Various Artists - Psych Bites, Vol. 1 (1967-74 aussie, dynamic acid freak rock)

Australians have a well-deserved reputation for liking their rock & roll hard, heavy, and without a lot of gingerbread, and it should come as no surprise that a lot of their psychedelic stuff doesn't dwell much on peace, love, and flowers.

In fact, the 20 rare tunes collected on Psych Bites, Vol. 1: Australian Acid Freakrock 1967-1974 don't sound all that psychedelic, but like early hard rock with a dash of heavy blues and progressive rock added for flavoring. "Midnight Witch" by Ash bears more than a passing resemblance to Black Sabbath (though without their monolithic impact), Helium's "Don't Think Twice" is a bluesy stroll with guitar work that wins the Leigh Stephens award for being clumsy and brilliant at the same time, Freshwater's "Satan's Woman" shifts back and forth between major and minor keys as the titular succubus weaves her spell, Chook's "Tables Turn" is fast and thunderous, and the Dave Miller Set's "No Need to Cry" is a lean rocker with plenty of tough guitar soloing.

Most of these tracks were cut for independent Aussie labels, and with rare exceptions, the material is well-produced and musically solid; the music speaks of the early '70s rather than the late '60s (which makes sense, since only one song was cut before 1970), and while there's a vague counterculture sensibility in this music, the unspoken message is to rock out and boogie, not to explore the avenues of the mind, and taken at face value, this music succeeds admirably.
by Mark Deming

Artists - Tracks
1. Flake - Under The Silent Tree - 3:53
2. Doug Parkinson In Focus - Then I Run - 2:59
3. Barry McCaskell And Levi Smith Clefs - Love Like A Man - 3:20
4. Pirana - Here It Comes Again - 2:48
5. Long Grass - Anywhere You Wanna Go - 2:21
6. Freshwater - Satan's Woman - 3:00
7. Ash - Midnight Witch - 4:03
8. Chook - Cold Feet - 3:07
9. Michael Turner In Session - Patterns Of My Life - 2:57
10.Dave Miller Set - No Need To Cry - 6:12
11.Ticket - Awake - 5:19
12.Rashamra - Antelope - 3:15
13.Flake - Breadalbane - 5:19
14.Helium - Don't Think Twice - 3:49
15.Isherwood - Willy The Weeper - 2:10
16.Healing Force - The Gully - 3:53
17.Headband - Stay With Me - 3:30
18.Ash - Warrant - 2:58
19.Chook - Tables Turn - 3:13
20.Doug Parkinson In Focus - Purple Curtains - 2:24

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John Kay – Forgotten Songs And Unsung Heroes / My Sportin' Life (1972-73 canada, wonderful acoustic classic rock with country shades, 2008 remaster)

Now that John Kay has shed the burden of Steppenwolf, I suppose that it’s safe to assume that Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes is an accurate portrait of his present musical state.

On his first solo album, Kay does not actually commit himself to any particular style. Instead, he picks and chooses material with great variety.

Armed only with a test pressing dated February 22, 1972, and a barren sheet on which is typewritten the names of the songs and their personnel, the first impression one gains is one of simplicity. The numbers are extremely simple, and vocal work definite, with the instrumentation adding to the impact of the lyrics.

Ahhhh, the lyrics… they seem to infer a choice on Kay’s part of express himself in a more personal light that any other he has done. I recall when they would say, no one lives for just one day/ Don’t save dreams that can’t be sold/Don’t chase rainbows, just their gold/ Tried it my way, tried it mine/ I won the race before my time/ But golden trophies, fancy toys, don’t compare to childhood joys.

I suppose some thought that with the dissolving of Steppenwolf, Kay would retire to a solo performer – performing material identical to that of Steppenwolf, but with a new situation that would be more economically fulfilling, shall we say. All I can reply to these materially-minded people is that not one of these tracks could have been successfully recorded by Steppenwolf. This music and Steppenwolf are two separate entities.

Kay obviously has definite roots in Country and Western music. In “I’m Movin’ On,” a Hank Snow tune from the 1950?s, the man sounds so at home and comfortable crooning, “So I’m movin’ on, I’m rollin’ on/ You’ve broken your vow and it’s all over now, so I’m movin’ on” that it’s a wonder he didn’t become famous as a lead singer in a C & W band, and use hard rock for his solo album, rather than vice versa.

The diversity in the album is extended still further in the Robert Johnson standard, “Walkin’ Blues,” a shuffle that comes off well as a showcase for Kay’s weather-worn vocal work and restrained, tasteful bottleneck work.

The late Richard Farine and Hank Williams are tapped for “Bold Marauder” and “You Win Again” respectively – the latter of which I must bashfully indicate as my own personal favorite.

This album is exactly as the title suggests, Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes. The forgotten songs being John Kay tunes that weren’t suitable as “Steppenwolf material.” The unsung heroes being: A brilliant young Indian songwriter by the name of Patrick Sly whose “Many a Mile” opens the album; Hank Williams, who to the younger set means nothing but a hazy singer who sang “hick music,” and of course Robert Johnson, the bluesman who started it all. These talents of yesterday seem to have been lost in the “pop” culture.

In this excellent low-keyed album, John Kay tries to give a little exposure to the ones who deserve it, and at the same time try and vent a side of himself unfamiliar to the record-buyer.

The material is not new territory for Kay. The tendency toward the styles unveiled in this LP have been evident in most of the early Steppenwolf albums, but the delivery is cleaner, more definite, but most important of all … confident.
by Cameron Crowe, (San Diego Door) March 30, 1972  – April 13, 1972

Tracks
Forgotten Songs And Unsung Heroes 1972
1. Many A Mile (Patrick Sky) - 4:26
2. Walk Beside Me (John Kay) - 5:12
3. You Win Again (Hank Williams) - 4:01
4. To Be Alive (John Kay) - 4:55
5. Bold Marauder (Richard Farina) - 5:04
6. Two Of A Kind (John Kay) - 5:58
7. Walkin' Blues (Robert Johnson) - 2:44
8. Somebody (John Kay) - 4:04
9. I'm Moving On (Hank Snow) - 3:06
My Sportin' Life 1973
10.Moonshine (Friend Of Mine) (Les Emmerson) - 2:48
11.Nobody Lives Here Anymore (John Kay) - 4:02
12.Drift Away (Mentor Williams) - 4:10
13.Heroes And Devils (Kerry Chater, Renée Armand) - 3:08
14.My Sportin' Life (John Kay) - 5:19
15.Easy Evil (Alan O'Day) - 3:36
16.Giles Of The River (Donald Fagen, Walter Becker) - 3:37
17.Dance To My Song (John Kay) - 4:07
18.Sing With The Children (Ron Davies) - 6:40

Musicians
Forgotten Songs And Unsung Heroes 1972
*John Kay - Vocals, Guitars
*Kent Henry - Lead Guitar
*Hugh O'Sullivan - Keyboards
*George Biondo - Bass
*Penti Glan - Drums
My Sportin' Life 1973
*John Kay - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*George Biondo - Bass
*Bill Cooper - Bass
*Daryl Dragon - Keyboards
*Stan Farber - Vocals
*Venetta Fields - Vocals
*Whitey Glan - Drums
*Kent Henry - Guitar
*Gloria Jones - Vocals
*Larry Knechtel - Keyboards
*Danny Kortchmar - Guitar
*Russ Kunkel - Drums
*Sherlie Matthews - Vocals
*Gene Morford - Vocals
*Alan O'day - Keyboards
*Richard Podolor - Keyboards, Mandolin
*Leland Sklar - Bass
*Hugh Sullivan - Keyboards
*Mike Utley - Piano

More John Kay....
1968  John Kay and the Sparrow 

 
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Turquoise - The Further Adventures Of Flossie Fillett (1966-69 uk, bright mod beat psychedelia, Rev Ola release)

Cult UK pop-psych heroes Turquoise burst forth from Muswell Hill with two of the most perfectly formed pop singles of 1968 then went the way of so many of their contemporaries and vanished back to the building sites and tax offices of north London.

