Guggenheim - Anthology (1972 uk, tasty amalgam jazzy prog acid folk rock, 2022 release)

Guggenheim's bizarre self-titled LP was originally released in 1972 on the low key Indigo label but went largely unnoticed due in part to the ineffective distribution by Decca. The blending of styles also made the record difficult to categorise and thus promote. However, recent interest in the album has soared and now enthusiasts would be hard pushed to secure a copy in top condition for under £400. 

Many collectors have mistakenly tagged the band as Irish but this error is due to the fact that the LP was pressed in Ireland, as were many of the label's other releases, although Indigo Sound Studios where the recording was made was based in Manchester, England. It was in 1971 when Chris Pye and Paul McDowell met up while working on a TV comedy show at Granada called 'Flat Earth'. Earlier, Paul had been a painter at Chelsea Art College and then a writer on 'The Two Ronnies' and 'Frost Report'. But it was in the early 60s that he found fame as lead singer in the successful pastiche 1920s jazz band The Temperance Seven who had a huge hit in Britain with 'You're Driving Me Crazy'. Known as 'Whispering' Paul McDowell he also released a single on the Fontana label called 'Frankie'/'Be A Man' Chris and Paul hung out during rehearsals and started to write songs together. Chris then introduced his friend Jules Burns to Paul and the three of them began writing and arranging songs that feature on the LP. At that time, another friend, Bob Auger, a sound engineer at Granada, was opening a new studio called Indigo with his colleague Dave Kent-Watson and the Guggenheim album was the first project of its kind to be undertaken at the studio. Tracks 1-12 that make up the original release were recorded in the Autumn of 1971.

The following year some additional tracks were recorded at Granada Studios in Manchester that featured two sisters Zofia Williams and Laka Koc (later known as Laka D) whom Chris had met when they all sang together in a folk group in Lancaster in the 60s. In general the small Indigo label became of minor interest to record collectors mainly due to the Guggenheim LP sparking interest in other releases such as Therapy - 'One Night Stand' and Sharon People - 'Inside Looking Out'. The original catalogue number of the Guggenheim vinyl album is GOLP 7001 and it gains its first legitimate CD release right here in the form of an anthology encompassing the band's entire career. 

As one might expect the group drew much of its inspiration from main singer/song writer 'Whispering' Paul with Chris and Jules providing effective back-up as they confidently handled the instrumentation side. Additional support came from saxophonist Alan Fawkes. The combined efforts resulted in an offbeat excursion straddling jazz-folk, pop-psych and vaudeville with occasional stoner elements most notably on the tripped-out 'Susie'. The oddly thoughtful 'Doorway Lovers' is another example of the collective's diversity of styles. Simultaneously endearing yet tricky to objectify as a whole; Guggenheim's identity remains sublimely baffling. At this point the three core members went their different ways for a while. Promotion of the LP by local distributors Selecta was virtually non-existent leaving the band disillusioned. Yet it wouldn't be the last throw of the dice for them, not yet. McDowell went on to an acting career starring as the sour-faced prison guard Mr Collinson in the hit TV series 'Porridge' and lived in Northamptonshire until his death in 2016.

While Chris continued as a TV producer at Granada, Jules went on to help form Witches Brew, who became regulars on the London pub-rock scene alongside bands like Slowbone and Ducks Deluxe. The band's line-up included keyboardist/vocalist Laka Koc, who had already helped co-write Guggenheim's 'Why Should We Care' with Jules and co. Witches Brew recorded a good deal of material (a mighty fine track 'Brother' can be found on our compilation Electrified Neptune Staircase') but most of their demos remained in the vault. However, they did manage to secure inclusion of a song called 'The Party's Over' recorded at the Hope & Anchor pub in 1975 on a compilation LP called 'The Honky Tonk Demos' and it features some excellent flute playing by Mick Strickland who, it is said, auditioned for Genesis during their 'Trick Of The Tail' sessions. Despite having a fine voice the decision was made that Mick's style was 'unsuitable'

Then in 1976 Jules joined Chris at Granada, working as a production manager and they began to play together again - this time without Paul. They also started to work with Richie Close, a producer and arranger who was part of 10CC's Strawberry Studios in Stockport and who composed music for TV animation and drama. Together they recorded eight or so new songs at Indigo Studios and later that year a few more demos were laid down at Strawberry Studios with Richie providing keyboards and producing and arranging the tracks. Drummer Jonathan Silver, another Granada colleague joined them.

The final two songs on this anthology 'Long Gone' and 'Searching Around' represent the last ever Guggenheim recording session which took place in 1977 at Cargo Studios, Todmorden. After that, Guggenheim faded away. Paul carried on acting and taught Qigong and Tai Chi. Jules enjoyed dizzy heights at the Granada Group and then with All3media. Chris left Granada in 1980 and became a TV producer in Los Angeles. Returning to the UK in 1994 he was appointed Head of Entertainment at the BBC and, later, at ITV with Jules. Richie Close sadly passed away in 1978. Laka carried on working as a musician as well as arranging and conducting large scale choral projects. Her sister Zofia worked as an editor but continued to sing and play violin. Jonathan Silver (who at school had been a member of Genesis ) ran his family's catering business in North London.

by Pete Sarfas, April 2022, Special thanks to Jules Burns, Chris Pye and Bob Auger.

