Wasting no time at all, The Groundhogs released Hogwash in late 1972. Sticking to their new progressive blues template, they produced another good album in a similar vein to its predecessor, although I detect slightly more jamming, possibly to fill a quickly-recorded follow-up. On the 'Tron front, You Had A Lesson has some nice string chords, double-tracked with brass at one point, but the album's other Mellotronic track is most certainly its highlight. Earth Shanty opens with wave sounds from McPhee's ARP 2600, before a strong 'Tron strings part, lasting some time, leads into the main part of the track. Further along, a cello line underpins the acoustic guitar, and some brass chords ride over the top. Excellent.
Crosscut Saw is the album wherein T.S. McPhee launches you into the universe.Beautiful, powerful guitar work that grasps the mind and bends the consciousness.In an era of Jean Luc Ponte's Moog violin work and Pink Floyd's lazy psychedelia, Mr. McPhee gives muscle to an otherwise too-sweet genre.Bravo for voicing the masculine male's malaise in that last gasp of white boy angst fueled by too much speed, acid, smoke and wine!
Crosscut Saw / Black Diamond were McPhee's final run with his synthi-hifli guitar synth - he took it farther than anyone ! -his over the top guitar work on crosscut saw can acutally scare people - 3 way split, promiscuity and fulfillment are some of the most dynamic in your face guitar you'll ever hear. Black Diamond actually contains better material but isn't quite as aggressive as Crosscut Saw - friendzy, fantasy partner, live right , Black Diamond are all exceptional tunes - not a bad one on the album - this is probably McPhee's most under-rated LP.
Tracks
Disc 1
Hogwash 1972
1. I Love Miss Ogyny - 5:25
2. You Had A Lesson - 5:53
3. The Ringmaster - 1:23
4. 3744 James Road - 7:18
5. Sad Is The Hunter - 5:19
6. S'one Song - 3:34
7. Earth Shanty - 6:51
8. Mr. Hooker, Sir John - 3:34
BBC In Concert 1972
9. Split I - 6:20
10.I Love Miss Ogyny - 7:00
11.You Had A Lesson - 7:37
12.Earth Shanty - 11:15
13.3744 James Road - 8:14
All songs by Tony McPhee
Disc 2
BBC In Concert 1972
1. Sad Is The Hunter - 4:45
2. Split II - 6:21
3. Split IV - 4:48
4. Cherry Red - 5:44
BBC In Concert 1974
5. Ship On The Ocean - 4:18
6. I Love Miss Ogony - 5:44
7. Split I - 7:26
8. Soldier - 14:52
9. Split II - 8:22
Single 7" 1976
10.Live A Little Lady - 4:59
All songs by Tony McPhee
Disc 3 Crosscut Saw 1975
1. Crosscut Saw - 3:44
2. Promiscuity - 5:43
3. Boogie Withus - 3:53
4. Fulfilment - 7:32
5. Live A Little Lady - 6:06
6. Three Way Split - 4:56
7. Mean Mistreater - 2:33
8. Eleventh Hour - 6:43 Black Diamond 1976
9. Body Talk - 4:53
10.Fantasy Partner - 5:13
11.Live Right - 3:46
12.Country Blues - 4:19
13.Your Love Keeps Me Alive - 4:49
14.Friendzy - 5:28
15.Pastoral Future - 3:11
16.Black Diamond - 5:55
All songs by Tony McPhee
The Groundhogs
*Tony McPhee - Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
*Peter Cruikshank - Bass (on Hogwash and both BBC In Concert)
*Clive Brooks - Drums (on Hogwash and both BBC In Concert)
*Mike Cook - Drums (on Crosscut Saw and Black Diamond)
*Martin Kent - Guitar (on Crosscut Saw), Bass (on Black Diamond)
*Dave Wellbelove - Bass (on Crosscut Saw)
Although there are several Groundhogs live albums that have popped up in the last decade or so, most of them were recorded well after the band’s early 70’s peak. “Live at Leeds ‘71”, recorded when the band was on tour opening for the Rolling Stones, is a fantastic exception. Rumour has it that this show was recorded at the personal behest of Mick Jagger himself, a fan of the band who gave the master to Groundhogs main man Tony McPhee and had a few copies pressed for promotional purposes. Whether or not this is true doesn’t really matter, as there’s so much smoke and mirrors in rock and roll mythos that it becomes virtually impossible to separate the bullshit from the truth. In any case, it makes for a nice story, and what’s really important is the result: a short but potent snapshot of the classic Groundhogs line-up of Tony McPhee (guitar/vocals), Pete Kruickshank (bass) and Ken Pustelnik (drums) rocking like a motherfucker in front of a bunch of Stones fans.
