Peter Thorup well known Danish Blues-Rock musician gained an international reputation because of his cooperation with Blues icon Alexis Korner in New Church, CCS and Snape in the early 70s. After he dispended his first Band The Beefeaters in 1969, Thorup was helped by some old friends from famous Danish groups Young Flowers, Burning Red Ivanhoe, The Beefeaters, Rainbow Band to record "Wake Up Your Mind" in February and March 1970. 13 titles were recorded of which 7 found its way on in 1970 on Philips released album "Wake up Your Mind".
The music was not restricted to just Blues-Rock and consequently this release had a much wider appeal as the rest of Peter Thorups efforts. The album reflects the musicians good reputation and it is rather a band project than a solo effort. Fantastic guitar playing by Peter Thorup and Peer Frost (Young Flowers), gorgeous vocals by P.T. and Ole Fick (Burning Red Ivanhoe), excellent organ work by Morten Kjaerumgard and impressive flute and sax playing by Bent Hesselmann (Maxwells, Rainbow Band/Midnight Sun) define this real killer.
Beside the original album tracks, there are 6 bonustracks featuring among others Hendrix´ "If 6 was 9" in an real killer 8 minutes version and 11 Minutes opus "I dreamed I was a dog last night" by Ole Fick. Package comes with comprehensive booklet, band history, photos, digitally remastered. A must have.
Tracks
1. Worried Blues (Trad. Arr. Thorup) - 8:09
2. Coming Home Baby (Tucker) - 5:07
3. Keep It Up (Thorup) - 6:27
4. Running Wild (Thorup) - 4:05
5. I'm Coming Home (Stables) - 3:10
6. Grand Mother Watch Your Son (Thorup) - 4:24
7. Wake Up Your Mind (Thorup) - 6:37
8. Looking For Fun (Fick) - 4:17
9. Little Sister (Thorup) - 6:10
10.So Much Means A Lot (Thorup) - 5:51
11.You Got The Power (Frost, Igemann, Goudman) - 6:59
12.If Six Was Nine (Hendrix) - 7:30
13.I Dreamed I Was A Dog Last Night (Fick) - 11:00
I was a member of Edge off and on for three years. After we left The American Revolution, Richard, Dave and I hooked up with two guys we had met in Honolulu - Bob and Eddie (can't remember their last names). They came to Los Angeles, and we hooked up with a producer named Norm Malkin, and recorded and released a single, written by Richard and myself.
It was called "Something New" b/w "Seen Through the Eyes" (which is available on one of the Pebbles CDs). Eddie and Bob left, and were replaced by a guy named Barry McCoy, who played organ (circa 1969). Donnie Branker came back to manage us. We recorded an album for Norm, but he couldn't place it, and eventually we broke up.
We did open for Three Dog Night and Sweetwater. About a year later, in 1970,Richard called me to say that he'd been recording with Dave and a British bass player, but the bass player had had to go back to England. He asked if I’d like to join them? I said okay, but I wasn't playing much bass. I joined as guitarist/keyboard, and played a little bass.
We then found a guy named Galen Murphy who could play bass. We finished that album and released it through Nose Records, an independent label, but it was a terrible album. There were too many different styles, and a terrible mix. I left the group soon after and got married.
by John Keith
Barcellona and Keith had earlier played together in American Revolution and Novogorski had been with Boston Tea Party making it likely that this was a Hollywood band although it is frequently reported as a San Francisco band.
Tracks
1 Callin' Out (John Keith) - 2:29
2 Sing Your Song (Richard Barcellona) - 3:06
3 A New Breed of Man (Gallen Murphy) - 3:05
4 Lady of Darkness (Richard Barcellom, Gallen Murphy, David Novogroski) - 4:15
5 Movin' On (Richard Barcellona) - 2:28
6 The Story of Angelique (Richard Barcellona) - 3:45
7 Starvin' Man (Richard Barcellona) - 3:50
8 Ribbon And Bow (John Keith) - 2:29
9 Money Slave (Richard Barcellona) - 3:10
Edge
Richard Barcellona - Vocals, Lead Guitar
John Keith - Vocals, Organ, Bass, Acoustic Guitar
Gallen Murphy - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar
David Novogroski - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
A new historical fact has come to up teachers of history, writers of textbooks and unshakeable New England traditionalists: The Boston Tea Party didn't take place in Boston. At least not in the musical sense.
The Boston Tea Party actually happened in beautiful downtown Burbank when five young guys got together in 1963 to strike out for their own brand of musical independence. Truly revolutionary in spirit, the group is unique in that it has no "leader." Each o the members, all accomplished musicians, contributes his share of musical ideas.
The result of this communal effort is an infinite variety of messages mwith more precise musicianship, more exciting performances, than might have happened under the tutelage of a single drivinq force. Richard DePerna, Bass Guitarist and arranger, insists that the group's in-person sound be as excellent as their recorded perfomances. Mike Stevens, Lead guitarist, writes much of the material which is original, topical and abundant in richly poetic imagery.
