo who had made the record six years before and had, among other things, influenced the Righteous Brothers.

‘Galveston’ gave Glen Campbell a big follow-up to ‘Wichita Lineman’, and another great song from across the Atlantic was ‘The Boxer’, one of Paul Simon‘s finest compositions, and a song which was thought by many to be too subtle to become a hit – events were to prove them entirely wrong.  

Side 1

1. Come Back And Shake Me – originally by Clodagh Rodgers

2. My Way – originally by Frank Sinatra

3. Harlem Shuffle – originally by Bob & Earl

4. Galveston – originally by Glen Campbell

5. Dick-A-Dum-Dum (King’s Road) – originally by Des O’Connor

6. Windmills Of Your Mind – originally by Noel Harrison

Side 2

1. Love Me Tonight – originally by Tom Jones

2. Goodbye – originally by Mary Hopkin

3. Ragamuffin Man – originally by Manfred Mann

4. The Boxer – originally by Simon & Garfunkel

5. Get Back – originally by The Beatles with Billy Preston

6. My Sentimental Friend – originally by Herman’s Hermits

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 43” (Hallmark SHM 895) January 1975

Sleeve notes:

We’ve popped up again – and we’ll soon reach our half-century – for this fabulous pop album is No. 43 in the longest running series of its kind in the history of recorded music. 

How has this been achieved? We’ll tell you. HALLMARK RECORDS, a part of world famous PICKWIK INTERNATIONAL, was established to give record folk everywhere the greatest value ever.

Mediocrity we don’t want. Our “Top of the Pops” sleeve design has to be the best of its type; our pressing standard second to none; our tracks the best in the current charts; our Session Musicians the finest available (and they’re really good!); our hi-fi sound unsurpassed.

Only then will we issue another Top of the Pops. That’s why we’ve reached this forty-third issue; that’s why we’ll reach our half-century. 

Sure, we get some complaints. We can’t please everybody (although we try); and by listening to criticism we’re trying to improve all the time. But we’re very proud of our letters of praise from all over the world – sackfuls of them! Pop people, we’re on your side, all the way. 

Take a “look-see”, a “butcher’s”, a “gander”, a “dekko”, or even a dignified glance at the 12 super, high-in-the-charts tracks we’ve picked for you, and we know you’ll get these albums moving from the shops – but fast! This album you’ll love. The dealer will love you. And we’ll love you most of all!

Tracks:

Side 1 

• Purely By Coincidence originally a hit for Sweet Sensation

• Promised Land originally a hit for Elvis Presley

• Morning Side Of The Mountain originally a hit for Donny And Marie Osmond

• Help Me Make It Through The Night originally a hit for John Holt

• Never Can Say Goodbye originally a hit for Gloria Gaynor

• January originally a hit for Pilot

Side 2 

• Goodbye My Love originally a hit for The Glitter Band

• Ms. Grace originally a hit for The Tymes

• Something For The Girl With Everything originally a hit for The Sparks

• Sugar Candy Kisses originally a hit for Mac And Katie Kissoon

• Footsee originally a hit for Wigan’s Chosen Few

• The Bump originally a hit for Kenny

TOP OF THE POPS – “The Best Of ’75” (Hallmark SHM 930) December 1975

Sleeve notes:

This is some record! Every song’s a number one! Yes, each of the 14 great selections on this LP has been Number 1 in the 1975 Pop Music Charts! Each is an absolute WOW!

Take a look at the titles – ’Oh Boy’, ’Space Oddity’, ’Bye Bye Baby’, ’If’, etc. – and listen to the fine quality of the production and recording! This has got to be the greatest LP ever – and the greatest value! 

There’s an inspiring FREE gift inside the record sleeve, too… a Giant poperific pin-up Calendar Poster for 1976. Take a look. 

Incidentally, do you know about TOP OF THE POPS? Every 6 to 8 weeks a new volume is released, packed with 12 super-charged pop hits and producing the World’s largest selling, regularly released LP’s. 

The Pickwick people have certainly done it again by selecting these smash hits, and putting them all together to make “THE BEST OF TOP OF THE POPS 1975”. It’s the perfect LP for Party-time or anytime… music that makes you feel you’re living… and it’s a great LP for giving! So turn on your player, tune in, and happy listening.

Side 1          

• Bye Bye Baby (From Vol. 44)

• I’m Not In Love (From Vol. 46)

• Hold Me Close (From Vol. 48)

• Give A Little Love (From Vol. 46)

• Ms Grace (From Vol. 43)

• If (From Vol. 44)

• Oh Boy (From Vol. 45)

Side 2          

• I Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love) (From Vol. 47)

• Sailing (From Vol. 47)

• Space Oddity (From Vol. 48)

• Tears On My Pillow (From Vol. 46)

• I Only Have Eyes For You (From Vol. 48)

• Stand By Your Man (From Vol. 45)

• January (From Vol. 43)

THE SUN – “A Truly Good Song” / “Soul Sync” (United Artists  UA 50568) August 1969

This obscure record originated out of Philadelphia, USA during 1969. My copy is a white label promo copy, produced by Phili based songwriter John Madara who also produced records by The Wildflower.

The line-up is probably the same as that of Elektra label recording group Gulliver who released an album in 1970. According to group member Tim Moore, The Sun were a pre Gulliver outfit, with this one-off single on United Artists. 

The plug side, “A Truly Good Song” was written by Tim Moore and is a catchy late period Beatles-style number. It’s not immediate by any means but is a bit of an earworm.

After signing with Elektra they changed their name to Gulliver and worked on new material at Sigma Sound Studios in PA.

Another, extended recording of “A Truly Good Song” was created and released once more as a single A-side b/w “Every Day’s A Lovely Day” on Elektra (July 1970).  

Tim Moore, Tom Sellers, Jim Helmer and Daryl Hall would go onto greater things within the music industry.

The instrumental number “Soul Sync” on the other side of The Sun single is a medium-paced cascade of fuzz and organ. It lasts just under two minutes and was probably just a filler track hastily assembled by the band for the flip.

But decades after the release it’s these unknown ‘filler’ tracks that appeal to the ’60s garage psych heads. They could have easily made this into an absolute raging monster by adding a deadly fuzz lead guitar break and extending the mix by another minute or so.   

It’s not that often that I watch a video clip on YouTube that moves me enough to want that piece of music from (to me) a completely obscure and unknown mid-sixties motion picture.

The film in question is “Matchless” – a spoof spy action thriller full of beautiful women, fast cars, crazy scenes and way-out incidental music by Ennio Morricone and Gino Marinuzzi Jr.

I’ve never seen this full in full, only clips here and there on YouTube. I’m not even sure if it’s available to buy on DVD or Blu-Ray. I will have to investigate. I certainly wanted the movie soundtrack though and spent an afternoon on the internet searching for a copy.

The soundtrack has been re-issued on vinyl but that is now long gone. Copies are available from international record dealers but the starting price is £50 for a copy!

I managed to locate the only CD reissue copy available to buy on Amazon. It was sourced from a seller in Switzerland. According to the back cover of the booklet only 1500 copies were manufactured in 2011.

The number I heard that made me want to investigate deeper was “Tema Scartato” – an instrumental beat raver created by Gino Marinuzzi Jr. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a magnificent piece of aural action.       

ABOUT “MATCHLESS”

Ever notice how every secret agent in the movies seems to have a gimmick? Well, Perry Liston – code name: Matchless – has got a doozie. When confronted with unavoidable capture or certain death  from enemies, he can literally vanish into thin air.

He’s not superhuman though. His ability to become invisible at will is completely dependent on a unique ring given to him by a fellow prisoner in a Chinese jail.

And the ring’s powers are limited: it can only be used once every 10 hours and the wearer can expect his invisible state to last no more than twenty minutes.

Those are the rules and Matchless (1966), a quirky international spy spoof, plays fast and loose with the gimmick. In the title role, Patrick O’Neal is not really a professional spy. He’s actually a reporter from the New York Tribune who signs his columns with the by-line of “Matchless.”

While on assignment in China, he is captured and tortured in a secret prison by Chinese agents who think he possesses top-secret information about a lethal chemical substance. He miraculously escapes a firing squad only to end up imprisoned by American military intelligence who are after the same thing.

Considering his limited options, Liston agrees to masquerade as a secret agent for the U.S., teaming up with fellow spy Arabella (Ira Von Furstenberg).

Their mission leads them to the lair of international criminal Andreanu (Donald Pleasence) who keeps samples of the deadly chemical in a Munich bank.

Complicating their assignment are Hank Norris (Henry Silva) and Tipsy (Nicoletta Machiavelli), rival spies for the Chinese.

Matchless is less a spy spoof than a fantasy adventure with sci-fi overtones. Besides the ‘Invisible Man’ gimmick, there are Andreanu’s household of robotic servants including a black cyborg attendant named Charles, centrifugal force spinners used as torturing devices, and post-operative results of “Operation Plastic Surgery” – Chinese and American agents who have had their facial features altered in order to infiltrate the enemy’s ranks.

And since Matchless was made in midst of the sixties spy craze, there are plenty of gorgeous women to ogle. Ira von Furstenberg – a European Princess making her screen debut here – gets to sport a flashy wardrobe (one ‘evening wear’ outfit accents her bare midriff) but co-star Nicoletta Machiavelli makes an even stronger impression, particularly in the sequence where she drops from the sky via helicopter onto Andreanu’s estate, clad in a silver metallic suit.

It looks like something out of Fantomas (1913-14) or Les Vampires (1915-16), the fantasy serials of film director Louis Feuillade. The director of Matchless – Alberto Lattuada – may sound familiar to you. that’s because he co-directed Variety Lights with Federico Fellini in 1950 and has worked on numerous Italian and European films including Mafioso (1962) and Stay As You Are (1978) starring Marcello Mastroianni and Natassia Kinski in her first starring role.

While Matchless is certainly not Lattuada’s best work, it’s still a lot of fun and more entertaining than most James Bond imitations. Not only does it boast a catchy music score by Ennio Morricone and Gino Marinuzzi Jr. but it features a wide range of interesting locations, spanning the globe from New York (glimpses from the top of the Pan Am building, the Brooklyn Bridge and the subway) to London to Munich.

The special effects are goofy (how about that scene where Arabella is carried down a corridor by the invisible “Matchless”? and Mike Meyers of the Austin Powers films would love the pop-art opening credit sequence, set amid an array of multicoloured test tubes and beakers filled with bubbling liquids.

JERRY JEFF WALKER & LSD – ’Found Me A Brand New Woman’

I’m not sure if this song was released as a 45 or on an album? I’ve checked various resources and can’t find any mention of this folk rock tune anywhere. It was included on a CD called ’Trip To The Psychedelic World’ which was a low budget CD compilation on Collectors Choice. Maybe it’s a demo and wasn’t released at the time.

Jerry Jeff Walker formed his own band Circus Maximus in the mid sixties after spending some time as a folkie in Greenwich Village. They released two psych albums on Vanguard but nothing on those discs are as good as ’Found Me A Brand New Woman.’

Hopefully, someone out there on netsville knows the story about this song. If you do, get in touch…thanks

(23/06/08)

THE BAROQUES – ’The Baroques’ (LP 660) originally issued on Chess Records September 1967

I’ve been enjoying this album by The Baroques who were a hot new psychedelic group from Milwaukee and signed to Chess Records in 1967. I bought this album back in the late 80s from Crash Landing Records, it’s not an original but probably a bootleg. There’s a sticker on both sides of the label claiming a ’limited edition collectors item.’

What is strange is that the front cover has mono printed bottom left of the sleeve, however, the record itself is a stereo pressing.

Looks like whoever put this out were playing some games. The music sounds excellent though so I can’t grumble at all. The picture of The Baroques on the cover is pure acid with the eerie doll’s head a genius addition to the line-up.

The more I listen to this album the better it becomes, it’s a real grower with some very strong original material mostly written by guitarist and lead singer Jay Borkenhagen.

My pick from this disc is the folk-psych winner ’There’s Nothing Left To Do But Cry’ which I reckon would have made a stunning single backed with the impressive raga drone of ’Purple Day’.

This is what Jay Borkenhagen said on the back sleeve liners.

”Our songs are our own idea of not what is happening, but what we think should be happening.”

line-up:
Dean Nimmer (drums)
Rick Bieniewski (bass)
Jay Borkenhagen (guitar / vocals)
Jacques Hutchinson (guitar / vocals)

(17/06/13)

Baroques ‘Prism’ Waxed by Chess

MILWAUKEE – Chess Records has recorded “Prism” a package of folk rock “Psychedelic-styled” songs by The Baroques, discovered by Director Corp., based here. A few weeks ago Chess recorded The Shaprels and jazz vocalist Charleen Gibson, both Milwaukee acts.

Organizing the Chicago recording session was Ralph Bass, A&R veteran who produced the current Dunhill click, “Dedicated To The One I Love” by the Mamas and the Papas.

Bass describes the Baroques’ material as being in the poet-minstrel vein and noted that all twelve of the tunes, one of which is scheduled as a single, were originals.

The group consists of Dean Nimmer, Jay Borkenhagen, Jacques Hutchinson and Rick Bieniewski. Borkenhagen, the youngest at 19, plays organ, harmonica, electric piano and lead guitar. Nimmer, drums and Hutchinson, rhythm guitar and flute, are both 21 and bass guitarist Bieniewski is 20. The group has been free-lancing at several area colleges. (Billboard) 

Singles Discography:

“Mary Jane” / “Iowa, A Girl’s Name” (Chess 2001) June 1967
“I Will Not Touch You” / “Remember” (Baroque T-45-53) April 1968

Led by 19-year old Jay Borkenhagen, this quartet devised a powerfully original sound whilst gigging around Milwaukee in 1966.

Having signed to the fabled Chess label, their debut 45 combined the woozy pop ballad “Mary Jane” with the mind-melting “Iowa, A Girl’s Name,” featuring astounding guitar break sounds like a spaceship taking off.

Their sole album appeared in September, and consists entirely of original material.

12 TOPS – “Volume 7” (Stereo Gold Award MER 103) November 1972

Former Directors of Pye jumped on the budget label bandwagon and named their label Stereo Gold Award. A Dollybird adorned their covers too but they offered 12 tracks instead of the 10 compiled by the successful ‘Top Of The Pops’ LP series on Hallmark.

Therefore two more tracks for the cash-strapped punter. What’s not to like?

Highlighted on this month’s LP include hits from Gilbert O’Sullivan, Elton John, Chuck Berry, Mac Davis, Jeff Beck and The Stylistics. There’s nothing to get excited about on this set though, all commercial sounding pop hit remakes. 

 

Today’s Top Of The Pops while they are hot on the BBC charts. The original hit sounds that are selling millions. Look for an exciting new album of up-to-date hits each month. Build the most exciting collection of pop tunes in your neighbourhood.

 

tracks:
Why Can’t We Be Lovers / Crocodile Rock / Hallelujah Freedom / Beautiful You / Clair / Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me / Everybody Plays The Fool / Lay Down / I’m Stone In Love With You / Loop Di Love / Hi-Ho Silver Lining / My Ding-A-Ling

12 TOPS – “Volume 5” (Stereo Gold Award MER 101) August 1972

Former Directors of Pye jumped on the budget label bandwagon and named their label Stereo Gold Award. A Dollybird adorned their covers too but they offered 12 tracks instead of the 10 compiled by the successful ‘Top Of The Pops’ LP series on Hallmark.

Therefore two more tracks for the cash-strapped punter. What’s not to like?

 

Highlighted on this month’s LP include hits from Slade, Blackfoot Sue, Cliff Richard, Slade and Jr Walker & the All Stars.

Today’s Top Of The Pops while they are hot on the BBC charts. The original hit sounds that are selling millions. Look for an exciting new album of up-to-date hits each month. Build the most exciting collection of pop tunes in your neighbourhood.

tracks:
I Get The Sweetest Feeling / Living In Harmony / Mama Weer All Crazee Now / Sugar Me / It’s Four In The Morning / Walk In The Night / Honky Cat / Ain’t No Sunshine / Maybe I Know / How Can I Be Sure / Virginia Plain / Standing In The Road

12 TOPS – “Volume 4” (Stereo Gold Award MER 100) July 1972

Former Directors of Pye jumped on the budget label bandwagon and named their label Stereo Gold Award. A Dollybird adorned their covers too but they offered 12 tracks instead of the 10 compiled by the successful ‘Top Of The Pops’ LP series on Hallmark.

Therefore two more tracks for the cash-strapped punter. What’s not to like?

Today’s Top Of The Pops while they are hot on the BBC charts. The original hit sounds that are selling millions. Look for an exciting new album of up-to-date hits each month. Build the most exciting collection of pop tunes in your neighbourhood.

Stereo Gold Award introduced a new catalogue numbering system specifically for this series, starting here with MER 100, although this album was the fourth All very confusing!

There is a 49p price sticker on the back of the cover, sold in Woolworth, and bought by me almost fifty years later for 50p in a charity shop!

tracks:
School’s Out / Where Is The Love / Too Busy Thinking ‘Bout My Baby / Seaside Shuffle / Conquistador / 10538 Overture / Run To Me / My Guy / Lean On Me / Popcorn / You Wear It Well / Theme From “The Godfather”

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 47” (Hallmark SHM 915) August 1975

For those of you who like checking out these budget label ’70s record covers. Another one featuring glamour model Susy Shaw – released August 1975 – nothing on this to get excited about (apart from the track “Love In The Sun” originally by The Glitter Band who merge the pounding Glam beat with Beach Boys surf-style harmonies).

Thankfully punk rock and an exciting youth explosion was just around the corner.

 

Sleeve notes:

“If music be the food of love, play on” – Shakespeare said it, and you’ve just read it. Once again Pickwick have prepared a feast of fabulous music for you on Volume 47 of Top of the Pops – 12 track winners, all of them the latest, greatest, ‘LOVEliest’ smash hits. This is your taste in music… so turn on, listen in, relax and enjoy the latest TOP OF THE POPS.

Side 1        

• Summertime City originally a hit for Mike Batt With The New Edition

• The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me originally a hit for Gladys Knight And The Pips

• Moonlighting originally a hit for Leo Sayer

• Julie Ann originally a hit for Kenny

• It’s Been So Long originally a hit for George McCrae

• Summer Of 42 originally a hit for Biddu

Side 2

• Love In The Sun originally a hit for The Glitter Band

• I Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love) originally a hit for The Stylistics

• Sailing originally a hit for Rod Stewart

• Super Womble originally a hit for The Wombles

• The Last Farewell originally a hit for Roger Whittaker

• That’s The Way (I Like It) originally a hit for KC And The Sunshine Band

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 42” (Hallmark SHM 885) December 1974

I can’t believe this volume of ‘Top Of The Pops’ set me back only 50p, that’s the cost of a packet of crisps nowadays. It looks and plays mint too, probably played a couple of times and forgotten about by previous owner Yvonne. She scribbled on the back cover Yvonne + Tony and “I love Tony.”

There’s a great cover version of The Rubettes hit “Juke Box Jive” complete with Glam Rock rhythm and beat, scattergun drums and surf-style harmonies. They nail this number and have made me want to investigate The Rubettes for more of their aural ACTion.

Sleeve notes:

Here we are, bouncing up for the forty-second time with our Top of the Pops album, bright, breezy, best-selling. On this album we’ve given you the best we’ve got. There are great sounds for all sections of the Pop World, for most of these tunes are currently hitting the high spots.

So, Pop People, let’s make this one a really smash-hit issue to top all the previous forty-one numbers.  

We’ve given you Britain’s best session musicians playing the best current tunes. We’ve given you fabulous Hi-Fi sound and top quality records pressed by one of the world’s major companies. We’ve given you the greatest ever value in the history of recorded sound. Now it’s up to you to have a ball when you listen to our fantastic rhythms, our vocals and our sounds. 

Have fun – get popping with TOP OF THE POPS.

Side 1 

• Juke Box Jive originally a hit for The Rubettes

• Tell Me Why originally a hit for Alvin Stardust

• You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet originally a hit for Bachman-Turner Overdrive

• You’re The First, The Last, My Everything originally a hit for Barry White

• Oh Yes! You’re Beautiful originally a hit for Gary Glitter

• Wombling Merry Christmas originally a hit for The Wombles

Side 2 

• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds originally a hit for Elton John

• The Wild One originally a hit for Suzi Quatro

• Dance The Kung Fu originally a hit for Carl Douglas

• Stardust originally a hit for David Essex

• Please Mr Postman originally a hit for The Carpenters

• Tell Him originally a hit for Hello

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 35” (Hallmark SHM 845) December 1973

Thankfully among the debris of utter crud-like songs by Donny Osmond and his sister Marie Osmond there are great versions of hit records by Alvin Stardust and Gary Glitter.

