Thursday, November 7, 2024

Toby Beau - My Angel Baby (1978 us, country soft rock, 2000 reissue)



"Toby Beau," commonly refers to the Texas band formed in the early 70's most commonly known for the hit single, "My Angel Baby" in 1978. Though little is known around the world about this band past this top fifteen single, the band is, in fact, still in existence today, and continues to perform in the club circuit.

Formed in the Rio Grande Valley, the original members included guitarists Danny McKenna, Balde Silva, Art Mendoza, bassist Steve Zipper and drummer Rob Young. After numerous club performances around South Texas, the band moved to San Antonio, Texas and received a major record deal from RCA (now BMG). This deal would recruit the production talents of Sean Delaney, who at the time was also producing a young band named "KISS". In addition, guitarist Mendoza was replaced with guitarist and banjo extraordinaire Ron Rose, who added a sort of County-flavor to the band.

Upon completion of the self-titled first album, the band moved to New York, and would embark on major tours with artists and bands such as the Doobie Brothers, Bob Seger, and the Steve Miller Band. Popularity of the band would gradually arise through these tours, but this would suddenly become a skyrocket when the pop ballad "My Angel Baby" scored number 1 on the Easy Listening Chart for two weeks. Suddenly the album would score major sales, and "My Angel Baby" would eventually achieve gold status by being awarded the coveted "Million-Aire Award" by BMI for over a million radio plays. There was even a re-release of the album, this time with "My Angel Baby" as the album title which was added to the cover art.

Following the success of the first album, the band temporarily moved to Miami. There, recording sessions for the second album would not at all be impressive to the producers, and almost all recorded songs would be eliminated from the album. It was suggested that the band move to Tennessee and record with the likes of major session players. It was this move that started to break the band apart.

Although the addition of the production talents of Daniel Moore (writer for B.W. Stevenson and Three Dog Night) and Norbert Putnam (who had worked with Jimmy Buffet), as well as talented musicians like Victor Feldman (from Steely Dan fame) and Larry Londin (who later worked with Journey) provided a smooth fusion style to the music, members of the band felt the tradition of the music was severely altered. This initially resulted in McKenna's choice to leave the band before completion of the second album, entitled "More Than a Love Song," released in 1979.

This album would score a top 40 single in the cover of John D. Loudermilk's "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," but otherwise the album remained a financial disappointment to the band, and less than a year after the release, Zipper, Rose, and Young departed, leaving Silva at the helm with one album left on the contract.

Although it was a large burden on him to complete the third album single-handedly, this provided numerous successes, such as all legal rights to retain the band's name. Silva moved to Los Angeles to record the third album with producer Jerry Fuller. With the help of numerous studio artists, the third album, "If You Believe" was successfully released in 1980. Although not viewed as a commercial success, the album did score a third hit in the ballad "If I Were You," which might demonstrate a preview of how the band would sound in years to come.

After the third album, the band was dropped from RCA, but Silva has refused to let the band fall, having adopted the name of "Toby Beau," himself as his stage name. In the 80's, wife Rennetta (under the stage name Dennett) joined the band and the two would recruit numerous other musicians in the band for years to come. Sessions for a fourth album have been recorded numerous times in the 80's and again in the late 90's, but as of now, no plans have been made for any studio release, but self-made recordings have been produced, and can usually be bought from members of the band or at certain venues they work for.

Currently, the band continues to perform the club circuit with guest musicians who sit in frequently. Most recent guest musicians have included trumpeter and piano sensation Michael Schuler and Silva's son, saxophonist Michael Silva. The band can usually be located around South Padre Island, Texas and performing for the cruise ship industry or by checking the web site. Group leader, Danny McKenna, age 54, died in his McAllen, Texas home, April 26th 2006.
The Toby Beau
Tracks
1. Moonshine (Ron Rose, Sean Delaney) - 2:45
2. California (Balde Silva, Sean Delaney) - 3:02
3. Same Old Line (Balde Silva, Denny McKenna) - 2:59
4. Into The Night (Denny McKenna, Balde Silva, Steve Zipper) - 3:44
5. My Angel Baby (Denny McKenna, Balde Silva) - 3:32
6. Westbound Train (Ron Rose, Denny McKenna, Balde Silva) - 4:24
7. Buckaroo (Denny McKenna, Ron Rose) - 4:04
8. Watching The World Go By (Denny McKenna, Ron Rose, Sean Delaney) - 3:23
9. Bulldog (Ron Rose, Sean Delaney) - 2:38
10.Wink Of An Eye (Sean Delaney) - 2:53 
11.Broken Down Cowboy (Balde Silva, Danny McKenna, Robert Young, Ron Rose  Sean Delaney, Steve Zipper) - 2:39

