In the mid sixties Tom Crosgrove was lead guitarist and vocalist in the Bronx band called Elegant Four were also known as the Elegants, they released only one single in 1965, both songs where written by Tom
In the early 1970s he formed Brethren together with Rick Marotta who spent several years as the drummer for his own group, Stu Woods played bass (he would later appear on Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything? album), and Mike Garson who played keyboards. Tom Cosgrove took over the singing and played lead guitar. They released two albums.
The band had a unique sound, a mixture of rock and country, with traces of jazz and influences from Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), who wrote the album notes and the song “Loop Garoo” for them. A really fine sample of swamp rock and blues rock.
Rick Marotta was also a famous session drummer who appeared on recordings by leading artists such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Stevie Nicks, Wynonna, Roy Orbison, Todd Rundgren, Roberta Flack, Peter Frampton, Quincy Jones, Jackson Browne, Al Kooper, Waylon Jennings, Randy Newman, Peter Gabriel, Kenny G, The Jacksons, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt, among others.
Tracks
1. Loop Garoo (Dr. John) - 8:25
2. Wesley With The Gun (Stu Woods, Tom Cosgrove) - 3:04
3. Sun And The Moon (Mark Klingman) - 3:15
4. Freedom Blues (Eskew Reeder) - 5:13
5. Lady On The Terrace (Tom Cosgrove) - 3:57
6. Move On (Rick Marotta, Stu Woods, Tom Cosgrove) - 4:00
Everyone knows Al Kooper in one form or another. If the name isn’t instantly recognizable, then Kooper’s long list of musical contributions and achievements should very well be. After all, this is the man who not only played the legendary and unforgettable organ part on Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”, but Kooper also did everything from having a hand in penning the classic tune “This Diamond Ring” to founding such incomparable Sixties groups such as Blues Project and Blood, Sweat and Tears. The man even started out as a member of The Royal Teens who charted with “Short Shorts”. He hung out with Hendrix, “discovered” Lynyrd Skynyrd, and produced a ton of classic albums. And he’s still going strong.
So much so, in fact, that Kooper has recently released Rare & Well Done, a two disc collection that fully represent the album’s title. Rare and Well Done, is a two disc collection that fully represent the album's title. All the tracks were 24-bit remastered with Kooper's own supervision.
Disc one is a 19-track collection of hard to find and previously unreleased material from the Kooper vaults, while disc two features plenty of the artist's best known work, in solo and various band formats. For longtime fans, this collection is a welcome addition to their Kooper collection. For anyone else who's even mildly curious about Kooper's legacy, this album works as a nice springboard from which to begin exploring the man's vast catalogue. As it usually is with such releases, not everything here works and not every "rare" found here needed inclusion, but overall Rare & Well Done is an indispensable look back at one of rock music's most prolific artists.
The "Rare" disc opens with a new demo, "I Can't Quit Her 2001". It's not the best song on the disc that the collection could have started with. In fact, it's a bit schmaltzy and sounds like something that you might hear Paul Schaffer's band doing on Letterman. It's certainly not the best version of this classic, as the live version included on the "Well Done" disc proves. However, things fall into place and start to genuinely rock with track two, Kooper's 1964 demo of "Somethin' Goin' On". Amazingly soulful, gospel tinged and incredibly deep, "Somethin' Goin' On" seems light years away from everything else that was coming out in '64 -- especially Beatlemania. Kooper's voice instantly moves one emotionally as much as those fantastic piano, organ, and guitar parts. Stunning.
But then again, the disc manages to dip down for a moment as "Autumn Song" sounds like a mid-'80s fusion/muzak piece. It would have been better had the contents of this disc been arranged chronologically as the time warps back and forth through the years certainly mess up the grooves more than once. Kooper's own phrasing of some of the words here, like "winter" also seem a bit silly as if he were just goofing off on the track. "I Can't Stand The Rain" which follows is a bit better, though the horn section sounds like nothing more than synth brass. These are the kinds of rarities that may have been better off left on the shelves.
Still, one can't argue with the slow cooking "Baby Please Don't Go" offered here in a live version from 1971 and getting and eight-and-a-half minute workout. Kooper's amazing piano work on the track just simply burns, as does his vocal prowess once again. Giving Big Joe Williams a run for his money, "Baby Please Don't Go" encapsulates not only the blues here, but also takes on funk and classical vestiges that must simply be heard to be appreciated. The band's solo spots are equally remarkable, with the other-worldy synth break being especially dazzling.
But then the record shifts once more and we're back into smoove rock territory with "I Let Love Slip Through My Fingers", a number on which Kooper seems to be doing his best Lou Rawls impression that turns out to be not so good in the end. The sax and guitar parts are overwrought and cheese up the track way too much. "The Earthquake of Your Love" restores the good groove with an undeniably Seventies bounce and charm. This time, Kooper vocally sounds almost like Steve Miller. And that's not too strange, considering Miller himself went on to create such plastic, yet likable boogie like "Abracadabra" a bit later on.
