UK Bonds - Anything You Do Is Alright/ The Last Thing I Ever Do

Two sharp slices of 60s Brummie mod-pop

Label: Polydor

Year of Release: 1966

OK, it's very unusual for me to put a record quite this battered-looking up on to "Left and to the Back", but in my defence, it is knackered in a fairly unique way. With an horrendous looking label and the pops and crackles intensifying towards the final moments of the audio, the most severe damage appears to have taken place towards the centre - almost as if somebody had stored it directly next to a four inch circular sander.

Suffice to say, it plays far better than you'd expect, and is a scarce enough record for me to deem it worthy of inclusion here. With tinkling piano lines, crashing Townshend-esque chords, a steady backbeat and icy cool vocals, "Everything You Do Is Alright" is straight ahead mod-pop for switched on kids. The track was also later attempted by Northern Soul favourites Chapter Five on CBS, though copies of that single seem equally tricky to come by.

The flip "The Last Thing I Ever Do" has been compiled on sixties rarities compilations before, but for my tastes isn't as satisfying - the vocals feel a bit less confident and the backing too plodding and pedestrian by comparison. 

If you're wondering who the UK  Bonds are, you wouldn't be alone. They were apparently originally known as Carl Dobson & The Meteors, and were picked up by the American producer Claire Francis, who seemed to have a particular interest in Midlands beat bands (also taking on The Nightriders, The John Bull Breed and The Vikings). From this we can possibly fairly deduce that the lead singer's name was Carl Dobson, but beyond that facts are rather thin on the ground. 

Oh, and if Ken Westall (who has inked his name on my copy) ever happens to be reading this blog entry, I'd love him to come forward with an explanation as to how this single got quite so uniquely trashed! (I suspect a shed with a leaky roof might have been involved).