As 1971 came around Bardens reconvened to the studio to record his second solo album with a fresh line-up although he retained the services of Andy Gee and Reg Isadore. Released in July of that year it was probably more varied in style than its predecessor with Bardens assuming much of the vocal duties. After the silliness of the opening instrumental North End Road (complete with bar room piano) the album gets down to serious business with the brooding and Bob Dylan influenced Write My Name In The Dust.
Bardens organ playing is tastefully understated here allowing the soulful vocal delivery to take centre stage. The superb massed female chorus is equally soulful. Down So Long is a stop-start affair with a tediously repetitive choral line but the engaging instrumental interplay that occupies the mid section does at least justify its existence.
In terms of melody Sweet Honey Wine is one of the stronger songs here sounding not unlike The Rolling Stones in playful mode. Similarly the vocals during the manic Tear Down The Wall have more than a hint of Mick Jagger about them. Bardens’ frenzied organ work here is some of the most inspired to feature on either of these two albums. In contracts the aptly titled Simple Song is a sunny little country style ditty that could have come from the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
The mellow instrumental My House is for me the albums best track that would have not sounded out of place on a Camel album with Vic Linton’s tasteful guitar lines pre-empting the Latimer/Bardens partnership that would come later. Feeling High however returns to the unimaginative stoner blues-rock of the previous album leaving another aptly titled affair Blueser to bring things to a less than inspired conclusion.
by Geoff Feakes
Tracks
1. North End Road - 1:25
2. Write My Name In The Dust - 6:34
3. Down So Long (Peter Bardens, Vic Linton, Reg Isadore, John Owen) - 7:00
4. Sweet Honey Wine - 4:26
5. Tear Down The Wall - 7:21
6. Simple Song - 2:20
7. My House - 6:17
8. Feeling Hugh - 5:08
9. Blueser - 2:15
All songs by Pete Bardens except where noted.
Getting their first significant break, by gate crashing a Small Faces show in Orlando in 1971, Philadelphia-born Bang are often cited as being the closest band America had to Black Sabbath in the early 70’s, though there is much more to Bang than being mere copyists. This can finally be witnessed here on this deluxe re-mastered CD set, which encapsulates all of the bands recorded output from their ‘Capitol Records Period’, which spanned from 1971-1974.
Also included in here is the previously unreleased, debut album ‘Death of a Country’, which was initially rejected by Capitol, as being a ‘heavy concept album’ they thought no one would understand.
Highly regarded as a cult act by many for years, it’s now time for this truly amazing rock band to be enjoyed by a new audience. As can be heard over this four CD set, the versatility and songwriting skills of Bang were second to none. Starting with the darkly psychedelic prog-tinged vibes of their aforementioned unreleased debut, they soon became major contenders in the hard rock stakes with the release of their debut self-titled album in 1971, which has since gone to be considered an important forerunner to the early Doom Metal genre.
This was followed by the monumental ‘Mother/Bow To The King‘ album in 1972 which, quite frankly, should have exploded. Changes in personnel at their record company offices and an externally forced line-up change led to frustration and bewilderment, before releasing their swansong 1973 album Music. It is on this album that we see a mature songwriting partnership moving away from the all out heaviness of their earlier work, into reflective, yet uplifting almost Powerpop mode.
Also included here are the so-called ‘lost singles‘, which were the last attempts at commercial success, prior to the band folding for many years, before reforming in the early 90’s. There is a point to be made that these three tracks are some of the best material the band ever wrote, with ‘Slow Down‘ being a return to the heavier times with a main riff to die for, whilst ‘Make Me Pretty‘ is a fantastic powerpop ballad ahead of it’s time.
Bullets consists of a deluxe box containing four individual LP replica CD’s in mini gatefold sleeves, with an extensive 40 page booklet, detailing the bands unique story, with many unseen photo’s and an exclusive free sticker.
Tracks Disc 1 - Death of a Country Originally Recorded 1971 (Unreleased at the time)
1. Death of a Country - 10:07
2. No Trespassing - 5:10
3. My Window - 4:46
4. Life on Ending - 4:13
5. Certainly Meaningless - 3:32
6. Future Song - 3:59
All songs by Frank Ferrara, Frank Gilcken, Tony Diorio
Disc 2 - Bang Self-Titled. Originally released 1971
1. Lions, Christians - 4:00
2. The Queen - 5:24
3. Last Will and Testament - 4:10
4. Come With Me - 4:20
5. Our Home - 3:27
6. Future Shock - 4:41
7. Questions - 3:48
8. Redman - 4:54
All songs by Frank Ferrara, Frank Gilcken, Tony Diorio
Disc 3 - Mother/Bow to the King. Originally released 1972
1. Mother - 4:25
2. Humble - 4:43
3. Keep On - 3:39
4. Idealist Realist - 4:30
5. No Sugar Tonight (Randy Bachman) - 2:39
6. Feel The Hurt - 5:18
7. Tomorrow - 3:04
8. Bow To The King - 5:39
All songs by Frank Ferrara, Frank Gilcken, Tony Diorio except where noted
Disc 4 - Music. Originally released 1973 with Bonus material
1. Windfare 3:09
2. Glad you’re Home - 3:08
3. Don’t need Nobody - 3:04
4. Page of my Life - 2:28
5. Love Sonnet - 3:14
6. Must be love - 2:54
7. Exactly Who I am - 3:39
8. Pearl and Her Ladies - 3:03
9. Little Boy Blue - 4:19
10.Brightness - 2:53
11.Another Town - 0:49
12.Slow Down - 2:39
13.Feels Nice - 2:59
14.Make me Pretty - 4:14
15.Radio Interview - 32:36
Bonus tracks 12-14 The Lost Singles
All songs by Frank Ferrara, Frank Gilcken, Tony Diorio
Danish early 70’s rock/bluesrock band with a parallel German career using the bandname System. Started out playing in the early 70’s, recording their first album in 1972 though it wasn’t released until 1974, In 1973 the band toured in Norway and W.Germany. In the 1974 their debut album was finally released, in Denmark as by Sensory System titled “Sensory!” and in W.Germany as selftitled “System”.
