Try for the Sun

才人、カート・ベッチャーを中心とし、ソフトロックというジャンルを越えて60年代の録音芸術の完成形とも目される名作『ビギン』を残したグループ、ミレニウム。そのカート・ベッチャーとサンディ・サルスベリーの手によるボールルーム、またはミレニウムの音源になるはずだった、50年以上もの間眠っていたデモ音源たちがSUNDAZEDよりCD / LPリリース。

1966年の夏、サンセット・ストリップにやってきたサンディ・サルスベリーが当時、ザ・アソシエイションのファースト・アルバムを手掛けていた新進気鋭のプロデューサー、カート・ベッチャーと友人のパーティーを介して知り合い結成されたザ・ボールルーム。後にミレニウムとしても名盤を残す、2人による50年以上も手付かずだった貴重なデモ音源の数々。ベッチャーによる天使の様なヴォーカルとサルスベリーの生み出すキャッチーで甘いメロディーが際立った、西海岸サンシャイン・ポップの夢の様なショーケースとなっています。ミレニウム・ファンをはじめ、全ソフトロック・ファン大集合の逸品!

サンディ・サルスベリーによるインタヴューを収録したライナーノーツ付属

If a fan of the sunshine pop scene in the U.S. during the 1960s were to pull back the curtains of some of the more innovative, interesting, and odd records, they were likely to find the impish hand of one Curt Boettcher helming the controls. The Associations "Along Comes Mary," Sagittarius "My World Fell Down," and the Millenniums Begin album are the best examples of his genius blends of high vocal harmonies, Baroque melodies, and intricately played post-Pet Sounds orchestration. During this era, he worked with a core group of musicians, and none of them were more talented than Sandy Salisbury. His pure-as-a-Hawaiian-beach singing was a key part of the Boettcher sound, and not only was he a member of the Millennium, but the producer used him on a variety of sessions for artists like Tommy Roe and Paul Revere & the Raiders. Salisbury was also a strong and prolific songwriter, and the duo worked on writing and demoing tracks at a furious pace for a few years in the late 60s. Almost none of the songs were released, partially due to Salisburys 1968 album Sandy being canceled by a failing label, but also because Boettcher conspired to hold them back in case he wanted to use them for future projects. Those projects didnt happen, and Salisbury quit the music business thinking that his songs werent good enough. Decades later, spurred on by revived interest in both sunshine pop and Boettcher, the Sandy album was finally released and numerous collections of demos and unreleased tunes hit the market, proving that his songs were actually just fine. Its been a few years since a collection like this has been released; Sundazed dug into the vault once more and extracted a small chunk of work the two had done in their short time together. Try for the Sun collects a batch of finished songs, acoustic demos, and unreleased tracks that run the gamut from frothy novelty numbers, introspective ballads, and gushing love songs to weird psychedelic interludes. The instrumentation is minimal on most of them, putting the focus on the otherworldly vocals. Both Boettcher and Salisbury possess high and clear voices that sound untouched by care or wear. When they sing in harmony, its a sound that no other act of the time, or since, has quite managed to capture. Their singing gives silly little pop songs like "The Sun Is Shining Now" or "Oops" an extra dimension of oddness, makes simple, tough garage rockers ("Spell on Me") go down like honey, helps paper over the sometimes less than profound lyrics, and generally makes them sound like the featured performers at a coffeehouse located somewhere on one of the rings of Saturn. Even when the songs are uncomplicated ditties, like the title track or the happily sappy "She Brought Love to My Life," their voices make it weird and wonderful, like an elfin version of the Everly Brothers. Most of the set sticks to this kind of template, but there is one song where the music is as left-field as their vocals, namely a completely goofy take on "Baby Please Dont Go" that substitutes electronic noises and drones for anything remotely bluesy. Its so different from the rest of the album that it makes one wonder whether there are any more treasures like this in the vault waiting to be discovered. Apart from that, what Sundazed did dig up and shine some light on here is fascinating, and a worthwhile addition to the flood of Boettcher and Salisbury archival releases of the past that have sought to give them the credit they deserve as crafters of sublime sunshine pop. ~ Tim Sendra