Unit 4 + 2 - For A Moment (1968)

Of all the one-hit wonder groups of the 60's, one of the most well-known is Unit 4 + 2, who, try as they might, could never match the success of their 1965 smash hit single 'Concrete And Clay'. The band formed in 1962, when Brian Parker, then the guitar player and songwriter with the Hunters, decided to form his own vocal harmony group. He asked his friend David 'Buster' Meikle to join him, and together they recruited school-friends Tommy Moeller and Peter Moules. They named the group Unit 4, but when they were later joined by Russ Ballard on guitar and Robert 'Bob' Henrit on drums, they renamed the band Unit 4 + 2, for a six-piece group featuring a four-part vocal harmony section. Moeller was lead singer and front man from the first show as the Unit 4 vocal group to the last show as Unit 4 + 2, but due to ill health and a dislike of performing live, Brian Parker left the band, although he remained involved as co-songwriter with Tommy Moeller for all of the band's original recordings, and his place at live performances was taken by Howard 'Lem' Lubin. Their first single as the full band was 'The Green Fields', on Decca Records in 1964, which did reach a respectable number 48 in the UK charts, but the follow-up 'Sorrow And Pain', was less successful. It was their third release which catapulted them to stardom, when 'Concrete And Clay' became a huge hit the following year, reportedly thanks to exposure on pirate radio stations like Wonderful Radio London, and DJ Kenny Everett in particular. As well as reaching the top of the UK chart, the single was a worldwide hit, competing in the US with a cover version by Eddie Rambeau, which did split sales for both artists. Decca released a hastily put together album, titled '1st Album', and the the next single '(You've) Never Been In Love Like This Before', did reach the UK top 20, but is generally forgotten today. The band released 10 singles on Decca between 1964 and 1966, including one four-track EP, but they were forever chasing that second smash hit single, even changing the track listing, cover art and title of the re-release of their debut album to '#1 featuring Concrete and Clay', in an attempt to remind people of the song. Soundalike singles 'Hark' and 'Baby Never Say Goodbye' (written at the same time as 'Concrete And Clay' but not released until 1966) utilised he same Latin influence that made 'Concrete And Clay' stand out, but failed to replicate its success, although some of them did grace the lower reaches of the UK chart. By 1967 the band had left Decca and signed with Fontana, and with Ballard and Henrit on board as full-time members, the Unit 4 + 2 sound had gelled, but their cover of Bob Dylan's 'You Ain't Goin' Nowhere' was outsold by a cover version by the Byrds, and even adding electric piano and other orchestration to their last single '3.30' didn't help. Around the time of their self-titled second album in 1967, Rodney Garwood replaced Peter Moules (who had taken up bass when the band changed from a vocal group to a pop band), and Hugh Halliday replaced Bob Henrit, but it was too late to capitalise on the single's success and the album failed to chart. Fontana stuck by them and allowed them to release six singles up to 1969, but the band eventually broke up in 1970. Despite their lack of chart success after 'Concrete And Clay', they have left behind a competent body of work, and this collection of all their non-album Decca and Fontana single tracks should go some way to showing what a great band they were in their heyday, and also showcase the work of Ballard and Henrit before they teamed up with Rod Argent in his eponymous band in 1970.  

Track listing

01 The Green Fields (single 1964)
02 The Lonely Valley (b-side of 'Sorrow And Pain' 1964)
03 When I Fall In Love (b-side of 'Concrete And Clay' EP 1965)
04 To Be Redeemed (from 'Unit 4 Plus 2' EP 1965)
05 (You've) Never Been In Love Like This Before (single 1965)
06 Tell Somebody You Know (b-side of '(You've) Never Been In Love Like This Before')
07 Hark (single 1965)
08 Stop Wasting Your Time (b-side of 'Hark')
09 You've Got To Be Cruel To Be Kind (single 1965)
10 I Won't Let You Down (b-side of 'You've Got To Be Cruel To Be Kind')
11 Baby Never Say Goodbye (single 1966)
12 Rainy Day (b-side of 'Baby Never Say Goodbye')
13 For A Moment (single 1966)
14 Fables (b-side of 'For A Moment')
15 I Was Only Playing Games (single 1966)
16 I've Seen The Light (b-side of 'I Was Only Playing Games')
17 A Place To Go (b-side of 'Butterfly' 1967)
18 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (single 1968)
19 So You Want To Be A Blues-Player (b-side of 'You Ain't Goin' Nowhere')