rep>>> Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs - The MGM Singles (1965-73 us, awesome garage roots 'n' roll, 2011 digi pack release)

These days, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs are best remembered for such infectious ’60s hits as “Wooly Bully” and “Lil’ Red Riding Hood,” and for the sartorial splendor of turbaned frontman/organist Sam the Sham (née Domingo Samudio) and his bandmates. But the one-of-a-kind Memphis-by-way-of-Texas quintet produced a large and highly original body of R&B/blues/Tex-Mex/garage tunes that established them as one of the greatest singles bands of the 1960s. While the band’s wacky humor and flamboyant visual image may have threatened to brand them as a novelty act, their raw exuberance, rootsy grit and playfully subversive streak made it clear that Sam and his Pharaohs were the genuine article.

Throughout the second half of the ’60s, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs turned out a lengthy string of killer seven-inchers. Many of those singles boasted non-album B-sides that were as memorable as their better-known A-sides. Now, for the first time ever, Sundazed Music has gathered both sides of every one of the band’s original MGM Records singles on these lovingly packaged compact disc collection. The sizzling set includes such immortal Pharaohs classics as “Wooly Bully,” “Lil’ Red Riding Hood,” “Ju Ju Hand,” “Ring Dang Doo,” “Red Hot,” “The Hair on My Chinny Chin Chin,” “How Do You Catch a Girl” and “(I’m in With) The Out Crowd,” along with an amazing assortment of rare non-album B-sides, solo efforts and side projects. These long-out-of-print gems have been sourced from the original MGM masters and sound better than ever!!! 

Sundazed  

Formed in Dallas and led by a dynamic turban-wearing lead singer and organist named Domingo Samudio, Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs were a garage bar band gone huge (it has been long rumored that they could play six hours straight without repeating a tune), and by mixing blues, R&B, and Tex-Mex together with a loopy sense of humor and sly lyrics, they stomped into pop history with the iconic party anthem “Wooly Bully,” which hit the number two spot on the pop charts right in the middle of the British Invasion in 1965. 

Aside from that record, though, and “Li’l Red Riding Hood” a year later in 1966, the group wouldn’t have that kind of chart success again, and Samudio and his band went down into most people’s annals as a one-hit wonder. This irresistible set, which collects all of the Pharaohs’ singles and B-sides for MGM Records between 1965 and 1968, plus Samudio's 1973 comeback single for the label (he had left MGM for Atlantic in 1970, only to return for that one release), proves there was a lot more to the story. 

Tracks like “Ju Ju Hand” (from 1965), “(I’m in With) The Out Crowd” (also 1966), “Banned in Boston” (1967), and “Old MacDonald Had a Boogaloo Farm” (1968) all display a delightfully subversive joy in being wryly silly, and they don’t get in the way of dancing, either. Oh, and then there's the wonderful kiss-off single "I Couldn't Spell !!*@!" from 1968 -- no, Sam the Sham was far from being a one-hit wonder and the romping, stomping proof of that is collected here. 

by Steve Leggett

Tracks
1. Wooly Bully (Domingo Samudio) - 2:22
2. Ain’t Gonna Move (Stacy Davidson, Stan Kesler) - 2:05
3. Jujuhand (Domingo Samudio) - 2:06
4. Big City Lights (Stacy Davidson, Stan Kesler) - 2:39
5. Ring Dang Doo (Bob Tubert, Joy Byers) - 2:22
6. Don't Try It (Domingo Samudio) - 2:21
7. Red Hot (William Emerson) - 2:16
8. A Long Long Way (Paul Gibson) - 1:58
9. Li'l Red Riding Hood (Ronald Blackwell) - 2:41
10.Love Me Like Before (Domingo Samudio) - 2:44
11.The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin (Ronald Blackwell) - 2:35
12.(I'm In With) The Out Crowd (Domingo Samudio) - 2:15
13.How Do You Catch A Girl (Ronald Blackwell) - 2:19
14.The Love You Left Behind (Domingo Samudio) - 2:30
15.Oh That's Good, No That's Bad (Dewayne Blackwell) - 2:18
16.Take What You Can Get (Domingo Samudio) - 2:16
17.Black Sheep (Bob McDill) - 2:48
18.My Day's Gonna Come (Stacy Davidson, Stan Kesler) - 1:59
19.Banned In Boston (John Morier) - 2:56
20.Money's My Problem (Frank Carabetta, Anthony Gerace) - 2:23
21.Yakety Yak (Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller) - 2.02
22.Let Our Love Light Shine (Domingo Samudio) - 2:36
23.Old MacDonald Had A Boogaloo Farm (Dallas Frazier) - 2:44
24.I Never Had No One (Domingo Samudio) - 2:42
25.I Couldn't Spell !!*@* (Wayne Thompson) - 2:22
26.The Down Home Strut (Frank Carabetta, Domingo Samudio) - 2:14
27.Fate (Domingo Samudio) - 3:34
28.Oh Lo (Domingo Samudio) - 2:57