Tracks

1. Glenville  (Paul McDowell, Chris Pye) - 2:35

2. When The Snows Leave  (Paul McDowell) - 2:59

3. Why Should We Care  (Paul McDowell, Chris Pye, Jules Burns, Laka Koc) - 3:18

4. Games  (Paul McDowell) - 2:20

5. Good-Bye Baby  (Paul McDowell) - 3:02

6. Susie  (Paul McDowell, Jules Burns) - 3:12

7. Songs For A Rainy Day  (Paul McDowell, Chris Pye) - 2:13

8. Gonna Rain Forever  (Paul McDowell) - 2:55

9. How You've Changed  (Paul McDowell) - 2:59

10.Setting Out Again  (Paul McDowell, Chris Pye) - 2:54

11.Doorway Lovers  (Paul McDowell) - 3:14

12.Guggenheim  (Paul McDowell, Chris Pye) - 2:52

13.Morning Light - 2:41

14.Confusion - 2:47

15.Sunday Sounds - 2:56

16.Move Myself Around - 3:01

17.California - 2:24

18.Get Rich - 3:05

19. he Late , Late Show - 3:10

20.Good Guys - 3:17

21.Country Boy - 3:03

22.I've Been Away Too Long  (Paul McDowell, Chris Pye, Jules Burns, Steve Hawes) - 2:53

23.Long Gone - 3:50

24.Searching Around - 2:44

Songs wrritten by Paul McDowell, Chris Pye, Jules Burns except where noted

Tracks 1-12 recorded 1971 at Indigo Sound Studios, Manchester

Tracks 19-21 recorded 1976 at Indigo Sound Studios, Manchester

Tracks 13-18 recorded 1972 at Granada Studios, Manchester

Track 22 recorded 1976 at Strawberry Studios, Stockport

Tracks 23 and 24 recorded 1977 at Cargo Studios, Todmorden

Guggenheim

*Paul McDowell - Lead, Backing Vocals

*Chris Pye - Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Bass, Percussion, Lead, Backing Vocals

*Jules Burns - Lead Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Bass

With

*Alan Fawkes - Saxophone 

*Laka Koc - Vocals

*Zofia Williams - Vocals, Violin

*Richie Close - Keyboards

*Jonathan Silver - Drums

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Home - Pause For A Hoarse Horse (1971 uk, remarkable country west coast influenced guitar rock, 2011 remaster)

Formed in London in 1970, Home were a band that never quite made it into the top division. Yet the three albums they released are highly prized today as examples of British Seventies rock that display all the energy and eclecticism the genre and era could offer. Two of their members also went on to carve reputations for themselves in larger bands - but Home remains a treasured memory for fans and musicians alike. It was Laurie Wisefield's fluent, inventive guitar work and vocals of Mick Stubbs, the main songwriter, which represented Home's musical calling card. Bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Mick 'Cookie' Cook comprised a funky yet driving rhythm section. 'It was my first serious band,' Wisefield explains, 'though I'd been in a few. Cliff and I had been in one before Home called Sugar, based in London. Cliff and the drummer had come down from the north and we got a flat in Tooting where I met them through a Melody Maker audition; I was at school at the time. When Sugar broke up Cliff and I stayed together. I'd worked with Mick Stubbs before and said, "I know this singer"; Mick knew Cookie and that was the band.' Home, as they were simply christened, recorded their first album, 'Pause For A Hoarse Horse', in Decca Studios in Hampstead; it was supposed to have come out on the Decca label, who funded the sessions, but CBS saw their potential, bought the album and released it in August 1971.

Often erroneously credited as a full band member, Clive John from Welsh prog wizards Man made a guest appearance on keyboards and Mellotron. This would have been at Rockfield Studios in South Wales, but at four decades' distance Laurie is unsure why the band was actually there! 'Maybe we mixed it down there, maybe we recorded a couple of extra tracks.' He recalls Clive 'coming down and playing. He had a beard and long hair - looked like Jesus as I remember.' Producer Mel Baister had just helmed Man's eponymous third album on which Clive John appeared, so he was the obvious connection. Another additional musician employed was John Weider on violin. 'Willie', as he was known, was at the tail end of a two-year stint with Family and had played with such legendary names as Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Steve Marriott and Eric Burdon's New Animals. He and Cliff Williams would rub shoulders again in 1974 when Cliff auditioned for and briefly joined Moonrider, a group Weider had formed with Keith West that shared many of Home's influences. The sleeve of 'A Pause for a Hoarse Horse' was an elaborate gatefold, evidence of CBS's faith in the band they had snatched from a rival label.

The bold wraparound cowboy illustration on the outside was reminiscent of the Norman Rockwell covers boasted by the likes of the Pure Prairie League in the United States. A short note attributed to TW' in the gatefold opined that 'Home's musical background, although worlds apart, has enabled them to arrive at a standpoint that is a weld of attitudes - the resultant sound is good, without being repetitive or pretentious. "The band worked closely together for six months,' it continued, 'to ensure that their musical direction was well defined before going into the studio. It is this attitude towards their music, coupled with the fact that their music is entirely original, that gives this, their first album, true distinction.' All songs were credited to Mick Stubbs bar two: the brief 'Welwyn Garden City Blues', a Stubbs / Wisefield - credited hoedown reminiscent of Heads Hands and Feet's Albert Lee and named after the Hertfordshire new town just north of London, and the band- composed 'In My Time', in Wisefield's words 'a funky, country-influenced kinda thing', that ended side one of the vinyl release. Only Moses' breached the five-minute mark in studio form, though certain stage favourites could be extended to nearly eight minutes' length.

