Search - Various Artists :: Whole Lotta Lava

Eric K. (SoulfulStuff)
Reviewed on 6/19/2016...

Part of Sony's "Risky Business" CD series, a "budget" line
intended to sell for about half the cost of a regular CD, and with
unusual content designed to appeal to collectors of offbeat stuff.
The "lava" reference is to lava lamps, illuminators of many a
groovy setting for listening to the kind of tunes offered here.
Only three of these twelve tracks charted in Billboard: Billy Joe Royal's
"Hush," written and produced by Joe South, peaked near the middle of
the Hot 100 in autumn 1967; a year later, rockers Deep Purple would
make it their own first Top 40 hit. Chad & Jeremy's self-written
"You Are She" became the duo's last Hot 100 entry in October 1966,
reaching only as high as #87. And Tommy Roe's "It's Now Winter's Day,"
also a self-written number, hit a respectable #23 showing earlier
in 1967 (after that, Roe foundered with two barely-charting singles
during the remainder of '67, and wouldn't return to the Top 10 until
1969, when "Dizzy" become one of the songs we loved to hate that year).

The remaining nine tracks on this disc offer something-for-everybody-
with-an-interest-in-uncharted-ephemera. Lamp of Childhood recorded
unsuccessfully for Dunhill, a label that was busy promoting the
Mamas and Papas, although "No More Running Around" did Bubble Under
the Hot 100 for a couple weeks. The McCoy's "Say Those Magic Words"
was a cut on their "Hang on Sloopy" LP. And, there's one track from
each of two sublime 60s "sunshine pop" LPs by Sagittarius and the
Millenium. The Wild Life were from Ohio and recorded for Columbia,
here doing a song also recorded by its co-writer, P.F. Sloan, as well
as by the Grass Roots. "Tighter" is one the more interesting tracks
on Paul Revere & the Raiders' 1967 LP Revolution, while October Country's
"My Girlfriend Is a Witch" was part of their eponymous Epic label LP,
also from 1967 (the SONG "October Country," by the GROUP October Country,
from the LP October Country, was a radio hit in some markets that same
year, but failed to show in Billboard). The artist known as Brute Force
wrote songs for girl groupers The Chiffons, and later had an obscure
connection with George Harrison, who subsequently lost a lawsuit involving
his "My Sweet Lord" and The Chiffons "He's So Fine"...it's all spelled
out in the (too brief) notes accompanying this CD. Finally, there's
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's "Piggy Bank Love," which is better heard than
explained. Only a mere 12 tracks here (what you'd expect from a
"budget" CD), but more than just a molehill of 60s music history.

BILLY JOE ROYAL Hush
LAMP OF CHILDHOOD No More Running Around
CHAD & JEREMY You Are She
McCOYS Say Those Magic Words
TOMMY ROE It's Now Winter's Day
SAGITTARIUS You Know I've Found a Way
MILLENIUM Some Sunny Day
WILD LIFE This Is What I Was Made For
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS Tighter
OCTOBER COUNTRY My Girlfriend Is a Witch
BRUTE FORCE Tapeworm of Love
BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND Piggy Bank Love