THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND

The Chocolate Watchband never charted a record nationally. Indeed, ask most  casual 1960s rock fans about them and you'll probably get little more than a blank stare. Most will remember their AVI Records labelmates the Standells more clearly, because they actually managed to chart a few singles. Alas, the Watchband had the disadvantage of being a punkier band than the Standells, and suffering continual lineup changes.

The Chocolate Watchband was a mod-outfitted garage punk unit par excellence, their sound founded on English-style R&B with a special fixation on the Rolling Stones at their most sneering. After hooking up with producer Ed Cobb, a former member of the 1950s vocal ensemble the Four Preps, the group released No Way Out in mid-1967, though the Watchband had already begun breaking up. A new incarnation carried them through 1967, though the band's existence as a viable performing unit were all but over. The group's producers had other ideas, however, releasing two more albums (The Inner Mystique, One Step Beyond) in 1968 and 1969, sporting the band's name but not too much else associated with the group.

That would probably have been the end of the group's story, but in the early '80s, record buyers and, more particularly, young musicians discovered the Watchband. A set of Australian reissues of the group's albums quickly found a market in America and Europe. Thus, it was no surprise when, in 1994, Sundazed Records reissued the complete Watchband catalog on compact disc. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

VIRGIN SLEEP

Originally known as the Themselves, the Virgin Sleep was formed in 1966 by Alan Barnes, Keith Purnell, Rick Quilty, and Tony Rees. Following their name change, the group was signed to English Decca's Deram label in 1967, and they debuted on record that year with "Love," a punkish piece of psychedelic rock with strong Eastern overtones (including a sitar twanging in the background). Their follow-up recording, "Secret," released in 1968, was dominated by the sound of a Mellotron and a small string orchestra. The group disappeared after 1968, but their four surviving Deram songs have been anthologized on various collections of '60s music, such as The Psychedelic Scene. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

TIMEBOX

The roots of Timebox lay in local band Take 5 in 1965 in Southport, a small northern English coastal town (situated near Liverpool). After a succession of interpersonal incidents, which led to the vocalist quitting, the band was left in disorder. Fellow local act the Music Students (who featured 15-year-old drummer Peter Halsall, a great drummer who was also proving himself on a majesty of other instruments) were facing similar problems. Halsall, Chris Holmes (piano), and Kevan Foggerty (vocals) teamed up with Clive Griffiths as Take 5 and, very soon after, turned professional and headed towards London. Taken under the wing of the George Cooper agency, they were soon working on package tours with the Kinks, the Small Faces, Tommy Quickly, and Lou Christie, as well as striking up a residency at the legendary the Whiskey a Go Go. With two singers leaving (Liggett quit, then Frank Dixon unfortunately contracted tuberculosis) U.S. singer John Henry was drafted in and the band changed their name to Timebox -- an American term for a prison cell. Signed to Piccadilly in February 1967, their debut single, "I'll Always Love You" b/w "Save Your Soul," produced by John Schroeder, was released and displayed an early jazz-tinged, soulful talent.

Following this, more turns of fate occurred, with ex-G.I. Henry being whipped back off to the U.S.A by officials and Dean going down with tuberculosis (a spooky repeat). That April, the strictly instrumental 45 "Soul Sauce"/"I Wish I Could Jerk Like My Uncle Cyril" showed the band walking similar lines to Manfred Mann: airing competence but little imagination. Mike Patto, who had played with the Bo Street Runners and the Chicago Line (along with ex-Pretty Thing Viv Prince), joined Timebox after a few illustrious jams and took on a prominent role as vocalist and songwriter. When yet another drummer (Foggerty) quit, things once again went astray; luckily, however, the stool was soon filled by ex-Felder's Orioles' drummer John Halsey. Peter Halsall (now commonly known as "Ollie") was displaying a high degree of aptitude on guitar, as well as regular diversions into the vibes. His trademark sound of both searing guitar and mellow vibes was to the fore in the ensuing records.

Timebox soon became a hot live act. Many who saw them claimed Timebox to be one of the first rock bands in London to really explore jazz in a rock context. A wonderful performance at the Windsor Jazz Festival on August 12, 1967, caught the eye of Decca producer Gus Dudgeon, who immediately signed them to the label's subsidiary Deram. The first 45, a fantastic version of Tim Hardins "Don't Make Promises," was backed by the even better Ollie original "Walking Through the Streets of My Mind," which combined sharp blue-eyed soul harmonies with a psychedelic arrangement. The follow-up -- again a classic example of British soul -- was a cover of the Four Seasons' "Beggin" and reached number 38 in the charts. At the sessions that produced the hit, a slew of unreleased material -- some of the band's best -- was also  recorded and airs the beginning of the Patto/Halsall songwriting partnership. All of these unreleased songs are compiled on The Deram Anthology and are essential listening for anyone with the slightest interest in quality late-'60s rock. The problem was that even Deram viewed Timebox as a pop band, and so the more experimental songs were left in the can while the silly sing-a-long tune "Baked Jam Roll in Your Eye," written for fun when the band members were drunk, was the next release in March 1969. It's styling was a little too late for the era of novelty psychedelia, and of no interest to the more rock-oriented record buyer; the flip-side, the tough "Poor Little Heartbreaker," would have been a far better choice.

By the summer of 1969, things were turning sour. The final release, "Yellow Taxi," was a great record and polite enough for airplay, but was banned due to the nature of the lyrics. This really was the end of the road for Timebox who had had a hard time at the best of times. The nucleus of the band merged into Patto, who released three albums in the 1970s. ~ Jon 'Mojo' Mills, All Music Guide