Captain Nemo (Album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Captain Nemo | ||
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| Studio album by The Sundowners | ||
| Released | 1968 | |
| Recorded | 1967-1968 | |
| Genre | Sunshine Pop, Soft Pop, Pop, Mersey Beat, Psychedelic | |
| Label | Decca Records | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
Captain Nemo is a music album by the American group The Sundowners, originally released in 1968. The album has been out of print long since, but will be available on remastered CD as of March 26, 2007.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Sundowners are a music group from Glen Falls, New York. Prior to their only album, 1968's Captain Nemo, the group had released two singles:
- Leave Me Never / Around And Around (Coed 603) - 1965
- Ring Out Wild Bells / When The Sun Goes Down (Filmways 110) - 1966
None of the singles charted nationally, but the group did enjoy regional success. The Sundowners then moved to Los Angeles and switched to Decca Records, where they released a single in late 1967 which offered a preview of their upcoming debut album:
- Always You / Dear Undecided (Decca 32171) - 1967
It is not entirely clear which song should be considered the A-side. Captain Nemo, The Sundowners's first (and, as it turned out, only) full-length record was released on Decca Records (as Decca 75036) in 1968. Unfortunately, it gathered little attention and was not commercially successful.
[edit] Track listing
Songwriting credits are indicated where known.
- 01. Sunny Day People (2:42) - Kerim Capli / Dominick Demieri
- 02. Edge Of Love (3:19) - Dominick DeMieri
- 03. Let It Be Me (4:41) - Gilbert Bécaud / Mann Curtis / Pierre Delanoé
- 04. Dear Undecided (2:28) - Dominick DeMieri
- 05. Ring Out Wild Bells (2:31)
- 06. Plaster Casters (2:47)
- 07. Captain Nemo (3:52)
- 08. Always You (2:58) - Roger Nichols / Tony Ascher
- 09. Easy Does It (2:52) - Dominick DeMieri
- 10. Blue-Green Eyes (3:07) - Dominick DeMieri
- 11. So Sad (4:04)
Total playing time: approximately 35:25 minutes.
[edit] Credits
Dominick DeMieri: guitars, vocals, organ, bass, piano
Eddie Placidi: guitars, vocals, organ, guitar, piano
Bobby Dick: vocals, bass
Benny Grammatico: drums, vocals
George Bianchi: vocals, percussion
Eddie Brick: vocals, percussion
George Chandler: engineer
Phil Yeend: engineer
Dominick DeMieri: producer
Bones Howe: producer (Dear Undecided / Always You single)
Bill Holman: arranger (Dear Undecided / Always You single)
Charles Bud Dant: executive producer (Sunny Day People / Easy Does It and Let It Be Me / Blue-Green Eyes singles)
[edit] Track by Track
Captain Nemo is an album of many different flavours. It often combines contemporary pop with more psychedelic, experimental elements. The songs written by The Sundowners themselves are characterized by unusual chord changes and surprising melodies. For this reason, Captain Nemo may well take repeated listenings to sink in.
Sunny Day People
- A bold way to start off the album, with a peculiar, dissonant chord progression beneath the verse melody. The chorus, slightly reminiscent of The Beatles's Good Day Sunshine, is more conventional pop and highlighted by horns. Released as a single in a punchier mix.
Edge Of Love
- An amiable mid-tempo acoustic song. Features some interesting guitar work, particularly in the intro. The laid-back, somewhat restrained execution (particularly in the nice vocal harmonies) offers a welcome alternative for the otherwise mostly very energetic (occasionally loud!) performances on the rest of the album.
- Appears on volume 2 of the Morning Glory Daze: Universal Soft Rock (1997) compilation along with Always You.
Let It Be Me
- The Sundowners's take on this country (!) classic, previously recorded by The Everly Brothers in 1959, and a hit for Glen Campbell and Bobby Gentry in 1969.
- The most quiet and sedated song on the album, it feels a bit out of place. Of course, the group can't help but add a little psychedelia to their otherwise surprisingly conventional rendition: they mess with the tempo a bit during the instrumental bridge, and the guitar player, who adds guitar fills throughout, throws in the occasional dissonant note.
- Released as a single together with Blue-Green Eyes.
