In the 1960s, Jerry Cole was one of America's most prolific guitarists, turning his hand to surf music, rock, country, jazz and blues and playing on sessions for Brian Wilson and Phil Spector. He would replace less proficient group members at recordings, making the acts sound better than they were.
He was born Jerald Kolbrack in 1939 in Wisconsin and was raised in Chicago, which had a thriving blues scene. As Jerry Cole he joined the Champs, who recorded the million-selling instrumental "Tequila" (1958). A few years later, he and another Champ, Glen Campbell, decided to try their luck as session guitarists in Los Angeles.
Bobby Darin recommended Cole to Capitol Records and he made a succession of instrumental albums as Jerry Cole and His Spacemen, starting with Outer Limits (1963), a combination of surf and space-age music. Capitol tried Cole as a vocalist but it was decided his voice was not strong enough.
With such big names as Hal Blaine (drums) and Larry Knechtel (keyboards), Cole was part of the Wrecking Crew, Phil Spector's session band, and is featured on the Ronettes' "Be My Baby". He is heard on the familiar records of the Byrds ("Mr Tambourine Man"), the Dixie Cups ("Chapel of Love"), Them ("Here Comes The Night") and Paul Revere and the Raiders ("Kicks"). The producer Lee Hazlewood also used him for several Nancy Sinatra sessions, including "These Boots are Made for Walkin'".
As a studio guitarist, Cole had residencies in numerous television series including Shindig!, Hullabaloo, The Sonny and Cher Show and Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. He made a score of low-budget, but still technically proficient, instrumental LPs which were sold in supermarkets under a variety of names. Cole worked on the road for Andy Williams for three years and Roger Miller for five.
In 1966, Brian Wilson recorded the backing tracks for Pet Sounds while the other Beach Boys were on tour, and Cole played on "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Sloop John B". He was also used on the Beach Boys album 15 Big Ones (1976), which was around the time he was working with Phil Spector on Dion's mesmerising Born To Be With You.
When psychedelia was coming in, he recorded several albums in this style including The Animated Egg (1966). He played on the blues album Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and the Aloha From Hawaii television special with Elvis Presley, both in 1973, and worked as a studio musician with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
In 2006, Cole returned to surf music with the album Back to the Boards. Last year, he was recording again with Brian Wilson.
by Spencer Leigh
In January 2008 Jerry Cole heard The Animated Egg for the first time since he recorded it in Los Angels some forty years earlier " we made a damned good record" he said. Five months later on May 28th 2008, he passed away, went on the big trip to meet again with his buddies in heaven's Great Band.
Tracks
1. A Love Built On Sand - 3:04
2. Inside Looking Out - 3:01
3. I Said, She Said, Ah Cid - 2:14
4. "T"omorrow - 2:33
5. Sure Listic - 1:49
6. Sippin' And Trippin' - 2:10
7. Dark - 1:54
8. Down, Down And Gone - 2:22
9. Sock It My Way - 3:26
10. That's How It Is - 3:28
11. Fool's Luck (with The Generation Gap) - 3:17
12. What's Your Bag? (with T. Swift & The Electric Bag) - 2:09
13. Boil The Kettle (with The Projection Company) - 3:07
14. Light Show (with The Stone Canyon Rock Group) - 2:52
15. Expo In Sound (with T. Swift & The Electric Bag) - 4:35
16. Free Form In 6 (with T. Swift & The Electric Bag) - 2:08
17. Our Man Hendrix (with The Projection Company) - 3:09
18. Red Eyes (with T. Swift & The Electric Bag) - 2:58
19. Hard Times (with The Generation Gap) - 2:44
20. Tune Out Of Place (with The Projection Company) - 2:25
21. Kimeaa (with The Projection Company) - 2:48
All songs composed by Jerry Cole
Musicians
*Jerry Cole - Guitars, 12-string Guitar
*Edgar Lamar - Drums
*Don Dexter - Drums
*Tommy Lee - Bass
*Glenn Cass - Bass
*Billy Joe Hastings - Guitar
*Norm Cass - Guitar
*Billy Preston - Organ
Free Text
Ευχαριστώ Μάριε.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this!
ReplyDeleteHi Marios,
ReplyDeletePretty bold comparisons in the review,sounds like a challenge, it may surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!
The late L.A. session guitar genius Jerry Cole has long been worshipped for his work with everyone from the Beach Boys and the Byrds to Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley and by surf fans as the leader of the Spacemen. But unbeknownst to many, Cole was also the driving force behind the Animated Egg, a fictitious band whose lone, self-titled LP is one of the greatest psychedelic exploitation records
Wow, O.K., I'll step up and comment on this stunning piece of music. As the story goes, this was a studio project (not really a band.) The album upon its initial release was found in the bargain bins and went unnoticed for the most part. The guitarist featured here is a studio legend by the name of Jerry Cole. If you like fuzzy freaky sixties instrumental psych., then this is for you. It really doesn't get much better than this.
The complete album is here plus several additional tracks from various other Jerry Cole projects. I guess what is so striking about this music is that it's instrumental. of its evocative track titles: "Sure Listic," "Sock It My Way," "Sippin' and Trippin'," and--yes indeed--"I Said, She Said, Ah Cid." In addition to the rare self-titled LP by the Animated Egg, this collection also includes cuts by other related Cole projects: the Projection Company, the Generation Gap, T. Swift & the Electric Bag, and the Stone Canyon Rock Group. Sourced from the original analog masters, Sundazed's glorious CD and high-definition double-LP vinyl editions of this hallowed prize, I rarely find an album that is this strong in content/style.
Marios.... I love this period in history....I'm grateful!
Best regards from Polish.
Thanks Marios!
ReplyDeleteSession guys were often some of the best musicians around. They got lots of experience playing a wide range of styles and they made more money than most of their peers without having to tour or play club dates (unless they wanted to).
Rest in peace, Jerry Cole. Thanks again Marios for making me aware of his work.
thanks, great album
ReplyDelete@War Oponda: If you are downloading each part from a different site, be sure to rename one so that the filenames are the same except for part1 vs. part2. So, change e.g. "An Eg Gr Fk.part1.rar" to "An_Eg_Gr_Fk.part1.rar". I tested and unpacked using 7zip with no problem.
ReplyDelete@Marios: Thanks! Great post. I only had a rip of the vinyl before, without all the bonus cuts.
@RayG, thanks a lot, man. What a lovely person you are! Now this is something any DLers should learn. Once again, Marios, thanks for sharing this rarity. Cheers
ReplyDeleteI am listening to this album right now and it is great! My fear was that 21 consecutive guitar tracks could grow a bit tedious but they did a terrific job of mixing up the styles enough to keep it interesting. Thanks again, Marios!
ReplyDeleteThis is still rarity in lossless. Thanks for excellent share.
ReplyDelete!!!____Many thanks...____!!!
ReplyDeletePerfect party music! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis is very much appreciated, but it might behove you to include an mp3 option in vbr or something, not everyone is devotedly audiophilic enough for flac.....
ReplyDeletewhat is the password
ReplyDeleteExcellent "Surf Music" & instrumentals with these guys but the link is dead.
ReplyDelete...Fresh Eggs...
ReplyDelete