We don't do it very often, but there are a couple of labels that attract our attention regardless of whether or not we know anything about the act. One of those labels is the Louisiana-based Paula Records. Home to the likes of Fontana Bass, John Fred and Little Tommy Taylor, Paula also released a host of interesting material by unknown acts such as The Montclairs, Joy Thunderfoot and this 1972 set by Rod St. John.
We know nothing about this guy and the liner notes to 197'2's "Has Anyone Seen the Superstar" don't provide any real information. That said, his seems to be kind of a one man show with St, James writing the material, as well as handling arrangements. Propelled by a blazing electric guitar, the rocking title track starts the album out with a bang and seldom lets up. So how to describe this LP?
Well to our ears St, James comes off as a cross between a harder rocking John Fred and the Playboy Band with a dash of Tony Joe White Cajun flavor added to the mix. Elsewhere, " Three Quarters of An Hour" sounds like something that would have fit Jose Feliciano had he been able to get funky. To be honest, the only real disappointments are St. James' isolated stabs at ballads.
While pretty, "Let it Shine" and Dylan-ish "Wandering Minstrel" just don't cut it. The album certainly won't change your life, but it's one of those unexpected little pleasant surprises collectors occasional come across. Very nice and worth the price of admission.
Tracks
1. Has Anyone Seen the Superstar - 4:45
2. Three Quarters of An Hour - 4:36
3. Let It Shine - 5:03
4. Mr. Coffey - 3:45
5. I'm Going Home - 3:10
6. Dream Chain - 3:25
7. Wandering Minstrel - 2:32
8. Now Is the Time - 3:25
9. Pisces Child - 3:30
10.Born To Ride the Restless Wind - 2:20
All tracks by Rod St. James.
The
University Of South Florida at Tampa, 1970: Paul Forney was playing gigs as a
bass player when a good friend of his Charlie Souza (later of Cactus fame) gave
him Ben Schultz's number. Ben invited Paul to play a gig with them, straight
jam. no rehearsal. Ben apparently took an immediate liking to Paul. Chris Luhn
was Brother's roadie. Ben Schultz met Chris during his sophomore year at the
University of South Florida in Tampa.
When they were not performing on stage, they
were rehearsing, writing and jamming with everyone in sight. The road trips
consisted of a 1967 Pontiac Bonneville pulling a U-Haul trailer full of
instruments, amps, and a half-assed p.a. system that Ben and their then-manager
had soldered together in Ben's family room. The highlight of that first summer
"tour" was the Goose Lake Festival, outside Detroit.
Wizard
crashed with the members of Third Power, and spent the better part of two weeks
sleeping all day. and jamming all night with the Power, and whoever happened to
drop in. including some of the people from Catfish, Frijid Pink, Bob Seeger.
And God-knows-who else. By the time they bull shitted their way on to the
program at Goose Lake, they had been together for only about ten weeks, but had
logged about 1,000 hours of rehearsing and jamming. Chris was the oldest member
of the group at 19 but the guys nevertheless managed to achieve a great sense
of pride and accomplishment in their work.
Eventually,
Wizard caught the attention of Decca
Record's Bob Fletcher, who brought the group to Atlanta for a recording
session. The session lasted only a few days. Virtually every song on the album
The Original Wizard was a "live" take (i.e., no dubbing and no
multiple tracks). The following winter, they played one of their more memorable
gigs at an indoor festival at the Hollywood (Florida) Fair-grounds. Van
Morrison was the big draw for the night, and they were supposed to have gone on
in the morning. Because of some snafu, the band wound up sitting around the
fairgrounds until about 5:00 p.m. when they were practically shoved onto the
stage.
Although
Wizard continued to perform on the same stage with groups like Chicago.
Mountain, Rod Stewart and Iron Butterfly, they never made it back into the
studio. Within 16 months of forming, the group born so spontaneously just
called it quits. After the break up of Wizard. Paul went on to play with the
trio "Bacchus" for several years and played a lot of clubs in Southern
Florida. He did stints with Timmy Thomas.
Little
Beaver, Gwen Macrae, and the Jimmy Castor Bunch until finally quitting the tour
circuit in 1980 and earning a degree in Electrical Engineering from USF. He
retrained in classical music but now enjoys a career in industrial automation
and lives, plays, and works in Southern California. Ben Schultz went on to both
live and studio work with the likes of Carmine Appice, Schultz & Butcher,,
Buddy Miles , Belinda Carlisle, Gregg Alexander, Barefoot Servants, Steve
Stills, Diana Ross, Small Faces, Rod Stewart, Ric Ocasek and Rick Nelson.
He now
resides in Southern California. Chris wandered wandered in and out of college
before settling in in Baltimore where, in 1982, he went back to school, getting
a law degree in 1985 and set up a law practice in upstate New York. None of the
band deludes themselves that this release will do anything other than gratify
some collectors and trivia buffs. Still, here it is, for whatever it is worth.
After twenty-seven odd years, Ben, Paul and Chris have reestablished their
friend-ship, and are humbled to know that there are some "out there"
who still care about raw, loud, no-holds-barred rock. They hope that this
offering satisfies a small measure of that craving.
from 1999 CD Liner-notes
Tracks
1. Freedom (Forney, Luhn, Schultz) - 5:15
2. Come and See The Bride (Forney) - 2:58
3. What Do You Know About Mary? (Forney) - 2:25
4. Opus Ate (Forney, Schultz) - 3:26
5. Coin' Away (Forney) - 1:49
6. Killing Time (Schultz, Luhn) - 3:58
7. Got To See My Way (Forney, Schultz, Luhn) - 2:38
8. Ride (Schultz, Forney) - 3:03
9. Seance (Forney) - 3:48
10.Talkin' To God (Forney, Schultz) - 2:30
11.Evergreen (Forney) - 3:53
12.Got Love (Forney) - 3:09
13.Freedom (Forney, Luhn, Schultz) - 4:03
Red Dirt were a blues band formed in East Yorkshire around 1968 comprised of Dave Richardson (vocals), Steve Howden (guitar), Kenny Giles (bass) and Steve Jackson (drums) who built up an impressive live reputation in clubs and venues in the North of England. They were subsequently signed to Morgan Bluetown, When released in 1970, on the Fontana label, their self-titled debut album sunk without trace and legend - or rumour - has it sold something like 100 copies. In the last forty years Red Dirt has become a rare and expensive album with more people having heard about it than actually seen an original copy. Although valued in the 2010 edition of the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide at E650 copies have sold for over £800 on eBay.
