First record from this duo, recorded while they were still in high-school. This two young Boston based folk duo released this strong rural inspired beautiful folk album. The album is nowhere near as well known as the slightly more produced "Every Loving Day", but it will appeal to the same people, and just may well be a better album.
It’s a distinctive and well-written collection of 14 short songs, starkly arranged in the best tradition of 1962 Greenwich Village (they even cover a Fred Neil song) and with an old-timer kind of world-weary feel. Some pianos and acoustic 12-string guitars give the album some variety despite the simple arrangements. This is not “pretty” folk, but it is melodic nonetheless. It doesn’t get much more “real” than this album. Highly recommended to any fan of folk/loner folk.
Acid Archives
Tracks
1. Drink Away Your Blues - 2:25
2. Lisa - 3:25
3. Don`t Make Promises (Tim Hardin) - 2:40
4. Nothing To Say (Stephen Tuttle) - 3:14
5. Chase It Away (Steve Prentice) - 1:45
6. Hello Hobo - 2:28
7. Granny`s Bacon - 3:27
8. You Couldn`t Tell (Stephen Tuttle) - 3:09
9. Mr. Sandman - 2:32
10.Don`t Cry For Me (Stephen Tuttle) - 2:27
11.A Friend - 2:25
12.I Go Crazy - 1:59
13.Only Good Nights - 2:46
14.Don`t Go To Sleep Maria - 0:41
Music and Words by Stephen Tuttle, Steve Prentice excpet where stated
In early 1968 the Dukes went on to studio to record their second album "Journey to the Center of the Mind", it was released in April 1968, on the local "Mainstream" label.
The title track, which Nugent wrote the music for Steve Farmer's lyrics, was released as a single and climbed the U.S. pop chart to number 16. Despite its apparent drug related theme, Nugent himself claims to have "never smoke a joint...never done a drug in my life. I thought 'Journey to the Center of the Mind' meant look inside yourself, use your head, and move forward in life".
This raw heavy acid psych gem was recorded amidst a whirlwind of lineup changes, many of them due to Nugent’s commandeering of the band and then firing everyone who, lyrics notwithstanding, struck him as a wee bit too pro-drug for real life.
At this point in time, the Nugent was an ambitious but interesting guitar player who was excessively hairy and liked jumping on top of things (moving cars, battle of the band judge tables, speaker cabinets, etc.). After his raging tours and hits of the late 70s, he quickly turned into a conservative caricature with a remarkable talent for being simultaneously entertaining and vile.
Tracks
1. Mississippi Murderer - 5:12
2. Surrender To Your Kings (Ted Nugent) - 2:53
3. Flight Of The Byrd (Ted Nugent) - 2:50
4. Scottish Tea (Ted Nugent) - 4:01
5. Dr. Slingshot - 3:09
6. Journey To The Center Of The Mind - 3:33
7. Ivory Castles (Steve Farmer) - 3:21
8. Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than An Orange (Steve Farmer) - 2:26
9. Missionary Mary (Steve Farmer) - 2:35
10.Death Is Life (Steve Farmer) - 2:09
11.Saint Philips Friend (Steve Farmer) - 3:33
12.I'll Prove I'm Right (Steve Farmer) - 1:39
13.Conclusion (Steve Farmer) - 1:59
14.You Talk Sunshine, I Breath Fire - 2:45
All somgs by Ted Nugent, Steve Farmer except where noted The Amboy Dukes
*Ted Nugent – Lead Guitar
*Greg Arama – Bass
*John Drake – Vocals
*Steve Farmer – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Palmer – Drums
*Andy Solomon – Organ, Piano, Vocals
Tony Joe White grew up in rural Louisiana and was nicknamed “the Swamp Fox” due to his ability to write songs that conveyed the humidity, idiosyncrasies and tensions of the US south.
The best known of these was Rainy Night in Georgia, which gained global recognition not through his own version but via a cover in 1970 from Brook Benton, followed by a number of other popular interpretations over the years, by artists from Ray Charles to Randy Crawford and Rod Stewart.
In fact his swamp songs proved surprisingly universal, and were recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley and Tina Turner to Dusty Springfield and Rory Gallagher. When his career was flagging in the 1980s, Turner brought his song Steamy Windows to wider attention as a Top 20 hit in various countries, and also used three of his other compositions on her highly successful 1989 album, Foreign Affair.
White was born into a farming family, the seventh son of Virgie (nee Andrews) and Charlie White, in Oak Grove, a small town in north-eastern Louisiana, and he grew up harvesting cotton and corn. A keen interest in music, especially the blues his African-American neighbours played, found White, upon graduating from high school, playing Texan honky-tonks where he recalled “the beer bottles would get to flying”.
In 1967 he was working as a dump truck driver for the local authority in Marietta, Georgia, and while doing so heard Bobbie Gentry’s groundbreaking 1967 hit Ode to Billie Joe. This inspired him to write songs about southern life and one of the first was Polk Salad Annie, a wry rocker about “a girl that I swear to the world/ would make the alligators look tame”.
White guessed he had something and, in late 1967, drove to Nashville. There he parked up and walked into the first music publisher’s office he came across. They asked him what kind of music he made and he replied, “well, it’s kind of swampy”. Directed across the road to Combine Music, the publisher of Dolly Parton and Kris Kristofferson, its head, Bob Beckham, recognised in White a maverick talent. Beckham suggested that Monument Records, the label that had made Roy Orbison famous, should sign White – and they did.
