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Dave Davies - Hold My Hand

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Dave Davies Hold My Hand / Creeping Jean BMG BMGCAT407BOX9 (2019) Like the previous post this single appears as part of The Kinks' "Arthur" box set that was released in 2019.  Recorded in 1968, the original 45 was released in 1969 was Dave's fourth solo single. The single failed to chart in the UK due to very limited promotion from Pye Records and scant radio airtime especially as at the time of release the UK pirate radio stations had been taken off the air.  It did in fact  fail to chart anywhere. Whilst credited as a Dave Davies solo single, on both tracks he was backed by the members of The Kinks.  This was also one of the last recordings bass player Pete Quaife recorded prior to leaving the band. As discussed in the previous post, Dave's career never matched the success expected and Pye Records  pulled the plug on the album that was due to be released in 1969.  His lack of interest in continuing a solo career was also a factor in the album being cancel...
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The Kinks - Drivin'

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The Kinks Drivin' / Mindless Child Of Motherhood BMG BMGCAT407BOX6 (2019) This Kinks' 45 was originally released in 1969 on the Pye record label in the UK.  The A side was taken from the album "Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire)," more often referred to as simply "Arthur."  "Arthur" was a concept album, written as a soundtrack to an intended TV show that was never produced.  Basically it revolved around the story of Arthur Morgan, a carpet-layer, who was based on Ray and guitarist Dave Davies' brother-in-law Arthur Anning who emigrated with their sister Rose to Australia in 1964.   Her departure devastated Ray, and it inspired him to write the song "Rosy Won't You Please Come Home" which was released on the 1966 album "Face to Face". Although critically acclaimed at the time, "Arthur" sold poorly.  One US critic, Griel Marcus, stated in his review  "Less ambitious than Tommy, and far mo...
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Crabby Appleton - Lucy

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Crabby Appleton Lucy / Some Madness Elektra EKM-45702 (1970) Originating from Los Angeles, California the band took it's name from a character in the Tom Terrific cartoon series. Signing with Elektra Records, their first album was released in 1970 and gained rave reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone and Creem magazines.  This mono single was an alternative version the track found on the album and later stock copies credited the title as "My Little Lucy".  The band toured extensively opening for The Doors, Sly & The Family Stone and Three Dog Night, however, the band's second album "Rotten To The Core" did not receive the positive vibes of the first and accordingly did not sell as well.  By the end of 1971 the band had split up and moved on to other ventures. FLAC
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Ann Peebles - Do I Need You

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Ann Peebles Do I Need You / A Love Vibration London HLU 10460 (1974) Ann Peebles (born 27 April 1947) was a popular R&B/Soul singer during the 1970s.  Having began performing in her father's church she then started performing in clubs in the St Louis area. In 1968 she performed in Memphis and was there introduced to Willie Mitchell who was a producer at Hi Records. She recorded a string of 45s for the label achieving success on the R&B charts. Her perhaps best known recording was "I Can't Stand The Rain", released in 1973 to worldwide acclaim. This 45, released in 1974, came from her fourth album "I Can't Stand The Rain", released on Hi Records it also contained the title track and a later single "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" which was later covered by Paul Young. In the UK Hi Records were released on the London label. Ann continued recording with Hi Records until the label closed in 1979 at which point she took break from th...
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Jerry Lordan - Who Could Be Bluer?

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Jerry Lordan Who Could Be Bluer? / Do I Worry? Parlophone R 4627 (1960) Born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan in London in 1934, Jerry first entered the UK charts in 1959 with the a 45 titled "I'll Stay Single".  This 45, produced by George Martin and featuring accompaniment by Johnny Spence was his follow up, released in February 1960. Over the period 1959-1962 he released 6 singles on the Parlophone label and unlike many pop acts of the time, Jerry wrote each title.   After his last 45 release on Parlophone in 1962 he concentrated more on the song writing side of the music business.  Among his many song writing credits are "Apache", "Wonderful Land" and several other Shadow's hits along with "A Girl Like You" for Cliff Richard. In 1963 he wrote "Diamonds" for Jet Harris & Tony Meehan which reached #1 in the UK charts. By the end of the 60s his musical success was over. In the 1970s he became involved with a band called Onyx, later ...
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Middle Of The Road - Soley Soley

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Middle Of The Road Soley Soley / To Remind Me RCA Victor RCA 25 (1971) Before ABBA the sound of Europop was this band from Scotland. The band originally began in 1967 playing under the name Part Four before changing their name to Las Caracus.  Under the later name they won the UK TV show Opportunity Knocks. In 1970 they moved to Italy where the producer Giacomo Tosti assisted them to international success under their new name, Middle Of The Road.  They debuted with "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" which reached #1 in the UK charts as well as being very popular in Germany.  The follow-up single "Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum" reached #2 and this, their third 45 release, reached #5 as well as hitting the top of the charts in 6 European countries. "Soley Soley" was written by Spanish musician Fernando Arbex and the band recorded a demo whilst they were in Spain. The demo was sent to RCA in Rome to be finalised. It was first released in the Netherlands in August 1971 an...
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Wigan's Ovation - Super Love

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Wigan's Ovation Super Love / Stand In Line Spark SRL 1133 (1975) In order to cash in on the Northern Soul scene of the 1970's, Russ Stanley (the DJ who is credited with championing Northern Soul music at the Wigan Casino) met up with a Wigan band called Sparkle and renamed them Wigan's Ovation. They hit the charts in 1975 with three 45s which led to over a dozen appearances on Top Of The Pops.  The band from the start were written off as being uncool, laughable and an imitation of the bands the soul fans idolised (and danced too). Although all three 45s charted the band were never a hit with the purists, however credit should be given to the band as their TV appearances on TOTP was the way many UK teenagers, me included, got their first experience of the Northern Soul subculture which had till then been a limited underground scene. This 45 released in October 1975 was their third and last 45 on the Spark label. It reached #41 in the UK charts. FLAC
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