The Unrelated Segments And The Tidal Waves - Where You Gonna Go (1966-70 us, magnificent detroit garage heavy raw psych)

Long recognized as two of the best garage bands from Michigan, The Unrelated Segments whose “The Story Of My Life” has appeared on Rhino’s Nuggets box set and The Tidal Waves who scored a number one hit with “Farmer John” are the main focus of this compilation of Detroit garage bands. All of The Unrelated Segments and The Tidal Waves material are included on this release, in the finest sound yet.  All tracks from the original master tapes.

The Tidal Waves consisted of two High School students (Mark Karpinski and Tom Wearing) and  three Junior High School students (Bob Slap, Bill Long, and Jon Wearing). Mark and Tom were seniors at Roseville High. Bill, Bob, and Jon were ninth graders and  went to Roseville's Burton Jr. High. Jon was the one who asked Bill to join the group and play guitar. The Tidal Waves’ first release  “Farmer John” was a smash.  Bill Gavin’s Weekly Record Report for May 20, 1966 picked “Farmer John” as a “probable hit”.  It entered the charts at  Detroit radio station, WXYZ on May 9, at number 35 and the next week was already at number 14, two weeks later on May 30, it was number 5!  That same week over at rival WKNR the song peaked at no. 6 (it had entered  the WKNR Charts on May 2 at no.30).  It reached the coveted No.1 position on  WTRX the week of June 17.  Nationally it got as high as #79 on the Cash Box Top 100 survey, the week of June 25, 1966. 

The Tidal Waves popularity grew to such a degree that they opened for national touring bands such as The Animals and  The Herman's Hermits at Olympia Stadium and the Dave Clark Five at the Ford Auditorium.  The Tidal Waves also played some shows with The Unrelated Segments.  As for TV appearances, The Tidal Waves played all of their recorded output at various times on Robin Seymour’s “Swingin’ Time”  TV show.  In fact if not for The Tidal Waves performance of “Action” on “Swingin’ Time“, the single probably would have gone completely unnoticed in Detroit.  The next Tidal Waves’ single would be under a different name, The Gruve.

When the lead singer for The Unrelated Segments, Ron Stults, was growing up in the fifties he was impressed by Elvis and Ricky Nelson’s hits. Ron developed his vocal style while singing along with their songs on the radio.  In 1963, while barely in high school, he formed a group called The High Tones. The band recorded three songs that were cut to acetates, but are now missing in action.  The group became popular around Michigan and opened for national bands such as The Four Seasons.  In late 1963, The High Tones changed their instrumental style after listening to a Beatles’ album issued in Canada. This was a few months before The Beatles were known in America. The High Tones lasted till the early 1965, when one of the members was drafted into the Navy.

Ron then joined The Village Beaus(who also played on the same bill as The Lykes Of Us).  Rory Mack, a classmate of Ron, was also in the group. The band played lots of Beatles, Stones, and Them songs. Internal conflicts led to the break up of the group by September of 1966 and nothing was ever recorded. About two and a half months later Rory got hold of Ron because he was forming a new group with John Torock and they needed a lead singer. Ron joined up with the as yet unnamed group.  John Torock was the oldest member of the group (all the other members were still in high school) and was going to business college, taking a course in micro-economics. There was some theory about unrelated segments in his class and thus was born the name of the new group. John's father Louis was very helpful to the band and allowed them to use the Torock basement and garage for rehearsals. Louis would also become the group's official manager.

While many groups from the era were content to do cover songs for their live shows, The Segments performed mainly original songs that were unfortunately never recorded. One song, “Chocolate Graveyard”,  has attained mythical status among Unrelated Segment fans as existing, but the song was never recorded because Checkaway was afraid of the potential for racial overtones.  Ron says it was “a psychedelic song with a psychedelic title, influenced by bands with such names as The Strawberry Alarm Clock.” A couple of other problematic songs were "It’s All Right Mr. White" which was about the social upheavals in the 60's and again was not meant to have any racial overtones and "War In Vietnam", a protest song, very popular with the Segments’ audience. Another unreleased war protest song was "Mr. Christopher”.  It was about a man who was misused by the establishment and written in November of 1968

On January 1, 1969, U.S. recorded a song written by Ron and Rory titled "Hey Love".  It was also produced by the band and recorded at  GM Recording Studios in East Detroit. A couple of  months after this recording Rory decided he was leaving the music business for good and  was replaced by Craig Webb on lead guitar. The next song by U.S. was written by Ron and Craig entitled "There's Gonna Be A Change". It  was recorded in March of 1969. The personnel changes in the band though, had a permanent fracturing effect and before 1969 ended US dissolved.  Fragments of the group went on to form “Lost Nation” and record a Lp for Motown. 

