THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
926) The Attack — “Lady Orange Peel”
’68 B-side was the group’s final attack — “a nice, sultry psych-tinged number” (Mike Stax, https://ugly-things.com/the-attack-an-interview-with-richard-shirman/), on the heavier and trance-like side.
Vernon Joynson says the Attack “played a form of guitar-driven mod-rock [and] were one of the finest examples of what is now termed freakbeat.” (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited —though he didn’t like this song!). Jon “JoJo” Mills says their “unique brand of guitar-heavy, mod-rock qualifies them as one of the finest examples of . . . freakbeat”. (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-attack-mn0000759243)
Mike Stax in Ugly Things Magazine:
[S]omewhere between the Creation and the Small Faces, the Attack languished in comparative obscurity back in their day, only to be recognized decades later as one of the most exciting bands of the era. That none of the band’s four singles for Decca cracked the charts was more down to bad luck and record company incompetence than any shortcomings on the band’s part. Their first effort, in January 1967, was a sharp version of the Ohio Express/Standells nugget “Try It[]” . . . . [that] failed to click with the record buying public[. T]he band felt they were onto a sure thing with their next release, “Hi Ho Silver Lining,” but they were beaten to the bunch by Jeff Beck who romped into the charts . . . after the Attack’s record was delayed at the pressing plant. . . . Totally disillusioned by the failure of “Hi Ho Silver Lining,” this lineup folded shortly afterwards, with [lead guitarist ] O’List going on to the Nice. However, Shirman rallied the group with new members and a third single appeared a few months later, again pairing a commercial A-side by an outside writer with a harder-edged band-created flip. “Created By Clive” was a clever piece of social satire aimed at Swinging London’s fashion world, but any hope of a hit was doomed by the simultaneous release of a competing version by the Syn—ironically on Deram, a subsidiary of the very same record company. . . . The Attack’s fourth single, “Neville Thumbcatch,” was also their strangest, the sad tale of a solitary man dedicated to the simple joys of gardening . . . . On the other side, “Lady Orange Peel[]” . . . . According to some reports, the wonderful “Magic in the Air,” written by new guitarist John Cann, (aka John DuCann), was originally pegged to be the single’s A-side, but that track would remain unissued . . . . By the beginning of 1968 . . . . DuCann [was] their songwriter-in-chief. . . . [and the band recorded] half a dozen largely excellent tracks, said to be for a planned album tentatively titled Roman God of War. . . . The band would break up later that year with some members regrouping as Andromeda (DuCann would later form Atomic Rooster).
https://ugly-things.com/the-attack-an-interview-with-richard-shirman/
Jon “JoJo” Mills adds:
F]ounders Richard Shirman . . . and Gerry Henderson were originally in . . . the Soul System . . . . [I]n early 1966, the remnants of the crumbling group [bolstered their ranks and] soon came to the attention of entrepreneur (gangster?) Don Arden, who then signed them to Decca and changed their name to the Attack. Their debut single released in January 1967 was an extremely anglicized cover of “Try It[]”. . . . Shortly after the single was released, Davy O’List was handpicked by Andrew Loog Oldham to join the Nice . . . . Shirman . . . had been keeping a watchful eye on a young guitarist he had seen jamming with Jimmy Page. Shortly thereafter John DuCann . . . was introduced into the group. . . . Decca refused [to] release [“Magic in the Air”] on the grounds of it being too heavy . . . . A final single, released in early 1968, was “Neville Thumbcatch,” a fruity mod-pop tune with spoken narration . . . . Decca’s deal with the Attack expired after that single, with a projected fifth 45 . . . remaining unreleased. . . . Decca . . . parted with the group over the continued heavy nature of their newer material . . . .
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-attack-mn0000759243
Oh, and Mike Stax elicited this telling recollection from Richard Shirman:
MS: The A-sides were always by outside writers.
RS: Yes, in those days, record companies said, “Oh, this is commercial.” In those days I always thought commercial meant it would sell, but obviously it doesn’t. (laughs) But they’d say, “This is commercial,” so we’d say, “OK.” You didn’t argue—I was 17, for heavens sake! At 17, 18 you don’t argue with these people who know all about it.
https://ugly-things.com/the-attack-an-interview-with-richard-shirman/
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