Brits & pieces 63-67 again! The less known side of the UK BEAT scene. The sick teeth generation: uncombed and uncomped, but ready, willing and able! Rare and well done in 80 minutes.
WYSIWYG:
01: Hurtin' All Over - The Creatures (Columbia-CBS, released in USA, 67) 2'10
02: Please Love Me - Mickey Finn & The Blue Men (Blue Beat, 64) 2'17
03: Crocodile Tears - The Richard Kent Style (MCA, oops...:68) 2'52
04: Love Is Good - The Mindbenders (Fontana, 66) 1'48
05: Dizzy Heights - Alan Dean & His Problems (Decca, 64) 2'38
06: My Lady - Jet Harris (Fontana, 67) 2'40
07: I Gotta Travel All Over - The Shevells (United Artits, 66) 2'00
08: Comin' Home, Baby - The Barron Knights (Columbia, 64) 1'52
09: I Don't Mind, I Got Mine - Jim Pembroke & The Pems (RCA, 66, released in Finland) 3'38
10: You Make Me Happy - The Andicaps (Sonet, 66, released in Sweden) 2'23
11: Hands Off! - Denny Seyton & The Sabres (Mercury, 64)
12: Come On Girl - The Redcaps (Decca, 63) 2'19
13: Cry Little Girl, Cry - The Brumbeats (Decca, 64) 2'03
14: One And One Is Two - The Strangers with Mike Shannon (Philips, 64) 2'09
15: We LoveThe Pirates - The Roaring 60s (Marmalade, 66) 3'07
16: Do The Dog - Syko & The Caribs (Blue Beat, 64) 2'10
17: Bye Bye Baby - The Rainchecks (R&B, 65) 2'12
18: Goodbye Girl - Nanker Phelge & The Ian Stewart Memorial Church (unreleased, 64) 2'04
19: Why Why Why - The Executives (Columbia, 64) 1'54
20: You're Gonna Lose - The Iveys (Columbia, 66, released in Sweden) 2'48
21: And I Do Now - The League Of Gentlemen (Columbia, 65) 2'26
22: On My Mind - Mike Berry & The Innocents (HMV, 64) 1'59
23: Put The Blame On Me - The Wild Oats (from EP, Oak, 63) 1'56
24: The Answer Is No - The Victors (Oriole, 65) 2'27
25: Wake Up - The Minets Of England (DCP Records, 65, released in USA) 1'49
26: Let's Get Together Tonight - The Classmates (Decca, 63) 2'07
27: Castle Of Love - The Pathfinders (Parlophone, 65) 2'34
28: What Will I Do - The Blues Council (Parlophone, 65) 1'56
29: Now I Know - The Etceteras (Oriole, 64) 2'37
30: Oh No You Won't - The Cockneys (Philips, 64) 2'30
31: I Want You - The Cresters (HMV, 64) 1'50
32: I Just Got A Letter - The Clearways (Columbia, 64) 1'37
33: She's A Mod - The Senators (Dial, 64) 2'10
34: Miss Bad Daddy - The Four Pennies (Philips, 63) 2'19
35: Baby I Need Your Love - The Crescendoes (from V.A.-LP "Best Of Beat", Metronome, 65, released in Germany) 2'12
LISTEN, LEARN, READ ON:
Starting a UK compilation with a band from Dublin?!? Blame it on the Pony Express, but where else to put it, as long as no Irish compilation is in sight. THE CREATURES got around a bit and were discovered in Paris, France by a CBS-Columbia A&R-scout, who brought them to the States, where they recorded and released 4 singles in 66 and 67. "Hurtin' All Over" was the last, and the only one that had no domestic release. Some of them ended up in Horslips. (Listen to the group's first 45 on volume 1.) ---
MICKEY FINN's Blue Men have been compiled over and again, but the debut always was ignored, avoided or simply not found. To get recorded at all, the band camouflaged as skasters, approached the famous bluebeat label Blue Beat, and came up with the first white UK 2-Tone 7" ever. Skankin' 'round Whitechapel. Chick it up, baggy trousers and all... ---
THE RICHARD KENT STYLE is another well documented group, and even unreleased tracks have seen the light lately. But their last, best and wildest single has been slipping through the net so far. Here 'tis... ---
Not really rare, but criminally overlooked is the flip of THE MINDBENDERS' greatest hit "Groovy Kind Of Love". --- Not much known about ALAN DEAN. He used to be one of the 2 I's Cliff-clones in the late 50's, and struggled his way through the beat years with his PROBLEMS, peaking with a one-off stint in Joe Meek's echo chamber for Pye Rec. This here is his first record for Decca. --- JET HARRIS, ex-bass player of The Shadows, had some minor hits after his departure from the band, but his career went downhill by the mid-60s. "My Lady" was his last desperate attempt to make the charts again, and - if you ask me - is the best ever cover of a Troggs song. Beating Reg at his own game. --- I always thought that THE SHEVELLS were an American band, but although they recorded for United Artists, they came from Wales. They released six 45s for Oriole, UA and Polydor between 63 and 68. --- Jeezuz Crisis: THE BARRON KNIGHTS! The most uncool of 'em all! Yeah, true, but in the very beginning they didn't yet know how to get on everybody's nerves, and churned out 2 excellent 45s for Columbia. "Comin Home, Baby", written by jazz bassist Ben Tucker, was a hit (and a floor filler to this very day) for Mel Torme, and was covered by most everybody from The Downliners to The Fleshtones via Herbie Mann. But The Barron Knights stealing the show...? Incredible, but true. --- JIM PEMBROKE from London went to Helsinki in 65, where he stayed on and off for the next decade. He performed there with The Boys and The Beatmakers before he formed his own band, The Pems. Later he joined The Blues Section and fronted Finlands premier progband Wigwam. ---
