For Addicts Only

A 1964 release. I found this for 50p. Yes, I know, a Colin Frechter album for 50p! I couldn’t believe it either. OK, you could believe it, but I’m sure someone out there couldn’t, although I can’t imagine right now who would be overjoyed at finding this for just 50p, except those types who collect LPs just for their covers. In the unlikely event that you’ve never heard of Colin Frechter suffice to say that the music here swings in a way that only British orchestras could, ie, without swinging too much, which is doing a disservice to the likes of Tubby Hayes, of course, but then this isn’t quite in the same zone as Tubbs, baring as it does only a vague tangential relationship to Jazz. I do love the cover – ‘Addicts of what!?’ I wondered as I laid my mitts on it without noting the TV programmes printed on the cover. Psychiatry? Heroin? Old album covers? Well, shouldn’t that be a comfy old sofa on the cover instead of what looks like a swish, groovy 60s office chair? No matter, it wouldn’t be as good if it bore an image of a sofa, would it? Funny thing (funniest thing, I should say) is that they kind of jazz-up the theme to ‘Coronation Street’. They do. And if that doesn’t make you wish you owned this, nothing will. Apart from the cover.