Stonehenge –Stonehenge

Stonehenge –Stonehenge/Groundunder –Bumble GE 118 (UK 1972)

The heavily Hammond infused Stonehenge is at the cusp of Library, Prog and Heavy Rock with a certain hum-along quality over a Proto Boogie/Glam chug with the intro’s crashing chords returning strategically throughout the track. Not quite Witch Hunt by Frog, put pretty cool in its obscurity. The B side is another instrumental written and produced by De Wolfe regular Barry Stoller (AKA Rhett Stoller) who wrote the Match of The Day Theme! Groundunder is Nice ‘n Heavy and highlights his dual octave guitar arrangement. Bumble is a fun label to collect with its mix of novelty and outright pop items. Barry Blue (Green) was involved with at least two releases on the label which are worth seeking out: Tank and Cartwright.

Hear a full version of Stonehenge

Hear a full version of Groundunder

Blood Chains –Suzie

What with the Divshare sound clip issues and having recently picked up a second copy, here is a good occasion to rediscover this single by the mysterious Blood Chains. The A side is a Roger Holman/Simon May composition. Since my original review (September 2006), I would say that my appreciation of it has increased by quite a few notches...or perhaps my quality threshold has dropped in the last 4 years...? You'll be the judge –see the original post below. More Holman/May coming next...

Blood Chains – Suzie/Tired Guy Of The Road –Telefunken 6.11740 (1975 German issue)

With a name like Blood Chains you could expect visions of dripping ripped flesh being torn apart by Cenobite hooks…but then again I sometimes have “high” expectations! But no, you will have to make do with a trio of dorky teens frolicking on swings. It’s a pretty good record, Suzie is medium-paced stomper with a good T. Rex-style lead doubled by sax. There’s an underlying Rubber Bullets rhythmic synth, but the production is a bit weak and the track never really takes off. The B side is more like a rockier Flintlock track (or a wimpier Jook). Once again the potential is not fully realised and the group certainly don’t live up to the promise that their name may suggest. This is a German issue, but the group and production team seem to be English.

Hear a full version of Suzie

Hear a full version of Tired Guy On The Road

Feather –Stupid Girl

Feather –Stupid Girl/You Got Troubles –Sam Sam 0352016 (1975 Bel)

Welcome to one the most sought after “Punk before Punk” singles and one the more successful attempts to fit in with the Neo Stones/ NY Dolls ethos. It certainly sits nicely next to the Streak singles and Hollywood Brats LP. Apart from the A side being a spirited run through of the Aftermath cut, the B side has obvious Stones inflexions in terms of the riff and slide. Both sides are cut loud and proud and sound as good now as they were intended to then.

Feather was an Alan Ward and Mike Butcher studio project –Here is detailed information as supplied by James D of the essential Worthless Trash website:

Alan Ward and Mike Butcher were both were working as studio technicians at Morgan Studios in Brussels when they recorded this single. Both previously worked at Morgan's UK studio in London in the early 70s. Alan Ward was also the singer with Bastard which also featured a pre-Damned Brian James.

Bastard moved to Brussels around 1974 but broke up the following year. It was then that Alan Ward and Mike Butcher (who by now had also moved to Brussels) recorded the Feather single with Alan Ward on vocals and Mike Butcher on guitar with two local musicians playing bass and drums. Rollerball’s Savage Eyes came next, recorded late '76 and released only in Holland in 1977. The other musicians on the Rollerball record were two brothers Alex (bass) and Pascal (drums). The Rollerball single has recently been reissued by Sing Sing: http://www.singsingrecords.com/home.php

As Elton Motello, Ward then wrote Jet Boy Jet Girl and Pogo Pogo with Lou Deprijck and Yves Lacomblez (Yves was also the brains behind Silex Pistols by female duo Too Much). Mike Butcher played guitar on Jet Boy Jet Girl and Pogo Pogo which were also used as the backing tracks for Plastic Bertrand's Ca Plane Pour Moi. Butcher played guitar on both Elton Motello albums and co-wrote most of the material with Ward.

Jet Staxx was Mike Butcher's solo alter ego, two singles were released: I'm Gonna Be The Best Guy and French Girls. He sang, played guitars and bass, and produced the records (with help from Alan Ward). Pascal from Rollerball played drums. Both A sides were Butcher/Ward compositions with the B sides credited solely to Butcher...

Phew!

