THE SOUL AGENTS-I Just Want To Make Love To You/Mean Woman Blues U.S. Interphon IN-77022 1964
British r&b band "The Soul Agents cut just three singles in Britain on the Pye label, only one of which, their debut, was released here.
Their cover of Muddy Waters " I Just Want To Make Love To You" was launched in the U.K. as Pye 7N 15660 in June of 1964 and was released here the following month (The Rolling Stone's version appeared on their debut U.K. album in April). Their interpretation is almost poppy and not the gritty r&b that you would expect musically, reminding me a bit of The Sorrows who melded beat with r&b.
The flip side, "Mean Woman Blues" was originally cut by Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. The Soul Agents add a Bo Diddley beat to it (much like The Stones did with Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away") and transform it into a hip shaking R&b raver. It works but only just because like the A-side, what strikes me most is the incredible thin production which makes both sides sound weak and lacking power!
"I Just Want To Make Love To You" appeared eons ago on Sequel's "The R'N'B Era Volume 2:Preaching the Blues" and "Mean Woman Blues" was comped on Castle Music's "Doin' The Mod 3;Maximum R&B". Neither side is available on streaming as of yet.
SMALL FACES-"Small Faces" U.K.LP Immediate IMLP008 June 24, 1967
Upon leaving Decca records and the management clutches of the nefarious Don Arden and signing on with Andrew Loog Oldham and his Immediate records the Small Faces spent the winter/spring of 1967 popping into London's Olympic studios to record what would become their second long player (with Glyn Johns engineering and Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane producing). This was miraculously accomplished sandwiched in between TV appearances, photo shoots, radio sessions, concerts AND numerous jaunts across the channel to do TV and gigs in Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands etc. It is surprising that given that punishing schedule that the band were able to manage to record anything in between! Interestingly most, if not all of the tracks recorded were never aired live by the band.
"We went into the studio and cut these songs and then forgot about them, we didn't play this stuff live. It was all about the singles. Paul Weller told me his favorite Small Faces song was "Get Yourself Together' and I had to go look it up because I had absolutely no memory of it!"-Ian McLagan in conversation with the author 2011
The band's second album was released in June of 1967 and like their Decca debut the previous year it was untitled. Decca immediately rush released a compilation of previously released tracks and some unreleased numbers called "From The The Beginning" utilizing an outtake from the photo session for the first LP as a cover shot in an unscrupulous move to convince the public that it was a new Small Faces album. Immediate retorted with press and a radio advert stating "There is only one Small Faces album and it's on Immediate" (the commercial was also issued as a mega rare 7" promo 45). The Immediate album outsold the Decca compilation and reached number 12 in the U.K. LP charts, no mean feat considering that it contained no singles and there was no live promotion on radio or in concert of the music contained!
"Small Faces" differed vastly from it's predecessor released just over a year prior for several reasons. For starters bassist/vocalist Ronnie Lane was the lead vocalist on four of the albums twelve tracks and Ian McLagan's organ/keyboards were more audible in the mix (something seriously lacking on the Decca long player), he also sang on one track. The album also featured horns on several tracks care of member's of Georgie Fame's former backing band The Blue Flames (including trumpet player Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton and percussionist Nii Moi "Speedy" Acquaye, all recently laid off at the end of 1966 from his employ). Interestingly the feedback laced electric guitar work from the first album has vanished here in favor of mostly acoustic guitar on nearly all of the tracks! The album also featured a great deal of instruments beyond their previous guitar, bass, Hammond organ and drums formula with the previously mentioned horns joining flute, Mellotron, harpsichord, congas, tabla etc. A lot had also happened with the band since the debut of their first album chemically as well. The band were already well versed in amphetamines and hash/weed but had since experienced L.S.D. which had a major impact on their song writing while the band were all living together in London's Pimlico neighborhood at 22 Westmoreland Terrace (minus Kenney who eschewed the madness and lived back in Stepney with his parents). This was reflected not only in the lyrics and introspective lyrical themes but some of the production techniques as well.
Like the songwriting partnerships of Jagger/Richards or Lennon/McCartney , the Marriott/Lane one was not always necessarily a collaborative effort with the author of each song usually taking lead vocals on their own composition. The pair also produced the album and did a remarkable job considering they had only been recording with the band for under two years and were now producing their own records which was no mean feat!
