Dino Valenti - Get Together The Lost Recordings (1964-70 us, brilliant psych folk rock, 2011 double disc limited edition)

In the early 1960s Dino Valenti performed in Greenwich Village coffee-houses, often with fellow singer-songwriters Fred Neil , Bob Dylan, Lou Gossett, Josh White, Len Chandler, Paul Stookey(of Peter, Paul & Mary) and others, influencing other performers including Richie Havens who continues to perform some of Dino's early songs.

By 1963 Valenti had relocated to Los Angeles where folk-rock had already become popular. During this period he wrote his best-known song, "Get Together", a quintessential 1960s love-and-peace anthem that was later recorded by Jefferson Airplane and became a major hit for The Youngbloods. Valenti moved north to the San Francisco Bay area where after working with several groups, played in an early line-up of the San Francisco psychedelic rock group Quicksilver Messenger Service featuring John Cipollina guitar), bassist David Freiberg, and Jim Murray harmonica/vocals).

Dino later rejoined the group in 1970 as its lead singer and main songwriter. In the late 1960s he signed as a solo artist with CBS Records, releasing an eponymous solo LP. He traveled with Quicksilver's Gary Duncan to New York in January 1969 to form a new band to be called The Outlaws, while Quicksilver's noted album 'Happy Trails' album was released in March. While Valenti and Duncan were in New York, British keyboardist Nicky Hopkins joined Quicksilver for their third album, 'Shady Grove' (December 1969).

Eight of the nine songs on the group's next album, Just for Love (August, 1970) were written by Valenti, six of them under the pseudonym of Jesse Oris Farrow. He remained the chief songwriter on their next album, in December, 'What About Me?'. Despite occasional personnel changes, the band released 'Quicksilver' (1971) and 'Comin' Thru' (1972) before disbanding. The 2-LP 'Anthology' was issued in 1973 and a tour and the album, 'Solid Silver', appeared in 1975.

Quicksilver Messenger Service first gained popularity in San Francisco's Bay Area, and then the rest of the world through the release of their critically aclaimed albums. Several of the group's LPs reached the Top 30 on the Billboard Pop charts. With their jazz and classical influences, as well as a strong folk background, QMS attempted to create a sound that was individual and innovative. Dino Valenti drew heavily on his early folk music influences. According to John Cipollina, “It was Valenti who organized the group. 

I can remember everything Dino said. 'We were all going to have wireless guitars. We were going to have leather jackets made with hooks that we could hook these wireless instruments right into. And we were gonna have these chicks, backup rhythm sections that were gonna dress like American Indians with real short little dresses on and they were gonna have tambourines and the clappers in the tambourines were going to be silver coins.' And I'm sitting there going, 'This guy is gonna happen and we're gonna set the world on its ear.' "

Dino Valenti passed away in 1994. According to his son, Joli, his father recorded a multitude of songs that were never released. The songs on the ItsAboutMusic.com release, “Get Together” were recorded during the period from 1964 to 1970 but were only recently found in a storage area in Northern California. In an effort to be authentic, ItsAboutMusic.com licensed the cover photo from Herb Green who is famous for taking the cover shot for Jefferson Airplane’s 'Surrealistic Pillow'. The song “Get Together” was never released on a Dino Valenti or Quicksilver album. Its only appearance came on the Rhino box set entitled 'Love Is The Song We Sing' – a 4 CD collection of recordings by Bay Area artists from the Sixties. 

It's About Music

Tracks
Disc 1
1. Get Together - 3:02
2. One Thousand Miles An Hour - 4:42
3. Ain’t That A Shame - 9:31
4. Silver Dagger - 5:12
5. Strange World - 4:30
6. I’ll Try Something New (Smokey Robinson) - 3:19
7. Star Rider - 3:38
8. County Fair - 13:09
9. Crossroads - 3:50
10. Everybody Knows - 3:13
11. Midnight Rider (Gregg Allman) - 2:48
12. The Letter - 4:57
13. That’s How It Goes - 3:59
14. To The End Of The World - 2:51

Disc 2
1. If I Had Money - 5:04
2. Star Rider (Acoustic) - 4:13
3. City Of Stone - 6:18
4. County Fair (Acoustic) - 5:15
5. Sadness of My Mind - 4:54
6.  My Guitar - 3:53
7. So Close To You - 2:52
8. If I Had Money (Acoustic) - 4:34
9. Get Together (Alternate Version) - 3:53
All songs by Dino Valenti, except where noted.

*Dino Valenti - Vocals, Guitar

The Dino Valenti story
1968  Dino Valenti 
with Quicksilver Messenger Service
1968  Q. M. S. (1st album, 2005 japan remastered mini Lp replica)
1969-70  Castles In The Sand 
1970  Just For Love  (2005 japan remastered mini Lp replica)
1970  What About Me (2005 japan remastered mini Lp replica) 
1971  Quicksilver
1972  Comin` Thru  
1975  Solid Silver

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Painted Faces - Anxious Color (1967-68 us, significant garage psych rock)

The original band consisted of Jack O'Neill (vocals), Jerry Turano (lead guitar), Harry Bragg (drums), John McKinney (rhythm guitar) and Craig Guild (bass). This line-up recorded some demos in late ±966 at Qualicon Studios in Naples, Florida which consisted of a Crown 2- track recorder in a garage. Before their first single was released, Craig Guild left and John McKinney switched to bass. "Things We See" / "I Want You" was released April '67 on Qualicon Records which was owned by producer Walter Fredrickson who had connections with Mike Curb of Sidewalk Productions.

Through the Curb/Sidewalk connection, the group signed with Manhattan Records which was run by Curb's publishing company Mirby Music. Their first -45 on Manhattan, "Anxious Color" was a big hit in Florida for ±4 weeks in a row, reaching #± on some local stations. After this single was released, George Schule was brought in as the new bass player and John McKinney switched back to rhythm guitar. With this line-up the band recorded an even better follow-up single, "I Lost You In My Mind" / "I Think I'm Going Mad".

Unfortunately, the record company was getting negative feedback from DJ's complaining of the drug-like references from the two singles . Therefore, "I Lost You In My Mind" and their last single "Don't Say She's Gone" never got off the ground except in Florida where the group was based. Painted Faces began getting better gigs and were often traveling to New York City which didn't go over well with the parents of Jerry Turano and John McKinney who were pressured to leave the band to pursue careers outside of music.

They were replaced by numerous musicians but the nucleus of the band remained Jack O'Neill, George Schule and Harry Bragg. The group became very popular in Greenwich Village area clubs such as Cafe Wha? whose manager sent them to a club called The Jet Set in Puerto Rico for ±2 weeks. From here they got a gig in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands at a club on Creque Alley where The Mamas & Papas used to perform.

