Cosmic Travelers - Live! At the Spring Crater Celebration Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii (1972 us psychedelic rock - Vinyl rip - Wave audio format)

The Cosmic Travelers were a group of veteran studio musicians that decided to get together to join the seventh major festival that was held over a four-year period (at the time) in the Diamond Head crater in Hawaii. "Live! At The Spring Crater Celebration" was recorded originally in 1972, during the advent of a major shift to heavy metal with groups like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Drake Levin (guitar), Jimmy McGhee (guitar), Joel Christie (bass), and Dale "Mule" Layola (drums) cranked out some high-octane psych-blues. This entire recording is live and uncut with the exception of two minutes when the tape was turned over at the original recording. What we would consider today as an archaic method of recording a live gig becomes quite good under the careful eyes and ears of experienced engineers and producers. With the help of technological advancements and Akarma Records' precise care with the remastering process, and the colorful informative packaging, what you get is history given a chance to become reborn and relived. This was good album when it was recorded, and it stands as an above average album now due to the previously mentioned enhancements. The last two songs "Soul" and "Soul Reprise" are real kickers. There are only six tracks, but keep in mind the first track "Farther Up The Road," a blues classic, runs for over nine minutes and Dave Mason's "Look At You Look At Me" for over ten minutes. So you get more than your share of quantity, quality and consistency on this release. Take a rock and roll revival trip to Hawaii for a day, be a hippie and enjoy the tunes.





Tracks Listing
01. Farther Up the Road
02. Jungle Juice
03. Look At You Look At Me
04. Move Your Hands
05. Soul
06. Soul Reprise

Musicians
Drake Levin - Guitar
Jimmy McGhee - Guitar, Vocals
Joel Christie - Bass, Vocals
Dale Loyola - Drums, Vocals

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Sundance - Sundance (1971 us, rural psych with west coast influences - MP3 320k and FLAC)

This classy slice of Northern Californian rural psych was originally released in 1971 and made its CD debut with this fallout release. A winning combination of melodic pop and heavier jamming that will appeal to fans of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Bros., it features strong songs and memorable guitar interplay, but had the misfortune to appear just as its label was going under and thus undeservedly sank without trace.

Tracks
1. Train Time (Reaves) - 6:25
2. Jeweled Scene Stealer (Reaves) - 4:49
3. Strange New Time (Reaves) - 3:55
4. Chico Women (Cooley) - 3:20
5. Changes (Campbell) - 1:35
6. People Changin’ (Reaves, Webb) - 5:23
7. Blue Water (Reaves, Riggs) - 3:36
8. Movie (Reaves) 0 3:10
9. Hollywood Dancers (Reaves) - 4:57

Sundance
*Randy Reaves - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar
*Tom Webb - Vocals
*Fred Campbell - Guitar, Acoustic, Electric, Classical Guitar, Flute
*Steve Cooley - Acoustic, Electric Guitar
*Loren Fauchier - Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals
Guest Musician
*Eddy Abner – Steel Guitar

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Gandalf - Gandalf 2 (1969 us, psychedelic rock, 2007 sundazed edition - MP3 320k and FLAC)

The exotic, mindbending sounds of Gandalf have long been one of the great lost treasures of the first great psychedelic era. Featuring the breathy vocals and lysergic guitar of Peter Sando, the band's only official album Gandalf—a delight from start to finish—has been a best-selling Sundazed psychedelic release that has generated a fervent demand for more of the same.

The release of Gandalf 2, is a return trip to the band's garden of earthly delights. A thorough search of Sando's tape vault revealed a fabulous stash of spellbinding demos and acetates, unheard for decades. Sando has penned the liner notes for Gandalf 2, which also features another visit to the band's dusty book of memorabilia.

Tracks
1. Bird in the Hand (Sando) - 3:55
2. Days Are Only Here and Gone (Sando) - 3:31
3. Smokey Topaz (Sando) - 3:03
4. Ladyfingers (Bonner, Gordon) (as the Barracuda) - 2:28
5. No Earth Can Be Won (Sando) - 4:16
6. Bad Dream (demo) (Sando) - 2:58
7. I Won’t Cry No More (Sando) - 3:10
8. The Dance at St. Francis (Bonner, Gordon) (as the Barracuda) - 2:18
9. Julie (The Song I Sing Is You) (Bonner, Gordon) (as the Barracuda) - 2:52
10. Over This Table (Sando) - 3:18
11. Golden Earrings (demo) (Evans, Livingston, Young) - 6:09
12. Tears of Ages (live) (Sando) - 2:59
13. Downbound Train (live) (Berry, Arr. by Peter Sando) - 6:43

Musicians
*Bob Muller - Bass
*Russ Savakis - Bass
*Joe Delia - Acoustic Bass
*Bryan Post - Drums
*Dave Bauer - Drums
*Terry Eaton - Flute
*Peter Sando - Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Frank Hubach - Piano

1969 Gandalf 1st album

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Pisces - A Lovely Sight (1969 us, psychedelic rock, 2009 remaster edition - MP3 320k and FLAC)

While Haight Ashbury was in full bloom, Laurel Canyon awash with fey folkies and the Sunset Strip a-go-go with guitar bands, Rockford, Illinois was celebrating the opening of a new Chrysler factory. The blue-collar city, situated on the banks of the Rock River and just a short drive from Chicago, was the kind of place the freaks passed through on the road to some other happening somewhere else.



Yet, as in every city big or small, if you dug deep enough you’d have found a burgeoning underground music scene turned on to the Beatles and thrashing their guitars along to the Yardbirds and the Who. In fact, at the tail-end of the 1960s, the Forest City had no less than two bands, Fuse and Pisces, toiling away on the toilet-club circuit that would eventually be heard outside the city’s limits. Fuse would, by 1974, change their name to Cheap Trick and rock out to mass worldwide audiences. Pisces, apart from three rare-as-hen’s-teeth 45s on the local Vincent label, had to wait another 40 years to be heard.