While his 45s initially failed to chart in the US – although Soul Francisco was a hit in France – White was certain that Polk Salad Annie had potential, as southern audiences loved the song. For almost a year the single’s momentum built as local radio stations played it, but it took a major Los Angeles radio station to add it to their playlist for White to get his break – Polk Salad Annie reached No 8 on the US pop charts in July 1969, his only US Top 40 hit. Presley, recognising a kindred spirit, began performing it in concert. White capitalised by releasing his debut album, Black and White, in 1969.
by Garth Cartwright, Sun 28 Oct 2018
When "Polk Salad Annie" blared from transistor radio speakers in the summer of 1969, the first thought was of Creedence Clearwater Revival, for Tony Joe White's swamp rock bore more than a passing resemblance to the sound John Fogerty whipped up on Bayou Country and Green River. But White was the real thing -- he really was from the bayou country of Louisiana, while Fogerty's bayou country was conjured up in Berkeley, CA. Plus, White had a mellow baritone voice that sounded like it had been dredged up from the bottom of the Delta. Besides "Annie," side one of this album includes several other White originals.
The best of these are "Willie and Laura Mae Jones," a song about race relations with an arrangement similar to "Ballad of Billie Joe," and "Soul Francisco," a short piece of funky fluff that had been a big hit in Europe in 1968. "Aspen, Colorado" presages the later "Rainy Night in Georgia," a White composition popularized by Brook Benton. The second side consists of covers of contemporary hits, with the funky "Who's Making Love" and "Scratch My Back" faring better than the slow stuff. Dusty Springfield had a minor hit with "Willie and Laura Mae Jones," and White's songs were recorded by other performers through the years, but "Polk Salad Annie" and the gators that got her granny provided his only march in the American hit parade.
by Jim Newsom
Tony Joe White, singer and songwriter, born 23 July 1943; died 24 October 2018
Tracks
1. Willie And Laura Mae Jones - 4:57
2. Soul Francisco - 1:57
3. Aspen Colorado - 2:50
4. Whompt Out On You - 2:25
5. Don't Steal My Love - 3:52
6. Polk Salad Annie - 3:46
7. Who's Making Love (Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Don Davis, Raymond Jackson) - 3:14
8. Scratch My Back (James Moore) - 3:03
9. Little Green Apples (Bobby Russell) - 4:01
10.Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb) - 2:53
11.Look Of Love (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 3:24
12.Georgia Pines (John Adkins, Buddy Blue) - 2:58
13.Ten More Miles To Louisiana - 2:23
All compositions by Tony Joe White except where noted
Musicians
*Tony Joe White – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
*David Briggs: Piano, Organ
*Jerry Carrigan – Drums
*Norbert Putnam – Bass
*Chip Young – Guitar
*Jimmy Isbell – Drums
When guitarist Alan Kendall (ex-Kris Ryan & The Questions) and bass player from Nelson John (Megs) Medley left the backing group of The Truth (singers Frank Aiello and Steve Gold, who had reached number 27 in the charts in 1966 with the Beatles song Girl) they teamed up in August 1967 with three ex - members of Burnley band The Raging Storms: Lou Stonebridge (from Bury), vocals, Keith O’Connell, organ, and Bill Atkinson, drums.
Inspired by the new wave of progressive/psychedelic rock, they were initially a covers band, playing material by Blood, Sweat and Tears, Leonard Cohen, The Doors, Traffic, Lovin’ Spoonful and Jefferson Airplane. They quickly developed into an excellent group with a strong following, and in 1968 they signed with the John Gunnell agency, gained a recording contract with Pye Records, and moved to London. Soon after, organist Keith O’Connell left to join Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band, and Lou Stonebridge took over on organ as well as vocals.
In 1968, three singles, produced by John Schroeder, were recorded for Pye: She’s A Rainbow/That’s When I Start To Love Her, You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice/Let’s All Run To The Sun and Frederick Jordan/I Said Goodbye To Me.
Although these were all excellent singles and enjoyed decent radio airplay, they were not hits, despite Glass Menagerie building up a national following via gigs, broadcasts on John Peel’s popular Top Gear BBC radio show and regular appearances at venues like London’s Marquee club.
In 1969 the John Gunnell agency amalgamated with the Robert Stigwood Organization and Glass Menagerie signed with Polydor Records and producer Chas Chandler. Two singles were recorded in 1969 – Have You Forgotten Who You Are/Do You Ever Think and Do My Thing Myself/Watching The World Pass By – and also an LP, but the singles were not hits and the LP was not released.
At the end of 1969, disillusioned by lack of success, Alan Kendall and John Medley left the band, the latter to return to his home town of Nelson. Tony Dangerfield, ex–Screaming Lord Sutch, was recruited on bass, and the band continued as a three-piece. After a tour of Europe with John Mayall in early 1970, Glass Menagerie broke up.
Lou Stonebridge worked with Paladin, with whom he recorded two albums, Paladin (1971) and Charge! (1972). He then joined McGuinness Flint, recording with them Rainbow (1973) and C’est La Vie (1974). He later worked with The Blues Band, The Dance Band and the Dave Kelly Band, and as a writer, producer and session musician.
Alan Kendall joined Cliff Bennett’s group Toe Fat and appeared on the LP Toe Fat Two. In 1971 he replaced Vince Melouney in the Bee Gees, and with Blue Weaver and Dennis Bryon from Amen Corner he was part of the Bee Gees Band that recorded Saturday Night Fever and received a share of the group’s earnings for the album. He remained with the Bee Gees, on and off, until the death of Maurice Gibb in 2003.