But this story goes a lot deeper than that... Friends and neighbours of Ray and Dave Davies, Ewan Stephens, Vic Jansen and Jeff Peters would watch with envy as The Kinks rose to global fame during the mid-1960s, eventually forming a band of their own. A little of the brothers’ influence inevitably rubbed off on The Brood (for ‘twas they) with Dave producing demo sessions for them and touting the results round the labels to no avail.

Through Dave, they were soon being managed by John Mason, the infamous ‘car dealer to the stars’, who had his clients Keith Moon and John Entwistle produce another session for them in 1967. Mason then hooked The Brood up with another of Mason’s clients, Tom Keylock, The Rolling Stones’ tour manager, who, along with Kirk Duncan of the Spencer Davis agency, secured them a recording contract with Decca, a publishing deal with Apple and a name change to Turquoise.

The next few months were spent rehearsing at the Stones’ space in London’s Docklands, visiting various London recording studios, running with The Who and The Kinks and generally having a ball being young pop stars in swinging London. Although only two singles appeared – “53 Summer Street”/”Tales Of Flossie Fillett” and “Woodstock”/Saynia”, now much-loved classics of the psychedelic pop genre - the band cut several tracks during this time which remained unreleased until now.

However, the lack of a hit single and the fickle nature of the pop business inevitably resulted in Turquoise’s premature demise in 1969. Ewan Stephens forged a solo career, cutting further singles for Decca while Jeff Peters and latter day Turquoise member Barry Hart formed the hard-rockin’ Slowbone who cut the album “Tales Of A Crooked Man” in 1974. “The Further Adventures Of Flossie Fillet” brings together every surviving recording made by The Brood and Turquoise between 1966 and 1969, including a virtual album’s worth of prime 1968 pop in a Kinks/Who/Small Faces/Move style as well as alternate versions and demos.

It features liner notes by noted psych/Apple authority Stefan Granados and brand new in-depth interview material with Turquoise main man Jeff Peters. The complete surviving recordings by this cult north London pop-psych act, most of which have never been heard before! Features the much-loved singles “53 Summer Street”, “Tales Of Flossie Fillett”, “Woodstock” and “Saynia”! Mates of The Kinks, The Who, Apple and the Spencer Davis agency.

Ultra-hip credentials! Beautifully re-mastered in the usual Rev-Ola style! In-depth liner notes by Stefan Granados featuring brand new interview material with Turquoise main man Jeff Peters. Stuffed to the gills with fantastic original photos and memorabilia from the band’s own archives !A landmark release and a MUST for all fans of quality UK ‘60s pop, pop-psych, The Kinks, The Who, Small Faces, The Beatles…Hell, everybody really!

Tracks
1. Tales of Flossie Fillett - 3:04
2. Flying Machine (Second Version) - 3:05
3. Sister Saxophone - 3:10
4. 53 Summer Street - 2:52
5. The Sea Shines (Peters) - 4:01
6. Village Green (Peters) - 2:23
7. Saynia - 2:52
8. Sunday Best (Peters) - 2:41
9. Woodstock - 3:29
10.Stand Up and Be Judged (Duncan) - 2:52
11.Woodstock (First Reduction) - 3:24
12.Flying Machine (First Version) - 3:06
13.Leana - 2:53
14.What's Your Name (Unknown) - 2:54
15.Mindless Child of Motherhood (Davies) - 3:34
16.You're Just Another Girl (As the Brood) - 2:27
17.Wrong Way (As the Brood) (Peters) - 3:31
18.The Turquoise 1968 Christmas Record (Turquoise) - 1:52
All song by Jeff Peters and Ewan Stephens except where indicated.

Turquoise
*Jeff Peters - Lead Guitar, Piano
*Barry Hart - Guitar
*Ewan Stephens - Drums
*Vic Jansen - Bass
*Geoff Syrett - Guitar

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SRC - Lost Masters (1970-72 us, detroit raw garage psych rock)

Consisting of an amalgam of leftover and unreleased material recorded after leaving Capitol, and both early and late non-album singles, this compilation will be of interest for ardent SRC followers, but is not an advisable introduction. The psychedelia, '70s rock, and soul/R&B do not sit too easily together, which is not surprising either as this set is intentionally and odds and ends package.

And as that, it works extremely well. "After Your Heart," "Gypsy Eyes," "Love Is Here Now," "Cry of the Lonely," and the moody instrumental "Valerie" could have quite easily fit on Milestones and indeed are comparable to any of their best releases. A more commercial soul sound was adopted a little later, and in working with Motown producers, a horn section, and female backing vocalists Scott Richardson attempted to emulate his black brethren.

Material performed in this manner includes covers of the Animals' "I'm Crying," Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Heatwave," and heroes the Pretty Things' "Out in the Night," which while playable are not a match of earlier efforts. Of more interest from this era are "Evil," (SRC parodying Howlin' Wolf) and a number of laid-back numbers, such as "No Rules in Love" that hint at how they would of sounded if they continued in a more soft rock vein.

All in all a very good album of perhaps Detroit's best and yet least recognized '60s band. After buying the re-releases of the originals, this is the next step to complete the picture.
by Jon "Mojo" Mills

The first ten tracks represent what would have been SRC's fourth album. The second ten tracks "...represent various stylistic experiments...", where Gary Quackenbush had rejoined the band and Richard Haddad was added on bass and vocals. Richard died in an automobile accident in Los Angeles in 1977 and "Lost Masters" is dedicated to him per the suggestion of Gary Quackenbush.

Tracks
1. After Your Heart  (Quackenbush, Richardson) - 3:26
2. Gypsy Eyes - 4:11
3. Valerie (Quackenbush, Richardson) - 3:43
4. Love Is Here Now - 5:00
5. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (Dozier, Holland, Holland) - 2:57
6. Out in the Night (May, Taylor) - 2:46
7. Badaz Shuffle - 3:14
8. Eliza Green the Shimmie Queen - 3:36
9. My Sunday's Gone (Quackenbush, Richardson) - 3:59
10.Never Let Your Daystar Fade Away (Quackenbush, Richardson) - 3:13
11.Born to Love - 2:54
12.No Rules in Love (Quackenbush, Richardson) - 3:54
13.The Deeper the Longer  - 2:33
14.Lovelight (Dozier, Holland) - 3:08
15.Cry in the Lonely - 3:26
16.Get the Picture  (May, Taylor) - 2:29
17.Evil  (Dixon) - 4:04
18.I'm Crying  (Burdon, Price) - 4:35
19.Ride the Wind  (Richardson) - 3:04
20.Richard's Song - 3:50
All songs by Clawson, Quackenbush, Quackenbush, Richardson, except where indicated.

