Dedicated follower of fashion b/w Sittin' on my sofa by The Kinks (Pye 7 N 17064)

This month a quartet of envelope sleeves. These sleeves were used by Dutch record company Negram between 1963 and 1965 for releases on the Pye and Vogue labels (but strangely enough not for domestic releases on Negram and Havoc). Another example can be found in the November 2009 post of Françoise Hardy's Only friends. They were thin cardboard sleeves that looked like envelopes and to get the record from the sleeve it had to be opened on the back. Very vulnerable as the envelopes tended to get damaged if heavily used. So mint copies are rare. Strange thing is that Negram often released a second, third or fourth pressing with a regular picture sleeve. Dedicated follower of fashion was the first record I obtained in an envelope sleeve, but this is one that was later available with a regular picture sleeve (both in purple and in blue versions) in a plastic protective cover.
Rating: *****

A well respected man b/w Such a shame by The Kinks (Pye 7 NH 111 )

Another one I didn't obtain until later as I also first got this this on the "Well Respected Kinks" album. It was released on the European continent as a single taken from the British EP Kwyet Kinks. This was supposed to be the turning point in the Kinks' career from one of the heavier beatgroups to a more reflective style in which Ray Davies' songwriting blossomed. But Tired of waiting, Set me free and See my friends had already hinted at that and so had many other album tracks. But this was the first of a series of very British singles by the Kinks.
Rating: *****

Pwd: bomber

All day and all of the night b/w I gotta move by The Kinks (Pye 7 N 15714)

This envelope sleeve is almost identical to You really got me (apart from the titles), although the blue is a little darker. Can't remember if they came in different colours over time (which they sometimes did). But the covers look alike as much as the songs sounded alike.......... That is: on first listening. All day and all of the night is actually a much more complicated song. Great introduction to the solo: not the usual scream, but something like "Oh, get 'm off!". Good B-side as well: I didn't discover I gotta move until the great Marble Arch sampler Well Respected Kinks which comprised their early hits plus some other tracks, but it's a great haunting tune.
Rating: *****

You really got me b/w It's alright by The Kinks (Pye 7 N 15673)

I missed this one when it originally came out, somewhere in the summer of 1964 as I wasn't buying records yet. Obtaining an "envelope" copy became harder and harder over the years. Recently saw a documentary about British heavy metal on the BBC and this was mentioned as the beginning of heavy metal. Well, the riff is unmistakably heavy, but to call this metal? I never understood the comparison between You really got me and Louie Louie: the riffs are so far apart that a comparison is hardly possible. Louie Louie hasn't even got a real "riff" in the correct sense, it's more of a chord progression. I guess it was Ray Davies himself who mentioned the influence of Louie Louie on You really got me, but he also explained that the latter started out as a jazzy song. It was Dave's messing with his speakers (he used to cut little tears in them with a razor blade) that made the sound of this record.
Rating: *****

Pwd: bombersongs

Cadillac b/w Bad Bad Boy by The Renegades (Artone SM 25.288)

This month four non songs that charted in 1965/1966. What is a non song? In essence a song without much substance in both musical and lyrical content. The first one is Cadillac by the Renegades, a Birmingham band, who originally recorded this for Polydor in the UK in late 1964. It was basically a slow version of Vince Taylor's Brand New Cadillac (later covered by such luminaries as The Clash and The Downliners Sect), but without the distinctive guitar riff that made the original so appealing. The Renegades' members, Kim Brown, Dennis Gibson, Ian Mallet and Graham Johnson, just put their name under the composition as if they'd written the song, but if there ever was a case of plagiarism this was one. The Renegades somehow ended up doing a televised show in Finland and became the next beat sensation over there, bigger than The Beatles. Cadillac became a #1 hit in Finland. Strangely enough their record didn't start selling outside Finland until Swedish band The Shamrocks had covered it and they hit the Swedish Top 10. Backed by record company Polydor the Shamrocks' version started selling in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands, although the Renegades' version was far superior. A series of cover versions of the cover version (Shamrocks covered Renegades) of the cover version (Renegades covered Vince Taylor) followed by Dutch band The Phantoms, Swedish band The Hep Stars (with Benny from Abba on organ) and Dutch band De Maskers, who arguably had the best version called Brand New Cadillac, probably not because they were aware of Vince Taylor's original, but because they'd already released an instrumental called Cadillac. But their version was not helped by the fact that they were on the same label -Artone- as The Renegades.
Rating: ****

Balla Balla b/w Ju Ju Hand by The Rainbows (CBS 2117)

