The Monks –Roller Coaster Rock And Roller

The Monks –Roller Coaster Rock And Roller/ It’s A Crying Shame –Rex R11095 (1974 UK)

Surely, this is not the same Monks who did Nice Legs, Shame About The Face??? Both songs are written by J. & E. Monks, so it’s obvious that someone with a reputation to preserve is hiding here! Being on Rex they must be Irish...
Roller Coaster Rock And Roller is a nice rockin’ update of Sweet Little Rock ‘N’ Roller but it somehow comes across like a Woolworth imitation of Dave Edmunds with the monkey-beat chugging guitars and treated slide. The vocal delivery gives it a slight teen angle, but the lead break is rather piercing …so I’m unsure of the demographics this single was aimed at. It would be nice to be able clear up this mystery…anyone?

Hear a soundclip of Roller Coaster Rock And Roller

Paul Cass –Mini Marianne

Paul Cass –Mini Marianne/Riverboat Rock –Rainbow Records RBW 2000 (1975 UK)

Mini Marianne is a vibrant high-velocity Glam Cruncher. The production is full and tight, it has an incongruous Synth part and fun lyrics including a choice line about making Coca Cola jellies…The B side is also an uptempo rocker, but not really in the same league.
So who is Paul Cass? It’s probably a Belgian creation as it’s produced by Sylvain Van Holmen (sometimes spelt as Van Holme) who was in The Wallace Collection and Two Man Sound, but beyond that who knows?

Thanks to Bob from the http://www.7tt77.co.uk/ site for turning me on to this baby

Click on title for a full version of Mini Marianne

Shelby The Clap –Killing My Music

Shelby The Clap –Killing My Music/ I’ve Got A Chance –Polydor 2050 356 (1975 NL)

Holland has been a very fertile breeding ground for Junkshop Glam with killer releases by Pantherman, Dump, Black Fire, Left Side, Heavy Dwarfs, Zingara, Cardinal Point etc…(and dear Bonnie St. Claire). This Shelby The Clap single was one of the very few remaining Dutch Glam obscurities to be unearthed, which leaves me with two more to find (as far as I know).
Shelby is in fact Shel Shellekens who drummed with The Incrowd, Brainbox and Rainbow Train. He later produced the Golden Earring album Cut in ’82 which featured the US hit Twilight Zone.
Killing My Music is an ultra-compressed Mutoid Glam number, it stomps with the best of them, but the production is bizarre and renders it even more interesting. Shelby: The Dutch Cozy Powell? –yes certainly, but one immersed in space-yoghurt! The B side is also pretty groovy as Shelby and his shinny kit expand the Junkshop envelope even further…

Click on title for edits of Killing My Music and I’ve Got A Chance

West Point –Don’t Know Why/Take What You Want

West Point – Don’t Know Why/Take What You Want –Decca F 13050 (1970 UK)

With near identical drum intros, both West Point songs are fine commercial Bubblegum/Soul concoctions similar to The Equals or Paintbox with Take What You Want being my favourite of the two. I'm unsure who the band actually was, but Don’t Know Why has a Swettenham credit, which most likely relates to Peter Swettenham from Grapefruit as I also have another single by Fluff ( Dance Dance Dance/ Don’t Say You Don’t – Decca F 13273) from 1971 produced by him.

Click on title for an edit of Don’t Know Why and Take What You Want

Ritz –Jenny Gentle / Why Love

Ritz –Jenny Gentle/ Why Love–Dawn DNS. 1070 (1974 UK)

I’ve had this single for a while and when I took it out for a spin recently, I realised that I had never listened to the B side! And boy did I miss out as Why Love is a cracking Glam cruncher with a definite Sweet influence featuring guitar riffage in the same mould as The Easybeats’ Sorry. Jenny Gentle is more subdued, but is a prime catchy-as-hell commercial Pop song, with some tasty dual lead guitars. Both songs are written by P. Ryder and I assume that this is Paul Ryder who also served time as Paul Ryder And The Time Machine (Penny Farthing).
In order to make further amends, Why Love is featured as the first edit of the two songs.

