Everytime (Vertical Hold) (LP 4792)

Vertical Hold  Vertical Hold (Vinyl, Wea Records, 1993) *****  

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Album courtesy of Noel Forth

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Everytime 

Gear costume: United States of America

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Some records in my collection are more special than others because I have a personal connection to them. This one is a fine example of that as I have been a long-distance penpal of drummer Noel Forth since the mid-seventies. Noel is an archetypal Aussie battler and I have a lot of love for him and his family.

Noel wrote to me after I had a letter, about John Lennon's first few albums, published in Sounds magazine in about 1975. At that point he'd only just left NZ to return to Adelaide, so we've never met but he remains the single biggest help to me in collecting Beatles and Apple Records. His knowledge is prodigious and so is his generosity. He's also a cracking drummer!

In those late seventies years he would often mail cassettes to me with Tortis outtakes. Vertical Hold grew out of Tortis (the full history of the band is here). I developed a love for the band, yes because of Noel, but also because they were a fantastic pop band whose influences were obvious.

That would be Beatles principally (check out Everytime on this, their debut and only album), but also The Move, The Hollies, Electric Light Orchestra and others. 

It's a strong album that displays their strengths but it would have been even stronger with the inclusion of their poppy singles from around this time (reviewed here). Tears of Emotion in particular is a world beater. I get why they didn't include them, but still. Regardless, this is a five-star album all the way!

It remains a slight tragedy that they didn't go on to make a second album. Mick and Jim (especially Mick, RIP) were prolific hit single makers. It wasn't to be, but this album stands as a great reminder of their collective talent. Love you, Noel!

Where do they all belong? This is a band ripe for rediscovery and a compilation album that includes the singles and outtakes would be great too. 

I try and play it cool (Vertical Hold) #417-421

Vertical Hold My Imagination/ Baby You Send Me (RCA, 103888, 1981)
Vertical Hold Tears Of Emotion/ In Your Life (WEA, 100226, 1982)
Vertical Hold This Must Be Love/ She Comes To Me (WEA, 7-259630, 1983)
Vertical Hold United States Of America/ Teacher Teach Me (WEA, 7-259475, 1983)
Vertical Hold Shot Down (In Love)/ Nite Bite (WEA, 7-259786, 1983)

These are obscure, I grant you. Without being a friend to the drummer, Noel Forth, I never would have found these Australian gems.

Noel started writing to me in the late seventies from Adelaide after discovering that I was a fellow rabid Beatle fan. 

At that time he was in a band called Tortis (see what they did there) with two guys Jim Mountzouris and Mick Michalopoulos. They were terrific - Noel sent me heaps of their rehearsal tapes and I grooved on their Beatle, ELO influenced sounds for a few years.

With the eighties came a name change to Vertical Hold and an album (called Vertical Hold). Because it was the eighties synths and a cello player were added to the trio. Not so sure about the synths guys, even now.

Jim and Mick continued to do all the writing and they have a set of great pop ears. Luckily, some Tortis favs made it onto the Vertical Hold set list.

The picks from this bunch of singles (apart from the first one, all tracks are from the parent album): This Must Be Love with a Caribbean jaunty vibe going on; Tears Of Emotion should have been a worldwide hit single (went to #3 in Adelaide); USA is a Tortis era song with a new punchy arrangement (I still love those early versions as well).

Hidden gems: Baby You Send Me is a great lost Police song - terrific pop in other words; She Comes To Me and Teacher Teach Me are dripping in hooks - probably the catchiest songs on these singles; In You Life is a psychedelic mix of sixties Troggs and seventies ELO - wow baby! Perfect B sides!