VA - Fab Gear, The British Beat Explosion And It’s Aftershocks 1963-1967 [2018] (6 x CD's)

 

BRITISH BEAT EXPLOSION 

VA - Fab Gear, The British Beat Explosion And It’s Aftershocks 1963-1967 [2018] (6 x CD's)

British Beat was the term adopted to describe the exciting new sounds out of Liverpool and other cities in the wake of The Beatles' explosion onto the world stage in 1963/64. Named after the slang term forever associated with The Beatles, this mammoth 6-CD box set offers around 180 tracks in chronological order from the mid-1960s, many of which are new to CD and some of which are previously unissued. Fab Gear includes many of the era's biggest names such as The Kinks, The Moody Blues, The Searchers and The Tremeloes and other hit acts such as The Marmalade, The Alan Price Set, The Rockin' Berries, David & Jonathan, The Ivy League, Twinkle, Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, Chad & Jeremy, The Tornados, Arthur Brown, Tony Jackson & The Vibrations, The Undertakers, Billie Davis, The Migil 5, The Truth, The Quiet Five and The Sorrows. The hefty booklet boasts band-by-band histories and details of each recording, including early works by David Bowie, Status Quo, Clifford T. Ward, Manfred Mann's Mike d'Abo, Lemmy and future members of Yes, The Move, Mott The Hoople, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Traffic, Lindisfarne and Man. The bonus disc six contains recordings which weren't issued at the time, including many tracks which have never been heard before.

In the early years of this century, Sanctuary Records released five double volumes of songs from the ‘Beat’ era of 1963-1965. Signed to the Pye label (and its subsidiaries), other than a couple of notable exceptions, it was all [mainly] obscure artists. Now, courtesy of reissue specialist RPM records, another 185 tracks have been re-activated for this six CD set to carry on that series.  Bear in mind that what’s included here isn’t exactly wonderful; if it was, it wouldn’t be on these CDs. When record companies suddenly shouted ‘Klondike’ in the aftermath of the Fab Four’s early success, both EMI and Decca had already signed the era’s biggest sellers and Pye lost its shirt in an attempt to breathe the air around The Beatles. Even though most are remembered only by those involved, there is the odd beacon of light amongst the mire and these discs do contain a plethora of songs that were all part of the country’s biggest musical explosion. (There are a few non-Pye releases included.) Whilst some of the artists heard here went on to bigger things such as David Bowie, The Spectres (who morphed into Status Quo), Marmalade, Moody Blues, future members of Deep Purple, and half of Led Zeppelin, the rest either phoned their old boss and returned to their previous jobs or found gainful employment elsewhere. The main problem was that there were too many groups and not enough songs, and no one could match John and Paul in the writing or vocal stakes. The booklet is a cornucopia of photos of the artists, labels, one-off acetate pressings and some fine notes on the groups and singers.  As a collection of [now] expensive singles, single pressing acetates and ten unreleased songs, this is an essential purchase for collectors and scholars of the period. That few of the singles came anywhere near the charts at the time, and had sales figures less than the words in this review (and a fair proportion were covers of Ray Davies songs), is irrelevant; it’s what they were part of that matters. It’s a set of youthful enthusiasm in more innocent times. And you know that can’t be bad. (Amazon)

Named after the slang term forever associated with The Beatles, this mammoth  box set offers tracks in chronological order from the mid-1960's, many of which are new to CD and some of which are previously unissued. You are presented with fantastic records of the times of the British invasion of music. These were unique and unique times. Then the Mersey Beat era reigned supreme. Here are excellent tracks of the sixties in excellent quality.

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Pt' 1    Pt.2       

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Track lists

CD1

01 Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde Yesterday's Gone 2:31

02 Carter-Lewis & the Southerners Somebody Told My Girl 2:38

03 Nomads My Whole Life Through 2:56

04 Billie Davis That Boy John 2:30

05 Marilyn Powell All My Loving 2:23

06 Regents Bye Bye Johnny 2:16

07 A Band of Angels Me 2:02

08 Ray Singer Tell Me Now 2:44

09 Mickey Finn & the Blue Men Reelin' and a Rockin' 2:21

10 Group 5 Baby What You Want Me to Do 4:09

11 Bo Street Runners Bo Street Runner 2:11

12 Mike Sarne & the Leroys Love Me Please 2:35

13 Moody Blues Lose Your Money (But Don't Lose Your Mind) 1:58

14 Mike Cotton Sound Round and Round 2:35

15 Others I'm Taking Her Home 2:17

16 Artwoods If I Ever Get My Hands on You 2:03

17 Mal Ryder & the Spirits Your Friend 2:37

18 Jimmy Royal & the Hawks I'm Leaving You 2:07

19 Wild Oats You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover 2:27

20 Four + One Don't Lie to Me 1:52

21 Tommy Bruce & the Bruisers Boom Boom 2:41

22 Grant Tracy Never Let it Be Said 2:05

23 Angelina Wishing My Life Away 2:09

24 Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers What's Easy for Two is Hard for One 2:46

