Randy & The Radiants - Memphis Beat: The Sun Recordings 1964-1966

Not quite enough to shine with their own ideas

Apparently Memphis’ most popular combo in the mid-60s, Randy and his young chums cheerfully aped all the key market leaders. This set opens with My Way Of Thinking, which owes not a little to The Kinks, before diving into the first of many songs from group member Bob Simon, who appears to have been able to adapt many of the UK groups’ styles to fit the band.

60s beat fans will enjoy the obvious echoes from many well-known heroes, but will struggle to find a lot here with any real original punch. Carl Perkins’ Bobbin’ The Blues is given a lively workout, and they try Lucille with a smattering of Sam The Sham, but it’s with the original songs that this comes closest to being interesting. The trouble is that the majority of the tracks sound more like hasty demos, rather than the polished sounds that the US was producing by 1965 onwards. With an experienced producer, many of Simon’s songs, including the Critters-like A Love Of the Past and, indeed, the group harmonies, could have sounded much stronger. Nearly very good, and still of strong interest to 60s collectors.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Big Beat | CDWIKD 267

Reviewed by Kingsley Abbott
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