The Fallen Angels - The Roulette Masters Part 1 (1967 us, rouch garage psych)

 Based in Washington, D.C., guitarist Wally Cook had been a member of The Young Rabbits.  In 1965 he hooked up with singer/bassist Jack Bryant and Charlie Jones to form The Disciples.  Within a matter of months they became The Uncalled, followed by a shift to The Fallen Angels. 

The name changes were accompanied by a series of personnel changes, resulting in a line up consisting of Bryant, Cook, keyboardist Howard Danchik, drummer Richard Kumer and guitarist Jack Lauritsen.  Under the tutelage of managers Barry Seidel and Tony Traynor (who'd previously managed Kumer in The Mad Hatters) 1967 saw the group signed by Laurie Records.

Switching to the New York based Roulette Records, saw the band release their first LP -  1968's "The Fallen Angels".  For their part Roulette executives were probably hoping to repeat their Tommy James and the Shondells successes. Boy were the in for a rude surprise. With Seidel and Traynor producing, the band turned in an overlooked psychedelic classic.

Largely written by Bryant and Danchik, material such as "Room At the Top", "Introspective Looking Glass" and "Your Friends Here In Dundeville" was full of hazy lyrics, weird timings, fuzz guitar and sound effects - simply too progressive for mainstream consumption. Mind you, the set wasn't perfect. Bryant's voice was best described as anonymous. 

Also of concern, at this point in time the trippy lyrics weren't likely to do much for radio airplay.  Add to that the fact Seidel's horn arrangements were dull, needless and distracting. Still, the overall results were well worth hearing.

Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Room At the Top (J. Bryant) - 2:35
2. Love, Don't Talk To Strangers (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 1:52
3. Your Friends Here In Dundeville (J. Bryant) - 2:23
4. I've Been Thinking (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 1:46
5. It Might Be Easier To Stay Home (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:07
6. Most Children Do (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 3:10
7. Introspective Looking Glass (H. Danchik) - 2:25
8. I Don't Want To Fall (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:18
9. No Way Out (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:39
10.Painted Bird (J. Bryant, H. Danchik) - 2:20
11.Your Mother's Homesick Too (G. Meler Jr., R. Decker) - 2:17
12.You Have Changed (H. Danchik) -2 :27

The Fallen Angels
*Jack Bryant - Vocals, Bass, Kazoo
*Wally Cook - Guitar
*Howard Danchik - Keyboards
*John "Thumper' Molly - Drums
*Jack Lauritsen - Guitar, Sitar, Vibes

1965-66 The Mad Hatters Meet The Fallen Angels

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The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Stacked Deck / Too Stuffed To Jump (1975-76 us, fascinating drifting country roots 'n' roll melted with blues and jazzy harmonies)

 The Amazing Rhythm Aces were formed in Memphis in 1974 by bassist Jeff Davis and drummer Butch McDade, who had earlier recorded and toured with the great singer/songwriter Jesse Winchester. After striking out on their own, Davis and McDade enlisted vocalist/guitarist Russell Smith, keyboardist Billy Earheart, Dobro player Barry Burton, and pianist James Hooker to develop a sound composed of equal parts pop, country, and blue-eyed soul.

Their debut album is an edgy effort, rooted in a purer Southern sound, and embracing a soulfulness that their West Coast rivals lacked. The country gospel tune "Life's Railway to Heaven," the funky "The 'Ella B'," the stomping "Hit the Nail on the Head," and the soulful "The Beautiful Lie" would never have been done in as raw, intense, or bracing a fashion by their rivals.

Russell Smith brings a vocal performance to Charlie Rich's "Who Will the Next Fool Be" that sounds like he's channeling the ghost of Sam Cooke. And between those album highlights and the hits "Third Rate Romance" and "Amazing Grace (Used to Be Her Favorite Song)," the group works in a sweetly nostalgic piece called "King of the Cowboys," all about movie and television heroes.

