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Known
originally as Five Proud Walkers, Elmer Gantry's Velvet
Opera was formed in Conventry, England in 1967. They changed
there name after a BBC radio audition for John Peel's
Top Gear show. Vocalist David Terry originally changed
his name to Elmer Gantry. The group, with barely three
months of gigging to their name, had developed a strong live act
and gained a strong following. After cutting a demo for Decca's
Mickie Most, but with no luck, it was with with the contacts
made by the group whilst doing session work that led them to the
Direction label's attention. They were then immediately
sent into the recording studio in September 1967 to record what
became their first single, Flames/Salisbury Plain.
Released the next month, it wasn't a huge chart success, but the
single did attract enough attention with the radio DJ's (John
Peel, Stuart Henry) and sold enough copies for the
band to be hurried into the studio once again to record a whole
LP! Their self titled debut was released in December 1967 and
features a combination of Mowtown soul with Beatlesque Psych Pop
with some eastern and more hard rock influences thrown in. The
result is a very interesting album, though at times the band sounds
a little uncomfortable at the musical style they were playing.
Nevertheless, the rockin' Intro leads into the strong rocking
pop of Mother Writes and then a song that would be re-recorded
and released as a single in 1968, Mary Jane. The almost
completely instrumental Walter Sly Meets Bill Bailey raffia's
cries out proto-metal, and for being 1967... I think it's definitely
worth a listen. A couple true psych classics wrap up the album,
Dream Starts, complete with it's distorted vocals and eerie
atmosphere (reminds me of the Family track Voyage) and Now
She's Gone. Maybe with a little more time to their name, their
debut could have been up there with the likes of The Family's,
Tomorrow's & Blossom Toes. 1968 was not productive
with vocalist David "Elmer" Gantry leaving the
group due to the touring strains and to pursue a solo career.
Followed by guitarist Forster the group recruited new members
Paul Brett and Johnny Joyce and continued as the Velvet
Opera and released another LP in 1969 on the CBS label
called Ride A Hustler's Dream but only succeeded in alienating
their fans. The group called it quits and the rhythm section of
Hudson and Ford went on to join forces with the
folk/progressive rockers The Strawbs.
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