Various Artists - Raw Blues (1967 uk / us, superb electric blues)

From this modest beginning Mike Vernon was eventually able to lure several 'name' Stateside blues men to 'The Supreme Record Company's' then head offices on London's Albert Embankment, for the purpose of inking a recording contract, and thereafter driving them to West Hampstead — Decca's studio complex. Simultaneously, his was the influence which convinced some of Britain's finest home-grown exponents of the genre to follow a similar course.

This package, aptly titled Raw Blues, was assembled by Mike and issued on Decca's subsidiary 'Ace Of Clubs' label in January 1967 (ACL (Mono)/SCL (Stereo) 1220). An intriguing collection of artifacts, its wetter of big name participants may now be appreciated through the sophisticated medium of sound which is a compact disc. The technology may be smoother these days, but the blues remain as raw as ever...

A few details about the contents and its protagonists wouldn't go amiss: Bom Jackson, Mississippi, on 21 st March 1930, Otis Spann shared his parents affections with two brothers and two sisters. Product of a musically inclined family, his father Frank Euston Spann played piano and mother Josephine was formerly a guitarist with Memphis Minnie, a top vocalist who knew a good picker when she heard one, having married another Jackson six-string resident, Joe McCoy (Kansas Joe). Mot surprisingly, Otis took to music like a duck to water, adopting piano as his chosen Instrument Largely self-taught, in later life he always acknowledged the influence Big Maceo Merriweather had upon his style. Gaining confidence as a result of forming a small band with some other local juveniles, when he heard about a neighbourhood talent competition happening at the Alamo Theatre he entered and won — as a singer — performing Coot Davis' Four O'clock Blues. 

With the passing years he pursued medical studies at Jackson's Campbell College in the hope of becoming a doctor. When not buried in textbooks, he displayed a sporting prowess at boxing and football, briefly even turning professional at the latter. Between 1946 and '51 the U.S. Army called upon his time, but after discharge he relinquished all thoughts of any other occupation than music and moved to Chicago. The rest of the family had domiciled themselves there two years earlier, when mother died. Swiftly contacted by Muddy Waters, Otis joined the great guitarist/vocalist and stayed with his outfit for many years thereafter, although between 1952 and the time of this recording he'd also supplied studio accompaniment for such legends as Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley and Lowell Fulson. 

Visiting Britain in May 1964 for a tour, our subject recorded an acclaimed Decca LP: The Blues Of Otis Spann (LK 4615). Included here are the four additional cuts from that London session of May 4th: Pretty Girls Everywhere (a), My Home In The Desert and the McKinley Morganfield (alias Muddy Waters) duo Country Boy and You're Gonna Need My Help. Personnel: Otis Spann (Vocal, Piano); 'Brother' (Guitar); Ransom K nowli ng (Bass); Little Willie Smith (Drums); add Eric Clapton (Gtr.) on (a) only. Further south in New Orleans, seaport metropolis of Louisiana, on Independence Day 1910, was bom William Thomas 'Champion Jack' Dupree. His father was French, while mother was a descendant of the Cherokee Indian tribe. 

Tragically, both were killed when the family home burnt down during his seventh year. After spending the next seven cooped up in an institution he ran away, but not before he'd mastered the basics of singing and playing piano. Thereafter he maintained his existence by thumping the untuned pianos of seedy dubs and houses of ill-repute, acquiring the technique known as' Barrelhouse' playing thanks to prominent exponent of the art Willie Hall, otherwise billed as Drive 'em Down. 

The Depression found our subject attempting to make ends meet by taking up boxing—whence 'Champion Jack' — but by the mid-Thirties he'd joined forces with Cotton Club keyboarder Leroy Carr. Upon the tatter's early death Jack was offered the unfortunate vacancy, which he accepted. In 1940 the Okeh label added him to their roster; it was the first of a multitude of labels great and small to do so over the next thirty years, including King — where he notched a big hit on the R ' n' B charts, Walkingthe Blues, in 1955-and Atlantic. 

As blues music gained European popularity through the Fifties, many big names were lured from America to tour and occasionally record as a bonus. Big Bill Broonzy was instrumental in persuading Dupree to take the plunge, and he liked it so much that by 1960 he'd married an English giri half his age and settled in Zurich, Switzerland.  From here he was able to commute around Europe, finding appreciative audiences for his set which at that time still included some dance routines — early in his career he'd worked in vaudeville performing the tap variety.

By 1965 he was living in and working out of Denmark's capital, and the following February Mike Vernon signed him to a three album deal for Decca. The first of these, From New Orleans To Chicago (LK 4747), hit the shops in April, and included here are the two tracks from those sessions which were omitted through lack of space: Calcutta Blues (a) and the Eddie Boyd penned 24 Hours. Backed by an all-star British group, Now deservedly billed as 'The Father Of British Blues', John Mayall is rightly predominant on this collection. As one of the handful of pioneers responsible for popularizing the style in the U.K., his contribution cannot be overstated. 

The Bluesbreakers became a veritable 'nursery' for so many future stars in their formative years, and amongst the home grown contingent on display here are some of the finest. Of his two solo billings, the impassioned Burn Out Your Blind Eyes and Milkman Strut, this second title prevailed, according to Vernon's original album sleeve note, when the daily delivery to the studios saw the dairy employee wander in midway through a 'take', deposit his crate, and nonchalantly walk out slamming the door behind him...

Of John's pairing with organist Steve Anglo, it may now be revealed that for Anglo read Winwood. Owing to contractual obligations elsewhere he could not appear under his true identity when the album was published. Rhythm section duties on Long Night belonged to then Bluesbreakers' members John McVie (Bass) and drummer Aynsley Dunbar.

The Mayall and Clapton liaisons here, John's Lonely Years and Eric's instrumental Bernard Jenkins, were cut at Mike's instigation and originally issued as a back-to-back limited edition 45 on his own Purdah label. Dating from the period between the players' joint collaborations under contract to firstly Andrew Oldhams Immediate company and then Decca, (Bluesbreakers era), both were committed through a single microphone in the middle of the capital's Wessex Studios in Soho, hence the unusual sound.

At the time of its taping, Peter Green had recently been recruited to the Mayall ranks as Eric's axe wielding replacement. On his own composition, Evil Woman Blues, he displayed a mature prowess at both playing and singing despite his relative lack of experience. In time, of course, he formed Fleetwood Mac, but that's another story... Legendary purveyors of the blues from both sides of the Atlantic are gathered together in this one historical little collocation. We all owe grateful thanks to Mike Vernon for making it possible. Why wait? Just play on...

by John Tracy, London, 1987

Tracks
1. Otis Spann - Pretty Girls Everywhere (Church, Williams) - 2:57
2. John Mayall - Burn Out Your Blind Eyes (Mayall) - 3:00
3. Champion Jack Dupree - Calcutta Blues (Unknown) - 4:00
4. John Mayall And Steve Anglo - Long Night (Mayall, Anglo) - 2:04
5. Otis Spann - Country Boy (Morganfiled) - 3:34
6. Curtis Jones - You Got Good Business (Jones) - 3:23
7. John Mayall And Eric Clapton - Lonely Years (Mayall) - 3:21
8. Peter Green And John Mayall - Evil Woman Blues (Green) - 4:04
9. Otis Spann - My Home In The Desert (Unknown) - 4:20
10.John Mayall - Milkman Strut (Mayall) - 2:26
11.Champion Jack Dupree - 24 Hours (Boyd) - 4:07
12.Curtis Jones - Roll Me Over (Jones) - 2:38
13.John Mayall And Eric Clapton - Bernard Jenkins (Clapton) - 3:50
14.Otis Spann - You Gonna Need My Help (Morganfield) - 3:25