The album finds the band playing 3 songs from their then newest LP, “Split”, and 2 more their previous one, “Thank Christ for the Bomb”. Opening with “Cherry Red”, arguably the bands finest bit of studio glory, the band starts out strong and only gets better as the show progresses, the cacophonous but limber bass and drums providing ample prodding for McPhee’s sheets of stinging guitar fuzz. “Cherry Red” is perhaps the only song here that doesn’t quite equal the studio version, but that’s only because the studio version is so fucking great to begin with. McPhee’s marble-mouthed vocals can’t quite replicate the multi-tracked female impersonator chorus from the original, but the guitar is even more rough & ready, the sound of the whole album falling somewhere between the MC5’s “Kick out the Jams” and Grand Funk Railroad’s “Live Album”. The band tackle’s “Garden” next, showing great restraint on the verses while nearly doubling the tempo on the chorus riffs.
Much like the underrated Blue Cheer, The Groundhogs knew the value of dynamics, even if the volume is on 11 most of the time here. “Split, Part 1” is given a great workout here, sounding considerably more muscular than the studio version, and Tony takes some time to stretch out a bit during the second solo. The delta/dada blues of “Groundhog” is next, with Tony going solo on guitar and vocals. While not as “authentic” sounding as the studio version, it’s yet another fantastic showcase of McPhee’s oh-so-very underrated guitar and vocal skills. I will admit the decision to leave out the constant bass drum “thump” of the studio version here is a little baffling, but if you listen closely, you can hear a few people in the audience offering some helpful handclaps.
The band caps things off (at least on this recording) with the extended jam-a-thon of “Eccentric Man”, McPhee’s low-key introduction standing sharply at odds with the staggeringly powerful intro of the song. One of the group’s heaviest studio cuts is transformed into an absolute monster here, the tempo and volume both increased considerably. Cruickshank’s meandering throb and Pustelnik’s drunken octopus bashing push along McPhee’s shrieking guitar improvisations like a meth-raging Cream. This was some of the heaviest stuff anyone was putting out at this time, with Blue Cheer having turned down and close to breakup and Grand Funk on their way to “We’re An American Band” mediocrity. “Live at Leeds ‘71” is a great example of how great the trio of McPhee, Cruickshank and Pustelnik really were, and it shows them at their peak as a band: energetic, loud-as-fuck and full of fire and purpose.
by Brandon Tenold
Tracks
1. Cherry Red - 6:23
2. Garden - 6:14
3. Split - Part One - 7:26
4. Groundhog Blues (John Lee Hookker) - 5:10
5. Eccentric Man - 11:25
All compositions by Tony McPhee except Track #4
The Groundhogs' debut album is a long way from the "classic" sound of the better-known Thank Christ for the Bomb/Split/Who Will Save the World? trilogy. Indeed, the mellow classic blues through which the band pursues its nine tracks offer the unsuspecting listener little more than a direct blast from the peak of the British blues boom past. Early Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, and Savoy Brown all haunted precisely the same corridors as Scratching the Surface, with only the occasional burst of fuzzed Tony McPhee guitar to distinguish the sonics from the rest of the pack. That said, Scratching the Surface ranks among the finest albums to emerge out of that entire period, a moody shuffle that includes an epic recounting of the Chicago classic "Still a Fool" and which matches five solid McPhee originals with a pair of blistering contributions from outgoing harmonica whiz Steve Rye. In fact, his "Early in the Morning" and "You Don't Love Me" might well be the album's best numbers, a discrepancy that puts one in mind of another of the blues boom's hottest acts, Jethro Tull, and just how much they changed once a founding member (Mick Abrahams) departed. Again, if you arrive at Scratching the Surface in search of a fresh "Cherry Red" or "Status People," you'll probably be disappointed. But if you want to hear the blues sluicing straight out of the Southern England Delta, there are precious few better introductions.
