Melissa - Midnight Trampoline (1971 aussie, excellent progressive rock with folk shades)

Melissa formed in Sydney in 1969 under the name Molten Hue. The original lineup was Robert Gunn (flute, vocals), Rick Barrett (guitar) Ken Frazier (bass) and Warren "Wal" Sparkes (drums), but Irish-born bassist Joe Creighton (who had previously been a member of UK band The A-Side) replaced Frazier not long after the band was formed. Melissa started out playing a psychedelia and acid-rock, and they were one of the first Australian bands to play rock in the style of American West Coast acts like Jefferson Airplance, Country Joe & The Fish or The Steve Miller Band.

Melissa's debut 45 "Mississippi Mamma" -- produced by Rory Thomas from The Questions -- was a pacy progressive blues-rock number, backed by a raucous cover of Dylan's "Too Much of Nothing". The group's only album, Midnight Trampoline was recorded over a period of nine months during 1971 and was eventually released in October on the independent Banner label. Several tracks were composed by Creighton and/or Barnett, and there's an interesting arrangement of the traditional song "Cuckoo". As Ian McFarlane noted in Freedom Train, the group was obviously heavily under the spell of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, and the LP features two Morrison covers, "Madame George" and "Young Lovers Do". Unfortunately, the album sank without a trace on release, but over the years it has gained a reputation as one of the better Australian rock Albums of the period and it became a sought-after collector's item.

Melissa had a strong following on the Sydney suburban dance circuit and they performed with major acts like Tully and Mecca at 'underground' happenings and concerts at venues like the Paddington Town Hall and the Arts Factory in Darlinghurst. One of the highlights of the group's brief career was a support slot in Sydney on the Sydney leg of the first Australian tour by Elton John in October 1971. By this time, however, internal tensions that built up during the recording of the LP had brought about to a split the band, with Creighton and Gunn being replaced by Chris Keystone and Ken Hanley, plus a new keyboard player, Glen Farley. Melissa continued to perform through 1972 but broke up at the end of that year.

Fortunately, the Melissa recordings were among the precious early-'70s OzRock relics selected for reissue by Vicious Sloth Collectibles. The tracks from the Midnight Trampoline LP, augmented by the two tracks from the single, were included on the CD reissue

The most notable member of the group is of course Joe Creighton, who has long been one of Australia's most respected and sought-after bassist-vocalists. He has played with many notable Australian acts including Billy T, Mark Gillespie, Pseudo Echo, The Black Sorrows, Vanetta Fields, Ian Moss and The John Farnham Band and The Revelators, he's toured with Tim Finn, and led his own Joe Creighton Band in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Joe's remarkable list of session credits includes the Oz soundtrack, Jane Conway, Pat Wilson, Australian Crawl, Hunters & Collectors, Sharon O'Neill, the Wendy Matthews/Kate Ceberano duet album, Greg Champion, Marc Hunter and Jenny Morris

Miles-ago

Tracks
1. Matalla (Creighton, Barrett) - 4:54
2. Getting Through (Creighton) - 4:08
3. Young Lovers Do (Morrison) - 4:11
4. Out In The Country (Williams, Nicholls) - 4:01
5. Cuckoo (Trad., Arr. Creighton, Barrett) - 5:46
6. Jennifer In New York (Barrett) - 5:08
7. Madame George (Morrison) - 6:13
8. Mississippi Mama (Zinser) - 1:58
9. Too Much Of Nothing (Dylan) - 2:44

Melissa 
*Richard Barrett - Guitars
*Joe Creighton - Bass, Vocals
*Robert Gunn - Flute, Vocals
*Wally Sparke - Drums, Percussion
Additional Musicians
*"Martin" - Vocal Harmony
*Peter Martin - 12 String Guitar
*Glen Farley - Electric Piano

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Kris Kristofferson - Kristofferson (1970 us, expressive outlaw country folk rock)

Kris Kristofferson was approaching his mid-thirties and had been kicking around Nashville for several years when he belatedly became an overnight success in 1969-1970. The impetus was "Me and Bobby McGee," which he co-wrote with Fred Foster, who ran Monument Records. Roger Miller cut the song, and his recording peaked in the country Top 20 in August 1969. By that time, Kristofferson had performed at the Newport Folk Festival at the behest of Johnny Cash, and Foster decided to sign him to Monument as a recording artist. Before this debut album was released in 1970, Ray Stevens had scored a pop and country chart entry with Kristofferson's "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down."

On the evidence of his first collection of songs, Kristofferson was ahead of his country music peers in realizing that, despite Nashville's conservative political tilt, there was a natural affinity between the country archetype of a hard-drinking, romantically independent loner and the rock & roll archetype of a drug-taking, romantically free hippie. (Of course, lots of rock musicians, especially in Los Angeles, had already noticed this similarity, and formed bands like Poco and the Flying Burrito Brothers to exploit it.) 

