cherry red records

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Ruperts People: Dream In My Mind – Anthology 1967-1999, CD

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RUPERTS PEOPLE  DREAM IN MY MIND ANTHOLOGY 1967-1999

For those not familiar with Ruperts People & my connection with them, I should probably start off by just briefly explaining the following. I first saw the guys play & met Rod, Ray, Steve, John & Dai in 1967 on Hastings Pier, not long after I started working backstage there. We have all been friends now for coming up to 60 years. After all of us doing our own thing over the years since 1969 when the band called it a day, in 1999 there was a re-union gig at the old Marina Pavillion, as it was then called, in St Leonards. The gig was driven by the resurgence of Mods & Mod culture. After the gig, & much reminiscing between Rod, Ray, Steve & myself (no John sadly & Dai was never a ‘core member’) I put forward the suggestion that there was probably enough recorded material to put together an album (it would be the first & only one) after much discussion it was decided to explore the practical possibility. There then ensued 2 long years, much work in tracking down tapes, finding the bands original manager & many other issues. Ray’s breakfast table in deepest Essex was the scene of much debate & planning. Eventually in 2001 after all the effort, the finished result was the release of the album ‘The Magic World of Ruperts People’ on vinyl & CD. I was delighted to pen the liner note on the release & tell the story of Ruperts People & how they played a big part in the launch of my own career in the music biz & thank them in black & white. Now here we are nearly 25 years on & Strawberry Records have released this new edition of the album, complete with an additional track not on the original release. The story of the band is told in a new interview with bassist Ray contained in the accompanying booklet. That story is long & often confusing, & I’m glad Ray is doing the explaining this time round! If you’re not familiar with the band at all, they released 3 excellent singles on Columbia Records in 1967-68. The first of which ‘Reflections of Charles Brown’ (written by Rod, as were all 3) was nearly a hit & gained significant airplay, unfortunately for Ruperts, Procol Harum released ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ & both records co-incidentally shared the same ‘Air on a G String’ melody as inspiration & Procol won the day. The second single ‘Prologue To A Magic World’ a beautifully constructed psychedelic song using Alice in Wonderland as its inspiration also inexplicably failed to become a hit, but has always remained my personal favourite, & is beloved by fans of psychedelia, as is it’s ‘B’ side ‘Dream In My Mind’ which has showed up on various psyche compilations over the years. The third single, & arguably the most commercial sounding, ‘I Can Show You’ (video at end of review) sadly made for a hat trick of singles that just didn’t break through to the charts. However, the 3 singles subsequently became ‘cult’ records & as the years passed started to command high prices for original vinyl copies. Ruperts People became this cult, almost mystical band, talked about by psyche fans & later the new Mod movement. These 3 singles & their ‘B’ sides form the nucleus of the anthology album & are complimented by 2 tracks from Rod & Steve’s first band Sweet Feeling, featuring the ambitious psyche single ‘All So Long Ago’ complete with backward taping & phasing effects, & the original version of ‘Reflections of Charles Brown’ which was/is radically different in its structure & simply entitled ‘Charles Brown’. Added to this are 4 live tracks recorded in London in 1969 & 4 tracks from the aforementioned St Leonards re-union gig of 1999, the latter includes covers of ‘My Mind’s Eye’ (Rod was a big Steve Marriott fan) & The Beatles ‘Rain’. The anthology concludes with the previously un-released track ‘Flying High in 67’ Sadly original RP member keyboard player John Tout who later joined Renaissance passed away in 2015 & is missed by us all. This has been a rather strange experience for me ‘reviewing’ an album I was instrumental in organising originally. Despite my love for the guy’s as people, I trust I haven’t let that fact influence my honest judgement when it comes to being impartial regarding the music. I believe now as I did all those years ago that on musical merit Ruperts People deserved greater success than came their way. Enjoy.

For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time….stay safe…take care….Colin

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing The Flower Pot Men: Midsummer Dreaming – An Anthology 1967-1970, 3CD Digipak