Hear a full version of Stupid Girl



Hear a full version of You Got Troubles

Susan Lynne –Don’t Drag No More

Susan Lynne –Don’t Drag No More/ In His Car –Capitol 5201 (1964 US)

And now for something completely different...

I begged him to not drag anymore
But he sped off in a roar
I knew he'd head off to dead man's curve
Just to prove he had the nerve...

Don’t Drag No More is the perfect Surf/Car/ Girl Group Sound crossover. It can be seen as the prelude and answer song to Deadman’s Curve...and it is expected that the guy did not heed his girlfriend’s plea, so another Teenage tragedy was bound to ensue. Unless I misunderstood the concept and the girl in question is in fact tired of her beau wearing her underwear prior to going down the strip...
The lyrics are killer, how can you resist a line like “Won’t you put your keys away for me...?” The backing track is totally great and probably features Wrecking Crew regulars. The B side is also classic in a more subdued and gooey “In My Room” mode.
Written and produced by record executive Artie Kornfeld (he also co-wrote Deadman’s Curve BTW) Artie is/was quite the mogul and was also of the main instigators of the original Woodstock Festival. From the Brill Building to Woodstock and beyond, the man has quite a story to tell...You can check it out here http://www.artiekornfeld-woodstock.com/index.htm

Baby Please...

Hear a full version of Don’t Drag No More

Divshare Server Failure

Hi
More than half the sound files on the site have gone astray...I believe I am not the only blog with this problem (Proudfoot -you also have some sound files missing) . Divshare has been a great service -it's easy to use, storage space is ample and they promise that your files will be "online forever". Plus it's free...

I contacted Divshare Support and this is the reply

"We experienced a server failure which has resulted in the loss of a
small number of files. Currently our recommendation is that affected
users re-upload any files which are missing. Please accept our
apologies for the interruption of service. We are continually working
to improve the DivShare service and have already taken steps to ensure
this does not happen again"

This ticket got a low priority

In my case it is not a "small number of files". By my estimate we are talking about 250 sound files on two Divshare accounts. I only have perhaps 50 of the missing files on my current laptop, which means I would have to re-record 200 singles.

Now it's very incovenient to say the least and I wonder if the files are truly lost. If they simply replaced the hardware, the content should still be there. Is anyone a premium client (ie pays for the service)? Were the files reinstated for these customers?

I would have no issue upgrading to a full account, but can anyone who uses Divshare, please let me know what your situation is and perhaps a more concerted approach could be taken, or perhaps you have set a precedent and your files have been reinstated.

Thanks!

Unknown Acetate: Guitar Love/ Let Me

Unknown Acetate: Guitar Love/ Let Me –EMIDISC (UK 1974?)

It’s total mystery time here, so the hunt is on for any clues. Guitar Love appears to have been the planned A side and is a strange Country/Glam hybrid with an Eli Culbertson-like vocal interspersed with some typical 1974 HEYs. The real killer is the B side Let Me. The Neo Elvis inflections are less present, replaced by more of a Leader of The Gang type delivery with pseudo gregorian chants. The track is a great Fuzz Glam Cruncher reminding me a lot of The Boston Boppers' Did You Get What You Wanted (Could there be an Eddie Seago connection here?). It’s Catchy, loud and Fun with great guitar licks – what more could you want?

Hear a full version of Let Me

Hear a full version of Guitar Love

Thanks to Pooka who has rightfully linked this to the B side of the superlative Off Down The Road by TAG. Guitar Love was written by Brian Keith and Jeff Daniels...here is the TAG version of Guitar Love. Very similar, but slightly different...

Hear a full version of TAG's Guitar Love

The Rousers –Rock ‘N Roll Or Run

The Rousers-Rock 'N Roll Or Run / Get Out Of My Show-Torso 101.507 (1980 NL)

Along with De Cylinders, The Rousers were the Prime Dutch Powerpop purveyors from the cusp of the 80s. Rock 'N' Roll Or Run was the short, sharp and sparkling opener of their Swarte artwork-ed first LP. Both their first single Magazine Girl ( 1979) and Rock 'N' Roll Or Run are top notch classics, combining an Undertones-like drive with lush harmonies and super catchy chord progressions. The Rousers released two albums then split with the De Jong brothers later reappearing as The Thought. I look forward to hearing more of their stuff ...