Their first album was partly recorded at Studio Maschen (just outside Hamburg) with the involvement of Achim Reichel. Sensory System played hard rock reminding me of the Alex Harvey Band and James Gang (and countless other “rock” groups, really). Massive amounts of electric guitar, creaky vocals and half-decent songs but never anything outstanding.
Tracks
1. Red Man - 4:52
2. Never Knowing - 3:38
3. Experience, My Teacher - 5:58
4. While Nixon Plays The Piano - 5:05
5. Come On - 3:15
6. Biggan, Be Gone - 4:08
7. I'll Take You - 4:22
8. Winter's Over - 7:22
All songs by Brian Burr-Philipp, Flemming Bjergby, Rene Wulff, Jørgen Werner
System
*Brian Burr-Philipp - Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Acoustic Guitar
Bacon Fat, originally the Southside Blues Band, was a Los Angeles, California blues band noted for a dual-harmonica-driven, Chicago blues sound.
Following the breakup of the Dirty Blues Band in 1968, Rod Piazza and George “Harmonica” Smith, whom Piazza credits with putting him “straight on the chromatic harp,” formed the Southside Blues Band. The band toured with Big Mama Thornton and, in 1969, released “George Smith of the Blues” (or, “… Of The Blues”, as it appeared on the album cover) as ‘George “Harmonica” Smith & His Blues Band.’ Originally released on World Pacific, the album was reissued in 1974 by ABC/Bluesway (BLS 6029), and in Germany in 1987 on Crosscut (CCR 1015). Smith’s “Juicy Harmonica” from this album is regarded as a chromatic harmonica classic; indeed, Piazza covered “Juicy Harmonica” on “Grease One for Me.”
Recorded on February 27 and 28, 1969 in Hollywood, personnel on “… Of The Blues” are listed as Smith and “Lightnin’ Rod” (Piazza) on harmonicas; Richard Davis, trumpet ; Jim Wynn and Ed Davis, saxes; Robert Schedel, piano; Marshall Hooks and Arthur Adams, guitars; and Curtis Tillman, bass. The drummer is not listed.
Shortly after the release of “…Of The Blues”, British producer Mike Vernon persuaded the band to move to Blue Horizon and to change their name. The band renamed themselves Bacon Fat, the title of an Andre Williams recording. The lineup of the band at this time, in addition to Smith and Piazza, were Buddy Reed, guitar; Gregg Schaefer, guitar; JERRY SMITH, bass; Dick Innes, drums; and J. D. Nicholson, piano.
Vernon decided to first record an already-scheduled gig opening for, and backing up Pee Wee Crayton, November 16, 1969, at the “Bar Paradise A Go Go” (widely known as “Small’s”), a club at E53rd St and Avalon Blvd in South-Central LA. These tracks were subsequently released in 1986 by Blue Moon as “Live at Small’s Paradise” (BMLP 1.029).
The following day, November 17, 1969, was spent at the Eldorado Recording Studio in Hollywood, recording tracks for Bacon Fat’s first album, “Grease One for Me”. On the 18th, Bacon Fat, plus guitarists Pee Wee Crayton and Marshall Hooks recorded 8 tracks that were released as “No Time For Jive” under “George Smith.” Smith appears on only one track of “Grease One for Me”; Piazza does not appear at all on “No Time For Jive”. Mike Vernon, the producer of both albums, maintains that the segregation of Smith and Piazza on these releases was coincidence and, in hindsight, it was probably a mistake to lose the dual-harp format that had made Southside/Bacon Fat successful in the first place.
A tour of Europe to promote both “Grease One for Me” and “No Time For Jive”, originally planned for May, was delayed until November, 1970. While in the UK, Bacon Fat recorded the tracks for their second album. The sale of the Blue Horizon label to Polydor by CBS delayed the release of “Tough Dude” until March, 1971, allowing the excitement generated by the tour to fade. Bacon Fat broke up sometime in 1971.
