rep>>> Various Artists - Golden State Psychedelia (1966-69 us, impressive psych rock, 2015 release)

Rare or previously unissued psychedelic gems from late 1960s San Francisco, produced at Leo Kulka’s studio, Golden State Recorders.

When it opened for business in the autumn of 1965, Golden State Recorders was the first large Hollywood-style studio inSan Francisco, with a brand new solid-state board and an expansive main room, perfect for replicating the ambience of the psychedelic ballrooms. Indeed, founder and chief engineer Leo de Gar Kulka had begun offering his services right as the Bay Area witnessed the explosion of its own well-documented rock scene, and thus during its first few years Golden State was the local independent recording venue most frequently visited by the city’s new breed of musician, along with the hordes of attendant A&R men hopeful for the next big thing.

Golden State hosted some of the most genuinely trippy and experimental rock recording sessions held in San Francisco in the late 1960s, but Kulka could not keep his large facility going on bookings alone, and so he also used the studio to attract talent that could be secured to a contract and sold on to labels. Reflecting the prevailing atmosphere in the Bay Area, much of what Golden State recorded under its own production umbrella had a frisson of psychedelic fancy, and at this juncture some 50 years hence, recordings deemed failures at the time are now collectors items, or certainly worthy of a second look, as “Golden State Psychedelia” amply demonstrates.

Some of the earliest and best-loved releases in Big Beat’s “Nuggets From The Golden State” series were based on repertoire from Golden State Recorders. This latest instalment continues to celebrate the studio’s legacy, restoring material from deleted volumes, as well as exhuming more psychedelic gems from the GSR vault. Since Ace Records acquired the catalogue in 2006, we have had the opportunity to revisit the tapes, this time with a fine-toothed comb.

Therefore, aside from rare singles by the Tow-Away Zone and Seventh Dawn, “Golden State Psychedelia” is comprised wholly of material that did not see release at the time, and was all recorded between 1966 and 1971. Highlights include the commercial pop-psych stylings of the Bristol Boxkite, Carnival and Ticket Agents, the punkadelic Goody Box and Immediate Family, and some outrageous studio experiments by Magician and the Gants. With full details on the participants contained in the liner notes, “Golden State Psychedelia” is a package no fan of this entrancing genre will want to miss.

by Alec Palao

Artist - Track
1. The Goody Box - Blow Up (Norman Hadsell) - 2:37
2. The Carnival - Meditorium - 2:19
3. The Tow-Away Zone - Shab'd (Joan Cutting, Phil Franks, Randy Molitor) - 2:58
4. The Bristol Boxkite - Sunless Night (Bill Ellis, Sandra White) - 3:03
5. The Immediate Family - Rubaiyat (Kriss Kovacs, Omar Khayyam) - 2:38
6. The Ticket Agents - Black Diamonds (David Salk) - 2:04
7. The Short Yellow  - Highway Highway (Gary Thorp) - 2:21
8. Celestial Hysteria - Speed (Harold Greer, John Allan, John Barsotti, Mark Buvelot, Mary Hazlewood) - 2:38
9. Magician - Fuck For Peace - 3:58
10.The Carnival - Infinitation - 2:16
11.The Bristol Boxkite - Mad Rush World (Bill Ellis) - 2:44
12.The Seventh Dawn - Don't Worry Me (Darius Phillips, Sue Phillips, Tom Noyer) - 2:37
13.Just Slightly Richer - My Kind Of People (Dan Talbot) - 3:01
14.The Tow-Away Zone - Daddy's Zoo (Bill deHaan, Phil Franks, Randy Molitor, Ray McCarty) - 3:45
15.The Short Yellow - Hand Full (Gary Thorp) - 2:43
16.The Goody Box - Ah Gee (Norman Hadsell) - 2:31
17.The Immediate Family - Wet Chant (Kriss Kovacs) - 5:36
18.The Bristol Boxkite - Chasing Rainbows (Frederic Chopin, Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarth) - 2:22
19.Celestial Hysteria - New Song Aka Going Home (Harold Greer, John Allan, John Barsotti, Mark Buvelot, Mary Hazlewood) - 2:57
20.The Carnival - Years Have Passed Away - 2:13
21.Just Slightly Richer - Solitude (Al Roberts, Dan Talbot, Larry Goldberg, Robert Sanders, Steve Allyn) - 2:51
22.The Bristol Boxkite - Who Are We (Bill Ellis) - 2:27
23.The Short Yellow - Start Seeing (Gary Thorp) - 2:29
24.The Royal Family - Love Is The Greatest Thing (The Royal Family) - 2:48
25.The Gants - Sunday At The Lotus Parlor (Brian Johnson, Dennis Battaglia, Kim Edwards, Tim Grand) - 2:51

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rep>>> Audience - Audience (1969 uk, excellent prog psych rock, 2002 remaster)

Audience was formed in London in 1969 by singer/guitarist Howard Werth, saxophonist Keith Gemmell, bassist Trevor Williams, and percussionist Tony Connor. Set apart from their contemporaries thanks to their use of acoustic guitar and saxophone, the group issued their self-titled debut LP in 1969; although the album was a commercial failure. 

