Herman's Hermits Own "Revolver"

HERMAN'S HERMITS-Blaze MGM Records (U.S.) E/SE-4478 1967

Herman’s Hermits in the U.S. in the mid 1960’s (or as they’re often incorrectly referred to on many a U.S. 60’s T.V. show as “Herman and the Hermits, snigger) were like the American cola brand R.C. Cola., always #3 but hoping for higher. Indeed behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones the band ranked third in record sales in the United States as part of the “British Invasion”, something the folks at their American label, MGM, hoped would change. With lead singer Peter Noone successfully exploited/marketed as a teen idol in the States their target market was, unlike the top two, decidedly slim (the attention span of prepubescent girls was probably not a fair bet to hedge your company on). But MGM had great faith and forged on. This led to the reason where as late as the 1990’s there were still sealed copies of their LP’s to be had almost everywhere. MGM, lacking the insight or common sense actually believed their charges might one day over take The Fabs or The Stones and over pressed copies of their long players in gargantuan amounts. By the time of their sixth U.S. LP “Blaze” in October 1967 the sales market on the band had died down. Little did they or MGM know but the band had scored their last U.S. top ten hit (“There’s A Kind Of Hush” in February ‘67) and would not see the top ten again. The British Invasion was fast dying, even in the unhip and always light years behind American music industry, but no one bothered to tell MGM. “Sgt. Pepper” had all but slain everyone of the “beat group” era save The Hollies and though Herman’s Hermits still managed chart hits in the U.K., their day was pretty much done in the U.S.

“Blaze” (MGM E/SE-4478) was unleashed on the U.S. record buying public in October 1967 where it managed to reach the depressing #75 on the LP slots (it’s predecessor “There’s A Kind of Hush” clocked out at #17). It utilized two previously released U.S. singles, “Don’t Go Out Into The Rain” (May 1967, #17) and Donovan’s “Museum” (September 1967, #39), their B-sides and a slew of other new tracks. It was not released in the U.K. What’s most fascinating is it’s front sleeve. There’s a quadruple color photo image of the band squatting near a pastoral riverbank in their finest (ala Vic Singh’s shot of The Pink Floyd on “Piper At The Gates Of Dawn”) without a title or band name to be seen. Deceiving as the photo may be (the picture is about the only thing “psychedelic” about the album) it’s actually quite good.

SIDE 1:
1. Museum
2. Upstairs, Downstairs
3. Busy Line
4. Moonshine Man
5. Green Street Green

SIDE 2:
1. Don’t Go Out Into The Rain (You’re Going To Melt)
2. I Call Out Your Name
3. One Little Packet Of Cigarettes
4. Last Bus Home
5. Ace, King, Queen, Jack

The LP has some surprisingly striking numbers that are pretty good. “Museum” had previously popped up on Donovan’s U.S. Epic LP “Mellow Yellow” in March 1967 but H.H’s cut it as a single. With orchestration c/o one John Paul Jones it’s miles away from the serene Donovan version. It’s full of all of the archetype “Swinging London” era instrumentation: bold brassy horns, Latin percussion with congas, mild snatches of Hammond, multi layers of guitars etc. Hands down it’s probably one of my favorite tracks by the band. “Upstairs, Downstairs” comes from the pen of fellow Mancunian Graham Gouldman (the band were no strangers to his tracks having previously recorded his “For Your Love”, “Bus Stop” and “No Milk Today”). It’s a light piece of heavily orchestrated pop with strings, woodwinds and some harpsichord thrown into the mix focusing on your typical boy-meets-girl scenario only they're neighbors. “Moonshine Man” is by far one of the most “way out” things the band had ever attempted. From it’s hypnotic Macca-esque “Taxman” style bass line to this snatch of tweaked sitar sounding guitar (that bears a resemblance to the same effect used on The Stone’s “Mother’s Little Helper”) it’s totally uncharacteristic from their other material and was previously used to round off the B-side for “Museum”. “Green Street Green” is not The Kinks style jaunty number you would expect from it’s title but an upbeat sing-along type number (of equal vein is Side Two’s “One Little Packet Of Cigarettes”). “Last Bus Home” is as close as the band ever came to “social commentary” with Noone scowling about waiting for the bus at the end of an unsuccessful night on the pull in the clubs. Dreary, bleak but well executed and a perfect foil to the gaiety that was Petula Clark’s “I Know A Place”. “Ace, King, Queen, Jack” was the LP’s closer.  It's another number that defies what you’d expect from the hit machine that gave you “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”. From some raucous chording and some toggle switch clicking it’s more than obvious the inspiration was The Who and Noone again sings with a sneer about a loser who can’t back away from the card table. It ends with a bizarre rave up where “Punch And Judy” style voices respond to Noone’s complaining (in a very Northern accent) about the replacement of dustman by “mammoth machines that move noiselessly through the streets” and “I didn’t have the education to get a proper job…etc”. Weird, but as trippy as, well they could be.

