Curt Boettcher - There's An Innocent Face (1973 us, fabulous sunny melodic soft folk, Sundazed edition)

Anyone who has ever heard the amazing music of Sagittarius or the Millennium can testify to the talent and vision of musician/producer Curt Boettcher. His visionary production work with the aforementioned groups as well as other artists such as Tommy Roe, Eternity’s Children, and the Association set a new standard in sophisticated, artful pop production. 

After working as a producer with a multitude of artists and projects, Boettcher began work on a solo album. Along with musical cohort Web Burrel, Boettcher recorded There’s an Innocent Face over the course of nearly two years, taking his time because he wanted everything to be ‘perfect’. The end result was finally released in 1973 on Elektra records to little fanfare and even less sales. The album was released as by Curt Boetcher (with only one ‘t’) because an LA numerologist advised Boettcher that it would be lucky for him to alter the spelling of his last name, although clearly the move did nothing to advance the sales of the record. Resurrected some 29 years later on CD by Sundazed, Curt Boettcher’s only solo album is again available to his fans. It’s an interesting taste of Boettcher’s post-Millennium work, and it shows his growth from the primary role of producer to the primary role of musician. 

The album starts off with what is likely the best track on the disk, the lovely “I Love You More Each Day”. This song shows off Boettcher’s production skills in all their glory, with its rich layered background punctuated by Boettcher’s double-tracked vocals. “She’ll Stay With You” is a pleasant folk-pop tune which displays the country influence which is present on a few other songs on the album as well. Other tunes on the album are pure pop gems, such as the pretty “Love You Yes I Do” and the tuneful “Malachi Star”. In addition to a number of upbeat songs, several are slower, like “Lay Down” and “I’ve Been Wrong”. Overall, the style of the album is very laid back. 

The basic accompaniment for all the songs on the album is simply acoustic guitar, sometimes joined by keyboards and other instruments and effects. Although there are a few enjoyable songs, There’s an Innocent Face does not display Boettcher’s genius as readily as his work with Millennium or Sagittarius does. Boettcher’s songwriting and musicianship are fairly accomplished, but somehow the songs don’t endear. Fans of Curt Boettcher will enjoy hearing his progression from his Millennium days, but they won’t find anything nearly as engaging as “The Island”, “It’s You”, or “To Claudia on Thursday”. This reissue from Sundazed is attractively packaged and features informative liners by fellow Fufkin writer and noted Boettcher scribe Dawn Eden.

by Kurt Sampsel

Tracks
1. I Love You More Each Day (D. Gere, C. Boettcher, W. Burrel) - 2:36
2. Such A Lady (R. Naylor, C. Gusias) - 2:03
3. She'll Stay With You (D. Gere) - 2:19
4. Love You Yes I Do (J. Netkin, C. Boettcher, W. Burrel) - 3:14
5. Without Her (C. Gusias) - 1:23
6. Bobby California (D. Gere) - 4:34
7. The Choice Is Yours (M. Rooney, T. Rooney) - 2:08
8. Malachi Star (J. Pulver, R. Wachtel) - 2:44
9. Lay Down (D. Gere) - 3:21
10.I've Been Wrong (D. Gere) - 3:34
11.Wufferton Frog (J. Netkin, M. Schwimmer) - 4:02

Musicians
*Curt Boettcher - Vocals, All Instruments
*Web Burrel - Vocals, All Instruments
*Red Rhodes - Steel Guitar (Track 3)
*Skip Konte - Keyboards (Tracks 5, 6, 11)
*Tessie - Congas, Percussion (Track 4)
*Wayne Yentis - Arp Synthesizer (Tracks 3, 8)
*Les Thornton - Tuba (Track 1)
*Willis Masonheimer - Tuba (Tracks 1, 11)
*Ric DeLong - Bass, Vocals (Tracks Tracks 1, 2)
*Michele O'Malley, Nancy Hansen, Mary Hostvet, Lucy Sickler - Vocals
*Dottie Holmberg, Constantine Gusias, Bill Bowersock, Matt Vernon - Vocals

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Cactus - Ultra Sonic Boogie (1971 us, stunning rough hard blues rock, live document, 2010 issue)

There aren't a lot of live Cactus recordings from the early '70s, so it's quite a revelation to have a concert recorded in 1971 at radio station WLIR's Ultra Sonic Studios (Long Island, NY) released courtesy of the folks at Purple Pyramid Records. In front of a crowd of a hundred or so, the classic line-up of Cactus (Carmine Appice-drums, Tim Bogert-bass, Jim McCarty-guitar, and Rusty Day-vocals) tore through a fiery set of songs from their first few albums, including some raucous solos.

