Raymond Froggatt - The Voice And Writting Of Raymond Froggatt (1968-69 uk, marvelous orchestrated folk country, 2004 remaster)

Raymond "Froggy" Froggatt was a singer/songwriter who spent much of his tumultuous career struggling to gain recognition. Born in Birmingham, England, he made his debut singing at a Dunlop factory party and received ten cents for his efforts. Froggatt was a sickly child who spent much of his youth battling tuberculosis in the Yardley Sanatorium. He left school in the 1950s to work a series of odd jobs. He had a recurrence of tuberculosis at age 18, and this time it attacked his kidneys and bladder. While isolated at yet another sanatorium, he took up poetry and decided to form a band. After advertising for musicians in the Birmingham Evening Post, he met young guitarist Hartley "H." Cain, bassist Lou Clark, and drummer Len Ablethorpe.

The band began playing the Birmingham club circuit and became regulars at the Belfry, a popular club. There Monopoly gained a devoted following, and was eventually signed by Polydor Records to a five-year contract in 1964. Froggatt's first success came with his song "Red Balloon." Unfortunately, though played on local radio stations for two months, it was badly mishandled and never appeared in stores; later the song became a hit for the Dave Clark Five, and then for Marie Laforet in France. 

by Sandra Brennan

Froggatt's debut album was a bland singer/songwriter effort, mixing in parts of troubadour folk and late-'60s middle-of-the-road British pop/rock. At times, particularly on some of the more bittersweet tunes, it's a little reminiscent of the softer aspects of the early Bee Gees (check "Lonely Old World" for a dose of that). Some of the more hale pop-folk-rock cuts might vaguely bring Donovan's more mainstream work to mind, although Donovan was miles better. Occasional tracks like the traditional "Corinna Corrina" and the guitar instrumental "Sonnet by Hartley Cain" tread close to contemporary folk. But others deploy hokily dated and at times unbearably cutesy orchestration, such as "Red Balloon (Callow-La-Vita)" (covered for a British hit by the Dave Clark Five) and the oompah-horn-laden "Roly." It's a peculiar endeavor that seems unsure of whether to aim for a frivolous pop audience or a more serious folky one, but the lack of focus is less of a problem than the mediocrity of the music.

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. Always Goodbye - 02:16
2. Corrina Corrina - 02:38
3. Red Balloon (Callow-La-Vita) - 02:38
4. Lonely Old World - 03:45
5. ABC Goldfisch - 02:38
6. Sonnet By Hartley Cain - 01:45
7. Something's Goin' On - 02:40
8. The Old Accordion - 03:00
9. Froggatt Went A Courtin' - 01:44
10.Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair - 02:37
11.We're All Coming To The Seaside - 02:42
12.Roly - 02:38
13.Callow-La-Vita (Single Mix) - 02:34
14.Lost Autumn - 04:12
15.Just A Little Bit Of Love - 02:18
16.ABC Goldfisch (Single Mix) - 02:38
17.Roly (Single Mix) - 02:39
18.Time Goes By - 03:28
19.Ring-Ting-A-Ling - 03:14
20.Anything You Want - 02:44
21.Movin' Down South - 03:16
22.It's Only Me - 02:58
23.Lazy Jack - 02:19
24.Hasn't The Lord Blessed Us - 03:35
All titles composed and arranged by Raymond Froggatt

Musicians
*Raymond Froggatt - Vocal
*Hartley Cain - Guitar
*Leonard Ablethorpe - Drums
*Louis Clark - Bass
*John Fiddy - Bass

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Swegas - Child Of Light (1971 uk, splendid brass prog jazz rock, 2007 edition)

Swegas were a British 'progressive' brass-rock band that existed between 1969 and 1971. They played all the major venues in the UK and made several tours of Italy and Germany where they were extremely popular. The name of the band is derived from an Anglo Saxon word for music.

Swegas began life as a rehearsal band in 1969. They were put together by Brian (Joe) Spibey and Nick Ronai who had been members of the Fulson Stilwell Band before joining the soul band, Cat Road Show. The original Swegas band consisted of Joe Spibey (trumpet), Nick Ronai (trombone), Alan Smith (Tenor Sax), Jonny Toogood (guitar) plus a few pick up players. Mid 1969 they advertised for an Organist and Bass Guitarist and Keith Strachan and Roy Truman applied and got the gig. They had been playing together in various bands since being at college together and were looking for something a bit more adventurous. They found it in this band which were beginning to fuse Rock and Jazz in the manner of Blood Sweat and Tears and The Chicago Transit Authority who were in their early stages of development. They rehearsed originally above a pub in Acton (The Kings Head?) but later in a basement of a cafe in Fulham Palace Road (about no. 201)

They secured a deal with B&C Records in October 1969 and recorded an untitled album at Advision Studios, Regent St. The line up was Chris Dawe (trumpet), Brian (Joe) Spibey (trumpet/vocals), Nick Ronai (trombone), Alan Smith (alto sax and piano), Nick Thomas (tnr sax), John Legg (bari sax), Keith Strachan (organ/vocals), Jonny Toogood (guitar), Roy Truman (bass guitar), Chrys Chrysostomou (drums). The album was not destined for release and Joe Spibey, Alan Smith and Jonny Toogood left the group shortly thereafter followed shortly by Chrys Chrysostomou.