Tracks
1. Up the Line (Walter Jacobs, Willie Dixon) - 4:13
2. Boom Boom (Out Goes the Lights) (Stanley Lewis) - 3:46
3. Small's on 53rd (Rod "Gingerman" Piazza) - 3:45
4. She's a Wrong Woman (Rod "Gingerman" Piazza) - 5:22
5. I Need Your Love (J.D. Nicholson) - 3:45
6. Juicy Harmonica (Jerry Smith) - 3:53
7. Nobody but You (Walter Spriggs) - 2:12
8. Telephone Blues (Jerry Smith) - 5:57
9. You're So Fine (Walter Jacobs) - 3:08
10.Too Late (Willie Dixon) - 5:58
The Bacon Fat
*Rod "Gingerman" Piazza - Harp, Vocals
*George "Harmonica" Smith - Harp, Vocals
*Buddy Reed - Guitar, Vocals
*Gregg Schaefer - Guitar
*J.D. Nicholson - Vocals, Piano
*Jerry Smith - Bass
*Dick Innes, Jr. - Drums
In 1966 The Who's 2nd Album, A Quick One, marked a change in The Who's recording approach, and although re-recording songs that had previously been cut with Shel Talmy and discovering stereo as everyone was at the time, the addition of the Mini Opera demonstrated the path the band would eventually be taking.
Kit's early days in production used a lot of compression and plenty of mid-range EQ so re- mastering from these original mixes one is tempted to find some top and bottom (if it exists!) and to diminish the hard mid frequencies. However, in this collection, I have tried to be true to the period, so very little EQ has been used.
One or two things, like the "Ready, Steady, Who" tracks have been softened a little in the mids to help them fit and the opposite, of course, has been applied to the mixes that Andy MacPherson and I did in '90s~'00s which we have had to use where original stereo mixes do not exist.
The Stereo mixes from that period mainly come from the German Polydor archives; however the original stereo German Quick One LP tapes sound a little better than the tapes for the LP "The Who" where the stereo 'I'm A Boy' and 'In The City' came from.
I have spent some time finding the best-sounding tapes (and there are a lot of tapes) for this compilation but one or two things like a decent sounding Circles, Substitute (US Single version), and I'm A Boy (Alternate version) have been hard to find.
However plenty of original mixes were found. These tapes, like the mono and stereo LP mixes, were played on a slightly modified Ampex ATR and the only EQ used was analogue with a Manley Massive Passive or the Prism/Maselec MEA-2. I also used a Maselec 3 x band compressor on some of the newer mixes to age them a little.
The conversion to digital at 96k / 24bit is then through DCS converters and the last stage is through the TC 6000 where a little more volume is gained with the 5 band compressor / limiter before being recorded into my Sadie 5 system where the editing and any digital processing like de- click and retouch is done.
The Sadie processing does a very nice 96 to 44.1 conversion and finally the 24 bit audio is dithered down to 16 using Daniel Weiss's POW-r plug in.
Error-free DDP files are then burnt within the Sadie computer to a DVD-r to send off for replication.
This was one of the great albums of the sixties - brilliantly melodic, original and intelligent - but known till now only to a small band of passionate cognoscenti.
ARK 2 was the first 'concept album' - a 'space cantata' (though that makes it sound inaccessible and pretentious, which it is far from being). Written by the UK songwriting team whose success, according to The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, was 'rivalled only by Lennon & McCartney': Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, both from Hampstead, London.
Though brilliantly reviewed in the music and rock press of the time (it was Sunday Times Rock Album of the Year in 1969), the BBC did not know what to make of it: there were no radio or TV slots for an extended rock work at the time. So it remained largely unheard except by those who sought it out.
It is noteworthy for the first appearance on disc of Phil Collins, but (Flash) Gordon Smith, Brian Chatton and Ronnie Caryl each contributed their own fantastic musicianship and vocal power.
As can be seen from the original 'sleeve notes', ARK 2, nearly forty years ago, was extraordinarily prescient, anticipating many of today's private and global dilemmas and anxieties.
"After a while, supporting John Walker of The Walker Brothers, Collins and his guitarist friend Ronnie Caryl formed Hickory who soon found themselves with a concept album, the backing of Phonogram, and a new name, Flaming Youth.
Their album Ark II, was premiered at the London Planetarium and received lots of favourable press, but musical differences and a lack of commercial success soon meant it was time to answer another Melody Maker ad, this time from a struggling young band from Surrey, called Genesis."
Tracks
1. Guide Me, Orion - 3:16
2. Earthglow - 2:52
3. Weightless - 2:37
4. The Planets - 12:47
.a. Mars - Bringer Of War
.b. Venus - Bringer Of Peace
.c. Mercury - The Winged Messenger
.d. Jupiter - Bringer Of Jollity
.e. Saturn - Bringer Of Old Age
.f. Uranus - The Magician
.g. Neptune - The Mystic
5. Changes - 5:48
6. Pulsar - 3:05
7. Space Child - 5:10
8. In The Light Of Love - 3:26
9. From Now On (Immortal Invisible) - 4:19
10.Man, Woman And Child - 3:14
11.Drifting - 3:52
All songs written by Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley
Bonus Tracks 10-11 The Flaming Youth
*Phil Collins - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Ronnie Caryl - Bass, 12-string Guitar, Vocals
*(Flash) Gordon Smith - Bass, Vocals, Guitars
*Brian Chatton - Organ, Piano, Vocals
Of interest to both Greenwich Village scene, as well as Nuggets completists, Andrea “Bunky” Skinner and Allan “Jake” Jacobs, started out in the early’60s as coffee house folkies, but recorded their ’68 debut, only after Jake’s short stints with Gordon and Bonner’s Magicians (of Invitation To Cry fame) and The Fugs.
