U.K. Jones –Let Me Tell Ya / And The Rains Came Down (The Mike Berry Story Part 1)

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Mike Berry recently. I had to hook up with him as I kept noticing his name on so many great “lost” singles (Ning, The One Hit Wonders, Small Wonder , UK Jones, Boneshaker, Biggles etc…). Mike Berry is not the same Berry as the “Are you being served”/ Tribute to Buddy Holly guy, nor is there any relation to Dave Berry or Chuck for that matter…Mike was a radio DJ, publisher (Sparta Florida and Apple- he signed Badfinger to Apple publishing), songwriter, producer , singer and overall music biz mover and shaker. For a Beatles overview of his career check out: http://triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/beatles/wordsofwisdom.shtml
Mike is currently working as Executive Producer on a series of programmes on UK labels for Capital Radio. Over the next installments, I’ll be uncovering some of these lesser known gems, starting with:

U.K. Jones –Let Me Tell Ya / And The Rains Came Down – Deram DM 231 (1969 UK)

Let Me Tell Ya has been referred to elsewhere as being the first ever Glam number and although it features handclaps and HEYs, this single is so much more than that. It’s a riotous performance with the same exuberance as found on Mike’s One Hit Wonders CBS single (Hey Hey Jump Now/ Goodbye). The tune is simply the mother of all hooks, the gang-show vocals give it a Frat Rock/Party feel and the driving beat hurtles along relentlessly. The key change at the end is a great touch –perfect and all so simple.
And The Rains Came Down is also really special and is like nothing else I've ever heard . It has this HUGE Gold Star drum sound, a wonderful upbeat bubblegum chorus and very LOUD thunder and rain effects.

Mike Berry: A lot of these singles were recorded quickly at the end of sessions. It was my release at the end of the sessions, to get the session men or band members and say “let’s do this, let’s do that” in the hope that something might happen. When I did the U.K. Jones single, it was while I was doing sound-alike records for a label called Reditunes. It was recorded at R.G. Jones in Morden. We were experimenting, trying to get the sounds that the Americans were getting. The influence of R.G. Jones was unbelievable as he taught me a lot in how to get those sounds. The name U.K. Jones came about because we recorded at R.G. Jones and I’m from the UK –it’s as simple as that!

Hear an edit of Let Me Tell Ya & And The Rains Came Down

Boots –You Better Run

Boots –You Better Run/A to D –Young Blood YB 1018 (1970 UK)

Another sterling Mike Berry production! The single came about as the publishing company Sparta Florida owned the rights to the Young Rascals number, but the song had to be released commercially in order for the publisher to retain ownership. Mike Berry was a big Young Rascals fan and had placed How Can I Be Sure with Dusty Springfield. The band on the session were The Gregorian Chant(s) from Coventry where Mike discovered Ning and Fresh Maggots (round the corner in Nuneanton)

MB: “The name Boots came from talking with Chris Welch (Melody Maker). We were thinking up stupid names for bands and the name Boots stuck in my mind...”

Note these Boots were NOT the Boots who released a couple of singles on CBS in ’68.

It’s a cracking version of The Young Rascals classic, with some blistering lead guitar; over-saturated much in the same way as on Machine by Ning. It’s an all round rousing performance with a great lead vocal. The band composition A to D (not the Small Faces track...or was that E to D?) is a brooding underground number again with some strong but less fuzzy guitar. The talking clock is a fun touch. The tracks were probably recorded at RG Jones or Radio Luxembourg.

Hear a full version of You Better Run



Hear a full version of A to D

David Bown from The Boots (Gregorian Chant), sent in his memories and these cool shots...Thanks Dave!

Gregorian Chant just before the recording of You Better Run  left to right:

Don Wright - lead Guiar, Paul White - Drummer, Terry Bown – Bass Guitar &  David Bown lead vocals.

We were a young bunch of very enthusiastic semi pro musicians writing our own songs, playing pubs and clubs striving to make a career in music. We met Mike Berry and he arranged for us to record the Young Rascals “you better run” in the Luxembourg studio behind the Hilton Hotel. After the release of our record, ( which incidentally was the YOUNG BLOOD labels follow up to Indian Reservation by Don Fardon , Don was also from Coventry) we wanted to make music a full time career. Unfortunately at the time Paul our drummer decided he didn’t want to go pro but stay as an accountant, at which he has been very successful to this day.
So brother Terry, Don Wright & I had to find a new drummer, we firstly found a power house of a drummer from Birmingham Les Fortnam, a really well accomplished drummer (ex Bob Cats of Blue Peter 1966 fame) Les played very much in a John Bonham style and could really lay down a solid beat. Les was a great drummer, he stayed with us a few months however due to a number of things, Mike B being one of them he sadly left the band.
Les was replaced by a very young more technical Steve Palmer (young brother of Carl Palmer of ELP fame) at the same time we drifted away from Mike B and started writing and performing more of our own material and less covers. With help from John Tully “Inter City Artists” we started getting some good gigs, we changed the band’s name to Children, a bit soft this, so soon after the band’s name was changed again to Canyon. We played some great gigs around the country, supported a lot of top rock bands and were offered a few deals however nothing was ever taken up and after 18mths we split and all went our separate ways.
Don went to teachers training college, Steve joined a band called Heaven and has had a good career in music, I went back into engineering and didn’t join a band again for two yrs, the only one of the original Gregorian Chant “BOOTS” band who made a career in music as a pro was my brother Terry, he played in numerous groups both in the U.K., Germany etc and eventually lived and worked in and around the Los Angeles USA area for over 20 years

Don, Paul and I did get together again 5 years after the original band split, be it semi pro working discos and clubs in a covers band - “Dave and the Sun” Ha! what a name, this band evolved into “JOKER” and with all new members I had another short spell full time, a covers band I enjoyed being in immensely.
By the late 70’s other than Terry the three of us were playing very little and by the early eighties we had lost touch completely.