Organist Robert DePerna and Drummer Dave Novogroski are responible for holding together The Boston Tea Party's tight ensemble sound. Travis Fields, Lead Singer - who also writes material for the group - has that rare gift of addressing the listener in a very personal way. He cares. As does every member of the group.
Visually, The Boston Tea Party is a knock-out in costumes of the 1775 era. But the gimmicks end. After all is said and done, it's the music - a pure, unique, accomplished sound- of The Boston Tea Party that counts.
Tracks
1. I'm Tellin' You (Mike Stevens, Travis Fields) - 2:50
2. Straighten Up and Fly (Mike Stevens, Travis Fields) - 4:16
3. I Found a Way - 2:00
4. Fantasy - 2:43
5. We Have Already Died - 2:40
6. Free Service (Travis Fields, Mike Stevens, Richard DePerna) - 2:39
7. Just Pretend You're Sherry (Mike Stevens, Richard DePerna) - 3:36
8. In There Shoes - 2:51
9. The Time Being (Mike Stevens, Richard DePerna) - 6:46
10.Please Be Glad - 2:32
All songs by Mike Stevens except where noted
The Boston Tea Party
*Travis Fields - Vocals
*Mike Stevens - Guitar
*Richard DePerna - Bass
*Robert "Mike" DePerna - Organ
*David "Dave" Novogroski - Drums
For decades, Pacific Gas and Electric’s “Get It On” has been considered one of the lost classics of blues-rock. Released on three different labels in less than two years, it has been out of print since the early 1970s.
Not long after making this record, the group signed a big recording deal with Columbia, where their engaging blend of blues, funk, rock and soul won them international acclaim and scored them several hits and best sellers. The “Get It On” sessions presented an altogether more torrid side of PG and E, with the electrifying lead guitar of former James Gang alumnus Glenn Schwartz pushing the group’s black lead singer Charlie Allen to aggressive heights that their later work seldom achieved.
This energetic selection of blues and soul standards was mostly cut live on the studio floor, with few to no overdubs - and because it was recorded in this way, I was delighted to find that there were enough alternate takes, unissued jams and finished masters to double the original running time of the album for this CD. Many of these were mixed down for this release by Ace’s good friend Rob Keyloch, who has done remarkably well in staying true to the spirit of the original 1968s mixes.
by Tony Rounce
Tracks
1. Wade In The Water (Arr. By Frank Cook, Freddy Demann) - 6:11
2. Cry, Cry, Cry (Deadric Malone) - 5:25
3. Motor City's Burning (Al Smith) - 6:45
4. The Hunter (Booker T. Jones, Carl Wells, Al Jackson Jr, Donald Dunn, Steve Cropper) - 3:21
5. Long Handled Shovel (Pacific Gas And Electric) - 3:31
6. Jelly Jelly (James Cotton) - 6:39
7. Stormy Times (Brent Block) - 2:43
8. Live Love (Tom Marshal) - 3:21
9. My Sweet Baby (Take 6) - 2:49
10. Dirty Mistreater (Take 2) - 3:02
11. Wade In The Water (Undubbed Version) - 4:54
12. Cry, Cry, Cry (Take 2) - 6:33
13. Stormy Times (Take 9) - 2:53
14. Long Handlded Shovel (Take 8) - 3:53
15. Jelly Jelly (Take 1) - 7:31
16. The Hunter (Take 1) - 5:07
17. Blues Chant (Take 2) - 3:36
Bonus tracks 9-17 from the Kent Records Sessions
Pacific Gas And Electric
*Charlie Allen - Vocals
*Brent Block - Bass, Fuzz Bass
*Frank Cook - Drums
*Tom Marshall - Rhythm Guitar
*Glenn Schwartz - Lead Guitar With
*Joe Sample - Organ, Piano
Formed by brothers John and Trevor Jones, this prog rock band had three albums out on the Dawn label in the early 1970s. Always racked by internal tensions, there were various musician changes along the way.
With their three early-'70s Dawn albums fetching high (high!) prices in the collector shops, it was a good thing El took up the cause in 2007 and released a collection of Jonesy's material, titled Ricochet: Pioneering in 1972-1973, that the rest of us could afford.
Culling tracks from their scant three LPs (1972's No Alternative, as well as 1973's Growing and Keeping Up), El put together a pretty representational spread of tunes. The band had two major facets -- thundering, King Crimson-esque prog and drug-addled psychedelia -- and both get equal billing on Ricochet.
