"Everything I Am: The Complete Plastic Penny" by PLASTIC PENNY - Including their two UK LPs "Two Sides Of A Penny" (April 1968 in Both Mono and Stereo) and "Currency" (February 1969 in Stereo Only) – both on Page One Records Plus 14 BBC Sessions, The A&B-sides Of Six Rare 45s and One Album Outtake (February 2019 UK Grapefruit Records 3CD/58-Track Clamshell Box Set of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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Released in December 1967 and charting quickly in January 1968 - PLASTIC PENNY scored a lone UK 45 hit with "Everything I Am" - a cover version of a Box Tops B-side penned by those two dapper white dudes of Southern Soul-Rock - Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. It peaked at No. 6 in Blighty on Larry Page's 'Page One' Records and despite two albums in 1968 and 1969 (also on Page One Records) - that was their lot in terms of success – one single.

But the quickly assembled five-piece boasted Vocalist Brian Keith of The Congregation in its ranks along with Keyboardist Paul Raymond later of Chicken Shack and Savoy Brown, Lead Guitarist Mick Grabham later of Cochise, Procol Harum and Bandit and Drummer Nigel Olsson who would of course become Elton John's defacto rhythm man for the best part of the Seventies on DJM Records. Bassist Tony Murray would slide into The Troggs after Plastic Penny faded. They might have been young (Olsson was only 18) and that singer an acquired deadpan taste - but they made some racket while it lasted. 

Hardly surprising then that with two albums (one in both Mono and Stereo), twelve-sides of six rare singles, a Foreign language version, a compilation track from an LP that's listed at £100+ and a shed load of unreleased BBC material – those savvy dudes over at Cherry Red's cult label Grapefruit Records have been able to conjure up a 58-Track 3CD box set for what was essentially a one-hit-wonder band. Let's flip that coin and see what lies underneath...

UK released 22 February 2019 - "Everything I Am: The Complete Plastic Penny" by PLASTIC PENNY on Grapefruit Records CRSEGBOX053 (Barcode 5013929185302) is a 3CD 58-Track Clamshell Box Set of Remasters that plays out as follows:

CD1 "Two Sides Of A Penny" LP in MONO Plus Bonuses (49:04 minutes):

HEADS [Side 1]

1. Everything I Am

2. Wake Me Up

3. Never My Love

4. Genevieve

5. No Pleasure Without Pain My Love

6. So Much Older Now

TAILS [Side 2]

7. Mrs. Grundy

8. Take Me Back

9. I Want You

10. It's A Good Thing

11. Strawberry Fields Forever

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Two Sides Of A Penny" - released April 1968 in the UK on Page One Records POL 005 in MONO

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Everything I Am (Single Version)

13. No Pleasure Without Pain My Love (Single Version)

Tracks 12 and 13 are the A&B-sides of their December 1967 debut 7" single on Page One Records POF 051 (peaked at No. 6 in the UK charts)

14. Nobody Knows (Single version)

15. Happy Just To Be With You (Single Version)

Tracks 14 and 15 are the A&B-sides of a March 1968 UK 7" single on Page one Records POF 062

16. Guarda Nel Cielo (Nobody Knows It)

17. Tutto Quel Che Ho (Everything I Am)

Tracks 16 and 17 are the A&B-sides of an ITALIAN-only Italian language 7" single from May 1968 on Ricordi International SIR 20.067

CD2 "Two Sides Of A Penny" LP in STEREO Plus BBC Sessions (72:47 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 11 as per CD1

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Two Sides Of A Penny" - released April 1968 in the UK on Page One Records POLS 005 in STEREO

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Turning Night Into Day

13. Everything I Am

14. Take Me Back

Tracks 12 to 14 BBC Session for Top Gear recorded 10 January 1968, broadcast 14 January

15. Everything I Am

16. No Pleasure Without Pain My Love

17. It's A Good Thing

Tracks 15 to 17 are BBC Session for David Symonds, recorded 22 January 1968, broadcast 29 February

18. It's A Good Thing

19. Nobody Knows It

20. So Much Older Now

Tracks 18 to 20 BBC Session for David Symonds, recorded 19 March 1968, broadcast 25 March

21. Your Way To Tell Me To Go

22. The Shelter Of Your Arms

23. Give Me Money

Tracks 21 to 23 BBC Session for David Symonds, recorded 12 July 1968, broadcast 22 July

24. Killing Floor

25. Strawberry Fields Forever

Tracks 24 and 25 BBC Session for David Symonds, recorded 17 February 1969, broadcast 1 March 

CD3 "Currency" LP in STEREO Plus Bonuses (57:41 minutes):

1. Your Way To Tell Me To Go [Side 1]

2. Hound Dog

3. Currency

4. Caledonian Mission

5. MacArthur Park

6. Turn To Me [Side 2]

7. Baby You're Not To Blame

8. Give Me Money

9. Sour Suite

Tracks 1 to 9 are their second and last album "Currency" - released February 1969 in the UK on Page One Records POLS 014 in Stereo-only

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Your Way To Tell Me To Go

11. Baby You're Not To Blame

Tracks 10 and 11 are the A&B-sides of a July 1968 UK 7" single on Page One Records POF 079

12. Hound Dog

13. Currency

Tracks 12 and 13 are the A&B-sides of a November 1968 UK 7" single on Page One Records POF 107

14. Celebrity Ball

Track 14 is a Mid-1969 LP outtake first issued on the April 1970 UK compilation LP "Heads I Win - Tails You Lose" on Page One Records POS 611

