Monocled Alchemist

A Trunk Full of 60s Exotica | It’s all on the CD ‘Swinging London’ (Retro 808) 2007

In England, the hundreds of budget priced LPs that were issued by the Saga Records label during the mid-sixties have long been fixtures at charity shops and car boot sales across the land. In recent years, however, many long out of print Saga LPs have been rediscovered and now sell on the collectors market for astounding prices.

At first glance, the sprawling Saga catalogue seems to hold limited promise, with the majority of the catalogue being given to classical, trad jazz, folk, ethnic, easy listening, and an odd strain of homegrown English country music. But buried deep in the Saga catalogue are a handful of exceptional rock, lounge, blues and even psychedelic LPs that have only just started to be fully appreciated, including two brilliant cash-in psychedelic LPs by Magic Mixture and Five Day Week Straw People.

During its 60s heyday, Saga’s only objective was to turn a quick profit, but in the process, they issued a handful of LPs for which the music and album graphics inadvertently captured the zeitgeist of swinging London. On this compilation, RPM explores the accidental genius of Saga Records, which manifests itself in a collection of pop exotica that by default formed the swinging London soundtrack for those on a low budget; of suburban teens and the faceless legion of bedsit Londoners who could only experience the swinging 60s from the outside looking in.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

These are the sounds of their swinging London — the sounds of Swinging Saga! Saga was a budget label in every sense of the word, specializing in cheaply recorded (and pressed) LPs that sold for far less than records issued by the major labels.

The Saga business formula was simple: record or lease masters for minimal outlay (the label would typically purchase all rights to a recording for a set sum – typically in the neighborhood of 250 pounds for pop titles); utilize songs that were in the public domain or for which copyrights were purchased outright so that publishing royalties need not be paid; package the LPs in basic, quickly designed covers; and use low grade recycled vinyl (which was the principle cause of the notoriously poor sound of most Saga LPs) to press the records.

Priced around 14/-, which was half of what a major label LP would cost in 1968, Saga’s records were typically stocked in free-standing wire racks at discount stores like Woolworths, W.H. Smiths or newsagents. Their deceptively simple formula served the company remarkably well and Saga existed — in one form or another — for more than three decades.

Saga was one of several labels that operated under the umbrella of Allied Records (later Art & Sound Ltd). Allied was founded in 1954 by entrepreneur Marcel Rodd, who set up his record company after making a fortune in book publishing. Rodd’s companies operated out of a large building (which is still known as “Saga Centre) that sits alongside the Grand Union Canal at 326 Kensal Road, London, W. 10.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

The Saga set up was a textbook example of vertical integration and the building housed the record pressing plant, business offices, warehouse, and even the printing operation that produced the sleeves. The only aspect of the operation that was not found at 326 Kensal Road was a recording studio, which had been set up in Rodd’s North London home.

In 1965, Rodd added a music publishing company, New Town Sound, to his empire, and almost every original composition that appeared on Saga LPs were assigned to New Town Sound. Up until 1966, Saga and the other Allied labels paid scant attention to pop music. Towards the end of 1967, however, Marcel Rodd apparently had a change of heart and decided that there was quick money to be made in pop.

Saga turned its tried and true formula towards the heart of Swinging London’s pop scene and the company was soon holding talent contests around London where the prize would be a “Saga recording contract.” Among Saga’s first attempts to infiltrate the London pop scene were several 45s, one of them being a new recording by Saga folk artist Alex Campbell, a superb version of Tom Paxton‘s “Victoria Dines Alone.”

Several pop LPs were also assembled, including Beat Club, which was a collection of the pop hits of 1967 as interpreted by a group of anonymous session musicians dubbed First Impression. Marcel Rodd must have been fond of the name, for later that year an entirely different group of musicians recorded as First Impression for Saga’s 1968 Swinging London LP.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

While the musicians’ identities will most likely never be known, the songs they recorded for Swinging London have aged rather well. Though recorded at the end of the swinging London phenomenon, the title track and a “Young Man Seeks An Interesting Job” (both written by New Town Sound staff writer) encapsulate different elements of the myth of swinging London, while “All Lead Back To You” finds the same New Town Sound writer trying to come up with something psychedelic and nearly succeeding had it not been for the First Impression’s use of a decidedly non-psychedelic sax on this number.