The title track from their debut, No Alternative, was a heavy, greasy, muscular piece of early prog, while "Ricochet" (from the same record) injects discotheque glam into the complex, surging heaviness, recalling the theme music from the sci-fi television show Space: 1999. For sheer, psychedelic exuberance, check the signature jam, "Jonesy."
by J. Scott McClintock
Tracks
1. 1958 (John Evans Jones) - 7:56
2. Ricochet (John Evans Jones) - 5:00
3. No Alternative (John Evans Jones) - 7:40
4. Reprise (John Evans Jones) - 1:04
5. Preview (Jamie Kaleth) - 2:00
6. Questions and Answers (Jamie Kaleth) - 5:16
7. Children (John Evans Jones) - 9:00
8. Know Who Your Friends Are (John Evan-Jones, Jamie Kaleth, Alan Bown, Trevor "Gypsy" Jones, Richard "Plug" Thomas) - 6:14
9. Jonesy (John Evan-Jones, Jamie Kaleth, Alan Bown, Trevor "Gypsy" Jones, Richard "Plug" Thomas) - 11:39
Bold traces its roots back to the mid-1960s when band members met while attending the University of Massachusetts. As The Esquires the group recorded a one-off 1965 single for Tom Salem's Salem label ('Shake a Tail Feather' b/w 'Down the Track' (Salem catalog number SR-003). As 'Steve Walker & the Bold' the group reappeared with a 1966 single on Cameo ('Gotta Get Some' b/w 'Robin Hood' (Cameo catalog number C-430)). That was followed by a 1967 release for Dynovoice (Train Kept a-Rollin'' b/w ''I Found What I Was Looking For (Dynvoice catalog number 232).
Opening slots supporting Boston dates for nationally recognized acts like Big Brother and the Trucking Company and Taj Mahal brought the group local recognition, as well as a new name - 'The Bold'. 1969 found the band (now streamlined to 'Bold') signed to ABC. With a line-up comprised of singer/bassist Walker, keyboardist Mike Chmura, guitarists Dick La Freniere and Robert La Palm and drummer Timothy Griffin, their cleverly titled debut album "Bold" teamed them with producer Bill Szymczyk.
Featuring a mixture of covers and original material with contributions from everyone but Griffin, musically the album was quite different from their earlier garage sides. A nice example of then-prevailing popular tastes, most of the collection wasn't particularly original, but showcased a pleasant mixture of Buffalo Springfield-styled country-rock (including an enthusiastic cover of Stephen Stills' 'For What It's Worth'), folk-rock (a nifty cover of Dylan's 'All I Really Want To Do'), some surprisingly accomplished progressive moves (the instrumental 'Lullaby Opus Four') and some decent West Cost-ish psych moves (the jazzy 'Crystal Chambers' was quite impressive).
Other highlights include Walker's Beatles-flavored 'Friendly Smile' and complete with backwards guitar fadeout, the dreamy 'Factory (Version 3)'. The one truly amazing track is side two's 'Free Fugue'. If I'd heard this ambient instrumental on a Brian Eno album I probably wouldn't have thought squat about it, but hearing it on an album a full ten years before this kind of stuff became popular is pretty amazing.
The Wackers were formed in the small Northern Californian town of Eureka by Segarini, Bishop, and singer-guitarist-keyboardist Michael Stull. "We had all met, hung out, and worked together in L.A.," Bob remembers. "Basically, we'd write songs and sing constantly in living rooms. Then at night, we'd get drunk, go out to one of the bars, and play for free, for beer. We did that for weeks, and I got a phone call from Elektra going, 'You owe us some more records.' And I'm going, 'Fine. But I'm not coming to L.A. to do it. I got a great band called the Wackers, and we'd love to make a record, but we'll do it in San Francisco.' They go, 'Ah, we're not sure about that. Who's going to produce it?' And I went, 'Well, I don't know. Who do you got?' For the next few weeks, people would call from L.A. and I would talk to them. I wasn't really impressed with anybody. Then one day I got a phone call from a guy named Gary Usher."
Usher was a major backroom architect of 1960s Los Angeles rock, having co-written some Beach Boys songs (including "In My Room" and "409") with Brian Wilson, and done some renowned albums as a producer, particularly the Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday, The Notorious Byrd Brothers, and Sweetheart of the Rodeo. "The guy had a phenomenal history," enthuses Segarini. "Because I know my rock lore, I knew who he was, and we talked. We're on the phone for like two-and-a-half hours. What sold me on him was, at the end of the conversation he goes, 'Do you know why bums drink their booze out of a paper bag?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'Because they don't want to know when the end is coming.' I went, 'Alright, I'll talk with you.' I called Jac Holzman the next day and said, 'I like this Gary Usher guy. So I'm good with that.'"
The quintet that recorded the Wackers' debut album, Wackering Heights, was completed by bassist Bill "Kootch" Trochim (who'd played with Segarini in the late 1960s in the Family Tree) and drummer Ernie Earnshaw. The more pop-rock- and vocal harmony-oriented sound they were pursuing was reflected not just in the LP's material, but also its production. "We were an anomaly at the time, and proudly so," declares Bob. "We knew that people still loved that music, even though radio had quit embracing it.
