Archive for the ‘Decca’ Category
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Listen: Red Sky At Night / The Accent AccentRedSky.mp3
Taking the ‘p’ out of psychedelic – maybe. There has always been some debate about The Accent’s authenticity. Summer ’67 had many happenings, some were intentional imitations. Bands appeared from nowhere with songs that were almost formula, simply by adding fuzz, backwards guitars, phasing, you name it.
Fact: The Accent issued but one single, ‘Red Sky At Night’. Not much of their history survived, they were from Yorkshire and landed a residency at Billy Walker’s Upper Cut Club in 1967, which, as a side note, had a legendary opening week (see below).
The single’s wild start/stop LSD wrenched production rivals some of that day’s best: Pink Floyd, The Smoke, Tomorrow etc.
Produced by the usually blues strict Mike Vernon, he showed his competitive strength to the Norman Smiths and certainly validates the band’s credibility.
The flanged vocal effect on the lyric ‘shaking’ at 2:22 always made me laugh and wonder too, is this one of Blue Horizon’s serious blues worshipping bands, say Fleetwood Mac or Chicken Shack, just taking the piss?
No, instead they and their single are a classic piece of history.
Tags: Billy Walker's Upper Cut Club, Blue Horizon, Chicken Shack, Decca, Fleetwood Mac, Mike Vernon, Norman Smith, Parrot, Pink Floyd, The Accent, The Smoke, Tomorrow
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Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Listen: Tell Me When / The Applejacks ApplejacksTellMeWhen.mp3
Hard to believe, but once was a time when a color photo of a UK band was a big treat. Color usually wasn’t the first look you’d ever get of a new act in the mid 60′s. Coincidentally, the only exception I can think of is The Applejacks. They were pictured, in color, like all the other bands, on the cover of ENGLAND’S GREATEST HITMAKERS, a benefit compilation album issued by London Records in aid of the Lord’s Tavern Fund, which was an association that helped finance cricket fields in England. My how the causes have become rather more worthy through the years.
There was once talk that bassist Megan Davies was sister to Ray and Dave. The fact that they covered and released as their fifth single an obscure Ray Davies song fueled the rumour for years. Turns out it wasn’t true. But the potentially accurate info at the time made the agony of struggling to hear The Applejacks even more acute. Despite blagging promos from the local adult station, WMCR – and having some really good shops (Walt’s Records, Smith’s Records) that would stock three to five copies of just about any new English band, The Applejacks first few singles were very evasive. Years later, I guess in the early 70′s, I finally scored a coveted US stock copy of their first single ‘ Tell Me When’ (pictured above), which spent one short seven day run on BILLBOARD’s Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart at #135 (6/6/64). And that was their entire chart history in the US. Don’t feel bad, I’m embarrassed too.
‘Tell Me When’ paralled the stereotypical Beat Group sound, leaning a little too close to Freddie & The Dreamers. Still at the time, the wait was so long (almost six months – then a lifetime), that all it’s Mersey leanings were forgiven once a copy arrived from my cousin Anne in London.
Listen: Baby Jane / The Applejacks ApplejacksBabyJane.mp3
The real surprise was ‘Baby Jane’, it’s B side. More loud and bluesy, this was closer to The Spencer Davis Group or The Downliner’s Sect than any of their eventual tracks. ‘Baby Jane’ is also one of the first released songs from writers Pete Dello and Ray Cane, who would eventually form The Honeybus, so it’s historical value is quite high. I like to think this was indicative of The Applejacks live. Can you imagine how fun that would have been to see?
Listen: Three Little Words (I Love You) / The Applejacks ApplejacksThree.mp3
Their third single was also the last to make the UK chart (#23). ‘Three Little Words (I Love You)’ also became their finalt US release, for some reason retitled ‘I’m Gonna Send My Love (Three Little Words)’. Megan was a pretty swinging bassist, you’ll notice her carrying this one along too. The single came into the radio station, I recall seeing on the counter, but not in my stack of weekly rock discards, which would clearly have been headed for the rubbish bin until God put me on earth to save them all. I learned then and there to ask and you will recieve.