Musicians
Tracks 1-8
*Samuel Domingo - Vocals, Keyboard
*Ray Stinnet - Guitar
*Dave Martin - Bass
*Butch Gibson - Saxophone
*Jerry Patterson - Drums
Tracks 9-26
*Samuel Domingo - Vocals, Keyboard
*Tony "Butch" Gerace - Bass, Vocals
*Billy Bennett - Drums, Percussion
*Andy Kuha - Guitar, Vocals
Tracks 27,28
*Lorraine Gennaro
*Jane Anderson
*Fran Curcio

Related Acts
1971  Domingo "Sam" Samudio - Hard And Heavy (2013 remaster)

1971  Ray Stinnett - A Fire Somewhere (2012 Digipak) 

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Domingo "Sam" Samudio - Hard And Heavy (1971 us, exciting classic rock melted with r 'n' b vibes, 2013 Real Gone issue)

Sam the Sham pulled the plug on the Pharoahs toward the end of the '60s and set out playing blues on his own, grinding away to little notice until Atlantic head honcho Ahmet Ertegun decided to give him a shot in 1971. 

Unlike many of the acts Ertegun signed at the time, Sam the Sham had a reputation as a novelty singer -- and rightly so, given the silliness that fueled "Wooly Bully" and "Ju Ju Hand" -- so he might not have seemed an easy fit for Atlantic, but Sam, who began using his last name Samudio at the time of the 1971 release of Hard and Heavy, possessed a forceful, bluesy growl, and the garage stomp of the Pharoahs wasn't too far removed from the Tex-Mex rock & roll of the Sir Douglas Quintet. 

Clearly, Ertegun heard the promise that lay within Samudio and he poured a lot of energy into Hard and Heavy, hiring producer Tom Dowd -- who was riding high on the success of his work with the Allman Brothers and Derek & the Dominos -- and bringing in the Dixie Flyers (featuring Jim Dickinson) and the Memphis Horns, while finding a guest spot for Duane Allman. Half the record consisted of originals, half of covers of classic blues, rock & roll, and Randy Newman, all comprising a wide-ranging vision of American music. 

At times, the Memphis Horns are a bit too splashy -- their refrains on "Homework" recall Blood, Sweat & Tears -- and sometimes the grooves are a little too densely packed, leaving very little room for anybody to breathe, but there's also an appeal in how Hard and Heavy is overstuffed. The ridiculous number of musicians does indeed give the album a hard, heavy feel, something that gives such driving workouts as "Relativity" or Tex-Mex two-steps as "Don't Put Me On" some real grit. 

Throughout it all, Samudio displays some impressive vocal chops -- it's not a surprise that he can belt out "Lonely Avenue," but he digs into the marrow of Newman's "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield" -- and the unwieldy supergroup is always impressive, kicking out this earthy rock & roll with guts and no small amount of pizzazz. 

All in all, Hard and Heavy holds its own with its early-'70s peers -- the aforementioned Dowd-produced Allman and Clapton LPs, the pair of records Doug Sahm cut for Atlantic a few years later -- so why isn't it better known? Well, there was no promotion for it, and after it faded away, Samudio returned to novelties and then retired from active rock & roll duty. 

The 2013 Real Gone reissue -- the first time the album has appeared on CD, also includes a non-LP single of "Me and Bobby McGee" featuring Duane Allman on guitar -- allows this little-heard gem the opportunity to finally get some overdue attention. 

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks
1. Homework (Otis Rush, Al Perkins, Dave Clark) - 2:21
2. Relativity (Domingo Samudio) - 3:16
3. Lonely Avenue (Doc Pomus) - 2:50
4. I Know It's Too Late (Traditional) / Starchild (Domingo Samudio) - 6:22
5. Let's Burn Down The Cornfield (Randy Newman) - 2:48
6. Sweet Release (Boz Scaggs, Barry Beckett) - 4:51
7. Key To The Highway (Charles Segar, Willie Broonzy) - 2:10
8. Don't Put Me On (Domingo Samudio) - 2:32
9. 15 Degrees Capricorn Asc (Domingo Samudio) - 4:39
10.Goin' Upstairs (John Lee Hooker) - 5:10
11.Me and Bobby McGee (Fred Foster, Kris Kristofferson) - 3:36

Musicians
*Sam Samudio - Vocals, Guitar, Mouth Harp
*Freddy Hester - Acoustic Bass
*Jim Dickinson - Piano, Guitar
*Mike Utley - Organ
*Charlie Freeman - Guitar
*Tommy McClure - Bass
*Sammy Creason - Drums
*Wayne Jackson - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
*Andrew Love - Tenor Sax, Flute
*Ed Logan - Tenor Sax
*James Mitchell - Baritone Sax
*Roger Hopps - Trumpet
*Jack Hale - Trombone
*The Sweet Inspirations - Background Vocals
*Duane Allman - Dobro, Guitar

