Grand Funk Railroad's 1970 somewhat eponymous album, their second for Capitol, is characteristic of the classic rock radio sound that would permeate the airwaves of the late 20th century. Grand Funk Railroad was a seminal force in giving the friendlier side of the heavy rock sound its charm and making it stick.
Built on fuzzed-out blues riffs, simple lyrics, and at times seemingly unnecessary jamming, Grand Funk's songs are mild in nature. Slightly toothier than Foghat or Bad Company, Grand Funk's major influence is from the loose, blues-based power trio formula of bands such as Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Grand Funk combines rawness with radio-friendly melodies and vocal harmonies that would become their trademark sound.
Hordes of bands to come, from Foreigner to Bon Jovi, would emulate Grand Funk's sound and style, focusing on good-time rocking material while attempting a few token social commentary pieces. This is a great album as far as early hard rock goes, and as Grand Funk Railroad would move farther and farther away from the type of roughness and loose arrangements found here, it is well worth picking up as an example of one of their early efforts.
by Jeff Schwachter
Tracks
1. Got This Thing on the Move - 4:38
2. Please Don't Worry (Don Brewer, Mark Farner) - 4:19
3. High Falootin' Woman - 3:00
4. Mr. Limousine Driver - 4:26
5. In Need - 7:52
6. Winter and My Soul - 6:38
7. Paranoid - 7:50
8. Inside Looking Out - 9:31 (John Lomax, Alan Lomax, Eric Burdon, Bryan "Chas" Chandler)
9. Nothing Is The Same (Demo) - 5:39
10.Mr. Limousine Driver (Extended Version) - 5:28
All songs written by Mark Farner except where noted.
In the mid-to-late 1960s, during the height of the mania stemming from the British Invasion, the UK was teeming with psychedelic rock bands of all shapes and sizes, many of whom enjoyed the din of obscurity beneath the gargantuan shadows of such titans as the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, Pink Floyd and, of course, the Beatles. Among those bands was Blossom Toes, an acid-pop group signed to famed English rock impresario and Yardbirds/Soft Machine manager Gorgio Gomelsky’s Marmalade Records label. The band did not receive the commercial success enjoyed by their peers in the British Invasion, but released two albums to massive critical acclaim and counted Frank Zappa, with whom the group once jammed (as documented on the recently released double-live compilation Love Bomb: Live 1967-69), amongst their fans.
In December of 1969, Blossom Toes were on their way back from a gig when they suffered a terrible auto accident that didn’t kill anyone in the band, but left the lads shaken up enough to decide to dissolve their union shortly thereafter. While guitarist Jim Cregan went on to join the equally underappreciated UK group Family (who also counted Blind Faith’s Ric Grech amongst its ranks), second Blossom git “Little” Brian Godding and bassist “Big” Brian Belshaw still remained tight, temporarily backing up UK folk chanteuse Julie Driscoll for her 1970 tour. The duo continued to casually jam together after the Driscoll gigs, eventually bringing former Toes drummer Kevin Westlake back into the mix. They rechristened themselves B.B. Blunder, picked up on the heavier, more California-inspired sound the Toes left off on with their 1969 swan song, If Only for a Moment, and took it to new creative heights on their single album, 1971’s Worker’s Playtime.
Recorded at Olympic Studios at the same time that the Stones were laying down Sticky Fingers (Godding claims that Mick Jagger even lent the band a right-handed guitar for the album sessions), Playtime was looser and more AOR-oriented than the Blossom Toes material, featuring guest spots from the likes of Driscoll, electric piano guru Brian Auger, and Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. The songs B.B. Blunder were creating signified a sonic evolution similar to that of the way the Faces emerged from the Small Faces, or the Pretty Things circa Freeway Madness, with one foot in their British rock roots and the other pointing towards the sounds of the Los Angeles canyons, resulting in a warm, freewheeling sound effectively symbolic of the times while signifying something more progressive altogether. At the same time, songs like “Research”, “Seed”, and “Rise” were quintessential ‘71, and would certainly not sound out of place during a WNEW rock block alongside Bowie’s “Queen Bitch” and “Under My Wheels” by Alice Cooper.
