Here's a headscratcher for you, seeing that celluloid and pop/rock are frequently intertwined...Who were the first band to name themselves after a film? My best guess would be The Searchers (early '62) who copped the moniker from a John Wayne western. The Sand Pebbles seem to be pretty fervent cineastes too as their name is also a Steve McQueen film.

Their opening cut 'Noah's Ark' is splendidly Clean-like plus added hardware and also shares names with a 1928 biblical epic (what else?), while the elegant, wide open vistas of the 'Sundowner' instro, a standout cut to these ears, brings to mind a less Morricone'd Scenic or even a more placid moment from their forefathers Savage Republic, which in turn is also the title of a Robert Mitchum/Chips Rafferty flick set in Australia, from whence the band hail.

Ruth being even stranger than Richard you'd scarce believe me if I told you the band are moonlighting from their day-job as scriptwriters for 'Neighbours'. Your esteemed Ed. meanwhile is, and rightly so, so enamoured with the Sand Pebbles he's named this Single of the issue and has I believe gleaned an otherwise unreleased song for the CD adorning the front of the mag, or possibly inside somewhere.