SRC
*Gary Quackenbush - Guitars
*Glenn Quackenbush - Keyboards, Vocals
*Scott Richardsonn - Vocals
*E.G. Clawson - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Richard Haddad - Bass, Vocals

1968  SRC (2010 Micro Werks edition)

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Evol - Evol (1970 us, psychedelic folk rock with excellent vocal harmonies, 2011 digi pack issue)

Evol was born in 1968, at the Seabreeze Lounge, in Huntington, West Virginia. The original members were Randall Hackney, Mike Blair, Roger Caines, and Roger Dillon. Over the next two years, the band began developing its identity; their sound became unique in the Tri-State area.

By 1970, the Seabreeze had far outgrown its space, and "Papa Ross" Scarvelli moved his business a few blocks away to a huge building, which he called the Club Romair. The crowd followed and grew. EVOL was the only band in the entire area to play the difficult stuff: Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Grand Funk Railroad, and about anything else that required genuine talent to play.

During the early years at the Seabreeze, guitarist and song writer Jeff Hanichen sat in with the band on a very regular basis. In fact, he became known as the unofficial fifth member. In the fall of 1970, the band signed a contract with a music company in Nashville, Tennessee. At the same time, Jeff officially joined EVOL as guitarist and song writer. The band now added original music to its list of music no one else played.

The company the band signed with was operated on a shoestring budget by an engineer for Columbia Records, but he was able to secure studio time at Nugget Studios in Goodletsviite (outside Nashville). The album took about ten days, twelve hours a day to finish, at which time four of the guys returned to Huntington to prepare to go on the road. Jeff was writing for two other groups, and had to stay behind for a few more weeks. Upon their return home, Roger Caines left the group and Dave Tatum joined as the drummer.

These are the four members that went to the Rose Garden, in Huntington's Ritter Park, to shoot the album cover. Consequently Jeff is not on the cover. Jeff left the band in 1971, and the remaining four continued to tour and play locally until 1977. Randall eventually retired from a cable company, Mike retired from construction work, Dave, the youngest, still works for Nabisco, and Jeff is a retired history professor.

He is now a Baptist minister. Roger Caines and Roger Dillon are both deceased, and no other information is available on either. As is with the case of most musicians from this period of time, the surviving members remain close and in contact with each other. Over the years, Jeff Hanichen has written over five-hundred songs; at least eleven of them will finally be heard by someone other than friends and family!!
by Jeff Hanichen, West Virginia, December, 2011

Tracks
1. Part Of Reality (Randall Hackney) - 3:27
2. For The Sake Of Reality - 2:53
3. Unlucky Guy - 2:50
4. I Told A Lie - 2:30
5. I Just Don't Care To Dance - 3:25
6. You Shall Be Saved - 2:14
7. If I Am Strong - 2:34
8. Get Out Of My Mind - 2:17
9. Speak Your Mind - 2:43
10.There Will Come A Day - 2:47
11.Good Morning Girl - 2:55
12.Day Of Sorrow - 2:41
All songs written by  Jeff Hanichen unless otherwise stated.

Evol
*Randall Hackney - Lead Guitar
*Mike Blair - Bass Guitar
*Jeff Hanichen - 12 String Guitar
*Roger Dillon - Organ, Harpsichord
*Dave Tatum - Drums

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Gold - Gold (1969 us, amazing west coast psychedelic rock)

In 1971 Gold was one of the hottest bands in San Francisco without an LP. Bill Graham was booking them to open for 10 years After, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Hot Tuna and more. Eventually he called their management into his office and let them know that he needed bands that had an LP out with airplay. In 2002, Gold's Album "Mission Rock" recorded in '71 was released. After 32 years, finally the LP Graham had wanted to hear!

Gold, a real San Francisco band had Mission District origins in 1967. To gain attention, the band often did benefit gigs for good causes, something they learned from watching the career of Country Joe & The Fish. They played twice for prisoners at the San Francisco County Jail, and also at San Quentin State Prison. In 1971 they played at an anti-Vietnam War Moratorium rally at Golden Gate State Park which drew over 150,000, sharing the bill with Big Brother & The Holding Company. Also, in 1970 they played at a notorious Hells Angels party along with Big Brother, Full Tilt Boogie and Janice Joplin. Not only were they receiving good support from Bill Graham, but also received favorable reviews from the San Francisco Chronicle & Examiner.

The only thing holding them back during those days was not having an LP, but they did manage to get some airplay right along with Santana and The Grateful Dead from an audio cassette they had sent in to local FM radio stations.

Country Joe McDonald took a great interest in the Band and worked with them on a number of projects. he even helped them release a 45...the classic "Summertime" b/w "No Parking". The single went pretty much unnoticed, however they did receive some airplay on top 40 stations in California and Utah.

Guitarist Ed Scott founded what was to become Gold in 1967. Known at the time as The Lost Cause, featuring Larry Walton on lead guitar, they went through several names including Golden Gate, and then finally Gold (as in Acapulco Gold). As the years progressed, new members came and went. The band finally broke up in September, 1973 due to frustration over lack of finding a good label and the usual ego tripping issues that cause most bands to fall... For a garage band they actually went very far and played on some big stages with some mighty huge acts...
MyFirst-Band

Tracks
1. No Parking - 2:35
2. High On Love - 4:03
3. Righteous Road - 2:49
4. Summer Dresses - 2:26
5. Conquistadore - 5:16
6. Heavy - 2:48
7. Elizabeth - 4:33
8. I Saw You - 2:38
9. PSB - 5:47
10.Filet Of Soul - 5:40

Gold
*Ronald Coco -Vocals
*Ed Scott - Guitar
*Joe Bajza - Guitar
*Louis Gorseau - Drums
*Joe Mancada - Bass
*Dennis Cabral - Percussion
*Percy Nicholson - Congas

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J.J. Light - Heya (1969 us, magnificent psychedelic native rock, Sir Douglas side man)

Jim Stallings was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who had been knocking around the Los Angeles music scene for a few years when he met Bob Markley, a wealthy hipster and producer who had worked with the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Markley took Stallings under his wing, scored him a record deal, and christened him with a new stage name, J.J. Light, which was imagined to better fit his Native American heritage.

J.J. Light scored an international hit single with 1969's "Heya," and the album of the same title sold respectably in Europe, Scandinavia, and South America, but for some reason the LP was never released in the United States, and a follow-up recorded later the same year was never released at all; Stallings became a member of Doug Sahm's Sir Douglas Quintet, joining in time to play bass on the classic Together After Five album.

This release from the U.K.-based Sunbeam Records features the Heya! LP in full along with 11 songs recorded for Light's unreleased second album, only one of which ("Kent State Massacre") has previously surfaced. Heya! is an engaging exercise in psychedelia lite; Stallings' songs are strong and to the point while boasting radio-ready melodies alongside lyrics that often deal with Native American issues, and his vocals are gutsy and passionate without sounding ragged, recalling Johnny Rivers with an extra portion of soul.

Stallings also had some fine help in the studio, including keyboard man Larry Knechtel, drummers Earl Palmer and Jim Gordon, and guitarists Gary Rowles and Ron Morgan (the former worked with Arthur Lee's 1969-1970 edition of Love, and the latter played in the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band), and the music isn't afraid to cut deep while leaning toward the sunny side.

