The Californians

The group known as the Californians actually originated in England's Midlands during the middle of the 1960s. Their lineup included Mike Brookes, P.J. Habberly, John O'Hara—who had previously performed with O'Hara's Playboys—and Robert Trewis. They issued their initial recording on CBS Records in 1967, titled "Little Ship with a Red Sail." Clad in identical white pullovers, the ensemble produced a series of singles on Decca Records and Fontana Records that delivered solid, vigorous rock & roll. Their debut effort for Decca, a rendition of Warren Zevon's "Follow Me," earned positive notice, after which they tackled a version of Spanky & Our Gang's "Sunday Will Never Be the Same." Later recordings showed the impact of the emerging psychedelia trend, evident in tracks like "The Cooks of Cakes and Kindness." As the decade closed, the band faded from sight following the release of "Golden Apples," their concluding single issued upon returning to CBS. Although they never put out an album, the 2019 collection Early Morning Sun gathered their recordings together with additional tracks overseen by Irving Martin.