Thank Christ for the Bomb was the first Groundhogs album to indicate that the group had a lifespan longer than the already-fading British blues boom suggested. It was also the first in the sequence of semi-conceptual masterpieces that the group cut following their decision to abandon the mellow blues of their earlier works and pursue the socially aware, prog-inflected bent that culminated with 1972's seminal Who Will Save the World? album. They were rewarded with their first ever Top Ten hit and purchasers were rewarded with an album that still packs a visceral punch in and around Tony McPhee's dark, doom-laden lyrics. With the exception of the truly magisterial title track, the nine tracks err on the side of brevity. Only one song, the semi-acoustic "Garden," strays over the five-minute mark, while four more barely touch three-and-one-half minutes. Yet the overall sense of the album is almost bulldozing, and it is surely no coincidence that, engineering alongside McPhee's self-production,
Martin Birch came to the Groundhogs fresh from Deep Purple in Rock and wore that experience firmly on his sleeve. Volume and dynamics aside, there are few points of comparison between the two albums -- if the Groundhogs have any direct kin, it would have to be either the similarly three-piece Budgie or a better-organized Edgar Broughton Band. But, just as Deep Purple was advancing the cause of heavy rock by proving that you didn't need to be heavy all the time, so Thank Christ for the Bomb shifts between light and dark, introspection and outspokenness, loud and, well, louder. Even the acoustic guitars can make your ears bleed when they feel like it and, although the anti-war sentiments of "Thank Christ for the Bomb" seem an over-wordy echo of Purple's similarly themed "Child in Time," it is no less effective for it. Elements of Thank Christ for the Bomb do seem overdone today, not the least of which is the title track's opening recitation (a history of 20th century war, would you believe?). But it still has the ability to chill, thrill, and kill any doubts that such long-windiness might evoke, while the truths that were evident to McPhee in 1970 aren't too far from reality today.
by Dave Thompson
Recorded during June of 1969 at Marquee Studios in London with Gary Collins and Colin Caldwell engineering, the trio of Groundhogs put the blues to rest on Blues Obituary in front of a castle on the Hogart-designed cover while six black and whites from photographer Zorin Matic grace the back in morbid Creepy or Eerie Magazine comic book fashion. Composed, written, and arranged by Tony "T.S." McPhee, there are seven tracks hovering from the around four- to seven-minute mark. The traditional "Natchez Burning," arranged by McPhee, fits in nicely with his originals while the longest track, the six-minute-and-50-second "Light Is the Day," features the most innovation -- a Ginger Baker-style tribal rant by drummer Ken Pustelnik allowing McPhee to lay down some muted slide work. As the tempo on the final track elevates along with manic guitar runs by McPhee, the jamming creates a color separate from the rest of the disc while still in the same style. Vocals across the board are kept to a minimum. It is all about the sound, Cream without the flash, bandleader McPhee vocally emulating Alvin Lee (by way of Canned Heat's Alan Wilson) on the four-minute conclusion to side one that is "Mistreated."