Undeterred, Keith, Roy, Nick and John recruited Stewart Wilkinson (guitar), Ron Shillingford (tenor sax) and Maurice McElroy (drums) and managed to get a deal with First Class Management. Barry Class bought the group a tour bus (at their suggestion) but the insurance and hgv licence issues not to mention the parking problems in Soho soon put paid to that idea and the bus was exchanged for a Ford Transit minibus and a Transit van.

With their new line-up the band rehearsed endlessly on new material in a room at the London Ambulance Service  in Waterloo Road. They signed record and management deals with the Barry Class Organisation in March 1970 and during this Spring period of 1970 they had a regular spot Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts - Swegas one night - Genesis the next! They then embarked on a three month tour of Europe starting in Oslo on May 20th.

They travelled to Gothenburg from Felixstowe by ship on 17th or 18th May. They were in Oslo till the first week in June then travelled to Zurich for one week. They then left Zurich for Munich on Mon 15th June and ended up in Hamburg in July. The blue mini bus was breaking down continually and through lack of money spent a number of nights sleeping under the vans. They ended up in the famous Top Ten club sharing the bill with the Boston Show Band (featuring the then unknown Gary Glitter). They liked their drummer Billy Hogan so when Maurice left shortly after Billy was offered the job. 

When they arrived back from Germany in July they went into the salubrious Tangerine Studios in Dalston to record the Child Of Light album. Maurice was still playing drums at this point.

The first Swegas album released by the Barry Class Record Company (Trend) was Child Of Light. Recorded early 1970 in Tangerine Studios, Kingsland Road, Dalston, N8, this was the only album released in the UK. It demonstrated that Nick Ronai as the principal arranger of the band had a unique voice. As he said later "I didn't know how to do jazz voicing back then - my experience was more classical". And thank God because, above all else, it was Nick's musicality and his arranging style that gave Swegas it's sound. In retrospect it's hardly a perfect performance or recording but this album does go somewhere to show what SWEGAS might have achieved had they the time and funding to hone this quality to perfection. The material was certainly some of their best, and with the exception of the Rare Bird song Beautiful Scarlet, it is all original. 

Swegas-Home

Tracks
1. Beautiful Scarlet (Rare Bird) - 7:10
2. Planetarium (Nick Ronai) - 6:46
3. Magic Pipe (Keith Strachan, Nick Ronai, Chris Dawe, Stewart Wilkinson) - 10:09
4. Photographs (Nick Ronai) - 10:02
5. Child Of Light (Keith Strachan, Nick Ronai, Chris Dawe, Stewart Wilkinson) - 9:57

The Swegas
*Chris Dawe - Trumpet
*Nick Ronai - Trombone
*John Legg - Alto Sax, Bari Sax, Flute
*Ron Shillingford - Tenor Sax, Sop Sax, Flute
*Keith Strachan - Keyboards, Vocals
*Stewart Wilkinson - Guitar, Vocals
*Roy Truman - Bass Guitar
*Maurice McElroy - Drums

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O.W.L. - Of Wondrous Legends (1971 us, exciting baroque folk acid psych, 2008 remaster)

Of Wondrous Legends is one of the holy grails of unknown acid folk/folk-rock.  As the story goes, Stephen Titra had played in various local Chicago groups, the most popular being the Uncalled Four (traditional folk), Rhythm’s Children (garage folk-rock) and of course, the legendary jam band Mountain Bus.  Titra left Mountain Bus just before the group gained serious traction, eventually releasing their great Dead-inspired rural psych LP from 1971.  Of Wondrous Legends was recorded at Universal Recording Inc. in 1971.  Titra tried shopping the final product around to labels such as Elektra, Fantasy, A&M, Capital and RCA but there were no takers.  Many of the record label A&R reps found O.W.L’s music hard to market, claiming the music was not commercial enough and that no one song on the LP stood out as a potential single.  This music is hard to categorize as it doesn’t fit into any comfortable niche.  The only reason this music was reissued is because Dawson Prater found one of the few pressings (maybe the only pressing!) of O.W.L in a Chicago thift store in the mid 2000’s.

