Perhaps it has something to do with their Latin heritage, but this one simply doesn't get enthusiastic reviews from the critics ... That's unfortunate since 1969's "A Very Strange Brew" stands as a pretty impressive late-1960s garage/light-psych offering.
In terms of bibliographical information I can't tell you much about this five piece. Lead guitarist Ronny Reyes apparently cut his musical chops playing in a number of East L.A. bands including The Impalas. Piecing together the liner notes and writing credits, the line up apparently consisted of lead singer Tommy Lozano, drummer Mark (no last name). keyboardist John Mekenian, lead guitarist Reyes, and bass player Art Sanchez. Their debut LP was recorded at California's American Recording Studio, with Jimmy King producing.
So what's it actually sound like? Ignoring the lounge act group cover photo, propelled by Lazano's likeable voice and Makenian's Farfisa organ the album featured a largely original mix of commercial pop ('Three's a Crowd'), blue-eyed soul ('Yesterday's Coming'), Latin rockers ('(Such a) Foggy Day) and an occasional nod to lite-psych ('It Takes a Fool').
Interestingly, while it didn't make for the most original collection you've ever heard, every one of the ten tracks had something going for it, making for one of those albums that became better each time you listened to it. The other highlight was guitarist Reyes. His isolated solos were always entertaining and impressive. Personal favorites included the acid-y lead off rocker rock 'It Takes a Fool', 'What Do You See In My Mind' and the nifty rocker 'I Can Hardly Wait To Live'. (Over the years I've only seen a couple of copies of the album, each with a promo sticker on the cover.
Reyes seems to be the only member to have remained active in music. In the early-1970s he recorded an album for Playboy Records as part of the band Yaqui and has toured with a number of bands, including a 1980s version of Cannibal and the Headhunters.
While playing the coffee houses in Greenwich Village, I ran into a fellow who was a member of a group known as Sparrow, They were a large Canadian group who at that time had failed to follow up their number one record with anything worth mentioning. On occasions thereafter I sat in with them, jammed, played harmonica, sang a few standard songs and threw suggestions back and forth with them. It became apparent that it might be a good combination if I were to join Sparrow. At that time we decided to break away from the hit parade top 4O band image.
All of us in the band were more interested in the blues- At about this time their former pianist left and was replaced by a very funny Kangaroo-style organ player by the name of Goldie McJohn. He had a very strange way of using his hands in a choppy percussive manner resembling a Kangaroo.
The Sparrow developed into a very self-sufficient band which, unlike most bands, was free of management and was doing fairly well financially. The one important thing which developed early, and has carried through all this time into Steppenwolf, was the burning feeling to make this the most important part of our lives. During this time a lot of rehearsing was done, a lot of experimenting, arranging and writing. This was a difficult period because it was hard to do your own thing when everybody in the clubs were asking for Wooly Bully, but this is the sort of thing ail bands go through We then proceeded to took for a manager and stumbled upon a man who was successful in bringing us to New York.
There we played Sybil Burton's Arthur's Club for some months. At Arthur's we were able to do our own thing and were still accepted, even without playing hit parade songs. We finally made it through that summer of sweat and toil In New York. We lived at the Hotel Albert with various other groups, such as the Blues Magoos, The Lovin' Spoonful, John Hammond and countless others.
We finally broke out of New York and went west to Los Angeles, We had a fairly successful "gig" at the Whiskey A Go Go, but we were unable to go from there due to the Sunset Strip riots. More or less thrown out of Los Angeles due to the riots we landed up in San Francisco. This was the time the Haight-Ashbury scene was just beginning to develop and the first of the San Francisco bands were starting to get national recognition.
During this time we were immediately confronted with a new freedom of musical format where digging the new musical freedoms as long as it was done with enthusiasm and belief enabling us to kind of cut a lot of ties loose and to readily get into our own thing. We were being urged on from within the group by Nicholas (Nick St. Nicholas) who was the born showman and charmer of the group. One evening at the Matrix, Nicholas proceeded to experiment, he got up on stage, picked up his bass, plugged it into an amplifier and Echo lite unit and proceeded to just play whatever came into his head. Urged on by him everyone else proceeded to get up on the stage one by one, picking their instruments.
Before we knew it we were more or less improvising, jamming, squeezing and shaping a musical thing which lasted for 2O minutes and broke finally into the PUSHER which astounded us and the audience at how well it came off. From that time on we continued to experiment with The Pusher as well as other songs.