Burmingham's ANDICAPS were another of these groups who never managed to release a record on home turf, but did the trick on the Continent while touring (in this case) Finland and Sweden. Reliable sources report that a young Jeff Lynne was in the band, but might have quit before they recorded. Others say that he's on it. ---
DENNY SEYTON'S SABRES recorded 3 singles for British Mercury with modest success, before Denny switched to Parlophone. They also made an LP of cover versions for the budget label Wing. --- Walsall's REDCAPS had 3 singles on Decca 63/64. This is the flip of the best known, "Talkin' 'Bout You", and it's the side without Jimmy Page. ---
THE BRUMBEATS, guess where they came from. This is the only record they ever made. There was another Brum group of the same name, who mutated to Locomotive, but never recorded as The Brumbeats. ---
While "Tapestry of Delight" says that THE STRANGERS with Mike Shannon, who had two 7"s on Philips in 64, came from Birmingham, they obviously didn't. Shannon reportedly came from South Africa and took a chance with a short lived, anonymous band built around him in England. "1+1=2" probably is the least known of all the songs that Lennon-McCartney gave away. It didn't chart, and Lennon once called it "another of Paul's bad attempts at writing a good song."--- A protest song and a great tribute to the offshore pirate radio stations by THE ROARING 60s was the first record released on the Marmalade label. Rumour has it, that some of the musicians later started the group Family, but this one definitely doesn't sound like Roger Chapman was among them. ---
SYKO & THE CARIBS were one of about 100 ska groups on Blue Beat Rec., and decided to go R&B on one of their 4 sides for that label. They brutalize Rufus Thomas' "Do The Dog" to something that reminds of The (US) Novas. Do the Crusher, baby... ---
Nothing known about THE RAINCHECKS, who also recorded for a UK ska label, R&B Rec. in this case. But these guys certainly had nothing in mind with the blue side of the beat. Check the even better flip on volume 1. Two years later a band called Rainchecks had a 45 on the Solar label, but I doubt that these are the same. --- Next is a Bill Wyman composition, (which makes the NANKER PHELGE monicker a bit dubious on second thought...) Recorded at Chess studios, Chicago, the greedy top dogs prevented a release of this fine track on the following albums. Wonder why it took Bill so long to quit...--- THE EXECUTIVES from London, who dropped the "s" in the name in 68, were quite prolific for a no-hit wonder. 5 singles for Columbia and 4 for CBS from 64 to 69, with "Tracy Took A Trip" being the most familiar one among collectors. "Why Why Why" is the b-side of the debut "March Of The Mods". They had a certain Roy Carr in the ranks, who reportedly was the one who later on became a renown writer for the NME. --- These IVEYS here were not the pre-Badfinger outfit, but a British band who toured Scandinavia and recorded this 7" during a stint in Sweden. Back home they metamorphized to rock n' roll revivalists Fumble in 71. ---
THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN were Robert Fripp's first band. After this, they recorded a 45 for Planet, which flopped equally spectacular. Robert had enough after that, and joined Giles, Giles & Fripp, who changed name to King Crimson in 69. The rest is history... ---
MIKE BERRY was one of the many turn-of-the-decade-rockers in the Cliff Richard-vein, and had a hit with his "Tribute To Buddy Holly" in 61. He usally was accompanied by The Outlaws, but when the British Invasion didn't only hit the States, he went beat for 3 singles in 64 with The Innocents. "On My Mind" is his best by far. --- THE WILD OATS from Leiston, Suffolk had one of these extremely rare 7"-ers on the Oak label. Two cuts of the EP have been comped on "Demention of Sound" and "The Oak Story". Here is another one. ---
