Love Sculpture


Love Sculpture were a Welsh blues rock band of the late 1960s, led by Dave Edmunds, plus bassist John David and drummer Rob "Congo" Jones.

Career

Love Sculpture was founded in Cardiff in 1966 by former members of The Human Beans. The group disbanded in 1970, although Edmunds went on to enjoy solo success in the 1970s. Love Sculpture mostly performed blues standards, slightly revved-up, but still close to the originals. Their debut album, Blues Helping, included such songs as "Summertime" and "Wang Dang Doodle".
They are best known for their 1968 novelty hit in the UK Singles Chart, a high speed cover version of the classical piece "Sabre Dance" by Aram Khachaturian, released on the Parlophone label, which reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1968. The recording was inspired by Keith Emerson's classical rearrangements. "Sabre Dance" became a hit after receiving air play by British DJ John Peel, who was so impressed that he played it twice in one programme. In December 1968, the UK music magazine, NME, reported that Love Sculpture had signed a US recording contract with London Records, guaranteeing £250,000. The band were also given an invitation to perform "Sabre Dance" live, on the German Beat-Club television programme of Radio Bremen, being broadcast in monochrome at that time.
This was followed by a second album Forms and Feelings, with songs including: "In The Land of the Few", "Farandole", "People People", "Seagull ", written by Paul Korda, and the equally fast cover of Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me". The US version of the album also featured a recording of "Mars" from Gustav Holst's The Planets, but Holst's estate refused to license the tune for the UK version.
They recorded three times for BBC Radio 1's John Peel sessions in 1968 and 1969.
In 1970 Mickey Gee joined the band as a second guitarist, and Terry Williams replaced Rob Jones on drums.
Love Sculpture split up after a US tour, having recorded two albums. Edmunds shortly went on to further number one hit success with "I Hear You Knocking", and collaborated heavily with ex-Brinsley Schwarz bassist Nick Lowe, eventually forming the band Rockpile with him.

Discography

Albums

''Blues Helping'' – (December 1968) – [Parlophone]

  1. "The Stumble"
  2. "3 O'Clock Blues"
  3. "I Believe to My Soul"
  4. "So Unkind"
  5. "Summertime"
  6. "On The Road Again"
  7. "Don't Answer the Door"
  8. "Wang-Dang-Doodle"
  9. "Come Back Baby"
  10. "Shake Your Hips"
  11. "Blues Helping"

    2007 Esoteric Records release Bonus Tracks

  12. "Morning Dew"
  13. "It's A Wonder"
  14. "River To Another Day"
  15. "Brand New Woman"
  1. "In the Land of the Few" – 3:55
  2. "Seagull" – 3:28
  3. "Nobody's Talking" – 3:37
  4. "Why " – 7:42
  5. "Farandole" – 3:42
  6. "You Can't Catch Me" – 3:25
  7. "People People" – 3:23
  8. "Mars" – 1:58
  9. "Sabre Dance" – 11:12

    2007 Esoteric Records release Bonus Tracks

  10. "Think Of Love"
  11. "Seagull"
  12. "Farandole
  13. "In The Land Of The Few"
  14. "People People"
  15. "Sabre Dance"
Both albums were reissued in May 2008, remastered and with bonus tracks.

Singles