VA - You Can Walk Across It On The Grass, The Boutique Sounds Of Swinging London (3 x CDs)

SWINGING LONDON

VA - You Can Walk Across It On The Grass, The Boutique Sounds Of Swinging London (3 x CDs)

There's absolutely no doubt that London was one swinging town in the mid-'60s. The fashion, films, and especially music of the era reflected the changes ripping through society as well as helping to push them forward. You Can Walk Across It on the Grass: The Boutique Sounds of Swinging London is Grapefruit Records' attempt at creating a soundtrack for what one might have heard on a day out hitting the shops on Carnaby Street or a night spent club-hopping. Over the course of three discs, the label does a fantastic job collecting all sorts of songs that range from snappy easy listening tracks to gritty blues rave-ups, mod freak-outs to sultry girl group ballads, and a variety of great tracks by bands both world-famous and familiar only to obsessives. It may not be an exhaustive survey of every avenue of sound artists traveled down during the decade, but it does send the listener back in time quite convincingly in ways that are both pleasingly obvious and excitingly obscure. In the former category are tracks by big names like the Who, the Kinks, David Bowie, Tom Jones, the Moody Blues, the Yardbirds, and Dusty Springfield along with appearances by the kind of bands -- the Action, Manfred Mann, Petula Clark, the Animals -- that a set like this would feel unfinished without. The songs chosen are properly obscure or at least not the same old hits that always get aired. More excitingly to anyone without an advanced degree in mid-'60s Brit-pop are the myriad of selections that satisfy the latter half of the equation previously mentioned. The set is loaded with gems like Peanut's girl group dramatic take on the Beach Boys' "I'm Waiting for the Day," the Odyssey's super-dramatic slice of MOR pop "How Long Is Time," Les & Paul Barrett's charmingly twee bubblegum nugget "Julie Brown Loves Captain Cook," Jimmy James & the Vagabonds' grooving "I Wanna Be (Your Everything)," and loads more of the kind of tracks that often elude compilations. Also mixed in are swinging orchestral interludes, paeans to mod icons and pirate radio, the theme song to The Avengers, goofy novelty tunes, and an appearance by one of the scene's most famous faces, Twiggy. Her contribution, "When I Think of You," is a storming girl group rocker featuring strings, jangling guitars, and, amazingly, what sounds like a distorted bassoon taking front and center. It's exactly the kind of sparkling, surprising, and gloriously strange song that typifies the era, and it's just one of many tracks that help make this set a delight. The compilation balances nostalgia, discovery, and fun perfectly while serving as a reminder of just how excitingly flashy and stylish the sounds that made up the time and place could be when at their best. (AMG review by Tim Sendra)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Mood-Mosaic - A Touch Of Velvet A Sting Of Brass 3:20

02 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - Hold Tight! 2:48

03 Kiki Dee - Why Don't I Run Away From You 2:40

04 Jimmy James & The Vagabonds - I Wanna Be (Your Everything) 2:39

05 Twiggy - When I Think Of You 2:27

06 Laurie Johnson Orchestra - Theme From ?the Avengers? 2:19

07 Patrick Macnee & Honor Blackman - Kinky Boots 1:39

08 Alan Bown Set - Emergency 999 2:30

09 A Band Of Angels - Invitation 3:04

10 Manfred Mann - 5-4-3-2-1 2:00

11 Yardbirds - Good Morning Little Schoolgirl 2:47

12 David John & The Mood - That Little Old Heartbreaker Me 2:42

13 Tony Rivers & The Castaways - Girl Don't Tell Me 2:44

14 Knack - Dolly Catcher Man 2:55

15 Dusty Springfield - Little By Little 2:20

16 Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band - She Shot A Hole In My Soul 2:05

