The Flame "The Flame"


Holy Badfinger Batman! This is another “lost” album of the late sixites that suddenly finds itself re-issued today. The Flame were a South African quartet consisting on Blondie Chaplin, Ricky Fataar and two additional Faatar brothers. Although a headliner in Africa, it wasn’t until The Beach Boys’ Carl Wilson decided to produce The Flame’s new album in the USA that we would hear them. The music is amazing and is a power pop fan’s dream. Badfinger-styled guitar licks and McCartney-styled rock and roll combined with a hint of R&B. This album has been legendary among Beach Boys completists, even though it sounds nothing like The Beach Boys. But it does live up to the hype. Why it was ignored on release I’ll never know. After the band broke up, Chaplin and Faatar joined the Beach Boys on their “Holland” LP. Ricky Faatar also was part of the Beatlesque group, The Rutles. My biggest problem here is the remastering. And why no bonus tracks? The sound quality could’ve been better, but as it is Fallout records has done an adequate job. It ain’t cheap though, but it’s available on Not Lame Records.