Rockasteria

Elliott Randall’s illustrious career has encompassed a wide and varied cross-section of World Musical forms. These include: record production, composition, electronic research and development, lectures and teaching, and of course, a legendary contribution to popular guitar performance and recording.His guitar solos on Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ In The Years” and “Fame” (the motion picture) have entered Rock history annals.

What a strange and interesting crew this was in this debut Randall's Island album! Paul Fleisher and I played together beginning in the early-mid 60′s in NYC niteclubs including Trude Heller’s, The Peppermint Lounge, and The Metropole. He and I co-authored the entire record. I’d known Allen Herman & Bob Piazza for quite a while too – before they joined The Island, they were members of Genya Ravan’s R&B supergroup Ten Wheel Drive. Phillip Namanworth had been playing with Dave Van Ronk & The Hudson Dusters, and brought with him a boogie-thing that was just too contagious! Terry Adams of NRBQ guested on Hammond B-3.

George Andrews handled the string arrangements; he used to lead a big-band in NYC, which was well… quite an education. Through the ranks of this band came Steve Gadd, The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Lou Soloff, Chuck Rainey, and most of the Island crew. (Like I said – an education.) Andy Muson also guested on 2 tracks; killer jazzer, also played with Albert King for a spell before moving on to a hugely successful studio career in LA. Finally, the legendary Eddie Kramer, engineer/producer extraordinaire – for most of the Jimi Hendrix records, as well as Led Zeppelin, Traffic, and a host of others.

Elliott Randall

Tracks
1. Sour Flower (E. Randall) - 6:29
2. Life in Botanical Gardens (Oh Yes) (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 4:06
3. Take Out the Dog and Bark the Cat (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 3:47
4. Mumblin' to Myself (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 3:29
5. Brother People (E. Randall, B. Piazza, A. Herman) - 3:00
6. Jolly Green Giant and the Statue of Liberty (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 2:50
7. Bustin' My Brains (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 4:14
8. All I Am (E. Randall, P. Fleisher) - 7:35

Musicians
*Elliott Randall - Guitars , Vocals
*Paul Fleisher - Sax, Flute
*Phillip Namanworth - Piano
*Terry Adams - Organ, Moog, Piano
*Allen Herman - Drums
*Bob Piazza - Bass, Vocals
*Andy Muson - Bass
*George Andrews - Piano
*Pot - Piano, Organ
*Richard Boch - Cello

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Tommy Li Puma, Dave Mason's coproducer at Blue Thumb, has notified by mail various radio stations and record distributors across the country to go ahead and promote Headkeeper, in spite of the fact that Mason has brought a lawsuit against the label. For those of you who do not boycott the album, Headkeeper has plenty of moments to justify your purchase, and yet leaves you feeling that it is an incomplete, unfinished album.

Each of all the five songs on side two is a live recording of material Mason had recorded elsewhere. "Pearly Queen," a song that here is attributed to Mason and on the Traffic album is credited to Winwood and Capaldi, got itself a better treatment the first time around, simply because Winwood's vocal was funkier, grittier, more edged with irony.

The song itself has enough propulsion in it that it doesn't need the extra added bit of soul that Winwood gives it, but then why not? Mason's interpretation here of "Feelin' Alright" is different from the one he delivered on Traffic. Then he sang with a whimpering, quaveringly insecure voice which, when joining the chorus, instantly picked up sarcastic strength. The change was always sudden and dramatic as Clark Kent leaping out of a broom closet dressed as Superman.

In the present version, latin jazz rhythms open the song and right from the beginning all the way through, Mason sings with extroversion and authority. Now he even takes a supposedly humbled line like "Well, boy, you sure took me for one big ride," and turns it inside out to read like a gorgeous put-down. Whatever Chris Wood offered in the way of bluesy saxophone on the first version, Mark Jordan matches well with his jazz electric piano on this.

Maybe if Headkeeper had had two sides of new material rather than just one, Mason as an artist to our view would have been standing less like "a mist upon the shore." He never has been an easy one to figure out, in his public life or in his music. With Headkeeper he by no means has painted his masterpiece, but instead has left us with some fine sketches and life studies.

by David Lubin, Rolling Stone, 4-13-72.

Tracks
1. To Be Free - 3:19
2. In My Mind - 3:19
3. Here We Go Again (Solomon Burke, Cass Elliot, Bryan Garo, Jerry Gray)- 1:56
4. A Heartache, A Shadow, A Lifetime - 3:35
5. Headkeeper - 4:39
6. Pearly Queen (Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood) - 3:32
7. Just A Song - 3:01
8. World In Changes - 4:47
9. Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving - 3:04
10.Feelin' Alright - 5:40
All titles by Dave Mason, except where noted.

Musicians
*Dave Mason - Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Mark Jordan - Piano, Keyboards
*Lonnie Turner - Bass
*"Dr." Rick Jaeger - Drums
*Felix Falcon aka "Flaco" - Conga, Percussion
Special thanks to:
*Rita Coolidge - Vocals
*Spencer Davis - Vocals
*Graham Nash - Vocals
*Kathi McDonald - Vocals

1970 Dave Mason - Alone Together (1st album, Japan edition)

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"Around 1966, Nick Bonis, Mike Johnstone, Randy Pope, and I formed a psychedelic band. On Halloween night we went to an old cemetery, dropped acid, and spent a very strange night among the tombstones. The tombstones appeared to be melting and taking on animal shapes. Some of us saw spirits, and I'm not sure what I saw, but it was disturbing. Afterwards, we referred to that night as the 'Headstone Circus.' It seemed appropriate to call ourselves Headstone Circus as a band so we did."

by Glenn Faria

The band plays a (rather) West Coast style while recorded on the east coast, with a certain Crosby, Stills, Nash ‘n’ Young / Buffalo Springfield or Neil Young -Crazy Horse period- influence, but additionally with a more bluesy side-effect, and with some portions on certain tracks, where a smoky dark bluesy feeling is improvised calmly upon. This is of course the acid bluesy side associated with something of the east coast that gives this slightly smokey feeling. The lead vocals have a warm attractive effect and fit well with the West Coast feeling.

Several of the more song orientated tracks are more acoustic. The last four, and also more simple, I guess are more like rough demo versions. I am sure that if they would have had a chance with a big studio production and treatment on some tracks, these could have been better, (-a few tracks also suffered from a few worn-tape errors)-, while most of it for me is already great as it is, and makes it, almost essential to check it out, especially when you like the CSNY.

A track like “Summer’s Gone” could have easily been a Neil Young track, and still is one of my favorite songs. After a while, singer/composer Glenn Faria left the group only because he was offered a solo contract. This solo album was reissued by World In Sound some years ago. Here, the Neil Young influence still is noticeable, but for me this solo album isn’t so rewarding as the previous Headstone Circus, but it also features a nice redo of the already mentioned “Summer’s Gone” song.

Psychedelic-music

Tracks
1. I'm Goin' Down - 4:38
2. You Don't Know - 6:52
3. Summers Gone - 4:44
4. I'm Crazy - 5:57
5. Healer - 4:09
6. Arms Of God - 3:31
7. Born In Georgia - 3:56
8. Reason To Live - 3:16
9. Reach Out - 2:45
10.I Hear The Thunder - 3:43
11.I Love The Wind - 4:11
12.Bear Down - 5:18
All compositions by Glenn Faria

Headstone Circus
*Glenn Faria - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Mike Johnstone - Guitar
*Randy Ray Pope - Drums, Vocals
*Nick Bonis - Bass

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This post is dedicated to Cor by Jim the Greek

Memphis is well known as the birthplace of the blues, the fount of southern soul and the locale that begat rock’n’roll. My colleagues and I have been digging deep in various Memphian vaults over the past decade, but the focus up until now has largely been soul and R&B. Lest we forget, the city boasted a healthy rock scene well into the 1960s and 1970s, but few retrospectives have documented Memphis music in the psychedelic era when, as a major recording centre, it was the nexus not just for local freaks, but those from neighbouring Arkansas, Mississippi and beyond. Big Beat’s “Feeling High – The Psychedelic Sound Of Memphis” shines a welcome light on this long-neglected area, focusing on the years 1967-1969 and principally on the work of two renowned Memphis mavericks.

