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
"Monte Dunn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. When Tim Hardin and Richie Havens recorded their most recent albums, they called him in to play guitar. This is not unusual as, for almost a decade, Monte has been working live and in session with Tim, Ian and Sylvia, Peter Paul and Mary, Sonny and Cher, Fred Neil, Jack Eliot, Bob Gibson, and quite a few others. It was unusual that he'd never struck out on his own.
Now, with his wife and partner Karen Cruz, an album has been made and, instead of having his name on the back cover, it's headlining the front. Their music ranges from the earthy, to light baroque, to country. Karen Cruz was born in New Orleans, and spent most of her earlier years as a model, dealing blackjack, selling real estate, and painting portraits in order to finance her travels throughout Europe and the Near East, before she turned to music. Now the mother of two children, Pam and Jesse, she writes only when she has something to say.
As Monte remarked: "She's carried some of her songs longer than she's carried some of her children". Karen wrote most of the songs, and they collaborated on a few of them. The music of Monte Dunn and Karen Cruz is the result of a very pure desire to communicate love and the realities of a life lived to the hilt - a simple statement above the chaos and confusion of artistic survival in a materialistically demanding society.
The sincerity and beauty of their words and music suggests an honest solution to our complicated and often distorted society"
Original press release, 1969
And then one day I met Karen and all we could do was be together. Music was already so important to both of us. Karen sang with bands, in clubs, folk-sang, then started composing, and I picked wherever I could, making a living and loving my music and my woman. I played for Ian & Sylvia, Sonny & Cher, Tim Hardin, Jack Elliott, Buffy St. Marie, Peter Walker, Peter Paul & Mary and others live and on record. But Karen's music captivated me like nothing I had ever played. Children and music, revolution, a thousand contradictions, joys, pain, life as we've been living it together, our music
by Monte Dunn, 1969
My personal thanks to the Westchester County Jail for providing the space and atmosphere necessary to enable me to write 'Outside Looking In'. My personal thanks to the world for providing the space and atmosphere necessary to enable me to write 'Lullabye'
by Karen Cruz, 1969
Tracks
1. Never In My Life - 3:05
2. Order To Things - 2:05
3. You Don't Smile Much - 2:45
4. Loving You - 3:30
5. Self Satisfaction - 2:15
6. Outside Looking In - 2:00
7. Lullabye - 3:25
8. So Much Loving - 2:00
9. Tip Of My Mind - 3:50
10.Yellow Cab (Tim Hardin) - 3:55
Songs 1,3,6,7,9 written by Karen Cruz
Songs 2,4,5,8 written by Karen Cruz, Monte Dunn
Musicians
*Monte Dunn - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Mandolin
*Karen Cruz - 12 String, Classic Guitars
*Russell George - Acoustic Bass
*Eric Weissberg - Electric Bass, Fiddle
*Gary Chester - Drums
*Gene Estes - Vibes
*Stan Free - Celeste
*Russ Savakus - Bass
*Paul Griffin - Harpsichord, Piano
*Doug Davis - Cello
*Robert Bruce - Violin
*Bob West - Bass
*Donald Macdonald - Drums
*Warren Bernhardt - Piano, Clarinet
*Bruce Langhorne - Bass
*Hal Elaine - Drums
*Lyle Ritz - Bass
*Lazlo Roitch - Tambourine
The seeds of Redwing were sown in Sacramento, California in 1962. when folk trio Tim, Tom and Ron formed. Comprising Timothy B Schmit (guitar / bass / vocals), Tom Phillips (guitar / vocals) and Ron Floegel (guitar / vocals), they soon added drummer George Hullin and evolved into a surf band named the Contenders, then a British Invasion-influenced act called the New Breed. Under that moniker they issued their debut 45 on the tiny Diplomacy label in 1965, Green Eyed Woman I I'm In Love.
The A-side was stomping garage rock, while the flip was an obscure Lennon-McCartney number that had been a hit for the Fourmost but wasn't recorded by the Beatles. A 1966 follow-up on Mercury (Leave Me Be I I've Been Wrong Before) failed to break nationally, and their last two 45s (Want Ad Reader / One More For The Good Guys and Fine With Me I The Sound Of The Music) were minor garage classics that appeared on their own World United label.
