THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
Focal Point’s Fairy Tale Beginning Began When They Cornered Paul McCartney Walking His Dog in Hyde Park
Focal Point — “Girl on the Corner”
Focal Point is one of the greatest coulda/shoulda-beens in the annals of British pop-psych. “Girl,” one of the first four songs they recorded, knocked out John Lennon and Brian Epstein.
Needless to say, it knocks me out.
The band released only one single, but it all started like a fairy tale. As co-founder Paul Tennant recalled:
It was . . . the summer of 1967 . . . . We knew which house Paul lived in due to the large amount of girls hanging about outside. . . . . Then all of a sudden the gates opened and a mini shoots out and away. Without a second thought we were on his tail, and there in the back of the car was a large sheepdog . . . . I never let it out of my sight . . . [W]e were at Hyde Park, the mini stopped and out stepped Paul, let the dog out and waved to the driver — Jane Asher and he was away walking the dog. . . . [W]e shouted to [Paul] and he turned around. We then told him . . . we were writing songs and didn’t know what to do with them, could he help? . . . . [H]e said to us “I could get you a recording contract just like that” and flicked his fingers. “But why should I?” It was then that he proved to be human by planting a finger up his nostril. Dave [Rhodes] laughed and he laughed. Dave then said . . . “Because we are good, our songs are good.” It was just like that, Paul then wrote down . . . a phone number . . . . “Phone this guy and tell him I sent you[]” and he was then gone . . . . [W]hen we got back to Liverpool, Dave and I phoned . . . . Terry [Dolan] listened and told us Paul had told him we were going to ring and when could we go down to London. . . . Out came the guitars and we sang four of our best songs [nclusing “Girl”]. . . . He said he liked our songs and would like to get acetate done of them. . . . “John loves your songs, he is absolutely going mad over them” said Terry. We were . . . gob smacked. He wants me to play them to Brian”. . . . “Brian agrees with John, your songs are fantastic.” . . . Terry phoned and told us had spoken to Brian and John and they wanted to sign us to a five year publishing deal with Apple Publishing. Brian also suggested that we should form a band and he wanted to call us Focal Point.
Stefan Granados notes that “Dolan recorded several demos with Tennant and Rhodes . . . who became the first two songwriters signed to Apple after both John Lennon and Brian Epstein responded enthusiastically to the demo recordings.” (liner notes to the Focal Point: First Bite of the Apple: The Complete Recordings 1967–68 comp)
Then it all came crashing down. I often talk about the singer/songwriters and bands that became collateral damage in the collapse of Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate Records.
Focal Point, however, fell victim to the demise of Apple. To read about it, check out the rest of Paul Tennant’s fabulous interview at Marmalade Skies and bassist Dave Slater’s great interview at the Strange Brew.
See my website at bracefortheobscure60srock.com.