In continuation of their reissue campaign focusing on the Blossom Toes catalog, it is only right and natural that Sunbeam Records gives Worker’s Playtime a long overdue makeover. The 2009 version of Worker’s Playtime is a vast upgrade to the tepid 1989 reissue on the Decal label, which retitled the album New Day after one of its key tracks (and one which features slide guitar from Mick Taylor, according to Godding) and rechristened the group Blossom Toes ’70 with the disclaimer “formerly B.B. Blunder” in parentheses. In addition to restoring the album’s original artwork, which parodied the BBC listings guide Radio Times, and accompanying it with assorted visual empherea from the time and newly penned liner notes from Godding and London writer Richard Morton Jack, this updated Playtime also features a killer bonus disc of previously unreleased material. And to be honest with you, the rarities are, quite arguably, much better than what was cleared for the official release. This is particularly true of the bundle of acoustic-based tracks, notably the Roy Harper-esque “When I Was in the Country” and a drastic acid-folk retooling of the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night”, not to mention the kaleidoscopic, eight-minute electric instrumental jam “Earache” and the Grateful Dead-cum-Grand Funk inspired earth shaker “Waltz”.
Though B.B. Blunder were over before they could begin, breaking up only a year after forming, this singular gem of an album they left in its wake remains one of the great buried treasures of this most robust and creative time for progressive rock music. And thanks to this most definitive version courtesy of Sunbeam, now is a better time than any to discover Worker’s Playtime. For further research on this closet classic, check out this great interview with Brian Godding conducted by Bill Whitten and James Beaudreau of the New York City rock band Grand Mal on the New York Night Train Web site.
by Ron Hart
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Sticky Living! - 6:33
2. You’re So Young - 5:26
3. Lost Horizons (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 2:06
4. Research (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 4:34
5. Rocky Yagbag (Kevin Westlake) - 3:59
6. Seed - 5:28
7. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 3:32
8. Rise - 5:04
9. Moondance (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 1:23
10.New Day - 4:40
All compositions by Brian Godding except where indicated
Disc 2
1. Backstreet (Brian Godding) - 3:55
2. Freedom (Brian Belshaw) - 5:42
3. Black Crow's Nest (Kevin Westlake) - 3:30
4. When I Was In The Country (Kevin Westlake) - 4:43
5. A Hard Day's Night (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 4:21
6. Come On Eyes (Kevin Westlake) - 7:17
7. Snippet With Tippett (Keith Tippett) - 0:25
8. Square Dance (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 5:38
9. Earache (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 8:05
10.Robots (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 4:58
11.Waltz (Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw, Kevin Westlake) - 6:02
The B.B.Blunder
*Brian Godding - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*Kevin Westlake - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Drums
*Brian Belshaw - Vocals With
*Julie Driscoll - Vocals
*Marc Charig - Trumpet
*Nick Evans - Trombone
*Chris Kimsey - Piano
*Keith Tippett - Piano
*Barry Jenkins - Piano
*Mick Taylor - Bass
*Brian Auger - Piano
Franki Cruzi, Bubs McKeg, Norman Nardini, Robbie Johns formed the band Diamond Reo in 1974. Bubs and Cruzi had been band mates in an earlier band called the Igniters that had release a single on Atlantic records in 1968. When the Igniters broke up in 1970 Bubs joined the Navy and Frankie Cruzi joined the Jaggerz. Fresh from his Navy gig in 1974 Bugs was ready to rock again. Working with producer Tom Cossie Diamond Reo recorded a demo tape at East Liberty's Red Fox Studio and sent it off to Atlantic Records. The Atlantic subsidiary Big Tree Records released Diamond Reo’s first album “Diamond Reo” in 1975. Scoring a top 40 hit with a version of the Marvin Gaye song, "Ain't That Peculiar" the band launched a national tour. They appeared on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" and performed with Kiss, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Frank Zappa, Kansas, Ian Hunter, Blue Oyster Cult, and Canned Heat.
