Guide to British Music of the 1960s
July 2024
CD Review: Having a Rave-Up - The British R&B Sounds of 1964
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This was a transformative period in British music which makes this 3CD collection an important record of the times. 1963 was the year of Merseybeat but R&B hit the country hard in 1964 and would define British music for the remainder of the decade. The R&B scene developed out of the jazz clubs such as the Ealing Club in London, the Marquee and the Flamingo but the movement was not limited to London as Newcastle's Animals and Belfast's Them proved. The bands were less conformist than the cleaner cut image of the Merseybeat bands although the Pretty Things made the Rolling Stones appear neat and tidy! Some of these bands made the big time and some did not but are just as worthy of a listen. Many of the 1960s bands that did achieve commercial success during the decade had their roots in R&B even if they did develop a more chart-friendly sound. Manfred Mann, the Hollies, the Kinks, the High Numbers, Spencer Davis Group are good examples of these. The Yardbirds, the Pretty Things and the Animals never strayed far from their roots. Equally many bands that emerged in the late 1960s found their roots in the R&B scene, such as Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Beck Group or Led Zeppelin. Many of the artists here, or members thereof, found fame later in the decade. Zoot Money's Big Roll Band were superb on the live circuit. Guitarist Andy Somers (Summers) would later join Eric Burdon in the New Animals before going on to immense fame with the Police. Another live favourite, Georgie Fame, would hit number one a few times. The Paramounts provide a great rendition of A Certain Girl, a track probably better known for the Yardbirds' version. However, in 1967 they would "Skip the light fandango" and release an all-time classic under the name Procol Harum. Rod Stewart earned his apprenticeship with Steampacket and the Hoochie Coochie Men before joining the Jeff Beck Group and later the Faces. Jeff Beck himself was guitarist in the Tridents before replacing Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds. Clapton would join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers before teaming up with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce and rising to the top. Bruce was also a member of Manfred Mann for some time. The Birds featured the guitarist Ronnie Wood who was also later in the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces and, for a time, the Creation. Wonder what happened to him? His Brother Art appears here with the Art Wood Combo and the Artwoods. The Moments had a young cockney singer called Steve Marriott. He did some notable things later too! Few of these bands were writing their own material at this stage although that would change. Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel), Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker and Chuck Berry were obvious favourites. Manfred Mann were an exception to this. They did write a lot of their own material although they looked to outside help for the hit singles. Nonetheless, I'm Your Kingpin is an excellent track written by Manfred Mann himself and singer Paul Jones. Keith Relf wrote the Yardbirds' Honey in your Hips although the band would mae the charts with Graham Gouldman compositions. Many of the tracks are standards and would sometimes become better known through other versions. The Beatles' version of Leave My Kitten Alone may be the best-known although it did not appear until Anthology 1 in 1996. Incidentally, Jimmy Page is the session man playing guitar on this track. He was prolific in the studio at this time appearing on tracks by the Who and the Kinks although he did not play on You Really Got Me or the Fleurs de Lys' Circles, the latter was Phil Sawyer. Dave Berry's Don't Gimme No Lip Child was the b-side of his hit The Cryin' Game and it may be better known for the version by the Sex Pistols. The original is a stand-out track and the Pistols did it proud in the '70s. John Mayall's Crawling Up a Hill was recorded before Clapton joined but the band still had John McVie, later of Fleetwood Mac, on bass. Katie Melhua would later record a version of this one. Tracks such as Got Love If You Want It, I'm a Lover Not a Fighter, I Want to be Loved, Long Tall Shorty, Down the Road Apiece, Bald Headed Woman and How Many More Times may already be well-known die to versions by the Kinks, Rolling Stones, the Who and Led Zeppelin. The Iveys were a Weston-Super-Mare band and should not be confused with the Welsh group who later became Badfinger. This is another excellent compilation from Grapefruit and, as always, much of the joy comes from hearing artists that have not been heard since the 1960s. The three CDs are accompanied by an excellent booklet with detailed information about each track and the artists. This is a very interesting read in itself. While many of the artists covered had the lucky breaks, others fell into relative obscurity and it is wonderful that their essential contribution to 1960s British music can be heard again. Grapefruit Original release: July 2024 Essential Tracks
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Track Listing Disc One
Disc Two
Disc Three
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