Mary Hopkin & Sundance was a regretfully short-lived attempt by producer and ex-
Springfields member
Mike Hurst to revive the sound of
the Springfields in the early 1980s -- regretfully because they had a beautifully radiant vocal sound wrapped around surprisingly modernistic (but hardly obtrusive) accompaniment that actually worked as new, contemporary recordings. From the opening bars of
Andrew Gold's "The Smile on Your Face," and the
Buddy Holly co-authored "Take Your Time," the mixture of warmth and dexterity in the singing and harmonizing makes for a beguiling sound, sort of like
Renaissance and
the Eagles combined in some distinctly modern 1980s milieu, which works even on revivals of "Walk Right In" and "Silver Threads and Golden Needles," the latter performed as part of a medley with "Never Going Back." The trio also managed to appear on British television, which is the source for four bonus tracks here -- a spirited rendition of "Cottonfields," an exquisitely slow version of "Dream Lover," and reprises of "Those Were the Days" and "Island of Dreams," in less than perfect fidelity but with more than sufficient quality to be appreciated. ~ Bruce Eder