Spooky Two is this British blues-rock band's pièce de résistance. All eight of the tracks compound free-styled rock and loose-fitting guitar playing, resulting in some fantastic raw music. With Gary Wright on keyboards and vocals and lead singer Mike Harrison behind the microphone, their smooth, relaxed tempos and riffs mirrored bands like Savoy Brown and, at times, even the Yardbirds.
With some emphasis on keyboards, songs like "Lost in My Dream" and the nine-minute masterpiece "Evil Woman" present a cool, nonchalant air that grooves and slides along perfectly. "I've Got Enough Heartache" whines and grieves with some sharp bass playing from Greg Ridley, while "Better by You, Better Than Me" is the catchiest of the songs, with its clinging hooks and desperate-sounding chorus.
The last song, "Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree," is a splendid example of the bandmembers' ability to play off of one another, mixing soulful lyrics with downtrodden instrumentation to conjure up the perfect melancholia. Although Spooky Tooth lasted about seven years, their other albums never really contained the same passion or talented collaborating by each individual musician as Spooky Two.
by Mike DeGagne
Tracks
1. Waitin' for the Wind (Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison, Gary Wright) - 3:45
2. Feelin' Bad (Mike Kellie, Gary Wright) - 3:24
3. I've Got Enough Heartache (Mike Kellie, Gary Wright) - 3:29
4. Evil Woman (Larry Weiss) - 9:07
5. Lost in My Dream (Gary Wright) - 5:06
6. That Was Only Yesterday (Gary Wright) - 3:58
7. Better by You, Better Than Me (Gary Wright) - 3:42
8. Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree (Gary Wright) - 5:47
9. The Weight (Robbie Robertson) - 3:09
10.Do Right People (Gary Wright) - 4:45
11.That Was Only Yesterday (Gary Wright) - 3:53
12.Oh! Pretty Woman (Andrew Charles Williams Jr.) - 3:29
13.Waitin' for the Wind (Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison, Gary Wright) - 3:30
14.Feelin' Bad (Mike Kellie) - 3:19
15.The Weight (Robbie Robertson) - 3:14
Original Album Tracks 1-8
Bonus Tracks 9-15
Repertoire 2005 Bonus Tracks
9. That Was Only Yesterday (Gary Wright) - 3:51
10.Oh! Pretty Woman (Andrew Charles Williams Jr.) - 3:27
11.Waitin' for the Wind (Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison, Gary Wright) - 3:28
12.Feelin' Bad (Mike Kellie) - 3:18
Spooky Tooth were one of Island Records' finest acts, yet never quite scaled the upper echelons of the late 60's / early 70's rock hierarchy. Always a band much loved by writers and fellow musicians, they lacked the commercial sucker punch that would've catapulted them to the toppermost of the poppermost. It didn't stop them making some corking records, however.
The Spooky Tooth story (for those of us who are into this sort of thing), if you want to wax analytical about it, provides the perfect paradigm of how various members of disparate 60's British Beat bands pooled their musical resources and mutated into a psychedelic / progressive outfit.
The story begins in summer 1963, in Carlisle and Aspatria, in Cumberland, in the far North-West of England. Jimmy Henshaw (guitar, keyboards), Walter Johnstone (drums), Frank Kenyan (guitar) and former export clerk Mike Harrison (vocals) formed a beat combo, and dubbed themselves The VIPs. Johnston and Kenyan had previously been in The Teenagers; not long after forming the band, The VIPs added Greg Ridley on bass, who had previously lined up with Dino & The Danubes, and The Dakotas and The Ramrods, together with Harrison. They scored a record deal with RCA, who put out their debut single, "She's So Good" / "Don't Keep Shouting At Me" in 1964, both sides being penned by Henshaw. The single is a great slice of sneery Brit R&B, and is now an ultra-rare collector's favourite. From 1965 to 1966 the band were a top club attraction in London, and gigged regularly at the Star Club in Hamburg, garnering a sizeable cult following,
The original VIP's line-up recorded three more singles ("Wintertime" as The Vipps for CBS, plus "I Wanna Be Free" / "Don't Let It Go" and "Straight Down To The Bottom" / "In A Dream" for Island, produced by Island stalwart Guy Stevens) before disbanding. Henshaw, Johnstone and Kenyan were replaced by Luther Grosvenor (guitar), Mike Kellie (drums), and Keith Emerson (keyboards). Emerson had previously been a member of Gary Farr & The T-Bones; this variant of The VIPs gigged for only three months, before Emerson upped and formed The Nice, with Brian "Blinky" Davidson, Lee Jackson and Davy O'List. The remaining quartet changed their name from the by then somewhat anachronistic VIPs, to simply Art-Worcester-born Grosvenor had played guitar for The Hellians, whose 1964 single, "Daydreaming Of You", released on Pye subsidiary Piccadilly, was produced by maverick West Coast genius / madman /charlatan Kim Fowley. The Hellians, if I may digress still further, boasted the nascent talents of both Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi, who would, of course, go on to form Island mainstays Traffic with Steve Winwood, and a young Poli Palmer, who latterly rattled the Joanna for Family. The Hellians in turn mutated into Deep Feeling.
