Jawbone was born from the ashes of The Mirage and Turquoise, two of the UK's greatest cult pop-psych bands (and both recently anthologised on RPM and Rev-Ola respectively) and their lone 1970 album rounds off their stories perfectly. They were thrown together after guitarist Ray Glynn and drummer Dave Hynes decided to re-form The Mirage after a short stint in The Spencer Davis Group came to an end in 1969 (they appear on the excellent "Short Change" single and ill-fated Funky album).
Vocalist Pete Hynes and former bassist Dee Murray was swiftly poached for Elton John's band so they recruited keyboard player and former Mirage sidekick/songwriter Kirk Duncan who called up another former colleague, Jeff "Gus" Peters of the recently defunct Turquoise to handle bass duties. Dave Hynes secured the band a deal with Merv Cohn's newly minted Carnaby label and they changed their name to The Portebello (sic) Explosion for a single coupling the dreamy, Beatlesque pop-sike of "We Can Fly" and a tough, hard-edged cover of Bubble Puppy's minor US hit "Hot Smoke And Sassafras".
The single went nowhere but album sessions began regardless in late 1969 with the re-recording of three old Mirage tunes - "How's Ya Pa?", "Chicago Cottage" and "Jeremiah Dreams" (mistitled "Jeremiah's Dream" on the eventual album), a suitably demented re-working of their unreleased 1967 psychedelic opus "Ebeneezer Beaver". When "How's Ya Pa?" was released as a single in early 1970, it was credited to yet another new moniker, Jawbone. Typically for this period, Dave Hynes had become obsessed by The Band and set about re-modelling the group in their image.
Consequently, titles like "Honeysuckle Redwood Cabin", "Homestead" and "Mister Custer" came thick and fast, bearing the distinct influences of The Band and The Byrds. On the flipside, Jeff Peters' yearning, Dylanesque "Song For Sunny" sounds like a top-notch Turquoise out-take, "Brave White Knight" blends Donovan, Simon & Garfunkel and "Greensleeves" to thrilling effect and the superb version of The Beatles' "Across The Universe" is chock full of flanged vocals, Wah-Wah guitar and all manner of glorious psychedelic trickery.
The album came housed in a luxurious, artistic and no doubt very expensive fold-out poster sleeve but sank without trace. A further non-LP single, "Way Way Down", was released shortly after but suffered a similar fate. Jawbone then hooked up with Joe Brown and became his backing band Home Brew for the next five years, at least ensuring themselves a regular income. Dave Hynes ended up drumming for Steve Marriott during the late 70s and into the '80s.
Tracks
1. Honeysuckle Red wod Cabin (Mynott) - 2:35
2. Homestead (Duncan) - 2:58
3. How's Ya Pa (Duncan, Longstaff) - 3:09
4. Brave Whight Knight (Mynott) - 3:18
5. Bulldog Goes West - 2:49
6. Across The Universe (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:49
7. Million Times Before (Duncan) - 3:02
8. Money Is - 2:46
9. Mister Cluster (Mynott) - 3:10
10. Song For Sunny (Peters) - 3:56
11. Chicago Cottage (Hines, Murray, Duncan) - 2:12
12. Jeremiah's Dream - 5:48
13. Way Way Down - 2:17
14. The Portebello Explosion - We Can Fly - 2:40
15. The Portebello Explosion - Hot Smoke And Satisfaction (Fore, Prince, Cox, Potter) - 2:52
All songs by Dave Hynes except where noted.
This Velvet Illusions formed in Yakima, Washington State in 1966 as The Illusions and changed name when they found out that another outfit was already using that moniker. They were managed by saxophonist George Radford’s father, who financed the band by selling some property and kitted them out with Vox instruments and amplifiers. Though too young to appear at many local clubs, The Velvet Illusions did play the usual array of school dances, proms, and parties, as well as performing on KIMA TV and appearing at the local Lee’s Music Store to promote Vox equipment.
In June 1967, Radford Sr. rented the band a house in Los Angeles and they moved to California. He formed his own Metro Media label and issued three singles in July of that year – a re-release of the group’s classic anti-drug debut ‘Acid Head’, ‘I’m Coming Home Los Angeles’ (which received a lot of local radio play), and ‘Velvet Illusions’. Whilst the material on the first two 45s had been recorded while still in Washington State the songs on the third single were new output laid down in Hollywood. The band’s entire recorded output has been compiled on "Acid Head" CD released 2011.
Cosmic Mind At Play
Tracks
1. Acid Head (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr) - 3:04
2. She Was The Only Girl (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr) - 2:36
3. I'm Coming Home Los Angeles (Bobby Worth, Henry Sanicola) - 2:07
4. Town Of Fools (Jerry Merritt) - 2:18
5. Velvet Illusions (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr) - 2:03
6. Born To Be A Rolling Stone (Jerry Merritt) - 1:49
7. Lazy (Sandra Karr, George Radford, Buddy Motola) -2:08
8. The Stereo Song (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr, Buddy Motola) - 1:51
9. Mini Shimmy (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr, Buddy Motola) - 2:11
10.Hippy Town (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr, Buddy Motola) - 2:10
Kaleidoscope was one of England’s purest and most beloved psychedelic bands. Prior to their ventures into psychedelia, Kaleidoscope had been known as The Sidekicks and then, The Key. These groups played a rather ordinary brand of British pop and R&B. Kaleidoscope debuted in 1967 with their fabulous Tangerine Dream LP. This disc featured some of the finest psychedelia England had produced up to that point.