But what was the story behind Red Dirt? Amazingly, when Record Collector announced the first vinyl reissue of the album in late 2009 the article was read by an aspiring American journalist Betsy Green who was in touch with original guitarist Steve Howden, now working as a delivery driver in Hollywood. Green interviewed Howden and four decades later we finally found out that the band came together after drummer Steve Jackson approached Howden in a pub in Bridlington in their native East Yorkshire. Howden was keen and Jackson's friends Kenny Giles and Dave Richardson were drafted in on bass guitar and lead vocals. Richardson had worked with future Hull legend Mick Ronson as well as Michael Chapman.
The band attracted the interest of Morgan Bluetown who signed them. Red Dirt were put into the studio with producer Geoff Gill. "We recorded the album in Morgan studios London," recalls Howden, "McCartney finished his album in there which was a big buzz for us. They booked us in from midnight onwards, to six in the morning and the album didn't take that long, around twelve hours I think. They managed overdubs for the vocals to get them right but I don't think they ever put them on. It was all very rushed and was only ever released in England" In fact the album was licensed by Morgan to the Fontana label who released Red Dirt in 1970 and it literally vanished without trace.
There has been much speculation in recent years as to whether legendary record sleeve designer Barney Bubbles was responsible for the eye-catching sleeve image of a red Indian with 4 bullet holes in his forehead dripping blood. The rear sleeve credits the design to Teenburger, Bubbles Notting Hill based company. As a number of people worked for Teenburger it is impossible to confirm if Bubbles had a hand in the, sleeve design.
As for the music, Red Dirt is a lost classic. There is an element of the Doors Morrison Hotel period and a whiff of Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band in the rocking driving blues of tracks like Death Letter and Problems. Song For Pauline on the other hand harks back to the Delta of Robert Johnston comprising of only slide guitar and vocals. Memories and In The Morning were probably considered as songs fit for release as singles as both have a compelling commercial edge and benefit from more extensive arrangements which the band augmented by what sounds like a mellotron and an organ that gives their powerful music more texture and depth.
That Red Dirt's natural musical chemistry was honed on the live circuit is demonstrated on the riff and harmonica prowl of Ten Seconds To Go and the driving locomotive engine of Maybe I'm Right. There is also the acid smoke-folk of Summer Madness Laced With Newbald Gold which opens with Richardson groaning and laughing against a dirty guitar riff and the song is then propelled forward by drum pattern straight out of Safe As Milk. "It seems as if the red dirt is blowing into my eyes," sings Richardson on this outstanding track which sadly reflected the critical and commercial indifference that greeted the release of the album. It appears that the band later returned to the studio to record additional material earmarked for a second album that was, according to one press report when the band were supporting Mott The Hoople on a tour in January 1971 "nearing completion and should be available shortly".
Sadly, the young Red Dirt dudes never did issue that second LP but this CD features five bonus tracks featuring Ron Hales on guitar who had replaced Steve Howden. So, as well as enjoying their debut you can also get down in the dirt and wrap your ears around From End To End, Yesterday And Today, The Circle Song, I'd Rather Go Back 15 Years and Tolly Cobbold. Thanks to Secret Records you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to do so!
by Ian Shirley, Record Collector magazine
Tracks
1. Memories - 2:01
2. Death Letter - 3:09
3. Problems (Howden) - 3:44
4. Song for Pauline - 3:22
5. Ten Seconds to Go (Howden) - 2:31
6. In the Morning - 2:25
7. Maybe I'm Right - 2:37
8. Summer Madness Laced With Newbald Gold (Howden) - 6:10
9. Death of a Dream - 5:23
10.Gimme a Shot (Gill, Howden) - 3:28
11.Brain Worker (Giles) - 3:09
12.I've Been Down So Long (Howden) - 2:32
13.From End to End (Richardson, Giles, Jackson, Hales) - 5:11
14.Yesterday and Today (Richardson, Giles, Jackson, Hales) - 7:30
15.The Circle Song (Richardson, Giles, Jackson) - 4:33
16.I'd Rather Go Back 15 Years (Richardson, Giles, Jackson) - 7:37
17.Tolly Cobbold (Richardson, Giles, Jackson, Hales) - 2:36
Songs written by Dave Richardson unless as else stated.
Red Dirt
*Steve Jackson - Drums
*Ken Giles - Bass
*Dave Richardson - Steel Guitar, Piano, Organ, Harmonica, Lead Vocals
*Steve Howden - Lead Guitar, Piano, Lead Vocals, Bass
Reissue of original 1971 and 14 more bonus trax of extremely highly quality. What are we talking here? Well, first listen below. We hear The Move, The Zombies, Blue Ash, Rockin` Horse, Emitt Rhodes, Badfinger, The Hollies, Marmalade, solo McCartney, Bonzo Dog Band, The Smoke and more! Fickle Pickle consisted of multi-instrumentalist Cliff Wade, Geoff Gill (ex-Smoke) and Wil Malone (formerly of Orange Bicycle) and bassist Steve Howden who saw time in the highly regarded Vertigo prog-band Red Dirt.
Their solitary album, which only saw release on the Dutch micro-label Explosion, shows the quartet in possession of a w-i-d-e ranging knowledge of musical forms. They can scoot from Badfinger-like pop-rockers (Our Time is Thru and Let Me Tell You) to the Beach Boys harmonies and Scots trad intros/outros of Only For The Summer.
