Thunderclap Newman - Hollywood Dream (1970)

Είναι βέβαιο ότι οι πάντες γνωρίζουν την κομματάρα Something In The Air, σχεδόν οι πάντες ότι την παραγωγή έκανε ο Pete Townshend που τους ανακάλυψε και μάλλον αρκετοί ότι παίζει το μπάσο στην στούντιο εκτέλεση. Η ειρωνεία βέβαια της υπόθεσης είναι ότι ο Πιτ δεν είχε ποτέ ένα Νο1 με τους Who, το οποίο όμως κατάφερε για τρεις βδομάδες μάλιστα με τους Thunderclap Newman. Τραγική φιγούρα ο μόλις 16χρονος κιθαρίστας Jimmy McCulloch (μετά την διάλυση του γκρουπ που δεν άργησε, πήγε στους Wings αλλά και στους Stone The Crows) ο οποίος πέθανε λίγα χρόνια αργότερα από καρδιακό νόσημα.

Τέτοια κομμάτια δεν πρέπει να τα ξεχνάμε ποτέ διότι εκτός του ότι προήγαγαν την μουσική που λατρεύουμε, παραμένουν διαχρονικά και επίκαιρα.

Something In The Air
Call out the instigators

Because there's something in the air

We've got to get together sooner or later

Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right

And you know that it's right

We have got to get it together

We have got to get it together now

Lock up the streets and houses

Because there's something in the air

We've got to get together sooner or later

Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right

And you know that it's right

We have got to get it together

We have got to get it together now

Hand out the arms and ammo

We're going to blast our way through here

We've got to get together sooner or later

Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right

And you know that it's right

We have got to get it together

We have got to get it together

Personnel:
John 'Speedy' Keene Gtr, Vcls, Drms A B
Jimmy Mcculloch Gtr A B
Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman Keyb'ds A B
Jim Avery Bs B
Jack Mcculloch Drms B

ALBUMS:
1(A) HOLLYWOOD DREAM (Track 2406 003) 1970 SC
NB: (1) reissued on CD Repertoire (REP 4065-WP) in 1991 and on Polydor (833 794 2) 1991. Later reissued on CD (Touchwood TWCD 2013) 1997 in the States with six bonus tracks:- the 45 version of Something In The Air, a shortened version of Accidents and The Reason, along with their 45 'B' sides.
45s:

1 Something In The Air/Wilhelmina (Track 604 301) 1969 1
2 Accidents/I See It All (Track 2094 001) 1970 46
3 Wild Country/Hollywood (Track 2094 002) 1970 -
4 The Reason/Stormy Petrel (Track 2094 003) 1970 –
Reissue 45s:
5 Something In The Air/Other tracks by other artists (PS) (Track 2094 011) 1973 -
6 Something In The Air/Fire (Arthur Brown) (Track 2094 017) 1975 -
7 Wild Country/Hollywood (PS) (Track 2095 002) 1979 -
8 Something In The Air/Accidents (Old Gold OG 9435) 1984 -

The Who's Pete Townshend put together this group as a studio outfit in the late sixties. Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch was just a sixteen at the time, 'Speedy' Keen was an untried songwriter from the Ealing/Perivale area of London who'd previously been in pre-July act The Tomcats in 1965, as drummer and Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman was a plump ex-Post Officer engineer. The last thing they represented was a slick rock group, but their debut 45, Something In The Air, written by Keen, remains an all-time classic, a wonderfully atmospheric song which superbly captured the changing mood of the late sixties and simply boiled over with optimism. When it rapidly climbed to No 1, Avery and McCulloch's younger brother Jack were rapidly added to the line-up for touring purposes, but after one minor hit with Accidents, further commercial success eluded them and they broke up in mid-1970. Their Hollywood Dream album has become a minor collector's item, but is largely disappointing in comparison to the magic of Something In The Air. It has some good moments:- Hollywood #1 has some good honky tonk piano playing; The Reason is certainly one of 'Speedy' Keen's stronger compositions and features a good vocal performance by him and more good piano from Andy Newman; Jimmy McCulloch's instrumental title track is a pleasant little ditty and Wild Country is worth a listen.
Accidents was also included on Polydor's Pop Party sampler in 1970 and their classic Something In The Air resurfaced on Backtrack 2.
Jimmy McCulloch went on to join Stone The Crows and Wings, whilst Newman and Keen both made solo albums but with little success.

Tracks:
Something In The Air
Hollywood #1
The Reason
Open The Door, Homer
Look Around
Accidents
Wild Country
When I Think
Old Cornmill
I Don't Know
Holllywood Dreams (Instrumental)
Hollywood #2
Something In The Air (Single Version)
Wilhemina
Accidents (Single Version)
I See It All
The Reason (Single Version)
Stormy Petrel

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