Paul Nicholas
"Run Shaker Life"
Are there people out there who don't listen to b-sides?
I've never been that way, but I assume some folks out there don't bother flipping singles.
I can think of no better example as to why you ALWAYS need to listen to the b-side.
Nicholas is best known as a British actor but he also had a decent career as singer of tepid pop songs. Anyone vaguely familiar with him would glide RIGHT past this in a record bin without a second thought.
But for some reason, with the remarkable Alan Tew arranging, this cover of the Richie Havens adaptation of an old Shaker hymn is just transcendent. Percussion for days. A breakdown that smokes. Exquisite instrumentation. Blistering vocals as both lead and background. Perfectly deployed horn accents.
All under the name of an otherwise milquetoast singer, who seemingly has no business making a record this phenomenal. An original will cost you a pretty penny as diggers have figured this one out, but the Youtube clip does just as good a job of conveying the magic. Enjoy.
I remember seeing Paul Nicholas in Hair, which I hated, but this is a vast improvement. (My fave b-side find was when I flipped over Baby Please Don’t Go and listened to Gloria on the other side . . )
Great find! He may be a complete unknown in the US at this point, but in the late ’70s his single “Heaven On the 7th Floor” was ubiquitous and one of the first 45s I owned as a child (along with the still-amazing “Emma” by Hot Chocolate).
Always listen to the b-side!!!
is that a death to the pixies shirt?
uh
I got lost in the first paragraph who wants to sum up the plot in 10 words or less.
Tis a banger!
That’s a heck of a thesis you wrote, LostInPlot
Great find. Thanks for posting.
Point of running your own label, having creative control and managing yourself is to produce the most authentic product, most artists are not that invested, it’s a lot of time and energy. His first three white stripes albums are my favorite. They were produced on a low budget, but he knew what he wanted. Paid off his is one of the most talented and successful musicians of are time and he did it the way he wanted. Lol. I learned a lot doing my business report on him. I didn’t know most of this. I knew he had control of his work to a high degree and that was about it. IDK, I am one of those ppl that are like, if you don’t like the way someone operaties than bye. Others opinions are irrelevant and when you just live your life, speak your mind, go do the damn thing, you enjoy the benefits of a higher quality of life. I like all his solo work is different each album. He can’t go make something different. Don’t listen to it. Don’t like how a show is conducted don’t go. Not hard people. They like to find anything they can report about for profits and be dramatic. Make money from people without any actual effort. I could be a sell-out. I could have stayed married to one of my husbands for money, I could have not left home and now let my family control me with their money. I choose the hard way and have money and freedom now. Their is a method to the madness but you need long term thinking skills and the ability to figure people out. My husbands were not very great people, I have this thing about morals, one of them and I are cool. Ok, that’s all I just like to pass on info, who knows what I actually know, I just discovered Oscar Wilde. Crazy MFer. I dig it I been busy for the 37 years of my life lol. Great album of the week. I am going to purchase it. My opinions are solely mine I have no idea what actually goes through people’s minds. Just my OCD usually. I like my stuff perfect. I need to figure out a puzzle in a broad scope way and work inward. I can be wrong about everything. Next post I will leave ev1 alone. It’s a great album thank. If anyone learns anything that’s great.