With a decades-long career as an iconoclastic musical polymath, Jim Dickinson needs little introduction. However, his rarely-discussed apprenticeship as a producer-engineer at Ardent Studios in the late 1960s made Dickinson responsible for many of the wildest and wackiest sessions ever held in Memphis. Some excerpts slipped out at the time on obscure singles on Stax and elsewhere, such as the absurd version of ‘For Your Love’ by Honey Jug. “Whenever anybody came into Ardent, it was obvious who was going to do the crazy stuff, ”Dickinson recounted to me several years ago. The bands he produced there include the pyjama-wearing Kinks-ish Wallabys of Jackson, Mississippi and psychedelic hillbillies Knowbody Else, later to become famous as Black Oak Arkansas.

In contrast, James Parks was a young wet-behind-the-ears punk who took over the control room at uncle Stan Kesler’s Sounds Of Memphis studio in 1968, bringing in his freak friends from counterculture hotspots such as the Bitter Lemon. Parks’ production work included Changin’ Tymes, Mother Roses and Triple X, featuring future country star Gus Hardin, as well as crazoid studio-only experiments such as ‘Rubber Rapper’ and ‘Shoo Shoo Shoo Fly’. There is a palpable air of chaos about much of what Parks produced, which explains why he was unable to place a lot of it at the time – but in hindsight it’s a remarkable cache of work.

Dickinson and Parks represent the outer edge of the Memphis music scene in those years. While the vast majority of tracks on “Feeling High” have not been issued before, their inspired lunacy and a shared willingness to push the envelope make the recorded evidence very special indeed. Local notables such as the Poor Little Rich Kids, 1st Century and Goatdancers share the tracklisting, the sound quality is excellent, and the detailed liner notes spill the beans on this fascinating tributary of the city’s musical legacy.

by Alec Palao

Artists - Tracks
1. Sealing Smoke - Rubber Rapper - 4:30
2. The Honey Jug - For Your Love - 2:49
3. The Changin' Tymes - Blue Music Box - 2:09
4. The Knowbody Else - Secret Storm - 3:06
5. Triple X - Spare Me - 3:37
6. The Wallabies - Holy Days - 2:28
7. Greg McCarley - Shoo Shoo Shoo Fly - 4:11
8. The Changin' Tymes - Hark the Child - 5:32
9. Poor Little Rich Kids - Come on Along and Dream - 3:02
10.The Goatdancers - Eat Me Alive - 2:33
11.Greg McCarley - Crazy Man's Woman - 3:49
12.Judy Bramlett - Deja Vu - 2:48
13.The Knowbody Else - Free Singer's Island - 2:18
14.The Wallabies - Feeling High - 3:16
15.Triple X - Rockin' in the Same Old Boat - 4:25
16.Poor Little Rich Kids - I Need Love - 2:37
17.Mother Roses - Ticket to Ride - 4:46
18.David Mitchell - Ogden - 2:55
19.Greg McCarley - If You're Thinking - 2:09
20.The Wallabies - Old Man of Time - 2:27
21.The Goatdancers - We're in Town - 2:54
22.1st Century - Dancing Girl - 2:11
23.The Knowbody Else - Flying Horse of Louisiana (Live) - 6:05
24.The Goatdancers Advert - 1:03

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One of the great lesser-known San Francisco bands, AUM was a classic rock power trio, inspired by the likes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, and led by the talented multi-instrumentalist and singer Wayne Ceballos. The band was first brought to the attention of Bill Graham by San Francisco's premier photographer, Jim Marshall.

Wolfgang's vault

Initially signed by the London-affiliated Sire label, as one would expect from the title, the group's 1969's "Bluesvibes" found them working in a distinctively blues-vein. Reflecting the band's live act, the Richard Gotthrer produced debut featured a series of seven extended jams, (the shortest song clocking in at 4 minutes).

With Ceballos writing the majority of the material, in spite of period excesses (e.g. aimless soloing), originals such as "Mississippi Mud" and "Chilli Woman" weren't half bad. Moreover, Ceballos proved a decent singer, injecting considerable energy into his performances. Among the few missteps, the band's ponderous cover of John Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" would've been suitable for Vanilla Fudge. Commercially the set proved a non-entity; quickly vanishing into cutout bins.

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Tobacco Road (John Loundermilk) - 6:54
2. Mississippi Mud - 4:03
3. My Bridge Blues - 5:41
4. Chilli Woman - 4:34
5. Little Help from You - 6:54
6. Movin' Man - 7:48
7. You Can't Hide - 7:24
All songs by Wayne the Harp Ceballos unless as else stated

AUM
*Wayne Ceballos - Guitar, Organ, Lead Vocals, Harmonica
*Ken Newell - Bass, Vocals
*Larry Martin - Drums, Vocals

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The Red Crayola were one of the greatest psychedelic bands of the 1960s and probably of all times. They played extremely wild experimental music that was decades ahead of its time. They predated Germany's expressionistic rock (Faust) and the American new wave (Pere Ubu). Their "freak outs" were closer to John Coltrane's free-jazz and to Jackson Pollock's abstract paintings than to rock and roll.

Their leader, Mayo Thompson, is a composer who ranks among the greatest living musicians (classical, jazz, rock). His revolutionary compositional style had few stable coordinates. His pieces float not because they are ethereal but because melody and rhythm are left "loose". They are organisms that rely on supporting skeletons that are falling apart as they move.

Thompson placed his art firmly in the iconoclastic tradition that Frank Zappa had just founded, and simply increased the amount and the speed of noise. Parable Of Arable Land (1967) is one of the milestones of rock music, a carousel of savage harmonic inventions/sabotages.

God Bless (1968), composed after a stay in New York and a collaboration with Joe Byrd of the United States Of America, was even more experimental if less unified (it contains twenty aleatory fragments) - than the first album.

The album still shows a natural bent towards the ways of the learned American avant-garde (from Varese to Cage), even though terribly transfigured.

by Piero Scaruffi

Tracks
1. Say Hello to Jamie Jones - 2:30
2. Music - 1:00
3. The Shirt - 2:30
4. Listen to This - 0:04
5. Save the House - 1:24
6. Victory Garden - 1:48
7. Coconut Hotel - 1:22
8. Sheriff Jack - 2:12
9. Free Piece - 2:18
10.Ravi Shankar: Parachutist - 2:09
11.Piece for Piano and Electric Bass - 0:45
12.Dairymaid's Lament - 2:30
13.Big - 1:37
14.Leejol - 2:40
15.Sherlock Holmes - 2:55
16.Dirth of Tilth - 1:26
17.Tina's Gone to Have a Baby - 1:49
18.The Jewels of the Madonna - 1:29
19.Green of My Pants - 3:00
20.Night Song - 1:52
Words and Music by Red Crayola

The Red Crayola
*Steve Cunningham – Bass
*Tommy Smith – Drums
*Mayo Thompson – Guitar, Piano, Vocals

1970 Mayo Thompson - Corky's Debt to His Father

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Piccadilly Sunshine Vol.11 gives us a further delve through the colourful confines of long-forgotten British pop revealing pretty colours and flower-power pop. Celebrating the British psyche that inspired songs such as Gypsy Fred and Cobbled Streets, this latest installment illuminates the obscured artefacts of illustrious noise that emerged from the Great British psychedelic era.

Piccadilly Sunshine part Eleven offers bittersweet folk rock and baroque, beat pop from an era that was and never shall be again.

