Fantastic news courtesy of Mr. Mark Frumento via Sir Mick Capewell's Sunny Cellophane Skies FB page (the true Master Minds of Toytown!):

Climb Aboard My Roundabout! The British Toytown Sound 1967-1974, 3CD Box Set
Various Artists
£22.99

Released October 28, 2022.
First-ever legitimate anthology of British toytown pop, a much-loved sub-genre among


Four-hour compilation with 87 tracks including hits, misses, rarities and previously unreleased


Climb Aboard My Roundabout! The British Toytown Sound 1967-1974, 3CD Box Set quantity
1
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Label£22.99
SKU:
CRSEGBOX119
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60s pop
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DESCRIPTION

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TRACKLIST
First-ever legitimate anthology of British toytown pop, a much-loved sub-genre among
Four-hour compilation with 87 tracks including hits, misses, rarities and previously unreleased


Issued at the start of 1967, Beatles’ single ‘Penny Lane’ coupled a widescreen production (bolstered by a phalanx of session musicians on brass and woodwind) with a mildly hallucinogenic lyric populated by mundane characters going about their unremarkable suburban lives.



It proved to be an enormously influential record. For the next year or two, British pop was awash with records that married quasi-classical arrangements with newly-minted fairy tales and character vignettes based around the grey everyday lives of ordinary small-town folk.



Many years later, this burst of English eccentricity came to be known in collector circles as toytown pop – a pseudo-genre that took in everything from Jeff Lynne‘s early band The Idle Race and Deram-era David Bowie to backroom auteurs like Mark Wirtz, whose ambitious ‘Teenage Opera’ project inspired the young Andrew Lloyd Webber, who provided similarly over-the-top arrangements for CBS hopefuls Cardboard Orchestra.



Featuring 87 excerpts from various pre-teenage operas, ‘Climb Aboard My Roundabout!’ is a 3CD celebration of the toytown pop experience. It includes contributions from the key players as well as many obscure delights and some huge rarities, including a hitherto-unreleased track from Wirtz’s aborted ‘Teenage Opera’ project.



With four hours of music housed in a clamshell box featuring a lavish 48-page booklet, ‘Climb Aboard My Roundabout!’ is an invitation that very few late 60s pop aficionados will be able to resist.



Track Listing:

DISC ONE
1 THE SKELETON AND THE ROUNDABOUT (mono single mix) – The Idle Race
2 JENNY ARTICHOKE – Kaleidoscope
3 CUDDLY TOY – Fruit Machine
4 PHENOMENAL CAT – The Kinks
5 LITTLE LESLEY – The Alan Bown!
6 EMILY SMALL (THE HUGE WORLD THEREOF) – The Picadilly Line
7 MAN IN THE TEAPOT – Fire
8 MR LIGHT – John Carter and Mickey Keen
9 THE DUBIOUS CIRCUS COMPANY – Clifford T. Ward
10 ICE CREAM MAN (alternative version) – Kidrock
11 LOLLIPOP MINDS – Wimple Winch
12 PETER’S BIRTHDAY (BLACK AND WHITE RAINBOWS) – World Of Oz
13 HA! HA! SAID THE CLOWN – Tony Hazzard
14 SAD SIMON LIVES AGAIN – Tim Andrews
15 UNCLE JOE, THE ICE CREAM MAN – The Mindbenders
16 PHOEBE’S FLOWER SHOP – The Cortinas
17 COPLINGTON – Persimmon’s Peculiar Shades
18 COLOUR SERGEANT LILLYWHITE – West Coast Consortium
19 OUR FAIRY TALE – The Herd
20 TEENAGE LOVE SONG – Hetherington
21 EBANEEZER BEAVER (demo version) – The Mirage
22 FAIRY TALE (demo version) – The Next Collection
23 BROTHER JACK – Barry Wigley
24 TRAFALGAR SQUARE – The Good Time Losers
25 SADIE AND HER MAGIC MR. GALAHAD – The New Generation
26 MARJORY DAW – Morning Glory
27 THE LAST PERFORMANCE OF THE ROYAL REGIMENTAL VERY VICTORIOUS AND VALIANT BAND – The Syn
28 RAINBOW ROCKING CHAIR – Majority One
29 EXCERPT FROM “A TEENAGE OPERA” – Keith West