He opened the album with what sounded like an answer to the criticisms of the Rolling Stones in the wake of Altamont. "Blame It on the Stones" contrasted various conservative stereotypes, starting with "Mr. Marvin Middle Class," with the supposedly evil rock group, its chorus a parody of "Bringing in the Sheaves." Needless to say, that was not a typical way to open a country album in 1970 (or any other time), but Kristofferson quickly followed with the somewhat more reverent "To Beat the Devil," which he dedicated in a spoken introduction to Johnny Cash and June Carter, and in which he established a persona he would maintain through much of the album, the character of a poor songwriter struggling against despair. 

"Me and Bobby McGee," a classic on-the-road song, was next, with Kristofferson, despite the country grammar, displaying his background as an English teacher in its chorus, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose/Nothin' ain't worth nothin', but it's free." Then came "The Best of All Possible Worlds," which used a reference to Voltaire to reflect wryly on the viewpoint of a drunken vagrant. (You could see what attracted Roger Miller to Kristofferson in a song like this, which clearly was influenced by Miller's "King of the Road," though Kristofferson's treatment of the subject was grittier.) Of course, the ultimate example of the subject was the album-closing "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," which was basically a first-person description of a hangover. The romantic side of the hard-living drifter character was glimpsed in the album's two tenderest statements, "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "For the Good Times," both of which were pleas by the narrator to sleep with the object of his affection.

A sleeve note suggested that Kristofferson had been reluctant to record, but while he didn't have much range as a singer, he brought a conviction to his vocals and a complete understanding of the nuances of the lyrics. The songs were so personal that they seemed to demand a personal interpretation. Nashville, as it turned out, didn't have much use for countercultural songs like "Blame It on the Stones" and "The Law Is for Protection of the People" (which had some choice words for the police), but the country music community could recognize a good love song with an erotic edge that was on the cusp of the era's changing mores, and Ray Price quickly cut "For the Good Times," which topped the country charts. 

Then, Johnny Cash covered "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" for a number one country hit, leading to its winning the Country Music Association's Song of the Year award for 1970, and Sammi Smith gave a twist to "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by recording it as a woman's song for yet another country number one. The finishing touch to Kristofferson's sudden renown was Janis Joplin's cover of "Me and Bobby McGee," released shortly after her death, which topped the pop charts.

When it was released in 1970, Kristofferson did not reach the charts. By the following year, however, its creator was on his way to becoming a major star, and after his second album, The Silver Tongued Devil and I, broke into the pop charts in July 1971, Monument re-titled the first album Me and Bobby McGee and reissued it. This time around, it made the pop and country charts and went gold. (On February 6, 2001, Monument/Legacy reissued Kristofferson as part of its American Milestones series. Featuring 24-bit remastering, the CD added four previously unreleased tracks from the same sessions that produced the album, among them an early version of "Come Sundown," later recorded for a Top Ten country hit by Bobby Bare and re-cut by Kristofferson himself for his Shake Hands With the Devil album in 1979.)

by William Ruhlmann

Tracks
1. Blame It On The Stones (Kristofferson, John Wilkin) - 2:46
2. To Beat The Devil - 4:43
3. Me And Bobby Mcgee (Kristofferson, Fred Foster) - 4:23
4. Best Of All Possible Worlds - 3:01
5. Help Me Make It Through The Night - 2:24
6. The Law Is For Protection Of The People - 2:40
7. Casey's Last Ride - 3:37
8. Just The Other Side Of Nowhere - 3:39
9. Darby's Castle - 3:19
10.For The Good Times - 3:25
11.Duvalier's Dream - 2:58
12.Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down - 4:34
13.The Junkie And The Juicehead, Minus Me - 3:24
14.Shadows Of Her Mind - 3:13
15.The Lady's Not For Sale (Kristofferson, Carol Pugh) - 3:27
16.Come Sundown - 2:36
All songs by Kris Kristofferson except as noted

Musicians
*Kris Kristofferson – Guitar, Vocals
*Jerry Kennedy - Guitar

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Samuel Prody - Samuel Prody (1971 uk, spectacular heavy psych rock, 2011 Flawed Gems issue)

Tony Savva started his career in London as a bass player and vocalist in various bands. The first group was "The Rivals" - Andy Mitchell (lead guitar), Colin Cookson (rhythm guitar), Bobbie Scott (drums) and Tony Savva (bass & vocals). "Thee of London" - was the next band. They were managed by Reg King and released a single called "Each & Every Day" (written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards).

Next came "The New Breed" - They were managed by Don Arden and he wanted them to record one of two songs written by Wes Farrell & Bert Russell. They wanted to record Hang On Sloopy but unfortunately the McCoys (who recorded it on Bert Russell's own Bang Records label) got there first so they recorded the other one, Friends & Lovers Forever. They then became the "Wild Angels" - and they performed at the Marquee Club in London. 

