opulentconceptions

[opulentconceptions]

The Association | Time For Livin' | (Warner Bros) 1968

“Time For Livin’” / “Birthday Morning” (Warner Bros WB 7195) May 1968 The Association | Time For Livin’ | (Warner Bros) 1968 | A livelier-than-usual item from this sophisticated U.S. group. This could be the one to click for them. Tune is strong, harmonies are great on the fast-ish beat ballad with a summery flavour throughout. Builds up to a great climax. Flip is more gentle with nice opening…

[opulentconceptions]

Crispian St. Peters | The Pied Piper | (Decca) 1966

“The Pied Piper” / “Sweet Dawn My True Love” (Decca F. 12359) March 1966 Crispian St. Peters | The Pied Piper | (Decca) 1966 | A very clever song, yet commercial, to the full. Should be as big as “Always On My Mind”. Starts softly, then into a march-along chorus line, with original piping effects and a steady beat. A most appealing single, with patches of light and shade.Good self-penned flip.…

[opulentconceptions]

Dusty Springfield | I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself | (Philips) 1964

“I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” / “My Colouring Book” (Philips BF 1348) June 1964 Dusty Springfield | I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself | (Philips) 1964 | IN complete contrast from her previous two hits, Dusty Springfield chooses a throbbing lament, “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” (Philips). It’s written by the Burt Bacharach-Hal David team, composers of “Anyone Who…

[opulentconceptions]

David and Jonathan | Lovers Of The World Unite | (Columbia) 1966

“Lovers Of The World Unite” / “Oh My Word” (Columbia Records DB 7950) June 1966 David and Jonathan | Lovers Of The World Unite | (Columbia) 1966 | Some excellent vocal arranging here, on a pacey sort of beat ballad with falsetto bits and some of the lyrics are quite outstanding. Touch of guitar break, then the song develops mid-way into a twanging near sing-along sequence. Very well done.…

[opulentconceptions]

The Lovin' Spoonful | Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful | (Kama Sutra) 1966

“Lovin’ You” is my pick from the LP | Lovin’ Spoonful – ‘The Hums Of Lovin’ Spoonful’ (Kama Sutra KLP-8054) December 1966 Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful, with few notable exceptions, finds the Spoonful still poised in their now familiar groove somewhere between the folk music jug band revival and the electric explorations of the New Music. The mixture is nothing if not lovable, but after three…

[opulentconceptions]

Plasticland | In My Black And White | (Midnight) 1985

“Flower Scene” / “In My Black And White” (Midnight Records MID 4510) 1985 Plasticland | In My Black And White | (Midnight) 1985 | Plasticland were one of those bands from the 80s that certainly struck a chord with me. It wasn’t that common that neo bands from USA would be influenced by 60s Englishness. Most bands those days followed the garage punk tradition. This Milwaukee band had been…

[opulentconceptions]

Plasticland | Pop! Op Drops | EP | (Scadillac) 1982

“Driving Accident Prone” (Scadillac SC-3003) 1982 Plasticland | Pop! Op Drops | EP| (Scadillac) 1982 | One of the very few bands that successfully re-made ’67 era English psych during the 80s were Plasticland, especially on their early 45s. This 4 track EP released on Scadillac in 1982 was the second foray onto vinyl for this Milwaukee, Wisconsin group of acid heads. ’Pop! Op Drops’ is inspired…

[opulentconceptions]

The Roamin' Numerals | Fruit Of The Day | (Beluga) 1998

“Fruit Of The Day” / “Buckle Up!” (Beluga 002) 199865 The Roamin’ Numerals | Fruit Of The Day | (Beluga) 1998 | Beluga Records was a small indie label out of Stockholm, Sweden that is now defunct. But the label did release early 45s by The Roadrunners, The Maggots and this gem by The Roamin’ Numerals. The Roamin’ Numerals included in their ranks ex Fuzztones, Twisted and Headless Horsemen lead…

[opulentconceptions]

