“Nador” maintains a high level of Rock’n’Roll, showing Variations were a unit in sync with their sound and themselves. Joe “O.J.” Leb has a ballistic set of pipes and he’s given to great stressing in verse and freaking out into caterwauling excess to drive the point home. Both un-operatic and hyperactive, he’s intently aware of all the musical flashpoints and underscores them all with great wail, warp and woof. Despite the fact Leb sings all but one track on “Nador” in English, the lyrics aren’t discernable 100% of the time but the constant use of bedrock’n’roll phrases that punctuate throughout communicate everything.
Guitarist Marc Tobaly is a greatly skilled quarryman of hard rock and hooks up a mighty linking vessel via his roaring Gibson SG between Leb’s vocals and the engine room that is Jacques Grande on bass and Jacky Bitton’s powerhouse drumming. Tobaly wrote practically all of the material on “Nador,” so natch the arrangements allow for ample riffage to smash through consecutive windows of opportunity over and over and over again. Hefty rhythm/lead guitar overdubs sear continuously throughout, scored as they are with Tobaly’s stockpiled riffs and solos which all are recorded and produced to be nowhere but in the forefront at all times. The end result is high definition, robust rock’n’roll played by four Gauls with a whole lotta balls with a fire lit underneath their collective derrières at all times.
“Nador” is a supremely confident debut album where Variations came, saw, then Rocked. And then Rocked some more. For “Nador” was where they let one go and it was slick, greasy, on fire and yeah: a crystallisation of Rock’n’Roll.
Tracks
1. What A Mess Again (J. Leb, M. Tobaly) - 3:14
2. Waiting For The Pope (J. Leb, M. Tobaly) - 3:37
3. Nador - 2:41
4. We Gonna Find The Way - 4:25
5. Generations - 3:07
6. Free Me - 3:41
7. Completely Free (J. Bitton, M. Tobaly) - 5:38
8. Mississipi Woman (M. Fowley) - 3:08
9. But It's Allright (J. Bitton) - 4:27
10.Come Along - 3:29
11.Promises - 2:42
12.What's Happening - 3:22
13.Magda - 3:20
14.Down The Road - 2:56
15.Love Me (J. Bitton, M. Tobaly) - 2:43
16.Come Along (Version Alternative) - 3:55
All songs written by Marc Tobaly except where stated
Bonus Tracks 10-16
The Box Tops are a ground breaking 1960s group made up of five friends from Memphis Tennessee who first charted in 1967 with a song called 'The Letter,' which like most of their other songs from the 1960s was recorded at Chips Moman's "American" recording studio and was produced by Dan Penn. In fact they were the first Memphis artists to record in Memphis and have a number one record! During 1967-69, the group released 4 albums (excluding their "Super Hits" album) and 10 singles. 'The Letter' remained at the top of Billboard's chart for four weeks in 1967; their third single, 'Cry Like A Baby,' hit the number two position for two weeks in 1968. Both records went gold at initial release, with 'The Letter' selling over four million copies and 'Cry Like A Baby' over two million.
The original members (Alex Chilton, Bill Cunningham, John Evans, Danny Smythe, and Gary Talley) were members of a local band called The Devilles, but changed the group name at the time of the release of 'The Letter,' because it was discovered that other groups had released records under that name and member changes had taken the group in new musical directions. "No American group since the Righteous Brothers had looked whiter and sung blacker than the Box Tops on that sensational first single in 1967, 'The Letter.' Alex Chilton's voice had more Memphis grit than was considered entirely proper for a white gentleman. But he learned to sing in Memphis, where lots of people sing that way, and got his musicians from a town where musicians are pretty heavy whatever their color."
By January 1968 the line up had changed. John Evans and Danny Smythe returned to school and were replaced by Rick Allen (from the Gentrys) and Tom Boggs (from the Board of Directors). This line up remained the same until Bill Cunningham left to return to school in August 1969, although Jerry Riley substituted for Gary Talley at live performances in 1968 for a couple of weeks while Gary was ill. Harold Cloud replaced Bill in September of 1969. During the following months there were a number of group member changes, and in February 1970 the group disbanded.