While Americans like Grand Funk's Mark Farner turned the format up a commercial notch, Funk's "Mean Mistreater" sporting the same sentiment while reaching a wider audience, the Groundhogs on this late-'60s album keep the blues purely in the underground. The pumping beat on "Mistreated" embraces the lead guitarist's vocal, which poses that eternal blues question: "what have I done that's wrong?" Blistering guitar on the opening track, "B.D.D.," sets the pace for this deep excursion into the musical depths further down than Canned Heat ever dared go. While "Daze of the Weak" starts off sludgy enough, it quickly moves like a train out of control, laying back only to explode again. "Times" get things back to more traditional roots on an album that breaks little new ground, and is as consistent as Savoy Brown when they got into their primo groove.
by Joe Viglione
As the Groundhogs' best example of their gritty blues-rock fire and unique form of guitar-driven music, Split reveals more about Tony McPhee's character, perseverance, and pure love for performing this style of blues than any other album. Based around the misunderstanding and mystery of schizophrenia, Split takes a raw, bottom-heavy recipe of spirited, spunky guitar riffs (some of the best that McPhee has ever played) and attaches them to some well-maintained and intelligently written songs. The first four tracks are simply titled "Part One" to "Part Four" and instantly enter Split's eccentric, almost bizarre conceptual realm, but it's with "Cherry Red" that the album's full blues flavor begins to seep through, continuing into enigmatic but equally entertaining tracks like "A Year in the Life" and the mighty finale, entitled "Groundhog." Aside from McPhee's singing, there's a noticeable amount of candor in Peter Cruickshank's baggy, unbound percussion, which comes across as aimless and beautifully messy in order to complement the blues-grunge feel of the album. Murky, fuzzy, and wisely esoteric, Split harbors quite a bit of energy across its eight tracks, taking into consideration that so much atmosphere and spaciousness is conjured up by only three main instruments. This album, along with 1972's Who Will Save the World?, are regarded as two of the strongest efforts from the Groundhogs, but Split instills a little bit more of McPhee's vocal passion and dishes out slightly stronger portions of his guitar playing to emphasize the album's theme.
by Mike DeGagne
The final installment in the Groundhogs' trio of early '70s masterpieces--also including 1970's THANK CHRIST FOR THE BOMB and 1971's SPLIT--WHO WILL SAVE THE WORLD features eight epic tracks, so stripped-to-the-bone and brutal they are barely definable as blues. With the classic line-up of the band recording for the last time (drummer Ken Pestelnik departed after this album's release), the album has some of the heaviest cuts in their oeuvre: "Earth is Not Room Enough" finds a riffy groove dissolving into mellotron-driven confusion; "Death of the Sun" foregrounds frantically layered piano and guitar arpeggios; and the album's closer, "The Grey Maze," highlights the devastating guitar work that made Tony McPhee a British legend. Hearing the latter's fret heroics, one would be hard pressed to disagree with the album's premise (bolstered by the artwork of D.C. Comics illustrator Neal Adams) that the Mighty Groundhogs were indeed here to save the world.
by Patrick Sullivan
Tracks
Disc 1
Scratching The Surface 1968
1. Rocking Chair - 4:15
2. Early In The Morning (Steve Rye) - 4:51
3. Walking Blues - 2:30
4. Married Men - 4:40
5. No More Doggin' - 4:57
6. Man Trouble - 6:27
7. Come Back Baby - 3:55
8. You Don't Love Me (Steve Rye) - 4:11
9. Still A Fool (McKinley Morganfield) - 6:36
Bonus Track
10.Still A Fool (Single Edit) (McKinley Morganfield) - 4:09
Blues Obituary 1969
11.B.D.D. - 3:50
12.Daze Of The Weak - 5:16
13.Times - 5:20
14.Mistreated - 4:04
All song by Tony McPhee except where noted
Disc 2
Blues Obituary 1969
1. Express Man (Traditional) - 3:59
2. Natchez Burning (Traditional) - 4:39
3. Light Was The Day - 6:54
Bonus Track
4. BDD (Mono Mix) - 2:54
Thank Christ For The Bomb 1970
5. Strange Town - 4:21
6. Darkness Is No Friend - 3:48
7. Soldier - 4:55
8. Thank Christ For The Bomb - 7:25
9. Ship On The Ocean - 3:28
10.Garden - 5:25
11.Status People - 3:34
