Somebody Help Me

Jamaican born singer and songwriter Jackie Edwards (born Wilfred Gerald Edwards 1938 died 1992) was discovered by Island records supremo Chris Blackwell who brought Edwards to the U.K. in 1962 after he had a brief musical career at home. Once in England Edwards continued to record for Island but his releases were not ska as one would expect but more akin to an early 60's crooner style. 

One of Edwards most famous tunes was "Somebody Help Me" which gave the Spencer Davis group a U.K. #1 in 1966. The track was extremely popular and recorded by a bevvy of artists from all over the world. I chose ten, here they are, enjoy:

1. JACKIE EDWARDS- French E.P. Vogue INT.18076 1966

Curiously Jackie's version was only available on his first French outing, this E.P. Pay close attention to the backing track as it was utilized on releases #2, 4 and 5 again. I'd love to know who was playing on this session. Though not as powerful as some of the other examples here it's still an excellent version with it's mid tempo groove and high female backing vocals and fantastic production (courtesy of a young Jimmy Miller, later to work with Traffic and the Rolling Stones)!

https://youtu.be/gsXTcMStldc?si=PlaqaoTqlMLhS-Cs

2. THE JAYBIRDS- U.K.  Sue WI-4013 1966

Little is known about this release on the legendary U.K. Sue label unfortunately. It utilizes the backing track of the Jackie Edwards version with some female vocalists singing the main chorus but the rest of the lyrics are missing instead replaced by some ad libbed female vocalists (sounding much like the backing vocalists on #1) scat singing with the melody. I'd swear I hear P.P. Arnold's voice in the chorus! It's also probably the most collectible of all of today's examples!

https://youtu.be/7JU-9zdaYnU?si=ZNOfpw2xP2oo9Uao

3. THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP-U.K. Fontana TF 679 1966

Hopefully when this record shot to #1 in the U.K. Jackie saw some serious green from it as he himself was rarely gifted with any commercial success. Based around Muff Winwood's murky bass and his Little Brother Stevie's fuzz guitar this number absolutely cooks, owing in no small part to Stevie's soulful lead vocals make it deservedly the massive hit it was. Curiously the American release featured a very cool/funky organ which was strangely missing from the original British 45 release!

Hear the British 45 version:

https://youtu.be/jv7unyYPG0I?si=i_RDms222a6w_PS2

Hear the U.S. 45 version:

https://youtu.be/iggzVjGRft4?si=-5RezeV6e59fK_Dq

4. BILLY PRINCE- U.S. Verve VK.10462 1966

Curiously this version employs the same backing track that we have been discussing!  My Rhode Island DJ pal and record collector pal Ty Jesso hipped this to me back in the early 2000's at Mod Chicago 1 and I have been spinning it ever since. Production credits are shared by Jimmy Miller so I am assuming that is for the backing track. Prince's soulful vocals are top notch but unfortunately the number isn't on YouTube....

5. WYNDER K. FROG- LP track U.K. LP "Sunshine Super frog" Island ILP 944 1967

Once again it's that British backing track!! Led by organ player Mick Weaver, this instrumental British combo used many a backing track from records by Jimmy Cliff, Owen Grey and Jackie Edwards and jazzed them up by adding Weaver's wailing Hammond organ on top (like today's version in question). That said that was only a sliver of their musical output and their  6 singles and two LP's all stand on their own as a required immediate listening!

https://youtu.be/t8c-xuzg7JQ?si=iOEEwp9YJgrBqf6Z

6. THE EVERLY BROTHERS-U.S. Warner Brothers 5833 1966

Also included on the brothers classic 1966 album "Two Yanks In England"  (recorded with help from The Hollies, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and as claimed by Graham Nash but not supported by anyone else...Elton John) this version is hands down my favorite of the bunch thanks to the searing fuzz guitar and total "mod Britain '66" musical backing, and of course Don and Phil handle the vocals magnificently!!