Five Day Week Straw People was another Saga LP that captured a day in the life of (in this case, not so swinging) London. Released in September 1968, Five Day Week Straw People were not a band, but rather the work of London-based songwriters David Montague and Guy Mascolo, who composed a song cycle that they once described as being about “people who work monotonously during the week and then try to enjoy themselves at weekends.”

The duo had originally recorded demo tapes for most of the LP in a makeshift studio in Mascolo’s basement and had no set plans for the songs until they sought out technical advice from a recording engineer who happened to work for Saga.

The engineer recommended the duo to Saga who in turn extended an offer to record an LP for the label. Saga liked the material but stipulated that all of the songs be rerecorded.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

Mascolo and Montague — who were primarily songwriters — hastily assembled a band to re-record the tracks. Mascolo secured the services of his neighbour, bassist Mick Hawksworth, who in turn, brought in his flatmate John DuCann (guitarist of Decca Records mod-freakbeat act, The Attack), to provide lead vocals and guitar. The group was rounded out by drummer Jack McCulloch who drummed with London-based Scottish pop hopefuls One In A Million.

With “Saga studios” presumably unavailable, the Five Day Week Straw People team were instructed by Saga HQ to meet at an address in North London. Upon arriving, the musicians and song-writers were perplexed to find that the address given was a nursery school where the children were just leaving for the day.

They were ushered into the activity room and were informed that the room had been booked for only 4 hours. It didn’t take long to notice that there was no recording equipment in the room, but the musicians nevertheless proceeded to set up their instruments and run through the songs.

A Saga engineer eventually appeared with portable recording equipment and recording commenced, with most of the tracks being recorded in one or two takes.

In spite of the primitive recording conditions and rushed session, the results were exceptional, with tracks like the title song, “I’m Going Out Tonight” and the dreamy, shimmering “Sunday Morning” being particularly strong.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

Packaged in a colourful psychedelic sleeve, the LP is now quite rightly regarded as one on the classic LPs of the era and copies regularly sell for more £100.

The record sold quite well by Saga standards and the label wanted a follow-up LP, but David Montague remembers that given how he and his partner had made no money from the LP (the modest fee was all given to Hawksworth, DuCann and McCulloch for their session work), they declined the offer and elected to focus their efforts on placing their songs with established music publishers.

Magic Mixture was another Saga LP that has since come to be accorded classic status and which is another pricey item on the collectors market. Unlike Five Day Week Straw People, Magic Mixture was an actual group. Led by singer/guitarist Terry Thomas (aka Jim Thomas), the group had been locally known as Maton’s Magic Mixture, before losing the “Maton’s” when it came time to record the Saga LP.

Magic Mixture specialized in slightly ominous psychedelic rock that was built around the subtle keyboards of organist Stan Curtis (no Keith Emersonesque organ solos from this lot!) and the gritty guitar and vocals of Jim Thomas. Once again, the drum stool was occupied by Saga’s drummer de jour, Jack McCulloch.

Tracks like “So Sad” and “New Man” both boast strong tunes with concise, spot on solos from Thomas, while “Moon Beams” — with it’s echo-drenched drums and vocals — was the perfect closing track to the original Magic Mixture LP and this compilation.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

Unlike Magic Mixture, Katch 22 were a reasonably well-known group when they crossed paths with Saga in 1968. Perhaps given their status as ex-Fontana recording artists, Saga seems to have spent (slightly) more money on their It’s Soft Rock And All That LP than they did on other Saga projects.

The LP was recorded in Regent Sound (as opposed to the Saga studio or Saga’s makeshift “mobile studio”), though judging from a couple of flubbed bass lines, it’s clear that Katch 22 were not afforded the luxury of multiple takes. Saga splurged even further by over-dubbing strings onto most of the tracks.

When issued in April 1968, It’s Soft Rock And All That sold for a retail price of ten shillings. The LP was well received and was even proclaimed “LP of the week” on BBC I’s “Scene and Heard” show.

