Brass Monkey
Band members Related acts
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Brass Monkey Company: Rare Earth Catalog: Year: 19 Country/State: S Grade (cover/record): VG / VG Comments: original inner sleeve Available: 1 GEMM catalog ID: 5 Price: $
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I’ll normally buy an album on Motown’s Rare Earth
subsidiary without knowing anything about the artist since the results tend
to be entertaining. That was
the case when I stumbled across it at a yard sale …
Frankly I can’t tell you much about this group.
Even an Internet search yields little in the way of bibliographical
information. Based on the back cover photo they were a quintet – five
rather pensive looking white guys; one with atrocious tastes in neckwear.
Co-produced by Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett (who also co-wrote the six
non-cover tunes), 1971’s “Brass Monkey” had its moments. Whoever he
was, the lead singer was pretty good with a versatile voice that was equally
at home across the entire album while the rest of the band were never less
than competent. Their genre of
choice was hard rock, with tracks like ‘Goodbye Birds’ and the bluesy
instrumental ‘Strange Days’ showcased a mild English influence.
Elsewhere the required social commentary ‘All Fall Down’ was
surprisingly tuneful and subtle. Certainly
not the most original thing you’ve ever heard, but with the exception of
the four throwaway covers (including an apparently Motown-mandated ‘You
Keep Me Hangin’ On’), the collection wasn’t half bad.
Be warned the album began to run out of steam on side two, which is
where three of the four covers were. Rare
Earth also tapped the LP for an instantly obscure single: ‘Sweet Water’
b/w ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On ’ (Rare Earth catalog number 5022).
As far as I can tell that was their entire catalog – one LP and one
45. Love to know more about
them … "Brass
Monkey" track listing: 1.) Sweet Water (Guy
Fletcher - Doug Flett) – 3:27 2.) You Keep Me Hangin’ On
(Brian Holland – Lamont Dozier – Eddie Holland) – 3:46 3.) Goodbye Birds
(Guy Fletcher - Doug Flett) –
3:57 4.) All Fall Down
(Guy Fletcher - Doug Flett) –
3:55 5.) Strange Days (instrumental) (Guy Fletcher - Doug Flett) – 3:42
(side
2) 2.)
Stay with Me Baby
(Ragavoy - Weiss)
– 3:41 3.)
Proud Mary (John
Fogerty) – 3:11 4.)
Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Sonny Bono) – 3:22 5.) Sing, Sing, Sing (Guy Fletcher - Doug Flett) – 3:28
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