More than half the album is fleshed out with lost classics; check out trippy tracks such as ”Please Excuse My Face,” “Dive Into Yesterday,” “Flight From Ashiya,” “The Murder of Lewis Tullani,” “Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer Man,” and the superb “Further Reflections In The Room Of Percussion.” Many of these cuts are on par with the best of Pink Floyd’s early work. Kaleidoscope was making imaginative music featuring plenty of interesting chord progressions, jangley guitars, bizarre lyrics, and smart production trickery. Much of the rest of Tangerine Dream is very good too, but sales and critical recognition stiffed due to the adventurous nature of the group’s music.
Faintly Blowing (Fontana) came out sometime later, in 1969. While it may lack some of the key album cuts that made Tangerine Dream so special, Faintly Blowing is consistently strong and features influences as diverse as folk and hard rock. Some of the highlights include “Poem,” a soft folk track similar to “Please Excuse My Face,” the phased out hard rocker “Music” and the edgy psychedelic title cut. Abrasive numbers “Snapdragon” and “Love Song From Annie” represent Kaleidoscope’s new hard rock approach while still retaining the group’s clever edge – these cuts are both gems. Some songs’ lyrics, like that on the tuneful folk-rocker “A Story From Tom Blitz,” deal with morals and important life lessons to be learned.
The music on Faintly Blowing is a bit more professional sounding, lacking the reckless energy and psychedelic feel of the debut. But make no mistake, this is a very good album full of sharp ideas, fairytale lyrics, fine songcraft and pretty vocals. If you’re intrigued by psychedelic, progressive or folk sounds, this disc is not to be missed.
by JasonNardelli
Tracks
1. Faintly Blowing - 4:08
2. Poem - 2:53
3. Snapdragon - 2:42
4. A Story From Tom Bitz - 3:45
5. (Love Song) For Annie - 2:33
6. If You So Wish - 3:40
7. Opinion - 0:18
8. Bless The Executioner - 2:58
9. Black Fjord - 3:13
10.The Feathered Tiger - 5:09
11.I'll Kiss You Once - 0:57
12.Music - 6:08
13.Do It Again For Jeffrey - 3:14
14.Poem (Mono Single Version) - 2:52
15.Balloon - 2:18
16.If You So Wish (Mono Single Version) - 3:40
17.I Luv Wight - Let The World Wash In - 4:11
18.I Luv Wight - Mediaeval Masquerade - 2:41
All compositions by Peter Daltrey and Eddie Pumer Bonus Tracks from 13-16 Special Bonus Tracks from 17-18
The festival band The M rode the high crest of the white foamed wave of the New Rock movement that overtook the Japanese music scene in the early seventies. The hand was a kind of supergroup since its members where assembled and drafted from other high profile heavy rock/psych outfits.
Lead guitarist Takami Asano was drafted in from Godaigo, bassist Yoshimichi Tarumi, Gedo's Tetsuya Nishi on drums and Yellow's TakamichiTarumi. In 1971 The M was everywhere, playing alongside such luminaries as Creation, Too Much, Murahatchibu and Miki Curtis' newly heavy version of Samurai. In early April 1971, The M performed at the celebrated 'Rock Invitation Number One', at llibiya Outdoor Hall, thereafter being asked back for'Rock Invitation Number Two', on June 26th.
Later the same year,The M recorded a self-titled LPfor RCA Records, which was released in February 1972. The M was destined to make it big but failed against all expectations to hit the spotlights, in that the album sold very few copies and was withdrawn. So not surprisingly (hey only released this single album and shortly afterwards disbanded. The A side is comprised of original compositions by the band, whereas the B side is made up out of some well selected cover tunes, with which they always had huge success while performing them live.
Tracks
1. The Time Now Here (Takami Asano) - 11:21
2. White Cross (Takami Asano, Yoshimichi Tarumi) - 5:02
The last piece from the Fading Yellow puzzle, leads us again to North America, forgotten treasures come to light in this 13th volume, an ideal setting for the most demanding listeners, acoustic, guitar, baroque pop along with the always consistent and remarkable job on the covers and detailed notes about each musician.
I would like to thank my friend Cor for all his hard work and specially in these Fading Yellow series, most of them are limited and hard to find, and the value is sometimes large enough to obtain them.
Thank you all.
Artists - Tracks
1. Burnside - I Need No Help From You - 2:27
2. We The People - For No One To See - 2:01
3. The Arbors - I Can't Quit Her - 3:11
4. The Dickens - One Of A Kind Woman - 3:00
5. Michael - Love Is Just Around The Corner - 2:38
6. Terry Mcmanus - Gimme A Hand - 2:01
7. Bread - Cover Me Babe - 3:43
8. Early Times - Valley Of The Sun - 2:41
9. Benjamin Carry Ltd. - Catch The Rain - 1:57
10. Timothy - Mr Moonlight - 2:34
11. Lewis And Clark - Daddy's Plastic Child - 3:02
12. Natty Bumpo - Legends - 2:45
13. Pebbles And Shells - Let's Be More Than Friends Tonight - 2:25
14. Cinnamon - Have You Gone Out Of Your Mind? - 2:32
15. Bach's Lunch - You Go On - 2:21
16. Sure Cure - Anything You Want - 2:50
17. Harry's Group - Under My Umbrella - 2:35
18. Company Front - So Lonely - 2:25
19. Timothy - That Is All - 2:21
20. Jack Holiday - Lazy Day - 2:54
'Perhaps he is a bit headstrong. I think most of it is by design. He is struggling to find an identity. He has in fact told me that he wants to be controversial, inventive, temperamental. Actually, he belongs to a group of young poet-performers which might include John Phillips, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Bob Lind... you know the type. But make no mistake by thinking this information gives you a mental file on Rabbit Mackay.
