This is getting better and better, part 7 is one of the most exciting pieces from this series, and it goes much further and beyond the british psychedelic scene from the mid to late sixties.
Every song that follows makes our light brighter, and our willing to push the start button again and again, well it's true now, these diamonds are for ever, just enjoy them....
Artists - Tracks
1. Loose Ends - I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore - 2:12
2. Peter Fenton - Small Town - 2:13
3. Paul Young - No, No, No - 2:25
4. Bobcats - Let Me Get By - 2:19
5. Chris Kerry - Seven Deadly Sins - 2:40
6. Situation - Time - 2:26
7. Magic Lanterns - Time Will Tell - 2:01
8. Mud - You’re My Mother - 2:30
9. Peeps - Gotta Get A Move On - 2:25
10.Pinkerton’s Assort’ Colours - Will Ya? - 2:10
11.The Act - One Heart - 2:36
12.The Koobas - City Girl - 2:23
13.Deuce Of Hearts - The Times They Are A-Changin’ - 2:24
14.Harbour Lites - Run For Your Life - 2:26
15.Monopoly - Gone Tomorrow - 3:05
16.Dead Sea Fruit - Seeds Of Discontent - 3:24
17.Barry Fantoni - Fat Man - 1:55
18. Rising Sons - Just A Little While Longer - 2:48
19.Barley Bree - Save Your Love - 2:25
20.Paul Young - You Girl - 3:01
After Van Morrison’s departure from the group in 1966, Them relocated to Los Angeles, California and released a string of worthwhile efforts. The group completely revamped their image and sound behind Jim Armstrong’s accomplished guitar work and Ken McDowell’s vocals; the only hold over from the Van Morrison era was guitarist Alan Henderson. Now And “Them” and Time Out! Time In For are by far and away the best LPs the post Van Morrison Them ever produced. The liners from the Rev-Ola reissue written by notable British rock historian Jon Mojo Mills take it almost too far, stating “they mastered West Coast psychedelia like no other Irish band. And quite why Van Morrison gets all the credit is beyond me. Which songs are better? Gloria and Here Comes The Night or Dirty Old Man and Time Out Time In?”
Let me get this out in the open right here: the psychedelic era Them is nowhere near as good as early Them, particularly Them’s first LP and the early singles with Van Morrison (I’m sure psych fans will take issue with this!). Early Them was a hard edged British R&B group who was both innovative and revered in their day. Van Morrison is a legend, however, and Them’s early work is considered some of the best pure rock n roll from that time frame (64-66).
That being said, this album is a pretty good psychedelic record though not the masterpiece dealers and rock critics make it out to be. This is the kind of album you get after you’ve heard a few hundred or so classics and are thirsting for more UK psychedelia. The musicianship is way above average, particularly Jim Armstrong’s guitar work. Mean lean fuzz leads are painted all over this album.
The opening cut “Time Out For Time In” is very good with jazzy time signatures and effective sitar work. Some of the tracks are marred by dramatic vocal phrasing and pretentious lyrics but that’s a minor complaint. Exotic numbers like “The Moth” and the lyrically bizarre “Waltz of the Flies” work best, employing a variety of instruments (mandolin) and strange sounds. Another highlight, “Black Widow Spider,” is a classic sitar headswirler while the boys give a good blues psych reading of “I Put A Spell On You” (titled here “I Put A Hex On You”).
Once again, if you expect the unexpected and enjoy classic psychedelia, this record is for you. It’s not the original Them but not many bands are. The Alan Henderson/Jim Armstrong/Ken McDowell lineup was a very underrated group and while this LP may not be an essential purchase, the music is still very good and full of mysticism. During this era, Them also had a good live reputation throughout the LA area and released some fine singles including the excellent garage punker “Dirty Old Man.” Icing on the cake is the original vinyl album sleeve’s beautiful psychedelic collage.
Tracks
1. Time Out for Time In (Lane, Pulley) - 2:55
2. She Put a Hex on You (Lane, Pulley) - 2:24
3. Bent Over You (Henderson, Lane, Pulley)3:17
4. Waltz of the Flies (Lane) - 2:23
5. Black Widow Spider (Lane, Pulley) - 4:33
6. We've All Agreed to Help (Them) - 2:20
7. Market Place (Lane, Pulley) - 3:01
8. Just on Conception (Henderson, McDowell, Harvey, Armstrong) - 5:07
9. Young Woman (Lane, Pulley) - 2:44
10.Moth (Lane, Pulley) - 3:23
11.But It's Alright (Jackson, Tubbs) - 2:42
12.Square Room (2nd Single Version) (Henderson, McDowell, Harvey, Armstrong) - 3:18
13.Dirty Old Man (2nd Single Version) (Lane) - 1:46
14.Corinna (Single Version) (Mahal, Davis) - 2:38
15.Dark Are the Shadows (Single Version) (Monda, Budnick) - 2:39
16.Dirty Old Man (Original Single Version) (Lane) - 1:57
17.Square Room (Original Single Version) (Henderson, McDowell, Harvey, Armstrong) - 3:37
18.But It's Alright (Original Single Version) (Jackson, Tubbs) - 2:43
19.Square Room (Single Edit Remix) (Henderson, McDowell, Harvey, Armstrong) - 3:20
The only album of this forgotten Montreal band was released on tiny Gamma label in 1969 and is usually considered as one of the very best Canadian albums from late 60' s psychedelic era.
It mostly contained a trippy, instrumental music full of swirling organ and fuzz guitar parts, but there were also a space for atmospheric, dreamy ballads sung in a deep voice and for some distinctive, weird and 'jazzy' guitar solos...
Anyway, it was a pretty complex and freaky album, which can be described as a stylistic combination of Vanilla Fudge, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Aorta and C.A. Quintet. It has been carefully remastered from the original, analogue source and sounds really great!
