THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,363) “Loving, Sacred Loving”
I’ve played the A-side (see #131), here’s the glorious ‘68 B-side, “an immaculately crafted slice of English psychedelic whimsy that boasted an opening harpsichord salvo from Nicky Hopkins”, oh and with “blissed-out lyric[s]”. (David Wells, Record Collector 100 Greatest Psychedelic Records: High Times and Strange Tales from Rock’s Most Mind-Blowing Era).
David Wells tells us of the End times:
[M[embers of the End had already served a long and varied pre-beat boom apprenticeship before Bill Wyman offered them personal management. After an unsuccessful single for Philips, the End were despatched to Spain, where their blue-eyed soul routine brought them a Top 5 single. When the band returned to England in the summer of ’67, Wyman and his songwriting partner, Peter Gosling [see #1,348] gave them a couple of songs for their UK re-launch. . . . [both] included on the band’s long-delayed album Introspection, but . . . gain[ing] their greatest level of exposure on Seventies bootegs as alleged summit-meeting collaboration between the Beatles and the Stones . . . .
liner notes to the CD comp Real Life Permanent Dreams: A Cornucopia of British Psychedelia 1965-1970
Wells goes deeper:
Between March and October 1968, work was completed on the End’s first album, Introspection. . . . However, by that stage all Stones extra-curricular activities were at the not-so-tender mercies of the dreaded Allan Klein. Frustrated by Klein’s lack of interest in allowing Introspection to be released, Bill Wyman repeatedly called his New York office in an attempt to smooth the water, but to no avail. “If it wasn’t Mick or Keith, they didn’t want to know”, Wyman now admits. “By sitting on it, they didn’t give us a change to do anything else with it. They never said, ‘We hate it, we’re never going to release it’. It was always, ‘We’re working on it, give us a couple of weeks.’ It was always a couple of weeks. . .” In December 1969, just as the Stones’ (and Therefore Wyman’s) contract with Decca expired, Introspection finally appeared . . . . But the music scene in general had moved on . . . . The End’s brand of sweet-toothed psychedelic pop was not so much a spent force as a distant memory, and Introspection must have sounded like a blast from a bygone age . . . .
Record Collector 100 Greatest Psychedelic Records: High Times and Strange Tales from Rock’s Most Mind-Blowing Era.
John “Mojo” MIlls adds:
Although never achieving the success they deserved, the End are best remembered for their Bill Wyman-produced psychedelic-pop that was a masterful mixture of swirling, dream-like numbers, and flowery, but never twee, pop. Their Introspection album is now viewed as one of the finest examples of British psychedelia. Dave Brown and Colin Giffin formed the End in 1965 following the demise of beat group the Innocents. Nicky Graham and John Horton were drafted in from Dickie Pride’s backing group, the Original Topics, and the line-up was completed with former Tuxedos drummer Roger Groom. . . . [F]riend Bill Wyman arranged a tour with the Rolling Stones. They also appeared with Spencer Davis on ITV television’s Thank Your Lucky Stars . . . . At this time their music was very much in the club-soul/blue-eyed soul style that was sweeping England by storm. Following the tour, Roger Groom quit to be replaced by Hugh Atwooll, a former school friend of Nicky Graham. John Horton also quit, but the split was amicable as he continued to help out on their second single, “Shades of Orange.” Cut by Bill Wyman, with the addition of Charlie Watts on tabla, the song was recorded during the sessions for the Rolling Stones’ psychedelic foray, Their Satanic Majesties Request. . . . Following the single’s release, Gordon Smith also left and was replaced by former Mode guitarist Terry Taylor. The band then decamped to Spain, where several singles were released domestically, including “Why,” a Top Five hit in April 1967. By Christmas 1968, both Colin Giffin and Hugh Attwooll had left after recording the Introspection album . . . . With the arrival of another Mode refugee, Jim Henderson, the End metamorphosed into the more progressive-sounding Tucky Buzzard.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-end-mn0000758469#biography
Here is the 45:
Here is the demo:
Here is an alternate mix:
Here is Moon’s Train’s instrumental version:
Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise
Please consider helping to support my website/blog by contributing $6 a month for access to the Off the Charts Spotify Playlist. Using a term familiar to denizens of Capitol Hill, you pay to play! (“relating to or denoting an unethical or illicit arrangement in which payment is made by those who want certain privileges or advantages in such arenas as business, politics, sports, and entertainment” — dictionary.com).
The playlist includes all the “greatest songs of the 1960’s that no one has ever heard” that are available on Spotify — now over 900 songs. The playlist will expand each time I feature an available song.
All new subscribers will receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock magnet. New subscribers who sign up for a year will also receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock t-shirt or baseball cap. See pictures on the Pay to Play page.
When subscribing, please send me an e-mail (GMFtma1@gmail.com) or a comment on this site letting me know an e-mail address/phone number/Facebook address, etc. to which I can send instructions on accessing the playlist and a physical address to which I can sent a magnet/t-shirt/baseball cap. If choosing a t-shirt, please let me know the gender and size you prefer.
Just click on the first blue block for a month to month subscription or the second blue block for a yearly subscription.
Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelations😊 