October's Picks

1. SYMARIP-"Skinhead Moonstomp"
"I want all you skinheads to get up on your feet, put your braces together and boots on your feet and gimme some of that old moonstomping".

https://youtu.be/PWvRr8XxDhU

2. THE GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION-"Early In The Morning"
We here at Anorak Thing are wetting ourselves with glee with word that in November there will be a 4 CD/50 song box set of 60's Graham Bond Organization BBC recordings (pre-order here). I've always been a huge G.B.O. fan and this bluesy duet between Graham and Jack Bruce backed by Ginger Baker's solid back beat and Dick Heckstall Smith's jazzy sax is nothing short of brilliant. One of the highlight's of their classic "Sound of '65" LP.

https://youtu.be/crah-E9MN-c

3. THE KELLY BROTHERS-"Love Time"
"I want you to meet me, down at 6th Street..." So begins the Kelly Brothers hard to find 1965 45 (Simms 247 1966) but incredible call and response mid tempo soul burner with some great licks. In my estimation it's one of their strongest.  Of course it's hard to find for under $50 because someone deemed it "Northern soul" way back and well you know that goes.

https://youtu.be/xQQ0pMYRh5c

4.CHRISTOPHER COLT-"Virgin Sunrise"
"Turn down the road on a carpet of leaves, hands in pockets and breath like smoke, noise of the waking is living around me like a day in the past when the world awoke....." 
No better song about an Autumn morning has ever been written than this one off obscure 1968 Decca single by one Christopher Colt, whom I know absolutely f*ck all about.

https://youtu.be/FZP9lIjZWYs

5. DAVID BOWIE-"Do Anything You Say"
Backed by some pounding ivories, off kilter guitar, faint organ and frat rock meets Motown backing vocals the newly minted David Bowie gives it his all on his second 45 under the new moniker for what would two of three releases under Tony Hatch on the Pye label .  Released on April Fool's Day 1966  $1,500-$2,000 will secure you an original copy these days, that is if it turns up.

https://youtu.be/bm0-wd4ZRm8

6. PUSSY CAT-"La La Lu"
Gallic girl wonder Pussy Cat (real name Evelyne Courtois) had a brief career in the mid 60's covering material by The Moody Blues, Hollies, Small Faces etc.  She also did an equal number of French compositions like this amazing little ditty from her 1966 E.P. that's eminently dance-able.  Recently RPM put out a decent CD compilation of her material "Boof!-The Complete Pussycat 1966-1969" which is pretty nifty if only for this and the before mentioned host of French language versions of British 60's cuts. Dig the French TV version recorded when I was a few days old below:



7. THE SMALL FACES-"Coming Home Baby (Live On The Joe Loss Show)"
Decca have just released a 5 CD Small Faces box set "The Decca Years 1965-1967".  I sat this one out as nearly all of the tracks were previously issued on the 2 CD deluxe editions of their two Decca LP's or the decades old BBC CD, that is save four tracks recorded live for the Joe Loss Show.  I'm glad I didn't make that eccentric leap as the quality is pretty sub par to the rest of their BBC tracks.  That said this smoking instrumental version of Mel Torme's "Coming Home Baby" highlights some nifty organ/guitar work which leads me to wonder did they come up with the arrangement themselves or nick it from somebody else as it certainly bears to resemblance to either the Kai Winding or Herbie Mann instro versions I'm familiar with.

https://youtu.be/S88tUw8M0p8

8. THE REAL DON STEELE-"Tina Delgado Is Alive"
My old pal Larry Grogan of Funky 16 Corners/Iron Leg blog fame recently posted this out of sight instrumental from the late 1960's L.A. DJ Don Steele on his most recent Iron Leg podcast (download it here) that is out of this freaking world with some over the top fuzz guitar, funky Hollyweird session backing and Steele shouting "Tina Delgado is alive!" beneath a pulsing go-go organ grove.

https://youtu.be/e6gNwJmP1G0

9.  ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS-"Anything"
From Eric Burdon & The Animals first "psychedelic" album, 1967's "Winds Of Change", this is a mellow but powerful piece of music as various instruments come in bit by bit and turn it into a an opus. The strings always get me and the delay effect on the drums is subtly trippy.

https://youtu.be/NohZEMGbzFs

10. MARK MURPHY-"Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)"
Mark Murphy R.I.P. With an arrangement straight off of a late period Walker Brothers disc (or a Scott Walker solo one) comes the title track to Mark's rare as hell U.K. only Immediate album from 1966. Commercially a flop and at times a bit supper club jazz it's still an amazing record that was too "pop" for the jazzbos and too "jazz" for the pop world.