In the Wild Angels the vocalist was Dave Arden, Don Arden's son. His sister was Sharon Arden who married Ozzy Osbourne (Trivia.. Sharon Osbourne is Don Arden's daughter). The most successful of these early bands was "A Wild Uncertainty". They released a single "A Man With Money" (an old Everly Brothers hit) in 1966 (the B side was "Broken Truth" written by Tony).

When Keith Moon was going through a bad time with the Who (he & Pete Townshend were not getting on too well) he wanted to join the band so he rehearsed for a full day with them at the Kingston Cellar Club. When he agreed to join them as long as he got a £50 per week retainer Don Arden turned him down flat. 

At around this time Tony Savva was auditioned for the Jimi Hendrix Experience but unfortunately it was decided that the band should remain as a three piece. Mitch Mitchell still kept in contact with Tony and he did the percussion on the Wild Uncertainty single. 

The other guys in A Wild Uncertainty were: Gordon Barton on drums (he went on to join Andwella's Dream and then John Entwistle's OX) Peter Tidmarsh on guitar (he carried on with Tony and wrote one of the Samuel Prody Tracks) Eddie Hardin on keyboards - He went on to join the Spencer Davis Group and after a great period with Hardin & York he is still playing with them along with the fantastic Miller Anderson & Colin Hodgkinson. 

They were then managed by the infamous Andrew Loog Oldham who managed the Rolling Stones and founded the Immediate label. In 1968 Tony worked with Lionel Bart on writing a very strange album called "Isn't This Where We Came In?" (Deram - DML 1028). There were many well known performers on the recording - Madeline Bell, Danny Thompson, John Cameron, Willie Rushton, Rosetta Hightower, Kenny Lynch and the sleeve notes were by Jonathan King.

Tony went on to a couple of other bands - Smiffy's Gang and then Giant. It was Giant that eventually moved south to Brighton in the early 70s and became Samuel Prody. Originally Giant was formed by Pete Sears (who went on to Jefferson Starship, now with the FOB - the Flying Other Brothers).  In Giant the guitarist was Davey O'List (ex- the Nice) after Pete Sears left. When the band moved down to Brighton he left after a few months to be replaced again by Pete Tidmarsh. Pete left and he was replaced by Keith Hurley from Brighton.

The band wanted to change their name to Samuel Purdy but as this might have caused a problem with the world famous shotgun maker they were advised to change it to Samuel Prody. After the still popular Samuel Prody album was released the band broke up and Tony joined a great band called Rusty Butler. A young Dave Greenfield was the keyboard player who went on to join The Stranglers (and he is of course still with them!)

Samuel Prody-official

Tracks
1. Who Will Buy (L. Bart) - 4:23
2. Woman - 4:17
3. Time Is All Mine - 6:10
4. Scat Shuffle (P. Titmarsch) - 2:17
5. She's Mine - 3:16
6. Mr Make Believe - 3:16
7. Hallucination - 8:42
All songs by Tony Savva except where noted

Samuel Prody
*Tony Savva - Lead Vocals, Guitar
*Derek "Mort" Smallcombe - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*John Boswell - Percussion, Vocals
*Stephen Day - Bass, Lead Guitar

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Crazy Elephant - Crazy Elephant (1969-70 us, wondrous colorful beats, 2006 remaster and expanded)

"There is no Crazy Elephant," insists writer-producer Ritchie Cordell. "That was just Bob Spencer." Robert Spencer was a member of the Cadillacs, who recorded the rock and roll classic "Speedo," a #14 hit from 1955. In the years that followed, Spencer kept active in the industry, often penning songs and selling them off without just compensation, according to Cordell. In 1969, Spencer linked up with Kasenetz and Katz just as their Super K bubblegum machine was churning out the hits full-throttle.

Kasenetz and Katz hooked him up with Cordell and Joey Levine, who together had penned the soulful "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'." The searing single, featuring Spencer's scorching lead vocal and an obvious background vocal assist by Levine, was submitted to Buddah Records, the New York-based label with whom Kasenetz and Katz had been so continually successful. "We played it for [Buddah General Manager] Neil Bogart," the Super K boys recall, "but he said, 'No, I don't hear it.'" Undeterred, they walked Crazy Elephant over to Larry Uttal at neighboring Bell Records, who snapped it up. By May 1969, "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" hit #12 in Billboard. Its stateside success prompted a British release, where it also peaked at #12.

