Nuggets II: No Presents For Me by The Pandamonium

The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the first volume only chronicled the USA.

Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969 emerged in 2001. It features music from countries such as Iceland, Uruguay, and Japan. I’m profiling and rating each of the 109 tracks, working backwards.

Track 94 – No Presents For Me by Pandamonium

From: Gravesend, Kent

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Credits

4/14. NO PRESENTS FOR ME – Pandamonium (U.K.)
(Bob Ponton/Martin Curtis)

PERSONNEL/BOB PONTON: vocals, lead guitar * STEVE CHAPMAN * MARTIN CURTIS * MICK GLASS
Produced by GEOFFREY HEATH for PALETTE INTERNATIONAL
Recorded in London, England
CBS single #2664 (1967)

Pandamonium

Bob Ponton was he son of an army major. He learned the ukulele as a child. He joined a band named Trev Reeves and The Trojans, who later morphed into The Panda.

The band formed in Kent in 1963-64 as The Pandas. They modified their name to the hipper, less cuddly Pandamonium and signed to CBS in 1966. Pandamonium debuted later that year with an early version of Donovan’s “Season Of The Witch,” but the single flopped. The fantastic “No Presents For Me” was the April 1967 follow-up, but it also sank without a trace. Another release crept out a year later, after which the band decided they’d given it their best shot and disappeared from the scene.

Mike Stax, Nuggets II liner notes

No Presents For Me

‘No Presents For Me’ starts like a 1964-era Beatles song. Psychedelic elements, such as a backwards guitar, are introduced later in the song.

It’s an enjoyable record, if perhaps lacking in personality, which might explain the group’s limited success.

The risque b-side possibly also limited the single’s appeal:

‘The Sun Shines from His Arse’ was almost finished its recording when Geoff Heath and Reg Ponton came running down from the control room exclaiming “You can’t say ‘arse’! It’s a swear word!”. The radio stations wouldn’t play “The Sun Shines from His Eyes”, due to its controversial content, and sales were poor.

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The Aftermath

Pandamonium’s next single was also strong, but struggled due to record label controversy. It was written by Paul McCartney’s friend Malcolm Brown, but Brown’s contract prevented him from producing other artists. Radio stations refused to play ‘Chocolate Buster Dan’.

Bob Ponton and Martin Curtis continued to play as Thoughts and Words. But drummer Steve Chapman enjoyed the most notable music career. He later drummed for Al Stewart and was part of Poco on their album Legend. During the 1980s, he transitioned into a career in artist management.

Read More

• Nuggets Song by Song
• 1960s Album Reviews

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