More U.K. Obscurities: Chris Farlowe "Paint It Black"

 

CHRIS FARLOWE-Paint It Black/What Have I Been Doing U.S. Immediate ZS7 5002 1968

Poor Chris Farlowe, he hit the #1 spot in England in June 1966 with a cover of the Stone's "Out Of Time" (after previously having a halfway decent go at their "Think" on U.K. Immediate IM 023 in January 1966). Some genius at Immediate records decided that they'd try again with other Stones numbers and he released covers of "Ride On Baby" (UK Immediate IM 038 in October '66), "Yesterday's Papers" (U.K. Immediate IM 049 May 1967) and "Paint It Black" (U.K. Immediate IM 071 July 1968). But sadly he never had another hit and all of them were flops (he also cut "I'm Free" on his debut U.K. Immediate LP "The Art Of Chris Farlowe" IMLP 006 1966). 

His American Immediate output was quite slim actually, just three singles and an LP (in the U.K. with Immediate he managed 3 LP's, 2 E.P's and a staggering 13 singles). "Out Of Time" was actually issued here on MGM (K 13567 August 1966 ) alongside a single by his Immediate label mates Twice As Much (who actually had two U.S. Immediate singles on MGM). Curiously "Paint It Black" was his first U.S. release on Immediate (ZS 7 5002) in November 1967 with  Twice As Much's "You're So Good To Me" on the flip. After a failure with a stab at "Handbags And Gladrags" here on Immediate (ZS7 5005 in February 1968) they released today's release, which would be his last here on Immediate. 

Farlowe's reading of "Paint It Black" never did much for me. Art Greenslade's strings add an odd "Fiddler On The Roof" vibe to it that's just too schmaltzy for these ears and let's be honest folks you don't fuck with the classics, unless of course you're Otis Redding, which Chris Farlowe was not. His vocals, like quite a few of his Immediate releases are out of his range causing some cringe worthy portions. Next....

The flip side, "What Have I Been Doing" was originally issued in England as the flip to his incredible raga meets soul reading of "Moanin" (Immediate IM 056 June 1967)."What Have I Been Doing" is a fairly mundane ballad with some nifty little sitars and acoustic guitar in the back ground that make it interesting and brings Donovan's "Ferris Wheel" to mind or something off the first Humble Pie album. I will have to say it's grown on me quite recently!

Both sides are available on Farlowe's CD set "Out Of Time:The Immediate Anthology" and on streaming.

Hear "Paint It Black":

https://youtu.be/poJtbMq6XpM?si=9vmqbLSjxtgd_0tA

Hear "What Have I Been Doing":

https://youtu.be/j2Yj4fZFwZc?si=rnzsriXLVMc5Za8H

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: The Gates Of Eden

 

GATES OF EDEN-Mini Skirts/Girls, Girls, Girls U.S. Jubilee 45-5562 1967

British 60's quintet the Gates Of Eden cut just three singles in their home country from 1966-1967, strangely this was their only U.S. release and neither tracks on this release were ever issued in the U.K!

Australia issued both sides and France and Germany released "Mini Skirts" with different flip sides.

"Mini Skirts" is an infectious little number with a whistling intro (that continues throughout the number) and fuzz guitar, call and response falsetto backing vocals and liberal use of lots of "la la la's" along with some Nicky Hopkins style piano tinkling. The lyrics are predictably about the then fashion craze of short skirts. To my ears it's easily their most powerful track and it boggles my mind that it wasn't issued in Britain!

The flip side, "Girls Girls Girls" is equally catchy, with some VERY Beach Boys style multi layered harmony backing vocals and a decent musical backing.

Both sides are available on streaming via a Gates of Eden collection that compiles all of their 60's material titled "Too Much On My Mind: The Pye Singles As & Bs". 

Hear: "Mini Skirts":

https://youtu.be/CXLjlWvd4_4?si=P9HqVSsKhUlW9ZTC

Hear "Girls Girls Girls":

https://youtu.be/5aTQvyCcH4U?si=Dy-2QTMM5K-KYsZU

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: A New Generation

 

A New Generation-Smokey Blue's Away/She's A Soldier Boy

                                                                U.S. Imperial 66317 1968

U.K.quartet The New Generation (re-titled "A New Generation" here and on some European releases) had three singles back home for the tiny Spark label. Today's specimen was their third in Britain (Spark SRL 1007 May 1968) and their only American release, which was launched to no avail in August 1968. Imperial released a handful of odd U.K. releases during this period (The Bonzo Dog Band, Spice, The Eggy etc) which always made me curious about their motivation. 

