IT'S THE TOMMYKNOCKERS' BEAT CLUB VOLUME 8 - A KNOCK IS AS GOOD AS A HIT (TO A DEAD HORSE)

More uncompiled UK beat rarities from the endless British sixties. Some are even unreleased. Beat wunderbar indeed again...

If it's not on the menue: Go and find an other Wimpy or listen to WYSIWYG!!

01-My Reservations Been Confirmed - Herman's Hermits (Columbia, 66)

02-You're No Good - The Crickets Show Band (Star Club, 65, German-only 7")

03-I Won't Turn Away Now - The Hullaballoos (Roulette, 66, US-7")

04-My Life Ain't Easy - The Equals (President, 67, released on 7" in USA)

05-What Can I Do - The Strangers With Mike Shannon (Philips, 64)

06-Are You Back In My World Now - The Cherokees (Columbia, 64)

07-I'll Go Crazy - The Persuasions (Columbia, 65)

08-I Want You To Want Me - The Shadows (Columbia, 63)

09-Go Away - Trendsetters Ltd. (Parlophone, 64)

10-Love Is A Funny Little Thing - The Creatures (Columbia/CBS, 67, US-7")

11-You Don't Have To Whisper - The Dimensions (Parlophone, 65)

12-La La La - C.M.J. (Mother, 71)

13-Think About The Times - The Times (Columbia, 66)

14-Off The Hook - Tommy Vance (Columbia, 66)

15-I Can't Make Your Way - Paul & Barry Ryan (LP:"Two Of A Kind", Decca,68)

16-Can't Get Through To You - The Honeycombs (Pye, 65)

17-Milkcow Blues - The Presidents (unreleased 64 )

18-Baby Back Now - The Scorpions (CNR, 65, Dutch release)

19-She Was Really Saying Something - The Herd (Parlophone, 65)

20-Time Will Tell (If I'm A Loser) - The Magic Lanterns (CBS, 67)

21-Don't You Dare - The Interns (Philips, 64)

22-The Time It Takes - Alan Dean & His Problems (Decca, 64)

23-Can Your Monkey Do The Dog - Tommy Bruce & The Bruisers (Polydor, 65)

24-And I Do Just What I Want - The Bo Street Runners (Decca, 65)

25-Yes I Do - Pete MacLaine & The Clan (Decca, 63)

26-I Love You - The Graham Bond Organisation (Page One, 67)

27-Love Love Love - The Pathfinders (unreleased 65 Shel Talmy production)

28-Pretty Girls - The Blues Busters (Doctor Bird, 66)

29-Session Man - Five's Company (Pye, 66)

30-I've Just Fallen In Love - The Statesmen (Fontana, 63)

31-Respectable - The Move (unreleased 66)

32-The Friendly Undertaker - The Alleykatz (V.A.-LP:"Ireland's Greatest Sounds, Ember, 66)

33-Cause I Do Care - The Sea-Ders (EP: s.t. Decca, 67)

34-?!?

What, where, when and why not:

Herman's Hermits: Not rare at all - in fact every household should have one - but great, overlooked fuzz-speedbeat, and an apt opener. B-side of "No Milk Today", but few have ever flipped the platter over.+++

The Crickets Showband from Dublin (I should have planned an all Irish volume in its own right, me thinks...) didn't really bring the house down when they played the Star Club, but they were given the chance to record a single for the in-house label nevertheless. "You're No Good", better known in the superior version of the Swinging Blue Jeans, was written by Clint Ballard, Jr., who also wrote "Game Of Love" and "I'm Alive". It was a hit for Betty Everett and later for Linda Ronstadt.+++

Here's another 45 by Hull's Hullaballoos, who spent most of their career in the States.+++

One of the best songs of The Equals was hidden as a filler on the first LP. In the States "My Life Ain't Easy" at least made it to b-side status.+++

The Strangers with Mike Shannon again (see vol.2). Nothing knew about the origins of the group, but here you can listen to the flip of the follow-up to "One And One Is Two".+++

The Cherokees from Leeds, who later mutated to New York Public Library, only had one minor hit, "7 Golden Daffodils", which could have made it bigger, hadn't The Mojos put it out simultaneously. Here's the b-side.+++

The Persuasions started as Terry Anton & The Rhythm Rockers before the first change of name. As The Wackers they recorded 45s for Oriole and Pye. In '65 they caught the soul-virus and recorded three "soul-punk" singles for Columbia as The Persuasions. James Brown's "I'll Go Crazy" has been covered a hundred times around the world, but this version KNOCKS out (not only) all other Tommies.+++

