"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
Weren’t Born A Man, released in 1973, is Dana Gillespie’s third album and contains her version of ‘Andy Warhol’, a song that David Bowie originally wrote for her. Bowie and Mick Ronson produced said track and Gillespie’s original ‘Mother, Don’t Be Frightened’, and Ronson and Spiders from Mars members Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey played on both cuts. 43 years after its original release, Weren’t Born A Man stands as a must-have record for anyone with an interest in 70s music. 180g vinyl.
Hardcore David Bowie fans should have heard by now about the so-called Bowpromo album. It contains ‘rough mixes’ of original tracks that would later be included on the Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust albums, as well as an exclusive track and the early (and shorter) versions of some amazing songs that would later make their way into Dana Gillespie’s Weren’t Born A Man LP from 1973: ‘Mother, Don’t Be Frightened’ and ‘Andy Warhol’. In fact, these two tracks on Dana’s album were produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson, featuring the members of The Spiders from Mars as backing band. Weren’t Born A Man is Gillespie’s third album after some previous folk and pop recordings and a rather successful career as an actress. She played Mary Magdalene in the first London production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972.
However, her involvement in music would soon be connected to some of the key players in the London scene, such as Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page and David Bowie. But there is much more to this album that just Bowie’s glam sound influence. ‘All Cut Up On You’, ‘All Gone’, ‘Eternal Showman’ or the title track ‘Weren’t Born A Man’ are all outstanding tracks on their own that show Dana Gillespie’s various moods, from mellow notes to sexually ambiguous statements. Sadly, record sales did not match RCA’s expectations and after one more album Dana was forced to take a long break on her recording activity that would eventually lead her to a very different approach to music. During the 80s Gillespie made a comeback becoming a member of the Mojo Blues Band and her career as a blues singer has not stopped since then, releasing over 25 albums to date. 43 years after its original release, Weren’t Born A Man stands as a must-have record for anyone with an interest in 70s music.
From the opening title track, with its arresting arrangement possibly masterminded by John Paul Jones, it’s immediately clear that this is an album to be taken seriously. At the time of its release, Julie Felix was already well established, having enjoyed ample BBC TV coverage for her easy folk song interpretations. By 1970, however, she was ready to move forward when she signed with Mickie Most.
The first 12 tracks here make up her Clotho’s Web album, which features all Felixpenned songs bar one. More importantly, it pulled in fuller instrumentation from the likes of Danny Thompson, Big Jim Sullivan, Davey Johnstone and the aforementioned Mr Jones, whose work with Most’s production helped make the resultant collection striking, atmospheric and highly convincing. Felix’s vocals are strong, confident and are placed well up front. Eight bonuses, mostly non-album singles, are added, making this a good value package. Worth the price of admission for the title track alone, which stands as one of the great folk-rock moments.
by Kingsley Abbott
Tracks
1. Clotho's Web - 3:35
2. Windy Morning - 3:05
3. Fire Water Earth And Air - 3:06
4. Clickety Clack - 2:57
5. Beside The Still Fjord - 2:47
6. The Ballad Of San Andreas (John Carter, Gillian Shakespeare) - 3:22
7. Hills Of May - 1:55
8. Moonlight - 2:41
9. Happiness - 3:48
10.The Lean Years - 3:05
11.Summer On Fire - 4:36
12.Lady - 4:24
13.Heaven Is Here (Errol Brown, Tony Wilson) - 3:12
14.Soon - 3:28
15.Watching, Waiting - 2:22
16.Portrait of A Mistress As A Young Girl - 3:51
17.If I Could - 3:12
18.Alone - 2:33
19.Snakeskin - 3:08
20.Moonlight - 3:01
All compositions by Julie Felix except where stated
As far as homegrown prog bands went (with a couple exceptions), 1970's America was the home of the brave but doomed. Leviathan was one act that actually managed to get one proper album release before disappearing, probably to secure to themselves and their posterity the blessings of not starving to death. Not as derivative of big-name British acts as most of their contemporaries, Leviathan's release (LP Mach Records AMA 12501) instead demonstrates how much more blurred the line between heavy metal and progressive rock had already become in the Colonies than in the Old Blighty.
The opening track "Arabesque" is rife with crunchy guitar riffs, stomping drums and bass, and bluesy vocal melodies delivered with hard rock's throaty harshness and occasional caught-meself-in-the-zipper yells. On the other hand, these are interspersed with a more delicate and harmonically complex sections with acoustic guitar, quick organ cadenzas and especially swirling Mellotron swells. The effect resembles some of Kansas' early works, though the writing is less adventurous and the playing less dynamic. The rest of the album pendulates between these two elements, searching for a right balance with variable success.
On "Seagull" the effect created by the mellifluous middle section full of liquid piano and Mellotron strings and woodwinds in what is otherwise just a slow-grinding, chugalong rock tune is a bit too cut and paste to avoid sounding contrived. Others mix ingredients with greater skill, either giving a straight-forward song a rich prog-style coating and melodic shine ("Always Need You") or using heavy guitar and rhythm section for impressive dynamic swells on an otherwise brooding, classical composition ("Endless Dream"). "Angel of Death" pretty much ditches the prog element, and sounds much smoother - and duller - as a result. The other extreme is the gentle, non-metallic ballad "Angela", which is saved from MOR mundanity by a small but nice harmonic modulation and a frothy use of acoustic guitar and lapping Mellotron strings. It all finally comes together on the closer "Quicksilver Clay", a quite stylish amalgamation of progressive melodic and instrumental richness, and the vigour of an underlying metal base.