The unreleased material was rescued from old acetates and the sound quality is flawed, but the songs and performances are as good if not better than what Stallings brought to his first album, and it's hard to imagine why work this good was forced to collect dust in the vaults for so long. Heya! certainly deserves a higher profile in Stallings' homeland, and until some American label picks this up for a stateside issue, Sunbeam's release gives his songs the hearing they clearly deserve, while Tim Forster's liner notes tell the story behind this music and J.J. Light's short-lived career.
by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. Na Ru Ka - 3:01
2. Silently Sleeping - 2:58
3. Follow Me Girl - 3:02
4. It's Wednesday - 2:31
5. Until It Snows - 3:01
6. The Electric Land Band - 1:25
7. Hello, Hello, Hello - 2:31
8. Heya - 3:10
9. While the World Turns to Stone - 2:18
10.Henry Glover - 2:11
11.Hey Yo Hanna Wa - 2:14
12.Indian Disneyland - 2:23
13.Gallup, New Mexico - 1:56
14.On the Road Now - 3:05
15.Low Rider Rule - 2:37
16.Running Bear (Richardson) - 2:31
17.Rose Marie - 1:47
18.A Thousand Years Old - 2:47
19.Love Is Not a Game (Goldstein) - 2:16
20.Power to the People - 3:03
21.Kent State Massacre - 2:08
22.Christine - 1:59
23.Don't We All Get Lonely Sometimes? (Knight) - 3:25
24.Have You Seen My Baby? (Newman) - 2:32
25.Stuck in Prison - 1:58
26.Heya - 2:36
All Songs written by Jim Stallings except where noted.

Musicians
*Jim Stallings - Vocals, Bass, Guitar
*Gary Rowles - Guitar
*Ron Morgan - Guitar
*Larry Knechtel - Piano, Organ
*Joe Osborne - Bass
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Earl Palmer - Drums

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Various Artists - The Electric Coffee House (60's us, garage psych folk gems, Psychic Circle release)

Up until the Beatles struck, America led the way in pop music. Suddenly the tables had turned and 'The British Invasion bands' took control. American kids invigorated by this no-nonsense, self-written approach, formed bands in every town.

This is what gave rise to the garage band phenomenon. Snotty youths modelling themselves on The Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks et al produced the primitive anthems now so beloved by collectors across the globe. Yet, there was another thread that came from a distinctly different angle. This was the 'folk rock' movement, heralded by The Byrds and The Beau Brummels.

Basically it was born from the collision of the American coffee house scene withjiritish pop. The Byrds had been the first to successfully combine traditional folk with the (angle of The Searchers twelve string sound, and before long there was a plethora of similarly minded musos swapping their acoustics for Rickenbackers and growing Brian Jones hairdos.

This compilation comprises 20 tracks by bands who were taking this path into the mid sixties haze. Some of it is pop, some of it is bluesy, some of it is primitive, but all of it has that underlying folk feel. Before long Dylan would plug into the mains and Jefferson Airplane would transform their folk roots into fully-fledged psychedelia.

But for now, we hope you'll enjoy this journey through an intriguing and often overlooked field of '60s music. I guess if it needs a label it's 'garage folk', but let's forget about compartmentalisation, and just tune in to a time when it all seemed new and exciting down at 'The Electric Coffee House'.
by Nick Saloman

Artists - Tracks
1. Tiffany System - Wayward One - 1:57
2. The Energy Package - See That I Come Home - 2:19
3. Tommy Jay - Springtime's Coming - 2:17
4. Finders Keepers - Raggedy Ann - 3:03
5. Rick Jarrard - High Coin - 3:03
6. Clefs Of Lavender Hill - First Tell Me Why - 2:18
7. The Guilloteens - I Don't Believe - 2:36
8. The Sound Of The Seventh Son - I'll Be on My Way - 2:47
9. Jeremiah - Goin' Lovin' with You - 1:52
10.The Iguanas - This Is What I Was Made For - 2:19
11.Vinnie Basile - Gypsy Girl - 1:59
12.The Yankee Dollar - Reflections of a Shattered Mind - 2:39
13.Starbuck - Let Your Hair Hang Long - 2:46
14.The Hi-Five - You'll Never Know What's in My Heart - 2:21
15.The Chessmen - Running Wild - 2:03
16.Peck's Bad Boys - Silver Dawn - 2:17
17.The Stream Of Consciousness - Till You're Through - 2:15
18.Keith Murphy An The Daze - Slightly Reminiscent of Her - 2:17
19.The Scandal - There's Reasons Why - 2:25
20.The Gants - I Wonder - 2:13

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John Kay and the Sparrow - John Kay and the Sparrow (1968 canada, strong psychedelic rock with blues and folk traces)

Steppenwolf leader/founder John Kay is perhaps the most overlooked early contributor to the musical style that would become heavy metal and hard rock. Kay was the first rocker to use the phrase heavy metal in a song, in one of metal's first great anthems: Steppenwolf's 1968 classic "Born to Be Wild." Born Joachim Fritz Krauledat on April 12, 1944, in the section of Germany that was once known as East Prussia, it was the American rock & roll that he heard on U.S. Armed Forces radio after his family moved to East Germany that fueled his interest in music.

After relocating to Toronto, Canada, in 1958, Kay became even more transfixed by rock & roll -- leading to Kay picking up the guitar, writing songs, and playing in local bands. In the '60s, Kay founded the Sparrow, a rock outfit who played both Canada and the U.S., but received little attention. The group had fallen apart by 1967, but with a new, harder-edged style of rock beginning to conquer the charts and airwaves (Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and the Yardbirds), Kay decided to pursue this direction with his next band, Steppenwolf (titled after Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name).

After moving to Los Angeles, the fledgling band was signed to Dunhill and recorded their self-titled debut, issued in 1968. The album became a sizeable hit, as "Born to Be Wild" was unleashed on an unsuspecting record-buying public, becoming one of rock's most instantly identifiable and enduring hits of all time. After the track was used in the 1969 cult classic movie Easy Rider, it subsequently appeared in countless other movies and TV commercials over the years and was covered by numerous other bands (Blue Oyster Cult, Slade, Crowded House, and the Cult).
by Greg Prato

Before Steppenwolf hit with "Born to Be Wild," there was a blues band out of Canada called the Sparrow. Not only is the future growl of John Kay subdued on this record, so are the bellowing sounds that became organist Goldy McJohn's trademark. The John Kay composition "King Pin" has an almost jazz piano playing against the harp. With drummer Jerry Edmonton, McJohn, and Kay, this is three-fifths Steppenwolf, and it comes off as Steppenwolf lite.

Guitarist Dennis Edmonton, the drummer's brother, composes or co-writes five of the songs, where John Kay wrote four. Dennis Edmonton's "Chasin' Shadows" is psychedelic pop, very British sounding, and gives indications of the trippy style he would develop. When he left the band he became Mars Bonfire and penned "Born to Be Wild,," released on his own CBS album Faster Than the Speed of Life. "Green Bottle Lover," written by both Edmonton brothers, is even more psychedelic and rocking.