The audio quality of this set is like a very decent bootleg, so don't expect pristine sound here, but crank it up and it will indeed do the trick. The band kicks off with a scorching version of "Evil", complete with plenty of slashing guitar work from McCarty and a rumbling, unaccompanied drum solo from Appice. It's one of their heavier, most beloved songs and they do a fine job on it here, with Day's powerful vocals rough & ragged and soaring over the top. 

The catchy and quite bluesy "Bro. Bill" comes up next, always one of their more charming tunes, and the rumbling "Oleo", complete with it's heavy blues riffs, slide guitar, harmonica, and beefy bass lines from Bogert, shows that at their core, Cactus were really a blues & boogie band with plenty of volume and fuzz. McCarty lays down a variety of tasty licks on the slow blues grind of "No Need to Worry", and the band even tackled their then newly released single "Token Chokin' ", a sing-along country blues number that was rarely if ever played live, so this obviously was a very special occasion. The extended blues/boogie romps "Big Mama Boogie (Parts 1 & 2)" are a lot of fun, showing Cactus at their playful, jamming best.

Any Cactus fan will surely be thanking the lucky stars that these previously long lost tapes were discovered. It's a great set, and by the time the CD is done you'll wish there was more. If you are looking for a great snapshot of where Cactus was as a live act circa 1971, this is it folks.

by Pete Pardo

Tracks
1. Evil - 9:55
2. The Band Introductions - 0:53
3. Bro. Bill - 6:28
4. Oleo - 11:44
5. No Need To Worry - 14:48
6. Token Chokin' - 3:53
7. Big Mama Boogie (Part I) - 7:36
8. Big Mama Boogie (Part II) - 4:38
9. Outro - 0:52
All songs by Cactus

Cactus
*Carmine Appice - Drums, Guitar
*Tim Bogert - Bass
*James McCarty - Guitar
*Rusty Day - Vocals

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Three Man Army - Two (1974 uk, great hard rock with prog shades, japan SHM remaster)

Three Man Army was a British hard rock band of the early '70s, playing period guitar-slanted music that sounded like warm-up fodder for bigger stadium acts. The constants in the lineup were Adrian Gurvitz and Paul Gurvitz, both of whom had been in Gun. After Gun expired, Adrian went to America to play with Buddy Miles, while Paul formed Parrish & Gurvitz. 

The pair reunited, however, to record the debut Three Man Army album, A Third of a Lifetime, using several different drummers (including Miles, Carmine Appice from Vanilla Fudge, and Mike Kellie from Spooky Tooth). Tony Newman, formerly of Sounds Incorporated and the Rod Stewart Group, joined for the next (and final) two Three Man Army albums. While there were rehearsals for a fourth LP, it was never started, as Newman left to join David Bowie's band and the Gurvitz brothers teamed up with Ginger Baker to record three albums as the Baker Gurvitz Army.  "Two" was their third and final studio album released in 1974. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Polecat Woman (Baxter, Adrian Curtis, Hayes) - 3:52
2. Today (Adrian Curtis) - 6:18
3. Flying (Adrian Curtis) - 3:08
4. Space Is the Place (Adrian Curtis) - 6:20
5. Irving (Adrian Curtis, Paul Gurvitz, Tony Newman) - 4:17
6. I Can't Make the Blind See (Baxter, Adrian Curtis, Hayes) - 4:03
7. Burning Angel (Adrian Curtis, Paul Gurvitz, Tony Newman) - 3:32
8. In My Eyes (Baxter, Adrian Curtis, Hayes) - 5:07

