Penfro Sounds

The Strangeloves I Want Candy / Cara-Lin London HLM 10481 (1973) A catchy rock song from 1965 that became a firm favourite with many. Known for its distinctive drumbeat and catchy chorus, I Want Candy has been covered by various artists over the years, including Bow Wow Wow in 1982, who added a new wave flair to it.  Originally released in the USA on Bang Records and Stateside in the UK, this copy in my collection is the 1973 reissue on the London label. FLAC

Jody Miller Queen Of The House / The Greatest Actor Capitol 5402 (1965) Released in 1965, this is a clever response to Roger Miller's hit " King of the Road ." Jody captures the life of a typical housewife in the 60s with humour and also some social commentary. While the song "King of the Road" is about the carefree, nomadic life of a man on the road, "Queen of the House" offers a portrayal of domestic life, showcasing the daily routine of a housewife in a humorous way. Using a similar tune, Miller sings about juggling household chores, taking care of children, and attending to her husband. She sings " Up every day at six / Bacon and eggs to fix " and manages to paint a vivid picture of her daily grind, making it easy for listeners to visualize the routine she describes. Jody Miller’s voice, with its smooth and strong country twang, perfectly conveys both the charm and exhaustion of the housewife character. " Queen of the House " st...

The Nite People Summertime Blues / In The Springtime Fontana TF 885 (1967) The Nite People originated from Bournemouth.  Having played in several local bands in the early 60s, drummer Chris 'Fergie' Ferguson decided to form his own band and in early 1964 this band was born. The band like many others toured extensively and by 1966 they secured a contact with Fontana who released their first single "Sweet Tasting Wine".  A handful of 45s were issued over the next few years with this single being released in Nov 1967. Despite some success and lots of touring (including a tour package with the Beach Boys in 1967 and being a regular support band at The Marquee) the band called it a day in 1970 and the members moved on to a variety of work both in and out of the music business. This single of course is the classic song written by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capeheart which have been covered by many over the years.  This 45 is an interesting, organ driven, instrumental version. ...

Swinging Soul Machine Spooky's Day Off / Nobody Wants You Polydor 56760 (1969) The Swinging Soul Machine were a Dutch band who initially released this single in the UK during 1969 with the band name credited as The Machine.  It was subsequently released the same year with the full band name.   The band had been formed in 1966 by Hoeney Chen and Jan de Bliek.  Vocals were occasionally provided by Ivan Groeneveld (aka Spooky) and as the title suggests the A side was recorded on one the days he was not in the studio hence it being an instrumental.  In their native Netherlands Spooky's Day Off was the flip side of this 45. The 45 did not chart in the UK however it did gain a bit of a play on the Northern Soul scene. FLAC

The Mindbenders A Groovy Kind Of Love / Love Is Good Fontana TF 644 (1965) The Mindbenders were an English group originating from Manchester.  Originally the backing group to Wayne Fontana, The band became a trio in 1965 when Wayne left to pursue a solo career. This was the first 45 they released without him on main vocals. It is said to be  the first 45s to feature the slang term groovy.  The song had already been recorded by the American duo Dianne & Annita and their version appeared on a French EP titled One By One . Whilst the A side is a well known pop tune the flip side is more like the earlier northern beat sound, a little more of r&b/blues than pop.  To my ears it is the better track but have a listen yourself and make up your own mind. FLAC

Ray Charles Busted / Making Believe His Master's Voice POP 1221 (1963) Busted is a song written by Harlan Howard and has been recorded by several individuals such as Johnny Cash (with The Carter Family), Nazareth and this version by Ray Charles (1930-2004). Written in 1962 this version (and Johnny Cash's) were both recorded in 1963.  Ray's version reached #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts. The flip side is an older country tune written in 1955 by Jimmy Work. Like Busted it has been covered by several singers over the years including Bob Dylan, Wanda Jackson, Social Discord and Dolly Parton to name just a few. Ray's version first appeared on his 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume 2 . FLAC

Saxon And The Bands Played On / Hungry Years / Heavy Metal Thunder Carrere CAR 180 (1981) Saxon are a British heavy Metal band formed in 1975 and they had by the end of the 70s established themselves as one of the top NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) bands.  Cited as influence or inspiration for many rock bands such as Mötley Crüe, Metallica and Pantera, they had many hits on the UK charts as well as great success overseas in Japan, Europe and America. This 45 released in 1981 (taken from the album "Denim & Leather") reached the UK top 20 (#12).  The flip side tracks were taken from the 1980 album "Strong Arm Of The Law". FLAC

The Paperhead Africa / Little Kid Blues Third Man Records TMR 342 (2016) An offering from the Third Man Live series of 45s that are recorded live to tape then pressed on vinyl.   This issue features the US band The Paperhead.  Based in Nashville, the trio features Ryan Jennings, Peter Stringer-Hye & Walker Mimms. The YouTube video below is the album version not the live recording featured on the 45. FLAC