Tracks
1. New Thing - 4:34
2. My Lady Lies Forever - 2:39
3. Give Me A Peace - 4:01
4. Two By Two - 2:35
5. The Mouse - 5:04
6. I'll Love Everyone At Last - 2:51
7. In Between - 4:41
8. Melon - 1:44
9. Stars - 5:34
All compositions by Jim Solkin
The Medium
*Robert Ellis - Vocals, Harmonica
*James Solkin - Organ, Piano
*Pierre Latrelille - Guitar
*Neil Malott - Bass
*Steve Blackwell - Percussion
Carl Oglesby was born in Ohio. After graduating from Kent State University, he worked in Michigan as a technical editor for a defense contractor.
Oglesby was radicalized by the Vietnam War. In 1965 he was elected president of the Students for a Democratic Society, a group that organized opposition to the war. Oglesby went on to teach politics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dartmouth College.
He may be the ultimate politically hyphenated American: He's an anti-interventionist-New Left-humanist-libertarian. He's also a folk singer with two albums to his credit, an author, and one of the nation's leading experts on the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Oglesby's background didn't hint that he would end up, as Murray Rothbard called him in 1992, a "longtime libertarian." Born in Ohio, Oglesby attended Kent State University and then worked in Michigan as a technical editor for a defense contractor.
His world turned upside down in 1965 when he became radicalized about the United States' growing military involvement in Vietnam. Later that year, he was elected president of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a "New Left" group that organized student opposition to the Vietnam War.
As he traveled around the country, Oglesby came to realize that the United States' foreign policy wasn't just a matter of left (good) versus right (bad). In 1967, he wrote Containment and Change (with Richard Shaull), which argued that the libertarian, non-interventionist "Old Right" should be the New Left's best ally in opposing an imperialistic American foreign policy.
In 1971, Oglesby was a speaker at a "Left-Right Festival of Mind Liberation." The event, sponsored by the California Libertarian Alliance, was designed to lay the groundwork for a libertarian/New Left anti-war coalition. Oglesby made the case that "the Old Right and the New Left" were "morally and politically" united in their opposition to war, and should work together.
Oglesby also began speaking out against the alliance of big business and government -- what he called the "corporate state" -- and in favor of "radically humanist politics" that embraced decentralization and free association.
During those same years, Oglesby earned recognition for his musical talent. He released two albums, Carl Oglesby (1969) and Going to Damascus (1971), that were praised for their "psychedelic folk rock sound." The albums were re-released in CD format in 2003.
After the Vietnam War ended, Oglesby's innate suspicion of government led him down another career path -- investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He wrote three books: On the Trail of the Assassins (with Jim Garrison, 1988); Who Killed JFK? (1991); and The JFK Assassination: The Facts and the Theories (1992). All three voiced skepticism about the government's "lone-gunman" theory.
In 1991, Oglesby again bridged the gap between his libertarian/left perspective and the liberty movement in a speech to the Massachusetts Libertarian Party. In it, Oglesby discussed secret American intelligence operations, including the U.S. Army's post-World War II "Gehlen Deal" that recruited former Nazis to spy on the USSR for NATO; the CIA's 1953 Operation Ajax that overthrew the government of Iran; and the FBI's Vietnam War-era COINTELPRO campaign against anti-war activists. Such covert operations, warned Oglesby, were indicative of an out-of-control "national-security oligarchy" that constituted "a secret and invisible state within the public state."
Tracks 1969 Carl Oglesby
1. Suburbs Of Eden - 2:56
2. Le Chinois - 4:04
3. Staring At The Sunshine - 4:18
4. The Prophet - 5:19
5. Black Panther - 4:45
6. Portait Of A Lady - 5:50
7. Dragon Song - 3:03
8. Cherokee Queen - 3:28
9. Lemon Light - 6:42 1971 Going To Damascus
10. Last Night I Saw The Sailor - 3:00
11. Till The Dance Is Mine - 4:28
12. Going To Damascus - 3:44
13. Play Volleyball Like A Man - 3:18
14. The Working Class Stranger - 4:29
15. The Lowly Beggar Girl - 3:02
16. Boarder Ballad - 3:59
17. The Lady With The Red Glass Eye - 3:28
18. The Wild E. G. And C. - 3:04
19. Light The Pipe - 4:49
Words and Music by Carl Oglesby
Musicians 1969 Carl Oglesby
*Carl Oglesby - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Richard Davis - Bass
*Seymour Barab - Cello
*George Edwards - Guitar
*Robert Fritz - Woodwind
*Elmer Gordon - Keyboards
*Tim Hauser - Guitar
*Mark Puleo - Harmonica
*Peter Psarianos - Guitar
*Vinnie Bell - Electric Guitar
*Norman Grossman - Percussions
*Bill La Vorgna - Drums
*Joe Mack - Bass
1971 Going To Damascus
*Carl Oglesby - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*John Frangipane - Organ, Piano
*Bill La Vorgna - Drums
*Joe Mack - Bass
*David Spinozza - Electric Guitar
They're a group with five distinct but not disjointed personalities. This is Them as I know them.
There's Kenny McDowell, who worried about stepping into Van Morrison's place as the group's vocalist. He's a worker on stage, shouting and whispering everything from blues to Indian ragas. Blues is his game and he plays it well. Off stage he's shy, but getting over it. Charming in that delightful Irish way, he blushes when complimented and calls every girl "Luv." You just can't help but love Kenny.
Towering over him on stage is Kim Armstrong, lead guitar player extraordinaire. A year ago Jim looked like a cross between Chad Stuart and Peter Asher; now he just looks tall. New Shankar albums to blow his mind, but then so do songs like "They're Coming To Take Me Away," so how can you win? He's basically an uncomplicated guy who likes to like and is easy to like. Keep your eye on this man; he's going to develop himself into one of our top guitarists. But it won't hang him up, 'cause things just don't hang Jim up.