Listen: Bye Bye Girl / The Applejacks ApplejacksByeBye.mp3
1965′s ‘Bye Bye Girl’, like ‘Baby Jane’, has a slightly heavier, early Moody Blues slant that I much preferred to their often Liverpool sounding tracks. By now, cousin Anne was well trained in grabbing The Applejacks’ 7′s week of release. She in turn, wanted The Mamas & The Papas’ singles. No problem. They were everywhere. A more than fair trade.
Listen: It’s Not A Game Any More / The Applejacks ApplejacksGame.mp3
B side, ‘It’s Not A Game Any More’, was another early Pete Dello song. Clearly still finding his footing, practising you could say, on The Applejacks, there are a few signature Pete Dello twists and turns here – if you know his work, they’re easy to spot.
There are those who insist the album was never released in North America. Proof above otherwise. A cherished item.
Tags: Decca, Freddie & The Dreamers, London Records, Megan Davies, Pete Dello, Ray Davies, Smith's Records, The Applejacks, The Honeybus, The Mamas & The Papas, The Moody Blues, Walt's Records, WMCR
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Saturday, December 5th, 2009
Listen: You Can’t Sit Down / The Dovells DovellsCantSit.mp3
I may be wrong, but ‘You Can’t Sit Down’ seems to mix doo wop with hully gully and jitterbug rock, if there are such things. Preceding the English Invasion revolution, this sound was about to be exterminated. Still, during it’s brief moment, it was raucous and rocking.
In a previous post about The Vogues a few days back, I referred to Len Berry as having been a member. Wrong. Thanks to Chris Miller for catching my mistake. He indeed was with The Dovells, eventually going solo and having some hits. Everyone loves ’1-2-3′. Despite making the creative step forward, he was determined to keep that DA hairdo during the height of mop top. Too bad, even Lou Christie and Brian Hyland had loosened up.
Tags: Brian Hyland, Cameo Parkway, Chris Miller, Decca, Len Berry, Lou Chrisite, The Dovells, The Vogues
Posted in Brian Hyland, Cameo Parkway, Chris Miller, Decca, Len Berry, Lou Chrisite, The Dovells, The Vogues | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Listen: Black Is Black / Los Bravos
Black Is Black / Los Bravos
Without a doubt, this was a signature song to my Summer ’66 soundtrack. This guy’s voice was almost scary. Between that and the lyrics, it especially sounded powerful late at night. I spent a week in Brooklyn that August, glued to the various New York City stations and heard this often. Along with The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Summer In The City’, this song faithfully brings me back to that un-airconditioned summer vacation of listening to the radio by night and dragging my Aunt Nancy round the record shops by day: The House Of Oldies, King Karol and Colony basically. I spent hours in them. Thank God for her patience. Colony was really well stocked, but very expensive – list price: 98ยข! This was huge money for a kid in his single digits. Much more interesting were the shops in the East Village. Most of them sold promos for a quarter. Lots of white label Fontana’s, pink label Decca’s and the London Group’s orange swirls. You could spot those a mile away. I vividly recall getting Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours ‘Don’t Stop Loving Me, Baby’ in one such place.
Los Bravos, from Spain, big in England, well ‘Black Is Black’ was. Now big here. What a concept. Play good music on the radio, people buy it.
You still catch this one occasionally on the Oldies stations in smaller US markets and it does pop right out .
Listen: I Don’t Care / Los Bravos
I Don't Care / Los Bravos
The UK followup actually did okay, #16. It was easily a song that band and producer Ivor Raymonde worked hard on. I still would bet my last dime they all knew it wasn’t quite good enough despite the almost good enough parts, yet my guess is they needed something out quick and just went with it, hoping no one would notice.
Their US label, London Records’ offshoot Press, did notice. It never got released Stateside.
Listen: Going Nowhere / Los Bravos
Going Nowhere / Los Bravos
Instead, ‘Going Nowhere’ was the US followup to ‘Black Is Black’. Not a big showing chartwise, it peaked at #91. In a very signature Ivor Ramonde production, it sounds identical to his approach with The Fortunes. He had his sound down. I heard this a bit around Christmas of that year (see chart below). Turns out lead singer Mike Kogel was German, adding a great accent to his Gene Pitney vocal style. Spanish band and the first ever to chart in Billboard, German singer, pretty exotic for the day.
