Vanilla Gorilla Vinyl

Harpo - "Baby Boomerang"

2011-11-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

Baby Boomerang b/w Happy Birthday (EMI 1974 - German issue)

Many of you are already familiar with Harpo's biggest hit "Moviestar." Nearly all of his hits had that same bittersweet feel. Those are fine but, if you dig a bit deeper, you can find some real gems. Baby Boomerang is also on Harpo's first album, Leo the Leopard, which is worth having for the unlikely rocker "Help me Mama (I'm in love with a Llama), and a couple other great tracks.

Ariel Silber - "Movie Instead"

2011-09-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Movie Instead B/W When It's Time (AZ 1971 - Israeli issue)

It's been a while since the last post, so here's some top quality to make up for the poor quantity.

If you're living in Israel, the name Ariel Zilber is probably nothing new to you. On this and a couple other early released, he spells his surname as Silber. From what I gather, he's been one of the most prominent Israeli singer-songwriters for 40 years. There's plenty of information available on him if you read Hebrew. I don't, so I won't pretend to know much about him. (Ok, here's a google translation of a Hebrew blog) You tube has a fair amount of his clips, from the 70's, on to current stuff. I haven't had any luck finding any other tracks with this raw, almost proto-Belgian punk sound. The flip, also on the Hebrew blog, is mildly interesting; kind of like Steely Dan, meets a Pilot album track, meets Wings.

The single came out in France as well, with a black and white pic sleeve. He also did a couple other singles in the early 70's, but I haven't heard 'em.

Bunter - "Long Live the Queen"

2011-06-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Long Live the Queen b/w Jumping Jesus (Kuckuck 1973 - German issue)

What the hell is this?! The songwriting credit simply lists "Bunter." The only other name is producer Adrian Millar, who worked with The Rats/David Kubinec, and the Babys. I'd try to track him down, had he not died a few years ago.

Each side sounds like it's sung by a different person. "Long Live the Queen" sounds almost exactly like a lost Chicory Tip track; synthesizers, handclaps, and spot-on vocals.

The lesser of the two tracks, "Jumping Jesus," probably deserves to be here in it's own right. A mildly-blasphemous pop-psych-glam number, the handclaps aside, it doesn't bear any resemblance to the title cut. Check out the layered guitar solo!

Long Live the Queen

Jumping Jesus

Salix Alba - "Sweet Time"

2011-06-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

Oh Mama b/w Sweet Time (Bellaphon 1973 - German Issue)

Oh Mama sounds like a half-hearted take on "Just a Gigolo," but about getting stoned, rather than getting laid. *Yawn* Flip it over and, what's this.... here's a nice piece of glittery pop! There's a pinch of prog thrown in the mix but, thankfully, the song stays upbeat and catchy.

Aside from being Belgian, I'm not sure what their deal is. On the cover of their '73 LP (pictured above), two guys are costumed up as though they could be members of Chicory Tip or Lemming. I haven't heard it, but I have a hunch it's not going to sound as cool as it looks. Three of the four Salix Alba tracks I've heard have had that same awful Louis Prima sound. I'll hold out for a cheap copy.

Somehow, this track got a US release too, on STAX! This time it's an erroneously pluralized "Sweet Times." The A-side is "I Can't Resist," a different boring tune and, as I said before, not unlike that "Oh Mama" nonsense.

Keyboardist Marc Herouet was previously in Wallace Collection, a late-60's, early-70's Belgian orchestral pop group who had a fair amount of success in Europe. Recommended for fans of The Move.

Mabel - "I am a Hot Dog"

2011-06-05T00:20:00.000-07:00

I am a Hot Dog b/w I'm Tired (Starbox 1979 - Danish Issue)

Mabel can get a bit silly at times, and this is no exception. This one has plenty of redeeming qualities; brilliant, cheap-sounding keyboards, goofy lyrics about picking up women, and those RIDICULOUS fake dog sounds! It's pure campy fun.