Now, thanks to Chicago crate diggers Numero Group, a reissue label chiefly known for their excellent ongoing “eccentric soul” series, we can all have our hearts, minds and ears warped by some of the most exciting recordings to ever bubble up out of the 1960s psychedelic stew. With unfettered access to the master tapes, which have been carefully stored away in founding member Jim Krein’s basement ever since the band’s studio burnt down, Numero has compiled a “best of” 15-song collection entitled A Lovely Sight. It takes a leisurely, tripped-out stroll through inventive, haunting soundscapes of psychedelic pop playfulness, crepusclar garage punk and a handful of bewitching bluesy, psych-folk numbers—the latter menacingly breathed into life by a 17-year-old singer called Linda Bruner who’d initially gone to Krein for guitar lessons.



By the time Bruner had joined the band in 1969, however, Pisces was down to only two members, guitarist Krein and keyboard player Paul DiVenti. And like the Beatles before them, only on a far smaller budget (which they supplemented by recording local acts and jingles), they had retreated into their studio and given up playing live. Nevertheless, it appears that, audience or no audience, Krien and DiVenti’s imaginations burnt brighter than the devil’s own lava lamp.



Opener “Dear One” casts a tambourine-wielding spell, as Bruner enchants with a tale of spectral love. Song number two, “Children Kiss Your Mother Goodnight”, is a slow burner to the dark side where a keyboard-induced lullaby turns downright creepy, with the brooding denouement: “Your mother is leaving on the midnight flight / Children your mother’s going to die tonight”. The dreamy folk rocker “Say Goodbye to John” sees the protagonist march off to his death. Even the standout track sung by Bruner, “Sam”, a pleading tale of unrequited love, is full of menace as her voice strains to be heard over baleful throbbing bass and oscillating psych-organ.



There is the odd tune, however, when Pisces’ musical experimentalism gets the better of them, such as the “Revolution No 9”-inspired shenanigans of “Mary” and the early prog-like spoken-word self-indulgence of “Genesis II”. But, as the cliché goes, you can’t make an omelette this tasty without breaking a few eggs. Otherwise, how on earth would they have come up with a wonderful pop song like “Motley Mary Ann”, which sounds as if the Hollies are being backed by a Jamaican sound system with the bass ratcheted up to 10? This release of A Lovely Sight means one less lost classic is waiting to be unearthed.

by Alan Brown

Tracks

1. Dear One (Jim Krein) - 3:16

2. Children Kiss Your Mother (Paul DiVenti) - 2:55

3. Motley Mary Ann (Jim Krein, Paul DiVenti) - 2:29

4. Say Goodbye to John (Jim Krein) - 3:10

5. Mary (Jim Krein) - 2:25

6. Genesis II (Paul DiVenti) - 2:29

7. Sam (Jim Krein, Paul DiVenti) - 3:11

8. The Music Box (Jim Krein) - 2:59

9. Like a Hole in the Wall Where the Rat Lives (Jim Krein) - 2:46

10.Are You Change in Your Time (Jim Krein) - 2:20

11.In the Dreams of Paula (Jim Krein) - 3:15

12.Elephant Eyes (Paul DiVenti) - 2:54

13.Circle of Time (Jim Krein) - 3:32

14.A Flower for all Seasons (Jim Krein) - 2:49

15.In the Summer the Grape Grows (Jim Krein) - 3:36



Pisces

*Linda Bruner - Vocals

*Jim Krein - Guitar, Vocals

*Paul DiVenti - Keyboards, Vocals

*Cal Van Laningham - Drums

*Dale Taylor - Guitar

*Red Balderama - Bass

*Al Johnson - Lead Guitar

*Bob "Fish" Fisher - Bass



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Eyes Of Blue - Crossroads Of Time/In Fields Of Ardath (1968/69 uk, psychedelic rock with soul touches - MP3 320k and FLAC)

Starting out as a soul-based band from Neath, the Eyes Of Blue gradually turned to the American West Coast sound. All of their recordings are quite collectable.



In collaboration with Quincy Jones they contributed to the 'Toy Grabbers' film score and they later appeared in the film 'Connecting Rooms'. Their albums are diverse with pop, R&B, jazz, classical, psychedelic and Eastern influences. The best tracks on the first one are two R&B Graham Bond songs (he also wrote the sleevenotes) Love Is The Law and Crossroads Of Time. It also included good versions of Love's 7 And 7 Is and The Beatles' Yesterday. Also noteworthy are their own Inspiration For A New Day and Prodigal Son, which feature some Eastern-sounding psychedelic guitar work.



Their second album is more progressive. The best tracks are Merry Go Round (from the 'Toy Grabbers' Soundtrack), which is a keyboard-dominated progressive piece with some good guitar breaks and much classical influence; Graham Bond's Spanish Blues, with some jazzy organ; Door, with its spooky vocals, which along with the dreamy title cut indicated the band's interest in the supernatural and the occult (especially reincarnation).



They also recorded an album in October 1968 as the backing band to American singer-songwriter Buzz Linhart, Buzzy. Highlights included a very good R&B version of Tim Hardin's Yellow Cab and Linhart's Willie Jean and End Song. There's a long track on side two which they don't play on which is also very good. On this Linhart is backed by Big Jim Sullivan (gtr) and Keshav Sathe (tabla).



Phil Ryan later played in Man, whilst Weathers went onto play with Pete Brown and Piblokto! and Gentle Giant. Ritchie Francis later made a solo album in 1971. The band later recorded as Big Sleep and aided Ancient Grease on their sole album.

by Vernon Joynson and Costas Arvanitis

Tracks

1. Crossroads Of Time - 4:54

2. Never Care - 3:18

3. I'll Be Your Friend - 3:30

4. 7+7 Is - 2:33

5. Prodigal Son - 4:47

6. Largo - 3:15

7. Love Is The Law - 5:17

8. Yesterday - 4:23

9. I Wonder Why - 3:13

10.World Of Emotions - 2:48

11.Inspiration For A New Day - 3:11

12.Merry Go Round - 9:04

13.The Light We See - 2:12

14.Souvenis - 2:38

15.Ardath - 2:33

16.Spanish Blues - 4:01

17.Door - 6:41

18.Little Bird - 2:33

19.After The War - 3:30

20.Extra Hour - 2:19

21.Chances - 2:53



Eyes Of Blue

*Phil Ryan - Organ, Piano

*Ritchie Francis - Bass, Piano, Vocals

*John "Pugwash" Weathers - Drums, Vocals

*Raymond "Taff' Williams - Guitar

*Gary Pickford Hopkins - Vocals, Guitars

*Melvyn Davies - Guitar

*David Thomas - Drums

*Wyndham Rees - Vocals



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Strawberry Alarm Clock - Wake Up...It's Tomorrow (1968 us, psychedelic rock, gorgeous 2nd album, rare out of print edition - MP3 320k and FLAC)

When the Strawberry Alarm Clock recorded their second album, they were facing the challenge of trying to sustain the remarkable and sudden success of their classic psychedelic debut single, "Incense and Peppermints," which hit #1 on November 25, 1967. Their debut LP of the same name had also done well, rising to #11 in the album charts with its mix of California harmony pop, garage rock, and raga-influenced psychedelia.

