Bo Street Runners – And I Do Just What I Want (1965) Album Edit

My favorite picture of the band.

For those not in the know, fan albums are the attempts of me and many others to take songs and put them on an album, typically they’re made to improve upon something, such as an existing album or to take non-album tracks and put them on an album.

As I usually do with researching artists, I fall into rabbit roles. I was thinking on a Rutles project after reading about the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. This led to me catching that two Rutles came from a band called Timebox, which I had never heard of before and also has a somewhat messy bunch of recordings begging to be streamlined. My plan was to throw in the early solo single of Timebox’s primary singer, Mike Patto, but upon research that became problematic. At least one side of the single was actually recorded by Patto with his former band, the Bo Street Runners. However, he wasn’t even an original member. In working back to the origins of Patto and Timebox, we are in fact at the end of an entirely different group. That band had their own little career. Despite success escaping them, the Bo Street Runners clearly deserved more. Their R&B sound was really striking and as such they turned in quality single after quality single, with my favorite song of theirs being “Baby Never Say Goodbye”.

Every recording of theirs is listed below in order, other than alternate versions being moved to bonus tracks. All of these come from the Never Say Goodbye compilation. Originally, I was going to name this album BSR, due to liking the ring to it, but I prefer the one ultimately picked.

Bo Street Runners – And I Do Just What I Want (1965) – Spotify, YouTube

TRACKLISTING

SIDE A

1. “Love To You” (Released 1964)
2. “Lonely Avenue” (Released 1964)
3. “Shame, Shame, Shame” (Released 1964)
4. “Bo Street Runner” (Single Version) (Recorded & Released 1964)
5. “Tell Me” (Recorded & Released 1964)

SIDE B

1. “Tell Me What You’re Gonna Do” (Recorded January 1965)
2. “And I Do Just What I Want” (Recorded January 1965)
3. “Baby Never Say Goodbye” (Recorded Late June 1965)
4. “Get Out Of My Way” (Recorded Late June 1965)
5. “I Want To Be Loved”

BONUS TRACKS

1. “Bo Street Runner” (Oak Version) (Released 1964)
2. “Bo Street Runner” (Ready Steady Win Version)
3. “Baby Never Say Goodbye” (Radio Version)

PERSONNEL

• John Dominic – lead vocals (tracks 1-13)
• Gareth Thomas – lead guitar (tracks 1-13)
• Dave ‘Gentle Giant’ Cameron – bass (tracks 1-13)
• Nigel Hutchinson – drums (tracks 1-5, 11)
• Bob O’Brien – keyboard (tracks 1-5, 11)
• Roy ‘Fingers’ Fry – keyboard (tracks 6-7)
• Helson Thomas – drums (tracks 6-7)
• Dave Quincy – saxophone (tracks 6-7)
• Tim Hinkley – keyboard (tracks 8-9)
• Mick Fleetwood (Yes, the Mick Fleetwood) – drums (tracks 8-9)
• Unknown drummer and keyboardist on tracks 10, 12-13.

Non-recorded members:

• Dick Connor – early bassist from 1963 to be replaced by Cameron.
• Alan Turner – drummer who replaced Fleetwood in 1965 and seemingly left the group with Dominic.

Amusingly, the main issue with the Runners is their singer John Dominic, who seems out of step with the music. This would be rectified by a changeover. He was replaced with Patto, and he led one single credited to the band. Seeing as by this point we’ve only got two original members from the Runners, and there’s a few more Patto projects, that’ll be saved for a future article. If you consider Dominic a necessary ingredient to the Runners, then all the real Running is here.

This is a passion of mine and if one person likes what I do, I’ll feel honored. I like suggestions on what artist to cover next, so if you know of one you’d like me to look at, feel free to suggest ‘em!