While in San Francisco, we played the Avalon, the Matrix, and the Fillmore Ballrooms and constantly rehearsed in our house in Mill Valley. Things were not going too good for us and it looked as if we weren't going to make it. Some of us wanted to follow the current trend and, in other words, leave the musical integrity behind, but this belief was not shared by the majority. After we had our station wagon reprocessed and our finances became worse and worse we disbanded.
What happened after this is more or less well known. We got ourselves back together with the four original members of the Sparrow within a new group named Steppenwolf. Also with the addition of our fiery passionate guitar player, Michael Monarch, and our former temperamental Scorpio guitar player's (Dennis Edmonton, known as Mars Bonfire) brother Jerry Edmonton on drums. We were able to achieve the first rung on the ladder of success.
Reflecting back on the days before success, I find that the collective, passionate, almost total unjustified belief that we were going to make It some day managed to keep us together. Despite audiences who insisted on Wooly-Bully, Henry VIII and other top 40 hits of the day we made it by simply leaning against one another and hyping one another that we were going to make it. We had goals to achieve such as someday playing the Maple Leaf Gardens fn the old home town of Toronto, and to someday headline at the Whiskey.
These plateaus of success have now been realized and all of us seemed to be well prepared to accept them. Success is pleasant but perhaps, due to the fact, that most of us weren't knocked on our back by it, is the reason we are still together and not off on our own believing that we are now super-stars.
There was a unity of purpose and dedication to the music. A feeling of togetherness and support for each other, not only musically taut in dedication to each other, which made the whole thing similar to the Three Musketeers and D'Artagnian, at! for one and one for all and at! of us against the world.
If it wasn't for this 'esprit de corps' t don't think we would have made it by playing those five sets a night in clubs for weeks and weeks. Even though it may be rather trite and common to thank people on albums, I do feel that we owe a few people thanks for their continued moral support which kept the Sparrow and, later, Steppenwolf living and breathing fire to continue to play and go on.
First of all the kids at Arthur's in New York. The people at the Whiskey who gave us such a warm reception and Chet Helm of the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco and all of the kids that came to those clubs and other clubs that we were playing. These young people have earned our thanks and gratitude as they were the ones who let us know that it was all right to do your own thing and to find a musical freedom. They did not sit there with paper and pencil ready to criticize but rather encouraged us to pursue whatever our trip was. These people, most of all, were responsible for the final stage of musical development in the Sparrow.
In closing we would like to thank very much the management of the Matrix where this album was recorded and tell you a little about it. The Matrix is a nitery in San Francisco which has supported for years the local and out-of-town talent. We played there several nights, and several recordings were made purely for fun sometimes without us knowing it, by the management who became our very good friends.
There are no parts en any of the songs that were not recorded live by the band. Many a cut may have been influenced by the fact that the majority of us were quite whacked and the vocal would drift into a mumble. But there were many inspiring moments, especially when we would improvise instrumentally like on the Pusher you will notice a mixture of musical influences ranging from the early Edgar Varese French semi-electronic symphonic School of music in the Pusher to the classical piano training of Goldie’s sort of churchy organ.
One more very important thing which ! almost have forgotten and which is close to the heart of all of us, is the Village in Toronto with all its inhabitants and up and coming musicians and people in other creative fields- It was this environment which made us feet secure and gave us a feeling of home. It was their continued support which has left a sort of warm memory of Toronto and Yorkville in particular, with all of us.
by John Kay
Tracks
1. Power Play (John Kay) - 2:55
2. Howlin' For My Darlin' (WillieDixon, Howlin' Wolf) - 4:53
3. I'm Going Upstairs (John lee Hooker) - 7:14
4. Corina, Corina (Arranged by Kay) - 3:54
5. Tighten Up Your Wig (Kay) - 3:14
6. The Pusher (Hoyt Axton) - 21:27
Steppenwolf
*John Kay - Guitar, Vocals
*Goldie McJohn - Organ
*Mars Bonfire - Guitar
*Jerry Edmonton - Drums
*Nick St. Nicholas - Bass
I remember when I first bought this album. It would have been around 1974 or '75 on my first visit to Sydney's famous Ashwoods Records in Pitt Street (RIP). Being a poor high school student, the idea of cheap second-hand albums was cool beyond words! For about $2-3 each I scored Slade "Slayed", "Black Sabbath Vol 4" and, of course, Buffalo’s debut LP "Dead Forever".
