THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,299) Price and Sheridan — “Lamp Lighter Man”
Two Brumbeat Move-rs and shakers come up with a wonderful song that “sound[s] like [an] excellent 68/69 era Move outtake[]”. (Jason, https://therisingstorm.net/sheridan-price-this-is-to-certify-that/), or, to my ears, like a lost Neil Diamond almost-anthem.
The song is from an album that is “an astonishingly good collection of the post-Move recordings of Rick Price, both solo and in his collaboration with Birmingham rock singer Mike Sheridan, originally . . . released circa 1970. The music is an often appealing mix of psychedelia, pop/rock, and art rock, rather McCartneyesque at times but in the best possible way”. (Bruce Eder, https://www.allmusic.com/album/this-is-to-certify-gemini-anthology-mw0000378704)
“[T]he pair created some of the most beautiful music of the era . . . chockfull of timeless chamber pop. . . . [A] ‘honeybus’ baroque pop ride . . . was the main one they were taking on the This Is To Certify album”. (Garwood Pickjon, https://popdiggers.com/rick-price-mike-sheridan-this-is-to-certify/)
The LP is “a 24 carat classic of the late 60s British baroque-pop genre, chock-full of winsome melodies, gossamer-light harmopnies and exquisite string arrangements . . . that exists comfortably alongside the best works of Honeybus, or perhaps even the Move of ‘Beautiful Daughter’ and ‘The Girl Outside.’ (David Wells, liner notes to the CD comp Rick Price & Mike Sheridan: This Is to Certify: The Gemini Anthology)
Jason:
This is one of the better albums coming from the Move family tree. It was released in 1970 though it has a clear 1967/1968 sound and is one of the best albums of its kind. Rick Price entered the Move sometime in the late 60s, contributing bass and guitar to “Shazam“, “Looking On” and “Message From The Country.” Mike Sheridan had previously been leader of the Nightriders which were a Birmingham group that specialized in the merseybeat sound and 50s rock n roll. The Nightriders were sort of a breeding ground for future Move members, most importantly Roy Wood. During Price’s tenure with the Move, he and Sheridan started writing songs together for the above album. Both Sheridan and Price share vocals and writing chores on an album that veers into power pop, psychedelia, sunshine pop and progressive pop. There are horn and string arrangements on this beautiful album that recall some of Paul McCartney’s soft moments on the Beatles’ classic White Album (think “Martha My Dear” or even the Move’s great “Beautiful Daughter”). . . . This is an exceptional if little known Move album . . . .”
https://therisingstorm.net/sheridan-price-this-is-to-certify-that/
As to Rick Price, Bruce Eder writes:
Rick Price was probably the least-known member of the Move, if only because he never really established a well-defined musical (or personal) identity of his own . . . . This is to Certify: The Gemini Anthology, released at the start of the 1970s, seems hardly to have sold at all in its own time. . . . Price was born in Birmingham, England . . . . His earliest band of any note was the Cimarrons, who sounded a lot like the Shadows (or tried to). . . . [H]e moved on to the Sombreros, who changed their name to Sight & Sound a little later. Their original focus was harmony vocals, their influences the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys, but by 1967 they’d started doing songs in keeping with the psychedelic boom. And by that time, Price had started a songwriting partnership with Mike Sheridan, the former leader of Mike Sheridan & the Nightriders. The group recorded three singles, “Ebenezer,” “Little Jackie Monday,” and “Alley Alley,” all co-written by the duo and none successful. The group eventually deteriorated into more of a musical comedy outfit. One day in early 1969, after a performance in front of a club audience that included Roy Wood, the leader/principal composer of the Move . . . offered him a spot in the group. He joined just as “Blackberry Way” was making its way up the U.K. charts to number one. He was with them through the brief period of cabaret performances, plus their first (and only) tour of the United States, and lasted two years with the group. Price even recorded most of the original bass parts to the first Electric Light Orchestra album, although the latter were re-recorded by Wood . . . . From there, Price moved into an ultimately unhappy contractual relationship with Gemini Records, recording This Is to Certify . . . . Then he was . . . in an outfit called Light Fantastic, who showed a lot of promise but could never get it together in terms of recording. This was followed by a stint in the progressive rock band Mongrel . . . . From there it was on to Wizzard, Roy Wood’s new band . . . . last[ing] through 1975, then Price moved on to the Wizzo Band, playing pedal steel guitar, no less.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rick-price-mn0000357165#biography
As to Mike Sheridan, 45cat.com writes:
[A]t age 19 Mike began to play piano in the Maypole pub on Saturday nights. One night a Teddy Boy approached Mike and said he was entering a competition in which the aim was to find the ‘Elvis of the Midlands’ and asked Mike to back him on piano. The ‘Elvis’ got through to the final round . . . but didn’t show up. Mike was asked if he’d like to continue and won the competition as a singing pianist. While working a regular Friday night playing piano . . . Cyril Viles asked Mike if he would like to join . . . The Chequers. Mike . . . joined . . . adopting the stage name of Mike Sheridan. . . . The group played a few gigs and members changed frequently . . . . Upon Billy King’s departure the group became Mike Sheridan and The Night Riders . . . . [A]n EMI producer for Columbia records, came up to Birmingham for a two day audition of local beat groups . . . . Mike Sheridan and The Night Riders were one of the five groups to pass the audition . . . . The five groups . . . were signed . . . to the Columbia label. [They] were sent the test recording of “Tell Me What’Cha Gonna Do” to rehearse. . . . [T]he single was a flop. . . . “Please Mr. Postman” . . . . failed to chart [but] sold well locally and gained the band a favourable reputation. . . . Roy [Wood] joined . . . after answering an ad in the Birmingham Post & Mail. . . . [and led] them into harmonies and introduced comedy into the act on stage by doing impersonations of Donovan and Dusty Springfield while wearing a suitable wig. The first single to be recorded with Roy Wood on guitar and backing vocals was a cover of The Shirelles’ “What a Sweet Thing that Was” . . . released in June 1964. This was followed by recording a version of The Rip Chords’ “Here I Stand[.]” In early 1965, the group went to Germany to undertake a series of bookings. Upon their return . . . the group name was changed to Mike Sheridan’s Lot. . . . Their final single released at the beginning of January 1966, was “Don’t Turn Your Back on Me” . . . . [T]he band had almost played throughout the entire country, acting as support for the likes of The Beatles, The Who, Small Faces, Them . . . and many others. Roy Wood left . . . to become a founding member of . . . The Move . . . . Mike Sheridan carried on . . . for a short while before he also left . . . . [A] young guitarist named Jeff Lynne . . . answered an advertisement in the local paper, bec[ame a] new member. . . . The Nightriders became The Idle Race. Mike Sheridan would later become a member of Sight and Sound that also included Rick Price, followed by recording as Sheridan and finally hooking up with Rick Price to record as Sheridan and Price. Mike Sheridan would also record an album of material with the members of Wizzard sans Roy Wood as Elmer Goodbody Jnr but only one single was released.
https://www.45cat.com/biography/mike-sheridan-and-the-night-riders
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