It’s a long lost and if you go by the very best ingredients on the disc, it is indeed a pop classic. It is not though, in any shape or form `psych`. There are some nice dayglo pop touches for sure but that`s as far as it goes. Pedentry apart, to assemble not just the orignal album, but no less than 14 associated bonus tracks for an act so well buried is no mean feat. This is a fine collection (with no small thanks to Mark Frumento here for ferreting out some of the bonus singles).
The Fickle Pickle LP itself (tracks 1-12 and only ever originally released in the Netherlands) leaves no room for fence sitting. Its best tracks are blissful, sublime almost majestically effortless pop classics; `Sandy`, `Saturday`, `Sunshine Pie`, `Barcelona` all employ strong harmonies and melodies and leave you speechless at their craft. Of the bonuses `Millionaire`, `Sam And Sadie`, `The Letter` (no, not that one), `Here And Now` and `Ask The People` all stand out for their first class writing, production and execution...
Taken as a whole, its 26 tracks present a collection of significant substance and help fill a substantial gap in British pop history, which even in this know-all age are still being revealed. Full marks to everyone involved with this project, which is as much an exercise in public history as pop musical archiving.
from Shindig-Magazine
Tracks
1. California Calling (Gill, Beckerman) - 2:15
2. Sinful Skinful (Gill, Malone) - 3:11
3. Sandy (Wade) - 3:21
4. Doctor Octopus (Gill, Wade, Malone) - 3:21
5. Saturday (Gill, Malone) - 3:05
6. Only for the Summer (Wade) - 3:21
7. Let Me Tell You (Gill, Malone) - 2:16
8. Down Smokey Lane (Gill, Malone) - 4:27
9. Blown Away (Gill, Malone) - 2:48
10.Sunshine Pie (Wade, Malone) - 2:30
11.Barcelona (Howden) - 2:50
12.Our Time Is Thru (Gill, Malone, Wade, Howden) - 4:03
13.Maybe I'm Amazed (McCartney) - 2:38
14.Sitting on a Goldmine (Gill, Malone) - 2:19
15.Millionaire (Malone) - 3:22
16.Sam and Sadie (Beckerman) - 2:18
17.The Man with One Leg (Howden, Wade, Gill, Malone) - 2:21
18.Old Feet New Socks (Malone) - 3:44
19.Holiday Farm (Wade, Gill, Malone) - 3:15
20.Poor Little Frogs (Wade, Gill, Malone) - 2:38
21.Sweet Wilfred - A Rodent of Note (Gill, Malone, Wade) - 3:00
22.American Pie (McLean) - 4:02
23.The Letter (Jeckinson, Hampson) - 2:16
24.Here and Now (Gill, Wade) - 3:21
25.Ask the People (Gill, Wade) - 3:11
26.Just an Old Fashioned Love Song (Williams) - 3:03
Roger Morris’ First Album, released by Emi/Regal Zonophone in 1972, stakes a claim as one of the most American sounding British-folk albums of the seventies. Along with the painfully obscure solo album by Ernie Graham, First Album is one of a handful of rustic singer-songwriter lps of the era that landed unjustly under the radar.
Owing much to the back-to-the-roots sound and vibe of The Band, Bobby Charles, and Hungry Chuck, and falling somewhere in between the British folk of the late 60s, the British country-rock of the early 70s, and the pub rock renaissance that would follow several years later, this album features contributions from a host of talented British musicians, including: the popular De Lisle Harper; Glen Campbell of Juicy Lucy and The Misunderstood; Family’s John Weider; Rod Coombes of Strawbs and later, Stealer’s Wheel; Chris Mercer; Terry Stannard of Kokomo; and Bruce Rowlands of the Greaseband. Obviously, the playing on this album is top notch. Furthermore, Morris comes across as a surprisingly accomplished songwriter.
On album opener “Taken for Granted” Morris mourns the loss of past loves to the tune of a folky country-rock number that calls to mind the early work of Help Yourself, as well as Ian Matthews. “Golightly’s Almanac” has a funky Bearsville ragtime feel, complete with a Tuba holding down the low end and a catchy horn part, sounding very similar to The Band’s “Rag Mama Rag” or Hungry Chuck’s “Hats Off America.” Morris’ vocals, which can sometimes be hit or miss, really excel on “Showdown”, one of the standout tracks of the set. “Northern Star” features some tasty pedal steel and fiddle riffing courtesy of talented multi-instrumentalist John Weider, while “Livin’ On Memories” sounds similar to “Orange Juice Blues” off of The Basement Tapes, with Morris taking a cue from Richard Manuel’s vocal phrasing.
Morris’ account of one man’s experience in the years after the Civil War ,“All My Riches,” is his equivalent to The Band’s epic “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Morris’ tune, while not a total failure, never comes close to reaching the heights of The Band’s legendary song. If there’s any complaint to be made about First Album, it would be that Morris’ influences are worn right on his sleeves. However, this was in fact his first album, so you’ve gotta give the guy a break for letting his influences show a little bit.
Needless to say, First Album is essential listening for fans of the rustic Americana The Band perfected on their first three records, as well as fans of Silver Pistol era Brinsley Schwarz, early McGuiness Flint and Help Yourself, and Matthews Southern Comfort. Simply one of the best obscure British folk/Americana flavored singer-songwriter lps of the era, this one is worth tracking down.