For such a prolific band, I find it incredibly difficult to get any substantial info on Mabel. These Danes released their first of many (twelve?) singles in 1975, released a good five or so albums, and moved to Spain, before ultimately morphing into Studs around '81. They were pretty big with the teenybopper crowd, as the singer was young prettyboy Mike Tramp, better known for fronting 80's hairballs White Lion. Mabel had a lot of filler, but still many worthwhile tracks.

Spanish sleeve

Carl Wayne - "Way Back in the Fifties"

2011-03-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Way Back in the Fifties b/w Candy (Polydor 1975 - Dutch issue)

Here's the original singer for The Move, trying to stay relevant in the seventies. I remember my dad telling me once, how Carl Wayne was basically an uncredible "dork." Wayne reputedly left the band due to his desire to take The Move in a more cabaret direction. Of course, Roy Wood had different ideas, and he went on to be considered by many a pop genius, whilst Mr. Wayne pretty much waded through the trenches of the music industry.

This record, however, ain't half bad. Hey, the guy had a great voice! It seems pretty obvious that he was capitalizing on Roy Wood/Wizzard's fifties in the seventies formula, though with considerably less hair. Both sides were written and produced by the team of Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington, who had many successful projects under their collective belt, including writing "Sugar Baby Love." If you're into this track, it's pretty much the end of the road for good Carl Wayne records. Search his name on Youtube and, frankly, it reaffirms what my dad told me years ago. The solo stuff is mostly schmaltz. I have heard another Carl Wayne recording of this song, with slicker (more-recent?) production and a mock-fifties spoken intro. I'm posting the better version.

High Noon - "Drivin' Drivin'"

2011-02-22T22:47:00.000-08:00

Old Fashioned Feeling b/w Drivin' Drivin' (CBS 1970 - US issue)

High Noon was a studio project of Sundragon members Robert Freeman and Ian McLintock. These two had played together in various bands since the mid-60's, most notably in Sands, who gave us the fantastic "Listen to the Sky." Sundragon had minor hit, covering "Green Tambourine," and rushed out an album of mostly covers. When that momentum died, Freeman and McLintock released a handful of singles under various other band names.

"Old Fashioned Feeling" is your typical sunshine pop, somewhat like Edison Lighthouse. "Drivin' Drivin'" is the better cut. It starts out enjoyable enough, then the bridge kicks in and it goes from good to great!

Promo copies seem to be somewhat common. This was released in Japan in a picture sleeve. The Tapestry of Delights lists two more singles; the rather enjoyable "Dragonfly" b/w "Bring" Back That Love Again," and the rather elusive "Living is a Loving Thing" b/w "Blind Alley."

Lion - "In My Youth"

2011-02-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

In My Youth (same on both sides) (Mainstream 1969 - US promo issue)

I can't quite put my finger on this. I hear a bit of early Flamin' Groovies in this but, no, that's not it....

Here's the first of Lion's two 1969 singles on the no-frills Mainstream label. Promo copies like this, with the same track on both sides seem to be most common. I've also seen a copy listed with "It's Too Late" as the flipside, and another GEMM listing has "Ramrod" as the flip. The only thing I could find on this record is a copyright, listing Stephen Burgess and David Fuller as the writers. My guess is they're American. Does anybody know who they are?

I haven't heard the second single, "Natural Man" b/w "Sometimes I Feel Like Philadelphia," also written by S. Burgess. Um, help?

Bintangs "Ridin' on the L&N"

2010-10-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ridin' on the L&N b/w Down South Blues (1969 Decca - Dutch issue)

Here's a nice bit of Americana, by way of the Netherlands. I've been holding off on this one, until I had a (shitty) picture sleeve copy. Nothing like an Amsterdam flea market for finding the real deal! The Bintangs formed around 1959 and, in some form, are still going today. Their '68-'72 output is the most distinct, in my opinion. They had some incredible moments of pub rock glory in the mid-to-late-70's, but the albums were certainly more spotty after about '72.

This is an edit of the album version with a wisely truncated flute solo. The b-side is much more bluesy but also has a flute solo. Sometimes I can't help but laugh. What is the thing with Late 60's early 70's Dutch bands and flute solos?! Jethro Tull must have really spoken to the Dutch somehow. If you like this one, check out "Lion Tamer" and "I'm On My Own Again."