https://youtu.be/PVyIGoyAFkE?si=wCCxPgPony_RpA6Q

7. THE BRITISH MODBEATS- Canada Red Leaf TTM 632 1967

Best known for their absolutely ludicrous choice in clothing (check out their LP), Ontario Canada's British Modbeats cut a version in '67 that borrows the fuzz from the original and speeds up the delivery considerably, but to me it's not really bringing anything new to the table despite decent harmonies.

https://youtu.be/FdvWkBJo6mE?si=b7pnMSb_NogeO7WU

8. LOS SALVAJES- Spain E.P. track Regal SEDL 19.522 1967

Titled "Que  Alguien Me Ayuide" this version by Barcelona,  Spain's Los Salvajes adds a dash of freakbeat '66 with their distorted guitars and blistering bludgeoning behind lead singer Gaby Algret's crooning. Along with #6 this is one of my favorite versions!!

https://youtu.be/LLsgvqt9trI?si=8jWAh3rYCSY8pAxn

9. THE LITTER- U.S. LP track "Distortions" Warick 9445-671 1967

Minneapolis, MN's famed snotty garage act, The Litter included this version on their legendary long player "Disortions", it's pretty much a carbon copy of the SDG version with the fuzz jacked up just a bit but still worth a listen.

https://youtu.be/PL1fEC1S3O8?si=4Xl7b_2WxNAO0VSU

10. THE SMALL SOCIETY- U.S. Westchester W-277 1968

The Spencer Davis Group's reach was felt all the way out in Westchester, New York where this fairly obscure version was recorded. Mixing wigged out fuzz guitar with a Farfisa organ this version is a total encapsulation of the late 60's suburban strip mall American rock n' roll  that can only be created by kids who live out in the middle of nowhere (like that genre? I just came up with it). 

https://youtu.be/YyqfMFIZ7OU?si=yNwOD9bzBHn1knOz 

HONORABLE MENTION:

Os Claves (Portugal)

The Beat Kings (Germany)

Jean Claudric And His Orchestra (France)

The Cavaliers (U.S.)

The Soul Tenders (U.S.)

The Shockers (Canada)

The Blue Things (U.S.)

Lee Grant And The Capitols (Spain)

The Tomcats (U.K. via Spain)

The Vibrants (Australia)

The 13th Hour Glass (U.S.) 

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels On U.S. Labels: Cyril Davies

 

CYRIL DAVIES AND HIS RHYTHMN AND BLUES ALL STARS-Country Line Special/Chicago Calling U.S. Dot 45-16515 1963

Curiously enough before the tide of Beatlemania swept through America Dot records issued the debut U.K. 45 by the Granddaddy of British r&b Cyril Davies here in July 1963. It was originally issued in the U.K. as Pye International 7N 25194 in April. 

Cyril Davies (along with his guitarist Alexis Korner) is credited as being the granddaddy of British r&b. His Rhythm And Blues All Stars line up read like a who's who of British r&b luminaries and included vocalists Long John  Baldry and Art Wood.  Unfortunately his career was short lived and he died unexpectedly in January 7, 1964 after a performance at his beloved Eel Pie Island club in Twickenham of pleurisy (not leukemia as is often stated). 

"Country Line Special" is a rollicking instrumental led by Davie's harp blowing with a frantic r&b backing with some nifty and intricate electric piano noodling (care of a young Nicky Hopkins). It lays the groundwork for so many other r&b instrumentals to come from the U.K. (The Wheel's "Road Block", 

The Soul Agents "Gospel Train" etc). 

"Chicago Calling" is a slightly different track. Davies belts out the vocals as well as supplying harp blowing with some upbeat stride piano playing by Hopkins and some blistering guitar licks Bernie Watson (aka Bernie Watkins). 

Both tracks were collected on a posthumous 7" EP "The Sound Of Cyril Davies"  (see above), sadly neither are available on streaming bar some low quality live BBC recordings.