Although this, his first lp, was virtually ignored upon its initial release, Roger would later find his audience when he went on to achieve international recognition as the guitarist in The Psychedelic Furs. In 2009 Bella Terra Presents released a tastefully remastered limited edition cd reissue featuring four previously unreleased bonus tracks that were recorded just a year after First Album, as well the original album artwork and a lyric sheet insert.
by D.A. Glasebrook
Tracks
1. Taken For Granted - 2:59
2. The Vigil - 4:10
3. Golightly's Almanac - 3:11
4. Showdown - 3:11
5. All My Riches - 3:14
6. The Trail Of Tears - 3:08
7. Northern Star - 3:13
8. Livin' On Memories - 2:43
9. Poor Lucy - 4:53
10.First Snow - 2:42
11.Let The Four Winds Blow - 3:58
12.Idaho - 4:39
13.Mississippi Story - 4:10
14.Down The Meadow - 3:27
15.The Number I Need - 3:11
16.Copenhagen Moon - 4:15
Words and Music by Roger Morris
Musicians
*Roger Morris - Piano, Guitars, Vocals
*Lisle Harper - Bass
*Bruce Rowlands, Terry Stannard, Rod Coombes - Drums
*Tommy Eyre - Piano, Organ, Piano Accordion
*Keith West - Guitar, Vocal Harmonies
*Glen Campbell - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Johnny Almond, Chris Mercer - Saxes
*John Weider - Guitar, Fiddle
*John Tuck - Vocal Harmonies
With a good deal more invention and a powerful lead singer, their debut Gorilla was barely recognisable as German rock, yet despite this it was still rather good, full of complex brass arrangements and a most energetic rhythm section. LADY PIG followed in a similar, but heavier vein, with a bit more experimentation.
The last we know of Creative Rock was that in 1975 they were touring with an adventurous rock ballet production called “Die Creative Rock-Dekadenz-Show”. After that they transformed into Flight. Rainer Erbel is still active (2006) with the project “Steve Haggerty”.
by Steven Freeman and Alan Freeman
Tracks
1. Natron (K. Weber, M.M. Maas, R. Erbel) - 6:17
2. A Horseman's Morningsong (Hauff, M.M. Maas, R. Erbel) - 5:00
3. Tapeworm (K. Weber, R. Erbel) 5:30
4. Hear What I'm Talking (K. Weber, R. Erbel) 5:20
5. Blind People (K. Weber, R. Erbel) 9:10
6. This World Between 6 And 8 A.M. (K. Weber, R. Erbel) 4:47
7. Wunderbar (M.M. Maas, R. Erbel) - 6:40
8. Preussens Gorilla (Conny Plank, K. Weber) - 2:13
Youlden has a great voice and is capable of writing classic material. Here the results are kind of hit-or-miss. His second solo effort, the collection found Youlden handling production duties. Self-produced, the album was more varied than his debut. While the bluesy "Little Cog In a Big Wheel", "Love and Pain" and "It Ain't for Real" recalled his Savoy Brown-styled roots, "Conjure Wife" was an out-out-out rocker, while "Born and Raised In the City" and "Keep Your Lamp Lit" were actually funky (in a Boz Scaggs kind of way). Best of the lot was the haunting ballad "Spare Change". Like the debut, the set proved commercially stillborn.
Tracks
1. Conjure Wife- 3:40
2. Born And Raised In The City- 4:00
3. The Morning Light- 3:25
4. Keep Your Lamp Lit- 3:24
5. Little Cog In A Big Wheel- 3:54
6. Peace Of Mind- 3:23
7. Walking The Streets Again- 2:27
8. Spare Change- 3:44
9. Love And Pain- 5:49
10.It Ain't For Real- 3:09
All titles by Chris Youlden
Nowhere Road is an underrated album, which is easily explained. Chris Youlden is illustrated with Savoy Brown in the late sixties. But this first solo album goes in a different direction. Youlden are indeed reveals a facet soul / funk at risk of losing its public road, which did not fail to occur.
It was therefore too soul for some and too blues for others. Yet Nowhere Road is a beautiful piece and deserves to be included in the collections funk worthy of the name. Our bluesman lost there appears indeed to his best and here his vocal qualities are no longer any doubt. The instrumental part, delicate, jazzy and full of groove is not used and remains perfectly adventures Youlden.
The overall result goes beyond the specifications announced. This is particularly the last tracks that deserves all the praise, and with In the Wood Street Sounds and especially Wake Up Neighbour, genial way, that alone can motivate and justify the hearing of this album.
Tracks
1. Nowhere Road - 4:51
2. One October Day - 2:25
3. Chink Of Sanity - 4:01
4. Crying In The Road - 3:38
5. Mamma Don't You Talk So Loud - 3:13
6. Standing On The Corner - 3:29
7. In The Wood - 4:14
8. Wake Up Neighbour - 2:39
9. Street Sounds - 4:31
10.Time Will Tell - 2:43
11.Pick Up My Dogs - 2:40
All songs written by Chris Youlden
Eire Apparent was in fact the last lineup of The People, a band whose history dates back through several lineup changes to the early 1960's. The People had been managed by David Robinson and had moved from North Ireland to Blackpool and then spent a highly successful and influential period in Dublin, before setting off for London in May 1967. There they endured a tough couple of months until old manager Dave Robinson got them a gig at the UFO club. This brought them to the attention of Mike Jeffreys & Chas Chandler which led to a new management deal, a name change to Eire Apparent courtesy of Chandler, and support slots on the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move and Pink Floyd tour of November - December 1967.
Eire Apparent's recording debut was an excellent single for Track Records, "Follow Me" / "Here I Go Again". Released in January 1968, it failed to take off and Track did not pick up the option for an LP. Nevertheless the band's fortunes were picking up especially in North America, where they spent most of 1968 touring as support act either for Hendrix or The Animals, and often with the Soft Machine on the same bill, as all these acts were managed by Jeffreys & Chandler. Unfortunately Henry McCullough was busted in Canada sometime in the first half of 1968 and had to leave the country to avoid a jail sentence. The rest of the band were understandably reluctant to quit the tour, and so McCullough's place was taken by Mick Cox (ex The End, The Alleykatz). The band eventually signed a deal with Buddah Records and were the first non-USA act on the label.
