The Loot Debut!

THE LOOT-Baby Come Closer/Baby UK Page One POF 013 1967

The Loot were a five piece comprised of Dave Wright (guitar/vocals), Bruce Turner (vocals), Ian Duck (guitar), Jeff Glover (bass) and Roger Pope (drums) who hailed from Troggs-country (Andover, Hampshire). Managed and produced by Kinks/Troggs producer Larry Page, comparisons on some of their material and these other acts are completely warranted. Dave Wright had been a member of the embryonic Troggs and used his connections to draw Page to The Loot, whom he signed to his new Page One label in late 1966.

"Baby Come Closer" is a burst of pseudo Troggs-ness (The Troggs had already cut a version on their 2nd LP, 1966's "Trogglodynamite") with some very Kinks styled harmonies on the bridge, not to mention bursts of Dave Davies style guitar work in it's power chords.  The number is a perfect combination of leering lust and simmering angst.  Sadly it was not a hit, which baffles me, but seeing as it was 1967 and The Kinks and Troggs had both recorded this sort of thing two years earlier perhaps that's the reason.  The B-side, "Baby", is another specimen of where the flipside of a record sounds like an utterly different band.  "Baby" is not a bad song per se, just not the right song.

Duck, Glover and Pope hooked up with Caleb Quaye (of "Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad"/"Woman Of Distinction" fame) to form Hookfoot.

THE LOOT and Joe Orton's "Loot"

"Baby Come Closer" was reissued on AIP's "English Freakbeat Volume one" LP/CD compilation. It also appeared on Radioactive's short lived "The Loot: Single's A's & B's" CD compliation.

 Hear "Baby Come Closer":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdaQq4KCL3w

Les Move 1967

THE MOVE Live on French TV 1967

Cool Foreign E.P.'s Part Nineteen: Wilson Pickett

WILSON PICKETT-Mini Skirt Mini/Back In Your Arms/Born To Be Wild/Toe Hold  E.P. Portugal Atlantic E.P.02-59 1968

Rare 1967 Action Photo Unearthed!

Wiggy pic of the brief  Reggie King/Ian Whiteman line up circa 1967!  Dig Bam's stache!

Paddy, Klaus & Gibson

PADDY, KLAUS & GIBSON-No Good Without You Baby/Rejected U.K. Pye 7N.17060 1966

Cream were NOT the first Sixties "super group power trio".  That moniker goes to Paddy, Klaus & Gibson.  Liverpudlians Paddy Chambers(lead vocals/guitar) and Gibson Kemp (drums) had been in a multitude of Liverpool beat groups between them like The Big Three, Faron's Flamingos, Rory Storme and The Hurricanes, Kingsize Taylor and The Dominos and The Eyes(not to be confused with the mod/freakbeat icons of the same name).  Klaus Voorman (bass) of course was one of the Hamburg "exi's" who were old pals with The Beatles.  The band were managed by Tony Stratton-Smith (who also managed The Koobas and The Creation) who secured them a deal with Pye records, though eventually he was bought out by Brian Epstein. The band cut three singles before breaking up in late 1966.  Paddy went on to join the final line up of The Escorts (see Anorak Thing May 3, 2010 entry), Klaus did the cover of The Fab Four's "Revolver" and The Bee Gee's 1st LP and replaced Jack Bruce in Manfred Mann.  I can't claim to know where that left Gibson Kemp?!

This was their second Pye single which was released in February 1966. "No Good Without You Baby" is a tepid, lifeless, soulless version of the Marvin Gaye number which had already been masterfully covered by The Birds in October 1965 as the A-side of Decca F 12257.  The flipside, "Rejected" (not to be confused with the amazing single by The Fenmen of the same name) is a different kettle of fish.  It's a catchy, rhythmic little number with some laid back Georgie Fame-ish style vocals, stride piano, a jazzy beat and is imminently danceable.  The lyrics are pretty amusing, concerning a guy who takes two jobs to please a materialistic woman who leaves him for another man because he's never home.

"No Good Without You Baby" was reissued on Sequel's CD compilation "Doin' The Mod 2: Jump And Dance" while "Rejected" appeared on their "Doin The Mod 1: The Go Go Train" CD.

Hear "Rejected":



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeIEYt1VEz4

Morning breaks, sun comes up, no mistakes, hangs me up....Reg King R.I.P.

I hate to whinge on about something that might be perceived as silly, but you'll have to bear with me......

