Personnel:

Dave Lambert-vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dick Dufall-bass guitar, vocals
Bob Voice-drums, vocals

When one first encounters the A‑side of this single “Father’s Name Is Dad” most people have the thought “how could this record have not been a hit?” I was certainly thinking that when I first heard it on the first volume of “Chocolate Soup For Diabetics.” “Father’s Name Is Dad” has it all, frantic, slashing chords in the style of The Who or Creation, a driving beat, Roger Daltry style vocals and hooks galore, the song just leaps out at the listener and wins you over in a flash. This is British pop at it’s finest. During the 1980’s when the UK label Bam Caruso was unleashing it’s “Rubble” series, the label located an alternate take of this song with a different vocal track and issued that version on their compilation. However that is not the version on the 45 itself, it is the “Chocolate Soup” version which is on the actual record. 

The flipside “Treacle Toffee World” is also strongly reminiscent of the early Who, but comes on like one of those great but odd John Entwistle B‑sides, this one really grows on you after a few spins. I believe both sides of this 45 have been re-issued on several compilations so they should not be too hard to obtain. However steer clear of the group’s second 45 “Round The Gum Tree”/“Toothie Ruthie” (Decca 1968) as it is a real dud. I was at a record fair in the mid-80’s when I came across an original UK copy for $1, I was psyched, and couldn’t wait to get home and play it, when I did play it the smile left my face in a hurry as both sides are pretty dismal. 

The Fire did manage to record an album for the Pye label in 1969 or 1970 called “The Magic Shoemaker” that has a few nice moments, it is kind of a concept album possibly aimed at the teenage market. It has been issued on CD over the years. Fire guitarist Dave Lambert later joined The Strawbs and now has a career as a ski instructor in Europe.