The “Golden Hits Of The 60s” 

Main MenuConcept Refinement The Author..Wayne JancikGolden Age Of The 50sGolden Age Of The 60s1970s and There After

 

DON FARDON

INDIAN RESERVATION

(JOHN D. LOUDERMILK)

GNP Crescendo 405

No. 20   October 5, 1968

.

.

.

The Sorrows of Coventry, England–home of rugby and the Rolls Royce–were one of the best beat

groups around in 1965.   Their lead singer, Don Maughn, remembered his mother holding him in

bomb shelters during the Nazi blitz; Maughn sang with pain even when singing of love. The

Sorrows’ “Take a Heart” grazed the British charts and was released in the U.S. on the Warner

Bros. label.   Despite the Sorrows’ haunting and atmospheric sound, none of this futuristic unit’s

singles ever again charted in England.   Early in 1967, the group came apart.

.

Miki Dallon, the group’s manager, was also a song­ writer, producer, record company executive,

and some­ time RCA recording artist.   Miki had plans for the Sor­rows’ mournful 6-foot 6-inch

vocalist:  he renamed Maughn “Don Pardon” and had him record cover ver­sions of “The Letter”

and “Indian Reservation;’ encas­ing the soulful lad in both bubblegum and easy-listen­ing settings.

.

Despite a misconceived orchestral accompaniment, Don’s reworking of JOHN D. LOUDERMILK’s

1963 lament for the Cherokee Indians, “Indian Reservation,” touched home.   Paul Revere & The

Raiders had a huge hit with it two years later, but “Indian Reservation” was Pardon’s only notable

release in the U.S.   He did have a British hit even before his stateside success, however: “Belfast

Boy,” a tale of talented, but troubled football player George Best.   Five years later, Pardon popped

up on the Stateside Hot 100 with “Delta Queen” (#86, 1973).

.

Over the years, Don Pardon continued his relation­ship with Miki Dallon and his Young Blood

label.   In 1974, Capitol released a brassy rendition of the Kinks’ “Lola.”   Decca/MCA toyed with the

idea of Don record­ing a prepubescent cover version of CRAZY ELEPHANT’s hit, “Gimme Gimme

Good Lovin’.”   Both Don and his manager have recorded solo versions of the classic Sorrows

single, “Take a Heart,” but nothing much hap­pened with either reworking.

*

The Sorrows’ original

rendition and their lone album, 1965’s Take a Heart, are highly sought-after by American and

European record collectors.   When last spotted, Pardon was singing bub­blegum material, his

vocal talents constricted by anti­quated orchestral arrangements.

.