Despite recording an LP's worth of material at this time, no album release was forthcoming so in 1968 they were only too glad to sign to a production company named Equinox (under the aegis of Byrds producer Terry Melcher). They promptly taped a further album's worth of material as the Breed, produced by engineer Erik Wangberg— but were dismayed when it appeared on ABC as by 'Glad', entitled Feelin' Glad (ABCS 655, 1969) Worse still, studio musicians had been drafted in to record certain parts, and several songs were swamped by string and brass arrangements.
Disaffected, Schmit departed to join Poco (and later the Eagles), leaving his former bandmates to draft in Andy Samuels, late of local blues act Nate Skitter's Band. Stung by their experience with ABC, they recorded a self-financed LP's worth of demos, which soon won them a deal with Fantasy, which was riding high with the massive success of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their sound was now a tauiv gritty and commercial blend of blues, country and rock influences, which legendary Rolling Stone critic Ralph J Gleason declared had 'knocked me right out of my mind'.
Nonetheless, their debut LP (produced by Creedence engineer Russ Gary) was not the bestseller it could have been, and four further albums (1972's What This Country Needs, 1973's Take Me Home, 1974's Dead Or 'Alive and 1975's Beyond We Sun And Stars} were solid Californian sellers but unsuccessful nationally, causing them to split at the end of 1975.
CD Liner-Notes
Tracks
1. The Underground Railway - 3:01
2. Please Doctor Please (Ron Floegel, Andrew Samuels) - 3:00
3. Bonnie Bones - 2:52
4. Dark Thursday (Ron Floegel, Andrew Samuels) - 2:45
5. Sweetwalkin' Lady (Ron Floegel, Andrew Samuels) - 3:18
6. I'm Your Lover Man - 5:13
7. Shorty Go Home (Ron Floegel, Andrew Samuels) - 4:29
8. Hogtied - 3:15
9. I'm Counting on You (To Come Through) - 4:58
10.Oh Maggie (Don't Lift the Weight) (Ron Floegel, Andrew Samuels) - 3:18
11.(Tell Me Baby) Why You Been Gone So Long (Micheal Newbury) - 3:01
12.California Blues (Jimmy Rogers) - 3:56
All songs by Ron Floegel, Andrew Samuels, Tom Phillips except where stated.
The Redwing
*Andrew Samuels - Lead Guitar, Bass, Vocals
*Ron Floegel - Rhthm Guitar, Vocals
*Tom Phillips - Guitar, Slide Guitar, Piano
*George Hullin - Drums, Vocals
This two-fer compiles the only two albums by Michigan's Terry Knight & the Pack; its self-titled 1966 debut and 1967's Reflections. Rock 'n' roll collector's and Michigan rock aficionados have given these albums semi-legendary status simply because the lineup included the roots of Grand Funk Railroad -- Knight was the band's manager and producer until 1972, and both guitarist Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer came from its ranks.
These two recordings were originally issued on the Lucky Eleven imprint and were distributed by Cameo/Parkway who had scored a number one hit with "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians, another Michigan act. Knight's gift wasn't so much as a singer, but as a songwriter capable of aping the hitmakers of the day, and he knew how to arrange. This is born out on the first album's covers of Sonny Bono's "Where Do You Go," "You're a Better Man Than I" (a hit for the Yardbirds), and a particularly strange reading of the Rolling Stones' "Lady Jane." The single from the album was a reading of the Lieber & Stoller nugget "I (Who Have Nothing)."
Knight's own tunes include the fuzz guitar-drenched album-opener "Numbers" was reminiscent of the Seeds, while "What's on Your Mind" walked a line between Georgie Fame and the Zombies. The band's second album, Reflections, opens with the whitest cover of Joe Tex's "One Monkey (Don't Stop No Show)" ever.
There are some real rockers here, too, in "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love," that's reminiscent of the Standells, the soul-inflected-cum-Association-influenced "This Train," and a unique garage psych cover of the Stones' "(I Can't No) Satisfaction." This is an integral part of Michigan Rock history.
by Thom Jurek
Tracks
1. Numbers - 2:30
2. What's on Your Mind - 1:48
3. Where Do You Go (Sonny Bono) - 3:08
4. You're a Better Man Than I (Mike Hugg, Brian Hugg) - 2:53
5. Lovin' Kind - 3:00
6. The Shut-In - 3:37
7. Got Love - 3:12
8. A Change On The Way - 3:42
9. Lady Jane (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 2:56
10.Sleep Talkin' - 3:00
11.I've Been Told - 2:41
12.I (Who Have Nothing) (Carlo Donida, Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 3:25
13.One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Joe Tex) - 2:35
14.Love, Love, Love, Love, Love - 2:54
15.Come with Me - 2:41
16.Got to Find My Baby - 2:49
17.This Precious Time (P.F. Sloan, Steve Barri) - 2:48
18.Anybody's Apple Tree - 2:33
19.The Train - 2:11
20.Dimestore Debutante - 4:22
21.Dirty Lady - 3:13
22.Love Goddess of the Sunset Strip - 3:35
23.Forever and a Day - 3:06
24.(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 3:57
All songs by Terry Knight except where indicated.
