(Miki Dallon)
Australia
B-side on Leedon by Adelaide band popular in local live venues. They were admirers of The Pretty Things which helps to explain the name Syssys, a whimsical spelling of "sissies" as a synonym for "pretty things".
The A-side was Jump Back, the Rufus Thomas song from 1964. There was a further Syssys single in 1967, on RCA, a version of The Rolling Stones' The Singer Not The Song.
References, further reading: 1. Band member Greg Hobbs to David Johnston on the band name (paraphrased by me), quoted in Johnston's The Music Goes Round My Head (2010), p.109. 2. The Syssys at Music Minder. 3. The Syssys at Adelaide Music wiki.
(Miki Dallon + Carlo Rossi)
Italy
Single on Pye (Italy).
Versione Italiana di Take a Heart (= "my heart breaks").
Also released in Italy by Le anime (1966).
The Sorrows also recorded versions of Take A Heart in Spanish (Toma Un Corazón, 1965) and in German (Nimm Mein Herz, 1966). A later line-up of the band moved to Italy for a while in the late 60s.
(Miki Dallon)
Denmark
Single on Metronome, B-side of Djengis Khan, by popular and long-lasting Danish band, formed 1962.
(Miki Dallon)
UK
Instrumental version on the album That's Nice on Strike, the label of Miki Dallon's publisher Millwick Productions. Two other Dallon compositions are on the album, including the title track.
Further reading: Ken Woodman, "British composer and trumpeter" at Wikipedia.
(Miki Dallon)
UK
Influential version
Single on Piccadilly by R&B group from Coventry, classified retrospectively under the Freakbeat genre, along with The Pretty Things, The Boys Blue and (I'm guessing) Adelaide's Syssys.
Music publisher Millwick Productions sent some of Miki Dallon's songs to The Sorrows' producer John Schroeder who was looking for material for the newly-signed band. These included Take A Heart, already recorded by Boys Blue.
The Sorrows also recorded You Got What I Want, the Miki Dallon song that was on the other side of The Boys Blues' Take a Heart. Another Dallon song, Let Me In, was on the Sorrows album Take a Heart (1965).
When Sorrows lead singer Don Maughn later went solo as Don Fardon, Dallon produced his hit (The Lament Of The Cherokee) Indian Reservation (1968, #20 USA, reissued 1970 #3 UK). Some listeners have noted a similarity between this recording and Take A Heart.
Indian Reservation was released on Young Blood, the label established by Dallon after Millwick's label Strike folded.
Dallon also produced Joy YouTube, released on Young Blood by Apollo 100 (1972, #6 USA), a studio group led by arranger and multi-instrumental Tom Parker, based on J.S. Bach's Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring.
The Young Blood label also released In A Broken Dream by Python Lee Jackson, an Australian band from Sydney that had broken up but re-formed in London in 1968. Their 1969 London sessions, produced by BBC deejay John Peel, were notable for the participation of Rod Stewart on some tracks. Miki Dallon acquired the masters but his re-worked release of In A Broken Dream (1970) took off only after a re-release in the wake of Rod Stewart's rising fame (1972, #3 UK, #56 USA). In A Broken Dream was an original song, written by the band's keyboardist-vocalist David Bentley.
Further reading: 1. Young Blood Spotlight: advertising feature for the label in Billboard, 7 Oct 1972. Thanks to Gian_paolo (via 45Cat.com). 2. Italian Joy for The Sorrows at Coventry Live. 3. The Sorrows page at Coventry Gigs blog (news items and images).
(Miki Dallon)
UK
Original version
Written and produced by Miki Dallon (b. Mickey Tinsley) a rock'n'roll pianist and singer from Edmonton in northern London, whose early career included being signed by Joe Meek, forming a band with Mickey Most, and working with Chas Hodges. As a songwriter he was signed to Millwick, a new publishing and production company, which led to the release of some singles of his own, and his involvement with The Boys Blue as songwriter and producer.
The Boys Blue were from Coventry, and so were The Sorrows, but apart from recording songs written by Miki Dallon they were not directly connected.
Lead singer Jeff Elroy knew Dallon, who was backed by the band on some of his own singles. Also in the band were Tony Hart (bass), Michael Holloway (guitar) and Paul Colletto (drums).
45Cat.com suggests that a 1966 single by Jeff Elroy And Boys Blue might in fact be with a different band as the The Boys Blue had broken up by then.
Essential reading: 1. Miki Dallon's biography at his website. 2. See also interview with Micki Dallon on the early days of rock'n'roll YouTube.
Further reading: 1. The Boys Blue at Hobo – A to Z of Coventry Bands. 2. Boys Blue biography at 45cat.com.
Pop Archives
Australia's premier song history site since 2004
Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2024. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…