Guide to British Music of the 1960s
December 2021
CD Review: Box of Pin-Ups - The British Sounds of 1965
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Cherry Red label Grapefruit is starting to develop a strong reputation for interesting 1960s compilations. Alongside the well-known artists and tracks it is illuminating to explore the lesser-known and even obscure artists. Life changed in 1965-1966 and this compilation highlights this change beautifully. British music was entering a boom phase. There was less reliance on US artists or US songs and, led by the Beatles, bands were forming and writing their own material. Also, songwriters like Graham Gouldman were emerging. The golden age of British music was well-underway. Amongst the better-known artists are the Pretty Things with the superb Midnight to Six Man and the lesser-known track Get a Buzz. The Pretty Things were a superb R&B group who evolved as the decade progressed, producing the concept LP SF Sorrow a few years later. The Small Faces' debut single What'Cha Gonna Do About It is represented by an alternative version, possibly a demo version of the track, with great guitar feedback. Lulu & the Luvvers provide a bouncy number, much in the style of Shout, with Surprise Surprise. The Yardbirds are still with Eric Clapton with a live version of the early single I Wish You Would as well as a later track, Graham Gouldman's Evil Hearted You featuring Jeff Beck on lead guitar. The Hollies contribute a couple of tracks while Newcastle's Animals are present with the superb It's My Life. There are also artists that will make their mark later on. The Birds include future Creation, Jeff Beck Group, Quiet Melon, Faces and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. While the group is possibly better-known for an ill-advised publicity stunt trying to sue the American Byrds on their arrival in the UK, they were a great group and are worth checking out. Rod Stewart's track was a b-side and shows how good he was in those days. He was also a member of Steampacket with Brian Auger who appears later. The Trinity would hit the big time with their cover of Bob Dylan's Wheels on Fire with vocals by Julie Driscoll. Elton John, or Reg Dwight as he was still known, makes his debut with Bluesology. Dwight wrote this track. Vashti Bunyan has an amazing voice and would later record the wonderful track Just Another Diamond Day. She tends more towards the "folk" side and would become a contemporary of the Incredible String Band. The Mark Four released four singles before they evolved into the Creation. The Action remain very popular today and their debut single Land of 1,000 Dances shows just how good they were. Unfortunately their powerful live act never translated into hit singles. An interesting track is Jimmy Page's solo single She Just Satisfies. At the time he was an in-demand session musician and would join the Yardbirds the following year. He plays all the instruments except drums on this track, I believe. The Fleurs de Lys' Wait For Me also has a Jimmy Page connection. This track was destined to be the band's first single with Jimmy Page producing. However, they were told to record Buddy Holly's Moondreams. Wait for Me did appear on the b-side but this was an instrumental credited to Page as writer and not the track included here. The band were none too happy about this but at least the Fleurs De Lys Wait For Me is now available. The Downliners Sect were a R&B band quite like any other. Leader of the Sect parodies the Shangri-Las while other tracks such as I Want My Baby Back explore the "sicker" side of Leader of the Pack. In fact they even released a record called The Sect Sing Sick Songs! This compilation is highly recommended as it shows a clear transition from the sounds of the early 1960s to the innovation of the later part of the decade. Alongside the well-known tracks there are some great rarities here with groups and tracks that deserve a wider audience. Grapefruit Original release: 12 November 2021 Essential Tracks
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Track Listing Disc One
Disc Two
Disc Three
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