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Source: 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, 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).
01. Butterfly
02. I Will
03. Face in My Head
04. 3.30
05. Too Fast, Too Slow
06. Something I Can Believe In
07. (Living In) The World of Broken Hearts
08. Loving Takes a Little Understanding
09. Booby Trap
10. I Can't Stop
11. For a Moment
12. Fables
13. I Was Only Playing Games [Single A-Side]
14. I've Seen the Light [Single B-Side]
15. To Be Redeemed
16. Woman from Liberia
17. Place to Go [Single B-Side]
18. Would You Believe What I Say? [Single B-Side]
19. You Ain't Going Nowhere [Single A-Side]
20. So You Want to Be a Blues Player [Single B-Side]
21. I Will
22. 3.30
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, 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).