In 1970 Beck was badly hurt in a car crash, and had a long time in which to cool himself out. Which brings us up to this newest incarnation of the Jeff Beck Group, and its new record. Rough and Ready, a surprising, fine piece of work from a man who wasn't really expected to come back.
The first cut, "Got the Feeling," starts out strong with a tough percussive line from drummer Cozy Powell, weakens up a little with the introduction of Beck's new singer, Bob Tench, and gets shored up again with a jazz-tinged piano break by Max Middleton, followed by a hard, spicy solo from Beck, obviously back in his element, and noticeably a little mellower. Then comes "Situation," a long, well-played evocation of that misnamed hybrid jazz-rock, and a neat rocker called "Short Business."
Vocalist Tench does a valiant job on both, considering the considerable handicap of being mixed down under the guitar. The album was produced by Beck, and there's that old ego at work again. Perhaps Beck figures he won't make the same mistake twice. Tench has a fine. gravel voice, uses Rod's phrasing and sounds sometimes like Felix Cavaliere. Trying to fill Stewart's high heels is no mean feat, and it's to Tench's credit that he carries himself well throughout.
Side one is rounded out with "Raynes Park Blues," a lovely, striking instrumental lament, the kind of wistful line a musician might write if he weren't working but wanted to. It's the best number here, evocative of somber times, the group cooking quietly. Toward the end there's a tolling bell in there, and one kind of wonders what it's all about.
Side two opens with three rockers reminiscent of the Beck of old: "I've Been Used" has a fine piano line on which Max Middleston shines, and a tortuous yet finely melodic break from Beck, plus a bass line from Clive Chaman that sounds like a sty of hogs in heat. This and the next cut. "New Ways" provide Tench with his finest moments here. After another nice solo from Beck. "New Ways" segues into "Train Train," which is a vehicle primarily for drummer Powell, a potent, intelligent musician who, like his predecessor in this band. Mick Waller, treats his rhythm with expert yet economical proficiency.
by Stephen Davis - Rolling Stone- November 25, 1971
Tracks
1. Got the Feeling - 4:46
2. Situation - 5:26
3. Short Business - 2:34
4. Max's Tune (Max Middleton) - 8:24
5. I've Been Used - 3:40
6. New Ways/Train Train - 5:52
6. Jody (Jeff Beck, Brian Short) - 6:06
All songs by Jeff Beck except where stated
The Jeff Beck Group
*Jeff Beck - Guitars, Bass
*Bobby Tench - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
*Max Middleton - Piano, Keyboards
*Clive Chaman - Bass
*Cozy Powell - Drums
Recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom in November 1968, this finds the group using a much heavier hard/blues rock approach than they took on their singles, concentrating on blues,R & B covers. It has its use as a document of where they were at during this era. The sound quality isn’t really great (poor I would say), but the onus is probably more in value as a documentary heritage.
by Richie Unterberger (the half)
Tracks
1. Fever (Davenport, Cooley) - 4:44
2. I Get Evil (Whitaker) - 2:55
3. Temptation 'Bout To Get Me (The Knight Brothers) - 3:56
4. The Instrumental (Rationals) - 3:56
5. Wang Dang Doodle (W. Dixon) - 10:47
Rationals
*Scott Morgan - Lead Vocals, Flute, Harmonica, Percussions
*Steve Correll - Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Terry Trabandt - Bass, Vocals
*Bill Figg - Drums
To borrow the title of their lone Billboard Hot 100 entry, #92 in late 1966, it's really all about "respect" –the enduring respect that the nationals earned from fans and fellow musicians within the maelstrom that was 1960s Michigan Rock'n'roll. Guided by the enthusiasm of their manager, Jeep Holland, cherished by an incredibly devoted fan club, the pioneering Ann Arbor group were top dogs in the state and tremendously popular beyond, yet they let their promise falter, while other, far lesser local acts scaled the charts.
Those that experienced the nationals in their prime share an emotional bond to the combo that the rest of us can never fully comprehend, but the recorded evidence speaks for itself, as to the quality of the group and its constituents: a muscular, dependable rhythm section in Terry Trabandt and Bill Figg; the incisive, corrosive southpaw lead/rhythm of Steve Correll; and the multi-faceted abilities of Scott Morgan, one of rock's most unselfconsciously authentic blue-eyed soul voices.
Right from the start, the Rationals were more mature than the average teenage garage band. By the time Holland had got them wholly into R&B, the quartet was unbeatable, and had they had a more prolific writing team, the Rats could have easily become the American equivalent of the Small Faces or Winwood-era Spencer Davis Group - they really were that good. That said, the handful of strong originals the group did arrive at, including 'Gave My Love', 'Feelin' Lost', 'Sing' and 'Sunset', speak volumes of their potential. It is as interpreters that the Rats made their mark.
The serviceable Kinks and Them covers of their garage days morphed into the altogether more experimental 'Smokestack Lightning', which welds the Yardbirds' arrangement to 'Inside Looking Out'. The group's two most successful records, 'Respect' and 'I Need You', are both quite original in execution. The former suffers only from over-familiarity with Aretha's subsequent version; the heartbreaking tenor of the latter could hush the crowd at even the famously "high energy" Grande Ballroom. Their arrangement of the Motown standard 'Leavin' Here', which quotes 'Baby Don't You Do It', is nothing if not definitive.
