McLuhan's Garden

The New Vaudeville Band - Winchester Cathedral (1966) - Fontana EP 465342

2012-02-09T18:25:00.004+01:00

The New Vaudeville Band was a group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens (born 1 October 1934, New Southgate, North London) in 1966 to record his novelty composition "Winchester Cathedral", a song inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and a Rudy Vallee megaphone style vocal.

To his surprise, the song became a transatlantic hit that autumn, reaching the Top 10 in the UK and rising to #1 in the US. Global sales of the single were over three million, with the RIAA certification of gold disc status. The track also won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song in 1967. The lead vocal was sung by John Carter, formerly of The Ivy League, who had sung on the demo of the record, which Stephens decided to keep for the commercial release. An initial long-playing album was also issued in late 1966 by Fontana Records, also titled Winchester Cathedral.

When Stephens received several requests for The New Vaudeville Band to tour, he had to put together a group, as the song was recorded by session musicians hired only for the recording session. He contacted a real group, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, which played similar music at the time. Only Bob Kerr from that group was interested, so he left The Bonzos to help Stephens form a touring version of The New Vaudeville Band, which included original session drummer Henri Harrison. The lead singer of the touring version of the group was Alan Klein, who was billed as 'Tristram - Seventh Earl of Cricklewood'.

In 1967, The New Vaudeville Band released the On Tour album, with the single "Peek-A-Boo," which made the Billboard chart that February and reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart. Further UK hits followed with "Finchley Central" (#11) and "Green Street Green" (#37), both based on locations in London and therefore less appealing to the American public.

This is my 1966 EP

Louise Cordet – The sweet beat of Louise Cordet (DECCA DFE 8515) 1963

2012-02-09T11:37:00.002+01:00

Louise Cordet (born Louise Boisot, 8 February 1945, England) was an English pop singer who also sang in French, best known as a one-hit wonder for her 1962 single, "I'm Just a Baby"

When she began singing she took her stage name from her mother, Hélène Cordet, who had adopted the surname early in her own professional career, as an actress and TV hostess.

After signing to Decca Records, she released "I'm Just a Baby" in 1962, which hit No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was composed by Jerry Lordan and produced by former Shadows drummer Tony Meehan.

She appeared in the films "Just for You" and "Just for Fun" in 1963.[

Cordet undertook tours with The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers. Gerry Marsden is said to initially have written the song "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" for Cordet, though the Gerry and the Pacemakers recording was released almost simultaneously, in April 1964. She recorded a four track EP for French Decca - three tracks in French (including a French language version of the English song, "Around And Around", plus her version of The Beatles' song, "From Me to You"). Her final single was a cover version of a Motown tune called "Two Lovers". "Two Lovers", originally composed by Smokey Robinson, featured Jimmy Page on guitar on Cordet's version. She also toured in 1963 with Paul & Paula, Tony Meehan and Jet Harris, with concert promotor Arthur Howes. But she had stopped recording by 1965.

She served as French pronunciation advisor at Marianne Faithfull's 11 May 1965 Decca Records recording session

This is my 1963 EP

Antoine - Un éléphant me regarde (1966) Vogue EPL 8473

2012-02-07T11:09:00.003+01:00

Antoine - Un éléphant me regarde (1966) Vogue EPL 8473

Face A1 : Un éléphant me regarde (Antoine)
Face A2 : Qu’est-ce que ça peut faire de vivre sans maison ? (Antoine)
Face B1 : Qu’est-ce que je fous ici ? (Antoine)
Face B2 : Mais pas pour toi (Antoine)

This EP is from 1966.

Antoine autographed it for me. Sadly the ink has faded.

Enjoy anyway this wonderful music from a time that's long gone by.

The Rolling Stones - Heart of Stone (1965) EP DECCA 457066

2012-02-06T18:17:00.002+01:00

"Heart of Stone" is a song by the The Rolling Stones, released as a single in the United States, and on an extended-play single in Europe. It was not released in the United Kingdom until featuring on the Out of Our Heads UK album released September 1965.

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Heart of Stone" was scheduled as a single release in the United States. In the United Kingdom it appeared as a track on the UK album Out of Our Heads and on an EP with a subsequent single.

Recording began on 2 November 1964 at Los Angeles' RCA Studios with Jagger singing, Richards and Brian Jones on guitars, Bill Wyman on bass, and Charlie Watts on drums. Jack Nitzsche performs tambourine and piano.

"The Last Time" was The Rolling Stones' first British single written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It was the band's third UK single to reach #1, spending four straight weeks at the top on most of the numerous UK music charts (there was no one UK chart at the time considered to be an absolute and definitive authority) in March and early April 1965. "The Last Time" was recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California in January 1965. On his website, Jimmy Page lists this song as one on which he plays.

Although the song is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Richards has mentioned that it was based on a traditional gospel song called "This May Be The Last Time", recorded by The Staple Singers in 1955.

"Play with Fire" is credited to Nanker Phelge, a pseudonym used when tracks were composed by the entire band, even though lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards are the only Rolling Stones to appear on the track. The song was recorded late one night in January 1965 while the Stones were in Los Angeles recording with Phil Spector at the RCA Studios. Richards performed the song's acoustic guitar opening while Jagger handled vocals and tambourine (enhanced using an echo chamber). Spector played bass (actually a tuned-down electric guitar), and Jack Nitzsche provided the song's distinctive harpsichord arrangement and tamtams. The Stones left for a tour of Australia the following day.

The song's lyrics talk of the singer's relationship with a high society girl, disparaging the lifestyle much in the same way that "19th Nervous Breakdown" would in a more up-tempo feel.

This is my french EP from early 1965.

Charles Aznavour - Que c'est triste Venise EP Barclay 70681 (1964)

2012-02-06T18:02:00.004+01:00

Charles Aznavour is perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world — renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. Born Chahnour Varenagh Aznaourian, his French roots derive from the fact that his family fled the threat of massacre by the Turks — his father was a singer and sometime-restauranteur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy.

His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La Tete Contre les Muirs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du Rififi Chez Les Femmes in 1958; from there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.

This EP is from 1964

Les Chaussettes Noires - Ne délaisse pas (may 1963)

2012-01-05T10:39:00.003+01:00

Les Chaussettes Noires - Ne délaisse pas (may 1963)

Les Chaussettes Noires (English: 'The Black Socks') were a French rock and roll band founded in 1960, that was among the pioneer of rock music in France, together with Les Chats sauvages.

It was originally composed of Claude Moine, aka Eddy Mitchell (vocals), William Benaïm (guitar solo), Tony D'Arpa (rhythm guitar), Aldo Martinez (bass guitar), and Jean-Pierre Chichportich (drums)

Les Chaussettes Noires signed in late 1960 with Barclay Records, under which the band recorded a score of successful gramophone records, including: "Be-Bop-A-Lula" (1960), "Tu parles trop" (1960), "Daniela" (1961)—which remains their biggest hit—, "Eddie be good" (1961) — a French adaptation of Chuck Berry's 1958 song "Johnny B. Goode"—, "Hey Pony" (1961), "Madame Madam" (1961), "Dactylo rock" (1961), "La leçon de twist" (1962), "Le twist du canotier" (1962) with Maurice Chevalier, and "Parce que tu sais".

The band declined from 1962 with the departure of Mitchell for his military service. He would then start a solo career in 1963. The group stopped recording in late 1964.

This is my EP from 1963.

Face A1 : Ne délaisse pas "Gonna get home some how" (Claude Moine - Vesta)
Face A2 : Il revient "Say mama" (G. Aber - J. Meeks - J. Earl)
Face B1 : Jézebel (Charles Aznavour - W. Shanklin)
Face B2 : Ceci est mon histoire "A big fat saturday night" (Claude Moine - D. Conway - J. Berry)

Patience and Prudence - A smile and a Song (1957)

2011-12-22T10:03:00.003+01:00

Patience and Prudence McIntyre, known professionally as Patience and Prudence, were two sisters who were a young singing act in the 1950s.

Mark McIntyre was an orchestra leader, pianist, and songwriter who accompanied Frank Sinatra on piano during the 1940s.In the summer of 1956, he brought his daughters, 11-year-old Prudence and 14-year-old Patience, into the Liberty Records studio in Los Angeles, California. They made a demonstration recording of the song, "Tonight You Belong to Me," which had been a hit for Gene Austin in 1927, and was written by Billy Rose and Lee David.

Liberty signed them and immediately released a recording of the girls singing the song as a commercial single, (with the B-side, "A Smile and a Ribbon," a composition with music by Mark McIntyre) and by September the song reached #4 on the Billboard charts and #28 in the UK Singles Chart, and was the biggest selling record put out by Liberty for two years. It sold over one million copies and reached gold record status.

Another recording by the girls, "Gonna Get Along without Ya Now," was released the same year they performed on Perry Como's television show. It reached #11 on the Billboard chart and #22 in the UK; its B-side, "The Money Tree," also reached #73 in the U.S.

The girls continued to record—including a pairing with fellow Liberty act Mike Clifford , and several singles for the Chattahoochee Records label--but had no subsequent hit records. In 1978, they reunited to appear on a Dick Clark television feature.

This is their EP from 1957, "A Smile and a Song".

Brigitte Bardot - L' Appareil à Sous (EP Philips 432874) 1963

2011-12-15T10:36:00.006+01:00

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (born 28 September 1934) is a former French fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.

In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer. She started her acting career in 1952 and, after appearing in 16 films, became world-famous due to her role in her then-husband Roger Vadim's controversial film And God Created Woman. She starred in Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 cult film, Contempt. She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress for her role in Louis Malle's 1965 film, Viva Maria!.

Bardot caught the attention of French intellectuals. She was the subject of Simone de Beauvoir's 1959 essay, The Lolita Syndrome, which described Bardot as a "locomotive of women's history" and built upon existentialist themes to declare her the first and most liberated woman of post-war France.

Starting in 1969, Bardot's features became the official face of Marianne, which had previously been anonymous, to represent liberty of France.

Bardot retired from the entertainment industry in 1973. During her career in show business Bardot starred in 47 films, performed in numerous musical shows, and recorded 80 songs. She was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1985 but refused to receive it.

After her retirement, Bardot established herself as an animal rights activist.

This is my EP from 1963 with the beautiful "Appareil à Sous" written by Serge Gainsbourg.

Ray Peterson - Tell Laura I love her (1960)

2011-12-15T10:14:00.005+01:00

Ray Peterson (April 23, 1939 – January 25, 2005) was an American pop music singer who was best remembered for singing "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Corrine, Corrina" in the 1960s.

Ray T. Peterson was born in Denton, Texas. As a boy he had to overcome polio. Blessed with a four-octave singing voice, Peterson moved to Los Angeles, California, where he was signed to a recording contract by RCA Victor Records in 1958. He recorded several songs that were minor hits until "The Wonder of You" made it into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 15, 1959. The song would later be recorded by Elvis Presley, with whom Peterson became friends.

In 1960, Peterson created his own record label with his manager Stan Shulman, called Dunes Records, and enlisted the help of record producer Phil Spector. Peterson scored a Top 10 hit with the teenage tragedy song, "Tell Laura I Love Her", and followed that success with "Corrine, Corrina". Peterson's dramatic ballad, "I Could Have Loved You So Well", written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and produced by Spector, only reached #57 on the U.S. chart. He then tried another death disc, "Give Us Your Blessing", but this time nobody was interested.

His last charting hit was "Missing You". By the mid 1960s he had become something of a phenomenon on the west coast of the United States, appearing live in numerous concerts with Paul McCartney lookalike Keith Allison.

Peterson died of cancer in 2005, in Smyrna, Tennessee, aged 65.

Here's my EP from 1960

The VISCOUNTS - Who put the Bomb (1961)

2011-12-10T16:48:00.004+01:00

The Viscounts were a British pop group from London. Its members had formerly been part of a TV ensemble called Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang. They quit the group and formed The Viscounts in 1958, playing local shows and eventually attracting the attention of manager Larry Parnes. He got them billed to better venues and signed them to Pye Records in 1960.

Their single "Rockin' Little Angel" became a hit in Australia, and "Shortnin' Bread" hit #16 in November that year in the UK Singles Chart. In addition to recording rock/pop numbers, they also did some trad jazz, covering Paul Whiteman for a compilation album. In 1961 their single cover version of "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" reached #21 in the UK chart, spending ten weeks in the listings. The group toured with Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, as well as sharing a stage with The Beatles in 1963 opening for Chris Montez. In 1964, they moved to Columbia Records, but none of their three following singles charted.

This is my (French) EP from 1961

The Silkie - You've got to hide your love away (1965)

2011-12-05T18:38:00.003+01:00

The Silkie were an English folk music group. Their name derived from an Orcadian song The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry, which they sometimes performed.[1] They were briefly considered to be the English equivalent of Peter, Paul and Mary, with their common repertoire of Bob Dylan songs, and the original Australian folk group, The Seekers

The original quartet were Hull University students and consisted of Sylvia Tatler (vocals), Mike Ramsden (guitar and vocals), Ivor Aylesbury (guitar and vocals) and Kevin Cunningham (double bass). Their first recording was a flexi disc produced in 1964 for Rag Week at Hull University. This consisted of 3 tracks — one side featured "John Henry" and "All My Sorrows" with "Blood Red River" on the other side. They were most at home performing folk-style cover versions of songs, especially Bob Dylan compositions.

Following graduation that year, they spent the summer working at the Devon Coast Country Club in Paignton, Devon, where they also performed most evenings on stage in the ballroom. Coincidentally, another musician also working there at that time was Liverpudlian Rod Pont (1942 - 2000), whose last band (Steve Day and the Drifters) had already played at The Cavern alongside The Beatles and had just split up following a stint at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg during the previous autumn.

In early 1965, after appearing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and performing alongside the The Spinners, they were signed up by Brian Epstein who subsequently appointed Alistair Taylor as their manager. Their first single in June 1965, "Blood Red River", reached # 14 on the Wonderful Radio London Fab 40, but failed to make any impression on the national chart. However, with help from The Beatles, they followed this up with a Lennon/McCartney composition which became their one and only chart hit.

The group were directly helped and supported by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison to record their cover version of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" on 9 August 1965 at the IBC Studios at around the same time as The Beatles' own version was being released on their album Help! The song charted in the UK at # 28 and also reached # 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the same year. Lennon produced while McCartney played the guitar and Harrison kept time by tapping his guitar and also playing the tambourine. When the recording was completed, Lennon was so pleased with it that he rang Brian Epstein, played it over the phone to him, and told him that they had just recorded a Number 1 hit.

The Silkie had been scheduled to tour the United States in December 1965 and had even been booked to appear on both the Ed Sullivan Show and American Bandstand, but were unable to obtain the necessary visas and work permits so the tour was subsequently cancelled. After two further singles released in 1966 failed to make either the UK or US charts, the original Silkie line up finally split up.

This is my French EP from 1965.

Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders - The Game of Love (Mercury EP 465272) 1965

2011-12-01T17:37:00.002+01:00

Wayne Fontana took his name from the drummer D.J.Fontana and not his record label as is sometimes supposed. He and his group, the Mindbenders, were one of the many talented acts to come out of Manchester during the 1960s 'beat boom'. Wayne was an accomplished R&B singer and soon gained a useful following of female admirers in the north of England.

