JohnTem82387976

24 May 2017

Offered With Very Little Comment #3 - Patricia Abigway, Johnny Spence Orchestra, Bob Britton, Toby, Glyn Poole

This is the third in an occasional series of singles I really can't find much to say about - either because the artists are difficult to trace, or the songs aren't overly rich or rewarding, or I just plain can't be bothered.

But rather than let those singles gather dust on a lonely shelf in my living room, or remain ripped to mp3 with nobody listening to them, I thought I'd treat you the readers to their delights.

This time round, there's Moogs, film soundtracks, Disco and popular but largely forgotten seventies child stars.



Artist: Patricia Abigway/ Solid Gold Orchestra
Title: "The Moon and I" b/w "The Moon and the Moog"
Label: Survival
Year of Release: 1975

First up, the a moog-riddled 1975 single on the independent Survival Records. This one is an ambitious Gilbert and Sullivan cover consisting of buzzing guitars, analogue synths and soulful musings. It didn't break through, however. I've no idea who Patricia Abigway was, but that's surely a pseudonym. 





Artist: Johnny Spence Orchestra/ Bob Britton
Title: "The Limbo Line" b/w "Here I Go Again"
Label: Spark
Year of Release: 1969

The 1968 film "The Limbo Line" seems to have evaporated from the collective memory banks of the Great British public, but was a Cold War thriller involving the ongoing battles against a series of defectors. 

Spark clearly thought it was a popular enough film to bother to issue this soundtrack single, however, which sold nish and isn't chanced upon all that often these days. It sounds exactly as you'd expect a 1968 Cold War spy thriller theme to sound, and comes with the easy listening ballad "Here I Go Again" on the flip (without seeing the film, I couldn't tell you how or where that fitted into the plot).






Artist: Toby
Title: "Lester Klaw"/ "We Just Wanna Dance"
Label: RAK
Year of Release: 1976

A RAK Disco single! Well, there's something you find every day. "Lester Klaw" has a strange and interesting title which suggests a dark and sinister groove, but in fact it's fairly run-of-the-mill. 






Artist: Glyn Poole
Title: "Sally Sunshine"/ "Sing A Happy Song"
Label: York
Year of Release: 1974

Glyn Poole was a seventies child star who regularly appeared on shows such as "Stars on Sunday" and "Junior Showtime", treating the public to his precocious talents. He apparently still performs to this day. 

"Sally Sunshine" is a well-meaning racially aware song about a young girl who stays cheerful despite the attitude of those in her bigoted neighbourhood. Quite a socially rich topic for a small child to take on as a song, then, though it possibly doesn't have the required effect as her life doesn't sound like a very bad thing after all. Racial abuse and reduced life opportunities? Ptfh! Accept your lot with a skip and a grin, kids, and don't grumble. 


4 comments:

Phil Phillington said...

I saw The Limbo Line yonks ago. Kate o'Mara is in it. It's a B-grade Avengers-style Cold War programmer, where the villains wear roll-neck sweaters and shades, and mutter mysterious lines like "the Party will not like this, comrade....". There's an obligatory "groovy party" sequence as well.

Andrew said...

The first track you posted, the Gilbert & Sullivan one, is from the 1975 production of The Black Mikado, starring the Nigerian/British actress-singer Patti Ebigwei as Yum-Yum, so you were right about it being a pseudonym. She changed her name a second time, becoming better known as Patti Boulaye.

Anonymous said...

Hi!

Found this 8 min. clip of "Limbo Line" with theme song playing during opening credits & abduction scene!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x59sxIdAdPk

Cheers!

Ciao! For now.
rntcj

Ian Fryer said...

You probably already know this, but York Records was Yorkshire Television's very own record label, who largely appeared to release Stars on Sunday related material.