Johnny Kidd - Recording Sessions

Date	Tracks	Master Tape

18/04/59	Please Don’t Touch	TL6501
18/04/59	Growl	TL6501
The debut single, and an instant classic featuring session men either augmenting or replacing the original six-man line-up. Deserved far higher than the official no.25 it made in the Hit Parade.

09/06/59	Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (version 2)	TL10264
EMI decided to have the group "rock-up" this old number in a breathless revival. Not one of the groups' better stabs at this song and Kidd was late for the session! It actually received a release (by mistake) on the re-activated "Shakin' All Over" single on the EMI label in 1976, instead of the more refined version cut on 13/05/60.

02/11/59	Steady Date	TL21365
02/11/59	Feelin’	TL21365
Why these two tracks were not released as a 45 with "Feelin' as the topside is a mystery, especially in the wake of such a classic debut single which was now most of a year ago.

12/11/59	If You Were The Only Girl In The World	TL7810
At total odds with the first single, it's not surprising in failing to chart. The lesson of Cliff Richard's debut single, which was flipped from the slushy teen ballad to the raw rock 'n' roll of "Move It" hadn't been learned. Onstage, in a better style it went down far better despite reservations of the rest of the band.

04/01/60	You Got What It Takes	TL7810
04/01/60	Longin’ Lips	TL7810
Straightforward tracking of the group's third single, the first to feature the initial "classic" Pirates line-up of Alan Caddy, Brian Gregg and Clem Cattini - the original "Power Trio?"

13/05/60	Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (version 1)	TL10274
13/05/60	Shakin’ All Over	TL8288
The classic platter, the topside of which being (unbelievably) recorded in one take. It allegedly took six minutes to be thrown together in the basement of Chas "Freight Train" McDevitt's club the night before. Joe Moretti was drafted in on guitar: it was he who supplied the chilling guitar figures while Alan Caddy as happy to slip back into rhythm mode.

05/09/60	Restless	TL8288
05/09/60	Magic Of Love	TL11341
Another slice of moody, swaggering Rock 'n' Roll, again featuring Joe Moretti.

06/10/60	Linda Lu	TL14158
06/10/60	Let’s Talk About Us	TL11341
06/10/60	Big Blon’ Baby	TL9703
Both sides of the next single, plus one of a duo destined for the 1960 "Saturday Club" LP.

07/10/60	Weep No More, My Baby	TL9703
The other entry for 1960's "Saturday Club" compilation.

31/01/61	More Of The Same	TL26604
31/01/61	I Just Wanna Make Love To You	TL26604
On the look-out for chart material, plus smouldering R&B, a few years before the Stones.

25/05/61	Please Don’t Bring Me Down (version 2)	TL26604
25/05/61	Bad Case Of Love	TL26604
25/05/61	You Can Have Her	TL26604
None of these tracks were released at the time, certainly in the case of the latter two. "Please Don't Bring Me Down" was released on the French compilation "Rocker". The others finally made it onto the "Complete" CD, however they were given a recording date of 25/01/65, which is odd on twp counts - all are marked as having came off the same tape reel, plus all three tracks sound slightly rough around the edges. Good examples though of their stage act material.

17/08/61	So What	TL10718
17/08/61	Please Don’t Bring Me Down (version 1)	E43371Z
End of the Caddy/Gregg/Cattini era as they jumped ship to join Colin Hicks as his Pirate-like Cabinboys. But what a B-side ("So What")!

01/12/61	Hurry On Back To Love	E43896A-4T
01/12/61	I Want That	E43896B-4T
Both sides of the first single without any Pirate involvement whatsoever. Not bad though.

26/09/62	I Can Tell	TL10467
Almost ten months since Kidd recorded anything for HMV, although the break had seen an unprecedented advance in his groups style and sound. This was Mick Green's, Johnny Spence and Frank Farley's first recording.

17/10/62	A Shot Of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues	TL12709
The first A-side of the second "classic" Pirates (Green/Spence/Farley) line-up.

31/01/63	Some Other Guy	E48828
31/01/63	Popeye (demo, Pirates only)	E48829
31/01/63	Spanish Armada (demo, Pirates only)	E48829
A waste of a great track in "Some Other Guy" although perhaps it was sung in just too high a key as Kidd seems to strain at times hitting the high notes. And maybe a potential Pirates Single here? These two tracks were played as warm-ups onstage although they don't appear to have been kept as neither appeared on the "Complete" double CD set in 1992, hence their "demo" status.

16/05/63	I’ll Never Get Over You	TL12709
16/05/63	Then I Got Everything	TL12709
Back in the UK top five with this "beat" classic. The B-side is no slouch, either.

