FABS ON 45 (1969)

The "New" Abbey Road Is Coming!

HERE COMES THE SUN (Harrison)

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,

and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter

Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun

and I say it's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces

Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun

and I say it's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting

Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,

and I say it's all right

It's all right

For collectors

The 50th Anniversary Of "Abbey Road"

Celebrating 50 Years Of Abbey Road

The BLUE MINK Debut Album

Original released on LP Philips PHS 600-323

(US, November 1969)

One of the giants of British pop in the early '70s, Blue Mink was formed in fall 1969 by keyboard player Roger Coulam, around a nucleus of musicians based at London's Morgan Studios - bassist Herbie Flowers, guitarist Allan Parker, and drummer Barry Morgan were also involved. Having already recorded a number of backing tracks, Coulam then approached soul singer Madeline Bell and former David & Jonathan star Roger Greenaway as vocalists; Bell accepted, Greenaway declined but recommended his songwriting partner (and fellow David & Jonathan-er) Roger Cook in his stead. With this lineup, Cook and Greenaway's "Melting Pot" was released as Blue Mink's debut single, a plea for multi-racial harmony that reached number three in the U.K. that November. An album of the same title was also released, alongside the single "Good Morning Freedom" - for reasons unknown, the single did not originally appear on the LP. However, its swift rise into the U.K. Top Ten prompted a rethink, and subsequent pressings packed it on board. Throughout Blue Mink's career, the members maintained their high profile session careers - in March 1970, Cook and Bell appeared on Elton John's eponymous album; John reciprocated by covering "Good Morning Freedom" on the compilation album "Pick of the Pop"s (while waiting for his own career to take off, the pianist made ends meet by recording anonymous covers of top hits for the budget Deacon label). The following month, Cook rejoined Greenaway briefly in a new band, Currant Kraze, while the pair maintained their songwriting career with such anthems as "You've Got Your Troubles," "I've Got You on My Mind," and "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing." Other extracurricular activities over the next few years included Alan Parker's the Congregation and Herbie Flowers' pivotal involvement with Lou Reed's "Transformer" album.

Titled for the group's third hit single, Blue Mink's second album, "Our World" (U.S. title "Real Mink") was released in September 1970. The group then faded from view for some six months before resurfacing with "The Banner Man" in spring 1971. Their first release for the Regal Zonophone label (earlier records were issued by Philips), "Banner Man" reached number three. However, close to another year elapsed before Blue Mink reconvened for a two-week-long engagement at London's Talk of the Town nightspot in January 1972, to be immortalized on the "Live at the Talk of the Town" album two months later. Oddly, Blue Mink's next studio album, "A Time of Change", was released simultaneously with the live record (the set was originally to be titled "Harvest," but was changed to avoid confusion with Neil Young's latest release). With the band now featuring percussionist Ray Cooper and keyboardist Ann Odell, November 1972 brought another number three hit, "Stay with Me," their last for Regal Zonophone before parent company EMI merged the historic label into a new imprint, also named EMI. 

Blue Mink's fourth album, "Only When I Laugh", followed in March 1973. However, the group's appeal was clearly slipping, as glam rock elbowed Blue Mink's brand of light-hearted pop out of the way - their latest single, "By the Devil (I Was Tempted)," struggled to break into the Top 30 and, while June 1973's "Randy" would return Blue Mink to the TopTen, it was to prove their final hit. Blue Mink released one further album, January 1974's "Fruity", together with the single "Quackers." Neither did anything, and the band broke up that fall, following one final American tour. Elton John was among the celebrities present to say goodbye, introducing the band on-stage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Blue Mink's final single, "Get Up," was released in July 1974 - it passed by completely unnoticed, but would resurface two years later, retitled "7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (Blow Your Whistle)" scoring a massive disco hit for the Rimshots. Since the band's demise, each of the members maintained a loud presence in the world of sessions and songwriting. Blue Mink, meanwhile, have been immortalized on a string of compilations, each recounting the string of effervescent hits that established them among Britain's best-loved pop groups of the early decade.

