Kokomo - Rise And Shine (1975)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

More Brit Soul from the Kokomo team with them perfecting their sound.  Some changes in line-up from the first album with John Sussewell arriving on drums in place of Terry Stannard and Jody Linscott (Congas) and Jim Mullen (Guitar) moving on.  CBS, taken by surprise  by the reaction to the debut, put more behind this.  Alan Spenner vocals "Use You Imagination"; Tony O'Malley's massive title track and the trio of Birch, Collins and the flamboyant Paddy McHugh providing wonderful vocals front and rear throughout. Recorded at Criteria in Miami with Brad Shapiro (who was responsible for many of Millie Jackson's great productions amongst others) Excellent!

They made one further album later with CBS and had a minor hit with "A Little Bit Further Away"

CBS - 69229

Kokomo - Kokomo (1975)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

Sixth form banter produced a record club where groups of us used to vie with each other to find the next big thing.  Discoveries included Supertramp (circa Crime Of The Century); Cockney Rebel; Moon and Kokomo. 


The seventies found a number of UK bands producing viable white soul music and Kokomo alongside the Average White Band Cado Belle, Pacific Eardrum, FBI and Moon leading the pack.
As this was released and gained airplay via John Peel and others they embarked on their first headlining tour.  I took my wife on a first date to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London.  They were supported by Upp (more of them in a later post).  They perfomed all of this album and much of the about to be released "Rise and Shine".  A must see live act.  This gig was the one.  One of the killer tracks is featured below, a driving version of Bobby Womack's "I Can Understand It".  We later saw them supporting AWB when they returned after their success stateside.  Kokomo came back on stage for a massive version of "Grapevine" which also features on the AWB's "Person To Person" live set.


Members of the band came from Joe Cocker's Grease Band so soul was in their pedigree.  The singers Dyan Birch, Frank Collins and Paddy McHugh together with singer/bass player Alan Spenner would go on to ee the chosen session players for a host of premier bands including Roxy Music.  There is a twofer CD of these first two albums and a compilation (go for the former)

Columbia - PC 334422 (this is a US White Label Promo)


http://45cat.com/artist/kokomo

This is an ad from UK Blues and Soul magazine