More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: The Fairytale

 

FAIRYTALE-Lovely People (Like You And Me)/Guess I Was Dreaming U.S. London 45-LON-20032 1967

Warrington, U.K. 60's psych pop quartet The Fairytale had just two singles released in Britain: "Guess I Was Dreaming" b/w "Run And Hide" (Decca F12644 August 1967) and "Lovely People" b/w "Listen To Mary Cry" (Decca F 12665 September 1967). Curiously London records in the U.S. decided to marry "Lovely People (Like You And Me)" (as it was titled in America) with "Guess I Was Dreaming" on the B-side.  They also decided to drop "The" from the band's name and simply call them "Fairytale". This interesting single was launched in November 1967 where it remained in the obscurity from whence it came and as a result is fairly rare.

My introduction to The Fairytale came in the Summer of 1986 when I purchased the absolutely earth shattering See For Miles comp LP of Decca/Deram pop psych 45's "The British Psychedelic Trip 1966-1969" where they were on the front sleeve in all their psychedelic finery (see photo below) with the phased psych pop tune "Run And Hide". 

"Lovely People (Like You And Me)" is an almost fey period piece with lyrics espousing the virtues of the beautiful people (or in this case "the lovely people"). There's a cynical tone to all of it's flower power waif message though: "People hanging around you like mist on a morning lake, focus your eyes upon them don't let them slip away. The world is out to make you one of it's living dead so lift your head up slowly and reach out for the morning sun". "Lovely People" was produced by Vic Smith, who would rechristen himself Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and go on to produce the Jam. 

"Guess I Was Dreaming" has long been my favorite of the band's tracks. It's almost sinister starting out with a faint drum/bass that grows in descending volume before being met with a phlanged piano. The lyrics are full of darkness and paranoia: "All week, no sleep waiting for the man to come....Here he comes walking through my mind, in so many colors making me blind, a one eyed midget by his side...". All delivered with an almost martial/military march beat behind the phlanged piano notes. The number was later covered by The Kingsmen (of "Louie Louie" fame) on their May 1968 single on the flip of their version of Skip Bifferty's "On Love".  You can read all about that here. 

Both tracks are available on a host of CD /LP compilations. "Lovely People" is on Rubble Volume Six "The Clouds Have Groovy Faces" and "Guess I Was Dreaming" was on the Deram/Decca comp "The Psychedelic Scene". Both songs are available on streaming as well. 

Here "Lovely People":

https://youtu.be/BmGS_k-yDdc?si=zVwmd0zjqTDe1n7w

Hear "Guess I Was Dreaming":

https://youtu.be/TkiH0EcIQ4g?si=YrRFStVO6_wlyu1B

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: The Locomotive

 

We discussed Locomotives's previous 45 ska/rocksteady flavored "Rudi's In Love" in an earlier entry. Today's topic was their third U.K. 45 (January 1969 Parlophone R 5758) but only their second U.S. 45 with Bell records electing not to issue their debut U.K. 45, a coupling of "Broken Heart" b/w a cover of Dandy Livingstone's ska/rocksteady classic "Rudy-A Message To You" (Direction 58-3114 December 1967). "Mr. Armageddan" was issued on these shores in April 1969 with little or no fanfare where it promptly sank without a trace. 

 By the time of this single the ska/rocksteady sounds gave way to a heavier proto-prog sound with some interesting results. The interestingly spelled "Mr. Armageddan" was written by band leader Norman Haines and was the cornerstone of their sole LP "We Are Everything You See". It's an organ driven over the top number starting off with some shimmering strings before degenerating into a phased organ orgy of sound with some near maniacal wailing from Haines (he was also the band's keyboardist) behind a steady melodic bass line. The number changes tempo multiple times bringing an interesting cacophony of horns playing a bombastic melody amid descending lines and layers of thundering drums and some very Caravan meets Deep Purple style organ.

"There's Got To Be A Way" is less freaky, driven by a less chaotic melodic horn section with some soulful, more restrained lead vocals. The horn work shows the band's soul/jazz experience and ads to the versatility in my book. It's at odds with the A-side but maybe that's a good thing? 

 Both sides are available on the deluxe CD reissue of their 1970 LP "We Are Everything You See" (including a Mono mix of the A-side).

Hear "Mr. Armageddan":

https://youtu.be/3Jv0wP6by20?si=d7KipZ-_acjADOnw

Hear "There's Got To Be A Way":

https://youtu.be/OzWqZRwiBjY?si=eb25Trzt2BDF1vQM

More U.K. Obscurities: THE GIBSONS "City Life"

 

THE GIBSONS-City Life/Night And Day Canada Epic C5-110 1967

U.K. quartet The Gibsons "City Life" was first introduced to me back in the mid 90's on the bootleg "Psychedelia" series on Tiny Alice Records ("Psychedelia Volume One: Oil Emulsion Slide" to be exact). It was first issued on the U.K. in August 1967 as Major Minor MM 524. I recently discovered that it received a Canadian release (but not a United States one). The Canadian pressing was issued in 1967, but the exact date/month is unknown.

