Archive for the ‘The Herd’ Category
Sunday, August 29th, 2010
Listen: The Sounds / Ten Years After
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Abrupt false ending followed by slight reprise, non-musical sound effects, over echoed background vocals: all quickly becoming standard psychedelic production ideas by ‘67/’68. Simple to observe now, but then…it was ‘pass the headphones’ stuff.
Mike Vernon, I believe signed Ten Years After to Deram prior to starting probably the best UK blues label in terms of both quality and success, Blue Horizon. I’m guessing it was this band’s original musical style that most likely drew them together.
‘The Sounds’, although recorded as a single during that short period between album one and two, and released spring ‘68 (UK B side / US A side), actually marked the beginning of a unique songwriting style that blossomed fully on STONEHENGE, their third full length and first of a flawless trilogy (SSSSH and CRICKLEWOOD GREEN).
Ten Years After were about to be on a roll, due to a wildly blistering performance at Woodstock of ‘I’m Going Home’. It’s original recording was released as a followup 7″ to ‘The Sounds’. Coupled with ‘Hear Me Calling’ meant it became a classic double sider. The Woodstock version made both the film and soundtrack album, hence Ten Years After enjoyed the perfect artist development curve making those (and other albums) deservedly successful and their live draw solid for years.
‘The Sounds’, at time of release, could be found nowhere, and surprise surprise, heard nowhere in the US – certainly not upstate. It took me years to snag a copy, around ‘74 I would guess, when then MCA salesman Ed Terracino (former London Records employee) gave me a stack of singles from his basement stash. I am forever grateful Ed if you’re reading.
Never did see them play this one, and maybe they never did. It must have been around SSSSH when they made their way to Syracuse, with Humble Pie supporting. It’s was Humble Pie’s first US tour, and although nowhere near as interested in their boogie rock as the music of the member’s previous bands (The Small Faces and The Herd), I went along, being a huge Ten Years After, but also with the possibility of meeting Humble Pie as a bonus.
I’ll admit, Humble Pie were surprisingly great live, still bean pole skinny, clad in lime, purple and pink velvet pants/suits and little girl blouses, America hadn’t influenced their wardrobe or haircuts yet, so it was well enjoyable.
Ten Years After, on the other hand, appeared bored and sullen. No biggie – it happens. Playing Syracuse understandably nothing to look forward to I guess.
Afterwards, I made my way backstage, really in search of Humble Pie to stalk them for Small Faces and Herd details, when I came across Chick Churchill moping dismissively against a wall. Probably an unpleasant day for the fellow, and I suppose me excitedly getting to the real point of our conversation: where are Humble Pie, didn’t help. Although I loved those Ten Years After albums mentioned above, he did throw a temporary wet blanket on my mission to covert any and all to his band.
Tags: Blue Horizon, Chick Churchill, Deram, Ed Terracino, Gus Dudgeon, Humble Pie, Mike Vernon, Ten Years After, The Herd, The Small Faces
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Monday, July 5th, 2010
Listen: You Can Make It If You Try / Solomon Burke
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A Philadelphia native, and trained in gospel, Solomon Burke had his biggest success during the ’60’s in the south, where they coined his sound ‘river deep country fried buttercream soul’. Who on earth would not want to hear this guy after a description like that?
I found out about Solomon Burke like every other white kid in the day, through the English groups covering all the classic blues and RnB hits. Yes, the originals were right here in my own back yard. Occasionally one of these would slip into the pop stations’ playlists, but not near enough. At the time, I would have probably dismissed the original anyways, preferring all the hepped up excitement of the British Invasion version and how that movement was changing my culture, my haircut and my clothes.
But on further investigation in the early 70’s, it was fantastic to find a whole world of great records yet to own and cherish. The Rolling Stones were clearly Solomon Burke fans, covering a bunch of the songs he had RnB success with. Those covers were spread out over the first 5 US albums including this one ‘You Can Make It If You Try’ (on their debut, ENGLAND’S NEWEST HIT MAKERS). So really, it’s through The Rolling Stones that I discovered him. The flip side of this single is equally great: ‘If You Need Me’, also recorded by them and included on 12 X 5 (as is his ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’). OUT OF OUR HEADS included ‘Cry To Me’, although The Pretty Things’ version is true to Solomon’s exactly.
