"...Music Soothes The Savage Beast..."
Collectors (not
surprisingly) have a bit of Felicity Kendal about Grapefruit Records. Every
time we clap eyes on one of their squished-to-the-gunnels reissues covering all
things 60ts, unwashed and eclectic (like this 3CD Box Set that deals with
British stargazing in 1968) - we think of our lysergic/pale ale youth, reach
for the enormo-pack Maalox antacid bottle and get a bit weepy and upset in the
tum-tums. Hell, I might even propose to Richard Briers (if Felicity won't have
me of course).
We love
Grapefruit Box Sets and this 2017 brute is no different. 78 wildly varied
tracks across 3CDs, a booklet crammed with more facts than a manual to building
a large Hadron Collider and pictures of disturbed men with even more disturbing
tastes in clobber and Day-Glo make-up. What's not to love...here we go...
UK released 10
November 2017 - "Looking At The Pictures In The Sky: The British
Psychedelic Sounds Of 1968" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Grapefruit CRSEGBOX040
(Barcode 5013929184008) is a 3CD Clamshell Box Set of 78-Tracks (two Previously Unreleased) that plays out
as follows:
Disc One (78:04
minutes):
1. Path Through
The Forest - THE FACTORY (October 1968 UK 7" single on MGM Records MGM
1444, A-side)
2. Father's Name
Is Dad - THE FIRE (March 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F 12753, A-side,
Withdrawn)
3. Gong With The
Luminous Nose - FLEUR DE LYS (May 1968 UK 7" single on Polydor 56251,
A-side)
4. Mind's Eye -
RAMASES and SELKET (September 1968 UK 7" single on CBS Records 3717,
B-side of "Crazy One")
5. Spontaneous -
THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN (from their June 1968 debut album "The
Crazy World Of Arthur Brown" on Track 613 005)
6. Lullaby
(Alternative Version) - GRAPEFRUIT (recorded January 1968, unissued at the
time)
7. I Will Not Be
Moved - CIRCLE PLANTAGENET (recorded late 1968, PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)
8. Sunday Best -
TURQUOISE (recorded August 1968, not originally issued)
9. My Son Jon -
THE ONXY (November 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17622, A-side)
10. The Fantastic
Story Of The Steam Driven Banana - LEGAY (February 1968 UK 7" single on
Fontana TF 904, B-side of "No-One")
11. Mr. Partridge
Passed Away Today - FORTES MENTUM (March 1968 UK 7" single on Parlophone R
5684, B-side of "Saga Of A Wrinkled Man")
12. Jabberwock -
BOEING DUVEEN and THE BATIFUL SOUP (May 1968 UK 7" single on Parlophone R
5696, A-side)
13. Haze Woman -
ANAN (June 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17571, A-side)
14. Talkin' About
The Good Times - PRETTY THINGS (February 1968 UK 7" single on Columbia DB
8353, A-side)
15. Sunday
Morning - GUY and DAVID - THE FIVE DAY WEEK STRAW PEOPLE (from the September
1968 UK LP "The Five Day Week Straw People" - Guy Mascolo and David
Montague)
16. Animal Magic
- THE GRADED GRAINS April 1968 recording, not originally issued)
17. She -
TUESDAY'S CHILDREN (November 1968 UK 7" single on Mercury MF 1063, A-side)
18. Mr. Lion -
THE MARMALADE (from the December 1968 UK LP "There's A Lot Of It
About" on CBS Records 63414)
19. Upstairs
Downstairs - GRAHAM GOULDMAN (February 1968 UK 7" single on RCA Victor RCA
1667, A-side)
20. Festival Of
The Harvest Moon - JOKER (recorded mid-1968, not originally issued)
21. So You Want
To Be A Rock And Roll Star - SUN DRAGON (from the November 1968 US LP
"Green Tambourine" on MGM Records CS 8090 - a Byrds cover)
22. Never Care -
EYES OF BLUE (from the December 1968 UK LP "Crossroads Of Time" on
Mercury SMCL 20134)
23. Nightmare -
THE GASS COMPANY (January 1968 UK 7" single on President PT 170, B-side to
"Everybody Needs Love")
24. In The Wee
Small Hours Of Sixpence - PROCOL HARUM (March 1968 UK 7" single on Regal
Zonophone RZ 3007, B-side of "Quite Rightly So")
25. Did You Die
Four Years Ago Tonight? - THE WEB (from the August 1968 UK LP "Fully
Interlocking" on Deram SML 1025)
26. Frederick
Jordan - THE GLASS MANAGERIE (September 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17615,
B-side of "I Said Goodbye To Me")
Disc Two (79:05
minutes):
1. Children Of
Tomorrow - MIKE STUART SPAN (February 1968 UK 7" single on Jewel JL 01,
A-side)
2. Dawn Breaks
Through - THE BARRIER (April 1968 UK 7" single on Eyemark EMS 1013, B-side
of "Georgie Brown")
3. Mr. Pinnodmy's
Dilemma - THE ATTACK (early 1968 recording, not originally issued)
