This was apparently a one-shot album for the Uncle Bill label. It was pressed in Greensboro, NC (40 miles south of Danville) and may be the only lp on the label.
The album has a rogressive touch, with quite a lot of brass and woodwind and the occasional mellow instrumental like "Jimmy's Song" and "Rainbows".
Band known for its strong stage presence including an appearance in the buff at the 1971 rock festival in LoveValley, NC; used fog machines and other stage gimmicks to create a crowd frenzy; veteran musicians formed group almost overnight with members of The Impacts and The Pieces of Eight.
Tracks
1 Wishing Well - 4.15
2 Toe Jam - 3.20
3 Blue, Down, And Out - 2.49
4 Big Leg Woman - 2.23
5 Revaduction - 1.20
6 Where Do We Go From Here - 4.10
7 I'll Be Gone Come Yesterday - 2.50
8 I've Learned To Hide The Pazh - 4.21
9 Jimmy's Song - 3.23
10 K.D.'S Dilemma - 5.35
11 Rainbows - 2.11
12 Princess - 3.26
13 Critics, Friends, And People - 3.24
The Twentieth Century Zoo were the first psyche rock hand from Phoenix to have a national album release. The story begins in 1966 when West High School student Bob Sutko recruited Allan Chitwood and Greg Farley and formed the folk-rocking Bitter Sweets.
The band became a fixture on the valley rock ‘n' roll scene, measuring up to such local legends as the (pre-Alice Cooper) Spiders, the Caravelles, the Mile Ends, Vibratos and Phil and the Frantics. The Bitter Sweets released two local singles in 1966 and 1967, including the now sought-after Byrds clone "Cry Your Eyes Out" (Hype 102). The Bitter Sweets gained the support of Tony Evans, an influential music director of Phoenix radio giant KRIZ (1230 am).
Evans ran Routeen Music, a local publishing company, which scored a big hit on Artco - a Phoenix soul label - with the original "Funk)' Broadway" by Dyke and The Blazers. Evans soon placed the regional hit on Art Laboe's Original Sound Records in Los Angeles. This connection led to the band's third and final single - "In The Night/Another Chance" (OSR 70) - getting a similar national shot in 1967. Though "In The Night" holds up as a decent fuzz-punker today, contemporary success eluded the band. By late 1967, the Bitter Sweets decided to take a different tack, psychedelicizing into the Twentieth Century Zoo.
Besides ex-Bitter Sweets Sutko (vocals and harmonica), Farley (rhythm guitar), Chitwood (bass) and drummer Paul Bennett, the group picked up Paul "Skip" Ladd, formerly of the Laser Beats ("Rampage," Laser 101), on lead guitar. Band manager Chari Zelman – affectionately recalled as a pushy, redheaded, single mom - financed a session at Audio Recorders on North Seventh Street in Phoenix. The resulting single's A-side, "Clean Old Man" (CAZ 103) gave little warning ot the ferocity found on the flip.
The mind-crunching fuzz of "You Don't Remember" could have clinched legendary status for The Zoo all by itself. Shortly after the record hit the streets in late 1967, Bennett received his greetings from Uncle Sam and the band needed a new percussionist. Future drummer Randy Wells of Sounds Incorporated remembers auditioning in Zelman's garage: "It was full of young drummers, all banging away on their sets, but as soon as I started to play, they liked me," says Wells, who honed his chops bearing the skins in the Tempe High School marching band. Wells was firmly planted in the drummer's seat by the rime the Zoo returned to the studio to cut their next single, 1968s heavy "Love In Your Face"/ Tossin' and Turnin’ (CAZ 104).
In the fall of that year, Zelman secured an album contract with Vault Records of Los Angeles. Wells remembers spending two weeks in LAs Sound Factory Studios, cutting what was essentially the Zoo's live set at the time. The album, Thunder On A Clear Day (Vault 122), includes rerecorded versions of "You Don't Remember" and "Love In Your Face” both of which arc longer and in stereo.
The pair are included on this CD, along with two previously unreleased album tracks, "Hall Of The Mountain King" and "Enchanted Park." Wells recalls dashing with producer Gene Simmons over the percussion. "I wanted to do a Santana sounding thing with the drums. We had these Latin licks, but Gene didn't have time for it. He did pump up the drums in the mix. They sound pretty good." Simmons added keyboards to the session and many different sound effects, including a string introduction to "Blues With A Feeling" that Wells recalls he found on a tape in the studio. Vault released die LP and edited versions of "Rainbow" and "Bullfrog" as a single (Vault 948) in late 1968.