Mike Kellie, originally from Birmingham, had drummed for second city band Locomotive, who also featured sax and flute player Chris Wood, who joined Traffic in 1967. There. See how incestuous this little scene was? Anyway, Locomotive would go on to enjoy a UK Top 30 hit with the ska-rhythmed "Rudi's 1? Love" (unusually enough, the band were very heavily ska and bluebeat driven), and in 1969 put out the awesome latterday psychedelic gem "Mr. Armageddon".
Art cut one album, "Supernatural Fairy Tales", also produced by Guy Stevens (and also available on Edsel), released in 1967. Beautifully housed in a Hapshash And The Coloured Coat-designed sleeve, its original Island Records catalogue number was, ironically enough, ILP 967. Hapshash And The Coloured Coat released an album on Liberty, in which Art featured as backing band on several tracks.
Art's line-up was swelled by the addition of American Gary Wright in October 1967, which initiated a name change - Art became Spooky Tooth.
Spooky Tooth's full-length debut has a tone similar to Traffic with its psychedelic take on the influential pop and soul music of the '60s. A few cover tunes including Janis Ian's "Society's Child" and the Nashville Teens' "Tobacco Road" are included, but original songs like the soulful ballad "It Hurts You So" and "Bubbles" (with its Beach Boys sensibility) are the real standouts. The cheery, psychedelic "It's All About a Roundabout" is the catchiest number by far. On this dreamy cut, vocalist/keyboardist Gary Wright demonstrates some sharp melodic and compositional instincts.
Although Spooky Tooth eventually became better-known for their straightforward blues-rock, the trippy pop of It's All About counts as a career highlight for the group. Fans of late-'60s British rock are definitely advised to check out this impressive release.
by Jason Anderson
Tracks
1.Society's Child (Janis Ian) - 4:30
2.Love Really Changed Me (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller, Luther Grosvenor) - 3:34
3.Here I Lived So Well (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller, Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison) - 5:07
4.Too Much Of Nothing (Bob Dylan) - 3:57
5.Sunshine Help Me (Gary Wright) - 3:02
6.It's All About A Roundabout (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller) - 2:44
7.Tobacco Road (John D. Loudermilk) -5:34
8.It Hurts You So (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller) - 3:04
9.Forget It I Got It (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller) - 3:26
10.Bubbles (Gary Wright, Luther Grosvenor) - 2:49
11.The Weight (Stereo Version) (Robbie Robertson) - 3:14
12.Sunshine Help Me (Gary Wright) - 2:59
13.Weird (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller, Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison, Mike Kellie) - 3:59
14.Love Really Changed Me (Mono Version) (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller, Luther Grosvenor) - 2:59
15.Luger's Groove (Peter Luger) - 3:34
16.The Weight (Robbie Robertson) - 3:07
17.Do Right People (Gary Wright) - 4:44
18.Bubbles (Mono Version) (Gary Wright, Luther Grosvenor) - 2:44
Original Album Tracks 1-10
Bonus Tracks 11-18
SHM 2010 version Bonus Tracks list
11.Sunshine Help Me (Mono Single Version) (Gary Wright) - 3:00
12.Weird (Mono Single Version) (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller, Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison, Mike Kellie) - 4:01
13.Love Rally Changed Me (Mono Single Version) (Gary Wright, Jimmy Miller, Luther Grosvenor) - 3:01
14.Luger's Groove (Mono Single Version) (Peter Luger) - 3:35
15.Bubbles (Mono Single Version) (Gary Wright, Luther Grosvenor) - 2:43
The Spooky Tooth
*Gary Wright - Vocals, Organ, Keyboards
*Luther Grosvenor - Guitars
*Mike Harrison - Vocals, Keyboards, Harpsichord
*Mike Kellie - Drums And Percussion
*Greg Ridley - Bass, Guitar
The second Ronson album, Play Don't Worry (RCA APL 1-0681), recently released, is far better than last year's debut Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. The first album was excellent in parts, but Ronson seemed unsure of himself. The result was the inclusion of weak material and poor mixing of the vocals. Play, on the other hand, is a more assured and independent effort. Ronson had a hand in writing only four of the album's songs, but he is credited with all guitar and most vocal work and he tries his hand at bass, synthesizer, keyboards and drums. He handles all the material as wholeheartedly as if it were his own, In contrast to Slaughter, the production and mixing on the new album is almost faultless. Only on one occasion, a rendition of 'The Girl Can't Help It,' are the vocals lost in the mix. The printing of Ronson's pleasantly unsophisticated lyrics emphasizes their awkwardness, but they sound much better than they read.
