Charts 1 - Mandy More

Mandy More – But that is me Philips 1972

A beautiful and moving album, one we know little about. On playing it through we discovered that ‘If Not by Fire’ was familiar – featured on St Etienne’s Trip compilation. This is one of the 2 tracks which features some great electronic / moogy effects (or possibly distorted guitar) and is mighty impressive. But the album is so not a 1-tracker, it is one of those perfectly formed and complete albums. Mandy More has a great voice and the arrangements are gloriously baroque – strings, harp, layers of voices, piano – and great songs too. Highlights, if they must be picked are: ‘But That is Me’ (should have been a single – catchy uplifting song), ‘Listen Babe’ (gentle grooving number), ‘Come to me Jesus’ (lush complex orchestral, with a great twisting and swelling ending); ‘If I smiled on Saturdays’ (catchy uptempo number featuring congas and melodica, which is available on a later single). For us the best is the closing number – a fantastic cover of ‘God only Knows’ – the distorted guitar effects return and the drums give it a funky edge, with even a harmonica solo from Mandy! Produced by a certain Tony Hall, if that means anything to anyone.... Find this album if you can, you need it!

A little more about Mandy More:



Mandy More, a respected singer in musicals in the late sixties and early seventies (including Godspell with David Essex), was invited to record an album by Tony Hall, 60s radio DJ and music entrepreneur, for Philips. The resulting album was entitled ‘But that is me’ and was released in 1972.

The album is now recognised as a lost classic of baroque pop, masterly orchestrated and arranged by Nick Harrison, who worked with the Rolling Stones (Goats Head Soup), amongst other artists. The recording sessions featured some top musicans: Mike Todman (who went on to form Blue Goose), Philip Chen (who played with Graham Bond, Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart), Richard Bailey (who played with Jeff Beck, Gonzales and Bob Marley), Lennox Langton (who played with Brian Auger and Lenny White).

The album features original songs by Mandy More, and one cover of the Beach Boys’ song - ‘God Only Knows’. The best known track is ‘If not by fire’ which was recently included in the compilation ‘The Trip’ by Saint Etienne.

The album was followed by two single releases in 1973 again on Philips - ‘San Francisco Sam / Coffee Cups’ (both being non-album originals) and ‘Every Mothers Child / Blue Seasons’ single followed in 1973 (both also original non-album tracks).

Despite Radio 1 airplay from Noel Edmonds, the album made no impact on the charts and no further album followed. In 1975 a further single was released on the Fresh Air label featuring an album track and the original song ‘Rose coloured window’. There are references to a possible live performance in 1975 in Tamworth, UK.
06_God_only_knows.mp3