Label: Repertoire Records (Germany), REP 4186-WZ
Style: British Invasion, Merseybeat, Beat, Rock
Country: Liverpool, England
Time: 51:44
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 176 Mb
An
obscure Merseybeat band that went through several stylistic changes
over the course of their nearly decade-long life, the Remo Four were
very popular for a time in Liverpool around the time the Beatles were
still playing in the Cavern, and were even signed by Brian Epstein, but
never had anything approaching a hit single. In the early '60s they were
known both for Shadows-type instruments and harmony vocals with a
country & western flavor. Their versatility made them suitable to
act as a backing group for other singers, and they recorded in this
capacity with obscure solo vocalists Tommy Quickly, Johnny Sandon, and
Gregory Phillips; they turned down an opportunity to become Billy J.
Kramer's backing group, and may have worked with Cilla Black had not her
boyfriend, Bobby Willis, objected. The Remo Four also recorded a couple
of average pop/rock singles on their own in the mid-'60s, the best of
these being their fairly tough instrumental version of Henry Mancini's
"Peter Gunn."
By 1966, the Remo Four were spending most of their time
in Hamburg, Germany, where they played the Star Club. Their personnel
also altered around this time, and with the incorporation of organist
Tony Ashton, their sound took on far more of a soul-jazz flavor. They
did a couple of singles and an album, Smile!, for the Star Club's label
in 1966 and 1967, and these show quite a bit of artistic growth from
their Merseybeat days. The Remo Four were now a sophisticated
soul-jazz-rock group with prominent organ, in the mold of other British
artists of the era like Graham Bond, Georgie Fame, Zoot Money, and Brian
Auger, although they were not explicitly derivative of any of the
aforementioned figures, with hints of the straighter rock approach of
the Animals and the Spencer Davis Group. Although they wrote little
original material, their arrangements and interpretations were forceful
and imaginative, though by 1967 the approach was getting outdated.
After
returning to England, they backed a fading Billy J. Kramer for a while
before breaking up. In the late '90s, however, a surprising find was
unearthed of the Remo Four doing a psychedelic pop track, "In the First
Place," that was produced by George Harrison during the sessions for the
Wonderwall soundtrack in 1967. These were not released in 1967,
however; two different mixes of the song were released by Pilar in 1999.
After the Remo Four split, Tony Ashton and drummer Roy Dyke joined
guitarist Kim Gardner (formerly of the Birds and the Creation) to form
Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, who had an international hit in the early '70s
with "Resurrection Shuffle."
(allmusic.com/artist/remo-4-mn0001174297)
01. Tip Of My Tongue (02:08)
02. Heaven Only Knows (02:19)
03. Lies (02:07)
04. On The Horizon (02:22)
05. Yes (02:34)
06. Magic Potion (02:17)
07. Kiss Me Now (01:54)
08. No Other Love (Could Ever Be The Same) (01:59)
09. Prove It (02:30)
10. Haven't You Notified (01:58)
11. I Wish I Could Shimmy As My Sister Kate (02:14)
12. Peter Gunn (03:14)
13. You Might As Well Forget Him (02:40)
14. It's Simple As That (01:56)
15. Sally Go Round The Roses (02:22)
16. I Know A Girl (02:28)
17. The Wild Side Of Life (02:12)
18. Forget The Other Guy (02:15)
19. Humpty Dumpty (03:10)
20. I Go Crazy (02:08)
21. Everybody Knows (02:53)
22. Closer To Me (01:55)
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