CD Liner notes

Artists - Tracks
1. Mike Stevens And The Shevelles - Hog Tied - 3:04
2. Chris Duffy - Something For Now - 2:12
3. David Cumming - The Parrots of Simple Street - 2:40
4. Hammers - Little Butterfly - 2:35
5. John Cushing - Boys for Toys - 2:28
6. Terry Reid With Jay, Peter And The Jaywalkers - This Time - 1:48
7. The Crew - Marty - 3:00
8. Twinset - Sneakin' Up On You - 2:25
9. Act - Cobbled Streets - 2:10
10.Scott Harris - Barry Johnson's Sad Eyes Inn - 2:27
11.Gibsons - Lazy Summer Day - 2:34
12.Unit Four Plus Two - I Was Only Playing Games - 2:40
13.The Rogues - And You Better Let Her Pass By - 2:50
14.Chippy - Think About Me - 2:11
15.Dave Helling - If You're Gonna Leave Me - 2:48
16.The Keepers - Lonely Boy - 2:14
17.The Koobas - Gypsy Fred - 3:00
18.Loose Ends - Send The People Away - 2:26
19.Chris Kerry - The Place - 2:10
20.Vanity Fare - Betty Carter - 1:52

The Piccadilly Sunshine flavours
1968-70 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 1
1966-71 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 2
1967-70 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 3
1967-69 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 4
1966-69 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 5
1967-70 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 6
1966-70 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 7
1966-71 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 8
1964-71 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 9
1966-69 Piccadilly Sunshine Part 10

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The New Dawn's "There's A New Dawn" has been hailed as one of the rarest and best psych albums to come out of the late 60s and early 70s. It's been a personal favorite Of mine since the day 1 discovered a bootleg copy on CD back in the early 90's .

I found the music to be just as unique and important to me as other bands I had heard from the region: The New Tweedy Brothers, The Sonics and even The Wipers.

They all conjure a distinctive geographical musical perspective. Maybe it's all the rain, but there's an almost tangible thread running through these introspective songwriters.It's a bit like looking at the world through rainy clouds while waiting for a sunny day to arrive.

In 1966, Dan Bazzy (singer , songwriter) and founder of The New Dawn bass player Bob Justin and guitarists Larry Davis and Joe Smith, local Garage Band musicians who had been straggling to find a suitable drummer.

Bazzy joined their band and after a brief stint of playing as The Sound Citizens, The New Dawn was formed. By 1967, The New Dawn were essentially a nightclub band, touring throughout the northwest part of the country, down through California and Nevada, and as far north as Alaskn.

The band recorded and released their private press album "There's A New Dawn" in July of 1970. The songs were composed in the studio and were recorded late at night after gigs. Initially five hundred copies were pressed, but it's estimated that only around 200 may still exist.

Many of the records from the pressing were either damaged due to traveling or were warped, and distribution was limited since the album was sold mostly at their live shows.

Their one chance at the big time came in 1971 when the ABC-Dunhill Records label expressed a serious interest in the demo of three of their new heavier sounding songs. Considering the success ABC-Dunhill had with Steppenwolf, these demo tracks (included on this collection) demonstrate what a great fit the band could have been for the label and gives us a glimpse into what might have been for The New Dawn.

By the end of 1971, The New Dawn faded into the sunset after years of living motel to motel under the disillusionment of their missed opportunity. Over this past year I have had the privilege and pleasure of getting to know Bazzy and his family while working with him on this authorized CD release of "There's A New Dawn".

One of the highlights of this experience was the January 2008 reunion show of The New Dawn in Willamina, Oregon. Bazzy was accompanied by his son Dan (rhythm guitar), Russ Hosley (lead guitar), and Karen Purdom (bass). It still blows my mind that a garagepsych band from rural Oregon has achieved such prominence in the annals of rock history.

I hope you enjoy discovering The New Dawn as much as I did.

by Isaac Slusarenko, Founder Jackpot Records.

Tracks
1. (There's A) New Dawn (B. Gartner) - 4:16
2. I See A Day (D. Bazzy) - 3:35
3. It's Time (D. Bazzy) - 2:41
4. It's Rainin' (D. Bazzy) - 3:12
5. Hear Me Cryin' (D. Bazzy) - 3:28
6. Dark Thoughts (B.Gartner, L. Davis) - 2:57
7. Proudman (D. Bazzy) - 3:18
8. Billy Come Lately (D. Bazzy) - 2:32
9. We'll Fall In Love (D. Bazzy) - 3:36
10. You (D. Bazzy) - 3:11
11. Last Morning (B. Gartner) - 3:39
12. Life Goes On (B. Gartner) - 4:11
13. We Need Each Other (D. Bazzy) - 3:44
14. Woman (D. Bazzy) - 3:29
15. Do What You Want To (B. Gartner) - 3:21
16. It's Rainin' (Live) - 3:07
Tracks 1-12 from 1970's "There's A New Dawn"
Tracks 13-15 1971 Demos
Track 16 Live Benefit Show WiUamina VFW Hall - Jan 12th, 2008

New Dawn
*Dan Bazzy - Lead Vocals, Drums
*Joe Smith - Lead Guitar
*Bobby Justen - Bass
*Bill Gartner - Lead Vocals on 1, 6, 11, 12
*Backup Vocals, Recorder on "It's Time", Harmonica
*Larry Davis - Organ and Rhythm Guitar
2008 Live New Dawn
*Daniel Bazzy — Rhythm Guitar
*Russ Hosley - Lead Guitar
*Karen Purdom - Bass
*Dan Bazzy - Lead Vocals, Drums

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This post is dedicated to Nelwizard by Jim the Greek

“Destroy That Boy!”, the sequel to 2004’s “Girls With Guitars”, delves into the world of garage femmes and all-girl bands in a quest to prove that females of the species do indeed rock, roll and even snarl. In the post-Beatles beat boom, many an impressionable lass was inspired to take guitar in hand and toe the line with their male counterparts, with at least 160 touring female bands in the USA alone. A select few hit the recording studio to leave their aural mark on the decade, from which Ace has melded the cream of crop with some solo sisters to create another healthy 24-track dose of girl garage goodness.

This time old Blighty has its share of representatives, including fully-fledged female groups She Trinity and the Liverbirds. She Trinity – whose original members hailed from the UK, Canada and the USA, hence their somewhat confusing moniker – appear with their first and last (and most acclaimed) singles. The Liverbirds’ success was limited to their adoptive home of Germany, where they recorded two albums of R&B and rock’n’roll covers, three of which are showcased here. Schoolgirl duo the Termites get their pincers into a Stones classic, while South African ex-pat Sharon Tandy and Coventry’s Beverley Jones give out some gutsy performances too.

From across the Atlantic, alluring society girls the What Four open proceedings. The cover shows the Debutantes from Detroit, whose talents and glamorous image scored them a far-eastern tour and gigs alongside Motown’s finest. Another pivotal group was the Feminine Complex, formed by lead guitarist and songwriter Mindy Dalton, who achieved the rare feat of releasing an LP, but here we’re treated to two demos, including their wonderfully lo-fi version of the Monkees’ ‘(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone’, cut in their first incarnation as the Pivots.

Elsewhere come the Starlets with an attitude-soaked take on ‘You Don’t Love Me’, Swedish bombshell Ann-Margret with both decks of her single for Lee Hazlewood’s LHI label and Raylene Loos and her cohorts the Blue Angels, who contribute a rollicking rendition of ‘Shakin’ All Over’. The Girls (nope, not the same gang as on “Girls With Guitars”) debut with an unreleased cut produced by Sly Stone, while woe betides the man on the receiving end of Aussie Toni McCann, who let’s rip with ‘No’.

Jack Nitzsche protégée Karen Verros kicks off the mid-section with, a fuzz-laden mind-blowing gem written by Donovan. Project X (whose line-up included Scott McKenzie) delights with a jangly folk-garage affair and Cheryll & Pam wax lyrical in ‘That’s My Guy’. British Invasion off-shoots the Lady Bugs’ ode to the American fraternity is a hilarious romp and the wiggy Fondettes pay tribute to the mop-headed boys who started it all.