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THE FLOWER POT MEN   MIDSUMMER DREAMING  ANTHOLOGY 1967-1970

Grapefruit Records have put together the ultimate release of all the material attached to The Flower Pot Men in this new 3CD package that covers the hit singles, alternate takes, radio sessions, singles released under different aliases & most importantly (for me) 2 ‘lost albums’ recorded in the late 60’s but never released. Over the years I have written so much about John Carter the main force behind the band & so many other projects, that I almost feel like he’s one of the family! If you are a regular reader of my reviews you will be acquainted with John’s work on the previous titles that have appeared in this slot. There was ‘The Walls Fell Down’ dedicated to all Johns different guises & more recently the anthology of The First Class of ‘Beach Baby’ fame, another of John’s creations. To say that John is prolific is a gross understatement. Music seems to pour out of him like perspiration from myself in this heatwave. For those not acquainted with John, a very brief introduction. Along with his longtime song-writing partner Ken Lewis, he started his music career in the 50’s playing skiffle, as he developed his song writing he formed Carter-Lewis & the Southerners (with Jimmy Page on guitar). When that came to an end John & Ken became The Ivy league with hits like ‘Funny How Love Can Be’ & ‘Tossing & Turning’ & provided backing vocals for many top acts, that’s them on The Who’s ‘I Can’t Explain’. By 1966 John, who was never fond of performing live, retired from The Ivy League to the studio to dream up the many projects he became responsible for. Ken initially stayed with the band but would later re-join John. With the prevailing musical climate emanating from the USA’s West Coast, John sat down to create & write an epic song in the manner of Brian Wilson, whom he had been reading about. The result in August 1967 was the release of the now classic ‘Lets Go To San Francisco Parts 1 & 2’ a long 6 minute piece occupying both sides of a single that reached No 4 in the charts in the ‘summer of love’, which was actually several places higher than the new release at that time of Heroes & Villains’ by the Beach Boys. The Flower Pot Men were born. Their success was swift & whilst they existed only as a studio concoction by John who sang the lead vocals, played many of the instruments, along with being aided by seasoned session guys like Clem Cattini on drums, the public wanted live performances by the ‘band’ so a touring band was quickly assembled, fronted by Tony Burrows to perform on TV & at live gigs. This left John where he wanted to be, in the studio, creating & expanding his musical talents. It is those prodigious talents that are now gathered together for the first time & form this splendid new anthology. Neatly spread over 3 discs it is split into Disc1 ‘Singles & Sessions 1967-70. Disc2 the 2 ‘lost albums’ unreleased at the time. ‘Peace’ recorded in 1968/9 & ‘Past Imperfect’ recorded in 1970. Disc3 is dedicated to singles & demos recorded between 1967-69. So to the music, as you might expect the anthology kicks off with the full (mono) version of ‘San Francisco’, sounding very fresh still. Followed by an absolute tour-de-force of a song in Mythological Sunday’ which shows in epic form the way John imagined the progression of TFPM. Its intricate, dreamy & quite wonderful (& did see a release under an alias) This is followed by the 2nd FPM single release ‘A Walk In The Sky’ which although not a hit in the UK fared much better across Europe. ‘Blow Away’ follows with its impeccable harmonies & psyche guitar flourishes, if I didn’t know this was the work of John I’d think I was listening to a dyed in the wool West Coast of America band, its a wonderful track. As are the likes of ‘Say Goodbye to Yesterday’ the compilations title track ‘Midsummer Dreaming’ & the rather exotic & experimental ‘E=MC2/Musha Hada. There are times when certain tracks remind me of Sgt Pepper, hardly surprising given the time frame. Disc1 also treats us to another take on ‘Mythological Sunday’ with Tony Burrows replacing John on lead vocal. The stereo version of ‘San Francisco’ & half a dozen tracks recorded as BBC sessions including takes on ‘Californian Dreamin’ & The Beach Boys ‘Don’t Worry Baby’. Now we get to Disc 2 & those 2 previously unreleased albums. Why were they unreleased? Well, basically whilst John was putting the first one ‘Peace’ together the phenomenon that was ‘flower power’ was already fading away. In reality although looking back it seemed longer, it really only lasted 6-9 months, Thus by the time ‘Peace’ was completed flower power & The Flower Pot Men were already passe & would shortly drop their name & morph into their next incarnation, pop/harmony band White Plains. So ‘Peace’ has sat in John’s vault all these years. Now however we can enjoy his vision of where TFPM would have gone musically if the climate hadn’t changed. There’s not a lot of point me throwing a lot of track titles at you as they aren’t going to mean a lot. I’d just ask you to trust me when I say its 10 tracks of sheer bliss, with so many interesting idea’s abounding, all written by John with a rare example of a cover, in this case Donovan’s ‘Colours’ which works well as a multi voiced number. I was also very struck by the track ‘Cooks Of Cake And Kindness’ a real gem. From the ‘prologue’ to the ‘epilogue’ the album hangs together very well & certainly rewards repeated listening’s. Turning to the second album ‘Past Imperfect’. Recorded in 1970 it is much less a dreamy FPM album, it’s more a collection of songs with John clearly exploring his own ideas about time. Unlike ‘Peace’ it’s not very cohesive as an album. Certainly there’s plenty to enjoy, but its disparate tracks don’t make for the dreamy experience as the aforementioned material already discussed does. It’s all perfectly pleasant, which sounds like I’m damning it with faint praise, I’m not, it just doesn’t reach those parts I personally enjoyed so much on the previous material. Disc 3 as aforementioned brings together 26 tracks of various singles & demo’s recorded between 1967-69, many released under various nom-de-plumes & featuring some present & future well known personnel. It also includes the 3rd FPM single ‘Man Without A Woman’ which effectively saw the end of the band when it failed to chart. With the members of the touring band becoming White Plains, John handed over future song-writing duties to well established hitmakers Roger Cook & Roger Greenaway’ who supplied the 4th & final FPM single ‘In A Moment of Madness’ which is included. Having divested himself of the FPM duties John went on to pastures new with many more successful compositions & ‘bands’ including The First Class as mentioned at the start. I’m so pleased to have this shining jewel of a 3CD collection in my possession. I believe John to be one of the unsung geniuses of pop music of the 60’s & 70’s who contributed so much, & yet by his own choosing, opted to stay out of the spotlight. I’m delighted to say he is still very much with us & no doubt still full of countless ideas! The excellent booklet that comes with the digipack is full of info & pictures with a detailed study of all things FPM & John. Enjoy.

