Penfro Sounds

Jerry Fuller Tennessee Waltz / Charlene London HLH 8982 (1959) Jerrell Lee Fuller was born 19 Nov 1938 in Fort Worth Texas. He first recorded with as a duo with his brother Bill before recording and releasing several 45s in the late 50s and into the 1960s.  He was also the composer of the Rick Nelson worldwide hit "Travellin' Man" which he originally wrote for Sam Cooke. He also wrote a further 10 songs which were recorded by Rick. At the tale end of the 60s he moved into the producer role with Columbia Records working with, amongst many, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, O.C. Smith and Mark Lindsay.  In 1970 he formed his own production company called Moonchild, producing among others the Al Wilson hit "Show and Tell". Jerry died on July 18th 2024 aged 85. FLAC

The Damned New Rose / Help! Stiff Records BUY 6 (1976) New Rose was the debut 45 by the band, released on 22 October 1976 on Stiff Records. Widely recognised as the first-ever single released by a British punk band, it marked a defining moment in the early UK punk movement. Written by the bands guitarist Brian James, the track was recorded at Pathway Studios in North London and was produced by Nick Lowe. The opening line of the 45  “Is she really going out with him?” is of course borrowed from the Shangri‑Las' classic single  Leader of the Pack. The flip is a fast, punk cover of the The Beatles' Help!. The single also appeared on the band's debut album  Damned Damned Damned.  FLAC

Bad Company Honey Child / Fade Away Swan Song SWS 70109 Bad Company were the 70s supergroup formed by Paul Rogers and Simon Kirke (both ex-Free), Mick Ralphs (ex-Mott The Hoople) and Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Contrary to speculation that singer Paul Rodgers named the band after the Jeff Bridges film Bad Company, he stated in an interview that the name came from a book of Victorian morals that showed a picture of an innocent child looking up at an unsavoury character leaning against a lamp post. The caption read "beware of bad company" Throughout the 70s and into the 80s the band had great success selling albums in the millions.  The line up of the band changed several times over the years, Kirke and Ralphs being the only ones to appear on all their studio albums. Both tracks here were taken from the 1976 album "Run With The Pack".  This 45 was not given a UK release (my copy is the Canadian release). FLAC

Marianne Faithfull Come And Stay With Me / What Have I Done Wrong Decca F 12075 (1965) She began her career as a teenage folk singer on the London scene in 1964.  Having attended a Rolling Stones party that year with the artist John Dunbar, she was "discovered" by their manager Andrew Loog Oldham who gained her a recording contract with Decca records.  Her first release was with "As Tears Go By" a Jagger/Richards (and Oldham) composition which was a top 10 hit. This 45 was her third, released by the label in February 1965 where it reached #4 in the UK charts.  Both tracks also appeared on her 1965 debut, self-titled, album. In May 1965 Marianne married John Dunbar but the following year she had a much-publicised relationship with Mick Jagger, leaving her husband to live with him. As a couple they were part of the hip "Swinging London" scene  Her influence on Jagger is reflected on some the Rolling Stones songs of the period such as "Sympathy for the D...

The Bystanders This World Is My World / Painting The Time Pye 7N 17540 (1968) Originating from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, this five piece band released several 45s during the 1960s. Originally formed in 1962 they were well known on the Welsh music scene with their classic line-up being Vic Oakley (vocals), Micky Jones (guitar), Clive John a.k.a. Clint Space (keyboards), Ray Williams (bass guitar) and Jeff Jones (drums).   Unfortunately, even though the band had a large Welsh following they were unable to achieve UK chart success so by  1968, around the time this 45 was released, the majority of the band decided they wanted to move away from the general pop genre into a more psychedelic guitar sound.   Vic Oakley decided to leave the band and was replaced by Deke Leonard and soon after the band was reborn as the Welsh rockers Man. FLAC

The Jarvells Featuring Nosmo King Goodbye Nothin' To Say / Nothin' To Say Pye Disco Demand DDS 2003 (1974) The track was originally called Goodbye and was released in July 1974 as the flip side to a 45 credited to Nosmo King.  Nosmo King was the stage name of Stephen Jameson who had been a member of the London duo The Truth.  The recording featured Jameson providing vocals and keyboards along with a group of session musicians which included Irene & Doreen Chanter with Tony Burrows. In October 1974 Pye launched their subsidiary Pye Disco Demand label and it was decided to re-release the track as the A side with an instrumental flip side, credited to the fictitious group The Jarvells.   The 45 was promoted heavily at the time of release to the Northern Soul scene in the UK as a " found"  1966/67 US Soul single rather than the UK pop production that it really was. Notwithstanding its lack of American roots the track became a hit on the Northern Soul scene ...

Pérez 'Prez' Prado Guaglione (CD Single) RCA 74321-25019-2 (1995) Dámaso Pérez Prado (1916-1989) was a Cuban bandleader, pianist, composer and arranger who popularized the mambo in the 1950s earning him the nickname "The King of the Mambo". Although he did not create the genre (Orestes López and his brother Cachao are credited as doing so in 1937), Pérez has been recognized as a key figure in the refinement and popularization of mambo and Cuban dance music in general across the world. His success came from his adaptation of the fast mambo rhythm to the American-style big bands of the 1940s and away from the quieter Cuban charanga. In 1955, Pérez Prado and his orchestra topped the charts in the US and UK with a mambo cover of Louiguy's "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" which features on this CD Single. The title track of this CD is a Neapolitan song with the music composed by Giuseppe Fanciulli. This original version of the song was the winning song...