25 Migil 5 Seven Lonely Days 2:25

26 Wackers You're Forgetting 2:09

27 Twinkle Ain't Nobody Home But Me 2:45

28 Clique She Ain't No Good 2:19

29 Hi-Fis Baby's in Black 2:22

30 Sheffields Plenty of Love 2:21

31 Just Four Men Don't Come Any Closer 2:16

32 Robb Storme & the Whispers Love is Strange 2:38

CD2

01 Tony Jackson With the Vibrations Love Potion No. 9 2:04

02 Midnights Only Two Can Play 2:04

03 Bobby Rio & the Revelles Don't Break My Heart and Run Away 2:26

04 Beatmen Please Believe 1:45

05 Blue Aces Showband You Don't Believe 2:10

06 Chapters Dance Little Lady 2:44

07 First Impressions Looking for Her 2:02

08 Kinks Who'll Be the Next in Line 2:02

09 Limeys Don't Cry (My Love) 2:22

10 Pros and Cons Whirlybird (Part One) 2:49

11 Carl Wayne & the Vikings This is Love 1:58

12 Epics My Little Girl 2:29

13 Lemmings My Little Girl 2:48

14 Monotones Somethings Hurtin' Me 2:30

15 Rockin' Berries Follow Me 2:09

16 Couriers Take Away 2:21

17 Dickie Rock, Miami & Strings Rock and Roll Music 2:32

18 Buckinghams She Lied 2:07

19 Eccentrics Fe Fi Fo Fum 2:36

20 Riot Squad Not a Great Talker 2:04

21 Buddy Britten & the Regents She's a Mover 2:12

22 Charles Dickens In the City 2:05

23 Cops 'n' Robbers Just Keep Right On 2:10

24 The Untamed I'll Go Crazy 2:13

25 Quiet Five Honeysuckle Rose 2:10

26 Felders Orioles Down Home Girl 4:00

27 Paddy Klaus & Gibson I Wanna Know 2:15

28 Legends I've Found Her 2:27

29 Searchers He's Got No Love 2:36

30 Mike Hurst Show Me Around 2:06

31 Major Rowly Do it the Right Way 1:59

32 Kenny Bernard & the Wranglers You Gotta Give 2:28

33 Mal & the Primitives Pretty Little Face 2:08

CD3

01 Sorrows Take a Heart 3:15

02 Imp-Acts If I Were the Only One 2:07

03 Alan Price Set Any Day Now 2:57

04 Washington D.C.'s Have You Seen My Baby 2:01

05 New Faces Never Gonna Love Again 2:47

06 Ronnie Jones I'm So Clean 2:42

07 Russ Loader With the Ladybirds Count the Stars 3:32

08 In Crowd You're on Your Own 2:18

09 Syndicats On the Horizon 2:49

10 Alan Bown Set I'm the One 2:13

11 Chosen Few Today, Tonight and Tomorrow 2:39

12 Hellions Think it Over 2:04

13 Lancastrians I Can't Stand the Pain 2:46

14 Nightshift That's My Story 2:12

15 Truth Come on Home 2:25

16 Tornados Stingray 2:52

17 Action Land of One Thousand Dances 2:51

18 Chantelles Gonna Give Him Some Love 2:37

19 Brian Diamond & the Cutters Bone Idol 2:38

20 Carnaby My Love Will Stay 2:33

21 Meddyevils Find Somebody to Love 2:51

22 Slade Brothers Don't Be Gone Too Long 2:16

23 Ugly's A Friend 2:14

24 David & Jonathan Laughing Fit to Cry 2:16

25 Kirkbys She'll Get No Loving That Way 2:09

26 ToMcAts Pena, Penita, Pena 2:57

27 Shades of Blue Where Did All the Good Times Go 2:20

28 Earl Preston's Realms Nobody But You 2:05

29 Michael Allen I Can't Stand It 2:53

30 Richmond Group That's Alright 3:16

CD4

01 David Bowie & the Lower Third And I Say to Myself 2:29

02 Undertakers Throw Your Love Away Girl 2:34

03 Arthur Brown With the Diamonds You Don't Know 3:34

04 Episode Six That's All I Want 2:32

05 Time Take a Bit of Notice 1:59

06 Tony Rivers & the Castaways Girl Don't Tell Me 2:44

07 Boomerangs Upgraded 2:06

08 Rocking Vickers Stay By Me 2:30

09 Deputies Given Half a Chance 2:03

