Regal Zonophone 2
Available from Heyday Mailorder,where this info was taken from:
ue soon...A Study In Black – Madrigal
Two albums on one CD by New Zealand 1960s Garage/Beat/Psych band Larry's Rebels.
In 1967 Larry's Rebels released their first album A Study in Black on Impact Records, which included the Top Ten single ‘Painter Man’ (which was subsequently banned by NZBC radio stations for being a ribald record in bad taste). The tracks for this album were mostly stage favourites, but included five originals – among them ‘Let’s Think of Something’ which went on the win that year’s Silver Scroll.
During 1966 and 1967 Larry's Rebels could not put a foot wrong in New Zealand. After their run of classy support roles on international tours, they began headlining their own blockbusters, including two Impact Shows and two Larry's Rebels Dance Spectaculars.
At Auckland's Western Springs Stadium they drew a crowd of 18,000, followed shortly after by a crowd of 12,000 in the city's Epson Showground. Many appearances erupted into frantic riots, with the stage rushed and costumes ripped to shreds. A task force was subsequently assembled to provide protection for the band members at shows. A sure sign that the boys were serious stars.
The band was unravelling, however, and in 1968 Larry Morris left, and the remaining members reverted to calling themselves The Rebels with Glyn Mason taking over on vocals.
They then had a number one hit with ‘My Son John’ and released the album ‘Madrigal’ (again on Impact). They broke up in 1970.
Comes with a 6-page foldout booklet, liners and pictures
A Study in Black:_ 1. Midnight Hour 2. What Now My Love 3. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow 4. Stormy Winds 5. Flying Scotsman – Train Kept A Rollin 6. Shakin’ up Some Soul 7. Painter Man 8. Skye Boat Song 9. Saturday’s Child 10. Let’s Think of Something 11. Dancing in the Street 12. Speak My Mind 13. Inside Looking Out 14. Situation Vacant
Madrigal:*_ 1. Forget It, I Got It 2. Good Day Sunshine 3. My Son John 4. To Love Somebody 5. Ticket to Ride Pt 1 6. Ticket to Ride Pt 2 7. Passing You By 8. Little Fairy Michael 9. You Don’t Love Me 10. Georgia on My Mind 11. There Goes My Used to Be 12. Rhubarb
RAY COLUMBUS
45 Remastered tracks by the most famous New Zealand 60s Beat group.
The Definitive Collection features every studio recording by Ray Columbus and the Invaders plus four previously unreleased live tracks, all remastered.
Detailed 18 page booklet contains band history and comment plus many archival posters, press clippings and photos.
Ray and the Invaders enjoyed huge success in the early 1960s in New Zealand and Australia, including tours with the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison.
Disc 1 - 1 She's a Mod 2 Cat's Eyes 3 Yo Yo 4 On my Mind 5 Willie and the Hand Jive 6 Once Upon a Time 7 Yes Indeed 8 Oh My Baby 9 Orbie Lee 10 Ku Pow 11 I Wanna Be Your Man 12 Made You 13 The Cruel Sea 14 C'mon and Swim 15 We Can't Go Wrong 16 I'm Finding Out 17 Shakin' All Over 18 Now You Shake 19 Jimmy Jumps 20 Money Lover 21 That's All I Want From You 22 Till We Kissed
Disc 2 - 1 Long Tall Sally 2 She's Gone 3 I Feel Bad 4 She's Back Again 5 Theme From Dr. No 6 I Saw Her Standing There 7 Everynight 8 Poison Ivy 9 Mad at Me 10 90a Nashville Drive 11 I Think of You 12 All Through Pride 13 Spanish Holiday 14 You'll See 15 Autumn Leaves 16 So in Love 17 Just a Dream 18 Tonight is the Time 19 Remember (Walking in the Sand) 20 Bread and Butter (live) 21 If I Fell (live ) 22 The Rise & Fall Of Flingel Bunt (live ) 23 She's a Mod (live )
Product Code: (DOCD4009)
Interesting NZ pop. Ray Columbus was a big name here and had quite a few hits. They broke up before the advent of psych so unless you are interested in early- mid 60s beat and such it would not really interest many here.
Larrys Rebels is more interesting. The two albums seem to bookend the psych era, the first just as psych sounds were hitting our shores and the second LP came after their psychedelic singles (which are not included here), and heads to a different era. There was also a change in lead singer for the second LP at that point as Larry Morris was busted for drugs and became a solo artist. This also affected the choice in songs to some extent.
Of the two LPs the first is a odd mixture of people pleasers that they toured round the clubs with and has a touch of Saturday night cabaret with a mix of pop soul blues and garage sounds. You lurch between Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and a beatpop take on Scots folk tune of Skye Boat Song, soul covers like Dancing in the Street and Midnight Hour, and the band's own fuzzy bluesy psychedelic creations like Speak My Mind and Flying Scotsman.
1968's Madrigal is loved by some as the high point of the groups career and others would probably say - meh. It has more Joe Cockeresque takes on Beatles (Good Day Sunshine, Ticket to Ride) and Bee Gees (To Love Somebody) as well as memorable originals like My Son John and the Who-like Passing You By helping make it a little more cohesive.
Its a great shame that they did not include the singles as extras which would have made this a really worthwhile purchase.
Thank you Daniel for giving us some feedback on the Larrys Rebels music...ive only ever heard whats been included on comps,I must admit and say "Madrigal" sounds the better of the two included here.....but as far as i know only available on a rather expensive import....ill be making enquiries to Red Eye Records,see how much theyre selling it for.Thanks again Daniel!!!Finally if i remember right didnt Larry of the Rebels get jailed for a minor drug offence of some kind??Or am i barking up the wrong tree??
I must hunt down the original of My Son John then as it is a favourite of mine.
There were a few twists with Larry Morris. He was indeed arrested fr drugs, twice. The first time for possession of cannabis was a big blow as he was starting out on a solo career and was making his money touring on the club circuit sponsored by one of the main brewery company. Of course when that came up the contract was terminated (after all alcohol is a acceptable drug)and that was the end for his career to some extent. Than a year or two later he was caught dealing which was far more serious and served a four year jail sentence.
One last interesting thing is for some reason in the middle of their psychedelic period the group put out a EP of christmas songs. I have no idea what it is like or why they did it (I think Paul Revere and the Raiders did a similar thing) I understand they are pretty faithful covers and not freaked out versions. Needless to say I have never bothered looking for it.