Adding guitarist Warren King to the band Diamond Reo released the "Dirty Diamonds" album in 1976 on Kama Sutra. Nardini, Czuri, and Warren King, co-wrote most of the music on that release. Diamond Rio recorded their last album "Ruff Cuts" on the Piccadilly label in 1978. The group disbanded later 1978 as punk and new wave were emerging.
Frank Czuri in 1979 joined with Warren King, drummer Ron "Byrd" Foster from the Igniters, bass guitarist Mike Pela, and keyboard player Dennis Takos to form the Silencers. Working with producer Tom Cossie, the released two album releases on the CBS Precision label. Norm Nardini formed his own band “Norm Nardini and the Tigers” and landed a deal with CBS Records.
Tracks
1. All Over You - 3:55
2. It Ain't What You Do It's What You Do - 3:20
3. Scratch My Back - 4:28
4. Mamma Let Your Love - 4:25
5. It's A Jungle Out There (Norman Nardini, Frank Zuri, Rob Jones) - 3:11
6. Lover Boy - 3:47
7. Power (Wes King, Norman Nardini, Frank Zuri, Rob Jones) - 4:37
8. Bad News (Wes King, Norman Nardini, Frank Zuri, Rob Jones) - 3:32
9. Boys Will Be Boys - 3:50
10.Helter Skelter (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:33
All songs by Norman Nardini, Frank Zuri except where noted
The Diamond Reo
*Norman Nardini - Vocals, Bass
*Warren King - Guitars
*Frank Zuri - Keyboards
*Rob Jones - Drums
Every year it seems that more archive material is unearthed from Soft Machine, the legendary British group that began life in Dadaist psychedelia, but wound down as a powerhouse, chops-centric, fusion outfit at the end of the 1970s, with stops in more complex writing and free jazz territory along the way. As influenced by minimalist composers such as Terry Riley as it was by trumpeter Miles Davis' electric jazz proclivities, the majority of live material issued during the noughties has focused on the classic lineup of the early 1970s, surrounding the group's Third (Sony, 1970) and Fourth (Sony, 1971). Live recordings have been found from other incarnations, but what makes the CD/DVD combo of NDR Jazz Workshop: Hamburg, Germany May 17, 1973 so important is its first-ever live documentation the quartet responsible for Seven (Sony, 1973).
When bassist Hugh Hopper left the group after the double-LP set (one live, one studio) Six (Sony, 1973), the group came increasingly under the influence of keyboardist/reed man Karl Jenkins—who had replaced another "classic" alum, saxophonist/pianist Elton Dean following Fifth (Sony, 1972). Jenkins, himself an alum of another early British fusion outfit, Nucleus, brought a more riff-driven approach to the writing, in contrast to founding keyboardist (and only remaining original member) Mike Ratledge's denser, more idiosyncratically arranged compositions. Drummer John Marshall—another Nucleus recruit who replaced founding drummer Robert Wyatt after a brief dalliance with Australian drummer Phil Howard on the early sessions for Fifth—brought greater virtuosity to the group, making its gradual move to fusion powerhouse nearly complete. But it was Hopper's replacement—the more rhythm section-focused, six-string bassist Roy Babbington—who in many ways positioned Soft Machine for its most successful and impressive post-"classic lineup" disc, the guitar-heavy Bundles (Harvest, 1975), featuring a relatively young and unknown Allan Holdsworth.
Recorded a month before sessions for Seven began, the majority of NDR Jazz Workshop's material is culled from Six, but what differentiates this set from others featuring Jenkins—such as Softstage: BBC In Concert 1972 (Hux, 2005)—is the inclusion of all the material from Six's studio disc, where each member wrote a track (in the case of the fiery "Stanley Stamp's Gibbon Album," a collaboration between Marshall and Ratledge).
