VA - At Abbey Road

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Beat at Abbey Road 1963-1965

Reviewby Bruce Eder

As a collection of mid-'60s EMI British beat tracks, this 28-song CD is above average, touching on several superb tracks that have been ignored by similar Rhino and See For Miles releases. Naturally, there are no Beatles cuts on here, but the disc opens conservatively enough with a Cilla Black version of an orphaned Lennon/McCartney song, "Love of the Loved," and then steps into slightly less familiar territory with the Fourmost's rendition of the pair's "I'm in Love." From there, it gets a lot more interesting. The Dakotas (sans Billy J. Kramer) show themselves to be a first-rate, hard-rocking instrumental outfit on "The Cruel Sea," which showcases original lead guitarist Mike Maxfield. Jimmy Page's lead guitar is the focal point of a killer cover of "Roll Over Beethoven" by Birmingham's Pat Wayne & the Beachcombers, who eventually evolved into Keith Powell & the Valets, who left behind the sweetly sung ballad "The Answer Is No" (also featured here). Among the other fair-to-middling finds here is the Toggery Five's "I'd Much Rather Be With the Boys," a surprisingly lyrical piece of pop fluff by Andrew Loog Oldham and Keith Richards. Manfred Mann's seldom-heard "Tired of Trying, Bored With Lying, Scared of Dying" is one of the fiercer rock & roll numbers left behind by this most musically articulate of British beat bands, with a raucous performance all around (especially by soon-to-depart guitarist Mike Vickers). Beryl Marsden represents the fairer sex on this compilation with a lung-searing performance of "Break-A-Way" that's one of the most exciting records of its period. Her future Shotgun Express stablemate Rod Stewart closes this jewel of a disc with "The Day Will Come," an oddball 1965 single whose majestic orchestral backing suggests that evidently someone was thinking of Stewart as a potential rival to Tom Jones.

01 - Cilla Black - Love Of The Loved 

02 - The Fourmost - I'm In Love 

03 - The Dakotas - Cruel Sea 

04 - Freddie & The Dreamers - If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody 

05 - Pat Wayne & The Beachcombers - Roll Over Beethoven 

06 - Keith Powell & The Valets - The Answer Is No 

07 - Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders - Please Mr Postman 

08 - Tony Rivers & The Castaways - Shake, Shake, Shake 

09 - Manfred Mann - 5-4-3-2-1 

10 - The Roulettes - Bad Time 

11 - The Hollies - Come On Back 

12 - The Swinging Blue Jeans - You're No Good 

13 - The Naturals - I Should Have Known Better 

14 - Bobby Shafto - She's My Girl 

15 - Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas - When You Walked In The Room 

16 - The Whirlwinds - Look At Me 

17 - The Paramounts - I'm The One Who Loves You 

18 - Four Just Men - Things Will Never Be The Same 

19 - Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders - What A Sweet Thing That Was 

20 - Gerry & The Pacemakers - I'll Wait For You 

21 - The Black Nights - I Gotta Woman 

22 - The Toggery Five - I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys 

23 - The Paramounts - Blue Ribbons 

24 - Manfred Mann - Tired Of Trying, Bored With Lying, Scared Of Dying 

25 - Dean Ford & The Gaylords - The Name Game 

26 - Martin Raynor & The Secrets - Candy To Me 

27 - Beryl Marsden - Break-A-Way 

28 - Rod Stewart - The Day Will Come 

****

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 Rhythm & Blues (With a Little Soul) at Abbey Road 1963 to 1969 

 Review by Jason Ankeny  

Constructed in 1830 and renovated by the Gramophone Company Ltd. (later EMI Records) in 1931, the facility located at 3 Abbey Road in London is the most famous recording studio in popular music history -- on June 6, 1962, the fledgling Beatles descended on Abbey Road to cut the four songs with producer George Martin that would earn them a record contract with EMI, and on September 26, 1969, the street in question was immortalized as the title of their final LP recording as a working band. But the Beatles were far from the only act that recorded at Abbey Road at a time when London was the unrivaled center of the musical universe -- the excellent R&B (With a Little Soul) at Abbey Road 1963 to 1969 compiles 26 cuts from the heyday of the beat boom, an era where white British artists translated their love of American R&B into a raw, vital sound that heralded the rebirth of rock & roll. There are big names here -- Rod Stewart covers the Sam Cooke classic "Shake" and Manfred Mann contribute a serviceable rendition of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins landmark "I Put a Spell on You" -- but the real highlights come via little-known acts like Ottilie Patterson ("Baby Please Don't Go") and the Toggery Five ("Bye Bye Bird").