My introduction to them came back in the early 90's when my pal and musical guru Ron Rimsite put their track "Sadie And Her Magic Mr. Galahad" on a cassette mix tape. A year or so later their "She's A Soldier Boy" popped up on a Rubble collection CD that I bought and so began my interest in the band.

"Smokey Blue's Away" I will admit is probably not one of my favorites by them. It's absolutely dead boring orchestrated MOR pop. Next...

"She's A Soldier Boy" has a grammatically confusing title (and the lyrics are pretty vague too!). Regardless it's a mellow track with a minimal musical backing with just bass,guitar, drums and organ. It has some cool harmonies, a catchy melody and this interesting part where a sped up flanged piano precedes the chorus. I like it because the melody is pretty catchy and sticks in my brain frequently. 

"Smokey Blue's Away" is on the Spark records compilation "Hello Everyone: Popsike Sparks From Denmark Street 1968-1970" on Grapefruit and available through streaming as well. "She's A Soldier Boy" is on a streaming compilation "Spark Singles Vol.2" as well as the Rubble LP "A Trip In A Painted World" (Rubble 17) and the earlier mentioned Rubble CD comp. 

Hear "Smokey Blue's Away":

https://youtu.be/MslHSYD-Gdw?si=8S4xZ2-v8EAoRmjR

Hear "She's a Soldier Boy":

https://youtu.be/hGoOcxYX4m8?si=4aSWq8hafFBuXvrc

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Tony Jackson And The Vibrations "Stage Door"

 

TONY JACKSON AND THE VIBRATIONS-Stage Door/That's What I Want U.S. Red Bird RB-10-038 1965

We profiled Liverpudlian singer/bassist (and ex-Searchers member) Tony Jackson's first (and previous) American 45 in an earlier post here.

"Stage Door" was Tony's fourth and final U.K. single for the Pye label (7N 15876 July 1965) before moving to CBS for four more singles. It was his second and final American single, launched in September 1965.

"Stage Door" (to my surprise) was a Goffin/King composition (check out Carole's demo) and rates heavy with me in the "beat/ballad" genre. It was also released in July 1965 on Reprise in the U.S and U.K. by a guy named Peter James (and produced by none other than Andrew Loog Oldham). But forget about that, the Tony Jackson one is leagues above.....I think what grabs me is the arrangement and production, not to mention Tony's delivery. The lyrics are incredible "Your dreams of fame have all come true and now I'm just a no one next to you" and the SEARING "to your your friend's I'm your chauffeur to the world I'm just a loafer living off a star..". The subtle backing of bass, drums and keyboards (piano and organ) add a rather simplistic feel that leaves it uncluttered.

The flip side, "That's What I Want" was penned by the Brit songwriting duo of John Carter and Ken Lewis. The number had previously been released by The Limeys, The Liverpool Five and The Marauders but this version to my ears is THE definitive version.  Again it's a beat ballad delivered mid tempo, very moody, very subtle and wonderfully executed. It's easily one of Tony's best releases. 

Both sides have been collected in a number of places: two different Tony Jackson retrospective CD's "Just Like Me" (Bam Caruso) and "Watch Your Step" (Castle) as well as appearing on a few different Searchers compilations and both tracks are available via streaming.

Hear "Stage Door":

https://youtu.be/ZR349NT2foE?si=KLbQdg9UI_m6ZFuK

Hear "That's What I Want":

https://youtu.be/DIWzNvjaE-0?si=CTAZbHl5VmP8eVht

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera

 

ELMER GANTRY'S VELVET OPERA-Flames/What's The Point Of Leaving U.S. Epic 5-10419 1968

U.K. psychedelic rock band Elmer Gentry's Velvet Opera released six singles and an album in the U.K. with just two singles (the first of which seems more than likely not to actually exist). Today's subject was their second issued here in November of 1968 containing two tracks from their untitled album (released here as Epic BN-26415). It differs from it's British release (Direction 58-3083) as the U.K. single features "Salisbury Plain" as the B-side.

"Flames" is an interesting track that's actually quite frantic and not as remotely trippy as one would expect. It reminds me a lot of the Open Mind  but faster with it's throbbing bass and slashing guitars. There's an obligatory blistering but brief guitar solo that breaks things up a bit. The production always struck me as sounding like something from the 70's, especially the vocals. 

