In the pop maelstrom of the mid 60s, where The Beatles ruled the Liverpool scene, the Animals held sway in Newcastle and the Stones and the Yardbirds fought over South London, a sharp-suited Croydon-based beat group was quietly making a name for itself.
From 1964 to 1967, The Quiet Five were the toast of the town, packing out all the usual local haunts and touring countrywide with the pop aristocracy, supporting The Beatles, the Byrds and the Rolling Stones. If you enjoyed a package tour at the Fairfield, The Quiet Five were inevitably on the bill.
At one time it appeared that their recorded output would remain a handful of hard-to-find singles, but now, thanks to the diligence of former guitarist and vocalist Kris Ife, a complete collection of their recordings is available on CD.
When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew contains 18 tracks comprising all the singles, A and B sides including their sole US-only release, and six previously unreleased demo recordings, one of which features PJ Proby as guest singer.
Their studio material was strong, with I Am Waiting given to the band by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, while the Paul Simon classic Homeward Bound should have produced a bigger hit than it did.
The CD highlights the vocal talent within the band and shows that, even by 60s standards, they were a cut-above.
The Quiet Five undeniably had the talent, but alongside so many hardworking groups in the sixties, all they lacked was the lucky break.
When the Morning Sun
Dries the Dew is available
on RPM Records (RPM 308)
from all good record stores.
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