The first of three Decca singles by this Newcastle group who were previously called the Shades of Blue, resulting in confusion with an act of the same name from Surrey which recorded for EMI/Parlophone and Pye in 1965. The single was recorded with session musicians, arranged by Mike Vickers (ex-Manfred Mann); the group did get to play on their second single which had one of their own songs ‘Toffee Apple Sunday’ on the A-side, now considered to have been their best release. Their version of 'Harry Faversham' (written by two US writers Vic Millrose and David Hess aka David Hill) is marginally preferable to the recording by the Cowsills as ‘The Fantasy World oh Harry Faversham’. Toby Twirl - The Strange Brew Songs written by Vic Millrose | SecondHandSongs Songs written by David Hill | SecondHandSongs
The better side for me - the producer Wayne Bickerton had them record a song he had written with his wife Carole. This may have been the first record produced by Bickerton who had previously been a member of the Pete Best Combo and other Merseybeat groups, and went on to be a producer for Decca’s Deram label (including Giles, Giles, & Fripp) Songs written by Wayne Bickerton | SecondHandSongs Wayne Bickerton - Wikipedia
Yes, I noticed that immediately ... Harry Faversham: @swandown refers to my post the other day about "another one the plague of songs about weird characters with a goofy name". However, this one is pretty good! The name isn't that goofy and the lyrics aren't that weird, to the extent I tried to follow them. The production has some oomph to it and the keyboards are pretty smooth, so think the higher end of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich. 3.5/5 with upside Back in Time: More of the same depth of sound, basically. Again 3.5/5, with upside Together these might actually be closer to 8/10 than 7/10
Decca F 12729 (1968-01-19) A: I'm So Proud - Rudi Bennett CD: File Under: Male Vocal - The Golden Age Of The Beat Balladeer (2009)
I'm So Proud: For some reason the intro turned me off a bit, but the song turned out to be a pretty good slab of R & B, with good rhythm, melody, chords and what have you. 4/5 You're My Adee (corrected for grammar): What's an adee? Also, what's a henway? And what's a butfor? This is a likeable bit of pop whose "psych" elements sound minimal, though not fully non-existent. Like its flip, some thought has been put into the production. Like yesterday's pair, the songs are in the same general range but I'm going to capriciously give them each 4/5, because I do think they're the better ones
A version of "You're My Adee" (spelled correctly this time) was also released as The Motions -- which was the name of Rudi Bennett's band. But the two versions are clearly different, with the solo version being produced by the Noel Walker/Ivor Raymonde team, and the group version being produced by Peter Lee Stirling. The group version was released in The Netherlands, while the solo version was released in the U.K. (aside from a brief appearance as the B-side of a withdrawn Dutch 45).
Cover of a recent US single by Keith which had only bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 for one week at #135 and wasn’t released in the UK Keith - I'm So Proud The song was written by Darlene and Darla Landan aka the Darling Sisters who released their own version as a US B-side shortly after the single by Keith - theirs was the best version I think - It seems to have been their only release as the Darling Sisters, but there had been two earlier singles released as the Landan Sisters in 1959/60 on US Mercury; followed by two singles as Darlene and Darla The Landan Sisters Darlene And Darla On their 1967 single they had the same producers as Tommy James and the Shondells who recorded one of the Landans' songs ‘Real Girl’ on the B-side of a #14 hit ‘Gettin’ Together’ so it should have been their most remunerative composition, although as the single was released by Morris Levy’s Roulette Records this may not have been the case Tommy James And The Shondells - Gettin' Together
The UK Decca single was also withdrawn and reissued four weeks later on Decca F 12741 with the B-side being (of all things) ‘Havah Nagilah’ from a Deram LP by Whistling Jack Smith (produced by Noel Walker; MD - Ivor Raymonde ...) Rudi Bennett - I'm So Proud Vinyl Album: Whistling Jack Smith - Around The World With Whistling Jack Smith (1967) The Motions' recording of 'You're My Adee' didn't get a UK releases - the group had just the one single issued here, a 1966 release on Pye International (a song by Robbie Van Leeuwen, who was a member of the group prior to joining Shocking Blue) The Motions - Every Step I Take Andrew Sandoval featured an hour of the Motions in a 2019 archived episode of his WFMU show Come to the Sunshine Featuring The Motions: Come to the Sunshine with Andrew Sandoval Rudy Bennett - Wikipedia Psychedelic-Rock'n'roll: The Motions - Introduction To The Motions (60s GARAGE BEAT HOLLAND 1965)