The Repertoire label reissued the LP on CD a few years ago with a slew of bonus cuts (including the wonderful and rare Graham Gouldman number “The London Look”, originally only available on an E.P. giveaway by Yardley’s Soap), or if you live in America you can go to any good used record store/flea market/thrift store and chances are, you'll find a copy!

"Museum" mimed with live vocals on "The Smothers Brothers Show":



Hear "Moonshine Man":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz7tr-JAv2o

Hear "Upstairs, Downstairs":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqMuNlPWOik

Hear "Last Bus Home":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saRo5hr41x0

Fame Again!

I rarely spend much time here these days writing. When I do write it’s rarely about a new release and usually committed to writing about a seven inch that’s at least 40 years old. Well my friends the latest Georgie Fame CD compilation, “The Mod Classics: 1964-1966” (BGP/Ace Records) has blown my mind in such a way that I feel I cannot let it go without a word or two. I am neither in the employ of Ace records nor do I even benefit from any freebies from them so what I write comes truly from the feeling that all of you out there in Anorak-Land need to own this, pronto.

                                  "20 Beat Classics":
                                   Where it all started for most of us.

My introduction to Georgie Fame came on Christmas Day 1984 when my parents bestowed upon my sister and I a VCR. I duly went to the local supermarket (which was open on Xmas Day!) and rented one of the “Ready Steady Go!” VHS compilations and on it was Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames belting out a live, no holds barred version of their 1965 hit “Yeh Yeh”. I was blown away. Amazing stuff, from Georgie’s cool do, to his cheeky possibly stoned grin while singing and simultaneously playing his Hammond while a multi racial band backed him solidly. A few days later a friend presented me with his dad’s well worn U.S. 45 copy of “Yeh Yeh” on Imperial. The quest had begun. a track here and there on cassette’s followed from friends and by 1985 me and just about every other mod I knew on the East Coast had procured a copy of the R.S.O. Georgie Fame compilation LP “20 Beat Classics” from Midnight Records on 23rd Street in NYC. The comp spanned his brilliant U.K. Columbia sides from 1964-1966 sending me off to secure copies of his first two U.S. LP's on Imperial: "Yeh Yeh" and "Get Away". The rest was and still is, history. “20 Beat Classics” was reissued on CD in the early 90’s and till the arrival of “The Mod Classics” it was the only legit CD release of any of Georgie’s U.K. Columbia material (exception being the now difficult to find German 3 CD compilation “box set” if you will, “The In Crowd” and various budget CD comps of the same recycled tracks). Of course the highly dubious Rockin’ Beat label put together some beautiful sounding CD reissues of all of Georgie’s 60’s LP’s all with bonus 45/E.P./ureleased tracks about 6-8 years ago and his CBS years (post 1966) have been well represented with both his LP’s “Two Faces of Fame” and “The Third Face Of Fame” being reissued on CD as a double packaging by B.G.O. and various CBS groovers were compiled on “Somebody Stole My Thunder: Jazz Soul Grooves 1967-1971”. Finally someone has gotten around to plumbing the archives for the Columbia ’64-’66 stuff. Compiled and thoroughly annotated (with lots of great photos, 45, LP and E.P. scans) by Dean Rudland “The Mod Classics” not only looks great, it sounds great. Dean and Co. have left off the “hits” and went straight to lesser known singles, LP and E.P. cuts. Sadly absent are any of Georgie’s ska tracks, but the liner notes seem to indicate there is still hope that these will be dealt with another day. The tracks are as follows:

