THE SOUTHERN SOUND-Just The Same As You/I Don't Wanna Go U.K. Columbia DB 7982 1966
Wow! It doesn't get any better than this, or does it? Nevermind,. This is a two sider sizzler by a U.K. foursome first brought to my attention back in the 80's on one of those dreadful (quality, packaging etc) "Electric Sugarcube Flashbacks" compilation LP's. Like most records/bands of this genre this was their only release. Original copies will run you a ghastly $500-$1,000! And there's even a crazy Norwegian issue in a picture sleeve (see below) that set you back for even more. Luckily I got to have both tracks in nice quality a few years later (1987 or 1988 I think) on Bam Caruso's "Rubble Volume13: Freakbeat Fantoms", easily their best volume EVER!
"Just The Same As You" is an archetype freakbeat number. It starts out with a slightly distorted and perhaps ever so slightly out of tune riff that leads into some sullen lead vocals with some very echo-laden backing vocals. The lead vocalist reminds me a bit of Don Fardon of The Sorrows with that sort of deep/moody voice. On the flipside we have "I Don't Wanna Go", which is a more frantic number. The sped up riff and echo drenched backing vocals seem to recall Joe Meek at his finest (as in The Buzz "You're Holding Me Down" or The Syndicat's "Crawdaddy Simone") and there's plenty of wiggy tempo changes to add the "freak" quota to this rave -up beat number.
Both sides cropped up on the Rubble Volume 13 "Freakbeat Fantoms" LP/CD comp and can be found on the essential more recent "Rubble Box: Two". A version was also recorded by a German cat named Knut Kieswetter and it shows up on the equally cool first volume of Rob Bailey's "Le Beat Bespoke" CD comp series.
(Above) Spare a grand for a rare Norwegian P.S. copy?
It took me a great many years of people around me force feeding me Love before my friend Tom Davis sat me down and politely played a selection of tracks which led me to actually dig them. “Forever Changes” is my fave LP by them and “Red Telephone” is my fave track on it. Arthur Lee and Love always had something sinister lurking behind the blinds and I find this number eerily anticipating the bloodbath at 10050 Cielo Drive “sitting on a hillside, watching all the people die” while lush orchestral arrangements sweep in.
2. TOM JONES-“I’m Alive”
I’ve got to admit, Jonesy’s balls-to-the-wall take on the Tommy James/Johnny Thunder/Don Fardon cut is pretty damn amazing considering it was recorded in 2008. There’s swatches of “modern” sound in it but all in all it sounds like a dead straight carbon copy of the Don Fardon arrangement with the Man from Pontypridd still showing he’s got the pipes.
3. THE TAGES-“She’s A Man”
Predating The Kink’s “Lola” theme by two years Sweden’s grooviest quintet tap the clueless-guy-with-transvestite lyric angle with good effect. Trippy backwards “I’m Only Sleeping” style effects groove with a cocktail party chat snippet in the middle where a bunch of queens can be heard cackling over the unfortunate boy’s dilemma : “the dear boy, he didn’t know, he heee”.
4. THE MOVE-“Cherry Blossom Clinic (Reprocessed Stereo Mix)”
A wiggy remixed version of the original 1967 first LP version of this Roy Wood ode to a mental institution takes on a new life with Trevor Burton’s vocals and Roy Wood’s wah wah pedal work becoming clearer and cleaner than ever. Magical.
5. THE TURTLES-“Grim Reaper Of Love”
Brilliant, venomous and sneering, something few would associate with the cheery bunch who gave the world “Happy Together”. From it’s haunting a cappella intro to it’s dirge like delivery this one is one of the best tracks to have ever come from this crew.
6. THE MILES DAVIS QUINTET-“Four”
Miles before he went crazy, funky and got way out there and played solos that sounded like a goose being slowly strangled, in that order. Mod jazz indeed, and from a free iTunes “Pick Of The Month” card from Starbucks nonetheless!
7. DONOVAN-“I Love My Shirt”
On Saturday night my wife and I were on a date and I had this tune on in the car and she commented “this sounds like something you would’ve written”, though she later pointed out it that the lines about it “fitting comfortably” ruled out most of mine. Still in all it’s a fun little tune that’s both simplistic and spot on that any anorak like me can identify with, excuse me while I tuck in this lovely patterned but short waisted Ben Sherman for the twelfth time today........
8. PAUL & RICHIE & THE CRYING SHAMES-Come On Back
After viewing the brilliant Joe Meek film “Telstar” I’ve undergone a bit of a Meek renaissance and dug up this one from November of 1966. It’s a far cry from Meek’s usual out of tune piano tinkling and foot stomping for percussion production technique. This time there’s loads of reverb on the combo organ and some heavy vibrato on nearly everything, classic “freakbeat” to the point that it’s almost proto-psychedelic. It’s probably a nice window into what he could’ve done had he not killed himself in June of ’67.
