Junior's Eyes

Album: Junior's Eyes
Artist: Junior's Eyes
2015 Esoteric Recordings
CD: ECLEC 22502

Mick Wayne: guitar (all), lead vocals (14, 15)
Mick Docker: vocals (12, 13)
Dave Williams: keys (12, 13)
Richard Dowling: bass (12, 13)
John Beckerman: drums (12, 13)
John 'Honk' Lodge: bass (1-11, 14-25)
Steve Chapman: drums (1-11, 14-17, 20-25)
Rick Wakeman: piano (14, 15)
Graham 'Grom' Kelly: lead vocals (1-11, 16-25)
John Redfern: organ (24, 25)
John 'Cambo' Cambridge: drums (18, 19)
Tim Renwick: guitar (18, 19)

Produced by Tony Visconti (1-11, 14, 15)
Assistant producer: Denny Cordell (1-11)
Remasted by Paschal Byrne
Originally released 1967 (12, 13), 1968 (14, 15), 1969 (1-11, 16-19)
Originally recorded & broadcast 1968 (24, 25)
Original album photography: Eric Hayes
Compilation conceived, researched and compiled by Mark Powell
Package design: Meriel Waissman
Additional project coordination: Vicky Powell

Tracks:
CD1—Battersea Power Station
1. "Battersea Power Station: Total War" [Wayne] (1:11)
2. "Battersea Power Station: Circus Days" [Wayne] (3:42)
3. "Battersea Power Station: Imagination" [Wayne] (6:09)
4. "Battersea Power Station: My Ship" [Wayne] (2:47)
5. "Battersea Power Station: Miss Lizzy" [Wayne] (2:53)
6. "Battersea Power Station: So Embarrassed" [Wayne] (3:18)
7. "Battersea Power Station: Freak in" [Wayne] (1:51)
8. "Playtime" [Wayne] (3:56)
9. "I'm Drowning" [Wayne] (1:26)
10. "White Light" [Wayne] (6:38)
11. "By the Tree" [Wayne] (5:02)

CD2—Singles, Demos & Sessions
As The Tickle:
12. "Subway (Smokey Pokey World)" [Wayne] (2:40)
13. "Good Evening" [Wayne/David Stuart] (2:37)

As Junior's Eyes:
14. "Mr. Golden Trumpet Player" [Wayne] (2:26)
15. "Black Snake" [Wayne] (2:39)
16. "Woman in Love" [Wayne] (2:40)
17. "Circus Days (Single Version)" [Wayne] (2:56)
18. "Star Child" [Wayne] (3:58)
19. "Sink or Swim" [Wayne] (3:26)
20. "White Light (Demo Version)" [Wayne] (5:14)
21. "By the Tree (Demo Version)" [Wayne] (3:51)
22. "Imagination (Demo Version)" [Wayne] (3:47)
23. "Playtime (Demo Version)" [Wayne] (3:58)
24. "Hang Loose (BBC Session, October 1968)" [Wayne] (3:15)
25. "By the Tree (BBC Session October 1968)" [Wayne] (2:17)

Notes (***): Junior's Eyes was led by Mick Wayne (d. 1994). He was in The Outsiders with Jimmy Page (single release in 1965), then joined The Hullaballoos in 1966, latterly with Cambridge on drums. Later in 1966, he joined The Bunch of Fives, initially with Viv Price (drums), Docker (vocals), Williams (keys) and Dowling (bass). Prince was then replaced by Beckerman, and the band changed name to The Tickle. The band's only release was a single, tracks (12, 13) here, on Regal Zonophone as RZ 3004 in Nov 1967, shortly after which they broke up.

In early 1968, Wayne formed Junior's Eyes as a trio, with John 'Candy' Carr on drums. That line-up was short-lived, to be replaced by a new trio of Wayne (guitar, vocals), Lodge (bass) and Chapman (drums). In Jun 1968, they released their debut single (RZ 3009), here (14, 15), which was produced by Tony Visconti and is one of Rick Wakeman's early sessions. Wakeman's piano is prominent on both pieces, although there's nothing here you'd immediately recognise as Wakeman.

Kelly then joined as a dedicated vocalist, allowing Wayne to stick to the guitar. Redfern was briefly a member, thus appearing on an Oct 1968 session for John Peel's Top Gear BBC radio show, 2 tracks of which are included here (24, 25). A single of "Woman in Love" b/w "White Light Part 2" was scheduled for Apr 1969, but abandoned. Instead, May 1969 saw a single of "Circus Days" (17) b/w "Woman in Love" (16), released on Regal Zonophone (RZ 3018).

Their only album, Battersea Power Station (1-11), was released as Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1008 in Jun 1969. Side 1 (1-7) is an extended song suite. That same month, Wayne and Wakeman played on David Bowie's "Space Oddity". Soon after, Cambridge replaced Chapman and Renwick joined on guitar and this line-up doubled as David Bowie's backing band for a period, with Wayne, Renwick, Visconti and Wakeman also recording the Space Oddity album. Junior's Eyes' final recording session was a third single (18, 19), released Aug 1969 (RZ 3023). Their final show was on 3 Feb 1970, the band splitting up when Wayne left London for Los Angeles and a job backing Joe Cocker. Cambridge and Visconti continued working with Bowie. Lodge and Renwick formed Quiver, with Renwick many years later working with Pink Floyd. Wayne would later return to London to join the Pink Fairies for a short time. (HP, 19 Oct 19)

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