Today's post explores U.K. early 70's releases by band's from the 60's OR sound like they're from the 60's!
1. THE PEDDLERS-"Tell The World We're Not In" U.K. Phillips 600 034 1970
U.K. jazz/r&b trio The Peddlers curiously were on Phillips from '64-'67 and then moved to CBS and then arrived back on Phillips in 1970 with this track that was the theme tune for the creepy post Swinging London celluloid "Goodbye Gemini", driven by some extremely funky organ work it's an incredible little tune that swings! There's an interesting U.K. TV clip of them performing it on a program with lead singer Roy Phillips literally looking like a Eugene Levy character on "SCTV"!
https://youtu.be/OyzZV-vpGGI?si=MIyMpL0F1x22jhBt
2. MICHAEL BLOUNT-"Acorn Street" U.K. CBS S 5248 1970
I can tell you nothing about Michael Blount or this tune. I discovered it during the COVID lock-down/quarantine on Spotify and immediately sought out the 45. It starts out as a mellow acoustic guitar singer/songwriter thing akin to Duncan Browne before the strings come whooshing in (check out the part where he sings "I'm just a lazy so and so") giving it a complete '67-'68 psyche pop feel that totally betrays it's 1970 release. Curiously it lasts barely a minute and a half!
https://youtu.be/yh3kEhlfMzE?si=0HboEC2kds8rxi-w
3. JIGSAW-"No Questions Asked" Germany Metronome M 25.408 1972
Jigsaw may be familiar to some of you for their massive international 1975 hit "Sky High", but the band date all the way back to 1968 when they began with a slew of highly collectible psych-pop singles for MGM, Music Factory AND Phillips. Fast forward to 1972 and they cut this infectious, catchy little ditty for the flip of the tedious Bach update of "Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring". "No Questions Asked" is a beautiful little pop exercise that could easily be from 1967 or 1968 with it's catchy/blistering fuzz guitar, organ and incredible pop hooks.
https://youtu.be/ifgn83iJ11I?si=CS1AGx9Y2D_lnRjt
4. PHILAMORE LINCOLN-"You're The One" U.S. Epic 5-10594 1970
The full story on Philamore Lincoln's "Zelig-like" musical existence can be found here, so we are going to avoid his colorful back story. Philamore's voice was interesting because he was capable of fey/waif like vocals on some stuff (like "Running By The River" b/w "Rainy Day" his 1968 single) and deeper more baritone stuff like this U.S. only single issued from his stellar 1970 long player "The North Wind Blew South", which curiously was only originally issued in the U.S. and Canada. AND there's a tasty guitar solo on it by Jimmy Page which spices the dreamy arrangement sweetened by sorrowful strings and congas.
https://youtu.be/2r86ZruuWWs?si=ZRpQct0FrO_eFDib
5. BLONDE ON BLONDE-"Castles In The Sky" Spain Ember 45.39-A 1970
South Wales Blonde On Blonde are best remembered as proto prog rockers but their debut single "Castles On The Sky" was issued in no less than eight different countries! It's one of THE trippiest songs ever with it's ethereal backing vocals, restrained fuzz guitar meshing perfectly with some Mellotron (that brings to mind Brian Jone's masterful use of the medium on "We Love You") that weave in and out of each other. This was first brought to my attention by the post Bam Caruso imprint Strange Things Are Happening on their 1990 CD "Circus Days Volume 1&2". It was promptly road tested by yours truly on a trip where it perfectly gelled among British 60's psychedelic tracks.
https://youtu.be/AK6sV4jo3nQ?si=Mh2_jvPmQkJ8Qas9
6. ANDREW BOWN-"Tarot" U.K. Parlophone R 5856 1970
Former Herd keyboardist (and future Status Quo stalwart) Andrew Bown bounced back shortly after the band's dissolution with this incredible single which was used as the theme song to a British children's TV program "Ace Of Wands" (about a stage magician who possesses supernatural powers which enable him to fight evil). Wrapped in Mellotron and some funky acoustic guitar "Tarot" is the coolest TV theme ever with Bown's unique vocals on top. Interestingly it was reissued last year by a small U.S. boutique label Think Like A Key Records.
https://youtu.be/ebQEzIRlRIU?si=FoLLjbyLBI3rW3bl
7. DON FARDON-"Belfast Boy" U.S. Decca 32696 1970
From the pen of my personal heroes Tony Colton and Ray Smith (with help from Johnny Harris) comes this ode to the late legendary Man U footballer Georgie Best by former Sorrows lead singer Don Fardon. Originally conceived for a BBC television documentary "The World Of Georgie Best", "Belfast Boy" bounces along with some incredibly cheesy synth and it's main strength is Fardon's strong lead vocals and the catchy lyrics.
https://youtu.be/gle-xiGGxZA?si=HqlJv7afO5zyFbSu
8. DAVID BOWIE-"Memory Of A Free Festival Parts One And Two" U.S. Mercury 73075 1970
"Memory Of A Free Festival" was David Bowie's second attempt to reignite the flame that burned with "Space Oddity". Sadly it failed. Written to commemorate a happening he helped create for his local Beckenham Arts Lab in August 1969 (an affair that was sadly clouded by the passing of his father), "Memory of a Free Festival" might have all the peace and love trappings in the lyrics but it's the freaky mix of Moog (played by Ralph Mace) and Bowie on a cheap chain store chord organ pushes it into an incredible sinister feel. This is especially felt on Side Two where it turns into a mantra "The sun machine is coming down and we're gonna have a party" sounds ominously like the death rattle of a doomsday cult (aided by some blistering guitar by Mick Ronson prefacing his work on "The Man Who Sold the world" album and the Moog veering close to E.L.P's "Lucky Man" a year later).
Part One:
https://youtu.be/vFbW48ro19w?si=KiuHbTGjKlDwU0Nu
Part Two:
https://youtu.be/Ye8kSJ8gxgI?si=x6Faz042KkxOAFA0
9. THE TROGGS-"The Raver" U.S.Page One 21,035 1970
By 1970 The Troggs had been on life support in the hit department for several years now and unleashed a string of raw tracks to ring in the 70's, which though lacking the desired commercial success were incredibly unique. Starting with "Come Now", a lascivious b-side they immediately followed it up with this hypnotic and lewd number led by a jaw harp, and some guitars (the bass doesn't come in until the last half a minute of the tune!) in which Reg Presley repeatedly leers "a boys not a boy and a mans not a man till he's been with a girl like my Joanne".
https://youtu.be/wQAbT_D-aq4?si=_46lpngLF5hGGUro
10. OCTOPUS-"Girlfriend" Portugal Penny Farthing N-61-1 1970
Octopus are responsible for the incredibly collectible rare 1971 pseudo prog meets flower pop LP "Restless Night" . "Girlfriend" was the flip of "Laugh At The Poor Man", their debut single released in the U.K. in late 1969 but issued in no less than four other countries in 1970 (where our Portuguese copy dates from"). "Girlfriend" is a perfect sunshine pop harmony track with some great power pop hooks that comes across like Gilbert O'Sullivan being backed by Badfinger! Members Nigel Griggs and Malcolm Green later cropped up in Split Enz!
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