The Millennium
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1968) - Curt
Boettcher (RIP 1987) -- vocals, keyboards, guitar
supporting musicians: - Keith Olsen -- keyboards - Jim Ryan -- guitar - Jerry Scheff -- bass
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- The Ballroom (Curt Boettcher and Sandy Salisbury) - Curt Boettcher (solo efforts) - California (Curt Boettcher) - The Chances
(Sandy Salisbury) - The Dependables (Joey Stec) - Michael
Fennelly (solo efforts) - Lee Mallory (solo efforts) - Lee Mallory
and Joey Stec Doug Rhodes) - Puppet (Sandy Salisbury) - The Raggamuffins
(Ron Edgar) - Sandy Salisbury (solo efforts) - Something Young (Sandy Salisbury) - The Spats (Doug Rhodes) - Joey Stec (solo efforts) - Summer's
Children (Curt Boettcher)
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Genre: pop Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Begin Company: Columbia Catalog: CS 9663 Year: 1968 Country/State: USA Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: SOLD Catalog ID: 4 Price: SOLD $200.00 Cost: $66.00
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There are hundreds
of 1960s era sunshine pop albums out there. If I had t 1.) Prelude (instrumental) (Doug Rhodes - Ron Edgar) - 1:15 rating: *** stars I'm a sucker for harpsichord so the combination of Doug Rhodes keyboards and Ron Edgar's drums on the brief opening instrumental 'Prelude' instantly caught my attention. A weird mash-up of classical and circus influences (blame the tuba), the track effortlessly segueing into the glorious 'To Claudia On Thursday.' It was a weird decision, but Columbia released the track as a promotional single:
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1968's 'Prelude' b/w '5 a.m.' (Columbia catalog number 4-44607)
Apparently inspired by Boettcher's then pregnant wife Claudia, 'To Claudia On Thursday' offered up a breezy, mesmerizing slice of sunshine-pop ear candy. It was one of those songs that should have made these guys superstars. Where do you even start? A melody that won't leave you alone. Glistening harmonies. A stunning Jerry Scheff bass line. Who came up with the idea to include the mesmerizing Brazilian cuíca? (Now you know where Paul Simon got the inspiration for adding it to 'Me and Julio.') How was it possible Columbia only released it as a promotional single in the States?
- 1968's 'To Claudia On Thursday' b/w 'There Is Nothing More To Day' (Columbia catalog number 4-44674)
One
of five Ballroom compositions, normally I'm not a big fan of MOR ballads,
but I'll make an exception for ' I Just Want To Be Your Friend.' Yeah,
it was hopelessly naive, but with a distinctive bossa nova vibe and another
great Doug Rhodes bass line, it stood as one of the album's
highlights. I remember initially thinking there was a female lead
singer on this one. Salisbury's
lone contribution to the album, the lush pop ballad '5 A.M.' has always
reminded of an early Association performance. One of the album's
weaker performances. Salisbury has talked about the track describing it as
an attempt to "...
write a melodic piece about the quite early-morning time."
He also pointed out: "There
was a young Columbia executive named Clive Davis who liked “5 AM” and
wanted it to go out as a single. I guess it went off to the Philippines,
too. That song was on the Billboard top 100 at one point, but in the
Philippines it went straight to the top. Boom! Wonder of wonders. This is my
one musical claim to fame. Number One in the Philippines! Ho!" Hey,
the '60s stopped by ... 'I'm with You' offered up a slice of top
caliber Association's-styled sunshine pop. Mallory may have had the
best voice of the group. One
of five The Ballroom tracks included on the LP, I've always loved the
strumming guitar opening, the cheesy sound effects and the Brian Wilson-esque
harmonies. Admittedly
'Sing To Me' was a bit on the bubblegum pop side of the house (bit your mom,
or grandmother would have grooved to it), but the arrangement and
performances were mesmerizing. It was the kind of track Don Kirshner would
have sold his family for in order to place it on an Archies album.
Would have made a dandy commercial for a Ford Mustang. (side 2) 1.) It's You (Joey Stec - Michael Fennelly) - 3:21 rating: ***** stars In spite of the glistening, commercial melody, Stec apparently intended 'It's You' as a commentary on government surpression of information - we're all brainless lemmings. The song found the group adding folk-rock, English rock influences, Indian chants and even a tad of psychedelic influences to the mix. Always loved the jangle rock sound on this one. Another one where you just had to scratch your head in wonder this one wasn't a hit. About a decade ago Fennelly actually popped up on YouTube and left a comment about the song: "We spent a lot of time in the studio, but it was Columbia's studios, so the costs (ultimately charged to the band) were hardly a threat to the label's financial security. and Columbia didn't spend a fortune to promote the album ..." Released as a single in advance of the album, the 45 attracted some positive reviews, but failed to chart, foreshadowing doom for the parent album.
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1968's 'It's You' b/w 'I Just Want To Be Your friend' (Columbia catalog
number 4-44568)
2.) Some Sunny Day (Lee Mallory) - 3:22 rating: **** stars 'Some
Sunny Day' took the Association-styled harmonies and added a touch of
country-rock and lysergic orchestration to the mix. I'm always
surprised at how much I like this one. Just
my uninformed, humble
opinion - 'It Won't Always Be the Same' was the album's standout
performance. Showcasing Fennelly on lead vocals, this one upped the
folk-rock quotient and added a touch of social commentary to the mix. The
atypical rocker added some wild Ron Edgar
drumming, crazy horn
charts and a clear psych edge to the mix. The perfect tune for folks
who thought all these guys could churn out was MOR pop moves. Well,
the title screamed '60s and the dreamy lyrics and acid tinged melody made
for a wonderful timepiece. The instrumental koto segment was
unexpected and entrancing. Mallory supposedly wrote that section of
the tune after visiting his grandmother in Japan. How
do you describe the ballad 'There Is Nothing More To Say'?
The melody and vocals are
fascinating; kind of like having a warm blanket envelop your body.
I've seen this one described as "lilting" and that is actually a
great tag. 'Anthem (Begin)' ended the album with a backward tapes, weird studio effects, a choral group singing "Columbia - C.B.S." and more fade-out weirdness. More of a sound collage than a song, it should appeal to 'Revolution # 9" fans.
By the mid-'80s musical tastes had long passed Boettcher by. Barely covering
his living expenses, lacking health insurance and suffering from a lung
infection, in July 1987 he checked into a Los Angeles hospital. Within a
matter of days he was dead.
Mallory passed away from liver cancer in March 2005.
Salisbury is still active and has a website at: GRAHAM SALISBURY
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o
pick one as exemplifying the sunshine pop niche, or just wanted to
hear something for a cloudless Sunday morning hike - well you couldn't go
wrong with The Millennium's "Begin."
Apparently envisioned as a
corporate super-group by singer/writer/ producer Curt Boettcher, in spite of
the name, The
Millennium barely survived long enough to release one album. At least on
paper the group should have been major contenders, showcasing an all-star lineup
headed by Boettcher, whose resume included stints with The Goldebriars, Summer's Children,
and The Ballroom. Rounding out the talent pool were ex-The
Ballroom singer/guitarist Sandy Sailsbury, former Music Machine alumnus Ron Edgar on
drums and keyboardist Doug Rhodes. Rounding out the line-up were
singers/guitarists Michael Fennelly, Lee Malllory and Joey Stec All
told, it made for some of the cream of American sunshine pop.
