For those not in the know, the embryonic Foundations formed in London in 1965 as The Ramong Sound, then The Ramongs, fronted Sam And Dave-style by two black singers Clem Curtis and Raymond Morrison AKA Ramong.

When Morrison left, he was briefly replaced by the future “God Of Hellfire” Arthur Brown before the group settled on a line-up of white British guitarist Alan Warner, bassist Peter Macbeth and drummer Tim Harris, Sri Lankan keyboardist Tony Gomez, Dominican trombonist Eric Allandale, Jamaican tenor saxophonists Pat Burke and Mike Elliott with Curtis as lead singer.

At Warner’s instigation, the now eight-piece changed their name to The Foundations in January 1967 and they honed their craft at the Butterfly Club, an old basement gambling den in Westbourne Grove where Rod Stewart sat in with them.

All went well at the club until gangsters running a protection racket tied Curtis to a chair and held a knife to his throat. A new headquarters in a mini cab office proved safer and the band were soon supporting US soul acts Edwin Starr and The Toys.

After signing to Pye Records, The Foundations became the first multi-racial group to hit the top spot in England with their debut release ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ in 1967. They were also the first British soul act to have a hit in the USA where they toured.

When Clem Curtis and Mike Elliott split with the band in 1968, the band bounced back with ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ co-written by Manfred Mann singer Mike D’Abo and sung by new vocalist Colin Young that was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

The song reached a new audience when featured in the 1998 hit film, There’s Something About Mary. It’s B-side ‘New Direction’ saw the group experimenting with psychedelia while the heavy RnB of 1970 single ‘I’m Gonna Be A Rich Man’ has become a latter day mod favorite.

The Foundations: Am I Groovin’ You – The Pye Anthology is a brand new 3-CD set (out August 12th, 2022 via Strawberry / Cherry Red Records) and contains much-loved UK soul act The Foundations’ recordings for Pye including the hits, ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ (UK #1, US #11), ‘Back On My Feet Again’ (UK #18), ‘Any Old Time (You’re Lonely And Sad)’ (UK #48), ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ (UK #2, US #3), ‘In The Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)’ (UK #8) and ‘Born To Live, Born To Die’ (UK #46).

It also includes The Foundations’ UK albums, ‘From The Foundations’ (1967), ‘Rocking The Foundations’ (1968) and ‘Digging The Foundations’ (1969) in full along with tracks from the 1969 Marble Arch label compilation ‘The Foundations’ including superb versions of Freddie Scott’s ‘Am I Groovin’ You’ and Bob And Earl’s ‘Harlem Shuffle’ plus the A and B sides of The Foundations’ Pye singles, Clem Curtis solo recordings and rarities.

CD 1: From The Foundations (Mono)
1. Baby Now That I Found You
2. I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving
3. Hold Me Just A Little While Longer
4. Come On Back To Me
5. Love Is A Five Letter Word
6. Call Me
7. Show Me
8. Jerkin’ The Dog
9. A Whole New Thing
10. The Writings On The Wall
11. Mr Personality Man
12. Back On My Feet Again (mono) [Bonus Track]
13. Any Old Time You’re Lonely Or Sad (mono) [Bonus Track]
14. We Are Happy People [Bonus Track]
15. It’s All Right [Bonus Track]
16. Build Me Up Buttercup (mono) [Bonus Track]
17. A New Direction From The Foundations – Stereo [Bonus Track]
18. Baby Now That I Found You [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
19. I Can Take Or Leave You Loving [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
20. Hold Me Just A Little While Longer [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
21. Come On Back To Me [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
22. Love Is A Five Letter Word [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
23. Call Me [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
24. Show Me [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
25. Jerkin’ The Dog [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
26. A Whole New Thing [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
27. The Writings On The Wall [From The Foundations (Stereo)]
28. Mr Personality Man [From The Foundations (Stereo)]

This late-60s, multi-ethnic, multinational soul ensemble is best known to U.S. audiences for its two Top 40 singles, “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You” and “Build Me Up Buttercup.” Indeed, both hits, and a good deal of their other material, were co-written by producer Tony Macaulay, often with his regular writing partner John MacLeod.

The band had two more hits in the UK (“Back on My Feet Again” and “In the Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)”), as well as a number of minor chart entries, but after only four years, and numerous personnel changes, they packed it in.

Various members toured and recorded under variations of The Foundations name throughout the 1970s, but it’s the original material from 1967-1970 that’s featured here.

