"Looking At The Pictures In The Sky: The British Psychedelic Sounds Of 1968" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – featuring Fleur De Lys, Eyes Of Blue, Mike Stuart Span, The Orange Seaweed, Skip Bifferty, Rupert’s People, The Factory, Junior’s Eyes, The Smoke, Episode Six, Honeybus, Status Quo, Jethro Toe (Tull), The Writing On The Wall, The Spectrum and many more (November 2017 UK Grapefruit Records 3CD Clamshell Box Set – Oli Morgan and Nick Watson Masters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...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 Father's Name Is Dad - THE FIRE (March 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F 12753, A-side, Withdrawn)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…

"Engine 54" by THE ETHIOPIANS – Debut Album from 1968 on WIRL Records (West Indies Records Ltd) in Jamaica and Doctor Bird Records in the UK – features Leonard 'Sparrow' Dillon, Stephen Taylor and Aston Morris with Guests Albert Griffiths, Tommy McCook’s Supersonics, DJ Forsyth and more (May 2019 UK Doctor Bird 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue with 17 Bonus Tracks – Andy Pearce Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Train To Skaville..."

Like most Reggae and Ska fans I've been drooling and hippity-hoppity spooling to the steady stream of CD reissues provided by Doctor Bird Records (a subsidiary label of Cherry Red UK) in these last few years. And I've duly slavered over a good few by now.

But this wee jam-packed reissue beastie sporting the famous steam engine 'Engine 54' on its cover (preserved at the time by the island's Jamaican Railway Society) has to be the one that elicits just that little bit more Reggae In My Jeggae (if you know what I mean mama). Resplendent on a single mid-priced CD with a whopping 17 Bonus Tracks including many rare Rio, Crab, Doctor Bird and Trojan UK single sides new to digital - it's also mastered by one of my fave Audio heroes – Andy Pearce.

There's a steam load (oh dear) of detail to plough through, so once more my oily-rag friends of the Ska persuasion, and all aboard that glory Train To Skaville...

UK released 17 May 2019 - "Engine 54" by THE ETHIOPIANS on Doctor Bird DBCD-035 (Barcode 5013929273535) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster of a rare 1968 Jamaican Ska LP with 17 period Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (73:49 minutes):

1. Engine 54 [Side 1]

2. My Love

3. You Got The Dough

4. Train To Skaville

5. Give Me Your Love

6. Train To Glory [Side 2]

7. Long Time Now

8. Woman's World

9. Unchanged Love

10. Come On Now

Tracks 1 to 10 are their debut album "Engine 54" – released 1968 in Jamaica on WIRL Records WL 1053 and in the UK on Doctor Bird DLM 5011 (both issues Stereo). The Jamaican issue credits the title of the LP and the lead song as "Engine ‘54" on the label while the British pressed LP loses the apostrophe.

BONUS TRACKS:

11. You Are The Girl (August 1967 UK 7" single on Rio R 130, B-side of "Train To Skaville", Lead Vocals by Albert Griffiths)

12. I Need You (1967 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB 1092, A-side)

13. Do It Sweet (1967 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB 1092, B-side)

14. The Whip (1967 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB 1096, A-side)

15. Cool It Amigo (1967 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB 1096, B-side)

16. Stay Loose, Mama (1968 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB 1103, A-side)

17. The World Goes Ska (1968 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB 1103, B-side)

18. She-Boom (1968 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB 1141, B-side of "Come On Now" last track on the LP)

19. I'm Shocking (October 2011 UK 7" single on Trojan THB-7012, A-side)

20. Sign The Cheque (October 2011 UK 7" single on Trojan THB-7012, B-side)

21. You Didn't Answer (first appeared on the August 2011 5CD Box Set "The Story Of Trojan Records" on Trojan 2775354, Disc 2)

22. In The Park (first appeared on the 1973 UK LP compilation "Reggae Steady Go" on Rhino SRNN 7001)

23. Fire A Mus Mus Tail (1968 UK 7" on Crab Records CRAB 2, A-side)

24. Reggae Hit The Town (1968 UK 7" on Crab Records CRAB 4, A-side)

25. I'm A King (1969 UK 7"  on Crab Records CRAB 7, A-side)

26. What A Big Surprise (1969 UK 7" on Crab Records CRAB 7, B-side)

27. Ding Dong Bell (1968 UK 7" on Crab Records CRAB 4, B-side – A is Track 24)

NOTE: Tracks 23, 24, 25 26 and 27 originally credited to THE EARTHOPIANS, all others as ETHIOPIANS

The 12-page booklet with liner notes from LAURENCE CANE-HONEYSETT features a plethora of rare sights - the original British LP's label on both sides - a wall of nine rare Crab, Doctor Bird and Rio UK 45s with two rare foreign issues that actually afforded "Train To Skaville" picture sleeves of sorts. The album's rear sleeve artwork is on the back page, a photo of the three boys smiling as they give it some train-in-motion movement. But perhaps most amazing of all is the original tape reel box to eight of the album's cuts - not something you or I are going to find in a thrift shop any day soon. And typical of how good Laurence is, he’s spoken to and referenced Sylvia Dillon -

