The Firebirds, a completely anonymous British session band, released ‘Light My Fire‘. Now, the Doors hit of the same name doesn’t really show up on the album, although it’s main hook is alluded to in one song and even though one song IS called ‘Light My Fire’ that isn’t the one!
Stylistically, LMF doesn’t sound anything like Jim Dandy & The Knobs. In fact, the intended effect – a Hendrix Experience clone – ends up sounding like Jack Bruce of Cream fronting first LP Black Sabbath mocking the Experience! It’s incredible in just how over the top it goes:
The guitar is brutal, taking on an almost ‘My War‘ era Greg Ginn (Black Flag) feel on the LP’s best track ‘No Tomorrows’. It just squeals with that tortured amp buzz, like Blue Cheer‘s ‘Vincebus Eruptum’ , but even dirtier, if you can believe that. If you’re a Tony Iommi freak, prepare to be surprised when you hear this guy pulling out the licks to ‘Paranoid’ two years before that song existed!
The drummer is particularly entertaining in his "Mitch Mitchell" approach. I think there may be one steady beat throughout the entire record. This guy is a fill machine- it’s absurd! Plus, the record contains a three solo suite “Free Fuzz / Free Bass / Free Drums”. The highlight here is “Free Bass”.
The bassist isn’t really skilled enough to do a proper solo, and hearing him struggle through it is a Spinal Tap worthy moment. Like I said earlier, the singer has a Jack Bruce-ish quality, but then does himself no favors by employing Hendrix speak on ‘Gypsy Fire’. It must be heard to be believed!
Now, remember, this isn’t a real band – just some salary guys with guitars and no control over the end product. As such, the track ‘Warm Up’ is just not the same band. It may have a few of the same players, but it doesn’t even remotely approach the sound of the rest of the album.
by Marshottentot
Tracks
1. Warm Up - 2:30
2. Reflections - 4:23
3. By Baby - 5:29
4. Free Bass - 2:38
5. Free Drum - 4:31
6. Free Fuzz/Gypsy Fire - 2:39
7. No Tomorrows - 5:02
8. Light My Fire - 4:18
One of the first acts signed to Bill Graham's Fillmore label, 1969's "Resurrection" teamed the band with producer David Rubinson. As one might have guessed from the album title (let alone the back cover which showed three crosses), their sophomore effort found the band pursuing a pseudo-religious agenda. In spite of occasionally clunky lyrics and an irritating degree of echo, Ceballos-penned material such as "God Is Back In Town," the ballad "Only I Know" and " Today and Tomorrow" wasn't half bad.
Boasting a nifty Ceballos guitar solo, the stately title track was our nomination for standout track. Elsewhere, the driving "Bye Bye Baby" and "Little Brown Hen" recalled Quicksilver Messenger Service. Commercially the set did nothing; the trio calling it quits shortly thereafter.
Tracks
1. God Is Back In Town - 5:22
2. Resurrection - 5:24
3. Only I Know - 3:55
4. Bye Bye Baby - 3:42
5. Today and Tomorrow - 7:28
6. Little Brown Hen - 2:48
7. Aum - 6:01
8. Pachuko Boogie - Preserve Your Mama (A. Ammons) - 1:15
All songs written by Wayne Ceballos except where noted.
AUM
*Wayne Ceballos - Guitar, Organ, Lead Vocals, Harmonica
*Ken Newell - Bass, Vocals
*Larry Martin - Drums, Vocals
This post is dedicated to Nelwizard by Jim the Greek
“Destroy That Boy!”, the sequel to 2004’s “Girls With Guitars”, delves into the world of garage femmes and all-girl bands in a quest to prove that females of the species do indeed rock, roll and even snarl. In the post-Beatles beat boom, many an impressionable lass was inspired to take guitar in hand and toe the line with their male counterparts, with at least 160 touring female bands in the USA alone. A select few hit the recording studio to leave their aural mark on the decade, from which Ace has melded the cream of crop with some solo sisters to create another healthy 24-track dose of girl garage goodness.
This time old Blighty has its share of representatives, including fully-fledged female groups She Trinity and the Liverbirds. She Trinity – whose original members hailed from the UK, Canada and the USA, hence their somewhat confusing moniker – appear with their first and last (and most acclaimed) singles. The Liverbirds’ success was limited to their adoptive home of Germany, where they recorded two albums of R&B and rock’n’roll covers, three of which are showcased here. Schoolgirl duo the Termites get their pincers into a Stones classic, while South African ex-pat Sharon Tandy and Coventry’s Beverley Jones give out some gutsy performances too.
From across the Atlantic, alluring society girls the What Four open proceedings. The cover shows the Debutantes from Detroit, whose talents and glamorous image scored them a far-eastern tour and gigs alongside Motown’s finest. Another pivotal group was the Feminine Complex, formed by lead guitarist and songwriter Mindy Dalton, who achieved the rare feat of releasing an LP, but here we’re treated to two demos, including their wonderfully lo-fi version of the Monkees’ ‘(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone’, cut in their first incarnation as the Pivots.
Elsewhere come the Starlets with an attitude-soaked take on ‘You Don’t Love Me’, Swedish bombshell Ann-Margret with both decks of her single for Lee Hazlewood’s LHI label and Raylene Loos and her cohorts the Blue Angels, who contribute a rollicking rendition of ‘Shakin’ All Over’. The Girls (nope, not the same gang as on “Girls With Guitars”) debut with an unreleased cut produced by Sly Stone, while woe betides the man on the receiving end of Aussie Toni McCann, who let’s rip with ‘No’.
