The Nighthawks - Rock 'n' Roll (1974 us, solid blues rock)

 

The Nighthawks was an idea in Mark Wenner's brain long before he was able to implement it. The musical product of pre-1958 radio in Washington, D.C., he did not know there were rules against mixing blues, R&B, honky-tonk country, doo-wop, gospel and rockabilly into one delicious stew.

In 1972, Mark, then 23, returned to his hometown after a New York City band apprenticeship eager to start a real, work-every-night band based on American roots music. He found a receptive local scene. Washington has long been a musical melting-pot of the kind that made Memphis the source point for the evolution of American music in the second half of the 20th century. It just never had a Stax or Sun record label to tell the world. As the city exploded with an influx of people from all the surrounding states during the Great Depression and World War II, Washington became a hotbed of musical cross-fertilization. When Bill Haley first brought his wacky Pennsylvania mix of hillbilly music and rhythm and blues to D.C. in 1952, people got it. And white kids like Mark found the Howard Theater – now recently restored and part of the historic top tier of the Chitlin' Circuit that included Baltimore’s Royal, Chicago’s Regal and New York’s Apollo – just a 25-cent bus ride away from the suburbs.

The original Nighthawks lineup solidified in mid-1974. Bringing together frontmen Mark Wenner and the young Jimmy Thackery with a veteran rhythm section, Jan Zukowski on bass and Pete Ragusa on drums, the quartet ruled the highways and honky-tonks until Jimmy’s departure in 1986 to pursue a solo career. The band opened many doors and forged many touring routes for their contemporaries, including the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray, and played with as many Blues and Rockabilly legends as they could. They opened show after show for Muddy Waters, James Cotton and Carl Perkins, and backed up and recorded with John Hammond and Pinetop Perkins.

The NightHawks

Tracks

1. Red Hot Mama (Elmore James) - 4:14

2. Can't Get Next To You (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) - 3:41

3. Keep Cool (Jerry Ragovoy) - 3:29

4. Bring It On Home (Willie Dixon) - 3:44

5. Tell The Truth (Lowman Pauling) - 3:11

6. Stop Breakin' Down (Robert Johnson) - 4:46

7. Shake And Finger Pop (Junior Walker) - 3:44

8. Bright Lights (Jimmy Reed) - 3:19

9. Little Sister (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman) - 2:55

10.Heat Wave (Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier) - 3:12

11.Memo From Turner (Mick Jagger) - 4:44

12.Teenage Nervous Breakdown (Lowell George) - 2:29

The Nighthawks

*Mark Wenner - Vocals, Harp

*Jimmy Thackery - Guitar

*Jan Zukowski - Bass

*Pete Ragusa - Drums

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Goliath - Goliath (1969 us, magnificent soulful psych rock)

“Goliath” by Goliath was a major-label US release in 1969 (ABC Records ABCS-702). The LP was recorded in Philadelphia, and the band is usually presumed to be from there as well. The album is dominated by heavy Hammond B3 organ and a vocalist who sounded much like David Clayton-Thomas. As such, the album is justifiably described as a blend of Vanilla Fudge and Blood, Sweat & Tears. The highlight is a Fudge-like cover of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”. 

by W. T. Neill

Tracks

1. Yesterday's Children (Steve D'Amico, Ted Barbella) - 6:04

2. Can't Stop Feeling Lonely (Rusty Richards) - 3:10

3. Man's Temptation (Curtis Mayfield) - 4:39

4. Time And Time Again (Eddie Ray) - 3:17

5. If Johnny Comes Marching Home (Steve D'Amico, Ted Barbella) - 4:15

6. Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 6:12

7. Come With Me To My World (Steve D'Amico, Ted Barbella) - 3:10

8. Loving You Too Long (Otis Redding) - 6:24

9. Are You Lonely For Me, Baby? / Jacksonville Express (Bert Berns / Dennis Jason, Jerry Gilbert, Norm Conrad, Steve Jason, Ted Barbella) - 4:05

Goliath

*Dennis Jason - Lead Guitar

*Jerry Gilbert - Drums, Percussion

*Norm Conrad - Bass  

*Steve Jason - Vocals 

*Ted Barbella - Organ

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The Sundowners - Captain Nemo (1968 us, elagant sunny beats, 2007 remaster)

The Sundowners’ cover of Roger Nichols’ Always You, was a nailedon easy monster: a string and trumpet-driven hallucination of a violet sunset over Malibu Beach, with a girl in a big bikini running your way. It quickly fostered a craving for more.