For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time….stay safe…take care….Colin  

Andy Qunta… I don’t remember hearing any of their songs except for Let’s Go To San Francisco, which I love!

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Soul 66 – From The Vaults Of Atlantic, Atco, Calla, Loma, Reprise, Roulette, Stax, Volt And Warner Bros, 3CD Box Set

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SOUL 66   Various Artists (3CD Set)
If you’re any sort of soul fan trust me you’re going to want to get your hands on this latest release from Strawberry Records. This 3 CD box set collects together some of the best soul/R&B tracks from the height of the genre’s popularity in the mid 60’s. The compilers have scooped up classic tracks from the vaults of classic labels Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Atco, Reprise & Warner & have mined the gold from the small specialist labels such as Calla, Loma & Roulette to bring you a 4 hour odyssey covering 91 tracks to get those feet moving & filling the dancefloor. For me, its just like being back in my early days as a mobile DJ & doing a gig. So many memories here. As you might expect there are some stellar names & tracks from top stars of the genre, like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Wison Pickett, Booker T & The MG’s, Carla Thomas, Ben E King, Solomon Burke & Mary Wells to name just some. These sit alongside long lost gems & rarities from a whole host of forgotten names pumping out ‘B’ sides, obscurities, & tracks that crossed over later to the Northern Soul Scene. Afficanodos of the latter will be delighted to find tracks from established Northern Soul legends like Darrell Banks. The Marvellos, Charles Thomas & Bobby Womack. So what are some of the big mainstream hits coming your way? Well, there’s ‘Land of a Thousand Dances’ ‘Knock On Wood’ ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ ‘B.A.B.Y.’ ‘Try A Little Tenderness’ & much more. When it comes to the Northern Soul side there’s the aforementioned Darrell Banks leading the way with ‘Our Love Is In The Pocket’ The Marvellos ‘Somethings Burning’ Bobby Womack ‘Find Me Somebody’ & The Blossoms ‘That’s Where The Tears Start’ again to name but a few. Some of my own personal favourite picks come from Charles Thomas ‘The Man With The Golden Touch’  Ruby Johnson with the excellent ‘Weak Spot’ Paul Days ‘Wake Me Up Baby’ (an artist & song I wasn’t familiar with until listening to this compilation). And this is hardly scratching the surface. Disc 2 kicks off with one of my fellow DJ’s (& mine favourites) the wonderful Doris Troy, with the classic dancefloor filler ‘I’ll Do Anything’, I’d like a pound for every time I’ve spun that one! (you can hear it at the end of this review). It’s an example of what smaller labels were issuing, in this case the Callo label, which as I mentioned earlier is where this compilation scores over many previous issues of this type. A lot of trouble has gone into taking you on a journey of discovery into the lifeblood of the soul genre. With 91 tracks it’s impossible to mention them all, but adding to those I’ve already mentioned, I’d like to throw in cuts from King Curtis, William Bell, Johnnie Taylor, Lorraine Ellison, The Soul Shakers & the ever brilliant Darlene Love, who surely has one of the best soul voices ever committed to record. And again the compilers have done a great job with not just adding the ever & over compiled familiar tracks.  As I said at the beginning, any self respecting real soul fan will want this new release in their collection, & will know their stuff when it comes to the myriad artistes involved. For them & anybody new to the genre who has maybe just set out to explore the whole 60’s soul scene the accompanying excellent 40 page booklet provides you with potted biog’s & pictures of the guys & gals who brought us this wealth of great music which always remains timeless & never seems to date badly after all these years, as so many other genres do. Well done Strawberry Records, you have produced a fantastic set for fans & collectors alike. If I was still using my old 5 star rating system, this would get a solid 5 with ease. Enjoy.
For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time….stay safe…take care….Colin..

 

 

Jim McCarthy… say yeah

John Gale… That is a top class Soul compilation..

 

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Too Far Out – Joe Meek’s Tea Chest Tapes. Beat, Mod & R&B from 304 Holloway Road 1963-1966, Various Artists 3CD Box Set

