Adam Faith (born Terence Nelhams-Wright 1940-2003) was one of the most successful English teen idols in the early sixties with 24 45:s on the UK list 1959-66, where of eleven top ten and two #1. Also his first three LP:s chartered at #6, #11 and #20. However as the British public taste changed from classic rock and soothing ballads to Merseybeat and harder r&b also with big success over the Atlantic, he found himself slowly pushed aside by a new generation of bands. I guess this album was an attempt to adjust to that zeitgeist and at the same time become a part of the British Invasion to US. Already established songwriter Chris Andrews penned all fourteen songs and he was backed by r&b band The Roulettes (which btw then included lead guitarist Russ Ballard and drummer Bob Henrit, both later in Argent and Henrit also in Kinks 1984-96). A couple of the numbers remind of Faith's earlier work, like the orchestrated ballads "Here's Another Day", "You've Got A Way With Me", She's Smiling At Me" and "Only One Such As You", but the rest is good and sometimes surprisingly raw Merseybeat. "Don't You Dig This Kind Of Beat" is pure garage and the uptempo screamy "It's Alright" reminds of Swinging Blue Jeans' best moments. The remaining cuts in the same vein as Gary & The Pacemakers, Searchers or Dave Clark Five, but to my ears not standing back to any of those. Sadly the transition didn't seem to have worked. The US only "It's Alright" 45 managed top 40 on Billboard and also became his only American entry, while the UK "Only One Such As You" didn't chart at all and neither did this LP, which also became his last UK studio album before the 1974 "I Survive". However that may be, today it remains as a very good period British pop/beat with a garage feeling and if you're into such it is a true gem. Also originally released in South Africa (Parlophone PMCJ 1228), but to my knowledge never reissued in any shape. The Canadian "It's Alright"(Capitol T 6101) and US eponymous (AMY 8005-M) both only had "It's Alright" in common with this. Premiere UK had label as shown here with "Recording first published 1964" in a laminated flip/back cover with Emitex inner. (PÖX*) (ÖGÄ*)
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