The CARPENTERS Best Years

With their light, airy melodies and meticulously crafted, clean arrangements that appealed to a variety of audiences, the Carpenters stood in direct contrast to the excessive, gaudy pop/rock of the '70s. Yet, they became one of the most popular artists of the decade, winning four Grammy Awards, and scoring 12 Top Ten hits, and three number one singles, including the classic "(They Long to Be) Close to You" off 1970's "Close to You". Karen Carpenter's calm, pretty voice was the most distinctive element of their music, settling in perfectly amidst the precise, lush arrangements provided by her brother Richard. Though their popularity began to fade as the '70s progressed, the duo continued to make music together until Karen's tragic death in 1983. The Carpenters formed in the late '60s in Downey, California, after their family moved from their native New Haven, Connecticut. Richard had played piano with a cocktail jazz trio in a handful of local Connecticut night clubs. Once the family had moved to California, he began to study piano while he supported Karen in a trio that featured Wes Jacobs (tuba/bass). With Jacobs and Richard forming her backup band, Karen was signed to the local California record label Magic Lamp, which released two unsuccessful singles by the singer. The trio won a Battle of the Bands contest at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, which led to a record contract with RCA. Signing under the name the Richard Carpenter Trio, the group cut four songs that were never released. Jacobs left the band at the beginning of 1968. Following Jacobs' departure, the siblings formed Spectrum with Richard's college friend John Bettis. Spectrum fell apart by the end of the year, but the Carpenters continued performing as a duo. The pair recorded some demos at the house of Los Angeles session musician Joe Osborn; the tape was directed toward Herb Alpert, the head of A&M Records, who signed the duo to his record label in early 1969.

"Offering (Ticket to Ride)", the Carpenters' first album, was released in November 1969. Neither "Offering" nor the accompanying single, a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride," made a big impression. However, the Carpenters' fortunes changed with their second single, a version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(They Long to Be) Close to You." Taken from the album "Close to You", the single became the group's first number one, spending four weeks on the top of the U.S. charts. "Close to You" became an international hit, beginning a five-year period where the duo was one of the most popular recording acts in the world. During that period, the Carpenters won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist of 1970, and had an impressive string of Top Ten hits, including "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other," "Goodbye to Love," "Yesterday Once More," and "Top of the World." After 1975's number four hit "Only Yesterday," the group's popularity began to decline. For the latter half of the '70s, the duo were plagued by personal problems. Richard had become addicted to prescription drugs; in 1978, he entered a recovery clinic, kicking his habit. Karen, meanwhile, became afflicted with anorexia nervosa, a disease she suffered from for the rest of her life. On top of their health problems, the group's singles had stopped reaching the Top Ten and by 1978, they weren't even reaching the Top 40. Consequently, Karen decided to pursue a solo career, recording a solo album in 1979 with Phil Ramone; the record was never completed and she returned to the Carpenters later that year. The reunited duo released their last album of new material, "Made in America", in 1981. The album marked a commercial comeback, as "Touch Me When We're Dancing" made it to number 16 on the charts. However, Karen's health continued to decline, forcing the duo out of the spotlight. On February 4, 1983, Karen was found unconscious at her parents' home in Downey; she died in the hospital that morning from cardiac arrest, caused by her anorexia. After Karen's death, Richard Carpenter concentrated on production work and assembling various compilations of the Carpenters' recorded work. In 1987, he released a solo album called "Time", which featured guest appearances by Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. More posthumous albums followed including 1989's "Lovelines", which featured unreleased Carpenters tracks next to curated solo tracks by Karen. "As Time Goes By" also arrived in Japan in 2001. In 2018, Richard oversaw the production of Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios, the album featured many of the duo's original songs reworked with added orchestration by the London-based Royal Philharmonic. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine in AllMusic)

An Album With No Title

Original Released on Double LP Columbia C 30181
(US, September 14, 1970)

This was the album that has introduced me to The Byrds in the early 70s. Until then I only had bought some hit singles from the band, like "Mr. Tambourine Man" or "Turn Turn Turn"; but this double set forced me to discover the previous albums, although I've always considered this one the very best of them all, unlike many reviewers of the time. And that preference of mine has passed very well the test of time: today this is the unique album of The Byrds which I still listen to with the very same pleasure of ever. It ain't easy when the members of a band breaks up one-by-one. First Gene Clark left during the recording of the third album (leaving behind his classic "Eight Miles High" which McGuinn modified for his spectacular guitar parts). Then David Crosby left between hard feelings, accusing McGuinn & Hillman of taking his name off the credits of some of the songs. Finally, after the band made the transition to country rock (and had just added the hedonistic Gram Parsons to their line up) Hillman left to found The Flying Burrito Brothers. In this beginning of the new decade (the 70’s) The Byrds were trying to sound much like a rock 'n' roll band and becoming less a vehicle for McGuinn. Their country, folk and bluegrass influences were completely absent this time out. The hard-edged sound worked on songs like "Lover of the Bayou" or the 16-minute version of "Eight Miles High" featuring some amazing guitar work from Roger McGuinn (the only surviving member from the band's hit-making days). Skip Battin and Gene Parsons contributed several worthy songs, including "Yesterday's Train", "You All Look Alike" and the album-closing "Welcome Back Home". Another terrific song is Clarence White's cover of Leadbelly's "Take a Whiff on Me". From this line-up, Clarence White was killed by a drunk driver on July 14, 1973 and Skip Battin died of Alzheimer's disease on July 6, 2003. 