And there's Alan, who resembles an iceberg in that only about ten percent of him is above the surface. He keeps a lot of him inside. What's on the outside looks a lot like Omar Sharif. It's a little difficult to earn Alan's respect, as it is with all of Them, but once you get it you have a loyal friend. But cross him once and you'll never have a chance to do it again. He's one heck of a bass player, but if you ask him he'll tell you Jim is the group's best guitarist. He can seem a bit rough at times, but he's learning the meaning of gentleness. Just don't let Alan frighten you.
Ray Elliott plays sax, organ, flute, etc., and is the world's largest living leprechaun, not necessarily in captivity. He's easy to love but impossible to understand. He calls his sax a typewriter and is capable of talking for hours without making sense to anyone other than himself, but that's Ray. And you'll just have to take him as he is, 'cause there's no way he's ever going to change. But why should he; he's enjoying himself. Ray doesn't trust people, but maybe he has a reason. We'll probably never know.
Move slowly around Dave Harvey and he may be able to keep up with you. Them's drummer, he's a low keyed Englishman who looks Spanish when his moustache gets too long. He once wore a watch that said five o'clock for three months, but in Dave's world it might have been five o'clock for three months. Jazz is his bag, photography his latest interest and girls his full time interest. He doesn't stand out in a crowd, but he's glad of that since crowds bother him. Dave's simply quiet, easy going and slow, at everything.
These are Them now and now is Them. They've been through some changes, bad times and good times and learned from all of it. It's going to happen for Them now. I think you'll like Them.
by Carol Deck
Tracks
1. I'm Your Witch Doctor (John Mayall) - 2:39
2. What's The Matter Baby (Joy Byers, Clyde Otis) - 2:46
3. Truth Machine (Jim Armstrong, Dave Harvey, Ray Elliott, Kenny McDowell) - 2:10
4. Square Room - 9:59
5. You're Just What I Was Looking For Today (Carole King, Gerry Goffin) - 2:57
6. Dirty Ol' Man (At The Age Of 16) (Tom Hale) - 1:48
7. Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out (Jimmie Cox) - 3:35
8. Walking In The Queen's Garden - 3:06
9. I Happen To Love You (Carole King, Gerry Goffin) - 2:48
10. Come To Me - 2:24
11. Walking In The Queen's Garden (mono single mix) - 3:04
12. I Happen To Love You (mono single mix) (Carole King, Gerry Goffin) - 2:54
Songs 4,8,10,11 by Alan Henderson, Jim Armstrong, Dave Harvey, Ray Elliott, Kenny McDowell
The exotic, mindbending sounds of Gandalf have long been one of the great lost treasures of the first great psychedelic era. Featuring the breathy vocals and lysergic guitar of Peter Sando, the band's only official album Gandalf—a delight from start to finish—has been a best-selling Sundazed psychedelic release that has generated a fervent demand for more of the same.
The release of Gandalf 2, is a return trip to the band's garden of earthly delights. A thorough search of Sando's tape vault revealed a fabulous stash of spellbinding demos and acetates, unheard for decades. Sando has penned the liner notes for Gandalf 2, which also features another visit to the band's dusty book of memorabilia.
Released with Peter Sando's active cooperation, technically this wasn't really a Gandalf album since it included a number of non-Gandalf tracks; notably three selections from guitarist Peter Sandolf's post-Gandalf Barracuda project. That said, the collection included a mixture Gandalf acetates and demos that may have been intended for a shelved sophomore album.
Tracks
1. Bird In The Hand (Sando) - 3:55
2. Days Are Only Here And Gone (Sando) - 3:31
3. Smokey Topaz (Sando) - 3:03
4. Ladyfingers (Bonner, Gordon) (As The Barracuda) - 2:28
5. No Earth Can Be Won (Sando) - 4:16
6. Bad Dream (Demo) (Sando) - 2:58
7. I Won’t Cry No More (Sando) - 3:10
8. The Dance At St. Francis (Bonner, Gordon) (As The Barracuda) - 2:18
9. Julie (The Song I Sing Is You) (Bonner, Gordon) (As The Barracuda) - 2:52
10.Over This Table (Sando) - 3:18
11.Golden Earrings (Demo) (Evans, Livingston, Young) - 6:09
12.Tears Of Ages (Live) (Sando) - 2:59
13.Downbound Train (Live) (Berry, Arr. By Peter Sando) - 6:43
Our flight to sixth cloud from this heavenly piccadilly compilations, is getting brighter with the melt of psych pop flavored with early progressive rock, giving a different shade to these sunny tunes.
From Still Life to Shulman brothers (pre Gentle Giant) and from Philamore Lincoln's melodic pop to the Merseys merseybeat.
Many gems that have eluded the grasp of compilers before will grace
deserved ears and should serve to establish Piccadilly Sunshine as the
stalwart series in the inflated contemporary maze of re-issues.
Artists - Tracks
1. Still Life - What Did We Miss - 3:11
2. Ross Hannaman - 1969 - 3:02
3. Disciple - Cherie Alamayonaika - 2:36
4. Simon Dupree And The Big Sound - Sleep - 2:36
5. Mike Sedgewick - The Good Guys In The White Hats - 3:02
6. Happy Confusion - Hereditary Impediment - 2:55
7. Philamore Lincoln - Rainy Day - 2:38
8. Katch 22 - Out Of My Life - 2:24
9. The Merseys - I Hope You're Happy - 2:23
10.The High - Beggar Man Dan - 3:10
11.The Mariane - Like A See Saw - 2:26
12.Selwyn And John - Bogey Man - 2:05
13.Little Brother Grant And Zapatta Schmidt - Let's Do It Together - 2:23
14.Chuckles - Painting The Day - 2:03
15.Zion De Gallier - Winter Will Be Cold - 2:30
16.Tate Gallery - Newspaper Man - 2:28
17.Malcolm Rabbitt - Why Won't The Sun Shine On Me - 3:13
18.Kaplan - I Like - 3:27
19.The Epics - Travelling Circus - 2:33
20.Hayden Wood - The Last One To Know - 2:32
The late sixties and early seventies were incredibly productive times for rock music with more scenes than you could shake a stick. There seemed almost to be three distinct breeds of Progressive rock – the folk and classical based movement typified by the Canterbury set, the Blues based bands like Taste or The Groundhogs and the crossover bands like Colosseum or, in this case Trifle.