The Sundowners, it now transpires, hailed from New York and there were six of them. Stylistically, they mashed up the usual Beatles, Beach Boys and Byrdsisms – but these cats boasted symphonic ideas, an edge, a complexity, and a six-way ego clash. Playing Ciro’s on Sunset Strip in the spring of 1967, Michael Nesmith wandered backstage and asked them, “So, how would you like to go on tour with the Monkees?” They ended up supporting Hendrix as well. Then they imploded and disappeared. Finding Nemo, indeed.

by Derek Hammond, 04 September 2007

Tracks

1. Sunny Day People (Dominick DeMieri, Eddie Placidi) - 2:36

2. On The Edge Of Love - 3:10

3. Let It Be Me (Gilbert Bécaud, Manny Curtis, Pierre Delanoë) - 4:36

4. Dear Undecided - 2:24

5. Ring Out Wild Bells - 2:27

6. Plaster Casters (Dominick DeMieri, Eddie Placidi) - 2:43

7. Captain Nemo - 3:45

8. Always You (Tony Asher, Roger Nichols) - 2:54

9. Easy Does It - 2:48

10.Blue Green Eyes - 3:03

11.So Sad - 3:59

All songs by Dominick DeMieri except where noted

The Sundowners

*Dominick DeMieri - Bass, Lead, Rhythm, Steel Guitars, Organ, Piano, Vocals

*Eddie Placidi - Rhythm, Lead, Steel Guitars, Organ, Piano, Vocals

*Bobby Dick - Bass, Vocals 

*Eddie Brick - Percussion, Vocals 

*Kim Capli - Drums 

With

*George Bianchi - Percussion, Vocals

*Benny Grammatico - Drums, Vocals 

*Joe Foster - Synthesizer

*Nick Robbins - Synthesizer

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Lewis And Clarke Expedition - The Lewis And Clark Expedition (1967-68 us, wonderful sunny folk psych, 2016 edition)

Lewis & Clarke Expedition evolved out of several folk bands operating around Los Angeles during the mid-'60s. Formed by Dallas songwriter Michael Martin Murphey (under the guise of Travis Lewis) with Owen Castleman (performing as Boomer Clarke), the band recorded one LP in late 1967 for the Colgems label then making pots of money off sales of the first two Monkees albums. Not quite a coincidence then, that Lewis, Clarke, and bassist John London were all old friends of country-minded Monkee Michael Nesmith (London even worked as Nesmith's stand-in on the television show).

Well before Nesmith was hired to the Monkees, though, London performed with him in San Antonio as a folk duo, and after moving to California, all four native Texans appeared in a large folk group called the Survivors. Nesmith dropped out because of a commitment to the Air Force, and the remaining trio added guitarist Ken Bloom and drummer John Raines, coming together in 1966 as the Lewis & Clarke Expedition. Since Lewis and Clarke both worked at Monkees corporate Screen Gems as writers, a recording contract with Colgems was a natural. 

The band was hyped not only to young girls as another version of the Monkees, but also to older rock fans as a cutting-edge country-rock band that played up their association with Native American elements. Colgems released The Lewis & Clarke Expedition in November 1967, and the single "I Feel Good (I Feel Bad)" was a local hit, though nothing from the band ever charted and they were soon dropped. Michael Martin Murphey, soon to leave Los Angeles to concentrate on his songwriting at a home in the San Gabriel Mountains, wrote a song ("What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?") recorded by Nesmith for the 1968 Monkees LP Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Owen Castleman played on an album with Earl Scruggs, and later played on several of Murphey's solo LPs, while London played with Michael Nesmith's First National Band, Bloom performed on several folk records, and Raines went on to play with the Dillards. 

by John Bush

Tracks

1. Windy Day - 3:00

2. Freedom Bird - 2:50

3. Spirit Of Argyle High - 3:15

4. This Town Ain't The Same Anymore - 2:40

5. Everybody Loves A Fire - 2:30

6. House Of My Sorrow - 4:24

7. I Feel Good (I Feel Bad) - 2:26

8. (I Call Them) Lies - 2:44

9. Destination Unknown (Boomer Clarke, Tom Jefferson, Travis Lewis) - 2:51

10.Chain Around The Flowers (John Vandiver) - 2:33

11.Blue Revelations - 2:16

12.Memorial To The American Indian - 7:14

.1.Legend Of The Creation (Travis Lewis, Boomer Clarke, Diane Hilderbrand)