Much more info on these artists is to be found in the glossy feature-packed booklet, which includes interviews with Jan McClellan of the Debutantes and Beverley Jones. So let the girls blow the dust of their guitars yet again and take a trip down to the tougher side of girl-groupsville.

by Matt Meek

Artists - Tracks
1. The What Four - I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy - 2:04
2. The Starlets - You Don't Love Me - 2:15
3. Raylene and The Blue Angels - Shakin' All Over - 2:08
4. She Trinity - He Fought the Law - 2:20
5. Toni McCann - No - 1:54
6. The Liverbirds - He's Something Else - 2:16
7. Beverley Jones - Hear You Talking - 2:44
8. The Debutantes - Shake a Tail Feather - 2:14
9. The Fondettes - The Beatles Are in Town - 2:02
10.Project X - Don't You Think It's Fine - 2:37
11.Ann-Margret - It's a Nice World to Visit (But Not to Live In) - 2:27
12.Sharon Tandy - Hold On - 3:10
13.Karen Verros - You Just Gotta Know My Mind - 1:54
14.Ann-Margret - You Turned My Head Around - 3:19
15.The Feminine Complex - I've Been Workin' on You - 2:48
16.The Girls - Here I Am in Love Again - 1:59
17.The Termites - Tell Me - 2:54
18.The Liverbirds - Talking About You - 3:04
19.The What Four - Baby, I Dig Love - 2:01
20.The Pivots - (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone - 2:31
21.The Liverbirds - He's About a Mover - 2:38
22.Cheryl & Pam Johnson - That's My Boy - 2:05
23.The Ladybugs - Fraternity, USA - 2:26
24.She Trinity - Climb That Tree - 3:32

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One of the first acts signed to Bill Graham's Fillmore label, 1969's "Resurrection" teamed the band with producer David Rubinson. As one might have guessed from the album title (let alone the back cover which showed three crosses), their sophomore effort found the band pursuing a pseudo-religious agenda. In spite of occasionally clunky lyrics and an irritating degree of echo, Ceballos-penned material such as "God Is Back In Town," the ballad "Only I Know" and " Today and Tomorrow" wasn't half bad.

Boasting a nifty Ceballos guitar solo, the stately title track was our nomination for standout track. Elsewhere, the driving "Bye Bye Baby" and "Little Brown Hen" recalled Quicksilver Messenger Service. Commercially the set did nothing; the trio calling it quits shortly thereafter.

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. God Is Back In Town - 5:22
2. Resurrection - 5:24
3. Only I Know - 3:55
4. Bye Bye Baby - 3:42
5. Today and Tomorrow - 7:28
6. Little Brown Hen - 2:48
7. Aum - 6:01
8. Pachuko Boogie - Preserve Your Mama (A. Ammons) - 1:15
All songs written by Wayne Ceballos except where noted.

AUM
*Wayne Ceballos - Guitar, Organ, Lead Vocals, Harmonica
*Ken Newell - Bass, Vocals
*Larry Martin - Drums, Vocals

1969 AUM - Bluesvibes

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The Firebirds, a completely anonymous British session band, released ‘Light My Fire‘. Now, the Doors hit of the same name doesn’t really show up on the album, although it’s main hook is alluded to in one song and even though one song IS called ‘Light My Fire’ that isn’t the one!

Stylistically, LMF doesn’t sound anything like Jim Dandy & The Knobs. In fact, the intended effect – a Hendrix Experience clone – ends up sounding like Jack Bruce of Cream fronting first LP Black Sabbath mocking the Experience! It’s incredible in just how over the top it goes:

The guitar is brutal, taking on an almost ‘My War‘ era Greg Ginn (Black Flag) feel on the LP’s best track ‘No Tomorrows’. It just squeals with that tortured amp buzz, like Blue Cheer‘s ‘Vincebus Eruptum’ , but even dirtier, if you can believe that. If you’re a Tony Iommi freak, prepare to be surprised when you hear this guy pulling out the licks to ‘Paranoid’ two years before that song existed!

The drummer is particularly entertaining in his "Mitch Mitchell" approach. I think there may be one steady beat throughout the entire record. This guy is a fill machine- it’s absurd! Plus, the record contains a three solo suite “Free Fuzz / Free Bass / Free Drums”. The highlight here is “Free Bass”.

The bassist isn’t really skilled enough to do a proper solo, and hearing him struggle through it is a Spinal Tap worthy moment. Like I said earlier, the singer has a Jack Bruce-ish quality, but then does himself no favors by employing Hendrix speak on ‘Gypsy Fire’. It must be heard to be believed!

Now, remember, this isn’t a real band – just some salary guys with guitars and no control over the end product. As such, the track ‘Warm Up’ is just not the same band. It may have a few of the same players, but it doesn’t even remotely approach the sound of the rest of the album.

by Marshottentot

Tracks
1. Warm Up - 2:30
2. Reflections - 4:23
3. By Baby - 5:29
4. Free Bass - 2:38
5. Free Drum - 4:31
6. Free Fuzz/Gypsy Fire - 2:39
7. No Tomorrows - 5:02
8. Light My Fire - 4:18

*Unknown session musicians

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Originals of this 1979 album are almost impossible to find (300 copies) and if you can find one, expect to auction off your first born child, or a valuable body organ to pay for it. Geez, even the 1994 500 press reissue on Stan Denski's Or label is difficult to track down and expensive.

Can't say I have more than the bare bones facts on this outfit - most of what follows is taken from an insert that accompanied the OR reissue. Living in the New Orleans suburb of Algiers, brothers Frank (vocals and guitar), George (bass), Johnny (guitar) and Mike (drums) Saucier), started playing New Orleans clubs in 1977. With limited demand for a rock band on the local club circuit, they moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, followed by another move to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi where they invested in an old school bus.

Equipping the bus with sleeping bunks they spent the next two years touring throughout the Southeast. By 1979 they'd apparently had enough of the road and decided to take what little money they'd made and by some recording equipment. They apparently didn't have all that much in terms of resources since the subsequent album was recorded on a TEAC 2 track reel to reel recorder.

Recorded over a month long period in their living room (bet the neighbors were thrilled), 1979's self-produced "Rayne" is pretty impressive. Essentially recorded live without any overdubs or postproduction enhancement, this sounds better than 80% of major label releases. It's also interesting in that if you didn't know it had been recorded in the late 1970s, you probably would have guessed that it was a late-1960s product.

Featuring all original material, the eight tracks offered up a mixture of conventional hard rock ('No Reason To Cry' and the slide guitar propelled 'Slip Away') and more folk-oriented track (the ballad 'Never Going, Always Gone' and the Dylan-esque 'Good Dog'). Lyrically this isn't exactly upbeat sunshine pop ('No One Heard Her'), but who cares when it's played with so much enthusiasm. Know all those albums that say 'play loud'? Well this one doesn't carry that statement, but it does sound great when cranked up to the max. Easily one of the most impressive albums I've heard this year.

The resulting tapes were pressed in Nashville, but with a limited budget, only a couple of hundred copies were pressed. Some copies were passed along to record stations and other 'insiders', with at least one box worth (100 copies?) being destroyed when the frustrated brothers decided to see what would happen if they fired a shotgun at them. There were apparently no survivors. Needless to say, a wiser investment would have been to shove the box into a closet and wait for the collector world to discover them.

Interestingly, their self-financed debut drew the attention of a larger label which financed a second album. The brothers wrote and recorded material for the album, but apparently furious with the post-production work which gave the set an AOR feel, they copped the master tapes and destroyed them; though not before a single was supposedly released. Never heard the 45 and I don't even know what the titles are.

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. No Reason To Cry - 2:51
2. Good Dog - 2:31
3. She Comes - 2:45
4. No One Heard Her - 4:36
5. March - 3:58
6. Neighborhood - 6:18
7. Never Going, Always Gone - 3:35
8. Slip Away - 2:48
All compositions by Rayne

Rayne
*Frank Saucier - Vocals, Guitar
*George Saucier - Bass
*Johnny Saucier - Guitar
*Mike Saucier - Drums, Percussion

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“I remember watching television – educational television – in mid-1967, to see a program called ‘Eavesdropping On The New Rock’ and a group called The Steve Baron Quartet. It was really strange: the jazz group name, a person with a deep, friendly voice singing very melodic folk songs accompanied by three jazz musicians. Jazz folk? Whatever it might be called, it was incredibly good. It’s 1969 now. The Steve Baron Quartet have made their first album. Of course, it’s good.