Jack Nitzsche protégée Karen Verros kicks off the mid-section with, a fuzz-laden mind-blowing gem written by Donovan. Project X (whose line-up included Scott McKenzie) delights with a jangly folk-garage affair and Cheryll & Pam wax lyrical in ‘That’s My Guy’. British Invasion off-shoots the Lady Bugs’ ode to the American fraternity is a hilarious romp and the wiggy Fondettes pay tribute to the mop-headed boys who started it all.
Much more info on these artists is to be found in the glossy feature-packed booklet, which includes interviews with Jan McClellan of the Debutantes and Beverley Jones. So let the girls blow the dust of their guitars yet again and take a trip down to the tougher side of girl-groupsville.
by Matt Meek
Artists - Tracks
1. The What Four - I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy - 2:04
2. The Starlets - You Don't Love Me - 2:15
3. Raylene and The Blue Angels - Shakin' All Over - 2:08
4. She Trinity - He Fought the Law - 2:20
5. Toni McCann - No - 1:54
6. The Liverbirds - He's Something Else - 2:16
7. Beverley Jones - Hear You Talking - 2:44
8. The Debutantes - Shake a Tail Feather - 2:14
9. The Fondettes - The Beatles Are in Town - 2:02
10.Project X - Don't You Think It's Fine - 2:37
11.Ann-Margret - It's a Nice World to Visit (But Not to Live In) - 2:27
12.Sharon Tandy - Hold On - 3:10
13.Karen Verros - You Just Gotta Know My Mind - 1:54
14.Ann-Margret - You Turned My Head Around - 3:19
15.The Feminine Complex - I've Been Workin' on You - 2:48
16.The Girls - Here I Am in Love Again - 1:59
17.The Termites - Tell Me - 2:54
18.The Liverbirds - Talking About You - 3:04
19.The What Four - Baby, I Dig Love - 2:01
20.The Pivots - (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone - 2:31
21.The Liverbirds - He's About a Mover - 2:38
22.Cheryl & Pam Johnson - That's My Boy - 2:05
23.The Ladybugs - Fraternity, USA - 2:26
24.She Trinity - Climb That Tree - 3:32
The New Dawn's "There's A New Dawn" has been hailed as one of the rarest and best psych albums to come out of the late 60s and early 70s. It's been a personal favorite Of mine since the day 1 discovered a bootleg copy on CD back in the early 90's .
I found the music to be just as unique and important to me as other bands I had heard from the region: The New Tweedy Brothers, The Sonics and even The Wipers.
They all conjure a distinctive geographical musical perspective. Maybe it's all the rain, but there's an almost tangible thread running through these introspective songwriters.It's a bit like looking at the world through rainy clouds while waiting for a sunny day to arrive.
In 1966, Dan Bazzy (singer , songwriter) and founder of The New Dawn bass player Bob Justin and guitarists Larry Davis and Joe Smith, local Garage Band musicians who had been straggling to find a suitable drummer.
Bazzy joined their band and after a brief stint of playing as The Sound Citizens, The New Dawn was formed. By 1967, The New Dawn were essentially a nightclub band, touring throughout the northwest part of the country, down through California and Nevada, and as far north as Alaskn.
The band recorded and released their private press album "There's A New Dawn" in July of 1970. The songs were composed in the studio and were recorded late at night after gigs. Initially five hundred copies were pressed, but it's estimated that only around 200 may still exist.
Many of the records from the pressing were either damaged due to traveling or were warped, and distribution was limited since the album was sold mostly at their live shows.
Their one chance at the big time came in 1971 when the ABC-Dunhill Records label expressed a serious interest in the demo of three of their new heavier sounding songs. Considering the success ABC-Dunhill had with Steppenwolf, these demo tracks (included on this collection) demonstrate what a great fit the band could have been for the label and gives us a glimpse into what might have been for The New Dawn.
By the end of 1971, The New Dawn faded into the sunset after years of living motel to motel under the disillusionment of their missed opportunity. Over this past year I have had the privilege and pleasure of getting to know Bazzy and his family while working with him on this authorized CD release of "There's A New Dawn".
One of the highlights of this experience was the January 2008 reunion show of The New Dawn in Willamina, Oregon. Bazzy was accompanied by his son Dan (rhythm guitar), Russ Hosley (lead guitar), and Karen Purdom (bass). It still blows my mind that a garagepsych band from rural Oregon has achieved such prominence in the annals of rock history.
I hope you enjoy discovering The New Dawn as much as I did.
by Isaac Slusarenko, Founder Jackpot Records.
Tracks
1. (There's A) New Dawn (Bill Gartner) - 4:16
2. I See A Day (Dan Bazzy) - 3:35
3. It's Time (Dan Bazzy) - 2:41
4. It's Rainin' (Dan Bazzy) - 3:12
5. Hear Me Cryin' (Dan Bazzy) - 3:28
6. Dark Thoughts (Bill Gartner, Larry Davis) - 2:57
7. Proudman (Dan Bazzy) - 3:18
8. Billy Come Lately (Dan Bazzy) - 2:32
9. We'll Fall In Love (Dan Bazzy) - 3:36
10.You (Dan Bazzy) - 3:11
11.Last Morning (Bill Gartner) - 3:39
12.Life Goes On (Bill Gartner) - 4:11
13.We Need Each Other (Dan Bazzy) - 3:44
14.Woman (Dan Bazzy) - 3:29
15.Do What You Want To (Bill Gartner) - 3:21
16.It's Rainin' (Live) (Dan Bazzy) - 3:07
Tracks 1-12 from 1970's "There's A New Dawn-19
Tracks 13-15 1971 Demos
Track 16 Live Benefit Show WiUamina VFW Hall - Jan 12th, 2008 New Dawn *Dan Bazzy - Lead Vocals, Drums *Joe Smith - Lead Guitar *Bobby Justen - Bass *Bill Gartner - Lead Vocals on 1, 6, 11, 12 *Backup Vocals, Recorder on "It's Time", Harmonica *Larry Davis - Organ and Rhythm Guitar 2008 Live New Dawn *Daniel Bazzy — Rhythm Guitar *Russ Hosley - Lead Guitar *Karen Purdom - Bass *Dan Bazzy - Lead Vocals, Drums Free Text the Free Text
Piccadilly Sunshine Vol.11 gives us a further delve through the colourful confines of long-forgotten British pop revealing pretty colours and flower-power pop. Celebrating the British psyche that inspired songs such as Gypsy Fred and Cobbled Streets, this latest installment illuminates the obscured artefacts of illustrious noise that emerged from the Great British psychedelic era.
