Collectors of rare psychedelia likely know the band July and its self-titled 1968 album on the Major Minor label featuring "My Clown," "Dandelion Seeds," and "The Way."  But few remember that the psych cult heroes of July began their career as members of The Tomcats.  Cherry Red's RPM label has recently collected the Ealing band's rare Spanish EPs, plus previously unreleased tracks, on Running at Shadows: The Spanish Recordings 1965-66.

Tom Newman (lead vocals), Peter Cook (guitar), Alan James (bass) and Chris Jackson (drums), like so many others of the era, were originally inspired by the skiffle sounds of Lonnie Donegan before they discovered the rock-and-roll of The Shadows.  Soon, though, the band first known as The Dreamers were galvanized by another sonic shift: this time to rhythm and blues.  Influenced by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies' Blues Incorporated, the group's sound and style changed.  So did their name as they became the more rough-and-tumble Tomcats.  Korner took the group under his wing as manager, and they earned their stripes playing Oxford Street's Beat City club.  When the club went out of business, The Tomcats broke up.  Then, unexpectedly, they found themselves with an unusual offer.

Another Ealing band, The Second Thoughts, had also recently broken up.  A friend of The Second Thoughts' Jon Field let Field know that Spain was craving the Rolling Stones-esque sound of English R&B/rock.  So a couple of Tomcats joined with three former Second Thoughts, and after a brief period as simply The Thoughts, Tom Newman, Chris Jackson, Tony Duhig, Mickey Holmes and Jon Field became the new Tomcats.

The band relocated to Spain, and before long, ex-Tomcat Alan James rejoined the line-up to replace Mickey Holmes.  They were so popular on the Madrid scene that "Los Tomcats" were ushered into the recording studio for the Philips label.  All told, Los Tomcats released four EPs of down-and-dirty, R&B-influenced rock, all of which are collected on this RPM release.  The repertoire on these raw, energetic and quickly-recorded EPs included instrumentals and vocals, and both Spanish and English language versions of local favorites and international hits.  Tom Newman contributed a couple of original songs including the title track "Running at Shadows," and Chris Jackson penned one, "Don't Ask for Me." The Tomcats paid tribute to The Rolling Stones with recordings of "Satisfaction," "Get Off My Cloud," "Paint It Black" and "19th Nervous Breakdown" - ironic because the band, per David Wells' comprehensive new liner notes, wasn't too enamored with the Stones' talent upon seeing them play at an Ealing club!  The Tomcats also tackled Bo Diddley's "Road Runner" (with a touch of The Beatles' "Drive My Car"), The Yardbirds ("For Your Love"), The Beatles ("Yesterday") and even The Mamas and the Papas (a guitar-and-organ-driven, garage-styled take on "Monday, Monday" sans harmonies).

The Tomcats returned to England in the summer of 1966, and Newman formed a writing partnership with his old Tomcat bandmate Peter Cook.  Newman, James, Jackson, Duhig and Field continued to play together and eventually morphed into July.  RPM's Running at Shadows adds a number of early tracks from The Second Thoughts as well as the previously unissued "Two Minds in Tune," performed by the band in the Mexican/Spanish film Operacion Secretaria.  Simon Murphy has remastered this collection which has been licensed directly from The Tomcats.  You can order Running at Shadows: The Spanish Recordings 1965-1966 at the links below!

The Tomcats, Running at Shadows: The Spanish Recordings 1965-66 (RPM/Cherry Red RETRO 975, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Macarenas
2. A Tu Vera
3. Seventh Son - The Second Thoughts
4. Get Off My Cloud
5. Roadrunner
6. Walking - The Second Thoughts
7. For Your Love
8. You Gotta Help (Help Me) - The Second Thoughts
9. Paint It Black
10. Pena, Penita, Pena
11. Looking for My Baby - The Second Thoughts
12. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
13. Don't Let It Go
14. Cocaine
15. Monday, Monday
16. It Ain't Right
17. Somebody Help Me
18. Running at Shadows
19. La Neurastenia (19th Nervous Breakdown)
20. Que Familia Mas Original (Shame and Scandal in the Family)
21. Don't Ask for Me
22. Yesterday
23. Two Minds in Tune (previously unreleased)