It Will Never Be Over ... pt.2

It Will Never Be Over ... is the latest edition of YHO which can be downloaded free for all here. It is a riotous romp through the UK's soul undergrowth and pop flowerbeds of the late '60s and early '70s.

This issue starts with stumbling across a YouTube posting of the British soul treasure Joe E. Young & the Toniks' Flower In My Hand on the Toast label and setting off on an expedition to find out more about Vicki Wickham's boutique label. This soon led me on to gems like Rosetta Hightower's lethal version of Big Bird and The Coins' cover of Love Power.

Joe E. Young himself would be better known as Colin Young, lead singer with The Foundations, kings of British bubblegum soul, courtesy of Tony Macaulay's compositions. But there was another side to the group, even on the flip of Build Me Up Buttercup where they had a go at stranger psychedelic material of their own on the aptly titled New Direction. One of the later singles, too, was Colin's own composition, the heavier I'm Going To Be A Rich Man. The flip of Colin's own solo single, You're No Good, is another track that's taken on a life of its own among collectors of psychedelic soul sounds.

While exceptions are a wonderful thing the whole Tony Macaulay bubblegum soul phenomenon is a fascinating thing. There is no doubt that the guy had an astonishing gift for knocking together an absurdly catchy song and make it seem effortlessly easy. There are so many subversive examples of his handiwork. One that springs to mind is the unexpected hit for Marmalade in 1976 Falling Apart At The Seams ...