 Canyon left to right :

Terry Bown, Don Wright, Steve Palmer, David Bown - Taken on the Mott the Hoople Tour 1972

When I look back it was a shame the original band didn’t stay together and an even bigger shame that Canyon split, Don, Steve and Terry were and are three of the finest musicians I have ever seen, let alone worked with, we wrote some great songs together and its a real shame that we have no record of what we did.. Another guy I really enjoyed working with was the bass player in JOKER Rob McKenzie, he was also a great singer, when Joker split he wanted us to form a vocal duo, I wasn’t up for it at the time, I regret very much not having done that.


I suppose there are 1000’s of stories very similar to this one, I hope like me that the guys in those bands had as good a time as I did.

Mike Berry –Hard Times

Mike Berry –Hard Times/Boogaloo Dues –Scramble -26.551-Y (1978 NL)

Referred to elsewhere as sporting a certain thuggish dimension, it is the “other” Mike Berry (The Joe Meek/ Buddy Holly/Are You Being Served/ Sunshine of Your Smile one) who released this hard slamming adaptation of the Status Quo LP track. Hard Times finds Mike at the tail end of his “I wear leather as I Am A Rocker/Don’t Be Cruel” period and just before his appearances on Worzel Gummidge , Are You Being Served and his Sunshine of Your Smile Hit.
The drums thud good and proper, the guitars are rough and gritty and the vocals have more meat and attitude than Parfitt/Rossi’s delivery. The overall performance is entirely credible and probably the most Purepop-type release of his career; although Mike’s “take” on The Sorrows' Take A Heart is also worth checking out.

Hear a full version of Hard Times

Boneshaker –Sweetness –The Mike Berry Story Part 3

Boneshaker –Sweetness/ Badman Strikes Again –London HLU 10332 (1971 UK)

Sweetness is another magic Mike Berry production of a great song –it’s real ’67 psych with a pinch of Russell Morris’ The Real Thing and some commercial Steam catchiness (Na Na Na), it should have been a hit.

Sweetness was written by Bill Parkinson, a session man Mike used on many of the cover versions he did for Reditunes. At the end of a session at Radio Luxemburg, Mike recorded Sweetness at the 4 track studio there. The band on the track were the same guys who recorded Hey Hey Jump Now/ Goodbye (CBS 7760) as The One Hit Wonders.

The track also has a strange monophonic Phasing/Flanging effect quite unlike the swooshing phasing so prevalent in ’67. MB “The original phasing was great. I first heard it on Timi Yuro’s The Hurt. The second time I heard it was when I was in Regent Sound Studios when The Small Faces recorded Itchycoo Park. The engineer let me have a go at it. I’m not sure if my attempt at manual phasing (releasing one ¼ tape slightly after the other) was used on the record, but I just love phasing”.

Sweetness was the first British record to come out London American … MB: “ Nobody wanted to release it, but a friend of mine went to Geoff Milne at London Records who loved it, but we had to pretend it was an American record!”

The B side is a fun Creedence Clearwater Revival recreation with a C&W bent and masses of gunfire sound effects.
“It had nothing on the B side except a backing track that I had done when in my John Fogerty mood. I loved Bad Mood Rising and we basically just tried to get the sound they got on Cosmo’s Factory. It was a tribute to John Fogerty.”

Click on title for a soundclip of Sweetness

Biggles –Gimme Gimme Some Lovin’

Biggles –Gimme Gimme Some Lovin’/Can’t Buy You –Philips 6006 160 (1971 UK)

This is Mike Berry (U.K. Jones, Ning, Small Wonder etc...) with the simple but effective premise of sticking two great tunes together (Crazy Elephant’s Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ and Spencer Davis’s Gimme Some Lovin’) to maximise the results. Add to that some “live” audience participation worthy of The Premiers’ Farmer John with a clangy Dear Prudence guitar riff and Bob’s your uncle...

Mike Berry: “It was a simple idea, would it work if we stuck these two songs together? And it did...”

Top idea, top performance and top result!

Hear a full version of Gimme Gimme Some Lovin’

My Version Is Better Than Yours Part 6 –Incorporating the Mike Berry story Part 2: Round The Gum Tree:Fire VS Real McCoy

Fire –Round The Gum Tree/Toothie Ruthie –London 45 -20048 (1968 US issue)
Real McCoy –Round The Gum Tree/ I Will –Target 7N 17704 (1969 IRL)

We are talking Bubblegum here and with a capital B! Fire were a trio from Hounslow featuring future Strawb Dave Lambert, they are more widely celebrated for their classic Psych/ Freakbeat number My Father’s Name Was Dad (Decca). Mike was producing this later Fire session.

MB: Time was running out and their songs were not coming together, so I showed them this song that I knew we could finish before we ran out of time.

At 1 minute and 32 seconds you can see his point and it’s also a very simple but catchy tune, even the backing vocals are sped up sounding like the Chipmunks on Helium.
MB: After we finished the session, I said to myself –What I have done here? –I’ll never work in this business again.

Later Mike received a phone call… “Hello Mike –Dick Rowe (head honcho at Decca at the time) here –I have to say that Round The Gum Tree is the most commercial song I’ve ever heard, we must release it and it will be a huge smash”

MB: I thought it was a prank call and I put the phone down on him, but rang back to check and it was actually him...

Fire’s Round The Gum Tree wasn’t the predicted smash, but Irish showband Real McCoy gave it another shot. Their version is longer with added Psych guitar effects and even a key change. Whatever version you prefer, this song sounds like a real hit, just a shame that it wasn’t issued in the US as The 1910 Fruitgum Company…

Click below for edits of Fire’s and Real Mccoy’s versions of Round The Gum Tree

Dwarf -Gotta Get Louder

Dwarf –Gotta Get Louder/ I Won’t Be Back –Merlyn Records 3378 (1975 US)

Once in a while a single gets plucked out of obscurity which is a total revelation and becomes an obsession to track down, but rarely does this same single get played over and over and you know it has the staying power to remain a firm favourite forever. I am very glad to say that this single is one of these rare beasts. It is everything you could ever wish for and absolutely ticks ALL the right boxes.

