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.
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. 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.
Success
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). The album later changed in title, cover art and track listing and was re-released as #1 featuring Concrete and Clay. Also, singles that became hits, such as the fifth single "(You've) Never Been in Love Like This Before", were not on the 1st Album but were added on the re-released version.
Hugh Halliday replaced Bob Henrit for the second and final album in 1967 on Fontana Records. With Ballard and Henrit on board as full-time members, the Unit 4 + 2 sound had gelled, but their cover of Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" was outsold by a cover version by the Byrds. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the 1999 film Rushmore.
Martin Plaza, co-lead vocalist of Australian band Mental As Anything, released his version as his debut solo single in 1986, from his debut solo album Plaza Suite. It reached number 2 on the Australian charts.
Band member details
Brian Parker (born Brian William Parker, 7 December 1939, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, died 17 February 2001) - vocals, guitar:
- Later taught guitar playing in his local area, but died while playing tennis in 2001. Co-writer of "Concrete and Clay". Co-writer of "Concrete and Clay".
- Unit 4 + 2 (1969)
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Single
! colspan="4" | Chart Positions
|-
!<small>UK</small>
!<small>AU</small>
!<small>CAN</small><br>
!<small>US</small><br>
|-
| rowspan="2" |1964
|"The Green Fields"
| style="text-align:center;" |48
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
|"Sorrow and Pain"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
| rowspan="4" |1965
|"Concrete and Clay"
| style="text-align:center;" |1
| style="text-align:center;" |21
| style="text-align:center;" |1
| style="text-align:center;" |28
|-
|"(You've) Never Been in Love Like This Before"
| style="text-align:center;" |14
| style="text-align:center;" |38
| style="text-align:center;" |6
| style="text-align:center;" |95
|-
|"Hark"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | 131
|-
|"You've Got to Be Cruel to Be Kind"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
||1966
|"Baby Never Say Goodbye"
| style="text-align:center;" |49
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
| rowspan="3" |1967
|"I Was Only Playing Games"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
|"Too Fast, Too Slow"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
|"Butterfly"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
||1968
|"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
||1969
|"3:30"
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|}
See also
- List of artists under the Decca Records label
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
References
Bibliography
- 40 Years of NME Charts, by Roger Osborne, Dafydd Rees and Barry Lazell, Boxtree Limited, First Edition. 1992 -
External links
- Unit Four Plus Two official site
- Unit Four Plus Two Discography at Discogs