Piccadilly Sunshine part Eleven offers bittersweet folk rock and baroque, beat pop from an era that was and never shall be again.
CD Liner notes
Artists - Tracks
1. Mike Stevens And The Shevelles - Hog Tied - 3:04
2. Chris Duffy - Something For Now - 2:12
3. David Cumming - The Parrots of Simple Street - 2:40
4. Hammers - Little Butterfly - 2:35
5. John Cushing - Boys for Toys - 2:28
6. Terry Reid With Jay, Peter And The Jaywalkers - This Time - 1:48
7. The Crew - Marty - 3:00
8. Twinset - Sneakin' Up On You - 2:25
9. Act - Cobbled Streets - 2:10
10.Scott Harris - Barry Johnson's Sad Eyes Inn - 2:27
11.Gibsons - Lazy Summer Day - 2:34
12.Unit Four Plus Two - I Was Only Playing Games - 2:40
13.The Rogues - And You Better Let Her Pass By - 2:50
14.Chippy - Think About Me - 2:11
15.Dave Helling - If You're Gonna Leave Me - 2:48
16.The Keepers - Lonely Boy - 2:14
17.The Koobas - Gypsy Fred - 3:00
18.Loose Ends - Send The People Away - 2:26
19.Chris Kerry - The Place - 2:10
20.Vanity Fare - Betty Carter - 1:52
The Red Crayola were one of the greatest psychedelic bands of the 1960s and probably of all times. They played extremely wild experimental music that was decades ahead of its time. They predated Germany's expressionistic rock (Faust) and the American new wave (Pere Ubu). Their "freak outs" were closer to John Coltrane's free-jazz and to Jackson Pollock's abstract paintings than to rock and roll.
Their leader, Mayo Thompson, is a composer who ranks among the greatest living musicians (classical, jazz, rock). His revolutionary compositional style had few stable coordinates. His pieces float not because they are ethereal but because melody and rhythm are left "loose". They are organisms that rely on supporting skeletons that are falling apart as they move.
Thompson placed his art firmly in the iconoclastic tradition that Frank Zappa had just founded, and simply increased the amount and the speed of noise. Parable Of Arable Land (1967) is one of the milestones of rock music, a carousel of savage harmonic inventions/sabotages.
God Bless (1968), composed after a stay in New York and a collaboration with Joe Byrd of the United States Of America, was even more experimental – if less unified (it contains twenty aleatory fragments) - than the first album.
The album still shows a natural bent towards the ways of the learned American avant-garde (from Varese to Cage), even though terribly transfigured.
by Piero Scaruffi
Tracks
1. Say Hello to Jamie Jones - 2:30
2. Music - 1:00
3. The Shirt - 2:30
4. Listen to This - 0:04
5. Save the House - 1:24
6. Victory Garden - 1:48
7. Coconut Hotel - 1:22
8. Sheriff Jack - 2:12
9. Free Piece - 2:18
10.Ravi Shankar: Parachutist - 2:09
11.Piece for Piano and Electric Bass - 0:45
12.Dairymaid's Lament - 2:30
13.Big - 1:37
14.Leejol - 2:40
15.Sherlock Holmes - 2:55
16.Dirth of Tilth - 1:26
17.Tina's Gone to Have a Baby - 1:49
18.The Jewels of the Madonna - 1:29
19.Green of My Pants - 3:00
20.Night Song - 1:52
Words and Music by Red Crayola
The Red Crayola
*Steve Cunningham – Bass
*Tommy Smith – Drums
*Mayo Thompson – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
One of the great lesser-known San Francisco bands, AUM was a classic rock power trio, inspired by the likes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, and led by the talented multi-instrumentalist and singer Wayne Ceballos. The band was first brought to the attention of Bill Graham by San Francisco's premier photographer, Jim Marshall.
Initially signed by the London-affiliated Sire label, as one would expect from the title, the group's 1969's "Bluesvibes" found them working in a distinctively blues-vein. Reflecting the band's live act, the Richard Gotthrer produced debut featured a series of seven extended jams, (the shortest song clocking in at 4 minutes).
With Ceballos writing the majority of the material, in spite of period excesses (e.g. aimless soloing), originals such as "Mississippi Mud" and "Chilli Woman" weren't half bad. Moreover, Ceballos proved a decent singer, injecting considerable energy into his performances. Among the few missteps, the band's ponderous cover of John Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" would've been suitable for Vanilla Fudge. Commercially the set proved a non-entity; quickly vanishing into cutout bins.
