‘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!
‘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.
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.
I must start off by saying I have been waiting a long time for someone to finally come up with a definitive collection of the work of twins Paul & Barry Ryan. At last thanks to 7T’s Records its finally here & it doesn’t disappoint. The project has been lovingly overseen by Indie band member & journalist Bob Stanley of St. Etienne who is a big fan of the twins work which comes through in his essay on their work in the accompanying booklet. Which is crammed full of fascinating titbits, many of which I’d not been aware of before. So what does this new release comprise of, well the answer is a hell of a lot! There are 95 tracks spanning 5 separate discs each contained in their own cardboard sleeves inside a sturdy clamshell box complete with the aforementioned booklet. As with all Cherry Red releases the packaging quality is of a very high standard that always delights. The discs are broken down as follows: Disc1 Barry Ryan Sings Paul Ryan 11 tracks- Barry Ryan 12 tracks. Disc2 Barry Ryan 3 12 tracks Red Man 12 tracks. Disc3 Sanctus Sanctus Hallelujah 12 tracks Disc4 Barry Ryan Rarities 1968-72 19 tracks & finally Disc5 Barry Ryan Rarities 1975-79 17 tracks. Clearly I can’t give you a track by track critique, this would turn into a book! However here’s some observations & highlights to whet your appetite. When Paul decided he’d had enough of touring live (something he hated) in 1967 he chose to step back & concentrate on writing songs (mainly) for his brother. In 1968 he created what would become, in my view, the greatest Power Ballad of the 60’s (or possibly of all time) when he came up with the international No 1 ‘Eloise’. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love the song. I didn’t know until now that Paul wrote it after being inspired (& becoming rather obsessed with Richard Harris’s ‘MacArthur Park) & became determined to write his own epic. He certainly succeeded! And here I’d just like to profusely thank the compiler on this new release who has used the FULL version of ‘Eloise’ which starts & ends with what is best described as ‘maniacal’ laughing by Barry, a small thing you might think, but those few extra seconds just make the song even more perfect! Interestingly those vital seconds were missing on the original single release & on the Italian version on this compilation. The First album in the set as aforementioned concentrates on Barry singing his brothers songs, as indeed does the second album. There are gems galore to be found, obviously ‘Eloise’ but add to that ‘The Colour of My Love’ a hit in a cover version for Jefferson (Geoff Turton of the Rockin Berries) although surprisingly not for Barry in the UK as Polydor chose not to release it here. However he scored with it across Europe. In fact most of his subsequent hits were all in Europe with Germany being a particularly lucrative market for Barry where he remained very much a star for decades after giving up music in the mid 70’s to concentrate on his photography business. Track 6 ‘My Mama’ as the sleevenotes point out was another epic production to rival ‘Eloise’ which the twins mum, successful singer in her own right Marion Ryan must have been flattered by. Its a full blooded tour-de-force. Elsewhere ‘Love Is On The Way’ is an achingly beautiful song, followed by ‘What’s Been Sleeping In My Bed’ a curious song in many respects, but one which had me re-visiting it for its quirky melody. The second album simply titled Barry Ryan kicks off with a personal favourite ‘The Hunt’ yet another epic construction a No 22 hit. Where else in a rock song would your hear somebody crying out ‘Tally Ho’! In impassioned fashion! I don’t want to throw a lot of titles that may mean nothing to you if you are not familiar with the twins work, but other highlights include ‘No Living Without Her Love’ & ‘closing track ‘Where Have You Been’. Moving on to Disc3 & we are treated to a mix of songs from Paul & outside song-writers. It kicks off with the first recording of Cat Stevens classic ‘Wild World’ or as titled here ‘Its A Wild World’. It has a very fetching string arrangement & is an agreeable enough version, it just lacks the passion of Cat’s take. Highlights elsewhere are ‘Stop The Wedding’ ‘What Is Wrong With My Women’ & ‘Who Put The Lights Out’. The second album on Disc3 Red Man, opens with the title track, a hit in faithful Germany & France. Here in the UK it was un-issued in favour of ‘It Is Written’ a religious themed work that did no business at all The best track on the album in my view belongs to ‘All Thoughts Of Time’ a beautiful & tender ballad. The religious theme came to the forefront on Disc5 Sanctus Sanctus Hallelujah with the opening title track. This German only issued album saw Barry team up with band The Verge and move away from what had gone before & stray into heavier rock territory & produced some excellent songs like the fuzz guitar laden ‘Storm Is Brewing’ the single release ‘Cant Let You Go’ & melodic rocker ‘L A Woman’ (nothing to do with The Doors!). It showed Barry was quite at home as a rock & roll singer, not just a purveyor of big ballads. The final 2 discs that make up the compilation consisting of rarities from 1968 – 1979 are peppered with real gems, one of my favourites being ‘Love Is Love’ a song I’ve played a lot on the radio over the years. It was released as a single & reached No 4 in Europe, so I’m surprised it’s in the ‘rarities’ section, however I’m sure 7T’s have their facts straight. Its a magnificent epic song clearly reaching to be another ‘Eloise’ & whilst not quite succeeding is hugely enjoyable complete with Barry’s histronic vocals, it’s a real belter, love it. ‘Lay Down’ ‘Annabelle’ ‘Best Years Of My Love’ ‘Do That’ & ‘Give It All’ are some other personal highlights for me. As i said at the start of this review I’ve waited a long time for a retrospective of Paul & Barry’s work & this new release has repaid the wait. Thank you 7T’s for a great job. For those of you who never got past ‘Eloise’ this is what you missed. Do have a listen if you possible can. Enjoy.
