It's thought that this band backed ex-Tornado Heinz in 1964-65. Purple Pill Eater was about the mods appetite for "purple hearts". Compilation appearances include: Purple Pill Eater on English Freakbeat, Vol. 1 (LP & CD); Bowie Man on Pebbles, Vol. 6 - The Roots Of Mod (LP) and English Freakbeat Vol. 6 (CD).
An obscure group whose 45s were produced by Shel Talmy. The flip of their second 45, Toymaker, was a Ray Davies' song although not recorded by The Kinks. It's easy to see why The Kinks didn't bother as it's a rather juvenile song. The 'A' side, (Visions In A) Plaster Sky, was certainly the better track, being a typically whimsical pop effort. Curiously the 45 got a US-only release on the GRT label under the name Basil. They also had a US-only 45, Monday Tuesday Wednesday/Jessie (Kapp 974) in 1969. Compilation appearances have included:- Toymaker on Rubble Vol. 17: A Trip In A Painted World (LP), Rubble Vol. 10 (CD) and The Best Of Rubble Collection, Vol. 5 (CD); (Visions In A) Plaster Sky on Rubble Vol. 3: Nightmares In Wonderland and Rubble Vol. 2 (CD). In addition as "Basil" (Visions In A) Plaster Sky is on Magic Cube (CD).
NB: (1) reissued on CD (Edsel ED CD 333) 1991.
This was a mainstream rock outfit with progressive leanings, which included former Jethro Tull member Glen Cornick. Their albums are becoming harder to find now, but are they worth searching for? We're talking pretty run of the mill progressive rock here with nothing to distinguish them from the pack. The better tracks on Turkey are Telephone and A Universal Man, hard rock tracks with progressive leanings, strong vocals and fine guitar leads. (Vernon Joynson/Costas Arvanitis)
A rare and collectable 45, though the 'A' side was recorded by other bands in this era and originally written by The Everly Brothers. Planet was Shel Talmy's label and this group was named by Andrew Oldham and managed by Reg King. Their rendition of Man With Money is competent. Gordon Barton was later in Andwella's Dream and Eddie Hardin went on to enjoy considerable success in the Spencer Davis Group and Hardin and York. Tony Savva was later in Samuel Proby. Compilation appearances include: A Man With Money on Rare 60's Beat Treasures, Vol. 3 (CD) and English Freakbeat, Vol. 5 (LP & CD); Man With Money and Broken Truth on The Best Of Planet Records (CD).
A long forgotten ballad 45.
From the Isle of Wight, their producer was Alan Jones (of Amen Corner and Judas Jump). Candle In The Wind was written by Jack Winsley and Bob Saker.
An obscure mid-sixties folk singer/songwriter who wrote all his own material on his album which is now one of the rarest major label UK folk releases of the sixties. He also figured on the Maureeny Wishfull album. This isn't the guy who was later in Sky. Compilation appearances include: Flowers In Your Hair on Fading Yellow (LP).
NB: (1) as Paul Williams Big Roll Band. (2) released as Paul Williams and Zoot Money Band. Surrey-born Paul Williams got his start by sitting in with Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames and later Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated as a guest vocalist in 1963. By fall 1963 he had taken a job singing with the Wes Minster Five, another London-based R&B group. In early 1964, he accepted an offer to join Zoot Money's Big Roll Band as the group's bass guitarist and second vocalist. He also released two singles under his own name backed by The Big Roll Band during this period. When Zoot dissolved the group; Williams was briefly a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, replacing John McVie in August 1967 but leaving by November 1967. In early 1968, Williams began fronting the Alan Price Set which became the Paul Williams Set, allowing Price to focus more on studio and production work. After a year of club appearances and one single, the group broke up and Williams joined Juicy Lucy. (Nick Rossi / Vernon Joynson)
A one of 45. The 'A' side was from Rod Stewart's Gasoline Alley album. (Mike Warth)
NB: (1) as Lifetime. This group also recorded as Lifetime. Sadly Tony Williams died of a heart attack aged 51 in early 1997 following a gall-bladder operation. The distinctive and respected drummer played with Miles Davis for much of the sixties before forming this powerful, but short-lived, jazz-rock fusion outfit.
