Duffy were formed in London in the early 1970s by five guys in their late twenties: Stuart Reffold, vocalist, Barry Coote, guitarist, Joe Nanson, keyboardist, Patrick Sarjeant, bassist and Will Wright , drummer, they met in the university circuits of Cambridge and London.
In the essays, their music had clear influences from the early sonority of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Humble Pie and Jethro Tull, the kind of sound that was in vogue among early British youth of the era. It did not have the heavy mark of the Birmingham scene, which was already outlining the primitive heavy metal, not as progressive as the London scene, which was beginning to see the fuse of Pink Floyd and Yes. It was a sound of convergence.
They often played in university circuits, pubs and nightclubs across the central north-central axis of England, such as the Marquee, Fishmongers Arms and Eel Pie Island in London, The Star Hotel in Croydon, The Mothers in Birmighan, among others.
After getting a name in the local scenes, they were invited to attend major rock festivals, even opening for Deep Purple at the Pop Monster in 1971, until they met, -during one of those shows-, the Swiss producer Stephen Sulke, who had already worked with Santana, Melanie, Aretha Franklin and Buddy Miles.
Sulke became interested of their songs and invited them to record their debut album in Switzerland, where he had contacts with studios, sound engineers and others connected to the music industry, anyone who could be interested in the work of the group. The result was the album "Just in Case You're Interested", originally released by the German label Mabel Records in 1971. At that time they did not manage to release their LP in UK, but only in some European countries, South Africa and South America.
Tracks
1. Matchmaker - 2:42
2. Long Lost Friend - 3:00
3. Judgement Day - 4:21
4. Amie - 2:30
5. It's My Life - 2:50
6. Rock Solid - 3:13
7. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott, Sol Marcus) - 5:49
8. Tell Me - 3:03
9. Riverside - 2:58
10.Place To Die - 2:13
All songs by Patrick Sarjeant, Will Wright, Barry Coote, "Leslie" Joe Nanson, Stuart Reffold except track #7
Producer Jerry Wexler puts the earthy vocals of Maggie Bell in a beautiful setting here. She stretches John Prine's "Souvenirs" to the max with Steve Gadd ably assisting by splashing the drums as deep as Bell's vocals. Her uptempo version of J.J. Cale's "After Midnight" is more captivating than Eric Clapton's; she oozes that Etta James sexuality while Reggie Young throws some tasty guitar into the semi-calypso groove. Bell's identity is unique on much of the material, but a couple of tunes have her paying tribute to some of her sisters.
The title track, "Queen of the Night," is drenched in gorgeous harmonies by the Sweet Inspirations and is pure Genya Ravan, but conversely, the cover of "A Woman Left Lonely," embraced totally by Janis Joplin on Pearl, is a sweet vocal and totally alien to how Joplin ripped the song to shreds so wonderfully. It works on an entirely different level on Queen of the Night -- Bell's voice is an instrument that slips into different styles on a moment's notice. She takes the fun but silly Ringo Starr/Vini Poncia number five hit from the same year and gives it some style, then turns around with Deadric Malone's "As the Years Go Passing By" and delivers another brand of quality sound. Cornell Dupree's fabulous guitar leads cook in the background -- the frosting on the cake for "As the Years Go Passing By." Intense and beautiful, it is the real sleeper here. While Merry Clayton was singing backup on Ringo Starr's "Oh My My" and ex-Black Oak Arkansas Ruby Starr would track Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed," Bell broke through her Stone the Crows image to cover a range of ideas, giving even David Clayton Thomas some respectability, taking his original "Yesterday's Music" to new heights with a Bonnie Bramlett-style touch of gospel.