Terry Knight And The Pack
*Don Brewer - Drums, Vocals
*Bob Caldwell - Bells, Vocals
*Mark Farner - Bass, Vocals
*Herm Jackson - Bass
*Curt Johnson - Guitar, Vocals
*Terry Knight - Harmonica, Harpsichord, Piano, Vocals
Mars Bonfire has earned himself rock 'n' roll immortality, not to mention lifetime royalty checks, for penning Steppenwolf's inescapable classic "Born to Be Wild," that eternal anthem of would-be bikers and weekend hellraisers worldwide.
The power of the song has been blunted over the years, thanks to endless cover versions (including a duet between Ozzy Osbourne and Miss Piggy on the Kermit Unpigged album), and ironic use in sitcoms, films, and TV commercials. A listen to Bonfire's own recording of "Born to Be Wild" on this solo outing can remind one just how powerful the song really is.
Bonfire's take is druggier than the balls-out Steppenwolf hit, a slippery psychedelic tone without the dramatic dynamics and steamroller rhythm. It's still an upbeat rocker with twisting fuzz guitar leads, but Bonfire's vocals suggest a college kid dropping acid at a house party, while John Kay makes the same lyric into a threat. Bonfire didn't possess the macho bombast of his ex-bandmates; his self-titled debut is a lost masterpiece of introspective psych-pop full of great tunes.
The lead track, "Ride With Me, Baby" lays out everything on his mind with a groovy, dirty, Sunset Strip vibe. Bonfire manages to get out lines like "the beautiful thing has fallen thru with cancer, death, deformity" without sounding clumsy, and he catalogs his worries, woes, and hopes over six minutes of overdriven organ and guitar. "Night Time's for You" is another great rocker, a rather sinister celebration of the dark, while "Sad Eyes" and "Christina's Arms" are sweeter pop numbers.
Even at his most sensitive, Bonfire never drifts into the ether, keeping things grounded in hard rock instrumentation, so that even ballads like "Tenderness" and "How Much Older Will We Grow?" are loud, full-band affairs. Bonfire's talent as a songwriter was obvious to Steppenwolf, as they would go on to raid this album for a full four songs over the course of their career ("Tenderness," "Ride With Me, Baby," and "The Night Time's for You" all appeared on For Ladies Only).
This debut was repackaged a year later with a different track order as Faster Than the Speed of Life, but Bonfire was unable to net any hits of his own, and he retreated into private life.
by Fred Beldin
There are several reasons why the name of Mars Bonfire should be regarded as quite an important entry in every rock’n’roll related encyclopedia, and while being as good as any itself, none of these reasons happen to be his own LP, originally released on the Uni label in 1968, soon to be re-issued on Columbia.
Before actually starting the “bonfire” of his career, along with, among others, Bruce Palmer (soon to join another fellow Canadian in forming Buffalo Springfield), Mars joined Jack London & The Sparrows as Dennis Edmonton. With German émigré, John Kay, replacing their front man, and shortening the name into The Sparrow, the band relocated to New York, releasing a couple of singles, with Mars’ own Tomorrow’s Ship / Isn’t It Strange these days being considered for a minor psychedelic classic.
After yet another move, onto an even hipper coast, the disillusioned Dennis Edmonton, finally becomes Mars Bonfire, while leaving some of his own songs behind, most notably Born To Be Wild, helping his former bandmates reach the long desired heights “faster than the speed of life”, and under a different moniker of another, more appropriate beast ….. without himself present, ironically enough.
Being too tempting to avoid, I suppose Mars just couldn’t help but “cover” his defining number himself, somewhat lacking a ball or two in delivery, compared to the “original”, and it’s a pretty similar kind of a groove that he explores in a more sophisticated way for the album’s title track.
In spite of it not being suggested so, most of the album falls into a lighter, occasionally slightlydelic sound, as heard in Sad Eyes, Lady Moon Walker, She, So Alive With Love or How Much Older Will We Grow?, with the latter being a great Beatle-ish Britsike ballad.