4. Trying To Get
A Glimpse Of You - THE FREEDOM (June 1968 UK 7"single on Mercury MF 1033,
B-side of "Where Will You Be Tonight")
5. I Can Show You
- RUPERT'S PEOPLE (March 1968 UK 7" single on Columbia DB 8362, A-side)
6. Locked In A
Room - THE POETS (December 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17680, B-side of
"Alone Am I")
7. Bluebell Wood
- WIMPLE WINCH (recorded May 1968, not originally issued)
8. Technicolor
Dreams - THE STATUS QUO (from their LP "Picturesque Matchstickable
Messages From The Status Quo" on Pye NPL 18220)
9. Music Soothes
The Savage Beast - THE SPECTRUM (November 1968 UK 7" single on RCA Victor
RCA 1775,B-side to "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da")
10. Head For The
Sun - THE MOVEMENT (August 1968 UK 7" single on Big T Records BIG 112, A)
11. Midnight Love
Cycle - THE LUBS (recorded mid 1968, not originally issued)
12. Lovers From
The Sky -CONTACT (early 1968 recording, not originally issued)
13. Jamie's Song
- THE DEVIANTS (from the October 1968 UK LP "Disposable" on Stable
SLP 7001)
14. Sydney Gill -
THE SMOKE (May 1968 German 7" single Metronome B 1697, A-side)
15. Birthday -
PETER and THE WOLVES (April 1968 UK 7" single on MGM Records 1397, B-side
of "Julie")
16. Love Is A toy
- JON LEDINGHAM (March 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17488, A-side)
17. Yesterday Was
Such A Lovely Day - SADIE'S EXPRESSION (recorded April 1968, not originally
issued)
18. Omnibus - THE
MOVE (recorded March 1968, not originally issued STEREO version)
19. I Get So
Excited - REAL McCOY (September 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17618, A-side)
20. Mr. Golden
Trumpet Player - JUNIOR'S EYES (June 1968 UK 7" single on Regal Zonophone
RZ 3009, A-side)
21. Yellow
Rainbow - THE PICADILLY LINE (July 1968 UK 7" single on CBS Records 3595,
A-side)
22. Time Seller -
THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP (from the June 1968 UK LP "With Their New Face
On" on United Artists SULP 1192)
23. Pantomime -
TONY RIVERS and THE CASTAWAYS (April 1968 UK 7" single on Polydor 56245,
B-side of " I Can Guarantee You Love")
24. Go And Say
Goodbye - KATCH 22 (from the May 1968 UK LP "It's Soft Rock And All Sorts,
It's Katch 22" on Saga EROS 8047)
25. Cornflake Zoo
- ANDY ELLISON (May 1968 UK 7" single on SNB Records 55-3508, B-side of
"You Can't Do That")
26. Penny For
Your Thoughts - THE ALAN BOWN (from the November 1968 UK LP "Outward
Bown" on Music factory CUBLM1)
Disc Three (78:56
minutes):
1. Hold On -
JASON CREST (recorded November 1968, not originally issued)
2. Girl Of
Independent Means - HONEYBUS (September 1968 UK 7" single on Deram DM 207,
A-side)
3. Rainmaker -
RHUBARB RHUBARB (December 1968 UK 7" single on President PT 229, A-side)
4. Hello Enid -
THE MIRAGE (recorded March 1968, not originally issued)
5. Lucky Sunday -
EPISODE SIX (October 1968 UK 7" single on Chapter One CH 103, A)
6. What's The
Rush, Dillbury? - PARADOX (recorded early 1968, not originally issued)
7. Cave Of Clear
Light - THE BYSTANDERS (February 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17476, B-side
of "When Jezamin Goes")
8. Round And
Round - SKIP BIFFERTY (recorded August 1968, not originally issued)
9. Come On Down -
MOTIVATION (February 1968 UK 7" single on Direction 58-3248, A-side)
10. Country Life
- BLONDE ON BLONDE (November 1968 UK 7" single n Pye 7N 17637, B-side of
"All Day, All Night")
11. Virginia
Water - CATS PYJAMAS (January 1968 UK 7" single on Direction 58-3235,
B-side of "Baby I Love You")
12. Aeroplane -
JETHRO TOE (TULL) (February 1968 UK 7" single on MGM Records MGM 1384,
B-side of "Sunshine Day")
13. Rambling Boy
- TIMON (January 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17451, B-side of "Bitter
Thoughts Of Little Jane")
14. Ice Man - ICE
(March 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F 12749, A-side)
15. Now And Again
Rebecca - THE U (DON'T) NO WHO (recorded early 1968, not originally issued)
16. Felicity
Jones - THE WRITING ON THE WALL (recorded early 1968, not originally issued)
17. Sycamore Sid
- FOCAL POINT (May 1968 UK 7" single on Deram DM 186, B-side of "Love
You Forever")
18. Do You Dream
- CIRCUS (March 1968 UK 7" single on Parlophone R 5672, A-side)
19. Maxwell
Ferguson - BRASS TACKS (November 1968 UK 7" single on Big T Records BIG
114, A-side)
20. Pawnbroker -
BARBARA RUSKIN (recorded September 1968, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Demo Version)