Getting back to the downright essential tracks on the disc, of important note is the inclusion of Al's very first single from 1965, "New York's My Home (Razz-A-Ma-Tazz)". Again, this long lost Sixties chestnut doesn't sound much like anything else going on at the time with its pretty flute and string arrangement outdoing the Fab Four (again), and that indelible swinging jazz outbreak at the middle of the tune being especially captivating. If Kooper wasn't influencing both Brian Wilson and Lennon and McCartney at this time, then I'd damn sure be surprised as Al had created his own "mini-epic" right here . . . in 1965 . . . in two-and-a-half minutes.
The "English Hall" cover of XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel" is also excellent. Dare I say that it's even better than XTC's. Sure. I'm not so taken with that group that I can't see that their career has been spotty through the decades. But even better than that is Kooper's blistering version of Dylan's "Went To See The Gypsy", an outtake from Bob's New Morning LP that rock fiercer than Dylan's own take. Of course, that version was so subdued (yet equally great) that it wouldn't be difficult to rock harder. But here, Kooper's band injects stunning guitar parts that do sound distinctively Sixties, but all the better.
Also of interest is Kooper's instrumental rehearsal version of "Hey Jude" from 1969 with orchestra. Kooper jazzes the Beatles tune up with swinging horns and lickety-split drumming. It sounds a bit like a Vegas spectacular, but it's by no means horrible. Hearing someone with Kooper's talent reconfigure such a song in this format is impressive. Although it is hard not to laugh at "The Big Chase", a piece of incidental music that was left out of an episode of TV's Crime Story. It sounds like Jan Hammer and Harold Faltermeyer got together and created the most hellish cop music they could think of. Lots of fun (seriously).
Turning to the "Well Done" disc of the collection now, the old fans should finally start feeling like they're on familiar territory as nothing on the CD here hasn't been released before. Things start with a live 1994 take of "I Can't Keep from Cryin' Sometimes" recorded with the Blues Project. Once again, Al is in his element when he has a band behind him that complements his own talent. The organ work, the guitar licks are both hot, and Kooper puts in some of his most soulful vocalizing. Tasty.
Set the Way Back Machine for 1968 then, because it's time to hear Blood, Sweat and Tears' "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know". Again, there's a stunning amount of soulfulness ripping through this track with the undeniable organ and vocal parts (especially those of the backup singers). A slow burner if there ever was one, it's followed up with a 1975 version of "This Diamond Ring" complete with funky keyboards a-la Billy Preston's "Outa Space". Personally, I dig this version a lot more than the original by Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
There's still no getting over the Kooper/Bloomfield (as in Mike) number "Albert's Shuffle" from '68. Here it is once again in all of its blistering glory. The blues as pounded out by two of the best. All you have to do is hear that organ and guitar and those horns and that's all it takes. Next thing you know, you're somewhere else. All great music should move you. Here's a number that does it every time. And the movement continues with the classic "Bury My Body" recorded with Shuggie Otis in 1969 and "Season of the Witch" with Stephen Stills in 1968. It's truly a joy to hear Kooper's phenomenal work from the Sixties here all laid out. The man was clearly an inspired and enviable musician at that point in his career.
"New York City (You're A Woman)" is also great. Here, Kooper's organ sounds just like Booker T.'s good old Hammond B-3. And who could forget such brazen opening lines like "New York City you're a woman / Cold hearted bitch ought to be your name / Oh you ain't never loved nobody / Yet I'm drawn to you like a moth to flame/ . . . Yeah"? This piece of classic funkiness is then followed with a damned great live version of "I Can't Quit Her" from 1994 that shows just how great the song really is (you wouldn't know it from that limp version that opened the "Rare" disc as stated earlier).
The classics just keep on coming from there, from the fantastic "I Stand Alone" to another slow burner, this time in the form of "I Got a Woman". Also included is the closing "Love Theme from The Landlord", which is the only Al Kooper disc not currently on CD. All in all, "Well Done" lives up to its name and then some.
It's just too bad that the "Rare" portion of this collection didn't include an equal portion of indispensable tracks. The nuggets from the Sixties and Seventies are cool and wonderful, but with only a couple of exceptions, like "Making Plans for Nigel", and "The Big Chase", the rest of the rarities kind of bring about a cringe-inducing element, proving once and for all that there was a very good reason a lot of the tracks here were previously unissued.
Yet the "Well Done" disc is impeccable, making this collection a must-have. It's great to have all these tracks in once place. Al Kooper continues to play a highly influential part in the music industry. His well-documented history up this point has been preserved beautifully and put on display for all to hear in this collection.
The 11 songs on this album present a mix of up-tempo tunes and ballads-an approach that would become a cornerstone of the group's future success. The pace overall is slower and more restrained than where the group would go with future albums. But it is a beautiful timepiece of a group of talented musicians playing quality songs and working together to establish their collective sound.
There's a mix of tempos, both between songs and within individual tunes, which the band would refine on future records. Two of the songs, the rocking Back Up Against the Wall and the reflective Conversation, would become staples of the band's live set. Eight original songs feature songwriter/producer Buddy Buie's writing in partnership with other members of the band, and three covers are highlighted by a version of Joe South's Redneck.