NB: (1) reissued on CD (Edsel EDCD 366). Williamson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 24 November 1943. This was a 'solo' effort recorded with his Merry Band whilst he was with The Incredible String Band which was certainly better than anything the group was putting out by this time. Collectors are beginning to take an interest in it now. When The Incredible String Band split in 1974 he headed for LA. Not only has he gone on to release several albums since (which are beyond the time span of this book), he's also produced books and story cassettes and provided Soundtracks for TV series and music for theatre. A man of many talents!
NB: (3) credited to Jimmy Wilson and The Pets. A Londoner, who'd worked as a seaman prior to recording. Most of his output was quite beaty. I'm Going Home was written by U.S. singer Bobby Goldsboro.
NB: Also on CD, The Wimple Winch Story '63 - '68 (Bam Caruso KIRI 107 CD) 1988.
NB: (3) Initial pressings came with a projected 4th single, Atmosphere. These are now particularly expensive to acquire. This Liverpool group were previously known as The Four Just Men but by 1966 it was felt a new approach was needed with a new name. Their new manager Mike Carr owned a coffee bar, which he turned into a club, 'The Sinking Ship', near Mersey Square South in Stockport and Wimple Winch became the house band. They secured a record contract with Fontana and proceeded to record three now much acclaimed singles. The best of these were Save My Soul, a mod-inspired wild slice of freakbeat; Rumble On Mersey Square South, a superb and really very complex song for 1966 and Atmospheres, another superb and punchy piece, which veered towards psychedelia, with lots of good fuzz guitar and another quite complex arrangement. The 'official' flip to Rumble..., Typical British Workmanship, was probably their weakest composition. Their first 45 remains uncompiled. What's Been Done, the 'A' side, was a Merseybeat-influenced number. The flip, I Really Love You, was more experimental but still used a beat format. Although their three singles sold well locally this wasn't reflected in sales nationally and Fontana didn't renew their contract. Just prior to this, their resident club in Stockport caught fire and was gutted one night - they lost all their gear in the fire and only just got out the building in time themselves! They did rally to record their own unreleased album in the Summer of 1967 including Marmalade Hair, Lollipop Minds and Bluebell Wood. The first two, in particular, are superb examples of British pop-psych and well worth hearing. Later that year they disbanded. Lawrence Arendes (now King) joined Sponze, a late sixties, slightly jazzy progressive rock combo, who backed Dave Berry on a 1969 45, Huma Luma/Oh What A Life (Decca F 12905). They later evolved into Pacific Drift, who recorded an album and single for Deram in 1970. Dee Christopholus went on to appear in several London Stage Shows including 'Hair', 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat'; appeared in BBC's 'Rock Follies' and recorded in the late seventies for G.T.O. Wimple Winch were undoubtedly one of Britain's finest freakbeat/psychedelic outfits and their recorded output (certainly the last two singles) are essential for fans of the genre. Compilation appearances have included: Save My Soul on Maximum Freakbeat (CD), The Seventh Son (LP), Chocolate Soup For Diabetics, Vol. 3 (LP), Head Sounds From The Bam-Caruso Waxworks, Vol. 1 (CD) and Chocolate Soup (CD); Atmospheres, Rumble On Mersey Square South and Save My Soul on Rubble, Vol. 1 - The Psychedelic Snarl (LP); Marmalade Hair, Lollipop Music and Bluebell Wood on Rubble, Vol. 2 - Pop Sike Pipe Dreams (LP); Atmospheres, Rumble On Mersey Square South, Save My Soul, Marmalade Hair and Lollipop Music on Rubble, Vol. 1 (CD); Bluebell Wood on Rubble, Vol. 2 (CD); Rumble On Mersey Square South on Chocolate Soup For Diabetics, Vol. 2 (LP), Electric Sugarcube Flashbacks, Vol. 1 (LP) and Illusions From The Crackling Void (LP); Pumpkin Pie on Incredible Sound Show Stories, Vol. 3 (LP). |
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