Les Humphries Reviews
Les Humphries Singers "Singing Detonation" (1973) Well, as promised earlier, I've actually sat through an entire Les Humphries Singers album (what an achievement!!! :-) ) today, specifically to get to their rendition of "Look at Yourself".
As usual, an album with the title like "Singing Detonation" virtually guarantees a collection of slick, early-70s style Top 40 covers (early 70s Top 40, that is :)).
Where else can one spot John Fogerty's "Sweet Hitch Hiker", Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman", Lou Christie's "Is this the way to Amarillo", The Sweet's "Co Co" and T.Rex's "Get it on", Ocean's "Put your hand in the hand..." and McCartney's "Uncle Albert" on one LP - what a bargain! :-)
And, as usual, no early 70s "potpourri" album from this bunch would be complete with their own trademark soul/gospel medley: "Sing Hallelujah", "Old Man Moses", etc. - fun stuff, if you ask me, but may nott be to everyone's liking.
Having heard their rendition of "Look at Yourself" two times, I'm now 99.9% convinced that the person singing the lead was none other than our own John "Mr. Modesty" Lawton. And to think that for 25 years, this little piece of trivia has gone undiscovered by Heepsters worldwide (with maybe just a couple of exceptions)!
Their version is slower than the original, bluesier, too, rhythmically sounding more like a mid-paced Bad Company bluesy rocker, rather than Heep's feverish apogee-reaching Real McCoy. The guitar solos OVER the VERSES (!!!) were surprisingly good, too, but there was noticeably less Hammond than the song requires. Overall, I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised, but then John couldn't have done a bad job of it - the odds were in his favour: 1) Uriah Heep were definitely his idols back then, and 2) He had (and has) a remarkable voice.
*Ironically* enough, what follows next is a cover of T.Rex "Get It On" - you know what I mean!
Uh, and towards the end, this merry bunch also butchers Rod Stewart's "Maggie Mae", demolishes The Sweet's "Co Co", detonates "Spanish Harlem" but delights me with their very special rendition of the Pop Tops (or Top Pops?) 1971 chart hit, "Mamy Blue" (later covered by Ricky Shane, Paul Mauriat and - surprise surprise! - James Last Orchestra). So it's good and bad, LHS - take 'em or leave 'em. :-)
Alex.