"Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Legend with Mickey Jupp, Eggs Over Easy, Steve Ellis, Brinsley Schwarz, Deep Feeling, Roogalator, Mott The Hoople, Status Quo, Ducks Deluxe, Bees Make Honey, Brewers Droop featuring Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers of Dire Straits, Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers, Ace, Writing On The Wall, Dr. Feelgood, Fumble, Stray, Kursaal Flyers, Byzantium, Stretch, Fox, Sean Tyla & His Gang, Kilburn & The High Roads (featuring Ian Dury), Strapps, Thin Lizzy, Heavy Metal Kids, Supercharge, The Gorillas, Chris Spedding, Cado Belle, Dave Edmunds, The Jam, Darts, Clover, Jess Roden, Philip Rambow, Billy Bremner, Matchbox, The Pirates, Sniff 'N' The Tears, Meal Ticket, Graham Parker & The Rumour, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, The Inmates, The Merton Parkas and many more (July 2022 UK Grapefruit 71-Track 3CD Compilation in a Capacity Wallet with Three Individual Card Sleeves, a 48-Page Booklet and Simon Murphy Masters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrender-Rhythm-London-Seventies-Capacity/dp/B0882LQZ8R?crid=P7XSNHEPNUXU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HXgBUpYMesnGJn3Wik4YpQ.7OwwWxNZRyhYDXhybiYT8cYHRH1oNLFLXUZ6NoFoHp0&dib_tag=se&keywords=5013929187429&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1733754330&sprefix=5013929187429%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1&ufe=INHOUSE_INSTALLMENTS%3AUK_IHI_3M_AUTOMATED&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=b40d99d23309a4b48df3d1468774b97a&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

RATINGS:

Overall **** to *****

Audio ****

Presentation *****

"…Billy Bentley (Promenades Himself In London)…"

Knickers in a knot and warm beer. Ah the good old days. I was looking forward to this 71-track 3CD beast from those terribly with-it chaps over at Grapefruit Records. And in part – their musical benevolence has delivered once again – even if some of the entries left me a little chilly in the arsenal aperture (so to speak). Nonetheless, so much great stuff to unpack and deeply imbedded good times to rekindle – once more to the Gassy Kegs and Brylcreem Boys…

UK released 17 July 2022 - "Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Grapefruit CRSEG074T (Barcode 5013929187429) is a 3CD 71-Track Remastered Compilation in a Capacity Wallet with Three Mini LP Card Sleeves, a 48-Page Booklet and Sixteen Previously Unreleased Tracks plus Other Rarities. It plays out as follows:

CD1 (78:58 minutes): 

1. Cheque Book – LEGEND (from the January 1971 UK LP "Legend" on Vertigo 6360 019 – band featured Mickey Jupp)
2. Funky But Clean – EGGS OVER EASY (Not Originally Issued, Recorded January 1971)
3. Time To Kill – WILD ANGELS (April 1971 UK 45-Single on B&C Records CB 145, A-side)
4. You Said It Would Be – SMOOTH LOSER (Previously Unreleased, recorded April 1971)
5. Have You Seen My Baby – STEVE ELLIS (August 1971 UK 45-single on CBS Records 7411, A-side)
6. Nanana – STATUS QUO (from the November 1971 UK LP "Dog Of Two Head" on Pye NSPL 18371)
7. Surrender To The Rhythm – BRINSLEY SCHWARZ (from the October 1972 UK LP "Nervous On The Road" on United Artists UAS 29374)
8. Why, Lady, Why? – DEEP FEELING (October 1972 UK 45-single on Philips 6006 346, A-side)
9. Ride With The Roogalator – ROOGALATOR (Previously Unreleased, recorded February 1971)
10. I Wish I Was Your Mother – MOTT THE HOOPLE (from the April 1974 UK LP "Mott" on CBS Records S 69038)
11. Heart's On My Sleeve (Early Mix) – DUCKS DELUXE (Not Originally Issued, recorded October 1973 – featuring Martin Belmont and Sean Tyla on Guitars)
12. Madman – G.T. MOORE & THE REGGAE GUITARS (Not Originally Issued, recorded November 1973)
13. Where Are You Tonight? – BREWERS DROOP (Nort Originally Issued, recorded November 1973 – band featured Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers later of Dire Straits)
14. Tripsy Lady – WRITING ON THE WALL (Not Originally Issued, recorded December 1973)
15. Sergeant Fury – THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND (August 1974 UK 45-single on Vertigo 6059 106, A-side)
16. My Funny Valentine – BEES MAKE HONEY (Previously Unissued, recorded July 1974)
17. Piggy Back Sue – JONA LEWIE (September 1974 UK 45-single on Sonet SON 2048, A-side – ex Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts)
18. Money Is No Friend Of Mine – STARRY EYED And LAUGHING (October 1974 UK 45-singkle on CBS Records 2686, A-side)
19. You Kept Me Waiting – DAVE EDMUNDS (from the October 1974 2LP Soundtrack Album "Stardust" on Ronco RG 2009/10)
20. We Get Along – CHILLI WILLI & THE RED HOT PEPPERS (from the November 1974 UK LP "Bongos Over Balham" on Mooncrest CREST 21)
21. Rock And Roll Runaway – ACE (from the November 1974 UK Debut LP "Five-A-Side" on Anchor ANCL 2001)
22. Billy Bentley (Promenades Himself In London) – KILBURN & THE HIGH ROADS (November 1974 UK 45-single on Dawn DNS 1090, A-side – featuring Ian Dury and Members of The Blockheads)
23. Nervous – NATIONAL FLAG (November 1974 recording first issued December 1976 on the UK privately pressed LP "Thank You & Goodnight" – no catalogue number)
NOTES on CD1:
Tracks 2, 4, 9, 11 to 14 and 16 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD2 (79:44 minutes) 
1. She Does It Right – DR. FEELGOOD (from the January 1975 UK Debut LP "Down By The Jetty" on United Artists UAS 29727 in Mono – Band featuring Wilko Johnson on Guitar and Lee Brilleaux on Vocals)
2. Love Me Real – CHARLIE & THE WIDEBOYS (January 1975 UK 45-Single on Anchor ANCE 1002, A-side)
3. Free The Kids – FUMBLE (from the January 1975 UK LP "Poetry In Lotion" on RCA Victor SF 8403)
4. Imagination (Is A Powerful Deceiver) – FLIP CITY (Not Originally Issued, recorded January 1975)
5. Blow Me Down – BRENT MARVIN & THE THUNDERBOLTS (April 1975 UK 45-single on Sonet SON 2053, A-side)
6. Baby What You Want Me To Do – JO-ANN KELLY (Not Originally Issued, recorded 1975)
7. As Long As You Feel Good – STRAY (from the May 1975 UK LP "Stand Up And Be Counted" on Dawn DNLS 3066)
8. Yellow Sox – KURSAAL FLYERS (from their July 1975 UK Debut LP "Chocs Away" on UK Records 2330 101)
9. It Could Be Better – BYZANTIUM (Previously Unreleased, recorded July 1975)
10. Midnight Flight – BEARDED LADY (Not Originally Issued, recorded 1975)
11. Jailbreaker – RAZORBACKS (Previously Unreleased, recorded August 1975)
12. One Fing 'n' Anuvver – CHAS & DAVE (from the September 1975 UK LP "One Fing 'n' Anuvver" on Retreat Records RTL 6004)
13. Why Did You Do It – STRETCH (October 1975 UK 45-single on Anchor ANC 1021, A-side)
14. Whatever It's Worth – FOX (from the October 1975 Debut LP "Tales Of Illusion" on GTO Records GTLP 006)
15. I Ain't Got You – THE COUNT BISHOPS (November 1975 UK 45-single on Chiswick SW1, A-side)
16. Midnight Moon – SEAN TYLA & HIS GANG (Recorded 1975, November 1976 Dutch 45-single on Dutch Dynamo DYR 45002, A-side)
17. Writing On The Wall – EDDIE & THE HOT RODS (February 1976 UK 45-single on Island WIP 6270, A-side)
18. You Can Leave Your Hat On – THE JESS RODEN BAND (March 1976 UK 45-single on island WIP 6286, A-side)
19. Schoolgirl Funk – STRAPPS (from the March 1976 UK Debut LP "Strapps" on Harvest SHSP 4055)
20. Romeo And The Lonely Girl – THIN LIZZY (from the March 1976 UK LP "Jailbreak" on Vertigo 9102 008)
21. She's No Angel – HEAVY METAL KIDS (May 1976 UK 45-single on RAK Records RAK 234, A-side)
22. You've Gotta Get Up And Dance – SUPERCHARGE (from the May 1976 UK Debut LP "Local Lads Make Good" on Virgin V 2053)
23. Keys To Your Heart – THE 101'ERS (May 1976 UK 45-single on Chiswick S 3, A-side – featuring Joe Strummer who went on to form The Clash)
24. She's My Gal – THE GORILLAS (July 1976 UK 45-single on Chiswick S 4, A-side)
NOTES on CD2:
Tracks 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD3 (79:43 minutes):
1. Don't Wear It – MOON (from the July 1976 UK Debut LP "Too Close For Comfort" on Epic EPC 81456 – pre-Sniff 'N' The Tears)
2. Bedsit Girl – CHRIS SPEDDING (from the April 1976 UK LP "Chris Spedding" on RAK Records SRAK 519)
3. Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) – GONZALEZ (September 1976 UK 45-Single on EMI Records EMI 2521, A-side - a Looking Glass cover version)
4. Stone's Throw From Nowhere – CADO BELLE (from the October 1976 UK Debut LP "Cado Belle" on Anchor Records ANCL 2015 - featuring Maggie Reilly)
5. Radio Sweetheart – ELVIS COSTELLO (March 1977 UK 45-single on Stiff BUY 11, B-side of "Less Than Zero" – features Nick Lowe of Brinsley Schwarz on Bass and Backing Vocals and two members of Clover – John McFee and Mickey Shore)
6. Back To Schooldays (Live) – GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR (Not Originally Issued, recorded March 1977)
7. Get It – DAVE EDMUNDS (from the April 1977 UK LP "Get It" on Swan Song SSK 59404)
8. Slow Down – THE JAM (from the May 1977 UK Debut LP "In The City" on Polydor 2383 447 – a Larry Williams cover version – band featured Paul Weller)
9. Daddy Cool/The Girl Can't Help It – DARTS (October 1977 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 100, A-side – a Medley of early Vocal Groups and Rock & Roll cover versions originally done by The Rays and Little Richard)
10. Ain't Nobody Own Nobody's Soul – CLOVER (from the November 1977 UK LP "Love On The Wire" on Vertigo 6360 155 – band featured Huey Lewis on Vocals)
11. Rock 'n' Roll Radio – THE PLEASERS (Recorded late 1977, Not Originally Issued)
12. Young Lust – PHILIP RAMBOW (Recorded December 1977, Previously Unissued)
13. Fool (If You Think It's Over) – CHRIS REA (March 1978 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 111, A-side)
14. Come On – IAN GOMM (March 1978 UK 45-single on Albion ION 1, A-side)
15. The Creature From The Black lagoon – BILLY BREMNER (Not Originally Issued, recorded 1978)
16. Gunning For The Dog – MATCHBOX (from the August 1978 UK LP "Setting The Woods On Fire" on Chiswick WIK 10)
17. Shakin' All Right (1978 Studio Version) – THE PIRATES (October 1978 UK 45-single on Warner Brothers K 17231, A-side)
18. Driver's Seat – SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS (October 1978 UK 45-single on Chiswick CHIS 105, A-side)
19. Mirror Star – THE FABULOUS POODLES (October 1978 UK 45-single on Pye International 7N 46118, A-side)
20. The Shape I'm In – MEAL TICKET (from the November 1978 UK LP "Take Away" on Logo Records LOGO 1008 – The Band cover version)
21. Goodbye Girl – SQUEEZE (November 1978 UK 45-single on A&M Records AMS 7398, A-side)
22. Loud Music – STREETBAND (from the November 1978 UK LP "London" on Logo Records LOGO 1012)
23. You Need Wheels – THE MERTON PARKS (July 1979 UK 45-single on Beggars Banquet BEG 22, A-side)
24. Dirty Water – THE INMATES (June 1979 UK 45-single on Soho SH 7, A-side)
NOTES ON CD3:
Tracks 6, 11, 12 and 15 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Compiled and Annotated by Grapefruit's resident brainbox and enthusiast DAVID WELLS - the Capacity Wallet for "Surrender To The Rhythm..." houses three individual card sleeves (as pictured above) sat snuggly alongside a superb 48-page booklet. You get song-by-song info that digs deep - photos for each act and of course Discography details too. I've pictured some of the inside two-page spreads to give you an indication of the efforts put in here. Fab stuff. Mastered by long-standing Cherry Red associate SIMON MURPHY - the Audio (as you can imagine) varies from Top Notch through Great to Acceptable across such a huge range of dates and (in some cases) home-cooked Productions. Mostly though, you're just marvelling at so much music that has been largely forgotten and shouldn't be. To the beer stains...