21. Soft Winds -
THE ORANGE BICYCLE (recorded 1968, not originally issued)
22. Without You -
COCONUT MUSHROOM (recorded late 1968, not originally issued)
23. Haunted -
PETER THOROGOOD (July 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17577, A-side)
24. Which Dreamed
It - BOEING DUVEEN and THE BEAUTIFUL SOUP (May 1968 UK 7" single on
Parlophone R 5696, B-side of "Jabberwock" - A-side is Track 12 on
Disc 1)
25. Trot -
TURNSTYLE (November 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17653, B-side)
26. Pictures In
The Sky - THE ORANGE SEAWEED (April 1968 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17515,
B-side to "Stay Awhile")
I've raved about
Grapefruit's booklets before but this is an out-and-out humdinger, 42 pages of
wall-to-wall facts and photos so rare it boggles my already frazzled mind.
DAVID WELLS has compiled and annotated the set with contributions from good
name like JOHN REED while OLI MORGAN and NICK WATSON (at Fluid Mastering) have
struggled with the tangled web of sources. Audio is the same with all these 3CD
tomes - some tracks are shockingly good while the unissued recordings tend to
show their hurried production values. Still, taking a look at those disc
playing times (78:04, 79:05, 78:56 minutes) and the fact that they have somehow
unearthed yet two more Previously Unreleased rarities and the words 'value for
money' start rattling around my noggin. To the music of seaweed, beautiful
soup, wimple winches glass menageries and orange bicycles...
DISC ONE: Penned by none
other than Clifford T. Ward before solo fame would make his Home Thoughts LP a
fave in every bedsit in the land, The Factory smash open CD1 with "Path
Through The Forest" - the kind of British Psych 45 that has had fans
hiding the eBay receipt from the wife. Next up is The Fire, a trio featuring
Dave Lambert later of The Strawbs, who saw their UK-45 withdrawn because Paul
McCartney thought it needed punching up (they'd signed a publishing deal with
Apple). So it was remixed with extra guitars and a different vocal and
re-launched - but Macca's instincts were not matched with public interest and
it tanked. It appears here in all its daft-as-a-House-of-Commons-loo-brush
original form - a clever inclusion. Speaking of Edward Lear lunacy, future
Island and A&M Records LP boy Bryn Haworth lends his fab way with a slide
guitar to the rare and seriously desirable 45s of Fleur De Lys - here their "Gong With A Luminous
Nose" featuring a Gordon Haskell lead vocal also.
Other delights on
Disc 1 include a central heating salesman and carnival queen masquerading as
Ramases and his Goddess of Magic on their hokey CBS B-side, whilst Legay Rogers
(trading as plain old Legay in the 60s but became part of Gypsy in the
Seventies) also uses a flipside to inform us all of a steam-driven banana and
its tale of mushy woe (yeah baby). And the cod-Cockney accent in Turquoise's
unissued "Sunday Best" is surely the reason it was left in a can
marked 'unfit jellied eels - do not eat no matter what'. Whilst collectors will
lick their lips for rarities like Sam Hutt's wonderfully named Boeing Duveen
and The Beautiful Soup - a 45 outing that featured Tony Visconti in an early
Production role or the first incarnation of the Crimson-like Prog band Czar in
the shape of the impossibly rare Tuesday's Children - a Mercury Records 45 that
would hurt your bank balance a little too much.
DISC TWO opens with
an uber-rare seven I'll admit I've never seen, "Children Of Tomorrow"
by Mike Stuart Span - a mere 500 copies of this 60ts hymn to youthful
disillusion. Rarities continue with a truly obscure B-side from Londoners The
Barrier on the tiny Eyemark label - their "Dawn Breaks Through"
roaring into your living room like the sunlight depicted in its title. Speaking
of forgotten heroes, John Du Cann would leave The Attack eventually and be part
of "The Five Day Week Straw People" LP and the band Andromeda. Ray
Royer of Freedom provides the Traffic vs. Family B-side "Trying To Get A
Glimpse Of You" (a superb rare picture sleeve of it is featured on Page 16
of the booklet), while Guitarist and Vocalist Rod Lynon and Drummer Steve
Brendell of the wonderful Rupert's People would both show up in 1971 on John
Lennon's "Imagine" album (Marriott's Small Faces would have been
proud to call RP's 1968 slice of Itchycoo grooviness "I Can Show You"
their own).