Hear "Country Line Special":

https://youtu.be/lscwcKgz6J8?si=J9SmTRwinE2KgO-e

Hear "Chicago Calling":

https://youtu.be/tMbKUCnkBpU?si=6Jzmor1DQ6XoAH4x

Cyril Davies and The Rhythm & Blues Allstars Live On British TV:

https://youtu.be/gcnJoeCWwoU?si=swO4v6p-KJu6q6yE

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Ian & The Zodiacs Do Jagger/Richards

 

IAN & THE ZODIACS-So Much In Love/This Empty Place U.S. Phillips 40291 1965

Liverpool's Ian & The Zodiacs like fellow Scousers The Remo Four found fame and fortune outside the motherland over in Der Fatherland (Germany). With five singles issued in the U.K. (and one dodgy LP entirely composed of other group's hits) they amassed another five singles and three LP's in Germany and spent most of 1964-1967 working there where their popularity, like that of The Remo Four, guaranteed them steady work and minor stardom until the beat boom was over. 

Today's subject was their third of five American singles all for the Phillips label between 1964 and 1966. "So Much In Love" is an early Jagger/Richards composition recorded by several other artists but never The Stones themselves. It was first cut by The Mighty Avengers in August of 1964. Ian and The Zodiacs never released it in the U.K. but it was simultaneously issued here and in Germany in September of '65 by them with lead singer Ian Edwards curiously appearing as the song's composer on the label credits (in Germany the label states "unbekannt" or "unknown") . Canadian pressings follow the American template and the Dutch pressing bears no credits. 

The band's version of "So Much In Love" is pretty much in keeping with your bog standard beat ballads. It's melodic, mildly rocking and decently executed but sadly it's nothing remarkable (I much prefer The Herd's more rocking version from 1966).

The flip, "This Empty Place" written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David was previously covered by fellow Liverpudliuans The Searchers back in '64 on their U.K. E.P. "Play the System", strangely enough the Zodiacs version is far more upbeat and moody in a cool sort of way with much neater backing vocals and this atmospheric volume pedal on the guitar and the striking of an anvil providing an odd percussive texture.

Sadly neither track is available through streaming and all of the band's material is sadly long out of print.

Hear "So Much In Love With You":

https://youtu.be/LpyZlSZXIDg?si=SXaj8ODYMKzUwaKq

Hear "This Empty Place":

https://youtu.be/SrCE-qHIjn0?si=5sWk7EeaCsUPj1pR

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: The Poets

THE POETS-Now We're Thru/There Are Some U.S. DynoVox 201 1964

The Poets hailed from Glasgow, Scotland and were the first Scottish "beat" group to make the U.K. Top 40 with this single (Decca F 11995 October 1964). This was their debut single and sadly their only trip into the charts (the single reached #22). This enabled them to appear on all of the major British pop TV shows to plug their hit and even got them filmed for the cutting edge U.S. TV show "Shindig", who routinely filmed British bands in London for use on their show. This U.S. release (their sole American single) was launched in November. The group went through numerous line up changes throughout their brief six single history (1964-1967) . The personnel for this 45 were: George Gallacher (vocals), Hume Patton (lead guitar), Tony Miles (rhythm guitar), John Dawson (bass guitar) and Alan Weir (drums).

The Poets on "Shindig!"

Most 60's beat groups have pretty uninspiring tales of their claims to fame but nobody's can beat that of The Poets. In September 1964 Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham flew up to Glasgow (how classy of him not to do it by bus, train or Comer van) to marry his 16 year old girlfriend Sheila Klein (16 was not the age of consent in England I'm guessing). Whilst in the Glasgow airport he spotted a photo of them decked out in the frilly shirts and dark suits with an article in a local paper on The Poets, whom he duly investigated. Loogy signed them up ASAP after auditioning them and brought them down to London to record this smashing debut which he is credited with producing. "Now We're Thru" first came to my attention in late 1984 or early 1985 when I scored a copy of the amazing Decca double LP comp "Hard Up Heroes" at Bleeker Bob's where it was nestled amongst my other first introductions to the likes of The Birds and Zoot Money. It struck me immediately with it's monster echo and hypnotic over-amplified acoustic 12 string (courtesy of lead guitarist Hume Patton) and deliberately drawn out pauses on certain words. Lyrically it's an interesting number, like many 60's beat records it's a "boy loses girl" scenario only this time around the boy is actually acquiescing to losing "her" to another and suggesting she move on! It's also one of the few 60's records that I think benefited from Oldham's studio ineptitude because it's possible that his desire to be Phil Spector and the resulting over use of echo gave this record it's charm. And it's even a group original written by Gallacher, Patton and Myles, not many 60's beat groups got that option for their debut! 

