THE FIVE AMERICANS - PROGRESSIONS 1967 re.2006.
Every region probably could claim one. Dallas’, via southeastern Oklahoma, the Five Americans could be thought of as a real life Wonders, not in being “one hit wonders” but in the wake of the Beatles being scooped up by a regional record man looking for some of that action.
They actually had four tunes that made it into the Top 40, the others being the marching Garage-Rocker with roughhewn vocals I See The Light and the attempt to recapture the W.U. magic Zip Code, which has its own catchy charm and much smoother, mellifluous vocals.
The recordings here cover a period from 1965 to 1969 and were produced by Dale Hawkins, of Susie-Q fame, for the Abnak organisation, mostly done in Texas. But the earliest number, the heavily, early Beatles influenced Show Me was recorded in Nashville and released via the ABC-Paramount label.
By the first of what would be off and on sessions starting in the last quarter of ‘66 and continuing into the Spring of ‘67 for what would mostly make up the second album, Western Union/Sound Of Love, the band’s sound had become much cleaner and purer, particularly their vocal harmonies, i.e. the title tracks and the lovely, once again Beatlesque, cantering rocker If I Could.
As they went on things got prettier. From the Fall of ‘67 is the beautifully wistful, Folk-Rock influenced Stop Light (with, funnily enough, verses with a passing melodic similarity to Leaving On A Jet not to be heard for two more years), and the orchestrated Pop — and now ‘67-period Beatles influenced — of 7:30 Guided Tour.
From Popdiggers.com
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