Three Man Army
*Paul Gurvitz - Vocals, Guitar, Bass
*Adrian Gurvitz - Vocals, Guitar, Slide Guitar, Organ
*Tony Newman - Drums, Percussion.
With
*Ruby James - Vocals, Bells
*Doris Troy - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Madeline Bell - Vocals
*Peter Robinson - Piano

Related Act
1968  Gun - Gun
1969  Gun - Gunsight (Japan 2008 remaster)

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Glass Harp - Live! At Carnegie Hall (1971 us, awesome jam psych rock)

More than four decades ago, a teenaged guitar phenom named Phil Keaggy burst onto the music scene. Keaggy and childhood friend and drummer/guitarist John Sferra were joined by bassist Dan Pecchio in Glass Harp, recording three albums for Decca before dissolving the band in 1972 when Keaggy was only 21. The band has reunited briefly for several concerts over the years, but rumor has it that the final Glass Harp concert will be July 27, 2002 at the Creation West festival in George, WA. (Note: Happily, that turned out not to be the case, and Glass Harp has continued playing and recording.) To commemorate Glass Harp's legacy, we're looking at a special album in the band's history.

A major highlight for Glass Harp was opening for The Kinks at Carnegie Hall in November 21 of 1971. The concert was recorded, but for some reason remained buried until 1997, when Live! At Carnegie Hall was finally released. It could be disappointing to see that this recording has only five songs, but when you realize that Look in the Sky is over 10 minutes and Can You See Me checks in at just under 29 minutes, it should be time to rejoice.

This is a great CD for all Keaggy/Glass Harp fans, or anyone else who loves vintage early 70s extended jam sessions. The recording quality is excellent, and the band is amazingly good when you consider how young they were--Sferra was 19 and Keaggy just 20, but his patented volume swells and lightning licks are already evident.

The final song, Can You See Me, features solos by all three band members (Pecchio's is a flute solo) and incorporates the song One Day At A Time before ending up the set with Keaggy's uncompromising lyrics: "Jesus died for you and me/that we may live eternally/through Him there is a peace we can share."

Consider that Keaggy wrote those lyrics in 1970 as a brand-new Christian, a teenaged rising rock star about to record his first album, and you realize just how bold and uncompromising he was. He wasn't about to water down the message when he had the opportunity to play Carnegie Hall.

by Randy Brandt

Tracks
1. Look In The Sky (Keaggy, Sferra, Pecchio) - 10:16
2. Never Is A Long Time (D. Pecchio) - 3:33
3. Do Lord (Keaggy, Sferra, Pecchio) - 3:59
4. Changes (J. Sferra) - 6:27
5. Can You See Me (D. Pecchio, P. Keaggy) - 28:56

Glass Harp
Phil Keaggy - Guitar, Vocals
Dan Pecchio - Bass, Flute, Vocals
John Sferra - Drums, Vocals

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Shanti - Shanti (1971 us / india, wonderful raga folk psych fusion rock)

Indian flavoured hippie folkrock in the mood of Grateful Dead or CSN. Adding instruments such as sarod, dholak and tablas to their regular guitar/bass/drums line-up Shanti created an exotic, rootsy aura, never mind the spiritual lyrics.

From San Francisco, this Californian-meets-India group played a very relaxed mystic blend of music, alternating instrumental cuts with vocal songs. Adding instruments such as sarod, dholak and tablas to their regular guitar/bass/drums line-up Shanti created an exotic, rootsy aura, never mind the spiritual lyrics.

Zakir Hussain also played with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead on his Rolling Thunder album.