The groups second album is only slightly less inventive than its first, still very countrified compared to most country-rock, and more soulful than most of the competition. The numbers range from rocking stompers like "Typical American Boy" to the lyrical "If I Just Know What to Say," with room in between for some fine western numbers ("The End Is Not in Sight," "Out of the Snow") -- the former a Grammy-winning country tune, the latter a beautiful mandolin workout -- and novelty songs ("A Little Italy Rag").

by Jason Ankeny and  Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. Third Rate Romance - 3:17
2. The 'Ella B' - 4:33
3. Life's Railway To Heaven - 4:20
4. The Beautiful Lie (Butch Mcdade) - 2:54
5. Hit The Nail On The Head - 2:22
6. Who Will The Next Fool Be (Charlie Rich) - 2:48
7. Amazing Grace (Used To Be Her Favorite Song) - 3:17
8. Anything You Want (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 3:48
9. My Tears Still Flow - 3:25
10.Emma Jean - 2:47
11.Why Can't I Be Satisfied - 3:03
12.King Of The Cowboys (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 4:01
13.Typical American Boy (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 3:30
14.If I Just Knew What To Say (Stuart Wright) - 2:06
15.The End Is Not In Sight (The Cowboy Tune) - 3:51
16.Same Ol' Me (Butch Mcdade) - 2:24
17.These Dreams Of Losing You (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 3:29
18.I'll Be Gone - 2:54
19.Out Of The Snow - 3:39
20.Fool For The Woman - 2:43
21.A Little Italy Rag - 2:21
22.Dancing The Night Away (Russell Smith, James H. Brown Jr.) - 5:38
All tracks written by Russell Smith unless stated

The Amazing Rhythm Aces
*Barry Burton - Dobro, Guitars, Mandolin,  Vocals
*Jeff Davis - Bass, Vocals
*Billy Earheart - Keyboards, Organ, Piano
*James Hooker - Clavinet, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals
*Jim Kershaw - Guitar
*Butch Mcdade - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Russell Smith - Guitars, Harmonica, Vocals

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Afterglow - Afterglow (1968 us, splendid trippy garage psych, Sundazed issue)

 It’s not often that someone gets to live a dream, have it fade away, then live it again four decades later. But that’s what happened for the members of Northern California’s Afterglow. Back in the summer of 1967, they went to San Francisco (in The Summer Of Love no less) and recorded an album that was released on a national label. Then, almost 40 years after they’d given up hope that the record would have any impact on the world, they came to realise that… well… it actually had.

Larry Alexander – the band’s drummer and the member who first came to the revelation that at least some people did know and value their music – tells the story of how Afterglow got together and how the self-titled record was made: “I was a senior in high school. Tony Tecumseh [songwriter and lead guitarist, who was about five years older than the rest of us, had started playing with a bass player and that guy’s wife, in a county in Oregon just across the state border.

They were looking for a drummer and somebody told them about me, so I went up and auditioned for them. Then we decided we needed a singer and rhythm guitar player, so we found Gene Resler, who was singing in a church choir. The couple that had started the band with Tony eventually quit, so we found Ron George [bass] and Roger Swanson [keyboards], who were at that time playing in another band. “We all went to junior college together, then we all went on to Chico State University. All during that time we remained friends, and were playing music together. Some friends we knew who had a band had been down to San Francisco and made a demo at Golden State Recorders, so they told the people there about us.

We sent them a demo tape and they invited us to come down and audition for them. They told us to go back home and come up with 20 original tunes and come back when we were ready. So we did that and we went down and did the recordings. “Leo De Gar Kulka was the owner/producer/engineer of Golden State Recorders. He would sign bands up and have them record at his studio, and then he would try and sell the masters to the major labels. This was the first time any of us had ever been in San Francisco. We were just some country bumpkins who didn’t have a manager or anything, and we’d never been in a professional recording studio before.

We were serious about everything though. Serious about the music and about our friendships. This was an emotional experience for us, making those recordings.” The album, originally released in ’68 on MTA Records, is an endearingly innocent and often tuneful collection of songs fuelled by sweet harmonies and a fresh, breezy feel. Some cheesy Farfisa and the occasional odd time signature give it a subtle garage/experimental feel, and the eerie ‘Susie’s Gone’ is a spacey freakout that could be The Fifty-Foot Hose or The United States Of America.

