Customer Reviews

She Flies Like a Bird: Anthology

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The exquisite I can't let Maggie go, a top ten UK hit in 1968, is all that anybody ever remembers Honeybus for. They were true one-hit wonders, as nothing else so much as grazed the charts. What surprised me was that somebody found enough material to fill two CD's.

The first CD contains the A and B-sides of seven singles plus all the tracks from their only album, Story. The second CD is made up of previously unreleased demos, some BBC sessions and tracks recorded for a 1973 reunion album that was aborted before it was complete, plus both sides of an Italian single.

Their first two singles were unsuccessful. Following the success of the third single, I can't let Maggie go, the group was required by its record company to do some touring. Lead singer and songwriter didn't want to do this and quit the group. Had he stayed, it is likely that Honeybus would have had further hits. Ray Cane and Colin Hare took over songwriting duties, each contributing interesting songs - they did not write together. Jim Kelly joined the group to become lead singer.

The cover versions that characterise so many albums of the sixties are conspicuously absent from their studio recordings, but the BBC sessions include a cover of Like an old time movie, a minor hit for Scott Mackenzie, whose big hit was San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair).

This is an interesting anthology of a group that should have achieved more than they did, but pop and rock history is full of what might have been. If you only want I can't let Maggie go, it is available on any number of UK various artists sixties compilations, but if, like me, you are curious, you will find this to be an interesting collection, especially the first CD.

After hearing Ian Matthew's cover of "Do i still figure in your life" from his Some Days You Eat the Bear Lp, I had to find the guy who wrote this great song. It happend to be Pete Dello,
leader of the most underrated British 60's group Honeybus.
If you love artist like the Left Banke, Emmit Rhodes or the Beatles buy this one.
You get all their singles, BBC Session recording, an complete album and many more. Almost every song is great, especially I can't let Maggie go. So buy this one, and have a good time like I.

The exquisite I can't let Maggie go, a top ten UK hit in 1968, is all that anybody ever remembers Honeybus for. They were true one-hit wonders, as nothing else so much as grazed the charts. What surprised me was that somebody found enough material to fill two CD's.

The first CD contains the A and B-sides of seven singles plus all the tracks from their only album, Story. The second CD is made up of previously unreleased demos, some BBC sessions and tracks recorded for a 1973 reunion album that was aborted before it was complete, plus both sides of an Italian single.

Their first two singles were unsuccessful. Following the success of the third single, I can't let Maggie go, the group was required by its record company to do some touring. Lead singer and songwriter didn't want to do this and quit the group. Had he stayed, it is likely that Honeybus would have had further hits. Ray Cane and Colin Hare took over songwriting duties, each contributing interesting songs - they did not write together. Jim Kelly joined the group to become lead singer.

The cover versions that characterise so many albums of the sixties are conspicuously absent from their studio recordings, but the BBC sessions include a cover of Like an old time movie, a minor hit for Scott Mackenzie, whose big hit was San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair).

This is an interesting anthology of a group that should have achieved more than they did, but pop and rock history is full of what might have been. If you only want I can't let Maggie go, it is available on any number of UK various artists sixties compilations, but if, like me, you are curious, you will find this to be an interesting collection, especially the first CD.

I was not familiar with Honeybus a few months ago. I stumbled onto one of their songs on a compilation CD and got curious about them. I bought this CD and I am amazed how good it is.

I usually only listen to music on my iPod and shelf the CD/record after I burn it to MP3. In the process, I dump the marginal tracks from the CD and only keep the ones I like. Typically, I might keep only 25% of the songs. To my surprise, I could find very few tracks to dump on this Honeybus CD.

This might be the best "best of" CD I have ever bought, especially when you consider it isn't really a "best of", but an "all of" collection since it includes every released song by Honeybus plus a ton of unreleased material. Too bad Honeybus couldn't keep it going to give us more music to enjoy.