Musicians
*Champion Jack Dupree - Piano, Vocals
*Alexis Korner - Guitar
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
*John Mayall - Guitar, Harmonica, Piano, Vocals
*Peter Green - Guitar, Vocals
*Eric Clapton - Guitar, Vocals
*Curtis Jones - Piano, Vocals
*Eddie Taylor - Drums
*Otis Spann - Piano, Vocals
*Steve Anglo - Organ
*Tony Mcphee - Guitar
*Jack Fallon - Bass
*Keef Hartley - Drums
*Malcolm Pool - Bass
*Ransom Knowling - Bass
*John Mcvie - Bass
*Little Willie Smith - Drums

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Bloomfield • Hammond • Dr.John - Triumvirate (1973 us, marvelous funky blues rock, japan expanded edition)

Bringing together three strong musical personalities like John Hammond, Mike Bloomfield and Dr. John is no easy task. The least of the problems, to begin with, is finding o solid month and a half when each of them is free from studio and performing obligations. With that accomplished, you still have the problem of discovering a common musical ground for three strong-willed musicians, excellent instrumentalists, producers and stars in their own right, each of whom has definite opinions about how music should be played. 

Before playing a single note in the studio, Mike, John and Dr. John, as well as producer Thomas Jefferson Kaye, were all aware that one of two things could happen: (1) Egos would conflict, and about all we would hear would be three individuals showing us how good they can play, or (2) There would be positive chemistry among John, Mike and Dr. John, as each would direct himself towards the collective musical goals of the band, and that by working together each of the musicians would be able to do what they do best. 

During the first two weeks together, everyone involved—including Mssrs. Hammond, Bloomfield and Kaye, and Dr. John—was certain that the chemistry just wasn't there. Everything pointed to musical chaos. 'It was like hell/' said John, "We could have killed each other." At one point, practically everyone threatened to leave. Dr. John actually packed up and went back home; Mike, for his part, left one night in the middle of a session, telling his dumbfounded musical colleagues, ''I quit. I am going home, and I am going to watch Flip Wilson." 

Then, suddenly, one brisk day in fate February, everything began to click. Dr. John had been convinced to return to San Francisco from Los Angeles, and with him were a new drummer, Fred Staehle, who had played with him in New Orleans, and bassist, Chris Etheridge, a mainstay of the studio scene All of a sudden, everyone realized that the chemistry had, indeed, always been there. Fred and Chris were immediately tuned into the music, and from that point on, all was flow. 

While the recording sessions accomplished a great many things musically (among other things, it satisfied Dr. John's first rule of rock and roll: "ya gottu dance to it"), Mike, Dr. John and John all came out strongly as individual musical personalities without getting in each other's way. 'As a matter of fact," said John, "we really went over our heads. Each of us reached a much higher state together than we imagined we could when we began." It is that rare brand of music where everyone listens as much as they play—and because of it, every piece fits perfectly into place. In the end, this musical collective expression has made John Hammond, Mike Bloomfield and Dr. John, indeed, a Triumvirate.

by Robert Hurwitz

Tracks
1. Cha-Dooky-Doo (Mae Vince) - 3:45
2. Last Night (Walter Jacobs) - 2:56
3. I Yi Yi (Lorraine Rebennack) - 3:50
4. Just To Be With You (Bernie Roth) - 4:14
5. Baby Let Me Kiss You (King Floyd) - 3:03
6. Sho Bout To Drive Me Wild (Mac Rebennack, Jesse Hill, Alvin Robinson, King Floyd) - 3:31
7. It Hurts Me Too (Mel London) - 3:48
8. Rock Me Baby (J. Josea, B. B. King) - 3:40
9. Ground Hog Blues (Joe L. Hooker) - 3:31
10.Pretty Thing (Willie Dixon) - 4:46
11.I Yi Yi (Bonus Track, Single Version) (Lorraine Rebennack) - 2:32
12.The Trip (Bonus Track) (Mac Rebennack) - 4:00

Musicians
*John Hammond - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
*Mike Bloomfield - Lead Guitar
*Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) - Piano, Organ, Guitar, Banjo, Percussion
*Fred Staehle - Drums
*Chris Ethridge - Bass
*Thomas Jefferson Kaye - Guitar, Background Vocals
*John Bourdreaux - Percussion
*Bennie Parks - Percussion
*Richard "Blue" Mitchell - Trumpet
*George Bohanon - Trombone
*Baritone Saxophone - James Gordon
*Jerome Jumonville - Tenor & Alto Sax
*Robbie Montgomery - Background Vocals
*Jessie Smith - Background Vocals
*Lorraine Rebennack - Background Vocals

Related Acts
1966-68  The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Strawberry Jam
1967  Electric Flag - The Trip
1968-69  Electric Flag - An American Music Band / A Long Time Comin'  
196?-7?  The Electric Flag - Live
1969  Mike Bloomfield And Al Kooper - The Live Adventures
1969  Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites & Friends - Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West
1969  Nick Gravenites - My Labors
1976  KGB - KGB
1976-77  Michael Bloomfield - Live at the Old Waldorf

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The Kinetic - Suddenly Tomorrow EP / Live Your Life LP (1966-67 uk, cool mod rhythm 'n' blues)

The Kinetic were Andy Mowbray (vocals), Bob Weston (lead guitar), Geoffrey Capper (bass), John Christopher Sze (drums), and Michael Humby (organ). They issued a 10 cut album for Disques Vogue, which is reproduced here, (all self-penned compositions) in 1967, seven of the cuts from which were issued as two EPs. Magic have already reissued these as CD EPs in original sleeves, so if you own those, you don't really need to go here as well.

The Kinetic may be known to readers from their two contributions to compilations, 'The Train', a rollicking R'n'B blues-harp wailing instro and their standout track, the pop-siker 'Suddenly Tomorrow'. The latter title is indeed a cool sike moment featuring big chords, minor scales and a nice '67 feel. It stands head and shoulders above the rest of the album's contents. 

More generally, The Kinetic come across at times like a sub-Action. They certainly employ the crisp soul / pop-beat of the times in 'Live Your Life', 'Letter To Rosetta' and 'Sunny Cloud' (think Timebox, Zoot Money, The Cam-Pact etc). They also do a reasonable line in pop whimsy ('Child's Song') and acoustic led balladry (Hall of the Viking', 'Time Of Season' - no, not the Zombies!). Then there's the R'n'B of 'The Train' and 'Willy 'D' Fixer'. The last cut 'Jam Around' is exactly that a banal and mandatory (for the times) slow blues filler instro with interchangeable guitar and keys lead breaks. 

