ON THE SCENE 33SX 1662 (-64) UK MONO

  Samplers seldom show up on best album lists, but counting musical quality, audio, track rarity and historical importance this could place on any such list and high there too. Getting debut 45:s from Animals, Yardbirds and Downliner Sect on an album so close to time of release, plus obscure non-LP singles from Georgie Fame and Cliff Bennett, would be enough to satisfy any concerned collector, but that's just the beginning here. The Cheynes "Respectable" has a 16 y.o. Mick Fleetwood on drums. Zephyrs "I Can Tell" with Jerry Donahue (Fotheringay, Fairport Convention) and Peter Gage (Vinegar Joe). The two A-sides from Mickie Most & The Gear have some very competent guitars from young session man James Patrick Page. The Syndicats included both Yes guitarists Peter Banks and Steve Howe at different times - "Maybelline" here has the 17 y.o. Steve Howe on guitar. You also get The Moquettes one-off single A-side "The Right String Baby, But The Wrong Yo-Yo", Rey Antony &The Peppermint Men's debute "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover" and long forgotten semi-hit "Seven Daffodils" by The Cherokees. Compiling is prefect - sixteen cuts raging over 1963-64 British r&b, garage rock and freak beat. You'd think with so many non-charting efforts there'd be at least some low points, but there's not one bad track on it. Audio big and warm bringing you close in time and space. I can't find anything even remotely negative to say. 100% beautiful. Six of the cuts were released on a Columbia 1965 EP (SEG 8413). To my knowledge this was the only album issue. It had label as shown here with "Recording first published...", on thick unflexible vinyl in a laminated flip/back cover with rice-paper "Emitex" inner. (SÄM*) (ÄNÄ") (YÄB*) (JÄZ*) (ÖGÄ*) (FXÄC*)