This is a true forgotten classic. Out of the great San Francisco acid wave, bassist Louis “Cork” Marcheschi -- along with husband and wife, guitarist and Slick vocalist David and Nancy Blossom, bonus guitarist Larry Evans, and Kim Kimsey on drums -- produced but one album in 1967, then basically faded away into normalcy. At the time, critic Ralph J. Gleason said, “I don’t know if they’re immature or premature.” I believe history has proven them to be the latter.
While the razor-bladed blues rock fuzz and love laden “I’m just trying to free my mind” lyricism may have been par for the course for that era, the Blossom’s jazz influences met with Marcheschi’s homemade Radiophonic synths and Theremins to create a sound tragically ahead of its time. Acid Mothers Temple makes a decent living these days doing basically the same thing, touring with a Roland synth, but, since Cork made his own, the aural electricity smothering Cauldron in space sounds is just too fantastically dirty and totally original.
Each Doctor Who warp and UFO multidimensional warble is a Technicolor snowflake caught in a notion where time is no longer relevant, totally unable to be absorbed by a mind without blowing it. These remarkable noises augment a solid base of haphazard prog-blues and Nancy’s dispassionate vocals to make an undeniably classic and deservedly legendary LP, easily on par with the greatest works from the Elephant 6 catalogue or anyone who played at the only good Woodstock. I can see why the ’60s generation may not have dug it, though.
The synthetic opening “And After” sounds like a broken stylus making a feeble impression of a healthy needle as it digs deeper and deeper into the virgin vinyl. Many copies were probably returned on this notion, let alone the fact this is the next level shit today. When this album came out, it was like showing a Shatner-era Star Trek fan The Matrix. They couldn’t really form a full idea as to what they really had in front of them. You sure missed out, 1967.
by Alan Ranta
Tracks
1. And After (Marcheschi) - 2:06
2. If Not This Time (Blossom) - 3:39
3. Opus 777 (Marcheschi) - 0:22
4. The Things That Concern You (Evans, Evans) - 3:30
5. Opus 11 (Marcheschi) - 0:26
6. Red The Sign Post (Blossom, Roswicky) - 2:58
7. For Paula (Marcheschi) - 0:30
8. Rose (Blossom) - 5:07
9. Fantasy (Blossom) - 10:14
10. God Bless The Child (Herzog, Holiday) - 2:36
11. Cauldron (Blossom, Kimsey, Marcheschi) - 4:55
12. If Not This Time (Demo) (Blossom) - 3:39
13. Red The Sign Post (Demo) (Blossom, Roswicky) - 2:17
14. Fly Free (Demo) (Blossom) - 2:41
15. Desire (Demo) (Evans) - 11:39
16.(The Ethix) Bad Trip (33 RPM) (Marcheschi) - 3:21
17.(The Ethix) Skins (Marcheschi) - 2:24
18. (The Ethix) Bad Trip (45 RPM) (Marcheschi) - 2:03
Fifty Foot Hose
* David Blossom - Guitar, Piano
* Nancy Blossom - Vocals
* Larry Evans - Guitar, Vocals
* Terry Hansley - Bass
* Kim Kimsey - Drums
* Cork Marcheschi - Electronics, Sound Effects The Ethix. (Tracks 16 to 18 ) The line-up was possible
* Cork Marcheschi - Bass
* Bob Noto - Guitar
* Bob Gibson - Vocals
* Gary Doos - Drums
Towards the end of Killing Floor's life (first incarnation) we used to play regularly at a place called the Cafe Des Artists.. somebody, possibly Lou, rechristened it the Cafe Disaster. Anyway it was a lively place in Earls Court, as far as I remember. They didn't sell alcohol there so we would always go to the pub first to get in the mood, and sometimes take a bottle of something along to the gig. In fact I can only ever remember being completely legless during those gigs, to the point where I remember crawling underneath the piano one night to get on stage. Whether it was actually necessary as a way of getting on stage I couldn't tell you.
During those gigs we would often be joined on stage by a charismatic figure closely resembling Jimi Hendrix, who would belt out a version of, I think, "Rock Me Baby" or something similar. Ray was already known to us as he had been a member of the band Juicy Lucy, and had had a hit record with a fine version of "Who Do You Love". He had a strong, powerful voice and an imposing stage presence.
