The Poets

Although they only released half a dozen singles, these were enough to firmly establish the Poets' status as the best Scottish rock group of the mid-'60s. It's true that this is akin to being a big fish in a small pond -- not many Scottish bands recorded in the 1960s, and not many of them were at all notable. But that shouldn't detract from the genuinely high quality of their records, which still remain known only to a relatively small band of collectors. The Glasgow group differed from most other Scottish combos of the time in that they concentrated almost exclusively on original material, which alternated between mournful, almost fey ballads and storming mod rockers. Critics have compared the melodic, minor feel of much of their work to the Zombies, a comparison that holds water to a certain point, although the Poets were far more guitar-based. A minor hit single right out of the gate and a management deal with Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham seemed to spell probable success. But the Poets fell victim both to subpar promotion and numerous personnel changes, which had gutted the core of the band by the late '60s. Oldham came across the band by chance on a trip to Scotland in 1964, quickly signing them and arranging a recording deal with Decca. Their first single, a characteristically moody original called "Now We're Thru," made number 30 in the U.K. Yet that was to be their only taste of commercial success, despite a flurry of fine singles over the next couple of years. The two-bass throb of the hard-rocking "That's the Way It's Got to Be," the exquisite acoustic ballad "I'll Cry with the Moon," a fiery cover of Marvin Gaye's "Baby Don't You Do It" -- all are worth hearing by British Invasion fans. Although some may find their slow numbers a bit on the maudlin...