Click on title for edits of Why Love and Jenny Gentle

Mick Flinn Band –Doing It Right

Mick Flinn Band –Doing It Right/ Do What You Wanna Do –EMI 2805 (1978 UK)

Incredible to think that this is the same Mick Flinn who was in The Mixtures (The Pushbike Song) and even more weird when you consider that he was also in The New Seekers! Both tracks are Killer Punk/Glam numbers with a great high -energy performance and tight production (it looks like Vic Maile was involved here). It seems that they were only demo copies of this single pressed, if you know otherwise -please let me know!
For further information, go to: http://45revolutions.blogspot.com/2007/10/mick-flinn-band.html

Click below for edits of both songs

Bogdan –Oh Eddie

Bogdan –Oh Eddie/ Schoolgirl –CNR 144.731 (1980 Dutch issue)

Bogdan? Bogdan who? BILLY HAMON of BUTCH THINGS infamy -that’s who! Not sure why he used this pseudonym, but Oh Eddie is truly the son of Butch Things. (see review posted April 27th 2006). Billy’s blubbering vocals are as unique as ever and the content here is similar to Butch Things with its 50s tough/whining guy theme. The musical assault may not be quite as overwhelming, but apart from a weak middle eight, the song is perfect –all light and shade...
The UK issue has a version of Reet Petite as the B side, this release has Schoolgirl which is a so-so Russ Ballard song.
Billy Hamon also released an album on Acrobat called Bombed Singles, would that complete the set?

Click on title for soundclip of Oh Eddie

The Passengers –Something About You (I don’t Like)

The Passengers –Something About You (I don’t Like)/Two Lovers –Private pressing (1979 UK)

I met these guys at the time outside the CBS building in Soho Square just as they were signing to Epic. They had pressed up this single privately in order to create a buzz and it worked as both tracks were later released on the faux-independent Blue Inc. and also on Epic proper. It looks like they were uncertain as to which song was to be the A side when they pressed it up, but in my book, there was no contest as Something About you is a powerful Punk/ Power Pop number of the highest caliber. To me it sounds like The Members infused with a top Pop tune and featuring a great rockin’ piano part such as Nicky Hopkins would lay down on those early Kinks sides.

Click on title for an edit of Something About You

As a dubious marketing exercise, I will also be listing this single on ebay http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZpurepop1uk this evening. It's the last single I will be listing until January -Thanks!

Pete Dunton –Taking Time

Pete Dunton –Taking Time/ Still Confused –RCA 42501 (1973 French issue)

Pete was the drummer With Freakbeat faves The Flies and Please. He was also in a late line-up of Gun before forming the Proggy T2.
This single came out in the UK on Rockfield and the production by Dave Edmunds is pretty spectacular. Dave was in the middle of his Spector recreations in the Rockfield barn at the time and the Welsh wizard pulls out all the stops on this single. Swamped in flange and chorus, Taking Time literally explodes during the instrumental breaks full of psyched out Banjo and unmistakable Dave Edmunds guitar interjections. The B side Still Confused sounds like Badfinger on mushrooms with a nice understated vocal performance from Pete Dunton.

Click below for edits of Taking Time and Still Confused

Change –Wildcat/ Yaketty Yak, Smacketty Smack

Change –Wildcat/Hold On –EMI 2354 (1975 UK)

Change –Yaketty Yak, Smacketty Smack/When The Morning Comes –Orange OAS 210 (1973 UK)

This review definitely asks more questions than it answers…These two records seem to feature the same band, but they don’t sound at all alike. Wildcat is firmly in Brother Susan/ Slade Glam mode while Yaketty Yak, Smacketty Smack is a lovely pop tune to suit an afternoon of mild S&M activities. Both singles have Sigmund(s)son and Helgason credited as writers (Wildcat adds Rolfe –Could that be Barry Rolfe who recorded Look The Business?), so I would assume a Scandinavian connection. The EMI single is produced by Emil D. Zoghby and to confuse matters even further, I picked up a single by Chance (although credited to Change on the back cover) called Wash My Mem’ries (Pink Elephant PE 22.736 –H) also produced by Emil. That single is rather ghastly, but again could this be the same band? Hopefully our Nordic friends can perhaps provide some information here?