Tracks 
1. We Want To Be Free (Mike Aydelotte) - 3:16
2. Innocence (Ashish Khan) - 10:45
3. Out Of Nowhere (Neil Seidel) - 3:29
4. Lord I'm Comin' Round (Mike Aydelotte) - 3:03
5. Good Inside (Gary Halpern) - 3:15
6. Shanti (Ashish Khan) - 14:51
7. I Do Believe (Neil Seidel) - 1:30

Shanti
*Aashish Khan - Sarod
*Zakir Hussain - Tabla, Dholak, Naal
*Neil Seidel - Lead Guitar
*Steve Haehl - Lead Vocal, Guitar
*Steve Leach - Vocal, Bass
*Frank Lupica - Drums
*Pranesh Khan - Tabla, Naal

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Goliath - Hot Rock And Thunder (1972 us, spanking hard rock with symphonic prog touches)

The long-lost band named Goliath may have been reared in the dreary industrial city of Terre Haute, IN. Their music was as extravagant and cosmopolitan as it came during the heavy rock heyday of the 1970s. True, "We're Not Afraid," which opened the band's only album, 1975's Hot Rock and Thunder, never quite gelled amid its disparate working parts (half Deep Purple Mark III funk-rock, half Emerson, Lake and Palmer excess), but the wonderfully named "Dead Drunk Screamin'" brilliantly contrasted its roaring power chords with soaring choired vocals reminiscent of vintage Uriah Heep. 

Goliath's occasional detours into barroom boogie (à la Ronnie James Dio's Elf) for the likes of "Tell Me You're Satisfied" and the title track proved somewhat less memorable, but the group's tight and energetic performances, combined with singer Jim Kitchen's booming delivery never totally disappointed, either. And side two was where the quintet really spread its progressive rock wings, as guitarist Paul Bays' unfettered six-string bombast and keyboardist Dave Wood's Baroque piano work and futuristic synthesizer parts jousted for supremacy across multi-faceted creations like "The Apocalypse," "Silver Girl" (boasting a tasty classical piano mid-section), and the more toned down semi-ballad "Ordinary Guy" (where the CD reissue's direct-from-vinyl transfer becomes glaringly obvious). 

All in all, and though anything but perfect, the sheer creative breadth displayed by Goliath on this LP, in spite of recording on a shoestring budget under God knows what dire circumstances, was really quite remarkable; and the fact that its songs often appear torn between the decade's first and second halves (the first simultaneously artsy and raw; the second marked by increased technology pointing toward AOR) actually heightens its idiosyncratic appeal, to the endless curiosity of subsequent generations of collectors, year after year, reissue after reissue. 

by Eduardo Rivadavia 

Tracks
1. We're Not Afraid (Steve Peters, Jim Kitchen, Bill Peters) - 5:12
2. Tell Me You're Satisfied (Steve Peters, Paul Bays) - 5:03
3. Dead Drunk Screamin' (Paul Bays, Steve Peters, Jim Kitchen) - 4:18
4. Hot Rock And Thunder (Steve Peters) - 3:05
5. The Apocalypse (Steve Peters, Bill Peters) - 6:04
6. Silver Girl (Dave Wood, Paul Bays) - 6:01
7. Ordinary Guy (Steve Peters) - 4:25

Goliath
*Dave Wood - Grand Piano, Moog, Clavinet, Vocals
*Paul Bays - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Jim Kitchen - Lead Vocals
*Bill Peters - Bass, Vocals
*Steve Peters - Drums

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Lorri Zimmerman - Lorri Zimmerman (1970 canada, powerful vocals, tender ballads and psych tinged rock)

One of the lesser-known femme-psych singers, Lorri Zimmerman got her start when she auditioned for a TV talent show called The Like Young and was extended an invitation to participate in an album the show released featuring several of the performers.

Two years later, in 1968, Lorri met up with a band called the Munks and the members performed under the moniker Sweet Loraine & the Munks for nearly a year before going their separate ways. She soon joined up with Life, a Montreal-based psychedelic band on Polydor that had some chart success with their single "Hands of the Clock." 

In 1969, the group disbanded and Zimmerman began making some demos for music publishers Chappell & Co. Ltd, which led to the recording of her only solo album for Crescent City, an obscure underground pop/rock record (with elements of psych) that remained an underground gem until it was reissued by Fallout Records in 2007.

