Customer Reviews

Choir Practice

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I've discovered The Choir through the Nuggets box set, which was featuring their only local hit "It's cold outside", a great little, innocent pop song. This CD features this hit and a collection of rarities (not always in hi-fi sound) by the band, whose line-up changed a lot during 1965 and 1970 (not a single band member in common between these two dates). For me the best time was 1966-1967, when the band featured Wally Bryson as lead guitarist and main composer. And the first song on this CD, "I'd Rather You Leave Me", only released before on a posthumous and out-of print EP, is the PERFECT 60'S POP SONG. An untold masterpiece. A Byrds-like intro on 12-strings guitar, a beautiful and innocent melody, high-register backing vocals, a solid beat... 2'06 of pure happiness. Even if the rest of the record was lousy (which is not the case), it would be worth it just for this song. All the other songs from 1967 ("I only did it cause I felt so lonely", "Don't change your mind"...) are very nice too. But listen to "I'd Rather You Leave Me" now !

The Choir's "It's Cold Outside" has been anthologized many times, most notably on the original Pebbles LPs, and again on the reissue Nuggets box. It's always stood out as a tremendous bit of jangly mid-60s pop, mixing chiming guitars, tamourine and the sort of swooning harmonies made famous by the Beatles, Beach Boys and others. Though it's always sounded like it dated from '65 or '66, it's actually from 1967.

And while few other of the Choir's tracks reach the extreme heights of "It's Cold Outside," this compilation, based on tracks spanning 1966 through 1969, shows that they did have more to offer. A good deal of this follows in the footsteps of The Beau Brummels, with complex harmonies matched by a rock 'n' roll backbeat. Shades of the Nightcrawlers, Left Banke, Hollies and others can also be heard.

Most of this is previously unreleased material, including a host of demos. The sound quality is good throughout, though its clear that the compilers had to go to a lot of effort to make it all presentable.

Though the mid-60s were filled with competent garage bands, few had the yearning pop touch of The Choir, as this disc so ably demonstrates.

I own this CD and I think it's great. I was lucky enough to live in the area where these guys played locally and have followed them as a group, through all the changes, and individually. I think they are all talented, nice guys. David Smalley, Wally Bryson, Jim Bonfonti, went on to become The Raspberries along with Eric Carmen. It was Dan Klawon who penned It's Cold Outside. Dan and Ken Margolis were also in the Choir at one time. Ken was also in Cyrus Erie along with Eric Carmen. Later Dan and Ken formed The Sittin Ducks. A lovely group of talented musicians!

Bryson, Klawon, Smalley, Bonfanti, et al. make some of the coolest Beatles- and BeachBoys- influenced American harmonized power pop of the '60s. The lo-fi sound of the limited master sources add to the AM-radio nostalgia sound of this collection. Listening to this CD reminds me of when I used to listen to my pocket transistor radio non-stop as a kid (well, the sound is much better than that, but you get the drift). Their biggest hit, "It's Cold Outside" by Dann Klawon, is a very catchy and memorable pop song. My other favorites on the album are the Wally Bryson-penned tunes, "I Only Did It 'Cause I Felt So Lonely", "I'd Rather You Leave Me", and "When You Were With Me", any of which could have been hit songs. "Dream Of One's Life" is a very "dreamy" waltz with Beach-Boys-like harmonies - this one really takes me back to the '60s. The other Klawon-penned tunes, especially "In Love's Shadow", "I'm Slippin'", and "Smile", are very good. The later tracks from 1969 are also very good and enjoyable in a Left Banke or Nazz style. All-in-all, this is one of my favorite '60s CDs.