Sharon Tandy, "Perhaps Not Forever" c/w "I've Found Love," ABC-Paramount 45-10742 (rel. 11/1965)
The global success of British vocalist Dusty Springfield prompted producers, A&R men and songwriters to seek out young female singers in a smaller-scale version of Beatlemania: if I can just find another Dusty, I’ll make a mint! Thus, dozens of talented, distinctive thrushes, in Cash Box’s words, made at least one record utilizing the Denmark Street talent pool—a British equivalent to the Brill Building in Manhattan. There, publicity campaigns were mounted, songs demoed and arranged and eager would-be stars ushered in and out of recording studios carrying nothing but their voices.
The recordings followed the standard set by Dusty Springfield and earlier practitioners such as Helen Shapiro, Billie Davis and Glenda Collins: brassy, bouncy arrangements somewhere between Motown and the West End musical theater; thundering backbeats to ensure discotheque popularity; steady work for every background singer in the greater London area. Hundreds of girl-pop singles came and went in the mid-1960s. Few of these new performers stuck; most made one to five singles and then went back to their former lives.
The recordings followed the standard set by Dusty Springfield and earlier practitioners such as Helen Shapiro, Billie Davis and Glenda Collins: brassy, bouncy arrangements somewhere between Motown and the West End musical theater; thundering backbeats to ensure discotheque popularity; steady work for every background singer in the greater London area. Hundreds of girl-pop singles came and went in the mid-1960s. Few of these new performers stuck; most made one to five singles and then went back to their former lives.
In the UK, these records have become a point of pride; they’re highly collectible, spun by DJs in clubs and collected in digital and vinyl compilations. One performer of this era who rated a CD all her own is Sharon Tandy, a South African performer who made a string of sought-after 45s. She was an early traveler to Stax Studios, well ahead of Dusty Springfield; Tandy recorded there in 1966, two years before the canonical LP Dusty in Memphis.
Tandy followed Springfield’s path into blue-eyed soul with spectacular results. We catch her today early in her career. I found a rare American pressing of her second single and was happy to acquire it. It’s much more pop than her later discs, but is a primo example of UK femme pop of the Carnabetian era.
Both sides were arranged by Charles Blackwell—a Brit equivalent to a Bert Keyes or Charlie Callelo. Blackwell was an in-demand arranger who travelled to America a few times to work with producers and vocalists. Blackwell was a key ingredient of the wild, weird sounds of UK producer Joe Meek. Blackwell’s name on a record label will get me to purchase it. These two sides are an unusual blend of beat-group force and folk-rock filigree. Twelve-string guitar and (out-of-tune) Autoharp join a standard rock rhythm section and a vocal chorus to crisp results.
“I’ve Found Love” is a hard-edged Beatle-y pop song delivered with soulful style by Ms. Tandy, whose commanding voice is double-tracked in the American style. The song was penned by two South African composers, William Kimber and Michael O’Grady, who were members of a ZA beat group, Bill Kimber and The Couriers. The results are zesty and joyous; I do wish someone had tuned that Autoharp before the tape rolled. Ah, well…
Ignored by the US music mags, Sharon's single got a proper review in the UK weekly Record Mirror; it's proven a valuable font of background info on British performers of this era.
“Perhaps Not Forever” is a pensive ballad that is ideal for Tandy’s emotional style. Another Kimber/O’Grady effort, it’s a superb slice of ‘60s angst that compares quite well with Dusty Springfield’s work. The Autoharp (a zither with felt bars that damped certain strings so the player could strum chords) is pushed far back in the mix. A femme chorus (most likely The Breakaways, who did countless sessions in ‘60s UK recording) adds to the soulful oomph. This was pushed as the A side and it sounds like a classic to me.
Tandy’s records became more soulful into the later ‘60s. Her 1967 single “Hold On” is considered a Northern Soul masterwork. Aside from a mega-rare 1962 South African LP, Tandy never had a proper album. 2004 CD compilation “You’ve Gotta Believe It’s Sharon Tandy” gathers all her 1960s UK singles in one handy package and is well worth hearing. She passed on in 2015 at age 72 and her records remain in demand.
Tomorrow: Aaron Neville's most sought-after early record, from the Minit Records 600 series. Spooky minor key classic coupled with a popcorn-tastic soul ballad; New Orleans goodness from 1962.
Two wonderful well-written and well-sung songs! "I Found Love" is definitely Beatle-adjacent, down to Tandy's Fab 4 yodeling "OOOOH" at 1:06 and repeated at 1:39. "Perhaps Not Forever" sounds au courant of the time—a Shirley Bassey James Bond ballad love song.
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