About the unusual album (no) title: when veteran musician Skip Battin was invited to join The Byrds in late 1969, Roger McGuinn was optimistic that he had finally assembled a stable line-up for his band. (He was right — this version of the group lasted two and half years, longer than any other incarnation of The Byrds). Accordingly, McGuinn and his bandmates sought a name for their first album together that expressed their faith in the viability of the resurrected Byrds. Suggestions such as "Phoenix" and "the first Byrds album" were considered, but the double album (half studio tracks and half live recordings) that finally hit record store shelves in mid-1970 bore the odd title of (Untitled). Why (Untitled)? Was it a perverse joke? A sign of resignation at being unable to come up with an acceptable title? No, actually the title was an accident, the result of a record company's mistake. The details of how the album came to be called (Untitled) differ slightly depending upon the source, but the evidence confirms the accidental origins of the name. As Roger McGuinn explained in an advertisement for the album, «Somebody from Columbia called up our manager and asked him what [the title] was. He told them it was 'as yet untitled,' so they went ahead and printed that». The Byrds' producer-manager, Terry Melcher, related a slightly different version of events, claiming that he had written 'Untitled' on the official label copy sheet sent to the record company because the group had not yet settled on a name for the album, and before anyone realized what was happening, the album had been pressed as (Untitled). The fact that the name printed on the album sleeves included parentheses makes Melcher's explanation the more likely one.

JUDY COLLINS - "Wildflowers"

Original released on LP Elektra EKS-74012

(US, November 1967)

Soothing. Unique. Natural. These are clear adjectives used best when describing the style and grace of Judy Collins and her album "Wildflowers". Her blend of folk and meditative music paints a tapestry of soft, nurturing colors that transcends the mind of the listener and seeks one's soul. Much of the material feels uplifting and full of spirit, or even spiritual to some degree. Yet other parts of the record can be viewed and felt as sad and morose, which gives the record some dexterity and variety among its ability to appeal toward contrasting moods. Collins makes a well-earned statement in her original tunes "Since You Asked," "Sky Fell," and "Albatross," that deep, meditative, and subtle can be effective within the realms of music as an art form. She is certainly artistic with her approach, staying away from the clichéd folk and pop music that flooded much of the '60s radio-friendly airwaves. Collins also includes her favorite melodies from the songbooks of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. This can benefit one as a pleasant listen, easy to sooth the mind and body, and release the burdens of everyday stress in society.

JUDY COLLINS: "In My Life"

Original released on LP Elektra EKS 7320

(UK, November 1966)

After the release of Judy Collins' "Fifth Album" in November 1965, Collins seems to have determined to expand her stylistic range instead of competing with such fellow commercial folksingers as Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary for the wares of contemporary singer/songwriters, especially since she often came in second. (PP&M, for example, had managed to get their version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" out just before hers.) This meant not only seeking out new sources for material to cover, but also, in the wake of the folk-rock fad of 1965, employing more elaborate arrangements. So, on "In My Life", she drew from the off-Broadway musical theater for such songs as "Pirate Jenny," from The Threepenny Opera, and a suite assembled from Marat/Sade; she also looked internationally, to France for Jacques Brel's "La Colombe" and to Canada for the first songs by poet/novelist Leonard Cohen, "Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag." Then, she decamped to England with arranger/conductor Joshua Rifkin, who orchestrated the tracks in imaginative chamber pop settings. The result might have been pretentious or silly, but thankfully Collins, who had classical music training, knew what she was doing. The material was well chosen; the arrangements showed it off to perfection; and Collins' vocals were alternately soothing and stirring, but always clear and well articulated, as well as carefully pitched to the tone of the material. All of this made "In My Life" a breakthrough, artistically and commercially (the album eventually went gold). It also helped launch Cohen, who had never recorded or performed his music publicly at the time of its release, as a musical artist. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