Hear a full version of Rock 'N' Roll Or Run

Billy J. Kramer –Blue Jean Queen

Billy J. Kramer –Staying Power/Blue Jean Queen –BASF BA 1006 (1974 UK)

10 years on from the big time, Billy J. Kramer reacquaints himself with Ex Dakota and Pirate Riff Master Mick Green (then with Shanghai) for this odd solo release. Staying Power is a commercial 50s throwback as expected, but the B side Blue Jean Queen finds Billy moving on from Little Children to lusting after Teens in a similar manner to Harpo, Ken Khury or Miki Anthony...Music-wise, it’s a sturdy Glam influenced rocker with an unexpected tempo shift where Billy gruffs it up rather unconvincingly in juxtaposition with the glossy backing vocals.

Hear a full version of Blue Jean Queen

Fat Daddy –Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll

Fat Daddy –Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll/ Roxeen –BL 289 (1976 Aus)

This is the 2nd and last release from the Melbourne Sharpie favourites (first single reviewed here (http://purepop1uk.blogspot.com/2009/02/fat-daddy-roll-daddy-roll.html). Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll starts off with a hint of Cheap Trick/Artful Dodger on the intro, the track then gallops into full-on Aussie Boogie mode with lead vocals sung behind clenched teeth. Thank god there no “funky” involved here except for in the title. There's a good use of cowbell ¾ of the way through underlining a modicum of lunacy. The B side is as good if not better, as it chugs along in meaty fashion without any sense of complication and a hint of flange.

Hear a full version of Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll

Hear a full version of Roxeen

The End of an Era...

Yesterday saw the closure of the shop that was once known as Plastic Passion which had opened its doors in the early 80s. About 20 years ago or so, the two partners split the shop down the middle into two camps; creating Minus Zero (Bill Forsyth) and Stand Out (Bill Allerton).It was a strange situation, especially at the beginning when both shops had pretty much the same stock. At times, in order not to show any favouritism, I sometimes discovered a new release in the shop(s) and ended up buying it somewhere else in order not to offend either of the Bills...In the 90s, the choice became easier. Minus Zero was at the forefront of the 90s Powerpop renaissance whilst I saw Stand Out as the embassy of 60s Psych and Garage Punk, although there was some overlap, this cleared things up in my mind and helped to ease my conscience. The Bills were always welcoming and Plastic Passion was the perfect meeting place when friends visited from overseas. Also it was the place to hook up with Jesse Hector as he was always there propping up the counter on Saturdays...Where are we going to go now? Certainly not Intoxica or Rough Trade! A sad day for sure, Plastic Passion was one of a kind and a paradise for record collectors, but life goes on...

.............................................Bill Forsyth ......................................

Cory Gun –Let’s Have a Party

Cory Gun –Let’s Have a Party/You Turn Me On –Monopole S 1931 (197? Belgium)

With a tenuous grasp of English, Ms.Gun really gives her all and lets loose(Listen to those SCREAMS!) on Let’s Have a Party and comes across like Suzi Quatro with dollops of Brenda Lee twinned with Minnie Mouse over an updated Burt Blanca backing track... Cory Gun was a pseudonym used by Polish star Karin Stanek but god knows how she ended up on this Belgian production. The B side ain’t much cop though...

Party to a full version Let’s Have a Party

Bullett –Leave That Girl Alone

Bullett-Leave That Girl Alone / We Can Make It-RCA 101961 (1972 Aus)

Leave That Girl Alone appears to be the second single released by this Australian band. Based in Sydney, members included Alex Smith, Joe and Mario Azzopardi and others ... Please fill in the gaps someone! Alex Smith was with Francis Butler's 69'ers (see review August 13th 2008) and the Azzopardi brothers later formed family band Afrika. Leave That Girl Alone is a Ted Mulry composition, but I'm not sure if he released it himself at any point ... The track itself comes across like a concise raucous Quicksilver Messenger Service number filtered through a later date Easybeats grind. Not quite Twister, but pretty good...

Hear a full version of Leave That Girl Alone

K.W. Winston –Slow Rock

K.W. Winston –Don’t Ask Me/ Slow Rock –Sonopresse –AB 46900 (1974 French issue)
Found on the flip of the inconsequential Don’t Ask Me , Slow Rock is a fine sturdy instrumental that doesn’t have much purpose except to chug along in a tough fashion. There’s a drum break, for those who like that kind of thing, ¾ of the way through, but it doesn’t detract too much for the simple and single minded approach. Both sides are written by Jeremy Paul and Paul Lynton, who apart from credits on countless 70s stuff, were also the guys behind Hector’s Bye Bye Bad Days. Paul Lynton also wrote Wired Up and produced both Hector singles.

