The Box Tops - "The Letter/Neon Rainbow" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1967 (Bell)

I have to presume that this is the first Alex Chilton album, as him being a member of The Box Tops.  The blue-eyed soul of Chilton's singing plus the aural pleasures supplied by producer and songwriter Dan Penn makes "The Letter/Neon Rainbow" a real delight.  I'm intrigued by Penn's production of the album.  The orchestration is both understated and there to support Alex's vocals. I don't get the feeling that this is a band at work, but more of a singer with a remarkable writer and arranger.  I love "Trains & Boats & Planes" as well as their version of "Whiter Shade of Pale."  There is a mellow aspect to the vocals, and yet, it is hard to believe that Alex was a teenager at the time of these recordings.  Chilton had that genius aspect in that whatever he touches on, it becomes gold. Penn and Chilton are a great working relationship. 

Les Swingle Singers - "Getting Romantic" Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, 1965 (Philips)

My love for Michel Legrand led me to Les Swingle Singers, due that his sister Christiane Legrand is part of the ensemble.  Basically The (or Les) Swingle Singers are jazz scat singers, but mostly did classical compositions, and usually the very famous pieces such as Chopin's "Étude (Op.25 No. 2) and Beethoven's "Allegro (Sonate Op; 26) and so forth.  A mixture of tenor, bass, and alto vocals, with a backing of a stand-up bass and drums, gives a full-sound that is right in the middle of jazz and classical.  Too light to be jazz, and too low-brow for classical, it's the ultimate bachelor's pad music, yet the singing is unbelievable. 

As much as possible I try to follow the late great Christiane Legrand (1930-2011) as much as possible. It's her vocals on Procol Harum's "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly) off the classic "Grand Hotel" album that first got me started, and of course, when I found out the connection that Michel is her brother, I had to fulfill my collector's instinct.   She also has done work with her brother on some of the Jacques Demy soundtracks as well.   Still, for the beginner, I strongly recommend "Getting Romantic" which is a sampler of the more 'amour' melodies from Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Shubert. 

Joe Cocker - "Marjorine" b/w "New Age of the Lily" 45 rpm Single, 1968 (A&M)

Joe Cocker, the Britsh rhythm n' blues singer, who is an iconic figure in the rock n' roll world of the late 1960s and early 1970s also made a classic pop record as well.   "Marjorine" was my favorite cut on Cocker's first album "With a Little Help From My Friends."  I bought the album because the cover photo of Cocker was cool, and as a teenager into the product, I also liked the fact that famous musicians played on this album.  The range of talent is amazing, and I remember listening to the album, to notice the difference between Jimmy Page and Albert Lee on "Marjorine."  Throughout the album, you had musicians such as Tony Visconti, Carol Kaye (grand studio bassist), B.J. Wilson & Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum,  Steve Winwood,  and my favorite rock n' roll drummer Clem Cattini.  How can this album fail?

"With A Little Help From My Friends" is one of the first 'superstar' players on one album, that marketed itself in a fashion, where one is aware of the backing musicians behind Cocker. Also, this first album has many great versions of incredible songs, and the choices that were made were wise and totally practical in Cocker's manner and voice.   Still, the one song that impressed me the most was "Marjorine" which is a song co-written by Cocker.  It stands out compared to the rest of the album, because for one it is an original song, in an album of mostly covers, and those songs I was already familiar with, especially "Bye Bye Blackbird" (classic American songbook material), and "Feeling Alright" by Dave Mason when he was in Traffic.  Still, "Marjorine" had its own power, in that it's a beautiful melody, but performed with vigor by Cocker's voice, and the duo guitars of Page and Lee. Beautifully produced by  Denny Cordell. It's shocking to me that this song was not a radio hit of the time of its released.  I'm thrilled that I found this 45 rpm single in Rockaway Records here in Silver Lake. 