I first heard a snippet of the tracks when a copy appeared on eBay in February, but I got outbid, then low and behold a second copy appeared and I lost out again. It was clear that I wasn’t the only one bit by this particular bug. I finally secured a spare copy, but its condition is far from pristine as you will hear. It appears that many copies suffered the same fate as mine being pressed off-centre, plus this copy has some nasty gouges on the B side, so I am still on the look-out for a better copy...

How to put a tag on Gotta Get Louder? It sits somewhere between Proto-Punk, Bubblegum/Hard Rock and Powerpop. It's insanely catchy and an instant exuberant classic. What makes this even more amazing is that most of the band were 15 at the time!

I Won’t Be Back is stupendous in its snotty Teenage Punk attitude. I was thinking of The Runaways as I believed a girl singer was involved, but this is not the case as explained by Nick Piunti “that would be me, make that pre-pubescent me...” The guitars clang and crash, the drums are full power with added momentum of a glorious cowbell nailing everything down to the beat. So put both tracks together and you end up with the best coupling since Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton!

Hear a full version of Gotta Get Louder

Hear a full version of I Won’t Be Back

The line up on Gotta Get Louder was: Left on the photo Pete Madary: vocals, bass, above Mike Finn: lead guitar vocals, front Nick Piunti: vocals, guitar right Mickey Patay: drums

After a minimal amount of tracking down I contacted Dwarf’s Singer/guitarist Nick Piunti and Pete Madary followed suit from LA where he still plays with Mike “Dorsal” Finn in a band called Southbound. Apart from co-owning what appears to be a fine eatery Nick Piunti also officiates as a member of The Respectables who are a great tough sounding Powerpop outfit with an affinity to Cheap Trick in their prime, check them out here: http://www.reverbnation.com/therespectables

As expected the band was formed as school chums, but back in 1972 in Riverview Michigan.

NP: “Three of us, Nick, Pete, and Mike formed in the spring of 1972 for a performance at our 6th grade talent show. Mickey replaced our original drummerin 1973.

We played at local school dances to audiences our same age who could really relate to us. At times it was like Beatlemania with young girls rushing the stage. They especially loved our drummer Mickey...”

PM: “In my mind – Dwarf was always a great little band. But for the longest time – Mike “Dorsal” Finn was the only accomplished musician. We were very, very raw. We’d make up for lack of talent with pure energy...”

The lead guitar is indeed blistering within the pure energy, but the drumming, singing and general playing is very accomplished considering their age at the time! The band started by doing covers including some tasteful choices, but as is clear from this single, they had real talented song-writers in Nick Piunti and Pete Madary with a real affinity to Purepop and Rock’ N’ Roll.

NP: “We did covers of course, Stones, Beatles, Alice Cooper, Slade, Chuck Berry songs. Back in 1973, 1974 we would do a set of 50's rock and roll. But we soon started writing songs and we slipped as many originals in a set as we could. Covers included Under My Wheels, Mama Kin, 30 Days in a Hole (HUMBLE PIE!!!) Ma Ma Belle, Tie Your Mother Down, Live With Me, Brown Sugar, Jumpin ‘Jack Flash etc...The first song I ever sang live was Be My Lover at our sixth grade talent show. I kept getting shocked every time I stepped up to the microphone... As we got older we progressed to playing high schools, colleges, bars and eventually doing some original show case gigs...”

PM: “As far a covers went – we stuck to material that we could handle. The reason we played, Stones, Slade, T-Rex and 50’s tunes was because they were easy! We weren’t trying to be eclectic or cool – we were just trying to make it through a song! Merle (Manager) always encouraged us to write songs. We were doing original tunes as far back as 1972 (when we were 12). We knew our limits as singers and musicians so we stayed within them. As we grew older and our tunes began to fill up the sets – we’d actually “fib” to the audience – “Here’s a rare “B” side from Tom Petty,” or, “Here’s a John Cougar song you haven’t heard...”

But was the band ever overtly influenced by the Detroit Total Energy scene (Stooges, MC5 etc...?

NP: “I think the MC5 influence may be more of a geographical influence. Back then we were probably only influenced by Kick Out The Jams. It wasn't until years later that I discovered more of their catalogue. Detroit radio didn't play much MC5 on the radio back then. Curiously enough, the guitarist in The Respectables, Joey Gaydos, was the guitarist with Rob Tyner in his last band...”

PM: “Our little community, an area about 20 miles South of Detroit was a real Hot Bed of Rock. Because Merle was nine years older than us – he would make sure that his established musician friends were accessible to us. Derek St. Holmes was from our hometown. He rehearsed across the street from Nick’s house until he became Ted Nugent’s lead singer in ’75. Merle’s friend Randy Meyers drummed for a fabulous band called Julia. Julia was Bob Seger’s back-up band in 1972. So again, our local scene may have influenced us more than what was happening in Detroit...”

Dwarf managed to release 3 singles and an EP:

Gotta Get Louder / I Won't Be Back - Merlyn 1975

Backstage Queen/Couple of the Night –Merlyn 1976

Another Chance/Perfect Pair -Merlyn 1977

A Little Rock Goes A Long Way EP –Merlin (1981)

The band stayed together as Dwarf until 1983. Mickey Patay moved to Central California in May of 1980 and Merle took over on drums. The band then moved to LA playing Madam Wong’s, Troubadour, The Lingerie and the usual West Coast haunts before finally breaking up in 1986.