The liner notes are terrible, giving little information about this historic disc, leaving it to the music. Where John Kay's "Twisted" starts off the festivities with the boogie-woogie blues that seems indicative of the Sparrow, the final track, "Isn't It Strange" by St. Nicholas and Dennis Edmonton, goes full throttle with the psychedelia. A very interesting collection of sounds exhibiting two musical sides, only hinting at what they would develop when they hooked up with producer Gabriel Mekler to eventually crank out about a half a dozen Top 40 hits on Dunhill.
by Joe Viglione

Tracks
1 Twisted (J. Kay) - 2:14
2 Goin' To California (J.  Kay) - 2:24
3 Baby, Please Don't Go (Williams) - 3:12
4 Down Goes Your Love Life (D. Edmonton, N. St. Nicholas) - 2:00
5 Bright Lights, Big City (J. Reed) - 3:07
6 Can't Make Love By Yourself (D. Edmonton) - 2:24
7 Good Morning Little School Girl (S.B. Williamson) - 3:53
8 King Pin (R. Jones, M. Mann) - 2:57
9 Square Headed People (J.  Kay) - 2:29
10 Chasin' Shadows (D.Edmonton) - 3:19
11 Green Bottle Lover (D.Edmonton, J. Edmonton) - 2:38
12 Isn't It Strange (D. Edmonton, N. St. Nicholas) - 2:28
13 Tomorrow's Ship (D.Edmonton) - 3:08
14 Twisted (J.  Kay) - 2:59
15 Goin' To California (J.  Kay) - 2:25
16 Hoochie Coochie Man (W. Dixon) - 4:34
17 The Pusher (H. Axton) 5:18
18 Goin' Upstairs (J.L. Hooker) - 5:46
19 Tighten Up Your Wig (J.  Kay) - 3:10
20 Too Late (N. St. Nicholas) - 2:33

John Kay and the Sparrow
*John Kay – Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Dennis Edmonton (Mars Bonfire) – Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Nick St. Nicholas – Bass, Vocals
*Goldy McJohn – Keyboards, Vocals
*Jerry Edmonton – Drums, Lead Vocals

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The Challenger's - The Challenger's (1969 puerto rico, splendid psychedelic rock, Gear Fab release)

Puerto Rico in 1969 was a lot like the rest of the continental United States in the 60's: young people were feverishly playing the songs of the day and, occasionally, some of them even wrote their own music. Some even had the good fortune to get access to a studio where they actually made a record. The Challengers were one of these bands.

Their music was fresh, hard, and distinctively influenced by the Vanilla Fudge, The Young Rascals, and Santana. We only wish we knew more about this mystery band. While we were unable to locate any of the members, the original gate fold LP comes with some information on this band.

Recorded in Puerto Rico in 1969, this band had six members: Rafael Marquez "Rafi" on Lead guitar and Melodica, Luis Velez "Wiso" on vocals and bass, Alex Rodriguez on vocals, second lead, Rhythm guitar, and conga, Reno Habiff Moreno on vocals and percussion, Jose Guzman "Tato" on organ and piano, and Jose Luis Kerkado on drums.
by Roger Maglio

Tracks
1. Emily (Reno Habiff) - 2:54
2. Martha Does (Alex Rodriguez) - 3:31
3. You Can't Mess With Joe (Reno Habiff, Luis Velez) - 2:29
4. Blowin' In The Wind (Bob Dylan) - 5:25
5. Letting You Know (Alex Rodriguez, Reno Habiff) - 3:50
6. It's For You (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:50
7. GotToTellYou (Reno Habiff, Alex Rodriquez) - 3:10
8. Needles And Pins (Nitzsche, Bond). 3:03
9. Little Big Man (Alex Rodriquez) - 7:31

The Challenger's
*Rafael Marquez "Rafi" - Lead Guitar, Melodica
*Luis Velez "Wiso" -  Vocals, Bass
*Alex Rodriguez - Vocals, Second Lead, Rhythm Guitar, Conga
*Reno Habiff Moreno - Vocals, Percussion
*Jose Guzman "Tato" - Organ, Piano
*Jose Luis Kerkado - Drums

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Mary Butterworth - Mary Butterworth (1969 us, marvellous west coast psych rock, 2010 rerelease)

In the Spring of 1968, the Mary Butterworth band was formed. They enjoyed playing a variety of engagements around the Southern California area and in 1969, they recorded their one and only album entitled Mary Butterworth. This original, vinyl album was pre-sold to fans and friends only - it was never available to the general public.

Shortly thereafter, the group split up and never performed together again. Years passed and rumors spread that Mary Butterworth had made it big. Of course, that was not the case. What did happen was that one of those original vinyl albums made it into the hands of "bootleggers" in another country. They thought enough of the music to reissue the album, and they began a sales campaign of their own. It didn't stop there. The Butterworth album has been bootlegged at least three other times in two different countries.

This bootlegging has created a Mary Butterworth following and pushed the price of the original vinyl album to over $300.00 per used record. The Psychedelic Rock Music of the '60's is still regarded, even today as some of the greatest live music ever created - and Mary Butterworth will now be a lasting part of that history. This has prompted the re-release of this album, which is mastered from the original studio recording onto Compact Disc.

This CD contains photos of the group, as well as the signature of the original lead singer and bass player Michael Ayling.

Tracks
1. Phase II - 6:10
2. Optional Blues - 4:03
3. It's A Hard Road - 5:51
4. Make You Want Me - 2:40
5. Feeling I Get - 3:58
6. Week In Eight Days - 8:50

Mary Butterworth
*Michael Hunt - Drums, Vocals
*Michael Eachus - Hammond
*Michael Ayling - Bass, Vocals, Flute
*Jim Giordano - Guitar

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Paul Revere And The Raiders - Mojo Work Out (1963-65 us, garage 'n' roll, Sundazed double disc edition)

In 1964, at the peak of British Invasion fervor, Columbia Records turned to the Pacific Northwest for some red, white & blue musical ammunition to fire at the invaders and found it in the form of a group of frock-coated, tri-corner capped rowdy, if not revolutionary, R&B rebels, Paul Revere & The Raiders. Fresh from the musical pressure cooker of the Northwest circuit of teen dance clubs, American Legion halls, roller rinks and gymnasiums, the Raiders were raw and rockin', ready to take on all comers with a ton of talent and a healthy dose of enthusiasm to fill in any gaps in the talent department. While the Dick Clark pop machine would eventually round off their rough edges during their tenure as the house band on the afternoon TV series Where The Action Is, the Raiders of '64 were a pounding pile of party.

Mojo Workout! is the recorded equivalent of an all night kegger. Combining the Raiders' debut album, Here They Come!, with a collection of outtakes, singles, and unreleased live recordings, this is the Raiders I knew as a young Seattle teenager, and the Raiders the country might have missed if they didn't pay enough attention soon enough. These pre-"Kicks" kids didn't have any messages to offer, or any pretensions at all. It's pure rockin' R&B, and it's terrific from start to finish. These two discs are all the party rock you'll ever need.