Georgie Fame:The Whole World's Shaking

There are few box sets that have generated the level of excitement for me that Polydor/Unversal's new 5 CD box set "The Whole World's Shaking: Georgie Fame Complete Records 1963-1966".  All of Fame's material recorded for the Columbia label is included: his four LP's ("Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo", "Fame At Last", "Sweet things" and "Sound Venture") plus all the singles (A's & B's) and E.P. tracks, a host of demos, live BBC session tunes, alternate versions and previously unreleased live songs and both sides of a German language 45. Completists will note that sadly owing to music rights issues it is not entirely complete as it's missing both singles the band cut in 1963 for the ska label R&B and records backing other artists at that same time (Ronnie Gordon's excellent "Shake Some Time" also on the R&B label and Perry Ford and the Sapphires "Baby Baby" on Decca from the previous year) .

Other than some ludicrously expensive Japanese remastered CD's most of this material has not seen the legitimate light of day on CD outside a German box set ("The In Crowd")  in the late 90's, the stalwart "20 Beat Classics" CD and the excellent BGP CD comp from a few years ago "Mod Classics 1964-1966". Here all of Fame's U.K. Columbia albums are faithfully reproduced in little CD album jackets and all of them sound incredible.  It still boggles the mind that some of these have not been reissued ever.  The long players offer a gamut of Fame's 60's Columbia career in a perfect encapsulation. Their legendary 1964 long playing debut  "Rhythm And Blues At The Flamingo" finds the band in their most interesting period readily mixing soul, jazz, blues, r&b and even ska.  By "Fame At Last" (released the same year) the emphasis seemed to shift more into jazz/r&b/soul. The third album, 1966's "Sweet Things" veers predominantly into soul territory and is my favorite period of 60's G.F. material (we wrote a bit about that period over here). Shortly after it's release The Blue Flames would be dissolved following the wishes of manager Rik Gunnell paving the way for Fame's jazz aspirations to come true with the follow up (also released in '66) "Sound Venture". An all out jazz affair (exception being a cover of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag"), it was recorded with The Harry South Big Band featuring a virtual who's who of British jazz musicians.  The singles and E.P. cuts tacked on as bonus tracks on each LP disc are equally amazing.  Many, like the four cuts from his 1964 ska E.P. "Blue Beat" or my fave G.F. B-side "Telegram" have never been reissued before.

There are quite a few surprises even for G.F. anorak's like me. The bonus tracks on the "Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo" disc contain three tracks from that LP's "live" session ("Parker's Mood", "Money" and "Molasses") the latter of which I had never heard before, the two others cropping up on a dodgy CD reissue on the bootleg label Rockin' Beat.  The disc also features the entire 6 song set from a 1964 BBC session they shared with The Rolling Stones  hosted by Long John Baldry and 4 tunes from the excellent oft circulated (ahem) "bootleg" from 1964 "Live at The Blue Moon, Putney". Why that entire gig was not added was not explained but I assume that was since a few of the tracks already appear in other forms here (and that some of those from the Putney gig bear some defects) we are left with just four:  "Sister Sadie", "Pig Foots", "Funky Mama" and "Signifying Monkey", all of which for anyone not familiar with the set easily surpass their live debut album.

Disc five "Bend A Little: Demos, Rarities & Outtakes" is where my head really exploded. There's 5 whopping demo cuts from an IBC session cut in 1964 that are mind blowing and were new to me.  I think they showcase Fame's organ playing better than anything else and two of the tracks ("Kidney Stew" and "Lonely Avenue") were never re-recorded anywhere else. There's a version of "Moanin'" that is incredibly faithful to the Lambert, Hendricks & Ross version and features an incredible organ solo by Fame and an equally stunning trumpet solo by Eddie "Tan Tan" Thorton and a sax solo (presumably by Peter Coe). Why this cut was never released at the time is a mystery . Presumably it was too "jazzy" for the band's 1964 long player "Fame At Last"? A rousing studio version of Louis Jordan's "Saturday Night Fish Fry" sees it's first release here with  Fame tackling it's catchy, fast delivered vocals and the band follow suit. A host of the other tracks ("Jelly Jelly Jelly", a cover of Earl Van Dyke's "Soul Stomp", the brilliant Tony Colton penned "Red Number Nine", Prince Buster's "Blackhead Chinaman", "This Is Always" and "Tan Tan's tune") all previously saw the light of day on the earlier mentioned German box set "The In Crowd" but gain their first wider release here.  One of my other favorites is the instrumental "Incense, which sees it's very first release here. In the liner notes Georgie Fame claims to have composed it though it's credited to "Fallon/Miller" (a vocal version was issued on U.K. Sue by The Anglos and Wynder K Frog cut a superior version on their debut album "Sunshine Super Frog").