It's too bad things don't click more often, because it results in an unbalanced, lopsided album. Admittedly, I am not a fan of the metal style, but when it works, the synthesis of old-style heavy guitar and Mellotron as displayed here is quite novel and charming - certainly enough to make this album worthwhile. Those into heavy prog in the old sense of the word, without thrash riffs, neo-classical shredding or double bass drum havoc, should definitely investigate this one.
by Kai Karmanheimo
Tracks
1. Arabesque - 6:15
2. Angela - 6:40
3. Endless Dream - 9:58
4. Seagull - 5:00
5. Angel of Death - 4:07
6. Always Need You - 3:22
7. Quicksilver Clay - 7:28
8. Why I Must Be Like You - 3:00
9. I'll Get Lost Out There - 3:42
All compositions by Wain Bradley, Peter Richardson, Don Swearingen, Grady Trimble, John Sadler, Shof Beavers
A guitarist/singer who led his own guitar/vocals group Ross and The Alan Ross Band. In the early 1970s, he was a technical guitarist who was sometimes called along with Eric Clapton , partly because he belonged to the same label as RSO.
1971, after working in Love Affair's predecessor bands Soul Survivors and Tangerine Peel, formed Ro Ro with bassist Warwick Rose, and released "Meet Me On The Water", a hidden folk-rock masterpiece and the only highly rated album for Regal Zonophone.
Later the same year, he participated in The Who 's bassist John Entwistle 's solo album "Whistle Rhymes" and acted as a member of the touring band Rigor Mortis . He also participated in Entwistle's next solo album, Rigor Mortis Sets In.
1973, he formed his own leader group Ross with former Indian Summer keyboardist Bob Jackson , who had worked with Rigor Mortis and Pete Brown on sessions , and obtained a contract with RSO. Released two albums, "Ross" and "The Pit And The Pendulum", which mixed elements, but disbanded without achieving great success.
1976, he formed Stars with former Octopus and Slack Alice keyboardist John Cook and former Atomic Rooster drummer Ric Parnell , releasing one album, but it was short-lived. In the second half of the same year, he was also enrolled with Babe Ruth.
Tracks
1. That Was Yesterday (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 4:54
2. Nothing Ever Comes That Easy (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 5:33
3. Going Down (For The Third Time) (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross) - 4:17
4. Heart Of Stone (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Zoe Kronberger) - 5:17
5. Platform Soul (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Phoebe Weatherfield) - 4:38
6. Mr Push-Me-Pull-Ya (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross) - 4:40
7. Punishment Park (Peter Matthews, Ric Parnell, Lance Dixon, Simon Lait, Alan Ross, Mike Finesilver) - 6:24
8. Not Fade Away (Charles Hardin, Norman Petty) - 4:00
Band Song formed in 1969, recorded and released one album in 1970, and were history within a year. Pretty much pure power pop here, but there are a couple of heavier rock and jazz infused tracks that veer away from it. The musicianship is solid, and I'm sure Curt Boettcher and Keith Olsen contributed some of their production and engineering wizardry to the final mix.
Mickey Rooney Jr. was the main songwriter and singer as well as rhythm guitar player, born 3 July 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, and was the son of famous actor Mickey Rooney, the other members of the the band, were Shelly Scott and Rob Lewine. Wolfman Jack regularly used Clarks jazz/rock instrumental from that album called 'Medicine Man' as his sign off track. It remains a classic today.
Baeutiful power pop songs, catchy melodies, great harmonies inbetween frantic bongo-handclap breaks, a bit of an English Isles folk sounds, midtempo rockers, and a progressive jazz-rock jam complete with a drum solo.
Tracks
1. 10 X 10 (Bob McDonald, Carmen Sardo, Clark Garman) - 2:44
2. Like We Were Before (Joey Covington, Mickey Rooney Jr.) - 2:14
3. Eat Fruit (Bob McDonald, Carmen Sardo, Clark Garman) - 2:40
4. Whenever I Think Of You (John Blanchard, Mickey Rooney Jr.) - 2:09
5. Banana High Noon (Carmen Sardo, Clark Garman, Mickey Rooney Jr.) - 6:18
6. I`m Not Home (Mickey Rooney Jr.) - 3:50
7. Wife (Mickey Rooney Jr.) - 1:44
8. Sugar Lady (Bob McDonald, Carmen Sardo, Clark Garman, Mickey Rooney Jr.) - 2:51
9. Meatgrinder (Bob McDonald, Carmen Sardo, Clark Garman, Mickey Rooney Jr.) - 3:09
10.Medicine Man (Carmen Sardo, Clark Garman) - 7:41
Song
*Rob Lewine - Bass, Vocals
*Shelly Silverman - Drums, Vocals
*Clark Garman - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Mickey Rooney Jr. - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
The Brighton band Leviathan, previously known as Mike Stuart Span, featured in one of the very best TV programmes ever about Pop Music. It is also unintentionally very funny indeed. In their episode “Big Deal Group”, part of BBC’s “A Year In The Life” series, “the Span” begin as a group on the up being managed by the hapless Mike Clayton, who demonstrates his acumen early on by signing away an extra 5% of their earnings to a booking agency for seemingly doing nothing much at all. Clearly way out of his depth when it came to the London Showbiz mafia and not exactly a Peter Grant figure, it was no surprise when he and the group parted company after a series of mishaps, including an underwhelming television appearance and unwisely buying a record shop on the royalties from a non-selling single. This left the Mike Stuart Span forlornly rehearsing at a local Youth Club, contemplating a spell working on building sites instead of the glamour in the last dying breathes of Swinging London. Of Clayton, we saw no more.
