Customer Reviews

Will You Be Staying After Sunday

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a nice CD. It never ceases to amaze me just how many great songs have been overlooked. In 1969, the Peppermint Rainbow had their hit with the tasty "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" but to me the real "find" is their first single which was completely ignored by the public: "Walking In Different Circles". They just do NOT write catchy tunes like that anymore. One of the problems this band had was the fact that they 'hit' in 1969 and not 1967. Had they arrived during the summer of love they surely would have won more hearts as they have that distinctive Mamas & Papas/Spanky & Our Gang sound. They were produced by Paul Leka of the Lemon Pipers fame and many of the tracks featured on this CD have the same feel/production as the tunes on the Pipers LP's. In fact-and I love this, the Peppermint Rainbow used the original 1967 Lemon Pipers backing track of "Green Tambourine" for their own rendition. Very interesting! If you are a collector, the mere fact that this is featured is the perfect reason to buy the CD. This album features some tight harmonies and soaring melodies. There are some hidden classics here.

I'm a huge fan of this group, and they are one of the most alluring mysteries in Pop Music. I found this in Style Magazine and decided to repost for all fans: >PEPPERMINT RAINBOW
Carole King may have asked "Will you still love me tomorrow?" but Baltimore's Peppermint Rainbow was a bit more specific. The band's sunny pop single "Will You Be Staying After Sunday/ If We Can Make it to Monday" reached No. 32 on the Billboard charts in 1969 amidst the Beatles' "Get Back" and debut singles by the Chicago Transit Authority and Three Dog Night. The tune, written by Al Kasha and Paul Leka, who had just scored a No. 1 hit in writing "Green Tambourine" for the Lemon Pipers, featured the rich vocal harmonies of Bonnie Lamdin (who sounds like a dead ringer for Spanky McFarlane on this cut) and her sister, Pat, and the backing efforts of a trio of guys-- Tony Carey on drums, Doug Lewis on lead guitar and Skip Harris on bass.

Discovered by another Baltimorean-- Mama Cass Elliot-- in a Georgetown club, the group went from a low point of sharing one loaf of bread and a package of bologna five ways to brief fame touring the country with The 5th Dimension, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Sly and the Family Stone, even the ukulele-playing Tiny Tim. Lead singer Bonnie Lamdin Phipps remembers Peppermint Rainbow's audition for the "Dinah Shore Show"-- in Dinah Shore's living room-- and how Shore's influence got the band invited to perform on the "Mike Douglas Show." ("I still have the tape," she says fondly.)

Peppermint Rainbow released only one album, "Will You Be Staying After Sunday," which just missed making Billboard's Top 100 albums chart in 1969. By 1970, Bonnie Lamdin had married and the band members, worn out from touring and feeling a little defeated by the album's failure to chart, went their separate ways.

Only one of the band members, Doug Lewis, still plays music regularly, handling a variety of instruments and vocals in the local band The New Monopoly. (In the '90s, he was part of the Delaware-based band the Hubcaps.) Tony Carey, who Lamdin Phipps describes as the band's "free spirit," lives in Alaska and paints houses for a living. Skip Harris is deceased. Pat (Lamdin) Brown works for the juvenile court system, and Lamdin Phipps returned to Baltimore from Atlanta last year to become president and CEO of St. Agnes Hospital, the culmination of a 30-year career in the health care industry. Lamdin Phipps is philosophical about her time as part of the Peppermint Rainbow. "Being in the band prepared me for making presentations," she says with a laugh, "So I don't get totally paralyzed when I have to do that." --M.Z.
****************************************************************************** Don't pass up this REV-OLA U.K. Record Label's 2008 Remastered Reissue of PEPPERMINT RAINBOW's Classic "WILL YOU BE STAYING AFTER SUNDAY" album, which does feature the original 11 album tracks PLUS 10 Bonus Single Mixes for a total of 21 tracks - inluding the coveted "Single Mix"/45 Version of the hit title track! I can verify that because I have my copy. The sound on this edition is superior to the 2005 Collector's Choice label, of which I also own a copy.

