Here's one of the myriad albums which came out in the wake of the British Invasion, purporting to contain hits by your latest favorite groups, particularly the Beatles. While I found a few sites which shared this marvelous album cover, and several sites trying to sell the album (which I picked up for a quarter), it doesn't look like the material itself has been shared anywhere, with one exception (I'll get to that in a few paragraphs). While most of the other albums that I've seen or owned which tried to glom onto the Beatles magic are from 1964, this one would appear to date from some point after December of 1965, given the presence of both sides of the Beatles 45 release in that month.
This is, as you might expect, as half-assed as they come. At no point do the performers sound anything like the original artists, OR like they are from anywhere in England. We are treated to one song each by the Rolling Stones and by Herman's Hermits (the latter featuring a truly atrocious attempt at Peter Noone's accent, and no attempt to recreate his vocal tone), and four Beatle songs from 1965. Amazingly, they manage to mangle key lyrical phrases in both "Help!" and "Day Tripper".
Three of the remaining four songs are mysteries, perhaps included to try and fill out what ended up only being a 25 minute album. On "Where Were You", the performers seem to have made the questionable decision to try to emulate the group I'd pick as the worst major group of the era, Jay and the Americans - not only an awful group, but also certainly not English. "You Make the Decisions" seems to want to be a Peter and Gordon song, while "Just Give Me Time" is clearly a Beach Boys pastiche - again, not noted for being British.
That leaves the final track, and the real mystery of this album. Because "Bless You Little Girl" turns out to have actually been released - and this performance of it, too - not once, but twice, under two different artist names. The song was co-written by well known songwriter Bobby Russell, and came out under the name Bobby and Buddy and also by Peter and the Rabits (sic). I've listened to all three releases, and believe they are all the same track. How did that song end up on this album?
And did any of these labels make their money back. There was clearly talent involved in these releases - bands, string sections, etc. Were enough people fooled to help earn the costs of such a product back?
5.) You Make the Decisions (MP3)
7.) Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter (MP3)
10.) Bless You Little Girl (MP3)
Front Cover (JPG) | Back Cover (JPG) | Record Label (JPG)
Oh, and COMMENTS ARE BACK!!! Have Your Say!!!
I usually dig the hell outta 60's era cover tunes. Especially those recorded during the 60's. But, this collection is on another level. I can't quite explain what hearing these lack luster versions do to my consciousness. It's like a madman dripping hot polyethylene on my back & expecting me to walk around busy intersections of the city, advertising some non existent company.
Thanx, again for changing my perspective.
Posted by: Timmy | May 05, 2015 at 03:40 PM
Good thing it's Stereo "Compatible". I would had to think I could play this on my new Stereophonic Hi-Fi
Posted by: Chris | May 10, 2015 at 06:20 PM
They sound so tired! I want to get into my time machine, fly back there, burst into the recording studio and shout "C'mon guys, put some life into it!"
The lead vocalist sounds a lot like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins when he sings 'Mrs Brown'. And not in a good way.
Posted by: Roger Kaputnik | May 13, 2015 at 12:12 PM