1972 was a very good year for Kin Ping Meh. They wrote the music for a drug musical called 'Rausch', composed the soundtrack for ZDF series "Sechs unter Millionen" (Weber said in an interview: "We tried to make good rock music because for us, this job is an important milestone, a big step ahead in our career") and thus joined the short list of German rock bands who had achieved something similar, e.g. Can with 'Spoon', their song for a Durbridge crime movie, or Popol Vuh for the Herzog movie 'Aguirre, der Zom Gottes'. Almost simultaneously, they opened the Sailing Olympics in Kiel, went on tour with Rory Gallagher and Golden Earring, and released their second album, 'No. 2'. In their annual vote, the readers of magazine "Popfoto" voted them among the Top 5 in the category, 'Most Promising Band'.
But they had to pay a high price for constantly being on the road - 1972 saw a drastic change in the line-up. Willie Wagner, Werner Stephan and Torsten Herzog left the band to be replaced by Gerhard "Gagey" Mrozeck, Uli Gross, British bass player Alan Joe Wroe and his fellow countryman Geff Harrison. With this line-up, Kin Ping Meh recorded 'III', the band's third album, in the Summer of 1973. The album featured a wind section and a female choir. It was mainly because of singer Geff Harrison's influence that the band developed a hard rock image. "The people mainly want to really rock, to be happy and to get to see something. And that's all true in our case", the band explained in a 1973 "Musik Express" interview and added: "There is not much demand for space and cosmic rock right now." Kin Ping Meh played concerts with hard rock superstars like Deep Purple and Slade and appeared on a couple of television shows.
Alex Gitlin
Tracks
1. Come On In (Fritz Schmitt, Gerhard Mrozeck) - 5:24
2. Random (Alan Joe Wroe, Uli Gross) - 3:50
3. Love Is The Day (Alan Joe Wroe, Gerhard Mrozeck, Uli Gross) - 4:59
4. Rock Is The Way (Fritz Schmitt, Gerhard Mrozeck) - 4:46
5. Circus (Alan Joe Wroe, Gerhard Mrozeck, Uli Gross) - 14:06
6. Mrs. Holmes (Alan Joe Wroe, Kalle Weber, Uli Gross) - 7:20
Kin Ping Meh
*Gerhard Mrozeck - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Vocals
So here it is, the wonderful Sad About The Times. Imbued with a sense of "sad bliss”, this compilation of could-have-been-hits from 1970s North America drifts between acid folk strummers, soft rock whispers and jangly psych jammers, all crowned with entirely unique vocal performances. Every track tugs on the same very specific heart string, triggering an emotion familiar but difficult to describe.
Sad About The Times is one of those records that permeates your subconscious, floats around with you and plays in your mind when you're at your most contemplative or wistful.
Artist - Tittle - Composer
1. West - Sad About The Times (Lloyd Perata) - 2:34
2. Hollins Ferry - Lonely City (Rob Fahey) - 4:23
3. Randy And The Goats - N.Y. Survivor (Mark Chmielinski) - 3:50
4. Willow - Loaves And Fishes (Barry Fitzgerald, Kevin Dolan, William McSweeney) -
The career of rock band Kin Ping Meh from Mannheim lasted almost exactly seven years and reached quite a few heights. But it still left the band rather disillusioned in the end. Drummer Kalle Weber's resume from the Spring of 1977: "If you're not a pop star, you're still the asshole." Together with amateur musicians Werner Stephan (vocals), Joachim Schafer (guitar, piano), Frieder Schmitt (organ piano) and Torsten Herzog (bass), Weber had formed Kin Ping Meh in 1970.
The name Kin Ping Meh (meaning "branch of a plum blossom in a golden vase") is taken from a Chinese 16th century novel depicting the life and customs of that time. On September 15, 1970 the band gave their first concert. Over the next months, they took part in seven important talent competitions. They won them all and were offered a recording contract from Polydor. From now on, everything went very quick - the important Sunday paper "Bild am Sonntag" had a two-page report about the band in January and their first single was released in February. 'Everything's My Way' made the Top 5 of various radio playlists and March saw the band tour with The Hollies.
In May it was back to the studio to record the second single, 'Everyday'. After guitarist Willie Wagner replaced Joachim Schafer, the band from Mannheim recorded and produced their debut album in autumn 1971, and in December it hit the stores. The band was almost constantly touring at that time and supported acts like Uriah Heep.