An audition for The Magicians’ former managers Art Polhemus and Bob Wyld, brought a recording contract with Mercury, instead of the desired songwriting publishing deal, which explains the kaleidoscopic diversity of material featured on the album.
What I find the most entertaining myself, are the good-time flavoured ones, by the intelligently laid back way of The Sopwith Camel (I’ll Follow You, Daphne Plum, Big Car, Shiny Ring, The Candy Store). A couple of orchestrated “trackaracks”, (Country Girl, Hey Buckaroo, As You Go By) come as a prove that they’d do a great job, had they been chosen for the initially planned Brill Building partnership instead.
There’s also a pair of Mersey-ish Macca-like ballads (It Happens Again, Cheerio), with a light jazzy feel to them, as well as an occasional touch of country, through the pedal steel, but they sure can get quite fuzzed up and noisy as well, as heard on the sunny side of their debut single Taxicab, coming off as a kind of a twee Buffalo Springfield (think halfway between and The Byrds’ … Rock’n’roll Star), though the heaviest they get is in an almost proggy instrumental track called Moongoose.
Not really one of those “overlooked masterpieces”, but sure enough more than just a footnote in collectors’ books.
by Garwood Pickjon, March 14, 2008
Tracks
1. I'll Follow You - 2:00
2. It Happens Again - 2:36
3. Daphne Plum - 2:42
4. Country Girl - 2:14
5. Hey Buckaroo - 2:25
6. Taxicab - 2:38
7. As You Go By - 2:37
8. Big Car, Shiny Ring - 1:57
9. Mongoose - 1:25
10.Cheerio - 2:25
11.The Candy Store - 3:50
All songs by Andrea "Bunky" Skinner, Allan "Jake" Jacobs
If you're looking for a group that embodies that mid-'60s hippy vibe, then you should find the eclectic Bunky & Jake right up your aural alley. For goodness sakes, how much more counter culture can you get than a young Jewish singer/guitarist teaming with a young, attractive, streetwise African-American woman; the pair deciding to name their second album "L.A.M.F"
Allan Jacobs (aka Jake) and Andrea Skinner (aka Bunky) met in 1962 when the pair were attending New York's School of Visual Arts. Discovering a common interest in music (they'd both sung in New York doo-wop groups), the pair started playing on the Greenwich Village coffeehouse circuit, attracting local attention. In 1965 Jacobs joined The Magicians who recorded a couple of singes before calling it quits. Following a brief turn with a late-inning line up of The Fugs in 1968 he resumed his partnership with Skinner. Later that year the pair auditioned some of their material for former Magicians managers Art Polhemus and Bob Wyld who signed on as their managers. With the addition of bassist Douglas Rauch and drummer Michael Rosa, in 1968 the group was signed by Mercury Records.
Co-produced by Polhemus and Wyld, 1969's "L.A. M.F." was clearly influenced by their doo-wop and folk music roots, but was far more eclectic than what you would have expected from a bunch of New York-based folkies. Interestingly, while Jacobs and Skinner both had decent voices (the former occasionally sounding a bit like a dry version of John Sebastian), with the exception of 'I Am the Light' their voices didn't pair all that well. The good news was their vocals were so energetic and the arrangements so goofy, that it made up for whatever other shortcomings they exhibited. Musically the set was all over the place, giving the album a very contemporary "Ameicana" feel. Tracks like 'Big Boy Pete' highlighted their doo-wop roots, but the pair were equally comfortable with gospel ('I Was a Champion'), and more commercial pop and rock numbers like 'Uncle Henry's Basement' and a blazing cover of Chuck Berry's '(Slow Down Little Jaguar) County Line'. About all I can say is the results are disjointed, but fascinating.
In 2004 the duo released a children's album Oo-Wee Little Children, on their own B'n'J Music label. Andrea Skinner died on Sunday, March 20, 2011 after a brief illness. In October 2012, Jacobs released a new collection of songs on a 16-song CD entitled A Lick and a Promise by Jake and the Rest of the Jewels.
by Scott Blackerby
Tracks
1. Uncle Henry's Basement (Allan Jacobs) - 2:09
2. If I Had A Dream (Allan Jacobs, Andrea Skinner) - 2:29
3. (Slow Down Little Jaguar) County Line (Chuck Berry) - 3:06
4. Girl From France (Allan Jacobs) - 2:39
5. You Two (Chuck Berry) - 1:36
6. Big Boy Pete (Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Dewey Terry) - 2:24
7. "Oh" Pearl (Allan Jacobs) - 4:29
8. Bump In My Groove (Allan Jacobs) - 3:34
9. I Am The Light (Gary Davis, Allan Jacobs, Andrea Skinner) - 3:59
10.Cadillac Bleu (Andrea Skinner) - 3:22
11.One More Cowboy (Allan Jacobs, Andrea Skinner) - 3:15
12.I Was A Champion (Allan Jacobs, Andrea Skinner) - 4:05
Ross second and last album ‘The Pit And The Pendulum’ (despite what is written on the OBI strip of this Korean edition), was a concept album based on Edgar Allan Poe’s lovely tale of torture during the Spanish inquisition. This album isn’t as scary as the Poe novel except for the back cover photo when we see the band dressed as monks. The album is progressive UK rock ala Paladin and Rare Earth with R&B elements. Bob Jacksons keyboard work is a delight, particularly on the haunting ‘Standing Alone’ and moments of nicely executed hard prog brilliance on side twos stunner ‘Discovery’ which features Jackson on lead vocals.