Shindig-mag 

LP Tracks
1. Live Your Life (Weston, Capper) - 2:22
2. Hall Of The Viking (Weston, Mowbray) - 3:41
3. Letter To Rosetta (Weston, Mowbray) - 2:11
4. Childs Song (Weston, Capper) - 1:58
5. Suddenly Tomorrow (Weston, Mowbray, Capper) - 4:23
6. Sunny Cloud (Capper) - 1:58
7. Willy 'D' Fixer (Weston, Capper) - 2:24
8. Time Of Season (Weston, Mowbray) - 2:20
9. The Train (Weston, Capper) - 3:11
10.Jam Around (Weston) - 4:36

EP Tracks
1. Suddenly Tomorrow (Weston, Mowbray, Capper) - 4:23
2. Letter To Rosetta (Weston, Mowbray) - 2:12
3. Time Of Season (Weston, Mowbray) - 2:21

The Kinetic
*Andy Mowbray - Vocals
*Bob Weston - Lead Guitar
*Geoffrey Capper - Bass
*John Christopher Sze - Drums
*Michael Humby - Organ

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The Hobbits - Men And Doors (1968 us, enjoyable sunny psych folk, original Vinyl issue)

Between 1967 and 1969 Jimmy Curtiss worked with a group called The Hobbits in New York. This was presumably more a studio project than a performing live band. Despite the band's name, apparently taken from the universe of Middle Earth, which was very popular in hippie circles at the time, Tolkien's creatures never appear in the songs of The Hobbits, even though the first album is called "Down To Middle Earth" and the last "Back From Middle Earth". 

There are three LPs and two singles by the Hobbits. "Strawberry Children"/bw "Pretty Young Thing" even appeared as a licence release on Festival Records in New Zealand and Australia. The third album was probably never released officially. At least I only know of copies bearing the imprint "promotional copy". The first two albums, released on Decca in New York in 1967 and 1968 respectively, offer a mixture of sunshine pop and soft psychedelia. Not unlike the music bands such as The Cowsills or Jay & The Americans. 

There are excellent vocal harmonies, especially on the second album "Men And Doors" (1968). Two female studio singers and a flamenco guitar player were added to the usual line up of bass, drums, guitars, and keyboards, resulting in a special flavour all over the whole recordings.The Hobbits 2.LPBoth most outstanding psych pop songs written by Jimmy Curtiss are included here as well: "The Journey" and "Strawberry Children". 

Listening to the first album (1967) of the Hobbits I get the impression, that musicians and arrangers are operating in a field they're not really familiar with. Obviously they tried to jump the psychedelic bandwagon in the summer of love, which had already passed it's zenith and was approaching a deadend street. So all efforts of Jimmy Curtiss and his partners Jerry Vance and Terry Philips came too late to gain reasonable success. In the end these efforts were supposedly too tame and evidently made up. 

Twang-Tone

Tracks
1. Men And Doors (Jimmy Curtiss, Terry Phillips) - 2:28
2. España Baby (Jimmy Curtiss, Terry Phillips) - 2:28
3. Let Me Make My Own Mistakes (Jimmy Curtiss) - 2:24
4. Feeling (Jimmy Curtiss) - 2:30
5. Words Get In The Way (Jimmy Curtiss) - 2:45
6. The Journey (Jimmy Curtiss, Howie Sell) - 2:32
7. Will You Be Ready For Tomorrow (Jimmy Curtiss) - 2:28
8. Love Is (Jimmy Curtiss, Terry Phillips) - 2:36
9. Strawberry Children (Jimmy Curtiss) - 3:20
10.University Of The Street (Jimmy Curtiss, Kay Daniels) - 2:36
11.Artificial Face (Jimmy Curtiss) - 2:28

The Hobbits
*Gini Eastwood
*Heather Hewitt
*Jimmy Curtiss
*Tony Luizza
*Zok Russo

The Hobbits
1967  Down To Middle Earth
Related Act
1969  Jimmy Curtiss - Life

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Foghat - Rock And Roll (1973 uk, groovy hard rockin' blues, japan remaster)

Foghat's second album finds the group working its way towards the fusion of blues and hard rock that would make them an arena rock favorite. They were not yet the stadium kings they would soon become, but Rock and Roll benefits from a muscular production that gives the band a muscular sound worthy of their impressive live act. 

A good example is the powerful album opener "Ride, Ride, Ride": Lonesome Dave Peverett wails over a boogie beat fortified by rumbling power chords as gospel-style backup vocalists cheer him on at the chorus. "Road Fever" is another choice rocker, a song about the rock & roll touring life (a recurrent Foghat song subject) that spices up its fuzz guitar rock with a rubbery bassline and a attractive but non-intrusive horn section.  

The band manages to pull off a few surprises here and there that show they were looking forward: "Helping Hand" crossbreeds the band's boogie sound with acoustic country-rock touches to create a tune that sounds like the Eagles on steroids, and the power ballad "It's Too Late" succeeds despite its cliche lost-love lyrics, thanks to a sharp arrangement that shows off the sharp guitar interplay between Peverett and Rod Price. Any Foghat enthusiast will find plenty to enjoy on this disc. 

by Donald A. Guarisco

Tracks
1. Ride, Ride, Ride - 4:24
2. Feel So Bad (Willis) - 5:09
3. Long Way To Go (Price, Peverett, Stevens) - 5:07
4. It's Too Late - 3:52
5. What A Shame - 3:57
6. Helpin' Hand (Price, Peverett, Stevens) - 4:41
7. Road Fever - 4:22
8. She's Gone - 3:12
9. Couldn't Make Her Stay (Peverett) - 1:57
All songs by Rod Price and Dave Peverett except where stated.

Foghat
*Dave Peverett - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Rod Price - Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Tony Stevens - Bass
*Roger Earl - Drum

Foghat
1972  Foghat (1st Album, Japan remaster)
Related Acts
1967-68  Savoy Brown - Shake Down / Getting To The Point
1969-70  Savoy Brown - Raw Sienna / Looking In

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Life - Spring (1971 germany, rough 'n' hard rock)

"The story of Life and their only album 'spring' began sometime early 1971 after Christian Burchard from Embryo visited composer, musician, producer, sound engineer and artist Julius Schittenhelm in his Munich studio. In his forthcoming autobiography Julius Schittenhelm writes about the beginning of Life, the difficulties of the LP production and the abrupt end of the band.

'Once again Christian Burchard came to my studio romancing about an American Trio called 'The Wedge' that wanted to make a record in Germany. When I met them they were only a duo - the bass player had gone back to America. The band leader, originally the drummer and lead singer, was called Linus, he spoke German with a strange Frankfurt accent was now a rhythm guitar player. He was of average build like myself, had a scarred face, large nose and a tough look. The second man was called Jason and was half Red Indian. He played lead guitar, sang backing and sometimes lead vocals. They soon found a drummer, Marcel Mohr, and a bassist, Gernot Pilz who both came from the Munich area. Gernot was also a press photographer. 

An opera singing couple from the Munich suburb of Schwabing had set up a studio and practice rooms in their cellar in Martiusstrasse which they rented out at affordable prices. This is where the band practiced. The music was Rock 'n' Roll with slight Country influences, not exactly my sort of music but fashionable and on the up.

Most of the songs were written by Linus, three were from Jason and one from Gernot. Linus was a perfectionist and thus the band needed a few months for the precision he found was required for a record production.

At the beginning of July the Rock 'n' Roll musicians were in perfect harmony with each other so we could start recording. This took place in two of the Martiusstrasse practice rooms. I used 2 Revox machines switched on simultaneously to record four channels at once.

An electrician I met by chance built me a circuit board with which I could synchronise the Revoxes using a remote control. Until then I had been operating the two machines using two fingers and for the third one I needed help with some 'one-two-threes' and was happy when it worked. The third machine was for the mix.

It took a whole hot summer month until all the tracks were in the can. 

After all the tapes were carefully numbered and catalogued we started mixing and at the end of July the master tape was finally finished. Linus, who had a way with words, started dealing with CBS. To look good we rented a big Mercedes. Bandleader Linus and myself as Producer, Sound Engineer and Chauffeur drove to Hamburg.

