Considering that Patto are named after their lead vocalist, Mike Patto, one would be inclined to think initially that this four-piece band was essentially a vehicle for his vocal talents. Not so! in fact, if anyone is to the fore it is Olly Halsall, who plays lead guitar, acoustic, piano and vibraphone on the band’s debut album, and is outstandingly good. It is beyond my comprehension that he has not been heard before, seeing that he has been on the music scene for quite some time, most notably with Timebox, from the ashes of which and Patto has arisen. Clive Griffiths, on bass, achieves a high degree of empathy with Halsall -- very subtle and understated -- and drummer John Halsey is the spur for much of the music, although occasionally he is a hit too busy and fond of flashy rolls, which threaten at times to disturb the delicate balance which the others are maintaining.
Patto, who is one of the four vocalists with Keith Tippett’s Centipede, has a lovely funky soul voice, with traces of both Stevie Winwood and Long John Baldry. The music moves from rock to jazz and back again, but they are hardly a jazz-rock band in the popular concept; there is certainly a very free-form approach on "Money Bag," on which Halsall's hard-edged guitar work solos over a loose backdrop of bass and drums, with Patto’s voice dropping in at the end in an almost detached fashion. Producer Muff Winwood has produced the album with great restraint and simplicity. I’m very impressed by it.
by Michael Watts, December, 12 1970
Tracks
1. The Man - 6:15
2. Hold Me Back - 4:42
3. Time To Die - 2:57
4. Red Glow - 5:19
5. San Antone - 3:09
6. Government Man - 4:22
7. Money Bag - 10:08
8. Sittin' Back Easy - 3:45
9. Hanging Rope - 14:46
All compositions by Mike Patto, Ollie Halsall, Clive Griffiths, John Halsey
Cool name for a band, eh? Just like Horslips and Pussy, band names which allude to the all-encompassing sphere of sex & sexuality, or some aspect thereof, will never go away. The five band members are depicted as no taller than rodents on the album cover, amidst a throng of high heels, smooth legs, and see-through skirts (on the street, natch). Downtown Flyers is good ol' sleazy, earthy hard rock, with songs called "Toenail Draggin'," "Crawfish," and "Ace O' Spades" (this was before the song and album of the same name by Motorhead).
Streetwalkers was the post-Family project of vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist Charlie Whitney. Also onboard was ex-Jeff Beck vocalist Bob Tench, who could play guitar, Casablanca's bass player, Jon Plotel, and (drum roll, please) Nicko...as in McBrain, future drummer for Iron Maiden. Three guest keyboardists play on five of the nine cuts, usually piano, but I hear the exalted Clavinet in at least one song, and synth on three, perhaps the strutting of a Minimoog and Solina String Ensemble. Did I mention Nicko? I didn't know the man had a career before Maiden! (I guess he's older than I figured.)
It turns out there is indeed more milk than meat in this serving: this is some darn good music! This is why I like 70s recordings: everything is so raw, so honest. The title track is a rousing, ballsy number, with echo-effected guitars and talk-boxes cheese or not, I don't hear enough of those on 70s recordings, for my taste. "Toenail Draggin'" is serious fun, and I don't just mean the playing, have a gander at some lyrics: Take me to the bottom/Roll me in my hearse/Take me to the bottom/Life's bin a doggone curse. Ha! I toldja! A cover of an old, uncredited blues ode, "Crawfish" may go down not as the best track, but the most memorable. Once you hear it, you'll have no urge other than to cherish it and lie awake at night wondering who originally wrote it.
The disc's real gem is "Burn It Down"; did Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy secretly perform on this? Whitney's solo embodies everything a good guitar solo should be. Smokin' blues piano by Pete Wingfield, too! Chapman's gruff vox remind me of Paul Rodgers', but I much prefer Chapman's. One can't have it all: Chapman's harmonica solo is woefully undermixed. Not every song oozes bitterness or unrefinement: "Gypsy Moon" is a gentler, understated ballad with more smooth slide guitar work courtesy of Charlie W. Oh yes, that "Ace O' Spades" tune turns out it's a slice of authentic blues. I can even picture Chapman with dark shades and a blue jacket, singing the lines I've bin a gambler all my life/When I go, this is what I crave/You send me poker players to the graveyard.
Equally funky, bluesy, and rockin,' Downtown Flyers will carve its initials right onto the surfaces of your eardrums. Hatred will build for this album as the songs and melodies aren't easily displaced, but consider it a love/hate relationship.
by Elias Granillo, February 3rd 2003
Tracks
1. Downtown Flyers (Robert Tench, Roger Chapman) - 3:58
2. Toenail Draggin' - 4:17
3. Raingame - 3:03
4. Miller - 3:55
5. Crawfish (Ben Weisman, Fred Wise) - 4:34
6. Walking on Waters - 5:56
7. Gypsy Moon - 4:42
8. Burn It Down - 7:59
9. Ace O'Spades - 2;33
All songs by John “Charlie” Whitney, Roger Chapman except where noted.
The Streetwalkers
*Roger Chapman - Lead Vocals, Percussion, Harmonica
Many British musicians have been influenced by American soul music, and today we'd like to introduce Jess Roden, a white soul singer who, despite being white, provides a funky beat and a sound that makes use of fakery and shouting.
