For Goodness Sakes!

Liverpool's Swinging Blue Jeans created some of the finest pop rock records of the Merseybeat Boom, including the definitive recording of "Hippy Hippy Shake, " and yet their name is now a mere footnote in rock history. With the exception of The Beatles, many of Liverpool's popular groups found success fleeting once the Merseybeat tag became unhip and passe, and the Jeans were no exception. They continued recording until 1968, but were unable to repeat the success of 1963.

Like most Merseybeat bands, the Swinging Blue Jeans began as a skiffle group as early as 1957 (under the name The Bluegenes). They progressed to trad, changed their name, and developed a local following, which led to a residency in Hamburg's infamous Star-Club . While there, the Blue Jeans concentrated more on rock'n'roll, R&B and country. Upon return to Liverpool, the Blue Jeans obtained residencies at the Mardi Gras and Downbeat clubs. In early 1963, they were signed to the HMV label and recorded their first single, Ray Ennis' "It's Too Late Now," a prime example of the Mersey sound--melodic harmonies, yet musically powerful.

After the enormous success of "Hippy Hippy Shake," which reach number 2 on the UK charts, the lads repeated the same formula on their cover of "Good Golly Miss Molly," which only reached no. eleven. Their next single, a cover of "You're No Good," a song they discovered in a female fan's record collection, reached number 3, but this was to be their last big hit. Their next single was a major disappointment and did not reach the top 50, which in turn effected sales of their debut album. Before the Blue Jeans knew it, the Merseybeat era was over.

Anyone interested in learning more about Merseybeat should search out copies of Spencer Leigh's Let's Go Down The Cavern, and Pete Frame's The Beatles and Some Other Guys: Rock Family Trees. Leigh and Frame are acknowledged as the foremost Merseybeat experts, and their books are essential. I also recommend tracking down the BBC 2 1 hour special on Merseybeat based on Frame's Family Trees. The clip presented here shows the Blue Jeans performing at the 1964 NME Pollwinner's Concert.

(References:"The Swinging Blue Jeans" by Peter Doggett, Record Collector, Dec. 1982 p. 49 - 54; The Beatles and Some Other Guys by Pete Frame; various issues of Disc.)

"Who Are? What Are? THEM"

It seems quite appropriate that an entry on one of Ireland's most influential rock bands should appear on St. Patrick's Day.

The cryptic title of the entry is a quote from an April 1964 Belfast newspaper, the first bit of publicity Them received in their hometown, announcing a gig at the Maritime Hotel. The Maritime fostered a tremendous R&B scene in Belfast, including The Wheels, Just Five, The Bats, and Luvin' Kind. (If you would like to explore more Irish rock, I suggest snagging copies of Belfast Beat on the Big Beat label and Irish Rock: Ireland's Beat Groups 1964 - 1969 on the Sequel label. Great stuff!)

Originally known as The Gamblers, drummer Ronnie Millings, guitarist Billy Harrison, bassist Alan Henderson and keyboardist Eric Wrixon were soon joined by one of blues music's finest vocalists, Van Morrison. At the suggestion of Wrixon, the band took on a new name inspired by a 1954 horror B-movie about gigantic ants--Them. Famous DJ Jimmy Savile discovered the group and persuaded Decca executive Dick Rowe to sign them.

Them established themselves as the wildest blues/R&B group in Belfast--the Irish equivalent of the Animals or Pretty Things. Their live shows were supposedly phenomenal, with a level of intensity never fully captured in studio recordings. If Morrison was in the right mood, he would perform a 20 minute version of Them's best-known song, "Gloria." According to Morrison, "'Gloria' was one of the first songs I wrote. They tell me it's a classic. But it was a throwaway song. Written off the cuff" (Wilde, Uncut, July 2005, pg. 52). This "throwaway" inspired every garage band since, most notably Chicago's Shadows of Knight, who had the big U.S. hit, and punk goddess Patti Smith, whose unique interpretation remains unequalled. Other classic Them recordings include their interpretation of the blues standard, "Baby, Please Don't Go," "Here Comes the Night," "Mystic Eyes," and "I Can Only Give You Everything" (my favorite Them track.)

Morrison developed a reputation as "angry" and "difficult." He resented the intrusion on his personal life and refused to participate in press interviews. According to Morrison, "To start with, Them was a blues thing. When it stopped being that, it all went wrong....Them started out as something straightforward and it got twisted into something else. We became fodder, that's all" (Wilde 52). He soon left to pursue his illustrious solo career and is now revered as one of the all-time greatest singer-songwriters.

After Morrison's departure, Them ventured on, recording two psychedelic albums before settling on the harder rock sound of the time. Time Out! Time in for Them is a classic UK psych album, belonging in any psych fan's collection. The album is often undeservedly overlooked because of the absence of Morrison.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, and enjoy THEM!