In addition to the five discs there is a small hardbound book chronicling the whole story by journalist Chris Welch chock full of photos and loads input and quotes from the man himself on a host of the tracks contained within. There is also a small sleeve containing five 5 X 7 '64-'66 photos and an odd ball large size poster of Georgie in conversation with Mick Jagger.  I'm not really a poster guy in my old age but I think I would have rather had a blow up of a photo of Fame behind the Hammond at the Flamingo or a repro trade ad for an LP or 45 instead of a pic of the bored looking duo in conversation in what looks like a squat!  That said high marks to compiler Dean Rudland for putting together THE definitive Georgie Fame product of a lifetime.

"I'd LOVE to hear about your new record......but oh
will you look at the time I got to go..."

Great Obscure U.K. 60's Sides: Winston G.

WINSTON G.-Riding With The Milkman/Bye Bye Baby U.K. Decca F 12623 1967

Winston G. (also known as Winston Gawke and Winston Gork) cut 5 singles in 1965-1967. Two were on Parlophone (including his lackluster debut "Please Don't Say" b/w "Like A Baby" with backing by the Graham Bond Organization) and the remaining three on Decca.  Today's subject was his last (and in my opinion his best) before we went on to join a band called The Fox (the one on CBS of  "Mr. Carpenter"/"Seek And You Find" not the ones on Fontana).

Winston G. himself

"Riding With The Milkman" is sort of a psych pop track in a genre some would like to call "toy town psych". It starts out a bit twee and airy fairy but the wiggy phlanged bit and harpsichord help turn it into a rocking number reminiscent of something on the Small Faces first Immediate LP in bits.

And speaking of Small Faces influences.....the flip side "By Bye Baby" begins with a distorted power chord (and some thrashy guitar ala the S.F.'s first Decca album) and turns into a full on Steve Marriott styled r&b belter chugging along with some great hooks and a gritty little guitar solo that would give "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" a run for it's money.

Interestingly BOTH sides have finally seen the light of day and are available for download from iTunes. CD wise "Riding With The Milkman" is on Psychic Circle's mix "Fairy Tales Can Come True Volume 3: Let's Ride" and "Bye Bye Baby" is on their CD compilation "With The Sun In My Eyes".

Hear "Riding With The Milkman":

https://youtu.be/Phni__eDOhc

Hear "Bye Bye Baby":

https://youtu.be/Bl_s3FtNJJ0

The Zombies "Odessey And Oracle" Live 10/11/15

Pic courtesy of Joe Oshman

I have avoided "Zombies" gigs for the past decade or however long they've been dragging their "Zombies greatest hits/Blunstone solo/Argent's greatest hits" tired Casino/Cabaret act around because quite honestly it all sounded hokey (more on that in a bit) . When I first read that they would be performing their famous "Odessey (sic) And Oracle" LP in it's entirety and in it's original running order I was still skeptical. That changed when I read that remaining original members Chris White and High Grundy would be joining them for the gig (guitarist Paul Atkinson sadly having passed away in 2004) and took a chance on a ticket. My friend Joe and I duly set off to see them at the spacious Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA (after much lubrication of the British ale sort at Glenside's Union Jack's pub).

Much like Paul Weller gigs back in the 90's I ran into a host of people I knew from the past two or three decades and nearly all of them were apprehensive about the first set and hopeful about the second set of ""Odessey...".  I won't spend too much time bitterly slagging off the showbizzy first set.  They did 13 tunes, 6 of them were Zombies numbers with some nice surprises like "I Love You" , their opener (the whole set can be viewed here) and one of my faves, the jazzy "I Want You Back Again". It should have been amazing. Blunstone's voice pulled it off, Argent played his incredible electric piano but it was absolutely ruined by their guitarists using his 80's L.A. metal hair band effect on what should have been some jazzy arpeggios. In fact had they found someone not so interested in being Stevie Ray Vaughn they might have stood a chance.  Then came time to plug the new LP with long winded reminiscing by Blunstone (and Argent), I nipped off for a piss (which I waited in line for), came back then headed back out again to the bar for the two of the most expensive cans of Becks I'd ever had and they were still not finished the tales and their two tracks from the new album!!  Thankfully the trip down Argent lane only consisted of "Hold You Head Up" which thrilled a few sweatpants clad audience members (one of whom stood the entire time with his fists raised in the air, glad he was digging it, I wasn't). That went on even longer.  "Tell Her No" and then intermission time.