The debut album of the Mannheim band was released in December 1971. Producers were Rattles musicians Frank Dostal and Achim Reichel, recording took place in Hamburg's Windrose Dumont Time studio and mixing was done at the Star Studio. Conny Plank, who just made himself a name as a brilliant producer at that time, was the sound engineer. The band had previously released two singles that caused a nation-wide splash. On 'Kin Ping Meh', the band used traditional instruments and line-up and presented eight straight-forward blues-rock songs.
The 11-minute opener, 'Fairy Tales', with its excellent long instrumental part, was followed by 'Too Many People', a straight rock number. 'Sometimes' and 'My Dove' show the musicians in a calmer mood. 'Everything' is a new version of the first single, 'Everything's My Way', and has different lyrics. In its usual critical manner, music magazine "Sounds" looked for reasons "why the record is so mediocre", but had to admit that "the band's musical talents and the palpable enthusiasm actually are a good basis for a solid and catchy down-to-earth sound..." "Pop" magazine, on the other hand, liked all of the "eight melodious, catchy tunes…
The band plays together perfectly, and the production is without flaw. Kin Ping Meh undoubtedly will be celebrate another commercial success with this LP." That forecast was correct - the album paved the road to success over the coming years. Apart from the eight songs of the original release, this CD offers as bonus tracks the singles 'Everything's My Way'/'Woman' (1970, Polydor 2041126), 'Every Day'/'Alexandra' (1971, Polydor 2041172) plus the single A-side 'Too Many People' (1972, Polydor 2041247). The flip side of that single was the album version of 'My Dove' and can be found on the regular album.
Alex Gitlin
Tracks
1. Fairy-Tales (Willie Wagner) - 10:50
2. Sometime (Frieder Schmitt, Kalle Weber, Willie Wagner) - 5:46
3. Don't You Know (Kalle Weber, Torsten Herzog) - 7:25
4. Too Many People (Kalle Weber, Werner Stephan) - 5:02
Over the course of about five years beginning in late 1968, several musicians living in eastern Missouri rocked the area clubs and festivals with a mix of cover and Heavy original songs. The band’s name, Parchment Farm, came from a song on Blue Cheer’s debut LP, “Vincebus Eruptum.”
With several changes in their lineup during the years, they supported some of the top names from late sixties to mid seventies. Their sound is underground bluesy psych rock. Parchment Farm disbanded round 1974.
Lifemask was an emotional if not musical rebirth for Roy Harper, who nearly lost his life in 1972 due to a rare congenital circulatory disorder. When the album was released in early 1973, it showed Harper refining the acoustic music he had perfected on 1971's Stormcock. Some of the songs on the album previously appeared in a motion picture entitled Made, but the sound is nonetheless consistent throughout. "Highway Blues" and "South Africa" are the best-known songs on this set, and have remained concert mainstays for many years.
The former is a strong opener and added a touch of synthesizer to Harper's instrumental stable, while the latter was a political comment on apartheid in the guise of a touching love song. "Little Lady" and "Bank of the Dead" (featuring Jimmy Page) are fairly similar in sound and context, but remain pleasant, if not classic, cuts anyway. The album-closing "The Lord's Prayer" is quite possibly the most confounding piece in Harper's catalog. It has all the benchmarks of one of his classics -- epic, album-side length, poetically obscure lyrics, many musical movements, and, as usual, guitar help from Jimmy Page. However, despite its potential, the song's a bit boring and doesn't approach Harper's former or future epics in terms of listenability. Despite that, Lifemask remains a strong album from Harper's progressive folk period, even if it is a notch below its predecessor, Stormcock.
On her ’69 sophomore longplayer, Dana takes over the songwriting credits, taking full advantage of it. With Savoy Brown behind her, and Mike Vernon in the producer’s chair, one would guess that the result must’ve been as blue as blues can get, while it’s just as stylistically varied as Foolish Seasons.
With the above personnel made obvious only by the title tune, there’s also at least two tracks (Like I’m A Clown, I Was A Book) worthy of the mod-stompin’ shoulda-been-a-hit tag , already stuck firmly onto previous year’s You Just Gotta Know My Mind.
She revisits the acid folk of the debut LP’s title tune, and gets even moodier with the pair of ballads recalling The Zombies (When Darkness Fell), or The Swinging Blue Jeans’ take on You’re No Good with and additional Eastern touch to it (I Would Cry).