Tracks
1. Tobacco Road (John Loundermilk) - 6:54
2. Mississippi Mud - 4:03
3. My Bridge Blues - 5:41
4. Chilli Woman - 4:34
5. Little Help from You - 6:54
6. Movin' Man - 7:48
7. You Can't Hide - 7:24
All songs by Wayne the Harp Ceballos unless as else stated
AUM
*Wayne Ceballos - Guitar, Organ, Lead Vocals, Harmonica
*Ken Newell - Bass, Vocals
*Larry Martin - Drums, Vocals
Memphis is well known as the birthplace of the blues, the fount of southern soul and the locale that begat rock’n’roll. My colleagues and I have been digging deep in various Memphian vaults over the past decade, but the focus up until now has largely been soul and R&B. Lest we forget, the city boasted a healthy rock scene well into the 1960s and 1970s, but few retrospectives have documented Memphis music in the psychedelic era when, as a major recording centre, it was the nexus not just for local freaks, but those from neighbouring Arkansas, Mississippi and beyond. Big Beat’s “Feeling High – The Psychedelic Sound Of Memphis” shines a welcome light on this long-neglected area, focusing on the years 1967-1969 and principally on the work of two renowned Memphis mavericks.
With a decades-long career as an iconoclastic musical polymath, Jim Dickinson needs little introduction. However, his rarely-discussed apprenticeship as a producer-engineer at Ardent Studios in the late 1960s made Dickinson responsible for many of the wildest and wackiest sessions ever held in Memphis. Some excerpts slipped out at the time on obscure singles on Stax and elsewhere, such as the absurd version of ‘For Your Love’ by Honey Jug. “Whenever anybody came into Ardent, it was obvious who was going to do the crazy stuff, ”Dickinson recounted to me several years ago. The bands he produced there include the pyjama-wearing Kinks-ish Wallabys of Jackson, Mississippi and psychedelic hillbillies Knowbody Else, later to become famous as Black Oak Arkansas.
In contrast, James Parks was a young wet-behind-the-ears punk who took over the control room at uncle Stan Kesler’s Sounds Of Memphis studio in 1968, bringing in his freak friends from counterculture hotspots such as the Bitter Lemon. Parks’ production work included Changin’ Tymes, Mother Roses and Triple X, featuring future country star Gus Hardin, as well as crazoid studio-only experiments such as ‘Rubber Rapper’ and ‘Shoo Shoo Shoo Fly’. There is a palpable air of chaos about much of what Parks produced, which explains why he was unable to place a lot of it at the time – but in hindsight it’s a remarkable cache of work.
Dickinson and Parks represent the outer edge of the Memphis music scene in those years. While the vast majority of tracks on “Feeling High” have not been issued before, their inspired lunacy and a shared willingness to push the envelope make the recorded evidence very special indeed. Local notables such as the Poor Little Rich Kids, 1st Century and Goatdancers share the tracklisting, the sound quality is excellent, and the detailed liner notes spill the beans on this fascinating tributary of the city’s musical legacy.
by Alec Palao
Artists - Tracks
1. Sealing Smoke - Rubber Rapper - 4:30
2. The Honey Jug - For Your Love - 2:49
3. The Changin' Tymes - Blue Music Box - 2:09
4. The Knowbody Else - Secret Storm - 3:06
5. Triple X - Spare Me - 3:37
6. The Wallabies - Holy Days - 2:28
7. Greg McCarley - Shoo Shoo Shoo Fly - 4:11
8. The Changin' Tymes - Hark the Child - 5:32
9. Poor Little Rich Kids - Come on Along and Dream - 3:02
10.The Goatdancers - Eat Me Alive - 2:33
11.Greg McCarley - Crazy Man's Woman - 3:49
12.Judy Bramlett - Deja Vu - 2:48
13.The Knowbody Else - Free Singer's Island - 2:18
14.The Wallabies - Feeling High - 3:16
15.Triple X - Rockin' in the Same Old Boat - 4:25
16.Poor Little Rich Kids - I Need Love - 2:37
17.Mother Roses - Ticket to Ride - 4:46
18.David Mitchell - Ogden - 2:55
19.Greg McCarley - If You're Thinking - 2:09
20.The Wallabies - Old Man of Time - 2:27
21.The Goatdancers - We're in Town - 2:54
22.1st Century - Dancing Girl - 2:11
23.The Knowbody Else - Flying Horse of Louisiana (Live) - 6:05
24.The Goatdancers Advert - 1:03
"Around 1966, Nick Bonis, Mike Johnstone, Randy Pope, and I formed a psychedelic band. On Halloween night we went to an old cemetery, dropped acid, and spent a very strange night among the tombstones. The tombstones appeared to be melting and taking on animal shapes. Some of us saw spirits, and I'm not sure what I saw, but it was disturbing. Afterwards, we referred to that night as the 'Headstone Circus.' It seemed appropriate to call ourselves Headstone Circus as a band so we did."
by Glenn Faria
The band plays a (rather) West Coast style while recorded on the east coast, with a certain Crosby, Stills, Nash ‘n’ Young / Buffalo Springfield or Neil Young -Crazy Horse period- influence, but additionally with a more bluesy side-effect, and with some portions on certain tracks, where a smoky dark bluesy feeling is improvised calmly upon. This is of course the acid bluesy side associated with something of the east coast that gives this slightly smokey feeling. The lead vocals have a warm attractive effect and fit well with the West Coast feeling.
Several of the more song orientated tracks are more acoustic. The last four, and also more simple, I guess are more like rough demo versions. I am sure that if they would have had a chance with a big studio production and treatment on some tracks, these could have been better, (-a few tracks also suffered from a few worn-tape errors)-, while most of it for me is already great as it is, and makes it, almost essential to check it out, especially when you like the CSNY.
