More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: The Uglys

THE UGLYS-A Good Idea/The Quiet Explosion U.S. ABC-Paramount 45-10773 1966 

Birmingham beat act The Uglys (also listed as The Uglies) cut 4 singles in the U.K. for the Pye label. Oddly the first 3 of them were released here in the States on the ABC-Paramount label (for a full Ugly's discography pop on over to our fave site which we're a frequent contributor to: 45cat).

The Uglys are best known to the world as the launch pad for one Steve Gibbons, a name that means virtually nothing to me but I've heard bandied about quite often. The band had a revolving line up but thanks to the Brumbeat website I've been able to nail down the personnel on this 45 as : Steve Gibbons (vocals/guitar), John Hustwate (bass), Jimmy O'Neill (keyboards) and Jim Holden (drums).

"A Good Idea" was their last of 3 U.S. releases (launched in February 1966). It's a mid tempo number driven along by some Farfisa and some cracking drumming behind Gibbon's laid back vocals.  The backing vocals are pretty slick too.  I like it but my real fave is on the flip and has been a fave ever since the early 90's when I first heard it on a slapdash CD comp Sequel did called "Paisley Pop". "A Quiet Explosion" could be considered a social commentary of sorts lyrically, but all that's swept aside by the absolutely insane, hypnotic carnival organ on speed trills being played beneath some amazing drumming and manic basslines.  Production is credited to one Alan A. Freeman, he was not the same as Alan Freeman the 60's British DJ, but is better known as Petula Clark's producer in the 60's prior to Tony Hatch.  Both sides incidentally are group originals.

Both sides were issued on the long out of print CD compilation "Paisley Pop" and on a out of print Ugly's CD retrospective "The Quiet Explosion".


Hear "A Good Idea":

http://youtu.be/T--Iw5dMf-M

Hear "The Quiet Explosion":

http://youtu.be/H6OYKtdotwo

Farewell To The Kidd: Johnny Kidd's Posthumous U.K. 45

JOHNNY KIDD AND THE PIRATES-Send For That Girl/The Fool U.K.  HMV POP 1559 1966

Johnny Kidd will forever be remembered for perhaps the first classic British rock n' roll record, 1960's "Shakin' All Over". But by 1966 Johnny Kidd was, by all accounts a has been. The hits were gone and life was a revolving door of 45's that went nowhere, backing band members that came and went and incessant spotty gigs up and down Great Britain for chump change.  Today's subject is his final 45, released posthumously on November 11, 1966 following his death in an accident in the group's van on October 7th on the way back from a gig in Lancashire. It also marks a milestone in my record hunting as I recently secured a copy of this 45 thanks to the eagle eye of one Sean Cavanaugh who spotted it on E-bay and gave me a bell.  I'd been seeking this single ever since I first heard it back in 1985 on See For Mile's Johnny Kidd LP comp "Rarities".

The Pirates saw many a person in their line up (the most famous being Mick Green who left to go back Billy J. Kramer as one of The Dakotas).  I think Kramer and Kidd have some interesting career parallels.  Both saw their glory days eclipsed by 1966 and both issued their final 45's with them and their backing band sharing label credits on one side and being billed as a solo performer on the other (you can read about Billy's final single with The Dakotas here) and both of their 45's attempted "new" sounds.

Johnny Kidd 1966

By the time this single was recorded (August 1966 according to the meticulous liner notes of "The Complete Johnny Kidd" CD set) The Pirates were Mick Stewart (guitar), future Deep Purple member Nicky Simper (bass) and Roger Pinner aka Roger Truth (drums). "Send For That Girl" was nothing like anything Kidd had ever recorded.  At some moments the backing brass at times sounds almost phased like the horns on The Byrd's "Artificial Energy"  meets Brian Jones "Pipes Of Pan At Joujouka" on others (during the chorus for instance ) they're playing in almost Stax style.  Kidd's voice is strong as ever and beneath it all The Pirates hold down an almost folk rock feel with a nice twangy guitar solo from Stewart.  Lee Hazlewood's "The Fool" is the complete opposite.  It starts out with a "Smokestack Lightning" style lick and is far more slower and subdued than it's top side. In fact it's pretty pedestrian, Kidd sounds boozy or bored or both and Stewart plucks along in an almost Mick Green style which is about the only thing of interest in this number.   Presumably the band's former keyboardist (who left prior to their fateful final gig) Ray Soaper supplies the organ.

Both tracks can be found on the essential EMI double CD compilation "The complete..." which contains every track ever recorded (including an alternate take of "Send For That Girl" minus the horn overdubs).

Possibly the last Johnny Kidd and The Pirates photo. Taken at Kidd's home 1966.
Left to right: Nicky Simper, Roger Truth, Mick Stewart and Johnny Kidd.

Hear "Send For That Girl":

https://youtu.be/wgt336ITeH8


Hear "The Fool":

https://youtu.be/ePyy7rir1d8

Motor City Appreciation: The Roulettes

THE ROULETTES-The Tracks Of My Tears/Jackpot U.K. Parlophone R 5419 1966

The Roulettes have always been a fave of mine since stumbling upon "The Long Cigarette" on an EMI compliation album called "My Generation" which soon sent me off to purchase their archtype compilation LP on Edsel "Russ, Bob Pete and Mod". No strangers to Motown (they'd previously tackled "Stubbon Kind Of Fellow on their 3rd Parlophone single back in December of '64 as R 5218), this would be their seventh and next to last 45 for the label.  You can read a bit about them after Parlophone here.

"Tracks of My Tears" faithfully follows the pace of the original but is interpreted in the two guitar/bass and drums formula with special use of the band's talent for harmony vocals.  It's soulful but still punchy enough to keep their "beat group" tag and no one can accuse them of attempting a Smokey Robinson & Co. carbon copy that's for sure.

It's flip, "Jackpot" is another guitar vs electric piano number in the vein of "Junk", the B-side to "The Long Cigarette". Not as gritty (or as good) as "Junk" but still pretty interesting.

Both sides are on BGO's CD reissue of their rare as hen's teeth LP "Stakes And Chips" as bonus cuts (which covers their entire Parlophone output).

Hear "The Tracks of My Tears":

http://youtu.be/VDoL0VJoQTo