I can remember seeing a while back an old reprint of advertisement for the Beatles Apple label, showing a one man band who in the ad copy signed to the Fabs label and subsequently made enough to run a Bentley. Looking back now, it seems very much the only people who actually struck gold via Apple were the lawyers. New Yorker trio Mortimer certainly didn’t. They did however manage to get their eponymous debut released on Phillips in 1968, but despite the personal intervention of George Harrison to get the band on board at Apple, the follow up recorded for the label was left to languish unloved for nearly 50 years until its release now. Originally intended to be released after the Iveys album (the future Badfinger got stiffed in the same way too) in the summer of 1969, this record was produced by Peter Asher (Macca’s the girlfriend Jane’s brother), but for reasons we will go into later never managed to reach the pressing plant.
Mortimer had their roots in Garage quintet the Teddy Boys, who cut four well-received singles for Cameo Parkway in 1966. On the back of that they offered the chance to record an album which was duly completed, but Cameo were taken over by Abkco (the company of one Allen Klein, who will loom large in the Mortimer story unfortunately) and the record was junked. The Teddy Boys were aghast at this setback after their hard work, but slimming down to a three piece they threw themselves into work on the New York Folk circuit (even though they were hardly a folk band at all). This got them noticed by manager Danny Secunda (brother of The Move’s handler Tony), who after organising their debut album with Phillips, decided that they would be able to make more impact in the UK.
Details are sketchy but as to why “On Our Way Home” was not released at the time, but a key element seems to have been the arrival of Allen Klein (lightning did strike twice for Mortimer unfortunately) at Apple replacing their fervent backer Ron Kass. One might have thought Klein was nurturing some sort of grudge against the Mortimer boys and drummer Guy Masson was unceremoniously escorted out of Apple by Klein’s “business associates” when he tried to find out if that was the case. Whatever the reasons, in the can the LP remained ever since.
Which is a great shame, because the majority of the LP is jolly good, in fact a bit of a masterclass in late 60s Soft Pop Sike. Mortimer came on like an acoustic Beach Boys/Bee Gees mix up, lots of tight harmony singing with fans of the Lovin’ Spoonful finding much to enjoy here I would think too. Though Mortimer specialised in lazy, hazy sunny day Pop occasionally they did produce the odd tougher offering – “You Do Too” is faster, harder hitting and there is some stinging fuzz guitar, perhaps as a look back to their Teddy Boys days. Singer Tom Smith’s voice is a little reminiscent at times of Mickey Dolenz, no bad thing of course and this song does recall one of the Monkees’ more “out-there” efforts. “Don’t Want To See You Anymore” is a sparsely accompanied beauty and “I Don’t Know” seems in a mad rush to cover as many Pop modes as possible, with orchestral strings jostling with MOR/Easy Listening and Beat to dazzling effect.
Of the bonus tracks “Christine Tildsley” is a very pretty Harmony Pop character portrait, “Last Of The H” starts with an atypical chant/bongo combination and “Ingenue’s Theme” is a lovely piece of John Sebastian/Paul Simon-style slowly drifting Folk Rock. The title track here was given to them by Paul McCartney (later cut by the Fabs as “Two Of Us”)”, but otherwise the entire record was all self-penned by the three band members, showing such a sure talent for composition that Macca’s effort doesn’t over-shadow the other writing here at all.
Sadly the set-back from Apple HQ was the final straw for the band as Mortimer split and though Smith and bass player Tony Van Benschoten stayed in the UK (mindful of possibly being drafted to ‘Nam on their return home), Guy Masson did go back to the Big Apple to play on the Van Morrison LP “Moondance”. It’s a real shame as that was the last time any of the trio recorded, as they were clearly a talented bunch, thwarted by business concerns rather than any fault on their part. “On Our Way Home” stands up in 2017 as a gentle but alluring 60s Pop album of no small charm and merit.
by Ian Canty
Tracks
1. On Our Way Home (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:06
2. I Didn't Know - 3:38
3. You Do Too - 3:12
4. Dolly - 4:43
5. People Who Are Different - 5:41
6. You Don't Say You Love Me - 3:03
7. Miles Apart - 3:12
8. Don't Want to See You Anymore - 3:58
9. No Business Being Here - 3:06
10.In Memory Of Her - 3:15
11.Pick Up Your Heart - 4:50
12.Christine Tildsley - 3:39
13.Last Of The "H" - 4:22
14.Laugh Children Laugh - 2:46
15.Ingenue's Theme - 2:24
All compositions by Guy Masson, Tom Smith, Tony Van Benschoten
Mortimer
*Guy Masson - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
*Tom Smith - Vocals, Guitar
*Tony Van Benschoten - Vocals, Bass, Guitar With
Richard Hewson - Piano, Arrangements
The Real Gone Music label has just rereleased the out-of-print 1972 cult album Years by Marc Jonson. Real Gone touted the work as one of the most obscure cult albums ever as its initial vinyl release was quite limited. The newly remastered edition was sourced from original tapes dug out of the Vanguard label vaults. Years is difficult to classify by genre, roughly fitting into the category of psych-folk. The album has a transcendental, brooding feel that incorporates the intimacy of the singer-songwriter era with baroque elements prevalent in some 1960s recordings, but ultimately sounds ahead of its time - 1972 in a way that looks forward to the alternative music of the 1980s and ‘90s.
At 21 years old Jonson sang, played guitar, drums, keyboards, produced, and wrote all the songs on Years. The album cover art features a black and white photo of Jonson with long hair, a somber expression, and facial features that resemble Neil Young, who in 1972 released his legendary Harvest album. Years sounds at times like Harvest, particularly the two songs on which Young was accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. According to Jonson, there was a classical recording session going on in the studio where he was working so he decided to incorporate some harpsichords that were left lying around and hired some of the classical musicians to play on string arrangements.
The baroque elements on Years, complemented occasionally by a few good solid drum whacks, bring to mind sounds that an early Elton John explored on works like his 1970 self-titled album. Jonson’s melodic intonations and quasi-classical accompaniment sound at times like an early Leonard Cohen, as do his impressive, often dark, lyrics, which are probably not quite Cohen’s level since nothing really reaches that standard, but are impressive nonetheless.