Click below for edits of Wildcat and Yaketty Yak, Smacketty Smack

House Of Lilly – Turn Around

House Of Lilly – Turn Around/ Situations –Eurodisc 12805 (1973 French Issue)

House of Lilly were apparently a Swiss band, but Turn Around is a cracking Punk-edged performance that rocks hard without ever falling into Hard Rock histrionics or Prog indulgences. The only slight blemish is the weak organ solo, but the lead guitar that follows is positively blistering. Their use of English language was nothing if not creative…Can’t make it all out but there are witches flying about and the singer proclaims at one point: “I am The Devil and my breath will blow you up”. His last line ends with: "My..... WILL FUCK YOU UP", but I'm not too sure as to what he was referring to. The B side is OK, but has a flute –go throw it in the lake boy and let’s have more cheese induced delirium!

Click on title for full version of Turn Around

Singles For Sale

Hi

While await requests for new reviews (if not the default setting will be House Of Lilly), I have put some singles up on ebay and you can expect up to 100 singles over the next few weeks.

You can find them here:

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZpurepop1uk

Smiley

Thanks to Duggi, the bass player from Smiley, we now know more about the band and the fascinating fact that they nearly became The Creation Mark IV!

The original review was posted on September 11th 2007, but I have uploaded the tracks again here for convenience sake.

From the man himself, who also sent the Smiley photo.

“Maybe you can make out the name Creation written on floor…We were going to go out as The Creation and adopt their image/music...it all kinda fell apart for Smiley… We signed a 10 year contract with Shel Talmy/ Shelbush organisation, who promised to release two singles per year, but it never happened. While we were playing at Top Ten Club in Hamburg ,a record scout Paul Murphy spotted us and we met with the then music director of BASF in Germany...Ralf Arni (think this right spelling) who wrote the song "Tulips from Amsterdam" (Max Bygraves!!!). They wanted to sign us under a fantastic recording deal (well was then), however The Shel Talmy Organisation wouldn't let us leave, and we were cast into the wilderness...no recording possibilities...the band decided to make money we would have to change and be a cabaret band, (something I personally hated) so I left the band and they carried on for around another year”

Smiley line up: John Ryan -vocals, Billy Fogg - drums, Peter Richardson - Guitar, Robert (Bob) Garner - Guitar, Douglas Dickson –Bass

Click on title for edits of I Know What I Want and Penelope

Thanks Duggi!

Return From Utrecht (part 3)

Once again, Phew!

Just back from 2 days of walking up and down the huge hall at the Utrecht Record Fair, picking up singles along the way. I Came back with 57 singles, some real cracking discoveries in this lot...

Above you can see a Swedish copy of Son Of My father. Now, I know we had rely on Israel to beat the Russians for a chance to get to the European finals, but we're not really that bad, or...are we? More probably it was an interesting comment by our Swedish friends on the state of the economy at the time and the three day week.

Here is a rundown of the pick of the bunch. You're all welcome to make requests for the next reviews and sound clips from this lot...

Hard Horse -Let It Ride

Chris Hodge -We're On Our Way

Pete Dunton -Making Time ( late Pop/psych number with a great Dave Edmunds production)

House of Lilly -Turn Around (incredible rocking Swiss!!! single from '73)

Zingara -Mary Lee (pretty horrible first single, nothing like the great Girl Girl Girl)

Trifle -Devil Comin' (7.45!)

Frame -Keep Those Blues On The Run (good Glam/pop 2-sider)

Blue Rock -Bye Bye Johnny (B side is more interesting)

Left Side -Mamma Mia

Shakane -Birmingham

Spunky Spider -You Won't Come -YES, FINALLY!!!!

Pat Boone!!!-Little Honda (Pat goes Surf, Terry Melcher/ Bruce Johnston B side)

HMK -Delirious ([Perhaps Gary Holton's greatest moment)

The Panics -Superwoman

Santa Maria -Elle (French band from '71 -absolutely killer fuzzed up psych/Pop B side)

Black Swan -Da Ga De Li Da

Rocky Underground -Groovy

Lemming -Good Morning

Kincade -Jenny Jenny (John Carter)

Edgar Broughton Band -Apache Drop Out ( forgot just how incredibly bizzare and brilliant this is )

Hot Rod Formula -Heavy Chevy (no car noises and a bit too discotheque for me, great sleeve)

Buzz -Mony Mony (the Buzz who did The Rock roller coaster, Great punked out B side)

BoogaLoo Band -Cadillac (The Vince Taylor number, similar to the Renegades' arrangement)

Teddy Palmer And The Rumble Band -Teddy Bear (exhuberant Glammed Up version)

Bryan Evans -Hold Tight! (late Glam version of the Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick And Titch number)

6 different Teens singles,!

plus more spares/ upgrades and a few dodgy singles!

