Around the BBC
Artist: Grapefruit
Label: RPM
Times: 14 tracks/33:24
URL: http://www.rpmrecords.co.uk

Grapefruit was a band seemingly destined for greatness. Being backed, launched and even named by the Fab Four, their music was some of the first released on Apple. Gathered around George Alexander, born Alexander Young, older brother of the Easybeats' George Young, a songwriter signed to the Beatles' Apple label and filled out by former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, Grapefruit's music started out as upbeat harmony pop with lovely orchestral baroque/psychedelic arrangements by producer Terry Melcher.

_Around the BBC_ gathers all the known remaining radio session recordings of Grapefruit and offers an otherwise unheard, stripped-down side of the band. "Dear Delilah," the band's best known track, is sandwiched between two never-issued tracks: "Breaking Up A Dream" and "Trying To Make It To Monday." This opening trio features Alexander's signature clever lyrics and wonderful melodic sensibility and showcases a very apt live band. Spot on harmonies, creative keyboards, solid drumming and inventive bass playing are showcased throughout this 14 track set. Even a badly out of tune rhythm guitar can't negate the pumping fun of the Four Seasons' "C'mon Marianne." Other standouts include "Elevator," Denny Laine's "Say You Don't Mind," and "Round Going Round." The band pretty much abandoned the harmonies, pop melodicism, and creative multi-textured arrangements and went for a much heavier, bluesier sound when Bob Ware joined in Spring of 1969. This career-ending move is evident in a very ordinary cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody." Of the two tracks that close this set and feature the "new" Grapefruit sound, "Deep Water" shows the obvious talent of Alexander's writing skills and saves the day. Closer "Thunder and Lightning" sounds like a bad Foghat outtake.

Introductions by BBC deejays are endearing and annoying at the same time. Several interviews with band members are a nice inclusion here. Although many of the band's singles did fairly well on the British charts, nothing happened for them in the U.S. Around the BBC gives a good look at another side of a group that had much more to offer than being just a band formed and supported by the Beatles.

Trivia question: Which Beatle named the Grapefruit and what were they named for?

Bob Felberg  September 20, 2007