3. Trains And Boats And Planes (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 3:45
4. Break My Mind (John D. Loudermilk) - 2:29
5. Whiter Shade Of Pale (K. Reid, G. Brooker, M. Fisher) - 4:34
6. Everything I Am (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:18
7. Neon Rainbow (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 3:03
8. People Make The World (Bobby Womack) - 2:30
9. I'm Your Puppet (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:53
10.Happy Times (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 1:45
11.Gonna Find Somebody (Bobby Womack) - 3:01
12.I Pray For Rain (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:23
Cry Like A Baby 1968
13.Cry Like A Baby (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:34
14.Deep In Kentucky (Bill Davidson) - 2:10
15.I'm The One For You (H. Thomas, L. Jones) - 3:05
16.Weeping Analeah (D. Folger, M. Newbury) - 3:04
17.Every Time (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:34
18.Fields Of Clover (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:52
19.Trouble With Sam (Daniel Pennington) - 2:16
20.Lost (Mark James, Glen D.Spreen) - 2:29
21.Good Morning Dear (Mickey Newbury) - 3:40
22.727 (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:18
23.You Keep Me Hanging On (E. Holland, L. Dozier, B. Holland) - 3:42
Bonus Tracks, Single Versions
24.The Letter (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 1:58
25.Cry Like A Baby (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:34
26.I See Only Sunshine (Alex Chilton) - 2:14
27.You Keep Tightening Up On Me (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:53
28.Come On Honey (Alex Chilton) - 3:23
Disc 2 Non Stop 1968
1. Choo Choo Train (Donnie Fritts, Eddie Hinton) - 2:52
2. I'm Movin' On (Clarence E. Snow) - 3:47
3. Sandman (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:57
4. She Shot A Hole In My Soul (Mac Gayden, L. Neese) - 2:43
5. People Gonna Talk (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 4:10
6. I Met Her In Church (D. Penn, S. Oldham) - 2:43
7. Rock Me Baby (Riley B. King, Joe Bihari) - 3:48
8. Rollin' In My Sleep (Paul Davis) - 3:15
9. I Can Dig It (Alex Chilton) - 2:24
10.Yesterday Where's My Mind (John Reed) - 3:27
11.If I Had Let You In (Donnie Fritts, Eddie Hinton) - 3:17 Dimensions 1969
12. Soul Deep (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:29
13. I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan) - 2:48
14. Midnight Angel (Mark James, Glen D. Spreen) - 3:20
15. Together (Alex Chilton) - 3:24
16. I'll Hold Out My Hand (Chip Taylor, Ai Gorgoni) - 3:25
17. I Must Be The Devil (Alex Chilton) - 3:36
18. Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March (B.Weinstein, Jon Stroll) - 2:16
19. (The) Happy Song (Alex Chilton) - 1:57
20. Ain't No Way (Neil Diamond) - 3:03
21. Rock Me Baby (Riley B. King, Joe Bihari) - 9:13 Bonus Tracks, Single Versions
22. Since I Been Gone (Alex Chilton) - 3:14
23. Lay Your Shine On Me (Curtis Arcenaux, Richard Mainegra) - 2:34
A strange netherworld filled with rattling bongos, slick strings, wall wall-infused rhythms and searing guitar solos. The original sleeve of Mandingo's fourth album, 1977's 'Savage Rite' reveals little. Other than an image of a scantily clad Afro-sporting female looking into the middle distance, there's little to go on. Track names summon up the exotic but apart from an associate producer credit for Gil King and the line "A Supertunes Production for EMI, produced by Norman Newell", there arc no details at all. The reverse sleeve image smoulders and rereading the song titles; 'Jungle Juice', 'Rebellion' and 'Requiem For A Warrior' merely adds to the intrigue. Who was this strange band and where did they come from?
Sought after on vinyl and commanding a heavy price if you can find it, the album is a real oddity. From the opening bars of 'Manhunter' with its filmic strings, pounding bongos and funky rhythm section, it sounds like a lost piece of Afro-beat-inspired disco, a souped-up version of 'Bongolia' with a scorching guitar rolling out around the two-minute mark. Tags on the internet mention all genres and the sleeve suggests some level of authenticity, but the sound is unique, it's not from some long lost tribe, the moves are too well rounded, the riffs too well organized, the sound just too perfect.
