Friday, August 06, 2010

Classic 70s Pop: Libido –Hold on To Your Fire vs. Apple Pie and Custard –Doctor Fantastic



No gimmicks this time, just two fine tunes that deserve wider recognition. They both grabbed me the same way, sweet, cute but certainly not bland...

Libido –Hold on To Your Fire/ Same –Mooncrest Moon 2 (1973 UK)
Starting off like a prime Badfinger track with lush doubled acoustics, the track builds into subtly orchestrated track with some fine lead guitar. The vocals are gorgeous conveying both sweetness and sass. A fine fine track. Has anyone got any information on Libido?

Apple Pie and Custard –Five Sisters/ Doctor Fantastic –Philips 6006 439 (1974 UK)
Somehow hidden on the B side of the Jaunty Five Sisters, Doctor Fantastic is an undiscovered pearl. Although somewhat quirky, Doctor Fantastic has real poignancy. The vocals have this Englishness and innocence about them and those backing vocals fit the mood of the overall performance perfectly and add that extra ¼ “ to your smile...

Hear a full version of Hold on To Your Fire










Hear a full version of Doctor Fantastic









3 comments:

Collin said...

The singer on the Libido track sounds to me like Dana Gillespie. I just saw another copy of this single with the b-side 'You Weren't Born a Man' which was also the name of an album Gillespie put out under her own name that same year. What do the song writing credits say for this song? I can't quite read what it says from the scan you put up. I think she wrote most of her own material.

Robin Wills said...

Hey Collin. In fact someone else mentioned Dana... I don't have the B side as it's a demo, but the credits on the A side are: Produced by Mick Liber
Composition Liber/Bentley. It looks like there's a connection to Youngblood (Miki Dallon) probably the publishing, or a Youngblood production licensed to Mooncrest

Robin Wills said...

OOOH...Just saw this: Weren't Born A Man - Gillespie/Liber !
So is it her -Another Arnold Corns?
My fondest memories of Dana (as a teen) was her appearance in People that Time Forget...There was a great line about her staying afloat...