He originally debuted in 1967 with the Alan Brown Set and was a member of the Bats Band, which featured members of Bronco and The Doors + Gonzales, but made his solo debut in 1974 with ``Jess Roden,'' produced by Allen Toussaint.
This is his second album, released in 1977, and arranged by Leon Pendarvis (well known for his work with Quincy Jones and Roberta Flack). Jess Roden is an extraordinary singer who effortlessly sings a wide range of genres including ballads, jazz and R&B. Since his music is based on R&B and soul, his singing is better than that of most AOR singers.
The soft and mellow intro to Misty Roses, and Jess Roden's vocals backed by electric piano, are enough to make you expect this to be a great album. The solo is also sophisticated, as it is played by saxophone rather than guitar. The next track, Sensation, is a jazzy ballad with a pleasant electric piano and resonating vibraphone.
Roden gives us a George Benson-esque scatting performance, intertwined with virtuoso John Tropea's impressive solo. The funky mid-tempo track 3Lonely Avenue, sung by Ray Charles, is truly dark with its punchy vocals and gospel-style chorus work.
The Quiet Sound of You and I, which features a magnificent string arrangement, and The Hardest Blow, which also features strings, electric piano, and saxophone, are also great songs to listen to. These are the perfect songs to enjoy Roden's vocals.
The last song is the funky up tune In Me Tonight, which has a great percussion beat. Thanks to the use of top New York musicians such as Anthony Jackson, Francisco Centeno, John Tropea, and Arnold McCuller, the album has a sophisticated sound.
Tracks
1. Misty Roses (Tim Hardin) - 4:00
2. Sensation (Jess Roden, Stephen Vincent) - 4:43
3. Lonely Avenue (Doc Pomus) - 3:38
4. The Quiet Sound Of You And I (Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Bruce Roberts) - 4:27
5. The Hardest Blow (John Cartwright) - 3:04
6. Drinking Again (Johnny Mercer, Doris Tauber) - 6:35
After the release of The Good Book in early 1971, Melanie Safka and her producer (and then husband) Peter Schekeryk left Buddah Records to form their own label, Neighborhood Records, and the new freedom seemed to do her a world of good -- Gather Me, released later the same year, is one of her most accomplished and confident albums, a set that allowed Melanie the room to indulge her lyrical obsessions while Schekeryk created superb musical accompaniment from her simple but forceful melodies. The epochal "Ring the Living Bell" is a pocket suite that takes a skeletal lyrical conceit and gives it flight through sheer belief while Schekeryk's arrangement, reinforced with gospel style vocal backing, makes this accomplishment all the more impressive.
"Railroad," "Little Bit of Me," and "Steppin'" display a lyrical maturity and subtle strength that marked a real step forward for Melanie as a songwriter, and "Some Say (I Got Devil)" is an emotionally devastating tale of a pregnant teenager who clearly has no idea what she should do. Melanie's habit of overplaying her hand as a vocalist is thankfully in retreat on Gather Me, which finds her in full control of her instrument and communicating a wide palette of emotions without becoming melodramatic. And if "Brand New Key" comes across like a silly novelty tune in this context, it's a playful and engaging one, and Melanie sounds like she's having fun putting Freudian symbolism within the grasp of AM radio. Gather Me may well be Melanie's finest album, capturing her at the height of her skills as a writer and singer, and it has stood the test of time better than the majority of her work.
by Mark Deming
Tracks
1. Little Bit Of Me - 4:12
2. Some Day I'll Be A Farmer - 2:52
3. Steppin' - 3:28
4. Brand New Key - 2:27
5. Ring Around The Moon - 0:41
6. Ring The Living Bell / Shine The Living Light - 5:04
I’ll make no bones about it – Family (1968 – 1973) was and still is my favourite rock band. A bold thing to admit, perhaps, but there it is. No other band in all of my rock listening years does it for me like these guys. They incorporated all sorts of musical styles, from delta blues to psychedelic excursions, from Jazz to symphonic, from hard rock to folk; the members of Family never ceased to challenge you with their very unique brand of rock music. Roger Chapman (vocals, saxes) and John “Charlie” Whitney (lead and steel guitars) led a bunch of incredible British musicians (who changed regularly) into what became an underground cult favourite on both sides of the Atlantic.
Another thing I will say is that Roger Chapman is also my favourite Rock vocalist. Sounding like a mix of Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker (but in my opinion better than both), he roars and soars with a unique range and bleating vibrato that shakes the roof – you have to experience this voice! Composing nearly all the songs for the span of their existence, Roger and Charlie were at the top echelon of writing duos, alongside Jagger and Richards. Another bold claim, but a listen through the Family catalogue at the unique and varied compositions might convince you. At any rate, in 1973 management issues among other things resulted in the dissolving of Family, leaving Roger and Charlie to pursue life as a duo. So here’s where the Streetwalkers saga begins.
