Nuggets II: One Third by The Majority

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 104 – One Third by The Majority

From: Hull, United Kingdom

8

Credits

4/24. ONE THIRD – The Majority (U.K.)
(Barry Graham)

PERSONNEL/BARRY GRAHAM (aka WIGLEY): vocals * ROGER FRANCE: lead guitar * BOB LANG: rhythm guitar, vocals * KEN SMITH: bass * DON LILL: drums
Produced by MIKE HURST
Recorded in London, England
Decca single #F-12453 (1966)

The Majority

The Mustangs formed in Hull in the early 1960s. They changed their name to The Majority and moved to London in 1965.

Ray Davies wrote two of their early songs. This is ‘A Little Bit of Sunshine’, which was never recorded officially by The Kinks (although a Ray Davies demo later surfaced).

On ‘A Little Bit of Sunshine’, The Mustangs sound more American-influenced than most Nuggets groups. Usually, the influence ran the other way in this era. They sound somewhere between the Beach Boys and The Lovin’ Spoonful.

One Third

In comparison, ‘One Third’ boasts a tougher edge. In particular, the hard-driving guitar solo is a nice touch. The a capella introduction showcases the band’s three-piece harmonies. The psychedelic effects on the group’s harmonies are effective.

The song is a slightly pedestrian Zombies pastiche, but the clever arrangement and production touches make ‘One Third’ an interesting record.

This brilliant piece of overlooked British pop was relegated to B-side status at the time of its release, despite its obvious A-plus appeal. The sharp three-part harmonies recall the best of The Hollies’ work, and the song boosts its cache considerably with a hard-driving, stinging guitar break and some clever echo effects.

Mike Stax, Nuggets II liner notes

Subsequent career

Like Kaleidoscope last week, The Majority also rebranded at the end of the decade. They became Majority One, and relocated to France where they pursued a more sophisticated album. They released their only album after their rebrand, 1971’s Majority One.

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• Nuggets Song by Song
• 1960s Album Reviews