Cherry Red Group's RPM and el labels have recently turned their attention to a trio of British vocalists who may have fallen under the radar in recent decades.  Happily, comprehensive and essential anthologies for Guy Darrell, Eden Kane, and Gerry Monroe will see to it that these artists are no longer overlooked.

Guy Darrell scored one bona fide hit in his recording career - "I've Been Hurt," a No. 12 U.K. hit in 1973, despite the fact that it had been recorded and released six years earlier!  I've Been Hurt: The Complete 1960s Recordings rounds up 28 tracks originally issued on the Oriole, CBS, Piccadilly, Pye, and Page One labels between 1964 and 1969.  Guy Darrell (real name: John Swail) was in his teens when he formed Guy Darrell and the Midniters.  The band's manager, Roger Easterby, was working the press department at Oriole Records and got the group signed there; two singles were released in the popular R&B/beat style.  When Oriole was soon absorbed into CBS, the Midniters joined that major label's roster.  Adapting with the times, The Midniters became The Winds of Change, and their style became tougher and more mod-friendly.  After a single pairing Mickey Stevenson's "One of These Days" (the flipside of Marvin Gaye's "Pride and Joy") with Solomon Burke's "Stupidity," Darrell shed his backing band and went solo.  At CBS, he covered artists from the label's American cousin, Columbia Records, such as Paul Simon ("Somewhere They Can't Find Me," "Blessed") and Bob Dylan ("It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry").  The A-side of "Blessed" was a little song by Ray Whitley called "I've Been Hurt," but Darrell's version may have been undercut by a competing version by The Tams.  Though popular on pirate radio, "I've Been Hurt" couldn't rank any higher than No. 48 on the Disc and Music Echo chart.

His final CBS single came in 1967 with "Crystal Ball" (written by Brill Building legend Mort Shuman and cult singer-songwriter Scott Fagan) b/w "Didn't I" from the hitmaking team of Mitch Murray and Peter Callender.  Hoping that a change of scenery might inspire stronger airplay, Darrell moved to Pye and its Piccadilly imprint.  At Pye, he tackled Larry Weiss' "Evil Woman" and covered Sam Cooke's "Cupid," not to mention recording one of the earliest covers of an Elton John song with Elton and Bernie Taupin's ballad "Skyline Pigeon."  (Roger Cook's cover arrived around the same time.)  Darrell soon made another move, to Page One Records, and recorded another John/Taupin tune, "Turn to Me," as his inaugural single there.  Despite strong material from Joe South and Jake Holmes, Guy - now fronting a full-fledged band, The Guy Darrell Syndicate - still couldn't climb the charts.  As the 1970s emerged, The Syndicate morphed into Deep Feeling, jumping onto the prog-rock bandwagon.  Darrell was in Deep Feeling when "I've Been Hurt" became a surprise hit in 1973, and he resumed recording as Guy Darrell.  His identity crisis - prog rocker meets teenage rock-and-roller - caught up with him, though, and by the middle of the decade, he retreated to a new job as pub owner. He died in 2013 at age 68. RPM's collection features a 16-page booklet with in-depth notes by David Wells.  Simon Murphy has remastered all tracks.

Well I Ask You: The Complete 60s Recordings is the title of RPM's deluxe 2-CD, 56-song anthology from pre-Beatles teen idol Eden Kane.  Richard Graham Sarstedt was born in India in 1940 and lived there until 1954, when his family relocated to England on the outskirts of London.  Inspired by both Bill Haley's rock-and-roll and the skiffle craze, Richard formed his first group while a teenager in the late 1950s.  A talent show win led to a management contract, and in 1960, the rechristened Eden Kane released his first 45 on the Pye label: "You Make Love So Well" b/w "Hot Chocolate Crazy," penned by a pseudonymous Kane as an advertising jingle for the talent contest's sponsor, Cadbury!  After that initial Pye single, Kane moved onto Decca.  There, he experienced full-on success, beginning with the chart-topping "Well I Ask You" (written by Johnny Worth under his pen name of Les Vandyke) and continuing with top ten hits "Get Lost," "Forget Me Not," and "I Don't Know Why."  Soon, his songs were being covered in the U.S., he was appearing regularly onstage and on television, and he had his own fan club.