Jonson said he was influenced in the making of Years by Van Morrison’s 1968 classic, Astral Weeks. The classical styling and unusual time signatures on both of the albums could certainly be compared, but Morrison is apparently also an influence on Jonson’s vocals. Jonson’s voice is very different from Morrison’s, but Jonson puts his own take on Morrison’s soaring wails. Jonson’s vocal style is similar to that of Chris Bell, a member of Big Star. Years has frequently been compared with the work of Big Star and indeed has the spirit of angst that characterizes much of the power pop genre that the band pioneered. But while the album fits in with the melancholic, reflective side of Big Star, there is not much in the way of the hard rock riffing side of the band captured on songs like “In the Street.”
Years kicks off with “Rainy Dues,” a song that begins with an acoustic guitar riff that is very similar to the riff in the Bruce Springsteen song “Growin’ Up.” Jonson’s release, however, slightly predates Springsteen’s and in the liner notes to Years, Jonson claims he was playing the Gaslight in Greenwich Village with jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell in 1972, and it is very possible that a young Springsteen heard “Rainy Dues” at one of those gigs. The beautifully melancholic piece builds from its acoustic beginning in a dramatic Springsteen-like fashion into its bridge as Jonson’s vocals become increasingly intense right before the mid-tempo rhythm comes in with drums and a few John Entwistle-like audible melodic bass notes. The song ends with Jonson moaning a few transcendent “oohs” before one final anguished scream similar to Springsteen’s vocals at the end of “Jungleland.”
Later in the album, “Mary” provides a showcase for a powerful vocal from Jonson backed initially by nothing but a funky drum beat that Jody Stephens could have laid down for Big Star. Even though Jonson is American, Years often sounds like the dreary British symphonic rock of the era. His voice sounds a lot like Elton John on “Mary,” and the instrumentation and time on the song are highly unusual as harpsichords and string orchestrations make up the bridge before the song closes with Jonson’s high wailing, which sounds similar to John’s higher range.
“Mother Jane,” a subtle, smart antiwar song features acoustic picking similar to Neil Young’s “Old Man.” However, it seriously diverges from the musical path of “Old Man” when it reaches the middle of the song in which the bridge is signaled by the beautiful strum of harps. The song contains the powerful line, “England’s at war oh my it’s 1805/To print the news you have to risk your life,” possibly in reference to the then current publishing of the Pentagon Papers that showed that the American government covered up the truth about the Vietnam War.
“A Long Song” features interesting classical accompaniment of flute. The album title comes from a lyric in the song, “Years pass as they grow out.” A bizarre chorus of “bum-bum-bum” sang by a few men or multi-tracked vocals starts as the song winds to a close before the chorus fades and the flute closes it out.
“The Return To The Relief” features a jingle-jangle, Byrds influenced riff at the beginning. The lyrics are particularly strong, including at a certain point a creepily repeated goblin-like phrasing of “and then kill you,” in reference to what the speaker will do to the people who have destroyed the world if he is the first person born after the world is destroyed. The song is ultimately hopeful, though, preaching love as an alternative. It has a few movements that segue into each other, but ends with an uplifting, sweeping orchestration. “Munich” is an odd song that features a lot of outlandish studio tricks with vocals. The song is particularly eerie because it features what sounds like an abrupt gunshot. The Real Gone reissue features a non-LP bonus track, “I’m Coming Up To Boston,” a beautiful Tim Buckley-like song with a hazy, harmonized chorus that sounds like the alternative music of later decades.
Years is a worthy rerelease from the Real Gone label. Its baroque orchestration references the most sophisticated sounds of the ‘60s in a psych-folk vibe, which was a bit anachronistic to 1972 as a few years are a lifetime in the music industry. By drawing on the best influences of the then recent past and fusing it with the subtly expressive singer-songwriter idiom, Jonson made an album that was years ahead of its time and a classic, cult or otherwise.
by Jeremy Goldstein, Apr 30, 2017
Tracks
1. Rainy Dues - 3:52
2. Mary - 5:52
3. Mother Jane - 2:11
4. Fly - 3:35
5. A Long Song - 5:10
6. Autopsy - 1:41
7. The Return To Relief - 5:50
8. Munich - 2:40
9. The Tredmill - 2:51
10.I’M Coming Up To Boston - 3:07
11.Rainy Dues - 3:56
12.Mother Jane - 2:11
13.Fly - 3:35
Lyrics and Music by Marc Jonson
In later years, this singular set would leave a new generation of classic rock fans scratching their heads. Just what were so many superstars doing backing this unknown singer? However, in 1970, Colin Scot was at least as famous as any of those now legendary names that guested on this his debut solo album, with the singer/songwriter regularly packing the house for his frequent live shows.
Of course, those gigs brought Scot into the orbits of a host of other folk-tinged groups from the day, but it seems to have been producer John Anthony who brought most of this crew together. This included Brinsley Schwarz of the eponymous band, Genesis' Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, Van Der Graaf Generator's Peter Hammill and David Jackson, King Crimson's Robert Fripp, then-Strawbs' organist Rick Wakeman, and his future bandmate Yes frontman Jon Anderson (the pair met at these sessions), and the list goes on and on.
Considering all the talent and egos in the studio, producer Anthony must have run an extremely tight ship, for he never allows any of the virtuosos to get in Scot's way or their excesses to overwhelm his songs. Nevertheless, the musicians left their marks, be it the shimmering guitars on "Do the Dance Now, Davey" that foreshadow the ones that strew glitter across Genesis' "The Music Box," or the quintessential Fripp chords that empower "Here We Are in Progress." "The Boatman" is buffeted by gusting wind, lapping waves, and exquisite guitar work, "Lead Us" sweeps listeners along with a choir of singers, while "Hey! Sandy," features some of the angriest acoustic guitars one's ever likely to encounter.
All four of those songs were well-chosen covers, while the country-tinged "My Rain," the brooding "Take Me Away," and the psychedelic laced "Nite People" showcased the strength of Scot's own pen. The finished album was handed to United Artists, at the time, a relatively new and adventurous label, and upon release sold respectably in its day, but has cried out for reissue since. Boosted by a quartet of alternate takes of album tracks, the return of Colin Scot will be welcomed by prog and folk fans around the world.
by Jo-Ann Greene
Tracks
1. Do The Dance Now, Davey - 5:28
2. My Rain - 3:07
3. Take Me Away - 3:23
4. Confusion - 2:55
5. Baby In My Lady (Mike Newbury) - 4:07
6. Lead Us (Neil Innes) - 4:34
7. You're Bound To Leave Me Now - 4:36
8. The Boatman (Davy Johnstone) - 3:08
9. Nite People - 4:15
10.Hey! Sandy (Harvey Andrews) - 4:14
11.Here We Are In Progress - 4:27
12.Long Time Gone - 3:26
13.Do The Dance Now, Davey (Take 3) - 5:42
14.My Rain (Take 1) - 3:51
15.Nite People (Take 2) - 4:42
All compositions by Colin Thistlewaite except where indicated
Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks 12-15
If you think that all Christian rock blows, then you haven't heard the kids in Search Party. And if you think that 99.9 percent of Christian rock blows, then I guess you have. This, my little lambs, is the 0.1 percent that doesn't. You can usually file "Christian rock" alongside those other oxymoron, like "jumbo shrimp", "honest politician" or "parttime record collector."
