The Beau Brummels
Turn Around: The Complete Recordings 1964-1970
The Beau Brummels: “Turn Around: The Complete Recordings 1964-1970” (8xcd New Sounds, 2021)
Regarding “Don't Talk To Strangers” (1965), the last Beau Brummels single to enter the British charts, celebrated London rock journalist Penny Valentine put it this way: “I like this record. Despite their terribly naff name, this group from America is really good. (The Beau Brummels) have a sound of their own that adds to the guitars of the Byrds and the vocal style of the Everly Brothers”.
Often mistakenly lumped in with the British Invasion, the Beau Brummels actually embodied the quintessence of mid-Sixties Californian pop/rock. Naive, dreamy, flirting with hippy imagery and capable of writing bizarre, unpredictable melodies, they formed in San Francisco in 1964 at the initiative of Sal Valentino (vocals), Ron Elliott (lead guitar), Ron Meagher (bass), Declan Mulligan (rhythm guitar, bass and harmonica) and John Petersen (drums). They took their name from the 18th-century British dandy George Bryan “Beau” Brummell, more simply known as Lord Brummell, the arbiter of London elegance who stood out for his refined sartorial restraint and his disdainfully cool demeanour.
They were discovered by some local DJs on the hunt for new acts to sign to their new label, Autumn Records, where none other than Sylvester Stewart was working as a producer — soon to become known to the world under the moniker of Sly Stone.
The band found instant success with “Laugh, Laugh”, their debut single: a delightful minor-key pop song marked, besides Valentino's angelic voice and sophisticated vocal harmonies, by a hypnotic, recurring harmonica-and-acoustic-guitar riff that alternates with an intriguing verse and an explosive chorus. It was thanks to “Laugh Laugh” that the Beau Brummels came to be regarded as one of the key bands who helped lay the aesthetic foundations of the “San Francisco Sound”. Indeed, quite a few acts fell under their profound influence, from Jefferson Airplane to the Grateful Dead.
In '65 came their first album, “Introducing The Beau Brummels”, which brought them a fair, if fleeting, degree of popularity. In the following months, in fact, their commercial fortunes began to decline, partly due to the shrinking production budget they had to contend with while working on their second album, “You Tell Me Why/Don't Talk To Strangers/The Beau Brummels Volume 2”, imposed by Warner Bros., who had recently acquired Autumn. “Beau Brummels '66” is a decent covers album delivered with style and personality. The choice of songs, all major hits from the immediately preceding years (“You've Got To Hide Your Love Away” by the Beatles; “Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan; “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen; “Homeward Bound” by Simon & Garfunkel and so on), does however suggest that the new label pushed to rein in the band's creative flair by having them work on already familiar, commercially safer material. The following albums, “Triangle” (1967) and “Bradley's Barn” (1968), won over critics and show a newfound songwriting maturity and solid arrangements.
Over the course of its short existence, the band went through several line-up changes: in '65 Mulligan left; that same year Elliott was forced to stop performing live due to numerous epileptic seizures brought on by diabetes and was replaced by Don Irving, who in turn had to leave the group the following year after being drafted into the armed forces; Petersen joined the Harpers Bizarre and Meagher was called up for military service. Only Valentino and Elliott were left to carry the project forward, aided, starting with “Bradley's Barn”, by Nashville session musicians. But by 1970 the Beau Brummels no longer existed.
Four of the original members, with the addition of a new musician, reformed the band in '74, and the following year released an album of new material not included in the box set discussed here.
“Turn Around, The Complete Recordings 1964-1970” is an 8-CD box set released last November by New Sounds, a subsidiary of Cherry Red Records, featuring 228 recently remastered songs spanning the Beau Brummels' entire catalogue from their beginnings through 1970. The 24 previously unreleased tracks and the numerous cuts never before issued on CD ultimately make this a must-have for devotees of the “San Francisco Sound”. The first five albums come packaged in mini-replica sleeves of the original artwork, alongside a collection of '64 and '65 demos, a CD compiling thirty-two recordings made by Sal Valentino and Ron Elliott individually or together with other musicians, at home and in the studio, between '65 and '67, and finally an eighth and last CD containing all the singles (A- and B-sides) released by the group between '64 and '69, including the two put out by Valentino alone in '69 and '70.
Rounding out the package is an 88-page booklet featuring a dreamy introduction to the world of the Beau Brummels by Alec Palao, American writer, musician and rock enthusiast, a chronological history of the band's milestones, the reproduction of a lengthy period article penned by Lenny Waronker, president of Warner Bros., and a thorough, highly detailed examination of the music itself, interspersed with first-hand accounts from the musicians involved.