Toby Beau
*Rob Young - Drums, Percussion 
*Steve Zipper - Vocals, Bass 
*Ron Rose - Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin  
*Balde Silva - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica 
*Danny McKenna - Vocals, Lead Guitar 

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Randy And The Radiants - Memphis Beat The Sun Recordings (1964-66 us, solid garage beat roots 'n' roll, 2007 remaster)



In 1964, when the British Invasion reared its ugly – to the established American record biz – head, Memphis’ original pathfinding rock’n’roll imprint, Sun Records, was in its twilight years. Sam Phillips was never a follower of trends, but when his son Knox presented a fine example of the local grass roots reaction to the British in the shape of the Radiants, Phillips acknowledged their talent, and signed the enthusiastic youngsters to Sun. Their two singles on the iconic yellow label now count as the highlights of its latterday catalogue.

True to the diffuse nature of its musical heritage, Memphis had an interesting and unpredictable take on what the Beatles and their ilk inspired. Randy & The Radiants are an excellent example of this, and most likely the earliest: slightly derivative perhaps, but certainly inspired in content. Though the garage rock crowd know the band’s name for the crunchy chording of My Way Of Thinking, the considerable cache of Sun sessions from 1964 and 1966, the best of which are included upon “Memphis Beat”, reveal the Radiants as several fret-notches above the average teenage combo of the time.

There is the expected quotient of frat-band raunch and Anglicised rockabilly – while it is fascinating to hear the band cover older Sun copyrights such as Boppin’ The Blues– but the true gems in the Radiants canon are guitarist Bob Simon’s contemplative originals, with their own mature blend of harmony and soul, akin to that of the best British beat like the Searchers. The searing, irresistible Truth From My Eyes would have made a great mid-period Hollies single, and tunes like To Seek And Then Find, Nobody Walks Out On Me or I Won’t Ask Why are so effortlessly Mersey in execution, it’s easy to forget the grandaddy of rockabilly is behind the mixing desk. Add the warm, authoritative rasp of Randy Haspel, Memphis’ answer to Allan Clarke, and one can understand Sun’s excitement in having found a local and commercially-potent interpretation of the British beat.

As Haspel relates in a fascinating memoir included in the booklet to MEMPHIS BEAT, the tremendous promise of the Radiants was cut short just as they were hitting their stride, largely due to events beyond their control. But any group should be proud of what Randy & The Radiants accomplished in what was a relatively brief time together. That Knox and Sam Phillips helped them to their moment in the sun (pun intended) is the icing on the cake.
by Alec Palao
Tracks
1. My Way of Thinking (Donna Weiss) - 2:37
2. Nobody Walks Out On Me (Bob Simon) - 2:18
3. Be Good While I'm Gone (Bob Simon) - 1:36
4. Truth from My Eyes (Bob Simon) - 2:23
5. You Are the One (Donna Weiss, Mary Unobsky) - 2:23
6. Peek-A-Boo (Bob Simon) - 2:08
7. Boppin' the Blues (Carl Perkins, Howard Griffin) - 2:03
8. To Seek and Then Find (Bob Simon) - 2:26
9. Grow Up Little Girl (John Monasco) - 2:20
10.Lucille (Albert Collins, Richard Penniman) - 2:57
11.I Won't Ask Why (Bob Simon) - 2:30
12.True and Sweet (Bob Simon) - 2:27
13.Glad All Over (Dave Clark, Mike Smith) - 2:39]
14.Hope We Meet Next Summer (Donna Weiss) - 2:23
15.Money (That's What I Want) (Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy) - 3:24
16.Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins) - 2:04
17.The Mountain's High (Dick St. John) - 2:38
18.You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover (Ellas McDaniel) - 2:38
19.Dedicated to the One I Love (Lowman Pauling, Ralph Bass) - 3:25
20.Walk Softly (Bob Simon) - 1:37
21.Nobody Walks Out On Me (Bob Simon) - 2:06
22.I Won't Ask Why (Bob Simon) - 2:11
23.A Love of the Past (Bob Simon) - 2:21
24.Turn on Your Lovelight (Deadric Malone, Joseph Scott) - 3:09