Guess where I'm going???

Yep, here we go again...I'll try and report back on Sunday

Rescue Co. No.1 –I Want To Save You

Rescue Co. No.1 –I Want To Save You/ Amanda –Jam 14 (1972 UK)

Arnold, Martin & Morrow (Go Go Thunder, Butterscotch etc…) are behind this fine slab of orchestral Glammy Psych/Pop. Rescue Co. No.1 had a plethora of singles on different labels, and this is one of the 3 singles they released on the Jam imprint. It’s probably my favourite Rescue single of the lot, but you can also check out Its Only Words posted May 28th 2007. The lush yet sharp arrangement and production is simply staggering and it all sounds a bit like The Move accompanied by The London Symphony Orchestra playing an unreleased Hello tune…I'm sure you’ll enjoy this!

Click on title for a full version of I Want To Save You.

Real McCoy – I Get So Excited

Real McCoy – I Get So Excited/ Somebody’s Taken Maria Away –Pye N17618 (1968 UK)

The Real McCoy come up trumps with this KILLER cover of The Equals tune. It starts off as a real solid and driving performance and then all hell breaks loose when the track gets engulfed by majestic swirling phasing. Most records sounded this way anyway on Radio Luxemburg anyhow, but they certainly went the whole hog as the phasing is there for most of the track. Real McCoy were Irish and seemed to have specialized in covering key Bubblegum tracks of the time, but always adding an edge –check out the versions of Round The Gum Tree and Quick Joey Small for further examples of this.

Note: You can find all the tracks above on the Round The Gum Tree UK Bubblegum compilation that Sanctuary put out a couple of years back.

Click on title for a full version of I Get So Excited

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

U.K. Baby –Heartbreaker

OK, it’s time to unleash Collin again. Don’t blame me if he bites you on the ankle or relieves himself in your flowerpot…

U.K. Baby –Heartbreaker/ Michael’s Blues –Imperial 66409 (1969 US issue)
(Originally released on Spark SRL 1030 as by The Baby)

Item One. Admission of Guilt:

I have never liked more than a bare handful of tracks by the Sutherland Brothers.

There, I’ve said it.

You Got Me Anyway, Rock ‘N’ Roll Show… I know, I know! Consider me then Purepop’s cloth-eared Albert Speer – the blogger who said I’m sorry (and I am, believe me, Spandau not required).

And while I can not completely articulate my misgivings concerning the oeuvre of Sutherland Bros & Quiver, there is a certain item from their shared past that I will unflinchingly stand by.

‘Tis a curiously-named bouncing-bundle, by the nom of U.K. Baby. Maybe not snuff-up to the Last-Night-Of-The-Proms/Charge Of The Light Brigade standard advanced bravely by League of Empire Loyalist, U.K. Jones, nevertheless, this TWO-SIDED affray is lobster-back through and through. …and quite GROOOOOVY to boot (and much like later fellow bulldog breeders, The English Beat, the ‘U.K.’ here was a meritorious denotation reserved solely for those soldiering away in foreign service)!

Production-product of the same knob-twiddler as the elusive, Sorrow-full Eggy (Barry Kingston – same label too: Spark/ Imperial), Iain Sutherland and Co. here RAVE AND ROCK - swaddling clothes style – through what Who Put The Bomp! #13 describes as:

“A straightforward rocker with nice melodic touches and a break straight out of It’s All Too Much by The Beatles.”

