When they signed to CBS Records in 1966, The Tremeloes were seeking a second act.  Founded as a beat group in 1958, the Dagenham band fronted by Brian Poole scored numerous hits on the U.K. Singles Chart including covers of "Twist and Shout," "Candy Man," "I Want Candy," and "Do You Love Me," the latter of which reached No. 1.  But when Poole left the group that bore his name in 1966, his bandmates found themselves at a crossroads.  Yet they pressed onward, and a move from Decca to CBS yielded them even greater, international acclaim.  The Tremeloes' CBS years have recently been collected by Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records on a comprehensive 6-CD box set, The Complete CBS Recordings 1966-72.  The set boasts all of the band's albums, singles, alternate versions and mixes, soundtrack cuts, live material, and more.  It adds up to a journey in miniature through the various styles of pop which proliferated during this period, as The Tremeloes and their principal producer Mike Smith sought that perfect sound.

Brian Poole had left The Tremeloes over the ever-popular "creative differences," seeing himself more in the mold of a cabaret vocalist while his bandmates still thought there was room for them in a changing pop landscape.  Guitarist Rick Westwood, rhythm guitarist Alan Blakley, drummer Dave Munden, and new bassist-singer Len "Chip" Hawkes (who replaced Mick Clarke who in turn had replaced founding bassist Alan Howard) found success right out of the gate at CBS when their raucous cover of the young Cat Stevens' "Here Comes My Baby" jetted to No. 4 in Britain and earned them their first hit in America.  1964's "Someone, Someone" had resided in the lower reaches of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but "Here Comes My Baby" made it to No. 13.  Their next 45, revisiting Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe's Four Seasons flipside "Silence Is Golden" in shimmering style, did even better, reaching No. 1 in Britain and No. 11 in America.  (It featured a rare lead by Rick Westwood.)  Their third consecutive release, "Even the Bad Times are Good" from the U.K. songwriting team of Peter Callander and Mitch Murray, earned them another top 5 at home and a top 40 entry in America.

That remarkable first year of the Poole-less Tremeloes found them as the third most successful singles group in Britain in 1967 - behind The Monkees and The Supremes, but ahead of The Beatles.  Disc One of Grapefruit's box offers both the mono and (electronically rechanneled) stereo versions of 1967's "debut" LP Here Come the Tremeloes plus non-LP single sides (including the Italian ballad "Be Mine," delivered in a falsetto-led, doo-wop-inspired style with a dash of the Four Seasons) and unique versions such as the U.K. single mix of "Here Comes My Baby" and the U.S. album version of "Even the Bad Times are Good."  The album rounded up previously issued singles including "Here Comes My Baby" and a cover of the Fabs' "Good Day Sunshine" (their first single release on CBS) plus the soon-to-be-a-hit "Even the Bad Times are Good," original songs, interpretations of Chuck Berry and Motown, and an early composition ("You") from Gilbert O'Sullivan which offered a tantalizing glimpse of his growing talents.

The second disc centers on sophomore album Alan, Dave, Rick, and Chip, rushed against the wishes of the band members to a late 1967 release on the strength of "Silence Is Golden" (which was included on it).  Presented here in both mono and electronically rechanneled stereo, it followed the template of the first LP with another Gilbert O'Sullivan tune (the moody "Come on Home"), covers (The Marvelettes' "Too Many Fish in the Sea," The Capitols' "Cool Jerk"), and a couple of originals penned by Blakley and Hawkes: the Sgt. Pepper-flavored psych of "Suddenly Winter" and the offbeat, novelty-esque tribute to the Swingle Singers, "Sing Sorta Swingle."  A pre-Alan Parsons Project Eric Woolfson contributed the perky pop confection "Sunshine Games."  With its grab-bag of originals and covers and its genre-jumping from pop to soul to whimsical psychedelia and back, it again played like a collection of disparate songs rather than a unified album.  Disc Two has a couple alternative versions used for the American version of the LP, released on Epic under the rather self-explanatory title of Even the Bad Times Are Good/Silence Is Golden, as well as three previously released outtakes recorded in 1967-1968.