Upon returning to playing gigs in NYC, local New Jersey band The Critters wanted to record a new Painted Faces song, "Girl, You're Growing Up" but they decided to record it themselves for their new single on Sidewalk which never came out. It was around this time that the group recorded an entire LP to be released as a budget LP on Sidewalk. With cover tunes like "The Letter", "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Incense & Peppermints", this LP never got beyond the acetate stage.

However, this album may have come out as part of the masses of unknown Sidewalk or Tower albums undiscovered to this day! By 1968 the Painted Faces recorded some of their finest originals such as "Hard Life", "Lady", "Black Hearted Susan" and their own arrangement of "Play With Fire" done in 7/4 time. They even recorded a few Bee Gees tunes including "Birdie Told Me" which was supposed to be released as a single in the summer of '68.

Like countless other American 60's bands, the Vietnam War led to the ultimate demise of the group as the drummer Harry Bragg was drafted and had to fight for Uncle Sam. Without their long time drummer, the group faded into obscurity until some of their songs began to appear on various garage compilations in the early 80's.

This led to an entire new generation of Painted Faces fans who were captivated by their originality and superior songwriting ability. Thankfully, for fans old and new, their music has been preserved on this much deserved disc. Though there is some noticeable surface noise due to old acetates and lack of master tapes, the music itself has survived the test of time which is all that matters.... 

David L. Brown

Tracks
1. Anxious Color  (O'Neill, Turano) - 2:32
2. Want You  (Ron Elliot) - 3:03
3. Things We See  (O'Neill, Turano) - 2:07
4. She Don't Care About Time  (Gene Clark) - 2:21
5.1 Can't Wait  (O'Neill, Turano) - 2:12
6. Can't Stop Lovin' You  (Lombardo, Byrnes) -  2:25
7.1 Lost You In My Mind  (Schule, Turano) - 2:18
8.1 Think I'm Going Mad  (O'Neill, Turano) - 2:13
9. Don't Say She's Gone  (O'Neill, Turano) - 2:08
10. Girl, You're Growing Up  (O'Neill, Schule) - 2:15
11. Hard Life  (O'Neill, Schule) - 2:22
12. Incense & Peppermints  (Carter, Gilbert) - 2:26
13. Play With Fire  (Jagger, Jones, Richards, Watts, Wyman) - 2:59
14. Lady  (O'Neill, Schule) - 2:46
15. Black Hearted Susan  (O'Neill, Schule) - 3:42
16. Birdie told Me  (B. Gibb, R. Gibb, M. Gibb) - 2:33
17.1 Can't See Nobody  (B.Gibb, R. Gibb) - 3:41
18. Lonely People  (George Schule) - 2:20
19.1 Think Of You  (Schule, Turano) - 2:54
20. If You Go Away  (George Schule) - 1:57
21. And Now She Knows  (Schule, Turano) - 2:42
22. Close Your Mind  (George Schule) - 3:03
23. To Love Somebody (Bee Gees) - 3:09
24. Look Away (Spencer Davis) - 2:37
25. Good Day Sunshine (Beatles) - 2:08
26. Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore (Rascals) - 2:42
27. One Minute Woman (Bee Gees) - 2:17
28. A Day In The Life (Lennon) - 5:10
Tracks 23-28 Live recordings

Painted Faces
*Jack O'Neill - Vocals
*Craig Guild - Bass
*John McKinney - Bass
*Bruce Morford - Bass
*George Schule - Bass
*Jerry Turano - Guitar
*Harry Bragg - Drums
*George Ayers - Guitar
*Jack Ross - Guitar
*Tony Yadouga - Guitar
* Danny Toriello - Organ

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The New Race - The First And The Last (1981 us/aussie, total energy raw rock 'n roll, with Stooges, MC5 and Radio Birdman members, bonus tracks edition)

This album earned credibility for documenting a unique, one-off event. In 1981, ex-Radio Birdman bassist Warwick Gilbert, guitarist Deniz Tek, and vocalist Rob Younger saluted their influences by joining the Stooges' lead guitarist Ron Asheton and MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson for a six-week blitzkrieg of Australia. 

The notion made sense, since Radio Birdman had been acclaimed on their Australian home turf yet relegated to cult fodder elsewhere, while the MC5 and the Stooges had never been commercial propositions either. Still, once listeners pass the "punk summit" angle used in promoting the album, they'll find the fruits of this alliance impressive enough to warrant further exploration. 

Not surprisingly, there's strangled, slash-and-burn guitar playing aplenty on burners like "November 22, 1963," a conspiratorial recall of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. This track, by Asheton's major post-Stooges outlet, Destroy All Monsters, would undoubtedly win filmmaker Oliver Stone's approval. Tek's "Descent into the Maelstrom" and "Haunted Road" open similar forays into the fretboard jungle, while the Gilbert-Thompson axis never lets up, especially on the drummer's MC5 standard "Gotta Keep Movin'." 

As these choices show, the set draws evenly from across the board, with "Looking at You" nodding again, respectively, to the MC5 and the Stooges. Tek's moodier songs, "Breaks My Heart" and "Sad TV," inject variety into the proceedings, while time constraints only permitted one new song to emerge: "Columbia," whose propulsive riff and atypical space-travel theme closes the album on a powerful, decisive note. 

Strategically overdubbed backing vocals and guitar on three songs, which offers historical value from a one-off event that never occurred again. Tek's terse yet engaging liner notes aptly sum up the exercise: "Humor beats bitterness every time." It's hard to disagree when the evidence is this powerful. 

by Ralph Heibutzki

New Race was meant from the beginning to be a one-off project since all members had other commitments. They did a national tour of Australia in 1981, and recorded a live album, The First and the Last. The music was hard, fast rock in the style of the parent bands. Everyone involved had a great time on tour. The shows were packed with crazed punters.

New Race was an exciting line-up which featured Detroit legends Ron Asheton (Stooges) on guitar, Dennis Thompson (MC5) on the drums together with 3 ex Radio Birdman players, Deniz on guitar, Rob Younger on vocals and Warwick Gilbert on bass. They played a set of songs derived from The Stooges, MC5, Radio Birdman, the members current bands and one new song written jointly for the tour, Columbia. Chris Masuak guested at some shows, creating a monstrous three guitar version of the MC5's Looking At You.

Miscommunications and financial troubles later poisoned the waters for years to come, especially between Ron Asheton and tour/album financier Michael McMartin. Asheton released cassettes of shows to French label Revenge for the First to Pay album. The irony of the name of both the company and the album was not lost on Ron. Fortunately this did not affect relations between most of the band members, most of whom remain close friends to this day.