Listen: Bring A Little Lovin’ / Los Bravos
Bring A Little Lovin' / Los Bravos
What a surprise. Almost two years later, an eternity then, when no one expected it, Los Bravos finally really followed up ‘Black Is Black’ with a song equal in greatness. ‘Bring A Little Lovin’ sounded fantastic on the radio. I lit up every time I heard that intro. It was everywhere in Spring of ’68. Oddly, it didn’t chart in the UK, making the British pressing a very pricey item. Even US copies are hard to unearth now. Had they come with this straight after ‘Black Is Black’, the sky would’ve been the limit.
Tags: Billboard, Decca, Fontana, London Records, Los Bravos, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, Press, The Fortunes, The Lovin' Spoonful
Posted in Billboard, Decca, Fontana, Gene Pitney, Ivor Raymonde, London Records, Los Bravos, Mike Kogel, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, Press, The Fortunes, The Lovin' Spoonful, WNDR | No Comments »
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Listen: You Make Me Feel So Good / The Zombies ZombiesGood.mp3
The fact that my blog is pushing the two year mark, and I’ve yet to write about The Zombies is pathetic. Thought about it often, so in case I croak, now I’ll rest easier.
Luckily much praise and appreciation, despite years of delay, has been afforded this band – to the point whereby they can tour the world consistently and get the admiration for ODESSEY AND ORACLE they deserve.
‘You Make Me Feel So Good’, the B side to ‘She’s Not There’, may indeed be the first seed planted that years later would spawn androgynous 70′s rock and 90′s Britpop, who can say. But the swish and swagger in Colin Blunstone’s delivery is not deniable. At the end of the day, it was basically his normal vocal styling and not too much needed to be read into it. There’s something about the combination of his voice and Rod Argent’s hollow electric keyboard tones that are as magical as Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek’s.
In ’65, The Zombies played The Brooklyn Fox Theater with The Nashville Teens and The Hullaballoos. Way too young to even know it was happening, my parents lucked out, because I would have tortured them into taking me.
Listen: Indication / The Zombies ZombiesIndication.mp3
Of their several overlooked later Parrot / Decca singles, ‘Indication’ was my favorite, an indeed hard call to make. Subsequent anthologies and reissues all use the longer, stereo take with an extended keyboard solo at the end. This US mono 7″ version (streamed above), I think, works best.
Above: Jukebox Tab signed by Colin Blunstone
Tags: Colin Blunstone, Decca, Jim Morrison, Jukebox Tab, Parrot, Rod Argent, The Brooklyn Fox Theater, The Hullaballoos, The Nashville Teens, The Zombies
Posted in Colin Blunstone, Decca, Jim Morrison, Jukebox Tab, Parrot, Ray Manzarek, Rod Argent, The Brooklyn Fox Theater, The Hullaballoos, The Nashville Teens, The Zombies | No Comments »
Monday, October 19th, 2009
Listen: I’ll Be Home (In A Day Or So) / Dream Police DreamPoliceHome.mp3
Reportedly Scotland’s Dream Police began as a psychedelic/progressive band that included future members of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Average White Band. Signed to Decca in late ’69 on a tip from Junior Campbell, himself then on the label’s roster as a member of The Marmalade, their first (of three) singles for the label coincidentally included him as the band’s producer, arranger and conductor. Conductor?
The Marmalade had a sound, not unlike The Love Affair or Cupid’s Inspiration, and a whole bunch of lesser known ‘pop’ acts, all wonderfully over produced and clawing for a slot in the charts. Despite being considered manufactured fodder by the intelligent and/or hip music community, I found this stuff fascinating. Totally formula in it’s conveyor belt style, I still can’t get enough of it. Decca UK reigned king in the field. Always with a soft spot for inhouse producers or production deals, Junior Campbell, as with Jonathan King, Wayne Bickerton, Mike Hurst and others churned out endless pap to lap for the label. I’m still finding overdone stiffs from that period. One such example: Dream Police.
