Listen: Hi Ho Silver Lining / The Attack
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen: Created By Clive / The Attack
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen: Created By Clive / The Syn
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen: Neville Thumbcatch / The Attack
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
If ever you wanted to hear the ultimate English group sound – you are in the right place. For two reasons: The Attack and The Syn.
Let’s start with The Attack. Originally known as The Soul System, the group signed to Decca UK in late ‘66, changing their moniker to The Attack. Despite various line-up changes, which included two future alumni of The Nice, Brian Davidson and David O’List, as well a soon to be mainstay of The Marmalade, Alan Whitehead, the band spawned four flawless singles. Their 2nd in the UK, and lone US release on sister label London, ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’, lost out in the British chart battle to Jeff Beck’s version, which reached #14 in ‘67, then #17 in ‘72 and yet again #62 in ‘82. Embarrassingly, it peaked here at #123 in ‘67 due to very little airplay, a pathetically common tale known as the sewer of US radio. The competing versions also gave The Attack controversial attention in the British press claiming Beck had nicked the song from them. Amazingly, despite having been damaged by the Jeff Beck fiasco, Decca 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 the exact same song. Each are posted above to let you hear that although the marketing blunder damaged both, the two records are equally superb. And with haunting clairvoyance, the song unknowingly predates Clive Davis’ eventual destruction of the record business with frightening accuracy by some 40 years.
Their fourth and final single, ‘Neville Thumbcatch’ closely matches The Kinks ‘Big Sky’ alarmingly, despite with flattering and positive LSD drenched results.