But for the most part, a gentle touch and hummable melody is what drives the record – it sounds like Preflyteera Byrds meets ‘Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow’ Strawberry Alarm Clock. ‘Riding Home Again’, which enjoyed heavy local airplay around the band’s home turf, is an irresistible, happy-making jewel that really should have been included on the Nuggets box.

by Brian Greene

Tracks
1. Morning - 2:05
2. Dream Away - 2:33
3. Susie's Gone (B. Boots) - 2:29
4. Mend This Heart of Mine (Gene Resler) - 2:37
5. Afternoon - 1:59
6. Chasing Rainbows - 1:49
7. By My Side - 1:54
8. It's a Wonder - 2:28
9. Love - 3:02
10.Riding Home Again - 2:34
11.Meadowland of Love - 2:23
12.Susie's Gone (Mono) (B. Boots) - 2:32
13.Chasing Rainbows - 1:51
14.Afternoon - 1:48
15.Morning - 2:11
All songs by Tony Tecumseh except where noted

Afterglow
*Gene Resler - Vocals
*Roger Swanson - Keyboards
*Tony Tecumseh - Guitar
*Ron George - Bass
*Larry Alexander - Drums

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West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Volume Two (1967 us, soaring psychedelia pure folk-rock, Sundazed edition)

The group seems to be reduced to a trio of Bob Markley and the Harris' brothers. Although not credited Ron Morgan played the distinctive Lead guitar. Again, either Hal Blaine or Jimmy Gordon played the drums.

Michael Lloyd has left to initiate other projects, and Bob Markley, the former tambourine player, was now firmly in command although he wasn't a musician himself.

The Mono versions of the above feature strikingly different mixes are essential. "In the Arena" opens with a mix of spoken word and cool guitar riffs. "Suppose They Give a War and No One Comes" seems contrived for the era, but at this point in time it plays as a freaky and enjoyable novelty. "Smell of Incense" settles down for a gorgeous folk-psych-pop track.

"Queen Nymphet" is mellow and harmonious enough to pass on the surface as a track by The Association, until one listens to the deliberately subversive lyrics. The album's a pleasure from end to end, as long as you're willing to immerse yourself in the weirdness of the psychedelic era. This edition of the album includes the mono single mixes and edits of "Smell of Incense" and "Unfree Child."

Tracks
1. In The Arena - 4:10
2. Suppose They Give A War And No One Comes (Markley, Bryan) - 3:38
3. Buddha - 2:05
4. Smell Of Incense (Markley, Morgan) - 5:47
5. Overture / Wcpaeb Part II - 1:28
6. Queen Nymphet - 2:19
7. Unfree Child - 3:58
8. Carte Blanche - 2:42
9. Delicate Fawn - 2:30
10. Tracy Had A Hard Day Sunday - 4:35
All songs written by Bob Markley, Shaun Harris except where indicated

West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
*Bob Markley - Vocals, Composer, Producer
*Dan Harris - Guitar, Vocals
*Shaun Harris - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
*Ron Morgan - Guitar
*Hal Blaine - Drums

1965-67   Volume One
1967  Part One

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The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Part One (1967 us, superb psych folk rock, Sundazed issue)

 The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's first album for Reprise was the best of the group's career, in large part because it was the most song-oriented. It was still plenty weird, almost to the point of stylistic schizophrenia, but when you got down to it, much of the record was comprised of fairly catchy songs in the neighborhood of two and three minutes.

At times they sounded like reasonably normal, fairly talented Byrds-like folk-rockers ("Transparent Day," P.F. Sloan's "Here's Where You Belong"); at others, a Kinks-like garage band ("If You Want This Love"); and at others, a fey Baroque pop outfit (the orchestrated "Will You Walk With Me").

There was an undercurrent of unsettling weirdness and even paranoia, though, in some cuts with otherwise pleasing tunes, like "Shifting Sands," with its sizzling distorted guitars; "I Won't Hurt You," with its heartbeat bass and disconnected vocals; and "Leiyla," where a standard teen garage rocker suddenly gets invaded by spoken dialog that seems to have been lifted from a vampire B-movie.

The cover of Frank Zappa's "Help, I'm a Rock" flung them into freakier pastures, emulated convincingly on the group original "1906," an apt soundtrack to a bummer acid trip with its constant spoken refrain, "I don't feel well." It's true that all but one of these songs (the nondescript "'Scuse Me, Miss Rose," written by famed Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash/Simon & Garfunkel producer Bob Johnston) is on the Transparent Day compilation.