Thanks to Jeep's instruction, the excerpts from the band's voluminous on-stage repertoire that were committed to posterity - Rex Garvin's 'Gotta Go Now', Little Richard's 'Poor Dog', Albert King's v 'Not Like It Is', the Esquires' 'Listen To Me' -are notably eclectic. The Rationals' recording of Sam Hawkins' 'Hold On Baby' frankly blows the original clean out of the water. "Think Rational!" covers the first phase of the Rationals' career - that guided by their mentor, big brother and incipient Svengali, Jeep - and the following history focuses primarily on those four action-packed years.
The band did not split until late 1970, and we hope to feature their later recordings in a subsequent Big Beat package. However, it's not difficult to argue that, judged on the contents of this collection, Jeep presided over the Rats' golden era. From the innocence of their early British knock-offs to the full-blooded blue-eyed workouts of the 1967-68 period, we are proud to celebrate this exceptional group, and accord the Rationals the "respect" that they have so long deserved.
by Alec Palao, El Cerrito California
Disc1
1. Feelin' Lost (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) -1:48
2. Look What You're Doing (To Me Baby) (Scott Morgan) - 3:03
3. Someday (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) - 2:19
4. Gave My Love (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) - 2:48
5. I Need You (Ray Davies) - 2:16
6.1 Want To Walk With You (Scott Morgan) - 2:29
7. Little Girls Cry (Deon's Song) (Deon Jackson) - 1:54
8. Gloria (Van Morrison) - 2:25
9. Be My Girl (Scott Morgan) - 2:04
10. Leavin' Here (Eddie Holland, Lament Dozier, Brian Holland) - 3:12
11.Medley: Smokestack Lightning (Chester Burnett) / Inside Looking Out (Alan Lomax, Eric Burdon, Bryan Chandler) - 5:55
12.Sing (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) - 2:08
13.Turn On (Scott Morgan) - 2:09
14.Irrational (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll, Terry Trabandt, Bill Figg) - 2:35
15.Look What You're Doing (To Me Baby) (Scott Morgan) - 2:25
16.Someday (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) - 3:04
17.Gave My Love (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) - 2:45
18.Out In The Streets (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) - 2:34
Disc 2
1. Respect (Otis Redding) - 2:39
2. Hold On Baby (Jeff Barry, Bite Greenwich) - 3:01
3. I Gotta Go Now (Out On The Floor) (Clayton Dunn, Rex Garvin, Pete Holman) - 2:55
4. Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) - 2:54
5. (Had You Told It Like It Was It Wouldn't Be Like It Is, Oh No) Not Like It Is (Gene Redd, Sonny Thompson) - 3:33
6. Knock On Wood (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd) - 3:19
7. Leavin' Here (Eddie Holland, Lament Dozier, Brian Holland) - 2:44
8. Poor Dog (Who Can't Wag His Own Tail) (Johnny Watson, Larry Williams) - 2:54
9. Temptation's 'Bout To Get Me (James Oiggs) - 3:47
10.Listen To Me (Johnny Taylor, Bill Sheppard, Gilbert Moorer) 2:38
11.I Need You (Gerry Goffln, Carole King) - 3:43
12.You Got It Made (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) - 2:54
13.Ha Ha (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll, Terry Trabandt, Bill Flgg) - 4:30
14.Sunset (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll, Terry Trabandt, Bill Figg) - 3:08
15.Part Time Love (Clay Hammond) - 8:11
16.Out In The Streets (Scott Morgan, Steve Correll) - 2:05
Rationals
*Scott Morgan - Lead Vocals, Flute, Harmonica, Percussions
*Steve Correll - Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Terry Trabandt - Bass, Vocals
*Bill Figg - Drums
The Foundations were a surprisingly obscure late-'60s outfit, considering that they managed to reach the tops of the both the British and American charts more than once in the space of a year and had a solid three years of recordings. At the time of their debut in mid-1967, they were hailed as being among the most authentic makers of soul music ever to emerge from England -- the best practitioners of the Motown sound to be found on the far side of the Atlantic -- and were also accepted in jazz circles as well. "Baby Now That I've Found You," "Build Me Up Buttercup," and "In the Bad, Bad Old Days" were the biggest hits for this multi-racial octet, made up of Londoners and West Indians.
The Foundations were formed in January 1967 in the basement of a local coffee bar in Bayswater, gathered together through advertisements in Melody Maker. Lead singer Clem Curtis was a former boxer from Trinidad, while lead guitarist Alan Warner had been making his living in the printing trade in London while waiting for music to pay off. Flautist/saxman Pat Burke hailed from Jamaica, tenor saxman Mike Elliott had played with Colin Hicks (brother of Tommy Steele) in his band the Cabin Boys, as well as in several jazz bands, and trombonist Eric Allan Dale was another jazz veteran. Tony Gomez (keyboards), Peter Macbeth (bass), and Tim Harris (drums) rounded out the lineup. They selected the name Foundations based on their surroundings, a rehearsal space in the basement of a building.
The group made very little headway during their first few months together, although they did manage to get an audition at the Marquee Club. It was at their regular spot at a much smaller club called the Butterfly -- where they played one legendary gig on the last night of the Stax/Volt European tour -- that led to their breakthrough. They were spotted by record dealer Barry Class, who was impressed enough with what he heard to become their manager. He arranged a meeting with Pye Records producer/songwriter Tony Macaulay, who was working with Long John Baldry with some success, but also was desperately looking for a new act to break for the label. He'd written a song with his partner John Macleod called "Baby Now That I've Found You," which seemed to suit the Foundations.