Randy And The Radiants
*Randy Haspel - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Simon - Vocals
*Ed Marshall - Guitar
*Howard Calhoun - Bass, Keyboards
*Mike Gardner - Drums
*Bill Slais Jr. - Saxophone, Vocals
*Otis Glasscock - Background Vocals
*Jimmy Beckemeyer - Background Vocals
*Gregg Grinspan -  Background Vocals
*Tony Rossini - Background Vocals

Monday, November 4, 2024

Firefall - Greatest Hits (1976-83 us, magnificent country guitar smooth rock)



Sharing a light, lush airiness with bands like Poco, America, and Air Supply, Firefall sang fluffy love songs that were weak in lyrical nutrients but abundant with softened chords and harmonies. When radio was saturated with light rock in the mid- to late-'70s, they were right in the heart of it, reaching number nine on Billboard's Top 40 with the gentle "You Are the Woman," which remained on the charts for a startling 15 weeks. Firefall's greatest hits collects all of their mellow rock favorites in one place, presenting some thin but not unlistenable soft rock tunes. Lead singer Rick Roberts pours his heart out but still manages to stir up a decent tempo with "Just Remember I Love You," their second biggest single. 

The blue of the Colorado skyline, the band's home state, is visioned on the soothing flow of "Break of Dawn," and a slight attractiveness is felt throughout "Strange Way," another chart single in 1978. Roberts, who replaced Gram Parsons in the Flying Burrito Brothers, and drummer Michael Clarke, a onetime Byrds member, did give Firefall a talented history within its lineup, but the music being produced contained ample amounts of schlock that soon faded as radio became tired of this shallow drivel. Sometimes harboring a country feel a la Michael Martin Murphy best heard in songs like "Someday Soon" and "It Doesn't Matter," it was evident that the band had only one direction, which was that of a folk-rock sound. Since their material never strayed from this subtle easiness, Firefall's greatest hits is their most worthwhile offering. 
by Mike DeGagne
Tracks
1. Livin' Ain't Livin' (Rick Roberts) - 3:51
2. Cinderella (Larry Burnett) - 3:36
3. You Are The Woman (Rick Roberts) - 2:43
4. Mexico (Rick Roberts) - 4:19
5. It Doesn't Matter (Chris Hillman, Rick Roberts, Stephen Stills) - 3:31
6. Just Remember I Love You (Rick Roberts) - 3:18
7. So Long (Rick Roberts) - 5:30
8. Someday Soon (Rick Roberts) - 4:06
9. Strange Way (Rick Roberts) - 3:26
10.Goodbye, I Love You (Rick Roberts) - 4:24
11.Sweet And Sour (Jock Bartley, Rick Roberts) - 3:36
12.Love That Got Away (Rick Roberts) - 3:25
13.Headed For A Fall (Rick Roberts) - 4:12
14.Staying With It (John Lewis Parker, Tom Snow) - 3:04
15.Break Of Dawn (Jock Bartley) - 3:48
16.Always (John Sambataro, Paul Crosta) - 3:48
17.Runaway Love (Jock Bartley, John Sambataro, Paul Crosta) - 3:58
18.Run Run Away (Jock Bartley) - 4:45

Firefall 
*Jock Bartley - Lead Electric, Slide Guitars, Bigsby Palm Pedal Guitar 
*Larry Burnett - Electric, Acoustic Rhythm Guitars, Vocals (Tracks1-14) 
*David Muse - Piano, Clavinet Synthesizer Flute, Tenor Sax, Harmonica (Tracks1-14) 
*Rick Roberts - Acoustic Guitars, Vocals (Tracks1-14,18) 
*Mark Andes - Bass, Vocals (Tracks1-13)
*Michael Clarke - Drums (Tracks1-13)
*George Hawkins - Bass, Vocals (Track 14)
*Tris Imboden - Drums, Percussion (Tracks 14)
With
*Joe Lala - Congas Timbales Shakers Tambourine Finger Cymbals, Sand Blocks (Tracks1-13,15,16)
*Timothy B. Schmit - Backing Vocals (Track 6)
*Jim Keltner - Drums (Track 11)
*Billy Payne - Organ (Track 12)
*Paul Harris - Electric Piano (Track 13)
*Lisa Nemzo - Vocals (Track 14)
*Arnold Paseiro - Bass (Track 15)
*Stephen Stills - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals (Track 15)
*David Sanborn - Alto Saxophone (Track 16)
*Richie Goldman - Bass (Track 16) 
*Kip Kuepper - Bass (Track 18) 