Excellent notes, full release and session notes and vintage photography complete the package nicely, but it's really all about the music, and the music is all about fun. Read if you will, but listen you must!
by Shaun Dale

Tracks
Disc 1
1. What'd I Say - (previously unreleased) - 5:05
2. Louie, Louie - 3:41
3. Night Train - (previously unreleased) - 4:47
4. Peter Gunn - (previously unreleased) - 4:15
5. Money (That's What I Want) - 3:42
6. Louie, Go Home - (previously unreleased) - 2:50
7. Crisco Party / Walking The Dog - 6:22
8. Fever - (previously unreleased) - 4:05
9. Whole Lotta Nothin' - (previously unreleased) - 3:32
10.Twist and Shout - (previously unreleased) - 3:50
11.You Can't Sit Down - 3:51
12.Don't Be Cruel - (previously unreleased) - 3:37
13.Do You Love Me - 3:36
14.Don't You Just Know It - 3:37
15.Oh Poo Pah Doo - 3:09
16.Over You - (previously unreleased) - 2:14
17.Big Boy Pete - 2:56

Disc 2
1. Louie, Louie - 2:44
2. Night Train - 2:56
3. Have Love Will Travel - 2:32
4. Louie, Go Home - 2:45
5. Mojo Workout - 2:24
6. Over You - 2:15
7. Swim - 1:56
8. Irrestible You - 3:41
9. Comin' Home Baby - 5:01
10.Maybelline - 2:48
11.I'll Be There - 4:09
12.Big Boy Pete - 2:20
13.You Were Wrong - 2:25
14.High Heel Sneakers - 2:50
15.My Wife Can't Cook - 2:29
16.Blue Fox - 2:32
17.Searchin' - 2:36
18.Whole Lotta Shakin' - 3:05
19.Sweets For My Sweet - 2:30
20.Sometimes - 2:44
21.Gone - 1:51
22.These Are Bad Times (For Me and My Baby) - 2:56
23.Fever - 2:54
24.Time Is on My Side - 2:40
25.A Kiss to Remember You By - 2:18
26.Have Love Will Travel - (alternate take) - 2:53
27.Louie Go Home - (alternate take) - 3:23

Paul Revere and the Raiders
*Paul Revere - Organ
*Mark Lindsay - Lead Vocals
*Drake Levin - Lead Guitar
*Phil "Fang" Volk - Bass Guitar
*Mike "Smitty" Smith"  - Drums

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The John Schroeder Orchestra - The Dolly Catcher (1967 uk, groovy orchestrated lounge psychedelic pop, Radioactive release)

Arranged by John Cameron, The Dolly Catcher, (the title refering to pulling "dolly birds", or girls) is widely recognised as an "easy" classic and Schroeder manages to merge fuzz guitar and organ with sweeping strings and brass producing an album that is always interesting, and at times, genuinely ground breaking.

We get some great covers versions (Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, San Francisco, Up, Up and Away) along with some storming original tunes.John Schroeder ("the British answer to Burt Bacharach") is probably best known for his production work, becoming assistant to Columbia Records label chief Norrie Paramor in 1958 and producing the Eurovision runner-up in the same year, Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson's Sing Little Birdie.

During his time at Columbia Schroeder discovered the 14 year-old Helen Shapiro, writing her first hit, Please Don't Treat Me Like A Child and sharing an Ivor Novello award with co-writer Mike Hawker for another Shapiro hit, Walkin' Back To Happiness.

After a short stint with Columbia, Schroeder spent 2 productive years at Oriole, at the time the UK's only truly independent label, before departing for Pye, where he enjoyed immediate success with the Rockin' Berries, the Ivy League and Sounds Orchestral, an instrumental orchestra that enjoyed commercial success with the song, Cast Your Fate To The Wind. During his Pye years, Schroeder wrote for and produced artists such as Status Quo, Geno Washington and renewed his association with Helen Shapiro.”

Tracks
1. The Dolly Catcher - 1:56
2. San Francisco (Flowers In Your Hair) - 3:20
3. Explosive Corrosive Joseph - 2:39
4. To Wendy With Love - 2:41
5. Epistle To Dippy - 2:28
6. She'd Rather Be With Me - 2:09
7. Softly Softly Catchee Dolly - 2:31
8. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - 3:11
9. I Was Made To Love Her - 3:08
10.Up, Up And Away - 2:07
11.But She Ran The Other Way - 2:50
12.Things I Should Have Said - 2:13

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Savoy Brown - Raw Sienna / Looking In (1969-70 uk, great hard blues rock, 2005 BGO remaster)

The "Raw Sienna" a high-water mark by the band, finds them softening their rougher edges and stretching out into jazz territory, yet still retaining a blues foundation. There's not a bad cut here, with enough variety (bottleneck slide, acoustic guitar, horns, and strings) to warrant frequent late-night listenings. "A Hard Way to Go," "Needle and Spoon," and "Stay While the Night Is Young" are especially strong, as are two instrumental numbers.

Unfortunately, leader Kim Simmonds lost his greatest asset when vocalist Chris Youlden quit for an ill-fated solo career after this recording. Youlden had one of the most distinctive voices in British blues, and Savoy would never fully recover from his exit.
by Peter Kurtz

Savoy Brown's blues-rock sound takes on a much more defined feel on 1970's Looking In and is one of this band's best efforts. Kim Simmonds is utterly bewildering on guitar, while Lonesome Dave Peverett does a fine job taking over lead singing duties from Chris Youlden who left halfway through the year. But it's the captivating arrangements and alluring ease of the music that makes this a superb listen.

The pleading strain transformed through Simmonds' guitar on "Money Can't Save Your Soul" is mud-thick with raw blues, and the comfort of "Sunday Night" is extremely smooth and laid back. "Take It Easy" sounds like it could have been a B.B. King tune as it's doused with relaxed guitar fingering. The entire album is saturated with a simple, British blues sound but the pace and the marbled strands of bubbly instrumental perkiness fill it with life.

Even the Yardbirds-flavored "Leaving Again" is appealing with its naive hooks, capped off with a heart-stopping guitar solo. This album along with Street Corner Talking best exemplify Savoy Brown's tranquilizing style.
by Mike DeGagne

Tracks
Raw Sienna 1969
1. A Hard Way To Go (Chris Youlden) - 2:21
2. That Same Feelin' (Kim Simmonds) - 3:40
3. Master Hare (Kim Simmonds) - 4:52
4. Needle And Spoon (Chris Youlden) - 3:20
5. A Little More Wine (Chris Youlden) - 4:55
6. I'm Crying (Chris Youlden) - 4:19
7. Stay While The Night Is Young (Chris Youlden) - 3:10
8. Is That So (Kim Simmonds) - 7:43
9. When I Was A Young Boy (Chris Youlden) - 3:05
Looking In 1970
10.Gypsy (Kim Simmonds) - 1:00
11.Poor Girl (Tony Stevens) - 4:08
12.Money Can't Save Your Soul (Dave Peverett, Kim Simmonds) - 5:32
13.Sunday Night (Kim Simmonds) - 5:24
14.Looking In (Dave Peverett, Kim Simmonds) - 5:19
15.Take It Easy (Dave Peverett, Kim Simmonds) - 5:44
16.Sitting An' Thinking (Kim Simmonds) - 2:53
17.Leavin' Again (Dave Peverett, Kim Simmonds) - 8:30
18.Romanoff (Kim Simmonds) - 1:04

Savoy Brown
1969 Raw Sienna
*Chris Youlden - Vocals
*Kim Simmonds - Guitars
*Bob Hall - Piano
*Roger Earl - Drums
*Tony Stevens - Bass
*"Lonesome" Dave Peverett - Guitars
1970 Looking In
*Kim Simmonds - Guitar, Piano
*Lonesome Dave Peverett - Vocals, Guitar
*Roger Earl - Drums
*Tony Stevens - Bass
Guest Musician
*Owen Finnegan - Congas

1967-68  Savoy Brown - Shake Down / Getting To The Point 

1974  Savoy Brown - Boogie Brothers

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T. Rex - Great Hits The A Sides (1972-77 uk, fabulous glam rock)

"If there is going to be any revolution in pop, it must come from the young people and if you ignore them, you are cutting yourself off from the life-supply of the rock music force."
(Marc Bolan, November 1970)

By the end of 1970, it was clear that the apparent revolutionary power of the rock underground was going nowhere. Its stars, increasingly enslaved by the chemical favours that came their way, had begun to die off; their riches and fame set them apart from the movement they were meant to represent; and their fashions and music had been assimilated into the wider culture.