As prolific songwriters, they had enough material to record a new album, and so they did. Originally titled Chapman-Whitney Streetwalkers, they called in some friends to augment them and here’s who they got: John Wetton – bass and vocals (Family, King Crimson Roxy Music, etc.); Rick Grech – bass (Family, Blind Faith); Ian Wallace and Michael Giles – drums (King Crimson); Neil Hubbard – guitar (Joe Cocker, etc.); Max Middleton – Keyboards (Jeff Beck Group); Tim Hinkley – keyboards, vocals (Vinegar Joe, Al Stewart); Jim Creegan – vocals (Family, Steve Harley); Linda Lewis – vocals (David Bowie, Cat Stevens, etc.); Mel Collins – woodwinds, brass and arrangements (King Crimson, Camel and a huge etc.); Boz Burrell – vocals (King Crimson), Poli Palmer – vibes (Family); Del Newman – string arrangements (Family); and Godfrey McLean – congas (Graham Bond). What an amazing lineup, no? It speaks to the respect and acknowledgement that Chapman and Whitney garnered at the time.
With this first CD release, Roger Chapman changed the running order back to what they had originally intended it to be, which is an interesting move. You can always reprogram your player to go back to the original order if you are curious or prefer it, but I personally think it is ok. The good news is all the songs are included here and there is more info available in the liner notes, which include an interview with Roger Chapman interspersed with an overview and history by Pete Feenstra.
Now to the album: First Cut is the bridge between later Family albums, especially Bandstand and It’s Only a Movie, and the first true Streetwalkers album, Downtown Flyers. What makes the album great for me is that it can stand alongside the Family discs and really could have been the next one in the Family canon. In much the same way that the Stones shed their Brit/Pop/Mystical songs of the late 60s and moved back to their rhythm and blues routes, Chapman and Whitney had the same idea with First Cut and then moved to hard rock blues that followed with the rest of the Streetwalkers’ catalogue. First cut has the boys standing over the line between rock and blues, and the push and pull from one side and the other makes this such an enjoyable album.
Hangman opens the album with a crunchy, hard blues, something akin to a souped-up and faster Spoonful – it really kicks out the jams. Add soaring strings to the mix (a Family trademark) and you have an original take on the blues with enough light and dark contrasts to give it an original spin.
Roxianna features a honky-tonk rhythm complete with Mel Collins’ clarinet and Dixieland piano; it really swings and Charlie’s slide guitar weaves in and out to great effect.
Sue and Betty Jean begins as a sad lament with organ but picks up the pace some with a Beatlesque melody with echoes of She’s Leaving Home. This is a perfect example of how, when Chapman and Whitney write and arrange, they incorporate all the instruments with a beautiful, intricate dance. With the guitar becoming more of a Wes Montgomery jazz style, it dominates this slow waltz of a song. A lot of their songs, like this one, also tell interesting stories and they should be noted as good lyricists as well.
Call Ya has classic Chapman vocals, scratchy but in his higher register, simply a vocal treat. The song itself has that funky blues of Little Feat but with some chords that give you that real hard rock feel. Mel Collins takes over for a great sax solo here – he really wails on this one. This could have been an additional track on Family’s Bandstand for sure. This ends with a conga-driven jam that gets you tapping.
Just 4 Men/Tokyo Rose, a two song suite (the original album also included Hangman, making it a trio but Roger felt it belonged at the start of the set – see liner notes), begins with spoken word and a dark, flute and string driven remorseful sounding theme. The song brightens a bit with the flute joined by Charlie’s expressive guitar lead and then Tokyo Rose begins with a hard rock attack, back to the Hangman approach. The track grinds it out down and dirty, complete with a chorus of shoops courtesy of John Wetton and the others, and then another deadly Mel Collins solo overlays it all until it fades away.
Creature Feature begins with thunder and rain and a cool underground boogie and Linda Lewis singing alongside Roger and showcasing Charlie’s great slide guitar work. The song chugs along then the strings come in to add further impact, extending the song to further showcase the guitars. Interestingly, the strings sound very similar to Elton John’s arrangements on Madman Across the Water.
Parisienne High Heels, another rhythm and blues powerhouse, with a Foghat-like guitar attack and an almost gospel-like vocal background, brings southern rock to the fore. Roger Chapman’s vocal here really screams, soars, teases - he is in perfect form. The track really rocks out until it fades in an odd echo.
Systematic Stealth is a quirky little song which could be totally acoustic – a pleasant summer-sounding, joyous folksy pleasure - a pleasant rest from those nasty, hard blues.
Showbiz Joe ends the album with a vaudeville-like melody and a weaving horn section. But as in all Chapman/Whitney songs, it breaks open in places to reveal layers of intricate playing underneath.
For Family fans, and I know you’re out there, this is a must have. If you loved Family, and especially Bandstand and Movie, then this will totally appeal to you. If you are new to any of this, and you like boogie and Chicago style blues, with the right mix of rock and roll and great vocals, then I think you will like this album a lot. I can say that if you are a fan of Joe Cocker’s early albums, then this is a no brainer. Beyond this, the Streetwalker albums that followed, where they had a permanent band throughout their existence, are even punchier, heavier and bluesier overall. Try Red Card and see what you think. And I guess I don’t have to say that I hope you will be curious enough to try Family out – you might find that it becomes a major favourite as well.