Alan Ross gives us the heavy instrumental 2 minute track ‘The Edge’. This is probably one of the best tracks Ross ever recorded so it’s a shame the band never got the chance to record a third album. After the release of the album the band did an appearance on ‘Don Kirchners Rock Concert’ and went out as support act on a high profile tour with another RSO artist namely Eric Clapton. Things looked bright for the band but then mid-tours Bon Jackson left and leaving an untimely end to the band. Jackson would later show up in Badfinger while Alan Ross would show up on Stars self titled album in 1976 before releasing 2 albums in 1977 and 1978 on Ebony records under the name Alan Ross Band.
Ross has never been given deserved kudos from critics or the prog community at large which is a shame. Edgar Alan Poes novels and even old AIP movies made out of his stories have always been an interest of mine so I still give this album a spin every now and then. It’s a very well done concept album with a solid musicianship and some really nice tunes, of course there are a few fillers like most album, but overall a pleasure to listen to.
TPL Recs
Tracks
1. Swallow Your Dreams - 4:22
2. Gotta Get It Right Back - 4:13
3. Madness In Memories - 5:25
4. Standing Alone - 4:05
5. Discovery (Bob Jackson) - 4:38
6. Now I See - 4:10
7. So Slow - 3:58
8. The Edge - 2:04
9. Nearer And Nearer - 3:58
10.Free - 0:59
11.I've Been Waiting - 5:41
12.Oh I'm Happy Now (Alan Ross, Edgar Allan Poe) - 2:13
All songs by Alan Ross
Musicians
*Alan Ross - Guitars, Lead Vocals
*Steve Emery - Bass, Background Vocals
*Bob Jackson - Keyboards, ARP Synthesizer, Backround Vocals, Lead Vocals (Track 5)
Among the many bands to have albums released by EMI in 1968 none may have had a stranger back story than Rainbow Ffolly, whose “Sallie Fforth” hit record shops the first week of May. EMI, home to The Beatles, among others, was one of the most respected labels of the day, with “The Beatles” better known as the “White Album” being perhaps the best known LP issued on the label that year. January, 2019, more than fifty years after its original release sees “Sallies Fforth” reissued on Cherry Red’s Grapefruit Records imprint as part of its three disc box set “Spectromorphic Iridescence” containing the complete works of Rainbow Fflolly.
First formed under the moniker Force Four, by 1967 brothers John and Richard Dunsterville, on lead and rhythm guitar respectively, along with bassist Roger Newell and drummer Stewart Osborn had rechristened themselves Rainbow Ffolly, as John Dunsterville was reading a book on names with impact that suggested using colours and misspellings. Rainbow included all colours and the double F in Folly meant fun, and so in April or May of that year the quartet entered Jackson Recording Studio run by brothers Malcolm and John Jackson and laid down their first two tracks, “Come On Go” and “Sun Sing.” The former was a rather restrained number featuring John Dunsterville’s Chet Atkins style guitar work, while the latter was a harder,edged psychedelic number. The Jackson Brothers were sufficiently impressed to request the band return in a week or so with a dozen songs of different styles, which the Jacksons would record and see if they could get a recording deal for the band, and do this cost free. With John Dunsterville being a prolific writer capable of penning that many new tunes within the time restraint it seemed a no brainer that Rainbow Ffolly accept the offer.
Thinking these would be demo recordings of song ideas Dunsterville did not craft the songs, in fact he said “he spent no time on them whatsoever, they just happened.” The band returned to the studio and by the end of 1967 the LP was recorded. The Jacksons decided to link the songs with the aid of various jingles and sound effects to form their “sound package.” Without the knowledge of the band the Jacksons shopped the LP and the first label they offered the recordings to, EMI, took them up on the offer, but on the condition that the album be taken as was, with no re-recording. The group was frustrated by what they considered sketches being released, not fully realized paintings, but having no contract at all, everything being done on a handshake with band members having never heard of “artistic control” the release of “Sallies Fforth” came in the first week of May, 1968. The best the band could do was take control of the album artwork which was filled with inside jokes like codes for birthdays, eye colour and instrument played of members without including their names. To add insult to injury, the album itself garnered rather good reviews while the artwork was panned by all the major publications of the day such as New Music Express, Melody Maker and Record Mirror.
However, when taken in proper context, “Sallies Fforth” stands as an accurate documentation of the works of a band of eccentric musicians who were much more closely related to The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band than true psychedelic bands of the day on EMI such as Tomorrow and Pink Floyd. In fairness to the band, it is in this light that the musical output of Rainbow Ffolly must be, and is examined in this review. “Spectromorphic Iridescence” is the final word on the band, containing the mono and stereo mixes of “Sallies Fforth” as well as the band’s lone single, early demos and outtakes from the Jackson Studio sessions, unreleased recordings done for broadcast on Radio One, radio jingles recorded for a hospital, the 2016 reunion LP “Follow Up!” recorded by John Dunsterville, Alan Stewart and Stewart Osborn, and all ancillary recordings related to the reunion album. But, let us begin at the beginning.