Mick O’Dowd… Very interesting review Colin. I liked P&B because they were light weight and easy on the ear. When you mentioned Eloise the memories came flooding back, What a song and production.
Colin Bell… Mick, Thanks for the thumbs up! There’s some great material on here. I didn’t mention ‘Kitsch’ in my review, just not enough space! another ‘Eloise’ style classic, give that a listen if you’ve not heard it before
Merv Kennard… Eloise my favourite
Alan Esdaile… Wonderful. Love ‘Eloise’
Wendy Weaver… Marion Ryan, the Ryan twins mum, was a huge star in her own right
Colin Bell… She had a great voice, it was her idea the twins take up singing as neither were academic at school & left with no idea of what to do
Michael Grave… Fantastic Artist, and brilliant songwriting from his brother Paul. My favourites are, of course, Eloise, Love is Love, The Hunt, It is Written, and Magical Spiel. Does anyone know if this Box Set Compilation is remastered, and what the sound quality is like?
Colin Bell… Hi Michael, i wrote the review. Yes it has been re-mastered & the sound quality is excellent. They’ve (Cherry Red Records) obviously had access to the master tapes. I should just add I don’t work for them! My response to you comes from 55 years in the music biz. Thanks for your comment Colin
Jon McCallion… My mum always talked about growing up with Marion
Michael Grave… Thank you for establishing the audio quality is excellent on this compilation, Colin. I’ve now ordered it. I have various CDs of Barry Ryan, and this should hopefully top them all. I love Jimmy Webb’s compositions, and was knocked out when I first heard Richard Harris singing MacArthur Park, and his subsequent work with Jimmy Webb, who was a genius songwriter. I guess it was why I loved Eloise and Love is Love so much. The same high drama production values. Never again would I feel the same surge of adrenalin, until Trevor Horn unleashed his brilliant studio creations in the eighties.
Colin Bell… Hi Michael. No problem, I’m sure you’ll have much enjoyable listening. All the best. Colin
Recently i had the pleasure in these pages of reviewing the bands charity Christmas single, a reworking of the classic ‘Catch A Falling Star’. Now here is the brand new album from Hi-Fi Sneakers & from reading Tich Turners intro liner note the gestation period was a difficult one with Covid laying waste to gigs, the retirement of their long term drummer & a health scare, requiring an operation for Tich, who I’m very happy to say is on the mend and getting his strength back. So, to the album. If you are not familiar with the band they are a soulful act well known in South London. The album features 11 tracks & track 3 ‘Hypnotic’ is available to view on YouTube. I really don’t like to make comparisons in my reviews, as a wise man (John Lydgate in 1440) once wrote ‘comparisons are odious’. I agree, However it’s my job to inform the reader of what style/genre to expect from the band I’m reviewing if they are not a name you instantly recognise. Hi-Fi Sneakers are a 5 piece band with local lad Tich Turner as lead vocalist. Matt Percival guitar, Derek Sumption keyboards, Bob Kelly bass & new drummer James Britton & the band are augmented by a first class horn section & on this album 2 excellent female backing singers Isobel & Vanessa. So to their musical style & it’s here where inevitably I have to make a comparison with some names everyone’s familiar with. As i noted they are a soulful band, think along the lines of The Commitments as a ballpark overall view. I can hear all their nods to Stax, Motown & various soul acts in their material, all of which is original. However, after my first complete listen to the full (39mins) album something kept niggling in my head that there’s a warmth & depth about the whole album that reminds me very happily of another act. It took a while…I’m getting old now…then it came to me..& here the band may heartily disagree with my view & the references I’ve already made, the ‘feel’ & ‘warmth’ of their sound compares very favourably with Robert Cray Band around the time of his ‘Bad Influence’ & ‘Strong Persuader’ albums. Tich & the guys exude the same warmth & do it very well. The album kicks off in fine style with the up-tempo ‘Delivery Man’ where the horn section could have stepped straight out of Geno Washington’s band. Tich’s voice is assured, mature & rich as i noted when reviewing ‘Catch A Falling Star’. Track 2 ”Deeper (In Love With You’) (Gamble Huff cover) swings along in great form with some very nifty piano plus some great backing vocals. In fact having listened to the album right through 3 times (not something I do regularly I found myself returning to ‘Deeper’ several times. If they are going to release further singles from the album, my personal view is ‘Deeper’ is a strong contender & its certainly the one i would pick. Track 3 ‘Hypnotic, the lead single, is easily the most ‘commercial’ song on the album & I can see why they chose it, it’s interesting lyrical content, referencing the hold the ladies often have over us, is one most can relate to & its also an earworm of a song. Track 4 ‘Ginny Go Lightly’ is a smooth soulful song that begins slowly before changing gears & upping the tempo & developing a ‘swing’ style & contains one of Tich’s best vocals on the album, plus some fine guitar work. Track 5 ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land’ a slow-to mid tempo burner contains some of the best lyrics on the whole album in my view, again the lyrics relate to a situation, most of us have encountered, that of relationship breakdowns. It also contains some great work from the horn section. Track 6 ‘Whoops Baby’ is i personally feel the weakest track on the album (sorry lads) it’s just a little too generic, pleasant but underwhelming compared to all the other tracks. Track 7 ‘Nothing Can Stop Me’ (Curtis Mayfield cover) see’s the band back on track & full strength with a strong number containing a very ‘hooky’ horn section & a relaxed, nicely chilled vocal from Tich. Track 8 ‘When I Come Home’ comes closest to the Robert Cray comparison I made earlier (although a Stevie Winwood cover) some neat guitar work here, altogether a very pleasing track & yes, another earworm! Track 9 ‘She Sparkles’ is a really neat snappy number again dipping into swing with a soulful lick & has a very upbeat feel. The penultimate track ‘Oh Pandora’ is lyrically my favourite track with its contemporary take on the legendary fable of ‘Pandora’s Box’ a great turn from the girls on backing vocals, some fine keyboard & guitar & a warm assured vocal. The album comes to a close with Track 11 ‘Let’s Get Hot’ another up-tempo number, which I just know, played live, would be a crowd pleaser & become a favourite. It rounds off the album in fine style. So, to sum up, I’ve made comparisons with several names & the lads may disagree with my view. no problem. Robert Cray is always referred to in the press as a blues man, but i disagree, to the effect he blends blues & soul in a particular way, as do Hi-Fi Sneakers with their own material. However, here let me firmly point out Hi-Fi Sneakers & their music does not copy or plagiarise any of the artistes or specialist record labels mentioned. All their music is authentically fully theirs. So, finally just what does ‘Hip Hypnotic’ deliver to the listener. I’ll tell you. A hug. And a very warm one at that. And who doesn’t benefit & appreciate a hug? Enjoy.