Later, when KF was looking for a new singer we thought of Ray. He fitted in immediately, and turned out to be a surprisingly self effacing character with a lively sense of humour. He was usually to be found rolling yet another joint whilst giggling to himself and muttering "what a state..". I'll always remember a long road trip to Cornwall or somewhere, with Ray sitting in the back of the bus sticking little self adhesive stars all over his Flying V guitar. Between stoned giggles I remember him adopting a northern accent.. "I'd rather have my lad sticking stars on 'guitar than out causing trouble".. back to the stoned giggles.
The Flying V was actually a bone of contention, as Ray had joined the band as a singer, but over a period was playing more and more guitar which caused a little friction with the lead guitarist. Ray actually did tell us that he was somehow a reincarnation of the late Jimi H who had come to him in a dream. He also had strong theories that he was actually from a planet called Venusia, so conversations with Ray could become slightly fanciful. And yet he also was so down to earth, and would take us in to visit his white foster parents in their terraced house in Tooting, with the mynah bird squawking in the corner.
Onstage Ray was a powerful presence who always held the audience's attention. Over a period we learned some of his original songs, and the band adopted a looser jamming style which was a good departure from the more structured material which we had started with a few years earlier. We played some great gigs, but to be honest I was too stoned to remember much of it.. it was the early 70s.. that's how it was.
I never saw Ray again after the Killing Floor days but he continued to work with his own band Moon and a new version of Juicy Lucy, still performing up to the time of his death. A great talent and remarkable personality. As it was put to me "the Captain's on his way back to Venusia".. have a good trip Ray. Ray Owen passed away on 31 October 2018.
They are too good a group to vanish without trace after one hit. On this, their first album since Brian Keith left, they show they are talented songwriters as well as good performers. Apart from a rather dreary seven and a half minute version of Macarthur Park they come through well on tracks like Currency, Turn To Me, Give Me Money and Sour Suite, which includes a well-executed drum solo.
Tracks
1. Your Way to Tell Me Go (P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 2:52
2. Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 2:48
3. Currency (M. Graham, N. Olsson, P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 3:40
4. Caledonian Mission (J. Robertson) - 3:00
5. McArthur Park (J. Webb) - 7:35
6. Turn to Me (E. John, Bernie Taupin) - 2:46
7. Baby You're Not to Blame (P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 2:53
8. Give Me Money (P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 3:00
9. Sour Suite (M. Graham, N. Olsson, P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 8:12
10.She Does - 3:08
11.Celebrity Ball - 2:41
Plastic Penny
*Michael Graham - Guitar
*Tony Murray - Bass
*Nigel Olsson - Drums
*Paul Raymond - Organ, Piano
Remaining together following the departure of frontman Wayne Fontana, the Mindbenders got off to one of the most promising starts any band could enjoy, when their debut single "A Groovy Kind of Love" soared to number two in the U.K. and topped the chart in America. And had the group only succeeded in locating a decent follow-up, they might well have developed into one of the finest British bands of the late '60s.
Instead, a series of disastrous choices of 45s condemned them to the ranks of rank also-rans, and it is only later that the sheer quality of their other work -- material hitherto lost on two Mindbenders LPs -- had been re-evaluated sufficiently to let listeners state that here was one of the greatest of all Britain's post-beat bands.
A Groovy Kind of Love album totally failed to capitalize on the success of its title track, floundering to a lowly number 92, while a second song by "Groovy" composers Carole Bayer and Toni Wine, "Ashes to Ashes," scarcely improved on that in the singles' listings. It made number 55, although Fontana did still try to capitalize on it, repressing the Groovy Kind of Love album with "Ashes to Ashes" replacing "Don't Cry No More." (Later in the year, "Ashes to Ashes" hit number 14 in Britain, but only after the vaguely Spector-ish "Can't Live With You (Can't Live Without You)" had struggled to break the Top 30.
The Mindbenders made their final American tour in July 1966, kicking off in Atlanta on Independence Day, in front of a capacity 25,000 crowd. It was a shame they were only the opening band. James Brown was the headliner and, while Eric Stewart remembered, "we went down quite well," a more memorable show came when the Mindbenders played the Fillmore West later in the tour. "The liquid light show was great and really worked with our act, which was a lot heavier than on our records."