Sometimes he even gets down the folky country round (Tenderness), and on a couple of bluesier tracks, the fragility of the vocal delivery seems to place him somewhere halfway between the Al Wilson-fronted Canned Heat and the Mickey Dolenz-fronted Monkees (Ride With Me Baby, Night Time’s For You).
No less than three more tracks from Faster … were covered by Steppenwolf in 1971, making the legacy of their former bandmate an inexhaustible source, which he hasn’t seemed to be able to take advantage of himself.
by Garwood Pickjon
Tracks
1. Faster Than The Speed Of Life - 2:59
2. Born To Be Wild - 2:59
3. Sad Eyes - 2:19
4. Lady Moon Walker - 2:39
5. Tenderness - 4:26
6. She - 2:584
7. Ride With Me Baby - 6:01
8. How Much Older Will We Grow? - 5:48
9. So Alive With Love - 2:40
10.In Christina's Arms - 3:11
11.Night Time's For You - 2:16
All songs by Mars Bonfire
Here, after over 50 years, is the total recorded output of Crystal Syphon. It is the amalgam of the talents and tastes of six musicians, friends and brothers from the little town of Merced, California. On almost every weekend, dances were held atone of Merced's four musical venues: The American Legion Hall, the Italo-American hall, the Women's Clubhouse, or the Merced Fairgrounds. Crystal Syphon was formed in 1965 by a group of musicians from Merced High School. Originally known as the Morlouchs, the founding members were Jeff Sanders on vocals, his brother Jim Sanderson rhythm guitar and vocals, Tom Salles on lead guitar and vocals, Dave Sprinkel on keyboards and vocals, Roger Henry on bass and Andy Daniel on drums.The band was very much influenced by the sounds of The Beatles and The Byrds, and is evidenced in their ability to do very difficult four part harmonies.
The group played many local area gigs, including Battle Of The Bands, but under the management of Jeff and his older brother Bob, the band began to pursue writing their own music. The band pooled ail their earnings for both equipment and recording sessions, and this practice continued the entire time the band was together. In May of 1966, Roger left the band and was replaced by Bob Greenlee on bass. In 1967, the band recorded Marcy, Your Eyes, Paradise, Have More Of Everything, and Try Something Different at Dick Terzian's studio in Fresno and were 3 track recordings; thus they were essential live with only some mild vocal or guitar overdubs. Other well known artists the band appeared with were Bo Diddley, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Youngbloods, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Country Joe & The Fish, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Elvin Bishop, Lee Michaels and Santana.
Throughout the band's existence, the band shopped itself to various record labels. With the assistance of Bob Sanders and Richard Delong, who replaced Bob as the band's manager in 1967. Ultimately, the band had several offers to sign, but because they insisted on artistic freedom and complete ownership of their publishing, no agreement was ever reached with a label at the time.
In late 1968, Jim Sanders left the band and was soon followed by Dave Sprinkel. The four remaining members continued on as a four piece group, with Jeff Sanders taking over on keyboards. The band stayed together until late 1969, finally disbanding in early 1970. When Marvin Greenlee moved to Stockton to play in other bands, Tom, Bob and Jeff (now on drums) joined up with Merced guitarist John Fox to form Boogeyman, who recorded a 45 on a local Merced label. They played together for several more years, finally disbanding in 1973.
CD Liner Notes
Tracks
Disc 1 Family Evil 1967-68
1. Marcy, Your Eyes - 3:36
2. Paradise - 3:09
3. Have More Of Everything - 5:25
4. Try Something Different - 3:42
5. Fuzzy And Jose - 7:30
6. Are You Dead Yet? - 2:46
7. In My Mind - 2:42
8. Family Evil - 5:37
9. Fails To Shine - 5:42
10.Winter Is Cold - 6:56
11.Winter Is Cold - 6:12
All songs by Crystal Syphon
Tracks 8-10 recorded live At The Fillmore West 1-21-68
Amory Kane was born Jack Daniel Kane Jr. at St. Mary's Hospital, San Francisco, California. The month was March in 1946. The Kane Family, with three small kids in tow, sailed to Great Britain in 1947, where Jack Daniel Kane sr. was posted in the capacity of military air attaché. Young Jack attended British schools in London- (Cannon Park Road School), and in Bath, Cornwall (Priory Park). Soccer and cricket were the games of choice and Jack jr , who was tall, became affair goalie.