I was delighted to receive this new re-issue of one of my favourite bands, Family with ‘Bandstand’, Esoteric Records have done a fine job, & as the title states it’s been remastered & expanded. The remastering from the original master tapes is very good, not always the case with classic albums, that some engineers ‘tweak’ too much. The original 9 track album is doubled in size by the addition of an extra 10 bonus tracks drawn from unreleased studio outtakes & 2 tracks from a BBC session from October 1972. On the latter it’s a treat to hear the warm voice of the late great Brian Matthew doing the introductions. My own introduction to Family came to me via their debut album 1968’s ‘Music In A Doll’s House’ released in July 1968. It was played to me by John Peel at his London home where I was returning some records (a long story). I was immediately hooked by this extraordinary voice that came pouring out the speakers.I had never heard a voice like it. It of course belonged to lead singer Roger Chapman, who was once referred to as sounding like an ‘electric goat’ a somewhat unkind sounding description, but it has to be said remarkably apposite. I think for the majority of rock fans Family are a ‘marmite’ band, you either love Roger’s unique vocal & the bands mix of psyche/rock/jazz/soul/prog/art house elements or you just don’t get on with it at all, & find them irritating to listen to. I think it’s clear already I am a fan & could happily listen to them all day. ‘Music In A Doll’s House’ contained many great tracks, amongst them ‘Old Songs New Songs’, probably the most commercial song on the album which was released as a single although it didn’t trouble the charts. The band would score their first hit the following year in 1969 with the delightful ‘No Mules Fool’ (still a big personal favourite). The band were prolific when it came to recording & ‘Bandstand’ was their 6th album release in just 4 years. The lead track ‘Burlesque’ a mid tempo rocker that showcases Roger’s voice perfectly was also released as a single & became a Top 20 record following in the wake of their other single successes, with the aforementioned ‘No Mules Fool’ ‘ ‘Strange Band’ & ‘In My Own Time’. The second track from ‘Bandstand’ alters tone considerably to tell the story of ‘Bolero Babe’ a symphonic, psyche tinged song with Rogers voiced dialled back to a softer style. Which leads us into the stately (pun intended) ‘Coronation’, Family’s songs contain wonderful stories & this is no exception with its ‘kitchen sink drama’ which, as the accompanying booklet comments, could easily have come from the pen of Ray Davies. The softer side of the band is again on view with the folksy track 4 ‘Dark Eyes’ before we return to a full on Roger & the rocking track 5 ‘Broken Nose’ another social rant which bears careful listening to & musically contains elements of all the genres I described earlier. Then it’s on to my favourite track of the album ‘My Friend the Sun’ a gorgeous whimsical song on which Roger once again displays his softer almost ethereal vocal which floats gently over your senses. I should mention here that the late Linda Lewis later covered the song admirably for her 1977 album ‘Woman Overboard’ & Linda lends her voice as a backing vocalist on ‘Bandstand’. Track 7 ‘Glove’ is another pretty straight rock ballad, featuring some excellent guitar, that builds nicely from a quiet beginning & reminds me a little of ‘In My Own Time’ This is followed by the rant of ‘Ready To Go’ which adopts a more commercial & straightforward path than the bands usual stance. Indeed overall ‘Bandstand’ is probably the bands most commercial & least esoteric album & the one the casual listener may get on best with. Track 9’s ‘Top of the Hill’ closes what was the original albums second side in fine form. Then we are treated to the 10 extra tracks, the highlight’s of which for me are the live versions of ‘My Friend the Sun’ & ‘Coronation’ both demonstrating to the listener, something I already knew, from seeing them several times at The Marquee, which was that Family were a great live band who never disappointed. So there you have it, Esoteric Records very welcome new package, celebrating a wonderful band & a great album. Enjoy
Peter Fairless… Great track. That Rita and Greta got a lot to answer for
Alan Esdaile… Pete, a lot of drinking and sinking
Pete Prescott…I loved the Weavers Answer, In My Own Time and Burlesque (I used to sing Burlesque in the Reservoir Cats. Sadly I sang it really badly in the Res Cats album. ) One night at the Carlisle two ladies came up and assured us that they were “Rita and Greta !” And knew the band.