Disc one opens with the thirteen tracks comprising “Sallie Fforth” in its stereo mix. “She’s Alright” is an acid pop type number with vocals reminiscent of The Beatles, a theme that was employed nicely on several tracks by the band. Following its humorous intro including a female speaking in French the band enters with jangling guitars and the light hearted tune includes a nice guitar solo and luscious vocal harmonies. “I’m So Happy” reflects the band’s love of British musical hall tradition, employing gentle country style guitar and within its cabaret influenced lyrics are a reference to “Itchycoo Park” a hit by The Small Faces. “Montgolfier ‘67” is based around medieval lute music, celebrated the 185th anniversary of the Montgolfier brothers first public demonstration of their hot air balloon and features a folk rock intro and more gorgeous vocal harmonies mixed with the band’s unique brand of humor, this time including references to giraffes. With “Drive My Car” the band took a Beatles title and wrote something completely different around it. The track is heavier while retaining gorgeous vocal harmonies and the ever present element of humor. The track was also released as the a-side of the band’s sole single, hitting record shops about a month after “Sallies Fforth.” “Goodbye” is a winsome McCartneyesque ballad with gentle guitar intro and vocals reminiscent of Ruby & The Romantics hit single “Our Day Will Come.” “Hey You” opens with sound effects of a thundershower and ping pong match before settling into a fuzz laden guitar track with a legitimately psychedelic edge. “Sun Sing” is another psychedelic rocker with lots of fuzz and a tasty guitar solo. “Sun And Sand” is a bit of acid pop in the style of South African singer Miriam Makeba and with its Beatlesque vocals is a good indication of the talent the band possessed and the potential of their music. “Labour Exchange” is a tongue in cheek number referencing unemployment offices, with its heavy bass and drums hinting at the rock sensibilities of the band and includes another nice guitar solo. “They’m” reflects the band’s love of good time music a la The Lovin’ Spoonful. “No” arose from the guitar/bass battle between John Dunsterville and Alan Thomas and has flashes of heaviness with horns added for texture even as the beat roars. “Sighing Game” is a gentle pop rocker with nicely echoed vocals and gorgeous harmonies.
The album closer “Come On Go” begins with a humorous reference to acne treatment before settling into a country style melody with John Dunsterville displaying the influence Chet Atkins played in his guitar work. The bonus tracks begin with the single version of “Drive My Car” and its non-LP b-side “Go Girl” which features primitive phasing with John Dunsterville singing into a hair dryer hose, evidence of the group’s creativity, which coupled with beautiful vocal harmonies, results in a very nice pop tune A demo version of “Sun Sing” features a lovely guitar intro and is a mixture of The Beatles and The Bonzos, featuring humor and heaviness with John Dunsterville supplying another tasty guitar solo. A demo take of “Come And Go” features jangling 12-string guitar supplemented by delightful percussion in the form of tambourine with an organ interlude complementing more gorgeous vocals which taken together are further indications of what Rainbow Fflolly was capable of and leaves one wondering what “Sallies Fforth” would have sounded like had the band been given an opportunity to flesh out the recordings released on the album. The disc closes with a cover of the Beatles’ classic “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill” with Rainbow Fflolly’s version featuring a recorder intro, piano interlude, impressive changing beats and more of the band’s vocal harmonies and humor. An impressive closer for the disc reminding the listener of the possibilities contained in the performances of Rainbow Ffollly…
Disc two contains the mono version of “Sallies Fforth” as well as no less than twenty five bonus tracks, thirteen of which are radio jingles done for a hospital located near the home base of the band which opened just prior to the release of Rainbow Ffolly’s album. The radio jingles are short takes reworking famous tunes, the most creative and humorous of the lot being a redo of Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” which in the hands of the band morphs into “What A Wonderful Ward” and is definitely good for a smile. The real highlights of the disc are seven home demos recorded throughout 1968 and five tunes recorded for the Dave Cash Show and Radio One Club in December, 1968, but were never aired and have remained unreleased until this box set. Ten of the twelve cuts are covers but serve as examples of what Rainbow Ffolly was capable of and what fans experienced seeing the band live. First up is an incendiary cover of Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” with screaming lead guitar, booming bass and pounding drums. This track takes away any doubts one might have as to whether Rainbow Ffolly was capable of rocking. A take on The Beatles’ classic Sgt. Pepper track “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” is filled with trippy guitar and gorgeous vocal harmonies. In typical fashion the band could not help but mention other Beatles titles during the outro. A soulful pop rendition of “Gimme Some Kind Of Sign” a huge hit for Brook Benton appears as “Gimme Little Sign” with a spoken intro followed by another prime example of the lead and harmony vocals delivered so effortlessly by the band. “I Can’t Let Maggie Go” made popular by The Honeybus, gives the band a chance to show how nicely they could handle a ballad, and includes yet more incredible vocal harmonies. “Sabrosa” finds John Dunsterville in Chet Atkins mode once again as the band delivers a wonderful rendition of this energetic instrumental and features some delicate guitar picking.
