PEARLS IN HER HAIR / THE LYING GIRL

The vocals on many of Omega`s early English language recordings featured atrocious English diction. On albums such as their self-titled debut, 200 Years After The Last War, Omega III and Hall Of Floaters In The Sky singer Janos Kobor`s vocals are virtually incomprehensible at times. However this is not the case with Pearls In Her Hair which had been a massive hit in their native Hungary as Gygyhaju lany in the late sixties which had also been recorded in English for their Hungarian label, Qualiton. The lyrics are lterally translated and form an identical neaning to the original `68 Hungarian version.

A dreamy piece reminicient of early Moody Blues but with a marked meloncholic Eastern European hue about a mystical appirition of a girl that appears seemingly to give hope and solace to a sombre world. Taken from the recording sessions in Dierks Studio in Cologne for the first self-titled album. It was also recorded as Perlen Im Haar with German vocals dubbed over the instrumental tracks and an instrumental version appears on the flip side. The musically and lyrically contrasting flip side on this English version, The Lying Girl, which features a moog synthesizer that really rocks it out can also be found on their debut self -titled full length LP for Bellaphon Records. Perhaps to capitalize on the earlier Hungarian success it only appeared in English in single form and was not available on LP until 1978 when Bellaphon released it`s The Best Of Omega Vol.1 double LP compilation. The German version can also be found on the Das Duetches German Omega LP.

While perhaps the best translation that can be found on an early Omega recording the big dissappointment with this recording is the absence of Presser Gabor`s dramatic high register backing vocal. Gabor had left the band in 1971 to form Locomotiv GT but has recently appeared with them on their most recent studio albums as well as reunion concerts.

I can`t remember where my copy came from but these 70s singles from Omega must be sought after items by conniossuers and collectors but for those wishing to have an English version of Pearls In Her Hair they will either have to scour the internet for this mega rare single or refer to the now deleted Bellaphon Bacillus Best Of Vol. from `78. Nonetheless a jewel worth hunting down for diehard collectors.