It's about time somebody offered this group on compact disc. Bubblegum? Yes, but the title track, "Will You Be Staying After Sunday," is a gem. In fact, the Peppermint Rainbow deliver all of these tracks without a hint of corporate manufacture. "Walking in Different Circles" is another fine track, also recorded with a soulful approach by Goldie and the Gingerbreads in 1967. Don't pass up this infectious disc.

I got my first record player in 1969 for Christmas along with 10 record albums. This was one of them and was my favorite. It compares favorably to the girl/boy groups of the 60's such as the Mamas and the Papas, Fifth Dimension, etc. Sunshine pop indeed! The tunes are bright and melodic with toothsome harmonies. I turned a friend on to this album years ago, and since he was a harpsicord player he really dug Jamais and And I'll Be There, both on side 1 of the record. Thankfully the three songs they recorded for singles after the album are here too, and in stereo. Having all the rest of their singles as bonus tracks is nice but not vital as they appear to be exact copies of what is on the album. I don't apply the word 'bubblegum' to this music; I think that is an overused adjective to describe much of the pop music made during the late 60's; and it probably would have been used to describe the Mamas and the Papas had they made their music 1969. Sunshine pop is acurate enough for the music and songs on this album, and the way they make me feel. Steve

NOTE: I am reviewing the 2008 IMPORT version of this release.
It has 3 bonus tracks (which Amazon does NOT have listed) and has far superior packaging and sound than the Collector's Choice version.
THIS IS THE VERSION YOU WANT!!



Even though The Peppermint Rainbow had a Top 40 hit in 1969 with "Will You Be Staying After Sunday", this LP didn't even sell 10,000 copies back in the day. It was the public's loss because this release is full of cream of the crop sunshine pop. Certainly, a couple of things contributed to the failure-

1. Timing. It came a year or two late...the groovy Mama's & Papa's / Spanky & Our Gang sound was past peak

2. The Cheese Factor. The Album cover was about as cheesy and low budget as you can get.


Highlights include-
The title track, the follow up single "Don't Wake Me Up in The Morning Michael", "And I'll Be There", "Walking in Different Circles", "Green Tambourine" (nearly identical to the Lemon Pipers version) "Pink Lemonade" and "You're The Sound of Love" which only appears on the import version.

Here is the CORRECT listing of the bonus tracks on this REV-OLA version

12. You're The Sound of Love
13. Good Morning Means Goodbye (a Neil Sedaka/ Howard Greenfield song)
14. Don't Love Me Unless it's Forever

Ah, mid-1960s American sunshine pop !!! After years of critical disdain and public indifference, suddenly the genre is getting a great deal of well deserved attention.

By 1967 bassist Skip Harris and guitarist Doug Lewis had played in a number of mid-'60s Maryland-based bands including The Mustangs. With the addition of drummer Tony Corey and sisters/singers Bonne and Pat Lamdin the began performing p and down the mid-Atlantic as The New York Times. In 1968 they morphed into The Peppermint Rainbow getting their initial break when Cass Elliott caught their act (which included a Mamas and the Papas medley) in a Washington, D.C. nightclub and subsequently put them in touch with producer/songwriter Paul Leka.

With support from Cass and Leka, Jack Wiedenmann signed the group to a recording contract with Decca, quickly releasing a pair of nifty sunshine pop singles:

- 1968's "Pink Lemonade" b/w "Walking In Different Circles" (Decca catalog number 32316)
- 1968's "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" b/w "I'll Be There" (Decca catalog number 32410)

YouTube has a partial television performance of the latter [...]