As a bonus, we get four sides of pre-debut singles, of which Page’s freaked-out fuzz solo in ‘65’s Thank You Boy makes the addition worthwhile on it’s own.
by Garwood Pickjon
Tracks
1. Box of Surprises - 4:26
2. Like I'm a Clown - 2:16
3. Taffy - 3:13
4. When Darkness Fell - 4:21
5. For David, The Nest Day - 4:29
6. If You're Dreaming - 2:13
7. Foolish Seasons - 2:30
8. Grecian Ode - 3:34
9. By Chasing Dreams - 3:06
10.I Was a Book - 2:03
11.Describing You - 3:04
12.I Would Cry - 4:41
13.Thank You Boy (Barry Mason, John Carter, Ken Lewis) - 2:05
14.You're a Heartbreak Man - 2:20
15.Pay You Back With Interest (Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks) - 2:50
16.Adam Can You Beat That - 1:53
All compositions by Dana Gillespie except where stated
Flat Baroque and Berserk' was the first record of mine to go into the charts. For the first time in my recording career, proper care and attention was paid to the presentation of the song. Peter Jenner was assigned by EMI Records to produce the recording. Peter and I got on really well and he was a better overseer of my work than anyone I have been involved with before or since. I had also had a Studio upgrade. EMI Studios, Abbey Road was at that time the most advanced studio in Europe, and over the next ten years I was to record in near-perfect conditions.
Over those years, the studio buzzed with four separate Beatles, some Stones, The Pink Floyd, Cliff and the Shadows, Gracie Fields, three of four musical knights, Kate Bush, Olivier Newton-John, The Hollies, Yehudi Menuin, Stefan Grapelli, The Plastic Ono Band, Eric Clapton; you name them, they were all there. Jimmy Page and I were in there three or four times together.It was a creative hotbed where the technical staff, headed by Ken Townsend, were second to none.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was very pleased with my first record made in such elevated surroundings. The song that I was best known for in those days, 'I Hate the White Man,' was recorded live for this album, and still stands as a testament to my lifelong devotion to espousing equal rights for all humans. I have long since wondered about the wisdom of stating that you have more than the capacity to hate your own race for it's misdemeanors, but as a polemic it has been both an effective tool and somewhere of a place to stand.
Much of the rect of the record is on a gentler level, although 'Hells Angels,' recorded with 'The Nice,' is just as raw and was very eventful.'Another Day' is one of the best love songs I ever wrote and the overall balance of the record is very good.
by Roy Harper
Tracks
1. Don't You Grieve - 5:44
2. I Hate The White Man - 8:04
3. Feeling All The Saturday - 1:56
4. How Does It Feel - 6:27
5. Goodbye - 5:47
6. Another Day - 2:58
7. Davey 1:32
8. East Of The Sun - 3:04
9. Tom Tiddler's Ground - 6:49
10.Francesca - 1:22
11.Song Of The Ages - 3:54
12.Hell's Angels - 6:55
Music and Lyrics by Roy Harper
Personnel
*Roy Harper - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar (Track 12)
Tir Na Nog expanded their horizons on their 1972 sophomore release by adding drums (Barry DeSouza) and bass (Larry Steele), as well as some effective string arrangements. Produced by the legendary Tony Cox (Caravan, Francoise Hardy, Family), A Tear and a Smile retained all of Sonny Condell and Leo O'Kelly's offbeat phrasing, playful melodic deviations, and pastoral balladry, while subtly turning an eye to the prospects of a little commercial appeal.
The easy folk-rock of O'Kelly''s "When I Came Down" and "The Same Thing Happening" wouldn't have sounded out of place on the country-rock-heavy airwaves of U.S. radio, and even though Condell's lighthearted Noel Coward imitation on the bouncy "Bluebottle Stew" is like listening to a half-baked Monty Python skit, it works because -- like everything on A Tear and a Smile -- it's executed so sincerely. Tir Na Nog were more than mediocre, but a few songs shy of great, and fans of Ralph McTell, the Dransfields, and Cat Stevens will find common ground and much to love here.
by James Christopher Monger
The second album A Tear and a Smile takes the first steps in a more rock-oriented direciton with the addition of the rhythm section of Larry Steele (bass) and Barry DeSouza (drums). Producer Tony Cox who'd previously worked successfully with Family and Caravan adds string arrangements to some songs and there are subtle developments suggesting stronger commercial appeal. Sales remained modest but the album did manage to secure a release in the USA, with some tracks substituted for with songs from the debut. The single preceeding the album "The Lady I Love" was Melody Maker Single Of The Week!