That he is far beyond categoric placement is evident when you hear the first few bars of any of his song-poems. And I call them song-poems because they are far more involved in lyric content than in harmonic and melodic structure. You might see him and call him a 'hippie', but I'm sure that bag would offend him. He lives with several friends, Ellen and her baby in a small wood-frame house and adjoining shed in the middle of a sugar beet farm near Somis, California. It's complete with rusty farm machinery, old rabbit hutches, a goat and sugar beets. It's also quite obvious that he has rejected the materialistic life.
What furnishings you see are all spit and polish, which is probably a credit to Ellen. You'll see paraphernalia as you look around, and you might catch a whiff of incense which was burned a bit earlier. It's a groovy place where you can reach out. Rabbit's mind works a hundred miles an hour. His record producers tell me that it is impossible to keep him happy recording. By the time the technical hang-ups of the recording business have been overcome and a finished product has been derived, he has moved on to something more involved.
And though his instructors at Moorpark College reserve calling him genius at this time, all agree that there is something special about this young man. He seems to have surrounded himself with unique musicians - not that they have chosen obscure instruments as an outlet. They haven't. The rest of the group is electric piano, guitar and drums. Nothing strange there. But when Tree plays his piano, it sounds different somehow.
The same goes for Bob's drumming. Something he does fits Rabbit Mackay. That is the name of the entire group, you know. They went through the bit about 'The Rabbit Mackay Happening' or 'The Rabbit Mackay Movement' or 'The Rabbit Mackay Experience'. But the group decided not to tell their listeners they had just been part of an experience'
- original press release, December 1967
This unconventional singer-songwriter came from Somis, California. His first album takes in blues, garage-rock and gentle psychedelic folk, with backing from guitar, keyboards, flute, drums and more. A neglected gem originally released in June 1968.
Tracks
1. Big Sur - 4:36
2. Candy - 2:11
3. Lana Minus Life - 5:17
4. John's Lament - 3:20
5. Hard Time Woman - 2:52
6. Mexico Town - 2:21
7. Baby Jennifer - 2:47
8. When Angel Comes - 3:36
9. West Grogan Dormitory Blues - 4:08
10.You Can Always Come to Me - 2:50
The vol. 12 from the series Fading Yellow splits again the muse between Australia, continental Europe and Great Britain, of course the level remains high, both in music -a fine blend of jazzy orchestrated psychedelic pop-, and the CD presentation, the covers and detailed information about each artist. I hope this is gonna turn to be a pleasant Sunday companionship.
Artists - Tracks
1. Pennywise - Lily Come Near Me (The Netherlands) - 3:09
2. Murray Head - Someday Soon (UK) - 2:55
3. Paul Vigrass - Like It Never Was (UK) - 3:50
4. Pillow - Choirs (Sweden) - 3:05
5. Tin Tin - Swans On The Canal (Australia) - 2:18
6. Blue Skies - Nightingales (UK) - 2:31
7. Ted Mulry - Julia (Australia) - 2:22
8. Skaldowie - Cala Jestes W Skowronkach (Poland) - 4:38
9. Jormas - Tomorrow Is Hers (Finland) - 2:50
10.Change - When The Morning Comes (Iceland/UK) - 4:12
11.Jackpots - Lincoln City (Sweden) - 3:02
12.The Fortunes - I Can/T Remember When The Sun Went In (UK) - 3:22
13.Bengt & Pontus - Your Problem (Sweden) - 1:59
14.M.T. Else - The Ferris Wheel (Sweden) - 2:41
15.Biddu - Look Out Here I Come (UK) - 3:07
16.Harlem Speakeasy - Sight Of Pegasus (UK) - 2:12
17.Mike Tingley - Monotony's Message (The Neterlands) - 3:32
18.Nameless - A Lighthearted Life (Sweden) - 2:53
19.Gerry Morris - See Through My Mind (UK) - 3:36
20.Ted Mulry - So Much In Love Julia (Australia) - 2:43
21.Dave Berry - Chaplin House (UK) - 3:37
22.Pebbles - I Wonder (Belgium) - 3:16
23.Victoire Scott - 4eme Dimension (France) - 3:05
24.Victoire Scott - Une Fleur Dans Le Coeur (France) - 2:11
Don't be fooled by the name - with a moniker like Wildwood, you'd half expect pastoral literock from some self-absorbed Marin County dropouts, but the iconoclastic heroes of the tale about to unfold actually hail from the .tough blue collar environs of California's Central Valley - and they walked it like they talked it. The delta town of Stockton had strong R&B roots, with the influential Merced Blue Notes showing the way in the early 1960s, and local rockers like Gary Wagner sporting a tough groove in the groups the Chosen Few and Parish Hall, but by the late 1960s the city had wimped out, with the popular vibe a distinctly folkie, hippyish one, centered around countercultural hotspots like the Minotaur.
In this mellow milieu, Wildwood were the exception - dark and vaguely sinister in both look and sound, they melded the fuck-you attitude of the garage era with a soulful R&B streak and some enviable hard rock chops. Independent to the end, Wildwood did their own thing, and their story - and its remarkable musical legacy, as featured on the two discs you now hold in your hand - is a good one had had an enviable indoctrination into the music from the other side of the tracks, when at fourteen he was enlisted by the Coachmen, a multi-racial combo who rehearsed in his parents basement in the lily-white section of town.
