I recently read about this song and this band, the Tol-Puddle Martyrs, in David Johnston's excellent book 'The Music Goes Round My Head'.  It was cited as "the best song Ray Davies never wrote", which immediately got me interested. Had to have a listen, and it's damn good, very Kink-y, especially referencing Sunny Afternoon. Not sure about it being the best song Ray never wrote, but definitely worth hearing for any Kinks fan. I can't believe this album is available, and that CDBaby have so many of their other albums. When time and money permits I'd like to explore all this stuff. But for now, well done Martyrs, and well done CD Baby!
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TOL-PUDDLE MARTYRS "Tol-Puddle Martyrs" THE SECRETS "Time Will Come" Secret Deals/import The Australian 60's haven't achieved quite the same reputation as the British and American counterparts. It's a pity since the Australian blend of the Brits' experimantal psych and the American raw sounding garage rock often were just as good - if not better! - than the originals. Many bands made not more than a couple of singles, among them Peter and the Silhouettes and Tol-Puddle Martyrs. Their small but great output of three seven inches is now collected on the mini album simply entitled 'Tol-Puddle Martyrs'. The link between these bands together is Peter Rechter who also wrote nuggets like 'Claudette Jones' and 'Time Will Come'. The latter in particular is a killer and a perfect example of rough and hard hitting garage pop. The album concludes with new recordings of these two tracks, culled from the debut album from Rechter's current band, the Secrets. The sound is of course modernized but a good song is a good song, and both 'Claudette Jones' and 'Time Will Come' are the highlights of the Secrets' debut. A debut characterized by catchy, enthusiastic pop with a light 80's touch. There's plenty of hooks and you can sense a great commercial potential. Pity if the lack of decent distribution would get in the way. (Order from : www.secretdeals.com.au) Peter Sjoblom soundmind@comhem.se
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TOL-PUDDLE MARTYRS
Tol-Puddle Martyrs (Secret Deal CD) 
     Nothing to do with the early inspiration for UK trade unions and certainly not from Tolpuddle in Dorset, but from Bendigo, Australia!     
     Starting life in 1964 as Peter & The Silhouettes, the band were one of many teenage Oz acts that pounded the local dance halls all across Victoria. In late 1965, the group was  asked by local dancehall promoters to record two original tracks, 'Claudette Jones' and 'Natural Man' for a compilation album entitled The Scene from Northern Victoria (available now on CD from rock historian Chris Spencer at moonlight@impulse.net.au). 'Claudette Jones' is a classic Pretty Things/Primitives style fuzzed up garage thumper about a woman who gives the singer cars and money and “drives a big black Cadillac/coloured TV in the back!” Young, loud and snotty. The B-side of this first single, 'Natural Man', is a slow 'House Of The Rising Sun' groove about not wanting to be a “hard working man like my dad.”
     By 1966, the band needed a name change to keep up with the changing times: Band member Peter Rechter explains in the liners that when he studied British history and the Tol-Puddle Martyrs were one of the subjects he had to study. Guitarist Kevin Clancy thought we should hyphenate Tolpuddle. Why not? The band recorded two Peter Rechter originals, 'Time Will Come' and 'Social Cell' for their then manager's own Spiral label in 1967. The single reached number six on the top 40 Central Victoria charts. 'Time Will Come' is a haunting and psychedelia-drenched social commentary number with an eerie Farfisa organ backing. 'Social Cell' is more of an angst-ridden protest number with a 'You're A Better Man than I' inspired feel. The 1968 single 'Love Your Life” is poppy and less in the garage style of the previous single while the far more interesting flip side, 'Nellie Bligh' demonstrates a 'Sunny Afternoon' vibe. The Martyrs recorded two more tracks in 1969 that were never released and have yet to be located. As the decade ended, so did the Tol-Puddle Martyrs.
     The only downside to the CD is that it is all over far too soon and you are left wishing there was more. Filling out what is essentially an EP are surprisingly interesting updated versions (I know, I know) of 'Claudette Jones' and 'Time Will Tell'. However, the CD is interactive and contains the band's complete web site the only surviving film clip of the Martyrs.
http://www.secretdeals.com.au/SecretHome1.html
Mark A Johnston
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Jump, Jive, and Harmonize By Beverly Paterson (Staff Writer) Lance Records- CD Album Reviews - Archives.

"Forever lodged in your brain these songs will be!" "Tol-Puddle Martyrs" - Tol-Puddle Martyrs 

Australia gave birth to loads of great bands during the sixties, but the reason why so much of the rest of the world wasn't introduced to their charms was because their records simply didn't receive widespread promotion and distribution. However, thanks to reissues and the Internet, a lot of these criminally overlooked bands are now getting the attention and acclaim they deserve. Although their music may not be played on the radio and the majority of acts are of course no longer active, at least their work is readily available to those who appreciate and collect such sounds. Which brings us to Tol-Puddle Martyrs . . .

Starting out life as Peter and the Silhouttes, these happening cats kicked off their career in 1965 and a year later they unveiled a single called "Claudette Jones," which can be heard on "Tol-Puddle Martyrs." An aggressive rocker sporting a deadly vocal and a hook to slit your wrists for, "Claudette Jones" reminds me of a prime Pretty Things pounder, due to its insistently driving beat and hard-edged bluesy approach. When Peter and the Silhouttes changed their name to Tol-Puddle Martyrs, they also altered their style a bit, spicing their material with a groovy paisley fragrance. Released in 1967, "Time Will Come" features a round of cynical lyrics addressing the turbulent mood of the day and carries a rather haunting pitch that slashes right through your psyche. The vocal delivery on the tune is strong and convincing, while the taut instrumentation really locks it all together. The flip side of "Time Will Come" is just as effective. "Social Cell" boasts a catchy melody similar to Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," and like "Time Will Come," the tune is charted of thoughtful verse that finely captures band leader Peter Rechter's flair for writing top-flight observations. It should also be noted that Tol-Puddle Martyrs were a fantastic pop band. Their music does indeed flash plenty of commercial appeal, making the tracks on the CD the kind of stuff you won't soon forget. Forever lodged in your brain these songs will be! The band's pop influence is especially evident on a single they issued in 1968, as the whimsical "Love Your Life" flickers with dapper Kinks aspirations. Smart arrangements and a sincere passion for the music, they performed are additional assets to be found in the recordings of Tol-Puddle Martyrs. Totally excellent tunes fromyet another totally excellent sixties band from Australia! . . . . . . . .
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