The band had immediate chart success with their first single, but its lowly #46 position and the failure of its follows up were disappointing. However, their fifth and sixth releases made the top 5, though 'Game Of Love' was held back from the top spot by 'I'll Never Find Another You' by the Seekers.

Sadly, by the end of 1965, although the hits had continued, Fontana decided to go solo. This appears not to have done him too much harm because he managed to achieve four more hits without the aid of his former backing musicians. However, he faded from the scene rapidly after 1968 and although he continued on the club rounds he fell into obscurity for many years. Fortunately, after putting personal problems behind him, he was persuaded out of his retirement during the late 1980s and can still be found at 1960s nostalgia concerts occasionally.

This is his French EP from 1965

Del Shannon - Little Town Flirt (EP Barclay 70502)

2011-11-26T11:47:00.001+01:00

Del Shannon (Charles Westover) was a falsetto rocker from Michigan. He gained notoriety with Runaway (1961), a sad and pessimistic song featuring an unusually humorous solo at the "musitron" (a sort of prototype of the synthesizer played by the organist Max Crook, who had personally built it), a galloping rhythm that just as unusually follows the lyric, and a petulant guitar that awakens the ghost of Chuck Berry. Shannon, who pretended to be very young, had been hailed as a "child prodigy." Runaway (Big Top, 1961) also includes Hats Off To Larry and Hey Little Girl.

By 1963, Del Shannon was back. Hooking up with Big Top staff writer, Maron 'Robert' McKenzie, "Little Town Flirt" and "Two Kind of Teardrops" were composed, among others, which returned Shannon to the forefront internationally in pop music.

"Little Town Flirt," with it's striking guitar and Merseybeat feel, is often credited to influencing many British bands that would later invade the United States in the following years to come.

Del Shannon returned to England for a tour whereby he met the up and coming Beatles at London's Royal Albert Hall. There, Shannon watched as the Fab Four rehearsed their number, "From Me To You." Shannon loved the song and quickly recorded it two weeks later before returning to the States. The result? Shannon became the first American artist to cover a Beatles tune, having a bigger hit with it than they. "From Me To You" became the first Lennon/McCartney composition to chart in the U.S.

This EP is - so to speak - one of the earliest attempts to make "merseybeat" in the US.

Enjoy this wonderful (French) EP from january 1963.

Mary Poppins - Soundtrack EP Buena Vista 45 VS 609 (1964)

2011-11-24T19:24:00.003+01:00

Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by the Sherman Brothers.

It was shot at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

Julie Andrews won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Mary Poppins and the film also won Oscars for Best Film Editing, Original Music Score, Best Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and Best Visual Effects, and received a total of 13 nominations.

This French EP has the hits from the soundtrack

The Tokens - The Lion sleeps Tonight (EP RCA 75688) - 1961.

2011-11-20T09:33:00.005+01:00

The Tokens are an American male doo-wop-style vocal group from Brooklyn, New York. They are known best for their chart-scoring 1961 single, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

The group was formed in 1955 at Brooklyn's Abraham Lincoln High School, and was known first as the Linc-Tones. Originally featuring members Neil Sedaka, Hank Medress, Eddie Rabkin, and Cynthia Zolotin, Rabkin was replaced by Jay Siegel in 1956, and the band recorded its first single, "While I Dream" that same year.

In 1957 Sedaka and Zolotin left the band, leaving only Siegel and Medress, who would recruit two additional band members and record the single "Picture in My Wallet" as Darrell & the Oxfords. Finally establishing its most famous name and crew, the band became known as The Tokens in 1960 after they recruited the 13-year-old multi-instrumentalist and first tenor Mitch Margo and his baritone brother Phil Margo, plus guitarist Joe Venneri.

In early 1961, the Tokens released a single for Warwick Records company entitled "Tonight I Fell In Love," which scored #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned them an opportunity to perform on the television program American Bandstand. The popularity that the band garnered as a result of this performance brought them new recording opportunities, culminating in their cover of Solomon Linda's "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for RCA Victor company. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for three weeks. The same track peaked at #11 in the UK Singles Chart. Both "Tonight I Fell in Love" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" sold more than one million copies, and were gold discs.

This is my EP from 1961, and my covers too :)))) (!)

Annie Philippe - Baby Love (Riviera 231083) 1965

2011-11-15T17:41:00.003+01:00

Angelic-looking blonde singer Annie Philippe enjoyed a number of hits in the mid-1960s, although she never quite joined the premier league of French stars.

Annie Philippe was born in the Parisian district of Ménilmontant on 17 December 1946.

After leaving school, she became a DJ in the Twenty One club, off the Champs Élysées, where she met Paul Mauriat, the musical arranger and orchestra leader who went on to enjoy worldwide success with "L’amour est bleu", originally performed by Greek-born German star Vicky.

The young singer impressed him enough for him to help her land a recording contract with the Rivièra label, and she released her first four-track EP in 1964. It included "Vous pouvez me dire" (a song also recorded by Britain’s Lulu as "He don’t want your love anymore") and "Une rose", a version of Elvis Presley’s "Love me tender".

Though it flopped, she was given a second chance and released a version of the Supremes’ "Baby love" (with the same title). The US girl group-influenced "J’ai raté mon bac", which also appeared on the EP, was even better and the disc sold well.

Though Annie had taken singing lessons, she retained an almost child-like vocal style, which, with some justification, drew comparisons to that of yé-yé star France Gall.

Indeed, her follow up, "J’ai tant de peine", could also have passed easily for a Gall release.

She made her mark with her fourth EP, the melancholic "Ticket de quai". The disc charted in March 1966 and gave the singer her biggest hit. The EP also included the distinctly Brit girl-sounding On m’a toujours dit (albeit sung in French, of course).

This is her second EP from 1965.

A1 : Baby love (Ralph Bernet - Holland)
A2 : J’ai raté mon bac (J. Pezet - G. Caraman - J.M. Arnaud)
B1 : Tout finit à St-Tropez (Guy Béart)
B2 : C’est loin Domani (Hubert Ithier - Ortolani)

El Toro et les Cyclones - Oncle John (Vogue EP EPL 7910) 1961.

2011-11-02T16:06:00.003+01:00

El Toro et les Cyclones was a French rock band, active in the 1960s.

Members were : Daniel Dray (vocals), Jacques Dutronc (guitar solo), Hadi Kalafati (bass guitar) and Charles Benarroch (drums).

The story begins in Paris Rue Blanche. “Les Dritons” play regularly with Johnny Hallyday. By 1960 Johnny sings with Vogue and wants his friends accompanying him on tour.

But their parents see it the other way : the apprentices rockers are barely 16.

Undeterred, they try to turn a hearing at Vogue with Daniel Dray (And Toro is the one) on vocals.

The contract is signed and a nameis found fpr the group “El Toro and the Cyclones”.

They go quickly to the surbooms and play warm-up for “les Chausettes Noires” and “Les Fantômes”.

In 1962 Benaroch formed Les Fantômes and is replaced by Andre Crudo on his return from a tour with Les Chausettes Noires and Vince Taylor.

Andre Crudo then accompanies Francoise Hardy and Alain Barrière. Passionate for jazz and golf, he created a jazz band, "The Golfswingers".

Dispersed by military service, the group reformed under the name “Nashville Sound”, before splitting for good in 1964.

This is their first EP from 1961.

Antoine - Lolita, Lolita (EP Vogue EPL 8548) 1967

2011-11-02T09:25:00.003+01:00

This is Antoine's 9th EP from september 1967.

He is now an entertainer (Lolita, Lolita) but the crooked and cunning little questions he used to ask are still there. Listen to "Madame Laure Messenger, Claude, Jérémie et l’existence de Dieu".

A1 : Lolita, Lolita (Antoine)
A2 : Je partirai bientôt (Antoine)
B1 : Madame Laure Messenger, Claude, Jérémie et l’existence de Dieu (Antoine)
B2 : L’anniversaire de Beethoven (Antoine)

Peter and Gordon - Nobody I know (COLUMBIA ESRF 1566) June 1965

2011-10-25T17:35:00.004+02:00

Both the sons of doctors and former pupils of the prestigious English public school Westminster Boys, this privileged pair were signed by producer Norman Newell, following a residency at London’s Piccadilly Club.

Peter Asher (b. 2 June 1944, London, England) and Gordon Waller (b. 4 June 1945, Braemar, Grampian, Scotland), had a crucial advantage over their contemporaries - the priceless patronage of Paul McCartney, who was then dating Peter’s sister, Jane.

The perfectly enunciated ‘A World Without Love’ quickly became a transatlantic chart topper and two more 1964 McCartney compositions, ‘Nobody I Know’ and ‘I Don’t Want To See You Again’, brought further success. The Beatles connection was again evident on ‘Woman’, which McCartney composed under the pseudonym Bernard Webb.

In the meantime, the duo had switched to successful revivals of 50s material, including Buddy Holly’s ‘True Love Ways’ and the Teddy Bears’ retitled ‘To Know You Is To Love You’. Peter And Gordon’s wholesome image was somewhat belied by Waller’s appearances in the salacious British Sunday press, but this did little to affect their popularity in the USA.

Although the partnership was strained by late 1966, the saucy ‘Lady Godiva’ provided a new direction and was followed by the similarly quaint novelty numbers ‘Knight In Rusty Armour’ and ‘Sunday For Tea’. One year later, they split.

Gordon Waller died in 2009.

This Ep comes from 1965.

Soeur Sourire – Dominique (Philips EP 428.105 BE ) 1961

2011-10-24T11:56:00.004+02:00

Jeanine Deckers (17 October 1933 – 29 March 1985), known in English as The Singing Nun, was a Belgian nun, and a member (as Sister Luc Gabriel) of the Dominican Fichermont Convent in Belgium. She became internationally famous in 1963 as Sœur Sourire (Sister Smile) when she scored a hit with the song "Dominique". In the English-language world, she is credited on her records as "The Singing Nun".

The song "Dominique" was recorded on October 24, 1961, this is just fifty years ago today.
Mother Superior wanted to give the song as a present to visitors of the convent.

Born Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers, she was a nun in the Dominican Fichermont Convent in Waterloo, Belgium. While in the convent, she wrote, sang and performed her own songs, which were so well received by the order and at retreats that the monastery decided to let her record an album, which visitors and retreatists to the monastery would be able to purchase.

In 1963, an album was recorded in Brussels at Philips. The single "Dominique" became an international hit. Many radio stations in the U.S. played it and other softer hits more often in the wake of the John F. Kennedy assassination. Overnight, the Dominican nun was an international celebrity with the stage name of Sœur Sourire (Sister Smile). She gave concerts and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on 5 January 1964.

As of November 2009, "Dominique" is the only Belgian song that has ever been a number one hit single in the United States.

This is my French EP from 1963

Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind (EP CBS 5688)

2011-10-21T14:26:00.005+02:00

Somewhere at the end of the summer of 1964 the world changed.

In the U.S., John Kennedy was shot in Dallas and Elvis had returned from the army. He was making records again, no more rockabilly like a few years earlier, but good records, like "Are you lonesome tonight".

I liked the new folk wave that came in from the States, The New Christy Minstrels, The Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four and Peter, Paul and Mary for example. I loved their first album, which I had heard at the then BRT and bought in Tubize. Songs like "500 Miles" and especially "The Cruel War" I found great.

Then it happened. Like a bolt from the blue. In Tubize again I saw one of those famous EP's of a new folkie everyone was talking about. I just had to have it. I had already heard him on the radio but still nothing tangible of it.

At home, I was bombed with the litany of questions that Dylan fired. The almost religious tone of the song and the enigmatic answer "the answer is blowin 'in the Wind" turned this for me into something unreal, but "cruel beauty" as my mother said.

The world has never been the same since then

Blowin 'In The Wind (CBS EP 5688)

Éric SAINT LAURENT - Les enfants qui jouent (Barclay EP 71071) (October 1966)

2011-10-18T17:27:00.004+02:00

This great singer was a big succes between 1966 and 1971.

With his group "The Hornest" he sang in the Parisian club "La Locomotive" Between 1966 and 1968 he released 5 EP's.

He specialised in "covers" of Anglo-Saxon psychedelic hits, such as "Eleanor Rigby", "She's leaving home", "I'm a believer", "Friday on my mind", "Sweet Pea", etc.

Patrice RAISON (alias Erick SAINT LAURENT) was born in Paris on January 16th 1948.

This is his second EP from october 1966, with the hit "Eleonor Rigby"

Hoyt Axton - Folk Songs (EP Vogue INT 18031) - 1963

2011-10-18T10:12:00.008+02:00

Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well known throughout the world. Among them were "Della and the Dealer", "Joy to the World", and "Greenback Dollar".

He was born in Duncan, Oklahoma and spent his pre-teen years in Comanche, Oklahoma with his brother, John. His mother, Mae Boren Axton, co-wrote the classic rock 'n' roll song "Heartbreak Hotel", which became the first major hit for Elvis Presley. Some of Hoyt Axton's own songs were also later recorded by Elvis.

After his discharge from the Navy on the West Coast, he began singing folk songs in San Francisco nightclubs. In the early 1960s he released his first folk album titled The Balladeer (recorded at the Troubadour); which included his song "Greenback Dollar", a 1963 hit for The Kingston Trio. Axton released numerous albums well into the 1980s.

Axton had many minor singing hits of his own, such as "Boney Fingers", "When the Morning Comes", and 1979's "Della and the Dealer", as well as "Jealous Man".

But his most lasting contributions were songs made famous by others: "Joy to the World" and "Never Been to Spain" (Three Dog Night), the previously mentioned "Greenback Dollar" (Kingston Trio), "The Pusher" and "Snowblind Friend" (Steppenwolf), "No-No Song" (Ringo Starr), and an array of others, covered by singers such as Joan Baez, John Denver, Waylon Jennings, and Anne Murray. Axton also sang a couple of duets with Linda Ronstadt, including "Lion in Winter" and "When the Morning Comes" (a top 40 country hit). His most popular and signature song, "Joy to the World", as performed by Three Dog Night, was number 1 on the charts for six straight weeks in 1971, making it the top hit of the year.

Axton first appeared on television in a David L. Wolper ABC production of The Story of a Folksinger (1963). In 1965, he appeared in an episode of Bonanza, then followed with other TV roles over the years. As he matured, Axton as an actor specialized in playing good ol' boys on television and in films. His face became well-known in the 1970s and 1980s through many TV and film appearances, such as in the movies Gremlins and The Black Stallion. He sang the jingle "Head For the Mountains" in the Busch beer commercials in the 1980s (and also "The Ballad of Big Mac", touting McDonald's Big Mac on screen in a 1969 commercial he filmed for the hamburger franchise).

Axton spent some time struggling with cocaine addiction and several of his songs, including "The Pusher", "Snowblind Friend", and "No-No Song", partly reflect his negative drug experiences. He had been known as an opponent of drug use for many years when, in February 1997, he and his wife were arrested at their Montana home for possession of approximately 500 grams of marijuana, a little over a pound. His wife explained later that she offered Axton marijuana to relieve pain and stress following a 1995 stroke; both were fined and given deferred sentences.

Axton never fully recovered from his stroke, and still had to use a wheelchair much of the time. His mother, Mae, drowned in a hot tub at her Tennessee home in 1997. Hoyt Axton died of a heart attack in Victor, Montana, on October 26, 1999, at the age of 61. Axton had suffered a severe heart attack two weeks earlier and experienced another one while undergoing surgery in Montana.

