Blue Mink
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1969-73) - Madeline Bell -- vocals - Roger Cook -- vocals, keyboards - Roger Coulam -- keyboards - Herbie Flowers -- bass - Barry Morgan -- drums, percussion - Allan Parker -- lead guitar, pedal steel
line up 2 (1973-74) - Roger Cook -- vocals, keyboards NEW - Ray Cooper -- percussion - Herbie Flowers -- bass - Barry Morgan -- drums, percussion - Allan Parker -- lead guitar, pedal steel NEW - Ann Odell - keyboards (replaced Roger Coulam)
line up 2 (1976) - Roger Cook -- vocals, keyboards - Ray Cooper -- percussion - Herbie Flowers -- bass NEW - Mike Moran -- - Barry Morgan -- drums, percussion - Allan Parker -- lead guitar, pedal steel - Ann Odell - keyboards (replaced Roger Coulam)
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- Bad News travels Fast (Madeline Bell) - Madeline Bell (solo efforts) - Campus Kazoo (Roger Cook) - C.C.S. (Roger Coulam and Herbie Flowers) - CCW (Roger Cook) - Chopyn (Ann Odell) - The Congregation (Allan Parker) - Roger Cook (solo efforts) - Currant Kraze (Roger Cook) - David & Jonathan (Roger Cook) - Herbie Flowers (solo efforts) - Gulliver's Travels (Barry Morgan) - The Harmonettes (Roger Cook) - The Honeycombs (Roger Cook) - Hungry Wolf (Allan Parker) - Jimmy Jacobs and the Nite Spots (Herbie Flowers) - Jon and Julie (Roger Cook) - Judd (Madeline Bell) - The Krestrels (Roger Cook) - The Londons (Roger Cook) - Matthews Southern Comfort (Roger Coulam) - Mike Moran (solo efforts) - Panhandle (Herbie Flowers and Allan Parker) - Alan Parker (solo efforts) - Rumplestiltskin (Herbie Flowers and Allan Parker) - The Sapphires (Roger Cook) - Seven Ages of Man (Madeline Bell) - Sky (Herbie Flowers) - Space (Madeline Bell)) - Ugly Custard (Roger Coulam, Herbie Flowers, and Allan Parker)
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Real Mink Company: Philips Catalog: PHS
600-339 Country/State: UK / US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: promo white label Available: 1 Catalog ID: 6016 Price: $10.00
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For a brief moment in the early 1970s Blue Mink were the British 'it' band enjoyed massive publicity and a string of top-40 successes. In contrast, they couldn't buy the time of day in the States.
The band came together in 1969 under the auspices of sessions keyboardist Roger Coulam. The original line up featured fellow sessions players Herbie Flowers, Barry Morgan, and Allan Parker. The quartet began recording demos, but decided they needed more vocal firepower, adding singer Madeline Bell and singer/keyboard player Roger Cook to the line up.
For some odd reason the band's second LP "Our World" (Philips catalog number 6308 024) was repackaged and re-titled prior to being released in the States.
Released domestically as "Real Mink", it featured the same songs and track order, making you wonder why Philips went to the trouble. In hindsight the added irony is that today the 'fur' cover would be more controversial than the original group photo. As for the music, if you liked the debut, then you were liable to enjoy this one just as much. With most of the members contributing to the writing chores, the sound was highly commercial - call it an early stab at the kind of power pop that would come to dominate British charts in the mid-1970s, though that comparison wasn't perfect since this set was far more diverse than the stuff folks like Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman would soon start to churn out. In fact with four of the six members contributing material, the album bounced all over the musical spectrum including touches of country (Good Morning Freedom''), light jazz ('You Walked Away'), pure pop ('I Lose the Game'), one of the first reggae songs to be covered by a European band ('Gimme Reggae'), and soul ('Silk What?').
