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.
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
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
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
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
Recorded live and released by Deroy record label in a pressing of 100 copies (of which apparently only two are now said to exist) in 1972, this self-titled work is the sole album of UK psychedelic prog jazz rockers Motiffe. Revolving around brothers John and Mark Pasterfield, the group’s personnel changed a fair bit during its short life and by the time the album was released, the band had already broken up and the various members had gone their separate ways to find fame and fortune. The most outstanding ex-member was guitarist John Grimaldi who formed Flux and various other bands playing jazz rock, and wrote and played music until his early death from multiple sclerosis at age 28 years in 1983.
There are five tracks of mostly instrumental music featuring guitar, piano, saxophone, drums and flute, starting with the shortest, most structured and pop-friendly pieces “Grotesque Piece” and “Analogy”, where the melodies are most clear and listeners can even predict what’s going to happen over the next ten seconds, to longer, more meandering and less structured tracks. While the music is energetic and even soulful at times, the long tracks do suffer from a lot of self-indulgent guitar and any interaction from guitar and saxophone, or from guitar and flute, or even from flute and saxophone, tends to be more meandering and less spitfire competitive. The home-studio production quality level perhaps blunts the sound so that it is less sharp and vibrant than it should be, and there are long passages where the music seems flat due to the poor quality sound. On the upside, the production quality adds a dark, forlorn mood to the music, especially in the last few moments of “Life Reciprocal” where the sax-dominated music with the meandering bass acquires a smoky flavour.
Virtuoso guitar playing is highlighted across all tracks, the long loose ones like “To George” and “Mind & Body” in particular. There’s less flute and saxophone than I would have expected on a prog jazz rock album like one – I’d have thought the sax would be the lead instrument right across one track. The music on the vocal parts on “Mind & Body” has a slight energetic Latino feel – this is where the production quality really lets down the track, the energy and zest and the hard edge of the music being less than what they should be.
Even though there’s considerable filler here, Motiffe’s one and only album makes for quite good listening. If you happen to be in the mood for some (perhaps unintentionally) slightly dark progressive jazz rock.
The Sound Projector
Tracks
1. Grotesque Piece (Mike Avery) - 5:13
2. Analogy - 6:16
3. Life Reciprocal - 10:34
4. To George - 8:26
5. Mind And Body - 15:24
All compositions by John Grimaldi except where indicated
The bare facts about the California-based band People! are known to every long-time follower of Christian rock as the '60s band that launched the music career of The Father Of Christian Rock, Larry Norman.
People! were signed to Hollywood's Capitol Records (the label that made countless millions with the Beatles and repeated the trick with The Beach Boys) in 1966. After two unsuccessful singles, the band, consisting of singers Larry Norman and Gene Mason, along with guitarist and founder Geoff Levin, his brother Robb Levin on bass, Albert Ribisi on organ and Denny Fridkin on drums, had a hit with the single "I Love You" - a cover of a flipside by Britain's The Zombies. The single made number 14 in the US charts and went on to become a number one hit in Japan, Italy and Israel, with People! going on to play gigs alongside the top names in rock and pop. But People!'s debut album didn't sell. And there were no more hits for the band, who parted company with Larry shortly after most of the band embraced the Scientology cult.
by Tony Cummings
Tracks
1. 1000 Years B.C. (Larry Norman, Robb Levin) - 3:05
2. Nothing Can Stop The Elephants (Albert Ribisi, Denny Fridkin) - 2:59
3. Ashes Of Me (Albert Ribisi) - 3:18
4. Crying Shoes (Denny Fridkin) - 2:43
5. I Love You (Chris White) - 4:32
6. What We Need Is A Lot More Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock 'n' Roll) (Wayne Raney) - 2:02
As Glenn A. Baker put it, Doug Parkinson (b. 1949) is recognised as one of the great, distinctive Australian voices and one of the country's most respected musical mainstays. Indeed, Parkinson conveyed considerable charisma with his imposing presence, `Lucifer' beard and gruff, raspy voice. He also surrounded himself with mature, seasoned musicians who added to his appeal. Yet between 1966 and 1997, Parkinson only scored six hit singles.