Maybe it's because most Christian music is made by twin brothers who dress identically, families who travel the South in silver motor homes, or pastors who've had half their faces burned off yet still manage to spread the message of hope. But perhaps the message might be spread more effectively if someone with even a modicum of hipness (not to mention a few vocal lessons) would step forward and sing the praises on electric guitar.
Well, back in 1968, that's exactly what The Search Party did. On "Montgomery Chapel", you can tell these Christian kids were ignoring their parents' warning and listening to the latest Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Janis Ian records behind closed doors. So much so, that if you didn't know this was a Christian rock record, you might actually dig it. But don't let that stop you.
These kids were good, and they even owned one of Satan's fuzz pedals. The Search Party weren't afraid to "rock out," as the heathens say, and filled their West Coast acid rock sound with loud, invasive blasts of heavenly fuzz on the blistering "You and I." Vocalist Joanie Goff had the same command and range as Dorothy Moskowitz of the United States of America, or Chris Christman from Ivory.
Although occasionally...okay, frequently...she strayed into this possessed high-pitched shriek/yelp mode, like Gal Costa in the middle of a Pentecostal revival. When she's able to holster herself, though, things get downright trippy - check out the moody, ethereal "When He Calls" for some good smokefilled God-fearing acid rock sounds. With its jangly Roger McGuinn guitar and quivery psychedelic organ, I'd be tempted to say the band sounds "stoned" if I didn't know better.
But as a languid leisurely stroll through the sounds of Haight- Ashbury, this is the Christian rock equivalent of a good It's a Beautiful Day ballad, complete with bof male and female harmony vocals. Joanie loses it near the end, sadly, and things unravel a bit, but when she keeps her cool, it's about as good a head-trip for Jesus as you'll hear. She's much more effective on the moody "Renee Child", adding some unsettling but very evocative banshee cries behind the male lead singer, who also subscribes to the school of vocal melodrarr;
But it all works well together, and things are kept to a bare minimum - just vocals, two acoustic guitars and some occasional shots of xylophone – creating a very effective, ethereal and downright spooky slice of otherworldly sounding acid rock. It's not very often you'd apply the term "trippy mindmelter" to Christian music, but in this case, you would. And you'd be correct too, because there's no doubt that the boys and girls in Search Party listened to their share of Doors albums when recording "So Many Things Have Got Me Down" - at 9 minutes, riding a trancelike repetitive and very similar guitar riff, this absolutely has to be influenced by "The End".
Side 2 loses the point a bit - "All But This", "Poem By George Hall" and "The Decidedly Short Epic of Mr. Alvira" all get bogged down in some fancy-schmancy Renaissance Faire medieval prog folk, far too quiet and moody for a band who owns a fuzz guitar and a female singer prone to sudden histrionics, unless you're a big fan of the folkier aspects of Jefferson Airplane (i.e. "Comin' Back to Me).
However the big finale, the band's welcome return to fuzz and fury, is the closer "The News is You". A monster fuzz ripper of the Camera variety, which means it's a big, loud fire-breathing papier-mache tortoise. And Japanese kids like to hitch a ride on its back. Only thing is. Joanie's in full shriek and yelp mode here, wailing and screaming like Yoko Ono under demonic possession, which helps to end this strange little Jesus rock album on the most demented note possible.
Not that a fuzz-shredding, mind-melting Christian rock band with a Jones for the Doors isn't already demented enough. And there's nary a Winnebago or red velour sports jacket in sight. If anything, the Search Party proved that you could love Jesus and also be a legitimate acid rock band. They looked and sounded just like the nondenominational co-ed West Coast bands - Jefferson Airplane, the United States of America. Ivory, Stoneground - only they sang about Jesus and their lead singer flew off the handle more often than Joan Crawford in "Mommy Dearest." But that only makes 'em all the more interesting. You've heard of the School of Rock. Now grab yoursetf a Psalter and a tab of acid, and check out the Chapel of Rock.
CD-Liner-Notes
Tracks
1. Speak To Me (Nicholas T. Freund, Jim Carvalho, Joanie Goff, Pete Apps, Tim King) - 2:54
2. Renee Child (Nicholas T. Freund, Jim Carvalho, Joanie Goff, Pete Apps, Tim King) - 2:43
3. Melanya (Pete Apps) - 1:46
4. When He Calls (Nicholas T. Freund, Jim Carvalho, Joanie Goff, Pete Apps, Tim King) - 4:26
5. So Many Things Have Got Me Down (Nicholas T. Freund, Jim Carvalho, Joanie Goff, Pete Apps, Tim King) - 9:19
6. You And I (Pete Apps, Jim Carvalho, Joanie Goff, Pete Apps, Tim King) - 3:11
7. All But This (Jim Carvalho) - 3:23
8. Poem By George Hall (Pete Apps, George Hall) - 3:46
9. The Decidedly Short Epic Of Mr Alvira (Jim Carvalho) - 3:36
10.The News Is You (Pete Apps) - 4:39
The Search Party
*Joanie Goff - Vocals, Guitar
*Jim Carvalho - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Apps - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Tim King - Drums
Johnny Wonderling was born in France on February 18th 1945, and moved to Queens, New York, at the age of five. Always a music enthusiast, he began his career at Cameo-Parkway Records in the mid- 605, before finding a job at Alouette, an independent NY music production publishing company best-known for having signed up Quincy Jones, Lesley Gore and Janis Ian, and run by Artie Wayne and Sandy and Kelli Ross, towards the end of 1967. At the same time, he set about writing songs himself. Sadly, Ross barely remembers him: "His name and face are familiar, but I cannot recall how I was involved," she says. "Wish I had more to tell..." "I met Johnny when I was a teenager, and it completely changed my life," says Carey Allen Budnick, who first encountered him backstage at a Hullabaloo dance show in Manhattan. '"He was a song plugger, and introduced me to various publishers. He taught himself autoharp, and we began to write songs together, which we sold for $25 to $50 a time. He was a very well-liked guy, a wheeler-deler who knew everyone - I remember him introducing me to Tiny Tim one day..."
