THE FOUR WINDS (THE TOKENS), "STRANGE STRANGE FEELING" C/W "REMEMBER LAST SUMMER," SWING 100 (REL. 5/1964) LINKS REPAIRED

 

LINKS REPAIRED!

The Tokens made one hit single I can't stand ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight") and many far better records, with their mid-1960s material a peak in their career. By the start of '64, they were a five-man group, with newcomer Stephen Friedland (BKA Brute Force), who brought new life to this self-contained group. The Tokens wrote, arranged, produced and sang their music and were pop auteurs who let enough eccentricity into the mix to keep them interesting.

When the British invaders dominated the US chart for much of '64, The Tokens tried different pseudonyms in the apparent hope of attracting attention as some new out-of-the-blue group. One listen to any of these singles reveals that it's them--their vocal style and dense harmonies are unmistakable.

In this year, they masqueraded as The Buddies, with an excellent Merseybeat overhaul of their ballad "Only My Friend"--first recorded as a B-side by their girl-group charges The Chiffons. Today's one-off preceded that by several months and pairs the debut of a superior group original with a moody Latin vibe. "Strange Strange Feeling" would also be waxed by The Chiffons; both versions are fine, though I learn more towards the girls' rendition.

Without intending to do so, the song leans forward into the Summer of Love era; a touch of Doors, a little Santana. That music was yet unimaginable in early 1964, but its roots were already present and would develop in a fertile, malleable environment.

The only mention of today's record

in the music trade magazines.

"Remember Last Summer" is much more along the general Tokens' line of music. To my surprise, it isn't a group original. Penned by Ernie Maresca, Joe Collins and Karl Zeeb (under his pen-name 'Rusty Lane'), it's a very 1963 song composed and recorded a tad too late for public taste. Though well-performed, it did not live up to the hopeful boast in the advertisement seen above.

The Tokens would soon score a pop hit with the haunting Carole King/Gerry Goffin song "He's in Town" and get a major smash with their own "I Hear Trumpets Blow." Meanwhile, Stephen Friedland signed with Columbia as Brute Force and recorded one of the most eccentric LPs of the mid-1960s, with some attendant singles of note. The Tokens weren't a casualty of Beatlemania, but they learned fast that they had to adapt to new trends without hesitation. Everyone did.

Tomorrow: Obscure UK beat group The Shevelles, with two superior B-sides to US singles.