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PAUL & BARRY RYAN-"Keep It Out Of Sight/Missy Missy" US MGM K 13719 1967
Brit hearthrob/twins Paul & Barry Ryan, sons of Marion Ryan (the Doris Day of Britain) were splashed everywhere because of their famous mum AND their step father Harold Davidson, an agent responsible for hosts of U.K. package tours LITERALLY got them on pretty much every huge package tour in Britain (there's a great anecdote about that in Ian McLagan's autobiography where he refers to them as "Paul and Bloody Barry Ryan"). The band released a ten singles in Britain on Decca and later MGM. Five Decca sides and one MGM release came out here in the United States on MGM. Their commercial impact here was nil.
Today's piece was their seventh 45 in Britain (Decca F 12567 February 1967) and was their fifth here, issued approximately two months later. Joining the ranks of many performers reaping the benefits of Cat Steven's songwriting prowess (see more here), Paul and Baz got a crack at a number that unlike many of their peers attempts, had not been (and never was) issued by Cat himself. "Keep It Out Of Sight" is without a doubt their finest single. Produced by Mike Hurst (also producer of many of Cat's Deram sides) and arranged by band leader/film score conductor Alan Tew (also on board with Cat's Deram releases) "Keep It Out Of Sight" is one of those distinct mid 60's British records that incorporates very staid and "normal" backings like strings and horns but makes them freaky. From the shimmering violin strings creeping in behind cellos and castanets and the thundering drum breaks the number is NOT your typical M.O.R. orchestrated pop tune. Throw in marimbas and horns that sound straight off The Pretty Things oft maligned "Emotions" LP (one day I will get around to publishing a piece trying to vindicate that album) and you have a deliciously eerie pop psych opus!
The flip side, "Missy Missy" was previously issued in Britain as the A-side of their sixth single (Decca F 12520, November 1966). For some reason their British flip to "Keep It Out Of Sight", "Who Told You?" was curiously lopped off! "Missy Missy" is a dreadful M.O.R pop ditty that sounds dreadfully like The New Vaudeville Band meets The Bachelors. Aughhhhh!
"Keep It Out Of Sight" most recently appeared on two CD digipak boxes in the U.K.: "Let's Go Down And Blow Our Minds: The British Psychedelic Sound Of 1967" , a three CD set on Grapefruit and the more "mod" leaning "Halcyon Days: 60's Mod, R&B, Brit, Soul & Freakbeat Nuggets" three CD set via Strawberry. "Missy Missy"? Who cares....
Both sides are also available on the now out of print German CD compilation of Repertoire "The Best Of Paul & Barry Ryan".
Hear "Keep It Out Of Sight":
Hear "Missy Missy":
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