Off The Peg - The ready to hear collection!
Doris Stokes was a British clairvoyant-medium who made a recording one of one of her meetings in 1984 and included a couple of songs and a poem set to music. The guitarist is Bert Weedon.
01. Doris Stokes - Welcome To My World (1:18)
The stereo test track is from a 1972 Russian album made by Rigonda although the commentary is in English.
02. Rigonda - How Stereo Works (1:58)
Rusty Goffe is a famous dwarf musician-actor (Star Wars, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Willy Wonka) who plays all the instruments on this cute cover of the stage musical classic from circa 1970.
03. Rusty Goffe - The Music Man (3:24)
Larry and Shirley Petersen are a father and daughter singing duo from the Shetland Islands in Scotland. This dates from the early 1970s.
04. Larry and Shirley - The Cuckoo (1:44)
Me, Myself and Me Again is one man human brass band Vivian Fisher, the British Shooby Taylor!
05. Me Myself and Me Again - Blaze Away (2:35)
Mavis Beattie, Eileen Greaves and Peter Lewis' song is from a 1960s four track kids EP with a Christian message. The Stylophone meets the Saviour!
06. Mavis, Eileen and Peter - Open The Door (1:32)
Jethro is a popular West Country based comedian but this early single from 1980 seems to a bizarre stab at a straight pop song. I like the way he looses it at the end and the guitarist tries to drown him out.
07. Jethro - Winds Of Change (3:26)
The Hysterics feature The Just For Laughs Players, Jingle Bells (Laughing All The Way) is from an EP based arounds laughs and belches and sneezes.
08. The Hysterics - Jingle Bells (1:26)
Actor Keith Michell recorded a lot of albums of pop songs and show tunes but here he is in darker territory with a folk-rock medley written by Isle of Man based poet William Bealby-Wright and Jim Parker.
09. Keith Michell - Palaces Of Fun (6:31)
Mike Redway is a successful session singer and songwriter but this is from one of his own albums, check out the bizarre Yorkshire acccent and dubious lyrics here.
10. Mike Redway - Good Morning (3:16)
Nicole is not the German 'Nicole' who won Eurovision with A Little Peace in 1982 but a Dutch teenager, recorded in the mid 70s.
11. Nicole - Helala Holala (1:46)
Steve Bent is actor Stephen Bent who also contributed to the 1980 Showbiz XII charity album (see Day 182, July 01). This is the B-side to his legendary 1976 single I'm Going To Spain (a highlight of Kenny Everett's 1977 Worlds Worst Record Show) recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The backing is by legendary sessioners Alan Parker, Herbie Flowers and Barry Morgan.
12. Steve Bent - Doobie Dow Song (3:30)
Doris Stokes was a British clairvoyant-medium who made a recording one of one of her meetings in 1984 and included a couple of songs and a poem set to music. The guitarist is Bert Weedon.
13. Doris Stokes - Voices In My Ear (1:40)
Paul Webber's 1984 song is the B-side to his one-off single, a cover of Rogers and Hammerstein's Shall We Dance.
14. Paul Webber - Mrs Woman (2:37)
Jed Ford was a Midlands-based C&W singer who played clubs and bars, this is one of his own songs from his San Antone album. On the cover he's posing in a purple and silver floral pattern suit. Nuff said.
15. Jed Ford - Eight Letters (3:21)
Peter Dymond's synth-driven song about a visitor from another planet is really an ET cash-in although legal reasons prevented him from mentioning it on the sleeve.
16. Peter Dymond - The Visitor (3:06)
Spanish singer Tony Ronald had a huge Euro hit with Help in 1971 this is the B-side where the producers have thrown in everything into the production including the kitchen sink.
17. Tony Ronald - Once Upon A Time (3:10)
Betty Lou Mills was a British 'sixties Youth Praise singer who has been strangely described as "the Gloria Hunniford of Christian music". Here fuzz guitar meets faith like never before.
18. Betty Lou Mills - Rock Him (2:51)
The Schneider Sisters were big in Australia in the 1950s. Their songs featured the unique 'Schneiderphone' - a washboard with bell and horn attachments. Today Mary Schneider is a successful yodeller and session vocalist.
19. Schneider Sisters - Washboard Rock 'n' Roll (1:35)
Vroom's 1978 sing-along tribute to stock car racing was written by British character actor Bill Maynard. Apparently they still play this at some stock car race meetings.
20. Vroom - Stock Car Racing Is Magic (2:02)
Bobby George is a British champion darts player who can play darts but can't sing. 180 is the top score in darts which explains the first line but nothing can explain the rest of the song!
21. Bobby George - Bobbys Theme (3:11)
Child singer Tina King was a contestant on a 1970s talent show, New Faces or Opportunity Knocks, and tried to follow in the footsteps of Lena Zavaroni but failed. This was her one and only single.
22. Tina King - When I Grow Up (2:32)
Ronnie-Henry Smith is the world's only underwater pianist, this is his 1981 scuba diving-themed tribute to Princess Diana.
23. Ronnie - Scuba Dooba Di (3:17)
Maltese cabaret singer Amadeo Carmel featured in my earlier London compilation. Here he presents another of his own lovely songs with more dodgy phonetics. Can he really be saying "Strokes patients won viciously, guiding me through tranquil and sublime"?
24. Amadeo Carmel - So Young (4:13)
Obscure group Kasablanka offer their own equally bizarre Pidgin English tribute to Princess Diana.
25. Kassablanca - Diana (3:56)
Nick and Nicola perform what is probably the only song named after a British dessert. And yes a breathless Nicola really does sing: 'I lost my interest in sex just like Tyrannosaurus Rex'!
