Cherry Red's series of Joe Meek's Tea Chest Tapes has been rolling along prolifically in 2024. Do the Strum! collected, on 3 CDs, many of the late Meek's productions for girl groups and female artists including Billie Davis, Glenda Collins, The Honeycombs, and many more.  The Cryin' Shames' Please Stay, a 2-CD set, chronicled Meek's work with the Liverpool group that scored a U.K. hit with a cover of Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard's Drifters oldie "Don't Go (Please Stay)."  Now, the comprehensive, collector-oriented series has returned with a 3-CD volume dedicated to John Leyton, whose chart-topping 1961 "death disc" entitled "Johnny Remember Me" was banned by the BBC.  Lone Rider: The Holloway Road Sessions 1960-1962 comprises Leyton's singles, the Two Sides of John Leyton LP, and various demos, alternate versions, and rarities.

Born in the seaside town of Frinton-on-Sea in 1936, John Leyton completed his national service with the Royal Army Service Corps and studied drama.  He broke through as an actor in the 1960 television adaptation of the Biggles series of adventure novels, and his manager, Robert Stigwood - later a chief force behind the likes of Jesus Christ Superstar and Saturday Night Fever - encouraged him to audition for producer Joe Meek.  His first single, which opens this collection, was a cover of Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh's tale of teenaged tragedy.  "Tell Laura I Love Her" was a hit in the U.S. for Ray Peterson, but any momentum Leyton's version might have had in the U.K. was stalled by fellow British singer Ricky Valance's cover, which reached No. 1 and left Leyton's in the dust.  (One of the fun bits of memorabilia in the booklet is a photo of the sheet music for the song which pictured Peterson, Valance, and Leyton.)  But Meek was sufficiently impressed as to continue working with Leyton, keeping him very much in the teenage bag with such songs as his own "Terry Brown's in Love with Mary Dee," a "Tell Laura" soundalike with a twist: it had a happy ending.

It was a true, tragic "death disc" that would bring the young singer his biggest success, though.  Geoffrey Goddard's "Johnny Remember Me" is heard, true to Tea Chest Tapes form, in various forms here: a master with the original (and slightly tamer) lyrics intact, an instrumental, and a couple of rehearsal takes - virtually every version except the one that went to No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart.  It premiered on the television show Harpers West One on which Leyton guest-starred, and was quickly released to stores with that lyrical edit changing "She died a year ago" to "[she was] lost a year ago."  With Charles Blackwell's arrangement, Lissa Grey's haunting background vocals, and a typically inventive Meek production with the reverb lathered on, "Johnny Remember Me" captured the public's imagination.  So did the eerily evocative Goddard-penned follow-up "Wild Wind" which reached No. 2.  The composer's demo and session takes illuminate the making of this recording, as well.

John Leyton remained a mainstay on the singles chart into 1964, continuing to work with Meek for all but his last few sides.  His debut LP, The Two Sides of John Leyton, was one of only six full-length albums produced by Meek at his 304 Holloway Road studio.  It's presented on this collection for the first time in stereo.  The track listing was split between beat numbers (Side One) and ballads (Side Two), with original songs authored by Meek, Goddard, Blackwell, and others.  Covers included "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" and "I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons)" as well as Charlie Gracie's "Fabulous."  Despite the artist's popularity, this strong LP failed to chart.  It's presented here with various alternate takes, rehearsals, and raw tracks (sans overdubs) appended.

Lone Rider offers a snapshot of the British pop scene at the time with its various pop, R&B, and rock-and-roll threads all coming together in John Leyton's recordings, as cleverly and innovatively produced by Joe Meek.  A handful of the tracks here were not recorded at Holloway Road, which lends them a different sound; "Lonely City" was produced at Abbey Road for the motion picture It's Trad, Dad! (in which Leyton appeared) and has that studio's more burnished, cleaner sonics.

In 1964, Leyton headlined a tour with a young group called The Rolling Stones as his support act.  When enthusiasm for the openers reportedly exceeded that for the headliner, he saw the writing on the wall.  Though he continued to act in such films as Von Ryan's Express and The Great Escape, his recording activities became sporadic.  He attempted a "comeback" with a self-titled 1973 album, and until recently, often appeared on nostalgia tours celebrating his '60s hits.  Craig Newton shares his complete story, and insight into the many recordings here, in his detailed liner notes which are found in the 20-page booklet handsomely designed by Paul Bevoir.  Each disc is housed in an individual sleeve within the clamshell case, and Alan Wilson has remastered all audio from the original tapes.  A number of tracks which have previously appeared on bootlegs have never sounded as clear and pristine as on this collection.