“Roll Away The Stone” lacks the dynamics of the original Mott The Hoople rocker and Roxy Music‘s “Street Life” made me laugh at the cheapskate synth sound effects the ‘Top of The Pops’ studio wizards have employed on the number. The singer hits Brian Ferry’s singing style with ease though and extra points for the handclaps.

The album was only a couple of bin lids so I’m not going to complain because “My Coo-Ca-Choo” is worth the admission alone!    

Sleeve notes:

We think we’ve created a record in both senses of the word. Not only have we created the best-selling budget record of its king in the world, but we believe that our “Top of the Pops” series (this is album No. 35) is the longest lived in the whole history of recording – and we’re still going strong! 

This sort of thing just doesn’t happen by luck. It takes dedication, hard work and expertise – plus a little bit of luck – on our part; and judgement, discrimination, appreciation of good pop sounds and value for money on the part of all of you many, many thousands of pop enthusiasts who have helped us create this unique record. 

So, fans and friends, here it is, No. 35. Just glance at the 12 great songs we’ve chosen for you this time and we think you’ll agree that our back-room boys have done their homework; in fact, so important is the choice of tracks, that the Boss Man himself takes a lively and considerable part in this side of our business. 

Have fun, folks! 

Side 1 

• Roll Away The Stone originally a hit for Mott The Hoople

• Paper Roses originally a hit for Marie Osmond

• Street Life originally a hit for Roxy Music

• Solitaire originally a hit for Andy Williams

• My Coo-Ca-Choo originally a hit for Alvin Stardust

• When I Fall In Love originally a hit for Donny Osmond

Side 2 

• Truck On (Tyke) originally a hit for T. Rex

• You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me originally a hit for The New Seekers

• Lamplight originally a hit for David Essex

• Step Into Christmas originally a hit for Elton John

• Walk Right Back originally a hit for Perry Como

• I Love You Love Me Love originally a hit for Gary Glitter

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 32” (Hallmark SHM 830) August 1973

This was a recent find in an actual record shop in Newcastle and I had to pay retail prices for this one and a few other budget label items. But for £3 I get some really decent cover versions of Gary Glitter, David Bowie, Slade and Mungo Jerry.

There are scratches all over this slab of wax, it looks like the kid who owned it before me was skating on it while watching ‘Captain Pugwash’ on the tele.

Sleeve notes:
As we were saying on the Sleeve of our last TOP OF THE POPS album (SHM 825 – Volume 31), this series is “the recording phenomenon of today”; and you all helped us to keep up the fantastic pace. That last issue was one of our best sellers in a best selling series – and in the middle of summer, too!

Now, look at the 12 great tracks we’ve chosen for you on this album. We think they’re great – but we also hope you will think them great. We’ve tried so very hard to give you high-up-in-the-charts songs and, as always, the finest value for money in the history of LP albums.

So, here we go again, let’s have a ball once more with this, the rocking-est cover version ever to hit the Pop World. We hope it grabs you.

Side 1 

• I’m The Leader Of The Gang (I Am) originally a hit for Gary Glitter

• Yesterday Once More originally a hit for The Carpenters

• Life On Mars originally a hit for David Bowie

• Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose? originally a hit for Dawn

• Touch Me In The Morning originally a hit for Diana Ross

• Alright Alright Alright originally a hit for Mungo Jerry

Side 2 

• Skweeze Me Pleeze Me originally a hit for Slade

• Fool originally a hit for Elvis Presley

• Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting originally a hit for Elton John

• Gaye originally a hit for Clifford T Ward

• Going Home originally a hit for The Osmonds

• Welcome Home originally a hit for Peters And Lee 

THE DEEP – “Psychedelic Moods” (Cameo Parkway SP-7051) October 1966

I’ve bought this album several times over the years but have never heard an original copy. On many occasions I’ve been told that the re-issues don’t sound anywhere near as good as the original pressing on Cameo Parkway, either the stereo or mono variant.

Recently a thread popped up on a Facebook group and a devotee confirmed that the ABKCO label had recently remastered the tapes and had offered these remasters to the well known streaming companies, including Qobuz and iTunes. 

Of course I was suitably intrigued and bought the FLAC files in both stereo and mono. I highly recommend the ABKCO files to anyone with an interest in these obscure and way-out psychedelic recordings by The Deep.

I have cobbled together a detailed history of “Psychedelic Moods” from information that existed on wikipedia and Head Heritage.   

Psychedelic Moods is the debut album by the American psychedelic rock band, The Deep, and was released on Cameo-Parkway Records in October 1966 (see 1966 in music). The album was one of the first pieces to produce a consistent psychedelic theme throughout the whole LP.

All of the material featured was originally composed by the band. Despite the conflicting dates, it is generally considered the first album to use the term “psychedelic” in its title.

Rusty Evans, the founder of the Deep, marketed a proposal to Mark Barkan to produce an album that musically replicated the experience an individual was exposed to while under the influence of LSD.

This genre, psychedelic rock, had yet to surface in the wide variety of musical acts it would later encompass shortly after the album’s release. Barkan accepted the offer, and Evans assembled the Deep, a studio-only group that included guitarist, David Bromberg. Shortly afterwards, Barkan had the band signed to Cameo-Parkway Records to record the album.

The Deep completed the Psychedelic Moods album in its entirety at Cameo-Parkway Studios, Philadelphia in a two-day process that commenced on August 19, and concluded on August 20, 1966. On a budget of $1,200, a considerably lower margin than what was usually funded for a typical album, the band co-produced the sessions with Barkan.

From New York City, the Deep travelled to Philadelphia to record the album. Six songs were previously written before the move, with six additional compositions being penned along the way to the studio to possess enough material for a full LP. 

Recording took place in a darkened studio, reportedly while the group was under the influence of LSD. Numerous sound effects were utilized, including, at the suggestion of Barkan, sexual moans recorded in the background. The overall sound of the tracks have been described as “very strange, full of weird sound effects, haunting vocals, and acid-soaked lyrics”. 

With the sessions becoming increasingly erratic, the drummer unexpectedly departed, but the instrumentals were complete, so further drum tracks did not have to be recorded. Following the drummer’s exit, fuzz reverse guitar, chimes, and abnormal bullfrog sounds were overdubbed onto the tracks.

Following the completion of the album, Barkan’s lawyer sent the tapes to Dick James, publisher of The Beatles. James made an offer for the rights to distribute the album, but the band declined on the assumption it would become a hit.

Upon its October 1966 release, Psychedelic Moods failed to achieve the success the band anticipated. The lack of copies sold was, in part, due to the unforeseen success of Question Mark and the Mysterians’ hit, “96 Tears”, and Cameo-Parkway Records’ poor circulation of the album. Over time, the album has garnered interest for being an early example of psychedelic music.

In addition, despite the conflicting release dates, Psychedelic Moods is considered to have been the first album to have the word “psychedelic” in its title. A month after the album’s distribution, The Blues Magoos, and The 13th Floor Elevators also released albums with the same phrase featured in the title. Collectables Records released the album in 1996 as a part of a series of outtakes, and previously unreleased material focusing on the Deep.

1. “Color Dreams” 2:39

2. “Pink Ether” 2:23

3. “When Rain Is Black” 2:13

4. “It’s All a Part of Me” 2:57

5. “Turned On” 2:28

6. “Psychedelic Moon” 2:45

7. “Shadows on the Wall” 3:15

8. “Crystal Nite” 1:43

9. “Trip #76” 2:39

10. “Wake Up and Find Me” 2:22

11. “Your Choice to Choose” 1:55

12. “On Off – Off On” 2:24

Note: The personnel have been identified, but no source confirms all of their roles in the album.

• Rusty Evans – lead vocals, lead guitar

• David Bromberg – rhythm guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals

• Mark Barkan – percussion, backing vocals

• David Richard Blackhurst

• Caroline Blue

• Arthur Geller

• Lenny Pogan

“Take a Trip–Freak Out–Blow Your Mind–You’re on Your Way to the Psychedelic Mood–A Way of Life–A State of Mind.

Don’t take this album lightly–play it when you’re alone–in a dark room–you may find yourself oozy–you may feel as though you’re high–you might imagine shadows on the wall.

‘The Deep’ takes you on a new adventure in sound–an experience you’ll never forget. They capture moods that have never been done on record before. Recorded in a pitch black studio (at Cameo-Parkway, Philadelphia.) In the wee hours of the morning. Listen to it that way–that hour–and hold on–you’re on your way to a new world–a world of the psychedelic mood.”
-Neil Bogart, Director of Sales & Promotion
(original liner notes to “Psychedelic Moods”)

For all the over-embroidered ’66 hip-speak, that future head of Casablanca Records never uttered truer words in his life. For alongside the first Thirteenth Floor Elevators LP, “The Cosmic Sounds Of The Zodiac” and (certain parts of) The Fire Escape’s “Psychotic Reaction” LP on GNP Crescendo this album does indeed capture moods that had not been done previously on record, as well as being firmly entrenched in the alternating sublime wonder and terror of full strength night time acid trips.

And while it’s an impossible task to clearly define exactly what was the first truly psychedelic album, “Psychedelic Moods” is certainly one of the earliest and most primal of examples. Released the same month as The Elevators’ debut in August of 1966 (two months prior to the illegalization of LSD in the United States) its pitch-black background, pink monster movie typography and artwork of a semi-decomposing silhouetted figure wielding a guitar whose interior is comprised of inverted mythological scenes, it was so early a statement it probably ran the risk of being misconstrued as a kiddy’s Hallowe’en sound effects record by the majority of those few people who came across it during its brief tenure in print. Which may explain the bold, stencilled “NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN” warning printed (twice) on the back sleeve.

It’s easy to get lost inside of this album because it is a truly dense affair despite the fact it’s almost a half an hour in length. Because in those 29 plus minutes are twelve songs that at times feel both simultaneously unrelated yet weirdly similar to each other — As though the songs are short and suddenly shifting panels of emotions flashing behind an ever changing gallery of lyrics running in place in front of a back-lit projection of sound that express only the disorienting sensation of movement but without budging an inch.

And the lyrics are wild word associations peeled off the top of a blown head in freewheelin’, highly charged-folk idioms whose overloaded senses are busy working overtime reporting everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) it has experienced in the past two minutes of eternity. Although “Psychedelic Moods” sounds like no other record if the “East-West” line-up of The Butterfield Blues Band joined by the Holy Modal Rounders and several members of 1965-era Mothers of Invention with some diehard soul who laced the whole thing with vocals that vacillate equally between sensitively expressed love ballads and obnoxious Jagger inspired snot vox to dwarf even Dave Aguilar then it would come pretty damn close. Almost.

I say almost, because “Psychedelic Moods” by The Deep has something else: vibes. And when I say vibes, I don’t just mean lysergic ones, either (although those are all fully present and accounted for in spades) for there is a horde of vibraphones, tympani and bells that rampage throughout the record at (nearly) all times. To top it all off, well-placed sound effects lace the proceedings effectively.

The main force behind this stew of gaga was one-time New York folk singer Marcus Uzilevsky, also known pseudonymously as Rusty Evans. Evans had been recording music since the late fifties and in the early sixties became involved in the Greenwich Village folk circuit, releasing three albums in appropriate stylings of that scene.

But this itinerant artist continued his odyssey, leading him first to Los Angeles in 1965 and by the following summer was within the studios of Cameo-Parkway Records in Philadelphia where “Psychedelic Moods” was recorded with songwriting partner Mark Barkan, guitarist David Bromberg and a group of studio musicians.

And the tracks they laid down were tempestuous garage punkers, sweetly-penned ballads or ambiguous weirdnesss all creased with hyper-psychedelic lyrics that are truly a rollin’ night time expressway of flashes through the subconscious mind.

“Color Dreams” kicks off the scene with epic tolling chiming bells and booming tympani as the ensuing action flies fast and furious. The rhythm fuzz guitar is set so widely buzzing it’s a virtual background wash for the spilling of a rapid and wild succession of word play that predates The Pink Floyd’s “Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk”:

“Blue black/Purple mac
Orange yellow/Funny fellow
White brown/Pink town
Orange red/Pink bed
We’ll pretend/Yellow man
Jesus saves/Planet rays
Green red/Commie dead
Blue green/Yellow scream
Spanish fly/golden eye/pearly white/outta sight…

Grey flannel/TV panel (sound effect of shifting psychic panels)
Blue peach/out of reach/apple pie/oh my!
High!…(Wow!)
Fingernail/emerald sail
Brown suit chartreuse knapsack thumb tack pushcart go-cart tippy toes skid row…
Barber pole/yellow roll…

Polka dot/mind rot
Jingle bell/William Tell…”

On that last fantastically burnt couplet, the vibes gain in rhythmic prominence and strike groovily on the mark as though they’ve been itching to commandeer the piece into a stylish Lionel Hampton-styled Avalon-moonglow-afterglow-cocktail hour all along (And if it weren’t for Rusty’s bucket full of punk snarl and brusque overuse of fuzz riffs, it would almost succeed.)

“Color Dreams” is one of the key moments of the album. The vibes, the primitive “Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet” kettle drums, bells and tape loop of superimposed female laughter that race by teasingly all unite to create a true representation in music of the overloaded and peaking psychedelic mind.

“Pink Ether” follows, and it is direct from the simmering cauldron where the Precambrian soup of creation is simmering to a boil. This is the beginning of the next mind warp as birds caw, wheel and squawk overhead as stinging fuzz guitar creates a matte background against which kettle drums boom and report along with ringing bells and it sounds as though a fictional International Artists freak scenery combination of Walt Andrus had he engineered The Elevators’ first album. Specifically, side two but only those songs wedged in between “Fire Engine” and “Tried To Hide,” the ones that ooze into each other and slowly undulate, signalling a break in ordinary reality as they pull into a non-linear dimension defined not by laws, ego or chance but by the innermost corridors of the most primordial sectors of the human brain.

A place where the walls are etched with cryptic runes of intuition, scars of passing seasons and passions, made grimy by the swelling and pull of gravity as they intake all sensation and emotion and marked in places by the patterned scorchings where hard-wiring into human consciousness has taken place for countless generations as a multitude of connections are made, short circuited or have caused psychic fuses to blow out altogether.

This leads further into those corridors where all sensations lay: memories caught in the web of tremulous amber webs that connect everything to anything in a web of free-form association…The potential that lurks and lies dormant, yet to be stirred… OK, with that said, “Pink Ether” hints at The Elevators’ “You Don’t Know” and “Monkey Island” while a background fuzz guitar scats it up in a ’65/’66-era Mike Bloomfield style over soothing female backing harmonies. “Pink Ether,” man: it’s fucked out flat or flat out fucked, I can’t decide which.

Luckily, the beautiful “When Rain Is Black” ushers in next with the first of several ballads accompanied by deep breaths, whispers and finally, sighs as xylophonics sooth into the quieter domains of passion.

Incongruously enough, crickets and a gurgling infant introduce “It’s All A Part Of Me” which in turn kicks up a most squalling punk storm. Tympani reports in the background as taped vocals are weirdly manipulated to sound like bubbles bursting at the far end of a dark lake, or someone babbling senselessly to the open air as they rock back and forth on their haunches.

It bears a faint resemblance to the pre-Warlocks/proto-Grateful Dead outfit The Emergency Crew who recorded tracks in November of 1965 and one of them, “Can’t Come Down” is very similar to this in terms of its speedy electric folk paces and overall heckled textures.

“Turned On” features big organ fills and even bigger tympani over the constant sound effect of a jackhammer continually drilling in the background as more Jagger-esque vocals that insistently bark out slowly so you r e a l l y understand “I’m really getting shattered/cuz I AM/TURNED ON…” And the jackhammer continues as though still working at that hole through and into Evans’ addled cranium.

The otherworldly “Psychedelic Moon” features the distant rumbling of tympani and not-so-distant stinging fuzz guitar accenting throughout this overall ghostly sound piece as percussion and whatever else is nearby is struck and hit to accent every slowly enunciated and damaged lyric.

Weaving all around are not a set of mallets but more a magic wand waving over a full set of free standing vibraphones, and the vocals are still stringing out the words as if to stretch them to the moon and back. It could only end with a cryptic laugh, so… It does.

Side two is (relatively) more down to earth with the calming and romantic beguilements of “Shadows On The Wall,” another Evans ballad that travels at the speed of either 1mph or candlelight, whichever is slower. And although the vibes nearly touch the realms of cocktail hour, a hopelessly out of tune slide guitar ricochets and zings all over the place. Rusty’s lead vocals are backed by softly intoned female harmony vocals.

The heavily-echoed jug band blues of “Crystal Nite” resounds with Toytown xylophonics and vibes set against banjo, washboard as waves of highly-reverbed vocals intone “Crystal nite…/bring my lover back to me…” among other things sweetness and light until the jack-in-the-box goofball-ending-out-of-nowhere comes chiming a cuckoo clock to interrupt the sentiment with the cryptic spoken line of (I think) “We went back to all awaken and it was all over the news.”

Following is “Trip #76” with the tag-a-long vibes and tympani combination over fuzz guitar blares from the far end of the studio as though seeking to encapsulate the one moment of The Elevators’ first album where Roger Kynard Erickson sings the line “liquid plastic castles” and turns that one sentiment into a song all its own. I think The Deep just did. Damn.

This is followed by the moderately-paced optimism of “Wake Up And Find Me” and the sound effects sit this one out, though not so with the omnipresent vibraphone usage.

Evans’ vocals are accompanied by female vocals as he once nearly and almost touches the same yearning intonations of the young Roky K. Erickson. It’s beautiful.

The last of the red hot snot anthems follows as “Your Choice To Choose” barges in with nothin’ to lose: randomly plucked strings of either a banjo, a completely out of tune acoustic guitar with nylon strings or the innards of some unfortunate cat are held behind raging, out-Jaggering-Jagger vocals against a simply thrashed out drum beat.

In the background of this cacophony rages what sounds to be a recording of the very same track running backwards. Again, it almost approaches the primitive and energetic strumming of (again) ’65-era pre-Grateful Dead, but with lyrics far crazier than “Confusion Prince” and intoned in roaring, accusatory Jagger tones: “The walls are breathin’ like sweaty flesh!/Your TV chair’s got magic legs!/And now it’s stretching like a giant’s mouth…” and so forth. Yikes.

As usual, with a complete change of mood and style the album ends with the playful, childlike wonder of “On Off-Off On.” Here abounds ‘a touch of Christmas’ (as a 1969 British music paper once described a track off “Madcap Laughs”) and it is very nearly the soundtrack to The Godz and Mr. Barrett exchanging gifts by the fireplace as vibes, tympani, bells and flute all gently hint at “Joy To The World.”

Evans and Barkan would reconvene a year later for another studio-only project, The Freak Scene’s “Psychedelic Psoul” with a track called “The Subway Ride Thru Inner Space” and that sentiment echoes in here dénouement with Evans’ most endearing line of the album: “The train lights up the subway tunnel/Leading to the answer to my dreams…” Suddenly, the album and song end after it cops to the underlining Christmas theme with a brief refrain of “Joy To The World/la la la” as it cuts off into the final sound effect: a huge explosion. Natch.

Listen to in the dark for maximum effect.

Note:
It was not until the mid nineties that “Psychedelic Moods” first saw release on CD, issued on Collectables within a string of five separate volumes of outtakes from the “Psychedelic Moods” sessions combined alongside material from other Evans-related projects and productions.

“Psychedelic Moods” has been poorly bootlegged several times on vinyl, but the recent LP release on Lion Productions is the best-sounding version thus far, both in sound quality and the use of the dramatically superior stereo mix.

The ABKCO remasters from 2016 are what YOU need to hear. Only available as a download in CD quality MP3 or FLAC.

THE SEMI-COLONS – ’Beachcomber’/’Set Aside’ (Cameo Parkway C-468) April 1967

For those who don’t know, The Semi-Colons were in fact ? and the Mysterians. Why Cameo Parkway released this 45 as The Semi-Colons is probably lost in time but if anyone knows be sure to contact me or leave a message.