Unexpected nuggets turn up everywhere on CD1 – try "Have You Seen My Baby" – a Randy Newman cover done by Steve Ellis of Love Affair. Roped into the rollicking tune is Zoot Money on Keyboards, Jimmy McCulloch of Thunderclap Newman on Guitar with ex-Animals John Steel on Drums. And just when you sit prepared for 12-Bar Boogie when you see the name Status Quo next – this compilation pulls a fast one over your eyes by picking the so Chas and Dave piano-and-acoustic barroom amble that is "Nanana" from their second Pye Album "Dog Of Two Head". Clever. Better however is Nick Lowe fronting the deeply popular Brinsley Schwarz and their compilation title song "Surrender To The Rhythm" – the prominent organ and bopping seaside beat very reminiscent of what Springsteen would do on his first two albums in 1973 and 1974 - "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. " and "The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle".

The Deep Feeling 45 "Why, Lady, Why?" is good rather than great – better is the early Punk of Roogalator - a heavy-and-rough Iggy Pop & The Stooges-type guitar trashing brute (Danny Adler on the axe) called "Ride With The Roogalator" – a great previously unreleased find (even if it doesn't feel too much like Pub Rock per se). Equally impressive is the fabulous vocals of Ian Hunter fronting the mighty Mott The Hoople on their "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – Ian channelling his inner Ronnie Lane melody – all acoustics and mandolin until the very English Rock & Roll chorus comes a dolloping up to the old Johanna in the pub corner. Very cool is the Ron Watts fronted Brewers Droop discovery "Where Are You Tonight" – an ambling, wistful and rather lovely ballad where you can so hear both Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers (pre-Dire Straits) and their playing. Back to rough and ready Rock & Roll with "Tripsy Lady" by Writing On The Wall – lead singer and guitarist Willy Finlayson and Saxophonist Alan Greenhaigh both featured on this boogieing 1973 find. Time for Vaudeville with a Scottish Rock & Roll tuning – up steps the judge and jury of "Sergeant Fury" – Alex Harvey and his Sensational boys having a laugh (not my fave SAHB track it must be said, but I can hear why its boozy-vibe was included here). 

Time to mellow down easy – Barry Richardson of Ireland’s Bees Make Honey pouring on the strings and pain in their cover version of the pining classic "My Funny Valentine" – good but you hear why it was left in the 1974 can. Both the Jona Lewis and Starry Eyed And Laughing cuts complement each other – English Jerry Lee Lewis type Rock & Roll vs. The Byrds. Dave Edmunds channels his Beach Boys fixation for "You Kept Me Waiting" – a stand-alone cut from the Ronco Soundtrack LP to "Stardust" (another clever inclusion aimed at fans looking for those straggler songs). Straight into Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris and Poco Pedal Steel Guitar territory with Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers giving us the jaunty love-is-a-burning-flame "We Get Along" (two nights are never the same). You can literally feel the well-cor-blimey-guv move-along-sunshine fun as Ian Dury fronts Kilburn & The High Roads for "Billy Bentley" – the precursor and template for Ian Dury & The Blockheads that would storm the charts from 1977 onwards. And CD1 rocks out with the Foghat-like baby you make me "Nervous" – National Flag employing Danny Edwardson on Guitar and Seamus Sell on Drums (another clever inclusion).