The album is now considered a West Coast hard-rock classic. "I was surprised with the album cover and my double exposure picture on the back," says Wells. "I was definitely the strongest personality in the band, because I wanted things done a certain way, and I clashed several times with Gene Simmons, but he forgave me. He knew I was a crazy drummer. For that time, (considering) the quality of the studio, they did pretty good with what we had." After the release, the band played several large concerts at the Phoenix Veterans Memorial Coliseum, opening for national acts. "We played with Iron Butterfly twice, The Byrds, Crabby Appleton and Blue Cheer," Wells remembers. "The second time we played with Iron Butterfly we used rented amps for some reason and the fuses kept blowing. It was the most horrendous night of my career. We were really ready to kick butt, and they kept blowing fuses right and left. We had to stop after a couple of songs." There was a final Vault single release in 1969, "Only Thing That's Wrong"/ "Stallion Of Fate" (Vault 961), the group's swansong release.
Following the demise of the Zoo in 1970, Wells played in local Phoenix country-rock band E.Z. Pickins, before answering to a higher calling in the mid-70's. He recently earned his Doctorate of Ministry and has his own church in California, although he still plays drums on Sunday. As Wells says: "I can still get things going with my double bass drums. I don't miss a lick. I've even got some new things, but this time it's for the Lord."
by John P. Dixon
Tracks
1. You Don't Remember (Single Version) (R. Sutko, G. Farley) - 2:49
2. Clean Old Man (R. Sutko, Paquette) - 2:37
3. Love In Your Face (Single Version) (G. Farley, R. Sutko) - 2:03
4. Tossin 'n' Turnin (Rene, Adams) - 2:16
5. Quiet Before The Storm (P. Ladd, R. Sutko) - 4:56
6. Rainbow (P. Ladd, R. Wells, R. Sutko) - 4:17
7. Bullfrog (M. Merrick)- 6:39
8. Love In Your Face (G. Farley-R. Sutko) - 3:20
9. You Don't Remember (R. Sutko, G. Farley) - 3.09
10. It's All In My Head (H. Aceves) - 5:06
11. Blues With A Feeling (W. Jacobs) - 9:54
12. Only Thing That's Wrong (A. Chitwood, R. Sutko) - 2:44
13. Stallion Of Fate (S. Ladd, J. Preston) - 2:55
14. Country (R. Sutko, G. Farley) - 2:53
15. Hall Of The Mountain King (Grieg) - 2:59
16. Enchanted Park (R. Sutko G. Farley) - 4:29
The recent deluge of mid-'60s relics that continue to rise from the vinyl crypt for a little modern re-consideration are too often more miss than hit. For every Pete Dello or Comus reissue there are seven or eight barely mediocre offerings from bands like Eclection or the Vejtables. Chrysalis, a colorful quintet from Ithaca, New York who dabbled in everything from folk, rock and jazz to Middle Eastern music fall somewhere in the middle, and their one and only recording,
Definition remains a fascinating, if uneven lesson in the fine art of psychedelia. Frank Zappa, who championed Chrysalis as "a group that has yet to destroy your mind" was originally asked to produce, but was in the throes of removing himself from a bitter contractual dispute with MGM/Verve. In the end, Definition went through numerous production teams who all left for various reasons -- none relating to the music or musicians -- which makes it all the more curious that it sounds so defined and cohesive.
Frontman Spider Barbour, who had appeared on both Zappa's We're Only in It for the Money and Lumpy Gravy -- and who is now, ironically, a naturalist devoted to the lives of moths and butterflies -- brings a great deal of early Mothers of Invention aesthetic to the table. Jazzy piano motifs flitter about truncated worldbeat rhythms, while short comedy skits provide segues between songs that deal with insects, yodeling girls, and hippie culture.