Cicadelic

Artists - Tracks - Composer
1. The Unrelated Segments – Hey Love - 3:06
2. The Unrelated Segments – Story Of My Life - 3:02
3. The Unrelated Segments – Where You Gonna Go? - 2:49
4. The Unrelated Segments – Cry, Cry, Cry - 3:05
5. The Unrelated Segments – It's Not Fair - 3:04
6. The Unrelated Segments – It's Gonna Rain - 2:28
7. The Tidal Waves – She Left Me All Alone (Victor Wittkowski) - 3:06
8. The Tidal Waves – I Don't Need Love (Dennis Mills) - 2:36
9. The Tidal Waves – Action! (Speaks Louder Than Words) (Dennis Mills) - 3:04
10.The Tidal Waves – Farmer John (Dewey Terry, Don "Sugarcane" Harris) - 2:12
11.The Tidal Waves – Big Boy Pete (Dewey Terry, Don "Sugarcane" Harris) - 2:38
12.The Tidal Waves – She's My Woman (Richard Cioffari) - 2:12
13.The Unrelated Segments – There's Gonna Be A Change - 2:55
14.Ron Stults – Wait - 4:21
15.Ron Stults – Easy Money - 4:53
16.Ron Stults – Lady Lace - 3:35
17.Ron Stults – Cool Slick Jenny - 4:11
18.Ron Stults – No Excuses - 4:30
19.The Unrelated Segments – Story Of My Life - 3:06
20.The Unrelated Segments – Where You Gonna Go? - 2:54
21.The Unrelated Segments – It's Gonna Rain - 2:08
All songs by Ron Stults, Rory Mack except where stated
Tracks 14-18 written by  Ron Stults

The Unrelated Segments
*Ron Stults - Lead Vocals
*Rory Mack - Lead Guitar
*Barry Van Engelen - Bass
*Andy Angellotti - Drums
*John Torock - Rhythm Guitar

The Tidal Waves
*Tom Wearing - Drums, Vocals
*Mark Karpinski - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Slap - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Jon Wearing - Percussion, Vocals
*Vic Witkowski - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

Related Act
1970  Lost Nation - Paradise Lost

Free Text
Just Paste

Various Artists - Paint It Black (1965-68 uk/us, amazing compilation with mod psych r'n'b and garage rock, 2016 release)

The 2016 March 29th issue of world renown music magazine MOJO is flying out, probably due to its coverage of the Rolling Stones, who have just played a historic gig in Cuba, made possible after the thawing of relationships between the USA and its old enemy.

Cuba had a ban on foreign music for many years, so the Rolling Stones made a perfect pick to break the ice.  The Stones actually played the gig for free – and I’m sure made many new fans in the process.

The Mojo issue is zeroing in on The Rolling Stones stellar 1966 before zooming forward for an exclusive glimpse of their career-spanning Exhibitionism show (your guide: Mick Jagger!).

The FREE covermount CD, entitled “Paint It Black” features 15 tracks that illustrate mid-’60s rock’s turn to the weird, from The Yardbirds, The Seeds, 13th Floor Elevators, The Rationals and more.