Of the four non songs here this is the ultimate non song of the 60's. It was "composed" by producer Horst Lippok who had German band The Rainbows record it. Like with Cadillac a series of covers followed. Of those covers the version by Chubby Checker and Dutch band De Maskers was the most interesting. When Checker was confronted with the song he was about to record, he was apparently appalled by the non song level of the composition and decided to write some extra verses to get the song out of the non song category. He didn't succeed, but his version is the best of the bunch. Manchester beat band The Scorpions (not to be confused with the Battersea instrumental combo or the later German 'Wind of Change' hard rockers) made an absolute mess of it. But ultimately to make a non song even more of a non event was an achievement in itself, so their version should be regarded "the most successful".
Rating: **

Hanky Panky b/w Thunderbolt by Tommy James & the Shondells (Roulette RL 45.232)

Third non song is Hanky Panky by Tommy James & the Shondells. Strangely out of place American rock & roll from the pre-Beatles era when it was a hit in 1965. But it made sense since this was recorded early 1964 by a 16-year old Tommy James and his Shondells when some American bands were not aware yet that The Beatles had changed rock music forever. By the time Hanky Panky became a hit the Shondells had long since broken up and did not wish to rejoin Tommy. James then hired a Pittsburgh band named The Raconteurs to become the "new" Shondells. Hanky Panky was a Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich song, which was originally recorded by The Raindrops, but it was not much of a song. A simple twelve-bar relying heavily on the My baby does the Hanky Panky repetitiveness.
*

Don't ha ha b/w Nashville Special by Casey Jones & the Governors (Golden 12 G12/27)

The 4th of these non songs is Don't ha ha by Casey Jones & the Governors. Brian Casser had been Cass of the Casanovas in Liverpool and Casey Jones of the Engineers in London, at one time having such Engineers in his band as Eric Clapton and Tom McGuinness. He went to Germany and called his band "Casey Jones & the Governors". He had a hit with Huey "Piano" Smith's Don't you just know it in a stripped down beat version under the title of Don't ha ha that heavily relied on the "Ha ha ha" question & answer game.
**

Michelle b/w Girl by The Beatles (Parlophone HHR 139)

Two beautiful ballads from Rubber Soul on one single. After the single We can work it out b/w Day tripper, which was strangely dominated by Paul McCartney, Dutch record company Bovema decided to give Lennon a b-side here. This was released when the cover version by the Overlanders started rising in the Top 40. Messy chart practices of the 1960s counted different versions of the same song together, thus Michelle reached the top spot when the sales of the Beatles and The Overlanders singles (and to a lesser extent the version by David & Jonathan) were added together. This prevented the Golden Earrings from becoming the first Dutch band to have a number hit with That day. They would have to wait more than two years to reach the top of the charts. Needless to say that after the release of the Beatles original the Overlanders' version hardly sold another copy.
Rating: *****

That day b/w The words I need by The Golden Earrings (Polydor International 421 023)

This band became world famous in the 1970s with Radar Love, by which time they'd dropped the s from their name. But in the 1960s they were quite an eclectic pop group. They started out with strong Beatles influences, from 1967 they seemed to be mainly influenced by The Who, but they also did excursions into folk rock (Daddy buy me a girl) and bubblegum (Dong dong diki diki dong). In the late 60s they changed to hard rock (the album Eight miles high) and continue to this day as the most successful and most enduring band of the 1960s wave.
This single was recorded in London and that was clear from the intro. This single sounded much better than most Dutch pop productions until then. This single reached #2 in the Top 40, only narrowly missing out on being the first Dutch band to reach the top of the charts. That fate was in store for the rather silly Dong dong diki diki dong in 1968.
Rating: ****

Baldheaded woman b/w Lonesome town by The Hep Stars (Polydor International 421 007)

Dutch band the JayJays had released a single in January 1966 comprising two songs from the Kinks' debut album: Baldheaded woman b/w So mystifying. I managed to get both songs in the 1966 winter sale on two separate singles by Swedish band the Hep Stars. Their star was lead singer Svenne Hedlund, but little did I know it would be their keyboard player Benny Andersson who would rise to world fame in the 1970's with Abba. In hindsight their version of Baldheaded woman was a bit lame. The b-side, a Ricky Nelson song later covered by Paul McCartney, showed they were better at ballads.
Rating: **

No response b/w So mystifying by The Hep Stars (Polydor International 421 014)

Again a bit of a lame cover compared to The Kinks' original (I actually went out and bought the Kinks debut album when it was released in the budget Golden Guinea series to get the originals of Baldheaded woman and So mystifying). Later in 1966 the Hep Stars had an international hit with Sunny girl, written by Benny Andersson. That was clearly more their niche.
Rating: **