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rep>>> Kaleidoscope - Tangerine Dream (1967 uk, classy delicate psychedelia with baroque traces, 2005 japan and repertoire remastered and expanded editions)

One of the masterpieces of Britain’s early psych era, Tangerine Dream has no weaknesses: the songwriting and arrangements are terrific, the vocals are good, the balance between melody, mood and experiment is ideal, and even the recording quality is top-notch. This is the sound of 1967’ 

by Patrick Lundborg, Galactic Ramble 

‘Kaleidoscope are one of the most fondly-remembered of the more cultish UK psych-pop bands… Tangerine Dream remains an essential period piece’ 

by David Wells

‘Neatly capturing the optimism and experimentalism of the celebrated summer of 1967, Tangerine Dream is melodic, whimsical, very English and perfectly suited to the mood of the time’

by Q Magazine

Tracks
1. Kaleidoscope - 2:14
2. Please Excuse My Face - 2:11
3. Dive Into Yesterday - 4:46
4. Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer Man - 2:43
5. Flight From Ashiya - 2:40
6. The Murder Of Lewis Tollani - 2:47
7. (Further Reflections) In The Room Of Percussion - 3:19
8. Dear Nellie Goodrich - 2:46
9. Holiday Maker - 2:29
10.A Lesson Perhaps - 2:42
11.The Sky Children - 8:05
12.A Dream For Julie (Mono) - 2:47
13.Just How Much Are You (Mono) - 2:14
14.Jenny Artichoke - 2:40

Lyrics by Peter Daltrey, Music by Eddy Pumer

Repertoire 2005 Bonus Tracks

12.Flight From Ashiya - 2:38

13.Holiday Maker - 2:27

14.A Dream For Julie - 2:45

15.Please Excuse My Face - 2:08

16.Jenny Artichoke - 2:34

17.Just How Much You Are - 2:11

Music by Eddy Pumer Lyrics by Peter Daltrey

Kaleidoscope
*Eddy Pumer - Lead Guitar, Keyboards
*Steve Clark - Bass, Flute.
*Dan Bridgman - Drums, Percussions.
*Peter Daltrey - Lead Vocals, Keyboards

1967-69 Kaleidoscope - Dive Into Yesterday
1970  Fairfield Parlour - Home to Home

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rep>>> The Bluethings - Blow Your Mind (1963-67 us, awesome garage beat folk psych, 2007 double disc set)

The Blue Things got together in 1964 as the Blue Boys in Hays, Kansas, where Mike Chapman, Richard Scott and Rick "Laz" Larzalere were members of the Barons, a popular group led by Jim Fetters. The band was Chapman's idea and he came up with the name. In the early days they wore blue suits onstage. Before the Barons Chapman had played with the Upbeats while attending Salina High School and Bethany College in Lindsborg. Between the Upbeats and the Barons, Mike made a short trip to California, where he played with Pat & Lolly Vegas of Redbone and the Marketts before returning to Kansas. After choosing music over school Mike's dad gave him $100 toward his trip to the coast.

Prior to the Barons, Richard Scott had played with a Manhattan jazz trio, a short-lived blues band, an earlier version of the Barons, a band called the Spinners, and he had played for three years with the Flippers (later known as the Fabulous Flippers) in Hays until his health forced him to drop out. While with the Flippers Scott made at least one trip to a recording studio, but the work didn't get beyond acetate. With Richard on bass, Mike on lead guitar and Laz on drums, the three Blue Boys would often open for the Barons, then join the others onstage. 

The three decided that to complete the break from the Barons they needed a rhythm guitar player who could sing. They found more than that when they auditioned Mike Chapman's roommate Val Stecklein. Mike and Val performed as a folk duo around Hays when other obligations allowed, and Stecklein had played with Scott in a rock band called the Dukes back in 1958 before turning his back on rock and roll for folk music.   Val had already recorded a demo of two original songs, "Desert Wind" and Nancy Whiskey", at Damon Studios in Kansas City with the Hi-Plains Singers and an album with a Ft. Hays State College group called the Impromptwos. 

The album was recorded by Lawrence's Audio House on December 8, 1963 in the Ft. Hays State Memorial Union's Black and Gold Room. The Impromptwos was a group of fourteen singers, with eight doubling as instrumentalists. Stecklein was the featured vocalist on the album, singing four songs and playing guitar. His photo appears on the back of the album's cover. While in the Impromptwos, Val wrote songs, and the group performed three of them at the "Poise 'n' Ivy" concert in February 1964. After Val had moved on to the Blue Boys, the Impromptwos released a second album, "The Impromptwos Hit The Road", in the spring of 1964.

The Blue Boys spent the summer of 1964 touring much of Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado with their folk rock/Merseybeat sound. That summer they signed up with Jim Reardon, who had been selling sweatshirts in Holly, Colorado, for management, and he took them to John Brown of Mid-Continent Entertainment. They were booked out of Reardon's home in Beloit initally, and then out of Manhattan the following fall and winter. When Brown moved Mid-Continent to Lawrence, so he could attend the University of Kansas, Reardon and the Blue Boys followed.