The resulting single, issued in the summer of 1967, got no reaction from the public or on the airwaves until it got picked up by the BBC's newly founded Radio 1, by a stroke of pure luck. The station wanted to avoid any records being played by the pirate radio broadcasters, and looked back at recent releases that the pirates had missed. "Baby Now That I've Found You" was the immediate beneficiary, along with the group -- by November, the single held the number one spot on the British charts. The group's timing was as perfect as the song -- there had been a soul boom in England since late 1965, and the subsequent Motown and Stax/Volt tours by American R&B stars only heightened the public's interest.
The Foundations were hailed for being the first British band to come up with an authentic soul sound, and the fact that they were first multiracial band to top the British charts only made their success that much more impressive (at a time when England was beginning to come to grips with its own racial attitudes). What's more, the group had the goods to back up the press' accolades. Their performances revealed a seasoned, well-rehearsed, exciting stage presence and a bold, hard soul sound that most British bands managed to imitate only in the palest manner, if at all.
Meanwhile, their debut single got to number 11 on the American charts in the hands of MCA's Uni label, and it was equally well-received in the rest of the world, selling something more than three-and-a-half million copies. Suddenly, the Foundations were a British phenomenon and had a world-wide following.
An album, From the Foundations, was duly recorded and featured some superb material, embracing both current soul and the then-popular discotheque sounds. The covers included everything from Joe Tex ("Show Me") to Tony Hatch ("Call Me," in a version worthy of Motown), as well as some new Macaulay/Macleod numbers. The debut album never made the British charts, but it remained in print for years, a perennial seller that held up well over time.
Unfortunately, a follow-up single, "Back on My Feet Again," didn't crack the British Top Ten, despite very heavy airplay and promotion, and barely made the U.S. Top 50. In retrospect, it may have been too similar to "Baby Now That I've Found You," which had sold in enormous numbers. Its relative failure led to the beginnings of a split between the group and Macaulay, as both songwriter and producer, exacerbated by the latter's decision -- as their producer -- not to permit the group to record any of their own songs, even as B-sides. Additionally, they felt that Macaulay reined in their "real" sound, making them seem more pop-oriented than they were.
These disagreements occurred at just about the same time that the group itself began experiencing internal fractures. It seemed to Curtis, in particular, that some of the other members, having topped the charts and chalked up an international hit, weren't putting out the same effort they'd been giving to the group when they were still struggling.
Curtis was persuaded to pursue a solo career, ironically right after he'd recorded perhaps the best track he ever cut with the group, a killer rendition of "It's All Right," a number they'd been knocking crowds dead with on stage all along. (They also released a live album, Rocking the Foundations.) Additionally, saxman Elliott quit as well, and was never replaced. Curtis was succeeded by Colin Young, a good singer in his own right who fit in perfectly with the group's sound, and the reconstituted group hit once more in early 1969 with "Build Me Up Buttercup," written by Macaulay with Mike D'Abo, which reached number two in England and number one in America. "In the Bad, Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)" was yet another hit, reaching the U.K. Top Ten and the U.S. Top 30.
The band's success finally faltered when Macaulay exited Pye Records. As he later revealed, he was still being paid solely as a producer and he received no royalties for his songs, despite millions of copies sold. With his departure, the group was cut off from the only composer who'd written all of their hits. Additionally, the sounds of soul were changing faster than the group could assimilate it all -- they tried for a funkier, James Brown-type sound on their last recordings together in 1970 but failed to attract any attention.
The Foundations split in 1970, and by the middle of the decade that followed, Curtis revived the band -- but so had Young, and both outfits were called the Foundations. A lawsuit resulted in Curtis getting the rights to the original name, while Young was allowed to use the New Foundations. The group remains fondly remembered, if not often written about, in England, and it achieved some fresh international recognition in 1998 when "Build Me Up Buttercup" appeared prominently in the hit movie There's Something About Mary. Curtis continues to perform in a revived version of the group, and he and Warner have recorded new versions of the Foundations' classic numbers.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Baby, Now That I've Found You - 2:38
