by Richard Skelly » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:15 pm
Can't agree with you more, Tom.
By the way, perhaps a distant relative of yours was involved in Lydia Purple. Los Angeles percussionist Norm Jeffries worked that 1968 session. Don't know if group drummer Ross Turney also partcipated or was back in Vancouver for a family break. Either way, Howie Vickers, Bill Henderson, Claire Lawrence and Glenn Miller nailed their parts.
Lydia Purple was, unique for The Collectors, a cover version. Written by Don Dunn and Tony McCashen (who also penned Hitchcock Railway for Jose Feliciano and, later, Joe Cocker), the dreamy, madrigal-like creation was a perfect fit for The Collectors who needed an obvious single for their eponymous first album. Although Claire Lawrence is a good keyboardist, Larry Knechtel-- a future Bread mainstay--laid down the delicate harpsichord. Cellist Jesse Ehrlich rounded out the hired help assembled by producer Dave Hassinger for the session.
The Collectors themselves turned into session players during their lengthy soujourn in California. Hassinger conscripted the guys to lay down numerous instrumental tracks for the Electric Prunes who lacked the chops to finish a concept album to followup I Had Too Much To Dream.
Ever wondered what Lydia Purple looked like? Check out the cover of the band's first album. Drawn by Vancouver artist Bob Masse, it featured a small photo of the five Collectors bordered by a large depiction of a beautiful medieval maiden, her long blonde locks flowing around the band.