Ronson's live role with the Spiders was that of lead guitarist, his tonal expertise combined with sheer volume produced some wonderfully frenetic guitar work. For the most part his playing is more subdued on his own records, but at times he releases all inhibition. His guitar wails through 'Angel No. 9' and he recalls his live work with 'White Light/White Heat.' Fast-fingered bassist Trevor Bolder and pianist Mike Garson recreate their Spider roles. Overzealous drummer Aynsley Dunbar sometimes borders on sloppiness, but adequate percussion work is supplied throughout the album by Paul Francis, Richie Dharma and Tony Newman.
The overall tone of the album is gentler than Slaughter or any of the work with Bowie. This is felt through two Ronson originals, that lead off side two, 'Play Don't Worry' and 'Hazy Days'. Laurie Heath's 'This is for You' is embellished by soothing multi tracked harmonies, and Sid Sax leads an ample string section through 'The Empty Bed.'
The original version of 'The Empty Bed,' 'Io Me Ne Andrei' was done by Italian crooner Claudio Baglioni. Ronson's English lyrics are not a literal translation, but the ultra-romantic sentiments are left intact. An Italian music/English lyric fusion, 'Music is Lethal,' was attempted on Slaughter on Tenth Avenue but it failed because the involved lyrics wee unsuited to the frail melody. 'The Empty Bed,' on the other hand, works perfectly. Ronson has become an assured vocalist, signing in his best saccharine tinged voice. His vocal proficiency allows him to handle the hard and the soft with equal finesse.
by Charles Bermant, March 9, 1975
Tracks
1. Billy Porter (Mick Ronson) - 3:34
2. Angel No. 9 (Craig Fuller) - 5:39
3. This Is For You (Laurie Heath) - 4:29
4. White Light/White Heat (Lou Reed) - 4:12
5. Play Don't Worry (Mick Ronson, Bob Sargeant) - 3:09
6. Hazy Days (Mick Ronson) - 4:29
7. Girl Can't Help It (Bobby Troup) - 2:59
8. Empty Bed (Io Me Ne Andrei) (Claudio Baglioni, Antonio Coggio, Mick Ronson) - 5:15
9. Woman (Adam Taylor) - 3:33
10.Seven Days (Original B Side) (Annette Peacock) - 2:42
11.Stone Love (Soul Love) (David Bowie) - 3:30
12.I'd Rather Be Me (Mick Ronson) - 4:55
13.Life Οn Mars? (Roscoe West) - 4:17
14.Pain Ιn Τhe City (Mick Ronson) - 3:48
15.Dogs (French Girl) (Mick Ronson) - 3:52
16.Seven Days (Alternate Take) (Annette Peacock) - 6:04
17.28 Days Jam (Mick Ronson) - 6:26
18.Woman (Alternate Take) (Adam Taylor) - 3:31
Bonus Tracks 10-18
Upon first listen, one could be forgiven for thinking this was a David Bowie album. After all, Mick Ronson was fresh off his tenure as guitarist for the Spiders From Mars, having worked with Bowie for about four years. Add to that the fact that the lineup of musicians on this album was the exact same used by Bowie on his 1973 covers album, Pin-Ups, and the lines begin to blur even more.
This was not the case, though. By 1974, the Spiders were no more, Bowie having dismissed the entire band to begin work on his album Diamond Dogs. Mick Ronson, however, decided to continue with the band for his debut solo album, while taking on lead vocals himself. The resulting album, Slaughter on 10th Avenue, was a very worthy debut album from one of rock’s finest guitar players and musical arrangers.
Let’s get one fact out of the way first; while not contributing directly to the recordings, Bowie was actually involved in a couple songs. “Growing Up and I’m Fine” was written solely by Bowie for this album. The linked tracks of “Pleasure Man/Hey Ma Get Papa” bear the Bowie stamp musically, with the writing of the second half of the two songs being co-credited to him. Finally, the song “Music Is Lethal” was Bowie’s translation of an Italian song, and contain lyrics that were typical of his songs at the time.