Steve came to live in New York during the folk revival of the early 60s, and has been writing ever since. His material is among the strongest I have ever heard. Of all the contemporary folk singers, he is one of the very few who knows how to write melodies. Poets they may be, but they usually cannot write songs that keep you awake. The songs on this album have some of the finest melodies and most sensitive thoughts written in the past few years. My picks are Goodbye Road and Don't You Hate The Feeling?, but all the others are exceptional. The group’s playing leaps in and out of the songs like tiny silver sparks. It all works so well. You may find Steve Baron sneaking up on Paul Simon one day, some day soon”

by Mike Jahn, music critic, the New York Times

“After a long wait, this album finally appears. A few of us have been lucky enough to have heard the music of the Steve Baron Quartet before, but living with it ourselves has only made us more anxious to let others hear. I’m afraid, despite my usual abundance of categories, I fail to operate here. My favourite category is Rock and Roll. The Quartet is definitely that, but also jazz, also folk. Mainly, I think the Quartet is a sound that can be recognised and loved. All the musicians are in perfect harmony, all the songs are full of life, all the sounds spontaneously and simultaneously imploding and exploding. Just like nature! The Steve Baron Quartet make (here’s the category!) Natural Music. Jai Baba!”

by Pete Townshend, The Who

Despite boasting enthusiastic sleevenotes from Pete Townshend of the Who, this superb fusion of jazz, folk and psychedelic rock failed to connect when it first appeared in 1969. Featuring superb musical interplay and stunning guitar leads, as well as a handful of haunting acoustic tracks, it’s a lost classic.

CD Liner-notes

Tracks
1. Bertha Was The Mother Of Us All - 3:40
2. Don't You Hate The Feeling - 5:55
3. I Sang About My Lady - 3:15
4. In The Middle (Steve Baron,Tom Winer) - 2:36
5. Lonely River - 3:24
6. Goodbye Road - 2:46
7. Mr. Green - 3:59
8. Love Me Laura - 2:53
9. God Never Lived For Me - 2:24
10. Shadow Man (Steve Baron, Tom Winer) - 11:04
All songs by Steve Baron except where indicated.

The Steve Baron Quartet
*Steve Baron - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Bill Davidson - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Jef Lowell - Bass, Vocals
*Tom Winer - Piano, Organ
Guest Musicians
*Bill La Vorgna - Drums on Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6
*Herb Lovelle - Drums on Tracks 7, 10

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Excellent effort from Steve Baron who puts an energy into his work lacking in some of the biggest stars. Baron is able to take potentially mundane subjects and make them interresting through his writing and singing styles, and can take advantage of the country craze without sounding he is cashing on it.

This set is full of potential singles. Production from Pete Drake is superb bringing Baron's rich voice to the forefront and allowing each intrument to be heard in it's turn.

B/board, May 25 1974.

In the early seventies, Steve Baron put out two more albums, the 1971 "Sessions" and the 1973 "A Wanderer Like You", contained the classic song "The Magic Magician". Sadly, Steve passed away in March 2002.

Tripod

Tracks
1. I'm A Wanderer Like You - 3:04
2. Happiness Is Just Like Breathing Space - 3:00
3. Magic Magician - 7:30
4. Letting Go - 3:27
5. I've Thought A Little Bit - 3:15
6. Highwire - 4:37
7. There's No Place For Us In The Garden - 4:23
8. This Song's For Dancing - 3:27
9. You Were Just Dancing - 4:37
10.Everybody Wants To Get To Heaven (Still Another Version) (co-lyrics Billy Meshel) - 3:20
Lyrics and Music by Steve Baron

Musicians
*Steve Baron - Vocals, Guitars
*Jack Solomon - Acoustic Guitar
*Pete Drake - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Larry London - Drums
*Earl Ball - Piano
*Mike Leech - Bass
*Jimmy Colvard -Lead Guitar
*Lanny Avery - Drums, Bell Tree
*Hoyet Henry - Bass, Horns
*Henry Strzelecki - Bass
*Dale Sellers - Lead Guitar
*Linda Hargrove - Organ
*Larry Sasser - Pedal Steel Guitar
*Diane Craige - High Voice
*Ginger Holladay, Temple Riser, Lea Jane Berinati - Vocals

1969 Steve Baron Quartet - The Mother Of Us All

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Steppenwolf have their origins in a Canadian band called The Sparrow, who released two singles in 1966 with little success. The Sparrow broke up in some acrimony but it wasn't long before constituent parts of it re-formed when an ABC Dunhill staff producer called Gabriel Mekler heard some tapes they had recorded and suggested to their guitarist/ vocalist John Kay that they make some demos. Sparrow guitarist Dennis Edmonton declined to participate in the reunion: he was recording an album of his own compositions, one of which was a song called 'Born To Be Wild'. However, Sparrow drummer Jerry Edmonton (his brother) and keyboardist Goldy McJohn were game. In addition, Kay took on teenage prodigy guitarist Michael Monarch and bassist Rushton Moreve.

The band started rehearsing in a garage beneath Kay's apartment. Kay remains convinced that the dark, distorted and menacing style the band emerged with was the result of the battered and borrowed equipment their impoverishment forced them to use at the time. That style was, by coincidence, similar to the music several different groups were making at the time: Led Zeppelin, The Jeff Beck Group, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and, later, even the Beatles (the electric version of Revolution) were coming up with booming, distorted sounds never heard in rock up to this point.

That form of music was given a name by the lyric of 'Born To Be Wild which Kay and co decided to record after Edmonton (who wrote it under his new pseudonym of Mars Bonfire) dropped off a demo. Edmonton had been inspired by a motorcycle poster bearing the legend "BORN TO RIDE". The phrase he used to convey the sensation of riding a powerful motorcycle - "heavy metal thunder" - was recognised by music journalists as an equally apt description for this new style of distorted music and quickly passed into the language. However, Born To Be Wild was always bound to be remembered for more than providing a label.

Everything about it was perfect, from its intoxicatingly hedonistic sentiment to its soaring melody to its superb ensemble playing. A timeless classic, it became a number two US hit for the band in August 1968 under the name Steppenwolf. The name had been suggested by Mekler who had been impressed by Herman Hesse's celebrated novel of that title. The perception of the song - which climbed to number 30 in the UK the following year - as one which defined the free-spirited age was cemented when it appeared in the movie Easy Rider in 1969. However, Steppenwolf's eponymously titled debut album, released in January 1968 in the US and three months later in Britain, proved that they were more than a heavy metal band.

A Girl I Knew is a piece of vaguely psychedelic pop bookended by harpsichord playing that could not be a greater contrast to Born To Be Wild's growling guitar riffs. In addition, the band's cover of Willie Dixon's Hoochie Coochie Man underlined their blues roots, and Berry Rides Again saw them affectionately pastiching the style of one of the first rock and roll stars. The Pusher, meanwhile, illustrated how Kay had a perspective that was often very different from other radicals of the time: what other rock musician in the LSD-soaked year of 1968 would cover Hoyt Axton's emphatically anti-drugs culture composition? As someone who had had to risk his life at the age of four fleeing from East Germany to the West, Kay was always going to have a slightly different view of the world to North Americans who, while genuinely angry about societal iniquities, had only ever known privilege compared to the inhabitants of Kay's home country.

This propensity to think for himself would later lead Kay to do the unthinkable for a heavy rock band member when he wrote strongly feminist songs for Steppenwolf's 1971 album 'For Ladies On/y'. That, though, wouldn't have come as a surprise to those who concentrated on the lyric of Lost And Found, one of the highlights of the album 'Steppenwolf The Second', which appeared in the US a mere ten months after its predecessor. (Britain would have to wait until January 1969.)

Lost And Found was a genuinely thoughtful and self-critical song about romance and sex completely at odds with the still rather macho attitudes in rock music at the time. Because of their two-albums-a-year recording contract, the band had less time than they would have liked to work on 'Steppenwolf The Second'. For this reason, Mekler contributed one of his own compositions to the album in 28, (as well as co-writing two others with Kay, as he had on the first album).

Mars Bonfire contributed the opening Faster Than The Speed Of Life, which is actually sung not by Kay but by Jerry Edmonton. Despite the album's short gestation period, the band had grandiose artistic ambitions for it: the whole of side two had originally been intended to portray the development of the blues from its cotton field origins to present day rock. The concept wasn't fully realised but glimmers of it can be discerned, especially on the steel guitar opening and 12-bar structure of Disappointment Number (Unknown).

The centrepiece of the album was Magic Carpet Ride, a Kay/Moreve composition which was released as a single. Moreve would never get another songwriting credit with Steppenwolf so must have been especially pleased that it became only second to Born To Be Wild in being the song the public most associated the band with. Contrary to those who read drug connotations into the songwords, they were inspired by the expensive hi-fi Kay had bought with some of his royalties from the first album.