"City Life" is actually the B-side but since it's far superior I'm going to mention it first. It's a cheery little pop ditty with loads of "la la la's" and West Coast harmonies that's interwoven with city sound affects (honking car horns, explosions, ringing church bells etc) and lyrics about London (presumably) and lines that borrow a bit from the nursery rhyme "Pussy Cat Pussy Cat". The musical backing is solid, and it's the vocals that carry the number.

The REAL stinker is the A-side, it's a mundane reading of Cole Porter's "Night And Day". It starts with this funky groove with organ and gritty guitar that's pretty catchy but then these sub par Ivy League vocals come in and the whole thing goes saccharine sunshine yawn pop in seconds. Pity.

Both tracks were collected on a CD of all their material shared with the harmony Pop group The Cymbaline called "60's UK Harmony Pop Battle Royale". "City Life" is also available via streaming. 

Hear "City Life":

https://youtu.be/HQNvk2rHM6Q?si=a837KkwShXTSnoNF

Hear "Night And Day":

https://youtu.be/bPpRFQ9LKaQ?si=yHMGmGVVnchr0jG_

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Billie Davis

BILLIE DAVIS-I Want You To Be My Baby/Suffer U.S. London 45-20041 1968

 

My first introduction to Billie Davis came via this track on my very first Kent records soul compilation album "Rhythm And Blue Eyed Soul" back in 1989.

Penned by the mighty Jon Hendricks " I Want You To Be My Baby" was produced by former Ready! Steady! Go! host Michael Aldred and arranged by Mike Vickers. "I Want You To Be My Baby" was first released in 1953 by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five! In April 1967 it was issued by Ellie Greenwich in an almost rudimentary and raw form which was no doubt the inspiration for this version which was first issued in the U.K. as Decca F 12823 in August of 1968. Our specimen here was released a month later. It was a minor hit in the U.K. reaching #33 but sadly would be her last chart recording. 

"I Want You To Be My Baby" is a 100 mph high octane track built on the incredibly slick orchestration and production and carried the shoulders of both the backing vocalists delivering the responses to Billie's calls and Billie's almost husky delivery. 

Looking moody and moddy on the German picture sleeve. 

The flip side "Suffer" starts out with some cool soulful brass and despite it's almost Northern soul feel it's a dreadful tune which ruins any dance floor opportunities by having constant tempo shifts. Next!!

Both tracks are available on the 2005 comprehensive CD collection "Tell Him (The Decca Years)" and on streaming services. 

Watch "I Want You To Be My Baby" on German TV's Beat Club:

 

Hear "Suffer":

https://youtu.be/Vf5sRKi6fJ4?si=JULet0LM1XpotFF-

"The Association On Crystal Meth": The Cape Kennedy Construction Company

 

THE CAPE KENNEDY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY-The First Step On The Moon/Armageddon U.K. President PT 2645 1969

One of my favorite British 60's psychedelic 45's is today's subject, July 1969's (released a few weeks after the first steps were taken on the moon) one off release by the curiously named Cape Kennedy Construction Company on the groovy President records label. A YouTube user once commented on this record that it sounded like "....the Association on crystal meth" and Nigel Lees in "Record Collector" unfairly dismissed it in his "A To Z Of British Psychedelia" series (I forget his exact words but they were not kind). I think it's equally amazing on both sides, though both are vastly different and definitely have different lead vocalists. 

"The First Step On The Moon" starts out with some very churchly organ joined by some VERY Joe Meek/Tornados meets Barry Grey ("Thunderbirds/U.F.O. etc) influenced "spacey" combo organ, vibes and restrained fuzz guitar that works perfectly! The vocals remind me of a Carter/Lewis project (it's reputed that John Carter is the lead singer according to some liner notes) leading me to suspect that it was a studio only concoction. The vocals and their accompanying harmonies are positively amazing and have an ethereal charm about them when splashed up against the restrained Meek inspired musical backing.  