After this inevitable parting of the ways, something new was needed for the band. Luckily a deal with US label Elektra, home of the Doors and Love amongst others, came out of the blue on the proviso that the group’s name be changed to the more 1969 sounding Leviathan. Though not that enamoured with the new moniker (and the decision on this came right from the top, from none other than Jac Holzman, Elektra president), the band generally welcomed this unexpected upswing in fortune.
The tail end of “Big Deal Band” shows Clive Selwood, John Peel’s mate and now the band’s handler, attempting unsuccessfully to hustle the newly rechristened Leviathan some air time on the Kenny Everett radio show. Presumably it was also Selwood’s idea to release two singles by the band on the same day – the kind of ploy that rarely worked, but I suppose desperate times called for desperate measures. By the time the documentary aired, the band were no more, their dreams of UK and Stateside success dashed when Elektra (and Holzman again being personally involved) rejected their first attempt at making an album. They told them to go back and try again, but by this time Leviathan had run out of money and with nothing forthcoming from the US, that was that.
The LP that they recorded has remained in limbo ever since, apart from a brief vinyl release a short while back, but now we can hear it in all its glory, nearly 50 years after it was recorded. And, despite at times taking rather too strongly an influence from the preeminent UK band of the time Cream, it is a beaut. Though looked upon as a change from the “Psychedelic” Mike Stuart Span to a more “Progressive” sound, it’s not a startling alteration of style. Leviathan do occasionally fall back on the kind of “Blues” jamming that tended to rule in Blighty at the time – but for the most part inventive, catchy Heavy Psych/late period Freakbeat is the order of the day.
Their best single “Remember The Times”, cruelly missed out on the charts despite being on a par with great bands like the Move and there’s a touch of “Sunday Afternoon” era-Kinks in the mix, very agreeable indeed. Though a touch more guitar gung-ho than in their Span years (even further back they started as a Soul band with a full brass section), they still manage to make a catchy concoction of their contradictions (i.e wanting the fame and fortune that success would bring, but also a need to be “taken seriously”). Occasionally they trip over into self-parody, with the multi-section anti-war “War Machine” making one stifle a few giggles but feel a bit mean afterwards, as they were undoubtedly being earnest. “Flames”, another single side, manages to neatly bolt together the Progressive and Pop with a complicated guitar riff dovetailing nicely with a doleful but memorable song. They never lost their Pop smarts, though perhaps “Evil Woman” does go a little too far down the “Clapton Is God” path. “Just Forget Tomorrow”, another side of the ill-fated double single, is another good one. At times they had a bit in common with the Who of the same period, with strong vocals complimenting powerful but fluid instrumentation. Also Leviathan had the advantage of not having to weld their cracking tunes to an unwieldy concept unlike Rog and the boys.
“Leviathan – The Legendary Lost Elektra Album” may well have disappeared without making much of a ripple even if it had seen the light of day back in 1969, knowing the band’s luck, but that is not to blind us from its many good qualities. Though Leviathan were never destined to make the higher reaches of the charts and struggled to even get their records released, they had an innate skill for producing excellent Psychedelic-toned Pop Music and finally, all these years later, we have the proof.
by Ian Canty
Tracks
1. Remember The Times (Stuart Hobday) - 2:46
2. Second Production (Stuart Hobday, Gary Murphy, Roger McCabe, Brian Bennett) - 4:44
3. The War Machine (Stuart Hobday) - 5:19)
4. Through The Looking Glass (Stuart Hobday, Brian Bennett) - 5:45
5. Blue Day (Stuart Hobday, Brian Bennett) - 6:38
6. Time (Gary Murphy, Brian Bennett) - 4:00
7. Flames (Gary Murphy, Brian Bennett) - 4:47
8. World In My Head (Stuart Hobday, Brian Bennett) - 4:29
9. Evil Woman (Larry Weiss) - 7:57
10.Flames (Single Version) (Gary Murphy, Brian Bennett) - 3:48
11.Just Forget Tomorrow (Single) (Stuart Hobday, Brian Bennett) - 4:19
12.Remember The Times (Australian Single Version) (Stuart Hobday) - 2:41
Bonus tracks 10-12
Power trio from San Francisco, modeled after Cream, Blue Cheer or The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Includes all their fantastic studio demos from 1968 plus raw and wild live tracks from 1969. Boogie (or The Boogie) was probably the first hard-blues/proto-metal group that emerged from the San Francisco scene. This power-trio was formed by Barry "The Bee" Bastian (Canned Heat, Lee Michaels...) on guitar/vocals, John Barrett (The Rhythm Dukes) on bass, and Fuzzy John Oxendine (Roky Erickson & The Aliens, Jerry Miller Band...) on drums.
Comrades of Moby Grape (who even let Boogie use their rehearsal space) and The Sons Of Champlin, they played at all the legendary venues (The Ark, Avalon, Fillmore...) sharing stage with bands like Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver, Ace Of Cups, Flamin' Groovies or Country Joe & The Fish. Their explosive show at the Sky River Rock Festival (August 1968, the first outdoor multi-band rock festival held in the United States) to an audience of 150,000 people, is still remembered today.
A blend of contrasts highlights this fine record, from a group that seems equally at home with hard rockers, what used to be called "blue eyed soul" or wekk handled ballads. Adept at using a single lead voice with backup chorus or working with harmony.
Redbone have put together an exceptionally comercial set here with virtually every cut showing single possibility. Use of strings aids rather thatm hinders the material on the few cuts where they offered and the production of Pat and Lolly Vegas is superb.