The debut 45 did little commercially, but their sophomore release proved a fluke top-40 hit and, as was standard marketing practice, they were rushed into the studio to record a supporting LP. With Leka producing (he also contributed a couple of songs), the cleverly-titled "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" wasn't half bad. Pulling together the first two singles (though the liner notes failed to list "Pink Lemonade"), with newly recorded material, try to imagine a not-quite-as-hip Mamas and the Papas, or Spanky and Our Gang and you'll be in the right aural ballpark. The group certainly had some talent; the Lamdin's were quite accomplished harmony singers, though neither Harris nor Lewis were all that impressive (check out the painful performance on the 'rocker' 'Run Like the Devil'). Sure, tracks such as 'If We Can Make It To Monday', 'Jamais' (when will people learn that French lyrics are never a good thing in a pop song) and 'Sierra (Chasin' My Dreams)' were a little too MOR to be considered hip. Elsewhere the album included a strange cover of The Lemon Pipers 'Green Tambourine'. To my ears it sounded like they simply dubbed new vocals on top of the original backing track. It was almost as if they were a little late to the party ... seriously, had this album been released in 1967, rather than in 1969 it would have made all the difference in the world. Instead of being 1967 cutting edge, in 1969 these tracks already sounded hopelessly obsolete. Deduct half a star for the matching polyester outfits which gave them a very lounge act vibe !!!

- No matter how middle-of-the-road it sounds, there's no denying 'Will You Be Staying After Sunday' had immense commercial appear. In fact, if you were going to pick a song that sounded like it had been written for maximum commercial impact, you'd be hard pressed to do better than this one. The fact it sounded like a Spanky and Our Gang castoff really didn't make much difference given the Lamdin sisters did such a knockout job on vocals. rating: **** stars
- For some reason the track listing manage to overlook the fact 'Pink Lemonade' was on the LP ... Their debut single, this one featured the guys on lead vocals with the Lamdin sisters providing backup vocals. Co-written by Shelly Pinz and producer Leka), this one was a great example of mid--1960s pop-psych mixing up were almost childlike lyrics with a distinctive lysergic flavor. rating: *** stars
- Opening up with some nice jangle rock guitar (they almost sounded like an electric sitar) and harpsichord, 'And I'll Be There' took an unfortunate turn to MOR-ballad. To my ears it actually sounded like an attempt to recreate the earlier hit. rating; ** stars
- Hum, Peppermint Rainbow tries to get heavy ... well about as heavy as a group in matching polyester outfits could get. While I'm not sure which guy handled the lead vocals on 'Run Like the Devil', I'll give him credit for trying to toughen up their sound. Unfortunately the songs heavy orchestration managed to negate most of his work. Forgettable. rating: ** stars
- As mentioned above, French lyrics in pop songs are not a good thing and that's certainly the case with this soggy ballad. This one sounded like a third tier Four Seasons outcast, Simply hideous. Hard to imagine anyone being able to get through this one without cringing. Okay, listening to the Landim sisters repeat the title over and over had a certain cheap camp value. rating: ** stars
- I actually remember hearing 'Don't Wake Me Up In the Morning Michael ' as a child and thinking it was a Mamas and the Papas song. Quality sunshine-pop which explains why Decca tapped it as the band's third single. rating: *** stars
- Slightly more up-tempo than much of their catalog, 'Walking In Different Circles' was actually a pretty good slice of jangle rock. While it won't make you forget the Goldie and the Gingerbreads version, The Lamdin sisters turned in a flawless vocal performance and the harpsichord arrangement was priceless. Unfortunately the orchestral arrangement was overwhelming. rating: *** stars- Kicked along by some pretty acoustic guitar, the ballad 'Sierra (Chasin' My Dreams)' would have been a dandy single had it not been for Leka's overwhelming orchestral arrangement. The hackneyed orchestration essentially drown out the rest of the song.
- The group's cover of The Lemon Piper hit 'Green Tambourine' was unlike anything else on the album. It certainly sounded like Leka had simply re-cycled the original instrumental backing, slapping a new vocal on it. Other than for pure financial reasons (he co-wrote the song with Shelly Pinz), you were left to wonder why they bothered ? rating: ** stars
- Opening up with heavy orchestration the ballad 'Rosemary' was another strange performance. Complete with what was almost an Asian vibe, to my ears the song sounded like it had been written for a stage show. Interestingly Decca tapped this track as the band's third single, but then had second thoughts and started to promote the 'B' side 'Don't Wake Me Up In the Morning Michael'. rating: ** stars
- Another all-out slice of sunshine pop, 'I Found Out I Was a Woman' was one of those songs that sounded like it was custom written for a late-1960s television theme song. Where were The Brady Family when you needed them ... rating: ** stars

