Hudson Farnsworth - From Night To Day (1975)

Up until a couple of years ago, I wouldn't have been too eager to be spending my cash on albums from 1975, considering it "a bit too late" in the seventies to be any good, and I'm probably not the only record collector who feels this way. Some of these albums though, while sounding very much a product of it's time, production wise, revive a certain spirit/vibe from the post-psych, soft pop days of the late 1960's. "From Night To Day" by Hudson Farnsworth is one of these albums.

Mike Hudson and Bob Farnsworth wanted to be millionaire pop stars and set about this by moving to Nashville in 1974, landing a recording contract with ABC Records within a matter of weeks. Recorded and mixed at Jerry Shook's Celebration Studio in Nashville, the album was produced by Rory Bourke and Henry Hurt for Gallery Productions. 

The majority of the album is acoustic based with the band joining in in a mellow fashion as you'd expect after taking one look at the guys yawning on the LP sleeve. The acoustic guitar sound throughout the album is as nice and well recorded as you could every wish to hear, with every note ringing clear. A string quartet and some generous scatterings of Moog synth (to my delight) are mixed to great effect to embellish the songs adding depth and colour while keeping it keeping it interesting. Simon and Garfunkel are an obvious influence on the duo and I can't help thinking that this is what Jamme would have sounded like, had they lasted a few more years. 

Bob Farnsworth & Mike Hudson

The back cover states "the songs on this album represent the progression in our lives from night to day", and by that they can only mean that the first song is called "Night" and the last song is called "Day" because I've been listening out for a theme and as usual with these concepts, the only people that get it are the songwriters! That's just me being picky though. 

Things were looking good for the duo but despite some critical acclaim, the album bombed. Shortly after, Bob Farnsworth started writing and producing music for adverts and his company, Hummingbird Productions have provided jingles for Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds and were the brains behind the Budweiser Frogs!

With not a bad song on the album, an easy one to find, and cheap (I paid £4 for a sealed copy), you really have no excuse for not owning this album. Two songs on the album are tipped to appear on the next volume of the Fading Yellow series, so the cheap copies will soon get bagged. Fans of Chad & Jeremy, Twinn Connexion and the late period Association will most definitely dig this. 

Now listen...

Bite It Deep Volume 19

Nineteen...

Bite It Deep Mix Vol.19 by Bite It Deep on Mixcloud

The Sundowners - Captain Nemo
The Association - Like Always
Kippington Lodge - Land Of Sea
The Rubettes - Something's Coming Over Me
The Buckinghams - Big Business Advisor
Paul Williams - Nilsson Sings Newman
M.J. Parker - Elodie
Tuesdays Children - Mr Kipling
The Lemon Pipers - The Shoemaker Of Leatherwear Square
Mystic Astrologic Crystal Band - Sunbeams & Rainbows
Paul Parrish - Pink Limousine
The Tremeloes - If You Ever
Love Scupture - River To Another Day
Marvin Welch & Farrar - Simplifiy Your Head
Barry Ryan - Kristan Astra Bella

Godiego - A Fool (1978)

As a kid growing up in the UK in the 1980's, I was exposed to some great television shows with equally killer theme music. For me, the intro music was the highlight of the show most of the time. One show that was guaranteed to get me all pumped up was Monkey. Based on a 16th century Chinese novel of folk religion and mythology called "Journey To The West", the show followed five characters on their path to spiritual enlightenment. 

Lead character Monkey was a short tempered half man-half monkey, a great fighter with some cool weapons including a stick which he would shrink down to the size of a match and keep behind his ear, a pink cloud that used to come down from the sky whenever he whistled for it and when he was outnumbered in a fight he could pinch of few of his chest hairs and he'd be cloned several times over. Joining Monkey on his pilgrimage were Pigsy, a horny half man-half pig, Sandy, a balding half man-half fish, a great swimmer and Tripitaka a young Buddhist monk (played by a bald headed girl) who would regularly get the gang into some dangerous shit and then punish Monkey for fighting with the baddies! There was also a horse, "Horse" who spoke about three times in the whole series.