Trifle only ever made one album and it has been a collectors item for years and I think that this is the first CD issue of the album and it really is a bit more than just a curio. The songs like ‘Alibi Annie’ are fairly typical of the time, the lyrics are less than deep but they serve to create a baseboard for the musicians and the quality there is really something. Because the horn section of Barry Martin (saxes), John Protchard (Trumpet) and Dick Cuthell (Trumpet) are an integral part of the band the music is written with horns in mind and this creates a more powerful and subtle sound. Not that George Bean’s guitar or vocals are weak, they aren’t and Speedy King works well with Rod Coombes to anchor the rhythm section.
The best numbers are those where they try to create something unique and they hit the spot on ‘Is It Loud?’ with the horns in a very jazzy space and the keyboards meandering beautifully all creating a mesmerising sound that is a combination of Nucleus and ELP if you can imagine such a thing. ‘Old Fashioned Prayer Meeting’ has a gospelly and funky feel to it and ‘New Religion’ is very dark and moody and there is a touch of menace about the number but the standout track on the album is undoubtedly ‘Devil Comin’ – which has more than a touch of voodoo about it and a beaten rhythm that chills the listener..
As a bonus we get ‘Dirty Old Town’ which was the b-side to their single ‘Prayer Meeting’ and probably could have been a hit in its own right. Overall a good album with more than a few touches of real brilliance and about time it was re-issued.
by Andy Snipper
Tracks
1. Alibi Annie (George Bean, Dick Cuthell, Chico Greenwood, Patrick King) - 4:55
2. Home Again (R.Berkowitz) - 4:05
3. One Way Glass (Mann, Thomas) - 4:34
4. But I Might Die Tonight (Stevens) - 3:51
5. Is It Loud? (Alan Fealdman) - 8:10
6. Old Fashioned Prayer Meeting (George Bean, Patrick King) - 4:39
7. New Religion (George Bean, Dick Cuthell) - 5:43
8. Devil Comin '(George Bean, Patrick King) - 7:45
9. Candle Light (George Bean, John Hitchen) - 1:48
10.Dirty Old Town (George Bean, Dick Cuthell, Barry Martin) - 3:48
11.Old Fashioned Prayer Meeting (Single Version) (George Bean, Patrick King) - 4:38
This excellent album by American hard rock band was released in 1973 by Columbia label, but unfortunately went completely unnoticed! The band name was associated only with a drummer Mark Bell (of US heavy rock legend Dust & then a future member of Ramones - as Marky Ramone) - which was a huge injustice!
Estus music combined early 70's classic heavy, bluesy rock sound with storming, heavy guitar rifts, but also with nice and catchy melodies.
It often sounded very similar to Dust (understandably), but also to Led Zeppelin, Wishbone Ash and even early Lynyrd Skynyrd. This perfectly produced and beautifully sounded album will surely appeal to the most fans of ambitious heavy rock!
Tracks
1. 90 M.P.H. (Tom Nicholas) - 4:27
2. On The Wings (John Nicholas, Tom Nicholas) - 7:12
3. McCloud (Tom Nicholas) - 2:28
4. Goodbye (J. Nicholas, T. Nicholas) - 5:05
5. Inside Out You Look The same (John Nicholas) - 5:29
6. Sweet Children (J. Nicholas) - 6:14
7. Truckin’ Man (J. Nicholas, T. Nicholas) - 4:06
8. In The Morning (Harry Rumpf) - 4:35
9. B.M.D. (J. Nicholas, T. Nicholas) - 5:09
Estus
*Tom Nicholas - Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
*John Nicholas - Bass, Vocals, Harp, Percussion
*Harry Rumpf - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion
*Marc Bell - Drums
I was born in Croydon, South London on April 1st 1947. The musical tradition in my family went hack two generations: my mother was a ballerina, my grandfather an opera singer and my grandmother a violinist, so there was a connection with the performing arts all my life.
Though the American folk movement had made 'troubadours' such as Tom Paxton, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan part of the mainstream, my first love was painting and I enrolled at Croydon Art College in 1967, where I met my contemporaries Malcolm McLaren, Jamie Reid and Vivienne westwood. Art colleges were also a breeding ground for musicians, and 1 was listening to the Incredible String Band, Tyrannosaurus Rex and others, as well as Stravinsky and avant-garde classical composers like Cage and Stockhausen.
After leaving art school 1 carried on painting and songwriting at a cottage in Kent which 1 shared with a Canadian writer/lyricist called Ian Carruthers. He sadly took his own life a few years later, and this reissue is dedicated to his memory. At the same time I also began to make contacts in radio and TV, and made my debut on Top Gear and Night Ride, as well as performing topical songs on magazine and children's programmes.
One evening in July 1969 I performed on John Peel's BBC radio show, then headed for the TV studios to make an appearance on BBC2's arts show Late Night Line-Dp, hosted by Joan Bakewell. The following day I was contacted by Sandy Roberton, an underground folk impresario representing a number of artists including Al Jones, Synanthesia, Keith Christmas and Shelagh McDonald. He was very switched-on and charming, living a glamorous lifestyle in Chelsea, and said he wanted to manage and produce me.
A week later I found myself cutting an album with him at Sound Techniques, just off the King's Road. He put me together with Mighty Baby, formerly known as R’n’B band The Action. Working with them was quick and easy, as they were either very intuitive or very high - probably both! I particularly remember Martin Stone, with his Mexican moustache and woolly hat. He was an innovative blues guitarist with a fragile, considerate manner.