.2.Send Me Rain (Travis Lewis, Boomer Clarke, Diane Hilderbrand)

.3.Red Cloud's Farewell To His Tribe (Travis Lewis, Boomer Clarke, Diane Hilderbrand)

.4.(The Lament Of) The Cherokee Reservation Indian (John Loudermilk)

13.Daddy's Plastic Child (Danny Janssen) - 3:02

14.Gypsy Song Man (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 2:22

15.Why Need They Pretend - 2:32

16.Slave Medley - 12:21

All songs by Travis Lewis, Boomer Clarke except where noted

Bonus Tracks 13-16

Lewis And Clarke Expedition

*Mike Murphy "Travis Lewis" - Guitar, Harmonica 

*Owens Boomer Clark - Guitar, Percussion 

*Kenneth Michael Bloom - Autoharp, Bouzouki, Chalumeau, Clarinet, Esraj, Flute, Guitar, Organ, Saxophone, Tuba, Vina 

*John Kuehne "John London" - Bass, Guitar, Percussion 

*John Rains Hoenig - Drums, Percussion 

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Jim Spencer - Landscapes (1973 us, amazing acid folk psych rock, 2009 korean remaster)

Jim Spencer was always looking for a stairway to success beyond, but Milwaukee was a Mobius loop he could not escape. He played many roles with grace; he was a musician, songwriter, poet, magus, and congenial salesman of ideas. He was a dealer in rare books, antiquities, and fantasies. He was a D.I.Y. publisher and indie recording artist at a time when circulating self-produced poetry and music beyond one’s hometown was a challenge on par with swimming the English Channel. He was Milwaukee famous—at least to anyone who cared about music and poetry. He was not much known elsewhere.

He released three albums under his own name and one as Major Arcana, a band-persona that enabled him to escape his singer-songwriter image. All were issued under the imprimatur of cryptically-monikered labels: Thoth, Akashic, and Castalia Records. “He had forbidden books in his basement,” said frequent collaborator Sigmund Snopek, a classically trained progressive rock keyboardist. “He was fascinated by other cultures and religions and incorporated some of that into his music.”

1973’s Landscapes is Jim Spencer’s first, and perhaps most disciplined and fully-realized record in a singer-songwriter mode. Recorded with a band and released on Thoth (after the Egyptian God of writing and learning), Landscapes shows a level of confidence and sophistication one simply doesn’t associate with private press debuts.

Tracks

1. El-Mar'a (Jim Spencer, Richard Thomas) - 1:55

2. You To Me (Jim Spencer, Kathleen Wingner, John Voyles) - 3:47

3. Poor Dolly (Jim Spencer) - 2:12

4. River Run (Jim Spencer, Kathleen Wingner, Ilze Platais) - 3:15

5. The One Who Cries (Jim Spencer, John Voyles) - 2:37

6. On My Way To You (Jim Spencer, Richard Thomas) - 3:02

7. One Thing Less To Lose (Jim Spencer, Kathleen Wingner) - 3:25

8. She Can See (Jim Spencer, Kathleen Wingner, Roger Skentny) - 3:52

9. Another Lonely Day (Jim Spencer, John Voyles) - 2:14

10.As The Foundation Crumbles (In The House Of Your Love) (Jim Spencer) - 2:08

11.Where Do You Run? (Jim Spencer) - 4:42

12.A Finger For Old Glory (Jim Spencer) - 2:38

Musicians

*Jim Spencer - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

*Susan Thomas - Vocals

*Richard Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Vocals

*Mike Balistierri - Bass, Flute, Piano

*Mike Pageant - Acoustic Guitar

*Ilze Platais - 12 String Guitar, Bouzouki

*Gary Kemp - Acoustic, Electric Guitars

*John Voyles - Electric, Acoustic Guitars

*Kenny Knoll - Electric Pedal Steel Guitar

*Kent Carpentier - Mandolin, Fiddle

*Alan Ek - Bass

*Rob Fixmer - Percussion

*Jim Hall - Percussion

*The Magnetic Staircase - Vocals

1974  Jim Spencer - 2nd Look (2009 korean remaster)   

1976  Major Arcana - Major Arcana (2010 Korea)  

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Joy - Thunderfoot (1972 us, extraordinary prog jazz rock with a country feel)

Ι've seen this obscurity listed under the name 'Thunderfoot' with the album entitled "Joy", but it's actually the other way around.  There's also at least one on line reference that has these guys peed as playing jazz!  Regardless, this early 1970s five piece is pretty obscure.  I've looked through various references, but there simply isn't much information to be found on them.  Based on the fact their album was recorded in Shreveport, Louisiana I'm guessing they were from the area, but who really knows.  

