John Fred and His Playboy Band are secure in pop history for one song, namely “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses),” which climbed all the way to #1 in 1968. Now, some deride the tune as a brazen rip-off of a certain Beatles ditty, while others persist in enjoying its upbeat and faux-psych bubblegum vibes. Those in the latter category who’d like to add that track (plus 11 more) to their shelf are in luck if they act fast, as Liberation Hall has reissued Fred and Co.’s 1968 LP Judy in Disguise With Glasses for Record Store Day 2022 on “psychedelic purple vinyl” in an edition of 1,000 copies.
Some call the Louisiana-based John Fred a one hit wonder, but that’s arguable. He did place two other songs on the Billboard chart, but neither broke into the Top 40; the first was “Shirley” way back in 1958 (issued by John Fred and the Playboys), released by the Montel label with help from the band of Fats Domino (this song, as covered by Shakin’ Stevens, became a #2 hit in the UK in 1982).
“Shirley” is an okay slice of horn-laden ’50s NOLA pop-R&B action landing in the tight crevice betwixt bathtub-era Bobby Darin and Frankie “Sea Cruise” Ford, but it’s not included on Liberation Hall’s reissue so we will devote no more space to it here. “Hey, Hey Bunny,” a rock & soul revue-styled number complete with horns and strings that stands as Fred and the Playboy Band’s second biggest hit (#54, 1967) is featured on the album; it brings to mind Mitch Ryder with a touch of Mark Lindsay and some Rascals-y organ, but it’s frankly not as cool as that description (might) insinuate.
Better is “Agnes English,” which dials up the similarities to Lindsay (without going overboard) alongside pop-psych elements (crashing echo at the start, fuzz guitar) that intersect with utterly mainstream strings and horns, plus some mildly oddball gal backing vocals. It’s a fun stew (shoulda charted higher than its reported #125), but I much prefer the straight soul-isms of “Out of Left Field” (with a bit of that strange backing singing retained), a song first recorded by Percy Sledge (and written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham).
“She Shot a Hole in My Soul” is upbeat mainstream ‘60s pop-soul (covering a minor hit by Clifford Curry) that’s boosted by prevalent guitar strumming, while “No Letter Today” takes another shot at pop-psych but this time with a downtrodden Anglo aura (think Herman’s Hermits). “Little Dum Dum” returns to the rock & soul template, but is harder driving than “Hey, Hey Bunny,” and much more appealing, with prominent outbursts of guitar.
“Tissue Paper” is one of the most ambitious tunes on the LP, but it’s undeniably kinda goofy (sample lyrics: “give me a roll of your tissue paper…I want to blow my nose on your tissue paper”). Ok, make that very goofy. The string section-laden “Lonely Are the Lonely” is considerably less goofy but nearly as ambitious. “We Played Games” initially connects as more stripped back (with injections of fuzz guitar), but it eventually blossoms forth with horns and backing vocals. It’s one of the album’s stronger tracks.
“Up and Down” reinforces the descriptions of Fred as a blue eyed soul singer, but with a lingering touch of Mark Lindsay, as album closer “Off the Wall” flirts with bubblegum, and in a fairly tasteful manner that sits in marked contrast with the title cut, a tune so blatant in its intentions that it is often tagged (erroneously, in my view) as a novelty song.
In its similarities to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” Fred and the Playboy Band’s signature song can be fairly described as shameless. Disliking it is a legitimate response, but complaining about its nature is a bit like decrying pro wrestling as fake. I mean, the song’s over the top nature is the heart of its appeal. And beyond basic pop-psych gesturing, the similarity is all lyrical. Instrumentally, it’s inspired and even inventive. It might be excessive, but it benefits from not being excessively fussed over. And in 2022, it’s likely the only reason anybody’d buy a reissue of Judy in Disguise With Glasses.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B
