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"
Paul Williams. My relationship with the man is complicated.
On one hand he has penned immaculate pop hits for the Monkees and Three Dog Night among others, while on the other his dreaded early '70s Carpenters-phase leaves me completely cold. Not to mention Barbra Streisand. Sorry.
However, towering above all that is his seminal debut solo album "Someday Man" from 1970. This Soft Rock/Sunshine Pop classic has few equals in the genre.
In the mid-'60s Paul Williams was, by his own account, "An out of work actor who started writing songs for his own amusement."
By 1968, though, he had started writing songs with one Roger Nichols, who had the previous year recorded the "Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends" album for A&M Records (Another Sunshine Pop classic, according to many). But also by then Williams had formed the group The Holy Mackerel with his brother Mentor Williams - himself later a composer of Dobie Gray's fantastic 1973 Soul/Country hit "Drift Away" - and others, and they recorded their sole self-titled LP for Reprise in '68.
Mixed male/female singing groups like Mamas & the Papas, The Sunshine Company and Spanky & Our Gang were all the rage during this era and The Holy Mackerel proudly placed themselves in that line.
But as far as The Holy Mackerel LP goes, it's an almost too eclectic effort mixing C&W with Psychedelic Soft Rock and the then-burgeoning Bubblegum sound. So it's an understandably uneven album which sounds at times either frustrating and/or fascinating, but definitely not without its charms.
Mostly it's written by Williams alone, although one of it's stronger cuts "Bitter Honey" is a Nichols/Williams composition.
In the wake of the album's commercial failure there were a couple of non-LP 45s issued. Among them was the Nichols/Williams penned "I Just Haven't Got What it Takes", which later resurfaced as "To Put Up With You" by American Breed and several others before Williams himself at long last recorded the definitive version for the "Someday Man" album.
After the inevitable break-up of The Holy Mackerel Nichols and Williams really hit their stride - although they merely enjoyed an "artistic success" to begin with. Dobie Gray recorded a great version of "Do You Really Have a Heart" - later also to appear on the "Someday Man" album - while The Monkees had the first crack at "Someday Man" itself (both were issued in 1969).
But it wasn't until spring 1970 when the absolute Nichols/Williams artistic pinnacle appeared in the form of that first Paul Williams solo album, "Someday Man".
Today, though, both Williams and Nichols claim it was much more of a collaborative effort than that. Perhaps, then, the credits say it all: Lyrics by Paul Williams; music by Roger Nichols; produced by Roger Nichols.
Basically, the record consisted of properly recorded versions of what had been their best publishing demos of the previous two years.
Although initially this record, as they say, disappeared without a trace, it's just incredible how many of its songs have been covered by other artists. For instance, "So Many People" - a personal favourite of both of its writers - has no less than seven different versions listed on YouTube - but the original betters them all!
The title track has "only" five notable covers listed on YouTube, and again it's Williams very own version which tops the list...
Similarly, the aforementioned "Do You Really Have a Heart" inspired at least seven covers, none of which is quite worthy apart from Dobie Gray's original recording and Paul Williams' very own "interpretation".
All of which just goes to show how far and wide aforementioned publishing demos travelled.
Backed by bits of "The Wrecking Crew" (Hal Blaine, Larry Knechtel), "Someday Man" sounds superbly timeless and classic today, and it just beggars belief it was so overlooked at the time.
In the past decade people have awoken up to its charms though, most notably with Mojo magazine rightly claiming it to be a "lost classic" a few years back.
In the aftermath of that long overdue recognition a lovingly compiled "Deluxe Expanded Edition" CD re-issue was released in the U.K. by Now Sounds/Cherry Red a couple of years ago. Needless to say it's an essential purchase.
By pure curiosity (I'd always loved the Monkees' version of the title cut, while also viewing Paul Williams merely as "the guy who wrote some songs for the Carpenters"), I was just lucky enough to stumble upon a nearly unplayed original vinyl copy of "Someday Man" some years ago and was I ever in for a revelation!
Since then it's been a constant companion, both enjoyed and admired regularly...
Nov. 9th, 2012: And they just made a movie about this guy. Hooray for Hollywood! Or something.
Although I'm an avid vinyl lover, I feel that the Compact Disc - alias the CD - has reveived a somewhat bad rap recently.
OK, so it's too (excuse the poor pun) compact, too plastic, too disposable...and obviously, the myth of it sounding better than vinyl has long since been retracted. Nonetheless, a LOT of vinyl - especially much of the vinyl made during and after the late '70s, when it got noticeably thinner and less substantial due to the oil crisis, while all the alledged "advances in sound recording" were apparently no help at all! - sounds like s#*t as well.