The flip side, "Armageddon" was first introduced to me back in the mid 90's on the bootleg "Psychedelia" series on Tiny Alice Records ("Psychedelia Volume One: Oil Emulsion Slide" to be exact). It starts with some very forlorn organ (reminiscent of Felius Andromeda's "Meditation") and a distorted and completely disembodied voice quoting scripture ("as he gathered to a place called Armageddon and the seventh angel of the Lord poured out his bowl upon the earth and the voice from heaven from the throne said it is done") that is suddenly punctuated by a sonic boom of a jet (presumably delivering "the bomb"). Both the organ and voice have always remind me of the mutant doomsday cult in "Beneath The Planet Of The Apes". The vocals are fey and plaintive sounding as the vocalist sings a protest type song about the futility of peace ("they blow us up, they put us down, they've made it up, they've made it rough") that is occasionally punctuated by bursts of a rocking section and the ominous sonic boom with the spooky organ continuing throughout on a loop with the track ending with the bleak sounds of the wind and a off kilter church bell after the organ increases in volume.

Both sides have cropped up in several places but the best place to get them both is on the President records LP/CD compilation "Sometimes I Wonder: The Psychedelic Pop Sound Of President" which is also available on streaming. 

Hear "The First Step On The Moon":

https://youtu.be/HOo1SDxKiQo?si=dcO5C4S7GnZvRNSz

Hear "Armageddon":

https://youtu.be/xyridEejOss?si=Fh2-ZdPPg2NeTxJQ

Great U.K. 60's MOD 45's: The Lloyd Alexander Real Estate- "Gonna Live Again"

 

THE LLOYD ALEXANDER REAL ESTATE-Gonna Live Again/Watcha' Gonna Do (When Your Baby Leaves You) U.K. President PT 157 1967 

Hackney, East London's very own Lloyd Alexander Real Estate made just this one single, but what a glorious single it is! Long forgotten and buried until both sides of this killer 1967 President records single was unearthed on a CD comp in 2011 (see below) it's probably one of the most powerful slices of British 60's r&b.

The A-side, "Gonna Live Again" is a MONSTER track. It kicks off with some very ska-like skat/percussion vocalizing not unlike "Gun Of Navarone" or a '67 Prince Buster 45 and proceeds into this funky "I'll Be Doggone" style riff backed by some strong horns via their twin sax players and churchy Hammond organ and very slick but poppy sounding backing vocals. It's completely catchy and bears REPEATED listening. 

The B-side is a reading of Chuck Jackson's "Wat'cha Gonna Do (When Your Baby Leaves You)". It's not anything earth shaking to these ears in light of the absolutely earth shaking A-side but the powerful Hammond n' horns backing is powerful and completely solid and quite enjoyable nonetheless!!

After the band split in 1969 three of the members went on to form the group Audience, who are best known for providing a few tracks on the soundtrack of the famous "Bronco Bullfrog" film. 

Both tracks are available on RPM's three CD compilation "Looking Back: 80 Mod, Freakbeat And Swinging London Nuggets". 

Hear "Gonna Live Again":

https://youtu.be/_-_WHXlv4qE?si=PeR1kc6Ck34FWFs8

Hear "What You Gonna Do":

https://youtu.be/uO8WFf7bv1M?si=yczSY_-yhHilkdQm 

Songs That "Rubble" Taught Us: Finders Keepers "On The Beach"

 

FINDERS KEEPERS-On The Beach/Friday Kind Of Monday US Fontana F-1609 1968

Finders Keeper's "On The Beach" came into my orbit (and probably everyone else's) on the famous 1984 Bam Caruso LP compilation "The 49 Minute Technicolor Dream" (Rubble Four). Finders Keepers were a U.K. harmony pop quintet from Wolverhampton who released three singles in their home country, one on CBS and two on Fontana (this was their first on the label and their only U.S. release, issued as TF 892  in December 1967 in the U.K. and in March of 1968 in the U.S.).

I have pictured the B-side "On The Beach" because even though it's the B-side it's the track I prefer. 

The A-side "Friday Kind Of Monday" was penned by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and was first covered/released by an obscure American act called The Meantime in September 1967, who were rumored to be a studio only concoction with Ellie Greenwich on vocals . Finder's Keeper's version is quite similar in arrangement and just a tad more sped up. It's not unlistenable per se but it's a fairly pedestrian slice of U.K. mid 60's harmony psych pop.

"On The Beach" is the stronger of the two with it's intricate layers of harmony vocals intermingled with

harpsichord and sweeping strings (and the obligatory regal trumpet tooting). To these ears it's an amazing slice of British orchestrated sike pop.

 

Band members Glen Hughes went on to find fame in Deep Purple and Mel Galley in fellow head bangers Whitesnake. They both crossed paths in Trapeze in 1969 with members of The Montanas. 

As mentioned above "On The Beach" appeared on Rubble Volume Four and "Friday Kind Of Monday" appeared on Volume 14 of the "Piccadilly Sunshine" series. 

Hear "Friday Kind Of Monday":

https://youtu.be/ZNSBiA1sU9c?si=m8BMhLwJJQJOPQWd

Hear "On The Beach":

https://youtu.be/ZNSBiA1sU9c?si=m8BMhLwJJQJOPQWd