Cicadelic-recs  

Let the Blue Things Blow Your Mind is easily the biggest single-release Blue Things collection ever (or likely to be) compiled. The two-disc set contains no less than 65 tracks spread across two-and-a-half hours, including 16 unreleased cuts and three radio ads (for the Blue Things, not by the Blue Things). Since this does have everything from their sole album and all of their non-LP A-sides and B-sides, one hesitates to point out some relatively minor problems, especially since the LP and 45s comprise some of the finest obscure mid-'60s American folk-rock and early psychedelia. Still, those flaws are the kind of things completists might want to know about. 

First, the unreleased versions of the outtakes "Desert Wind" and "Waiting for Changes" are distinctly inferior to the previously issued versions of these songs (which are not included on this anthology), missing some backup vocals in each case. While it's good for collectors to have the 45 version of "I Must Be Doing Something Wrong," with an oboe (missing from the LP version) that's alternately effective and irritating, ultimately it's not as good as the oboe-less one. The mix of "Now's the Time," a jangly folk-rock highlight of the group's LP, sounds oddly flat and unbalanced. And while all the previously unreleased material is a boon for Blue Things fans, much of it's devoted to relatively slightly different versions of songs that have already seen the light of day elsewhere, either on official mid-'60s Blue Things releases or reissues that dug up some unissued stuff. 

The previously unheard tracks do include a good straight-out rock & roll number from a 1964 session ("Punkin' Doodle") and a nice version of "I Can't Have Yesterday" with a significantly different folk-rock arrangement than the official LP rendition, but the hit covers from a December 1966 session are fairly uninteresting. And finally, though the 24-page booklet offers lengthy liner notes and lots of photos, it somehow fails to include songwriting credits anywhere. Do all these picky complaints mean you should avoid this release? Of course not; there's lots of fine music here that will appeal to both the general folk-rock/psychedelic/garage fan and the Blue Things devotee. 

Val Stecklein shines as one of the era's finest overlooked singers and songwriters throughout most of the program, and many listeners looking for something that crosses the Byrds, Beau Brummels, and early Beatles will be pleased and excited if they haven't yet come across the group. Still, the general fan's better off trying to find the 2001 CD reissue of their sole LP (on Rewind, with non-LP bonus tracks from mid-'60s singles). Additionally, the completist should also know for all this two-CD set's generous length, it doesn't quite have everything, a few outtakes remaining available only on some earlier Blue Things LP and CD collections on the Cicadelic label. 

by Richie Unterberger 

Tracks

Disc 1

The Blueboys

1. Punkin' Doodle - 1:59

2. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby (Jimmy Reed) - 2:43

3. P's And Q's (Mike Chapman, Val Stoecklein) - 1:31

4. Love's Made A Fool Of You (Bob Montgomery, Buddy Holly) - 2:01

5. Silver And Gold - 2:06

6. La Do Da Da (Dale Hawkins, Stanley Lewis) - 2:14

7. Just Two Days Ago (Richard Scott, Val Stoecklein) - 2:22

The Bluethings

8. Mary Lou (Jacqueline Magill, Ronnie Hawkins) - 2:02

9. Your Turn To Cry - 1:28

10.Pretty Things -Oh - 2:12

11.Just Two Days Ago (Richard Scott, Val Stoecklein) - 2:19

12.Baby, My Heart (Sonny Curtis) - 2:11

13.Ain't That Lovin' You Baby (Jimmy Reed) - 2:09

14.Pennies (Traditional) - 2:31

15.Since You Broke My Heart (Don Everly) - 2:36

16.So You Say (Richard Scott) - 2:12

17.Silver And Gold - 2:18

18.It Ain't No Big Thing Baby - 2:17

19.You Can't Say We Never Tried - 2:14

20.High Life (Mike Chapman, Val Stoecklein) - 2:42

21.Now's The Time - 2:28

22.Desert Wind - 3:06

23.Weep No More My Lady - 2:01

24.I Must Be Doing Something Wrong (Mike Chapman, Richard Scott, Val Stoecklein) - 2:12

25.Look Homeward Angel (Wally Gold) - 2:20

26.Pennies (Traditional) - 2:39

27.Silver And Gold - 2:19

28.Since You Broke My Heart (Don Everly) - 2:37

29.La Do Da Da (Dale Hawkins, Stanley Lewis) - 2:44

30.Alright! (Jerry Ross, Lester Vanadore) - 2:13

The Hi-Plains Singers(W/Val Stecklein) 