The O.W.L. project sounds nothing like Mountain Bus.  Titra had been playing many of these songs live as early as 1967-1968.  By the time he entered the studio many of his creations were fully developed and ready to record.  Of Wondrous Legends holds a midground between the Left Banke (think “Shadows Breaking Over My Head” ) and Pearls Before Swine’s superb The Use Of Ashes LP.  There are no sitars, psychedelic effects, feedback, crazed electric guitar solos or distorted vocals.  Titra, vocals and guitars, is backed by a host of other musical instruments which include vibes, marimba, flute, alto, cello, drums, bass, piano, moog, mandolin and assorted horns.  If anything, the album’s production gives it a psychedelic feel.

The album is very strong and highly recommended to those who are into “progressive folk.”  “Upon The Wings Of Gabriel” and “A Tale Of A Crimson “Knight” are powerful slices of acid folk that have spacey production values – these tracks are not to be missed by psych fans.  “Be Alive” is what the Left Banke might have sounded like had they progressed into the early 70s albeit with more of a folk-rock approach to their music.  O.W.L.’s most progressive piece, the dreamy eight and a half minute “Midnight Carnival,” is another intricate piece of music whose lyrics deal with unity and chaos.  Finally, “Sunsets Of Smiles,” the closing track, is a very pretty folk song that feels much less produced when compared to the numbers that precede it.

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks
1. Legends - 5:02
2. A Tale Of A Crimson Knight - 4:12
3. Be Alive - 3:53
4. Renaissance And Rococo - 4:21
5. Midnight Carnival - 8:27
6. Dawn Of Albion - 3:21
7. Upon The Wings Of Gabriel - 3:02
8. Breton Landscape - 2:52
9. Everyman And The Philosopher King - 5:37
10.Peace Of Mind - 3:49
11.Salvation Song - 3:49
12.Sunset Of Smiles - 1:56
All compositions by Stephen A. Titra

Personnel
*Stephen Titra - Percussion, Vocals
*Dick Boyell - String, Horn Arrangement
*Ellen Olsen - Piano
*Al Keeler - Marimba, Orchestra Bells, Percussion, Vibraphone
*Sam Larderuccio - Electric Piano
*John Knudson - Flutes
*Frank Schabold - Electric Bass
*Tommy Radke - Drums, Percussion
*Steve Kauffman - Drums, Percussion

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The Greatest Show On Earth - Horizons (1970 uk, superb prog brass jazz rock, 2012 remaster)

The Greatest Show on Earth were originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Garth Watt-Roy and his bass-playing brother Norman. Also featured in the original line-up were organist Mick Deacon, drummer Ron Prudence and three horn players, Dick Hanson, Tex Phillpotts and Ian Aitcheson. The band's first vocalist was black American Ozzie Lane but he returned to his native New Orleans a year later and was replaced by Colin Horton-Jennings, not only a strong gravel-voiced singer but also quite adept on the guitar, bongos and flute. 

The group's mixture of R'n'B soul, jazz and prog-rock brought them to the attention of EMI's progressive label Harvest Records, who signed the band and issued, in February 1970, the single, "Real Cool World"/"Again And Again" (HAR 5012) which, though not a hit in the UK, gave the band a medium-sized hit across Europe where they were also an in-demand live attraction. Both tracks featured on their March 1970 debut LP, "Horizons" (SHVL 769) which was housed in a distinctive sleeve designed by Hipgnosis and coincided with a Radio One session for Mike Harding on which they played three new songs: "Border Line", "Mountain Song" and "Time". 

Tracks
1. Sunflower Morning (Colin Horton Jennings, Mick Deacon) - 4:56
2. Angelina (Colin Horton Jennings) - 4:07
3. Skylight Man (Colin Horton Jennings, Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:31
4. Day Of The Lady (Colin Horton Jennings, Roger Saunders) - 4:10
5. Real Cool World (Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:49
6. I Fought For Love (Colin Horton Jennings, Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:24
7. Horizons (The Greatest Show On Earth) - 13:59
8. Again And Again (Garth Philip Watt-Roy) - 4:04

The Greatest Show On Earth
*Mike Deacon - Keyboards
*Dick Hanson - Horns
*Colin Horton-Jennings - Vocals, Guitar, Drums
*Tex Philpotts - Sax
*Ron Prudence - Congas, Drums
*Garth Watt-Roy - Vocals, Guitar
*Norman Watt-Roy - Vocals, Bass

1970  The Greatest Show On Earth - The Going's Easy (2012 remaster)

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Tramline - Moves Of Vegetable Centuries (1969 uk, great blues rock, 2008 remaster)

The second and final set by the hot young blues band signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records back in 1969.

This album was produced by the late Guy Stevens and he suggested the unusual name, for which guitarist Micky Moody confesses he has no explanation. (Stevens had also suggested such names as Procol Harum and Mott The Hoople, and so 'Moves Of Vegetable Centuries' was just another flight of Stevens' fancy!).

