THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,757) Pop Workshop — “Fairyland”
How was this UK “orchestrated Pop dancer” (teabiscuit, https://www.45cat.com/record/pof091) not a hit? Teabiscuit think “maybe [it was] a little late for this sort of song by Sep 68”. I say it was never too late, ’cause “Fairyland” sends me into paroxysms of delight.
“Don’t wake me on Sunday I’ll call you on Monday” Reminds me of the Cure!
Sebastián Vientos writes of Fairyland (courtesy of Google Translate):
[The song is a] monument[] to intense, pure, and uncompromising pop. No trace of rock, psychedelia, garage, fuzz, or guitar riffs. Just a great melodic line and passion. That’s nothing. [It] w[as] written by [a] great professional[] of the time*, and the orchestral arrangement[ was] done by a young Mike Batt [see #1,610] . . . . Pure pop, and especially orchestrated pop, is one of the most underrated and misunderstood genres of the 60s in general.
https://cancionesatomicas.blogspot.com/2009/09/pop-workshop-fairyland-punch-and-judy.html
As does Sixties Collector:
[It] represents the best of that underappreciated category of English pop from the ’68-’70 period: pop with lots of orchestration and very catchy, high-quality melodies that never tire. Perhaps it’s not appreciated as it should be because … it lacks “vestiges of rock,” no garage, no… distorted electric guitars. This song is among my 20 favorites from the entire era. Just listening to that introduction followed by that bombastic orchestral explosion. A delight!
https://cancionesatomicas.blogspot.com/2009/09/pop-workshop-fairyland-punch-and-judy.html
Sebastián Vientos (courtesy of Google Translate) tells us of the Workshop:
The Pop Workshop was a quartet from Harrow, northwest London. After a few years following the trends of the moment and changing their name from time to time, they were signed as The Locomotion by the well-known producer and owner of the Page One label, Larry Page, who changed their name to The Pop Workshop: Alan Box (vocals and guitar), Dave Evans (guitar), Andy Love (bass), and Terry Gibbs (drums).
https://cancionesatomicas.blogspot.com/2009/09/pop-workshop-fairyland-punch-and-judy.html
* “Fairyland” is one of the first songs written by Ben Findon, who wrote hits for Billy Ocean, the Dooleys and others over the years. (https://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Ben+Findon&tab=songaswriterchartstab, https://www.discogs.com/artist/303281-Ben-Findon?superFilter=Credits)
Here is Donnie Sutherland:
Here is the Second Movement:
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