They'd become another brick in the wall they once wished to tear down. Marc Bolan, although very much a part of the British underground, never fully bought into the politics of the counter-culture. As the driving force of Tyrannosaurus Rex, a duo which played — cross-legged on Indian rugs — at UFO, Middle Earth and as many outdoor festivals as they could possibly manage, Bolan massaged the underground's escapist wing. He looked like an elfin rag-doll, spoke in a precious whisper, wrote reams of fanciful poetry and sang like a quavering priest from an alien land.

And, unlike many of his contemporaries, he rarely ventured far from the simple songwriting that had inspired him as a youth: three chords were usually enough. Much has been made of Bolan's transition from underground folkie to teen idol, but through his eyes, it was all part of the mosaic of fantasy. In fact, he was fond of saying that his post-1,970 pop career was far more honest than the days when he spun Tolkienesque tales to the hippie hordes, and perhaps he was right.

After 1970, Marc Bolan no longer fed the addled heads of wayward undergraduates; instead, he activated an entire generation of teenagers, setting the controls for as far as they could think. Like the Beatles fans a decade earlier, they screamed, but they also dreamed. Through his image, he encouraged a symbolic refusal of ordinariness, just as his own heroes Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix had done.

 He once said, "I don't lead an everyday life, but that's nothing to do with being a rock star. I've always been like that." A generation of pop fans took him at his word, and began to create their own personae. It was particularly gratifying, then, to later discover that dozens of gaily-attired punk musicians were inducted into a pop way of life by his example.

The songs on this CD document every single released by T. Rex between January 1972 and August 1977, a period which began with a string of surefire chart-toppers, and ended with his death in a car crash on 16th September 1977. By that time, his successes were hard-earned, but his knack for conjuring irresistible three minute epics out of a clutch of simple chord shapes and a few choice phrases never left him.

Tracks
1. Telegram Sam - 3:44
2. Metal Gum - 2:.26
3. Children Of The Revolution - 2:27
4. Solid Gold Easy Action - 2:20
5. 20th Century Boy - 3:38
6. The Groover - 3:21
7. Truck On (Tyke) - 3:06
8 Teenage Dream - 4:56
9. Light 0f Love - 3:14
10.Zip Gun Boogie - 3:18
11.New York City - 3:55
12.Dreamy Lady - 2:52
13.London Boys - 2:19
14.I Love To Boogie - 2:14
15.Laser Love - 3:35
16.To Know You Is To Love You (To Know Him Is To Love Him) (Phil Spector) - 2:43
17.The Soul 01 My Suit - 2:37
18.Dandy In The Underworld - 3:49
19.Celebrate Summer - 2:36
All Songs Written By Marc Bolan, except wher noted.

Musicians
*Marc Bolan -  Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Mickey Finn -  Percussion (1969 - 1974)
*Steve Currie -  Bass (1970 - 1976)
*Bill Legend -  Drums (1971 - 1973)
*Gloria Jones -  Keyboards, Vocals (1973 - 1976)
*Jack Green -  Guitar (1973 - 1973)
*Dino Dines -  Keyboards (1973 - 1977)
*Davy Lutton -  Drums (1973 - 1976)
*Miller Anderson -  Guitar (1976 - 1977)
*Herbie Flowers -  Bass (1976 - 1977)
*Tony Newman -  Drums (1976 - 1977)

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Blodwyn Pig - Pigthology (2004 uk, fine blues rock)

Blodwyn Pig the British rock band formed by Mick Abrahams (vocals, guitars, formerly of "Jethro Tull") Jack Lancaster (saxes, flutes, violin and wind controllers) Andy Pyle (bass), and Ron Berg (drums), have released an anthology featuring re-recorded and re-mastered recordings of the band's most beloved and successful songs "Dear Jill" "See My Way" "Drive Me" and previously unreleased materials.

Blodwyn Pig in its first form was a legend in rock history hitting the top of the LP charts in Britain and elsewhere around the world. The members received new inspiration when Cameron Crow used the recording of "Dear Jill" in his movie "Almost Famous". The original BLODWYN PIG consisted of Mick Abrahams, vocals, guitars. Jack Lancaster, sax, flutes, violin and wind controllers. Andy Pyle, bass and Ron Berg drums and was later joined by "Jethro Tull's" Clive Bunker on drums.

Many bands credit Blodwyn Pig with being a huge influence at the start of their careers. One member of Aerosmith was recently quoted in Rolling Stone as saying "there wouldn't have been an Aerosmith if there hadn't been a Blodwyn Pig" and there are many fan sites across the Internet which still attest to the band's popularity.

The band played alongside Led Zeppelin, The Who, Procul Harem, BB King, Miles Davis, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd and Joe Cocker at the Isle of Wight rock festivals, the Reading rock festival. The "Pig" completed two successful American tours playing venues like Fillmores, numerous universities and the LA Forum. Some of the recordings on Blodwyn Pig's," Pigthology" are from this period as well as later recorded songs from their first two albums.

Pigthology was produced, compiled and mastered by Jack Lancaster and Mick Abrahams.
CDBaby

Tracks
1. See My Way - 4:28
 2. Baby Girl - 3:50
 3. Dear Jill - 6:27
 4. Monkinit - 4:40
 5. Drive Me - 2:42
 6. The Change Song - 3:31
 7. Cosmogification - 5:06
 8. Same Old Story - 2:35
 9. Hound Dog - 2:18
 10.Sly Bones - 2:10
 11.It's Only Love - 3:32
 12.Stormy Monday - 6:46

Blodwyn Pig
*Mick Abrahams - Vocals, Guitars
*Jack Lancaster - Saxes, Flutes, Violin, Wind Synths,
*Andy Pyle - Bass
*Ron Burg - Drums

Other Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pig selected works.
1969  Ahead Rings Out (remastered and expanded edition) 
1970  Blodwyn Pig - Getting To This
1971  Mick Abrahams

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Savoy Brown - Shake Down / Getting To The Point (1967-68 uk, classic blues rock, 2005 bouble disc BGO remaster)

The Savoy Brown Blues Band's first Decca long player was recorded in just thirty hours spanning three consecutive days. Shake Down was a gritty collection of blues standards with just one original, Stone's "Doormouse Rides the Rails." Among the tracks were B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby," John Lee Hooker's "It's All My Fault," three Willie Dixon songs and "Black Night" by Fenton Robinson. The standout track was the group-arranged "Shake 'Em on Down," a raucous workout extending to just over six minutes. Shake Down was released in the U.K. in September 1967, but for reasons unknown, the LP didn't appear at all in the U.S.