Parkinson's first amateur band was Strings and Things, which he formed in 1965 while still at high school. By the end of the year, the band had evolved into amateur folk group The `A' Sound. The line-up comprised Parkinson, David Lee (guitar), Helen Barnes (bass) and Syd Barnes (drums). Syd (junior) and Helen were the son and daughter of cricketer Syd Barnes. In 1966, The `A' Sound issued one pleasant folk single (in The -Seekers vein) for Festival `Talk About That'/ `Tomorrow I Meet You' before breaking up at the end of that year. Parkinson went on to join The Questions which comprised Duncan McGuire (bass), Billy Green (guitar), Rory Thomas (Hammond organ) and Bill Flemming (drums; ex- Midnighters, Roland Storm and the Statesmen, Max Merritt and the Meteors). McGuire had started out in the late 1950s in The Phantoms before joining Roland Storm and the Statesmen in 1963.
McGuire first teamed up with Green in instrumental band The Epics during 1964. Peter Maxworthy (drums) completed the line-up. As well as backing singer Roland Storm on the single `Zip a Dee Doo Dah'/`Shakin' All Over' and Peter Wright on `I Couldn't Keep Your Heart'/`Once I had Your Love', The Epics recorded two singles for HMV `Caravan'/`Around and About' (September 1964) and `Too Late'/`Please Tell' (June 1965). By the end of 1965, McGuire and Green had moved on to The Questions. The Questions were a musically substantial bunch, but their one album, What is a Question?, and single, `Karelia'/`Wheels' (October 1966), were sub-Herb Alpert pastiches and failed to chart. Parkinson joined in early 1967. With his facility for soul and blues, he immediately lifted The Questions into the premier league of Australian mid-1960s pop alongside the likes of Max -Merritt and the Meteors and The Groop. In July 1967 The Questions were placed second to The Groop in the Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds final.
The Questions with Parkinson issued three singles that remain minor psychedelic pop classics, `Sally Go Round the Roses'/`Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)' (#14 in Sydney, July 1967), `And Things Unsaid'/`I Can't Hear You' (October) and `Something Wonderful'/`We Got Love' (February 1968), plus the EP `Sally Go Round the Roses' (`Sally Go Round the Roses', `Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)'/`Deep Purple', `How High the Moon') (all on Festival). In January 1968, Ray Burton (guitar; ex-Delltones) and Les Young (bass; ex-Chessmen) replaced Green and McGuire respectively. The new, short-lived Questions line-up toured as support band to the `Big Show' tour of UK visitors The Who, The Small Faces and Paul Jones. By February 1968, The Questions had disbanded; a month later, Parkinson, Green, McGuire, Thomas and newcomer Doug Lavery (drums; ex-Andy James Asylum, Running Jumping Standing Still) relaunched themselves as Doug Parkinson In Focus.
The band swiftly issued the psychedelic-tinged `I Had a Dream'/`Advice' single (May 1968), and then came in third at the 1968 Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds final (behind The Groove and The Master's Apprentices). Doug Parkinson In Focus Mark I fell apart in August 1968; Thomas joined The Affair and Lavery joined The Valentines. By September 1968, Parkinson had In Focus Mark II on the road with Green, McGuire and Johnny Dick (drums; ex-Max Merritt and the Meteors, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs). Fired by Green, McGuire and Dick's superb musicianship, the new In Focus was perfectly in sync with the tempo of the times. The band became one of the most popular outfits on the Melbourne suburban dance/ inner-city discotheque circuit.
Doug Parkinson In Focus signed a new deal with EMI/Columbia, and the band's version of The Beatles' `Dear Prudence'/`This Must Be the End' (May 1969) shot to #5 on the national chart in June. A month later, the band took out Australia's premier pop prize as first placegetters in the Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds final. EMI deemed the band's proposed new single, `Today (I Feel No Pain)'/`Theme from Twelfth House', to be non-commercial and withdrew it from release. `Today (I Feel No Pain)' was an inventive slice of psychedelia replete with Green's backwards guitar, and it duly appeared on the rare Doug Parkinson In Focus EP alongside `Dear Prudence' and the band's next single, `Without You'/`Hair'. `Without You' returned the band to #5 on the chart in October. A month later, just as the band was riding the crest of a wave of popularity, Green and McGuire left to form short-lived `supergroup' Rush with Malcolm McGee (vocals; ex-Wild Cherries, Python Lee Jackson, Virgil Brothers), Steve Yates (keyboards) and Kevin Murphy (drums; ex-Wild Cherries).
