Fabulous Forty-Fives

Presented here is a selection of single picture sleeves from popular British Invasion artists.

I miss 45s and the unique mixes, picture sleeves and artwork they often provided. Downloading a song from iTunes, though convenient, just doesn't have the same appeal as holding a tangible object in one's hands while savoring the sounds emanating from the speakers.

Check out the three Yardbirds picture sleeves - one with Clapton, one with Beck, and one with Beck and Page. Upcoming trips to Wonderland will include a Yardbirds scrapbook of vintage articles and promo pictures, as well as features on more groups from the British Invasion and beyond. Happy New Year!

A British Invasion Christmas!

Christmas on Earth Continued: December 22, 1967

To mark the Christmas season here in Wonderland, we are commemorating the last gasp of the British underground scene in 1967, the Christmas on Earth Continued festival, held on December 22nd at the Olympia in London. Billed as an "All Night Christmas Dream Party," the festival boasted an impressive line-up of some of England's best musical acts. Where else could one witness The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tomorrow, The Move, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Soft Machine, Pink Floyd and Graham Bond all on the same bill? Unfortunately, lack of publicity and a bitter winter freeze hampered attendance. The Who didn't show up, and the Grateful Dead, hoping to make their UK debut at the festival, were barred due to permit problems. Already, the festival appeared doomed.

The Olympia was a massive hall, as indicated in the rare photo of the Christmas on Earth stage posted above. Liquid slides and underground movies were projected onto every surface by three scaffolding towers. DJ Jeff Dexter recalls, "It was cold, although that summer seemed to go through to December. People were walking around in hippie clothes thinking it was still July." Steve Howe of Tomorrow (and later of Yes) remembers the event as momentous as well. "It was undoubtedly a major event," Howe notes. "After that, everything seemed like a bit of a hangover." "We got up on stage, played our set and hung out the whole evening. It was magnificent," relates Tomorrow's lead singer Keith West. "Later we watched some of the footage. The film looked absolutely brilliant."

The promoters had planned on releasing a film of the proceedings, but to this day the only footage to surface is that which is posted above: The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing "Sgt. Pepper," "Foxey Lady," and "Wild Thing." The film failed to emerge apparently because the filmmakers used cheap film stock which resulted in poor picture quality, and later, the film itself mysteriously disappeared. A distorted but interesting audio recording of Tomorrow's set was released in 1998 on the RPM label.

Sadly, the Christmas on Earth festival also marked Syd Barrett's last major show with Pink Floyd. By the time of the concert, Barrett had suffered a significant mental breakdown due to stress and excessive drug use, allegedly exacerbating symptoms of schizophrenia, though Barrett's sister denies this diagnosis. At the concert, Barrett was observed to just stand on stage with his guitar, his arms hanging limp at his side, while Roger Waters played the same bass line over and over again. After he left Pink Floyd, Syd went on to record two solo albums and numerous demos. Barrett was a sensitive, brilliant, beautiful man with immense intelligence and talent. Without him, Pink Floyd would have never existed, and to some of us, they never surpassed the works they created with Barrett at the helm (although those albums are indeed excellent).

The top picture in this post is of the fantastic psychedelic outfit, Tomorrow, followed by the Christmas on Earth stage, a promo poster, Pink Floyd celebrating Christmas with a traditional British Christmas Cake, another ad for the concert, and a rare photo of The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Soft Machine taken the night of the festival.

So to conclude our Christmas in Wonderland, I would like to wish you all a Happy Crimble and a very Gear New Year!

References: http://www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/dec1967.htm
Jon Newey's liner notes for the RPM release Tomorrow - 50 Minute Technicolor Dream
Watkinson and Anderson - Crazy Diamond: Syd Barrett and the Dawn of Pink Floyd

Instrumental Break

Presented here are some scans from the UK's premiere music magazine of the 1960s and '70s, Beat Instrumental. Geared toward musicians, Beat Instrumental featured articles and columns that focused on how the British bands created their sound and style. The magazine was published by Sean O'Mahony, who also published the official Beatles fan magazine, The Beatles Book, under the pseudonym of Johnny Dean.

I find the ads for various music shops in London, Glasgow, and other UK cities, as well as the ads for instruments and gear featuring popular musicians, to be very interesting historical artifacts that make the time period come alive. These classic ads for Rickenbacker, Vox, and Premier, companies that were integral to the British Invasion sound, reinforced the idea that their products were what every teenage boy needed to be a pop star. (I have to chant "Premier drums" from The Who Sell Out every time I see anything about them!)