The band was getting into its stride with the addition of sax player Ron Aspery and bass guitar virtuoso Colin Hodgkinson from progressive group Back Door.

They add a boost to such performances as the Tramline version of Traffic's 'Pearly Queen' and the old Yardbirds' favourite 'I Wish You Would'. Here is R'n'B Sixties' style with high energy and strong musicianship.

Micky Moody describes the evolution and ultimate fate of the band in his interview , making a splendid souvenir of a bye gone musical era.

Green-Brain

Tracks
1. Pearly Queen (J. Capaldi, S. Winwood) - 3:40
2. Sweet Satisfaction (J. McCoy, M. Moody) - 3:32
3. You Better Run (Eddie Brigati, Felix Cavaliere) - 2:16
4. Grunt (M. Moody) - 7:12
5. Sweet Mary (Traditional) - 6:24
6. I Wish You Would (B. B. Arnold) - 5:20
7. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 2:32
8. Harriet's Underground Railway (J. McCoy, M. Moody) - 3:57

Tramline
*John McCoy - Vocals
*Mick Moody - Guitar
*Terry Popple - Drums
*Colin Hodgkinson - Bass
With
*Iss Mate - Saxophone
*Ron Aspery - Saxophone

1968  Tramline - Somewhere Down the Line (2008 digi sleeve)

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John Hammond - I Can Tell (1967 us, awesome electric blues rock, with bonus tracks)

Born November 13, 1942, in New York City, the son of the famous Columbia Records talent scout John Hammond, Sr., what most people don't know is that Hammond didn't grow up with his father. His parents split when he was young, and he would see his father several times a year. He first began playing guitar while attending a private high school, and he was particularly fascinated with slide guitar technique. He saw his idol, Jimmy Reed, perform at New York's Apollo Theater, and he's never been the same since. After attending Antioch College in Ohio on a scholarship for a year, he left to pursue a career as a blues musician. By 1962, with the folk revival starting to heat up, Hammond had attracted a following in the coffeehouse circuit, performing in the tradition of the classic country blues singers he loved so much. By the time he was just 20 years old, he had been interviewed for the New York Times before one of his East Coast festival performances, and he was a certified national act.

When Hammond was living in the Village in 1966, a young Jimi Hendrix came through town, looking for work. Hammond offered to put a band together for the guitarist, and got the group work at the Cafe Au Go Go. By that point, the coffeehouses were falling out of favor, and instead the bars and electric guitars were coming in with folk-rock. Hendrix was approached there by Chas Chandler, who took him to England to record. Hammond recalls telling the young Hendrix to take Chandler up on his offer. "The next time I saw him, about a year later, he was a big star in Europe," Hammond recalled in a 1990 interview. In the late '60s and early '70s, Hammond continued his work with electric blues ensembles, recording with people like Band guitarist Robbie Robertson (and other members of the Band when they were still known as Levon Helm & the Hawks), Duane Allman, Dr. John, harmonica wiz Charlie Musselwhite, Michael Bloomfield, and David Bromberg.  
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I Can Tell boasts an all-star backing band of rock & roll stars, featuring everyone from Bill Wyman to Robbie Robertson. John Hammond leads the band through a set of Chicago blues standards, reaching deep into the catalogs of Willie Dixon, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, and many others. Although the performances can occasionally sound too studied, the album is by and large an unadulterated delight -- the affection Hammond and his band have for the material is quite clear. The CD reissue includes four cuts from his 1970 album, Southern Fried, which feature Duane Allman on slide guitar.
by Thom Owens

   

Tracks
1. I Wish You Would (Billy Arnold) - 3:00
2. I'm In The Mood (Bernard Besman, John Lee Hooker) - 3:19
3. I Can Tell (Samuel Smith) - 3:24
4. Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - 2:54
5. Coming Home (Elmore James) - 2:26
6. My Baby Is Sweeter (Willie Dixon) - 3:04
7. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Chuck Berry) - 2:19
8. Smokestack Lightning (Chester Burnett) - 2:48
9. Five Long Years (John Lee Hooker) - 3:58
10.You're So Fine (Walter Jacobs) - 2:39
11.Going To New York (Mary Lee Reed) - 1:57
12.Forty Days And Forty Nights (Bernard Roth) - 4:39
13.Shake For Me (Bonus Track) (Willie Dixon) - 2:44
14.Cryin' For My Baby (Bonus Track) (Harold Burrage) - 2:42
15.I'm Leavin' You (Bonus Track) (Chester Burnett) - 3:23
16.You'll Be Mine (Bonus Track) (Willie Dixon) - 2:39