Listening to this album solidly for the past few months it surprises me that I could have been so absentminded as to forget to include it in my Early 70’s Proto-Metal Baker’s Dozen. Its’ always a challenge to compile those kinds of lists as there’s inevitably someone who you’re going to kick yourself for not including!
Randy Holden started his career in the early part of the 1960’s and was a member of; The Fender IV (Surf-Rock), Sons of Adam (Surf Rock/Psych), The Other Half (Psych/Garage Rock – Mr Pharmacist was later covered by The Fall), followed by a short stint in Blue Cheer on the record New! Improved! before going solo and launching his debut album, 1970’s Population II.
Population II is a reference both to there being 2 members in the band (Randy – guitar/vocals and drummer/keyboardist Chris Lockheed) and an astronomical term denoting a star cluster with heavy metals present – how apt! The album cover is of the duo stood in front of such a cluster in a valley as seen through a telescopic lens. The album is considered one of the earliest examples of Doom Metal and coincidentally was released in the same year as the first two Sabbath albums. The album has been reissued by RidingEasy Records who have some form when it comes to somewhat obscure 70’s Rock thanks to their superlative Brown Acid compilation series.
The record starts with Guitar Song that features some playful guitar histrionics before a slow, sludgy riff, which could be described as Sabbathesque, descends and Randy singing ‘I love the sound of a guitar playing, I love the way it makes me feel inside’, we would never have guessed. The theme of the song is so simple it’s beautiful, a man’s dedication to his craft. Fruit & Icebergs is a track that featured on the Blue Cheer record Holden guested on, and man, this version is infinitely a lot heavier and doomier, in fact you get the distinct impression that the version you hear here is how Randy intended it to be all along.
Next are 2 short numbers, the first of which Between Time reminds me of the Rolling Stones (Keith Richards was an influence) meets Blue Cheer. The other, Fruit & Icebergs (Conclusion) is er, a conclusion of the earlier track of the same name. Blue My Mind has a definite cool Hendrix vibe before the longest track on the album, the simply amazing 10 minute Keeper Of My Flame which concludes the album, a track that is both melodic and airy yet also grinding and devastating, there is some amazing playing on here, it’s progressive in scope but never self-indulgent or tiresome.
You can hear a sense of joy from Randy Holden on this record, free from the constraints of being in bands where he was given no control, he was determined to make the most of it here. Unlike the likes of Joe Satriani and self-proclaimed genius Yngwie Malmsteen, this is a guitar orientated record you can enjoy, with no over the top shredding, instead it feels grounded and unpretentious.
Much like Hendrix the words/lyrics are largely functional with the focus instead on the amazing music. Sadly, due to record company woes, Randy went into hibernation for the best part of 2 decades before re-emerging, but thanks to the ever-excellent RidingEasy Records hopefully one of rock’s most overlooked guitar heroes will at last get the kudos he so richly deserves. Stoner and doom metalheads will now be able to experience one of the most important documents in the development of the genre we dearly love.
by Reza Mills, 27th February 2020
After the recording of "Population II" in 1970, Randy Holden quit the music business never to be heard from again....until the release of this album in 1996 (in a limited Japanese edition). Sought out by long time fan Randy Pratt (executive producer for this project) and joined by Paul Whaley (prior to recording Guitar God Holden and Whaley, former Blue Cheer drummer, had not seen or spoken to each other for over two decades), and Robert Bauer, Randy delivers an extravagant album full of double and triple tracked guitar. Only one instumental on the album, Randy demonstrates his singing and song writing as well as his guitar prowess.
The album opens with Dark Eyes which contains as heavy a riff as can be found on Population II. The tempo speeds up with Wild Fire, No Trace, and Got Love. Pain In My Heart has a return to heavy. Blue My Mind is redone from the Population II days with a fuller sound. Must be listened to with headphones for the full experience. Randy is definitely having fun here, exploring his whole pallette of pyrotechnics.
Post Pearls Before Swine work from Tom Rapp – a record that has him stepping out as a solo act, but with a feel that's quite similar to his recordings with the group! The mood here is laidback and slightly folksy – but also augmented more by piano than by guitar, and recorded with a watery style that works wonderfully with Rapp's sad-tinged vocals. A number of the songs appear to be remakes of versions from earlier years – and titles include "Snow Queen", "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Sail Away", "Full Phantom Five & I Shall Not Care", "These Things Too", and "Grace Street".
