by Robert Wilkinson
Never heard of him? He was a founder, lead player, and songwriter for the Beau Brummels, one of the truly great Bay Area groups in the mid-60s!
Ron Elliott (born October 21, 1943) wrote the two biggest hits the Beau Brummels had, those being the top 20 hits "Laugh, Laugh" and "Just a Little." Besides their early work, co-founder and front man Sal Valentino (September 8, 1942) and Ron worked as a duo or trio with Ron Meagher in 1967-68, giving us another couple of great albums, 1967’s Triangle and 1968's Bradley's Barn
From Wikipedia, “In 1964, childhood friend Sal Valentino called to inform Elliott that he had a gig but had no band to back him up. Elliott agreed to help him put a band together, which included himself on lead guitar, Ron Meagher on bass, Declan Mulligan on rhythm guitar and John Petersen on drums. The group, known as the Beau Brummels, began playing in and around San Francisco, and was signed to Autumn Records by local deejay Tom Donahue.”
They were produced by Sly Stone (yes, THAT Sly Stone), and set the pace in the Bay Area for much of the sound that followed. It is suspected that if their record label Autumn hadn't collapsed when they were at their peak, they would have made it to the top of the top. For your enjoyment, the Beau Brummels!
From Shindig in 1965, Sal fronting their first big hit “Laugh, Laugh”
Set to the same footage, here’s the original studio version of “Laugh, Laugh”
Also from the first album, a tune that sounds like a “Beatles meets surf music” style. “Still In Love With You Baby”
Here’s another I used to perform. It was their second big hit in 1965, and here they are again very live on Shindig giving us the haunting “Just A Little”
Here’s the original studio version of “Just A Little”
Another one that charted in 1965, here’s the original studio version of “Tell Me Why”
When they reunited in 1975, they did another version of this great tune! “Tell Me Why”
From 1965, a live performance of “Sad Little Girl”
From the Hullaballoo television show, a totally lip synched “performance” to the studio version of the song, drenched in reverb and delay. “Don’t Talk To Strangers”
Here’s how it actually sounded on the radio in late 1965! And yes, it does borrow a Byrds riff and create an exciting tune. “Don’t Talk To Strangers”
From the 1966 sci-fi comedy movie Village of the Giants, the Beau Brummels performing “When it Comes To Your Love” and “Woman” (which is not the song written by Paul McCartney for Peter and Gordon, and sounds suspiciously like it slightly rips off “She’s A Woman” and “She’s About A Mover,” itself an inside-out replica of “She’s A Woman.”)
Here’s one of my favorite albums of all time! This was another one that made 1967 unique and magical, and features several members of the Wrecking Crew backing the Brummels. If you want a great time, this is it!
Here are a few from that great 1967 album. We’ll begin with the first track, the infectiously upbeat “Are You Happy,” followed by the next album track, “Only Dreaming Now,” and we’ll close side one with the Merle Travis classic “Nine Pound Hammer.” We’ll move into side two of the album with the leadoff tune, the very mystical “Magic Hollow,” move to the haunting “The Wolf of Velvet Fortune,” and for the the closer, their version of Randy Newman’s rocking and irreverent arrangement of “My Old Kentucky Home.”
Here’s the album Bradley’s Barn, The link will take you to the first song of the playlist, and will autoload as each ends. Enjoy this late 60s masterpiece! Bradley’s Barn - the entire album
For our closer, the entire 1969 solo album The Candlestickmaker. Again, the link takes you to the first song, and the rest autoload from there! The Candlestickmaker - Ron Elliott
For the encore, a few from the compilation album Magic Hollow, featuring all the hits and a bunch of unreleased outtakes!
And the closer, a great tune called “Just A Little Bit of Lovin’”
You were one of my favorite bands in the mid-60s! Thanks for all you gave us.
© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson
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