The drummer, Roger Powell laid down solid, lazy grooves from so far back on the stool that I kept thinking he was going to fall off, while Mike Evans on bass and Ian Whiteman on keyboards enhanced my basic structures with melody and rhythmic counterpoint. The sessions were also distinguished by a meeting with Jimmy Page and Roy Harper, who were recording in the next door studio The songs are an eclectic, oddball mixture of poetic allegories, moments of truth and sparks of originality. Some were written with Ian Carruthers, and much was inspired by my then-girlfriend, Penny Lamb.
The Sailor was the most obvious tune to extract as a single, and received a surprising amount of airplay on daytime radio. Song of the Sun had been crafted by my school friend John West as a piece of prose. I set it to music in the bedsit mindset of a Leonard Cohen devotee. The Sound of Rain was a little lament that was obviously influenced by Paul Simon's early work.
All I can say about Penelope is how great it is to be in love and find a way to declare it in a song for posterity! The Day Begins is dark and discordant - tortured youthful anxiety laid bare. 1 have no idea where Woman From The Warm Grass came from, but it had more to do with sex than drugs, as I had not yet been initiated into the latter. Richie Havens was also making a serious impression, and lyrical free association had its appeal too. I Am Your Suitcase Lover concerns the fantasy of an encounter with a prostitute. Maybe I had Johnny Cash and Nashville Skyline in mind. It's complemented by classic Gordon Huntley steel guitar (fresh from Woodstock), with Roger Powell's bar-room-brawl drum fills at their best.
Mara's Supper was inspired by a dinner I innocently provided the musical accompaniment for, little knowing that Ian was doing mushrooms and herbs with William Blake! Point of Leaving was a kitchen sink drama, written with Brief Encounter in mind - bleak black and white TV imagery and teenage sexual anxiety from the shadowy side. The Purple Cadger ended proceedings by marrying a masterful set of lyrics from Ian to some Dylanesque rock n roll.
I enjoyed recording the album, but it was cut in a single day without a band rehearsal, and the songs hadn't been significantly worked or performed live. It was an opportunity not to be missed, however, and though I wasn't remotely in control Sanely delivered a result under the circumstances. He then shopped around and cut a deal with a small independent label called Head Records, run by a hippy named John Curd. None of this had anything much to do with me, and other than £125 to buy an electric guitar, I never saw any money. But it was my first record, I had no expectations, and 1 was pleased to start somewhere.
It appeared in November 1969, and the reviews were quite good - Rolling Stone called it 'soothing, sweet and occasionally really hot,' and said the songs were 'tender mood pieces, vast open land, beach and seascapes with all their inherent imagery of desolation and sad loneliness.' My only real disappointment was with the artwork — as a painter I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to look, but was given no artistic control. At the time of its release I shared the stage with the likes of John Martyn, Shelagh McDonald and Forest at gigs promoted by Sandy.
I'd have loved to have played live with Mighty Baby, but they had their own album to promote and it never happened. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, John Curd had been busted and banged up. Mead Records was consequently dissolved and the album barely made the shops. Despite that, I continued to play radio sessions and the bonus track, Tattooed Lady, comes from a Peel session recorded shortly after the LP was cut.
The lyrical narrative was penned by Ian with Penny (the Woman From The Warm Grass herself) taking the lead vocal alongside John Lewis, who was to feature in 'M' ten years later. I added guitar and vocal harmonies. Hearing the material today, I'm struck by its eccentricity, and how dark some of the songs are. Though it reflects the underground folk of that era, I hope it also , remains relevant as an early indication of my eclectic musical taste.
by Robin Scott, January 2006
Tracks
1. The Sailor - 4:00
2. Song of the Sun (Robin Scott, John West) - 3:42
3. The Sound of Rain - 4:30
4. Penelope - 7:01
5. The Day Begins - 4:55
6. Woman From The Warm Grass - 3:39
7. I Am Your Suitcase Lover - 4:22
8. Mara's Supper (Robin Scott, Ian Carruthers) - 4:24
9. Point Of Leaving - 3:17
10. The Purple Cadger (Robin Scott, Ian Carruthers) - 3:14
11. Tattooed Lady (Bonus Track) (Robin Scott, Ian Carruthers) - 4:53
All songs composed by Robin Scott unless as else written.
Musicians
*Robin Scott - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Martin Stone - Lead Guitar
*Gordon Huntley - Steel Guitar
*Mike Hvans - Bass Guitar
*Ian Whiteman - Piano
*Roger Powell - Drums
Although revisionist historians will claim that any Shadows of Knight best-of that includes "Gloria" will cover just about everything you'll ever need on this Chicago punk band (and usually acting as if Van Morrison's and Them's original was the actual hit -- wrong), true believers have long championed their two original albums for the Dunwich label, especially their debut long-player named after their big hit.
Why? Simply because it positively rocks with a raw energy of a band straight out of the teen clubs, playing with a total abandon and an energy level that seems to explode out of the speakers.
Equal parts Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Who, and snotty little Chicago-suburb bad boys, the Shadows of Knight could easily put the torch to Chess blues classics, which make up the majority of the songs included here.
Their wild takes on "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Oh Yeah," and "I Got My Mojo Working" rank right up there with any British Invasion band's version from the same time period.
Original material was never plentiful on either SOK long-player, but worth checking out are "Light Bulb Blues," the blues ballad "Dark Side," and the why-me? rocker "It Always Happens That Way."
Completing the package is the inclusion of three bonus tracks, the single-only "Someone Like Me" and an alternate version, and "I Got My Mojo Working," which is vastly superior to the take on the original album.