‘I’ll Be Home (In A Day Or So)’ could have indeed been a hit for The Marmalade (they recorded a version) had it been issued as a single. Junior Campbell’s production of the song for the Dream Police includes his obligatory rock lead guitar over the top of multi tracked vocals and string section bits galore. And quite frankly, the version deserved to be a hit.
Tags: Cupid's Inspiration, Decca, Dream Police, Jonathan King, Junior Campbell, London Records, Mike Hurst, Parrot, The Average White Band, The Love Affair, The Marmalade, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Wayne Bickerton
Posted in Cupid's Inspiration, Decca, Dream Police, Jonathan King, Junior Campbell, London Records, Mike Hurst, Parrot, The Average White Band, The Love Affair, The Marmalade, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Wayne Bickerton | No Comments »
Sunday, October 11th, 2009
Listen: Havana Anna / The Crocheted Doughnut Ring CrotchedHavanaUKA.mp3
Listen: Happy Castle / The Crocheted Doughnut Ring CrotchedHappyCastle.mp3
Sometimes the great thing about a truly obscure band, one where none of the members went on to bigger fame and success, is just that. You get to keep them as a limited edition, private pleasure. Having changed their name and label in ’67 to fit in with the currant craze, psychedelia, I’m glad to report – or sadly for the fellows I suppose – they kept their obscurity intact despite a nice production from Peter Eden. Sounding similar to Decca’s Toby Twirl (that’s a good thing), they’re honorary members of CHOCOLATE SOUP type collections these days.
Listen: Gee Too Tiger / The Force Five ForceFiveGeeToo.mp3
Before their new found sound, label and name, most of them soldiered forward initially as The Force Five, recording five echo drenched RnB styled singles, this one actually getting a US release. A must for every decent collection, it clearly had high hopes of sitting beside singles from The Yardbirds and The Pretty Things, I’m guessing.
Tags: Ascot, Decca, Deram, Peter Eden, The Crocheted Doughnut Ring, The Force Five, The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds, Toby Twirl
Posted in Ascot, Decca, Deram, Peter Eden, The Crocheted Doughnut Ring, The Force Five, The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds, Toby Twirl | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Listen: A Young Girl / Noel Harrison
A
Everyone was drawn to teenage death records, it wasn’t just me. They would even get radio play and chart on BILLBOARD. ‘A Young Girl’ did just that (US #51 in ’66), and got played heavily on my local Top 40, WNDR. Possibly helped onto the airwaves by his role in NBC’s The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., one of many b&w spy/comedies of the mid 60′s, or his famous Dad, Noel Harrison’s English adaptation of this Charles Aznavour song indeed still sounded both very French and rather menacing. If you told me The Pet Shop Boys were influenced by it, I’d believe you.
It was an ear catching song to hear on the radio in the day and has become a perfect period piece, frozen in time while simultaneously disappearing into the black hole of never-to-be-airplayed-again records.
Tags: Billboard, Charles Aznavour, Decca, London Records, Noel Harrison, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., WNDR
Posted in Billboard, Charles Aznavour, Decca, Giles Peterson, London Records, Noel Harrison, Talkin' Loud, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., The Pet Shop Boys, WNDR | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
Listen: Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray / Patsy Cline PatsyCline3Cigarettes.mp3
Listen: Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray / k.d. lang kdlang3Cigarette.mp3
It’s hard to believe that during her lifetime, Patsy Cline released 24 singles, with only one reaching Billboard’s US Top 10 Pop chart. A half dozen others did pretty well, but sadly she never saw that legendary star rise during her days on earth. ‘Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray’ always seemed like a standard, a well known smash, a hit. But it wasn’t. Never even made the Top 100.
Just as Patsy Cline belted out the final few song lyrics, so too did k.d. lang.
I’ll never forget being totally floored when she did this at The Beacon Theater, back in 1988, during the ANGEL WITH A LARIET tour. ‘Crying’ was an expected showstopper, yet somehow, this one surprised everyone even more. No one was ready. Corinne and I left there numb. This live UK B side gives you an accurate replica as to why.