Stewart himself had developed into a very strong songwriter in his own right, contributing one song ("My New Day and Age") to the newly emergent prog rock favorites Family, and coming up with another, "Yellow Brick Road," which has been described as "the best record Traffic never made." For singles, however, the Mindbenders continued looking outside for new material.
It was not necessarily a bad decision; their taste, after all, remained impeccable. Their final release of 1966, "I Want Her, She Wants Me," for instance, was written by the Zombies' Rod Argent and was handed to the Mindbenders a full year before it reappeared on the Zombies' own Odyssey & Oracle album.
Fighting hard to keep abreast of the changing currents, the Mindbenders next embarked on their most audacious yet strangely prescient move yet, a full-blown concept album. No matter that, several months before Sgt. Pepper and even longer before SF Sorrow and Tommy, nobody had even heard of concept albums, the Mindbenders' With Woman in Mind remains a gem in that genre. And yet, despite the presence of both "I Want Her, She Wants Me" and "Ashes to Ashes," plus a startling new Graham Gouldman song, the lascivious "Schoolgirl" is an undiscovered gem as well. Unreleased in America, it did little anywhere else and disappeared as quickly as the accompanying single, yet another Bayer/Wine composition, "We'll Talk About It Tomorrow."
Faltering ratings and drooping self-confidence, of course, were not necessarily an insurmountable hurdle. The group was invited to contribute two songs to the soundtrack of Sidney Poitier's movie To Sir, With Love -- "number one hitmakers the Mindbenders" are seen performing live in the school gymnasium, airing "It's Getting Harder All of the Time" and "Off and Running," both sides of their next single. Unfortunately, not even major celluloid exposure could break the group's run of bad luck. Neither could an infusion of new blood, after drummer Ric Rothwell quit to be replaced by Paul Hancox.
By the end of the year, the band was reduced to recording covers of current American hits, which could be rush released in Britain in the hope of beating out the original. Art had been reduced to a crapshoot and, even as the first of the Mindbenders' efforts, a version of the Boxtops' "The Letter." ground its way to number 42 in September 1967 (the competition, by the way, reached number five), it was clear that the end was in sight.
The Mindbenders made one final stab at reversing their fortunes, re-recording "Schoolgirl" and pulling out every psychedelic rock trick in the book. A BBC ban (that lasciviousness again), however, kept the single a good arm's length from either the radio or the charts and, when a reading of Robert Knight's "Blessed Are the Lonely" followed "Schoolgirl" into the dumper, in March 1968, Bob Lang quit (he would reappear as a member of soft rockers Racing Cars in the mid-'70s). He was replaced by Graham Gouldman, in which form the band cut one final single "Uncle Joe, the Ice Cream Man."
The Mindbenders broke up, calling it a day at the Liverpool Empire on November 20, 1968, the last night of a U.K. tour with the Who, Arthur Brown, and Joe Cocker. Stewart and Gouldman, however, would continue working together, first as partners in the newly launched Strawberry Studios, then as one half of 10cc.
by Dave Thompson
You have to sort of pity the Mindbenders -- the group, which had seemed destined for success, had fared so poorly since "A Groovy Kind of Love" that their second LP, With Women in Mind, barely got heard, despite its being as strong as anything that the Kinks were putting out on LP in 1967. The album picks up where the group's first, self-titled album left off, comprised of generally bracing rock & roll with a soul edge and a sense of humor, as well as a solid layer of inventiveness.
Ric Rothwell's highly ornamented drumming holds everything together, giving Eric Stewart and Bob Lang room to add their elegant flourishes and, in Stewart's case, moments of impressive flash, as well. They turn in a convincing R&B-laced rendition of the Goffin/King-composed "Honey and Wine," which is highlighted by killer vocals and a nicely understated guitar break, while "Schoolgirl," which got them banned by the BBC (over its allegedly lascivious tale of teen pregnancy), is an astonishingly catchy number that ought to have had enough hooks to get heard over here.