Once we got to CBS we didn't have to wait long and played the demo tape straight away. The manager responsible for Rock 'n' Roll seemed to like it and also Linus. Anyway a contract was signed, luckily without me. There was a substantial advance and from this I was paid for my work. The band was named 'Life' and the LP 'spring' was released. An extensive promo tour followed. I have no idea how many or even if any records were sold. Mohr had done his work and left.

Through the summer we had further recording sessions for the second LP. On New Year's Eve 1971/72 the CBS manager drove under a lorry and was killed. His successor didn't like the music or the band and stopped the project. In February 1972 the band broke up during an Italian tour. There must have been some pretty hefty arguments going on as they arrived back separately. Linus packed up his stuff and apparently disappeared to Sweden. The first I heard from him since then was in June 2002 when we were planning this CD. He is still a musician and he told me that Jason was living in the States'.

During the research into this album Julius Schittenhelm discovered tapes, believed lost, that he produced with the other recordings in the Munich cellar. From these recordings we have chosen 3 as bonus tracks for this CD and the others will appear on future releases."

by Manfred Steinheuer

Tracks
1. Tantalizing Sensation - 3:49
2. Laverne's (Jason) - 1:49
3. Dream Machine - 6:17
4. Mean Woman (Jason) - 3:19
5. Hawaiian Jack - 6:18
6. Honeydrippin' Boogie Woogie (Linus, Gernot) - 3:09
7. Then I Am, Pt. 1 - 2:56
8. Then I Am, Pt. 2 - 1:31
9. My Discovery (Jason) - 4:11
10.Talkin' Bouta Woman - 6:06
11.The Last Song (Gernot) - 3:08
12.Headhunter Blues (Life) - 7:24
13.I Don't Want To Be Your Fool Anymore - 4:07
14.Where Are You Headed? - 5:07
All songs by Linus except where noted

Life
*Jason - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Linus - Drums, Vocals
*Gernot Pilz - Bass
*Marcel Mohr - Drums

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The Siegel • Schwall Band - The Siegel • Schwall Band (1971 us, excellent chicago blues rock, 2018 reissue)

Along with the first-wave British Invasion bands like The Rolling Stones, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and stateside groups like The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Siegel-Schwall Band were instrumental in The Great Blues Revival of the 1960's. Like Paul Butterfield, Siegel-Schwall were Chicago-based, serving as the house band at the famed Pepper's Lounge. They earned their spurs backing greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and Willie Dixon.

From 1966 until they disbanded in 1974, they ranked among the most important forces in reaching the baby boomer audience that sustains the blues to this day. The Siegel-Schwall Band also pioneered the cross-fertilization of the blues with other forms, performing Bill Russo's "Three Pieces For Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra" in 1968 with the San Francisco Symphony and The Boston Pops. Corky Siegel has continued this expansion of the blues with his project, Chamber Blues.

The current band includes two other genuine notables, bassist Rollo Radford and drummer Sam Lay. Radford's resume stretches from Martha & The Vandellas to Sun Ra, giving him the artistic range to follow wherever Siegel and Schwall want to take the blues. Lay's credentials are awesome. His stellar work with Muddy Waters, Little Walter and The Paul Butterfield earned him entry in both The Blues and The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"The word 'legendary' gets thrown around a lot these days, but it seems appropriate to apply to The Siegel-Schwall Band." - Triple Door, Seattle 

Chamber-Blues

Tracks
1. (Wish I Was On A) Country Road (Jim Post, Corky Siegel) – 3:19
2. Devil (C. Siegel) – 5:10
3. Leavin' (Jim Schwall) – 3:10
4. Corrina (Traditional) – 6:05
5. I Won't Hold My Breath (C. Siegel) – 4:01
6. Next To You (J. Schwall) – 4:20
7. Hush Hush (Jimmy Reed) – 11:06

The Siegel-Schwall Band
*Corky Siegel – Piano, Harmonica, Vocals
*Jim Schwall – Guitar, Vocals
*Rollo Radford – Bass, Vocals
*Shelly Plotkin – Drums

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The Hobbits - Down To Middle Earth (1967 us, smart sunny folk psych, original Vinyl issue)

Folk-rock outfit the Hobbits was the studio project of Queens, New York-born singer/songwriter Jimmy Curtiss, who ranks as one of the more interesting footnotes in the history of rock & roll -- the rare would-be teen idol who actually wrote his own material (and did so admirably), he later expanded his reach into psychedelia and harmony-laden folk-rock, but while the subject of a small cult following, none of his records ever made a commercial dent. 

Curtiss first surfaced in 1959 as a member of the doo wop combo the Enjays and issued his solo debut, "Without You," on United Artists in 1961 -- the label attempted to position him as a teen crooner in the mold of Bobby Vee or Paul Anka, but he failed to make a commercial impact. After a period working as a songwriter he dropped out of music to pursue a career in advertising before resurfacing in 1967 with the bubblegum cult classic "Psychedelic Situation," a major hit in Germany that attracted little attention at home. 

Curtiss then signed to Decca, collaborating with producers Jerry Vance and Terry Phillips and songwriter Marcia Hillman on the Hobbits -- despite borrowing their name from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels and titling their 1967 debut Down to Middle Earth, the Hobbits turned out relatively straightforward sunshine pop, and the album is much sought-after by soft-psych aficionados. The follow-up, Men and Doors: The Hobbits Communicate, appeared in 1968 -- like its predecessor, the record didn't sell, and Decca terminated the contract. 

Curtiss then formed his own label and production company, both dubbed Perception, and helmed an LP and three singles by the psychedelic soul act the Bag, members of which reportedly worked on the Hobbits project as well. Speaking of which, after rechristening the group the New Hobbits, Curtiss released 1969's Back From Middle Earth, essentially a solo effort. According to the liner notes in the second volume of the Soft Sounds for Gentle People series, he eventually ended up in San Francisco, going solely by the initials J.C. -- his current activities and whereabouts are unknown. 

by Jason Ankeny

Tracks
1. Down To Middle Earth (Alan Bernstein, Jerry Vance, Terry Philips) - 2:52
2. I'm Just A Young Man (Jimmy Curtiss) - 2:53
3. Daffodil Days (The Affection Song) (A. Bernstein, J. Vance, T. Philips) - 3:17
4. Break Away (J. Curtiss, L. Zerato) - 2:53
5. Treatsb (J. Vance, T. Philips) - 2:42
6. Hands And Knees  (J. Curtiss, T. Faranda) - 2:48
7. Let Me Run My Fingers Through Your Mind (Buy Me Flowers) (A. Bernstein, J. Vance, T. Philips) - 2:48
8. Out Of My Mind (J. Curtiss) - 2:39
9. Clap Hands Til Daddy Comes Home (J. Curtiss, T. Philips) - 2:28
10.Sunny Day Girl (Jimmy Curtiss) - 2:32

*Jimmy Curtiss - Vocals

Related Act
1969  Jimmy Curtiss - Life

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The Lovin' Spoonful - Do You Believe In Magic(1965 us, wonderful psychedelic popsike blended with folk and rhythm 'n' blues, 2016 Blu Spec bonus tracks edition)

The Lovin' Spoonful. Once dubbed America's answer to the Beatles... "I think that was a fair comment," says bassist Steve Boone. "The Beatles started out as a skiffle band, whereas we were initially a jug band. The styles were very similar. From there, the Beatles became very diverse, as indeed did we. I can see why people put us in the same category as them, and it's ahuge honour."

