Here?s another weird one from the fine reissue folks at Fallout: Robert Parker Jameson was somewhat of a famous scenester in the 1960?s L.A. music scene who appeared on ?American Bandstand? singing his debut 1964 single ?I Wanna Love You,? opened for The Beach Boys, recorded an obscure 45 in London for Decca and Andrew Loog Oldham (who co-wrote the A-side with Keith Richards ? the rare Jagger/Richards? track ?Each and Every Day of The Year? was on the flip) and had to release his debut album (?Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest ? Mira, 1965) under another name because the sleeves had already been prepared for another singer, Chris Lucey! Following two more singles on Pat Boone?s Penthouse label (one of which was arranged by Frank Zappa!), Jameson joined Steve Clark?s famous ?Our Productions? roster and headed into the studio with an up and coming arranger named Curt Boettcher, fresh from numerous hits with Tommy Roe and The Association. The Summer of Love saw Verve release ?Color Him In? alongside their other summer hopefuls, The Mothers? ?Absolutely Free? and Janis Ian?s self-titled debut. Whew!

So what does the album sound like? Well, for starters there?s the surprising downer, ?Jamie,? with heavily phased effects and percussives almost drowning Jameson?s vein-popping, emotional vocals. Boettcher himself has confessed that ?the mix was attrocious,? as the muddied ?Windows and Doors? will also attest, despite Boettcher?s sunshiney backing female vocals that coul have turned this into a successful, AM Top 40 single. Verve apparently felt otherwise, and elected to release ?Right By My Side,? a pleading ballad of love and lost that sounds like a cross between Barry McGuire and Glen Campbell, with interesting backward phased guitars added for good measure! The other single, ?The New Age? is a little more upbeat, with some groovy fuzz guitar soloing (unfortunately buried in the background), although Jameson?s grunting, smarmy vocals and goofy moaning and humming no doubt led to its sinking without a trace.

Tinkling bells and cooing, ?baa-baa-baaa? backing vocals put Boettcher?s soon to be trademark treacle sweet stamp on ?Know Yourself? and the love ballad, ?Jenny? is so sweet and tender it should come with a package of insulin. It highlights Jameson?s soulful side, although Dennis Yost & Classics IV would have tons of hits with this type of tune in the not too distant future. You may also enjoy the Smokey Robinson-inspired ?I Love You More Than You Know,? with Boettcher?s bevy of female chorus beauties cooing romantically in the background. This almost verges on Phil Spector going doo-wop and might please Four Seasons fans! And I still get a kick out of the frivolous, but no less entertaining pop-sike lite of ?Candy Colored Dragon.?

Later in the year, Jameson appeared in the cult documentary ?Mondo Hollywood? performing his anti-war song ?Vietnam,? a harmonica-driven, bluesy Bo Diddley stomp that Fallout have included as a welcome bonus track. While Jameson?s later career spiraled into failed musical endeavors and suicide attempts and he was last heard of living with his mom in a trailor park in California, this second of his three albums highlights sunnier days and is a pleasant diversion of pop balladry and heartfelt love songs, with an early taste of Boettcher?s typically sunny, west coast arrangements make this a must for Boettcher completists. 7/10 -- Jeff Penczak (3 April, 2007)