Comments on: The Flames “The Flame” http://therisingstorm.net/the-flames-the-flame/ | therisingstorm.net Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:03:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: donkey_shot http://therisingstorm.net/the-flames-the-flame/comment-page-1/#comment-75245 donkey_shot Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:36:38 +0000 http://therisingstorm.net/?p=3617#comment-75245 I own this album and it truly is a long-lost pop gem. These guys definitely knew how to play and the harmony vocals are quite superb. The Flame arrived in the US with a string of South African hits under their belt; one notable single (`68) being a hammond-heavy cover of "You Keep Me Hanging on". A cover however of the psych-tinged Vanilla Fudge version, not The Supremes! While parts of the record sound a little derivative of latter-day Beatles (especially Abbey Road), the compositional quality of most songs is well above average. Both Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin went on to fame and fortune as session men and (in Blondie`s case) long-time backing vocals for the Rolling Stones. "The Flame" is for anyone who enjoys the harder edge of late-period Beatles or Beach Boys, or the power pop magic of Badfinger. All we need now is for Brother Records to give this album (and the unreleased follow-up!) the kind of reissue treatment given to, say Dennis Wilson`s "Pacific Ocean Blue" to elevate this minor masterpiece to the posthumous status it deserves. I own this album and it truly is a long-lost pop gem. These guys definitely knew how to play and the harmony vocals are quite superb. The Flame arrived in the US with a string of South African hits under their belt; one notable single (`68) being a hammond-heavy cover of “You Keep Me Hanging on”. A cover however of the psych-tinged Vanilla Fudge version, not The Supremes!

While parts of the record sound a little derivative of latter-day Beatles (especially Abbey Road), the compositional quality of most songs is well above average. Both Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin went on to fame and fortune as session men and (in Blondie`s case) long-time backing vocals for the Rolling Stones.

“The Flame” is for anyone who enjoys the harder edge of late-period Beatles or Beach Boys, or the power pop magic of Badfinger. All we need now is for Brother Records to give this album (and the unreleased follow-up!) the kind of reissue treatment given to, say Dennis Wilson`s “Pacific Ocean Blue” to elevate this minor masterpiece to the posthumous status it deserves.

]]> By: Rick Brown http://therisingstorm.net/the-flames-the-flame/comment-page-1/#comment-67964 Rick Brown Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:25:57 +0000 http://therisingstorm.net/?p=3617#comment-67964 The Flame album WAS issued in 1970. I bought my first copy then after seeing them open for The Beach Boys at the Whisky A-Go-Go. It was never issued in 1978. The Flame album WAS issued in 1970. I bought my first copy then after seeing them open for The Beach Boys at the Whisky A-Go-Go. It was never issued in 1978.

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