Saturday, November 2, 2024

The Enfields / Friends Of The Family - The Songs Of Ted Munda (1966-68 us, awesome garage folk psych rock)



The Enfields were one of the countless garage bands competing for airplay in the 1960s. They released a series of quality local 45s before morphing into the more progressive Friends of the Family, of which by that time, principal songwriter Ted Munda was the only surviving member. The Enfields hailed from Wilmington, Delaware, where they were unquestionably the area’s top group.

“In The Eyes Of The World” was their first Richie 45 released in late 65/early 66. This track is really a teenbeat gem with the great reverbed hollow-body guitar work of John Bernard and plenty of ghostly harmonies via Ted Munda and Charlie Berl. “In The Eyes Of The World” did not have a B-side but sold well locally, making Wilmington’s top 40 and established the group as a force to be reckoned with. The Enfields’ next number, “She Already Has Somebody/I’m For Things You Do” was a #4 local smash and perhaps their finest moment on vinyl. Very similar to the Dovers’ material from around the same time, “She Already Has Somebody” is a minor key folk-rocker with solid hooks, lots of nervous energy and fine guitar work. By the release of their third single the Enfields began branching out into harder, more aggressive sounds. “Face to Face,” another near classic from 1966, opens with a toggle switch guitar sound (probably influenced by the Who), features tough Taxman-like riffs and a brief psychedelic guitar solo. The single’s A-side, “You Don’t Have Very Far” is musically very strong but represents somewhat of a throwback to the 1965 folk-rock sound. This is definitely a “must own”45 from 1966!

After the Enfields broke up in 1967, Ted Munda formed Friends of the Family. He recruited Wayne Watson and Jimmy Crawford from local group the Turfs. They released one disappointing 45 in 1968 but thankfullly made it into the studio for two recording sessions. Munda and his new group recorded throughout 1967 and 1968, amassing about an album’s worth of material (11 songs). While these recordings barely reached the demo stage, the music is accomplished and worth your time. Tracks like the excellent “Last Beach Crusade,” “Together” and the 6 minute “Hot Apple Betty” are progressive and sound like a jazz influenced Left Banke. These three tracks were recorded in 1968 and show the Friends experimenting with lots of keyboards, challenging guitar solos, Zombies/Beatles’ influenced vocals and complex song arrangements. “Funny Flowers,” one of the earlier songs recorded in 1967, is just as appealing but more song-based (jangly folk-rock). “You See I’ve Got This Cold,” another highlight from the 1968 sessions, is a personal favorite that reminds me of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. It’s full of psychedelic weirdness; check out the bizarre lyrics, tinkling piano, and trippy wah-wah. The band forged on into late 68 opening for The Who and Pink Floyd at the Philadelphia Music Festival. Eventually, Friends of the Family broke up and some years later Ted Munda formed Hotspur, who released an album on Columbia in 1974.

The best way to hear the Enfields/Friends of the Family saga is through Get Hip’s superb cd reissue, Classic Sounds of the 60s. Normally a patchwork reissue like this doesn’t work but Ted Munda rarely recorded anything bad, making The Enfields/and early Friends of the Family a very impressive release.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. In The Eyes Of The World (Charlie Berl, Ted Munda) - 2:15
2. I'm For The Things You Do - 2:30
3. She Already Has Somebody (Ted Munda, Vince Rago) - 2:47
4. You Don't Have Very Far - 2:33
5. Face To Face - 2:34
6. Twelve Months Coming - 2:14
7. Time Card - 2:25
8. Time Music - 1:52
9. Wallace He Plays With Frogs - 2:30
10.Funny Flowers - 2:30
11.Blue Boats Make Me Sad - 3:15
12.Jello Lights - 2:25
13.Bambi's March - 2:22
14.You See I've Got This Cold - 1:29
15.Last Beach Crusade - 3:17
16.Hot Apple Betty - 6:01
17.Together - 3:39
18.Sing A Song - 2:29
All songs by Ted Munda except where indicated