A track like “Summer’s Gone” could have easily been a Neil Young track, and still is one of my favorite songs. After a while, singer/composer Glenn Faria left the group only because he was offered a solo contract. This solo album was reissued by World In Sound some years ago. Here, the Neil Young influence still is noticeable, but for me this solo album isn’t so rewarding as the previous Headstone Circus, but it also features a nice redo of the already mentioned “Summer’s Gone” song.
Tracks
1. I'm Goin' Down - 4:38
2. You Don't Know - 6:52
3. Summers Gone - 4:44
4. I'm Crazy - 5:57
5. Healer - 4:09
6. Arms Of God - 3:31
7. Born In Georgia - 3:56
8. Reason To Live - 3:16
9. Reach Out - 2:45
10.I Hear The Thunder - 3:43
11.I Love The Wind - 4:11
12.Bear Down - 5:18
All compositions by Glenn Faria
Headstone Circus
*Glenn Faria - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Mike Johnstone - Guitar
*Randy Ray Pope - Drums, Vocals
*Nick Bonis - Bass
Tommy Li Puma, Dave Mason's coproducer at Blue Thumb, has notified by mail various radio stations and record distributors across the country to go ahead and promote Headkeeper, in spite of the fact that Mason has brought a lawsuit against the label. For those of you who do not boycott the album, Headkeeper has plenty of moments to justify your purchase, and yet leaves you feeling that it is an incomplete, unfinished album.
Each of all the five songs on side two is a live recording of material Mason had recorded elsewhere. "Pearly Queen," a song that here is attributed to Mason and on the Traffic album is credited to Winwood and Capaldi, got itself a better treatment the first time around, simply because Winwood's vocal was funkier, grittier, more edged with irony.
The song itself has enough propulsion in it that it doesn't need the extra added bit of soul that Winwood gives it, but then why not? Mason's interpretation here of "Feelin' Alright" is different from the one he delivered on Traffic. Then he sang with a whimpering, quaveringly insecure voice which, when joining the chorus, instantly picked up sarcastic strength. The change was always sudden and dramatic as Clark Kent leaping out of a broom closet dressed as Superman.
In the present version, latin jazz rhythms open the song and right from the beginning all the way through, Mason sings with extroversion and authority. Now he even takes a supposedly humbled line like "Well, boy, you sure took me for one big ride," and turns it inside out to read like a gorgeous put-down. Whatever Chris Wood offered in the way of bluesy saxophone on the first version, Mark Jordan matches well with his jazz electric piano on this.
Maybe if Headkeeper had had two sides of new material rather than just one, Mason as an artist to our view would have been standing less like "a mist upon the shore." He never has been an easy one to figure out, in his public life or in his music. With Headkeeper he by no means has painted his masterpiece, but instead has left us with some fine sketches and life studies.
by David Lubin, Rolling Stone, 4-13-72.
Tracks
1. To Be Free - 3:19
2. In My Mind - 3:19
3. Here We Go Again (Solomon Burke, Cass Elliot, Bryan Garo, Jerry Gray) - 1:56
4. A Heartache, A Shadow, A Lifetime - 3:35
5. Headkeeper - 4:39
6. Pearly Queen (Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood) - 3:32
7. Just A Song - 3:01
8. World In Changes - 4:47
9. Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving - 3:04
10.Feelin' Alright - 5:40
All titles by Dave Mason, except where noted.
Musicians
*Dave Mason - Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Mark Jordan - Piano, Keyboards
*Lonnie Turner - Bass
*"Dr." Rick Jaeger - Drums
*Felix Falcon aka "Flaco" - Conga, Percussion
Special thanks to:
*Rita Coolidge - Vocals
*Spencer Davis - Vocals
*Graham Nash - Vocals
*Kathi McDonald - Vocals
Elliott Randall’s illustrious career has encompassed a wide and varied cross-section of World Musical forms. These include: record production, composition, electronic research and development, lectures and teaching, and of course, a legendary contribution to popular guitar performance and recording.His guitar solos on Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ In The Years” and “Fame” (the motion picture) have entered Rock history annals.
What a strange and interesting crew this was in this debut Randall's Island album! Paul Fleisher and I played together beginning in the early-mid 60′s in NYC niteclubs including Trude Heller’s, The Peppermint Lounge, and The Metropole. He and I co-authored the entire record. I’d known Allen Herman & Bob Piazza for quite a while too – before they joined The Island, they were members of Genya Ravan’s R&B supergroup Ten Wheel Drive. Phillip Namanworth had been playing with Dave Van Ronk & The Hudson Dusters, and brought with him a boogie-thing that was just too contagious! Terry Adams of NRBQ guested on Hammond B-3.
George Andrews handled the string arrangements; he used to lead a big-band in NYC, which was well… quite an education. Through the ranks of this band came Steve Gadd, The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Lou Soloff, Chuck Rainey, and most of the Island crew. (Like I said – an education.) Andy Muson also guested on 2 tracks; killer jazzer, also played with Albert King for a spell before moving on to a hugely successful studio career in LA. Finally, the legendary Eddie Kramer, engineer/producer extraordinaire – for most of the Jimi Hendrix records, as well as Led Zeppelin, Traffic, and a host of others.
Tracks
1. Sour Flower (E. Randall) - 6:29
2. Life in Botanical Gardens (Oh Yes) (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 4:06
3. Take Out the Dog and Bark the Cat (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 3:47
4. Mumblin' to Myself (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 3:29
5. Brother People (E. Randall, B. Piazza, A. Herman) - 3:00
6. Jolly Green Giant and the Statue of Liberty (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 2:50
7. Bustin' My Brains (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 4:14
8. All I Am (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 7:35
Thank's to Frantic Records for unearthing more forgotten gems of California's rich musical heritage. Having languished in the vaults for close to 40 years, the Colours and Christian tapes finally make their way to CD for the very first time after the fickle hand of fate conspired to deny them the success they so obviously deserved.