After 30 minutes they took the stage with Chris White looking much like my Uncle Ernie wearing one of my pinstripe jackets (and who, unlike his band mates, is immediately recognizable) complete with his trademark 60's racoon tail on his bass strap and Hugh Grundy, augmented by a young lady (who it transpires is Mrs. Chris White) joining the first set's bassist Jim Rodford on backing vocals, the previously annoying guitarist (who fortunately did not use his grungy little effects pedal) and a young man with gravity defying hair who I was told is Brian Wilson's band leader on keyboards and additional backing vocals. Before it was co-opted by every vinyl devouring hipster or slacker hack rock n' roll journo "Odessey And Oracle" was (and still is in an odd little way) a pretty special LP for me. Without sounding incredibly maudlin or a tad too personal hearing it live made me realize how much it impacted me throughout nearly all of my adult life. I heard it for the very first time from a woman in the apartment of this Johnny Fever DJ she was working for on Friday August 22, 1986. I know the date by heart as I had just buried my friend Scott "Rudie" Rosinski earlier that day. It was sort of the soundtrack to my first very intense relationship (strangely the woman seated in front of me was wearing the same perfume that said girlfriend wore making "Care Of Cell 44" a surreal experience) . In the Summer of 1987 a gang of young mods and 60's enthuiasts (myself included) trooped down to the "has been central " known as Club Bene in South Amboy, NJ to see "The Zombies". Luckily before most of us paid our admission fee we'd discovered they were a group of charlatans not much older than us (further evidenced by a friend who bought a ticket and said the set included such Zombies classics as "Nights In White Satin"). Not the first time the Zombies were rooked by impostors, but hopefully the last. The LP played on various psychedelic "journeys" (no trip complete without it) in the 80's and early 90's where the lysergic debate would ensue ever ytime: were the Zombies nice boys playing cod psychedelia or were they secretly acid eating heads? I once listened to the LP on a Walkman with a single white earpiece (pre-ear buds) running beneath my gas mask during a gas drill in the Army in 1990 which made "Butchers Tale Western Front 1914" even creepier. Though my wife and I did not have a "wedding song" it was mutually decided that it was for all intents and purposes "This Will Be Our Year"  would do the trick for us (and still does) and the first song lyrics that our daughter ever sang was from "A Rose For Emily" ("Emily can't you see") when she was not yet three to our cat Emily.

Portuguese E.P. 1968

With all that personal clobber and cobwebs out of the way to say it was a magical experience would be the gravest of understatements.  They took the stage with an announcement that there would be little dialogue in between songs and that they would just bang on (pity as I would not have minded some long winded intros about the album's creation etc) and proceeded into the majestic "Care Of Cell 44". They sounded as close to the original LP as possible, in no small part thanks to Rod's compact Mellotron (and his assisting younger hired help) and the extra backing vocalists made it work.  It was of course sheer magic to hear Messrs. Blunstone, White and Argent singing together spot on together and since there are more than just three part harmonies on the LP the extra vocal help made it like hearing the album.  It's hard to imagine the gig without Chris White.  His vocals and understated bass playing would have been sorely out of place. He got probably the longest standing ovation of all the members onstage and looked incredibly humbled and a tad misty eyed by the response.  The vocals on the acapella ending part of "Maybe After He's Gone" made the hairs on my arms stand on end while the piano/Mellotron mix on "Brief Candles" created an ethereal
dreamscape beneath their choral precision.  For me one of the highlights of the night was Chris White singing "Butcher's Tale Western Front 1914" on an empty stage with just Rod Argent playing an antique pump organ (see a snippet I filmed below)!



There were so many brilliant moments throughout the whole set that I couldn't possibly write about them all here but rest assured if this Zombies line up rolls through your town and you dig the LP the way I do you should do what you must to come up with the dough to check it out.  You shan't be disappointed.