B/Board October 1974
Tracks
1. One More Time (Lolly Vegas) - 3:05
2. Suzi Girl (Lolly Vegas) - 2:58
3. Only You And Rock And Roll (Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas) - 3:01
4. Blood Sweat And Tears (Pat Vegas) - 2:51
5. Cookin' With D'redbone (Lolly Vegas) - 3:57
6. (Beaded Dreams Through) Turquoise Eyes (Pat Vegas) - 3:22
7. Beautiful Illusion (Lolly Vegas) - 3:42
8. Interstate Highway 101 (Pat Vegas) - 2:55
9. I'll Never Stop Loving You (Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas, James Ford) - 2:49
10.Moon When Four Eclipse (Lolly Vegas) - 4:48
11.I've Got To Find The Right Woman (Lolly Vegas) - 3:15
12.Physical Attraction (Pat Vegas) - 2:59
13.Keep Me Uptight (Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas) - 6:08
14.To Get the Love I Need (Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas) - 3:02
15.A Little Bitty Ditty (Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas) - 2:59
16.Echoes From Another Planet (Pat Vegas) - 3:39
Who would have guessed that terrific undiscovered talent lurked behind the rising sun stained-glass windows of the green-fronted doors of Ealing? Who indeed! But Ealing was pretty much like any other middle class borough on the outskirts of swinging London, only a short tube journey from Soho, and its coffee cars and strip clubs. Ealing was your normal suburb: it had local schools, shops, clinics; thanks to its proximity to the seething nightlife of London's streets, it also had actors, musicians, magicians, and cabaret artists living on every avenue... in other words, a well-equipped roster of local talent.
Our cameras now speed very quickly to the left, like they used to do on the Adam West 1960's Batman television series, and we focus in on a local Ealing wedding. Plucky Charles Lamey had managed to secure the hand of Gloria Honeycroft—for a few years, at least. Lamey, a native of low-key, no-nonsense St. Albans, Herts, wanted a low-key, no-nonsense wedding. But Gloria was having none of it. Gone for her would be the days of swanning off to the 21 's coffee bar, frugging all night to the sounds of Johnny Grant. She wasn't yet a respectable married woman. She was going out in style.
Gloria wanted a big reception with a swinging discotheque, but seeing as how they hadn't yet been invented, she had to settle for her local fave-rave band. They were a bit like the Shadows, playing well-known beat instrumentals, and their guitarist was, well, dreamy. The name of the band was the Renegades, a name she always had thought was a bit quiffy; but never mind, her parents couldn't afford the Detours, so she made do. The Renegades busily played their dodgy instrumentals on make-shift gear, making sure that they each wore their Colonel Sanders bow-ties just right.
The MC at the wedding stood up on the stage and announced the band: Christopher Lovegrove on lead guitar (EaIing's very own Hank Marvin), Kenneth Girwan on drums, Philip Heatley on left-handed rhythm guitar and Barry Allchin on four-string acoustic bass guitar. All guitars were fed through the band's prize possession: a flange-fronted twin-speaker combo amplifier. Outside, it was getting dark. The bride and groom had shot off, and the Renegades had two numbers left to play before packing up for the night.
The cake had gone, and the toilets had flooded. A lonely 17-yearold Terrence Holder sauntered past the front door as the band murdered 'Route 66.' He plucked up enough courage to wander inside and grab a dekko at the band as they plodded through the death throes of their set. Holder was impressed—not sure why—and within the space of six minutes had decided that his current job as a shipping clerk was perhaps not such a good idea after all. "What you need is a singer/' Holder said for the ninth time to Barry Allchin, as he helped them nick the mains plug off the record player. "Okay, okay/' murmured Allchin, "come and see us next week." Thus it was that Terry Holder, christened Dave Russell by his father, and now calling himself Gerry Hart (a better name for getting all the chicks he had ever dreamed of, he reasoned), joined the Renegades as singer.
The Renegades became The Hartbeats. Enter shiny waistcoats and romantic songs. Our heroes continued to play many a wedding reception and school youth club dance in Ealing. They had a fan club (membership: 70), managed by Chris Lovegrove's dad. No one remembers how it was that the Hartbeats became the Eyes, but no doubt the bastion of bug-eyed Mods in Acton, Bentford, and Ealing influenced the change. Original drummer Girwan decided against playing the band's new R&B inspired set, and handed his sticks over to Brian Corcoran. Even with the new moniker, the band were still only playing the Ealing YMCA, Hamble town hall, and the odd wedding... it was time for a major rethink. What to do? The answer was obvious. Buy new loud gear, and some slick threads, including customized bright pink parkas with tire tracks across the backs, and some rugby shirts.
By now, Motown and Stax singles had been digested; most important of all, Terry Holder had written a fistful of vibrant, shockingly good numbers. Mods, disillusioned with the new songs of the Small Faces and the Who, were in search of a new sound. The Eyes lived on feedback and used a gong, and rapidly gained a reputation as the loudest and most anarchic band on the scene. Soon, the band's cult status spread, and they became stalwarts on the Rickey Tick circuit of underground London nightclubs. One particular gig was a Radio London night at Tiles' club, just off Oxford Street. The area was not a typical Mod haunt; Tiles was a swinging go-go club, surrounded by op-art mini-skirt boutiques, coffee bars, and new fangled discotheques. It was here at this club—"away from the numbers" as the Mods (and later the Jam) would say—that The Eves got their break.