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TOO FAR OUT   JOE MEEK’s TEA CHEST TAPES –  BEAT MOD & R & B  (1963-1966)
Once in a while over the last 10 years of Smart Sounds reviews a release comes to me because I have requested it from Cherry Red Records because I believe it to be an important one, however due to the period of the material covered I don’t feel qualified to write a knowledgeable review of the work in my usual fashion. Such is the case with today’s new 3CD set. In 2020 Cherry Red acquired ‘The Tea Chest Tapes’ 1000’s of recordings that Joe Meek left behind after his untimely death in February 1967. These recordings are a treasure trove of un-released, early recordings, demo’s etc of artistes some of whom such as David Bowie, Billy Fury, Tom Jones, Gene Vincent & many more would later go on to international fame. Since Cherry Red acquired this incredibly important collection of some 4000 hours of music spread over close to 2000 tapes they have set about digitising them & releasing these wonderful box sets split into various categories over the last 5 years. This latest 3CD Box set covers the period 1963-1966 & boasts 88 tracks of Beat Mod & R & B tracks produced by Joe in his inimitable style. To return to my aforementioned statement, regarding not feeling qualified to write a knowledgeable full on review of all this work, this is because I did not arrive in the business until 1967 & from that point on I think i can say without being egotistical I can write about music from my own experience of the bands/artistes that I encountered & often worked with from that point in time on. 1963-66 is a period of time that is important as aforementioned as it chronicles the birth of beat music here in the UK, but for me falls out of my reach for being that tad too early for me to be taking notice. And the last thing I want to do is write a ‘review’ for the many 1000’s of Joe Meek admirers from a point of largely ignorance. Thus, please look on this as less a ‘review’ but more a big heads up to all those aforementioned Joe Meek fans that love his work & are so much steeped in his work than I could ever be. All that being said, I do recognise & remember, hearing some of the tracks & bands featured on this collection courtesy of an older friend who lived with us for a time at the relevant period in the early 60’s. In fact the whole compilation kicks off with a number I do remember well from the wacky individual that was ‘Screaming Lord Sutch’ & his genuinely blood curdling opus ‘Jack The Ripper’ (see the video at the end of this piece). This is followed by Freddie Starr, who had a pretty decent voice albeit he was known for his comedic talent. His rendition of the ‘Peter Gunn Locomotion’ shows promise. Up next are another band vaguely familiar to me, The Syndicats with a spirited version of the classic ‘Maybelline’ which certainly gets the toes tapping. Other names spread across the collection that are familiar to me are The Riot Squad, The Cryin’ Shames (a great band) The Honeycombs & Heinz. Beyond that there is a wealth of names that will no doubt be known to Meek aficionados or anyone interested in this period & general beat genre. So to sum up, this is another hugely important release that the Joe Meek fraternity will love & will also appeal to those individuals just that bit older than me that grew up with this early beat genre. It’s certainly a voyage of discovery. The set comes in a sturdy clamshell box & is accompanied as ever by a lavishly illustrated & annotated booklet. Enjoy
For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time……stay safe, take care….Colin

Alan Esdaile… I’m pretty sure Ray Fenwick was in The Syndicats.

Catherine Ireland… yes he was Alan

Mick O’Dowd… What a compilation! Brings back a lot of memories for me of my mis-spent youth. Remember all of the bands mentioned and the SLS clip at the end especially took me back to when I had a holiday job in Iorio Di Mascio’s shop on the roundabout by Iceland. Upstairs they had a video juke box and one of the selections was blanked out on the menu. The staff soon found out is was the video for SLS and the above song. (I’ve still got a Standard 8 video of this!). It was done so as not to upset children and their parents! What would they say in this day and age

Colin Bell… Great memories there mate, thanks for sharing, some of the young ladies in the SLS video look genuinely scared!

Joanna Marie Mod… Looks superb

Pete Prescott… I have to hear this !

 

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing The Magic Forest – More Pastoral Psychedelia & Funky Folk 1968-1975, Various Artists 3CD