Wake Up...It's Tomorrow would diversify yet further, adding more sophisticated vocal arrangements and flitting between flower-pop, fuzzed-out psychedelia, and a three-song suite of sorts with sitar and backwards effects. It also yielded their only other Top 40 hit in the semi-title track, "Tomorrow," an effervescent psych-popper that sounded rather like a more psychedelic Association.

There were also some changes from the band that had recorded the earlier Strawberry Alarm Clock material. The unusual six-man, two-bass lineup in place for the first album proved to have one bass player too many. One of the bassists, Gary Lovetro, departed, getting bought out of the band for $25,000 and leaving the position in the hands of George Bunnell. "It is physically impossible to get a clear bass sound with two bass players on stage," explains keyboardist Mark Weitz. "Even though he was one of the original members [dating back to the days of Thee Sixpence, the band that evolved into the Strawberry Alarm Clock], we felt his interest in the band was more business-oriented than contributing musically.

Sometimes [guitarist] Ed [King] had to do the bass parts in the studio for Gary. He just didn't have enough talent to conceive a good original bass part." Virtually absent was high school student Steve Bartek, who'd contributed to the songwriting on the first album as well as playing some flute and other instruments, although he was never officially in the band.

As Weitz notes, "Steve was only fifteen or sixteen years old. He was a high school friend of George. I think George tried to get him to join the band, but his Mom wouldn't let him -- I didn't blame her. He was a little too young. Steve was exceptionally gifted in his playing -- too bad." Bartek did write the music for one of the tracks on Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, "Sitting on a Star," but as Bunnell notes, "Unfortunately, with me on tour and Steve still in school we weren't writing together. In fact, we didn't resume our co-writing until 1969, after I had left the SAC."

The recording process would be different this time around as well. "Our first album sold well (250,000 copies), we had a nationwide number one record!" exclaims Weitz. "The first album was written quickly, recorded all in one week on a small budget at Original Sound studio on Sunset, in Hollywood. Some of the songs were worked out in the studio right before recording! It was recorded in a low tech studio, we were all feeling each other out.

We had not had a lot of experience playing together yet, especially in a studio environment. After we completed the first album, we became a little more sure of each other. Also, at that point, we knew who was more musically talented and who was not, as far as contributing to the overall ideas of our sound. UNI [Records], I guess, was willing to spend more on the second album, in a better studio (TTG) with better equipment and sound. That led ultimately to a better all-around-sounding album. By then, we had played on the road together, we were just more polished, and getting tighter."

Adds guitarist Ed King, "All of the songs for the second album were written in the studio; in other words, they were barely rehearsed and the material wasn't played to a crowd. I played bass on all the songs that I wrote, and George Bunnell played bass on his songs." Other big changes were the Association-like vocal arrangements, devised by vocal coach Howard Davis, who Weitz thinks was brought in by the band's manager. "He was a great guy in his fifties that played piano and sang nightly at a bar in Montrose, California. His voice can be heard [doing the spoken section] in 'Nightmare of Percussion.' He was the main source of most of our three- and-four-part harmonies. That was another MAJOR influence in our sound. He had a great way of being patient with us while we rehearsed some pretty difficult stuff; none of us had previous harmony training as far as I know. Our 'patented' Strawberry Alarm Clock vocal sound was mostly, but not all, Howard Davis arrangements."

Davis's work paid off bigtime in the album's highlight, "Tomorrow," which rose to #23 in the singles charts in early 1968 as the follow-up 45 to "Incense and Peppermints." "I can't remember if there were other songs up for a follow-up," says Weitz. "I think 'Paxton's Back Street Carnival' [from the first LP] was discussed, but UNI and most of us felt it wasn't strong enough to release as an A-side." Mark and guitarist Ed King were still smarting from the absence of their names from the songwriting credits to "Incense and Peppermints," and "Tomorrow" would be credited to them alone.

Elaborates Weitz: "After I wrote the music to 'Incense and Peppermints' -- even though it went to label printing without my name or Ed's, everyone in the inner circle knew that...I felt it was up to ME again to try to come up with a follow-up hit, almost to PROVE capable of writing another hit song, even though I was in a daze when I found out 'Incense and Peppermints' was stolen from me! Ed and I presented 'Tomorrow' to the band, and they liked it."

King peeled off a blistering bee-humming, sustain-laden guitar break that he rates as "my best solo ever. I don't know where the solo came from but, at my age, it was very soulful, and it even surprised me." He also reveals that "the solo on the single is different than the album versions (has a longer sustain at the end of it), plus I redid the bass on the album because Lovetro played it on the single." As for that stunning echoing-into-infinity burst of vocals at the end, Weitz discloses, "It was my idea to send the last 'POW' into the on-board studio echo chamber. I wasn't happy with the plain ending, so I asked to hear what that would sound like, and the rest is history. I was always looking for original things to do on our songs, that would set them apart."

While the mixture of styles on the rest of the album testified to band's eclecticism, Weitz agrees it might have worked against the establishment of a consistent band sound and identity. "I think one of the problems was in the beginning, we would all write together. Now band members were splitting up into writing 'cliques' or writing partners: Ed and [rhythm guitarist] Lee Freeman, [drummer] Randy [Seol] and George, myself and sometimes Ed. I guess each of our styles of writing was going off in different directions -- not on purpose, it just happened.