In April 1968 Wonderling's song Midway Down - co-written with Lou Shapiro – was recorded by the Creation in the UK, via his publishing connections, but didn't sell. That June, a song by Wonderling, Budnick (under the alias Allane) and their pal Ed Goldfluss, Ask The Children, was included on the Cherry People's sole LP. It was also released by the Cowsills on their Captain Sad & His Ship Of Fools LP in September - but, for nefarious reasons, the writers never saw any royalties. That autumn Wonderling became the first pop artist to sign to Jerry Ragovoy's Loma Records [a subsidiary of Warner Brothers), which had previously devoted itself to R’n’B. On September l1th he recorded his only 45 for the label at Ragovoy's Hit Factory studio in New York.
He produced it himself, aided by engineer Bill Szymczyk (who went on to earn immortality with the Eagles and others) and a crack backing band consisting of Hugh McCracken (guitar) Paul Harris (keyboards), Chuck Rainey (bass) and Bernard Purdie (drums). Coupling Wonderling's own rendition of Midway Down with Man Of Straw (written by him, Budnick and Goldfluss), the disc was issued at the end of the month, both on Loma and Warner Brothers, one pressing for each Coast. 'New artist shows certain savvy about the current market,' hedged Record World in a brief review on October 12th. 'Has a certain sell quality.' Cash Box, meanwhile, raved that a 'Distorted carnival atmosphere gives this track a staying power which will peg it for immediate response. Song is the first pop-flavored release from Loma, and has outstanding appeal for teen and progressive listeners. Should be welcomed by radio spots for exposure that should create a sales explosion.' In fact, the disc barely made a whimper in the marketplace.
Wonderling therefore became studio manager at the Hit Factory, at a time when Jimi Hendrix, the Stooges, the James Gang and countless others were working there. He hadn't abandoned his own creative ambitions, however. In 1971 his haunting song Jessica Stone - co-written with Szymczyk – was recorded by Jimmie Haskell on his eccentric California '99 LP. The same year, he set about making an album of his own, in collaboration with Szymczyk.
Drawing on his many studio contacts, the initial sessions for Day Breaks took place at the Hit Factory, and subsequently at Sun West in Los Angeles (after he'd moved from New York to Laurel Canyon, where he lived with his girlfriend Cindy). Few musicians, even superstars, commanded such a roll-call of talent: Aynsley Dunbar, Tim Rose, Jesse Ed Davis, Jim Gordon, Jim Pons, Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie, Chuck Rainey, Hugh McCracken, Paul Harris, Jim Keltner, Danny Kortchmar, Paul Griffin, Gloria Jones and numerous others were all involved. Despite such a large and stellar cast, however, the arrangements are restrained, albeit more layered than it seems at first, with piano, organ, steel guitar, wah wah, backing vocals and more adding subtle texture.
Most of the LP consists of spacey, acoustic guitar-led ballads, sung in Wonderling's appealingly warm, world-weary voice. It opens with the reflective Long Way Home, referencing a backpacking trip Budnick had made around Europe in the 60s. Next is the beautiful, wistful Jessica Stone (co-written with Szymczyk). Its mood is sustained on the reflective Someone Like You, M'lady, and Shadows. Perhaps surprisingly, a faithful re-recording of the eerily psychedelic Man Of Straw is included (its B-side, Midway Down, is absent). Cowboy Lullaby is a gentle instrumental; 'Just close your eyes and listen,' instruct the credits.
The bouncy Follow Me breaks the album's thoughtful mood, but its levity is quickly reined in on the touching closing track, Reach The Ground, in which Wonderling hopes that his fragile subject will "someday make your way down, without breaking when you finally reach the ground..." 'John was a fascinating fellow and a great guy," says engineer Bruce Alblin, who worked on overdubbing mixing, and editing the LP at Golden West Sound in Hollywood. "He was very much a man of the world - charismatic, sophisticated, smart, and fun to work with in the studio. As well as being a talented musical artist, he was also well-versed in the 'business' side of the music business - a very rare combination."
With the album finally completed, in December 1972 Paramount trailed its release with a radio promo 45, offering mono and stereo mixes of Shadows, in a picture sleeve. The LP was scheduled to follow in mid- 1973 (judging from its catalogue number, PAS 6063) - but something went awry. The singer-songwriter scene was at its commercial peak, but Day Breaks seems not to have been distributed, and was effectively stillborn. Only a handful of copies are known to exist, and no promo material or references to it in the contemporary press (including trade papers) have yet surfaced. It was clearly expensive to make, and was packaged with a custom lyric inner sleeve, so the reason for its evidently tiny pressing size is baffling.
"From what I gathered at the time, there was some kind of politics / machinations at the label that delayed and inhibited its release," recalls Ablin. "It was held up quite a I while, and from what I recall, the release was extremely small, 100 or fewer albums total." Wonderling is not known to have performed live, which can't have assisted his prospects as a recording artist, and the album got no traction whatsoever. Ablin, however, was always a fan: "Of all the countless projects I've worked on over the years, Day Breaks is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, musically. It's that good. Truly brilliantly creative and unique. I'm amazed at how well the songs, arrangements and production hold up after all theseyears."
Following its release Wonderling is known to have made numerous demos, only one of which – the melodic Penelope - is known to survive, and is included in this set. Despite his considerable abilities, he released no further records under his own name. Instead, he joined Arista Records as'General Professional Manager, East Coast' in February 1978, subsequently becoming their 'Director of Creative Affairs' and 'Publishing Director, East Coast' working with stars such as Aaron Neville, Chaka Khan and Pat Benatar.
In 1981 he moved to Sidstan Music Publishing in New York (owned by former Beatles promoter Sid Bernstein and his brother Stan). The following year he played autoharp on John Gale's Music For A New Society, and produced the near-hit 400 Dragons by Adrian John Loveridge. Wonderling and Loveridge also contributed two songs to the March 1982 debut album by Laura Branigan, Branigan, which reached #34 on the Billboard chart, making it easily the most commercially successful recording of his career. Unfortunately, both Loveridge and Branigan died before their time. Wonderling subsequently set up his own music production and publishing company, Myth America, from the barn he called home in Woodstock, notably overseeing the 1990 album ^4 Creole Christmas, for which he produced tracks by artists including Aaron Neville and Irma Thomas. He also collaborated closely with the composer Keith 'Plex' Barnhart on advertising jingles for Macy's and others, which became his main source of income for the remainder of his life.
