A Look at...The Roulettes

To say that The Roulettes were a British Invasion group would be a bit misleading...because they didn't invade. Just like any musical era, The British Invasion...or, to be more inclusive, the British beat music scene of 1963 through 1966 or so, had its movers, its shakers, its second tier significants, its also-rans, its "they may not be big in this country, but over there, oh boy they're the rage!" groups, and, most importantly, its poor souls who got lost in the flood despite having the potential to succeed. It's under this latter category that The Roulettes were forever misfiled, for they most certainly made some of the finest British singles of the era that never approached the charts.

The Roulettes, from Northern England, weren't a bunch of friends who decided to start a band...they were each individually hired to form a backing combo for British singing legend Adam Faith. They provided the music for a few of his more rocking singles, most notably his only American hit, "It's All Right," and one album, but the group decided to try their luck as a self-standing group without Faith. For a short while, they concurrently pursued careers backing Faith and by themselves, before eventually parting ways with the singer to put all attention into their own pursuit. Unfortunately, their singles without Faith never sold nearly as well as the ones they made with him, and the career of the Roulettes was relatively short.

Nonetheless, they left behind a wonderful run of 45's from their days on Parlophone. Almost significantly, the span starts in the earliest days of the British beat scene and ends just as it was puttering out.

Russ Ballard, acclaimed songwriter, played guitar and handled most lead vocals. Bob Henrit pounded out some impressive beats on his Ludwig. Peter Thorp was a second guitarist, and 'Mod' Rogan was the bassist for most of their career, having replaced original bassist John Rogers who was killed in 1964.

One misguided 45 for Pye, "La Bamba" backed by "Hully Gully Slip and Slide," preceded their "real" body of work, which began with...

"Soon You'll Be Leaving Me"/"Tell Tale Tit"
(November 1963)

Their debut for Parlophone presented two powerful rockers. "Soon" was an uptempo drum-driven song with, like many of their songs, a shared lead vocal, emphasizing that The Roulettes were a band: a working unit, and not three musicians behind any particular fourth member. Perhaps all the time behind Adam Faith taught them to steer away from that. "Soon You'll Be Leaving Me" was the closest thing The Roulettes had to an American hit, as some American stations, anxious for anything British during the initial boom of the Invasion, added an American pressing of this single on United Artists to their playlists (WABC in New York even marked this one as a 'Hot Prospect' in Spring 1964). On the flip lay a mostly one-chord rocker akin to The Beatles' cover of The Shirelles' "Boys," right down to the screams and shouts. The song was not about female anatomy but actually about a woman who cannot keep a secret, based on an old Mother Goose rhyme.

(Note: Most Roulettes discographies list this single as having been released in September 1963, but your humble narrator here has seen an advert that specifies November 8 as a street date.)

"Bad Time"/"Can You Go"
(February 1964)

"Bad Time" has become The Roulettes' most famous song, but more because of its inclusion on beat compilations than because of chart success. This time it was a solo lead vocal (from Russ), but with backing vocals being equally important. Slower than the previous release (but no less powerful), the song was a great soulful/Mod number that sounded like The Who covering The Beatles' "All I Got To Do." On the other side, the breezy and fun "Can You Go" was their fastest recording thus far, and sounded like The Dave Clark Five trying to play "All My Loving."

"I'll Remember Tonight"/"You Don't Love Me"
(June 1964)

For their third Parlophone platter, perhaps to try to leer in some buyers who unforgivingly passed on their earlier releases, The Roulettes brought the power down slightly and added a little more melody (though this hardly stopped Henrit from sneaking in some slick fills where he could), resulting in a great beat ballad with a pensive melody, particularly on the bridge. But "You Don't Love Me" returned them to straight ahead rock and roll and Northern Soul.

"Stubborn Kind Of Fellow"/"Mebody"
(January 1965)

Continuing with their R & B infatuation, The Roulettes chose a Marvin Gaye favorite for their next offering (their first not written by songwriter Chris Andrews). Naturally, it didn't surpass the Motown original, but it reminded the fans where the band's interests lay. Perhaps Marvin Gaye's music, specifically "Can I Get A Witness," also inspired the danceable flipside, written by Russ and Bob.

"I Hope He Breaks Your Heart"/"Find Out The Truth"
(June 1965)

For a band who had worn influences like James Brown and Marvin Gaye so proudly, The Roulettes did the unexpected by selecting for their next 45 something from the pen of Neil Sedaka. One must assume this was another conscious effort to score a hit single, even if it meant temporarily putting their true colors on the shelf. Still, they did a nice job on this ballad, sounding not too unlike The Zombies on songs like "Tell Her No." Guitars were pushed to the background, save for a quick interlude. Like with their previous "soft" single, The Roulettes bottled up their energy and released it on the flip. For "Find Out The Truth," written by Pete and Mod, they let a piano player do the driving down an upbeat road down a country-rock path.

"The Long Cigarette"/"Junk"
(October 1965)

The topside of The Roulettes' last 1965 single was arguably their very best ballad ever. This impressive pensive six-eight number had a great melody, bright reverberated acoustic guitars, brilliant drumming and a wonderful build from verse to chorus under impassioned vocals from Russ about a man waiting and waiting at a cafe for his date to arrive. "Junk" was a very danceable Mod instrumental that showcased some electric piano.

Around the same time of this single was the group's only album, Stake And Chips. Sales were dismal, and increased interest in the group in subsequent years has made original copies very desired and very expensive collectors items, even showing up on several "Rarest Albums Of All Time" lists.

"The Tracks Of My Tears"/"Jackpot"
(February 1966)

For the second time in their career, The Roulettes picked a prize from Detroit's most famous label for an A-side. As could be expected, they hardly outdid Smokey's original, but still managed to put forth an earnest albeit somewhat rushed reading. But despite The Roulettes showing their soulful credibility on previous releases, here there are few signs of such.

The flipside sounded very much like "Junk" from the previous 45, as if it was recorded at the same session. This too was a danceable bit of Modness highlighted by electric piano.

"I Can't Stop"/"Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow"
(May 1966)

For their final single for the label, The Roulettes made a valiant attempt to finally land a pop hit. While "I Can't Stop" is certainly delightful listening, it hints of a group aiming to be as commercial as possible. Sounding more suited for Herman's Hermits, or maybe Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, and with some Beatle-ish backing vocals here and there, the song's bubblegum feel is a million miles from the sound of their earlier singles. The 12 string guitar interlude was a nice touch. The corny double-time ending was not. The instrumental "Yesterday Today and Tomorrow" sounded again like something from the same session as "Junk" and "Jackpot," as if The Roulettes had one day held a special session just to record instrumentals to stockpile for future B-sides.

From Parlophone, The Roulettes moved over to Fontana, releasing two pop singles in 1967, first "Rhyme Boy Rhyme," and then "Help Me To Help Myself," and then the group folded, Henrit and Ballard then joining Unit Four Plus Two (whose earlier records had always featured The Roulettes on backing anyway), later leaving that behind to team up with bassist Jim Rodford and ex-Zombie Rod Argent for a new band named after the last mentioned member. Henrit has been the drummer for The Kinks since the mid 1980's (he having followed Argent bassist Jim Rodford in there).

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