Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 4th November 2022. And on this Bonfire weekend, lets light the blue touch paper for an aural display of musical fireworks to make you gasp, wow and aahhh; in order of submission this week, over to....

Alan

"Greetings fellow RPM'ers. Sticking with the vinyl compilations on my shelves for another week, here's three from the 'beat era' and we're gonna start with the guy who, in my opinion, may possibly have single-handedly changed the course of modern music."

Gerry Dorsey- 'Baby I do' (7" single b-side to 'Take your time' released March 1964. PYE label. This from 'Hitmakers' album released 1970. Marble Arch label)

"A big claim there in my introduction and just how did Arnold Dorsey change musical history? Well, back in the early '50's, Madras born, Leicester raised the ten year old Arnold began playing the saxophone and, by his early teens, was stepping forward as lead vocalist in several local dance bands. The late 50's saw him including impressions of the comedian Jerry Lewis in his act, prompting band members to rechristen him 'Gerry' and in 1959, after his National Service, he was spotted by Decca whilst taking part in a talent contest on the Isle of Man. He released 'Crazy Bells' as a single and promoted it with two appearances on ITV's 'Oh Boy' but, with no commercial breakthrough, he moved to Parlophone. Here he released 'I'll never fall in love again', toured as part of the Big Beat Show alongside Billy Fury, Vince Eager and Terry Dene and supported Adam Faith. His career was interrupted in 1961 when he contracted tuberculosis and it would be a year before he returned, concentrating on the variety club circuit. And that could have been the last we saw of Mr Dorsey until, in 1965, following a short stint with PYE where he recorded the Beatle influenced 'Take your timeBaby I do' single, he teamed up with former roommate, and manager of Tom Jones, Gordon Mills who persuaded him to change his name to the more commercial Englebert Humperdink. Mills packed Gerry off to visit Bert Kampfeart at his Spanish home where he was given three new compositions; 'Wonderland by night', 'Spanish Eyes' and a song originally entitled 'Beddy Bye', which Kampfeart had supplied for the film 'A man could get killed' but now, with English lyrics, was entitled 'Strangers in the night'. He returned to England and recorded all three and requested that 'Strangers....' be released as a single. Mills refused as he was aware that Frank Sinatra had requested the song and accepted an offer for the now Englebert to appear as part of the English team of singers at the 1966 Knokke Festival. The 'team' also included Truly Smith, Eden Kane, Chloe Walters and Jimmy Wilson and they duly won in the final against the previous four times winners Holland. Englebert then went on to the Belgian city Mechelen where, after several successful club dates, he began to achieve local chart popularity with his 'Dommage, Dommage' single which became an early entry on the 'video juke box' when he was filmed performing the song at Zeebrugge harbour. And now on to my initial claim regarding Gerry's place in history..... February 13th 1967 saw the greatest ever 7" single released, 'Strawberry Fields Forever' but, unlike virtually all the Beatles preceding singles, this time the track didn't debut at number one. Just a couple of weeks earlier Englebert had stood in for an indisposed Dickie Valentine on the televised Sunday Night at the London Palladium where he debuted his version of the much covered Eddie 'Piano' Miller/Robert Young weepie 'Release Me'. The combination of his 'exotic' looks, humble stage manner and admittedly rich voice saw a nation's Mums and Grandmas descend on their local record shop and propel the single to number one just as the Beatles opus was released. The single stayed there for six weeks, selling 85,000 copies a day at one stage, and remained on the charts for fifty six consecutive weeks. George Harrison is on record as saying he 'wasn't worried' about not getting to number one as he felt the group may have begun to become complacent about their success but it could be that '....Fields' failure to reach number one anywhere in the world (that honour went to the 'double' a-side 'Penny Lane) may perhaps have led to the groups withdrawal from 'Sgt Pepper's....' musical experimentalism and return to a more basic output (in the main) with the 'White Album' in 1968."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxea_vBLk7g

Ian and the Zodiacs 'Beechwood 4-5789' (7" single released September 1963. Oriole label. This from re-issue of 'This is Merseybeat' double album released 1989. Edsel/Demon label)