The features on Dave Davies, Peter Quaife, Keith Moon and Bill Wyman (who wrote a column for the magazine) offer insight into their musical influences, personal thoughts about their instruments of choice, and the advice they would offer to fledgling musicians. When reading the final scan, the list of bands and their itineraries makes one wish it could be 1965 again.

Rhino's Rock Explosion: The British Invasion in Photos 1962-1967

Herman's Hermits

The Pretty Things

The Creation

Marianne Faithful

Sandie Shaw

Peter and Gordon

The Who

The Yardbirds

The Zombies

In the late '80s, Rhino Records began releasing a series of 9 CDs that provided a comprehensive overview of the British Invasion (Unfortunately, due to licensing issues, The Beatles could only be represented by "Ain't She Sweet," while The Stones and Who are not represented at all). Mastered by Bill Inglot, the discs boasted some of the best-sounding sources and rare mono versions of the era's singles. Because of these factors, the discs are highly sought after by collectors and fans. Rhino also included bands that were lesser known on this side of the pond, including The Pretty Things, Tomorrow, The Action and The Creation.

All 9 discs were released in boxed set format, accompanied by a book entitled Rock Explosion: The British Invasion in Photos 1962 - 1967, from which these scans were created. Although the boxed set commands exorbitant prices, individual volumes can sometimes be found used for reasonable prices. If you don't have the set, I highly recommend seeking each volume out! The photos in the book are quite nice as well. (Thanks to Jeff for the book!)

Where the Action Is

The Action were one of the best truly Mod bands of the '60s - not a contrived image here. The soulful singing of Reg King propelled them to a level above mere Tamala-Motown copyists into a whole other league, perhaps equal to that of the Small Faces, but without the corresponding record sales, unfortunately. Although a great deal of their singles were covers, the Action added their own style and sound to the tracks - high energy, excellent musicianship and tight vocal harmonies as well. The term "underrated" is often overused; however, I find it very appropriate here.

Formed in the Kentish Town section of London in 1963, The Action were first known as The Boyfriends (and later The Boys), serving as a backing band for a female vocalist Sandra Barry. The line up consisted of Reg King (vocals), Alan "Bam" King (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Mike Evans (bass), Roger Powell (drums) and later Pete Watson (lead guitar). When Barry began a solo career, The Boys carried on, releasing one single on Pye records comprised of two Reg King originals, "It Ain't Fair/"I Want You."

In 1965, The Boys became The Action, a name very much in line with the pop art monikers of the time, such as The Who and The Creation. As their reputation began to grow, The Action began filling the Marquee and Scene Club, treating audiences to their dynamic stage show. Eventually they came to the attention of Beatles producer George Martin, who signed them to his AIR (London) Production company, which led to a Parlophone contract. Their first single contained Chris Kenner and Martha & the Vandella's covers - "The Land of 1000 Dances" and "In My Lonely Room." Their next A-Side, a brilliant interpretation of The Marvellettes' "I'll Keep Holding On," should have been a smashing success, as it is probably the best British blue-eyed soul cover of a Motown hit. Another of their best singles was their final one for Parlophone, "Shadows and Reflections," released in June of 1967. Around this time The Action began recording demos for album of original songs with a psychedelic edge, which was originally entitled Brain. The album did not see the light of day until 1999, retitled Rolled Gold. An amazing collection as it stands; one could only imagine how it would have been if the songs had been fully realized in the studio.

With the disappointment of Brain being shelved, Reg King departed for a solo career, and the other members (with additions of Ian Whiteman and Martin Stone) continued as Mighty Baby, recording two albums of West Coast influenced psychedelic jams, which were extremely spiritual in tone. All the members of Mighty Baby (save one) converted to the Sufi sect of Islam, and soon found playing "amid a sea of beer and dope," as Martin Stone put it, to be incongruous with their beliefs.

For an introduction to the Action, I recommend the compilation Action Packed! on Edsel. From there, pick up the lost album, Rolled Gold. For completists, Circle Records released a 2 CD set of BBC appearances and a reunion concert from 1998, entitled Uptight and Outasight (which includes the Action's audacious cover of John Coltrane's "India"- how could one not love a band that would cover Coltrane?). From there, you may want to check out Mighty Baby's eponymous debut and Reg King's solo album, with guests Mighty Baby, BB Blunder and Mick Taylor (of the Stones).

(References: NME Originals: MOD, The liner notes to Action Packed by Alan Robinson, and the Mojo Special Edition: Psychedelic!)