Of course, the Revenge releases feature the original vocal, which is felt by many to be superior in feeling and intensity to the overdubbed version. Never happy with his vocals, Rob had redone these in the studio for the album though the rest of it is truly live.

Denis Tek - Home Page

Tracks

1. Crying Sun (Warwick Gilbert, Deniz Tek) - 3:02

2. Haunted Road (Deniz Tek) - 3:46

3. Gotta Keep Movin' (Dennis Thompson) - 3:18

4. Breaks My Heart (Deniz Tek) - 3:10

5. Sad TV (Deniz Tek) - 4:08

6. Loose (Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Dave Alexander) - 3:09

7. November 22, 1963 (Ron Asheton, Lynn "Niagra" Rovner) - 5:20

8. Love Kills (Deniz Tek) - 3:51

9. Alone In The Endzone (Deniz Tek) - 2:09

10.Descent Into The Malestrom (Deniz Tek) - 4:19

11.Looking At You (Rob Tyner, Fred Smith, Michael Davis, Dennis Thompson, Wayne Kramer) - 7:03

12.Columbia (Ron Asheton, Warwick Gilbert, Deniz Tek, Dennis Thompson, Rob Younger) - 4:56

The New Race
*Ron Asheton - Guitar
*Warwick Gilbert - Bass
*Deniz Tek - Guitar, Vocals
*Dennis Thompson - Drums, Vocals
*Rob Younger - Lead Vocals
With
*Clyde Bramley - Vocals
*Pip Hoyle - Piano
*Chris Masuak - Guitar

Similar releases
1976-87  Various Artists - Do The Pop

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James Gang - Yer' Album (1969 us, classic rock, awesome debut album, japan SHM remaster)

The James Gang's debut LP, Yer' Album, was very much a first record and very much a record of its time. The heavy rock scene of the period was given to extensive jamming, and four tracks ran more than six minutes each. The group had written some material, but they were still something of a cover band, and the disc included their extended workouts on Buffalo Springfield's "Bluebird" and the Yardbirds' "Lost Woman," the latter a nine-minute version complete with lengthy guitar, bass, and drum solos. 

But in addition to the blues rock there were also touches of pop and progressive rock, mostly from Walsh who displayed a nascent sense of melody, not to mention some of the taste for being a cutup that he would display in his solo career. Walsh's "Take a Look Around" must have made an impression on Pete Townshend during the period before the album's release when the James Gang was opening for the Who since Townshend borrowed it for the music he was writing for the abortive Lifehouse follow-up to Tommy. 

If "Wrapcity (i.e., Rhapsody) in English," a minute-long piano and strings interlude, seems incongruous in retrospect, recall that this was an eclectic era. But the otherwise promising "Fred," which followed, broke down into a pedestrian jazz routine, suggesting that the band was trying to cram too many influences onto one record and sometimes into one song. 

Nevertheless, they were talented improvisers, as the open-ended album closer, Jerry Ragavoy and Mort Shuman's "Stop," made clear. After ten minutes, Szymczyk faded the track out, but Walsh was still going strong. Yer' Album contained much to suggest that the James Gang, in particular its guitarist, had a great future, even if it was more an album of performances than compositions. 

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
   1. Introduction (Bert de Coteaux, Jim Fox, Bill Szymczyk) - 0:40
   2. Take a Look Around (Joe Walsh) - 6:18
   3. Funk #48 (Jim Fox, Tom Kriss, Joe Walsh) - 2:46
   4. Bluebird (Stephen Stills) - 6:02
   5. Lost Woman (Jeff Beck, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith) - 9:06
   6. Stone Rap (Jim Fox, Tom Kriss, Bill Szymczyk, Joe Walsh) - 1:00
   7. Collage (Patrick Cullie, Joe Walsh) - 4:02
   8. I Don't Have the Time (Jim Fox, Joe Walsh) - 2:49
   9. Wrapcity in English (Joe Walsh) - 0:57
  10. Fred (Joe Walsh) - 4:09
  11. Stop (Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman) - 12:04

The James Gang
* Joe Walsh - Guitars, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals
* Tom Kriss - Bass Guitar, Flute, Vibraphone, Vocals
* Jim Fox - Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals

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Keef Hartley Band - The Battle Of North West Six (1969 uk, amazing blues rock with jazzy mood, 2008 Esoteric remaster)

In the late sixties, record companies such as Decca, EMI and Pye were all controlled by very old men. They had a combined age of 493 and were used to producing very unrock & roll artists like Norrie Paramor, Max Bygraves and Geoff Love (Manuel and his Music of the Mountains)! And Dick Rowe bless him, well enough said! The only one around with any great sense of vision was George Martin - he brought us the Goons – a great big breath of life in a growing schoolboy and, of course, that famous Liverpool quartet! 

Most of the traditional record companies were losing the plot; technology was going faster than their afterdinner brandies in the boardroom. I'd been working with several different producers and engineers in different studios as a session man. Regardless of what these major companies thought they were doing, it had become obvious to me that studio technology had left them behind and their pedigree, based on the fact that they had been around since the beginning of time, was not enough to convince anyone wanting more out of a recording studio than Max Bygraves! So enter the likes of Chris Blackwell and Terry Ellis and they realised, hang on a minute, we'll not only form our own label but we'll also invest in the latest studio technology. 

Between 1966 and 1970 I worked sessions in those studios and realised that their technology far outstripped that in the studios of Decca, Pye, EMI etc. Why should I bother with Decca who had no imagination - at the moment, at any rate, they couldn't see beyond Mantovani. Due to the impact of Halfbreed that contractually was only supposed to be a one off, Decca thought we'd better tie this guy up for more. I was offered an eight album deal but I said, look if you want that kind of commitment from me, I need better facilities, in other words I would like to use outside studios. George Martin had done it with Air Studios; Chrysalis had done it with their own studios so I didn't want to settle for less. 

Decca's 'new' studio was equipped with WWII surplus electronic equipment salvaged from Lancaster bombers or at-least it seemed that way to me! But, unfortunately and reluctantly I was forced to record the second album at Dacca's No.1 Studio but, as luck would have it, recording up in No.2 Studio was John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers with Mike Vernon as producer and Gus Dudgeon as engineer! We spent more time running up and down those stairs during the recording of The Battle of North West Six than we did recording the album as I had to take advice from Gus on the engineering problems we were having downstairs and he would say to our engineer Derek Varnels, "Listen Derek, throw away the book and the training manual - forget Mantovani - that way of recording doesn't exist anymore.

I couldn't get round Decca's edict regarding the studio operations but I worked around it by taking matters into my own hands and saying, "Sod the vu meters and the levels", I just wanted to use my ears to get the balance right. I was using brass players who were involved in the track just as much as drums or guitar and it was important to hear them at the appropriate times. So we got on with the work of producing the second album after the success of Halfbreed, but this time without the same restraints and the battle commenced. The all round fight was just about the lack of technology with Decca and not about the music. 

