Ministry Of Sound - Men From The Ministry / Midsummer Nights Dreaming (1966/68 uk, fabulous beat orchestrated swinging psych, 2005 double disc set)

The Ministry of Sound issued just one 1966 single while they were active. But they recorded several albums' worth of material within the space of about a couple of years, eventually bringing them to the notice of those who collect the small British school of '60s sunshine pop. Too, their history was quite complicated considering their small discography, as they were a studio outfit whose personnel included noted songwriter John Carter, although Carter was not the dominant member.

The core of the Ministry of Sound was the duo of singer/songwriters Robin Shaw and Micky Keen, who had first performed together back in the late '50s in Mick Everly & the Prophets. By the mid-'60s they were part of the house band of Southern Music Studios, and signed to Carter's publishing company as songwriters. They also recorded often at Southern Music Studios as Ministry of Sound, with Carter pitching in with songwriting, guitar, and some lead vocals. Songwriter Russ Alquist also sang lead on some tracks, as well as making some contributions as a writer, with Robin Shaw handling some of the lead vocal duties as well. Top British session drummer Clem Cattini and keyboardist Barry Kingston also recorded with them.

At least several dozen songs were recorded by the aggregation between 1966 and 1968, but the only two that found release were issued on the 1966 Decca single "White Collar Worker"/"Back Seat Driver." In common with much of the material with which the prolific John Carter was associated in the mid- to late '60s (with groups such as the Flower Pot Men and the Ivy League), it gave a British spin to the harmony sunshine pop of groups like the Beach Boys, the Turtles, the Association, and the Tokens, perhaps with a bit of the Four Seasons and Motown thrown in. Some of it also drew from psychedelia in the sophisticated production, use of then-advanced instrumentation such as the Mellotron, songs that explored British characters and situations, and lightly trippy lyrics. It wasn't as good as their most obvious influences, but it was very smoothly recorded and sung, with pleasant if not indelible tunesmithery.

Although some of the songs they recorded were covered by British pop group Amen Corner and Australian singer Normie Rowe, the Ministry of Sound didn't get the chance to release any more records while they were active. They came to an end when Robin Shaw joined the touring version of the Flower Pot Men, with Keen, Carter, and Cattini continuing to focus on studio work. In 2005, 35 of the tracks they recorded between 1966 and 1968 were issued on the two-CD set Midsummer Nights Dreaming/Men from the Ministry, most of them previously unreleased, though it did include both sides of their 1966 single.

At a glance, this 35-track, two-CD set looks like it's combining two 1960s albums by the Ministry of Sound with bonus tracks. It's not; the Ministry of Sound issued just one single, and this is a witty facsimile of how their discography might have played out if things had turned out differently, complete with mock artwork for two LPs, one from 1966 and one from 1968. So almost all of these 35 cuts, all recorded between 1966-1968, were previously unreleased; the only two that actually came out in the 1960s were on the 1966 single "White Collar Worker"/"Back Seat Driver." The group did deserve better than just one official single, but nor was its output particularly deserving of deluxe treatment. 

Fans of John Carter, who sang and helped write some of the tracks, will be familiar with the kind of idiosyncratic spin on late-'60s harmony pop the Ministry of Sound offered, combining elements of sunshine pop, the Beach Boys, the Beatles at their poppiest, pop-psychedelia, and maybe a bit of the early Bee Gees. This blend is particularly prevalent on the second and better of the CDs, which groups the more sophisticated and psychedelically inclined tracks into the mock album Midsummer Nights Dreaming, with its very British lyrical blend of everyday life and fairytale imagery. 

It's an attractive sound, and so well produced it's hard to believe these weren't actual releases. But it's just not as memorable, hooky, or penetrating as the best work in this general field, though the melancholy "Rain Rain Rain" comes close with its slight sub-Brian Wilson circa 1966-1967 vibe. It's odd to hear a riff that almost approximates the one heard in Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," however, on the 1966 single "White Collar Worker." The earlier-sounding material on disc one is weaker, populated by some pale attempts to marry British Invasion pop with Motown-influenced production. There's also more straightforward passable sunshine poppiness with a strong California vocal harmony streak; "Three in the Morning," for instance, sounds very much like something the Turtles or the Association might have done. The packaging is superb, with comprehensive liner notes and excellent sound. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