’Beachcomber’ was first recorded and released by Bobby Darin in 1960. His original version is a slow piano instrumental. The Semi-Colons on the other hand whip up the tempo somewhat and transform it into a ’67 go-go dancer.

The flip ’Set-Aside’ can be found on the debut ? and the Mysterians album ’96 Tears’. This is quite a slow instro that doesn’t really go anywhere, although I do dig the guitar. Both sides were produced by Cameo Parkway staff producer Neil Bogart who would go onto Buddah Records and work on many hits during the bubblegum era.

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 28” (Hallmark SHM 810) December 1972

Being the December release of this particular ‘Top Of The Pops’ set I’m sure the sales would have been high, quite possibly as high as Noddy Holder’s platform boots. Incidentally, Slade are represented here with their power-house rocker “Gudbuy T’Jane”.  

Overall though, the standards have reached criminal level. “Solid Gold Easy Action” starts off WAY too fast, I actually thought that I was playing the record at 45rpm. Don’t know what the problem was there, perhaps the producer was more interested in his sherbert dip or something?

The Rod Stewart sound-a-like for his number “Angel” is a train-wreck that caused carnage through-out the couple of minutes he was straining and croaking.

Pickwick International obviously didn’t have the budget necessary to recreate a herd of deep guttural neighing horses for the intro to “Crazy Horses” so they probably borrowed a few stray cats from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and stomped on their tails for the necessary sound effects.

“Rock Me” isn’t a bad effort and no doubt sounds better than the David Cassidy original.

The rest of the album is tripe until we get to the end of side two where we have interesting versions of Blue Mink and Slade hits.

If I got the LP back in December 1972 as a Chrimbo present I may have been tempted to burn it under the artificial Christmas tree.

charity shop purchase @ 50p

Sleeve notes:

HEY THERE, GOOD LOOKING … … this album is the finest gift you can give any pop friend, relation, wife, husband, girl friend, boy friend, or whoever – for birthdays, for anniversaries – or just because.

Every issue of Hallmark “TOP OF THE POPS” sells in hundreds of thousands throughout the world and the reason is simple. We do our very best to supply the finest pop music at a price within the reach of all lovers of pops music.

We’ve got a team of trendy types – technicians, artists, musicians and backroom boys – straining every nerve to keep you right in the swing of the real thing, the jumping, swinging, psychedelic scene of modern pop music.

So, here’s our twenty-eighth issue, packed solid with twelve hit songs, all buzzing around at or near the top of the charts – or on the way.

Wanna help us top our record figure of a third of a million copies of one edition? We’ve done our best to give you the best.

What about it, huh?

Side 1          

• Solid Gold Easy Action Originally a hit for T. Rex

• Angel Originally a hit for Rod Stewart

• Crazy Horses Originally a hit for The Osmonds

• Ben Originally a hit for Michael Jackson

• Rock Me Baby Originally a hit for David Cassidy

• Little Drummer Boy Originally a hit for The Pipes And Drums And Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

Side 2

• My Ding-A-Ling Originally a hit for Chuck Berry

• Why Originally a hit for Donny Osmond

• Shotgun Wedding Originally a hit for Roy C

• Long Haired Lover From Liverpool Originally a hit for Jimmy Osmond

• Stay With Me Originally a hit for Blue Mink

• Gudbuy T’ Jane Originally a hit for Slade

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 37” (Hallmark SHM 860) April 1974

Sleeve notes:

Well, pop people, we promised you that, in spite of the world-wide shortage of raw materials for making albums, we would not keep all you hundreds of thousands of faithful “Top of the Pops” fans short of your favourite album.

We’ve kept our promise and what’s more, we’ve also produced Top of the Pops Cassettes (HSC 210) and 8-track Cartridges (H 8210). 

This is volume 37 in a record breaking, best-selling series and, boy oh boy, have we sweated blood to select the top tunes, get stocks of board for sleeves, and raw material for pressing this edition! 

Guys and Dolls! We think this is a fantastic selection of Smash-hit tunes and we want you to move, move, move to this fabulous Sound!

Side 1 

• Angel Face Originally a hit for The Glitter Band 

• I Get A Little Sentimental Over You Originally a hit for The New Seekers 

• You Are Everything Originally a hit for Diana Ross And Marvin Gaye 

• Billy Don’t Be A Hero Originally a hit for Paper Lace 

• Jambalaya Originally a hit for The Carpenters 

• Seven Seas Of Rhye Originally a hit for Queen 

Side 2 

• School Love Originally a hit for Barry Blue 

• I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door Originally a hit for Jimmy Osmond 

• Emma Originally a hit for Hot Chocolate 

• Seasons In The Sun Originally a hit for Terry Jacks 

• Remember Me This Way Originally a hit for Gary Glitter 

• Long Live Love Originally a hit for Olivia Newton-John 

For a charity shop item I paid over the odds for this copy of Volume 37. There are scratches all over the place, either some kid had a wobbly hand when putting the record on his player or a cat was using it for mouse-catching practice.

Fortunately there are no skips and the album plays quite well considering it’s abuse in 1974. Glamour model Susan Shaw on the cover again, this time wearing a tight-fitting ‘Top Of The Pops’ white T-Shirt. 

“Angel Face” is tub-thumpin’ Glam goodness and I’m surprised that I quite liked the performance of the Queen hit “Seven Seas Of Rhye” and proves that’s it’s the over-the-top dramatic / operatic yodelling of Freddie Mercury that I can’t stand about the group.

Here, on this cover version, there is none of that pretentious bollocks from the studio vocalist.

charity shop purchase @ £3

TOP OF THE POPS – “Best Of ’71, Souvenir Edition” (Hallmark SHM 775) 1971

Sleeve notes:

Let us explain what our Hallmark “Top Of The Pops” L.P.’s are all about.

Just over three short years ago we at Pickwick International decided that what the fans wanted was a top quality, low priced album covering twelve of the best hits of the day. Only we wouldn’t be using the original artistes or groups. We would gather together the cream of the session musicians and try to make even better versions of the current hit tunes than those recorded by the original artistes.

So in June 1968 we issued our original cover version L.P. It was a hit with pop enthusiasts not only in Britain but also in Europe and many other parts of the world. This encouraged us to issue another version, which followed the success of the first.

Since then, about every two months, we have issued these great albums – and, such was the success of every issue, we were encouraged to release each December a composite album called “The Best of Top Of The Pops” containing the cream of the tracks from Top Of The Pops albums during the year.

This, then, is “The Best of Top Of The Pops ‘71”, and we feel it MUST be a runaway bestseller. Do you know why we think this? First of all, our Top Of The Pops issue of May, 1971, went to No. 1. in the “Record Retailer” L.P. chart for the first time in our history. What’s more, four of the last six issues have topped the Chart.

This achievement is quite unparalleled in the history of Budget Records – and we’re very proud of it. This album contains the greatest hits we have recorded in 1971, including rocketing hits from our four No. 1 best selling Top Of The Pops.

That’s why we think you’re going to enjoy every second of this record: and that’s why we sincerely believe we have a runaway best seller.

There was a time when you had to search pretty hard to find a British name in any collection of the year’s top hit records. But not any more, for as the music scene has changed, so, too, has the shift in musical talent swung heavily to the British and European side of the Atlantic.

“The Best of Top Of The Pops” shows just how strong the influence has been because the year kicked off to a great start with the emergence into the solo limelight of George Harrison. The mantle of the Beatles firmly cast aside he would now watch “My Sweet Lord” soar to the top of charts all over the world.

Likewise Rod Stewart, a talent that had been long waiting for a chance to show that the early predictions for success would be justified sooner or later, shot to Number One spot in the British and American charts at almost the same time with “Maggie May”.

Appropriately enough his record company awarded him a Gold, a Silver and even a Platinum disc! Another much touted talent that found its way into the maze of hit parade success in ’71 was T. Rex and two of their chart stormers “Hot Love” and “Get It On” occupy a much deserved place in this collection. 

As T. Rex found hit to follow hit so, too, did a Scottish act Middle Of The Road who followed up “Chirpy-Chirpy, Cheep-cheep” with “Tweedle-dee tweedle-dum” and fellow Scots The Sweet saw “Co-Co” occupy more than fourteen weeks in the charts.

Then there’s Mungo Jerry who couldn’t quite emulate the phenomenal world-wide success of “In The Summertime”, but who made it certain that the hit parade would register “Baby Jump” in fine style. And it did because the song was a Number One hit in Britain. 

But of course the Americans can never be left out of any hit parade and Diana Ross proved that she could come up with a spectacular Number One hit like “I’m Still Waiting”, Dawn the group formed by former solo hit maker Tony Orlando also managed to maintain a run of success, notably with “Knock Three Times” a record that brought them to this country for a successful tour.

And of course there were the genuine surprise hits, and oldie called “Hey Girl, Don’t Bother Me” gave The Tams a Number One hit and the former skinhead group Slade saw their “Coz I Luv You” score four weeks in the Number One slot. 

All in all, quite a year for hits and what’s more they’re all worth playing again and again.

Side 1          

• My Sweet Lord (From Vol. 15)

• Coz I Luv You (From Vol. 21)

• Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum (From Vol. 20)

• I’m Still Waiting (From Vol. 19)

• Hot Love (From Vol. 16)

• Co-Co (From Vol. 18)

Side 2          

• Maggie May (From Vol. 20)

• Get It On (From Vol. 18)

• Knock Three Times (From Vol. 17)

• Baby Jump (From Vol. 15)

• Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep (From Vol. 18)

• Hey Girl, Don’t Bother Me (From Vol. 19)

The glamour model on the front cover is Susan Shaw. She famously appeared on many budget label LP front covers during the early to mid-seventies.

I had no idea who she was so had to undertake a little research. Apparently Rod Stewart was besotted with her back in the late ’60s but she declined any of his advances. She also posed (almost naked) with F1 Racing driver James Hunt after he became the World champion.

Susan died during February 2021, aged 70. 

charity shop purchase @ £2

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 16” (Hallmark SHM 735) March 1971

Here’s quite an early volume in the ‘Top Of The Pops’ series and some junk shop merchant had a copy in his shop for £10. Can you imagine that? The crazy fool in Gateshead must have had a whack on the head if he thought he could get that for charity shop fodder.

Of course I had a titter and a smirk then departed his shop without a passing glance. I doubt I’ll bother going to that junk dump again.

A couple of weeks later I found a copy of Volume 16 for a quid, the cover is a bit tatty with taped sides and the vinyl has a few scratches but nothing too deep.

Sleeve notes:

Teenagers! Kids! Switched-on Mums and Dads! Here it is, our latest Top of the Pops album at a price you can all afford!

Look at the list of titles, and you’ll find that most, if not all, are way up in the charts. Our talented musicians and vocalists have produced a wonderful sound.

We think some of the tracks sound better than the original hit recordings made by the top international artistes – but don’t take our word for it.

Just try this really fab album and you’ll know at once that we’re right; our string of previous smash successes on Top of the Pops albums is a great tribute to all you good folk who appreciate beautiful pop music. If you’re happy, so are we.

So go, go, go with this record, and if you love it, tell us, tell your friends, tell the whole wide world that Hallmark records have made another hit album.

Side 1   

• Rose Garden – originally a hit for Lynn Anderson

• Power To The People – originally a hit for John Lennon

• I Will Drink The Wine – originally a hit for Frank Sinatra

• Hot Love – originally a hit for T. Rex

• Jack In The Box – originally a hit for Clodagh Rodgers

• Walkin’ – originally a hit for CCS

Side 2

• Another Day – originally a hit for Paul McCartney

• Strange Kind Of Woman – originally a hit for Deep Purple

• Where Do I Begin (Love Story) – originally a hit for Andy Williams

• Have You Ever Seen The Rain? – originally a hit for Creedence Clearwater Revival

• Bridget The Midget – originally a hit for Ray Stevens

• You Could’ve Been A Lady – originally a hit for Hot Chocolate

CHET ATKINS & JERRY REED – “Me And Jerry” (RCA Victor LSA 3033) 1971

Me and Jerry play duets often, and when we do, I try to make him play rhythm because when he plays melody, he gets to stompin’, humming and yelling and embarrasses me.

He kept insisting that I let him play a chorus and I did let him solo on each tune. That boy should always play rhythm because if he plays melody, he might put a lot of guitar players out of business.

Sometimes I think Jerry lives in a music world where no one else ever enters. The dern fool never begs, steals or borrows like the rest of us. He just sits around and makes up his own licks.

When we went to make this album cover in my Glassic auto, we had some tyre trouble and I talked Jerry into fixin’ it because I needed to get in some practice.

For your information, I am on the right and Jerry is on the left – and I don’t mean politically; I mean on your stereo set. (Chet Atkins)

charity shop purchase @ £2

TOP OF THE POPS – “Volume 20” (Hallmark SHM 755) November 1971

Finding these ancient ‘Top Of The Pops’ LPs is becoming increasingly difficult because it seems that the folks disposing of these unwanted records into charity shop bargain bins have either all died out or they’re keeping them for themselves to flog on eBay.

So whenever I find them in the wild I’m going to part with the couple of quid necessary, even if I know I’ve already got them! They’re worth the price of a Greggs pasty for the cover alone.

I can’t remember hearing many of the originals before on this release of ‘Top Of The Pops’, perhaps only Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” which sounds terrible on this.

The singer should have had a gargle of turpentine or some other house cleaning lubricant before going to the recording studio. He sounds more like a thick-set bloke you’d hear singing down the local boozer. 

Side One has the strongest material. The songs “Butterfly” and “Sultana” are decent reconstructions, I especially like the organ sound on the latter number.

On the other side only a rendition of The Four Tops’ “Simple Game” lifts my mood and stirs any interest.  

Sleeve notes:

Once again we’ve hit the jackpot with this latest album in a truly fabulous series. Look at some of the great current hits on this L.P., hits that have been made famous by International Super Stars. Hits like “Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum”, “Another Time Another Place”, “Spanish Harlem” and “I’m Leavin'”.

Our Hallmark artistes, both vocal and instrumental, have really excelled themselves. So, if you’re in the mood for a pocketful of smash topliners, just grab this album (not forgetting to pay for it on the way out!), rocket yourself to your digs, and settle down for a trip to the Stars through this Superb Hallmark disc.

We believe it will make yet another No.1 for us; so, pop fans, help us to do it!

Side 1   

• Mamy Blue – originally a hit for The Pop Tops

• Butterfly – originally a hit for Danyel Gerard 

• The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – originally a hit for Joan Baez 

• Another Time Another Place – originally a hit for Engelbert Humperdinck 

• Sultana – originally a hit for Titanic 

• The Witch Queen Of New Orleans – originally a hit for Redbone 

Side 2 

• Maggie May – originally a hit for Rod Stewart

• Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum – originally a hit for Middle Of The Road 

• I’m Leavin’ – originally a hit for Elvis Presley 

• Spanish Harlem – originally a hit for Aretha Franklin 

• Keep On Dancing – originally a hit for The Bay City Rollers 

• Simple Game – 0riginally a hit for The Four Tops 

Tony & the Bandits hailed from Middletown, Ohio and released two locally successful singles during 1965/66. Here’s an overview of their records.

TONY AND THE BANDITS – ’It’s A Bit Of Alright’ / ‘(Oh No) I Can’t Lose (Flo-Roe FR-500) Aug 1965

This is one of my favourite 45 discoveries in a long time. Both sides are cracking British invasion inspired beat with cool guitar runs and harmonica bursts on ’It’s A Bit Of Alright’.

Tony and the Bandits won a tri-state Battle Of The Bands in early ’65 which tempted Flo-Roe Records to sign them for this debut record that reached Top 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio in August 1965.

This success led them to secure an appearance on TV Show Shindig where they performed their hit ’It’s A Bit Of Alright’ – check it out on YouTube.

The flip ‘(Oh No) I Can’t Lose’ is also a very decent number with a jangly edge.

This single was picked up for national release on Coral.

TONY AND THE BANDITS – ’I’m Goin’ Away’ / ’The Sun Don’t Shine Now That You’ve Gone’ (Coral 62477) 1966

A classic follow up 45 and no less impressive that their debut. ’I’m Goin’ Away’ is another fast paced Merseybeat copy with jangly guitar and way cool harmonica.

’The Sun Don’t Shine Now That You’ve Gone’ is a moody folk rocker.

I’m not sure why singer/songwriter Tony Brazis would want to leave such a great band but leave he did after the release of this record.

His replacement was Ivan Browne from a local band called Ivan and the Sabers. With leader Tony Brazis gone it was pointless going by the name of Tony and the Bandits so a name change was due and they became known as The Lemon Pipers.

Everyone knows they then hit the big time with ’Green Tambourine’.

PAPER LIPS – “The Sound Of Sound” (Dangerhouse / Skylab / Mono-Tone DSL 066) June 2022

Every so often I buy a record and I’m immediately transfixed and can’t stop playing the damn thing. For days I think about the sounds I’m hearing and wonder if it’s just a passing phase and soon I’ll be back to playing The Byrds or Love or some other joyful mid-sixties West Coast genius 45.

I can now say with certainty that Mike Whittaker‘s solo album under the moniker of Paper Lips is a stunning and most beautiful achievement.   

Each and every play heightens my senses to the point where I’m dizzy with excitement and oblivious that my cats are looking at me, demanding to be fed.     

All of the numbers are self-penned, apart from an exquisite cover version of  “Splash 1”, originally recorded by the legendary 13th Floor Elevators.

Mike spent his Covid-19 Lockdown months wisely creating his magical collection of songs, then mixing them in house at ‘Paper Studios’ – which is probably the spare room in his house.

These atmospheric garage laments are inspired and reveal a very talented and perhaps ardent devotee of the long-forgotten loner blasts of the mid-sixties New England teen-scene. That’s the kind of vibe I’m getting from “The Sound Of Sound” LP, mixed with a little bit of early Velvet Underground, the number “Better Run” could be the best song Lou Reed never wrote. There are also hints of mid-eighties guitar jangle bands, in particular The Sea Urchins.  

The indolent, echoed, almost lazy vocals cascade over his slow-paced resplendent songs, backed by the ever-present sweet guitar tones of the vintage instruments he uses such as a 1967 Vox Cheetah, a 1965 Harmony Bobkat and an Epiphone Revelation 12 string.

The only occasion Mike gets a tad restless and wrathful is during “Feeling Fine”, memorable for the often repeated line “the fucked-up world” and a magical thirty-odd second guitar break that will leave you gasping in awe.  

The album closer “Flight” is a hypnotic instrumental and perfectly concludes this quite brilliant record. Only 300 copies have been pressed and are available at the Paper Lips bandcamp site. Don’t miss out.  

The BERT JANSCH sampler – (Transatlantic 10) 1969

“The music of Bert Jansch, and the young man himself are so wonderful that one is tempted to go on and on in an effort to capture, to describe the beauty that is there. It can’t be done. You’ll just have to hear him for yourself”. (Bob Jones, Boston Broadside, USA – 6th July, 1966)

This Bert Jansch sampler record was a recent purchase from a dealer at the impressive Durham market. It’s not that rare, it only cost me a fiver, but it’s a most brilliant addition to my archives.

Haunting, stripped-back folk blues doesn’t get any better. Imagine Donovan and Nick Drake mixing up their medication, they would probably end up sounding something like Bert.  

“Rabbit Run” is a children’s song using characters from “The Wind In The Willows”. It’s not exactly a nursery rhyme, but it may please the more romantic side of the mind. It’s played in 5/4 and the voice is double tracked.

“The Wheel” played in G, is the sort of thing that most guitarists have up their sleeves, little bits and pieces they throw away or tend to forget. The time seems to vary although it starts in 3/4.

“Go Your Way My Love” and “Wishing Well” are both songs written by Ann Briggs, a very under-rated songwriter. She has something of the gipsy in her blood which becomes apparent in her singing of traditional songs.

Master of the guitar Davy Graham wrote “Angie” many years ago for a girl friend. It has been the opening for many folk singers including myself into the world of folk guitar. Davy can be heard playing “Angie” on an EP out on Topic.

Although I don’t condemn the use of drugs, I find the border line between the safe and the not so safe, very fine indeed. Here in “Needle Of Death” the subject has a fairly free and easy adolescence, he is inquisitive, and experiments with drugs and becomes addicted to heroin but later manages to free himself from it.

