There is a just released collection of early Godley & Creme material that is quite frankly blowing my mind. I expected this collection to be the usual bottom of the vault scraps tossed together to make a few bucks, but instead found gem after gem after gem. "Frabjous Days: The Wonderful World Of Godley & Creme, 1967-1969" is a treasure trove of rarities, many of which were thought to be lost forever.
There are songs here written and recorded for a proposed album on Giorgio Gomelsky's Marmalade label, which never happened, obviously; songs written for other British pop stars of the time, like Dave Berry and future CC-er Graham Gouldman; one off singles under monikers like Frabjoy & Runcible Spoon, Kev & Lol and Yellow Bellow Room Boom, most of which had the involvement of fellow future bandmates Gouldman and Eric Stewart. A few of the tracks were re-recorded and released as Hotlegs. But none of these tracks feel like demos or throwaways. This collection plays beautifully, more like early 10cc than anything found on the Hotlegs releases.
For you vinyl heads, there is a limited edition vinyl version from the excellent Guerssen label that is being sold exclusively through Shindig magazine. Only 200 lavender colored copies will be pressed, so if that interests you, pre-orders are being taken now over here. At last count, 100 had been sold.
I've loved 10cc from the first time I heard "I'm Not In Love" coming out of a Norelco AM radio while baking in the sun at Brighton Beach. And that was the inferior, cut to shreds single version. Just this week, I had been gushing about the first four albums with my friend, another diehard, and it was that conversation that pushed me into finally listening to "Frabjous Days." If you have ever been a fan, this set will not disappoint.
8 comments:
Great find! I'm a fan of 10cc. I'm considering buying the vinyl
Damn, that is beautiful. Thanks for sharing this - I will be picking it up.
I have to say, this is yet another release that I'd have had no idea about, probably, despite subscribing to MOJO and Rolling Stone for years and reading lots.
Of course, RS wouldn't cover this any more - they're too busy with the hottest thing this millisecond - and MOJO goes the other way, they cover so much, I might well have missed it.
Also - the title alone tells you it's going to be good... I used to be able to recite The Jabberwocky from memory.
The 3 cuts you shared are really really great. Luckily the album is available on Apple so I'll give it a whirl. If the rest is anything like these 3 cuts I'll get the vinyl, postage from UK be damned!
I'm loving this album too. I didn't know what to expect. It's just as good, maybe even better?, than Hotlegs.
YES YES YES !!!
These mellow summer grooves are just right to keep you cool!
The best track for me was "One and One Make Love". I could see this one being a big hit for Dusty Springfield.
Nice review. Thanks for the hot tip, Sal. Just ordered a copy. Looking forward to listening to it.
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