by Robert Metcalf
Tracks
1. Hangman - 4:51
2. Roxianna - 2:49
3. Sue And Betty Jean - 5:08
4. Call Ya - 6:37
5. Just 4 Men - 2:51
6. Tokyo Rose - 2:13
7. Creature Feature - 4:01
8. Parisienne High Heels - 4:05
9. Systematic Stealth - 2:31
10.Showbiz Show - 4:10
All songs by Roger Chapman, John Whitney
Bonus tracks 2024 50th Anniversary Edition
11. The Crack - 3:35
12. Call Ya - 6:41
13. Get Out Of My Life, Woman (Allen Toussaint) - 4:43
14. Systematic Stealth - 2:41
15. Tokyo Rose - 2:29
16. Hangman - 2:27
17. Roxianna - 4:42
All songs by Roger Chapman, John Whitney except where noted
It’s hardly a surprise that Borderline’s 1973 album Sweet Dreams and Quiet Desires, recorded at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York, has a rootsy Americana vibe. It’s a big surprise, though, that the album and its follow-up all but disappeared in the ensuing years, a situation now remedied by Real Gone’s two-fer of Sweet Dreams and The Second Album (RGM-0120). Borderline, a trio consisting of Jim Rooney and brothers Jon and David Gershen, enlisted some impressive help for its debut album. Ben Keith, fresh off work on Neil Young’s Harvest, brought his pedal steel. Billy Mundi, late of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, joined in on drums, and Will Lee played bass. David Sanborn contributed alto saxophone, John Simon tickled the ivories, and two members of The Band moonlighted: pianist Richard Manuel as “Dick Handle,” and organist Garth Hudson as “Campo Malaqua.”
Sweet Dreams isn’t quite country, it isn’t quite rock, it isn’t quite folk, it isn’t quite folk-rock or country-rock, either. Its best moments do recall some of the other great musical troubadours of the era, but Borderline’s blend of three talented singer-songwriters made sure the group’s sound was distinctive. “Don’t Know Where I’m Going” has an “Up on a Cripple Creek”/Band-esque vibe, though not solely because of Richard Manuel’s own contribution on piano! And Harvest-era Neil Young is recalled on “Please Help Me Forget,” while “Dragonfly” just might have carved out its own niche as country-jazz thanks to David Sanborn’s wailing sax. (Both Hudson and Manuel sat it on “Dragonfly,” too.) “As Long As It’s You and Me” begins in that haunting Band bag, but it soon veers off in unusual directions with tough electric guitar and a reappearance of Sanborn’s sax. The group’s timeless sound makes for an album that still sounds vibrant today. Though electric guitar (usually courtesy Jon Gershen) appears on a number of tracks in addition to “As Long As It’s You and Me,” the album’s sound is primarily acoustic and frequently laid-back. Ben Keith’s dobro and pedal steel lend the most impressive accents. Vocals are rough-hewn and occasionally ragged, but always in service of the song. Fiddle shows up on numerous cuts, including the sing-along traditionals “Handsome Molly” and “Clinch Mountain.” There are occasional, nasal Dylan-esque vocals, but it might have been impossible to avoid his influence, especially in Woodstock. The success of Sweet Dreams, released on the Avalanche label, might have been hampered by the lack of any clear-cut radio-friendly single. So it was back to the drawing board, and to Connecticut’s CRS Studios, for a second album.
The simply-titled The Second Album was delivered to United Artists Records for a 1974 release, but a change in management left the LP on the shelf and Borderline in the lurch. It finally was issued in 2001 on a remixed Japanese CD mastered from an acetate; Real Gone’s reissue marks its first appearance from the original master tapes as well as its first appearance in its original mix. Keith, Sanborn and Lee all returned for the second outing, lending the album a strong sense of continuation from the first. The group’s steadfast songcraft remained consistent as well.
The change of scenery, though, seemingly inspired the Borderline boys to craft a leaner, down-‘n-dirtier, funkier collection. There are still strong elements of country, but Second Album is often more of its time as a seventies pop-rock excursion. David Gershen also stepped up his songwriting to pen six of the album’s ten songs. When Ben Keith’s pedal steel shows up on the opening salvo of David’s “Sonny Boy,” it’s joined by a horn section including The Brecker Brothers. All players are in service to a grittier groove. Jon’s “No Uncertain Terms” is anchored by Stan Free’s piano and Sanborn’s saxophones, but it’s one of the strongest ballads on either LP. There’s a successful balance of the fuller band arrangements with more stripped-down material including the languid instrumental showcase “Ben’s Turn” for David Gershen, Ben Keith, Will Lee, Amos Garrett (electric guitar) and Chris Parker (drums). Jim Rooney is responsible for "Only the Best," a country weeper that will transport you to a smoke-filled barroom. The song features just the three band members, harmonizing and accompanying themselves on acoustic guitars. The only crime is that its solo-trio format, with no additional instrumentation, wasn't revisited elsewhere on the album.
Producer Gordon Anderson’s reissue is a top-notch package, remastered by Kevin Bartley at Capitol Studios with liner notes from Richie Unterberger. After The Second Album was shelved, the members of Borderline drifted apart, but this reissue allows a fleeting glimpse to be savored of what might have been.
