Patsy Peters - Down Country Roads (1979)

Looking for all the world like Cher in Sheffield on the back sleeve, Irish-born Patsy Peters here delivers an incongruously sincere selection of pop country favourites. As I've noted previously, solo female artists are something of a rarity in the fags- and booze-strewn world of 70s cabaret that forms the beating heart of this blog, but I'm always gratified to come across apparent labours of love like this. Of particular note is her langorous 6-minute treatment of Ode to Billy Joe, the wonderful Bobbie Gentry song that inspired the 1976 gay guilt film that touched my young heart, for better or worse.

The wonderfully sparse sleeve notes offer nothing more than a 21 word testimony from one Paul Toscani that rather tentatively assures quality within, so I can't add much more colour to this synopsis. But this is another one of those albums that bears testament to the wonderfully liberating, pre-punk, moment when committed artists came to realise that there were other distribution channels for their talents.

SUCCEEDED COMPLETELY

Patsy Peters in Down Country Roads
MAM Records TPR 260

SIDE ONE
1. Country Roads
2. Crazy Arms
3. Follow Me
4. Stand By Your Man
5. Ode to Billy Jo

SIDE TWO
1. Snowbird
2. Me and Bobby McGee
3. You've Got a Friend
4. My Man
5. Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues

This beautifully orchestrated album attempts to capture the range, warmth and versatility of Miss Patsy Peters, and they have succeeded completely.

Paul Toscani

Printed and made in Great Britain by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd

Harmony Revival - S/T (1974)

From 1974, and thus squarely within the heyday of lapels and harmonies and good humour, comes Harmony Revival. Despite the typical reliance on cover versions, there's some solid musicianship on diplay here, and a general air of proficiency that suggests a band with actual ambition (despite the cover shot set against a swampy riverside). It obviously it wasn't to be, unless my researches have failed to spot a breakout, but here's a lovely middle-ground testament to the optimistic enterprise I set out to record. To whit, I present the Harmony Revival revival.

WELL REPRESENTED

Harmony Revival - S/T
Swan Records Swan 01

Side A

1. TOP OF THE WORLD 2.23
(Carpenter/Bettis) - Rondor
2. LET ME IN 3.28
(Osmond) - Copyright Control
3. STAY WITH ME 4.08
(Greenaway/Cook) - Cauliflower
4. CALL ME, HONEY 2.17
(Linde) - Combine
5. DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE 2.08
(Pauling/Bass) - P. Maurice
*6. BAND OF GOLD 2.30
(Dunbar/Wayne) - Gold Forever

Side B

1. RANDY 2.52
(Greenaway/Cook) - Cookaway
2. GOODNIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT 2.47
(Hall/Filkins) - Tyler
*3. ELEANOR 3.30
(Turtles) - Carlin
4. BYE BYE BABY 2.05
(Gaudio/Crewe) - Cavanaugh
*5. HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT 3.12
(Kristofferson) - Combine
6. BANNER MAN 2.14
(Greenaway/Cook) - In-Music/Cookaway

* Mono

SWAN RECORDS 14 Swannington Street, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 ORT
Printed by West Brothers . Printers . Limited . London S.W.19