But there are good reasons to consider buying the Sundazed 2001 CD reissue: The thorough liner notes start to unravel the history of this mysterious band, and mono single mixes of "Help, I'm a Rock" and "Transparent Day" are tacked on as bonus tracks.

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Shifting Sands (Baker Knight) - 3:55
2. I Won't Hurt You (Shaun Harris, Michael Lloyd, Bob Markley) - 2:24
3. 1906 (Bob Markley) - 2:21
4. Help, I'm a Rock (Frank Zappa) - 4:26
5. Will You Walk With Me (Dan Harris) - 3:01
6. Transparent Day (Shaun Harris, Bob Markley) - 2:18
7. Leiyla (Shaun Harris, Bob Markley) - 2:55
8. Here's Where You Belong (P.F. Sloan) - 2:50
9. If You Want This Love (Baker Knight) - 2:52
10.'Scuse Me Miss Rose (Bob Johnston) - 3:03
11.High Goin' (Van Dyke Parks) - 2:04
12.Transparent Day (Single Version) (Shaun Harris, Bob Markley) - 2:22
13.Help, I'm a Rock (Single Version) (Frank Zappa) - 2:15

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
*Hal Blaine - Drums
*Kenny Bobo - Vocals
*Dan Harris - Guitar
*Shaun Harris - Bass, Vocals
*Michael Lloyd - Guitar, Vocals
*Ron Morgan - Guitar
*Bob Markley - Composer

1965-57  Volume One

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West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Volume One (1965-67 us, raw psychedelic rock, Sundazed expanded edition)

Despite an ever-increasing following from collectors since their demise, for the past thirty years the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band have stubbornly resisted attempts to uncover the truth behind their mythology. Almost every aspect of the group seems to beg unanswered questions.

To begin with there was the name itself. Long and unwieldy, it seemed designed to defy recollection and sink the heart of poster designers everywhere. Was it a six-word manifesto of creative intent, or simply a cynical attempt to climb aboard the 'psychedelic' bandwagon? Then there were the song credits and album photos, according to which a certain Bob Markley was the band's driving force, a position seemingly confirmed by the appearance of his final 'solo' LP: 'A Group'.

Yet, somewhat confusingly, on the back of that album's sleeve there appeared - for the first time since the band's debut on the Fifo label - pictures of all four original members. Last, and definitely not least, there were the songs themselves. Along the way the music encompassed almost every musical genre - harmonic guitar pop, acoustic folk, psychedelic rock, jazz and avant-garde; and then there were those extraordinary lyrics - some starkly political, others naive and child-like; at times dark and sinister, at others simply insane.

As Brian Hogg observed in his sleeve notes to Edsel's mid-80s compilation 'Transparent Day': "(t)here are few groups as enigmatic, as mysterious or as plain contradictory..." This article does not pretend to be a definitive account of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - indeed, it now seems clear that some questions will never properly be answered - but the story which emerges is fascinating nevertheless, not least as an insight into how extraordinary music could emerge from a group driven by internal conflicts and held in the thrall of a man driven by dubious motives.

This album was originally issued in 1966 on the tiny "FIFO" label, which was a Hollywood concern specializing mainly in R&B. Probably only 100 or so were ever made!
A mint original copy of this LP was sold in '95 to a private collector for a substantial sum, who in turn reissued it (unauthorized, of course) on LP and CD. The CD featured three songs as bonus tracks that had turned up on the Raspberry Sawfly "Legendary Unreleased Album" bootleg from 1980, the excellent Sassafras and Obviously Bad (released as a single under the name California Spectrum in 1967) and a cover of the Left Banke's She May Call You Up Tonight.

It seems that much of the material was already completed by the time Markley became involved. However, the inclusion of certain tracks - 'Don't Break My Balloon' [a prime example of Bob's 'singing'] and 'If You Want This Love' - indicates that he must have had some influence over the sessions and, more to the point, their subsequent release on vinyl.