Tags: Decca, k. d. lang, Patsy Cline, Sire
Posted in Decca, k. d. lang, Patsy Cline, Sire | No Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
Listen: Get Down / Gilbert O’ Sullivan GilbertGetDown.mp3
One of the enthralling things about the music business: your luck can change on a dime. That of course can be good and bad. But hey, life’s a crap shoot so may as well drive in the fast lane.
Type cast as a ballad/soft pop staple, Gilbert O’ Sullivan’s luck changed when he took a chance and basically rock and rolled out. I remember this one getting rock radio play. Suddenly he was cool. Well, after all, he was on MAM, London’s imprint famous for Dave Edmunds’ Rockpile. So by my standards, he already had an out of jail free card. The electric piano made for a nice groove, almost Stevie Wonder-ish. Years later, Ben Folds Five could pull this out and make it work.
One of life’s guilty pleasures.
Tags: Ben Folds Five, Dave Edmund's Rockpile, Decca, Gilbert O 'Sullivan, MAM, Stevie Wonder
Posted in Ben Folds Five, Decca, Gilbert O 'Sullivan, MAM, Stevie Wonder | No Comments »
Friday, August 28th, 2009
Listen: Matthew & Son / Cat StevensCatStevensMatthewSon.mp3
How sharp am I? I just realized Cat Stevens was actually a singer/songwriter. Not my cup of tea usually, big exception being Joan Armatrading. During his time with Deram, he was most likely forced to use in-house producers/arrangers by parent company Decca. Mike Hurst was one. I loved his productions, and Decca A&R seemed to be most comfortable with dramatic arrangements, enter Alan Tew. ‘Matthew & Son’ was a big favorite – still is. I recall when ten or so years back, driving through Shepherd’s Bush in a cab on our way to Heathrow heading back home, Corinne saying ‘Look, Matthew & Son’. It was a small store front, a shoe maker, clearly from the font and signage, there for decades. It had to be the subject for this song.
Listen: I Love My Dog / Cat Stevens CatStevensDog.mp3
His previous, and initial debut single ‘I Love My Dog” hits home too. I love dogs, cats, any animal. It’s why I’ve been a vegetarian for 25 years – refuse to have any part in an animal living a horrible life and then being slaughtered.
Listen: Portobello Road / Cat Stevens CatStevensPortobelloRoad.mp3
As for it’s B side, ‘Portobello Road’, come on, it’s a London tradition. Those weekend market stalls are well known now, but on my last trip (June ’09), I got there before the sun came up, when the real crazies are picking, and found the first three Walker Brothers albums in spotless condition – ยฃ1 each.
Tags: Alan Tew, Cat Stevens, Decca, Deram, Joan Armatrading, Mike Hurst, The Walker Brothers
Posted in Alan Tew, Cat Stevens, Decca, Deram, Joan Armatrading, Mike Hurst, The Walker Brothers | No Comments »
Sunday, August 9th, 2009
Listen: Yes I’m Ready / Barbara Mason BarbaraMasonReady.mp3
Listen: Shackin’ Up / Barbara Mason BarbaraMasonShackin.mp3
Basically, a Philly girl who came up through Gospel. ‘Yes I’m Ready’ reached #5 in ’65, with an intro the had me believing it was the soundtrack to being drunk. Her delivery drew me right in with that imaginery alcohol slur. Like Barbara Lewis from around the same time, she was one of the soul voices that sat nicely between all the English Invasion songs on Top 40 radio.
You wouldn’t know she was a church girl from some of her 70′s output, like the great ‘Shackin’ Up’. Not unlike Millie Jackson, and produced by Don Davis (Eddie Floyd, Bobby Womack, Albert King, The Dramatics, Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Little Milton), it just sums up liberated female voices during the mid 70′s and deserved a way higher Billboard chart placing than #91.
