Five Man Electrical Band - Half Past Midnight: TheStaccatos & Beyond

Once upon a time in sugartown

 Previously known as The Staccatos, after coming up with the song that gave them their name, Five Man Electrical Band decided it was too good to throw away as just a song title. Their self-titled 1969 debut subsequently made them one of the biggest pop acts of the year in their native Canada.

Signed to Capitol and based in Ottawa, FMEB modelled their sound on the melodic stylings of The Beach Boys and Beatles, even going so far as recording an almost note-perfect cover of the latter’s You’re Gonna Lose That Girl. Comprising a mix of tracks recorded between 1967 and 1969, and including their 1967 Staccatos hit Half Past Midnight, if anything their debut album sounds like a pastiche of 60s pop thanks to its over-reliance on close-harmony vocals and sugary sweet melodies.

In addition to this first ever reissue of the long out of print long-player, this release also includes a selection of nine Staccatos titles originally released as 45s on Tower and Capitol between 1966 and 1967, including the original mono mix of Half Past Midnight.

Now Sounds | CRNOW 4

Reviewed by Grahame Bent
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