Forgotten series: The Hullaballoos – England’s Newest Singing Sensations; On Hulabaloo (2000)

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The Hullaballoos had everything going for them. Great songs, charisma, bleached blonde hair and smiles wider than an elephant’s waistline. They also came from the United Kingdom, which back then, was an instant ticket to success.

Made up of Rick Knight, Andrew Wooton, Geoffrey Mortimer and Harold Dunn, the Hullaballoos attracted the attention of Columbia Records in 1964, where they delivered a single, a cover of Buddy Holly’s “I’m Gonna Love You Too.” The New York-based Roulette label soon caught wind of these cute and cuddly lads, and offered them a deal. “I’m Gonna Love You Too” was then reissued by the record company and transpired into a minor hit. The Hullaballoos went onto assemble a pair of albums for the Roulette label in 1965, which have both been slapped onto this compact disc.

As expected, “I’m Gonna Love You Too” appears on the band’s first album, England’s Newest Singing Sensations, while further tracks like “Beware,” “Did You Ever,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Every Night” and “Wouldn’t You Like To Know” key right in on their flair for replicating Beatleseque beauty, bliss and banter.

The band’s next and final album, On Hullabaloo (they were indeed regular guests on the much loved television show of the same name) attested to be yet another highly enjoyable set of groovy sounds. Carpeted wall to wall with fluid harmonies, fidgety rhythms and choppy guitar licks, “I Won’t Turn You Away,” “My Heart Keeps Telling Me” and “Better Change Your Ways” check in as particular chestnuts.

As attested by renditions of “Rave On,” “Learning The Game” and “That’ll Be The Day,” the band’s Buddy Holly fixation continued to loom large here.

Although the Hullaballoos never scaled the commercial heights as many of their contemporaries, they did bask in the sun for a very brief moment. Their music was well-conceived and certainly on par with the best work of Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman’s Hermits, Freddie and the Dreamers and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.

England’s Newest Singing Sensations and On Hullabaloo were combined into one set in 2000 by Collectables Records.

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Beverly Paterson