26. Nick and Nickola - Apple Crumble Mind (3:16)
Robb Shenton also featured in my London compilation, here he invents Dexys Midnight Runners 'celtic soul' sound two years before Kevin Rowland did.
27. Robb Shenton - Is That All There Is (2:53)
Feisty Jo Beecham taps into to '80s nuclear fear with a disco song about cruise missiles. "No need for winter coats just a can of fwuit". Scary stuff!
28. Jo Beecham - Take A Trip On Cruise (2:37)
Images: Front Cover, Back Cover
Extras!
Here are some tracks I didn't have room for, or time to include, before. Jim Dandy and The Sugar Beat return (sadly sans Patsy's Pickle Patch Choir) with four more great songs from two singles (see Day 115, April 25); also 6 remaining tracks From Ken Wallace's More album (see Day 189, July 08); two tracks from an early single by Joe Cutajar (see Day 138, May 18); plus the 6 remaining tracks from the album Sakura Goes Boom Boom (see Day 295, Oct 22).
Plus (because I didn't know where else to put 'em) a couple of Christmas bonuses: a song by Bill Waddington, veteran star of UK soap Coronation Street, and John Scott Cree's unique rendering of Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer (this was the A-side to the track Palais featured on my London compilation).
01. Jim Dandy - Move It Around (3:11)
02. Jim Dandy - Hot Pants Girl (2:48)
Dadjo PRSD 2180 (1972)
03. Jim Dandy - She's Tuff (2:30)
04. Jim Dandy - Come Together (2:29)
Dadjo 3216 (1973)
05. Ken Wallace - More (Than You'll Ever Know) (3:24)
06. Ken Wallace - I Don't Know Why (2:45)
07. Ken Wallace - Lookin' Back (2:39)
08. Ken Wallace - In The Garden (2:47)
09. Ken Wallace - This Could Be The Dawning (2:21)
10. Ken Wallace - My Tribute (2:45)
11. Joe Cutajar - Ftakar (4:26)
12. Joe Cutajar - Kantaw Maghna (2:36)
Genter RC1028 (Undated)
13. Sakura - Lemon Tree (3:03)
14. Sakura - Aku Kechewa (3:23)
15. Sakura - Zuo Yi Dui Xaio Fu Qi (3:12)
16. Sakura - Morning Town Ride (2:35)
17. Sakura - Huan Le Jin Xiao (2:13)
18. Sakura - Ti Xing Ni (2:21)
19. Bill Waddington - Don't Forget (3:13)
20. Wounded John Scott Cree - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (2:55)
Image: Cover
- Contributed by: David Noades
This one is NOT getting enough love...it's worth it just to know that Jim Dandy followed up his wobbly tempo "Let It Be" knockoff with a what sounds to me like a wobbly tempo "Come and Get It" knock-off. And of course, worlds getting swallered by fire...
Posted by: EasyEW | January 01, 2008 at 01:05 AM
This is a great way to ring in the new year - a superb, varied selection of tracks. i also love the Jim Dandy numbers - mad garage at its best - and i'm starting to like the Peter Dymond and Ronnie Smith tracks (which worries me!) although a lot of them are just so annoying catchy.
Posted by: Jonas Fielding | January 02, 2008 at 02:16 PM
since this post:
i had great fun as i drove around silverlake and los feliz fake-hysterically laughing whilst blasting the jingle bells song and pointing at people as i drove by - (looked as if i was laughing like a maniac)
also the song, "trip on cruise" is my favorite, anyone know more about Jo Beecham??
was this song made for a cruise ship or vacation getaway resort or something? link to the lyrics? thanks - this whole set is fab...xoxo adam
Posted by: adam unknown | January 20, 2008 at 12:53 PM
I am loving the song The Cuckoo by Larry and Shirley, anyone know how I can could find publishing or label info on it? My searches are turning up nothing!! Thanks.
Posted by: cathi | January 22, 2008 at 05:14 PM
That Tina King track is the most wretched thing I've ever heard, and I've listened to everything on both years of 365 Days. I really don't feel well at all now.
Posted by: David Holt | May 02, 2008 at 05:41 PM
Hi, on your page headed Dec 29th 2007, track no 26, I was the Nick of Nick and Nichola. Made me laugh to hear it again after all these years. Incidentally the line that you quote is actually: 'I've lost my interest in sex, 'GROUPS' like Tyrannosaurus Rex....Best, Eric.
Posted by: Eric Storm | June 30, 2008 at 03:34 AM
Hi Eric. So you were the Nick of Nick and Nichola fame! Thanks for letting us know the real lyrics, I didn't think my interpretation could be right. Can you tell us something about Nick and Nichola: Were you around for long? Did you release any other records? Was there an N&N album?
Posted by: David Noades | December 01, 2008 at 02:13 PM
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INFORMATION ON TINA KING. WHEN I GROW UP WAS THE B SIDE TO HER RECORD RELEASE OF 'YOU'RE MY HONEY' WHICH WAS WRITTEN BY THE WRITER OF CLIFF RICHARDS 'DEVIL WOMAN' AND RELEASED BY TINA AT THE AGE OF 12. AT NO POINT WAS TINA TRYING TO FOLLOW IN LENA ZAVARONI'S FOOTSTEPS AND WENT ON TO ENJOY A LONG AND SUCCESFUL CAREER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
Posted by: K HARPER | December 21, 2009 at 06:26 PM
K Harper - If you have more information on Tina King and what she went on to do, please tell us!
Posted by: David | February 01, 2010 at 01:59 PM