And their cover of Donnie Elbert's "A Little Piece of Leather" is so beguiling with its jagged, angular, quasi-psychedelic guitar break around the catchy chorus that it's almost worth the price of the album by itself.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. To Be Or Not To Be - 1:58
2. Honey And Wine - 2:55
3. Schoolgirl - 2:20
4. A Little Piece Of Leather - 3:01
5. Shotgun - 3:06
6.1 Want Her She Wants Me - 2:19
7. Mystery Train - 2:59
8. The Morning After - 2:13
9. Homework - 2:51
10. Airport People - 3:07
11. Cool Jerk - 3:11
12. Ashes To Ashes - 2:26
13. School Girl (Single Version) - 2:06
14. Coming Back - 2:51
15. Blessed Are The Lonely - 2:59
16. Yellow Brick Road - 3:00
17. Uncle Joe The Ice Cream Man - 2:21
18. The Man Who Loved Trees - 2:31
19. Don't Cry No More (Live) - 2:40
20. Land Of 1000 Dances (Live) - 1:43
21. In The Midnight Hour (Live) - 1:17
22. See See Rider Jenny Jenny (Live) - 1:34
23. A Groovy Kind Of Love (Live) - 1:57
Bonus tracks from 13-18
Tracks 19-23 from German Tv-Show
The Mindbenders
*Ric Rothwell - Drums
*Bob Lang - Bass
*Eric Stewart - Guitar
Great tough 60s R and B, the lone LP by this formation was recorded and released in Germany only. The band was founded 1962 on the Isle Of Wight first with Ricky Shane or Roger Card on vocals, both had left till 1963. In 1964 the band went professional, even opened for the Rolling Stones. By end of 1964 they left their small Island to find luck in Germany. They played at well known 60s Clubs in Berlin and recorded the 1st LP in early 1965. Together with a first 45 Shame Shame Shame the LP was released in march 1965. Now with a keyboarder in their lineup, they toured through Germanys bigger halls, together with some other bands like The Mozarts (NL) and Die Hexer (Germany) promoted under The Beat Monster Show. It lasted the whole year and even got continued in 1966 in Hof /Saale The Freiheitshalle furniture got nearly destroyed.
In 1966 they opened for the Hollies at Cirkus Krone in Munich, afterwards they jammed together at the PN-Club. A new hard driven R&B single : Midnight Train - Crossbow, produced by Drafi Deutscher reached the shops in 1966, this time on the Hansa label (19186AT). In 1967 the band split. Their leader Gary Cowtan (now playing guitar) stayed in Berlin, did sessions for Marianne Rosenberg or Peter Maffay among many others. As a member of the group Wednesday 2LPs got released in late 70s. He opened his own studio in Berlin and produced and did lyrics for Marc Seaberg, "Looking for Freedom" reached the top of the charts with an interpretation by baywatcher.
Tracks
1. Shame, Shame, Shame (W. J. Reed) - 2:12
2. Down Home Special (Mc Daniel) - 3:25
3. What's All This (Cowtan) - 1:53
4. Dusty Road (John Lee Hooker) - 2:11
5. Rocks In My Bed (Johnson, Vogian) - 5:22
6. Sticks And Stones (Turner, Bevry) - 2:10
7. Road Runner (McDaniel) - 2:36
8. Howling For My Baby (Burnett) - 1:46
9. Big Boss Man (W. J. Reed) - 2:28
10. Nursery Rhyme (Hurner) - 2:58
11.I' m Mad (Jacobs, Agoin) - 2:15
12. Walking The Boogie (John Lee Hooker) - 2:37
13. Smoke Stack Lightning (Burnett) - 4:25
14. Got My Mojo Working (Preston Foster) - 2:29
15. Shame Shame (Mono Single) (W. J. Reed) - 2:12
16. Down Home Special (Mono Single) (Mc Daniel) - 2:26
17. Crossbow (Mono Single) (Cowtan) - 2:28
18. Midnight Train (Mono Single) (Cowtan) - 2:48
The Shamrocks
*Gary „Gordon“ Cowtan - Bass, Vocals
*Dave Eaglen - Guitar, Vocals
*Bern Roberts - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Channing - Drums
*Barry Millership - Bass (1964-3/1965)
*Dave Allen - Keyboards (1965-1967)
Plastic Penny originally came together in the summer of 1967 when ex Universals members vocalist Brian Keith, organist Paul Raymond and bassist Tony Murray decided to form a new band with guitarist Mick Grabham and drummer Nigel Olsson. The Universals had released two singles on producer Larry Page's Page One Records ("I Can't Find You" and "Green Veined Orchard") before disbanding and so it was to Mr. Page that the newly named Plastic Penny turned to form a contract.