The flip side, "There Are Some" isn't very interesting. It's a slow piece with some piano, not much there really. The only high point of the record are some interesting drum rolls which were actually the work of a session musician!

Both sides were also included on the dodgy "In Your Tower" CD comp of their material and the hard to get but much better Poets CD comp "Scotland's No. 1 Group".  Strangely neither track surfaced on any of the Decca/Deram "Scene.." CD compilations. In 2011 both sides were compiled for CD on The Poet's "Wooden Spoon:The Singles 1964-1967" which is, just that (no bonus cuts unlike "Scotland's #1 Beat Group").

*****Special thanks to Lenny Helsing (Scotland's foremost 60's music expert) for his invaluable information that made this piece possible*****

Hear "Now We're Thru":

https://youtu.be/C2PBoUBXY4w?si=vAmCrkdudxF-kSz8

Hear "There Are Some":

https://youtu.be/KPMuwniboYc?si=CZ2zra5U8rg5KK0_

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: The Merseys

 

THE MERSEYS-Sorrow/Some Other Day U.S. Mercury 72582 1966

The Merseys were a duo comprised of two ex-Merseybeats members Billy Kinsley and Tony Crane and were managed by the Merseybeat's managers (and The Who's) Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. They made their debut in April 1966 when they took a cover of a B-side by The McCoys "Sorrow" to #4 in the U.K. charts (as Fontana FT 694).  It was issued in the U.S. the following month where it became their only release, sadly it failed to replicate it's British chart success. They went on to release 5 more U.K. singles on Fontana before calling it quits in 1968. Unfortunately they were a one hit wonder. 

"Sorrow", is an orchestral pop opus with jangling guitars beneath brass, subtle strings and ivory tinkling. It's infectious and catchy and considering the muck Kit Lambert made out of The Merseybeat's final single "I Stand Accused" it's surprisingly well produced! There's an alternate version available (see below) that's stripped of the strings and has a more jangly/folk rock feel that to my ears is far superior to the original (especially the blistering guitar solo reputed to be Joey Molland). 

TRIVIA NOTE: On The Beatle's "It's All Too Much" George Harrison sings a line from "Sorrow" towards the end of the track. 

The flip side "Some Other Day" is an absolutely disposable Crane/Kinsley original light weight pop track with muted brass/woodwinds/strings. Next....

Both sides were collected on a complete Merseybeats/Merseys and related band's anthology 2021 Grapefruit release "I Stand Accused: The Complete Merseybeats And Merseys 60's Recordings", unfortunately none of their material is available via Streaming. 

Hear "Sorrow":

https://youtu.be/sDKHTsOwkxU?si=F2Sy9g3fYjkFnXv-

Hear "Some Other Day":

https://youtu.be/hY2OBE5nshQ?si=mhmWei7Re46L6XkR

Hear and alternate version of "Sorrow":

https://youtu.be/xgIEedCRVlM?si=xbicRP773WE5JNSm

More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Freedom

 

THE FREEDOM-Where Will You Be Tonight/Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You U.S. Mercury 72804 1968

U.K. act (The) Freedom was founded by two former Procol Harum members Ray Royer (guitar) and Bobby Harrison (drums) who departed the band in 1968. Freedom went through numerous line up changes so it's fairly difficult to pinpoint exactly who played on this release, which was their debut. It was issued in the U.K. in June 1968 as Mercury MF 1033, curiously it was issued here a whole month earlier! "Where Will You Be Tonight" was first introduced to me via a delightful bootleg psych/Freakbeat CD-R "Jagged Time Lapse Volume One" in the early 2000's.