The Enfields / Friends Of The Family
*Ted Munda - Vocals, Guitar
*Charlie Berl - Vocals, Tambourine (Tracks 1-7)
*John Bernard - Guitar (Tracks 1-7)
*Gordon Berl - Drums (Tracks 1-7)
*Bill Gallery - Bass (Tracks 1-4)
*Wayne Watson - Guitar (Tracks 8-18)
*John Rhoads - Bass (Tracks 5-13)
*Ray Andrews - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 14-18)
*Lindsay Lee - Organ, Vocals (Tracks 14-18)

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Francisco - Cosmic Beam Experience (1976 us, magical ambient space psych rock, 2005 reissue)



Francisco used to play in a band called Shanti with tabla player Zakir Hussain and, being a drummer, became friendly with Mickey when Shanti would open for the Dead. This release from 1976 is a new age, freak-jazz mind blower! It was on Francisco’s own Cosmic Beam Records & Tapes and features him playing acoustic guitar, electric space guitar, drums, chimes, zither, gongs, and some weird homegrown instruments like the one made out of a couple hundred house and car keys hanging in a bunch.

Francisco played his Cosmic Beam on the soundtracks of many films including: 1979’s Star Trek: the Motion Picture, a short film about the Tibetan Book of the Dead called Tanka and Terence Malick’s masterpieces The Thin Red Line and The New World. 

Francisco Lupica has an actual I-beam electrified somehow to make ethereal noises. The Beam is held by two driftwood tree trunks with masses of roots, trimmed off evenly to be support stands. It not only looks great but must be very stable. He's performed with such folks as Lee Michaels and Taj Mahal and was even in a hillbilly band in Georgia. 
Tracks
1. Heal Yourself - 4:30
2. Cosmic Beam Experience - 11:30
3. Love Sweet Love - 4:30
4. Cosmic Beam Experience: Part Two - 12:03
5. Hey Mister Sun - 2:55
All compositions by Francesco Lupica

Musicians
*Francesco Lupica - Vocals, Guitars, Drums
*Michael Sage - Bass, Piano
*Fred F Sharp - Piano
*Pam Tomkins - Violin
*Jimmie Cameron - Backing Vocals
*Vella Cameron - Backing Vocals

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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

All That The Name Implies - All That The Name Implies (1968 us, lovely hippie folk rock, 2008 edition)



This is the only album released in 1968 by ORO, a label under ESP in New York that has released many great and rare jazz albums.  “All That The Name Implies’ was a hippie folk group from New York. First impression comes from the front cover, really beautiful. Musically nice male-female vocals, acoustic guitars, congas, and a faint tambourine, but the congas are actually a tricky part.  The main vocalist, Nick Feva, has a great voice, and the chorus of men and women is intertwined with his vocals, floating neither too close nor too far. The temperature of the water is just right. 

They released two other singles besides this album, which are included as bonuses on the CD. Of the four songs on each side of these two singles, three are alternate versions of songs from the album, but  "Black Tuesday," is actually one that wasn't included on the album and this song is absolutely amazing.

Images of wilderness, the bright evening light, the sky with a gradient from ultramarine to orange as the veil of night falls. It would be nice to have a bonfire on the ground. The sound of the conga is louder than the album, and has a great effect in creating this endless world. There may be a lot of great songs that are hidden away, but for sure "Black Tuesday" is one of them. It's a great song!
Tracks
1. Lemon Train - 3:00
2. Your Day (Roy Jiminez) - 3:02
3. Simply Implied - 1:58
4. So Am I - 3:12
5. Dedication: Fred Neil (River Trilogy) (Traditional / Marlene Ryan) - 7:09
6. Red Ball - 4:18
7. Liar (Gareth Fishbaugh) - 2:16
8. The Bells Of The Mountain - 3:13
9. Mary Maybe - 3:12
10.August Pine - 4:07
11.Black Tuesday - 4:47
12.So Am I - 3:15
13.Liar (Gareth Fishbaugh) - 2:26
14.August Pine - 3:55
Words and Music by Nick Feva except where noted
Bonus Tracks 11-14