With a new lead guitarist and Jimi Hendrix in the producer's chair, the band recorded it's debut LP for Buddah Records in October 1968. "Sunrise" is a mix of rock, 60s pop, psychedelia and some early progressive moves. It's diverse nature is held against it in some quarters but it's long been a staple for psych collectors. It sold reasonably well at the time and was kept in print for some years. It was once a common bargin bin find, but now it's become somewhat harder to find in good condition. One track on the album "Mr. Guy Fawkes" became a hit for Australian psych band The Dave Miller Set, who recorded a fantastic version of the song. Mick Cox left the band for reasons unknown before the album was released. He was replaced by David 'Tiger' Taylor (ex Teddie & The Tigers) in November 1968.
Back in London in early 1969, the band recorded a new song "Rock'N'Roll Band" for the A-side of their second single. Buddah released their debut LP in January(?) 1969 in the USA only. The rest of January was spent touring in Europe with Hendrix. Rough tapes survive of the bands performances in Stuttgart (January 19) and Vienna (January 22nd) on this tour. Their half hour set included covers of "The Price of Love" (Everly Brothers), "Highway 61 Revisited" (Dylan) and "Gloria" (Them), the later including extended instrumental sections complete with drum solo. At the end of this tour the relationship with Mike Jeffreys and Hendrix ended, and the band returned to the UK without management or record company support.
The rest of 1969 was spent by the band trying to establish itself in the UK but they paid the price for concentrating on touring in the USA and being signed to a US label. They found themselves starting from scratch again. The second single came out in March 1969 to promote the upcoming UK release of the debut album. "Rock'N'Roll Band" is very good but the B-side, "Yes I Need Someone" is superb. It failed to chart. On April 20th they recorded three tracks for a John Peel BBC Top Gear session which have never been released. The debut LP which was finally released in the UK in May 1969 with a slightly altered track listing.
The band continued to tour through 1969 and into 1970. After a long year spent touring the small clubs and universities in Britain and with nothing to show for it, the band finally split in late 1970 (or May 1970?). Tiger Taylor had left by this stage to form Anno Domini. His short-lived replacement was Peter Tolson (guitar/vocals), better known for his time with the Pretty Things in the mid-70s. Ernie Graham recorded an excellent solo LP for Liberty Records in 1971, on which he was backed by members of Brinsley Schwartz, and was involved in Help Yourself (briefly, in 1972) and then formed Clancy. Dave Lutton played drums with Heavy Jelly, Ellis and Marc Bolan. Chrissie Stewart joined Frankie Miller's Full House and was later in Spooky Tooth.
After Henry McCullough left the band, he'd briefly been in Sweeney's Men and later joined Joe Cocker's Grease Band, and eventually released two solo albums on George Harrison's Dark Horse label. His list of guest appearances is long. Mick Cox later fronted his own Mick Cox Band and recorded with Van Morrison in the 80s.
The band, Freight Train, was formed by The Reds, founding member, Rick Shaffer, in 1968. The line-up went through many personnel changes before arriving at the one that appears on the 1971 album, "Just The Beginning," on Fly By Nite records, a subsidiary of the Lost-Nite and Crimson labels, owned by Philadelphia record man Jerry Greene. Greene released a catalog of doo wop and oldies hits in the 1960’s, most notably the hit record by The Soul Survivors, "Expressway To Your Heart," and today owns the compilation label, Collectibles, located in Narberth, PA.
The Freight Train albums’ line-up was Rick Shaffer on lead guitar and back-up vocals, Steve Martina on guitar and lead vocals, Jim Peters on bass, and Tommy Geddes on drums. The album is a collection of Chicago blues standards done in a aggressive Paul Butterfield/British blues style, that included some of the great master works of Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, T-Bone Walker, Sonny Boy Williamson and the great Magic Sam. It also contained a rare track, "Rollin Man," by British blues guitarist Peter Green. The album was engineered by Joel Fein, for his outstanding R&B style. Fein’s signature on the soundtrack, "The Buddy Holly Story," starring Gary Busey, is legendary.
The band played all the venues of the time period, from outdoor Festivals to University gigs, coffee houses, and as the opening act for other more established bands. Then, just prior to recording their next album, this time of original blues and R&B, Steve Martina decided to totally stop playing music. His departure created quite a hole in the line-up, especially since Martina was principle vocalist and writer of the new material that had a J Geils / Butterfield Blues sound approach.
Nevertheless, Martina was replaced by guitarist/vocalist, John Rostkowski, a talented and distinctive vocalist/songwriter. The next, and final, upset for the band was changing management because of an unfulfilled promise to get the band off Fly By Nite, and on RCA. So, in 1973, Freight Train pulled into the station and disbanded.
Today, “Just The Beginning,” is recognized as a nugget of "Heavy Psych Blues" in the collectors market, and the "Acid Archives.” In 2011 the album resurfaced on CD on the Russian Federation label, Vitt. And, original 1971 copies of the album sell on the internet for whatever a collector will pay, sometimes as much as $225. In 1977, Shaffer, Geddes, and Peters, got back together, added keyboardist, Bruce Cohen, and formed, The Reds.
Tracks
1. Papa Ain't Salty - 3:27
2. Everything's Gonna Be Alright - 2:43
3. So Many Roads - 7:08
4. Unseen Eye - 2:43
5. Built For Comfort - 2:49
6. Same Old Blues - 2:51
7. I Loved Another Woman - 3:01
8. Baby What You Want Me - 3:35
9. Rollin Man - 2:22
Freight Train
*Rick Shaffer - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Steve Martina – Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Jim Peters – Bass
*Tommy Geddes - Drums
Band of Light was a blues-based Sydney group, formed in October 1972 by Phil Key, with bassist Peter Roberts, who had both just left The La De Das. Phil Key was of course a founder member, the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist in that legendary band. Peter Roberts was a more recent member -- he joined in late 1970 and helped to revitalise the group during a difficult period, after their disastrous English trip and the departure of original bassist Trevor Wilson. In the latter days of the La De Das, Phil had experienced difficulty in getting his own original material played in the band (as well as growing friction over his control of the group's finances).