Packaged in a colourful pop art sleeve, it featured a fine pop-psych rendition of Marmalade‘s “There Ain’t No Use in Hanging On” in addition to slightly softer sounds that ranged from respectable covers of “Walk Away Renee” and Buffalo Springfield‘s “Go And Say Goodbye,” to some surprisingly accomplished original compositions.

Despite the rather twee recorder part that appears throughout the song, “Thoughts On A Rainy Day” is sterling baroque pop that’s amply redeemed by some chugging cellos and “Don’t Listen” — with its intricate harmony vocals and phased guitars – is another highlight.

The LP appears to have sold well but Katch 22 would make no further recordings for Saga and returned to the Fontana fold soon after issuing their Saga LP.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

Encouraged by the positive response to It’s Soft Rock and All That, Saga made plans to record a companion LP to be called It’s Hard Rock and All That. Katch 22’s booking agent, former Radio London DJ John Edward, was involved with a band called Memphis Leather and used his connection with Katch 22 producer Tokenam Aw to secure Memphis Leather an audition with Saga.

They auditioned at Marcel Rodd’s home and were offered the job, with the stipulation that they change their name and perform original, unpublished songs. The group had no problem with either demand and immediately changed their name to Good Earth, which had been suggested by a Saga studio engineer.

As Good Earth, the group would return to the Saga studio a few weeks later to record an LP that they would complete over the course of a few nights (24th May/ 25th May / 1st June / 2nd June 1968).

The tracks that ended up on It’s Hard Rock and All That (other songs would be set aside for use on the Swinging London LP) include several moody pop numbers like “My Country” that hint at the future direction of leader Ray Dorset’s songwriting.

The majority of the LP, however, was devoted to the group’s unique brand of freewheeling rock and roll. “That’s The Life” is a savage rocker that showcases Dorset’s slashing guitar work and urgent vocals, while other tracks border on punk rock.

Perhaps the primitive recording conditions should be given some of the credit, but Good Earth kick up an ungodly racket and it is hard to believe that Dorset and his bandmates would find fame less than two years later as the laid back goodtime pop group, Mungo Jerry.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

While most of the artists who recorded for Saga were English, Saga’s talent gathering was by no means restricted to the UK. Marcel Rodd had build up extensive contacts throughout Europe, with Germany being an especially important market for Saga.

Saga seems to have had some sort of relationship with the German label, Opp, which resulted in the German group, the Blackbirds, getting their LP, No Destination, released on Saga. The Blackbirds specialized in what can be best described as a hybrid of Euro pop and gothic garage rock, which is best exemplified by “Girl I’m Wondering” and “She,” both songs offering up lashings of scratchy rhythm guitar, creepy organ, and in the case of “She,” some incredibly strange lyrics and vocal performances that makes ‘No Destination’ a true cult favourite among Saga enthusiasts.

Although rock and pop were the predominant commercial styles in the waning days of swinging London, there remained a healthy market for instrumental LPs, many of which are now cherished by hipsters as “lounge” or “exotica.” Several of the best LPs to be issued by Saga in 1968 where two primarily instrumental LPs by a small group led by bassist Dave Moses.

New World

Moses was something of a fixture at Saga, performing as a backing musician on many Saga LPs. As a group leader, Moses cut several LPs for Saga, the first as “New World” and the second as the “Dave Moses Group.” The LPs feature the same line up of acoustic bass, drums (Chic Webb), trumpet players (Phil Parker and Stu Hamer) and keyboardist Graham Stansfield, who would go on to play keyboards for Rare Bird the following year.

But it is Moses who is the star of the show, driving the music with his aggressive though eminently melodic acoustic bass playing as well as his deranged scat singing on brilliant tracks like “Quite Fast” and his inspired arrangement of Rimsky Korsakov’s “Schederazade.”

Both LPs do feature more mainstream examples of melodic swinging London instrumental pop, but you can’t help but wonder what the middle aged suburbanite who purchased Golden Trumpet for some light weekend listening thought when confronted by Mose’s howling, agitated monkey sounds and decidedly un-PC pleas to “let’s have some more!” blaring from the hi-fi speaker.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

Mining a more traditional seam of swinging instrumentals was the Graham Walker Sound, another group of session musicians that featured the mighty Hammond of cult hero Alan Hawkshaw. The “Graham Walker Sound” recorded several LPs for Saga in 1969, including a collection of songs from the musical “Hair” as well as the much sought after “Famous TV Themes.”