The New Yorkers very nearly became The Monkees as well... "The producers of the TV show wanted us as their first choice for the role. We even had a presentation made to us about what they were planning. But by this time, the Spoonful had already a hit of our own, and if we'd gone along with the idea, it would have meant a name change to The Monkees.

We weren't prepared to do it, and so the offer was turned down. But I wonder if that was a mistake!" The Lovin' Spoonful, the band whom many now regard as being among the most influential musicians of their time, a band whose first seven singles all hit the Top Ten in the US - remarkable indeed. As is Boone's own story, of how serendipity turned him from his expected career path and into a rock star.

"In 1964 I played in my brother Skip's band out in Long Island; it was nothing grand - merely some fun. I was expecting to go to college to study engineering. I took time out, though, in September of that year to go travel with a friend around Europe, the idea being to get into studying in January 1965.

So, we came to England, got a couple of bikes and hit the road. In the strange way that life happens, we met a couple of Canadian girls just outside of Barcelona, and spent two weeks or so with them. I mention this, because in January 2008, The Lovin' Spoonful toured Canada - and they came along to one of the shows!

It was the first time I'd seen them in 43 years!" By December 1964, Boone was back home - and found I that his brother was now living in Greenwich Village, a thriving musical and creative 'colony' within New York, and it was Skip Boone who encouraged Steve to meet two young men with whom he would change the musical landscape.

"He told me that I should meet these guys John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky, reckoning they were really cool. So, I went along, took my bass, and we jammed for ages on songs the three of us knew by the likes of Chuck Berry. Now, John and Zal were in the process of starting a band.

They already had a producer (Erik Jacobsen) and management, but were looking for a bassist. They offered me the job. Although I was ready to go back and study, I decided to take a one semester break, and give this a go. I told them, 'OK, I'll give it six months. If we haven't had any success by then, I'm giving it up'."

Boone also brought with him drummer Jan Kotner, an old friend. Now called The Lovin' Spoonful (a name inspired by a line in the song 'Coffee Blues' by Mississippi John Hurt; the idea was suggested to the four by jug band master Fritz Richmond), the band made their live debut in January 1965 at the famed Night Owl Cafe in the village. It was a...disaster!

"I have to admit we were terrible. Joe Merra, the owner, suggested we should go away and rehearse a lot more, and we took that opportunity to make one line-up change. To be honest, Jan never quite fitted what we were doing. He was three or four years older than the rest of us, and I don't think his attitude suited either. My brother recommended this guy with whom he'd been working, which is how Joe Butler joined us in February 1965."

At this juncture, the Spoonful were rehearsing at the Hotel Albert in Greenwich Village, an exotically named establishment that was no more than a skid row flophouse (to use the vernacular). Bands rehearsed and lived there; The Lovin' Spoonful shared space with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and one or two talents who ended up in the Mamas & The Papas (Yanovsky had previously been in a band called The Mugwumps with Cass Elliot).

"The hotel was just eight blocks from the Night Owl. But we were so poor that, when we played there for the first time with the new line-up, we couldn't afford the cab fare. So we borrowed a barrow and wheeled our equipment down the road." The second debut at the venue was a much bigger success. The band were on their way, and now began to gain a loyal and regular following.

"There were also a lot of music business types who'd come along to check us out, including Phil Spector. Now, we were all big fans of the man, and he was definitely interested in working with us, which was very exciting. But in the end we decided against taking up his offer. The reason? Our management wondered whether Spector's approach would suit us. We loved his famous "Wall Of Sound" production, but we didn't need anything so elaborate. A shoestring of sound suited us better!"

Erik Jacobsen, who had previously been the banjo player in the oddly-named band The Knob Licker Upper 10,000 (they released two albums), was now making a name for himself as a hot producer on the Greenwich Village scene. He already knew Yanovsky from Mugwumps days, and now put the Spoonful into the studio to do a demo, the aim being to get record deal sorted out. But the process was far from painless.

"We cut four songs with Erik, but every label turned us down! The trouble was that at the time radio stations in America were only interested in playing British bands. If you didn't have that sort of accent, then you weren't expected to sell records. So, like the Beatles in their early days, we couldn't get anyone to pick us up."

Eventually, it was one song, 'Do You Believe In Magic' (written by Sebastian), that tipped the balance. Kama Sutra Records, which had only just been launched, took the plunge and signed the band - one of the first artists on their roster.

Inevitably, Jacobsen produced the debut album, 'Do You Believe In Magic', which was to prove something of a watershed release. Not only did it propel the band to significant status commercially - reaching Number 32 in the States, as well as delivering the band's first hit singles - but also gave momentum to a process which altered the very nature of the way everyone perceived albums.."Until then, everyone saw albums no more than two or three singles, plus a lot of covers thrown together," says Boone.

"Not much thought ever went into them, because labels were too busy promoting singles. But then the Beatles put out 'Rubber Soul' and people's attitudes began to shift. Now, everyone saw that album could have a life and credibility of their own. I suppose it was the 'Sgt. Pepper..,' album in 1967 that most see as the real turning point in this respect.

But I'd mark out 'Rubber Soul' two years earlier as the beginnings of the process." The'.. .Magic' record you have here also played its part, because the four refused to be formulaic. The key lies in the diversity of the songs and music. While one can certainly hear the Spoonful's jug band origins, there's an excellent sense of pacing, and the roots of the folk rock stylings they helped to pioneer are definitely in evidence.

"What makes us stand out for me are two important things: firstly there's John's mouth harp playing, which gave the music an extra dimension, and Zal had a really odd, expressive manner on guitar. It was so unusual that, at times, he made it sound like a piano. Put these two together, and it's no wonder we stood apart from so many others."

The Lovin' Spoonful also refused to go along with the usual practices of the day. A lot of artists back then didn't play on their own records, with producers and labels preferring to use the more practised approach of top class session stars, in order to make the records as slick and professional as possible. But that was never going to be the case here.

"It was a very different world back in the '60s," agrees Boone. "Producers were kings, and the record companies were the kingmakers. So a lot of what was recorded then would be about the producer, and the artists were almost irrelevant. We insisted not only on playing on our albums, but also in arranging the songs and having a hands-on input. That did make us stand apart, but also ensured what you heard was what we really sounded like.

"The other thing that made us different was that we never fitted our songs into a pattern. When you had a big hit single, the labels wanted you to repeat, repeat, repeat. It's still the same today, but we refused to do that. So The Lovin' Spoonful were a band who grew all the time."

From a distance of more than four decades, how does Boone think 'Do You Believe In Magic' has weathered? "I still listen to what we did, and marvel at the music. Not in an arrogant fashion, but it brings home the point that we were four musicians who came from such diverse backgrounds in terms of influence, yet we gelled. Each one of us brought our own musical passions into the mix, but we had respect for one another and what we could achieve together.

"I think the album had a big effect on music. Nowadays when we tour (the band split in 1968; their induction into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame in 2000 led to a re-union, albeit without Sebastian and Yanovsky - the tatter died in 2002), we come across loads of musicians who say that they were inspired by us in the '60s. Unfortunately, what we've never gotten was critical approval. This band were, and are, not media darlings."