If everything had gone according to plan then I'm positive that Colours would be as well known and regarded today as any of the big name Californian groups and that they would have achieved legendary status amongst devotees j& sixties rock.
Their blend of West Coast psychedelia and fey British pop stylings set them apart from many of their peers, the intricate arrangements and lush production coupled with delicate orchestra and beautiful harmonies contrast dramatically with the loose improvisational jamming that was typical of many of their Bay Area counterparts.
Amid all vibrancy of the Northern California music scene, The Colours stand out as something special. It's fascinating to hear the transition from Colours' baroque grandeur to the stripped down Rock of Christian. Electric and Acoustic Guitars have replaced the orchestration and ornate keyboards, indicating the influence of groups such as Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield, while the British pop leanings are perhaps even more overt evidenced by covers of Hollies and Beatles material.
Listening to these recordings is akin to hearing! a microcosm of the progression of late sixties rock music. That they have remained hidden away for so long is a crime, to be able to hear them now is a wonder. It's time to welcome Christian in to your life. Prepare to experience Colours you! Never dreamed existed.
by Gray Newell
Tracks
Disc 1 - Colours
1. Picture Windows - 4:35
2. Dreams - 3:49
3. Voluptuous Doom - 2:44
4. Thoughts Of Love - 5:08
5. Who’s Been Sleeping - 2:41
6. Memories - 3:34
7. Ferdinand Smash-Me-Toe - 3:29
8. Candy Coloured Lover - 8:06
9. Communicate - 3:45
10.Are You Free - 5:16
11.Candy Coloured Lover (instrumental) - 13:41
12.Wood For Sale (live) - 3:46
13.Candy Coloured Lover (live) - 10:50
14.Wood For Sale (instrumental) - 4:03
15.Alan Lau Introduction - 3:22
Tracks 1-10 arranged and recorded in 1968 by Colours for an unreleased album
Tracks 11-15 live at the Matrix, summer 1967
Disc 2 - Christian
1. Mary The Wither - 3:11
2. Charlie And Fred (Alan Clarke, Graham Nash) - 3:29
3. Don’t Worry - 4:15
4. Are You Free - 5:35
5. American ’69 - 3:21
6. Good Vs. Evil - 5:25
7. Hope That You Survive - 2:28
8. Stand Naked - 3:56
9. Another Day (Marc Kellett) - 1:55
10.With A Little Help From My Friends (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)- 7:28
All songs by Bob Brien, Mark Cipolla, except where noted.
Recorded in late '69 early '70 at Sierra Sound in Berkeley and Realistic Sound in Chico
The Blues Train, like the Crazy People, are unknown artists that released some great sounds in the late 60's and early 70's. While little is known about them, we do know they were Canadian and recorded "The Blues Train" on the Burnaby, British Columbia-based Condor label in 1970.
Condor has gone down in history as a Canadian exploit label and they were indeed riding the crest of the different crazes that were going on during these times. Condor released quite a diversified line of music during the late 60's: everything ranging from the weirdness of The Crazy People to Latin Holiday to the very highly-rated Blues Train, The Surf Riders, and The Jimmy Cole Unlimited. As with The Crazy People, there are several rumors circulating as to actually who The Blues Train were.
The most plausible theory shared by both Clark Faville and myself is that one of its members was Johnny Kitchen, who has songwriting credits on both this LP and on other Condor release "The World With The Trio Of Tyme (#2459) and "The Crazy People (#2457). It is a known fact that he was in Canada at this time and obviously associated with the label. Kitchen ended up in Los Angeles in 1969, making records beginning with " The Victims Of Chance" on the Crestview label.
As arcane as this might seem to the casual reader, his name is synonymous with at least a dozen weird underground records released on various private labels in the U.S.A. and still nothing is known about them. To date, Johnny Kitchen has over 200 songs copyrighted through BMI We also know there is a connection with Johnny Kitchen to Wild Man Fischer. His 1969 LP "Life Brand New", has the chorus "My life is all brand new", which is the same voice and words appearing on "Parade At The Funny Farm" and "Let's Split" of The Crazy People LP.
However, other Blues Train song writing credits that never appeared on the original Condor release do not match any others from Crazy People. The inclusion of only one by Kitchen himself implies his involvement on Blues Train, unlike that of The Crazy People, may have been minimal.
Although all performers are uncredited, there has also been some speculation that a prominent Vancouver "personality" (and local TV. weatherman) was involved in putting together the "Rock" oriented exploit efforts on this label, and it is e likely that some of the musicians involved also appear o Blues Train, Jimmy Cole Unlimited, and other Condor e Jack Millman, who has songwriting and production credits on Crazy People, also is shown as involved with Condor release #2460 "And I Love Her": Jack Millman and The Tempo Orchestra. In addition, Jack Millman, along with Jean Daniel Productions, produced The Blues Train.
by Roger Maglio
Tracks
1. Ride The Train (Eric Llord) - 3:57
2. Missin'You (Joe Sanchez) - 4:35
3. Pain In My Head (Johnny Kitchen) - 3:25
4. Some Body To Love (Joe Sanchez) - 2:18
5. Hootchie Kootchie Man (Hoyt Axton) - 3:05
6. Busted In Chicago (Billy Wolfe) - 3:28
7. A & R Man (Joe Sanchez) - 2:41
8. Coast To Coast (Joe Sanchez) - 2:08
9. Whole Lot O1 Blues (Paul Wayne, Delmar Williams) - 2:29
10.Got My Eyes On You (Ralph Morris) - 2:06
11.Mojo (McKinley Morganfield) - 2:25
Nigel Mazlyn Jones has released 10 albums since 1976. The first two albums ‘Ship to Shore’ and ‘Sentinel’ are sought by collectors and have now been re-released by Kissing Spell with extra tracks and sleeve notes. TV and radio collaborations and a growing audience in the dance/chill out festival scene have widened his traditional long standing folk / roots / progressive following yet critics often state he deserves wider acclaim and recognition.
