Should i have left these 2 in the racks?

[emperor tomato ketchup]

I was in a charity shop at lunchtime and passed on the following 2 as I was already taking a pile of interesting looking xian albums and these were a few quid each. So a close escape or did I make a booboo?

Helmut Zacharias Plays the Hits (on Studio2stereo) - a decent enough collection of songs (Satisfaction, Donovan etc) but nothing that couldn't be ruined by layers of slushy violins. His rep ain't good so I assume he ruins them all.

Anita Harris - Cuddly Toy - arranged by Alan Tew

[dr kraken]

here we go again ...

I might be largely unsupported in my view that Zacharias' late 60s output is well worth a punt, but I'll try to foist it on you. It's not slushy violins... the man went electric (see previous discussion in which someone compared him to John Cale) and had a meaty rhythm section too (albeit with teutonic cheese-tastic arrangements).
I haven't got "The Hits", but Satisfaction features on the common MFP collection "Light My Fire" which I find pretty tasty (Respect, Satisfaction, The House That Jack Built are all beaty groovers).
The Donavon track is Hurdy Gurdy Man, is it not? Sounds interesting. Go forth and buy, and let me know how it sounds.

[dr kraken]

Oh, I suppose it also depends on how much "a few pounds" is. I think our friend Boogiejuice managed a fiver on "The Hits" but strangely nobody snapped it up when he listed it with a buy it now price of £15.
Light My Fire is a standard charity shop purchase, so don't lavish too much cash.

[dr kraken]

and you can read me earnestly expressing these exact same views on this thread as well

[emperor tomato ketchup]

I did search the forum on both of these before asking but didn't get a hit. I think it only does the titles. Its 3 euros which is roughly 2 of your earth pounds. I'd have been more likely to get it, as I said, if I hadn't picked out 4 late 60's christian ones.

Yes I think it was Hurdy Gurdy Man - I'm confused as the Anita Lane lp also has a Donovan track (Sunshine Superman I think).

[Lord Thames]

I'm with Dr K on this - Zacharias gets a bad press here, which is much undeserved in my book. At least give 'Mexico Melody' a chance, if you can find it cheap - no violins at all on that one, and I'm told the b-side 'Ton Up' is a decent brassy number too.

I think 'Plays The Hits' is largely the same LP as 'Light My Fire', just the original issue on a proper full-price label.

Oh, and I'll try and post that stuff to you tomorrow, Dr K!

[soundsville]

I have a nice clean copy of this for trade. ZACHARIAS PLAYS THE HITS. Its an Italian pressing too.
Anyone interested in trading?

David