The album starts off with “Wrong “ an acoustic, mid-tempo song with a country feel. The pace picks up with this rocking, up-tempo song about the "hot time" appeal of a small Southern town on “Cold Turkey Tenn”.
“Will I Live On?” is a beautiful ballad features singer Ronnie Hammond's first breakout vocal performance articulating some eternal questions. The tempo picks up and shifts repeatedly within “A Livin Lovin Wreck” that also includes harmonica and piano breaks.
Another slower paced song “Superman”, starts as ballad and shifts into blues. “What You Gonna Do About It?” a moderately paced tune musically mirrors the ups and downs of relationships.. “Conversation “ is classic ballad features Hammond's ponderings about a relationship gone bad over a subtle but beautiful musical background.
The opening harmonic wail on “Redneck“ leads into a punchy, up-tempo look at the particular qualities of a certain type of Southerner who receives his proper sendoff. A slower paced song “Make Me Believe It “ that ebbs and flows while examining the search for love.
The title song “Back Up Against The Wall “ is the high point of the album. It's a loping rocker that shows off the band's musical chops and reaches a new level of group energy. The closer “It Must Be Love” is a slower, bluesy song that drives the album home and lets the guitars break out for a glimpse of things to come.
A gift for writing hook-laden songs and sensitively interpreting the work of American singer/songwriters has brought Rab Noakes to the forefront of Scottish pop music. His 1970 debut album, Do You See the Lights, included "Together Forever," which became a folk-pop hit for Lindisfarne. Although he agreed to form a band, Steeler's Wheel, with Rafferty, he left the band to resume his solo career before the group recorded their Top Ten hit "Stuck in the Middle With You." Noakes has continued to record on his own.
by Craig Harris
Hearing Rab Noakes' debut LP, Do You See the Light, is a bit like listening to a late-'60s folk-rock recording for the Elektra or Vanguard label that somehow wasn't released. As many contributions as those labels made in this genre, however, a comparison such as this isn't necessarily high praise. For though Noakes at times echoes various early singer/songwriters -- Blonde on Blonde-era Bob Dylan, Donovan, Phil Ochs, Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, Tim Buckley, James Taylor, Tom Paxton, The Basement Tapes-era Dylan -- he doesn't project a strong identity of his own, and his material is blander than the '60s work of any of the aforementioned figures.
It's as if the music has been filtered through a lower common denominator of someone with a large collection of U.S. singer/songwriter LPs with a personal narrative flavor, though sung here with a Scottish accent. Sometimes the triggers of specific comparisons are strong: the easygoing country-rock of "Together Forever" - later covered by Lindisfarne recalls Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere," and "East Neuk Misfortune" suggests early Tim Buckley as well as the idiosyncratically mild but glowing electric guitar tone heard on numerous Elektra folk-rock recordings. It's all competently done on an even emotional keel, but doesn't mark the artist as possessing distinguished talent of his own.
Hope was a Christian rock group from LaCrosse, Wisconsin who released an album and three singles. They posses a diversity of really good material and styles, which range from subdued vocal to gentle styling. Instrumentally they exhibit great dexterity and skill which should aid them in finding a place in the hearts of the audience.
Hope's album released 1972, the line up was Wayne C. McKibbin vocals, guitar, Jim Croegaert vocals, piano, Boyd Sibley vocals, organ, David A. Klug vocals, bass and the drummer Jeff Cozy. Good time music, some of the best cuts include "Where Do You Want To Go" and "Valley Of Hope". The lyrics implies that this is a spritual trip (Jesus Rock).
Wayne McKibbin, was an accomplished artist, photographer, singer and musician. He played in several bands except Hope, including Jerry Way and the Pacemakers, the Silvertones, the Jesters Three. Wayne C. McKibbin, died on July 4, 2005, at the age 59, in Three Rivers, California, on his home following a courageous battle with cancer.
Tracks
1. Where Do You Want To Go (Wayne C. McKibbin) - 3:44
2. One Man (Boyd Sibley) - 4:47
3. Find Him (Wayne C. McKibbin) - 4:10
4. Deliverance (Jim Croegaert) - 4:20
5. From Thy Father's Hand (Boyd Sibley) - 5:06
6. Walkin' Over Hills And Valleys (Wayne C. McKibbin) - 4:02
In 1966 a psychedelic rock band is formed in Tiel, under the name Mother's Love. The musicians were Floris Kolvenbach (guitar), John van Buren (organ, piano), Rini Wikkerink (guitar), John van Buren (drums) and Jan van Doesburg (bass guitar). The latter is replaced by Rob Heuff in 1967. They release two singles: Raise the sails / Saint without glory and Highway to heaven / Lady from the ballroom. One year later an album, Take one, is released. The album doesn't sell well and the name of the band is changed into Dream. With this new name another single is released in 1968, The doting king / Expert jump out.
This time the band is more succesful. They play concerts with Pink Floyd. In the mean time they change drummers, newcomer is Karel Zwart. In 1969 another single is released, Rebellion / The monarchy, in the same year there is also a new bass player, Edgar Swanenburg. The band is invited to play at the Kralingen festival in 1970, and is invited to play at the first edition of Pinkpop. They also perform on tv, for over an hour in the program Dit is het begin, where they perform parts of the rock-opera The peacock and the rat. In 1971 saw the release of their third single Can you hear me howlin' / Still alive. In 1972 the band ends. Floris Kolvenbach starts the experimental formation Metal Voices. In 1994 he releases the album A journey from Europe to the common world.