Latterly he was involved with ' the Woodstock Youth Theater, and acted as musical director for The Woodstock Century, an ambitious production mounted at the Woodstock Playhouse in June 2002. His last public statement seems to have been made that October, when he joined a protest against the invasion of Iraq in Woodstock. "The powers that be are the ones pulling all the strings," he told the New York Times. "You've got to keep going, and eventually us gentler people maybe will be heard." Sadly, he succumbed to a heart attack in Amsterdam on September 17th 2003, whilst honeymooning with his third wife, and may well have taken the full story behind the mysterious Day Breaks with him.
"I'm really thrilled to see that it's available at last," concludes Ablin. "For many years after John and I worked together, the only way that I could listen to the record was via my reference cassette from the master tape. But great music, and all great art, has a way of eventually being acknowledged." For now, the last word goes to Wonderling's daughter Jenny, after whom he named his Sweet Jenny Music publishing company: "He was a wonderful man, deeply passionate, with a laugh, naughty wit, intelligence and warmth that was rare. I really miss him."
by Richard Morton Jack, London, March 2017
Tracks
1. Long Way Home (John Wonderling, Carey Budnick) - 4:20
2. Jessica Stone (John Wonderling, Bill Szymczyk) - 3:54
3. Man Of Straw (John Wonderling, Carey Budnick, Ed Goldfluss) - 2:46
4. Someone Like You (John Wonderling) - 4:29
5. M'lady (John Wonderling, Carey Budnick) - 3:41
6. Shadows (John Wonderling, Carey Budnick) - 3:09
7. Cowboy Lullaby (John Wonderling) - 2:55
8. Follow Me (John Wonderling, Carey Budnick) - 3:33
9. Reach The Ground (John Wonderling) - 3:56
10.Midway Down (45 A-Side) (John Wonderling, Los Shapiro) - 2:34
11.Man Of Straw (45 B-Side) (John Wonderling, Carey Budnick, Ed Goldfluss) - 2:49
12.Shadows (Mono) (John Wonderling, Carey Budnick) - 3:11
13.Penelope (Mono) (John Wonderling) - 2:25
Musicians
*John Wonderling - Acoustic, Electric Guitar, Autoharp, Organ, Percussion, Electric Piano, Lead Vocals
*Tim Rose - Acoustic Guitar
*Jerry McGee - Acoustic, Electric Guitar
*Hugh McCracken - Acoustic, Electric, Slide Guitar, Tambourine
*Chuck Rainey - Bass
*Jim Pons - Bass
*Danny Kortchmar - Electric Guitar
*Jesse Ed Davis - Electric Guitar
*Jordan Stephens - Harmonica, Electric Guitar
*Paul Griffin - Organ, Piano
*Roger Dollarhide - Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
*Paul Harris - Organ, Piano, Electric Piano
*Jim Gordon - Tambourine
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
*Bernard Purdie - Drums
*Herbie Lovelle - Drums
*Jim Keltner - Drums
*Clydie King, Gloria Jones, Venetta Fields - Backing Vocals
Damned if this isn’t the story that rock ’n’ roll dreams are almost made of. In 1973, Wilson, an unknown 26-year-old Indiana native, had a batch of songs he’d written and wanted to record. Being a Dylan fan, he decided to knock on the door of Bob Johnston, producer of several Dylan albums as well as seminal Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash albums, and ask him to make a record.
Although having no idea who Wilson was, Johnston put common sense aside and asked Wilson to play one of his songs on the spot; that same evening, Bill Wilson was in Ray Stevens Sound Lab Studio in Nashville, and Johnston producing his first album! There with him was a selection of Johnston’s “go to” Nashville session players – Kenny Buttrey (drums), Charlie Daniels and Jerry Reed (guitars), Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Mac Gayden (slide), Pete Drake (pedal steel), singer Cissy Houston, and Bob Wilson on piano. It has the makings of a fairy tale of Disney proportions.
What is beyond argument is that Bill Wilson was an extraordinarily gifted songwriter and recording artist just waiting for the “big break.” Although recorded in Nashville, the 11 songs are more steeped in the influences of Austin’s outlaw country with a faint Southern tinge; there are echoes of Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Mickey Newbury, and even Mike Nesmith’s 1st National Band (check out the exhilarating opener ‘Rainy Day Resolution’).
As is usual, the lyrics are about the themes that generally run through the genre – heartbreak, social commentary, tales of drifters and lost love (the abject pain in ‘Long Gone Lady’ is palpable). There’s even some country gospel thrown in for good measure, Cissy Houston harmonising gloriously on ‘Following My Lord’ and ‘Father Let Your Light Shine Down’. Gayden’s slide playing is sublime throughout, particularly on ‘Ballad Of Cody’ and ‘Pay Day Give Away’; neither would be out of place on an Allman Brothers album. All that’s needed is the “happily ever after” flashing neon and the fairy tale is complete.
Sadly, that never transpired. Wilson took his album to Columbia where it sank almost without trace; Wilson himself struggled to actually find a copy of his own album. As he somewhat prophetically sings in the title track: “another crazy dream had come undone.” Josh Rosenthal (Tompkins Square founder) stumbled across the album in a vinyl bargain bin at a San Francisco record fair in January and bought it for 25 cents, purely on the strength of the producer’s name.
When contacted by Rosenthal, Johnston recalled that he never saw or spoke with Wilson again after the recording session, but “the fucker could really write.” Bill Wilson died from a heart attack in 1993, aged 46, having made less than $100 from his record and never seeing its resurrection. Not all fairy tales have happy endings.
by Trevor J. Leeden
Tracks
1. Rainy Day Resolution - 3:33
2. Pay Day Give Away - 4:00
3. To Rebecca - 5:54
4. Black Cat Blues - 5:13
5. Father Let Your Light Shine Down - 2:58
6. Long Gone Lady - 3:33
7. Following My Lord - 4:13
8. Ballad Of Cody - 4:27
9. The Good Ship Society - 2:59
10.Ever Changing Minstrel - 3:06
11.Monday Morning Strangers - 3:50
Words and Music by Bill Wilson
So spoke the leading counterculture magazine International Times in a feature on the birth of the new so called "progressive" labels established by the major record labels in 1969 with the intention of tapping in to the rapidly expanding market in "underground" rock music. With the sonic experimentation of The Beatles masterwork "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came a whole host of acts who wanted to expand their musical horizons by fusing different musical influences. The new "progressive" music was not designed for dancing; it was created with the specific intention of being seriously listened to and appealed to an audience of students, hippies and followers of all things "underground".