Phil quit the La De Das over a money dispute in September and the next month he and Peter formed Band Of Light, which enabled Phil to develop his own songs, which explored more personal themes of racial equality (Phil was Maori), social justice, spirituality and mysticism. Band Of Light was also one of the first local bands to use a symbol (a yin-yang within two triangles) to represent their philosophy and approach.
Their distinctive blues-rock sound was built around the dual slide guitar work of Key and their other superb guitarist, Norm Roue (who had come from Sydney band Gutbucket). Peter Roberts left after only three shows and was replaced by Ian Rilen, who was to become a fixture on the Australian rock scene in the 70s and 80s. The band worked consistently on the Sydney and Melbourne pub/festival/dance circuits, alongside other staple acts of the day like Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Carson, Coloured Balls, Chain, Madder Lake and Buffalo.
Band Of Light signed a recording contract with WEA in early 1973, and had immediate success in July when their first single Destiny Song made the national Top 40, peaking at #18. They followed up with a successful debut LP, Total Union, in August, which made the national Top 20 album chart, peaking at #13. A third single, the non-album track Moonstruck was released in November, but it didn't chart.
Norm Roue joined Buffalo. He played with them until early 1976, after which he reportedly left the music scene and followed a religious calling Robin Andrews worked in several other prominent groups in the 70s and 80s, including Phil Manning Band. Tony Buettel moved into production in the 80s with credits including Uncanny X-Men and Strange Tenants.
Ian Rilen joined Blackfeather (1975), was a founder member of Rose Tattoo (1976-77), and he formed Sardine V (1980-83), whose members included Joanna Piggott (XL Capris, Scribble), Barton Price (Models) and his wife Stephanie. He is best known for his long-lived power trio X (1977-79 , 1983-90).
Peter Roberts worked in Flake and Rockwell T. James. Phil Key left the music scene, concentrating on his family, and working in Sydney as a cabbie for many years until his untimely death in 1985 from a congenital heart condition.
by Ian McFarlane, Noel McGrath, Spencer and Nowara.
Listening to "Total Union" you can’t help noticing Norm Roue’s brilliant slide guitar playing. At times raw and powerful, at other times his precision playing lends an opulent refrain to enhance a basic tune. Be careful though, a lot of Roue’s licks will linger in your head after one hearing.
The rhythm section of Rilen and Buettel, are simple and tight providing a strong background for Roue and Key to shine. Angry Anderson who was later to join Rilen in Rose Tattoo was once asked to describe Rilen’s bass sound. He replied: “It’s like the first time you hear that Tyrannosauras Rex howl in Jurassic Park.
He’s got that low sting in it , but it’s almost like you expect it to go into this blood-curdling shriek, but it never really gets there, it threatens to do that all the time.” That quote is pretty close to the bone on this recording. Most of the tracks on this release were written by Key and his wife Pam (they went under the pseudonym of Wheel. Very hippy indeed).
As with every Aztec Vintage Collection Series release this one comes with bonus tracks. ‘The Destiny Song’ was released as single in April ‘73. It was a hit and got the band exposure on radio. Its B side aptly named ‘Over B’ is included too, an instrumental, actually it’s my favourite track, all band members get a credit. Blues and boogie at its brilliant best. Roue and Key go head to head, Roue’s slide vs Key’s wah wah soloing with a little touch of Rilen magic on his own before Roue and Key dive in together at the end.
The band issued a single in November ‘Moonstruck ’ ( it failed to chart ) and that’s included on this issue with another b-side to the single ‘The Cat’. Another highlight included, is a cover that was recorded live at Sunbury in ‘73, ‘Messin’ With The Kid’. This album is clearly of its time but after 30 odd years there is still some freshness about it.
Tracks
1. My First Home - 8:05
2. Free Me From Hunger - 5:47
3. Spaces of Time - 5:40
4. If - 5:40
5. Earthbound Blues - 5:44
6. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - 5:36
7. The Destiny Song (A-Side) - 3:14
8. Over “B” (B-Side) (P. Key, I. Rilen, N. Roue, T. Buettel) - 4:42
9. Moonstruck (A-Side) - 3:50
10.Messin’ with the Kid (Live at Sunbury) (Melvil London) - 7:29
11.The Cat (B-Side) - 5:49
All songs by Wheel (Pam and Phil Key) except where noted
Bonus Tracks 7-11
Band Of Light
*Phil Key - Guitar, Vocals
*Norm Roue - Bottlenck, Slide Guitar
*Ian Rilen - Bass
*Tony Buettel - Drums
Legendary proto-metal/psych private press side: released in 1970 this is a classic wasted thug-punk album with a ton of fuzz, crude riffs and a totally crunching rhythm section giving way to doofy harmonies and endless murky distorto solos. The amazingly named Greg Ohm handles guitar and vocal duties and his approach is totally first Blue Cheer album in terms of its ambition and inability to match Hendrix in terms of third stone sonics. The lyrics are classic Bonehead about getting good loving and being turned on but most importantly the songs are simple excuses, mere vehicles, for total six string scorch.
The band have an amazing shuffling boogie style that trades doomy atmospherics for get-down dynamics and amphetamine breakouts in a way that has something in common with the early MC5’s testifying style but there’s something a little more crude and basement-blunt about Sainte Anthony’s Fyre that ‘does it’ that bit better.
by David Keenan
Gonzo, hard-rockin' madness! We're Definitely feeling this one - it's like Marty McFly time-travelled back in time and created a band that was executed per our exact taste! The "Hard Stuff", with a hint of bluesy rockin, but with a definite proto-punk attitude and swagger that elevates this above your typical Seventies hard stuff. These guys had to have had their ears on the Motor City back in the day - we're hearing the unmistakable testosterone-fueled influence of the MC5 or The Rationals, as well as the sinister oil-caked, cabaret feel of Alice Cooper too.
