The Herd | Sunshine Cottage | Fontana | 1968

THE HERD – ’Sunshine Cottage’ / ’Miss Jones’ (Fontana 267 892 TF) October 1968

The Herd | Sunshine Cottage | Fontana | 1968 | The Herd formed out of the ashes of R’n’B band The Preachers in 1965 and their first three singles on Parlophone flopped and were dropped from their contract with EMI.

Despite this, they were still pulling in the crowds and making money from gigs and it wasn’t long before Fontana took a chance with them. Some big hits on Fontana followed but the pop psych ’Sunshine Cottage’ didn’t particularly sell in the previous vast numbers and leader Peter Frampton quit and formed Humble Pie with ex Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott.

Co-writer of ’Sunshine Cottage’ Andy Bown later joined Status Quo. The flip ’Miss Jones’ is a bit more ’freaky’ with some good guitar work. The single cover pic shown here is the Spanish release.

THE HERD: “Sunshine Cottage” / “Miss Jones” (Fontana TF 975). Written by Messrs. Bown and Frampton, produced by them – and the boys should score in all directions. But I’m not sure its all that much of a progression. The melody line is sometimes hard to pick up, but there is also catchy basis and some fine instrumental work as well. Good song idea. Should be sizeably big, at the very least.

Flip: This could well be played as much as the “A” side. Good. (Record Mirror, 05/10/68)