From Will Jennings to Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen, Bell's Queen of the Night is a stunningly marvelous mix of blues, pop, soul, and Southern rock. "We Had It All" builds with a smoldering tension that gives Bell a platform for her inspired phrasings. Sager must've been over the top when she first heard this version of "The Other Side." This is music straight from the heart, which concludes with "Trade Winds," piano, drums, and Bell's voice tapering off like the end of a great set at some intimate nightclub. This is an extraordinary creation worth pulling out when you want to appreciate a fine wine like Queen of the Night.
by Joe Viglione
Tracks
1. Cado Queen (Mentor Williams, Troy Seals, Will Jennings) - 3:38
2. A Woman Left Lonely (Dan Penn, Dewey Oldham) - 3:55
3. Souvenirs (John Prine) - 5:34
4. After Midnight (J.J. Cale) - 2:38
5. Queen Of The Night (Ronnie Leahy) - 4:03
6. Oh My My (Richard Starkey, Vinny Poncia) - 2:57
7. As The Years Go Passing By (Deadric Malone) - 4:23
8. Yesterday's Music (David Clayton-Thomas, William Smith) - 3:27
9. We Had It All (Donny Fritts, Troy Seals) - 2:57
10.The Other Side (Carole Bayer Sager, Peter Allen) - 2:55
11.Trade Winds (Ralph MacDonald, William Salter) - 5:17
12.Penicillin Blues (Live Bonus Track) (Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry) - 12:11
13.Wishing Well (Live Bonus Track) (John "Rabbit" Bundrick, Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Tetsu Yamauchi) - 4:03
Leon Russell never quite hit all the right notes the way he did on his eponymous debut. He never again seemed as convincing in his grasp of Americana music and themes, never again seemed as individual, and never again did his limited, slurred bluesy voice seem as ingratiating. He never again topped his triptych of "A Song for You," "Hummingbird," and "Delta Lady," nor did his albums contain such fine tracks as "Dixie Lullaby."
Throughout it all, what comes across is Russell's idiosyncratic vision, not only in his approach but in his very construction -- none of the songs quite play out as expected, turning country, blues, and rock inside out, not only musically but lyrically. Yes, his voice is a bit of an acquired taste, but it's only appropriate for a songwriter with enough chutzpah to write songs of his own called "I Put a Spell on You" and "Give Peace a Chance." And if there ever was a place to acquire a taste for Russell, it's here.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. A Song For You - 4:08
2. Dixie Lullaby (Leon Russell, Chris Stainton) - 2:35
3. I Put A Spell On You - 4:12
4. Shoot Out On The Plantation - 3:13
5. Hummingbird - 4:02
6. Delta Lady - 4:05
7. Prince Of Peace (Leon Russell, Greg Dempsey) - 3:05
8. Give Peace A Chance (Russell, Bonnie Bramlett) - 2:23
9. Hurtsome Body - 3:39
10.Pisces Apple Lady - 2:53
11.Roll Away The Stone (Leon Russell, Greg Dempsey) - 3:10
All Songs By Leon Russell Except Where Indicated
It's that legendary "Heavy Music" man back on the scene again with his fifth album in as many years, and most likely his best (arguably, his best material is available only on Abkco singles, and were originally released on the Cameo-Parkway label six years ago}.
If you're residing on either coast, it's a good bet you've never heard of this guy, and you've been missing a thrill. Hopefully, this album will change all that. In the South, Southwest, and all-important Midwest, they rank this Detroit boy right up there with Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker. With good reason -- Bob has consistently churned out great singles for six years, and always puts on a great, exciting live show. Seger is an intense, charismatic performer and person, and the fact that he has never made it big in California or New York is at least as unfortunate for those of us living in those states, as it is for Seger himself. And he is one of the few hard rockers who is totally capable of translating his in-concert excitement from the stage to the vinyl.
The man who wrote "Heavy Music," "2 + 2," "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," and "Death Row" in his days with Cameo and then Capitol Records (the most important of the Capitol LPs to have is Tales of Lucy Blue) comes through here not so much with original material as with successful interpretations of already popular songs. His "If I Were A Carpenter" was a pretty big hit last summer, for instance, and that's a pretty hard song to breathe new life into, it's been done so many times already.
He's backed on this record by Teegarden and Van Winkle, themselves an established popular Michigan rock group (remember "God, Love, and Rock and Roll"?). Seger can rock with the best of them on guitar or keyboards, but his greatest asset is his voice. Echoes of Eric Burdon in his prime may run through your head, and justifiably so, but Seger has his own vocal style.