Stop Press: There was indeed a Hector connection! The same track was worked on by Hector as the unreleased One Ton Racer

Hear a full version of Slow Rock

Utrecht Record Fair: Sunday

The last day...had about 5 hours to go round the stands one last time. The atmosphere is more relaxed and subdued on the Sunday. Picked up the last bunch and headed home from where I am now writing this post...I'll need a few days to digest the records and the Frikadellen. Reviews of some of these soon...

Records bought on Sunday:

The Gants -I Wonder

Matadors -Come On Let Yourself Go -Jan Berry production

Souful Dynamics -Mademoiselle Ninette -Bubblegum -very Equals-like

Troggs -Satisfaction -French pic sleeve

Zen -Get Me Down (Hans van Hemert production)

Tiger -Crazy (Danish pic sleeve)

Neil Christian -She's Got The Power -French pic sleeve

Neil Christian -She's Got The Power -Dutch pic sleeve

Andy Bown -New York Satyricon Zany -French pic sleeve

Sorrows -C'Mon Everybody -Ger Pic Sleeve -yes the remnants of the very same Sorrows produced by Eddie Seago and John Rossall

Frog -Monie Monie (French pic sleeve)

Bonnie St. Claire -Voulez Vous -French pic sleeve (a trip to Utrecht isn't complete without a bit of Bonnie...)

K.W Winston -Don't Ask Me -French pic sleeve. Great B side instro called Slow Rock...more soon

Little Roosters -People Break Down -French pic sleeve

Streak -Bang Bang Bullet -Swedish pic sleeve

Thanks for Cass and Marjoleijn for the invite and Jos, Jeroen and Steve for the company...and to all the dealers for unloading their vans within striking distance

Utrecht Record Fair-Saturday

Saturday 9:20 am

I slept in a bit and only got to the fair just after 9 (early entry passes are from 7am). I took a more leisurely walk up and down the aisles, but didn’t manage to complete the whole circuit before 6pm even when I only look at singles.
Slim pickings today, but I have my eye on a few higher priced items. Tomorrow is the day to go for those as many dealers halve the prices of their stock on Sundays.

Saturday’s purchases

Key West –Love Me Tonight. Power Pop. The B side, I’m being taken apart, is not on their LP.
Masterswitch –Action Replay –good tough Powerpop produced by Vic Maile
Spongetones –Now You’re Gone –Danish pic sleeve. Must be the same Spongetones …licensed to a Danish label in 1985.
Hansje-Automobile –nice cover on this Scandinavian issue
Walkers –Fire and Do The Yo Yo –both Danish issues
Iggy Pop/James Williamson –I Gotta Right
Versatility –Tequila Madness –No idea what this is…on President from 1975

Utrecht Record Fair-Day 2 Friday –Early Entry

Friday is the day dealers set up for the fair. From 4am dealers queue in their vans and gain access to the fair area by driving directly in. The photo above is at 7:20am, dealers unload and those with early entry passes get the opportunity to get first inspection of the stock. There are approximately 500 dealers with stalls, and they all start unloading during the morning, so it’s a question of going up and down the area to spot the latest crate as it gets unloaded.

Friday is the day to get first pick and then it’s a case of revisiting, check out what you missed on Saturday and Sunday.

Good pickings today...
Airship –Get Out, Take Your Mother with You –Demo
Hammersmith Gorillas –You Really Got Me –Great German pic sleeve
Third World War –A Little Bit of Urban Rock –German pic sleeve
Carol Connors sings Yum Yum Yamaha (one sided promo record US pic sleeve)