9. BOBBY WELLS-Be’s That Way Sometimes
This one is a stormer of a soul belter that owes quite a bit to Lou Christie’s “1-2-3”. The arrangement, from its chimes intro to the stellar production, is top notch. Easily one of my top 10 fave soul tracks. Impossibly expensive and no doubt highly favored among rip off Northern soul 45 dealers and funky English DJ/record collectors.
10. THE CREATION-For All That I Am
It’s probably been a good ten years since I’ve been able to enjoy The Creation, perhaps it was hipster overkill or perhaps it was because like most bands with a slim volume of material you just need a break from them from time to time. Regardless I still think their Bob Garner era stuff is overrated and I’ve always been a fan of their Kenny Pickett fronted material and this one (featuring the guitar talents of ex-Bird Ron Wood) is one of my faves. The gutsy guitar work in this always gets me and Kenny’s vocals are pretty darn solid.
THE ESCORTS-From Head To Toe/Night Time U.K. Columbia DB 8061 1966
By November 1966 when Liverpool's Escorts had released what would be their final single things had changed. After 5 singles and almost a two year spell at Fontana the band were released from their recording contract without a hit to their name. Coming into a record contract quite late in the "Merseybeat boom" (their first 45 was from March 1964), the band probably didn't have much of a chance despite making some very good records. By late 1966 their line-up had changed considerably seeing lead singer Terry Sylvester head off to The Swinging Blue Jeans (and then onto The Hollies to replace Graham "California" Nash) and a host of others come and go. I've tried piecing the line-up changes together but to little avail. Google searches for "Escorts Liverpool" come up with some very seedy websites......
On their final single cut for EMI's Columbia outlet the band was lead by new lead singer and Liverpool face Paddy Chambers (recently ex of the trio Paddy, Klaus & Gibson and also a veteran of Faron's Flamingos and The Big 3). Their A-side was a cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracle's LP track "From Head To Toe" (also known to us Mod Anorak's by Chris Clark). The track also featured the tambourine accompaniment of fellow Liverpudlian Paul McCartney who accompanied Chambers to the recording session. Musically it's quite interesting and though it's certainly no storming effort like EMI labelmate's The Action it still has merit. I like the simplicity of it: bass, guitar, drums and piano with Paddy Chambers singing soulfully yet restrained and the call and response falsetto backing vocals. The latter and the former come into play again on the flipside, a Paddy Chambers original called "Night Time" that benefits from some soulful delivery. Both sides were collected on the Escorts Edsel records LP/CD compilation "From The Blue Angel".
The Escorts on German TV's "Beat Club" plugging "From Head To Toe":
We here at the all U.K. 60's things loving "Anorak Thing" would like to take the time to pay tribute to the recently deceased Lynn Redgrave through some clips of her in our favorite films:
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":
I don't get much time to blog like I used to but I can still manage something short and sweet every now and again. Recently I came upon an idea that I've nicked from my follow old school modernist across the pond , Monkey over at the fantastic http://monkey-picks.blogspot.com/
where he does a monthly playlist. I decided to do a bit of the same, hopefully he won't hold it against me.
MARCH'S PICS:
1. THE ROULETTES-Help Me To Help Myself
This one never fails to get me, maybe it's my association with it as an ode to absent friends. Either way it's over the top. By the time of it's 45 rpm release (October 1967) The Roulettes were mired in chicken-in-a basket/cabaret land as "Revolver"/"Sgt. Pepper" laid waste to all the beat groups, even musos like The Roulettes. This one was their last single but it was quite contemporary, in fact it's flanged "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" style piano intro predates the S.F.'s circular LP by a good eight months. Add some cool muted trumpet solo that sounds straight off of the Pretty Thing's "Emotions" LP and the typical Roulettes talented harmonies and you've got a winner along the lines of late mark Unit 4 + 2 (no surprise as band members Russ Ballard and Bob Henrit were part time Unit 4 + 2 members). It's been lovingly unearthed on the Psychic Circle "Fairytales Can Come True" CD comp.
2. SLADE-Colored Rain (Live BBC)
Presumably recorded in '69 shortly after morphing from longhair's Ambrose Slade en route to their short lived, short cropped bovver boy phase Slade were essentially a talented "covers" act for their bread and butter. This groovy interpretation of the Traffic tune is both soulful AND ballsy and shows how they managed to earn their crust "up the North(and all over the U.K.)" by being both diverse and talented (we won't speak on their version of "Nights In White Satin" however). From the very cool "Live at The BBC" which surprisingly features a great deal of "early" (ie pre-hit) '69 vintage Slade!