All this makes it seem as if Ronson was trying to emulate Bowie, rather than establishing himself as a solo artist in his own right. Ronson openly admitted to not being comfortable as a frontman, and in some corners it was said that he was pressured into the situation.
However, when it comes down to it, the album itself is genuinely good. There is no denying Ronson’s talent, both as a guitarist and musical arranger, and this album finally lets him shine on his own. His vocals, while not as strong as (though very similar to) Bowie’s, still manage to convey the emotion of each song as necessary, especially during the second half of the song “I’m The One”, itself being a cover of an Annette Peacock song.
More than anything, though, the album gives him a chance to really highlight his guitar prowess, especially on the instrumental title track, which itself was an adaptation of the music from the ballet of the same name. Meanwhile, straightforward rocker “Only After Dark” would go on to be covered by The Human League, while “Pleasure Man” is highly reminiscent of Bowie’s song “Aladdin Sane” in tempo and off-kilter piano.
Released the same year (and roughly around the same time) as Diamond Dogs, the album was destined to not do as much business except to those who knew Ronson from his days with Bowie. Those who discovered it though, both then and now, were rewarded with an album that was extremely varied and eclectic without being overreaching, an album by an amazing guitarist that was crafted to not just focus on the guitar. As one of the best known guitarists of the 70s up to present day, it would’ve been easy to just make an album of straight up rock filled with riffs. Ronson instead chose to craft a different sort of album that could highlight all his talents, allowing him to step out of the shadows and show what he truly was capable of. If you have not heard this album yet, I highly recommend you seek it out. From straight rock to glam to torch-style songs to a guitar version of a ballet song, there’s something on here for everyone, and 40 years (!) later, it stands up as one of the most unusual, but rewarding, albums ever made…even for non-Bowie fans.
by Joe Jamnitzky
Tracks
1. Love Me Tender (Ken Darby) - 4:42
2. Growing Up and I'm Fine (David Bowie) - 3:12
3. Only After Dark (Mick Ronson, Scott Richardson) - 3:31
4. Music Is Lethal (David Bowie, Lucio Battisti) - 5:11
5. I'm the One (Annette Peacock) - 5:06
6. Pleasure Man/Hey Ma Get Papa (Mick Ronson, Scott Richardson, David Bowie) - 8:52
7. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (Richard Rodgers) - 4:38
8. Solo On 10th Avenue (Richard Rodgers) - 2:07
9. Leave My Heart Alone (Craig Fuller) - 4:32
10.Love Me Tender (Ken Darby) - 4:43
11.Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (Richard Rodgers) - 4:35
Bonus Tracks Live recordings 8-11 Musicians
*Mick Ronson - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Trevor Bolder - Bass, Trumpet, Trombone
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums, Percussion
*Mike Garson - Piano, Electric Piano, Organ
*David Hentschel - Synthesizer
*Margaret Ronson - Backing Vocals
*Dennis Mackay - Backing Vocals
*Sidney Sax - Strings
1976's Night Man was a worthy successor to the band's debut album. By this time, the USA was starting to take notice of this brash, enthusiastic and exciting young hard rock band and, on the strength of the Night Man album, shows were booked in America. A selection of tracks from this trip are included here, along with a single b-side and two US re-recordings of tracks from the Dirty Tricks debut album.
Dirty Tricks became one of rocks hardest working and most highly regarded acts, and it was in the live arena that they really shone. The vocals of Kenny Stewart, the guitar work of soon-to-be Rogue Male Johnny Fraser-Binnie and the rhythm section of bassist Terry Horbury and drummer John Lee played hard and aimed high…as the bonus tracks on this release ably show.
It's doubtful many folks have ever heard the British band Sammy - I certainly hadn't which was kind of surprising given the band's impressive pedigree. Drummer Mick Underwood was apparently the band's driving force, with the line up rounded out by a collection of rock veterans including ex-Audience horn and woodwinds player Keith Gemmell, ex-Billy J. Kramer keyboardist Mick Hodgekinson, former Ginhouse guitarist Geoff Sharkey, and ex-Roy Young Band bassist Paul Simmons.
Signed by Philips, the band debuted with a 1972 45 'Goo Ger Woogie' b/w 'Big Lovin' Woman' (Philips catalog number 6006 227). While the single did little commercially, it attracted enough interest and attention for Philips management to green light an album.
Co-produced by Louie Austin and Deep Purple's Ian Gillan (not Jon Lord) and the front cover artwork was done by Philip Castle who was the man who did the artwork for the film Clockwork Orange. 1973's "Sammy" offered up a competent, if slightly worn set of mid-1970s hard rock.
