COLOURS IS GOOD & LOVE HEALS

The Boulder Community Hospital on East Arapahoe has a large banner hanging on the front of the main building stating simply "Love Heals."  I am not sure of their intent, but it takes me back to the 60's.  And "why" you might ask - check this out.



Jack Dalton [front], Chuck Blackwell, Carl Radle, Gary Montgomery, Rob Edwards

The Colours were a 1960's psychedelic pop rock band and the late Gary Montgomery was my brother-in-law.  Although Gary did not "read" music, he was an amazing singer, keyboard player and song-writer.  It's interesting that if you google Gary Montgomery Colours, there are many websites that discuss the music of the Colours, sites that offer the two albums, Love Heals and Atmosphere, produced by the group, and interestingly a site that discusses non-Colours recordings of Jack and Gary.



Here is a sampling of the music of the Colours - the second clip is Love Heals with Gary singing the lead.



In 2008, a Love Heals - the Complete Recordings CD was released, and here are some on-line comments about the Colours, Jack and Gary:

Colours launched onto the scene in 1968 with a stunningly glorious psychedelic masterpiece of L.A studio wizardry. A super group before the name was coined, Colours was the brainchild of Gary Montgomery & Jack Dalton, two hard-working, former Motown songwriters who also penned songs for The Turtles, Nino & April and The Moon. This magical mystery tour-de-force of psychedelic Beatlesque pop also features the talents of Derek & The Dominos bassist Carl Radle.

This first-ever CD issue of their long-out-of-print albums (Colours and Atmosphere) is supplemented by long-lost 67 Dalton & Montgomery recordings cut just months before they formed Colours. 1969′s Atmosphere features former Beach Boy David Marks around the same time he was a member of The Moon another band with many connections to Colours.

The 16-page colour booklet also includes rare, unpublished photos and comprehensive liner notes that feature the participation of original band members.
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A bunch of years ago, who would have told us, to Jack, Gary, you and me, that in 2010 we'd be here, in such a close, distant and anonymous media like this one, remembering and celebrating all these songs which have remained suspended in time and space. Yours and mine are stories that, at the moment, are not relevant. But this could be a good moment to enjoy a part of the one of Jack and Gary.

Together, during some years in their youth, they wrote songs of a surprising high level. Songs which were truly reflecting the musical evolution of the times, and which have in common a faultless good taste in their melodic construction and a strong evoking power. Many of them were recorded by themselves with their main project, the band Colours. Other ones were released by other artists, like The Turtles, Nino Tempo & April Stevens, The Committee, The Peppermint Trolley Company, Aorta, or The Moon.

This compilation could well be the complement of the fantastic Colours CD "Love Heals: The Complete Recordings", released by Now Sounds/Cherry Red in 2008, which contains the only two LPs recorded by the band of Jack and Gary ("Colours", 1968 and "Atmosphere", 1969). Here in our compilation we're gathering most part of their songs not included there, and which quite surely also deserve to be recovered and enjoyed.

It's fascinating to participate in the evolution of their music. From the northern soul-merseybeat of their first recordings for the mighty Motown, to the multicoloured and captivating pop of the times when they were starting to take off, and to the psychedelic flavours of their final stage.
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Here are "The Best Three Songs From Atmosphere" - Gary is featured on the first cut Angie, the second cut When Will You Be Coming Home is a wonderful example of the harmonies of Gary and Jack, and the third cut Your High is very Beatle-esque.  Probably my most favorite Colours song is Smiling in Toronto, but I have not yet found an on-line audio or video of the tune.  You can get a sampling of all 28 Colours cuts on the 2008 CD at Amazon.  A very good friend of Gary's, Danny Moore, produced both Colours albums.




Gary and Kay Montgomery's daughter Anna Montgomery is also an accomplished musician, and after Gary's untimely passing in 2005 caused by heart disease, Anna produced a tribute album for her father.  Triple Seven is a posthumous collaboration between Gary and Anna, and it can be previewed here.  Gary was the third member of the Colours to pass away.  Carl Radle was considered one of the best bass players of the era, and played with a host of well-known artists and bands.  He died in 1980 in a fashion far too common for rock and rollers - from the effects of too much alcohol and drugs.  I understand that guitarist Robbie Edwards dropped out of the music scene, went to medical school and became a physician.  Danny Moore has provided more info about Robbie in the comments section - apparently he had a severe allergic reaction that caused heart failure.

It is most interesting that 40+ years after the Colours came and went, they are still a presence on the internet and have fans around the globe.