It's all very Sgt. Pepper's, but there is an adventurous glee to the songs and arrangements that's equally matched by the talent behind them. It's the kind of brainy yet daft art rock that collegiate drug users, music school geeks and even children can find common ground in, and Rev-Ola's extensive liner notes and inclusion of eight bonus tracks from the sessions makes for a rewarding listen whoever you are.
by James Christopher Monger
Tracks
1. What Will Become of the Morning - 2:33
2. Lacewing - 3:24
3. Cynthia Gerome - 3:56
4, April Grove - 2:54
5. Father's Getting Old - 2:24
6. 30 Poplar - 2:28
7. Baby, Let Me Show You Where I Live - 2:35
8. Fitzpatrick Swanson - 2:33
9. Lake Hope - 2:16
10.Piece of Sun - 1:50
11.Summer in Your Savage Eyes - 2:22
12.Dr Root's Garden - 4:14
13.The Dues Are Hard (Paul Album, Ralph Kotkov) - 2:58
14.Gimme Your Love - 3:23
15.Sink in Deeper - 3:04
16.Window Shopping - 2:42
17.Wheel I Can Ride - 2:48
18.Cold and Windy City - 2:35
19.Cynthia Gerome - 4:19
20.Dr Root's Garden - 4:55
All compositions by J. Spider Barbour except where indicated
It all seems so long ago, but in the early seventies Australia hosted a burgeoning music scene that built on the garage pop explosion of the sixties. Music and culture had reflected on the initial rock’n’roll explosion, and all sorts of new avenues were being explored.
One of the most adventurous explorers was Melbourne ’s magnificent Madder Lake . Their career was typical of the times. Emerging from the sixties as a cover band (San Sebastian), they coalesced into an original band of great creativity and power, helped kickstart an independent Australian music industry, participated in the legendary gigs like Sunbury, and after two amazing albums that pushed the envelope of creativity and could’ve been major highlights in any part of the world, eventually folded without ever achieving the critical or popular acclaim their originality and talent deserved.
That’s the nutshell version, and it will do for now, because the focus really should be on this magnificent pair of albums that have now been given the lavish Aztec Music treatment they deserve. Like Sebastian Hardie in Sydney Madder Lake have remained a secret known only to those who remembered swaying close eyed as their music transported you to a higher state.
It’s often called progressive rock, and that’s probably fair enough, because it was music that transformed our understanding of what was possible, but ultimately it’s too limiting to try and tie music like this down with a label. Explore for yourself and be prepared to marvel and just what the Australian music industry was capable of in 1973 and 1974.
Stillpoint came first and is the product of just a few days in the studio. From the opening bars of “Salmon Song” you realise that you’re hearing something very different. Brenden Mason’s guitar and John McKinnon’s keyboards interplay joyously as the rhythm section of Kerry McKenna (bass) and Jac Kreemers (drums) underpin the sonic excursions with a thunderous bottom end that has just been waiting for a digital remastering to be fully revealed. After six and a half minutes creating expectation, Mick Fettes gravely vocals burst through the speakers, and the strength of Madder Lake is revealed. This is a band the absolutely revels in sparking off each other. The speed of recording captures an almost improvisational feel that was characteristic of their live performances. If “Salmon Song” was the only thing they’d ever recorded they would have been a great band, fortunately for music lovers everywhere it was just an entree.
Stillpoint contains the two singles that were obligatory for any band wanting to achieve recognition in the music industry, “Goodbye Lollipop” and “12-lb Toothbrush”, but goes way beyond that as the band explored textures, sounds and space. “Lollipop” is still irresistible, the perfect name for three and a half minutes of pure, unadulterated joy, while “Toothbrush” sounds as fresh as the first time its “na na nana nana na na” vocal hook first entered the collective consciousness of a generation of Australians.
This superb re-release supplements the musical explorations of the original album with some wonderful rarities. Aztec Music were obviously determined to make sure “12-lb Toothbrush’s” infectious hook infiltrated as many brains as possible, because the original single version is included here, as is a live version from Sunbury ’73. Two tracks from the rare “Final Blow” LP recorded live at The Garrison in Melbourne on 10 June 1973 round out the collection and offer convincing proof of just how powerful Madder Lake were on stage.
by Bernie Howitt
Tracks
1. Salmon Song - 8:22
2. On My Way To Heaven - 3:51
3. Helper - 5:07
4. Listen To The Morning Sunshine - 5:11
5. Goodbye Lollipop - 3:36
6. Song For Little Ernest - 4:30
7. 12-Lb. Toothbrush - 6:02
8. Bumper Bar Song (B-Side) - 4:41
9. 12-Lb. Toothbrush (Single Version) - 3:50
10.Country Blues (B-Side) - 2:43
11.Down The River (G. Ratziass) (Live At Sunbury) - 6:14
12.12-Lb. Toothbrush (Live At Sunbury) - 8:18
13.Bumper Bar Song (Live At Garrison) - 5:50
14.When Is A Mouse (Live At Garrison) - 5:38
All song by Madder Lake except where noted.