A form of competition was developing in the wind...and notwithstanding the constant distraction of our producer, manager and record company execs always telling us what WE should do and HOW we have to sound musically to succeed. 'Trying to do it their way' was hindering our true musical direction, and we were not allowed to flourish on our own....whether we would have succeeded or flopped, at least we would have done it 'on our own.' We were always willing to take that chance all along, but were constantly being directed by the powers that be. We were afraid to react negatively for fear of UNI's rejection, and the ultimate end of our careers as the Strawberry Alarm Clock. So we went along with just about everything they wanted us to do, even if it meant failure.

"I think that our collective focus on songwriting was to come up with original ideas for songs -- trying NOT to copy or sound too much like other bands, to come up with an original sound of our own, and at the same time, trying to be democratic on song submissions by members (what song that we all agreed on to record in the studio). Our sound was OUR SOUND. We didn't plan it. It just turned out that way -- the blend of all of our musical experiences to date turned out to be 'Our Sound.' We had many many influences, some could be heard throughout our playing from time to time."

Some of those influences might include the Byrdsian vocal harmonies of "They Saw the Fat One Coming," a favorite of King's as "Lee Freeman wrote it in my honor, and I really like my guitar solo." The eastern-influenced melodies and philosophies that became so popular among rock musicians in the late 1960s came to the fore in "Sit with the Guru," whose music Weitz came up with as an attempt to get a follow-up single for "Tomorrow" (which it indeed became, reaching #65 in the charts).

King says it was "written to please the record company," and Weitz recalls, "I called Ed over to my house, we worked out the bridge, and the song was finished musically. 'Sit with the Guru' had lyrics written by an outside UNI-hired writer, Roy Freeman -- no connection with Lee Freeman. I guess you might say it was with the flow of the times, especially since we were indoctrinated into Transcendental Meditation for a brief period of time while on a Beach Boys tour of the southern U.S. Originally the song ended too normal. We came up with the middle eastern horn raga thing. I remember that UNI didn't like that ending. It dirtied it up. In a way they were right, but we kept it that way anyway. We were fighting that kind of thing all the time."

Aside from "Tomorrow," the song that got the most exposure was "Pretty Song from Psych-Out," which was used in the notorious Dick Clark-produced Haight-Ashbury psychsploitation movie Psych-Out, starring Jack Nicholson (as guitarist of a fictional psychedelic rock band!). "We were invited on the Dick Clark show playing our #1 hit record," remembers Weitz. "Some time shortly after we performed on his show, I think he asked us to be in a movie he was producing. He also asked us to write a theme song for the movie, which was Ed and Lee's creation from start to finish." King's involvement didn't stop there: "I was assigned the job of sitting down with Jack Nicholson and teaching him some guitar stuff for the movie. The director wanted him to look like he was really playing. Jack really didn't want to have much to do with it!"

The album's diversity was also a reflection of the different tastes and, to some degree, tensions within the group. "Mark and I didn't care for Randy's taste in material," confesses King, "so the ['Curse of the Witches' and 'Nightmare of Percussion'] songs were pretty much recorded under protest. ['Nightmare of Percussion'] was a Bunnell/Seol tune, and they needed Howard [Davis]'s really deep 'thick' voice to complete the song, so they included him as a writer. It was their song, they arranged that with him. I liked Lee's lyrics very much, but didn't want him playing guitar on anything. As it turned out, Lee became a very good guitar player. But I think, during the Alarm Clock days, he was preoccupied with being a teenager. I was preoccupied with learning how to play that damn guitar."

Concurs Weitz, "I wasn't in love with some of the songs on that album. It was always a compromise. George and Randy were heading in a direction that I was not fond of, although I didn't express that too much openly. I had slightly different musical tastes, being three years older than the rest of the guys." In addition, Mark acknowledges being "displeased that I didn't get a chance to write more songs to appear on the second album. I felt kinda cheated out of some album space. On the second album, I think I got the flu really bad, and was out for a week during some of the sessions. They went ahead and recorded two or three songs without me. That hurt. I was too sick to play. I felt kinda left out. I added some keys on an overdub later when I felt better."

Rather surprisingly, considering the band were still riding the momentum of "Incense and Peppermints" and also coming off a decent-sized follow-up hit single in "Tomorrow" (as well as touring with the Beach Boys and Buffalo Springfield in late 1967 and early 1968), the album failed to reach the charts. King lays some of the blame on the poor timing of the LP release, feeling that it came out way too late to capitalize on the success of the "Tomorrow" single, which was released a month before the album on which it was featured was even recorded.

Weitz thinks UNI had already dropped the ball on the "Tomorrow" single, noting that "their record distribution nationwide on 'Tomorrow' was really slow and too late for the fans. It just wasn't promoted. We would play in a small town in the south, and the records weren't in the stores yet. How could you sell records on tour if they're not in the record stores when you were there to promote them and play at a concert? Also our manager, Bill Holmes, put up a barrier to UNI and prevented them and other promoters from helping us. That was a big problem for us.

Holmes was afraid of losing control of 'his' band, which probably backed down UNI, [the booking agencies] William Morris [and] Premier Talent, and others from promoting us more seriously and to the fullest. Holmes's possessiveness hurt us deeply. That alone was a huge hindrance to us moving forward in our careers, I thought." It didn't keep the Strawberry Alarm Clock, however, from recording quite a bit more material in the late 1960s, including two subsequent albums on which the story continues.
by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Nightmare Of Percussion (G. Bunnell, H. Davis, R. Seol ) - 2:57
2. Soft Skies, No Lies (E. King, L. Freeman) - 3:07
3. Tomorrow (L. Freeman, M. Weitz) - 2:14
4. They Saw The Fat One Coming (E. King, L. Freeman) - 3:25
5. Curse Of The Witches (G. Bunnell, R. Seol) - 6:46
6. Sit With The Guru (E. King, L. Freeman, M. Weitz) - 2:59
7. Go Back, You're Going The Wrong Way (E. King, L. Freeman, M. Weitz) - 2:19
8. Pretty Song From Psych-Out (E. King, L. Freeman) - 3:15
9. Sitting On A Star (G. Bunnell, R. Seol, S. Bartek) - 2:55
10.Black Butter, Past (E. King, H. Davis, L. Freeman) - 2:23
11.Black Butter, Present (E. King, L. Freeman) - 2:10
12.Black Butter, Future (E. King, H. Davis, L. Freeman) - 1:32