Tags: Albert King, Arctic, Barbara Mason, Bobby Womack, Buddah, Carla Thomas, Decca, Don Davis, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Little Milton, London American, Millie Jackson, The Dramatics
Posted in Albert King, Arctic, Barbara Mason, Billboard, Bobby Womack, Buddah, Carla Thomas, Decca, Don Davis, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Little Milton, London American, Millie Jackson, The Dramatics | No Comments »
Sunday, July 19th, 2009
Listen: Baby, Get Your Head Screwed On / Double Feature DoubleFeature.mp3
This was the best of both worlds: period psychedelic and a perfect template of that bombastic UK Decca production sound. Either as employees or via production deals, a lot of the same names appeared on many of the label’s releases, in this case musical director Alan Tew and producer Mike Hurst. An all time personal favorite, Mike Hurst also produced several early Cat Stevens singles. As was quite common at time, bands didn’t always write their own material. This Cat Stevens cover, no doubt a suggestion from Hurst, is both on fuzz overload and claustrophobically orchestrated, all somehow making for a perfect sonic marriage.
Tags: Alan Tew, Cat Stevens, Decca, Deram, Double Feature, Mike Hurst
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Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Listen: Forget Me Baby / Lulu & The Luvers LuluForget.mp3
Listen: Satisfied / Lulu & The Luvers LuluSatisfied.mp3
Listen: Surprise Surprise / Lulu & The Luvers LuluSurprise.mp3
With a moniker like Lulu, it’s not too surprising if your powerful voice is overlooked. Shame. Lulu could, well still can, really sing. Does anyone honestly not love ‘The Boat That I Row’ or ‘Me, The Peaceful Heart’?
But even in ’65 the ruthless star making machinery was in aggressive full swing, preceding Clive Davis’ criminal dismantling of Big Brother & The Holding Company for a solo Janis Joplin by several years. Decca’s victims, although not as cleanly disassembled: Lulu & The Luvers or as sometimes listed, Lulu & The Luvvers. Initially known as The Gleneagles with Lulu as one of the vocalists, they played their brand of R&B regularly around Glasgow’s clubs. At 14, Lulu and band had their first hit with The Isley Brothers’ ‘Shout’, making theirs the definitive version in the UK. Pretty quickly peeling her away from a band setting began. But not before one more single as Lulu & The Luvers was released (after a few solo Lulu singles confused the process): ‘Satisfied’ / ‘Surprise Surprise’. They sounded like a hot band, even if they were part studio guys, and I wish Decca had afforded them an album before her solo career commenced. Plus the way their name alliterates off the tongue is just perfect.
Seems even Lulu forgot about the Luvvers, based on her jukebox tab below:
Tags: Big Brother & The Holding Company, Clive Davis, Decca, Epic, Janis Joplin, Jukebox Tab, Lulu, Lulu & The Luvvers, Mickie Most, Parrot, The Gleneagles, The Isley Brothers
Posted in Big Brother & The Holding Company, Clive Davis, Decca, Epic, Janis Joplin, Jukebox Tab, Lulu, Lulu & The Luvers, Lulu & The Luvvers, Mickie Most, Parrot, The Gleneagles, The Isley Brothers | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Listen: Fortune Teller / Benny Spellman BennySpellmanFortune.mp3
One hit wonder – but what a hit. An early staple for many a London RnB combo in the mid sixties, ‘Fortune Teller’ proved essential for The Rolling Stones, The Merseybeats, The Who and The Downliners Sect.
Hailing from Florida, Benny Spellman had a foot in both blues and rockabilly, via New Orleans. It was writer Allen Toussaint who provided the song, somewhat reminiscent of Bo Diddley. I guess it was the maracas. Originally released by LA’s Minit label, word is Benny was signed during the thriving New Orleans RnB goldrush at the turn of the decade.