Catapilla was a British group acting short time during the early seventies. The founder of the band was saxophonist and keyboardist Robert Calvert. The band recorded two very interesting albums released by Vertigo. Their debut album contained a mix of heavy rock and jazz. Album characterized, by guitar passages interspersed with lots instruments keyboards, organs and saxophone
The great attraction was the vocalist Anna Meek, has a very distinctive voice and original way to use it. Sometimes fragments of the group resembled the Colosseum, Van Der Graaf Generator, Soft Machine and Nucleus.
The flagship track of the first LP Catapilla (Vertigo 6360 029) 1971' is twenty-five-minute"Embryonic Fusion" - the quintessence of style group,pure poetry progressive rock.
After recording their debut album some musicians left the band. Other members-founders Robert Calvert and Anna Meek, Graham Wilson co-opt new instrumentalists and proceeded to record the second album,Catapilla - "Changes" released in 1972 original UK first pressing Vertigo 6360 074 Production: Colin Caldwell, cover-art by Martin Dean, Recorded at Marquee Studios, London..housed in a spectacular die-cut gatefold cover!.
Scary cover, too. A giant die-cut catterpillar gnaws its way through the cabbage leaves. Will they come for you too? The lettering is perhaps a bit too tolerantly chosen. Too much trouble to design your own letters? The inside shows the backside of the caterpillar, which is prolongued even into the inside of the cover where the disc has its place. Interesting idea!
This LP is rare and very very hard to find,one of the most mysterious of all the innovative acts signed by progressive Vertigo Swirl label in the early seventies. This short-lived progressive rock band made an unforgettable impression upon the face of music before their exit into obscurity. It's a wonder how a group that was so well ahead of their time and who were literally one of the pioneers of an entire generation of music could be so unrecognized. Now its time to give credit were it is so rightfully due.
Plate was also curious, as debut the style group remained the same only slightly enriched it even elements of psychedelia and experimental music. It features the powerful vocals of Anna Meek that have been variously described by critics as ‘elegant’ and even ‘witch-like’.
Her voice is complemented on a series of extended performances by the saxophone playing of leader Robert Calvert (who is not to be confused with the singer and poet Robert Calvert of Hawkwind fame). Catapilla’s style veers between avant-garde jazz-fusion and experimental acid rock and there is plenty of room for experimentation on tracks Exorcising and often wordless vocals by Meek still dominate the soundscapes, as do Calvert's ubiquitous saxes, frequently two at the time.
No concessions to sales figures anywhere in sight, the music aims at spiritual cleansing. A lot of echo, a lot of overdubs and long, long tracks govern the style. At times this leads to gaps in the tension, but when it gels it's downright chilling. Best features are the silent passages after wild orgies of sound, that work like sanctuaries after some cosmic ordeal, like the end of Reflections
Also noteworthy: the strange mixture of slow hard-rock and Eastern melodies on Thank Christ for George, moments of savage guitar lines are calmed by vocals that seem to float over the top of a soothing saxophone while the complexity of it all pulls you into another dimension.
They both clock in at over twelve minutes each. Regardless of the length of the songs you are left wanting for more as well as the unexpected tranquillity of the closing track. Unique sounds that make for uneasy but rewarding listening. Vocalist Anna Meek and saxophonist Robert Calvert play off of each other and ride the prog-rock roller coaster of ever changing sound. Prog-rock enthusiasts get a glimpse of where groups like Pink Floyd and Roxy Music could have derived some ideas from. Meek's eerie vocal rants and Calvert's poignant and atmospheric saxophone are everything Graham Wilson (guitar), Ralph Rolinson (keyboards), Carl Wassard (bass), and Brian Hanson (drums) needed to launch a sound that is all at once mysterious as it is aurally exciting.
This LP entailed four ambitious songs of progressive jazz-rock fusion that help to lend a hand in setting the standard for what was to become a new genre. The colorful gatefold sleeve, which has a picture of a caterpillar peeping over a leaf as it enjoys its meal, opens and there is a maggot squirming. This image is a point of reference to the music, its very symbolic. Progressive rock is very much like the process of birth and rebirth.
The caterpillar goes into a cocoon and emerges as a beautiful butterfly. They couldn't have chosen a better analogy or illustration to explain the musical process. Its time for us all to investigate the impact that groups like Catapilla has had on the history and development of prog-rock. Despite this, the album went almost unnoticed. In part, it was because the year 1972 was full of many important works of rock
Catapilla did not have a suitably resilient impresario and good promotion. To the lack of adequate amounts of touring and internal friction in the group soon led to its dissolution. To this lack of proper quantities concert tours and internal friction in the group soon led to its dissolution. Most of the members of the group left the music business and today their names are known only to the a staunch fans.