And what a collection it really is, my friends, for Strawberry / Cherry Red Records have included all of the group’s A-sides for Pye (UK) in this 3-CD set, here including the great From The Foundations album in both Mono and Stereo, along with some wonderful bonus tracks.

CD 2:
1. Am I Groovin’ You (Studio Version)
2. Harlem Shuffle (Studio Version)
3. Tomorrow (Studio Version)
4. Give Me Love
5. My Little Chickadee [Digging The Foundations]
6. ’Till Night Brought Day [Digging The Foundations]
7. Waiting On The Shores Of Nowhere [Digging The Foundations]
8. In The Bad Bad Old Days Before You Loved Me [Digging The Foundations]
9. A Penny Sir [Digging The Foundations]
10. I Can Feel It [Digging The Foundations]
11. Take Away The Emptiness Too [Digging The Foundations]
12. Let The Heartaches Begin [Digging The Foundations]
13. A Walk Through The Trees [Digging The Foundations]
14. That Same Old Feeling [Digging The Foundations]
15. Solomon Grundy [Digging The Foundations]
16. Baby Now That I Found You (Colin Young vocal) (stereo) [Bonus Track]
17. Born To Live, Born To Die [Bonus Track]
18. Why Did You Cry [Bonus Track]
19. Baby I Couldn’t See [Bonus Track]
20. Take A Girl Like You [Bonus Track]
21. I’m Gonna Be A Rich Man [Bonus Track]
22. Who Am I [Bonus Track]
23. In The Beginning [Bonus Track]

After four tracks, that obviously wouldn’t fit on the first disc, are lovingly presented to us, and with the disc rounding out with a handful of highly enthralling bonus tracks, The Foundations’ last album, Digging the Foundations, opens with the groovy My Little Chickadee (a minor hit) and then comes the stylistic Till Night Brought Day (inclusive of a slight touch of then-valid psychedelia) and backs them up with Waiting on the Shores of Nowhere (interestingly enough, written by Bob Saker and Jack Winsley, instead of anyone in the band or the usual songsmiths Tony Macaulay & John MacLeod).

Up next is the Motown-esque soul song In the Bad, Bad Old Days, which was a massive hit around the world and that is backed by the beautiful balladry of Loved Me and the soft, groovy A Penny Sir, and then comes the mid-temp RnB of I Can Feel It, which is itself followed by the Mowtown-esque Take Away The Emptiness Too, the album run coming to a close on the yearning Let The Heartaches Begin, an instrumental written by the saxophonist/flutist Pat Burker, A Walk Through The Trees, the RnB hipsway of That Same Old Feeling and, finally, the nice pop soul song Solomon Grundy.

CD 3:
1. Love Is All Right (The Horse) (LIVE)
2. People Are Funny (LIVE)
3. Harlem Shuffle (LIVE)
4. Comin’ Home Baby (LIVE)
5. Tomorrow (LIVE)
6. Am I Groovin’ You (LIVE)
7. Back On My Feet Again (LIVE)
8. Any Old Time You’re Lonely and Sad (LIVE)
9. Things Get Better (LIVE)
10. The Look Of Love (LIVE)
11. Stop Her On Sight SOS (LIVE)
12. We Are Happy People (LIVE)
13. 96 Tears (LIVE) [Bonus Track]
14. Where The Fire Burns [Bonus Track]
15. Build Me Up Buttercup (stereo) [Bonus Track]
16. Back On My Feet Again (stereo) [Bonus Track]
17. Any Old Time You’re Lonely and Sad (stereo) [Bonus Track]
18. CLEM CURTIS – Mountain Over The Hill [Bonus Track]
19. CLEM CURTIS – Time Alone Will Tell [Bonus Track]
20. CLEM CURTIS – I’ve Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) [Bonus Track]
21. CLEM CURTIS – Point Of No Return [Bonus Track]
22. CLEM CURTIS – Stand By Your Man [Bonus Track]
23. NEW FOUNDATIONS (FEATURING COLIN YOUNG) – Something For My Baby [Bonus Track]
24. NEW FOUNDATIONS (FEATURING COLIN YOUNG) – I Need Your Love [Bonus Track]

The third CD, much like the others, contains and continues the hits and more musical journey, this time bringing them to us as live versions, along with a few stereo cuts, a quintet of solo work from Clem Curtis and coming to a righteous close on two tracks from the New Foundations featuring Colin Young on vocals.

Official 3CD Purchase Link