Hat and Tie

2010-09-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

Chance for Romance b/w California Jazz Club USA (1966 President - UK issue)

Simultaneously sounding exactly like early Kinks, AND completely original, Hat and Tie somehow came and went with little fanfare. At the core of the group were Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Chris Thomas, who had played together in R&B group Second Thoughts. They managed to release 2 excellent 45s on President, this one being far less acclaimed. Their other 45 included the swirling gem "Finding it Rough." If you haven't heard that one, do yourself a huge favor and click here!

After Hat and Tie, Campbell-Lyons formed the first, but lesser-known Nirvana, while Thomas produced some silly little album called Nevermind the Bollocks...

I usually don't post both sides, as I like to encourage people to collect records, rather than mp3s. I'm just too in love with this one, though. Here are both cuts:

Chance for Romance

California Jazz Club U.S.A.

Les Dollies

2010-08-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

Cherie Baby b/w Let's Dance Tonight (1977 HS - French issue)

Interesting sleeve.....Muppet drug-casualties? One person responsible for this record was media tycoon and current 102nd-richest person in America, Haim Saban. As the producer behind the Power Rangers, he made millions of annoying 90's kids think they knew martial arts. But thanks to this record, I can now almost forgive Saban for all the karate chops I received 15 years ago from my younger cousins.

"Cherie Baby" is the Four Seasons tune, with French lyrics. It's got a nice synth riff, a la Wings' "Wonderful Christmastime." Pretty light fare, but somewhat interesting. "Let's Dance Tonight" is more straight-forward glitter, with Kenny-esque vocals. The writing credit for the B-side is Kussa, which is rumored to be an alias of Saban, though I've also read he took a lot of credit for arrangements/writing he didn't actually do.

Cherie Baby

Let's Dance Tonight

Mersey Kids - "Keep on Rockin"

2010-07-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

Keep on Rockin' b/w Bee Side (1974 Pathe - French issue)

Pretty difficult researching this one. It appears to be just a studio project. The writing credits are B. Liamis, I. Gomez, and T. Lipton, and no producer is listed. Bernard Liamis seems to be one likely suspect. He put out a couple singles in the 70s, but his main claim to fame seems to be composing the music for "Un Train qui Part," Monaco's 1973 Eurovision entry. The cleverly-named "Bee Side," is a throwaway funky instrumental with only the occasional lyrics "beeee siiiiide."

Kenny - "Rollin"

2010-06-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Give it to me Now b/w Rollin' (RAK 1973- French issue)

If you don't know the A-side, well, perhaps it's time to check your record collection. The B-side, however, never seems to turn up on any best-of albums. I think it's well worth a listen. A Martin-Coulter composition, as with most Kenny releases.

Repton Boxing Club - "Jab and Move"

2010-06-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jab and Move b/w The Hook (1980 Bridge House - UK issue)

Here's nice little Cockney collaboration between actor/boxer Glen Murphy and Lea Hart of Slowbone/Roll-Ups. Backing vocals provided by the Boxers from Repton. Murphy is the son of Bridge House Pub landlord Terry Murphy. Slowbone played regularly at the Bridge House. Released on Bridge House Records, it's all pretty incestuous. Any fan of the Roll-Ups should appreciate this! The B-side (or "Round 2") is an instrumental version. Currently, there's an acetate of this on ebay with "Repton Boxing Machine" written on the label. Who knows, might even be a different version of the song.

FREE BLACK EYE with every copy!

Nicky Rolfe - "Ooh-Sha-La-La"

2010-05-25T01:21:00.000-07:00

Lucky Three b/w Ooh-Sha-La-La (1975 Bell - UK issue)

Nicky Rolfe was Barry Rolfe, who gave us the storming "Look the Business." As Nicky, he did two singles for Bell, with career sideman/producer Peter Solley co-writing and producing. With his combined 5 singles, somebody has got to know something about Barry/Nicky! Anybody??

