Come the Day/Georgy Girl - The Seekers

Come the Day

The Seekers

Columbia SX 6093

1966

Georgy Girl

The Seekers

Capitol ST 2431

1967

"Come the Day" is my favorite of the Seekers albums.  I first acquired the American release version entitled "Georgy Girl" configured to capitalize on the success of that hit single.  When I came across a copy of the mono British version I didn't hesitate to buy it even though it is very similar.  It features my favorite picture of the group on the cover, a sweet little statement of purpose by them on the back cover and one extra song since the penny-pinchers at Capitol insisted on limiting nearly every album they released to 11 songs.  I know I should have gotten rid of the Capitol version but the stereo mix sounds nice and the record has sentimental value for me and frankly I just love the album too much to part with even a duplicate copy.  Nonetheless "Come the Day" is the definitive version for me.  It represents the group's attempt to embrace contemporary pop music and move beyond the folk-pop that dominated their first four albums.  It opens with group member Bruce Woodley's rousing "Come the Day" which is my favorite of the songs he wrote for the group.  It has wonderful aspirational lyrics and a driving vocal by Judith Durham with strong harmonies by the lads.  I listened to it over and over when I got the record and I still love it to death.  It always makes my spirit soar even though I've probably heard it a hundred times and if I could only have one song by the Seekers this would be my pick.  The boneheads at Capitol (I'm looking at you Bill Miller) moved it to side two of "Georgy Girl."  Tom Springfield (brother of Dusty and producer of the album) wrote the charming "Island of Dreams."  It has a pleasing group vocal.  Next up they take a crack at Tom Paxton's much covered "The Last Thing on My Mind."  My favorite version is Sandy Denny's and this doesn't come close to that.  It is way too genteel for me but it sounds lovely nonetheless.  "All Over the World" was written by Françoise Hardy and recorded by her in both French and English versions.  Durham's version is very pretty but it lacks the tenderness and feeling that both of Hardy's versions feature.  The Seekers embrace folk-rock with a cover of "Red Rubber Ball" which of course was a big hit for the Cyrkle.  The song was written by Woodley and Paul Simon and although I've heard Simon be dismissive of the song it reminds me a lot of his early work.  The Seekers' version is not as vivacious as the hit version, but it sounds pretty dynamic for them and even features percussion for extra oomph.  Side one concludes with Bob Gibson and Hamilton Camp's "Well, Well, Well" which sounds like a throwback to the group's earlier records being pretty much straight folk-pop.  In fact they recorded another version of it in 1964 for "Hide and Seekers."  The 1964 version is folkier, this version has a little more instrumentation most notably a piano and modest percussion and it is also a few seconds shorter but it is hardly much of an improvement and in truth I prefer the more heartfelt vocal on the 1964 version.  I'm baffled about why they included it even though it is a contemporary song, it sounds like a traditional one.  Perhaps they were dissatisfied with the 1964 version for some reason that eludes me.  Side two opens with "Georgy Girl" which was the groups biggest hit.  It is the song that made me fall in love with the group when I heard the song on the radio when I was a little kid.  It was my favorite song for awhile and I still love it all these years later.  It was written by Tom Springfield and Jim Dale for the film of the same name and is a straight pop song with orchestration and a rhythm section.  Durham has a sparkling vocal with supportive harmonies by the guys.  For me it is a true ear worm.  It is followed by a solo turn by Durham on the Beatles' "Yesterday" which is also a straight pop song.  It is orchestrated and solemnly sung by Durham.  I love her voice so it works for me but I have to admit that among the gazillion covers of this song it is pretty mundane.  It is followed by the song that Capitol chose to remove from their version of this album, "I Wish You Could Be Here" which is another Woodley collaboration with Paul Simon.  I do not consider the song expendable and if I was forced to omit one of the songs it would have been "Well, Well, Well."  Although it is arguably the weakest of the three songs they wrote together (the other one is "Cloudy" which Simon deigned to record himself for "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme") I still feel it has a lot of merit.  It is an atmospheric song with introspective lyrics which is orchestrated and sounds very appealing.  The Cyrkle recorded it the following year on "Neon" in an unsuccessful attempt to repeat the success of "Red Rubber Ball."  I prefer the Seekers version myself.  It is followed by a cover of Pete Seeger's Bible adaptation "Turn, Turn, Turn" which of course was a folk-rock classic for the Byrds.  The Seekers opted not to copy the rock approach of the Byrds, although the song does feature a session drummer.  Their version is more chamber pop than folk-rock and Durham's vocal is rather stiff but I still like it.  It is followed by perhaps the most unlikely song on the album, Doug Kershaw's Cajun classic "Louisiana Man."  There were numerous pop, rock and country covers of the song in the 1960s and this version is pretty subdued if not pedestrian but it still appeals to me because of the group's impeccable vocal craftsmanship.  The album concludes with a cover of John Phillips' "California Dreamin'" which was a tremendous hit for the Mamas and the Papas.  That is by far my favorite version of the song which I have loved since I was a child when I heard it on my father's copy of "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears."  The Seekers' version doesn't come close to matching the passionate vocal and evocative arrangement of the Mamas and the Papas' version but it is the closest this album comes to genuine folk-rock and is mostly successful aside from the lead vocal.  Durham can emote when she wants to but her natural style is to be reserved which just doesn't work for this song.  Nonetheless I would listen to her sing just about anything and this is a song I love so it works for me.  I realize I'm too big a fan to be objective about this album which is probably not as great as I think it is.  The Seekers push a lot of my buttons and I'm very pleased with the song selection here.  I like their folk albums as well, but this album speaks more directly to my sensibilities and I find it endlessly listenable.  Recommended to fans of mid-1960s Peter, Paul and Mary.