Monkey & Co

The soundtrack was performed by Japanese, five-piece pop band Godiego and the songs were repeated throughout the series. I finally found a copy of the soundtrack LP a couple of weeks ago in a record shop in Brighton and its great to hear the full songs instead of just the snippets scattered around the show. There's some great funky pop on the record which was used in the fight scenes on the show, but the real stand out track, "A Fool" is a great McCartney-esque piano pop tune which would be played whenever Pigsy would fall for a girl, but end up having his heart broken. 

Godiego

The Monkey soundtrack album topped the Japanese charts in 1979 and was released in the UK on the BBC record label. The band at the time were Mickie Yoshino (Keyboards), Yukihide Takekaka (Vocals), Steve Fox (Bass), Takami Asano (Guitar) and Tommy Snyder (Drums, Vocals, Marimba). Godiego remain active as a band and are still very popular in Japan, having released an impressive 55 albums since 1975 including many English language and soundtrack recordings. 

I should also mention that the actor who played Monkey, Masaaki Sakai was in pop group in the sixties called The Spiders, Japan's answer to the Beatles! And there's more...Sandy, aka Shirō Kishibe was also in a sixties band called The Tigers who had a hit record in 1968 called "Smile For Me", which was written for them by Barry & Maurice Gibb!!

Lyrics

"A Fool"

(Yoshino/Takekawa/Narahashi)

A fool, I'm a fool

Fallin' in love like this

I shouldn't let myself

Run away with a dream like this

It started as a harmless game

But I was playin' with fire

And now so hopelessly

I can't stop my desire

(*) A fool, I'm a fool

Cause I'm in love with you

How could there be a chance

To make this love come through

A fool yes you are

I know that you are

I hope that you weren't

A fool like you are

Oh boy aren't you dumb

A fool that you are

A fool

I'm a fool

I gotta go through that pain

Of always wantin' you near

And wishin' you'd give me one look

That knows my heart and hears

Banchee - I Just Don't Know (1970)

According to Fuzz, Acid & Flowers, Banchee were among the East Coast's premier heavy blasters of the post-psychedelic era. The band hailed from New Jersey, USA and consisted a line up of Peter Alongi (lead guitar/vocals), Jose Miguel DeJesus (guitar/vocals), Victor William Digilio (drums) and Michael Gregory Marino (bass/vocals).

Their self-titled debut album, produced by Warren Schatz and Stephen Schlaks, was released on Atlantic Records and is the typical rock band sound of 1969. The vocals (harmonies in particular) on most of the LP remind me of UK psych act, The Gods especially on songs like "The Night Is Calling" and "As Me Thinks". Although it is not a favourite of mine, the album does have it's share of great moments. "Evolmia" is a like a hard rocking Crosby, Stills and Nash, heavy bass and fuzz guitar balanced out with some sweet harmony vocals. Another good one is the closing track on the LP, "Tom's Island", a real cruncher of Live At Leeds era Who vain, again with the nice harmonies.

The real highlight for me though is "I Just Don't Know", penned by vocalist, Alongi, comprising of a blistering guitar riff that doesn't come up for air throughout the duration of the song and plenty of "aaaahhhh"'s from the backing vocalists who were probably imagining their own take on the Beatles' "Helter Skelter". Atlantic saw potential in this song and put it out as a single in 1970. There is no mention anywhere of it being a hit of any kind but over the years it has built up a steady following and fills the dancefloors at many mod/psych clubs around the UK. It's a record that has remained in my DJ box for over a decade!

For most part on the follow up album, "Thinkin'" released on Polydor in 1971, the band ditched the cool harmony vocals thus leaving behind a pretty average rock album, a little heavier than before and less charming it's predecessor. Banchee presumably called it a day soon after their second album.

Dig it...