In December 1969, Parkinson and Dick recruited two guitarists, Englishman Mick Rogers (ex-Procession) and Melbourne legend Les Stacpool (ex-Chessmen, Merv Benton and the Tamlas, Levi Smith's Clefs, Rockwell T. James and the Rhythm Aces, Browns), for a new line-up. With Rush having unceremoniously folded, Green returned to the fold in January 1970 and the reconstituted In Focus line-up appeared at Australia's first rock festival, Pilgrimage for Pop at Ourimbah (NSW). In February, McGuire also returned, and Rogers and Stacpool duly departed. The band issued another excellent slice of psychedelic pop as its next single, `Baby Blue Eyes'/`Then I Run', but it only reached #36 on the national chart during May 1970. In June, guitarist Vince Melouney (ex-Aztecs, Bee Gees) invited Dick and Parkinson to join his new band, Fanny Adams, in the UK. Green and McQuire joined Leo De Castro in King Harvest.
When the ill-fated Fanny Adams fell apart in February 1971, Parkinson recalled Green and McGuire for a new In Focus line-up. McGuire brought in drummer Mark Kennedy (ex-Spectrum, King Harvest), and the band picked up where it had left off the previous August. Fable Records issued a new In Focus single, the adventurous hard rock outing `Purple Curtains'/`Pour Out All You've Got', which had already been in the can for a year and featured the previous line-up. The Fanny Adams break-up meant that Parkinson was unable to record for two years. This effectively hampered In Focus's progress, and in December 1971 McGuire and Kennedy left to join Friends and Green joined Gerry and the Joy Band. Parkinson spent the next two years attempting to get his solo career off the ground. He issued one single in August 1972, `Lonely'/`Taking It Easy'. In March 1973, he appeared in the Australian stage production of The Who's rock opera Tommy alongside Billy Thorpe, Daryl Braithwaite, Colleen Hewett, Broderick Smith, Jim Keays and Keith Moon.
With the help of John Capek (piano; ex-Carson), drummers Graham Morgan, Peter Figures and Russell Dunlop, Tim Partridge (bass), guitarists Kevin Borich, Billy Green, Ross East and Jimmy Doyle, Roger Sellers (percussion), Don Reid (flute, sax) and Terry Hannagan (vocals), Parkinson completed his debut solo album, No Regrets (May 1973). Parkinson also formed Life Organisation to play 1940s-styled big band jazz. The line-up included the likes of Teddy Toi, Graham Morgan, Peter Martin (guitar; ex-SCRA), Warren Ford (guitar, piano), Bill Motzing (trombone, keyboards) and briefly Wendy Saddington (vocals). The Life Organisation single `In the Mood (Forties Style)'/`Beyond the Blue Horizon' (June 1973) reached #36 in Sydney. The second single, `Boogie Woogie'/`Little Brown Jug' (November), was not successful. Life Organisation also backed Parkinson on his second solo single (lifted from No Regrets), `Love Gun'/`Dear Prudence' (April 1973). Parkinson also worked as A&R; manager for WEA during this period.
In 1974, Parkinson contributed vocals to two songs, `Cosmic Flash' and `Do Not Go Gentle' (based on a Dylan Thomas poem, and a song In Focus had also played), on Billy Green's film soundtrack to Sandy Harbutt's cult Oz biker film Stone. Parkinson's 1974 touring band comprised Mick Liber (guitar; ex-Python Lee Jackson), Ray Vanderby (keyboards), Rod Coe (bass) and New Zealander Bruno Lawrence (drums, ex-Max Merritt and the Meteors, BLERTA). Lawrence later earned acclaim as an actor in such films as The Quiet Earth and The Delinquents, plus television series Frontline. Parkinson enjoyed his first solo hit single with a cover of Love Affair's `Everlasting Love'/`All I Need is a Song' (November 1974). The single peaked at #22 in Sydney and #14 in Melbourne during March 1975. He issued two singles in 1975, a cover of Vanda and Young's `Love is Like a Cloudy Day'/`One Track Mind' (May) and `Raised on Rock'/`I'm Gonna Get You' (September), but neither charted. Doug Parkinson passed away suddenly at home, on March 1st,2021,
Based in San Benardino, Califorinia this short lived early 1970s band traced its roots to The Torquays. Under the guidance of record label owner/producer/writer Bill Bellman, The Torquays released a series of five singles during their 1964-1967 lifespan. Though they enjoyed some regional success, The Torquays never broke nationally and by 1968 they were history.