I had the strangest of dreams last night involving two deceased, missed aunts and an ex who is, to me, deceased but not at all missed.  In the dream The Action's "In My Dreams" was playing faintly.  I woke up in a weird mood.  I played the track all the way to work during my 12 mile commute.  It seemed fitting.

Reg King was laid to rest today. A gentleman in the U.K. whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting (and whom I know through a mutual acquaintance) and who is an amazingly talented writer went to the service today with his mum.  He told me that the minister spoke of how Reg charmed the nurses in the hospital with his singing near the end of his battle with cancer.  And still no mention in the national press.  If you Google Reg King The Action R.I.P. all you will read are postings on mod related message boards and blogs, like this one.  Not one mention in the National Press or anywhere else, just the dedicated. The closest of any mention is some sterling comments by Phil Collins on the band in a recent interview about his Motown covers CD on Billboard's website from a few weeks back.  The greatest white soul singer Britain has ever produced is gone and not a mention of his passing anywhere, but Paul the freaking Octopus gets a big obit on the Beeb's website.  In my eyes the Octopus died in 2006 and his name was Roger Keith Barrett.  He was my first hero to die.  Reg King was my second.  I'm going to the pub at lunch and having a pint for him.

POSTSCRIPT:

I went to the pub at lunch yesterday and had a pint for him and re-read my two first real Action pieces of genuine info: the "Record Collector" article on them from the 80's and the segment on them in Kev Pearce's book "Something Beginning With O". In retrospect hopefully Reg will get some accolades, I am hopeful that "Mojo" will do a piece on him and I'm sure Paul Weller and Phil Collins will have something to say.

THE SECOND GREATEST BRITISH 60's PSYCHEDELIC SINGLE EVER!

CALEB-Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad/Woman Of Distinction U.K. Phillips BF 1588 1967

Okay folks we're onto something(s) here. First off this is the second time in our blog history where we've written about a record that I've never owned or even seen a copy of (the first was discussed here). Second, and like that post it's one of the most insanely expensive AND insanely brilliant British psychedelic records of the 60's, and of all time for that matter..........

Without turning this into a Wikipedia entry, Caleb Quaye was a session musician for Dick James Music (he later, through this connection would wind up playing guitar for Elton John, among others) and producer (The Loot, Apple etc). When I first heard "Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad" back in 1985 on my friend Rudie's copy of "The 49 Minute Technicolour Dream" my mind was blown.  At our pal Mick from Mod Fun's urging we both went out and snagged the two "Rubble" volumes he recommended at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ.  I bought "The Psychedelic Snarl" which featured it's flip side , "Woman Of Distinction".  And like the lead off track from "The 49 Minute.." said "strange things are happening".  It was as if my uptight mod consciousness about psychedelia was blown to bits upon hearing that track.  There was no turning back, I was now, very nearly a fully fledged psychedelic mod.  There are lots of "defining moments" in "modernism" for me and this was one I will always remember.  Up till then nearly ever band I liked, save The Pink Floyd, could be justifiably connected to "mod" in some way.  There was no way of that happening with either side of this record!  What also amazes me was that a few years back I discovered Caleb Quaye was not some back combed bouffant wearing British white boy he was actually a light skinned black gentleman, proving, once again, there are indeed many colors in our psychedelic rainbow!!

"Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad" uses the same groovy phasing effect that The Small Faces utilized on the drums on "Itchycoo Park", but the WHOLE song is run through a "phaser".  It's sonic trippery throughout the entire number, like one big oscillating mindblower.  The lyrics are sort of trippy too and I'm not sure if they're about a cat who can't understand his gal because her phrasing is bad or because he's so far out there he can't figure out what she's saying. "Woman Of Distinction" applies the same effect but the song is not as "out there" as the A-side. It's a medium paced number that almost reminds me of The Apple (whom Caleb produced actually!), just as good as the A-side though certainly not as mind numbingly lysergic!

Both sides of have cropped up in many places.  "Baby.." is on Rubble's Volume Two "The 49 Minute Technicolour Dream", "Chocolate Soup For Diabetics Volume Five" and Rhino's "Nuggets II" box set, while "Woman Of Distinction" appears on Rubble Two "The Psychedelic Snarl" and "Chocolate Soup For Diabetics Volume 4".

Caleb Quaye

Hear "Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGVOhGnut-4

Hear "Woman Of Distinction":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5swvm7gSp_o