Kasenetz and Katz recruited a five-piece band of college-age youths to support the single on the road, pose for pictures, and fill out the inevitable album. According to the credits on that sole self-titled LP, the lucky winners of this strange sweepstakes were Larry Laufer (leader, keyboards and vocals), Ronnie Bretone (bass), Bob Avery (drums), Kenny Cohen (flute, sax, and vocals) and Hal King (vocals). The whole process was standard operating procedure for bubblegummeisters Kasenetz and Katz. More often than not, according to Cordell, they would "send five bands [with the same name] out on the road. They'd stick them in a room with the album and have them learn all the songs."

"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" was the only Crazy Elephant record for Cordell and Levine. When the Spencer-soundalike follow-ups "Sunshine, Red Wine" and "Gimme Some More" failed to click, Kasenetz and Katz took Crazy Elephant in a new direction overseas to London. In 1970, they brought in future 10cc members Kevin Godley, Lol Creme, and Graham Gouldman to take over the writing and production duties. Despite the ambitious single "(There Ain't No) Umbopo" (which the trio had recorded in an alternate version for Pye UK as Doctor Father), Crazy Elephant had effectively run its course, and was quietly retired.

by Bill Pitzonka

Tracks
1. Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' (Joey Levine, Richie Cordell) - 2:04
2. Respect (Otis Redding) - 7:25
3. Pam (Larry Laufer, Robert Katz, Iver Kasenetz) - 2:33
4. Come To The Farm (Larry Laufer, Robert Katz, Iver Kasenetz) - 3:16
5. Somewhere (Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein) - 3:45
6. My Baby (Honey Pie) (Larry Laufer, Robert Katz, Iver Kasenetz) - 2:14
7. Sunshine, Red Wine (Jimmy Woods, Bob Levine, Jeff Katz, Jerry Kasenetz) - 2:30
8. (Heartless) Hertie Gertie (Jeff Katz, Jerry Kasenetz) - 3:03
9. Love Strike (Jimmy Woods, Bob Levine, Jeff Katz, Jerry Kasenetz) - 2:23
10.Try This When You're Ready (Larry Laufer, Robert Katz, Iver Kasenetz) - 2:56
11.Higher And Higher (Jeff Katz, Jerry Kasenetz) - 3:37
12.Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' (Joey Levine, Richie Cordell) - 2:01
13.Dark Part Of My Mind (J.Buglisi, N. Foroli, P. Kraft, J. Kent) - 2:53
14.Sunshine (Red Wine) (J. Woods, B. Levine, J. Katz, J. Kasenetz) - 2:30
15.Pam (Larry Laufer, Robert Katz, Iver Kasenetz) - 2:33
16.Gimme Some More (J. Woods, B. Levine, J. Katz, J. Kasenetz) - 2:08
17.My Baby (Honey Pie) (Larry Laufer, Robert Katz, Iver Kasenetz) - 2:18
18.There's A Better Day A Comin' (Na,Na,Na,Na) (R. Cordell, J. Katz, J. Kasenetz) - 3:15
19.Space Buggy (R. Cordell, J. Katz, J. Kasenetz) - 2:25
20.There Ain't No Umbopo (Godley, Creme) - 3:05
21.Landrover (R. Cordell, J. Katz, J. Kasenetz, H. Gold, P. Schindler) - 2:37
22.Respect Revisited (Otis Redding) - 5:00
23.In A Castle (Crazy Elephant) - 4:55
24.Hips And Flips (Joey Levine, Richie Cordell) - 1:55
25.Splif And Spih (Joey Levine, Richie Cordell) - 1:56

Crazy Elephant
*Kenny Cohen - Flute, Saxophone, Vocals
*Bob Avery - Drums
*Larry Laufer - Keyboards, Vocals
*Hal King - Vocals
*Ronnie Bretone - Bass

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The Peanut Butter Conspiracy - Living Dream (1967-68 us, beautiful west coast sunny psych, Sundazed release)

A late-'60s California quintet with a sound that falls somewhere between the Mamas & the Papas and the Jefferson Airplane -- unfortunately without the elegance of the former or the edgy recklessness of the latter -- the Peanut Butter Conspiracy's albums now seem like timepieces of the flower power era, and since the group never managed a big radio hit, they don't even generate the easy nostalgia that might bring them a fresh audience in the 21st century.

Led by bassist Alan Brackett and guitarist John Merrill, both songwriters, and singer Sandi Robinson, who should have been the marketable centerpiece of the band, but curiously wasn't, the PBC certainly had potential. Columbia Records teamed them with producer Gary Usher, who spotted the 12-string guitars and the careful group harmonies of the band and promptly made them sound like the Byrds, which wasn't necessarily a bad idea, but a better idea might have been to make Robinson's vocals the clear focus of the group, which would have given them a stronger public identity.