"Real
Mink" track listing: 1.) Good Morning Freedom (Roger Greenaway - Roger Cook) - 2:52 Opening up with a touch of Parker wah-wah guitar, 'Good Morning Freedom' unexpectedly took a country-oriented turn. The song retained a pop orientation, but to my ears its chirpy edge and uplifting lyric was an ongoing source of irritation made worse by the fact it was so infectious. rating: *** stars 2,) Bang, Bang Johnny's Gang Is After Me (Roger Coulam - Roger Greenaway - Roger Cook) - 3:52 'Bang, Bang Johnny's Gang Is After Me' was one of those bubblegum storyteller tunes that was so popular in the early and mid-1970s. As far as the genre goes, this one was somewhat odd in that it lacked the instantly recognizable hook that characterized the genre. That said, this one served as a nice platform for spotlighting Bell and Cook's dueting. I guess they were intended to sound like bullets, but the opening sound effects actually sounded like a UFO backfiring. rating: *** stars 3.) You Walked Away (Allan Parker - Madeline Bell) - 3:33 Showcasing Bell's pretty voice, 'You Walked Away' was a stark, jazz-influenced ballad;. Basically Bell surrounded by some acoustic guitar and percussion (oh yeah there were also the weird truck airbrakes sound effects), in theory it shouldn't have been that impressive, but Bell really did turn in a nice performance on this one. Haunting would be a good summation. rating: **** stars 4.) Silk What? (instrumental) (Roger Coulam) - 3:54 'Penned by Coulam, and showcasing his keyboards (along with a great bass line from Flowers), 'Silk What?' was an atypical soul tinged instrumental. It certainly sounded out of place here, but was nevertheless quite good. rating: *** stars 5.) Mind Your Business (Allan Parker - Madeline Bell) - 3:08 The bluesy rocker 'Mind Your Business' served as another showcase for Bell and Cook's suitably rugged voices (and Coulam's Hammond B-3). Funny how some voices just seem to fit together well and this was a perfect example with a killer chorus to boot. Surprisingly funky and one of the album standout performances. rating: **** stars
(side
2) 'Can You Feel It Baby' started out as a breezy, but somewhat anonymous ballad, but when the pounding chorus kicked in the song simply exploded into another dimension. Easily the best Bell-Cook performance on the album and the song that should have been tapped as a single ... rating: ***** stars 2.) Gimme Reggae (Black Fox) - 3:11 'Gimme Reggae' routinely gets slammed, but folks don't acknowledge this was released in 1970 - at least five years before most Americans had even heard the word. Yeah, this sounded like the kind of reggae-lite that Boney M might have recorded in the mid-1970s, but give Blue Mink credit for doing their part to promote the genre. Besides, it was lightweight pop fun. Love where Bell tells Cook not to call her a yank. rating: *** stars 3.) I Lose the Game (Roger Cook - Roger Coulam) - 3:00 Strumming twelve strings and mandolin ... I was a fan from the opening chords. 'I Lose the Game' was a classic pop tune with a melody and hook that would have been perfect for a group such as ABBA. Hard to believe this one wasn't tapped as a single. rating: ***** stars 4.) Sweet & Sour (instrumental) (Allan Parker) - 2:29 With Parker turning in his best Steve Cropper imitation and Coulam mimicking Booker T. Jones, 'Sweet & Sour' was a great Stax-flavored instrumental. rating: *** stars 5.) Our World (Herbie Flowers - Pickett) - 3:26 With it's pro-environmental lyrics and interesting melody, 'Our World' was one of the band's biggest UK hits. The song was actually quite entertaining and when it hit the chorus, revealed its full glory, but it was also easy to see why it didn't provide the band with an American hit. rating: *** stars
The album also included a pair of top-20 UK hits:
- 1970's 'Good Morning Freedom' b/w 'Mary Jane' (Philips catalog number BF 1838) - 1970's 'Our World' b/w 'Pastures New' (Philips catalog number 6006 042)
Excellent early-1970s UK pop that deserves to be rediscovered by American audiences.
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Only When I Laugh Company: EMI Catalog: EMA
756 Country/State: UK / US Grade (cover/record): VG+/ VG+ Comments: UK pressing; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1528 Price: $20.00
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Produced by David Mackay, 1973's "Only When I Laugh" found the Blue Mink line-up expended to include percussionist Ray Cooper and keyboard player Ann Odell (replacing Roger Coulam). Musically the set found the band diving even deeper into UK power pop. Featuring mostly original material co-written by bassist Herbie Flowers, singer Roger Cook, and non-member Roger Greenaway, the combination of Cook's light pop voice and Madeline Bell's tougher soul voice was surprisingly impressive across these twelve tunes. Bell was particularly good. As a warning, rock fans were liable to find the collection too lightweight and cloying for their own health, but anyone who could set through an ABBA album, or enjoyed Chinn-Chapman tunes was probably going to find the set enjoyable. Yeah, the band's scattershot approach to styles didn't always work. Some of the pop tunes were complete disposible ('Where Did They Go') and their stab at country ('Another without You Day') was borderline awful Luckily their pop ('Randy') and funk tunes ('Watch Out'' and 'Daughter of Someone') were first rate.
