Various Artists - Pet Sounds; The RPM Records 10th Anniversary Sampler (@320)

 

Pet Sounds: The RPM Records 10th Anniversary Sampler Review by Richie Unterberger.

 

Label samplers really have primary value to the label, rather than to consumers, serving as a promotional survey of sorts that might give interested parties an idea of the range of sounds issued by a company. It would be a strange person indeed that would make a compilation tape of the 25 tracks on this CD, which are unified primarily by their chronological era: every song save Polly Browne's 1978 disco tune "Angel" is from 1960-1970. It's odd to jump from an early-'60s P.J. Proby obscurity to an excerpt of John Kennedy's speech just prior to his assassination, then to fierce British R&B by the Syndicats, fey femme-sung mid-'60s Brit-pop, psychedelia by Tomorrow, soundtrack music from Les Reed, MOR pop from Paul Jones, folk-rock from Tim Rose, and so forth. Still, RPM is a good label for off-the-usual-track reissues of recordings from (usually) the 1960s, and there are a good number of good songs here for the curious, like the Syndicats' cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' for My Baby" (with a young Steve Howe); Tomorrow's radio version of "Revolution" (again with a pre-Yes Steve Howe); Rings & Things' swinging pop-psycher "Strange Things Are Happening"; the Untamed's mod-soul shake "Gimme Gimme Some Shade"; and Les Reed's soul-jazz-MOR soundtrack classic "Theme From Girl on a Motorcycle." Probably the best item here not to appear on many other comps is Frazer Hines' "Time Traveller," an odd psychedelic mix of early Donovan and Bo Diddley.

 

Tracklist:

 

1            Dave Sampson - Sweet Dreams (Demo)

2            PJ Proby - Other Side Of Town  

3            JFK - Texas Address       

4            Glenda Collins - If You Gotta Pick A Baby                

5            Samantha Jones - As Long As You're Happy

6            Twinkle  - Golden Lights              

7            The Syndicats - Howlin' For My Baby     

8            The In Crowd - That's How Strong My Love Is

9            Mood Mosaic - A Touch Of Velvet A Sting Of Brass

10          Tee Set - So Fine             

11          Tony Rivers & The Castaways - Summer Dreaming

12          Rockin' Vickers - Dandy

13          Untamed - Gimme Gimme Some Shade  

14          Tomorrow - Revolution (Radio Session)             

15          Mark Wirtz - Grocer Jack's Dream (from A Teenage Opera)             

16          Spencer Davis Group - Mr Second Class    

17          Frazer Hines - Time Traveller     

18          Rings & Things - Strange Things Are Happening 

19          Les Reed & Orchestra - Theme From Girl On A Motorcycle        

20          Mike Hurst Orchestra - Wednesdays's Child (The Quiller Memorandum)

21          Bodast - Do You Remember?    

22          Paul Jones - Shake A Hand         

23          Tim Rose - I Know These Two People 

24          Harmony Grass - Ritchie             

25          Polly Browne - Angel                  

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