Tracks
1. Highway To Heaven - 3:26
2. Mad Man's Worries - 3:51
3. I Feel Good Warmth - 2:53
4. I Gotta Move - 1:26
5. The Doting King - 2:45
6. Expert Jump Out - 2:13
7. Can I Ask You One More Question - 2:39
8. The Monarchy - 5:03
9. Can You Hear Me Howlin' - 3:35
10.Still Alive - 1:11
11.Talesborough Garden - 3:11
12.New Sensations - 2:27
13.Sleeping Rose - 3:44
14.Park Lane - 1:33
15.Four Phone-Calls - 3:19
16.Mr. V. - 3:27
17.We'll Be Back Yesterday Morning - 2:32
18.Met A Girl Today - 3:29
19.Open The Gates - 5:42
20.The Diamond And The Fool - 6:14
21.Dino - 3:12
22.Still Alive - 1:39
Music and Lyrics by Flores Kolvenbach
Tracks 1-4, 11 as Mother's Love
Tracks 11-21 demo recordings
Tracks 11, 12, 14 previously unreleased
Mother's Love (Tracks 1-4, 11)
*Flores Kolvenbach - Vocals, Guitar
*John Van Buren - Organ, Piano, Flute
*Jan Van Doesburg - Bass
*Karel Zwart - Drums, Percussion
The Dream
*Flores Kolvenbach - Vocals, Guitar
*John Van Buren - Organ, Piano, Mellotron, Keyboards
Probably the greatest and most obscure supergroup album, L.A. Getaway combines the talents of a core group of Joel Scott Hill (guitar/vocals), Chris Ethridge (bass/piano/vocals), and Johnny Barbata (drums). The fact that lead singer Hill remains a largely unknown and under-recognized talent as a singer is one of the reasons for this album's obscurity. Hill's blue-eyed soul vocals on such rockers as "It's Your Love" and Dr. John's brilliant, New Orleans-soaked "Craney Crow" clearly attest to his sheer genius.
Perhaps the album's crowing achievement is a version of Booker T. Jones' slow and smoky gospel/blues workout, "Ole Man Trouble," which is aided by the songwriters' Hammond organ performance and a sterling background vocal arrangement. For this reason alone, L.A. Getaway is worth acquiring, even as an expensive Japanese import. There are numerous guest appearances on the record, including keyboard performances by Dr. John and Leon Russell. In many ways, producer Paul Rothchild used is cache to bring in as much talent on one record as he possibly could, while still retaining the band's overall group identity.
As well, in relation to this, Etheridge's performances are fabulous, particularly on his rare lead vocal on the title track. Barbata also shines on all of the cuts, and his playing dwarfs some of his other, excellent work on records by CSN&Y and the Turtles. In the end, the album remains a vital document of the period (early 1970s), and is well-worth seeking out.
by Matthew Greenwald
Tracks
1. Bring It To Jerome (Jerome Green) - 2:57
2. It's Your Love (Chris Ethridge, Dave Mason, Joel Scott-Hill) - 3:23
The re-named "Mike Heron's Reputation", now Heron hit the shelves in '77 with Diamond of Dreams, which stands as one of Mike Heron's most mature and gratifying works. Mike Heron more known for his works with The Incredible String Band shifts more towards a more rocky side than his earlier folk days. This album stands out as one of the great forgotten rock albums, full of inventiveness and wonderful song writing. Originally released on the famous Bronze label Talking Elephant are pleased to have this release plus a bonus track and all remastered for 2019.
Following their successful appearance here on the Golden Rose TV Festival in April 1969, the band was invited back to play the Montreux Jazz Festival in June to a more youthful audience. The hot sunny weather saw the boys play an impromptu afternoon matinee by the pool, which culminated in a topless Dick Heckstall-Smith diving in to cool down! During that time bootlegs were a big part of the scene.
Tracks
1. January's Search (Dave Greenslade, Jon Hiseman) - 6:56
2. February's Valentyne (Dave Greenslade, Jon Hiseman) - 4:21
3. Beware the Ides of March (Dave Greenslade, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jon Hiseman, Tony Reeves) - 6:47
Some treasures take a while to reveal themselves. When South Coast-based underground heavy rock trio Charge decided to record a 99-copies-only demo album at the beginning of 1973, sadly it failed to set in motion a chain of events that would culminate in fame, fortune and all manner of rock star excess. Instead, the album was ignored by the major record companies to whom copies were sent. Though they never recorded again, the band continued to play the local live circuit for a further couple of years before calling it a day after the tragic death of their drummer, Pete Gibbons. That terrible event seemed to represent the final chapter in the brief and highly obscure Charge story - just another local rock band who'd achieved a measure of regional popularity, enjoyed some good times and been left with numerous fond memories, but were destined to remain completely unknown by the wider world.