PM: “As a general rule, Merle would accept bookings within five hours from home in any direction. As a result – we played throughout Michigan, most of Ohio, parts of Indiana and Ontario, Canada. We enjoyed regional success, but Nick suggested we move to New York or Los Angeles to pursue a major recording contract. Moving across the country is not for everyone. After Merle stepped aside in 1983, we added new drummer Mike Pientka, changed the name of the band to The Take and focused our efforts on recording a strong demo tape before moving to LA in the fall of 1984..."

NP: “Well we graduated college. Our girlfriends moved on. I definitely did not want to be in a cover band, so we figured New York or L.A. After 24 years of Detroit winter we picked the weather. But we were probably y a few years too late. It was 1984 and the L.A. Hair Metal Bands were happening and that just wasn't our thing. We were much more like The Plimsouls than Guns and Roses or Poison...”

It now looks like Dwarf will receive the amply deserved late recognition as the folks at Sing Sing have been quick off the mark and will be reissuing Gotta Get Louder soon. There will be more Dwarf on Purepop in the future as their other releases are no slouches either!

NP: "This renewed interest in Dwarf after all these years is a bit baffling to me as we were just a bunch of kids learning our way to rock. It was a great way to grow up. A lot of fun for sure...”

PM: “Let me just say that the band ran its course. Mike, Nick and I were 11 years old at our first full rehearsal. 11! We stayed together for 14 years until we were 26. When I got married in Southern California the very next summer, Nick flew out from Michigan, Mickey came down from Central California, Mike and Nick stood up at my wedding and Merle sent well wishes from back home. We still have a tremendous friendship. Now, all these years later; we speak on the phone or email each other daily - talking band business...!"

Keep watching this space!

DWARF is now on facebook -plenty of photos and more to come...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dwarf/164011010320929

Ning –Machine

Ning –Machine/More Ning –Decca DL 25452 (1971 German issue)


This is completely nuts! Not sure where to file this as its Part Glam/ Bubblegum/ Heavy Rock and Prog with a bit of Suicide thrown in for good measure. With it’s pumping heartbeat rhythm, riff borrowed from The Music Explosion’s Little Bit Of Soul and a singer who sounds like a constipated Lemmy, this is one weird artifact. Machine was written by “Berry” and as it’s published by Sparta Florida, it’s most likely to be Mike Berry who was also behind the Ordinary Boy/Ride A Black Sheep single by Small Wonder (see review June 25th)

Click below for soundclip

Purepop Set Sale February 2018

SALE NOW CLOSED

Hi
I have a set sale of  128 singles now open for one week only


112 Top Glam singles including some big rarities and 16 choice Heavy Psych/Garage/Bonehead/Proto Punk rarities


You can either request the list by emailing me: purepop1ukATyahooDOTcoDOTuk,  by messaging me on Facebook or by leaving a comment.

The lists has several close up photos and sound clips sometimes directly from the records themselves of from YoutTube for reference


I will be updating the  list here as soon and often as possible, those in red mean they are SOLD

Part 1: Junkshop Glam, 70s Pop and oddities

A Raincoat               It Came in The Night/Morocco -EMI Demo (UK)   SOLD

Abacus                      Indian Dancer/Be That Way - York Demo (UK)

Andy Bown             New York Satyricon Zany /Party Games GM Records (UK)  SOLD

Angel                        Good Time Fanny/Who D'ya Think Your Fooling -Cube (UK)  SOLD

Angel                     Little Boy Blue/Tragedy Queen-  Cube (GER) SOLD

Arlan Green        Promo EP-Moonbrite/I Do/ Rock Hotel/The Next Time White label -Bell (UK)

Arrows                  I Love Rock 'n Roll/Broken Down Heart -RAK (UK) SOLD

Ayshea                Farewell//The Best Years of My Life -Harvest (UK)  SOLD

Barry Green          Papa Do/Boomerang - Decca (UK)

Bearded Lady         Rock Star/Country Lady -Young Blood Demo (UK)  SOLD

Big Wheel               Shake-A-Tail Part 1/Part 2 Bell Demo (UK)  SOLD

Bilbo Baggins          Saturday Night/Monday Morning Blues - Polydor  (UK)  SOLD

Boston Boppers        Did You Get What You Wanted /Whirwind Girl -Penny Farthing (SP) (SOLD)

Brett Smiley              Va Va Va Voom/Space Age -Anchor Demo (UK)

Brother Susan         See My Fingers Fly/Full Blooded Natural Man- EMI  (UK) SOLD

Buster                        Motor Machine/Ring Around -Bradleys (UK)

Buster                        Superstar/Rainbows & Colours -Bradleys (UK)

Buzz                            Jubilee Rock/The Digger on Mars Crystal Demo (UK) SOLD

Chris Hodge (The Sunshine Kid)      My Linda/ Same - RCA (US Promo)

Chunky                    Albatross Baby/Road Runner Girl -Orange (UK)

Cobraa                  Ride A Pony / The End Of A Day -EMI German pic sleeve

Crunch                   Let's Do It Again/Not Tonight Josephine- Young Blood SOLD

Daddy Maxfield      Rave N' Rock/Smilin' Again -Pye (UK)  SOLD

Dancer                    Hate Generator /Love Seeds-Dawn (UK)  SOLD

Duck Deluxe     Coast To Coast/Bring Back That Packard Car -RCA (UK)  SOLD

Dust                     Rebound/Pieces -20th Century (UK) SOLD

Equals                Diversion/Here Today, Gone Tomorrow-President (UK) SOLD

Fogg                  Dancin' To The Music/Scrapbook - WB (UK)  SOLD

Giorgio               Son of My Father/I'm Free Now -Parlophone Demo (UK) 

Go Go Thunder          The Race/Mrs Mann -RCA  (UK)  SOLD

Granny                  Lady/Weirdie Deirdre’s Dilema DJM Demo (UK) SOLD

Hamlett                    Where'd The Day Go/ Vampire Man -Pye (UK)