'Wild Man" continues the groove with a 'Shaft'-styled wah wah underpinning an almost Bond-esque sound while that guitar tears into proceedings again. Indeed it's that 007 sound that permeates this whole album that makes it so exciting. It's a larger than life drama played out over pounding drums and exotic percussion from vibraslap to maraca, all held together with a pin sharp funk rhythm. A hint of disco, for sure, but this is a big production.
Side one closer 'Requiem For A Warrior' adds tribal African drums, a fistful of electronic swirls and a brass sound that's more Chicago Transit Authority than Fela Kuti. And, side two's opener 'The Man From Takoradi” continues the sleuth-some sound, while 'Jackal' sounds like a backing track from a Motown ballad with layers of jazz funk strangeness unevenly placed on top with more than a nod to David Axelrod.
'Jungle Juice' turns up the heat in a neo-strip erotica fashion and the closing title track sounds like the chase scene from Live And Let Die. There's voodoo in those rhythms and heady funk in the finish. There's flutes, there's odd noises, it has everything.
Before I came across 'Savage Rite', I'd heard Mandingo's 'Black Rite' on the compilation 'The Sounds Of Monsterism Island' a fantasy collection by artist Pete Fowler that also included Millennium, Martin Denny, The United States Of America, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Silver Apples, Eden Ahbez and Dead Meadow among others. Heady company to be in for sure. But, who were Mandingo? I had to find out more. It seems that, at a time when Osibisa had carved a small niche for themselves in the UK with their funky African rhythms and Roots was being screened on TV, Mandingo were created in an EMI studio to cash in on the interest in African culture, some time around the early 1970s. Knowingly removed from the real thing, Mandingo possessed a contemporary orchestral sound and clever arrangements that were navigated by seasoned composer and bandleader Geoff Love.
A staple'of the easy listening circuit in the 1960s, Love had provided the music for everyone from Shirley Bassey and Mrs Mills to Max Bygraves, while taking a leaf from Mantovani's book by recording a series of albums as Manuel And The Music Of The Mountains. A gifted songwriter and seeming workaholic, Love also made a string of instrumental albums that featured great themes from TV series to movies. And, in doing so, he had the best players at his command. So, when the concept of Mandingo came along they were allowed to break free a little, to flourish on four albums that began with 'The Primeval Rhythm Of Life' in 1973.
By 1977, the concept was in closure but their final hurrah, 'Savage Rite' was to be their masterpiece. The brief had been relaxed somewhat and the juxtaposition of sounds and styles took them to a new place. Just listen to 'The Man From Takoradi' if proof were needed. As punk was exploding, Mandingo were on a wild flyer, making bongo-powered funk that was far removed from the original source idea but no less exotic.
by Dave Henderson, MOJO magazine, 2012
Tracks
1. Manhunter (Mike Vickers) - 3:17
2. Wild Man (Roger Webb) - 3:04
3. Arachnid (Brian Fahey) - 2:39
4. King Of The Jungle (Mike Vickers) - 2:56
5. Requiem For A Warrior (Roger Webb) - 4:22
6. The Man From Takoradi (Roger Webb) - 4:05
7. Jackal (Brian Fahey) - 2:49
8. Rebellion (Mike Vickers) - 2:37
9. Jungle Juice (Roger Webb) - 4:17
10.Savage Rite (Mike Vickers) - 2:39
Damon was born in Rochester, New York. His parents owned a beauty shop with living quarters atop, and they squirreled away funds enough to buy a small bowling alley. When Damon was eight, his parents sold their building and business, packed Damon and brothers Ken and Gerald and their belongings into a car, and moved to Alhambra, California. It was the beginning of what he now regards as his "predestined life as a gypsy," as his parents moved constantly within Los Angeles city limits first to the northeast, then to Westchester, then "to a city here and a town there" and finally to Inglewood, where Damon spent his high school years.
Theirs was a tight knit Italian American family: communal suppers were a must and all three boys sat dutifully at the table and focused on "family first," talking about school, community and their parents' business and property management at least until their parents began private conversations in Italian. In 1960 his high school sweetheart Katy told him she was pregnant. She was sixteen, he was nineteen. They married, and their union bore him his three girls.