He is, or was, married and has a child which he loves to visit and take presents to. It is this situation which finally brings about his downfall. 

I have a record at home of Snooks Eaglin singing “Come Back Baby”. It’s possibly the best blues track I have ever heard. Blues are not really my forté, but sometimes I get in the mood and this is what comes out.

“The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” is a beautifully haunting love song by Ewan MacColl. Here it is played in an open D tuning (DADGAD) fretting the G string at A to give the full chord.

“Nottamun Town” has been around a good number of years. You may recognise the tune which Bob Dylan adapted for “Masters Of War”. Here is the original, Bert Lloyd says the words are probably English with a high sexual content.

I first heard “Blackwater Side” from Ann Briggs. In this version I have the bass string tuned down to D.

“Veronica” is an interpretation of “Better Get It In Your soul” by Charlie Mingus. This is another idea which originally came from Davy Graham.

In “Running From Home” we have the romantic side of me coming out.  Running away is surely the dream of all children, adventure on the high seas, finding new territories, independent and free.

I hope these notes have been useful. The songs may not be my best but they seem to be the most perfect things I have done as far as performance and recording goes. (Bert Jansch)

MORGAN SUPERSTARS + BLUE MINK – “A Melting Pot Of Hits” (Fontana Special 6438035) 1970

This album was a recent find from the British Heart Foundation in Durham. It was completely unknown to me but I was attracted to the album cover and the songs that had been recorded. But for £1 this was always coming home with me.

Cover version records by nameless session musicians were all the rage in the late sixties and early seventies and this item is one of those. The session players are billed as the Morgan Superstars so I’m guessing they were all affiliated to new record label Morgan / Morgan Blue Town.

Their roster included Pussy, Orange Bicycle, Red Dirt and Cliff Ward. The back cover of the album doesn’t include any names of participants although Blue Mink are name checked on the front of the sleeve.    

It does however, note that the album was produced by Geoff Gill who was previously the drummer in The Smoke and everything was arranged by Wil Malone from The Orange Bicycle.

Overall the music is of a high standard although I’d say that none of the covers were as good as the originals. All very competent as one would expect. The only clunker is the abysmal version of “Wandering Star” where the singer tries his best to obliterate his vocal cords by ‘singing’ in the style of Lee Marvin.

My go to cut is “Spirit In The Sky” for the blistering lead guitar, fuzz and hand-claps. An indication that psychedelic rock was still alive in 1970.

charity shop purchase @ £1

JOHNNY GREGORY & his ORCHESTRA with the MICHAEL SAMMES SINGERS – “The TV Western Themes” (Fontana TFL 5110) 1960

With western films, whether they are seen on TV or in the cinema, now at the peak of their popularity, it was inevitable that somebody would make an LP of some of the music from the best of them. In fact, anyone doing so would be filling a gap in the world of recorded music that has been empty for so long.

Thirty years ago popular music on the radio and on gramophone records contained a large percentage of Western numbers. This was the hey-day of the “drug store cowboy” when singers of western songs were usually more familiar with the clanking claxon horns of New York traffic than with the lowering of herds of cattle down in Texas.

Since those days the western film and the music that goes with it has grown up. Now, in place of the inevitable running fight between the hero and the villain which usually formed the closing sequences of a western feature, we have the climax of a grand drama.

Scenes, instead of being shot in the studio or on a nearby waste ground (how often did we see the pursuer and pursued pass the same spot during the chase scenes?) are now shot on location; in the west itself.

Whole towns are built out on the plains and deserts to provide an authentic background for stories that often have their roots in historic fact.

Western heroes are no longer fantastic, indestructible men but ordinary human beings who face their problems and difficulties in a manner to which a rough, hard, outdoor life has suited them. The Western is probably now more authentic than it has ever been – or will be. Except when it comes to Indians – but that is another story.

And as the Western developed so did the music. With few exceptions, the drug-store cowboy is a thing of the past. The themes of western films, like their subjects, border on the grandiose. Musically they are far superior to their predecessors and have the quality of the concert hall without losing any of the essential folk element.

Johnny Gregory and his orchestra with the Michael Sammes Singers present what might almost amount to a potted history of the western theme since it first made us conscious of cactus, prickly pear and cholla in the days when films first began to talk and a radio became a permanent piece of furniture in every home.

There is “The Last Round-up” – the first of the cowboy songs to reach the status of an international hit – and “Take Me Back To My Boots And Saddle”, another song of the “drug-store” period. 

“High Noon” was the theme song of one of the early dramatic “psychological” Westerns which first made their appearance in the late 1940s.

The song was just as popular as the film and equally good. Although it has all the elements of a folk song it is in fact composed. Perhaps “High Noon” epitomises all that is fine in the modern western theme. It is simple, has a strong folk characteristic, and an authentic ring.

Much the same can be said of the rest of the themes to be heard on this disc all of which, with the exception of “Shane” are from famous TV series; from “Gun Law”, the earliest success of its kind, to the adventures of that lovable rogue, Maverick. 

THE JOHN SCHROEDER ORCHESTRA – “The Dolly Catcher” (Piccadilly NPL 38036) 1967

Nowadays, some professions get high-falutin’ new names. A rat-catcher prefers to be known as a “rodent disposal operative” and relishes the extra dignity the title conveys. But a dolly-catcher is different. A dolly-catcher is a man who enjoys the sport of catching dollies – be there a man alive who doesn’t? – and the term needs no further elaboration.

Actually, the word “dolly” has changed. It used to mean: a wooden shaft attached to a disc with revolving arms and used in mining; or a gift of flowers, fruit or sweets; or even “childish”. Now we all know it principally means: girl, lass, chick, bird . . . or whatever one may chose.

And dolly-catching is a national sport. More people dolly-catch than watch football. Of course the modus operandi, as the detectives say, changes from dolly-catcher to dolly-catcher. It can be moonlight-and-roses dead serious ploy to snare a pretty girl. It can be a holiday spree . . . full of footloose and fancy-free dolly-catching lightheartedness.

It can be so casual . . . the long cool stare a a dolly in a crowded street or club – with victory going to the catcher who gets a rewarding dolly-smile.

But we’re all at it. Even the girls see their dolly-boys . . . and react. In days gone by, there were books written for the gentlemen, all about the etiquette of catching your dolly. But this is the age of the recorded word, of the long-spinning record.

Music has become the bait which reflects and encourages the different moods of dolly-catching – a truism which that enterprising young musician-composer-producer John Schroeder has proved beyond doubt on this excellent and well-varied album.

All the titles are associated with dolly-catching. Different moods are set simply because there’s no ONE way to dolly-catch. And, quite definitely, only dolly-catchers worked on the session – stout men and true who treated the whole business with the seriousness that such a subject deserves.

The musicians, as ever, are dolly-catchers to a man – John Schroeder himself is a class dolly-catcher.

And the arrangements of John Cameron, a brilliant man of music, reveal the sensitive urgency with which he treats the subject. He assists the dolly-catching listener’s activities with music that is sometimes tinged with jazz, sometimes with pure commercialism, sometimes with today’s hip urgency, sometimes with a quaintly olde worlde gentleness.

And up there in the control box was dolly-catching engineer Alan Florence, bringing his special talents to play on behalf of dolly-catchers everywhere.

The numbers chosen? Well, four are originals, including the title theme. This is destined, surely, to become a signiture tune for dolly-catchers everywhere, whatever the age or prowess of the sportsman concerned. It’s a manly, lively theme. It depicts what the business is all about.

“Explosive Corrosive Joseph” – certainly lives up to it’s title . . . explosive with a touch of the psychedelic about it . . . a very up-to-date dolly-catcher is Joseph!!

“Softly Softly Catchee Dolly” is sound advice as well as a sound melody. As every dolly-catcher knows there is a time for gentleness as well as rip-roaring action.

And there is “But She Ran The Other Way” . . . shame the ignominy for the catcher but a reminder that in such a professional sport, as in the amateur Olympics, “what really matters is not whether you win or lose but HOW you play the game”. Defeat is always possible; but take it like a man.

Some of the titles are recent big hits, adapted however to include the maximum mood. “San Francisco” is all bells, flowers, love-ins and today’s dolly-catching scene for hippies.”

“To Wendy With Love” will be recognisable to many fans of Sounds Orchestral as the John Schroeder – John Person – composed ‘B’ side of “Cast Your Fate To The Wind”.

“Epistle To Dippy” is a Donovan song, a hit in the States. The Turtles’ biggie “She’d Rather Be With Me” becomes an optimistic bit of dolly-catchiness.

Or there is the Beatles song “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, from a gorgeous string quartet of dolly-snaring gentility. Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made To Love Her” – another fine choice. “Up Up And Away” . . . oh well! read into that what you will.

“Things I Should Have Said” closes proceedings with the reminder that a dolly-catcher can always learn SOMETHING new about his craft.

This, then, is the first published selection of songs to catch dollies by. Apart from elevating the status of the dolly-catcher from Casual Hobby to Skilled Profession, apart from this – IT WORKS. Select the musical mood to set the dolly mood.

And to ensure complete continuity, there are interesting little dolly sounds between the actual tracks. They feature the following instruments . . . see if you can put them in order: cellos and violas, conga drum, violins, celeste, electric guitar, bass guitar, flower bells, string bass, Hammond organ, bass clarinet.

Sorry I can’t lend you my copy of this fascinating album. But I’ve got a lot of dolly-catching to do . . . !   

charity shop purchase @ £1

A LONDON AUDIO-WORKSHOP PRODUCTION – “Sounds Astounding” (Stereo Galaxy Records G 819) 1974

The records I’m finding in charity shops is getting “curiouser and curiouser!” – for instance, check this obscurity out on the perfectly named label Stereo Galaxy Records. 1974 never sounded so way-out I’m sure!

The first thing that drew me to the record was of course the nubile young woman on the cover. All she was wearing to hide her embarrassment was a pair of bikini bottoms, Suzi Quatro’s silver go-go boots and enormous ear-phones with an extra large aerial so she could tune into Radio Mars or some other station in Space. 

This is an album of classical music modernised with sound effects from primitive synthesizers, probably aimed at the middle class gent but also an attempt by the record label to tempt 1970s long-haired Council Estate beer drinkers by placing a topless model on the front cover.  

As with many of these budget label releases from the early ’70s there is a version of the “Theme From 2001” also known as “Spracht Zarathustra.” – and it’s this track that I’ll create a YouTube video for.  

Speaker to speaker interplay of specially scored orchestral works with scintillating sounds augmented by synthesizers. The full range of audio frequencies beyond the range of human hearing.

The maximum performance test for your stereo hi-fi equipment!

Released by London Audio-Workshop on Stereo Gold Award in 1974. London Philharmonic conducted by Douglas Gamley.

Side One
1. March of the Synthesizers
2. Great Gate of Kiev
3. Finale “1812” Overture
4. Dance of the Tumblers

Side Two
1. Theme from 2001
2. Battle of the Planets – Mars
3. Hall of the Mountain King
4 Finale 9th Symphony – Ode to Joy

BOBBY VEE – “Do What You Gotta Do” (Liberty LBS 83130E) 1969

“Do What You Gotta Do” . . . but don’t miss this great Bobby Vee album! Bobby is not a star on some distant horizon – he is here, NOW. He feels and sings of today. If you’re a high school freshman or a college grad, Bobby can shout or whisper your message.

If you’re a hippie, Bobby can tell it like it is. If you’re one of the “soul lovers,” Bobby will ease the hurtin’. And if you simply enjoy the best in sounds, Bobby can reach out to you . . . and make you feel the gentle moments of your emotions. 

Young, exciting and talented – that is Bobby Vee’s dimension. Let Bobby envelop and entertain you with his world of music. Let him capture you on a roller coaster ride of diverse experiences.

Travel the tunnel of loneliness as you begin your journey with “Do What You Gotta Do.” Glide down that first giant hill to where “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep.” Be whisked into deep nostalgia with “I Like It Like That.”

Caress the curves and valleys of your many sorrows as you “Let Nobody Love You (While I’m Gone).” Race along the tracks of those tender, stolen moments shared with a love who cried, “I Can’t Help Myself.” Your ride ends with a safe arrival as Bobby sings “That’s What Love Is Made Of.”

In this new album you won’t experience the joy of discovering Bobby Vee. That happened years ago with “Devil or Angel.” 

More likely and uniquely, you will experience involvement in this emerging design of today’s sensational Bobby Vee. And you will relive that new-found experience each time you listen to “Do What You Gotta Do.”

BOBBY VEE – “Just Today” (Liberty LBL 83112) 1968

This album was released in the summer of 1968 following a year in which Bobby had notched up four US top 50 hits, his best chart performance for five years. “Come Back When You Grow Up” proved to be one of the biggest sellers of 1967, and the three follow-up hits which charted during the first half of 1968 form the backbone of the “Just Today” album.

“Beautiful People”, written by singer songwriter Kenny O’Dell, came first providing a lively contrast to the more wistful “Come Back”. It would probably have been a bigger hit had it not been in competition with O’Dell’s own version, which peaked only one place behind Vee in early 1968.

For the next song Bobby’s producer Dallas Smith returned to the source of “Come Back” and this resulted in “Maybe Just Today”. The songwriter was Martha Sharpe, who had herself enjoyed chart success in both Britain and America as Sandy Posey with her own songs “Born A Woman” and “Single Girl” a year or so earlier.

For the third song, Bobby again tried something completely different. This time he took two established songs and worked them cleverly together to form the “My Girl – Hey Girl” medley, which continued his run of chart success.

“My Girl” was the Smokey Robinson song which the Temptations took to No. 1 in 1965, and Freddie Scott had a 1963 top 10 record with “Hey Girl” which came from the songwriting team who had contributed so much to Bobby’s own earlier success, Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

Although Bobby Vee had a further four minor hits after this, “Beautiful People”, “Maybe Just Today” and “My Girl – Hey Girl” were the last significant chart successes he was to enjoy.

“Just Today” features another two Temptations songs, “Get Ready” and “The Way You Do The Things You Do” to underline the influence Motown was having on the music scene of the day.

However, another concession to Bobby’s earlier period of recording success was the inclusion of Brian Hyland’s 1962 tearjerker “Sealed With A Kiss” – a song eminently suited to Bobby’s sympathetic vocal style.  

You have to go even further back to 1959 for the up-tempo “Just Keep It Up (And See What Happens)”, which was a transatlantic success for Dee Clark. This switch from ballad to R&B shows how versatile Bobby Vee had become, and how comfortable he was in attempting a wide variety of musical styles within a single album.

The four remaining songs are perhaps less well known, but are outstanding original tracks ideally suited to Bobby’s easy vocal delivery. In many ways they contribute strongly to this album being one of Bobby’s most accomplished offerings. 

“Sunrise Highway”, “The Girl I Left Behind Me”, “Nobody’s Home To Go Home To” and “Tiffany Ring” are all strong songs superbly arranged, and could easily have been contenders for releases as singles. To find them all part of this excellent album is a real bonus.  

THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT – “Music From The Original Sound Track” (MGM 2SE-14ST) 1970

The Strawberry Statement is a 1970 cult film about the counterculture and student revolts of the 1960s, loosely based on the non-fiction book by James Simon Kunen about the Columbia University protests of 1968.

The film does not take place in New York City, at Columbia University, but in Stockton, California, at a fictional university – which is based on San Francisco State College (later San Francisco State University).

The original book’s author, James Simon Kunen, has a cameo appearance in the film. Thunderclap Newman‘s “Something in the Air” and numerous other rock songs are used on the soundtrack.

The song “The Circle Game” was written by Joni Mitchell, and was sung popularized by Buffy Saint-Marie.

The double-LP soundtrack to the film featuring Bruce Davison, Kim Darby, and James Coco is a coup for record executive Mike Curb, who composed the liner notes, which contain the keyword “relevance.” I’ll re-write these below!

It’s a compilation of songs by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Buffy Saint-Marie, and Thunderclap Newman, along with instrumentals by Ian Freebairn-Smith, a minor public-domain track by the Red Mountain Jug Band, and Karl Bohm & the Berlin Philharmonic. Some copies of the album contain Graham Nash’s “Our House” from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; on other copies the track was missing.

Each of the album’s four sides contains a different theme to Strawberry Statement with different titles; these are the instrumental tracks from Ian Freebairn-Smith.

The music in between is incidental; the well known groups and performers include Neil Young and Crosby, Stills & Nash titles, along with Buffy Saint-Marie’s great rendition of the Joni Mitchell classic “The Circle Game” and Pete Townshend’s production of the memorable “Something In The Air” by Thunderclap Newman.

It all fits perfectly in an anti-war protest film based on the book by James Kunen and, along with companion albums to the film Easy Rider and other underground psychedelic flicks including “Riot On Sunset Strip”, “Psych Out” and “Wild In The Streets”.

Relevance. It’s the locus of convergence for The Art and The Movement as they rush toward each other – not into a catastrophic crush but into a climatic crescendo.

Relevance. it’s the very fusion of “The Strawberry Statement.” It is the cry of A Rising Student Consciousness. it is the enunciation of James Kunen. It is the celluloid capture by Stu Hagmann.

Relevance. It’s the music melting symbiotically into the mind, into the body , into the celebration of life.

Relevance. It’s Buffy Sainte-Marie acknowledging the antithesis of The Game in “The Circle Game.”

Relevance. It’s Thunderclap Newman portending of things to come in “Something In The Air.”

Relevance. It’s Crosby, stills and Nash searching for what might be a “Long Time Gone.” It’s Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, “helpless,” except in our world.

Relevance. It’s Neil Young. it’s the necessary man, “The Loner,” It’s desperate, frustrated lash of death “Down by The River.”

Relevance. It is John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It’s the last alternative, the only alternative. “Give Peace A Chance.”

In the end, it all cyclically ties itself together. The event to the book to the music to the film to the event. And that is “The strawberry Statement.” 

BOBBY VEE – “Gates, Grills & Railings” (BGO CD707) 2006

My Bobby Vee investigation continues with his unheralded and long-forgotten 1969 album “Gates, Grills & Railings”. I’m so glad that I discovered Bobby’s superb mid to late sixties recordings this year, better late than never as they say.

This double album CD set, on the BGO Records label, was issued back in 2006. Everything has been re-mastered to the digital format directly from the master tapes at Sound Performance.

The booklet contains lots of vintage photos, some showing Bobby sprouting a forest of hippie hair on his head and face. Far removed from the earlier days as a clean-cut pop idol.

It has also essential information about the creation and production of the record along with thoughts and words from Bobby Vee. An album he was rightly proud of. 

I’m going to re-type the liners on my blog and hope that I don’t incur the wrath of industry execs.  

“Gates, Grills & Railings”, like several of the albums that I recorded with Liberty Records producer Dallas smith, was an extension of a process that began in my early days with Snuff Garrett.

Good writers, good songs, hopefully equal good records. As Dallas and I assembled the material for the record it all felt natural and familiar. In retrospect, as I listen to the album today, I hear a grab bag of styles and directions.

Maybe, like the album title suggests, a nice collection of “nuts and bolts” . . . “odds and ends”.

Of the twenty three albums I recorded for Liberty, and later United Artists, I remain most critical of this one. If there is a common thread it’s in the consistency of Artie Butler’s wonderful note for note arrangements and Dino Lappos’ fine engineering.

To the album’s credit, two of the songs went on to become hit records for other artists. Three Dog Night’s massive hit of Nilsson’s “One” and B.J. Thomas’ equally successful “I Just Can’t Help Believing” written by Toni Wine and Carol Bayer Sager.

In the end, my personal favourites are “Santa Cruz”, the rough edgy “Jenny Came To Me”, and guitar wizard Hank Marvin’s age of innocence, “London’s Not Too Far”. (Bobby Vee) 

What we have in this album is a whole new approach with scripted arrangements, new songs, most of them very different to any previous Bobby Vee offerings. The Bobby Vee on the album cover also had a new look. 

The teen idol appearance was all but gone. No more pompadour and tennis sweater. Bobby had not only grown up on vinyl, but also on album covers.

Speaking of album covers, and even album titles, there are interesting stories behind both. The girl pictured with him on the cover was the girlfriend of Danny Hutton, the lead singer from Three Dog Night. I was also interested to know whose dog she was holding in the picture and Bobby informed me that the dog was a porcelain prop!!    

