One&Done @ A&M: Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends / (self-titled) SP/LP 4139

JOv2

Well-Known Member
  • Comments, questions, conjectures and stories are welcomed.
  • Released in 1968
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Back in the early days of this forum, there were a few discussions of this album. It was somewhat of a rarity and I'd never heard of it. The cover art was probably seen by me on some A&M innersleeve somewhere, but it didn't mean anything to me back then.

One of my first eBay purchases was a Japanese compilation of Burt Bacharach songs and it included "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends. After a few listens, I was impressed with the vocals and harmonies, and began the quest for the original album. At that time, A&M Japan had just put out THE COMPLETE ROGER NICHOLS & THE SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS CD. It contained the album plus five non-album singles. I decided to order it as a nearly blind purchase, and it was the typical price from Japan - somewhere under $30 plus some shipping, so it wasn't cheap.

After the appropriate amount of time, it arrived in the mail one Saturday afternoon. I still recall sitting down in my living room up north and putting on this CD. As it started, I began to get just a twitch of buyer's regret as I really had no experience with any of these songs. But "Don't Take Your Time" was actually a good track to begin the proceedings, and with each new track unfolding, my smile got larger.

I was hooked. It's become one of my true favorite albums - and I sought to get "closer" to its origins by trying to find a vinyl copy. At that time on eBay, you could still see some info about who was bidding against you, and there were very few "Buy It Now" listings. They were pretty much all auctions at the time. I noticed that the same Japanese guy was buying virtually every copy that came up for listing - and he seemed to have no limit on the amount he was willing to spend. Again and again these albums went for over $100, and I couldn't figure out why he wanted so many. He won a lot of the auctions. But I persevered and manage to win a somewhat lesser-quality copy. I wanted it more for the vinyl cover and experience. I was pretty happy with the CD.

Around this same time, I located an earlier Japanese CD release of the album, one without the bonus tracks. With favored albums, I always enjoy having it available to me without bonus tracks - the way it was meant to be. I know I could just turn off my CD after track 12, but there was also the original artwork and liner notes on this earlier CD.

So with two CD copies and an LP, I entered the 21st century. Revola in the UK managed to license the album and they were adding one additional extra track, "St. Bernie the Sno-Dog". I had to have it - again, new liner notes, and this awful extra song. It deserved to be buried!

Finally, in 2012, A&M Japan released this album again - they seem to do it often - and this time it was packaged as a deluxe SHM set of two CDs. One was the main album with bonus tracks all in stereo, the other was the original album in its mono-promo state, with mono bonus tracks. I ordered this set more to hear any extra nuances that SHM might bring (knowing full well that it wouldn't bring any!) and was less excited about the mono disc. I figured they'd all be fold downs - but it wasn't so. Every mono track on the original album was a unique, dedicated mono mix, making the album sound all new again. Once again, that smile that found its way to my face when I first heard the album reappeared as I drove my car down to grab some lunch.

I suddenly flashed back to that Japanese guy who kept outbidding me. Was he an A&M Japan employee tasked with locating every copy of the album, looking for pristine vinyl to needledrop on a later release?
 
It's too bad it took decades for this group to record again. But I understand why Roger Nichols got out of the music business.

And it's disappointing that I found a sealed copy of this record for a great price, only to find out it had gotten a pinch warp from being exposed to heat on one edge. There was a vinyl reissue in recent years but I don't trust it, as it wasn't an official Universal release.
 
My story isn't as interesting as Harry's, but here it is: Like everyone else out here I had seen the LP listed in the inner sleeves since the late '60s; however, I had no interest in rock music per se until round about 1980, and so based on the look of LP jacket front cover photo I passed. I was working in a music store in the late '80s and the LP came in used -- so I took it home out of curiosity. I immediately knew it was not a "rock" LP given the recognizable song covers -- as well as the seemingly odd rear cover photo. The first playing didn't do much...I thought it was like a few really good college glee club singers cutting an album....however, the last song (Can I Go? by Nichols), the two Spoonful covers, and Snow Queen were haunting me...slowly I came to like the LP -- and today it remains one of my favourite pop LPs.

I think A&M really missed the boat with Roger Nichols and Emitt Rhodes: both were top-of-the-mark songwriters that should have had strong, memorable recording careers for the label.
 
I think the recording issue with Nichols is that he probably didn't like making records. Far as I can tell, he never recorded anything past that album, up until several years ago. So that's a gap that spans decades. I feel as though he was more comfortable as a composer than a performer. And even there, I gather that he was tired of the music business and went into desigining jewelry (he has a studio out on the west coast where he's done this for decades).
 