Strawberry Alarm Clock
*George Bunnell - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Randy Seol - Drums, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
*Lee Freeman - Guitar, Sitar, Vocals
*Edward King - Guitar, Vocals
*Mark Weitz - Vocals, Keyboards
*Howard Davis - Vocal Arrangements, spoken passage on "Nightmare Of Percussion"

For More Strawberries see here:
1968 The World In A Sea Shell
1969 Good Morning Starshine

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Bow Street Runners - Bow Street Runners (1970 us, psychedelic rock, sundazed issue - MP3 320k and FLAC)

Sounding like a blend of Jefferson Airplane and the Doors, Bow Street Runners was a Fayetteville, North Carolina-based psychedelic band who released one eponymous album in limited quantities on B.T. Puppy Records in 1970.

While the group was ignored at the time, Bow Street Runners became a collectible item among psychedelic aficionados during the '80s and '90s. Flushed from Fayetteville, North Carolina-where they thought they could remain comfortably obscure-by our release of their only album, the Runners have recently re-surfaced.

Issued in ultra-limited quantity by B.T. Puppy in 1970-and now changing hands for sums more familiar to NASDAQ-this is an other-worldly blend of sweet female blotter acid harmonies, hypnotic Farfisa and high-octane fuzz guitar histrionics.

Tracks
1. Electric Star - 2:35
2. Watch - 2:12
3. American Talking Blues - 3:48
4. Leaving Grit America - 2:49
5. Another Face - 5:11
6. Eating from a Plastic Hand - 4:06
7. Rock Fish Blues - 2:13
8. Push It Through - 2:04
9. Spunky Monkey - 3:15
10.Steve's Jam - 4:05

The Bow Street Runners
*Steve Darling - Guitar, Vocals
*David Guy - Keyboards, Vocals
*George Graham - Drums, Percussion
*William Simkiss - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Frank Hardwick - Bass
*Mike Dees - Guitar

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Previous posted at PHROCK on Friday, December 12, 2008
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Hunger - Strictly From Hunger and The Lost Album (1969 us, heavy psychedelic, akarma edition - MP3 320k and FLAC)

By 1968 The Hunger! were on the verge of stardom. Having already headlined with Cream, Zappa, Neil Young and The Byrds, this now relatively unknown band were scheduled to play the Hollywood Bowl with The Young Rascals and Janis Joplin.

In a cruel twist of fate their equipment was stolen twice by the mob, and the group disbanded to be left wondering what might have been. But for these misfortunes Hunger might have amounted to more than just a record collector’s relic.

Hailing from Portland Oregon, The Hunger! had moved down to Los Angeles in the late sixties where they began to gain popularity amongst the burgeoning West Coast psychedelic scene.

Their sole album, Strictly From Hunger! was released on Public! Records in 1968 and is very much in keeping with the more prominent psych-rock bands of the Californian scene, inhabiting the same musical sphere as The Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Doors and Jefferson Airplane. All of the tracks are predominately organ lead with an emphasis on a heavy “swinging sixties” groove, orchestrated by some fantastic bass work by Tom Tanory and the rock steady drumming of Bill Daffern.

That is not saying, however, that the album is cast in the mould of sunshine/flower pop. Strictly From Hunger! certainly has it’s darker and heavier moments and there is an inescapable feeling of melancholy throughout the course of the record. The vocals (Parkinson, Daffern and Morton all take turns on various tracks) move between paranoia and despondency, highlighting the subtly surreal lyrics with minor melodies punctuated by the odd frenetic fuzz-guitar solo.

The band really could play, and it shows especially the wailing guitar solo on the instrumental jam “Portland 69” or the truly marvellous change up mid way through “The Truth”. Tracks like “Mind Machine” can’t fail to bring a smile to your face, as unashamedly redolent of the late sixties as “Incense and Peppermints”.

Elsewhere “Colours” appears broodingly sinister with its militant drum beat and echo-laden vocals and Morton’s guitar rides the heavy drum break into the stratosphere on “Trying to Make the Best” which is reprised in an extended form for the album closer (this track was also bizarrely put out as a single titled “Not So Fine” by the band calling themselves The Touch).

From this sole offering, it is easy to see that The Hunger! had a terrific amount of promise and if fate hadn’t stood in their way, maybe they would have become a household name, as much respected and influential as their West Coast contemporaries.
by Gerard Fannon

Tracks
1. Colors - 2:04
2. Workship - 4:17
3. Portland - 5:35
4. No Shame - 2:26
5. Trying to Make the Best - 5:33
6. Open Your Eyes - 2:25
7. The Truth - 3:59
8. Mind Machine - 3:30
9. She Let Him Continue - 5:04
10.Trying to Make the Best No. 2 - 7:18
11.Portland 69 - 5:42
12.The Truth - 5:33
13.Open Your Eyes - 3:57
14.Trying to Make the Best [Version #2] - 7:38
15.Workshop - 7:16
16.She Let Him Continue - 5:12

Hunger
*Bill Daffern - Drums, Vocals
*Steve Hansen - Rhythm Guitar
*Tom Tanory - Bass
*John Morton - Lead Guitar
*Mike Parkinson - Vocals

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Previous posted at PHROCK on Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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Elderberry Jak - Long Overdue (1970 us, psych garage, hard blues, gear fab issue - MP3 320K and FLAC)

Imagine a time: Without cable TV, when more in-home screens were black-andwhite than color. When FM radio stations were exceptions, not rules. When interstates and other four-lane highways were in their infancy. We're talking more than 40 years ago, when much of the world seemed far more distant than now for those of us growing up on the north end of the Appalachian coal fields. It was a time when local musicians with dreams of rock 'n' roll success weren't sure music's stars could ever shine on someone from these parts.