Beginning in the seventh grade, when he picked up the clarinet after falling in love with the music of Benny Goodman, he had dreamt of becoming a musician. As his high school years came to a close, he tried anything that felt natural. He was an avid surfer so, in late 1960, newlywed and "bit by the recording bug," he wrote and recorded "The Lonely Surfer" (groovy, if standard surf rock) and cut to wax his first stab at "Don't Cry" (blue-eyed doo-wop).
He was backed by a group he picked up at the Hermosa Biltmore Hotel named The Crossfires but dubbed The Castaways for their Merri Records release; this band would later become SoCal mainstays The Turtles. He then moved on to the even more obscure Harmony Records for the "Twisf'-inspired "Bowling Alley Jane" and his second version of "Don't Cry," this time called "Don't Cry Davy." After a detour with Associated Artists - "Little Things Mean a Lot /The Glory of Love" feature only his backing vocals, but were inexplicably released under his name - he founded his own Del Con label and issued promotional and commercial versions of "A Face In A Crowd" and "I Lie," the latter establishing his preference for garage-rocking soul.
Damon's Song Of A Gypsy was a key album in the revisionist narrative put forth by the psychedelic record collectors who searched out the rarest of the rare privately pressed American albums in the early 1990s. In this dogmatic view, the likes of Jefferson Airplane and The Doors mattered quite less than those they influenced.
The psychedelic experience, went the argument, was stronger on the periphery, and the outsiders who populated the rim created quirky masterpieces that deserved space in an already overflowing canon. Song of a Gypsy was quickly included, the scant original copies that existed were suddenly very in demand, and, even then, in the days before eBay, exchanging hands for thousands of dollars.
But these were pontificating record collectors after all, conversing with each other. So Damon's musings on love, longing, questing and sorrow became spiritual fodder for a few; those fortunate enough to hear of Song of a Gypsy's existence but not quite fortunate enough to own a copy of the album had to imagine the music contained within the original Ankh Records' textured, gatefold sleeve. Confounding descriptions such as "tranced out gypsy Arabian acid fuzz crooner psych with deep mysterious vocals, an amazing soundscape and excellent songwriting" (from Acid Archives' - the Lonely Planet of psychedelic record collecting review of the album) didn't help matters. And the shoddy bootlegs that came about in the early '90s only spread Damon's music - none of the backstory that afforded this singular album came into view.
Thus, those looking for connections found many, as anything was plausible. Was there a kinship with John Arcesi and his Johnny Greek produced Reachin' Arcesia album on the tiny Los Angeles imprint Alpha? Was there a connection between this album and fellow Southern Californian psychedelic hero Darius's self-titled 1968 album? Over the years, however, Song of a Gypsy remained high on its own plateau: out of reach and indescribable. It seemed that this homespun, funky psychedelic monument borrowed from nothing and sprung from nowhere. To follow our previous examples: Darius's album is a bit too polished, and sounds as if it could have emerged from Capitol's Studio A; Arcesi's album, as intriguing as it is, is a psychedelic novelty, and Arcesi's performance borrows a bit too much from the over-the-top vocal style of the black-tied '40s and '50s crooners that he'd once considered peers.
To the contrary, Damon's album leapt from the tortured mind of its curious creator at the perfect time. Damon's unique, introspective songwriting and nuanced voice, the interplay between he and lead guitarist Charlie Carey and an atmosphere that so perfectly captured the last bloom of the flower power era as it decayed into the dark haze of the '70s underground could only have arisen from a spark of auspicious genius.
