Echo & The Bunnymen - Angels And Devils

Korova (UK) KOW34, 1984
 
B-side of "Silver". This was a one-off, recorded during a break on their '84 North American tour. I remember being really psyched by this when it came out, as it seemed to suggest a return to a simpler, stripped down sound after the lush orchestrations of Ocean Rain and multilayered production of Porcupine. Too bad they didn't pursue this any further and instead went the overproduced, '80s synth route with "Bring On the Dancing Horses" and that awful self-titled LP.

One of their best 7" sides, and the end of a great run.

Herman's Hermits - Leaning On The Lamp Post

MGM Records K13500, 1966
 
Guilty pleasure record here. It's fruity as hell, like most Herman's Hermits tunes, but what are ya gonna do? It's irresistibly catchy Brit invasion bubblegum, something this band cranked out in bulk.

This one reached #7 in the U.S.



The single version is different - different take - than what's on any of their albums (yes, I'll admit it: I have several Herman's Hermits records.)

Eric Burdon & The Animals - Sky Pilot (Parts 1 & 2)

MGM Records K13939, 1968
 
This is the radio version, which I think had a lot more work put into it. Aside from the freaky echo effect on "How high can you fly?", the drums stay in the mix during the middle sonic collage part. The transitions seem to work better, compared to the choppier, bland LP mix (an earlier mix, perhaps?). Plus, the single has some spooky bagpipes at the end.

I'm fairly certain this was the first stereo 45 I ever owned. Lots of cool panning effects during the middle part. As a kid, I loved playing this one on my GE Wildkat stereo and reveling in the total stereo experience (the distressed condition of this record reminds me of this - sorry about that. I'd love to track down a better copy someday).



I have yet to find this version on any CD compilation. The recent remaster of The Twain Shall Meet claims to contain the single version, but don't waste your money - it's just the album mix, folded to mono and cut into two parts.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Let's Talk About Us

Smash S-2202, 1968
 
The Otis Blackwell-penned classic. This isn't the original 1959 Sun Records version, but a late '60s remake Jerry did for Chicago label Smash.

This was recorded after Jerry's transformation from Rockabilly to MOR Contemporary County, with signature production by Jerry Kennedy. I've developed a taste for this period of The Killer's career - forgotten by pop radio, but soldiering on in Country (the A-side of this 45 topped the Country charts in '68). He was a good fit for this style and still rocked it his way.



Dave Edmunds did a nice cover of this a decade later (with Nick Lowe producing) - a version that seems to borrow more from the Smash single than the original.