10 Clockwork Oranges After Tonight 2:22

11 Tony Colton Have You Lost Your Mind? 3:35

12 Luvin' Kind It's a Cruel World 2:19

13 Bats People Like You 2:24

14 People I'm With You 2:05

15 Phillip Goodhand-Tait & the Stormsville Shakers I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt on You 2:12

16 Bluechips I Know a Boy 2:46

17 Moonlighters We'll See it Through 2:51

18 Spartans Lies 2:23

19 Fingers I Go to Sleep 2:32

20 Chris Curtis Aggravation 1:59

21 Ivy League One Day 2:06

22 Cymbaline Top Girl 2:40

23 Jeeps The Music Goes Round 2:19

24 Paul's Troubles You'll Find Out 2:28

25 Bystanders Have I Offended the Girl 2:33

26 Chevlons It's My Problem 2:33

27 Debonaires A Love of Our Own 2:37

28 Majority Simplified 2:56

29 Ministry of Sound Back Seat Driver 2:25

30 Appalachians Look Away 2:28

31 Hayes & Wadey What Does She Want? 2:36

CD5

01 Tremeloes Good Day Sunshine 1:58

02 Tuesday's Children High and Drifting 2:41

03 Rogers Little Girl 2:12

04 Marmalade It's All Leading Up to Saturday Night 2:20

05 Mick & Malcolm Little Venice 2:15

06 Kytes I'll Give You a Better Love 2:32

07 Hat and Tie California Jazz Club U.S.A. 2:06

08 Renegades Walking Down the Street 1:50

09 Thoughts All Night Stand 2:27

10 Gates of Eden Too Much on My Mind 2:25

11 Sounds Around Sad Subject 1:56

12 Knack Take Your Love 2:29

13 Montanas That's When Happiness Began 2:12

14 Gnomes of Zurich Please Mr. Sun 2:27

15 Attraction Party Line 2:20

16 Five's Company Session Man 2:33

17 Doc Thomas Group I Just Can't Go to Sleep 2:31

18 Spectres Hurdy Gurdy Man 3:18

19 Steve Hammond The World is Wrapped Around My Neck 3:16

20 Factotums I Can't Give You Anything But Love 2:28

21 Symbols Canadian Sunset 3:07

22 Secrets Such a Pity 2:06

23 Marcus Tro We Can Make it Baby 1:55

24 Athenians Steppin' Out 2:57

25 Peenuts The World's Been Good to Me 2:39

26 Exceptions Girl Trouble 2:18

27 Spectrum Saturday's Child 2:31

28 Bobby Johnson & the Atoms Do it Again a Little Slower 2:21

29 Katch 22 Makin' My Mind Up 2:33

CD6

01 Five's a Crowd I'm Not Ready for You 2:00

02 Cherokees Poison Ivy 2:33

03 Web I'll Try 2:08

04 Changing Times Louie Louie 2:59

05 Second Thoughts Help Me 3:01

06 Count Downe & the Zeros Always on My Mind 1:45

07 Baskervilles Love Potion No. 9 1:57

08 Mighty Atoms Wanderin' Eye 2:37

09 Five Steps Beyond Heartbreak Love Or Paradise 2:14

10 Silence Down Down 2:59

11 Herbie's People So Fine 2:50

12 Connoisseurs Make Up Your Mind 3:01

13 Gremlins One More Chance 2:26

14 Barney J. Barnes & the Intro It Must Be Love 2:28

15 Glenda Collins Run to Me 2:27

16 Uprooted You're Not There 2:35

17 Fadin' Colours You're No Use 2:46

18 Brood You're Just Another Girl 2:27

19 Flies Just Won’t Do 1:59

20 Trendbender Band I Can't Stand the Pain 2:40

21 Jeff Curtis & the Flames Everybody Loves a Lover 2:23

22 Earl Preston & the Tts Betty Jean 2:37

23 Mike Stuart Span Follow Me 2:29

24 Outer Limits Any Day Now 3:36

25 Cordes Carabella 3:07

26 Newtowns Tomorrow 2:50

27 Bo-Weevils I'm a Lover Not a Fighter 3:03

28 Xit Time Will Tell on You 2:12

29 Mike Forde & the Fortunes Sweet Little Rhythm and Blues 2:25

30 Rory Storm & the Hurricanes Lend Me Your Comb 1:48

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