Men From The Ministry

1. Mary Mary - 2:32

2. Someone Like You (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 2:26 

3. I'm Coming Home (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 3:15 

4. Something Very Good (John Carter, Robin Shaw, Peter Nelson, Neil Landon) - 2:27 

5. Goodbye To Rosalie - 2:33

6. Sunday In The Park (John Carter, Russell Alquist) - 3:41

7. Hey Girl (No Need To Push) (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 2:49 

8. Something You've Got (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 3:03

9. Ooh La La (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 2:33 

10.I Couldn't Spend Another Day - 2:36

11.Three In The Morning (Russell Alquist) - 2:12 

12.Angels Get Out Of Bed (Russell Alquist) - 2:46

13.Big Top Heart (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 2:37

14.Get Outta My Way - 2:15

15.Love Equals Love (John Carter, Russell Alquist) - 2:47 

16.Memory (Mickey Keen) - 1:57

17.Turn Around (Mickey Keen) - 3:49 

All sons by John Carter, Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen except where noted

Bonus Tracks 13-17

Midummer Nights Dreaming
1. White Collar Worker - 3:20
2. Throw The Thing Away (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 1:40
3. Back Seat Driver - 2:25
4. Rain Rain Rain (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 2:37
5. In The Sky (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 2:24
6. Sequin Sally (Russell Alquist, Juliet Mills) - 3:27
7. Laughing Man (John Carter, Russell Alquist) - 3:25
8. Going Round And Round (John Carter, Peter Barnfather) - 3:38
9. Time And Motion Man - 2:41
10.Little Ray Of Sunshine - 3:04
11.Magic People (Mickey Keen) - 2:06
12.Midsummer Dreaming (John Carter, Russell Alquist) - 2:45
13.Life Is Living (Russell Alquist) - 3:07
14.Marjorie Morningstar (Russell Alquist) - 2:00
15.Roberto Billow (Russell Alquist) - 3:10
16.Mr Light (Mickey Keen) - 2:32
17.When I Was Born (Russell Alquist) - 2:53
18.Rain Rain Rain (Alternative Version) (Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen) - 2:45
All sons by John Carter, Robin Shaw, Mickey Keen except where indicated
Bonus Tracks 13-18

The Ministry Of Sound

*Micky Keen - Guitar, Vocals
*Russell Alquist - Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Barnfather - Vocals
*John Carter - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Clem Cattini - Drums
*Robin Shaw - Bass, Vocals

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Tower Of Power - Bump City (1972 us, awesome funk Jazzy brass rock, japan issue)

Bump City is the second album by the long living Bay Area based Soul Funk group Tower Of Power, released in 1972. Tower Of Power are best known for their funky Soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section and precisely syncopated bass-guitar lines.

One of their biggest hits came off the album: "You're Still A Young Man", recorded in Memphis and with Rick Stevens as lead vocalist. The production and arrangements were much improved over the debut album East Bay Grease from 1970, as was the engineering and overall technical quality. Their lines were crisper, the unison and ensemble passages much sharper, and they were beginning to round into shape.

The album was the first to make an impact in the band's early days, and paved the way to their mid Seventies success with subsequent albums like their self titled third album and Back To Oakland from 1974, both of which feature Lenny Williams on lead vocals.

MOV 

Tracks
1. You Got To Funkifize - 4:33
2. What Happened To The World That Day? - 4:14
3. Flash In The Pan - 3:37
4. Gone (In Memory Of Jacqueline Mesquite) (Greg Adams, Skip Mesquite) - 3:43
5. You Strike My Main Nerve (Stephen Kupka, Emilio Castillo, Williams, Gordon) - 2:55
6. Down To The Nightclub (Stephen Kupka, Emilio Castillo, David Garibaldi) - 2:45
7. You're Still A Young Man - 5:38
8. Skating On Thin Ice - 3:51
9. Of The Earth - 4:31
All songs written by Emilio Castillo, Stephen "Doc" Kupka except where stated.

Musicians
*Rick Stevens - Lead Vocals
*Skip Mesquite - First Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Vocals
*Emilio Castillo - Second Tenor Saxophone, Vocals
*Greg Adams - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, French Horn, Piano, Vocals
*Stephen "Doc" Kupka - Baritone Saxophone, Vocals
*Mic Gillette - Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Vocals
*Willie James Fulton - Guitar, Vocals
*David Garibaldi - Drums
*Francis Rocco Prestia - Bass
*Brent Byars - Conga Drums, Vocals
*Jay Spell - Piano
*Greg Adams - The Memphis Strings Arranged And Conducted

1970  Tower Of Power - East Bay Grease

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Billy T.K And The Powerhouse - Move On Up The Unreleased HMV Tapes (1972/75/80 new zealand, outstanding groovy fusion acid rock, 2009 release)

No local musician embodied this archetype more – or took it further – than Billy TK. His recordings with The Human Instinct, in particular the album Stoned Guitar, remain emblems of the period, and are today both historically significant and highly collectible. His subsequent work with groups such as Powerhouse and Wharemana have built on the style and technique he developed during this time.