Listen: The Price / Solomon Burke
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The covers of Solomon Burke’s catalog are many, from Dr. Feelgood’s ‘Stupidity’ to The Herd’s ‘Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)’. So fierce was his vocal bite, that certain songs were just not even tried by others. One such favorite of mine, ‘The Price’, arranged by Northern Soul great Teacho Wilshire and produced by Bert Berns, could certainly have been served well at that time by Janis Joplin or maybe Chris Farlowe, but no other white voices that I know of. Great news: Solomon Burke is still alive. Go see him sing and get ready to lose it.
Tags: Atlantic, Bert Berns, Chris Farlowe, Dr. Feelgood, Janis Joplin, Solomon Burke, Teacho Wilshire, The Herd, The Pretty Things, The Rolling Stones
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Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Listen: Charlotte Anne / Julian Cope
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This came out not long after I joined Island in ‘88. Ron Fair was part of the A&R team, and produced the single (plus the album from which it came, MY NATION UNDERGROUND).
I hadn’t seen Ron for years, he went on to big success with The Black Eyed Peas and Keyshia Cole – good for him. But we did finally have a chance to reunite at a recent party in New York – and despite my praise of his work with Julian, he was pretty humble.
‘Charlotte Anne’ is such a classic British pop single. I remember sitting in the little parking lot behind Island’s St. Peter’s Square office in London back then, listening to it in Ron’s car. I loved the track that first time and still do.
Listen: Beautiful Love / Julian Cope
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Luckily I had the privilege of getting to know Julian and his then sidekick/producer Donald Skinner. They were making one of his masterpieces, PEGGY SUICIDE. What a fucking fantastic work from start to finish that baby is. Soon after release, I ventured to Norwich and caught an early show on the UK tour in support of the album. No lie – was it great.
‘Beautiful Love’ is probably my all time favorite Julie single – reminds me so much of The Herd’s ‘I Don’t Want Our Loving To Die’. So what’s not to like.
Visiting New York for a few days press prior to the album’s US release, he stayed, as always, with his in-laws out on Long Island. It was a blistering hot July day, and into the office comes Julian wearing flip flops, a wide brimmed sun hat, shades and swim trunks just a touch bigger than your average sized thong. That’s it. He plopped onto the sofa in my office and proceeded to have a totally casual conversation with Phranc, Marianne Faithfull, neither of whom seemed to blink twice.
Island was one hell of a fun place to work at times.
Tags: Donald Skinner, Island, Julian Cope, Keyshia Cole, Marianne Faithfull, Phranc, Ron Fair, The Black Eyed Peas, The Herd
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Saturday, March 13th, 2010
Listen: Wavy Gravy (Part 1) / Kenny Burrell
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Listen: Wavy Gravy (Part 2) / Kenny Burrell
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When I was a kid, we went to see Chet Atkins play the State Fair. I couldn’t believe I was being dragged to this horribly unhip show, why weren’t some British Invasion bands booked instead?
April ‘69, Humble Pie played that very stage on their first US tour: Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton. Seemed like an eternity, but it was only three or four years later that those former members of The Small Faces and The Herd stood where I had suffered through Chet Atkins.
Now in hindsight, I wish I’d have paid more attention. And to be honest, it did leave a lasting impression. I can still hear his clean, electric hollow body technique. It’s what connected me to jazz guitarists.
I never bought the albums, not ever. But I sure did look at them in the shops. The Blue Note sleeves in particular were pretty stunning. Once the 70’s and my college radio years began, suddenly all those jazz albums became accessible: Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell.
Give me a clean, fast jazz player any day of the week. The horns and brass, I can’t take it, but guitarists, never get tired of them.
