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Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

Been listening to the 2nd disc of the anthology, 'Part Of Their Past' that contains the unreleased album...
This is some really excellent brit Pop Psych!
Lotsa really yummy mellotron on here.
If I'd heard this when Skip Bifferty put up his Pop Psych album post I would definitely have given it a mention, in fact if you're still tuned in here Skip, you gotta check this one out if you haven't already.
I know some of you on here are well into this one, but, again, it's quite a recent discovery for me...way better than I expected, at least on the 2nd disc.
A nice surprise, Top Notch!

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

Hello Painterman,YES!!!cd 2 on the "Part of my past" double cd,most of the tracks from 1-10 are excellent,most were supposed to make up the album"Once more Unto The Breach Dear Friends",which would've been heralded as a good album now from UK psych & pop buffs if it was released way back then,but it wasn't to be,and those tracks barely get a mention,but as you said there are some yummy pop/psych numbers to be had replete with some great sounding mellotron,tracks like "what in the world","Whatcha Gonna Do"with its mellotron strains straight outta the fabs Strawbery fields,the track"Castle in the Sky"which was also recorded by Blonde On Blonde on their second album Reflections(i think),"Laughing boy from Nowhere" and the first 3 tracks which i think are magic"Stained Glass Window",Please Come Back"and"Light on Dark Water"very catchy indeed.I've gotta say tracks 11-16 are more in a Love Affair pop sound,which aint no bad thing imo but nothing as good or as psychy as tracks 1-10!!!On cd 1 of course you have the fab psych of "Kites"and the tracks recorded as The Moles,you also get the hybrid of soul & sike of "Theres a little Picture Playhouse"which strangely enough was also recorded by the US band "The Stillroven"(correct me if im wrong).The magical"Like the Sun Like The Fire"again with yummy tron which features prominantly on"For Whom the Bells Toll"and"Part of my Past".""Thinking about My lIfe"sounds like something DD,D,B,M&T would've recorded,in other words pretty commercial pop.The mellotron pops up again on "Velvet and Lace"and finally the last track on cd 1"Give It All Back"is pretty interesting as it has a transitional sound from Simon Dupree to Gentle Giant,to my ears anyway,so thanks Painterman for reminding me how good this collection is.Finally you have the copious liners with plenty of period photos,and an article in Record Collector ,which to me has been the best thing Record Collectors had for a while when it comes to uk 60s pop etc.Well worth a read,its issue 413 April 2013 if you wanna pick up a copy.

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

I'm here and I've heard you, this'll be another cd to check out. I did buy this double cd when it first came out, and quite quickly gave up on it becuase I thought it sounded too quaint for my ears. I'm not sure I got round to listening to the second cd though so I'll look forward to hearing it.

I've listened to a good part of what was recommended to me and, so far, I've only found that I like the Gandalf album and possibily the Rick Price $ Mike Sheridan. I haven't given Status Quo a proper go yet and there's still a few to go but, generally, I've found the stuff a bit too poppy for my taste. There's a fine line with me, I really like Gandalf, Wichita Falls, which are both quite poppy but I find most albums in that genre (more US influenced I think) too poppy. It might be because I'm coming from the progressive rock angle rather than straight pop or rock. It's a bit of a mystery to me why I really like some albums which other people don't, and vice versa too?

Unlike some people, I don't think judging 'good' music can be completely subjective so I think it's important to consider the timeline of what a person has listened to before, before being able to predict a person will like in future. So I'm including not just the actual songs and albums a person has listened to but the order that they were 'discovered' as well. Of course, it's still extremely difficult to predict what a person will like I think.

I'm currently trying to find some albums similar in style and sound to Begin Here by the Zombies. Any recommendations?

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

When I say 'poppy' I think basically I mean, not enough psych effects, and with very few breaks in the music where they change the rhythm or style.

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

Lotsa music an lotsa peoples Skip....it's all a mystery!!
You might find the Simon Dupree a bit poppy too...

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

Good rundown of the tracks there Stuart.

End of second cd loses steam fast with those crummy Hollies-type tracks.
And the soul-tracks are pretty rubbish, but overall, there is lotta great music here.

These guys should have become a MONSTER teen band back then. Even being on EMI didnt help their career (pre Gentle Giant). How do you explain this?

The guy whose table I shared at the record convention had an absolute minto copy of "Reservations" lp. I think it was priced near $100.
Didn't sell.

Dupree must have been one of the first bands ,after Moodies, to use the mellotron - in this case the Abbey Road mellotron which was just a recent installation at the time of "Kites" in '67.

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

Well put painterman, I probably won't hold high hopes for this one then.

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

Hi Skip...some good (and some V.good) Brit Lps in a less poppy vein...

Gods Genesis & To Samuel A Son
Love Sculpture Forms and Feelings
Freedom Nerosubianco(Black on White)
East of Eden Mercator Projected
Bulldog Breed Made In England
Hardin & York Tomorrow Today

These all veer toward a more rock / on the cusp of progressive style while still retaining elements of the pop psych sounds....
..anyway whatever you want to call it, they're all worthwhile

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

Thank you. I listened to the Black and White album yesterday and have already played it three times. I think it's going to be one to add to my collection. I've also tried the Love Sculpture and the guitar work is really really impressive. I'm not as sure about the song-writing though. Are these two of your favourites? The orchestration on the Black and White is so good it almost reminds me of Gainsbourg's Histoire album. The keyboard (or something similar) is also really prominent and consistently excellent on this album.

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

I like the L.S a lot but I would say it's a little patchy, like most albums..Freedom is a beauty...
You may like Gun..S/T...see Gun post

Re: Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

There are two unreleased (then) Dupree tracks on the Gentle Giant - Scraping The Barrel - box set. Sort of prog/psych kletzmer