CD2 opens with a Pub Rock barnstormer by one of my favourite bands in the whole word – Dr. Feelgood making us all feel good with the fabulous "She Does It Right". Taken from their explosive debut "Down By The Jetty" (January 1975) – Wilko Johnson goes manic-man on his axe while one of the truly great leading men Lee Brilleaux snarls into the mike about his best baby. The Feelgoods would give us a 2nd LP in November of 1975 with "Malpractice" and then score big with their first live set in 1976 "Stupidity" which slammed its way to No.1 Fun and teenage memories come fast and furious for me with Charlie & The Wideboys and Fumble – the Fumble cut especially memorable (shame this comp didn't include "Keep On Knockin'" from their second LP "Poetry In Lotion" – a great rocker). The first of three superb unreleased in now unleashed. Flip City were fronted by a young Elvis Costello and his aching vocal is probably the best thing about the ballad "Imagination (Is A Powerful Deceiver)" – the kind of tune that might have sided say "Alison" on his 1977 "My Aim Is True" Debut LP on Stiff. Another smart inclusion is the slide-guitar bop of "Blow Me Down" – future New Waver Jona Lewie fronting Brent Martin & The Thunderbolts. But then we are hit with genuine class and another Previously Unreleased coup for "Surrender To The Rhythm" – the Bessie Smith meets Karen Dalton vocals of British female Blues Hero Jo-Ann Kelly going all Fats Domino rolling piano R&B on "Baby What You Want Me To Do" – great stuff. 

Stray ape the melodiousness of Brinsley Schwarz on their "As Long As You Feel Good" which is in turn followed by the pretty lilt of "Yellow Sox" – the Kursaal Flyers advising a pretty girl to not be so eager to give it away so fast to some schmuck who ain't worth it. Down and dirty and surprisingly tight – Razorback go all Joe Jackson energetic with their live "Jailbreaker" – a very New Wave bopper – shame the recording is obviously rougher that Grapefruit might have wanted – but I think it adds real urgency to the delivery (neat unreleased inclusion). The law has been around again to see me little brother – Chas & Dave laying into Cockney rhyming slang with their tale of a wayward cow-son in "One Fing 'n' Anuvver" (had a bleedin nuff of it). Tremendous, unexpected inclusion comes in the very Average White Band-funk of Stretch doing the superb "Why Did You Do It" – an actual British 45 chart hit about a misunderstanding with Mick Fleetwood. England's Fox were channelling their best America circa-72 on their lovely and hugely commercial "Whatever It's Worth" – an obvious identikit take on "A Horse With No Name" – fronted by Kenny Young instead of Noosha.

Creeping out of Pub Rock and inching towards British New Wave – The Count Bishops, Sean Tyla and Eddie & The Hot Rods start getting grittier with their rhythms – the guitar-and-harmonica manic-side of Dr. Feelgood influencing the lot of them. Salacious and even questionable is what you might call the leery "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (a ribald Randy Newman cover) – The Jess Roden Band letting rip with slide guitar and brass backing (Tom Jones, are you listening). Very much leaning into Funk with a little Punk on the side – Strapps hit us with jive and groove in the brilliant "Schoolgirl Funk" – although the naff lyrics would raise more than eyebrows in 2024. We race to the finish of CD2 with the mighty Phil Lynott and the Thin Lizzy Classic Rock masterpiece "Jailbreak" (March 1976 on Vertigo) – the first of two great LPs for 1976 ("Johnny The Fox" would be the other in November). Always with his way of penning a melody inside the riffage – the lovely and cool "Romeo And The Lonely Boy" features great solos too from Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham. 

Always loved the amazing Rock & Roll larynx of Gary Holton fronting the snot-nosed Boogie Band Heavy Metal Kids – once considered a replacement for Bon Scott after his loss for AC/DC - but drug dependency would eventually get the better of Holton. The Heavies and their "She's No Angel" will not win political-correctness awards any day soon for its less than enlightened lyrical content – but a worthy inclusion it is still. Not so sure though that I need the get-up-and-dance of Supercharge who come on sounding like some horrible hybrid of Kool & The Gang and Boney M (oh dear). Better finishers are the potence of what is to come – two 45s from Chiswick Records – Joe Strummer of The Clash inside The 101'ers (named after the house-number squat they lived in at Walterton Road in Maida Vale) and the hairy-assed boogie of The Gorillas – Pub Rock evolving into something deeper and more effecting than any of us could have known.

CD3 opens with the swagger brass of Moon lusting after a lady who is not leaving much to the poor boy and his imagination in "Don't Wear It". Chris Spedding was an ace axeman and long-time session-player but his "Bedsit Girl" is hardly gripping stuff. Time to go Soulful Rock - twice – Gonzalez doing a smooth cover of the Looking Glass hit "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)" from 1972 and Scotland's Cado Belle fronted by the fabulous vocals of Maggie Reilly impressing with their wrong-side-of-despair "Stone's Throw From Nowhere". Cado Belle made only one self-titled album on Anchor Records (1976) and a 4-track EP in 1977 (see my separate review for a Cherry Red CD Remaster of that nugget). Cado Belle were a very popular band in Dublin at the time – the tune and LP sounding not unlike Boz Scaggs meets Average White Band balladry – impressive stuff. But for heart-pounding bliss – I am lost to Graham Parker with The Rumour – represented here with a revved-up Previously Unreleased live version of the fab "Back To Schoolboys" – oh yes baby.

Even after all these decades, I'm still seriously impressed by Paul Weller inside The Jam trashing their three-piece way through the Larry Williams mod R&B dancer "Slow Down" – God damn but The Jam were amazing right from the get-go - unbelievable energy and commitment. Unfortunately, even with the powerhouse vocals of Huey Lewis fronting Clover their contribution "Ain't Nobody Own Nobody's Soul" is weaker than I would like - while the Darts medley of The Rays (1957) and Little Richard (1956) Vocal Group and Rock & Roll hits "Daddy Cool/The Girl Can't Help It" is an inspired choice - not just as cover versions - but placed here to liven up proceedings. We hit a very cool run of boppers - The Pleasers with their wickedly good "Rock 'n Roll" (what a great Unreleased inclusion) and a never-heard-it-before Demo version of "Young Lust" from Philip Rambow – the Canadian sounding like a anger-shaking Graham Parker (I loved that 1979 "Shooting Gallery" album from Rambow on EMI back in the day). Surprisingly smooth and even a tad out of place, I still nonetheless adore Chris Rea's debut 45 on Magnet "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" – his knack with a great melody screaming through the string-laden smooch. 

Pleasant surprise comes in the shape of ex-Brinsley Schwarz songwriter Ian Gomm doing a shiftily moody re-run of a Chuck Berry Chess Records classic "Come On". Smart audio follow-on comes from Rockpile mainman Billy Bremner doing "Creature From The Black Lagoon" – a very Dave Edmunds song because most of us lads know it from the Edmunds Swan Song Records LP "Repeat When Necessary". Time for some Stray Cats-type Rockabilly as Matchbox go "Gunning For The Dog" – pistol in hand – and revenge on their minds cause some fool ran their baby down. But good as Matchbox are – they get pummelled into the dust by an incendiary studio version of The Pirates doing Mick Green's "Shakin' All Over". I had honestly forgotten just how Punk this rocker was from the autumn of 1978 – wow! Despite their great band names – neither Sniff 'N' The Tears nor The Fabulous Poodles impress that much with two neither-here-nor-there 45s. Meal Ticket take a classic by The Band from 1970 and do a half-decent boogie version of "The Shape I'm In". Back to English eccentricity and musical innovation – Squeeze popping yet another great 45 – sunlight on the lino waking up our hero in the morning – but the "Goodbye Girl" in the hotel room from the night before is gone. Unfortunately, CD3 kind of limps home with two so-so singles from Streetband and The Meron Parkas – saved by a perfect finisher – a snotty head-jerking Dr. Feelgood-type Rocker from The Inmates singing the praises of late Seventies London.

If I am completely honest – I was expecting to be scorched by "Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" - but instead I got burned in some places then only mildly singed in others. But you must hand it to Grapefruit for assembling what I think is some of the best unreleased material on a threesome CD compilation I have ever heard. Throw in the myriad discoveries and fond remembrances of bands long forgotten – and you can understand why so many purchasers have loved this jaunt down dirty streets and into dank and sweaty bars with a stage smaller than a postage stamp. Pub Rock was cheap - it was cheerful and at times – it was fucking magnificent.