Tags: Blue Note, Chet Atkins, Kenny Burrell, Peter Frampton, Ray Barretto, Stanley Turrentine, Steve Marriott, The Herd, The Small Faces, Wes Montgomery
Posted in Blue Note, Chet Atkins, Kenny Burrell, Peter Frampton, Ray Barretto, Stanley Turrentine, Steve Marriott, The Herd, The Small Faces, Wes Montgomery | No Comments »
Saturday, February 6th, 2010
God knows where I got this – probably wrote away for it being the record collector I was at 8 years old. Still have a few Fontana 7″ mailers from that time period as well. I would write to this person, Claranelle Morris, at Fontana’s main office in Chicago back then, pestering her about The Herd and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. She’d send photos, bios, sometimes even a single. I guess she figured you couldn’t hear or buy them in the sticks of the Syracuse suburbs, so give the kid the record already. We’re going to toss them anyways. Thank you Claranelle. To go back and police the Fontana dumpsters – if only.
It was years later, when I finally got a break to get into the business (Howard Thompson gave me my 1st A&R job at Elektra – without him, I’d still be struggling), that I discovered as soon as a record isn’t current, being worked at radio or believed in (at Columbia, my last label job, this often happened within a few weeks: Charlie Walk in particular convinced many he was quite good at A&R, he’s now unemployed) – off to the dumpster went the product, and many times off to the scrapheap went the act’s career.
But let’s not lose focus……so I found this catalog in one of the many trunks of ’stuff’ I’ve saved over the years. It’s just like new, man, I wouldn’t mind a box lot of many of the titles here. Of course, I loved the English groups back then, but also had a jones for Gloria Lynne. It wasn’t only because she was on Fontana (which was always a favorite label – Suzanne King made me a great Fontana T Shirt for my birthday one year. She lives in Chicago now – visit the Fontana building Suzanne. It was at 35 E. Wacker Drive.). Gloria Lynne had a bunch of records on Everest prior. I had a copy of ‘Indian Love Call’ from that period, given to me in one of the Saturday morning piles of singles my uncle, a jukebox operator, would drop off instead of trashing when I was very young, about 5-6. It’s probably the reason the record collecting gene was dangerously awakened in my DNA.
I paid attention to Gloria Lynne singles. I often heard them on the radio playing in the local barber shop where I’d get my haircut as a little boy. Must have been an AC station of it’s day, way before it’s then output turned into bachelor pad, lounge, hipster stuff decades later.
And check out some of the soundtracks too.
Tags: Claranelle Morris, Columbia, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Elektra, Fontana, Gloria Lynne, Howard Thompson, Smash, The Herd, The Pretty Things, The Troggs
Posted in Claranelle Morris, Columbia, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Elektra, Fontana, Gloria Lynne, Howard Thompson, The Herd, The Mindbenders, The Pretty Things, The Troggs | No Comments »
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
Listen: From The Underworld / The Herd
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I just think this is one of the greatest singles ever made. I have loved it since the very first listen. Now considered a psychedelic classic, it wasn’t at the time, or for years. The Herd were accused of being too mainstream then. The media and public sometimes look down on you if you’re successful, usually associating it with being lower quality, simply because it’s mass appeal, I guess. I do that too I suppose. Still, I never could understand why this record wasn’t appreciated then as it is now – but at least it got it’s day. Even the lyrics entranced me – a seldom occurrence. Stuff like ‘a black nights coldness’ and ‘into another world you will pass’ gave me the creeps. I liked getting the creeps then, had a bit of a cemetery attraction. That may have been a pot smoking side effect – going there late at night, alone, stoned, to scare myself. And I really did, several times that summer. Quit doing that and smoking pot shortly thereafter.
Peter Frampton downplayed his time with The Herd for years. You couldn’t mention it to him. Now I think he realizes it was very credible, as he was super nice about doing the jukebox tab for me:
Don’t be too flattered though, I just never see Andy Bown. This US promo-only foldout picture sleeve is sweet. The only one I’ve ever seen actually. Oh and thank you Howard for the test pressing. It was a really awesome birthday present that year.
Tags: Andy Bown, Fontana, Howard Thompson, Peter Frampton, The Herd
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Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Listen: She Smiled Sweetly / The Love Affair
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It happened hundreds of times. Label takes chance on an act, issues a single or two with no results, then moves on. Same act gets another deal, sometimes only months later and blows up. David Bowie bounced from label to label, Marc Bolan too, The Herd – a bunch of them. On the quick path were The Love Affair. Probably signed by Decca in-house blues master Mike Vernon (or assigned to him for production), a good cover choice (Jagger/Richards ‘She Smiled Sweetly’) was released almost simultaneously with The Rolling Stones own rendition from BETWEEN THE BUTTONS on February 10, 1967. By the end of the year, the band had moved on to CBS and that label’s debut ‘Everlasting Love’ entered the UK charts in the first few days of January ‘68, ending up at #1. Someone had egg on their face, including me.