by Eothen Alapatt, Los Angeles, April 2013
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Song Of A Gypsy - 2:18
2. Poor Poor Genie - 2:54
3. Don't You Feel Me - 2:34
4. Did You Ever - 3:01
5. Funky Funky Blues - 2:59
6. Do You - 3:10
7. The Night - 2:05
8. I Feel Your Love - 2:16
9. Birds Fly So High - 3:03
10.The Road Of Life - 2:47
11.Oh What A Good Boy Am I - 2:27
12.Song Of A Gypsy (45 Version) - 2:18
13.Song Of A Gypsy (Demo Version) - 2:12
14.Poor Poor Genie (Demo Version) - 2:51
Disc 2
1. The Lonely Surfer - 1:47
2. Don't Cry - 2:00
3. Bowlin' Alley Jane - 2:23
4. Don't Cry Davy - 2:10
5. A Face In The Crowd - 2:27
6. I Lie - 2:31
7. Cry - 2:36
8. I've Got My Pride - 2:34
9. Lovin' Man - 2:15
10.They Call Me A Fool - 2:05
11.The Battle Hymn (Of The Republic) - 2:17
12.Everything Is Alright - 2:01
13.The Little White Cloud That Cried - 2:00
14.I Wonder Why - 2:10
15.Seems Like I Traveled - 3:13
16.Dirty Daddy Blues - 3:06
All songs by David Del Conte
Originally released in 1974. First band album without John Gladwin and along a more commercial line. Long sought after.
With the departure of John Gladwin in 1973, Eddie Baird and Terry Wincott decided to continue The Amazing Blondel. Eddie took up writing most of the material and whilst it was still of an acoustic-folk base it now had a slightly more commercial bent.
'Mulgrave Street' came out to critical acclaim and set up the band for a further three albums. Certain tracks within the album became standards like "Mulgrave Street", "Love must be the best time of your life" and "Sad to see you go".
Continuing to tour extensively the new brand of Amazing Blondel soon became established with a large fan-base to which this album will appeal. And since it has never had a CD release all Folk/Amazing Blondel fans will be sure to seek out this album.
Eddie and Terry are looking to do some gigs later in the year to help promote the release of the long missing Amazing Blondel albums.
Proper-Music
Tracks
1. Mulgrave Street - 2:28
2. Iron And Steel - 4:55
3. Leader Of The Band (Terry Wincott) - 4:19
4. Light Your Light - 3:00
5. Hole In The Head - 2:16
6. Help Us Get Along - 3:45
7. See Em Shining - 2:35
8. Love Must Be The Best Time Of Your Life - 2:34
9. All I Can Do - 2:41
10.Goodbye Our Friends (Terry Wincott) - 3:16
11.Sad To See You Go - 3:29
12.Runaway - 3:24
13.Little Darling - 3:13
Lyrics and Music by Eddie Baird unless as else stated
Back in the mid '60s there were lots of garage/psychedelic bands, that only released one or two singles and among them there were kids that apparently found out about psilocybin very soon. Children Of The Mushroom formed in Thousand Oaks, California, which is a small town near Los Angeles. First they were called The Captives and around the summer of love they became Children Of The Mushroom.
The band consisted of Jerry McMillen (guitar, vocals, flute), Bob Holland (organ), Al Pisciotta (bass), Dennis Christensen (drums) and Paul Gabrinetti (guitar, vocals). The band was inspired by The Doors, Iron Butterfly and similar groups, which appeared around the L.A area. In 1968 the Soho label out of Hollywood released their incredible single.
The A-side, 'August Mademoiselle', was written by Holland while the B-side, 'You Can't Erase A Mirror', was written by McMillen and Holland. 'August Mademoiselle' is one of the best garage/psych singles of all time in our opinion and consists of wicked Vox organ playing, huge amount of fuzz and the haunting atmosphere with crazy fast tempo that really blows your brains out.
'You Can't Erase A Mirror' is just the opposite; slow but again a very haunting number from the band. It's easy to say that the band represents the true garage spirit of the late '60s when there were tons of bands with one or two singles out. Some of them were good, some of them just OK, but the Mushroom people released one the most celebrated ones, which is a must to any psych/garage collector.
by Klemen Brezinkar
Tracks
1. August Mademoiselle (Bob Holland) - 2:27
2. You Can't Erase Α Mirror (Bob Holland, Jerry McMillen) - 3:02
3. Blade - 6:11
4. It Won't Be Enough - 4:08
5. Vortex - 5:05
6. Care for Me - 4:09
7. Exordium (The Mushroom Theme) (Bob Holland, Jerry McMillen) - 7:17
Music by Children Of The Mushroom, Lyrics by Jerry McMillen except where stated
The Children Of The Mushroom
*Jerry McMillen - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Dennis Christensen Swanson - Ludwig Drums
*Al Pisciotta - Fender Bass
*Paul Gabrinetti - Fender Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Holland - Vox Organ, Vocals