A longtime pal Drought a man from Philips to see the band on their second booking at Tiles, and he signed them forthwith to the Mercury label, which was run by Philips. The Eyes' 1965 single 'When The Night Falls' b/w “I’m Rowed Out” (Mercury MF 881), produced by the king of compression Shel Talmy, should have made them into instant legends. Alan Freeman described it as "truly unforgettable"—a prophetic statement. Later writers, like Cliff Jones in Mojo magazine, have described the single in emphatic language: "(it) is as raw as an open wound, as sharp as a scalpel blade, and jammed full of sinewy whiplash lead guitar and pounding demonic 'jungle telegraph' drums." Even today, the adrenaline rush from both sides of the single is as intense as ever. What it sounded like back in 1965 is anybody's guess.
The sound was brash and raw. Apparently, ear piercing guitar feedback/distortion was too much for Sixties pop music fans (the term 'Freakbeat' was not invented until much later); but in retrospect, few bands have ever managed as solid a debut. A big hit with Fluff Freeman and a few tasteful Mods, the single was nonetheless ignored by the world at large. If you are looking for music that captures the essence of Mod, then look no further than 'When The Night Falls' and ‘I’m Rowed Out' for two knockout punches of pure teen angst expressed with a cocksure swagger. Despite the lack of sales success, the Eyes began supporting the Kinks, the Move, and the Action.
A second single, The Immediate Pleasure' b/w 'My Degeneration' (Mercury MF 897), was released in January 1966. The song 'My Degeneration', a tongue-in-cheek homage to (or an absolute subversive rip on) the Who is both funny and cool at the same time. It was a regular visitor to the turntables in the jukeboxes of Brighton, and became a Mod anthem. It helped the Eyes' cause that the lyrics of the song contained references to coffee (Mod slang for bonking). This second Eyes single (both A and B sides) did not please everyone in England. The Tea Board attempted to sue the band because they seemed to be taking liberties with the "Join the tea set" chorus of 'My Degeneration'. Meanwhile, the BBC objected to lyrics in The Immediate Pleasure', and deemed the song too offensive for airplay.
When the Eyes were invited to the BBC for a radio session, various men in suits appeared to watch the band in action. Seeing the Eyes play a song entitled 'I Can't Get No Resurrection' in front of a crucifix was much too much for the Light Programme folk—the BBC radio ban was now complete in every way. Not even a respectable (and respectful) cover of the Everly Brothers' 'Man With Money', released in May 1966 (Mercury MF 910), and backed by the superior band original 'You're Too Much', could undue the damage. Instead of becoming BBC regulars, the Eyes became big faves on pirate Radio London.
Good exposure, but hardly what a major label like Mercury had in mind for their acts. Still, the label had faith in the band, although they decided that it was time to go for a hit. The Eyes' faithful producer, Mike Hawker, had managed to get hold of the Beatles 'Good Day Sunshine' before the release of the "Revolver" LP. Although this third Eyes single, 'Good Day Sunshine' b/w 'Please Don't Cry7 (Mercury MF 934) received heavy airplay, and became the band's most successful single, this did not add up to very much in the world of record sales. The late 1966 release of The Arrival Of The Eyes EP', which contained both sides of their first two singles, sold so poorly that it has become one of the most collectable EPs of the Sixties.
In 1967, Phil Healey quit the Eyes, and was replaced by Steve Valentine. The band struggled on. Things were so bad that they accepted an insulting offer from Philips to record an exploitation album of Rolling Stones covers (and covers of songs covered by the Rolling Stones) for the budget Wing label for a meager £180. Recorded under the pseudonym the Pupils, the album was cranked out in one eight-hour session that included flashes of brilliance, some out of tune guitars, and the sound of drum sticks being hurled across the room. The album was released as "The Pupils Tribute To The Rolling Stones" (WingLP 1150) in 1966.
One contemporary article in the trades stated the obvious: "Eyes are closing... After sales of their record 'Good Day Sunshine' have shot up to 1 1,000 in just two weeks. The Eyes beat group announced this week they are disbanding. 'We feel we are stuck—we just can't get any further/ said a member of the Ealing group. 'We have made records, played all over the country, and what else can we do?' Singer Terry Nolder, of Ashgrove, South Ealing, is to form a new professional outfit called Tonic Water/ and the other four boys will either go back to their old jobs or become freelance guitarists.
During the three years the group has been in existence they have made five records—three of them written by the group—toured the country, and played at London clubs." The Eyes were hardly innovators. Their early slices of Mod cool borrowed heavily from the classic 1960s sound of the Who. Yet the finest cuts of the Eyes, with their blend of innovative guitar feedback/distortion and anthemic Mod songwriting, are - equal in stature to rock classics like 'I Can't Explain' and 'Substitute.' The Eyes' bursts of electronic mayhem were quite advanced for the time, though like the Who they had hooks and harmonies to counterpoint the madness.
Thanks to the timeless quality of their handful of great tracks, the band's legacy continues to grow as more and more people discover that long forgotten bands like the Eyes (or Les Fleur Des Lys, to name another) could match heavyweights like the Who, the Kinks and the Small Faces blow for blow, even if only for a fleeting three minutes of pure genius at a time.
Tracks
1. When the Night Falls (Terence Nolder) - 2:34
2. I'm Rowed Out (Terence Nolder, Barry Allchin) - 2:56
3. The Immediate Pleasure (Terence Nolder) - 2:56
4. My Degeneration (Terence Nolder, Scennedy) - 2:45
5. Man With Money (Don Everly, Phil Everly) - 2:43
6. You're Too Much (Terence Nolder) - 3:21
7. Good Day Sunshine (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:02
8. Please Don't Cry (Terence Nolder) - 2:35
9. Radio Londo - 0:28
10.Shakin' All Over (Johnny Kidd) - 3:27
11.When the Night Falls (Terence Nolder) - 2:57
12.I'm Rowed Out (Terence Nolder, Barry Allchin) - 3:18
2006 marked the 40th anniversary of the birth of the Patron Saints. 40 years. How could it possibly be that long? Back in 1966, we were five typical mid-sixties suburban New York kids, learning our musical craft by emulating our heroes: the Stones, Beatles, Hendrix, Cream, the Butterfield Blues Band, the Doors, Moby Grape, the Yardbirds, et al, all loomed large in our rock ‘n’ roll education.