For those who've heard 'Do You Believe In Magic' before, this is a chance to re-visit an old friend, and perhaps discover depths and breadths which have never been obvious before. To those who haven't heard the album yet, you're about to embark on one of the truty great musical journeys of the 1960s - in fact, of all time 

by Malcolm Dome

Tracks
1. Do You Believe In Magic (John Sebastian) - 2:07
2. Blues in the Bottle (Traditional) - 2:12
3. Sportin' Life (Traditional) - 4:04
4. My Gal (Traditional) - 2:38
5. You Baby (Barry Mann, Phil Spector, Cynthia Weil) - 2:56
6. Fishin' Blues (Traditional) - 2:02
7. Did You Ever Have to Make up Your Mind? (Sebastian) - 1:59
8. Wild About My Lovin' (Traditional) - 2:36
9. Other Side of This Life (Fred Neil) - 2:30
10.Younger Girl (Sebastian) - 2:20
11.On the Road Again (Sebastian) - 1:51
12.Night Owl Blues (Steve Boone, Joe Butler, Sebastian, Zal Yanovsky) - 3:05
13.Alley Oop (Dallas Frazier) - 2:17
14.Younger Girl (Sebastian) - 2:39
15.Blues in the Bottle (Traditional) - 3:02
16.Wild About My Lovin' (Traditional) - 2:36
17.Other Side of This Life (Neil) - 2:31

The Lovin' Spoonful
*John Sebastian - Vocals, Guitar, Autoharp
*Steve Boone - Bass, Vocals
*Joe Butler - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Zal Yanovsky - Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

1966  Daydream (2016 Blu Spec Bonus Tracks Edition)
1966  Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful (2016 Blu Spec Bonus Tracks Edition)
1966 The Lovin' Spoonful - What's Up, Tiger Lily (2008 japan remaster) 
1967-68  You're A Big Boy Now / Everything Playing (2011 edition and 2016 Blu Spec Bonus Tracks Edition)
1969  Revelation: Revolution '69
Related Acts
1969-76  John Sebastian - Faithful Virtue, The Reprise Recordings 
1969 Judy Henske And Jerry Yester - Farewell Aldebaran 

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Three Headed Dog - Hound Of Hades (1972-73 fine basement hard rock with prog drops)

Birmingham, England has long been acknowledged as one of the most fertile breeding grounds for emerging rock bands during the heady boom of the late 60s and early 70s. The likes of The Move, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, to name but a few, all cut their teeth in the countless clubs and pubs embedded within the industrial sprawl of England's 'second city'.

Yet for every Sabbath or Priest that succeeded to rise above the confines of such taxing 'circuit venues', there was a Necromandus or Flying Hat Band arduously 'slaving away' in the shadows, often getting nowhere fast. There were quite literally thousands of these little known outfits clamouring for the break that might just lead to a prestigious support slot, touring with a 'headlining act', or maybe even a record deal.

As was often the case, neither materialised for the majority of these short-lived groups and Three-Headed Dog are certainly no exception. But this Brum based band appear to be a greater 'unknown quantity' than many other underground hopefuls of the day.

Even luminaries from the era such as midlands promoter Norman Hood, who ran Tramp Entertainments, could shed no light, confessing in a recent interview "They seem to have just sunk without trace." Added Norm, "Priest's original vocalist Al Atkins tells me that he still remembers the name as they were around at the same time he was fronting J.P. but other than that, nothing."

Whilst the group's identity remains shrouded in mystery, what we can tell you for sure is that at least part, if not all, of this mega rare recording was made at The Railway in Birmingham's Curzon Street, circa 1973. And what of the music of Three-Headed Dog? Perhaps it is best summed up by suggesting that what we have here constitutes a rather offbeat, yet contrasting mix of engaging original material and thoughtfully embraced 'covers' which sit quite comfortably alongside each other.

Most of you will undoubtedly spot Dog's obvious influences of the day which effortlessly straddle the elegance and poise of early Wishbone Ash to the meaner overtones of nascent Judas Priest. In fact the riffy 'Slick Solution', a home-grown number, which kicks off this set, can unhesitatingly be compared with the Downing/Halford composition 'Cheater' that appears on the debut Priest platter 'Rocka Rolla', issued in 1974. Clearly Priest were rubbing off on all manner of local groups early on and perhaps this is one of the best examples of that.

Possibly the highlight of the Dog's offerings on this CD is the following track 'Cerberus' with its shifting moods and progressive time changes. This extended opus demonstrates the group's general creativeness and versatility to great effect. I must say that 1 find it both laudable and refreshing to see included in their repertoire a somewhat more offbeat, yet impressive, choice of cover version in the inviting 'Butterfly'. For those who are unaware, this well-crafted song was penned by Glenn Cornick following his departure from Jethro Tull in 1970 and featured as the opener on Wild Turkey's exquisite debut L.P. 'Battle Hymn'. 'Butterfly' was actually written as a tribute to the late, great Jimi Hendrix and the Dog's workout is indeed a fine rendition.

The same can most certainly be said of their interpretation of the famous Chicago song '25 Or 6 To 4' as well. So then, these half dozen untreated tracks appear to be the only tangible evidence that Three-Headed Dog even existed in the first place, such was their patent obscurity

Four rare, previously unreleased tracks recorded during the early 70s have been added to this CD. Firstly, a heavyish, riff-laden demo by Stallion, a band who were quite highly regarded at the time, and who were represented by Birmingham's influential IBA Agency. Guitarist Harry Tonks later teamed up with Al Atkins in fellow Bruin outfit Lion.

The two following numbers were recorded by another IBA signing, namely Khayyam. In fact this prog outfit featured prominently in their roster of acts but remain largely unknown to this day. Their musical approach veered towards that of certain other progressive jazz-rock bands of the day like Colosseum and Back Door yet incorporated an afro/funk feel at the same time (plus the odd bit of Turkish!) thrown in for good measure. Khayyam comprised a nucleus of Chris Jones (guitar/vocals), Rod Joyce (congas), Dave Wicks (bass) and Harry Hepinstall (drums).

The last of the bonus tracks is by an 'unknown' band and was recorded at wellknown Zella Studios in nearby Edgbaston. This doomy, prog-rock offering was, along with another song, cut onto a seven inch acetate and wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Monument or Zior LP.

CD Liner-notes

Tracks

1. Three-Headed Dog - Slick Solution (Ray Moore, Smoky Evans, Urko) - 4:09

2. Three-Headed Dog - Cerberus (Ray Moore, Smoky Evans, Urko) - 9:16

3. Three-Headed Dog - Butterfly (Glenn Cornick) - 5:19

4. Three-Headed Dog - Gone Blue (Arthur Grant, Edgar Broughton) - 4:20

5. Three-Headed Dog - Just Gotta Play (Ray Moore, Smoky Evans, Urko) - 4:36

6. Three-Headed Dog - 25 or 6 to 4 (Robert Lamm) - 12:09

7. Stallion - All Of The While - 4:47
8. Khayyam - Eternal Prison - 8:21
9. Khayyam - Collusion - 5:14
10.Zella Studios Acetate - Mystery track - 4:10

Three Headed Dog 

*Ray Moore - Guitar, Vocals

*Smoky Evans - Bass

*Urko - Drums

Khayyam
*Chris Jones - Guitar, Vocals
*Rod Joyce - Congas
*Dave Wicks - Bass
*Harry Hepinstall - Drums

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Group 1850 - Paradise Now (1969 holland, ethereal psychedelia with progressive touches)

Recorded, edited and mixed over one long Red Lebanon hash-fueled weekend in October 1969, Group 1850s second album, Paradise Now, remains one of the high-water marks of European psychedelia. 

A wide-eyed, wide-open, synapse-electrifying set of songs, it sounds like the transmissions of a burnt-out satellite spinning through the galaxies of inner space. Group 1850 leader Peter Sjardin skillfully edited the groups free-flowing improvisations into eight cohesive yet distinctly different tracks, part Saucerful Of Secrets, part Electric Ladyland, part Guru Guru, part Can circa Monster Movie. 