I had the same first reaction as JO. At first spin, it sounded really hokey and plastic. But the songs are so good, I kept listening, and now it’s one of my favorites.

Would of been interesting to see where they went next had they recorded a follow up. But as Roger said in an interview, shortly after this lp was released, Herb signed the Carpenters and the Small Circle of Friends was overshadowed. (I guess because they’re similar in style)
 
I had the same first reaction as JO. At first spin, it sounded really hokey and plastic. But the songs are so good, I kept listening, and now it’s one of my favorites
I recall when I first dropped the needle on Don't Take Your Time...immediately after hearing that 2/4 polka drum beat I thought one word: Herb. I was then surprised to hear nothing remotely TJB in sound. I do recall appreciating Love So Fine much more after hearing Nichols' version.
 
I recall when I first dropped the needle on Don't Take Your Time...immediately after hearing that 2/4 polka drum beat I thought one word: Herb. I was then surprised to hear nothing remotely TJB in sound. I do recall appreciating Love So Fine much more after hearing Nichols' version.
To me "Love So Fine" is the Standout thanks to hearing Herb's Version first I finally got to hear Nichols version in 2016 and I was hooked
 
"Love So Fine" by Nichols is pure pop perfection in under two minutes!
 
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I need to listen to this one again. I first got intrigued by it from seeing the Roger Nichols name on A&M innersleeves, and then finding out who he was by seeing songwriter credits. So when the CD-with-bonus-tracks came out, I decided to get it along with a few other Japan items at the same time. But I don't really remember being that impressed with it or remember much about it. It could be like the Pisano and Ruff CD -- might not grow on a person immediately.
 
I need to listen to this one again. I first got intrigued by it from seeing the Roger Nichols name on A&M innersleeves, and then finding out who he was by seeing songwriter credits. So when the CD-with-bonus-tracks came out, I decided to get it along with a few other Japan items at the same time. But I don't really remember being that impressed with it or remember much about it. It could be like the Pisano and Ruff CD -- might not grow on a person immediately.
Yeah, put it on - and set it for repeat. After two or so listens, the songs will become more familiar, and the harmonic arrangements will start impressing.

I've always thought of the SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS album as a sort of early Carpenters album with more Richard-type lead vocals.
 
I was always amused that Phil Ochs's first A&M release Pleasures of the Harbor (which preceded this by a few LPs) had a song called "Outside a Small Circle of Friend" -- as a kid I wondered if there was some sort of connection. Alas (or for the better) there was not.

--Mr Bill
 
And to further complicate things, there’s a band that sounds exactly like the Small Circle of Friends called the Cyrkle!
 
there's a band that sounds exactly like the Small Circle of Friends called the Cyrkle
By way of NYC.

The Cyrkle's been a pop fave since I first picked up one of their used LPs in the mid '80s.

They have two LPs, an odd s/t and numerous non-LP singles. The recording period is 1966-68. John Simon, who always seemed to have a good ear for melody, was their producer for their run at Columbia.

A couple of interesting facts about the group include the three Paul Simon - Bruce Woodley covers. (Cloudy, Red Rubber Ball, and I Wish You Could Be Here -- the former led to some problems as Simon didn't give Bruce co-writing credit on the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme LP; interestingly, while proper co-writing credit for Cloudy is on the Cyrkle's LP, Red Rubber Ball erroneously shows Simon as the sole writer. Their third collaboration, I Wish You Could Be Hear, would be of interest to Simon fans given he never recorded it.)





Then there's this Bacharach song, which is a knockout. Aside from this version, I've never heard It Doesn't Matter Anymore...anywhere.

 
Then there's this Bacharach song, which is a knockout. Aside from this version, I've never heard It Doesn't Matter Anymore...anywhere.


The song was written for a TV musical called "On The Flip Side", which aired on ABC in 1967. It starred Rick Nelson, who recorded it first:

 
Wow! Donna Jean Young. A long forgotten comedienne of the 1960s and 70s. Her LP Live From East McKeessport is a hoot! ("East McKeesport is so small the Masons and the Knights of Columbus know each other's secret... We call them The Masonites.")

--Mr Bill
 
I do have The Cyrkle songs "Please Don't Ever Leave Me" & "I Wish You Could Be Here" on "Rock Artifacts, Volume 3" (Legacy) in late 1991. Also have "Red Rubber Ball" (with bonus tracks on Sundazed on Apple iTunes download). They also did a movie soundtrack in 1968 (don't know the name) & then disbanded because of poor record sales.
 
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