What's perhaps most notable about this particular incarnation of Soft Machine at this particular moment in time is that free improvisations were still a part of the picture, largely used as transitional segues between composed pieces. "Link 1" and "2"—edited together on the CD. As the only existing live documentation of this particular incarnation of the ever-changing Soft Machine (no two albums featured the exact same lineup), NDR Jazz Workshop: Hamburg, Germany May 17, 1973 would be an important enough find. Most significant, however, is that it more clearly positions a line-up often considered, based on Seven, as nothing more than the transitional and, perhaps, incomplete group that only truly found itself again with the recruitment of Holdsworth for Bundles. While the majority of NDR Jazz Workshop does, certainly, feature a larger, guitar-heavy setting that foreshadows what was to come, the opening set that features the quartet alone makes clear that this was, indeed, a version of Soft Machine with its own strengths and inimitable charm.
by John Kelman
Tracks
1. Fanfare (Karl Jenkins) - 0:47
2. All White (Mike Ratledge) - 3:37
3. Link 1/Link2 (Roy Babbington, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge) - 5:04
4. 37 1/2 (Mike Ratledge) - 6:31
5. Link 3 (Roy Babbington, Gary Boyle, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge, Art Themen) - 0:46
6. Riff (Karl Jenkins) - 3:50
7. Down The Road (Karl Jenkins) - 10:41
8. Link 3a (Roy Babbington, Gary Boyle, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge, Art Themen) - 1:00
9. Stanley Stamp's Gibbon Album (Mike Ratledge) - 4:46
10.Chloe And The Pirates (Mike Ratledge) - 8:33
11.Gesolreut (Mike Ratledge) - 11:48
12.E.P.V. (Karl Jenkins) - 3:33
13.Link 4 (Roy Babbington, Gary Boyle, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge, Art Themen) - 3:37
14.Stumble (Karl Jenkins) - 6:55
15.One Across (John Marshall) - 6:09
16.Riff II (Karl Jenkins) - 1:08
The Soft Machine
*Roy Babbington - Bass
*Karl Jenkins - Oboe, Soprano, Tenor Saxophone, Recorded Piano, Electric Piano, Piano
*John Marshall - Drums
*Mike Ratledge - Electric Piano, Organ
*Gary Boyle - Guitar (Tracks 7-16)
*Art Themen – Soprano, Tenor Saxophones (Tracks 7-16)
We're shallow enough to admit the weird cover is what initially attracted our attention to this obscure LP ... there was just something odd about seeing four "hip" looking guys standing in a wheat field in front of an ancient windmill.
First off, we'll tell you numerous critics have slagged the album as being ordinary and unimaginative. We'll take issue with them and tell you it's actually an overlooked minor classic. Featuring the talents of singer Steve Bailey, bassist Ron Bending, drummer Terry Sims and guitarist Bob Weston, Ashkan made their recording debut with 1969's "In from the Cold"
In the UK the set was the first released by Decca's newly established progressive-oriented Neon label. In the States it saw a release on London's Sire subsidiary. Co-produced by Peter Sherter and Ian Sippin, to our ears much of the album bares an uncanny resemblance to early Spooky Tooth. Propelled by Bailey's hoarse growl and the band's penchant for screaming guitars, the comparison was reinforced on tracks such as "Going Home", "Take These Chains" and "Out of Us Two".
Elsewhere Bailey's growl sounded like Joe Cocker on "Practically Never Happens", while Bob Weston's "Slightly Country" sounded like it was stolen from the early Steve Winwood and Traffic catalog. With the exception of the pedestrian blues number "Backlash Blues" the entire album including the extended "Darkness" was worth hearing.
Weston became somewhat of a musical journeyman, briefly reappearing as a member of Savoy Brown, followed by a brief stint in Fleetwood Mac where he was fired after the rest of the band discovered he was having an affair with Mick Fleetwood's wife. In the late-'70s he did a tour of duty with Howard Werth and the Moonbeams (see separate entries).
