More U.K. Tracks On U.S. Labels: Dave Dee Etc Get Saucy

DAVE DEE, DOZY BEAKY, MICK AND TICH-Bend It/She's So Good US Fontana F-1559 1966

60's UK quartet Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich released a host of singles in the UK but few of these were issued in the USA.  Today's topic "Bend It" was their fourth US release, being issued in October 1966 (a month after it's release in the UK as Fontana TF 746, which it reached #2 , their highest charting 45 at that time). There were stories in the UK music press at the time of it's release that US d.j.'s were complaining that the songs lyrics were too "lewd" (Wikipedia cites "N.M.E" while I am in possession of an issue of "Disc & Music Echo" stating something similar, god knows where it is, if I dig it up I shall include a scan of it here later). It is claimed that a separate version was issued with different lyrics in the US to assuage the offended d.j.'s concerns but in my 30 years of owning records by them I have yet to come across an alternate version on a 45.  However I did recently stumble upon a great piece on the amazing So Many Records So Little Time blog on the subject, which clears things up on the matter stating that there were indeed two versions issued. In the US the version with new lyrics can be differentiated from the original by a simple comma in the band's name on the label!  The copy shown above is the original "uncensored" version with a comma missing between "Dozy Beaky", subsequent "cleaned up" versions contain a comma between "Dozy Beaky"!!

Meanwhile outside the Marquee club...

"Bend It" for those who have never had the pleasure features an electric mandolin as it's main instrument giving the track a "Zorba The Greek" feel. It's not among my favorites by them because it's, well I think it's sort of a one trick pony. Not as dreadful as some of their later stuff, but it's certainly no "Hold Tight" or "Hideaway" to my ears. It was utilized in 2010 in an episode of the Fox animation series "Futurama" in the 100th episode "The Mutants Are Revolting".

The money for me is the flip, "She's So Good". Driven by some very heavy bass  it's one of their most powerful tracks with some great harmony breaks and an infectious groove thanks to that over the top bass line (the band's bassist Trevor "Dozy" Davies went to the "John Entwistle school of lead bass" which gave the band their distinct sound)!!

It was recently brought to my attention by one of my Instagram followers that the "cleaned up" version of "Bend It" with amended lyrics popped up on a 1967 US Fontana records LP compilation of songs on the label by British bands titled  "England's Greatest Hits" (MGF-27570). It's also available as a bonus track on a Repertoire CD reissue of their untitled debut 1966 U.K. LP.

Here's a pristine British Pathe promo film for "Bend It"!!:

 

 Hear "She's So Good":

https://youtu.be/HBpeVevpefg