And that's the way it was until the best part of two decades later, when a battered copy of the band's album was sold at a car boot fair for the price of a few pennies. Serendipitously falling into the hands of an individual who was looking to start a reissue record label specializing in obscure late Sixties/early Seventies rock and folk albums, the Charge LP was deemed to fit the bill perfectly. No attempt was made to trace the band: instead, the composer credits that had been on the original LP were removed, one song title that may have given a clue as to the band's whereabouts was altered, and an additional track was artificially created by a crude remix of elements from the side-long suite 'Child Of Nations'. Housed in an irrelevant 17th Century art print, the album was offered to the public for the first time {the original 1973 pressing had never been commercially available}. Only pressed at this stage on vinyl, the album obviously only reached a very limited number of people - mainly early Seventies progressive rock enthusiasts who were hankering after a new thrill. But sales were considered to be good enough to justify a CD release, which appeared in 1995. This version removed the 1992 remix track and was housed in a slightly different detail of the same painting, with a sleeve note that consisted of Tolstoy extracts and an anonymous, jingoistic note on the back cover about "the genius of the British race'.'
Despite the fact that the demo album they had recorded in their youth was now on sale in both vinyl and CD formats, the surviving members of Charge - guitarist/singer Dave Ellis and bassist Ian MacLaughlin – remained blissfully unaware of the fact. Until, that is, one day in 2010, when Ian decided on a whim to visit a record fair for the first (and, thus far, last) time. Flicking in a distracted manner through the vinyl racks, he was surprised to find an album by a group who shared the same name as his early Seventies band. He was even more taken aback when he turned over the front cover to discover from the song titles that it was actually the album that he, Dave and Pete had recorded in a Luton demo studio nearly forty years earlier. And even that was nothing compared to the surprise he got when, on telling the stall-holder that he was a member of the band who'd recorded it, he discovered that it would cost him £15 to buy a bootleg pressing of his own album...
But everything happens for a reason (or so they say) - and here we are, o that original demo alburn's 40th anniversary, with the first-ever authorized reissue of the Charge LR Furthermore, it transpires that, twelve months before they'd recorded that alburn, a previous incarnation of Charge – at that point called Baby Bertha - had cut an even more limited (just 50 copies) album at the same derno studio. Another fearsome slab of early 1970s bluesy hard rock, the Baby Bertha LP has now been included in its entirety as a bonus offering on this new and definitive version of the Charge album... finally available legitimately after all these years.
Charge and Baby Bertha had their late Sixties roots in areham, a Hampshire market town situated between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth. In mid-1969, guitarist and singer Dave Ellis formed his first band, Relative, since returning from overseas, where he'd been a serving member of the British army. With a name inspired by Family (who'd been thinly disguised as Relative in Jenny Fabian's notorious novel Groupie], the band were primarily a product of the British blues rock boom that had sprung up over the previous year or two. Personnel changes were fairly frequent, with Dave Ellis the only real constant until the arrival of bassist Ian MacLaughlin. The two men would strike up a personal and musical rapport that, more than forty years later, continues to endure.
In late 1971, Relative gave way to Baby Bertha, whose line-up was Dave Ellis (guitar, vocals), Roger 'Prof Perry (rhythm guitar), Ian MacLaughlin (bass) and Des Law (drums). By now Dave had been writing songs for some time, and the band decided to make a demo album to showcase their live sound. In January 1972, they booked some time at SRT Studios, a Luton-based operation who advertised in Melody Maker. Playing live in the studio, Baby Bertha cut nine tracks: a mean and moody version of Fleetwood Mac's 'Looking For Somebody' was joined by a playful cover of the Fats Domino chestnut 'Blueberry Hill', but the remaining seven songs were original Dave Ellis compositions. Several tracks - most obviously 'Blues ForYou', 'The Struggle' and the Chicken Shack-style 'Lost My Woman' - confirmed that Baby Bertha were still essentially a heavy blues band, but the likes of 'Song For The Nights' and the thunderous closing track 'Can You? Will You?' suggested a gradual shift to Led Zeppelin/Deep Purple/Free-inspired hard rock territory. There were even occasional hints of a commercial sensibility, with 'Goodbye Good-Day' and 'Now You're Out Of My Life' boasting as many radio-friendly pop hooks and melodic ideas as anything that Slade were doing at the time.
Charge still stands as one of the buried treasures of the early Seventies British underground scene. Notwithstanding the fluff-on-the-needle production, there's a vitality and rawness to the album that suggests that Charge must have been a sensational live band. The opening track, 'Glory Boy From Whipsnade' (truncated to 'Glory Boy' on those unauthorised reissues), is a perfect encapsulation of the band's sound, with Dave's Lemmy esque vocals to the fore over a maelstrom of Hendrix-esque, hard-riffing downer rock. (Some forty years later, Dave has no idea why he referenced Whipsnade in the title - although, given that Whipsnade Zoo was just a few miles down the road from SRT, it's entirely likely that he simply saw the name and liked it when the band were travelling to or from the studio.)
