A compendiously thorough John’s Children compilation? About bloody time. In fact – ghastly smirk – It’s Been A Long Time. If you didn’t already recognize that as the title of the atypically baroque and ruminative Andy Ellison solo single that glinted deep within the Mulberry Bush soundtrack in 1968, A Strange Affair will set you right. Collated herein is most everything John’s Children recorded in their tumultuous, episodic half-life: the copious addenda consists of alternate mixes, solo recordings by vocalist Ellison (including that aforementioned gemstone) and some floppy, formative, mid-60s gaucherie from The Silence, John’s Children in all but name.
With their spotty discography, lazy penchant for blatantly pilfering other people’s material and a damaging reputation as barely competent, sensationalist, controversy-courting chancers, the band have rarely been taken seriously for anything other than briefly providing a home for the fledgling Marc Bolan and his tranche of inimitable songs. Round here, though, we love them for gamely ticking so many cool boxes en route to oblivion: swaggering, pop-art freakbeat (Jagged Time Lapse, Desdemonacheapskate, have-a-go pop-psych (Remember Thomas A Becket, Smashed! Blocked!) and delinquent, hod-carrying proto-glam (Just What You Want – Just What You’ll Get, Not The Sort Of Girl You Take To Bed). Let Me Know even prefigures Should I Stay Or Should I Go.
by Oregano Rathbone, 22 January 2014.
Tracks
Disc 1
1. The Love I Thought I'd Found (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:01
2. Strange Affair (Andy Ellison, Simon Napier-Bell) - 2:06
3. Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison, Geoff McClelland) - 3:01
4. But She's Mine (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison) - 1:59
5. Desdemona (Marc Bolan) - 2:24
6. Remember Thomas A Becket (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:20
7. Midsummer Night's Scene (Marc Bolan) - 2:35
8. Sara, Crazy Child (Marc Bolan) - 2:04
9. Come And Play With Me In The Garden (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:17
10.Go-Go Girl (Marc Bolan) - 2:09
11.Jagged Time Lapse (John Hewlett, Geoff McClelland) - 2:47
12.Arthur Green (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 3:42
13.It's Been A Long Time (Andy Ellison, Chris Townson, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:21
14.Fool From Upper Eden (George Alexander) - 2:54
15.Another Lucky Lie (Andy Ellison) - 1:57
16.You Can't Do That (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:48
17.Cornflake Zoo (Marc Bolan, Andy Ellison) - 2:03
18.Help! (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:49
19.Casbah Candy (Marc Bolan, Andy Ellison) - 2:02
20.Hippy Gumbo (Marc Bolan) - 2:08
21.Down Down (Andy Ellison) - 3:00
22.Cold On Me (Andy Ellison, John Hewlett) - 3:04
23.Forgive Me If I'm Wrong (Andy Ellison, Chris Dawsett) - 4:06
24.Mustang Ford (Marc Bolan) - 2:24
25.Not The Sort Of Girl You Take To Bed (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:27
26.Sally Was An Angel (Marc Bolan) - 3:11
Tracks 12-20 as Andy Ellison
Tracks 21-23 as The Silence
Disc 2
1. Killer Ben (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:29
2. Jagged Time Lapse (John Hewlett, Geoff McClelland) - 3:12
3. Smashed! Blocked! (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:19
4. You're A Nothing (Chris Townson, Geoff McClelland, John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 3:33
5. Not The Sort Of Girl (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:07
6. Cold On Me (Andy Ellison, John Hewlett) - 2:50
7. Leave Me Alone (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 3:11
8. Let Me Know (Andy Ellison) - 3:25
9. Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison, Geoff McClelland) - 3:32
10.Why Do You Lie (John Hewlett, Chris Townson) - 5:06
11.Strange Affair (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 2:02
12.But She's Mine (John Hewlett, Chris Townson, Andy Ellison) - 2:00
13.The Love I Thought I'd Found (John Hewlett, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:09
14.Desdemona (Marc Bolan) - 2:24
15.Remember Thomas A Becket (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:36
16.Midsummer Night's Scene (Marc Bolan) - 2:37
17.Sara, Crazy Child (Marc Bolan) - 2:28
18.Jagged Time Lapse (John Hewlett, Geoff McClelland) - 2:48
19.It's Been A Long Time (Andy Child, Jon Child, Simon Napier-Bell) - 3:10
20.You Can't Do That (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:59
21.Hippy Gumbo (Marc Bolan) - 2:36
22.Not The Sort Of Girl You Take To Bed (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:41
23.Sally Was An Angel (Marc Bolan) - 3:11
24.Come And Play With Me In The Garden (John Hewlett, Andy Ellison) - 2:10
25.The Perfumed Garden Of Gulliver Smith (Marc Bolan) - 2:41
26.Midsummer Night's Scene (Marc Bolan) - 2:37
Tracks 19-20 as Andy Ellison
Tracks 1-10 Orgasm LP 1970
Bonus Tracks 11-26
John's Children
*Andy Ellison - Vocals
*Chris Townson - Drums, Guitar
*Chris Colville - Drums
*John Hewlett - Bass
*Geoff McClelland - Guitar (1964-67)
*Marc Bolan - Guitar, Vocals (1967)
*Chris Dawsett - Keyboards (The Silence)
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