Tags: Allen Toussaint, Benny Spellman, Decca, London Records, Minit, The Downliners Sect, The Merseybeats, The Rolling Stones, The Who
Posted in Allen Toussaint, Benny Spellman, Decca, London Records, Minit, The Downliners Sect, The Merseybeats, The Rolling Stones, The Who | No Comments »
Saturday, April 18th, 2009
Listen: My Friend Jack (Unreleased Version) / The Smoke SmokeJackUnreleased.mp3
Listen: My Friend Jack / The Smoke SmokeJack.mp3
Listen: High In A Room / The Smoke SmokeHigh.mp3
Listen: Have Some More Tea / The Smoke SmokeTea.mp3
Listen: Dreams Of Dreams / The Smoke SmokeDream.mp3
Listen: Ride Ride Ride (Dick Turpin)/ The Smoke SmokeRide.mp3
Listen: Sugar Man/ The Smoke SmokeSugarMan.mp3
A good band that sticks to their sound isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even when the world evolves, sometimes staying in your little place can be good, as long as you actually had something decent to begin with. Obviously, it’s how I feel about The Smoke. Now I hadn’t discovered them when they were current, I guess they didn’t quite get enough press attention, I missed out until a year or two later. And upon hearing ‘My Friend Jack’, I filed it right up there with The Creation. That guitar effect, in fact, sounded very Eddie Phillips to me. Still, it took ages to find all their singles. The 60′s releases were hard enough, being non sellers. And the 70′s singles, selling even less, were a real challenge. Thank God for the many trips I made to the UK on some label’s dime, because I’d have never found them otherwise.
Years later, I stumbled on some hardcore info – the original version of ‘My Friend Jack’ was recorded and made it’s way to acetates, but not issued due to explicitly drug obvious lyrics. The version that did come out being apparently toned down. On a trip to the UK, Howard returned with just that acetate, one of many gems he’d gotten off his uncle, a former Decca Records UK promotion guy. He just handed it over – a serious ass present. There aren’t many like Howard.
Chris Blackwell’s country house in Theale had an amazing dj equipped/record library in the loft overlooking his recreation room – with pool tables and the works down below. I always made my way straight up there at gatherings for the company. He invited Corinne and I to stay a long weekend, and drove us down from London late one Friday night. An always generous host, we had the run of the place. He said graciously, if I found any doubles in the loft, to help myself. This was a dream come true – and despite being tempted to pocket a few on a first visit – it proves honesty is the best policy, or good things come to those that wait…..whatever. He let me take whatever I wanted. Lo and behold, he had an extra of the one and only Island single by The Smoke. This was ’89, by which time I’d still never even seen a copy, not to mention in unplayed condition. Worth the wait. Thank you Chris.
Imagine my shock when finding ‘Dreams Of Dreams’ at the Notting Hill Gate Record & Tape Exchange, in it’s Revolution Records company sleeve, which until that moment, I hadn’t realized even existed. I guess the Revolution Records team expected big success for the imprint, thereby manufacturing stock sleeves. Mind you, the single was in the glass encased upstairs high end section but well worth the lofty price (around 75 GBP). Nice one.
By 1971, The Smoke had stubbornly, and wonderfully, not changed their sound much. As with all bands that began in the mid 60′s, they occasionally let their love of Motown show, as on ‘Ride Ride Ride’. Later still, despite the glam audio techniques poured all over ‘Sugar Man’, their one of a kind, signature sound could not be stifled, thankfully.
Posted in Chris Blackwell, Columbia UK, Decca, Eddie Phillips, Howard Thompson, Island, Pageant Records, Record & Tape Exchange, Regal Zonophone, Revolution Records, The Creation, The Smoke | No Comments »
Monday, March 9th, 2009
Listen: Is This What I Get For Loving You? / Marianne Faithfull MarianneIsThis.mp3
They all wanted to produce like Phil Spector back then – even Andrew Loog Oldham. I’m not quite sure if Andrew ever really produced despite his label credits, and this comes from both conversations with him and his press, not necessarily my observation. As this single clearly demonstrates, there was more than good intention required in order to reproduce Phil’s special sound.
Having said that, I still love Marianne and Andrew’s version. It got some play in my hometown (see chart), always sounded great on the radio and I must have played this baby 500 times in the day.
More on Marianne down the road. We became close friends during my days at Island, made some great albums together and found time to have some fun rides. Soon come.
Posted in Andrew Loog Oldham, Decca, Island, London Records, Marianne Faithfull, Phil Spector, WNDR | No Comments »
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
Listen: Maybe Baby / The Crickets Featuring Buddy Holly CricketsMaybeBaby.mp3
Once THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY film hit, summer ’78, I started my obsession with his many great singles. How I’d not really paid attention prior is baffling. I never noticed that most of my favorite singles by The Hullaballoos were actually his hits. Never mind, I began the amassing of his Coral and Brunswick output. Now at first this was a bit confusing. Hits that are all referred to as ‘Buddy Holly’ now were actually issued as either Buddy Holly or The Crickets back in the day (’57 – ’59). Not unlike say, The Ramones, turns out he didn’t have anywhere near the placements chart-wise his impact deserved – or that history has proven him to have achieved. In fact, he only graced Billboard’s Top 10 three times, and all in ’57.
