The Rubettes - Wear It´s At (1974) (vinyl Lp) - €10,00

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Wear It's 'At is the debut album by English pop band the Rubettes assembled in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, then the head of A&R at Polydor Records, and his co-songwriter, Tony Waddington, after their doo-wop and 1950s American pop-influenced songs had been rejected by a number of existing acts. 

Tracks from this album also exhibited the doo-wop style. The album title was a reference to the group's wearing trademark white suits and white cloth caps on stage, a white cap being shown on the album front cover.

The Rubettes' first studio album, Wear It's 'At. It was released in December 1974, more than 10 months after the release of the single "Sugar Baby Love," which appears on this album. 

Wear It's 'At consists of 12 tracks, with Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington writing 6 of them. 

Drummer Richardson and singer Alan Williams contributed to the songwriting process, writing 5 other tracks, while keyboardist Peter Arnesen composed just one. 

In fact, the album's other single, "Tonight," also written by Bickerton and Waddington, is blatantly modeled on "Sugar Baby Love," with a more pronounced romantic element bordering on the saccharine. Given how things are presented, one might be tempted to think we're dealing with a rather manufactured band. 

However, upon closer inspection of the album's content, it becomes clear that THE RUBETTES are no slouches when it comes to delivering a powerful performance. 

"Way Back In The Fifties" perfectly taps into the nostalgia of the 50s, and the English band delivers a catchy, light, simple, yet effective Boogie-Rock track. 

In the Boogie-Rock vein, THE RUBETTES also offer a highly catchy, top-notch "Rumours," enhanced by a joyful, exuberant piano, as well as the frenetic "Rock And Roll Survival," which even flirts with Hard Rock. 

And, it must be said, this track is one of the most enjoyable moments on the album; it's absolutely electrifying, and THE RUBETTES are clearly giving it their all. 

More firmly rooted in the Glam-Rock of the era, "Rock Is Dead" is quite close to what T-Rex was doing and remains rather enjoyable, as does the mid-tempo "For Ever," straddling the line between Glam-Rock and Boogie-Rock. 

As for "Saturday Night," it's a Rock composition more in the vein of the Beach Boys; it's not unpleasant, but it's not exactly groundbreaking either.

And there are also ballads on this first RUBETTES album, four in total. And this is precisely THE major weakness of the record, in addition to "Tonight" mentioned earlier. 

While we can be lenient towards "The Way Of Love," a typical 50s ballad that will satisfy Doo-Wop fans with its fitting backing vocals ("Whoo-ah,-wooh," "Sha-lalala") and its rather "Happy Days" vibe, we quickly lose interest from the very beginning of "Your Love," a soporific ballad, too syrupy, excessively imbued with good feelings to the point that it feels more like pop music. 

“Teenage Dream,” a romantic ballad also reminiscent of the 50s, fails to convince due to its excessive lightness and lack of impact, much like “When You’re Sixteen,” a retro ballad straddling the 60s and 70s that lacks something to truly resonate.

Side one

1.  Way Back In The Fifties - 3:40  

2.  Rock Is Dead - 3:04  

3.  Tonight - 3:42  

4.  The Way Of Love - 3:13  

5.  Rumours - 2:30  

6.  Your Love - 5:26  

Side two

1.  For Ever - 4:00  

2.  Sugar Baby Love - 3:30  

3.  Teenage Dream - 3:00  

4.  Rock And Roll Survival - 3:20  

5.  When You’re Sixteen - 2:45  

6.  Saturday Night - 2:17 

Singles

1. "Sugar Baby Love" b/w "You Could Have Told Me" – January 1974 – UK No. 1, US Billboard Hot 100 No. 37, US Cashbox No. 30

2. "Tonight" b/w "Silent Movie Queen" – July 1974 – UK No. 12

Personnel

• Alan Williams – vocals, guitar
• John Richardson – drums, vocals
• Mick Clarke – bass, vocals
• Tony Thorpe – lead guitar, vocals
• Pete Arnesen – piano
• Bill Hurd – piano, vocals

Of the original Rubettes line-up only Richardson, Williams and Arnesen participated in the recording of "Sugar Baby Love" although all members featured on the Top of the Pops re-recording for playback purposes.

Production and credits

• Producer: Wayne Bickerton
• Recorded at: Morgan Studios & Lansdowne Studios
• String arrangements: John Cameron ("Tonight"), Arthur Greenslade ("Your Love" & "When You're Sixteen") and Gerry Shury ("Sugar Baby Love").
• Engineer: John Mackswith
• Album photography: Mike Putland and Mike Leale

Notes

Release:  1974

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Glam Rock

Label:  Polydor

Catalog#  2489090

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)  Gatefold

Prijs: €10,00