smart sounds

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?

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Let’s Stomp! Merseybeat And Beyond 1962-1969, 3CD Box Set Various Artists

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LET’S STOMP!  Merseybeat & Beyond 1962-1969   (3CD set)

It’s not often these days that i write a review of music, that largely in this particular case, predates my own all consuming interest in the subject. This fine new compilation from Strawberry Records, as the title says, spans the 1960’s from 62 to 69 with a lot of the tracks springing from the earliest of those first years. In 1962 i was 10 & to be fair more interested in my Hornby train set at that stage, however 2 years later in 1964 I would fall firmly in love with music and the trains would gather dust. This 3 CD compilation turns the spotlight on Merseybeat & all those 1000’s of band’s that formed in the wake of The Beatles & indeed some that even pre-date The Beatles such as the Vernon Girls, Remo Four etc. As you might expect, you will not find any Beatles tracks on this compilation due to licensing terms, but that doesn’t mean other big names don’t feature. I liken it to a flotilla setting out to sea headed by battleship The Beatles which has disappeared over the horizon, but in its wake has left us listening to heavyweight cruisers like The Searchers, Gerry & the Pacemakers, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Cilla Black, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats etc plus a whole lot of support vessels in the shape of bands that made some great records but were destined to be confined to long forgotten history. Due to the brevity of most singles back then, there are 83 tracks spread over the 3 CD set. There are importantly a number of firsts for those who are just that bit more senior than me. & will more fully appreciate the earlier material, including 5 newly re-mastered tracks from the Joe Meek ‘Tea Chest’ tapes discovered some years back, including 2 excellent cuts from The Cryin’ Shames with ‘Please Stay’ & The Maracas with ‘A Different Drummer’. Elsewhere rarities abound, including a number from the vaults of legendary American producer Shel Talmy who would later produce The Who & The Kinks, here represented by Birkenhead band The Pathfinders with the previously unreleased ‘Lonely Room’. Samantha Jones, ex member of the previously mentioned Vernon Girls puts in an appearance with a newly discovered acetate of a soulful number ‘This Is The Real Thing’. It happens i remember Samantha who i met some years later when she was recording for Penny Farthing Records, a charming lady. Somebody else i worked with in the 70’s also crops up in the shape of Eddy Arnoo then of the hit band The Real Thing, but here singing back in 1963 with The Chants & ‘Come Go With Me’. Of all the many recorded versions of ‘Do You Love Me?’, I’ve always been partial to Brian Poole’s version, however after hearing Faron’s Flamingos take included here, i think i have a new favourite version. It can’t be underestimated how hugely influential Merseybeat was as a musical movement, certainly here in the UK & for spearheading what became known as the ‘British Invasion’ in the USA. As i have already mentioned the early tracks don’t connect with me personally as much as those that followed later. But I can fully appreciate how exciting it was for those a few years older than me back then in ’62/63 listening to the likes of The Big Three taking on Ray Charles ‘What I’d Say’ live at the famous Liverpool Cavern club (hear the YT clip at the end of this review) the atmosphere is palpable. The first 2 CD’s in the compilation sum up that early period with a good selection of familiar big hits from The Searchers, Billy J Kramer, The Mojo’s etc combined with a plethora of names i honestly confess to not knowing. As is usual with any Cherry Red release the fully annotated booklet that accompanies the compilation does provide an excellent source of information. The 3rd CD in the set was i confess much more to my taste as it explores what happened post Merseybeat to some of its stars and also rans. kicking off with ex Searcher Tony Jackson with his band The Vibrations & a slice of freakbeat ‘Fortune Seller’, a blinding track from Wimple Winch, a band i usually associate more with psyche leanings & their ‘Rumble On Mersey Square South’. One of my all time favourite singles of any genre in the shape of The Merseys ‘Sorrow’ puts in an appearance in an alternate mix. It was produced by my old boss Kit Lambert co-founder of Track Records. What came as a genuine surprise to me was a further track from the band Kit produced, namely ‘So Sad About Us’. Who fans will recognise it as an album track from their ‘A Quick One’album. I can’t understand why I’ve never heard it before?! especially after a lifetime being around The Who, Kit etc but everyday is a school day! The compilation is brought to a close with Liverpool’s national treasure the late Cilla & ‘Step Inside Love’. Which is an apt invitation to anyone who lived through the exciting birth of Merseybeat to lend an ear to this collection. It comes as previously mentioned with an informative booklet & is housed in a sturdy clamshell box containing the 3 CD’s in separate cardboard sleeves. Enjoy.