For a liberal dose of the vice that's nice – a squeeze or two in the lush backrooms of The Hope & Anchor with Nancy Naturals & Her Nighty Lesses – then "Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies" is the saucy barmaid for you. Recommended…

"Deep In The Woods: Pastoral Psychedelia & Funky Folk 1968-1975" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Fat Mattress, Knocker Jungle, Duffy Power, Meic Stevens, Paul Brett, Open Road, The Woods Band, Dando Shaft, Arrival, Jade Warrior, Linda Hoyle, Bridget St. John, Mellow Candle, Amber, Fuchsia, Miller Anderson, Heron, Sunforest, Friends, The Occasional Word, Alan James Eastwood, Wizz Jones, Zior, Yvonne Elliman, Linda Lewis, Bill Nelson, Jade, The Occasional Word and more (November 2022 UK Strawberry 3CD 54-Track Compilation with Simon Murphy Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Woods-Pastoral-Psychedelia-1968-1975/dp/B0BF5NJDG1?crid=1NQBDENV2Q1UZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.U-YBbh7a7O7TW8WYehcMOw.0IX1kgqVN2ANIyYUlRhtOCYT4MrXzWj-B2y5f63-XaY&dib_tag=se&keywords=5013929431232&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1731778247&sprefix=5013929431232%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1&ufe=INHOUSE_INSTALLMENTS%3AUK_IHI_3M_AUTOMATED&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=8260194879da4284cd640b86b18179c2&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

RATINGS 

Overall **** to *****

Presentation ***

Audio **** to *****

"...Face From The Past..."

Despite a lot of gushing 5-star reviews everywhere you look on the Net - initially, I had to dig in deep to actually like this themed mishmash from UK reissue label Strawberry (part of the Cherry Red label roster). It's more of a 4-star experience for me. But I'm glad I did. 

I kept replaying "Deep In The Woods..." because it's been collated by compilation-forming genius JOHN REED – a man of major pressed-trousers class who knows his onions like only a handful of others in the UK would do (John literally formed the first Record Collector Rare Records Price Guides back in the 90s day - all entries). John's knowledge is legend and Reed knows what collectors crave (John ran Sanctuary Records, formed probably in excess of 150 compilations from their vast catalogue, did liner notes, licensing, photos, unearthed unreleased etc). So you expect brilliance, and more often than not, thankfully, that's what you get. 

But it took me time to hear it and I suspect others of my dotage may feel the same. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of unknown and forgotten brilliance on "Deep In The Woods: Pastoral Psychedelia & Funky Folk 1968-1975" for sure, but there's also evidence as to why many of these artists remained obscure. And the clumsy-to-touch dull-looking fold-out DigiPak-packaging with its strangely underwhelming lesser booklet is not doing "Deep In The Woods..." any favours either. 

This thing looks and feels clunky when it should ooze reissue-class like any number of 3CD Clamshell Box Sets from Grapefruit or Esoteric or Universal that I have reviewed and loved this last decade or so. Still, the Audio is uniformly great for such a disparate number of sources and there are tremendous discoveries worth owning - the kind of compilation that will inform and send you down paths you didn't know or have ignored. 

There's a lot to unpack, so here's to the Funky Folks, the Faces from the Past, the Wooden Ships that pass in the smoke-swirling night and your common-as-muck Sitar-driven right-on Faerie Lore...

UK released 18 November 2022 - "Deep In The Woods: Pastoral Psychedelia & Funky Folk 1968-1975" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Strawberry CRJAM012T (Barcode 5013929431232) is a 3CD 54-Track Compilation of Remasters that plays out as follows (I've provided release dates and catalogue numbers, not in the book):

CD1 (78:08 minutes):

1. Lady Jane - FAT MATTRESS (from their second and last album "Fat Mattress II", UK released October 1970 on Polydor 2383 025)

2. Not Even A Letter - KNOCKER JUNGLE (from the 1970 UK LP "Knocker Jungle" on Ember NR 5042)

3. I Need You - DUFFY POWER (from the 1973 UK LP "Duffy Power" on Spark SRLM 2205)

4. Face From The Past - MIKE HURST [ex The Springfields with Dusty Springfield] (from his debut solo LP "Home", US released 1969 on Capitol ST 619)

5. I Wanna Stay Here - RAY FENWICK (from the July 1971 UK LP "Keep America Beautiful, Get A Haircut" on Decca SKL 5090)

6. Natural Gas - HARDIN & YORK [Eddie Hardin and Peter York] (from the July 1971 UK LP "For The World" on Decca SKL 5095)

7. Mother Earth - OPEN ROAD [Donovan's Backing Band] (from the August 1971 UK LP "Windy Daze" on The Greenwich Gramophone Company Records GSLP 1001)

8. Motherless Child On A Merry-Go-Round - PAUL BRETT (from his 1973 debut album "Paul Brett" on Bradley's Records BRADL 1001)

9. Noisey Johnny - THE WOODS BAND (from the December 1971 UK Debut LP "The Woods Band" on Greenwich Gramophone Company Records GSLP 1004 - featuring Gay and Terry Woods - Terry later with The Pogues, Gay with Auto Da Fe - and Tony Reeves of Colosseum and Greenslade)

10. Yorric - MEIC STEVENS (from the June 1970 UK Debut LP "Outlander" on Warner Brothers WS 3005)

11. You Just Can't Believe What You See - MARC ELLINGTON (from the July 1975 UK LP "Marc Time" on XTRA Records XTRA 1154)

12. Crystal Blue - ALAN JAMES EASTWOOD (from the 1971 UK LP "Seeds" on President PTLS 1037)

13. La Virra - ARRIVAL (from their debut LP "Arrival", UK released August 1970 on Decca SLK 5055)

14. Cold Wind - DANDO SHAFT (from their July 1970 UK Debut LP "An Evening With Dando Shaft" on Young Blood SSYB 6)

15. Hymn To Valerie Solanas - LINDA HOYLE [of Affinity] (from her November 1971 UK Debut Solo LP "Pieces Of Me" on Vertigo 6360 060)

16. Nova Sketch - NIRVANA (from the February 1972 UK LP "Songs Of Love And Praise" on Philips 6308 089)

17. Castle Sand - BRIAN DAVISON'S EVERY WHICH WAY [ex The Nice] (from the October 1970 UK Debut LP "Brian Davison's Every Which Way" on Charisma CAS 1021 - band featured singer Graham Bell, ex Skip Bifferty)

18. Yellow Eyes - JADE WARRIOR (from the December 1971 UK LP "Released" on Vertigo 6360 062)

19. Buffalo - WRITING ON THE WALL (June 1973 UK 45-single on Pye 7N 45251, Non-LP B-side of "Man Of Renown")

CD2 (77:36 minutes):

1. Wooden Ships - CHRIS (Christine) HARWOOD (from the March 1973 Debut (and only) LP "Nice To Meet Miss Christine" on Birth Records RAB 1 - a Buffalo Springfield cover version - features Dave Lambert of Strawbs, Roger Sutton of Jody Grind, Tommy Eyre of Joe Cocker's Grease Band and more)

2. Fly High - BRIDGET ST. JOHN (from the June 1972 third album "Thank You For..." on Dandelion/Polydor 2310 193 - John Martyn guests on treated electric guitar)

3. Rain - DANDO SHAFT (from their July 1970 UK Debut LP "An Evening With Dando Shaft" on Young Blood SSYB 6 featuring Polly Bolton, Martin Jenkins and Dave Cooper)

4. Lord And Master - HERON (from their November 1970 UK Debut LP "Heron" on Dawn Records DNLS 3010 featuring guitarist Gerald Moore later of G.T. Moore & The Reggae Guitars)

5. Silversong - MELLOW CANDLE (from the April 1972 UK Debut LP "Swaddling Songs" on Deram SDL 7 featuring Clodagh Simonds, Alison and David Williams, Frank Boylan and William Murray - "Silversong" was also on a UK 7" single in February 1972 on Deram DM 357, the B-side of "Dan The Wing") 

6. Murdoch - TREES (from their February 1971 UK Second and Last Studio Album on CBS Records S 64168 - featuring Celia Humphris, David Costa, Tobias 'Bias' Boshell, Barry Clarke and (Stephen) Unwin Brown)

7. Foothills - KEITH CHRISTMAS (from his October 1974 Fourth UK LP "Brighter Day" on Manticore Records K 53503 - featuring Ian McDonald of King Crimson on Keyboards, Pete Solley of Paladin on Synths with Production by Greg Lake of ELP)

8. Morning Way - TRADER HORNE (from the March 1970 UK Debut LP on Dawn Records DNLS 3004 - featuring Jackie McAuley of Them and Judy Dyble of Fairport Convention with Guests Ray Elliott of Them and John Godfrey

9. Shadows 'Cross My Wall - MILLER ANDERSON (from the June 1971 UK Debut LP "Bright City" on Deram SDL 3 (Anderson was later with The Keef Hartley Band) - featuring Guitarist Neil Hubbard of The Grease Band and Juicy Lucy, Lyn Dobson on Flute with String Arrangements by Junior Campbell of Marmalade)

