Penfro Sounds

Jon & Robin You Got Style / Thursday Morning Abnak AB-130 (1968) An American pop duo from the 1960s, Jon & Robin were Jon Abdnor Junior and Javonne "Robin" Braga. The Abnak label on which all of their 45s were issued was owned by Jon's father, John Howard Abdnor Sr. The label was started purely for an outlet for his son's recordings but also released other artists such as The Five Americans who became label's most successful act. AB-130

Dire Straits Money For Nothing / Love Over Gold Vertigo DSTR 1012 (1985) Taken from their fifth album "Brothers In Arms" this single was released in June 1985.  The song's lyrics are written from the point of view of two working-class men watching music videos and commenting on what they see.  The song features a guest appearance by Sting who sings the signature falsetto introduction, background vocals and a backing chorus of "I want my MTV". The music video, one of the first uses of computer-animated human characters, was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987. At the 28th Annual Grammy Awards in 1986, "Money for Nothing" won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year . This 12" has the full 8 minute version of the track and the flip side is a live recording. DSTR 1012

Fat Daddy Holmes Chicken Rock / Where Yo Is Jet JET 505 (1960) Just a few lines on this 45 as I can't find much information on the artist, the recording details or  the label . Fat Daddy is listed as being William Allan Holmes and this 45 on the Californian Jet label appears to be his one and only 45 release.  It was also released in 1960 on the Canadian Apex label. A fairly rare record, my copy here is a 1980s repro/bootleg copy. Although I haven't yet been able to confirm it 100%, William (Bill) Holmes could have been the owner of All-American label which ran from the mid to late 60s. B. Bartlett is credited as the songwriter with some web pages listing it as the English born Bill Bartlett who formed The Lemon Pipers and later Ram Jam.  At least one web page states that Chicken Rock is played by (Wild) Bill Bartlett although credited to Fat Daddy. Not finding any information as to when Bill was born I can't really confirm that this is/could be the same Bartlett. ...

Muse Hyper Music / Feeling Good Mushroom MUSH 97S (2001) Muse are an English band originating from Teignmouth in Devon. Formed in the early 90s the band forged a solid fan base through touring including the support slot with Skunk Anansie in London and Manchester.  Their first release was a self titled EP in 1998 which was released on the Dangerous label. Although not that successful, it lead to a second EP titled Muscle Museum.  The EP reached #3 in the UK indie charts gaining support from the BBC DJ Steve Lamacq and coverage from NME magazine.  The band played at Woodstock '99 and the same year released first album Showbiz . In 2001 the album Origin of Symmetry was released and both tracks on this 45 appeared on the album.  Although used as the flip side; the cover version  of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse's " Feeling Good " has become one of the tracks the band most associated with the band.   Originally recorded by Nina Simone, the Muse versi...

Mods '79 Green Onions / High On Your Love Casino Classics CC 13 (1979) My musical tastes vary greatly and I would not define all in my collection as classics. Some of it still thrills me as much as when I first heard it, some of it has not stood the test of time, a few I have just to complete a label or artist discographies. This one, pulled at random, falls into the last category.  Thinking back to 1979, Mods were back, Quadrophenia was on the big screen and parkas were everywhere (even I had one!). Northern Soul was still happening, 2Tone was beginning and every label wanted a piece of the action. This single appears to have been released to "cash in" to that 1979 vibe. Firstly I can find no information relating to the band so I assume it was a bunch of studio musicians put together under a cool sounding name to record this 45.  The A side is a standard rendition of the Booker T classic played reasonably well but nothing special. It states on the label "This song f...

Arthur Wilkinson And His Orchestra  Beatle Cracker Suite EP His Master's Voice 7EG 8919 (1965) As written by Arthur Wilkinson: "I was engaged by the BBC as the musical director for a TV series starring Roy Castle.... Our first guest was to be Miss Doreen Wells, a young and beautiful prima ballerina from the Royal Ballet Company, who insisted that as a change from her classical roles she wished to dance to some music of The Beatles!...  Not often, I confess, do I produce a very bright idea: nevertheless, it slowly dawned on me that the only way I could solve this was to combine the classical and the pop, if possible, musically. Assuming that Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker is perhaps the best known of all the ballets, I decided to substitute some melodies of Messrs. Lennon and McCartney for the original themes, and orchestrate them in the style of Tchaikovsky, using his colour and little tricks... One important things this has proved to me - what great tunesmiths are John and Paul...