"Here's a compilation of two compilations (?) which, as a bonus, have additional singles compiled on them!! Contractual reasons withheld a Mark Peters and the Silhouettes track so those generous folk at Edsel added five single a-sides to boost the albums to a total of 28 tracks. As a snapshot of the early Beatles/Cavern era Liverpool this is probably as good as it gets including, as it does, virtually every unsigned (at the time) Liverpool area group recorded in (very) basic mono playing songs from their stage sets. Minor label Oriole had watched as EMI, Fontana and PYE signed what were probably the cream of the merseybeat groups and decided to 'audition' just about every other group. Ads were placed in the Mersey Beat magazine in July 1963 advising that the Rialto Ballroom had been booked and that any group interested would be recorded by Oriole's John Schroeder on the company's rather basic mobile recording unit. Nine groups made the cut for the two album releases which followed a couple of months later and, for your delectation I've selected this early Motown cover. The Beatles debut album, which featured a couple of 'girl group' songs, had been released in late March 1963 and their follow up ('With the ...'), released late 1963, which included three Motown songs so the recording of this Marvelettes cover predates anything the Fabs' released from the Motown stable. Initially a jazz band formed in 1958, the group changed to a beat group when Ian Edwards was poached from the DelTones and installed as lead vocalist and they became the resident group at the Jive Hive when Rory Storm and the Hurricanes (whose line up included one Richard Starkey) left for Hamburg. January 1962 saw the group placed eleventh in the first of what became an annual Mersey Beat magazine poll. First place, of course, were the pre- Fab Four, second were Gerry and the Pacemakers and (Johnny Sanders and) The Searchers were a credible fifth with 'Pool stalwarts the Remo Four, King Size Taylor and the Dominos and Rory Storm filling minor top ten positions. Following the lack of success with the Oriole single the group followed the exodus to Hamburgs Star Club where they remained for virtually three years (there was a short 'holiday' in '65 when they secured a summer residency at Butlins Skegness) during which time they also toured Europe widely and appeared many times on German TV. They also recorded three albums, all of which charted in Germany and they achieved a surprise hit in the US state of Texas where their cover of 'The Crying Game' sold over 250,000 copies, but a lack of work permits precluded them from touring the US to try to widen its appeal to other states. They also achieved very limited UK success with two albums of Beatle covers ('The Beatles Beat' and 'Gear again') under the aegis of The Koppykats and several other unsuccessful singles before an illness to Edwards' wife saw the group disband in 1967. There were a few reformations during the next 40 years before Edwards passed away in 2007."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNDn2cAUDnw

Mike Sheridan And The Nightriders- 'No Other Guy' (7" single b-side to 'Tell Me What ‘Cha Gonna Do', released November 1963. Columbia label.

"This from 'The Beat Merchants- British Beat Groups 1963-1964' released 1976. United Artists label).

Another good comp which is relatively easy to pick up and contains a slew of difficult to find early beat-era singles. When talking about my choice from its four sides it's difficult to talk about Sheridans groups without mentioning a couple of the names who also passed through its various line-ups. Let's get them out of the way first: Roy Wood joined in 1964 and, when he left in early 1966, he was replaced a little while later by Jeff Lynne. However, neither of those future 'Move-rs' and 'ELO-ers' appear on this debut disc by perhaps 'BrumBeats' premier outfit. Mike (Tyler) began playing the piano as a child and, following his success in a talent show in the early sixties, he was asked to join local group Billy King and the Nightriders. When King left the group in 1962, Sheridan (his newly acquired stage name) took over lead vocals and, in June 1963, the group took part in an EMI sponsored audition, arranged by Norrie Paramour, at Birmingham Bull Rings Moat House Club ( just one month before Orioles similar venture in Liverpool) where they became one of the five groups signed by Paramour to EMI. One of the groups who didn't hit the mark were the M&B 5, an early incarnation of the Moody Blues! Years later Sheridan recalled; "I couldn't believe it! We were going to make a record on the same label as my then-idols 'Cliff Richard and The Shadows'. We were sent a test recording of a song called 'Tell Me What'cha Gonna Do' which we rehearsed but we still needed a B-side. So, I began my song-writing bit and wrote a 12-bar thing called 'No Other Guy'. Both these songs now make me cringe, but at the time it didn't seem to matter. We had a three-hour session at Abbey Road Studio 2, the very same place as Cliff, The Beatles, The Hollies etc. We were bewildered and totally naive but I'll always remember the 'buzz' I got when our record was released and in the shops.". The record failed to chart and so the group were called back by Paramour to record a cover of 'Please Mr Postman', which sold well locally, but any progress was slowed when lead guitarist 'Big' Al Johnson left in mid 1964 to be replaced by young upstart Roy Wood. A further cover, of the Shirelles 'What a sweet thing that was' featuring Roy Wood, was released in late 1964 and this was followed by the now de rigueur residency in Hamburg until the 'Here I stand' single was released in mid '65 to minimal sales. Realising their name was now viewed as an anachronism, a punchy new moniker was dreamt up (Mike Sheridans Lot!!!) but even this didn't improve the chances of Woods first lead vocal (and his debut composition on the flip) on 'Take my hand' in late '65. This was soon followed by Woods' swansong with the Lot, early 1966's cover of Jackie De Shannon composition 'Don't turn your back on me' which was also covered by the unlikely monikered Ola and The Janglers. Wood then left to join Birmingham's new 'super group', The Move, and this was followed by Sheridan quitting his own group who returned to the Nightriders name for a few months until new guitarist/vocalist Lynn changed their name to The Idle Race. Sheridan formed a 'New Lot' , releasing a lone single and then he teamed up with The Moves bassist Rick Price as Sheridan and Price, recording just one album before he retired from music and started a successful potato wholesale business! Of course, there was a 'new' Nightriders in the eighties and the band continue to pack 'em in in Birmingham's supper clubs to this day."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUNbUEJJjKc

"Politics: Hmmmmm........... just a couple of things from the top of my head:

1. How come the Tory's mismanagement of Covid in late 2019/early 2020 is caused by a 'global pandemic' whilst the 'global banking crisis' in 2008/9 (caused by US mortgage bankruptcies and the subsequent world wide banking crash) becomes Labour's 'financial crash'?

