Pete Dello
Into Your Ears (1971)
The '60s spawned so many psychedelic bands that the reissue has become its own genre. Audiophiles flock to conventions worldwide to pay exorbitant amounts of money for obscurities that your average music fan would recoil at. This passion has unearthed horrible artifacts, intriguing oddities, and the occasional gem. After tasting success in 1968 with the single "I Can't Let Maggie Go," Honeybus founder Pete Dello left the band after only one album to pursue a more settled lifestyle. His distaste for the rigors of touring left him with a surplus of un-recorded material that would eventually steer him back into the studio to record his first and only solo record. Into Your Ears features 14 songs, each under three-and-a-half minutes long, that prosper through a winning combination of goofy psychedelia and Beatlesque beauty. The sweet melodies and gentle harmonies of "It's What You've Got" and "Taking The Heart Out Of Love" are timeless, devoid of irony, and begging for placement in a Wes Anderson film. "Do I Still Figure In Your Life," which has since been covered by the likes of Joe Cocker, conveys the same irresistible form of melancholy that permeates a great Randy Newman or Harry Nilsson recording, and more than makes up for the wince-inducing "Uptight Basil" and "Harry The Earwig (the latter inspired the horrific Roger Dean cover art). Dello's voice is sweet and clear, with only a tinge of the British folk throatiness that ruled the era. The songs, while never complex, benefit from strategically placed string arrangements that rarely disappoint, and crisp production as exemplified on the set closer "Arise Sir Henry." Also included are the Magic Valley versions of "Taking The Heart Out Of Love" and "Uptight Basil," which differ only in sound quality (poorer) from the album renditions, and provide collector's with the definitive edition of this highly sought after (almost) masterpiece. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
1. It's What You've Got
2. There's Nothing That I Can Do For You
3. I'm A Gambler
4. Harry The Earwig
5. Do I Still Figure In Your Life
6. Uptight Basil
7. Taking The Heart Out Of Love
8. On A Time Said Sylvie
9. A Good Song
10. It's The Way
11. Go Away
12. Arise Sir Henry
13. Taking The Heart Out Of Love *Single Version* (Bonus)
14. Uptight Basil *Single Version* (Bonus)
The '60s spawned so many psychedelic bands that the reissue has become its own genre. Audiophiles flock to conventions worldwide to pay exorbitant amounts of money for obscurities that your average music fan would recoil at. This passion has unearthed horrible artifacts, intriguing oddities, and the occasional gem. After tasting success in 1968 with the single "I Can't Let Maggie Go," Honeybus founder Pete Dello left the band after only one album to pursue a more settled lifestyle. His distaste for the rigors of touring left him with a surplus of un-recorded material that would eventually steer him back into the studio to record his first and only solo record. Into Your Ears features 14 songs, each under three-and-a-half minutes long, that prosper through a winning combination of goofy psychedelia and Beatlesque beauty. The sweet melodies and gentle harmonies of "It's What You've Got" and "Taking The Heart Out Of Love" are timeless, devoid of irony, and begging for placement in a Wes Anderson film. "Do I Still Figure In Your Life," which has since been covered by the likes of Joe Cocker, conveys the same irresistible form of melancholy that permeates a great Randy Newman or Harry Nilsson recording, and more than makes up for the wince-inducing "Uptight Basil" and "Harry The Earwig (the latter inspired the horrific Roger Dean cover art). Dello's voice is sweet and clear, with only a tinge of the British folk throatiness that ruled the era. The songs, while never complex, benefit from strategically placed string arrangements that rarely disappoint, and crisp production as exemplified on the set closer "Arise Sir Henry." Also included are the Magic Valley versions of "Taking The Heart Out Of Love" and "Uptight Basil," which differ only in sound quality (poorer) from the album renditions, and provide collector's with the definitive edition of this highly sought after (almost) masterpiece. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide1. It's What You've Got
2. There's Nothing That I Can Do For You
3. I'm A Gambler
4. Harry The Earwig
5. Do I Still Figure In Your Life
6. Uptight Basil
7. Taking The Heart Out Of Love
8. On A Time Said Sylvie
9. A Good Song
10. It's The Way
11. Go Away
12. Arise Sir Henry
13. Taking The Heart Out Of Love *Single Version* (Bonus)
14. Uptight Basil *Single Version* (Bonus)
posted by Lizardson at 10:39 AM
11 Comments:
Thanks a lot. I've been looking for this one quite long time. Keep on. Great stuff.
This Pete Dello solo Lp is a masterpiece, so thanks for giving people who don't know it the opportunity to hear it !
Cool blog, you got good taste ! thanks !
Very charming.
Thanks
Hi!
You have a very wonderful site! There is so many great albums here that my brain gets confused on what to download. I thank you for the Honeybus and Colin Hare but if you could ever find time to re-upload the Pete Dello-Into Your Ears to complete the collection that would be great. Whatever the decision thank you for everything!
Smile67
I have been looking for this album of Pete Dello since the seventies. Many, many, many thanks, Lizardson... what a wonderful blog the world would be (singing...)
Very good album, in parts reminiscent of certain White Album tracks and you can't argue with that. "It's What You Got" is an instant classic worthy of Badfinger, Big Star or that other band beginning with "B". The only letdown is the ridiculous earwig song and the sub-Kinks Uptight Basil, both of which sound like leftovers from 1967.
Where´s the link?
I have met a man in Hong Kong who says he is Pete Dello. I am sceptical, can anyone inform me of Pete Dello's whereabouts or post a recent picture of him
See Pete Dello photo..
bottom right of this pge.
http://home.j00.itscom.net/honeybus/HONEYBUS%20RECITAL/Honeybus%20Recital/Chronicle.html
See Pete Dello photo..
bottom right of this pge.
http://home.j00.itscom.net/honeybus/HONEYBUS%20RECITAL/Honeybus%20Recital/Chronicle.html
Pete Dello's name has been etched in my mind since 1962 and 1963, when I met him more than once when Grant Tracy and the Sunsets played in Pontypridd, where I wrote a pop column for the local newspaper. I have just Googled Pete's name and am delighted to see that he has achieved so much since then. I went on to become a writer and sub-editor in Fleet Street but sadly I lost touch with the music scene. Pete clearly did a lot better than I did, though I'm pretty sure he won't remember me (I wrote my Pontypridd Observer column as Gerry G). In those halcyon days, I also had the pleasure of meeting the likes of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, Freddie and the Dreameers, the Applejacks and Eden Kane, But none of them was as successful as one of the local lads I also used to write about - a guy from Treforest called Tommy Woodward.
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