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

 

 

Bob Searle… Great Colin. Still have my Big Three EP fantastic

Mick O’Dowd… What a compo Colin. Cryin’ Shames (not to be confused with The Cryan Shames) was an all-time faves along with the Big Three. I always treasured the EP live at the Cavern where this track was culled. The Undertakers were another fave along with The Chants. So many memories! Great stuff!!!!

Danny… The Maracas. Brings back great memories of the era. Great band!!

Joe Jones… Danny, Did you know of them at the time?

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!

JOHN MILES_miles high_WEB

‘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.

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Barry Ryan: The Albums 1969-1979, 5CD Box Set

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BARRY RYAN   THE ALBUMS 1969-79
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.

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

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

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

 

 

 

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Chris Farlowe: Stormy Monday – The Blues Years 1985-2008, 3CD Digipack

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CHRIS FARLOWE    STORMY MONDAY – THE BLUES YEARS 1985-2008

I must be honest upfront and say I’m not a die hard blues fan, I am however a die hard Chris Farlowe fan. I’ve been privileged to know him and see him work since the late 60’s. The casual fan will always think of Chris’s best known work he did for Immediate culminating in his immortal No 1 ‘Out of Time’ and his (in my view) definitive version of Mike d’Abo’s ‘Handbags & Gladrags”. Excellent raw pop/soul/r&b records. After those days, fans of jazz rock & prog rock will appreciate his work with Colosseum & Atomic Rooster. However, at heart Chris is a blues man, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the scene & may well be the finest singer of the genre this country has produced. This new 3CD set release from Strawberry Records brings together some of his greatest blues work, with his backing band The Thunderbirds, solo, & live spanning 2 decades from the 80’s to the noughties. Spanning 3 discs are 55 tracks showcasing that very special voice that remains undimmed by the passage of time. I last saw Chris just pre Covid & he was still sounding as powerful as ever. Nobody else ever sounds like him he is unique & his delivery instantly recognisable. Blues fans in my experience know their subject in minute detail & relish every nuance. As i said at the start I’m not in the die hard camp but having said that I could listen to this new compilation all day happilly. Disc1 provides us with the most traditional blues tracks culled from 1985’s ‘Out Of The Blue’ & ‘1986’s ‘Born Again’ recorded with The Thunderbirds. Produced by Mike Vernon a major figure in the British Blues scene who founded the much loved & respected Blue Horizon label. There are treats galore here from the brace of opening tracks ‘I Ain’t Superstitious’ & ‘Gamblers Blues’ through the wonderful take on Bobby Bland’s ‘Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City’ Howlin Wolf’s ‘I Ain’t Superstitious’ & my favourite BB King song ‘The Thrill Is Gone’. The musicianship on display is excellent, the brass on  ‘Ain’t Got No Money’ is just awesome. The closing 2 tracks on Disc1 constitute 2 of my favourites on the whole 3 CD set with Chris covering soul singer Don Covey’s ‘I Stayed Away Too Long’ & his interpretation of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac hit ‘Man Of The World’ which I’ve heard him do live & have long admired. Disc2 kicks off in a more blues/rock vein with the storming ‘Rock & Roll Soldier’ & ‘Livin it Up’ 2 brilliant tracks with some great guitar work from the likes of Albert Lee &  Alvin Lee. There’s a choice cover of old Stax favourite ‘Private Number’ originally performed by William Bell & Judy Clay, here Chris partners with Elkie Brook’s to bring the number a fresh feel. This leads on to his storming cover of The Small Faces No 1 ‘All Or Nothing’. Elsewhere standout highlights come from the likes of ‘Gangster Of Love’ ‘Ain’t No Big Deal’ and an inspired cover of John Fogerty’s ‘As Long As I Can See The Light’. The last half dozen tracks on the album are given over to Chris’s collaboration with Van Morrison who share a mutual admiration. I remember seeing the 2 performing live in the 90’s early 2000’s when Chris supported Van on tour. ‘It Should Have Been Me’ & ‘Blues Anthem’ top & tail the 6 tracks & bring Disc2 to a satisfying conclusion. Disc3 gives everyone a chance to hear Chris at his barnstorming best singing live, backed variously by, The Thunderbirds, The Norman Beaker Band & Roy Herrington & The Rhythm ‘N’ Blues Train. Here he serves up some of his best known work with opener ‘I Don’t Want To Sing The Blues No More’ ‘Stormy Monday’ & the aforementioned ‘All Or Nothing’ ‘Handbags & Gladrags’ ‘Out Of Time’ ‘Thrill is Gone’ and a cracking ‘Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City’ before wrapping up with ‘I’ve Been Born Again’. The whole digi-pack package is as ever nicely put together, with photos & with an interesting essay from Mojo writer Lois Wilson. It has been said that Chris’s mid 60’s recording of ‘Stormy Monday Blues’ is the greatest British Blues recording ever. I wouldn’t disagree with that. As I remarked earlier I believe Chris has one of the finest blues voices Britain has ever produced. Jimmy Page wanted him as lead singer for Led Zeppelin when he was putting the band together (the two had often worked together in the 60’s). Chris turned him down. That may not have been the wisest move financially, however creatively i can see why. Chris is a blues man to his very core. Enjoy.