by Joe Marchese
Tracks
1. Handsome Molly (Traditional) - 3:37
2. Marble Eyes - 3:20
3. Don't Know Where I'm Going - 3:43
4. Good Woman's Love (Jim Rooney) - 2:32
5. Please Help Me Forget - 3:27
6. The Distance - 2:46
7. Dragonfly (Jon Gershen) - 4:06
8. Sweet Dreams - 3:08
9. Clinch Mountain (Traditional) - 3:14
10.Marilla - 2:53
11.As Long As It's You And Me (Jon Gershen) - 4:47
12.Sonny Boy - 2:42
13.Sleepy Rider (David T. Gershen, Tony Brown) - 2:12
14.No Uncertain Terms (Jon Gershen) - 4:30
15.Beginning Of The End (Jim Rooney) - 3:41
16.Ben's Turn - 2:42
17.Song To Father - 2:44
18.Only The Best (Jim Rooney) - 3:44
19.In Some Old Book (Jon Gershen) - 3:41
20.Matter Of Trust - 2:36
21.Heaven's So Hard To Find - 5:32
All songs by David T. Gershen except where stated
Tracks 1-11 first released in 1973 as Sweet Dreams And Quiet Desires
Tracks 12-21 recorded in 1973, unreleased until 2001 as The Second Album
Borderline
*Jon Gershen : Vocals, Lead Electric, Acoustic Guitars
*David Gershen : Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Jim Rooney : Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
With
*Vassar Clements - Fiddle
*Jim Colegrove - Bass, Background Vocals
*Dick Handle (Richard Manuel) - Clavinet, Piano
*Nick Jameson - Guitar
*Ben Keith - Steel Guitar
*Ken Kosek - Fiddle
*Campo Malaqua (Garth Hudson) - Organ
*Billy Mundi - Drums, Percussion
*Dave Sanborn - Sax
*John Simon - Piano
*Will Lee - Bass (12-21)
*Chris Parker - Drums (Tracks 12-17, 19-21)
*Stan Free - Electric Piano, Organ (Tracks 14,17,19)
In 1975, the group released their first single, "Sweet Louise", written and produced by Arti Kraayeveld, who was, however, no longer in the band, as the picture sleeve showed: Kruisman, Versluys, Terlaak and Han Bavinck (g, ex-Mailbag) and Egon Jansen (congas). The latter had left by the time of their second single, "Rock On" (1976).
Carlsberg frontman Kruisman raised eyebrows in 1984 by reappearing in a supporting role in De Gigantjes with original Carlsberg members Arti Kraayeveld and Bart Terlaak. This jive band (originally started as a fun project in 1982, but recording from 1984 onwards) was fronted by lady singer Mieke Stemerdink (ex-Cupcakes). On bass they initially had Ronald Krom (also an ex-Bintang), but Robert Brondsema became the permanent bassist.
In 1988, Carlsberg did a one-off reunion gig and probably another one around 1994. After the break-up of De Gigantjes in 2000, Kruisman started playing gigs with pick-up bands and sat in with other bands, but a full-fledged Carlsberg reunion was impossible due to the bad health of longtime guitarist Jaap Castricum. Of the other two former Carlsberg guitarists, Arti Kraayeveld is now a painter and Han Bavinck plays in The Leo Koster Band. Gerard van Dooren played with many Dutch top bands like Herman Brood's Wild Romance and Oscar Benton's Blues Band.
Sometimes it is all about timing. In 1977 all the music press was interested in was Punk and New Wave. Only Sounds (the UK Music Paper) was still rallying around rock music and the old guard. Even so, young rock fans (like me) were also very careful with our money. Albums were very expensive and could be a large percentage of your apprenticeship wages back then.
So hearing that David Byron the ex lead vocalist from Uriah Heep had formed a super group and was signed to Island records, was not really hot news.
David Byron had been sacked from Uriah Heep the year before for substance abuse (although musical differences was the reason back then). The last album High & Mighty had been seen as a very lightweight album and had been panned everywhere. I am sure Island Records (who had also signed the Ian Gillan Band) were thinking lets not spend too much on this.
It is a competent rock album from a bunch of musicians who obviously felt they had paid their dues. You can sense the bitterness in the lyrics from Byron in the opening track called Rock n Roll where he references his previous band. He was determined to get back in the rock first division, but alcohol and playing small venues with smaller audiences and press indifference would see the band fold before their star could shine.
The album actually cracked the Billboard top 200 in the USA, so the interest was there, but they never got the chance. I also feel the album was sequenced very badly. In the 1970s it was more common than you think to keep the best tracks until the end of side two. in more modern times you open with your strongest songs, not then. The last two tracks ‘The Link’ and ‘End Of The Line’ are epic, full of atmosphere and PROG overtones. David Byron is in fine voice throughout and he remains a very underated vocalist.
The interplay between keyboard player ‘Damon Butcher’ and Clem Clempson is terrific. Clem Clempson had auditioned for Deep Purple before this. The real find was Damon Butcher on Keyboards, this guy could really play. I do not own this on CD and I played it today to see if I should try and upgrade it, and my decision is made. I will.
by Phil Aston, 31st August 2019
Tracks
1. Rock 'n' Roll (David Byron, Geoff Britton, Martin Rushent) - 3:28
2. Lookin' For You (Clem Clempson, Damon Butcher, David Byron) - 4:06
3. Lock And Key (Clem Clempson, David Byron) - 4:59
4. Seasong (Clem Clempson, David Byron) - 7:35
5. By The Horn (Clem Clempson, David Byron) - 3:13
“Encouraging Words” stands as a pivotal album by the Rochester rock band Black Sheep, showcasing the collaborative efforts of guitarist Don Mancuso and singer Lou Gramm. Released in 1975, the album follows the success of their self-titled debut and features tracks that blend elements of hard rock with poignant lyricism.