DISC TWO
1 LAVENDER POPCORN – Scrugg
2 KNOCKING NAILS INTO MY HOUSE – Ambrose Slade
3 MR JOB – Jigsaw
4 UNCLE ARTHUR – David Bowie
5 THE BITTER THOUGHTS OF LITTLE JANE – Timon
6 CELLOPHANE MARY JANE – Astronaut Alan and The Planets
7 MR KIPLING – Tuesday’s Children
8 IT’S THE BEST SEASIDE IN THE WORLD – Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon
9 AND NOW FOR A LITTLE TRAIN NUMBER – Kenny Everett
10 GLORIOUS HOUSE OF ARTHUR – Fairfield Parlour
11 LAUGHING BOY FROM NOWHERE – Simon Dupree and The Big Sound
12 AUNTIE MARY’S DRESS SHOP – Tomorrow
13 THE EQUESTRIAN STATUE – The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
14 JAMES IN THE BASEMENT – Denis Couldry
15 TALES OF FLOSSIE FILLETT – Turquoise
16 MY BEST FRIEND – The Picadilly Line
17 HAPPINESS IS TOY-SHAPED – Harmony Grass
18 BIRMINGHAM BRASS BAND – The Bullring
19 WATCHMAKER – Persimmon’s Peculiar Shades
20 ROOM AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS – Timothy Blue
21 AFTER TEA – Spencer Davis Group
22 DREAM DREAM DREAM – Kidrock
23 LEMON PIE FAIR – Complex
24 UNCLE HENRY’S MAGIC GARDEN – David Matthews
25 BRIC-A-BRAC MAN – Bill Niles
26 WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE* (full version) – Chas Mills and Mark Wirtz
27 EVERYBODY LOVES THE CLOWN – Nirvana
28 SHARKEY – Christopher
29 POOR JOHNNY – The Secrets
30 FAIRGROUND – Pure Gold
31 TOY SOLDIER – The Riot Squad

DISC THREE
1 (HE’S OUR DEAR OLD) WEATHERMAN – Mark Wirtz
2 ZEBEDY ZAK – Cardboard Orchestra
3 FLORENCE – Tapestry
4 MR MOODY’S GARDEN – Gilbert O’Sullivan
5 MUTINY – The Alan Bown!
6 UPTIGHT BASIL – Magic Valley
7 BANG BANG – Kidrock
8 TOYMAKER – Wild Silk
9 LANTERNLIGHT – Peter and The Wolves
10 LOVE AND THE BIG BRASS BAND – Dave Christie
11 PICCOLO MAN – Friends
12 UWE AUS DUISBERG – The Hi-Fis
13 EINER KLEINER MISER MUSIK – Tony Rivers and The Castaways
14 THE HAPPY KING – Music Box
15 MRS DAISY – Tintern Abbey
16 MRS MURPHY’S BUDGERIGAR – Blossom Toes
17 ANNIE’S PLACE – Gene Latter
18 GLASSHOUSE GREEN, SPLINTER RED – John Pantry
19 HENRY EVERYDAY* – Timothy Blue
20 DEAR OLD MRS BELL – The Shadows
21 MR NICE GUY – Dragonmilk
22 MISTER WHITE’S WHITE FLYING MACHINE (album version) – Ayshea
23 MAGIC SHOES (demo) – Fire
24 KING OF THE CASTLE – Jason Crest
25 THROUGH MY TELESCOPE – Marty Wilde
26 TIME TO GO HOME – The Tots
27 THE SAD STORY OF SIMON AND HIS BUGLE* (correct version) – Mark Wirtz

...and the link:
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/climb-aboard-my-roundabout-the-british-toytown-sound-1967-1974-3cd-box-set/?fbclid=IwAR1qf0wdpDvFeh44csBcEZlmGvxM9b7CLM6LvGrFInku6H6yLThxvf5SeUk

(forgot to post in my excitement)

Thanks Mark. I just saw this on the Cherry Red mail out. Reading the track lists made me feel oddly nostalgic. Not for the original time of production but for 10-15 years ago when these little beauties were being put on collector CDR comps and I was hoovering up the original 45s wherever I could. It sent me scurrying for the 'A Trip To Toytown' set (thank you Mick and Mark) and those Spanish made ones that came out around the same time. Having just finished playing the second 'capacity wallet' set of 'Bubblerock Is Here To Stay' and the 4 CD wallet set of John Carter's massive output - 'My World Fell Down' (especially disc 4) they seem like natural inheritors of the Toytown aesthetic in many instances. It will be nice to have this 'official set' to add to all the others.