1. It's Got The Whole World Shakin'
2. Papas Got A Brand New Bag
3. El Bandido
4. Dawn Yawn
5. Get On The Right Track Baby
6. Lovey Dovey
7. See Saw
8. Soul Stomp
9. World Is Round, The
10. Monkeying Around
11. Sweet Thing
12. Something
13. Point Of No Return
14. Lil' Darlin'
15. Funny How Time Slips Away
16. Preach And Teach
17. Parchman Farm
18. Move It On Over
19. Last Night
20. Music Talk
21. Sick And Tired
22. Outrage
23. Monkey Time, The
24. Work Song

The Action-1966 Documentary

Pajamas Are OUT!:The Final Tornados Single

                       
THE TORNADOS-Is That a Ship I Hear?/Do You Come Here Often U.K. Columbia DB 7984 1966

By August 1966, the release date for the final Joe Meek produced Tornados single, the world had well and truly passed by the once innovative producer. In 1966 Meek was still pretty much utilizing his same production techniques in his apartment studio located at 304 Holloway Road that he'd been using since his first hit in 1961 (John Leyton's "Johnny Remember Me"). The Tornados at this time were Tornados in name only as none of the original member's responsible for Meek's 1962 opus "Telstar" (a U.S. and U.K. #1) were left onboard. The Tornados from December '65 until Meek's death on February 2, 1967 were ex-members of another Meek instrumental act called The Saxons. The line up was as follows: John Davis (drums), Robbie Gale (rhythm guitar), Peter Holder (lead guitar), Roger Holder (bass) and Dave Watts (keyboards).

The A-side, an instrumental called "Is That A Ship I Hear?" starts out with sound effects of seagulls and crashing waves and the trademark Meek beat and echoey, warbly guitar licks and what sounds like sleigh bells! Nothing really new or interesting as it bears all the usual Meek trademarks, in fact if you played it to me on my first listen I could not tell it was 1966 and would suspect it was from '62 or '63. The flip "Do You Come Here Often" is a fairly loungey instrumental led by organ and freely restrained from any "weirdness" (that is musical weirdness like most of Joe Meek's other productions). The real "weirdness" comes at about 2:18 minutes in when two band members begin chatting in a very campy mannerism (Gentleman #1:"I see pajama style shirts are in". Gentleman # 2 "Well pajamas are OUT, as far as I'm concerned.."). A thorough listen reveals they are more than likely two gay gentlemen out cruising and comparing notes. The record is quite risqué for it's time considering that in August 1966 homosexuality was still illegal in Great Britain. Meek, a well known homosexual, was notoriously known for cruising London's seedy underworld who fell victim to numerous blackmailers, no doubt probably supplied the dialogue to the band members.

Both tracks can be found on the Repertoire 2 CD Tornados compilation "Telstar:The Complete Tornados" which compiles all of their Decca and Columbia material for the first time in one packaging.

                               The final line-up of The Tornados

Hear "Do You Come Here Often":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6K6gxSKld8

Hear "Is That A Ship I Hear?":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVXmdFU67Q

Standard photo of Meek in the studio at 504 Holloway Road.

Mike Stax in "Ugly Things" captioned it the best:
"Joe Meek adjusts the weirdness dial".