(References: Uncut, July 2005; The Fab British Rock 'N' Roll Invasion of 1964 by Dave McAleer; Wikipedia; CD liner notes)

The Beatles - Extended Play Records

Here are some scans of EP covers from my collection, generously given to me by my friend and fellow collector, Jeff.

A Magnetic Wave of Sound

Perhaps Greg Shaw, one of rock music's most eloquent champions, put it best: The Move "created the absolute synthesis of commercial pop, heavy, metallic underground rock and experimental studio techniques." Having one of Britain's finest songwriters among the ranks certainly helped propel the Move into cult status as well; Roy Wood's quirky lyrics echo a purely British sensibility and compliment the Move's pop art sound and image. The classic Move line up included the shy, creative leader, singer and multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood. Lead singer Carl Wayne provided strong vocals, a pin-up face, and outrageous on-stage antics. The other members included Ace Kefford on bass, Bev Bevan on drums, and Trevor Burton on guitar. The Move's music ranges from freakbeat to R&B to power pop to psychedelia to California-style jams, covering a great deal of ground over four albums from 1967 to 1972.

Even down to their choice of band name, the Move punctuated the pop art music movement with their sensational live shows, which often included the violent destruction of television sets, cars, and effigies of Hitler. The Move also hold the distinction of being the only pop band to be sued by a Prime Minister--Harold Wilson--who won a libel suit against the band because their manager, Tony Secunda, had issued a promotional postcard insinuating that Wilson was having an affair with his secretary. To this day and in perpetuity, any royalties from the Move's "Flowers in the Rain" are given directly to charity. To Secunda, no publicity was bad publicity! However, the Move were much more than gimmicks--their music was sensational.

In 1970, former Idle Race leader and future Electric Light Orchestra mastermind, Jeff Lynne, joined the Move upon the exit of Carl Wayne. Roy Wood had been seeking an outlet for more experimental sounds and decided to form ELO out of the ashes of the Move. After a short time, Wood left to form Wizzard, and Jeff Lynne, still with drummer Bev Bevan, took ELO into the stratosphere.

The Move's catalog has recently been remastered and expanded into deluxe editions by the Salvo label, who also recently issued a 4 disc Anthology with many rare, previously unavailable tracks. Of course, the fan that I am recommends everything that the Move ever recorded. My friend Paul actually has an original mono copy of their first LP, as well as an original Something Else EP, which is the best way to hear them, I'm sure! As far as sound quality goes, the best in my collection is an old Pickwick The Move's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 LP--it can be found for cheap, and it sounds great! I also think the Movements box set is a great bet, but one would also need to get a seperate CD of Message From the Country, which was not included in the set (different record labels).

References: "The Move - The Five from Birmingham" liner notes by H.J. Simon, The Move Anthology 1966 - 1972 book included in the box set by Mark Paytress, and various articles.

The Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette

Another one of my all-time favorite bands that I am proud to present here in Wonderland....

The Small Faces began life with a fateful 1963 encounter between the two driving forces of the group--lead guitarist and powerhouse vocalist Steve Marriott, and bassist and vocalist Ronnie "Plonk" Lane. Marriott had been a child actor but had given that up to pursue a career in music. He was working as a sales assistant in the J60 Music Bar in London, an instrument shop where all the budding musicians would gather, when Lane walked in to purchase a bass. Lane had been playing guitar in his band, the Pioneers (which also featured future Face Kenney Jones on drums), but was looking to learn bass to make himself more valuable in the music community. The two young men immediately struck up a friendship. Marriott invited Lane to come back to his place to listen to the latest James Brown and Otis Redding records, and Lane invited Marriott to jam with the Pioneers. Eventually, the band line up was perfected by the dismissal of keyboardist Jimmy Winston (who went on to record a couple of great freakbeat tracks with Winston's Fumbs), and the addition of keyboardist Ian "Mac" McLagan. (I have posted a scan of the CD that Mac signed for me, one of my most treasured autographs.)

A quintessential Mod band , the name Small Faces originated when one of the lads' girlfriends commented on their small stature. The term "Face" was a Mod term given to a guy with a certain type of charisma, so when Annie remarked, "Cor! Ain't you got small faces," the name stuck! The Small Faces evolved musically, progressing from the soulful R&B of their beginnings on through to psychedelia and harder rock until Marriott left to form the heavy Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. With the addition of Rod Stewart and Ron Wood, the Small Faces then became the Faces, one of the best boozy, bluesy rock bands ever. After the Faces' breakup and the untimely death of Keith Moon, Kenney Jones became the drummer for the Who.

