Burnt Toast / Sleepwalk - Miss Penny Lane
- johnaalex
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Burnt Toast / Sleepwalk
Miss Penny Lane
Released: April 2025
Record Label: Independent
Reviewed by Andy Brodie 10 May 2025
Miss Penny Lane is a singer and actress from Germany with a deep passion for the music, fashion, and flair of the 1950s and 60s. She has performed with several rockabilly bands over the years and, in 2019, founded vintage music project The Sugar Dolls. With over 20 years of experience in musical theatre and a professional background in acting, Miss Penny Lane brings an expressive and authentic presence to every performance. In 2023, she released her debut LP Freckles on My Tender Soul, followed in 2024 by this single Burnt Toast.
Vocals Penny Lane Vocals (Sleepwalk) Pat Reyford Pedal Steel Nils All other instruments Pat Reyford
Track by track Review
Burnt Toast : An original track on side A and it opens with Penny’s voice up close and personal. Subtle vocal inflections balance against a simple vibrato guitar and it’s clear that Miss Penny Lane can do the job. The band comes in and this is the ‘60s baby! In fact I wouldn’t be surprised to see this track accompanying Alain Delon as he hops out of a natty open-top two seater somewhere in the French alps. There is a lot of work in this recording with cleverly conceived instrumentation and well crafted backing vocals. The guitar part deserves a mention here bringing an authentic twang to the vintage table.
Sleepwalk : Having played the Santo and Johnny instrumental myself for a number of years I didn’t realise until today that there were words. Further sleuthing via the mighty google reveals that a version was released in 1959 with lyrics written and sung by Betsy Brye. Penny Lane’s version sticks fairly close to our Betsy’s original but somehow makes it more modern whilst retaining a vintage sensibility. The addition of Pat Reyford on harmony vocals is a fine idea and both Penny and Pat (good name for a new duo? Why not) sound like they are having a ball, Penny told me that the harmony was added in a ‘spontaneous live singing session’ and I can well believe it. This is really good stuff and Nil’s pedal steel guitar lends further authenticity to a cracking cover.
Summary
Well, that girl sure can sing, and produced in collaboration with the experienced Pat Reyford, this is a really well put together single. Miss Penny Lane is currently working on a live show with her new band The Gentle Tones and I would say its pretty likely that they will be lighting up the stages at vintage festivals near you before too long.
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