Colin Bell… Thanks for sharing Pete, I’ve never heard you sing a Family number, I shall expect a demo at the next SMART meet!
Graham Sherrington… in the car on a very old CD!! my friend the sun.
Nick Bloomfield… I’m a big Family fan! The Weavers Answer which is probably my favourite. Having said that I love Roger’s singing on Shadow on the Wall!
LIQUID GOLD ‘DANCE YOURSELF DIZZY’ THE COLLECTION (3CD)
I should start this review honestly with a confession…I mostly loathe late 70’s ‘disco’ as spearheaded by anything off Saturday Night Fever! However, there is always the exception. When i saw this Liquid Gold collection listed in the Press Release for April i thought let’s have a re-visit to those days, mostly to be honest because Adrian Baker the man who arranged, wrote, produced & played guitar on the bands recordings was a friend of a friend of mine & i remember thinking how much talent he had when meeting him back in the 70’s not long before he got involved with Liquid Gold. Adrian subsequently went on to great success in the USA working with Frankie Valli & The Beach Boys as well as with his Gidea Park band. So to this sparkling new collection spread over 3 CD’s which gathers together (as far as I’m aware) for the first time all the bands output from the late 70’s to the early 80’s. The bands genesis can be traced back to session regulars Ellie Hope & bassist Ray Knott who formed a band called Babe Ruth releasing albums in the early to mid 70’s. Ellie also had some moderate success with her sisters in soul side band simply named ‘Ellie’. Ellie & Ray then recruited 2 new members Wally Rothe & Syd Twynham & became Dream Coupe before finally settling on the more glamorous & descriptive name Liquid Gold. With a recording deal with Creole/Polo Records they were off & running. CD1 of this new set doesn’t run the tracks in chronological order of release but it’s of no matter as it opens with the funky groove of ‘Could Be Tonight’ (UK version) I should mention the band had separate releases of their material between the UK & the USA but the good news is that full versions of both of their sole album are included in this set. What would become their follow up single to their biggest hit comes up next in the shape of ‘Substitute’ & i confess I’d forgotten just how infectious & catchy a number it was, it climbed to No 8 back on release in 1980 & this extended album version really gets you in the groove. Up next is their silky 1979 single ‘Mr Groovy’ which narrowly missed being a hit (& deserved to be). I’m struck by just how much better they sound now than i seem to remember. They really do kick a driving groove that makes you want to get up & dance. That is exactly what i find myself wanting to do when their signature song hits me next, the one we’ve all been waiting for, dance anthem ‘Dance Yourself Dizzy’ here in it’s UK album version with it’s extended intro. Across the set you will find no less than 7 mixes of the ‘Dizzy’ single, album, 12inch, instrumental etc. That may sound like overkill but personally i enjoyed them all! with my preference going to the original 12inch mix. Ok i admit to a bit of ‘dad dancing; in my living room…also included on Disc1 is the bands debut single ‘Anyway You Do It’ from 1979 which just missed the Top 40 but set out the bands credentials which became more polished as they progressed. And so it’s on to Disc2 kicking off with ‘My Baby’s Baby’ a track from 1979 i confess I’d forgotten about over the years, but another slice of upbeat dance that scored over in the USA where it reached No 5. There is more diverse tracks on Disc 2 apart from different mixes of the tracks already mentioned it also includes amongst it’s highlights C’Mon And Dance’ ‘Don’t Panic’ & my particular favourite ‘The Night, The Wine & The Roses’ which was the follow up single to ‘Substitute’ & although it only managed to reach a fairly lowly No 32 on its release it really was a worthy effort, even if it does partly re-tread ‘Dizzy’. By the end of Disc2 i feel thoroughly energised by the music & have re-evaluated my opinion of Liquid Gold from my original thoughts from back in the day when ‘Dance Yourself Dizzy’ was a good floorfiller for me when doing my live DJ gigs. I now appreciate having listened & dug deeper how accomplished vocally & musically they were. Ellie has a very strong distinctive vocal & the music is of a higher quality than i previously assigned it. The band have this Nile/Chic style sound going on, i don’t like comparisons generally but i mean it as high praise in this case. When they are not grooving on uptempo dance numbers Ellie’s softer vocal on tracks like ‘One Of Us Fell In Love’ & particularly ‘Where Did We Go Wrong’ is very satisfying & appealing. The final DIsc3 rounds up many mixes of ‘Dizzy’ & the other aforementioned tracks like ‘Substitute’ & ‘The Night, The Wine & The Roses’ in their instrumental form & also delivers 2 solo releases from Ellie, 1983’s ‘Lucky’, a smooth dance number & her 12inch version of ‘Don’t Feel Sorry’ another Chic like groover. The compilation altogether boasts 46 tracks over it’s 3 discs & is accompanied by an informative booklet in its digipack packaging. It must be getting on for 50 years now since i last saw Adrian all those years ago, all i can say is he did a much better job with Liquid Gold than i appreciated back in the day, i get it now. Enjoy.