Mancuso and Gramm’s synergy is evident in the album’s sound, with Mancuso’s dynamic guitar work complementing Gramm’s powerful vocals. Despite not achieving the same commercial success as their debut, “Encouraging Words” remains a significant contribution to Black Sheep’s discography, capturing the essence of the band’s musical journey and the creative prowess of Mancuso and Gramm.
Don Mancuso-home
Tracks
1. Halfway Home (Bruce Turgon, Lou Grammatico) - 4:19
2. Encouraging Words (Bruce Turgon, Don Mancuso, Lou Grammatico) - 5:27
3. To Whom It May Concern (Larry Crozier, Lou Grammatico) - 3:51
4. No Worry, No Pain (Bruce Turgon, Lou Grammatico) - 4:11
5. When It All Makes Sense (Larry Crozier, Lou Grammatico) - 4:24
6. The Change (Bruce Turgon) - 5:13
7. All I Am (Bruce Turgon) - 3:35
8. Shauna (Don Mancuso, Lou Grammatico) - 3:44
9. Chain On Me (Don Mancuso, Lou Grammatico) - 4:21
One of the more mellow sounds echoing out of New York in the waning months of 1975 belongs to a brand-new city-based group known as CITY LIGHTS. The band which formed earlier this year is a blend of talent, which styles itself a bit after the Led Zeppelin mold, that is blending a soft sound with" the heavy sound of the electric guitar. Judging from the sounds emanating off of -their initial album, entitled “Silent Dancing”, the year to come may prove an even brighter success story for the quartet.
The highlight of SILENT DANCING is in the harmony formed by the three vocals, Mark Abel, John Berenzy and Don Wilkins. Together they form, a lyrical sound that is reminiscent-of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in. that they are all equal co-leaders. No individual voice drowns out the others; it is all a synchronized sound. This is a unique quality lost in a lot of today's bands, which—follow the old Rolling Stones stereotype of one lead singer in competition with the instruments of the others. In the case of City Lights this is not so. Here is a balance of voices, present in each .song on the album.
The initial songs on the first side of SILENT DANCING are throwbacks to the era of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. “Changes in the World" and "Travelin' Man" both feature not only: the harmony made famous by C, S, N, and Y the lead singer sounds like Steven Stills in his delivery. The latter song begins as it is a remake of "Wooden Ships." Lest anyone think that City Lights is patterning itself after any one style, rest assured that they have undergone 'several changes during the year. Once known primarily as a blues group, they have tried deliberately to change avoid going into the rut that many bands find themselves when they" attempt to establish any" one style. For this reason, the songs on the second side of SILENT DANCING offer quite-a difference from what is on the first side. For one example, the opening cut, which is the title tune is an instrumental with a soft mellow tone. The subsequent tunes move into a style of harder rock. "Sail Like A Nightingale" provides this effect-by employing a more pointed use of guitar and drums.
The musical backgrounds from which these four men evolve is as diverse as the sounds on SILENT DANCING. John Berenzy is a guitar instructor in New- York, whose creative abilities stretch into the library area as well as music. Drummer Leland Bobbe has appeared in pit bands" on and off broad way and his interests include photography as well as the drums. Don Wilkins, who does keyboards for City Lights —comes from a musical family. His grandfather was a product of the age of ragtime, and although he began as a guitarist the heritage of his family became his own and he moved to piano. He is responsible for the more mellow of the group's output, inasmuch as his leaning Is toward love ballads. Finally, Mark Abel is the member of the quartet with the-most, extensive experience. From his pen come most of the lyrics on SILENT DANCING and his background includes periods with Michael Brown, a guitarist late of Stories, and Christian Osborne of the Plastic Ono Band. Together, these four have been able to mesh their talents into a truly melodic album.
Their music is best described: as cohesive, and it is reasonable to assume that future-endeavors will promise more of the same, subscribing to the theory that the more a group produces, the more it grows together. With City- Lights, togetherness is the key adjective
There aren’t many bands whose birthplace might, idiomatically, seem like an embargo from a period’s genre.
Not always in this case either, but often. They were never (officially) sent to Coventry but left there for five brief years 1968 to 1973. Named after a shady character in a yank pulp sex-thriller that nobody had heard of let alone, hopefully, read, Dando Shaft debunked to a communal house in leafy Ealing well-loaded with an intriguing blend of “good vibes and spirituality …an airy tapestry of influences resulting in a singular repertoire”.
Fronted by two guitarist/vocalists, Kevin Dempsey and Dave Cooper (both contribute to the booklet and had earlier gigged in local folk clubs as a duo), with multi-instrumentalist Martin Jenkins (vocal, guitar, mandolin, flute, fiddle etc.), Roger Bullen (upright bass) and Ted Kay on percussion not drums. They’d debated going electric but thought it might dilute their joyful, inspired magic, which at times sounds positively ethereal, especially after adding vocalist Polly Bolton from up the road in Leamington in October 1970, a pure and expressive singer who’d worked with June Tabor.
Less whimsical and more diurnal than Dr. Strangely Strange or ISB, less medieval and more coeval than Forest and Amazing Blondel, with the energy (but not wattage) of Trees, their very original sound isn’t quite like anyone else in music’s kaleidoscopic tapestry. This unique blend of quality musicianship in styles reflect a constantly progressive outlook, their website says legendary folk jazzers, and they should know. Keyed-up musical histories adapt freak folk, and this is a master class, pure and simple. Haunting as drift-smoke while on a hill in the middle of nowhere, they’re quite wonderfully pioneers of the genre.
