DAVE BERRY – “Picture Me Gone” / “Ann” (Decca F 12513) November 1966 – I’m very cross about this. I know it’s not Dave Berry’s fault but I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a ham-fisted backing for a long time – and that girl chorus! SOMEONE must have been joking.
Read More DAVE BERRY – PICTURE ME GONEMAMAS AND THE PAPAS – “Look Through My Window” / “Once Was A Time I Thought” (RCA Victor 1551) November 1966 – MAMAS AND THE PAPAS “Look Through My Window” – The fame and success of the Mamas And Papas is a strange thing. Their sound is one of super-high strings, of massed muzzy voices and the feeling that they are singing in a room full of cotton wool.
Read More MAMAS AND THE PAPAS – LOOK THROUGH MY WINDOWTHE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP – “Gimme Some Loving” / “Blues In F” (Fontana TF 762) October 1966 – Not, at first hearing, the most catchy of Spen’s releases, but it makes up for that by sheer persistence and drive. great organ break by Stevie who is also in excellently exciting vocal form.
Read More THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP – GIMME SOME LOVINGTHE BEACH BOYS – “Good Vibrations” / “Wendy” (Capitol CL 15475) October 1966 – The Beach Boy “Good Vibrations” – What can you say about a work of art other than stating that it is? This record is a shattering experience. It is long, and split, like a classical piece, into separate movements. It is Brian Wilson’s reply to anybody who thinks of pop music as something flippant and thoughtless.
Read More THE BEACH BOYS – GOOD VIBRATIONSTHE ANIMALS – “It’s My Life” / “I’m Going To Change The World” (Columbia DB 7741) October 1965 – The Animals “It’s My Life” – Written by Messrs. Atkins and d’Errico this has the Animals in an absolutely furious and aggressive mood. Reminds me of their last one except it doesn’t have such an immediate impact. I don’t like the intro too much and they seem to have concocted a strange new guitar sound.
Read More THE ANIMALS – IT’S MY LIFETHE HOLLIES – “Stop Stop Stop” / “It’s You” (Parlophone R 5508) October 1966 – The Hollies “Stop Stop Stop” – This is actually an extremely funny (ha, ha) record. A song about, of all things, a belly dancer’s admirer.
Read More THE HOLLIES – STOP STOP STOPTHE KINKS – “Autumn Almanac” / “Mr Pleasant” (Pye 7N 17400) October 1967- The Kinks “Autumn Almanac” – Mr Ray Davies, prolific as ever, now surfaces with a saga of autumnal bliss. Of toasted buttered currant buns and the like. Ah me, I know what he means.
Read More THE KINKS – AUTUMN ALMANACTHE TROGGS – “I Can’t Control Myself” / “Gonna Make You” (Page One POF 001) October 1966 – The Troggs “I Can’t Control Myself” – Yes! The Troggs have done it again. “Oh no,” yells Mr Presley at the beginning of this record. But oh yes, The Troggs have done it again. Another number one on the way.
Read More THE TROGGS – I CAN’T CONTROL MYSELFA Clash at the Roxy, Los Angeles, treat for their fans this, a five dollar ticket and a smaller setting than bands who’ve just appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone usually employ. In fact, a bonus, the Clash back in clubland in front of 700 people
Read More THE CLASH AT THE ROXY, LOS ANGELES