Cherry Beat - Recording Sessions (Part Four - The Band's Third Album)

Early - May 1973
So far, the band had released five number one singles, which could hardly be called a failure. Cherry Beat's first album had reached number five in late 1971, and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. Sadly their second album "Show Business" released in 1972 only reached number twenty-five for one week before it fell off the charts.

Cherry Beat's second album by far reached the most negative critical response out of all their albums. Their critics scolded them for covering popular songs by other artists for their albums without bothering to make sure that all the songs they covered fitted comfortably together on their records.

Indeed the band had chosen a diverse selection of covers for their second album. 1950s rock and roll songs "Peggy Sue", "The Girl Can't Help It", and "Clarabella". 1970s hard rock songs "Immigrant Song", and "Smoke on the Water". And a 1970s jazz and soul composition "The Candy Man".

One critic was reported to have said "Songs like The Candy Man, Immigrant Song, and Peggy Sue, don't belong together on the same album, not with rock ballads like The Ballad of Louise Starker". The critical response of their second album eventually pressured the band into splitting up, but their music supervisor and producer Chudley Maron insisted that they wouldn't put the breaks on yet.

"Take a break from recording professionally, and wait at least ten months before you resume recording subsequent albums and singles" he'd say "I personally don't think you need to be releasing covers on your records, you've proven that you're capable of writing your own songs, look at how many number one singles you've already got!"

Chudley's words certainly helped to boost the band's confidence. They took his advice and waited at least ten months before they would start recording tracks for their next album. They would jam together on numerous occasions, but let their professional careers rest in the mean time.

16th May 1973
This was the band's first official recording session for their third album. The band members of Cherry Beat would still record covers, but they were confident that they would not need to release any more covers on their albums. Between June 1972 and May 1973, the band had written enough songs to make at least one album and two singles. Chudley Maron wrote a couple of songs and offered them to the band to record, but the members of the band, particularly Peter and Sam firmly said "We're not recording those songs for our next album, but we'll consider recording them for our fourth album instead".

On this day the band recorded two original compositions. Both of them were rock and roll styled songs, as they were continuing to write and record songs in their rock and roll vein, although they often experimented with blues rock, hard rock and boogie rock. "Nips of Pity" and "Squeeze Me Nice" were both rock and roll songs written solely by Peter McDonald. Both songs would make the band's third album.

23rd May 1973
The band members were in the studio again recording two more original rock and roll compositions. "Tights of Pain" had been written solely by Sam Whitby, while Peter McDonald had helped him to polish off the rough edges of his composition "Shake Those Hips". "Tights of Pain" would be featured on the band's third album, while "Shake Those Hips" became the B-Side of the band's next single.

4th June 1973
The band members were in the studio again recording two more original rock and roll compositions. "Tunnel Walk" had been written solely by Sam Whitby, while what would subsequently become known as "Dark Power" had been written solely by Peter McDonald.

The band would later be forced to re-record the second of the two songs, and dispose of the original recording, upon discovering that the original title of the song had a meaning that may have taken offence, had it been released. To avoid offence, the track was re-recorded under the new title "Dark Power".

Peter McDonald said that he never intended to write a song with such a title. It was supposed to mean independence while being in the dark as opposed to independence in the light.