Lone Rider: The Holloway Road Sessions 1960-1962 makes for another fascinating and invaluable entry in the Tea Chest Tapes series.  It's available now at the links below.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

John Leyton, Lone Rider: The Holloway Road Sessions 1960-1962 (Cherry Red/Tea Chest Tapes TCT3CD13, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: THE SINGLES

1. Tell Laura I Love Her (Stereo Master)*
2. Goodbye to Teenage Love (Stereo Master)*
3. The Girl on the Floor Above (HMV single POP 798, 1960)
4. Terry Brown's in Love with Mary Dee (HMV single POP 798, 1960)
5. Johnny Remember Me (Original Lyrics Version)*
6. There Must Be (Top Rank single JAR 577, 1961)
7. Wild Wind (Top Rank single JAR 585, 1961)
8. You Took My Love for Granted (Top Rank single JAR 585, 1961)
9. Son This Is She (HMV single POP 956, 1961)
10. Six White Horses (HMV single POP 956, 1961)
11. Lone Rider (HMV single POP 992, 1962)
12. Heart Of Stone (HMV single POP 992, 1962)
13. Lonely City (HMV single POP 1014, 1962)
14. It Would Be Easy (Stereo)*
15. Down The River Nile (Alternative Version)
16. Tell Laura I Love Her (Rehearsal (Stereo))*
17. The Girl on the Floor Above (Unprocessed (Stereo))*
18. Terry Brown's in Love with Mary Dee (Vocal Take 2 (Stereo))*
19. Johnny Remember Me (Rehearsal Take 2 (Stereo))* 20 There Must Be (Take 1 (Stereo))*
20. Wild Wind (Session Version (Stereo))*
21. You Took My Love For Granted (Session Version (Stereo))*
22. Son This Is She (Overdubs Take 1 (Stereo))*
23. Son This Is She (Overdubs Only (Take 3))*
24. Six White Horses (Stereo Master)*
25. Lone Rider (Stereo Master)*
26. Lone Rider (Vocal Rehearsal)*
27. Heart of Stone (Stereo Master)*
28. Heart of Stone (Vocal Take 3/ No Overdubs)*
29. Lonely City (Take 1 (Stereo))*
30. It Would Be Easy (Tracking Take 3 (Stereo))*
31. Down The River Nile (Vocal Take 5)*

CD 2

The Two Sides of John Leyton (Stereo)

1. Voodoo Woman (Stereo)*
2. Can't You Hear the Beat (Stereo)*
3. Fabulous (Stereo)*
4. Thunder And Lightning (Stereo)*
5. Oh Lover (Stereo)*
6. I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine (Stereo)*
7. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons (Stereo)*
8. That's A Woman (Stereo)*
9. Walk With Me My Angel (Stereo)*
10. That's How to Make Love (Stereo)*
11. The Magic of True Love (Stereo)*
12. It's Goodbye Then (Stereo)*

The Two Sides of John Leyton (Mono) (HMV LP CLP-1497, 1961)

13. Voodoo Woman
14. Can't You Hear the Beat
15. Fabulous
16. Thunder And Lightning
17. Oh Lover
18. I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine
19. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
20. That's A Woman
21. Walk With Me My Angel
22. That's How to Make Love
23. The Magic of True Love
24. It's Goodbye Then

Bonus Tracks

25. Voodoo Woman (Alternate Vocal/No Overdubs)*
26. Can't You Hear The Beat (No Overdubs (Stereo))*
27. Fabulous (No Overdubs (Stereo))*
28. Thunder And Lightning (Overdubs Only)*
29. Oh Lover (Alternate Vocal/No Overdubs*
30. Walk With Me My Angel (Backing + Vocal Take 1(Stereo))* 31 That's How To Make Love (No Overdubs (Stereo))*
31. It's Goodbye Then (Alternate Vocal/No Overdubs)*

CD 3: DEMOS, VERSIONS AND UNRELEASED

1. Johnny Remember Me (Piano Rehearsal)*
2. There Must Be (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
3. Wild Wind (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
4. Son This Is She (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
5. Lone Rider (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
6. Voodoo Woman (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
7. Can't You Hear The Beat (Joe Meek Demo)*
8. Fabulous (Piano Demo)*
9. Oh Lover (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
10. Walk With Me My Angel (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
11. It's Goodbye then (Geoff Goddard Demo)*
12. Heart And Soul (Piano Rehearsal Take 5)*
13. The Girl On The Floor Above (Italian Version)*
14. Terry Brown's In Love With Mary Dee (Italian Version)*
15. Johnny Remember Me (Instrumental)*
16. John, C'Est L'Amour (Overdubs Take 2 (Stereo))*
17. Wann Bist Du Bei Mir? (Overdubs Take 2 (Stereo))*
18. There Must Be (Early Version)*
19. Lone Rider (Instrumental)*
20. Three Cute Chicks*
21. How Will It End*
22. Heart And Soul*
23. Now And Always (Vocal Take 2)*
24. I'm Thankful (No Overdubs (Stereo))*
25. Who Wants Johnny (Overdubs Take 14)*
26. Held For Questioning (Vocal Take 2)*
27. Johnny My Johnny (No Overdubs (Stereo))*
28. Aladdin's Lamp*
29. A Girl To Love*
30. Three Cute Chicks (Alternate Version)*
31. Heart And Soul (Take 6 + Vocal Rehearsal)*
32. Who Wants Johnny (Vocal Take 3/ No Overdubs)*
33. Johnny My Johnny (Alternate Version (Stereo))*
34. Aladdin's Lamp (Backing Take 1 (Stereo))*

(*) previously unreleased track