Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Great Obscure U.K. 60's Sides:Yesterday Man Redeemed!

CHRIS ANDREWS-Hold On/Easy Australia Decca Y7372 1967



















Chris Andrews is best known for his September '65 U.K. smash "Yesterday Man" (#3) and for penning a slew of hits for Adam Faith and Sandie Shaw.  In true classic 60's fashion of bland M.O.R. pop stars being capable of something "freaky" we have his September 1967 track "Hold On".  Our copy is Australian, it's U.K. issue was Decca F 22668. It was produced by Ken Woodman (responsible for some of our fave "easy" releases in the 60's) and unlike several of his other singles was NOT a hit.

"Hold On" starts out with some shimmering, distorted guitar worthy of The Fleur De Ly's or a Jimmy Page session that continues through the whole number giving it some real balls while Chris croons in his usual fashion.  There's some subtle organ running through the back that compliments the freaky guitar and the whole thing actually works.




















"Easy" is a piece of inoffensive pop that falls somewhere between Donovan's "Bleak City Woman" and The Kinks "Little Miss Queen Of Darkness".  He would go on to cut a slew of soppy, sappy M.O.R. tunes however there was one more redeeming point 1969's "Maker Of Mistakes" (flip of his internationally successful "Pretty Belinda") a nice slice of regal, toy town pop psych worth checking out.

"Hold On" graced  Past And Present's "New Rubble Volume Six: Painting The Time".

Hear "Hold On":

https://youtu.be/rHZgLMJ-a4g

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