Mags-Direct

Artists - Tracks - Composer
1. The Mickey Finn - Garden Of My Mind (Mickey Waller, Alan Mark, Bernard Jory) - 2:29
2. The Bonniwell Music Machine - Dark White (Sean Bonniwell) - 4:13
3. The Silence - Down Down (Andy Ellison) - 2:53
4. The 13th Floor Elevators - Reverberation (Doubt) (Sutherland, Erickson, Hall) - 2:45
5. The Spencer Davis Group - Morning Sun (Spencer Davis, Eddie Hardin, Kirk Duncan, Nicky James) - 3:20
6. The Seeds - Sad And Alone (Daryl Hooper, Sky Saxon) - 2:44
7. The Yardbirds - Still I'm Sad (Jim McCarty, Paul Samwell-Smith) - 2:55
8. The Pretty Things - The Sun (Phil May, Wally Waller) - 3:02
9. Chris Farlowe - Paint It Black (Soundtrack Version) (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - 2:50
10.The Rationals - Leaving Here (Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland) - 3:10
11.Hat And Tie - Finding It Rough (Patrick Campell Lyons, Chris Thomas) - 2:48
12.Mountain Men - Too Many People Around (Mountain Men) - 2:56
13.The Lloyd Alexander Real Estate - Whatcha Gonna Do (When Your Baby Leaves You) (Chuck Willis) - 2:55
14.The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Devil's Grip (Arthur Brown) - 3:18
15.The Red Crayola - Hurricane Fighter Plane (Mayo Thompson, Frederick Barthelme, Steve Cunningham) - 3:45

Related Acts
1964-67  The Mickey Finn - Garden Of My Mind
1966-67  The Music Machine - The Ultimate Turn On
1968-69  he Music Machine - The Bonniwell Music Machine
1969  T.S. Bonniwell - Close
1966  The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators
1967  13th Floor Elevators - Easter Everywhere
1965  The Spencer Davis Group - Their First LP
1966  The Spencer Davis Group - The Second Album
1966  The Spencer Davis Group - Autumn '66
1965-93  The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard
1967  The Seeds - Future
1963-68  The Yardbirds - Glimpses
1964  The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds
1968  The Yardbirds - Live Yardbirds!
1964-66  The Pretty Things - The EP Collection...Plus
1967  The Pretty Things - Emotions
1965-69  Chris Farlowe - Out of Time The Immediate Anthology
1970  Chris Farlowe With The Hill - From Here To Mama Rosa
1965-69  The Rationals - Think Rational
1968  The Rationals - Temptation 'Bout To Get Me / Live At The Grande Ballroom
1968  The Red Crayola - God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It

Free Text
Just Paste

Tony Joe White - Tony Joe (1970 us, great swamp rock melted with blues and country, 2013 Japan remaster)

A true icon of swamp rock, Tony Joe White parlayed his songwriting talent and idiosyncratic vocals into a modestly successful country and rock career in Europe as well as America. Born July 23, 1943, in Goodwill, Louisiana, White was born into a part-Cherokee family. He began working clubs in Texas during the mid-'60s and moved to Nashville by 1968. White's 1969 debut album for Monument, Black and White, featured his Top Ten pop hit "Polk Salad Annie" and another charting single, "Roosevelt and Ira Lee (Night of the Moccasin)." That same year, Dusty Springfield reached the charts with White's "Willie and Laura Mae Jones.

Brook Benton recorded a version of White's "Rainy Night in Georgia" that hit number four early in 1970; the song has since become a near-standard with more than 100 credits. White's own "Groupie Girl" began his European success with a short stay on the British charts in 1970.
by John Bush

Tracks
1. Stud Spider - 5:37
2. High Sheriff Of Calhoun Parrish - 3:51
3. Widow Wimberly - 3:42
4. Groupie Girl - 3:04
5. Conjure Woman - 3:57
6. Save Your Sugar For Me - 2:21
7. Hard To Handle (Otis Redding, Alvertis Isbell, Allen Jones) - 2:53
8. What Does It Take (Vernon Bullock, Johnny Bristol, Harvey Fuqua) - 3:40
9. My Friend (Donnie Fritts, Spooner Oldham) - 3:12
10.Stockholm Blues - 3:28
11.Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker) - 7:52
12.I Protest (Wayne Carson) - 3:10
13.Man Can Only Stand Just So Much Pain (Mickey Newbury) - 2:31
Songs written by Tony Joe White except where stated
Bonus Tracks 4, 12 and 13

Musicians
*Tony Joe White - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Whomper Stomper Box
*Norbert Putnam - Bass
*Mike Utley - Organ, Piano
*Jerry Carrigan - Drums
*Tommy McClure - Bass
*David Briggs - Organ, Piano
*Sammy Creason - Drums
*The Nashville Horns And Strings Arranged by Bergen White

Free Text
Text Host

Druids Of Stonehenge - Creation (1968 us, exciting rough garage psych, 2010 edition)

Founded in 1965, the Druids of Stonehenge not only looked dark and mysterious, but the music they played emitted a menacing bite as well.