The Epic offices wanted more Tremeloes product, leading to the release of the spring 1968 compilation Suddenly You Love Me.  Titled after the upbeat top 10 U.K. hit - a second Italian adaptation - the LP gathered material issued there plus four new covers recorded for the U.S. market.  This quartet, included on CD 3 of the box in both its mono and stereo releases, emphasized the band's R&B influences, with songs drawn from the discographies Stax (Sam and Dave's "I Take What I Want" and "You Don't Know What I Know"), Motown (Four Tops' "Reach Out I'll Be There"), and southern soul man Joe Tex ("Show Me").  But the takes, though energetic, weren't enough to distinguish The Tremeloes.

Even with writers in the band, it was clear that CBS viewed The Tremeloes as a singles group with "filler" material for their albums.  But the hits did keep on coming, at least for a bit.  Blakely and Hawkes finally earned an A-side as the adapters of one more Italian tune, the jaunty "My Little Lady" (No. 6 U.K.).  Their version of the rhythmic "Helule Helule" (No. 14 U.K.) was based on a song by Kenyan artist Daudi Kabaka.  When the U.K. CBS label didn't rush another album, other territories created their own LPs.  My Little Lady was the title of an album released in some countries, while the U.S. dropped that song for World Explosion!  Subtitled '58-'68, it was intended to celebrate ten years of The Tremeloes and relied heavily upon covers of songs they had performed onstage in years past such as Buddy Holly's "Everyday" and "Peggy Sue."  But The Tremeloes' earnest versions of these as well as The Argyles' "Alley Oop," The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," and The Four Seasons' "Rag Doll" were a hard sell and didn't help solidify an identity for the band to the U.S. market.

That confusion was also evident in the U.K. as The Tremeloes raided Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes stash of songs for a single of "I Shall Be Released" (first heard in The Band's version on the landmark Music from Big Pink).  It did make the top 30, but the respectable take on Dylan's folk-gospel-rock mélange didn't sound like anything The Tremeloes had recorded before or after.  Their British audience didn't leave them, however.  Disc Four features their next pair of charting singles including tunesmith Tony Hazzard's amiable "Hello, World" and Blakely and Hawkes' "(Call Me) Number One" which restored the band to the top 5 for the first time since "Even the Bad Times are Good."

The U.K. album Live in Cabaret (also on this disc) was culled from two live dates and issued in fall 1969.  The expected hits were reprised on it - "Here Comes My Baby," "Silence Is Golden," "Even the Bad Times are Good," "Suddenly You Love Me" - plus recent material and covers of The Newbeats ("Run Baby Run (Back Into My Arms))," Paul Simon ("Blessed," a 1966 Decca single for them), Creedence Clearwater Revival ("Proud Mary"), Joe South ("Games People Play"), and Chip Taylor (the Merrilee Rush hit "Angel of the Morning").  The title is a bit misleading; the album is a solid affair and not terribly middle-of-the-road, made stronger by the band's refusal to allow in-studio overdubs.  It gives a taste of The Tremeloes live, faithfully replicating their studio sound (complete with sitar) and group harmony blend in front of an audience, and preserving their sometimes-politically incorrect patter.

On the singles chart, the band followed up "(Call Me) Number One" with another four chart entries, all of which were penned by the Blakely/Hawkes team.  One of these, "Me and My Life," was inspired by Roy Wood (The Move, ELO, Wizzard) with prevalent electric guitar, pounding piano, and vocal effects surrounding those familiar harmonies.  The results were sufficiently encouraging for the group to finally assert full creative control in the studio.  The album released in November 1970 (and opening Disc Five here) was simply called Master. It was solely written by Blakely and Hawkes, and from the very first notes of opening track "Wait on Me," it was clear that The Tremeloes were seeking to expand their pure pop sound.

"Wait on Me" and "Willow Tree," as well as the carried-over "Me and My Life," boasted dirty electric guitar riffs and a "heavy" production, but that style didn't inform the entire album.  Throughout, the band members didn't abandon their reliance on melody but incorporated new textures into this most personal of LPs.  "Long Road" is brass-rock but more in the vein of The Beatles' "Got to Get You into My Life" than the new sound of Chicago or Blood, Sweat and Tears.  "I Swear" and "By the Way" have an early, pop-psych Bee Gees feel, and "Now's the Time" showcases a country-rock influence with some lovely acoustic guitar.  Less effective are the guitar-centric instrumental "Boola Boola" and the Elvis Presley pastiche "Baby."  Master was a valiant if ultimately uneven effort to redefine The Tremeloes for a new decade, and it wasn't greeted with commercial success.  David Wells' comprehensive liner notes recount how the band may have engaged in self-sabotage when Alan Blakley disparaged their classic hits in an attempt to promote the "new" sound.  Disc Five of The Complete CBS Recordings is rounded out with further singles; Master proved to be their final LP for the label.