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

Mick O’Dowd… What a compo! Loved him since I discovered Stormy Monday on a Sue label single and found out it was him!

Alan Esdaile… I did hear Rod Stewart’s version of Handbags and Gladrags on the radio this morning but you are right Colin, you can’t beat Chris Farlowe version. Wonderful.

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell. Reviewing Renaissance: Tuscany, Expanded 3CD Edition

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RENAISSANCE  ‘TUSCANY’   (Expanded 3 CD Edition)
This new release from Esoteric Records is Deja Vu for me & very bittersweet. I will explain. Back in 2001 when ‘Tuscany’ was originally released I had the pleasure of Annie Haslam joining me in the studio on my Saturday Show on Hastings Rock to discuss the release & play some tracks. I hadn’t met Annie in the flesh up until that day, however she was a sheer joy & we shared someone in common very dear to both of us. John Tout. John was the keyboard player for a decade in Renaissance, throughout their major success period of the 70’s when they released 7 albums. Apart from being an excellent, gifted musician, John was the first professional musician to take me under his wing & nurture my interest in the business when I first met him as a 15 year old backstage on Hastings Pier when he was a member of Ruperts People. We remained close for nearly 40 years until his untimely passing in 2015. Sadly his contribution to Tuscany on 3 tracks would be his last recordings. To that end I would like to dedicate this review to him. Its fair to say that Renaissance has had many ups & downs. After their height of commercial success in the 70’s the 80’s saw the band experiment musically & move from their successful prog/symphonic rock sound to a more synth pop vibe with albums such as ‘Camera Camera’ (1981) & 1983’s ‘Time Line’. Both albums failed to be big commercial sellers in their main market which had traditionally been North America. By 1987 the band had disbanded. A messy few years followed before the main nucleus of Annie, Michael Dunsford, Terry Sullivan & the aforementioned John regrouped to record ‘Tuscany’ in 1998. For various reasons, I went into at the time, the album was not released until 2001. It was, & is in my opinion a stunning return to form for the band. The 10 exquisite tracks on the album don’t suffer from the ‘extended solo’s’ that bore me to tears that many a prog rock band employ (you know the ones). From the ethereal opener of ‘Lady From Tuscany’ Annie’s 5 octave crystal clear vocal soars above some truly beautiful compositions. Track 8 ‘Dolphins Prayer’ is so exquisite it almost reduces me to tears. It’s also John’s last contribution & features Annie’s romantic partner at the time the great Roy Wood who guests on bass, as he does on ‘Dear Landseer’ the track I have chosen to feature in the video clip at the close of this piece. Its hard to pick any track out as a highlight as I usually do, as all of them are strong right up to closer the up-tempo ‘One Thousand Roses’which for some reason reminds me of Kate Bush, although I can’t really say why! I recall back in 2001 when Annie & I did the original interview that the band were then going to take ‘Tuscany’ to Japan which they duly did. The results were later released as a 2 CD set ‘In The Land of The Rising Sun’. In this new remastered collection those 2 discs are also included to complete the 3 CD set. They demonstrate just how Renaissance had recaptured their magic and feature fan favourites & classics like ‘Carpet of The Sun’ ‘Mother Russia’ ‘Ashes Are Burning’ & naturally their sole single hit 1978’s ‘Northern Lights’. Just like the first time round I can’t recommend ‘Tuscany’ too highly, its a wonderful album that delights your soul. As ever, Esoteric Records have done a good job housing this new edition in a sturdy clamshell box complete with booklet & each CD in its own separate card sleeve. Its been a bittersweet re-visit but overall one full of great memories. Enjoy.
or more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time……take care…….Colin

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell. Reviewing I See You Live On Love Street – Music From Laurel Canyon 1967-1975, 3CD Box Set