2. Come On Back To Me - 2:16
3. Back On My Feet Again - 2:56
4. I Can Take Or Leave Your Lovin - 2:18
5. Hold Me Just A Little While Longer (Barbara Ruskin) - 2:28
6. Love Is A Five Letter Word (Gene Barge) - 4:17
7. Call Me (Tony Hatch) - 2:29
8. Show Me (Joe Tex) - 2:54
9. Jerkin The Dog (James T. Shaw) - 3:01
10.A Whole New Thing (Jerry Goldstein) - 2:54
11.The Writing's On The Wall - 2:17
12.Mr Personality Man - 2:29
13.Any Old Time You're Lonely And Sad - 2:53
14.(We Are) Happy People (Eric Allendale) - 2:53
15.It's All Right (Wayne Jackson) - 3:03
16.Build Me UP Buttercup (Michael d'Abo, Tony Macaulay) - 3:00
17.New Direction (Alan Warner) - 3:01
18.Am I Groovin You (Bert Berns, Jeff Barry) - 3:11
19 Harlem Shuffle (Bob Relf, Earl Nelson) - 3:10
20.Tomorrow (Clem Curtis) - 4:48
21.Give Me Love (Colin Young) - 2:51
Songs written by John MacLeod, Tony Macaulay except where indicated
Tracks 1-12 "From The Foundations"
Tracks 13-21 "Build Me Up Buttercup"
Disc 2
1. My Little Chickadee - 3:00
2. Till Night Brought Day (Alan Warner, Peter McBeth, Tony Gomesz) - 3:11
3. Waiting On The Shores Of Nowhere (Jack Winsley) - 3:09
4. In The Bad. Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me) - 3:25
5. A Penny, Sir (Colin Young) - 3:13
6. I Can Feel It (Eric Allendale) - 3:42
7. Take Away The Emptiness Too- 3:01
8. Let The Heartaches Befiin- 2:57
9. A Walk Through The Trees (Pat Burke) - 3:40
10.That Same Old Feeling - 3:09
11.Solomon Grundy (Eric Allendale) - 4:09
12.Born To Live, Born To Die (Eric Allendale, Tony Gomez, Foundations) - 3:46
13.Why Did You Cry (Tony Gomez) - 2:12
14.Baby, I Couldn't See (John Worsley) - 3:30
15.Take A Girl Like Vou (Bill Martin, Phil Coulter) - 2:39
16.I'm Gonna Be A Rich Man (Colin Young) - 3:48
17.In The Beginning (Colin Young) - 4:06
18.The New Foundations - I Need Your Love I (Colin Young) - 2:25
19.The New Foundations Something For My Baby (Unknown) - 3:12
20.Where The Fire Burns (Unknown) - 5:35
All titles by John MacLeod, Tony Macaulay unlsess else written.
Tracks 1-11 "Diggin' The Foundations"
Tracks 12-20 "45' Singles"
The Foundations
*Clem Curtis - Lead Vocals
*Colin Young - Lead Vocals
*Arthur Brown - Vocals
*Alan Warner - Lead Guitar
*Peter Macbeth - Bass
*Steve Bingham - Bass
*Tim Harris - Drums
*Tony Gomez - Keyboards
*Pat Burke - Tenor Saxophone, Flute
*Mike Elliott - Tenor Saxophone
*Eric Allandale - Trombone
*Paul Lockey - Bass Guests
*Mike D'abo -Piano
*John McLeod - Piano
Jawbone was born from the ashes of The Mirage and Turquoise, two of the UK's greatest cult pop-psych bands (and both recently anthologised on RPM and Rev-Ola respectively) and their lone 1970 album rounds off their stories perfectly. They were thrown together after guitarist Ray Glynn and drummer Dave Hynes decided to re-form The Mirage after a short stint in The Spencer Davis Group came to an end in 1969 (they appear on the excellent "Short Change" single and ill-fated Funky album).
Vocalist Pete Hynes and former bassist Dee Murray was swiftly poached for Elton John's band so they recruited keyboard player and former Mirage sidekick/songwriter Kirk Duncan who called up another former colleague, Jeff "Gus" Peters of the recently defunct Turquoise to handle bass duties. Dave Hynes secured the band a deal with Merv Cohn's newly minted Carnaby label and they changed their name to The Portebello (sic) Explosion for a single coupling the dreamy, Beatlesque pop-sike of "We Can Fly" and a tough, hard-edged cover of Bubble Puppy's minor US hit "Hot Smoke And Sassafras".
The single went nowhere but album sessions began regardless in late 1969 with the re-recording of three old Mirage tunes - "How's Ya Pa?", "Chicago Cottage" and "Jeremiah Dreams" (mistitled "Jeremiah's Dream" on the eventual album), a suitably demented re-working of their unreleased 1967 psychedelic opus "Ebeneezer Beaver". When "How's Ya Pa?" was released as a single in early 1970, it was credited to yet another new moniker, Jawbone. Typically for this period, Dave Hynes had become obsessed by The Band and set about re-modelling the group in their image.
Consequently, titles like "Honeysuckle Redwood Cabin", "Homestead" and "Mister Custer" came thick and fast, bearing the distinct influences of The Band and The Byrds. On the flipside, Jeff Peters' yearning, Dylanesque "Song For Sunny" sounds like a top-notch Turquoise out-take, "Brave White Knight" blends Donovan, Simon & Garfunkel and "Greensleeves" to thrilling effect and the superb version of The Beatles' "Across The Universe" is chock full of flanged vocals, Wah-Wah guitar and all manner of glorious psychedelic trickery.
The album came housed in a luxurious, artistic and no doubt very expensive fold-out poster sleeve but sank without trace. A further non-LP single, "Way Way Down", was released shortly after but suffered a similar fate. Jawbone then hooked up with Joe Brown and became his backing band Home Brew for the next five years, at least ensuring themselves a regular income. Dave Hynes ended up drumming for Steve Marriott during the late 70s and into the '80s.
