Georgie Fame: Get Away (1966)

"One of the finest British R&B albums of the mid-'60s", according to the AMG. Who am i to argue?

Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames funktioned as the house band of the now legendary Flamingo club in London from about 1963 to 1966, were they served an audience of mainly American GIs mixed with a handful of brave British boys. In a time when you rarely heard American soul hits on British radio (or any other European radio), Fame covered material from Stax, Atlantic etc. According to Fame, the first time he heard "Green Onions" was in fact not on the radio but when a GI brought the 7inch to the Flamingo. An experience that immediately triggered him to change from piano to organ.

What makes these cover versions vital even today - and in that they are similar to the Stones' early recordings of blues songs - is the enthusiasm and adoration the group has for it's source material. This exuberance is combined with a tightness and professionalism developed in many long nights at the Flamingo, which becomes especially clear on the album's b-side.

The a-side mainly gathers the hits -  i love Fame's version of "Sitting in the Park" - until a wild and driving version of "See Saw" announces what to expect of the album's second half. As soon as the needle drops on "Music Talk" and you hear the often-sampled opening drum-break, you know this is gonna be a party. There's not a dull moment following with the jubilating "Whole World Shakin' ", the jazzy "El Bandido", the irresistible "World Is Round" and raving covers of "The In Crowd" and "Last Night".


This is the American issue of what appeared on the British market as the group's third album, called "Sweet Things". Only "My Girl" and "Dr. Kitch" were replaced by "Get Away", Fame's big hit of the time, and "El Bandido".

To perfect the blast from the past, my copy is in proper and glorious monaural...


P.S.: ...and yes, John "Mitch" Mitchell on drums is THAT Mitch Mitchell.


Georgie Fame: Get Away
Imperial LP-9331, US, 1966

A1 Get Away 2:32
A2 Sweet Thing 2:30
A3 Ride Your Pony 2:38
A4 Funny How Time Slips Away 3:10
A5 Sitting In The Park 3:25
A6 See Saw 2:44

B1 Music Talk 3:19
B2 Last Night 5:06
B3 It's Got The Whole World Shakin' 3:10
B4 El Bandido 3:08
B5 The World Is Round 2:38
B6 The "In" Crowd 2:55

Personnel:
Georgie Fame (Hammond organ, vocal)
Colin Green (guitar)
Glen Hughes (baritone sax)
Peter Coe (alto sax)
Eddie "Tan Tan" Thorton (trumpet)
Cliff Barton (bass)
John "Mitch" Mitchell (drums)
Speedy Acquaye ("African" percussion)