Dick Turpin -Madeline

Dick Turpin -If You've Got The Time/ Madeline -Evolution E 2446 (1970 UK)

It's a total mystery as to the identity of Dick Turpin , but the B side of his (or their) only single is a class act indeed. Produced by Ed Welch, Madeline is a late Mod/ Freakbeat dancer with its gritty power-chords, pounding piano and sizzling lead break, but the switch in tempo with the Mott The Hoople piano motif is really surprising and takes this number somewhere else altogether. The chorus is simple as can be, but is really effective and totally memorable. The tale is of some guy traveling across the US doing odd jobs and the line I Got Mixed up with the racing crowd, but I won't be called trash is a real classic -put that in your NASCAR and smoke it! Madeline is not only my daughter's name, but of my favourite B side as well at the moment.

Click below for a soundclip of Madeline

Update: It looks like Dick Turpin was in fact Carl Simmons who recorded the Rock 'N' Roll Revival single Angel/ Hold On Ruby on Antic K11515 (1974 UK). He also wrote other songs with Ed Welch who was primarely a TV show songsmith (the incidental music for One foot In The Grave!!!)