Colorfull Seasons - Out Of The Blue/ It's Gonna Break My Back

Super-obscure but likeable cover of the Tommy James & Shondells track

Label: MGM

Year of Release: 1968

Like most record collectors, I have a regularly updated 'wants list' of scarce records I'm keeping an eye open for. This one sat on it for years on end... so long, in fact, that by the time a copy actually turned up a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't remember why I'd started looking for it in the first place. Doh! What am I like, eh?

The trouble is, I still can't remember. My best guess is that some years ago I was tipped off about this being a good record by a trusted fellow vinyl lover, and took a note of it without giving it an awful lot of further thought. It's a very pleasant and very well performed cover of Tommy James & The Shondells "Out Of The Blue", given a slightly West Coast harmony pop arrangement. Problematically, though, I doubt that the group are actually from the USA, despite its presence on the MGM label or the style of the record (or indeed the use of the word 'color'). This didn't appear to get released over there, and the production team behind this (Harry Robinson and Finito) are UK based, with the former in particular having his fingerprints all over the British sessions of the day.

Who is responsible, then? Search me. I have a hunch that Jackie Lee may be involved somewhere in this mix on vocal duties, as that "Moore, Lee" credit on the flip appears on a couple of her records as well. I've nothing but blanks to offer you alongside that, though, and this was the group's only release so there are no further clues to be had. 

If this kind of sunshine harmony pop puts a spring in your step, though, you're probably going to find something to enjoy here, and so far as I can tell no sound files for either side have been available online before.