These dudes were apparently courted by the bigs back in the day (Felix Pappalardi even offered to produce, but ultimately wanted too much moolah) and was a hair away from signing with Atlantic, but ultimately facing restrictions that would dictate their sound, decided against it, and recorded/released this one themselves. Fuck yeah! The "rough" sound of the record really is an asset to the overall feel and probably ups the aggression and sinister feel overall, with the guitars fuzzed out and pushing the red zone to the maxx, bro. If you dig Pentagram, Blue Cheer, Grand Funk, or even newer, backward-looking bands like Graveyard, Witchcraft and Fuzz, then prepare to feel the Heat.
Acid Archives
Tracks
1. Love Over You - 4:54
2. Get Off - 3:10
3. Summer Fun - 3:38
4. Star Light - 5:36
5. Lone Soul Road - 4:43
6. With Your Beau - 3:10
7. Chance of Fate - 4:09
8. Wet Back - 3:02
This new take on the "BBC Sessions" concept puts a comedic spin on the act of performing live on a '60s CBC television series. Bernie Mac (The Brenie Mac Show) costars as Percy Jones, a wealthy black banker who has an overbearing love for his family. Percy is about to host a lavish party at his sprawling New Jersey home in celebration of his 25-year wedding anniversary to Marilyn (Judith Scott, Flight Plan).
His daughter Theresa (Zoe Saldana, The Terminal) is coming home for the occasion, and she's bringing her new boyfriend, Burton Cummings (vocalist, Canned Wheat, Wheatfield Soul). Theresa has neglected to mention that her new beau is white, however, and the formidable Percy is in for a surprise.
Though Burton does everything in his power to impress his future father-in-law, including terrific alternate versions of such hits as "No Time" and "These Eyes" as well as lesser-known but great originals like "The Key," "Minstrel Boy" and "When You Touch Me," nothing will make the imposing patriarch change his undermining disposition. Matters are further complicated because the host of the show is former Guess Who leader Chad Allan, and Burton struggles to keep the family from finding out.
As unrest spreads, causing tension--and plenty of laughs--in the days leading up to the party, Burton and Theresa face uncertainty in their relationship while Percy and Marilyn suffer difficulties of their own. This CD is full of both hilarious and cringe-worthy moments, including an incredibly tense scene where Burton is goaded into entertaining the family at dinner with truly abominable covers of "Touch Me," "White Room," "Time Of The Season," "Blackbird" and "Hey Jude".
The sermonizing tone of the original studio tracks are replaced with an endearing slapstick humor, and while the heartwarming family tale is present, the CD doesn't shy away from the deeper underlying issues, presenting a fresh perspective on prescient cultural foibles.
Tracks
1. No Time (Bachman, Cummings) - 4:37
2. Touch Me (The Doors) - 2:02
3. White Room (Pete Brown, Jack Bruce) - 4:36
4. Time of the Season (Rod Argent) - 2:55
5. These Eyes (Bachman, Cummings) - 3:25
6. Ramblin' Gamblin' Man (Bob Seger) - 2:12
7. Black Bird (Lennon, McCartney) - 2:25
8. When You Touch Me (Bachman, Cummings) - 3:36
9. Along Comes Mary (Tondoyn Almer) - 2:58
10.The Key (Bachman, Cummings) - 5:51
11.Minstrel Boy (Bachman, Cummings) - 3:11
12.You Keep Me Hanging On (Holland, Dozier, Holland) - 5:27
13.Hey Jude (Lennon, McCartney) - 5:04
14.I Need Your Company (Bachman) - 2:59
15.Mr. Nothin' (Bachman, Cummings) - 2:22
16.Very Far from Near (Cummings) - 3:02
17.Heygoode Hardy (Cummings) - 3:25
18.Somewhere Up High (Bachman) - 4:38
Bob Tench (also frequently credited as Bobby Tench) is a talented journeyman singer and guitarist who has worked with some of the biggest and best-respected names in British rock during a career that has spanned six decades. Born on September 21, 1944, Tench got his start as a bass player, working with a variety of acts on the London club circuit before forming his first band, Gass.
Gass cut singles for Parlophone and CBS between 1965 and 1967, and in 1969, when impresario Jack Good presented his rock & roll stage adaptation of Othello, Catch My Soul, Gass were recruited to serve as the backing band and later appeared on the original cast album. Gass cut an album of their own in 1970, Juju, which featured a guest appearance by British blues legend Peter Green, but the group broke up in the summer of 1971.
by Mark Deming
Tracks
1.Kulu Se Mama - 7.14
2.Holy Woman - 5.29
3.Yes I Can - 6.51
4.Juju - 3.39
5.Black Velvet - 3.50
6.House For Sale - 3.47
7.Cold Light Of Day - 4.13
8.Cool Me Down - 6.10
All songs by G. McClean, D. Harper and R. Tench
UK supergroup from such origins as The Herd, Amen Corner and the Mindbenders, branching out to the beyond, with a more progressive direction, as was de rigueur at the fag end of the 60's. Despite a fair amount of promotion and a contract with the Beatles label: Parlophone, they only made this one great album and 2 singles, but failed to click with the public.
With Amen Corner's Alan Jones they were able to augment their sound with brass and woodwind, and listening today you can see some parallels with contemporaries Chicago and BST, but most of all the flavour is British and puts you in mind of a Traffic/Spooky Tooth groove, with some Jethro Tull thrown in for good measure - yet their pop roots were not deserted, which is what sets this album apart from so many others that line my shelves from the 1969/1970 period.
In common with many contemporaries at this time, Judas Jump were keen to throw of the shackles of the pop success they'd previously enjoyed with their Top 40 bands. Judas Jump was their collective attempt to "go progressive". Luckily for us they avoid the pitfalls of many of their bombastic pretentious contemporaries and retain a poppy, rocky edge which permeates the whole album. "Scorch" kicks off with "John Brown's Body", a great lurching ballsy opening statement as ever you'll hear, with a nice wailing harmonica backdrop.