As mentioned above, the album spun off a third single:

- 1969's 'Rosemary' b/w 'Don't Wake Me Up In the Morning Michael' (Decca catalog number 732498)


"Will You Be Staying After Sunday" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Will You Be Staying After Sunday (Al Kasha - Joel Hirschorn) - 2:22
2.) Pink Lemonade (Shelly Pinz - Paul Leka) - 2:03
3.) And I'll Be There (Paul Leka - Denise Gross) - 2:04
4.) Run Like the Devil (Paul Leka - Irwin Schuster) - 2:41
5.) Jamais (Anita McCafferty - Earl Fraile) - 3:22
6.) Don't Wake Me Up In the Morning Michael (Al Kasha) - 2:45

(side 2)
1.) Walking In Different Circles (Laurence Weiss - Scott English) - 2:20
2.) Sierra (Chasin' My Dreams) (Cary De Carlo - Dan Green) - 3:21
3.) Green Tambourine (Shelly Pinz - Paul Leka) - 1:25
4.) Rosemary (Paul Leka) - 3:15
5.) I Found Out I Was a Woman (Alan Bernstein - Victor Millrose) - 2:31


Supported by television appearances and touring (they even opened up for Sly and the Family Stone), the LP proved a decent enough seller, peaking at # 106 which led Decca to release a couple of non-LP singles:

- 1969's 'You're The Sound Of Love' b/w 'Jamais' (Decca catalog number 732562)
- 1969's 'Good Morning Means Goodbye' b/w 'Don't Love Me Unless It's Forever' (Decca catalog number 732601)
Having recently been married Bonnie Lamdin turned her attentions elsewhere and simply tired of the ongoing touring regimen, by mid-1970 the group was history. Lewis reappeared as a member of The Better Half.

This is a gem--a great companion piece to The Association's 'All the Right Sounds.' The music is infectious. The soaring harmonies, riffy/good-time melodies, and rich production belie the strong songwriting & lyrics here. Almost all the songs are great, easy to listen to, and catchy without being syrupy simple. I'm so glad I got this...and so sad when the disc is done that I'll replay it several more times.

What is now called "sunshine pop" was one of the delights of AM radio in the late 1960s. The Mamas and the Papas, Spanky and Our Gang, The Cowsills and, of course, the Peppermint Rainbow were leaders of this pack.

Catchy tunes influenced by folk, pop and the softer sort of rock, production that was very stylish for the day, and layer upon layer of harmony vocals - that was the essence of sunshine pop. It's all as insubstantial as cotton candy and just as much fun. For me it brings back memories of my earliest teens, before I got into serious rock 'n' roll.

I am amazed that this is on CD. I looked for the LP for years before finding a mint copy in a local record store for $12.

Great good fun for anyone who grew up with their ears glued to AM radio back in the day.

This CD is a reminder of great music gone by. Very mellow music of which I love. Very talented group. Love the CD. Larry Carter

I bought this album when I was just a kid. I was glad to see that it was released on cd as the album is now long gone. This group had just a couple of hits in the late 60s and they are on this cd. If you like Spanky and Our Gang, you'll like The Peppermint Rainbow as they sound pretty much alike.