Tracks
1. Honeysuckle Red wod Cabin (Mynott) - 2:35
2. Homestead (Duncan) - 2:58
3. How's Ya Pa (Duncan, Longstaff) - 3:09
4. Brave Whight Knight (Mynott) - 3:18
5. Bulldog Goes West - 2:49
6. Across The Universe (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:49
7. Million Times Before (Duncan) - 3:02
8. Money Is - 2:46
9. Mister Cluster (Mynott) - 3:10
10. Song For Sunny (Peters) - 3:56
11. Chicago Cottage (Hines, Murray, Duncan) - 2:12
12. Jeremiah's Dream - 5:48
13. Way Way Down - 2:17
14. The Portebello Explosion - We Can Fly - 2:40
15. The Portebello Explosion - Hot Smoke And Satisfaction (Fore, Prince, Cox, Potter) - 2:52
All songs by Dave Hynes except where noted.
Vol 2 of the Mindexpanders series brings you more of the rarest, most funky, weird and downright excellent tracks in existence. It’s an intriguing CD, and undoubtedly one that will encourage collectors & creators alike to explore the lost world of strange recordings.
Another great set of rare tunes from the ‘70s - a mother lode of cuts with lots of strings, fuzzed out guitars, sexy eastern-esque tabla-clarinet duets, sitar, Hammond organs and even steel drums. Cover tune award on this one goes to The Soulful Strings for their sitared and feathered version of the Beatles Within You Without You. This album is a must for fans of Vampyros Lesbos and sundry other erotic soundtracks, as well as just general musical weirdness!
Artists - Tracks
1.The Stradivarius - Walkin’ In the Bach’s World - 2:09
2.The Flying Guitars - Electronics - 2:51
3.Acker Bilk Acka Raga - 2:26
4.Emery Deutsch & the Astro Sounds - You Tried To Warn Me - 2:18
5.The Scottmen - Sitar Sitter - 3:45
6.The Dynatones - The Fife Piper - 2:45
7.Bauer Productions - High Life - 4:26
8.Shell Street Orchestra - Groovy Beat - 4:07
9.International Bongo Band - Congo - 2:50
10.Didier Vincent - Jerk Avec Nous - 2:59
11.The Renegades - Mad Dog - 2:22
12.Robert Gretch - Galaxie Guitar - 2:30
13.Jamie Perez - Tema Arabe - 2:52
14.Unknown - Persian Go-Go Theme - 2:52
15.Timezone – Spacewalker - 3:14
16.The Soulful Strings - Within You Without You - 2:26
17.Thomas Natschinski Und Seine Gruppe - Kosmos 354 - 2:19
This Velvet Illusions formed in Yakima, Washington State in 1966 as The Illusions and changed name when they found out that another outfit was already using that moniker. They were managed by saxophonist George Radford’s father, who financed the band by selling some property and kitted them out with Vox instruments and amplifiers. Though too young to appear at many local clubs, The Velvet Illusions did play the usual array of school dances, proms, and parties, as well as performing on KIMA TV and appearing at the local Lee’s Music Store to promote Vox equipment.
In June 1967, Radford Sr. rented the band a house in Los Angeles and they moved to California. He formed his own Metro Media label and issued three singles in July of that year – a re-release of the group’s classic anti-drug debut ‘Acid Head’, ‘I’m Coming Home Los Angeles’ (which received a lot of local radio play), and ‘Velvet Illusions’. Whilst the material on the first two 45s had been recorded while still in Washington State the songs on the third single were new output laid down in Hollywood. The band’s entire recorded output has been compiled on "Acid Head" CD released 2011.
Cosmic Mind At Play
Tracks
1. Acid Head (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr) - 3:04
2. She Was The Only Girl (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr) - 2:36
3. I'm Coming Home Los Angeles (Bobby Worth, Henry Sanicola) - 2:07
4. Town Of Fools (Jerry Merritt) - 2:18
5. Velvet Illusions (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr) - 2:03
6. Born To Be A Rolling Stone (Jerry Merritt) - 1:49
7. Lazy (Sandra Karr, George Radford, Buddy Motola) -2:08
8. The Stereo Song (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr, Buddy Motola) - 1:51
9. Mini Shimmy (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr, Buddy Motola) - 2:11
10.Hippy Town (Steve Weed, George Radford Jr, Buddy Motola) - 2:10
Kaleidoscope was one of England’s purest and most beloved psychedelic bands. Prior to their ventures into psychedelia, Kaleidoscope had been known as The Sidekicks and then, The Key. These groups played a rather ordinary brand of British pop and R&B. Kaleidoscope debuted in 1967 with their fabulous Tangerine Dream LP. This disc featured some of the finest psychedelia England had produced up to that point.
More than half the album is fleshed out with lost classics; check out trippy tracks such as ”Please Excuse My Face,” “Dive Into Yesterday,” “Flight From Ashiya,” “The Murder of Lewis Tullani,” “Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer Man,” and the superb “Further Reflections In The Room Of Percussion.” Many of these cuts are on par with the best of Pink Floyd’s early work. Kaleidoscope was making imaginative music featuring plenty of interesting chord progressions, jangley guitars, bizarre lyrics, and smart production trickery. Much of the rest of Tangerine Dream is very good too, but sales and critical recognition stiffed due to the adventurous nature of the group’s music.
Faintly Blowing (Fontana) came out sometime later, in 1969. While it may lack some of the key album cuts that made Tangerine Dream so special, Faintly Blowing is consistently strong and features influences as diverse as folk and hard rock. Some of the highlights include “Poem,” a soft folk track similar to “Please Excuse My Face,” the phased out hard rocker “Music” and the edgy psychedelic title cut. Abrasive numbers “Snapdragon” and “Love Song From Annie” represent Kaleidoscope’s new hard rock approach while still retaining the group’s clever edge – these cuts are both gems. Some songs’ lyrics, like that on the tuneful folk-rocker “A Story From Tom Blitz,” deal with morals and important life lessons to be learned.