Billy TK’s story began in Bunnythorpe, a rural township just outside Palmerston North. Born Billy Te Kahika, his surname was abbreviated by his Pākehā schoolteachers, who couldn’t be bothered writing out his full Māori name.

In 1972 Billy returned to New Zealand with Australian drummer Steve Weir and formed the first line-up of Powerhouse, which for the next eight years would see a series of continually changing line-ups.

Initially a quartet, Billy TK’s Powerhouse secured a residency at Wellington club Lucifer’s where they played a mixture of rock and soul covers, ranging from Neil Young to Curtis Mayfield. Later that year an opportunity arose for Billy to start his own club in Palmerston North, so he returned to the Horowhenua, where Powerhouse took up residence at the newly opened, Boulevarde club.

This version of the band was recorded in Wellington’s HMV studios for a possible album, however nothing was released at the time. These recordings finally emerged in 2009 as Move On Up: The Unreleased HMV Tapes, and show a club band in its embryonic stages, albeit with an unusually fiery guitarist.

Playing regularly at the Boulevarde, Powerhouse began to grow in scale and ambition. Inspired by the current jazz-rock fusion of Santana and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy began adding musicians to the line-up, expanding the tonal and rhythmic possibilities. These included keyboardist Jamie Tait-Jamieson, percussionist Mana Rauhina, cellist Pauline Poole (who later become a well-known singer under the name Hattie St. John) and singer Mahia Blackmore. Following the departure of Steve Weir, the group went through a number of drummers including Bud Hooper and Neil Storey, who would go on to play with Dragon before his untimely death. At the time he joined Powerhouse he was still at school.

“I was auditioning drummers, I’d tried a couple and there was this kid out the back in a school uniform and I said, ‘Have you come to audition?’ He said, ‘Yeah’, so I said, ‘Hop on’, and he was it. He had it. So I had to go and talk to his mum!”

Sometimes Billy’s old friend Ara Mete played drums; on other occasions he would play second guitar.

In the communal spirit of the time, the group took up residence in a rural mansion in nearby Cheltenham, made available by a friend of the band. Each member had his or her own room, there was space to rehearse, and even tennis courts. It also provided inspiration for Billy’s original writing, which increasingly dominated the repertoire. Band membership at the time swelled to as many as 15 people.

by  Nick Bollinger

Tracks
1. Bottle Of Red Wine (Eric Clapton) - 3:04
2. Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield) - 9:09
3. Hum Along And Dance (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) - 5:15
4. Into The Mystic (Van Morrison) - 3:28
5. Marbles (John McLaughlin) - 5:24
6. Guajira (C. Reyes, David Brown, Rico Reyes) - 4:02
7. Goodbye Post Office Tower Goodbye (Angus Cullen) - 4:28
8. Southern Man (Neil Young) - 9:06
9. Dance With The Spirit (Billy Te Kahika) - 2:37
10.Rhythm Of Your Love (Billy Te Kahika) - 3:41
11.Heaven's Melody (Live) (Billy Te Kahika) - 12:55
12.Beyond The Material Sky (Live) (Billy Te Kahika) - 5:50
13.Race Into The infinite (Live) (Billy Te Kahika) - 10:40

Personnel
*Billy T.K - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*John Bilderbeck - Guitar
*Steve Webb - Drums
*Gav Collinge - Bass
*Ara Mete - Rhythm Guitar
*Jamie Tait-Jamieson - Keyboards, Saxophone
*Arnold Tihema - Congas, Lead Vocals
*Mahia Blackmore - Vocals, Percussions
*Dick White - Saxophone

Related Acts
1970  Human Instinct - Stoned Guitar (2007 bonus tracks edition)
1971  Human Instinct - Pins In It

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Billy Thorpe And The Aztecs - Long Live Rock And Roll (1972 australia, stunning classic guitar rock, 2008 digipak release)

The Moomba Festival on Sunday the 12th. of March 1972 culminated in a massive live concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The line-up was Friends, La De Das , Gerry and the Joy Band and headliners the Aztecs.

As noted in TV and Newspaper reports, an enormous crowd of 200,000 (yes, you read right: Two Hundred Thousand!) turned up. The following GoSet edition featured a detailed report on the concert and noted the debut of a new track entitled "Long Live Rock And Roll And Long May It Move Me So" (predicted, following the success of "most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy", to be another number one smash - though it was never recorded).