Personnel
*Allan Bree - Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica 
*Nick Feva - 12 String Guitar 
*Emile Latimor - Guitar 
*Roy Jiminez - Vocals  
*Melinda Parkes - Vocals 
*Marlene Ryan - Vocals, Guitar

Friday, October 25, 2024

Jorma Kaukonen And Jack Casady - Bear's Sonic Journals Before We Were Them (1969 us, fine blues based acid psych rock, 2018 digipak remaster)



From the archives of legendary sound engineer Augustus Owsley Stanley, a long-time trusted man of the Grateful Dead, 'Before We Were Them' follows the two live shows dedicated respectively to the Allman Brothers Band and Doc & Merle Watson and captures a performance held by Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, guitarist and bassist of Jefferson Airplane, on June 28, 1969 at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Rosa, California. 

The always impeccable audio quality of the recordings made by the legendary 'Bear', recovered from the original tapes and restored - remastered for the occasion, allows us to enjoy a concert previously unreleased and only recently resurfaced in which the two great musicians, who had not yet launched into the collateral project of Hot Tuna, are joined on stage by Jefferson Airplane drummer Joey Covington. 

With him, Jorma and Jack form an impromptu power trio capable of competing in power and intensity with Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, protagonists of over 70 minutes of exciting and muscular music in which blues classics such as 'Rock Me Baby' and 'Come Back Baby' and the Airplane's 'Star Track' are joined by four rarities titled for the occasion by Kaukonen and Casady ('Turnaround', 'Through The Golden Gate', 'Through The Grove', 'Inspiration In The Hall Of Arrivals') and which will make the mouths of even the completists and the most profound connoisseurs of the duo's repertoire water. 

'It's not just the youthful energy that strikes me, when I listen to these songs again; 'It's the musical dialogue that Jack and I shared in those amazing moments,' Kaukonen commented about these recordings, while Casady recalls 'the unbridled fury' of those performances that 'every day, back then, represented a new adventure for our young hearts'. 'Before We Were Them' is therefore a small, very precious treasure chest of psychedelic blues exhumed and polished to a new shine, using state-of-the-art Plangent Processes technologies (which allowed to eliminate even the smallest distortions caused by recording and playback equipment) and the mastering experience of Jeffrey Norman, a long-time collaborator of Stanley himself and the Grateful Dead.
Tracks
1. Rock Me Baby (B.B. King) - 8:32
2. Turnaround - 10:30
3. Star Track (Jorma Kaukonen) - 7:45
4. Through The Golden Gate - 13:43
5. Come Back Baby (Walter Davis) - 10:28
6. Through The Grove - 11:08
7. Inspiration In The Hall Of Arrivals - 8:07
Songs 2,4,6,7 written by Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady

Personnel
*Jorma Kaukonen - Guitar, Vocals
*Jack Casady - Bass
*Joey Covington - Drums

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Thursday, October 24, 2024

The Summer Sounds - Up-Down (1969 us, beautiful psych sunny folk, 2004 reissue)



The Summer Sounds were a five-piece band from Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Their one and only release “Up-Down” is an album of largely self-penned material (only 2 covers) and was recorded at the Metcalf Studio in New Bedford. A beat-garage concept album detailing the highs and lows of a summer vacation romance, loads of moody teenage angst. The songs are all catchy, and there's a couple of good ballads. The opening song "Small World" is soft garage rock with a catchy organ, and the two covers of "Gimme Some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group and "I Love You" by the Zombies are great too.The original vinyl is changing hands for more than 1.000$.
Tracks
1. Small World - 2:49
2. Hard To Please - 3:56
3. Lonely Beach - 3:24
4. Gimme Some Lovin' (Steve Winwood)- 2:59
5. One Last Kiss - 2:23
6. The Leaves Are Turning Brown - 4:20
7. Summer Girl - 4:22
8. I Love You (Chris White) - 3:42
9. First Date - 2:21
10.You Told Me - 2:42
Songs written by Joe Pacheco except where noted

