More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera

 

ELMER GANTRY'S VELVET OPERA-Flames/What's The Point Of Leaving U.S. Epic 5-10419 1968

U.K. psychedelic rock band Elmer Gentry's Velvet Opera released six singles and an album in the U.K. with just two singles (the first of which seems more than likely not to actually exist). Today's subject was their second issued here in November of 1968 containing two tracks from their untitled album (released here as Epic BN-26415). It differs from it's British release (Direction 58-3083) as the U.K. single features "Salisbury Plain" as the B-side.

"Flames" is an interesting track that's actually quite frantic and not as remotely trippy as one would expect. It reminds me a lot of the Open Mind  but faster with it's throbbing bass and slashing guitars. There's an obligatory blistering but brief guitar solo that breaks things up a bit. The production always struck me as sounding like something from the 70's, especially the vocals. 

On the flip "What's The Point Of Leaving" sounds like a completely different band sounding like early Badfinger meets late era Idle Race, with some subtle Mellotron.  Its not unlistenable but there's nothing compelling me to play to it again either.

As mentioned earlier both tracks are available on their untitled album which has been reissued in several formats (and was even released here in America as mentioned above) and is available on streaming via Spotify. 

Hear "Flames":

 https://youtu.be/oius7z69zRU?si=PPPEIhnUbiBJaPhL

Hear "What's The Point Of Leaving":

https://youtu.be/1V6126M05tI?si=iZq4g4rfO19vPOLx

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: On U.S. Labels: Jon

 

JON-Is It Love/So Much For Mary U.S.Epic 5-10242 1967

U.K. psych act Jon (actually a quartet not a solo artist) cut just two singles, "So Much For Mary" b/w "Polly Sunday (Parlophone R 5604 June 1967) and "Is It Love" b/w "Sing Out" (Parlophone R 8249 August 1967). In typical U.S. release fashion of British 60's singles Epic records placed "Is It Love" with "So Much For Mary" on the flip as their sole American release which it the streets in October 1967. 

"Is It Love" was first introduced to me via a delightful bootleg psych/Freakbeat CD-R "Jagged Time Lapse Volume One" in the early 2000's before gaining a proper release on the excellent CD "Insane Times: 25 British Psychedelic Artyfacts From The EMI Vaults" . It's a fairly mellow song highlighted by some high pitched backing vocals, xylophone and tack piano that gives it that "Fairy tale psych" element. The high backing vocals mesh with some slick guitar licks and the whole thing has a laid back (ie "stoned") vibe to it all. The lead singer really reminds me of someone from the 70's, only I can't decide if he's more like Gerry Rafferty or Al Stewart.

The flip side "So Much For Mary" (penned by Chris Andrews) sounds like a completely different band. It's uptempo and contains this driving beat with hand claps, Penny whistle and a poppy/happy go lucky feel not unlike The Tremeloes at their sappiest. And the melody at times sounds not dissimilar to "Hang On Sloopy". 

As mentioned above "Is It Love" is available on the CD "Insane Times..." and streaming as well. "So Much For Mary" does not appear to have been released anywhere else. The band later morphed into Still Life  who made one incredible orchestrated psych pop double sided for Columbia in 1968 "What Did We Miss"/"My Kingdom Cannot Lose" (an incredible two slider that must be heard!). 

 Hear "Is It Love":

https://youtu.be/2X5W5mN94bM?si=muVDgbkB7Eo3-c-Y

Hear "So Much For Mary":

https://youtu.be/GzVqFDbm4kY?si=2WYZj70L_6wF2xhA

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Wayne Gibson

WAYNE GIBSON-Under My Thumb/Under My Thumb U.S. Pye PYE 71006 1974

British singer Wayne Gibson issued a host of singles in the U.K. in the 60's: two on Decca, two on Pye and four on Columbia to nary a trace of chart action. Fast forward to 1974 and his 1966 cover of The Rolling Stone's "Under My Thumb" (originally on Columbia DB 7911) was gaining so much traction on the Northern Soul scene that it was reissued on Pye's Disco Demand label (DDS 2001) in October 1974 and charged up the charts to a respectable #17!! Like another Pye Disco Demand Northern soul "hit" release from the 70's ( The Javells featuring Nosmo King) it was issued in the U.S. as well as a double sided promo only. 

Gibson's cover of the Rolling Stone's misogynistic "Aftermath" track is a tad more upbeat than the original thanks to the main riff being played by a keyboard that's almost hypnotic. Meshed with some chopping guitar and hand claps it's extremely catchy which no doubt added to it's dance floor popularity on the Northern Soul scene (of interesting note is Gibson's ad libbing line "ain't that peculator baby" in place of Jagger's original ad lib "ain't it the truth now baby"). 

Curiously the track has not been comped anywhere recently nor is it available on streaming! There's a clip available of him performing it with some incredibly awkward dance moves on the British kid's TV program "Crackerjack" available to view here obviously from it's 70's relaunching.

Hear "Under My Thumb":

https://youtu.be/94t-fBz657I?si=u3x3reZ3muG93gfP

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Tony Jackson With The Vibrations "You Beat Me To The Punch"

 

TONY JACKSON with THE VIBRATIONS-You Beat Me To The Punch/This Little Girl Of Mine U.S. Kapp K-639 1965

Ex-Searchers bassist/vocalist Tony Jackson had just two of his eight British singles released here. Today's item in question was the first American release of his. It was his second British single originally released as Pye 7N 15745 in December 1964 and was issued here the following month. 

"You Beat Me To The Punch" was originally cut by Mary Wells in 1962 on Motown. Curiously Tony's previous and debut British single "Bye Bye Baby" (U.K. Pye 7N 15685) was also a Mary Well tune (her debut single in fact)! Tony's version curiously sounds like what you would expect a Searchers cover of it to sound like with it's distinctly "Needles and Pins" style 12 string (acoustic) guitar intro and the decidedly Merseybeat style call and response harmonies. That said it's a pretty amazing reading of the track and it was unfortunate that the number did not gain any traction on either side of the Atlantic! (There is footage of them miming it on "Ready! Steady! Go!" viewable here).

The flip side is a reading of a Ray Charles composition called "This Little Girl Of Mine" and is a mixed bag for me. Musically it starts out really rockin' and raw but the production is absolutely dreadful, and the vocals are extremely bland and antiseptic. They're so high in the mix that they actually overpower the incredible gritty guitar work and combo organ (the song's strongest points in my estimation). 

Both sides have been collected in a number of places: two different Tony Jackson retrospective CD's "Just Like Me" (Bam Caruso) and "Watch Your Step" (Castle) as well as appearing on a few different Searchers compilations and both tracks are available via streaming. 

 Hear "You Beat Me To The Punch":

https://youtu.be/HKOtIglgjJ0?si=_Ph5iSJxKl2CKbUk

Hear "This Little Of Mine":

https://youtu.be/qmqnMYQg9yg?si=1tyS6O0aiRJ3hvkY