Biography
When Decca Records’ A&R representative Tony Hall heard Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg’s ‘Je T’Aime… Moi Non Plus’ at the Antibes festival in the South of France, he immediately recognized the potential of an instrumental version. When the song was duly banned in Britain in 1969 this newly formed and as yet unnamed group recorded a non-sexy version retitled ‘Love At First Sight’ which later became a Top 20 hit. After the recording session, Hall played a finished tape to Paul McCartney who casually remarked, ‘sounds nice’, thereby giving the group a name. Although the hit duo never charted again, their line-up was particularly interesting. Tim Mycroft, after stints with the Freewheelers, the Third Ear Band and Gun, had decided to concentrate on writing and collaborated with arranger Paul Buckmaster. The third man behind the hit was producer Gus Dudgeon, who had recently enjoyed hits with David Bowie, Locomotive and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Buckmaster and Dudgeon went on to work successfully with Elton John.
Album & Cover
Cover Location:
Who Did What: Photography – A. Powell. Cover Design – Hipgnosis. Graphics – Tom Schlesinger. Photography By [Cover] – Hendin. Art Direction – Curtis McNair
Label: Rare Earth RS512(US), Parlophone PCS7089(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Side One Love At First Sight La Peregrination Gauloise Flying Iron Mountain I Heard It Through The Grapevine |
Side Two Sleepless Night (“La Jeanne”) Why Do I Do It? King Kong Love You, Too Continental Exchange Summers’s End |
Credits
Arranged By, Stylophone – Paul Buckmaster
Bass – Brian Hodges, Dave Richmond, Herbie Flowers
Drums – Clem Cattini, Dougie Wright, Terry Cox
Executive Producer, Stylophone – Tony Hall
Guitar – Chris Spedding, Eric Ford, Martin Kershaw, Mike Morgan
Keyboards, Piano, Stylophone – Tim Mycroft
Percussion – Dennis Lopez
Producer – Gus Dudgeon
Recorded By – Jeff Jarratt
Strings – Dennis Moonan, Reg Leopold, Sidney Sax