The Summer Sounds
*Paul B. Motta - Bass 
*Roy Vieira - Drums
*Dave Travers - Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Joe Pacheco - Lead Vocals, Organ 
*Ralph Viera - Saxophone 

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Stevie Wright - Hard Road (1974 australia / uk, fabulous classic rock vibes)



Steven Wright was born on 20 December 1948 in Leeds, England. His family came to Australia as assisted migrants when Stevie was nine and lived in Melbourne for a couple of years before moving to Sydney in 1960 . They settled in Villawood, in Sydney's south-west, close to the Villawood Migrant Hostel. Stevie had been bitten by the rock'n'roll bug at an early age, and in the early Sixties he fronted two local bands, The Outlaws, followed by Chris Langdon & The Langdells. The Langdells started out as a Shadows-style surf band but changed their image to Beatles clones overnight after being introduced to The Fab Four's music music by their friends, teenage vocal group The Bee Gees.

Stevie (aka "Chris") was singing with the The Langdells at Suzie Wong's Disco in Sydney one night in mid-1964 and when he met Hendrickus Vandenburg and Dingeman Vandersluys, two Dutch immigrant lads from the Hostel who were in the process of putting a new band together. Like Stevie, they too had been electrified by the new possibilities opened up by the emergence of The Beatles. Stevie was already friends with another young Villawood resident, a teenage guitarist from Glasgow called George Young. The new band tried out several local kids as potential singers, including John Bell (a great musician in his own right, who went on to form The Throb) but they knew they had their perfect frontman when the diminutive Stevie auditioned. He snapped up the offer of the lead singer spot, and through Stevie the band also met Stevie's friend, guitarist George Young. The new band was completed when they found their final member, drummer Snowy Fleet, thanks to a chance meeting on a train. With an obligatory nod to their heroes, Snowy dubbed the new band The Easybeats. 

The huge post-Easybeats success of his bandmates Harry Vanda and George Young, as both writers and producers, has for a long time ovegsubadowed Stevie's contributions to the band, so it's worth repeating the fact that all of their classic Australian hits in 1965-66 -- She's So Fine, Sorry, Women (Make You Feel Alright), Come And See Her, and Wedding Ring -- were co-written by Stevie. He and George were a an accomplished and productive writing team whose knack for writing pithy, memorable, down-to-earth rock lyrics was perfectly matched by George instinctive gift for melody and arrangment. They rapidly wrote dozens of original numbers, most of them created around the piano at the George's family home in Burwood. They were productive enough to write a string of chart-topping hits of their own themselves and still have enough material to spare to provide songs for other artists, including "Step Back ", the 1966 debut hit for Perth singer Johnny Young as well as the B-side of a later single, "Good Evening Girl".

Stevie was one of the most dynamic performers on the local scene, famous for his trademarks stage technique -- the flying tambourine and his acrobatic leaps and backflips -- and he influenced many singers who followed him. He was a natural television performer, as evidenced by the Easys' surviving appearances on shows like their classic "Coca Cola Special", made for ATN-7 in Sydney in mid-'66, just before their first trip to the UK.

As lead singer Stevie was the focus of most of the publicicty and by 1967 he was one of the most popular and recognisable male performers in the country, with Normie Rowe arguably his only serious rival. The move to England and the international success of "Friday On My Mind" took the band to dizzy new heights and seemed to bode for a great future, but over the next two dispiriting years in the UK, Australia's greatest pop group gradually fizzled out and they dissolved after a desultory farewell tour of Australia in late 1969. 

Stevie was one of the first new acts signed to the revived Albert label. The team commenced work on Stevie's debut solo album, with Vanda and Young producing, as well as writing and playing on several tracks. Hard Road (April 1974) is without question Stevie's finest hour, and it remains one of the best Australian albums of the period. The classic Vanda-Young tracks -- the autobiographical "Hard Road", "Didn't I Take You Higher?" and the epic "Evie" were ably complemented by Stevie's own strong compositions "Movin' On Up", "Commando Line", "Life Gets Better" and "Dancing in the Limelight".