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I SEE YOU LIVE ON LOVE STREET – MUSIC FROM LAUREL CANYON 1967-1975     Various Artistes

I’m delighted to bring you this companion piece from Grapefruit Records to their well received 2022 ‘Heroes & Villains : The Sound of Los Angeles 1965 – 1968 compilation, previously reviewed in these pages. This new compilation boasts 3 CD’s spanning 72 tracks & running to over 4 hours & as ever with Grapefruit its beautifully presented in a sturdy clamshell box with each of the 3 CD’s enclosed in its own cardboard sleeve & sporting individual artwork. The accompanying 48 page booklet by label boss David Wells, is as ever, a fascinating treasure trove of information, annotating the tracks together with contemporary photo’s & I particularly liked the closing double page spread of Posters advertising gigs of the times. With the likes of The Doors, Jefferson Airplane & The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band plus others on the same bill. Wonderful. For those not familiar with the whole Laurel Canyon scene, a brief history. Whereas London & Liverpool here in the UK & New York over the pond had been the epicentres of the music world from the late 50’s onwards, By the ‘summer of love; & the whole hippie psychedelic scene of 1967 centred around San Francisco the music scene in the USA was now concentrated on the warm sunny skies of the West Coast & Los Angeles had become the place to be. A short distance from the famous Sunset Strip up in the hills lay peaceful Laurel Canyon. You may have seen the excellent Sky documentary a couple of years back on the whole scene that sprung up there. It became an incestuous hotbed of cross fertilisation between a host of unlikely bedfellows as the press release points out so aptly. You had The Monkees hanging out with Zappa, The Turtles with Judee Sill, The Doors, Steppenwolf & Warren Zevon collaborated with shady figure (i memorably met him once) Kim Fowley, a record producer amongst other things. Country rock burgeoned with the nearby Troubadour venue hosting the likes of The Byrds, Poco, CS&N, Buffalo Springfield etc. So to the compilation. Disc1 sub headed  ‘Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon 1967-68’ gets us under way with the breezy vocals of The Association with ‘Come On In’ immediately transporting us to sunny Californian skies. Love appear with ‘The Good Humour Man, He Sees Everything’ from what i consider the best album ever recorded ‘Forever Changes’. A band I’m not familiar  with deliver a cracking slice of psyche with ‘Wildflowers’, I’ll be investigating the band further. Scott McKenzie of ‘San Francisco’ fame brings one of the best tracks on the whole compilation with ‘Twelve Thirty’ One of the best Beatles covers I;ve ever heard comes from The Sunshine Company & ‘I Need You’. Elsewhere you will find The Monkees, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Stone Poneys, Captain Beefheart, Mamas & Papas, Buffalo Springfield & a host of others. Disc 2 sub headed ‘Going Home To California 1969-72’ starts with a song I love, but I regularly forget about it until like now it pops up, i refer to Stephen Stills & ‘Love The One You’re With’ followed by the brilliant Poco with ‘Pickin’ Up The Pieces’ The dreamy tones of Tim Buckley entrance with’ Buzzin Fly’ & Glen Campbell weighs in with my all time favourite Jim Webb song ‘Where’s The Playground Susie’ & thank you compiler for not chopping the end, as is so often the case! Other tracks to be delighted with come from the likes of Three Dog Night, Rick Nelson, Canned Heat, Steppenwolf, Frank Zappa & a great number from Dave Mason with Cass Elliot on ‘Too Much Truth-Too Much Love’. Disc 3 sub headed ‘Postcards From Hollywood 1971-75’ takes us into more generally upbeat fare opening with J D Souther with ‘Some People Call It Music’ swiftly followed by the underrated excellent Little Feat & ‘Easy To Slip’, Linda Ronstadt & Judee Sill provide soft entries with ‘Birds’ & ‘Crayon Angels’ respectively. Elsewhere there are great contributions from Nilsson, Crazy Horse, Gram Parsons, Leon Russell & a whole host of others. Sadly I don’t have the space to go track by track, however i hope I have given you at least a sample taste of all the sublime music to be had on this new compilation. Over to you. Enjoy.