I remember thinking the cover was very evil ..and that these guys were proberly worshippers of some sick Satanic cult! There's even a photo on the inside gate- fold of the band (complete with Amps and P.A) playing a gig in a graveyard. Having said that, I'm sure the boys had good religious beliefs (while still enjoying the indulgences of non-prescription medications and having “relations" with young ladies to whom they were not married)
Now, over 30 years later, Aztec Music has reissued this proto-stoner gem. This is a great crunching 1972 heavy rock album which still wipes the floor with its contemporaries. The interesting thing about this line-up of Buffalo is that the band had two lead vocalists, however this was not uncommon for the time (think the Mamas and the Pappas, Blood Sweat and Tears and the aura of the Beatles, which was still lurking around).
The opening track “Leader” kicks off very doomily, with a droning acoustic guitar and vocals before building into a frantic heavy metal ending! “You...yes YOU are the Leader”. Very way out (man).
"Suzi Sunshine" was an early hit single for the band is a great piece of heavy melodic rock with some neat slide guitar from John Baxter. Two cover versions follow, Blues Images’ "Pay My Dues" (which shows the band's early progressive hippy roots) and a 10-minute version of Free's "I’m a Mover" which starts off faithful to the original but quickly builds into some manic jamming rivalling the Stooges and The MC5 ! I can imagine this track hitting the 30 minute mark in a live setting.
A few of the tracks following this have a distinctively heavy, progressive "San Francisco-meets-Quicksilver-Messenger-Service" vibe before returning with some powerful riff-o-mania rockin' on the five-minute title track, which again shows Buffalo's ability to do some great jamming (no doubt picked up from playing countless shows around the Sydney Town hall dances and nightclub scene)
Bonus tracks include some early 7" inch cover version B-sides which more than anything display the bands early high energy rhythm and blues/rock 'n' roll roots. Also included is an ultra rare early pre–Buffalo 1971 single by the band Head (featuring three members of Buffalo in Tice, Baxter and Wells) which reminds me of Eric Burdon and The Animals or early Cream
As with all Aztec releases this re-release comes a great 22 page colour booklet featuring some jaw-dropping early photos, gig posters and magazine adverts. The early photo of Dave Tice and Pete Wells in 1967 looking very Carnaby Street is worth the cost of the album alone.
by Steve Danno-Lorkin
Tracks
1. Leader (Tice, Baxter, Wells) - 6:03
2. Suzie Sunshine (Brett, Baxter) - 2:53
3. Pay My Dues (Lala, Pinera) - 5:34
4. I'm A Mover (Rodgers, Fraser) - 10:46
5. Ballad Of Irving Fink (Milano, Baxter) - 4:30
6. Bean Stew (Tice, Baxter) - 7:05
7. Forest Rain (Tice, Baxter) - 6:30
8. Dead Forever (Tice, Baxter) - 5:39
9. Hobo (Recording By Head) (Tice, Baxter) - 2:48
10.Sad Song, Then (Recording By Head) (Baxter) - 2:37
11.No Particular Place To Go (Chuck Berry) - 4:53
12.Just A Little Rock And Roll (A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues) (Terry Thompson) - 2:24
13.Barbershop Rock (Baxter) - 5:07
Buffalo
*Dave Tice - Lead Vocals
*Alan Milano - Lead Vocals
*Peter Wells - Bass
*John Baxter - Guitar
*Paul Balbi - Drums
'Deuce' was the culmination of Rory's musical apprenticeship. He'd toured with an Irish showband, released acclaimed records with 'Taste' and played the Isle Of White Rock Festival, but this was the first time he'd had the necessary level of control, self belief and technical ability to record the album he'd always wanted to. His eponymously titled first album had seen Rory's transition from group member to solo artist, allowing him a degree of artistic freedom he'd so tar not encountered.
This resulted in an excellent debut album, highlighting Rory's musical development since 'Taste'. In 1971 when he began working on 'Deuce', he decided on a different approach to the recording of his second album. His first album, 'Rory Gallagher, had a precise, organised sound, Rory was keen 'Deuce' would capture the raw energy of a live performance. To achieve this, many of the sessions were recorded just before or immediately after gigs and production was kept to a minimum. The results were electric.