Robert Calvert joined Hawkwind and for many years with great success in this group, he continued his musical career. The fact remains that Catapilla, is more appreciated team today - over 40 years after its debut, than in the years of its activity.
by Adamus67
Tracks
1. Reflection - 12:06
2. Charing Cross - 6:45
3. Thank Christ For George - 12:07
4. It Could Only Happen To Me (G. Wilson, R. Calvert) - 6:45
All songs written by G. Wilson, R. Calvert and A. Meek unless as else stated.
Mott's last album for Island is a belter. Needing an injection of craziness that was lacking on Wildlife they reluctantly joined forces with Guy Stevens once again and the result is a raw, heavy metal punk album six years ahead of its time.
Of the pre-Bowie albums, this is easily the fans' favourite. Like Mad Shadows, this was recorded live in the studio, and all the tracks were laid down in about four days. Live tapes from the time show just how well this album captured their live sound.
Opener Death May Be Your Santa Claus is frantic (check out the exuberant "Wooo!" at the end). Darkness Darkness features Mick Ralphs on vocals and is a guitar-driven rocker and noteworthy for not featuring Verden at all. The Journey is one of Ian's epic ballads and it is an interesting exercise to compare this to the alternate version recorded a few weeks earlier (included as a bonus track).
Sweet Angeline is another rocker, one that would remain in the live set to the end. Second Love is interesting - the first of Verden Allen's compositions Mott recorded and beautifully sung by Ian. The Moon Upstairs is another full-tilt rocker with is in part a message of defiance to Island: "We ain't bleeding you, we're feeding you, but you're to f***ing slow".
The LP closed with The Wheel Of The Quivering Meat Conception, with is another end-of-session-jam tape reclamation job, this time as an earlier take of The Journey descends into complete chaos.
Bonus tracks here are the non-LP single Midnight Lady and an earlier version of The Journey (which is more acoustic than the LP version).
Sleeve notes as always are excellent, as is the sound quality. The CD also reproduces the original LP cover .
Tracks
1. Death May Be Your Santa Claus (Ian Hunter, Verdun Allen) - 4.55
2. Your Own Back Yard (Dion Dimucci) - 4.13
3. Darkness, Darkness (Jesse Colin Young) - 4.33
4. The Journey (Hunter) - 9.15
5. Sweet Angeline (Hunter) - 4.53
6. Second Love (Allen) - 3.46
7. The Moon Upstairs (Hunter, Mick Ralphs) - 5.07
8. The Wheel Of The Quivering Meat Conception (Hunter, Stevens) - 1.21
9. Midnight Lady (Hunter, Ralphs) - 3.33
10.The Journey (Hunter) - 9.47
Don McLean's second album, American Pie, which was his first to gain recognition after the negligible initial sales of 1970's Tapestry, is necessarily dominated by its title track, a lengthy, allegorical history of rock & roll, because it became an unlikely hit, topping the singles chart and putting the LP at number one as well. "American Pie" has remained as much a cultural touchstone as a song, sung by everyone from Garth Brooks to Madonna, its title borrowed for a pair of smutty teen comedies, while the record itself has earned a registered three-million plays on U.S. radio stations.
There may not be much more to note about it, then, except perhaps that even without a crib sheet to identify who's who, the song can still be enjoyed for its engaging melody and singable chorus, which may have more to do with its success than anything else. Of course, the album also included "Vincent," McLean's paean to Van Gogh, which has been played two-million times. Nothing else on the album is as effective as the hits, but the other eight original songs range from sensitive fare like "Till Tomorrow" to the sarcastic, uptempo "Everybody Loves Me, Baby."
American Pie -- the album -- is very much a record of its time; it is imbued with the vague depression of the early '70s that infected the population and found expression in the works of singer/songwriters. "American Pie" -- the song -- is really a criticism of what happened in popular music in the '60s, and "Vincent" sympathizes with Van Gogh's suicide as a sane comment on an insane world. "Crossroads" and "Empty Chairs" are personal reflections full of regret and despondency, with the love song "Winterwood" providing the only respite. In the album's second half, the songs get more portentous, tracing society's ills into war and spiritual troubles in "The Grave" and "Sister Fatima."