Alan Esdaile… I was a bit surprised to read two of them were in Babe Ruth.
Colin Bell… Ellie & Ray were only members for just a year in ’75-’76
Kevin Jones… I had the great pleasure to work with Ellie Hope in the mid 80’s on an album project and I can confirm that she was (and probably still is) an incredible singer and a lovely lady.
Colin Bell…That’s good to hear Kevin, i never had the pleasure of meeting the lady, but she sure has a great voice!
Mick O’Dowd… Remember Babe Ruth. Didn’t realise that LG had such a large back catalogue. Loved Dizz as it was a floorfiller guaranteed!
Austin Farmery… I ordered this 3xCD Liquid Gold Collection a few weeks back from Cherry Red and recieved it yesterday. I always liked Liquid Gold back in the day but WOW hearing this compilation is real music to my ears !! I realise now that I missed out on a lot of theirs and Ellie’s output but I am certainly gonna make up for it now. I would love to thank everybody that was involved in the making and production etc of this truly wonderful collection. To Liquid Gold, Thank You For The Music
AM I GROOVIN’ YOU’ : THE PYE ANTHOLOGY THE FOUNDATIONS
I have been looking forward to sharing this release with you since receiving my copy some weeks back. This spanking new collection is released this Friday (12th) & at last does justice to one of the best loved pop/soul UK bands of the 60’s. Up until this release, getting your hands on a good compilation of The Foundations has been either expensive or elusive. Many have appeared on various labels, but the vast majority have been bad quality re-recordings that have little or no merit. At last the guys at Strawberry Records have put together a beautifully packaged 3 CD set in a handsome fold out digipack complete with a glossy 24 page informative booklet revealing the colourful history behind the band, a must read for any music fan. I was privileged to become friends with original lead singer Clem Curtis way back in 1969 & spent many happy hours in his company on various nights out at gigs or socialising at clubs over the years. Sadly Clem left us 5 years back in 2017 but he lives on through his musical legacy along with his bandmates in The Foundations. This new anthology spans 3 CD’s including all 3 albums & all the hit singles the band released through their hit tenure at Pye Records and also includes tracks from their 1969 ‘budget’ album for Pye’s ‘Marble Arch’ series of albums plus solo recordings from Clem. The whole package kicks off on Disc1 where you might expect with the bands debut single ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ released in August 1967. Initially the record didn’t receive much airplay as the Pirate Radio glory days had come to an end with the Marine Offences Bill closing down all the main stations. It was the newly formed BBC’s Radio 1 launched as their answer to the enormously popular Radio Caroline & Radio London that picked up on BNTIFY & gave it heavy rotation, resulting in the first No 1 hit for a UK muti-raciial band. Disc1 continues with all 11 tracks that comprised the bands debut album 1967’s ‘From The Foundations’ which included numbers the band had been featuring in their live sets like their take on Joe Tex’s ‘Show Me’, a jazzy/lounge instrumental version of ‘Call Me’, later to become a vocal hit for labelmate Petula Clark and several more Tony Macualay compositions (who wrote the majority of their hits) such as ‘Mr Personality Man’ & ‘I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving’. The album tracks are followed by 6 bonus tracks including 3 big single hits with ‘Back On My Feet Again’ (my personal favourite), ‘Any Old Time You’re Lonely Or Sad’ & the worldwide smash No 2 ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’.Disc1 concludes with all the tracks from ‘From The Foundations’ repeated in their stereo versions, for those that like to hear these as a comparison, personally i prefer the original preceding mono versions, but to each their own. Either way Disc1 provides 28 fine tracks to enjoy. Disc2 contains the album ‘Diggin The Foundations’ plus bonus tracks. I’m not sure why Strawberry Records have decided to feature this album which was actually their 3rd album from 1969 on Disc2, but be that as it may, it’s great for me as the memories come flooding back as i listen to the guys. It kicks off with the title track of the compilation ‘Am I Groovin You’, a funky brass laden chug a long dance filler. It struck me that the opening riff sounds very like Steppenwolfs ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ which has only just occurred to me after all these years! This is followed by the guys take on a live favourite Bob & Earl’s ‘Harlem Shuffle’ which i have to be honest is a song i have always heartily disliked no matter who it’s by, but hey that’s just me. I’m soon singing along again to the strains of ‘In The Bad Bad Old Days Before You Loved Me’ however, & wondering not for the first time how The Foundations are one of those bands that lift your spirits & put you in a good mood. Music may not be the universal panacea for all ills but it can certainly improve your day. There is more good feelings to be had with the likes of the bouncy ‘My Little Chickadee’ & ‘That Same Old Feeling’ which would become a big hit for Pickettywitch (also signed to Pye Records). Another familiar song is ‘Let The Heartaches Begin’ taken at a more uptempo pace than the hit Long John Baldry version. Included amongst the bonus 8 tracks are some more personal favourites in ‘Born To Live, Born To Die’ the bands last chart hit (No 46) from 1969, a song that most forget. Also there is the bands theme song to the ‘Swinging London’ film of ‘Take A Girl Like You’, one of the better films of the genre that came out in late 1969. There’s also the chance to compare lead singers with the inclusion of Colin Young’s vocal version of ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’. Colin had replaced Clem when after various differences Clem had quit the band in August 1968, Colin had joined in October just in time to record ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’. And finally we have Disc3 which contains 1968’s ‘Rocking The Foundations’ a ‘live’ album showcasing the boys in typical fashion singing and playing their hearts out to an obviously enthusiastic crowd, just like i remember, with a mixture of hits and favourite live numbers like ‘Stop Her On Sight’ which they had learned when supporting Edwin Starr in their early days. Indeed it was Edwin who advised Clem about ‘stage craft’ and how to ‘work’ an audience & i know Clem had great respect for him. There are 12 bonus tracks to savour on top of the 12 album tracks which include a great take on ’96 Tears’ & stereo versions of hit singles ‘Buttercup’, ‘Back On My Feet Again’ & ‘Any Old Time’. Half a dozen solo recordings made by Clem follow, which will probably be unfamiliar to most but I’m very grateful to have, especially a song called ‘Mountain Over The Hill’ i have always loved. The collection is completed by 2 numbers from the Colin Young led later incarnation of The New Foundations. As i said at the start of this review i am very grateful to finally have a great package of a band who brought so much happiness to millions of fans & the chance for me to relive some very precious memories. Enjoy.