The Herd - "The Fontana Years" 2 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 2009 (Vinyl Lovers)

For this past month, I have been obsessing over the British 60s band The Herd.  Due to my shopping mood at the time I purchased an original U.S. compilation album of ten Herd songs.  Mostly due to the fact that The Herd seemed to be under the spell of the songwriting talents Howard Blaikley (Alan Blaikley & Ken Howard).   Dave Dee, Dozy Beaky, Mick & Tich used their services as well as The Honeycombs.  All brilliant.  So how can the Herd fail?  What surprises me is how much I love The Herd's music.  Listening to this double-album of 32-songs, it strikes me that The Herd was very much part of the 1967/1968 British world at the time.  "The Fontana Years" is like a See's Candy sample box of chocolate, but set in a specific era and place.  

The Herd sound is not original, but the way they mix it up is fascinating.  They would sound like The Small Faces if they had The Walker Brothers as vocalists, and with a touch of Procol Harum's love of classical melodies.  Gary Taylor only sings lead on a few songs by the band, but he has a rich baritone voice that yells out Scott Walker.  And when he sings the chorus or a bridge of a song, it brings out a 'wow' moment for the listener.   The Herd is very much a band that used and performed the songs by Howard Blaikley, but they also wrote their own material.   There is this duality in their vision, but their eye on the prize was a massive sound.  They can be a cool Mod-orientated Booker T, jazz band, to an obtuse baroque pop band.  And when you hear all their music on this two-disc collection (most of their work was released as singles), it doesn't seem odd that they made strange directional moves, in the context of their pop leanings. 

Peter Frampton (yes that Peter) and Andy Bown wrote half of their material, and they never settled for one sound or aesthetic.   I don't know if there is a Herd "sound," because they pretty much compile all their influences/sounds from their era.   What's surprising is that their technique, either planned or by fault, works.  All four had contributed to the package.  Andrew Steele, their drummer, even sings lead and wrote a song, and it's good.  For anyone who has even the slightest interest in the British music scene of the late 60s I heartily recommend The Herd.  Although they don't sound like The Move, I think they are equally as important as that band.  No foolin'. 

The Herd - "Lookin Thru You" Vinyl, Album, U.S., 1968 (Fontana)

The Herd is a very typical band of their era, as well as unusual.   The truth is, the 1960s were an extraordinary decade when it came to a lot of things, but for me, the music defined its eccentricity, and there is nothing ordinary about The Herd, in that sense.   Peter Frampton, a pin-up rock god of the 1970s, was also the pin-up teen pop star of the late 1960s.  Still, I was surprised to hear The Herd, and hearing not only Frampton's voice, but also The Walker Brothers, a touch of Procol Harum, very early David Bowie, and a pinch of ska, with respect to its rhythms.  Baroque in style, but the closest thing I can also think of is Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich in its ridiculous manner of over-the-top pop.   They also share the songwriting talents of Alan Blaikley and Ken Howard, better to known to us record label readers as "Howard Blaikley."  I first discovered the duo through Joe Meeks' 1964 band The Honeycombs, who had the enormous hit "Have I The Right."

I know very little about the history of The Herd, except that all of them were teenagers when they were in the band.   They had three hit songs in England and Europe, and they made one album in the U.K. and this album, "Lookin' Thru You" is their only American release.  Basically a bastard version of their British album "Paradise Lost" and a load of other singles.   When I was a young boy in the 1960s, I remember having a mass paperback of the upcoming bands from the UK, and among many, The Herd was in that pile.   They stood out because of their photo.  Their perfect haircuts seduced me. It took almost 50 years until I purchase their album.  Time waits for no one.  Except hearing The Herd.  It doesn't take me back to my youth, or the love of their haircuts, but the fact that they made pop music that is insane and beautifully accurate for their time. Listening to it in 2018 I'm struck by the imaginative use of orchestration and horns.  And the voices are entirely from the Scott Walker method of attacking and embracing a melody.  