Von der Liverpool Die Liverbirds

 THE LIVERBIRDS-Peanut Butter/Why Do You Hang Around Me Germany Star Club 148 528 STP 1965

These days seeing an all female rock n' roll band is nothing at all out of the ordinary. Sure there are still the sexist comments about them having a boyfriend or husband who's in a band or the misogynistic attitude that it's all looks and no talent, but knuckledraggers aside in the 60's there weren't too many all girl bands who played on their own records. Certainly not in working class 1962 Liverpool, England where this group were formed. Comprised of the late Pamela Birch-lead vocals/guitar, Mary McGlory-bass/vocals, Valene Gell-guitar/vocals and Sylvia Saunders-drums they moved to Hamburg, Germany (already home to many Liverpool ex-pat rockers like The Remo Four and Lee Curtis, but to name a few) where they became quite successful. They were signed to the Star Club label where they cut two LP's and four singles, one of which, a cover of Bo Diddley's "Diddley Daddy", went to #5 in the German charts.

The 7" in question here features a cover of the Marathon's 1961 track "Peanut Butter". It was their third of four singles recorded for the Star Club label. Oddly I can find no information to suggest any of their singles came out in the U.K. though this single received a U.S. pressing (Phillips 40288). "Peanut Butter" is a passable cover that pretty much sticks to the formula and is easily bested by the Big Three's version (Decca F 11752 1963). However it's the flip that provides a stroke of brilliance, an original written by lead singer Pamela Birch called "Why Do You Hang Around Me". It's moody beat-ballad with some cool backing vocals and a lovely little amped up guitar solo. The whole song has a bleak production that reeks of mid 60's dreariness: black and white, rain, stale pints and Woodbines with Pam singing from the point of view of a gal who's being used by her ex. It's probably the best "girl group" record ever made in my estimation, made even better by the fact that they wrote it, sang on it AND played it on it! Live the band were pretty raw and trashy as you can see/hear from the "Beat Club" clips below, no doubt influencing generations of trashy women rock n' roll combos (esp. in Medway with the Delmonas and The Headcoatees).

Both tracks were comped in the 90's on one of the "Girls In The Garage" LP series but I'm not 100% certain if they made it onto CD!

ADDENDUM:

In 2010 Ace records issued a CD compilation by The Liverbirds of all of their material titled "From Merseyside To Hamburg:The Complete Star Club Recordings"!

Hear "Why Do You Hang Around Me":

https://youtu.be/9bMnfQfUpgA

Hear "Peanut Butter":

https://youtu.be/ObSAczO6PME

Great 60's LP's: Them-Them Again

Them live May '66 @ the Whiskey A-Go-Go L.A., CA

THEM-Them Again U.K. Decca LK 4751 1966

SIDE ONE:

1. Could You, Would You

2. Something you Got Baby

3. Call My Name

4. Turn On Your Lovelight

5. I Put A Spell On You

6. I Can Only Give you Everything

7. My Lonely Sad Eyes

8. I Got A Woman

SIDE TWO:

1. Out Of Sight

2. It's All Over Now Baby Blue

3. Bad Or Good

4. How Long Baby

5. Hello Josephine

6. Don't You Know

7. Hey Girl

8. Bring 'Em On In

January 1966 saw the eighth line-up of British based Irish r'n'b act Them. It would rival the "Rock N' Roll Family Tree" book to try to chart who was in the band at this point so we'll suffice to say for those who've been in solitary confinement since 1964 that the band were led by one Van Morrison. The first month of 1966 also saw the release of the band's second LP, which would also be their last as they disintegrated after a U.S. tour that summer (see above photo from their three week long residency at Los Angele's famed Whiskey A- Go-Go).