The single certainly went on a magic carpet ride chart-wise, soaring to number 3 Stateside. Its parent album likewise went top five. It was the perfect end to a wonderful year for a band which hadn't even been in existence barely a few months before its start.

by Sean Egan

Tracks

Steppenwolf

1. Sookie Sookie (Don Covay, Steve Cropper) - 3:12

2. Everybody's Next One (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) - 2:53

3. Berry Rides Again (Kay) - 2:45

4. Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) - 5:07

5. Born to Be Wild (Mars Bonfire) - 3:28

6. Your Wall's Too High (Kay) - 5:40

7. Desperation (Kay) - 5:45

8. The Pusher (Hoyt Axton) - 5:43

9. A Girl I Knew (Morgan Cavett, Kay) - 2:39

10.Take What You Need (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) - 3:28

11.The Ostrich (Kay) - 5:43

Steppenwolf

* John Kay - Guitars, Harmonica,Lead Vocals

* Rushton Moreve - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals

* Michael Monarch - Guitars, Backing Vocals

* Goldy McJohn - Hammond Organ, Piano, Electric Piano

* Jerry Edmonton - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Steppenwolf 2nd
1. Faster Than The Speed Of Life (Mars Bonfire) - 3:10
2. Tighten Up Your Wig - 3:06
3. None Of Your Doing (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) - 2:50
4. Spiritual Fantasy - 3:39
5. Don't Step On The Grass, Sam - 5:43
6. 28 (Gabriel Mekler) - 3:12
7. Magic Carpet Ride (Kay, Rushton Moreve) - 4:30
8. Disappointment Number (Unknown) - 4:38
9. Lost And Found By Trial And Error - 2:20
10.Hodge, Podge, Strained Through A Leslie - 2:42
11.Resurrection - 3:43
12.Reflections (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) - 1:30
All tracks composed by John Kay except where indicated

Steppenwolf
* John Kay - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
* Michael Monarch - Lead Guitar
* Goldy McJohn - Organ, Piano
* Rushton Moreve - Bass
* Jerry Edmonton - Drums, Vocals

Related Acts
1968 John Kay and the Sparrow
1972 John Kay – Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes

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This two-fer compiles the only two albums by Michigan's Terry Knight & the Pack; its self-titled 1966 debut and 1967's Reflections. Rock 'n' roll collector's and Michigan rock aficionados have given these albums semi-legendary status simply because the lineup included the roots of Grand Funk Railroad -- Knight was the band's manager and producer until 1972, and both guitarist Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer came from its ranks.

These two recordings were originally issued on the Lucky Eleven imprint and were distributed by Cameo/Parkway who had scored a number one hit with "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians, another Michigan act. Knight's gift wasn't so much as a singer, but as a songwriter capable of aping the hitmakers of the day, and he knew how to arrange. This is born out on the first album's covers of Sonny Bono's "Where Do You Go," "You're a Better Man Than I" (a hit for the Yardbirds), and a particularly strange reading of the Rolling Stones' "Lady Jane." The single from the album was a reading of the Lieber & Stoller nugget "I (Who Have Nothing)."

Knight's own tunes include the fuzz guitar-drenched album-opener "Numbers" was reminiscent of the Seeds, while "What's on Your Mind" walked a line between Georgie Fame and the Zombies. The band's second album, Reflections, opens with the whitest cover of Joe Tex's "One Monkey (Don't Stop No Show)" ever.

There are some real rockers here, too, in "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love," that's reminiscent of the Standells, the soul-inflected-cum-Association-influenced "This Train," and a unique garage psych cover of the Stones' "(I Can't No) Satisfaction." This is an integral part of Michigan Rock history.

by Thom Jurek

Tracks

1.Numbers - 2:30
2.What's on Your Mind - 1:48
3.Where Do You Go (Sont Bono) - 3:08
4.You're a Better Man Than I (B. Hugg, M. Hugg) - 2:53
5.Lovin' Kind - 3:00
6.The Shut-In - 3:37
7.Got Love - 3:12
8.A Change On The Way - 3:42
9.Lady Jane (Jagger, Richards) - 2:56
10.Sleep Talkin' - 3:00
11.I've Been Told - 2:41
12.I (Who Have Nothing) (Leiber, Stoller, Mogol) - 3:25
13.One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Joe Tex) - 2:35
14.Love, Love, Love, Love, Love - 2:54
15.Come with Me - 2:41
16.Got to Find My Baby - 2:49
17.This Precious Time (P. Sloan, S. Barri) - 2:48
18.Anybody's Apple Tree - 2:33
19.The Train - 2:11
20.Dimestore Debutante - 4:22
21.Dirty Lady - 3:13
22.Love Goddess of the Sunset Strip - 3:35
23.Forever and a Day - 3:06
24.(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Jagger, Richards) - 3:57
All songs by Terry Knight except where indicated.

Terry Knight And The Pack
*Don Brewer - Drums, Vocals
*Bob Caldwell - Bells, Vocals
*Mark Farner - Bass, Vocals
*Herm Jackson - Bass
*Curt Johnson - Guitar, Vocals
*Terry Knight - Harmonica, Harpsichord, Piano, Vocals

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Geoff Twigg and Brian Rodgers first met in Frank Terenzi's music shop in Maidstone, Kent in September 1973. There was instant musical rapport, and they did their first gig together a mere? days later. Both had been musically active in the area for years: Geoff had played in a teenage band called Wyndmsh, and in a duo with Penny Connor, and was a member of the Concord Singers, a Kent-based choir; Brian, meanwhile, had been a member of a folk-rock outfit (name long forgotten}, and worked with another band, Bacchus, and as a solo folkie.

Geoff's main influences were Lennon and McCartney, Paul Simon, Melanie, Judy Collins. Joni Mitchell, and others in the singer-songwriter vein, underpinned by a keen interest in the classical guitar repertoire by contrast. Brian's enthusiasm was for the current British folk scene - Ralph McTell, Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Steeleye Span. Tir Na Nog, John Renbourn, John James, and others.

The crossfertilization between their separate enthusiasms and previous musical experience goes a long way toward explaining the uniquely distinctive blend to be heard on Amalgam. Just Others worked in most of the folk venues around the southeast of England, and secured a residency at the Faversham Folk Club. Keen for wider acclaim, they entered the annual Melody Maker contest, but, in Brian s words, "played abysmally, go nowhere".

Amalgam was recorded, making the utmost of the most basic equipment in the spring and summer of 1974. Just 250 copies were pressed (500 were ordered, but the pressing plant was in financial difficulties), and the record was sold only at gigs. Enough songs were written for a second album and record companies were duly approached, including such obvious candidates as Rocket and Chrysalis, but without success. Chappell Music were prepared to take on the publishing, and even to underwrite the recording of the follow-up, but it was not to be .. . The songs remain unrecorded, and sadly, for the most part forgotten.

The need to pursue their individual careers was to force the eventual demise of Just Others. Geoff worked as a peripatetic music teacher and achieved academic distinction atthe Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Kings College, where he studied composition. He later moved to the United States, where he currently works as the musical director for a church. Brian, meanwhile, became a full-time teacher (art design and technology); he also took up sailing, and has raced small sailing craft at international level. He returned to university in 1986. and taught in Australia throughout 1993, where he began playing music once more. Since returning to the UK in 1994 he has regularly performed solo, and has recently farmed a duo, No Vacancies, with Bernard Quenby, playing ragtime/blues, folk, and other material including at least one song from the Just Others days, Close Your Eyes to the Sun.

What kind of album did Just Others make? Every listener wi|! make up their own mind, for sure, but to my ears, there are songs on Amalgam that manage to convey striking post-Swinging London melancholy (Ballad of a Londoner), soft-focus summer laziness (Close Your Eyes to the Sun), yearning romanticism (Question of Emotion. I Do Not Know Your Name), Lost love lamented (Dialogue Between a Young Man and the Night), and universal agnosticism I Where Is He?), and they do it more effectively than most albums that cost many megabucks to record; there are flashes of true inspiration, like the crumhorns which frame the stunning Ballad to Lady Ann (a trackwhose hallucinatory neo-medieval vibe is, in today's parlance, pure acid-folk), and the distant string quartet on Where is He.