Bill Atkinson joined Mogul Thrash, a jazz-rock band formed by ex-Colosseum guitarist James Litherland. Personnel included Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan, later of The Average White Band, and bassist John Wetton, later of King Crimson, Roxy Music and UK. They recorded one album in 1971 and disbanded. Atkinson returned to Nelson and, with Glass Menagerie colleague John Medley, formed a heavy rock band called Thunderbird Sabden. He died in 1992.
by Geoffrey Wills
Tracks
1. She's A Rainbow (Keith Richards, Mick Jagger) - 2:20
2. That's When I Start To Love Her (Alan Kendall, Lou Stonebridge) - 1:52
3. You Didn't Have To Be So Nice (John Sebastian, Steve Boone) - 2:24
4. Let's All Run To The Sun (Alan Kendall, Lou Stonebridge) - 1:53
5. I Said Goodbye To Me (Harry Nilsson) - 3:29
6. Frederick Jordan (John Medley) - 3:14
7. Have You Forgotten Who You Are (Lou Stonebridge) - 3:47
8. Do You Ever Think (Alan Kendall, Bill Atkinson, John Medley, Lou Stonebridge) - 3:34
9. Do My Thing Myself (Lou Stonebridge) - 2:23
10.Watching The World Pass By (Lou Stonebridge) - 3:41
11.She's A Rainbow (Keith Richards, Mick Jagger) - 2:47
12.Somebody To Love (Darby Slick) - 2:49
13.Run Out Of Time (Lucky Peterson, Paul Butterfield) - 2:56
14.Love Me Two Times (Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger) - 2:14
15.Dear Mr. Fantasy (Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood) - 5:31
16.I Said Goodbye To Me (Harry Nilsson) - 2:45
17.I Can't Quit Her (Al Kooper, Irwin Levine) - 2:30
18.Putting It Off Till Another Day - 2:43
19.Chequebook Girl - 2:38
20.Life Is Getting It Togethe - 5:58
21.She Came From Hell - 4:01
22.Have You Forgotten Who We Are? (Lou Stonebridge) - 5:08
23.Do You Ever Think (Alan Kendall, Bill Atkinson, John Medley, Lou Stonebridge) - 3:33
Tundra was the result of Chris Stainton's blossoming solo exploits that had followed in the wake of his association with legendary singer Joe Cocker. There was a hallowed preserve of Sheffield musicians who had cut their musical teeth in the late 1950s skiffle boom before relocating to London, some of which became more famously known as the Grease Band. The Grease Band backed Cocker on his debut outing Marjorine for Regal Zonophone in 1968 although it was actually the work of Cocker, Stainton and an assembled cast of session players including Jimmy Page, Albert Lee and Clem Cattini. Stainton's role within the band fast became pivotal to Cocker and they would both recruit a professional line-up which included another notable figure in Tommy Eyre who, with sufficient interest from RCA in 1971, eventually recorded an LP with Riff Raff and Vertigo's Juicy Lucy.
Ironically, Stainton replaced Eyre on keyboards after the release of Cocker's debut LP vacating bass for new recruit Alan Spenner. Stainton and Spenner had also collaborated with Henry McCullough in Spooky Tooth in 1970 for their Last Puff LP. The Grease Band would go their own way after Joe Cocker established himself as a solo artist with A&M in 1970, although Stainton kept a close distance appearing in production credits. Meanwhile, Stainton was busily preparing and moving within the ranks of the Grease Band. Ex Bluesology guitarist Neil Hubbard and Henry McCullough (Eire Apparent) were enrolled into what, by 1972, would be the Chris Stainton Band, before a negative review of their appearance in Madison Square Garden prompted a call on Joe Cocker who re-joined to front the band. Sessions with Cocker back at the helm were promptly arranged resulting in A&M's release of Something To Say. The LP was a self-evaluating portrait of Cocker's uncompromising honesty with Stainton providing a reliable shoulder for support.
Released in Cocker's name only, the album had it's detractors who commented on Cocker's voice giving way at times and it may have played a part in Stainton and Cocker's decision to finally part company, but Stainton was always looking to create something more fertile as he had done from the start with freakbeat hopefuls, Made In Sheffield back in 1967. Stainton immediately absorbed himself with session work and set about forming his new band with Jimmy McCulloch (One In A Million, Stone The Crows), future Motorhead bassist Mickey Feat (soon replaced by Glen Turner) and trusted ex-Herd member and session drummer Henry Spinetti. Spinetti's old friend Charlie Harrison would quickly replace the departing McCulloch who opted to join McCartney's Wings. Harrison had recently completed a stint with Coast Road Drive and had previously played alongside Spinetti in Judas Jump. With Turner now switching to guitar, the revised line-up set about writing and recording enough material for their LP which would eventually arrive in 1976 somewhat delayed!
It was prompted by a lone single having appeared two years earlier on Decca's Goodear imprint featuring They Don't Know b/w Love Is All You Have To Do neither of which made it onto the LP. Rather notably, Tundra was issued in the USA as Glen Turner's Tundra. In the intervening years Stainton worked with old mates Alan Spenner and Neil Hubbard of the Grease Band for their forthcoming Amazing Grease LP and the trio's other outlet Charge with Smiley Dejonns of Afro-rockers Assagai. Meanwhile, Stainton and Turner's Tundra project was failing to attract sufficient interest and Stainton parted with the band favouring more session work. His departure from the band signalled Glen Turner's adoption of Tundra with Goodear issuing their last single on 5th September 1975. Stainton's session work was proving to be a promising move with inspiring artists such as The Who, Jim Capaldi and Bryn Haworth calling on his talents aside from more obscure acts such as Druick and Lorange (with Neil Hubbard), Chris Jagger and Boxer (Mike Patto).
Prog Temple's retrospective analysis of this band's brief, but valid existence emphasizes Chris Stainton's convictions and illustrates the missing links in a vital part of British rock music history. Names such as Joe Cocker, Jim Capaldi, Bryn Haworth, Mike Patto and The Who offers only a glimpse of the iconic wealth surrounding one man's career and a band that was clearly striving for something more than cheap rewards.