The new musical style took many sources of inspiration; jazz, blues, classical music, folk and rock, but it became clear that the commercial appetite of the progressive audience could prove lucrative to the major record companies. In reality, Decca records were first off the mark with the establishment of the Deram label in October 1966, which served as a vehicle in which to place acts that were deemed to have "selective" appeal. One of the earliest bands to create an impression on Deram were The Moody Blues, whose experiments with the Mellotron on the single "Nights in White Satin" and the album "Days of Future Passed" inspired a new generation of imitators, however, the label still lacked a clear direction.
Perhaps the first British label to establish a clear "underground" identity was Island Records, which had been formed by Chris Blackwell. Begun in 1962, Island had shifted from becoming a label solely dedicated to bringing Jamaican music to the new immigrant West Indian population in Britain to that of a champion of the emerging underground. Scoring early successes with bands such as Traffic, Island successfully appealed to the UK counterculture specifically because they were free of any major "corporate" label trappings.
With the emphasis now being placed on impressive album sleeve packaging and design, as much as good music, Island took the lead, leaving the major labels with the dilemma of how they should follow. A major problem faced by the major labels was the fact that leading lights of the underground music scene were sharing label imprints with conservative pop acts. In EMI's case artists such as Pink Floyd and The Pretty Things shared a home on Columbia records with Des O'Connor and Lulu. EMI successfully solved this by the formation of Harvest records label in June 1969. Launched in a blaze of publicity with releases by acts such as Michael Chapman and the Edgar Broughton Band, the imprint quickly established a credible reputation in contemporary rock circles. With EMI appearing to take the lead, A&R staff at Philips records quickly took notice. They too had similar issues with artists such as Colosseum, Jimmy Campbell, Mike Absalom and Black Sabbath sharing their Fontana label home with MOR singers such as Nana Mouskouri.
A&R head Olav Wyper found the solution by creating a new identity for existing esoteric acts within the Philips group of companies. The creation of Vertigo records was announced in the Autumn and immediately staff were engaged to seek out new talent that would give EMI. Decca and even Island records a run for their money. Vertigo quickly established a recognizable identity with the design of its distinctive "swirl" logo by Roger Dean that graced the entire label of the "A" side of each album. Album sleeves were almost all gatefold in design and were mostly the work of photographer and designer Marcus Keef (keen eyed observers may note the similarity of design of the sleeves of albums such as Colosseum's "Valentyne Suite", the eponymous debuts of Black Sabbath, Affinity and the cover of the 1970 sampler "The Vertigo Annual").
Vertigo scored chart success with its first two album releases, "Valentyne Suite" by Colosseum and Juicy Lucy's self titled debut. The label quickly expanded its roster of acts in its first six months of operation to include Black Sabbath, Rod Stewart, Uriah Heep, Gentle Giant, Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Affinity, Gracious!, Nucleus, Cressida and many more. 1970 was a particularly good year for the label when albums by Rod Stewart and Black Sabbath became major sellers, allowing Vertigo the luxury of signing acts such as May Blitz, Dr. Z, Tudor Lodge, Ramases and others that failed to perform commercially (Dr. Z's "Three Parts to My Soul" allegedly selling less than 100 copies upon release). These Vertigo albums quickly acquired cult status and became highly desirable collectors' items within a few years of their initial release.
In 1970, Olav Wyper was approached by RCA Records London office, who were keen to follow on the heels of Philips, EMI and Decca by establishing their own "underground" imprint, Neon. Wyper accepted the invitation and left Vertigo to make Neon records a reality. The Neon label was to be a short lived affair, releasing only a handful of albums, but the identity of the records released on that label followed closely that of Vertigo, with the Neon logo comprising the entire "A" side label and the sleeves being designed and photographed by Marcus Keef.
By contrast Vertigo became more established, and went from strength to strength, but the free attitude of signing any act that boasted vague underground credentials that was present during the labels birth began to wane and with acts such as Status Quo signing to the label and the worldwide success of artists such as Black Sabbath, Vertigo began to take a more guarded approach to its signings. Obscure esoteric acts were quickly dropped in favour of acts more assured of commercial success and the distinctive "swirl" logo was replaced in 1973 by Roger Dean's "spaceship" design. To many, Vertigo began to lose its identity soon after, although the label continued to enjoy huge success with artists such as Thin Lizzy, Status Quo, Graham Parker and the Rumour and latterly Dire Straits. It still continues as an imprint to this day, long after rivals Deram and Harvest ceased to release new product.
This collection celebrates the vision of Olav Wyper and his A&R team during Vertigo's early years, (notably Patrick Campbell-Lyons of UK band Nirvana who produced many of the early Vertigo albums), and celebrates an age when musical creativity was the watch word. Although sometimes the resulting recordings were less than satisfactory, the musicians behind them were brave and hardy souls. Due to the vagaries of the rights reversion of some of the music released on the Vertigo label in its first three years of operation, it has not been possible to include some material by artists whose contributions were of equal merit to those artists featured here. Musicians such as Mike Absalom, Assagai, Graham Bond, Fairfield Parlour et al all deserve attention from aficionados of the "progressive" era. It is to them and the artists featured that this set is dedicated.
