Consortium - Melanie Cries Alone/ Copper Coloured Years

Melancholic West Coast harmony pop via Shoreditch

Label: Trend

Year of Release: 1970

Consortium - or West Coast Consortium as they were known for their first two singles - were undoubtedly influenced by harmony pop sounds across the pond. As numerous others have already pointed out, you would assume they were formed close to the beaches of California rather than the (then) slightly unglamorous confines of Shoreditch, East London. 

Some of their early work, such as "Sergeant Colour Lillywhite" on Pye, had distinct psychedelic influences but as time moved on they became increasingly trad, presumably hoping for a conventional hit. Sure enough, that came with "All The Love In The World" in 1968 which reached a none-too-shabby number 22 in the UK charts, but following it up was obviously challenging and their other Pye releases failed to chart.

That seems to have resulted in a jump to the small independent Trend label in 1970, ran out of the Disci record shop in Westbourne Grove in London, with manufacture and distribution still handled by Pye. Neither of their singles on that label - this or "Annabella" - charted either, and the group sodded off back to the gig circuit to become more "progressively orientated", recording demos for a possible RCA deal which while promised, never actually materialised.

"Melanie Cries Alone" is a slick, professional performance which sounds as if it could have charted in 1970; it's certainly not a million miles away from other pieces of harmonised pop which did equally well at the time. The flip side "Copper Coloured Years" also gives a lingering flavour of the band at their most baroque pop and melancholic, and is probably why most people try to seek out this 45. 

They consisted of John Barker on bass and trombone, Brian Bronson on guitar, Robert Leggat on lead vocals, John Podbury on drums and Geoffrey Sampson on organ and guitar. None of these members appear to have moved on to other groups once Consortium closed up for business. 

If the previews below aren't working properly for you, please go right to the source.