The pace hardly lets up with "Rocking Chair" and "Beer Drinking Woman", but slows a little for the closing percussive dressed "Bossa Jump". Following by "Cry De Cry", an acoustic part, and then we get the tasty single, Trevor Williams' "Run For Your Life". It's not all wonderful though as towards the end of the album, it runs out of steam, and like a disappointing fizzy drink • goes slightly flat.
Ending with the thoroughly awful Ye-Olde-Musical- Hall-Romp "Private Holiday Camp" - this dated piece of nonsense is not on the US copy - be thankful my American cousins! Alan Jones, Trevor Williams and Andy Sown all contribute material, but Bown deservedly gets the lion's share • as it's at that point where the others kick in, that downward trend is marked. Unbelievably, these days Andy Bown sessions for the boogie stalwarts Status Quo, so he's still around, and still doing it.
A strange place for him to be? Maybe not so strange when you consider Status Quo and The Herd were Pop Contemporaries in the late 60's, which is no doubt where they must have met up and down the proverbial swinging circuit. In fact the Quo were a formidable pop combo back in the days before they discovered the 12 bar ad nauseum and their early albums: "Picturesque Matchstickabie Messages", and "Spare Parts are full of charming youthful and naive psychedelic whimsy.
Tracks
1. John Brown's Body - 3:24
2. Rockin Chair - 2:57
3. Beer Drinkin' Woman - 3:33
4. 49 Fingers - 1:02
5. Purple God - 3:09
6. Bossa Jump - 4:30
7. Cry-De-Cry - 2:36
8. Run For Your Life - 3:39
9. Cully - 2:34
10.Mississippi Turnpike - 2:57
11.Primrose Lady - 4:33
12.Scorch (instrumental) (Alan Jones, Andy Bown) - 1:30
13.Private Holiday Camp - 3:29
All songs by Andy Brown except where noted.
Judas Jump
*Andy Bown - Keyboards, Guitar
*Charlie Harrison - Bass
*Alan Jones - Woodwind
*Henry Spinetti - Drums
*Adrian Williams -Vocals
*Trevor Williams - Guitar
Only a few copies were sold of this 1970 LP by the Knocker Jungle. At the time of the release, the duo had already split, and the shops didn’t take it, perhaps also because of a photograph with a finger gesture by one of the members. The problem now was that almost no information could be found about the duo, Tony Coop and Keith Jones.
The participants surely made it look interesting. Involved were Dave Mattacks on drums (of folkrock band Fairport Convention), Phil Pickett on keyboards (of Sailor fame ; -not to confuse with Philip Picket from Albion Band-), and with no less than Tony Cox producing (at that time of Magna Carta and Tir Na Nog, besides he also had produced records later from Family, Caravan, Gringo, Françoise Hardy,…). In search of the master tapes they also found another 4 tracks of the session which have not been chosen to be included on the original LP, so they have been added now to complete this recording session.
We hear clearly attempts -especially on the early tracks- by Tony Cox to make the bluesier and simple busker-like guitar and song moments more sweeter, like on “Caught a cold last night” by a flute intro or with band arrangements like some conga and sitar-like guitar arrangement in an attempt to make this different.
The light sunshine hippie-like folk-blues mode (a comparable area to Keith Christmas for instance, also because of the slightly hippie-feminine aspects in the vocal tensions), in several tracks, like also on the bonus tracks, is in fact rather attractive and distinctive, despite it’s simple core, while the busker-like tendency on other moments keeps the songs on the edge of making it still able to develop into something arranged more subtely. When going towards the American way of lyrically driven songs, or sometimes ballads, some of associated, slightly Westcoast sort of style in the vocal arrangements fit with those songs rather well, without that they ever go towards a real Americana influence, they rather chose folk-blues instead.
Two of the tracks of the album, namely the first and the eight track, “I don’t know why” and “You’ve lost your love for me” and slightly also the second track, in the same vein, through its sort of catchy simple and light form, are easily comparable for the creative song melodies to some of those 70s Nigerian Afrorock songs, in a more acoustic version arrangement instead of with fuzz, and slightly bluesy, a fitting comparison thanks to its charming way of being playful-repetitive with the main lyrical song themes during the song.
This is an album which can be regarded as a song-album with its own, sometimes a bit more hidden charm.
Psych Folk
Tracks
1. I Don't Know Why (Keith Jones) - 3:14
2. Oh To Be Free (Tony Coop) - 2:50
3. Caught a Cold Last Night (Keith Jones) - 2:40
4. I've Got Time (Keith Jones) - 2:17
5. Not Even a Letter (Keith Jones) - 3:14
6. Ecclesiastes (Keith Jones) - 2:16
7. Reality (Tony Coop) - 1:44
8. You've Lost Your Love For Me (Tony Coop, Keith Jones) - 2:38
9. Amanda (Keith Jones) - 3:19
10.Sunburnt Virgin Trousers (Tony Coop, Keith Jones) - 2:04
11.Impossible You (Keith Jones) - 2:48
12.Where I Belong (Tony Coop) - 2:45
13.It Ain't Necessarily So (George, Ira Gerschwin) - 3:35
14.Oh My (Tony Coop, Keith Jones) - 1:59
15.Shadow On Your Shoulder (Tony Coop, Keith Jones) - 3:50
16.You By My Side (Tony Coop, Keith Jones) - 1:55
17.I'm Losing My Mind (Tony Coop, Keith Jones) - 1:49
18.Rosemarie (Tony Coop, Keith Jones) - 2:24
Musicians
*Keith Jones - 12 String Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
*Tony Coop - 6 String Acoustic Guitar, Mouth Organ, Vocals
*Phil Pickett - Piano
*Tony Cox - Piano
*Owen Finnegan - Congas
*Dave Mattacks - Drums
*Dave (Not one for corrections) - Electric Bass