This is my French EP from 1963.

“Le” Spencer Davis Group – Keep on Running (1965)

2011-10-09T18:12:00.002+02:00

In 1964 Steve Winwood turned 16. At once his band became fully professional, The Spencer Davis Group.

The group's first professional recording was a cover version of "Dimples", but they came to success at the end of 1965 with "Keep On Running", the group's first number one single. In 1966, they followed this with "Somebody Help Me" and "When I Come Home". By the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, the group released two more hits, "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man". Both of them sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold record status. These tracks proved to be their two best-known successes.

Through Chris Blackwell they learned the songs of Jamaican Jackie Edwards, “Keep On Running” and "Somebody Help Me”.

“Keep on Running” was the first of a series of hits.

The Other songs on this French EP are :

• “High time baby” (a SDG Original)
• “Strong love” (first recorded by the Malibus from Texas)
• “I can’t stand it” (a Soul Sisters original on Sue 1964)

The Everly Brothers - Foreverly Yours EP (1960)

2011-10-09T17:57:00.002+02:00

Phil and Don transformed the Appalachian folk, bluegrass and country sounds of their Kentucky boyhood into a richly harmonized form of rock and roll.

The sons of entertainers Margaret and Ike Everly, a traveling country and western team, the Everly Brothers performed as part of the family act on radio and in concert. On their own, they sang of adolescent romance in crisp, shimmering voices. With Don taking the melody and Phil harmonizing above him, the Everlys released a steady string of hit records between 1957-1962 that crossed over from country to pop and even R&B charts.

The duo rose to prominence on the Cadence label, cutting songs written for them by the husband and wife team of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The Bryants wrote and the Everlys sang eloquently of teenage devotion and heartbreak, as well as tragicomic situations. The Bryant-penned Everlys hits include such timeless favorites as “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Devoted to You,” “Bird Dog,” “Poor Jenny” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream.” The brothers themselves became accomplished songwriters, authoring such original hits as “Cathy’s Clown,” “When Will I Be Loved” and “(‘Til) I Kissed You.”

In 1960 the duo signed a ten-year contract with Warner Bros. and recorded prolifically during the following decade. Even though the hits stopped flowing in 1962, the Everly Brothers influence continued to spread.

Their close-harmony singing directly influenced a rising tide of musicians that included the Beatles, the Hollies, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Byrds. The duo broke up somewhat acrimoniously in 1973, only to come together ten years later at an emotional reunion concert on the stage of London’s Royal Albert Hall.

This EP comes from 1960

Bob Azzam – Mustapha (1960) (Barclay EP 72359)

2011-10-08T09:16:00.002+02:00

Bob Azzam (born Wadih George Azzam 24 October 1925, Cairo – 24 July 2004, Monaco) was a Lebanese singer.

With his international hit song "Mustapha", Azzam achieved success in France in the 1960s. The track peaked at #23 in the UK Singles Chart, spending fourteen weeks in that chart. Azzam had a degree in electronic engineering, and has been regarded as the man behind the chamber of echoes "Hors-studio" or "off-studio".

Azzam began his career in Italy in the late 1950s, with his band, singing in Italian and in English. In 1960, he released two songs in France that were influenced by oriental music, "ya Mustafa" (Chérie je t'aime, chérie je t'adore, como la salsa de pomodoro) and "Fais-moi du couscous, chérie". The same year, he received the Grand Prix du Disque for the song "Viens à Juan les Pins".

After this era, his success began to decline. However, Azzam continued his career by touring with his orchestra, and opened his own night club in Geneva.

Jonathan Richman, Rachid Taha and, most recently, La Bande à Basile have all performed covers of the songs "Mustafa" and "Fais-moi du couscous, chérie".

This is my french EP from 1960

Del Shannon - Runaway (LONDON EP 10095) 1961

2011-10-08T09:08:00.003+02:00

Del Shannon (born Charles Westover) is a key figure in rock and roll’s transition from the Fifties to Sixties, serving as something of a link between Elvis and the Beatles. He was among the relatively few self-reliant rock and rollers of the Teen Idol era. He wrote his own material, played guitar and sang, and did not project a manufactured image. Shannon turned out a solid run of hits during the first half of the Sixties, including one bonafide classic ("Runaway") and seven more Top Forty singles. He also gave and received influence from the up-and-coming bands of the British Invasion, including the Beatles.

An early fan of Hank Williams, Del Shannon picked up the guitar in his pre-teen years. After serving in the army in Germany, he returned home and formed his first band, the Midnight Ramblers, who became regulars at the Hi-Lo Club in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was here that Shannon worked up his first and most famous hit, “Runaway.” This minor-keyed classic from 1961-which occupied the #1 spot for four weeks and has been covered by more than 200 artists-possessed two distinctive qualities that became signatures of Shannon’s sound: his frequent use of a forceful falsetto and bandmate/cowriter Max Crook’s solo on the “musitron,” a high-pitched electric organ. “Runaway” made an overnight star of Shannon, who suddenly found himself performing on package tours with the likes of Jackie Wilson and Dion.

This is his French EP from 1961

Cherchez l'idole (1964) (Barclay EP 70633)

2011-09-30T10:19:00.002+02:00

"Cherchez L'idole" tells the story of a man pushed into stealing a jewel by his selfish girlfriend.

He barely pulls off the stunt, hiding it in a guitar as he is being pursued. Before long, however, he has a change of heart and decides to dump the girl and return the gem. Now he must find the right guitar -- which may be in the possession of any of five performers. Franck Fernandel, son of popular French comedian Fernandel, stars with Dany Saval, Berth Grandval and Dominique Boschero -- featuring performances by musical talents Charles Aznavour, Nancy Holloway, Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Vartan and Frank Alamo.

You see, a typical teenage film of the early sixties.

This is my EP with the soundtrack from 1964.

Bert Jansch – Needle of Death EP (Transatlantic TRA EP 145) (1966)

2011-09-30T08:48:00.001+02:00

Bert Jansch – Needle of Death EP (Transatlantic TRA EP 145) (1966)

Running From Home / Tinker’s Blues / Needle of Death / Green Are Your Eyes (Courting Blues) / The Wheel
Released: September 1966

Bert Jansch was born in Glasgow in 1943. As a teenager, he acquired a guitar and started visiting a local folk club (“The Howff”) run by Roy Guest. There, he met Archie Fisher and Jill Doyle (Davey Graham‘s half sister), who introduced him to the music of Big Bill Broonzy, Pete Seeger, Brownie McGhee and Woody Guthrie. He also met and shared a flat with Robin Williamson, who remained a friend when Jansch later moved to London.

After leaving school, Jansch took a job as a nurseryman, then in August 1960, he gave this up, with the intention of being a full-time musician. He appointed himself as an unofficial caretaker at The Howff and, as well as sleeping there, he may have received some pay to supplement his income as a novice performer who did not own his own guitar. He spent the next two years playing one-night stands in British folk clubs. This was a musical apprenticeship that exposed him to a range of influences, including Martin Carthy and Ian Campbell, but especially Anne Briggs, from whom he learned some of the songs (such as “Blackwaterside” and “Reynardine”) that would later feature strongly in his recording career.

Between 1963 and 1965, he travelled around Europe and beyond, hitch-hiking from place to place and living on earnings from busking and casual musical performances in bars and cafes. Before leaving Glasgow, he married a 16-year-old girl called Lynda Campbell: a marriage of convenience, which allowed her to travel with him although she was too young to have her own passport.[11] They split up after a few months and Jansch was eventually repatriated to Britain after catching dysentery in Tangiers.

Jansch moved to London where, in the mid-1960s, there was a burgeoning interest in folk music. There, he met the engineer and producer, Bill Leader, at whose home they made a recording of Jansch’s music on a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Leader sold the tape for £100 to Transatlantic Records, who produced an album directly from it. The album Bert Jansch was released in 1965 and went on to sell 150,000 copies. It included Jansch’s protest song “Do You Hear Me Now” which was brought to the attention of the pop music mainstream later that year by the singer Donovan, who covered it on his Universal Soldier EP, which reached No. 1 in the UK EP chart and No. 27 in the singles chart. Also included in Jansch’s first album was his song “Needle of Death” which is claimed to have influenced the drug-taking habits of a generation of British youth, despite portraying heroin extremely negatively.

This is his only EP (from 1966) and on the famous Transatlantic Records label.

THE PEBBLES - EP President / PRC 512 (France)

2011-09-27T18:15:00.002+02:00

THE PEBBLES - EP President / PRC 512 (France)

1. Huma la la la
2. Someone to love
3. Geneveve
4. I wonder

This is the Pebbles’ only EP (1968)

They started as “The Flintsones” but changed their name to The Pebbles and signed with Barclay Records. Their sound could best be described as a hybrid of The Hollies, The Moody Blues and The Beatles, especially for their similar use of falsetto harmonies.

They scored one hit after the other (two n°1 hits in Belgium, France and Spain), but the Barclay label was not interested in the Anglo-Saxon world, so their records were not released in US and UK. However "Seven Horses in the Sky" was one of the favorites on 'Radio Caroline'.

Thanks to their live-reputation, The Pebbles shared the bill with Jimi Hendrix, Small Faces, The Nice, Fleetwood Mac, Colosseum and Yes. George Harrison was so charmed by the band, that he invited The Pebbles to join the Apple label, but Alain Milhaud ("Black Is Black / I Want a Name" - Los Bravos) wouldn't let them go.

In 1969 they recorded their first album. Luk Smets left the band soon after.
Years later they ended obligations with Barclay and wanted airplay in UK and US, so they joined United Artists. The Pebbles made a beautiful second album with Ed Welsh, and they still had a few local and Spanish hits, but they never happened in Britain.

Finally the band split in 1974. Their biggest hits were "Get Around", "Seven Horses In The Sky", "Incredible George", "To The Rising Sun", "Mother army", "The Kid Is Allright" and "Mackintosh". Luk Smets formed the excellent Canterbury based band Shampoo, while Bob and Fred worked with , Dream Express and 'Trinity' semi-commercial but successful entertainment.

Billy Bragg – The Internationale (1990)

2011-09-27T18:08:00.001+02:00

The Internationale is a 1990 album by Billy Bragg. Originally released on Bragg’s short-lived record label, Utility Records, it is a deliberately political album, consisting mainly of cover versions and rewrites of left-wing protest songs. Although Bragg is known for his association with left-wing causes, this release is unusual; most of Bragg’s recordings balance overtly political songs with social observation and love songs.

Whether you agree with Billy’s politics or not, you can’t help but be impressed with the emotion of “My Youngest Some Came Home Today” or the sharp lyrics of “Marching Song of the Covert Battalions.” It seems that musicians just don’t record this sort of gutsy material anymore. Nowadays, “taking a chance” means offending as many people as possible with obscenities or lewd behavior, but there was a time when musicians believed that taking a chance had to do with performing intellectually bold content that had real social value. Billy Bragg is one of those people. Steve Earle is another. It’s a shame there aren’t more like them anymore.

The Internationale (L’Internationale in French) is a famous socialist, communist, social-democratic and anarchist anthem.

The Internationale became the anthem of international socialism, and gained particular notoriety under the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1944, when it was that communist state’s de facto national anthem. Its original French refrain is C’est la lutte finale / Groupons-nous et demain / L’Internationale / Sera le genre humain. (Freely translated: “This is the final struggle / Let us group together and tomorrow / The Internationale / Will be the human race.”)

The original French words were written in June 1871 by Eugène Pottier (1816–1887, previously a member of the Paris Commune) and were originally intended to be sung to the tune of La Marseillaise. Pierre De Geyter (1848–1932) set the poem to music in 1888. His melody was first publicly performed in July 1888 and became widely used soon after.

A call-to-arms for all of those afflicted and afraid of the world’s direction, The Internationale finds Billy truly comfortable with his political voice for the first time.

“I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night” and “Nicaragua Nicaraguita” are for unaccompanied voice. “Marching Song of the Covert Battalions” features prominent clarinet and recorder passages supported by organ, accordion, and revival-meeting bass drum/cymbals combination. “Red Flag” is an energetic reel set sparsely for voice, whistles, percussion, and minimal guitar. The album’s best selection, “My Youngest Son Came Home Today,” is a dirgelike antiwar number that is very moving and effective.

This is the original EP album

Les Troubadours - La vie mon petit (EP AZ EP1288 ) - 1969

2011-09-26T20:30:00.002+02:00

Les Troubadours - La vie mon petit (EP AZ EP1288 ) - 1969

A1 : La vie mon petit (E. Marnay - C. Chevallier)
A2 : Elseneur (J.C. Olivier - R. Valade)
B1 : Dis-moi quel est ton roi ? (M. Sullivan - B. Bergman)
B2 : Le noroît (B. Dobson - B. Scott)

My favourite group of the late sixties.

What do we find ?
Three originals and a cover of a Bonnie Dobson song.

This is Franca di Rienzo, Don Burke, Jean-Claude Briodin and Pierre Urban a their very best.

THE HERD - From The Underworld (Fontana EP 465402) 1967

2011-09-23T08:33:00.001+02:00

The Herd evolved from a group called the Preachers in 1965 whose members Andy Bown, Tony Chapman and Terry Clark were joined by Gary Taylor and Peter Frampton to become the Herd. Frampton was an accomplished lead guitarist having played guitars since his childhood. He was happiest in this instrumental role but after uttering a few supporting vocals during their live gigs he was rapidly pushed to the front by managers Alan Blaikley and Ken Howard. They were understandably keen to capitalise on Frampton's good looks which gave rise to a good deal of screaming from the female members of their audiences.

1967 saw the rise of British psychedelia and the group successfully aligned their recordings to the genre, although their first attempt 'I Can Fly' went almost unnoticed. However, the group as a whole, and Frampton in particular, were unhappy about their musical direction which was a good deal less progressive than they desired.

Despite a change of management Peter Frampton decided to team up with Steve Marriott on a new project- Humble Pie. Peter had admired the 'Small Faces' and when Marriott suddenly decided to quit his group it prompted Frampton to do the same. The Herd carried on for a short time afterwards but after Bown left to join Status Quo it was all over.

This is their EP from 1967. It has their first two singles.

Johnny Preston – Running Bear (Mercury EP 14226) 1959

2011-09-22T16:51:00.002+02:00

Johnny Preston, the singer best known for his peculiar yet internationally popular single 'Running Bear,' died March 4 of this year in Beaumont, Texas. Preston, who was 71, passed away from persistent problems related to a heart bypass surgery he had last year.

Preston was born Johnny Preston Courville in Port Arthur, Texas in 1939 and lived there most of his life. His first foray into performing was as a college student at Lamar University, where he played with a band called the Shades. During a show at a local nightclub, he caught the attention of DJ and producer J.P. Richardson, better known as the Big Bopper.

Richardson announced Preston to Mercury Records in 1958, and wrote and produced a number of singles for him before Richardson died in the infamous plane crash in February 1959 that also took the life of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

"Running Bear" was written in 1958 by J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson for Johnny Preston, whom he knew from Port Arthur, Texas, where he grew up. The inspiration for the song came from Richardson's childhood memory of the Sabine River, that he heard stories about having to do with the Indian tribes of the area. Recorded by Preston in 1958, with background vocals by Richardson and George Jones, "Running Bear" wasn't released until 1959. It remained at #1 for three weeks in January 1960 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and reached #1 in the UK.