Tracks
1. Going Home (Steve Bailey, Bob Weston) - 6:35
2. Take These Chains (Bob Weston) - 4:47
3. Stop (Wait and Listen) (Steve Bailey, Bob Weston) - 5:53
4. Backlash Blues (Nina Simone, Langston Hughes) - 7:48
5. Practically Never Happens (Steve Bailey, Bob Weston, Ron Bending, Terry Sims) - 6:00
6. One of Us Two (Steve Bailey, Bob Weston, Ron Bending, Terry Sims) - 5:46
7. Slightly Country (Bob Weston) - 2:57
8. Darkness (Steve Bailey, Bob Weston) - 12:10
"Mostrocker" Gerhard Egger and drummer H. J. Holz met in a student session in Linz and startet their Beatband with a stylemixing flower-power sound. The singles were on heavy rotation on the Austrian Hit-Radio Ö3 and the song "Jesus said" entered the Top 3 in the Austrian Discparade. The Art Boys recorded there one and only album "stoned wall" in 1971/72. During the recording they changed the sound to a stylemixing progressiv rock. Organ player Walter Holz got problems with journalists from the Austrian Radio Broadcasting and the band was banned by them.
Gerhard Egger left the band and Hubert Perfahl came as his follower. Before he quit, Egger finished the recording of the album "Stoned Wall" as songwriter, singer and guitarplayer. The Art Boys continued and played opening stages for Golden Earring and Deep Purple. The band finally disbanded and 1972 and stopped playing live in 1975.
After fourty years Gerhard Egger and H. J. Holz discuss a reunion to record a second album with songs, Egger had written for the band in 1972.
Tracks
1. Freedom, Voice Of My Soul - 3:10
2. Stoned Wall - 4:38
3. Roll Engine Roll - 3:50
4. Flying Machine - 4:10
5. Love - 3:45
6. All My Life (Hans Joachim Holz) - 2:05
7. I'm Riding On An Arrow - 3:15
8. Wait For The Days - 3:30
9. Happy Woman - 3:18
10.Station Nowhere - 4:27
11.In A Foreign Country (Hans Joachim Holz) - 2:27
12.Jesus Said - 3:00
13.Lemon Tree - 2:35
14.A Walk In The Rain - 3:00
15.Life Is A Dream - 3:06
16.United Blues Generation - 3:20
All songs by Gerhard Egger except where stated
The Art Boys Collection
*Gerhard Egger (Mostrocker) - Vocal, Guitar, (1969-1972)
*Hans Joachim Holz - Vocal, Drums
*Walter Holz - Organ
*Gerhard Bauer - Vocal, Guitar
*Hans Aigner - Bass
*Hubert Perfahl - Guitar (1972-1975)
Although this 21-track compilation is credited to the 23rd Turnoff, in fact it's a combination of recordings by the Kirkbys, the mid-'60s Merseybeat group led by Jimmy Campbell, and the 23rd Turnoff, the more psychedelic band they evolved into in 1967. It reveals Campbell as perhaps the most unheralded talent to come out of the Liverpool '60s rock scene, as he was a songwriter capable of both spinning out engaging Merseybeat and -- unlike almost every other artist from the city, with the notable exception of the Beatles -- making the transition to quality, dreamy psychedelia. Both sides of all three of the Kirkbys' 1965-1966 singles are here, as well as a bunch of unreleased recordings and outtakes by the group, all written or co-written by Campbell.
While there's no obvious hit among them, they're catchy, Beatles-influenced tracks, showing some folk-rock and Revolver influence on the later efforts. The 23rd Turnoff material (much of it previously unissued) is more adventurous, though still retaining Campbell's knack for solid vocal harmony-driven melodies, with "Flowers Are Flowering" sounding very much like Roger McGuinn singing something off Revolver. "Michael Angelo," the A-side of the sole 23rd Turnoff single, is certainly the highlight, and indeed a highlight of 1967 British psychedelia as a whole in its hazy bittersweet swirl; you also get not one, but two unreleased studio versions of the same tune as well.
