Timeline
Session Jul 31, 1969 • Recording "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight"
Article August 1969 • The “Get Back” LP rumours • August 1969
Article August 1969 ? • Paul McCartney gives name to band Sounds Nice
Article August 1969 • Designing the packaging of "Abbey Road"
Sometime around August 1969, Paul McCartney listened to a demo tape recorded by Tim Mycroft and Paul Buckmaster. After hearing it, he simply remarked, “Sounds nice.” Inspired by Paul’s reaction, the two musicians decided to name their duo Sounds Nice.
From Wikipedia:
Sounds Nice was a British instrumental pop group which recorded in the 1960s.
Career
The group was founded by Tim Mycroft, keyboardist for Gun, and the name was taken from a comment by Paul McCartney on hearing a demo tape that it “sounds nice”.
The band’s first single was a cover of “Je t’aime… moi non plus” by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, re-titled “Love At First Sight”, taking advantage of the original being banned by many British radio stations for its suggestive singing. It was released while the “parent” single was rising in popularity and had the advantage, unlike the original, of being played on Top of the Pops.
The single entered the UK Singles Chart at no. 45 for the week ending 6 September 1969, while the original was at no. 8; it eventually peaked at no. 18 for the week ending 18 October 1969, just as the original was displaced from the number 1 slot. The song also got to no. 8 in South Africa.
The follow-up was another instrumental version of a French song, “La Jeanne”, suggested to the band by Patti Boyd; arranger Paul Buckmaster, after a sleepless night trying to think of an English title, settled on “Sleepless Night”.
It was not a hit, but Parlophone had enough faith in the concept to allow Mycroft and Buckmaster to assemble session musicians (including Clem Cattini, Herbie Flowers, and Chris Spedding) to create an album of varying styles, named “Love At First Sight” after the band’s sole success.
The album also missed the charts, and the two prime movers went their separate ways: Mycroft as a soloist, and Buckmaster originally joining the Chris Farlowe-led band The Hill. […]
Love at first sight? ‘Sounds Nice’ – said MR. PAUL McCARTNEY…
The music started. Demo disc, played via the EMI studio’s loudspeakers. “Mmmm – sounds nice,” said Paul. Mr. McCartney had spoken. And inadvertently provided the name for a group — if two musicians can legitimately be called a group.
So enter Sounds Nice in the charts. They hit the best-sellers at the first time of asking. It’s an unusual record, too. Called “Love At First Sight,” it’s an instrumental version of the Jane Birkin–Serge Gainsbourg controversy-special “Je T’aime Moi Non Plus.”
Which, of course, cocks a snoot at those who said the number had no memorable melody but which sold purely on the heavy breathing and the ecstatic groaning of ’im and ’er.
It’s the Sounds Nice version which has had the radio plays. While Jane and Serge have been shunned by deejays and producers, Sounds Nice have sort of crept in through the back door.
TONY’S IDEA
Sounds Nice is the inspiration of that man-about-music Tony Hall. He knew two young men working separately in the music business, shrewdly summed up their potential, and got them together in a working unit. His idea: to fill a gap in today’s scene by creating musical instrumental albums with a difference. Like having only two men in an instrumental team.
The men are Tim Mycroft and Paul Buckmaster. Tim, featured organist, was formerly a member of the Gun. He’s a Jimmy Smith fanatic, a singer of considerable talent and writes songs at frenzied speed.
Paul did the arrangement for the single, but that’s only one side of his talents. He is a classical composer, a pop composer, cello player — and it was his arrangement which helped David Bowie and “Space Oddity” into the Top Fifty.
Actually there is a third man. Producer Gus Dudgeon, who made the record and has had previous success with the Bonzo Dog Band, the Locomotive and the aforementioned David Bowie.
Gus and Paul combined to re-build “Je T’aime” into a haunting and easy-listening instrumental. Mostly it was based on the organ work of Tim.
The record is now being rush-released round the world. And will be out on Tamla Motown in the States.
“Sounds nice,” said Paul McCartney. And he wasn’t a bad judge.
From Record Mirror – September 13, 1969