Great Obscure U.K. 60's R&B Sides: Jack O' Diamonds

BEN CARRUTHERS & THE DEEP-Jack O' Diamonds/Right Behind You U.K. Parlophone R 5295 1965

One of the most interesting 60's British r&b 45's was by a guy who wasn't British.  Ben Carruthers (also known as Benny) was a small time American actor based in London who is best known for starring in a John Cassavetes film "Shadows" (1959) . Having managed to cross paths with Bob Dylan during Bob's 1965 U.K. tour via Albert Grossman (as immortalized in the D.A. Pennebaker film "Don't Look Back") Carruthers, according to Action/Mighty Baby member Ian Whiteman, asked the almighty Minnesotan for a song.  The response was a poem that had previously appeared on the back of Bob's "Another Side Of Bob Dylan" album which Whiteman states Bob hastily clacked out on a typewriter on the spot for Carruthers. With help from American born London based producer Shel Talmy a recording session was duly arranged for the Dylan poem now put to music by Carruthers who would be the lead vocalist.  A band was hastily assembled to back him mainly featuring a band of local architectural students called The Deep (Benny Kern-guitar, Ian Whiteman-keyboards, John ?-bass and Pete Hodgkinson-drums).  There is some conflict on exactly who played on the record as mention has been made of Jimmy Page and Nicky Hopkins involvement, which is entirely possible as both were Talmy's favorite hired guns.  Ian Whiteman states that he played a Lowery organ and that Nicky Hopkins played piano (there's no piano on the A-side however). Whiteman also asserts that the guitarist Benny Kern had equal involvement with Carruthers in crafting a song out of the poem despite his not being given song writing credits. In June 1965 the single hit the streets. Despite Great Britain being Dylan crazy at the time it did nothing and went on to become quite collectible. Three years later Fairport Convention would utilize a note for note arrangement of "Jack O Diamonds" on their untitled debut LP.

Fast forward to the spring of 1987 and yours truly is constantly snapping up British 60's LP compilations being prolifically issued by the See For Miles label.  Among them is a 1984 LP called "The R&B Scene" comprised entirely of mid 60's jazz and soul tinged British r&b. Among the gems from the Parlophone/Columbia catalog on this platter is this double sided monster by Ben Carruthers and The Deep. My mind is blown by the subtle, jazzy yet punchy sound of this 45.

"Jack O Diamonds" is a brilliant piece of music. It's coo and jazzy delivered in a hip vocal style with some tough guitars and a funky organ that evokes that mod London Mecca the Flamingo Club.  The jazzy swing and the key charges clash wonderfully with the brash playing making it full of amphetamine angst simmering below it's modern jazz exterior.

"Right Behind You", a Carruthers original that owes much to Mose Allison from it's swing and vocal delivery.  It's far more jazz than the topside with a nifty little guitar solo and some great bits where Carruthers sings along with the melody beneath a nice mix of descending bass line, piano tinkling and organ.

Ian Whiteman states that only one gig was attempted but that any further live gigs were scotched because Carruthers, despite being a "cool dude" could not sing.

Ben Carruthers

Besides being issued on the earlier mentioned LP "Jack O Diamonds" graced one of the best British r&b CD compilations ever, Zonophone's 2007 "Take My Tip:25 British Mod Artefacts From The EMI Vaults".

Hear "Jack O Diamonds":

https://youtu.be/tBIqd_u0lkM

Hear "Right Behind You":

https://youtu.be/l7jmyswGmgY

The Small Faces with P.P. Arnold

Here's the Small Faces on French TV's "Baton Rouge" show with P.P. Arnold. I love the way Marriott and Arnold are going out of their way not to look at each other....

Let's Talk About Girls Part Two: 10 More Cool U.K. 60's Girl Discs

Several years back we came up with ten U.K. 60's female vocalists records outside the usual realm of Sandie, Cilla, Dusty et al.  You can check that out here.  And here's ten more....

1. JULIE GRANT-"Stop" U.K. Pye 7N.15937 1965
Julie Grant's final U.K. single after a lengthy sixteen single and one E.P. run for Pye was this previously unreleased in the U.K. Moody Blues composition (released in the States by The Moodies which we covered here). Sticking to the Moodies arrangement but sweetened by strings and a pastoral oboe solo it's carried equally by her powerfully indignant sounding vocals and the songs incredible catchy "stops" if you'll excuse the pun.