Appreciative and cultured Bomp! may be, they fail – in my opinion – to fully hone in on the true HEART-broken eye of this lovely little storm: That being the Charybdis-ian whirlpool of keys-guitars-and-handclaps Kingston summons around the 1:30-mark which he would later sharpen to hair-splitting perfection on Eggy’s You’re Still Mine. I can only imagine that Heartbreaker’came out first – it definitely has the feel of a practice-run by comparison to Eggy – but I could certainly be wrong and I don’t feel like squinting at matrix numbers. The b-side, comped and miss-titled all over the place, is decidedly commonplace; at least when sidled next to its black, Siamese twin. Treacly twee and Idle Race-y, it pales next to the stout, wave-ruling Heartbreaker. Being a pre-Sutherland Bro was obviously no picnic; the previous single they cut as A New Generation (also produced by Kingston) from a year before also had a ‘blues’ in the title! It’s one of those big, orchestral, flower power, opiate laments probably about a dog or torn kaftan or something. Less Fading Yellow, more piss-soiled white satin. Awwwww….

I SAY GROW A PAIR ‘PSYCH’ FANS AND ENLIST IN MORE WYMEN-BAITIN’ ROCK/POP/LESS BLUES! GO RE-WATCH ‘ZULU!’ SEE THE WORLD IN FANCY GAITORS! MEN, YOU KNOW JUST WHAT TO DO!

Pick To Clique: Heartbreaker

Record Labels of The 70s

Here's my 2nd Oh My God of the week!

If you click on the title above, you will enter a fantastic website dedicated to 70s labels...I have only had a quick peek so far, but it looks incredible and I'll be probably spending hours there.

Bob is your host , so be sure to say "Hi" and help with any omissions.Me, I'm going back there now...

You will also find the link in the usual place

Douglas –Monkey Song

Douglas –Monkey Song / Montego Sunshine –CBS 2281 (1974 Sweden)

Oh my god… Oh my god…Those were not only the last words uttered by Princess Diana at the back of a Mercedes, but the only words I could muster on first hearing this full-blown-no-doubts-about-it MASTERPIECE. It’s just so incredible and undeniably perfect, that I just can’t get this stupid grin off my face.
If you’re not immediately hooked by those weird slowed-down intro vocal effects, the loud and I mean LOUD guitars, the thumping beat, the mother of all catchy tunes, the inane lyrics, you’re reading the wrong Blog. This is like Pantherman in a monkey suit running Jungle Jim out of town.
Douglas Westlunds was in fact the drummer on some weekly Swedish TV show , but one night he stepped up to the mic and performed this number. Sweden went nuts, the phone system melted and he was offered a contract to release the song on the spot. It became a semi-hit, and as far as I know Douglas wasn’t heard from again. I would love to hear different though…Credit where credit is due. The superb loud production is by Mats Olsson and Monkey Song is written by Jorgen Larsen. BTW, as expected, the B side is not worth throwing or waving your banana at.

Thanks to Eddie for turning me on to this incredible single.

Click on title for a soundclip of Monkey Song

Rockmore Williams –Lady Rock/ It Was Her

Rockmore Williams – It Was Her/ Same –Mooncrest Moon 6 (1973 UK)
Rockmore Williams –Lady Rock/ Same –Mooncrest Moon15 (1973 UK)

Mr. Williams, or Rockmore to his friends, unleashed these two gritty semi-Glam rockers into oblivion and probably didn’t release anything else using this pseudonym…He reminds me a bit of Peter D. Kelly and Lady Rock would have certainly been more than a suitable follow –up to Rock To The Jukebox. It Was Her has a neat descending horn riff à la Elected and you can nearly hear his medallion bouncing off his hairy chest…So who was Rockmore Williams?

Click on title for edits of Lady Rock and It Was Her

The Garnets –Indian Uprising

The Garnets –Indian Uprising/Teenage Summer Crash Course –Pink Elephant PE 22.837 (1974 Dutch issue)

Although written and produced by J. Vincent Edwards, The Garnets seem to have been a bunch of mutoid Belgians, who never having fully recovered from losing the Congo, went West and ventured into Redbone territory with this fine single. While lacking the full on assault of Propeller’s Apache Woman or Abacus’ Indian Dancer, Indian Reservation is simply full on stupid, but oh so marvelous…Highly recommended with no reservations whatsoever…Teenage Summer Crash Course on the other hand is an OK-Glam-by-numbers rocker but sounds rather out of breath and middle-aged.

