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• Detailed examination of the British Sunshine Pop sound during its late 60s/early 70s heyday.
• Four-hour compilation with 87 tracks including hits, misses, rarities and previously unreleased material.
Although the lushly-arranged, harmony-based late 60s Sunshine Pop sound is most readily associated with America in general and the sun-kissed California region in particular, the reality is that it was always an international phenomenon.
The three-CD set, ‘What A Groovy Day’ is a thrilling four-hour celebration of Britain’s contribution to the genre, ranging from household names (The New Seekers, Cliff Richard, Petula Clark, The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits) to terminally obscure acts like Infinity and The Mellow Yellow, who failed to release anything at the time.
Naturally our compilation includes contributions from the two uncrowned kings of the 60s British harmony pop sound, vocalist Tony Rivers (who provides us with our title song) and studio all-rounder John Carter, represented as both performer and songwriter.
Other highlights come from posthumously-acclaimed Sunshine Pop maestros Design, a trio of music library recordings by the largely overlooked but hugely talented backroom auteur Barbara Moore and, perhaps most intriguingly of all, the first-ever release of The Sweet’s first demo recording, cut when they were still known as Sweetshop.
Housed in a clamshell box featuring a lavish 48-page booklet, ‘What A Groovy Day’ is a fascinating exploration of a sound that, more than 50 years after its unacknowledged-at-the- time heyday, is still causing endless ripples in the musical gene pool. Grab yourself an instant dose of aural summer sunshine!
Tracklist
DISC ONE
1 WHAT A GROOVY DAY – Harmony Grass
2 GENTLEMEN OF THE PARK – Episode Six
3 LIKE THE TIDE, LIKE THE OCEAN – Force West
4 AT THE THIRD STROKE – The Piccadilly Line
5 ALEXANDER BELL BELIEVES – Alexander Bell
6 PAINTING THE DAY – Chuckles
7 SHE WON’T SHOW UP TONIGHT – John Carter
8 SUNSHINE GAMES – The Tremeloes
9 I’VE GOT YOU ON MY MIND – Dorian Gray
10 FLY PARADISE – Barbara Moore
11 MR. PSEUDO-FABULOUS – Weavers Green
12 DROPPING OUT – The Orange Bicycle
13 THE COMPANY I KEEP – Ken Smart
14 YOYO THOUGHTS – Philwit & Pegasus
15 MAKE UP YOUR MIND – The Bystanders
16 SATURDAY’S CHILD – The Spectrum
17 GEORGY GIRL – The Seekers
18 GOING HOME – Agincourt
19 LOONIN’ – The Wilson Malone Voiceband
20 SUMMER DREAMING – Tony Rivers & The Castaways
21 MUM AND DAD – Pinkerton’s Colours
22 BIRDS AND BEES – Warm Sounds
23 WHEN JEZAMINE GOES (demo version) – Marty Wilde
24 SOME OTHER SOMEDAY – West Coast Consortium
25 THE SOUND OF THE SUMMER – The Chocolate Watch Band
26 GENTLY AS YOU FEEL – The Flies
27 COLOUR MY WORLD – Petula Clark
28 EARLY MORNING SUN – The Californians
29 WHY SHOULDN’T I? – Jason Cord
30 BYE BYE BABY – The Symbols
DISC TWO
1 LITTLE ONE – The Episode
2 COLOURED MILE – Design
3 MY DOOR NO. 4 (aka LONELY HIGHWAY) – The Mirage
4 LOOKS LIKE RAIN – Majority One
5 LISTEN TO THE MAN – Robbie
6 A NIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED – Dawn Chorus
7 ALL ON A SUMMER’S DAY – Butterscotch
8 SMILE A LITTLE SMILE FOR ME (US single version) – The Flying Machine
9 MONTAGE – Jefferson
10 IN MY MAGIC GARDEN – Tinkerbell’s Fairydust
11 SOFTLY WHISPERING I LOVE YOU – David & Jonathan
12 I’M COMING BACK – Sparrow
13 EVERY LITTLE MOVE SHE MAKES – White Plains
14 FRIENDS OF MINE – The Zombies
15 STAINED GLASS WINDOW – Simon Dupree & The Big Sound
16 WE CAN HELP YOU – The Alan Bown!
17 C’MON MARIANNE (alternative version) – Grapefruit
18 (THE MAN FROM THE) MARRIAGE GUIDANCE AND ADVICE BUREAU – The Knack
19 EVERYTHING IS SUNSHINE – The Hollies
20 NIGHT IN THE CITY – The New Seekers
21 THE LIGHTNING TREE – The Settlers
22 HELLOW HELLOW – Paul Ryan
23 BUT I KNOW – Normie Rowe
24 HEAVY LACE – The Roger Webb Sound
25 SLEEPY JOE – Herman’s Hermits
26 MR, RAINBOW – Homer’s Knods
27 AM I LOSING YOU – The Flower Pot Men
28 CRIED ENOUGH FOR YOU* – The Mellow Yellow
29 I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN – Infinity
DISC THREE
1 MOVE IN A LITTLE CLOSER BABY – Harmony Grass
2 TAKE A BOAT – Design
3 FLY AWAY – Barbara Moore
4 BEING HUMAN BEING – Paper Bubble
5 MR. NICE – Cliff Richard
6 MYTHOLOGICAL SUNDAY – Friends
7 ANY TIME – Washington D.C.’s
8 I’M A TRAIN – Colors Of Love
9 LET’S GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL – Montanas
10 DO YOU WANNA DANCE – Deep Feeling
11 DARK STAR – Pussyfoot
12 LIKE THE SUN – Tapestry
13 THE WALK WILL DO YOU GOOD – The Rainbow People
14 DON’T LISTEN – Katch 22
15 CLOSE MY EYES – Edwards Hand
16 TRY A LITTLE SADNESS – Genesis
17 CHERRY, CHERRY – Jonathan King
18 HOLLY GOLIGHTLY – Fluff
19 MIDWEEK EXCURSION – Pennsylvania Sixpence
20 LOOK AT THE SUN – Sun Dragon
21 ON A QUIET NIGHT – The Oscar Bicycle
22 FORGIVE AND FORGET* – Warm Sounds
23 WITH MY EYES CLOSED – The March Hare
24 SHAPES AND SHADOWS – Tandem
25 MILLIONS OF MILLIONS* – Sweetshop
26 LADY OF THE MORNING SUN – The Bullring
27 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ – Jason Crest
28 SOUND OF SUMMER’S OVER – Summer Wine