The underestimated Shadows... Can't quite see why they're always labelled as a mere instrumental group or the appendix of Cliff. Man, could they sing. Even like Buddy Holly...+++

With the League of Gentlemen (Fripp) and The Shame (Lake) we already had two of the sources of King Crimson. Here's the third: Trendsetters Ltd. from Bournemouth, a band with four unsuccsessful singles on Parlophone, had brothers Mike and Pete Giles in the ranks. "Go Away", a Alan Hawkshaw composition, was also recorded by The Classmates.+++

Dublin's Creatures already had a couple of tracks on Tommyknockers, and a few others will follow. They started as The Hootenannys and travelled to the USA in '66, where they recorded most of their 45s. "Love is..." is the flip of "Hurtin' All Over" (see vol.2), the only of four singles which had no Irish or UK release.+++

The Dimensions from Merseyside only had this 7", which, though uncredited on the label, was produced by George Martin.+++

C.M.J. stands for Chris Cook-Murf Murfin-John Haithwaite. They started in Worcester and recorded a single, an EP and an LP for the tiny Impression label from '65 to '69. (see "Return Of The Amphetamine Generation" and "Syde Trips" vol.4). Their last sign of life was this 45 for the even tinier Mother label in '71. "La La La" is a meaty, beaty, big and bouncy cover of the Blendells' hit, which made the lower regions of the German charts in the version of The Rattles back in '65.+++

Not much known about The Times, who had two singles on Columbia. According to "Tapestry Of Delight" they were " a seven-piece from Manchester". If so, two or three of them must have been pantomiming, and the relevant Manchester specialists seem to know nothing of the group. Anyway, here comes the other side of the brilliant "Tomorrow Night", which was comped on "Basement Beat "vol1.+++

Tommy Vance from Oxfordshire was a famous DJ, who worked for pirates like Radio Caroline and Radio London, before he joined Radio Luxembourg and later BBC 1, where he was one of the presenters of Top Gear. Later on he developed a fondness for boring heavy metal, but that's another story. He died in 2005. In '66 he had tried his luck as a performer with two singles for Columbia, but made little impression. This somewhat over-orchestrated version of The Stones' "Off The Hook" was his best effort by far.+++

Here's another choice cut from Paul & Barry Ryan's (see vol.5) best album "Two Of A Kind". Brilliant rendition of one of The Yardbirds' finest originals.+++

The Honeycombs with female drummer Honey Lantree were Joe Meek's most succsessful proteges in the mid-60s, but they hardly ever rocked. Here they do like there'd be no tomorrow...+++

The Presidents from Surrey only had one 45 for Decca before they disbanded in '65. But they recorded a couple of extra tracks in the studio with Glyn Jones twiddling the knobs. Here's one of these.+++

Read about Manchester's Scorpions on vol.5. This is another one of their numerous Continental-only singles.+++The Herd had some pretty modish 45s before they went the bombastic underworld and lost paradise. This is a version of a Tamla Motown classic first recorded by The Velvelettes and then by The Marvelettes.+++

The Magic Lanterns from Warrington had five fine, but flopping 45s for CBS, before they changed the label and made it comparatively big in America with the lacklustre "Shame Shame". "Time Will Tell" is the fourth of these.+++

The Interns originally came from South Wales, but settled down in London in the early 60s. "Don't You Dare" was the first of four singles from '64 to'67.+++

We've already met Alan Dean & His Problems on vol.2. This is the other side of "Dizzy Heights". They had one more 7" on Pye before they called it a day in'65.+++

Tommy Bruce started recording in 1960, and had a lot of releases with and without The Bruisers. On most of his records he sounds more like a crooner in a comedy act, but he really lets it all hang out on his only 7" for Polydor, where he gives a credible interpretation of the Rufus Thomas number that later inspired The Cramps a bit.+++

The Bo Street Runners seemed to make it big when they won the "Ready Steady Win" competition in '64, but permanent line-up changes led to a mish-mash of styles that left the fans puzzled after each new release. Starting as a straight London R&B band on the Decca debut, they had a pick at jazzy soul music with this here record, that had James Brown covers on both sides, just to follow up with a pure pop single and then a pretty heavy proto-prog Beatles cover as the swansong in '66.+++

Pete MacLaine (real name: Pete Whetton) & The Clan from Manchester only recorded one 7", but reunited in in the early years of the new millennium, and still play some gigs these days.+++

Here's the last 45 of The Graham Bond Organisation, the one after Bruce and Baker went to form Cream, and the only one with Jon Hiseman on drums.+++