The music on Faintly Blowing is a bit more professional sounding, lacking the reckless energy and psychedelic feel of the debut. But make no mistake, this is a very good album full of sharp ideas, fairytale lyrics, fine songcraft and pretty vocals. If you’re intrigued by psychedelic, progressive or folk sounds, this disc is not to be missed.
by JasonNardelli
Tracks
1. Faintly Blowing - 4:08
2. Poem - 2:53
3. Snapdragon - 2:42
4. A Story From Tom Bitz - 3:45
5. (Love Song) For Annie - 2:33
6. If You So Wish - 3:40
7. Opinion - 0:18
8. Bless The Executioner - 2:58
9. Black Fjord - 3:13
10.The Feathered Tiger - 5:09
11.I'll Kiss You Once - 0:57
12.Music - 6:08
13.Do It Again For Jeffrey - 3:14
14.Poem (Mono Single Version) - 2:52
15.Balloon - 2:18
16.If You So Wish (Mono Single Version) - 3:40
17.I Luv Wight - Let The World Wash In - 4:11
18.I Luv Wight - Mediaeval Masquerade - 2:41
All compositions by Peter Daltrey and Eddie Pumer Bonus Tracks from 13-16 Special Bonus Tracks from 17-18
The festival band The M rode the high crest of the white foamed wave of the New Rock movement that overtook the Japanese music scene in the early seventies. The hand was a kind of supergroup since its members where assembled and drafted from other high profile heavy rock/psych outfits.
Lead guitarist Takami Asano was drafted in from Godaigo, bassist Yoshimichi Tarumi, Gedo's Tetsuya Nishi on drums and Yellow's TakamichiTarumi. In 1971 The M was everywhere, playing alongside such luminaries as Creation, Too Much, Murahatchibu and Miki Curtis' newly heavy version of Samurai. In early April 1971, The M performed at the celebrated 'Rock Invitation Number One', at llibiya Outdoor Hall, thereafter being asked back for'Rock Invitation Number Two', on June 26th.
Later the same year,The M recorded a self-titled LPfor RCA Records, which was released in February 1972. The M was destined to make it big but failed against all expectations to hit the spotlights, in that the album sold very few copies and was withdrawn. So not surprisingly (hey only released this single album and shortly afterwards disbanded. The A side is comprised of original compositions by the band, whereas the B side is made up out of some well selected cover tunes, with which they always had huge success while performing them live.
Tracks
1. (The Time Now Here) - 11:21
2. (White Cross) - 5:02
3. (Fault Of Love) - 3:25
4. My Cherie Amour - 2:54
5. Lookin' For A Home - 5:10
6. Gypsy Queen - 4:45
7. It's Too Late - 5:05
8. Flight Of The Ibis - 3:14
The M
*Takami Asano - Lead Guitar, Vocal, Keyboard
*Tetsuya Nishi - Drums, Vocal
*Yoshimichi Tarumi - Bass, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboard, Vocal
*Takamichi Tarumi - Vocal, Percussion
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
Kaleidoscope
*Eddy Pumer - Lead Guitar, Keyboards
*Steve Clark - Bass, Flute.
*Dan Bridgman - Drums, Percussions.
*Peter Daltrey - Lead Vocals, Keyboards
The last piece from the Fading Yellow puzzle, leads us again to North America, forgotten treasures come to light in this 13th volume, an ideal setting for the most demanding listeners, acoustic, guitar, baroque pop along with the always consistent and remarkable job on the covers and detailed notes about each musician.
I would like to thank my friend Cor for all his hard work and specially in these Fading Yellow series, most of them are limited and hard to find, and the value is sometimes large enough to obtain them.
Thank you all.
Artists - Tracks
1. Burnside - I Need No Help From You - 2:27
2. We The People - For No One To See - 2:01
3. The Arbors - I Can't Quit Her - 3:11
4. The Dickens - One Of A Kind Woman - 3:00
5. Michael - Love Is Just Around The Corner - 2:38
6. Terry Mcmanus - Gimme A Hand - 2:01
7. Bread - Cover Me Babe - 3:43
8. Early Times - Valley Of The Sun - 2:41
9. Benjamin Carry Ltd. - Catch The Rain - 1:57
10. Timothy - Mr Moonlight - 2:34
11. Lewis And Clark - Daddy's Plastic Child - 3:02
12. Natty Bumpo - Legends - 2:45
13. Pebbles And Shells - Let's Be More Than Friends Tonight - 2:25
14. Cinnamon - Have You Gone Out Of Your Mind? - 2:32
15. Bach's Lunch - You Go On - 2:21
16. Sure Cure - Anything You Want - 2:50
17. Harry's Group - Under My Umbrella - 2:35
18. Company Front - So Lonely - 2:25
19. Timothy - That Is All - 2:21
20. Jack Holiday - Lazy Day - 2:54
'Perhaps he is a bit headstrong. I think most of it is by design. He is struggling to find an identity. He has in fact told me that he wants to be controversial, inventive, temperamental. Actually, he belongs to a group of young poet-performers which might include John Phillips, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Bob Lind... you know the type. But make no mistake by thinking this information gives you a mental file on Rabbit Mackay.