• Johnny Preston (lead vocals)
• Link Davis (saxophone)
• J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson (backup vocals)
• George Jones (backup vocals, Indian chants)
• Bill Hall (producer & Indian chants)

The song also topped charts in England and was released in several countries. It was covered frequently in the ensuing years, most notably by Led Zeppelin, who often performed it live during tours in the 1970s.

Preston followed with a few more hits, including 'Feel So Fine' and 'Cradle of Love' in 1960 and a cover of 'Leave My Kitten Alone' the following year. He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and continued to perform as late as 2009, when he played a show in his hometown.

This is his French EP from 1959

Les Charlots - Chauffe Marcel.... (Vogue EPL 8464) 1966

2011-09-22T12:40:00.003+02:00

Les Charlots was a group of French comedy actors, who were moderately popular in the 1970s. In English, Les Charlots means "the clowns" rather than being a direct reference to Charlie Chaplin, who was generally called Charlot in France.

But in the beginning they were also musicians, accompanying first Antoine under the name of "Les Problèmes". They later made their own band, being considered[as some of the more talented studio musicians in France. They finally became rather popular for humoristic songs like "L'Apérobic", "Merci Patron" or "Le Chou Farci".

The group members were Gérard Rinaldi, Jean Sarrus, Gérard Filipelli, Luis Rego and Jean-Guy Fechner (Christian Fechner's brother).

When the five boys became too old to play the clowns and audiences became too bored[citation needed], the group attempted solo careers. Gérard Rinaldi is now essentially a TV actor, while Jean Sarrus became a TV host. Luis Rego is a movie actor while Jean-Guy Fechner is a movie producer. The last member disappeared from the public eye.

This EP comes from 1966.

Face A1 : Je dis n’importe quoi, je fais tout ce qu’on me dit (Antoine - Gérard Rinaldi)
Face A2 : Quand je pense à toi (Paul Rakotonirina - F. Harvel)
Face B1 : Psychose (toujours) (Christian Fechner)
Face B2 : Pas de problèmes (R. Mouly)

The special thing about is that the first title is a reworking of an Antoine song but is a very pleasant and funny way. "Chauffe Marcel" refers to the Jacques Brel song "Vesoul"

John Leyton - Wild Wind (Top Rank EP CMXBX146/4) 1961

2011-09-20T16:15:00.003+02:00

John Leyton began as an actor and it was as such that he was taken on by Robert Stigwood who was building up a new theatrical agency. His first significant booking from this was in the TV series 'Biggles', but better roles were elusive and Stigwood asked Leyton if he could sing. This led to a series of auditions with various recording studios including that of independent producer Joe Meek. Unlike the other companies, Meek was unconcerned about Leyton's initial lack of singing experience but was impressed by the young actor's good looks.

Leyton's first release, the tragedic 'Tell Laura I Love Her' missed out to another version by hitherto unknown singer, Ricky Valance. Similarly, the Meek inspired 'Girl On The Floor Above' was also ignored by record buyers and, although John's confidence as a singer was growing, chances of a career in Pop music then looked thin. However, at this time Leyton had secured the part of 'Johnny St. Cyr' -a pop star -in a new TV series called 'Harper's West One'. Joe Meek's close associate Geoff Goddard had just written 'Johnny Remember Me' and Meek's sound engineering skills gave Leyton's rendition of it a truly ethereal sound. With Stigwood's influence, arrangements were made for John Leyton to sing the song as part of the TV drama.

This huge hit was followed by further recordings from the Meek/Goddard/Leyton team, and they are certainly among the best examples of work from the remarkable sound producer. However, by the beginning of 1963 Stigwood unwisely decided to transfer Leyton to EMI's Abbey Road. The quality of recorded sound immediately improved and showed that Leyton actually had a good singing voice, but unfortunately the excitement had also gone along with the distortion. Luckily for John Leyton, his acting career had taken off with a part in the film 'The Great Escape'. Despite trying to give John's music more of a 'group' sound by giving him a backing group, 'The Le Roys', his chart career faded out by the beginning of 1964.

John Leyton finds time occasionally to return to the stage just to check that his fans really still do remember him.

All John Leyton's EPs are very sought after because most of his recordings were made in association with Joe Meek.

This EP is from 1961

Manfred Mann - Cock-a-Hoop (1963)

2011-09-18T07:45:00.003+02:00

This R&B outfit had two distinct phases of chart success. The first phase was with Paul Jones who left the group in the summer of 1966. He was replaced by Mike D'Abo which marked the beginning of an equally successful second round of chart hits.

The band had been started by Manfred Mann shortly after his arrival in Britain in 1961. He had joined up with percussionist Hugg to produce the jazz and blues group 'Mann Hugg Blues Brothers'. However after expansion of the group to a fivepiece, they simply became Manfred Mann taking their name from the enigmatic keyboard player. The addition of Jones was noteable because it was he that steered the group wholeheartedly to R&B.

Here is their first EP (1963)

Manfred Mann's first EP featured their first two singles Why Should We Not and Cock-a-Hoop, released in July and October of 1963. Neither of them charted. 5-4-3-2-1 was written as the theme song for the TV show Ready Steady Go and in February 1964 reached # 5 on the British charts

5-4-3-2-1 was the "Ready Steady Go" theme and reached the charts in 1964..

Side 1

“5-4-3-2-1″ (Jones, Hugg, Mann)
“Cock-a-Hoop” (Jones)

Side 2

“Without You” (Jones)
“Why Should We Not” (Mann)

The group :

Manfred Mann, keyboards
Mike Vickers, guitar, alto sax, flute
Mike Hugg, drums and vibes
Paul Jones, lead vocals, harmonica
Tom McGuinness, bass guitar on 5-4-3-2-1 and "Without You"
Dave Richmond, bass guitar on Why Should We Not and Cock-a-Hoop

Gilbert Bécaud – Un dimanche à Orly (1963)

2011-09-15T09:12:00.003+02:00

Gilbert Becaud (Toulon, October 24, 1927 - Paris, December 18, 2001) was a French singer, composer and actor. His nickname was "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" because of his energetic performances. His best-known hit for us was "Nathalie" (1964), a love song, but also a veiled protest against communism. In America, his biggest succes was "Et maintenant" (1961) known in the English version - "What Now My Love".

He was born in Toulon as François Silly.

His first hit in the English speaking world came with Jane Morgan's translation of "Le jour où la pluie viendra". He began acting in the same period, with "Le Pays D'où Je Viens" (1956). In 1960 he won a Grand Prix du Disque and composed "L'enfant à l'étoile", a Christmas cantata. In the same year "Let It Be Me", a translation of "Je t'appartiens" was a major hit for the Everly Brothers, through the years followed by Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Jerry Butler, Tony Sandler and James Brown.

In 1961, Becaud recorded "Et maintenant", one of the most popular singles in French history.

This is my EP is from 1963.

Buzz Clifford – Long Tall Sally (1962)

2011-09-13T09:05:00.002+02:00

Buzz Clifford is considered a so-called One Hit Wonder.

Buzz had a hit with "Baby Sittin 'Boogie", a novelty song with a gimmick : a baby who sings and swings. A funny rock 'n' roll song, and truly exceptional.

But Buzz Clifford was more than that. He recorded some really good Rock 'n Roll.

This French EP from early 1962 shows that other (true) side of Buzz Clifford: Rock and Roll

Buzz Clifford – Long Tall Sally

Bob Dylan – “Positively 4th Street” (CBS EP 6210) November 1965

2011-09-12T11:42:00.004+02:00

“Positively 4th Street” is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Dylan in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965.

The song was released between the albums Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde, as the follow-up to Dylan’s hit single “Like a Rolling Stone”, but wasn’t included on either LP.

The song’s title does not appear anywhere in the lyrics and there has been much debate over the years as to the significance or what individual the song concerns. Dylan once lived on 4th Street in Manhattan

The master take of “Positively 4th Street” was recorded on July 29, 1965, during the mid-June to early August recording sessions that produced all of the material that appeared on Dylan’s 1965 album, Highway 61 Revisited. The song was the last to be attempted that day, with Dylan and a variety of session musicians having already successfully recorded master takes of “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” and “Tombstone Blues”. The studio band on “Positively 4th Street” featured Robert Gregg (drums), Harvey Brooks (bass), Frank Owens or Paul Griffin (piano), Al Kooper (organ) and Mike Bloomfield (guitar), with the song initially being logged on the studio’s official recording session documentation under the working title of “Black Dalli Rue”.

There is uncertainty about exactly which “4th Street” the title refers to, with many scholars and fans speculating it refers to more than one. New York City’s 4th Street is at the heart of the Manhattan residential district Greenwich Village, where Dylan once lived. This area was central to the burgeoning folk music scene of the early 1960s, which centered around Dylan and many other influential singer-songwriters.

The song is generally assumed to ridicule Greenwich Village residents who criticized Dylan for his departure from traditional folk styles towards the electric guitar and rock music. Many of the Greenwich Village folk crowd, who had been good friends of Dylan’s, took offense and assumed that the song carried personal references.

Noted Village figure Izzy Young, who ran the Folklore Center, had this to say of the accusation:

“At least five hundred came into my place [the Folklore Center]… and asked if it was about me. I don’t know if it was, but it was unfair. I’m in the Village twenty-five years now. I was one of the representatives of the Village, there is such a thing as the Village. Dave Van Ronk was still in the Village. Dylan comes in and takes from us, uses my resources, then he leaves and he gets bitter. He writes a bitter song. He was the one who left.”

To me this is one of the most powerful songs Dylan ever recorded.

This is my French EP. Strangely enough “Mr. Tambourine man” has been shortened to the first two choruses (02.25)

Steve Marriott and the Moments (1964)

2011-09-12T11:12:00.008+02:00

After the tragic death of Steve Marriott (he was only 44) in a house fire in 1991, the record companies began to search for unknown and / or unreleased songs by Marriott. About everything from the Small Faces was available on vinyl and now on CD.

Steve Marriott was a mod icon.

But what did Steve Marriott before he joined the Small Faces?

An accidental discovery in east London - in an attic, where else - cast new light on his less well-documented pre-Faces days.

Steve Marriott was 16 when he formed "The Moments" an East London R & B band. Soon the band had a loyal fan mod behind him, especially since they played at the Flamingo Club.

They played almost every week in 1964, but commercial success did not come. Marriott was dropped by the end of 1964 the band because they thought him not a good singer.

According to David Bowie, he and Steve Marriott planned a blues band ("David and Goliath") but Steve then joined Ronnie Lane and formed a new mod band, "The Small Faces."

In 2008, Barry Hewitt, the bass player of The Moments, discovered by chance (or accident) a never played acetate from 1964.

The four songs were labeled "acid jazz" and this EP was released.

Antoine - La Guerre (Vogue EP EPL 8401) 1965

2011-09-12T10:54:00.007+02:00

The cliché about Antoine was that he was a "French Dylan". While Antoine was undoubtedly indebted to Bobby Zimmerman he was indeed very very French.

He used the idiom and Dylan’s "Blonde on Blonde" sound to make something unique.

He was born Pierre Antoine Muraccioli on June 4, 1944 in Tamatave (Madagascar).

He studied engineering in Paris and obtained his diploma in 1966. An unhappy love affair with the sister of a fellow student at the Ecole Centrale brought him to the chanson.

He has almost immediate success with "Autoroute Europeenne No. 4" recorded in October 1965. He first appears on TV during the night of the presidential elections of November 1965.

Six months later, the floodgates opened.

"Les Élucubrations d'Antoine ', a Dylanesque tirade against everything and the establishment is kicking the French yeye world awake. He is accompanied by "Les Problèmes", a group that would later evolve into "Les Charlots".

This EP was his very first from 1965

Buzz Clifford - Baby Sittin' Boogie (1962)

2011-05-28T17:18:00.004+02:00

(gggggggggggggggg da da da-da-da-da!
My girl baby sister saw it on her block
Then I come up to join her and we start to rock
The baby hears the beat and man it is a shock
When he goes (ggggggggggggg ggggggggggggg)

We all know this.

Buzz Clifford (born Reese Francis Clifford III, 8 October 1941, Berwyn, Illinois) is an American pop singer and steen idol.

Clifford played guitar as a child and won several talent competitions as a teenager. He signed to Bow Records at age 15, releasing a few singles but finding no success. After signing with Columbia Records, he released the single "Hello Mr. Moonlight", which did not chart.

The follow-up, "Baby Sittin' Boogie"/"Driftwood" (though "Driftwood" was technically the B-side the record tends to be regarded as a double-A-side), became a crossover hit in the U.S. in 1961, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #27 R&B, and #28 Country. The record went on to sell over one million copies, and as a result of its success, Columbia tried to groom Clifford as a heartthrob pop singer.

He appeared on TV with Perry Como and Merv Griffin and on American Bandstand, and toured the United Kingdom with Freddy Cannon and Dion. Clifford's fame was short-lived, however; further singles went nowhere (a remake of Kay Kyser's "Three Little Fishies" hit #102) and Clifford soon found himself without a recording contract.

This is my EP from 1962

Alan Stivell - Flower Power (Fontana 460244) 1968

2011-05-10T16:43:00.001+02:00

Alan Cochevelou started playing a gut-strung harp in 1953; his first record was the EP "Musique Gaëlique" (Mouzh Breizh 4597, 1959)

In 1964 he started playing a wire-strung harp; in 1967 he took the stage name "Stivell". He released 2 EPs, in 1968 and 1969, though I understand he was dissapointed by the pop-hippy image and sound promoted by the record label.

Here is that rarity

The Spencer Davis Group - I'm a man (1967)

2011-04-16T17:41:00.002+02:00

This talented outfit was put together in Birmingham by Davis although the group was dominated musically by the amazing and very young Steve Winwood. The group preferred to play blues, but their first single in this genre didn't do well and is now quite collectable. Their next three bluesy singles did reach the lower part of the chart but it was the much more commercial 'Keep On Running' that allowed them to hit the big time.

The group's first professional recording was a cover version of "Dimples", but they came to success at the end of 1965 with "Keep On Running", the group's first number one single. In 1966, they followed this with "Somebody Help Me" and "When I Come Home".

By the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, the group released two more hits, "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man". Both of them sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold disc status. These tracks proved to be their two best-known successes, especially in the U.S. Jimmy Miller was their producer

This began a string of successful singles that went on until 1968, by which time Steve Winwood had left to form 'Traffic'. Although Davis soldiered on, and continued to turn out good music the hits soon dried up. Davis went to live in the USA, but continued performing musically. Muff went into A&R and his remarkable younger brother has maintained a low key but lucrative musical career ever since.

This french EP is from january 1967

Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers - She said Yeah (Parlophone GEP8923) 1965

2011-04-09T17:14:00.003+02:00

Cliff Bennett was one of the most under-rated R&B singers of his generation. His group, the Rebel Rousers, evolved during 1958 and 1959 taking their name from a Duane Eddy hit of the time. The band spent their first year or two as amateurs and the original, fully professional, line-up consisted of Bennett, Mick King, Frank Allen, Sid Phillips and Ricky Winters. Their first opportunity to record was in 1961 at Joe Meek's famous Holloway Road Studio. Although their records deserved a better fate, they remained uncharted and now have the status of collector's items. With no sign of a hit in sight, Frank Allen took the opportunity to join the Searchers who needed a replacement for Tony Jackson. However, Allen's place was soon filled by Bobby Thompson who abandoned his Liverpool group 'The Dominoes' shortly after their break from their lead singer 'King Size Taylor'.