Tracks
1. Grace Street - 3:10
2. The Jeweler - 3:28
3. Rocket Man - 3:04
4. Snow Queen - 3:45
5. If You Don't Want To (I Don't Mind) - 3:17
6. Charley And The Lady - 3:22
7. Margery - 3:12
8. Medley: Full Phantom Five / I Shall Not Care - 2:57
9. These Things Too - 3:37
10.Sail Away - 3:46
All Music and Lyrics by Tom Rapp
Except "Full Phantom Five" from a William Shakespear poem
Leigh Ashford founders Waszek and Agnello knew each other as members of G.W. And The Demons at Riverdale High School in Toronto. Fresh out of high school Agnello joined The Ambassadors and Waszek joined the Lee Ashford Blues Band. When the Lee Ashford Blues Band folded Waszek and keyboardist Newton Garwood joined Agnello and new drummer David Cairns (Tom And Ian And The Soul Set) as sidemen for The Spirit Revue. By early 1967 the four had grown tired of the suits and the restricting etiquette of the Spirit Revue and revived the name Lee Ashford as Leigh Ashford – complete with a fictitious biography that painted Ashford as a turn of the century prostitute.
After playing around the growing Toronto rock scene for two years Guess Who producer Jack Richardson signed the act to his own Nimbus Records. Studio sessions were initiated for an album but collapsed when Cairns took ill. He was replaced in the studio for the bed-tracks by Wally Cameron (A Passing Fancy) and one useable track resulted in the long forgotten single “Country Place”. An attempt to get Cairns back on track faltered and Lance Wright (Terry & The Pyrates) filled in on drums until permanent replacement, Craig Kaleal, (Witness Inc.) was enlisted. A new vocalist, Buzz Shearman (Shearman & Peabody), was brought in to give the act a harder edge.
In 1969 the band opened for the Vanilla Fudge at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto and later on that year, for the Who at the Rockpile in Toronto.With a release from their Nimbus deal, the band kept busy in the clubs, and occasional studio work, and as 1970 wore on, Garwood was replaced by Bruno Weckerle on keyboards. In 1971, Mort Ross’ Revolver Records picked up the band and took them into the RCA Studio in Toronto to produce the ‘Kinfolk’ album.While in New York, Leigh Ashford would do opening slots for The Who (at The Rockpile) and Vanilla Fudge.
The album’s first single, “Dickens”, began gaining attention and upon returning to Canada they performed at the Strawberry Fields Festival in Mosport, Ontario. But, typical creative differences broke the band up by 1972. Waszek continued to work for Mort Ross and Revolver Records as Ross’ cash cow, Motherlode, was refit for a third incarnation headed by Waszek and featuring ex-Chimo! vocalist Breen LeBoeuf, future Triumph bassist Mike Levine and former Leigh Ashford bandmates Wally Cameron and Newton Garwood. After one failed Motherlode single, Waszek revived Leigh Ashford with Buzz Shearman, Cameron, Garwood and bassist Don Elliott (ex-Mandala).
Mort Ross had another subsidiary label on the go, Hopi, and grabbed Leigh Ashford for one under-achieving single of Waszek originals – “Workin’ All Day” b/w “The Country’s Got A Soul Of Its Own”. With the departure of Elliott (with Doni Underhill taking over), the Leigh Ashford name was retired and they became Burgundy before, it too failed to chart a single. Waszek and Underhill decided to jump ship at this point and joined Fludd in 1974. Buzz Shearman kept the band and its name going for another two years before finally evolving into the hit recording act Moxy and helping future metal chanteuse Lee Aaron launch her solo career.
Shearman would die tragically in a motorcycle accident in the early ’80’s; Agnello continued on as bassist for many showcase R & B acts around Toronto including Chuck Jackson; Underhill would eventually leave Fludd to reform the band Fingers with Waszek before moving on to stint with Trooper; Elliott went on to be an audio technician and cameraman; Waszek, meanwhile, did session work with the likes of Triumph (on “Just A Game”) and would spend a good part of the late ’80’s with Bobby Dupont and in the ’90’s as alternate lead guitar with Eagles tribute band Desperado which featured former members of Refugee. He is now a fully retired postal worker living in the USA; Bruce Weckerle died July 10, 2004 of complications from a stroke in 2003; Newton Garwood died of cancer November 4, 2005. Bill Wade succumbed to cancer July 27, 2001 at the age of 53; Terry Juric passed away July 18, 2023.
