Various Artists - Rainbow Skys (1994)
Here's a little puzzle to keep you occupied over those long lockdown hours. Nearly 30 years ago I obtained a cassette tape of rare 60's singles. I can't remember if I bought it or swapped it, but all I do recall is that it had no cover, and there was very little information on it. There must have been song titles, as otherwise I don't know how I would have known that side A track 4 was called 'Anthem', but there were definitely no artist's names. I made a very basic cover for it (this was in the days of literal cut and paste, with coloured card), noted down the songs titles, and played it fairly regularly for a number of years before filing it away. In the intervening years I bought quite a few compilation CD's of rare 60's music, like 'Hen's Teeth', 'Chocolate Soup For Diabetics', Circus Days', 'The Great British Psychedelic Trip', and 'Rubbles', but none of these songs every appeared on any of them. I played it again the other day, and decided that I want to know once and for all know who these groups are, so I'm putting it out there to see if anyone can help identify these bands. I've managed to track down a few, but the most frustrating thing is that I've located a number of the songs, but they are not by the artists that you'd assume they were, so 'A Woman That's Waiting' isn't by Timebox, 'Here Comes The Rain' isn't by Leapy Lee, and 'Brown & Porters' isn't Manfred Mann. So have a listen and enjoy the music, and if you recognise any of these recordings then do let me know so that I can try to come up with a definitive track listing. I've identified the tracks with an artist in bold, and suggested some others that I haven't managed to hear to confirm if they are correct, so good hunting, and I'll update the post every time we track one down.
Track listing
Side A 01 Every Little Step - Love Children02 The Rainbow's Gone03 Do You Want To Buy04 Anthem (One Day In Every Week) - Procession?05 What Is Wrong With Our Love06 Loving You Has Made My Life Worthwhile - David & Jonathan Mills07 Magic Colours - Neil Sedaka08 Biscuit Coloured Overcoat - not The New Faces09 Hole In The Fence10 Now The Flowers Cry - not Kiki Dee11 London At Night - Cat Stevens12 Wigwam City - Procession?13 One House For Sale
Side B01 Beautiful Land (Rainbow Skies) - Nina Simone02 Mr Penny03 When I Was 6 Years Old - Ronnie Burns04 Quarter Past05 Close My Eyes - Edwards Hand06 Say Goodbye To Yesterday - not The Toyshop or Wayne Fontana but same song07 Brown & Porters - not Manfred Mann, Freddie & The Dreamers or John Carter08 Good Girls Nowadays09 Biscuit Coloured Overcoat - different artist to Side A, but still not The New Faces10 Here Comes The Rain - not Leapy Lee but same song11 Days Of Old - not Gerry Marsden12 Magic Carpet - Raymond Froggatt?13 Woman That's Waiting - not Timebox but same song14 And I Don't Want Your Love - The Keepers Of The Light?
According to the Cat Steven's fansite Majicat it's our old friends Peter & Gordon performing "London At Night." So that's a start.
ReplyDeleteI've found Peter & Gordon's version of this, and it's much faster, and with a different vocal, so as Majicat confirms that Cat Stevens wrote it i'm guessing this must me a rare demo from Stevens himself.
DeleteI thought this had to be wrong. No way could this be a demo of Cat Stevens. But I just listened to it, and sure enough, that's Cat Stevens' voice! It really does sound like an acoustic demo from him. What an interesting find!
DeleteI think that Rainbow Skys is actually called Beautiful Land and is by Nina Simone. When I was 6 Years Old does sound like Robbie Burns.
ReplyDeleteI know Neil Sedaka is on here, but I'm surprised that someone as well-known as Nina Simone was included along with the really obscure artists.
DeleteProcession recorded three versions of "Anthem". The single was accapella, the studio version on their self-titled LP featured strings and sounds different to this version. They also did it a live recording on their "Live At Sebastian's" LP, but I haven't found a recording of that anywhere. I agree that Ronnie Burns is the artist singing "When I Was Six Years Old".
ReplyDeleteI'm inclined to think that 'Anthem' is by Procession, if only because they released 'One Day In Every Week' as a single in 1968, with 'Wigwam City' on the b-side, so it would make sense that they would both be on here.
Delete“Say Goodbye to Yesterday” is extremely close vocally to the version by the Flower Pot Men from their unreleased (until 2000) “Past Imperfect” album from 1970, with a similar arrangement. But the mix is utterly different, and the version here seems to be in a slightly different key (speed issue?) and has an added instrumental guitar lead-in and rock band coda. It might be an original 1970 Flower Pot Men mix, as the 2000 release was “restored and remastered”, or a John Carter demo version.
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be the case with a lot of these recordings. We find the songs by a band we know, but the recording is not this one, and so I'm starting to wonder if some of these are demos by the writers, and John Carter did write a few of them.
ReplyDeleteHi friend
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog, it seems like a very interesting concept.
I'm going to give it a thorough review.
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Keep in touch
Greetings from Spain
Jose
ReplyDelete574/5000
It is really very difficult to distinguish the artists, sometimes they look like the ones mentioned here, but the sound is different, some may be demos, or have an error in the playback speed.
The only thing that I think there is no doubt is Side B - 05 Close My Eyes, perfomed by Edward Hands, included in his debut album "Edward Hands" (1969). Great album.
https://www.discogs.com/es/Edwards-Hand-Edwards-Hand/master/162975
This cassette sounds like a masterpiece to me, I'm a big fan of british-psych, and I've heard hundreds of comps, but this is one of the best.
Regards
Jose
I think you've got the right artist, but this version lacks the extra guitar and the orchestration, so once again it must be a demo recording. Still, that's another one off the list. Thanks.
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