It has been a long time coming this is the closest to a definitive Fleurs de Lys collection. Formed on the south coast the band went through several line-up changes with only drummer Keith Guster a permanent fixture. Not quite The Yardbirds but the group also boasted superb guitarists in Phil Sawyer and Bryn Hayward. Bass player Gordon Haskell later joined King Crimson before eventually finding fame many years later with Whoever You Are.

The Fleurs de Lys recorded a great number of tracks and backed other artists such as Sharon Tandy on many more. However, many of these including around twelve tracks recorded live for the BBC have been lost over time.

One of the tracks that Fleurs de Lys played on was Rupert's People's Reflections of Charlie Brown. This was similar sounding to Procul Harem's Whiter Shade of Pale and this may have hindered its success as a single. However, the b-side is pure Fleurs de Lys. Hold On, written by Bryn Hayworth and Gordon Haskell is the band at its best. Some would argue that Sharon Tandy's version of the song with Fleurs de Lys backing is even better. Unfortunately it does not appear on this compilation. However, some tracks featuring Sharon Tandy are included. Love Them All is one of the last tracks recorded by the band while Gotta Get Enough Time is another John Bromley/Graham Dee composition that shows just what a powerful voice Sharon had. On the Sharon Tandy tracks the Fleurs de Lys are effectively a backing band and it well worth checking other other Sharon Tandy tracks backed by the Fleurs de Lys. Many of these were written by the Brian Potter/Graham Dee songwriting team. Sharon Tandy was also lined up with then Fleurs de Lys vocalist Tony Head as the UK's answer to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Tyrell. Brian Potter and Graham Dee penned a number of songs for the duo (backed by the Fleurs de Lys). Two Can Make It Together should have been a massive hit but production issues at the vinyl pressing plant meant that the single was given low priority and the reasonable radio airplay did not translate to chart success. This was surely a travesty and it is good that these tracks are now available again.

Another pseudonym for the Fleurs de Lys was Shyster and the track Tick Tock was issued under this name by Polydor. Although it was a Gordon Haskell track the band was not happy with it and regarded it as unfinished. Judge for yourself.

Circles is probably the band's best-known track as a result of appearing on several compilations. This is a classic Pete Townshend song that appeared on the Ready Steady Who EP but a legal dispute with producer Shel Talmy meant The Who were unable to promote the EP. The Fleurs de Lys version does not feature session man Jimmy Page on lead guitar. Rather it was the band's own Phil Sawyer who provided the stunning guitar work that makes this track one of the classic Mod singles of the 1960s. Many would claim that this version is better than the Who's own Circles. However, despite backing from Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records Circles was not a commercial success. Circles' b-side So Come On is also worthy of several listens or more as one of the outstanding tracks on the early Fleurs de Lys sound.

The band's first single is not included on the compilation. The band signed to Immediate Records and was looking to record an original song Wait For Me written by Frank Smith and Danny Churchill. However, the producer, Jimmy Page, decided to release an uninspiring cover version of Buddy Holly's Moondreams. Wait For Me was lined up as the b-side but when the record arrived the b-side was Wait For Me, not the Fleurs de Lys track included here but an instrumental by Page with him credited as the writer. The band was less than happy with this. Fortunately, the Fleurs de Lys song Wait For Me is now available and it was certainly worth waiting for!

This compilation fills a huge void in 1960s British music. The Fleurs de Lys were a great band whose ability and acclaim never translated into commercial success. Fortunately they are seeing some revival many years later.

Release Date: April 2013

Acid Jazz

Essential Tracks:

• Circles
• So Come On
• Hold On

Track Listing:

1. Hold On
2. Mud in Your Eye
3. Circles
4. So Come On
5. Liar
6. Love Them All (Featuring Sharon Tandy)
7. You've Got To Earn It
8. Tick Tock
9. The Bitter with the Sweet (Featuring Tony & Tandy)
10. Brick by Brick
11. Wait for Me
12. Two Can Make It Together (Featuring Tony & Tandy)
13. I Forgive You
14. Stop Crossing the Bridge
15. Gotta Get Enough Time (Featuring Sharon Tandy - demo)
16. I've Been Trying
17. Gong with the Luminous Nose