The album title was born from that fight (Decca studios being based at West Hampstead, London NW6) and "The Battle of North West Six" it was to be! Looking at the song writing credits, the name of 'Hewitson' appears on most tracks along with many others in the band. This was a Miller Anderson pseudonym, or to be more accurate, an allonym used for contractual reasons at the time, Hewitson being his wife's maiden name! The song writing was approached in several ways but ended up being by committee in most cases. 

More often than not Miller would come up with an idea or a sequence and Henry, Ian, Gary and myself would toss around ideas and fine tune them to the extent that Henry could then arrange the horn parts for the rest of the brass section. So everything was done within the band without the need to farm out the arranging to a third party. At the time of making this album I was sharing a flat with Bluesbreaker and band mate, Mick Taylor. He popped along to the studio whilst we were putting down the track 'Waiting Around' and he picked up a guitar and the track developed into a marathon as Henry Lowther and Harry Beckett went along for the ride at the end of the track; just pure inspiration. Another player on the album was Barbara Thompson, wife of Jon Hiseman; she was a great flautist (listen to Hickory). 

Lyn Dobson was a really versatile player – he could fit in to a section wonderfully and yet his soloing was just amazing - the two don't always go hand in hand in a band. In fact I was blessed with great players on all my albums and with the calibre of musicians such as Chris Mercer, Jim Jewell and Mick Weaver, how could you go wrong? Ian Cruickshank's guitar intro on the track 'Poor Mabel (You're Just Like Me)' is a great example of his inventiveness and a looped sample of this riff appears from time to time on TV programmes like 'Flog It' and adverts! As far as drums were concerned I was just the catalyst, driving the rhythm section along with Gary Thain. Gary had a great talent and died at far too young an age. 

The reason we recorded the only cover on the album, Albert King's 'Me and My Woman' was to feature Gary's bass line which drove the track along beautifully. With fourteen musicians to organise and all of the technical toing and froing it's amazing to think that the whole album was recorded in just a two-week period!

by Keef Hartley, March 2008

Tracks
1. The Dansette Kid / Hartley Jam for Bread (Hewitson, James, Hartley, Thain) - 3:59
2. Don't Give Up (Hewitson, James, Hartley, Thain) - 4:07
3. Me And My Woman (Barge) - 4:24
4. Hickory (Hewitson, James, Hartley, Thain) - 2:45
5. Don't Be Afraid (Hewitson, James, Hartley, Dines, Thain) - 4:25
6. Not Foolish, Not Wise (Hewitson, James, Hartley, Thain) - 3:56
7. Waiting Around (Hewitson, Hartley, Thain) - 2:29

8. Tadpole (Hewitson, Hartley, Thain) - 7:00
9. Poor Mabel (You're Just Like Me) (Hewitson, James, Hartley, Thain) - 3:08
10.Believe In You (Hewitson, Hartley, Thain) - 5:23

Keef Hartley Band
*Keef Hartley - Drums, Percussion
*Miller Anderson - Vocal, Guitars
*Henry Lowther - Trumpet, Fluegelhorn, Violin
*Jim Jewell - Tenor Saxophone
*Gary Thain - Bass Guitar
Additional Musicians
*Mike Davis - Trumpet
*Harry Beckett - Trumpet, Fluegelhorn
*Lynn Dobson - Tenor Saxophone, Flute
*Chris Mercer - Tenor Saxophone
*Barbara Thompson - Baritone Saxophone, Flute
*Spit James - Guitar
*Ray Warleigh - Flute
*Mick Weaver - Organ, Piano, Percussions
*Mick Taylor - Guitar

Keef Hartley's brands
1968-72  Not Foolish Not Wis
1969  Halfbreed (2008 Esoteric)
1970  Overdog (2005 Eclectic)
1971  Little Big Band
1972  Lancashire Hustler (2008 Esoteric)

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Estes Brothers - Transitions (1971 us, stunning underground hard psych blues rock, 2002 bonus tracks remaster)

A long time in coming, but well worth the wait. This album contains the first efforts of a group that has endured all the changes of the fast changing music scene. I personally feel they have made all the necessary transitions. Not only does the album contain beautiful slow type ballads, but it moves easily into hard rock in grand fashion. 

Each member of the "Estes Brothers" puts forth fantastic energy and drive into each number and everyone gets his own style across in the last cut of side two. Lead guitarist, John Estes, and drummer, Joe Estes, have been together for as long as two brothers can be. Don Smith and Bill Marren have both paid their dues in different groups. We hope you take the album, relax, and get right into the music. 

Share it with a friend! I feel this is only the beginning of some great music that we'll be hearing from the "Estes Brothers." Anyone lucky enough to have heard the group perform will notice a definite change in their live music. This is an indication of the varied talents each member possesses. In this, their first album, each of them has one of his own original numbers included. 

This is advantageous as they do not depend solely upon one member for their material. Is it any wonder,with this type of attutide and talent, fame is predicted for the "Estes Brothers!"

by Milan R. Relic

The Estes Brothers are from a family of 7 brothers and 5 sisters. The beginning of Estes Bros, was late Bro. Bill on vocals and harmonica. Jerry keyboards, John guitar and late Bro. Joe on drums with Richard managing the band in 1966. 

From 1966 till present there has been 38 different members and numerous styles of music, but always leading back to Blues and Rock. At present, the band line up is Jerry as original member on keyboards and bass. John also original member on guitar. Jerry's son Brian, on drums and vocals, and our great friend and guitarist Dennis Caldweall. When the album was done Jerry was in the army from 1969-71, but recorded on Tomorrows Sunlight/ Yesterdays Blues. Joe was 14. Jerry 15 and John 18, Fred Hanker played bass - the recording took 3 hrs! We wrote the songs on the way to the studio. 

The album cost 500 Dollars to record and we only had 1 song written plus at that time Bill Marren had about 3 songs. It took 8 hrs of Jamming and partying. Only one song "Wooden Thoughts" was rehearsed, and 100 demo copies were made.

