Groovin With Mr Bloe

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Barrie Jay

Barrie Jay

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Jul 20, 2003
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Fleetwood - twinned with Royston Vasey
Someone started a thread of this release a while back and I pointed out that the DJM release in the UK was not the original and was asked for clippage.

I must sort this because I have now found it from the darkest depths of my record collection (it was scary down there - the temptation to spend 3 days listening to tunes I have not played for years was almost overwhelming).

Anyway, amazingly, both releases are on discogs, well it is the French release as for some reason the UK release on DJM records was not listed but it is the same A and B side, the UK release did not have the tacky picture sleeve:

Mr. Bloe - Groovin' With Mr. Bloe / Sinful

But the Original was the B side of this:

Wind (6) - Make Believe / Groovin' With Mr. Bloe

Some kind of pub band do cover, lol:

YouTube - Blowin' with Mr. Groove/Ramble - The Sgeurvreters

And another, far more acceptable cover, piss poor arrangement though:

YouTube - Groovin with Mr Bloe - Robert Johnson & Punchdrunks
 
J

Jonno

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Big fan of this song - it was one of those I came across by accident in a box of 45's with a "fuck me this is ace" moment.

I've got to say I prefer the Mr Bloe version of this as well (the DJM one) rather than the Wind version. The Wind version is a bit too folky for me I seem to recall.

Bizarre that the DJM release isn't on discogs, as it got to number 2 or summat daft when it got released.

Greg Wilson did an extended re-edit of the Mr Bloe version on here:

Greg Wilson - Credit To The Edit - Vinyl Two
 
G

geeselad

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being and old northern fan, dead shocked to hear you mention this, ten p a copy and as many as you want, always liked it but it had seriously no cred for so many years with the northern crowd, great to hear it gaining interest now.
 
G

greg wilson

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From sleevenotes to Credit To The Edit Vol 1:
CREDIT TO THE EDIT


15. MR BLOE – “GROOVIN’ WITH MR BLOE” (4.41)

Finally, it’s one of my ultimate feelgood tunes, taking me back to carefree days growing up in New Brighton, which was then still a bustling a seaside resort on the opposite side of the River Mersey to Liverpool. In the summer of 1970, “Groovin’ With Mr Bloe” was a massive chart hit, only kept off the top spot by Mungo Jerry’s “In The Summertime”, which was the biggest selling single of the year. A British recording, featuring the unforgettable Harmonica playing of Harry Pitch (whose session credits also include Frank Ifield’s 1962 million seller, “I Remember You” and the theme music to the TV series “Last Of The Summer Wine”), “Groovin’ With Mr Bloe” is a record I’ll always associate with fairgrounds, alongside hits like Len Barry’s “1-2-3” and “Mony Mony” by Tommy James And The Shondells (plus, of course, countless Soul classics), which provided a vibrant and vital soundtrack for the various rides.

During the latter part of the 70s, the track was revived at Mr M’s, the oldies room at Wigan Casino, and is nowadays often described as a Northern Soul classic. However, when Casino resident, Russ Winstanley, began to play it in the main room, it wasn’t at all well received by the purists, who weren’t happy about a former Pop hit being played within its hallowed walls.

Mr Bloe’s version was actually a cover, the original being the flip side of a 1969 US single by Wind called “Make Believe”, a Bubblegum recording featuring Tony Orlando (who’s go on to become a huge star in the 70s with Dawn, via syrupy Pop singles like “Knock Three Times” and “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree”). The UK recording was arranged by pianist Zack Laurence, but Harry Pitch, brought in as a session musician, will forever be regarded as Mr Bloe.

Having played the 7” last year at Aficionado in Manchester, to a wonderful response, I decided to extend the track for a subsequent appearance in the city, at the Electric Chair in February, where it was once again greeted like a long lost friend. No doubt I’ll be playing it a fair few times throughout this summer, 35 years on from its UK release.

I’d like to thank both Harry Pitch and the legendary Northern Soul DJ, Richard Searling, for sharing their Mr Bloe memories. The edit itself stays close to the original, but in a pl’ayful sort of way. It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to include it here as the perfect closing track for this album.

* Written by Bo Gentry, P. Naumann, K. Laguna
* Produced by Stephen James
* Dick James Music Ltd
* DJM Records 1970
* Licensed courtesy of Universal

Greg Wilson, 2005.
greg@electrofunkroots.co.uk
 


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