Largely penned by Sharkey and Simmons, lyrically and musically there wasn't a lot of originality going on here (kind of like the album cover) - Gemmell's sax adding occasional jazz-influenced runs to the band's blues and rock oriented sound. As lead singer Sharkey wasn't bad; his raw raspy voice sounded surprisingly good on tracks like 'Give Me More', their unlikely cover of 'I Ain't Never Loved a Woman (The Way That I Love You)', and 'Get Into a New Thing'. Imagine Uriah Heep-lite with the saxes, a little more boogie and variety ('Who Do You Really Love') and you'll be in the right aural neighborhood.
The band was actually far more impressive on their isolated stabs at more-pop oriented material like 'Sioux-Eyed Lady' and 'Jo Anne'. Elsewhere the album spun off a UK single in the form of 'Sioux-Eyed Lady' b/w '70 Days' (Philips catalog number 6006 249). Brainless fun, it's actually not a bad effort, especially if you approach it with the right mindset.
Tracks
1. Give Me More (Geoff Sharkey, Mick Underwood) - 6:00
2. I Ain't Never Loved A Woman (The Way That I Love You) (Ronny Shannon) - 5:07
3. Siox Eyed Lady (Geoff Sharkey) - 3:43
4. Boggle (Geoff Sharkey, Mick Hodgkinson, Mick Underwood, Paul Simmons) - 0:45
5. 70 Days (Geoff Sharkey) - 4:14
6. Get Into A New Thing (Paul Simmons) - 4:29
7. Jo Anne (Mick Hodgkinson) - 4:40
8. Boggled (Geoff Sharkey, Mick Hodgkinson, Mick Underwood, Paul Simmons) - 0:54
9. Who Do You Really Love? (Geoff Sharkey) - 4:31
10.Lady Lover (Paul Simmons) - 3:53
While Jesse Ed Davis’ legacy has finally started to see the light of recognition, there is still a long way to go in establishing his rightful place in the pantheon of rock and roll legends. The Kiowa guitarist’s career encompassed work with everyone from Conway Twitty to John Lee Hooker to Bob Dylan, and his time served in the original Taj Mahal band would be highly influential on up-and-coming guitar slingers like Duane Allman (he being the inspiration for the latter’s taking up bottleneck-style guitar in the first place). Davis never really managed to establish himself as a commercially successful singer in his own right, but that did not prevent him from cutting a series of strong and invigorating records in the early 1970s, the first and foremost of these being Jesse Davis.
Davis has surrounded himself with a real who’s-who of rock and roll musicians here, including Eric Clapton, Joel Scott Hill, Gram Parsons and the oddly-omnipresent Leon Russell. This is a hearty American brew; it’s only too bad that the liner notes do not include a track by track breakdown of who is playing what on which songs. Davis’ voice may be an acquired taste – being slightly nasally and, yes, sometimes a little pitchy – but it also has a lot of character, and its hard not to give the guy a break; in the end, whatever vocal limitations the cat may be accused of are more than made up for by his exemplary musicianship.
In his guitar playing I have noticed that Davis exhibits a certain degree of Curtis Mayfield influence (similar to that of Woodstock-era Robbie Robertson) in his ability to always serve the song and the rhythm; that is, until it comes time to let loose into a sharp and jagged solo, such as that which leaps out from the end of the otherwise lethargic “Reno Street Incident” – an original composition which was also recorded by Southwind’s Jim Pulte. The expansive horn arrangement on “Every Day Is Saturday Night” falls somewhere between Memphis boogie-woogie and red dirt dixieland, with Davis’ sharp staccato guitar leaping and swerving through the collective improvisation until its gleeful collapse. Make a joyful noise, indeed.
Perhaps the most memorable number here is “You Belladonna You,” which not only manages to lock into a serious groove, but also boasts an inescapable vocal hook. The extended jam at the end is the reason I harbor such ill will towards “the fade-out” on rock and roll records: is this not where the real magic happens? On the other hand, the oddest moment on the record comes with “Golden Sun Goddess,” which is an uncharacteristic detour into Los Angeles yacht rock replete with groovy electric sitars and a lava lamp vocal choir. It sounds like the album’s closest thing to a hit single, though its Steely Dan-isms are pretty jarring.
Pretty much everywhere else Davis leans on an earthy, deadpan charm that betrays his deep Oklahoma roots. “Redheaded woman wants me to get a haircut,” Davis grumbles at the end of Pamela Polland’s “Tulsa County” before cracking, “man, I can’t get no haircut. Redhead? That’s a redneck.” Alright, so the Byrds may have cut the definitive take on this one, but they never let themselves have this much fun in the studio. Davis may be criticized for relying so heavily on other people’s material for his own albums, but his takes on these songs are always individualistic, and anyways, the guy’s got some good taste.