The reason that all three Wackers albums are so acoustic for the most part is because everything we did always started around a kitchen table or a living room coffeetable. We could entertain at a moment's notice anywhere, even without a guitar. We'd go into a place called the Keg in Arcata and be standing in line waiting to order burgers and get a pitcher of beer, and we would sing 'Nowhere Man.' The place would go nuts, and we'd get free hamburgers. The records always reflected what the producer heard, and the producer always heard us around a kitchen table."
Where every song but one on the Roxy album had been penned by Segarini, in the Wackers a more collaborative songwriting process was at work. The tracks (except for a cover of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel") were sometimes credited to Segarini, Bishop, and Stull; at others to Segarini and Bishop, or Segarini and Stull; and at others, to either Segarini, Bishop, or Stull alone. "Travelin' Time" was written by Segarini, Bishop, and Rita Coolidge, with whom Bob and Randy worked in the early '70s, singing backup vocals on her first album. "Things would come together so fast and fully realized," remarks Segarini. "'Such a Good Thing,' I dreamt that song from beginning to end, almost every word.
Like the material, the production on Wackering Heights was less ornate than much other rock music in 1971, when the album saw its release. "We went down to Wally Heider's [studio in San Francisco] and cut thirteen complete songs, mixes and all, in ten days," Segarini informed Shakin' St. Gazette. "We were so hot -- neither Randy nor I had been in a studio for a year and a half -- that we just went berserk. In the first four days we recorded nine songs, tracking vocals with no overdubs. It was just time, we couldn't wait, not even long enough to make sure or bully our way to having the album sound like we'd dreamed it would."
When the first album was recorded, according to Segarini, "Usher told us that if it did well, meaning critically or sold a bunch of records or whatever, we could go someplace exotic to cut the next one." Wackering Heights did not make the charts, but it must have done well enough in some regard for Elektra to give the go-ahead for another album. Largely recorded in Montreal, it would give the band some opportunity to reflect their harder-rocking live side -- a story told in the liner notes to the CD reissue of Hot Wacks.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Travelin' Time (Bob Segarini, Randy Bishop, Rita Coolidge) - 2:55
2. Body Go Round (Bob Segarini) - 3:00
3. Don't Be Cruel (Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell) - 2:58
4. Country Queen (Bob Segarini, Randy Bishop) - 3:17
5. Strangers (Bob Segarini, Randy Bishop) - 3:22
6. Don't Put Down The Singer (Randy Bishop) - 3:16
7. I Don't Want My Love Refused (Bob Segarini, Michael Stull) - 2:49
8. White House (Michael Stull) - 3:40
9. I Like (Bob Segarini, Randy Bishop, Barth Bishop) - 2:08
10.On The Way Up (Bob Segarini, Randy Bishop) - 2:29
11.Such A Good Thing (Bob Segarini, Randy Bishop, Michael Stull) - 3:15
12.No Place For The Children (Bob Segarini, Randy Bishop, Michael Stull) - 3:21
Hudson Ford was the name of the band formed by Richard Hudson and John Ford when they split from the Strawbs in 1973. Playing a mixture of folk and rock not unlike the Strawbs they had left, they had a UK chart hit with Pick Up the Pieces peaking at number 8.
The original lineup featured Hudson (playing guitar rather than drums) and Ford, along with Chris Parren on keyboards, Mickey Keen on guitars, and Gerry Conway on drums. Conway left in May 1974 prior to the recording of “Free Spirit” and was replaced by Ken Laws. Mickey Keen left the band in December 1974 and was not replaced. The lineup remained stable from that point until the group dissolved in late 1977.
Their second effort "Free Spirit' saw the light of the day in 1974, and it's a wonderful mix of classic rock, progressive folk and psych vibes, amazing guitar parts and wonderful vocals completes the puzzle of a concise work..
Tracks
1. Take A Little Word - 6:44
2. Free Spirit - 3:12
3. Mother Mild - 3:55
4. I Don't Want To Be A Star - 6:28
5. Silent Star - 8:27
6. Such A Day - 4:11
7. How Many Times - 3:13
8. Floating In The Wind - 4:19
Words and Music by Richard Hudson, John Ford
Hudson Ford
*Richard Hudson - Vocals, Accoustic Guitar
*John Ford - Vocals, Bass
*Micky Keene - Electric Guitar
*Chris Parren - All Keyboards
*Ken Laws - Drums, Percussion
J. F. Murphy and Salt was an utterly unique sextet that became a popular college campus fixture during the early 1970s. The band's rebellious stance against the Vietnam War was part of the picture, but it was the original compositions by bandleader, J.F. Murphy, and an overtly creative non-traditional approach to the covers they developed that brought them such a dedicated fan base.