Doin' The Bird - The Rivingtons

Doin' The Bird

The Rivingtons

Liberty LRP-3282

1963

Awhile back I had a hankering to hear some Johnny Rivers and while I was leafing through my collection of his albums I noticed this album adjacent to them on the shelf.  I was very surprised because I had no memory of ever buying it.  I don't even know why I would have bought it because I'm not a fan of the group and I've never really liked the only song of theirs that I know, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow."  I'm guessing that I came across a cheap copy at the flea market and took a chance on it out of curiosity.  That's what happens when you have too many records and your memory is deteriorating.  It's not a bad problem to have, since it is like getting a new record all over again although it has also resulted in me buying records I already have.  My memory has gotten so bad that I have created an inventory of my records that I can store on my phone which has eliminated the problem for the most part.  Anyway I pulled this out and gave it a spin and was genuinely impressed by it.  I have little use for novelty records which I think is a term that is apt for "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and its retread on this album "Mama-Oom-Mow-Mow."  "Kickapoo Joy Juice" is also in this vein.  All three are driven by the nonsensical bass vocal riffs of Rocky Wilson Jr. and are inane in a mildly amusing manner.  The self-penned "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is insanely catchy, a true ear worm that I can't really hate but which I can't really like either.  It created a new dance called "The Bird" which is depicted on the back cover of the album.  I tried it out and felt like an idiot.  "Mama-Oom-Mow-Wow" was also written by the group and shamelessly copies the hit but has a more fussy arrangement that is distracting.  The hit's simplicity was part of its stupid appeal.  "Kickapoo Joy Juice" lacks the deranged intensity of the other two songs which exposes the song's dumbness but I still enjoy the song for the most part.  The saving grace for all three songs is the quality of the vocals which rescues them from their idiocy.  Lead vocalist Carl White has a terrific voice reminiscent of Jackie Wilson and the group's harmonies are first rate.  Most of the remaining tracks are rhythm and blues bangers that they have applied their bass heavy formula to.  My favorites include a rocking cover of Billy Ward's "Have Mercy Mercy Baby" and their own jumping composition "Old Time Love" in which White sings his heart out.  The group can't come close to matching Little Richard's energy on "Long Tall Sally" and "Slippin' and Slidin'" but their versions are still quite stimulating.  They don't fare as well with "Unchain My Heart" which will always belong to Ray Charles and their version sounds tame by comparison.  Unchastened they also cover another song associated with Charles, "You Are My Sunshine" but this one is more successful.  It is a very passionate and dynamic performance and features one of White's strongest vocals.  The self-penned" Love Pill" gives Rocky a chance to sing a couple of verses himself and he doesn't come close to giving White any competition, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable track.  Their composition of "Happy Jack" is also fun.  Their self-penned "Standing in the Love Line" offers a respite from the goofiness of so much of the album offering a conventional rhythm and blues love song that shows the group can be compelling playing it straight too.  That is my biggest takeaway from this album.  It took a dumb gimmick to get this band a hit single, but they had the chops to be so much better.  I like their non-novelty songs so much that I feel sad that they were not more successful.  A group this good should have made a bunch of albums.  Maybe if their hit had come earlier, they might have, but coming in at the end of the doo-wop era blunted its impact as did the release of the Trashmen's even more idiotic cover of it "Surfin' Bird" later in the year.  For me this album is a happy surprise and I'm grateful I took a chance on it at some point in the past.  I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't appreciate its charms more at the time, but I guarantee I won't be forgetting I have it any time soon.  Recommended to fans of the Coasters.