Barracuda –Summer Girls with the moody I Feel So Down (French pic sleeve)
Tony Condor –All Right Again (BelgoGlam )
Headstone –Turn Your Head –French pic sleeve (why do I now have the UK, German and French issue? Great track whichever the issue)
Hondells –Cheryl’s Going Home (US). Cover of Bob Lind number, I’ve always enjoyed the transition between Surf and Folk Rock
Hondells –Endless Sleep (US)
Count Five –Peace of Mind (US)
Ohio Express –That’s the Way a Woman is (Ger pic sleeve)
Bullett –Leave That Girl Alone ( RCA Australia). Sounds VERY Promising. A Ted Mulry track, sounds very raw. Anyone know anything about this one?
Daybreak –To Be Near You (French pic sleeve… bit like Brother Susan)
Equals –I Can See But You Don’t Know (Ger pic sleeve)
Jon Symon –Silver Star –Ger pic sleeve
Ruby Pearl and The Dream Boats –The Shang-A-Lang Song (French pic sleeve) with the weird Will You Stop That B side
Tag Rag -1-2-3-4 (Dutch pic sleeve)
Lucy Lastic –(He’s My) Skateboard Hero
LUV –Trojan Horse –Ger pic sleeve –love this track, be sure to check out the Youtube clip
Love And Tears–Rock and Roll Lullaby –Ger Pic sleeve
Ricky Wilde –I Am an Astronaut (with Hertfordshire Rock b side –Ger pic sleeve)
Jackal –The Year of The Tiger
Cobraa –Ride a Pony –French pic sleeve issue of this bonkers KrautGlam masterpiece
Spinach –America –Ger pic sleeve (Giorgio M)
Bloom –Don’t Break This Heart –Nice to get a spare of this top Dutch Powerpop single
Capricorn –Baby Likes To Do The Rock and Roll -Dutch pic sleeve (Catchy Glam track with full production)
Propeller –Apache Woman –A CLASSIC, need I say more?
Zappo –Rock and Roll Crazy/ Right On –French pic sleevde
Hammer –Rocks off (Not the Dutch Hammer, but neat Glammy UK Hard Rock from ’73)
Shakane –Down Down Down –Ger pic sleeve
Erasmus –Jungle –Dutch Pic sleeve on Pink Elephant (Erasmus Chorum)
Fickle Pickle –Just an Old Fashioned Love Song –Dutch pic sleeve
ParkLane –The Party (Dutch pic sleeve) wti Rock And Roll Drummer as the B side
Mick Mercury and The Meteors –Waiting Room Goodbye –French pic sleeve
Crossbones –Shakin’ All Over –Ger pic sleeve
Raspberries –Let’s Pretend –Ger pic sleeve
Moonshine –Just a Little more Line –love this track…What came first the UK or US issue?
Chris Hodge –Goodbye Sweet Lorraine-French pic sleeve –One of the 10.000s of recently salvaged Pathé Marconi records from the infamous warehouse...Someone should tell the full story of this. Action EPS, Zoot Money...by the 100s!
Rock Co.Co –Rover Man Ger pic sleeve –Hilarious sleeve…might be great or a complete turkey…

Not much else to report from the first day about from aching limbs from a 12 hour day and the odd culinary mishap…More tomorrow

Utrecht –Day 1 -Thursday –The pre-fair

Got to Utrecht bright and early and went down to the Da Capo record store (http://www.dacaporecords.nl/)

The store is run by Michel who is one of the most knowledgeable and friendly record shop owners around who also sports the latest in post-modernist Weller Mod crops. The shop itself is on two floors, the ground floor has LPs, CDs and singles. The back room is the “Singles Bar” where a wide selection of 45s are all neatly organised. The basement is “The Beat Cave” where everything is at 1 Euro…time and patience is required for there is a huge selection of stuff and there a jewels to be unearthed from the heaving mass.

Found a good first bunch of singles:

The Rousers –Rock ‘N Roll or Run –Rousing Dutch Powerpop
Milk ‘N’ Cookies –Little Lost and Innocent –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Jonny Summa –Seventeen
Matchmakers –Thank You Bay –Dutch Pic Sleeve
Left Side –Morning Sunrise Dutch Pic Sleeve with the great Can’t You See Me B side
Moyo-Hitparade
Hello –Star Studded Sham –Dutch Pic Sleeve –perhaps too obvious for a review, but one of my all time top 10 singles
Mabel –I’m only Here To Rock ‘n’Roll –Delightfully dorky, but great track anyhow
Clover Leaf –Don’t Spoil The Party –worthwhile B side –Sweeter Better
Booby Trap –Kelly Grace and Sally –sadly without the pic sleeve
Zodiac –Louie Louie –god knows…but how can you go wrong with Louie Louie?
Radar –Sweet Baby Sweet –Great Dutch Sweet sound-alike with female vox
Harley Quinne –Roadie Dutch pic sleeve –not their best single, but never seen it with this cover
Peter Blake –Boogie Breakout –the lipsmackin’ Coca Cola guy…not heard this yet
Sweet –Teenage Rampage –German pic sleeve
Unrelated Segments –Story of My Life –HBR
Trevor White –Crazy Kids


Next is the 6am wake up in order to be at the fair for the dealer entrance at 7am…Ah, to have a hobby!