Side One kicks off with "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me", a number that the band had previously begun work on when they were with Don Arden and Decca records (footage of them recording the song in it's infancy during the Arden/Decca era was captured by TV cameras as part of a profile on pop managers and has unfortunately vanished from YouTube). The Decca version was issued on the "From The Beginning" album but it's this version that is far superior thanks to the wonderful swirling mix of McLagan's organ meshing with a Mellotron that sends the number absolutely soaring. Lyrically it's trippy and betrays the band's hallucinogenic adventures with Marriott singing :"I see the flowers, breaking through the concrete, listen everybody I can hear them breathing". Ronnie's "Something I Want to Tell You" is carried by McLagan's wailing Hammond adding a soulful feel to Lane's anguished and introspective vocals. "Feeling Lonely" is an equally somber track like it's predecessor backed by some regal harpsichord and a barely audible Mellotron with Marriott soulfully handling lead vocals. "Happy Boys Happy", an instrumental (the album's only one), gives Mac a chance to flex his Hammond/piano skills with Kenney bashing seven bells out of his Premier kit coming across like groovy incidental TV program music before a commercial! "Things Are Going To Get Better" is another Marriott mid tempo screamer with another groovy Hammond/harpsichord mix and acoustic guitar and distinctive Ronnie Lane backing vocals. "My Way Of Giving" had previously been released by Chris Farlowe, their Immediate records label mate as his fifth single for the imprint in January as Immediate IM 041. The Faces version differs considerably thanks to Kenney's thundering drum signatures, again with Ronnie's distinctive backing vocals present.
Side One closes with "Green Circles" another Ronnie Lane sung somber number (which gave co-writing credits to Marriott's mate Mick O' Sullivan) and was allegedly inspired by a dream O'Sullivan had. It's probably the most psychedelic track on the album with some really interesting phlanging going on in the number and a wonderful mix of tack piano/harpsichord with the hypnotic title being sung like a mantra throughout the number. The band curiously "performed" it (mimed) it on German TV's "Beat Club" when they were plugging "Itchycoo Park", with some rather laughable visual effects (laughable because the show was filmed in black and white).
"Mick O' Sullivan? Songwriting credits? Give me a fucking break, he was some hanger on-mate of Steve's who dossed at our flat in Pimlico and never did anything but eat our food and smoke our dope"-Ian McLagan in conversation with the author 2011
The acoustic Steve Marriott sung "Become Like You" kicks off the second side and is another lyrically inwards looking L.S.D. inspired number, benefiting from the Mellotron and Lane's distinct backing vocals (and Marriott's spoken "ello they're playing it again" towards the fade out). The Marriott sung "Get Yourself Together" is next. It's one of the band's most famous (and popular) numbers due in no small part thanks to The Jam who began covering it live and included it on a posthumous bonus live E.P. included with their "Snap!" compilation album in 1982 (Ian McLagan frequently played it live in his last few years where it was the only Small Faces tune he regularly revisited). Ronnie's throbbing bass, Marriott's acoustic guitar and soulful vocals, Mac's piano/Hammond and Kenney's crashing drums make it the album's strongest track. The band incidentally made a promo film (view here) for it where Steve was filmed bopping down Westmoreland Terrace while the other three dressed as London's finest jump him and give him a Marx brother's style thrashing (no doubt inspired by a real life incident in which Marriott and then girlfriend and Mick Jagger's ex, Chrissie Shrimpton were taken in for questioning and both of their flats searched for drugs in February by the Metropolitan Police, curiously nothing was found!). "All Of Our Yesterdays", another Ronnie Lane vehicle, veers into East end knees up territory (a direction that would continue in the band) while Mac plays some amazing tea time orchestra keyboards punctuated by raucous shouts from the band and incredibly smooth horns from thew Blue Flames chaps giving it a wonderful Vaudeville feel. Marriott's soulfully crooned "Talk To You" had aired only a few weeks prior to the album's release as the B-side to their debut Immediate single "Here Come the Nice". It's actually one of the handful of numbers on the album with prominently audible electric guitar and is a classic Faces track encompassing all of their musical strengths! Mac's distinctive piano trill/ lick is infectious! "Show Me the way" is another somber/self introspective Ronnie Lane number characterized by plaintive lead vocals, murky bass and an Elizabethan sounding harpsichord giving it an air of sophistication! Ian McLagan's "Up The Wooden Hills To Befordshire" marks his lead vocal AND song writing debut with the band. Utilizing a phrase Ronnie Lane's Dad used at bedtime as it's title Mac has stated that the song was actually about a hashish induced stupor. It's one of the album's strongest tracks with Mac proving himself both a competent singer and composer. The saturation of mod go-go '66 organ mixed with the driving acoustic guitar, thundering drums and pounding piano make a glorious mix. If you listen carefully at the fade out you can hear Mac scream.