The band had to remain content with an arduous touring schedule which took full advantage of the German clubs in the Hamburg area. Their lack of hits went on until they secured the management of Brian Epstein and a little of the Beatles magic touch came their way. 'One Way Love', at last brought some of the atmosphere of their successful stage act to vinyl, but none of its immediate follow-ups did much at all. However, their final hit was the magnificent 'Got To Get You Into My Life' which was produced by Paul McCartney. No further chart entries followed, but the band kept trying, even changing its name to the more contemporary, 'Cliff Bennett Band'. By this time several of the original members had fallen away and the group then included Mick Green and Frank Farley who had previously been members of the late Johnny Kidd's 'Pirates'.

This 1965 EP is a rare one because it contains tracks not found on any of Cliff's singles releases. Fortunately- although still not that easy to find, it is probably the most common of Cliff's few 45rpm EP releases.

The Dave Clark Five - Do You Love Me ? (1964)

2011-03-27T14:07:00.002+02:00

Dave Clark formed the band in 1958, and was the band's drummer, placing his drum kit at the front of the stage, with the guitarists and organ to his rear and sides. He established business deals which allowed him to produce the band's recordings and gave him control of the master recordings.

Lead vocals were provided by Mike Smith, who also played the keyboards. The rest of the band were Lenny Davidson on lead guitar, Rick Huxley on bass guitar, and Denny Payton on saxophone, harmonica and guitar. Songwriting credits went to Clark, Clark and Smith, Clark and Davidson, and Clark and Payton.

Their first few singles didn't do much and their first to chart was eclipsed by a version by Brian Poole. However their drums dominated beat became a familiar sound as their next release 'Glad All Over', penned by Smith, went all the way to #1.

He would also buy the rights to the legendary TV Pop show 'Ready Steady Go' and consequently 'cleaned up' when video tape became commonplace.

This EP comes from 1964 : http://lix.in/-94a69c

The Riot Squad (PYE EP PNC 12.135) - 1965

2011-03-19T17:11:00.004+01:00

The Riot Squad were a pop group from London, initially managed and produced by Larry Page and later, for their reunion, by Joe Meek.

Members included Graham Bonney (vocals), Ron Ryan (guitar), Len Tuckey (guitar), Mark Stevens (keyboards), Brian Davies (bass), Mitch Mitchell (drums, later Jimi Hendrix Expierience), Roger Crisp, Terry Clifford, Butch Davis, Derek "Del" Roll. Their only constant member was to be Bob Evans (saxophone), who, after the band split for the first time, "reunited" The Riot Squad with all new musicians.

In early 1967, they were joined by David Bowie, who at the time was recording material for his self-titled debut album. The band consisted of six members: Bowie (lead vocalist, guitar, tenor saxophone), Rod Davies (guitar), Croke Prebble (bass), Bob Evans (saxophone, flute), George Butcher (keyboards) and Derek Roll (drums). This incarnation recorded several as-yet unreleased tracks, including a cover of the The Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man", and a Velvets-influenced Bowie original called "Little Toy Soldier"

This is their EP from 1965 : The Riot Squad

The Riot Squad (Mitch Mitchell far left) 1965

Napoleon XIV - They're Coming To Take Me Away, HA-HAAA! (1966)

2011-03-06T10:43:00.002+01:00

Napoleon XIV was the pseudonym of the American singer-songwriter and record producer Jerry Samuels (born 3 May 1938, New York), who achieved one-hit wonder status with the Top 5 hit novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" in 1966. Samuels also wrote The Shelter of Your Arms, a top 20 hit for Sammy Davis, Jr. in 1964.

In 1966, Samuels concocted "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" while working at Associated Recording Studios in New York. The public found out his true identity when Cousin Brucie of WABC outed him. The record quickly climbed the charts, reaching #3 nationally just one week after its release. It sold over one million copies.

This is one of the stupidest "songs" ever written. The joke was repeated in the B side of the 45rpm where it was played backwards. This is also included on my French EP from 1966

Elvis Presley - Blue Hawaii (RCA EP 86305) - 1962

2011-03-02T19:01:00.005+01:00

This EP has music from the movie Blue Hawaii

Much of the film was shot on location at the Coco Palms Resort on the east coast of Kauai.

The scenes at Chad's beach house were shot at Hanauma Bay, a volcanic crater that is open to the sea, near the bedroom community of Hawaii-Kai, a few miles away from Waikiki.

There were several scenes filmed in and around the famous Waikiki Beach, including the opening driving scenes, as well as the office scene across the street from the "International Market". The hotel scenes where Chad's clients stayed and where he picked up his tour group were filmed on the property of what is now known as the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach. This is also where Chad and his girlfriend spent time on the beach.

Blue Hawaii was the first of three Elvis movies to be filmed in Hawaii, followed by Girls! Girls! Girls! in 1962 and Paradise, Hawaiian Style in 1965.

Angela Lansbury, who played the mother of Elvis, was not yet 36 years old in 1961 when the movie was released. Elvis was 26 years old. Lansbury would later comment that her appearance here was one of the worst in her career.

Here is that little treasure : http://lix.in/-9c169e

The String-A-Longs - Wheels (1961)

2011-02-25T19:16:00.003+01:00

The String-A-Longs were an instrumental group from Plainview, Texas, produced by Norman Petty on Warwick Records. They consisted of Richard Stephens, lead guitar, Keith McCormack and Jimmy Torres, rhythm guitars, Aubrey de Cordova, bass guitar and Don Allen, drums.

Their biggest hit single was their first, "Wheels", in 1961 (released in 1960).

The String-A-Longs followed up "Wheels" with "Brass Buttons" (U.S. #35), "Should I", and "Replica". This is their 1961 EP

Mickey & Sylvia (EP VIK EXA 262) 1957

2011-02-20T10:45:00.010+01:00

Mickey Baker (McHouston Baker, 15 October 1925, Louisville, Kentucky, USA) and Sylvia Vanderpool (b. 6 March 1936, New York City, New York, USA).

They were the first big seller for Groove Records

Mickey was a music instructor and Sylvia one of his pupils. Baker was inspired to form the group by the success of Les Paul & Mary Ford

This popular duo began recording together in 1956 and enjoyed an US R&B chart-topper that year with ‘Love Is Strange’, which peaked at number 11 in the US pop chart the following year. This enduring call-and-response song is rightly regarded as a classic of its genre, and later became a minor UK hit when recorded by the Everly Brothers.

They were moved to Vik, another subsidiary of RCA. Vik's lineup included many pop artists and a few doo wop groups. They must have felt that Mickey And Sylvia would get better exposure then keeping them with the blues and R+B sounds of Groove.
Mickey and Sylvia had further success with ‘There Oughta Be A Law’ (1957) and, after a brief hiatus as a duo, ‘Baby You’re So Fine’ (1961), but their career together was undermined by commitments elsewhere.

Prolific session work for Atlantic Records, Savoy, King and Aladdin earned the former the epithet Mickey ‘Guitar’ Baker, while the latter had made her recording debut with jazz trumpeter Oran ‘Hot Lips’ Page as early as 1950.

In 1973, she began recording as Sylvia, and later achieved notable success as an entrepreneur through her ownership of Sugar Hill Records, early champions of the rap/hip-hop scene.

Here is their first and only 1957 EP on VIK

http://lix.in/-93e5c3

Sonny and Cher – I got you baby (1965)

2011-02-12T16:45:00.001+01:00

Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.

The pair first achieved fame with two hit songs in 1965, "Baby Don't Go" and "I Got You Babe". Signing with Atco/Atlantic Records, they released three studio albums in the late 1960s, as well as the soundtrack recording for an unsuccessful movie, Good Times. In 1972, after four years of silence, the couple returned to the studio and released two other albums under the MCA/Kapp Records label.

In the 1970s, they also positioned themselves as media personalities with two top ten TV shows in the US, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show.
The couple's career as a duo ended in 1975 following their divorce. In the decade they spent together, Sonny and Cher sold 80 million records worldwide

This is their (French) HIT EP from 1965

Sonny and Cher – I got you baby (1965)

Graeme Allwright - Emmene-Moi (1966)

2011-02-12T16:08:00.006+01:00

Graeme Allwright (born November 7, 1926) is a singer-songwriter. Born in Wellington, New Zealand, he moved to France in 1948. He began to perform and write folk songs a few years later and was eventually signed by Sonogram. In the 1960s, he translated into French a number of songs written by Leonard Cohen. He remained active through the 1970s.

The background vocals on "Emmene-moi" are by "Les Troubadours". The original of this song is by Malvina Reynolds (Take me home)
"Qui a tué Davey Moore" is of course Dylan's song.

The other two songs are Allwright originals.

Graeme Allwright - Emmene-Moi (1966)

The Shadows - Those Talented Shadows (UK Columbia SEG-8500) 1966

2011-02-12T15:44:00.001+01:00

In October 1963 Locking left to spend more time as a Jehovah's Witness. The band had met John Rostill on tour with other bands and had been impressed by his playing, so they invited him to take over. This final and longest-lasting lineup was also the most innovative as they tried different guitars and developed a wider range of styles and higher musicianship. They produced impressive albums but the chart positions of singles began to ease. The line-up had ten hits but the most successful, "The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt," was also the first of those ten.

This EP comes from 1966, has no big hits, but is Shadsmusic at his very best

Those talented Shadows

Peter, Paul and Mary - Tiny Sparrow (EP WEP.1420) 1963

2011-02-12T15:31:00.005+01:00

"This album represents love's labor got on tape"

That's what was mentionned on the Album's sleeve notes and that's exactly what this EP is all about.

In '63, their recording of "Puff, The Magic Dragon" written by Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton won the hearts of millions, while their recording of "Blowin' In The Wind" helped introduce a fellow Village songwriter named Bob Dylan. It was Folk music that was to spark the imagination and the passion of a generation intent on social change.

The song, "Puff, The Magic Dragon" was actually the center of controversy when it was first released. At the time, the drug culture was making headlines and some radio stations mis-took the lyrics and refused to play the song. Years later, Paul Stookie laughed as he explained that the song is the story of a little boy growing up and had nothing at all to do with marijuana.

But Peter, Paul and Mary did more in those times than chronicle events; they lived their songs. They stood with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma and in Washington.

From the beautiful "Tiny Sparrow" to the "Tongue-in-cheek" "Puff" (the famous magic dragon) we float on their love.

Tiny Sparrow

The Shirelles – Bright Shiny Colours (1967) (Scepter)

2011-02-12T15:09:00.001+01:00

The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence.

The Shirelles were the first to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.
The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens (the main lead singer; later known as Shirley Alston, then Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later known as Doris Coley Kenner, then Doris Kenner Jackson; she sang lead on "Dedicated to the One I Love", "Welcome Home Baby", "Blue Holiday" and a number of B-sides and album cuts), Beverly Lee, and Addie 'Micki' Harris. The quartet formed in New Jersey in 1958, and went on to release a string of hits including "Baby It's You" (written by Burt Bacharach/Mack David/Barney Williams), "Mama Said", "Foolish Little Girl", and the #1 Pop hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Gerry Goffin/Carole King) and "Soldier Boy" (Florence Greenburg/Luther Dixon). Their "Sha La La" became an international hit when covered by the British group Manfred Mann, giving them a Top 5 hit in 1965, and the song "Boys" was covered by The Beatles. The Beatles also covered "Baby It's You" on their album Please, Please Me in 1963. A year later, this same Burt Bacharach/Mack David song was also a Top 30 hit in the UK for Sheffield-born singer Dave Berry.

This French EP is from a later period, where the attention of the world was no longer focused on girl groups.

Bright Shiny Colours (1967)

The Ronettes - Be my Baby (1963)

2011-02-06T09:29:00.003+01:00

The Ronettes began their careers dancing as the 'Dolly Sisters' and found a regular engagement at the Peppermint Lounge which became known for popularizing the 'twist'. They soon turned to singing, but their first record releases were unsuccessful.

However, they began a chance association with record producer Phil Spector. Their first release was 'Be My Baby' which reached #2 in the U.S. and #4 in the UK chart. They were to have a further three hits in Britain with the record featured here the least successful climbing only to #43.

Spector became infatuated with Ronnie and the couple married. Although the singles that Phil Spector produced at this time featuring Ronnie are of his best work, arguably some of the finest pop records ever made, they did not meet with commercial success.

The Ronettes are probably the most significant of the girl groups that Spector produced and their recordings are archetypal of the Girl Group genre.

http://lix.in/-9a9c7e

The Crystals - Da Do Ron Ron (1963)

2011-02-06T08:25:00.003+01:00

The group came from Brooklyn and consisted of original lead singer Barbara Alston, Dee Dee Kennibrew, Patsy Wright, and Myrna Gerrard; others at various times including Delores "LaLa" Brooks, Mary Thomas, and Frances Collins. All of them were from New York City.

The first hit song for the Crystals was There's No Other [Like My Baby], a number five R&B hit and number twenty pop which was released on Spector's Philles label late in 1961. The Crystals recorded He Hit Me [But It Felt Like A Kiss], a song that was controversial for its lyrical content and which was withdrawn from the market. They followed it with Uptown early in 1962, the group's biggest hit to date.

Then came He's A Rebel. The lead vocal was done by Darlene Love of the Blossoms, who had done backup vocals on some other well-known songs such as Johnny Angel. Darlene Love had a powerful voice, one that is considered by some today as one of the best ever in rock-and-roll. The result was a number one hit on Philles for the Crystals, even though it had been performed by singers who were not members of the group that had released the earlier Crystals' hits. This lineup had another hit early in 1963, He's Sure The Boy I Love, which just missed the top ten and again featured a strong vocal performance by Darlene Love.

But the old group of Crystals wasn't finished yet. In 1963 they recorded Da Doo Ron Ron [When He Walked Me Home]. This time the lead vocalist was LaLa Brooks, and the song was a smashing success, peaking at number three. LaLa also did the lead on the group's next [and final] top ten hit, Then He Kissed Me, a song that Spector would later say he considered to be his best one ever. It was these two songs probably more than any others that helped to form what came to be known as Phil Spector's "Wall Of Sound."

This is my 1963 EP

More Crystals on my Dutch blog : http://mijnkleinelouvre.wordpress.com/

Christine Delaroche - La fille au soleil (VOGUE EPL 8458) 1966

2011-02-02T19:08:00.005+01:00

Christine Delaroche (born 24 May 1944) is a French actress. She has appeared in 21 films and television shows since 1965.

Christine was a second-generation yé-yé girl and purveyor of typical late sixties "baroque-pop" in a similar vein as Violaine and Clothilde,there is also a connection with Germinal Tenas.She also had a career as an actress and her most famous role was in The 1965 mini-series "Belphégor", and teh only french actress to appear in an episode of "The New Avengers"!

She also records several EP's. Most of the songs were composed by Guy Bontempelli, her "ex - for life" as she calls him.

She also appears in "The Avengers".