Bypassing the established network of record labels, distributors and stores, the album was released on Discofoon, the label owned by the Dutch department store chain V and D, and carried exclusively in their shops nationwide. It has since become a highly sought-after collectors item. 

Tracks
1. Paradise Now (D. Duba, P. Sjardin) - 5:27
2. Friday I'm Free (D. Duba, P. Sjardin) - 2:53
3. Hunger (D. van Bergen, P. Sjardin) - 4:56
4. Circle (D. Duba, P. Sjardin) - 1:08
5. Loneliness (D. Duba, D. van Bergen, P. Sjardin) - 2:17
6. Martin and Peter (M. van Duynhoven, P. Sjardin) - 1:55
7. ? ! (D. Duba, P. Sjardin) - 7:08
8. Purple Sky (D. Duba, D. van Bergen, P. Sjardin) - 10:57

Groep1850
*Peter Sjardin - Vocals, Flute, Organ
*Dani  Van Bergen - Guitars, Piano
*Ruud Van Buuren - Bass
*Beer Klaasse - Drums
*Dave Duba - Guitars

1968  Agemo's Trip To Mother Earth

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Foghat - Foghat (1972 uk, terrific hard blues rock, 2008 japan remaster)

In the 1970s Foghat's love of the blues led them to simplify rock at a time when many of their peers were adding synthesizers and complex arrangements. While critics complained that bands like Foghat and Grand Funk Railroad had dumbed down rock, fans raided record bins and flocked to concerts. "By the end of the decade," noted Richard Skelly in Goldmine, "the rock world had caught up to Foghat, and the group was clearing space on the wall for gold and platinum albums with increasing regularity." The group's success continued to build until 1978 when disco and punk pulled the plug on arena rock, leaving Foghat to limp into the early 1980s before calling it quits.

In 1971, singer Dave Peverett, bassist Tony Stevens, and drummer Roger Earl decided to break away from British blues-rock band Savoy Brown. "When we first left Savoy we were looking to rock out a bit more," Peverett told Skelly. They recruited lead guitarist Rod Price, and began to practice at the Country Club in England. The unnamed band generated a great deal of interest, leading Albert Grossman, Bob Dylan's legendary manager, to attend a practice session. 

He liked what he heard and signed the new band to his label, Bearsville Records. After recording the band's first album in Rockford, Wales, the members still hadn't decided what to call themselves. They had considered Brandywine Track or Hootch, but rejected both in favor of the nonsensical name Foghat, which Peverett and his brother had dreamed up during a game of Scrabble.

Their self-titled LP rose to 127 on the American albums chart, and was bolstered when "I Just Want to Make Love to You" received airplay. It was only with their second release the following year that the band seemed to find its musical niche. The album, also called Foghat but referred to as Rock and Roll (thanks to clever cover art featuring a rock and a dinner roll), sported boogie-friendly cuts like "Ride, Ride, Ride" and "Road Fever." "Foghat's second album finds the group working its way towards the fusion of blues and hard rock that would make them an arena rock favorite," 

by Donald A. Guarisco

Tracks

1. I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon) - 4:21
2. Trouble Trouble (Dave Peverett) - 3:20
3. Leavin' Again (Again!) (Peverett, Tony Stevens) - 3:36
4. Fool's Hall Of Fame (Peverett) - 2:58
5. Sara Lee (Peverett, Rod Price) - 4:36
6. Highway (Killing Me) (Peverett, Price) - 3:51
7. Maybellene (Chuck Berry) - 3:33
8. A Hole To Hide In (Peverett, Price, Roger Earl) - 4:06
9. Gotta Get To Know You (Deadric Malone, Andre Williams) - 7:44

Foghat
*Dave Peverett - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Rod Price - Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar
*Tony Stevens - Bass
*Roger Earl - Drum
With
*Andy Fairweather Low - Backing Vocals
*Dave Edmunds -  Guitars
*John Ward -  Bass

Related Acts
1967-68  Savoy Brown - Shake Down / Getting To The Point
1969-70  Savoy Brown - Raw Sienna / Looking In

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Mighty Kong - All I Wanna Do Is Rock (1973 aussie, splendid hard funking rock, 2008 Aztec digi pack remaster)

Mighty Kong was the 'supergroup' successor to the legendary Daddy Cool, which broke up in in August 1972. It was also the fifth (and technically the last) in the line of groups that featured Ross "The Boss" Wilson and Ross Hannaford, which began with Pink Finks in 1965. Despite its all-star lineup, culled from three of the top groups of the time, the band was shortlived and never really achieved its considerable potential, effectively relegated to being a footnote in the larger story of Daddy Cool. The main relic of this period was their excellent (and greatly underrated) LP All I Wanna Do Is Rock.

The formative stages of the new group (late '72 - early '73) promised much, and involved several notable players of the day. After Company Caine broke up in October '72, not long after Daddy Cool, singer/lyricist Gulliver Smith linked with the two Rosses. They worked for several months on getting a new band together, but Gulliver moved on to launch his solo career at the end '72, although the Smith/Smith writing partnegsubip left its mark with two fine songs which eventually wound up on the LP.

At the start of 1973 there was another promising connection when Hannaford & Wilson got together with guitarist Tim Gaze (Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute) and drummer Nigel Macara (Tamam Shud), but after about a month of rehearsals Gaze and Macara left. Gaze's place was taken by Company Caine guitarist Russell Smith, who had been off playing in the touring version of G.Wayne Thomas' studio "supergroup" Duck. For a new drummer, Hannaford & Wilson turned to the multi-talented Ray Arnott, who announced in March that he was leaving his current gig with Spectrum to join the new band (which also reunited him with Russell Smith, his former bandmate from the last days of Cam-Pact and the early Company Caine).

Unfortunately, Arnott's departure triggered the break up of Spectrum -- founder Mike Rudd felt that it wouldn't be possible recruit a new member and maintain Spectrum's special chemistry. Spectrum played their farewell concert in mid-April and Arnott was then freed to join the new group; in a neat piece of symmetry, Gaze and Macara hitched up with the remaining members of Spectrum to form Ariel. With the final addition of bassist Tim Partridge (also ex-Company Caine) the new band was complete and was launched in May 1973 under the name Mighty Kong.

After the breakup of Daddy Cool, Wilson and Hannaford were keen to get away from DC's stylistic restrictions -- the 50s repertoire, the 'zany' stage outfits -- and the media's concentration of the obvious elements of Daddy Cool, which tended to obscure the more serious side of their work. The material that they put together was in a heavier, contemporary rock style, bringing in some of the progressive elements which had featured in their earlier band Sons Of The Vegetal Mother, and which had resurfaced on the second Daddy Cool LP Sex Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven.

Their only album, All I Wanna Do Is Rock, was recorded at Melbourne's Armstrong's Studios, produced and engineered by John Fischbach. It's a fine record, with strong hints of Wilson's future direction in Mondo Rock, but there is still plenty of humour, as shown by the jokey cover art -- an old novelty photo showing a woman and a gorilla (well, a man in a gorilla suit actually) sitting side by side, with the gorilla's arm around the woman's shoulder . Picking up the cover motif, the pulsating opening track "Jungle In My Blood" features a prowling guitar riff from Hannaford & Smith; it's followed by Wilson's declaration of spritual independence "Got My Beliefs" (which actually dates back to his days in Party Machine, and is not too far removed from songs like the Vegetal's "Love Is The Law)". The highlight of the album is undoubtedly the beautiful "With A Smile Like That (How Could We Refuse?)", a dark, soulful ballad co-written by Gulliver Smith and Russell Smith. Along with Mondo Rock's "State Of The Heart" it is one of Ross Wilson's best vocal performances, with its soaring vocal line showing off his upper range to fine effect. The next three tracks -- "Homesick & Horny" and the ebullient rockers "All Throught The Day" and "Calling All Cats" -- are perhaps the more typical of the Daddy Cool style (with Hannaford & Wilson still seemingly unable to resist a bit of Zappa-style doo-wop parody).