It seems as if Campbell needed just a bit more encouragement, and his groups just a little more studio time, to develop into a notable British psychedelic group that could combine solid pop melodies, sophisticated lyrics and arrangements, and touches of English whimsy. Unfortunately they didn't get that chance, but what's here is satisfying on its own terms, bolstered by thorough liner notes explaining the complicated Campbell/Kirkbys/23rd Turnoff saga.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. 'Cos My Baby's Gone (J.J. Campbell, John Lloyd, Joe Marooth, Alby Power, Mervyn Sharpe) - 2:15
2. Don't You Want Me No More (J.J. Campbell, John Lloyd, Joe Marooth, Alby Power, Mervyn Sharpe) - 2:27
3. Don't You Want Me No More (J.J. Campbell, John Lloyd, Joe Marooth, Alby Power, Mervyn Sharpe) - 2:13
4 .She'll Get No Lovin' That Way (John Lloyd) - 2:10
5. Bless You (Single Version) (J.J. Campbell, Joe Marooth, John Lloyd, Alby Power, Mervyn Sharpe) - 1:55
6. Bless You (J.J. Campbell, Joe Marooth, John Lloyd, Alby Power, Mervyn Sharpe) - 1:54 7. It's a Crime - 2:15 8. I've Never Been So Much in Love - 2:14 9. Dreaming - 2:29 10.Flowers Are Flowering - 3:19 11.(Not) A Penny in My Pocket - 2:34 12.I'll Be 'Round - 2:34 13.Michaelangelo - 2:09 14.Another Vincent Van Gogh - 2:19 15.Mother's Boy - 2:18 16.I'll Be with You - 2:23 17.You Sing Your Own Song - 2:15 18.Michaelangelo - 2:17 19.(Not) A Penny in My Pocket - 2:14 20.Leave Me Here - 2:55 21.Michael Angelo - 2:24 All songs by Jimmy Campbell except where indicated Tracks 1-8 as The Kirkbys Tracks 9-21 as The 23rd Turnoff
Approximately two years after the breakup of Patto, Mike Patto and Ollie Halsall reunited in 1975 to form Boxer along with Keith Ellis on bass (Van Der Graaf Generator, Juicy Lucy, Spooky Tooth, et al.) and Tony Newman on drums (Sounds Inc., Jeff Beck Group, Kevin Ayers, et al.).
Keith and Mike were in Spooky Tooth together. Mike left that band after a year and began working as a promotions man for Good Ear Records, owned by Mike's manager, Nigel Thomas. Nigel would also become Boxer's manager and give them their name. Ollie and Tony were playing together touring with Kevin Ayers, and when the touring stopped they got Mike to quit the record biz and form a new band.
This time the music Mike and Ollie brought to the table was straight-ahead rock that reflected little of their Patto past, except for possibly some of the songs on the unreleased Monkey's Bum album.
The band released it's first album, "Below The Belt", in 1975. "All The Time In The World" was released as a single with a great non-LP B-side titled "Don't Wait". They recorded a great second album called "Bloodletting" that would for some reason not be released until 1979.
Very little of the Boxer story seems to be documented, especially about the breakup of the original lineup. Sometime in late 1976, Halsall is said to have quit the band. But somehow Boxer's management ended up in possession of the band's equipment, including Ollie's guitars (as late as 1981, Ollie still didn't own an electric guitar of his own). This is just hearsay, but the story is that the band was very deep in debt with Nigel Thomas, and he held on to all their equipment. Then Nigel's company was liquidated, and Ollie's guitars were likely auctioned off by the official receivers. Where is Ollie's white Gibson Custom SG now?
Mike put together a new lineup of the band to record one more Boxer album in 1977 called "Absolutely". The new lineup band consisted of Mike, Chris Stainton on keyboards, Tim Bogert on bass/vocals, Adrian Fisher on guitar, and Eddie Tuduri on drums. The album is not as raw and rocking as the first albums, but there are some fine moments of musicianship and songwriting on this album. The Randy Newman-esque song "Everybody's A Star" was released as a single. This album would be Mike's final release before passing away in 1979 with lymphatic leukemia (cancer of lymph glands).
They did some BBC sessions, and their tours, at least for the original lineup, were critically acclaimed. Their first LP cover did get them some attention through controversy. Many seem to remember their first album cover, even if they never did heard the contents. But, as is typical of the Patto story, Boxer did not achieve a great deal of attention or success.