31.Nancy Whiskey - 2:38

32.Desert Wind - 2:53

The Bluethings

33.You Can't Say We Never Tried - 2:17

34.1965 Concert Radio Ad #1 - 0:29

Songs 1,5,9,10,17,18,19,21,22,23,27,31,32,33 written by Val Stoecklein

Disc 2

1. High Life (Mike Chapman, Val Stoecklein) - 2:16

2. Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan) - 2:25

3. Doll House (Marge Barton) - 2:26

4. It Ain t No Big Thing Baby - 2:18

5. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby (Jimmy Reed) - 2:31

6. I Can t Have Yesterday - 2:32

7. Now s The Time - 2:13

8. The Man On The Street (Wayne Carson) - 2:17

9. Honor The Hearse (Ronnie Self) - 2:12

10.Waiting For Changes - 2:56

11.I ll Make It Up To You - 2:42

12.Sounds Of Yesterday - 2:22

13.Hollow - 2:03

14.The Coney Island Of Your Mind (Mike Chapman, Val Stoecklein) - 2:13

15.The Orange Rooftop Of Your Mind (Mike Chapman, Val Stoecklein) - 2:47

16.One Hour Cleaners (Mike Chapman, Richard Scott, Val Stoecklein) - 2:44

17.You Can Live In Our Tree (Steven Clay Wilson, Val Stoecklein) - 3:05

18.Twist And Shout (Bert Russell, Phil Medley) - 2:44

19.You Took The Fight (Richard Scott) - 3:18

20.Caroline (Richard Scott) - 2:30

21.Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 3:02

22.Talk Talk (Sean Bonniwell) - 1:49

23.I m A Man (Ellas McDaniel) - 1:46

24.My Generation (Pete Townshend) - 3:20

25.Somebody Help Me (Jackie Edwards) - 2:01

26.Yes My Friend (David Barnes, Jim Ford) - 1:54

27.Can t Explain (Arthur Lee) - 2:26

28.Doll House (Marge Barton) - 2:31

29.I Can't Have Yesterday - 2:21

30.1966 Concert Radio Ad #2 - 0:34

31.Mid-Continent Productions Radio Ad,1966 - 0:14

Songs 4,6,7,10,11,12,13,29 written by Val Stoecklein

Tracks 10-14 perfomed as Val Stoecklein

The Bluethings
*Val Stecklein - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Rick 'Laz' Larzalere - Drums
*Richard Scott - Bass, Vocals
*Mike Chapman - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Bobby Day - Drums

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rep>>> Freedom - Freedom (1970 uk, fantastic hard psych, 2000 edition)

Freedom's album 'Freedom' original released on vinyl in 1970. This is the follow up album to 'At Last' and is the 2nd album from the power trio of Bobby Harrison, Roger Saunders and Walter Monagham and has been a long sought after item by collectors. Roger Saunders struggle with cancer in early 2000 came to a sad end and the British Rock scene lost an excellent and underrated guitarist.

'Freedom' shows a more mature, rehearsed group where a lot of emphasis was put on vocal harmonies. "We all sang" Harrison said. "We were all lead vocalists so though we were a three piece band we had a pretty big sound". If anyone should find a certain USA West Coast Influence on this Freedom album, Harrison would agree. "That was what we were aiming at I suppose. We were touring a lot in US at that time, supporting Jethro Tull and then we returned to the UK touring with Black Sabbath and Curved Air". Freedom disbanded in 1972 with Bobby forming Snafu.

Tracks
1. Nobody (Bobby Harrison, Roger Saunders) - 3:57
2. In Search Of Something (Bobby Harrison, Roger Saunders) - 6:23
3. Dusty Track (Roger Saunders, Walt Monaghan) - 7:55
4. Man Made Laws (Bobby Harrison, Roger Saunders) - 3:25
5. Ain't No Chance To Score (Bobby Harrison, Roger Saunders) - 5:41
6. Pretty Woman (Paul Williams) - 5:39
7. Freedom (Bobby Harrison, Walt Monaghan, Roger Saunders) - 5:12
8. Frustrated Woman (Bobby Harrison, Walt Monaghan, Roger Saunders) - 4:59

Freedom
*Bobby Harrison - Vocals, Drums
*Roger Saunders - Guitar, Vocals
*Walt Monaghan - Bass, Vocals

1969  Freedom - Nero Su Bianco / Black On White
1969  Freedom - Freedom At Last (2004 remaster)

1971  Freedom - Through The Years (2004 remaster)
1972  Freedom - Is More Than A Word
1973-74  Snafu - Snafu / Situation Normal

1975  Bobby Harrison - Funkist

1978  Nobody's Business - Nobody's Business (2007 bonus tracks remaster)

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rep>>> Truth - Of Them And Other Tales (1969/70 us/uk, superb psych rock from Them members)

Truth is one of the more obscure twigs on the amazingly vast tree that grew out of a 1964 Belfast hoodlum r'n'b act first (and last) known as Them. You've heard the great Van-era recordings, the even greater Belfast Gypsies recordings, the inconsistent but occasionally brilliant Texas-era recordings -- but prior to this CD you're unlikely to have heard this Chicago-based franchise, featuring guitarist Jim Armstrong and vocalist Kenny McDowell from the Belfast/Texas incarnations of the band, lured back to the US by a music biz impresario circa 1969. The ex-Themers teamed up with two local musicians and Truth was born, rehearsing like crazy and playing local Windy City gigs with some success. I'll refer to John Berg's very detailed liner notes for the full story and move on to the music.

