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| 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). Epic records in America 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":
Hear "So Much For Mary":
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