Pete Seeger’s “Bells Of Rhymney” a hit for The Byrds, another of the band’s major influences, is filled with jangling guitars and lovely vocal harmonies. The final home demo “Bonita” is another instrumental that the band runs through handling the lovely melody effortlessly and makes this listener wish Rainbow Ffolly had been afforded the opportunity to record more instrumentals as they seem to fit the band so well. The tunes recorded for radio broadcast begin with a cover of The Move’s “I Can Hear The Grass Grow” which the band handles with ease, showcasing John Dunsterville laying down some heavy rock guitar and the group reprising their vocal harmony abilities. The band’s cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Something Else” is short and sweet, the guitar and vocals again shining. Johnny Nash’s “Hold Me Tight” suits the band perfectly as they again disply the ease with which they could handle ballads, including this reggae style number. A partial take of the band original “I’m So Happy” is a crisp pop number. “She’s Alright” features jangling lead guitar and swirling vocals over the top of a heavier sounding rhythm section, a fine bit of pop rock. It’s truly a shame that record buyers were never afforded the chance to hear these radio recordings as they could have helped prolong the band’s life.
Disc three centers around the reunion album “”Ffollow Up!” released in 2016 by John Dunsterville, Roger Newell and Stewart Osborn, as Richard Dunsterville had relocated to the US and was not available for the recording. The tracks on the album span several decades, “My Love Has Gone” was written in 1965 but was not included on “Sallies Fforth” and features bassist Alan Thomas, having been dedicated to tape while the band was still known as the Force Four. “Noah” was recorded for a second album that didn’t happen, “Cars” was from 1975 when Roger and John were working with keyboardist Rick Wakeman and “Shy Angels” was written in 1976 for the English Rock Ensemble a year after they had parted ways with Wakeman. “Bathers Of The Lost Ark” includes a laugh lifted from “Sallies Fforth.” Furthermore, the artwork for “Ffollow Up” was mostly drawn by John Dunsterville 1969. The style and sound of the band is completely different on the album, as the whimsical element was replaced by serious tunes that display the talent of Rainbow Ffolly hinted at on their 1968 LP. .
“Ffollow Up!” opens with “Single Cell Amoeba” a short, one minute, sound effects number with a nod to“Sallies Fforth.” A 2014 band original “Postcard” is a story about the need to rush to the aid of a distant love if she calls for help, told with a driving beat, bouncing bass line and tasty lead guitar with wah wah added for accentuation. A heavy guitar solo segues into an Eastern influenced sound, the tasty rocker containing few of the signature sound effects found on “Sallies Fforth.” “My Love Has Gone” narrowly missed inclusion on the band’s debut LP, having been written in 1965. The mid-tempo number is dominated by jangling 12-string guitar and vocal harmonies with stinging lead guitar stabbing in and out of the mix, the tune’s heavy bass line and fiery solo soaring over the top before the tempo slows again with the return of jangling 12-string, flute and vocal harmony outro. “White Swan” a 2016 composition by Dunsterville and Newell uses a bowed electric dulcimer to create nostalgic images aided by flute as it tells the story of lost love in a dramatically changing world. “Cars” is a road song describing John Dunsterville and Newell endlessly traveling the world with Rick Wakeman. The song has a sound bringing The Who to mind with its strumming guitar, bounding bass and driving drums which eventually give way to steel and strumming acoustic guitars and gentle percussion flavored with a jazzy guitar interlude. “Sky Angels” features an expansive sound with choral effects and lead guitar sat to stun over solid bass and drums.
The vocals are absolutely ethereal and this magnum opus’ fuzz guitar fills the air, complemented by horns guiding the way to an Eastern influenced outro. “Noah” uses the classic Rainbow Ffolly sound in telling the tale of God trying to convince Noah to build an ark. Waterfall and thunderstorm sound effects are perfect as the song gently glides in all its majesty. “Slow Down Zone” is a Simon and Garfunkel type number and lives up to its title with no forcing of any instruments, just the gentle beauty of woodwinds and acoustic guitars with the lead guitar restrained as it bounces from channel to channel. “Countdown” is a psychedelic rocker with its heavy bass driving the tempo over a lead guitar that holds back as it chugs and the drums keep perfect time while the song reminds people to think before they act, with a gorgeous guitar solo playing the song out. “Shoes” is a jazzy blues tune mixing horns and drums with relaxed vocals and a perfectly measured lead guitar. “Is It Over” is another “lost love” song with forlorn vocals joined by a breezy guitar solo and relaxed keyboards.
The first of five non-LP tunes “Wot Do They Know” is an uptempo number with driving lead guitar and snarling vocals. The songs’ chorus gives way to an all out guitar and keyboard attack a la Mott The Hoople as the sound rises to a crescendo, before relenting. “Crazy Woman” is a country type tune with gentle guitar, percussion and vocals, a most pleasantly short, minute and a half, ditty. “All We Have Left” opens with growling guitar and machine gun drums, but the vocals are gorgeous as ever on this tasty rocker that is deceptively heavy with its driving drums and gorgeous lead guitar to the fore. “Parcel Of Pigs” is a delightful ditty with restrained guitar and vocals which gives a nod to early Rainbow Ffolly opening with a voice counting in German. “Nonesuch Sweetness” is an uptempo tune, its climbing guitar having a jazzy feel and delivering a tasty solo. The beat is driving but not overplayed, with a keyboard interlude perfectly timed.