From that LP comes their sensational version of “The Big Match” theme and an all-to-groovy laid back cover of the “Crossroads” theme.

One of the final instrumental LPs to be issued by Saga was a 1970 LP by a group of Italian session musicians who were collectively known as the Underground Set. Recorded in 1969 and issued on Saga’s Pantonic imprint, the LP offers an amazing set of crazed, high energy garage rock.

“Arcipeligo” is basically a reworking of the American garage rock staple “Hang On Sloopy” that’s been obscured under layers of searing fuzz guitar and a big organ riff, while “Shake 26” is pure fuzz guitar mayhem where the group hammers a three note riff (but three great notes) into the ground for three minutes, pausing only for a brief respite where the drummer and bass player go head to head with a wild organist. A truly great LP and one of Saga’s most inspired outings.

Dave Peace Quartet

One of the final pop-oriented LPs to be issued by Saga in 1969 was an LP by the Dave Peace Quartet, a Birmingham based blues band. In addition to the booming lead vocals and the sturdy Hammond work of Dave Peace, the group also featured future Fairport Convention bass player Dave Pegg, formerly of several pop-psych outfits including The Uglys and The Exception.

The highlight of their Good Morning Mr. Blues LP is the driving blues-pop of “I Couldn’t Stand The Sight,” though it also features some excellent keyboard dominated blues that suggest that Peace was wresting with some heavy thoughts.

The blue-tinted cover photo that was snapped outside of the Saga office shows a pensive Peace striding alongside the canal and it perfectly captures the blue mood of this fine and little known LP.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

Saga dearly wanted to capitalize on all aspects of the pop world of swinging London, which naturally led them to an attempt to exploit the burgeoning UK blues scene. In early 1968 they contracted former Fleetwood Mac bassist Bob Brunning to record an LP as the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band. Brunning would also be the driving force behind another Saga LP by the group Five’s Company.

Interviewed by Paul Cross for the greatly missed online psych fanzine, “Sweet Floral Albion,” Brunning recalled how “In the Saga offices one day they were tearing their hair out saying ‘You’ve made blues albums for us, but what we need is a rock album, a concept album.”

Always one to grab an opportunity I said no problem. I’ve got this other band and we’ve got a talented songwriter. And so they said right OK get it in the studio in a week. Of course, then I frantically rang up Eddie Broadbridge (vocals, keyboards) and Colin Jordan (guitar) and asked if they wanted to make an album for fifty quid.”

Both musicians had previously played with Brunning in the original Five’s Company, who had recorded for Pye Records between 1965 and 1967. The group had disbanded when Broadbridge moved to Denmark in 1967, but both Broadbridge and Jordan agreed to get back together to record what would essentially be the last will and testament of Five’s Company.

“It cost me close to fifty quid just to get to back to London from Denmark,” laughs Eddie Broadbridge, “but it was good fun.” The three former members of Five’s Company reunited in London and recruited Brunning Sunflower Blues Band drummer Pete Banham to round out the line-up.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

In the space of a week, Broadbridge had dashed off a twelve song concept album that told a story of a man from conception to death. Recorded on mobile equipment in the same nursery school hall that gave birth to the Five Day Week Straw People LP, The Ballad of Fred the Pixie was one of Saga’s quirkiest pop LPs.

“If this is Love” is arguably the most conventional sounding song on the LP and as such can be extracted from the overall song cycle without sounding too out of context.

Joining Five’s Company on Saga’s 1968 release schedule was a group called Family Affair. Fronted by singer/songwriter Noel Cream, the group featured his sister, Linda, on vocals, Annie Keefer (listed as Sharon Gable in the credits) on bass and several musicians of Sri Lankan descent, Herbert and Hermon Fernando, who played drums and organ respectively.

The group arrived at Saga’s door after having been turned down by EMI. Herbert Fernando recalls that he and Noel Cream “went to book Saga Studios to record some demos and met Marcel Rodd who said he would waive the recording fees if the Family Affair let him produce an LP of their songs.”