At the time of writing, “Turn Around, The Complete Recordings 1964-1970” is listed on Amazon at the not-exactly-budget price of €66.96. Still, this is an extremely well-curated edition designed to shine a spotlight on one of the Bay Area's lesser-known yet most influential bands. Thanks to their blend of folk, country, jingle-jangle, baroque pop and the extraordinary songwriting gifts of Valentino and Elliott, the Beau Brummels deserve far greater recognition, and this box set is tangible proof of that.
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05/05/2026
This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Mattia Paneroni, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.
The Beau Brummels su OndaRock
Go to artist pageDiscography
Cd 1 – Introducing The Beau Brummels (1965)
1. Laugh, Laugh
2. Still in Love with You Baby
3. Just a Little
4. Just Wait and See
5. Oh, Lonesome Me
6. Ain't That Loving You Baby
7. Stick Like Glue
8. They'll Make You Cry
9. That's If You Want Me to
10. I Want More Loving
11. I Would Be Happy
12. Not Too Long Ago
13. Just a Little (Demo)
14. Laugh, Laugh (Demo)
15. Still in Love with You Baby (Demo)
16. Louie Louie (Version 1)
17. That's All That Matters
18. Woman
19. Ain't That Loving You Baby (Alternate Vers.)
20. I Want More Loving (Alternate Mix)
21. Just Wait and See (Alternate Version)
22. Just a Little (Alternate Version)
23. When It Comes to Your Love (Instrumental)
24. Here I Am in Love Again (Backing Track)
25. She Loves Me (Backing Track)
26. Just a Little (Alternate Backing Track)
Cd 2 – You Tell Me Why/Don’t Talk To Strangers: The Beau Brummels Volume 2 (1965)
27. You Tell Me Why
28. I Want You
29. Doesn't Matter
30. That's Alright
31. Sometime at Night
32. Can It Be
33. Sad Little Girl
34. Woman (Instrumental)
35. Don't Talk to Strangers
36. I've Never Known
37. When It Comes to Your Love
38. In Good Time
39. Gentle Wand'rin Ways
40. Fine with Me (Version 1)
41. Dream on
42. I Grow Old
43. I'll Tell You
44. She Sends Me
45. Down on Me
46. This Is Love
47. Cry Some
48. Let Me in (Version 1)
49. Hey Love
50. Go Away
51. Underdog
52. Are You Sure
53. Sometime at Night (Sal's Vocal Version)
54. I Grow Old (Alternate Vocal)
55. I Will Go (Backing Track Version 1)
56. I Will Go (Backing Track Version 2)
Disc 3 – Beau Brummels 66 (1966)
57. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
58. Mr. Tambourine Man
59. Louie, Louie (Version 2)
60. Homeward Bound
61. These Boots Are Made for Walking
62. Yesterday
63. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
64. Hang on Sloopy
65. Play with Fire
66. Woman
67. Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter
68. Monday, Monday
69. Stand Up
70. One Too Many Mornings
71. She Reigns
72. On the Road Again
73. Out of Control
74. God Help the Teenagers Tonight
75. Delilah
76. Here We Are Again
77. Fine with Me (Version 2)
78. Let Me in (Version 2)
79. Ron Elliott - Candlestickmaker
80. Ron Elliott - Guitar Talk to Me
81. It Ain't No Use
82. She's Coming (Demo)
83. Don't Make Promises
Disc 4 – Triangle (1967)