01 - Ottilie Patterson - Baby Please Don't Go 

02 - Graham Bond Quartet - Wade In The Water (unissued) 

03 - Pat Wayne With The Beachcombers - Bye Bye Johnny 

04 - Duffy Power with The Graham Bond Quartet - I Saw Her Standing There 

05 - Pirates - My Babe 

06 - Beat Merchants - Pretty Face 

07 - Duffy Power with The Paramounts - Tired,Broke And Busted 

08 - Boston Crabs - Down In Mexico 

09 - Paramounts - Little Bitty Pretty One 

10 - Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers - Turn On Your Lovelight 

11 - Boston Dexters - I Believe To My Soul 

12 - Shades Of Blue - Voodoo Blues 

13 - Sons Of Fred - Baby What You Want Me To Do 

14 - Manfred Mann - Groovin' 

15 - Rod Stewart - I Just Got Some 

16 - Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men 

17 - Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers - Got To Get You Into My Life 

18 - Jynx - How 

19 - Son Of Fred - I'll Be There 

20 - Toggery Five - Bye Bye Bird 

21 - Manfred Mann - I Put A Spell On You 

22 - Phil Ryan & The Crescent - Gypsy Woman 

23 - Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers - 634-5789 

24 - Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers - No 1 In Your Heart 

25 - Rod Stewart - Shake 

26 - Action - Land Of 1000 Dances 

***

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Psychedelia at Abbey Road: 1965-1969

Review by Bruce Eder

A 22-track single CD seems a bit paltry given the scope of the title -- except, of course, that the 1969 cutoff date here puts the material from Harvest (a label started late that year and containing the lion's share of EMI psychedelia) out of reach. Of course, there are no Beatles tracks and, likewise, no Pink Floyd here, but we do get cuts by the Hollies, Donovan, Tomorrow, the Fingers, Focus 3, the Tales of Justine, Simon Dupree & the Big Sound, the Pretty Things, the Aquarian Age, the Koobas, the Nocturnes, Locomotive, the Gods, Mandrake Paddlesteamer, Mark Wirtz, and Syd Barrett. Most of this stuff, apart from "Sunshine Superman," "My White Bicycle," and "King Midas in Reverse," isn't exactly routine material, and two tracks -- "Delighted to See You" by the N'Betweens and "Why" by Tomorrow -- are previously unissued. The latter, a cover of the Byrds' song, features a tour de force guitar break by future Yes member Steve Howe. Just as revelatory is "Monday Morning," a 1967 single by the largely forgotten the Tales of Justine, featuring David Daltrey, with arrangement and production by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, respectively. Everything on the album has been remastered in 24-bit digital sound, and the long version of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" has been remixed, bringing out extraordinary detail in the percussion section, from the choppy rhythm guitars and harpsichord down to the exceptionally busy drumming. The annotation by Brian Hogg is detailed without going overboard on trivia, and the entire collection turns out to be great fun.

01. Donovan - Sunshine Superman (Full Version) 

02. Tomorrow - My White Bicycle 

03. The N'betweens - Delighted To See You 

04. Donovan - Sunny South Kensington 

05. The Fingers - Circus With A Female Clown 

06. Tomorrow - Why 

07. The Hollies - King Midas In Reverse 

08. Focus 3 - 10,000 Years Behind My Mind 

09. Tales Of Justine - Monday Morning 

10. The Hollies - Maker 

11. Simon Dupree And The Big Sound - Kites 

12. Pretty Things - Talkin' About The Good Times 

13. Pretty Things - Walking Through My Dreams 

14. Mark Wirtz - (He's Our Dear Old) Weatherman 

15. Aquarian Age - 10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box 

16. The Nocturnes - Carpet Man 

17. The Koobas - Barricades 

18. The Moles - We Are The Moles (Part 1) 

19. Locomotive - Mr. Armageddon 

20. The Gods - Hey Bulldog 

21. Mandrake Paddle Steamer - Strange Walking Man 

22. Syd Barrett - Golden Hair 

****