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The Would-Be Beatles of Decca Records!
Nearly All Tracks Previously Unreleased!
Over the course of their stop-start five years together, Honeybus ventured into the BBC studios on a dozen occasions, leaving a catalog of recordings that mirrored their latest releases as well as offering up a fascinating alternate history. The songs that make up 1970's much-loved "almost didn't happen" Story album (reissued by Hanky Panky/Mapache in 2018, along with the rest of the group's output) began appearing as early as the summer of 1968. The likes of "Scarlet Lady," "Black Mourning Band" and "Under the Silent Tree" appear almost fully formed, played as ensemble pieces, suggesting that their album counterparts were captured quickly and without fuss during snatched studio sessions throughout late 1968 and 1969. They also demonstrate Honeybus's often overlooked skills as a live unit - BBC sessions notoriously allowed little scope for re-takes or overdubbing; you went in and you laid it down while the men in white coats watched the clock.
Thrilling as it is to finally hear these alternate versions of familiar Honeybus cornerstones, it's the surfeit of otherwise unrecorded material that's the most startling revelation here. Under The Silent Tree: Gentle Sounds With Strings And Things At The BBC 1967-1973 presents no less than 10 unique Honeybus songs that virtually constitute an entire second album's worth of unheard material.
We find ourselves in a kind of musical hall of mirrors, reveling in a whole new perspective on one of the last great cult pop groups of the '60s, where every track offers a fresh outlook, a fresh thrill, a fresh sound. With strings and things.
Important note: As no tapes could be found at the BBC archives, these recordings come from the best available sources. Some deficiencies in the source may be evident on a few songs. It was felt that the importance of these historical recordings more than compensates for any occasional master tape imperfection.
Features
- Double LP
- All Tracks, Except for 8, Previously Unreleased
- Mono
- 10 Original Songs the Band Never Properly Recorded in the Studio
- Compiled by Andrew Sandoval
- Notes by Andy Morten (Shindig! Magazine)
Selections
Side One:
- Pete Dello Interview
- (Do I Figure) In Your Life
- Like An Old Time Movie
- Maxine's Parlour #1
- Arise Sir Henry
- I Can't Let Maggie Go
- She Comes To Me
- Ain't That Just Bonnie For You
- Goin' Back
Side Two:
- Francoise
- Ray Cane Interview
- Girl Of Independent Means #1
- Scarlet Lady
- How Long
- Black Mourning Band
- Ray Cane Interview
- She Sold Blackpool Rock
Side Three:
- My Suzanne
- Too Long # 1
- Ray Cane Interview
- Fresher Than The Sweetness In Water
- Walking Aphrodisiac #1
- You Live Good Life
- Walking Aphrodisiac #2
- Ceilings No. 2
Side Four:
- Story
- Broken Wings
- Go Away
- DJ Intro
- She's A Lady
- The Lady's Not For Burning
- DJ Intro
- For You
- Be Thou By My Side
All tracks are previously unreleased, except Side 1, tracks 1-4, 6-8 & Side 2, track 1, first released on She Flies Like A Bird - The Anthology