GREETINGS FROM THE PIONEERS The Pioneers (2CD Expanded Edition)
This new 2CD set released by Doctor Bird Records is an important and long awaited one. I was anxious to include it in my reviews as i know there are many lifelong ska/reggae/bluebeat fans out there that absolutely love the music and are very knowledgeable about the whole Jamaican scene. Whilst after 50 odd years in the business i am comfortable in reviewing most music genres there are 2 i am not. Jazz & Reggae. If i’m reading a review of, say a rock band i know well, and the reviewer clearly has no real knowledge of the band or music he’s writing about and is just ‘blagging it’ i will spot it straightaway and most likely be at best a trifle annoyed. So today i am not going to attempt a ‘review’ of a section of music i have no real background in or knowledge of, lets call this piece an alert for the fans & lovers of this musical genre. In the late 60’s early 70’s i was fortunate to work with some of the stars of the day like Dandy Livingstone, Nicky Thomas & Desmond Dekker and i enjoyed their acts, however i now understand they were delivering a more sanitised ‘poppier’ version of real ska/bluebeat/reggae aimed at European audiences. A track that had its roots in Jamaica and was real ‘roots’ ska/reggae/bluebeat would be taken by record companies in the UK & have (usually) strings added and be arranged by somebody like Johnny Arthey into a ‘pop reggae’ format aimed at a wider audience. Think ‘Young Gifted & Black’ or ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ etc, nothing wrong with them but they were far removed from the music on this compilation. So here are the main points about this release. The set comprises 2 cd’s. CD1 has 26 tracks. The first 12 tracks are the original (in order) recordings from when the ‘Greetings’ album was initially released in 1968. These 12 tracks are then followed by 13 bonus tracks from The Pioneers which were recorded for the Amalgamated and Blue Cat labels in the same 1967-68 period. The final track on CD1 comes from Ansell Collins. The link between CD1 and CD2 is the producer of the material Joe Gibbs. CD2 contains 28 tracks, some new to cd and a lot of obscure and rare cuts. Some of the artists featured include Errol Dunkley, The Mellotones, Jackie Robinson, The Royals & The Cannon Ball Trio. So in total across the 2 cd’s there is a total of 54 tracks. The often complex story of The Pioneers and indeed the Jamaican music industry is covered in the excellent essay that accompanies the compilation in the glossy booklet written by Tony Rounce, a man who clearly knows his stuff. So those are the facts and for more information you can visit the link given at the end of this piece. As i said i feel i would be doing a disservice to attempt to critique the work on display here from my meagre scraps of knowledge, or indeed lack of it. I didn’t know for example that The Pioneers had a hit (in Jamaica) with ‘Long Shot’ in 1967. I was familiar with the sequel ‘Long Shot Kick The Bucket’ issued by the UK’s Trojan Records which just demonstrates how little i really know about the genre overall. So i trust you will accept that on this occasion i have communicated the details of what i think is an important release to the many loyal and longstanding fans of The Pioneers & the other artists involved. But i will not attempt to ‘blag’ my way through a review of the music. The quality of the recordings is very good overall given the age, I’m not sure how much re-mastering may have gone on, again afficionados will know straightaway on listening. I am sure of one thing, for fans of the genre & The Pioneers this release is going to be very welcome indeed. Enjoy.