Tracks
1. Never Coming Down (Bill Marren) - 3:34
2. This Morning (Bill Marren) - 9:22
3. Wooden Thoughts (Don Smith) - 4:54
4. Do What Is Real (Joe Estes) - 5:19
5. Let Me Live My Own Life (Bill Marren) - 6:10
6. Gary's Thought (John Estes) - 6:02
7. Tomorrow's Sunlight (Joe Estes) - 2:14
8. On The Wings Of A Butterfly - 3:45
9. Love Is All I Need - 4:04
10.Tomorrow's Sunlight - 2:46
11.Wooden Thoughts (Don Smith) - 4:54

12.All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan) - 6:39
13.Blue Skies - 4:05
14.Woman - 6:22

Tracks 1-6 were recorded at Edcom Productions, Cleveland, 1971 

Tracks 8-11 were recorded live

Tracks 12-14 were recorded at home

Estes Brothers
*Don Smith - Bass Guitar
*Bill Marren - Piano, Vocals
*John Estes - Lead Guitar
*Joe Estes - Drums. Vocals

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Deep Feeling - Pretty Colours (1966-68 uk, marvelous psychedelic mod beat with Jim Capaldi, Luther Grosvenor, Poli Palmer and Gordon Jackson)

Formed from the ashes of beat band The Hellions in 1966, the short-lived Deep Feeling were one of most adventurous bands of their time.  Featuring Jim Capaldi (Traffic), Luther Grosvenor (Spooky Tooth, Mott the Hoople) Poli Palmer (Blossom Toes, Family), Gordon Jackson (later to make a classic solo LP) and Dave Meredith they wowed London audiences with their audacious brand of exotic proto-psychedelia, even backing Jimi Hendrix at his first UK gig. Tragically however, Capaldi departed to form Traffic during the sessions for their debut album (produced by former Yardbirds and Rolling Stones manager Giorgio Gomelsky) and the tapes were shelved.....until now.

The remarkable tracks make their first-ever appearance here together with demos made by Poli palmer and Gordon Jackson in 1967 and a song featuring the duo backed by The Blossom Toes.  The CD which is available from www.sunbeamrecords.com/ comes with a 12 page packed booklet with detailed reminiscences from  Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson and Giorgio Gomelsky amongst others together with rare photographs.

Gordon Jackson said:
“Hi, it is so nice to eventually put this album out, though it seems so long ago. I had kept copies on two track tapes of these songs in a cardboard box for 40 years. They survived a flood, storage in a shed and some had been over recorded on a quarter track machine when tape was needed for other songs. Poli Palmer did miracles getting the quality we have, which is not brilliant, but the atmosphere is preserved.

The original masters were dumped when Marmalade folded and I had taken home rough mix copies of the unfinished recordings. The originals were of course recorded by Giorgio Gomelsky. On the Sunbeam re-release Poli and I selected what was in any way useable and Poli worked on the quality. He had to deal with stretched tape, had to edit and chop to fill gaps which were faded or missing. ‘Spell on you’ was from two different recordings, one from the Hellions with Dave Mason on guitar, and the other with Deep Feeling and Luther.

The five studio tracks were all recorded in a couple of sessions at Rymuse in London with Giorgio Gomelsky producing. Listening afresh again we are pleased with them. I think the band was hot at that time, we had been in France for five weeks playing every night. The songs are good and were ground breaking then, very Gothic and progressive. Jim's vocals were great and Luther has some shining moments. Poli's love for Dubussy and jazz, together with his skill on vibes and flute is obvious. My part was in the writing. I wrote the lyrics, and Poli, Jim and I put the songs together.

We all sang harmonies. We were all devastated when Jim announced he was leaving and we decided not to go on with Deep Feeling. Luther joined the VIP's then Spooky Tooth and later Stealers Wheel, Widowmaker, and Mott the Hoople. Poli and me did some song writing for a year before going our separate ways, he to Ecclection and Family, while I did my solo album 'Thinking Back'. We have included some demo's of a few songs on this album. Also a couple of live tracks - one recorded on my dads old reel to reel off an old radio when we did a session on Radio Free Europe, the other by someone at the Elbow Room in Birmingham.UK. Goodness knows on what, probably a reel to reel domestic tape recorder. I kept close contact with Jim right up to his death. I miss him greatly.”

Tracks
1. Pretty Colours (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:03
2. The Ruin (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:31
3. Chicken George (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 2:36
4. The Necessitarian (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:14
5. Or Something (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:36
6. I Put A Spell On You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) - 2:30
7. Coming Home Baby (Ben Tucker, Bob Dorough) - 3:13
8. I Don't Know Her Too Well (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:22
9. On The Circle Of Life (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 4:05
10.To A Lady In Black (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:41
11.Imaginations Of Alice (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:22
12.Blues For Witley (John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:48

Deep Feeling
*Jim Capaldi - Vocals, Drums
*Luther Grosvenor - Guitar, Vocals
*Gordon Jackson - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals,
*Dave Meredith - Bass
*John "Poli" Palmer - Drums, Flute, Vibes

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The Rare Breed - The Super K Kollection (1966-67 us, splendid garage beat psych)

When Jeffrey Katz and Jerry Kasenetz discovered The Rare Breed in a New York City club playing cover versions of other artists' hit records under the name "The Conquests", they were impressed enough with their tightness and versatility to take the aspiring stars into a recording studio to see if they cut the mustard on tape. 

These earliest sessions yielded seven or eight tracks, including "Mickey's Monkey", a Smokey Robinson & The Miracles song, which was a popular staple in the repertoires of Brooklyn/Long Island "white soul bands" such as The Young Rascals, The Rationals and dozens of others. Many of these groups remain unknown to the public at large and are largely forgotten by record collectors in general. 

The Rare Breed, though, were given a shot at success by Kasenetz and Katz, two extremely energetic young producers who already had a relative hit with Crazy Elephant's "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin" and an acknowledged smash with The Music Explosion's "Little Bit 0' Soul". The "Super K" team, who would spend days (and nights) at Southern Music and other publishers looking for the right song and the next potential hit, presented The Rare Breed with "Beg, Borrow And Steal". 

The record was clearly and humorously a knock-off ol "Louie, Louie", but it worked as a new record and Kasenetz and Katz, who released the single on their Attack label, felt they had a hit. There was a hitch: getting airplay in New York is tough. The two producers discovered that it was far easier to break a record in the midwest and their success with The Music Explosion (from Mansfield, Ohio) bore that out. The Brooklyn-based Rare Breed were now presented as an Ohio band, at least to the radio programmers in Dayton. Jeff and Jerry were correct in assuming a predisposition of radio stations to play songs by local artists.

After Jeff ( Katz ) and Jerry ( Kasenetz ) took the master, they found other people to make the tour). As evidenced by these archival tracks, the band was a sublime amalgam of The Beatles, The Seeds, The Zombies and The Ventures. Throw in a little Tony Orlando and Duprees schmaltz and you have it. This record sounds better now than it did in '67. It's interesting to note that "Beg, Borrow And Steal" was later released in a different version by a group Super K dubbed "The Ohio Express". (No one who made the original Rare Breed "Beg Borrow and Steal" played on any Ohio Express album). 