Initially - and ultimately - what I've always liked about CD's, though, is the fact that they have a lot more SPACE for the MUSIC itself! And music's the main point...right?
Now, I have in my collection a couple of thousand LP's, as well as a similar amount of CD's. Once, a fellow vinyl enthusiast visited me and his first words were, literally and ever so distainfully, 'I had NO IDEA you had so many CD's!'
Hmm.
And it is exactly because of such sorry-ass snobbery that I feel the urge to sing the praises of certain exceptionally well-put together and satisfying CD comps...
Tommy James & The Shondells/"Anthology" (EMI-Roulette, 1990)
From the late '70s until the late '80s, Tommy James & the Shondells' - a '60s bubblegum/psych-pop group - three biggest hits were very widely covered. "Mony Mony" (Billy Idol, Amazulu), "Crimson & Clover" (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Keith Marshall) and "I Think We're Alone Now" (Lene Lovich, The Rubinoos, Tiffany) all became sizeable hits again on numerous occasions, which ensured the Shondells' name popping-up every now and again through the years.
After years (and decades) of merely single disc/LP collections being (barely) available on the market, in 1990 the time seemed ripe to compile the Shondells properly for the relatively recent CD format. And so EMI unleashed this 27 track pop (near) perfection. Only the routine "Louie Louie"-like dumbness of debut single "Hanky Panky" fails to please. Otherwise it's an uninterrupted heavenly pop bliss all the way!
I propably haven't played any other CD - or record! - in my collection as much as I played this one during the early '90s when the rest of the world seemed preoccupied with something a lot less memorable and melodic (in my book) out of Seattle, WA.
"Sugar on Sunday" (covered by The Clique), "I Think We're Alone Now", "Crystal Blue Persuasion", "Sweet Cherry Wine", "Crimson & Clover", et al - I sallute you! Bubblegum isn't a dirty word.
The Rubionoos/"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About The Rubinoos But Were Afraid to Ask" (Sanctuary-Castle, 2007)(3CD)
In my humble opinion Californians The Rubinoos (still going strong, by the way) are one of the most underappreciated pop groups of all time! A bold statement, I know, but one listen to this two disc (disc three is a live disc from 1978) anthology might be just enough to convince the sternest of music snobs of the Rubes' overall excellence.
The group came together as teenagers in the mid-'70s and quickly got signed to the eclectic roster of Matthew King Kaufman's burgeoning Beserkley Records label.
The appeal at first was strictly teen-age, but the boys' superb musical and vocalizing ability, as well as effortless Monkee/Beatle-like charisma was rather uncommon amongst other teenybop acts of the era.
An excellent 1977 cover of Tommy James & the Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now" got them into the lower regions of the Billboard singles charts - as well as on Dick Clark's legendary long-running American Bandstand T.V. show. The following year's "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", although now a bona-fide Power Pop classic, in 1978 it went practically nowhere.
Beserkley's limited distrubutional and promotional abilities was always the Rubinoos' main obstacle for major league success, and when they finally - reduced to a two-some in the early '80s - scored a recording deal with Warner Bros., their time had long since come and gone.
By 2007, when this little gem of a CD set came along, they had been undeservedly anthologized on CD, so it was about bloody time!
Always with a keen eye for a good pop song - no matter what the source - the Rubinoos also always wore their influences on their collective sleeve. From debut single "Gorilla" (a DeFranco Family original!) to the Eurythmics' "Thorn in My Side", via the Raspberries' "Drivin' Music" and the Beach Boys' "Heroes and Villains" - it's pure pop class all the way.
Their self-penned originals ain't half bad either. In a perfect world, "Leave My Heart Alone" and "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" - to name but two - should've been mega hits.
Manic Street Preachers/"National Treasures - The Complete Singles" (Sony-Columbia, 2011)
Love 'em or loathe 'em but the Manics are arguably one of the most reliable singles acts of the past twenty years. And here are all thirty-eight of their singles lovingly compiled over 2-CD's. The deluxe edition comes with a DVD containig all the promo videos as well as some alternate versions. Needless to add perhaps, this package renders the patchy previous Greatest Hits collection "Forever Delayed" from 2002 completely and utterly redundant...not to mention several of their weaker long-players.
"Everything Must Go" (1996) and "Send Away the Tigers" (2007) will always be essential, though.