17 Mike Cotton Sound - I Don't Wanna Know 2:13

18 End - You Better Believe It Baby 3:09

19 Action - In My Lonely Room 2:42

20 Zoot Money's Big Roll Band - I Really Learnt How To Cry 3:48

21 Glenda Collins With The Riot Squad - Mockingbird 3:08

22 John Schroeder Orchestra - On The Ball 2:12

23 Neil Christian & The Crusaders - She Said Yeah 2:39

24 Hi-Fis - London Look 2:47

25 Electric Banana - Walking Down The Street 2:50

26 John Carter - Winchester Cathedral 2:13

27 Phillip Goodhand-Tait - I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You 2:13

28 Miss X - Christine 2:51

29 Mandy Rice-Davies - You've Got What It Takes 3:07

30 Caravelles - Don't Blow Your Cool 2:01

CD2

01 Troggs - I Can't Control Myself 3:07

02 David Bowie With The Lower Third - Can't Help Thinking About Me 2:45

03 Creation - Try And Stop Me 2:29

04 London Studio Group - Viva La Tamla Motown 3:48

05 Dave Anthony's Moods - New Directions 2:39

06 Kinks - Dedicated Follower Of Fashion 3:02

07 Shots - She's A Liar 2:23

08 Fortunes - Caroline 2:02

09 Ron Grainer - A Man In A Suitcase 2:14

10 Eric Burdon & The Animals - Help Me Girl 2:36

11 Waygood Ellis - I Like What I'm Trying To Do 2:15

12 Graham Bond Organisation - Wade In The Water 2:40

13 Who - I'm A Boy 2:42

14 Sounds Around - Red White And You 3:08

15 Episode Six - Put Yourself In My Place 2:31

16 Bluesology - Mr. Frantic 2:23

17 Des James - Little Games 2:03

18 Tom Jones - Chills And Fever 2:53

19 Twinkle - Take Me To The Dance 2:58

20 Whistling Jack Smith - I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman 2:23

21 Artwoods - Big City 2:09

22 John Mayall's Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton - Little Girl 2:36

23 Spencer Davis Group - Looking Back (Single Version) 3:02

24 Mickey Finn - Because I Love You (Aka I Do Love You) 2:09

25 Merseys - Sorrow (Alternative Version) 2:21

26 Samantha - Just If Trees Could Talk 2:49

27 Spectrum - Portobello Road 2:27

28 Les & Paul Barrett Julie Brown - Loves Captain Cook 2:32

29 Stan Butcher, His Birds & Brass - Morningtown Ride 2:52

30 Mirage - What'cha Gonna Do About It 2:01

31 Chantelles - London - My Home Town 1:35

CD3

01 Easybeats - Friday On My Mind 2:46

02 Downliners Sect - The Cost Of Living 1:48

03 Basil Kirchin & John Coleman - The Hustle 1:24

04 Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede - Crazy Feeling 2:48

05 Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames - Do The Dog 3:16

06 Untamed - I'll Go Crazy 2:14

07 Moon's Train - I Get Excited 2:49

08 Richard Kent Style - I'm Out 1:52

09 Wynder K. Frogg - Henry's Panter 3:14

10 Small Faces - Whatcha Gonna Do About It 1:59

11 Syn - I'm Following You 2:00

12 Jack Bruce - I'm Gettin' Tired (Of Drinkin' And Gamblin' Etc) 2:37

13 Ken Woodman & His Piccadilly Brass - Town Talk 2:50

14 Union - If You Need Me 2:56

15 Roll Movement - I'm Out On My Own 2:30

16 Good Time Losers - Where Did My Heart Go 2:24

17 Drag Set - Get Out Of My Way 2:19

18 Extreem - Don't You Ignore Me 2:28

19 Gary Farr & The T-Bones - Don't Stop And Stare 2:30

20 Moody Blues - Lose Your Money (But Don't Lose Your Mind) 2:00

21 Miki Dallon - Cheat And Lie 2:13

22 Profile - Haven't They Got Better Things To Do 2:35

23 Dana Gillespie - She's A Raver 2:24

24 Peanut - I'm Waiting For The Day 2:24

25 Good Things - I'm Back 2:09

26 John's Children - Not The Sort Of Girl You Take To Bed 2:28

27 Odyssey - How Long Is Time 2:26

28 Jeeps - The Music Goes Round 2:20

29 Roaring 60's - We Love The Pirates 3:13

30 London Studio Group - Pageing Sullivan 2:34

31 Angela & The Fans - Love Ya Illya 2:31

32 Petula Clark - England Swings 2:04

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