Elderberry Jak changed that with the release of "Long Overdue," on Nashville-based Silver Fox Records, which was owned by singer Kenny Rogers' brother Leland. Now, anyone with a computer can put their music in front of millions of potential listeners without ever leaving home. They just record the songs and upload them to Web sites like MP3.com. Randy Worsham, a singer/songwriter I played bass for in Spingfield, Mo., a few years ago, has done that. So has Joe Cerisano, Elderberry Jak's lead vocalist, with his more recent work.

When "Long Overdue" first made its way onto vinyl, however, home computers as powerful as the Commodore 64, the 64 standing for 64 kilobytes of random access memory, were still on the drawing board. Most of us send email photos today that are larger than 64K! Back then, the hotspots in the still-young rock universe seemed as far away from north central West Virginia as the stars in Orion's belt. Things were happening in L.A., London and New York. Geez; Pittsburgh was a two-hour trip back then! Many of us who practiced in garages to play weekends in tiny little clubs around there took heart and hope in Elderberry Jak's success. Heck, I played covers of several "Long Overdue" cuts; "Changes," "Forest on the Mountain," Wishing Well," and "Vance's Blues."

"Little Joe," the late Dave Coombs, Joe Hartman and Tom Nicholas were several years older. I started playing locally, keyboards back then, after their debut album was recorded and released, and they'd gone on the road to support it. Dozens of Volkswagens now sit in the parking lot of what was, back then, The White House - along U.S. 119, north of Morgantown, almost to the Pennsylvania state line. To this second, I can recall the butterflies I got as a teenager the night. I first played there as a member of a Fayette County, Pa., band called Brimstone. Like the guys in Jak, my bandmates were several years my senior. A couple of them had jammed with Cerisano and Coombs when they were still part of J.B. and the Bonnevilles, pre-Elderberry Jak. All night long during that first White House gig, I willed us to be as good as Jak; but not with the goal of getting a record deal. At that point, none of us had even started working on original material.

Rather, my wish simply was that we use the stage, and those four 45-minute sets, as well as Elderberry Jak did because they showed all of us that it could be done. Even coal-patch musicians from this part of the world had a shot at realizing our goals if we let the music do the talking and respected it... worked at it... as much as some of those who'd crossed that stage before us. The White House was the only nightspot I ever played that Jak had ruled around here before recording "Long Overdue." As a result, the nights spent on its stage are among my fondest musical memories. Meeting Joe Cerisano also is among them. He continues to sing songs on the soundtrack of my musical dreams.

Inspiration provided through the years by "Long Overdue" helped me achieve much of what I had hoped to in music. Some goals remain, so I keep listening to Jak to remind me that it's never too late. Some might argue; but from here, it seems Jak was ahead of its time. Listen to Hartman's pounding double-bass footwork on "Vance's Blues"and "Changes," for example. Jon Bonham, of Led Zeppelin, was playing that way back then. But most of the others - Alex Van Halen, Tommy Aldridge (Black Oak Arkansas, PatTravers and Whitesnake), Denny Carmassi (Montrose and Heart) were at least a few years away from the spotlight.

Nicholas' guitar work rivals the kind of thick, chunky and powerful hard rock riffs that helped Joe Walsh become a star with The James Gang, which he parlayed into a successful solo career and a long stint as arguably the most brash member of The Eagles. Coombs' bass made every song work. He kept the rhythm with Hartman while using every inch of his guitar's fingerboard to find just the right notes for every measure of every Jak original. Measure Cerisano's talent by the full body of his professional work. First with Jak, later with Silver Condor and as an alwaysworking studio musician, and more recently on solo releases and tours with the Trans Siberia Orchestra, "Little Joe" remains big on the ability to lend just the right touch to every lyric he sings.

What we have here is proof that these four men, together, made and played their music from the heart and soul. That this wonderful album has made its way to CD is a blessing beyond belief.
by Tim Lilley

Tracks
1. Going Back Home (Elderberry Jak) - 3:17
2. Forrest On The Mountain (Mike Snyder) - 2:51
3. Vance's Blues (Elderberry Jak) - 3:47
4. Inspired (Mike Snyder) - 3:29
5. Restless Feeling (Elderberry Jak) - 3:40
6. Wish Me Well (Brooker/Reid) - 3:25
7. Mr. Sun (Elderberry Jak) - 3:43
8. My Lady (Elderberry Jak) - 3:45
9. Changes (Elderberry Jak) - 4:51
10.You're The One (Mike Snyder) - 4:01

Elderberry Jak
*Joe Cerisano - Vocals
*Tom Nicholas - Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Coombs - Bass, Vocals
*Joe Hartman - Drums, Vocals

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Previous posted at PHROCK on Friday, February 12, 2010
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Butch Engle & the Styx - No Matter What You Say (1964-67 us, psychedelic west coast with garage tingles, sundazed issue - MP3 320k and FLAC)

Butch Engle And The Styx were based in Mill Valley, California, USA. They were formerly known as the Showmen, under which name they recorded ‘You Know All I Want’ for the local MEA label.

They took their new name in 1965 with the line-up comprising Butch Engle (vocals), Bob Zamora (lead guitar), Mike Pardee (organ), Harry ‘Happiness’ Smith (bass) and Rich Morrison (drums). In 1966 they won the Band Bash at San Francisco’s Cow Palace and secured the patronage of Ron Elliott, songwriter/guitarist with the Beau Brummels. He wrote and produced the group’s ‘Going Home’, in 1967, which was issued on Loma, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Records.

