Collection

Personnel: Peter Nelson (vocals, guitar, piano); Ricky Wolff (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Robin Box (vocals, guitar); Brian Johnston , Ron Reynolds (vocals, keyboards); Dave Kerr-Clemenson, Robin Shaw, Tony Burrows (vocals); Brent Carter (flute, saxophone); Tony Hall (saxophone); Tex Marsh, Roger Hills, Julian Bailey (drums).
Arranger: Colin Frechter.
Sitting happily at the crossroads of bubblegum and supper club, White Plains' sweet harmonies and sticky melodies spawned some solid hits, most notably the worldwide smash from 1970 "My Baby Loves Lovin'." The revolving lineup and changing fashions meant the band's career was very short. They only released two albums -- 1970's White Plains and 1971's When You Are a King -- and a handful of singles before dissolving. 7T's The Collection gathers up both albums, singles and their flip sides, and a full disc of rarities. The albums are surprisingly strong, featuring hooky songs by the writing team of Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, tight vocal harmonies, and arrangements that never veer into sappiness. Their debut is pretty straightforward pop punctuated by the occasional MOR ballad ("You've Got Your Troubles"), snappy Archies-style tunes ("Sunny, Honey Girl"), and an oddball song about the American Civil War ("Today I Killed a Man I Didn't Know"). When You Are a King sticks to the same basic formula but comes across a little sharper, less MOR. That being said, it's still far from the organic, back-to-basics sound sweeping the music scene in the early '70s. Tracks like "Carolina's Coming Home," "Lovin' You Baby," and "Every Little Move She Makes" are light and syrupy earworms, "An Eye for the Main Chance" takes a side trip into bubble soul, and the ballads have enough strings and horns to keep many a session player well fed.
Reissuing the albums and singles would have been enough to satisfy fans of White Plains and their smooth sound; the rarities are the cherries on top. There are four songs each from off-shoot bands Crucible and Zenith. The former's tracks were cut in 1971 and showcase a heavier, guitar-led approach, with the group coming across like a slicker version of Badfinger. The trippy, Beatles-lite "Box Man" is a highlight, and "Elvish Queen" is a happily weird post-psychedelic ballad. Zenith recorded their songs in 1974, and they sound like an updated White Plains, traveling the same middle-of-the-road path. "A Face You Won't Forget" is first-class bubblegum, "A Fool That Was in Love" isn't far behind, and "Silent Words" has a nice Four Seasons, proto-disco vibe going on. The three White Plains songs from the mid-'70s that round out the disc are a bit of a letdown. Going full boogie rock ("Dance with You") wasn't a great idea, and neither was trying on Sha Na Na's leather jackets ("Wanna Fall in Love"). The soft rock instrumental "Plains" is a fun slice of throwaway weirdness. White Plains may not be one of the most respected or beloved bands of the early '70s, but as this well-constructed collection shows, they had their moments where the songs, sounds, and pristine vocals came together to make bubblegum magic. ~ Tim Sendra