That he is far beyond categoric placement is evident when you hear the first few bars of any of his song-poems. And I call them song-poems because they are far more involved in lyric content than in harmonic and melodic structure. You might see him and call him a 'hippie', but I'm sure that bag would offend him. He lives with several friends, Ellen and her baby in a small wood-frame house and adjoining shed in the middle of a sugar beet farm near Somis, California. It's complete with rusty farm machinery, old rabbit hutches, a goat and sugar beets. It's also quite obvious that he has rejected the materialistic life.
What furnishings you see are all spit and polish, which is probably a credit to Ellen. You'll see paraphernalia as you look around, and you might catch a whiff of incense which was burned a bit earlier. It's a groovy place where you can reach out. Rabbit's mind works a hundred miles an hour. His record producers tell me that it is impossible to keep him happy recording. By the time the technical hang-ups of the recording business have been overcome and a finished product has been derived, he has moved on to something more involved.
And though his instructors at Moorpark College reserve calling him genius at this time, all agree that there is something special about this young man. He seems to have surrounded himself with unique musicians - not that they have chosen obscure instruments as an outlet. They haven't. The rest of the group is electric piano, guitar and drums. Nothing strange there. But when Tree plays his piano, it sounds different somehow.
The same goes for Bob's drumming. Something he does fits Rabbit Mackay. That is the name of the entire group, you know. They went through the bit about 'The Rabbit Mackay Happening' or 'The Rabbit Mackay Movement' or 'The Rabbit Mackay Experience'. But the group decided not to tell their listeners they had just been part of an experience'
- original press release, December 1967
This unconventional singer-songwriter came from Somis, California. His first album takes in blues, garage-rock and gentle psychedelic folk, with backing from guitar, keyboards, flute, drums and more. A neglected gem originally released in June 1968.
Tracks
1. Big Sur - 4:36
2. Candy - 2:11
3. Lana Minus Life - 5:17
4. John's Lament - 3:20
5. Hard Time Woman - 2:52
6. Mexico Town - 2:21
7. Baby Jennifer - 2:47
8. When Angel Comes - 3:36
9. West Grogan Dormitory Blues - 4:08
10.You Can Always Come to Me - 2:50
The vol. 12 from the series Fading Yellow splits again the muse between Australia, continental Europe and Great Britain, of course the level remains high, both in music -a fine blend of jazzy orchestrated psychedelic pop-, and the CD presentation, the covers and detailed information about each artist. I hope this is gonna turn to be a pleasant Sunday companionship.
Artists - Tracks
1. Pennywise - Lily Come Near Me (The Netherlands) - 3:09
2. Murray Head - Someday Soon (UK) - 2:55
3. Paul Vigrass - Like It Never Was (UK) - 3:50
4. Pillow - Choirs (Sweden) - 3:05
5. Tin Tin - Swans On The Canal (Australia) - 2:18
6. Blue Skies - Nightingales (UK) - 2:31
7. Ted Mulry - Julia (Australia) - 2:22
8. Skaldowie - Cala Jestes W Skowronkach (Poland) - 4:38
9. Jormas - Tomorrow Is Hers (Finland) - 2:50
10.Change - When The Morning Comes (Iceland/UK) - 4:12
11.Jackpots - Lincoln City (Sweden) - 3:02
12.The Fortunes - I Can/T Remember When The Sun Went In (UK) - 3:22
13.Bengt & Pontus - Your Problem (Sweden) - 1:59
14.M.T. Else - The Ferris Wheel (Sweden) - 2:41
15.Biddu - Look Out Here I Come (UK) - 3:07
16.Harlem Speakeasy - Sight Of Pegasus (UK) - 2:12
17.Mike Tingley - Monotony's Message (The Neterlands) - 3:32
18.Nameless - A Lighthearted Life (Sweden) - 2:53
19.Gerry Morris - See Through My Mind (UK) - 3:36
20.Ted Mulry - So Much In Love Julia (Australia) - 2:43
21.Dave Berry - Chaplin House (UK) - 3:37
22.Pebbles - I Wonder (Belgium) - 3:16
23.Victoire Scott - 4eme Dimension (France) - 3:05
24.Victoire Scott - Une Fleur Dans Le Coeur (France) - 2:11
Don't be fooled by the name - with a moniker like Wildwood, you'd half expect pastoral literock from some self-absorbed Marin County dropouts, but the iconoclastic heroes of the tale about to unfold actually hail from the .tough blue collar environs of California's Central Valley - and they walked it like they talked it. The delta town of Stockton had strong R&B roots, with the influential Merced Blue Notes showing the way in the early 1960s, and local rockers like Gary Wagner sporting a tough groove in the groups the Chosen Few and Parish Hall, but by the late 1960s the city had wimped out, with the popular vibe a distinctly folkie, hippyish one, centered around countercultural hotspots like the Minotaur.
In this mellow milieu, Wildwood were the exception - dark and vaguely sinister in both look and sound, they melded the fuck-you attitude of the garage era with a soulful R&B streak and some enviable hard rock chops. Independent to the end, Wildwood did their own thing, and their story - and its remarkable musical legacy, as featured on the two discs you now hold in your hand - is a good one had had an enviable indoctrination into the music from the other side of the tracks, when at fourteen he was enlisted by the Coachmen, a multi-racial combo who rehearsed in his parents basement in the lily-white section of town.