Two of these were 'Red E Lewis And The Red Caps' and 'How Would It Feel'. The former was inspired by one of Mick Stubbs' older brothers who fronted a late-Fifties/early-Sixties band of that name through whose ranks Jimmy Page and future members of the Pirates Mick Green, Johnny Spence and Frank Farley passed. Live, Laurie Wisefield recalls, this 'big-time favourite of ours' could explode with guitar pyrotechnics: 'After the moody build-up, anything used to happen - and often did, as I got to open up and let go at the end!' 'How Would It Feel' and 'Family' in particular betrayed the influence of Bob Dylan's one-time backing outfit the Band. The riff Mick Stubbs came up with was one of Laurie Wisefield's favourites, and the song was routined at the Wisefields' home where early rehearsals were, staged.

Home were great favourites on BBC Radio One, for whom they would play many sessions. An audition was always required before approval was given, and the quartet received a unanimous pass. Producer Malcolm Brown was unstinting in his praise: 'I get the impression,' he reported, 'that when they settle down they will become quite a force in the business. The guitarist is only 17!' Stuart Henry, John Peel, Bob Harris and Pete Drummond would all feature Home sessions on their shows before the year was out.

Home started touring to promote their album and hit an early highpoint in November 1971 when they supported Led Zeppelin at the second Electric Magic Show at Wembley Empire Pool (now Wembley Arena). It was rare for Led Zeppelin to engage support bands, so it is a measure of Home's reputation that they got the gig. From then on, they opened for a series of established groups including labelmates Argent and the Jeff Beck Group, as well as Rod Stewart's Faces.

Home went on to record two further studio LPs, the eponymous second released in the autumn of 1972 and concept album "The Alchemist' which appeared in June 1973. A fourth Home long-player was started but didn't reach fruition as a disillusioned Mick Stubbs left both the band and the music business. After backing Al Stewart on a 1974 US tour, the remaining trio went their separate ways. Laurie Wisefield was headhunted by Wishbone Ash's Andy Powell as replacement for Ted Turner, while Cliff Williams eventually joined AC/DC, where he remains to this day. Mick Cook played with a re-formed Groundhogs and then Latin-jazzers Gonzales but, while Mick Stubbs played briefly with a local band called Paradise, he did relatively little musically thereafter. Both Mick Cook and Mick Stubbs sadly succumbed to cancer within a couple of years of each other around the turn of the millennium.

To describe 'Pause For A Hoarse Horse' as simply 'US-influenced country-rock' is to underrate an album that is comparable to the likes of Help Yourself, a band that also created some fantastic and underappreciated music around this time, or even the ever-eclectic Family. Other comparisons to have been thrown into the mix include Man, The Dog That Bit People and, unsurprisingly, early Wishbone Ash. At any rate, Home were far more inventive than they were imitative. Internet blogger SilverainTR hits the nail on the head by describing this debut album as 'a quiet gem, one that reflects and refracts subtle shades and colours in the setting sun rather than dazzling the listener with pyrotechnic displays

by Michael Heatley with thanks to Laurie Wisefield and Alan Kinsman

Tracks

1. Tramp - 3:13

2. Family - 3:33

3. Pause For A Hoarse Horse - 3:02

4. Red E Lewis And The Red Caps - 5:39

5. In My Time (Cliff Williams, Laurie Wisefield, Mick Cook, Mick Stubbs) - 3:58

6. How Would It Feel - 3:26

7. Bad Days - 4:04

8. Mother - 3:03

9. Moses - 5:04

10.Welwyn Garden City Blues - 1:19

11.You're No Good (Laurie Wisefield, Mick Stubbs) - 3:03

All songs by Mick Stubbs except where indicated

Home

*Mick Stubbs - Lead Vocals, Electric, 12-String Guitars

*Laurie Wisefield - Lead Guitar, Vocals

*Cliff Williams - Bass Guitar, Vocals

*Mick Cook - Drums, Percussion

With

*Clive John - Keyboards, Mellotron

*John Weider - Violin

1972  Home - Home (2011 bonus track remaster)

1972-73  Home - Live BBC Sessions

1973  Home - The Alchemist (2010 bonus tracks remaster)

Related Act

1975  Clive John - You Always Know Where You Stand With A Buzzard (2004 remaster)

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Mandrake - Mandrake (1978 us,,rough southern boogie rock, 2016 reissue)

Mandrake hailed from Houston TX and released just one album in 1978. Led by brothers Benny and Danny Valerio, the band operated as a power-trio during its brief existence, and found a home with a label called Crazy Cajun. 

Mandrake offers a blend of hard rock, blues-rock and southern rock. The album contains three covers. “Money”, which opens the album, “That's All Right” and  “Let it Roll” the rest of the songs are self-penned by band members. They sound somewhere between hard rock and Southern rock, “Cold Hearted Woman” is a compo driven by razor-sharp guitars and an incandescent solo that feels like it's about to explode. The creeping mid-tempo “Living In The World Alone”, the mid-tempo “I Got Loaded”, “Realize” is a lighter, more melodic compo, with clearer guitars and a warm, bluesy flavour, the singer's voice accessible, more haunting and the finale more attention-grabbing. In conclusion it is a pleasant album, with good riffs and screaming solos. 