Musicians
*John Hammond, Jr. - Guitar, Harmonica, Horn, Vocals
*Duane Allman - Guitar
*Joe Arnold - Tenor Sax
*Barry Beckett - Keyboards
*Artie Butler - Bass, Piano
*Lewis Collins - Tenor Sax
*Rick Danko - Bass
*Leonard Feather - Guitar
*Roger Hawkins - Drums
*Eddie Hinton - Guitar
*David Hood - Bass
*Jimmy Lewis - Bass, Piano
*Ed Logan - Baritone, Tenor Sax
*Gene Miller - Trumpet
*James Mitchell - Baritone Sax
*Charles "Honeyman" Otis - Drums
*Robbie Robertson - Guitar
*Bill Wyman - Bass

1965  John Hammond - So Many Roads (2005 remaster)
1970-72  John Hammond - Source Point / I'm Satisfied (2007 remaster)
1973  Bloomfield, Hammond, Dr.John - Triumvirate (japan expanded edition)

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Hammer - Hammer (1971 us, excellent hard psych rock with some jazzy interludes, 2010 remaster)

Jack O’Brien was born on November 9th, 1952 in Astoria, Queens. Christened John Anthony O’Brien, he was first nicknamed Jackie, later Jack. From the age of three, he lived in Elmhurst, Queens, with his mother’s family. From a very young age, he showed a natural musical talent, no doubt inherited from his grandfather, “Happy” O’Brien, who was an orchestra conductor in the 1940s. Family members recall Jack, at the age of four or five, picking out tunes on a tiny toy piano.

When he was about eight, Jack began to teach himself to play guitar which very quickly became his prime interest. With a schoolfriend, Richie McBride, who played bass, he was involved with a number of amateur groups. At fourteen, he played in a “happening” in the East Village known as “The Rock Flow” and also jammed in Steve Paul’s Scene and elsewhere with musicians like B.B. King, Jeff Beck, and Jimi Hendrix.

Together with Norman Landsberg who was trained as a classical pianist, and was able to draw upon the cultural diversity of his native New York City to develop a familiarity with a wide range of musical tastes and styles. His professional career started as one of the founding members of the rock group Mountain. This led to his forming (together with O’Brien) the group Hammer in 1969, featured on Bill Graham’s then newly established label, San Francisco Records., and managed by Shelly Finkel (who would later manage Mike Tyson); and with Richie McBride on bass, John DeRoberts as vocalist, and John Guerin as sessions drummer, they recorded their first and only album, “Hammer” (San Francisco records, a division of Atlantic, 1970), produced by Dave Rubinson and engineered by Fred Catero.

Despite critical praise and an energetic and successful coast-to-coast tour, including Fillmore East and West, Hammer did not achieve commercial success, and the group disbanded. O’Brien later played in other groups in the early to mid-70s, including Wormwood Scrubs, a group that he and Richie Fontana formed, with Richie on drums, Danny Sicardi (aka Danny McGary) on bass, and Michael Harrington as lead singer. (Unfortunately, Harrington passed away from heart problems on January 31, 1984 — he was only 29.)

As Wormwood Scrubs, the four wrote a lot of material, and came very close to a record deal at the time (1973-74). Although they did not make a record, Wormwood Scrubs is remembered as an excellent band by many who heard them play live, with shared influences from British Blues and Pop, the Beatles, Jeff Beck, and others, which were reflected in their sound.

Norman Landsberg gained recognition as vocal arranger and musical director for the Pointer Sisters, touring extensively and making numerous television appearances with them. He went on to work with a variety of artists such as pop singer Lenny Williams (known for his work with Tower of Power).

Landsberg’s arranging skills and studio savvy have helped to establish him as a much sought-after independent producer in the San Francisco bay area. He and his wife, keyboardist Socorro de Castro-Landsberg, run Landsberg Music Productions, a full-service music production company providing music direction and arrangements from custom “minus-ones” to full album production, live performance, as well as scoring for commercials and films such as Ramona S. Diaz’ award-winning documentary, Spirits Rising.

After Hammer disbanded in the following years, bass player Richie McBride continued to be active in the music business, and recorded and toured as bass player with many different artists, traveling throughout the U.S., South America, and the Caribbean. Today, he lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife Frann where he is a middle-school orchestra teacher.