There are anthemic melodies that won't let go (At The End of the Rainbow, Siny For me). And there is an all-pervading feeling, part optimism, part melancholy, that makes this a uniquely interesting addition to any serious collection of acoustic music of the period. At the time of writing these notes, I am fairly certain that no other copies of Just Others/Amalgam have been found, or offered on the collectors' market. Just Others “Amalgam” is indeed something rather special.

by Andrew Hawkey

Tracks
1. I Do Not Know Your Name - 3:09
2. Question Of Emotion - 2:59
3. A Ballad To Lady Ann - 4:50
4. We Are Not Alone - 2:49
5. Close Your Eyes to the Sun - 2:28
6. Concerning A Lost Love - 3:28
7. I Miss You - 2:50
8. Song For All Seasons - 2:30
9. Ballad Of A Londoner - 3:50
10.Where Is He? - 2:48
11.A Dialogue Between A Young Man And The Night - 4:32
12.At The End Of The Rainbow - 2:55
13.Sing For Me - 4:16
All songs by Geoff Twigg except track #6 by Brian Rodgers

Just Others
*Geoff Twigg - 6-String Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Brian Rodgers - 6 And 12 String Guitars, Mandolin, Vocals
*Evelyn Tubb - Trumpet
*The Canterbury Waites - Crumhorns
*Trent Quartet - Strings
*The Concord Singers - Choir

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As Bar Mitzvah presents, Jerry Dobb receives an Acetone electronic organ with Kalamazoo Amplifier and Scott Julian receives an Epiphone electric guitar and amp. The friends decide to form a band in the archetypal New York City suburb of Colonia, New Jersey. First band is named the Marc 5 (for no reason that I can now remember - no one named Marc in the band). The band consists of Jerry and Scott, Bob Briendel on bass (he had no idea how to play. Scott showed him where to put his fingers), Phil Mazuski on drums and the only real musician, Joe "Musky" Muscolino on saxophone.

The band had a repertoire of about 10 songs, including "Summertime," "Tequila" and "The Batman Theme." Playing a private pool party and someone requested "Moon River." Musky knew it, so we faked it behind him. It was pretty awful, but the guests were too drunk to care and actually gave us an extra tip for playing it! The thirteen year olds in the band hook up with a seemingly much older, 17 year old singer named Pete (don't remember his last name) and change the name of the band to the Sonix. Pete is an R&B enthusiast and the song list changes to include "I Got You," "Mustang Sally" and other soul songs. Pete performs James Brown style with spins, splits and yelps.

The hand uniform is pointy-toed black shoes, black pants, pink Italian high-roll collar shirts and burgundy button front sweaters. The band decides that they'd like to follow a more hip and hippy style of music. Pete departs and the group reforms as Six Feet Under. Phil is replaced by Ritchie on drums. Bob, who never really took to music, is replaced by Duanc Ulghcrait on bass. Joe leaves for an established soul band. A girl singer (name unknown) briefly comes and goes. Ritchie, while an excellent drummer, proves to be volatile and is replaced by Hector "Tico" Torres fromSayerville N.J. Where did the name Six Feet Under come from? Well after the Sonix, the hand wanted a new hipper name.

The first thing decided was that the name shouldn't begin with "The." After some brainstorming, someone mentioned that the British band Ten Years After didn't start with "The" and was kind of cool. So we started coming up with phrases that fit that pattern; a number, a noun, and an adverb. We also wanted a name that was kind of dark and slightly threatening, like the Grateful Dead. Ultimately someone came up with Six Feet Under, and we immediately realized that it was the perfect moniker. Later, when Nannette joined the band the sound softened a bit, but the name stuck until the end.

When the dust settles it's Jerry on organ and vocals, Scott on guitar, Duane on bass and Tico on drums. Tico plays a drum set that belonged to his dad, circa the mid-1940s. The bass drum was oversized and the tom-toms were nailed onto the bass. A friend of Tico's paints a beautiful oil painting of a woman's head floating above a grave with ghostly hands reaching up, trying to retrieve it. This is cut out and inserted into the front of the bass drum. A simplified line drawing of the painting is used as a promotional hand-out.

The band plays at least one night most weekends and improves. Gigs include dances, Rutger's University fraternity parties, battle of the band competitions and local festivals in and around Northern New Jersey. The songs now include a lot of Doors material, Cream, Hendrix, and the signature song, a relatively faithful rendition of the complete "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." The First original songs appear, including "The Six Feet Under Theme" and "Karen." Around this time the opportunity to record appears.

Fifteen year old Nanette DeLaune joins the band as "chick singer" a la Grace Slick. Jay Crystal begins as drummer. While preparing to record the band continues to play gigs, many times two a weekend. The material now includes songs by the Jefferson Airplane, Rolling Stones, Santana, Ten Years After and Blind Faith. Show stoppers include a rousing version of "Soul Sacrifice" and a 15 minute set of songs from the Who's "Tommy." Original material is written by Jerry and practiced.

The band records at the Scepter Studios. Jerry uses a Hammond B-3 with Leslie tone cabinet for the first time. "Inspiration In My Head" is "released." The band is angry because the extended instrumental break at the end of the song is edited out. Friends and relatives convince a local record shop to order the single and buy a few dozen copies. A local radio station plays it once on the air. The band listens in a car and can't believe that they're on the radio. Nothing else happens. The band goes back to the studio to record more songs.

By late fall of 1970 the band decides to split up. Jerry, Scott and Duane head to college. Jerry assembles an ad-hoc band and records some solo songs. These are never released. Nanette does some further recording also, but nothing comes of it. Jerry studies filmmaking at college and ultimately becomes a corporate video manager. Scott ends up as a chef in a prestigious hotel. Duane becomes a candy salesman. Musky lands in Utah where he plays and books local bands. Don't know what became of Nanette, Jay, Bob, Phil, Ritchie, or Pete. But Hector "Tico" Torres, the guy who wasn't good enough to record, hooked up with a younger boy from Sayerville named Jon Bon Jovi and the rest, as they say...

by Jerry Dobb

Tracks
1 Inspiration in My Head - 2:28
2 Freedom - 4:07
3 What Would You Do? - 3:43
4 Baby I Want to Love You - 8:08
5 In Retrospect - 4:04
6 Fields - 3:04
7 Running Around in the Sun - 3:28
8 Black Movies - 3:20
9 Six Feet Under Theme - 2:46
10 Suzy Q - 6:18
11 City Blues - 5:12
12 In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (D. Ingle) - 11:52
13 Basement Jam - 0:47
14 Sonix Commercial - 0:58
15 Inspiration in My Head - 2:51
16 Freedom - 4:30
17 What Would You Do? - 5:53
18 Fields - 3:05
19 Boogie Man Bash - 0:44

6 Feet Under
*Jay Crystal - Drums
*Nanette DeLaune - Vocals
*Jerry Dobb - Keyboards, Vocals
*Scott Julian - Guitar
*Hector Torres - Drums
*Duane Ulgherait - Bass
*Richie - Drums (only on track #9)

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One of the most mysterious albums of the late Sixties, British singer/songwriter Philamore Lincoln's US-only release The North Wind Blew South has attracted plenty of conjecture over the years, much of it concerning the alleged involvement of the Yardbirds.

Philamore Lincoln was born Robert Cromwell Anson on 20th October 1940 in Sherwood, Nottingham. He started playing drums in his mid-teens before joining the RAF, where he played in a band that also featured alto saxophonist Trevor Watts, later of Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Amalgam.

It was at this juncture that Anson began to call himself Phil Kinorra in honour of his three favourite jazz drummers - Phil Seamen,Tony Kinsey and Bobby Orr. After leaving the RAF, Kinorra worked in summer shows and variety acts before coming down to London at the beginning of 1960 as part of an R&B band run by Heather Logan (the sister of jazz singer and actress Annie Ross).

By early 1967, Julien Covey and the Machine had settled down to a line-up of Phil Kinorra on vocals, John Moorshead on guitar, Pete Solley on keyboards, John Holliday on bass and Keith Webb on drums. (NB. It may be that John Holliday was a pseudonym for Johnny Spence, who is known to have been a member of the Machine around this time. Spence had recently quit the Pirates, where he had briefly played alongside Moorshead.) Linking up with Island label producer Jimmy Miller, Covey and the Machine cut a great single, 'A Little Bit Hurt' b/w 'Sweet Bacon'.

