In the Dark

At the end of a long week I’m now waiting for the oven to heat up for my dinner (salmon) and while it’s doing that I thought I’d share an old record or two by a popular beat combo of days gone by.

Have I The Right? was a big hit in 1964 for The Honeycombs. The video is redolent of the 1960s – the music, the photography, the clothes are very much of that period – the one exception being the drummer, Honey Lantree, who was one of the first female drummers in a hit band; she passed away five years ago. She was the sister of the bass player John Lantree. who is on the left in the above picture.

The band was produced by pioneering sound engineer Joe Meek (who I’ve blogged about before). Joe Meek like to have a strong blend of low frequencies in the mix, but Honey Lantree tended to use bass drum rather sparingly, hence Joe Meek’s suggestion that the band should stamp their feet during the “Come Right Back” bit of the chorus. Anyway, it’s what kinds nowadays call “a banger”…

The Honeycombs are generally regarded as a one-hit wonder, which is one hit more than most bands manage, but is a shame because their first album Here Are The Honeycombs has some great music on it. Take this, for example, their third follow-up single Eyes:

This record has an an interesting melody,  hypnotic atmosphere all of its own and some great work on the drums by Honey Lantree. I think it’s great, actually, but it wasn’t a commercial success largely because it didn’t get played on the BBC at the time. Why not? Well, look at the lyrics:

Eyes, I’ve seen in some crowded places
Staring from lonely faces
Wanting someone to want them too

Eyes that night after night are trying
to keep themselves from crying
making believe their dreams are true

But eyes of, someone who’s in love
Who would ever have thought that I’d find them there

Eyes that watch as we drew together
wondering if we could ever
find all the love they’ve never known

Eyes that now we have left behind us
In places you never find us
where people go cause they’re alone

Now I gaze in the eyes of the one I love
Now no longer alone and afraid and sad…

Although it’s not explicit, the song is about a guy getting off with another guy in a crowded gay bar while the other customers look on. The BBC wouldn’t touch that sort of thing back in 1964!