We've had The Pathfinders on vols. 2 and 4 with regular releases. Here is an unreleased '65 Shel Talmy production of the band from Birkenham.+++

Next is another little excursion to 60s ska territory. Now and then you can find some great R&B renditions on most of the notorious ska and blue beat label. The Blues Busters, who are backed here by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, were Philip James and Lloyd Campbell who came from Jamaica and recorded numerous 45s for various labels. For this b-side on Doctor Bird they chose a often covered song by Eugene Church . Notable 60s versions came from Otis Spann, The V.I.P.s and The Walker Brothers.+++Awright, so this 7" by Five's Company has already been comped somewhere. But I don't want to shredder the tracklist yet another time, and I just couldn't resist to continue our tradition of presenting Kinks covers once in a while. And a real good version this is! The band had three singles, the most prominent member was Bob Brunning, who played bass for Fleetwood Mac and Savoy Brown in the founding days of both bands, and went on to form his own Brunning Sunflower Blues Band soon after.+++

Manchester's Statesmen released two singles. I haven' heard the first one on Decca yet, but I can offer the second on Fontana.+++The Move obviously used to be real mods in their very early days. This is an unreleased studio demo from the audition tapes. An Isley Brothers number better known in the versions of The Yardbirds and The Cheynes.+++

The Alleykatz from Belfast never had a single, but they contributed two cuts to an LP called "Ireland's Greatest Sounds - Five Groups From Belfast's Maritime Club". This '66 comp was eagerly plundered for the "Belfast Beat - Maritime Blues" CD in 1997. Due to time limitations two of the tracks from the LP didn't make it to the CD. This is one of them. (No, not of Them!).+++

The Sea-Ders were a group from Lebanon, who, after a local hit, were invited to come to London and record for Decca. They never made the charts and returned disillusioned and broke to their home shores after about 14 months, but they recorded an EP and three wonderful singles, the last two under the more appropriate name The Cedars. "Cause I Do Care" is one of two tracks on the EP that haven't been released as a seperate single. ___ Now we're half through with the knockers. Stay tuned. It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it. Compiled and executed by The Dirty Robbers: The Lolly Pope & Westfauster.

TOMMYKNOCKERS VOLUME EIGHT

(mp3 / 256 kbps / direct download / 160 mb / all scans and more included)

TOMMYKNOCKERS' BEAT CLUB VOL. 7 - IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, KNOCK 'EM! MORE UNCOMPILED UK SIXTIES BEAT SINGLES RARE AS A RABBI IN MECCA!!

Volume seven of our ongoing neverending compilation series of yet uncompiled UK 60s BEAT'EM-rarities featuring Slade and 10cc in Pampers, Greg Lake and Ritchie Blackmore in short shorts and other unusual suspects for your pleasure and pain.

01.:I Get So Lonely - Tanya Day & The Somebodies (German-only Polydor, 64)

02.:Hans' Knees - The Crescendoes (German-only Metronome, 65)

03.:Lonely - The Equals (EP "I Won't Be There", President, 68)

04.:Just Dropped In - Styvar Manor (Polydor, 70)

05.:5-4-3-2-1 - Ray Pilgrim & The Beatmen (Embassy, 64)

06.:One Heart - The Act (Columbia, 67)

07.:Kicks - The Measles (Columbia, 66)

08.:Pretty Thing - Stovepipe No. Four (Hungarian-only EP, 65)

09.:I Wish The Morning Would Never Come - The Fumscrew (EP, released in Singapore, 65)

10.:I Don't Want To Tell You Again - The Pickwicks (Decca, 64)

11.:Little Lady - The Etceteras (Oriole, 64)

12.:If You Don't Come Back - Kris Ryan & The Questions (Mercury, 64)

13.:I Don't Understand - The Brumbeats (Decca, 64)

14.:Why Can't It Happen To Me - The Wackers (Oriole, 64)

15.:The World Is Mine - The Rebounds (Fontana, 64)

16.:Be My Girl - John & Johnny (Decca, 63)

17.:After Tomorrow - The Cockneys (Philips, 64)

18.:Don't Go - The Symbols (Columbia, 65)

19.:Greensleeves - The Country Gentlemen (Decca, 63)

20.:She Was My Baby - The Shouts (React, 64)

21.:I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind - The Contrasts (Parlophone, 63)

22.:Speak Your Mind - The Lion Tamers (Polydor, 68)

23.:Bye Bye Baby - The Wild Oats (unreleased acetate, 65)

24.:Many Things From Your Window - The Transatlantics (Fontana, 65)

25.:Line Shooter - The Emotions (Polydor, 65)

26.:But Cry - The Robb Storme Group (Columbia, 66)