JUDY COLLINS: "Fifth Album"

Original released on LP Elektra EKL 300

(US, November 1965)

Judy Collins' last straight, folk-based album of the 1960s, "Fifth Album" marks her transition from a "maid of constant sorrow" to a bona fide artist. With its covers ranging from Lennon and McCartney to adaptations from The Threepenny Opera, 1966's "In My Life" would readily attest to this. But "Fifth Album", cut in late 1964, may very well be her definitive folk statement. A trio of Bob Dylan songs act as the album's centerpiece, clearly showing Collins' growth into more progressive songs. In addition to these, Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" is given its classic reading, with Collins' voice echoing the song's melancholy and eerie but mellifluent precision and emotion. Aside from these recordings - which would have been the highlights on any other record - the album opens with perhaps its finest moment, Richard Farina's "Pack Up Your Sorrows." Led by Farina's sprightly dulcimer runs, Collins renders the song her own, with a unifying, karmic message and a vocal performance that is irresistible. The musical politics of the day, particularly concerning the entire West Coast/Byrds/folk-rock phenomenon, must have tempted Collins to approach this from a neo-folk-rock standpoint, and it fits the vibe and milieu perfectly. In the end, while not her farewell to folk music, this album is a graceful wave and a smile from Collins as she was about to conquer a new, more baroque direction in a matter of months. (Matthew Greenwald in AllMusic)

TYRANNOSAURUS REX: "Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels Of The Ages"

Original released on LP Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1005

(UK 1968, October 14)

The most underrated of Tyrannosaurus Rex's four albums, "Prophets, Seers & Sages" was recorded just six months after their debut and adds little to the landscapes which that set mapped out. There is the same reliance on the jarring juxtaposition of rock rhythms in a folky discipline; the same abundance of obscure, private mythologies; the same skewed look at the latest studio dynamics, fed through the convoluted wringer of the duo's imagination - the already classic pop of the opening "Deboraarobed" is further dignified by its segue into the same performance played backwards, a fairly groundbreaking move at a time when even the Beatles were still burying such experiments deep in the mix. But if the album itself found the duo rooted to the musical spot, still it delivered some of Marc Bolan's most resonant songs. The nostalgia-flavored "Stacey Grove" and the contrarily high-energy "Conesuela" were as peerless as any of Bolan's more feted compositions. Equally intriguing is the confidence which exudes from "Scenes of Dynasty," a successor of sorts to the last album's "Scenesof," but presented with just percussion and some strange vocal noises to accompany Bolan's singing - at a time when "singing" was maybe not the term a lot of listeners would employ for his vocals. The excited "one-two-three-four" count-in only adds to the dislocation, of course. Finally, the owlishly contagious "Salamanda Palaganda" offers a first-hand peek into the very mechanics of Bolan's songwriting. Other composers stuck for a rhyme either reach for the thesaurus or abandon the lyric altogether. Bolan simply made one up, and in the process created a whole new language - half nonsense, half mystery, but wholly intoxicating. Just like the rest of the album, in fact. (Dave Thompson in AllMusic)

BARBRA JOAN STREISAND

Original released on LP Columbia KC 30792

(US, August 1971)

On her follow-up to the comeback album "Stoney End", Barbra Streisand tried to do for (or to) Carole King what she had done the last time around with Laura Nyro, to redo her material in a similar manner and essentially hijack it (while providing a big jump in songwriter royalties, of course). This was not so easy to do in the case of "Beautiful," "Where You Lead," and "You've Got a Friend," however, since, unlike the Nyro songs, by the time Streisand got to these tunes, they were already on King's own chart-topping album, "Tapestry". Nevertheless, Streisand, who after all is a much more powerful singer than King, did them well and even eked out a Top 40 single on "Where You Lead." And the album contained other gems, such as a delicate reading of John Lennon's "Love" (a take on his "Mother" was far less successful) and the only recording of "I Mean to Shine," written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, soon to launch Steely Dan. Streisand was not able to make the final transition into the pop/rock realm for the simple reason that she wasn't a writer, but she had spent a career making other people's songs her own, and she was as effective doing that here as she had been on very different material in the '60s. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

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