With a line up consisting of drummer Ralph DeSimone, lead guitarist Bob Di Piero, bass player Don Di Piero, singer Billy Joe Shina and keyboardist Ralph Vitello, the group was signed by the Louisiana based Paula label, debuting with the single 'Get Outta My Mind' b/w 'Your Mama'.

Self-produced, 1970's "Thunderfoot" is interesting for a couple of reasons, least of all that fact it's unlike anything else I've heard on Paula Records.  While most Paula associated acts I've heard sport a pop or blue-eyed soul sound (John Fred, The Uniques), Joy are out and out rockers.  Featuring all original material, tracks such as 'Cross Country Woman', 'Things Are Gonna Be Alright' and the three section suite 'Hasufel' offered up a mix of hard rock and progressive moves.

Shina had a nice voice and the band's guitar and keyboard attack generated more than its share of successes.  Highlights included the opener 'Mother Nature', 'Cross Countty Woman' and 'Brothers'.  On the down side, nothing here really jumped out at you and after awhile it all began to blend together.

At least two of the members seem to have stayed in music.  Bob Di Piero's a well known country songwriter and was a member of the short lived country band Billy Hill. Vitello became a sessions player working with the likes of Nanci Griffith.  He's also done production work.

Bad-Cat

Tracks

1. Mother Nature (Ralph Vitello, Ralph DeSimone) - 3:01

2. Sea Green Symphony (Bob Di Piero, Don Di Piero) - 3:34

3. Your Friend and Mine (Bob Di Piero) - 4:51

4. Dreams (Billy Joe Shina, Ralph Vitello, Ralph DeSimone, Bob Di Piero, Don Di Piero) - 2:35

5. Cross Country Woman (Billy Joe Shina, Ralph Vitello) - 3:41

6. Ride the World (Billy Joe Shina, Ralph Vitello) - 3:40

7. Things Are Gonna Be Alright (Ralph Vitello, Ralph DeSimone, Billy Joe Shina) - 3:41

8. Ragged Old Man (Billy Joe Shina, Ralph Vitello) - 4:22

9. Brothers (Bob Di Piero, Don Di Piero) - 2:37

10.Hasufel (Ralph Vitello, Ralph DeSimone, Bob Di Piero, Don Di Piero) - 3:27

.a.Sky Bound

.b.The Journey

.c.Arrival    

Joy

*Ralph DeSimone - Drums, Percussion

*Bob Di Piero - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

*Don Di Piero - Bass

*Billy Joe Shina - Lead Vocals, Percussion

*Ralph Vitello - Keyboards, Guitar

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Julius Victor - From The Nest (1970 us, spectacular psych prog jam rock, 2001 edition)

Probably from New York, this short-lived outfit named Julius Victor, release their sole album "From The Nest" in 1970. Hard-rock/psychedelic elements, recorded at the famous Record Plant Studios and produced by jazz musician Ahmad Jamal. Organ-dominated, hard-progressive sound with powerful and soulful vocals, hot lead guitar and atmospheric, swirling Hammond. Next to Child, Valhalla, Atomic Rooster, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, H.P. Lovecraft, Day Blindness, Arthur Brown. Superb cover artwork.

Tracks

1. Stubborn Kind Of Woman - 3:39

2. Legend Of The Indian Boy (Kimball Lee, Lawrence Engstrom) - 4:57

3. Black Knife - 3:55

4. Circus Lady - 4:49

5. Break Song - 1:24

6. Judiann (Kimball Lee, Lawrence Engstrom) - 2:59

7. Fall Of Days - 12:44

8. Slide Rule - 3:37

All compositions by Lawrence Engstrom except where noted

Julius Victor

*Lawrence "Zea" Engstrom - Drums, Lead Vocals

*Jim Cutsinger - Bass

*Mark Schneider - Guitar

*Kimball Lee - Organ, Piano, Vocals

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Hoover - Hoover (1969 us, remarkable psych folk rock)

Beautiful and well-produced chamber/psych folk lp from Nashville. The music is soft and often melancholic, especially when driven by the small string section. The result is less psychedelic than the liner notes and the laconic and direct Hoover talking would suggest at first.