Rory came alive when he played in front of an audience, as he said, "I love playing to people. The audience means a lot to me. It's not the whole thing, I love recording too, hut I need regular and frequent contact with the public. 'It gives me energy". That was why capturing a 'live' feel on the album was so important to Rory.
'Deuce' was the first, but certainly not the last time, he achieved this. 'Deuce' was recorded at Tangerine Studios in Dalston, which was built by the innovative 60 s producer, Joe Meek. This North London studio was sited next to a bingo hall and any fans blessed with a keen sense of hearing may just be able to make out the distant shouts of the bingo caller.
'Deuce' saw Rory and his band reach a new musical high. Band members, Gerry McAvoy and Wilgar Campbell, played with a fresh, raw quality that complimented Rory's amazing Strat. work. They were young and talented, with a point to prove, the ingredients that have produced some of the greatest music in history. 'Deuce' would become part of that illustrious tradition.
This album has been re-mixed from the original multi-track master tapes by Colin Fairley, who worked with Rory on many of his recordings. When the recording of 'Deuce' was complete Rory was ecstatic with the results. The album had successfully captured the 'live' sound he'd wanted to replicate. After more than three decades 'Deuce' has lost none of it's youthful power and for me, and many other fans, it represents the beginning of a musical friendship that would last many years.
by Shu Tomioka, Charles Stanford
Tracks
1. Used to Be - 5:06
2. I'm Not Awake Yet - 5:24
3. Don't Know Where I'm Going - 2:42
4. Maybe I Will - 4:15
5. Whole Lot of People - 4:57
6. In Your Town - 5:47
7. Should've Learnt My Lesson - 3:36
8. There's a Light - 5:59
9. Out of My Mind - 3:05
10.Crest of a Wave - 6:00
11.Persuasion - 4:42
All songs composed by Rory Gallagher
Delicate and sunshiney softsike, and the series steps into a whole new territory: Spain. In recent years there's been a few releases excavating the orchestral side of Spanish 60s music, but Madrid and co. are still mostly known for Rand B swagger, with horns turning up everywhere. These singles have great strings and choral work, with a few choice covers (Simon and Garfunkel, the UK songsmith team Bickerton and Waddington, and even John Pantry).
Artists - Tracks
1. Los Iberos - Fantastic Girl - 2:57
2. Los Mustang - Suspira La Nia - 3:02
3. Modulos - Ya No Me Quieres - 3:03
4. Amores - Ana - 3:37
5. Los Pasos - Yo Fu El Mejor - 3:12
6. Mocedades - Esta Noche Ha Llovido - 3:28
7. Los 5 Musicales - Feria De Scarborough - 2:47
8. Pic-Nic - You Heard My Voice - 2:17
9. Nuevos Horizontes - Tio Vivo - 2:50
10.Isasi - Cantandole Al Viento - 2:38
11.Las Cuatro Monedas - Mira De Frente - 2:36
12.Los Sirex - Eva - 2:25
13.Los Mitos - Cuando Vuelvas - 3:08
14.Albert Band - En Sueos - 3:07
15.Los Iberos - Back In Time - 2:38
16.Pic Nic - Hush Little Baby - 3:27
17.Los Iberos - Nightime - 2:52
Great and completely unknown US hard-progressive from 1974. This is not a better-known Demian group from Texas (popular for their classic, heavy rock LP on ABC Records from 1971, ex-Bubble Puppy), but completely different band which recorded their album...in Austin!
This privately pressed and now very rare concept album was issued in 1974 by local Starbust label. It contains an excellent and quite eloquent rock opera, with trippy organ work and very fine and strong vocals similar to early David Bowie, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, little bit of Peter Hammill's dramatic way, and the theatrical approach of Arthur Brown. Musically, they encapsulate the aspects of Zappa's styles, and sometimes they sound like "The Doors meets early Bloodrock".
It´s an amazing record, with plenty of great hooks, and unusual psychedelic sounds and solid, hard rock music with a distinct, progressive tones. It´s a really hard to believe that this excellent LP was never reissued before!