With the recording sessions complete, a title had yet to be chosen for the album. Bobby and photographer Ed Caraeff did a photo shoot in and around Los Angeles and when they were looking at the pictures afterwards, there was a shot taken in front of an old ornamental iron shop with the words ‘Gates, Grills and Railings’ jumping off the page.

‘Gates, Grills & Railings’! What a cool name for an album! Now we have a title, we have the recordings, and we have the photos. Let’s get this one out!

As part of the promotion, Liberty sent out a neat press package that included a one sided interview disc, along with several photos, press info, and a typed copy of the interview.

The interview was open ended so that the disc jockeys could read questions and have Bobby answer as if he were present in the studio with them.

Let’s talk about the songs now! Side one contains a pair of songs written by Tony Wine and Carole Bayer, “She Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, and “(I’m Into Lookin’ For) Someone To Love Me”.  

This writing duo had their first number one hit in 1966, penning “Groovy Kind Of Love” for the Mindbenders. Often, after finding good songs from songwriters, artists return looking for more. Toni and Carole had provided Bobby with an excellent song for the “Just Today” album titled “Nobody’s Home To Go Home To”.

Liberty released “Someone To Love Me” as a single both in the US and the UK. To make it more commercial, the UK version was stripped of the bridge, which actually tended to break the continuity of the song. The two segments were seamlessly brought together to provide a powerful non-stop rocker.

David Gates provided Bobby with two demos, one being “The Passing of A Friend”, the other “Diary”. I actually found the demos for both while digging through boxes of acetates at Vee’s home several years ago. He must have thought I was crazy but I had a lot of fun doing it!

When I came up with “Diary” I asked him why he had it. He told me that he was given both demos with the understanding that David would probably do “Diary” with his band, Bread.

Knowing that, Bobby told me, “I didn’t want to take a chance on “Diary” so I decided to do “Passing Of A Friend”. Bobby called “Passing Of A Friend” an “interesting and dark song, something different for me as was much of the album”.

He further describes the song in the interview disc: “What is happening in the song is the guy is looking in a mirror, and he’s talking about himself. He’s gotten messed up on drugs and now he’s seen himself and he’s mourning the passing of a friend, and wondering how he got this way.”

Bobby also covered Hank Marvin’s “London’s Not Too Far” and John Sebastian’s “Younger Generation”. Marvin was the lead guitarist for the popular British instrumental group, The Shadows.

His version was released in February of 1968, but failed to chart. The song has a clever twist where it is only revealed in the last line that the subject is a mere child. Sebastian was the leader of The Lovin’ Spoonful, and Bobby recorded the song simply because he liked the message.

Enter “One” and “I Just Can’t Help Believin” the two songs that Bobby recorded first, but were later hits for other artists. Bobby got “One” from Harry Nilsson. Bobby recalls: “I met Harry Nilsson around a project he was interested in writing the music for. It was a book called ‘the Smile At The Foot of a Ladder’ . . . Arthur Miller as I recall . . . about a circus clown. It was about this time that he gave me “One”.

“One” ended up charting at #5 for Three Dog Night in April of 1969. “I Just Can’t Help Believin”, written by the prolific pens of Mann and Weil, charted for B.J. Thomas reaching the top ten in 1970. “Lavender Kite”, written by Kransberg and Abeyta, was not one of my favourites and in retrospect not one of Bobby’s as noted by his comment: “Lavender Kite” . . . took a chance . . . should have left it off the album.” 

“Santa Cruz”, written by Spindler and Taylor, was a wonderful track, one of the best on the album. Bobby had this to say about “Santa Cruz”:

“I found “Santa Cruz” in Detroit, MI. A guy pitched the song to me while I was in town on a promotion trip. I still think it’s a song that could do something . . . maybe in the country market. It was well written! I cut the song and never heard from him again!”

Perhaps they were upset that writer’s credits for the song were missing from the back cover of the album!

“Jenny Came To Me” penned by Dunn and McCashen who later had success with “Hitchcock Railway”, probably has one of the coolest lines I’ve heard in a song: “Jenny came to me when yes was so expensive, when the only thing cheap was a no or a not”.

“Annie Joined The Band” is the lone track written by Bobby. He calls it, perhaps unjustly, “a good cut but very out of place with the rest of the material and quite dated these days.”

Now we’ve reached my favourite song from the album, the Bob Stone-penned “The Beauty And The Sweet Talk”. (Bob Celli)

GEOFF LOVE & HIS ORCHESTRA – “Big Western Movie Themes No. 2 (MFP 5204) 1971

During Howard Hawks’ RIO BRAVO, Dean Martin is disturbed by a haunting theme evoked from down the street by a solo trumpet. The tune is “De Guello” which composer Dimitri Tiomkin re-uses in his score for the John Wayne epic THE ALAMO.

“De Guello” is included here along with eleven other western themes representing not only America but also Italy. In fact it is in Rome that Ennio Morricone is regularly operative, scoring mainly western subjects of which two are represented here by their respective melodies, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE and the more recent ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.

Fellow Italian writer Marcello Giombini scored another Italian Western SABATA which stars Lee Van Cleef. 

With many TV credits to his name, Dominic Frontiere also writes extensively for the big screen; his western subjects include the recent CHISUM and the Clint Eastwood starrer represented here, HANG ‘EM HIGH.

Jerry Fielding met director Sam Peckinpah in the early sixties when they were working on a TV play “Noon Wine” and a few years later, when the same director had finished THE WILD BUNCH, he commissioned Fielding to score it.

“Bunch” in fact contained some violent sequences, very unlike Hathaway’s TRUE GRIT – a sometimes sentimental study of a rugged old-time lawman for which Elmer Bernstein weaved one of those traditional scores headed by a really outstanding theme.

For MACKENNA’S GOLD, Quincy Jones was in quieter than usual mood, his score including the song “Ole Turkey Buzzard” sung on the soundtrack by Jose Feliciano.

Burt Bacharach is justifiably recognised as one of today’s leading composers and we feature two of his works in this collection. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE was inspired by the John Ford film of the same name – although it had no definite connection with Cyril Mockridge’s actual score – and recorded at the time of the film’s opening by Gene Pitney.

Also featured is the “Raindrops” sequence from George Roy Hill’s BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID.

Jerry Goldsmith’s fine score for PATTON: LUST FOR GLORY is only one of the many outstanding works by this American writer, here represented by HOMBRE.

With lyricist Ray Evans, Jay Livingstone wrote such memorable movie songs as “Buttons and Bows” (from THE PALEFACE), “Mona Lisa” (from CAPTAIN CAREY U.S.A.) and “Whatever will be, will be” (from THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH) and on this album, we include the ballad that he composed with Mack David for that classic Lee Marvin comedy-western CAT BALLOU. 

The western heritage lives on so will the memory of these fine movie songs.

charity shop purchase @ £2 

JEFF LOVE & HIS ORCHESTRA – “Great Western TV Themes” (MFP 1405) 1970

Television westerns have proved to be incredibly popular amongst both adults and children alike. They wait, some patiently, others impatiently, with great anticipation for any western series that is likely to appear before them on their television screens.

Each of these westerns has a theme tune, the tune that advertisers the beginning of another episode, that descriptive theme which holds the atmosphere of the Wild West, that lingers in the mind capturing the imagination of all who hear it.

However, there is one slight problem, western series do not go on for ever. A series ends and the theme is lost, only to be heard occasionally.

Music For Pleasure solve this problem. We bring within the reach of everyone an album that features twelve of these great western themes.  

In the opening bars of “Bonanza” the music conjures up a picture of a wide open plain, the pounding hooves can be heard as the heroes of the west ride in the direction of the hills.

Imagine the cattle being herded towards the corral, steaming in the blazing sun, as Geoff Love & his Orchestra play “Rawhide”.

Hear these, plus other tremendous themes both old and new on this excellent recording, an album which brings you all the adventure of the Wild West. 

charity shop purchase @ £2

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – “Stories We Could Tell” (Camden CDS 1142) 1972

The Everly Brothers brought harmony to rock and roll. They also brought sensitivity, the result of their having been weaned on old-time country music.

They were the end of one line and beginning of another. They were also hugely influential, and everything they gave to rock was positive.

In the Sixties, the Everly Brothers lost touch with their audience and with their art, recording a dozen listless albums for Warner Bros. They were descending inevitably to the level of self-parody, and they finally became little more than a stale, lifeless night club act.

Then, in 1968, under the sensitive guidance of producer Andy Wickham, Don and Phil made a surprising and complete return to their former artistic prowess, making Roots, their best album.

The Everly’s chose to turn to their pre-rock and roll backgrounds, and the perspective this gave them refurbished their skills. They became sharp on-stage again, and they began to overhaul and update themselves. 

Stories We Could Tell is the first recorded attempt at modernization; although it’s only partially successful, it demonstrates clearly that Don and Phil are not forever trapped in their own pasts.

Their brilliance comes across most audibly on Kris Kristofferson’s “Breakdown,” a lovely, melancholy song they do in pure old fashioned country style.

The title song, though not quite as good a song as “Breakdown,” is done just as simply and just as well by the Everly Brothers and a small, unobtrusive backing group.

The understated country feeling is carried through on two well written songs by Dennis Linde, “Christmas Eve Can Kill You” and “Ridin’ High,” and on Don’s autobiographical “I’m Tired of Singing My Song in Las Vegas.”

Those five songs are the album. The other seven fail to do justice to the Everly’s, and the failures fall into three categories. First, the weak songs: “Three-Armed, Poker-Playin’ River Rat,” “Del Rio Dan,” “Up in Mabel’s Room,” and “Green River”, these last two written by the Everly’s “… River Rat,” another Linde song, and “Del Rio Dan” were strange choices, both without substance and sounding like filler cuts.

It’s harder to fault the inclusion of their own material, but still it doesn’t come off. “Mabel’s Room” is silly and trite, and “Green River,” with a basic formlessness but rather nice sentimental lyrics, is given an oddly splayed out, altogether senseless treatment by producer Paul Rothschild.

“Green River’s” staccato bottleneck and pedal steel parts, and its over tracked howling “aaaahhhh” chorus indicate the second problem spot, that of inappropriate production.

Not only “Green River,” but also Delaney & Bonnie’s “All We Really Want to Do” and Rod Stewart’s “Mandolin Wind” fall prey to flawed treatments. It might have seemed like a good idea at the time to have the Everly’s and Delaney & Bonnie singing together, but D&B wind up getting in the way and obscuring the nuances of the Everly’s’ magnificently complete two-part harmonies.

All those busy electric and slide guitars serve to distort the focus, and the general sweetening, which becomes evident after listening to the flatly recorded title song, sounds all the more phony because it’s so unnecessary.

But the most disheartening failure of all is the failure of Don and Phil to interpret “Mandolin Wind” and Jesse Winchester’s lovely “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” with the sensitivity that is their most noteworthy quality.

The Stewart song, a gently exuberant love song in its original state, has its delicate charms steamrollered by the Everly’s, who seem strangely unaware of its basic tenderness. But this lapse is nothing compared to the Everly’s’ treatment of “Brand New Tennessee Waltz,” seemingly an ideal choice for them.

They miss its balance of joyousness and longing, turning the song into a dirge. The choruses don’t soar, as they must if the song is to achieve its choking emotional peak.

Those two songs in particular make this a disappointing comeback album. But they’ve made it clear that they’re still serious about making music, and that they’re in the primes of their musical lives.

I suggest you spend your money on Roots while you can still find it — Warner Bros, has just deleted it from their catalogue — and hold out for the Everly Brothers’ next one. I’m sure there’s still plenty more to come. (Rolling Stone 06/07/72)

back cover liners:
Nobody has ever sounded like The Everly Brothers before or since; the subtle blend of their two voices is something more than just a simple duet.

The mellow sweetness of country music and the driving power of rock and roll merges into a unique Everly Brothers sound; a sound so distinctive and unforgettable that for many people the opening bars of “All I Want To Do is Dream”, “Bye Bye Love”, and “Cathy’s Clown”, bring on the pangs of forgotten adolescence more than any of the other giants of rock and roll. 

At the time “Stories We could Tell” their long awaited RCA debut album was released, the brothers hadn’t reached so far or produced anything so unpredictable since those famous early days; yet it faithfully retains that unmistakable Everly’s stamp, while also proving they’re well and truly in step with contemporary sounds.

The fact that the album features the most notable members of the Los Angeles musical community like John Sebastian, who wrote the title track, Delaney and Bonnie, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Ry Cooder is a tribute to the Everly’s  – anyone else would have been played into obscurity.

Altogether the combination adds up to a really masterful production, they are faultlessly professional and simple still, just two people, two guitars and a small band.

charity shop purchase @ £2

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN – “Porcupine” (Korova KODE 6) February 1983

This album is a blast from the past, during my late teens I bought a lot of Bunnymen records and saw them at Newcastle City Hall, but this is the first time I’ve ever sat down and listened to the album “Porcupine” because I never got around to buying it back then.

By 1983 I had been swept along on a wave of mid-sixties West Coast folk-rock and psychedelia from the likes of Love, The Byrds and The Turtles meaning modern groups like Echo & the Bunnymen were dropped like a hot potato.

I’m now willing to pick up anything remotely interesting from charity shops and I found “Porcupine” sitting on a shelf in my local British Heart Foundation. The asking price of £8 was a bit on the steep side but I dug deep into my pocket and paid the tallyman.

The singles “The Cutter” and “Back Of Love” stand out mainly because they’re semi-commercial with tunes and melody. The other numbers are dark and melancholic, dripping with sadness and discomfort. They’re a mixture of Joy Division meets The Doors but with stringed instruments.   

So rounding up the album after spending a couple of hours with it today – Ian McCulloch’s awkward one-dimensional singing soon gets tedious, the drumming is syncopated with the heavy bass bombs and the lead guitar really sparkles.

charity shop purchase @ £8

No great departure from previous Bunnymen strategy here, except in those instrumental interludes involving a tip of the turban towards The Mysterious East.

At heart this is simple music, gaining its brooding force from the sheer concentrated power generated by Mac’s warning voice as it looms through layers of guitars and purposeful percussion.

Already it’s starting to take a firm grip on the turntable. (Smash Hits)

DONOVAN – “Universal Soldier” (Marble Arch MAL 718) 1967

In the mid-1960s Pye Records launched budget record label Marble Arch Records to release older material on inexpensive albums in the United Kingdom.

Several of Donovan’s 1965 recordings for Pye were selected for release in 1967 as Universal Soldier. Donovan’s version of “Universal Soldier” was a hit EP in 1965, and that name recognition was intended to boost sales.

Universal Soldier was a unique release because it collected the entire Universal Soldier EP, the B-side to “Catch the Wind”, and the entire “Turquoise” single; all of which had appeared on LP format in the United Kingdom.

The strategy of compiling non-album tracks paid off, and Universal Soldier reached No. 5 in the United Kingdom and remained on the charts for 18 weeks.

back cover liners:
Donovan, undoubtedly the foremost folk singer in the country, has assembled for your enjoyment, a number of his favourite songs. The majority are of his own composition, but three of them are written by his friends.

“Universal Soldier” by Buffy St. Marie, illustrates the culpability of those who fight to destroy humanity. This deeply-felt ballad is sung to a guitar backing.

“Turquoise” is one of Donovan’s own compositions. A song to express a mood, his quietly effective voice is ranged against the harsh, strident guitar and harmonica backing.

“Colours” is Donovan’s expression of love and pleasure he gains from colours. He plays all the instruments featured in the song; guitar, banjo and harmonica.

Donovan was born in Glasgow, but moved down to Hatfield when he was ten. He left Welwyn Garden City Educational College before taking his G.C.E. and then spent some time on the beaches of Cornwall and North Yorkshire, picking up songs and learning to play the guitar.

Donovan is a dedicated singer and song writer.

“The first time I left I only had with me a sleeping bag, a couple of changes of jeans, a book of Walt Whitman prose and a book of Chinese poems. I bought a guitar for a couple of pounds and started to learn it.

Nobody realised that I was learning. I used to watch the fingers and then go away and practise, until I had learned the guitar, and I also learned lots of songs.”

He prefers the “little mod chick I had met who just listened to one of my songs – she had never heard folk music before – and valued it straight away on first impression”  to the intellectual who has to dissect a song and examine each note before he can give his verdict.

This is Donovan then, a folk-singer with an immense talent for writing and projecting his deepest thoughts.

charity shop purchase @ £1

BAY CITY ROLLERS – “Rollin'” (Bell Records BELLS 244) October 1974

I had just turned ten years old when this record was released but I was totally oblivious to the Bay City Rollers. I can’t even remember hearing them on the radio or watching them on ‘Top Of The Pops’.

Then I saw them a year or so later dressed in their ridiculous gear and feather-cut barnets, apart from the singer who sported a bouffant like the old ladies down the local Presto.

Not my scene at all, especially with those screaming teenyboppers. So, still in Junior School, I’d have to stick  with my second-hand Searchers and Kinks records until something exciting in the pop world came around for a kid like me – punk rock wasn’t happening just yet! 

The album is better than expected but there a few cringe-worthy numbers, mostly the slow ballads where you’ll hear it’s obvious that Les McKeown’s vocal prowess wasn’t exactly suited to slow stuff.

He kind of murders “Please Stay” for instance, a song recorded by several mid-sixties combos including The Zoot Money Roll Band, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, The Cryin’ Shames and The Dave Clark Five. 

Fast-forward almost fifty years later and I’m scratting around on the bottom shelf of a Newcastle record shop where all of the old, unsellable stock lies dormant, and I’m pulling out “Rollin'” for £3 and buying it!!

Here’s a vintage review of the album published in Record Mirror, 05/10/74.

This is the Rollers’ debut album which due to their tight touring schedule, was recorded in four speedy days. Sadly, the production is a mess because of this. Some of the tracks should have been re-recorded because Leslie’s vocals are slightly off-key at times.

Apart from the aforementioned faults the album is not a bad little number. Their hit tunes are included, among them “Shang-a-lang”, “Remember (Sha la la la)”, “Summerlove Sensation”, plus a very sexy song “Give It To Me” (which I’m sure the boys feature in their repertoire) with Les singing tantalising lines like “shim-sham-sham a ram, baby I’m a ram, give it to me now!”

The biggest surprise of all is the Rollers have written three tracks, one of which is very impressive, called “Just A Little Love”, penned by Eric and Woody, featuring a nice Latin American flavoured smoochy guitar piece by young Eric.           

I think the Rollers fans will go nuts over this album.

EARTHA KITT – “Not So Old-Fashioned” (MFP 50075) 1973

This year marked the first time that I have ever bought an Eartha Kitt record. Sure, I knew about the Donovan cover versions on this LP from a psychedelic compilation in my archives.

“Not So Old-Fashioned” was a recent find in a local charity shop and for £1 it was always coming home with me! The album on Music For Pleasure is a budget re-issue of her 1970 LP titled “Sentimental Eartha” on which she sings mostly slushy love ballads powered heavily by orchestration.

There are four tracks of interest to me though. Three Donovan covers are given the seductive Eartha interpretation. There is insidious psychedelic lead guitar on “Hurdy Gurdy Man” and it’s this track that’s the winner here. But then her “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” is also very good.

Eartha transforms Herman’s Hermits “My Sentimental Friend” with her distinctive vocal style and it sits happily with the original.

“Not So Old-Fashioned” shows how Eartha Kitt can handle a modern song with exactly the same skill and appeal that she has given to all her work over the years.

The songs are by today’s writers, backed by sounds that are very much of the seventies, and Miss Kitt brings them all her subtlety and style.

Listen as that velvet feline voice, with its distinctive, seductive vibrato, gently wraps itself round “My Sentimental Friend” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man”.

Listen to the sincerity of emotion which is instilled into “Catch The Wind” and “I Remember The Rhymes”. 

“Paint Me Black Angels” was recorded in Spanish as Angelitos Negros on a very successful album in 1956 – here, in 1973 it appears in its English version and the words are given an urgency and passion which seem to reveal all the experience and fullness of living which have made Eartha Kitt the fascinating and exciting artist she is.

Original 1970 pressing on Spark (SRLP 105) was titled “Sentimental Eartha” but for reasons unknown the re-issue on MFP was re-named “Not So Old-Fashioned” and given a less seductive cover 

“Catch The Wind” / “Hurdy Gurdy Man” was released as a Spark single in 1970 but missed any chart action and probably went by unnoticed.
In Sweden the single was released housed in a black and white sleeve.

