Let’s Make it Pretty Baby

Under Appreciated

LET’S MAKE IT PRETTY BABY
 
 

As with past UARB the Sons of Fred, I learned about this month’s Under-Appreciated Rock Bandthe Soul Agents through the albums in the English Freakbeat Series.  The English Freakbeat, Volume 2 CD includes a song made famous by Muddy Waters, “I Just Wanna Make Love to You” plus the flip side of a later single, the organ-driven instrumental “Gospel Train”.  The English Freakbeat, Volume 4 CD has three more songs, “Don’t Break it Up”, “Mean Woman Blues” and I Just Wanna Make Love to You again.  Apparently the intention was to include “Let’s Make it Pretty Baby” on the earlier CD (it was included on the English Freakbeat, Volume 2 LP); Greg Shaw says that it was his favorite among their songs in the liner notes for the English Freakbeat, Volume 2 CD

 

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The Soul Agents released their second single on October 15, 1964, also on Pye Records; and in 1965, this single also came out in America.  The band picked two other traditional songs for this 45, “The Seventh Son” b/w Let’s Make it Pretty Baby.  Of the “B” side, Greg Shaw said in his liner notes for English Freakbeat, Volume 2:  “‘Let’s Make it Pretty Baby’ is my favourite, a John Lee Hooker number but with an urgency that was wholly their own.” 

 

(May 2014)

 

Last edited: March 22, 2021