By early 1969, the Saints were down to three members: Jon Tuttle, Paul D'Alton and myself. Jon and I had just started writing songs at this point, so we finally had some original music to practice and perform. Eventually, we recorded some demos together, using guitars and piano just to see what they sounded like. When we felt we had enough compositions under our belts, we decided to record some of this new material with Paul on drums. I owned a Sony 10255 reel-to-reel tape deck and Jon had a portable Sony reel-to-reel system. These decks were not, by any stretch of the imagination, professional recording devices, but that didn't matter to us...we had gotten pretty good at squeezing respectable results out of less-than-state-of-the-art equipment by this time.
It was at this point that I began to act on an idea that had been gestating in my little teenage brain for some time...why do we need to go to a record company with our stuff? Why don't we just record our own album and put it out ourselves? Sort of like those old Andy Hardy movies..."Say, let's put on a show in the barn!!!" My philosophy was (and still is, for that matter) that the music and vibes on a record were far more important than the fidelity. Our friend and contemporary, Chris Kubie, had recorded a live concert of his music in January 1969 and put out a limited edition record, so we knew it could be done. Jon and Paul readily agreed to the scheme; so, now what? How much would it cost? What did we need? Where would we record this thing?
Fate intervened when the Paul's family decided that when they went away for three weeks in June of 1969, we could record at the house in their absence. I don't think they really had a clue what was involved, but it sounded positive and harmless, so why not? With our "studio" problem solved, we scrounged up some extra equipment; a Roberts //oX (as I recall) reel-to-reel tape deck similar to my Sony, but of higher quality, a high-impedance Shure microphone and a mixer with built-in reverb! We had it made now. We divided up the responsibilities into three distinct sections: I was to produce and engineer the album, Jon was to do the cover artwork and Paul was head of distribution (whatever that meant).
Bit by bit, we set up our creative turf; amplifiers were hooked up, mikes (all three or four of them) were placed, levels were checked. It took a whole day, but finally, on June 25,1969, we were ready to make our creative mark on the world. Song by song, we captured our repertoire. Jon and I had done enough recording in the past to know our way around the basics of the process, but not enough to know what "wasn't allowed," so we constantly broke the rules (i.e., mike placement, reverb levels, sound effects, etc.) without even being aware of it. I truly believe our innocent "ignorance" is what gave the record it's charm. We often stopped tape when loud planes went over, when dogs barked, when phones rang (if we forgot to take them off the hook, which was fairly often).
If you listen carefully to the fade out of "White Light", you can hear the birds chirping outside. Not exactly a soundproof environment. Somehow or other, by July isth, we had finished the tracks for what was to become Fohhoh Bohob. We packaged, pressed and delivered our masterpiece to a waiting world. Or so we thought. Since we could only afford to press 100 copies of the LP, there weren't that many to go around. Some went to family and friends, a few to record companies and radio DJs, and the rest to...well, apparently, they eventually found their way into the hands of fans and collectors who, in the ensuing years, have made Bohob one of the most collectible independently produced LPs ever released, with original copies commanding absurdly high prices. Who would have guessed? Which brings us to this new reissue.
To combat the number of sonically sub-par Bohob bootlegs which had appeared on the underground music scene over the years, we released a reissue LP and CD a decade ago, which were culled from original sources and processed to the best of our abilities using 1996-7 technology. Since that stock of reissue LPs/CDs is now virtually depleted, it seemed the right time to put out a new edition. Enter Nemo Bidstrup, owner and founder of Time-Lag Records, and, conveniently, a big fan of Fohhoh Bohob. Based on Nemo's urging, we decided to put out the ultimate Bohob reissues, with the LP being as close as possible to the original in terms of look, feel and sound (only infinitely better), and the CD with an additional four previously unavailable bonus tracks, for a total of sixteen.
This time, the transfer from the original master tapes (which, remarkably, still sound as good as they did back in '69) is a close to perfect as possible. For instance, the transfer of the song "Flower" on the first reissues used a de-clicked version from an original Bohob LP. The version used on the new reissues, however, is about 85% original master tape, 15% de-clicked version. The continued demand for Fohhoh Bohob is astonishing and truly heartening for the Patron Saints, who are still together in 2006 and releasing new music. It should also be an inspiration for bands offering their music to a difficult-to-break-through business, the lesson being, of course, "you just never know"! Grateful thanks to all of you who have loved this album enough to keep its spirit alive.
by Eric Bergman, October 2006
Tracks
1. Flower (Eric Bergman) - 4:28
2. Nostalgia Trip - 3:32
3. Reflections - 3:44
4. Do You Think About Me? (Eric Bergman) - 3:11
5. White Light (Eric Bergman) - 5:41
6. Relax - 6:13
7. My Lonely Friend - 4:03
8. Andrea (Eric Bergman) - 5:58
9. The Goodnight Song - 4:43
10.Shine On Heart - 7:01
11.Do It Together - 4:01
12.Do You Think About Me (Live Version) (Eric Bergman) - 3:50
13.Nostalgia Trip (1975 Version) - 3:43
14.Reflections On A Warm Day (1975 Version) - 3:34
15.Do You Think About Me (Demo Version) (Eric Bergman) - 3:33
16.The Goodnight Song (Alternate Version) - 4:04
All song by Jonathan Tuttle excpet where indicated.
