Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
(Self-Titled)

(Fontana 1966/Repertoire 2003)

Though they were never able to break through the US market, the London-based Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich were one of the most popular and successful bands in the UK during the mid-to-late 60s. Between 1965 and '69, the group scored an impressive twelve songs in the UK Top 30, seven of which made the Top Ten, while in the US, their biggest success was the single "Zabadak", which inched its way to a modest #52 when released on Imperial Records in 1968. The band had already been playing together for a few years when they decided to go professional in 1964, the great year of the British Invasion. At this point, they had the good fortune of meeting songwriting team Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, writers of The Honeycombs' 1964 hit "Have I the Right", a song which made the Top Five on both sides of the Atlantic and briefly catapulted the hitherto-unknown Honeycombs to prominence alongside the biggest of the British invaders. Howard and Blaikley were skilled at crafting rhythmic, catchy rock songs, and their compositions largely formed the foundation for DDDBM&T's success over the years.

At their best, DDDBM&T were able to merge the aggressive, uncompromising rock of The Pretty Things with the catchy pop of groups like Herman's Hermits or the Dave Clark Five. There's no better example of this synthesis than "Hold Tight," their first bon a fide smash single, from 1965. With its driving beat, forceful fuzztone guitar, and rhythmic vocal delivery, "Hold Tight" is arresting and instantly appealing. And unsurprisingly, it makes for one of the high points on this, their debut album. The album's opening tune, "DDD-BMT", is a Sgt. Pepper-esque band introduction that mocks the group's admittedly cumbersome name, which, as others have pointed out, sounds more like a roll call of Snow White's dwarves than the name of a rock band. Other standouts from the album include the pleasant "We've Got a Good Thing Goin'", the catchy "Frustration", and the bass-driven "Hard to Love You".

Actually, the prominent bass guitar work is a rather unique aspect of DDDBM&T's music, as most mid-60s pop tends to keep the bass in the background, as a mere complement to the other instruments. Though this album has a few very good tunes, it does have its share of filler, too. A few ballads, like "After Tonight", are pleasant enough, but the Western-flavored "Nose for Trouble" is overlong and pretty tiresome. The proportion of killer to filler, however, is helped somewhat by the twelve bonus tracks added on this recent CD reissue from the German Repertoire label. Essentially doubling the original album, the bonus tracks are culled primarily from concurrent singles, and include some of the best songs on the CD. "You Make It Move" is another fuzz-propelled rocker, as is the excellent "Hideaway". Both songs were hits for the group, as was "Bend It", a typically catchy dance song with an untypical Eastern feel provided by a balalaika. In addition to the original UK version of "Bend It", this CD features a US version with appreciably revised lyrics, which was perhaps recorded in light of a mild controversy regarding the obscurely sexual subject matter of the original song. Another interesting bonus track is the original EP version of "Loos of England", Howard and Blaikley's clever salute to, yes, British restrooms.

Other tunes, like "I Can't Stop" (which also was released by The Honeycombs) and "She's So Good", are fine, uncomplicated pop songs. Repertoire has released reissues of all the band's albums with bonus tracks, featuring sound quality that is noticeably improved over that of the*Boxed* box set from a few years ago. Although certainly not all the material on this CD is outstanding, there are a handful of real killers, and this release probably captures the band at its best, earliest period.

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