The bulk of the 14 songs contained on the CD are 1969 recordings made for a movie titled "College For Fun And Profit" in which the band can actually be spotted in one scene. The remaining tunes come from a 3-track acetate recorded for a prospective Epic LP that never happened. According to Jim Armstrong "Truth was the best band I ever played in. There was no pulling in different directions". It's not hard to believe him, because that's what Truth sounds like -- skillful musicians delivering music that radiates warmth, harmony and synchronization. 

If this sounds a bit like vintage Grateful Dead then all the better, because there is a distinct similarity between the Dead of, say, "China cat sunflower", and the airy, good-natured guitarpsych of Truth. Not much is said about the band's influences in the liner notes but if I were to define them in terms of a pin placed on a wall-map of the USA, the spot would be Highway 1 halfway between LA and the Bay Area. There is already a pin there, marked Stalk-Forrest Group, and apart from the Dead that's one band that Truth remind me of.

Impressive credentials for sure, but Truth needn't be embarrassed in this company, because their music is faultless and at its best outright stunning. So very few bands manage to play music that allows space for the members full range of versatility without degrading into prog or fusion; Truth manage to do so and still deliver melodic, open-ended music. The opening "Music is life" is a program declaration as good as any; complex rhythms and bold chord shifts, yet as inviting as a Byrds 45 with McDowell's joyful vocals setting the tone for all that follows. "6 O'Clock Alarm" is your standard white-collar grind lament except with a 5-minute Garcia/Lesh-style jam in the middle, before the vocals pull you back to planet Earth.

I have to refrain myself from describing every track in detail but all of it progresses along the superb '69 Dead/Stalk-Forrest axis described above; an exquisite sitar track adds a foreign flavor, while the 10-minute revisit to the Texan Them's "Square room" shows just how good raga rock can be if done with serious intentions -- like a sequel to "East-West" by the Butterfields 3 years earlier. 

There is another great track called simply "HIGH!" which is how you feel when hearing it, and a take on "Circle round the sun" that suits the band very well. The CD closes with the 3 tracks off the aforementioned acetate, and they're just as swell, bringing in organ and flute and a slight British influence (think Traffic) to produce one of the very best tracks on the entire CD, the powerful "Castles in the sand" that is likely to blow anyone's head off. There is some very minor surface noise on the acetate tracks while the earlier recordings are crystal clear and can be played loud as fuck! 

Most of the unreleased 1960s-70s stuff that appears is disappointing and shows mainly why it wasn't released in the first place, but this Truth CD is the perfect antithesis of that cynicism -- just like Stalk-Forrest Group it's better than almost anything that WAS released at the time.

by Patrick The Lama

Tracks
1. Music Is Life - 4:13
2. 6 O:Clock Alarm - 9:14
3. Mysterios - 1:21
4. Music From Big Puce - 4:27
5. Country Funk - 0:39
6. Blackboard Words - 2:47
7. Sonic Sitar - 3:18
8. High! - 6:35
9. Archimed:s Pad - Square Room - 11:4
10.Getting Better - 5:27
11.Circle 'Round The Sun - 5:19
12.Ride The Wind - 6:37
13.Castles In The Sand - 7:18
14.October ΄68 - The Tears That You Cry - 5:23
All songs written by The Truth, except 11.Circle 'Round The Sun, which is Traditional.

Truth
*Jimmy Armstrong - Guitars, Piano, Sitar
*Curtis Bachman - Bass, Vocals
*Ray Elliot - Flute, Piano (tracks 12-14)
*Kenny McDowell - Lead Vocals, Harmonica
*Reno Smith - Drums

Themology
1965-66  The Wheels - Road Block
1967  Them - Now And Them
1967  Belfast Gypsies
1968-69  Them - Time Out Time In
1970-71  Rod Demick And Herbie Armstrong - Little Willie Ramble

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Julie Felix - Flowers • Live In Concert (1966-67 us, magnificent vocal sunny folk rock, 2021 japan remaster)

Julie Felix isn't too well-known in her native United States, but since 1964 she's been a major British folk music star and has been compared over there with Joan Baez. Felix was born in California, of mixed Mexican and Native American ancestry. 

A natural singer by inclination, she was drawn to folk music at an early age but was unable to get a career started in America, even amid the folk revival of the early '60s. In 1964, she decided to go hitchhiking across Europe, and instead of heading home at the end of her travels she made England her destination. She arrived there just in time to catch a fresh wave of enthusiasm for American folk music, fostered by Bob Dylan's emergence internationally as a singer and songwriter. 

American folk musicians had always found a welcome among England's folk enthusiasts, but just then, thanks to Dylan, the sheer number of folk listeners had ballooned to massive proportions. Felix also found a natural audience for her work -- she had an engaging voice and manner, a distinctive Mexican guitar (a gift from her father), and her combined Mexican and Native American backgrounds, which made her stand out from other of her compatriots, who were white and male. And suddenly, Felix had a major career -- the same year that she arrived in England, she became the first solo folk performer signed to a major British label when she got a contract from English Decca.