Side One of the Charge album was completed by To My Friends' and 'Rock My Soul' - two further superb slabs of heavy progressive rock which confirm that, in addition to the band's extraordinary blend of power and swagger, they also boasted an outstanding songwriter in Dave Ellis. They also had a greater sense of ambition than many of their rivals, as can be heard on the epic anti-war song suite that took up Side Two of the album. Clearly inspired by Dave's time in the army, 'Soldiers', 'Battles' and 'Child Of Nations' could easily have fallen into the trap of maudlin sentimentality or awkward crassness, but they retain a sureness of touch that's bolstered by the band's sheer instrumental energy and drive.
All that, of course, is an outsider's point of view, delivered some forty years after the album was made. At the time of the recording, the band felt it to be a deeply unworthy document of their live sound, while they were also aware that the total running time of about thirty minutes was a bit on the miserly side (apparently they briefly considered re-recording a couple of tunes from the Baby Bertha LP simply to flesh out the LP, but in the end decided against it). Whereas Baby Bertha had been limited to 50 copies, Charge was pressed in a total quantity of 99 copies (100 or more would have left the band liable for Purchase Tax, the forerunner of VAT), though once again the albums were manufactured without any outer sleeves. As with the Baby Bertha set, a few copies went to family and friends, while the remainder were despatched to record companies in what proved to be a vain attempt at earning a recording contract.
Although record company interest wasn't forthcoming, Charge did become a very popular live band on the South Coast, building up a sizeable fan-base in the two or three years that they were active. However, tragedy struck in mid 1975 when Pete Gibbons - still only 25 years old at the time - suffered a fatal asthma attack. Crushed by the death of a dear friend and a great musician, Dave and Ian couldn't even contemplate continuing the band without him, and Charge were also laid to rest.
Both Dave and Ian went on to play in numerous other bands, but we leave the Charge story at that point. As already mentioned, it took a bootleg release in the early Nineties to belatedly bring their music to a slightly wider audience than it received during the band's lifetime. Hopefully this first-ever legitimate issue of the Charge album, coupled with its previously-unknown-to-exist predecessor, will widen that net still further. After all, music this good really does deserve to reach as many people as possible...
by David Wells, October 2013
Tracks
1. Glory Boy From Whipsnade - 4:02
2. To My Friends - 5:04
3. Rock My Soul - 3:45
4. Child Of Nations - 16:54
5. Looking For Somebody - 4:28
6. Goodbye Good-Day - 4:18
7. Lost My Woman - 2:29
8. The Struggle - 5:06
9. Song For The Nights - 5:03
10.Blues For You - 3:37
11.Now You're Out Of My Life - 2:39
12.Blueberry Hill - 1:53
13.Can You? Will You? - 4:18
All songs by Dave Ellis except track #5 by Peter Green
With Leonetti and Venturini responsible for all of the material, "Privilege" rocked way harder than anything in their earlier Soul Survivors catalog. In fact anyone looking for another slice of 'Expressway To Your Heart' styled blue-eyed soul will be severely disappointed. Neither Leonetti or Venturini handled vocals while in The Soul Survivors and it showed on tracks like 'Traitor' and the proto-punkish 'The Quiz', though that actually wasn't a major distraction given the set's raw hard-rock orientation. These guys were also smart enough to vary the sound with 'Circling' and the closer 'Sojourn' slowing the tempo down with a couple of power ballads. Leonetti acquitted himself particularly well, turning in some blazing guitar work throughout. Highlights included the fuzz-guitar propelled rocker 'People' and the Hendrix-influenced 'Purple Dog', though George Thorogood should've covered 'It's Yesterday'. Certainly not the year's most original album, but well worth hearing and one of the more pleasant surprises I've come across. T-Neck also tapped the album for a single in the form of ''Taking Care of You' b/w 'People'
Bad-Cat
An acid rock LP on the Isley Brothers’ T-Neck label? Yes, the unlikely collaboration resulted from a Jimi Hendrix concert at New York’s Syracuse University, supported by the Isleys and mixed soul-rock group, Soul Survivors, who had worked with Tom Bell and Gamble and Huff. When Soul Survivors morphed into Privilege, they convinced the Isleys to sign them to T-Neck, the result being this rare self-titled album, a fine set of hard-rocking originals, expertly produced by the Isleys with plenty of stereo panning, blistering guitar from frontman Edward Leonetti, atmospheric organ from Paul Venturini and melodic bass lines from Jack Douglas, later an engineer for Aerosmith, Lou Reed and Cheap Trick. A true classic.
Tracks
1. Traitor (Edward Leonetti) - 4:42
2. It's Yesterday - 3:59
3. The Quiz - 2:52
4. Circling - 4:26
5. People - 3:52
6. Going Down - 2:44
7. Purple Dog - 2:32
8. Easter - 3:04
9. Taking Care Of You (Edward Leonetti) - 3:18
10.Sojourn (Edward Leonetti) - 4:15
All songs by Edward Leonetti, Paul Venturini except where stated.
Largely forgotten, even among the crate-diggers, Horn was a Toronto jazz/rock outfit that seems to have fallen off the musical map even though the band contained drummer Bill Bryans (M.G. and the Escorts, the Government, the Parachute Club) and trumpeter Wayne Jackson (Downchild Blues Band). What's more, it appears that TV mogul Moses Znaimer had his fingers in this pie, right about the same time that he was launching Citytv, and starting up the late-night Toronto airwaves with those soft-core Baby Blue Movies.
