The Less Obvious List: British Bubblegum

Needless to say, when it comes to British Bubblegum Tony Burrows is the undisputed king of the genre.  But for every "Yellow River", "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)", or even "Gimme Dat Ding", there inevitably is another gem or two of the undervalued and undiscovered kind.  Thus, although Burrows features heavily he isn't all-inclusive, let the countdown begin....

White Plains/"Carolina's Coming Home" (1971)
 

 

Previously - inferiorly - recorded by Vanity Fare ("Early in the Morning", "Hitchin' a Ride"), this Tony Hiller (Mr. Brotherhood of Man), Roger Cook & Roger Greenaway-penned pop confection is irresistible at every turn.  The White Plains' best known and loved moment, "My Baby Loves Lovin'" (1970) is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but "Carolina", in my book, is their crowning achievement.  Covered by U.S. teen idol Shaun Cassidy in the late '70s.

 

Butterscotch/"Don't You Know (She Said Hello)" (1970)

 





Another implausibly infectious pop-perfection.  I, however, know absolutely nothing about this act.  A one hit wonder, it appears, reaching #17 in the U.K. charts in the summer of 1970.  Should have been bigger, though.

Kincade/"Dreams Are Ten a Penny" (1973)

 

 

Written by British Bubblegum stalwarts and husband/wife team of John Carter and Gillian Shakespeare, this was a year later re-recorded by First Class ("Beach Baby"), but this non-hit version, albeit popular in Europe, is far superior to the latter Tony Burrows-led venture, which did though hit the lower regions of the U.S. Top 100 singles chart.

 

Flowerpot Men/"In a Moment of Madness" (1969)

 



 

A usually ever reliable Cook/Greenaway collaboration, for some reason this Tony Burrows-led venture fell flat chartwise.  Their "Let's Go to San Fransisco" (1967), of course, was a huge world wide hit, but perhaps their sound by the late '60s was out of time and place, but it's a bloody good effort all the same.

First Class/"Too Many Golden Oldies" (1977)

 

 

A quite remarkable production job, and a very worthy Johnny-come-lately follow-up to their amazing "Beach Baby" (1974) mega hit, this, another Carter/Shakespeare co-write is the ultimate lost-pop-classic in my book.  But, needless to add, it didn't chart and isn't very well known as a result.  Nonetheless, a stone cold classic! 

 

The Symbols/"Bye Bye Baby" (1967)

 



 

The Bay City Rollers modelled their 1975 U.K. hit (#1 for six weeks) on this 1967 cover version (#44 U.K. hit) of the Four Seasons' 1965 original.  'Nuff said... 

 

Recommended listening:

 

"Bubblegum Classics, Volume Five: The Voice of Tony Burrows"

(1996, Varese Sarabande Records. U.S.A.)