Posts Tagged ‘Trojan’

The Eyes

Saturday, December 7th, 2013

THE ARRIVAL OF THE EYES / The Eyes:

Side 1:

Listen: The Immediate Pleasure / The Eyes
The

Listen: I’m Rowed Out / The Eyes
EyesRowed.mp3

Side 2:

Listen: When The Night Falls / The Eyes
When

Listen: My Degeneration / The Eyes
My

Originally a West London instrumental band, The Renegades added a vocalist and became Gerry Hart & The Hartbeats, before changing their name to The Eyes and recording a four song demo at Rayrik Sound Studios in Chalk Farm. Literally one block away from The Roundhouse, the apartment turned studio was used often by The Graham Bond Organization, and as well to record ‘Wrapping Paper’, the first single by The Cream. Trojan Records cut dozens of singles there as well, including Bob & Marcia’s hit ‘Young, Gifted And Black’.

Clearly influenced by The Creation and especially The Who, The Eyes didn’t appear to be the most original band around. A MELODY MAKER review of their stage show included sound effect tapes and colored visuals and despite rather lame soccer shirt uniforms that featured eyeball images, they managed to fit into the London Mod movement for a bit. By early 1965, The Eyes signed to Mercury, releasing ‘When The Night Falls’ and ‘I’m Rowed Out’ from those sessions as their debut single.

Like the follow up ‘The Immediate Pleasure’ and ‘My Degeneration’, both singles got decent airplay in the UK and so Mercury decided to couple them together as an EP in early 1966, when the EP market was still fairly healthy.

Apparently very few copies shifted out the door, making for one of the most valued EP’s from the era.

The Pioneers

Saturday, November 9th, 2013

Listen: Long Shot Kick The Bucket / The Pioneers
Long

I caught the documentary bug this past week, uncovering several from the UK that I’d had no idea even existed. It all started with BBC 4′s PUNK BRITANNIA. Then noticing several other episodes in the series along the right hand column of the screen, well my free time suddenly evaporated. Each one so good, you almost want to speed them up a bit just to get onto the next.

The series’ producers coincidentally chose The Pioneers ‘Long Shot Kick The Bucket’ to open the REGGAE BRITANNIA edition. For me, it’s easily a song that time machines me right back to the day, or at least how I like to think it all was. Start watching this episode and trust me, you’ll be glued to the screen, much like the first time I recall hearing the record and being glued to the turntable just watching it spin. This was in ROCK ON, March ’77. The record was a common item at the time. And for 50p, it became mine.

Like several ska and reggae singles beginning in the late 60′s, ‘Long Shot Kick The Bucket’ became a UK hit, reaching #21 in ’69, then re-entering in’80 and peaking at #40.

In ’89, to celebrate 25 years of Jamaican Music, Island Records’ UK office compiled a seven LP box set, PRESSURE DROP, which included the track. ‘Long Shot Kick The Bucket’ was originally released on Island’s Trojan imprint in ’69, and as part of that 25 year celebration, it was one of four tracks chosen to promote the box via a 7″ EP on their reggae and world imprint, Mango. As part of Island’s normal policy, a Mango stock sleeve housed the vinyl inside a cardboard outer cover, both pictured above.

REGGAE BRITANNIA:

The Pioneers

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Listen: Long Shot Kick The Bucket / The Pioneers
Long

Truth be told, I’m posting this Leslie Kong produced Pioneers single simply because I love it. But in an effort to add some habenaro to it all, I rang Duane for any details that might be worth sharing and sure enough…..turns out ‘Long Shot Kick The Bucket’ is about a horse named Long Shot who sadly died during a race.

Don’t get me started on that. Horses shouldn’t be whipped into racing, just like they don’t belong in traffic dragging overweight tourists in carriages around New York City.

But Long Shot presumably had a heart attack during said race, hence the kick the bucket bit.

Thanks Duane. And contribute anything you can afford to the great animal protection organizations in the right column of this blog.