Reviews roundup – Bead Game vs. Sophie Evans vs. The Three Belles

Reviews roundup – Bead Game vs. Sophie Evans vs. The Three Belles

BEAD GAME
same
Slipstream Records

Here’s a blast from the past, as a long lost, never released (bar a nineties vinyl version), second album from Boston rock band, Bead Game appears.  A mere 43 years after it was recorded.

Now a lot of stuff that was unreleased, deserved that fate, but this isn’t one of them.  Bead Game were very much a band of their time, mixing up prog rock, jazz rock and even soft rock in amongst some well written, arranged and performed songs.  But when their debut, “Welcome” came out in 1970, there was a lot of competition.  So if you didn’t have the right people behind you, then it was hard going.

This has been remastered from the original master tapes by original band member John Sheldon and includes the original intended artwork along with a 28 page band history, making for an interesting package. The songs here have moved on from the psych tinged offerings of the debut, and are more melodic and (whisper it) mainstream.  The opening ‘What A Day’ is the best of the songs, and should have been a radio hit back in the day.

But at least you’re getting a chance to hear it, courtesy of the good people at Slipstream Records.  And don’t forget, Steely Dan fans, Bead Game lead singer and drummer Jim Hodder went on to become a founding member of Steely Dan, singing ‘Midnite Cruiser’ and ‘Dallas’, as well as playing on their first three albums.

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SOPHIE EVANS
The Studio Sessions
Acapela

Hmm.  It’s a bit late to be bigging up your appearance on the BBC talent series “Over the Rainbow”.  After all, it was four years ago. Although Miss Evans did get to wear the ruby slippers at the London Palladium.

Four years on, though, and this six track EP sees two cracks at ‘Over The Rainbow’, a version of the Elton John tune, ‘Your Song’ and a run through of the Bad News “classic” ‘Imogen’, officially the most overrated song ever.  Although, at least Miss Evans and her musicians have the common decency to invent their own music.

Which leaves me with ‘Part Of Your World’ from The Little Mermaid and a take on the Swedish House Mafia Top 10 smash from a couple of years back, ‘Save the World’.  And it’s these two songs that stick out by a country mile, showing that Miss Evans really does have a voice to reckon with.  Given the right material, there is no reason why this Welsh warbler shouldn’t be sitting on top of the tree.

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THE THREE BELLES
In Full Swing
Intermission

I love this sort of thing.  Now, I know it’s never going to be as good as the originals, but I’m happy to instigate a small round of applause for the folks who want to make sure that the golden age of music isn’t forgotten.  After all, I’m someone who plays Eileen Barton records for fun, so I now good music when I hear it.

The Three Belles, in case you don’t know are a close harmony trio, in the style of The Andrews Sisters.  They do lots of those forties / wartime revival shows that seem to take place constantly down in England, as well as putting together their own shows “In The Mood” and “Sing Sing Sing”.  And here they are with a debut album.

And it’s rather good. Now nothing will replace the originals, naturally, but it’s a league above the overrated Puppini Sisters and, for an indie recording, it sounds amazing. It’s primarily the classics such as ‘In The Mood’, ‘Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree’ and ‘Bei Mir Bist Du Schon’, but band leader Will Keel Stocker has come up with some original songs, that sit very nicely in amongst the classics, with ‘Belles Are Swingin’ the best of them.

A good job, but just don’t tell anyone that I still think the RAF Squadronaires version of ‘In The Mood’ kicks seven shades out the Glenn Miller one.  Sssshhh.

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