Gary Walker & The Rain "Album No. 1" (1968)
Joey Molland died on March 1, 2025. The English guitarist and songwriter was the last surviving member of the classic lineup of Badfinger, the '70's power pop band who were the one of the first acts signed to the Beatles' Apple Records label. Molland died at age 77 from complications of diabetes.
Molland's very first recording was made with a band called Gary Walker & The Rain, whose one and only album, titled Album No. 1, was released only in Japan in 1968, and was unavailable elsewhere for decades. Album No. 1 was eventually released on CD in the U.S. (on Distortions Records, cat. no. DR 1011) in 1993, 25 years after it was recorded. Band leader Gary Walker was also known as Gary Leeds, who had previously been the drummer for the Standells (before their "Dirty Water" days) and the Walker Brothers (a trio of unrelated Americans who were popular in the U.K.). The Rain was rounded out by British singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Crane (aka Charlie Crane of the Cryin' Shames) and bassist John Lawson. Their album is now easier to come by than it once was, as it is available digitally from Apple Music. It is worth discovering for connoisseurs of '60's rock -- but good luck to anyone who tries to obtain an original Japanese vinyl pressing.
The Rain's music was derived from British Merseybeat, with touches of psychedelia added. The album opens with a longish psychedelic tune called "Magazine Woman", loaded with spacey guitar sounds and vocal effects. "Francis" mixes psych guitar sounds with Beatlesque vocals. By contrast, "The Sun Shines" and "Take A Look" have a more straightforward Beatlesque likability. Blue-eyed soul tones are noticeable on "I Can't Stand To Lose You", "I Promise To Love You", and "Doctor Doctor". The cover of Mike Sharpe's "Spooky" is based on the popular Classics IV version, and is nearly identical to it, except for the more noticeable bits of psych noodles.
There isn't much here to remind us of the Walker Brothers' orchestral pop, but some tracks do foreshadow Badfinger's power pop, such as "The View", "Thoughts Of An Old Man", the slightly soulful "Doctor Doctor", and the gentle British-psych song "Market Tavern". If you're looking for a Standells connection, you probably won't be disappointed by the Rain's garage rock rendition of the Drifters' "If You Don't Come Back", a long jam worthy of inclusion on a Nuggets compilation -- although it sounds more like the Fab Four were jamming in that garage.
Album No. 1 is a good, sturdy album that has been unjustly overlooked, and deserved wider distribution than it received in its day.
Gary Walker & The Rain "Album No. 1" (Philips SFX-7133) 1968
Track Listing:
1. Magazine Woman
2. The Sun Shines
3. Doctor Doctor
4. I Can’t Stand To Lose You
5. Market Tavern
6. Spooky
7. Take A Look
8. The View
9. If You Don’t Come Back
10. Thoughts Of An Old Man
11. Francis
12. I Promise To Love You
13. Whatever Happened To Happy
Molland's very first recording was made with a band called Gary Walker & The Rain, whose one and only album, titled Album No. 1, was released only in Japan in 1968, and was unavailable elsewhere for decades. Album No. 1 was eventually released on CD in the U.S. (on Distortions Records, cat. no. DR 1011) in 1993, 25 years after it was recorded. Band leader Gary Walker was also known as Gary Leeds, who had previously been the drummer for the Standells (before their "Dirty Water" days) and the Walker Brothers (a trio of unrelated Americans who were popular in the U.K.). The Rain was rounded out by British singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Crane (aka Charlie Crane of the Cryin' Shames) and bassist John Lawson. Their album is now easier to come by than it once was, as it is available digitally from Apple Music. It is worth discovering for connoisseurs of '60's rock -- but good luck to anyone who tries to obtain an original Japanese vinyl pressing.
The Rain's music was derived from British Merseybeat, with touches of psychedelia added. The album opens with a longish psychedelic tune called "Magazine Woman", loaded with spacey guitar sounds and vocal effects. "Francis" mixes psych guitar sounds with Beatlesque vocals. By contrast, "The Sun Shines" and "Take A Look" have a more straightforward Beatlesque likability. Blue-eyed soul tones are noticeable on "I Can't Stand To Lose You", "I Promise To Love You", and "Doctor Doctor". The cover of Mike Sharpe's "Spooky" is based on the popular Classics IV version, and is nearly identical to it, except for the more noticeable bits of psych noodles.
There isn't much here to remind us of the Walker Brothers' orchestral pop, but some tracks do foreshadow Badfinger's power pop, such as "The View", "Thoughts Of An Old Man", the slightly soulful "Doctor Doctor", and the gentle British-psych song "Market Tavern". If you're looking for a Standells connection, you probably won't be disappointed by the Rain's garage rock rendition of the Drifters' "If You Don't Come Back", a long jam worthy of inclusion on a Nuggets compilation -- although it sounds more like the Fab Four were jamming in that garage.
Album No. 1 is a good, sturdy album that has been unjustly overlooked, and deserved wider distribution than it received in its day.
Gary Walker & The Rain "Album No. 1" (Philips SFX-7133) 1968
Track Listing:
1. Magazine Woman
2. The Sun Shines
3. Doctor Doctor
4. I Can’t Stand To Lose You
5. Market Tavern
6. Spooky
7. Take A Look
8. The View
9. If You Don’t Come Back
10. Thoughts Of An Old Man
11. Francis
12. I Promise To Love You
13. Whatever Happened To Happy
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