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THE MAGIC FOREST – More Pastoral Psychedelia & Funky Folk 1968-1975
I’ve been looking forward to this release. Regular readers may remember the first 3 CD box set in this series issued back in 2022 ‘Deep In The Woods’. An excellent collection of trad folk/experimental acid folk/jazz/rock/funk & more besides, which may sound a rather confusing mix of genres, but trust me it all makes wonderful, blissful sense when it enters your ears. I love that first collection so much that its become my ‘go to’ listen when I want to relax & drift off to other worlds & immerse myself in all things esoteric, where there’s an aural surprise lurking around every corner. This new release is a companion piece to that first collection & like its predecessor the first thing you notice is the exquisite artwork spread out over the digipack which is a feast for the eyes as it draws you into ‘The Magic Forest’ I could just stare at that artwork all day, let alone being carried away by the music. This time round the set contains more of the rare, obscure & long forgotten gems as before, sprinkled with the more well known names, well, they’re well known if you’re into this whole scene as I am. The compilation has once  again been put together by Richard Norris, a man clearly in love with what he does & he has done another fine job annotating the tracks. And speaking of tracks there are 61 spread across the 3 CD’s to delight in. The whole collection gets off to a fine start with the track that gives the compilation its title ‘The Magic Forest’ by Fat Mattress a band whose name will be familar to a wider audience, who enjoyed a fair degree of success, & included along with Noel Redding, an old friend of mine Neil Landon, who prior to forming FM was a member of The Flower Pot Men. I’ve chosen this track to feature as the accompanying video to this review to give you a sample of what to expect. This is followed by the gentle strains of the eastern flavoured ‘Dreams’ by The Woods bands & already a sense of peace & relaxation is taking hold of the listener. One of the most collectible bands of the 60’s, the wondrous Mellow Candle are up next with ‘Sheep Season’ featuring their haunting blend of voices & experimental sounds that infused their solitary album ‘Swaddling Songs’ for which you’d need a second mortgage to buy if you were after an original vinyl copy. Track 4 comes from a very underrated artist in my view Shelagh McDonald with the haunting folk ballad ‘Stargazer’ More standout tracks on CD1 come from Prelude, Keith West (of ‘Grocer Jack’ fame), Agincourt, another highly collectable act, Forest, Affinity & one of my favourite singer/songwriters Clifford T Ward with ‘A Dream’, a sheer delight. CD2 kicks off with a legend of folk, Sandy Denny with ‘Next Time Around’ followed by, new to me, a gorgeous number from Fairfield Parlour with ‘Aries’ with some very ordinary themes in its lyrics that become far more interesting when combined with the band’s music. The unmistakable voice of Roger Chapman heralds the arrival of his band Family with ‘My Friend the Sun’ one of the more well known artistes to grace the compilation. More highlights on CD2 come from Heron, Fresh Maggots, Tim Hollier, Oberon & another old friend i worked with, the enigma that was Tim Rose with Tim’s take on ‘If I Were A Carpenter’. RIP old friend. Compared to the first collection ‘Deep in the Woods’ aforementioned. this second 3CD outing features more singer/songwriters. CD3 opens with a band I’ve always had a fondness for, the excellent Jade Warrior with the gentle, dreamy ‘Morning Hym’ followed by a band completely unknown to me The Ghost with a track called ‘Hearts & Flowers’ which reminds me of something else I can’t quite pin down annoyingly, but I’m very taken with their lead singer, one Shirley Kent. I’d like to hear more from this band. Track 3 serves up a great number from Pete Dello & his band Honeybus, best known of course for ‘I Can’t Let Maggie Go’ but there was so much more to them than that commercial hit single. Elsewhere other highlights on the final disc come from Fotheringay, Pentangle, Roy Harper, Marsha Hunt & Snafu amongst others. In conclusion compiler Richard Norris has curated a glorious collection of the esoteric, seldom heard & unfamiliar which if you have a mind that seeks out the different,  may just turn into your very own familiar, I do hope so. Enjoy.
For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time……take care….Colin

Alan Esdaile… I agree Colin, great sleeve and thanks for the reminder of the Fat Mattress track. I remember a local group used to play this track in their set but can’t remember who it was?

 

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Mark Wirtz: Dream Dream Dream – The Anthology, 5CD deluxe clamshell box.

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I’m delighted to bring to you a long overdue extremely comprehensive 5CD retrospective collection of a man whose name outside of the music business is quite possibly unknown to many people. However if I was to say ‘Excerpt From A Teenage Opera’ (or ‘Grocer Jack’) that it’s often referred to, that would instantly be recognised by any ‘baby boomer’ as one of the most well loved songs from 1967. And we wouldn’t have the record to luxuriate in if it wasn’t for its co-writer & producer Mark Wirtz. When Mark passed away in August 2020 the music business lost, in my opinion, a titan whose name should be up there with the likes of Joe Meek, George Martin, et al. This lovingly put together exhaustive collection of Mark’s work by fan & later collaborator Stephen C  Wilson of duo Sound Menagerie is a perfect celebration of a mans lifetime work, a man who was not only a visionary producer but also variously a singer, writer, composer, poet, arranger, painter & even in latter years a stand up comedian. One might say Mark had an embarrassing amount of multi-talents. Born in Strasbourg & brought up in Cologne he moved to London in 1962 where he initially studied performing arts at RADA & had  his own beat band The Beatcrackers who were signed to EMI in 1963 as Mark Rogers & the Marksmen, the first of many different names attached to his life’s work & career. By 1965 he had formed his own production company working with big names including Marlene Dietrich. In 1966 he wrote & produced a piece that after ‘Grocer Jack’ is probably his best known piece to the public, the instrumental ‘A Touch of Velvet- A Sting of Brass’ credited to The Mood Mosiac, it was much played on pirate radio & used as a theme by several DJ’s, notably Dave Lee Travis on Radio Caroline. It was his next work that really caught my attention. After accepting an invitation to join EMI as an in-house producer in 1967 & working at Abbey Road alongside Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, Mark started working with Hastings Pier regulars Kippington Lodge & Keith West & Tomorrow, the latter producing psychedelic classics ‘My White Bicycle’ & ‘Revolution. Together with Keith he then embarked on his most famous work the ultimately unfinished ‘Teenage Opera’. This work has been mentioned by industry ‘heavyweights’ Pete Townshend & Paul McCartney as an influence on their own projects ‘Tommy’ & ‘Abbey Road’ respectively. Although ‘Teenage Opera’ was never fully realised it did also produce one of my favourite singles of the 60’s in ‘Sam’ the follow up to ‘Grocer Jack’ another delightful whimsical tale, beautifully realised & produced. This new compilation gives you an unrivalled journey through the ‘opera’ story & so much more as Mark moved into the 70’s. Over 5 CD’s this collection spans the years 1963 on through the 70’s with 131 tracks, featuring outtakes, previously unheard & unreleased material, spoken insights into Marks world, Mono mixes that have been unavailable for over 50 years for some of his most famous work like ‘Grocer Jack’ & so much more. The 5 CD’s come in separate sleeves in a sturdy clamshell box that also contains an exclusive yellow badge & a facsimile letter of the handwritten lyrics to ‘Grocer Jack’ & as an added bonus if you order the set direct from Cherry Red Records themselves you get a bonus digital download of additional tracks. The accompanying 40 page booklet perfectly annotates the tracks with a wealth of detail I sadly don’t have the space to go into here, but rest assured if you, like me, are a lover of 60’s psyche or just want to go on a magical journey of discovery into Mark Wirtz’s fascinating world of diverse musical projects then indulge yourself with this set. Its a cracking start to this years Smart Sounds & 10 years of my association with Cherry Red. Enjoy.