CD Liner Notes
Tracks
1. Say You Don't Want It (Glen Turner) - 6:06
2. Double Crossed (Glen Turner) - 3:42
3. Dancers Dilemma (Chris Stainton) - 1:52
4. Flat On The Ground (Glen Turner) - 5:06
5. I Want To Tell You (Charlie Harrison) - 4:42
6. Calling Of The Wind (Glen Turner) - 2:54
7. Get It Free (Chris Stainton, Glen Turner) - 4:36
8. Temperature Cold (Glen Turner) - 3:19
9. Dead Of Night (Glen Turner) - 2:49
10.What Else Can I Say? (Peter Cetera) - 5:42
In 1967 the great band from the North released their debut record. The Paupers, along with the Guess Who, were one of the first Canadian bands to capitalize on the British Invasion. They started releasing singles in 1965 with a lineup consisting of Denny Gerrard (Bass), Skip Prokop (Drums), Bill Marion (Guitars) and Chuck Beal (Guitars). Prokop and Marion handled all the songwriting chores on their first clutch of singles.
Their early sound was a classy mixture of roots music, blues and folk-rock (think early Byrds or Lovin’ Spoonful crossed with the Blues Project circa 1965). The band began rehearsing 14 hours a day, honing their setlist and evolving into one of the tightest bands around. They hit the hip Yorkville District of Canada, playing to packed out venues daily and in return this gained them immense popularity.
Rumor has it that the Paupers blew the mighty Jefferson Airplane off stage one night. In 1966/1967, Bill Marion exited the band for reasons unknown, prompting the Paupers to recruit Adam Mitchell. Mitchell (guitar and vocals) proved to be an excellent songwriting partner for Prokop, and at this point the band set out to create their debut lp.
Magic People has a good mid 60’s sound and is anchored by the band’s folk-rock leanings. There are a trio of good psychedelic sunshine pop fuzz rockers on the record. These songs, Magic People, It’s Your Mind and Think I Care, are highlighted by Prokop’s distinct drum patterns, special guitar effects, and great raga soloing. The only dud on the album is One Rainy Day, which is a jaunty good time Lovin’ Spoonful rocker. The remaining six songs are good to great folk-rockers, that recall the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Beau Brummels.
The catchy You and Me feels like a throw back to a 1965 Byrds or Brummels folk-rock sound. Tudor Impressions is excellent, reflective, and abstract, including horns, sparkling accoustic guitars and a Beach Boys-like harmony pop ending. Black Thank You Package and My Love Hides From Your View have a great outsider feel. Black Thank You Package has a distinct, exciting intro and a catchy chorus while My Love Hides is an absolute haunting masterpiece of acid-folk.
Later on in the year the band would play at the seminal Monterey Pop Festival. Everything that could go wrong for them did. Band members took doses of acid that were way too strong and had equipment/sound check problems. Thus, it was the beginning of the end for the Paupers, a group of individuals who had began with so much promise. In 1968, beneath all the internal turmoil, the Paupers were able to squeeze one more lp out. Ellis Island is a little mini psychedelic gem and fans are strongly urged to check this great album out as well.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. Magic People - 2:45
2. It's Your Mind - 5:21
3. Black Thank You Package - 3:12
4. Let Me Be - 3:10
5. Think I Care - 3:56
6. One Rainy Day - 2:15
7. Tudor Impressions - 4:15
8. Simple Deed - 2:47
9. My Love Hides Your View - 3:18
10.You And Me - 2:39
By 1974, Badger was reduced to Kaye and Dyke, who reconstructed the group along somewhat different lines with the addition of Paul Pilnick, late of Stealers Wheel, on lead guitar, Kim Gardner (of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke) on bass, and ex-Apple alumnus Jackie Lomax on vocals. In essence, it became Lomax's group, and he pushed the band away from progressive rock and into soul in a serious way; Badger's second album, White Lady, was made up entirely of songs co-authored by Lomax, and produced in New Orleans at Allen Toussaint's studio. The change in direction would have been difficult enough to pull off under the best of conditions, but stability wasn't one of Badger's long suits at this date -- the group had split up before White Lady was even issued, leaving bewildered fans of both the old sound and new to ponder what had just happened.
Pilnick later returned to the orbit of Stealers Wheel's Joe Egan and Parrish went on to cut a solo album, while Lomax signed with Capitol for two solo albums and Dyke passed through bands behind Pat Travers and jazz veteran Chris Barber. Tony Kaye was a member of Detective and later passed through a re-formed version of Badfinger before re-emerging with Yes in the 1980s, and even got to sing a little on the Union album. Finally, a quarter century after it was recorded.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. A Dream Of You - 4:15
2. Everybody - Nobody - 3:17
3. Listen To Me - 4:56
4. Don't Pull The Trigger - 4:02
5. Just The Way It Goes - 4:45
6. White Lady - 4:47
7. Be With You - 3:37
8. Lord Who Give Me Life - 3:04
9. One More Dream To Hold - 4:01
10.The Hole Thing - 6:09
Music by Jackie Lomax, Lyrics by Robert Ashley
Originally issued in 1973, "Seasons Changing" was their third and final album release, and found them blending concise pop-rock songs and ballads with a lengthy three-part suite. Dreamy and atmospheric, and featuring some notable early use of synthesizer as well as guest appearances from BJ Cole on pedal steel, and Frank Ricotti on percussion.
Tracks
1. What A Coincidence (Robin Lamble) - 3:55
2. My Season's Changing With The Sun (Mick Barakan) - 2:37
3. Show Me The Way (Chas Jankel) - 4:03
4. I'll Always Be Your Friend (Chas Jankel) - 4:08
5. October Andy (Mick Barakan) - 5:22
6. Something You Said (A Trilogy) (Jamie Rubinstein) - 20:42
.a.Something You Said
.b.I Can See You
.c.Mornin
The third solo full-length by the former lead singer of Irish psych legends Andwellas Dream, is actually a diverse album, like the title reffears "A collection of short dreams", from the funky "Let's Stay Right Here Forever", to the groovy "Papa Boy" wich also appears on his previous album.