The sixth and final disc of the box brings the band's CBS Records years to a close.  The centerpiece is the complete soundtrack to director Ugo Liberatore's 1970 thriller May Morning, written by Blakely and Hawkes and recorded by The Tremeloes.  The original LP was shelved, however, and an assembly didn't surface until 2000 on the Castle Music label.  This set marks the first time that the complete soundtrack recordings - comprising both vocal numbers and instrumental cues - have been assembled together, totaling 16 tracks and sourced from a master tape dated August 1970.  The disc closes with a final group of singles and outtakes including a version of Jeff Lynne's Idle Race oldie "Please No More Sad Songs" and another Eric Woolfson co-write, "No, No, No." (Wells informs us that Lynne sold Chip Hawkes his Mellotron for £500; it's heard on the May Morning cuts.)

The presentation here is beyond reproach.  The sturdy clamshell case contains the six discs, each in an individual sleeve, with credits and discography on the back cover.  The custom labels of the CDs replicate the orange look of the original CBS U.K. releases. The 32-page full-color booklet has Wells' essay accompanied by photographs, single sleeves, clipping, sheet music covers, and more.  Oli Hemingway has remastered the majority of the tracks from original master tapes with the exception of the faux stereo LPs which have been largely sourced from clean vinyl.

The Tremeloes are still performing today with Chip Hawkes, Rick Westwood, and returning Mick Clarke (who originally left the ranks in 1967).  Audiences justifiably delight in "Here Comes My Baby," "Silence Is Golden," and "Even the Bad Times are Good," but Grapefruit's box set proves that there was much more to the band's story.  This box set paints a vivid and altogether enjoyable picture of a talented and surprisingly prolific group admirably adapting to rapidly-changing times while staying true to their melodic pop roots.  It's available now at the links below.

The Tremeloes, The Complete CBS Recordings 1966-72 (Cherry Red/Grapefruit CRSEGBOX071, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. HERE COMES MY BABY
2. RUN BABY RUN (BACK INTO MY ARMS)
3. MY TOWN
4. ROUND AND ROUND
5. WHAT A STATE I'M IN
6. LOVING YOU (IS SWEETER THAN EVER)
7. GOOD DAY SUNSHINE
8. YOU
9. LET YOUR HAIR HANG DOWN
10. SHAKE HANDS (AND COME OUT CRYING)
11. WHEN I'M WITH HER
12. EVEN THE BAND TIMES ARE GOOD
13. HERE COMES MY BABY (U.K. single version)
14. GENTLEMAN OF PLEASURE
15. JENNY'S ALRIGHT
16. BE MINE (MI SEGUIRAI)
17. HERE COMES MY BABY
18. RUN BABY RUN (BACK INTO MY ARMS)
19. MY TOWN
20. ROUND AND ROUND
21. WHAT A STATE I'M IN
22. LOVING YOU (IS SWEETER THAN EVER)
23. GOOD DAY SUNSHINE
24. YOU
25. LET YOUR HAIR HANG DOWN
26. SHAKE HANDS (AND COME OUT CRYING)
27. WHEN I'M WITH HER
28. EVEN THE BAD TIMES ARE GOOD
29. EVEN THE BAD TIMES ARE GOOD (alternative stereo version)

Tracks 1-12 from Here Come The Tremeloes, mono, CBS BPG 63017, released May 1967 (Tracks 7 and 5 first issued as a single, CBS 202242, released August 1966)
Tracks 13-14 from single, CBS 202519, released January 1967
Track 15 from single, CBS 2930, released July 1967
Track 16 from single, CBS 3043, released October 1967
Tracks 17-28 from Here Come The Tremeloes, stereo CBS SBPG 63017, released May 1967
Track 29 from the US album Even The Bad Times Are Good/Silence Is Golden, stereo, Epic BN 26326, released October 1967