The Mal-Ts were originally called The Dynamic Crescendos. They were from Linden, which is just east of Stockton - only eight miles away but a different world for me, a rural area. Named for surfing totem the Maltese Cross, the Mal-Ts were completely in the vanguard of the moment, a grass roots hybrid of British Invasion and its Raiders-Rascals American equivalent, and already a popular attraction amongst teens locally. The Mal-Ts lone 45, Here To Stay / Stand Up Today, is amongst the handful of garage gems to emanate from the Central Valley. Cut in Hollywood in late 1966 with famed engineer Bruce Morgan, this fine record was issued upon the bands own imprint, Lady Luck.
Williams got drafted, and Hensley also left, indirectly leading to the formation of what would become Wildwood. Williams was replaced by John Turner, formerly of The Cloud, and the bass playing position was actually taken over by a guitarist: Frank Colli, leader of Frankie & The Fontells and a legendary figure in Stockton with a reputation as a bad-ass – both onstage and off. Colli had a unique vocal style, modeled somewhere between his idol Ray Charles, and the intensity of a Sean Bonniwell or Arthur Lee. Zachary had seen fit to rename the band Zephyr Blue but, as the quartet of John, Tim, Mark and Frank got to know each other musically via marathon jam sessions at Tim's mother's barn on Baldwin Lane, there was no longer a position for him anyway, it was Zachary that further enabled the new creativity of the new band by making a connection that would provide the lion's share of recordings that appear on this anthology.
Max Weiss, the eccentric founder of venerable San Francisco independent label Fantasy Records, was well known for hosting literally dozens of acts in the labels funky warehouse studio, located in the Mission district of San Francisco, during the mid-1960s By the summer of 1968, Weiss was famously lackadaisical about seriously working with bands, but he was impressed enough by what he heard to suggest they have a release on Magnum. Mark: "By that point we had become Wildwood, from a book I was reading about ancient Celtic pagan rituals.
As with all the Wildwood recordings, it's the outlaw timbre of Colli's voice that makes the moment extra-special. Wildwood had already started performing around the Valley in the old Mal-Ts stomping grounds, but their tough sound was at odds with the folkier direction most other local groups seemed to be embracing. Mark: "After Plastic People came out, we also started promoting our own shows in different towns like Modesto. Turlock, Tracy, and in Sierra foothills towns like San Andreas and Sonora.
This is Wildwood, it's black, it's dark, whatever it is, it's us. Free Ride, released in 1969, and sporting standard Steppenwolf style rock moves. It's flipside was a much more original item that went back to the Vox-era, with overdubbed piano and a dramatic atmosphere. Wildwood County is significant also for the introduction of perhaps the most colourful figure in the entire Wildwood saga: the enigmatic W. Chalker, he was a character. rolled up, and work boots — definitely not the hip- PIG type, Up to that time, Frank was writing most of the lyrics, but when they met Chalker, his lyrics took they to a different place. He would record these primal, rambling versions of his songs with just vocal and acoustic guitar.
As it is for many other groups of their kind, the intensive five years the four members of Wildwood worked together proved an emotionally draining experience, with little to show for it save two obscure 45s and a bag full of 7 1/2 ips dubs of their Fantasy tapes. Moving on, most everyone continued in music to a greater or larger degree. Mark Ross played with several notables including the Mark- Almond Band, and would eventually move into composing music for television, with two Emmys to his credit. Still writing and singing, the enigmatic Frank Colli performs regularly in the Central Valley, and his newer material can be found online. Tim Mora continues to play drums with various local acts.
Although John Turner passed away a few years ago, the members of Wildwood have remained great friends for the last forty years. And it's quite likely that the powerful shared apprenticeship of Wildwood was something that wasn't replicated in their subsequent musical adventures.
by Alec Palao
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Plastic People (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:14
2. Mothers (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:35
3. Mary Midnight (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 5:43
4. Choo Choo Thunder (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 6:05
5. Free Ride (Hammond) (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 2:42
6. Wildwood County (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:28
7. Gotta Keep Movin' (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:32
8. Swimming (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 2:39
9. Steel Cathedrals (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 6:13
10.Probing the Secrets (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:14
11.Durango (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:34
12.Mister Wild Love (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:05
13.The Weasel (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:41
Disc 2
1. Knock On Any Door (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:25
2. Lonesome Roads (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 3:47
3. Steel Cathedrals (Mercury) (W. Chalker, F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 4:04
4. Free Ride (Vox) (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 5:12
5. Blue Eyed Woman (F. J. Colli, T. Mora, M. S. Ross) - 6:38
6. The Mal T's - Here To Stay (Bob Zachary) - 1:54
7. The Mal T's - Stand Up Today (Bob Zachary) - 2:38
8. William Chalker - Wildwood County (W. Chalker) - 5:22
9. William Chalker - Frisco Fog (W. Chalker) - 4:27
10.William Chalker - Choo Choo Thunder (W. Chalker) - 1:15
11.Chalker - Death is a Horseman (W. Chalker) - 6:51
12.Chalker - Sweet Lorraine (W. Chalker) - 5:44
13.Chalker - Nevada Voice (W. Chalker) - 3:32
14.Chalker - Mary of the Midnight (W. Chalker) - 8:21