Tracks

1. Money (Berry Gordy, Jr., Janie Bradford) - 4:04

2. Cold Hearted Woman - 3:36

3. All The Same - 5:15

4. That's All Right (Jimmy Rogers) - 5:18

5. Living In The World Alone - 3:28

6. I Got Loaded - 5:38

7. Realize - 6:14

8. Let It Roll (Paul Winley) - 4:12

9. Honey - 3:06

10.Mandrakes Wild Hair - 3:41

Songs written by Benny Valerio, Danny Valerio, Jimmy Arrechica unless as else noted

Mandrake

*Benny Valerio - Guitar 

*Danny Valerio - Bass 

*Jimmy Arrechica - Drums

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Dana Gillespie - Weren't Born A Man (1973 uk, outstanding glam bluesy soulful rock, 2021 japan remaster and expanded)

Weren’t Born A Man, released in 1973, is Dana Gillespie’s third album and contains her version of ‘Andy Warhol’, a song that David Bowie originally wrote for her. Bowie and Mick Ronson produced said track and Gillespie’s original ‘Mother, Don’t Be Frightened’, and Ronson and Spiders from Mars members Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey played on both cuts. 43 years after its original release, Weren’t Born A Man stands as a must-have record for anyone with an interest in 70s music. 180g vinyl.

Hardcore David Bowie fans should have heard by now about the so-called Bowpromo album. It contains ‘rough mixes’ of original tracks that would later be included on the Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust albums, as well as an exclusive track and the early (and shorter) versions of some amazing songs that would later make their way into Dana Gillespie’s Weren’t Born A Man LP from 1973: ‘Mother, Don’t Be Frightened’ and ‘Andy Warhol’. In fact, these two tracks on Dana’s album were produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson, featuring the members of The Spiders from Mars as backing band. Weren’t Born A Man is Gillespie’s third album after some previous folk and pop recordings and a rather successful career as an actress. She played Mary Magdalene in the first London production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972. 

However, her involvement in music would soon be connected to some of the key players in the London scene, such as Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page and David Bowie. But there is much more to this album that just Bowie’s glam sound influence. ‘All Cut Up On You’, ‘All Gone’, ‘Eternal Showman’ or the title track ‘Weren’t Born A Man’ are all outstanding tracks on their own that show Dana Gillespie’s various moods, from mellow notes to sexually ambiguous statements. Sadly, record sales did not match RCA’s expectations and after one more album Dana was forced to take a long break on her recording activity that would eventually lead her to a very different approach to music. During the 80s Gillespie made a comeback becoming a member of the Mojo Blues Band and her career as a blues singer has not stopped since then, releasing over 25 albums to date. 43 years after its original release, Weren’t Born A Man stands as a must-have record for anyone with an interest in 70s music.

Tracks

1. Stardom Road (Parts I&II) (Jim Avery, Terry Stamp) - 7:22

2. What Memories We Make - 5:10

3. Dizzy Heights - 3:36

4. Andy Warhol (David Bowie) - 3:05

5. Backed A Loser - 4:55

6. Weren't Born A Man - 4:10

7. Mother, Don't Be Frightened - 4:19

8. All Cut Up On You - 4:18

9. Eternal Showman - 3:27

10.All Gone - 5:10

11.Mother, Don't Be Frightened - 4:12

12.Andy Warhol (David Bowie) - 2:42

13.Never Knew - 3:28

14.All Cut Up On You - 3:21

15.Lavender Hill - 3:22

16.Lavender Hill - 3:32

17.Never Knew - 3:43

18.Hold On To Your Fire (David Bentley, Mick Liber) - 3:10

19.Weren't Born A Man (Dana Gillespie, Mick Liber) - 3:48

All compositions by Dana Gillespie except where indicated

Tracks 18-19 by Libido

Musicians

*Dana Gillespie - Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals

*Barry DeSouza - Drums

*Bobby Keys - Saxophone

*Brian Odgers - Bass

*Chris Ray - Guitar

*Dave Wintour - Bass

*Frank Ricotti - Percussion

*Jim Ryan - Guitar

*Joanne Williams - Vocals 

*John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Keyboards

*Liza Strike - Vocals

*Mike Moran - Keyboards

*Pat Donaldson - Guitar

*Paul Keogh - Guitar

*Ray Cooper Percussion

*Ray Glynn - Guitar

*Rick Wakeman - Keyboards

*Ronnie Leahy - Keyboards

*Rosetta Hightower - Vocals

*Terry Cox - Drums

*Del Newman - Synthesizer (Track 9), Strings Arrangement (Tracks: 1,5,10)

*Mick Ronson - Strings Arrangement (Track 7)

1968  Dana Gillespie - Foolish Seasons (2006 remaster)  

1969  Dana Gillespie - Box Of Surprises (2008 remaster)

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Fairy Tale - Once Upon A Time (1969 holland, remarkable psych rock with prog tendencies, 2014 remaster)

In 1970, four musicians from The Hague settled in the Frisian countryside. A farmhouse on the Skieding near Drachtstercompagnie became their home. The band members of Fairy Tale, formed from a combination of former members of The Nicols and Tee Set, failed to find a suitable living and rehearsal space in The Hague and were willing to move. 