Utrecht Record Fair -April 2010

I fly out in just over 6 hours to the vinyl capital city of the world...I'll do my best to report back each evening with finds along with short & tall tales...

So lock up your daughters and Frikadellen, uncover those boxes of 45s... here I come...

Eli Culbertson –I Need Your Love Tonight

Eli Culbertson-I Need Your Love Tonight / Boogie Queen-EMI 2207 (1974 UK)

Eli  somehow found his way to the UK where he recorded this single at Abbey Road. Produced by EX Pretty Things Wally Allen (About the same time as his involvement with the Marcus Hook Roll Band) I Need Your Love Tonight judiciously merges the Elvis routine with a crunching slap-back Glam drum sound. It doesn't seem like Eli released anything else, but this single is a fine testimony to the potential of actualising Elvis to the realities of The Glitter beat in 1974. There's a great clip of Eli on British TV sweating profusely whilst incanting this number ...

Hear a full version of I Need Your Love Tonight

Hear a full version of Boogie Queen

My version is better than yours part 10: Big Secret vs. Jacki Baaron –It’s on My Mind

Big Secret – King Kong/It’s on my Mind –Finger 2046 038 (1973 Ger)

Jacki Baaron – King Kong/It’s on my Mind –Poplandia P-30569 (1973 Portuguese issue)

Based on the first nano seconds of spinning the Big Secret version, you could be fooled into thinking that you were listening to a demo of Holidays In The Sun...but no, the guitar then goes off on a tangent, the beat kicks in and the track turns into a mighty fine T.Rex-type tune where an organ swells behind snazzy female lead vocals. Regardless of your cover girl preference; there’s no denying the obvious fact that Enri and July win hands down sonically. The Big Secret mix is clearer, the reverb on the guitar and drums more potent and the separation works well...plus the vocals hit the spot whereas Jacki sounds somewhat deflated.

Both the A and B side backing tracks are identical and from the same production team,. So what was the big idea? King Kong was Big Secret’s follow up to the superb Ride Captain Ride. The girls were well implanted in Germany with their Les Humphries Singers TV appearances which was as good a springboard as any to solo continental success.

I don’t know who Jacki Baaron was, but she may have been Spanish. Perhaps it was felt in some quarters that mini-skirted dancing Pilipino girls wouldn’t maximise a single’s potential across all territories?

Hear a full version of Big Secret

Hear a full version of Jacki Baaron

Hear Big Secret's King Kong

Doug McDade and Purple People – I Wanna Do It

Doug McDade and Purple People-I Wanna Do It / Gonna Be Alright-Purple Records P1001 (1973 US)

Ohio born McDade moved to Wisconsin where he studied at The Marathon County Technical College. During this time he formed The Purple People who ended up releasing a cover of Purple People Eater and supported Alice Cooper, Del Shannon amongst others. I Wanna Do It finds Doug in insatiable mood. This stirring garage track is filled to the brim with cool guitar turns, loud Hammond and sports a top tune. Doug quit music soon after this release but resurrected himself as an actor and director. http://dougmcdade.vox.com/profile/

Hear a full version of I Wanna Do It

King's Cross Record Fair on Sunday

The first one was pretty cool and vibrant, so I will be bringing along some more spare singles this Sunday, including Paul Cass (Mini Marianne), Stumblebunny, J. C. Livingstone, Zipper, Blood Chains, Black Fire, Jon Symon, Trevor White (Ger Pic sleeve) Yummies, Harpo -Teenage Queen and much more

Starts at 1pm ... See you there!

Playful Pups –Palpatations

Playful Pups –Palpatations/Dinasour –Intrepid 75008 (1969 US)

Clearly written in the days before spell checks, Palpatations is a an instantly catchy slab of US Bubblegum. Built around a rhyming competition on a par with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich’s Frustration; Palpatations is also quite adventurous in its arrangement over its expected Bubblegum drive. An extremely hooky ditty, the arrangement and co-production duties are handled by a pre-Street People (Jennifer Tomkins) Rupert Holmes. He also co-wrote the instrumental B side.

