Various Artists - Making Time - A Shel Talmy Production (@320)

 

Various Artists - Making Time - A Shel Talmy Production

While Phil Spector and Brian Wilson were making mini symphonies, Shel Talmy’s records worked in the opposite way. The music coming from the US was expansive; Talmy’s work with (primarily) London groups created a sound as intensely claustrophobic as it was pulsing with pent-up energy, creating distinctive, brilliant records characterised by explosions of pop music that seem to start halfway through and end before you’ve realised what’s happening.

There are hits – The Kinks’ Tired Of Waiting, Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere by The Who, Making Time by The Creation – and misses – The Sneekers’ version of Bald- Headed Woman is less-well known than most, but (not least thanks to session man Jimmy Page and his new fuzz box) is comfortably the best.

Making Time covers his golden period producing records in the UK in the 60s, a period that saw him work with the emerging Davy Jones (soon to become Bowie), and the previously unreleased take of You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving is one of the gems found here. And as this fabulous set demonstrates, Talmy wasn’t limited to mod rockers. He also strayed into the world of folk, recording The Pentangle and Roy Harper to great success. Oh, and did we mention that it all sounds great?

Tracklist:

1.1 Making Time - the Creation

1.2 Bald Headed Woman - the Sneekers

1.3 Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James - Manfred Mann

1.4 That's Why I Love You - Goldie and the Gingerbreads

1.5 Tired of Waiting for You - the Kinks

1.6 Bye Babe - Lee Hazlewood

1.7 Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere - the Who

1.8 Night Comes Down - the Mickey Finn

1.9 Light Flight - the Pentangle

1.10 Stop and Watch the Children Play - the Rokes

1.11 A Certain Girl - the First Gear

1.12 Surrender - Perpetual Langley

1.13 You've Got a Habit of Leaving (Alternate Outtake Version) - Davy Jones

1.14 Ageing Raver - Roy Harper

1.15 Lisa - the Easybeats

1.16 Daddy Long Legs - Lindsay Muir's Untamed

1.17 A Summer Song - Chad and Jeremy

1.18 Jack of Diamonds - Ben Carruthers and the Deep

1.19 Toymaker - Wild Silk

1.20 I'm Coming Home - the Nashville Teens

1.21 Caroline - the Fortunes

1.22 Drowning in My Own Despair - Oliver Norman

1.23 I Don't Need Your Kind - the Rockin' Vickers

1.24 Jamie Sue - Tim Rose

1.25 Sinner Not a Saint - Trini Lopez

****