His choice of material for this album is eclectic and successful: Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" and Eric Anderson's Chuck Berry riff, "Let It Rock." Plus Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With," Leon Russell's "Hummingbird" and Bobby Blue Bland's classic "Lovelight."
Worth the entire price of admission, however, is a version of "Heavy Music" that sounds very close to the original version of six years ago. It must be an old version, because the band is Seger's old Last Heard, not the same personnel as on the rest of this record. The song is a prime example of and an anthem about Detroit's heavy rock and roll music.
It's about time that Bob Seger achieved the recognition that his talents and his six years of sweat and poverty have earned him. There is no excuse for you to not have this album in your collection, no excuse at all.
Case dismissed.
Harold Tribune, Words and Music, 12/72
Tracks
1. Bo Diddley/Who Do You Love (Ellas McDaniel) - 6:17
2. Love the One You're With (Stephen Stills) - 4:17
3. If I Were a Carpenter (Tim Hardin) - 3:48
4. Hummin' Bird (Leon Russell) - 3:47
6. Let It Rock (Chuck Berry) - 3:25
7. Turn on Your Love Light (Deadric Malone, Joseph Wade Scott) - 4:44
8. Jesse James (Traditional) - 3:29
9. Someday (Bob Seger) - 2:34
10.Heavy Music (Bob Seger) - 2:33
Sydney band McPhee, which formed in 1970, released no Singles and only one LP during its brief life, but the group has long enjoyed a cult following and rock historian Chris Spencer describes it as "one of the most collectible (and enjoyable) Australian Albums of its time".
Jim Deverell and Benny Kaika were originally from New Zealand, and Deverell and Joyce had previously worked together as session players backing artists like Digby Richards, The Delltones and Little Sammy & The In People. Faye Lewis had done session singing and had been a member of Luke's Walnut, the group that replaced Tully as house band for the musical Hair in early 1970. English-born Terry Popple had been a member of late 60's UK band Tramline, who issued a couple of Albums on the Island label. He linked up with McPhee shortly after the group formed, when he travelled to Australia in early 1970, and the band began working on the Sydney club and wine bar circuit.
McPhee was strongly influenced by the acid-rock and progressive styles coming from the UK, as indicated by their covers of songs done by acts like Spooky Tooth and Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity, as well as the emerging west coast American sounds like Neil Young. In this respect they operated in the same general area as contemporary groups like Melissa and Galadriel, although on record they were probably the hardest-hitting outfit of the three.
In 1971 they went into Martin Erdman's World Of Sound studio in Sydney to record an album for erdman's independent Violet's Holiday label. The sessions yielded seven tracks that were favourites from the bands live repertoire. The two originals were the lengthy jazz-rock instrumental Out to Lunch and five cover versions, including 'heavy' renditions of Spooky Tooth's "The Wrong Time", Neil Young's "Southern Man", Ritchie Haven's "Indian Rope Man" and The Beatles' "I am The Walrus".
The album's piece de resistance was the surging rendition of "Indian Rope Man" (a Richie Havens song done in the style of the cover by British soul/R&B act Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity) highlighted by a stunning Hammond organ solo by Jim Deverell.
Released with little promotion in early 1972, the album sank without trace. Perhaps only 500 copies were ever pressed, which places it with Albums like Company Caine's fabled Dr Chop as one of the rarest of Aussie LPs of that era.
Not long after the album came out, McPhee broke up. Popple returned to the UK where he joined he joined his former colleague Mick Moody in SNAFU. Lewis returned to session work and sang in an outfit called The Bondi Bitch Band. Kaika played with Jeff St John, John Robinson's band Tramp and Leo De Castro's New King Harvest. Deverell moved on to the USA and apparently died of cancer some years ago. Joyce relocated to Darwin, where he joined a number of Aboriginal bands like Under the Spell of Trees, Life on Mars and Dogboy, which featured American-born drummer Allen Murphy, who had worked with Warumpi Band and Yothu Yindi. For a number of years during the early 1990s, Joyce ran the Northern Territory office of the AusMusic organisation.
