Deep Tracks: Late-1960s Britain
Not every British band in the ’60s got famous; a handful of bands made it, but many others tried very hard, but never got their big break while some were forgotten after getting a hit or two. Others never were famous Stateside, but had a bigger following back home. And still others never sold well due to poor marketing or bad business decisions from the record label, but still have a small following today. There are obviously many other great ’60s bands from England besides the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, and other noted notables, and I highly recommend these songs as a good starting point digging deeper into the late-’60s music scene in England.
1) “Making Time,” The Creation (1966)
This song is one you might recognize if you’re a Wes Anderson fan, since it was made famous decades after its release in the 1999 film Rushmore. The Creation started off as a beat group, but later turned mod while being produced by Shel Talmy. Though they’re best known for the song “Painter Man,” “Making Time” was the band’s first single, and the Creation remains a favorite among mods today. If you like the Who’s “I Can’t Explain” and the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” you’ll really dig this.
2) “Brain,” The Action (1967/1968)
The Action were another mod band from the ’60s inspired by American soul and R&B. “Brain” was one of their more psychedelic songs and a change from their other releases, which were more pop- and R&B-sounding. By 1968, the band changed their sound, and in 1969, they transformed into the psychedelic band Mighty Baby. Their music didn’t chart in the United States, let alone the UK, but the Action remains a very underrated band and so worth a listen.
3) “Walking Through My Dreams,” The Pretty Things (1968)
The Pretty Things’ S.F. Sorrow album was one of the very first rock concept albums, relaying the tale about the eponymous character from birth to old age. “Walking Through My Dreams,” a psychedelic trip, and its excellent B-side, “Talkin’ About the Good Times,” were released around the same time. Even today, the band retains its popularity in the UK, but is still lesser known in the US.
4) “Get Yourself Together,” The Small Faces (1967)
One of the best mod bands of the 60s, the Small Faces were made up of four members who were under 5’6″, true to the band’s name. They broke up in 1969 with Steve Marriott leaving and Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joining the band, changing their name to the Faces or, simply, Faces. They were influential to the musicians of the late-’70s/early-’80s mod revival such as the Jam. Though their most radio-ready single, “Itchycoo Park,” is a staple, this song is definitely a contender as well.
5) “Fly Me High,” Ambrose Slade (1969)
Though they later shortened their name to Slade and switched to a glam-rock sound, “Fly Me High” is drawn from Ambrose Slade’s first album, Beginnings and is a cover of the Moody Blues song written by Justin Hayward. Their success peaked in the early ’70s, but a jump to the United States in the middle of the decade was the kiss of death. Nevertheless, in Britain, their singles sold well, and they were the best selling British band of the ’70s, according to British Hit Singles & Albums. They didn’t have the same success stateside, but they were influential to a lot of American bands such as Nirvana, the Ramones, and the Runaways.
6) “Real Life Permanent Dream,” Tomorrow (1967)
You may be most familiar with Tomorrow via the film Smashing Time, in which they got in a food fight at a pie shop. A psychedelic rock band from London, they only released one album in the ’60s, and sadly, didn’t become successful because psychedelic music was going out of fashion. Their guitar player, Steve Howe, however, went on to later join Yes. Much like many other ’60s psychedelic rock songs, this song has a sitar in it, which really adds to the psychedelic sound.
7) “Up The Junction,” Manfred Mann (1968)
Many people remember two Manfred Mann songs from the ’60s: “Do Wah Diddy” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “The Mighty Quinn,” but can’t remember much else about the band. Although they had two number ones, they never had the same success in the States that they did in England. The same year that “The Mighty Quinn” was released, they created the soundtrack for a film called Up The Junction, with all of the songs written by Manfred Mann and Mike Hugg. In my opinion, Manfred Mann’s best album was the blues and R&B influenced The Five Faces of Manfred Mann from 1964, but this track stands as a good example of the band’s later period.
8) “She Came in the Morning,” Fat Mattress (1969)
A very psychedelic song that reminds me a bit of “Mr Fantasy” era Traffic. Noel Redding of Jimi Hendrix Experience fame was in this band and played guitar and shared lead vocals with Neil Landon. As a matter of fact, Chris Wood from Traffic played flute on “All Night Drinker”. Jimi Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell also were guest musicians on the album. They released two albums, Fat Mattress and Fat Mattress II in 1969 and 1970. The band were short lived and broke up in 1970. I highly recommend their debut album. Other highlights of that album are “All Night Drinker”, “Mr Moonshine”, and “Petrol Pump Assistant”.
9) “Rondo,” The Nice (1967)
Before Keith Emerson was in Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, he was in a jazz-influenced, progressive-rock band called the Nice, who were also the backing band for PP Arnold. One of their signature moves was taking classic songs like “America” from West Side Story and changing them up into a new style and adding a bit of classical music influence as well. In fact, this song is a reworking of Dave Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo à la Turk” from their 1967 album The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack. Of course, what stands out is Keith Emerson’s organ playing as an early example of progressive rock.
10) “Police On My Back,” The Equals (1968)
One of the first multiracial bands to come out of England, the Equals took influences from R&B and ska. Not just popular not just in England, the band was a favorite in Germany and the Netherlands as well, where their hit “Baby Come Back” went to #1. Lead singer Eddy Grant was originally from Guyana, while other members of the band were twins Derv and Lincoln Gordon from Jamaica, and Pat Lloyd and John Hall from England, making for an exciting blend of sounds and influences. Though this song is a bit of a gem, “Police On My Back” was notably covered by the Clash in 1980.
Did we miss your favorite deep track from ’60s Britain? Let us know in the comments!
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Chris Wyman