Buffalo Springfield | Buffalo Springfield | (Atco) 1966

“Everybody’s Wrong” is my pick from the LP | Buffalo Springfield – ‘Buffalo Springfield’ (Atco 33-200) October 1966 Article published in Crawdaddy!, March 1967 Buffalo Springfield | Buffalo Springfield | (Atco) 1966 | To me, a major aspect of rock ’67 is the tightness of the new groups. By tightness, I mean the feeling of wholeness a group projects when they’re on stage (or in a recording…

[opulentconceptions]

The Blues Project | Projections | (Verve Folkways) 1966

“Wake Me, Shake Me” is my pick from the LP | The Blues Project – ‘Projections’ (FT-3008) November 1966 Article published in Crawdaddy!, January 1967 The Blues Project | Projections | (Verve Folkways) 1966 | The ultimate determinants of the quality of a record are: 1.) the level of the aesthetic concept, or “essence”, behind it, and 2.) the level of technical fluency and imagination that is used…

[opulentconceptions]

The Animals | Animalism | (MGM) 1966

“The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine” is my pick from the LP | The Animals – ‘Animalism’ (MGM E-4414) November 1966 Article published in Crawdaddy!, January 1967 The Animals | Animalism | (MGM) 1966 | Since ‘Animalism’ represents the final disc effort by five British bluesmen we all know and (to varying degrees) admire, I suppose this review is an obituary of sorts. The break-up of England’s…

[opulentconceptions]

Dylanisms | Podcast Mixes Celebrating Bob Dylan Cover Versions

Episode 12 12: DYLANISMS Dylanisms | Podcast Mixes Celebrating Bob Dylan Cover Versions |‘Dylanisms’ is my 10-song mix podcast project, building an extensive archive of (mostly) 1960s recordings of Bob Dylan songs as recorded by various solo performers and groups many years ago. I will zoom in on the well known and the very obscure outfits who covered Dylan’s numbers, in particular those…

[opulentconceptions]

Simon and Garfunkel | Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme | (Columbia) 1966

“The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine” is my pick from the LP | Simon and Garfunkel – ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’ (Columbia CS 9363) October 1966 Article published in Crawdaddy!, January 1967 Simon and Garfunkel | Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme | (Columbia) 1966 | What is ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’? First, it is, throughout, a smoothly professional performance by Simon &…

[opulentconceptions]

Jefferson Airplane | Takes Off | (RCA Victor) 1966

“Come Up The Years” is my pick from the LP | Jefferson Airplane – ’Takes off’ (RCA Victor LPM-3584) September 1966 Article published in Crawdaddy!, January 1967 Jefferson Airplane | Takes Off | (RCA Victor) 1966 | Jefferson Airplane ‘Takes Off’ is the most important album of American rock issued this year: it is the first LP to come out of the new San Francisco music scene (which hopefully…

[opulentconceptions]

The Soup Greens | That's Too Bad | (Golden Rule) 1965

“That’s Too Bad” / “Like A Rolling Stone” (Golden Rule GR5000) September 1965 The Soup Greens | That’s Too Bad | (Golden Rule) 1965 | This is one of those legendary garage 45s released by an obscure band whose exact details were lost in time. That was until MTM tracked them down recently and organised The Soup Greens material, including unreleased acetates, to be re-issued on Misty Lane…

[opulentconceptions]

Changing Shape | Parade

Twiggy gets the credit for the skinny fashion. But should she? Trends are signs of the times. Article published in Parade magazine, 10th February, 1968 Changing Shape | Parade | WHO had the most famous feminine shape in 1967 — and is all set to keep a straight line as a sex symbol m 1968? Twiggy, of course. A gal who really needs a label to indicate which is the front. If you think that her…

[opulentconceptions]

The Fox | Seek And You Find | (CBS) 1968

“Hey! Mr Carpenter” / “Seek And You Find (CBS 3381) April 1968 The Fox | Seek And You Find | (CBS) 1968 | The following information was first posted on the now defunct blog ‘Obscure Bands From The 50s and 60s’ (no updates since 2013) . . . so to preserve the details with my own scans and photos I have uploaded them on my blog. Winston Beresford Gawk or Gork aka “Winston G”, was a suntanned…