The songs are made all the more poignant by the stately folk-pop arrangements and McLean's clear, direct tenor. It was that voice, equally effective on remakes of pop oldies, that was his salvation when he proved unable to match the songwriting standard set on Tapestry and this collection. But then, the album has an overall elegiac quality that makes it sound like a final statement. After all, if the music has died, what else is there to say?
by William Ruhlmann
Tracks
1.American Pie - 8:33
2.Till Tomorrow - 2:11
3.Vincent - 3:55
4.Crossroads - 3:34
5.Winterwood - 3:09
6.Empty Chairs - 3:24
7.Everybody Loves Me, Baby - 3:37
8.Sister Fatima - 2:31
9.The Grave - 3:08
10.Babylon (Trad., arr. Hays and McLean)1:40
11.Mother Nature - 5:10
12.Aftermath - 4:03
All songs written and composed by Don McLean except where noted
Musicians
*Don Mclean - Vocals, Guitar, Banjo
*Warren Bernhardt - Piano
*Ray Colcord - Electric Piano
*Tom Flye - Drums
*Ed Freeman - String Arrangements
*Paul Griffin - Piano
*Lee Hays - Arranger
*Mike Mainieri - Marimba, Vibraphone
*Roy Markowitz - Drums, Percussion
*Gene Orloff - Concert Master
*Bob Rothstein - Bass, Vocals
*David Spinozza - Electric Guitar
*West Forty Fourth Street Rhythm And Noise Choir - Chorus
Liberty executives were returning to L.A. from the Monterey Pop Festival in full psyche regalia, having been 'enlightened' while at Monterey, bringing with them the latest fashions to the L.A. music scene. Gone were the suits and ties. In was 'freaking out' and an 'anything goes' concept. Shannon was encouraged and pushed into doing a psychedelic album. He was strongly encouraged to write the songs this time, and 'The Further Adventures of Charles Westover' began taking shape.
Shannon took a risk and allowed junior producers Dugg Brown (formerly known as Doug Brown of Bob Seger affiliation) and Dan Bourgoise to produce the album. 'The Further Adventures' began with a session in September 1967 that yielded "Thinkin' It Over," a song that had been written on a piano at Shannon's home by Del and Dugg Brown. A cover of the Box Tops' "The Letter" was also recorded for release as a single in the Philippines.
November 13, 1967 brought four additional tracks needed for 'The Further Adventures of Charles Westover' album. "River Cool," "Colour Flashing Hair," "Conquer," and "New Orleans (Mardi Gras)" included Dr. John on keyboards and Bob Evans (later of 'Smith' fame) on drums. Don Peake arranged, and Shannon poured everything into the sessions. Bourgoise remembers, "We found this great tape loop at Liberty, called 'Mardi Gras,' and we used it on the tail of Del's 'New Orleans' track. Del whispered and chanted throughout the song. Ahhh, it was great! Dugg Brown contributed the song to the session. He produced a band called 'Southwind' on Blue Thumb (Records). Jim Pulte wrote the song. Their version is pretty good too!"
December 5, 1967 Shannon returned to Liberty Studio to finish off seven more tracks necessary for completing the 'Charles Westover' album. "Be My Friend" was written and contributed by Dugg Brown. "Silver Birch" and "Magical Musical Box" were recorded as well, a co-share on the writing credits by Del with Jonathan M. Perkins of Britain (they also penned "River Cool" together). Shannon brought "I Think I Love You" and "Gemini" to the table solo, and Shannon and Brian Hyland co-wrote "Been So Long." One great writing effort was the brief collaboration Shannon had with ex-Eddie Cochran girlfriend Sharon Sheeley. Together they cranked out "Runnin' On Back," a bitchin' tune that reflected awesome anger and reminded us of Del's short-lived "Move It On Over" style. Both the song and production work were hot on this side!
"Thinkin' It Over"/"Runnin' On Back" and "Gemini"/"Magical Musical Box" were the only two singles from the album. Neither charted, but both became instant cult favorites. There was an oddness to "Magical Musical Box": lots of harpsichord and paranoia. "Thinkin' It Over" included a picture sleeve, the only Shannon 45rpm to have one in the United States. 'Further Adventures' was Shannon's first album to be pressed with the majority of LP's slicked in stereo. Only Disc Jockey copies were pressed in mono.
