Mystery Date Revealed: South Africa’s The Flames (Prior to Their Washing Ashore With The Beach Boys)
Will Your Mystery Date Be a Dream or a Dud?
Our most recent Mystery Date, a cover of the Small Faces-P.P. Arnold showstopper “(If You Think You’re) Groovy,” was performed by The Flames, the South African group featuring future Beach Boys Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar. Some of you may also know Fataar from his work as Stig O’Hara, the “George Harrison” character in The Rutles. He’s also produced and played on records by the likes of Bonnie Raitt and the Crowded House crew. As a Townsman speculated, the band most likely includes musicians of Indian descent.
Here’s their 1968 version of the Jerry Butler classic, “For Your Precious Love.”
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/the-flames-for-your-precious-love.mp3|titles=The Flames, For Your Precious Love”]Beginning in 1970 the band would record as The Flame, to avoid confusion with James Brown’s band, when they joined the Beach Boys’ Brother label. A piece on their Carl Wilson-produced debut can be found here. Following are Chaplin and Fataar with “Carl & The Passions.”
Better yet, here’s a cool song from that 1970 album, “Don’t Worry, Bill.” You can hear the inspiration for drafting Fataar to play Harrison.
I need to hear more from this band – and learn more about P.P. Arnold while I’m at it!
I’m very curious about PP Arnold too. She seems to have a fascinating history, leaving her husband to become an Ikette, getting discovered by Mick Jagger and getting a record deal.
Other Stones connection here is Blondie Chaplin being a backup musician for the Stones.
Keith talks about them in “life” and I meant to hunt them down. Thanks for making it easy 😉
I must say that I cheated and did some detective work. I knew the PP Arnold/Small Faces version but not this one, and never would have figured it out, regardless of how familiar the voice was. I tried, rather lamely, I will admit, to give a hint with my comment, “Nevertheless, I would say the sitar on this is what makes this version,” since “Nevertheless” is Rikki Fataar’s Indian-influenced Rutles number.
Pretty cool recording, all in all, I must say.
Now THAT’S a nerdy clue. Well played, misterioso!
I first discovered Flame via The Beach Boys and Rutles connections and was pretty psyched when I scored a record by them a few years back. It has long been one I play for power pop geeks I know.