Ronnie Lane, ever the humble, spiritual soul, left the Faces when it all became too loud and crazy for him. He pursued his own musical vision and lived his life with great integrity. (For more on Lane, please watch the excellent documentary, The Passing Show.) Unfortunately, Multiple Sclerosis claimed Ronnie's life in 1997, and a house fire took the powerful Steve Marriott from us in 1991.

Some of the best CD collections of the Small Faces' music include the 2 disc Decca Anthology for the first part of their career, and the 2 disc Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette collection of Immediate Records material. My favorite of their albums, Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, has received the deluxe treatment from Sanctuary records--a 3 disc set with both the mono and stereo mixes, housed in a round metal tobacco tin.

References: Happy Boys Happy! A Rock History of the Small Faces and Humble Pie by Uli Twelker & Roland Schmitt and Small Faces: All Our Yesterdays by Terry Rawlings

Stones 45 Picture Sleeves

Presented here are my personal scans of some gorgeous Rolling Stones 45 picture sleeves, which were given to me by my friend Jeff. These pictures depict the Stones as the epitome of rock star cool, especially the "As Tears Go By" photo, which was also used on the UK Out of Our Heads and US December's Children (And Everybody's) LPs.

Oh! You Pretty Things...

"They invented everything and were credited with nothing," declares Arthur Brown, the God of Hellfire himself. Never has such an influential band been so outrageously underrated and neglected within the annals of rock history. Their influence encompasses diverse acts, such as the Who, the Velvet Underground, and true PT acolyte David Bowie (hence the title). Needless to say, the Pretty Things are among my all-time favorite bands, and I shall champion their legacy at any given opportunity.

The Pretty Things were born out of the same intense love for American blues and R&B that produced the Rolling Stones. In fact, both bands were formed in lead guitarist Dick Taylor's front room! Taylor, lead vocalist Phil May, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards became friends at Sidcup Art College where Taylor and Richards were students. The young lads shared a common obsession with Chuck Berry, Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, and Bo Diddley (a song of Diddley's gave the Pretties their name), often pooling their money together to order imports of American records. Taylor had played bass in an embryonic version of the Stones but left the band when the Stones decided to go "professional," a decision Taylor has never regretted. "I could have been Bill Wyman. Or I could have ended up face down in a swimming pool," he dryly observed in a 1999 interview (Pulse!, April 1999).

Joining Taylor and May for the first classic line up included John Stax on bass, Brian Pendelton on rhythm guitar, and a wild character that could even give Keith Moon a run for the money--Viv Prince on drums. With the help of manager Bryan Morrison (also the manager of Pink Floyd), the Pretties soon gained the reputation of being more dangerous, scruffy, dirty, and outrageous than the Stones could even think of being. Phil May was specifically singled out for having "the longest hair in Britain" to the horror of parents everywhere. Their early singles were crunching R&B of the Bo Diddley variety, and as Paul Du Noyer writes in the liners for the CD reissue of the Pretties' debut, the prototype for every garage band to follow in their wake.

After several tumultuous years and a line up change that left only Taylor and May from the original group, the Pretty Things recorded their masterpiece at EMI Studios in 1967--the year of Sgt. Pepper and Piper--the first rock opera, the magnificent S.F. Sorrow. Taylor and May were joined by bassist and songwriter Wally Waller, legendary figure and drummer Twink, and keyboardist John Povey. During the recording of the album, John Lennon would often poke his head in to tell the boys they were sounding fantastic. (In fact, according to Povey, George Harrison's sitar and Ringo Starr's drums were used during the sessions!) Apparently, a roadie shared by the Pretties and the Who took an acetate of S. F. Sorrow to a party at Pete Townshend's house. Pete proceeded to play the acetate continuously, thus becoming inspired to create his rock opera, Tommy. This is still a sore spot for all parties...

After the commercial failure of S. F. Sorrow, Taylor exited the group (later to return) but the Pretties persisted and recorded the brilliant concept album Rolling Stone magazine selected as the best of 1971, Parachute. Yet due to poor publicity, Parachute failed to sale in the US, making it the first Rolling Stone album of the year to not reach platinum level sales. In my opinion, it is as much a masterpiece as S. F. Sorrow. In between those albums, the Pretties recorded an album with rich French playboy, Philippe DeBarge, which had remained officially unreleased until now; Ugly Things records has released an LP edition, with a CD issue to follow in Februrary. (I was very lucky to get an autographed copy!)

The Pretty Things continue to perform and record to this day, and they're not going anywhere. If you are not aquainted with them, there's no better time than the present to discover their catalog. They are the epitome of the best elements of rock'n'roll--all the rebellion, the attitude, the experiementation, the freedom, the creativity. Long Live the Pretties--unbowed and unrepentant!

References: Pulse! April 1999, liner notes to The Pretty Things, Discoveries and Goldmine magazines, Mojo Psychedelic Special Edition 2005, etc.