"Below The Belt" established that Boxer would be a straight-ahead rock band. Ollie and Mike were writing together again, but the new music did not hark back to the days of Patto (you may notice that "Shooting Star" has a chord progression that was also used in "Time To Die" on Patto's first album, though).
According to the host for the BBC session the band did prior to the album's release, it was originally going to be titled "Round 1" or "Round One".
Their first album was produced and engineered by Richard Digby-Smith, an engineer for Patto's "Hold Your Fire" and "Roll 'Em Smoke 'Em..." albums. Overall, the production gives the band a good, full sound, but as with many bands, it's been said that the album failed to capture their impressive live sound.
All of the band's members were great players, but showcasing of their soloing capabilities was kept to a minimum, which shows that Mike and Ollie were more focused on the songwriting than the extended guitar/keyboard solos that were typical of the early to mid-seventies. In fact, the "All The Time In The World" single does not feature any soloing at all.
For the guitar fans, there is still plenty of great guitar from Ollie. The slide work in "California Calling", the tasteful solo in "More Than Meets The Eye", the volume/echo bits in "Gonna Work Out Fine", and Ollie singing along with his guitar on "Save Me" are a few of the moments that come to mind
The album contains some great tunes. "California Calling", "More Than Meets The Eye", "Waiting For A Miracle", and "Save Me" are my personal favorites. "Waiting For A Miracle" is a great remake of Ollie's tune from the Tempest "Living In Fear" album (1974). "Town Drunk" is a slow, bluesy tune that features a great vocal from Mike -- it was written by Terry Stamp and Jim Avery for Terry's "Fatsticks" album (1975), on which both Ollie and Tony Newman played..
Unfortunately, the album cover received more attention than the music. It featured a model named Stephanie Mariann. The first pressings of the album had a full-frontal nude photo on the back cover, which caused the jacket to be banned. The cover was redone covering her lower private bits with a Boxer logo. The original uncensored covers are supposed to be quite rare. Of course, in the United States, they wouldn't allow even her breasts to be shown, so they completely redid the cover using the band photo from the inside of the UK gatefold cover.
Tracks
1. Shooting Star (Mike Patto, Ollie Halsall) - 3:59
2. All The Time In The World (Ollie Halsall) - 4:27
3. California Calling (Mike Patto, Ollie Halsall) - 4:45
4. Hip Kiss (Mike Patto, Ollie Halsall, Keith Ellis, Tony Newman) - 2:58
5. More Than Meets The Eye (Mike Patto) - 5:25
6. Waiting For A Miracle (Ollie Halsall) - 5:06
7. Loony Ali (Mike Patto, Ollie Halsalll) - 3:58
8. Save Me (Mike Patto) - 3:36
9. Gonna Work Out Fin (Mike Patto, Ollie Halsall) - 5:57
10.Town Drunk (Terry Stamp, Jim Avery) - 5:17
11.Don't Wait (Single B-Side) (Mike Patto, Ollie Halsall) - 3:14
Masters of Deceit were an Indianapolis band that had its only release, “Hensley’s Electric Jazz Band & Synthetic Symphonette” on the highbrow east coast major label Vanguard Records.
Led by keyboardist Tom Hensley, who also handled most of the vocals, the band also included Steve Blum on guitar, Gary Campbell, bass and vocals, and Stan Gage on drums. I believe the record was recorded in NYC.
Soon afterwards, Hensley relocated to Los Angeles and became a successful session keyboardist, playing with many big names, including Neil Diamond, Helen Reddy, Cher, David Cassidy, The Carpenters–to name but a few.
The Masters of Deceit LP is relatively obscure today. Original LP copies can be found for less than $50 but are not common.
Musically, Masters of Deceit occupy an end of 60’s/beginning of 70’s transitional niche, drawing from psychedelia, jazz-rock and progressive rock. If you’re a fan of such genres, you’ll likely find a lot to like here.
Elephant's Memory have been taping appearances on the Mike Douglas Show this week in Philadelphia, where the nationally syndicated TV show originates. The group did not appear as themselves, but with John & Yoko's Plastic Ono Band. The appearances are part of five shows that John Lennon and Yoko Ono are cohosting, to be aired in early February.