In 1964, he released an EP, Six Great New Swingers, placing him in a big band setting with a clutch of tunes written by theatrical songwriter Leslie Bricusse.  Though originally issued in mono, the EP was recorded in stereo; the stereo versions appear here.  By the time of the EP's release, however, Eden had already moved onto the Fontana label to jump onto the beat boom.  Some strong singles written by Les Reed and Barry Mason failed to chart, and Eden's 1964 LP It's Eden - aimed at the adult market - found him tackling classic standards and more sophisticated pop like Henry Mancini's "Charade."  Finding his footing in a rapidly changing musical environment, Kane returned to Decca for a single top-lined by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's Vogues hit "Magic Town."  He then relocated to Australia, signing with their branch of the HMV label and then with Festival.  Six Australian sides appear here on CD for the first time including a cover of Paul Anka's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore."  In 1970, Eden even tried his hand at the American market, teaming with Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, and arranger Artie Butler, for a Bell 45.  (A solo album under Eden's real name of Richard Sarstedt was subsequently recorded and released on the U.S. Evolution label, but that hasn't been included here.  Nor has the Sarstedt Brothers LP recorded with siblings Clive and Peter, and producer Tony Visconti.)

RPM's collection is rounded out by two sides from Eden Kane's 1980 return to Pye Records.  Under his real name, he went on to concentrate on a Hollywood career as a stand-in and appeared on various Star Trek programs for nearly two decades in this capacity.  RPM's anthology has a detailed 24-page booklet with comprehensive liner notes by Graham Hunter.  Simon Murphy has again remastered.

Last but not least, the El imprint tackles Sally - Pride of Our Alley: The Complete Chapter One Recordings of Gerry Monroe.  Born Henry Morris in 1933, Monroe rose to fame via the long-running television talent show, Opportunity Knocks.  Audiences took to the onetime boy soprano and current miner's three-octave range, which lent him a sound not exactly prevalent in the pop charts of the day.  One of those taken with Gerry (most likely renamed by his manager Brian Hind) was songwriter Les Reed, also the proprietor of Chapter One Records.  Reed signed the unlikely star, an up-and-comer at nearly forty years of age.  "Sally," a pre-war standard popularized by Gracie Fields, shot to No. 4 on the U.K. Singles Chart, and spent five months in the top 50.  It became the first major hit for Chapter One.

While a revival of Johnnie Ray's dramatic "Cry" stalled, Monroe returned to the top ten with his third single, his take on The Platters' doo-wop perennial "My Prayer."  His debut LP featured not just his hits but other standards ("He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Secret Love") and contemporary pop material ("Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart").  Les Reed and Barry Mason contributed the ballad "Sometimes" as a B-side to Monroe's cover of the 1936 "it's a Sin to Tell a Lie."  It's follow-up featured the first original song to grace a Monroe A-side: Peter Callender and Mitch Murray's "Little Drops of Silver."  His second, self-titled LP followed the formula of the first, collecting the hit singles along more vintage melodies and a handful of contemporary songs.

In 1972, his output was slowing down.  Sonny Clapp's 1927 "Girl of My Dreams" became his final Top 50 chart entry; Bring Back the Good Times was his final Chapter One LP.  The next year, he ended his Chapter One career with a single tribute to Manchester United football hero Bobby Charlton when he left for Preston North End ("Goodbye, Bobby Boy").  An unreleased Chapter One LP resurfaced on the Decca label as The World of Gerry Monroe, featuring songs by Jimmy Webb ("Didn't We") and Neil Sedaka ("What Becomes of My World").  This LP is included on El's package, as well.

Gerry Monroe continued to perform occasionally while serving in a day job as general manager of the Cleadon Club in South Shields, near his home.  He died in 1989 at age 56.  Les Reed has contributed his fond memories of Monroe to Groper Odson's excellent liner notes for El's collection, remastered (like the other two titles here) by Simon Murphy.