The band's only release, On the People's Side melds socially conscious lyrics with the then cutting-edge sounds of jazz fusion - that means plenty of Rhodes pianos, vibraphones and trumpet. And though lyrically the record has aged poorly, with its hoary "brothers and sisters" references, the galloping Zappa-esque signatures and Bitches Brew-era riffs raise the stakes somewhat. The lead-off 'Things in Themselves' and the spry 'Vibrations (vee-bra-syohn)' are cases in point, straddling both prog and jazz, and thus infinitely more interesting than the pedestrian fare of the title track or the seventies rock cliches of 'Free All My Brothers'.
by Michael Panontin
Tracks
1. Things In Themselves (Bruce Burron, David deLaunay) - 3:49
2. Free All My Brothers And Sisters (Bruce Burron, Gary Hynes) - 2:34
3. Roach (Bruce Baron) - 3:46
4. Vibrations (Gary Hynes, Les Clackett, Pierre Martin) - 3:10
5. Pony Buns (David deLaunay, Bruce Burron, Gary Hynes, Les Clackett, Alan Duffy, Bill Bryans, Wayne Jackson) - 9:37
Douglas Riley began playing music with the R&B group the Silhouettes in Toronto. Throughout the late '60s and '70s he worked in Canadian television as a musical director and arranger for various music and variety shows, including Music Machine and The Wolfman Jack Show. The jazz group Dr. Music, that included saxist Steve Kennedy who played in a pre-Hawkins group with Robbie Robertson, began on The Ray Stevens Show, touring and recording after the show was cancelled in 1970.
Dr. Music released two eponymously-titled albums, in 1972 and 1973, both on the same label. The 1973 album included a cover version of The Band's "Where Do We Go From Here" from Cahoots, described by Canadian musicologist Bill Munson as "more effective" than The Band's version.
For the first 1972 LP, the group had about 16 members - half of them singers - doing what might be called gospel-rock, not so much in content, but in feel. All of the singers, aside from those who also played instruments, were gone by the time the second LP came out in 1973. By then the gospel was gone, replaced by more jazz-tinged rock, and the next album, Bedtime Stories (1975?) is all jazz, with just one vocal. When Dr. Music Circa 1984 came in 1985, Dr. Music was no longer a group, just whoever Doug Riley chose to use. Riley released the solo album Freedom in 1990 for PM, he passed away on August 28, 2007 of heart failure.
by John Bush
Tracks
1. Long Time Comin' Home (Doug Riley) - 3:58
2. On The Road (Keith Jollimore, Larry Smith) - 5:55
3. In My Life (Doug Riley) - 5.46
4. 6-5 (Steve Kennedy) - 6:35
5. Tryin' Times (Doug Riley) - 3:38
6. Doctor Doctor (Doug Riley) - 5:35
7. Rollin' Releases (Doug Riley, Steve Kennedy) - 7:00
8. Where Do We Go From Here (Robbie Robertson) - 6:40
Dr. Music
*Doug Riley - Organ, Piano
*Doug Mallory - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Lead Vocals
Woody Kern had its beginning with trio Rik Kenton (who was the focal point during live performances), Mick Wheat and Steve Harris forming the band in 1967 in their hometown of Nottingham. As the pivotal figure, Kenton was often mistakenly identified as the mythical 'Woody' by individuals in the audience at gigs as well as promoters. Later that year, John Sanderson was invited to join the group and the foursome played the Working Men's Club circuit in the Nottingham area.
Their music was a mix of blues, jazz, soul and psychedelia. At the beginning of 1968, after the previous year's psychedelic 'summer of love', recording labels were looking for blues bands to sign. The British Blues Boom was considered the next big thing about to happen in the music world. Woody Kern would travel down the M1 to play at the Marquee. Spotted there at a gig one night, Birmingham agency, Inter City Artists, offered to represent them.
The agency, with other artists such as the Velvet Fogg in its fold, presented Pye records with a package lot of groups that the agency represented, including Woody Kern for recording purposes. In the summer of 1968, Pye requested an album from the group. The album title "The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk" was inspired by a book of the same name published in 1836 and written by a nun (or, as has been attested, her ghostwriters) describing forced sexual encounters by the priests who lived in the seminary next door.
The original album cover concept, as conceived by Pye, involved a 'nun' (actually a stripper named Lucy) whose habit was falling away from her body in a lurid fashion. (Pye had produced a similarly trashy album cover for the Velvet Fogg.) The finished photos for the projected Woody Kern release looked ridiculous and farcical and as a result Pye used a close-up photo of Steve Harris instead.
The band were teamed with Jack Dorsey, formerly a big band leader, as producer and the album was created in an almost live fashion. The group wanted to overdub additional instrumentation but as John Sanderson relates, all Jack Dorsey "was really interested in was whether we could introduce him to any of the type of girls that he thought must follow a rock band". The group were dissatisfied with the final mix since Dorsey had added effects, without the group's knowledge, that interfered with the blues atmosphere. The album and a single were released but failed to achieve any sales success and the band went their separate ways.
