Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Junior's Eyes
Company: A&M
Catalog: SP-4189
Year: 1969
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: cut corner lower left corner; white label promo copy
Available: 1
Price: $50.00
Here's a short-lived and little known late-1960s outfit with an impressive pedigree and a criminally overlooked LP.
Led by the late Mick Wayne (the remainder of the line up consisting of
drummer Steve Chapman, singer Grom Kelly, Doug Redfern and guitarist Tim Renwick), Junior's Eyes are probably best known for their role backing David Bowie on his first solo album. Wayne had previous recorded with The Hullabaloos and the short-lived The Tickle, so it probably wasn't a major surprise that the band was signed by Regal Zonophone Records (A&M somehow acquiring US distribution rights).
1969 saw the band debuting with a series of three nifty singles:
- 1969's "Mister Golden Trumpet Player" b/w "Black Snake" (Regal Zonophone catalog number RZ-3009)
- 1969's "Woman Love" b/w "Circus Days" (Regal Zonophone catalog number RZ-3018)
- 1969's "Sink Or Swim" b/w "Star Child" (Regal Zonophone catalog number RZ-3023)
Released later in the year, the band's self-titled debut album teamed them with producer Tony Visconti. With Wayne responsible for all of the material, "Junior's Eyes" was quite diverse. Credited as a side-long, multi-part suite, side one's "Battersear Power Station" actually came off as a series of seven separate tracks that were somewhat haphazardly stitched together. Powered by Wayne's excellent lead guitar (check out "Imagination"), the set bounced along between outright pop ("My Ship"), English music hall ("Miss Lizzy"), conventional rock ("So Embarrassed"), and occasional stabs at lite-psych ("Playtime"). Elsewhere, perhaps a reflection of Visconti's work with Marc Bolan, the brief "I'm Drowning" sounded like Tyrannosaurus Rex. Never less than professional, we'll readily admit that there's a certain absence of imagination here. You can't help but think that you've heard most pf these moves somewhere else.
"Junior's Eyes" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Battersear Power Station
i.) Total War (Mick Wayne) -
ii.) Circus Days (Mick Wayne) -
iii.) Imagination (Mick Wayne) -
iv.) My Ship (Mick Wayne) -
v.) Miss Lizzy (Mick Wayne) -
vi.) So Embarrassed (Mick Wayne) -
vii.) Freak In (Mick Wayne) -
(side 2)
1.) Playtime (Mick Wayne) -
2.) I'm Drowning (Mick Wayne) -
3.) White Light (Mick Wayne) -
4.) By the Trees (Mick Wayne) -
Renwick became an in-demand sessions player, as well as becoming a member of Quiver, which was later incorporated into The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver. Cambridge reappeared as a member of Dib Cochrane and the Earwigs. Sadly, Wayne died in 1994.