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Produced by Pete Townshend of The Who under the name of Bijou Drains , “Hollywood Dream” was Thunderclap Newman’s only album – and I’d say one of the best one-off by any rock band.

It would be hard to imagine a more unusual gathering of musicians. Speedy Keen looked pretty normal, he played  the drum and sing. And  there was this little kid, Jimmy McCulloch, on the cover with … that was put  on his head? He was the guitarist. Then there was Newman, the pianist, wearing a rumpled cap and smoking a  pipe, like an eccentric professor , not a rock player, all are incredible musicians.

 This  it trumpeted as the arrival of a new pop music genre: “rag and roll”. Really the music could be described as “The Who Goes Ragtime” to mid-tempo timing, and if the tunes do remind one of The Who’s  it’s because Townshend  plays the bass uncredited. Obviously the psychedelic say present.

The record’s tunes are infectious and will start to hook you from the beginning.

The most well known song  is the single “Something in the Air,” which is typical of this band’s sound, featuring atmoshpheric guitar work, tuneful accompanyment on piano and Keene’s peculiar vocals.

This is a brillant album that grows on you with each listening, and one of the few that stand out after years,

If you are a late-60’s Brit-rock fanatic (Small Faces, Who, Kinks, etc.), this is an essential record.

 I highly recommend this musical artifact from the end 60´s – early 70’s, enjoy…

Thunderclap Newman – Hollywood Dream

Original recording reissued, Import

Label: Torchwood Records

The band:

John Speedy Keen – lead vocals, drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, conga, glockenspiel, gong, maracas

Andy Newman – piano, organ, soprano saxophone, bass saxophone, oboe, tin whistle, glockenspiel, cor anglais, Bengali flutes, Japanese battle cymbal, hand bell, Indian finger cymbals, sleigh bells, Chinese temple block, vocals

Jimmy McCulloch – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, maracas, wood block, backing vocals

Additional musicians:

Chris Morphet – harmonica (tracks 4 & 5)

Pete Townshend (originally credited as Bijou Drains) – bass

Ian Green – string arrangement ( Something in the Air )

2000 reissue of classic album (originally issued in 1970) produced by Pete Townshend. Features the hit ‘Something In The Air’ and six unmarked bonus tracks, ‘Something In The Air’ (Single Version), ‘Wilhelmina’, ‘Accidents’ (Single Version), ‘I See It All’, ‘The Reason’ (Single Version) and ‘Stormy Petrel’. 18 tracks in all.

Tracklist:

1. Something In The Air (3:56)

2. Hollywood 1 (3:22)

3. The Reason (4:07)

4. Open The Door, Homer (3:03)

5. Look Around (3:01)

6. Accidents (9:43)

7. Wild Country (4:16)

8. When I Think (3:08)

9. Old Cornmill (4:00)

10. I Don t Know (3:46)

11. Holllywood Dreams (Instrumental) (3:08)

12. Hollywood 2 (2:56)

13. Something In The Air (Single Version) (3:57)

14. Wilhemina (2:59)

15. Accidents (Single Version) (3:48)

16. I See It All (2:48)

17. The Reason (Single Version) (3:49)

18. Stormy Petrel (2:57)

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