Dropped by MGM the band signed with Elektra. Produced by Eddie Kramer, 1972's "JF Murphy and Salt" was a mostly live set capturing the band at a series of college performances including dates at The University of Hartford, Nassau Community College, and Trent State College. The closing country-flavored track ' If Wishes Were Horses' was clearly a studio effort.
Musically the set showcased the band's weird mixture of blues ('Kansas City'), country ('Country Jam'), jazz-rock fusion, traditional Irish tunes, straight-ahead rock, and social and political activism (the anti-war 'Waiting Hymn of the Republic'). It was definitely different and occasionally a bit disconcerting; particularly when they mixed all the genres together in one song - check out 'First Born', or 'Silver Horn' - the latter having a plotline about young guy trying to pass himself off as a Leprechaun at an Irish dance). Muphy was an okay singer who occasionally reminded me a bit of a bluesier Burton Cummings.
All six members were impressive musicians (guitarist Joe Parrino deserved special notice), and there was no denying their professionalism, but there just wasn't much here that caught my ear. The need to stretch out musically also didn't do the band any favors. Their cover of the blues classic 'Kansas City' went on for over 12 minutes and was basically unlistenable. Guess you had to be in the audience to get the full effect.
Tracks
1. Sweet Byrd - 3:44
2. Which One - 4:01
3. Teenage Fantasy - 3:20
4. Touched By Love - 2:46
5. Bell Toll - 5:16
6. New York City / Home - 10:38
7. Man Who Is Alone - 3:18
8. Last Illusion - 9:59
All compositions by J. F. Murphy
J. F. Murphy And Salt
*Ron Allard - Bagpipes, Soprano-Alto-Tenor Sax, Flute, Tambourine, Backing Vocals
*George Christ - Harmonica, Vibes, Conga, Maracas, Chimes, Backing Vocals
*J.F. Murphy - Vocals, Piano, Guitar
*Bob Paiva - Drums
*Joe Parrino - Lead Guitar, Trombone, Flute, Backing Vocals
*Russell Warmolts - Bass, Backing Vocals
Born out of boogie rock, Spirit (leader Jay Ferguson and bassist Mark Andes had split the group), and a double shot of testosterone, Jo Jo Gunne are best remembered for their urgent hit "Run Run Run" and their third effort's politically incorrect album cover (you could tastefully call that woman "Rubenesque" if it wasn't for the pig pictured with her).
Still, they deserve to be more than a footnote in American rock, and while this two-disc round-up of their four original albums (that's everything but the reunion, re-recording, and totally fan club worthy Big Chain from 2005) proves the group weren't strong enough to keep up with that hectic, early-'70s release schedule (all of this is from 1972 - 1974) there's plenty of fun to be had. Greasy, early Doobie Brothers-like fun on one hand (tight harmonies, solid, showy musicianship, and boogie all the way) and naughty, macho, brash, and bolder-than-you're-used-to fun on the other ("Shake That Fat," "High School Drool," "S'n'M Blvd," and "Big Busted Bombshell from Bermuda" are all as nasty as they want to be, but are like the Hudson Brothers in their cheeky, vaudeville-esque delivery).
Their debut album was rich, their sophomore release was looser for the better and the worse, and while their third effort lacked strong songwriting, their fourth and final was a serious step in the right direction, right before Ferguson moved on to a solo career with the hit "Thunder Island." Dotted amongst it all are some forgotten gems, so check out the boogie reggae woman named "Babylon," the prog rock epic titled "Rhoda," and the squawky, Talkbox rocker "She Said Alright," which sounds like Peter Frampton flying high on Cialis. A welcome set for fans of the band and addicts of the era, plus no matter how cool you spray-paint it, you ain't gonna get the "old lady" to "check out" the van without this one.
by David Jeffries
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Run Run Run (Matt Andes, Jay Ferguson) - 2:36
2. Shake That Fat (Matt Andes, Jay Ferguson) - 3:47
3. Babylon - 4:04
4. I Make Love - 2:58
5. Barstow Blue Eyes - 3:19
6. 99 Days - 3:23
7. Academy Award - 5:00
8. Take It Easy (Matt Andes, Jay Ferguson) - 4:48
9. Flying Home - 3:15
10.Ready Freddy - 4:02
11.Roll Over Me - 3:28
12.60 Minutes To Go - 4:22
13.Rock Around The Symbol - 2:23
14.Broken Down Man - 3:47
15.Special Situations (Matt Andes, Jay Ferguson) - 4:46
16.Take Me Down Easy - 5:23
17.Wait A Lifetime - 3:28
18.Rhoda - 4:46
Disc 2
1. I Wanna Love You - 3:52
2. To The Island - 3:48
3. Red Meat - 3:27
4. Getaway - 3:31
5. Before You Get Your Breakfast - 4:12
6. At The Spa - 2:54
7. Monkey Music - 3:24
8. Couldn't Love You Better - 2:59
9. High School Drool - 3:34
10.Neon City - 2:38
11.Turn The Boy Loose - 4:29
12.Where Is The Show? - 3:51
13.I'm Your Shoe - 4:17
14.Single Man - 4:28
15.She Said Alright - 4:40
16.S 'N' M Blvd - 3:55
17.Falling Angel - 3:25
18.Big Busted Bombshell From Bermuda - 2:50
19.Into My Life - 3:19
20.Around The World - 4:02
All song by Jay Ferguson except where indicated.