"Some Other New Address" is the other excellent Smith/Smith song, and the only track not sung by Wilson, with vocal credits going to guitarist Russell Smith. "Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You)" is Wilson's cautionary tale of the dangers of heroin. The drug was by then becoming a serious problem in Australia's major cities, largely due to the huge influx of heroin brought in by and for American servicemen visiting Australia on R&R (rest and recreation) leave. By 1973 heroin was cutting a swathe through the Australian music scene with many leading performers becoming addicts. The title track closes the album another goodtime rocker from Wilson.

Regrettably the group never really gelled, and Wilson has commented in recent times that it lacked the chemistry that made Daddy Cool such a successful group. Mighty Kong had already split up by the time the album and its accompanying single, "Callin' All Cats" / "Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You)" were released in December 1973, but without a band to promote them, the records made no impression on the charts.

In early 1973 Wilson and Hannaford bowed to financial pressures -- the split of Daddy Cool had left them with large debts so they reformed DC for what was meant to be a one-off performance at the 1974 Sunbury Festival. It was rapturously received, and prompted a full reformation, with more touring and recording; this incarnation of the band lasted until September 1975. 

Miles-ago

Tracks
1. All Through the Day (And Into the Night We Play) (R. Hannaford, R. Wilson) - 6:02
2. Callin’ All Cats (The Cats Are Callin’) - 4:02
3. Some Other New Address (R. Smith, Gulliver Smith) - 4:04
4. Hard Drugs (Are Bad for You) - 2:57
5. All I Wanna Do Is Rock!! #1 - 4:15
6. Jungle in My Blood - 5:57
7. Got My Beliefs - 4:34
8. With a Smile Like That (How Could We Refuse) (R. Smith, Gulliver Smith) - 7:29
9. Homesick And Horny - 4:17
10.Callin’ All Cats (The Cats Are Callin’) (Single Version) - 3:27
11.All I Wanna Do Is Rock (Previously Unreleased Studio Jam) - 8:42
All songs by Ross Wilson unless as else stated.

Mighty Kong
*Ross Wilson - Vocals, Guitar
*Ross Hannaford - Guitar, Vocals
*Tim Partridge - Bass
*Russell Smith - Guitar, Vocals
*Ray Arnott - Drums, Vocals

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Chelsea - Chelsea (1970 us, magnificent folkish rock melted with various styles , pre Kiss member and John Cale guest, 2011 digipak edition)

Chelsea was a band from New York City, best known for the presence of the drummer Peter Criss before he joined Kiss.  In late 1968 the band managed to secure a 2 record deal on Decca Records, distributed via MCA. When the first album was released it did so poorly that Aridas quit. Michael Benvenga had been in "The Wall" which played the Brooklyn music scene prior to Chelsea, but the other member's pedigree's are unknown. It would not be surprising if Shepley/Brand had not worked together prior to Chelsea.

The opening track, "Rollin' Along" is very representative of the lack of musical direction (or perhaps, "cohesiveness" is more appropriate) on the album. The song is split nearly in half into two distinctive styles: the first acoustic and mellow, and the second electric and somewhat aggressive. 

“ Hard Rock Music” appearing on the album it was the sole track from the band appearing on the MCA "Sound Conspiracy" album. This sampler even saw release in Australia (Decca COP/S 4524) with a slightly altered cover, though nothing could help sell product that just didn't stand out.

The back cover sampler details a brief bio on the band, which states: "Lewis Merenstein, who produces Van Morrison, Bill Rose, and Turley Richards, among others, produced this first album by the New York based group. The LP was recorded in part at the late Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios. Backing the group on the album is John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground and now out on his own

“ Ophelia”  would be promoted as a "calypso" sounding piece. That both pre-Kiss bands that recorded albums, Chelsea and Wicked Lester, included songs with "Ophelia" in their titles is coincidental. As far as Chelsea's song goes, it would be too easy to read Shakespearian "Hamlet" overtones from lyrics which go: "I thought I had you in the palm of my hand" and "how could you leave me I don't understand." In "Hamlet" Ophelia spurns the love of Hamlet at the request of her father. Hamlet then goes mad and Ophelia is asked to reconcile with him in hopes of restoring his sanity. Instead, Hamlet kills Ophelia's father. That brief prιcis of Ophelia's character in "Hamlet" does really not do the work justice....

“ Long River” One of the two tracks to feature ex-Velvet Underground's John Cale on viola. With both the Velvet Underground and Chelsea playing at the legendary Ungano's club, on West 70th in Manhattan, and producer Lewis Merenstein's connections to Velvet, it is likely that this is how the two parties became associated. The track is 6:41 and has more of a Creedence Clearwater Revival style.

“Polly Von”  is a traditional Anglo (with a suggestive Celtic past) folk song about love, pain, murder, and betrayal. It has been recorded by the likes of Frankie Armstrong, Harry Cox, and, most famously, Peter, Paul and Mary, on their third, and landmark, "In The Wind" (Warner Bros. WB-1507) album, which was released in late September 1963. That version of the song had an arrangement attributed to Peter Yarrow, "Noel" Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers - In other words, the group. This is much the same as the credit for the 4:48 arrangement on the Chelsea album: Chelsea's version does not really vary much from the form that was popular on the folk scene of the 1960s: However, the Chelsea arrangement does change the song from third to first person and moves the chorus in parts and also skips a final verse. The Chelsea recording features strings arranged by Larry Fallon.

Differing arrangements have been presented for decades on the basic theme of the piece, and variations of the piece date back centuries, having appeared in print as early as 1772. Other titles for the piece, including variants and alternative titles include "Polly Vaughn," "At the Setting of the Sun," "The Shooting of his Dear," "Young Molly Ban," "Molly Banding," "Molly Bawn," and "Molly Bond" throughout most Anglo-speaking countries.

“ Good Company” the second track that features John Cale on viola, it’s little more than a short jam piece to close out the album. It is essentially the repetition of the same verse several times: "Good company makes me smile / Downright open all the while / Downright country all the time / Good company, yeah / Bound to make me smile".

Kissfaq 

Tracks

1. Rollin' Along - 2:34

2. Let's Call It A Day - 3:05

3. Silver Lining (Chris Aridas, Michael Benvenga) - 2:49

4. All American Boy - 3:55

5. Hard Rock Music - 5:10

6. Ophelia - 2:38

7. Long River - 6:41

8. Grace - 3:17

9. Polly Von (Chris Aridas, Michael Benvenga, Mike Brand, Peter Cris, Peter Shepley) - 5:01

10.Good Company - 1:44

All songs by Peter Shepley, Mike Brand except where stated

Chelsea
*Peter Shepley - Lead Vocals
*Mike Brand - Guitar
*Chris Aridas - Guitar
*Michael Benvenga - Bass, Vocals
*Peter Criss - Drums
With
*John Cale - Viola
*Steve Loeb - Piano

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