The Mal-Ts were originally called The Dynamic Crescendos. They were from Linden, which is just east of Stockton - only eight miles away but a different world for me, a rural area. Named for surfing totem the Maltese Cross, the Mal-Ts were completely in the vanguard of the moment, a grass roots hybrid of British Invasion and its Raiders-Rascals American equivalent, and already a popular attraction amongst teens locally. The Mal-Ts lone 45, Here To Stay / Stand Up Today, is amongst the handful of garage gems to emanate from the Central Valley. Cut in Hollywood in late 1966 with famed engineer Bruce Morgan, this fine record was issued upon the bands own imprint, Lady Luck.
Williams got drafted, and Hensley also left, indirectly leading to the formation of what would become Wildwood. Williams was replaced by John Turner, formerly of The Cloud, and the bass playing position was actually taken over by a guitarist: Frank Colli, leader of Frankie & The Fontells and a legendary figure in Stockton with a reputation as a bad-ass – both onstage and off. Colli had a unique vocal style, modeled somewhere between his idol Ray Charles, and the intensity of a Sean Bonniwell or Arthur Lee. Zachary had seen fit to rename the band Zephyr Blue but, as the quartet of John, Tim, Mark and Frank got to know each other musically via marathon jam sessions at Tim's mother's barn on Baldwin Lane, there was no longer a position for him anyway, it was Zachary that further enabled the new creativity of the new band by making a connection that would provide the lion's share of recordings that appear on this anthology.
Max Weiss, the eccentric founder of venerable San Francisco independent label Fantasy Records, was well known for hosting literally dozens of acts in the labels funky warehouse studio, located in the Mission district of San Francisco, during the mid-1960s By the summer of 1968, Weiss was famously lackadaisical about seriously working with bands, but he was impressed enough by what he heard to suggest they have a release on Magnum. Mark: "By that point we had become Wildwood, from a book I was reading about ancient Celtic pagan rituals.
As with all the Wildwood recordings, it's the outlaw timbre of Colli's voice that makes the moment extra-special. Wildwood had already started performing around the Valley in the old Mal-Ts stomping grounds, but their tough sound was at odds with the folkier direction most other local groups seemed to be embracing. Mark: "After Plastic People came out, we also started promoting our own shows in different towns like Modesto. Turlock, Tracy, and in Sierra foothills towns like San Andreas and Sonora.
This is Wildwood, it's black, it's dark, whatever it is, it's us. Free Ride, released in 1969, and sporting standard Steppenwolf style rock moves. It's flipside was a much more original item that went back to the Vox-era, with overdubbed piano and a dramatic atmosphere. Wildwood County is significant also for the introduction of perhaps the most colourful figure in the entire Wildwood saga: the enigmatic W. Chalker, he was a character. rolled up, and work boots — definitely not the hip- PIG type, Up to that time, Frank was writing most of the lyrics, but when they met Chalker, his lyrics took they to a different place. He would record these primal, rambling versions of his songs with just vocal and acoustic guitar.
As it is for many other groups of their kind, the intensive five years the four members of Wildwood worked together proved an emotionally draining experience, with little to show for it save two obscure 45s and a bag full of 7 1/2 ips dubs of their Fantasy tapes. Moving on, most everyone continued in music to a greater or larger degree. Mark Ross played with several notables including the Mark- Almond Band, and would eventually move into composing music for television, with two Emmys to his credit. Still writing and singing, the enigmatic Frank Colli performs regularly in the Central Valley, and his newer material can be found online. Tim Mora continues to play drums with various local acts.
Although John Turner passed away a few years ago, the members of Wildwood have remained great friends for the last forty years. And it's quite likely that the powerful shared apprenticeship of Wildwood was something that wasn't replicated in their subsequent musical adventures.
by Alec Palao
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Plastic People (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:14
2. Mothers (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:35
3. Mary Midnight (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 5:43
4. Choo Choo Thunder (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 6:05
5. Free Ride (Hammond) (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 2:42
6. Wildwood County (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:28
7. Gotta Keep Movin' (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:32
8. Swimming (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 2:39
9. Steel Cathedrals (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 6:13
10.Probing the Secrets (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:14
11.Durango (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:34
12.Mister Wild Love (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:05
13.The Weasel (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:41
Disc 2
1. Knock On Any Door (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:25
2. Lonesome Roads (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:47
3. Steel Cathedrals (Mercury) (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:04
4. Free Ride (Vox) (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 5:12
5. Blue Eyed Woman (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 6:38
6. The Mal T's - Here To Stay (Bob Zachary) - 1:54
7. The Mal T's - Stand Up Today (Bob Zachary) - 2:38
8. William Chalker - Wildwood County (W. Chalker) - 5:22
9. William Chalker - Frisco Fog (W. Chalker) - 4:27
10.William Chalker - Choo Choo Thunder (W. Chalker) - 1:15
11.Chalker - Death is a Horseman (W. Chalker) - 6:51
12.Chalker - Sweet Lorraine (W. Chalker) - 5:44
13.Chalker - Nevada Voice (W. Chalker) - 3:32
14.Chalker - Mary of the Midnight (W. Chalker) - 8:21
Classic compilation series of purest popsike of the 60-70's. Volume 11 contains 27 trax all together of the highest order, with US and a couple of Canadian trax. Pop-sike, magic pop or wondrous pop.
