not sure if its the correct forum but wayne fontana "give me just a little more time" may be getting "a little more time" inside as he appeared in court in derby last week charged with setting fire to a debt collectors car (bbc cefax pg 506), any body else heard this story

  codfromderby said:

not sure if its the correct forum but wayne fontana "give me just a little more time" may be getting "a little more time" inside as he appeared in court in derby last week charged with setting fire to a debt collectors car (bbc cefax pg 506), any body else heard this story

Bit more about it here

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/6691773.stm

QoFxx

  codfromderby said:

not sure if its the correct forum but wayne fontana "give me just a little more time" may be getting "a little more time" inside as he appeared in court in derby last week charged with setting fire to a debt collectors car (bbc cefax pg 506), any body else heard this story

What a top bloke! Always liked his records, and was in fact playing "Come On Home" only yesterday afternoon.

Like him even more now....

Wasn't his most popular record on the northern scene " Something Keeps Calling Me Back " , the flip of Pamela Pamela ?

  TONY ROUNCE said:

What a top bloke! Always liked his records, and was in fact playing "Come On Home" only yesterday afternoon.

Like him even more now....

have you tried the flip of 'Come On Home'....'My Eyes Break Out In Tears' is one of his best Northern tunes!!! Full on atmospheric stomper with breaks.

  Soul-Slider said:

have you tried the flip of 'Come On Home'....'My Eyes Break Out In Tears' is one of his best Northern tunes!!! Full on atmospheric stomper with breaks.

Yep, this has always a 2-sided play for me. Most WF singles offer a B-side that's as good as the A - or, in the case of "Something Keeps Calling Me Back" versus "Pamela, Pamela" - something much better.

Talking of 'something much better' - and however heretical it may be to say so - I've always preferred WF's version of "Um Um Um Um Um Um" to Major Lance's. It's one of a select group of Beat Group records that I think outsrip the originals in every department, others being the Swinging Blue Jeans "Hippy Hippy Shake" (beats Chan Romero's to a pulp), the Searchers' "Sweets For My Sweet" and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers' "One Way Love" (of course I like the Drifters versions as well, but they have not one ounce of the joyful, sheer exuberance of the UK covers). Oh yes, and the Moody Blues' version of "Go Now", which we've discussed the merits of vis-a-vis Bessie Banks on here before.

TONY

Talking of 'something much better' - and however heretical it may be to say so - I've always preferred WF's version of "Um Um Um Um Um Um" to Major Lance's. It's one of a select group of Beat Group records that I think outsrip the originals in every department,

BURN THE WITCH

  okehgaz said:

Talking of 'something much better' - and however heretical it may be to say so - I've always preferred WF's version of "Um Um Um Um Um Um" to Major Lance's. It's one of a select group of Beat Group records that I think outsrip the originals in every department,

BURN THE WITCH

Didn't say that I didn't like Major's, just that I prefer Wayne's. Sometimes what you hear first, stays with you longest...

  TONY ROUNCE said:

Sometimes what you hear first, stays with you longest...

Agreed. I much prefer the Rockin' Berries cover of "Poor Man's Son" to the Reflections' original. I really like "He's In Town" too but I don't think I've heard the Tokens version to compare it to.

Godz

Sorry, I have to disagree with Tony on the British covers, I don't think any of them are any way as good as the American originals. This just a personal opinion of course. I am probably influenced by seeing great American pop/rock'n'roll records being kept from being hits in the UK by covers when I was at school. Developed a real dislike of Craig Douglas, Marty Wilde, Ricky Valance, etc, probably very unfair, they had to make a living.

I've just played the Tokens, and prefer it, but as I say above I would.

To be fair to the Searchers their version of Sweets For My Sweet is quite different to the Drifters' original. They did help introduce some quite rare records to the public via their albums.

Yet, despite my earlier comments, I prefer Dusty Springfield's version of I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself to Tommy Hunt and Chuck Jackson. Partly because Dusty seems to highlight the dramatic and emotional potential of the song, and because of the memories it evokes in me of a girl I was passionately in love with, as you only can be when you're 18, lol.

As for Wayne Fontana, he wasn't a bad singer imo. Really liked Come On Home and Pamela Pamela, my wife used to say the sort of wimpy records you like. The latter has a real charm, haven't heard it for years though, cue for hopes of an MP3.

One I vaguely remember by him was called Mind Excursion, originally done by the Tradewinds, of New York's A Lonely Town fame (probably my favourite surf record).

Anyone else remember that one?

Sorry to hear Wayne's got problems. Must be difficult when you stop being famous.