ALTERED IMAGES – “Pinky Blue” (Epic 856650) May 1982

After all the magazine covers and TV appearances and the two-and-a-half hit singles, there was only the hit album to make. No-one’s happy with the cover but what’s inside it?

The fab 12″ version of “I Could Be Happy”, the neat 7-inch version of “See Those Eyes” and the pretty “Pinky Blue”. The rest is a big disappointment.

Clare’s little girl singing begins to grate; the thumping drums bang into yet another jangly guitar tune; the innocent charm wears thin.

Discerning fans will stick to their 12-inch versions of the hit singles and wish they had an Altered Images LP to match those. Some may criticise the system which demands so much so soon when with more thought and less pressure the results could have been much happier. (Smash Hits)

Listening to a full album with elf-like Clare Grogan’s infantile vocals is simply too much. Stick with listening to a single every now and again.

“Pinky Blue” is quite forgettable mainly due to the fact that there are no decent songs, they even resort to an absolute horror show with a cover of Neil Diamond’s “Song Sung Blue”.

This is like hearing awful Eurotrash noise akin to pissed Germans dressed in their finest lederhosen, slapping their knees and getting all fruity schlager style. 

Add into the mix elements of producer Martin Rushent’s electro pop synth gibberish, especially on the 12″ version of “I Could Be Happy” and I’m almost resorting to throwing this record down the stairs and into my cat litter tray. (EXPO67)    

charity shop purchase @ £5

Back in April 1982 I quit my A-Levels, my straight-forward school life and secured my first full-time job. I was out and about in the big bad world at the age of seventeen – May 1982.

I often think back to that time, not because I loved my job, but because to get to the Office I had to walk past a Sunderland record shop. The shop closed decades ago but my thoughts and memories never did.

The shop window display was always full of the latest releases, mostly chart oriented stuff like ABC, Culture Club, Duran Duran and Soft Cell. I do recall that they had the latest Siouxsie & the Banshees single in the window, an obscure one called “Fireworks” – which I bought of course!

I was thinking back to May 1982 and decided to research five singles that were released in Britain during that month. Singles that would fit my criteria here on ‘Yellow Paper Suns’. 

THE DAMNED – “Wait For The Blackout” (Big Beat)

It’s debatable if indeed this Damned single hit the shops during the back end of May as suggested on 45cat. Trade magazines also suggest a July release.
It’s an old number any way, recorded sometime in 1980 but delayed due to problems with Chiswick.

XTC – “No Thugs In Our House” (Virgin)

In which two parents try to convince a young constable that their son is not a nasty, vicious hooligan. A little heavy for my tastes and it does go on a bit. 
Winner of the Silly Packaging of The Week Award, though, for a sleeve which converts into a toy theatre! How will they try and sell them to us next?  I shudder to think. 

ALTERED IMAGES – “Pinky Blue” (Epic)

Oh, I know they’re so cute and corny, but that’s what I like about them. Who said pop groups had to go round scowling at perfectly innocent cameras and muttering at old ladies?
“Pinky Blue” you’re no doubt familiar with by now.
Clare enquires “Where are you? Where are you?” to which every red blooded male in the country retorts “I’m he-ere! Summer means fun.

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN – “The Back Of Love” (Korova)

There was a time when the suggestion that The Bunnymen might actually have a hit was greeted with snorts of derision. Nowadays I’m not so sure.
Mac sounds like he’s fed up of loitering in the backwaters of hipness and brings forth an impassioned vocal that compliments the urgent guitars and thundering drums of his colleagues.
Cutting loose and cutting deep as well.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES – “Fireworks” (Polydor)

Starts with an orchestra tuning up and ends with the sound of some fairly expensive rockets going off.
In between you get the usual swirling Siouxsie sound, long on repetition but short on tune, eminently suitable for haunting houses etc. Probably recorded in a bell tower. Quite likeable really. 

ELMER BERNSTEIN & HIS ORCHESTRA – “All Time Movie Greats” (Contour 2870 182) 1972

Here’s another recent Charity shop find for the princely sum of £2. It states on the record cover ‘a low price quality recording’ and the evidence is the Woolco price sticker of 39p.

The record may have been a cheap budget label release back in 1972 but it seems that someone filed it away next to something hot because the vinyl is warped to buggery. It plays through fine though!

I plead ignorance to Elmer Bernstein and had to undertake some research. It appears that Mr Bernstein was incredibly famous for composing and arranging Hollywood film scores throughout his career.

Some of his well known works of art include “The Great Escape”, “The Magnificent Seven” and “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Many others too, well into the eighties.

On this album Elmer Bernstein & his Orchestra have recorded tunes I’ve heard before from films but listening to the disc on a decent HI-FI set-up I realise that his short symphonies are actually magnificent.  

This is not my usual aural pleasure by any means and I would never have known about the record unless I ventured into that local Charity shop last Saturday morning.

I’ll have to seek out more of his records in the future, especially his sixties recordings.  

charity shop purchase @ £2

DEL SHANNON – “Live In England” (Fame FA 3020) June 1973

By the early seventies Del Shannon’s recording career had nose-dived and he was resigned to playing live at nostalgia / oldies shows for the pie and a pint brigade in crummy out-posts in various countries around the world.

During December 1972 Del and his energetic and extremely tight backing band were captured live at the Princess Club in Manchester. It’s crazy to think at this time Del Shannon was still only 38 years old! But his best / hit days were well behind him.

The songs played live during his performance were all from the early to mid-sixties. The punters wanted to hear his hits and Del delivered in his unique style, falsetto intact when required on numbers like “Hats Off To Larry”, the annoying “Coopersville Yodel”, a tremendous rendition of “Searchin'” and of course during a blistering version of “Runaway” which includes Max Crook on his Musitron.

Sadly there is nothing from his introspective Charles Westover period but I doubt that the Manchester punters were too bothered about that. 

Del was hands-on with this project and remixed everything at Cherokee Ranch, Chatsworth, California. The music was engineered by Dee Robb of mid-sixties teen group The Robbs fame.   

previously released on United Artists (UAS 29474)
charity shop purchase @ 50p

MIGUEL RAMOS – “Y Su Organo Hammond” (Hispa Vox 130 031) 1969

This is another one of those lame albums I bought recently in a job lot with items that I did want. But this record was thrown in for £1. To be honest with you I bought it for the gorgeous cover.

It turns out that Miguel Ramos was quite a famous musician in Spain and during the sixties he was churning out utter bilge like this!

Quite why anyone would willingly pay £5.49 in HMV  (see yellow sticker on cover) for this Spanish Hammond / trumpet wielding square-set muzak LP is beyond my reasoning.

By the time Miguel released this unrivalled junk he was 60 years old. No doubt he had his eyes on a bewigged senorita in his local Nursing Home. Play this old-geezer easy-listening trip to the old dear and she’ll be his forever, until she croaks . . . swoon . . . swoon.

PETER COVENT BAND – “Remember These?” (Fontana SFL 13201) 1969

My never ending quest to find records of little to no importance continues with this piece of musical nonsense of European heritage. 

The Peter Covent Band were probably made up of music mercenaries who would do anything to make money – even getting involved with putrid instrumental trash like this record.

It’s music for lederhosen wearing German squares and Austrian milk-churn rattlers. Let them all be happy and gay while chasing cows in their fields. Peter Covent may have been their equivalent of an untamed rocker from late ’60s England.

The first track is a quirky version of “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly”, a promising start because it wasn’t that bad actually – but the rest was a a torturous ordeal that I may never recover from. Perhaps only The Byrds will help me through my convalescence.

“Hey Jude” is one of the worst ever Beatles songs but in the hands of the Peter Covent Band they manage to make a dull song even more unbearable. And don’t get me started on “Elenore” or “Eloise”.

Thankfully this piece of Euro trash only cost me £1. 

BIG JIM “H” – “Hammond Organ Dance Party” (Stereo Gold Award MER 344) 1971

Who in their right mind would buy trollop like this? . . . “Erm . . . me your Honour, for £2 from a charity shop.”  

I knew this would be a right load of old tat when I saw it in a box of donated records but I simply had to have it for the cover. The image alone sold it. C’mon, just look at the guy dancin’ with his bird. He looks like a young Jack Reagan from TV Cop series The Sweeney. I bet they don’t know about this one down the nick.

I know nothing about playing a hammond organ but I do know when the instrument sounds exciting, when it’s coming from The Spencer Davis Group records for example.

But on these selections from Big Jim “H”, I’m sure the guy has sent himself to sleep as well as his listeners. This is tepid stuff. Big Jim appears to be all fingers and thumbs on every number except one, “Blues for Keyboard” which wouldn’t have been out of place on the “Blow Up” film soundtrack.

He’s got a really solid groovy up-tempo rhythm going on this track and the jazzy drummer adds some hip dimensions. There’s also a burst of stinging lead guitar adding to the aural pleasure.

It’s a shame the rest of the album is full of light-weight background music that would no doubt keep the grannies happy down at the Bingo Halls throughout England.

charity shop purchase @ £2

HAIR – “Various” (Hallmark SHM 683) 1970

There are several different recordings of the rock musical “Hair”, the first one being released back in 1968. This one on budget label Hallmark is my debut into the way-out hippie nonsense.

Most of the numbers are simply forgettable, some are quite funky, some of them offer-up a semblance of psychedelic rock, one of the songs even name drops the ultimate hippie group The Grateful Dead.

The track “Coloured Spade” wouldn’t be allowed to exist in this day and age because of the overt racist lyrics. The loony leftie cancel culture would have had a field day in 1968 if the imported ‘woke’ ostracism existed back then.

On with the show, I say.

notes:
You will have seen and heard many contradicting reports of Musical, “Hair”. Words like “obscene” and “disgusting” have been used with almost the same frequency as “vital” and “exciting”, but in spite of this (or maybe because of it) “Hair” has attracted more attention in the press and on television than any other stage production in history.

The show is about to-day and tomorrow, and the dynamic music gives a deep insight into the mood of our time. No-one can fail to be moved by the sensuous rhythm and direct lyrics of the music that is presented on this LP.

“Hair” is not so much a Show, more of an experience. The atmosphere that the Show creates has a deep effect on everyone who sees it, so much so, that on occasion members of the audience have joined the cast in the one scene of the Show, where clothes are regarded as superfluous.

While we hope that your involvement with this LP presentation would be as great as possible, please ensure that if you are moved in this way, that those listening to it with you are all close friends.

“HAIR”
September 27th, 1968, was a particularly memorable date in the history of London’s theatreland for it was on that autumn evening that “Hair” officially opened. 

Described as a tribal rock musical, “Hair” was the brainchild of three young writers namely James Rado, Gerome Ragni and that brilliant Canadian, Galt Macdermot. To call it unconventional was an understatement in that period of the late sixties when every other news item from the States conveyed the force with which the show engulfed its home ground.

Initially we read of its sensational scenes, its political connotations and the violence and aggression apparent both physically and verbally. Later we learnt about the outstanding musical content.

Songs like “Good Morning Starshine” (a hit some months back by Oliver), “Ain’t Got No (I Got Life)” – taken to the top of the charts by Nina Simone and the medley of “Aquarius” and “Let The Sunshine In” which gave The 5th Dimension a world-wide success.

Only very occasionally does a musical come along loaded with vitality and hit music from start to finish; only once in a lifetime does a show take over the world. “Hair” with its huge success so far, can take its place in the show business hall of fame.

charity shop purchase @ £2

LET’S GO POP INTERNATIONAL – “Various Junk” (Vygson 10157) 1975

This record is hilariously BAD in parts, the people and musicians who put it all together were probably totally serious about it but . . . . Oh dear! . . . think REALLY BAD Eurovision Pop Contest entries from France during the Disco era of the mid seventies. Think about this long and hard – music sank to new levels on the LP.

The psychedelic cover is fabulous and anyone could be mistaken for the contents to be at least in that ’60s era of pop music but this drivel is from 1975. Thankfully the junk only cost me £1 but I probably should have spent my money more wisely on a couple of tins of cat food for my little feline pals.

Never mind, at least I got a laugh and almost split my sides hearing these French losers trying to remake old songs by The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, 10cc and Slade. 

This LP on the Vygson label was no doubt their attempt to recreate the hits of the day in the same manner as so many of the budget labels in England at the time, like ‘Top Of The Pops’, ’12 Tops’ and ‘Chart Busters’ etc. 

At least the vocals are all in English and to be fair the Stevie Wonder mimic isn’t too bad. The bloke is probably even English.  

They tackle Pink Floyd’s well-known number “Money” and it’s the first time I’ve ever sat through every second of that song. I haven’t even heard the Pink Floyd version all the way through . . . I can’t stand anything from Pink Floyd post “Meddle” album.

A fuzz box gets a run-out for the first time for many years inside a French studio for a crappy rendition of “Satisfaction”. The singer puts on his best macho Jagger vocal and I can actually picture the fella stomping around the mike in a pair of tight pants à la Mick-style.    

A choice album cover but nothing else to get your heart purring and your jowls dripping saliva.

JACK PARNELL & HIS ORCHESTRA – “Your Top TV Themes” (Sounds Superb SPR 90035) 1974

Geoff Love & his Orchestra weren’t the only band of musicians to record popular theme tunes from ’70s TV shows. I found this LP from Jack Parnell languishing on a rack of records in Barnardo’s, Sunderland. So obviously brough it home. Another version of The Persuaders! sealed the deal!

charity shop purchase @ £1.50

back cover liners:
The twelve outstanding TV Themes on this record, the very first for Sounds Superb by Jack Parnell and his Orchestra, were specially chosen by the readers of TV Times from the range of BBC and ITV series.

Each piece of music, though intended to establish the mood of the series it accompanies, is deservedly popular in its own right.

GEOFF LOVE & HIS ORCHESTRA – “Your Favourite TV Themes” (MFP 50091) 1973

It always seems a little unjust that the theme music chosen to be associated with a certain TV programme is rarely allowed the prominence which it might deserve – it is simply featured a incidental to the programme., and tends to fade out maddeningly just as you start to think that it sounds like the sort of music you might like to hear from beginning to end.

The odds are that it will grow still further on you as you watch the same series again the following week, or the following night. But still you’re only treated to a mean thirty seconds or so of it.

Now Geoff Love has selected a further twelve of your favourite TV themes, investing them with his own attractive and popular brand of arrangement to enable you to enjoy these familiar pieces of music in their entirety.

As these sparkling numbers spring out of your TV set and on to your record-player they will serve as a permanent reminder of the programmes you enjoy and will make you realise exactly how unjust it is to fade them out after thirty seconds! 

charity shop purchase @ £2

GEOFF LOVE & HIS ORCHESTRA – “Your Top TV Themes” (MFP 5272) 1972

According to my details I bought this record from a Charity shop back in September 2021. So it’s taken nine months to get around to playing it!

As soon as I saw the tracklist I knew that it was my responsibility to bring the record home and investigate.  Come on! The Jason King Theme, The Theme from The Persuaders! and the Strange Report.

back cover liners:
How often do you hear someone say, “Do you remember such and such a series on television?” Or, “Do you remember so and so in . . . . what was it called?” 

Geoff Love & his Orchestra bring you a brand new album of top TV themes that will help you remember some of the plays and series that are showing or have been shown on television.

Geoff Love has already given us an LP of TV Western Themes (MFP 1405) and now he turns his talents and attention to a much broader field of entertainment from the world of television; the world of comedy (Sid James in Bless This House), thrillers (The Persuaders!), soap-opera (the perennial Crossroads), adventure (The Onedin line), romance (Casanova) and even sport (Match of the Day). 

The 12 themes on this LP are penned by some of the top songwriters in the country including Tom Springfield (The Troubleshooters), Laurie Johnson (Jason King) and Roger Webb (Strange Report).

Classical composers are also represented. Antonio Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons over two hundred years ago and it is the theme from the allegro of Autumn that was used for the controversial series Casanova. On this record the theme has been arranged by Geoff Love.

The other classical composer represented is Khachaturian. His theme from Spartacus (arranged by Charles / Newell on this record) was used as the theme for the successful series The Onedin Line. Indeed this theme has been so popular that it entered the pop charts.

So did two other themes included on this LP, Johnny Pearson’s Sleepy Shores, the theme from the twice-weekly serial Owen M.D. and John Barry’s catchy tune for the Tony Curtis / Roger Moore opus The Persuaders!

Here is an album of your top TV themes played with verve and panache by Geoff Love and his Orchestra. Whatever your taste in television viewing it will bring enjoyment to all the family.

charity shop purchase @ £2

LESLIE FIRST & COMBO – “Sexy Hammond” (Boulevard 4037) 1971

Sometimes the cover of a record is more entertaining that the noise coming from the actual disc at 33rpm. There is certainly a sexy woman before my eyes, in full sensual flow, wearing her baby blue see-through negligee. Perhaps she’s freaking out to The Jimi Hendrix Experience but it certainly wasn’t this disc.

The Leslie First & Combo come up with a collection of hammond organ instrumentals for the 1970s grannies and mothers in the posh houses over the road from the Council Estates.

I can picture a drunken old mare covered in lipstick, powder and paint, peeling her spuds and boiling her sprouts on a Sunday morning with this album for company.

There’s not a lot on here I can get enamoured with, not even the tunes I recognise. This is ‘Volume 2’ but I doubt that I’ll go out of my way to find the first record of sexy hammond ‘mind-blowers!’

charity shop purchase @ £1

STEREO GALAXY – “A New World Of Sound” (MFP 50004) 1972

It seems apt that I’m writing about this budget release album exactly fifty years after it’s release in 1972. Up until this year I would never have dreamed that I’d have even a passing interest for the easy-listening sounds and classical ear-bashing that this record provides.

So, here I am, one day last week buying a handful of these neglected LPs for £1 each from a seller on eBay. They’re all in tip-top condition and must have been stored away in a darkened cupboard for decades. 

As long as I can find one track worthy from the selections on offer I’m happy. To be honest most of the tracks would have had your Granny in the 1970s hitching up her tights, kicking off her slippers and getting all funky while she’s ironing her bed linen and under-garments.

Yet, after forty years freaking out to mind-bending ’60s psychedelia and untamed garage punk, I’m finding these mellow, mostly orchestrated sounds very compelling.

It’s got to be an age thing I suppose, but at £1 a record it’s a win, win, world! And just look at that spaceman on the front cover!

I’m always interested in versions of the ‘Midnight Cowboy’ theme and here is another one from Manuel who turns out to be an alias of Geoff Love. So that’s a whole new avenue for me to investigate!

This take of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ is taken from the album Manuel & the Music of the Movies, released 1970.

Back cover notes:
On this Music For Pleasure album are twelve tracks specially selected from the catalogue of EMI standard-priced Columbia albums.

Each item has been chosen to highlight the variety of repertoire and the superb stereo sound quality. The combination of first-class stereo sound, achieved by the most modern recording techniques, provides the listener with a highly entertaining LP.

“6 TOP HITS” (Avenue NUE 104) 1971

Sleeve notes are written to tell you about the record, but you do not need to be told about this record. It is the latest in the Avenue “Top Hits” series, featuring hits from the current charts, performed “in the style of the originals” by the Alan Caddy Orchestra & Singers, impeccable as ever, need we say more?!

There are no tracks on this EP that want to make me spend some time and remaster an MP3 from the disc. The version of the George Harrison hit “My Sweet Lord” is decent, so too is the novelty number “Pushbike Song”.

It’s quite ironic that someone else is singing Elton John’s “Your Song” because when the chubby Watford supporter was a jobbing session singer he was employed by Avenue Recording Ltd. 

“6 TOP HITS” (Avenue NUE 146) 1971

Sleeve notes are written to tell you about the record, but you do not need to be told about this record. It is the latest in the Avenue “Top Hits” series, featuring hits from the current charts, performed “in the style of the originals” by the Alan Caddy Orchestra & Singers, impeccable as ever, need we say more?!

Check out their impressive version  of “Hot Love” by T.Rex.

THE ROLLERS – “Turn On The Radio” / “Washington’s Birthday” (Arista 259) May 1979 

I bought this single by The Rollers on a whim. I was poking around on eBay the other day and decided to buy a record from a seller and as is the rule, I checked out his other records for sale. The Rollers “Turn On The Radio” jumped out at 50 pence.

