THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,289) Cartoone — “Knick Knack Man”
This Scottish band’s “hook driven” (Joe Reagoso, http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/10/cartoone-cartoone-1969-uk-wonderful.html) and “Beatlesque” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/cartoone-mw0000819917) number is, per rockingscots (“a website dedicated to Scottish beat groups and rock bands from the ’60s and ’70s”), a “wonderfully miserable” song with session man extraordinaire Jimmy Page and a “[w]histled intro and outro – fairly rare on rock/pop records – Brian Ferry must have been listening” that “[d]escribes the presumed sad life of a bloke selling knick knacks on street corners for a living.” (http://www.rockingscots.co.uk/cartoone.htm).
“Knick Knack” comes from the band’s only album released at the time, a “real treasure to be explored” that is “[f]illed with twelve rock and pop gems”. (Joe Reagoso, http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/10/cartoone-cartoone-1969-uk-wonderful.html) As Richie Unterberger describes it:
Page contributed guitar to the record as a session man — though his work is neither too prominent nor too similar to what he was getting ready to do in Led Zeppelin . . . . [I]t’s slightly fey pop/rock with strong debts to the lighter side of the late-’60s Beatles and, more apparently, the late-’60s Bee Gees. . . . [T]he melancholy melodies, ornate arrangements, and trembling vocal timbres . . . can’t help but bring early Bee Gees to mind. Yet Cartoone seemed to be suffering from some indecision as to how to define themselves, with some other tracks indicating some harder-rocking ambitions . . . . Other cuts load on so much orchestration that they seem to aim to the right of the Bee Gees, as stabs at the more bombastic and ballad-oriented slice of the late-’60s British pop market.
As to Cartoone, Joe Reagoso writes that:
The four piece band from Scotland, which developed from The Chevlons, consisted of Derek Creigan (Vocals/Bass), Mike Allison (Guitar/Vocals), Mo Trowers (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals) and Charlie Coffils (Drums/Vocals). After relocating to the U.K. and through the help of their friends Lulu and Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees, they soon got the attention of producer Mark London, who brought them to Atlantic’s Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler for a record contract. In early 1969, the album was released . . . .
http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/10/cartoone-cartoone-1969-uk-wonderful.html
K2E2S Surya goes deep:
Cartoone formed in 1967 in Glasgow from a group called The Chevlons. They were an indispensable band when some celebrities from England came to Scotland on tour. Cartoone was the opening act for The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats and The Hollies. In 1968, Cartoone moved to London, hoping to secure a recording deal. In London, they were helped by a compatriot from Scotland . . . Lulu[, who] was managed by Marion Massey, whose husband was songwriter and producer Mark London. Cartoone showed him some of [their] own songs and London was impressed. He took the band into the studio, where they recorded four songs with just acoustic guitars. London showed these recordings to Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records, who signed a two-album deal . . . . London was a friend and collaborator with Zeppelin[‘]s manager Peter Grant. This is where Jimmy Page came into the . . . sessions[, ] participat[ing] in the recording of all numbers of the album . . . . Lulu took part in the promotion of fellow countrymen, inviting her to her New Year’s TV program on December 28, 1968. And on January 16, 1969, Cartoone performed on . . . Top Of The Pops promoting their single “Penny For The Sun / Knick Knack Man”. The band then flew to promote the album in the US, where they performed on several TV shows. In April-June 1969, Cartoone traveled to the United States again, this time in support of Led Zeppelin’s American tour. Touring life soon got so fed up with guitarist Mike Ellison that he left the band, and Mark London urgently found a replacement for him in the person of talented guitarist Les Harvey, the younger brother of . . . Alex Harvey [see #69, 684]. Les Harvey had previously played with his Stone The Crows, co-managed by Peter Grant and Mark London. . . . Despite the good sales of the debut album (85,000 copies sold only in the US), Atlantic Records for some reason slowed down the release of the second album. . . . Les Harvey left them, longing to return to his band Stone The Crows, where his girlfriend Maggie Bell was the main vocalist. Then “Atlantic” terminated the contract altogether . . . .
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ8Ife0QZY8&pp=ygUhQ2FydG9vbmUgc2NvdHRpc2ggYmFuZCBmdWxsIGFsYnVt
Rockingscots adds that “Unable to fully function now, Cartoone were dropped by Atlantic and split up on their return to the UK – broke and doubtless more than a bit disillusioned. . . . Les Harvey was tragically killed on stage by faulty gear in ’73.”(http://www.rockingscots.co.uk/cartoone.htm).
As to Jimmy Page, Joe Reagoso writes that:
Drummer Charlie Coffils recently discussed the close friendship Cartoone had with Jimmy Page, “While we were recording the Cartoone album in 1968, Jimmy was putting together Led Zeppelin. I managed to have a long chat with Jimmy as we were listening to the recordings we had just made . . . . He told me that he had found an amazing drummer called John Bonham, who was the loudest drummer he had ever played with, but he still had amazing technique on the drums. Jimmy said the whole band just gelled straight away, and the hairs on everyone’s neck rose on that very first rehearsal, as they knew they had found something special. Jimmy told me he couldn’t wait to get out there and play ‘live’[“] . . . .
http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/10/cartoone-cartoone-1969-uk-wonderful.html
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