THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,842) The Cortinas*/Octopus — “Phoebe’s Flower Shop”
Brighten your Sunday with a “happy-go-lucky . . . Vaudeville-ian ditty” (Garwood Pickjon, https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2018/11/), a “[t]oytown classic that seldom gets mentioned. A jaunty piano rave carries the tune, and the falsetto vocals and soaring strings keep it aloft.” (neo6666, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/the-cortinas/phoebes-flower-shop-too-much-in-love/). “A little pop, glam and bubblegum. Sweet harmonies. The strings add a symphonic touch. England was ablaze with flower power.” (thomassmith8721, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDO_9ZFE0jE) Indeed.
The Cortinas, to become Octopus (see #759, 1,056, 1,701), released “an innocuous, bouncy little ditty with some commercial appeal” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) that unfortunately had no commercial success. Oh, and innocuous or not depends on whether you take the lyrics literally or as metaphors! “[A]s a phoebe, i 100% endorse this song”. (phoebew7377, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wg65WgJiDo) You can’t get higher praise than that! Forget “I’ll Be There for You”, this should have been Friends theme song.
Grokipedia tells us:
In June 1963, [Paul] Griggs formed Shelayne & The Cortinas with his brother Nigel Griggs on bass guitar, whom he had taught to play the instrument specifically for the group. The initial lineup featured Pat Heley on lead vocals, Paul Griggs on lead guitar and vocals, Barry Banks on rhythm guitar, Nigel Griggs on bass and vocals, and Roger Cook on drums; the band debuted in September 1963 at local venues in Hertfordshire, England. Heley and Banks departed in November 1963, prompting rhythm guitarist Paul Crowland to join in January 1964, after which Griggs assumed lead vocal duties and the group shortened its name to The Cortinas. The Cortinas quickly established themselves through frequent local performances, drawing inspiration from The Beatles and focusing on beat music. . . . These performances, primarily in Hertfordshire towns such as Hatfield, Hitchin, St Albans, and Welwyn Garden City, helped build a regional following, with the band evolving their sound amid lineup changes, including the temporary involvement of future Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor on guitar in August 1966, the addition of Cliff Franklyn on rhythm guitar in April 1965, and Gary Whinyates on drums in May 1967. By 1968, The Cortinas had shifted toward pop-psychedelia and secured a recording deal with Polydor Records. The band’s sole single . . . released in May 1968 . . . . Composed by Grahame Dee and Brian Potter, the A-side showcased a sunny pop arrangement . . . . In late 1968 . . . [the group] rebranded [itself] as Octopus . . . .
Bruce Eder tells us a little about Octopus:
Octopus’ origins lay in Hatfield, 30 miles from London, and a mid-’60s quartet called the Cortinas . . . made up of Paul Griggs (guitar), Nigel Griggs (bass), Brian Glassock (drums), and Rick Williams (guitar). By 1967, the Cortinas had moved from Brit beat into pop-psychedelia and cut one single (“Phoebe’s Flower Shop”) for Polydor without success. The following year, the quartet renamed and redirected itself and Octopus was born. The band earned a support spot to Yes which was, itself, an up-and-coming group at the time. They also appeared on stage with acts like Status Quo and Humble Pie, and were discovered by Troggs bassist Tony Murray, who helped get them a record deal with independent producer Larry Page, who was the Troggs’ manager. Octopus . . . released a single, “Laugh at the Poor Man” . . . in 1969. Midway through the recording of their debut album, Restless Night, Glassock and Williams quit the band, and it was a re-formed Octopus, with John Cook on keyboards and Malcolm Green on the drums, that finished the record . . . . The resulting LP was popular in Hatfield but never found an audience anywhere else. . . . [The band] disbanded in 1972. . . . Malcolm Green and Nigel Griggs later became members of Split Enz.
* Bruce Eder notes that “the name came from an English Ford compact car”. (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/octopus-mn0001886653)
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