Eddie Cochran Three Steps To Heaven / Cut Across Shorty London HLG 9115 (1960) Eddie Cochran (1938-1960) recorded this song in January 1960.  It was the last ever song he recorded prior to being killed in a car accident later in the April. The song was posthumously released and reached #1 in the UK charts. The song failed to chart in the US Billboard 100. Written by Eddie and his brother Bob, the recording featured Buddy Holly's Crickets as the backing band (Sonny Curtis on guitar and Jerry Allison on drums). The flip side was written by Marijohn Wilkin and Wayne P. Walker and has also been recorded by Rod Stewart, Faces and Mud to name a few. FLAC

Françoise Hardy Françoise Hardy EP Disques Vogue EPL. 8048 (1962) Françoise Hardy (1944-2024) was born in Paris.  She first came to fame as a leading figure in French ye-ye music scene.  Ye-ye music was a French term derived from the English "Yeah Yeah", basically 60s beat music such as the early Beatles' sound. As well as being a famous singer she was also known as a songwriter, model, actress, writer and astrologist.  This self titled EP was released in France in December 1962. All four tracks were penned by Hardy along with Roger Samyn. FLAC

Isaac Hayes Theme From The Men / Type Thang Stax 2024-146 (1972) The Men was a 1972 US TV series comprising of three, one hour crime/adventure dramas. Whilst the series was not a hit in the TV ratings, the theme song here was a minor R&B hit for Isaac Hayes though it failed to chart in the UK. FLAC

Katja Ebstein  No More Love For Me (Wunder G'ibt Ed Immer Wieder) / Without Love Liberty LBF 15317 (1970) Germany's entry in the 1970 Eurovision song contest.  This song (the German version) came 3rd out of a field of 12.  Katja recorded the song in English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese as well as the original German. Katja has over the years been fairly successful with 10+ singles that charted on the German charts and 20+ albums released in her career, the most recent being 2005. For those interested the UK entry in 1970 was Mary Hopkin " Knock, Knock (Who's There?) " and the winner was Dana with " All Kinds Of Everything ". FLAC

Smiley Lewis I Hear You Knocking / Playgirl Liberty LBF 15337 (1970) Smiley Lewis (1913-1966) was born in Louisiana and found fame playing New Orleans R&B.  Dubbed the unluckiest man in New Orleans, Smiley hit on the formula of slow-rocking R&B numbers only to see Fats Domino come after him playing the same style but with more commercial effect. This song written by Dave Bartholmew was first released by Smiley in 1955 on the  Imperial label. The song sold well and reached #2 in the US Billboard R&B charts. This 45 is the 1970 UK re-issue which was released following Dave Edmunds' version hitting #1 in the UK charts. The song has also been covered in the past by Connie Francis, Gale Storm and in 1961 by Fats Domino. FLAC

The Rutles I Must Be In Love Warner Bros. K 17125 (1978) The Rutles are sometimes portraited as a comedy band when in fact they happen to be the greatest band in the world.  To start with ignore the fake entry you will find on Wikipedia and head for the truth at their own  website  where you will learn how this fab four from the north of England took and on and won the world. As said by Nasty in 1966, the band was bigger than God and come on, God never had a hit single so perhaps he was right!  (To be honest it was in fact a ghastly mistake. Nasty, was talking to a slightly deaf journalist, had claimed only that The Rutles were bigger than Rod. This was very true as Rod Stewart would not be big for another eight years, and certainly at the time of the interview in 1966 Rod hadn’t had a hit single). FLAC

J.J. Barnes / All Night Band How Long / I Can't Seem To Hold You Casino Classics CC 9 (1979) JJ Barnes (1943-2020) was an American R&B/soul singer who released his first 45 in 1960. He was also known as a Motown songwriter, a member of the trio "Holidays" (which included Edwin Starr) and, following a move to the UK in 70s, a hit act on the Northern Soul scene. This 45 is a cover of the Ace 1976 single which was written by Paul Carrack Ace's lead vocalist.  J.J.'s version was originally released in the UK in 1977 on the Cooltempo label.   The record label Casino Classics was formed by the Wigan Casino club owner Gary Marshall, club manager Mike Walker and DJ Russ Winstanley as a means to re-release some of the more popular (and often rare) 45s being played at the club. Seventeen 7" 45s were released on the label between 1978-1986. On the flip side of this 45 is another Northern Soul favourite performed by the All Night Band. FLAC

Devo Jocko Homo / Mongoloid Stiff DEV 1 (1978) Originally released on Devo's own label Booji Boy Records this 45 was issued in the UK by Stiff Records. When first released in the US the track Mongoloid was classed as the A side.  This UK release flipped the sides.  Jocko Homo was derived from a 1924 anti-evolution tract called Jocko-Homo Heavenbound by Bertram Henry Shadduck, while its "Are we not men?"/"We are Devo!" call and response chant is a reference to the 1932 movie Island of Lost Souls. The song had been in Devo's setlists for several years prior to being recorded, and an early version was featured in the band's 1976 short film The Truth About De-Evolution. Bruce Connor, an experimental movie maker, created a video for the track "Mongoloid".  Devo marketed the video as "A documentary film exploring the manner in which a determined young man overcame a basic mental defect and became a useful member of society. Insightful editing te...