Proving that it's never too soon to go retro, The Temperance Seven forged a career out of playing a style of trad jazz first heard in a time well before these charts began ('You're Driving Me Crazy' hails from 1930). At this remove, I'm never certain what to make of it; the music is warm and faithful (thanks to George Martin's production) but Paul MacDowell's vocal has the taint of the too English to convince, a Viv Stanshall-like parody that's more sipping tea with a little finger raised than swilling bootleg hooch in a speakeasy. As a long term Bonzo Dog Band fan, I may be filtering it through my love of their output,* but whatever way you take it there's an undoubted 'look at me' element of novelty about recording in this genre. Yes there was a trad jazz revival of sorts in the UK during the late 1950's/early 1960's, but this by itself can't explain the even bigger element of mystery as to why the general public should take this particular offering to their hearts in this way. I guess you just had to be there.* I'm definitely filtering it though fond memories of hearing 'I Never Go Out In The Rain' by Hudson Ford's 'High Society' on Terry Wogan's Radio 2 Breakfast Show before I went to school most mornings in the early eighties. Now that was a parody. Wasn't it?
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