“Turn On The Radio” is a very basic power pop tune with a catchy beat and repetitive dumb lyrics. Perfect Radio One day-time fodder. The Rollers quite rightly wanted a hit after dropping the ‘Bay City’ from their name and replacing singer Les McKeown with Duncan Faure. 

The style is similar to a lot of those ‘tight suit and skinny tie’ sounding bands from American during the late seventies such as The Cars, The Knack and The Romantics.

I’m much more interested in the B-side “Washington’s Birthday” which is a strange one to describe. It’s a big production, melodious pop rock number with a steady drum beat, piano, layered harmonies and tasty lead guitar which is quite heavy but not distracting.

What strikes me though is the flow into a semi-psychedelic guitar noise / harmony fest as the song fades out. I just wish that they stuck with this kind of noise for another thirty seconds or more.

A good sound and a good song.

THE CLIVE ALLAN ORCHESTRA & SINGERS – “Susannah’s Still Alive” (Avenue Records AVE 48) 1968

The Clive Allan Orchestra & Singers once again bring you the hits that are in the charts, we try to vary our selections to suit all tastes in Pop Music.

Here we present a selection of ballads and pop, which we hope that you will enjoy, and play to your friends, so that they too will want to buy our records as they are released.

This month we are pleased to welcome two very fine coloured singers into our organisation, Phil Turner and George Escoffery, it is Phil’s voice that you hear singing the great four tops number “Walk Away Renee”, both boys are hoping to have their own record released very soon.

Check out their rendition of the Dave Davies hit “Susannah’s Still Alive”.

Musical Direction: Alan Caddy
Produced by: Mel Gordon
Recorded at: City of London Recording Studios

AVENUE RECORDINGS LTD – “Homberg” (Avenue AVE 45) November 1967

Once again on our November issue, we have endeavoured to recreate for you the hit songs that are in the current Pop Parade.

There are two beautiful numbers from two well known Australian groups (Massachusetts) which is No. 1 at the time of our recording, and (When Will The Good Apples Fall) back up by two numbers from America and a barn storming number one from one of our own groups (Homberg).

A combination of Pop and Ballads which we hope will suit all tastes and we trust you will derive much enjoyment from this disc.

Musical Direction: Alan Caddy
Produced by: Mel Gordon
Recorded at: City of London Recording Studios

BRAD LONG – ’Tell Me’ (Voxx VXS 200.006) 1981

I recently made contact with Brad Long, who in 1980 cut one of the very first jangle pop 45s since the mid 60s. This was released on his own vanity label to good reviews despite being way ahead of the so called ’garage revival’ that would follow in the early to mid 80s….

The sound of the record was sadly marred by a mistake at the pressing plant (which Brad will explain) but despite being wholly unfashionable (at the time) and offering a somewhat lo-fi sound the 45 was a sell out and is now a sought after item.

The 45 came housed in a way cool picture sleeve showing a youthful Brad holding his beloved 12 string guitar and sporting a 60s mop top.

Brad also had the distinction of having one of his recordings on Greg Shaw’s seminal compilation LP ’Battle Of The Garages.’

The song he chose to record and offer Greg Shaw for the project was a cover version of ’Tell Me’ originally released as a USA single by The Rolling Stones in June 1964.

It was one of the very first Jagger/Richards sides chosen as an A-Side and is mostly unknown in England where it was never released as a single but hidden away on side 2 of their debut album.

Brad Long’s version is terrific and fully does the song justice. It’s a slightly faster take with a jangle pop approach and sound that reminds me very much of ’It’s Cold Outside’ by The Choir. It’s easily one of the best tracks on ’Battle Of The Garages’.

I asked Brad to fill me in on some of the important facts and details:

”First of all, about all my released recordings, I hate to make excuses but I’ve said for over 30 years that they weren’t mastered that well, especially the 45. All three songs were done at DeFord Sound Workshop here in Logansport, Indiana and when they sent in the master tape for the 45 the pressing plant was supposed to have EQ’d and compressed the tape, and mastered it loud…and they failed to do so, claiming the paperwork was improperly done and did not include these directions.

So…we were supposed to get a test pressing too, which also would have helped – instead we got 500 45’s with this lo-fi, tinny sound…grrrr… so after much haggling with the pressing plant, we just put out the records as they were and hoped for the best”.

”Most reviews were good, the only real complaint being the muddy, low sound. And strangely enough, a lot of people liked it, ha! Thought it had more of authentic garage sound to it that way – so there you go!

I’ve always preferred the mix the way it should sound, and if it comes out on Sing Sing Records on vinyl, or hopefully on CD later on, it will be the remastered version the way it’s supposed to sound. It’s not a different mix or anything like that, just a louder, punchier version of what’s already there.

’Tell Me’ had similar problems – it should have been mastered louder too, but being one song out of eight on one side of an LP, you’re going to lose some EQ, especially bass. So I understand that, but it still could have been better.

”My sound is more of a melodic garage sound, like The Flamin’ Groovies, etc., but that’s just regarding what’s been released – I’ve got other songs that lean more towards The Shadows Of Knight and Little Boy Blues sound, another genre that’s just as good.

I use an old Vox Tone Bender pedal and a great little Melody tube amp for that! I’ve also got several other Vox amps, and I still have most of the equipment used on my 45 – a Fender Stratocaster, Rickenbacker 360 guitar, the Vox Marx XII teardrop 12 string, the Vox Jaguar organ, Vox Panther bass, the Vox Royal Guarsdman amp I used in the studio, etc.”

”DeFord Sound Workshop started in 1977 as a small two-track studio in a basement on Market Street here in Logansport.

A couple of years later, they went to four-track, then eight-track, and then he closed the studio in 1986 and I bought the eight-track deck, the console, reverb unit, and some of the master tapes from Randy DeFord. The house the studio was in has since burned down”.

”But back to ’Tell Me’ – it was recorded on four tracks at DeFord Sound Workshop in 1980 with Jeff Hand on drums and tambourine, Mike Walker on backing vocals, and I played bass and guitars. I used a Rickenbacker 360 six string, a Les Paul copy (can’t remember the brand), and a Vox Mark XII teardrop. Then I used a Vox Panther bass. I gave Voxx/Bomp all this information when I submitted the tape, but for some reason it was omitted from the credits on the LP. I never found out why”.

The inspiration for ’Tell Me’ was in a fanzine I’d read with an interview with Greg Shaw where he said The Grass Roots’ version of ’Tell Me’ was one of his favourite songs. I always liked that one too, so I decided to record a version that was 1/3 The Grass Roots, 1/3 The Turtles, and 1/3 The Flamin’ Groovies, and I was pleased with the results!

I sent the tape in fairly quickly and received confirmation that my song had been chosen for Battle Of The Garages, and I was quite pleased with that good news! Later on I got my contract with the label and other paperwork, and about a year later the album came out, and stayed in print for years”.

”It’s done pretty well I think, and I admit I was a little disappointed when the CD finally came out, and I didn’t make the cut. A few months ago I sent Bomp a CD-R of a remastered version with more bass and presence, for them to use on a future reissue; in fact I suggested that they do a 30th Anniversary of Battle Of The Garages next year with all original 16 tracks – that’d be great. I’m not sure they will though, they seem to be somewhat dormant these days.

I sent them a couple of new tracks too that they liked, but they passed on them saying they aren’t going to issue anything new since Greg Shaw’s death”.

(22/01/10)

THE CLIVE ALLAN ORCHESTRA & SINGERS – “Green Tambourine” (Avenue Records AVE 50) 1968

I’m fairly new to the delights of the budget LPs on various labels such as Marble Arch, Deacon, MFP, Hallmark and several others. This is my introduction to the tiny Avenue Records label, operating out of Chingford, London.

There is a very informative website uncovering the names of the professional musicians and singers involved in this project as well as highlighting the releases during it’s short life-span.

Now that Avenue Records are on my radar I will endeavour to source more of their vintage vinyl over the coming months / years. I’m led to believe that some of their earlier releases are difficult to find mainly because the distribution didn’t really get beyond the London area.

The Clive Allan Orchestra was actually Alan Caddy, who would later put his own name to his recordings.

Avenue Recordings used several professional musicians who would further their own careers in well respected groups, Savoy Brown, Foghat and Uriah Heep. Perhaps the full story may never be known because many of the main players have since died.  

First up is their version of “Green Tambourine” originally a hit for The Lemon Pipers. 

BOBBY VEE – “Look At Me Girl” / “Save A Love” (Liberty LIB 55877) May 1966

This is a wonderful cover of a song originally written and released by little known group The Playboys Of Edinburg. Their record “Look At Me Girl” was a sizeable and popular hit 45 in Texas. 

Bobby Vee offers a faithful rendition complete with hand-claps, tambourine clatter and falsetto vocals. The basic but very catchy ever-present guitar riff makes it one of those ear-worm tunes. Perfect in every way.

Sadly the flip and non-LP cut “Save A Love” may be a little quirky but it’s ultimately forgettable.

BOBBY VEE – “Do What You Gotta’ Do” / “Thank You” (Liberty LBF 15134) September 1968

Before the release of the new 1968 Bobby Vee LP came a single “Do What You Gotta’ Do”, it was the lead off track from his album of the same name.

The song was written by popular contemporary songwriter of the day, Jim Webb, and had been a minor hit single for Bobby Vee the previous year. It was later recorded by The Four Tops who took it to the brink of the UK top 10 towards the end of 1969.

“Do What You Gotta’ Do” finds Bobby in fine voice with material suited for it. This soulful ballad with orchestration and female backing vocals should have done much better than it did. In Britain it was totally ignored, like all of his late ’60s offerings.

The B-side treads the same soulful ground and is indeed another Bobby Vee original. It was also featured on his latest long-player “Do What You Gotta Do”, and the style is very much in keeping with the mood of the album. 

BOBBY VEE – “Come Back When You Grow Up” / “Let The Four Winds Blow” (Liberty 15016) June 1967

The reflective, easy listening ballad “Come Back When You Grow Up” was first muted for release during April 1967 – promo copies were sent to radio stations, but for reasons unknown and now forgotten, the record was put back six weeks using an alternative B-side “Swahili Serenade.” 

In 1967, Liberty Records received a copy of the record “Come Back When You Grow Up” by Shadden & the King Lears, a regional hit which had been sent to them by a DJ in Oklahoma. Liberty considered releasing it, but producer Dallas Smith decided to re-cut the song with Bobby Vee.

He called Bobby to the studio where a Vicki Carr session was in progress; Vee quickly learned the song and Vicki’s musicians were used while she took her session break.

This hastily arranged, low-budget recording session gave Bobby Vee the biggest selling record of his entire career and it eventually rose to No. 3 in the US charts. The single bombed in Britain though due to a lack of promotion and limited, if any radio airtime.

On the B-side of the British and European release was the Dave Bartholomew / Fats Domino penned “Let The Four Winds Blow.”

It appears that Liberty used a two year old live track of Bobby performing this storming rhythm and blues work-out. It was part of his “Live! On Tour” 1965 album.

My copy of the single is the West Germany release housed in a picture sleeve.  

BOBBY VEE – “Beautiful People” / “I May Be Gone” (Liberty 56009) October 1967

After the Summer hit “Come Back When You Grow Up” which went Top 5 in America, Bobby Vee was back in vogue for the first time in several years.

He needed a follow-up single with hit potential and he chose “Beautiful People”, written by Kenny Gist, Jr. I’d never heard of this song writer but some research has uncovered that he wrote “Next Plane To London”, recorded by The Rose Garden.

“Beautiful People” is up-tempo, bouncy rhythm pop with female backing vocals. It’s blessed with neat drum patterns providing a racy beat on which Bobby Vee can build his soulful vocals.

The song was also a hit for Kenny O’Dell. Both versions were competing in the American charts around the same time.

The B-side “I May Be Gone’ is a Vee original, credited on the label to Robert Thomas Velline, his full name.

It’s a shame Bobby didn’t get the chance to write and record more of his own material because his songs are certainly good enough.    

“I May Be Gone” has a vague psychedelic charm, dominated by a loud pulsating bass guitar and the steady drum beat has plenty of space to weave interesting patterns.

A really good record from Bobby Vee.

BOBBY VEE – “MAYBE JUST TODAY” / “YOU’RE A BIG GIRL NOW” (LIBERTY 56014) JANUARY 1968

For his first single release of 1968 Bobby Vee once more turned to Nashville songwriter Martha Sharp who had also penned hit massive Summer of ’67 hit “Come Back When You Grow Up.”

“Maybe Just Today” is a short, chart friendly ballad with Bobby’s usual solid and soulful vocals. There is female backing behind his group, The Strangers.

The self-penned B-side, “You’re A Big Girl Now” was a track on his 1967 Liberty album “Come Back When You Grow Up.”  

This number is notable for the smooth lead vocals, probably double-tracked, to produce that perfect harmony. It also sounds like he’s been listening to his Beach Boys records! 

BOBBY VEE – “(I’m Into Lookin’ For) Someone To Love Me” / “Sunrise Highway” (Liberty LBF 15178) November 1968

During the late sixties Bobby Vee, who was best known for his teen ballads and other wimpsville tunes, adapted his style to reflect the changing times and released several worthy discs, all waiting to be re-discovered by psychedelic / garage punk snobs (like me).

“(I’m Into Lookin’ For) Someone To Love Me” is a real surprise, seeped in bubblegum melodies, twangy guitar, rattling drums and tambourine. Even better, Bobby has raided The Monkees den at RCA Victor Studio A, Hollywood, and borrowed their organ.

The song and organ sound is a dead ringer to their “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” recorded early 1967.

With its energetic rhythms and bursts of fuzz guitar, Bobby Vee has really come up with a Bubblegum inspired pop gem that will make your mind buzz with delight.

On closer inspection the song was co-written by Carol Bayer Sager and Toni Wine. After teaming up with Ron Dante, Toni provided female vocals for cartoon group The Archies.   

Bobby Vee died in 2016 but the bubblegum circle will remain unbroken forever.

BILLY BATSON – “Bring Me Ya Low Down Feelin’s” / “New York, N.Y. (Decca 32035) October 1966

Many years ago I acquired this spectacular Billy Batson 45 from a record dealer. He described the single as ‘1966 folk-rock’, which was obviously music to my ears. I had to have it. I bought it without ever hearing it first of course, this was pre YouTube era, so there was absolutely no chance of having a sneak preview.

Then out of nowhere, over a decade ago,  a blog called “Peach, Fuzz Forest” (which has since been deleted) posted an interview with Billy where he talked about this Decca record and his time with hard rock outfit Holy Moses.

I just wish that I’d copied and saved this interview because it’s now lost in the realms of blogger history for ever, like so many others.

I’m not quite sure which side was promoted and plugged to the radio stations as both sides offer the same kind of thrilling hard-edged folk-rock sound, expertly captured on tape by producer Jerry Keller at the Brill Building recording studios.

My pick is the hard-driving ’66 swinger “New York, N.Y.” which out-muscles many of the discs that became hits during that time frame.

The fierce fuzz guitar acts like a wrecking-ball behind Billy’s tough vocals bringing out all kinds of exciting sonic disturbances.  

It’s a shame that a staggering record like “New York, N.Y.” didn’t sell bazillions of copies and make an outsider type like Billy Batson a household name.

Billy died in 2017. 

I recently purchased The Action “Shadows And Reflections” 4 CD set. It’s their complete recordings from 1964 to 1968. It also includes the ‘Rolled Gold’ period of recordings that never saw the light of day in the late ’60s.

This means that my twenty year old ‘Rolled Gold’ CD has been made redundant and will go on my stack to sell on eBay soon.

But before I do that I’ll examine the sleeve notes and duplicate the words Alan King, guitarist with The Action, recounted all those years ago.

‘Rolled Gold’ represents what you might call a transitional period for the band. Gone were the days of the pill-popping mods who seemed to rave all night long. Different drugs came onto the music scene (pot, acid, etc.), so attitudes and passions changed.

We were no exception. We began to experiment with new ideas, writing songs even, which was very exciting. We wanted to play our own stuff, instead of doing covers all the time.

None of the tracks on this disc feature Pete Watson. He didn’t share our bad habits and decided to get out while he still possessed all his brain cells, probably a wise move on his part.

We continued as a four piece with yours truly playing lead guitar, but I never considered myself a ‘lead’ guitarist so we hired Ian Whiteman (keyboards / flute), who just happened to live on the same street as me, and later on – I’m not sure how long – we recruited Martin Stone (lead guitar).

The songs – all originals – were recorded as ‘demos’ for a forth-coming album that never came to fruition. The idea was to get a record company – in this case I think it was Polydor – to front the money to record them properly. Unfortunately, for reasons I can’t remember, they decided to pass. So, this is as far as we got with them.

The demos were recorded at Polydor and Advision, with the exception of “Little Boy”, which for some reason I distinctly remember being recorded in a tiny demo studio beneath a shop on Old Compton St. W1 (Tin Pan Alley), and “In My Dreams” was recorded somewhere else and produced by George Martin, who also produced the earlier Action singles on Parlophone.

Only one track, “Look At The View,” was recorded as a four piece. The rest all feature Martin Stone and Ian Whiteman. A fair number of tracks were barely more than ideas for songs, like “Brain,” which I think was made up on the spot with spontaneous vocals from Reg, and “It Really Doesn’t Matter,” with its off-the-planet backing vocals.

I could write reams about this period of the band, if only I could remember. No, seriously, I do remember lots, but most of it would bore you to tears. 

One thing I do remember about this piece of the Action is that we were really excited about what we were doing and felt we were creating something fresh and new. We really enjoyed it and we hope you do too! (Alan King)

THE VILLAGE EAST – ’Building With A Steeple’/’Tumblin’ Down’ (MGM K13774) July 1967

Years ago a song called ’Building With A Steeple’ by The Eighth Day turned up on one of those soft sike collections called ’Fading Yellow.’ For me, the song was an immediate stand-out and I bought a copy when I started collecting 60s psych 45s.

What appears to be less known is the fact that The Eighth Day version was a cover, the original recorded by a long forgotten group called The Village East during mid 1967. Both versions are cool. It appears that it’s just one of those instantly memorable flower pop songs from the summer of love. The original version uses brass instrumentation.

I do not know where The Village East hailed from but this was the only record they released. It may have come out on a small local label before the MGM release. Who knows for sure? It just seems strange to me that a young hippie group would go straight onto a major label like MGM.

The group were even overlooked in the expanded/updated ’Fuzz, Acid and Flowers’ guide.

’Building With A Steeple’ and the classy flowery folk-rock winner ’Tumblin’ Down’ on the flip were written by Ronnie Dante and Gene Allen. ’Tumblin’ Down’ and this version of ’Steeple’ still remain uncompiled and perhaps someone reading my blog entry could do the honours, as it’s a shame the songs have not been recognised yet.

Ronnie Dante became the lead vocalist with cartoon band The Archies but his best record was a bubblegum psycher called ’Janie Janie’ released on Columbia Records….a hard record to find, I’m still looking!

(08/04/13)

THE BEATEN PATH – ’Doctor Stone’/’Never Never’ (Jubilee 45-5556) December 1966

Information on The Beaten Path is scarce to say the least. When Sundazed compiled ’Doctor Stone’ on their ’Psychedelic Microdots’ CD in the early 90s they too were at a loss. It is believed that The Beaten Path hailed from Brooklyn, NY but as far as I know details of the band members are unknown.

’Doctor Stone’ is a cover version of an original song from The Leaves. This remake utilizers bongo percussion and is a tad softer around the edges with a pronounced Bo Diddley beat and tremolo guitar. The compiled version of the song on the Sundazed comp is the stereo mix from the mastertapes. I much prefer the single mono mix which I’ve uploaded to YouTube.

The slow and ’out of date’ love ballad ’Never Never’ on the flip is less exciting and sounds like a completely different group, it won’t be of course!

Both sides were arranged by John Abbott who is probably best known for his work with The Left Banke. He arranged most of their songs and also played session bass guitar for them.  

(05/04/13)

THE CLIQUE – ’Splash 1’/’Stay By Me’ (Cinema Records C-001) July 1967

Quite a lot of information exists online about The Clique so I won’t dwell too much on their history only to confirm that most of the group were in The Lavender Hour of ’I’ve Got A Way With Girls’ fame but after the latter broke up The Clique were formed out of their ashes.