Stevie's groundbreaking debut solo single "Evie (Parts I, II and III)" is a genuine rock epic. It is arguably the perfect rock'n'roll song, encapsulating the three basic themes of all love songs -- (A) "Baby it'll be great once w're together, (B) "Baby, it's so great now that we're together" and (C) "Baby, it's so bad since you left me". Clocking in at a whopping eleven minutes in total, it seemed an unlikely chart contender, but the three parts were wisely split across the two sides of the single, and the head-on power rock of "Evie Part I" proved irresistable. Lyrically, it revisited the perennial "gonna have a good time tonight" theme of "Friday On My Mind" and Good Times and musically it is perhaps the ultimate distillation of the full-frontal hard rock Vanda & Young had previously essayed on V&Y classics like "Good Times", and showcased the no-frills hard-rocking sound which they woudl soon hone to perfection with AC/DC.

Released in May 1974 Evie shot to the top of charts, peaking at #2 nationally during July. It did especially well in Melbourne, where it stayed at #1 for seven weeks. The Hard Road album also peaked at #5 nationally and #1 in Melbourne. It was released on Atlantic in the USA and Polydor in the UK and made a strong impression overseas -- Suzi Quatro later covered "Evie", and Rod Stewart included a version of "Hard Road" on his Smiler album. "Evie" is now widely considered to be one of best Australian singles of Seventies. Stevie (Stephen Carlton) Wright passed away 27th December 2015.
References
Ian McFarlane -Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop (Allen & Unwin, 1999)-
Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara -Who's Who of Australian Rock (Five Mile Press, 2002)-
Noel McGrath -Australian Encyclopedia of Rock (Outback Press, 1978)-
Tracks
1. Hard Road (Harry Vanda, George Young) - 3:02
2. Life Gets Better (Stevie Wright) - 3:10
3. The Other Side (Stevie Wright) - 2:32
4. I Got You Good (Stevie Wright) - 3:16
5. Dancing In The Limelight (Stevie Wright) - 2:36
6. Didn't I Take You Higher (Harry Vanda, George Young) - 5:57
7. Evie - 11:01
    Part 1 (Let Your Hair Down) (Harry Vanda, George Young)
    Part 2 (Evie) (Harry Vanda, George Young)        
    Part 3 (I'm Losing You) (Harry Vanda, George Young)
8. Movin' On Up (Stevie Wright) - 3:16
9. Commando Line (Stevie Wright) - 3:58

Personnel
*Stevie Wright - Vocals
*George Young - Bass
*Harry Vanda - Guitar
*Malcolm Young - Guitar
*John Proud - Drums
*Warren Morgan - Piano

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Monday, October 21, 2024

Upp - This Way (1976 uk, groovy jazz funk rock)



Upp was a British rock-jazz fusion band, active in the 1970s. The group was originally going to be called 3 UPP, and consisted of Stephen Amazing (bass guitar), Andy Clark (keyboards) and Jim Copley (drums).  David Bunce (guitar) joined on guitar for the second album.  The band was heavily influenced by other acts like Otis Redding, Sly & The Family Stone, Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway.

According to Jim Copley, Jeff Beck came to the studio where the band were rehearsing and heard them playing James Brown and some very funky stuff.  Beck was at the studio to play with David Bowie who was doing his Hammersmith Odeon farewell concert in 1973, but he liked it so much he ended up producing and playing on the album.

"This Way Upp"  was released with Beck again producing and playing guitar solos on "Dance Your Troubles Away" and "Don't Want Nothing to Change”. Recording moved from Kent to LA, and the sound to slickly conventional, string-laden disco, only nodding back to prog with propulsive, jazzy instrumental There’s Still Hope. There wasn’t, so they split.
by Nick Hasted, November 2018
Tracks
1. Never Turn My Back On You - 8:22
2. Say Goodbye - 5:09
3. Nitto - 3:53
4. Dance Your Troubles Away - 3:53
5. I Don't Want Nothing (To Change) - 3:45
6. Groovin' Mood - 3:33
7. There's Still Hope - 3:27
8. Get To The Bottom - 3:33
All compositions by Andy Clark, Stephen Amazing, James Copley

Upp
*Andy Clark - Keyboards, Vocals
*Stephen Amazing - Bass
*Jim Copley - Drums, Percussion  
With
*Jeff Beck - Guitar (Track 5)
*David Bunce - Guitar
*Gary Coleman - Percussion, Vibraphone
*Tom Scott - Saxophone
*Christy Thompson, Jeanie Arnold - Backing Vocals

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