In the pantheon of Australian early 70's progressive rockdom, McPhee must rank as one of its most obscure outfits. McPhee's solitary album appeared to little fanfare in early 1972 and simply sank without trace. Its likely that only 500 copies were ever pressed so it rates as a significant rarity. More importantly, 'Mc Phee' stands as one of the great lost treasures of Australias progressive rock era, a truly fascinating artefact of tremendous scope. The tapes have been dusted off so that you can hear this hard-hitting underground masterpiece in all its glory. McPhee came together in Sydney during 1970 with the line-up of Faye Lewis (vocals), Tony Joyce (lead guitar), Jim Deverell (Hammond Organ), Benny Kaika (bass) and Terry Popple (drums). Deverell and Kaika were originally from New Zealand, while Englishman Popple had been a member of late 60's UK blues-boom band Tramline, who issued a couple of albums on the Island label.
McPhee played the local club and bar cicuit around Sydney and in 1971 entered producer Martin Erdman's World Of Sound studio in order to record an album. The sessions yielded material culled from the bands live repertoire including five cover versions. McPhee's influences extended from the prevailing Acid-rock trends of the day, to the emergent sounds of progressive rock with a smattering of contemporary rock hits. From the outset it is clear that McPhee is imbued with a crucial kick and gritty sense of purpose. It is brimming with acidy, wah-wah fuelled lead breaks and some of the most awesomely heavy and stunning Hammond organ playing to be heard anywhere on an Australian album. The opening cut, a groaning version of Spooky Tooth's 'The Wrong Time' (from 'The Last Puff'), sets the scene. Joyce peels off a series of clattering guitar riffs while Deverell holds the whole thing together with his growling organ bubbling away underneath. McPhee also tackle Spooky Tooths brooding arrangement of Lennon and McCartney's 'I Am The Walrus' (again from 'The Last Puff') which is pretty freaky stuff! The surging seven minute version of Richie Havens' 'Indian Rope Man' (as covered by Julie Driscoll & Brian Augers Trinity) remains the albums piece de resistance.
The album ends with a Tony Joyce original titled 'Out To Lunch'. This jazz flavoured instrumental starts out innocuously enough, but the 10 minute, open-ended arrangement allows the band to stretch out in fine style. Joyce takes the spotlight with a lengthy guitar solo which eventually concedes to more organ pyrotechnics. Not long after the album appeared, the members of McPhee went their seperate ways. Popple returned to the U.K. where he joined old cohort Mick Moody in SNAFU. Deverell the keyboard wizard apparentlysuccumbed to cancer and Joyce relocated to Darwin where he played with a number of Aboriginal bands, and for several years ran the Northern Territory office of the AusMusic organisation. The chances of unearthing an original vinyl pressing of McPhee are now pretty slim. So take advantage of this reissue to savour the delights of a magnificent lost gem.
by Vicious Sloth
Tracks
1. The Wrong Time (Gary Wright, Hugh McCracken) - 6:38
2. Sunday Shuffle (Benny Kaika) - 3:25
3. Southern Man (Neil Young) - 5:51
4. Indian Rope Man (Jim Price, Mark Roth, Richie Havens) - 7:19
5. Superstar (Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell) - 7:19
6. I Am The Walrus (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 5:05
7. Out To Lunch (Tony Joyce) - 8:03
These guys actually had an interesting background. Irish-born singer/guitarist Sean Byrne had been a member the California-based The Count Five who had a classic one-shot single with 'Psychotic Reaction'. When that band fell apart Byrne eventually returned to Ireland where in the early 1970s he ended up as a member of Public Foot the Roman along with lead guitarist Greg Knowles, drummer Jaime Lane, keyboardist Dag Small, and bassist Ward (guess he couldn't afford a last name).
Produced by Derek Lawrence who handled a bunch of the Wishbone Ash catalog, 1973's oddly titled "Public Foot the Roman" was kind of an odd hybrid of AOR and progressive moves - occasionally blended together in the same song ('When You Lay It Down'). With Byrne responsible for all eight tracks on the surface that wouldn't sound particularly promising (I can see folks thinking along the lines of a second tier Genesis or Gentle Giant).
