Stretch - The Best Of Stretch Why Did You Do It (1975-78 uk, tremendous hard groovy funky boogie rock, 2007 release)

Without question Stretch was one of rock music’s hardest working and finest groups and they remain vastly under-rated in spite of an outstanding hit single ‘Why Did You Do It?’, originally released in 1975 and later revitalized in the award-winning movie Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

In an era when Bad Company and Rainbow were storming the charts and the stages, Stretch was right up there giving them a run for their money. For a period in the mid 70s it seemed that they would be amongst the biggest names of them all with their thrilling spill of hooks and hard rock. Yet despite instant chart success the group had disappeared by the end of the decade. It remains one of the greatest universal mysteries why Stretch was not massive because their high quality tasteful music should have ensured far greater commercial success.

30 years after their last gig as Stretch, the band returned to the stage with great success in 2007 playing sold-out shows supporting The Jeff Healey Band. These appearances coincided with the release of Why Did You Do It? (The Best of Stretch) on Repertoire Records and much of the live material was drawn from that amazing compilation CD. There was considerable fresh interest in the group in Classic Rock magazine and The Best of Stretch was featured as their “Blues Album of the Month”.

Stretch showcases the brilliant vocal talents of Elmer Gantry and blistering guitar work of Kirby Gregory. In unison the versatile duo were, and remain, a dynamite combination of craft, intelligence and imagination. Elmer started his singing career as David Terry. He was given the nom-de-plume Elmer Gantry by his Velvet Opera band-matesin 1967 and it stuck. Lifted from the movie and scathing satirical book of the same name, Sinclair Lewis’s novel tells the story of a young roughneck who abandons his early ambition to become a lawyer. The fictional character embarks on a career as a hell-raising preacher in the ministry, crusading against all his previous vices including alcohol and prostitution.

Rock and Roll’s Elmer Gantry gave up his job as an apprentice printer in London to embark on a determined musical crusade. At 17 years of age he feverishly pursued his youthful ambition to sing the blues, playing with The Southbeats, The Impacts, The Union and The Five Proud Walkers. Gantry has also sat in with Long John Baldry, The Downliners Sect, Freddie Mac and John Renbourn and during a flirtation with the folk-blues scene rubbed shoulders with Bert Jansch, Roy Harper, Al Stewart and blues legend Jesse Fuller. 

A couple of years later, having returned to amplified music, Elmer recorded a ground-breaking psychedelic album as the leader and focal point of Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera. The group had a top 30 UK hit with Elmer’s composition ‘Flames’, a song that many acts took to and played, including the famous dance band led by Joe Loss. In 2003, during the London launch of the Led Zeppelin DVD Collection at The Empire cinema in Leicester Square, Zep vocalist Robert Plant told Elmer that in the early days of the band, ‘Flames’ was the only non-Zeppelin track that they used to play. Robert even sang a verse in the Empire’s foyer to surrounding family and friends! 

Being in the middle of the seething 60s music scene where jamming was a regular relaxation, Elmer got the opportunity to play with individuals who became genuine rock icons including Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck. Following his split from Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera at the end of the 60s, he formed The Elmer Gantry Band which included bassist Paul Martinez from The Downliners Sect. Elmer then sat out his CBS recording contract in the Glasgow and London stage productions of the highly controversial rock musical HAIR where, amongst others, he formed friendships with the wonderful Alex Harvey and outrageous Richard O Brien.

Guitarist Kirby Gregory meanwhile moved from Berkshire via the West Country to London and in 1970 joined jazz-rock outfit Armada, an off-shoot of late 60s band The Open Mind. Armada accommodated various renowned musicians including Terry Schindler, Gary Windo, world famous clarinet player Sammy Rimington and bass player Rik Kenton, later of Roxy Music. Kirby introduced future Stretch bassist Steve Emery to Armada and Elmer joined the group as replacement vocalist for Schindler in 1971. Although Armada was a very popular live act, sadly, they never released any recorded material and commercial success eluded them. Nonetheless, a crucial connection between Gantry and Gregory had been made.