A not-too-vastly-different alternate mix of "Oh Yeah" completes the bonus tracks, although the original album version is curiously missing from this otherwise excellent package.If you're only going to own one Shadows of Knight package, you could, and should, start right here
by Cub Koda
Tracks
1. Gloria (V. Morrison) - 2:34
2. Light Bulb Blues (J. kelley, J. Sohns, J. McGeorge) - 2:32
3. I Got My Mojo Working (M. Morganfield) - 3:28
4. Darkside (W.Rogers, J. Sohns) - 2:00
5. Boom Boom (J. L. Hooker) - 2:28
6. Let It Rock (C. Berry) - 1:52
7. Oh Yeah (E. McDaniel) - 2:45
8. It Always Happens That Way (W.Rogers, J. Sohns) - 1:52
9. You Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover (W. Dixon) - 2:37
10.(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man (W. Dixon) - 3:52
11.I Just Want to Make Love to You (W. Dixon) - 3:49
12.Oh Yeah (E. McDaniel) - 2:45
13.I Got My Mojo Working (M. Morganfield) - 3:14
14.Someone Like Me (Novak, McDowell) - 2:18
I was born in 1953, and grew up in a pretty little Hampshire village. Music was in my blood - my grandfather played piano for silent movies, my grandmother was a cellist and mezzo soprano, my mother was a trained concert pianist who'd moved into jazz and my father (who died when I was very small) had been a drummer and dancer too. As a result, I was raised on music from Chopin right through to Georgia On My Mind, and at school I was always the kid that sang in the playground.
From the age of 11 I was taken up by the local beatniks, who introduced me to early R’n’B and soul, John Coltrane, Doc Watson, Revd. Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy and many others. In those days there was brilliant new stuff coming out every week too, so I was listening to Dylan, the Beach Boys and Motown as well. I was very lucky to have such a thorough musical education. By the time I was 13 I had a repertoire of about 200 songs, and had started to sing in local clubs. Local press and TV soon heard about me, and I became quite well-known in the area.
I eventually left home at 16 to live with my older friends in Southampton. Around this time, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks appeared, and totally blew me away. The first time I heard it, I ran straight home, grabbed my guitar and tried to write songs in the same style. I couldn't do it, though, and what came out instead was Give Her The Day, the first song I ever wrote. One day in 1972 I answered a knock at the door, and found three good looking guys from London on the doorstep. They explained that they were part of a jazz rock band who were doing a gig at Southampton University that night, but the opening act couldn't make it and could I do a half hour slot instead? I explained that 1 hadn't been gigging for a while, and didn't have a set together as such, but had started writing my own songs, and maybe this was a chance to try them out in public.
So off I went and sang my first selfpenned songs, and got a standing ovation. Later that evening they turned up again, this time to ask if 1 wanted to join their band as a lead vocalist. I gladly consented, and it went well. A few weeks later, after more rehearsals, we did a show at the Marquee, which was another success. They were great, but their guitarist, Stuart Cowell saw me aside to suggest that he was in a strong position to get me a record deal if I wanted one. Within a matter of weeks I'd been signed to Columbia and flown to New York. They wanted to make me into a star, but I wasn't at all comfortable with it.
At a reception over there I was introduced to the label's owner, an elderly man in a wheelchair, as 'the next Barbra Streisand,' which mortified me. To my friends and me that would have been about the least cool thing imaginable. John Hammond himself came especially to meet me, and told me he believed me to have 'one of the finest voices ever to come out of the UK.' At the time it all went over my head, I'm afraid, and it's only in retrospect that I've come to appreciate the enormity of these compliments. They offered to buy me a house over there, which I refused, then put me in the studio with some very talented black musicians and asked me to write something in a funkier style than before.
I came up with But Which Way Do I Go?, which summarized my feelings. I found it all too overwhelming, I was more interested in my social life than my career, and I wanted to be back in England. When I think about it now I can see what a big deal it was, and I'm grateful for their faith in me, but at the time I was still a kid and didn't know if I was coming or going. As a result, I returned home and went into the studio to make an album in the folk-blues idiom that I was accustomed to, rather than the funkier, more soulful style they'd wanted in America. I didn't have enough songs to fill an LP, but when we began recording they just poured out of me. Stuart produced the sessions, and also managed me. He was a great musician as well as an intelligent and sensitive guy, and slowly came to understand what I was about.
The musicians were very subtle and sensitive too, and kept to the essence of what I'd written. Albert Lee was lovely, and his musicianship was a thrill to be around. The rhythm section were also really sympathetic and tolerant of my naivete. It was all very easy and quick, because I actually didn't know how not to do a perfect take. Being so young (18 years old) and unconscious is a blessing on that score. Mick Glossop was the overall producer, and remains to this day one of the most sensitive people I've ever worked with in the studio (and I've worked with some of the world's greats, like Phil Ramone and Gus Dudgeon).
The album appeared in July 1973, and was well-received. Disc said 'genuine new talents are pretty rare, and here's a songwriter of the first order, who plays a mean acoustic guitar too.' Give Her The Day was extracted as a 45 (backed with But Which Way Do I Go?), and the NME called it 'a monster record, full of soul, feeling and emotion.' At one point it was getting 24 plays a day on the BBC, and Tony Blackburn even made it his single of the week - something I kept very quiet about in front of my friends!
At one point Cliff Richard wanted to cover it, but nothing came of it. Another 45 appeared later in the year (Human Failure I Ain't It Funny?), but that didn't chart either. I couldn't have cared less - my friends and I weren't remotely interested in the hit parade, and I didn't like the idea of appearing on TV anyway, so I turned down all offers apart from The Old Grey Whistle Test. I gigged in support of the album for a year, both on tour with John McLaughlin, Tom Paxton, Loudon Wainwright and others, and doing one-off shows with people like Sly and the Family Stone, Genesis and Roy Harper.
I seemed set to go full blast into a mega career, which should have been a dream come true, but for me (having been gigging since I was thirteen) the novelty was virtually non-existent, and I was pretty bored by the lifestyle that went with 'the biz'. I'd had my first child when I was 18, and looking after him wasn't compatible with the life of a touring musician. I dreamed of being able to do what I wanted with my day, instead of an endless round of trains, planes, hotels and concert halls, round and round so that you couldn't tell one from the other. I was desperate for a big change in my life, and dreamed of isolation and anonymity.