"Up The Wooden Hills sounds like it's about sleep but it's about hash. We used to smoke so much we'd fall asleep mid conversation and there would be holes burned in all of our clothes from it"-Ian McLagan in conversation with the author 2011
"Eddie's Dreaming", the album's closing track is the stuff of legend. It features the trumpet talent's of Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton and Harry Beckett. Thornton in addition to playing on it is the subject of the song and his legendary stoned state forms the basis of the lyrics (and is complimented by his fellow stoner and band mate Speedy Acquaye on congas/bongos). The jazzy flute (care of Lyn Dobson who had previously briefly played with Manfred Mann and later with Georgie Fame) and the driving piano in addition to the horns and percussion gives the track a distinctly laid back "chilling in the Islands" feel as Ronnie sings lazily away. After the number ends you can hear some inaudible studio conversation/giggling between Thornton and the band. Eddie's dreaming indeed.
"Eddie was ALWAYS off his nut because everyone knew Georgie Fame and his guys had THE best Jamaican ganja, so we wrote a song about him and got him and Speedy along to play on it which I suppose was the ultimate irony!"-Ian McLagan in conversation with the author 2011
The band would release their second Immediate album, "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" on May 31st the following year......
ROBB AND DEAN DOUGLAS-I Can Make It With You/'Phone Me U.S. Deram 45-DEM-7511 1967
U.K. duo Robb and Dean Douglas cut just two singles for the Deram label back home in England, however only their debut, today's item in question, was released in the U.S. Originally issued in Britain as Deram DM 132 in June 1967 it was released here in August. Unfortunately I can't tell you much about them outside of their real names being Ray French and Joe Fagin.
"I Can Make It With You" bears some resemblance to "Angel Of The Morning", as of course both were penned by Chip Taylor. Originally cut by Jackie DeShannon the previous year it leans heavily on the blue eyed soul meets M.O.R. side but despite the cheezy Righteous Brothers feel I'm blown away by the production and arrangement, which in grand Deram production tradition is nothing short of amazing with vibes, horns, angelic female backing vocals, churchy organ etc.
The flip side, "Phone Me" is far superior in my book. It's an uptempo go-go groover with piercing female backing vocals (sounding very much like The Breakaways), discotheque '66 organ and tandem lead vocals. The organ solo is over the top and from what I gather it's been a mod weekender favorite as a result!
"Phone Me" appeared on a 2008 ACME 45 box set "Circular Grooves" and both tracks are available through streaming on Spotify.
THE SMOKE-My Friend Jack/We Can Take It U.K. Columbia DB 8115 1966
"My Friend Jack" by The Smoke is a legendary debut single by the unsung English 60's quartet The Smoke, previously known as The Shots. The track immediately skirted controversy upon it's release in February 1967 due to the line "my friend Jack eats sugar lumps, sugar man hasn't got a care" (interestingly the band had an alternate even more controversial line originally recorded "my friend Jack eats sugar lumps, oh what beautiful things he sees"). The track was issued in no less than seven countries (from as far off as India to even Canada) . Sadly it only reached #45 in Britain but went to #2 in Germany where the band were far more successful (like the Creation). And much like The Creation their sole LP of the 60's was released in Germany ("It's Smoke Time" Metronome MLP 15 279 1967).
Delivered among a shimmering vibrato of tremolo laced guitar, I can't think of a more powerful debut single! The track plods along with a nifty little chord progression later embellished by a catchy but subtle guitar lick and nonsensical lyrics. The sheer power and volume of the guitar parts set it lengths beyond anything else in the British scene in '66 (besides, maybe, The Creation).
The flip, "We Can Take It" pales in comparison to the A-side in terms of power but still chugs along nicely thanks to their rocking yet simple guitar, bass and drums line up. The guitar chords are still powerful and the band thankfully did not make the mistake of re-using the guitar effect's from "My Friend Jack" on the flip.
German 45 picture sleeve Metronome B 1662 1967
Both sides have been released on a multitude of Smoke compilations that are far too numerous to mention!