Artists - Tacks
1. Mike Konstan - This Time - 2:18
2. Mr. Floods Party - Alice Was A Dream - 3:19
3. Click - Rainmaker - 3:06
4. Lavender Hill Express - Visions - 2:19
5. Saint Jacques - Shes Beautiful - 2:28
6. Don Meehan Project - House In The Country - 2:35
7. Rangle - Visions Of Mind - 3:28
8. Soulful Bowlful - For All That I Am - 2:28
9. Benjamin Carry Ltd - Old Man - 2:03
10. Plum Beach Incident - Pretty Thing - 2:22
11. Bill Soden - Rainy Day - 2:52
12. Cloud - Cool Jane - 3:07
13. Idy Lynn- Up In My Mind - 3:01
14. Larry Marks - L.A. Breakdown - 3:06
15. Christian - Just Like A Child - 2:42
16. Click - Dancing Babies - 2:43
17. New Colony Six - Cant You See Me Cry - 2:36
18. The Open Window - Much Too Soon - 5:00
19. Joy - Anduril - 2:45
20. Omegas - Mr. Yates - 2:19
21. Cotton Candy - Billy - 2:18
22. Clark Sullivan - Let Me See Those Lights Again - 2:41
23. Jim And Dale - The Time It Takes - 4:19
24. Springfield Rifle - All She Said - 2:32
25. London Knights - Go To Him - 2:19
26. The #1 - The Collector - 2:23
27. Carnival - Dark Star - 2:06
The core of Keef Hartley Band, along with Hartley and guitarist/vocalist Miller Anderson, was bassist Gary Thain. He was heavily influenced by bassist Duck Dunn from Booker T. and the MGs but, like Anderson and Hartley, possessed a clearer jazz spirit. The Time is Near... features a number of different horn and keyboard players, with its line-up settling down considerably for Overdog.
If Overdog is generally heavy, The Time is Near... is a lighter affair, with Anderson found on acoustic guitar as often as electric and songs like "Morning Rain sounding almost schizophrenic. Opening with a psychedelic reverse-attack collage of drums and horns, it's a song whose changes could find a place in the repertoire of roots rockers The Band if it weren't for Thain's funky bass line and trumpeter Henry Lowther's soul-drenched horn arrangement. "From The Window could easily have come from Motown, but the shifting tempo and more complex horn parts that ultimately resolve into a sunnier, ambling groove are indicative of greater depth and complexity.
Keef Hartley Band may not have been considered a progressive rock group by connotation, but its combination of soul, jazz, rock and folk here are progressive by stricter definition. Hartley was fortunate to find Miller, who writes all but one song on The Time Is Near.... Possessing enough grit to deliver the stronger message of the nearly ten-minute title track but equally capable of carrying the gentler classical guitar/trumpet duo of "Another Time Another Place," his voice is so versatile that these two tracks almost sound as if they're being sung by different people.
An equally versatile guitarist, he delivers a gritty, blues-drenched solo on the title track and the final part of "You Can't Take It With You, which also features a blistering saxophone solo from Lyle Jenkins during its lithely swinging 6/8 middle section. The only non-Miller track on the disc is "Premonition, an instrumental by trumpeter Dave Caswell, another fine player who seems to have disappeared without a trace. It's essentially a light two-chord vamp with a brief chorus that paves the way for strong solos from both Caswell and Jenkins.
The rhythm section team of Hartley and Thain powers the material throughout. It's hard to judge which of these two reissues is a better record since they're both so different (while remarkably still managing to sound like the same group), but The Time Is Near... gets a subtle nod for its broader mix of styles and a group sound that's as distinctive as its American counterparts, while feeling less like a group looking for a hit. Instead, Keef Hartley Band seems to have hoped that the audience would come to it, and while it had its brief moment in the spotlight, there's no musical reason why it should have been less successful than Chicago or BS&T other than the fact that it never got the international promotion it deserved.
by John Kelman
Tracks
1. Morning Rain - 3:00
2. From The Window - 3:28
3. The Time Is Near - 10:09
4. You Can't Take It With You - 7:19
5. Premonition (Dave Caswell) - 4:24
6. Another Time, Another Place - 2:35
7. Change - 4:00
All songs by Miller Anderson except where noted.
After a lengthy absence FY is back with a lush chorus of “Huzzah’s” and a blizzard of scented rose petals (faded, naturally). “No Elvis, no Beatles, no Rolling Stones.” OK, that’s from a Clash song, but the principle applies here too – albeit from the opposite direction – because here we have a parallel pop dimension in which it appears that every musician aspired to be… Justin Hayward! Just listen to Candle’s ‘Matthew, Little Man’ or Gerry Morris’ ‘When It Comes To Love’ for proof. That catch-in-the-throat, yearning yet soothing vocal style; always calm and assured even when apparently in the depths of despair.
Standards are tip-top from the second that the electric sitar/sweet ’n’ sour strings combo of Ted Mulry’s ‘Remember Me’ oozes from the speakers, but extra Michelin stars should be awarded to Ronnie Bird’s Mick Jones/Tommy Brown-produced ballad ‘De L’Autre Cote Du Miroir’, Gallic folk giant Antoine’s post-Apocalyptic ‘Where Did Everyone Go To?’ and Aussie group The Strangers (featuring John Farrar of Marvin, Welch &…), who turn in a gorgeous ‘Take The Time’.
Oh, and Paul King of Mungo Jerry infamy (now re-named P Rufus King) finally atones for blowing that damned jug on ‘In The Summertime’ with the slightly skewed but completely wonderful ‘Nobody Knows’. Mustn’t forget the splendid Robin Gibb-isms of ‘Welcome To My House’ by Volendam’s very own Leftside either.