I was so excited to see a copy in a local department store, and without a penny in my pocket, I decided to shoplift it. Got caught, almost arrested. Threatened to call my folks, which they didn’t – but it did cure me of that one.
Listen: Rainbow Valley / The Love Affair
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‘Everlasting Love’, like all their singles, was a cover, this one originally released by Robert Knight. Even U2 have taken a stab at it, but no one has one upped The Love Affair’s.
The followup, ‘Rainbow Valley’, was just as great. In particular, it continued to make obvious the strength of lead vocalist Steve Ellis. I’m sure I’ve read many times that this patch of singles – all Top 10 in the UK – were indeed Ellis with studio musicians, a persistant trend in the 60’s. Probably to great frustration, the calculated pop made the band member cringe but who can say.
Listen: A Day Without Love / The Love Affair
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Producer Mike Smith had a simple formula down, which with ‘A Day Without Love’, now included recording the songs of non-member, singer/writer Philip Goodhand-Tait.
Listen: Bringing On Back The Good Times / The Love Affair
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What seemed to rub the more hip, progressive rock fan of the day wrong is exactly what attracted me to The Love Affair. Big, over the top productions, with loud brass and orchestration, almost Motown-esque, and a perfect showcase for that great Steve Ellis voice.
Tags: CBS, Date, David Bowie, Decca, Marc Bolan, Mike Smith, Mike Vernon, Philip Goodhand-Tait, Robert Knight, Steve Ellis, The Herd, The Love Affair, The Rolling Stones, U2
Posted in CBS, Date, David Bowie, Decca, Marc Bolan, Mike Smith, Mike Vernon, Philip Goodhand-Tait, Robert Knight, Steve Ellis, The Herd, The Love Affair, The Rolling Stones, U2 | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Listen: Ruby / Kaiser Chiefs
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One of the best UK singles from this millennium, no lie. The background vocals are lifted, or influenced, beautifully from The Creation. Whether by design or simply by growing up hearing all but formula AOR music on the radio – it doesn’t matter. Great call.
I picture it here, even though I despise colored vinyl. I mean, seriously, I really hate it. Add to that, a sticker on the outside plastic sleeve (above top) affixed crooked. Makes my skin crawl. Records should be as God made them, black. But if it’s the only way to get a 7″ of ‘Ruby’, I will adjust. There’s always Lexapro.
Drummer Nick had the best haircut in rock, identical to Andy Bown’s of The Herd until this recent US tour. Not to worry, it should grow back fine. Turns out we know each other from years ago, when I signed Overseer to Columbia. Nick worked at the studio in Leeds where the album was made, and shared a house with Rob Overseer as well. Small world.
And I must say, nicer guys you won’t meet.
Tags: Andy Bown, Columbia, Kaiser Chiefs, Overseer, The Creation, The Herd
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Monday, August 10th, 2009
Listen: Sweet William / Andy Bown
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Listen: New York Satyricon Zany / Andy Bown
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It’s real simple. Andy Bown was in The Herd. He has a lifetime, out of jail free card. End of story.
Add to that, a haircut rivaling only Brian Jones.
But seriously, he’s made a lot of great singles. These are two. ‘Sweet William’ was originally released as the B side of The Herd’s seminal classic ‘From The Underworld’. The above version was a re-record for Andy Bown’s second solo album, ironically titled SWEET WILLIAM. I always loved the song.
Go back and read my story of meeting he and Peter Frampton during a Frampton’s Camel show back in the 70’s. It was an exciting moment. A few years later, ‘New York Satyricon Zany’ (whatever that means) came out as a UK single, with an obvious Peter Frampton solo during the last passage. Either way, it became an instant favorite, and it’s one of the many examples of Andy Bown’s songwriting and vocal superiorities.
