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Fading Yellow volume 3

title

Fading Yellow volume 3

label

Flower Machine Records

format
various artists CD

Fading Yellow volume 3 CD coverFading Yellow Volume 3 continues where Volume 2 left off with more obscure 1960s North American psychedelic pop (or sike-pop, as they call it). A lot of what was written about Fading Yellow Vol. 2 applies to this volume as well, when it comes to the sound quality of the recordings. Warnings that original master tapes could not be located for many songs and since original 45s were often used, we're told that even unplayed 45s could have surface noise are included on later volumes of Fading Yellow. But oddly it's mainly the US volumes which suffer the most from these sound problems. It's either a sad fact that we will have to make due with these tunes with some noise, or someone will eventually do some more digging in order to find original sources, but until that day (if it ever comes), Fading Yellow still remains one of the best ways to hear such wonderful and obscure 60s psychedelic pop - and Fading Yellow Vol. 3 is just as consistent as Volume 2 in that regard.

Fading Yellow Vol. 3 starts out with the original version of Shadows And Reflections as recorded by Eddie Hodges. Shadows And Reflections is best known in the version done by British act The Action, and any fans of that group will enjoy hearing the pop idol take on Shadows And Reflections (and ponder what The Action were attempting in covering it).

The Giant Jellybean Copout were a Critters' side project featuring Bob Dileo (whose Band In Boston is featured on Fading Yellow Vol. 6). Fans of The Critters and awesome harmony vocals will love The Giant Jellybean Copout's Look At The Girls which was written by Critters' Jim Ryan. The Critters also included a version of Awake In A Dream (also written Jim Ryan) which was also covered by the Giant Jellybean Copout (not included here).

For those of you who enjoy the female component of 60s pop, there's quite a bit of that on Fading Yellow Vol. 3. Saturday's Photograph recorded a folk pop sweetie on a Columbia 45 including the California influenced Gentle Lovin´ San Francisco Man (which sounds like a lost Sandy Posey side) and Summer Never Go Away which has a soft lost summer bossa sound. Another female fronted group is The London Phogg which was a 45 only release on A&M Records from 1968 which has a fuzz and fresh buzz with female harmonies and a galloping rhythm. It's a shame A&M has not jumped on the many 45 only releases under their belt for a legitimate release that include the likes of London Phogg, The Sweet Bippies, Pieces Of Eight, Sisters Love, Larry Marks, Rick & Donna Jarrard, Terrible Tom, Barbara Keith, Robert John, Frank Gorshin ("The Riddler"), Terry Stafford and the classic Garden Club's Little Girl Lost and Found.

There are two RCA Victor sides recorded by the super young Mark Radice in 1967, who was only 10 at the time. Mark Radice's father is Gene Radice (a well known recording engineer who worked with Jimi Hendrix, Lovin'Spoonful, The Cowsills, The Mamas and Papas, The Tokens and Vanilla Fudge) and later joined up with Aerosmith in the 1970s, but here we here his child prodigy genius where he sounds a lot like Lesley Gore on Save Your Money and Wooden Girl (well he sounds more like a little boy on the latter). Mark Radice's real masterpiece Three Cheers (For The Sad Man) is included on Fading Yellow - Vol. 6.

There's a distorted little gem in The Voyage's One Day. There's no information about who's behind this sweet little slice of pop either. But it's still worth checking out even through the distorted buildup.

The Trolley were a Northwest band on Jerden whose garagey Breakdown appeared on volume one of the Northwest Battle of the Bands. The b-side Toy Shop appears here and it's got an intense vibe but is definitely the lighter side of Breakdown with its harmonies and the tick tock rhythm.

Gaitley & Fitzgerald are an obscure singing duo (perhaps having something to do with the regional furniture store chain in the Philly area called Gaitley & Fitzgerald?) who had a single released in 1967 called Seance Day b/w Jingle Down A Hill. Seance Day (included here) has got a jaunty, spare feel with odd horn based rhythms, strummed acoustic guitar and bouncing harpsichords. It was co-produced by Robert John, who later worked with George Tobin on some A&M singles before getting a hit on a remake of The Tokens' The Lion Sleeps Tonight in 1971, which was produced by original Token Hank Medress.

Robbie Curtice also appears on the UK only Fading Yellow Vol. 4 - but appears here because his dreamy When Diana Paints The Picture was a USA-only release, produced by Vic Smith (aka Vic Coppersmith-Heaven later best known for producing The Jam's early work). Robbie Curtice's The Soul Of A Man on Fading Yellow Vol. 4 is a phenomenal dancer, while this is a dreamy piece of pop (too bad it's rather distorted here).

The Chicago Loop was a band formed by pianist Barry Goldberg and guitarist Michael Bloomfield (later to form Electric Flag) who released the odd This Must Be The Place on Bob Crewe's Dyno-Voice in 1966. It's definitely got that Crewe production which is always unique to hear.

Not much is known about The Cadaver except that they were from Connecticut and their Haven't Got The Time is a sweet piece of poppy psych that has that certain "New England" Sound which ends this volume of Fading Yellow.

---Patrick, December 21, 2004