Released in May 1967, 'A Little Bit Hurt' attracted a lot of support from the pirate radio stations and was popular in the club discotheques, but didn't quite make the transition to national chart success. Nevertheless, it was an extremely influential record; not only did it become a big favourite on the Northern Soul circuit, leading to Island re-releasing it in 1978, but the A-side was clearly the template for a track on the debut Soft Machine album, 'We Did It Again'.

According to press reports at the time, Julien Covey and the Machine were offered a five-year deal by Island, but the group split in the autumn of 1967, at which juncture John Moorshead joined the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation. After a brief reunion with Graham Bond, Anson/Kinorra/Covey then underwent yet another musical metamorphosis and change of name, reinventing himself as Donovan style psychedelic folk troubadour Philamore Lincoln.

Using this name, he released a September 1968 single for the NEMS label, 'Running By The River' b/w 'Rainy Day'. Sadly unavailable for this anthology, 'Running By The River' was a beguiling slice of folkadelia that deserved a better fate than to sink into oblivion. But Lincoln wasn't finished (just as well, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this sleevenote). When NEMS collapsed in 1969, a number of its acts transferred to CBS, who had distributed the label.

The excellent 'Rainy Day' was resurrected from the B-side of 'Running ByThe River', but there were plenty of new songs that attained the same heights. 'You'reThe One' pursued a similar direction but with the added attraction of a fierce lead guitar break from Jimmy Page, while the oddly-structured montage 'Early Sherwood' saw Anson/Kinorra/Covey/Lincoln reminiscing about his Nottingham childhood.

Sadly, though, The North Wind Blew South failed to garner much attention, and Lincoln's next act was to produce the self-titled, May 1971 debut album for the progressive rock band Paladin, who included two of his former Julien Covey and the Machine colleagues, keyboardist Pete Solley and drummer Keith Webb. After that, though, the Philamore Lincoln trail goes cold. Perhaps he adopted yet another alias and became some glam rock or punk superstar. Maybe he threw in the towel and returned to Nottingham to work in a glue factory.

Who can say? Meanwhile, the title track of The North Wind Blew South has attracted a cover version from studio collective Headless Heroes, who recently released it as a single as well as including it on The Silence Of Love, an album of covers that also includes songs originally recorded by the Jesus & Mary Chain and Nick Cave.

Coupled with his inclusion on such collector-type compilation series as Rubble and Fading Yellow, clearly there's more interest in Philamore Lincoln's small but impressive body of work than there was some four decades ago. Hopefully this reissue will add to his re-evaluation.

by David Wells

Tracks
1. The North Wind Blew South - 3:10
2. You're The One - 3:02
3. Lazy Good For Nothin' - 2:29
4. Early Sherwood - 3:16
5. Rainy Day - 2:27
6. Temma Harbour - 2:59
7. The Plains Of Delight - 3:16
8. The Country Jail Band - 2:36
9. When You Were Looking My Way - 3:15
10.Blew Through - 5:18
Words and Music by Philamore Lincoln

Musicians
*Philamore Lincoln - Vocals, Flute, Guitars, Strings Arrangement.
*Clem Cattini - Drums
*Les Hurdle - Bass
*Jimmy Page - Guitar on "You're The One"

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Paul & Barry Ryan were identical twin pop stars of the mid-'60s, but when Paul bowed out due to stress, Barry carried on, at least for a while, singing Paul's songs. The best (only?) known of these is the baroque orchestral pop classic Eloise, memorably covered by The Damned in the early '80s. It was a massive hit for Ryan in '68, too, selling over three million copies and completely overshadowing anything else he did. He made two albums, '68's Sings Paul Ryan and an eponymous '69 follow-up, before retiring from the biz himself.

Stuffed full of material in a similar vein (if not quite the quality) of Eloise, both albums are well worth hearing, although it's only the former that interests us here. Opening with Theme To Eutopia, a kind-of overture to the album as a whole, as well as the obvious, it features songs of the quality of Crazy Days, My Mama and the Beach Boys-esque I Will Bring You Love, although, in truth, there's not a single clunker to be heard here.

An anonymous session muso adds overt MkII strings to the intro of Love Is On The Way, in direct contrast to the orchestra utilised on the rest of the album, making it likely it was used specifically for its sound (hurrah!), rather than as a cheap orchestral substitute.

You almost certainly know Eloise, if only The Damned's version (which doesn't differ that much from the original, anyway), so if you'd like to hear more of the same, you could do an awful lot worse than to buy Rev-ola's Singing the Songs of Paul Ryan, 1968-69, containing both of Barry's albums and a couple of bonuses. Sings Paul Ryan's a great album.

Planet-Mellotron

Tracks
Barry Ryan Sings Paul Ryan 1968
1. Theme to Eutopia - 3:36
2. Why Do You Cry My Love - 3:30
3. The Colour of My Love - 2:48
4. Crazy Days - 2:29
5. Eloise - 5:52
6. My Mama - 3:51
7. I Will Bring You Love - 2:34
8. Love Is on the Way - 2:30
9. What's That Sleeping in My Bed? -. 2:20
10. You Don't Know What You're Doing - 3:35
11. Kristan Astra Bella - 2:52
Barry Ryan 1969
12. The Hunt - 3:03
13. Sunday Theme - 2:41
14. Look To The Right, Look To The Left - 2:59
15. Sunrise In The Morning - 3:03
16. Isn't That Wild - 3:27
17. Man Alive 2:28
18. Makin' Eyes - 2:57
19. Oh For The Love Of Me 3:03
20. Sea Of Tranquility - 3:22
21. I See You - 2:52
22. Feeling Unwell - 2:56
23. Where Have You Been - 3:03
Bonus Tracks
24.Look to the Right, Look to the Left - 2:28
25.Oh for the Love of Me - 3:00

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Elliott Randall - Randall's Island (1970 us, fantastic rock vibes blended with experimental jazzy blues funky beats, from the Steely Dan fame, 2011 J 'n' S edition)

Dave Mason - Headkeeper (1972 uk, amazing classic rock with psych blues and folk tinges, japan SHM-CD 2010 remaster)

Headstone Circus - Headstone Circus (1968-70 us, substantial smokey acid west coast influenced bluesy folk psych, Shadoks release)

Various Artists - Feeling High The Psychedelic Sound Of Memphis (1967-69 us, incredible garage psych, 2012 Big Beat release)

AUM - Bluesvibes (1969 us, power west coast heavy blues psych rock)

The Red Crayola - God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It (1968 us, ambitious inspired experimental avant gard rock, 2011 Charly issue)

Various Artists - Piccadilly Sunshine Vol. 11 (1966-70 uk, charming pop psych and other flavours, 2012 Particles)

New Dawn - There's A New Dawn (1969 us, fabulous laid back trippy psychedelia, 2009 remaster and expanded)

Various Artists - Destroy That Boy! More Girls With Guitars (1965-68 us / uk, attractive garage freak beat, blue eyed soul, 2009 Big Beat release)

AUM - Resurrection (1969 us, brilliant blues based hard psych)

The Firebirds - Light My Fire (1969 multinational, raw fuzz acid heavy psych)

Rayne - Rayne (1979 us, jagged sharp folk rock with acid drops and southern spirit, Shadoks reissue)

Steve Baron Quartet - The Mother Of Us All (1969 uk, awesome psychedelic jazzy folk)

Steve Baron - A Wanderer Like You (1973 uk, exceptional country folk rock, original Vinyl release)

Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf / The 2nd (1968 canada, superb classic albums, BGO double disc set)

Terry Knight And The Pack - Terry Knight And The Pack / Reflections (1966-67 us, great detroit hard garage beat psych, pre Grand Funk, 2010 issue)

Just Others - Amalgam (1974 uk, pleasant acoustic folk rock, 2010 Korean remaster)

Six Feet Under - In Retrospect (1969-70 us, chilling, spooky garage psych)

Philamore Lincoln - The North Wind Blew South (1970 uk, brilliant psych folk rock, 2010 remastered edition)

Barry Ryan - Sings The Songs Of Paul Ryan (1968-69 uk, attractive lovely orchestrated sunny pop, 2005 Rev Ola bonus tracks issue)