Felix debuted with a self-titled album and a single of Ian Tyson's, "Someday Soon," and she also scored a hit on television, on The Eammon Andrews Show. By 1965, she was a headlining performer, referred to in The London Times as Britain's First Lady of Folk. She cut two more LPs for Decca over the next two years, including an album of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie songs, and was also one of the biggest exponents of the work of Leonard Cohen before he'd established himself beyond a small cult of listeners in England. She also began getting recognized for her commitment to charitable causes, and not only raised money for hunger relief but visited several of the more troubled countries in the Third World. 

By the end of 1965, she'd filled Royal Albert Hall for one of her concerts, reportedly the first folksinger based in England to accomplish that feat. In 1966, she moved to the Fontana label, for which she cut three albums -- her 1966 album, Changes, is regarded as one of her best, mixing traditional and contemporary material and utilizing the support of Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick; meanwhile, on-stage, she came under the wing of Brian Epstein, who booked her and Georgie Fame together at the Saville Theatre, with a then-unknown Cat Stevens appearing as the opening act.

By 1967, she was well enough established to be a featured weekly guest on David Frost's television series, and by 1968 had earned her own television variety series, with guests that included Dusty Springfield, Leonard Cohen, Donovan, and Richard Harris. Her late-'60s recordings included Going to the Zoo, a delightful collection of children's songs on Fontana, and in 1969 she was one of the artists featured at the Isle of Wight Festival. Finally, in 1970, Felix had her first pop hit when she reached the British Top 20 with her version of "El Condor Pasa," recorded under the auspices of producer Mickie Most -- indeed, Felix was the first artist on Most's newly formed RAK label to have a hit record, and she later recorded the album Clotho's Web (1972) for RAK. 

She also made her long-delayed debut on American television, courtesy of her longtime friend David Frost, who booked her on his Metromedia-produced talk show. Felix scored a second hit for Most with her cover of "Heaven Is Here" before moving to EMI in 1974.

The mid-'70s marked a period of extreme change for Felix, who was an unapologetic 1960s liberal with a strong commitment to social issues. She became disillusioned with the direction of the world as the '70s wore on, with their more hedonistic orientation. Finding northern Europe a more agreeable place to live and work, she moved to Norway and subsequently enjoyed hit records both there and in Sweden. 

Felix returned to California late in the decade and used the time to recharge her social conscience -- by the early '80s, she was heavily involved in the human rights campaign in Latin America. She returned to England and resumed her career, writing songs for the first time and directing her activities toward new age philosophy and interests, in addition to political issues. In the mid-'90s, Felix released her first new album in a decade, Bright Shadows, on her own label, Remarkable Records. 

At the outset of the 21st century, she continues to enjoy a full schedule of performances in England and attention from old listeners who remember her from the 1960s and newer audiences who know Felix for her 1990s music. Her new music has received mixed critical and popular reception, but her 1960s repertory still elicits serious enthusiasm from her audience. 

by Bruce Eder

In one of her first public appearances JULIE FELIX played the part of a witch in a college production of 'Macbeth'. To give her a suitably horrific profile, she was supplied with a putty extension to her nose, with the whole effect being heightened by green make-up and hair dressed in such a fashion that she resembled an irate porcupine.

Today, Julie still deals in witchcraft, but of a more beguiling kind, as she casts a spell on her adoring fans with her devastating combination of visual and vocal appeal. Her unusual ancestral background - Mexican father and American mother of Welsh descent accounts for her delicate, olive- skinned beauty and also for her love of folk music, which she sings with the warmth and passion of a person so strongly influenced by the racial characteristics of peoples of such outstandingly emotional temperament.

By nature, something of a wanderer, she has, at least for the time being, put down roots in Britain. She arrived completely unknown in 1964, after haphazardly drifting around Europe for two years and has progressed through records, television and concerts to become the country's First Lady of Folk, appealing not to a small select crowd of admirers, but to a widely spread audience of all age groups.

Born in Santa Barbara, California, on 14 June 1941, Julie recalls that her upbringing was in something of an artistic atmosphere, for her school- teacher mother is a poetry-lover and is interested in the cultural heritage of America, while her father, who taught her to play the guitar, was a musician before he turned to engineering.

The first songs she picked up came from Burl Ives LPs in her mother's collection but her repertoire was augmented by Mexican songs learned from her father. As a child, and in fact not until many years later, Julie took no great interest in singing. Her first great ambition was to become expert at sword-fencing, a desire sparked off by seeing a film about a pirate and his daughter. "My mother told me that the basis of all fencing was the dance and persuaded me to study ballet. After a few lessons I forgot completely about fencing", she says.