The Savoy Brown Blues Band continued to gig extensively while Shake Down was in production, doing a punishing 24 gigs in just 21 days as backing band for John Lee Hooker. They also got a summer-long residency in Charlottenlund, north of Copenhagen, Denmark. At around the time of Shake Down's release, in an odd coincidence the band experienced a true drug-related "shake down" in Barnstaple, a town in Devon, England, during a short tour of the West Country. This incident led Harry to actually fire his brother Kim from the band after the dates in Denmark. Other changes ensued as Chappell and Portius left and were replaced by Bob Brunning on bass and Chris Youlden on vocals. Brunning had previously been Fleetwood Mac's bassist for a few weeks in August 1967.

Youlden had been in various outfits, including a band that had alternately called itself the Down Home Blues Band and Shakey Vick's Big City Blues Band, and another called the Cross Ties Blues Band.

Next, Manning quit and was replaced on drums by Hughie Flint, formerly of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Alexis Korner's band, Free at Last band. Finally, Stone departed and Kim asked O'Leary to rejoin the band. O'Leary agreed at first, then changed his mind due to "unreasonable conditions." Stone was instead replaced by "Lonesome" Dave Peverett.

Producer Mike Vernon arranged for sessions for the group's next album, Getting to the Point, which took place in March 1968. Alongside Kim, Youlden emerged as co-leader of the group, and jointly or separately the pair composed most of the material. While the U.K. version of the album had cover-art depicting Kim wearing round glasses with the image of a black man in each lens, the U.S. cover art depicted more innocuous and politically correct images of a maze breaking up a collage of artwork. Kim explained what the original cover design was trying to depict to Melody Maker: "Our cover tried to show that although we are white we see things the same ways as a Negro but for some reasons it was changed."

With just two cover songs and seven originals, the album was to have been the Savoy Brown Blue's Band's transition from being a blues covers outfit to a band that had asserted its own identity. Unfortunately, the songs were not as strong as the pieces on the previous album, with the exception of the moody "Mr. Downchild" and the Willie Dixon-penned "You Need Love."

Getting to the Point was released in both the U.S. and the U.K. in July 1968 to positive reviews. Disc Weekly wrote approvingly that the album "showcases their fine instrumental ability (particularly guitarist Kim Simmonds) and clean, tight sound. An exciting LP-it's difficult to sit still while it's on, and that's what the blues is all about, after all." Rolling Stone observed, "Savoy Brown does not come on with complex technical artistry and does not attempt to overplay its music. Its strength lies in its group rapport and dynamics. Vocalist Chris Youlden is one of the better blues singers to emerge from England. His voice has the resonance and inflection so necessary to establish the power and emotion which is the blues."
Savoy Brown-com

Tracks
Shake Down 1967
1. I Ain't Superstitious (Willie Dixon) - 3:33
2. Let Me Love You Baby (Willie Dixon) - 3:05
3. Black Night (Jessie Mae Robinson) - 4:54
4. High Rise (Beverly Bridge, Sonny Thompson, Freddie King) - 2:48
5. Rock Me Baby (B.B. King, Joe Josea) - 3:01
6. I Smell Trouble (Deadric Malone) - 4:36
7. Oh, Pretty Woman (Albert King) - 2:33
8. Little Girl (Willie Dixon) - 1:42
9. The Doormouse Rides the Rails (Albert Stone) - 3:37
10. It's My Own Fault (John Lee Hooker) - 5:01
11. Shake 'Em on Down (Traditional) - 6:07

Getting To The Point 1968
1. Flood in Houston (Kim Simmonds, Chris Youlden) - 3:54
2. Stay With Me Baby (Dave Peverett, Kim Simmonds, Chris Youlden) - 2:40
3. Honey Bee (Muddy Waters) - 6:32
4. The Incredible Gnome Meets Jaxman (Kim Simmonds) - 3:31
5. Give Me a Penny (Traditional) - 4:21
6. Mr. Downchild (Kim Simmonds, Chris Youlden) - 5:30
7. Getting to the Point (Kim Simmonds) - 3:59
8. Big City Lights (Bob Hall, Chris Youlden) - 3:19
9. You Need Love (Willie Dixon) - 7:39

Savoy Brown
1967 Shake Down
*Brice Portius - Vocals
*Kim Simmonds - Lead And Rhythm Guitar
*Martin Stone - Lead And Rhythm Guitar
*Ray Chappell - Bass
*Leo Mannings - Drums, Percussion
*Bob Hall - Piano

1968 Getting To The Point
*Chris Youlden - Vocal
*Bob Hall - Piano
*Kim Simmonds - Lead Guitar
*Dave Peverett - Rhythm Guitar
*Rivers Jobe - Bass Guitar
*Roger Earl - Drums

1974  Savoy Brown  - Boogie Brothers

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Paul Butterfield - North South (1981 us, funky blues rock, japan edition)

Butterfield the blues harp master would keep busy with session work through the end of the 1970s, and toured with the Band's Levon Helm and his RCO All Stars.  Paul Butterfield remained signed to Bearsville Records, and made his proper solo debut in 1976, releasing  "Put It In Your Ear" in Los Angeles with renowned sessioneers like Chuck Rainey, Timothy Drummond, James Jameson, Fred Carter, Jr., Ben Keith, Eric Gale and Bernard Purdie, as well as Levon Helm and Garth Hudson of The Band.

“North South” (referring to 1966’s “East West”) was recorded in 1981 at Hi Records’ Royal Recording Studios in Memphis, and was produced by the legendary Willie Mitchell. It features Hi’s rhythm and brass sections playing throughout.  In a sense it's not a bad album, but it’s far out from the older recordings, not even to his most recent, but judging the situation and the period production with the overuse of synthesizers and stuff like that I think it sounds pleasant.

In 1986 he released his last album, "The Legendary Paul Butterfield Rides Again". Butterfield died in May 1987 at the age of 45, suffering a heart attack that was probably brought on by years of drug and alcohol abuse.

Tracks

1.I Get Excited (Bradley, Fisher) - 3:34

2.Get Some Fun in Your Life (Turner) - 4:00

3.Footprints on the Windshield Upside Down (Carlisle, McClinton) - 3:20

4.Catch a Train (Bradley, Fisher) - 2:56

5.Bread and Butterfield (Toles) - 4:28

6.Living in Memphis (Turner) - 4:07

7.Slow Down (Cobb) - 4:38

8.I Let It Go (To My Head) (Fuller, Toles) - 2:54

9.Baby Blue (Greenfield, Sedaka) - 5:07

Musicians

*Paul Butterfield - Harmonica, Vocals

*Steve Cobb - Bass, Percussion

*Eddie Fisher - Drums

*Jack Hale - Trombone

*James Hooker - Piano

*Wayne Jackson - Trumpet

*Andrew Love - Tenor Sax

*Willie Mitchell - Horn Arrangements, Percussion, String Arrangements

*Erma Shaw - Vocals

*Michael Toles - Guitar, Horn Arrangements, Piano, String Arrangements, Synthesizer, Vocals

*Julius Bradley - Vocals

Paul Butterfield's back pages

1964 -1969 Paul Butterfield's Blues Band (Their first 5 albums by request)

1966-68  Strawberry Jam

1970  Live 

1971  Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin' 

1973  Paul Butterfield's Better Days

1973  It All Comes Back (Japan Edition)

1976  Put It In Your Ear

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