The A-side is ok, I guess. It reminds me of Leo Sayer, mixed with some Paul Williams' Bugsy Malone type stuff. Side B is more my thing, glammy reggae with an interesting vocal and crazy synths!

Autumn - "My Little Girl"

2010-04-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

My Little Girl b/w Sun, Sunshine (Pye 1971 - UK issue)

Nice cover of this Harmony Grass tune, though a bit of a softer approach than the original. Is it me, or does the tempo slow down a bit during the bridge? The flip "Sun, Sunshine" is, not surprisingly, sunshine pop.

Bio and discography borrowed from "Tapestry of Delights," by Vernon Joynson:

DAVE CHARLWOOD drms A
JOHN COURT gtr A
PETER CRAMER bs, vcls A
KEITH PARSONS gtr A
RON SHAUGHNESSY gtr, vcls A

45s:
1 My Little Girl/Sun, Sunshine (Pye 7N 45090) 1970 37
2 Not The Way She Looks/Stood Up (Pye 7N 45144) 1970 -
3 Down, Down, Down/October (Pye 7N 45249) 1973 -

A semi-professional five-piece, from Brighton, who formed in late 1968. They scored a contract with Pye in 1970 and had a minor hit with the Tony Rivers composition My Little Girl.

Compilation appearances have included: My Little Girl on Ripples, Vol. 1 (CD); Sun Sunshine on Ripples, Vol. 2 (CD); An acetate track Shy Fly, which has resurfaced on Mynd The Gap (LP) also may be by this act.

Napoleon Jones - "Lazy Love"

2010-04-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

Lazy Love b/w I'm Ready (Robin Song 1974 - French issue)

Napoleon Jones was David Christie, real name Jacques Pepino of Lyon, France. If that weren't convoluted enough, he also used the name "James Bolden," under which he wrote disco funk tunes for the likes of Grace Jones and Gloria Gaynor. He committed suicide in 1997.

"Lazy Love" is DRENCHED in reverb, which results in the muddy sound in the beginning. I feel the mix is a bit sloppy but, overall, it's a nice little pop song.

The B-side is pretty funky, more tastefully so than his later stuff under the David Christie name. It's kinda catchy, if you're into bongos, electric piano, and that early 70's Curtis Mayfield-style guitar.

He released at least 3 singles and an album as Napoleon Jones. Has anyone heard the others?

Writing On The Wall - "Man of Renown"

2010-04-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Writing On The Wall - Man of Renown b/w Buffalo (1973 Pye - UK Issue)

Scottish four-piece psych/prog band, formed in Edinburgh, then moved to London, in search of fame and fortune.

Their final single, it's a semi-autobiographical story about trying to make it in the big city. After this record didn't hit, and the band's gear got ripped-off, they called it a day.

B-side is an edited version of "Buffalo," probably their best-known song. I'm sure it was placed on the flip to help sales out. What happened though, DJs ended up playing the already-known B-side, sending "Man of Renown" into obscurity. The downer-psych/prog of side B is much more representative of the rest of their recorded output.

You can hear a solid live version of the A-side, as well as multiple versions of "Buffalo" on the RPM/Ork Reissue of their first LP, Power of the Picts. This version of "Man of Renown" was comped on TREMORS, which I'd highly recommend purchasing.

Mr. Curt "Write down your Number"

2010-03-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Write Down Your Number b/w I'm Going Blind (Euphoria 1978 - US issue)

Boston's Curtis Naihersey, AKA, Mr. Curt was in an embryonic version of the Real Kids, way back when they were known simply as The Kids. Mr. Curt sings only on this track, backed by La Peste. This is perfect pop! The B-side is a masturbation tune performed by Pastiche, a band that Mr. Curt still plays guitar with. Eh, it's ok. I've heard a handful of tracks from Mr. Curt's various projects. This is the one to get!

Equals - "Back Streets"

2010-03-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

No Place to Go b/w Back Streets (Moggie 1983 - UK issue)

This track is a bit of a departure for this blog. As far as I can tell, this is the last 45 released by The (noticeably older) Equals. They did record some tracks later on, and re-record others, but this was the last new vinyl.