So, if turning it up to 11 strikes you as being tantamount to treason then here are 24 more slices of heaven just for you. Anyone suspecting that FY could be running out of steam can rest assured, there’s no drop in standards here. Better grab it fast.
by Mick Capewell
Just been playing the latest FY volume and I must say even though they are all good, I think it is the best volume since Vol.1. The first four tracks make a really strong start; Ted Mulry’s ‘Remember Me’ a geat electric sitar number, Explicit Souls ‘Rebecca’s Shop’ (from a Swedish sampler album) is all harmony, Wilfred’s ‘Candle In The Wind’ (no, not that one), is a really good UK surprise. and Dutch band OPMC’s ‘Love Song For Diana’ are really strong attention grabbers. Gerry Morris’s ‘When It Comes To Love’ is from his scarce LP and I would really love to hear that now after this - anyone got it??.
Two Swedish songs that are really catchy, just because they are so repetitive and melodic are Darling’s ‘Smiling’ and Bengt & Pontus’s ‘Don’t You Hear Me’ and There’s plenty of other great stuff here and only a one or two I’ve heard before. Already on my MP3 player I’m grooving in my head like a Summer’s day despite the Arctic conditions in Britain at the moment. This is great!
by Paul Martin
Artists - Tracks
1. Ted Mulry - Remember Me - 4:01
2. Explicit Souls - Rebecca's Shop - 3:17
3. Wilfred - Candle In The Wind - 3:28
4. O.P.M.C. - Love Song For Diane - 3:06
5. Twilights, The - It's Dark - 1:55
6. Freedom - The Better Side - 4:35
7. Ola And The Janglers - Oh What A Lovely Day - 3:17
8. Gerry Morris - When It Comes To Love - 3:00
9. P. Rufus King - Nobody Knows - 3:33
10.Candle - Matthew, Little Man - 3:02
11.Antoine - Where Did Everyone Go To? - 3:01
12.Greenfield And Cook - A Day Begins - 2:18
13.Dave Berry - I'm Gonna Take You There - 2:30
14.Los Angeles - Please Believe Me - 2:34
15.Scott Harris - Morning Sun - 2:20
16.Darling - Smiling - 2:39
17.Ronnie Bird - De L'Autre Cote Du Miroir - 3:03
18.Leftside - Welcome To My House - 2:53
19.Bengt And Pontus - Didn't You Hear Me - 2:38
20.Lee Kings - Coming From The Ground - 2:36
21.Countdown - Georgia - 3:00
22.Strangers - Take The Time - 3:02
23.John O'Hara And His Playboys - Sister Rae - 3:56
24.Saft - Albertine Hall - 3:46
Sticky baroque delights abound in this scarce and peerless series that showcases the frilliest UK popsike. This volume concentrates on singles from London, and even has an unreleased Bill Fay acetate.
Artists - Tracks
1. Pop Workshop - Fairyland - 3:10
2. The Marianne - As For Marionettes - 2:55
3. Susie Klee - Punch And Judy Girl - 2:44
4. Brendan Phillips - Is It Worth A Try? - 2:42
5. Pussyfoot - Hasty Words - 2:26
6. Hogarth - Suzie's Gettin' Married - 2:44
7. Tony Ritchie - Rain On My Window - 2:47
8. Jumbo - Promises - 3:13
9. John Pantry - Wash Myself Away - 2:15
10.Paul Vigrass - Stop! - 3:00
11.Dave Christie - Penepole Breedlove - 2:29
12.Christian - Other Side Of Life - 2:28
13.Christian - She - 2:44
14.Tapestry - Like The Sun - 2:58
15.Andy Forray - Sarah Jane - 2:54
16.Rodney Bewes - Dear Mother Love Albert - 3:20
17.Gary Hamilton – Let The Music Play - 2:17
18.Mike Leslie - Office Girl - 3:28
19.Micky Jones And Tommy Brown - If I Could Be Sure - 3:13
20.Jon - Polly Sunday - 2:15
21.Timon - And Now She Says She Is Young - 3:09
22 Wishful Thinking - Clear White Light - 2:58
23.Brendan Phillips - When She's Kissing Me - 3:00
24.Bill Fay - Unrelesed Acetate - 3:00
25.Paul Layton - Sing Sadman Sing - 2:51
This limited-edition (1,000 copies) compilation brings together 21 U.K. pop-psych-folk rarities from 1968-1975. And you'd better believe some of these are really rare, especially when it gets down to something (John Pantry's "Long White Trail") taken from a 1972 soundtrack to a film about a team of sled dogs.
A few of these artists have connections to much bigger names, and a few are recognizable names in their own right, like British folk legend Wizz Jones; Fleetwood Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan; Tony Hazzard, who wrote hits for Manfred Mann and the Hollies; and Andy Roberts of Plainsong/the Liverpool Scene. Overall, however, you wonder whether more than a dozen people worldwide have all of the original releases from which these were taken in their private collections.
That's part of the utility of an anthology such as this, of course, for those who are pretty deeply interested in the genre but don't have the time or money to chase down all of these obscurities. Though pretty diverse as a whole, what these tracks share is a general simultaneous folky base and willingness to stretch outside usual folk-rock and singer/songwriter conventions of the era into something a bit stranger and freakier, without actually getting too freaky or electric.