Jo Jo Gunne
*Jay Ferguson - Keyboards, Vocals
*Mark Andes -Bass, Vocals
*Matt Andes - Guitar, Vocals
*William "Curly" Smith - Drums, Vocals, Harp
*Jimmie Randall - Bass, Vocals
*Curly Smith - Drums, Vocals
*John Staehely - Guitar, Vocals
A slightly Hard Rock band, Alexis are amongst a plethora of American outfits who released product in the 70's and 80's who would fall into legend with collectors thanks to a sole album release even though the record might just have been a little on the average side.
Alexis' album was recorded at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA and produced by Ron Nevison.
Tracks
1. Fly by Night - 3:49
2. It's About You (Eddie Ulibarri) - 3:54
3. We Need Help Now (Robby Fallberg, Randy Reeder) - 3:17
4. Goodnight My Son (David Martinez, Eddie Ulibarri) - 3:09
5. It's in Your Hands - 3:06
6. Late Night Rocker - 3:52
7. Lord Keeps Account (Larry Braden, Randy Reeder, Dick Walker) - 4:50
8. Moon Worlds - 3:45
9. Elam (Eddie Ulibarri) - 4:50
All songs by Larry Braden, Robby Fallberg, David Peters, Randy Reeder, Eddie Ulibarri, Dick Walker except where noted.
The Blend was a '70s rock quintet from Maine led by singer/guitarist Jim Drown .Signed to MCA and accomplished two albums. and had combined sales of nearly 130,000 records. They even got on Billboard's top 100 at #74 with a bullet.
The Blend had it all. All five were lead singers and songwriters, and every show was an addictive train ride that led to a climactic explosion several times.
The Blend gained the experience of touring and opening huge shows for a long list of great rock and roll acts (The Who, ZZ Top, Hall and Oates, Charlie Daniels, etc). Their second album under the title "Anytime Delight" released in 1979 and it’s a pleasant hard rockin with some smokin southern blasts.
Tracks
1. Feel Like I'm Crazy - 3:49
2. Money (Steven Dore) - 5:09
3. Anytime Delight (Steven Dore) - 3:09
4. I'm Not Losin' - 3:15
5. Sky High (Steven Dore, Jeff Joseph) - 4:18
6. Misty Blue (Donnie "D.P." Pomber) - 4:01
7. She Can Take Me - 3:26
8. Will You Be Mine (Steven Dore) - 3:15
9. For Crying Out Loud - 1:58
10.The Prize - 7:03
All songs by Jim "J.D." Drown except where stated
The Blend
*Steven Dore - Guitar, Piano
*Jim "J.D." Drown - Guitar
*Ken Holt - Bass, Vocals
*Donnie "D.P." Pomber - Guitar, Piano
*Skip Smith - Drums
The sister duo of Wendy Flower and Bonnie Flower (their real names, not aliases), Wendy & Bonnie recorded one album in the late '60s. Genesis is pleasant, if naïve, harmonized light rock with psychedelic, jazz, and folk influences. It is impressive given their tender ages -- Wendy Flower was just 17, and Bonnie Flower only 13, when it was recorded in late 1968, and the pair wrote all of the material on the LP.
The Flowers grew up in a musical family in the San Francisco Bay Area, and prior to recording on their own, did a couple of garage-psychedelic singles as part of Crystal Fountain; Wendy sang lead, and Bonnie played drums. Jazz star Cal Tjader put them to the attention of a jazz label he recorded for, Skye, which made the Wendy & Bonnie LP its lone venture into rock. Genesis was pretty sparsely produced, the arrangements highlighting their harmonies and pensive paisley tunes, but did benefit from backing by some top Los Angeles session musicians, including drummer Jim Keltner and guitarist Larry Carlton.