Tags: Andy Bown, Brian Jones, Fontana, Frampton's Camel, GM Records, Peter Frampton, The Herd
Posted in Andy Bown, Brian Jones, Fontana, Frampton's Camel, GM Records, Mercury, Peter Frampton, The Herd | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
I got a fantastic email today from a reader in France, Bands Michel, who alerted me to a site whereby you can read just about every BILLBOARD from the 50’s, 60’s and onwards. These are mesmerizing. Scrolling through the weekly singles reviews whereby they predict records that will achieve Top 20, Top 60 or simply a ‘Chart’ placing alone is worth the visit. Most of the greats are in that later section, although many a ’should have been a hit’ record features in the other two as well. Not to mention stunning full page tip sheet adds for singles by The Herd, The Who, Mary Wells, Scott Walker, Ike & Tina Turner, The Small Faces, multi artist adverts for Mercury, Okeh, Motown, Fontana, Deram, Ric Tic, Bang, Sue Records plus hundreds and hundreds more. Do yourself a favor:
BILLBOARD MAGAZINE ARCHIVE
Tags: Bang, Billboard, Deram, Fontana, Ike & Tina Turner, Mary Wells, Mercury, Motown, Okeh, Ric Tic, Scott Walker, Sue Records, The Herd, The Small Faces, The Who
Posted in Bang, Billboard, Deram, Fontana, Ike & Tina Turner, Mary Wells, Mercury, Motown, Okeh, Ric Tic, Scott Walker, Sue Records, The Herd, The Small Faces, The Who | No Comments »
Sunday, December 28th, 2008
Listen: Zabadak / Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
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Last year around this time, Bob Lefsetz (who publishes a great subscription letter you should all Google and sign up for) wrote about hearing The Box Tops during Christmas break in Vermont, ‘67. It was a nice piece, time traveling me back to that Christmas/New Year’s week, growing up outside of Syracuse – a ten year old obsessed with records. I wrote him a response with much of the following, but don’t know if he ever read it, he never responded. That’s fine. It motivated me to start my own blog, so all good.
Basically, I still like the winter weather as it reminds of that week off school as a kid. Everyone wants to escape it here in NY nowadays but I love staying home, hanging around the deserted city, having friends over especially if they bring Christmas cookies, keeping the fireplace going and hoping for snow. Growing up near Syracuse was pretty drab but we had one remarkable perk: a Top 40 station, WOLF, that from ‘64 – ‘67 seemed to flawlessly play the good bits of Billboard’s chart alongside national non-hits, most of them British – and many rightfully considered classics today, including several each by The Who, Them, Manfred Mann, The Zombies, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, The Pretty Things and The Move. So I’d spend that whole week glued to the radio, crawling the record shops and record departments at W.T. Grants & Woolworths, collecting chart handouts, asking for discarded Billboard magazines and stocking up on deletions. One of the UK bands whose label, Fontana, didn’t or couldn’t put the needed payola cash behind them on a national level, actually had hits upstate: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. Some consider them too pop, or zany, but I just loved their image (paisley pants/flowered shirts) and music. Eventually, they switched US labels in late ‘67, to Imperial, who made a big attempt at breaking them here – and almost did. ‘Zabadak’ got a lot of play, charted in many markets – and got great reaction (KHJ in LA took it Top 10 – see chart above). I was feeling liberated. Finally they were having a hit, and The Small Faces too (‘Itchycoo Park’ was doing equally well). US radio was about to be on pulse – I didn’t need to move to England. Then THUD. ‘Zabadak’ stalls at #52. Seems it’s been all down hill ever since.
