ADRIAN BAKER BY MIKE GRANT
Back in STOMP 16 I did a short UK harmony discography featuring Chris Rainbow, Alan Carvell, and Chris White. I wanted to include Adrian Baker as well but I did not have enough disc information at the time to do so. Since then Chris Rainbow has released his third album “White Trails” and is working on a new one. Alan Carvell has released nothing lately. He seems to be just doing sessions now and Chris White seems to have disappeared.
In April 1980 the Australian Magazine “California Music” did a fine Adrian Baker article written by Kingsley Abbott, but not all STOMP subscribers read “California Music”, though you should. Anyway I would like to do a list of most of Adrian's main releases which might interest STOMP readers
In June when Capital Radio played the top six in The Beach Boys Top 12 on Brian's birthday, Roger Scott played a beautiful version of "Happy Birthday Brian Wilson” by Adrian. This prompted me to give him a call and thank him very much for doing it. "I enjoyed doing it how I think Brian would have done it” he told me. He also invited me over to his studio to see how he works. So without apprehension I went one Sunday afternoon. Adrian’s studio is built into the basement of his home and it really is quite marvellous and very homely. Being in the basement there are no windows and the time of day does not seem to matter. The walls display sheet music of Adrian’s songs or songs he has recorded but pride of place is the Silver Disc for Liquid Gold’s "Dance Yourself Dizzy” the first record on his own label and the most successful record he has been involved with. Adrian informed me that he does everything except lead vocals and drums on the Liquid Gold 'A’ sides. Adrian then started demonstrating the fabulous sound system by puting on a reel-to-reel tape of a tremendous wordless harmony track called "Birth of the Universe” which really was quite stunning. Tape after tape he played me of TV jingles, radio jingles, backing tracks and a track from his hopefully forthcoming album. The song was called “Little Jack Horner” a sort of harmony/disco track but very good.
We did get to talking about the Beach Boys and how in the very early days things like “Surfer Girl” and “I Get Around” influenced him. But nowadays Adrian misses the strong melodies of Brian’s sixties songs and he wishes they would do something like “Help Me Rhonda” again.
A couple of projects he had in mind were to record “Don’t Worry Baby” as he feels no cover version so far has done the song justice. He also has ideas to do a “Fun, Fun, Fun” type of song which he also feels could be a big hit. He thinks there are still many people who like that type of sound. He is also planning to record the Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry” which could be another “Sherry” for him.
He has also talked about the difficulties of puting the Beach Boys gold singles together like trying to get the changes right, e.g. how he had to discard “You’re So Good to Me” because it just wouldn’t flow with anything else. Anyway my afternoon spent with Adrian made me a confirmed Adrian Baker fan.
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Singles:
Adrian Baker
Sherry / I Was Only Fooling - Magnet - 34
Candy Baby / Dance To It - Magnet - 41
So You Think You've Got It Made / Don't Do It - Magnet - 61
Why Haven't I Heard From You / Vibration - Magnet - 82
Work, Work, Work / Marlena / Look For A Miracle / Cry Baby Cry (EP) - Magnet - 117
I'll Keep You Satisfied / Feel Like Dancing - MCA - 395
Crazy About You / Lovemaker - Polo - 3
THE TONICS
White Christmas / Leave Me Alone - Magnet - 52
All Summer Long / Stand Back - Magnet - 67
Love Is Forever / Take A Chance - Magnet - 74
GIDEA PARK
Beach Boy Gold / Lady Be Good - Stone - SON 2162
The Boogie Romance / From Me To You - Ariola - ARO 167
POLO LABEL RELEASES:
Dance Yourself Dizzy / Instrumental - POLO - *Liquid Gold
Everything's Electric / Lady Casanova - POLO - *Dazz
Crazy About You / Lovemaker - POLO - Adrian Baker
Substitute / Instrumental - POLO - *Liquid Gold
California Girls / Summer Girls - POLO - *Aero
* also released on 12″ singles.
Albums:
ADRIAN BAKER - Into A Dream - Magnet - MAG 5009
LIQUID GOLD - Liquid Gold - POLO - POLP 101
Unreleased
ADRIAN BAKER - Voices In Harmony - BRH 6
(a whole album of wordless harmonies including 'Birth Of The Universe').