Kirby left Armada to join progressive rockers Curved Air in 1972 and appeared with Sonja Kristina and Eddie Jobson on their excellent fourth album Air Cut in the following year. Through Kirby’s tenure in Curved Air, their manager Clifford Davis (who was also known as Cliff Adams) helped Elmer and Kirby cut a vastly under-rated Warner Brothers single as Legs. Clifford also managed blues legends Fleetwood Mac, so when one of their American tours was halted in crisis in 1973, Davis suggested to drummer Mick Fleetwood that Gantry and Kirby would be ideal talents to be part of a new formation of the group. Fleetwood visited the boys at their home in Tooting and discussed details for an upcoming tour, including the possible lineup and the material to be played. Mick asked that he be excused rehearsals, as he was going through heavy personal relationship issues, but that he would join the boys at the start of the tour. In the event, Mick never arrived in America to join them and  the episode became one of the strangest and most controversial chapters in music history and the baffling debacle led to bitter disputes between Clifford Davis and the original members of Fleetwood Mac, both in and out of court. 

Battered and bruised, Elmer and Kirby formed their own band - Stretch. They recruited ex-Curved Air drummer Jim Russell and former Elmer Gantry Band and Hackensack bassist Paul Martinez. Stretch joined fledgling British label Anchor Records and stalwartly delivered some of the best rock and blues ever produced. Their sensational 1975 single ‘Why Did You Do It?’ cleverly referenced the Fleetwood Mac saga and tore into the UK charts reaching #16. It soared even higher in some international charts including the Top 5 in Holland and Israel and #2 on London’s Capital Radio chart.

‘Why Did You Do It?’ was taken from Stretch’s debut LP Elastique, a wonderfully eclectic collection of songs that encompassed funk, blues, hard rock, country-folk and ballads. The album offered a truly unique and refreshing listening experience but seemingly confused audiences who expected Stretch to play in the funky style of their hit single all the time. Kirby reflects that Elastique sounded like three completely different bands. The musicians thought that this was an artistic asset until ‘Why Did You Do It?’ became such a great success and live audiences expected everything they played to mirror their hit single. 

Engaging former Ross and Armada bassist Steve Emery and youthful drummer Jeff Rich as replacement members for Martinez and Russell, the band recorded their next album You Can’t Beat Your Brain for Entertainment, moving in a new musical direction that was more rock and boogie based. The record’s memorable title was provided by Elmer’s friend, Richard O’Brien - actor, theatre performer, TV presenter and writer of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Stretch’s second LP featured ‘That’s the Way the Wind Blows’, a sure-fire hit single that inexplicably missed the charts as well as exceptional versions of Bukka White’s ‘Fixin’ to Die’ and ‘Feelin’ Sad’, a classic ballad that had been covered by one of Elmer’s heroes, Ray Charles.

To promote their second album Elmer and Kirby secured a support slot with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow on their 1976 Rainbow Rising UK tour. Stretch surprised British crowds and attracted praise and plaudits on this sojourn, not least at London’s Hammersmith Odeon where critics were forced to acknowledge that Rainbow was blown aside by the support band’s powerful R&B. After multiple encores at both London gigs, it was unsurprising that Stretch was “not required” for Rainbow’s subsequent European tour dates where AC/DC became the replacement support act.

Stretch’s third album, Lifeblood, contained some of their finest songs including ‘Take You Down’, ‘Knives in their Backs’ and ‘Jonah and the Whale’. They continued to display their musical influences proudly with unique versions of Peter Green’s ‘Showbiz Blues’, Freddie King’s ‘Living on the Highway’ and Rick Derringer’s ‘Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo’. Stretch always interpreted other writers’ material with total panache, adding to and often surpassing the originals. Their treatment of Derringer’s classic was a case in point. Stretch’s red-hot version was lauded by legendary DJ John Peel, who risked upsetting Johnny Winter devotees by describing Stretch’s ‘Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo’ as the finest ever recorded when he introduced the track on his BBC radio programme. 

One album review remarked on Kirby's guitar assault being worth the price of admission by itself, as he played both Johnny Winter’s and Rick Derringer's original guitar parts with absolute aplomb. Tragically, the lack of commercial recognition took its toll on Stretch. Elmer quit in frustration and later formed groups named The Backroom Boys and Gantry. Jeff Rich joined Judie Tzuke, Climax Blues Band and then Status Quo. Steve Emery played bass with Major Blues Band, The Graham Foster Band, Los Lunaticos and The Rockets in Spain where he became resident. Kirby produced a solo album and another Stretch LP - Forget the Past - with a new expanded line-up, but this formation did not last. Reflecting on this period Kirby is the first to acknowledge that, “Stretch is not really Stretch without Elmer!” The duo did re-unite briefly in 1982 and recorded with Sweet drummer Mick Tucker and bass player Nigel Ross-Scott but the session tapes were shelved.  