27.:You Can't Sit Down - The Hustlers (Mercury, 64)

28.:Only Two Can Play - The Midnights (Ember, 65)

29.:That's How It's Gonna Stay - The Mockingbirds (Columbia, 65)

30.:You Don't Believe Me - The In-Betweens (French-only EP, Barclay, 65)

31.:You Feel Right - The Rackets (German-only, Elite Special, 65)

32.:Rootin' Tootin' Baby - Casey Jones & The Governors (German-only, Golden 12, 65)

33.:Dreams Don't Bother Me - The Shame (MGM, 67)

34.:HIS-Jeans-Ad - The Troggs (1967)

THE PUBLIC WANTS WHAT THE PUBLIC GETS: jam up jelly tight!

According to Carlo Little, who drummed on this recording, Tanya Day from Walsall couldn't really sing, but had a strong stage presence, and got some cameos now and then with various touring groups. She even made it to a studio in 64 and recorded two cuts which were only released in Germany. For friends of trivia and/or history: it's Ritchie Blackmore on guitar.***

We talked about The Crescendoes already on vol.2. They only released vinyl in Germany (1 LP, 4 singles), and while "Hans' Knees" is a bit of a "knees up" novelty, it culminates in a remarkable guitar strangling assault.***

No need to introduce The Equals, but they had more to offer than the hit singles. "Lonely" was hidden on a UK EP and showed up again four years later as the flip of a German 45 with one of these funky disco efforts the band used to release in the 70s on the a-side.***

Styvar Manor most likely were a studio outfit who did a fine version of "Just Dropped In", the first hit of Kenny Rogers' First Edition.***Ray Pilgrim was the alias of one of the singers who supplied cheapo label Embassy with versions of the hits of the day. The Beatmen were not the band that recorded for Pye. "5-4-3-2-1" was the breakthrough for Manfred Mann, when the title was used as the signature tune for "Ready Steady Go".***

The Act from Essex had three 7"s on Columbia. The last, "Just A Little Bit", is best remembered, as both sides have been featured on two volumes of the "Rubble"-series. Here is the debut from '67.***

The Measles from Manchester even had four 45s on Columbia without denting the charts. "Kicks" is the third, and of course Paul Revere had the hit with it.***

Stovepipe No . 4 were a British band, who released a sought-after EP in, of all places, Hungary.***

The Fumscrew deserve a prize for the most awkward name of the decade, but probably it only was a spelling problem of a secretary at Philips, Singapore. I guess they either called themselves Fans Crew or Fun Screw. The EP is the only release of four British lads on service in Asia.***

The Pickwicks reportedly came from Coventry, and are most famous for the Jimmy Page involvement on their third and last single. This is the first, probably without Mr. Page, and when you look at the picture, you see that they really lived up to their name.***Here comes the other side of the only record by The Etceteras, a band from Singapore, who toured the UK in 64. (See also vol. 2)***

Kris Ryan & The Questions from the Manchester area had two singles and an EP on Mercury, before Kris went solo and released two more. "If You Don't Come Back" is another version of the often covered Drifters hit.***

Two different bands called The Brumbeats seemingly were active in Brumham, but only one recorded. This is the flip of "Cry Little Girl Cry" (See vol. 2)***Not much known about The Wackers from somewhere on Merseyside. Two of three 45s are well documented in various editions of the Pye/Piccadilly-catalogue reissue project, but the debut on Oriole wasn't yet available to my knowledge.***"Help Me", the a-side of the only record of The Rebounds from Essex, can be found on English Freakbeat vol. 1. Here's the less freaky flip.***Don't know whether John & Johnny were the same who recorded as Johnny & John. If so, they would be John Banks and Johnny Gustafson of The Merseybeats. A very rare UK major label 45, that can't be found in any of the definitve books and websites.***

The Cockneys again. This is the fourth and last of the tracks the band released on two 45s for Philips. Seems like we're through with them.(See vols. 1, 2 & 4)***

Looks like these Symbols indeed are the same who recorded sugary pop schlock like "The Best Part Of Breaking Up" for President some 12 months later. This is the flip of "One Fine Girl", the debut of the group from Essex, and it sounds quite promising.***

For Manchester's Country Gentlemen see volume 5. This is the other side of their only 7", and it's most interesting for German beat - or as we call it - Prae-Kraut-maniacs, cause for a long time we thought, that the rather brutal arrangement of "Greensleeves" was the idea of our very own Lords, who had a hit with it in 65. But they just followed The Gentlemen step by step.***