Original "Live In Concert" LP Liner Notes

Tracks

1. The Flower Lady (Phil Ochs) - 4:31

2. Mexico (Sand And Foam) (Donovan Leitch) - 2:08

3. Dialogue (I Want To Be Alone) (Jackson C. Frank) - 3:13

4. Soldat (Wolf Bierman) - 1:50

5. Somewhere There S Gotta Be Me (Clint Ballard Jr) - 2:09

6. The Gates Of Eden (Bob Dylan) - 5:06

7. San Francisco (Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) (John Phillips) - 3:01

8. The Great Brain Robbery (Joey Mellon, Julie Felix) - 1:45

9. Saturday Night (Donovan Leitch) - 2:31

10.Don T Make Promises (Tim Hardin) - 2:05

11.Berlin (Julie Felix) - 2:44

12.Chimes Of Freedom (Bob Dylan) - 6:03

13.Lost Children (Gordon Lightfoot) - 2:38

14.Daily News (Tom Paxton) - 2:35

15.Love Minus Zero • No Limit (Bob Dylan) - 2:58

16.The First Time I Saw Your Face (Ewan MacColl) - 2:24

17.But Sixteen (Tom Paxton) - 2:39

18.Le Malaguena (Traditional) - 3:42

19.Coni Coni Cononita (Traditional) - 2:41

20.Adios Amigos (Woody Guthrie, Martin Hoffman) - 6:08

21.Sugar Jack (John G. Williams) - 4:15

22.The Union Maid (Woody Guthrie) - 5:09

23.Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands (Bob Dylan) - 3:36

24.One Man's Hands (Alex Comfort, Bob Gibson) - 3:18

Songs 1-12 from "Flowers" LP 1967

Songs 13-24 from "Live In Concert" recorded at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, Surrey, England on 23rd November 1966 and released the same year

Julie Felix - Vocals, Guitar

1964-66  Julie Felix - First, Second And Third-The Complete Three Decca LPs (2008 double disc)

1966  Julie Felix - Changes (Vinyl issue)
1972  Julie Felix - Clotho's Web (2009 remaster and expanded)

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Children Of The Mushroom - Lady (1971 us, tough fuzzy garage psych, 2025 release)

Formed in California in 1967, Children of the Mushroom were the quintessential garage-psych band. As the times evolved, the band hardened their sound, shortening their name to Mushroom.

By 1970, Mushroom became Lady, incorporating prog-rock influences and instruments like flute to their hard-pych organ/guitar dominated sound, drawing inspiration from bands like Jethro Tull, Steamhammer, Gypsy or Bloodrock.

In 1971 the band recorded a few studio demos at Village Recorders in Los Angeles, which are presented here in top sound quality along with a couple of raw, lo-fi but killer live tracks from the same year. Long tracks, heavy fuzz guitar, Hammond organ, flute, powerful vocals…

guerssen

Tracks

1. Behind Their Eyes (Jerry McMillen, Jim Rolfe, Tom Galella, Al Pisciotta, Larry Wiseman) - 4:49

2. Easy Chair (“Lady In The Moon”) (Jerry McMillen, Jim Rolfe, Tom Galella, Al Pisciotta, Larry Wiseman) - 5:22

3. This Is My Friend (Jim Rolfe, Jerry McMillen, Tom Galella, Al Pisciotta, Larry Wiseman, Nisahna Shephard) - 3:52

4. Will I Be Saved (Jim Rolfe, Jerry McMillen, Tom Galella, Al Pisciotta, Larry Wiseman) - 3:06

5. I’ve Lost You (Jerry McMillen, Jim Rolfe, Tom Galella, Al Pisciotta, Larry Wiseman) - 7:19

6. Evasella (Wally Stoltz, Dave Fontana) - 4:14

7. Hour Of Our Lives (“Insurrection”) (Pat Van Auken) - 5:41

8. Behind Their Eyes (Jerry McMillen, Jim Rolfe, Tom Galella, Al Pisciotta, Larry Wiseman) - 6:06

9. I Will Listen (Jerry McMillen) - 7:32

10.Lady Jam (Tom Galella, Mike Gattenby, Wally Stoltz, Jim Rolfe, Pat Van Auken, Jerry McMillen) - 8:30

Songs 1-5 Demo tracks recorded at "The Village" in 1971

Songs 6-11 live recordings from 1971 concert in Simi Valley, California

Children Of The Mushroom

Tracks 1-5

*Tom Galella - Drums

*Al Pisciotta - Bass Guitar

*Larry Wiseman - Hammond Organ, Keys

*Jim Rolfe - Guitar, Backing Vocal, Flute Harmony

*Jerry Mcmillen - Vocals, Flute

Tracks 6-11

*Tom Galella - Drums

*Mike Gattenby - Bass Guitar

*Wally Stoltz - Hammon Organ, Keys

*Jim Rolfe - Guitar, Backing Vocal, Flute Harmony

*Pat Van Auken - Guitar, Vocal Harmony

*Jerry Mcmillen - Vocals, Flute

1968  Children Of The Mushroom - Children Of The Mushroom (2014 release)

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