Jesse Davis has been reissued both individually and as a set with the follow up release, 1972’s Ululu, but somehow both are currently out-of-print and demanding ridiculously high prices. Your best bet is to keep an eye out for some original vinyl or else sucking it up and purchasing a digital copy, which may in fact be the most affordable choice at the moment though it does entail missing out on the righteous jacket artwork.
by Nik Rayne
Tracks
1. Reno Street Incident - 4:10
2. Tulsa County (Pamela Polland) - 2:21
3. Washita Love Child - 3:47
4. Every Night Is Saturday Night - 7:11
5. You Belladonna You - 6:29
6. Rock N Roll Gypsies (Roger Tillison) - 4:14
7. Golden Sun Goddess - 4:48
8. Crazy Love (Van Morrison) - 3:36
All songs written by Jesse Ed Davis except where indicated Musicians
*Jesse Ed Davis - Guitar, Vocals
*Nickey Barclay - Vocals
*Chuck Blackwell - Drums
*Eric Clapton - Guitar
*Merry Clayton - Vocals
*Patt Daley - Percussion
*Venetta Fields - Vocals
*Jim Gordon - Clarinet, Horn, Baritone Sax
*Joel Scott Hill - Guitar
*Bobby Lee Jones - Vocals
*Gloria Jones - Vocals
*Jerry Jumonville - Tenor Saxophone
*Clydie King - Vocals
*Larry Knechtel - Keyboards
*Sanford Konikoff - Percussion
*Darrell Leonard - Horn, Trombone, Trumpet
*Jackie Lomax - Percussion
*Frank Mayes - Tenor Sax
*Steve Mitchell - Drums
*Gram Parsons - Vocals
*Larry Pierce - Keyboards
*Billy Rich - Bass,
*Bruce Rowland - Drums
*Leon Russell - Keyboards, Piano
*Ben Sidran - Keyboards
*John Simon - Keyboards
*Steve Thompson - Bass
*Pete "Big Boy" Waddington - Percussion
*John Ware - Percussion
*Alan White - Drums
*Maxine Willard Waters - Vocals
*Alan Yoshida - Percussion
Copperhead began as a loose unit of musicians in November 1970 and meandered on in a relatively fluid state until late 1972 when they began work on an abortive album for Just Sunshine Records with the working title of "Sealed For Your Protection". Nothing emerged from those sessions. In 1972 however they were signed by Columbia Records with a deal reputedly worth $ 1,500,000 over five years and rapidly recorded the superb "Copperhead". In guitar terms this album shows John Cipollina at his best since the acid days with Quicksilver four years before.
The music was driving rock and roll with Cipollina dominating tracks such as "Making a Monster", "Spin Spin" and "Roller Derby Star", the latter written by Kent Houseman and Gary Philippet and originally recorded by The Ducks. "Roller Derby Star" was issued as a single (Columbia 45810) and deserved to have been a hit. The band had an envialble live reputation and were thought by many to be poised on the brink of a major commercial succes but Columbia, who were going through the Clive Davis bust crisis, failed to exploit their excellent beginning and didn’t run a single major ad for the sparkling debut album. All this notwithstanding the band went to work on and completed a second album (seven tracks in all) which Columbia refused to issue. With Davis removal from Columbia the band were dropped and the album remains in the Columbia vaults. Despite the lack of promotion "Copperhead" sold remarkably well for Columbia and was re-issued in 1980.
The band’s live capabilities are captured well on "Copperhead-Live", a superb live show from Pacific High Studies for KSAN-FM-radio (The Tom Donahue Show) recorded in 1973. On the night Unobsky and Murray guested on a couple of cuts. The album is a gem for Copperhead/Cipollina fans including live versions of "Kibitzer", "Spin Spin" and "Roller Derby Star". Additionally however there are five cuts that didn’t appear on "Copperhead" these being "Keeper Of The Flame", "Salty Lady", "I’m Not The Man I Used To Be", "Good Times Boogie" and "Sidewinder" which was originally going to be included on the first album (hence the cover) but never made it that far.