The idea arose to buy a farmhouse in the north of the country with enough space for living, a permanent rehearsal space and their own recording studio. That became a reality. Drummer Harry Koetsier was enthusiastic about the new home. “The big advantage of our new house is that we are as free as a bird in the sky, since the nearest neighbor lives more than a kilometer away. The big barn is set up as a rehearsal room for the time being until our ideas and plans of having our own studio are finalized.” 

Band member Peter Seilberger put it as follows at the time: We come from The Hague and want to live and make music together. We've been living here for a month and a half now and it's just lovely. Everywhere around you is green and you come into direct contact with nature. It's great to be able to live with each other in nature, to grow towards each other, and to realize that you love each other. Besides, it also makes the music better. 

With his brother Eddy (bassist and vocals), Harry Koetsier had made the switch from The Nicols to Fairy Tale. With the other musicians Ellen Zonruiter (vocals) and Peter Seilberger (organ and piano), the brothers formed a national professional band as well as a residential community, popularly called a “commune. Ellen Zonruiter had not previously sung or played in a group. Road manager Dero Clarisse also moved with her from The Hague.

Far from cradle The Hague, Fairy Tale (after a first album in 1969, Once Upon a Time) delivered two singles from Frisian soil. In 1970 the first single, A Reason to Stay/Oh Boy, was released and a single was announced, A Better Way of Living/Autumn, which tells the story of life in the Frisian countryside.

Another single, Story With No End/Streetnoise, was released in 1971. Although the singles scored well, a real breakthrough with Fairy Tale failed to materialize. The fairy tale life and experiment in the Frisian countryside did not last. Distance and the lack of a bustling Randstad announced an early departure of several band members and meant the end of Fairy Tale. Both Koetsier brothers remained behind on the farm in Friesland.

Wald-Beat, 21 August 2023 

Tracks

1. Yesterday's Tears (Peter Seilberger) - 6:01

2. Will I Be Saved (Cees Hoogerheide, Rob Grell) - 3:49

3. Can I Take You By The Hand (Peter Seilberger) - 4:15

4. Birds Of Passage (Cees Hoogerheide, Eddy Koetsier) - 4:57

5. Every Body's Goin' Down To The Scene (Cees Hoogerheide, Peter Seilberger) - 4:11

6. Lookin' In A Mirrow (A.H. Moto, Peter Seilberger) - 4:05

7. Doddering Wailings (Eddy Koetsier) - 6:26

8. From Home (Reg Presley) - 8:58

9. Tadadatatadoeweh - 0:52

Fairy Tale

*Eddy Koetsier - Bass, Vocals

*Harry Koetsier - Drums

*Herman Ansink - Lead Guitar

*Peter Seilberger - Organ

*Cees Hoogerheide - Vocals

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The Spencer Davis Group - Living On A Back Street (1974 uk, fine brit rock, bonus tracks edition)

Released in 1974, one year after their previous album, "Gluggo," this was the group's eighth and final album. The final session, performed by familiar members Eddie Hardin, Ray Fenwick, and Pete York, has a smoky silver sound reminiscent of the British rock tradition. An alternate mix version of one album's worth of songs  is included as a bonus track. 

After "Living On A Back Street" they split once again. Mr. Davis went on to release solo albums that emphasized acoustic blues and jazz. By the late ’70s he had transitioned into a job at Island Records. In 2006 he began regularly touring with various musicians under the Spencer Davis Group banner, often including his original drummer, Pete York.

Tracks

1. Living In A Back Street - 3:30

2. One Night (Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King) - 3:18

3. Hanging Around (Eddie Hardin, Spencer Davis) - 3:39

4. No Reason (Eddie Hardin, Peter Jamerson, Spencer Davis) - 2:33

5. Fastest Thing On Four Wheels - 4:36

6. Back Street Boys - 3:24

7. Another Day - 3:12

8. Sure Need A Helping Hand - 4:06

9. We Can Give It A Try - 4:15

10.Let's Have A Party (Jessie Mae Robinson) - 3:38

11.We Can Give It A Try - 2:52

12.Living In A Back Street - 3:24

13.Fastest Thing On Four Wheels - 4:29

14.Sure Need A Helping Hand - 4:00

15.Hanging Around (Eddie Hardin, Spencer Davis) - 3:31

16.One Night (Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King) - 3:18

17.Back Street Boys - 3:20

18.Another Day - 3:11

19.Let's Have A Party (Jessie Mae Robinson) - 3:29

20.We Can Give It A Try - 4:13

21.No Reason (Eddie Hardin, Peter Jamerson, Spencer Davis) - 2:33

22.I Can Only Stay A While - 3:46

Sond written by Eddie Hardin, Ray Fenwick except where indicated

Bonus tracks 11-24 re-mixed and remastered by Eddie Hardin 1997.