Sonically, the resulting LP is one of the worst sounding Saga releases ever, with booming, distant bass and drums creating a particularly muddy sound, even by Saga standards. Most of Crème’s songs evoke a lo-fi Everly Brothers, but his lyrics had a definite psychedelic edge, particularly on the dark and brooding “Someone is Calling Your Name.”

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

The group’s enthusiastic performance (particularly the fine organ playing of Hermon Fernando) does much to counter the poor sound but at the end of the day, the sound deficiencies obscure the obvious commercial potential of the material.

To add insult to injury, the album cover that was cobbled together by the Saga art department boasted one of the strangest group photos to ever grace a record sleeve. Noel Crème — grinning like a mad-man and dubbed “Johnny Cream” on the cover — is decked out in a Carnaby street suit and orange shades, though both he and his sister — banging a tambourine and wearing a requisite hippy hat – look fairly conventional by 1968 standards.

The remaining three members are a different story altogether. Bass player Sharon Gabel appears to be dressed in drag (as a man) and is shown playing a toy guitar as she tries to obscure her identity by looking away from the camera and hiding under a ridiculous green hat and dark glasses.

Drummer Herbert Fernando is presumably dressed in traditional Sri Lankan garb, as is his brother, Hermon, though Hermon was given a flowered hat to wear that looks as if it were snatched from the head of a passing granny.

Due to differences of opinion between Hermon Fernando and Marcel Rodd, the Family Affair split before the Family Affair LP was released. The Fernando brothers and Annie Kiefer departed, leaving Rodd with the Cream siblings.

Noel and Linda Cream were quickly offered a solo deal with Saga, issuing the Your Kind Of Party LP in late 1968. Unlike the “Family Affair” LP, the quite rare Noel & Linda LP — which features a bevy of quirky 60s pop like “Mr. Bantam’s Fair” – sounds as if it was recorded in a real studio with session musicians and it is essentially a second Family Affair LP.

Discovering 60s Exotica | The Saga Records Legacy

Herbie and the Royalists were yet another group to be given the honour of recording an LP for Saga in 1968. The group featured West Indian vocalist “Herbie” backed by five Englishmen, and they must have been a popular live attraction.

That is the only possible explanation as to why they would have recorded an LP with “Herbie” as the vocalist. For while “Herbie” may have been a knockout live performer and showman in the clubs, his singing left much to be desired and he had difficulty hitting and holding the notes to most of the songs.

Herbie’s limitations as a vocalist (which were most likely obscured in live situations due to the poor PA systems of the day) is a pity as many of the fourteen group-composed tracks on the LP could have been quite good had they been sung by a competent vocalist.

Still, various tracks impress, particularly the instrumental “The Long Voyage” and “My Life Has Just Blown a Fuse.” On “The Long Voyage” the group comes across as a psychedelic Booker T and the MGs, until mid-way through the track the guitarist stomps his fuzzbox and takes the Royalists off into “Sabre Dance” territory.

“My Life Has Just Blown a Fuse” finds the band working up a fine fuzz-powered groove while Herbie — sounding rather insecure and presumably fearful of being sacked by the Royalists – gravely warns the group that he’s “Going to another land to leave you with your crazy band, I’ll see you when the cow’s come home, I’m even taking my metronome!”

Coming to an end

As the sixties wound down, Saga largely stopped issuing pop and rock records on the Saga imprint, instead re-focusing on classical and jazz titles. By 1972, Saga’s foray into the pop scene was over and a good number of the 60s Saga titles were reissued on a new budget imprint, Boulevard Records.

The Saga legacy would remain dormant until the late 1990’s, when collectors would rediscover the esoteric delights of the swinging London-era Saga catalogue.

For those intrepid souls inclined to rummage through boxes of old LPs at jumble sales, there are still more great Saga LPs to be found. But be warned: Lurking inside those Saga LPs with attractive dolly bird covers could be gold like the Dave Moses group, or unimagined horrors like Bing and the Birds’ Beat Party To the Classics.

So proceed with caution, but with Swinging London: The Accidental Genius of Saga Records 1967-1970 as your guide, you’ve found the ideal starting point for exploring the wondrous and delightfully strange world of swinging Saga. (Stefan Granados, February 2007)