Penfro Sounds

Maytals Fever / It Was Written Down Dragon DRA 1021 (1974) Formed  in Kingston Jamaica as a vocal trio consisting of Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, Henry "Raleigh" Gordon, and Nathaniel "Jerry" Mathias, they teamed up with producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One . At the peak of their early popularity, Toots Hibbert was arrested for marijuana possession and spent 18 months in prison. Upon his release, the experience inspired the single "54-46 That's My Number", which became a massive hit and an enduring reggae standard. The band in 1968 released the landmark single "Do the Reggay", which is widely credited as the first song to use the word "reggae" on a record, giving the newly emerging genre its name. Their music featured prominently on the soundtrack for the hit film The Harder They Come, featuring classic tracks like "Pressure Drop". This brought the group widespread international attention alongsi...

The Elephants Memory Crossroads Of The Stepping Stones / Yogurt Song Buddah 201055 (1969) Known more for being the backing band for John Lennon & Yoko Ono, The Elephants Memory were formed in New York in late 1967 by Stan Bronstein (saxophone, clarinet, and vocals) and Rick Frank Jr. (drums). During 1968 Carly Simon joined the band as their vocalist however she only remained with them for around 6 months before quitting.  By 1969 the band had expanded and included in its line-up the blues rock guitarist Danny Adler and in the same year they contributed 2 songs to the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. Well known in the Greenwich Village area of New York, their reputation as a political active band brought them to the attention of John Lennon.   In 1972 they backed him on his "Some Time In New York City" album and were later billed as Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band, performing with Lennon and Ono on various TV shows, albums and concerts.  On August 30, 1972...

The Band Of Holy Joy Rosemary Smith / Hanging Johny Flim Flan HARP 6 (1987) Formed in the New Cross area of London in 1984 from the remains of unsigned 1970s punk band called " Speed ", the band included elements of post-punk, alt-folk and European influences to produce work that was definitely influenced by the likes of Jacques Brel and Bertolt Brecht. One critic at the time liked their sound to "urban folk" and displaying "a bohemian mix of inner city guignol, Brechtian street song, and soaring romanticism" . After issuing two self produced cassettes the band was signed to Flim Flam Records, a South London indie label where they released three 45s and two albums.  The band then moved in 1988 to Rough Trade records in where they reached a commercial (and critical) peak. The label folded following bankruptcy in 1991 and the band re-emerged as "Holy Joy" in 1992 on the Ecuador Records label. The band split in 1993 however they have reformed  sev...

The Saints This Perfect Day Harvest 12 HAR 5130 (1977) The Saints were an Australian band originating from the Brisbane area in Queensland.  Founded in 1973 by singer-songwriter Chris Bailey, drummer Ivor Hay, and guitarist-songwriter Ed Kuepper the band helped initiate punk rock in Australia. Their first 45 " (I'm) Stranded " released in September 1976 gave them the honour of being the first band outside of the US to release a punk single, ahead of bands such as The Dammed and The Clash. This 45, recorded in London, was the band's third release and their only 45 to chart in the UK where it reached #34.  The 7" release of this single did not contain the extra track found on the 12", " Do The Robot ".   This 12" single, as seen in the scans, came with a sticker stating that the extra track was added to the 12" due to an administration error! FLAC

The Vernons Girls We Love The Beatles (Beatlemania) / Hey Lover Boy Decca F 11807 (1964) Formed in the 1950s at the Vernons football pools company in Liverpool, the group started out as large musical ensemble of female singers eventually reducing to a group of 16. Originally billed as The Voices Of Vernons the group first appeared on UK TV in 1957.  During 1958 & 1959 they regularly appeared on the Oh Boy! TV show singing with the house band as well as releasing several 45s on the Parlophone label. In 1961 the band downsized to five members and then reduced to three singers. In  1962 the group was signed to Decca records where they released a further handful of 45s.  This 45, released in January 1964 was one of their last releases.  The song obviously was cashing in on the mega hype surrounding the Fab Four.  The Vernons Girls also released a Beatles tribute album which became the first of its type to chart in the US.   Another UK group called The ...

Jack White Taking Me Back / Taking Me Back (Gently) Third Man Records TMR 748 (2021) As mentioned in a previous post, Third Man Records run a "Vault" subscription service where you are sent vinyl and other goodies on a quarterly basis. This 45 is one of those, issued as part of the Vault's 50th issue.  It was stated by Thirds Man Records  "This black vinyl 7'' single will be the earliest physical release of "Taking Me Back", (and) is automatically included in the package to every subscriber to 50, and will not be made available to the general public in the future." This limited issue has made the 45 highly collectable with copies being sold with premium price tags.  There was also a limited run of 100 45s being pressed in Tri-colour vinyl, these versions being even harder to obtain. The A side is taken from the album "Fear Of The Dawn" and the flip is an acoustic, country spin on the same track taken from the album "Entering He...