Tracks
1 Thinkin' It Over (Shannon, James) - 2:57
2. Be My Friend (Brown) - 2:29
3. Silver Birch (Shannon, Perkins) - 3:07
4. I Think I Love You (Shannon) - 4:19
5. River Cool (Shannon, Perkins) - 3:22
6. Colour Flashing Hair (Shannon) - 3:50
7. Gemini (Shannon) - 3:23
8. Runnin' On Back (Shannon, Sheeley) - 3:41
9. Conquer (Shannon) - 3:13
10. Been So Long (Shannon, Hyland) - 3:04
11 Magical Musical Box (Shannon, Perkins) - 3:39
12. New Orleans (Mardi Gras) (Putte) - 5:15
13. What's A Matter Baby (Otis, Byers) - 2:54
14. Early In The Morning (Shannon) - 2:29
15. In My Arms Again (Shannon) - 2:29
16. She (Boyce, Hart) -2:38
17. Runaway '67 (Crook, Shannon) - 3:25
18. Stand Up (Shannon) - 2:39
19. The House Where Nobody Lives (Shannon) - 2:34
20. You Don't Love Me (Shannon, Hyland) - 3:00
Information belongs to the mind. It can be gathered, coded, processed, and decoded, and used for any number of purposes. Inspiration comes from the soul. It is an elusive spark, one that cannot be bought or sold, nor artificially triggered. It is a gift. That the two can be combined into something quietly exciting is proven by the music on this, Shuggie Otis' third solo album.
There is some old (several of the basic tracks were recorded over the last two years), and some new (for the first time, Shuggie has assumed complete artistic control. Handling almost all of the production and arrangements). Most present, however, is the sense and beginning of a totally new struggle for Shuggie. The thirteen-year-old who made his recording debut with the Johnny Otis Show, and later came to National attention through the Al Kooper Sessions, is a man and an artist now.
He is creating in the seventies, a time whose conflicts are being shaped by information - and the lack of it. One gets the feeling that even as the information changes, so will the inspiration.
by Winston Cenac (Scoops), 1974
Tracks
1. Inspiration Information - 4:12
2. Island Letter - 4:41
3. Sparkle City - 5:58
4. Aht Uh Mi Hed - 4:16
5. Happy House - 1:16
6. Rainy Day - 2:42
7. XL-30 - 2:09
8. Pling! - 4:28
9. Not Available - 2:31
10.Strawberry Letter 23 - 3:59
11.Sweet Thang (words by Johnny Otis) - 4:03
12.Ice Cold Daydream - 2:30
13.Freedom Flight - 12:56
Words and Music by Shuggie Otis except where indicated.
Musicians
*Shuggie Otis - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Organ, Piano, Vibraphone, Percussion, Analog Drum Machines
*Jack Kelso - Saxophones, Flute
*Jeff Martinez - French Horn
*Carol Robbins - Harp
*Doug Wintz, Jim Prindle - Trombone
*Curt Sleeten, Ron Robbins - Trumpet
*B. Porter, B. Asher, D. Jones, J. Parker, L. Rosen, M. Zeavin, N. Roth, S. Boone, T. Ziegler - Strings
*Jim "Supe" Bradshaw - Backing
*Johnny Otis - Vocals, Percussion
*Wilton Felder - Bass
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
*George Duke - Organ
*Mike Kowalski - Drums
*Richard Aplanalp - Tenor Saxophone, Oboe
While listening to these tracks it s important to keep in mind that the music reflects not only Shuggie's self taught mastery of so many instruments, his abilities as an arranger for strings and horns, his composing capabilities and an innate gift for seamlessly blending funk, rock. pop. jazz and R’n’B into his own sound, but also that he was just 15 when the first of these sessions was recorded.
His debut album Here Comes... is, not unexpectedly, more tentative than its follow up, as evidenced by Johnny Snr's previously mentioned contributions. What these tracks reveal conclusively is Shuggies musical skills as an improvising instrumentalist, in particular as a guitarist who never bowed to speed or technical trickery when imagination and feel arc obviously that for which he was striving.
The seven-minute instrumental Oxford Cray provides a spectacular introduction to the fertile musical mind of Shuggie Otis. The arrangement allows for his soulful electric guitar to spar with organ and harpsichord, before an orchestral swell of pizzicato strings and brass subsides to unveil a lovely acoustic bottleneck solo. The track concludes with more strings and electric guitar. Jennie Let is graced by Shuggies gentle vocals, Rootle Cooler is a funky instrumental featuring guitar and organ, and Knowing (That You Want Him), written by his dad, is blatant erring-laden pop and a potential #1 single I had it found its way to Bobby Vee.
