THE IDLE RACE. The Birthday, 1968. Girl at the window, 1969.

Tengo el honor de presentar a uno de mis grupos favoritos, me refiero a los británicos The Idle Race, grupo liderado por el genial músico, compositor y productor Jeff Lynne, (llamado popularmente el quinto beatle), su gran admiración por el cuarteto de Liverpool se demuestra en el tema “Girl at the window” en el que nombra en una de sus estrofas a los cuatro beatles. John & Paul, and Ringo & George…Los Iddle Race fueron uno de los grupos de mas talento melódico de su tiempo, hacían una música Psico Pop de una calidad asombrosa Jeff Lynne formaría posteriormente tras la desaparición del grupo en los años setenta, la famosísima banda The Electric Light Orchestra.

“The Birthday” es una elegante y pegadiza canción perteneciente a su primer álbum The Birthday Party de 1968, aunque odio las comparaciones, la primera impresión que produce al escucharla, es la de estar oyendo al mismísimo Paul Mcartney en uno de sus momentos de mayor inspiración, pero de todas formas la joven voz de Jeff, tiene una gran personalidad y suena absolutamente genial.

The Birthday

She had a birthday yesterday she cried
Took off her glasses let her hair down cried
She told them all at work about the day
How it is no-one came?
Wo-oh woh, oh woh-oh
She sent the invitations to her friends
They were too busy doing other things
She told them all at work about the day
How it is no-one came?
Wo-oh woh, oh woh-oh
She took the decorations from the wall
Was it the ladder loose that made her fall?
She told them all at work about the day
How it is no-one came?
Wo-oh woh, oh woh-oh
She had a birthday yesterday she cried



 Respecto al segundo tema “Girl at the window”, he de decir que fue publicado en su segundo L.P. del año 1969, titulado simplemente “The Iddle Race”, es una canción tranquila y de melodía exquisita, algo larga para lo que era habitual en la época, pero que tras varias escuchas te atrapa y se convierte en una fiel acompañante de tus felices días.

GIRL AT WINDOW

In the town lived a girl so fair
Her mother would not dare
To let her anywhere
She was a lonely girl
John and Paul and
Ringo and George
Were playing lovely tunes
From the window of her room
By the light of the moon

Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see

In the fields lived a lonely boy
Who'd wander every night
Just to see her window light
Then he was happier

Then he'd sit upon the ground
Just to listen to the sound
Of the music going round
And he would call to her

Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see

One night her mother said I think it's time for bed
The little girl crept down the stairs free as a bird

Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see

She met the boy sitting on the ground
And they listened to the sound
Growing distant as they found
They were happy now

Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see

Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see






Vale la pena hacerse con estos dos álbumes por la vía mercantil, más que nada por el tema de las carátulas que en el caso de la contraportada de “The Birthday Party” son absolutamente geniales, mostrándonos una fotografía en la que aparecen una larga serie de personajes, músicos y artistas de la época, reunidos en torno a una mesa, también es importante tener la máxima calidad de sonido posible.