The fact of the matter is that while there wasn't a great deal of originality here, the band played with considerable energy and with one of two exceptions (the country-tinged 'King for a Day'), this album was a lot of fun to hear. Byrne, Lane, and Small all handled lea vocals, though Byrne seemed to be the most prominent of the three. All of them had decent if slightly anonymous voices that managed to cover the band's entire catalog. For his part Knowles was a truly overlooked guitarist who turned in some first-rate performances on this overlooked set.. That said, the band's secret weapon (well I guess he really wasn't much of a secret) was keyboardist Small who managed to salvage virtually everything he touched.
Tracks
1. Land Owner - 4:38
2. When You Lay It Down - 5:40
3. King For A Day - 3:09
4. Judas Returns - 6:00
5. Don't Bite The Hand - 5:05
6. One - On My Mind - 4:54
7. Decline And Fall - 8:31
All compositions by Sean Byrne
Public Foot The Roman
*Sean Byrne - Guitar, Vocals
*Greg Knowles - Guitar
*Jamie Lane - Drums, Vocals
*Dag Small - Keyboards, Vocals
*Ward - Bass
Genuine UK prog rock obscurity from 1971, originally released in a tiny run on the custom SRT label. Collusion was a Dagenham-based six piece with twin guitars and interwoven male/female vocals as the main ingredients. Expect hard-edged prog-rock with tasty folk and jazz elements.
This engaging release features seven original tracks with the stunning 'Bluebirds' and the epic 'Sweetbread Line' as the undisputed highlights. The package is presented with a special poster sleeve offering rare pics and memorabilia. There also are extensive sleeve notes and a band history by Tony Davison, plus an additional comment by their manager and esteemed promoter Darrol Edwards.
Tracks
1. I've Got That Cold Porridge Feeling - 3:19
2. Might As Well Be Dead - 4:41
3. Song Of Pity - 5:02
4. The Way It Used To Be (Tony Davison, Steve Webb) - 6:16
5. Saturday Morning (Down The Dead Highway) (Mike West, Tony Davison) - 4:45
6. Sweetbread Line - 5:24
7. Bluebirds - 7:37
All song by Mike West except where stated
Lesley Duncan's debut album was a modestly engaging slice of early-'70s singer/songwriter rock, though not distinctive enough amidst a rapidly crowding field to command attention. Somewhat like Elton John, she blended parts of folk-rock, the emerging singer/songwriter movement, pop (though less pop than John), and bits of the Band's gospel-rock flavor. Indeed, the record is best known for Duncan's own version of her composition "Love Song," covered by Elton John on Tumbleweed Connection (and way back in 1969 by a pre-"Space Oddity" David Bowie on a home demo that's since been bootlegged).
Reference points among Duncan's countrywomen might include the obscure early-'70s work of Marianne Faithfull (though not as dark) or Bridget Saint John. Duncan wasn't as folky or reserved as Saint John, but this is pretty laid-back, and too pensively even-tempered and melodically bland to make a deep impression. The sound is certainly pleasant and professional, due in large part to the presence of some big names in the session band, including guitarist Chris Spedding, Pentangle drummer Terry Cox, and most of all Elton John himself on piano. The more bittersweet-than-usual "Love Song," here garnished by some odd rainfall-like effects in the background, is the standout, while "Crying in the Sun" edges oddly close to the kind of pop/rock ballad that could have been covered by Dusty Springfield. Lesley Duncan, died aged 66 of cerebro- vascular disease, 12 March 2010.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Chain Of Love (Lesley Duncan, Jimmy Horowitz) - 4:43
2. Lullaby - 3:52
3. Help Me Jesus - 3:13
4. Mr. Rubin - 7:04
5. Rainbow Games - 2:42
6. Love Song - 3:38
7. Sunshine (Send Them Away) - 3:30
8. Crying In The Sun (Lesley Duncan, Jimmy Horowitz) - 3:10
9. Emma (Lesley Duncan, Jimmy Horowitz) - 2:37
10.If You Won't Be Mine - 2:56
11.Sing Children Sing - 3:39
All Songs by Lesley Duncan except where indicated
Beyond their trademark sound—Roger McGuinn’s shimmering 12-string Rickenbacker and Gene Clark and David Crosby’s smoke and honey harmonies—the Byrds were musical game changers who transformed rock ‘n’ roll three times.