Nothing known about The Shouts (not to be confused with The Shots), who left us this Pat Meehan production on the tiny React label as the only sign of life.***

The Contrasts with two singles on Parlophone seem to have nothing to do with the soulband of the same name from the States, but that's all I can tell. "The Tapestry of Delight" says they came from Huddersfield, just to mix them up with the US-band on Monument in the discography.***

Equally obscure are The Lion Tamers. The flip of this sole record appeared on one of the Rubbles.***

The Wild Oats from Leiston are best known for an EP on Oak (see vol. 2) and an LP of live recordings on 10th Planet. But they recorded four more numbers, which only survived on acetates, and haven't been available yet to a wider audience. "Bye Bye Baby" was an R&B hit for Mary Wells. There's more in the can, stay tuned.***

Next are The Transatlantics from Essex with the plugside of their first Fontana 45 (see vol. 3). After listening to the group's output on King and Mercury, I guess they are indeed the same band. More of them soon.***

Chippenham was home for The Emotions, who put out this single on Polydor, before they changed name to West Point Supernatural and released another one for the Reaction label, but again the world didn't listen.***

Robb Storme from Birmingham was one of those early UK "rockers", who, due to the demands and limited horizon of record company big wigs, had to record rather tame imitations of US ersatz rockstars in the Fabian, Pat Booone, Bobby Darin etc. category from 1960 onwards for Decca and Pye. When he wasn't drowned in orchestra syrup, he was backed by The Whispers, and especially his first release for Columbia, "Where Is My Girl", is one I'm still searching for, as rumour has it, that it inspired Townshend to write "Substitute". For the last record under his name the band was called The Robb Storme Group, and "But Cry" is a fine harmony popsong with beatroots intact. A year later The Whispers re-envented themselves as Orange Bicycle.***We've already met The Hustlers from Sidcup, Kent on vol. 1. Here's their second 7", a fine rendition of The Dovells' hit, that smashes the better known version of The Beatmen to pieces. The third and last 45 can be found on "Infernal World vol. 1***

The Midnights came from Warwick, but that's all I know about this one-off on Ember.***

Manchester's Mockingbirds are famous for being the germ cell of 10cc, as Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley earned their first spurs in rock business in this band. This is the first of five singles for Columbia, Immediate and Decca, before they teamed up with Stewart and Creme in Hotlegs to storm the charts with "Neanderthal Man".***

The In-Betweens actually were Wolverhampton's N' Betweens, the band that found worldwide fame as Slade. In the UK they only had one 45, but as Kim Fowley-protegees they had two in the States, and a couple of recordings somehow found the way to France, where they had this wonderful tradition of releasing EPs in the 60s. "You Don't Believe Me" doesn't live up to the standards the Pretties set with this tune, but then again, who could?***

Next are the two most successful British 60s bands in Germany: (Jimmy &) The Rackets from London were Jimmy Duncombe's band, and came to Germany as backing band for Sonny Stewart, who, in spite of a 45 for Bellaphon, didn't make much impression on us krauts. They stayed here, and when the third 45, "Skinny Minnie", topped the charts in 64, they never looked back. 14 singles and an LP made sure that they didn't run out of work, but they didn't change much in style, and by 67 the band sounded dated, and no more records were made. Jimmy settled down in Switzerland and established the New Rackets on the club- and cabaret-curcuit.***

Casey Jones & The Governors were fronted by Liverpudlian Brian Casser, who used to be the Cass in Cass & The Casanovas before the casanovas decided that they could do without him and changed name to The Big Three. He went to London, where he formed Casey Jones & The Engineers (Slowhand Clapton was a member for a few weeks), but when the debut for Columbia ("One Way Ticket") flopped, he took a new line-up to Germany, called them The Governors and had a smash hit throughout the continent with "Don't Ha Ha", a fast version of Huey "Piano" Smith's "Don't You Just Know It". With 15 singles and two LPs he kept the small Golden 12 label alive alone until he changed toVogue in 67. Hits like "Candy Man", "Yockomo" and a version of "Jack The Ripper" to even scare Lord Sutch secured fame and fortune for Casey till the end of the decade, while the original Governors, who went seperate ways in late 67, were soon forgotten after three deserved flops as The Gaslight Union.***

The Shame was a short-lived London band with only one release. A rather expensive one, as Greg Lake was in the group before he had short stints with The Gods, The Shy Limbs and King Crimson. The admittedly better side of this historical artefact can be found on "New Rubble" vol. 6.

Compiled by thee Lolly Pope and carved in runes by WestFauster.

Tommyknockers Volume Seven

(mp3 / 256 kbps / direct download / all scans and liners included)