Her films are "Un monde nouveau" (1966, De Sica), "Les Arnaud" (1967, Joannon), "Un crime au Paradis" (2000, Becher) etc

This is her second EP from 1966 : http://lix.in/-988979

The Cascades - Rhythm of the Rain (1963)

2011-01-31T17:45:00.001+01:00

In 1960, the Silver Strands were a group of United States Navy personnel serving on the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) based in San Diego, California. They recruited John Gummoe, and left the Navy to become The Thundernotes. At this point, the group's membership consolidated as John Gummoe (born John Claude Gummoe, August 2, 1938, Cleveland, Ohio) (lead vocals), Eddie Snyder (guitar), David Szabo (keyboardist), Dave Stevens (bassist), and Dave Wilson drummer).

The group then started to get more interested in vocal harmony, influenced by the Beach Boys. They recorded demos which ended up with Phil Spector at Valiant Records, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, who signed them up and also changed their name to The Cascades – supposedly inspired by a nearby box of detergent. Their first release, "There's A Reason", became a small regional hit, and, in summer 1962, they went to Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles and recorded a song which Gummoe had written in his Navy days while on watch during a thunderstorm.

The musicians on the recording included the "Wrecking Crew" - Hal Blaine on drums, Carol Kaye on bass and Glen Campbell on guitar - and it was arranged by Perry Botkin. Rhythm of the Rain was issued in November 1962. It rose to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1963, and became a major hit in over 80 countries. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

This is their HIT EP Rhythm of the Rain

Burt Blanca - Hully Gully (1963 - EP LA VOIX DE SON MAÎTRE EMF 337)

2011-01-27T19:20:00.002+01:00

Burt Blanca was born on August 6, 1944 in the northern suburbs from Brussels. Burt Blanca is the pioneer of the rock'n'roll in Belgium. He is the interpreter of many hit tunes such as: Touche pas à mon rock'n'roll, Ma Guitare bleue, Le Train ne passe plus par là, Voilà le temps des vacances, Dansons, Limbobossa, Rock'n'Roll is good for the soul, Le Locomotion, Hey Baby, Twist twist senora or ClapClap Sound.

At 14 he discovers the guitar and the rock' roll. "Managed" by his brother, Norbert became Burt BLANCA and signs in 1959 a contract with the Belgian firm "Hébra records”. His first record was a Flemish version of Neil Sedaka's "OH CAROL" and "I LOVE YOU SO", one of his own compositions.

Meanwhile he goes to the academy of Brussels with the clarinet. After the recording of a 45 record for the French label "Festival", Burt signs in 1961 a contract with the French firm "Pathé- Marconi", under the management of Jean Paul GUITER, also artistic director of "LES CHATS SAUVAGES", with which he will collaborate until 1964.

During sixteen years he will record with all the greats in all the Belgian recordingstudios: ADAMO, FREDERIC FRANCOIS, ROBERT COGOI, ANDRE BRASSEUR, CLAUDE BARZOTTI, PLASTIC BERTRAND, WILL TURA, JOHAN VERMINNEN..... and also some French artists, not of least: CHARLES AZNAVOUR, JULIETTE GRECO, GILBERT BECAUD, CARAVELLI, LA COMPAGNIE CREOLE....

In the sixties he makes several records for the french market.

This EP comes from 1963 and has the "hit" "Tout en fumée"

http://lix.in/-8efbab

Nicoletta - La Musique (Barclay 231277) 1967

2011-01-25T14:21:00.007+01:00

Nicole Grisoni was born in the French Alps, in Vongy in Savoie, on April 11th 1944. She was brought up for the most part by her grandmother, a vital figure in her life and about whom she has often spoken during her career. The young Nicole completed her college education and went to the School of Fine Arts in Lyon. But her talent and passion for singing were already coming to the fore. Jazz, blues and gospel were by far her favourite musical styles and despite her very "variety" orientated career, these genres have constantly re-surfaced in her repertoire.

At the beginning of the 60s, Nicole, still very young, "went up" to Paris where, she got jobs a disc jockey in some famous clubs in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. One thing led to another, Leo Missir, artistic director of one of the most powerful record labels, Barclay, spotted her at the time. She recorded her first single in 1966, a cover version of the famous Edith Piaf number, "L’Homme à la moto", which was itself an adaptation of an American song. On the same album, there was also a cover version of Nino Ferrer's first release, "Pour oublier qu’on s"est aimé". Nevertheless, Nicole, now called Nicoletta, did not feel at home with the realist repertoire of the great French singer, who died three years before.

The following year, she brought out a second 45, "La Musique". But it was above all "Il est mort le soleil", released the same year, which marked the her entry into the big league. The title was such a hit that the American singer Ray Charles decided to record an English version.

From then on, Nicoletta earned her reputation as a singer with a demanding, even difficult temperament

This is her 1967 EP

La Musique is a cover of Barry Mann's "Angelica".

http://lix.in/-9c8e50

Nicoletta today

Christine PILZER - Café Crême (1967)

2011-01-23T10:06:00.002+01:00

French singer-songwriter Christine Pilzer released just two EPs before going on to become a fashion designer under the name Christine Van den Haute.

She was born in Nice, in south-eastern France, in 1942 but moved to Neuilly-sur-Seine, in the north-western suburbs of Paris, as a young girl after her mother remarried. She was the elder half-sister of singer Violaine. Though the pair had different fathers, both took Violaine’s father’s surname, Pilzer. (He was of Hungarian ancestry.)

Dracula, the lead track of her first EP, issued in 1966, was a song about a childhood game she had played. The EP also included L’horloge de grand-père (a version of a 19th century American song she’d heard during holidays in the UK), Ils pataguent and Non, tu n’es pas seul.

The release was followed by appearances as support artist on a tour by singer Antoine, during which she was backed by the group Les Sharks. Her inexperience meant that audiences didn’t always react well to her performances and she nearly packed in the tour.

However, she stuck with it and appeared live with Antoine again the following year. She also began submitting illustrations for Mademoiselle âge tendre magazine and had articles published by 20 ans magazine under the name Chris Vanden.

In 1967 she released her sceond EP. Three of the four tracks were again songs she’d written with Jamet. For the lead song she served up the delicious Café crème, while the others were Mon p’tit homme spatial, Champs-Elysées and Ah-hem-ho-uh-errr (about l’amour, of course).

This is her second EP

Georges Chelon – Père Prodigue (Pathé EP EG 887) - 1965

2011-01-15T14:19:00.003+01:00

Georges Chelon is a French singer/songwriter who emerged in the mid-'60s to significant acclaim, and while his career underwent ups and downs, he remained active throughout the rest of the century and beyond.

Born on January 4, 1943, in Marseille, France, he made his recording debut in 1965 with the 45 rpm single "15, 20 et Plus" on EMI Pathé Marconi, followed later in the year by the full-length album Père Prodigue.

From 1965 until 1971, he released new full-length recordings annually on the label, in addition to a steady stream of 45 rpm singles. His full-length releases from this period include 15, 20 et Plus (1966), Bobino 67 (1967), Tu Sais (1968), Sampa (1968), Chelon 1969 (1969), Vengeance (1970), and Olympia 71 (1971).

This is my EP from 1965

Georges Chelon – Père Prodigue

The COUSINS – The Robot (Palette EPP 7241) (1962)

2011-01-10T17:30:00.003+01:00

The COUSINS was a Guitar group of the late fifties and early sixties who were among the first to successfully export "rock & roll" music from Belgium. Played Shadows-like music and also had a stage act which resembled that of The Shadows.

Started off at the end of the fifties as "La Jeune Equipe". Their main occupation was playing at the birthday parties of the rich and noble. They change their name to "Les Cousins" when they were asked to perform in a club with the same name on the 14th of July (French fête nationale). It's there that the group gets a record contract with Jean Klüger.

The cheerful song "Kili-Watch" of 1960 becomes an instant and huge hit. In a few months 50.000 copies are sold, an enormous amount for the Belgian record market at that point. The song is an adaptation of an Indian warsong that bass-player Dersé had picked up during his years as a boy-scout.

A fight over the royalties for "Kili-Watch" has Dersé leaving the group. He forms "The Kili-Jacks" but fails to make an impact.

The group manages to extend their popularity for more than 5 years. In "Wit-lof from Belgium" it says : "They were clean boys, always smiling and in clean suits that knew where to get their inspiration. Listen to the newest dance craze abroad, add a bit of folklore and a spiceless Shadows-sauce and bingo!. Titles like "When the Cousins come twistin' in" and "The Limbo Rock" speak for themselves."

This is my EP from 1962

http://lix.in/-9717ab

Clothilde (1967)

2011-01-07T10:23:00.004+01:00

French singer Clothilde remains largely a mystery. She recorded just two EPs for the Vogue record label and a couple of Italian translations of her French material before disappearing back into the obscurity from whence she came.

She was born in 1948. Her surname is lost in time but her real first name was Elisabeth.

She had two passions in life: music and painting. The former won out, at least initially.

In 1967, at the age of 19, she was taken under the wing of producer Germinal Tenas. Tenas was a good friend of Christian Fechner, the man behind cool hits for the likes of Antoine and Les Problèmes, and the pair are often mistakenly assumed to be one and the same person.

That Tenas liked mixing pop sounds with unusual instruments to create a baroque pop was evident on her first EP, Fallait pas écraser la queue du chat. Issued that year on the Vogue label, the four-track disc also featured Je t’ai voulu et je t’ai bien eu, La chanson bête et méchante and Le boa.

Tenas co-wrote all four songs, while Clothilde supplied the sleeve notes for the release. There she said that her record company thought she would be crowned best newcomer of the year, although – in a display of modesty – she added, “I’d like to believe them, but...”

However, a second French EP, issued later that year, proved Clothilde’s last. Again, it was a strong set, which led with Saperlipopette (Bleuet et chiendent) and also included La ballade au bossu, 102, 103 and La verité, toute la verité.

Clothilde co-wrote two of the songs, including La ballade au bossu – a track that caused raised eyebrows for its double entendres. “Si j’avais su qu’un bossu serait le symbolique apport de mon corps,” she sang (If I had known that a hunchback would be the symbolic portion of my body). The slight pause between the two syllables of ‘bossu’ left audiences to understand “Si j’avais su qu’un beau sucerait le symbolique apport de mon corps” (If I had known a good-looking man would suck the symbolic portion of my body). The cleverness – and sauciness – of the lyrics has drawn comparisons with the work of Serge Gainsbourg.

Although the record label were keen for the young singer to go back into the studios to record more songs, she had grown tired of the business and declined their invitations.

Whether she went on to pursue her love of painting remains an unanswered question.

Here are her two 1967 EP's

http://lix.in/-8f5020

http://lix.in/-90d6c1

Michel Polnareff - Le Bal des Laze (1967)

2010-12-30T17:33:00.004+01:00

According to the legend, which is maintained by Polnareff in his book, Polnareff required to record the title song of this album a studio where 5.000 candles were burning, to get a feeling of a church. However, according to the singer, there were a lot less.

This song is often considered the most accomplished of Michel Polnareff. The melody has a beautiful dialogue between the classic organ and the electric bass.
The words are by Pierre Delanoe, who signed here one of its darkest texts. They tell the story of a commoner in love with an English aristocrat, Jane Laze, with whom he had a secret affair. Jane is to marry a young man of her own status, a union arranged by her parents (Lord and Lady of Laze). Drunk with jealousy, the narrator kills the boyfriend of the girl. On the eve of being punished for his crime, he expresses his regret at being unable to eliminate Jane's next fiancé.

The B side is less interesting but nevertheless it has the witty “Y’a qu’un cheveu sur la tête à Matthieu”.

Le Bal des Laze

Brenda Lee - Speak to me Pretty (Brunswick EP OE 9488) 1962

2010-12-25T19:28:00.004+01:00

Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), better known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis.

She is best known for her 1960 hit "I'm Sorry", and 1958's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", a US holiday standard for more than 50 years.

At 4 ft 9 inches tall, she received the nickname Little Miss Dynamite in 1957 after recording the song "Dynamite"; and was one of the earliest pop stars to have a major contemporary international following.

Here is my 1962 EP

Brenda Lee - Speak to me Pretty

Monty – Un verre de Whisky (Barclay 70649) - 1964

2010-12-20T12:51:00.004+01:00

Monty (Jacques Bulostin born 18 februari 1943 in Chezal-Benoit (Cher) France

After studying piano at the Conservatory as a child, adolescent Jacques Bulostin, already fond of pop music, is spotted by Eddie Barclay, who signs his contract in 1963, and by the end of the year, Jacques Bulostin becomes Monty, a yéyé singer.

He immediately gets into the yéyé-generation, salut les copains etc.......

Monty enters the charts in 1964 with “Même si je suis fou” and continues with hits like ”Un verre de whisky”, “Ce n’est pas vrai” etc.

While continuing to successfully align successes he also writes for others especially for Eric Charden (Le monde est gris le monde est bleu), Sheila (Petite fille de Français moyen)etc..

Here is his second Ep from august 1964

With french versions of « Can I get a witness » (Marvin Gaye), Hey Dean, Hey Jean » (Dean and Jean) and « Bits and Pieces » (The Dave Clark Five)

http://lix.in/-945e48

Eric Burdon and the Animals - See See Rider (Barclay EP 071081) - 1966

2010-11-28T14:14:00.006+01:00

See See Rider is the Animals ninth ep 1966

The Animals' heavy version (featuring Burdon's screaming) also reached #1 on the Canadian RPM chart, and #8 in Australia. It was the last single before the group disbanded in September 1966. The arrangement of the song was credited to band member Dave Rowberry.

Lead singer Eric Burdon still performs it on his shows today.

For the single "See See Rider" they changed the name into Eric Burdon & The Animals. In September they disbanded and Burdon recorded a solo album, called Eric Is Here.

The EP is very special and shows the Animals interest for new songwriters such as Randy Newman. Eric Burdon and the Animals were the first to record this song.

The other songs are Scott English originals (Scott is also responsible for “Bend me shape me” and “Hi Ho Silver Lining”)

http://lix.in/-8b70d5

Sweeney's Men - Sullivan's John / Rattlin' Roarin' Willy (1968)

2010-11-04T12:49:00.004+01:00

Sweeney's Men were the first of the modern folk-traditional Irish groups, and had a huge impact on almost everything that followed. In the late sixties, the folk revival in Ireland was chiefly in the hands of the Dubliners and Clancy Brothers, very much into vigorous ballad singing, and Sweeney's Men injected some fresh instrumentals into the scene. The original line up was Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynihan and Joe Dolan, in 1966.

They emerged from the late 1960s Irish roots revival, along with groups like The Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers. The founding line-up in 1966 was 'Galway Joe' Dolan, Johnny Moynihan and Andy Irvine. The band experienced brief popularity, their first and second singles hit the tip 10 in the Irish charts. In 1967, Dolan decided to travel to Israel to fight in the Six Day war and was replaced by Terry Woods. At the time, they played the tin whistle, concertina, harmonica, guitar, mandolin, banjo and bouzouki. This line up recorded the first full-length album, "Sweeny's Men" in 1968. Andy Irvine left the band the same year, to travel Eastern Europe.