Harpo      My Teenage Queen/I Don't Know Why -EMI (Ger)  SOLD

Hector           Wired Up Ain't Got Time DJM Demo (UK)

Hector         Bye Bye Bad Days/Lady - DJM (Portugal) SOLD

Hello            C'Mon/The Wench -Bell (Belgium pic sleeve)  SOLD

Helter Skelter       I Need You/Goodbye Baby -Sticky (UK) SOLD

Hobnail                   She's Just a Friend of Mine/Boy Scout Jambouree -Bell  SOLD

Hot Rod         I Want You (All Night Long)/Love is all Right (Hey) President (UK) SOLD

James Hogg           Lovely Lady Rock/ Happy Sad - Regal Zonophone Demo (UK)  SOLD

Jet                My River/Quandary -CBS (UK)

Jets                  Yeah!/Rusty Corinthian Pillar -Cube (UK)

Jook              King Capp/Rumble -RCA Demo (UK) SOLD

Jook            OO OO Rudi/Jook's on You/ -RCA  (UK)  SOLD

Jook          Alright With Me/Do What You Can -RCA (UK)  SOLD

Jook            Shame/City and Suburban Blues -RCA (UK)  SOLD

Jook                   Bish Bash Bosh/Crazy Kids-RCA (UK)  SOLD

Matchbox           Don't Shut Me Out/Rod- RAK (UK) SOLD

Mike Berry              Hard Times/Bougaloo Dues-Scramble  (NL)  SOLD

Milk n' Cookies           Little Lost and Innocent/Just Friends Island (NL) VG+ SOLD

Milk n' Cookies            Little Lost and Innocent/Just Friends Island (NL) EX SOLD

Muff                                Sexy Sexy Lady/Burnin' -Bell  Demo (UK)

Mustard                   Good Time Comin/I Saw I heard - EMI Demo (UK) SOLD

Ning                            Machine/ More Ning - Decca (German Pic Sleeve)  SOLD

Oliver Day                Crazy Love/ Let The Music - Bus Stop (UK)      

Panther                         One Man Band/Evelyne - Polydor  (NL) SOLD

Primitive Man                Animal Love/Major Barmy From the Army -Decca (German  sleeve) 

Ransome Head        Sing/Wide Wide River -York Demo (UK)

Rats                Turtle Dove/Oxford Donna- Good Ear Pic sleeve (UK) SOLD

Redhead                           We Ran and We Ran/ Looking For You - UK Demo (UK) SOLD

Renegade        My Revolution/ A Little Rock N Roll - Dawn (UK) SOLD

Rescue Co. No. 1              I Want to Save You/Amanda -Jam (UK)

Ricky Wilde            Teenwave/Round and Round -UK (UK)  SOLD

Rock Rebellion           Let's Go/So Sorry Baby Santa Posa Demo (UK)  SOLD

Ronno           4th Hour of My Sleep/Powers of Darkness -Vertigo (Norway

Screemer      Interplanetary Twist/ Billy - Bell (UK)

Sensation                   Black Eyed Woman/Baby -Sirocco (Fra)  SOLD

Sensation              Black Eyed Woman/Baby -Sticky (UK) SOLD

Shakane                 Love Machine/ Mr Jackson    Negram (NL)   SOLD

Shelby                    Motorbike Girl/Cirrus -Route (UK)  SOLD

Shelby                 (Dance With The) Guitar Man/ Jump into The Fire -Santa  SOLD

Simon Turner       She Was Just A Young Girl/I'll Take Your Hand -UK (UK) SOLD

Simon Turner         The Prettiest Star/Love Around-UK (UK)

Sisters          Kick Your Boots Off/Driving Me Home -Bell Demo  (UK) SOLD

Sisters            There's a Raver Coming Home/Help The Music -WB (German pic sleeve)

Sisters       There's a Raver Coming Home/Help The Music -WB Demo  (UK)

Skid         I Saw Her Standing There/Endless Sleep -Hansa (German Pic sleeve)  SOLD

Slack Alice        Put Me on The Railroad/Gravelstone Cottage- Philips (Spanish pic sleeve)

Slade       Australian EP  Get Down and Get With/Look Wot You Dun/Coz I Luv You/Take Me Bak 'Ome

Slow Dog             Walking Through The Blue Grass  -Parlophone Demo (UK)      SOLD 

Small Wonder                  Ordinary Boy/Ride a Black Sheep-Dawn Demo (UK)  SOLD

Smiffy                See You Later (Little Baby Love)/How Can You Be a Millionaire -Antic  (UK)

Soho Jets      Hi-Heel Tarzan/Night Flight -Polydor (UK)

 Sparky        (Do You Remember That) Summertime Woman -UK (UK)

Spode               Cincinatti Woman/Singalong Song-Decca  Demo (UK)

Starbuck             Do You Like Boys/ You Never Wanna Rock n' Roll -Bradleys (UK)  SOLD

Sting                        Thief of Baghdad/Stay, Goodbye EMI (Ger)

Streak            3 Track Promo EP -Gonna Have a Good Time/Be Your Ryder/ Hard Times (In New York City) A&M AME 602 (UK) Hear a full sound clip of all 3 songs in their entirety (Hard Times is the last song) https://www.dropbox.com/s/3nyv9o70tisa6ew/Streak%20Good%20Time%20-Ryder%20-Hard%20Times.mp3?dl=0 SOLD

Streak          Bang Bang Bullet/Black Jack Man -Deram (German pic sleeve) SOLD

Streak                 Bang Bang Bullet/Black Jack Man -Deram (UK) SOLD

Streakers             Turn Me Down/Wake Up To The Sunshine - Dawn (UK)  SOLD

Stud Leather                Cut Loose/Emma Louise -Dart Demo (UK)