The Spencer Davis Group

*Spencer Davis - Vocals, Guitars

*Eddie Hardin - Vocals, Keyboards

*Ray Fenwick - Vocals, Lead Guitar

*Charlie McCracken - Vocals, Bass Guitar

*Peter York - Drums, Percussion

With

*Tony Coe - Clarinet

*Brian Dexter - Accordian

*Martyn Ford - French Horn

*Doris Troy, Liza Strike, Ruby James - Vocals

1965  The Spencer Davis Group - Their First LP 
1966  The Spencer Davis Group - The Second Album

1966  The Spencer Davis Group - Autumn '66 (2007 japan bonus tracks edition)

Related Acts

1969-70  Eddie Hardin And Pete York - The World`s Smallest Bigband (2008 remaster)  

1969-70  Eddie Hardin And Pete York - Tomorrow Today 

1977  Eddie Hardin - You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks (2018 korean remaster)

1969  After Tea - After Tea

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rep> Roxy - Roxy (1969 canada / us, beautiful groovy west coast psych, 2005 edition)

Roxy might be best known as the group from which a more widely known Elektra band emerged, as principal singer-songwriter Bob Segarini and Randy Bishop went on to found the Wackers, who issued three LPs for the label in the early 1970s. While the Wackers' albums (also reissued on CD by Collectors' Choice Music) often went in a Beatlesque pop direction, the earlier Roxy put a greater accent on rootsy if diverse rock of both the R&B- and country-influenced variety. Seeds of the Wackers, however, could be heard in Roxy's general back-to-basics approach at a time when much rock music was getting heavier, though Roxy never did get wide recognition before breaking up.

Segarini was already a young veteran of the California rock scene by the time Roxy came out in 1969. Growing up about 100 miles east of San Francisco in Stockton, by the mid-'60s he was in Us, who got as far as recording demos for the Beau Brummels' label, Autumn Records. Nothing came out on Autumn, however, and Bob moved on to the Ratz, who also included Gary Grubb; as Gary Duncan, he'd later play guitar in Quicksilver Messenger Service. Before Quicksilver got off the ground, however, Grubb/Duncan made an intermediate step with the Merced group the Brogues, with bassist Bill Whittington. Whittington and Segarini subsequently formed the Family Tree, whose early lineup included Mike Olsen -- the future Lee Michaels -- on keyboards.

The five-man lineup that recorded Roxy would also include fellow ex-Family Treer Jim De Cocq, as well as keyboardist James Morris and drummer John McDonald. The multi-talented Bishop contributed bass, guitar, keyboards, and vocals. Taking their name from the book From Vaude to Video, which had a big section on the Roxy theaters in the vaudeville circuit, they cut a demo, "Change My Mind"/"Bird." "Patty Faralla had gone over to work for [Elektra founder and president] Jac Holzman," explains Segarini, "so she told Jac about us. We went to L.A. and recorded these two songs at Elektra Studios with John Haeny, the engineer and producer, who also worked with the Doors [and] Jackson Browne. Jac heard it, called it some amazingly wonderful things, and signed us on the spot the day he heard the demos. That was late '68, early '69."

To prepare for the album, Haeny would come over to the band's house on Horseshoe Canyon Boulevard in Laurel Canyon, where they lived with their manager, John Frankenheimer. Of the ten songs on the LP, all but one were written by Segarini, the exception being Bishop's "I Got My Friends." 

There is just one song on Roxy, in fact, that truly anticipates the Beatlesque pop directions that Segarini and Bishop would embrace shortly afterward in the Wackers. That's "Yesterdays Song" They managed to attract concert reviews in The Washington Post, which in April 1970 found Roxy's "sound not unlike that of the early Grateful Dead," and Billboard, who reviewed a show at New York's Bitter End the following month. While their debut gig at the Bitter End was soured by the theft of their truck and custom-made equipment, here they also showed they could play both hard and soft, with Segarini and Bishop opening the set as a duo with several numbers on acoustic guitars (including "Yesterdays Song") before being joined by the rest of the band.

The Roxy album, however, was not a big seller, despite a Rolling Stone review by the young Lester Bangs that hailed the band as "a ripsnortingly tight outfit from Los Angeles. Live they are enormously exciting, running through Fifties standards and their own originals with unflagging energy and with a sound that for all its fast rippling instrumental tradeoffs is always absolutely clear." Bangs saved special praise for the opening track, "a classic blast called 'Love Love Love,' a brilliant thundering anthem in the great L.A. tradition of the Byrds, Love, and Clear Light's 'Black Roses.' It's all over too soon at 1:59 and leaves us begging for more." "Love Love Love" was chosen as the first single off the album, and Segarini fondly recalls how it "was all over the radio in L.A. for at least eight weeks or so. That was exciting, driving down Sunset Boulevard hearing one of our tunes back to back with somebody really big." Another song from the LP, "Rock and Roll Circus," found some action in Las Vegas.

It wasn't enough action, however, to stall Roxy's breakup later in 1970. (The much more famous Roxy Music, incidentally, had to ask for permission -- which was granted -- to use their name due to its similarity to Roxy.) Despite constant live work and some encouraging critical reception, Segarini and Bishop wanted to go in a new direction and explore more pop-oriented sounds. That's what they did as part of their next band, the Wackers. 

by Richie Unterberger 

Tracks
1. Love, Love, Love - 1:59
2. Sing A Song - 4:03
3. New York City - 2:25
4. Somebody Told You - 3:21
5. Love For A Long Time - 2:26
6. Windy Day - 3:22
7. You Got A Lot Of Style - 3:25
8. I Got My Friends (Randy Bishop) - 2:27
9. Yesterday's Song - 3:29
10.Rock And Roll Circus - 4:26
All songs by Robert Joseph "Bob" Segarini except where noted.