These music students from the city of Bonn made forays into various musical styles. Listening to tracks as diverse as the title track, which is a psychedelic masterpiece in the Pink Floyd vein, the heavy "Rock ’n’ roll chillun", the blues "Stranger in your town" or the slightly shallow "Last night in Verona" you realize they really know their job. The tracks were recorded in 1975 in the posh London Decibel studios and planned for release on LP but nothing came of it. Twilight’s only releases were two singles on New Blood. The label’s documents, which had been acquired by a collector, were the starting point for tracking down the band as well as the master tape, which they have carefully kept safe until the late 90's, and in 2000 it was officially released on cd. Αfter leaving Twilight, guitarist and singer Volkmar Kramarz joined Arktis and later took over a WDR radio programme.
Tracks
1. Day And Night - 8:30
2. Country Waltz - 3:43
3. Leaving In The Morning - 5:50
4. Rock ‘n’ Roll Chillun - 4:42
5. Stranger In Your Town - 7:18
6. White Queen Boogie - 4:01
7. Last Night In Verona - 2:34
8. Ships Sailing On Sea - 5:27
All compositions by Volkmar Kramarz, Jürgen Bieler, Ulrich Hülder, Roland Glässer
After the artistic peak of Who Cares, it would have been tough for Goddo's singer, bassist, and chief songwriter Greg Godovitz to top himself. Wisely, he doesn't even try on his power trio's third album, An Act of Goddo. Recorded in the vacation environs of Florida and mixed at the Bee Gees Miami studio, An Act of Goddo is appropriately a looser, more relaxed outing that emphasizes meat-and-potatoes songcraft, big swaggering riffs, spacious arrangement, lengthy solos, and, oddly, a more reflective lyrical tone over the ambition and excess of its predecessor.
It still rises to the occasion at points. "So Walk On" and "Work it Out" are arena rockers with ringing, canyon-sized guitar lines from Gino Scarpelli and solid back beats from Doug Inglis. "Rosie (Just Hang On)" and "The Verdict's In" shake, rattle, and roll to grooves that gene-splice rubberlegged rockabilly to '70s guitar rock.
Godovitz indulges his continuing classical aspirations with the palindromically titled "Anacanapanacana," an overture combining melodies from several cuts. And he offers up a pair of wistful ballads in the bilingual Left Bank ode "Chantal" and the urgent guitar-strummer "Take Care." Ultimately, though, the most meaningful song on An Act of Goddo may have been "Sign on the Line." Inspired by the bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you nihilism of punk, Godovitz penned this anti-music biz screed about "record executive lies" and shipped it to his label. Surprise! Goddo was soon shopping for a new deal, and this album lapsed out of print for years before being reissued on CD in 2000 on Canadian label Bullseye.
Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, the Serfs were a soul-rock band who occasionally branched out into jazz and blues The 1969 album "The Early Bird Cafe" by the seven musicians band The Serfs, a.k.a. 'Mike Finnigan And The Serfs,' is their only work. The album features a fantastic blend of Soul, Funk, Psychedelic Rock, and Soul-Jazz in its ten tracks.
A native of Ohio, Finnigan attended the University of Kansas on a basketball scholarship. He started to perform professionally when he was 19, relocating to Wichita to perform with The Serfs, which started as a house band at a local nightclub. In 1969, he joined the Serfs in recording their only album, 1969’s “Early Bird Cafe” and toured with the group.
During a trip to New York City, Finnigan landed a gig as a session music with Jimi Hendrix as he was in the studio recording the legendary album “Electric Ladyland.” In 1972, Finnigan partnered with Jerry Wood to form Finnigan and Wood, releasing just one album “Crazed Hipsters.”
Finnigan’s other collaborations in the 1970s included performances with Dave Mason, Big Brother & The Holding Company, and Peter Frampton, as well as Jim Kreuger and Les Dudek, with whom he formed the band Dudek, Finnigan, and Krueger.,later partnered with Dudek and singer Cher to form the band Black Rose, which performed around Los Angeles as an independent act before signing with Casablanca Records.
They released only one album, the eponymously named Black Rose, which also featured Gary Ferguson, Warren Ham, Rocket Ritchotte and Trey Thompson. However, the album gained little traction with fans and the group parted ways the following year.
Through the 1980s, Finnigan was a much sought-after musician, recording on multiple albums with Crosby, Stills & Nash, including “American Dream,” and “After The Storm,” as well as with artists such as Joe Cocker (Hymn for my Soul). He also provided keyboards for the legendary blues and soul singer Etta James for more than two decades.