The band's debut single was "Everything I Am No Pleasure Without Pain" (POP 051). Released in December 1967 the A side was a cover of a song originally released by The Box Tops and Plastic Penny took it straight into the UK top ten, reaching Mo. 6 and spending ten weeks in the charts. However, the follow up single "Nobody Knows" (written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter)/"Just Happy To Be With You" (POP 052) failed to chart and the various members began to indulge in other activities.
Vocalist Brian Keith already had a lot of session experience and he left in mid 1968, later turning up in Congregation, Big Balls and The Great White Idiot and Screaming Lord Sutch amongst others. The remaining members soldiered on, with Raymond taking on vocal duties. In mid 1968 they released the album "Two Sides Of A Penny" (POL 005) and followed it with the single "Your Way To Tell Me To Go/Baby You're Not To Blame" (POP 079). November 1968 saw a cover of Leiber/Stoller's "Hound Dog/Currency" (POP 107) followed by "She Does/Genevieve" (POP 146) in mid 1969 by which time the group existed only in name as the various members decided to go their separate ways.
Tony Murray joined The Troggs and also contributed bass to Elton John's "Empty Sky" album. Paul Raymond joined Chicken Shack for two years and then played with Savoy Brown between 1971-76. Heavy Metal band U.F.O. was his next step between 1977-79 and he was also a member of the Michael Schenker group. Mick Grabham formed Cochise with Rick Willis, released a solo LP "Mick The Ladd" in 1972, and was a member of Procol Harum between 1973-77. Since then he's been an in demand session guitarist working with the likes of Bandit, The Dukes, Yvonne Elliman, Dave Greenslade and Micky Jupp amongst others. Nigel Olsson's post Plastic Penny career reads like an A-Z of Rock!
He provided the drums for Uriah Heep's debut LP "Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble" and then worked with Elton John on a permanent basis between 1969-74. He also released five solo albums ("Drum Orchestra", "Nigel Olsson", "Drummers Can Sing Too", "Changing Tides" and "Nigel") and has worked with the likes of Eric Carmen, Spencer Davis, Kiki Dee, Randy Edelman, Linda Ronstadt, and the Who to name but a few. History may remember Plastic Penny as 'one hit wonders' but there's no doubting the excellent musicians training ground it provided!
by Mark Brennan
Tracks
1. Everything I Am (D. Penn, S. Oldham) - 2:26
2. Wake Me Up (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 3:09
3. Never My Love (D. Addrisi, D. Addrisi) - 2:23
4. Genevieve (P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 2:08
5. No Pleasure Without Pain My Love (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:42
6. So Much Older Now (P. Raymond, T. Murray) - 2:36
7. Mrs. Grundy (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 5:16
8. Take Me Back (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:20
9. I Want You (John Group) - 3:25
10. It's A Good Thing (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:47
11. Strawberry Fields Forever (J. Lennon, P. McCartney) - 4:27
12. Nobody Knows It (B. Martin, P. Coulter) - 2:31
13. Happy Just To Be With You (B. Keith, P. Raymond) - 2:57
Plastic Penny
*Michael Graham - Guitar
*Brian Keith - Vocals
*Tony Murray - Bass
*Nigel Olsson - Drums
*Paul Raymond - Organ, Piano
After the clatter of their first album failed to bring them a wide audience, the New York Dolls hired producer Shadow Morton to work on the follow-up, Too Much Too Soon. The differences are apparent right from the start of the ferocious opener, "Babylon." Not only are the guitars cleaner, but the mix is dominated by waves of studio sound effects and female backing vocals.
Ironically, instead of making the Dolls sound safer, all the added frills emphasize their gleeful sleaziness and reckless sound. the Dolls sound on the verge of falling apart throughout the album, as Johnny Thunders and Syl Sylvain relentlessly trade buzz-saw riffs while David Johansen sings, shouts, and sashays on top of the racket. Band originals -- including the bluesy raver "It's Too Late," the noisy girl-group pop of "Puss N' Boots," and the Thunders showcase "Chatterbox" -- are rounded out by obscure R&B and rock & roll covers tailor-made for the group. Johansen vamps throughout Leiber & Stoller's "Bad Detective," Archie Bell's "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown," the Cadets "Stranded in the Jungle," and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me Talkin'," yet it's with grit and affection -- he really means it, man!