And the Audio is of course a mixed bag given the original recordings, but Audio Hero ANDY PEARCE has done the LP and single-sides proud - such an enjoyable listen and such bloody good fun. As "Engine 54" comes beep-beeping in during the songs fade in, you’ll be shocked at how clear it is and "Train To Skaville" just leaves me breathless – those brass jabs of Tommy McCook and his Supersonics now given that wee bit of oomph without too much distortion getting the better of it. So cool…

The two boys hanging out the famous locomotive (and still running at the time) are Leonard 'Sparrow' Dillon and Stephen Taylor - the third member of the original line-up Guitarist Aston Morris having left The Ethiopians at the close of 1966 to strike out on a solo career. The group's name reflected their Rastafarian beliefs, one of the first Jamaican acts to openly espouse their faith. After the Jamaican and British success of the "Train To Skaville" 1967 single – Number 1 in Jamaica and after entering the UK Pop charts in September 1968, breaking down barriers everywhere by going up to Number 40 – Aston Morris rejoined with Dillon and recorded a large swath of classic sides throughout 1968 – all of which are in the 17 Bonus cuts.

All of the ten tracks on this glorious but notoriously rare LP are credited to Lawrence Dillon except the lovely Fifties Vocal Group feel to the love song "My Love" which was penned by Michael Edgehill (aka Mickey Melody).

SINGLES:

As was the custom of the time, six of the album cuts were single-sides with four being new to the rare LP. The four UK singles in release date order were:

1. "Train To Skaville" b/w "You Are The Girl" issued as Rio Records R 130 in August 1967 (the B-side is Track 11 on this CD and wasn't on the original LP)

2. "Come On Now" b/w "She Boom" issued as Doctor Bird DB 1141 in 1968 (the B-side is Track 18 on this CD and wasn't on the original LP - it's a Reggae version of "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream)" made famous by The Crew Cuts in 1958)

3. "Engine 54" b/w "Give Me Your Love" issued as Doctor Bird DB 1147 in the UK in 1968

4. "Train To Glory" b/w "You Got The Dough" issued as Doctor Bird DB 1148 in the UK in 1968

The October 2011 issue of the two Leonard Dillon compositions "I'm Shocking" and "Sign The Cheque" on a Trojan UK 45 was a limited edition of 500 copies and their inclusion here is the first time they've been made available on CD (as far as I know). Speaking of shocking, you could argue that the seventeen bonus tracks are exactly that - a bonus double-album's worth of Ska goodies in the same ilk as the wicked original 1968 LP. 

"…Get on board, you don’t need no baggage, this train is bound to glory…" - the gay-feet boys sang on "Train To Glory". Well bind yourself to this one folks, because Skaville has never been nor sounded so enticing. Fab...

"The Apprentice" by JOHN MARTYN - March 1990 UK Album Originally On Permanent Records LP, MC and CD (August 2007 UK One World Records 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue with Five Bonus Tracks - Dallas Simpson Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Is This The Moment..."

A wee history for the wee laddie... Born 11 September 1948 in Surrey, England, but raised from an early age in Glasgow, Scotland - the 18-year old Iain David McGeachy finally made his way down to London in the summer of 1967. He busked during the day, slept in Trafalgar Square at night, got moved on by the fuzz in the morning and generally got by on a wing and a prayer. Prompted by his first agent, Sandy Glennon, and based on his love for their Acoustic guitars, he then dropped the i in Martin and replaced it with a far cooler y and wisely became JOHN MARTYN.

Then propositioned in a UK folk bar in Kingston, Surrey by producer THEO JOHNSON, he was brought to the attention of independent label genius CHRIS BLACKWELL. Chris took the equally wise decision to sign the curly haired troubadour to his wonderful record label, Island Records (his first white artist signing) and in October 1967 released the mono only ILP 952 (produced by Theo Johnson). It was Martyn's quietly lovely debut album "London Conversation". Recorded for a frankly exorbitant £158 in Pye Studios in Marble Arch, and still only a pimply 19, John Martyn was quite rightly hailed by the press and the public as a major new talent.

Some 14 studio albums later and especially after the relative failure of the well received but commercially underachieving "Piece By Piece" from 1986 - folks at Island Records were in a different mood. His new recordings left them unimpressed and him without a record label. After a semi-successful stint in the 80ts at Warner Brothers, the latter half of the decade saw him in the obligatory live-album wilderness until Martyn then signed to the relatively new Permanent Records in the UK. And in March 1990 he released "The Apprentice". And that's where this 2007 'Expanded Edition' remaster comes Rock-Souling in…

UK released 27 August 2007 - "The Apprentice" by JOHN MARTYN on One World Records OW130CD (Barcode 0604388690527) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster that plays out as follows:

1. Live On Love [Side 1]

2. The River

3. Look At The Girl

4. Income Town

5. Send Me One Line

6. Deny This Love [Side 2]

7. Hole Me

8. Upo

9. The Apprentice

10. The Moment

11. Patterns In The Rain

Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "The Apprentice" released March 1990 in the UK on LP, MC and CD on Permanent Records PERM 1 – the LP had 10 tracks and the Side 2 song "The Moment" was a Bonus on both the MC and CD. All songs are by John Martyn except “Patterns In The Rain” by Foss Patterson.