Hear a full version of Palpatations

Josuha –Jenny

Josuha –Jenny/ Magic Carpet –CNR 14196 (1973 NL)

Now, here’s a real treat. No need to categorise this one, but needless to say that it fits right in on Purepop. Let’s start with the sleeve... Not sure if the Belle from the stud farm is the Jenny in question, but Richard De Bois and Peter van Asten (AKA Peter Bewley) could not have expected copies to fly off the shelves housed in a sleeve like this! The cover was one of the 100 Glam sleeves Jos and I featured at last April’s Utrecht Record Fair, but I never got to hear the damn thing until now!

Richard De Bois and Peter Bewley probably had a night off during Lemming production duties and let it all loose on Jenny and its B side. Jenny starts off in the mode of the sleeve at a trot but then the riff kicks in and the track turns into a fab Bubblegum/Rock tune with lyrics playing around with old chestnut (mare?) double-entendres about “going for a ride”...It’s all great fun and a top tune. Magic Carpet is nice n’ heavy and here they sing about the magical tripped out properties of cheap plonk. The track features a judicious use of Wah Wah and a feverish lead break. A top find and rare as ****

Hear a full version of Jenny

Hear a full version of Magic Carpet

Sioux –SRT EP

Sioux –Prosmoe/Warlove/You’re All I Need/Happiness In The Sky –SRT 73274 (1973UK)

Welcome to amateur hour...Issued on SRT which released countless “private” affairs throughout the 70s, here is a 4 track EP by Sioux. It must have been recorded as a demo and they probably touted it around to get gigs or perhaps a record contract...The overall effect is a bit like a prog era Swell Maps . Prosmoe could have been a 60s garage band attempt to re-write Gloria, whilst Warlove sports some Wah Wah guitar and sounds more in tune with the 70s. Still the four tracks find a band stuck somewhere between a Hard Rock place and ineptitude. Side 2 is pretty much more of the same...Again, any info on the band itself?

Hear the two songs from side 1

Hear both songs on side 2

Nino Tempo –Boys Town

Nino Tempo –Boys Town (Where My Broken Hearted Buddies Go)/(Sing-A-Long) Boys Town –Tower 369 (1967 US)

Boys Town is a long time favourite making its appearance as I finally managed to upgrade my old copy after 15 years! Anyhow how to describe this one? Imagine a Carl Wilson sung Pet Sounds track produced by Phil Spector on a theme where a dumped male decides to forget about celebrating the unshackling and heads off to Boys Town instead “where a girl can’t hurt you anymore...” I guess Boys Town was the West Coast destination for the more “sensitive” types which must include one-time burly Spector aide Nino with empathy and support from his sister April. It is damn close to being a total masterpiece and one of the most impressive regal Spectorian productions of the 60s. The B side is the instrumental version and is just like listening to one of those Beach Boys outtake bootlegs and is a marvel itself.

Hear a full version of Boys Town

Hear a full version of Boys Town (Sing-A- Long)

Del - Motorbike Annie

Del - Motorbike Annie / Gypsy Girl-UK UK 40 (1973 UK)

Motorbike Annie is an interesting one-off on JK's UK imprint. No clue who Del is, but Motorbike Annie is a long, moody, but ultimately rewarding track. Like an ambitiously produced busker; Del reminds me of a bit of Tymon Dogg, while the track builds and builds with the understated mellotron, obligatory motorbike sounds and fine guitar leading the track to a very satisfactory conclusion. Motorbike Annie was compiled on the Bubblepop comp (RPM) a few years back.

Hear a full version of Motorbike Annie

Ken Khury –Baby Doll

Ken Khury-Baby Doll / Superqueen-Jupiter 16878 AT (1975 Germany)
Here's another likely continental lad, lusting after the same Teenage Queen as Harpo. She's such a teazer I only want to please her ... Housed in one of the more subtle examples of 70s cover art, our stud denim-clad Ken looks pretty wholesome amongst all the "implied" suggestiveness. Baby Doll itself starts off with a pounding on a par with Harpo's Teenage Queen with some impressive added elephant call horns. The track is also nice 'n poppy whilst never forsaking its sleaziness or pounding beat. The single is the creation of producer / songwriter Horst Horning who knew a good theme when he saw one as he was also behind Maggie Mae's cover of My Boy Lollipop! Oh dear...

Hear a full version of Baby Doll