10. Time Is My Enemy - THE GHOST (from the 1970 UK Debut (and only) LP "When You're Dead - One Second" on Gemini Records GME 1004 - featuring Paul Eastment of Velvet Fogg, Terry Guy of The John Bull Breed and Jazz Vocalist Shirley Kent) 

11. Flowering Cherry - KEVIN COYNE (September 1972 UK 45-single on Dandelion 2001-357, Non-LP B-side of "Cheat Me")

12. Hangin' On An Eyelid - SECOND HAND (from their April 1971 UK Debut LP "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" on Mushroom Records 200 MR 6 - featuring Ken Elliott and Kieran O’Connor later with Seventh Wave)

13. Shoes And Ships - FUCHSIA (from their November 1971 UK Debut LP "Fuchsia" on Pegasus Records PEG 8 - featuring Tony Durant of Punchin' Judy and Madeline Brand)

14. Place In The Country - MIKE HURST (from his June 1971 UK Second LP "In My Time" on Capitol ST 21819 featuring Ray Fenwick of Quiver)

15. Swan In The Evening - AMBER (1971 UK recording issued 2000 on the Limited Edition 10" LP "Pearls Of Amber" on Shagrat Records ENT 008 - featuring Ray Cooper of Elton John's Band, Julian McAllister, Mac MacLeod of B.B. Brothers with Keith Relf Producing)

16. The Inevitable Fate Of Ms. Danya Sox - GLOBAL VILLAGE TRUCKING COMPANY (from the March 1975 UK Debut (and only) LP "Global Village Trucking Company" on Caroline Records C 1516 featuring James Lascelles and Jon Owen)

17. Jug Of Love - MIGHTY BABY (from their second and final studio album "A Jug Of Love" - released October 1971 in the UK on Blue Horizon Records 2931 001 - Produced by Mike Vernon - band featured Ian Whiteman, Martin Stone, Alan 'Bam' King (later with Ace), Michael Evans and Roger Powell)

CD3 (76:24 minutes):

1. Magician In The Mountain - SUNFOREST (from the Debut (and only) LP "Sound Of Sunforest" released January 1970 on Deram Nova DN 7 (Mono) and SDN 7 (Stereo) - Stereo Mix Used)

2. Crying To Be Heard - CHRISTINE HARWOOD (from the March 1973 Debut (and only) LP "Nice To Meet Miss Christine" on Birth Records RAB 1 - a Traffic/Dave Mason cover - features Dave Lambert of Strawbs, Mike Maran, Peter Banks, Ian McDonald of King Crimson, Jeff Matthews of Design, Peter York of Hardin & York)

3. City Of The Angels - WIZZ JONES (from his June 1972 UK fourth LP "Right Time" on CBS Records S 64809 - featuring Pete Berryman of Famous Jug Band, Andy Fernbach and John Renbourn of Pentangle)

4. Lady Of The Lake – JADE WARRIOR (from the December 1972 UK Third LP "Last Autumn's Dream" on Vertigo 6360 079)

5. Oh To Be Free – KNOCKER JUNGLE (from the 1970 UK LP "Knocker Jungle" on Ember NR 5042)

6. Silver Coin – BRIDGET ST. JOHN (from her June 1972 third album "Thank You For..." on Dandelion/Polydor 2310 193 - written by Terry Hiscock of Hunter Muskett - Gordon Huntley of Matthews Southern Comfort plays Pedal Steel Guitar)

7. In The Morning – FRIENDS (1972 recording originally only on a commercially unreleased Acetate Album called "Fragile" – finally CD issued 2005 on Acme ACLN1007CD – band featured Bill Aitken, Peter Howell and John Ferdinado)

8. Lotus Child – ALAN JAMES EASTWOOD (from his 1971 UK Debut LP "Seeds" on President Records PTLS 1037 – issued as "Alan James Eastwood" in the USA on Bang Records BLPS 225)

9. Bun – THE DEVIANTS (from the June 1968 UK Debut LP "Ptooff!" on Impresarios IMP 1 – featuring Mick Farren)

10. Amongst Anenomies – JADE (from the August 1970 UK Debut (and only) LP "Fly On Strangewings" on DJM Records DJLPS 407 – featuring Marianne Segal and Dave Waite, James Litherland of Colosseum, Pete Seers (later with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship) with Terry Cox of Pentangle)

11. The Death Of Don Quixote – PRINCIPAL EDWARDS MAGIC THEATRE (from their August 1969 UK Debut LP "Soundtrack" on Dandelion Records S 63752)

12. Hawaii – YVONNE ELLIMAN (from her November 1973 UK LP "Food Of Love" on Purple Records TPS 3504 - Produced by RUPERT HINE - guest musicians included Pete Townshend of The Who, Mick Grabham of Bandit and Cochise, Simon Jeffes of The Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Caleb Quaye and Ray Cooper of Hookfoot and Elton John's Band, Peter Robinson of Quatermass and Brand X, Ann Odell of Blue Mink, Chopyn and Roger Glover's Band with Rupert Hine of Quantum Jump)

13. The Evil Venus Tree – THE OCCASIONAL WORD (from the 1969 UK Debut (and only) LP "The Year Of The Great Leap Sideways" on Dandelion Records S 63753)

14. Goblets And Elms – IAN A. ANDERSON (from the November 1970 UK LP "Royal York Crescent" on The Village Thing Records VTS 3)

15. Rejoice – BILL NELSON (later Be-Bop Deluxe) (from his November 1971 UK Debut Solo LP "Northern Dream" on Smile Records LAF 2182)

16. Time Is The Reason – ZIOR (from their early 1973 German LP "Every Inch A Man" on Global/Interchord Records 26009-1 – had been called Monument and their debut LP "The First Monument" was released October 1971 in the UK on Beacon Records BEAS 15)

17. New Horizon – CURTIS KNIGHT with ZEUS (from their 1973 Debut (and only) German LP "Sea Of Time" on Philips 6305 208)

18. Reach For The Truth – LINDA LEWIS (from her October 1972 UK Second LP "Lark" on Reprise Records K 44208)

Co-ordinated and Project-Managed by JOHN REED and RICHARD NORRIS - the 28-page booklet nestles in the left flap and has photos of the artists and bands that have always hovered around all-things Folk-Rock, Acid-Folk, Funky-Folk, Pastoral-Psych and so on. Not surprisingly the three to four-figure album names are here – Mellow Candle (an advert for their lone Deram LP on Page 4), Trader Horne and their "Morning Way" album on Dawn, an orange-label CBS original of "Right Now" by Wizz Jones. There is a scene-setting preamble by RICHARD NORRIS (written August 2022) that recalls CND marches, LSD popping, getting it together in the country in children-of-the-soil-communes, the London UFO club, the cultural explosion that started in 1967 with the Flower-Power Summer Of Love and all that Transcendental Meditation searching for meaning in an increasingly violent world.

Beginning on Page 9, Norris then does artist-by-artist paragraphs as they appear on the compilation (it can mean that when there are two tracks by bands like say Dando Shaft, Bridget St. John, Knocker Jungle and more - you must flick back to the details which is a bit of a pain). Every entry though has some kind of representation of the artist - a photo woven alongside the text – the Duffy Power album by promo photos of say Tim Renwick or Paul Brett or Welsh folky Meic Stevens. There’s a collage two-page spread in the centre pages that shows you stuff like a Hastings Pier gig for Global Village Trucking Company or the rare Euro LP artwork for the Curtis Knight with Zeus LP. Although some will no doubt say this is perfectly acceptable - I still think unfortunately that Strawberry should avoid using this DigiPak Card Flap format for future releases because it feels naff and flimsy when the effort involved warranted something more akin to a Clamshell Box Set with three individually pictured card sleeves. The Audio by SIMON MURPHY – a name very familiar to us that buy these things – is shockingly good given the disparate sources. To the tunes…

CD1 kicks off with the Noel Reading Polydor Records vehicle Fat Mattress talking about wearing no shoes and walking down leafy lanes where he stumbles upon a girl with a ribbon in her hair (top class audio). The Acoustic Folk-Funk starts proper with the Knocker Jungle LP from 1970 on Ember Records – their "Not Even A Letter" full of strangulated vocals and lingering flute. Uptempo a notch with Duffy Power – great audio on his by-my-side "I Need You" – but the plinking-plonking clavinet pastoral stop-and-start Mike Hurst is trying to be groovy and just about getting there (lyrics from it title this review). The compilation then throws up its first real gem in my books - "I Wanna Stay Here" by Ray Fenwick of The Spencer Davis Group and Quiver (later with The Sutherland Brothers) – the acoustic strums lining you up for a cool flanged chorus – sort of like Terry Reid on a six-string tip. 