Without a doubt their masterpiece is "From The Underworld" is mythical as well as a teenage pop narrative.  It's fascinating that pop songwriters like Blaikley and Howard can slip in something magnificent in the lyrics and sell it as teenage angst.  That's the brilliance of pop, in the hands of crafty and brilliant songwriters.   The other classic is "Paradise Lost" which starts off as a stripper's theme song, and then goes into this dark classical mode, which is similar to "From The Underworld." The transition from one place to another is breathtakingly beautiful.  

Besides the two veteran songwriters, Frampton and Andy Bown co-wrote a lot of songs as well, which sounds a lot like The Small Faces.  Which ironically (or not) enough, Frampton went off with Steve Marriott to form Humble Pie.  The secret weapon in The Herd is their bassist who can sing like Scott Walker.  Gary Taylor also writes for The Herd as well, and his voice is just magnificent.  The Herd has a lot of strength, and why they didn't make it in a huge way is a mystery to me.  Sometimes the cards are not in favor of its players, and The Herd left us some incredible music.  

Michel Polnareff - "Michel Poinareff" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2008/1966 (Universal)

The Lou Christie of French rock is Michel Poinareff.  Well, mostly due to his vocal style, which can go as high as the stars, if he chooses that route.  Ponareff's first album is classic French pop.  Still, I suspect that he wanted to go beyond his country's borders.  Side one I presume was recorded in England, due that he worked with lyricist Keith Reid, who either at the same time or a tad later, became the words-man for Procol Harum.  He also used Charles Blackwell as an arranger, who worked with Burt Bacharach on the soundtrack "What's New Pussycat" as well as working with my favorite eccentric producer Joe Meek.  So, with those two, our M. Poinareff was in excellent hands. 

This is a very strong debut of a songwriting talent, who is still with us, and for me, a mysterious figure.   In fact, I suspect he's a mystery to a lot of people.  Like the tide in an ocean, he comes and goes as he pleases.  Still, from 1966 to the end of the 1970s, he was an iconic presence in France.  Visually stunning, but with an incredible knack for writing memorable melodies.   There's not a bad cut on this album, and I would recommend it as an introduction into the world of Poinareff.  The garage rock sound of "La Poupée Qui Fait Non," "Time Will Tell"  (lyrics by Reid) and his fifties orientated (and could be a Morrissey favorite) "Love Me, Please Love Me" are essential cuts. 

Procol Harum - "Shine On Brightly" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1968 (A&M)

Procol Harum couldn't do no wrong in my brain and ears.  It's the odd mixture of Gary Brooker's rhythm n' blues vocals singing the baroque type of classical orientated pop.  It's obvious that the band is schooled in classic black American music, but their sound is a twisted version of a mod like psychedelia yet grounded in great musicianship.   One can argue that perhaps they have a prog leanings, but they are more rooted in the arrangement of Bach-like melodies or the way that composer adds layers of melody on top of one another.  On a later album, they worked with Christiane Legrand who was a member of the Swingle Singers.  Not an odd choice of an artist to work with, because like the Swingle Singers who had a jazz background approaching the classics is very similar to Procol Harum, who have a strong R n' B foundation being sucked into something that is very Bach-like in fashion and sound. 

"Shine On Brightly" is Procol Harum's second album, and it's different from their first masterpiece album.  For one, the arrangements are more playful, and there is a certain aspect of joy in these set of songs.  Side two is a very piece called "In Held Twas I" that is similar to the second side of The Beatles "Abbey Road" album, in that it's a suite of miniature pop songs.  Not that far off from The Who's "A Quick One..."  