More recently, he recorded with Tracy Chapman, Joe Cocker, Buddy Guy, Tower of Power, Rod Stewart, Leonard Cohen, Keb ‘Mo, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Burdon, Kara Grainger, and the Zen Blues Quartet, among others. His performances with Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band earned him not one but two Blues Music Award (formerly W.C. Handy Award) and he was nominated twice more in the ‘Pinetop Perkins Piano Player’ category in 2013 and 2014. Mike Finnigan passed away at the age of 76 on August 2021.
Tracks
1. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan) - 6:30
2. Early Bird Cafe - 4:00
3. Little Man - 3:28
4. Evil Days - 4:45
5. You've Been Talking 'Bout Me Baby - 3:40
6. I'm A Man (Ellas McDaniel) - 6:02
7. Leda - 1:51
8. All Blues (Miles Davis) - 8:09
9. Time's Caught Up With You - 2:36
10.Prologue: Mechanical Man - 5:32
Music and Lyrics by Lane Tietgen and The Serfs except where indicated
A little-known unit from Detroit's late-Sixties rock and roll heyday, the Stuart Avery Assemblage was led by vocalist Avery and also included guitarist Paul Kingery, bassist Wally Stahl, keyboardist Robyn Robbins and drummer Spencer Hirsch. Although the group gained some local renown, appearing live at the famed Grande Ballroom, they apparently left behind one studio recording; other details of their existence remain scarce, although Robbins later went on to join Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band.
The legendary guitarist for Mitch Ryder, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and session man for Aerosmith, among others, creates a monumental solo disc with Kiss/Pink Floyd wizard Bob Ezrin and co-producer Brian Christian. Opening with a deluxe instrumental version of the Byrds' "Eight Miles High," for fans of '70s rock, this collection contains many revelations. "Eldorado Street" is a variation on Steve Hunter's magnificent composition simply titled "Intro" that was the opening number at Lou Reed shows starting on September 1, 1973, when the "Rock & Roll Animal Band" took stage at Lenox, MA, for the first time. The intro mutated during the tour and may have even inspired John Cougar Mellancamp's song "I Need a Lover." Reed reportedly had a band called L.A. & the Eldorados, so perhaps the title is a tip of the hat to Hunter's former lead singer.
The traditional tune "Goin' Down" is arranged by Hunter and includes his first vocal on the disc. It's a country-style folk tune reminiscent of Robert Johnson. A progressive instrumental entitled "Rubberman" sounds like the Edgar Winter Group on the verge of taking on Average White Band, anathema to Hunter's fans, but his guitars save the day and keep it from falling into the funk zone. "Of All Times to Leave" is pretty, a simple excursion into the mood set by the album cover, seagulls and seashore. An absolute gem here is a totally brilliant instrumental version of the Beach Boys' classic "Sail on Sailor." This take is innovative, creative, with background vocals coming out of nowhere.
It is a treat and seems to set up the "theme side" of the Swept Away album -- the magic of water. A well-produced title track (also instrumental) seems to be the second of a four part suite -- its melodies blending into the "Sea Sonata" -- a tour de force with guitars, a subdued but effective vocal, and classic Bob Ezrin production. "Deep Blue" concludes the album, with bending guitars, almost Hawaiian -- and conjuring up imagery from George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album. Though Harrison has a song of the same name, this is a Hunter original. A textbook for musicians who should be studying the work of this great session man, and a treasure chest for fans of Reed, Cooper, Ryder, and '70s guitar sounds.
by Joe Viglione
Tracks
1. Eight Miles High (Gene Clark, James McGuinn, David Crosby) - 5:00
2. Eldorado Street - 5:01
3. Goin' Down (Traditional, Don Nix) - 2:37
4. Rubber Man - 2:54
5. Of All The Times To Leave - 1:45
6. Jasper St. Viaduct Gitar Rag - 1:47
7. Sail On Sailor (Jack Riely, Van Dyke Parks, Brian Wilson) - 4:27
Under Open Skies is a very strong album by the Island recording artist who left Spooky Tooth and joined Mott the Hoople after that group left Island for CBS. "Ride On" begins the festivities with Grosvenor playing both bass and lead guitar; Spooky Tooth's Mick Kellie provides the drums; John Hawken is on piano; and harmonies are by Jim Capaldi of Traffic and the man Luther Grosvenor replaced in Mott the Hoople, Mick Ralphs.