THE GRAHAM BOND ORGAINZATION-"There's A Bond Between Us" U.K. LP Columbia 33SX 1750 June 30, 1965
The year of 1965 was a busy one for Dick Heckstall-Smith (sax), Jack Bruce (bass, vocals, harmonica), Graham Bond (organ, Mellotron, sax, vocals) and Ginger Baker (drums) known collectively as The Graham Bond Organisation. They released singles and not one but TWO albums on Columbia in the U.K. I have chosen to profile their second long player, "There's A Bond Between Us". My copy is actually a 1969 reissue....it was produced by Robert Stigwood.
Kicking off with a bombastic take on Jimmy Smith's "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" the album leaves the starting gate at 101 mph, though of course it's not as "full" sounding as the original owing to the limits of a quartet, but the G.B.O. make it their own thanks in no small part to Heckstall-Smith and Bond's wailing saxes providing running interference with Bond's Hammond organ (Graham Bond incidentally was the first British r&b performer to use a Hammond onstage and on recordings). Jack Bruce's original (his first composition to gain a release) "Hear Me Calling Your Name" is a catchy little number lead by his somber vocals dueling with a running sax melody. The number also sees the debut of Bond's use of the Mellotron (he would later give a demonstration of it to host Cathy McGowan on a long lost episode of "Ready! Steady! Go!" on June 23, 1965 when promoting their "Lease On Love" single which prominently featured the instrument). The band's take on "The Night Time Is the Right Time" is fairly pedestrian stuff. Musically it reminds me of the "S.N.L." house band playing right before a commercial (especially Heckstall-Smith's skronky sax solo) and it's only saved by Bruce's spirited backing vocals. Next up is the Bond original "Walkin' In The Park" (later re-recorded and released as a single in 1970). It's fairly mundane but has an interesting Hammond/Mellotron mix and as always Bond proves that he is THE master of the Hammond organ. Next up is a cover of The Mar-Key's "Last Night". Though it pales in comparison to Georgie Fame's far superior recording on his "Sweet Things" LP, it's uptempo and is still a rollicking Hammond n' horns tour de force, sweetened by the interesting use of the Mellotron in tandem with the Hammond. Side One closes with another Bond original, "Baby Can It Be True?". Once again it's the Mellotron to the fore, making the intro sound like something off the Stone's "Satanic Majesties" album. The number is a mellow affair akin to Georgie Fame's take on King Pleasure's "Moody's Mood For Love" (especially in the mellow sax that gently blows after certain lines), it's somber mood is slightly out of place on the LP but it works, especially when the churchy Hammond comes in slowly.
Side two kicks off with Ray Charles' "What'd I Say", not the best cover of it by far, but it's fairly competent with Bond ad libbing "See the girl with the topless dress on, she stays cool all night long..". Next up is "Dick's Instrumental", showcasing the wailing saxophone ability of Dick Heckstall-Smith with some groovy Organ/Mellotron interplay while Dick musically lives out his fantasy of blowing with the greats at Bird Land or The Village Vanguard. "Don't Let Go", originally cut by Roy Hamilton is slowed down and given a greasy, leering treatment with Bond growling the lyrics over the top of some cool Hammond with blasts of sleazy sax. An interpretation of Chuck Willis' "Keep A-Driving" is next. The usual Hammond/horns formula works it's magic though one can't help think that like "What'd I Say" it's merely groove filler. Freddie King's "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" is given songwriting credits as being composed by Graham Bond, regardless it's not a patch on the original and pales in comparison to the subsequent John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers version. The album closes with Ginger Baker's exotic "Camels And Elephants" . It's a far out instrumental that encompasses a Eastern melody interwoven with absolutely amazing kit bashing with Bond's sinister Hammond weaving in and out while Heckstall-Smith blows some positively amazing licks. Album closers don't come as string as this.
The album has been reissued on CD as well as all of it being included on the absolutely essential and comprehensive 4 CD set The Graham Bond Organization "Wade In The Water-Classics, Origins & Oddities" (also available to listen to on streaming services).
1. DONNIE ELBERT-"A Little Piece Of Leather" WI 377 1965
Falsetto Donnie Elbert launched his first of two Sue releases with this cut which was originally issued in the States a few months earlier (Gateway 45-757, the same label as his Sue label mate Harold Betters). "A Little Piece Of Leather" was one of Sue's most in demand releases thanks to it's massive popularity on modernist dance floors both then AND now.
