Billy Nicholls - "Would You Believe" 2 x Vinyl, Compilation, Limited Edition, 2007/1968 (Immediate)

I had the CD of the original album but recently purchased a reissued limited-edition double-set, with the extra songs being demos and stuff that didn't make it on the original release in 1968.  "Would You Believe" is incredible.  Imagine the Psychedelic sounds of The Small Faces meeting The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," and that equals Billy Nicholls.  I don't have that much information on Nicholls, but I believe he is sort of like Speedy Keen of Thunderclap Newman, who was a pal of Pete Townshend and helped out in the studio here and there.   Billy did the same thing for The Who in the 70s and afterward.  This comes to mind perhaps Pete hires people more talented than him!

The Small Faces helped out with the production and arrangement for the song "Would You Believe," and it clearly has their sound, but Nicholls' talent doesn't disappear in the mix whatsoever.  This album is full of brilliant British musicians of its time, with great arrangements by John Paul Jones and Arthur Greenslade, who even worked with Serge Gainsbourg.  My favorite cut here is "Girl From New York," which is the perfect combination of power pop melody with heavy 60s guitar groove that is total Mod-tastic.  The album comes from the sensibility of British Mod-era music as it went into the late 60s.  This album is the perfect sound and example of what was happening at that time, especially in London.  Try to find the double-album set, with the demos attached, because they to are fantastic.  Perfect record. 

Andy Newman -"Rainbow" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1972 (Track Records)

Eccentricity is not appreciated enough in the mainstream pop music world.   Andy Newman was in the band Thunderclap Newman, which included him (of course), Speedy Keen (the chief songwriter) and teenage guitarist Jimmy McCulloch.   An odd trio of music makers, but Newman added surprised touches to Keen's compositions by adding his turn of the century style of boogie-woogie piano, and the punk instrument that is a Kazoo.   What made Thunderclap Newman so wonderful was the Newman touch and he took the songs to another level. Especially with the song 'Accidents" which has an incredible middle part that is pure Andy Newman solo artist. 

After the band split up, Newman made this very strange solo album "Rainbow."  It's all him playing the instruments and mostly instrumentals.  It's like all the weird parts of Thunderclap Newman, leaving out the singing and the pop side of things.  "Rainbow" is very much music rooted in the 1920s, there is a touch of the British Music Hall, but it's more of a scaled down version of big band jazz of the early 20th century.  The most dominant instruments are Newman's piano and kazoo playing.   He also plays various saxes as well, and my only complaint is that I wished to hear a full-blown arrangement with him playing all the horns, piano, etc.  And he does in spots, but a lot of the songs/arrangements are just for piano and kazoo.  

I lost track of him as a musician after Thunderclap Newman, and only recently discovered this solo album by Andy.   I regret that he didn't make more music or albums in the later years. It seems he put together another version of Thunderclap Newman to play the old songs, but as far as I know, no new music.  Still, "Rainbow" and the first and only Thunderclap Newman album "Hollywood Dream" are amazing.  Also do note that the b-side to Thunderclap Newman's only hit song in the U.S. "Something in the Air" is "Wilhemina" which is a superb Andy Newman song.  A classic.  Look out for it!  

Thunderclap Newman - "Something in the Air" b/w "Wilhemina" 45 rpm Vinyl Single, 1969 (Track Records)

The most interesting member of the trio band Thunderclap Newman is their piano/sax player Andy Newman.   The fact that they use his last name as part of the band's name means a lot to me.  "Something in the Air' we have talked about before, but, the b-side is one of my all time favorite b-sides as well as a great tune.  "Wilhemina" is the only song written by Andy Newman, the odd looking member of Thunderclap Newman. Well, the whole band reeks of eccentricities, due that their guitarist Jimmy McCulloch was something like fifteen-years-old at the time of these recordings.  And Speedy Keen (a pal of Pete Townshend, therefore the producer) wrote most of the material for the band.  Still, if "Wilhemina" were on their first album, it would have been my favorite cut out of that fantastic LP. 

Good-timey that goes back to a Munich beer hall sometime in the past (but not THAT past) is Newman singing the joys of a lass named Wilhemina while drinking good German beer.  A-side is about revolution, and the B-side is .... drinking beer and enjoying female company.  Your pick! 

Thunderclap Newman - "Hollywood Dream" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1970 (Track Records)

Thunderclap Newman is a band put together by Pete Townshend and his manager Kit Lambert.   The band was a trio consisting of Pete's driver Speedy Keen, who I gather is the normal guy in the group, Andy Newman, who is the eccentric and maybe slightly older piano/sax player, and their teenage wonder guitar player Jimmy McCulloch, who ended up in Paul McCartney's Wings, when they were huge.  Why Townshend felt a need to put this band together, I think was to give Keen some attention as a songwriter.   Townshend produced and played bass on this album "Hollywood Dream." 

First of all, it's a brilliant record that probably wasn't meant to become a classic.  The scope of Keen's songs go from Hollywood myth town to getting your head together and make this album via Traffic's aesthetic of going to the country.  Thunderclap Newman didn't go to the country but instead went to Townshend's home studio in London which I suspect was a tiny hole-in-the-wall.  Each member has a distinctive sound and role in the band.  Speedy sings lead and drums, and Andy Newman and Jimmy to me are the stars of the group.  Jimmy because he was 15 or so, doing amazing guitar work, but Andy like the other Andy in the future Roxy Music, adds textures and layers of ambient sax sounds which are essential to the Thunderclap sound - and of course is amazing piano playing which sometimes reminds me of Monk meeting some turn-of-the-century whore house pianist.  It's an amazing group of sounds that fits into Keen's songwriting vision.  "Something in the Air" is the great classic hit off this album, and pretty much shows why they are great, but "Accidents" is the track that goes beyond that even by its length of nine minutes as well as an off-color joke that goes well with its length as well as it's great music.  Especially the Andy Newman freak-out sequence in the middle of the piece.  A classic.