Best remembered for 1969’s breezy international smashes ‘Early In The Morning’ and ‘Hitchin’ A Ride’, Kent-based dandies Vanity Fare lacked a distinct musical identity, possibly because their A-sides were all penned by outside writers. Nonetheless they managed to let themselves go on their self-written B-sides, the freedom to roam revealing a more rugged side than their artfully dishevelled neckerchiefs only hinted at. For proof check the stylised harmonies of ‘Waiting For The Nightfall’ [‘Highway Of Dreams’, 1969], the Doobie Brothers-sounding ‘Stand’ [‘Where Did All The Good Times Go’, 1971] or wah-wah driven ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Band’ [Better By Far, 1971]. ‘Megowd (Something Tells Me)’ is the jewel in their B-side crown. Kicking off with Barry Landeman’s crazed organ riff, guitarist Tony Goulden and bassist Tony Jarrett quickly lose the leash, create a truly groovesome backing for Trevor Bice’s stylised wailing (with Landeman shining again on its wigged-out coda). Think Traffic, think Zombies, think great. Despite coming off the back of two million-selling hits, the A-side’s unlucky dip into Mike Leander and Eddie Seago’s songbook badly misfired, blanking in all territories. And although Vanity Fare kept chugging along, they were conspicuously free of original members when they auditioned for Eurovision in 1986.