by Richard Skelly » Sun Oct 07, 2018 3:27 am
Here’s the lowdown on Fisherwoman. Oddly, according to U.S. record reference sites, it was the b-side to the more raucous Listen To The Words. Both songs however featured the three-voice attack of Howie Vickers, guitarist Bill Henderson and multi-instrumentalist Claire Lawrence.
Generally, Howie was the most dominant voice and, over time, Bill would get some lead vocals. Still, it was troika singing that defined the Collectors sound. Although different stylistically, the Jefferson Airplane also soared with an interwoven triple-throated approach to many tunes featuring the late Paul Kantner and just-deceased Marty Balin and the still alive, reclusive Grace Slick.
Back in 1993, I interviewed Marty Balin. Among many topics was the early Airplane days before stardom beckoned when they diligently worked the West Coast circuit from San Diego to Vancouver. He brightened when I mentioned The Collectors. He remembered them as “musically, very savvy cats.”
Indeed they were. Fisherwoman and Listen To The Words were recorded in Los Angeles. Like prior single Looking At A Baby b/w Old Man, Barry DeVorzan and Don Addrisi produced the sessions. ‘Baby’ however was released on DeVorzon’s Valiant Records in the US. That also accounted for Tamarlane Music getting the publishing credit. Years earlier, DeVorzon scored success with his then-band Barry And The Tamarlanes.
Listen To The Words and Fisherwoman got issued on Warner Bros. That’s because Warners had just snapped up Valiant, with its best selling act The Association, making DeVorzon a wealthy man. Meanwhile, Collectors singles continued to be released in Canada on New Syndrome which was co-owned by Tom Northcott and Collectors manager Jack Herschorn. Neither of the four sides on the two singles made it onto the Collectors debut album in 1968.