Great Obscure U.K. 60's R&B Sides: The Alan Bown Set Sound of '66

THE ALAN BOWN SET-Baby Don't Push Me/Everything's Gonna Be Alright U.K. Pye 7N.17084 1966

We talked about the 3rd Alan Bown Set 45 in an earlier post (where you can gather more info on the band). This was their second, released in April 1966.

"Baby Don't Push Me" has always been one of my fave A.B.S. numbers.  It's mid paced accentuated by some great horn section bits and an amazing busy bass line and of course raw vocals by Jess Roden.

"Everything's Gonna Be Alright", though not a patch on the Willie Mitchell version, still works again in no small part due to the stellar horn section but at the same time is sort of...well..pointless because it's pretty much just a tepid note for note cover that's sped up just a little bit?!

Both sides are on the Castle CD of the band's entire Pye catalog titled "Emergency 999" . "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" appeared on Sequel/Castles "Doin' The Mod Volume Two: Jump And Dance" and Past and Presents "New Directions Volume 2".

Hear "Baby Don't Push Me":

https://youtu.be/kejPMPf1fW0

Hear "Everything's Gonna Be Alright":

https://youtu.be/VjqZpn8Bs2Q?list=PLxzadJ843k-VxtUSC1zbHZ_jAX8kee9kI

Great Obscure U.K. 60's R&B Sides:Long John's Blues, with soul....

LONG JOHN BALDRY-Cuckoo/Bring My Baby Back To Me U.K. United Artists UP 1158 1966

Long John Baldry's last 45 for United Artists (his 7th with them if you include his "Long John's Blues" E.P.) before jumping ship to Pye and becoming a full on crooner is today's subject.

"Cuckoo" is possibly the most soulful thing he's even done thanks to some powerful horns that bring to mind Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and it has a funky little groove to it.   I was halfway expecting it to be a soul cover I was astonished to find it was a Mike D'Abo composition upon closer inspection of the label!

The A-side is a solid killer bit the money for me is on the flip side "Bring My Baby Back To Me" , a Baldry original that starts out as an acoustic folk blues type thing (with some great Davy Graham style picking) but builds to jazzy swing when the sax starts honking ever so faintly and out of nowhere comes the sweetest Miles Davis style trumpet that has an almost trippy feel to it. Wow. Magic. Or Magik!

"Cuckoo"/"Bring My Baby Back To Me"  became Long John's U.S. 45 debut (Ascot  2229 in early 1967). Both sides were compiled on a highly recommended double CD "Looking At Long John Baldry: The U.A. Years 1964-1966".

Hear "Bring My Baby Back To Me":

https://youtu.be/sFdDFSbZDm0?si=Nt6A2CBdsmWdby-X

Hear "Cuckoo":

https://youtu.be/alRPpHylz0k