We have taken the Aztecs' barnstorming performance and added another from late 1972 at Melbourne's Festival Hall (their farewell show before travelling to the UK) to create a never before released Aztecs' CD - one that captures the band at the peak of their live power (this is the same year and line-up of the classic Aztecs Live! at Sunbury performance, i.e. the "Sunbury Aztecs" - Billy Thorpe, Gil Matthews, Paul Wheeler and Bruce Howard).

The Festival Hall show features a lost classic: "Let Yourself Go" - a song in a similar vein to "Time To Live" and "Momma" - monster riffing, powerful vocals, relentless beat (with obligatory drum solo) with a running time of over 10 minutes!!

There's also a rare live version of their single "Believe it Just Like Me".

Aztec-recs

Tracks
Live At The Myer Music Bowl 1972 (Moomba Festival)
1. Be Bop A Lula (Gene Vincent, Tex Davis) - 5:26
2. CC Rider (Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Traditional) - 4:59
3. Long Live Rock N' Roll (Billy Thorpe) - 9:39
4. Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy (Billy Thorpe) - 7:30
5. Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Jessie Hill) - 15:16
Live At Festival Hall 1972
6. Let Yourself Go (Billy Thorpe) - 10:58
7. Believe It Just Like Me (Billy Thorpe) - 2:53
8. Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Jessie Hill) - 16:20

The Aztecs
*Billy Thorpe - Vocals, Guitar
*Gil "Rats" Matthews - Drums
*Paul Wheeler - Bass
*Bruce Howard - Electric Piano

1972  Billy Thorpe And The Aztecs - Live! At Sunbury (2005 digipak)

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Tony Hazzard - Tony Hazzard Sings (1969 uk, pleasant smart orchestrated colorful beats)

Tony Hazzard graduated from university in the sixties and, by a quirk of fate, went straight into the music business. He began as a solo singer featuring in classic sixties television shows such as Ready Steady Go and Thank Your Lucky Stars, but it soon became clear that his forte was songwriting and, during a three year period, from 1966 to 1969, he wrote six top twenty hits in the UK and Europe for the likes of Manfred Mann (Fox On The Run & Ha Ha Said The Clown), The Hollies (Listen To Me), The Tremeloes (Hello World), Lulu (Me The Peaceful Heart),  and Herman's Hermits (You Won't Be Leaving). He also had songs recorded by Gene Pitney (Maria Elena), Dave Berry (Love Has Gone Out Of Your Life), Simon Dupree and The Big Sound (The Eagle Flies Tonight), Nana Mouskouri (Mamma), Cliff Richard (The Sound Of The Candyman's Trumpet), Hall & Oates (The Princess And The Soldier), and The Yardbirds (Fade Away Maureen & Ha Ha Said The Clown), culminating in 1974 with another Top Twenty hit for Andy Williams (I Think I'm Over Getting Over You). 

During this time he also wrote and produced television jingles, and wrote theme tunes for BBC and ITV series. One jingle won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. He also sidelined as a session singer and guitarist working with the likes of James Last, Long John Baldry, and Elton John, featuring on three of the latter's albums (Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection & Honky Chateau) and appearing on stage with him at his first Royal Festival Hall concert.

In 1969 he recorded his first album, mainly a collection of the demos of the hits, entitled “Tony Hazzard sings Tony Hazzard”. A version on CD was released in 2007 by Cherry Red Records. 1971 saw the release of his second album “Loudwater House” followed in 1973 by “Was That Alright, Then?” A double CD of these albums was released on the Sanctuary label in 2005, under the title “Go North – The Bronze Anthology”. During the early seventies he also toured extensively with his band, featuring musicians who had played on the albums. In 1976 he recorded an album, “Hazzard & Barnes” with an old friend, Richard Barnes, who had previously sung harmonies on all the demos of the hits. In 1974 he moved to Cornwall and contemplated leaving the music business, but a visit to Nashville and Los Angeles in the late seventies sparked another creative period during which he wrote many songs which have never been published.

In 1977 he won a Citation Of Achievement from BMI, one of the American equivalents of The Performing Right Society in the UK, for one of his sixties hits, Fox On The Run, which, in the intervening years, had traversed the Atlantic and become a bluegrass standard. It has since been recorded by the majority of bluegrass and country artistes, including Tom T. Hall, Bill Monroe, The Country Gentlemen, George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, Flatt & Scruggs, Doc Watson, and Bare Naked Ladies.

