Forever More were a Scottish band featuring two future members of the Average White Band, however, there’s no soul or funk on offer here, it’s typical Beatles fare of the era.
Written by: Eric
ARTIST: Forever More
ALBUM: Yours Forever More
LABEL: RCA
SERIAL: LSP-4272
YEAR: 1970
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Scotland
LINEUP: Alan Gorrie – lead vocals, bass, piano * Mick Travis – guitar * Onnie Mair – guitar, bass, backing vocals * Stuart Francis – drums, backing vocals
TRACK LISTING: 01 Back In The States Again * 02 We Sing * 03 It’s Home * 04 Home Country Blues * 05 Good To Me * 06 Yours * 07 Beautiful Afternoon * 08 8 O’Clock And All Is Well * 09 Mean Pappie Blues * 10 You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine * 11 Sylvester’s Last Voyage
Background
With a thick gatefold sleeve designed as a Valentine’s Day card, ‘Yours Forever More’ is one of those albums that receive big thumbs up from collectors in both presentation and music quality. The band Forever More were Scottish and featured future Average White Band mainstays Alan Gorrie and Onnie Mair (Onnie MacIntyre).
The group recorded a couple albums including 1971’s ‘Words On Black Plastic’ that supposedly ended up in cut-out bins no sooner than they were released. I was too young to remember that, but recently I unexpectedly came across a pristine copy of the debut in a local shop for just a few dollars and was pleasantly surprised.
The Songs
You won’t find any traces of the Average White Band‘s rhythm and soul tendencies here although at the time The Beatles were still a going concern, and of course their influence here as with so many albums of the day can be felt throughout.
With that said, I wouldn’t go as far as some who have compared ‘Yours Forever More’ to ‘Abbey Road’. That’s a big stretch in my opinion, but the album does have much to recommend it. Fans of Traffic will delight in the opener ‘Back In The States Again’ and ‘Home Country Blues’ and yes, ‘We Sing’ certainly rings of late period Beatles.
Or more to the point John Lennon while the title track sounds suspiciously like a lost Gentle Giant cut. There’s plenty going on here with a band searching for its own sound and identity along the way, coming up with better material than their peers in a few cases.
‘Beautiful Afternoon’ is an apt title, a lovely little number again recalling Traffic and the rollicking ‘You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine’ reminds me of early Wishbone Ash which is never a bad thing. Album closer ‘Sylvester’s Last Voyage’ is my personal favourite, a sea song a la Procol Harum sung in a folk rock style that caps off a wonderful record that reveals more with each listen.
In Summary
As ‘Yours Forever More’ found little favor among record buyers in 1970, Forever More could be heard on the soundtrack to the cult British film ‘Permissive’ alongside weirdo folkies Comus and progressive rockers Titus Groan. That movie has just been issued on DVD and since I have yet to see it myself, I can’t tell you if the bands contributions were pulled from ‘Yours Forever More’ or are unique to the film. Along with Forever More’s second album, I have some catching up to do.
