2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

LESREED

“It’sNotUnusual” hitmaker

(1935-2019)

L

esReedwasn’tsurewhattomakeof

theyoungTomJonesatfirst.In1964,

invitedbymanagerGordonMillsto

watchtheunknownsingerperform

ata cinemainslough,Reedwasless

thanimpressedbytheWelshman’simage– tight

trousers,medallionsanda rabbit’sfootaround

thewaist– butadoredhisvoice.Togetherwith

Mills,Reedco-wrote“It’sNotUnusual”forJonesto

singasa demointendedforsandieshaw.Butsuch

wasitsformidablepowerthatit becameJones’s

secondsingleforDecca,makingtheUKNo1 spot

inearly 1965 andlaunchinghimtosuperstardom.

Reed’sassociationwithJonescontinuedwith

“I’mComingHome”and,mostfamously,1968’s

“Delilah”,bothco-writtenwithBarryMason.

A skilledpianistandorchestraleader,Reedalso

createdthearrangementforanothermonsterhit

ofJones’s,“Green,GreenGrassOfHome”.

BorninWoking,Reedhadmasteredvarious

instrumentsbyhismid-teens.Hisintroduction

torock’n’rollcamein1959,whenheappearedon

BBCTV’sDrumbeataspianoplayerinTheJohn

Barryseven.HeremainedwithBarryuntil1962,

whenhesignedupwithPyesubsidiaryPiccadilly

Records,arranginghitsforJoeBrownandforming

hisownLesReedOrchestra.

Hisfirstsignificantsongwritingpartnerwas

Geoffstephens,withwhomhewrote“TellMe

When”,a hitforTheApplejacksin1964.Thepair

scored further chart successes with Herman’s

Hermits(“There’sA KindOfHush”)and,in1970,

anotherJonesstaple,“DaughterOfDarkness”.

Butit wasMasonwhoprovedtobeReed’sideal

foil.TheyprovidedengelbertHumperdinck

with1967’smillion-sellingMORballad“The

Last Waltz”, inspired by the wartime dances

thatReed’smotherandsistersusedtoattend.He

andMasonwrotemorehitsforHumperdinck,

alongsideothersforTheFortunes,TheDave

ClarkFiveandPetulaClark,beforetoppingthe

singleschartagainwith Des O’Connor’s 1968

crooner “I Pretend”.

114 • UNCUT • JULY 2019

Not Fade Away

Fondly remembered this month...

S H AW NS M I T H

Bradfrontman

(19652019)

A fixtureofseattle’salternative

scenesincethelate’80s,singer-

songwritershawnsmithstarted

outwithdrummerReganHagar

assatchel,beforetheduohooked

upwithJeremyTobackandPearl

Jam’sstoneGossardtoformBradin

1992.Thebandissuedfivealbums

overtwodecades,whilesmithalso

featuredaspartofPigeonhed and

TheTwilightsingers.

DAV ESA M U E L S

SpyroGyravibesman

(1948-2019)

Davesamuelsstudiedvibraphone

andmarimbaatBoston’sBerklee

CollegeofMusicpriortomovingto

NewYork,whereheperformedwith

GerryMulligan’ssextet,alongside

Chet Baker, at Carnegie Hall in 1974.

HealsoplayedwithCarlaBleyand

FrankZappa,beforesittinginon

studiosessionswithjazz-fusion

outfitspyroGyrain1979.samuels

appearedonfivealbumsbefore

officiallyjoining the band for 1983’s

CityKids.

MARGARETLEWIS

Countrysinger and

songwriter

(DOBUNKNOWN2019)

AfterappearingontheLouisiana

Hayridein1958,MargaretLewis

becameDaleHawkins’backing

vocalistandwentontoachieve

a modicumofsolosuccess,most

notablywith1968’s“Honey(I Miss

YouToo)”.ButtheTexanfound

hertruecallingasa songwriter.

TogetherwithMirasmith,shewrote

forDavidHouston,JeannieC Riley

andPeggyscott,althoughtheirbest-

knowneffortwasJohnnyAdams’

1969 hit, “Reconsider Me”.

JOET ER RY

Doo-wopveteran

(19412019)

BaritonesingerJoeTerrywasjust

16 whenheandhisvocalgroup,

Danny& TheJuniors,reachedthe

summitoftheBillboardcharts

with“AtTheHop”inearly1958.

ThePhiladelphiaquartetscored

a numberofotherhits,including

theresolute“RockAndRollIs Here

Tostay”,throughtotheearly’60s.

Takingoverleadvocals,Terry

continuedtoperformunderthe

namefortheensuingdecades.

KENTHARRIS

Noveltyhitmaker

(19302019)

Kent“Boogaloo”Harrisabandoned

a careerasa soloartistaftera

handfulofflopsingles,though

heenjoyedgreatersuccessasa

songwriter. “shoppin’ For Clothes”,

onwhichheshareda composer

creditwithLeiberandstoller,

becamea minorhitforTheCoasters

in1960.Threeyearsearlier,Bo

Diddleyhadmadethechartswith

Harris’s“CopsAndRobbers”.He

alsowroteforhisownfamily group,

TheHarrissisters.

JIMGLASER

Countrysongwriter

(19372019)

MartyRobbinssignedTheGlaser

Brotherstohisownlabelin1959.

ConsistingofsiblingsTompall,

ChuckandJim,theytouredwith

Robbins,PatsyClineandJohnny

Cash,whomtheybackedon1963’s

“RingOfFire”.Thebrothersenjoyed

a numberofUscountryhitsthrough

tothe’80s,duringwhichtimeJim

alsobecamea successfulartistin

hisownright,recordingfourstudio

albumsandpeakingwith1984’s

No 1 hit “You’re Gettin’ To Me Again”.

LesReed:from

TheJohnBarry

SeventoThe

DaveClarkFive

and beyond

anl/reX/shutterstOck