The rudimentary album included contemporary hits and original compositions and was recorded in a self-made studio in a strore-front place on San Vincente, just outside of Beverly Hills.
by Tim Forster

Tracks
1. Something You Got (Chris Kenner) - 2:53
2. Work Song (Oscar Brown, Nat Adderley) - 2:11
3. Louie, Louie (Richard Berry) - 2:46
4. Don't Break My Balloon (Bob Markley) - 3:12
5. You Really Got Me (Ray Davies) - 3:05
6. Don't Let Anything!!! Stand In Your Way (Markley, Kim Fowley) - 2:12
7. I Won't Hurt You (Michael Lloyd, Shaun Harris, Markley) - 2:10
8. If You Want This Love (Sonny Knight) - 1:33
9. Insanity (Markley, Fowley)
10.It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) - 3:02
11.She Belongs To Me (Dylan) - 1:53
12.She Surely Must Know (Lloyd, Shaun Harris) - 1:57
13.Sassafras (Dan Harris, Lloyd, Shaun Harris) - 1:59
14.She May Call You Up Tonight (Michael Brown, Steve Martin) - 2:25
15.One Day (Lloyd) - 2:01
16.Funny How Love Can Be (John Carter, Ken Harper) - 1:38
17.Obviously Bad (Lloyd, Shaun Harris) - 1:30
18.Endless Night (Shaun Harris) - 2:15
19.Tell Me What You Want To Know (Lloyd) - 1:46
20.Just You & Me (Lloyd) - 1:54
21.Chimes Of Freedom (Dylan) - 3:03
22.Scuse Me Miss Rose (Bob Johnston) - 2:37

West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
*Bob Markley - Vocals
*Shaun Harris - Bass Guitar
*Dan Harris - Guitar, Vocals
*Michael Lloyd - Guitar, Vocals

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Alan Bown ‎– Stretching Out (1971 uk, incredible progressive jazz rock, 2010 Esoteric extra track issue)

 From the mid-'60s through the early '70s, Alan Bown's bands had played in a variety of styles that were popular in the U.K. during that period without achieving wide popularity, although they were among the more respected musicians on the scene. This wasn't entirely due to bad luck.

Their songs weren't as impressive as their chops, and their shifting stylistic identity probably also worked against them with the record-buying public. This record found Bown very much in a progressive phase, favoring long, shifting compositions (all written by Alan Bown and Jeff Bannister save for John Anthony Helliwell's "Turning Point" and a cover of Richie Havens' "Up Above My Hobby Horse's Head") that must have been hell in some respects to play by memory.

As the liner notes to the 2010 CD reissue rightly point out, there were some similarities to British progressive rock groups like Traffic and Procol Harum, though these were on the slight side and tended to be found on the more reflective compositions. Some of Frank Zappa's influence could also be heard on the lengthy "Turning Point," particularly in the horn sections.

The horn parts are generally the most distinctive aspects the record, which otherwise is a little on the unmemorable early-'70s progressive rock side, though with a jazzier flavor than usual owing to the horns. The 2010 CD reissue on Esoteric adds a bonus track, "Thru the Night," that appeared on the 1971 Island sampler El Pea; it's punchier and more soul-influenced than the songs on the LP, and was written by Helliwell, who would join Supertramp.

by Richie Unterberger



Tracks
1. The Messenger - 7:56
2. Find a Melody - 5:18
3. Up Above My Hobby Horse's Head (R. Havens) - 4:23
4. Turning Point (The Alan Bown, Antony) -  7:12
5. Build Me a Stage 3:31
6. Stretching out 8:27
7. Through The Night (J. Anthony) - 4:16
All compositions by Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister except where stated.

Musicians
*Vic Sweeney - Drums, Percussion
*Andy Brown - Bass, Vocals
*Tony Catchpole - Electric,  Acoustic Guitar
*Jeff Bannister - Piano, Organ, Flute
*John Anthony - Alto, Tenor Saxophone, Recorder, Clarinet
*John Hemmings - Trombone
*Alan Bown – Trumpet, Flugelhorn
*Gordon Neville - Vocals

1970  The Alan Bown!
1970  Listen

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Alan Bown - Listen (1970 uk, trailblazing progressive jazz rock exploits, 2010 Esoteric reissue)

With Jess Roden on vocals and a couple of Toytown psych excursions, in ‘Mr. Job’ and ‘Toyland’, under the belt they released Outward Bown and a self-titled album before Roden quit. The vocals for the latter were re-recorded by the late Robert Palmer, he of ‘Addicted to Love’ success, who went on to pull exactly the same stroke as Roden for the next album, quitting the band just prior to its release.

Gordon Neville was recruited to overdub Palmer’s vocals and, now simply calling themselves Alan Bown, 1970′s Listen was the result.

