435) The Plague (UK) — “Looking for the Sun”
’68 A-side from the only single by the uber-mysterious band — not to be confused with the Canadian Plague (see #248). 23 Daves writes:
“Looking for the Sun” [is] chiming and subtle [with an] eerie and doomed feel. . . . By the time Decca launched this on to the public the summer of love had come and gone, and psychedelic pop was beginning to seem a bit like yesterday’s news. Had this been issued earlier I’m tempted to argue that it might have been a hit, but sadly it’s hard to imagine it being a jolly daytime radio staple – it was always going to achieve cult status at best, and that’s exactly what happened. . . . Rumours abound that The Plague were actually a studio-bound record label project rather than proper hippies, which (if true) just goes to show that The Man can disguise himself very well when he wants to.
http://left-and-to-the-back.blogspot.com/2009/06/plague-looking-for-sun-bw-here-today.html?m=1
The rumours are fake news! The band was a mystery to most — Vernon Joynson writes that “[t]he band’s personnel isn’t known and this seems to have been their only release.” (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited). However, after 23 Dave’s 2009 post, dr. charlie commented in 2010 that:
Hi, What a shock! I was the lead guitarist/second vocalist with Plague. We recorded about 20 tracks at the Decca studios in 68. This included original and obscure covers. Our manager of the time rejected Decca’s contract terms and we never signed with Decca. I and (I am almost certain) the rest of the band were unaware of this release. The tracks have definatley been re- recorded or alterd and added to (for instance the keyboard intro). Plague were a touring band and performed hundreds of times between 66 and 70. Today I know of only two venues web sites that were going to “list” us; Chiselhurst Caves, Kent (where we were supported by Pink Floyed in 66) and California Ballrooms, Dunstable (where we opened for Peter Frampton;-Herd, and Tony Rivers and The Casteaways in 67 or 68?) Myself and at least one other former member still perform today. Plague folded in 70
Then, another comment:
hi i am the second member of the plague that was refered to by dr charlie. we have just recently made contact after all these years. it is true we were unaware that this single had been released by decca and it came as a big suprise when i was told only 2 days ago. i am still playing to this day.
Then, another comment:
Somebody has a very bad memory. I was the singer and part composer of “here today gone tomorrow” [the B-side]. The Plague were a four piece band the members were Bill Dale bass + vocal, Russ Harness Keyboard + vocal, Ken Ali guitar + vocal and John Truelove drums. We only recorded one single for Decca, afterwards we changed our name to “The Explosive”, and recorded on President records with the same line up. Two of our most succesfull records were ” Cities makes the country colder ” and ” who planted thorns in miss Alices garden” [see #421]. The band broke up in 1971 after a ture of Israel. I have now lived in Denmark for nearly 40 years and i am stil playing. Hope this information helps, I dont know what band dr charlie played in, but it wasen’t the same band that recorded this record. All the best Bill Dale
Will the real Plague please stand up?!!!
Here is the B-side, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”:
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