All three of Cherry Red's essential collections from these underrated U.K. pop artists are available now at the links below!

Gerry Monroe, Sally - Pride of Our Alley: The Complete Chapter One Recordings (el/Cherry Red Records, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1

1. Sally
2. You Always Hurt the One You Love
3. Cry
4. Annie Laurie
5. My Prayer
6. I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time
7. Secret Love
8. He's Got the World in His Hands
9. Bless 'Em All
10. Danny Boy
11. Runaway
12. Bridge Over Troubled Water
13. Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
14. She Taught Me How to Yodel
15. It's a Sin to Tell a Lie
16. Sometimes
17. Little Drops of Silver
18. Sharon
19. My Friend
20. Only You
21. Mama
22. Side By Side
23. Answer Me
24. Jealous Heart
25. Be My Love

Disc 2

1. Girl of My Dreams
2. When There's No You
3. How Soon
4. Bring Back the Good Times
5. You're Breaking My Heart
6. Promise Me
7. Here's to the Next Time
8. Cold Cold Heart
9. Valley of Tears
10. It's Raining Roses
11. Love Is All
12. Sweet Memories
13. We Must Forget We Ever Met
14. When the Blue of the Night
15. China Doll
16. That's What Life Is All About
17. Whispering
18. Didn't We
19. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
20. I'll Be Seeing You
21. What Becomes of My World
22. Lisa My Love
23. Goodbye, Bobby Boy
24. I've Got This Feeling

Disc 1, Tracks 1-2 from Chapter One Single CH 122, 1970
Disc 1, Tracks 3-4 from Chapter One Single CH 128, 1970
Disc 1, Tracks 5-6 from Chapter One Single CH 132, 1970
Disc 1, Tracks 7-14 from Sally - Pride of Our Alley, Chapter One LP CHS 806, 1970
Disc 1, Tracks 15-16 from Chapter One Single CH 144, 1971
Disc 1, Tracks 17-18 from Chapter One Single CH 152, 1971
Disc 1, Tracks 19-25 and Disc 2, Track 3 from Gerry Monroe, Chapter One LP CHS 809, 1971
Disc 2, Tracks 1-2 from Chapter One Single 159, 1972
Disc 2, Tracks 4-13 from Bring Back The Good Times, Chapter One LP LRS 5011, 1972
Disc 2, Tracks 14-22 from The World of Gerry Monroe, Decca LP SPA 351, 1974
Disc 2, Tracks 23-24 from Chapter One Single SCH 187, 1973

Eden Kane, Well I Ask You: The Complete 60s Recordings (RPM/Cherry Red Records, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1

1. You Make Love So Well
2. Hot Chocolate Crazy
3. Well I Ask You
4. Before I Lose My Mind
5. Get Lost
6. I'm Telling You
7. Forget Me Not
8. A New Kind of Lovin'
9. I Don't Know Why
10. Music for Strings
11. House to Let
12. I Told You
13. Sounds Funny to Me
14. Someone Wants to Know
15. Kiss Me Quick
16. My Little Sue
17. Romance
18. Something Tells Me
19. Another Spring
20. My Time of Evening
21. Ten Out of Ten
22. That's for Me
23. Tomorrow Night
24. I Won't Believe Them
25. Like I Love You
26. Come Back
27. Boys Cry
28. Don't Come Crying To Me

Disc 2

1. Rain, Rain, Go Away
2. Guess Who It Is?
3. Hangin' Around
4. Gonna Do Something About You
5. If You Want This Love
6. Have I Done Something Wrong?
7. Gonna Send You Back to Georgia
8. I Know a Man
9. Sticks and Stones
10. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
11. Shoppin' Around
12. I (Who Have Nothing)
13. On Broadway
14. I Should Care
15. Charade
16. The Last Leaf
17. Magic Town
18. The Whole World Was Crying (With the Dambeats)
19. Gotta Get Through to You
20. A Million Ants
21. My Whole World Is Tumbling Down
22. In the Day of My Youth
23. Time, Love, Hope, Life
24. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
25. Reason to Believe
26. I Played It Like a Fool
27. I Think I Died and Went to Heaven
28. Pulling Me Thru the Bad Times