Mick O’Dowd… Thanks for an honest post Colin. I get annoyed when people, or DJ’s/Presenters rant on about something they clearly don’t know anything about. This looks very interesting. Thanks for posting
Memories of 1973 come flooding back, For a good part of that year yours truly was on tour with these guys and their erstwhile ‘leader’. Here for the first time in this new 3CD set are all the chart singles, some rare 45’s, the 1989 re-worked ‘Angel Face’ (not available on CD before) and a live performance recorded at The Marquee in 1985. For those who like a bit of history. When ‘Rock & Roll Parts 1 & 2’ was a surprise hit in 1972 for G.G. the records producer Mike Leander needed a touring band for live gigs. He parachuted in an already established bunch of guys who were then working as The Boston Showband. After a few shuffles and being known initially as The Glittermen they settled down to a stable line-up as The Glitter Band. The line-up was John Rossall (trombone & the bands musical director), Gerry Shephard (lead guitar & vocals), John Springate (bass & vocals), Harvey Ellison (saxophone), & keeping thumping tight time at the back the twin drummers Tony Leonard & Pete Phipps. It was the twin drum’s combined with Gerry’s glitter ‘Star’ guitar with its unorthodox multi-octave tuning that became the signature sound of the band. I think most people assumed the band played on the GG hits but they didn’t (other than John & Harvey sometimes contributing to the brass section), they were recorded by Mike Leander (&GG) in the studio doing all the parts. By 1973 the band wanted to write & record their own records. They approached Leander who agreed & signed them to a separate deal with Bell Records, (GG’s) label. They hit the ground running with their first single ‘Angel Face’ a number 4 hit (outselling GG’s latest offering). Over the next 2 years the band stacked up another half a dozen hits ‘Just For You’, ‘Lets Get Together Again’, ‘Goodbye My Love’, ‘The Tears I Cried’, ‘Love In The Sun’ & finally ‘People Like You & People Like Me’. Then in came Punk sweeping away the Glam acts. The band left Bell in 1976 for CBS where their debut single ‘Lay Your Love On Me’ dropped their signature sound & opted for a more pop/harmony approach, A clutch of singles followed but none troubled the charts. From then on the band would shift to smaller labels and the members would split into 2 ‘GlitterBand’s, one led by Gerry & Pete, and the other by John Rossall. The usual split ups, re-unions and legal wrangling over the right to use the Glitter Band name all ensued as the years ticked by. However the loyal fanbase remained and the various incarnations were welcomed with enthusiasm across Europe, Germany as ever being a faithful audience. And it’s that ‘live’ experience that for my money is the real winner in this new release. The 3rd CD in the set catches the band on fine form at The Marquee. Inevitably kicking off with the trademark ‘heys’ & beats of ‘Rock & Roll Part 2’ followed by the bands re-working of The Exciters ‘Tell Him’ (once proposed as a single). However rather than choosing to make it a ‘greatest hits’ set the band opt amongst other numbers to instead cover (& well) 2 Who tracks ‘The Kids Are Alright’ with some blistering guitar work before segueing neatly into ‘Substitute’ with some good solid drums by Pete. There follows a rather strange choice with the old soul classic ‘Stay With Me’ which whilst it could never match the original the band make a pretty fair fist of it with a neat guitar solo. Closing the set with their biggest hit ‘Angel Face’ & the natural final number ‘Goodbye My Love’ there’s no doubt the guys were clearly still greatly enjoying themselves. Sadly Gerry & Harvey are no longer with us. Gerry passed away aged just 51 in 2003 & Harvey in 2017, As i said at the start i have some very fond memories of the guys back at the height of Glitter mania & listening to this new compilation a lot have flooded back. As ever the packaging & accompanying booklet from 7T’s Records is great quality and a worthy addition to their ‘Complete’ series. Enjoy.
Mick O’Dowd… Memories of playing footie on the lawn at Alexander Park when the Glitter Over England tour stopped here for the Hastings Carnival night gig. Nice bunch of guys!
Mick Turner… That was when Gary Glitter was the Leader of the band, did it not rain that evening and he kept playing. I know he was prat but his music was good.
Colin Bell… Yes it did rain, i was compering the gig and we were all concerned as we’d built the stage of scaffolding we and him would get electrocuted or struck by the lightning that evening. In the light of later events (none of which any of us were aware of at the time) it might have been a good thing….
Mick O’Dowd… True Colin, me & Chris Gentry slept in an old caravan backstage the night before as security and it had the mother of all storms and kept us awake. It did rain on the day as well and I watched from under the stage!
Daryl Perkins… I loved this band!!!
Pete Prescott… I played one gig with Pete Phipps years ago. Nice guy. I was warned too not mention his old boss. I didn’t.
Tim Phillips… Thanks for posting Alan . Very informative. Many many years ago 1973 some of us from Ryes Boys Club dressed up as the glitter band on the back of a lorry . Always liked there tunes . It’s such a shame cover Bands do not play any GG or glitter bands tunes due to GG unforgivable behaviour.
Derek Johnson… Pete did an album of his own a couple of years ago. Not sure how it did. Really nice guy, always has time to talk, I last saw him in the sports centre a couple of years ago.
Willie Wicking..
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Tony Ham… John Rossall’s Glitter Band played The Con Club in Lewes last year.
Stuart Moir… We the old (Centre Page) supported them on Hastings Pier, I remember Revie Stockdale walked into their dressing room after they came off stage and the Glitter man was sat down on a sofa and looked about ninety.
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY (2CD Expanded Edition) by The Idle Race
From out of the midlands in the mid 60’s came what was to become ‘brumbeat’ Birmingham’s answer to its northerly neighbour ‘merseybeat’.