The Wake - Angelina (1969)

In 1969, five years before claiming the UK number one chart position with the Rubettes' "Sugar Baby Love", keyboard player/vocalist Bill Hurd was fronting psych/pop band The Wake. Also in the band were, John Edmunds (vocals, lead guitar, autoharp), Chris Weeks (bass, vocals, autoharp), Tony Miles (drums, percussion). The Wake were active from 1969 to 1971, releasing six singles (one on Pye and five on Carnaby records) and an LP of, progressive pop entitled "23:59", which I've heard and would be pretty disappointed if I'd just shelled out £200 for a copy.

For me, the best recording by the Wake is their first single, "Angelina", which is a pure pop gem of bouncy McCartney-esque piano that has always reminded me of "Care Of Cell 44" by the Zombies, but without the sinister twist in the lyrics. The songwriting is credited to Mark West (aka Radio Luxembourg DJ Mark Wesley) and Keith Bonser (later of hard rock outfit, Zior), who were also trying to achieve pop success at same time under the name "Cardboard Orchestra". The B-side "So Happy", written by Hurd, is a decent enough tune with some nice hooks and a fab acoustic guitar solo.

The following singles by the Wake are pleasant enough but nothing worth raving about or spending too much of your hard earned dosh on, with the exception of "Live Today Little Girl", comped on Mixed Up Minds Vol.1 and "Linda" which was featured on the Left and to the Back blog.

Lyrics
The Wake - Angelina
(West/Bonsor)

Early in the morning, 
Jump out of bed
Look out your window, 
Come on, you sleepy head
Ahhhh

When I say those little words like "I Love You"
There's a look of sunshine in my eyes
Angelina waiting for them every day
Naughty girl, your sky blue eyes are giving you away

Tell me what you're gonna do now
Now that the morning is here
Looking like a new day
Acting in a strange way
Oh oh

Now it's the evening
Sun is nearly gone
Gliding for some moonlight
Come on and come along

Just a silly feeling
Etching on the ceiling

Good morning, morning, morning

Happy Christmas!!!

Here's a little seasonal, popsike nugget to get you in the festive spirit, which, to my disappointment did not come anywhere in ITV's, Nations Favourite Christmas Songs!

Mother Nature (1971-1972)

The origins of hippy pop band Mother Nature, has had collectors puzzled for many years. Presumed by many, including myself for a long time to be a European act due to the songwriting credit,"Steepy Rojo". The band were actually British and their continental sounding name is made up from the forenames of the four band members, Steve Norchi (Bass), Pete Reynolds (Drums), Rod Copping (Guitar) and Jon Reeves (Guitar).

Despite their debut single's 1971 release date, the song was written back in 1968. Both sides of the 45, produced by David Hitchcock (Mellow Candle, Genesis, Caravan) are stoned, psychedelic pop of the highest order, ultra melodic but a few years behind the times. The A-side is reminiscent of the Moody Blues in their hippy prime, armed with a pure summer of love chorus, "Orange days and purple nights, flying pastel coloured kites, and the flowers in your hair, scent the evening air". This song would have been huge had it been released in 1967. 

The B-side "Where Did She Go" is even better and surprisingly, uncomped. It almost sounds like it was written purposely for a Fading Yellow compilation 40 years in the future. Despite any kind of promotion by records label, B&C, Anne Nightingale and Jimmy Young both gave the single some airplay on their shows on Radio One in the UK, but failed to secure a hit record. 

Steepy Rojo aka Mother Nature know where the grass is.

An attempt to record something more contemporary for their next single, this time on the Kingdom record label, resulted in another hippy ballad "Once There Was A Time", again sounding about 4 years out of date. This time with lyrics about the effects of pollution and pesticides, "Where is the sunshine, where are the fields and the grass and the woods and the trees?". The dazed look on the four band members faces on the French single's picture sleeve makes me think they knew exactly where the grass was! The flip side "Clear Blue Sky" has an inherent Crosby, Stills & Nash influence and is the most upbeat of their four officially released songs.

There was a privately released CD compilation called "Far Over And Booby Gravy" put out back in 2003 as Steepy Rojo, which collects three of the four released songs ("Where Did She Go" is missing for some reason) as well as 15 unreleased demos, a couple of which have turned up on my Bite It Deep mixes.

Just dig that guitar sound on Where Did She Go...