The closest the PBC came to having a hit was with their first single, the now hopelessly dated "It's a Happening Thing," and if most of the songs on this anthology (drawn from the group's first two albums, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading and The Great Conspiracy) now seem half-written and full of hippie-driven jargon, there are still a few gems here, including Merrill's Byrdsian "Twice Is Life" and "Dark on You Now," as well as Brackett's intriguing "Living Dream." Other songs have strong points, like Brackett's "Living, Loving Life," which has a killer opening line ("Everyone has a bomb in their mind"), or the previously unissued "Peter Pan," which sounds today like a brilliant satire of the late-'60s hippie ethos, but wasn't anything of the sort when PBC recorded it.

Maybe the strongest cut is "I'm a Fool," a Brackett song that features an unusually aggressive vocal from Robinson (matched in the arrangement by horn blasts) that suggests an alternate musical path for the group that unfortunately was never followed. This set from Sundazed has all the essentials from the group's 1967 and 1968 albums for Columbia, plus two previously unissued tracks and the single mix of "It's a Happening Thing," making it both an ideal introduction to the Peanut Butter Conspiracy and probably all that most listeners will ever really need.
by Steve Leggett

Tracks
1. It's A Happening Thing (Single Version) (Brackett) - 2:21
2. Twice Is Life (Merrill) - 2:46
3. You Can't Be Found (Brackett) - 2:44
4. Why Did I Get So High? (Brackett) - 2:08
5. Dark On You Now (Merrill) - 2:18
6. The Most Up 'Til Now (Brackett) - 2:33
7. Peter Pan (Brackett) - 3:07
8. Turn On A Friend (To The Good Life) (Brackett) - 2:20
9. Lonely Leaf (Merrill) - 3:52
10.Pleasure (Merrill) - 3:24
11.Too Many Do (Brackett) - 6:31
12.Living, Loving Life (Brackett) - 3:18
13.Captain Sandwich (Merrill) - 2:07
14.Living Dream (Brackett) - 4:17
15.Ecstasy (Merrill) - 6:17
16.Time Is After You (Brackett) - 3:01
17.Wonderment (Merrill) - 4:10
18.I'm A Fool (Brackett) - 2:36
19.It's So Hard (Brackett) - 2:32
20.Out Of Phase (Brackett) - 2:25

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy
*Alan Brackett - Bass
*John Merrill - Rhythm Guitar
*Jim Voight - Drums
*Sandi Robison - Vocals, Percussion
*Lance Fent - Lead Guitar (Tracks 1-6, 16)
*Mikhael Kollander - Lead Guitar (Tracks 8, 11, 17)
*Bill Wolf - Lead Guitar (Tracks 9, 10, 12-15)

1965-71  Ashes - Ashes

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The New Colony Six - Sides (1965-74 us, fine sunny beat psych, 2007 issue)

The New Colony Six started out as one of the better garage bands to come out of the Midwest in the mid-'60s, playing tough British Invasion-style rock & roll (their "At the River's Edge" made it onto the Nuggets box set), and they later evolved into a surprisingly sophisticated and skillful pop group that scored nationwide hits with the singles "Love You So Much" and "Things I'd Like to Say." 

However, this collection of odds and ends doesn't quite play to either side of the band's personality; in fact, most of the 24 songs aren't actually by The New Colony Six, with 11 tunes by the Raymond John Michael Band (which featured three NC6 alumni, singer Ray Graffia, drummer Chick James, and keyboard man Craig Kemp) and one each by Junior and Graffia, both latter-day Ray Graffia projects. The compilers also present a number of tracks in multiple versions, which gets a bit tiring; "The Power of Love," "Accept My Ring," and "Rap-A-Tap" by The New Colony Six all appear twice, while there are two different takes of "Hitch-Hiker" by the Raymond John Michael Band, and their cover of Terry Reid's "Rich Kid Blues" shows up no less than three times. 