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

Pete Prescott… Looks great !

Paul Gray… Excellent review! I have this on order. Can’t go wrong with Grapefruit Box Sets and yes, Forever Changes is the greatest album of all time!

Colin Bell… Hi Paul, thanks for your kind comment. Pleased to meet someone else who also believes ‘Forever Changes’ is the greatest album of all time! Hands down, no arguments!

Leigh Mitchell… The documentary was excellent, this sounds like a brilliant purchase for ‘him in doors’! I saw Warren Zevron when I was living in Washington DC (1982 I think) in a very small venue, he was so good. I have an LP of his somewhere…..! xx

Alan Esdaile… yes it was a great documentary.

 

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing David McWilliams: Reaching For The Sun: The Major Minor Anthology 1967-1969, 2CD Digipak

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REACHING FOR THE SUN -THE MAJOR MINOR ANTHOLOGY 1967-1969      DAVID McWILLIAMS

I am going to set my stall out straightaway with this wonderful new release. I have been a music journalist, writing reviews, articles, gig reviews etc for over 50 years now and have always prided myself on being objective when writing about artistes, a lot of whom I know or have worked with over the years, many becoming good friends. Sometimes it’s hard to critique work, especially if it’s a negative word or two given those circumstances. There are a few artistes i confess i find it impossible to be negative about, whatever their musical work, as i love absolutely everything they do and my natural objectivity takes a rare back seat, which may be wrong but is my honest admission. Such is the case with David McWilliams and I make no apologies for waxing lyrical about this entire new compilation of his work for the Major Minor Record label. Sporting 53 tracks spread over 2 CD’s, the compilation covers David’s 3 albums for Major Minor and includes over 12 tracks making their CD debut. What is remarkable (and i can’t think of another artist that has achieved this) is the fact those 3 albums were all recorded and released over a period of just 8 months. This you might think would dilute the quality of the songs, but no that is far from the case. Born in Belfast in July 1945 David Samuel McWilliams starting writing and playing songs as a young teenager and formed his own ‘Showband’ (a popular entity in Ireland of the times), he named it the Coral Showband after the record label of the same name that released songs by his hero Buddy Holly. A demo tape of David singing his songs made it’s way to the desk of Irish music entrepreneur Phil Solomon, then domiciled in London and managing fellow Irish acts The Dubliners, The Bachelors & Them amongst others. A deal was done with CBS and in 1966 David made his debut single appearance with a strong ‘protest’ song ‘God and Country’ which opens this new Grapefruit Records compilation in fine style and given the current state of the world in relation to war is still deeply resonant all these many years later. It didn’t chart. By the end of 1966 Solomon was launching his own Record label in Major Minor. Signing David to this new enterprise in 1967 the label launched David in a blaze of publicity across the music press, on hoardings and London buses etc, not as you might think with a single, but an album entitled David McWilliams Singing Songs by David McWilliams (Vol 1) which sold moderately well in June 1967, However it was to be his second album Vol 2 released just 4 months later that would see David immortalised with the track for which he will always be remembered ‘The Days of Pearly Spencer’. This quirky insistent earworm of a song was a hit across Europe, but NOT as most people remember (wrongly) a hit in the UK. The reason we heard it so much and think it was a hit was down to Pirate stations, particularly Radio Caroline, that has seen it lodged in most peoples memories as a UK hit. It was no co-incidence that Phil Solomon had a financial interest in Caroline which guaranteed his Major Minor releases would be played to death, often to the ire of some of the stations DJ’s. This of course was ‘payola’ which came to light later at the BBC as a scandal but as the Pirates were outside the law they got away with this illegal practice of ‘hyping’ a record into the charts. The success of ‘Pearly Spencer’ saw that the second album again sell well