Tracks
1. Roller Derby Star (Gary Philippet, Kent Housman) - 4:16
2. Kibitzer (Jim McPherson) - 3:45
3. A Little Hand (Jim McPherson) - 4:59
4. Kamikaze (Jim Jensen, Jim McPherson, John Cipollina) - 5:24
5. Spin-Spin (Gary Philippet, John Cipollina) - 3:18
6. Pawnshop Man (Gary Philippet, John Cipollina, Mary Unobsky) - 5:30
7. Wing-Dang-Doo (Jim McPherson) - 4:04
8. They' Re Making A Monster (Gary Philippet, Jim McPherson, John Cipollina) - 7:35
9. Chameleon (Kent Housman) - 3:3
In 1966 a rock band whimsically named The Jabberwock was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia. With John King - lead guitar, harmonica and vocals, John Cluff - Hammond organ, David Jordan-Knox - bass guitar, Lindy Jordan-Knox - vocals, and Chris Dahl – drums. This group evolved into the unique acid/blues/rock phenomenon My Indole Ring, with John K., John C., David and Chris.
Frequently appearing at such hip venues as The Afterthought, The Village Bistro, and The Retinal Circus, the group soon became associated with Vancouver’s counter culture and was the Vancouver acid-rock band. During one memorable appearance on the CBC Television show Let’s Go, the phone lines lit up with viewers concerned with the show’s radical music presentation.
The home base for My Indole Ring became The Retinal Circus on Davie Street in downtown Vancouver. As the house band we warmed up for acts including Muddy Waters, The Siegel Schwall Blues Band, Country Joe and The Fish, The Doors, Steve Miller, The John Handy Band, The Grateful Dead, Eric Burdon and the Animals, The Velvet Underground, and The Youngbloods. One memorable highlight was performing during prime time at the Sky River Rock Festival in front of a screaming crowd of over 50,000.
We played until 1969 as My Indole Ring. Life had changed for each of us by then and the band - like the 60s - would never be the same. We regrouped in 1999 to play one more time as My Indole Ring. This was the last gig we played with all members present and accounted for, and with John Cluff’s failing health we continued to stay in touch with each other.
John has been gone for over a year now and we miss him dearly. However he did live to know that this album would be released, making this a special reconnection for us all.
Most of the songs on this LP are original Ring compositions and soon became signature tunes for the band, such as Orange Float Petals. This is a selection of raw cuts recorded in just one or two takes in the studio-giving them a spontaneous feel, reminiscent of the era.
The exception is the last three songs-Wake Me Shake Me, Come See Me in the Morning, and Orange Float Petals-all recorded live at the Retinal Circus. You can sit back and imagine yourself in the midst of the sunken dance floor with the pulsating light show swirling about your head and the floors and walls literally vibrating with the movement and sound. This is a unique insight into the unbridled energy and excitement of the Retinal Circus, a venue that became legendary in the West Coast music scene. A glimpse into a piece of music history.
The Ring has been jamming and laying down a few tracks over the past three years. There may be more to come.
Tracks
1. Orange Float Petals (John Cluff, John King) - 5:27
2. Love People Everywhere (John Cluff, John King) - 5:23
3. Another Man Done Gone Troubles (Traditional) - 5:55
4. Blue Wax (John Cluff, John King) - 2:28
5. Silk Road (John Cluff, John King, David Jordan-Knox, Chris Dahl) - 4:49
6. The Morning Breaks (John King) - 3:46
7. Big City (John King) - 4:36
8. Two Trains Are Running (McKinley Morganfield) - 5:18
9. Early In The Morning (Traditional) - 4:25
10.Maryjane (John King) - 3:52
11.Wake Me Shake Me (Live) (Traditional) - 4:16
12.Come See Me In The Morningorange Float Petals (Live) (John Cluff, John King) - 9:03
13.Instrumental Medley Nursery Rhymes, Crescent Beach, Four-Ring Circus (John Cluff, John King, David Jordan-Knox, Chris Dahl) - 5:28
My Indole Ring
*John King - Lead Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*John Cluff - Hammond Organ
*David Jordan-Knox - Bass Guitar
*Chris Dahl – Drums
Linda Hoyle (born Linda Hoile in 1946) is a singer, lyricist, writer and art therapist. She grew up in West London, where she attended Chiswick Grammar School. Her first public performance was when she was ten, at St. Peter’s Primary School. She sang ‘Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye’ as part of a small talent show the school held, and later that same year appeared as the Angel Gabriel in the church nativity play. A fearless stage presence was noted by her teachers. However, her music teacher at Chiswick School wrote in her school report that Linda “showed no aptitude for music”. At Linda as Lady Macbethsixteen she played Lady Macbeth in the boy’s school production, during which, for a joke, some of the cast nailed her dress train to the floor. Her entrance was considered a tour de force of Hoile bravado.
