Timebox - Moose On The Loose (1969)

When I was posting my series of Rutles albums, a number of the songs included on them came from Timebox, which was because drummer John Hasley played Barry Wom in the original film, and guitarist Ollie Halsall was part of the band which Neil Innes put together to play the songs. Timebox themselves had something of a chquered career, starting out as The Take 5 in 1965, and including vibraphone player/guitarist Peter 'Ollie' Halsall, Chris Holmes on keyboards, lead guitarist and vocalist Kevan Fogarty,  Clive Griffths on bass, and drummer Geoff Dean. The band turned professional in 1966, and after moving to London soon found work on package tours with The Kinks, The Small Faces, Tommy Quickly, and Lou Christie. In 1967 they added US singer Richard Henry, changed their name to Timebox (an American term for a prison cell), and after signing to Piccadilly Records they released their debut single 'I'll Always Love You'/'Save Your Love'. Following this, Henry returned to the United States, and when Geoff Dean contracted tuberculosis he was replaced by Andy Petre on drums. This line-up released the instrumental single 'Soul Sauce'/'I Wish I Could Jerk Like My Uncle Cyril', before they recruited Mike 'Patto' McCarthy as vocalist and songwriter, and when Petre quit, the drum stool was filled by John Halsey. This is the line-up that recorded their best music, which has since built them a reputation as being one of the best, but also the most unappreciated, bands of the late 60's.
They recorded five singles for Piccadilly and Deram between 1967 and 1969, but their only UK Singles chart entry was with their cover version of The Four Seasons' track 'Beggin'', which peaked at number 38 in July 1968. After their last single failed in 1970, Chris Holmes left and the remaining members continued under the name Patto, releasing a string of acclaimed albums throughout the early 70's. In 1976 a compilation album entitled 'The Original Moose On The Loose' appeared on an obscure label, which collected all of their later singles with Patto as lead vocalist, but it didn't include other songs recorded at the same time which might have been destined for an album that could have been released in 1969. In 2018 the Ollie Halsall website posted news that an album was to be released using songs recorded in 1968/1969, entitled 'Moose On The Loose', and a proposed track listing was published, with downloadable links to the songs. However, nothing has since turned up, so using that track listing and adding a couple of contemporary songs to make it nearer the 40-minute mark, this is what Timebox could have released in 1969 as their debut album. Thanks to the Ollie Halsall archive for the info and the great cover.

Track listing 

01 Yellow Van
02 Tree House
03 Poor Little Heartbreaker
04 Baked Jam Roll In Your Eye
05 Black Dog
06 Country Dan & City Lil
07 Eddie McHenry
08 Barnabus Swain
09 Promises
10 Stay There
11 You've Got The Chance
12 Timebox
13 Love The Girl
14 Gone Is The Sad Man