The whole record collapses with the scathing "Human Being," on which a bunch of cross-dressing misfits defiantly declare that it's OK that they want too many things, 'cause they're human beings, just like you and me. Three years later, the Sex Pistols failed to come up with anything as musically visceral and dangerous. Perhaps that's why the Dolls never found their audience in the early '70s: Not only were they punk rock before punk rock was cool, but they remained weirder and more idiosyncratic than any of the bands that followed. And they rocked harder, too.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Babylon - 3:31
2. Stranded in the Jungle (James Johnson, Ernestine Smith, Al Curry) - 3:49
3. Who Are the Mystery Girls? - 3:07
4. (There's Gonna Be A) Showdown (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff) - 3:37
5. It's Too Late - 4:35
6. Puss 'N' Boots (Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain) - 3:06
7. Chatterbox (Thunders) - 2:26
8. Bad Detective (Kenny Lewis) - 3:37
9. Don't Start Me Talkin' (Sonny Boy Williamson II) - 3:12
10.Human Being - 5:44
All songs written and composed by David Johansen and Johnny Thunders, except as indicated.
The New York Dolls
*David Johansen - Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Gong
*Arthur "Killer" Kane - Bass Guitar
*Jerry Nolan - Drums
*Sylvain Sylvain -Guitar, Piano, Bass, Vocals
*Johnny Thunders - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Lead Vocals On "Chatterbox" Additional Personnel
*Peter Jordan - Bass
*Alex Spyropoulos - Piano
There are hints of girl group pop and more than a hint of the Rolling Stones, but The New York Dolls doesn't really sound like anything that came before it. It's hard rock with a self-conscious wit, a celebration of camp and kitsch that retains a menacing, malevolent edge. The New York Dolls play as if they can barely keep the music from falling apart and David Johansen sings and screams like a man possessed.
The New York Dolls is a noisy, reckless album that rocks and rolls with a vengeance. The Dolls rework old Chuck Berry and Stones riffs, playing them with a sloppy, violent glee. "Personality Crisis," "Looking for a Kiss," and "Trash" strut with confidence, while "Vietnamese Baby" and "Frankenstein" sound otherworldly, working the same frightening drone over and over again. The New York Dolls is the definitive proto-punk album, even more than anything the Stooges released. It plunders history while celebrating it, creating a sleazy urban mythology along the way.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Personality Crisis - 3:43
2. Looking For A Kiss - 3:20
3. Vietnamese Baby (Johansen) - 3:39
4. Lonely Planet Boy - 4:10
5. Frankenstein (Orig.) ( Johansen, Sylvain) - 6:00
6. Trash (Johansen, Sylvain) - 3:09
7. Bad Girl - 3:05
8. Subway Train - 4:22
9. Pills (Bo Diddley) - 2:49
10.Private World (Johansen, Arthur Kane) - 3:40
11.Jet Boy - 4:40
The New York Dolls
*David Johansen - Vocals, Harmonica, Gong
*Arthur "Killer" Kane - Bass Guitar
*Jerry Nolan - Drums
*Sylvain Sylvain - Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Johnny Thunders - Lead Guitar, Vocals Additional Musicians
*Todd Rundgren - Piano, Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer
*Buddy Bowser - Saxophone
*Alex Spyropoulos - Piano
From the ashes of the band "Red Mountain" rose Born Again. Originally from Marin
County in Northern California the band traveled to Los Angeles to try to find
fortune and fame. Local producer Roger Dollarhide took the boys under his wing
and recorded tracks with them in late '69 and early '70 at Sun West Studios in
Hollywood. Led by the tasteful guitar playing of Larry Otis and the soulful
vocals of Bryce Sullivan, Born Again was a very versatile band that created a
hybrid style all their own.
Whether it's a country tinged ballad ala KAK
("She's Gone") or an eerie guitar psych instrumental ("Laura's Waltzing" from
the 1970 Film Soundtrack from "The Velvet Vampire") these boys were one tight
unit that delivered the goods.
Some people will say there is just so much good music from the '60s you can reissue, although the small community of collectors just doesn't seem to care. And then, there are those gems that were recorded but never released at the time.
by Adamus67
These are the most cutthroat projects for a record label: no previous market, no "rarity" cult status, nothing but the sole strength of the music to carry the album. Well, in this case Shadoks can say "mission accomplished." It's hard to say what would have happened of Born Again, had Pagan been released in 1971.