The passionate blues "Whole Lotta Something", the country rock tune "Lucy Took A Ride", the jazzy "Beautiful Woman" and the smoothy guitar "Open Up Your Heart", songs are flooded by his soulful voice.
Tracks
1. Let's Stay Right Here Forever - 4:11
2. Late Show - 3:29
3. Go All Out To Get It - 2:53
4. Papa Boy - 4:08
5. Whole Lotta Something - 5:29
6. Lucy Took A Ride - 3:35
7. Beautiful Woman - 4:43
8. Open Up Your Heart - 3:57
9. A Woman Like You - 6:04
All songs by Dave Lewis
McKendree Spring is a progressive folk-rock band, active mainly in the early 1970s.The band consisted of Fran McKendree (vocals and guitar), their first bass player was Larry Tucker (shown in the picture) then Fred Holman took over bass, Dr. Michael Dreyfuss (electric violin, viola, Moog, Arp, Mellotron), Martin Slutsky (electric guitar).
A change of motivation, line-up and outlet (Pye Records) was needed; Hollman was also duly replaced by Chris Bishop and drummer Carson Michaels. This move came on the self-descriptive “Get Me To The Country” 1975, their best-selling set to date (reaching No.118) and a record that cloned the peaceful, easy feeling of the Eagles.
Tracks
1. Hold On (Bob Livingston, Ray Wylie Hubbard) - 4:43
2. Easier Things Have Been Done (Fran McKendree) - 4:21
3. She'd Never Leave Chicago (Chris Bishop) - 3:13
4. Meeting In Paris (Fran McKendree) - 3:17
5. Give It Some Time (Chris Bishop) - 4:40
6. So Long Daddy O (Fran McKendree) - 3:23
7. I've Been On The Mountain (David Kent) - 3:16
8. Get Me To The Country (Chris Bishop, Michael Dreyfuss) - 3:33
9. The Hustler (Fran McKendree, Martin Slutsky, Michael Dreyfuss) - 3:26
10.Give All You've Got To Give (Bryn Haworth) - 5:37
The McKendree Spring
*Fran Mckendree - Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitars
*Chris Bishop - Bass, Vocals
*Dr. Michael Dreyfuss - Violin, Viola, Synthesizer
*Martin Slutsky - Electric Guitar
*Carson Michaels - Drums, Chinese Bells, Tree Gong, Vocals With
*Howard Wyeth - Organ
*Valerie Rosa - Vocals
Wayne Berry is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, TN who was mostly active in the 1960s and 1970s as a country/rock artist. Besides recording a handful of singles and one album as a solo artist, he was also a founding member of the folk rock band Timber, who released two albums in 1970 and 1971. After releasing his only solo album, 1974's "Home at Last", Berry, together with George S. Clinton—who was also a member of Timber and later became an award-winning film music composer—formed a band named the Volunteers, who recorded one eponymous album in 1976. Over the years, Berry's songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Glen Campbell, Tom Rush, Johnny Rivers, David Soul, and Steppenwolf. In the mid to late 1970s, Berry began writing religious music for different artists and retired from the popular music business. Today, Wayne Berry is a Worship Ministries Pastor at Springhouse Worship & Arts Center in Smyrna, TN.
Tracks
1. All I Needed - 3:17
2. Another's Lifetime - 3:23
3. Indian Woman From Witchita - 3:22
4. Snowbound - 3:47
5. Welcome Home - 4:21
6. Dixie's Pride - 3:31
7. Black Magic Gun - 4:17
8. Ballad Of Jonah - 3:31
9. Gene's Tune - Blond Guitar - 4:14
10.Lovers' Moon - 4:18
All songs by Wayne Berry
Musicians
*Wayne Berry - Vocals, 12 String, Acoustic Guitar
*Jesse Ed Davis - Guitars
*James Rolleston - Bass, Vocals
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Jeff Baxter - Guitar, Steel Guitar
*William Smith - Organ
*David Paich - Piano
*David Briggs - Piano
*Jimmy Johnson - Guitar
*David Hood - Bass
*Roger Hawkins - Drums, Percussion
*Peter Carr - Guitar
*Reggie Young - Guitar
*Barry Beckett - Organ, Piano
*Ben Cauley - Flugelhorn, Trumpet
*Ronald Eades - Sax
*Harvey Thompson - Sax
*Charles Rose - Trombone
*Harrison Calloway - Trumpet
*Joe Osborn - Bass
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*Weldon Myrick - Steel Guitar
*William Smith - Organ
*David Paich - Piano
*Norbert Putnam - Bass
*Kenny Buttrey - Drums
*Billy Sanford - Acoustic Guitar
*Weldon Myrick - Dobro
*Johnny Gimble - Fiddle
*Charlie McCoy - Harp
*Jackson Browne - Background Vocals
*Jeanie Greene - Background Vocals
*Ginger Holladay - Background Vocals
*Mary Holladay - Background Vocals
*Ned Doheny - Background Vocals
As with many of their 1960s contemporaries, the Animals were beholden to blues, gospel, and r&b;, even as they combined those rhythms with prevailing rock sounds. Like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, they idolized Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley, among other black American performers, and the Animals even shared a stage with Sonny Boy Williamson. Singer Eric Burdon also had the voice to sell the sound: sandpaper-raw, effortlessly loud, and, like Mick Jagger, intimately lewd, as if every lyric contained some potential double entendre.
