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JOHNNY & THE ORBITS – Strange Kind of Feeling / Out of the Blue (Ugly Pop) 7”
A unique discovery: two rather fine, previously unreleased British Beat numbers sourced from a seven-inch acetate recorded in London circa 1966.
The group—unnamed at the time posthumously christened Johnny & the Orbits—were John Linnell on guitar and vocals, Dale Nixon on bass, and John Harvey on drums. Both songs were written by Linnell, by all accounts a remarkable man, who had been blind since childhood but still managed to train as a physiotherapist, working at the time at Edgware Hospital in North London while also pursuing a career as a songwriter and musician. Linnell put a group together around 1966 to record some of his original compositions to shop around to publishers and managers. Three songs were recorded at a small studio in the Harrow area, two of which have been dusted off for release here.
On the A-side, “Strange Kind of Feeling” is a propulsive beat number with a nice spooky bridge section, while the moodier “Out of the Blue” switches between brisk DC5-like stomp ‘n’ shout and wistful, melodic sections with Beatlesque acoustic guitar touches.
The single has a personal connection for Ugly Pop label owner (and UT writer) Simon Harvey: his father was the drummer, the acetate a family artifact that had been tucked away for almost sixty years. Pressed in a limited edition of 200 copies, the 45 comes is a nicely designed pocket sleeve and includes an insert with liner notes by Harvey.
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