MIKE SHERIDAN'S LOT-Don't Turn Your Back On Me Babe/Stop Look And Listen U.K. Columbia DB7798 1966
First off let me start by answering a few questions about my blog: no I won't be posting audio clips with the songs I write about because A.) I don't know how, B.) there's no one to show me how and C.) I don't care. In answer to another question, I only write about 45's I've owned or still own. I've sold off most of my 60's 45 collection so on occasion I have to steal scans from elsewhere because I didn't have the foresight to scan all of the 45's I let go years back when I began the massive analog vinyl divestment.
Here we've got the very last 45 by the Birmingham, U.K. beat group fronted by Mike Sheridan. Formerly known as Mike Sheridan & the Nightriders they became Mike Sheridan's Lot for their previous 45, the brilliant "Take My Hand". The group is also known as the starting point for one Roy Wood, shortly to leave this group and join members of other "Brum beat" acts Carl Wayne & the Vikings and Danny King's Mayfair Set as The Move (in fact the Move were a functioning band for a few months by the time this 45 hit the streets in January 1966).. The A-side is a Jackie de Shannon number. Jackie's tunes were scooped up quite often by British beat acts , usually with fairly decent results and this one is a perfect example of what her tunes were capable of in the hands of competent musicians. This version is especially good because of the gutsy lead guitar riff by Roy (who adds his distinct backing vocals) throughout the number and Sheridan's strong voice. The flipside "Stop Look Listen", while not incredibly good, is not terrible either. It's a mid paced "beat number" not too dissimilar from The Roulettes or The Merseybeats when they tried mid tempo stuff. After Roy Wood's departure for The Move the band became The Nightriders for one final 45 on Polydor (of cover of The Kingsmen's "It's Only The Dog") in late 1966 before morphing (minus Sheridan) into Idle Race following the addition of one Jeff Lynne.
Sadly neither tune has turned up on CD yet and for some odd reason Edsel never issued their complete late 80's Mike Sheridan compilation LP "Birmingham Beat" on CD unlike most of their other titles, leaving these two tunes unheard of by most folks outside of us 60's anoraks.
Hear "Don't Turn Your Back On Me":
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