file under: male vocal

the golden age of the beat balladeer

After enjoying countless compilation albums of psych, beat, garage, girl groups, instrumentals, soul, exotica etc, it struck me that I'd hardly ever seen any comps which concentrated on that most popular of sixties phenomena, the British male vocalist. I was thinking of great tracks and performances that could not really be considered beat, soul or psych, but at the same time conjured a similar sort of mental image. Solid, classy songs performed by great singers which readily evoke the sense of excitement and freshness prevalent in that decade. What I was trying to assemble for this album was a selection of quality male vocal, with a kind of pop/beat feel. The kind of thing you might have heard in any London discotheque alongside the beat groups, the Stateside soulsounds, the groovy girls and burgeoning psych riffs. Nothing too MOR or fey, just cool guys doing what they did best. I reckon it's a long overdue examination of a hitherto overlooked genre. It doesn't really need a label, but if you want to give it one, just file under: male vocal. Nick Saloman

Track Listing:

1. MICKEY CLARKE: Help Me
2. JASON CORD: I've Got My Eye On You
3. GERRY DEVILLE: You Never Tell Me
4. DOMINIC GRANT: Don't Stop Girl
5. NICHOLAS HAMMOND: I Can't Stop Myself
6. CHRISTIAN WARD: The Face Of Empty Me
7. GRAHAM BELL: How Do You Say I Don't Love You Any More
8. JERRY PAGE: Empty My Heart
9. DANE HUNTER: Too Late
10. BRIAN KEITH: When The First Tear Shows
11. KEITH POWELL: Song Of The Moon
12. DON ADAMS: That Feeling Is Gone
13. NEIL LANDON: I Still Love You
14. GREG HUNTER: Five 'O' Clock World
15. DAVE WALTON: Tell Me A Lie
16. DANNY STREET: Can I Go
17. DORIAN GRAY: Move On
18. RUDI BENNETT: I'm So Proud
19. RONNIE JONES: Put Your Tears Away
20. JAMES ROYAL: Call My Name