Given the plentiful supply of alternate takes and recordings by post-New Colony Six acts, Sides is clearly for hardcore NC6 fans only, but that's not to say they won't enjoy this collection; there's a charging live recording of the New Colony Six rarity "The Time Is Right," "Come and Give Your Love to Me" is a fine high-attitude rocker, most of the Raymond John Michael Band material sounds like a solid if slightly over-polished variation on the latter-day NC6, "Bobby and Georgia" and "Gwendolyn" are witty novelty numbers, and Graffia's "Sides" is an admirably ballsy hard rock number. In short, if you're looking for The New Colony Six's greatest hits, steer clear of Sides, but if you're a committed fan looking for some choice rarities, you'll find them on this collection. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. The New Colony Six - Sunshine (Gerry Van Kollenburg, Pat McBride, Ray Graffia Jr) - 2:25
2. The New Colony Six - The Power Of Love (Gerry Van Kollenburg, Pat McBride, Ray Graffia Jr) - 2:12
3. The New Colony Six - Rap-A-Tap (Ray Graffia Jr, Ronnie Rice) - 2:05
4. The New Colony Six - The Power Of Love (Gerry Van Kollenburg, Pat McBride, Ray Graffia Jr) - 2:26
5. The New Colony Six - Accept My Ring (erry Van Kollenburg, Ray Graffia Jr, Pat McBride) - 2:17
6. The New Colony Six - Rap-A-Tap (Ray Graffia Jr, Ronnie Rice) - 2:32
7. The New Colony Six - Accept My Ring (Gerry Van Kollenburg, Ray Graffia Jr, Pat McBride) - 2:16
8. The New Colony Six - Come And Give Your Love To Me (Ray Graffia Jr, Gerry Van Kollenburg, Chuck Jobes) - 1:57
9. The New Colony Six - The Time Is Right (Wally Kemp) - 2:14
10.The New Colony Six - Muddy Feet (On The Mississippi) (Billy Herman) - 2:56
11.The Raymond John Michael Band - Let There Be Love (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb) - 2:51
12.The Raymond John Michael Band - Feel Free (Ray Graffia Jr, Greg Kempinskii) - 2:02
13.The Raymond John Michael Band - Rich Kid Blues (Terry Reid) - 2:59
14.The Raymond John Michael Band - Hitch-Hiker (James Chitkowski, Ray Graffia Jr, Greg Nashan) - 2:07
15.The Raymond John Michael Band - Rich Kid Blues (Terry Reid) - 2:35
16.The Raymond John Michael Band - Bobby And Georgia (Ray Graffia Jr.) - 1:39
17.The Raymond John Michael Band - Hitch-Hiker (James Chitkowski, Ray Graffia Jr, Greg Nashan) - 2:10
18.The Raymond John Michael Band - I Can't Believe That We're Alone (Ray Graffia Jr, Greg Kempinski) - 3:19
19.The Raymond John Michael Band - Rich Kid Blues (Terry Reid) - 3:21
20.The Raymond John Michael Band - Gwendolyn (Ray Graffia Jr, Greg Nashan) - 2:56
21.The Raymond John Michael Band - I Confess (Ray Graffia Jr, Gerry Van Kollenburg) - 4:08
22.Junior - I Will Always Think About You (Ronnie Rice,  Leslie Kummel) - 2:51
23.The New Colony Six - Can't You See Me Cry (Ray Graffia Jr, Gerry Van Kollenburg) - 2:34
24.Graffia - Sides (Ray Graffia Jr.) - 2:24

The New Colony Six
*Ray Graffia - Vocals
*Chick James - Drums
*Pat Mcbride - Harmonica
*Craig Kemp - Organ
*Wally Kemp - Bass
*Gerry Van Kollenburg - Guitar
*Ronnie Rice - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
*Ellery Temple - Bass
*Les Kummel - Bass
*Billy Herman - Vocals, Drums
*Bruce Gordon - Bass
*Chuck Jobes - Keyboards
*Skip Griparis - Vocals, Guitar

The Raymond John Michael Band

*Ray Graffia - Vocals

*Chick James - Drums

*Craig Kemp - Organ

*Greg Nashan - Guitar

*Terry Stone - Bass 

*Jeff Tuckman - Bass 

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Jeremy And The Satyrs - Jeremy And The Satyrs (1968 us, awesome groovy jazzy bluesy psych)

One of the earliest and finest jazz-rock flutists, Jeremy Steig is an outstanding soloist. He's mastered the entire flute family, including bass, and also plays piccolo well. He has a similarly rich, classically pure tone and timbre as James Newton or Hubert Laws, and uses almost as many devices, such as tongue fluttering, humming, and swirling lines. But he's not as blues- or swing-oriented, and his associations include working in the early '60s with Richie Havens and heading Jeremy and the Satyrs in 1967.

Steig's father is the famous artist William Steig; he began playing recorder at six and took flute lessons at 11. Steig attended the High School of Music and Art. He played with Gary Peacock and Paul Bley in the early '60s, then led a jazz-rock combo in 1967 backing Tim Hardin before heading his own groups. Steig played with Mike Manieri and Eddie Gomez in the '60s, and Jan Hammer in 1970. He began using electronics and synthesizers in the '70s, and toured Europe both as a soloist and heading quartets and quintets. He recorded with Gomez and Joe Chambers in the late '70s, and did sessions with Mike Nock, Karl Ratzer, Nana Vasconcelos, Ray Barretto, Steve Gadd, and Jack DeJohnette in the '80s. 

by Ron Wynn

Tracks
1.In The World Of Glass Teardrops - 5:22
2.Superbaby - 3:52
3.She Didn't Even Say Goodbye - 6:30
4.The Do It - 2:58
5.The First Time I Saw You, Baby (With Your Pretty Green Eyes) - 3:29
6.Lovely Child Of Tears - 3:55
7.(Let's Go To The) Movie Show - 2:41
8.Mean Black Snake - 5:15
9.Cazonetta - 2:25
10.Foreign Release (The Satyrs) - 3:21
11.Satyrized - 3:41