Time to rightly Funk things up with Hardin & York (Eddie Hardin and Peter York) searching for "Natural Gas" – a very sexy and cool groove – gonna make it on one of Funky-Funky CD comps with a bullet. Continuing a slightly Santana-does-Latin vibe – the backing band for Donovan called Open Road give us "Mother Earth" – a call-to-arms for a planet hurting – environmental sun sinking down into the sea. Guitarist Paul Brett (worked with Strawbs, Al Stewart, Roy Harper and many more) utilizes Mike Piggott on Violin (good track rather a great one) while a huge array of acoustic instruments fill your living room for The Woods Band instrumental "Noisey Johnny" – gorgeous audio. Time to go Sitar, Tabla and Flute tripping-out with what has to be one of the musical prizes offered on "Deep In The Woods…" – Welsh folky Meic Stevens and his highly sought-after "Outlander" on Warner Brothers – his "Yorric" sounding astonishingly contemporary a full 54-years after the event. More gorgeous guitar and even better production values for Marc Ellington sounding uncannily like Mark Knopfler in 1975 (American Ellington living in the UK at the time was a backing vocalist on the Fairport Convention album "Unhalfbricking"). His "You Just Can't Believe What You See" is surely another highlight on this 3CD set.

Compiler Norris cleverly slows things down with the lovely acoustic-funky jaunt of "Crystal Blue" by Alan James Eastwood [ex Brumbeats and Exception] – the first of two tracks from his sought-after "Seeds" LP of 1971 on President Records. Finally we get proper Pastoral-Prog meets The Nice with the Arrival instrumental "La Virra" -a jagged brute that comes complete with Beefheart jerky beats and yes – a Bass solo. Huge audio for the first of two superb Dando Shaft tracks – the first being "Cold Wind" – that signature acoustic sound they made courtesy of Martin Jenkins with vocals from Kevin Kempsey and Dave cooper (Jenkins would later duet and work with Bert Jansch on the "Avocet" album from 1978). Great stuff. Taking no prisoners either lyrically or musically – Linda Hoyle of Affinity takes on all-comers with her men-out-to-trap-you funk-boogie track "Hymn To Valerie Solanos" – a wee beastie of a song dedicated to the leader of SCUM (The Society For Cutting Up Men) – and in a business dominated by dogy men – you can so hear why Linda dug the rage in this song. 

The run of CD1 ends with some very cool inclusions – first up being a 1:50 minute Piano-and-Tabla funky instrumental by "Nirvana" called "Nova Sketch". Post their Island Records full-on hippy albums, this dinky insert features members of Jade Warrior so is more Trippy-Prog. Next up is Brian Davison and his band Every Which Way (ex The Nice) who managed one LP on Charisma Records in 1970. Sounding not unlike Traffic getting their harmony-vocals together in a Sussex cottage – the flute and guitars play off each other as the tune-amble heads towards six minutes. Back to pretty Prog-Pastoral (complete with gorgeous audio) – Jade Warrior give us more Flute and Acoustic in their "Yellow Eyes". CD1 closes with a huge band on the scene – Writing On The Wall – and their obscure 1973 B-side they did called "Buffalo". All doom-laden Mellotron and Tambourine backbeat – the bass booms before the echoed vocals start – but good as it is – beware - it's very hissy and sounds like it's been dubbed off a well-used record. 

CD3 improves over CD1 and 2 immediately. The very epitome of Funky-Folk - "Magician In The Mountain" by the Vic Smith produced Sunforest turned up on the May 2008 Decca/Deram 3CD Clamshell Box Set "Strange Pleasures: Further Sounds Of The Decca Underground" as an overlooked gem (see separate review for that excellent box). You can so hear why the Christine Harwood album "Nice To Meet Miss Christine" is sought after - a very cool trippy blend of layered Rotary Connection-type voices over a Funky Sax and Piano groove that you might hear in a hip West End cafe bar then rush to the counter wanting to know where this Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and The Trinity track has been all your life. Superb third-track follow-up comes in the brilliant six-minute shape of Wizz Jones (produced by Pentangle's ace guitarist John Renbourn) on how his lady-chasing trip to Los Angeles went while sounding like a Funky-Acoustic guitar showcase version of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with Graham Nash singing lead. Fantastic stuff.

Track 4 on CD3 then goes Prog-mellow with strummed and treated guitars floating over a Tabla beat and a hippie-swirling flanged vocal for "Lady Of The Lake" from Vertigo darlings Jade Warrior. I kinda like the Mungo Jerry-ish 'oh to be free to do what I want to do' vibe in Knocker Jungle's "Oh To Be Free" (a good discovery for me) but it's whomped by the genuine beauty of a second Bridget St. John contribution to the compilation - "Silver Coin" - an aching ballad about words and good men written by Terry Hiscock of Hunter Muskett with Gordon Huntley of Matthews Southern Comfort playing Pedal Steel to her Nico-voice. Rare and taken from a Remastered Acetate - the Friends track "In The Morning" lets the side down a tad – a forgotten song lost to time for a reason. But then an immediate pick-up in the strings-and-acoustic-acid feel to "Lotus Child" by Alan James Eastwood – our Al getting all Eastern mysticism on our Western Tabla-toned asses. CD3 winds down towards Soulful types like Yvonne Elliman and the ever-popular Folk-Soul of Linda Lewis and her "Lark" album right through to early Prog Rock soundscapes of Bill Nelson pre-Be-Bop Deluxe.

I initially struggled a little with "Deep In The Woods: Pastoral Psychedelia & Funky Folk 1968-1975" - but on repeated listens - the battle very definitely paid off. There is so much to discover here and I'm glad I persevered. Nice one boys - but next time - go for the pride of a Clamshell Box Set because this much effort deserves it…

"Bubblerock Is Here To Stay! The British Pop Explosion 1970-1973" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – featuring David Essex, The Sweet, Middle Of The Road, Bay City Rollers, Mungo Jerry, Lieutenant Pigeon, White Plains, Harmony Grass, Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs, Blue Mink, Marmalade, Kenny, Bill Fay, Peter Skellern, Millie, pre 10cc groups with Kevin Godley - Graham Gouldman and Lol Crème - Hotlegs - Festival - Grumble and more, The Tremeloes, Pickettywitch, Fumble, Paintbox, Piglets, Sparky, Pluto, Jonathan King – Pseudonym Acts and UK Records, Fickle Pickle, Design, Pete Dello, Flanelcat and more (October 2020 UK Grapefruit Records 3CD Capacity Wallet with Card Sleeve Artwork and Booklet – Simon Murphy Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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Classic Rock and Beyond 

1970 to 1974 - Volume 2 of 2 

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"...Don't Stick Stickers On My Paper Knickers..."

Fab 208, Pan's People, Ray Dorset's humungous sideburns, British DJs Dave Lee Travis and Kid Jensen with equally bulbous headphones grinning like Marty Feldman as they plug the latest 45-hitmaker, The Sweet in a wigwam bam, Lead Vocalist Sally Car of Middle Of The Hot in her Hot Pants (oh yes), The Bay City Rollers dreaming of shortbread, midriffs and tartan scarves and those earnest Strawberry Studios geezers in 10cc pre Rubber Bullets and The Wall Street Shuffle - God bless em all!

My fellow-sufferer/reviewer of all things Pop and Rock – The Punk Panther - has called this fascinating October 2020 3CD 85-Track trawl through the whiffy lavatories of English bubblegum rock (and other suchlike horrors) both appalling and thrilling at one and the same time. And you know what, I think the erudite lad has it nailed. I was kind of dreading this 1970 to 1973 pop-light listen (and I was right too in some cases), but then something weird happened – tune discoveries, an open mind and several bottles of paint-stripping Grappa convinced me otherwise. 

Grapefruit Records has built up a rep amongst bonkers-collectors and ancient aficionados like moi and "Bubblerock Is Here To Stay! The British Pop Explosion 1970-1973" is surely a good example as to why. Having said that, I can't in all honesty say that everything here is going tickle many fancies. But it will make anyone who was there for those first four astonishing years of the Seventies smile and occasionally even move them. The 1971 original of Mungo Jerry's "Lady Rose" on that Dawn Records EP for instance is quite rightly featured because it isn't dismissive cack – "Lady Rose" is perfectly lovely melodic harmonica-shuffling Pop that crosses over into the Rock genre (a nugget you overlooked). And I found quite a few more similar veins like that (the wickedly good pre 10cc band called Festival and the Northern Soul vibe of Brenda Arnau). 

