Biography
Keyboardist Roger Coulam assembled Blue Mink in autumn 1969, gathering a core of session players stationed at London’s Morgan Studios that encompassed bassist Herbie Flowers, guitarist Allan Parker, and drummer Barry Morgan. After laying down several backing tracks, Coulam recruited soul vocalist Madeline Bell and suggested former David & Jonathan member Roger Greenaway as the other lead singer; Bell agreed, while Greenaway declined yet proposed his songwriting collaborator and fellow ex–David & Jonathan partner Roger Cook.
Under this configuration, Cook and Greenaway’s “Melting Pot” appeared as Blue Mink’s first single, a call for interracial unity that climbed to number three in Britain that November. The identically titled album followed in the ensuing January, accompanied by the single “Good Morning Freedom,” which had been omitted from the original LP for reasons never explained. Its rapid ascent into the British Top Ten forced a revision, and later pressings incorporated the track.
Throughout Blue Mink’s existence the musicians sustained their extensive session work; in March 1970, Cook and Bell contributed to Elton John’s self-titled album, an appearance John repaid by covering “Good Morning Freedom” on the compilation Pick of the Pops while supplementing his income with anonymous hit recreations for the budget Deacon label. The next month Cook briefly rejoined Greenaway in Currant Kraze, even as the pair continued writing anthems such as “You’ve Got Your Troubles,” “I’ve Got You on My Mind,” and “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” Additional side projects during the ensuing years included Alan Parker’s Congregation and Herbie Flowers’ central role on Lou Reed’s Transformer.
Named after the band’s third hit, Blue Mink’s sophomore album Our World (issued in the United States as Real Mink) reached stores in September 1970. The group then vanished from the scene for roughly six months before returning with “The Banner Man” in spring 1971. Their inaugural Regal Zonophone release—earlier singles had appeared on Philips—“Banner Man” also peaked at number three. Nearly another twelve months passed before Blue Mink regrouped for a two-week residency at London’s Talk of the Town in January 1972, later preserved on the live album Live at the Talk of the Town issued two months afterward. Curiously, the studio set A Time of Change emerged simultaneously (originally slated as “Harvest” until the title was altered to sidestep confusion with Neil Young’s latest record).
Now augmented by percussionist Ray Cooper and keyboardist Ann Odell, November 1972 yielded another number-three single, “Stay with Me,” Blue Mink’s final Regal Zonophone outing before EMI absorbed the historic imprint into its own roster. The fourth album Only When I Laugh followed in March 1973. By then the group’s popularity was waning as glam rock displaced their light-hearted pop style; the latest single “By the Devil (I Was Tempted)” barely grazed the Top 30, and although June 1973’s “Randy” restored them to the Top Ten, it proved their last chart entry.
Blue Mink issued one more album, January 1974’s Fruity, and the accompanying single “Quackers.” Both failed to register, prompting the band’s dissolution that autumn after a concluding American tour. Among those on hand to bid farewell was Elton John, who introduced the group onstage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Blue Mink’s final single “Get Up,” released in July 1974, attracted no attention until it resurfaced two years later retitled “7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (Blow Your Whistle)” and became a major disco success for the Rimshots.
After the breakup each member remained active in session and songwriting circles. Blue Mink, for their part, have been anthologized repeatedly, collections that chronicle the buoyant hits cementing their reputation among Britain’s most fondly remembered pop ensembles of the early decade.
Under this configuration, Cook and Greenaway’s “Melting Pot” appeared as Blue Mink’s first single, a call for interracial unity that climbed to number three in Britain that November. The identically titled album followed in the ensuing January, accompanied by the single “Good Morning Freedom,” which had been omitted from the original LP for reasons never explained. Its rapid ascent into the British Top Ten forced a revision, and later pressings incorporated the track.
Throughout Blue Mink’s existence the musicians sustained their extensive session work; in March 1970, Cook and Bell contributed to Elton John’s self-titled album, an appearance John repaid by covering “Good Morning Freedom” on the compilation Pick of the Pops while supplementing his income with anonymous hit recreations for the budget Deacon label. The next month Cook briefly rejoined Greenaway in Currant Kraze, even as the pair continued writing anthems such as “You’ve Got Your Troubles,” “I’ve Got You on My Mind,” and “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” Additional side projects during the ensuing years included Alan Parker’s Congregation and Herbie Flowers’ central role on Lou Reed’s Transformer.
Named after the band’s third hit, Blue Mink’s sophomore album Our World (issued in the United States as Real Mink) reached stores in September 1970. The group then vanished from the scene for roughly six months before returning with “The Banner Man” in spring 1971. Their inaugural Regal Zonophone release—earlier singles had appeared on Philips—“Banner Man” also peaked at number three. Nearly another twelve months passed before Blue Mink regrouped for a two-week residency at London’s Talk of the Town in January 1972, later preserved on the live album Live at the Talk of the Town issued two months afterward. Curiously, the studio set A Time of Change emerged simultaneously (originally slated as “Harvest” until the title was altered to sidestep confusion with Neil Young’s latest record).
Now augmented by percussionist Ray Cooper and keyboardist Ann Odell, November 1972 yielded another number-three single, “Stay with Me,” Blue Mink’s final Regal Zonophone outing before EMI absorbed the historic imprint into its own roster. The fourth album Only When I Laugh followed in March 1973. By then the group’s popularity was waning as glam rock displaced their light-hearted pop style; the latest single “By the Devil (I Was Tempted)” barely grazed the Top 30, and although June 1973’s “Randy” restored them to the Top Ten, it proved their last chart entry.
Blue Mink issued one more album, January 1974’s Fruity, and the accompanying single “Quackers.” Both failed to register, prompting the band’s dissolution that autumn after a concluding American tour. Among those on hand to bid farewell was Elton John, who introduced the group onstage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Blue Mink’s final single “Get Up,” released in July 1974, attracted no attention until it resurfaced two years later retitled “7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (Blow Your Whistle)” and became a major disco success for the Rimshots.
After the breakup each member remained active in session and songwriting circles. Blue Mink, for their part, have been anthologized repeatedly, collections that chronicle the buoyant hits cementing their reputation among Britain’s most fondly remembered pop ensembles of the early decade.
Albums
