The Wake - Linda/ Got My Eyes On You

Label: Carnaby

Year of Release: 1971

Anyone who has arrived at this blog entry expecting to read something about Bobby Gillespie's pre-Primal Scream band The Wake is going to be horribly disappointed, for this is not they.  Rather, this particular Wake were simply a late sixties/ early seventies pop act with vaguely psychedelic leanings who issued five singles to absolutely sod all success, although (somewhat akin to the Bobby G act) one of their members did go on to more financially fruitful activities.

Reckoned by some as an under-rated popsike act, The Wake were very much under the corporate guidance of concert promoter Mervyn Conn who produced this single and often also selected their tunes for them.  They appeared on "Top of the Pops" once in 1970 to plug their "Boys in The Band" single, which failed to make the charts despite its high-profile publicity, and by the time this single - their fifth - was issued in 1971 it seems quite likely that they knew the game was up.  Sadly, rather than bowing out on a baffling piece of experimental rock, "Linda" is a rather bouncy, strident ditty with an almost schlager feel.  It's not without charm and sounds as if it could have been the theme to a children's stop-motion animation series had it not been a pop record, but it was highly unlikely to reverse their poor fortunes.  The flip "Got My Eyes On You", on the other hand, is a bit of a McCartney-styled rocker, but seems too self-conscious to really come kicking and screaming through your speakers.

Their album "23:59" was a concept piece based upon a New Year's Eve party and is an acclaimed piece of work by some psych-pop enthusiasts, but is incredibly difficult to get a copy of these days.  For those of us without money to throw around on popsike fancies, perhaps the most familiar aspect of their career is the fact that their member Bill Hurd eventually went on to success with The Rubettes.