and lead as aforementioned, to his 3rd album release in February 1968. At the time not all the music biz critics were appreciative of David’s output. Major Minor had made such a massive big deal hyping up publicity for this unknown artist, it had the detrimental effect of working against him which would lead to David becoming disillusioned with all the razzamatazz surrounding him in 1967/68 and see him buy a farm and virtually disappear from view for the next 3 years. So to the music contained on these 3 albums. Opening as aforementioned with the strong protest song ‘God and Country’ this is followed by a string of songs covering, social issues, love, repression and all facets of life. The titles tell their own story in many cases, such as ‘Redundancy Blues’ ‘The Silence is Shattered’ ‘Hiroshima’ ‘Time of Trouble’ & ‘In The Early Hours of the Morning’ to name but a few off the debut album. David much like my dear friend the late Peter Sarstedt also had that rare gift that is given to some singer/songwriters of being able to paint cinematic images in your head as you listen and get steadily drawn further into his meaningful lyrics. The 2nd album kicks off with ‘Pearly Spencer’ and it’s interesting to note that many people refer to it as that song using a ‘megaphone’. That famous signature section of the song was in fact not a megaphone but was literally phoned in to the studio from a call box outside to achieve the desired effect! A wonderful slice of music trivia to know. Immediately following ‘Pearly Spencer’ is my all time personal favourite the exquisite ‘Can I Get There By Candlelight’ which may be familiar to some of you as it was also released as a single. ‘For Josephine’ ‘How Can I Be Free’ ‘What’s the Matter With Me’ & ‘Lady Helen of the Laughing Eyes’ are  just some more of the standout tracks to be relished. The 3rd album begins with another wonderful track ‘Three O’Clock Flamingo Street’ followed by ‘Harlem Street’ which was in fact the original Major Minor single release of David’s as the ‘A’ side with ‘Pearly Spencer’ on the ‘B’ side. For reasons best known to Solomon he didn’t spot the more commercial side. Maybe he was influenced by some of the less favourable reviews from some critics. Conversely and Interestingly, several industry luminaries such as my old friend Dave Dee and old bosses Chris Stamp & Kit Lambert at Track Records as well as Roger Daltrey all praised ‘Pearly Spencer’ at the time and Disc & Music Echo singled out David’s work as making you ‘sit up and really take notice’. Of all the 3 albums contained in this compilation I personally think David’s finest work appears on the 3rd album. It contains a wonderful diversity of songs, the romantic, where the songs are often augmented throughout his recording output from his debut album onwards by some lush arrangements by Mike Leander, a guy i got to know well in later years when working with the now disgraced Gary Glitter, Mike was co-writer and arranger of the majority of Glitters hits and worked with a lot of major names over many years. I am also indebted to Alan Esdaile-Johnny Mason the founder of the SMART website where this review appears, for reminding me in a conversation (prior to me writing this piece) of what a dark and wondrous outstanding track ‘The Stranger’ is that appears on this 3rd album. David had the ability to switch from ethereal lightness to dark and brooding without missing a beat. For what is probably the majority of you reading this review throwing all these titles of great songs at you may mean very little, if like the majority, your only experience of David’s catalogue has been ‘Pearly Spencer’. All i can do is urge you to listen to one of the best home grown UK singer/songwriters we ever produced. Don’t take my word for it, no less an icon than David Bowie declared David to be his favourite singer/songwriter. As ever, with a Grapefruit Records release the fold out digipack comes with a insightful essay by label boss David Wells, always an informative and fascinating read. As i said at the beginning i think it’s now apparent my love for David’s work is now thoroughly out there. Sadly David passed away in 2002 at the too early age of 56 at home in his beloved Ireland. After his 60’s success he only made occasional forays back into the industry preferring to live a quiet life, he left us with a musical legacy which is up there with the very best. Enjoy.