I always felt the secret weapon in Procol Harum was their drummer B.J. Wilson.  He's perfect for the majestic sound of the band, and there is such a powerful percussion presence on their albums, for instance like this one.   It makes perfect sense that he worked with Lou Reed on "Berlin" which I feel was very much influenced by Procol Harum's approach to dramatic orchestration.  The dynamic tension between Brooker's piano and Morgan Fisher's organ is another aspect of this musical relationship.   Brooker plays power cord piano, and the organ answers his call, in some fashion, its a conversation between these two, with Robin Trower's guitar and Wilson's drumming as sort of being the guys in between the discussion.   Everyone from The Bad Seeds to The Band I think was influenced by this band, not only due to the piano/organ relationship, but also the dramatic quality of telling a tale.  Keif Reid is their lyricist and his surrealistic or impressionistic lyrics adds another element to the package.  Brooker sings his words not with intense passion, but almost in a detached manner, which makes its own intensity between voice and the word.  "Shine On Brightly" is a great collection of songs, and I think it's criminally overlooked in our contemporary times.   

Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale" Vinyl LP, Album, 1967, reissue 1973 (A&M Records)

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of my favorite albums.  I bought the original album in 1967 but lost it through moving between locations.  It was about four years ago I found the American reissued edition at Rockaway Records.  Which in turn, makes me want to own the mono version that was first released in the U.K.   I have a faint memory of hearing the mono and loving it because the music seemed more forceful coming from one speaker or one direction.   At the end of the day, that is just otaku chat, because nothing changes the magnificence of the music made by Procol Harum. 

For one, they had a unique sound where you hear the soulful voice, but it juxtaposes with the classical orientation of the organ.  An odd and very magnificent arrangement, especially in their hit song "A Whiter Shade of Pale."   Keith Reid's lyrics are a throwback to Charles Baudelaire and the poetry of the 19th century.   Very reflective but with visuals and language that borders more on poetry than the great American songbook literature.  Gary Brooker, the singer and who wrote most of the music for the band, has a very standard 'good voice' for soul music.  So when he sings Reid's lyrics, it is almost he is distancing himself from the literature, which in turns make the listener to listen to the words.  The classic Bob Dylan had that technique as well.  The more abstract the words are, the more you listen, and in theory, the music /words hold up for repeated visits because each listen becomes something new.  Yet, the emotional punch stays the same.  Every time I hear "A Whiter Shade of Pale (the song) I feel a great emotional tug toward sadness that I don't fully understand.    Procol Harum's performance of the song is the best, but on the other hand, there is no bad version or cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale."  The Willie Nelson version is superb as well. 

This is not an album with one hit song, and the others are just fillers.  It's a brilliant and beautiful record from track one to eleven.  The Bob Dylan piano/organ sound from "Blonde on Blonde" and "Highway 61 Revisited" is impressive, but Procol Harum's sound is more dense and textured, due to Matthew Fisher's classical/Bach overtures.   I loved this album when I was 13, and now at 62, it's still an important piece of work for me.  I still hear new things on this LP.  

Noel Harrison - "Collage" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1967 (Reprise Records)

Noel Harrison is known for his role in "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., as well as being the son of Rex.  But he also made a series of albums, and had a huge hit with Michel Legrand's "The Windmills of Your Mind."   And he had been making recordings since the late 1950s.  A recording artist of good taste and his very last album was a recording of Jacques Brel songs - which makes perfect sense with what one thinks of Harrison's music career.  "Collage" is the ultimate 1967 folk/pop album from Harrison.  It's interesting to note that the songwriter/singer was in full bloom at this time, but Harrison is mostly a singer who covered songs.  But his taste was exquisite, and this is one of my favorite albums from that period of time.  Mostly due to his liking, but also he had that British/French attitude towards the craftsmanship of a good song, and '67 produced a lot of great music in that category.   

He covers Dylan's "Just Like A Woman" but also "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen.  He also had the wisdom to do "Museum" by Donovan, which is a fantastic underappreciated piece of work.   A Bob Lind song (another underrated figure) and a great version of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum.   And of course, it ends with "Strawberry Fields Forever."   The beauty of the album is how Harrison approaches the material.  It doesn't feel like he's just singing the hits of the day, but for sure he had an individual and real connection to these songs.