McBride holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education and, in addition to his teaching, he performs in the Tampa Bay area as a bass player with various artists.
by Tom Kennedy

 

Tracks
1. Something Easy (Norman Landsberg, John DeRoberts) - 2:50
2. Hot And Cold (Jack O'Brien) - 2:57
3. Tuane  (Norman Landsberg) -3:04
4. You May Never Wake Up (Apologies To Auden And Frost) (Jack O'Brien - Tom Kennedy) - 3:19
5. Hangover Horns (Jack O'Brien, Tom Kennedy, John DeRoberts) - 3:08
6. Charity Taylor (Jack O'Brien, Norman Landsberg, John DeRoberts) - 3:27
7. Sad Song, Happy Song (Jack O'Brien, Tom Kennedy) - 2:52
8. Sweet Sunday Morning  (Norman Landsberg, Bill Austin) - 2:13
9. Pains And Tears (Norman Landsberg) - 3:23
10.Death To A King (Instrumental) (Norman Landsberg) - 5:30

The Hammer
*Richie McBride - Bass
*John Guerin - Drums
*Ken Janick - Drums (Only Track 6)
*Jack O'Brien - Guitar
*Norman Landsberg - Keyboards
*John De Roberts - Vocals

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Chris Thompson - Jukebox The Ultimate Collection (1975-2015 uk, multiblended rock tints, 2015 two disc set)

Chris Thompson is known for his work as the lead vocalist and guitarist on many hits with Manfred Mann's Earth Band, including “Blinded By The Light,” “For You” and “The Mighty Quinn,” as well as being a noted songwriter himself with hits across the globe. Jukebox: The Ultimate Collection is a 2015 remastered compilation of material from the man’s career, spanning Manfred Mann and beyond.

“Dark Side” is a good opener but with a more-than- banal lyric that really can’t be forgiven. “Father of the Day,” “Hot Summer Night” and a slinky drawn-out organ-led cover of Springsteen’s “Spirits In The Night” provide some spirited live moments. The cover of “For You,” the other Springsteen song, is a magical highlight with Thompson in lockstep with an enticing piano on a more subdued studio track.

Live and expansive, Manfred Mann “Martha’s Madman” has a mostly a straight ahead beat as Thompson handles all its twists and turns. The 50s styled “Eddie Wants To Rock” has Thompson’s hoarseness actually serving the song well, while Mavis Staples duets with Thompson on “The Fire.” An organ heavy live version of “The Mighty Quinn” features a decidedly heavier punch that the enthusiastic loudly clapping and singing audience seems to respond to even over Thompson not exactly making good vocally on the choruses.

“Land Of The Long White Cloud” from the Chris Thompson and Mads Eriksen Rediscovery album is a super spirited song with a distinctive opening riff, wailing organ and Thompson rapping. An updated version of “Blinded By The Light” is here, and Thompson wails away on Marius Müller's beautiful ballad “Angel.” We also get “If You Remember Me,” Thompson’s piano ballad written for the remake of the movie The Champ.

The inclusion of “You’re The Voice,” co-written by Thompson and a huge hit for John Farnham, proves an interesting inclusion. Throughout the set, certainly in those live moments, you often hear Thompson’s voice striving to hit the note. Hearing his take on “You’re The Voice,” you are reminded of Farnham’s unreal soaring vocal. Thompson’s version, relying as it does on backing vocalists to deliver the refrain, still delivers, in maybe an even more down-to-earth soulful way simply because he does not have the pipes Farnham has. The universal solidarity message of the lyric comes across even better in a way. The remastered Jukebox: The Ultimate Collection sounds spectacular and covers a lot of Chris Thompson’s career. One spin and you won’t go away disappointed.

by Ralph Greco

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Dark Side  (Chris Thompson, Inge Pans, Gunnar Bjelland, Arno Krabman) - 4:23

2. Love And Loneliness (Nick Garvey) - 4:20

3. Father Of Day (Live) (Bob Dylan) - 4:55

4. Hot Summer Night (Live) (Walter Egan) - 4:34

5. Million Dollar Wonder Hit (Chris Thompson, Inge Pans, Arno Krabman) - 4:02

6. Cold Wind Blowing Across My Heart (Tom Snow) - 4:07

7. Spirits In The Night (Live) (Bruce Springsteen) - 5:50

8. Whole Lot To Give (Chris Thompson, Mads Eriksen) - 3:37

9. For You (Bruce Springsteen) - 3:14

10.One Man Mission (Chris Thompson, Mike Slamer) - 4:15

11.Martha's Madman (Live) (Lane Teitgen) - 5:57

12.Beat Of Love (Chris Thompson, Bruce Wooley) - 4:24

13.You Angel You (Live) (Bob Dylan) - 3:25

14.A Shift In The Wind (With Brian May) (Chris Thompson, Tom King) - 4:23

15.Eddie Wants To Rock (Chris Thompson, Inge Pans, Gunnar Bjelland, Arno Krabman) - 4:14