Birmingham was a very fertile scene with literally hundreds of ‘beat group’s. as we called them in those days, sounds really quaint now. The Idle Race evolved out of one such very popular band ‘Mike Sheridan & The Night Riders’, one member at that time being Roy Wood who left to join The Move. To fill his place guitarist Johnny Mann was recruited from Carl Wayne & the Vikings (Carl also to become a Move member) but after abruptly quitting the band were once again without a lead guitarist. An advertisement was placed in the Birmingham Evening Mail and the successful applicant was an 18 year prodigy in the shape of Jeff Lynne. A single was recorded ‘It’s Only A Dog’ a cover of a Kingsmen song which disappeared without trace. Jeff was then promoted to lead vocalist and songwriter and the band signed to Liberty Records. Roy Wood offered them a new song (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree, too good to turn down the band duly recorded it for their debut single in September 1967, but it was shelved when The Move recorded it themselves (as the ‘b’ side to Flowers In The Rain’). So step forward Jeff with what would be their first single ‘Imposters of Life’s Magazine’ a glorious slice of proto psyche complete with varispeed guitar, strange riff’s time signatures and indeed lyrics. In hindsight now it sounds like an outtake from Sgt.Pepper, in fact ive always felt Jeff was, and is, heavily influenced by Beatlesque melodies albeit with his very own genius take. Despite ‘Imposter’s’ being well received, much airplay and heavy support from one Kenny Everett it didn’t trouble the charts. The follow up single in March 1968 whilst again not a hit is the song for which the band is arguably best remembered ‘Skeleton & The Roundabout’ another Lynne composition was insanely catchy, quirky pop psyche and again showed off Jeff’s lyrical talents to the full. Along with Ray Davies and leaving aside Lennon/McCartney, I believe Jeff is a national treasure of ‘Englishness’ in his tales of pastoral and baroque themes.This new expanded album release celebrates his craft to the full, if you love the art pop of 67/68 of artist’s like Nirvana, World of Oz etc this is for you. There are so many strong tracks that you can hear the nascent ELO in there. ‘The Birthday’ and ‘I Like My Toys’ are two prime examples, the latter was played to death by the aforementioned Everett. The original album had 13 tracks, this release has the full 13 track mono album plus 9 bonus tracks on disc 1 whilst disc 2 contains the stereo version of the album (plus 1 bonus track). Amongst those bonus tracks are some gems like the previously mentioned ‘Lemon Tree’ and the ultra commercial ‘Knocking Nails Into My House’ (should have been a hit single). So 40 tracks to enjoy and a splendid 24 page booklet full of period pictures, sleeve covers and articles. Grapefruit Records have again excelled themselves with this release. Enjoy.
In closing, i’d just like to send all my best wishes to all my fellow SMART members, stay safe and well and if we all have to stay in at least we can listen to that album we’ve been meaning to get re-connected with!
Til next time……………………….Colin
Mick O’Dowd… Great album and a precursor to ELO. Had the original album on vinyl.
Colin Norton… Totally agree with Mick! This album is an absolute gem! I still have the original vinyl but must admit that its almost worn out. Stay safe guys!
Happy new Year to all Smarties and welcome to the first Smart Sounds review of 2020. Ah Hot Chocolate just what we need on a cold January morning! The latest in Cherry Red’s R & R series is a real gem. Few bands can lay claim to the longevity and success, or, the calibre of Hot Chocolate. From their first release in 1969 (Lennon’s Give Peace A Chance) right thru the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s the band had massive success. Charting 29 UK Top 40 singles, a number 1 and 3 US Top 10’s they were seldom off our TV screens or our radio’s. This comprehensive 3CD set,, as ever housed beautifully in a sturdy fold out digipack with extensive liner booklet, does what it say’s on the tin and brings together 36 tracks of rare, hard to find remixes, ‘B’ sides and some tracks finding their way onto CD for the first time. The plethora of remixes feature some of HC’s most beloved songs including ‘Everyone 1’s A Winner’ ‘Mindless Boogie’ ‘Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac’ ‘No Doubt About it’ and of course ‘You Sexy Thing’. There are in fact 6 remixes of the latter, some might consider that overkill, but for those completists and collectors out there they will be warmly welcomed. Indeed YST is probably my own personal less favoured track, probably due to its overexposure over the years in films and (extensively) in TV advertising. There are 2 Megamix’s I would have loved to have available all those years ago when I was still doing live DJ shows. you could guarantee that people would get up on their feet to HC. The first of these and in my eyes the best features ‘Emma/So You Win Again/You Sexy Thing/Every 1’s A Winner/So You Win Again/No Doubt About It a sure floor filler.
The last track of the Megamix ‘No Doubt About It’ is one of my favourite HC tracks and involves a strange and personal connection. In 1978 I lived in London off Finchley Road and coming home from a gig in the early hours I saw what I can only say was a UFO having woken up my flatmate who saw it too and confirmed I wasn’t drunk or dreaming! the sight stayed with me always. Then along in 1980 came ‘No Doubt About It’ co-written by Dave Most (brother of record whiz Mickie) based on the experience of seeing a UFO…which I later found out was seen over…yes you’ve guessed it..Finchley Road! Spooky! Anyway back to earth, this new collection has been remastered from (where possible) the original master tapes and sounds wonderful and has given my speakers a good work out. Hot Chocolate produced some classy and classic material over their peak years and this release adds to that admirably. With new members the band still tours to this day, Errol Brown sadly left us in May 2015 but im sure he’s looking on and busting some moves, no doubt about it. Enjoy.
Monica Bane… Loved Hot Chocolate. Have some of their music!
Mick O’Dowd… Great stuff! They were an excellent band with a terrific singer. Worked with them once and saw them on another occasion. Nice blokes. Sad loss of Errol.
Julie Findlay-Jones… Went to see them with your sister Alan, brilliant concert.
Peter O’Donnell… Talented man.
David Edwards… Great band with Errol’s honey laden vocals what’s not to like about them
John Parnell… Saw them in their very early days in September 1968 at the Narracott Grand hotel, Woolacombe, Devon. Excellent band. I particularly remember Errol’s very energetic performance in addition to his great singing.
