I've had this sitting around for a while.
I like the Beau Brummels, having picked up their debut album in the 80s sometime. Since then I have managed to get hold of all the others albums (and commented on a few on this blog) and learned to like and frequently love them.
I've not thrown myself at this album because I’m generally wary of "comeback" albums … they are usually not great, inevitably being a poorly conceived updating of the band’s sound to a new era.
Rick at Rocking Horse Records (in Brisbane) urged me to put this album on (particularly praising the first track) so here I am.
The Beau Brummels were the California band for a while, if not in chart placings, then in philosophy.
The band has always captured the record obsessive's heart.
Perhaps it’s because they epitomised the California sound after the Beach Boys and before the rise of heavy acid. Perhaps because they epitomised the conciliatory American response to the British invasion (rather than freezing them out they adapted the ‘new’ sounds from the UK). Perhaps, it’s because they were one of the first bands to dabble in country rock. Perhaps it’s because Sly Stone from Sly and the Family Stone worked with and produced them.
Perhaps, it’s a mix of all of that.
As has been suggested:
“The Beau Brummels managed to capture the imaginations of people who had their ears to the ground. There was music happening, in fact there was a whole scene developing during the mid-60s. Like a lot of what was going on, The Beau Brummels (and many of the bands which followed) took a deep-seated tradition of Folk and twisted it around. Coupled with the impeccable harmonies of Sal Valentino and Ron Elliott, they became the basis for the San Francisco Sound, which began shortly after Laugh Laugh was released and became an international best seller. Produced at first by Sylvester Stewart (i.e. Sly Stewart of Sly and The Family Stone fame) and signed to Autumn Records, a Bay Area label founded by noted Disc Jockey Tom Donohue – the band scored new heights with a string of follow-up singles and albums before calling it a day in 1969”.
https://pastdaily.com/2016/07/06/beau-brummels-live-1975-past-daily/
“While they only had two big hits, the Beau Brummels were one of the most important and underrated American groups of the 1960s. They were the first U.S. unit of any sort to successfully respond to the British Invasion. They were arguably the first folk-rock group, even pre-dating the Byrds, and also anticipated some key elements of the San Francisco psychedelic sound with their soaring harmonies and exuberant melodies. Before they finally reached the end of the string, they were also among the first bands to record country-rock in the late '60s”.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-beau-brummels-mn0000135032/biography
For whatever reason they were respected by those in the know … almost like a west coast Velvet Underground, though without the New York pretensions.
What they did do was combine folk rock with English beat to create catchy and thumping music that was more melodic than the English and more percussive than the folk rockers.
With this is a base they moved into mild psychdelica and then finally into country rock.
Central to the band were the vocalist and occasional songwriter, Sal Valentino, and guitarist, and main songwriter, Ron Elliott.
Valentino could sing, and sing really well, Elliott could play guitar and write songs that were catchy and distinctive. They complimented each other.
But, California in the 1960s was an incredibly fertile musicland.
And, the Beau Brummels got lost in the rush.
I suspect that had something to do with the fact that they were on a smaller label, Autumn Records, for their first two albums and they lost whatever momentum they had by the time they joined Warners (for their last three 60s albums).
They seemed to be in the shadow of The Byrds but more respected than the not dissimilar Paul Revere and the Raiders (though, arguably, not as good).
Chart wise, the band was always marginal.
Their only album that charted well was their first "Introducing the Beau Brummels" which went to #24 in 1965. Singles wise they had petered out by 1966. They only had one Top 10 in the US, "Just a Little” (1965) and two other Top 40s, "Laugh Laugh" (1964) and You Tell Me Why” (1965).
So, it couldn’t be to revive past success that this album was recorded. Though it did do (US #178) better than their last charting album, “Triangle” which went to #197 in 1967.
The Beau Brummels recorded the “Bradley's Barn” album in 1968. That album featured Valentine and Elliott only, aided by shit hot Nashville session men (David Briggs, Kenny Buttrey, Norbert Putnam, Jerry Reed).
It was a wonderful early example of the country rock sound but one hard to capitalise on (even if it had been a hit) as there was no rhythm section.
The “band” split formally.
Six years later the band reforms and records again.
I suspect it seemed to come out of nowhere but in some ways it made commercial sense.
The country rock sound that was so cutting edge in 1968 on “Bradley’s Barn” was now mainstream with The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers and others all over the charts.
The band started recording where they left off in 1968 though this time a little more slicker (as the mid-70s would require) and, more importantly, with a line-up which featured all five original band members (John Petersen, Ron Elliott, Sal Valentino, Ron Meagher, Declan Mulligan) for the first time since the band's debut album, 1965's “Introducing the Beau Brummels” (John Petersen had left in 1967 to join Harper’s Bizarre, Ron Meagher was drafted in 1968 and Declan Mulligan had left the band in 1965).
This is country rock though surprisingly rootsy for a west coast band (at times). They have though played with their country rock giving it baroque touches at times and injecting some (quite little) 70s rock guitar in places, and soulful asides in other places. It's country rock stylings are matched by a gentle, dreamlike almost trippy groove. A bit like what you would get if late period (circa 1971) Young Rascals had of discovered country music.
This album is full of joys. Valentine is in magnificent voice (and there is a lot of great harmonizing) and main songwriter Elliott has more than one song left in his repertoire. The album washes over you and hasn’t dated. It is slick but restrained.