Zimmerman went on to tour as a backing singer for Leonard Cohen before forming pop-rockers Toulouse in the mid-70s - but it’s this rare album that best showcasesher powerful, affecting voice.

by Jason Lymangrover

Tracks

1. Don’t Twist My Mind (Robert Swerdlow) - 2:49

2. You’re The One (Don Beauchamp, Ken Briscoe) - 2:14

3. Contemplation (Mylon Lefebure) - 3:04

4. Bidin’ My Time (Ken Briscoe) - 4:16

5. Just To Say Goodbye (Ken Briscoe) - 3:40 

6. Theme For An Imaginary Western (Jack Bruce) - 4:41

7. Cause The World Is Mine (Harry Marks) - 3:18

8. Paint Me A Picture (Ken Briscoe) - 4:01

9. Love Me, Love My Children (Robert Swerdlow) - 3:28

10. Children Of The Universe (Ken Briscoe) - 2:39

*Lorri Zimmerman - Vocals

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Philipa And John Cooper - The Cooperville Times (1969 south africa, wonderful folk baroque psych)

This South African psych-pop rarity was buried so far beneath the drifts of history that even the skilled archivists of the Shadoks label had a hell of a time digging up the original recordings for reissue. Recorded right in the psychedelic sweet spot of 1968 and released the following year, The Cooperville Times is the only album by brother-and-sister duo John & Philipa Cooper. It blends the pop and folk ends of the ‘60s U.K. psych spectrum, with John leaning toward the former and Philipa toward the latter as they alternate lead vocals (there's not a lot of two-part harmony on the album). 

All the hallmarks of the paisley-patterned era are here -- Baroque bits of harpsichord accompaniment, pastoral flute lines, tremolo guitar -- just the sort of touches guaranteed to make psych collectors foam at the mouth. And in a genre where obscurities sometimes tend to remain obscure for a reason, The Cooperville Times proves to be a quality piece of work, with John Cooper's songcraft standing apart from the pack. And while he's got a strong melodic sense with memorable hooks to spare, his lyrics are particularly meritorious; on the surface, they seem to delve into the trippy, canyons-of-your-mind territory so common to psychedelia, but a closer listen reveals that Cooper has a well-developed sense of poetic imagery, and a gift for surreal settings. 

When he sings about the "Man in a Bowler Hat," for instance, he's in keeping with the surrealist tradition of the legendary Magritte painting that is the song's namesake. And though he's an effective singer, things take a particularly striking turn when his sister steps up to the microphone; her haunting vocal style is very much in line with the work of contemporaneous U.K. psych-folk sirens like Jill Child of Midwinter and Alison O'Donnell of Mellow Candle. 

by James Allen

After the inclusion of two songs on “Astral Daze Volumes 1 & 2” some people began looking for the original of this forgotten album. After a few poor bootlegs this finally has been reissued carefully. It sounds very different from the general South-African scene, and sounds to have roots in the other English territories, especially the UK, varying from early Jefferson Airplane harmony folk-psych (one track) to English acid folk (some mentioned Ithaca). Many songs have certain lullaby-balladry with happy rhythms, some baroque arrangements of an instrument that sounds in between a piano and a harpsichord, lots of acoustic and electrified acoustic guitars and soft percussion. 

With just one track a bit rockier with electric guitar. Apparently Julian Laxton (Freedom’s Children) was involved in the recording even when nowadays he can’t remember the album, band or session. There’s some near-classical improvisation on violin with a gypsy association on “Gypsy Girl”. Some of the songs by the often more high toned, hippie-flavoured voice female singer sound much folkier, and remind of the Incredible String Band songs performed by Licorice McKechnie. The album is a real discovery and fits well amongst the classics of English acid folk/folk scene. The songs are all pretty short but are carefully arranged.