For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time….take care…Colin

Steve Wilson… Thank you so much for this lovely review of the Mark Wirtz box set

Colin Bell… My pleasure Steve, love his work

Alan Esdaile… I also really like the track ‘Sam’.

 

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Pour A Little Sugar On It – The Chewy Chewy Sounds of American Bubblegum 1966-1971, Various Artists 3CD Box Set

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POUR A LITTLE SUGAR ON IT (THE CHEWY CHEWY SOUNDS OF AMERICAN BUBBLEGUM 1966-71)  3CD SET

At long last those wonderful people at Grapefruit Records have put together an exhaustive new compilation of what many have derided over the years as disposable (being polite) or simply just crap music (being impolite!) the genre that became known as ‘bubblegum music’. Characterised by 3 minute, 3 chord (deceptively) simple pop melodies often with meaningless lyrics played by many ‘bands’ a large amount of which didn’t exist, but comprised studio concoctions using session managers. The whole sound was aimed at capturing the early teen market in America in the mid-late 60’s as pop and rock music grew more sophisticated for older buyers. It’s roots can reasonably be traced back to the advent of The Monkees and their manufactured pop sound created in 1966. With their massive success came many more imitators jumping on what became, at least, for a few short years a lucrative bandwagon. On this new compilation just about every major successful effort is represented alongside a wealth of long obscure ‘bands’. This new 3CD set comprises of 91 tracks spanning 4 hours of sugar sweet sounds that defined ‘bubblegum’ so sit down with a sherbert fountain or a bag of dolly mixtures and here’s what you’ll find. Disc1 kicks of with a trio of songs that exemplify the whole bubblegum movement with ‘Simon Says’ ‘Yummy Yummy Yummy’ & ‘ A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You’ by respectively the 1910 Fruitgum Company, Ohio Express & of course The Monkees. The first 2 tracks came out of New York based Buddah Records who were undoubtedly the kings of the genre (after Don Kirschner with The Monkees). Buddah gave us the majority of the really big hits from the aforementioned 2 bands plus Kasenetz-Katz Flying Orchestral Circus, with ‘Quick Joey Small’, Lou Christie with ‘I’m Gonna Make You Mine’ & ‘She Sold Me Magic’ (all included) & a host of others. As ever its away from these big names that the long forgotten and obscure sit with fabulous names such as Salt Water Taffy, Lt Garcias Magic Music Box & The Raspberry Pirates all giving us their take on the genre. There are some surprising names on Disc1 (as there are on Discs2 & 3) that are included as they had an abberation away from their normal output. The Grass Roots & Neil Diamond to name a couple. However I must take issue with the inclusion of The Electric Prunes! A beloved group of mine! Ok, ‘Everybody Know You’re Not In Love’ may be a long way from ‘I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night’. But bubblegum?! No siree! Other well remembered names from Disc1 turn up with Crazy Elephant, Lobo & The Cuff Links. The latter sporting Ron Dante on lead vocals. Ron was to American pop what Tony Burrows was to us over here in the UK. He was everywhere as a studio session singer as well as putting out singles under his own name, examples of which you can also hear on the compilation. Disc2 begins with a big personal favourite ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ from Tommy James & the Shondells whose record company Roulette Records also were heavily involved in releasing bubblegum. This is followed by The Lemon Pipers with the evergreen…er ‘Green Tambourine’! a fusion of bubblegim & psyche. Other treats come from Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Mama Cass, Bobby Bloom, Tommy Roe & The Archies. Again its the lesser known that provide some extra treats with the likes of The Pineapple Heard with an excellent version of ‘Valleri’ made famous by The Monkees. Again there are some unlikely names cropping up with forays into bubblegum territory including The Beach Boys, The Cowsills and would you believe The Velvet Underground! Again I have to take issue with the inclusion of The Box Tops who are featured twice, they were definitely pop/soul in my book, but heyho each to their own opinion. Finally Disc3 serves up more big hitters with Melanie, Rick Nelson & Bobby Sherman to name but three. Plus more hits from 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Lemon Pipers, Kasenetz Katz, John Fred & his Playboy Band and more. Amongst the obscure treats are tracks from South Amboy Port Authority, The Peppermint Trolley Company & The Love Generation amongst others. I’d have to argue again that the inclusion of Bruce (‘Hey Baby’) Channel with ‘Keep On’ merits the bubblegum tag, more pop/soul yet again in my book. The whole compilation comes to a close with what is really the poster child for the whole movement with The Archies ‘Sugar Sugar’ (video coming up). Its a funny old world, especially in music. I started by saying bubblegum was defined by 3 minute, 3 chord disposable songs with meaningless (in the main) lyrics. For this the artists were often derided and looked down upon by ‘musical snobs’, which i find pretty funny and ironical. If you wound the clock on a decade to 1976 it was all repeated, the 3 minute, 3 chord……etc. Except this time it was called Punk….which ‘musical snobs’ embraced….think about that. As ever this compilation comes housed in a sturdy clamshell box complete with a fascinating 48 page booklet. Enjoy.