Elephant's main songwriter Reek Havoc said that although "Elephant's Memory has been politically active, basically it's the rock & roll that brought us together." Jerry Rubin, a percussionist in the Plastic Ono Band, played a tape of Elephant's Memory for John and Yoko and they liked it so much they decided they didn't really need to bring in their friends from all across the globe. The group rehearsed together at Magnagraphics Recording studio and also at Max's Kansas City, where Elephant's Memory recently played two long weekends.
Elephant's Memory plans to remain independent and perform and record both with and without the Plastic Ono Band. Other members of the Elephants Memory Besides Havoc are: Stan Bronstein, vocals and sax; Wayne Gabriel, guitar; Gary Von Scyoc, bass; and Adam Ippolitto, keyboards.
Lennon said, when asked about the team-up, "It's more like Bob Dylan with the Band than Paul and Wings." Which seems true enough because the Band were already together (in fact they had toured and recorded together for years) and have remained together after their Dylan touring, a totally independent group.
Plastic Ono Band personnel like Phil Spector and Jim Keltner have already sat in with the new group, and others will join later.
Other appearances besides the Mike Douglas Show are planned by the groups, but have not yet been scheduled.
This whole team-up is very significant because it is the first time Lennon has actually rehearsed original material with a rock & roll band for live appearances since the beginning of the Beatles.
And they're terrific. I caught some rehearsing and one (so far) Douglas taping, and it's really good to see John rocking again. It's also very good to see Yoko rocking, singing her own material- the jazz and some rock & roll songs. But, best of all, it's really good to see Elephants Memory rock & roll- any time, any place. The group has been playing different kinds of rock for four years, dating back to their "bubblegum" days with Buddah Records when they did the music for Midnight Cowboy, and had a couple of hit records. After recovering from various run-ins with businessmen and music industry people who didn't want them to get any money, they played benefits and free concerts around New York and built up a large local following. A hit single, "Mongoose," with Metromedia Records, and then an album, Take It To The Streets. But Metromedia took them nowhere, so they left that low-energy label, and will soon enough announce their future recording plans. Meanwhile, people all around the country have become familiar with such Elephant's Memory songs as "Power To The People," "Skyscraper Commando," "Power Boogie" and "Liberation Special." Plus the less directly political, but just as rockin' "Black Sheep Blues," "42 Down The Line," "Life" and "Damn."
If you're talking about rock & roll, you're talking about Elephant's Memory. And if you're talking about radical musicians, you're talking about Elephant's Memory. Especially, if you're talking about the right combination of the two, you're talking about Elephant's Memory. That's why John Lennon, Yoko Ono, the Plastic Ono Band, and many others have flipped out, and that's why people everywhere, as soon as they get a chance to see the group, will flip out.
by Toby Mamis
Tracks
1. Liberation Special (Rick Frank, Stan Bronstein) - 5:29
2. Baddest Of The Mean (Elephants Memory) - 8:40
3. Crying Blacksheep Blues (D. Price, Rick Frank, Stan Bronstein) - 4:26
4. Chuck'N Bo (Elephant's Memory) - 4:31
5. Gypsy Wolf (Rick Frank, Stan Bronstein) - 4:07
6. Madness (Adam Ippolito, Rick Frank, Stan Bronstein) - 3:17
7. Life (Wayne "Tex" Gabriel) - 3:18
8. Wind Ridge (Gary Van Scyoc) - 3:22
9. Power Boogie (Chris Robison, Rick Frank, Stan Bronstein) - 3:52
10.Local Plastic Ono Band (Rick Frank) - 2:09
The Elephants Memory
*Gary Van Scyoc - Bass, Vocals
*Rick Frank - Drums, Vocals, Percussion
*Wayne "Tex" Gabriel - Guitar, Vocals
*Adam Ippolito - Keyboards, Vocals
*Stan Bronstein - Saxophone, Vocals With
*John Lennon - Vocals, Piano, Percussion, Guitar
*Yoko Ono - Vocals