Click below for a full version of Indian Uprising

Christopher Milk - EP

Please welcome back Collin with this fine review. Please note that the views and opinions represented by this review should NOT be mistaken for those of the owner and operators of this blog…

Christopher Milk –EP – UA SP -66 (1971 US)

I think by-far the best description I’ve ever read of this marginal piece of fluff was the GEMM listing that convinced me to buy it in the first place:

'Rock scribe (John Mendelsohn) wants to be a rock star - insider joke band makes nice early glam, pre-punk sound'.

For those not in the also-ran know, John Mendelsohn was perhaps the ultimate early 70’s Anglophile (Muswell top-ranking!). All pop, no style, John’s strictly roots journey to superstar writer-DUMB began with a notable stint beating-skins with the embryonic Halfnelson (soon to become Sparks) before graduating to out-and-out skin-(flute)-suckling with his own hype L.A. fashion band, Christopher Milk (whom he promoted ceaselessly in nearly every record review he scribed). Brendan Mullen tried to pass them off as ‘proto-punk’ in the pages of his poor-poor-very-poor, We’ve Got The Neutron Bomb, which, like most everything else contained in said narrative, failed to hold enough water to drown a newborn kitten or enough substance to fill a pot-hole. Not even known good-guy Gregory Shaw had much positive to say about ‘em (even though he did allow Mendelsohn liberty in 1977 to turn in a truly horrific EP as The Pits which was so embarrassing most BOMP discographies today will not even acknowledge its existence or shouldn’t anyway!). So…on the threshold of such a dreamy ‘n’ positive introduction, what – really – are we left with?

Well, the Warners album Some People Will Drink Anything may suck righteously, but the United Artists EP (that’s EXTENDED PLAYER) that preceded it is as alright with me as Jesus is/was with the Doobies! Over-bearing and not wholly successful attempt at reconciling the style/sound of Arthur/Village Green-era Kinks with the sardonic sartorialness of the Bros. Mael, Mendelsohn and Milk here unveil four fun-fun-fun laugh-fests that I can see appealing to fans of everyone from the Bonzo Dog Band to The Who. Semi-ridiculous lyric themes - There's A Broken Heart For Every Rock And Roll Star On Laurel Canyon Boulevard, To You He's Just A Cop, But To Me He's Mr. Right, nice grumbling bass sound, EXTREMELY UNDERPRIVILEGED orphan-pledge-drive vocal range, a price tag of zero dollars (free to anyone back then through the pages of Phonograph Record Magazine) – yup, all things bright and beautiful, Christopher Milk had them all. …then I guess they forgot the basic difference between tragedy and comedy is measured in equal parts sympathy and fear. And while I may fear for Mendelsohn’s ego following Christopher Milk’s inevitable curdling expiration , sympathy I have none. Too bad too. Everybody loses! You, me and even Mike Saunders, who had his own reasons for wanting to see Mendelsohn make it:

“And just think: if C. Milk become stars, maybe Mendelsohn will quit writing. Now that’d be something to look forward to!”

Pick To Click: ‘Hey, Heavyweight!

Click below for the 3 minute mono edit of Hey, Heavyweight!

Matchbox - Rod

Matchbox –Don’t Shut Me Out/ Rod –RAK 113 (1971 UK)

This is not the Rockabilly Revival outfit, but the sounds of Ex-Rupert’s People (Reflections of Charles Brown) members Rod Lynton and Steve Brendell soldiering on into the early 70s. Rod is in fact the B side of a pleasant up-tempo Bubblegum/ Pop number and is a strange beast indeed…Based around a rockin’ backbeat and pop vocals, they then added these weird oscillator/Theremin or Moog gurglings. The overall effect is bizarre and sounds like this was done more as a playful after-thought rather than through astute planning.

Click below for edits of Rod and Don’t Shut Me Out

Wig Wam –Naughty Naughty

Wig Wam –Naughty Naughty/ Have A Cuppa Tea –RCA 2243 (1972 UK)

Here’s another one to file under Glam Era Bubblegum Obscurity (GEBO)…It’s strangely under-produced by Phil Wainman and the arrangement by Pip Williams is an exercise in simplicity itself. The rugged chugging guitars really drive the song along and the tune features a mean hook and neat chord changes. The B side, Have a Cuppa Tea, is a cover of the Kinks’ song and is a bit pointless. The band were probably a one-off studio congregation, but the A side deserves its place in the Pantheon of no-hope-in-hell-hit-wonders…

Click on title for a full version of Naughty Naughty

Zipper –Can Can

Zipper –Can Can/Laugh Laugh –Sirocco SIR 6001 (1976 French issue)

This is one of the other Zipper bands, NOT to be confused with Atkins/Morris or Fred Cole!