THE VICTORS: sorry, absolutely nothing. A one-off on the famous Oriole label. --- THE MINETS OF ENGLAND are the UK-band you might know from volume 1 as The Minets. They somehow made it to Boston, Massachusetts for half a year, where they recorded 2 singles for 2 different backyard labels. ---
THE CLASSMATES from the Medway area strangely enough have been ignored until their best 45 "Pay Day" was comped on "That Drivin' Beat 2". They had deserved better, as you may see here and on our volume 1. --- While often mistaken for the Scottish group who later emerged to White Trash, these PATHFINDERS seem to be from Merseyside. "Castle Of Love" was their sole offering. --- Scottish were THE BLUES COUNCIL from Glasgow, who disbanded soon after the release of their only single, when two members were killed in a car crash on the way home from a gig. --- THE ETCETERAS were formed in Singapore and came to England in 64, where they recorded another of these very hard to find Oriole beat 45s. ---
THE COCKNEYS were exactly that and wore pearly king-outfits on stage now and then. As the first of 2 singles on Philips sounds a bit too tame, here's the flip of "I Know You're Gonna Be Mine" from volume 1. --- THE CRESTERS from Yorkshire had two 45s on HMV Pop. I haven't heard the second, but you'll find the a-side of "I Want You" on "The British R&B Scene vol.1" compilation. --- Nothing known about THE CLEARWAYS except that they shouldn't be confused with the UK xian band of the same name, who released a pretty good EP in 1970. This recently found 45 from 64 is the turntable hit at roots and traces/sturclub-headquartes meanwhile. Funniest girlie-putdown-lyrics I've heard in a while...--- If "She's A Mod" sounds familiar, it may be that you've heard the Australian version, which was a hit there for Ray Columbus & The Invaders. But here is the original by Birmingham's SENATORS, who recorded two more singles for Oriole and CBS after this debut on the tiny British Dial label. And, for trivia buffs: a very young John Bonham was shaking the sticks on this recording!---
THE FOUR PENNIES from Blackburn are not exactly what you'd expect on a collection like this, as they only charted with sickly sweet ballads. Six of nine 45s for Philips went top 40, and the awful "Juliet" even topped the charts in 64. But on the back of the first attempt I've found "Miss Bad Daddy", a proper slice of uptempo Merseybeat-imitation which might be worth your attention. ---
THE CRESCENDOES from Dorset were one of many British bands who found it easier to make a living on the Continent, and like most of them, they chose Germany with its hard and heavy, but large and comparatively well paid club scene. They spent their whole career (64-66) there and released 4 singles and an LP on Metronome. But the track we present here is even rarer than these, as it was exclusively released on a Metronome sampler LP called "Best of Beat" alongside obscure bands from Scandinavia and Germany.
'Nuff said, now put on your crazy Beatle boots and shake the night away!
TOMMYKNOCKERS VOLUME 2
(mp3 / 256 kbps / 150 mb / covers and liners included / direct download)
The Lolly Pope (and westfauster21)
4 comments:
Holy shit, those Tommyknockers really knock me off my barstool! Great idea to include some forays into some “foreign” fields. Heaps of sleepin’ beauties kissed awake here, hard to tell the highlites, as ALL tracks are best candidates… maybe the Shevells? the Redcaps? the Raincecks? the Wild Oats? `the Pathfinders? Anyway, FUN from a to zee, never a dull moment, all straight killers from the Beat-Keller! And some Ska / 2Tone sounds fit in pretty well, love the Micky Finn track! Btw: don’t fear some brass (it makes the drums sound crashy and the girls sound sassy). While the Roaring 60s are outdone by the Dutch Beat Collage whose We Love The Pirates is much better, the Eceteras and the Executives really deliver the goods. And I agree: winners of the Comin’ home-Baby-cover contest are the Barron Knights!!! But wait, revenge from the Fatherland is on its way…. Elecktrick Looosers are laoding their guns, better prepare for the big battle!
Superb choice...great as usual.
Keep´em coming !
Thank you for the Doug Sahm - The Texas Mavericks. I was spinning SDQ wax at a college radio station in early '70's. By the way, come take a look around my blog: http://spinningwaxmemories.blogspot.com/ - have a listen - either off the Twitter updates - embedded YouTube links or the Video Jukeboxes below. Appreciate your visits & do not hesitate to share. Also, give me feedback on the site... Señor Peña
The Roaring 60s were The Ivy League.
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