Dave Justin - Everybody's Gone Home/ Lincoln Green

 

 

Twee, merry and uptempo popsike via Enfield

 

Label: Polydor

Year of Release: 1967

 

Dave Justin - or Dave Forey to give him his proper birth name - had quite a few throws of the dice when it came to pop success. Initially he was in a duo with John Karlsson under the unimaginative name of Justin & Karlsson, and they issued the exceedingly rare and highly sought after cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" on Piccadilly in 1966.

After that single failed to gain any attention whatsoever, he moved on to a solo career and signed to Polydor in 1967, issuing four flop singles, "For Brandy", "You Outside", "Rachel" and this one, which was his second release for the label.

It is, to say the least, a somewhat unexpected concoction where folky Dylan influences collide with brassy oompah sounds and merry melodies, like a fight between the Salvation Army Sunday march-round and a gaggle of protesting beatniks. Parts of "Everybody's Gone Home" also sound uncannily like some of the brass band music beloved of The Village in "The Prisoner".

The flipside "Lincoln Green" takes a similar tack but milks the "la la la la la" aspects in a manner reminiscent of both Pink Floyd's "Jugband Blues" and Tintern Abbey's "Bee Side". 

By the time 1968 was up Polydor seem to have decided to let Dave Justin go from their roster, and the trail goes cold. I can only assume he quit the music business not long afterwards.

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