For your entertainment, I haven’t compressed the picture, so if you click on the image you can see it in full wide dorkscope…The cover nearly gives Frog a run for its money, as for the track itself…er…Barrel-house Glam anyone?

Click on title for a soundclip of Can Can

Zipper –Gettin’ It On

Zipper –Gettin’ It On / Good Morning –Telefunken U 56333 (1974 German issue)

Tony Atkins and Gerry Morris strike again with these two left-of-field Glam Stompers. The A side is not as straightforward as first seems with its out there production, similar to Galahad’s Rocket Summer. The production on Good Morning is even more over the top and approaches near Experimental-Trans –Progressive -Glam with layers of backward guitars and snare effects. What a team!
BTW, this is not the Life of Riley mob, nor the band that issued Can Can (which reminds me, I should upload the cracking French Pic Sleeve of that one…). There’s also another Zipper on Youngblood from around the same time, but I can’t confirm any Atkins/Morris involvement there.

Click below for edits of Getting’ It On and Good Morning

Hollywood Heroes – Caught In The Act

Hollywood Heroes –Caught In The Act/If You Don’t Know –Negram NG 669 (1974 Dutch issue)

Caught In The Act is a wonderful hybrid of a tune juxtaposing My Sweet Lord onto a rockin’ Summertime Blues beat with 10CC/ Beach Boys backing vocals and acoustic/Dobro slide. The single is perfectly produced by US Actor/Producer Steve Rowland better known for his production duties with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich and to a much lesser extent Ace Kefford’s Rockstar single. It’s a total mystery as to who the Hollywood Heroes actually were, if they existed at all. Unless proved otherwise, it looks like the guy on the left in the hippy dippy floppy hat is Steve Rowland. The A side is written by Alan Hall, the B side by Ken Watson if that’s any help…Caught In The Act has all the necessary ingredients and really deserved to be a hit.

Click on title for a full version of Caught In The Act

Brat – Not Quite Right

Brat – Not Quite Right/ Long Time Away –Red Rooster Records (1974 US)

This is in fact the first release by Artful Dodger prior to signing to Columbia and to big shot management team Leber-Krebs. Artful Dodger never really made it, but were big favourites as they really hit the spot with their special mix of Power Pop /Byrdsian jangle and upfront raspy Faces rock. All 4 albums are worth seeking out –but I especially recommend their first two ( self-titled and Honor Amongst The Thieves) as well as their later album as a four piece on Ariola (Rave On). Not Quite Right finds the band at the boogier edge of the spectrum, although the intro is reminiscent of Wayside and there’s enough melodicism to elevate them way above being average boogie merchants. Long time Away is simply gorgeous and is very different to the version found on their first album.

Click below for edits of Not Quite Right and Long Time Away

Fred Cass And His Fabulous Cassettes – At The Weekend

Fred Cass And His Fabulous Cassettes –At The Weekend/ Donny & Marie (The Disco Queen) –The Fred Cassette Co (1980 AUS)

Ok, here’s a little something to end the week…The A side is a cracking rockin’ ode to the weekend, which would sit perfectly next to Eddie And The Hot Rods or Stanley Frank. Recorded in the summer of 1976 with The Sports’ Stephen Cummings on lead vocals, it features a great Glitter drum break and blazing dual lead guitars. The packaging on this DIY single includes an insert that’s pretty hilarious and if you believe the credits, the A side was used in a movie called Hot Throat. Whatever the truth, here is a link to a film clip of the band miming the song in the studio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_hFJUoYgY4
The B side, Donny & Marie somehow manages to be pure filth without a sheep or ewe within hearing distance …

Click on title for a soundclip of At The Weekend

Slowbone – Oh Man

Slowbone – Oh Man/Get What You’re Given – Rare Earth RES 119 (1974 UK)