In any event, once again they were lost in the flood of country rock bands circa 1975.
The album tanked and they called it quits (again) as a band.
Elliott’s co-writer was Butch Engel who had been in 60s California bands, The Showmen and Butch Engle & the Styx, whose material was written by Engel and Elliott. According to Engle, "Ron, Sly Stewart [later known as Sly Stone], [and Autumn Records executives] Tom Donahue and Bobby Mitchell would choose which songs would go on [a Beau Brummels] album, and then we could take what we wanted from whatever was left". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Engle_%26_the_Styx
The album was produced by Lenny Waronker and Ted Templeman. Producer Templeman had been in vocal pop group Harpers Bizarre before turning over to production and co-producing Van Morrison, Captain Beefheart as well as producing The Doobie Brothers, Little Feat and many others). Lenny Waronker was married to the delectable Donna Loren (but that’s a bit off track). He produces the Beau Brummels albums “Triangle” (1967) and ‘Bradley's Barn” (1968) as well as Harpers Bizarre, Arlo Guthrie, Ry Cooder, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Newman and all sorts of other rustic types for Warner Brothers. (He later became president of Warner Bros Records, and then co-Chair of DreamWorks Records). Interestingly, drummer Petersen married Roberta Templeman, sister of Ted Templeman, in 1969. Roberta Templeman became a vice president at Warner Bros Records in the 1980s
All songs by Ron Elliott unless otherwise specified.
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- You Tell Me Why – a reworked version of their #38 single from 1965. The original version was very Byrds like. And this one still is though they have incorporated some of the country rock sounds of the day. A wonderful song. This particular version has a gentle dreamlike bounce that really relaxes, and massages, the brain. shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Tell_Me_Why
- First in Line – (Elliott, Engle) – a rootsy stroll through someone's first love affair.
- Wolf – this is straighter country rock of the time. Nothing wrong with that and very well done but a little familiar.
- Down to the Bottom – (Elliott, Engle) – a weird song … some 70s electric guitar way back in the mix … which is a good place for it on this time of song. Normally I wouldn't like this type of song but this one appeals.
- Tennessee Walker – Here they move into Randy Newman / Harry Nilsson territory. It is quite beautiful. An ode to the south (from some Californians).
Side Two
- Singing Cowboy – rose coloured glasses but quite wonderful. And, what better place to sing the odes of a singing cowboy than California, the home of Hollywood's singing cowboys and many other westerners who drifted in to try their hand in the music industry.
- Goldrush – (Elliott, Engle) – a catchy song about greed.
- The Lonely Side – quite beautiful (and magnificent) and not dissimilar to what (to my ears) Mickey Newbury was doing at the time.
- Gate of Hearts – Country rock with some Dylan-esque touches which also sounds like something else i can't put my finger on.
- Today By Day – (Elliott, Engle) – another beautiful songs. Ad, is that an accordion i hear, way back in the mix. The strings compliment this perfectly. Again, quite beautiful.
And …
A minor (and perhaps major) gem. Ripe for re-discovery by any number of alt-country bands … I'm keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
—
Album
1975 #180
England
nothing
Sounds
The whole album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toUUnNSws3M
You Tell Me Why
mp3 attached
First in Line
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWXqnTi3lIM
Wolf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BwCqCPgS9I
Singing Cowboy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iI02Obibvc
Goldrush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GONWekswZ5E
Today by Day
mp3 attached
Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAeVOoTXt8o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InRb7bOuT9c
humour with Ed Ames
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4GpHcigP4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeQ-MYwjLu4
on the Flintstones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIBGTK4fuTs
in the film “Valley of the Giants” (1966)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Lkk_aWaAw
in the film “Wild Wild Winter” (1966)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GLRXsWWuT8
Review
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beau_Brummels_(album)
https://www.allmusic.com/album/beau-brummels-import-mw0000503045
Bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beau_Brummels
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beau_Brummels_discography
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-beau-brummels-mn0000135032/biography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal_Valentino
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Elliott_(musician)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Meagher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declan_Mulligan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Petersen_(musician)
Website
—
Trivia
- Vocals – Sal Valentino / Guitar, Vocals – Ron Elliott, Ron Meagher / Bass, Vocals – Declan Mulligan / Drums – John Petersen /Guitar, Banjo – Dan Levitt / Percussion – Victor Feldman / Piano – Mark Jordan / Arranged By [String Arrangements] – Nick DeCaro
- Sal Valentino (born Salvatore Willard Spampinato in San Francisco), following a stint in 1969 recording solo singles for Warner Bros assembled a new band, Stoneground after The Beau Brummels imploded. They released three albums in the early 1970s, Valentino left the group in 1973. He recorded three solo albums in the 2000s.
- There have been two subsequent albums to The Beau Brummels 1975 … one of new material "Continuum" (2013) (Ron Elliott teamed up with producer Lou Dorren to record, with contributions from Brummels members Sal Valentino, Ron Meagher, and Declan Mulligan and John Petersen. Petersen died in 2008, but Elliott and Dorren discovered an unused drum track he had recorded, and it was used as the basis for one of the album's songs) and a live album, "Live!" in 2000 which was of a 1974 recording of a live show near Sacramento, California (and which contains three songs from their 1975 album including the revamped “You Tell me Why”).