16.Dream Away Little Girl (Chris Thompson, I.P, Arno Krabman) - 3:29

17.Don't Stop (Christine McVie) - 3:36

18.The Fire (With Mavis Staples) (Leiber, Reid) - 4:15

Disc 2
1. The Mighty Quinn (Live) (Bob Dylan) - 5:23
2. The Challenge (Chris Thompson, Inge Pans, Gunnar Bjelland, Arno Krabman) - 4:01
3. Runner (Live) (I. Thomas) - 6:01
4. Redemption Song (Bob Marley) - 3:27
5. Land Of The Long White Cloud (Chris Thompson, Mads Eriksen) - 3:10
6. Blinded By The Light (Bruce Springsteen) - 4:05
7. Angel (Chris Thompson, Marius Muller) - 4:29
8. Heart Of The Fire (Julian Litman) - 3:19
9. Don't Kill It Carol (Live) (Mike Heron) - 6:23
10.If You Remember Me (Carol Bayer Seger, Marvin Hamlish) - 3:01
11.Millie Christine (Chris Thompson, Inge Pans, Arno Krabman) - 4:33
12.You're The Voice (Chris Thompson, Andy Qunta, M.Ryder, K Reid) - 4:09
13.Davy's On The Road Again (Live) (John Simon, Robbie Robertson) - 5:56
14.Questions (Live) (M. Mann, C. Slade) - 4:46
15.Zu Leben (Chris Thompson, John van Tongeren) - 2:36
16.Thunderchild (Acoustic) (With Chris Spedding) (Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne) - 2:48
17.What World (Chris Thompson, A.N. Other) - 3:59
18.We Are The Strong (Chris Thompson, H. Faltermeyer) - 3:21

Musicians
*Chris Thompson - Vocals, Guitar
*Arno Krabman - Guitars, Bass
*Gunnar Bjelland - Keyboards
*Maarten Molema - Drums
*Anton Fig - Drums
*John Siegler - Bass
*John Van Tongeren - Keyboards
*Phil Galdston - Keyboards
*Michael Thompson - Guitars
*Zsolt Mesaros - Drums
*Frank Hovland - Bass
*Gunnar Bjelland - Keyboards
*Mads Eriksen - Guitar
*Rick Marotta - Drums
*Billy Kristian - Bass
*Nicky Hopkins - Keyboards,
*Bill Payne - Keyboards
*Robbie McIntosh - Guitars
*Ralph Salmins - Drums
*Lawrence Cottle - Bass
*Richard Cottle-  Keyboards
*Clem Clemsen - Guitars
*Steinar Krokstad - Drums
*Hungry John - Harmonica
*Mark Taylor - Piano
*Jamie Moses - Guitar
*András Sturcz - Cello
*John Lingwood - Drums
*Alan Darby - Guitars
*Helen McGrath - Bagpipes
*Chris Spedding - Guitar

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The Zoot - Zoot Locker The Best Of (1968-71 australia, awesome beat garage psych tinged rock)

Zoot became one the most popular Australian bands of the second 'pop wave' of the late 'Sixties when they and other acts like The Valentines, the Masters Apprentices, Russell Morris and The New Dream were scoring hits and causing riots. Like so many groups at the time, Zoot were drawn along by the rapid stylistic shifts of that uncertain period and they suffered under some ill-advised management decisions that led to them being tagged as a lightweight 'bubblegum' act — an undeserved reputation which overshadowed their fine musicianship and their genuine desire to be taken seriously. Ironically, they're probably best remembered these days for the 1970 single that they hoped would scuttle their pop image for good — their classic heavy-metal version of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" — and also for the fact that Zoot was first successful outing for two future stars -- solo performer and soapie heart-throb Rick Springfield, and Little River Band lynch pin Beeb Birtles.

Zoot was one of several significant Aussie bands that emerged from the fertile musical hothouse of Adelaide in the mid-1960s -- the same scene that produced The Masters Apprentices and The Twilights. Zoot started out as one among scores of hopeful young beat groups who that formed in and around the migrant settlement suburbs around the South Australian capital of Adelaide. New satellite suburbs such as Elizabeth and Port Noarlunga were established in the 1950s to receive the huge influx of "New Australians", and many of the young British kids who settled there with their families had actually seen the leading British beat groups in person before leaving for Australia.

In this respect the scene was similar to Sydney, where the Villawood Migrant Hostel and its surrounding areas spawned The Easybeats. Australia's greatest beat group. The Twilights, another band comprised of migrant lads, were the first Adelaide group to break nationally in late 1965, and they were quickly followed by The Masters Apprentices, who had honed their chops playing for the young migrant audiences at the same clubs and local dances before shooting to national prominence in 1966........