Though he never achieved chart success in his own right, the British songwriter Tony Hazzard penned many hits for Sixties pop groups such as the Hollies and Manfred Mann. This high-quality collection, much sought-after on vinyl, features Hazzard's own versions of his songs, including the Manfred Mann hits "Fox on the Run" and "Ha Ha Said the Clown," with backing by some of the cream of late-1960s U.K. session musicians.

Tony Hazzard's songs are known to millions. During his first flurry of pop success in the mid-late '60s he scored huge hits with "Ha! Ha! Said The Clown" and "Fox On The Run" for Manfred Mann, "Listen To Me" for The Hollies, "Me The Peaceful Heart" for Lulu, "Hello World" for The Tremeloes and "You Won't Be Leaving" for Herman's Hermits. In addition, his "The Sound Of The Candyman's Trumpet" was recorded by Cliff Richard and entered into the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest. "Maria Elena" was beautifully rendered by the great Gene Pitney while the Jimmy Page-led Yardbirds turned Tony's "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" into a Psych-Pop classic. Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, The Casuals, The Family Dogg, 

Cherry Smash and The (formerly Swinging) Blue Jeans all turned to Hazzard's effortless pop tunes in the late '60s too. In the midst of all this success as a writer, Tony somehow found time to polish up a dozen or so of his demos (themselves things of fully formed wonder as played by the top session cats of the day) and thus was born his first 'solo' LP, Tony Hazzard Sings Tony Hazzard, released in 1969. It features all of the aforementioned mega-hits and a selection of other equally worthy pop gems as rendered by Tony, his band and pals like Jimmy Page and The Hollies' Tony Hicks. This compilation is produced with Tony's full co-operation and features ultra-rare non-LP single sides and brand new, in-depth liner notes by Rev-Ola's very own Andy Morten, this is a must for all lovers of pure '60s pop thrills. 16 tracks. Rev-Ola. 2007.

by Andy Morten.

Tracks
1. Listen To Me - 2:33
2. Brown Eyed Girl - 3:13
3. Me, The Peaceful Heart - 2:29
4. The Sound Of The Candyman's Trumpet - 2:34
5. Hello It's Me - 2:59
6. Fox On The Run - 2:39
7. Hello World - 4:06
8. Goodnight Sweet Josephine - 2:52
9. Ha! Ha! Said The Clown - 2:19
10.Hey Mrs. Housewife - 2:38
11.You Won't Be Leaving - 2:26
12.Fade Away Maureen - 2:34
13.The Sound Of The Candyman's Trumpet (Single Version) - 2:33
14.Everything's Gone Wrong - 2:16
15.You'll Never Put Shackles On Me - 2:21
16.Calling You Home - 2:22
All songs written by Tony Hazzard
Bonus tracks 13-16

Musicians
*Tony Hazzard - Vocals, Guitar, 12-String Guitar
*Roger McKew - Guitar
*Nick Robbins - Synthesizer
*Joe Foster - Synthesizer
*Tom (Colonel) Allom - Vibraphone
*Tat Meager - Drums, Percussion

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Spur - Spur Of The Moments (1966-72 us, amazing jagged acid folk psych, vinyl edition)

Spur was an unknown Illinois band who gained some local notoriety in the late 60’s but never hit the big time (they opened for many of the era’s big bands: The Byrds, Cream, Bob Seger, Steve Miller and The Grateful Dead).  For Spur of the Moments, Drag City compiled the best tracks from their sole album (1968-), along with several outtakes and rare 45 cuts.  Tons of blogs and rock magazines/fanzines have reviewed this gem, so we figured we’d give our own spin on this exciting new reissue.

While Spur of the Moments is by no means a cohesive, album-like statement, each song is finely crafted 60’s rock n roll that’s well worth a spin.  Spur started out life as a garage band who called themselves The Unknowns.  The Unknowns would eventually change their name to Spur and touch on a variety of classic 60’s sounds: garage, folk-rock, heavy psych and country-rock.  It must’ve been a challenge to assemble and piece together this anthology.  Spur were certainly long-lived by 60’s standards (1965-1972) but they were also a group who frequently revamped their sound/style and spent very little time in the recording studio.  That being said, Drag City does a great job putting all their highlights together in one convenient place.