The single was an ideal showcase for Engle’s strong voice and the group’s musical skills. Larry Gerughty replaced Mike Pardee before the band, now known simply as the Styx, completed a follow-up. Both sides of ‘Hey I’m Lost’/‘Puppetmaster’ were co-composed by Elliott, but this 1968 single was not a success and the Styx broke up soon afterwards.
by Colin Larkin

Tracks
1. Hey I"m Lost (Ron Elliott, Bob Durand) - 2:32
2. Left Hand Girl (Ron Elliott) - 2:27
3. No Matter What You Say (Ron Elliott, Butch Engle) - 2:46
4. Smile Smile Smile (Ron Elliott, Dave Bettiga) - 1:51
5. I'm A Fool (Ron Elliott) - 2:35
6. I Call Her Name (Ron Elliott) - 2:45
7. She Is Love (Ron Elliott) - 2:14
8. If You Believe (Ron Elliott) - 2:25
9. Smile Smile Smile (Ron Elliott, Dave Bettiga) - 1:52
10.Going Home (Ron Elliott) - 2:06
11.I Like Her (Ron Elliott) - 1:55
12.Hey, I'm Lost (Ron Elliott, Bob Durand) - 2:30
13.Puppetmaster (Ron Elliott, Bob Durand) - 3:46
14.She Is Love (Ron Elliott) - 1:47
15.Tell Me Please (Bob Zamora, Butch Engle) - 2:04
16.You Know All I Want (Bob Zamora) - 1:54
17.Hey I'm Lost (Ron Elliott, Bob Durand) - 2:28

Butch Engle & the Styx
*Butch Engle – Lead Vocals
*Bob Zamora – Lead Guitar
*Mike Pardee – Organ
*Harry "Happiness" Smith – Bass
*Rich Morrison – Drums
*Larry Gerughty – Keyboards
*Barry Lewis - Drums, Percussion (1967-68)

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July - July (1968 uk, psychedelic rock - 2008 rev ola remaster plus extra tracks - MP3 320k and FLAC)

July were one of the many British Psych bands that came, saw, yet failed to conquer and fizzled out with less than a year notched up on their collective belts. In this short time they did manage to put out two albums, its rarity ensuring original pressings have gone on to attain near-Grail status amongst psych collectors.

The self-titled July was released in 1968, and really is a must-hear for anybody with a passing interest in psychedelic obscurities.

Although heavily influenced by the Californian psych sound, July manage to retain the quirkiness associated more so with the British acid-rock scene, throughout. This is ably demonstrated on the infectiously jaunty ‘Jolly Mary’, which successfully straddles the light-hearted wing of both camps, coming across Beatles-esque, Toytown, and West Coast, all in one eclectic nautical package.

Openers ‘My Clown’ and ‘Dandelion Seeds’ are eerily trippy, while elsewhere ‘Move on Sweet Flower’ is distinctly reminiscent of Gandalf. ‘Friendly Man’ alludes to some decidedly dark subject matter, although that could just be me misreading it, ‘The Way’ covers the eastern-mysticism angle with its energetic sitar-infusion, and ‘Crying is for Writers’ benefits from a scorching psychedelic guitar blitzkrieg slap bang in the middle.

July’s time on the music scene may have been but a slight ripple on an otherwise vast ocean of sound – though the constituent members would go on to enjoy success in various areas of the music industry – but the psychedelic gem they left behind deserves the status it enjoys today as one of the most sought after rarities of the acid era.
Head Full Of Snow

The albums main appeal is its haunting brand of Psychedelia and Rev-Ola are delighted to announce that this special CD issue has four bonus tracks. The gorgeous package is also enhanced by a quantity of previously unpublished photographs and some highly informative CD booklet notes by 60s pop-sike expert David Wells.

Tracks
1. My Clown (Peter Cook) - 3:25
2. Dandelion Seeds (Tom Newman) - 3:20
3. Jolly Mary (Peter Cook) - 2:22
4. Hallo To Me (Tom Newman) - 3:00
5. You Missed It All (Tom Newman) - 2:52
6. The Way (Tom Newman) - 3:29
7. To Be Free (Peter Cook) - 2:51
8. Move On Sweet Flower (Tom Newman) - 3:28
9. Crying Is for Writers (Tom Newman) - 2:36
10.I See See (Peter Cook) - 2:42
11.Friendly Man (Peter Cook) - 3:11
12.Bird Lived (Peter Cook) - 2:37
13.My Clown (Peter Cook, Single Version) - 3:25
14.Dandelion Seeds (Tom Newman, Single Version) - 3:20
15.Hello, Who's There? (Peter Cook) - 3:11
16.Way See (Tom Newman, Single Version) - 3:29

July
*Tony Duhig - Lead Guitar, Organ
*Jon Field - Flute, Keyboards
*Chris Jackson - Drums, Organ
*Alan James - Bass
*Tom Newman - Vocals, Guitars

[ Thank you JONAS for this post]
Previous posted at PHROCK on Thursday, August 13, 2009
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Tuesday's Children - Strange Light From the East (1966-69 uk, psychedelic rock sunshine pop, pre Czar, 2007 rev ola remaster - MP3 320k and FLAC)

'Tuesday's Children' were formed in 1966 by Phil Cordell, Mick Ware and Derrick Gough who had been in North London band 'Steve Douglas and the Challengers' who later changed their name to 'The Prophets'. The Prophets did some recording with producer Joe Meek, but nothing was ever issued. When Steve Douglas and Freddie Fields left, the others reformed the band as Tuesdays Children. Paul Kendrick subsequently joined on bass guitar.

The first single was written by Phil Cordell and was recorded at Maximum Sound studio in The Old Kent Road, SE London. The engineer was Vic Keary and it was released on the Columbia label, DB7978 in August 1966. Tuesday's Children personnel was then Phil Cordell and Mick Ware, guitars, Paul Kendrick, bass guitar, and Derrick Gough, Drums. Dave Vidler (mentioned on the label) was the groups' manager. The B side was another song written by Phil Cordell entitled 'High and Drifting'.

'When You Walk In The Sand' was in the Radio London Fab Forty for 2 weeks, no. 39 on 7th August 1966 and at no. 27 on 14th August 1966. Radio London was one of the pirate radio stations that were broadcasting at the time, they were put out of business in 1967 when the government passed the Marine Offences Act, BBC Radio 1 started directly as a result of this. Radio London also owned Pall Mall Music who published the Phil Cordell songs that were the first 3 Tuesday's Children singles.

Another song by Phil Cordell, it was also recorded at Maximum Sound Studio. Released by Columbia in October 1966, no. DB8018. The mandolins were recorded on a separate 2 track machine and 'fired in' at the appropriate moment on to the 4 track machine. The B side, also written by Phil Cordell, was entitled 'Summer leaves me with a sigh'. 'High On A Hill' was in the Radio London Fab Forty for 3 weeks reaching the following chart positions: no. 30 on 9th October 1966, no. 24 on 16th October 1966, and no. 36 on 23rd October 1966.