Audience soon landed with Charisma Records, teaming with producer Gus Dudgeon to record the 1970 follow-up Friend's Friend's Friend. House on the Hill, issued a year later, yielded perhaps the band's best-known effort, "Indian Summer," and was followed by a U.S. tour in support of the Faces; however, in the wake of 1972's Lunch, Gemmel left the lineup to join Stackridge, and despite recruiting saxophonist Patrick Neubergh and keyboardist Nick Judd, Audience disbanded soon after. 

Werth resurfaced as a solo artist in 1975 with a new backing band, the Moonbeams, and an LP, King Brilliant. 

by Jason Ankeny

Tracks
1. Banquet - 3:47
2. Poet - 3:05
3. Waverley Stage Coach - 2:59
4. Riverboat Queen - 2:57
5. Harlequin - 2:35
6. Heaven Was an Island - 4:18
7. Too Late I'm Gone- 2:37
8. Maidens Cry - 4:47
9. Pleasant Convalescence - 2:30
10.Leave It Unsaid - 4:07
11.Man on Box - 3:02
12.House on the Hill- 4:03
13.Paper Round  - 3:39
14.The Going Song - 1:39
15.Troubles - 1:22

Audience
*Howard Werth - Guitar, Vocals
*Tony Connor  - Drums
*Keith Gemmell  - Clarinet, Flute, Tenor Sax, Wind
*Trevor Williams - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals

1970  Audience - Friend's Friend's Friend (2015 Esoteric)

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rep>>> Little Free Rock - Time Is Of No Consequence (1969-71 uk, standout acid blues rock, demos and unreleased material)

In my own personal scheme of things, Little Free Rock are pretty doggone important. I grew up with them. They were my first grass-roots contact with the underground rock'n'roll culture. Formed in Preston, Lanes in 1966 by guitarist Pete Illingworth after he'd recovered from the demise of fabulous local legends, David John & The Mood, the band emerged in the heady climate of 1967 as the trio, Purple Haze with Pal Varley on drums and Frank Newbold on bass.

Taking their cue from Hendrix and The Cream, they built up a hardcore following in the Northwest. From humble beginnings with a live set comprising entirely cover versions - material by The love, Creation and Tomorrow amongst others - the trio soon began to write original songs. A five-track demo Bade in London in early 1969 (reproduced here), led to an eponymous debut LP on Transatlantic Records, a relocation to 'The Smoke' and a name change. Within months of their arrival they were changing musical direction.

Their manager, having been knocked out with Ginger Johnson & His African Drummers jamming with The Stones in Hyde Park this summer, suggested a similar collaboration. The experiment worked wonders and at ensuing gigs LFR would regularly be joined by as many as 25 percussionists, the lads from Preston, the only white faces on stage! Caspar Laval, Speedy Acquaye, Lofty and Mac (from Osibisa) all played with the band. They even attracted Peter Green to play a couple of gigs and were invited to play sessions for his first solo LP (which were sadly unused).

Record company wrangles and personnel disputes - ex-Killing Floor bassist, John Taylor permanently replacing Newbold, Lord Eric coming in on hand-drums - meant that another LP was not forthcoming. Fortunately managerial involvement with Robert Stigwood saw them record six songs in their new style, all of which appear here and ooze with an excitement sorely lacking on the Transatlantic release.

LFR eventually split in 1974 with no original members still here - a disastrous period as back-up S4I queen Sarah Gordon was followed by Varley leaving for fame and fortune with teen stars The Arrows and the sacking of Illingworth! It's good to finally have all this stuff available and it's a fitting tribute to a band who really did deserve better.

by Nigel Cross

Tracks

1. Money On Your Mind - 4:19

2. Evil Woman (Frank Newbold, Peter Illingworth) - 4:33

3. Time Is Of No Consequence - 5:08

4. Tiego - 4:13

5. Talking To The Trees - 3:45

6. Big Bird - 4:00

7. Money On Your Mind - 4:37

8. Evil Woman (Frank Newbold, Peter Illingworth) - 4:33

9. Time Is Of No Consequence (No Vocals) - 5:07

10.Roman Sumer Nights (Frank Newbold) - 2:32

11.Wait A While - 2:17

12.Blud - 3:50

13,Dream (Frank Newbold) - 2:24

14.Evil Woman (Frank Newbold, Peter Illingworth) - 2:47

Songs 1,3,4,5,6,7,9,11,12 written by Peter Illingworth

Tracks 10-14 as The Purple Haze

Little Free Rock *Frank Newbold - Bass (The Purple Haze) *John Taylor - Bass *Paul Varley - Drums *Peter Illingworth - Guitar *Eric Carboo - Percussion

1969  Little Free Rock - Little Free Rock (2003 Red Fox)

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