This was their third single, the first on the Transatlantic Record Label (1968)

http://lix.in/-927417

Bob Dylan Mixed-Up Confusion / Corrina, Corrina (1962)

2010-11-03T13:58:00.003+01:00

Mixed-Up Confusion is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. It was recorded with an electric band on November 14th 1962 during the sessions for The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, but was not used on that album, which was entirely acoustic. Instead the song, backed with "Corrina, Corrina", a traditional blues song, appeared as Dylan's first single, released in the U.S. on 14 December 1962 as Columbia 4-42656.

According to legend, Dylan wrote the song in a cab on the way to the Columbia Studios for the recording session. A different, previously unreleased, take from the same session appeared on the compilation album Masterpieces in 1978

* Bob Dylan (guitar, harmonica, vocal).
* George Barnes (guitar)
* Bruce Langhorne (guitar)
* Dick Wellstood (piano)
* Gene Ramey (bass)
* Herb Lovelle (drums)

Date and Place :
Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, New York City, New York
14 November 1962
The 6th Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan session, produced by John Hammond.

http://lix.in/-90ddfe

TINY YONG - EN REVE (SALVADOR 432905) 1964

2010-11-02T12:11:00.004+01:00

Real name: Thien Juong Ton Hu Thi (b. 8 February 1944, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) Her family were Vietnamese but had settled in Cambodia at the time of her birth.

Tiny Yong debuted in asian cabaret-restaurant "La table du mandarin" in 1959 (after making her debut in the theatre, then the cinema and then as a singer) with an exotic setlist from 1960 till 1962, before supporting the cause of yé-yé thanks to Henri Salvador.

Here we have French covers of “In dreams’ (Roy Orbison), “Foolish little girl” (The Shirelles), “Charms” ( Bobby Vee) and Henri Salvador’s hit “Syracuse”

http://lix.in/-89275d

JACKY MOULIERE - ALICE AU PAYS BLEU (Salvador EP 432882) 1963

2010-11-02T12:09:00.002+01:00

This is Jacky Moulière’s second EP from 1963.

Jacky Moulière first appeared in cinema in films of the 1950s where he played child roles in “Chiens perdus sans collier” (Jean Delannoy, 1955) or “Les Asssins du Dimanche” (Alex Joffé 1955)

His recording career began in January 1963 with a debut album released under the label "Salvador". It was an instant success thanks to a good adaptation of "Next Door To An Angel"

A1 : Alice au pays bleu (Alice in Wonderland) (Neil Sedaka)
A2 : Commande baby (Jacky Moulière)
B1 : C’est la seule fille que j’aime (He’s sure the boy I love) (The Crystals)
B2 : Mon père (My dad) (Ray Peterson)

http://lix.in/-955c5b

Jimi Henrix – Hey Joe (Polydor 51 080 EPH ) 1967

2010-10-23T15:11:00.003+02:00

Jimi Henrix – Hey Joe (Polydor 51 080 EPH ) 1967

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix, November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970)

What is there to say ?

In 1967 the Hurricane landed and it had a name : Jimi Hendrix.

Jimi Hendrix often favored raw overdriven amplifiers with high gain and treble and helped develop the previously undesirable technique of guitar amplifier feedback. Hendrix was one of the musicians who popularized the wah-wah pedal in mainstream rock which he often used to deliver an exaggerated pitch in his solos, particularly with high bends and use of legato.

He lived fast and never burned up.

This is my EP from 1967

http://lix.in/-8dedff

At the Paris Olympia

Betty Harris – Mo Jo Hannah (Vogue EPL 8309) 1965

2010-10-20T18:46:00.004+02:00

Betty Harris – Mo Jo Hannah (Vogue EPL 8309) 1965

She was born 1941 (or 1943 depending on the reference) in Florida to a Minister father and a missionary mother. As a teenager she went to work for R&B star Big Maybelle as a maid. Big Maybelle encouraged Harris’ talent, and in 1960 she recorded her first single, "Taking Care of Business" b/w "Yesterday's Kisses," for Douglas Records.

Via her association with Big Maybelle, Harris met the mighty Solomon Burke, who recommended her to his producer Bert Berns.

With Berns and Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller at the controls, she re-recorded Burke’s hit ‘Cry To Me’ for Jubilee Records in 1963. This went on to be her biggest hit, hitting #10 R&B and #29 pop. This was rereleased in 1970 and charted again. Harris’ version is a slower, deeply soulful take, filled with gospel flavor (aided by an auspicious backing group that included Cissy Houston and Dee Dee Warwick). The slower tempo allows Harris to spread out her velvety tone, exercising a fantastic dynamic range and control, punctuating things with the occasional growl. The flipside, ‘I’ll Be A Liar’ has some of the country/soul flavor of contemporary sides by Burke and Arthur Alexander, with a nice soulful touch at the end of each chorus.

The a-side of the follow up 45, ‘His Kiss’ has a similar sound, but it’s B-side, ‘It’s Dark Outside’ is a fantastic slice of moody, southern soul. Garry Sherman’s arrangement has a deep sophistication, reminiscent of some of the sides Bacharach and David were doing for Scepter with Dionne Warwick and others. The bluesy piano, and prominent placement of Eddie Bert’s mournful trombone make a solid foundation for Harris’s emotion-filled delivery.

The next 45, her last for Jubilee, was ‘Mojo Hannah’, an R&B classic, with lyrics that forecast her voyage into the heart of New Orleans. It was originally recorded by Henry Lumpkin on Motown (co-written by Andre Williams - the lyrics bear his humorous touch), and was also be covered by Larry Williams as ‘Louisiana Hannah’ and would later be a big New Orleans hit for Tami Lynn. The flip, ‘Now Is The Hour’ is another showcase for Harris’ way with a sloooow bluesy number. The way she starts the tune by stretching the word 'now' out to about six syllables is a joy to behold

In 1965, Betty Harris switched record labels to Sansu, a New Orleans label, where she was produced by Allen Toussaint. Her contract with Sansu produced 10 singles. Of those, only "Nearer to You", an atmospheric, dramatic soul ballad, now considered one of the milestones of Deep Soul, achieved U.S. national chart success. However, practically all of her recordings for Sansu, uptempo tunes and ballads alike, featuring Allen Toussaint's raw yet sophisticated Southern Soul arrangements behind with Betty's rich, distinctive vocal, are considered prime specimens of the classic soul era; some notable recordings were "I'm Evil Tonight", a beat ballad favored among Northern Soul circles; "I Don't Want To Hear It", "Show it" and "Twelve Red Roses", stirring uptempo tracks; "Can't Last Much Longer" and "What'd I Do Wrong", emotive Deep Soul ballads.

This is my (French) EP from 1965

http://lix.in/-93c535

Hugues AUFRAY – Le Rossignol Anglais (BARCLAY EP 70755) – January 1965

2010-10-10T11:08:00.004+02:00

Hugues AUFRAY – Le Rossignol Anglais (BARCLAY EP 70755) – January 1965

A1 : Le rossignol anglais (Los Garceros, a Venezuela song)
A2 : Personne ne sait (Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen)
B1 : Le cœur gros (Pierre Delanoë - Hugues Aufray)
B2 : Tu sens bon la terre (Haunted house blues)

Hugues Aufray had always been fond of Latin American folk. The Venezuelan song is again proof of his admiration for the South American Continent.

Things would change later that year when he recorded Dylan

http://lix.in/-8ad81c

Hugues AUFRAY – Tout le long du chemin (February 1964) (BARCLAY EP 70618)

2010-10-10T11:02:00.008+02:00

Hugues AUFRAY – Tout le long du chemin (February 1964) (BARCLAY EP 70618)

A1 : Tout le long du chemin (Singing the Blues)
A2 : Quatre vents (Four Strong Winds by Ian and Sylvia)
B1 : N’y pense plus, tout est bien (Don’t think twice, it’s all right) (Bob Dylan)
B2 : Allez, allez mon troupeau (Ally Ally Oxen Free) a Kingston Trio song.

Right in the middle of the yéyé period (French Sixties Music), Hugues Aufray managed to make a place for himself with his folk music style in the world of French pop music. In March 1963, he took part in the Eurovison song contest, strangely representing Luxembourg. He performed "Dès que le printemps revient", had great success but didn't win. He also opened for Johnny Hallyday at the Olympia in Paris. The following year, he shared the bill with Alain Bariere at the same place. He also played at the Bobino and set off on a tour of France, his concerts were always packed.

In 1963 Hugues Aufray discovers Dylan, and his life changes.

This was his first Dylan Cover.

http://lix.in/-89517b

Wanda Jackson (Capitol EAP 2030) - 1964

2010-10-10T10:05:00.002+02:00

From 1956 to 1961, Wanda Jackson produced some awesome rock & roll. However, in the early 1960s events conspired to end her career in rock, and she turned to country music. But her rock & roll records remain as evidence that for a few years a young Oklahoma girl rocked as hard as anyone. She achieved a wildness and energy that was every bit as intense as her male counterparts, and today she ranks as one of the best rockabilly singers ever, male or female.

She has said that she was never as consciously committed to rockabilly or rock & roll as her career direction would seem to indicate; she spent years walking a tightrope between traditional country and rock & roll, just trying to carve out a niche for herself and earn a living, and rock & roll was as new to her as it was to most country music fans in 1954-1955.

Wanda Jackson’s moment on the pop charts passed as quickly as it came, but the rockabilly songs she cut in the late Fifties and early Sixties are highly valued by those in the know. On top of being the Queen of Rockabilly, for 20 years – before, during and after her time as a rock and roll pioneer – Jackson enjoyed a formidable presence on the country charts. She racked up 30 C&W hits between 1954 and 1974; ironically, many hardcore country fans are unaware of her involvement with and impact on rock and roll.

Here is the Queen of Rockabilly with her (only) French EP

http://lix.in/-8de4f0

Sylvie Vartan - Si je Chante (Sylvie Nashville) (RCA 86024) 1966)

2010-10-09T15:54:00.003+02:00

In 1964, at the end of the year, she travelled to Nashville, Tennessee to record an album with the Jordanaires. With the special treatment of vocalists, strings and brass sections in the true Nashville style, these recordings were a great commercial success in France. The " Sylvie à Nashville " LP included the hits "La plus belle pour aller danser" and "Si je chante". Being accompanied by the movie “ Cherchez l’idole ”, the EP with "La plus belle pour aller danser" sold over a million copies in Japan.

The EP extracted from this album had one cover and three originals.

"Si je chante" was "My whole world is falling down" (Brenda Lee).

"Since you don't care" was an English original

http://lix.in/-8dda46

JACKY MOULIERE - A DEUX PAS D’UN ANGE (Salvador EP 432856) 1963

2010-10-09T15:43:00.001+02:00

This is Jacky Moulière’s first EP from 1963.

Jacky Moulière first appeared in cinema in films of the 1950s where he played child roles in “Chiens perdus sans collier” (Jean Delannoy, 1955) or “Les Asssins du Dimanche” (Alex Joffé 1955)

His recording career began in January 1963 with a debut album released under the label "Salvador". It was an instant success thanks to a good adaptation of "Next Door To An Angel"

Two covers : « next door to an angel » by Neil Sedaka and « Dance with the guitar man » by Duane Eddy.

http://lix.in/-926e01

JACKY MOULIERE – ELLE T’AIME (SALVADOR 434.853 BE) 1964

2010-10-09T15:41:00.002+02:00

When the Beatles Tsunami hit Europe, Jacky Moulière was already on the way down.

He tried to pick in and recorded “She loves you”

This EP is the result.

http://lix.in/-8dda14

The Hollies - Tell me to my face (1966)

2010-10-09T15:30:00.002+02:00

The Hollies - Tell me to my face (1966)

Early in 1966, the group enjoyed their second number 1, 'I Can't Let Go', which topped the New Musical Express chart jointly with the Walker Brothers', The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'. 'I Can't Let Go', co-written by Chip Taylor, had already appeared on the previous year's 'Hollies' album and was one of their finest recordings, combining perfect harmonies with some exceptionally strong, driving guitar work.

The moody and troublesome Eric Haydock was fired in April 1966 and was replaced by Hick's former colleague in the Dolphins, Bernie Calvert .

The Hollies success continued unabated with Graham Gouldman's 'Bus Stop', the exotic 'Stop! Stop! Stop!' and the peppier 'On A Carousel', all UK Top 5 hits, and (at last) became major hits in the U.S. charts.

This (end of 1966) EP is stuffed with the “lesser” songs the Hollies wrote at that time.. therefore it is a very rare EP

To my ears they were still on top of the lot.

Here is my 1966 (French of course) EP

http://lix.in/-8638db

The Rolling Stones - Time is on my side (EP DECCA 457050) - 1964

2010-10-09T15:26:00.001+02:00

"Time Is on My Side" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy (under the pseudonym of Norman Meade). First recorded by jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his Orchestra in 1963, it was covered with additional lyrics by Jimmy Norman by both soul singer Irma Thomas and The Rolling Stones in 1964.

The Rolling Stones recorded two versions of "Time Is on My Side" in 1964. The first with the organ intro was released in the U.S. in 1964 on single and on the 12 X 5 album. The rerecording (November 8, 1964) with the guitar intro released in the UK on January 15, 1965 on the The Rolling Stones No. 2 album. This is the version that appears on most "best of" compilations. Both Rolling Stones' versions copy several distinctive elements of the Irma Thomas version, including the vocal interjections between the chorus lyrics, the monologue in the middle of the song, and the guitar solo which intertwines with this monologue.

"Little Red Rooster" is a classic blues song that "has been recorded countless times". Howlin' Wolf recorded "The Red Rooster" in 1961, a song credited to blues arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon, although earlier songs have been cited as inspiration. A variety of performers have interpreted it, including Sam Cooke and The Rolling Stones, who had important record chart successes with the song.

"Congratulations" and "Off the Hook" are Jagger-Richards originals.

http://lix.in/-8dd9e2

Elvis Presley - Blue Hawaii (RCA EP 86305) 1961

2010-10-09T15:10:00.004+02:00

"Can't Help Falling in Love", by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, is a pop song based on "Plaisir d'amour" by Jean Paul Egide Martini. It was adapted for inclusion in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis Presley. During the following four decades, it went on to be covered by numerous artists, most notably by the British reggae group UB40, whose 1993 version topped the U.S. and UK Singles charts. To this day it remains the anthem of many football and Rugby League clubs, Including Hull City FC Sunderland A.F.C and Huddersfield Giants.

It was released as the B-side of "Rock-a-hula baby". Both from the movie "Blue Hawai"

The other two songs on this great EP are also from that movie.

"No more" is "La Paloma"

Great Elvis, all of them recorded in March 1961.

http://lix.in/-87bf40

Cliff Richard and the Shadows – The Next Time (Columbia EP ESRF 1457) – 1963

2010-10-09T14:54:00.004+02:00

"The Next Time" was the first of three number one hit singles from the Cliff Richard musical Summer Holiday. It was a double 'A' side with the somewhat prophetic "Bachelor Boy" (written by Bruce Welch and Cliff Richard), and was followed up at number one with the film's title track Summer Holiday, to be followed by The Shadows' "Foot Tapper".

The song was also included on the January 1963 album "Summer Holiday"

The film was the most successful box-office attraction of the year.

The other two songs are from 1961

http://lix.in/-8acc3c

TINY YONG - JE T’ATTENDRAI (SALVADOR 434840) 1964

2010-10-05T18:50:00.004+02:00

TINY YONG - JE T’ATTENDRAI (SALVADOR 434840) 1964

Real name: Thien Juong Ton Hu Thi (b. 8 February 1944, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) Her family were Vietnamese but had settled in Cambodia at the time of her birth.