PM:blush:

It looks like an interesting collection.
But none will top "A Trip To Toytown."
Many well-known songs, and some rarities, included by the company as bait to buy the collection.
Personally, I would prefer an album with only the rarities, but I also know that it will inevitably end up in my collection.
Aren't we abusing our nostalgia a bit?
Jose

some interesting points Jose, echoing our very own Wallace "the well is dry Jimmehs". True to a point I believe, when a new compilation comes out we automatically scroll down to see if there are any tracks never heard before. Of course, the official compilation will often improve on the sound quality experienced on D.I.Y. comps being taken from master sources etc. On the other hand a trawl through, for example, Modboy1's YT site shows us there are thousands of interesting unreleased demos out there and our only chance of hearing this stuff is in the hands of the copyright owner (record label, musician etc) or the guy who purchased the demo. Sometimes a record label will tease us with the existence of a goodie a fine example being Sonobeat with Leo & the Prophets "Flower on the Hill". So we can remain hopeful a '2nd well' might be sunk.

I'm excited about this release,in particular if Mark or Mick have any input in it,as both are top conioussers of toytown pop,i do remember Mark Frumento putting together a teenage opera related cdr comp,which i was lucky enough to receive one,he also did the companion to the double John Pantry cd Upside Down World,he did a cdr comp including some of solo John Pantry stuff including material from Wolfe,amongst other things,it has to be asked why has noone reissued that fine Wolfe album?Mr Frumento also did Mark Wirtz Pop Works comp,which again had some tremendous material on it.

We can't forget Jim Mac who run the Marmalade Skies website before Mick Capewell jumped into the breach,that website is a treasure trove of information,and 15 years ago, maybe longer,it was an essential website to visit regularly as it was updated regular,plus it had the psych ezine Sweet Floral Albion issues on it too.Fabulous stuff !!

Sweet Floral Albion had a discography every issue,and many toytown pop numbers were mentioned,and the whole cdr trading and people making cdr collections,was a fantastic wee thing that went on,some absolutely corkers of comps were made,not having to worry about licensing and legal issues,so you could add anything on it,including extremely rare cuts.Good days!!

Which brings me to this marvellous looking 3 cd set,of course there will be limitations on what can be included,because of licensing and other issues dealing with publishers and record companies,so Cherry Red can only include things they either own publishing rights to,or have licensed from elsewhere,so of course there will be many numbers we'd all like to have seen on this,and maybe expanded to a 5 cd set....but i dont want to be greedy!!

I take my hat off to Cherry Red/Grapefruit for putting those 3 cd sets together,as they are now masters at it,best in the game by far,and very popular the are too,as they do use the best available source,and do it right and legal,and the booklets and packaging are always top notch on those clamshell box sets.
Yes many off us on here will know the majority of the titles,and personally there are a few i don't know,and more i've not heard before,plus in this type of concept,it can change the vibe of stuff,plus the very reasonable prices you can buy those sets for are fab,so for me,there's NOTHING to moan about,it's ALL good!!!

Yes, the work of Grapefruit / Cherry Reed is undeniable and admirable, offering works of exquisite quality, both in content, great sound and good price.
We have spoken here of the golden age of CD-Rs, where great compilations were made, also with the ease of not having to request authorizations, since they did not have any lucrative purpose. Today it would be impossible to relaunch at a legal level, so the work of these companies acquires even more value.
There is also the question of age. Many of the friends of this forum are already quite a few years old, for which much is known to us, but we are not representative of music lovers.
I imagine that very few sixteen-year-olds will know "Tales of Flossie Fillett" or "Peter's Birthday" for example, so these collections can open them up to continue investigating these musical styles.
There is also the matter, that most of these songs, in their time only appeared in Great Britain and in the rest of the countries, in which I include mine, Spain, they never appeared, so the boys of that time only heard the records, the bands that the companies released, and these old songs, it took us many years to hear them for the first time.
I remember when I heard the "British Psychedelic Trip" collection for the first time, I was shocked, because I knew very few things, and this collection opened the door for me, which was definitively opened with the Internet and with everything I could listen to, impossible to hear on my country.
For this reason, we must give so much value to this type of work, which contributes to keeping that "spirit" alive. The fact that some songs are more interesting than others is already a strictly personal matter.
cheers

Not many unreleased tracks, let's see... more interested in the Hard Meat box with that unreleased album at last

Yes Gian,THAT is a box set that i can't wait to get, Hard Meat,both released albums that i personally rate very highly,and the 1969 unreleased album,before everything else,but does contain their debut single!!

This could be a highlight release of the year for me,i do have both albums on bootleg cds,but to have the albums mastered from the tapes,in itself would please me,but also the unreleased album too......and if passed booklets are anything to go by,photos and history too.....i'm salivating.

Also look out for Living Daylights 2 cd set,and Misty unreleased album,a UK late 60s,early 70s band,who maybe have that psych/prog cusp crossover sound?PLus a folk cd clamshell set,this time a anthology from a specific uk folk label from the 60s and 70s., All from Cherry Red.