On the flip "What's The Point Of Leaving" sounds like a completely different band sounding like early Badfinger meets late era Idle Race, with some subtle Mellotron.  Its not unlistenable but there's nothing compelling me to play to it again either.

As mentioned earlier both tracks are available on their untitled album which has been reissued in several formats (and was even released here in America as mentioned above) and is available on streaming via Spotify. 

Hear "Flames":

 https://youtu.be/oius7z69zRU?si=PPPEIhnUbiBJaPhL

Hear "What's The Point Of Leaving":

https://youtu.be/1V6126M05tI?si=iZq4g4rfO19vPOLx

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: On U.S. Labels: Jon

 

JON-Is It Love/So Much For Mary U.S.Epic 5-10242 1967

U.K. psych act Jon (actually a quartet not a solo artist) cut just two singles, "So Much For Mary" b/w "Polly Sunday (Parlophone R 5604 June 1967) and "Is It Love" b/w "Sing Out" (Parlophone R 8249 August 1967). In typical U.S. release fashion of British 60's singles Epic records placed "Is It Love" with "So Much For Mary" on the flip as their sole American release which it the streets in October 1967. 

"Is It Love" was first introduced to me via a delightful bootleg psych/Freakbeat CD-R "Jagged Time Lapse Volume One" in the early 2000's before gaining a proper release on the excellent CD "Insane Times: 25 British Psychedelic Artyfacts From The EMI Vaults" . It's a fairly mellow song highlighted by some high pitched backing vocals, xylophone and tack piano that gives it that "Fairy tale psych" element. The high backing vocals mesh with some slick guitar licks and the whole thing has a laid back (ie "stoned") vibe to it all. The lead singer really reminds me of someone from the 70's, only I can't decide if he's more like Gerry Rafferty or Al Stewart.

The flip side "So Much For Mary" (penned by Chris Andrews) sounds like a completely different band. It's uptempo and contains this driving beat with hand claps, Penny whistle and a poppy/happy go lucky feel not unlike The Tremeloes at their sappiest. And the melody at times sounds not dissimilar to "Hang On Sloopy". 

As mentioned above "Is It Love" is available on the CD "Insane Times..." and streaming as well. "So Much For Mary" does not appear to have been released anywhere else. The band later morphed into Still Life  who made one incredible orchestrated psych pop double sided for Columbia in 1968 "What Did We Miss"/"My Kingdom Cannot Lose" (an incredible two slider that must be heard!). 

 Hear "Is It Love":

https://youtu.be/2X5W5mN94bM?si=muVDgbkB7Eo3-c-Y

Hear "So Much For Mary":

https://youtu.be/GzVqFDbm4kY?si=2WYZj70L_6wF2xhA

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Wayne Gibson

WAYNE GIBSON-Under My Thumb/Under My Thumb U.S. Pye PYE 71006 1974

British singer Wayne Gibson issued a host of singles in the U.K. in the 60's: two on Decca, two on Pye and four on Columbia to nary a trace of chart action. Fast forward to 1974 and his 1966 cover of The Rolling Stone's "Under My Thumb" (originally on Columbia DB 7911) was gaining so much traction on the Northern Soul scene that it was reissued on Pye's Disco Demand label (DDS 2001) in October 1974 and charged up the charts to a respectable #17!! Like another Pye Disco Demand Northern soul "hit" release from the 70's ( The Javells featuring Nosmo King) it was issued in the U.S. as well as a double sided promo only. 

Gibson's cover of the Rolling Stone's misogynistic "Aftermath" track is a tad more upbeat than the original thanks to the main riff being played by a keyboard that's almost hypnotic. Meshed with some chopping guitar and hand claps it's extremely catchy which no doubt added to it's dance floor popularity on the Northern Soul scene (of interesting note is Gibson's ad libbing line "ain't that peculator baby" in place of Jagger's original ad lib "ain't it the truth now baby"). 

Curiously the track has not been comped anywhere recently nor is it available on streaming! There's a clip available of him performing it with some incredibly awkward dance moves on the British kid's TV program "Crackerjack" available to view here obviously from it's 70's relaunching.

Hear "Under My Thumb":

https://youtu.be/94t-fBz657I?si=u3x3reZ3muG93gfP