For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk

Til next time….stay safe…..Colin

Mick O’Dowd… What a compilation Colin. I’m with you regarding the simplicity of the genre. This gave us DJ’s a lot of dancing toons between them and were also very popular. Like you, there are several names on there that I wouldn’t put in that genre but hey ho!

Colin Bell… Hi Mate, certainly brings back some memories for us

Alan Esdaile… Always loved ‘Quick Joey Small’.

Terry Corder… Some great songs there. Thanks.

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Gerry And The Pacemakers: I Like It! Anthology 1963-1966, 3CD

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‘I LIKE IT’ ANTHOLOGY 1963-1966    GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS  (3CD SET)

I’m delighted to bring you this latest fine compilation from Strawberry Records. Back in 1963 at the birth of Merseybeat in Liverpool, Gerry & the lads were serious contenders to The Beatles crown and this exhaustive new collection brings that home. Running to roughly 4 hours of listening time and spanning just under a 100 tracks (98) it reminds you just how successful they were. Sharing both The Beatles manager Brian Epstein & record producer George Martin they released some classic singles. As I’m sure most pop fans are aware, but if not, they were the first UK band to have their first 3 single releases all go to No 1, ‘I Like It’ ‘How Do You Do It’ & ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ a feat even the aforementioned ‘fab four’ didn’t match. That record was to stand for 2 decades until eventually matched by Frankie Goes To Hollywood in the 80’s. So what does this new compilation have to offer on its 3 disc? As you might expect Disc1 contains all the hit singles that the band had between 1963 and 1965, as well as the big 3 already mentioned there are ‘I’m the One (No 2) & my personal favourite the haunting and exquisite ‘Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying’ (No 4 in both the UK & USA). The latter written by Gerry for his then girlfriend, later wife, Pauline, has to be one of the greatest love songs ever written in pop music. Gerry was a prolific writer, roughly half of the tracks on the compilation were composed by himself, it’s fair to say they are not all as great as DLTSCYC, but he was no slouch. He also had the ability (& taste) to cover others great songs such as ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from Carousel & a personal favourite ‘Walk Hand in Hand’ written by Johnny Cowell with aplomb making them his own. Disc1 also contains some rockers such as ‘Maybelline’ ‘What I’d Say’ & ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy’ also recorded by The Beatles who provided Gerry with ‘Hello Little Girl’ also contained here which was originally planned to be their 3rd single. Elsewhere there are more tracks by Gerry quite a few of which are new to me. Disc2 kicks off with the massive hit from the film of the same name ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ like YNWA another enduring classic for which Gerry will always be remembered. Followed by another UK hit with ‘It’s Gonna Be Alright’ (No 24 UK & USA) more covers of rockers abound with the likes ‘Reelin & Rockin’ & ‘A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On’ sitting alongside many original songs written by Gerry. As I said earlier not all his songs reached the gold standard of DLTSCYC and its cleat that his contemporaries John & Paul were moving ahead at a much greater creative pace by ’64/65′ with songs such as ‘And I Love Her’ & ‘I Feel Fine’ leaving Gerry’s songs feeling somewhat mundane with their simple ‘Moon & June’ style compositions, and i think the slowing down of his success by the mid 60’s does ultimately come down to the songwriting in my humble opinion. Disc3 contains a jewel in the crown of this fascinating compilation with the presentation of a live concert recorded in Oakland California in 1964 where the guys sound on fabulous form as they deliver the hits and more, and the recording quality is excellent. Throughout the compilation there are scattered ‘alternate takes & mixes’ of various tracks and the set is brought to a close on Disc3 with (amongst some others) some stereo versions of DLTSCYC ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ & a lush ‘Walk Hand in Hand’ and they sound  simply magnificent reminding us what a warm and special voice Gerry possessed. As ever the digipack is packed with photo’s and facsimile posters under each disc (a nice touch) and the usual informative and colourful booklet. A thoroughly recommended listen. Enjoy.

For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk

Til next time…..stay safe take care, Colin

Mick O’Dowd… Nice compilation including a lot that i’ve never heard before not being a huge fan. Welcome back Colin. Missed your reviews!