On their 1966 album Animalism, they indulge their white-soul jones more heavily than ever before, and the songs-- mostly covers-- volley between the derivative and the inventive. On Animalism, amid near-complete turnover of the original lineup, the Animals play up their r&b; chops on blues and soul covers, and Burdon continues to try to match his heroes by pushing his performance over the top. His voice is undeniably strong-- and this type of approach certainly had a particular appeal 40 years ago-- but his soulman affectations sound practiced, imitative rather than instinctual.
Burdon oversells these songs, especially on Sam Cooke's "Shake" and the slow, simmering version of "Hit the Road, Jack", and his vocals on "Rock Me Baby" make the song's innuendo all too obvious. Strangely, on "The Other Side of Life" he takes a slightly different tack, aiming for a sound between Elvis and Jim Morrison, but he winds up sounding smaller than the former and smarter than the latter. It should be no surprise that his best performances-- also his most restrained-- are on the originals "Outcast" and "Louisiana Blues". Burdon's vocals sound more spontaneous and individual, perhaps because he doesn't have an example to mimic on these songs-- or maybe because modern listeners have no other examples against which to measure his performance.
Balancing out Burdon's vocals, the Animals prove a powerful band, despite the fact that nearly half of them were new replacements. They're rock solid, but unlike their singer, they rarely showboat. Together they put the real soul in these songs. Hilton Valentine lays down some bluesy riffs on "Smoke Stack Lightning", but he's best when trading off with organist Dave Rowberry on "Rock Me Baby" and "All Night Long", forming a rowdy call and response. It's the rhythm section, however, that shapes the songs and allows the band to move so agilely around Burdon. Bassist Chas Chandler and drummer Barry Jenkins (a sturdy replacement for original member John Steel) put the shake in "Shake", pushing a swampy beat to its breaking point, and Jenkins' high hat and snare drive the up-and-down stomp on "Lucille". This type of playing doesn't go out of style.
by Stephen M. Deusner
Tracks
1. All Night Long (Frank Zappa) - 2:50
2. Shake (Sam Cooke) - 3:16
3. The Other Side Of This Life (Freddie Neil) - 3:31
4. Rock Me Baby (B.B. King, Joe Josea) - 5:26
5. Lucille (Albert Collins, Richard Penniman) - 2:21
6. Smokestack Lightning (Chester Burnett) - 5:13
7. Hey Gyp (Donovan Leitch) - 3:49
8. Hit The Road Jack (Percy Mayfield) - 3:20
9. Outcast (Ernie Johnson, Edgar Campbell) - 2:38
10.Louisiana Blues (McKinley Morganfield) - 2:42
11.That's All I Am To You (Otis Blackwell, Winfield Scott) - 2:12
12.Going Down Slow (James B. Oden) - 6:24
13.C.C. Rider (Ma Rainey, Lena Arant) - 3:56
14.A Love Like Yours (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr) - 3:00
15.Shake, Rattle And Roll (Charles E. Calhoun) - 3:06
16.Tobacco Road (John D. Loudermilk) - 4:20
17.Roadrunner (Ellas McDaniel) - 2:49
18.When I Was Young (Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, Danny McCulloch) - 3:03
19.A Love Like Yours (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr.) - 2:44
20.Connection (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 2:25
21.It's All Meat (Barrie Ernest Jenkins, Danny Mcculloch, Eric Victor Burdon, John Weider, Victor Briggs) - 2:09
22.San Franciscan Nights (Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, Danny McCulloch) - 3:03
23.All Night Long (Frank Zappa) - 2:40
Tracks 13-17 Live In Germany, Jan 1967
Tracks 18-20 BBC Sessions 30th Jan 1967
Tracks 21-23 BBC Sessions 15th Aug 1967
Personnel
*Eric Burdon - Lead Vocals
*Chas Chandler - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Rowberry - Organ, Piano
*Hilton Valentine - Guitar
*Barry Jenkins - Drums
*John Steel - Drums
*Frank Zappa - Guitar, Bass
*William Roberts - Harmonica
*Larry Knechtel- Organ
*Don Randi- Piano
*Carol Kaye- Guitar
*John Guerin- Drums
*Vic Briggs - Guitar, Piano
*Danny Mcculloch - Bass Guitar
*John Weider - Guitar, Violin
The Freeborne were a youthful Boston-based psych outfit whose five members, despite their tender years, all had considerable experience of playing a wide range of styles in earlier combos. Adapting their name from the movie Born Free and discovering the freewheeling creative delights of LSD, they signed to Monitor in early ’67 and concocted a set of highly psychedelic originals which were laid down at A&R Studios in NYC. Peak Impressions sold only modestly, probably because of a dilatory campaign of live appearances to support it.
After the lukewarm reception afforded it the original Freeborne folded, though later incarnations with fewer or no original members did tramp the second-division concert circuit for a few years afterwards. Inexplicably, given their obvious talent, only guitarist Bob Margolin seems to have had an appreciable later career, playing in Muddy Waters’s backing band through most of the 70s and subsequently with blues-based outfits under his own name. There’s precious little documentation on the band anywhere, but the excellent It’s Psychedelic Baby website features an informative career interview with Margolin which includes insights into the Freeborne.
I was expecting this one to be good, having read complimentary accounts of it in both Fuzz Acid And Flowers and The Acid Archives. I was even more impressed when it arrived and the CD remaster proved to have been archived by Smithsonian Folkways whose estimable moniker now adorns the Digipak. And this is indeed an impressive collection. It’s notable for the virtuosity of the musicians whose ages ranged from just 17 to 19 and yet three of whom were precociously-talented multi-instrumentalists: and we’re talking orchestral hardware here – pianos, harpsichords, cellos, trumpets, flutes and recorders – not just standard rock frontline.