Miles-Ago  

Tracks
1. You Better Get Going Now (Jackie Lomax) - 2:03
2. 1x2x3x4 (Terry Britten) - 2:18
3. Monty And Me (Bruce Woodley, Hans Poulsen) - 2:36
4. It's About Time (Brian Cadd, Don Mudie) - 2:54
5. Sailing (Terry Britten) - 2:16
6. Yes I'm Glad (Terry Britten) - 2:37
7. Little Roland Lost (Beeb Birtles, Darryl Cotton) - 2:26
8. She's Alright (Terry Britten) - 2:11
9. Sha La La (Rick Springfield) - 3:00
10.Flying (Rick Springfield) - 3:02
11.Mr Songwriter (Rick Springfield) - 3:04
12.Strange Things (Rick Springfield) - 3:26
13.Hey Pinky (Rick Springfield) - 3:07
14.The Freak (Rick Springfield) - 5:08
15.Evil Child (Rick Springfield) - 2:55
16.Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 4:42

The Zoot
*Beeb Birtles - Bass Guitar, Guitar,  Vocals (1965-1971)
*Darryl Cotton - Lead Vocals, Guitar (1965-1971)
*Teddy Higgins - Drums (1965-1968)
*John D'Arcy - Guitar, Vocals (1965-1968)
*Steve Stone - Guitar (1968)
*Rick Brewer - Drums (1968-1971)
*Roger Hicks - Guitar (1968-1969)
*Rick Springfield - Lead Guitar, Vocals (1969-1971)

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Chris Thompson - Chris Thompson (1973 uk, wonderful folk rock with acid drops, 2010 remaster)

Chris Thompson's debut album was a little-seen obscurity, it's been estimated that only about 1,000 copies of the 1973 recording were made, and that all but 100 were destroyed as part of some kind of tax scam. This was unfortunate both for Thompson, a New Zealander whose guitar talents had made him a favorite on the London folk scene, and for fans of the music. Fortunately, the album was subsequently reissued on CD on the U.S. label Scenescof, but the later repackaging on Sunbeam went a step further by pairing the original album with a whole extra disc of bonus material. 

Early-‘70s London was not exactly lacking for phenomenal folk guitarists, but even amid the likes of Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, et al, Thompson must have stood out. His fretboard expertise is the most immediately striking aspect of the album: his fingerpicking technique rivals that of anyone on the scene at the time, and on stand-out tracks like "Her Hair Was Long" (which was wisely repurposed a couple of years later on Thompson's major-label debut), the New Zealander achieves an intensity of tone that only an artist like Jansch could match.

Thompson is sometimes tossed under the psych-folk umbrella, and the striking opening cut, the instrumental "Hugo Spellman," certainly falls into that category, taking on a raga feel with help from members of Magic Carpet on Indian instruments. But for the most part, this is a relatively straightforward outing typical of the Village Thing catalog, incorporating some traditional blues and folk influences but mostly striking a distinctly ‘70s singer/songwriter tone. And despite the focus on Thompson's fleet-fingered instrumental capabilities, he comes off as a skilled songwriter as well, with more lyrically oriented tunes like "Don't Be Afraid" and "Dream" comparing favorably with the work of any of his aforementioned peers. 

by James Allen

Tracks

Disc One

1. Hugo Spellman - 4:13

2. The Song Of Wandering Aengus (Words By W. B. Yeats) - 4:31

3. De Debil Take De Blue-Tail Fly! - 3:38

4. The River Song - 2:40

5. London Blues - 3:48

6. Her Hair Was Long - 6:46

7. Young Lust - 3:04

8. Love - 1:52

9. The River Song (Alt. Take 1) - 3:51

10.The River Song (Alt. Take 2) - 6:29

11.Love (Alt. Take) - 3:46

12.Dream - 2:51

13.Don’t Be Afraid - 2:09

Disc Two
1. As I Walked Out - 1:40
2. Back In The City - 2:48
3. Where Is My Wild Rose? - 2:48
4. Hamilton - 3:09
5. Vox Populi (Words By H. W. Longfellow) - 3:24
6. Heart Attack Blues - 2:18
7. Barcelona - 5:11
8. Sunday Lunch - 2:56
9. The Terror Of The Spanish Main - 2:17
10.When I Am Dead (Words By Christina Rossetti) - 3:03
11.Chop Suey Blues (The Opium Song) - 1:58
12.Little Ballerina - 2:22
13.We Need Oil - 2:02
Music and Words by Chris Thompson except where indicated

Musicians
*Chris Thompson - Vocals, Guitars
*Clem Alford - Tamboura
*Keshav Sathe - Tabla
*Brian Dunning - Flute
*Ed Deane - Guitar
*E.J. Peters - Vocal
*Nial Toner - Guitar, Vocal
*Vince McGurran - Percussion
*Lynne Thompson - Flute
*Keith McMillan - Mandolin
*Brendan Power - Harmonica
*Chris Pristley - Vocal
*Lora Thompson - Bass
*Julie Grace - Fiddle
*E-Man - Hand Drums

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