More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Edwards Hand

 

EDWARDS HAND-If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind/Days Of Our Life U.S. GRT GRT 13 1969

Edwards Hand grew out of the U.K. duo Picadilly Line who cut records much in the vein of The Young Idea, Twice As Much or The Truth. They cut an incredibly rare 1967 LP "The Huge World Of Emily Small" on CBS (U.K.) and four singles for the label as well from 1967-1968 with nary a ripple of public interest.

At some point in 1969 they morphed into Edwards Hand. Strangely they released a U.S. only single in '69 ("Sing Along With The Singer" b/w "Characters Number One" on the GRT label as GRT 21). Today's subject was next on the label in September 1969. Curiously it was not issued in the U.K., only America and Australia. 

"If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" is a mellow piece of orchestrated pop that has a more "mature" sound, like a hybrid of the first Genesis album meets Bill Fay (1st LP) or a more produced. The strings and churchy organ lend it an air of sophistication, no doubt thanks to the deft production hand of George Martin (possibly during a lull in Beatles recordings when he was cast out)!

The flip side, "Days Of Our Life" is my least favorite of the two at first. The strings and Celeste/harpsichord remind me a bit of the Bee Gees but the song eventually picks up it's tempo and becomes far more interesting! I think what strikes me most about both of these songs are the arrangement and production more than the actual song compositions themselves.  

Both sides are available on their sole untitled 1969 LP and the album is also on Spotify. 

Hear "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind":

https://youtu.be/hzz2a0Ar2UY?si=wRBGKv_eb3XDBnS2

Hear "Days Of Our Life":

https://youtu.be/CDeYoIOXYF0?si=3eKWs0tvhXvGqrAT

Great Forgotten U.K. 60's Sides: George Martin's Theme One

GEORGE MARTIN & HIS ORCHESTRA-Theme One/Elephants And Castles U.K. United Artists UP 1194 1967

"The Move-Flowers In The Rain" is usually the answer to a pub quiz question  in England that asks "What was the first record played on Radio One"?.  This is not correct from what I have gathered.  At 7:00 A.M. on September 30, 1967 The B.B.C. launched Radio One, their first all pop music radio station (established in the wake of the outlawing of the popular Pirate Radio) and the first sound listeners heard was Robin Scott introducing an orchestral but modern piece called "Theme One" by George Martin. Former Pirate Radio DJ Tony Blackburn then came on and played "Flowers In The Rain" .

"Theme One" first came to these ears in 1996 when the big Easy/Kitsch/Theme tune music craze began (which perfectly suited my randy dandy boy about town self) and swallowed me whole. One of my first comps of many of this genre was  "The Sound Gallery 2" which "Theme One" so elegantly closed and was pretty much required party music in my abode for the rest of the 90's.

One is immediately taken by "Theme One" with it's '66-'67 Macca style bass licks, regal trumpets, sweeping strings all under this wonderful pseudo psychedelic wash called "phasing" (aka "skying", a month after The Small Faces "Itchycoo Park" used the same technique on  drum segment) . Classical music it is not. It was later covered by Van der Graff Generator (1972) and Cozy Powell (1979) .

The B-side "Elephants And Castles" is not nearly as swinging. Based around a kitschy organ riff it's pretty Muzaky and verges on elevator music (and not really in the cool "Sound Gallery" style of easy either).

"Theme One" was issued on the essential but out of print CD compilation 'The Sound Gallery Volume two" (which is where this track first came to my attention) and on a still available CD titled "Highlights From 50 Years Of Recording" a slimmed down version of an extensive collection of his material.

Hear "Theme One":

http://youtu.be/RQyFJAfdCWU

Hear "Elephants And Castles":

http://youtu.be/Jbz2ctecMzs