It’s also remarkable for the variety and creativity of the material; one reviewer commented that there seemed to be too many ideas to fit into a single album, and I can see his point. Youthful enthusiasm ensured that nothing was left out and nothing left understated, and most tracks move through bewildering sequences of keys, metres, instrumentation and vocal stylings that give their definitively psych outlines a distinctly progressive edge. This is one to listen to right through several times to get the whole effect.
The lyrics are mostly generic trippy psych nonsense, but the music is invigoratingly original. Leading off with a soulful piano riff, the opening “Images” offers Byrdsy harmonies, pulsating bass and rippling guitar scales before switching into a baroque piano and trumpet waltz. “Land Of Diana” prefigures 70s prog, starting as a jazzy 5/4 and shifting into a bluesy shuffle after distinctly proggy organ and guitar episodes. “Visions Of My Own” sets a homely acoustic guitar and trilling flute against what sounds like a chorus of PDQ Bach’s infamous Dill Piccolos before mutating without warning into a military snare-drum march. “Peak Impressions And Thoughts” is all Piper-era Floyd with swirling Farfisa, spiky Syd-style guitar, fluid bass and crashing cymbals building to a furious final crescendo. “Yellow Sky” is definitive Britsike with wah-ed guitars, churchy keyboards and lots of tempo changes.
The most conventional track, “Hurtin’ Kind Of Woman”, is a soft blues shuffle with jazzy guitar and energetic Hammond work comparable with the best of Brian Auger. Despite the multifarious musical landscapes visited here, only on the last two tracks does the band outstretch itself, with the ridiculously sombre harpsichord and cello, sub-Beach Boys harmonies and cod-poetic spoken voice outro of “A New Song For Orestes” and the unnecessarily lengthy and self-indulgent cod-classical piano/trumpet cadenzas and duet of the closing “But I Must Return To Frenzy”.
Tracks
1. Images (Nick Carstoiu, Mike Spiros) - 3:38
2. Land Of Diana (Mike Spiros, Nick Carstoiu) - 2:56
3. Visions Of My Own (M. Spiros, N. Carstoiu, B. Greenglass) - 4:10
4. Sadly Acknowledged (J.Babbitt, M. Spiros) - 1:27
5. Peak Impressions And Thoughts (Dave Codd, N. Carstoiu) - 6:56
6. Yellow Sky (J.Babbitt, M. Spiros, D. Codd, N. Carstoiu) - 2:23
7. Hurtin' Kind Of Woman (Bob Margolin) - 4:24
8. Inside People (Dave Codd) - 2:50
9. A New Song For Orestes (Dave Codd) - 3:37
10.But I Must Return To Frenzy (N. Carstoiu, M. Spiros) - 9:06
11.Images (Nick Carstoiu, Mike Spiros) - 3:40
12.Land Of Diana (Mike Spiros, Nick Carstoiu) - 3:15
13.Visions Of My Own (Mike Spiros, Nick Carstoiu, Barry Greenglass) - 4:08
14.Sadly Acknowledged (Extended Mix Without Sound Effects) (Joan Babbitt, Mike Spiros) -1:18
15.Yellow Sky (Joan Babbitt, Mike Spiros, Dave Codd, Nick Carstoiu) - 2:20
16.But I Must Return To Frenzy (Nick Carstoiu, Mike Spiros) - 8:49
17.This Is It (Dave Codd, Nick Carstoiu) - 4:22
18.Take A Lick (Dave Codd) - 3:12
19.Lew's Blues (Bob Margolin, Dave Codd, Nick Carstoiu) - 7:05
Bonus Tracks 11-19
Tracks 11-16 Alternate Mono Mixes
Tracks 17-19 Freeborne / Reborne 2010
Everyone seems to be getting in on the Climax Blues Band reissues these days, and now Major League Productions (MLP) are jumping on board with their re-release of the sizzling 1976 live album titled World Tour 1976. At the time the band had just released their strong selling Gold Plated album that contained the massive hit "Couldn't Get it Right" that really broke the band as rock superstars, showing the could do much more than play the blues. Colin Cooper (vocals, sax, rhythm guitar, harmonica), Peter Haycock (vocals, lead & slide guitar), Derek Holt (bass, vocals), John Cuffley (drums), and Richard Jones (keyboards) toured all over the world that year alongside bands such as ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Bad Company, Johnny Winter, BTO, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, but with the success of Gold Plated headline tours of their own were in their immediate future. This album captures all the excitement of a CBB show in the mid/late '70s as their blues side was giving way to pop, funk, jazz, and high energy rock.
Most fans generally look to their FM Live album from 1972 as the bands definitive live statement, but World Tour 1976 is a very close second, and features some excellent performances. Recorded October 16, 1976 at Nottingham University, the band tear through some strong album tracks, a few lengthy medley's & jams, plus hits "Couldn't Get it Right", "All the Time in the World", "Seventh Son", and other surprises. Near 10 minute opener "Together and Free/Amerita/Sense of DIrection" allows the band to get into some fiery musical interplay, sounding not unlike The Allman Brothers Band or The Grateful Dead, complete with plenty of scorching Haycock guitar licks. Haycock's guitar & Cooper's sax are locked in on the funky blues of "Running Out of TIme/Good Time Blues", and at nearly 13-minutes long the band really stretches out and cooks. Heavy blues rock is all the rage with "Mighty Fire", another vehicle for Haycock's fiery lead guitar work, which leads into his slide solo spotlight "Country Hat". Other examples of their groove laden, funky blues rock include "Chasing Change" and "Using the Power", while "Goin' To New York" is a throwback to their early Chicago blues style. Also, look for a wild rendition of the Beatles "Get Back" which is played at the end of their hit "All the Time in the World".