Just before they
hunkered down to 12-bar nirvana in 1970 with "In My Chair" and
"Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon", our very own Matchstickable Status Quo
stumped up "Technicolor Dreams" which died as a single and indeed may
have been withdrawn or export only, explaining its huge price tag to collectors
(clever song choice though here, reminding us of their earlier side). Lizzy
obsessives will note that Brush Shiels of Dublin's Skid Row (Gary Moore
featuring) penned the fuzzed-up guitar barrage that is "Head For The
Sun" for the obscure Irish band The Movement, a group that also contained
Bassist Pat Quigley who would play for Lynott's pre Thin Lizzy outfit
Orphanage. I've never seen this seven let alone heard it - hell Wells and
Grapefruit have even managed (on Page 21 of the booklet) to find a 'New
Spotlight' Irish Magazine article of the day reviewing it! WOW! Other goodies
include the chipper B-side "Birthday" from Peter and The Wolves,
Eddie Hardin doubling on vocals with The Spencer Davis Group for their
excellent "Time Seller", Rick Wakeman later of Yes providing
keyboards to the Tony Visconti produced Junior's Eyes single "Mr. Golden
Trumpet Player" and The Alan Bown going all kick-ass Rock 'n' Rolla with
their LP-cut "Penny For Your Thoughts" - ending Disc 2 in style.
DISC THREE opens
with a hard-hitting geetar cover by Jason Crest of Rupert People's "Hold
On" while Honeybus continues the Jean Genie-type riffage on Ray Cane's
off-imitated "Girl Of Independent Means". Deep Purple fans will recognise
Ian Gillan and Roger Glover in Episode Six's "Lucky Sunday" (the Ian
Gillan sung B-side "Mr. Universe" can be found on Disc 3 of RPM's May
2017 mini 3CD box set "Night Comes Down: 60s British Mod, R&B,
Freakbeat and Swinging London Nuggets"). Lead Vocalist Bob Catley of
Paradox would later be in the hard and heavy Magnum while songwriter Clive John
of the much-regarded Welsh band The Bystanders penned their Strawberry Alarm
Clock-influenced "Cave Of Clear Light". Clever cover version choices
come in the shapely bum-wiggler of "Come On Down" as done by
Motivation, a sizeable hit for Every Mother's Son in the States. They weren't
the first to hear UK potential in its US groove - Motivation's stab at the
catchy tune following on from another British underground darling band The Gods
(featuring Mick Taylor and Ken Hensley) who had a go on Polydor Records in June
1967. As if to hammer home Motivation's song and personnel pedigree, the band
also featured Bassist Steve York who would later pluck strings for Deram's East
Of Eden, Vertigo's Manfred Mann's Chapter and Island's Vinegar Joe).
Tull fans will
probably already have the debut 45 with Mick Abraham's "Sunshine Day"
on the February 1968 MGM Records A-side, but here's a chance to cop the Len
Barnard and Ian Anderson penned flipside "Aeroplane" by Jethro Toe
(long-standing Tull member Glenn Cornick says it wasn't a misprint, but a
deliberate spite by the Producer who didn't think the band's agricultural
character name was 'cool enough'). Speaking of weird flips, Clash fans will
recognise Tymon Dogg associations with the band, but here Stephen Murray is
(his real name) as Timon for his own "Rambling Boy" - a single on Pye
that reputedly sold less than 130 copies. Keeping with cool future associations,
Ice and their wicked "Ice Man" song would see members of the band
blend into Linda Hoyle's much-vaulted Affinity on the newly minted Prog Rock
label Vertigo. Singer-songwriter Philip Goodhand-Tait penned both Circus songs
(produced by Manfred Man's Mike d'Abo) - a rare venture into Psychedelia for
him who would share labels with Elton John on DJM. And on it goes to the
delightfully titled Orange Seaweed and their "Pictures In The Sky"
that give the box set its name…
Without doubt
there will be even the most liberal-minded dude or dudette who will cop ears on
any of these discs and go yuck – the 60ts may have been innovative – but it can
stay 50 years behind. But I suspect they will be few and far between, because
in my book, this is yet another reason why collectors and fans love reissue
companies like Grapefruit with their passion, knowledge and need for us to
explore deeper into an astonishing time in musical history.
Even if the hip
60ts men and women featured here can't shoot anymore and their guns are maybe in
the ground (as Bob would later say in "Knocking On Heaven's Door") –
for me it's never too dark, too dark too see. A fab reminder of a fab time -check
this out and big time awards-city to all involved…