"Where Will You Be Tonight" is a delightful little number driven by some boozy barroom piano and eventually is accompanied by some subtle Mellotron and blistering guitar licks and laid back vocals.

The melody is incredibly regal and aided by the sweeping Mellotron hiding behind the scenes reminding me a lot of the late Denny Laine period Moody Blues. 

"Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You" reminds me a bit of The End with it's melodic Mellotron (it's especially reminiscent of their "Cardboard Watch") and it's uptempo guitar licks remind me a lot of The Fleur De Ly's. 

Both sides are available on streaming and "Trying to Get A Glimpse Of You" appeared on the excellent Grapefruit CD box set "Looking At Pictures In The Sky: The British Psychedelic Sounds Of 1968".

Hear "Where Will You Be Tonight":

https://youtu.be/rSgD_Slt2CA?si=j0mYaWhida6DhJbJ

Hear "Trying To Get A Glimpse of You":

https://youtu.be/y7J8Nwh2BsU?si=I4IuudfEaQ5G_w2q

Classic Deram 45's: The Syn "Flowerman"

THE SYN-Flowerman/14 Hour Technicolour Dream U.K. Deram DM 145 1967

The Syn, like their label mates Virgin Sleep, are one of those bands who cut two amazing singles on Deram and left nothing else....they're frequently name checked because future Yes man Chris Squire was their bass player.

The Syn were Marquee Club regulars, check out a Marquee gig flyer for '66 and '67 and see how they're playing almost weekly (the logged in an epic 36 appearances at the club between August of '66 and November of '67!).  They were signed to Deram records and debuted in June of 1967 with "Created By Clive" (Deram DM 130), a number the band despised and were forced by their management to record (which was foolishly issued by Decca by The Attack at the same time!). Their line up was: Steve Nardelli (vocals), Peter Banks (guitar), Andrew Jackman (keyboards), Chris Squire (bass) and Gunnar Jokull (drums). 

"Flowerman" their second (and final single) was issued in September 1967 and penned by band member Steve Nardelli. It starts off with a melody borrowed from the British children's program "Bill And Ben The Flowerpot Men". It's a cheery pop with harpsichord, subtle brass and the band's lush harmonies, no doubt influenced by their heroes and fellow Marquee Club stalwarts, The Action. The lyrics are cheeky "flowers are like people they get temperamental all of them from the daisy to the rose, and flowers are a thing of beauty they need care from somebody like me, someone who knows...". The trumpets add a regal feel to it and sit perfectly with the earlier mentioned harmonies. The number stemmed from an aborted project the band were doing "rock opera" called "Flowerman". 

The Syn at The Marquee Club, pictures by Jacki Downey c/o the Progarchy Website

 

The flip side, "14 Hour Technicolor Dream" was written to commemorate the great British underground happening of the same name that was held on April 29, 1967 at the Alexandra Palace where The Syn played along the likes of Tomorrow, The Move, The Pretty Things, The Pink Floyd, John's Children etc. 

Once again the band's high Action-esque backing vocals are the centerpiece of the track with the number relying more on the band's guitar, bass and drums formula instead of added orchestration. There's some great Keith Moon inspired drum rolls mid way through the song and blistering guitar throughout. They also name check scenester Susie Cream ("and Susie Cream Cheese is gonna be there...) towards the fade out that exhorts you to "Do what you want to". This would be the last record by the group with Banks and Squire leaving to form the short lived Maybel Greer's Toyshop which eventually mutated into Yes. 

Both sides of the single are available on a host of Syn compilations/collections, most notably Cherry Red's excellent "Flowerman: Rare Blooms From The Syn 1965-1969" and are both available on streaming as well.

 Hear "Flowerman": 

 https://youtu.be/aYXVjLcPfo4?si=kC1fc4Z_NVolGYz3

Hear "14 Hour Technicolor Dream":

https://youtu.be/CB3Y00JivPQ?si=6o08YhiG0FFtVmWW