2. If, as according to a (Coservative Home website) representative on Monday, 'one way out of the migrant crisis is to build prefabricated homes' for them because 'that would be cheaper than hotel rooms', why can't we build prefabricated homes for young people waiting for somewhere to buy or rent? It was done in the late forties (we had one) and they were still being used in our village in the mid-late sixties. Today at PMQ's, Sunak seemed to praise Braverman's securing of a 'further 4500 hotel rooms' (even at a lowly £150 per night that's an additional £675,000 per night!) which seemed to be glossed over as a good thing.

3. Why does Steer Calmer concentrate on theTruss/Kwarteng IEA inspired suicidal budget instead of Sunak's previous tenure as Chancellor which raised taxes to a 70 year high? Surely the target is Sunak, not Truss?

4. And tonight's news suggests the bank rate will be hiked by 0.75%..... the biggest rise since 1992's 'Black Wednesday'.

5. Plus, it now appears that Sunak is going to 'revisit' the promises he made during his election process to see if he can actually achieve any of them!!! Honest.... you couldn't make it up!!!

Keep well."

Philip -

"Greetings to all RPMers, and a message if I may to Tony, who I know is a big fan of this lady. Are you aware that Gretchen Peters has announced that her 2023 dates will be her last tour as she is retiring from live performance? Jacquie and I got tickets a few days ago to see her on 17th May at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds- and there were not many tickets still available.

Meanwhile, I realised after posting last week's selections that a "night" theme was apparent, so this week I thought I should follow with a "day" theme.

Best regards."

Nina -

"Hi folks...3 tunes as per the brief.

Brevity itself, as sorted choices before heading to Dahab, Egypt.

Take care all

Cheers!"

Piers -

"Hi Folks. Even though I haven't enjoyed every single note, there have been some truly great tracks put up by you all in the last few weeks. It is so easy to get stuck in the same old rut and there has been a lot that you have posted, that I had previously not heard before. RPM has become an important source of interesting music. Thanks for keeping things interesting for me!

I settled down to post three tracks and wondered what I should include as it has been one of those weeks that has raced by with nothing of great consequence happening within my own bounds. Then I started to think that while that might be partially true, there have been eight sessions in the last seven days! I seem to have spent more time rehearsing and singing at sessions than otherwise.

That was when I realised that I have listened to a few tracks… I was woken in the night by somebody drawing their fingernails across a blackboard… actually no, in fact I had left radio 3 on as I fell asleep and somebody thought that it would be funny to play Arnold Schoenberg’s 12ntone opera ‘Pierrot Lunaire’ to all those of us that were trying to maintain our placid dream states!

That was really too much in a week where Suella has been hauling the whole country to hell in a hand basket. Due to all that awfulness I turned off the news and listened to quite a lot of music on line. A surprising amount of UK Americana! I usually stay away from it as I consider it a contradiction in terms and contrary to my long held biases a lot was very good. So even ignoring Arnie S my final short list had been whittled down from eight or nine tracks for potential inclusion

Then I remembered that today there was an event of great import! Jayne and I both applied for and received our bus pass this week. What larks! An hour after they dropped through the door we clambered aboard the X29 and headed for the warehouse shop in Fakenham to purchase half a dozen £1 Ritter Sport Rum and Raisin Chocolate bars! Result!"

Tony -

"I watched a great program on Sky Arts during the week about the birth of the pop video in the 1980s. I've picked two examples which matched the music using pioneering techniques. Much of what went on in the early days was through winging it so even more amazing for that..."

John -

"Hi Everyone, here are my three tracks from albums I've listened to this week. Hope you're all keeping well."

Jayne -

"Good wishes RPM friends. Here is this week’s selection — a random slice through the week’s listening…"

Dave

"Hi all, hope all is well. Here’s my 3 for this week..."

Jackie -

"We spent Halloween at Boggle Hole, just south along the coast from Robin Hood's Bay, also a few days after Whitby Goth Fstival...so here's 3 from The Mission."

Tim -

"This week's listening has been pretty minimal, actually, due to Jackie and I having a few nights away at Boggle Hole, near Robin Hood's bay, reading a lot (brain can't seem to take in music and read at the same time any more, so it's one or the other), binge watching Escape to the Chateau and playing the ol' banjo. So, here's the few sound bites that caught my ear...as an unintentional musical sandwich. Yum Yum."

'Til Next Time...