Jeremy And The Satyrs
*Jeremy Steig - Flute
*Adrian Guillery - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
*Warren Bernhardt - Vocals, Keyboards
*Eddie Gomez - Bass
*Donald McDonald - Drums

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Fruupp - Seven Secrets (1974 ireland, splendid art baroque prog rock, 2004 japan, 2009 esoteric and 2016 blu spec)

Flushed with critical acclaim Fruupp returned to the studio at the beginning of 1974 to record their second album Seven Secrets, released just six months after its predecessor. Bassist and vocalist Farrelly was responsible for the multicoloured artwork as he had been with the previous release. They were now established as a regular live act in the UK supporting the likes of Genesis and the Electric Light Orchestra as well as headlining in their own right. Possibly as a result of extensive gigging the rougher edges had been smoothed away resulting in a more refined album where the classical leanings are even more pronounced. 

To illustrate the point a string overture based on Handel’s Water Music opens the album and the song Faced With Shekinah. The classical composer’s contribution goes unacknowledged however with the song credited to Houston who also adds vintage keys and woodwind sounds that bring Gryphon to mind. It was a clear sign that the keyboardist was providing a viable challenge to McCusker’s dominance as the bands principle songwriter. For his part McCusker adds a lovely weeping guitar sound ala Jan Akkerman.

Wise As Wisdom is not the bands strongest song to date but it does benefit from a restless organ rhythm in the vein of Genesis’ Return Of The Giant Hogweed. In addition to a mellow vocal, acoustic guitar and strings interlude, White Eyes introduces a jaunty piano rhythm that would feature prominently in many Fruupp songs. If you’re familiar with Tony Banks’ title song to Genesis’ Trick Of The Tail then you’ll know where I’m coming from. Garden Lady is the bands longest offering to date providing a good balance between strident, up-tempo sections and melodic, ambient moments rounded off by one of McCusker’s finest guitar solos. 

The wistful Three Spires is easily one of the bands most exquisite tunes thus far with violin, acoustic guitar and piano (courtesy of guest David Lewis) evocative of early Ant Phillips. Elizabeth follows the tone of the opening track and remains probably the bands most successful attempt at blending classical and prog. Cascading strings and rippling piano lift the lyrical vocal melody with Farrelly performing at his best (both vocally and bass wise) with muscular support from drummer Martin Foye. The album ends with The Seventh Secret, a whimsical acoustic guitar and spoken ditty written as an afterthought to ensure the album had seven songs to match its title. 

by Geoff Feakes

Tracks
1. Faced With Shekinah (Stephen Houston) - 8:23
2. Wise As Wisdom (Vincent McCusker, Paul Charles) - 7:07
3. White Eyes (Vincent McCusker, Paul Charles) - 7:16
4. Garden Lady (Vincent McCusker) - 9:00
5. Three Spires (Vincent McCusker, Paul Charles) - 5:00
6. Elizabeth (Stephen Houston) - 7:45
7. The Seventh Secret (Vincent McCusker) - 1:08

Fruupp
*Peter Farrelly - Bass, Flute, Vocals
*Martin Foye - Drums, Percussion
*Stephen Houston - Keyboards, Oboe, Vocals
*Vincent McCusker - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Vocals
With
*David Lewis - Piano

1973  Fruupp - Future Legends (Japan remaster)

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Fruupp - Future Legends (1973 ireland, sensational art prog rock, 2004 japan, 2009 esoteric and 2016 blu spec with bonus track)

One of the hardest-working progressive bands to end up languishing in relative obscurity, Fruupp was begun in 1971 by guitarist Vince McCusker. After a brief musical apprenticeship in London, McCusker returned to Belfast and quickly pulled together a group of largely classically trained musicians; the lineup was unusual in that keyboardist Stephen Houston doubled on the oboe. (The unusual band name was taken from a Lectreset sheet.) 

The band's resulting sound is not unlike Spring or early Genesis, with primary composers McCusker and Houston acting as foils for each other: Houston's cello, oboe, and violin typically lend dark folk textures beneath McCusker's aggressive guitar parts and Peter Farelly's Celtic-influenced vocals. After two years of gigging, they shopped their demo tape around and were picked up by Pye Records for their Dawn label. Between 1973 and 1975, Fruupp released four albums, the last of which was produced by King Crimson alum Ian McDonald; the band also toured in support of Crimson.

