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Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band, who had a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.
Brian Parker after a short spell as a guitar player in Adam Faith's backing group The Roulettes in early 1962, formed the fledgling outfit, as Unit Four with fellow guitarist Tommy Moeller, Dave 'Buster' Meikle and lead singer, Peter Moules. Due to ill-health Parker quickly dropped himself from playing duties with the group, and concentrated on songwriting for them. His place was taken by Howard 'Lem' Lubin. The quartet was named 'Unit Four' simply on account of their having four band members. When two further musicians joined the group (Rod Garwood and Hugh Halliday), they augmented the name accordingly. They were later joined by Nigel Snook, becoming Unit Four Plus Two in late 1963. As Unit 4 + 2, the sextet issued their debut single, on Decca Records. "Green Fields" reached a modest number 48 in the UK in 1966. Their second single release "Sorrow and Pain" fared even worse.
Unit 4 + 2's song "Concrete and Clay" became a big hit the following year, reportedly thanks to exposure on the pirate radio stations of the day, most notably Wonderful Radio London. The radio station's music director, Tony Windsor, later recalled in an interview that he had initially rejected the song for the station's playlist, but was persuaded to change his mind by DJ Kenny Everett. The disc was recorded using the skill of two guest musicians, Russ Ballard and Bob Henrit (two of Parker's former bandmates from their Roulettes days), who debuted earlier at venues such as Cheshunt Boys' Club, together with Buster Meikle, as members of The Daybreakers. As well as its chart topping exploits in the UK, "Concrete and Clay" was a worldwide hit, and the group suddenly found themselves on radio playlists across the globe. In America, a competing cover version by Eddie Rambeau (produced by Bob Crewe) split sales, with Rambeau reaching #35 on the Billboard charts and Unit 4 + 2 placing at #28. Cash Box charted the two versions together, and they reached a combined #12.
Decca released a hastily put together album, also entitled Concrete and Clay, to capitalise on the success, but it was not as notable in style or content as the single. Nevertheless, the next single release "You've Never Been in Love Like This Before" reached the Top 20 in the UK,[2] and #95 on the Billboard chart in the US "Concrete and Clay" returned to the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart in 1976, courtesy of Randy Edelman's cover version. More recently, the original song appeared in the soundtrack to the film, Rushmore (1998).
After the release of three less successful singles, the band underwent several personnel changes with the 1967 shake up, and experienced a change of record label to Fontana Records, but neither was able to revive the group's fortunes.
By 1968, with Ballard and Henrit on board as fulltime members, their sound was toughened up, but a stab at Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" was comprehensively outsold by The Byrds own cover version.[2] They moved into psychedelic mode with their final single offering "3.30" with lavish orchestration and harpsichords aplenty.[2] The song appears on the 1984 compilation album, The 49 Minute Technicolor Dream. In 1969 Tommy Moeller reformed the group; and called in Tony Ferguson to replace Russ Ballard, along with John Butler (bass), Brian Byford (drums), Geoff Hacking (guitar) and Dave Nevin (keyboards). This line-up changed again in late 1970 when Moeller joined Harmony Grass, and Butler switched to lead guitar. "3.30" failed to chart, and with another album Unit 4 + 2 quickly following suit, the group disbanded in late 1970.
01. Concrete and Clay
02. Sorrow and Pain
03. Couldn't Keep It to Myself
04. You'll Remember
05. Cotton Fields
06. 500 Miles
07. Bamba
08. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
09. Swing Down Chariot
10. Wild Is the Wind
11. Girl from New York City
12. Cross a Million Mountains
Bonus Tracks:
13. Green Fields
14. Lonely Valley
15. When I Fall in Love
16. (You've) Never Been in Love Like This Before
17. Tell Somebody You Know
18. Hark
19. Stop Wasting Your Time
20. You've Got to Be Cruel to Be Kind
21. I Won't Let You Down
22. Baby Never Say Goodbye
23. Rainy Day
Japan 24-Bit Remaster
Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band, who had a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.
Brian Parker after a short spell as a guitar player in Adam Faith's backing group The Roulettes in early 1962, formed the fledgling outfit, as Unit Four with fellow guitarist Tommy Moeller, Dave 'Buster' Meikle and lead singer, Peter Moules. Due to ill-health Parker quickly dropped himself from playing duties with the group, and concentrated on songwriting for them. His place was taken by Howard 'Lem' Lubin. The quartet was named 'Unit Four' simply on account of their having four band members. When two further musicians joined the group (Rod Garwood and Hugh Halliday), they augmented the name accordingly. They were later joined by Nigel Snook, becoming Unit Four Plus Two in late 1963. As Unit 4 + 2, the sextet issued their debut single, on Decca Records. "Green Fields" reached a modest number 48 in the UK in 1966. Their second single release "Sorrow and Pain" fared even worse.
Unit 4 + 2's song "Concrete and Clay" became a big hit the following year, reportedly thanks to exposure on the pirate radio stations of the day, most notably Wonderful Radio London. The radio station's music director, Tony Windsor, later recalled in an interview that he had initially rejected the song for the station's playlist, but was persuaded to change his mind by DJ Kenny Everett. The disc was recorded using the skill of two guest musicians, Russ Ballard and Bob Henrit (two of Parker's former bandmates from their Roulettes days), who debuted earlier at venues such as Cheshunt Boys' Club, together with Buster Meikle, as members of The Daybreakers. As well as its chart topping exploits in the UK, "Concrete and Clay" was a worldwide hit, and the group suddenly found themselves on radio playlists across the globe. In America, a competing cover version by Eddie Rambeau (produced by Bob Crewe) split sales, with Rambeau reaching #35 on the Billboard charts and Unit 4 + 2 placing at #28. Cash Box charted the two versions together, and they reached a combined #12.
Decca released a hastily put together album, also entitled Concrete and Clay, to capitalise on the success, but it was not as notable in style or content as the single. Nevertheless, the next single release "You've Never Been in Love Like This Before" reached the Top 20 in the UK,[2] and #95 on the Billboard chart in the US "Concrete and Clay" returned to the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart in 1976, courtesy of Randy Edelman's cover version. More recently, the original song appeared in the soundtrack to the film, Rushmore (1998).
After the release of three less successful singles, the band underwent several personnel changes with the 1967 shake up, and experienced a change of record label to Fontana Records, but neither was able to revive the group's fortunes.
By 1968, with Ballard and Henrit on board as fulltime members, their sound was toughened up, but a stab at Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" was comprehensively outsold by The Byrds own cover version.[2] They moved into psychedelic mode with their final single offering "3.30" with lavish orchestration and harpsichords aplenty.[2] The song appears on the 1984 compilation album, The 49 Minute Technicolor Dream. In 1969 Tommy Moeller reformed the group; and called in Tony Ferguson to replace Russ Ballard, along with John Butler (bass), Brian Byford (drums), Geoff Hacking (guitar) and Dave Nevin (keyboards). This line-up changed again in late 1970 when Moeller joined Harmony Grass, and Butler switched to lead guitar. "3.30" failed to chart, and with another album Unit 4 + 2 quickly following suit, the group disbanded in late 1970.