Janice Hoyte - I'm a Winner (1974)

A moment of relative professionalism and a rare entry from a female artist (as will become clearer as my posts grow). The masculine need to plant a flag and spray might account for the preponderance of mulleted men in spandex or dogtooth in the little demi monde covered by this blog, but it's still a shame that fewer women felt compelled to subsidise themselves onto to a piece of 12" PVC in the supposedly progressive 70s. Strictly speaking, this entry from Janice doesn't really count as a piece of vanity vinyl since it was released on her behalf by the presumably short-lived 'Marks & Spencer Social Society'. But if I'm going to include Frank Ifield's indie label attempts (see later posts), I see no reason not include this too.

I don't want to be patronising enough to suggest that Janice's contribution is inherently valuable by virtue of her being a woman - or indeed black, something also unusual in this little museum - since neither was exactly within her control, but this really is a nice little album, evidenced particularly by the less obvious tracks. Take a listen to the moog-kissed pop gospel of the title track, and the lightly euphoric space-age hippy anthem Space Captain. Despite an unshowy vocal performance throughout, I get the feeling that Janice could really let rip should she want to but in this dreary X-factor age I rather appreciate her slightly tentative vocals.

Incidentally, my initial research suggests La Hoyte may have gone on to bigger and better things, sustaining her career in music long after she left the M&S backroom and even, gasp, touring with Boney M. But I need to check this and will update. The only other thing I wanted to mention was the presence on this record of David Hentschel, responsible for the fabulously atmospheric ARP sounds on Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Oh but I can't let my little review of this album conclude without mentioning the somewhat unfortunate reason I bought it at all from the £1 bin at the front of a shop in Palmers Green. As the philanthropic M&S states on the cover: "All proceeds from the sale of this record will be donated to B.A.R. (The British Association for the Retarded)"....

MISS SPARKS 73/74

Janice Hoyte - I'm a Winner

Marks & Spencer Social Society, No catalogue number

SIDE ONE

1. I'm a Winner

2. Where You Lead

3. Brown Eyed Handsome Man

4. Space Captain

5. Mad About the Boy

6. Stony End

SIDE TWO

1. Flim Flam Man

2. Killing Me Softly

3. No Easy Way Down

4. Yesterday

5. Time and Love

Janice is a member of the Head Office staff of Marks & Spencer and as a very talented member of the comapny's Social Society has made a great impact on her colleagues by her excellent performances at the "Social Society's Annual at Home" productions.

What better opportunity for us all to hear the numbers she has so successfully featured at the last three shows, than this record, and at the same time to enable the "British Association for the Retarded" our Miss Sparks 73/74 adopted charity to benefit by the sales of this record.

The Social Society of Marks & Spencer are indebted to Bob Hill and his engineers at Trident Studios for their help and guidance in the production of this record and to producer David Hentschel for additional arrangements and playing the synthesizer.

Record Cover by

Brian Songhurst (M & S Studio)

Production by

Charles C Cassell (M & S Studio)

Backing Chorus

Glynis Jones (M & S Head Office)

Glynis Bell (M & S Head Office)

Julie Stubbs (M & S Head Office)

Marilyn Bright (M & S Head Office)

Valerie Mace (M & S Head Office)

Janet Simons (Kilburn Store)