Synergy opens with two of Keaggy’s heaviest guitar statements on record: ‘One Day At A Time’ (which begins as a baroque acoustic melody before transitioning into hard rock), followed by the blistering Pecchio track ‘Never Is A Long Time’. ‘Special Friends’ and ‘Dawn Of A New Day’ also have convincing rock-and-roll energy. Some of Keaggy’s best songwriting is featured here, including the moody textured classic rocker ‘Song Of Hope’ (strongly propelled by Pecchio’s bass), the bright acoustic ‘The Answer’ (again revealing classical influences) and the lighthearted ‘Mountains’. The latter is one of the few Keaggy compositions that didn’t make it onto the later Song In The Air compilation.
Keaggy’s guitar drifts into dreamy spaced soft-psych realms on the beautiful mesmerizing Sferra ballad ‘Just Always’. Also on the quieter side is Pecchio’s ‘Child Of The Universe’. Very little outside help listed in the credits for this effort – and as the title suggests the album truly does capture the “synergy” of three members at their best. Comes in a very attractive gate-fold cover with lyrics and photo of the band in concert on the inside.
by Ken Scott
Tracks
1. One Day At A Time (Phil Keaggy) - 3:39
2. Never Is A Long Time (Daniel Pecchio) - 3:26
3. Just Always (John Sferra) - 5:02
4. Special Friends (Daniel Pecchio, John Sferra, Phil Keaggy) - 2:43
5. Coming Home (Daniel Pecchio, John Sferra) - 3:32
6. Song Of Hope (Phil Keaggy) - 4:23
7. Child Of The Universe (Daniel Pecchio) - 3:01
8. Mountains (Phil Keaggy) - 4:01
9. The Answer (Phil Keaggy) - 2:40
10.Dawn Of A New Day (Daniel Pecchio, Phil Keaggy) - 2:58
11.Look In The Sky (Dan Pecchio, John Sferra, Phil Keaggy) - 10:34
12.Never Is A Long Time (Daniel Pecchio) - 3:39
13.Do Lord (Phil Keaggy, Daniel Pecchio, John Sferra) - 4:19
14.Changes (John Sferra) - 6:23
15.Let The Bells Ring (John Sferra) - 6:47
Bonus Tracks 11-14 Live 1971
Bonus Track 15 Demo recording
The Glass Harp
*Phil Keaggy - Guitars, Vocals
*John Sferra - Drums, Vocals, Guitars, Tambourine
*Daniel Pecchio - Bass, Vocals, Flute With
*Ralph MacDonald - Percussion, Congas, Bells, Triangle
*Mary Smith - Vocals
The debut of Glass Harp is undeniably their strongest work, with a more unified sound and a more polished feel overall than the other records. The group's strongest songs -- "Changes," "Can You See Me," "Look in the Sky" -- appear here, much of it in the vein of Cream and Jimi Hendrix. Gentle "Black Horse" is a nice touch, and the group is not pulling apart so much on the first record. Keaggy is an amazing guitarist with innovative playing techniques and an ear for texture and tone color, while Sferra stands out as the strongest writer of the group.
by Mark Allender
Tracks
1. Can You See Me (Dan Pecchio, Phil Keaggy) - 6:27
2. Children's Fantasy (Phil Keaggy) - 4:14
3. Changes (In The Heart Of My Own True Love) (John Sferra) - 5:57
4. Village Queen (Dan Pecchio) - 4:02
5. Black Horse (John Sferra) - 2:53
6. Southbound (John Sferra, Phil Keaggy) - 3:56
7. Whatever Life Demands (Dan Pecchio, Phil Keaggy) - 6:31
8. Look In The Sky (Dan Pecchio, John Sferra, Phil Keaggy) - 8:13
9. Garden (Dan Pecchio, John Sferra, Phil Keaggy) - 4:21
10.On Our Own (John Sferra, Phil Keaggy) - 2:41
11.Can You See Me (Dan Pecchio, Phil Keaggy) - 28:50
The Glass Harp
*Phil Keaggy - Guitars, Vocals
*John Sferra - Drums, Vocals, Guitars
*Daniel Pecchio - Bass, Vocals, Flute With
*John Cale - Electric Viola
“With Love: A Pot Of Flowers” was originally issued in late 1967 by Mainstream Records. It is testament to the quality of the groups and songs included, not to mention the A&R proclivities of Mainstream head honcho Bob Shad – as irascibly indefatigable as anyone you might choose in the hothouse atmosphere of the independent record business of that era – that the album plays so well and, if you’ll pardon the pun, really grows on you. That in hindsight it also plucked four bands from within the vortex of 1966 nascent psychedelia and places them in a historically fascinating context, is equally remarkable. This expanded version of “A Pot Of Flowers” includes additional material by other relevant groups released on Brent or Mainstream from 1965 to 1967, as well as the mono single mixes of selected tracks from the album and some unreleased cuts.
The collection was amongst the first of a swathe of rock albums that Mainstream issued towards the end of the 1960s, the result of a remarkable A&R odyssey conducted by Shad across the United States, in much the same fashion as the location recording expeditions the producer had made to the south in the late 1940s in search of blues and R&B acts. Whether by luck or design, Shad decided to make one of his first ports of call San Francisco, which in early 1966 was well into the honeymoon period of its own socio-cultural renaissance, with the entire Bay Area awash with rock’n’rollers of all shapes and sizes.