Gaining recognition on the local front, the New York band even had a chapter devoted to them in Richard Goldstein’s Goldstein’s Greatest Hits, a book pertaining to popular culture of the day. Due to such glowing feedback and wide exposure, the Druids of Stonehenge were clearly primed for world domination.

The band then hooked up with Uni Records and released the album Creation in 1968, which has recently been reissued by the Sundazed label. Although the disc was bundled tight with terrific tunes and inspired performances, sales were underwhelming and the Druids of Stonehenge simply faded into the ether. But like a lot of albums that were ignored at the time they were cut, in hindsight Creation has attained the praise it so wildly deserves.

Most of the material presented on the record pays apparent homage to the crude and crass blues laced rock of Them, the Rolling Stones and the Pretty Things. Anchored by filthy vocals growling and snarling with bile, “Six Feet Down” moves at a slow and haunting pace, while “Speed” crackles and crunches with clattering guitars and edgy harmonies.

Blending eerie tones with gritty rock rhythms, “Painted Woman” and “A Garden Where Nothing Grows” hang fast as other notable songs on “Creation,” along with numbing covers of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All over Now Baby Blue” and Screaming Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You.” As attested by these tracks, the Druids of Stonehenge were masters of melancholy. Motivated by doom and gloom, the band produced a stupefying spooky sound. Imagine the Chocolate Watchband jamming with Black Sabbath, and that should give you some idea what zone the Druids of Stonehenge operated in.

While the band was certainly not shy about flaunting their British beat influences, they were definitely not a one trick pony. The original material on “Creation” exhibits plenty of initiative, particularly “Forgot To Begot,” which offers a surprising change of scenery from the band’s bluesy brash anthems. Speckled with the twirling ting of a harpsichord, the shimmery song flickers with surrealistic sensations, resulting in a remarkably sophisticated piece of psychedelic pop.

Churning and burning with raw emotions, Creation portrays the fine art of authentic garage rock in all its ragged glory.

by Beverly Paterson

Tracks
1. Six Feet Down (Billy Tracy, Carl Hauser, Steven Tindall) - 2:36
2. Earthless (David Budge, J. Budge) - 2:45
3. I Put A Spell On You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) - 2:42
4. Speed (Carl Hauser, David Budge) - 2:57
5. Bring It On Home (Can't Get By Alone) (M. Hardo) - 6:47
6. Painted Woman (Jerry Goldstein) - 3:25
7. Pale Dream (Carl Hauser) - 2:35
8. Signed D. C. (Arthur Lee) - 3:23
9. Forgot To Be Begot (M. Coachbarepeno) - 2:36
10.A Garden Where Nothing Grows (Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) - 3:00
11.It's All Over Now Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) - 5:06

The Druids Of Stonehenge
*Tom Paine - Bass, Vocals
*Steven Tindall - Drums, Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Billy (B. T.) Tracy - Guitar
*Carl Hauser - Lead Guitar, Harpsichord, Vocals
*David Budge - Lead Vocals

Free Text
Just Paste

Casey Jones And The Governors - Don't Ha Ha (1963-66 uk, fine beat roots 'n' roll)

For a guy who was a founding father in the Mersybeat movement; worked with the likes of Eric Clapton (briefly), and enjoyed a recording career that's spanned some four generations, he isn't particularly well known in either the UK, or the States.

Born Brian Casser in Liverpool, England after a brief career in the merchant Navy by the late 1950s he'd supplemented his income as a cook by adopting the stage name Casey Jones and formed one of Liverpool's earliest rock bands - Cass and the Casanovas.  Casser quickly discovered there was money to be made in rock and roll and by 1959 he was running one of Liverpool's first rock clubs - The Casanova Club which began booking local groups, including an early gig by the newly formed Beatles.  Unfortunately, personality issues and differences in musical approaches saw The Casanovas fall apart.  With Jones interested in handling lead vocals, the other three members fired him, subsequently reappearing as The Big Three. The trio quickly picked up a manager in the form of Brian Epstein, signed with Decca and began a brief recording career that included stints working as Cilla Black's backing band. 

