Would You Believe

Billy Nicholls was originally hired by Andrew Loog Oldham as a staff writer for Oldham's Immediate Records. Oldham was so entranced by the Beach Boys' 1966 album, Pet Sounds that he enlisted songwriter Billy Nicholls to record a British response, which became this largely forgotten album. The Small Faces' Steve Marriott can be heard very prominently on "Would You Believe?," despite Oldham's attempts to drown him out with heavy orchestration. Oldham wanted this to be the British Pet Sounds but financial difficulties with the label caused it to be shelved (it only achieved an initial promotional run of 100 copies, as Immediate IMCP009) before it ever hit the streets. In 1998, Nicholls re-released it on his own label Southwest Records. It was made more widely available on Sequel Castle Communications (CMQDD1358) records in 1999. Several Sequel/Castle editions have been released since, including a version containing demos from the 60s, also originally first released as Snapshot on Southwest Records in 2000. Other artists recorded versions of Billy Nicholls' songs from Would You Believe. Like Nicholls, Andrew Loog Oldham also produced the 1967 Del Shannon LP Home and Away. This LP was also unissued at the time. It has been reissued in multiple formats since 1978, first called And The Music Plays On and later as Home and Away on CD. Nicholls' songs also appeared on Dana Gillespie's LP Foolish Seasons, first released in 1968 and later reissued on CD. Billy Nicholls - vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals Joe Moretti - electric guitar Steve Marriott - electric guitar, background vocals Big Jim Sullivan - acoustic guitar John Paul Jones - bass Ronnie Lane - bass, background vocals Jerry Shirley, Kenney Jones - drums Nicky Hopkins, Ian McLagan, Caleb Quaye - keyboards Barry Husband, Denny Gerrard - background vocals Arthur Greenslade, John Paul Jones - arrangements; except "Would You Believe?" arranged by The Small Faces