Certainly there are heavy echoes of some of the much bigger names exploring somewhat similar territory, like Donovan, Bert Jansch, Al Stewart, Nick Drake, or Sandy Denny; traces of major rock songwriters who sometimes approached the edges of whimsical folkiness, like Ray Davies or Roy Wood, can also be detected. If nothing here is as good as the finer work of those esteemed artists, usually these songs possess a quite engaging haunting and tremulous ambience, often embellishing reasonably melodic songs with interesting eccentric sounds, production touches, orchestration, and odd (if sometimes overly precious) lyrical viewpoints.
The level of quality is high enough that there aren't many obvious high points, but certainly Nadia Cattouse's melancholy "All Around My Grandmother's Floor" will be heartily embraced by anyone who likes Vashti Bunyan or Bridget St. John; Trevor Billmuss' "Sunday Afternoon in Belgrave Square" will likewise appeal to those who love the most ornate early Donovan/Stewart arrangements; and Vigrass & Osborne's "Ballerina" is first-rate dreamy pop-folk-psych.
While some collectors might object to the following observation, frankly, compilation CDs such as this make for much better listening than most of the original releases from which they're collated, as these intelligently culled highlights are far more consistently enjoyable and diverse than most single-artist LPs in this field. If you do want to track down more of the same on those original releases, the detailed liner notes give you a good starting point.
by Richie Unterberger
Artists - Tracks
1. Harvey Andrews - England My England - 3:30
2. Jan And Lorraine - Bird Of Passage - 3:59
3. Raw - What To Do - 3:34
4. Michael Blount - Aeorn Street - 1:36
5. Danny Kirwan - Lovely Days - 2:31
6. Fuchsia - Me And My Kite - 2:37
7. P.C. Kent - After Dark - 2:40
8. Vigrass And Osborne - Ballerina - 3:45
9. Gothic Horizons - Thoughts - 2:52
10.Marc Brierley - Today I Feel Like Leaving You - 2:25
11.Storyteller - Alice Brown - 2:49
12.Andy Roberts - I've Seen The Movie - 5:44
13.Nadia Cattouse - All Around My Grandmother's Floor - 2:28
14.Jan And Lorraine - Snow Roses - 3:08
15.Evensong - The Smallest Man In The World - 3:33
16.Trevor Billmuss - Sunday Afternoon In Belgrave Square - 3:02
17.John Pantry - Long White Trail - 2:27.
18.Michael Blount - Ceaicles Micellaneous - 2:17
19.Alan James Eastwood - Hymns For Today - 4:27
20.Wizz Jones - One Grain Of Sand - 3:40
21.Tony Hazzard - Loudwater House - 4:41
Fading Yellow Vol. 7 brings things back to these shores after a number of cds spent in the UK and I have to say that this is my favorite volume yet. It helps having some favorites of mine like The Gordian Knot, The Glitterhouse, The Peppermint Trolley Co., The New Wave, The Smoke, and Alzo. All of these are groups that put out albums that still remain unissued on cd (or in some cases obscure and expensive Japanese imports on cd - or internet bootleg cds)
All in all, I have to say that Fading Yellow Vol. 7 is my favorite of the bunch thanks to a sampling of obscure album tracks. The fact that this volume emphasizes bands that went so far as to make albums (rather than the 45s like many of the other groups compiled on previous Vols) ratchets the quality up on this volume.
Fading Yellow Vol. 7 starts out with The Eight Day's Building With A Steeple which is from an album co-produced and co-written by Ronnie Dante and arranged by Artie Butler in 1967 on Kapp. I'd always been curious to hear The Eight Day and they have that awesome sound that combines The Mamas and Papas vocals with a spiritual sound about going to church (sort of like in California Dreamin').
Del Shannon produced and co-wrote the wonder that is On The East Side by the pop teen idol Brian Hyland in 1970 on Uni which sounds a lot like Del Shannon's work from 1968's The Further Adventures of Charles Westover.
The Gordian Knot's Carraway Stream is a vastly under-rated piece of Beach Boys inspired pop with delicate harpsichord and Arbors' meets Simon and Garfunkel like harmonies from this album track. The group were featured on the album cover for their album Tones all tied up in rope. Somehow this group has been overlooked through the years. The Year Of The Sun by The Gordian Knot is also included here and is a gorgeus sun-soaked pop nugget with soaring flutes and harmony vocals.
Federal Duck's Peace In My Mind has a similar sound to that found on Freeborne's Peak Impressions album which has been reissued on the Distortions label. The group's name was derived from the Federal Duck Stamp Program which was enacted in 1934 by conservationist Jay "Ding" Darling and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. George Stavis (who also had an album on Vanguard) from Federal Duck later formed the Santa Cruz blue-grass rock jam band cicra 1970-73.
I wrote about the Glitterhouse extensively in my gullbuy Barbarella review. The liner notes here are misinformed stating that this group were probably a studio group for Bob Crewe. This Bob Crewe website has a lot of information (and a cd you can buy) which sets the record straight. Along with helping record the Barbarella soundtrack the boys in the Glitterhouse also released one lp (along with various singles under other names) with side one veering more towards the psychedelic arena of bands like Procol Harum or Quicksilver Messenger Service, with songs like Tinkerbell's Mind (the track included here) and its crazy psych lyrics
Tinkerbell's mind is a crazy machine at the best, and her headset's a flame, all the things her body loves the best...a pronounced organ and fuzz guitar sound, and harmony vocals galore.
The Peppermint Trolley Co.'s Pat's Song is one of the more mellow and introspective tracks from an excellent album riddled with some other goodies like their version of the Paul Williams/Roger Nichols Trust. This track reminds me of work on Paul Parrish's The Forest of My Mind album.
