Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Gimme Dat Ding!
Company: Capitol
Catalog: ST-463
Year: 1970
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: was sealed; opened to tape; still in shrink wrap
Available: 1
Price: $30.00
The early-'70s saw an explosion of English pop acts hit the American charts. One of the odder entries were The Pipkins. The brainchild of producer John Burgess, The Pipkins were a one-shot studio entity built around the talents of singers Tony Burrows, Roger Greenaway and writers Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood.
The concept actually started out as a paid commission. In 1970 Hammond and Hazelwood were asked to write a song for the UK children's television show Oliver and the Underworld. The goofy "Gimme That Ding" attracted considerable attention, Columbia Records even electing to release it as a single. With Capitol acquiring American distribution rights, "Gimme Dat Ding" b/w "To Love You" (Capitol catalog number 2819), enjoyed a similar reaction domestically, eventually going top-10. More than willing to jump aboard The Popkins bandwagon, Capitol wasted little time releasing a supporting album. Produced by Burgess, the cleverly titled "Gimme Dat Ding" is pretty hard to adequately describe. Imagine Edison Lighthouse or White Plains styled Brit-pop, but speeded up to 90 rpm with running commentary from Wolfman Jack (Burrows furnished the bass voices), and you'll get a feel for tracks such as "Sunny Honey Girl" and "My Baby Loves Lovin' ". Add a dollop of English music hall influences ("Busy Line" and "Are You Cookin' Goose?") and you'll start to get the idea. Fascinating in a bizarre fashion, this is one that will bring memories back to folks of a certain age. The album actually managed to hit #132 in the States.
"Gimme Dat Ding!" track listing:
1.) Here Come de Kins (C, Greenaway - B. Burrows) - 2:47
2.) Sunny Honey Girl (C. Greenaway - H. Simons) - 3:22
3.) Busy Line (Semos - Stanton) - 2:37
4.) Yakety-Yak (Leiber - Stoller) - 2:41
5.) Gimme Dat Ding (Albert Hammond - Michael Hazelwood) - 2:11
6.) The People Dat You Wanna Phone Ya! (Albert Hammond - Michael Hazelwood) - 2:31
7.) My Baby Loves Lovin' (Roger Cook - Greenaway) - 2:41
8.) Are You Cookin' Goose? (Albert Hammond - Michael Hazelwood) - 1:44
9.) You Can't Go Wrong (Albert Hammond - Michael Hazelwood) - 2:39
10.) All You'll Ever Get from Me (Roger Cook - Greenaway) - 248