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

Stephen Moran… Thank you for posting Colin’s review Alan. Beautifully written and informative as always. I had no idea that David McWilliams was so prolific. To be honest I thought he was a one hit wonder (Days of Pearly Spencer), I’m looking forward to listening to more of his recordings.

Paul Sleet… One of my favourite artists

Colin Bell… You’ll find much to enjoy on this release Paul

Mick O’Dowd… Always loved Pearly and the album that it appeared on because of the incessant plugging by Radio Caroline. I thought Pearly was a hit but probably only on the Caroline Chart. Got the album which I rate highly, but never was able to enthuse about his later work.

Leigh Mitchell… Very interesting! Pearly only came to my attention when Marc Almond covered it, but I then heard the original, which I preferred. I can’t say I have ever heard anything else by him, unless unwittingly during Brian Mathews time presenting Sounds of the 60s! Great read, Colin! xx

Colin Bell… Marc’s cover version was good, i liked it, but yes, the original is best, thanks for the kind words! xx

Alan Esdaile… Wonderful singer and writer. I got the album The Days of David McWilliams which I must have played hundreds of times and still sounds excellent.

Here’s the track ‘The Stranger’ if you haven’t heard it…

Bob Seal… My first favourite singer-songwriter of the 60’s (I have a few now!!). Beautiful melodies, great lyrics and a wonderful expressive voice. Must add – Some masterful orchestration from Mike Leander. This is ’67/’68 on a platter.

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing You Can Walk Across It On The Grass – The Boutique Sounds Of Swinging London, Various Artists 3CD Box Set

