Review:'Ice' 'Whisper Her Name The Complete 1967-1968 Recordings'
- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Sixties'
- Catalogue No: 'TLAK 1204'
Our Rating:
Whisper Her Name gives us a chance to have the complete recordings of another super obscure 60's band, this time from Sussex University, rather than Justin Broadrick's Ice or any of the other bands called Ice. Most of the band were also in The Baskervilles.
This album compiles all the bands singles, their BBC Top Gear sessions, the songs they recorded as Russell's Clump and home demos.
Ice were Glynn James, Grant Serpell, John Carter, Kris Johnson, Linda Hoyle, Lynton Naiff, Mo Foster and Steve Turner.
The album opens with the shimmering harmonies and keyboard magic of Ice Man, they insist the Ice Man comes in the early morning, this has shades of Procol Harum dreaming the days away.
Whisper Her Name (Maria Laine) you know you'll want to spend a good few pennies with her, this is wistful memories of the one that cast her spell over them, the harmonics and backing vocal arrangements are very deft, this is smooth chamber pop.
Anniversary Of Love asks the question what will you do now the love has gone, how to behave once you've been dumped, he begs for her to come back to him once more, the soft psychedelic, soulful not too needy vocals, wanting love to be more than a game, were you try to make your Hammond organ sound like a Celeste or Virginal.
So Many Times you could fall in love in one day back in the late 60's, they want to know what the cost of all this frivolity is, more heartbreak or eventual happiness. Walk On Water is for someone who's god's gift, someone who knows which lines to repurpose from his bible, making the sort of song that Tom Jones could really go to town on, they belt it out, but it needs to go bigger.
Times Fading Fast is like a John Denver slow ballad, he is totally lost, will no one love him, does his Afghan coat smell that badly, he needs someone with a mind as open as his.
The bands cover of Day Tripper is introduced by the Top Gear DJ, this is a soul pop version, that adds a lot more grit than the original. Ice Man is introduced by is it Diddy David Hamilton quipping about one of the Radio DJ's favourite trawling grounds on the Bayswater Road, heading towards Alexis Korners pad, the song is of getting a grin out of someone who seems so Ice Cold he never reacts to anything.
Wild Blue Yonder Boy, is all about the organ solo, they've been digging The Trinity, and like some Jimmy Smith, for this road trip to France. Open The Door To Your Heart is all the blue-eyed soul begging and pleading for some loving, without saying anything that might scare anyone.
Burning Burning is the first of three songs they recorded as Russell's Clump, it's a bit more stripped back, with an almost doo wop soda shop pop feel, while stealing much of the tune from Memphis. Two Hearts is that sweet Sussex soul sound, they will harmonise until you are opening your arms to them. Little Girl In Wonderland is in no way as sinister as David Bowie's London Boys for that new young arrival on the scene, even as they promise to show you round, how to survive and thrive and turn this small town into a wonderland once he's taking care of you.
Like A Woman is a rather syrupy interpretation of this standard. Skyline is apparently going to drown everyone, are they stuck in the bar at the Skyline at Heathrow getting sloshed again, or is a deluge coming, for this charming if a bit inoffensive late 60's pop tune.
Wait is gospel doo wop pop asking you to Wait and make sure the darkness is driven away. Monday is all about the harmonies they add to the strummed guitar, with a tune that got ripped off later by Men At Work.
Tell Me all the things I need to hear, to believe you really love me, over slow strummed acoustic guitar with more cool harmonies, make sure you forget that loser you were with and go out with him.
Silver Lady is in no way the best song with this title, this is of course another song looking for love and a good time, with the sort of demo you might send to Tin Pan Alley in the hope it gets picked up by Tony Hatch or a similar producer for his latest protege to turn into a hit.
Find Out More at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/495712-ice-whisper-her-name-the-complete-1967-68-recordings