The LP is one of the few produced by Chuck Glaser from the band Tompall Glaser & The Glaser Brothers. Also worth mentioning the album front cover and his photographer, Bill Grine, who took many iconic cover photos for artists such as Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings…

“Willis Hoover was born in Jackson County, Missouri and raised in Lamoni, Iowa and Shenandoah, Iowa. After starting out as a coffeehouse folk singer as a teenager, Hoover moved to Nashville in the 1960s and became a songwriter. Later he became a recording artist for Monument Records, Epic Records, and Elektra Records in the late 1960s and early 1970s.”

by Witanfols, November 23, 2017

Tracks

1. I'll Say My Words - 4:34

2. Leave That For Memories - 3:11

3. Kommst Du Doch Mit Mir (Come With Me) - 2:55

4. That's How A Woman's S'Posed To Be - 2:59

5. Free To Run Free - 3:42

6. All That Keeps Ya Going - 2:25

7. I'm Not That Kind Of Man - 3:13

8. One Man's Family - 2:06

9. Games - 3:04

10.Theme From "Tick Tick Tick" (Set Yourself Free) - 6:40

All songs by Willis Hoover

*Willis Hoover - Vocals Guitar

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The Wailers - Outburst (1966 us, fine garage folk beat)

Wailers "Outburst" 1966 album for United Artists. By this time in the band's history, they had honed themselves into a tough-as-nails combo, more than capable of slugging it out toe to toe with any British beat group. Tracks like the opener "You Won't Lead Me On," "I Want to Walk With You," and "Out of Our Tree" show a band with an ability to update their sound and still have some guts in the process. Even though it's toward the end of the reign, here's another important chapter in the band's history worth picking up. 

by Cub Koda

Tracks

1. You Won't Lead Me On - 2:23

2. I Want To Walk With You - 2:35

3. Think Kindly Baby - 2:55

4. Out Of Our Tree (Buck Ormsby, Kent Morrill, Ron Gardner) - 3:30

5. It's You Alone - 2:41

6. Bad Trip - 2:26

7. Hold - 2:30

8. My Girl - 2:36

9. Turn And Run (Kent Morrill, Ron Gardner) - 2:13

10.Sit In My Room - 2:32

11.Tears Don't Have To Fall - 2:50

12.I'm Looking Down At You - 1:55

All songs by R. Wayne Davies except where indicated

The Wailers

*Neil Anderson - Lead Guitar

*John Ormsby - Bass, Vocals

*Dave Roland - Drums, Vocals

*Kent Morrill - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano

*Ron Gardner - Tenor Sax, Vocals

1964-65  Wailers - Wailers Wailers Everywhere / Out Of Our Tree 

1968  The Wailers - Walk Thru The People  

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Stretch - Lifeblood (1977 uk, solid hard funky boogie rock, 2012 remaster)

Somewhat confusingly the third album ‘Lifeblood’ included a song called ‘You Can’t Beat Your Brain For Entertainment.’ Says Elmer: “It was contractual obligations stuff. I just didn’t want to be there anymore. It was kind of sad, because it was a good band.”

Says Kirby: “We had initial success but there was a limit on how far we could go without anymore. ‘Can’t Beat Your Brain’ and ‘Lifeblood’ were not successful albums and when Punk came in there was no place for a band like Stretch.”

Tracks

1. End Up Crying (Kirby Gregory) - 4:02

2. Knives In Their Backs (Kirby Gregory) - 3:55    

3. Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie-Coo (Rick Derringer) - 3:08

4. Right Or Wrong (Kirby Gregory) - 4:04

5. Show Biz Blues (Peter Green) - 5:33    

6. You Can't Beat Your Brain For Entertainment (Elmer Gantry) - 3:09

7. Jonah And The Whale (Kirby Gregory)    - 4:48

8. Living On The Highway (Don Nix, Leon Russell) - 3:07    

9. Take You Down (Kirby Gregory) - 4:00    

10.Let's Spend The Night Together (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 5:56    

Stretch

*Elmer Gantry - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Percussion

*Kirby Gregory - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Percussion

*Steve Emery - Bass

*Jeff Rich - Drums, Percussion

1975-78  Stretch - The Best Of Stretch Why Did You Do It (2007 release)  

Related Acts

1967-69  Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera - Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera (Japan issue)
1969  Velvet Opera - Ride A Hustler's Dream
1969-72  Hackensack - Give It Some

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