Nigel creates a unique sound combining 6 and 12 string acoustic guitar sounds with electric textures and also plays Indian santor and clay pot. Much of his writing is influenced by the land, sea and sky of the south west of Britain where he lives yet some of his song writing also cuts to the core of human life. At live gigs he often combines the music with powerful and evocative visuals.
He was born in 1950 in the industrial Midlands and started playing guitar and writing songs and poetry at an early age. In his youth he worked part time with animals eventually moving to the Channel Islands in the seventies to work with the great apes for the conservationist and writer Gerald Durrell. Studying animal behaviour and that of the onlookers he realised that true conservation required a shift in human attitudes and following his love for the natural landscape, he eventually settled near the north coast of Cornwall where he still lives.
Tracks
1. All In The Name Of Love - 5:54
2. Sentinel -5:47
3. Flying - 3:52
4. Roll Away - 5:37
5. Water Road - 3:32
6. All In All - 4:31
7. Fools - 8:23
8. The Wheel - 6:07
9. Takes Two To Make It - 3:00
10.The Hills Of Celt - 5:23
11.Baby This Time - 3:16
12.All My Friends - 4:56
13.Which Way To The Sea? - 3:43
14.It Was All In The Name Of Love (Instrumental) - 2:45
All tracks composed by Nigel Mazlyn Jones
"Images, Clear Skies and Rainbows" was an impressive venture into prog-rock teetering on the edge of progressive by a group called Imagine.
An exceptionally solid effort from start to finish. The first side shows the group in more of a progressive vein with several good but abbreviated guitar runs, giving you a taste of what direction the group could actually go in when they decided to. On the second side they bear down and let you see their true colors by stretching out the guitar interludes into longer segments in each song.
The best song on the entire LP is "Tomorrow." The bass and guitar team up to give you a tour de force of rock and roll. The flute adds another dimension to the taken as a whole sound, giving it that decidedly progressive edge. Judging from the sound and vocal style. This LP is remarkably good considering I have never heard of them and cannot seem to find any history of the group anywhere.
by Keith Hannaleck
Tracks
1. Come Alive - 5:33
2. City Lights - 5:06
3. Rock And Roll Man - 4:37
4. Superstar - 5:31
5. Images Clear Skies And Rainbows - 5:34
6. Tomorrow - 5:26
7. My Golden Lady - 4:33
8. Castles Of Sand - 5:31
9. Just A Dream (Bonus) (Jeffery Levy) - 5:06
10.Flight 491 To Nowhere (Bonus) (J. Levy, E. Slaski) - 4:30
All songs by Ted and Mike Kieta, except where noted.
Musicians
*Mike Kieta - Bass Lead Vocal
*Ted Kieta - Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Rowland - Acoustic Percussion
*Mike Prichard - Flute, Lead Vocal
*Todd William - Lead Guitar
*Ray Smith - Lead Guitar
*Keith Dickerson - Saxophone
*M.H. Dickson - Keyboards
*Nancy Black, Karen Smith and Carol Dickerson - Backing Vocals
Keith Cross first band was Bulldog Breed and one year later he joined T2. Keith was hailed as the new Eric Clapton when T2 released their album It'll All Work Out in Boomland. He left T2 after a few months and 2 years later Keith Cross joined a partnership with Peter Ross.
Peter sung and played harp for Hookfoot, he also worked with Richard Thompson. The duo separated after their album Bored Civilians was released.
Their one and only effort is a fascinating trip, unlike the title of the album you won’t be bored for a moment. It starts with mild melodic ballads and their duet magic voices , continues with more free forms, like jazz nuances.
Acoustic folk is always the element from which stems each separate inspiration, amazing vocals and great range of top musicians, offer an unforgettable journey which you hope it will never comes to end.
Tracks
1. The Last Ocean Rider (Peter Ross) - 6:56
2. Bored Civilians (Keith Cross) - 2:34
3. Peace In The End (Trevor Lucas, Sandy Denny) - 3:27
4. Story To A Friend (Keith Cross) - 11:06
5. Loving You Takes So Long (Peter Ross) - 4:20
6. Pastels (Keith Cross) - 4:07
7. The Dead Salute (Peter Ross) - 3:35
8. Bo Radley (Keith Cross) - 2:28
9. Fly Home (Keith Cross, Peter Ross) - 7:02
10.Can You Believe It – 2:53
11.Blind Willie Johnson – 3:41
Sam the Sham pulled the plug on the Pharoahs toward the end of the '60s and set out playing blues on his own, grinding away to little notice until Atlantic head honcho Ahmet Ertegun decided to give him a shot in 1971.
Unlike many of the acts Ertegun signed at the time, Sam the Sham had a reputation as a novelty singer -- and rightly so, given the silliness that fueled "Wooly Bully" and "Ju Ju Hand" -- so he might not have seemed an easy fit for Atlantic, but Sam, who began using his last name Samudio at the time of the 1971 release of Hard and Heavy, possessed a forceful, bluesy growl, and the garage stomp of the Pharoahs wasn't too far removed from the Tex-Mex rock & roll of the Sir Douglas Quintet.