With brilliant arrangements of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” and Pete Seeger’s “Turn, Turn, Turn,” they forged the folk-rock sound of the mid-’60s.
Inspired by jazz saxophonist John Coltrane’s modal improvisations over popular movie themes like “My Favorite Things” and “Chim Chim Cherie,” and the rambling ragas of the Bangladeshi sitarist Ravi Shankar (a fervent Crosby had allegedly hipped George Harrison to Indian music after he’d attended a Shankar recording session), The Byrds helped launch psychedelic music with “Eight Miles High.” Released on March 14, 1966, the song opened our ears and minds to a whole new realm of sonic possibility five months before the Beatles’ mesmerizing mantra “Tomorrow Never Knows” and a year before the acid jams of the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix.
But by 1967 The Byrds were in shambles.
Their lead-singer and top songwriter Gene Clark, responsible for the band’s first self-penned hits “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” and “Set You Free This Time” had abruptly quit the group in January 1965, ironically citing his fear of flying as the reason for leaving while insiders claimed that working with the notoriously arrogant David Crosby nearly caused him to suffer a nervous breakdown.
In the vacuum created by Clark, bassist Chris Hillman quickly stepped up to the plate. When The Byrds released Younger Than Yesterday on February 6, 1967, four of the album’s best songs were penned by Hillman.
Before joining McGuinn, Clark and Crosby, Hillman’s background was in bluegrass, playing mandolin before picking up electric bass. Hillman would invite his old friend, guitarist (and future Byrd) Clarence White to the studio to add his trademark slippery country riffs to his songs, “Time Between” and “The Girl With No Name,” which (along with their earlier single “Mr. Spaceman”) set The Byrds heading down the country-rock road.
Originally named the Jet Set before adopting the Byrds as their moniker, the clever spelling wasn’t just some Renaissance-inspired wordplay; Roger McGuinn and company had dubbed their group in honor of the great Admiral Richard Byrd, famous for his expeditions to both the North and South poles.
The band’s slogan “Always Beyond Today” summed up the philosophy behind many of their sonic experiments, which, while always innovative and interesting, didn’t always bear repeated listening. McGuinn’s electronic dabbling on “C.T.A. 102,” which employed an oscillator and manipulated voices and Crosby’s meandering free-form bardic recitation on “Mind Gardens” seemed self-indulgent at best. But many of these ideas would actually come to fruition on their following album The Notorious Byrd Brothers.
I can only hope Crosby was high on LSD while recording “Mind Gardens,” intending it to be a “sonic relic” or perhaps a “contemporary urban field recording,” otherwise there was no excuse for committing this embarrassment to wax. To be fair, he would later reign himself in enough to record the mesmerizing “Guinevere” with Crosby, Stills and Nash, which incorporated many of the best aspects of “Mind Gardens” and “Renaissance Fair.”
The sessions for The Byrds’ fourth album began on July 28, 1966, with Gary Usher, who’d co-written the Beach Boys’ classic ballad “In My Room” with Brian Wilson, at the helm. Having just produced Gene Clark’s debut album Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers for Columbia Records (a fine record that immediately plummeted into oblivion) Usher helped try to balance the escalating tensions within the band while bringing an ethereal luster to the music (perfectly illustrated by the pixilated album’s cover shot).
Usher would thankfully stay on through another major shift in the Byrds’ personnel and style to produce their next two albums, the psych/country milestone The Notorious Byrd Brothers and their Americana masterpiece, Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
The dismissal of David Crosby in October ’67 came as little or no surprise. His firing could not be attributed to any particular reason. As far as McGuinn and Hillman were concerned there were far too many to count. Both Hillman and McGuinn had been aggravated by Crosby’s on-stage politically-charged remarks about the Kennedy assassination at the Monterey Pop Festival the previous June. On top of that, Crosby had brazenly joined “the enemy,” when he played a set with his friends, Buffalo Springfield, filling in for Neil Young, who failed to show up for the gig.