One-off single that has doubtless reached more listeners via later compilations than the original single will have done. Both sides were written by their keyboard player Russ Harness, with their guitarist Ken Ali (A-side) and bass player Bill Dale (B-side). The group appear to have become The Explosive who later recorded for the President label, firstly for two 1968 singles with Watson T. Browne; followed by four further 1969/70 singles (including one with Del Taylor); and two 1971 singles on Plexium - probably with some personnel changes along the way. The Explosive Watson T. Browne - Wikipedia The Left and to the Back site has 2010 comments from three people claiming to have been members of the Plague; two say that they were unaware that the single had ever been released, but the comment indicated to have been from Bill Dale appears to be the most credible Left and to the Back: The Plague - Looking for the Sun (b/w Here Today Gone Tomorrow)
Looking for the Sun: A slow-ish dirge with some psychedelic overtones. If nothing else it has thumping heavy production that keeps it from being lightweight. I'm guessing it may have been influenced by Pictures of Matchstick Men by Status Quo, which was released three weeks earlier, although it's hardly a clone. 3/5 Here Today Gone Tomorrow: Same general style but much quicker, almost too quick except for the bridge sections that attempted a dreamy quality, and for me they're the best part of the song. Definitely not the melancholy song of the same name that was a moderate hit for a band called Wednesday in Canada in the '70s. Another 3/5
Time to review the last 12 45s (24 songs) of 1968. A: If Ever I Would Leave You - The Bachelors B: Cabaret - The Bachelors I prefer the B-Side, but this is not really something I’d listen to. A: For Your Information - The Cedars B: Hide If You Want To Hide - The Cedars Okay. A: Don't Change It - Fearns Brass Foundry B: John White - Fearns Brass Foundry Great! A: Am I That Easy To Forget - Engelbert Humperdinck B: Pretty Ribbon - Engelbert Humperdinck Okay. A: Dancing Out Of My Heart - Tam White Okay. B: I'll Stay Loving You - Tam White (Not on YouTube) ? A: Glasshouse Green, Splinter Red - The Kinsmen B: It's Started To Rain Again - The Kinsmen Great! A: Neville Thumbcatch - The Attack B: Lady Orange Peel - The Attack Great! A: Virgin Sunrise - Christopher Colt B: Girl In The Mirror - Christopher Colt Great! A: All Our Christmases - The Majority B: People - The Majority Great! A: Harry Faversham - Toby Twirl B: Back In Time - Toby Twirl Great! A: I'm So Proud - Rudi Bennett B: Your My Adee - Rudi Bennett I like both of these, but I prefer the A-Side. A: Looking For The Sun - The Plague B: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow - The Plague I like both of these! Missing songs from this set: B: I'll Stay Loving You - Tam White (1968-01-05) Decca F 12723
Decca F 12731 (1968-01-26) A: Don't Stop The Carnival - Alan Price Set CD: The Alan Price Set – I Put A Spell On You : The Decca/Deram Singles A's And B's (2000)
B: The Time Has Come - Alan Price Set CD: The Alan Price Set – I Put A Spell On You : The Decca/Deram Singles A's And B's (2000)
Following a relative failure with the previous single ‘Shame’, this would be the final hit for the Alan Price Set - eight weeks in the Top 50, peaking at no.13 - an unusual song choice, credited to Sonny Rollins (presumably resulting in an increase in his usual royalty payments) - I imagine that Alan wrote the additional lyrics but didn’t claim a credit for them - the Sonny Rollins version (with the guitar player Jim Hall) had appeared as the opening track on the copies of the 1962 Sonny Rollins & Co LP “What’s New” issued in some countries, including the UK and France (the original US album opened instead with a version of ‘If Ever I Would Leave You’ from “Camelot” - CD reissues would later include both tracks) Sonny Rollins - What's New? Sonny Rollins - What's New? Davy Graham had recorded an instrumental version for his 1963 Pye Golden Guinea LP “The Guitar Player” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A041KeVftyo&ab_channel=DaveyGraham-Topic Davy Graham - The Guitar Player
‘Don’t Stop the Carnival’ actually appears to date back to 1939, and a version by Lord Invader (aka Rupert Grant 1914-1961) which was apparently written in anticipation of WWII Cover versions of Don't Stop the Carnival written by Rupert Grant | SecondHandSongs This site has info and links for some other notable versions of ‘Don’t Stop the Carnival’ .............Joop's Musical Flowers: Don't Stop The Carnival (1939)
A contrasting choice for the B-side, written by the great folk singer Anne Briggs, who wouldn’t record the song herself until it became the title track for her 1971 CBS LP. The first released version had been by Bert Jansch and John Renbourn on their 1966 Transatlantic Records LP “Bert and John” Bert Jansch & John Renbourn - Bert And John https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH9GQOwJhG8&ab_channel=WhackaWhacka Anne Briggs - The Time Has Come Cover versions of The Time Has Come written by Anne Briggs | SecondHandSongs
Don't Stop the Carnival as performed by Harry Belafonte over footage of the 68 Dem convention and riots, was one of the alleged reasons for the Smothers Brothers cancelation.
I bought this on release in 1968. Back In Time got all the airplay and was considered the A side although HF is also a great track (way better than The Cowsills who turned it into a comedy song).
Neither side of this great single has been released on CD which is baffling. I think of their three singles, Movin' In is the best which is a really classy, clever song and should have been a huge hit. Thankfully this is on CD.