So let's get to the Neanderthal Man, Groove with Mr. Bloe and lay it on Johnny Reggae (Reggae) - you big girl's blouse...

UK released Friday, 30 October 2020 - "Bubblerock Is Here To Stay! The British Pop Explosion 1970-1973" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Grapefruit Records CRSEG080T (Barcode 5013929188020) is a 3CD Capacity Wallet set of 85 Remastered Tracks and plays out as follows: 

CD1 (79:14 minutes):
1. Groovin' With Mr. Bloe - MR. BLOE (March 1970 UK 45-single on DJM Records DJS 216, A)
2. It's The Same Old Song - THE WEATHERMEN (December 1970 UK 45-single on B&C Records CB 139, A)
3. The Banner Man - BLUE MINK (June 1971 UK 45-single on Regal Zonophone RZ 3034, A)
4. Come On Around - PAINTBOX (October 1972 UK 45-single on President PT 384, A)
5. 17 - SIMON TURNER (November 1972 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 20, A)
6. That Same Old Feeling - PICKETTYWITCH (January 1970 UK 45-single on Pye 7N 17887, A)
7. Friend Of Mine - Dr. MARIGOLD'S (April 1972 UK 45-single on CBS Records 7986, A)
8. Feedback - MAJORITY ONE (from the July 1971 Italian LP "Majority One" on Jolly LPJ 5109) 
9. Pollution - GINGERBREAD (April 1971 UK 45-single on Pye 7N 45054, A)
10. Neanderthal Man - HOTLEGS (June 1970 UK 45-single on Fontana 6007 019, A)
11. I Fought The Law - POSSE (November 1973 UK 45-single on Santa Ponsa PNS 9, A)
12. Alexander Park (Palisades Park) - FUMBLE (July 1973 UK 45-single on Sovereign SDV 121, A)
13. Emma Louise - STUD LEATHER (February 1973 UK 45-single on Dart ART 2024, A)
14. Circus Girl - CLIFFORD T. WARD (from the September 1972 UK LP "Singer Songwriter" on Dandelion 2310 216)
15. My Little One - THE MARMALADE (February 1971 UK 45-single on Decca F 13135, A)
16. Gay Girl - JONATHAN KING (August 1970 UK 45-single on Decca F 13069, B-side of "Cherry, Cherry")
17. Dirty Old Man - LIEUTENANT PIGEON (from the February 1973 UK LP "Mouldy Old Music" on Decca SKL 5154)
18. Summer Feeling - PAUL GABRIEL (June 1972 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 3, A)
19. Tawny Wood - THE ANSWERS (January 1972 UK 45-single on Spark Records SRL 1058, B-side to "Give Me All That I Need")
20. My Little Girl - AUTUMN (August 1971 UK 45-single on Pye 7N 45090, A, a Harmony Grass cover version)
21. Hello, Hello, Hello - STORMY PETREL (June 1971 UK 45-single on CBS Records 7271, A)
22. Turn Me On - THE MATCHMAKERS (from the April 1971 UK LP "Bubblegum A-Go-Go" on Chapter One CMS-R 1004)
23. Sha La Ley - THE SECRETS (November 1972 UK 45-single on Spark SRL 1083, A)
24. Hello Goodbye - SPARROW [featuring Elaine Paige] (April 1971 UK 45-single on Spark SRL 1052, A)
25. Travellin' Man - TRISTAR AIRBUS (January 1972 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2170, B-side to "Willie Morgan" - B-side "Travellin' Man" written by Graham Gouldman and features most of 10cc as the backing band)
26. Sunday Girl - DUNNO (November 1971 UK 45-single on M and M Records FFMS 10013, A)
27. Top Ten Record - RICK PRICE (January 1971 UK 45-single on Gemini GMS 017, A)
28. Leap Up And Down - ST. CECELIA (April 1971 UK 45-single on Polydor 2058 104, A)

CD2 (79:41 minutes):
1. Johnny Reggae - THE PIGLETS (October 1971 UK 45-single on Bell BLL 1180, A)
2. Dreams Are Ten A Penny - KINCADE (September 1972 UK 45-singl eon Penny Farthing PEN 796, A)
3. Wig-Wam Bam - THE SWEET (September 1972 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2260, A)
4. I Like It That Way - THE TREMELOES (May 1972 UK 45-single on CBS Records CBS 8048, A)
5. It Ain't Easy - THE SAD (November 1971 UK 45-single on Phoenix NIX 124, A)
6. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? - TINA HARVEY (September 1973 US 45-single on UK Records 45-49016, A - a Rolling Stones cover)
7. Baby Walk Back - GUMM (November 1970 UK 45-single on M and M Records FFM 10001, A)
8. Popsicles And Icicles - THE ANGELETTES (August 1972 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 11, A)
9. Da Doo Ron Ron - GRUMBLE (June 1973 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2384, A - a Crystals cover)
10. Big Fat Oranguman - JUNGLE JIM (August 1971 UK 45-single on Pye 7N 45092, A)
11. Loop Of Love - SHAG (August 1972 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 7, A)
12. Don't Stick Stickers On My Paper Knickers - X-CERTIFICATE (September 1973 UK 45-single on Spark SRL 1096, A)
13. Mayfair - MILLIE (March 1970 UK 45-single Trojan TR 7744, A)
14. On The Dole - ARTHUR'S MOTHER (March 1971 UK 45-single on Polydor 2058 093, A)
15. When You Are A King - WHITE PLAINS (May 1971 UK 45-single on Deram DM 333, A)
16. Cowboy Convention - CALIFORNIA BREAKMEN (April 1972 UK 45-single on M and M Records FFMS 10016, A)
17. Lady Rose - MUNGO JERRY (May 1971 UK 45-single 4-Track EP on Dawn DNX 2510, Track 1, Side A)
18. Sweet Water - JEFF ASTLE (November 1971 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2147, A)
19. Cecilia - HARMONY GRASS (February 1970 UK 45-single on RCA Records RCA 1932, A - a Simon & Garfunkel cover)
20. It's My Party - BUBBLEROCK (from the August 1972 UK LP "Bubblerock Is Here To Stay!" on UK Records UKA 1 – a Leslie Gore cover)
21. Rupert - JACKIE LEE (November 1970 UK 45-single on Pye 7N 45003, A)
22. Crickets - PETER COWAP (July 1970 UK 45-single on Pye 7N 17976, A)
23. Rag-A-Bone Joe - PLUTO (October 1971 UK 45-single on Dawn DNS 1017, A)
24. Round And Round - RICKY WILDE (February 1973 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 28, a Marty Wilde song and B-side of "April Love")
25. Come Into My Heart - RUSTY HARNESS (November 1970 UK 45-single on Ember EMBS 295, A)
26. Warm Me - FESTIVAL (October 1972 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2275, A)
27. She Left I Died - TERRY DACTYL & THE DINOSAURS (May 1973 UK 45-single on UK Records UK R 39, A)
28. Hang On Sloopy - SAKKARIN - (July 1971 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2107, A - a McCoys cover)