"Them Again" is an interesting album as it was recorded with various personnel changes (and a number of sessions musicians including, it's alleged, Jimmy Page) and produced by U.K. artist/producer Tommy Scott . It's schizophrenic at best as it follows a variety of genres. Out of it's sixteen tracks only four are Van Morrison originals. The LP opens with Van's impressive tremolo guitar laced "Could You, Would You" and features probably his best vocal work ever, easily my favorite Them song. The guitar sounds ever so similar to "Here Comes The Night" (also see/hear the LP's "It Won't Hurt Half As Much"). Chris Kenner's "Something You Got" is next, fueled by some very tasty sax. Tommy Scott's "Call My Name" is next. The number is classic Them with mid tempo moodiness. It was later covered in August with good effect by the band's former Belfast comrades, The Wheels, who were also U.K. based by this point as the flip to their final 45, a cover of Paul Revere and The Raiders "Kicks" (Columbia DB 7918). A semi-spirited version of "Turn On Your Lovelight" is next. Listening to it you can easily imagine how this became an extended gig closer in the band's live set, but in the studio it is a tad restrained. Screamin' Jay Hawkin's "I Put A Spell On You" is next. Van and Co. turn it into a moody jazz piece with some scat vocals dueling with some mellow sax. Tommy Scott's fuzz guitar/Farfisa organ driven proto-garage anthem "I Can Only Give You Everything" is next. Killer stuff, the number began as a Beatstalker's instrumental "Bass Line" (Decca F 12460) written by Scott and lyrics were later added by one Bill Martin to become the number we're all familiar with today. Listen for the bass player plonking in the wrong key at around 2:02 into the number! Van's poignant "My Lonely Sad Eyes" follows with the LP's trademark vibrato/tremolo (albeit muted) guitar and some nifty acoustic guitar. Ray Charle's "I Got A Woman" is pointlessly boring. Merely filler.

Side Two opens with an equally useless soul cover, this one being James Brown's "Out Of Sight", next. Them's version of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" turned a generation of American garage bands onto Dylan (San Jose's Chocolate Watchband took note and recorded a carbon copy version) and one listen to the atmospheric quality of it shows how Van and the boys made it their own. Van's original "Bad Or Good' is a rollicking mid tempo call and response track that recalls The Impressions at their most uptempo. "How Long Baby" is a slower number with a tasty combo organ riff backed up by some subtle ivory tinkling, Van's impassioned vocals and a blistering tremolo guitar solo. Bert Bern's ballad "(It Won't Hurt) Half As Much" (later cut by Garnett Mimms) is next, bearing more than an uncanny similarity to Bern's "Here Comes The Night" previously released by the band as a 45 (Decca F 12094 March 1965), a slower number with an almost honky tonk feel. work . Fats Domino's "Hello Josephine" is next, instead of a mediocre version you'd expect it's helped out by a gritty little guitar solo over some bar room ivory tinkling. Tommy Scott's piano/flute lead jazzy masterpiece "Don't You Know" is next with classy results. The number further cemented the Wheels/Them connection as the former had recorded the version the previous year in September as the flipside to their version of "Gloria" (Columbia DB 7682). The flute crops again on's Van's brilliant "Hey Girl" that seems to anticipate the soulful singer/songwriter he'd soon be on the way to becoming. However this track is stellar without a trace of self indulgence. The album closes with Van's "Bring 'Em On In", a rocking number that would've no doubt made a good show closer as it can easily be imagined having room for "improvisation" at 3:42 long with punchy delivery and more scat/sax solo stuff!

The LP tanked, which no doubt had some small effect on Van's growing disenchanment with the group and it's management. All of it's tracks have been included on the indispensable 2 CD Deram collection "The Story Of Them Featuring Van Morrison". Hear "It's All Over Now Baby Blue": ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8aocyanYqc Hear "I Can Only Give you Everything": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtscUJHqHaA

THE TAGES 2nd LP

THE TAGES-2 Platina PALP 3002 LP Sweden 1966

SIDE A:
1. Dancing in The Street
2.I Still Remember
3. Guess Who
4. Get Out Of My Life Woman
5. Jealous Girl
6. In My Dreams

SIDE B:
1. Crazy 'Bout My Baby
2. I Got You (I Feel Good)
3. Dirty Mind
4. Those Rumors
5. Leaving Here
6. Go

Sweden's Tages are one of my favorite 60's bands of all time. I was introduced to them on a cassette tape from the legendary Ron Rimsite with their monster mod/rave up opus "The Man You'll Be Looking For". My first "cool" girlfriend played me a Swedish 2 LP compilation of their stuff, which I dug so much she passed on to me and through fellow 60's Euro aficionado Keith Patterson I was introduced to the rest of their material. In the space of their relatively short career (1964-1968) they encompassed a variety of styles/genres(all British inspired):beat music, r&b/freakbeat, "mod"/power pop, "Rubber Soul/Revolver" style pop, West Coast inspired pop and full blown psychedelic pop. Their 2nd LP falls in between their their mod/power pop phase and begins their flirtation with those two classic '66 Fab Four LP's. Like nearly all of the Swedish 60's pop groups all of The Tages material was sung in perfect English, so no language barrier for us Yanks!

