Timebox - Girl Don't Make Me Wait (b/w "Gone Is The Sad Man")

Label: Deram

Year of Release: 1968

OK, so I win no points at all for originality where this upload is concerned - I'm sure if you asked a hundred dedicated fans of sixties obscurities what the fifty great lost singles of the era were, this one would feature in the list of most people. Nonetheless, I've got a sneaking suspicion that there may still be a few readers out there who actually haven't heard both sides of this marvel of double-sided brilliance, so it's always worth throwing out there again.

The A-side "Girl Don't Make Me Wait" is absolutely fantastic, and sounds like it should have been an enormous hit. From the vibraphone chiming intro right down to the subtle orchestral flourishes and the epic chorus, it's a masterful piece of pop-soul which sounds wonderful on the dancefloor to this day. The public's lapse in taste is baffling and breathtaking in this instance.

Even the B-side is acknowledged to also be a strong piece of work, featuring on the "Nuggets II" box set and consisting of the kind of light whimsical psychedelic pop Richard Wright out of Pink Floyd wouldn't have shied away from during this era. The arrangement again is rich and imaginative, featuring fuzzy guitars, swooping bass lines and bouncing rhythms.

After the departure of a few key members Timebox changed their name to Patto, and the more beard-stroking elements of their music took over completely as they morphed into a jazz-rock ensemble. I've never heard a note of Patto's music, and I'm not terribly sure I want to, but Timebox certainly cut a number of singles which are worthy of further investigation. In particular, their version of "Beggin'" (which was a very minor hit for them in Britain) has a bit more bite than The Four Seasons version for my tastes.

(Both the A side and B side of this single are available through both commercial outlets and YouTube.  Thanks to Jimmy The Ferret for the YouTube clips).