By the middle of 19741 was getting thoroughly fed up of playing the same songs every night, and constantly moving around. I was offered the support slot on Ike and Tina Turner's forthcoming European tour, but couldn't face it and turned it down. At the same time, Joan Armatrading got in touch to say she was a big fan of the album and wanted to duet with me. She came to stay with me in Hampshire for a week, and we did a lovely gig together at the Marquee, but it was practically the last thing I did. I ended up going away for 2,1/2 years, and at the end of it I felt 1 had a far more meaningful, healthy and satisfying life.
I've continued to sing and record since, but only on my own terms - in fact, I'm currently working on my first solo album since Raw But Tender, and its approach is similar. Since the advent of the internet, I've had lovely fan mail about the album from people all over the world, ranging from a captain of industry in South Africa to a worker on a kibbutz in Israel. I think people identify with it is because it's a truly heartfelt piece of work, and a sincere expression of a human soul at a particular point in its journey. I'm delighted that people will now have another chance to hear it.
by Jaki Whitren July 2006
Tracks
1. New Horizon - 3:13
2. Oh Little Boy (Whitren, Baker) - 2:32
3. A Little Bit Extra Please - 2:35
4. Country Life - 1:43
5. To A Friend, Through A Friend (Let Your Feelings Burn) - 3:54
6. But Which Way Do I Go? - 4:56
7. Give Her The Day - 2:52
8. Ain't It Funny? - 3:08
9. I've Thought Hard About It - 4:26
10.As That Evening Sun Goes Down - 3:29
11.Human Failure (Leslie) - 3:13
12.Running All The Time (Whitren, Baker) - 3:37
All songs by Jaki Whitren except where noted.
"Here We Are Again" is the fourth--and next to last--album by the original lineup of Country Joe and the Fish. While the group would reunite every so often over the next few decades, this is one of the highlights of their career. The group's multi-songwriter democracy had displayed an admirable eclecticism on the first three albums, but the results often sounded scattershot. While that wide-ranging spirit is all over HERE WE ARE AGAIN, the individual songs somehow cohere into a more satisfying whole.
The addition of a horn section recruited from Count Basie's orchestra adds a jazz/R&B edge to the folk-rock-based songs, a conceit that works better than it might sound. Country Joe McDonald and Barry "The Fish" Melton largely avoid topical material in favor of witty tunes about love and life, making HERE WE ARE AGAIN the least dated of Country Joe and the Fish's original albums.
Recorded at Vanguard's 23rd Street Studio, New York, New York.
Tracks
1. Here I Go Again - 3:24
2. Donovan's Reef - 4:18
3. It's So Nice To Have Love - 3:25
4. Baby, You're Driving Me Crazy (Barry Melton) - 2:43
5. Crystal Blues - 6:18
6. For No Reason - 3:55
7. I'll Survive - 2:28
8. Maria - 3:30
9. My Girl (Barry Melton) - 2:16
10.Doctor Of Electricity (Barry Melton) - 3:58
All songs by Country Joe McDonald except where noted.
Country Joe And The Fish
*Country Joe McDonald - Vocals, Guitar
*Barry Melton - Vocals, Electric Guitar
*David Cohen - Guitar, Keyboards
*Gary "Chicken" Hirsch - Drums, Percussion Additional personnel
*Mark Kapner - Piano
*Mark Ryan - Bass
*Jack Casady - Bass
*Peter Albin - Bass
*David Getz - Drums
It's amazing, really, how often in life we do things with never a thought that someday we will be asked to explain ourselves. Case in point - "Clearing". In the 1970s, our little trio - Joan, Sarah and Jeff - performed throughout New England at a large variety of venues - often in Unitarian churches for Sunday services and other gatherings.
We had a sense that the terrible inequities and cruelties of the world could somehow be reduced, explained and addressed at the most basic level of person-to-person relationships - how we related as individuals to the environment and world at large. That was our message, and our medium was poetry and song. It all seems rather naive and childlike in our brave new post-trauma world, and of course anything that bears the taint of "hippyness" is fair game for derision and ridicule. Recognizing ourselves in the marvelous satire "A Mighty Wind" gave even us a sense of smug satisfaction. But there is much from the 60's and 70'sthat is worth remembering and perhaps even relearning.
For one thing, we could live very differently. In the early 70's, Joan and I were living in a large somewhat decrepit mansion outside of Boston with our large extended family of 16 who had gathered from across the country. The mortgage and expenses were tiny, and we bought food collectively, ate together and shared the household work . Our population ebbed and swelled as friends and relatives came to stay for days, weeks, or months at a time. Living was incredibly cheap. Sometimes we would have jobs, and often not. People thought we were a commune, but we knew that we were just a big messy family.
The crusty old neighbors were particularly suspicious, since the house had previously been occupied by Timothy Leary. They expected more acid tripping and hanging out naked on the front lawn. We never did that, but we did do plenty else, particularly music. It seemed like it was music all the time. Fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano, drums, harmonica, jews harp, pots and pans - whatever. We were mostly musicians, and those that weren't sang harmony. Some of us played in outside groups - bluegrass, country, rock - and sometimes we just formed groups amongst ourselves. And we always just played and sang together. In the midst of all this musical activity was Clearing.
Clearing began with a request from the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1971. Their 1964 hymnal - "Songs for the Celebration of Life" - was designed to be less solemn than usual, with quite a few beautiful poems set to less traditional music. With interest in promoting this new approach to church music, they were seeking musicians who could present the songs in an informal "folk" style. Joan and I had performed at UUA functions, so we came to mind, and they introduced us to Sara Benson who also had UUA connections. Sara was a remarkable person with a deep spiritual core and a centered focus that made her an island of calm in the midst of any turmoil. We loved her immediately.
After years of rigid musical training on the flute, she had spent agonizing additional years freeing herself until she was a totally natural improviser with a remarkable talent. Sara brought poetry and beauty and light to everything she did. She was the soul of Clearing. The album "Who Is In My Temple" was our first collaboration. This collection of songs from the hymnal was recorded at Ace Recording Studios in Boston, a cavernous old establishment with a cold and professional atmosphere. The record was well received in UUA circles, and we immediately had offers to sing at Unitarian services and events.