Tracks
1. Prologue To The Dream - 1:02
2. Hot Ride And The Prayer - 2:59
3. Time Warp - 0:20
4. Nucleus Shane - 3:06
5. We Want The Witch Dead - 1:16
6. Where's My General ? - 2:47
7. The C'Zar - 0:59
8. The General / Leigh Ashford - 5:36
9. Snake Head - 4:27
10.Acid Queen - 2:29
11.No Mirror Tonight - 1:59
12.Leeches At The Fairground - 3:22
13.Rock Star Farm - 3:53
All Words and Music by Shane Skinner
In 1971 Taste were on the brink of international success. They had built up a loyal fon base (which included John Lennon), played the legendary 1970 Isle of Wight Rock Festival and recorded two blistering albums, but to the surprise of both their fans and their contemporaries the band split due to musical and managerial differences Rory, keen to utilise this new found musical freedom, returned to London's Advision studios with engineer Eddy Offord whom Rory had worked with during the recording of the Taste album On The Boards. The resultant sessions became Rory's first solo album, the eponymously titled Rory Gallagher.
The album opens with a trademark Gallagher riff leading into 'Laundromat', a track written at the time of the Taste split when the group were residing in a bedsit in Earls Court which had a public laundromat in the basement. In typical Rory style he used this uninspiring subject matter to create a highly inspirational song. 'Just The Smile' shows Rory's folk roots with an acoustic and percussion sound influenced heavily by Pentangle, the late 60's early 70's British folk band that included Burt Jansch and John Renbourn. 'I Fall Apart1 is an engaging love song with a big melodic Stratoeaster guitar riff and a wonderful chord sequence.
'Wave Myself Goodbye' is the first of two tracks featuring keyboard genius with Crane, who made his name playing with Atomic Rooster and Arthur Brown during the 7()'s and Dexys .Midnight Runners in the 80's. After Taste split I became tour manager for Atomic Rooster and when Rory needed a pianist Vince was my first choice. For this track he delivers a barrel-house piano feel to compliment Rory's acoustic blues guitar. 'Hands t:p' is a highly motivational song written post Taste. The track's positive lyrical message is delivered with lines such as 'hands up and reach for the .vAV and 'gel np you know if a lime' which act to counter the negativity Rory felt when the group disbanded. "Sinner Boy".
This powerful lyric about hitting rock bottom exposes Rory's compassion and understanding for his fellow exiled man. Listen out for the Telecaster slide playing and 'scatting'. Even at the tender age of 23 Rory's natural technical ability was incredible. 'For The Last Time' is reminiscent of another great Rory track 'On The Boards' and carries a message about his treatment during the demise of Taste. 'It's You' is an upbeat country influenced track enlivened by Rory's steel-slide guitar playing, which is underscored with his excellence on the mandolin (an instrument he had only recently mastered).
I'm Not Surprised' - This is (he second track featuring Vince Crane on piano performing a Tats Domino' style accompaniment to Rory's raucous guitar riffs. Even at this early stage of his career Rory was keen to experiment with the music he created. He was never satisfied to follow trends or take the easy path and 'Can't Believe It's True' demonstrates the infliieiicc that Jazz had on him. On this track Rory plays alto saxophone which has been double tracked, capturing a jazz/folk feel that came from his admiration of artists like Erie Dolphy and John Coltrane.
Recorded during the original sessions for llory Gallagher the final two bonus tracks, both available here for the first lime, see Rory paying homage to two of his blues heroes: 'Gypsy Woman' was originally recorded by .Muddy Waters whom Rory greatly admired and would eventually work with on Muddy's London Session album. The final track is a cover of It Takes Time' first recorded by premier Chicago blues guitarist Otis Rush.
by Donal Gallagher, London 1999.
Tracks
1. Laundromat - 4:38
2. Just The Smile - 3:41
3. I Fall Apart - 5:12
4. Wave Myself Goodbye - 3:30
5. Hands Up - 5:25
6. Sinner Boy - 5:04
7. For The Last Time - 6:35
8. It's You - 2:38
9. I'm Not Surprised - 3:37
10.Can't Believe It's True - 7:16
11.Gypsy Woman (Muddy Waters) - 4:02
12.It Takes Time (Otis Rush) - 3:34
All tracks composed by Rory Gallagher except as else stated.
Bonus tracks 11-12
Detroit band the Sunday Funnies were comprised of vocalist Richard Fidge, guitarist Ronald Aitken, keyboardist Richard Kosinski, and drummer Richard Mitchell, releasing in 1970 the single "Heavy Music" / "Path Of Freedom" issued on the local Hideout label.