Alan Esdaile… Likewise I always loved ‘Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying’ and ‘Walk Hand In Hand’

Nigel Ford… Lambretta Li Series 3 – no dampers on front forks and no disc brake like the bigger-engined TV’s had. My mum’s sister, Auntie Winnie, took brother and I to see Ferry cross the Mersey plus another, maybe one featuring Heinz (?) at the Gaiety cinema Queens Road in ’63/64 ish one easter /summer school hols ,probably on a wet day…….Kia-Ora anyone, or a paper-wrapped block of ice-cream in an oblong cone?

Colin Bell SMART SOUNDS NEWS Can’t Seem To Come Down The American Sounds of 1968 and Don Fardon I’m Alive Anthology cd’s

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Hi all, with apologies, I’m currently unable to bring you the full Smart Sounds reviews that usually occupy this space due to personal issues. However there are 2 new excellent July titles from Cherry Red that I wouldn’t want to pass you by…they are….

Can’t Seem To Come Down – The American Sounds of 1968, Various Artists 3CD Box Set

A splendid romp through 80 tracks of American rock & pop nuggets all released in 1968 as per the title. From the very well known…Love, The Monkees, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, through to names you may have forgotten such as Spirit, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Quicksilver Messenger Service, H P Lovecraft..and on to some gems from obscurity including the baroque rock pop of Debbie Harrys first band Wind In The Willows, this release with its accompanying 48 page informative booklet delivers hours of pleasure for 60’s music lovers like myself.

Don Fardon: I’m Alive – The Don Fardon Anthology 1967-1974, 3CD

With a wealth of never before released material this new, & as far as I’m aware, first really comprehensive anthology of ex Sorrows lead singer Don Fardon is an absolute must for his many fans. Mostly famous for his international hit ‘Indian Reservation’ this 81 track compilation features his other hits and club favourites such as ‘Belfast Boy’ ‘Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ Mod favourite ‘Treat Her Right’ & much more besides, including one of my all time favourite tracks ‘I’m Alive’, a track i wore out playing at my disco gigs back in the day. Here it is now. Enjoy.

For more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk

Til next time….take care, stay safe……Colin  

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell. Reviewing Alcatrazz Live Sentence cd/dvd deluxe edition and John Miles – Miles High cd.

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‘LIVE SENTENCE’ Alcatrazz (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD) HNE Records

As regular readers of S.S. will know this is my all time favourite metal band of the 80’s. A coupla months back I brought you their debut album ‘No Parole From Rock and Roll’. As mentioned in that review Alcatrazz were a HUGE success in Japan especially. To capitalise on the albums success they took to the road to promote it and Live Sentence is the result. Recorded in January 1984 in Tokyo the set list includes most of the tracks recorded for NPFR&R, minus annoyingly ‘Jet to Jet’, a personal favourite! However that’s a small niggle. Along with ‘Island in the Sun’, ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’ ‘General Hospital’, all classics in my view Graham Bonnet treats us to his solo success with ‘Night Games’ and re-visits his sojourn with Rainbow to deliver ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ and ‘All Night Long’ to the evident delight of the audience.
This release comes as 2 discs, disc one audio and disc two a DVD. At last I can dispense with my er bootleg footage! The audio and video quality of the DVD is surprisingly good for its age and stands up well. Like me you can now marvel at the 20 year old prodigy Yngwie Malmsteen in all his glory. And a glorious thing to watch it is! His neo-classical shredding is jaw dropping!
Not since I first saw Hendrix have I ever been so transfixed by a guitarist.
‘Kree Nakoorie/Coming Bach’ is mesmerising, yes he’s over indulgent at times compared to the studio recordings, but hell’s teeth he’s simply amazing even when he’s being arrogantly OTT! He knows he’s a ‘Rising Force’ and I forgive him, if I had his talent I doubt i’d hide my light under a bushel.
To cap it all off there’s three bonus tracks recorded at the Rock Palace in the USA including ‘Too Young To Die-Too Drunk To Live’. They don’t write them like that anymore, more’s the pity! For all Graham Bonnet/Malmsteen fans this is an essential addition to your library. PLAY IT LOUD!

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‘MILES HIGH’ John Miles  (Lemon Recordings)

This is the first time on CD for what was John’s fifth studio album released originally in 1981, at that time it only reached a rather disappointing 96 chart position. Two singles were released from the album in the shape of ‘Turn Yourself Loose’ and ‘Reggae Man’. John is undoubtedly a fine musician, singer and guitarist and indeed a writer having composed the 10 tracks here. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the album, for me however nothing really leaps out at you. Its a polished affair and plays like a soundtrack to an American series of the Eighties (Miami Vice springs to mind) its slick AOR and maybe therin lies the problem for these ears its all a little too bland for my taste. John is without doubt a musicians musician and has contributed his skills to the likes of Joe Cocker, Tina Turner and the great Alan Parson’s project. Overall one for completists of his canon of work methinks, or fans of the Eighties slick pop genre.

For more information go to http://ww.cherryred.co.uk                 colin-head-111x150

Til next time….     Colin

 

Stephen Carson… Hi Colin. Just to let you know Cherry Red are releasing a box set of John Miles albums 1983 – 1993 which includes Play On on CD for the first time. It comes out on July 19 2024.