The album was released in 1969, but stalled when Skye Records folded the following year. The death of producer Gary McFarland in 1971 further discouraged the duo. Although they did sing backup vocals on a couple of Tjader albums and some jingles and background vocals at Fantasy Records, they never recorded their own material again, and broke up in the early '70s. They did perform music separately in the subsequent decades, Wendy Flower issuing a children's music cassette, and Bonnie Flower once rejecting an invitation to join the Bangles.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Let Yourself Go Another Time - 2:36
2. The Paisley Windowpane - 3:01
3. I Realized You - 3:43
4. By the Sea - 4:01
5. You Keep Hanging Up on My Mind - 2:54
6. It's What's Really Happening - 2:15
7. Five O'Clock in the Morning - 2:43
8. Endless Pathway - 3:37
9. Children Laughing - 2:46
10.Winter Is Cold - 2:36
11.Let Yourself Go Another Time (Instrumental Version) - 2:46
You can hear their influence in the contemporary likes of King Khan 'n' the Shrines and Reigning Sound, not to mention such rock legends as Los Lobos and the Plimsouls. From vintage R&B and psychedelic soul to raveup garage and multi-culti Latino rock: Thee Midniters, a little ol' band from East L.A., had it all down and then some, and though they never really broke nationally, to crate diggers and ‘60s aficionados they remain legendary and among the toppermost. Thanks to the smartly-packaged four-CD boxed set Complete: Songs of Love, Rhythm & Psychedelia! (Micro Werks) the group's recorded legacy now gets a shot at a larger appraisal beyond the admiration of collectors.
Who were Thee Midniters? As outlined in archivist Richie Unterberger's incisive liner notes (Unterberger previously did an in-depth profile of the band in his 2000 book Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of ‘60s Rock), the Chicano band formed in East Los Angeles while most of the members were still in high school, playing the covers of the day at the usual teen dance parties, eventually graduating to the recording studio where they cut their first album, 1965's Whittier Blvd., which contained a pair of regional hits, the title track - "a warped mutation of the Rolling Stones' ‘2120 South Michigan Avenue'," is how Unterberger describes it - and a rousing cover of "Land Of A Thousand Dances."
Armed with the killer instinct and soulful lead vocals of Willie Garcia (a/k/a Little Willie G, who'd go on to work with Los Lobos, Ry Cooder, Los Straitjackets and others) and possessing an uncanny ability to both channel and transcend their influences, Thee Midniters served up a heady stew, one that was primarily rock and soul-based but occasionally spiced up with touches of their Mexican-American musical heritage (although to this day the surviving musicians will insist that they were not playing Latin rock per se; they just happened to be Latinos who rocked).Observes Lobos' Louie Perez in Unterberger's liners, "Thee Midniters didn't stay in one predictable place. They were willing to push the envelope of what was expected by a band that was from East Los Angeles... [They] were the best band around at the time.
They became our Beatles; all the stuff that was going on in Beatlemania, we translated into Midniter mania. It gave young kids who would eventually become musicians like myself inspiration to pursue a career in music."It's not hard to hear why, based on the four complete LPs and assorted B-sides and rarities represented on Complete. The first album primarily comprises cover tunes, standouts ranging from the swaggering R&B of Marvin Gaye's "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" and street-corner group the Concords' smooth "Come Back Baby" to the aforementioned "1000 Dances" and signs-of-the-times rockers "Slow Down," "Money" and "Johnny B. Goode"; anyone who grew up on this material can picture him- or herself crowding down front at the local high school hop, freed for an hour or two from parental constraints and cutting loose while going through the rituals of teenage courtship.
The bonus material (seven songs) yields its own trove of gold, including a swinging "Heat Wave" and a two-part live version of "1000 Dances." 1966's Thee Midniters Bring You Love Special Delivery, though, is where things start to heat up. Still dominating the setlist are covers, notably smoking takes of "Do You Love Me," "Good Lovin'" and "Gloria" (the latter has a punkish vocal snarl and angular guitar attack that very nearly tops the Van Morrison/Them original) plus the obligatory soul outings ("When A Man Loves A Woman" passes the audition) and at least one stab at pure schmaltz ("Strangers In The Night," which no doubt was strategically deployed at those dance hops to melt the hearts and part the thighs of sweet young things).
Casual consumers might call this much ado about nothing, but Complete: Songs of Love, Rhythm & Psychedelia! ain't aimed at casual consumers. My guess is that anyone who's read this far is already frothing at the mouth - or at least experiencing a mild case of Pavlovian drip. So with the above caveat duly noted, l will still advise, and wholeheartedly, to run, don't walk, to your nearest record emporium, and purchase on sight. Those already in the know will cheer, and newcomers will find a whole new universe opening up to them. Senoras y senores, start your low riders...