Over the next few years, The Byrds would be in a constant state of flux abruptly changing direction, dropping their celebrated 12-string sound in lieu of banjos, fiddles and mandolins, when they headed down to Nashville at the suggestion of new recruit Gram Parsons. The result was their 1968 opus Sweetheart of the Rodeo and the creation of country-rock…not that Ringo Starr hadn’t helped break down the barriers between long hairs and rednecks with his earlier cover of the Bakersfield cowboy Buck Owen’s “Act Naturally.”
But back to Younger Than Yesterday…The album’s lead-off single, “So You Want to be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” was a cynical statement about the mad whirlwind of fame and money that many pop stars found suddenly themselves in the center of. While taking aim at pre-fab groups like the Monkees, the song could be seen as a self-deprecating autobiographical comment from The Byrds’ about their debut album, which, with the exception of Roger McGuinn’s 12-string guitar, was performed by a top-notch group of L.A. session players known as the Wrecking Crew.
The Crew’s pro performances would soon come back to haunt The Byrds when, on the success of “Mr. Tambourine Man,” they toured the U.K. in 1965 and failed to replicate the rich, warm sound of their No. 1 single.
The screaming of exuberant crowds heard on “So You Want to be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” who thought they were witnessing the “American Beatles” ultimately went home disappointed in the band’s shabby performance. The song also featured some hot brassy riffs by the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela that not only gave the tune a jagged jazz edge but also pointed to the future genre of “World Beat.”
The album’s title was inspired by Dylan’s “My Back Pages” (“I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now”), which provided the band with its next single (and the third Dylan tune to provide the band with a hit). “My Back Pages” became a point of contention for Crosby, who rightfully felt shortchanged as his songs perpetually wound up as Byrds B-Sides.
In hind-sight it is clear that McGuinn and Hillman continually chose to shelve Crosby’s tunes in favor of their own compositions or songs by outside writers including Dylan, Pete Seeger and Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
Among Younger Than Yesterday’s highlights were Crosby’s “Everybody’s Been Burned,” (released on the flip-side of “So You Want to be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”) written when he was playing folk clubs back in 1962 and the gorgeous “Renaissance Fair” (the B-side to “My Back Pages”), which perfectly captured the atmosphere of the time, burgeoning counter-culture and events like the Human Be-In and Monterey Pop.
The album’s closing number, “Why,” had already appeared in an earlier, better version as the B-side to “Eight Miles High.” Ignored, “Why” fell into obscurity and Crosby felt the song deserved a redux. A perfect portrait of ’60s repression and rebellion, the tune was also a great vehicle for McGuinn’s spiraling 12-string raga riffs. Crosby later confessed that he favored the earlier Jim Dickson-produced version, despite his demand that the band recut the song and include it on Younger than Yesterday.
A few additional Crosby numbers from the sessions, including “It Happens Each Day,” with its counterpoint trumpet arrangement, and the bright and bouncy “Lady Friend”—both stronger than many of the songs that comprise Younger Than Yesterday’s playlist—would surface in later compilations, and McGuinn and Hillman’s lush psyche/country rocker “Old John Robertson” was later released as the lead-off single from The Notorious Byrd Brothers whose album cover photo depicted now just three original members of The Byrds. In the fourth stall, David Crosby had been replaced by a horse. While the cover depicts the stallion’s face, it is rumored that outtake photos from the session also included snaps of the band smiling with the animal’s rear end facing the camera
An album that found The Byrds in the delirious high of transition, at times gloriously scattershot with experimentation, for all its blemishes, Younger Than Yesterday still sounds as fresh today as it did in 1967. The Byrds always dared to fly where only eagles dared—that kind of ambition will always be timeless.