It took off when they moved to London and replaced a cancellation at Pye Studios to cut a demo. This became an album when they recorded eight songs in four hours, with a second session for mixing and to correct a fluff on the instrumental Drops Of Brandy. It was produced by Miki Dallon, who had a failed label (Strike, which issued Roy Harper’s debut in ’67) and restarted with Young Blood Music on which appeared ‘An Evening With Dando Shaft’ in 1970, MCA in USA. The Dandos were signed to a shockingly unfair contract, Dallon still holding and profiting from the original tapes to this day! It was favourably reviewed and compared to Pentangle with a broader palette from Balkan to bluegrass, establishing their sound of many colours.
Due to friendship with Mathews Southern Comfort and John Martyn, they moved to their management agency, Axel, signing a contract for six albums over three years with an annual advance. They were hoping for a move to Island, their sound perfect for that innovative label, perhaps produced by Joe Boyd. Instead their second and eponymous LP was issued in mid-1971 as the fifth release of Neon, a new RCA subsidiary begun in March 1971 and famous for its art covers (by Pat Moran). Started by Olav Wyper, who had signed the Kinks and Sweet to the parent label, he tried to sign Dando Shaft earlier to Vertigo (whose logo he designed). Later buying Transatlantic, he left Neon which folded by the year-end after less than a dozen albums. Vertigo had worked on the basis that after 1500 units it would make a profit, so presumably it didn’t always happen for Neon.
Yet Dando Shaft briefly did chart stateside, moving to the parent company RCA for ‘Lantaloon’ (1972). Supporting bands such as Osibisa, Pentangle, Southern Comfort and Brian Auger at prestigious venues like the Roundhouse and Lyceum, they often appeared in concert and infrequently on radio e.g. two Peel sessions in June/September ’71 and January/March ’72 with nine songs overall, as well as In Concert in July with Heads, Hands & Feet. Five new songs were showcased on Stuart Henry’s programme on New Year’s Eve, just before signing to Neon. Their radio debut had been on BBC’s folk service, two of the songs still unreleased (‘Young Man;’ ‘Muntaz’). Their playing was with as much power as the electrified Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention, weaving intricate patterns through textures for a beguiling atmosphere, as if the essence of music as magic.
‘Cold Wind’/’Cat Song’ was a single on ‘Young Blood’ (1970), ‘Coming Home To Me’/’Kallyope Driver’ plus the almost Morris-like ‘Sun Clog Dance’/’This Gift’ both on RCA, the latter of July ’72 a slightly more commercial approach causing dissension in the group. They’d moved to rural Wales by the end of the year with families in tow, though Polly and Kevin stayed in west London. The group fractured, briefly reforming in 1977 for Kingdom when added electrics, drums and sax among other swag including guests, for their reputation still had kudos. Dempsey released an LP with Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee for example and toured America as a duo with Polly Bolton where he took part in sessions with Alice Coltrane and Aquarius; Bolton holds singing workshop today. Jenkins joined Hedgehog Pie then Southern Comfort and Whippersnapper with Dave Swarbrick as well as working with Richard Digance then Bert Jansch. As well as reissues on Trading Places, compilations appeared in 1994 in Germany and one of the three albums and radio in 2002. Three of the band have since exited the stage, Ted Kay (1944-2007), Martin Jenkins (1946-2011), and Roger Bullen (1946-2018).
After the appreciative audience reaction at the live recording following a week of rehearsals to peg the set-list, the group without Burton (Jenkins/Cooper/ Dempsey share the vocals) plus an accomplished guest violinist, Chris Leslie from Fairport and Whippersnapper, the group later returned to north Italy for a week-long tour. Eleven tracks are here, with most not all their most loved, what Dave Cooper overmodestly called “chord fragments and a well-turned phrase difficult to play on one’s own…that together made a kind of wonder”.
Where most tracks are around five minutes up to nearly eight, the shortest opens the set (Railway, from their second album) with chunky violin like a jigging fiddle. Rain opened the debut and is probably their most compiled and specialist radio play, here with Jenkins on mandocello. Slack-stringed guitar duels in a jazz-flavour mixing picking and strumming over tablas and male harmonies, followed by that sweet and easy ethos that sums them up in ‘If I Could Let Go,’ which with the more up tempo violin-driven ‘Feel Like I Want To Go Home’ reminds a little of the Buckleys or Nick Drake. One of their beautiful classics (Sometimes), with time -less lyrics from the folk tradition, removes the extreme vocal endings of the ’71 version augmented with delightful flute by Jenkins.
All the instruments blend on a percussive, symphonic elegy to their debut, while ‘Road Song’ opened ‘Lantaloon’ (’72) which disappointed some of the band. As with ‘Feel Like I Want To Go Home,’ the curve to the jazzier folk of later years including the lyrics is clear. This album’s title track delivers keening violin with vivid lyrical content colouring a dreamy tale-telling, followed by Riverboat which was originally famed for Polly Bolton’s vocals as a classic of that year yet is still mesmerizing here with orchestral violin and flute in heights reached by such as Amazing Blondel in the cathedral and Forest. This riverboat gliding through space and time can freeze a memory like cryogenics without its static view. The title track of Kingdom (1977) is the lone visit to that later work, gospel-like in patches about the age. The closer ‘Coming Back To Stay’ has rocking violin interplaying with a tight band for a joyous finale. Soundwaves always were their forte, though their lyrics hold gravitas.