Her fundamental musical influence was jazz, essentially dictated by the existence of her father’s substantial collection of 78 RPM records, stored carefully in wooden drawers set on roller skates for easy access. She still has two of the original records, both by Louis Armstrong, ‘Hotter Than That’ and ‘West End Blues’. Linda can still sing, note for note, Armstrong’s scat improvisation from the former. Her appreciation for jazz, which she views as America’s gift to the world, has never diminished.
Hoile family life was a mixture of high-explosive emotion coupled with the expectation of physical toughness. Linda and her younger sister, Wendy, rode out these storms by singing and playing – first ukuleles and later guitars. They built up a catalogue of popular songs, some from as far back as the 1900’s, which they performed, in harmony, to semi-appreciative friends and family.
In her mid-teens, with a weekend job and teenage friends, rock-and-roll broke into the house, along with The Everley Brothers, Cliff Richard, Elvis and Eddie Cochran. Sadly, Pat Boone came too, mainly because the entry way was the radio and other people’s records. Money did not flow freely in the Hoile household. However, it was a fairly equal-opportunity home for music, so although her mother’s piano playing was not encouraged much, owing to its general non-swinging nature, it was on the whole a free-for-all musical soup. In later teen years, Eel Pie Island, The Crawdaddy Club and local pubs furnished both of the Hoile sisters with the experience of live, loud, and anarchic music. It turned out to be Linda’s drug of choice.
After finishing at Chiswick School, and turning down a place at Teachers Training College, she spent a year working in Hammersmith Hospital as a lab technician. However, Linda found herself writing poetry while she was in evening classes studying Staining Techniques, consequently underperforming on the exams.Linda with Lynton Naiiff Accepting that resistance was useless, she enrolled again in Teachers College. Wall Hall was an all women’s institution in the flush of Britain’s renewal. New residences were being built, good meals were provided and generally, with some native wit, exams could be passed. The core of the College was a neo-gothic pile extended and embellished by Pierpoint-Morgan. It lent itself to romance. In 1967 she was introduced to Lynton Naiff, subsequently breaking off a previous engagement to a Sussex student whom she had known at school. She started singing with the Sussex University Jazz Trio where Naiff was the pianist and Mo Foster was on drums. This was the seed group that was to become Affinity in 1968. Linda rejected the teaching job offered to her after finishing college and went on the road with the band.
The years with Affinity (1967-1971) were tough but educational. Managed by Ronnie Scott’s, they were signed with Vertigo, worked as an opening band for jazz legends such as Stan Getz and Horace Silver, lost their equipment to a fire in the Upstairs Room at Ronnie’s club, spent time Affinity Album Coveron the road with Annie Nightingale for her first documentary with the BBC, survived tours of Europe and performed live on radio and television. Their original album, Affinity (1970) is now highly collectable and has continued to sell as a CD on the Angel Air label. Two of the tracks were original compositions by Naiff and Jopp, with Linda writing the lyrics. It was during this time that the misspelling of Linda’s surname, Hoile to Hoyle, passed into general use. This has never been corrected.
In 1970 Linda became the voice of the Shredded Wheat commercial, ‘there are two men in my life…’. This made her more money than she ever received with the band. She performed it live on the Michael Parkinson show, sharing a dressing room with a rather tipsy Shelley Winters who insisted on arranging Linda’s hair for her performance.
Shortly after that albums’ release Linda left the band. Her relationship with Naiff had run its course, and life on the road had become too much. At Ronnie Scott’s suggestion, she started work on a solo album with Karl Jenkins, now Sir Karl. He was then keyboardist for Nucleus and Soft Machine and part of the Scott stable. Working over several months they wrote the majority of the music for Pieces of Me, again released by Vertigo. This album is now one of the rarest from the label and an original copy sells for over a thousand pounds.
Jenkins’ string arrangements for the album, which appear on several tracks, pre-figure his later classical works, for which he is so well known.
At the same time that Linda was making Pieces of Me she started a relationship with John ‘Nick’ Nicholas, the original bass player from the University of Sussex Jazz Trio. In 1972 she left for Canada where Nicholas had a teaching position at The University of Western Ontario. They married that year.
Tracks
1. Backlash Blues (Nina Simone) - 5:55
2. Paper Tulips - 3:34
3. Black Crow - 3:18
4. For My Darling - 3:58
5. Pieces Of Me - 4:06
6. Lonely Women - 4:06
7. Hymn To Valerie Solanas - 4:03
8. The Ballad Of Marty Mole - 4:31
9. Journey’s End - 3:16
10.Morning For One - 4:23
11.Barrel House Music (Mildred Bailey) - 2:41
All compositions by Linda Hoyle, Karl Jenkins except where noted
