Some Dawn Singles You Will Love, I Certainly Do

Introduction

As you know I have a big CD collection and I sell a lot on Discogs (my store only sells CDs and is below). I often take CDs out of my sale pile to make sure they play OK. I always visually check them but sometimes even perfect-looking CDs don’t play properly.

I just pulled out a Dawn singles compilation, which I was selling for around twenty pounds, but I know there are a lot of songs on here that I actually like. Anyway, today is Christmas Day and I have decided to pull it from my Discogs store and put it back in my collection.

I first discovered the Dawn label through Mungo Jerry who used to always put out 33⅓ Maxi Singles, and this compilation opens with their totally misogynistically unacceptable “In The Summertime” a pleasant enough sounding jug band song and a number one in the seventies but time has shown this up to be what it was, however, the rest of their output was rather excellent, Ray Dorset being a great songwriter and band leader with his distinctive mutton chop sideburns.

So I thought I would share a few of my many favourites from this singles compilation which you should be able to pick up from Amazon or Discogs if you enjoy these songs.

Prelude - After The Goldrush

Prelude are a local band to me, and this beautiful Acappella take on Neil Young's wonderful song should be part of everyone's collection.

They still perform live and their Facebook page is here

Trader Horne - Goodbye Mercy Kelly

A little psychedelic folk which I find very easy to listen to. It is very nineteen-sixties but is a lovely couple of minutes of music and is one of the many plus points on this compilation.

John Kongos - Flim-Flam Pharisee

This is before his monstrous African beat-influenced pair of singles "He's Gonna Step On You Again" (covered by the Happy Mondays as "Step On") and "Tokoloshe Man" and is very similar in feel to the Trader Horne single and helped me pull this from the Discogs sale pile.

King-Earl Boogie Band - Plastic Jesus

"Plastic Jesus" is an American folk song written by Ed Rush and George Cromarty in 1957. They recorded it as a humorous ad spoof in 1962 as The Goldcoast Singers on "Here They Are! The Goldcoast Singers ".

The King Earl Boogie Band were Paul King and Colin Earl ex of Mungo Jerry and this is one of the finest covers of this song. It will definitely make you smile.

Ray Dorset - Cold Blue Excursion

I think this was Ray Dorset's first single outside of Mungo Jerry and it was so different then and is still weirdly beautiful now. I could listen to it on repeat for a long time. Have a listen, maybe you will agree with me or maybe you will think I am absolutely mad.

Pluto - Rag-A-Bone Joe

Not the reggae singer, Pluto, although not necessarily one of those bands who spring immediately to mind as having been a seminal influence on the weaving of rock music's tapestry. Their only album was released on the Dawn label back in November 1971. Conceived initially by guitarist Paul Gardner and taking their name from the Disney cartoon character, they were formed in North London in 1970. There is more about them here.

Mungo Jerry - Lady Rose

I bought this single as soon as it was released, like most of their singles and still love it. Still has the jug band sound for a wonderful love song, and Ray even does a bit of yodelling in there too.

Conclusion

If you like these songs check out the album, and the artists on the various social media sites.