Listen indeed, a demand upon the record-buyer enforced by Neville’s full-blooded R&B-style vocal. Despite the restriction of having to remain in the key of Palmer’s original interpretation of the nine songs Listen has to offer, the replacement vocalist remains convincing throughout and marshals the proceedings like he arrived at the studio on day one.

That’s not to say that this album is the best thing since sliced bread, far from it, although I’ve always found sliced bread to be overrated. Is dispensing with a knife to placate the idle, really the greatest achievement man has to offer for his 200,000 or so years on this rock? No wonder intelligent alien life has thus far passed us by, probably in favour of another civilisation whose idea of “great” isn’t the discovery that somebody’s already cut their bread for them.

But I digress. Alan Bown’s Listen is an assured, if risk-free, trawl across the seabed of early progressive rock. Drawing upon his early days as a jazz man, Bown’s album is laced with jazz elements, though not, as in the case of ‘Igginbottom’s Wrench, to the point where they ruin it (hence there’ll be no anti-jazz rant this week, though that, a Phil Collins, and an Incredible String Band one are long overdue). Throw in some blues riffs, the ever-present horns, and some fine, if subdued, keyboards and what you have is Listen, an undemanding 40 minutes upon your time.

You want highlights? Oh well, the opener ‘Wanted Man’ is a nice slice of Allman Brothers-style outlaw music, and ‘Loosen Up’ continues with that Southern Rock vibe. Things get heavier with ‘Pyramid’ and the closing track ‘Get Myself Straight’ is a mellower lament to a friend of keyboardist and writer, Jeff Bannister, who was in the throes of life derailment.

by Nick James

Tracks
1. Wanted Man (Bown, Bannister, Catchpole) - 3:30
2. Crash Landing (Bown, Bannister, Catchpole) - 5:55
3. Loosen Up (The Alan Bown) - 3:25
4. Pyramid (Bannister) - 4:27
5. Forever (The Alan Bown) - 2:54
6. Curfew (The Alan Bown, Bannister) - 4:01
7. Make Us All Believe (Bown, Bannister, Catchpole) - 4:33
8. Make Up Your Mind (The Alan Bown) - 7:59
9. Get Myself Straight (Bown, Bannister, Palmer) - 4:01

Musicians
*Vic Sweeney - Drums, Percussion
*Stan Haldane - Bass
*Tony Catchpole - Electric,  Acoustic Guitar
*Jeff Bannister - Piano, Organ, Flute
*John Anthony - Alto, Tenor Saxophone, Recorder, Clarinet
*John Hemmings - Trombone
*Alan Bown – Trumpet, Flugelhorn
*Gordon Neville - Vocals
*Robert Palmer - Vocals

1970  The Alan Bown!

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The Alan Bown! - The Alan Bown! (1969 uk, vibranting psych rhythm 'n' beat, 2010 Esoteric remaster)



 Alan Bown made an improbable rock star -- though it could be argued that he was never really a "star." With the trumpet as his instrument, he wasn't even a terribly likely rock & roll bandleader, but he definitely was that, and for a lot of years. And if his bands' recordings had been as successful as their live shows, he'd likely have been a star and then some.

Any musical aspirations that he harbored were invisible until he completed a stint in the Royal Air Force at the outset of the 1960s. He found a music scene that was booming throughout England with an important extension to Germany, and which encompassed not only rock 'n' roll but also blues, R&B, and jazz.

The latter two areas were where Bown's interest lay, and he was soon a member of a group called the Embers that was booked into the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, working on the same bills as such Liverpool-based artists as Tony Sheridan, the Beatles, the Undertakers, et al. He returned to England after the extended engagement and joined the John Barry Seven, led by the trumpeter/arranger John Barry. He was actually more involved with the group than Barry, whose burgeoning careers as a record producer and film music composer were taking off in a big way and keeping him busy outside of performing.

When Barry disbanded the group in 1964, Bown picked up the pieces and formed an outfit of his own -- his proposed name was ABC, standing for Alan Bown Community, but at the behest of his manager he chose the Alan Bown Set instead. The sextet was an immediate success as a live act, and it became an audience and critical favorite in London.