15. She Does

16. Genevieve

Tracks 15 and 161 are the A&B-sides of a July 1969 UK 7" single on Page One Records POF 146

The 28-page booklet is the usual feast of period memorabilia – sheet music, promo photos, 60ts charts, press clippings and concert posters supporting The Love Affair, the artwork for the two LPs and a collage page of Euro and Worldwide picture sleeves for the singles. Liner-notes King DAVID WELLS does a thoroughly in-depth job of describing how the debut single was made by a bunch of sessionmen – became a hit – and then the mad scramble began to form a band to back it up with TV appearances and tours. But the momentum of the catchy "Everything I Am" proved impossible to follow, finally getting to a point where their slowed-down grunge cover of Presley's 50ts exciter "Hound Dog" elicited a Chris Welch review that advised members of the band to avoid motorcyclists coming to their gigs to avenge Elvis and do things to the ribcages of Plastic Penny (I personally think its a rip-roaring success but what would I know). It's a great read and with contributions from Paul Raymond and Brian Keith touching on subjects like his real name (O'Shea, a Scot with an Irish surname) and the trouble it caused him with journalists and meeting Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy during the recording of their debut – there is much to enjoy in its 5,000+ words.

Oddly there are no mastering credits – but I suspect Simon Murphy or Ben Wiseman or Paschal Byrne did the Remasters. The MONO MIX of the Debut LP is hissy for sure but clear nonetheless (there is lovely separation on the Stereo mix and real power too). Even those BBC Sessions - that can be very mixed audiowise depending on the source – are shockingly good. And with both LPs clocking in at over £100 and £150 on the collector’s market, this reissue is welcome-news for die-hards and genre fans. To the music...

The 1968 debut split Side 1 and 2 into themes - Heads and Tails. Of the eleven songs – impressively seven were Brian Keith and Paul Raymond originals – with the other four being covers - the Penn/Oldham/Box Tops B-side "Everything I Am", the Addrisi Brothers song "Never My Love", "I Want You" by John Group of the Graham Bond Organization and finally - the Beatles classic "Strawberry Fields Forever". I have to say I'm quite at a loss as to why "Everything I Am" did such huge business. Both "Wake Me Up" (sung by Paul) and "Never My Love" (sung by Brian) are dominated by the very Nice-sounding keyboards of Paul Raymond with a touch of Procol Harum doom swimming around "Genevieve".

Side 1 brings the overall smooch feel to an end with "So Much Older Now" – Keith's voice not up the expressiveness needed. Side 2 opens with the very Psych-Underground "Mrs. Grundy" – a rather nasty little beasty about a neighbour who does not get it (one of the album's genuine period highlights). The boys try Pop with the cheesy "Take Me Back" but it feels so 60ts but not in a good way. Better territory is the cover of "I Want You" – a chugger that feels like early Traffic. A very competent harmony vocal version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" ends the album but overall you feel the debut is good rather than being great despite all that collective (admittedly young) talent.

Once again album number two "Currency" from 1969 had that combo of originals and covers – Lieber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" made famous of course by Big Mama Thornton and Elvis, Robbie Robertson's "Caledonian Mission" from The Band's 1968 debut LP "Music From Big Pink", Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park" - a hit for actor Richard Harris also in 1968 - and the never-released on one of his own albums "Turn To Me" from the 1969 pen of Elton John and Bernie Taupin - a genuine rarity in EJ's voluminous catalogue. The other five are originals with "Your Way To Tell Me To Go" being the leadoff single as far back as July 1968 - nearly nine months before the LP arrived in February 1969. Immediately the power of the remaster on the Stereo "Your Way To Tell Me To Go" is fantastic and the songwriting chops obviously immeasurably improved since the debut.

With Brian Keith out of the picture, Raymond takes the lead and his vocals on both "Your Way To Tell Me To Go" and the infamous "Hound Dog" (with Nigel Olsson on Lead Vocals) suit the very Small Faces rocking-out feel to both of the tunes. Given the quality of "Your Way..." and the very Nice-Prog-Psych to the instrumental "Currency" - it's easy to see why the second LP is so much more desirable on the collector's market. "She reads the leaves and she leads the life..." they sing on a credible rocking up take on The Band's "Caledonian Mission" but my ears are drawn to the seldom heard "Turn To Me" - an Elton John and Bernie Taupin turn to me when you're lonely ballad (it was also covered by Guy Darrell, a Page One Records label mate). Fans have also loved the very Who/Move influenced "Give Me Money" where it could very well be Pete Townshend trashing away at that guitar while Olsson goes all Moon. I'll admit I've never heard the compilation rarity "Celebrity Ball" but its a cracker and should really have been on the "Currency" LP. Disc 3 ends with a very cool stand-alone almost Allman Brothers rocker in "She Does" in Stereo b/w the single mix of "Genevieve" described here as a 'Stereo Single Version 2'.

"...They say your baby doesn't love you, but she does...” the band pleads on the excellent but ignored single "She Does" - a little like Plastic Penny's short but productive stay – people misconstrued and just plain never saw them and thereafter gave them a chance.

For sure, not everything on here will thrill even 60ts nutters to the core, especially the overall slapped-together feel of that underwhelming debut. But that cool second LP and those BBC Sessions (that show the growing confidence of the band as they went from 1968 into 1969) will be enough to warrant a dip into this wickedly diverse money pit. And again Grapefruit make it impossible to resist...