Black Sheep is primarily remembered for being the band vocalist Lou Gramm sang in before joining the successful '80s rock band Foreigner. Gramm had originally been in a band called Poor Heart in the early '70s. However, nothing much came of Poor Heart, and Gramm formed Black Sheep with bassist Bruce Turgon (who would also join Foreigner) and his younger brother Richard, who played guitar. The band scored a record contract with Captiol and released two albums, a self-titled debut (1975) and Encouraging Words (1976). But the band's longevity was short-lived. First, while opening for Kiss one night, a traffic accident destroyed all the band's equipment, and there was no money for replacement equipment. Secondly, the band lost its contract. Shortly after, Gramm received a phone call from Mick Jones, formerly the guitar player for Spooky Tooth. Jones invited Gramm to join a new group he was forming, Foreigner, and Black Sheep officially came to an end.
by Jason Birchmeier
Tracks
1. Payin' Yer Dues (Lou Grammatico, Don Mancuso, Larry Crozier, Ron Rocco) - 4:12
2. Broken Promises (Lou Grammatico, Larry Crozier, Bruce Turgon) - 5:49
3. Woman Back Home (Lou Grammatico, Bruce Turgon) - 3:24
4. Piano Prelude / Let Me Stay (Larry Crozier / Lou Grammatico, Bruce Turgon) - 8:14
5. Power To Heal (Lou Grammatico, Bruce Turgon) - 3:24
6. Far Side Of The Sun (Lou Grammatico, Don Mancuso, Ron Rocco) - 6:59
7. A Little Or A Lot (Lou Grammatico, Don Mancuso, Ron Rocco) - 3:36
8. Freight Train (Lou Grammatico, Don Mancuso, Ron Rocco) - 3:06
9. Woman (Paul Rodgers, Andy Fraser) - 8:23
10.Stick Around (Lou Grammatico, Bruce Turgon) - 3:27
11.Cruisin' (For Your Love) (Lou Grammatico, Bruce Turgon) - 3:04
Although Rock has always been powered by the mysterious energy of human charisma, one still has to ask where the Stones Satisfaction would have been without a fuzztone, or how Eric Clapton could have possibly survived without the wah-wah. These men, the innovators, were eventually recognized not merely for the in- novation, itself, but for the talent which enabled them to utilize these otherwise gimmicks in a most original and stunning way.
Welcome now one Jimmy Berick, a California kid who grew up on Clapton and Beck and who, like thousands of kids, played everything he could get his hands on. Berick, a wild-eyed introvert, formed a hot local group, but preferred to experiment and make tapes in his Sacramento garage. By accident, through a friend of a friend, the tapes came to the attention of Epic A&R man Michael Sunday who was impressed when friends described Berick's following and the strange contraption in his garage. (Berick had perfected a flying wedge of twin chrome- plated double-neck steel guitars with thirty-two resonating strings. The assemblage, which Berick plays with steel bar slides in each hand is channeled through a variety of sound accessories driven by a wall of Marshall amplifiers). But what impressed Sunday even more was that heavy metal could survive and blossom in the traditionally laid-back Bay area.
The Jimmy Berick Group was signed in November 1973 by Epic, and they started to expand into San Francisco clubs. But they were coldly received. As group friend-and-guiding-light Richard Kipsgard put it, "we come in through the back door. We were filling Bay area clubs, but nobody wanted to admit that a metal band could do that. The only answer, as we saw it, was to be as tight as possible."
Late 1973, Hollywood aristocrat Kim Fowley and friend Mars Bonfire saw the group. Mars, who had written the classic Born To Be Wild, was blown out and suggested the name MASTERS OF THE AIRWAVES. It was a compliment. Berick, lead singer John Flak (who was already tired of being compared to Robert Plant) and bassists Randy Rand and David Rodo accepted.
Their first Epic album, Masters of The Airwaves, sports a variety of styles with songs whose topics range from alien landings to Hollywood bitch celebrities to Texas highways. Still, the basic thunder is unmistakable. It is safe to predict that the Masters' first national tour will leave behind a wake of garage bands. All sporting newly chromed pedal mega- steel guitars.
Liner Notes
Tracks
1. In It for the Thrill (Jimmy Berick, Mars Bonfire) - 5:45
2. I Believe in God (Kim Fowley, Becky Hobbs, Lewis Anderson) - 4:26
3. Stay Away From Mirrors (Jimmy Berick, Kim Fowley) - 3:23
4. Light Up the Heavens (Jimmy Berick, Michael Checik) - 5:15
5. Anna King Jamaica (Jimmy Berick) - 3:40
6. Back in '51 (Jimmy Berick, Michael Checik) - 3:35
7. Squeeze Me Positive (Jimmy Berick) - 2:35
8. Highway to Hell (Jimmy Berick, Michael Checik) - 3:43
9. Gettin' Tight (Jimmy Berick, Randy Rand, David Rada, Jon Flak) - 6:00
