Sandy Salisbury - "Sandy" CD (Rev-Ola)

In 1968, the genius factory at Together Records was churning along at full speed: Gary Usher dreaming up jaw-dropping production tricks, Curt Boettcher marshalling the players (late of Music Machine, Millennium and Sagittarius), vocalist Salisbury writing an eclectic set of terrific songs that skipped between genres with liquid ease. From the countrypolitan “I Just Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye” to classic vocal pop playfulness of “Come Softly” with its hint of Beach Boys harmonies to the steel drum love song to a missing doggy to the Raspberries-meet-4-Seasons radio rock of “Do Unto Others,” this never-released album (with bonus tracks) is a cornucopia of L.A. light pop pleasure, all tied together with Sandy’s sweet and boyish vocals. Pick hit: both takes of the infectious “Spell On Me,” a great lost bubblegum song if ever there was one. Version one is a horn-heavy Tommy James-style arrangement, version two pure garage rock lunacy featuring the Music Machine gang—though they both miss out by not using the obvious lyric “gimme a chance to get into your pants.” It’s okay: I hear it in my head, and so will you.