December 28th: it’s been 41 years today (the receipt is still in the sleeve) that I bought ‘Zabadak’ at Walt’s Records on Salina Street, doing my part. It’s a fantastic single – all jungle drums with haunting strings and chants. Sounded stunning on the radio – like nothing else – a lot of stations played it for a few weeks. The kind of record that zaps me right back, hence I always remember the date – and I’ll always remember that great shop. I can easily visualize the decor – it’s unique record shop smell – I wanted everything in the place – still do. One whole wall was lined with brackets that held 25+ copies of a single, where all the biggest sellers made it. But the obscure records – many of the ones I mentioned – would reside in the back – on a four sided carousel that swirled, and had slot like pockets, each able to hold 10 or so copies of a single. I would go straight to that unit every visit (usually once or twice a month), having to decide which two or three singles I could afford on a dollar a week allowance. Some of the ones I had to pass up took me years to locate (The Small Faces ‘All Or Nothing’ with the picture sleeve and The Riot Squad ‘How Is It Done’ come to mind). But there were many I did get (Pink Floyd ‘See Emily Play’, Them ‘Richard Corey’, The Yardbirds ‘Goodnight Sweet Josephine’ & The Herd ‘From The Underworld’). On December 28, 1967 I tore to that rack – and there it was – ‘Zabadak’. My Aunt Nancy, a grand lady, had brought me shopping and kindly paid, thereby allowing me to spend my dollar allowance to buy Inez & Charlie Foxx’s ‘Count The Days’. We went on to visit another relative that afternoon where I was tortured, staring at these jems, jonesing to get home and play them.
Now I’m convinced Hot Chip could do a killer remake of ‘Zabadak’. Please consider it guys.
Oh and one other tid bit about Walt’s. I ran there to buy Traffic’s ‘Hole In My Shoe’ the day after seeing them at Syracuse University’s Jabberwocky Club on their first tour. As I walked in, out came Traffic, with loads of soul and jazz albums. They patiently waited as I bought the single then signed it’s picture sleeve.
Tags: Bob Lefsetz, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Jukebox Tab, The Box Tops, The Small Faces, Them, WT Grants
Posted in Bob Lefsetz, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Fontana, Hot Chip, Imperial, Inez & Charlie Foxx, KHJ, The Box Tops, The Herd, The Pink Floyd, The Riot Squad, The Small Faces, The Yardbirds, Them, Traffic, WOLF, WT Grants, Walt's Records, Woolworth | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
Listen: All Night Long / Frampton’s Camel
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Peter Frampton was, at best, a guilty pleasure to loads of folks for years. Once he hit the big time it was uncool to like him. Not me. I loved The Herd, and was loyally into Humble Pie. That was a funny one actually. Here you had a signature member of The Herd and Steve Marriott in the same band. If you’re an Anglofile, you give them rope. Their early stuff I liked even though it leaned toward the extended blues rock sludge setting in at the time. Live, they were on fire. Luckily, I saw them open for Ten Years After on that first US tour, not yet Americanized in any way, still kitted out in lime or purple velvet and silk trousers etc. Glued to the edge of the stage (in the Livestock Pavilion on the Syracuse State Fair grounds – very classy), getting into the fact that we were seeing members of The Small Faces and The Herd was half the thrill. But they killed it.
Then Peter Frampton went solo. His second, post Humble Pie release was issued as Frampton’s Camel. He’d shed that Humble Pie heaviness. The album didn’t sell. I never heard it anywhere at the time, although the single ‘All Night Long’ got a lot of daytime BBC Radio 1 play that summer ‘73 I’d spent in London. It was a perfect seasonal single and has sentimental value. For the record, the followup album, SOMETHIN’S HAPPENING, went fairly undiscovered too. He toured that record with former band mate Andy Bown, from The Herd, on keyboards. Rich Packter, the A&M promotion guy at the time (summer ‘74) set Corinne and I up with Peter and Andy for lunch at the then turquoise and pink (now brown – shame, it should have been landmarked) circular Holiday Inn restaurant in Downtown Syracuse. Frampton’s Camel were opening for Uriah Heep that night. We both worked at Discount Records, so it was legit. As far as I was concerned, we were having lunch with The Herd. It was great fun, really nice fellows. So yeah, that album’s a gem too. Soon after, the home runs began. The industry calls this process artist development. I call it finally getting played on the radio.
Tags: Frampton's Camel, Humble Pie, Peter Frampton, Ten Years After, The Herd, The Small Faces
Posted in A&M, BBC Radio 1, Discount Records, Frampton's Camel, Humble Pie, Peter Frampton, Rich Packter, Ten Years After, The Herd, The Small Faces, Uriah Heep | No Comments »