For his part Jones split for London where after about a year he scored a contract with Columbia.  Credited to Casey Jones & the Engineers, he made his debut with the release of 1963's 'One Way Ticket' b/w 'I'm Gonna Love You' (Columbia catalog number DB 7083).  Anxious to support the single, he ended up recruiting former Roosters lead guitarist Eric Clapton and bass player Tom McGuinness, with backing from drummer Ray Stack.  The band's pop orientation didn't particularly suit Clapton or McGuinness and within a matter of months they'd both tendered their notices; Clapton reappearing in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.   With a new line up consisting of lead guitarist David Coleman, rhythm guitar player Roger Cook, drummer Peter Richards, and bassist Jim Rodford Casey Jones and the Engineers soldiered on, releasing a pair of German singles on the Bellaphon label.

Aware of the immense pool of musical talent in the UK and cutthroat nature of the business, Jones decided to relocate the band to West Germany where there was considerable demand for the talents of English bands.  The band also opted for a modest name change - becoming Casey Jones and the Governors.  The name was apparently chosen to underscore their British roots.  That move proved quite shrewd with Bellaphone repackaging the two earlier singles under an EP credited to Casey Jones and the Governors.

While the EP did little commercially, it attracted the attention of the Golden 12 label which signed the band and agreed to finance an album.  

Musically "Casey Jones and the Governors" wasn't going to change your world outlook.  None of the 14 performances was bad, but without a single original composition the album found Jones and company forced to plow through a pedestrian mixture of R&B and soul chestnut covers.  Showcasing Jones' somewhat goofy demeanor and mediocre voice, it was obvious these guys simply would not have been able to compete with the majority of their English competitors.  That left them in an awkward position of having to try to make it on the basis of personality - not a strength that translated to vinyl particularly well.  So here's the funny thing about the set ...  even though there wasn't an ounce of originality in these grooves, the results were surprisingly enjoyable.  Who knows why this one struck such a chord with me. Perhaps because these guys were such underdogs?  Maybe because they actually showed some in-studio enthusiasm?  Who knows.

Bad-Cat

Tracks
1. Don't Ha Ha (Smith, Vincent) - 2:03
2. Love Potion No. 9 (Leiber, Stoller) - 2:04
3. Mickeys Monkey (Robinson) - 3:05
4. Parchman Farm (Allison) - 2:54
5. Slow Down (Williams) - 3:08
6. Too Much Monkey Business (Berry) - 2:27
7. Sounds Like Locomotion (St. John) - 1:50
8. Dizzy Miss Lizzy (Williams) - 2:04
9. Talking 'Bout You (Berry) - 2:03
10.Do The Dog (Thomas) - 2:48
11.Can't Judge A Book (McDaniels) - 2:36  
12.So Long Baby (Jones) - 4:26
13.Jack The Ripper (Sutch) - 3:02
14.Nashville Special (Larson) - 2:28
15.One Way Ticket (Davis, Duncan, Jones) - 2:47
16.I'm Gonna Love (Davis, Duncan) - 2:02
17.Tall Girl (Jones) - 2:02
18.Blue Tears (Jones) - 2:47
19.Don't Ha Ha (1st Version) (Smith, Vincent) - 2:01
20.Long Gone Train (Jones) - 2:36
21.Candy Man (Ross, Neil) - 2:19
22.Tallahassee Lassie (Slay, Crese, Picariello) - 2:24
23.So Long Baby (Mono Single Mix) (Jones) - 4:25
24.Bumble Bee (German Version) (Fullylock, Baker, Holm) - 2:19
25.Rootin Tootin Baby (Jones) - 2:32
26.Yockomo (Mono Single Mix) (Smith, Vincent) - 2:32
27.Baby Why Did You Say Goodbye (Jones) - 2:30
28.Little Girl (Jones) - 3:07
29.A Legal Matter (Townsend) - 2:55
Tracks 15-29 as Casey Jones And His Engineers

Casey Jones And The Governors
*Casey Jones - Vocals
*Jim Redford - Bass
*Roger Hook - Guitar
*Peter Richards - Drums
*David Colman - Guitar

Casey And His Engineers
*Eric Clapton - Lead Guitar
*Casey Jones (Aka Brian Casser) - Vocals, Keyboards
*Tom McGuinness - Bass
*Ray Stock - Drums, Percussion

Free Text

Just Paste

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

Free Text
Just Paste

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

Free Text
the Free Text

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

Free Text
the Free Text

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)

Free Text
Text Host

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

Free Text
the Free Text