"Strange Light From The East" was again recorded at Maximum Sound studio and was written by Phil Cordell This single was released on the King label KG1051 and was released in January 1967. The King label was owned by Rita King and it and its subsidary labels were more associated with ska and reggae music at the time. Tuesday's Children managed to get a front cover on the pop magazine 'Fab 208' as publicity for this single. (see Tuesday's Children archive page). B side was a reworking of the Buddy Holly song 'That'll be the day'. 'Strange Light From The East' only made the Radio London Fab Forty for 1 week, it made no. 37 on 29th January 1967.

Phil Cordell quit Tuesday's Children in summer of 1967 and subsequently had solo hits as Springwater (I will return) and in Europe with 'Dan The Banjo Man' amongst others, he also had a single 'Red Lady ' released on Warner Brothers WB8001 in 1969. In August 1967 Bob Hodges (Hammond organ, ex Attack), Phil McKenzie (tenor sax, ex TNT, later Rod Stewart band) and Roger Davies (baritone sax) joined the reformed Tuesdays children. Trumpet player Hilary Roy also joined and did 4 gigs with the group in September 1967.

'Baby's Gone' was recorded at Abbey Road studios on 19th September 1967 and 3rd October 1967, the whole band played on the session plus some brass players from producer Jack Dorsey's band. Mick Ware sung the lead vocal and backing vocals were supplied by girl group the Paper Dolls. There is also a demo version of 'Baby's Gone' that has some brass on it but not the backing vocals. The song was written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray and was released on the Pye lanel, no. 7N.17406. The B side was written by Mick Ware and was titled 'Guess I'm Losing You', this features the baritone sax of Roger Davies and the tenor sax of Phil McKenzie. 'Baby's Gone' was released on 10th November 1967.

By December 1967 Tuesday's Children had become a 4 piece again with the departure of Roger Davies and Phil McKenzie. 'Ain't You Got a Heart' was another Murray/Callander song produced by Jack Dorsey with help from some of his brass players. It was recorded at Pye studios in London on 9th January 1968 and the B side 'In The Valley Of The Shadow Of Love' (written by Mick Ware) was recorded at the same studio on 12th January 1968. The B side also featured backing vocals by Paul Kendrick and Bob Hodges. The A and B sides were switched sometime after release but the long classical intro to 'In The Valley' did not make it very radio friendly.

'Bright Eyed Apples' was originally going to be the A side but 'She' became the A side after it was featured in a short film '29' which starred Alexis Kanner who had been in the TV series 'Softly Softly' and 'The Prisoner'. The film ran for just 26 minutes and also starred Yootha Joyce, who was well known as a TV actress appearing in the comedy 'George & Mildred' amongst other shows.

Tuesday's Children had a cameo appearance in the film in a scene in a nightclub, which was filmed at the London club 'Sybillas' on the 6th April 1968, the group receiving the princely sum of £45.00 for its appearance. When the film was released it played as the 'B' movie to cult film 'If', directed by Lindsay Anderson and starring Malcolm McDowell. 'She' was written and sung by Mick Ware who also did the orchestral arrangement with Bob Hodges. Johnny Arthey directed the orchestra on the session. 'Bright Eyed Apples' had been a hit for an English group called 'The Rokes' in Italy under the title of 'Mele Mature'.

The original (which was written by Shel Shapiro and Roger Shepstone of the Rokes) featured a sitar which was a popular instrument at the time, mainly due to George Harrisons influence.
Sometime before signing to Philips in 1968, Tuesdays Children recorded two Mick Ware songs: 'Mr Kipling' and 'Baby I Need You'. They were recorded on 6th, 13th and 15th May 1968. Although finished they were never released. 'Mr Kipling' and 'In The Valley Of The Shadows Of Love' were released on a Sanctuary Records 1960's compilation CD some years ago.

I also have note of two sessions on 5th and 12th December 1968 when the band recorded two songs titled 'Love' and 'Rain' and also 'Ritual Fire Dance', although the finished version of this was recorded in 1970 (see Czar: Other Recordings page).

Tuesdays Children did a Radio 1 recording on 1st December 1967 that was broadcast during December on 'Petes People', a Sunday night show presented by DJ Pete Murray. As far as I can remember 4 songs from the live set were recorded in a 3 hour session. This was the first thing that the group had done as a 4 piece after the departure of the brass players on 26th November 1967.
by Bob Hodges with help from Mick Ware

Tracks
1. Strange Light From The East (Phil Cordell) - 2:25
2. Summer Leaves Me With A Sigh (Phil Cordell) - 2:44
3. When You Walk In The Sand (Phil Cordell) - 2:56
4. High And Drifting (Phil Cordell) - 2:42
5. High On A Hill (Phil Cordell) - 2:59
6. That'll Be The Day (Norman Petty, Buddy Holly) - 2:21
7. Ain't You Got A Heart (Peter Callander, Mitch Murray) - 3:32
8. Baby's Gone (Phil Cordell ) - 2:24
9. Guess I'm Losing You (Mick Ware) - 2:25
10. In The Valley Of The Shadow Of Love (Mick Ware) - 4:15
11. Mr Kipling (Mick Ware) - 2:24
12. Baby I Need You (Mick Ware) - 2:39
13. She (Mick Ware) - 2:50
14. Bright Eyed Apples (Shel Shapiro, Mike Shepstone) - 3:39
15. Doubtful Nellie (Paul Kendrick) - 3:07
16. Ritual Fire Dance (Manuel De Falla, arr. Bob Hodges) - 7:38
17. Red Lady - (Phil Cordell solo single) (Phil Cordell) - 2:30
18. Baby's Gone (demo) (Peter Callander, Mitch Murray) - 2:18

Tuesday's Children
*Derrick Gough - Drums
*Mick Ware - Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Hodges - Keyboards, Vocals
*Paul Kendrick - Bass, Vocals
*Phil Cordell - Guitar, Vocals

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Previous posted at PHROCK on Friday, October 23, 2009
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