This incredible album was, the pinnacle of Humble Pie's career. A clean crisp production coupled with Steve Marriot's voice at the top of his game makes for a true masterpiece of 70's blues rock. There's not a weak track on the record. From the moment it starts with the powerful "Thunderbox" until the end with "Oh La De Da", the album motors through with emotion, grace and swagger. While the boys do a few interesting covers on this record, like "Can't Stand the Rain", "Drift Away" and "No Money Down", it's the originals, like "Every Single Day", Ninety-Nine Pounds", "Rally with Ali" "No Way" and the aforementioned "Thunderbox" that really make the album move. "Groovin with Jesus" and "Dont Worry, Be Happy" are two other funky tunes that seem to jam on the same backbeat. One almost seems like a reprise of the other.
Overall, if you are interested in picking up a great, well produced and fun effort by the Pie, you can not go wrong with this collection.
by T. DaPrato
Tracks
1. Thunderbox (Steve Marriott, Dave Clempson)
2. Groovin' with Jesus (Steve Marriott)
3. I Can't Stand the Rain (Ann Peebles, Bernard Miller, Don Bryant)
4. Anna (Go to Him) (Arthur Alexander)
5. No Way (Steve Marriott, Greg Ridley)
6. Rally with Ali (Steve Marriott, Dave Clempson, Greg Ridley, Shirley)
7. Don't Worry, be Happy (Steve Marriott, Dave Clempson, Greg Ridley, Jerry Shirley)
8. Ninety-Nine Pounds (Don Bryant)
9. Every Single Day (Dave Clempson)
10.No Money Down (Chuck Berry)
11.Drift Away (Mentor Williams)
12.Oh La-De-Da (Phillip Mitchell)
Michael McGear—nee McCartney—has a pretty amazing big brother, and surprisingly, his musical career has been low-key and somewhat anonymous. He could have exploited his surname, but chose not to; standing on his own merits is a commendable act; thus, when his comedy troupe Scaffold had a hit in 1967 with the single “Thank U Very Much,” many people were surprised to learn that the handsome fellow was the brother of a Beatle. Scaffold would run its course, yet McGear was still interested in pursuing a singing career, soon gaining a solo record deal with EMI. With this opportunity, he wanted to make a more serious, straightforward record, and thus was borne Woman.
In many regards, Woman is a fairly typical debut album from a new artist. It’s not unified or dominated by one particular sound or style, save for the to-be-expected moments of levity that recall The Scaffold, thanks in part to the inclusion of his collaborator, Roger McGough, who co-wrote several songs on here. The whimsical heartbreak of “Bored As Butterscotch”—a melancholy melody tempered with a delightfully amusing metaphor and a drop-dead gorgeous arrangement, complete with gospel choir harmonies—is pure McGough, and sounds positively Rutlesesque. Yet opening song “Woman,” is another co-write, and instead finds McGear giving Brian Wilson a run for his money, a beautiful, hushed ballad that only grows more beautiful with the slow-rising harmonies. Listen once, and you’ll like it; play it again, and you’ll become more enthralled with this simple yet heartfelt song.
But Woman is the sound of exploration, and there’s one name that keeps coming to mind: Elton John. Piano is at the forte for most of these songs, and McGear’s voice is similar; it doesn’t hurt that both shared a love of British music hall and gospel; thus, numbers like the gospel joy of “Sister” and funky “Young Young Man” are earnest, and without the comedic element, it shows that McGear was an impressive young talent who didn’t need the shtick to write a good song. And there are one or two curveballs you might not expect; “Uptowndowntown” is pure Acid Rock—and what’s more, it borrows quite liberally (intentionally or not) from Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band’s “Why?,” but then turns into a great little blues rocker on its own, while the closing, eight minute medley of “Black Beauty/Tiger/Strawberry Jam” is a stark boogie-woogie rock number that shimmers and burns quite nicely, showing that if there were any familial predilection for light, fluffy McCartney-esque pop, McGear wasn’t going to completely indulge it this time round.
Unsurprisingly, EMI didn’t know what to make of Woman; they had expected a record more akin to the Scaffold hits. Thus, a stalemate took place, and the label refused to release it; Island Records came to the rescue, buying out the record, and though it did see release, it made only a minor impact. Shortly after its release, Scaffold would reunite, and McGear would go on to release one more solo album proper, 1974’s superb and underrated McGear—a masterpiece on its own, and one deserving of its own reissue. Though he hasn’t released much since, save for a handful of singles, he does still perform on occasion, and has enjoyed a quiet family life in his hometown of Liverpool.
Considering what McGear wanted to accomplish with this solo turn, one might be tempted to make comparisons to…well, you know. Don’t, please, because that’s an unfair comparison, and one that might handicap your listening experience, because Woman is a delightful record.
by Joseph Kyle, May 31, 2017
Tracks
1. Woman - 3:04
2. Witness - 4:06
3. Jolly Good Show - 3:08
4. Roamin A Road (Mike McGear) - 2:22
5. Sister (Mike McGear) - 3:13
6. Wishin - 3:24
7. Young Young Man (Five Years Ago) - 0:59
8. Young Young Man (Five Years Later) - 2:50
9. Edward Heath (Mike McGear) - 0:57
10.Bored As Butterscotch (Mike McGear, Roger McGough, Friends) - 2:51
11.Uptowndowntown (Mike McGear) - 3:29
12.Tiger / Strawberry Jam - 7:26
All songs by Mike McGear, Roger McGough, except where stated
First time reissue for the self-titled Birds Of A Feather album from 1970, plus the two sides of the Blacksmith Blues single that preceded it….Ian Canty sees another example of Elton John’s impressive early 70s work-rate and the offerings of the talented Chanter brood from Fulham…..
Firstly, don’t run away, it’s nothing to do with that sitcom! Doreen and Irene Chanter grew up in a musical South West London household and during the 60s joined with their male siblings Alex and Charlie (providing guitar and drums respectively) to launch their own band. Dubbed logically enough the Chanters, they entered and won an edition of the X Factor prototype Opportunity Knocks.
After that television exposure they were duly signed by CBS in 1966 and put out four singles over the next couple of years. The sisters’ soulful vocals came to the fore as they progressed, but their time at the label was not successful or particularly happy, so in 1969 the band moved over to Troggs’ manager Larry Page’s Page One imprint. After the successful audition for Page, a new name was sought for the band and the title bestowed on them was Birds Of A Feather. This audition took place at the DJM studios, which was to bring them into the orbit of one Reginald Dwight aka Elton John.
Though happy to be away from the clutches of CBS, their relationship with their new label wasn’t without its bumpy moments. Page One made it clear that they only wanted the sisters as part of the deal. Doreen and Irene were pretty annoyed at this, taking to the pages of the music press to announce they were not a duo, but a four piece band.
Despite tensions they went through with recording the album without their brothers, a Caleb Quaye led-band featuring keyboard wiz Rick Wakeman among others replacing them. For these sessions they were produced by future studio hotshot Stuart Epps. Elton John and Bernie Taupin, who had befriended the sisters, provided four songs into the bargain (keeping things “in house” with Elton being on Page One’s sister label DJM, also it was envisaged this would help his and Taupin’s profile as “songsmiths for hire”). Not to be outdone, Doreen was a composer of no small merit too and apart from the Elton songs and Blues/R&B standards, she wrote half of the album herself.
To be honest, though they album tracks are well put together and faultlessly arranged, the big band settings do threaten to swamp the sisters on occasion (like on opening track Take Me To The Pilot, though it’s a pleasant enough listening). When they lock in their dual vocals sometimes they sound like backing singers on their own record, which is unfair as individually they had really good voices and were real talents. One wonders if perhaps the simpler approach with their brothers would have brought forth more satisfying results. The quality of the two pre-LP bonus single tracks seem to add weight to the argument, with both songs being catchy and enjoyable. They got the balance just right here between music and vocals too.
Nevertheless the Birds fly on some of the album and the sisters don’t turn anything other than classy vocal performances throughout. They actually ended up on Top Of The Pops with the Bluesy rave-up All God’s Children Got Soul – this publicity and some great freaky guitar failed to push BOAF along to further success, even though the TV appearance was timed to coincide with the album’s release. The Doreen-penned Funk influenced Leaving The Ghetto was a highpoint of the LP, neat Hammond organ, great vocals and a solid pre-Disco thump, very danceable. What Is Life shows how well the sisters could deal with a Soul ballad and Get It Together has some pumping piano that compliments the Funky treatment of the song well.
As to why this record wasn’t successful, I can only speculate. Perhaps truncating the Chanters band to ostensibly a duo lost focus and didn’t give the general public much of an image to buy into. Though family bands were seldom “cool” they at least had a dynamic that Birds Of A Feather could have used, because with their low profile and many cover versions it was perhaps difficult for the general public to get a handle on exactly where they were coming from? For whatever reasons, the album or single didn’t make much of a mark, despite the touches of quality.
After the album struggled the sisters put out 3 further singles on DJM and also one under the pseudonym of the Electric Dolls. When these offerings also flopped they moved onto a successful career as backing vocalists, singing with Roxy Music and Pink Floyd among many others. Doreen kept her songwriting hand in, penning the hit Star for Kiki Dee in the 80s. Ironically this was also used as the theme to a relaunched version of Opportunity Knocks, which had featured the Chanters all those years before.
Putting all concerns aside for a moment, the album consists of elegantly produced, beautifully sung Gospel-influenced Pop. For a band born and raised in Fulham, Birds Of A Feather could knock out quality R & B and stand shoulder to shoulder with their US counterparts. That their efforts remained unloved by the general public could be put down to a number of reasons, some of which I have explored above, but it wasn’t due to any failings on their part. Including their one album along with the great Blacksmith’s Blues single, there’s plenty of diverting work on show on the Page One Recordings.
by Ian Canty,12 October, 2017
Tracks
1. Take Me To The Pilot (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) - 3:14
2. Get It Together (Doreen Chanter) - 2:27
3. One More Time (Sam Cooke) - 3:41
4. Border Song (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) - 3:29
5. All God's Children Got Soul (Booker T. Jones, William Bell) - 2:58
6. What Is Life (Doreen Chanter) - 2:05
7. Take The World (Doreen Chanter) - 3:05
8. Bad Side Of The Moon (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) - 2:42
9. Baby Don't You Bring Me Down (Doreen Chanter) - 2:31
10.Gimme Shelter (Mick Jagger, Keith Richard) - 2:42
11.Leaving The Ghetto (Doreen Chanter) - 2:22
12.Country Comfort (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) - 3:09
13.Blacksmith Blues (Jack Holmes) - 3:35
14.Sing My Song And Pray (Doreen Chanter, Irene Chanter) - 2:34
Bonus tracks 13-14
Swampwater’s 1970 debut stands alongside Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Guilded Palace of Sin, Poco’s debut, the Everly Brothers’ Roots and Bradley’s Barn as one of the best country-rock records ever.
Founder, Gib Guilbeau had a strong Bakersfield resume prior to forming Swampwater. Guilbeau and Gene Parsons had released a few early country-rock singles in the late 60’s as well as an album which eventually saw light of day in 1970 (although recorded in 1968-). The two recruited Clarence White in 1968 to record the legendary Nashville West album. This album has a good live feel and is highlighted by some of Clarence White’s best playing which was always breathtaking and revolutionary.
Eventually Swampwater formed and started out as Linda Ronstadt’s backing group in the late 60’s. Eric White, Clarence’s brother was also in the band and prior to forming Swampwater had been in the excellent Kentucky Colonels. Swampwater made two distinct albums in the early 70’s without Linda Ronstadt’s involvement. The above album was different than many notable country rock acts of the time for adding cajun and swamprock elements. The album opens and closes with two certified country-rock classics, Louisiana Woman and Big Bayou. Guilbeau had recorded the classy Louisiana Woman with both Nashville West and on his 1970 album with Parsons, though the version heard on Swampwater is the best. Big Bayou is a hard rocking, white hot country song with pretty fiddle that has been covered by many popular artists inlcuding Rod Stewart. Other songs like the acoustic flavored Man From New Orleans are highlighted by beautiful harmonies and a tear in your beer ambience.
Swampwater’s musicianship is high caliber and Guilbeau’s lyrics are always first-rate and thoughtful. Great songs like Kathleen, Desperation’s Back Again (supposedly an Everly Brothers homage with great down and out lyrics) and River People are beautifully arranged and display superior craftsmanship. It’s really a wall of greatness, with each song just as good as the next.
Swampwater mastered all the rural styles from cajun to folk-rock but just never received the breaks they so justly deserved. Their members were slugging it out in bars playing this sort of music years before anyone else had thought to do so. This album is a masterpiece and recommended to any true country fan.
by Jason Nardelli
Tracks
1. Louisiana Woman - 2:20
2. Workin’ On A Tugboat - 2:11
3. Desparations Back Again - 2:05
4. It’s Your Game Mary Jane - 3:06
5. River People - 2:19
6. Man From New Orleans (John Beland) - 3:05
7. Take A City Bride - 1:53
8. Kathleen (John Beland) - 2:35
9. Nashville Lady (John Beland) - 3:32
10.Look Out Your Window - 2:56
11.Big Bayou - 2:43
All songs by Gib Guilbeau except where stated
While not exactly the house band for Phil Walden's Macon, GA-based Capricorn Records label, the members of the acoustic aggregate Cowboy -- consisting of Scott Boyer (guitars / violin / vocals), Tommy Talton (guitars / vocals), Bill Pillmore (piano / guitar / fiddle / vocals), Tomm Wynn (drums / percussion), George Clark (bass), and Pete Kowalke (guitars / vocals /d rums) -- could be found on recordings by the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman (whom they regularly supported), Alex Taylor, and Bonnie Bramlett.
Their debut Reach for the Sky (1971) amply shows off their rural whimsy and substantial acoustic capacities. While their country-rock leanings are comparable to the Hearts & Flowers, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, or Pure Prairie League, they rely on their solid original material rather than adaptations and variations on traditional works and standards from the genre. However, as the mini-hoedown "Honey Ain't Nowhere" proves, they dew drop in for some unquestionably bluegrass-inspired pickin'.
The succinct "Amelia's Earache" and "Pick Your Nose" are both off-the-wall indulgences that nicely balance out the stunning "Beautiful Friend" and the mid-tempo rocker "Stick Together," which bears all the earmarks of an early-'70s Allman Brothers side. Similarly, "Rip & Snort" features a strong repetitive rhythm that is accentuated by the guitarists in a tandem lead similar to that of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. Another recommended spin is the languid and laid-back "It's Time," as it wafts into a vibe reminiscent of Neil Young circa After the Gold Rush (1970). Reach for the Sky (1971) is full of pleasurable, if not slightly pastoral, music that is recommended for inclined ears who likewise favor Southern rock.
by Lindsay Planer
Tracks
1. Opening (Bill Pillmore, Pete Kowalke) - 1:55
2. Livin' In The Country (Bill Pillmore, Scott Boyer) - 3:10
3. Song Of Love And Peace (Scott Boyer) - 2:39
4. Amelia's Earache (Tommy Talton) - 0:42
5. Pick Your Nose (Bill Pillmore) - 1:53
6. Pretty Friend (Tommy Talton) - 4:16
7. Everything Here (Tommy Talton) - 5:34
8. Stick Together (Scott Boyer) - 2:43
9. Use Your Situation (Scott Boyer) - 3:12
10.It's Time (Scott Boyer) - 4:28
11.Honey Ain't Nowhere (Scott Boyer) - 1:57
12.Rip And Snort (Scott Boyer) - 4:13
13.Josephine, Beyond Compare (Tommy Talton) - 4:27
Cowboy
*Scott Boyer - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Violin, Lead Vocals
*Tommy Talton - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Bill Pillmore - Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Fiddle, Vocals
*George Clark - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Kowalke - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar, Vocals, Drums
One of Southern rock's best-kept secrets during its golden age in the 1970s, Cowboy were formed by songwriters Tommy Talton and Scott Boyer in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969. Playing a kind of acoustic country-rock similar to contemporaries Pure Prairie League, Cowboy had their own twist on the formula, thanks to Talton and Boyer's sharp, focused songwriting and a distinguishable Muscle Shoals flair.
After hearing the band, Duane Allman passed the word along to Phil Walden at Macon, Georgia's Capricorn Records, who offered the group a recording contract. The band's membership was pretty fluid during this time, other than Talton and Boyer, both of whom became de facto members of the Capricorn house band, playing with the Allman Brothers, Gregg Allman, Alex Taylor, and Bonnie Bramlett, among others. In all, four albums were released under the Cowboy name on Capricorn Records, 1970's Reach for the Sky and 1971's 5'll Getcha Ten.
Talton and Boyer put Cowboy back together in 2007, recording tracks at Sandlin's Duck Tape Studio in Decatur, Alabama, although none of those tracks were released at the time. After battling peripheral artery disease, Scott Boyer died in Muscle Shoals in February 2018; he was 70 years old.
by Steve Leggett
Full of laid-back Southern charm, 5'll Getcha Ten finds Cowboy further exploring the wonders of back-porch music. Strong songwriting and beautiful harmonies abound here, and cuts like the title track, "All My Friends," "Innocence Song," and "Please Be with Me" -- the latter of which features Duane Allman on Dobro and caught the ear of Eric Clapton, who included his own rendition of the tune on 461 Ocean Boulevard -- all sport fine musicianship. A great album to kick back and relax to.
by James Chrispell
Tracks
1. She Carries A Child (Scott Boyer) - 3:40
2. Hey There Babe (Tommy Talton) - 3:18
3. 5'll Getcha Ten (Tommy Talton) - 4:55
4. The Wonder (John McKenze) - 3:52
5. Shoestrings (Scott Boyer, Bill Pillmore) - 3:20
6. Lookin' For You (Scott Boyer) - 4:06
7. Seven Four Tune (Bill Pillmore) - 2:40
8. Right On Friend (Scott Boyer) - 3:36
9. All My Friends (Scott Boyer) - 4:50
10.Innocence Song (Scott Boyer, Bill Pillmore) - 1:53
11.Please Be With Me (Scott Boyer) - 3:40
12.What I Want Is You (Peter Kowalke) - 3:25 Cowboy
*Scott Boyer - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Violin, Lead Vocals
*Tommy Talton - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Bill Pillmore - Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Fiddle, Vocals
*George Clark - Bass Guitar, Vocals
*Pete Kowalke - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar, Vocals, Drums
*Tom Wynn - Drums, Percussion With
*Chuck Leavell - Piano
*Duane Allman - Dobro
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, and native New Yorker Dave Van Ronk inspired, aided, and promoted the careers of numerous singer/songwriters who came up in the blues tradition. Most notable of the many musicians he helped over the years was Bob Dylan, whom Van Ronk got to know shortly after Dylan moved to New York in 1961 to pursue a life as a folk/blues singer. Van Ronk's recorded output was healthy, but he was never as prolific a songwriter as some of his friends from that era, like Dylan or Tom Paxton. Instead, Van Ronk's genius was derived from his flawless execution and rearranging of classic acoustic blues tunes.
Born June 30, 1936, in Brooklyn and raised there, Van Ronk never completed high school, and left home for Greenwich Village, a few miles away, in his late teens. He took his inspiration from blues and folk singer Odetta, who encouraged the then merchant seaman to play the classic jazz music that he was so keenly interested in. Often regarded as the grand uncle of the Greenwich Village coffeehouse scene, the self-effacing Van Ronk, an engaging intellectual and voracious reader, would have been the first to tell you that there were others, like Odetta, who were around the Village before him. As the blues and folk boom bloomed into the '60s, Van Ronk became part of an inner circle of musicians who lived in the Village, including then up-and-coming performers like Dylan, Paxton, Phil Ochs, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Joni Mitchell. An expert fingerpicker, Van Ronk was influenced as a vocalist by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong.
Van Ronk's recording career began in 1959 with Sings Ballads, Blues & a Spiritual on Moses Asch's Folkways label. His reputation wasn't solid, however, until he began recording for the Prestige label in the first half of the '60s. These recordings allowed him to tour throughout the U.S. and perform at major folk festivals like Newport. Although he had a short-lived folk rock band called the Hudson Dusters in the mid-'60s, the bulk of Van Ronk's recordings were solo acoustic affairs. Van Ronk's various recordings serve different purposes; to check out Van Ronk the songwriter, pick up Going Back to Brooklyn (Gazell Productions, 1985), which was his first all-original album, containing only his own songs; for students of Van Ronk's complex guitar technique, pick up Dave Van Ronk, a compact disc reissue of two earlier Prestige albums, Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger and Inside Dave Van Ronk. Another compilation, The Folkways Years (1959-1961), is available from Smithsonian Folkways. His 1967 album for Verve Forecast, Dave Van Ronk and the Hudson Dusters, is worthy of reissue on compact disc for its sound quality and for the statements it makes about American society in the '60s.
Van Ronk continued to record throughout the '90s and beyond, with the Alcazar Records label releasing From...Another Time and Place in 1995 and Justin Time issuing Sweet and Lowdown in 2001. He died unexpectedly while undergoing post-operative treatment for colon cancer on February 10, 2002.
by Richard Skelly
The sound on this album is reminiscent of the New York folk-rock band The Blues Project. It begins with a ragged rendition of The Hollywood Argyles' "Alley Oop" and ranges from that doo wop chestnut to Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning and Clouds" to "Romping Through the Swamp." More familiar Van Ronk territory is covered, also with reprise performances of "Dink's Song" and "Cocaine." Dave Van Ronk always brings his enthusiastic roar to his material and makes it his own. His rendition of "Swing on a Star" is but one example. The Hudson Dusters seem to be a combination electric jugband, folk orchestra and bubblegum band, as on "Mr. Middle." A strange collection.
by Richard Meyer
Tracks
1. Alley Oop (Dallas Frazier) - 3:38
2. Head Inspector (Van Ronk) - 2:06
3. Swing On A Star (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 2:37
4. Mr. Middle (Stephen Bogardus, Dave Woods) - 3:02
5. Chelsea Morning (Joni Mitchell) - 2:33
6. Clouds (From Both Sides Now) (Joni Mitchell) - 4:37
7. Keep Off The Grass (Dave Woods, Doris Woods) - 2:08
8. Dink's Song (Bess B. Lomax, John A. Lomax) - 3:34
9. New Dreams (Dave Woods, Doris Woods) - 2:22
10.Cocaine (Reverend Gary Davis) - 4:58
11.Romping Through The Swamp (Peter Stampfel) - 1:58
Merrilee Rush was among the most popular homegrown singing stars that the Northwest rock 'n' roll teen scene produced during the mid 1960s. Her trademark low voice and comely looks and an exciting stage presence helped her lead a string of teen combos -- notably the Statics and the Turnabouts -- to regional fame. But then in 1968, after scoring her first of several international radio hits, "Angel of the Morning," she was no longer Seattle's private treasure and the years of major-label record deals, television appearances, and concert touring began.
Born Merrilee Gunst to Reuben and Edith Gunst in Seattle on January 26, 1944, Rush grew up in the the city's north end. Reuben was a home-builder and the family -- eventually including Merrilee's younger siblings Cheryl, Marsha, Laura, and Clayton -- moved at least a few times into new houses he had built. Merrilee attended Lake Forest Park Elementary and began taking piano lessons, then started at Morgan Junior High. By age 13 she was volunteering as a performer in various United Service Organizations (USO) programs entertaining military troops along with a girlfriend named Lynn Vrooman. Then, while a 16-year-old student at Shoreline High School, she agreed to accompany Vrooman to a band audition in Renton. That band was the Amazing Aztecs, led by 18-year-old saxophonist and budding music-biz entrepreneur Neil Rush. As events unfolded, the young bandleader was more impressed by Merrilee and he asked if, in addition to playing piano, she could sing.
A major turning point came in 1965, during the era of Beatlemania, when Merrilee and Neil broke off from the Statics and formed a new group -- one christened with a vaguely Brit-sounding name. Merrilee and the Turnabouts hit the ground running with former Static Dave Erickson managing them and a lineup of Vern Kjellberg (guitar), Terry Gregg (bass), and Ed Leckenby (drums). Best of all, Merrilee was now roaming the stage in her famous candy-striped silk suit, working the crowds and enjoying being no longer stuck back behind her keyboards.
On the night of April 30, 1965, the Turnabouts performed at the Seattle Center Coliseum's Spring Spectacular event organized by Pat O'Day (b. 1934), which also featured fellow Northwest bands Don and the Goodtimes and the Sonics. Headlining were such national radio stars as Johnny Rivers, the Shangri-Las, Dino, Desi and Billy, the Lovin' Spoonful, and the Mamas and the Papas. Then on June 19 the Turnabouts played O'Day's "Teen-Age Fair" at the Seattle Center Exhibition and Display Halls as part of a nine-day event that also featured Top-40 stars like: Lou Christie, Ian Whitcomb, Chubby Checker, and Chris Montez.Neil Rush soon formed a partnership with Lewiston, Idaho, radio DJ Bill Rosencranz, creating a label name based on the beginning letters of their own: RU-RO Records. The Turnabouts' next single, "Party Song"/"It's Alright" (RU-RO 0411) -- recorded by Kearney Barton (1931-2012) in his Audio Recording studios at 2227 Fifth Avenue in downtown Seattle -- made clear that the band's music had now shifted from a deep R&B thing to a post-Beatles rockin' pop focus. And that shift helped propel them into a new status as one of the Northwest's premier dance attractions.
Merrilee and the Turnabouts began a multi-year schedule of grueling one-nighters in towns like Tacoma, Olympia, Montesano, Yakima, Richland, Moses Lake, Ephrata, Walla Walla, Spokane, Corvallis, Salem, Portland, Seaside, Moscow, Lewiston, and Missoula, ad infinitum. And this took a toll, with numerous players dropping away and fresh ones rolling into the lineup. But word about the band was spreading, all the way to California evidently. When the Turnabouts were booked into the Ice House in Glendale, its owner, Bob Stane, enthused, "This is the first time that [the club] has put in a headline act without an audition or hit record" and that he'd hired them due to their "spectacular reputation in the Northwest" (The Beat).
As 1967's "Summer of Love" unfolded and the counterculture flowered, the Turnabouts began playing to a different kind of audience, at a different kind of gig that would be promoted via psychedelic art posters. Opportunities were arising to perform shows at various auditoriums replete with hippie dancers and mind-bending light shows projected on the stage. The band did one in Tacoma on August 26 at the Charles Wright Academy and in October appeared in Seattle with the Wallflowers and the Gas Company at The Happening at 1426 First Avenue.
Meanwhile the Statics' former roadie, Jimmy Johnson, had gone on to work for the Raiders. Lore maintains that it was he who kept reminding Revere about how great Merrilee Rush was. An offer to tour the deep South with the Raiders resulted -- only Merrilee would be supported by a backing band known as the Board of Directors. The musicians traveled by bus caravan playing many concerts in places like Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, finally ending in Louisville, Kentucky. It was while in North Memphis, Tennessee, that Rush was invited to attend a recording session where the Raiders were cutting their next album, Goin' to Memphis, at American Sound Studio. After meeting the studio's owner, veteran hit producer Chips Moman, she was asked to cut some demonstration tracks. Moman was pleased and invited her to return in a few weeks, when she would ultimately be paired with producer/musician Tommy Cogbill (1932-1982) and various other members of the ace house band, The Memphis Boys.
One song offered to her was "Angel of the Morning," penned by a hit-writing ace, Chip Taylor. Rush loved it. The musical hooks were great, and the lyrics -- about a woman offering a lover assurance that he need not linger around if it wasn't in his heart to do so -- were compelling and cutting-edge socially. In January 1968 Rush was back in Seattle, and soon thereafter the song was released by the New York-based Bell label. By March Seattle's KJR had jumped on the record, Spokane's KJRB followed, then Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and on and on. In May "Angel of the Morning" broke out in Billboard magazine's Hot-100 charts, climbing for 16 weeks, and finally peaking at the No. 7 slot.
"Angel of the Morning," with its beautiful melody, accessible chords, moderate tempo, light martial snare fill, intriguing lyrics, and Rush's unique harmonious vocals, rightfully became a giant hit through that hot summer of 1968. Its prime period on the charts overlapped a troubling season spanning the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy and the riotous Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Surrounded on the charts, as it was, by such heavy tunes as Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" and the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man," it felt like an aural oasis of needed calm. The right song for the right moment.
by Peter Blecha, 12/14/2015
Tracks
1. It's Worth It All (Mark James, Wayne Jackson) - 2:35
2. Sandcastles (Chips Moman, Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 2:45
3. Billy Sunshine (Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor) - 3:07
4. Handy (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Darryl Carter) - 2:14
5. San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) (John Phillips) - 2:51
6. Angel Of The Morning (Chip Taylor) - 2:58
7. That Kind Of Woman (Donna Weiss, Mary Unobsky) - 2:40
8. Working Girl (Chip Taylor) - 3:12
9. Observation From Flight 285 (In ¾ Time) (Mark Lindsay) - 2:22
10.Hush (Joe South) - 2:03
11.Do Unto Others (Mark Lindsay) - 2:30
12.Sunshine And Roses (George Klein, Mark James) - 3:10
1970 was a busy and exciting year for The Petards consisting of Klaus and Horst Ebert, Roger Waldmann and Arno Dittrich. With 'Hitshock' they had released a successful album, they had performed in theatres of Bremen and the Ruhr area; they had performed in the legendary 'Olympia' in Paris and had played some 150 concerts.
The band was on the radio in 1970 no less than 800 times, and of course the band was on the top of the relevant annual polls of the music press everywhere!
From November to December 1970 the band was back in the studio to record their fourth album. Their label Liberty had generously given them a double album, four LP sides had to be filled. No problem for the creative Ebert brothers, Klaus and Horst, who once again were responsible for writing all the songs. This time the band wasn't accommodated in Munich's Trixi Studio where the previous albums had been recorded. Instead, they stayed with sound guru Dieter Dierks in the trendy Dierks Studio in Stommeln.
Siggi Loch was not present at the sessions, the band and Klaus Ebert in particular acted as producers themselves. The result was the band's most experimental album, a colorful kaleidoscope with strong psychedelic tracks. The songs got out longer and more unusual, the band didn't care about the radio compatibility of the earlier albums. They had fun and tested what was possible. A great album, which surely belongs to the best what at that time came out of German studios. 'Pet Arts' was released on March 31, 1971.
At this time Klaus Ebert, the brilliant driving force behind the band, had already left the Petards and had moved to Hamburg as a producer for Metronome Records. The band had achieved a tremendous success until then, they had played hundreds of gigs, had recorded great records, but despite all their endeavors they hadn't made the big breakthrough.
Klaus Ebert preferred the comfortable producer's chair to another uncertain career. A violent blow for the band, neither Ray King nor Bernd Wippich, who followed Klaus Ebert, could adequately replace him. Another album which the band recorded under Dieter Dierks at the end of 1971 was not even released by Liberty and was first issued by Bear Family Records in 1981 entitled 'Burning Rainbows'.
In 1972 that was the end, The Petards disbanded. On the 4th of March their 1,000-th performance was celebrated, on the 3rd of September 1972 the last gig of the band was held in the 'Western Saloon' in Wiesbaden. The Petards were history, unforgotten until today!
by Tom Redecker
Tracks
1. Don't You Feel Like Me - 2:50
2. Good Good Donna - 3:45
3. Rainy Day - 3:58
4. Fowling - 2:43
5. Cowboy - 2:32
6. Willie's Gun - 3:40
7. Windy Nevermore - 4:08
8. Long Way Back Home - 5:40
9. Big Boom - 5:30
10.Too Many Heavens - 5:20
11.Flame Missing Light - 8:51
12.On The Road Drinking Wine - 2:33
13.Baby Man - 4:41
14.Spectrum - 7:30
15.Hello, My Friend - 3:50
All songs by Horst Ebert, Klaus Ebert
There's apparently a modern-day Christian rock band called The Choir, but they're imposters stealing the name of a legendary legend. Which reminds me - "Backstreet Boy" is slang for "male prostitute." I don't know if the band members are aware of that, but I'm pretty sure that the mothers of every 13-year-old girl in America are going to be pretty upset when they read my review of The Choir and learn this sordid truth.
The original Choir was a one-hit wonder back in the late '60s with the hot pop Nugget "It's Cold Outside." As far as I can tell, they never had a chance to release a full album while the band was still around. However, the fine folks at Sundazed came across a bunch of old demos, outtakes and rehearsals and released it as an 18-song CD! Finally all of us old fellows local 151 behind the firehouse can get a whole big mess of great melodic guitar pop action without having to dig through hundreds and billions of scratchy old 45s in stores like Steve's Overpriced Piece Of Crap Records From The 60s.
See, ever since I was, oh let's say 5 years old, I grew up listening to my Dad's old 45s. GREAT 45s. The best that the 60s had to offer - huge piles of not just Beatles, Stones and Who, but Yardbirds, Nova Local, Count Five, Hombres, Turtles, Monkees, Hogs, Electric Prunes and -- yes -- the Choir. To be honest, it took quite some time for "It's Cold Outside" to grow on me. It's a very catchy uptempo song but was a bit melancholy for my young tastes. I preferred the awesome harmonica-driven "yeah yeah!" b-side "I'm Going Home." You must understand, now hear me, that I never really knew which sides were supposed to be side A and which were supposed to be side B, so I listened to all of them. No matter whether I liked them or hated them. I put them all in particular orders and listened to all of them in that order. And I wouldn't leave my room in the middle of a song. The record had to end before I would leave the room. And I would play with my Legos and pretend that the little men were Paul Revere and the Raiders and I was Mark Lindsay. Yes, some of this was certainly an early warning that a life of OCD was in the works, but it also helped establish a very important rule in my head -- MUSIC IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. I know it's just for fun and it shouldn't be taken seriously (lest one turn into Robert Fripp), but I ALWAYS loved to have music playing, and still do. I like music. It provides one of my five senses with very powerful stimulation.
So as a child of the sixties through my father's old 45s, Choir Practice came as kind of a disappointment. It's not that the band was a talentless one-hit wonder; that's not the case at all. There are lots of gorgeous 60s-style guitar pop songs on here, as good as anything by the Beau Brummels and even up to Byrds and Beatles standards at points -- however, the singer guy had quite a bit of trouble on a good quarter of these releases, warbling way out of tune in a mix that puts him in the front of a huge, huge room at the back of which plays the band very quietly so as not to disturb the cat.
Don't let this complaint dissuade you from take a spin the CD if you're a big fan of 60s garage rock/pop though. It's not just a hit single and a bunch of covers or generic filler. Songs like "I'd Rather You Leave Me," "When You Were With Me" and "I Only Did It 'Cause I Felt So Lonely" show the Choir to be a band of gifted melody craftsmen and awesome harmony vocalists, and the late-period stuff from '69 is really cool organ-heavy dark Iron Butterfly-type vibeage. When you consider that these are mere demos and STILL sound pretty darned impressive, it serves as just yet further pity that this band never got the chance to create a full-length album of their own.
As opposed to the Eagles - a thought that makes the whole situation just that much more depressing and tragic.
by Mark Pindle
Tracks
1. I'd Rather You Leave Me (Wally Bryson) - 2:06
2. It's Cold Outside (Dann Klawon) - 2:49
3. When You Were With Me (Unissued Version) (Wally Bryson) - 2:32
4. Don't Change Your Mind (Unissued Reherseal) (Dave Smalley, Wally Bryson) - 1:51
5. Dream Of One's Life (Unissued) (Jim "Snake" Skeen) - 3:27
6. In Love's Shadow (Unissued Demo) (Dann Klawon) - 2:41
7. I'm Slippin' (Unissued Demo) (Dann Klawon) - 2:52
8. Leave Me Be (Unissued Demo) (Chris White) - 3:43
9. I'd Rather You Leave Me (Unissued Reherseal) (Wally Bryson) - 2:32
10.Treeberry (Unissued Reherseal) (Jim "Snake" Skeen) - 2:22
11.Smile (Unissued Demo) (Dann Klawon) - 2:45
12.A To F (I Don't Want Nobody) (Unissued Demo) (Dann Klawon) - 4:48
13.I Only Did It 'Cause I Felt So Lonely (Wally Bryson) - 2:16
14.Don't Change Your Mind (Dave Smalley, Wally Bryson) - 2:05
15.Anyway I Can (Unissued) (Phil Giallombardo) - 3:50
16.Boris' Lament (Unissued) (Phil Giallombardo) - 2:51
17.David Watts (Unissued) (Ray Davies) - 2:34
18.If These Are Men (Unissued) (Denny Carleton) - 3:00
Tracks 6-8 as The Mods