Dear Undecided
- According to some, 'the best song the Beatles never wrote'. Indeed, the tune has a very Beatlesque, Mersey Beat quality to it, with a catchy chorus and steady beat. This standout, also released as a single, segues directly into Ring Out Wild Bells.
Ring Out Wild Bells
- Interesting up-tempo pop tune, with acoustic rhythm guitars and a jangly electric on top. Also features a horn part and excellent group singing throughout. Listen to the acapella false ending and the chant-like coda.
- An older song, previously released as a single (see above). The album version might be a re-recording. Ring Out Wild Bells can also be found on volume 3 of the Soft Sounds For Gentle People compilation (2004).
Plasters Casters
- This instrumental, with a stuttering rhythm, heavy bass, organ, and fuzz guitar, closes side one of the original LP. Though quite funky and energetic, perhaps one of the lesser songs.
Captain Nemo
- The title tune is the most experimental song on the record. Sound effects lead into a heavy, thick arrangement of multi-tracked fuzz guitars and organ. An ominously sounding chorus is alternated with more friendly, quieter sections. Influences of The Beatles's more psychedelic work are evident throughout.
Always You
- This is generally considered the highlight of the album. Written by Roger Nichols (music) and Tony Asher (lyrics - of Pet Sounds fame), it is unlike any other song on Captain Nemo. A beautiful, fragile string & horn arrangement by Bill Holman leads into a wonderful up-tempo pop song, with bass, drums, guitars, piano, and The Sundowners's vocal harmonies creating a sophisticated whole. Asher's heart-felt lyrics add to the timeless quality of the tune.
- Always You was released as a single together with Dear Undecided. The single version omits the not particularly radio-friendly string & horn intro, and features a noticeably different mix.
- Covers were recorded by The American Breed, in a stripped down, vastly inferior (almost amateurish) version; and by Linda Ball, whose recording features a horn part as in the original, but no string arrangement.
- One of the few Sundowners songs that have been officially released on CD: it first appeared on the Japanese The Melody Goes On set in the early 1990s, and was subsequently included on several other compilations of Sunshine- and Soft Pop, notably the Get Easy! Sunshine Pop set. Many collectors and enthusiasts of the genre hold it in high regard.
Easy Does It
- The contrast with the previous song couldn't be greater: whereas Always You is a meticulously crafted, polished pop song, this is a raw, high-energy rocker. It is not unlike The Beach Boys's How She Boogalooed It or Got To Know The Woman. Listen to the funny, deliberately hesitative ending.
- Released as a single, in a slightly different mix: the guitars are more prominent on the intro; the bass is more pronounced; and the original ending is substituted for a fade-out.
Blue Green Eyes
- The Sundowners turn in one of their best performances on this incredibly dynamic song that's constantly uplifting and surprising. Listen to the playful bass part, soaring electric leads, high harmonies, and most of all the energetic drums, and prepare for an instant energy-boost.
- Released as a single together with Let It Be Me - a rather odd pairing!
So Sad
- The group slows things down for this fitting majestic closer. Organ, strings, and a crying lead guitar provide a slightly haunting atmosphere.
[edit] Singles
As mentioned above, a single with two songs from the upcoming album was released in late 1967:
- Always You / Dear Undecided (Decca 32171) - 1967
This single version of Always You differs substantially from the album version: it omits the 40-second string & horns intro, and also features a noticeably different mix. Both cuts produced by Bones Howe and arranged by Bill Holman.
Two further singles were issued after the album's release in 1968:
- Sunny Day People / Easy Does It Baby (Decca 32296) - 1968
- Let It Be Me / Blue-Green Eyes (Decca 32497) - 1968
The former may be considered a double A-side: both songs are presented with mixes that differ from their album counterparts. The latter features a shortened version of Let It Be Me (3:20 minutes). Both singles produced by Dominick DeMiere with executive producer Charles Bud Dant.
[edit] Re-issue
Rev-Ola Records announced that Captain Nemo will be released on CD in remastered form on March 26, 2007. It is currently unknown whether the CD version will contain bonus tracks, but as other re-issues by Rev-Ola have often included bonus cuts in the past, this is certainly possible.