At the time this was released, Eddy Grant was riding the success of "Electric Avenue." It doesn't appear that Eddy was involved in any way on this. A-side is boring. B-side isn't the Equals of the 60's and 70's, but it has grown on me quite a bit. Scan is of the back of the sleeve, as it's almost identical to the front, but it has some production/writing credits. This also got a 12" release, but doubt it got many spins in the club. Produced by Bruce Baxter, arranger for Billy Fury, and all-around industry mogul Hal Carter, who produced the incredible Rockin' Horse!!! Moggie Music was Hal Carter's publishing company. The record label was probably just a one-off.

The Boys - "Suzie Wong from Hong Kong (From the Chippie down the Road)"

2010-03-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

Listen to the Beat b/w Suzie Wong from Hong Kong (From the Chippie down the Road) (Jungle 1981 - UK issue)
Yet another band called The Boys! I haven't been able to find any info on this, nor any mention of this record at all! Pretty listenable double-A-sided 45. Side A is a synth number, a bit like late-70's Mike Batt solo material. It isn't half bad either, just not right for this blog. Side AA is a poppy little tune, from the perspective of a guy with a bad case of the yellow fever. Somewhat reminiscent of a slowed-down Status Quo, plus It's got some nice hand claps. Some fella named "Brian Gilmore" wrote both sides and it was recorded in Liverpool. Can anybody help with some info?

32nd Turnoff - "Used to be a Tiger"

2010-01-06T00:58:00.000-08:00

Used to be a Tiger b/w Baby (Honey) What you Doin' to Me (Jay Boy 1970 - Italian issue)

Not much is known about this Eddy Grant studio project. I can't find any information on who else was involved. No matter, "Used to be a Tiger" is as good as rock & roll gets! This gives off a strong frat rock vibe, not unlike The Sonics, updated for 1970.

The B-side sounds a bit like Cream's "Strange Brew," and think I'd actually rather listen to Cream than this track. Rather dull.

Both tracks on this single taken from their eponymous LP. "Used to be a Tiger" is probably the only cut of real interest to rock'n'rollers. Much of the rest is funky, with drum breaks and such. Rumor is that the LP was pretty much thrown together from sessions done in President Records founder Ed Kassner's studio.

Cardinal Point - "Keep on Dancing"

2009-12-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

Cardinal Point - Keep on Dancing b/w Show me the Way (Phillips 1973 - Dutch issue)

This is one of those songs that I throw on every time I have a DJ gig, thinking that the crowd (and I use that word loosely) will go apeshit for it. So far, nobody has seemed to care but me. I guess that's what happens when one self-indulgently plays glam records to a top-40 audience.

Formed in Sicily in 1964 as I Punti Cardinali, their early releases were Italian versions of "Little Green Bag," "Something in the Air," and The Cats' "Lea." A few years later, they shipped off to Holland, anglicized their name, and started singing in English. This amazingly catchy tune builds nicely, and with a key change thrown in for good measure! Written by Hans Van Hemert and Piet Souer, both of whom worked with Mouth & MacNeal and Luv'. It's worth a mention that their organist was blind. He'll be the one wearing sunglasses in every band photo.

B-side starts out as a steel drum-driven island jam, but kicks into gear about 45 seconds in. Pretty solid record, overall.

Equals - "Beautiful Clown"

2009-10-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Equals - Beautiful Clown b/w Daily Love (President 1977 - UK issue)

The last great Equals 45? At any rate, I think this is their last single with Eddy Grant involvement. It's hard to say, as I can't seem to find a comprehensive discography. The track was written by Grant and is a MONSTER, as good as anything they've ever done. I wish I knew what this one is about or, for that matter, what a "musical snitch" is.

The B-side was written by guitarist Derv Gordon and holds up pretty well too. Daily Love sounds like a mix of "Build me up Buttercup" and "Baby Love." I wouldn't be surprised if those were direct influences on this one, as The Equals were shameless riff thieves!