Kirby believes that Stretch gave everything in terms of recording and touring but eventually the band felt as though they we were heading backwards. The success of ‘Why Did You Do It?’ and their live performances meant that early expectations were very high for the group. They remained determined in their efforts and were having fun but they could not maintain momentum and became frustrated at the lack of support. Elmer and Kirby admit in retrospect that they should have persevered and turned their anger outwards rather than inwards but, eventually their frustration became destructive and Stretch split. 

The spirit of the band survived with successful 80s re-issues of ‘Why Did You Do It?’ across Europe and the inclusion of their biggest hit in the 1998 movie Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Elmer also appeared as guest vocalist on several albums post-Stretch including Turn of a Friendly Card and Eye in the Sky by The Alan Parsons Project, Cozy Powell’s Tilt and Before I Forget by John Lord. Gantry also sang with Munkfish and sat in with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Over the years Kirby has recorded with David Essex, Danny Kirwan, Noel Janus, Joan Armatrading, Cozy Powell, Graham Bonnett and post-punk rockers Gloria Mundi. The guitarist also formed Blue Murder, a very fine 80s trio with Sensational Alex Harvey Band drummer Ted McKenna. 

Stretch-Web

Tracks
1. Miss Jones (Elmer Gantry, Gregory Kirby) - 3:04
2. Knives In Their Backs (Gregory Kirby) - 3:55
3. Jonah And The Whale (Gregory Kirby) - 4:50
4. Why Did You Do It? (Gregory Kirby) - 3:30
5. Take You Down (Gregory Kirby) - 3:59
6. Feelin' Sad (Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones) - 5:25
7. Can’t Judge A Book (Willie Dixon) - 6:12
8. Hold Up The Light (Elmer Gantry, Gregory Kirby) - 3:22
9. That’s The Way The Wind Blows (Elmer Gantry, Gregory Kirby) - 3:45
10.If The Cap Fits (Elmer Gantry) - 3:26
11.The Way Life Is (Gregory Kirby) - 4:03
12.Hold On (Elmer Gantry, Gregory Kirby) - 3:23
13.Living On The Highway (Don Nix, Leon Russell) - 3:08
14.Miss Dizzy (Elmer Gantry) - 4:00
15.Fixin’ To Die (Bukka Wyatt) - 3:36
16.You Can’t Beat Your Brain For Entertainment (Elmer Gantry) - 3:09
17.Buzz Fly (Elmer Gantry) - 1:54
18.Rock And Roll Hoochie Coo (Rick Derringer) - 3:09
19.Write Me A Note (Elmer Gantry) - 4:37
20.Tomorrow’s Another Day (Elmer Gantry) - 4:51

Stretch
*Elmer Gantry (Dave Terry) - Vocals, Guitar
*Kirby Gregory (Graham Gregory) - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Martinez - Bass (1974-75)
*Craig Collinge - Drums (1974)
*John Wilkinson - Keyboards (1974)
*Jim Russell - Drums (1974-76)
*Hiroshi Kato - Guitar (1974)
*John Cook - Keyboards (1975)
*Dave Evans - Bass (1975-76)
*Steve Emery - Bass (1976-79)
*Jeff Rich - Drums (1976-78)
*Nicko Mcbrain - Drums (1978-79)

Related Acts
1967-69  Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera - Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera (Japan issue)
1969  Velvet Opera - Ride A Hustler's Dream
1969-72  Hackensack - Give It Some

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Humble Pie - Thunderbox (1974 uk, awesome hard boogie glam rock, 2011 japan SHM remaster)

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)

Humble Pie
*Greg Ridley - Bass, Vocals
*Jerry Shirley - Vocals, Drums
*Steve Marriott - Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Vocals
*Dave "Clem" Clempson - Guitar
Guests
*Mel Collins - Horn
*Carlena Williams -Vocals
*Venetta Fields - Vocals
*Billie Barnum - Vocals

1969  Humble Pie - As Safe As Yesterday Is (Japan edition)
1969  Humble Pie - Town and Country (2007 remaster and expanded)
1970  Humble Pie (Japan edition)
1971  Humble Pie - Rock On
1971  Humble Pie - Performance, Rockin’ The Fillmore (2013 issue, 4 discs set)
1972  Humble Pie - Smoikin' (Japan edition)
1973  Humble Pie - Eat It (Japan edition)
1973  Humble Pie - In Concert / King Biscuit Flower Hour
Related Act 
1967  Small Faces - Green Circles / First Immediate Album 
1968  The Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (3 discs set)
1965-69  Small Faces - The Immediate Years (four discs box, 1st edition)

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Mike McGear - Woman (1972 uk, great soft prog rock with jazz elements, 2009 japan SHM remaster)

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

Musicians
*Mike McGear - Vocals
*Roger McGough - Guitars
*Andy Roberts - Guitars
*Roger Bunn - Bass Guitar
*Dave Richards - Bass Guitar
*Zoot Money - Piano, Keyboards
*John Megginson - Organ
*Brian Auger - Keyboards
*Norman Yardley - Harmonica
*Gerry Conway - Drums, Percussion
*Ginger Johnson - Percussion
*Michael Rosen - Horns
*Roger Ball - Horns
*Cecil Moss - Horns
*Chris Pyne - Horns
*Malcolm Duncan - Horns
*Paul Korda - Backing Vocals
*Steve Gould - Backing Vocals
*Alan Gorrie - Backing Vocals
*Centipede - Strings
*Tony Coe - Saxophones

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Birds Of A Feather ‎– The Page One Recordings (1970 uk, beautiful blue eyed soul sunny pop, 2017 remaster with bonus tracks)

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

Musicians
*Doreen Chanter - Vocals
*Irene Chanter - Vocals
*Alex Chanter - Guitar
*Charlie Chanter - Drums
*Elton John - Piano
*Caleb Quaye - Guitar
*Rick Wakeman - Keyboards

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Swampwater - Swampwater (1970 us, great country swamp rock)

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

The Swampwater
*John Beland – Guitar, Resonator Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Gib Guilbeau - Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals
*Thad Maxwell - Bass, Vocals
*Stan Pratt - Drums
With
*Roger Jannotta - Strings

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Cowboy - Reach For The Sky (1970 us, fine country southern rock)

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

1971  Cowboy - 5'll Getcha Ten (2014 remaster)

Related Acts
1968  The 31st Of February - The 31st Of February
1974  Gregg Allman - The Gregg Allman Tour (2008 japan SHM remaster)

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Cowboy - 5'll Getcha Ten (1971 us, wonderful southern country soft rock, 2014 remaster)

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

Related Acts
1968  The 31st Of February - The 31st Of February
1974  Gregg Allman - The Gregg Allman Tour (2008 japan SHM remaster)

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Dave Van Ronk And The Hudson Dusters (1967 us, awesome goovy jazzy folk psych rock, Vinyl edition)

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

Personnel
*Dave Van Ronk - Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Woods - Guitar
*Phil Namenworth (Aka Pot) - Keyboards
*Ed Gregory - Bass
*Rick Henderson - Drums

Related Act
1970  Elliott Randall - Randall's Island (2011 edition) 

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Merrilee Rush And The Turnabouts - Angel Of The Morning (1968 us, wonderful orchestrated sunny psych, 2004 japan remaster)

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

Personnel
*Merrilee Rush - Keyboards, Vocals
*Neil Rush - Saxophone
*Peter Sack - Drums
*Rob Straub - Drums
*Carl Wilson - Guitar
*Barney Armstrong - Vocals
*Bill Barnard - Guitar
*Bob Bennett - Drums
*Randy Bennett - Bass
*Eddie Bishop - Bass
*Jim Blade - Bass
*Danny Brabant - Drums
*Frank Butorac - Guitar
*"Shuga" George Clark - Drums
*Mike Cox - Bass
*Dave Erickson - Drums
*Mike Garland - Drums
*Richard Gerber - Guitar
*Terry Gregg - Bass
*Randy "Tag" Henning - Bass
*Mark Hibbert - Bass
*Danny Hoefer - Guitar
*Michael Kinder - Drums
*Brian Knowles - Guitar
*Joel Johnson - Keyboards
*Vern Kjellberg (aka Joey Newman) - Guitar
*Terry Lauber - Guitar
*Ed Leckenby - Drums
*Bill McCarthy - Keyboards, Vocals
*Tim McFall - Drums, Vocals
*John Morris - Guitar, Vocals
*Steve Moshier - Drums
*Karl Peters - Drums
*Mike Robbins - Keyboards
*Gary Ruhl - Bass

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Petards - Pet Arts (1971 germany, great classic rock with prog shades)

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

The Petards
*Horst Ebert - Guitar, Vocals
*Klaus Ebert - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
*Rüdiger "Roger" Waldmann - Vocals, Bass
*Arno Dittrich - Drums

1967-71  The Petards - The Petards 

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