by Mark Powell
Artist - Track - Composer
Disc 1
1. Colosseum - The Kettle (Dick Heckstall Smith, John Phillip Hiseman) - 4:28
2. Juicy Lucy - Who Do You Love? (Ellis McDaniels) - 3:02
3. Clear Blue Sky - My Heaven (Patrick Campbell Lyons, John Simms) - 5:00
4. Manfred Mann Chapter Three - Travelling Lady (Mike Hugg, Manfred Mann) - 5:48
5. Black Sabbath - Behind The Wall Of Sleep (Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward) - 3:37
6. Cressida - To Play Your Little Games (John Heyworth) - 3:17
10.May Blitz - I Don't Know (Richard Newman) - 4:45
11.Nucleus - Torrid Zone (Karl Jenkins) - 8:33
12.Rod Stewart - Handbags And Gladrags (Michael d'Abo) - 3:55
13.Gentle Giant - Nothing At All (Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Phil Shulman, Ray Shulman) - 9:08
14.Ben - The Influence (Keith Jarrett, Peter Davey, Gerry Reid, Alex Macleery, Dave Sheen, Len Surtees) - 10:05
Disc 2
1. Dr. Z - Evil Woman's Manly Child (Keith Morris) - 4:47
2. Jade Warrior - Borne On The Solar Wind (Glyn Harvard, Tony Duhig, Jon Field) - 3:01
3. Patto - The Man (Clive Griffiths, Ollie Halsall, John Halsey, Mike Patto) - 6:14
4. Juicy Lucy - Thinking Of My Life (Parch W. Nantlais Williams) - 4:24
5. Jimmy Campbell - Half Baked (Jimmy Campbell) - 4:40
6. May Blitz - For Madmen Only (James W. Black, Richard Newman, William Hudson) - 4:11
7. Tudor Lodge - The Lady's Changing Home (Lyndon Green, John Stannard) - 4:36
8. Beggars Opera - Time Machine (Denis Roderick, Martin Griffiths, Alan James Park) - 8:06
9. Colosseum - Bring Out Your Dead (Dave "Clem" Clempson, Dave Greenslade) - 4:19
10.Warhorse - Mouthpiece (Peter Parks, Mac Poole, Ashley Holt, Nick Simper) - 8:49
11.Uriah Heep - Lady In Black (Ken Hensley) - 4:46
12.Freedom - Through The Years (Roger Saunders) - 4:25
13.Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Midnight Moses (Alex Harvey) - 4:22
14.Magna Carta - Lord Of The Ages (John Chris Simpson) - 10:02
Disc 3
1. Atlantis - Living At The End Of Time (Frank Diez) - 9:05
2. Ramases - Life Child (Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman, Martin Raphael) - 6:37
3. Beggars Opera - McArthur Park (Jimmy Webb) - 8:20
4. Nucleus - Song For The Bearded Lady (Karl Jenkins) - 7:22
5. Gentle Giant - Pantagruel's Nativity (Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Phil Shulman, Ray Shulman) - 6:49
6. Gravy Train - (A Ballad Of) A Peaceful Man (Norman Barrett, Barry Davenport, J.D. Hughes, Lester Williams) - 7:05
7. Ronno - Powers Of Darkness (Harker Marshall Ronson) - 3:31
8. Status Quo - Paper Plane (Franxcis Rossi, Robert Young) - 2:52
9. Ian Matthews - Little Known (Ian Matthews) - 2:55
10.Vangelis Papathanassiou - Let It Happen (Ricky Dassin, Vangelis Papathanassiou) - 4:12
11.Jade Warrior - Mwenga Sketch (Tony Duhig, John Field) - 8:33
12.Aphrodite's Child - The Four Horsemen (Costas Ferris, Vangelis Papathanassiou) - 5:54
13.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward) - 5:29
The fourth volume in Past & Present's Electric Asylum series walks away from the psychedelic themes of the earlier installments in favor of U.K. hard rock singles of the early to mid-'70s, most hailing from the days before heavy metal had fully codified itself and sometimes betraying the influence of the working-class end of glam (think Slade, not Bowie).
If there is a psychedelic angle to these tunes, it usually presents itself in the form of twisty melodies, the occasional lyrical eccentricity, or curious band names, but most of these 20 tunes are hard-stomping numbers full of big guitars, bigger drums, and growling vocalists, and acts like Incredible Hog, Wolfrilla, and Hard Horse deliver pretty much the sort of meat-and-potatoes hard rock thunder you'd expect.
Seeing as '70s hard rock hasn't been compiled to death like a number of other genres, Rock Hard British Freakrock certainly has novelty going for it, and there are a few real gems to be found here -- Mustard's "I Saw, I Heard" is built around a brilliant chunky guitar sound and a superb throbbing bassline, Slowload's "Big Boobs Boogie" is as raucous as the title would suggest, "Red Shoe Trucken" by Bear Brothers sounds like some odd but fortunate cross between Deep Purple and Gary Glitter, Bubbles' "Zap n' Cat" has a sleazy swagger along with some great nasty guitar licks, and "Eagles" by Sundance suggests what the James Gang might have sounded like if they'd come from Birmingham and not Ohio.
While not every track here sounds like a lost classic, and some of the source singles are noticeably worn, this collection is never boring, and the best stuff is choice beer-swilling, air-guitar mangling music that will get your denims dirty in no time flat.
Paul Brett is well known as an exponent of the 12-string guitar. The list of people he has played with is impressive indeed - much in demand for sessions, tours etc., he has played for a host of folks, from Max Bygraves to Status Quo, from Barclay James Harvest to Lonnie Donegan, from Crazy World of Arthur Brown to short-lived psych-pop outfit Tintern Abbey. With the latter he recorded the highly collectable single which is their only output.
From a Strawbs' point of view he has circled round the band - playing with various soon-to-be Strawbs - without ever actually joining.
Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera had grown out of r'n'b band Five Proud Walkers and recorded their first album and their first two singles, with the eponymous leader on guitar and vocals. In early 1969, Elmer left the band, as did guitarist Colin Forster, and Hud and John recruited Paul and Johnny Joyce (formerly with the Levee Breakers) to join them as a slightly more acoustically oriented outfit. They later shortened their name to simply the Velvet Opera and recorded the band's second album Ride A Hustler's Dreamand a number of singles. It was that incarnation which played at the opening night of Dave Cousins' White Bear-based Hounslow Arts Lab on 1 July 1969.
In late 1969, he recorded the lead guitar on Strawbs' "The Vision Of The Lady Of The Lake" for the Dragonfly album.
After Velvet Opera, Paul was involved in the recording of The Magic Shoemaker album by Fire - Dave Lambert, Dick Dufall and Bob Voice. Dave Cousins guested too, on banjo. The album was disappointing sales and production-wise and Lambert decided to split with long-time associates Dufall and Voice, who promptly hooked up with Paul to form Paul Brett's Sage, adding Stuart Cowell as lead guitarist which recorded three albums for Pye and Dawn (Pye's progressive label). Dave Lambert guested on piano and organ on several tracks on Schizophrenia, and Rod Coombes drummed on one track. Paul King, later to play alongside Lambert in the King Earl Boogie Band, played harmonica on a track on Jubliation Foundry.
From 1973 onwards Paul began to concentrate on a solo career, releasing a couple of attractive song-based solo albums on Bradleys Records, backed by violinist/guitarist Mike Piggott, adding multi-instrumentalist Dave Griffiths for the second. Rod Coombes popped up again on drums on the first. Bradleys made a push to establish him, releasing several singles from the albums.
A privately pressed album Phoenix Future followed in 1975, before Brett turned to the genre which is now his trademark, the twelve string guitar instrumental. Earth Birth, his critically-acclaimed first 12 string guitar suite, was released first released on his own label, then led to a 4 album deal with RCA, where it was the first release in 1977. Rod Coombes guests again on Interlife (1978), and Johnny Joyce plaus on two tracks on Eclipse (1979).