Tracks
1. Biography - 4:25
2. Blues Keep Falling (Traditional) - 6:05
3. That's Wrong Little Mama (B.B. King) - 3:00
4. Tell You When I'm Gone - 4:11
5. Xoanan Bay - 4:34
6. Uncle John - 6:20
7. Gramophone Man (Mark Andes, Randy California, Ed Cassidy, Jay Ferguson, John Locke) - 4:01
8. Fair Maiden - 4:48
9. Vile Lynn - 5:47
10.Mean Old World (Walter Jacobs) - 2:41
11.Vegtable - 9:54
12.Biography - 4:21
13.Tell You When I'm Gone - 4:08
All songs by John Sanderson, Mick Wheat, Rik Kenton, Steve Harris except where stated
As original member Peppy Thielhelm and original producer Bob Wyld expanded the Blues Magoos' foray into Latin music meets mainstream blues, these May 1970 recordings take the previous years' Never Going Back a step further. Gulf Coast Bound is an improvement, retaining John Liello's vibes and percussion and pianist Eric Justin Kas, who is the major songwriting contributor here (strangely enough, he is listed as "Kas" on the album jacket and "Kaz" on the songwriting credits). "Slow Down Sundown" could be the band Chicago vamping without their horn section, some strange imitation monkey-sound vocals making their way onto the platter mixed in with Daddy Ya Ya's out-of-place tambourine as the song fades.
Erik Kas does the lead vocal on the 12-minute-plus opus "Can't Get Enough of You," which sounds like a strange marriage between Steely Dan and Traffic. The problem here is that the band is a notch or two below Traffic and Steely Dan, and despite the general improvement over the last disc and their initial dip into this musical bag, there is no Walter Becker or Dave Mason or Steve Winwood here, or, for that matter, a song as strong as Malo's "Suavecito" or Steely Dan's "Do It Again," which resembles "Can't Get Enough of You." To be fair to this new Blues Magoos, they came two full years before Malo and Fagen/Becker would all hit in 1972, so this album can be viewed as pioneering work.
It's too bad ABC records didn't keep releasing this musical journey. Liello's vibes add a marvelous touch, and if they were given a few more chances, maybe they could have found another hit single. The seven-minute 54-second instrumental "Magoos Blues" is lightweight John Barleycorn Must Die-era Traffic, and the new rhythm section of drummer Jim Payne and bassist Cooker Lopresti is nondescript enough to not get in the way. Of the pyschedelic/garage rock bands which changed over to another format -- the Electric Prunes, H.P. Lovecraft, etc. -- in what seemed like gambles to become "respectable," this is the best of the lot. Eric Kaz takes "Tonight the Sky's About to Cry" and it, like the rest of this album, would make for good FM radio filler in the middle of the night. "Sea Breeze Express" follows suit, competent and pleasant music, but nothing outstanding, and, unfortunately, nothing as breathtaking as the Electric Prunes' "Get Me to the World on Time" or the Blues Magoos' own "We Ain't Got Nothing Yet," and that is the bottom line.
Generally relegated to footnote status, folk/rock duo (heavier on the folk) Chad & Jeremy nonetheless managed a certain level of influence among a group of navel-gazing sensitive types who couldn’t totally commit to either the Beatles or Stones camps. And yet they still managed to make something of a splash riding the crest of a wave that was the British Invasion. At a time when it seemed every artist was copping the sound of the Beatles and/or Stones, Chad & Jeremy remained (relatively) committed to their folk origins. The trouble with this was their particular brand of folk was slowly falling out of favor following the arrival of Bob Dylan.
As if an attempt to split the difference, they embraced an approximation of the British Invasion sound while still attempting to adhere to their folk roots. But it didn’t quite suit the soft folk within which they best operated, and their attempts at continued relevance beyond a few early singles (“Yesterday’s Gone” and the song for which they are perhaps best known, “A Summer Song”) sound forced. They only truly succeeded when sticking closest to their roots; any venture into mainstream pop tended to fall short, sounding like a feeble attempt to tap into a commercial market quickly losing interest in them
Yet throughout, they prove to be fine interpreters of contemporary folk and standards of the genre. They take on Ewan MacColl’s perennial folk classic “Dirty Old Town”, giving it a decidedly country bent. “No Tears for Johnny”, while sounding feather-light, possesses a lyrical profundity and anti-war stance that far surpasses anything Simon & Garfunkel and their ilk ever attempted. It is within these unexpected moments that the music of Chad & Jeremy rises above much of the filler that weighed down their studio albums and prevented them from finding the favor they perhaps deserved. And while they would eventually surrender to the times with their generally well-regarded psychedelic albums Of Cabbages & Kings and The Ark, these early recordings show the pair trying desperately to get their music heard
Unfortunately the music of Chad & Jeremy has been unfairly overlooked by all but the most ardent fans of ‘60s pop music. The duo stands as a fine reminder that the pop landscape wasn’t all Beatles, Stones, Dylan, and Motown.