Roxy
*Bob Segarini - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Percussion
*Jimmy De Cocq - Lead Guitar, Keyboards
*Randy Bishop - Vocals, Bass, Keyboards
*John McDonald - Drums, Percussion
*James Morris - Keyboards

1968  The Family Tree - Miss Butters (2007 remaster)
1971  The Wackers - Wackering Heights (2005 reissue)
1972  The Wackers - Hot Wacks (2005 reissue)

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W. D. Fisher - W. D. Fisher (1972 canada, deep lavish prog with an artful blend of psych rock and hard organ, 2012 remaster)

W.D. Fisher's roots date back to 1966 when the Savard brothers, Denis (bass) and Marc (technician), teamed up with Pierre Kirouac (vocals) and Marcel Périgny (rhythm guitar), and were joined a year later by Guy Desrochers (lead guitar) and Jean-Pierre Bernard (drums).

Together they played under the name South Gate 24. In 1968, the band based itself at Desrochers' in the Quebec City area. Kirouac left the band in 1969, with various vocalists replacing him. In 1970, Serge Perrault joined with his Hammond B3 keyboard giving the band's music a richer sound, followed by Claude Lépine on guitar and flute. The combination of an expanded group with new influences from the progressive rock movement in England promoted the evolution of new ideas. The band thus began writing original compositions. It also adopted a new name, William D. Fisher, based on a fictitious military character from colonial times.

In the summer of 1971, W.D. Fisher played at the inauguration of La Petite Bastille and the University of Laval during the St-Jean festivities in Quebec City, and at Man And His World in Montreal. Lépine departed thereafter. That fall, Pierre Gravel, a well-known promoter took charge of the band and the Savard brothers left along with Bernard, replaced by Gilles Laverdière on bass, René Laurendeau on drums and Bob Letourneau on vocals. In February 1972, the revamped W.D. Fisher recorded its only eponymous album (a rarity), followed by the band's break up, a fate that befell many other groups. 

W.D. Fisher's music has a distinctive late 1960's psych/pop feel to it in the sound of Desrochers' clean sometimes jazzy guitar licks, venturing into the progressive realm with Perrault's organ playing. Several long suites heighten the progressive feel, including the over 12-minute "William D. Fisher's Adventures". The music sounds a little like very early Yes. Most noticeable however is Letourneau's high pitched shrill vocals (sung in French-accented English), similar to Geddy Lee (bassist of future Canadian group Rush). Overall, an interesting and unique sounding album from the very early days of Quebec prog.

http://www.progquebec.com/wdfisher.html

Tracks

1. Beggar - 4:42

2. I Do Love You - 5:47

3. Eden's Dream - 8:05

4. You - 5:00

5. William D.Fisher's Adventure - 13:20

All compositions by Gilles Laverdière, René Laurendeau, Guy Desrochers, Serge Perreault, Bob Létourneau

W. D. Fisher

*Gilles Laverdière - Bass Guitar, Vocals

*René Laurendeau - Drums

*Guy Desrochers - Guitar

*Serge Perreault - Organ, Piano, Clavinet, Vocals

*Bob Létourneau - Vocals

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Companion - On The Line (1977 us, very good rural psych rock, 2011 reissue)

Californian band, formed by brothers Jim and Patrick Maguire. Their debut "On The Line" released as private pressing in 1977. This rural-psych bar-band quartet consists of (except for the two brothers) bass player Doug Kelly, and drummer Ronnie Miller. Nice harmonie vocals, with melancholic mood, excellent guitar parts by Jim Maguire and keyboards by Patrick Maguire. Overall a satisfying, enjoyable album.

Tracks

1. Mama Won't You Lay Me Down (Doug Kelly, Jim Maguire, Patrick Maguire, Ronnie Miller) - 4:33

2. Color Me Blue - 3:45

3. Such A Child - 2:49

4. On The Line - 5:04

5. Light In Someone's Window - 2:23

6. As I Was Walking - 5:02

7. Never Just A Good Boy - 3:00

8. Tennessee Queen (Jim Maguire, Patrick Maguire) - 3:29

9. Diamonds From The Hearts - 3:43

All songs by Jim Maguire except whete noted

Companion

*Doug Kelly - Bass Guitar

*Jim Maguire - Guitar, Vocals

*Patrick Maguire - Keyboards, Vocals

*Ronnie Miller - Drums

With

*Ray Bevitori - Vocals (Track 7)

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Southern Steel - Get On Through (1974 us, standout southern country rock with west coast aura, 2023 remaster)

Southern Steel "Get On Through" out of Miami, Florida in 1974 firmly resides in the upper realms of rare early '70s southern rock LPs and the brilliant guitar interplay, vibrant vocals and finely crafted songs will seriously grab late '60s westcoast rock ears as well. It's really accessible stuff, heartfelt country inflected vocals with appealing vivid guitar textures and rhythms that fly. Echoes of Buffalo Springfield, Flying Burrito Brothers, Byrds, more on the rock than the country side but genuine about both. It's southern but it's also eastcoast-westcoast. In fact the opening track titled "San Francisco Man" is loaded with searing guitar licks and propulsive rhythmic action hitting pleasure points similar to the first Moby Grape LP. "Get On Through" contains thoughtful song oriented outdoors rock with little in the way of "south's gonna rise again" attitude, bluesy grit, bad women, whiskey, or hard livin' roadhouse action. These guys genuinely sound turned on to life, everyday regular dude seeker post '60s style and it is contagious. You can really feel it when the sweet southern fried dual guitar leads cascade out at just the right moment.

