Fontana had a bunch of hits in Britain, both with the Mindbenders and as a solo artist, but today he's mainly known for the really big hit "The Game of Love." That reached number two in Britain, and number one in the US (his only hit there). Here's the Wikipedia link if you want to know more:
The Mindbenders came together as Fontana's backing band, but they were more than just a typical backing band. I could be wrong, but I think a few of the songs here are sung by one of the Mindbenders instead of Fontana, probably Eric Stewart, who would later be a key member of the 1970s band 10cc. If anyone knows, please let me know. The Mindbenders wanted more of a rock and roll direction, and Fontana was leaning more towards being a crooner. Fontana abruptly quit in the middle of a concert towards the end of 1965. The Mindbenders went on to considerable success without him, especially with the hit song "A Groovy Kind of Love."
Normally for these BBC albums, I try to include all the unique songs I can find in worthy sound quality. But in this case, there were a handful of his solo songs in his crooning style that I didn't like, so I didn't include them. I figure that Fontana's isn't that popular these days, so there aren't going to be scores of fans screaming bloody murder at the omission. Sorry if anyone is disappointed, but I think it makes for a much stronger album.
Everything here is officially unreleased as far as I can tell (not counting some unauthorized "grey market" releases), and it's all from BBC studio sessions. As usual, some of the songs had BBC DJs talking over the music. And, as usual, I used the audio editing program X-Minus to wipe that talking. In this case, about half of the songs were affected, the ones with "[Edit]" in their titles.
As is often the case with these albums, I think this serves as an excellent "best of" collection. It includes all the key songs, and there's much more here of worth than just "The Game of Love." I particularly like "Like I Did," and two Graham Gouldman songs first done by Fontana, "Pamela, Pamela" and "The Impossible Years."
Also, the album version of "Please Stop the Wedding" was marred by some talking sessions done by someone with a totally incongruous Indian accent. I suspect that was influenced by Peter Sellers doing that accent in some movies at the time, but it ruined the song by adding "funny" bits to a very serious song. The BBC version is thankfully free of that Indian voice, revealing a pretty good song.
Fontana's career faded out around 1968, due to changing musical trends and a lack of hits, so that's where this album ends too.
This album is 57 minutes long.
01 She's Got the Power (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
02 Um Um Um Um Um Um (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
03 I’m Gonna Be a Wheel Someday (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
04 The Girl Can't Help It [Edit] (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
05 Since You've Been Gone [Edit] (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
06 Too Much Monkey Business [Edit] (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
07 It's Just a Little Bit Too Late (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
08 The Game of Love (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
09 She's a Rebel [He's a Rebel] [Edit] (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
10 My Babe [Edit] (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
11 Like I Did (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
12 Sticks and Stones (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
13 Young Blood (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
14 She Needs Love (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
15 I'm Talking about You [Edit] (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders)
16 Can I Get a Witness [Edit] (Wayne Fontana)
17 It Was Easier to Hurt Her [Edit] (Wayne Fontana)
18 Come On Home (Wayne Fontana)
19 The Sun's So Hot Today [Edit] (Wayne Fontana)
20 [There's] Always Something There to Remind Me [Edit] (Wayne Fontana)
21 Pamela, Pamela (Wayne Fontana)
22 The Impossible Years (Wayne Fontana)
23 Please Stop the Wedding [Edit] (Wayne Fontana)
24 Waiting for a Break in the Clouds [Edit] (Wayne Fontana)
https://www.upload.ee/files/15184406/WayneFon_1964-1968_BBSessions_atse.zip.html
I was torn between using a photo of just Fontana or one with him and the Mindbenders. I was swayed by the fact that I found a particularly good one (in terms of picture quality) of just him. This photo dates to 1966.
my computer will not allow me onto zippyshare, please how can i download this marvellous album
ReplyDeleteHere's my standard response for that:
DeleteIf you're having trouble downloading things from my blog, for instance you click on a ZippyShare link and get an annoying ad, I have a few recommendations.
1) Try right clicking on the link, and opening it in a new window. People say that helps.
2) Use an ad blocker add on or extension for your browser. That's what I do, and it leaves Zippyshare free of all the crud. Plus, it's a good thing that helps you avoid ads when browsing on the Internet in general. There's a bunch to choose from, and they're generally free.
3) Use a VPN. That stands for Virtual Private Network. Zippyshare is banned in a few European countries, so this is a way to hide what country you're in. Actually, it's a good (and perfectly legal) thing to do when browsing the Internet in general.
3) If all else fails, I also share everything I post on my blog through the music file-sharing program SoulseekQT. It's free, no strings attached, and super easy to use. Just search for the artist and album title, plus "atse" (which stands for "Albums That Should Exist").
Suggested the following solution already a few times. But here we go again:
ReplyDeleteThe easiest way to access Zippyshare in countries where it's blocked, is very simple. Just use the TOR browser. For me, living in Italy, it works perfectly well.
Thanks for that tip. I've just added it to my boilerplate explanation so you hopefully won't have to repeat yourself.
DeleteIs there a BBC version of "24 Sycamore"?
ReplyDeleteYes, there is. It's one of the songs I chose not to include. But I guess I could include it if you really want it.
DeleteThanks, but I found a download of "Live on Air", so I have it now. Gene Pitney also recorded the song.
Delete