JOHN MARTYN – All Vocals and Guitars

TAJ WYZGOWSKI – Rhythm Guitar on Tracks 1 and 9

FOSS PATTERSON – Keyboards

ANDY SHEPPARD – Saxophone on Tracks 3, 5 and 6

COLIN TULLY – Saxophone on Track 2 and 8

DAVE BALL – Bass on Track 1

ARAN AHMUN – Drums

DANNY CUMMINGS – Percussion and Backing Vocals

DANUSIA CUMMINGS – Backing Vocals

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Deny This Love (Remix)

13. The Apprentice (Live)

14. The River (Live)

15. Send Me One Line (Live)

16. Look At The Girl (Live)

The four live tracks feature Spencer Cozens on Keyboards, Dave Lewis on Saxophone, Alan Thomson on Bass and Arran Ahmun on Drums. Track 13 first appeared on a CD single in 1990 and Tracks 14, 15 and 16 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED from a 1990 Tour

"The Apprentice" is not a great John Martyn album, it's a good one and fans will know what that means. Three or four cracking tracks, while the rest are either OK or no good at all. What was bad though about the original CD issue was the hugely underwhelming sound - very dull and compressed. The gatefold slip of paper that represented the original booklet too wasn't much better either - it barely gave musician credits and that was it. My original CD is now gold coloured through corrosion, but it still plays...

The tapes on this 2007 UK re-issue have been remastered by DALLAS SIMPSON and a nice job he's done too. It's much better - not spectacularly so but having A/B'd the two - it's definitely better. The booklet too is improved to 8 pages with extras like photos of the one CD single that came off the album "Deny This Love", the lyrics to "Send Me One Line" which was inspired by the '84 Charing Cross Road' book and film and finally, an album history by JOHN HILLARBY - keeper of the JM flame. But bizarrely enough, One World have forgotten to include the session men who actually played on it - the one scrap of info on the original inlay (so I've provided it above).

There are 5 bonus tracks and are a very mixed bag. Tracks 12 and 13 are the two exclusive songs on the "Deny This Love" UK CD single from August 1990 (Permanent CD PERM 1). The Remix of "Deny This Love" drops the awful Acapella beginning and is very much better for it, while the live version of "The Apprentice" could best be described as OK only. The last three are previously unreleased live versions from the 1990 "Apprentice Tour UK" and are the most disappointing of all. Not performance wise, but soundwise - they're covered in hiss and sound like they were dubbed off some crinkly old cassette tape - a real shame because the performances on "Send Me One Line" and "Look At The Girl" are particularly good. A real bummer that - and its easy to see why these two and "The River", the 3rd live track, were left in the can up until now. 

Highlights on the album include the beautiful ballad "Send Me One Line" and the equally soft and lovely album closer, "Patterns In The Rain". One of the great moments on the 11-track CD album is "The Moment" (a bonus track not on the vinyl LP) - and it was this I looked forward to hearing most. There's an acoustic guitar break in it that bursts out of the speakers - and this remaster has at last given that moment real muscle.

He followed "The Apprentice" with "Cooltide" in 1992, a much better album I think. I adore John Martyn and his truly fantastic soulful voice and achingly touching song writing. He could fart in a bottle and I'd still want to hear it.  Try "Send Me One Line", "Hold Me" or "Patterns" on iTunes and you'll hear what you've been missing.

PS: One World Records is the label imprint by VOICEPRINT of the UK dedicated to John Martyn's work. It features remastered reissues of his albums along with newly discovered titles from the archives. Titles so far include:

1.  "The Apprentice" from 1990, his 1st album in the UK for Permanent Records, it's original 11 CD tracks have had 5 Bonus Tracks Added (2007 UK release) (REVIEWED ABOVE)

2.  "Cooltide", from 1991, his 2nd album in the UK for Permanent Records - a gem of an album (see SEPARATE REVIEW)

3.  "Couldn't Love You More" from 1992, an album of 15 excellent re-recordings of his Island Label stuff, now remastered with two bonus tracks added (2007 UK release) (see SEPARATE REVIEW)

4.  "No Little Boy" from 1993, an album of 14 re-recordings covering his career from 1970 up to 1991, now remastered with 2 bonus tracks (2008 UK release)

5.  "One World Records Sampler CD", 14 Tracks, 1 of which is an exclusive live version of  "Amsterdam" recorded in Oxford, October 1982 (available online only)  (2008 UK release)

6.  "Live" - a new set with 20 tracks across 2CDs (2008 UK release)

7. "The Simmer Dim" – Live Album of Unreleased Material Recorded in Scotland in 1980 (June 2008 UK release)