The disc closes with the last two tunes from “Ffollow Up!” the first “Tour De Force” is an autobiographical story about band manager John Sparrowhawk who sadly the band have lost touch with. It is a country folk flavored acoustic tune, with vocals and a feel reminiscent of “Sallies Fforth.” The track’s mid-tempo beat rises as fiery guitars fill the air, but the tune returns to its relaxed tempo with its folkish outro. “Bather Of The Lost Ark” closes “Follows Up!!” with a return to the irreverent humor of “Sallies Fforth” having been written in 1967, an absolutely perfect ending to an incredibly well realized reunion album. “Ffollow Up!” is evidence sure of the talent within Rainbow Ffolly and proof positive of what the band could have delivered if only given the chance by EMI and the Jackson Brothers. Though it may have come some fifty years later it certainly deserved wider distribution and with only 500 LP’s printed it already fetches $50-$100 per copy, while “Sallies Fforth” will set collectors back $400 or more for original Parlaphone pressings in very good plus condition and near mint or mint minus copies going for considerably more. The hefty price and collectable interest in the band’s original album lead one to wonder what would have happened had the band been able to polish the album up and release it as they envisioned, but that is a matter of pure speculation left to the mind’s of collectors of rare 1960’s recordings that can never be truly answered.
“Spectromorphic Iridescence” and its seventy four tracks come in a tortoise shell box with each disc housed in a mini-LP sleeve with the original artwork. The twenty page full color booklet comes with an essay by David Wells, who compiled and annotated the collection, and is filled with photos of the band and its recordings as well as related memorabilia. Rainbow Ffolly has never sounded better, thanks to the mastering job of Simon Murphy for Another Planet Music. The set will be of great interest to fans and collectors of obscure 1960’s recordings, psychedelic and otherwise, but will also be a wonderful discovery for those not familiar with the 2016 LP “Ffollow Up!” a fine bit of British rock and roll in its own right which has hitherto been nigh on impossible to procure. Many thanks to the folks at Cherry Red Records, UK, for offering this wonderful collection and at a most reasonable cost as icing on the cake.
by Kevin Rathert, 2019
Tracks
Disc 1
1. She's Alright - 3:43
2. I'm So Happy - 2:34
3. Montgolfier '67 - 2:37
4. Drive My Car - 2:15
5. Goodbye - 3:42
6. Hey You - 2:20
7. Sun Sing - 4:00
8. Sun And Sand (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 3:33
9. Labour Exchange - 2:26
10.They'm - 1:55
11.No (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell) - 3:11
12.Sighing Game (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell) - 2:49
13.Come On Go - 3:03
14.Drive My Car - 2:18
15.Go Girl - 2:39
16.Sun Sing - 3:31
17.Come On Go - 2:09
18.The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:25
All compositions by Jonathan Dunsterville except where noted
Tracks 13 The album Sallies Fforth, Parlophone PCS 7050, released May 1968
Tracks 14-15 Single, Parlophone R5701, released May 1968
Tracks 16-17 Previously unreleased studio demos, recorded circa May 1967
Track 18 Previously unreleased studio demo, recorded circa December 1968
Disc 2
1. She's Alright - 3:44
2. I'm So Happy - 2:34
3. Montgolfier '67 - 2:38
4. Drive My Car - 2:16
5. Goodbye - 3:44
6. Hey You - 2:22
7. Sun Sing - 4:05
8. Sun And Sand (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 3:33
9. Labour Exchange - 2:26
10.They'm - 1:56
11.No (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell) - 3:13
12.Sighing Game (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell) - 2:51
13.Come On Go - 3:05
14.Hospital Radio Jingle #1 - 0:17
15.Sunshine Of Your Love (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 4:01
16.Hospital Radio Jingle #2 - 0:14
17.Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:11
18.Hospital Radio Jingle #3 - 0:07
19.Gimme Little Sign (Alfred Smith, Jerry Winn, Joseph Hooven) - 2:41
20.Hospital Radio Jingle #4 - 0:09
21.I Can't Let Maggie Go (Pete Dello) - 3:00
22.Hospital Radio Jingle #5 - 0:06
23.Sabrosa (René Touzet) - 2:06
24.Hospital Radio Jingle #6 - 0:08
25.The Bells Of Rhymney (Idris Davies, Pete Seeger) - 3:28
Disc 3
1. Single Cell Amoeba (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 0:52
2. Postcard (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 3:10
3. My Love Has Gone - 5:15
4. White Swan (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell) - 3:27
5. Cars - 3:35
6. Sky Angels (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 6:46
7. Noah - 4:13
8. Slow Down Zone - 3:50
9. Countdown (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell) - 3:17
10.Shoes - 3:14
11.Is It Over - 4:25
12.Wot Do They Know? (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 2:36
13.Crazy Woman - 1:24
14.All We Have Left (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 4:14
15.Parcel Of Pigs (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 1:04
16.Nonesuch Sweetness (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 3:39
17.Tour De Fforce (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 2:41
18.Bathers Of The Lost Ark (Jonathan Dunsterville, Roger Newell, Stewart Osborn) - 0:43
All tracks by Jonathan Dunsterville except where stated
Tracks 11, 17, 18 The album Ffollow Up!, Footprints Vinyl Records FV 16002, released
Tracks 1,16 Extra tracks, previously unreleased Rainbow Ffolly
*Jonathan Dunsterville - Vocals, Guitar
*Richard Dunsterville - Vocals, Guitar
*Roger Newell - Vocals, Bass
*Stewart Osborn - Vocals, Drums