Psych-Folk

Tracks
1. The Mad Professor - 2:45
2. Gyspy Spell - 2:42
3. I'll Be More Than Satisfied - 2:08
4. Wild Daydreams - 2:35
5. Edge Of Eternity - 2:12
6. My Pair Of Spectacles - 2:26
7. Man In A Bowler Hat - 2:41
8. Singing In My Soul - 2:05
9. She's My Woman - 2:38
10.Broomstick - 2:33
11.Good Old Sun - 2:00
All songs by Philipa And John Cooper

Personnel
*John Cooper - Vocals
*Philipa Cooper - Vocals
*Julian Laxton - Guitar
*Ivor Back - Drums
*Werner Krupski - Keyboards
*Art De Villiers - Acoustic Guitar
*Bob Hill - Bass
*Francesco - Fiddle
*Rory Blackwell - Tambourine

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Ford Theatre - Trilogy For The Masses (1968 us, incredible boston hard psych with proto prog touches)

Ford Theatre is the place where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. And in these days of horrifyingly regular public murders, it's reasonable to ask what kind of name this is for a rock and roll group. A sick joke? Absolutely not. These six young men are deadly serious, and they chose their name because it corresponds in a way to what they are trying to create -- a vision of America in all its present chaos and agony. Harry Palmer, the leader, talks about it with the intensity of a man who feels he has got to be heard. "We're trying to get at the kind of desperation and searching that people are going through," he says. "This is as much a dramatic work as a musical one. We're trying to create a whole environment -- an ominous kind of environment." 

All the lyrics are in the second person, addressed to us. We're on the spot -- and there are very few of us who won't see parts of ourselves in these lines, or recognize the kind of tension that builds up in these long, corrosive instrumental breaks. The very least you can say about this album is that it's original, and fearlessly honest. And that's not nearly as common as some people think it is.

by Tom Phillips, Contributing Editor Jazz & Pop Magazine

Trilogy For The Masses opens with the Theme For The Masses, the main theme that connects the whole of the album together. Played in a form of lament, the track is rich in both strings and organ very similar to a style that would be utilised by many of the proto-progressive rock bands such as Procol Harum and The Moody Blues. The subsequent track, 101 Harrison Street is a clear indication of the times. Featuring a lengthy and mesmerising guitar solo accompanied by a hypnotic continuous rhythm, this piece of music is a sure sign of the psychedelic drenched times the band were living in. This was the year of Woodstock and the height of flower power, and one can easily envisage this track being played endlessly with one solo being meted out after the other.

Excerpt (From the Theme) resurrects the opening theme to then lead into Back To Philadelphia, a track that would also be utilised for the bands second album, Time Changes. Slow paced and laid back, this track in contrast to 101 Harrison Street, lays more emphasis on the guitar work rather than having the organ dominate the sound of the music. Both Sides One and Two are linked by the short echo-filled The Race.

A name that comes to mind after hearing From A Back Door Window (The Search) would be legendary group Love. Ford Theatre manage to exude a certain amount of power and anger without letting it get in the way of their musical arrangements and without compromising their ability to incorporate ear-catching choruses in their music. This lengthy track also manages to combine the two distinct musical touches that the band had expressed so far on the album, that of a more guitar orientated rock feel as well as that of the R&B organ dominated sound. Well, From A Back Door Window (The Search), has both these elements with an extremely pleasant organ solo coupled with lengthy guitar work. Once again the emphasis seems to be on the ambient that the instruments manage to create with their obvious psychedelic allusions capable of

Theme For The Masses resurrects its head in bringing the album to a close with Postlude: Looking Back, the only composition credited entirely to Harry Palmer on the album. Musically this track is strikingly different to the remainder of the album as it is devoid of the elaborate arrangement present on the album giving this pleasant track an almost country rock feel to it. This is one album from my record collection that somehow finds itself regularly on the turntable. There is something innocent and unique about the sound of the album that is hard to find in many albums from this era. Musically I feel that it is a gem and should appeal to all those who like what is often termed as proto-progressive rock.

by Nigel Camilleri 

Tracks
1. Theme For The Masses Part 1 - 2:52
2. 101 Harrison Street / Exerpt From The Theme - 10:29
3. Back To Philadelphia / The Race Part 1 - 4:39
4. The Race Part 2 / From A Back Door Window / Theme For The Masses Part 2 - 17:18
5. Postlude : Looking Back - 2:10
All compositions by Harry Palmer, Wally McGee