Tiny Yong debuted in asian cabaret-restaurant "La table du mandarin" in 1959 (after making her debut in the theatre, then the cinema and then as a singer) with an exotic setlist from 1960 till 1962, before supporting the cause of yé-yé thanks to Henri Salvador.

Her choice of songs is greatly influenced by American girl-groups, from The Shirelles to the Chiffons. From 1963 till 1965 she was one of the favorites of the show "Salut les copains'. In 1963 she even achieved a 5th place in the show's chart behind Sylvie Vartan, Sheila, Françoise Hardy and Petula Clark.

Here are the French versions of “When the boy’s happy” (the Four Pennies, later the Chiffons) et “Little girl blue” (The Marvelettes)

And two marvellous Henri Salvador songs

http://lix.in/-871126

Lucinda Williams - Passionate Kisses (1989)

2010-09-18T14:57:00.006+02:00

Lucinda Williams - Passionate Kisses (1989)

1. Passionate Kisses (2:40)
2. Nothing in Rambling (3:13)
3. Disgusted (3:12)
4. Goin' back Home (3:25)
5. Side of the Road (3:57)

"Passionate Kisses" is the studio version that later appeared on the Lucinda Williams album (original and reissue). It's a great recording, better than the hit cover version, more punch, verve.

Tracks 2, 3 and 5 are live recordings from KPFK in Los Angeles, now on the Lucinda Williams reissue. Very fine acoustic, or mainly acoustic (not sure about the bass), blues (2, 3) or folk (5) songs. A studio version of "Side of the Road" was included on the Lucinda Williams album, and the reissue has both versions. A favorite of mine.

"Going Back Home" is another nice acoustic blues song recorded with Taj Mahal on guitar and harmonica. Again, this was added to the Lucinda Williams album reissue.

http://lix.in/-8dc8bd

THE SEEKERS - A WORLD OF OUR OWN (COL ESRF 1715)

2010-09-12T14:28:00.002+02:00

After the release of their début album in Australia, Introducing The Seekers, in 1963, The Seekers were offered the chance to travel to the UK on the Sitmar cruise liner Fairsky in 1964, in exchange for providing on-board entertainment. They had intended to return to Australia ten weeks later on the same ship, but on arrival in the UK they were offered work by the Grade Organization.

The group decided to remain in the UK and after filling in on a bill headlined by Dusty Springfield, they met her brother, songwriter-producer Tom Springfield, who had experience with folk-pop material with his earlier group The Springfields. He penned a song for them called "I'll Never Find Another You", which they recorded in November 1964. It was released by EMI Records (on the Columbia label) in December 1964 and was championed by the offshore radio station Radio Caroline. Despite the fact that the group had not signed a contract with EMI, the single reached the UK Top 40 and began selling well. In February 1965, it reached #1 in the UK and Australia, and #4 in the U.S. where it was released on EMI's Capitol label.

"I'll Never Find Another You" sold 1.76 million copies worldwide, and made The Seekers the first Australian pop group to have a Top 5 hit in all three countries (Australia, UK, and United States) simultaneously. They were also the first Australian recording artists to sell more than a million copies of a single. The Seekers followed "I'll Never Find Another You" with two more Tom Springfield compositions, "A World of Our Own" (which reached No.3 in May 1965 in the UK) and "The Carnival Is Over", which reached No.1 in November. At its peak, "The Carnival Is Over" was selling 90,000 copies a day in the UK alone.

In 1966, they recorded Paul Simon’s "Someday One Day", which reached No.4 in Australia and No.11 in the UK. During this time, Art Garfunkel had returned to school and Paul Simon was pursuing a solo career in the UK following the flop of the duo's first released LP, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M..

The Seekers' version of "Someday One Day" was Simon's first UK success as a writer, and his first major hit as a composer outside of his work with Art Garfunkel. Bruce Woodley co-wrote several songs with Simon at this time, including "Red Rubber Ball" which became a US No.1 single (on the Cashbox chart) for The Cyrkle and was subsequently covered by The Seekers for their 1966 LP 'Come the Day' (released as 'Georgy Girl' in the US).

This is their “A world of our own” EP from 1965

http://lix.in/-8751ff

The Searchers - Sweets for my Sweet (1963)

2010-09-12T14:26:00.002+02:00

The band grew out of an earlier skiffle group formed by McNally, with his friends Brian Dolan (guitar) and Tony West (bass). When the other two members lost interest McNally was joined by his guitarist neighbour Mike Prendergast. They soon recruited Tony Jackson (born Anthony Paul Jackson, 16 July 1938, The Dingle, Liverpool, Lancashire — died 18 August 2003, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) with his home-made bass guitar and amplifier and styled themselves 'Tony and the Searchers' with Joe Kelly on drums. Kelly soon left to be replaced by Norman McGarry (born 1 March 1942, Liverpool, Lancashire), and it is this line-up — McNally, Pender (as he soon became known), Jackson and McGarry — that is usually cited as the original foursome.

"Sweets for My Sweet" is a song written by the songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, originally recorded by The Drifters. The group's first single featuring Charlie Thomas on lead vocal, "Sweets for My Sweet" reached #16 (#10 R&B) in October 1961.

In 1963, "Sweets for My Sweet" became the debut single for Merseybeat band The Searchers, reaching number one on the UK Single Chart for two weeks that August. The Searchers' version was also issued in the US in the spring of 1964 but failed to chart.

So here is my (French) EP from 1963.

http://lix.in/-9079bb

Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds sing the Everly Brothers (F BEAT EP BEV 1) (1980)

2010-09-12T14:24:00.003+02:00

Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds sing the Everly Brothers (F BEAT EP BEV 1) (1980)

This is a special EP
It came with the LP Rockpile, as a free bonus EP.

The EP included a quartet of sterling Everly Brothers covers, where Edmunds and Lowe show off their harmony skills.

Here it is

http://lix.in/-8751eb

Les Lionceaux – SLC Jerk (Mercury 152 048) (1965)

2010-09-09T11:55:00.006+02:00

A1 : Mon obsession me poursuit (Nowhere to run)
A2 : Seul loin de toi
B1 : Merci l’amour
B2 : Indicatif S.L.C. jerk

So what brings us this EP ?
A beautiful rendition of « Nowhere to Run » and the Original « SLC Jerk » for Salut les Copains. Also – not usual for them – two originals.

This was the last ever Lionceaux EP (1965)

Up until the break up in 1966 there were 13 “Lionceaux” . The most famous was Herbert Leonard.

http://lix.in/-86e599

We the People - St John's Shop (1967)

2010-09-09T11:52:00.001+02:00

Florida's “We the People” were among the many very versatile bands that proliferated in that state during the mid-1960s.

Rising from the ashes of groups like the Offbeets, the Trademarks and the Nonchalants, We the People could play everything from raw beat material to feedback rave-ups to harmony ballads with consummate ease.

Whilst their first two 45s contained punchy psychedelic rockers, He Doesn't Go About It Right contains a dollop of Kinks style humour, and St. John's Shop is a beautiful slow ballad. All were big regional hits in Florida and Tennessee, but under threat of the draft, and frustrated by the lack of national success, Wayne Proctor quit early in 1967.

Guitarist Talton’s departure at the end of the 1960s, as well as the expiration of their recording deal, sealed the death of the group.

This is my French EP from 1967

http://lix.in/-855eee

LE PETIT PRINCE & FRANK ALAMO - CHANTE AVEC MOI (1964)

2010-09-09T11:49:00.001+02:00

One of the smallest but certainly brighter stars of YéYé explosion in France in the early sixties was a young boy by the name of Pascal Krug, or to give his stage name Le Petit Prince.

Born in Switzerland on the 3rd February 1952 he had a natural flair for strumming the guitar at an early age and quickly rose attention at an appearance at a national music festival in his home country. At just 11, he was offered a contract with the French record company Barclay by producer Ken Lean. After securing the deal he was approached and went on to be managed the singer Claude François who he went on to later to tour with in 1963 alongside the group Les Gams.

Here is his EP from 1964, Chante Avec Moi with fellow performer Frank Alamo. Frank comments on why he got together with the prince with the wise words "He is nice, spontaneous, sings and adores playing guitar like me!"

Chante Avec Moi turns out to be a pretty catchy ditty - however the highlight is definitely the cover of Rag Doll, retitled Triste Noel - very worthy cover! Plus Pascal lends a hand to writing too with S'il Faut Grandir. The EP rounds of with the track Ces Gens-La.

Enjoy this

http://lix.in/-9193ec

The Smoke (1967) - Impact 200 012

2010-08-31T18:07:00.003+02:00

This is entry nr. 250, so here is something special

Little is known about The Smoke.

However, the first line "My friend Jack eats sugarlumps" instantly got the record banned as sugar lumps were a main vehicle for delivering LSD. The Smoke released a single as The Shots in 1965 but this was unsuccessful but My Friend Jack became a minor hit in the UK. However, the band was more successful on the continent, particularly in Germany, and on the pirate radio stations. The name The Smoke was chosen as the band came from Yorkshire "the smoke" was a term for London.

The Shots had been a five piece band also including Phil Peacock on guitar but he left before the band became the Smoke.

The band released a single called Keep a Hold of What You've Got but it was not successful.

Without Peacock the band recorded some demos as The Smoke releasing the first single My Friend Jack. This prompted an album called It's Smoke Time but this was released in Germany only.

After a second single If the Weather's Sunny the band moved to Island Records and made a few singles including It Could Be Wonderful and Utterly Simple. The latter was written by Traffic's Dave Mason and appears on Traffic's Dear Mr Fantasy album. The Smoke's version was never actually released as a single although it does appear on the My Friend Jack compilation. .

The band recorded three singles under the name Chords Five as well as a few further tracks as The Smoke in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, these did not even match the minor success of My Friend Jack. Geoff Gill later emerged as songwriter and producer for Boney M.

This is their utterly rare French EP from 1967, mine since then

http://lix.in/-8df0dc

QUESTION MARK AND THE MYSTERIANS – 96 TEARS (COLUMBIA ESRF 1825)

2010-08-31T17:43:00.002+02:00

When the Vietnam war escalated, bassist Larry Borjas was drafted and drummer Robert Marinez enlisted. They were replaced by Frank Lugo and Eddie Serrato. Soon after, Question Mark revealed that he had written a poem, entitled "Too Many Teardrops". He invited the group to set his words to music and they did so. Eddie, however wasn't happy with the title and suggested they call it "69 Tears".

"We can't use that" said another band member. "If we call it that, it will never get played on the radio." Another suggested that they turn the numbers around and call it "96 Tears". All the Mysterians thought that was a good idea.

"96 Tears" became a great crown pleaser at the Mount Holly dance hall and before long word had reached Lilly Gonzlaez, the owner of Pa-Go-Go Records. She agreed to financially back the group in recording the song. The session took place in a makeshift two-track "studio" in Lilly's living room. Afterward, there was a disagreement as to which side of the record to promote.

It was originally intended that the song "Midnight Hour" would be the group's single with "96 Tears" as the B-side, but at the insistence of ?, "96 Tears" was chosen to be the A-side. ? personally went to radio stations to promote his song and get his single played, and the song quickly became a local hit. Then with the Cameo-Parkway Records release the song became a national #1 charting hit. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Here is their French EP from 1966

http://lix.in/-87d630

The Easybeats - Friday on my mind (1966)

2010-08-31T17:36:00.002+02:00

The Easybeats were a rock and roll band from Australia. They formed in Sydney in late 1964. The band's line-up exemplified the influence of post-war migration on Australian society. All five founding members were from families who had migrated to Australia from Europe: lead singer Stevie Wright and drummer Gordon "Snowy" Henry Fleet were from England; rhythm guitarist George Young was from Scotland; lead guitarist Harry Vanda and bassist Dick Diamonde were from The Netherlands..

As many others the band was inspired by the "British Invasion"

When arriving in London the band recorded a number of songs with Ted Albert at EMI's Abbey Road Studios, but these were deemed unsuitable by UA and Albert was removed as producer. The band were then teamed with freelance producer Shel Talmy (noted for his work with The Who and The Kinks).

One of the tracks they recorded with him became their first big international hit, "Friday On My Mind", which made #1 in Australia, #6 in the UK, #16 in the USA, and the Top 10 in Germany, Holland, France and Italy, eventually selling over 1 million copies worldwide. In 1973 David Bowie covered the song on his Pin Ups album, and in 1977 the punk band London, introduced the song to a new generation on a four-track EP for MCA Records; the London version, produced by Simon Napier-Bell, was actually recorded in the same studio (IBC Studios in Portland Place) in which the Easybeats had cut the original.

Here it is on my EP from 1966

http://lix.in/-90fdec

Sandie Shaw - Un tout petit pantin (1967)

2010-08-31T17:30:00.002+02:00

Sandie's singing career began when she was introduced to Adam Faith who then invited her to audition by singing for him in his dressing room. Adam then introduced her to his formidable manager, Eve Taylor, a person with whom Sandie appears to have got on with better than Adam did.

Although her first single was ignored, and is now a collector's item, her second went all the way to the top. A long string of chart successes followed fueled by her association with songwriter Chris Andrews. Despite the fact that all Andrews' songs seemed to need the accompaniment of a German marching band, they fitted Shaw's singing style well.

So it was with 'Puppet On A String', a song she hated, which became her third UK #1. She had been pressed by Taylor to do the Eurovision Song Contest and although she won, she blamed the event for destroying her credibility. Admittedly, the rate of chart successes were beginning to come more slowly at this time, but it's more likely that the Eurovision song gave a fillip to her otherwise flagging fortunes.

To make it even worse, here is her “French EP” from 1967

http://lix.in/-8f774b

MARC ARYAN - KATY (MARKAL MA 904) 1964

2010-08-31T17:20:00.003+02:00

Marc Aryan was born as Henri Marcarian in Valence, France, as the son of Armenian parents on november 14, 1935. The young man had a tendency toward literature and languages (he would speak 9), poetry and eventually also to chanson. At the age of 20 he decided he'd become a composer and thus started learning single-handedly piano, solfège, harmony and counterpoint in just 3 years.

In 1959 he recorded in Paris his first song "Ballade", with himself as a singer and released at his own expense. He travels to Belgium, because one of his sisters ran a nightclub in "Knokke-le-Zoute" on the Flemish coast, and he could try-out his song on the dancers in her club. It succeeds. Because the Belgian audience reserved him a very warm welcome and a record firm in Brussels offers him a record contract, Marc Aryan decides to settle himself permanently in Belgium.

The popularity of this "champion of the slow chanson, the langourous slow and lyrics about love" went increasing with each new single (Si jétais le fils d'un roi, Giorgina, Bête à manger du foin), and reached a peak in 1964-65 with his biggest hit "Katy". This song became one of the 10 best-selling songs in Belgium for the whole of 1965 and reached n°1 in both Wallonia and Flanders at the same moment.

The origins of the song are rather weird. In 1964, during the rehearsals for a show with the Antwerp band “ Les Chabrols” a beautiful young girl catches Mark’s eye, her name was Katy.

Mark Aryan later built a recording studio in Ohain, not far from where I live.

Mark Aryan died in 1985.

http://lix.in/-895cbd