Princess And The Soldier - Richard Barnes     Columbia single B-side, 1968

This Tony Hazzard song is one of two that makes reference to candy men. It makes us wonder if Mr. Hazzard was using them as some sort of secret code... or was he planning a teenage opera of his own? Anyway, conspiracy theories aside, we know for a fact that this charming tune was also covered by Mr. Daryl Hall of Philadelphia.

 

 

Harry the Keeper - Buggy     Parlophone single B-side, 1970

A zoo keeper named Harry feeds his friends, family and the other animals to the lions and you’re going to try and convince us that this isn’t a great song? Never! Buggy was another in a long line of Morgan Studio acts, this time it’s Geoff Gill, Danny Beckerman and possibly others from Fickle Pickle.

 

 

Sydney Gill - The Smoke      

German Metronome single, 1968

Named for Geoff Gill’s father, this track is probably a bit heavy to be Toytown but the theme of someone inventing a “dream machine” just seems to fit. Originally slated as UK B-side it never got issued but it did come out in Germany as noted. The unreleased alternate version of the song probably makes a better Toytown track. Whatever, both versions are great.

 

 

Mr. Jewel Went Away - Julian Starr

Unreleased acetate 1967

This rather gloomy tale of mental illness and/or below average personal hygiene is the only surviving evidence of the short-lived songwriting partnership of Ex-Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade member Julian Starr and Trent Burton of the ultra obscure Midlands group The Boiled Egg Soldiers. Following the non-appearance of the song, Starr went to the USA and became a cult figure in New Orleans. Burton moved into accountancy before becoming a House-husband when he finally found a house willing to marry him.

 

 

A Little Train Number - Kenny Everett      

Deram single B-side, 1968

This isn’t a typical Kenny Everett comedy record. With its great big production Kenny was clearly influenced by his friends the Beatles and Mark Wirtz. The song relates the trials and tribulations of a train spotter who is fearful of boring his family. Kenny’s not boring us one bit on this wonderful little song. The single’s A-side is another fantastic Toytown number called ‘Nice Time.’ Wish Ev had done more like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Castle - Crocheted Doughnut Ring      

Deram single B-side, 1968

Although we didn’t let the Small Faces on the list this little number seems to be influenced by them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Castle is included on The Great British Psychedelic Trip Volume 2 (CD)

 

Colour Sergeant Lillywhite - Consortium     

Pye single, 1968

We’re not exactly sure what fascination the little children in this song have with Lillywhite but they do seem somewhat obsessed. A nice standout track from the normally harmony-based Consortium (aka West Coast Consortium).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Room at the Top of the Stairs - Timothy Blue     

Spark single, 1968

It’s dark, it’s snowing and there is an Asian man selling an unknown commodity... other than that everything is normal in this guy’s apartment complex. Spark Records, a subsidiary of Southern Music, seemed dedicated to releasing wonderful little pop psych records, all of which sadly went nowhere. This one is the creation of Eric Woolfson known best as the songwriting brains behind Alan Parson Project. It’s arguable that Woolfson traded in his melodic sensibilities for commercial success but we won’t share our feelings on that right now.

 

 

Joe Organ & Co. – Barnaby Rudge     CBS single, 1968

We said earlier that no Toytown should be without an organ grinder and this one now officially has two! The top side of ‘Railway Jimmy’ (entry 108) again features the talents of Wil Malone and Danny Beckerman.

 

 

Birmingham Brass Band – Bullring     

CBS single, 1970

Bullring were really Herbie’s People and the song was really written by John Carter and Ken Lewis of the Ivy League. If you’re keeping count we now have two organ grinders, a one man band and a brass band... and we’re only up to number 76!

 

 

One Man Band - Pinkerton's Colours 

Previously unreleased, issued on Flight Recorder, Sanctuary

Uh oh! Another one man band and our Toytown is now getting overfilled with musicians. As explained to Brian Matthew on Top of the Pops the band dropped “Assorted” from the middle of their name so that it would be more visible on posters, not that it did them any good in the UK following their brief initial success in 1966. It wasn’t until they changed the name completely to Flying Machine that they got a hit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandman – Neat Change       

Decca single B-side, 1968

We’re not exactly sure what being “happy as a sandman” means especially when considering this sentence from an E.T.A Hoffman short story: “But the Sandman was no longer the bogy of a nurse's tale... No, he was a hideous, spectral monster, who brought with him grief, misery and destruction - temporal and eternal - wherever he appeared.” None-the-less, Neat Change released a perfect Toytown two-sider with this as the B-side to ‘I Lied to Auntie May.’

 

 

Uncle Hartington - Peter & Gordon      

LP track from Hot Cold & Custard, Capitol US, 1968

Not sure who’s more disturbing, Uncle Hartington or the family who hate him? Peter Asher wrote this strange song that only saw US release. Thanks to Asher for giving Toytown it’s favorite creepy Uncle.

 

 

Persimmons Peculiar Shades - Watchmaker     

Major Minor single, B-side, 1968

The funny thing is that if we started searching for songs about watchmakers we’d probably add every one of them to this list. But that’s okay because this one is a fine representation of watchmakers everywhere and though we know nothing about the band their perpetually catchy single has us singing along every time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Incredible Sound Show Stories Vol 6 includes "Watchmaker"

 

 

Mrs. Ward – The Idle Race     LP track from Birthday Party, 1968

In writing about a mother who enlists her sons in the army against their will Jeff Lynne created one disturbing little tale and one of his best songs. It’s hard not to feel a bit of a shiver when the scared boys tell their mother “we’ll have to go to war and fight and die.” Anyway, we’ll hear more from Mr. Lynne’s masterwork in future entries.

 

 

Sadie and Her Magic Mr. Galahad - A New Generation      

Spark single, 1968

New Generation became the Sutherland Brothers who went on to produce some excellent folk pop in the 70s. But for three singles in the late 60s they made some darn good pop psych tunes including this one.

 

 

Mr. Poem – Mike Batt      Liberty single, 1968

Future arranger, producer, writer and Womble Mike Batt started his career with this single about a dude everyone calls Mr. Poem. Somehow we’re not sure if they mean it as a compliment but it’s a dandy little song.

 

 

 

 

 

Geraldine – Zion de Gallier     

Parlophone single B-side, 1968

Zion de Gallier was really Dougie Ord, who as far was we can tell was friend and former band mate of a couple of the guys from Tomorrow. Apparently that’s also how he got a gig with Parlophone being produced by Mark Wirtz. This strange Ord penned song is about a girl whose doll (Geraldine) is toss in a stream by two bullies. When the bullies die committing the act the girl takes Geraldine home and they live happily ever after. To this day the girl has no idea why she never married.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandy Ann – World of Oz      

LP track from World of Oz, 1969

Just one of the tracks from one of the greatest Toytown albums ever released. So well is this album covered on this Web site that we needn’t say more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread Man – Mirror     

Phillips single, 1968

Blues guitar, funky bass line, driving beat and…uh…lyrics straight from Mother Goose? Maybe the Mirror forgot to bring the lyrics the day this song was recorded but that’s okay by us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   BACK TO 119-86         FORWARD TO 65-46