Young Jack was moved by the classic music played in the British Isles throughout the year but especially during England's most heartfelt holiday, Christmas. People sang all the old songs together. He began piano lessons. At English schools the kids learned French, English, Latin and Greek from the very first years of pre-school. Everyone was also, it seems, guided to a musical instrument Electric Guitar
The Kanes were returned stateside by the military powers that be when JD (now Jack Jr s family name) turned seven. The family was stationed in San Antonio, Texas and there was music everywhere. Jack soon discovered the electric steel guitar and, by the age of nine, he was appearing on the locally televised Sagebrush Shorty Show, a popular local kids show, and participating in musical reviews at the Civic Auditorium. Grace, Jack's mother, soon purchased him a Recording King lap steel guitar and a Gibson amplifier.
The Kane kids had been getting their religious instruction with Saturday catechism and the Sunday choir and services at the local charismatic Baptist Church. We kids were adopted warmly by the entirely African American congregation and introduced to the great gospel music of the Church. A love of the rich black culture rubbed off strongly on Jack for the rest of his musical life.
After three rich years in San Antonio, the family moved back to Hamilton Air Force Base, near Novato, California, when Jack was ten or eleven. Jack Amory Kane, 1975 With the family living in Marin County, Jack discovered he was carrying a viable singing ability with him, much of which he had come by in the Baptist choir back in Texas. He wanted to switch over to the Spanish style guitar to comp behind his voice in singing the pop, blues and folk songs of the day. Jack also wanted to emulate the electric guitar blues that he was listening to nightly on his tiny battery powered transistor radio, tuned into distant Tijuana blues station XERB, with the Wolfman, which only came in at night.
Since he had been studying piano now for some years, Jack had developed a great love for the classical music his teachers had given him. And he had three years of lessons in learning the pedal steel guitar, playing the great country hits of the '50's. But that Wolfman Jack blues music, emanating from so far away over the night airwaves, was what would become Jack's most compelling interest, and the blues he heard most acutely was played on the electric Spanish guitar. Young Jack soon acquired a guitar neck and some castoff pickups and he fashioned a body of wood to mate the neck to. A colorful paint job was applied and a castoff bridge was glued in place to accept the strings.
Astonishingly, the mongrel guitar worked admirably with a radio that he turned into an amp of sorts. Body Rhythm Flyer Mama Grace eventually took notice of his initiative and, with her help he soon graduated to a Sears Silvertone guitar and amp combo, plus a Harmony twelve string. Grace played classical guitar and piano and always fostered her kids musical development Jack says, "That's why I did those six or seven years at the piano lessons, ending only when the guitar became too irresistibly obsessive. My mom wanted me to." Jack attended a couple of Bay Area Catholic schools, through ninth grade, St. Raphael's in San Rafael and St. Joseph's in Mountain View. Then he finished high school at Novato High School, where he did talent shows with Chris Clark, who was later to sign with Motown Records as their first white female artist.
During high school. Jack was being booked as a single act at hotels and venues around the Bay by well-known manager, Lucille Bliss. There were also gigs for his folk group, The Hearthside Singers, throughout high school. Jack led a surf band as well, called "The Chancellors" at hops and dances. "I just wanted to be making music all the time," he says. He was, however, mostly an "A" student, throughout school.
After a year of studying music at Kentfield Community College, the pull became just too strong from his future. Grades, for the first time in his educational history, were slipping Jack would have to (and would) attain a college degree later in life JAK and his jaguar While attending the momentous 1967 San Francisco Human Be-in with friends, it became clear to the young man that fate had another road in store for him. What others were seeking here m San Francisco, he would only find elsewhere. He sold his creampuff '57 Galaxie convertible and his extensive record collection and left the City By the Bay. He would hit the skyways with his redheaded Gibson guitar to play his way through Europe.
CD Liner Notes
Tracks
1. Mama Mama - 2:14
2. Reflections "Of Your Face" - 3:34
3. All The Best Of Songs And Marches (Terry Stamp) - 2:59
4. You Were On My Mind - 4:48
5. Physically Disqualified Blues - 2:22
6. New Light - 5:08
7. Night - 2:58
8. Maybe You`ll Stay - 3:08
9. Candy Queen - 4:05
10.Birds Of Britain - 4:09
11.Perfumed Hand Of Fate - 9:52
All compositions by Amory Kane except Track #3