Stumpy            Make Me a Superman/ Keep It Coming- Dawn Demo (UK)  SOLD

Tag                 Off Down The Road/Guitar Love -Philips (UK)

Tiger                  I Am an Animal/ Stop That Machine- UA (UK) SOLD

Tracey Dean           Moonshiner/Boy on The Ball - Decca Demo (UK)

Trevor White                Crazy Kids/Movin' In The Right Direction -Island (UK) SOLD

Troll Brothers               You Turn Me On/Turn Out The Light -SRT (UK)

Union Express             Do You Love Me/Alligator Fix-Decca  Demo (UK)

Villain                   Photograph/ You Should Know Me By Now -Bell (UK) SOLD

Vulcan                  Much Too Young/Action Man -Epic Demo (UK)  SOLD

Warwick              Let's Get The Party Going/How Does it Feel-RAK  Demo (UK)  SOLD

Washington Flyers      Another Saturday Morning/The Comets are Coming -Dawn (UK)

Whistle                  The Party Must Be over/Hideaway - York Demo  (UK)

Winston                 I Won't Let Anna Go/Brother Jim -York Demo (UK)  SOLD

Yellow Bird             Attack Attack/ Right On - Magnet (UK)  SOLD

Zips                 Bye Bye Love/ Evil Hearted Woman-RAK Demo  (UK)

Zoo                     Walking/Love Love -Jupiter (Ger) 

Heavy Psych, Bonehead, Garage and Proto Punk

3's (Threez)         Do You See)/ Transporter - Threez (US)  

Black Rose      Love Handles/ Man is Blind-Michigan Nickel (US)  

Blackstone            Goin' On The Prowl/ One More Time - Blackstone Production(US)  

Brood               The Roach/Virginia Neal -Lemon (US)

Cucumber              Don't Make Me Cry/ Under-Cobblestone (US)               

Dickens                 Sho' Need Love/ Don't Talk About My Music-Scepter (US) SOLD

Don Malena and The Dry Ice              Sexercise/ Land of Summertime- Mal Don (US)  

Jupiter's Children            Check Yourself (Superman's Got Blisters) Triple 000 (US) SOLD

Legends                High Towers/ Fever Games-Railroad House (US Pic sleeve) SOLD

Old Scratch        Devil Take You/Diamond Lady –Colly Records  (Canada) -

Shy Guys             Black Lightening Light/ Goodbye to You M-U (US)  SOLD

Summit                     The Darkness/Thank You Mister Jones -North Room (US)  SOLD

Sweet Tooth         Music's Gotta Stay/ Karen -Dominion (US)  

The Jax          The Jax are Back (Live)/ The Jax Are Back -Baddog (US)

Twitch          Things/ Pick Up is Illegal on 401- Demo (Can)   SOLD

Unsettled Society          17 Diamond Studded Cadillac/ Passion Seeds-Charm (US)  

The Good Vibrations –Call Me Lightning (Dum Dum Dum Doo Ray)

The Good Vibrations –Call Me Lightning/Don’t Nobody Touch My Baby Ember Records 14515 AT (1969 German issue)

Nice bouncy rendition of The Who track. Produced by Mike Berry (Ning, Boots, Boneshaker etc…) it highlights his deep affection for all things Small Faces (listen to the backing vocal –just like Steve Marriot). A fine Mod romper 4 years too late, but a great performance here housed in a cool German picture sleeve)

Hear a full version of Call Me Lightning

Records picked up in Utrecht

Here are some of the singles I picked up in Utrecht. I arrived on the Thursday so was finally able to visit the Da Capo shop http://www.dacaporecords.nl . It’s absolutely great for singles (and LPs -if you like that sort of thing) –the basement (The Beatcave) is crammed full of singles at 1 Euro each and they also have a single bar full of more collectable singles, plus all the singles in the main shop. It’s well worth arriving a day early and checking the shop out. I must have found around 30 singles at Da Capo. The remaining 70 or so singles were found in 3 days of going up and down the aisles at the fair in a mad obsessive daze...Here’s to a return in November to the best record fair in the world!!!

