Colgems Cross Pollination

A good song is a good song, and the people at Colgems certainly knew this. That is why, on occasion, more than one Colgems artist recorded the same song. Take, for instance, the following tune by The Fountain of Youth, "Take a Giant Step."

This Carole King/Gerry Goffin composition is most famous as the B side to The Monkees' very first hit, "Last Train to Clarksville," and it is also on the Pre-Fab Four's first album. However, with the #1 popularity of "Clarksville," the tune kind of got buried.

Come to the rescue a new version of the song from a group the label was trying to push. The thought was, "Put out a newer version of a Monkees song, and it will create an instant identification."

This version was released as a single, and like the other Fountain of Youth records, it went nowhere. The Fredricksburg, Texas, group, pretty much never recovered.

So much for good intentions. Now you can be the judge.

(By the way, without a Fountain of Youth photo to feature here, I have included the somewhat rare black and white picture sleeve of The Monkees first single. I believe this came out after the original color picture sleeve, but I am not sure.

If anyone has a scan of The Fountain of Youth--either this single or a group photo--please send it to me and I will upload it to this blog.)

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=F41415027626214B