- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Seventies'
- Release Date: '14.8.26.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK1240'
Our Rating:
This is the first full re-issue of The Fox's debut album For Fox Sake that was originally released in 1970. The Fox were Winston Wetherill, Tim Reeves and Stephen Brayne who recorded at Regent Sounds in London. The album was engineered by Richard Millard, Robin Sylvester and Roy Thomas Baker and remastered by Prof Stoned. The Bonus material features original lead singer and one of the bands songwriters Nick Apostiledes. The band lost their record deal after the bands management started concentrating on their next signing, some band called Black Sabbath, whatever happened to them.
The album opens with Secondhand Love a Hammond organ led plea to get down and move on from your Secondhand Love and go back to your main man. Lovely Day is hazy psychedelic imprecations to have a lovely day with The Fox getting up to all sorts and having a lovely time together, with a gritty guitar solo and that sense that they are all for the Peace and Love world they want to create, in perfect harmony with the Hammond organ swirling through this album.
As She Walks Away to the sounds of the Hammond and swirls of guitar, leaving them to hope she returns. They are sad and forlorn that she has her arms wrapped around another guy, they wonder if they said the wrong thing or was it just a sign of the times, the fleeting love promised in the hippy dreams delicate guitar.
Glad I Could just move on to another girl, the fleeting romance of the late 60's and early 70's carries on, he's certain no one could love her like they did, of course not. Butterfly is one of two songs on the album about the lust they felt towards Sally Oldfield, this slowly builds around some sweet acoustic guitars, all the wondrous fantasies and dreams they have of turning her into the love of their lives, while picking at the guitars sitar style.
Look In The Sky is a message many a hippy seer had told them, so they lay back and gazed upwards seeking inspiration, trying not to go insane, while the Hammond and guitars freak out, flying off in a few directions, finally they can see what the fuss is about.
Goodtime Music is a barrel house piano led strut and preen to the joys of Goodtime Music and how much fun they have dancing and playing it, on a song that with the right promotion and a poppier mix could easily have been a hit.
Mr Blank sounds like a proto-Mott The Hopple song, this is prime time Psychedelia, they want to be frank with you and let you know exactly why you are they way you are. Man In A Fast Car is driving off with your woman again, they want to warn her not to get in that Fast Car, the fling will be over faster than he can go from 0-60MPH, don't let him make a fool of you.
Birthday Card is full of the sentiments you want to put in her Birthday Card in the hopes that she will once again fall into your loving arms, this has a bucolic psych pop feel. Madame Magical the bands best known song, another one in love and lust with Sally Oldfield, features the first use of the fairground noises that would eventually feature on Queen's Brighton Rock, this is an intense 9 minute journey into all the ways Madame Magical casts her spell over them, a real psychedelic operetta.
The bonus material opens with Mr Blank (Regent Sound Demo) that is lower-fi with more upfront vocals that make clear exactly why he needs to be frank with Mr Blank about all his bad behaviour, this shows plenty of promise and sounds like a hit in the making.
Secondhand Love (Regent Sound demo) has that Hammond undertow to this song of lust and regret, its time to move onto the next love in your parade.
Lovely Day (Original Day) is Hammond centric with some good guitar blasts adding to the feelings of peace and love they are projecting, but this is all about that Hammond part that has some Graham Bond stylings. The album closes with Mr Blank (Original Demo) that shows again they knew this was the band's best chance at a hit, this has the guitars more upfront while the lyrics seem less bitter and twisted compared to the album version.
Find out more at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/597374 https://thinklikeakey.bandcamp.com/album/for-fox-sake-2026-remaster
