Soul Strutter: NS566 Margaret Mandolph [1965] - Something Beautiful [Planetary P-106]

566 Margaret Mandolph [1965] - Something Beautiful [Planetary P-106]

b/w: I Wanna Make You Happy (official A side)

Label: Planetary

Cat No: P-106

Year: 1965

Value: $650

Planetary was a Los Angeles based label and Something Beautiful is the flip side of the the second of 2 45's issued by thirteen year old Margaret Mandolph on the Planetary label. Released in May of 1965 the A side of this dreamy piece of soulful, girl group pop would be in a chart war with a version by Jackie and Gayle on the Mainstream label. While neither charted, they have both grown in stature and are both highly sought after by Girl group music collectors. Dusty Springfield even recorded a version that was included on her 1965 LP entitled, 'OOOWEEE!'. The Margaret Mandolph version is by far the winner of the three. Produced and arranged by the talented David Gates, it has been written that if there is a record being played in heaven then this one is it.

It was the B side 'Something Beautiful' that interested Northern punters getting airplay in the mid 70s (circa 76) at the Winter Gardens in Cleethorpes and then went national being played at all the top venues. It was covered by UK actress Adrienne Posta (appeared in To Sir With Love with Lulu) on Decca in 1966 and released on CD. To supply demand it was bootlegged in the mid 70s as a White Demo.

Margaret later toured Europe in "Hair", joined a jazz outfit called Love Joy and was quite well-known in the Oakland CA area, where she sang in musical plays written by her brother Bobby Mandolph who recorded for Vault in the early 60's and was a member of the group

Purple Olive.

Robert Mandolph Sr., played the keyboards for Sam Cooke, Bobby Womack, Lou Rawls and many others as a studio musician.

Margaret met David Gates (Bread) in 1963 and later cut the 2 Planetary singles produced by him. She also recorded a demo of Popsicles And Icicles which the record company released by The Murmaids.