Their first LP was the only one of their original five albums to reach the top 100 charts (Introducing the Beau Brummels, #28, 1965). They had just one top ten hit (“Just a Little”, #8 in 1965) and two other top 40 sides (“Laugh, Laugh, #15, 1964) and “You Tell Me Why”, #38, 1965). Meanwhile, the massive success of the British bands had American groups try to appear English, and they gave themselves names like the Sir Douglass Quintet (from Texas) and the Beau Brummels (from San Francisco).Ĭritics usually consider the Beau Brummels a footnote in the history of rock. Ironically, many British groups thought that sounding more American made them seem more authentic as rock and rollers and gave themselves names such as the Nashville Teens and Billy J. These groups were strongly influenced by American music and often recorded covers of songs by US artists such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and the Isley Brothers. Acts like Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Dave Clark Five, the Who, the Rolling Stones, and the Animals had hit records and triumphant tours of the continent. They launched a British Invasion of new English artists on the Billboard charts. Allmusic writer Bruce Eder said that while Live! is a "decent" album, "it isn't remotely the revelation that one would expect or wish for - the producers might at least have been more honest by foregoing the exclamation point.The Beatles exploded on the American music scene back in 1964. In his review of the album, Rolling Stone writer Charles Bermant said, "the best material here is the spirited and melodic 'new' songs, driven by Sal Valentino's pure voice and (former bassist) Declan Mulligan's spry lead guitar." īermant also noted Elliott's incorporation of bossa nova and reggae into the band's style. He had not written songs in 18 years, and as a result of listening to these tapes and getting enthused again, we got him back into it." Hughson noted that as a result of the album, the band "reunited to perform at San Francisco’s BayPop 2000, then went on to play more dates in New York for us." He added, "Plus Ron Elliott started writing again. The label's owners-Marty DeAnda, Jeff Hughson, and Dennis Newhall-licensed the material from the band, and ensured the performances were not recorded during the time when the Beau Brummels were under contract to Warner Bros. Released August 29, 2000, Live! was the debut release by Dig Music, a music label based in Sacramento.
AUTUMN 8 BEAU BRUMMELS PROFESSIONAL
A handful of the new tracks were re-worked for and appeared on the band's 1975 eponymous studio album, as was the band's 1965 single "You Tell Me Why." Release and reception Professional ratings Review scores In addition, Ron Meagher ("Lonely People") and Declan Mulligan ("Lisa") each contributed one song. The remaining 13 songs were new compositions at the time of recording, 11 of which were written or co-written by Ron Elliott. singles: " Laugh, Laugh," " Just a Little," " You Tell Me Why," and " Don't Talk to Strangers." The album also includes renditions of "Nine Pound Hammer," a Merle Travis original which the band performed on their 1967 Triangle album, and "Turn Around," a track from the band's 1968 Bradley's Barn album. Live! includes performances of the band's four highest-charting U.S. The tapes from these shows represent the only existing concert recordings in the band's discography. Within days of the announcement, the band performed at the Shire Road Pub in Fair Oaks Village near Sacramento, California. This followed a five-year hiatus in which individual band members-vocalist Sal Valentino, guitarist Ron Elliott, rhythm guitarist Ron Meagher, bassist Declan Mulligan and drummer John Petersen-pursued solo projects, participated in recording with other artists, or both in some cases. In February 1974, Billboard magazine reported that the Beau Brummels re-formed in San Francisco.