During last week's post tracing the history of bands called The Sweet, we discovered that the band most famous for using that name started out calling themselves Unit 4. Ernie then suggested a post devoted to that particular namesake. Always up for a challenge, I began to wander the dusty corridors of discogs... with no idea of what was awaiting me.
UNIT 4 #1
In 1962, Brian Parker, David 'Buster' Meikle, singer Tommy Moeller (the brother of Whistling Jack Smith) and Peter Moules came together as Unit 4, apparently choosing the name because it represented the fourth and final segment of Pick of the Pops, the bit that featured the Top 10. Soon after, they were joined by Russ Ballard and Bob Henrit, meaning that there were now six of them. Unit 6? Too obvious! Let's call ourselves Unit 4 + 2 to point out we've got a couple of Johnny Come Latelys on board who were never part of the original ensemble and probably won't make anything of themselves.
Russ Ballard would go on to become the lead singer of Argent. He also wrote New York Groove by Hello, So You Win Again by Hot Chocolate, You Can Do Magic by America, No More The Fool by Elkie Brooks and Since You've Been Gone by Rainbow.
Bob Henrit was also a founding member of Argent, and later replaced Mick Avory in The Kinks. Keith Moon named Henrit as one of his favourite drummers.
I'm only telling you all this to save Ernie the job.
I tried to find something Unit 4 recorded as a foursome, but couldn't. Which means I'm going to have to go with their huge 1965 Number One. It doesn't seem fair on the other contenders this week to put them up against one of the best pop songs of the 60s. But that's the way the cookie crumbles. Cue cowbell...
UNIT 4 #2
Also in 1962, another band took the name Unit 4. Their original line-up was Chris Wright, Jan Frewer, Jim Searle and Alfred Fripp, none of whom would go on to join The Sweet or Deep Purple. Realising someone else had nabbed their name first, they then switched to calling themselves Wainwright's Gentlemen, after which Mick Tucker and Ian Gillan would join, preparing the way for both The Sweet and Deep Purple. No audio exists from their Unit 4 days, so here's one of the few surviving recordings of Wainwright's Gentlemen...
UNIT FOUR #3
A reggae instrumental from 1976, this was the b-side of Discipline by The Prophets. It's the same tune, just without The Prophets singing over the top.
UNIT FOUR #4
Another instrumental, this one categorised as "Jazz, Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country, Stage & Screen" by discogs, but it sounds more like an ELO b-side to me. The opening track of an album called Danciing Grass, released in 1980. I couldn't find any of the other tracks, but I didn't look very hard.
UNIT 4 #5
Lut Van Den Bulck, Myriam Dockx, Marleen Robeyns and Karin Cornelis became the Belgian Unit 4 in 1980. Discogs tells me they only recorded 4 songs (I'm guessing one a year as they packed it in by 1983), but I was lucky enough to find one of them on the web of lies. Not bad for what it is.
UNIT4 #6
Japanese ensemble from the late 90s. This is a lot more listenable than I expected a song called "Go Pumpin'" to be. (I presume it's about filling your car up with petrol.)
UNIT 4 #7
I might not have included this, except that Ernie recommended it last week.
Mother always told me, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. ("Leave saying the bad things to George," she said.) Actually, she didn't. My mum loves having a good whinge. Still. This is 8 1/2 minutes long, so George - you don't have to listen to the whole thing! I managed about 15 seconds in total, in small bursts, skipping forward to see if anything interesting might happen. (It didn't.)
UNIT 4 #8
How about we close with some Israeli jazz? Any takers?
I have no idea why so many bands have chosen this particular moniker (and there were a couple more lost to the sands of time), but I hope at least one of them has brightened your morning...