The Eyes Of Blue Supermarket Full Of Cans / Don't Ask Me To Mend Your Broken Heart Deram DM 114 (1967) The band was original formed by Phil Ryan and Gary Pickford-Hopkins along with drummer John Weathers. All had previously played with bands in the South Wales area. Having won the 1966 Melody Maker Beat Contest, winning a one-year record contract, the band joined Deram who released two singles, this 45 being the second release.  The material recorded was not written by the band and neither 45 sold particularly well. In 1968 the band moved to Mercury Records where they recorded three albums before they broke up. Ryan joined Pete Brown & Piblokto! and then the Welsh rock band Man. Weather also played with Pete Brown & Piblokto!, played with Grahame Bond's Magick, had a spell with Gentle Giant then joined Man.  Pickford-Hopkins also played with Gentle Giant before ending up with Rick Wakeman on  Journey to the Centre of the Earth and  The Myths and Legends...

Bill Elliot And The Elastic Oz Band God Save Us / Do The Oz Apple APPLE 36 (1971) Written and recorded in support of the defence fund during Oz magazine’s obscenity trial, ‘God Save Us’ was recorded by John Lennon and the Elastic Oz Band, and released as a single in July 1971. Lennon first recorded the song at Ascot Sound Studios, his home recording facility at Tittenhurst Park near Ascot in Berkshire. A demo was recorded on 13 April 1971 in a single take, featuring Lennon on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Steve Brendell on congas. Four days later, on 17 April 1971, a recording session for the song was held at Ascot. Twenty takes were recorded, the last of which was selected as the best. Lennon sang a guide vocal with each take. The title track was re-recorded from scratch at Ascot on 22 May 1971, with Lennon using musicians that would record the Imagine album later that week. Four takes were recorded, the last of which was chosen as the master. Lennon sang guide vocals on ea...

The Marketts Sun Power / Sunshine Girl World Pacific 77874 (1967) All though referred to by many as just a surf group, The Marketts were more of an all round instrumental group combining many sounds, rock, surf, soul, etc.  Formed by Michael Zane Gordon (a multi instrumentalist, producer and composer) they were a group of session musicians based in the LA area.   Initially  they played surf music (1961's " Surfer's Stomp"  being their first 45)  under the guidance of producer Joe Saraceno who co-wrote with Gordon.  Over time the band expanded their sound recording music that Gordon hoped would catch the record buying public's ear.  From blue-eyed soul, pop, film and TV themes to easy listening, their style constantly changed evolving into  a more rock influenced sound, described by many as being a futurist sound evoking space travel and science fiction movies.  77874

The Barbarians Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl / Take It Or Leave It Laurie L-3308X (1965) The Barbarians were formed in the summer of 1964 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, by original members Victor "Moulty" Moulton, Bruce Benson, Ronnie Enos, and Jerry Causi.  Ronnie was replaced by Geoffrey Morris in 1965. This was the 2nd 45 that the band had released.  Geoffrey wrote this song which charted on Billboard's Top 100 chart (peaking at #55).  The song reflected the social commentary of the period, specifically around what distinguishes a male from a female. The lyrics express both sides' opposing views on issues like hair length or how a person dresses. It has over the years been included on many garage rock compilations such as the Nuggets series. The band released a further two 45s but by 1967 the original line-up disbanded and they individually moved on to other ventures. L-3308X

