The Swinging Blue Jeans, "It's Too Late Now" c/w "Think Of Me," His Master's Voice (UK) POP 1170 (rel. 6/1963)

 

I had a mass of records to file into my alphabetized storage boxes. At the end of the S box, I came across today's record, the debut disc of a Liverpool beat group, and thought: "hey, here's something different!" This group, which had superb musicianship and some potential, were hampered by an unimaginative producer.
        They became known for cover versions, but the group entered the beat boom with the intent of self-penned material. This single, only issued Stateside on an Imperial Records LP, got into the UK Top 30 in the summer of 1963. Alas, their inferior follow-up, "Do You Know," tanked, and producer Walter J. Ridley forbade them from having originals as single A-sides. They racked up hits with a wild version of Chan Romero's "The Hippy Hippy Shake" and Betty Everett's "You're No Good"--two records that define the British beat-group sound. The group's musical skill is excellent; their songwriting is all over the place, and most of their original efforts have at least one moment where a poor lyrical or melodic decision hampers a song's effect.
        None of those issues affect this, their debut disc, which would lead a listener to assume they'd been dialed into the beat-group thing all along. The group began in 1957 (same as The Beatles) as a trad jazz/skiffle outfit who were professional by 1962, though once their folky material was heckled by a German audience they changed course. They saw what The Beatles and other local groups were doing and hopped aboard that wagon.
      In 1963, any Liverpool rock band of note was wooed by talent scouts from London. One such chap caught their set in the Cavern Club and offered them an audition with EMI. They auditioned with a rocked-up version of the 1940s pop hit "Three Little Fishes," the minor-key "Old Man Mose" and an ambitious original, "It's Too Late Now," which, much-changed, became the A-side of their vinyl debut. Their audition tapes have survived, and it's worth a listen to the first draft of the song, which has an unusual sound that might have gotten them some attention. It is our bonus track for this post; see link below.
        Retooled for the pop charts, "It's Too Late Now" boasts a guitar sound ahead of its time, achieved by two guitars playing unison in octaves. It's the 12-string sound of The Searchers, Byrds, et al, done the hard way--the work-ethic of this single. The song is a decent pop-rock kiss-off delivered with enthusiasm and skill. Drummer Norman Kuhlke was one of Liverpool's best percussionists; it's rumored that, before they decided on Ringo Starr, The Beatles considered him as a replacement for Pete Best. They chose wisely, but Kuhlke is an excellent drummer whose skill parallels Starr's in its support and tasteful fills.
        This is a very 1963 British Beat song; a year later it sounded corny and outdated. Now, it's a pleasing, slightly odd artifact of the beat boom's first commercial bloom. Nothing wrong with that!

"Think of Me," on the flip, is perhaps the beat boom's most successful emulation of the Buddy Holly sound. It was recorded in the way Holly did his songs "Words of Love" and "Listen to Me." An instrumental backing was recorded, then played over amplifier as the group performed live over it. The degraded, distant sound of the first layer gets the muzzy, atmospheric vibe of the Holly records. I imagine this experiment irked the stuffy, old-school Wally Ridley, whose forte were artistes like Max Bygraves and Benny Hill (he produced the leering comedian's many #1 singles).
        As with many 1963 beat-group recordings, it errs on the side of tempo. This song wants to be a bit slower; more deliberate. Holly's songs took a less frenzied route--part of their success. The '63 beat sound was fast, fast, fast, and audiences in clubs egged the groups on to rapid tempos. I love this recording for its devotion to a rock icon and its studio experimentation. I picture a sputtering Ridley exclaiming "this is ridiculous!" during the session.
      The Blue Jeans never attempted anything like this again in their recording career; more's the pity. And they never released another single as likable and assured as this, their own work played with passion and skill.

And here's that audition version of "It's Too Late Now," since it makes a fascinating contrast with the released take...

With a more sympathetic and patient producer, The Swinging Blue Jeans might have fared better. As it stands, their discography abounds with promise unfulfilled, songs with good elements defeated by awkward choices and a certain heavy-handed approach that comes and goes.

Tomorrow: Janis Martin returns with George Barnes on guitar. The results: socko femme rockabilly from the peak year of the style: 1956!