Sounds Nice
{{Short description|British musical group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sounds Nice
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| origin =
| genre = Pop
| years_active = 1969–70
| label = Parlophone, Rare Earth
| associated_acts =
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members = Tim Mycroft
Paul Buckmaster
}}
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".{{cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Alan |title=New singles |journal=Lincolnshire Echo |date=4 August 1969 |page=7}}
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.{{cite web |title=Sounds Nice Feat. Tim Mycroft |url=https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?id=397 |website=TOTP Archive |access-date=12 February 2024}}
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.{{cite web |title=Official Singles Chart on 12/10/1969 12 October 1969 - 18 October 1969 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19691012/7501/ |website=Official Charts Company |access-date=12 February 2024}} The song also got to no. 8 in South Africa.{{cite web |title=Sounds Nice (UK) |url=https://sacharts.wordpress.com/2022/09/04/sounds-nice-uk/ |website=SA Singles Charts |access-date=12 February 2024}}
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".{{cite journal |title=Sounds Very Nice! |journal=Whitstable Times |date=5 December 1969 |page=3}}
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)As noted on the album sleeve. to create an album of varying styles, named "Love At First Sight" after the band's sole success.{{cite journal |title=New albums |journal=Reading Evening Post |date=17 January 1970 |page=7}}
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.{{cite journal |title=Chris Farlowe With The Hill |journal=Widnes Weekly News and District Reporter |date=15 May 1970 |page=8}}
See also
External links
- [https://www.discogs.com/artist/279977-Sounds-Nice Discogs entry]
References
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Category:English pop music groups
Category:Musical groups established in 1969