Slowbone were an East End combo formed by Barry Hart and Jeff Peters from 60s Psych band Turquoise. They released 2 other singles at the time on Rare Earth: Happy Birthday Sweet 16 and Hot California Beach (under the name Rough Riders). They were also the backing band on the Sonny And The Sovereigns single –School Is Out (also on Rare Earth, check out the October 30th 2006 post ).
Oh Man is a snappy uptempo Teen/Glam/Boogie workout much in the same vein as The Bo’ Flyers or April, while Get What You’re Given sounds more grown up and is in Freaky/Prog/Rock mode and I assume this is more in keeping with the material found on their posthumous Tales Of A Crooked Man and a Live at The Greyhound albums.

Oh Man is bound to bring a smile to your face and get your feet tapping…

From left to right: Keith Shepherd (drums), Jeff Peters (bass), Lea Hart(guitar,vocals) and Jim Hunter (keys)

Click below for a full version of Oh Man

The Casuals –Tara Tiger Girl

The Casuals –Tara Tiger Girl/Nature’s Child –Parlophone R5959 (1972 UK)

Tara Tiger Girl was sandwiched between The Casuals’ Decca period and The Witch on Dawn in 1974.
The Casuals at this time were most likely Ex-World of Oz Chris Evans and his Kansas Hook/ American Jam Band cronies in full-on Pure Pop mode. Nature’s Child also appeared as the B side of The American Jam Band’s American Jam single.
Tara Tiger Girl is a fine Psych/Pop number very much like The Move circa 1968 albeit with a vocalist sounding a lot like Anthony Newley in very tight loons! The tune is damn catchy anyhow, with some nice Psych touches. Enjoy the fun!

Click below for a full version of Tara Tiger Girl

Toggle –Little Green Men

Toggle –Tiger Woman/ Little Green Men –Decca 85.029 (1974 French issue)

Another fun and near-genius creation from the Tony Atkins/Gerry Morris partnership. It shares a sci-fi theme with Galahad’s Rocket Summer (Bell) , but with a more naïve Joe Meek-like sense of innocence . Musically this is a perfect example of BubbleGlam with its dual sustained guitars and killer chorus coming in nice and early around the 30 second mark. The A side is more straightforward and is a top Boogie/Glam number, again with nice sustained guitar plus handclaps and a neo/pseudo-Rockabilly vocal delivery.

Hear edits of Little Green Men and Tiger Woman

Smiley –I know What I Want

Smiley –Penelope/ I Know What I Want –LMCE LM 78008 (1972 French issue)

Post Creation single featuring Bob Garner. Although the A side is written by Kenny Pickett, I am unsure if he actually appears on the record. I Know What I Want ( written by Bob Garner) is an atmospheric semi-Glam/Late Fuzzbeat Stomper. As a further link to The Creation; both sides were co-produced by Shel Talmy, but strangely the production lacks a bit of power and bite. The A side is pretty hard to take: It’s a seriously grating piece of 70s Bubblegum, with obnoxious kiddie vocals . Anyone have confirmation of the line up on this single?

Click below for an edit of I Know What I Want and a snippet of Penelope (for information purposes only!)

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

Remember This –Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival

Remember This –Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival/Over and Over Again –Penny Farthing PEN 862 (1975 UK)

Remember This is in fact Brum legend Mike Sheridan as the A side was originally recorded for the unreleased Elmer Goodbody Jnr album (check out his version of The Move’s Do Ya on Charisma). Featuring members of Wizzard (minus Roy Wood), it stands head and shoulders above The Cherrie Vangelder-Smith version. Rock ‘N’Roll Revival is a real opus. Part Slade, Rubettes, Wizzard with some Glitter Band thrown in plus with a Bolan/ Buddy Holly (or is it Gene Vincent?) hommage at the end. The performance ends up being much more than the sum of its parts. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something happening here and it all ends up being strangely touching and evocative. The B side is also a pretty good rocker written by Mike Sheridan.
To check out the Mike Sheridan/ Elmer Goodbody Jnr story go to http://www.mikesheridan.org.uk/the_official_nightriders_website_002.htm

The Elmer Goodbody Jnr album is available there and real cheap


Click on title for a full version of Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival