Calling Valparaiso, Florida home, H.Y. Sledge featured the talents of singer/keyboardist Michael Ewbank, multi-instrumentalist Billy Jones, former Wilkinson Tri-Cycle guitarist Richard "Dickie Porter, bassist Jan Pulver, and drummer Monte Yoho. Pulver had previously been a member of Those Five, while Jones and Yoho had been members of the Tampa-based Dave Graham Band. Interestingly, only credit Ewbank, Porter, and Pulver were credited on the album liner notes, which also fail to provide any writing credits.
Signing a recording contract with Shelby Sumpter Singleton Jr.'s SSS International label, the group made their debut with 1971's "Bootleg Music". Co-produced by Ewbank and Porter, the album wasn't the most original collection you've ever heard. The band were certainly talented with a couple of decent singers and an excellent bassist.
Their sole album was originally issued in the summer of 1971.
Tracks
1. Citation On Liberty - 5:21
2. Such An Easy Day - 3:01
3. Canadian Exodus - 7:39
4. Cellophane Lady / Nowhere To Go - 3:54
5. Ride The Waves - 4:06
6. I'm Your Brother - 3:28
7. Tamara - 2:18
8. Day Of Realization - 2:06
9. It's In The Air - 4:46
10.Finding It - 2:28
All songs by Michael Ewbank, Richard Porter, Jan Pulver
Almost like a fly on the wall, we are witness to the young J.J. Cale and Leon Russell, stretching out among friends in Russell’s Paradise Studios in Los Angeles, in June of 1979. In a 21 song set, they are having the time of their lives, and we are left to watch in wonder. Joining Cale and Russell are his wife, Christine Lakeland, along with Marty Green, Nick Rather, Jimmy Karstein, Bill Boatman and Ambrose Campbell.
by Keith Hannaleck
There isn't a bad track on this album. The playing is way more muscular than on his records. The band just lays right into it from the opening track Nowhere to Run and never lets up. You will not believe the bass pouring out of your speakers. The beat is big thumping tremendous and propels the whole album. The drums and guitars are crisp. The solos are tasty. The mood is very relaxed and the band is having a great time.
The standout track for me is Going Down where they, ahem, take it up a notch. The energy on that track is just phenomenal, which is saying something since we've already heard the band in a rip-snorting version of JJ's signature song Cocaine. Studio owner, Leon Russell, lets it rip on piano and kinda snarls out of the side of his mouth. Then the saxes take over with a wailing chorus the whole backed up with fer-ro-cious rhythm guitar. It ain't all up-tempo though, JJ can sing a ballad with the best of ‘em viz Sensitive Kind.
by Ray Chowkwanyun
Tracks
1. Nowhere To Run - 2:43
2. Cocaine - 2:58
3. Ten Easy Lessons - 4:20
4. Sensitive Kind - 3:33
5. Hands Off Her - 3:39
6. Louisiana - 2:38
7. Going Down (Don Nix) - 5:14
8. Roll On - 2:51
9. No Sweat - 3:13
10.Crazy Mama - 3:13
11.Fate Of A Fool - 2:55
12.Boilin' Pot - 3:36
13.After Midnight - 4:13
14.Same Old Blues - 2:55
15.Don't Cry Sister - 3:05
16.Call Me The Breeze - 3:22
17.Ever Lovin' Woman - 2:34
18.Katy Kool Lady - 2:39
19.Lies - 3:19
20.Don't Wait (Christine Lakeland Cale) - 3:31
All songs written by J.J. Cale except where stated
Personnel
*J.J. Cale - Guitar, Vocals
*Leon Russell - Piano, Organ, Vocals
*Christine Lakeland - Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
*Larry Bell - Piano
*Marty Grebb - Horn
*Nick Rather - Bass
*Jimmy Karstein - Percussion, Drums
*Bill Boatman - Guitar
*Ambrose Campbell - Percussion, Drums
*Pat ‘Taco’ Ryan - Brass
*Shamsi Sarumi - Percussion
Christine McVie (nee Perfect) is one of the great unsung talents of British blues and pop. Her work with Fleetwood Mac is often overshadowed by her more showy counterparts, Lindsay Buckingham, Peter Green or Stevie Nicks. She provided the spine to their material, and especially added a consistency during the group's wilderness years between 1970 and 1975 (for those of you who haven't had the pleasure, check out her contributions to 1973's Mystery To Me album).
This release is her oft-reissued Christine Perfect album, recorded for Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon label in the period between her leaving Chicken Shack and before she joined her husband-to-be John McVie in Fleetwood Mac. McVie herself has frequently played down the record. Although certainly not a major work, it is a pretty textbook example of pleasant blues rock as the 60s became the 70s. To be honest, her tracks sound pretty much like later Fleetwood Mac album material, which given the presence of John McVie on bass and Danny Kirwan on guitar, is fairly understandable. Her version of Kirwan's When You Say is a standout, easily giving Fleetwood Mac's Then Play On version a run for its money. Perfect's piano work here strives to distil the very essence of the blues.
It is the additional material that highlights her at her best: the demo, Tell Me You Need Me, that was also demoed by Fleetwood Mac is by far and away the best track here. The song underlines the pleasure of her best work; languid, expressive, soulful. With three BBC session recordings here as well, The Complete Blue Horizon Recordings, although hardly essential, is a very welcome listen.
by Daryl Easlea
Tracks
1. Crazy 'Bout You Baby (Walter Jacobs) - 3:01
2. I'm On My Way (Deadric Malone) - 3:08
3. Let Me Go (Leave Me Alone) - 3:34
4. Wait And See - 3:13
5. Close To Me (Christine Perfect, Rick Hayward) - 2:39
6. When You Say (Danny Kirwan) - 3:14
7. And That's Saying A Lot (Chuck Jackson, W. Godfrey) - 2:57
8. No Road Is The Right Road - 2:48
9. For You - 2:45
10.I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around) (Album Version) (Clyde Otis, Belford Hendricks) - 3:25
11.I Want You (Tony Joe White) - 2:23
12.Tell Me You Need Me (Previously Unreleased) - 3:20
13.I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around) (Single Version) (Clyde Otis, Belford Hendricks) - 3:16
14.Hey Baby (Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions) - 2:33
15.It's You I Miss (Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions) - 3:44
16.Come Into The Sun (Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions) - 2:43
All songs by Christine Perfect except where stated
What Leon has given us is a song cycle that eloquently elaborates the daily vicissitudes of his fulfilled dream of popstardom. While the 8 1/2 motif is hardly new to rock, no one, with the exception of the Dylan of Blonde On Blonde, has captured the ambivalence inherent to the pop hero's situation any more sagaciously or incisively than Russell.
Carney (carnival barker) is certainly Leon's most gentle and personal statement, in which even the hardest rocker ("Roller Derby") seems tame when compared to earlier efforts like "Roll Away the Stone" or "Pisces Apple Lady." Like "8 1/2," the record is as much a view of one small, often ugly corner of contemporary society as it is an interior monologue. Leon touches upon a first love lost to junk ("Me And Baby Jane"), prying grafters from a certain prominent periodical ("If the Shoe Fits"), a pasquinade that sounds like an Asylum Choir number and confusion over whether or not the show must, indeed, go on ("Tightrope").
Leon's marble-mouthed, drawling vocals are a joy throughout, which comes as quite a treat to one who thoroughly detested much of his previous caterwauling (such as his Godawful mistreatment of George Harrison's "Beware Of Darkness"). He renders selections like "Tightrope" and the double-tracked vocal on "Out In The Woods" with just the right amount of tension and "Manhattan Island Serenade" and "This Masquerade" (a lovely melody whose tonic is the same as the Matt Dennis-Earl Brent chestnut, "Angel Eyes") with unabashed, yet understated tenderness. There is none of the cloying quality in Russell's voice and phrasing that somewhat marred his delicate "A Song For You," which was on the first solo album and is the most poignant lyric he has penned to date.
The production is hardly lavish, considering Leon's penchant for doing the large-scale gospel-influenced numbers, and the instrumental backing by this Shelter people troupe (which might be considered to be Russell's repertory company) is superbly subtle, especially John Gallie's organ work.
Like Fellini's Guido, Leon Russell will continue to partake in "the lonely game" he plays because it is his lifeblood, not to mention that he has managed to play it with consummate skill and shrewdness. Perhaps Carney is no more than another cool calculation on the part of its creator, but one comes away from the album secure in the knowledge that Leon is capable of exuding more wit, charm and candor than almost anyone else working in his medium.
by James Isaacs, 9-14-1972
Tracks
1. Tight Rope - 2:59
2. Out In The Woods - 3:35
3. Me And Baby Jane - 3:52
4. Manhattan Island Serenade - 3:25
5. Cajun Love Song - 3:08
6. Roller Derby - 2:22
7. Carney - :47
8. Acid Annapolis (Leon Russell, Don Preston) - 2:47
9. If The Shoe Fits - 2:21
10.My Cricket - 2:55
11.This Masquerade - 4:22
12.Magic Mirror - 4:56
All songs composed by Leon Russell except where indicated
Musicians
*Leon Russell - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Piano
*Don Preston - Guitar, Vocals
*Joey Cooper - Guitar
*Carl Radle - Bass
*Chuck Blackwell - Drums
*Jim Keltner - Drums
*John Gallie - Organ
T.I.M.E. stands for Trust In Men Everywhere. Debut album of this underrated US psychedelic band ( which evolved out of a very fine, garage-pop psych band Hardtimes ) was released in 1968 by Liberty Records in attractive die-cut, gatefold cover. It contained great mixture of very catchy and memorable songs based on rich vocal harmonies and strong guitar-organ interplay and being somewhere between garage rock and pop-psych.
The music itself was very diverse, ranged from dark, atmospheric heavier tracks to much lighter sounds. It´s worth noting that the main influences to the band were The Beatles, The Byrds, The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield.
Tracks
1. Tripping Into Sunshine - 2:20
2. Label It Love - 2:28
3. Finder's Keepers - 3:13
4. Love You, Cherish You - 2:32
5. Make It Alright - 2:02
6. Let The Colors Keep On - 2:11
7. You Changed It All - 2:31
8. I Really Love You - 2:38
9. Make Love To You - 3:37
10.I Can't Find It - 2:59
11.What Can It Be - 2:20
12.Take Me Along - 3:07
13.What Would Life Be Without It (Single) - 2:32
T.I.M.E.
*Larry Byrom - Guitar
*Bill Richardson - Guitar
*Nick St. Nicholas - Bass
*Steve Rumph - Drums.
Issued in 1969 on Vanguard Records (mostly known as a folk label) this was Coryell’s second solo release. “Coryell” has also been decades out-of-print on vinyl, though reissued overseas (several times) on CD.
“Sex” opens the album with Coryell’s unusual vocal style though it is immediately apparent that the band is percolating with Rainey’s popping bass lines and Purdie’s poundings, Coryell’s solo is generational but very tasteful, as are his piano comps. “Beautiful Woman” is as ballad like as you could expect from Coryell, especially during his vocal passages, the tune moderately upshifts into appealing landscapes as Coryell (and Ron Carter’s bass) lead the proceedings with a smart and sparky jam; (*) note how Coryell really lifts off during the outro fade.
On the LP version “The Jam with Albert” is an instrumental extravaganza closing side one: It’s rhythmic, melodic, and chaotic in a good way. Purdie’s and Stinson’s bass are not only locked tight, they are intertwined setting the foundation for Coryell’s bombastic rock-jazz guitar explorations that are borderline psychedelic and hypnotic; it’s a killer 9:20 track! “Elementary Guitar Solo #5” originally opened side two’s LP, draws from J.S. Bach’s classical origins.
Shortly after the theme is initiated, Rainey, Purdie and Mike Mandel’s piano veer towards improvisational rock, (note Rainey’s bass lines – wow), as Coryell gradually pushes the pedal and accelerates. At the end there is a fitting (second) nod to Bach, too. Julie Coryell’s “No One Really Knows” brings back husband Larry’s singing, but it doesn’t last long with an (instrumental) directional deviation as a nice (somewhat spacey) jam unravels.
“Morning Sickness” originates as a fascinating instrumental that finds Rainey and Purdie in familiar surroundings setting their funky and signature styles – becomes unhinged when Coryell rips into another creative guitar solo in tandem with the famous rhythm section. The finale is the second Julie Coryell inclusion, this time instrumentally, it is the first time I noticed Jim Pepper’s flute; “Ah Wuv Ooh” is a very well written well thought out song that is also pretty and bright.
by Bob Putignano
Larry Coryell died Sunday, February 19th 2017, in New York City. Coryell, 73, passed away in his sleep at his hotel from natural causes. He’d performed his last two shows on Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18, at the Iridium in New York City.
Tracks
1. Sex - 3:51
2. Beautiful Woman - 4:32
3. The Jam With Albert - 9:20
4. Elementary Guitar Solo #5 - 6:49
5. No One Really Knows (Julie Coryell) - 5:07
6. Morning Sickness - 5:20
7. Ah Wuv Ooh (Julie Coryell) - 4:22
All songs by Larry Coryell except where noted
Hard Times was a 1960s psychedelic garage rock band originally featuring Rudy Romero (vocals), Lee Keifer (vocals, guitar), Bill Richardson (lead guitar), Bob Morris (bass guitar), and Paul Wheatbread (drums). After relocating to L.A. to work with manager Florence Stanley, they made frequent appearances on Dick Clark's local TV show Where The Action Is and were the house band for a time at the Whisky A Go-Go.
They signed with World Pacific Records (a division of Liberty Records) in 1966, releasing several singles. Lee Keifer departed for a solo career (replaced by Larry Byrom) before their debut (and only) album Blew Mind was released by World Pacific in 1967.
After Bill Richardson quit, with only singer Rudy Romero, bassist Bob Morris, and drummer Paul Wheatbread remaining from Hard Times, the group released a single under the name New Phoenix, "Give To Me Your Love" b/w "Thanks" (World Pacific, 1968), produced by Mama Cass. After Rudy Romero left to launch his own solo career, the band split for good. Drummer Paul Wheatbread became a founding member of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.
Guitarist Bill Richardson joined fellow former Hard Times player Larry Byrom in a psychedelic rock band named T.I.M.E. (Trust In Men Everywhere), alongside former Sparrows (aka Steppenwolf) member Nick St. Nicholas and drummer Steve Rumph.
Signed to the Hard Times' old label World Pacific Records, T.I.M.E. released a debut self-titled full-length in 1968, promoted with singles for "Make It Alright" and the non-album track "What Would Like Be Without It." After its release, St. Nicholas quit to rejoin the Sparrow (by then renamed Steppenwolf) and was replaced by Richard Tepp (Richard and the Young Lions), while Steve Rumph was replaced by Pat Couchois.
A sophomore album recorded with producer Al Schmidt, Smooth Ball, was released by Liberty Records in 1969. More psychedelic and hard rock than their debut effort, the album is highlighted by the ten-minute jam track "Morning Come."
Bill Richardson, who also managed local movie theaters, later became known as lounge singer and OB karaoke host Jose Sinatra.
Tracks
1. Preparation G - 0:52
2. Leavin' My Home - 3:07
3. See Me As I Am - 5:46
4. I Think You'd Cry - 4:20
5. I'll Write A Song - 4:20
6. Lazy Day Blues - 1:44
7. Do You Feel It - 2:30
8. Flowers - 2:39
9. Morning Come - 10:03
10.Trust In Men Everywhere - 5:01
All songs arranged by T.I.M.E. The T.I.M.E.
*Bill Richardson - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Vocals
*Larry Byrom - Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Vocals
*Pat Couchois - Drums
*Richard Tepp - Bass Guitar
In progressive rock circles, Magna Carta are a bit like the Little Engine That Could -- from relatively modest beginnings in 1969, they've endured across 36 years and counting, even as their louder, more heavily amplified rivals from the same era have long since been consigned to history. Acts such as King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer may be better (and much more widely) known, but Magna Carta have stayed together, making music decades longer.
The group was founded in 1969 by Chris Simpson (who also sang) and Lyell Tranter on acoustic Gibson guitars and Glen Stuart singing harmony. Formed in London, they made their debut at the Coalhole Folk Club in Cambridge, and coming off of the enthusiastic response to the ten songs they did that night, Magna Carta were rolling. They were not, strictly speaking, a pure folk group even then, but utilized folk and traditional elements very heavily in their songwriting and sound, in a manner similar to that adopted by John David Gladwin and Terry Wincott of the Amazing Blondel at approximately the same time.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. Times Of Change - 2:50
2. Daughter Daughter - 4:08
3. Old John Parker - 2:47
4. I Am No More - 4:14
5. Ballad Of Francis Alabadalejo - 5:22
6. Spinning Wheels Of Time - 3:23
7. Romeo Jack - 3:39
8. Mid Winter - 3:35
9. Shades Of Grey - 3:13
10.Emily Thru' The Window Pane - 3:31
11.Sea And Sand - The Isle Of Pabay - 3:25
12.Seven O'Clock Hymn - 6:18
13.Seven O'Clock Hymn / Mid Winter (Live) - 12:50
All Music and Lyrics by Chris Simpson
As lead singer of Manfred Mann during their early run of hits such as "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy," "Pretty Flamingo," and many, many others, Paul Jones was far more influential than people realize. Artists such as Arthur Lee have cited him as a primary influence, and for that fact alone, he should be recognized. After leaving Mann in 1966, Jones made one of the greatest cult films of all time, 1967's Privilege.
This, though, his solo debut, is another step altogether. Always one of the more literate rockers of his era, Jones spends most of his time on this album making fun of stardom and all that goes with it. Hotel rooms, groupies, and the general grind of it all is the subject matter here, and it's all quite a bit of fun. As far as the music goes, much of it is more laid-back than anything Jones did with Manfred Mann, with a lot of country leanings.
Thomas Jefferson Kaye's production is a bit heavy-handed -- which is not much of a suprise. But in the end, it is an interesting record, sounding very much like a roots-oriented David Bowie record, slashing the tires of a car named "stardom."
by Matthew Greenwald
Tracks
1. Life After Death (Paul Jones) - 3:21
2. Motel Blues (Loudon Wainwright III) - 4:00
3. And You Say I'm Too Dependent On My Mind (Paul Jones) - 6:01
4. Construction Worker's Song (Paul Jones) - 5:30
5. Song (For Stan Stunning And The Noodle Queen) (Paul Jones) - 3:40
6. The Pod That Came Back (Paul Jones) - 4:13
7. The Mighty Ship (Artie Resnick, Pat Poor) - 3:40
8. Who Are The Masters (Kris Resnick, Paul Jones, Rupert Holmes) - 3:32
9. Strangely Human Sound (Kris Resnick, Rupert Holmes) - 3:47
Magna Carta was founded in April, 1969, and is one of the longest running bands in the world today.
The band has seen a number of personnel changes, but the common factor has always been Chris Simpson. Song writer, poet, accoustic guitar player and vocalist, he has been largely responsible for the band's unique sound, and has had uncanny success in gathering high quality musicians around him. He founded the band with Lyell Tranter, guitarist, and Glen Stuart, vocalist extraordinaire, and their first professional gig was at the Cambridge Folk Festival. A year later the band cut the first of their 30 odd albums, six of which have gone Gold, and three Silver.
The essence of Magna Carta for the last twenty years has been Chris Simpson and Linda Simpson. Chris has been singing with Linda since 1984. They have been joined in recent years by Matt Barnhoorn, an outstanding Dutch fiddle player. In concert and on record they play with a variety of fine musicians, some of whom have been associated with Magna Carta for a long time. They continue to tour extensively.
This lavishly packaged, sprawling anthology is a fitting summary of Magna Carta’s varied discography. In the late 60s there were several approaches to folk music. Some, such as Fairport Convention, mined the traditional music of the past to reveal the rough vitality at its heart.
Others used the style and instrumentation - acoustic guitars, mandolins to create what was really soft-focus pop. This is not to denigrate the music that they created: those who took the latter course, like Magna Carta, had a lasting impact which can still be heard in the music of artists from David Gray to Badly Drawn Boy. Magna Carta’s early music was extremely pretty and indebted to Simon & Garfunkel and even Peter, Paul & Mary, but Chris Simpson’s songwriting always has a distinctive English flavour and, even when almost insufferably twee - Autumn Song, delights with its period charm and ravishingly beautiful warm sound.
The music ranges from folk-pop to rock and blues, and although the 80s pick offer some distractingly period keyboards, this carefully compiled selection provides an excellent overview of a songwriter quietly dedicated to his art.
by William Pinfold
Tracks Disc 1
1. Midwinter - 3:32
2. Airport Song - 3:43
3. Elizabethan - 2:38
4. Autumn Song/Epilogue - 4:14
5. Time For The Leaving - 4:09
6. Sponge (Davey Johnstone) - 2:22
7. Wayfarin' - 3:47
8. Roll On - 3:07
9. Wish It Was - 3:35
10.Two Old Friends - 3:35
11.Father John - 6:43
12.Isn't It Funny - 2:34
13.Nothing So Bad - 3:50
14.Mixed Up Sensations/Old Man - 5:38
15.I'm Gonna Take You Down - 3:22
16.You Are Only What You Are - 3:43
17.Stop Bringing Me Down - 3:48
18.One Man's Heaven - 4:30
19.You And I - 4:27
20.Forever - 2:56
Words and Music by Chris Simpson except where stated Disc 2
1. Slowbone - 3:01
2. Love On The Wire - 4:17
3. Visions In A Crowd - 5:00
4. Putting It Back Together - 3:15
5. Highway To Spain - 3:54
6. Danny - 3:05
7. Wild Geese - 4:21
8. Sting Of The Gin - 3:18
9. Wind On The Water - 5:03
10.Midnight Blue - 4:14
11.Blues For A Long Road Home - 3:50
12.For The Gypsy - 3:56
13.Pictures In My Pillow - 4:19
14.No Truth In The Rumour - 4:11
15.Winterlude/Ulysses - 7:02
16.Greenfields - 4:48
17.Columbus - 5:35
18.Seasons In The Tide - 4:52
Lyrics and Music by Chris Simpson