Smyle –Tandem
The Hammer –I’d Do It Again –NL Pic Sleeve –this is Mark Boon post Smyle –a great powerpop single.
Amsterdam –Donay
Tiger – Hot Amsterdam/ The Bomb. This is in fact The Tigers On Vaseline –the B side is indeed “The Bomb” and rocks to the max.
Drama –Mary’s Mamma (Peter Koelewijn production –the B side is best)
Wellington –Swoop Down On You -would you believe a third single by Wellington? I don’t think it got released in the UK –good uptempo Glam)
Shadows of Knight –My Fire Department Needs A Fireman –Ger Pic sleeve
Renee –Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On
Radar –Sweet Baby Sweet –Killer Dutch Glam single –If I knew this one before, it would have been on the comp – a prime candidate for volume two !
Mike Berry –Don’t Be Cruel (The Joe Meek one, not the Ning one)
Zoo –Walking –CNR - another stomping Dutch Glamster
Whistle –The Party Must Be Over –UK demo
Lemming –Bang On
Rocketters –Rocket Man
Cape Canary –Let There Be Light
Brownsville Station –King of The Party –Ger pic sleeve
Resonance –Moto Rock –French Pic Sleeve. This is the same bunch who did OK Chicago . Great motorbike noises over a chugging beat
Circus –Over and Over –Negram
Bacchus –who Put The Bomp –The B side Teen Queen is the reason to own this one
Fickle Pickle –The Letter Dutch Pic Sleeve
Los Brincos –You Know (B side is Spanish version of Nobody Wants You Now)
Serpentine –Yesterday Papers –cool psych 2 sider –perfect Circus Days fodder
Serpentine –Instant Alison
Girlie –Andy –Dutch Pic sleeve
Nick Gilder -Roxy Roller –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Anita Garbo –Race With The Devil –Good cover of the Gun hit with a Glammy B side
Mathew Passion –Company Director –Dart
Wei Wei Wong –Sing Song Boat –Dart
Mighty Love –We’ve Gotta Live With One Another –D'art
Left Side –Morning Sunrise –absolute killer B side on this their last single, forget the A side
Moving Men –The King of Crazy Town –The Rockets in disguise in ultra rocking Glam mode with quirky effects galore
Cardinal Point –Peppermint Twist
Bintangs –Riding On the L &R –what is it with the Dutch and flutes? –Otherwise a cracking rocker
John Arthur –No Lady No –CNR
Whichwhat –Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ (the Crazy Elephant Tune)
Heart-Stronger –the Dutch Heart’s 3rd and last single
Zoom –Bye Bye Honey Bee –self produced French poppy Boogie Glam single
20/20 –nice Dutch pic sleeve of Cheri
Artful Dodger -lead track off 3rd album, but with front cover featuring photo used for the painting on the front of their first album.
Jungle Jim –Big Fat Onraguman (Swedish Pic Sleeve)
Pebbles –Mother Army
William Shakespeare –Can’t Stop Myself From Loving You (Ger Pic Sleeve)
General of Budapest –Everybody Join us
Carl Simmons –King Of Rock N Roll (this is Dick Turpin of Madeline fame)
Chicory Tip –Good Grief Christina –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Chicory Tip –Survivor
UFO –C’mon Everybody –early single –sounds like they only wanted to be Blue Cheer at this point
Teddy Lane –Bye Bye Love –good rocking B side
Hector –Bye Bye Bad Days –UK DJM
Giorgio –Today’s A Tomorrow / Underdog–Ger Pic sleeves
Slade – Get Down and Get With it –the short haired sleeve
Bert De Conninck –Cadillac –Killer cover version
Uge –Mad Charles (a wonderful mad release –check out the blog)
Shakane –Big Step (Ger Pic Sleeve)
Shakane –Down Down Down (the Trevor Burton song-great B side as well –Ger Pic Sleeve)
Streak –Bang Bang Bullet –Dutch pic sleeve
R.B Zipper –Come Back Marianne –Ger Pic Sleeve
Pantherman –Pantherman –French Pic Sleeve
Barefoot-Frightened –Pye Demo

Also 3 LPS -The Swedish Shakane LP on Sonet, Bonnie St. Claire (now signed!) and Lemming
Plus tons of spares– watch this place...

Return from Utrecht…

I had another amazing time at the best record fair in the world. 3 days of walking around, searching , finding, exchanging, meeting, eating chips "met" etc…and generally hanging around with that far away 100 yard stare. Picked up quite a big haul including the following:

Tiger B. Smith –Morning Bird -Ger Pic Sleeve (the original version of The Damned track on Velvet Tinmine) See the photo above and click on title for a full version of Morning Bird
Chicory Tip –Cigarettes, Woman and Wine –French Pic Sleeve
Hans van Hemert –Old Dom Is Dead/ I Regret –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Hush –The Single LP –Belgian LP (Lennart & Dagleth)
Smyle –Crazy Lazy Little Miss Daisy –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Slack Alice –Motorycle Dream –French Pic Sleeve
Harley Quinne –Rock N Roll Is Back Again Ger Pic Sleeve
Beano –Candy Baby –Ger Pic Sleeve
Crazy Elephant –Gimme Some More –Ger Pic Sleeve
Crazy Elephant –There Ain’t No Umbopo –Ger Pic Sleeve (totally wonderful Spectorian homage by Gouldman, Godley & Crème via Kasenetz Katz and Ritchie Cordell)
Splash –Orangutang Boomerang Swe Pic Sleeve
Children of The Night –Dinner with Drac (Great US Pic Sleeve)
Marquis Of Kensington –Flash –Ger Pic Sleeve
J.C. Livingstone –Oh Oh Oh Angelina –Ger Pic Sleeve. Forget the A side, but the B side is basically Discotheque King by Muff, with pounding drums similar to Momma Was A Steamroller Lady. Question: Can we presume that J.C. Livingstone is in fact Rod McQueen?
Boys –Baby It’s You (US Pic Sleeve)
Jimmy Jukebox –Motorboat (US)
Q65 –Your’e the Victor
Kemo Sabay –Running Bear –Ger Pic Sleeve
Weltons -Hang 10 Hang 10
Sharaton –Walking Down The Road
Hollywood Stars –All The Kids On The Street (Ger Pic Sleeve)
Dominik –Rocket –French Pic Sleeve
Bob And Honey Bee –Queenie Rock On
Giorgio –Moody Trudy/ Stop –Ger Pic Sleeve
Spode –Singalong Song -Ger Pic Sleeve(The B side Cincinatti Woman is like a Joe Meek production from 1971)
Fresh Air- Bye Bye Jane
Skin –Trucking Song –Ger Pic Sleeve –check out the sound clip here: http://proudfootsound.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/skin-trucking-song-substitute-seven-sun-197/

First Class –Gimme Little Sign –Dutch Pic Sleeve (John Carter)
Hold Up –Telephone -Bel Pic Sleeve)
Biggles –Gimme Gimme Some Lovin’ –French Pic Sleeve (Mike Berry - Ning, UK Jones etc…)
New Adventures –Late Late Show –Dutch Pic Sleeve
John Kincade –Jenny Gotta Dance –Ger Pic Sleeve
Loco –At The Local Dance –Gr Pic Sleeve
Mabel –Hey I Love You -DK Pic Sleeve
Octopus –Hey Na-Na -Bel Pic Sleeve
The Killer –Killer’s Boogie –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Hollywood Brats –Rough Mixes (bootleg)
Think Tank –Hold My Hand (Dutch Pic Sleeve)
Jeff Phillips –Yesterday’s Hero –Ger Pic Sleeve
Jeff Phillips &Tigerwing –Superman – Ger Pic Sleeve (Vanda & Young)
D’jurann Jurran –Streakin’ –Ger Pic Sleeve
Doc & Prohibition –Superman –Ger Pic Sleeve
Snakes –Teenage Head –Dutch Pic Sleeve (Nick Garvey &Co)
Shoreline –I Like Rock N Roll –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Shades –Monday’s Child
Long Tall Ernie And The Shakers –Motoride –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Sir Henry & His Butlers –Camp (the B side Pretty Style is VERY weird downer psych)