He then released some high-selling "easy listening" guitar albums on the K-Tel label and a number of music library releases, before concentrating on other activities - live show production including holiday/cruise work, music journalism. His longtime interest in collecting guitars led to his becoming a Marketing Consultant for Aria Guitars, who went on to develop a range of Paul Brett signature guitars.
Tracks
1. The Ant - 2:17
2. Mr. Custer - 3:07
3. Goodtimes, Hardtimes - 3:31
4. 18 Years - 2:41
5. Handful Of Rain - 4:55
6. Atiques, Flowers And Music Box Dancers - 2:52
7. The Spanish Main - 4:34
8. Jim Crow - 3:22
9. Motherless Child On A Merry-Go-Round - 2:34
10.Here Comes The Sun (George Harrison) - 2:50
11.Who Am I - 3:47
12.March Of The Giant Hedgehogs - 3:28
All songs written by Paul Brett except where indicated
Musicians
*Paul Brett - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Timpani
*Mike Piggott - Violin, Acoustic Guitar
*Delyle Harper - Electric Bass, Double Bass
*Rob Young - Flute, Piano, Organ
*Jim Toomey - Percussion
*Rod Coombs - Percussion
*Geoffrey MacClean - Percussion
The roots of Dry Ice go back to 1965, when guitarist Paul Gardner's band, The Select, were recording at Joe Meek's Holloway Road studios. In a legendary fit of pique Joe announced that if this partnership was to progress then the drummer had to go ...enter Terry.
Terry's first live gig was the Tiger's Head, Catford, which was a big gig on the rock circuit mid 60's. Later that year the other guitarist, Pat Allen quit, taking the PA with him. Paul and Terry then embarked on a musical journey with various bass players, including cousin Johnny Crooks and brother Derek.
Jack's Union was the first outfit. They had a residency at the Kew Boathouse, where a mention in Melody Maker's Raver column sealed their instant notoriety with the local mod community". Who influenced Jack's Union have smashing time at Kew Boathouse." An axe and a tailor's dummy were allegedly involved.!!!
It was around late '66 after a Marquee gig that the lads were approached by Phil Carson (later to be CEO at Atlantic Records, signing Led Zep). He was at this stage in charge of Olga Records, a Swedish Co. Impressed by the band's bizarre stage antics he offered his services. Paul and Terry also did session work for bands on the label like The Hep Stars (Bjorn's band pre-Abba) mainly cleaning and beefing up backing tracks.
In spite of Phil encouraging the band to be as outrageous as possible on gigs, one of which was a support slot to The Easybeats at the California Ballroom, Dunstable and another at Hastings' Pier Ballroom with Episode6 ...where singer Ian Gillan and bass player Roger Glover called the band "nutcases." ...he dropped them like a hot potato when the complaints, bills and barrings poured in from various venues... Even dear old John Gee barred them from the Marquee. He relented later, bless him.
As Psychedelica reared its head, the band morphed into Rainbow Reflection, playing at Middle Earth many times and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Arthur Brown, Joe Cocker, The Who, Dantalian's Chariot, Bowie, Bolan and an apocryphal gig with The Yardbirds. It was at Covent Garden's King St venue that they met Nick Butt, Middle Earth's resident electrician, Electric Nick as he was known.
As Nick recalls, the Dry Ice name was dreamed up over breakfast in Camden Town after an all-nighter. Enter Lee Gopthall of B&C and Stable Records. He gave Nick a small advance for the band and the promise of making an album. Mk1 lineup was Paul, Terry, Pete Bendall (keyboard) and Phil Griffiths (bass) (brother of Ron, Iveys/Badfinger). This line -up only played half a dozen or so gigs but one, on a Middle Earth night at The Roundhouse, was a real goody. Bendall went back to his native Minehead, but keyboard never really sat easy here and he was replaced by vocalist Jeff Novak.
It is now late '68 and the band also has an offer of a gig at the Royal Albert Hall on Festival '69. Out of the blue, Phil quits just after the photo session for The Albert Hall gig. The band had been rehearsing in Nick Butt's basement Studio in Portobello Road beneath Simon Stable's record shop. Dear Simon....hippy legend, DJ, music journo and good friend to the band. It was Simon that introduced them to Ian McDonald of King Crimson, who plays flute on the album track Lalia.
Thus the band are forced into overdrive to find a new bass player with only a couple of weeks before the big gig. Bass player John Gibson turns up to audition with his mate Chris in tow. It doesn't take long before they are both offered the job, with Chris joining on guitar. So there we are....the line-up Mk3 - that is on the records. Paul Gardner, Terry Sullivan, John Gibson, Chris Hyrenewitz* and Jeff Novak. *Never sure about the spelling...sorry Chris.
The album was recorded at IBC in Portland Place, London, home of many a legendary release. Nick Butt produced. By now the band was with Marquee Martin Management / Agency under the guidance of Mike Dolan, who also managed Hard Meat. They played lots of high profile gigs, including a stint at The Star Club, Hamburg with Rory Gallagher's Taste and at The Marquee, Midnight Court and The Country Club, Hampstead.
As there was no obvious single on the album, Paul was asked to write something. "Running to the Convent" ensued ...written in about 10 minutes in Nick's Portobello Road flat. The band recorded it in Trident Studio in Soho, produced by Mike Dolan. On Mike's suggestion the band recorded a Hard Meat song"Walking up Down Street" as the B side. Eventually however, it was not used and"Nowhere to Go" from the IBC sessions was used. The 45rpm single on B&C was released in November '69 . It was playlisted by Radio 1 and reviewed and played by Annie Nightingale. It is now rarer than a rare hen's toothy thing. So ...for whatever reason(s) the album was never released and the masters were left to gather dust for 49 years.
CD Liner Notes
Tracks
1. Clear White Light - 3:34
2. She Gave - 3:11
3. Running To The Convent - 2:20
4. Fake It - 3:39
5. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) - 4:36
6. Chinese House - 5:35
7. Falling Down - 3:30
8. Good Friday - 3:35
9. Laila - 5:33
10.Nowhere To Go - 2:49
11.Untitled '67 - 3:30
12.Ashes (Demo) - 4:02
13.Running To The Convent - 3:38
14.It's All Over Now, Baby Blue(Bob Dylan) - 4:31
All songs by Paul Gardner except where noted