Disc 1, Tracks 1-2 from Pye Single 7N 15284, 1960
Disc 1, Tracks 3-4 from Decca Single F 11353, 1961
Disc 1, Tracks 5-6 from Decca Single F 11381, 1961
Disc 1, Tracks 7-8 from Decca Single F 11418, 1962
Disc 1, Tracks 9-10 from Decca Single F 11460, 1962
Disc 1, Tracks 11-12 from Decca Single F 11504, 1962
Disc 1, Tracks 13-14 from Decca Single F 11568, 1963
Disc 1, Tracks 15-16 from Eden Kane, Ace of Clubs LP ACL 1133, 1962
Disc 1, Tracks 17-22 from Six Great New Swingers, Decca EP DFE8567, 1964
Disc 1, Tracks 23-24 from Fontana Single TF 398, 1963
Disc 1, Tracks 25-26 from Fontana Single TF 413, 1963
Disc 1, Tracks 27-28 from Fontana Single TF 438, 1964
Disc 2, Tracks 1-2 from Fontana Single TF 462, 1964
Disc 2, Tracks 3-4 from Fontana Single TF 508, 1964
Disc 2, Tracks 5-6 from Fontana Single TF 582, 1965
Disc 2, Tracks 7-16 from It's Eden, Fontana LP TL 5214, 1964
Disc 2, Tracks 17-18 from Decca Single F 12342, 1966
Disc 2, Tracks 19-20 from HMV Single EA 4840, 1967
Disc 2, Tracks 21-22 from HMV Single 4861, 1967
Disc 2, Tracks 23-24 from Festival Single FK 2442, 1968
Disc 2, Tracks 25-26 from Bell Single BLL 1102, 1970
Disc 2, Tracks 27-28 from Monarch Single MON 07, 1980

Guy Darrell, I've Been Hurt: The Complete 1960s Recordings (RPM/Cherry Red Records, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Go Home Girl - Guy Darrell & the Midniters
2. You Won't Come Home - Guy Darrell & the Midniters
3. Sorry (I Ran All the Way) - Guy Darrell & the Midniters
4. Sweet Dreams - Guy Darrell & the Midniters
5. One of These Days - Guy Darrell & Wind of Change
6. Stupidity - Guy Darrell & Wind of Change
7. Somewhere They Can't Find Me
8. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
9. I've Been Hurt
10. Blessed
11. My Way of Thinking
12. Big Louie
13. Hard Lovin'
14. I've Never Had a Love Like That
15. Crystal Ball
16. Didn't I
17. Evil Woman
18. What You Do About That
19. Cupid
20. What's Happened to Our Love
21. Skyline Pigeon
22. Everything
23. Turn to Me
24. What's Her Name
25. Birds of a Feather
26. Keep the Rain from My Door
27. How Are You? - Guy Darrell Syndicate
28. The Turtle Tortoise & the Hare - As Guy Darrell Syndicate

Tracks 1-2 from Oriole Single CG 1932, 1964
Tracks 3-4 from Oriole Single CB 1964, 1964
Tracks 5-6 from CBS Single 201806, 1965
Tracks 7-8 from CBS Single 202033, 1966
Tracks 9-10 from CBS Single 202082, 1966
Tracks 11-12 from CBS Single 202296, 1966
Tracks 13-14 from CBS Single 202510, 1967
Tracks 15-16 from CBS Single 202642, 1967
Tracks 17-18 from Piccadilly Single 7N 35406, 1967
Tracks 19-20 from Pye Single 7N 17435, 1967
Tracks 21-22 from Pye Single 7N 17586, 1968
Tracks 23-24 from Page One Single POF 120, 1969
Tracks 25-26 from Page One Single POF 141, 1969
Tracks 27-28 from Page One Single, POF 155, 1969