Their version of this record received far more attention and it is that version that most people are familiar with. Locating original copies of Rare Breed recordings is almost impossible. Most discographies do not document them, and even hardcore collectors didn't realize that this album existed-indeed a Rare Breed!

by Stephen Kaplan

Tracks
1. Beg, Borrow And Steal - 2:30
2. Lightning Doesn't Strike Twice - 2:40
3. Lonely Nights - 2:24
4. I Won't Be There - 2:00
5. Where Are You Going To - 2:38
6. All Alone - 2:02
7. Bad Girl - 2:22
8. City Girl - 2:14
9. Dark Nights And Mornings - 2:05
10.Mickey's Monkey - 2:19

The Rare Breed 
*Barry Stolnick - Keyboards
*John Freno - Vocals, Lead Guitar
*Alexander (Botts) Norbett - Bass
*Joel Feigenbaum - Rhythm Guitar
*Tony Cambria - Drums
*Jim Pfayler - Organ

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Julie Felix - Flowers (1967 us, beautiful vocal sunshine folk rock, Vinyl release)

Julie Felix isn't too well-known in her native United States, but since 1964 she's been a major British folk music star and has been compared over there with Joan Baez. Felix was born in California, of mixed Mexican and Native American ancestry. 

A natural singer by inclination, she was drawn to folk music at an early age but was unable to get a career started in America, even amid the folk revival of the early '60s. In 1964, she decided to go hitchhiking across Europe, and instead of heading home at the end of her travels she made England her destination. She arrived there just in time to catch a fresh wave of enthusiasm for American folk music, fostered by Bob Dylan's emergence internationally as a singer and songwriter. 

American folk musicians had always found a welcome among England's folk enthusiasts, but just then, thanks to Dylan, the sheer number of folk listeners had ballooned to massive proportions. Felix also found a natural audience for her work -- she had an engaging voice and manner, a distinctive Mexican guitar (a gift from her father), and her combined Mexican and Native American backgrounds, which made her stand out from other of her compatriots, who were white and male. And suddenly, Felix had a major career -- the same year that she arrived in England, she became the first solo folk performer signed to a major British label when she got a contract from English Decca.

Felix debuted with a self-titled album and a single of Ian Tyson's, "Someday Soon," and she also scored a hit on television, on The Eammon Andrews Show. By 1965, she was a headlining performer, referred to in The London Times as Britain's First Lady of Folk. She cut two more LPs for Decca over the next two years, including an album of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie songs, and was also one of the biggest exponents of the work of Leonard Cohen before he'd established himself beyond a small cult of listeners in England. She also began getting recognized for her commitment to charitable causes, and not only raised money for hunger relief but visited several of the more troubled countries in the Third World. 

By the end of 1965, she'd filled Royal Albert Hall for one of her concerts, reportedly the first folksinger based in England to accomplish that feat. In 1966, she moved to the Fontana label, for which she cut three albums -- her 1966 album, Changes, is regarded as one of her best, mixing traditional and contemporary material and utilizing the support of Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick; meanwhile, on-stage, she came under the wing of Brian Epstein, who booked her and Georgie Fame together at the Saville Theatre, with a then-unknown Cat Stevens appearing as the opening act.

By 1967, she was well enough established to be a featured weekly guest on David Frost's television series, and by 1968 had earned her own television variety series, with guests that included Dusty Springfield, Leonard Cohen, Donovan, and Richard Harris. Her late-'60s recordings included Going to the Zoo, a delightful collection of children's songs on Fontana, and in 1969 she was one of the artists featured at the Isle of Wight Festival. Finally, in 1970, Felix had her first pop hit when she reached the British Top 20 with her version of "El Condor Pasa," recorded under the auspices of producer Mickie Most -- indeed, Felix was the first artist on Most's newly formed RAK label to have a hit record, and she later recorded the album Clotho's Web (1972) for RAK. 

She also made her long-delayed debut on American television, courtesy of her longtime friend David Frost, who booked her on his Metromedia-produced talk show. Felix scored a second hit for Most with her cover of "Heaven Is Here" before moving to EMI in 1974.

The mid-'70s marked a period of extreme change for Felix, who was an unapologetic 1960s liberal with a strong commitment to social issues. She became disillusioned with the direction of the world as the '70s wore on, with their more hedonistic orientation. Finding northern Europe a more agreeable place to live and work, she moved to Norway and subsequently enjoyed hit records both there and in Sweden. 

Felix returned to California late in the decade and used the time to recharge her social conscience -- by the early '80s, she was heavily involved in the human rights campaign in Latin America. She returned to England and resumed her career, writing songs for the first time and directing her activities toward new age philosophy and interests, in addition to political issues. In the mid-'90s, Felix released her first new album in a decade, Bright Shadows, on her own label, Remarkable Records. 

At the outset of the 21st century, she continues to enjoy a full schedule of performances in England and attention from old listeners who remember her from the 1960s and newer audiences who know Felix for her 1990s music. Her new music has received mixed critical and popular reception, but her 1960s repertory still elicits serious enthusiasm from her audience. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. The Flower Lady (P. Ochs) - 4:33
2. Mexico (Sand And Foam) (Donovan) - 2:10
3. Dialogue (I Want To Be Alone) (Jackson C. Frank) - 3:15
4. Soldat (Wolf Bierman) - 1:53
5. Somewhere There’s Gotta Be Me (Clint Ballard Jr) - 2:11
6. The Gates Of Eden (B. Dylan) - 5:07
7. San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) (J. Phillips) - 3:02
8. The Great Brain Robbery (Julie Felix, J. Melon) - 1:48
9. Saturday Night (Donovan) - 2:34
10.Don’t Make Promises (T. Hardin) - 2:34
11.Berlin (Julie Felix) - 2:09
12.Chimes of Freedom (B. Dylan) - 6:03

Julie Felix - Vocals, Guitar

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Legend - Moonshine (1972 uk, third album, superb boogie rock, Repertoire extra tracks limited issue)

Originally released in 1972 (on the Vertigo label) Legend's third album, Moonshine, gets out into the sun again (via the Repertoire imprint) as a 2500-copy limited edition. The band represented here was the "Mark III" version, consisting of John Bobin, Mo Witham, Bob Clouter and the legendary Mickey Jupp. 

The sound is fairly raw throughout, with the kind of loose, relaxed musicianship that comes from pro cats getting down and having fun. Rock, blues, country and a touch of traditional balladeering inform each of the disc's 13 tracks and find the group right at home with those stylistic touchstones. 