Jimmy Reed  Baby What You Want Me To Do / Caress Me Baby Top Rank JAR 333 (1960) Mathis James Reed (6/9/1925 - 29/8/1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with a wide variety of audiences and also influenced many other musicians, including Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and the Rolling Stones, who all recorded his songs. Music critic Cub Koda describes him as "perhaps the most influential bluesman of all," due to his easily accessible style. This 45, recorded in August 1959, is credited to Reed however as like most of the songs credited to him as sole composer they were in-fact written by his wife Mama Reed. The song was originally titled "Baby Why You Wanna Let Go." Nowhere in the song do the lyrics "Baby What You Want Me To Do" appear, although later cover versions often wrongly include the phrase in place of the original lyrics. JAR 333

Sandy Nelson Teen Beat / Big Jump Top Rank JAR 197 (1959) Sandy Nelson (1/12/1938-14/02/2022) was one of the best known modern jazz and rock drummers of the late 50s & early 60s. Born in Santa Monica, California, Sandy first recorded with a band called The Renegades who released a 45 entitled " Geronimo ". The single was a reasonable hit in the mid west states, even featuring in the 1959 film " Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow ". Sandy was also known as an experienced session musician, playing drums on the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (1958), The Hollywood Argyles' "Alley Oop" (1960) and Kathy Young and the Innocents' "A Thousand Stars" (1960). This 45 was recorded and released in 1959 and hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also #9 on the UK charts. The guitar was played on the recording by co-writer Richard Podolor, later a songwriter and record producer, and the piano was by Bruce Johnston, later a member ...

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Messages / Taking Sides Again Dindisc DIN 15 (1980) The original version of the track appeared on the band's debut album. This 45 release (the band's third 45) is a re-recorded version and on its release became the band's first top 40 entry reaching #13 in the UK charts. An earlier version was recorded in 1979 and played on the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1.  This first version was slower than this 45 version. The original version was released as a 10" single however the initial pressings were scrapped as the band wanted to re-record the song. DIN 15

John Adams Shaker Loops/The Wound Dresser/Short Ride In A Fast Machine (2004) A first for the blog, a few modern classical pieces that may well interest you. John Adams is a modern American composer and conductor born in 1947. Shaker Loops, written in 1978, began as a piece called Wavemaker in which Adams tried to emulate the ripple effect of bodies of water in his music. The piece was a commercial failure, but Adams kept the idea of repeating loops of oscillations on string instruments. He retitled the piece Shaker Loops, both because of the "shaking" of the strings as they oscillate between notes and the idea Adams had of Shakers dancing to repetitive, energetic music. The Wound Dresser is an elegiac setting of excerpts from American poet Walt Whitman's poem "The Wound-Dresser" (1865) about his experience as a hospital volunteer during the American Civil War. Short Ride is an example of Adams's postminimal style. The style derives from minimalism as define...

Bo Diddley Bo Diddley 1969 / Soul Train Checker 1213 (1969) Super K Productions was a 1960s American recording production company under Buddah Records, headed by producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz, whose groups specialized in bubblegum pop. Their biggest successes were The Ohio Express, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, Crazy Elephant and The Music Explosion but in 1969 they produced this one 45 for Bo Diddley, an update of his earlier hit. The flip side is written by Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz as well as being produced by them. Checker Records was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, who ran the label until they sold it to General Recorded Tape (GRT) in 1969, shortly before Leonard's death. The label was discontinued in 1971 following GRT's consolidation of the Chess catalogues and now the label's catalogue is now owned by Universal Music Group. 1213

Johnny Clarke Rock With Me Baby / A Crabit Version Attack ATT 8100 (1975) Johnny Clark was born in Jamaica on 12th January 1955. After winning a talent contest in 1971 in which the prize was meeting the legendary producer Clancy Eccles, he recorded his first single in 1972. The single didn't do well so he moved on to Rupie Edwards who produced in 1973 his first hits. He then had a spell with Glen Brown.  By 1974 he was working with Bunny Lee and his band The Aggrovators.  In 1975 and 1976 he was named Artist of the Year in Jamaica and became one of the most popular singers on the island, mixing original songs with covers of popular reggae songs by other artists, and mixing roots and lovers-themed material. ATT 8100