The Peddlers were labelled - somewhat unfairly - as a middle of the road outfit, possibly because Roy Phillips blues-drenched voice and the trio’s line-up came off with a sophisticated jazz edge. Also their 1968 CBS album ‘Three In A Cell’ was for many years a charity shop staple, suggesting that its popularity at the time had been followed by exile into the world of the unfashionable. But it was ‘Suite London’ which showcased a style of atmospherics on the slow tracks that saw their version of Alan Lerner’s ‘On A Clear Day’ being sampled by freak funk outfit and London club pioneers Sandals for their 1992 single ‘Nothing’. However it was the strange combination of The Peddlers with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded as their final album with the band’s original line-up, that was the true find.
Whilst ‘Suite London’ is quite clearly a homage to London, this is not strictly a concept album: certain tracks evoke and pay obvious homage to the great city, whereas the rest of the album builds up a cinematic atmosphere. ‘I Have Seen’, a five minute epic of strings, electric piano, organ, drums and bass, is just one of the album's high spots. That the Zero 7 – who after all are considered to be an electronic dance act - version of this should sound almost exactly the same as the original is a testament to how ahead of its time this band were. Eclipse’s Peddlers package doesn’t end there however, as they have gathered up 6 tracks that appeared as singles whilst the band were back at Philips.