Ford Theatre
*Harry Palmer - Guitar
*Jimmy Altieri - Bass, Vocals
*Joey Scott - Lead Vocals
*John Mazzarelli - Keyboards, Vocals
*Robert Tamagni - Drums, Vocals
*Arthur "Butch" Webster - Lead Guitar

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October Country ‎– October Country (1968 us, elegant sunny psychedelia)

October Country was a six-piece, Los Angeles-based harmony pop group. They are probably best-remembered for their association with producer/composer/songwriter Michael Lloyd. Lloyd was already an accomplished songwriter by age 13, signing a publishing deal with L.A. producer Kim Fowley, who later introduced him to entertainment mogul Mike Curb. Fowley hoped that Curb would use some of Lloyd's songs in the "teensploitation" films he was producing at the time. Instead, Curb gave Lloyd the opportunity to produce a handful of groups for his Tower imprint and its Sidewalk subsidiary, including one of Lloyd's own groups, the Laughing Wind. Lloyd was 15 when his first single produced by Fowley was issued in 1966 (a few years later this same group -- which featured Stan Ayeroff on guitar and Steve Baim on drums -- released several "songbook" albums, including the Cream Songbook, although they were credited to "the Rubber Band" at the time). 

Meanwhile, Lloyd's profile in the L.A. music community was in ascendance and brought him new opportunities. He was soon offered the chance to produce a We Five-ish folk-rock group, led by a pair of singing siblings: Caryle De Franca (real name Carol De Franca) and her brother Joe. The group had already performed on the Sunset Strip scene, where they backed groups like the Rivingtonsand the Coasters. They assembled at Columbia Records and, under Lloyd's supervision, recorded the Lloyd-penned "October Country." (After they left the studio, however, Lloyd overdubbed himself playing on many of the instruments, replacing their poorer performances). 

The group adopted the name October Country thereafter, and signed with Epic Records, which released that first single in late 1967. By the spring of 1968, the group's second single, "My Girlfriend Is a Witch," was released, followed a few months later by a third single, "Cowboys and Indians." A self-titled LP was released that same year, but the group's records failed to catch on outside of the L.A. area. Curb was nonetheless impressed with what he heard and gave Lloyd free reign of his Hollywood Boulevard Studios for the next six months, where he and two other musicians composed, performed, and recorded an entire album of similar Laurel Canyon-esque psych-folk for his Sidewalk Productions, this time releasing the material under the name the Smoke, a band featuring Lloyd and the other members of the studio group previously known as the Rubber Band. Meanwhile, in 1969, Curb and Lloyd produced bubblegum rock for a cartoon program called Cattanooga Cats, which featured a pop-punk version of "My Girlfriend Is a Witch," reputedly with Rupert Holmes (of "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" fame) on lead vocals. 

by Bryan Thomas

Tracks
1. October Country - 2:38
2. Painted Sky (M. Lloyd, J. Greenspoon) - 3:11
3. Little Boy Smiling - 2:24
4. She's Been Away - 1:54
5. Good To Be Round - 2:28
6. I Wish I Was A Fire - 1:53
7. Cowboys And Indians - 2:14
8. I Just Don't Know (B. Wian) - 2:23
9. End Of The Line - 2:17
10.My Girlfriend Is A Witch - 2:06
11.Caryle's Theme - 1:52
12.Baby What I Mean (F. Hamilton, E. Sheldon) - 1:51
13.October Country (45 Mono Mix) - 2:24
14.I Just Don't Know (45 Mono Mix) (B. Wian) - 2:11
15.I Wish I Was A Fire (45 Mono Mix) - 2:08
16.Cowboys And Indians (45 Mono Mix) - 2:39
17.My Girlfriend Is A Witch (45 Mono Mix) - 1:54
All songs written by Michael Lloyd except where noted.

October Country
*Caryle De Franca - Vocals
*Joe De Franca - Vocals
*Marty Earle - Guitar
*Bruce Wayne - Bass Guitar
*Bob Wian - Keyboards
*Eddie Beram - Drums

Related Act 
1968  The Smoke - The Smoke (2010 edition) 

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