Here is the oddity of Under Open Skies, where Verden Allen's "Soft Ground" really disrupted the flow of the All the Young Dudes album, a tune like "Here Comes the Queen" would have been dynamite for Ian Hunter and the boys. (After writing this review, Justin Purington of the Mott the Hoople website, Justabuzz.com, noted they did perform the song live in 1974, and that it rocked.) While that band was being over-extended was the time to lean heavily on Grosvenor. He came off like a hired gun rather than Mick Ralphs' true replacement, and this highly creative work shows just what he could have truly brought to the Mott table if he was given the chance. "When I Met You" has the Move's Trevor Burton on bass, inspired guitar playing by Grosvenor, and a vocal by the artist leaning toward Steve Winwood. The title track is just amazing,
Trevor Burton and Mick Kellie making up two-thirds of the three- piece band which pulls of this brilliant Githa Grosvenor/Luther Grosvenor pre-Ariel Bender composition. That the reconstituted Mott or British Lions failed to pick up on this individual to continue their work is just a shame. They went in a failed heavy metal direction while the possible key to their success was in this spirited and very complete work. The title track is mystical and amazing, while the inside cover has a tremendous photo of Grosvenor dressed up like Ozzy Osbourne in white cape, immersed by beautiful green trees, and a small pig to the far left. With Jim Capaldi's Oh, How We Danced and John "Rabbit" Bundrick's Broken Arrow, Under Open Skies by Luther Grosvenor is part of a unique trilogy of discs on Island records by sidemen who crafted records more complete than some of the discs by the groups they played in -- Traffic, Free, and Spooky Tooth -- respectively.
Musicians overlap on all three of these recordings. Nice, touching liner notes by Jim Capaldi are included as well. "Waiting" would have been a nice moment for Spooky Tooth, while "Rocket" recalls Denny Laine's "Say You Don't Mind." If Grosvenor submitted this as a term paper, the teacher would have to give it an A+.
by Joe Viglione
Tracks
1. Ride On - 6:27
2. Here Comes the Queen (Luther Grosvenor, Githa Grosvenor) - 3:48
3. When I Met You - 5:17
4. Love This Way (Luther Grosvenor, Githa Grosvenor) - 3:20
5. Waiting - 4:12
6. Rocket - 4:35
7. Under Open Skies (Luther Grosvenor, Githa Grosvenor) - 5:40
Quincy Conserve decided to break up before the release of group’s most consistent album "Epitaph" (1971), which featured Hayman, Mason, Orams, Rehu and McCormick from Mk1 with the addition of drummer Richard Burgess (who would later, improbably, move to England and work with New Romantic groups Visage and Spandau Ballet) and trumpeter Barry Browne-Sharpe. Sadly, the album’s hugely enjoyable blend of jazzy funk (and brilliant tracks like ‘Aire Of Good Feeling’ and ‘Alright In The City’)
Hayman quickly changed his mind on the band’s demise, and reformed the group in 1972, and in 1973 the rock oriented Tasteful album was released. An attempt to capture the group live in the studio. "Tasteful" is a very smart clean album with the bonus 7".
Tracks
1. Volcano (Robbie Robertson) - 2:35
2. Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield) - 4:00
3. First (David Pomeranz) - 3:15
4. Keep On Pushing (Revised Version) (Dave "Smokey" Smelko, Mike "The Frist" Geraci, Tony Corrao) - 3:11
5. Live Today (G.Foster) - 4:00
6. Keep On Playing That Rock And Roll (Edgar Winter, Jerry La Croix) - 3:46
7. My Brother Jake (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers) - 2:52
8. Lulu Belle (Gary Coleman) - 3:03
9. I Saw The Light (Todd Rundgren) - 2:58
10. Lazy Kind Of Day (Dave "Smokey" Smelko, George Sopuch, Rastus) - 3:25
11. Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (Domenic Troiano, Roy Kenner) - 2:50
12. Slut (Todd Rundgren) - 4:15
13. All Right In The City (Donald Lewis Dunn, Tony McCashen) - 2:42
14. Ride The Rain (Bruno Lawrence) - 2:56
15. Aire Of Good Feeling (Jim Peterik) - 4:17
The Quincy Conserve
*Malcolm Hayman - Vocals, Percussion
*Kevin Furey - Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Tom Swainson - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
*Graeme Thompson - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 1,7)
*Rufus Rehu - Electric Piano, Hammond Organ, Piano