What is easy to state, though, is that singer Brice Sullivan and guitarist Larry Otis made quite an efficient songwriting team. Their brand of blues-rock shows the influence of West Coast psychedelic rock (Iron Butterfly, specifically), but also the rootsier leanings of Savoy Brown. Otis was not a guitar hero, but he had a good sound, strong chops, and a twist in his playing that would have made him recognizable after two or three LPs. That said, the band's strongest asset was Sullivan's strong voice, a soaring blues tenor with a lot of soul. The album proper (the 11 tracks recorded in Los Angeles in 1969-1971 that were first released as an LP by Rockadelic in 2001) deserves to be heard, if only for "Sand Castle," "Radio X," and "Boiling Point," all very good songs.
The 2005 Shadoks reissue on CD adds seven bonus tracks that are less interesting, although the three home demos from 1972 show that the Otis/Sullivan partnership would have had more to offer, given the chance.
by Francois Couture
Tracks
1. Barnyard Blues - 4:22
2. Radio X (Brice Sullivan) - 4:39
3. No Good Reason - 4:00
4. Boiling Point (Brice Sullivan) - 3:11
5. Three Pipers (Dollarhide) - 1:59
6. Laurie Waltzing (Larry Otis) - 2:30
7. Sand Castle - 3:52
8. Good Blues - 2:30
9. She's Gone (Brice Sullivan) - 4:46
10. Comin' Back Strong (Brice Sullivan) - 5:20
11. Lie Me Down (Brice Sullivan) - 4:21
12. Velvet Vampire Radio Spot 1971 - 0:58
13. Laurie Waltzing (Larry Otis) - 3:08
14. Sand Castle (Alt. Mix) - 4:07
15. Om Namah Shivaya (Larry Otis) - 6:09
16. Milk & Honey - 3:41
17. In That Day - 3:20
18. You Let Yourself In - 4:32
All songs by Larry Otis and Brice Sullivan except where noted.
Bonus tracks from 12-18.
Day Blindness came together in 1968 from a pair of competing bands at Jefferson High School in California's San Mateo county. One of the bands was a trio led by guitarist Gary Pihl -- from nearby Santa Clara High -- and included Felix Bria on keyboards and Dave Neuman on drums. This unit ran across one of its rivals, the Dimensions, at a county battle-of-the-bands competition at which both were short-listed. the Dimensions were made up of the Tabucci brothers, Mark and Charles, on saxophones; lead guitarist Ken Starr (younger brother of a Ventures member); Roy Garcia behind the drums; John Vernaza on rhythm guitar; and bass player Ramos Ramirez. So impressed were Pihl and Bria by Garcia's drumming abilities upon seeing the band play that they soon asked him to replace Neuman. The resulting trio officially became Day Blindness in the summer of 1968.
Over the next year, Day Blindness played gigs at many of the most notable venues throughout the Bay Area, even landing an opening slot for Sly & the Family Stone, both locally and on tour. By 1969, Mark Tabucci, who had also become a behind-the-scenes supporter of the band during the Dimensions swap, began to construct a small studio at 10 Claude Lane, funded by local backers and sponsors, in anticipation of the recording of an album. Once Studio 10 was ready, Day Blindness, with new skinsman Dave Mitchell in Garcia's old spot, set about working on that debut record. During the sessions, both Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin stopped by to submit a variety tips, including song titles and artwork. Soon thereafter, Day Blindness was released, though to little fanfare.
The band started to come apart almost immediately after the album's release. Producer and engineer Tom Press used some of his proceeds from the album to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and disappear into the '70s. Tabucci became an automobile repairman for the Jefferson Airplane. Drummer Mitchell went on to produce and engineer for other acts, including Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Pihl later turned up in platinum-selling rock band Boston, then went on to play with Sammy Hagar in the 1990s. Day Blindness, not a big seller upon its release, took on a life of its own in collector's circles.
by Stanton Swihart
Tracks
1. Still Life Girl - 6:23
2. Jazz Song - 2:20
3. Middle Class Lament - 3:39
4. I Got No Money - 4:31
5. House and a Dog - 2:01
6. Live Deep - 2:48
7. Young Girl Blues - 4:22
8. Holy Land - 12:22
Day Blindness
*Felix Brian - Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*David Mitchell - Drums, Vocals
*Gary Pihl - Guitar, Vocals