Southern Steel's primary songwriter, vocalist, electric 12 string, and bassist was Jim Goodman. The other members all did time in previous local bands with names like Heat Machine, Willy Bogg, The Force, and Dakota. Spike Warner on lead / slide guitar and vocals , Ed Ocean Olszewski on lead guitar, bass and vocals, and Greg Orsini on percussion all play tight together with an assured energetic vibe that only comes from experience. Recorded quickly in two days at Criteria Studios with producer Craig Leon ((produced the Ramones and Blondie's first records) at the helm, this LP exists because two rich Floridian lawyers Bill Blanton and Bill Barragan saw Don Kirshner's In Concert rock series on TV, decided to get into the music biz, formed a label named Earth Records, put an ad in the paper and found Southern Steel, ready to rake in massive rock and roll dollars. That didn't happen but fortunately nearly 50 years later we do have this uplifting slice of life. Hard to imagine a band this pure and sincere could exist nowadays with no taint of irony and no corny posing. Real people. In other words… this is a vintage blast of humanity with mesmerizing guitar magic you can really fly high with. Every track has hooks and staying power, the sort of album that feels fresher each time you spin it but somehow also seemed familiar the first time you heard it.

After this LP was issued the band got serious interest from major labels, they certainly had the terrific songs and sonic mojo needed to go up the charts… but it all fizzled out over the next year. If you are into early '70s southern rock with country flavor and leftover '60s westcoast flashes, more turned on than traditional in approach you should give this album a chance get stuck in your mind. I can't get it out of mine!

"San Francisco Man" opens it up with ringing power chords and ripping lead guitar, delicious westcoast vocal stylings riding above hypnotically surging bass and drum patterns. Gnarly leads spit steel as the rhythm guitar alternates between open airy chords and jagged tough accents, making this a real mover. When the weaving southern fried dual guitar riffs kick near the end you want the jam to go on forever.

"24 Hours A Day" shifts gears into a tapestry of dreamy dangling melodic guitars floating over forward bass motion topped with vocals reminiscent of Richie Furay and Gram Parsons. Proto country rock equidistant to a Byrdsyfolkrock ambience, simple and poignant, swirling around with an infectious exquisite ease. It's about being in a band on the road and how it's not the singer's fault he can't be with his girl 24 hours a day. The melody is quite inventive in how it unfolds over the chord changes.

"Me And You" opens with an ascending dual guitar hook above a free flowing gentle rhythm guitar bed with Wrecking Crew level perfect bass and drums. The singer has quite an affected nasal intensity in his voice, emotionally perfect for the lyrics about appreciating an aimless no agenda day, just grooving around with his girl, savoring a rare fleeting moment when everything seems effortlessly eternal, totally in sync… the sort of day that inspires him to sing "Gee I never knew that I could get so high just passing the time away".

"Where's The Country Gone" is a jangle fest of shimmering guitars riding a stately groove evoking sad resignation over vanishing green fields that turn into cold stone and six-lane highways. Terrific melodic leads and tasteful rhythm guitar blend as if George Harrison and Neil Young were behind the curtain together pulling the strings. The sincerity in the vocal is heartfelt to a devastating degree, the sense of loss is eerily comforting. If it seems too earnestly vulnerable that's on you, not the band. This song is simply gorgeous without being fancy. They really mean it, man.

"One Up For Listening" ends side one in style, morphing hard rock and country seamlessly into an instant classic with slide guitar moves to die for and a smoking snaky killer of a guitar break. Like all of the tracks on this album the arrangements are uncluttered, right on the money with interlocking structural precision yet performed with the vibrant energy of a live band.

"There's Just You" has a nostalgic early rock and roll undercurrent appropriate to the close harmony Everly Brothers flashback in the vocals. The extended guitar break soars nicely but this is the only track on the LP that messes around much with more ordinary familiar roots influences.

"Days End" has a moody feel but is an optimistic song suggesting that if you and I start a new kind of living maybe somebody else might follow along… we can change the world naive hippie idealism but sung with so much feeling you wanna believe it's possible. Superb luscious and elegant guitar leads with a fabulous tone over a classic chord pattern with descending bass line create just the right reflective atmosphere.

"The Feeling" "play it cool it's against the rules but you know you gotta try it… just don't get caught" Ha! The phrasing when they lay down that piece of advice is genius. This is the hardest rocker on the LP with sublimely powerful chord changes and I can even imagine a Grand Funk Railroad version in my mind. I bet they jammed out on this one at live gigs.

"Don't Deny" is the extended epic closer, entering with rich acoustic guitar textures, weaving in airy leads and earnest vocals reminiscent of Roger McGuinn. It builds across seven minutes to a high energy climax over the classic chord pattern used by Traffic for "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and by the Beatles for the last four minutes of "Hey Jude". Once again the lyrics have more of a post-psychedelic outdoors hippie wanderer vibe about life, fate and destiny than the rawer subject matter associated with most southern rock. No matter what you are into you will really dig the guitar moves!

by Paul Major 

Tracks

1. San Francisco Man - 3:57

2. 24 Hours A Day - 2:59

3. Me And You - 2:44

4. Where's The Country Gone - 4:09

5. One Up For Listening - 3:55

6. There's Just You - 3:37

7. Days End - 4:21

8. The Feeling - 4:44

9. Don't Deny It - 7:20

Southern Steel 

*James Goodman - Lead Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Vocals

*Phil Warner - Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals 

*Ed Ocean - Guitar, Bass, Vocals

*Greg Orsini - Drums, Percussion

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