"Tages 2" was launched in July 1966. By then the band had embraced their new "mod" image as evidenced by their near shoulder length hair vanishing in favor of center partings and bouffants and their British op-art gear like lead singer Tommy Bloom's Keith Moon style t-shirt seen on the front cover (he's second from the right). Also in keeping with their new mod image the album contained a variety of soul covers, most of which were sadly lifeless. This is no better exemplified than by the LP's opener, a cover of Martha and The Vandella's "Dancing in The Street" is lifeless. It is followed by a band original "I Still Remember", a somber/moody little ballad with some cool jangly arpeggios. "Guess Who", another group original, is mod/power pop/pop art Tages at their best. From it's thundering drum intro to a cacophony of feedback, distortion, slashing guitar and the Nicky Hopkin's style piano tinkling during the rave up it's brilliant pure Who via Gothenberg! An ill advised cover of Lee Dorsey's "Get Out Of my Life Woman" is next, not as soulless as the LP's other efforts thanks to some cool piano and a cheezy organ riff (not to mention some raw playing) but vocally it's still lacking. Next up is a total mod '66 punky cover of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates June 1964 single "Jealous Girl" amphetamine sped up and rocked out complete with a resonating main guitar riff, choppy rhythm chords and thrashing drums. Side A is closed out by another band original "In My Dreams", a folky piece akin the The Searchers more folky sides with acoustic guitars, bongos and some Medieval sounding woodwinds that are straight off of an 1966/1967 Donovan album. Side B is kicked off with "Crazy Bout My Baby" (incidentally their first single in England Columbia DB 8019) a tune that was once best described to me by someone "flamenco on speed", complete with a wiggy little skating rink organ solo! The soulless soul continues with an inept version of James Brown's "I Got You( I Feel Good)". Lucky this is quickly rectified by the next tracks. The next is a passable band original called "Dirty Mind" that has a country feel akin to The Fab Four covering Buck Owens with a bit of harmonica and a blistering twangy Merseybeat style guitar solo. "Those Rumors" is next, another Tages exclusive with a thumping beat not at all dissimilar to '66 pre-psychedelic Hollies and the band's trademark harmonies. Their version of "Leaving Here", like the Johnny Kidd cover is hepped up and no doubt came from hearing The Who cover it (The Tages had played with The Who on stage and TV shows in Sweden where The Who were extremely popular in '65-'67). It's not bad, delivered at double time and driven by a piano and with some thundering drums. "Go" is the closer, a two minute long band original that's sparse and is my fave track on the LP. It contains just bass, an acoustic guitar, vocals, bongos and some tastefully baroque harpsichord (with a harpsichord vs. acoustic guitar solo that I swear sounds like the melody of "The Prisoner" theme at times, impossible as the show did not air until a year later!). It's lyrics concern a loose girl who has broken a string of hearts causing the gentleman community to decide "we don't want to be toys in the game you play, so just listen what I have to say, we have bought you a ticket to Siberia and that's where we want you to stay". The main chorus features the "Rubber Soul" like harpsichord tinkling and the main chorus "we don't want you around us no more".

The LP has not been reissued on CD but it's tracks did turn up a number of years ago on a 29 track EMI CD compilation of their '66 material called "In My Dreams" (featuring a photo of the band in some mod and semi-hideous Swingin' London op art clobber). Though out of print it's still floating around at a decent price and is highly worth the investment.

Hear The Tages version of "Leaving Here":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rOnoSZ0rc

Hear "Those Rumors":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s2f9qwP0Nw

Hear "Go":

https://youtu.be/0IX2eyiaBYQ