From what I’ve read The Clique were a very popular outfit in Houston/Beaumont, Texas and this first 45 on local label Cinema Records proved successful enough to get Scepter Records interested to release and promote the single throughout USA. Some copies were on the Wand label but they’re extremely hard to find.

’Splash 1’ is an excellent version of the 13th Floor Elevators trippy ballad. Here, The Clique give a slightly faster take and the use of keyboards adds to the mix. It should have been a nationwide smash but it didn’t really cause much of a stir outside of Houston where it was a top selling number one hit. 

(01/04/13)

TINO AND THE REVLONS – ’Lazy Mary Memphis’/’I’m Coming Home’ (Dearborn Records D-530) September 1965

This combo had been releasing singles since the early 60s but none of them are ’Flower Bomb Songs’ worthy, I’ve checked out some early recordings on YouTube and they mostly sound like Buddy Holly and that just ain’t my scene.

My interest in them obviously lies with their Dearborn Records releases with ’I’m Coming Home’ maybe the pick of the bunch. The A-Side ’Lazy Mary Memphis’ is forgettable,

I haven’t even bothered to re-master it to the digital format. According to what I’ve read online, this side was a decent size hit in New York, so much so that it’s believed that the group relocated from Michigan to NY.

Far superior is the garage style rocker on the flip. I wonder if this side ever got played during the 60s? Probably not, as the radio stations were all a little square back in ’65 and only played top sides. ’I’m Coming Home’ is a fast organ and guitar mover that really swings.

Tino and the Revlons proved popular enough for Dearborn Records to release an album which by all accounts is a decent effort of originals and cover versions. I’ve not heard anything from it but maybe it deserves a re-issue. Probably one of the few remaining 60s albums not to get the re-issue treatment.

According to the albums liners Tino and the Revlons consisted of:

Tino (vocals)
Hoot Gibson (drums)
Johnny Caoloa (lead guitar)
Cheech (keyboards)

so who played the bass guitar?

During my research I found out that Tino was murdered in Jamaica in January 1983.

Some local thugs were mugging his wife, Tino stepped in to defend her but was then stabbed to death. I found an online newspaper report which I’ve added with this entry.

Reader comments:

Tino and The Revlons was actually from Upstate NY, the capital district area including Troy and Albany. They played local bars and toured mainly on the east coast. Every year in the late 60s and early 70s they appeared on the local MS (Jerry Lewis) telethon- almost considered the house band in the later years.

They were very popular on the local scene and played a lot of covers from many of the 60’s British invasion bands and 50’s rockers. I think there are still some band members active on the local scene in the upstate area.

Sometime in the mid to late 60’s a black organist from Troy (a graduate of Troy High) that I sort of remember as ”TB” played with Tino and the Revlons. I know he played with Tino at Eugene’s Side Door on Western Ave and I think he went on to do organ backup for a female singer (I sort of remember Maria Elena or something like that).Any idea who TB was and if he is still around Troy?

(26/03/13)

THE BLACK SHEEP – ’It’s My Mind’/’Arthur’ (Columbia 4-43666) May 1966

Here’s a group from La Canada, CA that seem to have slipped under most people’s radar, including me. I bought this single recently on a whim mainly because it was on the Columbia label and the serial number put it somewhere in mid 1966.

I’m glad I made the purchase because ’It’s My Mind’ is an excellent folk-rock jangler with an unusual spoken intro and fits perfectly on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ site…The flip ’Arthur’ is a choice rhythm and blues instro with pumping bass runs and screeching harp. The lead guitarist also lays down some solid lines….think teenbeat Butterfield Blues Band and you’ll get the picture.

Quite how this only got a score of ’3’ in ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ ?? once again demonstrates to me that some of the old sages had no ears.

I’ve also noted that The Black Sheep had two other 45s so I’m hoping to add those to my collection some day. This release, and their first of two on Columbia, got some publicity with mentions in Billboard and a full page advert in Cash Box in June 1966. The latter had some vital information about the members of Black Sheep and their line-up:

Michael Mongeon (rhythm guitar)
Buddy McCabe (bass)
Dean Pedersen (drums)
Mark Harman (vocals/organ)
Joe Masterson (lead guitar)

The producer of both sides of this disc was Jerry Riopelli who was a member of The Parade and had also produced music by The We Five and later, the excellent Brewer & Shipley material.

(25/03/13)

THE SURFARIS – ’Hey Joe Where Are You Going’/’So Get Out’ (Decca 31954) June 1966

The Surfaris need no explanation on Flower Bomb Songs as everyone has probably heard their big surf hit ’Wipe Out!’ but what isn’t that well known about them is that in their later years The Surfaris developed a tough folk rock sound.

I suppose this change of direction was necessary to survive in an ever changing music scene. Surf would have been considered yesterday’s papers in mid 1966.

It is believed that The Surfaris were one of the very first groups in the World to record ’Hey Joe’, in fact I’ve found a few debates on different forums where this particular topic has been discussed. Was it The Leaves? Was it The Surfaris? Who knows for sure?

The Surfaris probably recorded their version of ’Hey Joe’ in late 1965, this may even be pin-pointed to November 1965. Gary Usher, it seems asked David Crosby if he could lay down a recording in the studio with The Surfaris. It’s believed that Crosby was the musician who discovered this song. He had plans to record it with The Byrds, which of course they did with somewhat disappointing results.

Far more interesting for me is the ultra cool flip ’So Get Out’ which sees The Surfaris adopting an exciting mid 60s rock ’n roll style of sound.

Quite a tough sounding minor key lament and one which deserves more recognition. I love it when these experienced and professional bands decided to get with the hip sound because they usually delivered the goods.

(21/03/13)

THE GREEK FOUNTAINS – ’Buy You A Chevrolet’/’What Is Right’ (Montel-Michelle M-983) December 1966

Baton Rouge, LA was the home of The Greek Fountains, considered by many to be the number one group in the City. They were certainly prolific and released six singles on various labels in less than two years. You’d think that was virtually impossible but not for The Greek Fountains.

’Buy You A Chevrolet’ (more widely known as ’Hey Gyp’) is a cover of one of Donovan’s more direct songs and was attempted by many combo’s during the mid 60s. I’d wager that none were as energetic than this killer version with it’s Yardbirds style rave-up, snotty vocals and harmonica.

The flip ’What Is Right’ sounds like a completely different group and may have been something of an experiment coming across as bizarre country & western. Think Flying Burrito Brothers on acid.

The 45 got a mention in Billboard as a new release during December 1966.  

(18/03/13)

THE LEATHER BOY – ’Jersey Thursday’/’Black Friday’ (Parkway P-125) December 1966

If one ever needed proof that Milan a.k.a. The Leather Boy was a genius look no further than this obscure 45 on Parkway Records. I’m not convinced that it was actually released, I’ve never seen any evidence such as the label (either promo or stock copy) and no mention of the release in any of the trade magazines of the time. Long time record sleuths have never turned up any copies.

My copy is a white label test press with handwritten information on a blank label. It appears that the release would have been Parkway P-125. According to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ this serial number would have meant a December 1966 release.

I bought this recently from a Swedish record dealer. It appears that the disc originated from a dealer operating out of NYC who stated that he’d had this record in his collection for decades. I’m so glad to add this piece of wax to my collection as I tend to home in on psychedelia.

’Jersey Thursday’ is a psychedelic infused baroque masterpiece with acid dripping from the grooves. The production is quite outstanding, Milan adds to the eeriness with his unique vocal delivery. This is one of those amazing songs that remain undiscovered for many years, in this case decades, before it’s light shines brightly.

’Jersey Thursday’ is a Donovan penned composition by the way, but Milan takes the song to another level….a psychedelic level.

It appears that Milan had days of the week on his mind as the flip is ’Black Friday’…this time around there is yet more sumptuous baroque aural delight, it’s a backdrop of pumping bass runs, groovy organ and robotic drumming…..this will take your mynd to places of inner delight…total bliss.

Reader comment:

Hi Colin. I´m betting the NYC dealer (well, New Jersey) was cwbparker. I bought mine from him some years ago. He recently had another one up for auction. All three copies have the exact same handwriting. They look dead alike.

I wonder how many copies he’s got. The only person ever to say he actually owns an original with a printed label is GG/Buckeye. Cheers, Thomas.

Thomas – I bought my copy from Jens L who advised me that it originated from a NYC record dealer. I assumed it came from cwbparker.

(10/03/13)

KEVIN SHANE – ’Come Morning Time’/’I’m Gonna Change’ (World Pacific 77907) 1968

This one is a bit of a mystery. I’ve done some research but can’t find out a thing about Kevin Shane. So who was he and did he record anything before or after this 45 on World Pacific? If anyone knows please get in touch.

The big sound of ’I’m Gonna Change’ is often described in sales lists as a ’mod dancer’ (whatever that means?) I just call it a well produced 60s pop mover with some strings and things.

I’ve heard this type of mod sound by the short-lived Shotgun Express from England. Which leads me to wonder if Kevin Shane is English, as this kind of bag doesn’t sound like American pop to me even though it’s on a label out of Los Angeles.

Tommy Amato wrote both sides of the disc. The top side ’Come Morning Time’ is a little bit too twee for me.

(01/03/13)

THE NEW PHOENIX – ’Give To Me Your Love’/’Thanks’ (World Pacific 77884) 1967

The Hard Times either changed their name to the more psychedelic The New Phoenix or by the time of recording this song in October 1967 only singer Rudy Romero remained.

’Give To Me Your Love’ is a stunning flower pop assault on the senses with some lovely harmonies and a memorable melody. Mama Cass Elliot produced and it’s quite clear that she brought along some of the Mamas & The Papas magic dust to the sessions.

The group did not have another song ready to record so an instrumental version named ’Thanks’ was tagged on the B-Side.

Reader comment:

Loved, loved these guys. They played Frenchy’s in Hayward and I will never forget them!

(23/02/13)

THE JOYRIDE – ’His Blues’/’Land Of Rypap Papyr’ (World Pacific 77888) 1968

The third and final Joyride 45 was the vocal harmony instro ’Land Of Rypap Papyr’ which sounds almost like some lysergic nursery rhyme without words, just cascading harmonies. Quite a unique sounding tune with an unbelievably complex arrangement and not something that would be bought by the masses. No chance that this could have been a hit.

Far more commercial is the superb flip ’His Blues’ written by Association member Jules Alexander. This is a typical Los Angeles flower power sound with some lovely acoustic guitar, male/femme vox, tambourine and eastern style sitar. Check out the line below which indicates that we’re going on a trip….

”He’s gonna get some strychnine poison
And mix it up with some S.T.P”

I’d love to know more information about Joyride so please get in touch if you can shed some light on this obscure group.

(20/02/13)

THE JOYRIDE – ’The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine’ (World Pacific 77883) 1968

Next up for The Joyride was a cover version of ’The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine’, originally recorded in 1966 by Simon & Garfunkel. It featured on their ’Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’ album and would also be selected for the B-Side of ’The Dangling Conversation’.

The message of the song was Paul Simon’s cynical view of advertising but I don’t think The Joyride bothered too much about pushing any particular message as their version is sweet L.A. harmony pop and perfect flower power sounds for 1968.

Once again, the vocals are inspirational with some neat guitar. Clark Burroughs adds in some studio trickery into the mix. Absolute pop perfection. I don’t know how this wasn’t a hit.

Both sides of the disc had the same song.

(18/02/13)

THE JOYRIDE – ’The Crystal Ship’/’Coming Soon’ (World Pacific 77877) 1967

There were several harmony flower psych groups from Los Angeles after the initial folk-rock boom that still, to this day, have yet to receive any sort acclaim. 

The Joyride are one such group that are still unknowns, none of their songs have ever been compiled, although their sounds have circulated among psych-pop fans for several years.

It is believed that The Joyride were a studio recording outfit put together by former Hi-Lo’s member Clark Burroughs who probably had the pick of available musicians in L.A. as well as enough studio time to create such beautiful sounding flower pop.

The Joyride’s first 45 was a stunning version of one of The Doors best songs ’The Crystal Ship’. In my opinion the arrangement by Don McGinnis is as good as anything pieced together by the lauded Curt Boettcher (and that’s saying something).

All of The Joyride’s material bring to mind another classic Los Angeles male/fem vox outfit The M.C. Squared. So if you dig those guys you’re sure to flip on out to The Joyride.

(16/02/13)

SUNDAY SERVANTS – ’Who Do You Love’/’I’m Puttin’ You On’ (World Pacific 77825) April 1966

The Sunday Servants were duo Skip Knape and David Teegarden but with this 45 had a great deal of input from J.J. Cale who did just about everything from production, arranging, engineering and coming up with the backwards guitar break on ’Who Do You Love.’

This often covered blues song has never sounded so hip but I doubt many people would have heard it outside Los Angeles. According to the liners of ’Aint It Hard’ (Sundazed compilation) The Sunday Servants were not just a studio outfit but played some gigs around the City during 1966.

(28/01/13)

RAGA AND THE TALAS – ’My Group And Me’/’For Old Time’s Sake’ (World Pacific 77847) Sept 1966 

This folk-rock double sider was the work of Jackie deShannon, who wrote and produced both sides. It is believed that Raga and the Talas were a studio based outfit fronted by Jackie’s brother Randy Myers.

I’ve no doubt also that they derived the group’s name from the Ravi Shankar album titled ’Raga And Talas.’ Ravi was a World Pacific label recording artist.

’My Group And Me’ is catchy folk-rock with a driving beat and probably sold well in Los Angeles, the epicentre of 60s jangle. I think the flip ’For Old Times Sake’ is just as entertaining. 

(23/01/13)

THE SANDELLS – ’Out Front’/’Scrambler’ (World Pacific X-405) March 1964 

The Sandells recorded several 45s for World Pacific but are probably better known for their folk rocker ’Tell Us Dylan’ under the name The Sandals. However, this early 1964 single is a double sided instrumental swinger with sound effects.

Both sides feature loud motorbike revving before the group rip into some up-tempo surf guitar style rockin’ and remain uncompiled but I’m not too sure where these instros would fit. Certainly not on a garage comp.

Richard Bock is named on the label as producer. He was mainly known for producing West Coast jazz and indeed set up the Pacific Jazz label. Not sure what he would have made of The Sandells.

Keith Bickerton comment:

The Sandells guitarist John Blakeley was later a member of Stoneground, also in Stoneground were former members of the Beau Brummels, Tongue and Groove the Immediate Family and Indian Puddin’ and Pipe. They briefly lived in England and appeared in a Hammer horror movie.

(21/01/13)

During the Summer of 2012 I decided to collect as many records by Milan a.k.a. The Leather Boy as I could find. I already had a fair number in my collection but decided to concentrate my efforts on the songs he wrote for other groups.

It took me about four months to track down obscure 45s by  The Chanters, The Doughboys, The Unclaimed, Ice Cream and The Downtown Collection. I also added a few released as World Of Milan.

Milan had his own style, even when other groups recorded his songs, I could detect Milan in the mix. He definitely followed his own path of ideas and was unique.

I made six CDs and sent some contacts a copy. All I asked for was a small donation to cover my costs and the shipping etc.

Since I compiled this set, Milan has had his story told in the latest Ugly Things.

Maybe one day his work will be compiled professionally by a re-issue label, but until then here’s a retrospection of Milan’s work remastered direct from original vinyl and NOT sourced from crappy lo-fi sounding MP3s.

(23/12/12)

THE MODS – ’Ritual’/’Everybody Needs Somebody’ (Revelation VII) 1965

The Rolling Stones influence is obvious for all to hear on the 60s garage classic ’Ritual’ by a group of New Jersey teenagers calling themselves The Mods. Not the greatest name for a band but it’s one that many USA groups happened upon during the first wave of the British Invasion.

’Ritual’ is a group original but the flip ’Everybody Needs Somebody’ is a cover version. So too was their first 45 on Revelation VII released some months before this one. The Mods reverb guitar version of ’Satisfaction’ can be found on Back From The Grave – Volume 2. This record came in a picture sleeve showing the boys crouching down next to a sports car.

(23/12/12)

LINK CROMWELL – ’Crazy Like A Fox’/’Shock Me’ (Hollywood Records 1107) March 1966

My recent ’New Jersey Fragments’ 5 CD set is no longer available, I only made six copies and they all went to good homes within an hour or so of advertising them over on my Opulent Conceptions blog. Any future CD sets I compile will only be highlighted there, so bookmark the site.

I’ll write about some of the 45s featured on ’New Jersey Fragments’ over the next few weeks. One such record was this decent folk rock protest disc on Hollywood Records.

Link Cromwell was in actual fact Lenny Kaye (of the Nuggets comp fame) and some studio cats from Associated Recording Studios in Times Square, NYC.

At the time of the recording in late 1965, Lenny Kaye was residing in North Brunswick, NJ. I don’t know if the release caused any big waves outside of his home town, probably not, but for me it’s a neat little jangly folk rocker with an obvious nod to Sonny Bono.

(22/12/12)

THE TRASHMEN – ’Same Lines’/’Hanging On Me’ (Tribe Records 45-8315) April 1966

I can’t begin to tell you how much their hit ’Surfin’ Bird’ annoys the shit outta me. I simply detest it, some records have that impact on me and that is certainly one of those. It took me over 30 years to buy a Trashmen record as I thought they’d all have the same kind of dumb novelty approach, especially judging the song titles…..’Bird Dance Beat’, ’Ubangi Stomp’ and ’Bird ’65’….I’ve never heard these and don’t wish to.

’Same Lines’ is happening though. I first heard it on the comp ’Mayhem and Psychosis Volume 3’ and thought it was a real gone winner.

Pissed off Dylanesque rants with a repetitive riff. The singer just ain’t happy with life and I can see why as his girl and everyone else is giving him the ’same lines.’

The flip ’Hanging On Me’ is a superb folk-rock jangler and is still surprisingly uncompiled. The Trashmen should have explored this type of music much more often. It appears that they broke up soon after this Tribe Records release.

Mark Charron who wrote ’Hanging On Me’ was a prolific song-writer and his material was recorded by B.J. Thomas and The Partridge Family.

(09/12/12)

THE COUNTDOWNS – ’She Works All Night’/’Skies Will Be Happy To See You’ (WG Records WG-1) June 1967

Simple and effective up-tempo teenbeat without any of the studio embellishments like fuzz, wah-wah or sound FX you’d expect from something released in mid 1967. I doubt if anyone but the group themselves laid down the instrumentation, in other words no professional studio musicians.

The drummer at times is all over the place but he manages to keep everything together, although he was probably exhausted by the end of the take.

Teenbeat Mayhem! lists The Countdowns with a South Hadley Falls, MA location. As far as I know only ’Skies Will Be Happy To See You’ has been compiled before, on one of those ancient Gone albums from the mid 80s.

(08/12/12)

LINCOLN ST. EXIT – ’Who’s Been Driving My Little Yellow Taxi Cab’/’Paper Place’ (Lance Records 109/110) June 1967

The Lincoln St. Exit were a group of teenagers from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their singles are sought after especially the one on Ecco ’The Bummer’/’Sunny Sunday Dream’, but this cool two sider on Lance Records ain’t too shabby either.

Lance Records was run by Dick Stewart who also produced this 45. He was a member of local group King Richard & the Knights who had three singles on Delta.

It’s believed that ’Paper Place’ was based on popular TV show Peyton Place. Both sides were officially re-issued  back in 2000 from the masters by Bacchus Archives.

The EP also contained both sides of The Fe-Fi-Four Plus Two screamer ’I Wanna Come Back From The World Of LSD’/’Double Crossin’ Girl’.

(06/12/12)

ALIAS JADE – ’Why’/’On The Road Blues’ (Vintage Records SCV-1139) 196?

This record has had me stumped for years, nothing is written about Alias Jade on the internet (at least I’ve not found anything) and my many guide books do not list it.

I’ll take an educated guess and say that Alias Jade were a Canadian outfit (the record was manufactured in Canada) also the DJ sleeve the 45 came in states Toronto.

Both sides are late 60s psych rock with a loner vibe complete with wah-wah guitar, hammond organ and it appears to be sung by a hippie type crooner who sounds like he’s been smoking none filter cigarettes for years and downing a bottle of Jack Daniel’s before bed time. I’m not sure that his vocals fit this type of rock music.

The record is a stereo pressing, indicating late 60s, possibly early 70s release

(01/12/12)