Whether they're stripped-down and rockin' (as on the rousing "Moonshine" and "Captain Cool") or dramatic and string-filled (the plaintive "Another Guy" and "The Writer of Songs") there's an element of toughness that keeps the band from ever sounding stuffy, and it's that same barroom machismo that makes this record stand out as a near-classic example of down-home, '70s British rock done correctly -- with fun and chutzpah in equal amounts. 

by J. Scott McClintock

Tracks
1. Moonshine (Jupp, Legend) - 3:49
2. Another Guy - 3:30
3. Mother of My Child - 3:25
4. Captain Cool (Jupp, Legend) - 1:43
5. Ausfahrt - 0:56
6. Eingang - 0:41
7. Shine on My Shoes (Jupp, Legend) - 2:50
8. The Writer of Songs - 4:57
9. Local Folk'ol - 3:04
10.At the Shop - 2:52
11.Just Because - 3:51
12.Don't You Never - 2:58
13.Someday - 2:16
All songs by Mickey Jupp unless otherwise written.

Legend
*John Bobin - Lead Guitar, Bass, Spanish Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Clouter - Drums
*Mickey Jupp - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Piano
*Mo Witham - Lead Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Guitar, Spanish Guitar, Vocals

more Legend
1971  Legend (Red Boot)

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Rain - Live Christmas Night (1971 us, powerful classic rock with hard blues shades, Radioactive release)

Rain formed in New York City, somewhere round 1970. Guitarist Helmut Getto and singer Bard Morse where mates in a previous band called The Invisible Sideshow, together with John Castronova, and Kit Nelson who where members also for N.Y. Rochsester's band called The Quirks, between 1964 to 1967.

Rain recorded and self-released this Live album from a concert Christmas night at the Mariner Hotel. The album did well and soon after their released the single "No Money", and went on to a studio to prepare their full lenght album, but i suppose it has been forgotten and lost in some drawer. 

Their sound is classic rock mixed with smokey blues rock,  featuring  knock-out rockers like “Billy Goat” and Chuck Berry’s “Tulane.”  The band toured regionally, and opened for bigger acts at the time like Nazareth and The Amboy Dukes.

Tracks
1. Tulane - 3:42
2. Billy Goat - 4:31
3. Boogie With Me Mama - 5:28
4. C. C. Rider - 8:11
5. Movin' On - 7:00
6. Tater Pie - 4:03
7. Built For Comfort - 7:22

Rain
*Brad Morse - Vocals
*Helmut Getto - Guitar
*Ted Paris - Bass
*Mich Guerin - Drums
*Gary Culotta - Piano

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Grapes Of Wrath - Grapes Of Wrath (1964-73 us, fine garage beat psych, Gear Fab issue)

The sixties were a very exciting time in history, and musically, a very magical time. When people think of the sixties, mod clothing, protest marches, long hair (though by today's standards hair was comparably short) and the British rock and roll invasion all come to mind. 

As a result of that invasion, rock and roll groups sprang up on every corner of every city large and small across the nation, and Phoenix was no exception. I remember it fondly, as I was one of the thousands of young boys who combed his hair forward in an effort to emulate John Lennon and Paul McCartney. So were Steve and Michael Whitehurst, Stuart Wood and Brent Burns. 

Collectively, we were the Grapes of Wrath, one of about a dozen of the more popular rock groups around Phoenix between 1964 and 1973. The material on this album is a very good representation of our direction as writers and sound as a unit. The Grapes were unique because of those Phoenix bands that were lucky enough to find themselves in a recording studio, we were one of the few that recorded primarily original material. 

We also had the advantage of regular access to professional recording gear at live performances, which we made use of frequently. As a result, there is a considerable collection of live and studio tapes available on the Grapes, some of which are represented on this album. 

by John Hesterman

Tracks
1. If Anyone Should Ask (Steve Whitehurst, Tony Bacak) - 2:35
2. Not A Man (Steve Whitehurst , Stuart Wood) - 2:46
3. Irene (Steve Whitehurst) - 2:13
4. Life's Not For Me (Only For You) (Steve Whitehurst, Stuart Wood) - 4:06
5. Have A Good Time On Me (Steve Whitehurst) - 2:34
6. Bawm Diddy (Wipe Out) (The Safaris, S. Whitehurst, M. Whitehurst, J. Hesterman, S. Wood) - 2:44
7. Makin' It Through ’71 (Steve Whitehurst) - 2:30
8. If You Leave Me (Steve Whitehurst, Brian Allan Black) - 2:51
9. I'm In Love With You (Brian Allan Black, Steve Whitehurst, Sheldon Skinkle) - 2:14
10.The Party's Over (Steve Whitehurst, John Hesterman) - 2:49
11.For Awhile (Steve Whitehurst, Brian Allan Black, John Hesterman) - 2:32
12.Shades Of Lillian White (Steve Whitehurst) - 2:47
13.If She Leaves Me (Steve Whitehurst, John Hesterman) - 4:25
14.Suicide (Steve Whitehurst) - 3:30

Grapes Of Wrath
*Steve Whitehurst - Drums, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Michael Whitehurst - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Stuart Wood - Bass, Vocals
*John Hesterman - Organ, Drums, Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Vocals
*Brent Burns - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

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Legend - Legend (Red Boot) (1971 uk , roots rock, pub rock, Repertoire bonus tracks edition)

In some circles, Mickey Jupp is something of a minor legend, a roots rocker with excellent taste and a cutting wit, best heard on the songs "Switchboard Susan" and "You'll Never Get Me Up in One of Those," both covered by Nick Lowe. 

Basher's endorsement is a clear indication that Jupp is a pub rocker, a guy who specializes in laid-back good times, so it shouldn't come as a great surprise that his first band, Legend, was proto-pub, an unabashed celebration of old-time rock & roll, filled with three-chord Chuck Berry rockers and doo wop backing vocals. Nevertheless, listening to their 1970 LP is a bit of a shock, as it's completely disassociated with anything that was happening in 1970, even with Tony Visconti enlisted as their producer. 

Legend's sensibility is ahead of its time in its retro thinking, pointing the way to the rock & roll revival of the late '70s and not even that similar to the country-rock of Eggs Over Easy or Bees Make Honey, as this has little of the rustic feel of the Band: it's just straight-up oldies rock, a trait emphasized by those incessant doo wop harmonies that are on almost every cut on this LP (but do disappear on the bonus live cuts on the Repertoire reissue, possibly because they were too busy playing to harmonize). 

Those harmonies and the light, almost goofy, touch of Jupp's writing here distinguish Legend and also illustrate why they made no waves in 1970; it's hard to see the counterculture getting roused over the verse "If you were an apple you'd be/Good good eating/If you were a book you'd be/Good good reading." 

These slightly silly flourishes do have a lot in common with the wry humor of Nick Lowe, who at this time was denying this mischievous streak as he attempted to sound like Crosby, Stills & Nash, but at this point, Jupp was largely on his own doing this light, good-time pub rock. That may be why it sank without a trace at the time, but heard apart from its era, Legend is a minor delight, one of the first flowerings of the pub rock sensibility. 