The LP’s first five cuts are its most brilliant ones.  We begin with “Mind Odyssey,” a classic slice of psychedelic country-rock that’s highlighted by fluid guitar work and mild studio experimentation.   With “Tribal Gathering,” Spur turns a classic Byrds track into a 14 minute Grateful Dead-like acid guitar jam.   “Time Is Now,” another great performance, is quality West Coast psychedelia with good harmonies (about mid way through), fuzz guitar and a strong Jefferson Airplane feel.  These 3 cuts also suggest that Spur may have been listening to The Byrds’ Notorious Byrd Brothers album.  “Modern Era,” a 1966 single which was originally backed by a cover of Gene Clark’s “Feel A Whole Lot Better” (not included), recalls 5D Byrds, with it’s punchy, jangley guitars and acid fried lyrics – definitely a keeper.  

“Mr. Creep,” a terrific cut from Spur’s sole album, sports cool, distorted vocals, razor sharp guitars and bizarre lyrics (great, twisted garage psych).  Other fine tracks: Spur’s excellent country-rock take on The Beatles’ classic “Eight Days A Week” (banjo and steel guitar make me think of a cross between Dillard & Clark and The Flying Burrito Brothers), the suprising power pop of “Help Me I’m Falling” and the jumpy garage number “Be Tender, My Love.”

by Jason Nardelli

Tracks
1. Mind Odyssey (Ed Kalotek) - 2:37
2. Mr. Creep (Ed Kalotek) - 2:10
3. Tribal Gathering/We Don't Want To Know (Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Ed Kalotek) - 14:10
4. Modern Era (Jimmy Fey, Rick Willard, Ron Lipe, Stan Bratzke, Stix Maxwell, Ed Kalotek) - 2:14
5. Time Is Now (Ed Kalotek) - 4:11
6. Be Tender, My Love (Ed Kalotek) - 2:41
7. You Could Help Me Ease The Pain (Ed Kalotek) - 2:14
8. All Over The World (Jerry Corbitt) - 3:03
9. Help Me I'm Falling (Stan Bratzke) - 4:26
10.Eight Days A Week (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:40
11.Yield Not (Deadric Malone) - 2:27

Spur
*Ed Kalotek - Keyboards, Twelve String, Six String Guitar
*Stix Maxwell - Percussion, Drums
*Stan Bratzke - Vocals, Acoustic, Electric Guitar
*Rick Willard - Vocals, Bass
*Jimmy Fey - Vocals, Lead Guitar

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Apartment One - Open House (1970 holland, efficient prog psych rock, 2014 edition)

Rock band from Hilversum, founded in 1967 under the name Serpentine. The first line-up lasted until 1969 and consisted of: Peter van der Sande (v, g, ex-Sexton Five, Highschool Five, Smokey and Kingbees), Rob Morel (b, ex-Dean Allen Set), Ralf Dragstra (o, p, trb, ex-Dean Allen Set), Bob de Laat (s, ex-Dean Allen Set), Patrick Verboom (tr), Frank van Tijn (v, dr, to OPMC) and Dick Pels (g, ex-Guardians, to Dean Allen Set).  In 1969, Peter left the group temporarily.  Serpentine started accompanying Amos Tamela (ex-Mustang Soul) and Sandra Reemer.

Peter then recorded a single for Polydor with his new group Blech, featuring: Fije Jasky (dr), Ton Jasky (b), Theo Andriessen (p), Ad le Conte (o).  Nevertheless, the single was released under the name Serpentine, because Peter had soon returned to his old band.  The line-up was then narrowed down to: Peter van der Sande (v, b), Onno Lopulalan (g), Frank van Tijn (v, dr) and Ralf Dragstra (o, p).  Band members also did a lot of session work - for California License, Big Boy & Bouncers and OPMC, amongst others.  On account of legal reasons, later records were released under the moniker Apartment One.  Serpentine fell apart in 1970, Peter joined Focus.

"Open House" released through Pink Elephant label, and it's a mixture of prog psych rock with some blues and country references.  

Tracks
1. Step Inside (Onny Lopulalan, Ralf Dragstra) - 4:10
2. Fuzz Buzz (Robbie Dale, Peter Van Der Sande) - 2:51
3. Eternal Moralist (Robbie Dale, Peter Van Der Sande) - 3:04
4. Dictionary (Robbie Dale, Peter Van Der Sande) - 2:24
5. Summer Term (Peter Van Der Sande) - 3:49
6. Dragstream (Onny Lopulalan, Ralf Dragstra) - 3:07
7. Like A Queen (Robbie Dale, Peter Van Der Sande) - 3:08
8. Going Up Town (Peter Van Der Sande) - 3:05
9. Try And Bye A Try (Robbie Dale, Peter Van Der Sande) - 3:15
10.What's Going On (Peter Van Der Sande) - 3:35