A contract with Deram Records, the progressive rock imprint of English Decca, followed, along with a pair of singles and a self-titled LP, and there was also a lineup shift that, for a time, brought Robert Palmer into the group as its lead singer. But despite a lot of touring and television exposure, and the reconstituting of its sound and image in a much more progressive rock vein, the group's moment had clearly passed by the start of the new decade.

Even a signing to the Island label failed to re-ignite their commercial prospects, though Bown did keep a version of the band -- including Mel Collins on saxophone -- together for touring purposes as late as 1972. After that last tour, Bown himself -- following a short stay in a band called Jonesy -- moved on to a producer's spot with British CBS Records, where he was one of those involved with the signing of Mott the Hoople and Sailor. By the 1980s, he had long since abandoned performing in favor of the business side of the music business, and started his own production and publishing company.

Thanks to the continued reissue of his '60s-era recordings, however, he remains a much-loved and fondly remembered figure as a performer, from the British beat era into the psychedelic period.

by Bruce Eder

Tracks
1. My Friend - 3:05
2. Strange Little Friend - 2:45
3. Elope - 3:22
4. Perfect Day - 3:06
5. All I Can Do - 2:46
6. Friends In St. Louis - 2:31
7. The Prisoner - 10:16
8. Kick Me Out - 2:42  
9. Children Of The Night - 2:41
10.Gypsy Girl - 2:32
11.Still As Stone - 2:45
12.Wrong Idea - 2:31
Bonus Tracks 11-12
In the UK release featured Robert Palmer’s vocals, recorded after Jess left the band; the US release was issued with Jess’ vocals

Musicians
*Vic Sweeney - Drums, Percussion
*Stan Haldane - Bass
*Tony Catchpole - Electric,  Acoustic Guitar
*Robert Palmer - Lead Vocals, Percussion
*Jeff Bannister - Piano, Organ
*John Anthony - Alto, Tenor Saxophone, Recorder, Clarinet
*John Hemmings - Trombone
*Alan Bown – Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Maracas
*Jess Roden - Vocals

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Reign Ghost - Reign Ghost (1969 canada, tight psych rock with bluesy mood, Akarma edition)

 

Drummer Bob Bryden and singer Lynda Squires were members of The Christopher Columbus Discovery of New Lands Band in Oshawa, Ontario during 1967.

 

As is the fate with most bands, the unit split up in 1968. Columbus' direct competition in town was an act called Reign Ghost and with an eye to find something new to do, Bryden and Squires infiltrated the rival band as guitarist and singer respectively. Soon the bassist left and Bryden snuck in former Columbus bassist Joe Gallant. Following the usual 'creative differences' excuse, Gallant quit and then came Columbus' Jerry Dufek. This line-up hooked up with Jack Boswell's Allied Records who threw them into a recording studio for the self-titled 'Reign Ghost' album in late 1968.

 

The album was released in January 1969. However, the band fraught with internal conflicts once more and destroyed the band. Bryden and Squires moved on once again and hooked up with drummer Rich Richter and bassist Russ Erman who reclaimed the name Reign Ghost with the new comrades more than willing to become the New Reign Ghost. Allied was happy to have their name band back and offered to release the follow-up album 'Reign Ghost Featuring Lynda Squires', but before the album could be released, the band split up again.

 

Bryden went on to join Christmas (aka Spirit of Christmas) and their first album, coincidentally was released by Paragon in July 1970 on the exact same day as they decided to release the 2nd Reign Ghost album. Lynda Squires went on to join the Canadian cast of 'Hair' and married Francis W. Davies (president of Daffodil Records and The Music Publisher).

Jam-canoe

Tracks
1. Travels Of Blue Paradox - 4:55
2. Long Day Journey - 3:08
3. Standing Room Only, Mr. Mars - 3:45
4. Eyes Knows, So Does Ears And Carolina - 9:01
5. Curio Shop - 3:22
6. Black Ode (Dave Hare) - 3:28
7. Gum Wrapper Song (Jim Stright) - 1:50
8. Southern Hemisphere Blues Legacy - 4:10
9. Reaching (Bob Bryden, Jerry Dufek) - 9:02
All songs by Bob Bryden except where noted.

Reign Ghost
*Lynda Squires - Vocals
*Bob Bryden - Vocals, Guitar
*Dave Hare - Keyboards
*Jim Stright - Lead Guitar
*Jerry Dufek - Bass
*Bob Stright - Percussion

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