Their excellent debut album, produced by infamous Andrew Oldham (an early The Rolling Stones´ manager) and released in 1971 on Motown´s Rare Earth label. This brilliantly recorded, very melodic, soft-progressive album consisted of very memorable and cleverly-arranged, stylish songs based on rich and strong Hammond organ sounds and attractive vocal parts. Some tracks are just unbelievably beautiful! Stylistically this record is not far away from 1967-68 Procol Harum era and early Traffic.
Richard Kosinski also contributed to albums by Bonnie Raitt, The Temptations, the Four Tops and Aretha Franklin. He was a member of the soft rock ensemble Wha-Koo from 1977-1979.
Tracks
1. Walk Down The Path Of Freedom - 4:05
2. It's Just A Dream - 3:18
3. You And I - 3:16
4. Tell Me - 4:47
5. The Axe - 4:23
6. Crack In A Bell - 3:00
7. Let The Son Shine In - 4:01
8. Child Of Mine (Carole King, Gerry Goffin) - 4:02
All songs by R. Konsinski and R. Aitken except where noted.
Sunday Funnies
*Richard Walter Kosinski - Keyboards, Vocals
*Richard Glen Fidge - Vocals
*Ronald Clark Aitken - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
*Richard Martin Mitchell - Drums
Don't think that there's nothing to be found just because it's Vol. 12. This series may've just taken a step up or two. Effervescent and dreamy UK popsike singles with way too many sound effects. A few detours for Animals-style R'n'B.
Connections to Steve Hillage, Cat Stevens, the Syn. A couple of bands are Irish and there's one that's from Sri Lanka. Mostly though, it's TV starlets who were moving into singing, a great Scott Walker knockoff with a dash of prog (Egg's 'You Are All Princes'), and some slight missteps by Larry Page or Pye.
Artists - Tracks
1. Jigsaw - Mr. Job - 2:16
2. Kytes - End Of The Day - 2:31
3. Brotherhood - Paper Man - 2:24
4. Heatwave - Rastus Ravel / Is A Mean Old Man - 2:44
5. John Street And The Inmates - My Kind Of Luck - 2:06
6. Peter Janes - For The Sake Of Time - 2:04
7. A New Generation - Police Is Here - 2:52
8. Ayshea - Mister White's White Flying Machine - 3:42
9. Egg - You Are All Princes - 3:43
10.Dave Berry - Oh What A Life - 2:16
11.The Monopoly - We Belon Together - 3:31
12.The Nerve - Mystery Lady - 2:28
13.Granny's Intentions - Sandy's On The Phone Again - 2:19
14.Brian Parrish - In Good Time / Love Chant - 3:05
15.Marc Brierley - Autograph Of Time - 1:35
16.Friday Brown - The Outdoor Seminar - 1:28
17.Ranee And Raj - Razor Edge - 2:41
18.Dave Justin - Rachel - 3:24
19.Fable - She Said Yes - 3:10
20.Jigsaw - A Great Idea - 2:31
The latest Fading Yellow Volume 15, where standards are always set on the highest level. This time digging deep in USA & Canada late 60´s. All the tracks on a compilation for the first time, The Cd comes as Limited edition 1000 copies with detailed linernotes
Whatever you call it, pop-sike, magic pop etc. i call it "that special Fading Yellow sound" which by now has became a household name among listeners who loves this genre of music. Classic compilation series of purest popsike of the 60-70´s.
Artists - Tracks
1. Bob And Kit - Autumn Too Long - 2:11
2.
The
Phaetons - Where Are You? - 2:38
3.
The
Others - Morning - 2:03
4. Mark Barkan - A Great Day For The Clown - 3:07
5.
The
New Establishment - Time For Everything - 2:28
6. Michael - Gotta Make My Heart Turn Away - 2:50
7. National Bank Of Sound - Me And My Friends - 2:45
8.
The
Thomas Group - Ordinary Girl - 2:18
9. Willapuss Wallapuss - To Jone - 2:53
10.The Mouse - Mouse - 3:09
11.Terry McManus - Sunshower In The Spring - 2:36
12.The Promise - Sundown Sky - 2:22
13.The Travel Agency - Time - 2:36
14.Bridey Murphy - The Time Has Come - 2:10
15.The MFQ - I Had A Dream Last Night - 2:36
16.Coloured Rain - On Their Carousel - 2:41
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