The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

The Christmas Song

Nat King Cole

Capitol SW 1967

1962

This is probably my favorite Christmas album of all time, although there are many others that I prefer musically.  I like Cole fine (particularly during his jazz period) but he's far from my favorite crooner.  I love this record because my parents had it and it is the first Christmas record I remember listening to.  I have to admit that as a child I was not all that happy with it.  It doesn't have any of the kiddie Christmas songs I loved back then.  "Deck the Hall" was the only song on it I really liked.  Fortunately I'm not a kid anymore and I mostly can't stand those kiddie songs unless they've been rocked up.  I have not even thought about trying to acquire some of those children's albums I liked as a kid, but this one I was happy to track down.  I actually have two of them.  This is my original which I bought used, but it has a little wear so when Capitol reissued it I bought a new one just to have a perfect copy.  I listen to both however.  The new one sounds great, but I like the warmth of the old one as well even with its crackles and pops which reminds me of my parents' old copy which was pretty beat up by the time my sisters and I got done playing it to death every Christmas.  This album is a reissue of Cole's 1960 album "The Magic of Christmas" but with the substitution of Mel Tormé and Robert Wells' great classic "The Christmas Song" in place of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" which seems like a generous trade to me.  The reissue also has superior cover art.  Cole recorded the song multiple times in his career dating back to 1946 but this generally is regarded as the definitive version.  I have never roasted a chestnut but this song evokes the feeling of Christmas in me more than any other.  Ralph Carmichael's orchestral arrangement is relatively restrained and I would miss it if it wasn't there.  Cole's vocal is incredibly rich and warm and he also adds a nice piano solo in the break.  For me it is the perfect Christmas song and I never get tired of hearing it.  It is such a great song that the rest of the album pales in comparison but it is still mostly engaging.  "Deck the Hall" has a lot of energy and almost swings in spots.  "Adeste Fideles" is one of my favorite tracks although I could do without the chorus.  Cole sings it with authority even in the Latin part.  He sings "O Tannenbaum" in German which I prefer to the English version.  I've never liked the song much, but his voice makes it compelling for me.  I don't really like "O, Little Town of Bethlehem" either and Carmichael's sappy arrangement doesn't help any.  Cole sings it beautifully but I still find the song dreary.  The album bounces back with a lively version of "I Saw Three Ships," I even like the support of the chorus for once.  Side one concludes with "O Holy Night" which shows off Cole's vocal skills to great effect.  I've never been able to sing the song myself, but he handles it with ease although I do find the chorus obtrusive.  Side two opens with "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" which Cole's graceful vocal rescues from Carmichael's heavy-handed arrangement.  "A Cradle in Bethlehem" is the least famous Christmas song on the album and deservedly so.  I loathe it and off the top of my head I think this is the only recording of it that I have.  It is slow and devotional and no matter how prettily Cole sings it I'm never going to like it.  "Away in a Manger" is also devout and sappy, but I find it more palpable because it is a better song.  "Joy to the World" is appropriately jubilant and is one of my favorite tracks.  "The First Noel" suffers from a really heavy arrangement but Cole's vocal is fabulous, one of his best on the album.  I'm not a fan of the song but this is one of the best versions I know.  Carmichael redeems himself with a stirring arrangement of "Caroling, Caroling" which is an easy lay up for Cole.  This is another one of my favorite songs on the album.  It concludes with "Silent Night" which could have been written for Cole it suits him so well.  It is such a lovely and delicate performance, I find it much more moving than most versions of the song.  It brings the album to a tender and satisfying conclusion.  I react much differently to this album than I did when I was a kid especially since I'm now older than Cole was when he recorded it.  I really appreciate the feeling and depth that Cole brings to this music.  It is way too religious for my taste but I still love it although I would love it more with a few more secular carols.  It does have a pleasing consistency of tone and sound and if you are an adult and like Christmas I don't see how you won't like it.  I don't really like Christmas anymore myself and I still love this record.  Recommended to people whose idea of a nice Christmas is good company and a tasty cocktail.