A year later band members Ron Casdin, Eddie Perez, Danny Rentz, and Lance Sanvik reappeared as Travellers Aid. Produced by Bill Bellman (he also wrote, or co-wrote four of the ten songs), 1970's "Corduroy Roads" was originally released on the small Rock label. The first couple of times I listened to this one I couldn't figure out what all the excitement was about. Frequently described as The Torques-go-psychedelic, that tagline was complete misleading. In fact the closest this came to be psychedelic were Casdin's fuzz guitar on 'Makin' Tracks'.
nstead the overall feel was a mixture of bar band and country-rock moves. Coupled with low-fi production and basic songwriting skills, I was thoroughly put off by the results. Why would anyone pay mega dollars for this one? Well I can't answer that, but I'll admit that the album's subsequently grown on me. No way I'd ever shell out the asking price for an original, but for the reissue - sure.
Perez and Sanvik provided a steady and uncomplicated base throughout. Casdin's rough hewn voice wasn't fantastic, but he had a gritty edge that was quite likeable and well suited for the rockers like 'Bad Sign'' and 'Deep Water'. Similarly he wasn't the fanciest lead guitarist you've ever heard, but he made the most of his time, turning in solos that were consistently entertaining, but simple enough that you could probably figure out the patterns. Casdin's solo on 'Moonlight' was a perfect example of his telent and limitations. Casdin's rough hewn voice wasn't fantastic, but he had a gritty edge that was quite likeable and well suited for the rockers like 'Bad Sign'' and 'Deep Water'. Similarly he wasn't the fanciest lead guitarist you've ever heard, but he made the most of his time, turning in solos that were consistently entertaining, but simple enough that you could probably figure out the patterns. Casdin's solo on 'Moonlight' was a perfect example of his telent and limitations.
Bad-Cat
Tracks
1. Slow Freight (Bill Bellman) - 3:58
2. Barefoot Boy (From Bearfoot Creek) (Ron Casdin, Bill Bellman) - 2:34
3. Bad Sign (Lance Sandvik) - 3:24
4. Rock And Roll Is Spoken Here(Lance Sandvik) - 2:45
5. Makin' Tracks (Bill Bellman) - 2:45
6. Electric Blues (Gerome Ragni, Galt MacDermot, James Rado) - 2:39
Camel's classic period started with The Snow Goose, an instrumental concept album based on a novella by Paul Gallico. Although there are no lyrics on the album -- two songs feature wordless vocals -- the music follows the emotional arc of the novella's story, which is about a lonely man named Rhayader who helps nurse a wounded snow goose back to health with the help of a young girl called Fritha he recently befriended. Once the goose is healed, it is set free, but Fritha no longer visits the man because the goose is gone. Later, Rhayader is killed in battle during the evacuation of Dunkirk.
The goose returned during the battle, and it is then named La Princesse Perdue, symbolizing the hopes that can still survive even during the evils of war. With such a complex fable to tell, it is no surprise that Camel keep their improvisational tendencies reined in, deciding to concentrate on surging, intricate soundscapes that telegraph the emotion of the piece without a single word. And even though The Snow Goose is an instrumental album, it is far more accessible than some of Camel's later work, since it relies on beautiful sonic textures instead of musical experimentation. The Snow Goose reached 22 in the UK charts
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
Disc 1
1. The Great Marsh - 2:04
2. Rhayader - 3:02
3. Rhayader Goes To Town - 5:20
4. Sanctuary - 1:05
5. Fritha - 1:19
6. The Snow Goose - 3:12
7. Friendship - 1:44
8. Migration - 2:01
9. Rhayader Alone - 1:50
10.Flight Of The Snow Goose - 2:41
11.Preparation - 3:54
12.Dunkirk - 5:25
13.Epitaph - 2:07
14.Fritha Alone - 1:30
15.La Princesse Perdue - 4:56
16.The Great Marsh - 1:15
17.Flight Of The Snow Goose - 2:05
18.Rhayader - 3:11
19.Rhayader Goes To Town - 5:07
20.The Snow Goose/Freefall - 11:02
Tracks 1-16 Original Album, released 1975
Bonus Tracks 17-20
Disc 2
1. Rhayader Goes To Town - 5:08
2. Sanctuary - 1:12
3. The Snow Goose - 3:03
4. Migration - 3:31
5. Rhayader Alone - 1:43
6. Flight Of The Snow Goose - 2:56
7. Preparation - 2:04
8. Dunkirk - 5:10
9. Epitaph - 1:16
10.La Princesse Perdue - 4:40
11.The Great Marsh - 1:57
12.Selections From "The Snow Goose" (A. The Snow Goose, B. Friendship, C. Rhayader Goes To Town)
Written by Peter Bardens, Andrew Latimer
Tracks 1-11 Recorded Live For BBC Radio One "In Concert" 1975
Track 12 From BBC 2 "The Old Grey Whistle Test" 1975