Both Sides produced by Eddy Grant

Ah, what the hell, here's the B-side too!

Kenny & The Carparks - "Top Speed"

2009-09-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

Kenny and the Car Parks - Top Speed b/w Never Felt Bad (Sonet 1980 - UK issue)

Been searching for info on these guys a while now. It turns out this was written by Bilbo Baggins' guitarist Brian Spence. Mark over at SpenceMusic tells me these studio-only recordings featured Spence on guitar and bass, Bilbo Baggins' singer Colin Chisholm on drums, and Brian's brother Kenny on lead vocals. The band also included, in some capacity, other Spence brother Stuart, Jeremy Walker, and Derek Thomson.

I've seen French, Swedish, and Yugoslavian releases, all in different pic sleeves. Rumor is, it was released in several other countries as well. Both sides are great, mid-tempo power pop. Pick up this excellent 2-sider on the cheap, while you still can!

Beano - 1974 Italian magazine article

2009-09-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

Are there any Italian-speakers out there that can translate this for me? I'm not sure what magazine this came out of, but it was rather small. (A6 format, I believe) Given the vehicles in the pix, it looks like the photoshoot was also in Italy. This article is probably just a fluff-piece, though hopefully, a translation will reveal something useful.

Beano - "Remember"

2009-09-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

Beano - We Don't Wanna be the One b/w Remember (What we did on Holiday) (DERAM 1975 - German Issue)

Beano consisted of Freddie Phillips (lead vocals, guitar), Ken Smith (guitars), John Birch (bass) and Ray Johnson (drums).

I haven't been able to find much information on Beano. It seems that, for much of the seventies, Beano worked the clubs in Northern England as some sort of music and comedy act. They broke up around 1980, but released 5??? singles and a 1979 LP

A bit of Google wizardry shows that 3 out of 4 members, along with Richard Tallent on drums, entered a song, "Don't Throw Your Love Away," in the 1980 Eurovision contest under the new name Scramble. Scramble claimed to have been formed in Liverpool in 1969, which likely refers to Beano's origin.

Both sides were written by Freddie Phillips and produced by Nick Tauber. (Thin Lizzy, Slaughter & The Dogs, Toyah) This is the superior B-side, sounding somewhat like a continuation (*ahem*, rewrite) of their "Little Cinderella." It putts-along rather nicely.

SOUND FILE BACK UP SOON!

Smyle - "Crazy Lazy Little Miss Daisy"

2009-08-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Smyle - Crazy Lazy Little Miss Daisy b/w There's no Reason to Cry (Polydor 1974 - French issue)

Perhaps Smyle's most overlooked single, this one happens to be my favorite! A perfect blend of Beatle-esque melody and rousing glam rock. This Jaap Eggermont-produced tune starts out with a nice early-moog riff, leading into a tasty compressed guitar lick, and has big danceability factor overall. Written by singer Bas Muys and one J. Gimmik, who appears to also have co-written well-known (to nerds like me, anyway) tracks by Catapult and Long Tall Ernie & The Shakers. Everything I've seen with the J. Gimmik writing credit happens to be produced by Jaap Eggermont, coincidence? The B-side is decent, like an early-70's John Lennon album cut.

For more info on Smyle check out NEDERGLAM . I'm sure I can't say it any better than Mark Boon himself!

Willie and the Walkers - "Poor Janie"

2009-08-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Willie & The Walkers - Alone in my Room b/w Poor Janie (United Artists 1967 - US issue)

Recorded May 1967 and released November of that same year, this b-side to Canadian #1 hit "Alone in my Room" has huge double-tracked drums and some real stanky electric piano stabs that make this track a stormer!

This is the band's third and final single as "Willie and the Walkers", though they did reunite in '72 as "The Walkers" for one more. The a-side is mid-tempo Verdelle Smith cover, sounding like a second-rate Zombies. For me, the Willie McCalder-written b-side is the real gem. Recorded by former Buddy Holly manager/producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. This one was also comped on "Get Ready to fly," a collection of '60s Petty-produced tracks.