There's no indication on whether MLP remastered World Tour 1976, but the CD sounds quite good and is presented in a small LP styled sleeve, with a booklet stacked with live photos and an essay each from Haycock & Holt. It's a great live set of a band just hitting their creative peak and delivering stirring concert performances.
by Pete Pardo
Tracks
1. Together And Free / Amerita / Sense Of Direction - 9:52
2. Running Out Of Time / Good Times Blues - 12:51
3. Mighty Fire - 4:57
4. Country Hat / Come In The Kitchen (Robert Johnson)/ Country Hat (Reprise) (George Newsome, Anton Farmer, Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt) - 10:05
5. Seventh Son (Willie Dixon) - 6:13
6. Couldn't Get It Right - 3:20
7. Chasing Change - 4:51
8. Using The Power - 4:15
9. Goin' To New York (Jimmy Reed) - 7:18
10.All The Time In The World (Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley) / Get Back (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 5:09
11.Encore Medley: Drum Intro / Hey Mama (Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, George Newsome, Arthur Wood) / Let The Good Times Roll (Leonard Lee) / Who Killed Mcswiggin / Get Into That Rock 'n' Roll - 6:13
All songs by Colin Cooper, Pete Haycock, Derek Holt, John Cuffley, Richard Jones except where stated
The Climax Blues Band
*Colin Cooper - Vocals, Alto, Tenor Saxes, Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica
*Pete Haycock - Vocals, Lead Guitar. Slide Guitars
*Richard Jones - Keyboards
*Derek Holt - Vocals, Bass
*John Cuffley - Drums
Formed in Kansas City. Specializing in hard-edged psychedelic blues and propelled by Sebbo's fine guitar work, their sole album was taped in New York and appeared in 1969, but promptly sank without trace, upon which Walters joined The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils.
Tracks
1. Blues Jam (Russ Booth, Bob Sebbo, Glenn Walters, Dave Lorenz) - 2:23
2. Good Love (Bob Sebbo, Glenn Walters) - 2:41
3. It Will Break Your Heart (Bob Sebbo) - 2:47
4. AC/DC (Russ Booth, Bob Sebbo, Glenn Walters, Dave Lorenz, Dick Weissman) - 1:44
5. St. James Infirmary (Irving Harold Mills) - 7:55
6. Beautician Blues (B.B. King, Jules Taub) - 2:23
7. Umbrellas (Bob Sebbo, Glenn Walters) - 3:40
8. Ginger Man (Geoff Muldaur) - 2:58
9. Big Boy (Bob Sebbo) - 3:32
10.Blues So Bad (Russ Booth, Bob Sebbo, Glenn Walters, Dave Lorenz) - 3:38
Mystic Number National Bank
*Glenn Walters – Percussion, Vocals
*Bob Sebbo - Lead Guitar
*Dave Lorenz - Rhythm Guitar
*Russ Booth - Bass
Dirk Hamilton was born in Hobart, Indiana and raised in California. At 14 he played in a Chuck Berry/surf music band called The Regents. For a 45-rpm record they were about to make, bandleader Houston Box had written an instrumental called ‘Orangutan’ but needed a B-side so Dirk whipped out ‘Truck’ the night before the session. He says it was the first song he ever wrote and ‘it stunk’.
Dirk: “I began playing guitar and singing songs when I was 8 years old. I was writing stories and poems before that. I always thought of the two activities as completely different and separate -- writing was ‘serious’, playing and singing was ‘fun’. Then I discovered Dylan and learned that songs could be just as deep as the best poetry. It was an epiphany! At that moment I knew what I wanted to do with my life.”
At 15, Dirk wrote two more songs for another 45, this one under his own name. Both records were on the IKON label in Sacramento. “These two were stinkers too but after what seemed like a real long time, I began writing good songs and realized I’d done it! I had enjoyed myself into a real songwriter poet!”
By the early 70’s, he was playing professionally in nightclubs in the San Joaquin and Central Valleys and in the San Francisco Bay Area. In ’74, he moved to LA where he eventually signed with ABC records thanks to Steely Dan producer Gary Katz who produced his first album, ‘You Can Sing on the Left or Bark on the Right’. Dirk went on to record 3 more major label records, another one for ABC (‘Alias i’) and two for Elektra (‘Meet Me at the Crux’ and ‘Thug of Love’). He toured the country with his band for 5 years receiving good and rave reviews for his records and live performances but somehow never became a huge commercial success.
After moving to Los Angeles from Stockton, CA, Dirk Hamilton attracted the attention of Steely Dan producer Gary Katz, who in turn helped him sign a deal with ABC Records. The result, the Katz-produced You Can Sing on the Left or Bark on the Right, is a quirky if occasionally misguided work, with moments of brilliance. Katz brought in a host of session pros, including Chuck Rainey, Elliott Randall, and Jeff Porcaro -- all of whom had previously worked with him on various Steely Dan projects -- to flesh out Hamilton's idiosyncratic, acoustic-based tunes.
What makes You Can Sing truly worthwhile, and distinguishes it from the other singer/songwriter recordings bombarding the industry at the time, is masterful songwriting like the terrific "She Don't Squash Bugs," the detailed melancholy of "Wasn't That One Night Good," and the opening track, "The Sweet Forever." It would take Hamilton a couple of years to find the perfect setting for his songs but, nonetheless, his sharp wit, keen insight, and unique style are evident throughout You Can Sing on the Left or Bark on the Right.
by Brett Hartenbach
Tracks
1. The Sweet Forever - 5:34
2. Waterfall - 3:23
3. Little Big-Time Man - 2:42
4. She Don't Squash Bugs - 3:18
5. I Got To Feelin' - 4:47
6. Sweet And Cold - 4:33
7. Wasn't That One Night Good - 3:45
8. Grow A Rose - 3:31
9. When She Kiss Ya' Like She Love - Ya' Know She Do - 4:49
10.Ridin' On A Whale - 2:41
All compositions by Dirk Hamilton