CD 2

1. HAPPY SONG
2. RUNNING OUT
3. NEGOTIATIONS IN SOHO SQUARE
4. SUDDENLY WINTER
5. SUNSHINE GAMES
6. SILENCE IS GOLDEN
7. NORMAN STANLEY JONES ST. CLAIR
8. COOL JERK
9. I'M WITH YOU ALL THE WAY
10. SING SORTA SWINGLE
11. TOO MANY FISH IN THE SEA
12. COME ON HOME
13. SING SORTA SWINGLE (alternative mono version)
14. ON LOVE
15. EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS
16. NO, NO, NO (fast version)
17. HAPPY SONG
18. RUNNING OUT
19. NEGOTIATIONS IN SOHO SQUARE
20. SUDDENLY WINTER
21. SUNSHINE GAMES
22. SILENCE IS GOLDEN
23. NORMAN STANLEY JONES ST. CLAIR
24. COOL JERK
25. I'M WITH YOU ALL THE WAY
26. SING SORTA SWINGLE
27. TOO MANY FISH IN THE SEA
28. COME ON HOME
29. SING SORTA SWINGLE (alternative stereo version)

Tracks 1-12 from Alan, Dave, Rick and Chip, mono, CBS BPG 6138, released December 1967
Track 13 from the US album Even The Bad Times Are Good/Silence Is Golden, mono, Epic LN 24326,
released October 1967
Tracks 14-16 not originally issued, recorded late 1967/early 1968
Tracks 17-28 from Alan, Dave, Rick and Chip, stereo, CBS SBPG 6138, released December 1967
Track 29 from the US album Even The Bad Times Are Good/Silence Is Golden, stereo, Epic BN 26326, released October 1967

CD 3

1. SUDDENLY YOU LOVE ME
2. AS YOU ARE
3. HELULE HELULE
4. GIRL FROM NOWHERE
5. MY LITTLE LADY
6. ALL THE WORLD TO ME
7. YOU DON'T KNOW LIKE I KNOW
8. SHOW ME
9. I TAKE WHAT I WANT
10. REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE
11. PEGGY SUE
12. EVERYDAY
13. THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT
14. RAG DOLL
15. I'LL SEE YOU THERE
16. WILLIE AND THE HAND JIVE
17. HELULE HELULE
18. GIRL FROM NOWHERE
19. ALLEY OOP
20. TRAVELLING CIRCUS
21. AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A HOUSE PARTY
22. SUDDENLY YOU LOVE ME
23. YOU DON'T KNOW LIKE I KNOW
24. SHOW ME
25. BE MINE
26. I TAKE WHAT I WANT
27. REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE
28. E IN SILENZIO (SILENCE IS GOLDEN, Italian language version)

Tracks 1-2 from single, CBS 3234, released January 1968
Tracks 3-4 from single, CBS 2889, released May 1968
Tracks 5-6 from single, CBS 3680, released September 1968
Tracks 7-10 from Suddenly You Love Me, mono, US Epic LN 24363, released April 1968
Tracks 11-21 from World Explosion!, stereo, US Epic BN 26388, released July 1968
Tracks 22-27 from Suddenly You Love Me, stereo, US Epic BN 26363, released April 1968
Track 28 from single, Italian CBS 3233, released early 1968

CD 4

1. I SHALL BE RELEASED
2. I MISS MY BABY
3. I'M GONNA TRY
4. I WILL SEE YOU THERE (Single Version)
5. EN TU MUNDO
6. HELLO WORLD
7. UP, DOWN, ALL AROUND
8. ONCE ON A SUNDAY MORNING (CUANDRO SALI DE CUBA)
9. FA LA LA, LA LA, LA LE
10. SADNESS OF TOMORROW
11. (CALL ME) NUMBER ONE
12. INSTANT WHIP
13. RUN BABY RUN (BACK INTO MY ARMS)
14. SHAKE HANDS (AND COME OUT CRYING)
15. HELLO WORLD
16. MY LITTLE LADY
17. ANGEL OF THE MORNING
18. GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
19. PROUD MARY
20. BLESSED
21. HERE COMES MY BABY
22. EN TU MUNDO
23. MOUNTAIN DEW
24. FBI
25. I SHALL BE RELEASED
26. SILENCE IS GOLDEN
27. EVEN THE BAD TIMES ARE GOOD
28. SUDDENLY YOU LOVE ME
29. GOOD TIMES