Meanwhile, the knowingly titled Funky Thither allows for organ, piano and guitar interplay. Shuggie’s Boogie opens with him reminiscing about some of his earliest influences - guitarists Jimmy Nolan, Pete Lewis and Mel Brown who played in his lather's band. He pays tribute to B.B. King, Elmore James, T Bone Walker and the other blues masters from whom he's borrowed and goes on to reveal how he wore dark glasses and a painted-on moustache when playing bars while under age in his lather's band. The track then moves into an up-tempo blues workout, with Shuggie's guitar playing revealing an amazing maturity.
Hurricane could have been in James Brown's repertoire (riffing horns, punctuated by organ and guitar). Gospel Groove is actually a slow blues with Shuggie soloing Throughout over a sanctified piano and organ. Baby I Need You shines with an Al Kooper-like vocal and cruising organ/guitar arrangement. A final instrumental. the Hawks, suggesting a warm-up song from the band before B.B. King hits the stage, concludes one of the most impressive debuts of its era.
Shuggie's second album. Freedom Flight, released the following year (1971) finds the young musician confident enough to handle all the arranging and most of the song writing, leaving dad to concentrate on the production. Side one opens with Ice Cold Daydream, a full throttle funk rock vehicle with a convincing vocal and red hot guitar from Shuggie, hut it's the following track that would put him on the map as a songwriter. Strawberry Letter 23. written for his girlfriend who used strawberry scented paper for her letters to him. is one of those gorgeous, uplifting songs with a hook that just wont let go.
Beginning with orchestral bells and acoustic guitar. Shuggie delivers a hippy, trippy love anthem in his most assured vocal performance to date. l:loaring gently on subtle background vocals and a soothing rhythm, the arrangement makes a sudden left hand turn, moving into a psychedelic coda, complete with sleigh bells and and electric guitar rift. In 1977 the Brothers Johnson covered Strawberry Letter 23, their version becoming a US Top 5 single, and selling over a million copies In 1997 Quentin Tarantino brought Shuggie to the attention of a new generation of music tans (albeit anonymously, it must be said) when die film-maker utilized the Brothers Johnson cover of the song on the soundtrack to his stylish crime thriller Jackie Brown.
Shuggie's most famous song is followed by a bluesy, electric slide guitar workour (Sweet Thang), a nod to B.B. King (Me and My Woman) and a romantic R’n’B ballad {Someone's Always Singing). Then comes another complete change of direction. Purple cloaking in at over seven minutes, showcases Shuggie's deep understanding of blues guitar. His passionate soloing, interspersed with harmonica and understated organ and piano, is sensational. The albums finale reveals another instrumental tour de-force.
Freedomm Flight is a sprawling 13-minute foray into free jazz. replete with swirling guitars, wind chimes, organ, electric piano, tenor saxophone and oboe. The final cut on this CD, One Room Country Shack (popularised by Mose Allison) from Kooper Sessions, adds to the experience of revisiting the world of this enormously talented musician, an enigma, who for whatever reason, decided not to record his own music after 1975. Maybe the intetest shown in the re release of these albums and Inspiration Information.
by Billy Pinnell
Tracks Here Comes... 1970
1. Oxford Gray (Otis, S. Otis, W. Felder, N. Hooper) - 6:53
2. Jennie Lee (Otis, S. Otis, W. Felder) - 2:09
3. Bootie Cooler (J. Otis, S. Otis) - 2:39
4. Knowing (That You Want Him) - (J. Otis, D. Aidrich) - 2:29
5. Funky Thithee (Otis, S. Otis) - 3:11
6. Shuggie's Boogie (J. Otis, S. Otis) - 5:32
7. Hurricane (J. Otis, S. Otis, W. Felder) - 2:16
8. Gospel Groove (J. Otis, S. Otis) - 4:13
9. Baby, I Needed You (J. Otis, S. Otis) - 3:41
10.The Hawks (J. Otis, S. Otis) - 2:26 Freedom Flight 1971
11. Ice Cold Daydream (Shuggie Otis) - 2:27
12. Strawberry Letter 23 (Shuggie Otis) - 3:55
13. Sweet Thang (S. Otis, J. Otis) - 4:09
14. Me And My Woman (Gene Barge) - 4:14
15. Someone's Always Singing (S. Otis, K. Kahri) - 3:20
16. Purple (Shuggie Otis) - 7:05
17. Freedom Flight (Shuggie Otis) - 12:55 Kooper Introduces Shuggie 1969
18. One Room Country Shack (M. D Walton) - 3:55