by John Kruth, 02/06/17
Tracks
1. So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star (Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman) - 2:04
2. Have Seen Her Face (Chris Hillman) - 2:30
3. C.T.A. - 102 (Jim McGuinn, Robert J. Hippard) - 2:29
4. Renaissance Fair (David Crosby, Jim McGuinn) - 1:51
5. Time Between (Chris Hillman) - 1:54
6. Everybody's Been Burned (David Crosby) - 3:02
7. Thoughts And Words (Chris Hillman) - 2:54
8. Mind Gardens (David Crosby) - 3:28
9.My Back Pages (Bob Dylan) - 3:05
10.The Girl With No Name (Chris Hillman) - 1:50
11.Why (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) - 2:45
12.Don't Make Waves (Single Version) (Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman) - 1:33
13.It Happens Each Day (David Crosby) - 2:47
14.My Back Pages (Single Version) (Bob Dylan) - 2:33
15.So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star (Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman) - 2:06
16.Have Seen Her Face (Chris Hillman) - 2:40
17.C.T.A. - 102 (Jim McGuinn, Robert J. Hippard) - 2:28
18.Renaissance Fair (David Crosby, Jim McGuinn) - 1:52
19.Time Between (Chris Hillman) - 1:54
20.Everybody's Been Burned (David Crosby) - 3:05
21.Thoughts And Words (Chris Hillman) - 2:57
22.Mind Gardens (David Crosby) - 3:46
23.My Back Pages (Bob Dylan) - 3:09
24.The Girl With No Name (Chris Hillman) - 1:50
25.Why (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) - 2:48
Tracks 1-11 Original Album Mono Version
Bonus Tracks mono 12-14
Tracks 15-25 Original Album Stereo Version
The Byrds
*Jim McGuinn - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*David Crosby - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Chris Hillman - Electric Bass, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Michael Clarke - Drums Additional Musicians
*Hugh Masekela - Trumpet
*Cecil Barnard (Hotep Idris Galeta) - Piano
*Jay Migliori - Saxophone
*Vern Gosdin - Acoustic Guitar
*Clarence White - Guitar
*Daniel Ray (Big Black) - Percussion
Evie Sands is another character in the long line of those whose name is being mentioned among the “small circle of friends” and true aficionados, and whose songs (well at least some of them) are well known to even an average listener, without actually being aware of the original artist.
After three singles in 1965/66/67 respectively, with each of the songs, thanks to plain misfortune, becoming a hit single for someone else instead for her own self (Take Me For A Little While – Jacke Ross, I Can’t Let Go – The Hollies, Angel Of The Morning – Merrilee Rush), her long overdue stroke of luck finally came with the cover of her producer Chip“Wild thing”Taylor’s Anyway That You Want Me in 1969.
With an additional middle eight, the author himself, considers this to be the definitive version of the song, made worthy of any BIG productions archive. Her long awaited debut album followed early in 1970, and was more than worth the wait, it’s just that those who realised it at the time were pretty rare.
Besides the mentioned hit single, also included is an updated version of Take Me For A Little While, as well as a couple more genuine female blue-eyed soul items such as Close Your Eyes, Cross Your Fingers or I’ll Hold Out My Hand, with an additional fuzzy guitar line giving it an extra dimension.
Also worth the mention is the opening swirling orchestral cacophony, leading into another piece of soulful pop, Crazy Annie, the slightlydelic orchestration of Shadow Of The Evening, while It’s This I Am was Evie’s debut self-written recording, recently brought back to public attention by both Beck and Beth Orthon.
Being somewhere between the soulful deliveries of the latter-day Dusty Springflied, and the melodic eclecticism of Carole King, with a touch of rootsy Americana, it’s not hard to see why Dusty herself, cites Evie Sands as her favourite female singer.
by Garwood Pickjon
Tracks
1. Crazy Annie (Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor) - 3:42
2. But You Know I Love You (Mike Settle) - 2:57
3. I'll Never Be Alone Again (Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor) - 3:05
4. Any Way That You Want Me (Chip Taylor) - 3:39
5. Close Your Eyes, Cross Your Fingers (Chip Taylor, Ted Daryll) - 4:02
6. It's This I Am (Evie Sands) - 4:10
7. Shadow Of The Evening (Chip Taylor) - 4:16
8. Take Me For A Little While (Trade Martin) - 2:43
9. Until It's Time For You To Go (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - 2:58
10.I'll Hold Out My Hand (Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor) - 3:27
11.Carolina In My Mind (James Taylor) - 0:40
12.One Fine Summer Morning (Al Gorgoni) - 3:23
13.Maybe Tomorrow (Alan Bergman. Marilyn Bergman, Quincy Jones) - 3:14
