The Complete Mercury Singles

Having compiled the singles of such hit-happy artists as Gary Lewis & the Playboys and the Grass Roots, Real Gone Music now turns its attention to another quintessential 60s singles band, Spanky and Our Gang, with a 21-track collection that includes every unique A and B-side the band released on Mercury during their spectacular 1966-69 stint with the label! Led by Elaine Spanky McFarlane, Spanky and Our Gang had a folk-pop sound oft-compared to the Mamas and the Papas, but their harmonies and arrangements were, if anything, a little more sophisticated and varied, incorporating pop and jazz influences (while admittedly lacking a songwriter of the stature of John Phillips). As a result, the music of Spanky & Our Gang has aged better than many of their more self-consciously psychedelic contemporaries; there is a timeless quantity to their sound that explains why songs like Sunday Will Never Be the Same, Lazy Day, and Like to Get to Know You have remained fixtures on oldies radio over the years. You ll hear all those songs and every other unique single side (include two differently-titled and mixed versions of Fred Neil s Everybody s Talkin ) in their original mono single mixes on this collection, which includes liner notes by co-producer Ed Osborne that feature fresh interviews with Spanky McFarlane, producers Jerry Ross and Bob Dorough and arranger Jimmy Wisner along with some great photos. The definitive Spanky and Our Gang single-CD retrospective!