Blues master Bobby Bland had a long run of U.K. releases on the Vocallion label before Sue issued his one and only single for the label rather late in their career (Sue ceased functioning less than two months after this was issued). Released almost a year after it's American debut (Duke 421) it's brassy delivery is classic Bobby at his best.
Bob & Earl released three singles on Sue in England and their 1963 smash "Harlem Shuffle (issued in the States back in October 1963 as Marc 104) was the first of them and without a doubt was their biggest selling U.K. single (a fact backed up by the 1969 Island reissue as WIP 6053 and again in 1971 on Jay Boy as BOY 25).
Inez Foxx (along with her brother Charlie) was one of the label's most prolific artists with six singles issued during 1963-1964 (four credited to Inez and two as a duo). "Ask Me" was their third, launched in May 1964 (previously issued in the States as Symbol 926 in December 1963). Curiously "Ask Me" was issued by U.K. Sue with "Hi Diddle Diddle (a previous U.S. A side) as the flip.
5. PHIL UPCHURCH COMBO-"You Can't Sit Down Pt.s 1 & 2" WI 4005 1966
Jazz guitarist/bassist Phil Upchurch had previously made his U.K. debut with this two part double sider instrumental back in July of '61 (as HMV POP 899) shortly after it's American release on Boyd. Like many of the label's sides it was a mod dance floor smash.
6. THE WALLACE BROTHERS-"Precious Words" WI 334 1964
The Wallace Brothers were a gospel/r&b combo who made their U.K. debut with this release in October, their first of three singles for the label. Originally it was released back in the States on Sims 174 in April, it was covered by Joe Cocker on the flip of his debut of the Fab Four's "I'll Cry Instead" (Decca F 11974). My copy has had everything on the label obliterated!!
One of Sue's later releases from their final singles run, the "4000 series", was this uptempo/funky number issued the previous year in America (on Duke 425). Sue's later releases varied from "contemporary" soul (like this particular record) to much older/earlier blues/R&b sides.
I first heard this track via a Small Faces slightly legit LP of a live gig from '66 in France and I immediately sourced it to Larry Williams. The lyrics are almost psychedelic in their nonsensical content ( "Whistler's Mama in her rockin' chair doin' the jerk and all the Beatles in the barber shop cuttin' off all their hair..") but the music is pure soul. Originally issued in the States on the small Los Angeles label L&W as L&W 69. This was Larry's first of two singles for the label.
9. JAMES BROWN AND THE FAMOUS FLAMES-"Night Train" WI 360 1964
James Brown's one and only Sue U.K. was the release of the mod favorite "Night Train" (originally as King 45-6514 in 1962). It was originally released in the U.K. in 1962 on Parlophone (R 4922) and was covered by Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames on the debut live album, 1964's "Rhythm And Blues At The Flamingo (Columbia 33SX 1599).
10. ELMORE JAMES-"It Hurts Me Too" Sue WI-383 1965
Bluesman Elmore James had several releases on Sue: four singles, which this was the second and an LP ("The Best Of Elmore James ILP-918 in 1965), quite ironic considering Elmore passed away in 1963, but such was his cachet among British blues connoisseurs that all of his Sue releases we wildly successful . Originally it was released in the States back in 1957 (as Chief 7004).
EPISODE SIX-Here There And Everywhere/Mighty Morris Ten U.S. Warner Brothers 5851 1966
U.K.60's pop/harmony sextet Episode Six American debut was this September 1966 release (back in England it was their third single, being issued a month prior as Pye 7N 17147) of a Fab Four track from the newly released "Revolver" long player. Episode Six are of course well known due to the fact that their lead singer Ian Gillian and bassist Roger Glover later moved on to Deep Purple.
I'm fairly bored with covers of "Here There And Everywhere" (I think my favorite is by The Fourmost).
This one isn't half bad though, the vocals are tight (harmony vocals were the bands specialty) and the musical backing is interesting because it's initially very basic (guitar, bass, Farfisa and drums) and eventually some very cool baroque woodwinds come in making it sound a bit unique.
The flip, "Might Morris Ten" (penned by bassist Roger Glover) is a hysterical tongue firmly in cheek surf/dragster song:
"C'mon everybody grab your automobile we're goin' down to the Harrow Road, I got a little old Morris and it's doin' fine although it's ninety six years old..".
The musical track (including plenty of Californian sounding "Ooo wahhh ooo" backing vocals) is a catchy American surf music sound perfectly executed and the lyrics are brilliant.
A 1939 Morris 10
Both sides are available on a host of Episode Six collections.
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