Dead Sea Fruit — “Time Waits for No One”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 13, 2023

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

891) Dead Sea Fruit — “Time Waits for No One”

Take a bite of the Dead Sea Fruit’s “first-rate rocker. . . . [k]icked along by . . . killer drums and nice electric keyboards[,] this one should have been tapped as a single.” (Bad Cat Records, http://badcatrecords.com/DEADseaFRUIT.htm)

Maybe they should have called themselves D-Day. Craig Harris tells us that “combining the deadpan wit of the Bonzo Dog Band and the social-conscious lyricism of the Kinks, Dead Sea Fruit helped to bring the British Invasion of the 1960s to France.” (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dead-sea-fruit-mn0001211012)

Harris goes on:

Formed in 1966, the group spent three years based in Paris thrilling French audiences with their hook-laden songs. . . . Dead Sea Fruit reached their apex in 1967, when their tongue-in-jowl single, “Lulu, Put Another Record On,” reached the top position on the British music charts. Their self-titled album was released the same year.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dead-sea-fruit-mn0001211012

Bad Cat Records tells us more:

[F]or anyone curious, here’s what the dictionary has to say about the term [Dead Sea fruit:] something that appears to be beautiful or full of promise but is in reality nothing but illusion and disappointment.

It’s hard to believe that a talented outfit like Dead Sea Fruit couldn’t catch a break in their native UK. . . . Most English bands looking to make it on the continent headed for Germany, or the Benelux but . . . these guys decided to relocate to Paris. As a cover band they became an in-demand staple on the city’s club scene, touring throughout France, picking up considerable publicity, including numerous television appearances. The Polydor-affiliated Camp signed the band in the UK and with minimal promotion, they enjoyed a major hit with ‘Kensington High Street’. . . . The single’s UK success led Camp management to graciously finance a supporting album. Released in 1967, “Dead Sea Fruit, the combination of the prim looking cover photo, goofy liner notes, and some of the oddball song titles (‘Psychiatric Case’, ‘Seeds Of Discontent’ and ‘Mr. Coffee Pot’) would have left you with the impression these guys were nothing more than Bonzo Doo Dah Dog Band wannabes. While there were definitely some Bonzo influenced moves, the overall results were far more impressive. With [guitarist Dave] Lashmar and [singer Clive] Kennedy responsible for the majority of material . . . the album was definitely a product of the times, but had more than its share of goofy fun. . . . 1968 saw the release of a final, non-LP single in the UK: ‘Love At The Hippiedrome’ b/w ‘My Naughty Bluebell’ . . . . Frustrated by limited sales and their inability to carve out a unique image, by 1969 the group had effectively called it quits.

http://badcatrecords.com/DEADseaFRUIT.htm

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