Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: The Little Black Egg
Company: Kapp
Catalog: KL-1520
Year: 1967
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: promo copy w/ stamp on back; name on front cover; minor ring, edge and corner wear; mono pressing; couple of pops on side one, but plays well
Available: 1
Price: $100.00
Hailing from Daytona, Florida, The Nightcrawlers were briefly the band of the moment. Fronted by singer Chuck Conlan, the band started out as Conlon & the Crawlers. A pair of single for the local Marlin label ("I Won't Tell You" b/w "You're Coming On" and "Won't You Say YEs To Me Girl" b/w "Midnight Reader") did little sales wide, but led to a follow on contract with the equally obscure Lee label. The band's sole release for Lee "The Little Black Egg" b/w "You're Running Wild" also proved
instantly obscure, but attracted the attention of the New York based Kapp label which bought national distribution rights.
Reissued the single managed to crack the top-100 (ha), leading Kapp to rush the band into the studio to record a spporting album. Released as the cleverly titled
"LIttle Black Egg", the album found the group teamed with producers Brad Shapiro and Steve Alaimo. Musically the collection wasn't half bad. Largely written by Conlan, material such as the title track, "Me For Me" and "I Don't Remember" offered up a commercial folk-rock sound (lots of jangly guitar) that bore more than a passing resemblance to Val Stoecklin, or perhaps The Beau Brummels. Elsewhere, "You're Running Wild" displayed a neat Buddy Holly influence, while "Who Knows" showed they could turn in a decent rocker. In spite of the hit single, the parent album failed to chart. (Always loved the modernistic cover ...)
"LIttle Black Egg" track listing:
(side
1)
1.) The Little Black Egg (Chuck Conlon) - 2:44
2.) You're Running Wild (M. Stone) - 2:34
3.) Me For Me (Chuck Conlon) - 1:45
4.) If You Want My Love (Chuck Conlon) - 2:39
5.) I Don't Remember (Chuck Conlon) - 2:02
(side
2)
1.) A Basket of Flowers (Stone - Chuck Conlon - Sylvan Wells) - 2:10
2.) Show Me the Way (Chuck Conlon) - 2:31
3.) What Time Is It (Chuck Conlon) - 2:43
4.) Who Knows (Chuck Conlon) - 2:38
5.) Washboard (M. Stone - Chuck Conlon) - 2:25
The group survived long enough to release a series of three follow-on singles, including the non-LP "My Butterfly" b/w "Today I'm Happy".
In 1994 the French Eva label reissued the album tacking on six non-LP singles.