3. THE MOPS-San Franciscan Nights
Japanese accented English has long been maligned from "Breakfast At Tiffany's" to a host of 80's comedies, with all politically incorrect guffawing aside I'm always both blown away by and in a immature sense, amused by, band's who take on tunes in English when it's their second language. My chum Quick Parkly shared a CD by this 60's Japanese act with a fondness for Animals covers with me and this one is probably one of my faves of the bunch. Heavily accented but melodically executed it's worth an investigation.
4. DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS-Dance Stance
This one was put on the juke last week at the pub on the Thursday "lad's night" and lit up the room. Even strangers to the band inquired "who is this? I like it." Long before Kevin Rowland and Co. introduced America to dirty bare feet, overalls and "Come On Eileen" they were an amazing band (and despite the ugly attire and unhygienic appearance they continued to be so) with soul and power owed in no small part to a crack horn section. I've yet to understand why they're chanting the name's of Irish authors in it but you can't deny it's infectiousness. From the essential "Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" LP.
5. PHILAMORE LINCOLN-And The North Wind Blew South
Ages ago I was hanging out with my pal Ivy Vale who was turning me onto loads of cool 60's stuff that hadn't been comped or reissued and I happened upon her "for sale" pile. Among them was an LP by one Philamore Lincoln called "The North Wind Blew South", which I'd not heard before but on her solid advice duly snatched up (on credit I believe, though I sent her a check for it later) sight and sound unseen and unheard. The album was and still is amazing and it's title cut is a sweeping, moody, tastefully orchestrated piece that reminds me of The Zombies and Nick Drake. I highly recommend it.
6. MARIANNE FAITHFULL-Come And Stay With Me (Live BBC)
I'll own up and state here that 95% of my Marianne Faithfull appreciation comes from her appearance (her face, her rack and her mannerisms, in that order. Check out the clip at the bottom of this blog to dig the latter, if that doesn't grab you you're dead from the top of your head down). Her voice these days and her post Decca records era is, in my book, an inaudible croak. In the 60's she sounded too chirpy to me sometimes, but more than often it was her or her arranger's choice of material. "Come And Stay With Me" was always a fave of mine and this version extracted from a "Saturday Club" broadcast from her "Live At The BBC" CD is interesting both vocally and musically with the backing band sounding like a music box orchestra. In Marianne's interview with Brian Matthews before the track begins she dispels all of the "blood of aristocracy" chatter and shows that descriptions of her early career's "innocence" as being not too far off the mark. She comes off as well spoken but very unsure and new to the world.
7. THE LYRES-Pain
Back in the day (the 80's) The Lyres were great, not the monolithic, incessant line up changing, immortal garage band they eventually became and I enjoyed the hell out of them. Few Lyres efforts after the 80's amused me though this cover of an obscure cut by Phil & the Frantics is an exception with it's near stealing The Fab Four's "It's Only Love" and spooky moodiness only some U.S. 60's garage teens could conjure. From the "Happy Now" CD.
8. THE PETE BEST COMBO-The Way I Feel About You
Speaking of Lyres and garage teens, this '65 Pete Best cut was covered by The Lyres and sounds very reminiscent of an American garage number with it's simplistic off key combo organ lick and basement sink production that sounds like the vocalist was down the hall with the door closed. It's from a rare as hell U.S. only 45 released on the Happening label while he was based in NY (with help from future Decca/Dera, A&R men/producers and Flirtations managers/songwriters Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington). The tape rolling seconds after the first chord is actually struck is pricelessly trashy as well. From the Cherry Red Pete Best Combo CD "All Aboard" which I'm asking you with peace and love, and telling you with peace and love, to check out.
9. JOHN MAYALL-Jenny
It took me ages to get my head around John Mayall's post "Mayall Plays Mayall:Live at Klook's Kleek" album stuff and I'm still not fully "there". This track from his "A Hard Road" LP is one of my faves by him. Essentially it's almost a "solo" tune with just Mayall's voice and some sparse guitar work (the vocal overdubs by him create an echo effect on certain lines that are downright trippy at times). Nuff said.
10. RONNIE LAINE & SLIM CHANCE-The Poacher
Few of Ronnie Lane's post Faces "solo" tracks ring as bright as the violin backed, jauntiness of "The Poacher" in my book. It's wistful, plaintive and cheery delivery never ceases to blow me away and it strikes me that this was not a number one! Available on his CD "Anyone For Anymore".
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 SOUTHERN SOUND-Just The Same As You/I Don't Wanna Go U.K. Columbia DB 7982 1966 