The Apartment One
*Frank Van Tijn - Drums, Vocals
*Peter Van Der Sande - Vocals, Guitar, Cello, Organ, Bass
*Bob De Laat - Saxophone
*Dick Pels - Guitar
*Patrick Verboom - Trumpet
*Ralf Dragstra - Keyboards, Trombone
*Rob Morel - Bass
*Onny Lopulalan - Guitar

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Tomorrow's Gift - Tomorrow's Gift (1970 germany, powerful heavy prog krautrock, 2016 remaster issue)

Tomorrow's Gift were responsible for the first release (of only three totally) on the Plus label (owned by Miller International). Like Frumpy and Joy Unlimited, they were a blues and soul-rock band who 'turned on, tuned in and dropped out' to the progressive music at the end of the sixties (but remained faithful to their roots). Both mentioned bands had female vocalists, as had Tomorrow's Gift: Ellen Meyer. Arguably she didn't have a voice as strong as Inga Rumpf, but hers was good enough to serve the music. The rest of the band members were: Carlo Karges (guitar, percussion), Manfred Rurup (organ), Wolfgang Trescher (flute), Bernd Kiefer (bass) and Olaf Casalich (drums). Casalich was later replaced by Gerd Paetzke. This was really a band of future talents, three of the members being still teenagers. Their eponymous double album had a typical vintage progressive sound. There were powerful long tracks with plenty of guitar, organ, flute and drum solos, Ellen Meyer's vocals were comparable to those of Janis Joplin. 

The production (courtesy of Jochen Petersen (Ikarus), possibly his first production ever) was unpolished and some of the material a little rough around the edges. It would have been better to edit the material down to a single album! There is more than an album's worth of live material by Tomorrow's Gift issued on the two festival samplers, 'Pop & Blues Festival '70' and 'Love and Peace'. The first one had a 20-minute version of Donovan's "Season Of The Witch", re-titled "Sound Of Which" (sic!), interspersed with very long, sometimes chaotic instrumental parts. Still it is a good example of their raw live sound. The latter had another 20-minute track: "At The Earth/Indian Rope Man" and the shorter "Begin Of A New Sound". Both concerts were recorded before their debut album.

The five-piece Tomorrow's Gift split up in 1971, but Manfred Rurup and Bernd Kiefer (bass) kept the band going. They recruited "Zabba" Lindner (drums) from Sphinx Tush and recorded 'Goodbye Future' (1972) as a trio, an ironic title considering the name of the group! This album was technically better, as the engineering and production were handled by Konrad Plank. The sound of Tomorrow's Gift had changed completely and now leaned towards instrumental jazz-rock with forceful keyboard and bass interplay. It was indeed a very varied album: Canterbury-influenced jazz-rock with improvised free jazz parts (a bit comparable to the first Annexus Quam album), general Zappa-esque weirdness and musical jokes. The album wasn't released until a year after the recordings were completed.

from Cosmic Dreams at Play

Tracks
1. Riddle In A Swamp (Carlo Karges, Manfred Rürup) - 8:02
2. Prayin' To Satan (Manfred Rürup) - 5:09
3. One Of The Narrow Minded Thoughts (Manfred Rürup) - 3:28
4. Tenakel Gnag (Wolfgang Trescher) - 2:55
5. The First Seasons After The Destruction (Carlo Karges, Manfred Rürup) - 13:02
6. How You Want To Live (Manfred Rürup) - 7:32
7. Grey Aurora (Manfred Rürup) - 1:40
8. Ants (Wolfgang Trescher) - 2:51
9. Breeds There A Man (Carlo Karges, Manfred Rürup) - 3:21
10.King In A Nook (Carlo Karges) - 4:21
11.Sandy Concert (Manfred Rürup) - 8:08
12.Enough To Write A Song About Or Two (Carlo Karges) - 2:00
13.Second Song (Carlo Karges, Wolfgang Trescher) - 0:27

Tomorrow's Gift
*Carlo Karges - Guitars, Percussion
*Bernd Kiefer - Bass
*Ellen Meyer - Lead Vocals
*Gerd Paetzke - Drums
*Manfred Rurup - Keyboards
*Wolfgang Trescher - Flute
Guest Musician
*Jochen Petersen - Alto Saxophone (11)

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Brainstorm - Second Smile (1973 germany, prominent prog rock)

The second record by Brainstorm, from 1973, reveals even more variety to this German group's take on Canterbury jazz-rock. The album starts off with a spacy keyboard drone, dripping water noises, and gentle acoustic guitars, and just when you think you have the track, "Hirnwind," pegged as a mellow folk number, it becomes hyperactive progressive jazz-rock, with propulsive rhythms and lots of furious electric guitar, organ, flute, and sax, with some goofy wordless vocals thrown in. Other tracks also have that abrupt unpredictability, as Brainstorm's compositional prowess is even more developed, especially on the complex songs of "My Way" and "Marilyn Monroe," which feature a lot of changeups and different moods and tempos. They also do an ultra-funky arrangement of Leon Thomas' "There Was a Time," a standout on the disc. 

