Review: John Fred and His Playboy Band's 'Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)' Vinyl Reissue

When John Fred Gourrier misheard the lyrics of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", he suddenly found himself with the raw materials for the number-one hit that would revive his flailing career as a purveyor of bubblegum soul. "Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)" is more bubblegum psych than his usual fare, but as that kind of thing goes, it's one of the best and most memorable examples of what happens when someone spikes your Hubba-Bubba with LSD. It's also the kind of record that screams out "Beware! One hit wonder! Stop here!" But lo and behold, the album originally released as Agnes English in 1967 and reissued with the title of John Fred and His Playboy Band's only hit in '68 is much, much better than it has any right to be. Don't expect a stealth masterpiece like Crimson & Clover, but Judy in Disguise (with Glasses) is an almost uniformly terrific tutti-frutti swirl of light psych, light soul, and thick pop (if it wasn't for the indescribably annoying "We Played Games", I could have left out "almost"). Tracks such as "She Shot a Hole in My Soul" and "Little Dum Dum" are as outrageously catchy as the title track and probably could have taken over radio too if they'd been given the chance. 

One of Fred's main talents is mimicry. On the LP's original title track, Fred's a dead ringer for Eric Burdon doing an ersatz cover of "Hit the Road Jack". On the slow Stax soul pastiche "Out of Left Field", he's Sam Moore-lite (the female backing vocals, however, are from Neptune). Close your eyes and he's Cat Stevens on the jauntily trippy "Lonely Are the Lonely", and the whole band does their best Spencer Davis Group on the driving "Hey Hey Bunny".

John Fred and His Playboy Band's most noteworthy album is now being reissued on vinyl by Liberation Hall with the album's most noteworthy title and its Psychartoon cover that's much groovier than the naff marching band one that adorns Agnes English. The vinyl is purple, and though my copy had a slight wave, it's very quiet and the sound is clear and warm.