11/10/63	Hungry For Love	TL12709
11/10/63	Ecstasy	TL15512
11/10/63	Castin’ My Spell (Pirates only)	TL25343
11/10/63	My Babe (Pirates only)	TL25343
Very productive - both sides of Kidds' next single, plus a complete 45 by the Pirates only ("My Babe" / Castin' My Spell"), allegedly both completed in one take.

13/01/64	Doctor Feelgood	TL14372
Another great R&B track lost on a flipside.

04/02/64	Always And Ever	TL14372
The last-ever chart entry. Not that bad a song, just not really the Kidd's style.

06/04/64	Whole Lotta Woman	TL26014
06/04/64	Your Cheatin Heart	TL21365
06/04/64	Let’s Talk About Us (version 2)	TL52279-2T
06/04/64	A Little Bit Of Soap	E52269Z
06/04/64	The Fool (version 2)	E52270-2T
06/04/64	Oh Boy	E52269Z
06/04/64	Send Me Some Lovin’	E52270-2T
06/04/64	Big Blon’ Baby (version 2)	E52271-2T
07/04/64	Right String Baby, But The Wrong Yo-Yo	E52271-2T
07/04/64	Shop Around	TL26604
07/04/64	Please Don’t Touch (version 2)	E52272Z
The "Lost Album" sessions - strong performances but only three tracks ever saw the light of day in Kidd's lifetime. Some of the tracks have appeared in mono and stereo, usually from the same take. A few cuts have thrown up different takes at different times. "A Little Bit Of Soap" was issued in it's original unfinished mono form on the "Rarities" LP complete with studio chatter whilst a version with a tidier ending (edited as per original instructions *not* carried out at the time) emerged in stereo on the "Complete" CD in 1992. "Right String Baby..." appeared on "Rarities" (mono) and on "Complete" (stereo, alternate take). Nearly all of these sessions master tapes were kept, allowing a (much) later stereo release. The exception appears to be "Shop Around" - this track was mastered to mono for release as the b-side to "Jealous Girl" in 1964. As this has never appeared in stereo, I have to assume the original multitrack tape was not kept, only the mono master. Interestingly enough, it apparently resides on the same tape that holds mono masters of the first five recordings from 1961, plus the 1966 re-make of "The Fool".

13/04/64	I Know	E52863-TL
14/05/64	Jealous Girl	E52680
Two songs co-written by manager Gordon Mills, presumably for potential release. The strident "I Know" was consigned to the vaults, along with the rest of the "Lost Album", and was overlooked when a new single was required to follow "Jealous Girl", HMV opting to drag "Whole Lotta Woman" out instead.

20/05/64	Where Are You	E52905
A total change of style for the Kidd, presumably looking for a reasonable hit. A real gem in the wrong direction at the wrong time (vault job). Remember his second single?

01/10/64	Don’t Make The Same Mistake As I Did	E55333
05/02/65	The Birds And The Bees	E55333
Separate sessions for the next single, only six months between them.

16/02/65	Can’t Turn You Loose	E98692Z
Yet another powerful vocal performance lost to the vaults.

20/04/65	Shakin’ All Over ’65 (or, version 2)	E55890-4T
20/04/65	Gotta Travel On	E55890-4T
Both sides of next single - both made their first appearance in stereo on the "Complete" double CD collection.

10/09/65	I Hate Getting Up In The Morning (version 2)	E57349-4T
10/09/65	This Golden Ring	E57349-4T
A "Lost" single here? Both appeared in stereo on "Complete". This original version of "I Hate..." was erroneously released on "Rarities" LP, listed as Kidd plus Johnny Harris orchestra single version.

22/02/66	It’s Got To Be You	E98692Z
22/02/66	I Hate Getting Up In The Morning (version 1)	E98692Z
The second (and last) Kidd single without a Pirate in sight. Backing courtesy of Johnny Harris and female vocalists, the Marionettes.

23/08/66	Send For That Girl (version 2)	E61386
23/08/66	The Fool (version 1)	TL26604
06/09/66	Send For That Girl (version 1)	?
The last entry in the books. "Send For That Girl" (06/09/66) was with additional orchestra and constituted that single. However, the version cut on 23/08/66 was erroneously released on "Rarities" as being the single cut. In fact, a remix made with orchestra overdubs by Harry Robinson (version 2) became the released single. This original mix re-surfaced on the "Complete" CD collection (the first time since "Rocker") where it states the track was dubbed from disc.


Apart from "Popeye" and "Spanish Armada" by the Pirates mentioned above (which have been heard in more recent times so should still exist), other Kidd recordings that have not come to light include "Magic Of Love" in a Buddy Holly style, "Baby Blue", "Tricky Dicky", and a version of "If You Were The Only Girl In The World" that features the original Pirates.