By 1973 we had expanded our interests and repertoire to the point where we wanted to make another record - of our own material - to be called simply "Clearing". We hadn't really enjoyed the "Ace Recording" experience, and besides we were low on cash, so we decided to record this one on our own. We managed to find some war-surplus recording equipment, and by this time Joan and I were living in the big house with its giant library room - perfect as an ad-hoc studio. Most of the recording took place there, with our friend Tom Rothschild at the rudimentary controls. It was an unlikely setting - with people coming and going and pauses as airplanes flew overhead - but we had the advantages of ignorance, enthusiasm and naivete. Some cuts were done at other locations - notably at a church we found in Waltham that had fantastic acoustics.
For a very reasonable fee, we got to use it for a couple of evenings, late enough to avoid serious traffic noises. In the spirit of the times, we invited several friends and family members to participate on this record, as noted on the track list. The album had a pressing of 2000, most of which were sold at performances and through the UUA. Clearing continued on until about 1976.
After Clearing, we pursued various interests. Joan Faber had a long career as a singer-pianist performing standards in various nightclubs in the Boston-Cambridge area. She is currently the head of the sheet music Department of Johnson String Instrument in Newton. Jeff Brewer developed an interest in rock climbing in the 1980s, and invented a treadmill-like machine for climbing called the Treadwall. He is currently partners in the company that manufacturers this device. Joan and Jeff still live on the big-house property with members of their extended family. Sara Benson moved from the Boston area to Charlemont, a western-Massachusetts town with an active alternative life-style population. She became an important and much-loved member of that community. In 2008 Sara passed away. Her loss is sorely felt by her friends and family.
by Jeff Brewer, February, 2009
Tracks
1. Morning Has Broken (Leon Maleson) - 2:28
2. Morning Light (Vici Frazer) - 4:02
3. Sunshine Man (Sara Benson) - 2:39
4. She's Leavin (Sara Benson) - 2:52
5. Greyhound Bus Song (Joan Minkoff) - 3:50
6. The First Time (Joan Minkoff) - 3:29
7. The Church Where We Got Married (Jeff Brewer) - 2:45
8. Eve (Jeff Brewer) - 2:46
9. Seth (Jeff Brewer) - 2:03
10. When I Was A Young Boy (Leeds Brewer) - 4:10
11. My Father (Sara Benson) - 3:45
12. Clearing (Joan Minkoff) - 4:43
"The band was gifted with a flair and a half for harmony pop, especially that of the good old fashioned barbershop quartet variety."
From Paterson, New Jersey came The Happenings, who encountered a quick flash of glory in the sixties before getting bumped off the radar by the more progressive acts of the era. The band was gifted with a flair and a half for harmony pop, especially that of the good old fashioned barbershop quartet variety.
However, they updated their sound just enough so it wouldn't be too horribly quaint for the kids to digest. Such spine-tingling vocal prowess can be experienced on these two albums which have been shoehorned into one compact disc.
Released in 1966, "The Happenings" deposited a pair of rock solid hit singles with "See You in September" and a copy of Carole King and Gerry Goffin's "Go Away Little Girl." A cluster of Tokens compositions such as "Tonight I Fell In Love," "You're In a Bad Way," "What To Do" and "Tea Time" line the album as well.
And that makes complete sense because not only did the evergreen doo-wop group handle the band's affairs and produce their work, but The Happenings were also signed to their label, BT Puppy Records. Decked out in a freaky jacket cover that belied the characteristically polite music housed inside, "Psycle" was issued in 1967 and included "I Got Rhythm" and "My Mammy," both which clenched the national charts. The album suggested The Happenings were attempting to stretch boundaries a bit, as snippets of the material are trimmed with jazz and blues inclinations. But the band refused to pretend to be something they were not, and all told, "Psycle" teems with concise harmony pop configurations.
The Happenings excelled at this style of music so why change their image? Although the band never broke any real new ground, their contributions to the golden age of teen radio should not be underestimated.
by Beverly Paterson
Tracks 1966 The Happenings
1. See You in September (Sherman Edwards, Donald Meyer, Sid Wayne) - 2:29
2. Tonight I Fell in Love (Mitch Margo, Phil Margo, Hank Medress) - 2:19
3. Girl on a Swing (Robert Miranda) - 2:31
4. If You Love Me (Really Love Me) (Marc Monnet, Marguerite Monnot, Geoff Parsons) - 2:43
5. What to Do (Buddy Holly, Hank Medress) - 2:42
6. You're Coming on Strong, Babe (Robert Miranda) - 2:56
7. Go Away Little Girl (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) - 2:21
8. The Same Old Story (Dave Libert, Robert Miranda) - 2:25
9. Sealed With a Kiss (Gary Geld, Peter Udell) - 2:25
10.You're in a Bad Way (Hank Medress) - 2:43
11.Girls on the Go (Brute Force) - 2:31
12.Tea Time (Lucky Thompson) - 2:45 1967 Psycle
13.I Got Rhythm (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 2:58
14.Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Morris Levy, Fred Lyman, Frank Lymon) - 2:49
15.That Cold Feeling (Hank Medress) - 2:29
16.Down, Down, Down (Dave Libert, Robert Miranda, Neil Young) - 2:32
17.Growing Old (Lord, I Must Be Growin' Old) (Dave Libert, Robert Miranda) - 3:23
18.I Believe in Nothing (Hank Medress) - 2:39
19.My Mammy (Walter Donaldson, Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young) - 2:58
20.When I Lock My Door (Hank Medress) - 2:38
21.I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarthy) - 2:37
22.When the Summer Is Through (Hank Medress) - 2:33
23.Every Year About This Time (Dave Libert, Robert Miranda) - 2:28
24.Bye Bye Blackbird (Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson) - 3:05
The Happenings
*Tommy Giullano- Vocals, Percussion
*Mike La Neve - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Bernie Laporta - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Libert - Vocals, Bass, Keyboards
*Bob Miranda - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