15.Looking out a Window (Bagliazo, Dominguez, Garcia) - 2:57
16.Jump, Jive and Harmonize (Espinoza, Garcia, Marquez) - 2:29
17.Tu Despedida (Dominguez, Garcia) - 2:54
18.You're Gonna Make Me Cry (Prado, Torres) - 2:40
19.The Ballad of Cesar Chavez (English Version) (Dominguez, Garcia, Garcia) - 4:55
20.La Copla de Cesar Chavez (Spanish Version) (Dominguez, E. Garcia, Garcia, Garcia) - 4:58
CD-4 Giants
1. Whittier Blvd. (Dominguez, Figueroa, Garcia, Lopez, Marquez, Prado, Rendon, Salazar) - 2:30
2. Goin' out of My Head (Randazzo, Weinstein) - 5:32
3. Land of a Thousand Dances (Domino, Kenner) - 2:24
4. Walk on By (Bacharach, David) - 5:15
5. Sad Girl (Higgins, Smith) - 2:42
6. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (Berns, Burke, Wexler) - 2:38
7. Brother Where Are You? (Brown, Oscar Brown Jr.) - 4:04
8. Breakfast on the Grass (Espinoza, Marquez, Torres) - 2:31
9. Strangers in the Night (Kaempfert, Singleton, Snyder) - 4:44
10.Love Special Delivery (Espinoza, Garcia) - 2:15
11.That's All (Brandt, Haymes) - 3:07
12.Chicano Power (Prado) - 3:04
13.Never Give You Up (Butler, Gamble, Huff) - 3:22
14.Balla Cinderella (Laws) - 3:17
The nine cuts on this disc have been issued under a number of different titles. The cover art is designed to conjure memories of the Electric Flag's groundbreaking full-length debut, Long Time Comin' (1968), intimating that these archival performances are documented by the first incarnation of the band. For starters, the only live tracks included in the package are the vintage "Killin' Floor" (which is erroneously titled "I Should Have Left Her"), "You Don't Realize," and "Groovin' Is Easy." While it is indeed possible that these three songs were recorded during the original band's initial run from 1967 to 1969, the fidelity intimates that they were documented during the group's even shorter revival in the mid-'70s, which spawned the LP Band Kept Playing (1974).
However, definitively sourcing the remainder of the seven sides is a bit of a mystery. One sonic giveaway that these recordings could possibly be dated even later than 1974 is the use of a multi-function keyboard in place of what should be Barry Goldberg's acoustic piano. "It's Not the Spotlight" is a slow R&B ballad with vocals reminiscent of Billy Preston or perhaps Buddy Miles. However, the upfront Chicago-style blues guitar virtuosity of the Electric Flag's top-shelf stringmen Michael Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites seems to be present. The searing leads running through "I Was Robbed Last Night" or "My Baby Wants to Test Me" likely belong to either, or perhaps respectively, both. Additionally, the latter title stands out as one of the stronger cuts on the disc.
The three actual live tracks are good, if not somewhat rote. The best out of the pack is "Groovin' Is Easy," as the bandmembers don't overextend themselves. The horn section is quite cohesive and offers the same textural contrast as the album versions. All said, The Electric Flag: Live is a worthwhile curio rather than the unearthed musical treasure one might hope exists.
by Lindsay Planer
Tracks
1. It's Not the Spotlight - 3:46
2. I Was Robbed Last Night - 4:40
3. I Found Out - 3:10
4. Never Be Lonely Again - 3:36
5. Losing Game - 3:19
6. My Baby Wants to Test Me - 8:18
7. I Should Have Left Her - 4:10
8. You Don't Realize - 5:13
9. Groovin' Is Easy - 4:23
Scott Walker's final British Top Ten album was the first to be dominated by his own songwriting. Ten of the 13 tunes on this 1969 LP are originals; the remaining three, naturally, were written by one of his chief inspirations, Jacques Brel. There are some interesting moments here.
"Big Louise" talks about a hefty prostitute with shocking explicitness for a pop star album of the era. "Copenhagen" (like much of Walker's '60s work) foreshadows David Bowie. "Funeral Tango" is a particularly vicious Brel song. "30 Century Man" is an uncommonly folkish and focused tune for Walker. "We Came Through" is an oddball cavalry charge featuring one of his occasional forays into Ennio Morricone spaghetti Western-like production.
The tension between Walker's dense, foreboding lyrics and orchestral production is unusual, to say the least. But too often, it's too difficult to penetrate Walker's insights through Wally Scott's string-drenched production. It shrouds the lyrics in a fog that's often too syrupy to justify the effort needed to fight through it.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. It's Raining Today - 4:02
2. Copenhagen - 2:22
3. Rosemary - 3:22
4. Big Louise - 3:10
5. We Came Through - 1:59
6. Butterfly - 1:42
7. Two Ragged Soldiers - 3:07
8. 30 Century Man - 1:29
9. Winter Night - 1:45
10. Two Weeks Since You've Gone - 2:48
11. Sons Of (Gérard Jouannest, Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman) - 3:45
12. Funeral Tango (Jouannest, Brel, Shuman) - 2:56
13. If You Go Away (Brel, Rod McKuen) - 4:57
All songs by Scott Walker except where noted.
*Scott Walker - Vocals
*Wally Stott - Arranged And Conducted all songs except "30 Century Man" and "Funeral Tango"
*Peter Knight - Arranged And Conducted "Funeral Tango"
