Music Reissues Weekly: Rupert’s People - Dream In My Mind

Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was an instant phenomenon. Recorded in April 1967 and issued as a single on 12 May after pre-release play on pirate station Radio London, it topped the UK charts four weeks later. Globally, it hit big on most pop markets and was integral to launching the classical music/pop hybrid which evolved into prog rock.

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” also spawned imitators: singles this-close to its arrangement, atmosphere and style. Amongst the British sound-a-likes and analogous recordings were Svensk’s “Dream Magazine” (issued on 25 August 1967), Felius Andromeda’s “Meditations” (10 November 1967), Shy Limbs’ “Reputation” (which tardily, considering its inspiration, went on sale on 9 May 1969). In France, there was Eric Charden’s tremendous “Le monde est gris, le monde est bleu” (October 1967). In Sweden, there was Ola & Janglers’ “What a Way to Die” (February 1968). In Chile, some time in the second half of 1967, there was the Los Mac’s album track “El Evangelio De La Gente Sola” (from the classic psych LP Kaleidoscope Men).

The first record to explicitly encapsulate the essence of “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was “Reflections of Charles Brown,” released in the UK on 7 July 1967. On sale while Procol Harum were still at number one, it was credited to Rupert's People (with an apostrophe).

There was a potential problem. There was no such band as Rupert's People.

The story of “Reflections of Charles Brown” and Rupert's People is peculiar. The release of the Rupert’s comp Dream In My Mind - Anthology 1967-1999 prompts a dig into the tale.

A music business figure named Howard Conder was behind “Reflections of Charles Brown.” He had worked for the Beatles management organisation NEMS and then for Robert Stigwood. In 1967, he was managing a north London mod-pop band named Sweet Feeling (sometimes, The Sweet Feeling). It’s been written Conder was also the former drummer of Unit 4 + 2: he was not in the band. It has also been written that Conder was in the Joe Meek-produced instro outfit The Moontrekers: again, he was not. However, he had been a session drummer and may have played on records by both, along with some by Joe Brown & the Bruvvers. A solo single by Conder was issued in 1965. Under contract to Conder, Sweet Feeling’s debut single, “All so Long Ago” was released on 26 May 1967. Although it was fantastic, and along the lines of The Kinks, it was a flop.

Conder asked band member and songwriter Rod Lynton (born Rod Brosse) to take the lyrics of “All so Long Ago’s” wobbly, psych-leaning B-side “Charles Brown” and team them with a new melody – one inspired by “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Curiously, Conder did not take Sweet Feeling into a studio to record this recasting of “Charles Brown.” Instead, at the session, he used mod-rockers Fleurs de Lys – supplemented by an organ player – to record what would be named “Reflections of Charles Brown" (sometimes, Les Fleur de Lys or Fleur-de-Lys). He wanted to manage Fleurs de Lys – Sweet Feeling and Fleurs de Lys were friends – and saw this venture as a way of bringing them on board. For the new single’s flipside, “Hold on” was recorded. Co-written by Lynton and Fleurs de Lys member Gordon Haskell (Conder’s name was inserted into the credits), it was an irresistible, kinetic rocker.

The Machiavellian Conder then tried to get Fleurs de Lys to adopt the name Rupert’s People. They would not have it and went off on their own path: Fleurs de Lys backed Sharon Tandy on a different version of “Hold on,” released a week after the one credited to Rupert’s People. Sweet Feeling also would not accept Conder’s invitation to change their name.

Having a record out with no actual band wasn’t necessarily an issue. This would be shown by The Flower Pot Men’s “Let's go to San Francisco,” issued on 4 August 1967. Another studio creation, the single began selling so a band was cobbled together to go on tour to promote it. With Fleurs de Lys and Sweet Feeling having given Conder the brush off, and presaging the Flower Pot Men scenario, the impresario created a Rupert’s People to play two shows at London in-crowd club The Speakeasy (which is where Procol Harum had unveiled “A Whiter Shade of Pale” to a music biz audience) So far, so potentially workable.

Nonetheless, this Conder-created live version of Rupert’s People instantly fell apart. Going back to Sweet Feeling, he had another go. Their single had stiffed and “Reflections…” was taking off big time in continental Europe, so they went for it. Now, after adding an organ player to nail the “Whiter Shade…” vibe, Sweet Feeling were Rupert’s People and promoting a record on which they did not play yet was written by their singer. Crazy.

Two more Rupert’s People singles followed – both recorded by the band which had been Sweet Feeling: “A Prologue to a Magic World” / “Dream on my Mind” (6 October 1967); “I Can Show You” / I've Got the Love” (1 March 1968). They were terrific: either in a loose “Reflections of Charles Brown” bag or, with “Dream On My Mind” especially, driving psych-edged freakbeat of the highest order.

A fan club for Rupert’s People was formed. Its logo featured the cartoon bear from The Daily Express (presumably, a deal was made to use the image: pictured right, a Rupert’s People fan club badge). There were dates in France in late 1967. Despite line-up changes, Rupert’s People seemed to have legs. There was a residency at Lebanon resort in summer 1968. The band continued on into 1969, and spilt around the end of the year.

The 19-track digipack CD Dream In My Mind - Anthology 1967-1999 collects everything credited to or by Rupert’s People, along with a wodge of related material including the Sweet Feeling single and the Conder creation “Love/Opus 193,” a German Rupert’s B-side made by session players, as well as odd tracks rescued from Sixties acetates (one which of is an instrumental backing track: this appears twice – the second version has vocals overdubbed in 2012). There are also four inessential live tracks recorded at a Rupert’s People reunion credited as having happened in 1999. Note though that two of these four live tracks were first issued on the 2012 Rupert’s People comp 45 RPM when they were credited as being from 1994. The confusion is fitting. The Rupert’s People story is a mess. Even so, this nicely presented collection is worth picking up as its core is the eight impressive tracks originally on four now-rare singles by or credited to Sweet Feeling and Rupert’s People.

Also on Dream In My Mind are three further live tracks taken from a good-sounding audience recording of a 1969 show at Belsize Park’s Country Club (again, two of these tracks were first issued on the 2012 45 RPM comp). While the version of the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want" and the Traffic/Vanilla Fudge-ish “Reflecting” aren't too thrilling, the hard-driving "I See You’ve Changed" has a guitar riff and an organ part very close to those of The Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray." Odd, and a very long way from “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”

• Next week: Motörhead - smart makeover of 1977’s debut album and The Manticore Tapes, the first-ever issue of previously unheard material from 1976    
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@kierontyler.bsky.social