Plus quite a few spares and upgrades…
Chaos –Guitar Man- Ger Pic sleeve
Blunderbuss –Boogie Woogie Woman –Ger Pic Sleeve (Tony Atkins +Gerry Morris of Galahad , Toggle etc…)
Gary Glitter (Paul Raven) –Goodbye Seattle -Ger Pic Sleeve
Abacus –Indian D ancer –Ger Pic Sleeve
Ted Mulry Gang –Jump In M Car –Ger Pic Sleeve
Plastic Feet –Big Blond Baby –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Reparata- Your Life Is Gone (Dart)
Ning –Machine -Ger Pic Sleeve
Marrakesh – Prodigal Son
Stanley Frank –S’cool Days -Ger Pic Sleeve
Rockets –Rock N Roll Drummer –Ger Pic Sleeve
Left Side –Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet –French Pic Sleeve
UK Jones –Let Me Tell Ya
Soho Jets – High Heel Tarzan
Flamin’ Groovies –Slow Death –Ger Pic Sleeve
And more Teens singles!

Return from Utrecht...again!

Every time I come back from the fair, the same clichés come to mind:...The sheer size of it is just plain nuts (500+ dealers) and it really pisses all over what passes for major "International" fairs here in London.

The aches and pains of crouching, stretching and walking up and down the isles in a crazed daze looking through the Zillions of singles, in the hope of finding that special classic that makes the trip worthwhile, is madness...BUT yes, I found some great and sometimes surprising stuff, but also some hilarious disasters!

The whole trip didn't start too well as I had to make changes to my original plans and went to Brussels the day before for work commitments, and in the confusion I forgot my 3 day passes in London! But what could have been an issue was swiftly sorted out with great friendliness by the organisers and I didn't have to go through with plan C, which involved hanging on to the under-carriage of dealer's van to gain entry...(In fact there was a plan B as well). So by 9 am on Friday, I was in...
And the result? Well, I came back with over 50 singles, including one absolute Corker from someone who was a household name in the UK in the 70s...I'll keep schtum about it until I review it (hopefully on Monday), in the meantime I'll just divulge that it involves motorbikes...

Here are some of the other ones:

Black Fire -Come On And Do It (RCA Ger 1975). This is in fact the Dutch Black Fire, they renamed the song and gave the new sleeve a certain Pantherman feel to it. Click on the link above to go to the original review and soundclip.
Mustang -Wild Mustang (-Good Teens soundalike on blue vinyl)
Pagliaro -Lovin' You Ain't Easy (in a rather fetching French Pic. sleeve)
Kraaijeveld -Yes Tonight Josephine
Stamford Bride -Rise Sally Rise
Baby Face -Watch Your Step
A collection of BubbleGlam singles with a...er... "European feel": 2 by Jackpot including Is Everybody Happy (Incredibly dodgy, but with stomping sounds that are the closest to crunching goosesteps yet -they're German after all), Crackerjack -Tambourine (also German), Cissy by Yellow Cat (Dutch but sound German!)
Holy Mackerel -Rock'A'Bye (Barry Blue/Green)
Carnaby Street Runners (Kasenetz/ Katz, similar in concept to Mike Berry's Biggles single)
Fogg -Dancin' To The Music (Ger pic sleeve)
Duck Deluxe -I Fought The Law (RCA Demo)
Blackfoot Sue (German single with Glittery Obituary on the B side)
Smoke-Shagalagalu (yes, it's BubbleGlam folks...)
Starbuck - Heart Throb -Bradleys (A great single)
Wild Angels -Jo Jo Ann (from Out At Last)
Wild Angels -Sally Ann (NOT from Out At Last!)
Time Machine -Turn Back Time (French Psych with pipes from the Andes!!! -on Rubble volume something or the other)
Merlin-Wild Cat (Nice German pic sleeve)
Catapult (UK issue on Bradleys!)
Park Lane -The Party (Produced by Pete Koelewijn, the A side rocks and it has a different version of The Rockets' Rock 'n Rioll Drummer Part 2 on the B side
Dump -Will you Still Love Me Tomorrow
The Dogs -I've Been Down Down Down (a 68' call to rarms transplanted to 1974)
Hans Van Hemert -Because of The Cats -(a cracking Glam single)
TimeBox -Baked Jam Roll In Your Eye (lovely mint UK copy of this nutty masterpiece)
Bang -Questions (German pic sleeve of a Blue Cheer -like/ Teen hard rock band)
The Boer Four -The Boers Have Got My Daddy on Surf City Recordings!!!????
Magnet -Something To Remember me By (Ex Downliner Sect in semi-Glam crunchin mode)
Giggles -Just Another Saturday Night (Great German pic sleeve on this one)
Zips -You're So Good To Me (Yum Yum). This is in fact Pip Whitcher and Roger Lomas (The Sorrows, The Eggy, Renegade). As Zips, they also released Bye Bye Love (with a great B side) on RAK in the UK, but I didn't know about this one, which comes in a gear German pic sleeve. Musically, it's a stange mix of Adrian Baker Beach Boys fixation and Lomas/ Whitcher Heavyness with Glam seasonings.

I'll be reviewing some of these over the next few weeks, let me know if you have any particular request...