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Unit 4 + 2
Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band formed in Hertfordshire, England, who had a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.
In 1962, Brian Parker, then the guitar player and songwriter with the Hunters, decided to form his own vocal harmony group. He asked his friend David 'Buster' Meikle to join him. They asked singer Tommy Moeller and Peter Moules, who were at school together, to join their group, which they called Unit 4, reportedly inspired by "Unit 4," the fourth and final segment of the BBC Radio show Pick of the Pops, which featured the Top 10.
Unit 4 was later joined by Russ Ballard on guitar and Robert 'Bob' Henrit on drums (forming the + 2) for a six-piece, four-part vocal harmony group. Moeller was lead singer and front man from the first show as the Unit 4 vocal group to the last show as Unit 4 + 2 as vocal group with instruments. Owing to ill health and a dislike of performing live, Brian Parker left the band but remained involved as co-songwriter with Tommy Moeller for all of the band's original recordings. His place at live performances was taken by Howard 'Lem' Lubin. Around 1967 when they recorded their second album, Rodney Garwood replaced Peter Moules (who had taken up bass when the band changed from a vocal group to a pop band) on bass and Hugh Halliday replaced Bob Henrit.
As Unit 4 + 2, they issued their debut single on Decca Records titled "The Green Fields" (featuring the only performance with the band of banjo player Nigel Snook), which reached number 48 in the UK in 1964. Their second single release, "Sorrow and Pain", was less successful.
Brian Parker co-wrote "Sea of Faces" with Kim Fowley for Unit 4 + 2 when he was living in England with P.J. Proby. The group recorded the song but it never saw a release. Another group, The Ways and Means who were managed by Ron Fairway recorded it and it was released on Pye. It became a minor hit for the band, charting on the Radio City and Radio Caroline charts in early 1967.
Unit 4 + 2's song "Concrete and Clay" became a big hit the following year, reportedly thanks to exposure on pirate radio stations, most notably Wonderful Radio London. Tony Windsor, the radio station's music director, later recalled in an interview that he initially rejected the song for the station's playlist, but was persuaded to change his mind by DJ Kenny Everett. The song was recorded with session musicians Russ Ballard and Bob Henrit (who had played with the Roulettes). As well as reaching the top of the UK chart, "Concrete and Clay" was popular worldwide. In the United States, a competing cover version by Eddie Rambeau (produced by Bob Crewe) split sales, with Rambeau's reaching No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Unit 4 + 2's peaking at No. 28. Cashbox bracketed the two competing versions together on its chart, and they reached a combined peak of No. 12.
Decca released a hastily put together album, titled 1st Album. The next single release, "(You've) Never Been in Love Like This Before", reached the top 20 in the UK, and No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
In 1967, Russ Ballard (who, with Henrit, went on to form Argent) joined the band full-time, having played some of the guitar work with Brian Parker on the original recording for "Concrete and Clay".
Unit 4 + 2
Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band formed in Hertfordshire, England, who had a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.
In 1962, Brian Parker, then the guitar player and songwriter with the Hunters, decided to form his own vocal harmony group. He asked his friend David 'Buster' Meikle to join him. They asked singer Tommy Moeller and Peter Moules, who were at school together, to join their group, which they called Unit 4, reportedly inspired by "Unit 4," the fourth and final segment of the BBC Radio show Pick of the Pops, which featured the Top 10.
Unit 4 was later joined by Russ Ballard on guitar and Robert 'Bob' Henrit on drums (forming the + 2) for a six-piece, four-part vocal harmony group. Moeller was lead singer and front man from the first show as the Unit 4 vocal group to the last show as Unit 4 + 2 as vocal group with instruments. Owing to ill health and a dislike of performing live, Brian Parker left the band but remained involved as co-songwriter with Tommy Moeller for all of the band's original recordings. His place at live performances was taken by Howard 'Lem' Lubin. Around 1967 when they recorded their second album, Rodney Garwood replaced Peter Moules (who had taken up bass when the band changed from a vocal group to a pop band) on bass and Hugh Halliday replaced Bob Henrit.
As Unit 4 + 2, they issued their debut single on Decca Records titled "The Green Fields" (featuring the only performance with the band of banjo player Nigel Snook), which reached number 48 in the UK in 1964. Their second single release, "Sorrow and Pain", was less successful.
Brian Parker co-wrote "Sea of Faces" with Kim Fowley for Unit 4 + 2 when he was living in England with P.J. Proby. The group recorded the song but it never saw a release. Another group, The Ways and Means who were managed by Ron Fairway recorded it and it was released on Pye. It became a minor hit for the band, charting on the Radio City and Radio Caroline charts in early 1967.
Unit 4 + 2's song "Concrete and Clay" became a big hit the following year, reportedly thanks to exposure on pirate radio stations, most notably Wonderful Radio London. Tony Windsor, the radio station's music director, later recalled in an interview that he initially rejected the song for the station's playlist, but was persuaded to change his mind by DJ Kenny Everett. The song was recorded with session musicians Russ Ballard and Bob Henrit (who had played with the Roulettes). As well as reaching the top of the UK chart, "Concrete and Clay" was popular worldwide. In the United States, a competing cover version by Eddie Rambeau (produced by Bob Crewe) split sales, with Rambeau's reaching No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Unit 4 + 2's peaking at No. 28. Cashbox bracketed the two competing versions together on its chart, and they reached a combined peak of No. 12.
Decca released a hastily put together album, titled 1st Album. The next single release, "(You've) Never Been in Love Like This Before", reached the top 20 in the UK, and No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
In 1967, Russ Ballard (who, with Henrit, went on to form Argent) joined the band full-time, having played some of the guitar work with Brian Parker on the original recording for "Concrete and Clay".