https://youtu.be/-kz0XOly6l0

2. THE McKINLEYS-"Sweet And Tender Romance" Parlophone R5211 1964
This Carter/Lewis composition covered by Edinburgh duo Shelia and Jeannette (known collectively as The McKinleys) is best known for it's distinct guitar contributed by session man Jimmy Page but there's much much more to it as you will hear. Have a gander at them on "Ready Steady Go!" plugging it (embedding disabled by request) and see if I'm wrong:

https://youtu.be/5Rhn6mx8s_k

3. SHARON TANDY-"Look And Find" U.K. Atlantic 584137 1967
From South Africa via the U.K. this track by Sharon comes from the flip of her overblown Vanilla Fudge version style treatment of "Our Day Will Come".  The heaviness by her backing band The Fleur De Ly's is held in check and the soulfulness is intact as Sharon's strong voice pulls it all off with backing vocals that sound a bit like The Action.

https://youtu.be/_D168uV5on0

4. THE CARAVELLES-"Hey Mama You've Been On My Mind" U.K. Polydor  BM 56137 1967
From the duo who brought us the insipid "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry" comes redemption in the form of this sweeping, mournful, orchestrated folk rock piece (a cover of a track originally cut the previous year in the States by The Restless Feelin's on United Artists). Spearheaded by their angelic voices amidst a bombastic but chilling Spector-esque production courtesy of one Richard Hill (best known for his work with Sharon Tandy) it's spine tingling.

https://youtu.be/U3RZh-kq83o

5. TWINKLE-"Mickey" U.K. Instant IN 005 1969
Best known for her 1964 biker teen melodrama hit "Terry" and her Decca records stint, my money is on Twinkle for her late career soulful pop two sider from '69 on Instant (an Immediate records spin off) "Mickey" (and it's flip "Darby And Joan"). "Mickey" is full of lots of  rousing soul  licks and everything under the sun thrown in for good measure (Sweet Inspirations style backing vocals, congas, Foundations style backing brass and loads of "hey hey hey's!").

https://youtu.be/XC-lAtWV3uw


6. NITA ROSSI-"Untrue Faithful That Was You" U.K. Piccadilly 7N 35258 1965
This Gordon Mills penned 45 (also covered by Mills goldmine Tom Jones on his "What's New Pussycat" US LP) skillfully orchestrated by Johnny Harris is one of my favorite mid 60's British girl angst records.  The strings and shrill flute right before the chorus is damned infectious and Nita's vocals seems to convey that she means every word she's singing.

https://youtu.be/t-mZDTHM_Jg

Barbara Ruskin c/o http://www.barbararuskin.com/

7. BARBARA RUSKIN-"Pawnbroker Pawnbroker" U.K. President PT 217 1968
Starting off with an eerie Celtic sounding penny whistle melding with some wiggy fuzz guitar straight off a Strange Things Are Happening CD comp  track "Pawnbroker Pawnbroker" is a perfect slice of post Swinging London gritty social commentary (written by Barbara) showing it wasn't all hip in-crowd night spots, Carnaby Street shopping sprees and trust funds.

https://youtu.be/KJZV8oV9000


8. THE STOCKING TOPS-"I Don't Ever Wanna Be Kicked By You" U.K. CBS 3407 1968
Sounding completely in the vein of The Flirtations first few Deram releases this incredible Kenny Lynch composed and produced number (with arrangements by John Paul Jones in between his new Led Zeppelin commitment) was the product of two sisters Yvonne and Heather Wheatman who'd previously recorded as the duo Sue and Sunny.  It's perhaps the most soulful British female recording I've ever encountered and worth checking out if you like to dance.

https://youtu.be/N7NVU2rTg3Q

9. ANITA HARRIS-"The Playground" U.K. CBS 2991 1967
From the busy bass line intro to the lush orchestration by Alan Tew worthy of any 60's British kitsch film soundtrack Anita Harris coos over an arrangement that verges on supper club pop but with soulful handclaps and thundering drums. Top notch stuff with a catchy ending chorus repeated like a mantra: "and now only wind whistles in and out" over and over with sweeping strings and someone (probably Clem Cattini or Bobby Graham) bashing the shit out of their kit.

https://youtu.be/_ebDX-Re-JA

10. SIMONE JACKSON-"Where Am I Going" U.S. Only  American Music Makers AMM-00-2 1967
Simone Jackson cut three singles in the U.K. for Piccadilly in '62-'63 then pretty much vanished from any further music releases as far as I can tell.  I'm not entirely sure that this U.S. only release is her but it certainly sounds like it and the Jim Economides production and David Whittaker arrangement tag are a dead giveaway for a U.K. product. Not to be confused with the Tony Hatch composed Petula Clark tune of the same name, "Where Am I Going" is a somber, dreary, rainy day ballad that is layered in overwrought strings and all the pomp and spunk of the best Leslie Gore teen melodrama.

https://youtu.be/9D6xQEs6EUI