CD3 (79:46 minutes):
1. Suspicion - VIVIAN STANSHALL and GARGANTUAN CHUMS (December 1970 UK 45-single on Fly Records BUG 4, A - an Elvis Presley cover - 'chums' included Keith Moon and John Entwistle of The Who)
2. Golden Oldie Show - STARDUST (August 1973 UK 45-single on Sonet 2036, A)
3. I Can't Hide - BILL FAY - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (Recorded 1972)
4. Harry The Earwig - PETE DELLO & FRIENDS (from the July 1971 UK LP "Into Your Eyes” on Nepantha 6437 001)
5. The Rolly Pole Coaster - BUGGY (February 1970 UK 45-single on Parlophone R 5832, A)
6. I Want To Go Back There Again - (BRENDA) B.J. ARNAU (January 1972 UK 45-single on Mojo 2092 028, A - Berry Gordy song, Chris Clark cover)
7. The Jet Song (When The Weekend's Over) - DESIGN (April 1971 UK 45-single on Epic EPC S 7119, A)
8. Lamplight - DAVID ESSEX (November 1973 UK 45-single on CBS Records S 1902, A)
9. California Calling - FICKLE PICKLE (November 1971 Dutch 45-single on Negram DEX 03, A)
10. My Sweet Potato - BUTTERWICK (February 1972 UK 45-single on MAM Records MAM 63, A)
11. You Got A Good Thing - TOUCHWOOD (March 1972 UK 45-single on Ember EMBS 314, A)
12. Jennifer Please - GARY WARREN (August 1971 UK 45-single on President PT 344, A)
13. Keep On Dancing - BAY CITY ROLLERS (June 1971 UK 45-single on Bell Records BLL 1164, A)
14. Hello Blinkers - KEV and LOL (Original 1970 Release, Uncredited Promo-Only 45 on Inter City/Strawberry Studios IC 1215)
15. Our Jackie's Getting Married - PETER SKELLERN (November 1972 UK 45-single on Decca F 13360, A)
16. Nursery Lane - CHRISTYAN (November 1972 UK 45-single on Decca F 13275, A - featuring David Paton and Billy Lyall pre formation of Pilot)
17. Today - RICH TEA (September 1972 UK 45-single on Dart ART 2014, B-side of "Sing Me, Swing Me")
18. Samson And Delilah - MIDDLE OF THE ROAD (June 1972 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2237, A)
19. You Gotta Have It Sometime - SPARKY (October 1972 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 16, B-side of "(Do You Remember That) Summertime Woman?")
20. Who Is The Doctor? - JON PERTWEE (November 1972 UK 45-single on Purple Records PUR 111, A - features Rupert Hine)
21. Timothy Jones - ROD THOMAS (May 1972 UK 45-single on Cube records BUG 19, A)
22. Today's A Tomorrow - CRUSH (June 1973 UK 45-single on Santa Ponsa PNS 3, A)
23. Don't You Know (She Said Hello) - BUTTERSCOTCH (March 1970 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 1937, A)
24. Heart Of Stone - KENNY (January 1973 UK 45-single on RAK Records RAK 144, A)
25. Living Right Next Door To An Angel - SUMMER WINE (March 1973 UK 45-single on Philips 6006 238, A)
26. Beep Beep - THE BUMBLES (June 1972 UK 45-single on Purple Records PUR 107, A - featuring David Curtiss of Curtiss Maldoon and John Cann of Atomic Rooster and Hard Stuff)
27. Drivin' Drivin' - HIGH NOON (May 1970 UK 45-single on CBS Records S 4972, A)
28. Yer Big Girl's Blouse - FLANELCAT (March 1973 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 33, A - by Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann)
29. Bubblerock Is Here To Stay - BUBBLEROCK (September 1972 UK 45-single on UK Records UK 14, B-side of "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock") - Jonathan King using a Pseudonym

Some have decried Grapefruit for abandoning the glossy 'clamshell mini box set' format and instead lumbering us with what is now called a 'capacity wallet' - a sort of thin card slipcase housing (in this case) individual card sleeves (generous playing times too in all three cases, a snip below 80-minutes) and a 40-page booklet (see photos provided). I'm easy one-way or the other, but for sure the clamshell box is sturdier and feels more substantial. Still, let's deal with what we do have. 

DAVID WELLS has done stunning liner notes before, packed with info and titbits that amaze and make you giggle into the bargain. Here DW digs deeper still, providing individual entries for each song sat alongside the photo displays that are both awesome. Speaking of displays in the booklet. As you can see from the listings above, each CD is largely made up of UK 7" singles and as anyone knows, most only came with label bags - UK Records, CBS, Decca, RCA Victor and so on. In order to provide visuals, someone has sought out those rare 'Euro' variants almost all of which came with exclusive pic sleeves of the bands/artists – the kind of shots collectors love. On top of that you are treated to period photos of 'Look In' magazine, sheet music for "Neanderthal Man" by Hotlegs (pre 10cc) and snaps of both the ladies in the audience of 'Top Of The Pops' and Pan's People as a trio posing in gold lame on its stage (Louise Clark, Babs Lord and Dee Dee Wilde looking hotter than a pepper sprout).  

Some of this stuff is funny and even plain weird. Little will prepare you for the shot of both The Who's Keith Moon and The Bonzo's Vivian Stanshall dressed up in Nazi uniforms to promote a Christmas single in 1970 (well of course they were) or the cherubic nice-tie and haircut teen Gary Warren sat straight-faced by the demonically-bearded Catweazle from the popular British TV show (Warren was literally one of The Railway Children in that Jennifer Agutter film) about to sing a B-side penned by the writer of Psych classics for City Smoke and Orange Seaweed. 
And if that wasn't enough, on disc 2, the playlist veers into rude innuendo and Benny Hill smut when X Certificate urges you to "Don't Stick Stickers On My Paper Knickers" while "My Boy Lollipop" Millie poses literally in the buff for her "Mayfair" 45. Disappointingly (and I know many will weep over this) - St. Cecilia's loose undergarments tune "Leap Up And Down" on CD1 where the picture sleeve is them literally in oversized underpants (apparently knickers was a very funny word in the early 70ts) – have been denied their topical follow-up "C'mon Ma (Burn Your Bra)" on this naughty clotheshorse of a compilation - a devastating blow I think you'll agree. What japes indeed! 

The 40-page booklet to "Bubblerock Is Here To Stay! The British Pop Explosion 1970-1973" is a fantastic and varied read, absolutely crammed to the gunnels with factoids that throw light onto artists and their tangled career trees. The SIMON MURPHY masters are a mixed bag of the good, the great and the just so-so. But I was so busy enjoying myself (or not) to notice audio compromises in such a huge number of acts. To the music...

CD1 opens strongly with the crowd-pleasing instrumental "Groovin' With Mr. Bloe" – the kind of cool tune that ends up in movies. But there are horrors lurking too – The Weathermen doing an insipid cover of The Four Tops Motown hit "It's The Same Old Song", the teen mulch that is "17" by Simon Turner and Jonathan King doing "Gay Girl" (oh dear). Discoveries and clever inclusions include a European LP-only track from Majority One and cracking songs from Stormy Petrel and Paintbox. Great Pop too from The Secrets and the lovely "Tawny Wood" by an obscure group called The Answers. And it still amazes me to think that the pre 10cc half-hearted seaside shuffle of "Neanderthal man" shifted over two million copies. 

We enter the world of the musically bizarre with Disc 2 where Nick Drake fans will find out that an unissued song of his called "Mayfair" was brought by his ace arranger Robert Kirby to Millie (of My Boy Lollipop fame) who then Reggae-fied it into a surprisingly dull effort on Trojan Records (God this is wrong on so many levels). With regard to the fab unsung hero that is Robert Kirby - see my review for the Ace Records CD compilation "When The Day Is Done - The Orchestrations Of Robert Kirby" (use Barcode 029667088022 to locate it). 

Jonathan King, his pseudonym bands and the UK Records label in general appear across all the discs - Shag, Sakkarin, Bubblerock and opening CD2 is the right tasty geezer Mavis of "Johnny Reggae" – a great deal more fun than I remember it. Productions values jump leaps and bounds for The Hollies meets The Moody Blues acoustic Rock of Kincade and their excellent "Dreams Are Ten A Penny". Discoveries include a creepy re-working of the Stones drug-tune "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?" by Tina Harvey, the wife who finds it hard to live with her bisexual husband in "It Ain't Easy" by The Sad (the BBC banned it for a while), and again the voices and productions of Gouldman and Crème in "Crickets" by Peter Cowap. Speaking of that band – the Festival tune "Warm Me" is such a hit but again didn’t make it. Neither here nor there looms large too in the West Bromwich Albion centre-forward come singer Jeff Astle or the awful "Rupert" by Jackie Lee. 

By the time we get to Disc 3, a case of diminishing returns and patience testing kicks in big time with tripe like Buggy or Pete Dello or Butterwick or Touchwood. But there is fun in the guitar pop of the Rich Tea B-side, the second 45 from David Essex "Lamplight" is welcome too (even if it borrows from a Leon Russell tune), and the lovely cover of the Berry Gordy-written Chris Clark tune "I Want To Go Back There Again" by B. J. Arnau – is a surprisingly sweet Northern Soul vibe in a compilation a million miles away from such things. Jon Pertwee tells Dr. Who fans "...through the cosmic waste, the Tardis flies..." in his distinctive and cool voice on "Who Is The Doctor?” while Design has those, Rotary Connection meets The Association harmonies on the go in a rather good tune called "The Jet Song..."

For sure, Grapefruit could be accused of trying to hold-in the fat belly of Seventies pop-light detritus with "Bubblerock Is Here To Stay! The British Pop Explosion 1970-1973", when they should lock it all up in a nuclear bunker and never let it out again for fear of contamination of vulnerable younger minds. But isn't that half the fun?

Where is a musical Playtex Girdle when you need one – right here baby...in a Capacity Wallet...