"Only When
I Laugh" track listing: 1.) Watch Out (Herbie Flowers - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 2:44 The initially in-studio goofing off was unnecessary, but once the song actually got rolling it was worth the wait. Surprisingly funky with Herbie Flowers turning in a nice bass line, while Allan Parker contributed some nice fuzz lead guitar. rating: **** stars 2.) Randy (Herbie Flowers - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 3:12 'Randy' was a wonderful slice of mid-'70s English pop with Chinn-Chapman bubblegum pop-styled hooks and some of Parker's most impressive guitar. You had to wonder how American radio missed out on it. The song was tapped as a single and provided the band with a top-10 (# 9) UK hit:
- 1973's 'Randy' b/w 'John Brown's Down' (EMI catalog number EMI 2028) YouTube has a clip of the band lip synching the tune for UK television: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGw-ciagenk rating: **** stars 3.) Another without You Day (Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway - Jameson - Doctors) - 3:44 Never been a fan of British pop groups delving into country and this was no exception to the rule. Yeah, Bell and Cook's voices blended well, but the song was just too lame to be saved. rating: ** stars 4.) Daughter of Someone (Herbie Flowers - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 3:50 Seriously funky number that would have given Sly and the Family Stone a run for their money. The orgasm gasping refrains were hysterical. rating: **** stars 5.) Together (Herbie Flowers - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 4:04 Imagine a bad Nilsson ballad and you'll know what to expect from 'Together'. rating: ** stars 6.) Stay with Me (Herbie Flowers - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 3:12 Sweet, slightly sappy ballad that served to showcase how well Bell and Cook's voices blended together. The kind of tune your grandma could appreciate UK hit which probably explains why it was released as a single: - 1972's "Stay with Me' b/w 'We'll Be There' (Regal Zonphone catalog number RZ 3064) YouTube has another clip of the band lip-synching the tune for UK television: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD6gV4npRfA rating: **** stars
(side 2) 1.) By the Devil (I was Tempted) (Guy Flethcer - Doug Flett) - 3:39 Ah, the evils of drink set to a bouncy, slightly Caribbean-meets-jug band tinged melody. This one had mid-'70s stamped all over it. Another top-40 (# 26) UK single:
- 1974's 'By the Devil (I was Tempted)' b/w 'I Can't Find the Answer' (EMI catalog number EMI 2007) rating: *** stars 2.) You Are the Sunshine of My Life (Stevie Wonder) - 3:34 Certainly one of the more interesting Stevie Wonder covers I've heard - kicked along by a belching Flowers bass line and some bouncy Parker guitar Bell and Cook gave the song a very poppish arrangement. Nice. YouTube has an entertaining clip of the group performing the song for British television. The vocals were apparently live, but the rest of the band played along with a pre-recorded musical track - note none of the members were actually playing their own instruments - Ray Cooper was on bass, Allan Parker on percussion, Ann Odell on guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z52fXagL64Y rating: **** stars 3.) Harlem (Bill Withers) - 2:41 Showcasing Bell, their cover of Bill Withers' classic 'Harlem' add a distinctive funk edge to the proceedings. rating: **** stars 4.) Lonliness (Herbie Flowers - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 3:47 Fragile, keyboard-powered ballad that was simply too sensitive for my tastes. rating: ** stars 5.) Harmony (Herbie Flowers - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 3:12 It started out sounded like a slice of Fifth Dimension-styled '60s pop, but with a pretty melody; lovely harmonies quickly proved one of the songs that crept into your head and would not leave. rating: **** stars 6.) Where Did They Go (Sklerov Lloyd) - 4:03 Totally lame a forgettable pop song. rating: ** stars
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