Though this record is energetic, it doesn't quite achieve the same manic overdrive of some of the material on their debut, Smile a While. Second Smile presents a more mature group, though one that is still a lot of fun, especially on the vampy "Marilyn Monroe" and wild "Hirnwind," the two songs that bookended the original album. The only weak cut is the bonus track, "You're the One." This single is a remake of "You Are What's Gonna Make It Last" from Smile a While, but tries to pump it up with a more conventional rock sound that is less interesting than the rest of the album. 

by Rolf Semprebon

Tracks
1. Hirnwind (Roland Schaeffer, Rainer Bodensohn, Eddy Von Overheidt) - 5:43
2. Herbst (Roland Schaeffer, Rainer Bodensohn) - 3:40
3. My Way (Eddy Von Overheidt, Roland Schaeffer) - 8:12
4. Affenzahn (Brainstorm) - 4:47
5. There Was A Time (Roland Schaeffer, T. Thomas) - 7:09
6. Marilyn Monroe (Roland Schaeffer, T. Schaeffer, Eddy Von Overheidt) - 8:32

The Brainstorm
*Rainer Bodensohn - Bass, Flute, Vocals
*Enno Dernov - Bass, Guitar
*Joachim Keinzer - Drums
*Roland Schaeffer - Guitar, Keyboards
*Eddy Von Overheidt - Keyboards, Vocals

1970-71  Fashion Pink - To Brainstorm

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Coyote - Coyote (1972 us, magnificent rural funky prog rock, 2013 issue)

Hum, I never would have guessed these guys were from Cockeysville, Maryland ...  Prior to coming together as Coyote, the various members had played in a host of Baltimore bands.  Showcasing the talents of keyboardist Rod Arment , lead guitarist Chuck Beaty, bassist Jim Kestle, drummer Tim Lloyd , and keyboardist Rusty Steele.   The group were regulars on the Maryland and Washington, D.C. club circuit, but in spite of their talent and enthusiasm, were unable to attract the attention of a major label. 

Later in the year the band got around to recording a self-financed LP - 1the cleverly-titled "Coyote".  Musically the album's always been somewhat of a curiosity to my ears.  There aren't a lot of online reviews, but a couple of them describe the set as a country-rock effort.  I'll tell you that's not a particularly accurate description.  With four of the members contributing to the writing chores, side one was quite eclectic, bouncing around between jazz-rock instrumental ('Cowboy & Indians'), Dead-influenced old-timey Americana ('Horney Coyote'), and conventional rock ('Jabberwocky').  

Side one was also notable for displaying some of the era's strangest lyrics ('Farmer Fetcher's').  In contrast, exemplified by material like 'Ready to Ride' and 'Fly' side two reflected a more focused rock and progressive-leaning sound.  Blessed with four decent singers (drummer Lloyd was the only non-singer in the group), gave the album a nice sense of diversity and technically these guys were all quite impressive with Beaty and Steele deserving special notice. There's no doubt these guys were talented and I'd be willing to bet they were a killer club act.

Shortly after the album was released the hand underwent a major personnel shift that saw Beaty and Kestle joined by keyboardist Brian Boyd, lead singer David Gable, and drummer Dennis Meros.  The band seemingly continued to perform through 1976 and then called it quits with various members joining a host of local bands.

the Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Farmer Fletcher's (Chuck Beaty) - 2:26
2. Cowboys And Indians (Chuck Beaty) - 2:54
3. Horney Coyote (Chuck Beaty) - 6:32
4. Jabberwocky (L. Carrroll, Chuck Beaty) - 3:13
5. Flat Chested Woman (Chuck Beaty) - 4:27
6. Ready To Ride (Rod Arment) - 3:06
7. Silver Ring (Chuck Beaty) - 5:09
8. Fly (Jim Kestle, Rusty Steele) - 5:07
9. People Funny (Jim Kestle) - 2:21
10.Musician (Chuck Beaty) - 3:10

The Coyote
*Rod Arment - Keyboards, Vocals
*Chuck Beaty - Vocals, Lead Guitar
*Jim Kestle - Bass, Backing Vocals
*Tim Lloyd - Drums, Backing Vocals
*Rusty Steele - Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals

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