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks
1. Cross Country - 3:28
2. Cheque Book - 3:22
3. Lorraine, Pt. 1 - 2:58
4. Nothing Wrong with Me - 2:06
5. Somebody in Love - 2:42
6. Goin' To - 2:37
7. Anything You Do - 3:08
8. My Typewriter - 2:57
9. Five Years - 3:00
10. Hole in My Pocket - 2:09
11. Lorraine, Pt. 2 - 3:34
12. I Feel Like Sleeping - 3:16
13. Life - 3:02
14. Late Last Night (Single B-Side) - 3:54
15. Don't You Never - 2:56
16. Someday (Single B-Side) - 2:16
All songs by Mickey Jupp

Legend
*John Bobin - Bass, Vocals
*Bill Fifield - Drums
*Mickey Jupp - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Mo Witham - Guitar, Vocals

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Flat Earth Society - Waleeco And The Lost / Space Kids (1967-68 us, fantastic bosstown psychedelic rock including an audio fairy tale)

It's strange how sometimes art is created when you least suspect it. Take for example two innovative Sixties rock bands from Boston, Massachusetts, namely the Lost and The Flat Earth Society. Both groups were hired by prominent New England organizations to produce original music for commercial products. Specifically candy bars and cereal.

In the winter of 1968, the Boston advertising firm Quinn and Johnson contracted a young rock group from Lynn to produce both an album and a jingle for their client, the F. B. Washburn Candy Company. Inside each Waleeco candy bar that year was a mail order coupon that advertised the Flat Earth Society's "Stereo LP Record Album"for $1.50 and six candy bar wrappers.

This premium was marketed by Fleetwood Recording Studio in Revere and was released on their own custom label. Although it's unknown how many units actually sold it's an inevitable fact that in 1974 Fleetwood threw out scores of 25-count boxes of the LP in the dumpster. Luckily the mastertapes have survived and film that the agency shot of the band during a recording session still exist. The"Waleeco" jingle that graced the radio waves back then seems to have gone the way of the pterodactyl but fans should note that it was a sixty-second adaptation of Four & Twenty Miles.

Now for the first time, the "tru-fidelity" stereo mixes can be heard as they were originally intended. When the album was mastered back in 1968, the engineer destroyed the magnificient stereo imaging by blending the two sides together into a mono sound. As you'll immediately hear in this new digital transfer taken directly from the original 1 /4-inch mastertapes, many songs have the basic instrumental tracks on the left while the right channel has the music sent through the "infamous" Fleetwood plate reverb.

A dramatic use of stereo occurs halfway through the opening track Feelin' Much Better, in which a mysterious psychedelic whoosh (actually an aerosal can sprayed into a bucket) slowly pans from right to left and then back again. For better or worse,  imperfections in the crude equipment become obvious with the digital CD format. Overmodulated piano chords show up in the loud moments of Dark Street Downtown. In Satori, the dirt in the faders becomes alarmingly apparent while it was mostly masked by the limitations of the vinyl format (being the last track on a side which is known for having less-than-perfect sound also worked in their favor).

Dated hype on the album jacket notwithstanding, the Flat Earth Society masterfully present a truly eclectic body of work nothing short of brilliant. Devoid of the pitfalls and bad  reputation that the "Bosstown Sound" earned through the passage of time, Waleeco is the perfect period piece capturing a society in transition.

While Barry and the Remains were considering New England’s answer to the Beatles the Lost followed their footsteps of The Rolling Stones. Through never quite achieving sainthood as their friendly rivals did with help of Father Time, the Lost did manage to release three excellent singles for Capitol plus some startling unreleased material that will someday hopefully see the light of day.

Similiarily in 1967, Pat Hall, founder of Children's World Productions hired WGBH-TVs  award winning director Fred Barzyk and national program director Ken Manley and commissioned the Lost to promostly to produce the theme song as well as incidental music for Space Kids, a thirty-minute audio fairy tale.  The band booked time at Triple A  Studio in Dorchester and recorded songs, stingers, mood pieces and experimental sounds which were later incorporated into the final mix.

For the first time ever, we present the entire half-hour production along with the cornplete music track composed by the Lost. Originally conceived as a full length LP, this project was created on spec and intended to be sold as a premium on the back of cereal boxes. After shopping the idea around, the agency unfortunately had no takers. Thus the project was permanently shelved. Or at least until now.

In the decades that have passed, Space Kids seems to have more in common with Buck Rogers than NASA. The story may seem a little campy, but hey, don't Star Trek space suits smack of H. G. Wells? When you get right down to it, good fairytales are basically the same old recycled plot in which good inevitably triumphs over evil. So get ready to "unlock anchor device, reset anchor locking, prime atomic fired rockets, set timing, adjust instruments, automatic navigator prime, radar and tracking cameras checked, set firing rockets, prepare for countdown, begin countdown, 10-9-8-7-6- 5-4-3-2-1-ignition, blast off..."

Tracks
Flat Earth Society "Waleeco"
1 Feelin' Much Better (Kerivan, Dubuque) - 2:27
2 Midnight Hour (Picketty, Cropper) - 3:38
3 I'm So Happy (Kerivan, Dubuque) - 1:57
4 When You're There (Kerivan, Dubuque) - 1:58
5 Four & Twenty Miles (Kerivan, Dubuque) - 1:56
6 Prelude For The Town Monk (Kerivan) - 3:10
7 Shadows (Kerivan) - 1:54
8 Dark Street Downtown (Kerivan) - 3:45
9 Portrait In Grey (Kerivan, Doyle) - 5:05
10 In My Window (Kerivan, Doyle) - 2:11
11 Satori (Kerivan, Doyle) - 3:30
Space Kids
12 Space Kids - Part 1 – 15:06
13 Space Kids - Part 2 - 15:19
The Lost
14-29 The Lost-Incidental Music To'Space Kids - 15.00

The Flat Earth Society
*Jack Kerivan - Piano, Organ, Vocal
*Phil Dubuque - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocal
*Rick Doyle - Lead Guitar, Tambourine, Vocal
*Curt Girard - Drums
*Paul Carter - Bass, Vocal

The Lost
*Ted Myers - Guitar, Vocal
*Kyle Garrahan - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Willie Alexander - Keyboards, Vocals
*Walter Powers - Bass, Organ, Vocals
*Lee Mason - Drums, Percussion

Space Kids Voices
*Fred Barzyk - Zem
*Ken Manley - Captain Brown
*Pat Hall - Ground Base Control
*Two Unknown Child Actors - Chris/Tim

Space Kids
*Produced By Pat Hall For Children's World Productions
*Directed By Fred Barzyk
*Written By Michael Leech
Recorded At Triole A Studio, Dorchester, Ma

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