Tracks 1-2 from ingle, CBS 3873, released November 1968
Track 3 from single, German CBS 3706, released October 1968
Track 4 from single, Israel CBS 3706, released July 1968
Track 5 from single, Argentina CBS 2.161, released August 1968
Tracks 6-7 from single, CBS 4065, released March 1969
Tracks 8-9 from single, CBS 4313, released June 1969
Track 10 not originally issued, recorded mid-1969
Tracks 11-12 from single, CBS 4582, release October 1969
Tracks 13-29 from Live In Cabaret, CBS 63547, issued September 1969

CD 5

1. WAIT ON ME
2. LONG ROAD
3. NOW'S THE TIME
4. TRY ME
5. BUT THEN I...
6. BEFORE I SLEEP
7. BOOLA BOOLA
8. I SWEAR
9. BABY
10. BY THE WAY
11. WILLOW TREE
12. ME AND MY LIFE
13. WAIT ON ME (Alternative Version)
14. WHAT CAN I DO
15. YELLOW RIVER (Version 1)
16. BREAKHEART MOTEL
17. RIGHT WHEEL, LEFT HAMMER, SHAM
18. TAKE IT EASY
19. HELLO BUDDY
20. MY WOMAN
21. RIGHT WHEEL, LEFT HAMMER, SHAM (2000 stereo mix)
22. YELLOW RIVER (Version 2)
23. NO COMPRENDES (YELLOW RIVER, Spanish language version)
24. JACQUELINE (HELLO WORLD, Italian language version)
25. (CALL ME) NUMBER ONE (2000 stereo mix)

Tracks 1-12 from Master, CBS S 64242, released November 1970
Track 13 mot originally issued alternative version
Track 14 not originally issued, recorded February 1970
Track 15 not originally issued, recorded April 1970
Track 16 from single, CBS 4815, released February 1970
Tracks 17-18 from single, CBS 5429, released January 1971
Tracks 19-20 single, CBS 7294, released June 1971
Track 21, 2000 stereo mix of CBS 5429
Track 22 not originally issued, recorded April 1970
Track 23 from single, Spain CBS 5110, released August 1970
Track 24 from single, Italian CBS 4194, released early 1969
Track 25, 2000 stereo mix of CBS 4582

CD 6

1. MAY MORNING
2. ALL PULL TOGETHER
3. TILL THE SUN GOES DOWN
4. TURN ON WITH THEE
5. I CAN'T EVEN BREATHE DOWN HERE
6. MAY MORNING (Reprise 1)
7. ANYTHING
8. THINK OF WHAT YOU SAID
9. BEER DUEL
10. HARD TIME
11. I'LL TAKE YOU HOME
12. BUNCH OF RAPES
13. MAY MORNING (Reprise 2)
14. I YOU KNOW (Version 1)
15. ANYTHING (Reprise 1)
16. I YOU KNOW (Version 2)
17. REMEMBER LOOKING BACK
18. NO, NO, NO
19. PLEASE NO MORE SAD SONGS
20. TOO LATE (TO BE SAVED)
21. IF YOU EVER
22. HOW CAN YOU SAY GOODBYE
23. HEAVEN KNOWS WHY
24. I LIKE IT THAT WAY
25. WAKAMAKER

Tracks 1-14 not originally issued, soundtrack for the film May Morning, recorded February 1970, master tape prepared August 1970
Tracks 15-16 not originally issued, additional recordings for May Morning, recorded February 1970
Track 17 from the EP Yo Y Mi Vida (Me and My Life), Mexico Epic EC 55054, released early 1971
Tracks 18-19 not originally issued, recorded July 1971
Tracks 20-21 from single, CBS 7579, released October 1971
Track 22 not originally issued, recorded February 1972
Track 23 not originally issued, recorded April 1972
Tracks 24-25 from single, CBS S 8048, released May 1972