As our extensive liner note details, he had initially issued several unsuccessful singles by Bay Area groups on both Mainstream and Brent, but by subsequently collecting the best of these together on “A Pot Of Flowers” he unwittingly created one of the more satisfying surveys of the scene at the time. The acts in question were the Wildflower, pioneering folk-rockers who were an early fixture at the Fillmore and Avalon; San Jose’s popular garage band the Otherside; legendary East Bay punks the Harbinger Complex; and, from southern California via Texas, the idiosyncratic Euphoria, whose pathfinding, off-beat take on psychedelia has given the group a cult reputation.
The bonus material included on this Big Beat reissue doubles the track list of “A Pot Of Flowers” y adding appropriate folk-rock and proto-psych sides from other West Coast acts on Mainstream such as the New Dawn, the Word, the Ariel and Thee Unusuals, the latter a Northwest group featuring blue-eyed chanteuse Kathi McDonald, who would later to take Janis’ spot in Big Brother & the Holding Company (who were also signed by Bob Shad during his California sorties). We are also proud to include several stellar unissued garage rockers from the Ban and the Montells, as well as the original mono singles mixes of selected tunes.
by Alec Palao
Tracks
1. Wildflower - Baby Dear (Michael McLure, Stephen Ehret) - 2:23
2. Wildflower - Wind Dream (Stephen Ehret) - 2:18
3. Euphoria - Hungry Women (Wesley Watt) - 3:20
4. The Otherside - Streetcar (Marty Battey, Alan Graham) - 2:19
5. Wildflower - Coffee Cup (Stephen Ehret, Tom Ellis) - 2:19
6. The Harbinger Complex - I Think I'm Down (Jim Hockstaff, Bob Hoyle) - 2:26
7. Wildflower - Jump In (Stephen Ehref, Tom Ellis, Michael McCausland) - 2:48
8. The Otherside - Walking Down The Road (Al Schackman) - 2:24
9. The Harbinger Complex - When You Know You're In Love (Jim Hockstaff, Bob Hoyle) - 2:14
10.Euphoria - No Me Tomorrow (Bill Lincoln, Wesley Watt) - 3:11
11.The Harbinger Complex - Time To Kill (Jim Hockstaff, Bob Hoyle) - 2:11
12.The Harbinger Complex - My Dear And Kind Sir (Jim Hockstaff, Bob Hoyle) - 2:26
13.New Dawn - Slave Of Desire (Tony Supnet, Mike Leonti) - 2:34
14.The Word - Now It's Over (Bill Lincoln, Wesley Watt) - 2:47
15.The Ban - Thinking Of Your Fate (Tony McCuire) - 2:17
16.The Montells - I'm Lonely (Rick Dorenzo, Alan Feia) - 2:56
17.Thee Unusuals - I Could Go On (Bill Capp) - 2:02
18.The Ban - Bye Bye (Tony McCuire) - 2:50
19.The Ariel - It Feels Like I'm Crying (Jack Walters) - 2:04
20.The Word - So Little Time (Bill Lincoln, Wesley Watt) - 2:42
21.The Montells - You're Wrong To Think It (Rick Dorenzo, Alan Feia) - 1:54
22.The Ban - Place Of Sin (Tony McCuire) - 2:40
23.Wildflower - Wind Dream (Mono Single Version) (Stephen Ehret) - 2:18
24.The Otherside - Streetcar (Mono Single Version) (Marty Battey, Alan Graham) - 2:21
25.Euphoria - Hungry Women (Mono Single Version) (Wesley Watt) - 3:02
26.The Harbinger Complex - I Think I'm Down (Mono Single Version) (Jim Hockstaff, Bob Hoyle) - 2:27
The Wildflower
*Tom Ellis - Drums
*Teddy Schneider - Percussions
*Stephen Ehret - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Brown - Guitar
*John Jennings - Bass
Euphoria
*David Potter - Drums
*Hamilton Wesley Watt - Vocals
*Peter Black - Bass
*James Harrell - Guitar
The Other Side
*Allen Graham - Guitar, Vocals
*Danny Phay - Vocals
*Ken Matthew - Drums
*Marty Battey - Bass
*Ned Torney - Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals
*Tom Antone - Bass
Joey Stec will be a familiar name to fans of The Millennium, a Southern California group who were the brainchild of producers' Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher, and Keith Olsen. The group's album, Begin (Columbia 1968) is an obscure classic of the period, as well as being one of the most expensive albums recorded by Columbia at the time. Joey Stec was one of the main members of that band, and his own self-titled album is, in its own way, a classic of the period that it was done in as well.
Released in 1975, The Joey Stec Album is loaded with great pop-rock
hooks ("Do You Know"), introspective ballads ("No Knowing,"
which recalls Neil Young's work from this period) and delightful, joyous
singing, songs and performances. Unlike many records like this from the
mid-70's, this album actually has retained its freshness, and that alone is an
incredible feat. Masterfully produced by the great Jimmy Miller (Traffic,
Rolling Stones, etc.), the album features stellar guest performances by such
heavyweights as Bobby Keys, Jim Gordon, Cale Radle and others. In fact, this
album can accurately be described as a poppier version of The Dominos, crossed
with the Beatle-esque pop sensibilities of groups as Badfinger and Big Star.
Mostly, though, it sounds like Joey Stec, which is a wonderful thing in itself.
Absolutely
delicious.
by Matthew Greenwald
Tracks
1. Do You Know (Joey Stec, Warner Schwebki) - 3:22
