Monocled Alchemist

“Time For Livin’” / “Birthday Morning” (Warner Bros WB 7195) May 1968

The Association | Time For Livin’ | (Warner Bros) 1968 | A livelier-than-usual item from this sophisticated U.S. group. This could be the one to click for them. Tune is strong, harmonies are great on the fast-ish beat ballad with a summery flavour throughout. Builds up to a great climax. Flip is more gentle with nice opening piano work. (Record Mirror, 11/05/68)

Association: Why We Have Had No British Hits

ASSOCIATION, the second top American act on a lightning British trip in the past two weeks (Everly Brothers was the other), attack bad promotion and poor publicity from their former record company for lack of chart success here.

“It was frustrating knowing we were doing a lot of hard work and not getting the fringe benefits—LIKE HITS!” explained Association drummer Ted Bluechel.

“We never had proper promotion or good publicity here.”

Association started with the Valiant label in America (Decca’s London outlet here), but are now handled by Warner Brothers through Pye in Britain.

In those early days, their big hits in the States — “Along Comes Mary,” “Cherish” and “Windy,” all million-sellers — never happened here.

Added Ted: “Of course, we were spending something like 250 days a year touring in the States and really hadn’t time to come over. But it bothered us when we didn’t get some of the chances.”

But Selwyn Turnbull, head of Decca labels promotion, had this to say:

“By promotion, I presume they mean radio and TV plays. ‘Along Comes Mary’, ‘Windy’ and ‘Cherish’ had as much play air-wise as any of Decca’s records. Association are a terribly popular group with all the DJs. Their LPs were thrashed to death on the air.”

Promoter Arthur Howes hopes to bring the boys back for a more extensive concert tour in late summer. (Disc & Music Echo, 18/05/68)

America Will Destroy Itself, say Association

ALONG came Mary and the Association hand in hand. And Mary went and the Association stayed and more records appeared followed by gold discs. And the Association stayed and their reputation grew and they became an established group.

In America.

And the Association’s records came across the wide Atlantic and everybody said they’re good, they’re very good.

BUT.

The Association have never, till now, had a chart record in England. Which is a shame, a very shame.

The group was over here recently for a short while—they stopped off for one concert and a television appearance on the way back from the Music Festival in Rome, and I conversed with Association drummer, Ted Bluechel Jr.

No Hits in Britain

“We’re basically a ‘live’ group as opposed to a recording group,” said Ted, “and I think we sell our records on the strength of our stage act. Which is probably why we haven’t had a hit in this country. We’ve never done a live tour here, and so, apart from the records, no one really knows us. We’re just doing one concert over here this time—more to see how we go down than anything else. I think we’ll definitely be doing a tour here, but it won’t be this year—unless we can get over here towards winter or something.

“It’s a funny thing, but we’ve got this reputation as a vocal group, whereas we’re far more hung up on being accepted as good musicians. Personally I think we’re far better instrumentalists than we are singers, anyway. We’re more interested in putting on a good stage show than spending all our time in the studios making records. We like to be able to make the same sound on stage and on disc, and this is one of our main selling points in the States.”

The Association | Time For Livin’ | (Warner Bros) 1968

The Association take their music seriously —which is good because their music is good. But they’re very serious people anyway—talking to Ted at the group’s reception was not talking music or pop, it was talking philosophy and life in general. According to Ted, the American way of life has a lot to do with the American way of music.

“America now is fast reaching the end of its life. Millions of years ago, there was a place called Atlantis that reached a certain point when civilisation could go no further —machinery had started to develop at a much faster rate than life. And when it reached this stage, the whole of Atlantis destroyed itself, because civilisation could go no further. The continent sank under the sea. I believe that America is in the same position now, and by the year 2000 it will destroy itself as Atlantis did—perhaps not in the same way. It may explode or something!

“I think that although most people in America don’t realise this sort of threatening disaster looming over them, it’s created an atmosphere. The sort of atmosphere that’s resulted in the hippy art forms, and of course, the hippy movement itself. The underground is really only people trying to survive in a civilisation that basically is nothing to do with people. America is virtually a fully automated country where the human element is ignored, and it’s the hippies who, although they probably don’t know exactly why they’re doing it, are trying to keep the country alive.

We preach love

“I’m not a visionary or anything—I didn’t see all this in a dream. Originally I read about the theory, but thinking it over it seems completely logical. And the person who wrote that America would destroy itself by the year two-thousand was a very highly respected visionary—and most of his predictions have in fact come true. So I don’t see why he should be wrong this time.

“But even if he is wrong, the atmosphere is definitely one of impending disaster—and music has become a very important part of life, because it’s a very human thing. As a group, music to us is very important, it’s our living and we take it seriously. But —and this goes for the whole of the Association—we’re basically thinking people, and music is only part of our life. We preach love, sing songs—and philosophise in our spare time.”

And that is the Association.

But they do make good records, and . . . who knows? Perhaps America will explode soon, or sink under the sea. (Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, 01/06/68)

The Association | Time For Livin’ | (Warner Bros) 1968

BUMPED INTO some members of the Association whilst clubbing recently. The boys were in Britain for a few days on their very first visit here. They told me that they’ve been wanting to come over here for a long time, but have not had much opportunity.

“In the States we’re on the road 250 days a year and what time there is left is spent on cutting albums and singles.”

However, the group are determined to make time for a longer visit and are due to return later in the year.

One of the boys used to wrestle bears! That’s right B-E-A-R-S! He told me: “It was in the country and you paid a dollar to wrestle with a bear. My friends put up the money and I’d sometimes wrestle ten times in a day. The bouts would last anything from two seconds to two minutes.

“I even got the bear down a couple of times! All in all, I wrestled bears about 50 times.”

Russ Giguere told me about how he got thrown out of a “Hawaiian’s Only” bar when the group were appearing in Hawaii.

“It’s the only time I’ve been 86’d out of a bar for being white. Those Hawaiian’s have got their own form of prejudice. You know, Larry Ramos (one of the group members) is part Hawaiian, Phillipino, Chinese, Spanish — and he may have some Mexican in him. We’re all hybrids.”

The Association | Time For Livin’ | (Warner Bros) 1968

I was interested to find that the group have produced their own book. Said Russ: “It’s called ‘Crank Your Spreaders’ and we put out an experimental edition of a couple of thousand copies. It’s got poems, little stories, biogs and pictures in it.”

Despite being so tied up with their work as an outfit, members of the Association do find time to spend on their hobbies.

Russ commented: “Larry is a sports car buff. He also builds and races models. I design furniture. Jim (Yester) has done some falconry, Terry (Kirkman) spends a lot of time involved with music and Jim (Yester) in meditation. All the guys write, we’ve all made attempts at putting out a song. I think everybody writes songs at some time or another.” (Top Pops, 08/06/68)