Possibly the confusion of issuing records under two names – even more oddly – by the same parent company Decca’s two subsidiary imprints (Coral and Brunswick) contributed.
One of my many favorites is ‘Maybe Baby’. All Crickets singles were issued on Brunswick – while all Buddy Holly’s were on Coral. As a final pain in the ass complication, this Crickets record is on Coral. Go figure.
Posted in Billboard, Brunswick, Buddy Holly, Coral, Decca, The Hullaballoos, The Ramones | No Comments »
Friday, March 6th, 2009
Listen: Hi Ho Silver Lining / The Attack
Hi
If ever you wanted to hear the ultimate English group sound, you are on the right post. Two examples being The Attack and The Syn.
Originally known as The Soul System, the group signed to Decca UK in late ’66, changing their name to The Attack. Despite various line-up changes, which included David O’List and John Du Cann, then soon to be members of The Nice and Atomic Rooster respectively, as well a future founder of The Marmalade, Alan Whitehead, the band spawned four class singles. Their second in the UK, and lone US release on Decca’s US imprint, London, ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’, lost out in the British charts to Jeff Beck’s version, which reached #14 in ’67, then #17 in ’72 and yet again #62 in ’82. Embarrassingly, his version peaked here at #123 in ’67 due to very little airplay, a pathetically common tale known as the sewer of US radio. The competing version also gave The Attack controversial attention in the British press claiming Jeff Beck had stolen the song from them.
Listen: Created By Clive / The Attack
Created
Listen: Created By Clive / The Syn
Created
Amazingly, despite having been damaged by the Jeff Beck fiasco, Decca jumped into a similar fire and chose to release the terrific follow-up, ‘Created By Clive’ on the very same day as it’s in-house subsidiary label, Deram, issued The Syn’s version of exactly the same song. It unknowingly predates Clive Davis’ eventual destruction of the record business with frightening accuracy by some forty years.
Listen: Neville Thumbcatch / The Attack
Neville
The Attack’s fourth and final single, ‘Neville Thumbcatch’ seems to mix The Kinks ‘Big Sky’ with the sound of LSD.
Tags: Alan Whitehead, Atomic Rooster, Clive Davis, David O'List, Decca, Deram, Jeff Beck, John Du Cann, London Records, The Attack, The Kinks, The Marmalade, The Nice, The Soul System, The Syn
Posted in Alan Whitehead, Atomic Rooster, Clive Davis, David O'List, Decca, Deram, John Du Cann, The Attack, The Jeff Beck Group, The Kinks, The Marmalade, The Nice, The Soul System, The Syn | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Listen: Baby Never Say Goodbye / Unit 4 + 2
Baby
Talk about a name that sounded relevant 30 years later – this could easily have sat nicely in the 90′s Dance world. Having the privilege of being on the UK Decca/US London roster meant they were on my radar from the get go. Initially burdened by a safe folk, almost Kingston Trio, sound and look, but for their third single, and first hit ‘Concrete And Clay’, the image was suitably scruffed up – most likely due to earning no money and expected to slog round the UK in a damp van with at best a plate of eggs, beans and toast to sustain. They continued releasing similar sounding tracks for a few years. None with the same chart success as that hit, but all sounding pretty similar in a good way. ‘Baby Never Say Goodbye’ was my favorite. By the time of it’s UK issue (Winter ’66), US London had given up on them – as it was the first of their singles not to get a US release. In fact, never again did Unit 4 + 2 manage a record here. Even though they switched to the UK Fontana label and made some pretty impressive psych folk tracks – there was no interest from Fontana US and it was basically a no go in the States.
Tags: Decca, Unit 4 + 2
Posted in Decca, London Records, Unit 4 + 2 | No Comments »