84. Are You Happy?
85. Only Dreaming Now
86. Painter of Women
87. The Keeper of Time
88. It Won't Get Better
89. Nine Pound Hammer
90. Magic Hollow
91. And I've Seen Her
92. Triangle
93. The Wolf of Velvet Fortune
94. Old Kentucky Home
95. Galadriel
96. You and I
97. Two Days 'Til Tomorrow
98. Lift Me
99. Elevators Aka Lower Level (Alternate Version)
100. Another (Demo)
101. I Love You Mama (Demo)
102. Happiness Is Funny Aka Bittersweet (Version 1)
103. Galadriel (Demo)
104. Lift Me (Alternate Take)
105. Another (Alternate Demo)
106. I Love You Mama (Version 1 - Master)
107. Bittersweet
108. Lionel Reeves ; Stella Parker - 42nd Street
109. Triangle (Alternate Vocal)
110. Glass (Backing Track)
Disc 5 – Bradley’s Barn (1968)
111. Turn Around
112. An Added Attraction (Come and See Me)
113. Deep Water
114. Long Walking Down to Misery
115. Little Bird
116. Cherokee Girl
117. I'm a Sleeper
118. The Loneliest Man in Town
119. Love Can Fall a Long Way Down
120. Jessica
121. Bless You California
122. Tan Oak Tree
123. Another
124. Just a Little Bit of Lovin'
125. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
126. Black Crow
127. High There
128. I Love You Mama (Version 2)
129. Deep Water (Alternate Version)
130. Jessica (Alternate Version)
131. Long Black Veil
132. Just a Little Bit of Lovin' (Demo)
133. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Alternate Take)
134. Love Can Fall a Long Way Down (Alternate Mix)
135. A Little at a Time - Sal Valentino
136. Home of the Blues - Sal Valentino
Disc 6 -The Autumn Demo Session, 16 April 1965 (raccolta)
137. I Will Go
138. That's Alright (Demo Version)
139. Lonely Man Aka No Lonelier Man
140. She's My Girl
141. It's So Nice
142. You Don't Want My Love
143. News
144. Can It Be (Demo)
145. Pity the Fool
146. Love Is Just a Game
147. When It Comes to Your Love (Demo Version 1)*
148. Talk to Me
149. It Sounds Like Rain
150. Lowdown
151. How Many Times
152. She Loves Me
153. Brown Eyes
154. Sad Little Girl (Demo Version)
155. Can't Be So
156. Dream on (Demo Version)
157. Don't Do This to Me
158. I'm Alone Again
159. Someday
160. I Will Love You Still
161. Hey Love (Demo Version)
162. Tomorrow Is Another Day
163. When It Comes to Your Love (Demo Version 2)
164. Woman (Demo Version)
165. People Are Cruel (Gold Star Demo)
166. Stick Like Glue (Gold Star Demo)
167. Still in Love with You Baby (Gold Star Demo)
168. Believe Me I Can Tell (Rehearsal)
Disc 7 – Sal & Ron (collection)
169. The Dreamer (Home Demo)
170. Don't Talk to Strangers (Home Demo)
171. Only Dreaming Now (Demo)
172. I Cannot Hide
173. On the Road Again (Demo)
174. Till the Day
175. Find a Place
176. What Do You Want
177. Sunny Day Rain
178. Little Girl Aka Tomorrow Is Another Day
179. Where Are You
180. Happiness Is Funny (Home Demo)
181. Walking in the Park
182. It's Gotta Be (Home Demo)
183. Forget It Babe
184. This Is Love (Demo)
185. No Lonelier Man (Demo)
186. Magic Hollow (Demo)
187. Kill
188. I'll Go Now
189. Coming Home Aka Going Home
190. Jessica (Home Demo)
191. Darkness
192. Confessions
193. Stay with Me Awhile
194. Fine with Me (Home Demo)
195. I'm Leaving You
196. Friend of Mine
197. Why
198. Before Darkness Ends
199. I've Never Known (Home Demo)
200. Love Me Quick
Disc 8 – The Singles: As & Bs (raccolta)
201. Laugh, Laugh (Mono Promo Single Version)
202. Still in Love with You Baby (Mono Single Mix)
203. Just a Little (Mono Single Mix)
204. They'll Make You Cry (Mono Single Mix)
205. You Tell Me Why (Mono Single Mix)
206. I Want You (Mono Single Mix)
207. Gentle Wand'rin' Ways (Mono Single Mix)
208. Fine with Me (Version 1) (Mono Single Mix)
209. Don't Talk to Strangers (Mono Single Mix)
210. In Good Time (Mono Single Mix)
211. Good Time Music
212. Sad Little Girl (Mono Single Mix)
213. One Too Many Mornings (Mono Single Mix)
214. She Reigns (Mono Single Mix)
215. Here We Are Again (Mono Single Mix)
216. Fine with Me (Version 2) (Mono Single Mix)
217. Two Days Til Tomorrow (Mono Single Edit)
218. Don't Make Promises (Mono Single Mix)
219. Lower Level (Mono Single Mix)
220. Magic Hollow (Mono Single Mix)
221. Lift Me (Mono Single Mix)
222. Are You Happy? (Mono Single Mix)
223. Long Walking Down to Misery (Mono Single Mix)
224. Cherokee Girl (Mono Single Mix)
225. Alligator Man - Sal Valentino
226. Friends and Lovers - Sal Valentino
227. Silkie - Sal Valentino
228. A Song for Rochelle - Sal Valentino
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