Clearly, Ertegun heard the promise that lay within Samudio and he poured a lot of energy into Hard and Heavy, hiring producer Tom Dowd -- who was riding high on the success of his work with the Allman Brothers and Derek & the Dominos -- and bringing in the Dixie Flyers (featuring Jim Dickinson) and the Memphis Horns, while finding a guest spot for Duane Allman. Half the record consisted of originals, half of covers of classic blues, rock & roll, and Randy Newman, all comprising a wide-ranging vision of American music.
At times, the Memphis Horns are a bit too splashy -- their refrains on "Homework" recall Blood, Sweat & Tears -- and sometimes the grooves are a little too densely packed, leaving very little room for anybody to breathe, but there's also an appeal in how Hard and Heavy is overstuffed. The ridiculous number of musicians does indeed give the album a hard, heavy feel, something that gives such driving workouts as "Relativity" or Tex-Mex two-steps as "Don't Put Me On" some real grit.
Throughout it all, Samudio displays some impressive vocal chops -- it's not a surprise that he can belt out "Lonely Avenue," but he digs into the marrow of Newman's "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield" -- and the unwieldy supergroup is always impressive, kicking out this earthy rock & roll with guts and no small amount of pizzazz.
All in all, Hard and Heavy holds its own with its early-'70s peers -- the aforementioned Dowd-produced Allman and Clapton LPs, the pair of records Doug Sahm cut for Atlantic a few years later -- so why isn't it better known? Well, there was no promotion for it, and after it faded away, Samudio returned to novelties and then retired from active rock & roll duty.
The 2013 Real Gone reissue -- the first time the album has appeared on CD, also includes a non-LP single of "Me and Bobby McGee" featuring Duane Allman on guitar -- allows this little-heard gem the opportunity to finally get some overdue attention.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Homework (Otis Rush, Al Perkins, D. Clark) - 2:21
2. Relativity (Domingo Samudio) - 3:16
3. Lonely Avenue (Doc Pomus) - 2:50
4. I Know It's Too Late (traditional, arr. by D. Samudio) / Starchild (D. Samudio) - 6:22
5. Let's Burn Down The Cornfield (Randy Newman) - 2:48
6. Sweet Release (W.R. Scaggs, Barry Beckett) - 4:51
7. Key To The Highway (Charles Segar, Willie Broonzy) - 2:10
8. Don't Put Me On (Domingo Samudio) - 2:32
9. 15 Degrees Capricorn Asc (Domingo Samudio) - 4:39
10.Goin' Upstairs (John Lee Hooker) - 5:10
11.Me and Bobby McGee (Fred Foster, Kris Kristofferson) - 3:36
Alan Bown is most known -- certainly in the United States -- for his late '60s recordings as leader of a group (actually called the Alan Bown) that played psychedelic pop.
The trumpeter had already been recording since 1965, however, with a group called the Alan Bown Set from 1965-1967 in a far more soul-influenced style. This compilation gathers both sides of all five singles the Alan Bown Set released on Pye in the U.K. during that time, along with the seven live songs from the London Swings: Live at the Marquee Club LP they shared with Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, and the French-only single "Jeu De Massacre (The Killing Game)," from the soundtrack of the French film of the same name.
The group were in the same general territory as other British combiners of soul, jazz, and blues from the period, such as Georgie Fame and Zoot Money. However, they were more soul-oriented than either Fame or Money (and not nearly as good as Fame), though they too employed a brass section.
This collection is fair but workmanlike British blue-eyed soul, with the horns and organ differentiating it from many other British bands of the day. But it's short on really good material, whether group originals or cover interpretations. Jess Roden, who handles most of the vocals, sounds quite a bit like Steve Marriott, though he's not as good or powerful.
Those cuts with Jeff Bannister on lead suffer from his thin, uncertain vocals, though one of these, their 1965 debut single "I Can't Let Her Go," was the best tune they did, with its nicely melancholy melody and well-arranged blend of brass, organ, and backup harmonies.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Can't Let Her Go (Leese) - 2:48
2. I'm The One (Mayfield) - 2:13
3. Baby Don't Push Me (Townsrow) - 2:15
4. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Mitchell) - 2:21
5. Headline News (Hamilton, Morris, Hatcher) - 2:36
6. Mr Pleasure (Creighton, Stafford) - 2:12
7. Emergency 999 (Korda) - 2:30
8. Settle Down (Bown, Bannister) - 2:29
9. Gonna Fix You Good (Everytime You're Bad) (Randazzo, Pike) - 2:42
10.I Really, Really Care (Bown) - 2:42
11.Jeu De Massacre (The Killing Game) (J. Loussier, A. Jessua) - 4:19
12.Love Me (Unknown) - 2:47
13.Mr Job (Catchpole, Bown, Bannister) - 2:25
14.Gonna Fix You Good (Everytime You're Bad) (Demo Version) (Randazzo, Pike) - 2:47
15.It's Growing (Robinson Moore) - 3:12
16.Emergency 999 (Korda) - 2:39
17.I Need You (Mayfield) - 3:00
18.Sunny (Hebb) - 3:22
19.Headline News (Hamilton, Morris, Hatcher) - 2:35
20.Down In The Valley (Burke, Berns) - 2:47
21.The Boomerang (Ott, Covay) - 3:31
Tracks from 15-21 Live versions
The Alan Bown Set
*Alan Bown - Trumpet
*Dave Green - Saxophone, Flute
*Jeff Bannister - Organ, Vocals
*Stan Haldane - Bass
*Vic Sweeney - Drums
*Pete Burgess - Guitar
*Jess Roden - Vocals
*John Anthony Helliwell - Saxes