3's A Crowd album Christopher's Movie Matinee was produced by Mama Cass and Steve Barri for Dunhill in 1968. I Don/t Wanna Drive You Away has that Mamas and Papas styled harmony and cool Beatlesque strummed guitar lines.
Lee Michaels' My Friends is a druggy inspired pop nugget which was recorded for his A&M solo album Carnival of Life in 1968. This tune can also be found on the cd Best of Lee Michaels on One Way Records from 1997 which compiled tracks from his 6 A&M albums from 1968-72. This track (and the album it's from) was produced by Larry Marks (producer for Tape From California by Phil Ochs, American Dream by Emitt Rhodes, Cowboy in Sweden by Lee Hazlewood, Painted Dayglow Smile and Distant Shores by Chad & Jeremy, and work by the Flying Burrito Brothers and Dillard & Clark) features the excellent guitarist Hamilton W. Watt but is predominately filled with psyhedelic keyboard and eletric piano work. Sadly, Lee Michaels suffered from tinnitus so he left the music business and now lives in Hawaii.
Alzo released a handful of wonderful gems from the late 1960s and early 1970s including work with Jeff Barry as The Keepers of Light, as the singing duo Alzo & Udine and solo for Bell in the early 1970s. You/re Gone is a mystical tune from Alzo's solo album Looking For You which is all the more haunting since Alzo's passing in Feburary, 2004. Alzo had a knack for writing songs that seem to read your mind with a contemporary soul rhythm style that makes is melodies dance in your mind. He will be sorely missed by me. Vastly underated at the time and disenchanted with the music industry in the mid-1970s, Alzo disappeared before his rediscovery in recent years by a huge Japanese fanbase and the few faithful stateside.
The Cowsills were the real-life inspiration behind The Partridge Family, but their story has never really been told. It was awesome to see them sing the national anthem at a Red Sox playoff game this past fall and it remains a mystery of life why their work is still so hard to find. Mystery Of Life is from their On My Side album from 1971.
Produced by David Brigg's (the producer who worked with Neil Young on many albums, on Spirit's Twelve Dream of Dr. Sardonicus, as well as with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and Royal Trux before his death in 1995) for Bill Cosby's Tetragrammaton Records in 1968, Friday Morning Paper from Summerhill's sole lp is that mix of psychedelia and the Neil Young sound that I think Buffalo Springfield never really reached for but should have tried.
Bob Ray sounds just like Donovan on (Girl With The) Cameo Ring, a track taken from his Initiation of a Mystic which was released on Johnny River's Soul City label in 1969.
The New Wave were really a couple of kids named Tommy Andre and Reid King who released a wonderful bossa inspired folk rock album on the Canterbury label (the label that also put out the Yellow Balloon album) and Little Dream is one of the highlights from this album. Little is known about these two guys.
The North Wind Blew South is the title track from Philamore Lincoln's (from the UK) solo album released in the US on Epic in 1970 which featured a post Jeff Beck Yardbirds for backing. Not sure how much they appear on this soft Paul Simon inspired dreamer which wofts by in a orchestrated haze.
National Gallery's Diana In The Autumn Wind is from a concept album oddity called The Interpretions Of The Paintings Of Paul Klee. Featuring one female solo vocalist and some male vocalists. This oddity involved Charles Mangione who later recorded jazz versions of some of the tunes from this album on his own Diana In The Autumn Wind album. You can hear samplings from the National Gallery album (as well as see the sleeve art) at Frank's Vinyl Museum - it's farout and pretensious - sort of like a folk/psych version of Stereolab and it reminds me of the early 70s group Design.
The Smoke released an incredible Beatles' inspired album here in the US that was co-produced by Michael Lloyd and Kim Fowley. Similar to Michael Lloyd's other production for October Country, Gold Is The Colour Of Love is a Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds sound-a-like. It's a crime this awesome album is still not available on cd.
by Patrick (Gullbuy)
Artists - Tracks - Composer
1. The Eighth Day - Building With A Steeple (Gene Allan, Ron Dante) - 2:36
2. John Randolph Marr - Raggedy Ann - 2:27
3. Brian Hyland - On The East Side (Brian Hyland, Del Shannon) - 2:27
4. Gordian Knot - Carraway Stream - 2:49
5. Fargo - Talks We Used To Have - 2:29
6. Federal Duck - Peace In My Mind - 3:00
7. Glitterhouse - Tinkerbell's Mind - (Michael Gayle) - 4:42
8. The Peppermint Trolley Co. - Pat's Song - 2:26
9. 3's A Crowd - I Don't Wanna Drive You Away - 2:41
10.Lee Michaels - My Friends - 2:42
11.Richard Twice - If I Knew You Were The One - 4:45
12.Alzo - You're Gone - 2:40
13 Cherry People - Imagination - 1:56
14.Cowsills - Mystery Of Life - 3:55
15.Summerhill - Friday Morning's Paper - 2:35
16.Bob Ray - (Girl With The) Cameo Ring - 3:53
17.New Wave, The - Little Dreams - 2:30
18.Philamore Lincoln - The North Wind Blew South - 3:15
19.National Gallery - Diana In The Autumn Wind (Charles Mangione, Roger Karshner) - 2:43
20.Condello - The Other Side Of You - 4:17
21.The Smoke - Gold Is The Color Of Thoughts - 3:06
22.Gordian Knot, The - The Year Of The Sun - 3:03
23.Ellie Pop - Oh My Friend - 2:25
24.Bert Sommer - And When It's Over (Bert Sommer) - 3:10