 Despite playing hundreds of gigs per year throughout the U.K. and Europe during this period, their record sales never quite took off, and the band closed up shop after a final London gig at the Roundhouse in 1976. 

by Paul Collins

Tracks
1. Future Legends - 1:27
2. Decision - 6:21
3. As Day Breaks With Dawn - 4:58
4. Graveyard Epistle - 6:14
5. Lord Of The Incubus - 6:20
6. Olde Tyme Future - 5:33
7. Song For A Thought - 7:25
8. Future Legends - 0:47
All titles composed by Vince McCusker

Fruupp
*Peter Farrelly - Bass, Flute, Vocals
*Martin Foye - Drums, Percussion
*Stephen Houston - Keyboards, Oboe, Vocals
*Vincent McCusker - Acoustic , Electric Guitars, Vocals

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Gospel Oak - Gospel Oak (1970 uk / us, fine rural blues rock)

Gospel Oak was a surprise to me, both in bibliographical terms and for the music. This was another album I picked up at a yard sale with no prior knowledge of the product. I literally bought it for the album cover which showed what I thought were a bunch of English hippy guys poised in a beatific rural setting (the oak tree picture on the cover was stunning). I literally had visions of early 1970s UK progressive moves.  Besides, Kapp had some interesting late 1960s and early-1970s acts on its roster (no, I'm not thinking about Cher). Anyhow it turned out that virtually every one of my preconceived notions was wrong. 

Matthew Kelly was a Californian who'd previously attracted attention playing blues harmonica and touring with the likes of Mel Brown, John Lee Hooker, and T-Bone Walker. The man clearly had some chops to be supporting names like that. Kelly soon found himself caught-up in San Francisco's burgeoning rock scene. He added electric guitar to his repertoire and started playing with Chris Herold and Dave Torbert. In 1969 the three of them were hired to play in the band Horses which was fronted by sometimes actor and lead singer Don Johnson (yeap, the Miami Vice guy). Horses recorded one self-titled album before collapsing.  

I found a brief online interview where Kelly actually talked about the experience: "I'm a bit embarrassed about. We actually made a record. We were backing up this Hollywood singer, a guy who was sort of a Jim Morrison type. We got flown down to Hollywood and lived there for three or four months while we were making this very commercial record, of which Jump for Joy (A Kingfish tune) was on the record with this guy Don Johnson was singing. Fortunately this record is very difficult to get. So for anybody that wants to run right out and buy it, I think they will have a very difficult time. It is just as well for it is a bit embarrassing." 

Perhaps out of personal shame Kelly's next move found him headed for the UK.  At the same time drummer Kerry Gaines, keyboardist Cliff Hall, pedal steel guitarist Gordon Huntley, lead guitarist Bob Le Gate, and singer/bassist John Rapp found themselves in England.  Originally from Indiana, they somehow managed to attract the attention of Beatles publicist Tony Barrow. Barrow signed on as manager and used his connections to get the band a record deal with Kapp. The label then decided to ship the group to London where they hooked up with fellow expatriot Kelly.  The expanded lineup was the teamed with producers Mike Leander and Roger Watson for their self titled debut LP.  

Musically "Gospel Oak" was all over the genre map.  With Rapp and Le Gate responsible for most of the material, tracks like 'Recollections of Jessica' and 'Big Fat White Man' were decent country-rock complete with nice melodies and catchy group harmonies. Showcasing Kelly's harmonica and Le Gate's lead guitar 'Brown Haired Girl', 'Common Expressions' and the instrumental 'South Bleach' offered up a harder edged blues sound, while 'Go Talk To Rachel' and 'O.K. Sam' found the group taking a stab at a more conventional and accessable rock attack.

Propelled by some nifty Le Gate guitar, best of the lot was the album-closer 'St. Anne's Pretension'.  The album was never less than enjoyable, but by the same token it lacked anything to distinguish it from the competition.  The album's certainly likeable which makes it too bad if didn't sport one or two slightly stronger compositions.  With those ingredients these guys could have been major players.  Kapp also tapped the album for a single in the form of 'O.K. Sam' b/w 'Go Talk To Rachel' (Kapp catalog number 2115).

Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Brown Haired Girl (John Rapp) - 3:34
2. Common Expressions (John Rapp) - 3:17
3. Recollections Of Jessica (Tim Hovey, Bob Le Gate) - 3:05
4. Big Fat White Man (Tim Hovey, Bob Le Gate) - 2:35
5. South Bleach (Instrumental) (Bob Le Gate, Kerry Gaines, Matthew Kelly) - 2:36
6. Why We Came (Kerry Gaines, John Rapp) - 2:57
7. Go Talk To Rachel (John Rapp) - 4:07
8. O.K. Sam (Tim Hovey, Bob Le Gate) - 3:25
9. St. Anne's Pretension (Kerry Gaines, John Rapp) - 4:39

Gospel Oak
*Kerry Gaines - Drums, Percussion
*Matthew Kelly - Harmonica, Guitar
*Bob Le Gate - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*John Rapp - Vocals, Bass, Rhythm Guitar
With
*Cliff Hall - Keyboards
*Gordon Huntley - Pedal Steel Guitar

Related Act
1969  Horses - Horses

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