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YOU CAN WALK ACROSS IT ON THE GRASS     Various Artistes  (3CD set)
Grapefruit Records have issued some really great compilations over the years, many reviewed in these pages. This latest package is right up there with their best ever. First that title. In April 1966 American heavyweight magazine Time ran a front page article with the headline ‘You Can Walk Across It On The Grass’ & went on to say how ‘Swinging London’ was the centre of the world when it came to contemporary pop culture. They were of course bang on there. From 1965 onwards, the music, fashion, art, films, actors, even furniture (remember egg shaped suspended chairs?) all were centred around one of the greatest cities in the world. It was a unique time when everything turned from the greyness of the 50’s into eye popping colour. Carnaby Street, the Kings Road, Mini Skirts, multi coloured Rolls Royce’s & Mini’s, creativity was everywhere. Tv channels started making and showing cool programmes like ‘The Avengers’ Gerry Anderson brought us classics like Thunderbirds, Dr Who appeared with the fearsome Daleks. Boutiques like Biba thrived & a plethora of clubs from the Scotch of St James to The Marquee hosted a multitude of bands every week, some would become stars, others would fall by the wayside. But everywhere there was innovation & optimism & a zest for life. This new compilation spread across 3 CD’s & over 4 hours of listening time seeks to capture the zeitgeist of that very special time. It does so admirably as it combines some great well known hit records alongside many less successful bands, who despite their lack of commercial success were very much part of ‘the scene’. To further the atmosphere of the time it also features zany offerings from icons such as Twiggy & Mandy Rice-Davies & some instrumentals synonymous with the period. This all adds up to a listening experience that transports you back to that heady time when us ‘baby boomers’ were really finding our feet & England & particularly London really was the centre of the universe. The mix of genres contained in this set is a real snapshot of the time, moving from pop, r’n’b, soul, Mod, freakbeat & more, there was room for anyone with something to say back then, when millions of 7inch pieces of vinyl flew out of the new trendy record shops. So to the music. Disc1 sets the mood perfectly with the instrumental ‘A Touch of Velvet – A Sting of Brass’ by The Mood Mosaic used extensively as intro music by DLT on Radio Caroline & later Jimmy Young (it was actually composed by Mark (Grocer Jack) Wirtz. Then its straight into the thumping sound of DD,DBM&T & ‘Hold Tight!’ followed by the excellent version Kiki Dee recorded of ‘Why Don’t I Run Away From You’. Already you can hear & visualise the diversity of ‘Cool Britannia’. The aforementioned Twiggy offers us ‘When I Think Of You’ followed by the wonderful & wacky ‘Kinky Boots’ from Avengers stars Patrick MacNee & Honor Blackman. Marquee favourites such as The Alan Bown Set, The Action & A Band of Angels (featuring local lad Mike d’Abo) make some cool contributions. What is probably one of my favourite up-tempo soul sounds of all time bursts out the speakers with the glorious ‘She Shot A Hole In My Soul’ by Geno Washington. Other artistes making up Disc1 include Dusty Springfield, The Yardbirds, Manfred Mann, Zoot Money & many more. Excellent. And speaking of excellent Disc2 gets off to a great start with a scream from Reg Presley & The Troggs as he proclaims ‘I Cant Control Myself’ followed by a young David Bowie with The Lower Third & ‘Cant Help Thinking About Me’ The Kinks provide one of the anthems of the era with ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ The Fortunes remind us of the pirates with ‘Caroline’. Ron Grainer brings back TV memories with his theme to the series ‘Man In A Suitcase’ & The Who, arch Mod band at the time provide us with my favourite early single of theirs ‘I’m A Boy’. Elsewhere you can find tracks from Hastings Pier stalwarts Episode Six. Graham Bond, Tom Jones, Twinkle, John Mayall, The Merseys & a host of others. And finally to Disc3 which overall contains many of the lesser known acts who contributed to the scene such as The Untamed, The Syn, The Union & my old mate Miki Dallon. Big names are represented with tracks from The Small Faces, The Moody Blues, Georgie Fame, a pre ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ Carl Douglas, Jack Bruce & Johns Children. Reminding us of the pirates is the extremely annoying but fun ‘We Love The Pirates’ by the Roaring 60’s (an early contribution from hitmakers John Carter/Ken Lewis). This new compilation sets out to take us through an aural journey of a special time & succeeds wonderfully as many memories of sight & sound are stirred in my head, As ever Grapefruit Records boss David Wells provides a glossy 48 page booklet crammed with facts & ‘fab’ pictures. Definitely a 5 star release. Enjoy.
for more information go to https://www.cherryred.co.uk
Til next time…..take care….Colin

Mick O’Dowd… What a collection. Real memory jerkers here!