12.Rich Man, Poor Man - 3:27
13.Eccentric Man - 4:56
Split 1971
14.Split - Part One - 4:30
15.Split - Part Two - 5:15
16.Split - Part Three - 4:31
17.Split - Part Four - 5:44
All song by Tony McPhee except where stated
Disc 3 Split 1971
1. Cherry Red - 5:44
2. A Year In The Life - 3:16
3. Junkman - 5:03
4. Groundhog - 5:53 Who Will Save The World? The Mighty Groundhogs 1972
5. Earth Is Not Room Enough - 4:49
6. Wages Of Peace - 4:38
7. Body In Mind - 3:50
8. Music Is The Food Of Thought - 4:39
9. Bog Roll Blues - 3:10
10.Death Of The Sun - 2:53
11.Amazing Grace (Traditional) - 2:25
12.The Grey Maze - 10:10
All song by Tony McPhee except where indicated
The Groundhogs
*Tony McPhee - Guitar, Vocals, Harmonium, Mellotron, Synthesizer
*Ken Pustelnik - Drums
*Peter Cruickshank - Bass With
*Jo Ann Kelly - Guitar
The times had certainly changed since Déjà Vu's release in 1970. Nevertheless, there was a hunger in audiences for a return to the harmony-soaked idealism with which the trio had been catapulted to popularity, and CSN consequently reached number two on the charts, behind Fleetwood Mac's megasuccessful Rumours. The music here is very good, though probably not up to the hard-to-match level of Crosby, Stills & Nash or Déjà Vu.
Still, the songs showed a great deal of lyrical maturity and compositional complexity compared to those earlier albums (from a far more innocent time). "Just a Song Before I Go" was the latest of Graham Nash's radio-friendly acoustic numbers, and a Top Ten single. "See the Changes" and "Dark Star" ranked with the best of Stephen Stills' work, while David Crosby contributed three classics from his distinctive oeuvre: "Shadow Captain," "Anything at All," and the beautiful "In My Dreams."
Nash's multi-part "Cathedral," a recollection of an acid trip taken in Winchester Cathedral on his 32nd birthday, became a staple of the group's live repertoire. CSN was the trio's last fully realized album, and also the last recording on which the three principals handled all the vocal parts without the sweetening of additional voices. It has held up remarkably well, both as a memento of its time and as a thoroughly enjoyable musical work.
by Jim Newsom
Tracks
1. Shadow Captain (David Crosby, Craig Doerge) - 4:33
2. See The Changes (Stephen Stills) - 2:59
3. Carried Away (Graham Nash) - 2:33
4. Fair Game (Stephen Stills) - 3:31
5. Anything At All (David Crosby) - 3:05
6. Cathedral (Graham Nash) - 5:26
7. Dark Star (Stephen Stills) - 4:45
8. Just A Song Before I Go (Graham Nash) - 2:14
9. Run from Tears (Stephen Stills) - 4:02
10.Cold Rain (Graham Nash) - 2:34
11.In My Dreams (David Crosby) - 5:11
12.I Give You Give Blind (Stephen Stills) - 3:23
One of the most hotly awaited second albums in history -- right up there with those by the Beatles and the Band -- Déjà Vu lived up to its expectations and rose to number one on the charts. Those achievements are all the more astonishing given the fact that the group barely held together through the estimated 800 hours it took to record Déjà Vu and scarcely functioned as a group for most of that time. Déjà Vu worked as an album, a product of four potent musical talents who were all ascending to the top of their game coupled with some very skilled production, engineering, and editing.
There were also some obvious virtues in evidence -- the addition of Neil Young to the Crosby, Stills & Nash lineup added to the level of virtuosity, with Young and Stephen Stills rising to new levels of complexity and volume on their guitars. Young's presence also ratcheted up the range of available voices one notch and added a uniquely idiosyncratic songwriter to the fold, though most of Young's contributions in this area were confined to the second side of the LP. Most of the music, apart from the quartet's version of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," was done as individual sessions by each of the members when they turned up (which was seldom together), contributing whatever was needed that could be agreed upon. "Carry On" worked as the album's opener when Stills "sacrificed" another copyright, "Questions," which comprised the second half of the track and made it more substantial. "Woodstock" and "Carry On" represented the group as a whole, while the rest of the record was a showcase for the individual members.
David Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair" was a piece of high-energy hippie-era paranoia not too far removed in subject from the Byrds' "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man," only angrier in mood and texture (especially amid the pumping organ and slashing guitars); the title track, also by Crosby, took 100 hours to work out and was a better-received successor to such experimental works as "Mind Gardens," out of his earlier career with the Byrds, showing his occasional abandonment of a rock beat, or any fixed rhythm at all, in favor of washing over the listener with tones and moods. "Teach Your Children," the major hit off the album, was a reflection of the hippie-era idealism that still filled Graham Nash's life, while "Our House" was his stylistic paean to the late-era Beatles and "4+20" was a gorgeous Stephen Stills blues excursion that was a precursor to the material he would explore on the solo album that followed.
And then there were Neil Young's pieces, the exquisitely harmonized "Helpless" (which took many hours to get to the slow version finally used) and the roaring country-ish rockers that ended side two, which underwent a lot of tinkering by Young -- even his seeming throwaway finale, "Everybody I Love You," was a bone thrown to longtime fans as perhaps the greatest Buffalo Springfield song that they didn't record. All of this variety made Déjà Vu a rich musical banquet for the most serious and personal listeners, while mass audiences reveled in the glorious harmonies and the thundering electric guitars, which were presented in even more dramatic and expansive fashion on the tour that followed.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. Carry On (Stephen Stills) - 4:25
2. Teach Your Children (Graham Nash) - 2:53
3. Almost Cut My Hair (David Crosby) - 4:25
4. Helpless (Neil Young) - 3:30
5. Woodstock (Joni Mitchell) - 3:52
6. Déjà Vu (David Crosby) - 4:10
7. Our House (Graham Nash) - 2:59
8. 4 + 20 (Stephen Stills) - 1:55
9. Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/"Country Girl" (I Think You Are Pretty) (Neil Young) - 5:05
10.Everybody I Love You (Stephen Stills, Neil Young) - 2:20
Personnel
*David Crosby - Guitar, Various Instruments, Vocals
*Graham Nash - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*Stephen Stills - Bass, Composer, Guitar, Keyboards, Member of Attributed Artist, Performer, Producer, Various Instruments, Vocals
*Neil Young - Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Piano, Various Instruments, Vocals
*Greg Reeves - Bass, Percussion
*Dallas Taylor - Drums, Percussion
*Jerry Garcia - Steel Guitar, Slide Guitar
*John Sebastian - Autoharp, Harmonica
Having been dropped by Harvest due to poor record sales and spiralling costs (they insisted on touring with an orchestra) they signed with Polydor Records in January 1974. To support their latest album Everybody Is Everybody Else (a prog classic if ever there was one) a UK tour was set in motion with the Liverpool Stadium and London’s Theatre Royal shows earmarked for recording their first live album. The Liverpool gig was cancelled on the eleventh hour when the bands road crew discovered that the venues electrical system was in a potentially lethal state. The 30th June London gig on the other hand got off to a resounding start but sadly the performance was blighted by the less than trusty Mellotron which failed to co-operate during the show.
A rescheduled Liverpool Stadium performance went ahead on 31st August 1974 but the pressure was on to have the live album in the shops before Christmas. As a result Barclay James Harvest Live released in November 1974 was taken mainly from the London recordings with some minimal studio overdubs plus the occasional song from Liverpool to replace those that couldn’t be salvaged from the London tapes. Whilst several songs remain in the bands set list to this day, some like guitarist John Lees’ epic Summer Soldier (from their final Harvest album Baby James Harvest) were living on borrowed time. A pity because it provides a magisterial opening to the show and it’s also one of the songs that first attracted me to the band. Melody wise it’s reminiscent of the bands popular Hymn but more ambitious drawing on the symphonic grandeur of earlier classics like After The Day. The band is clearly on top form from the outset, especially the late Mel Pritchard who gives a powerhouse performance throughout. Only keyboardist Stuart ‘Woolly’ Wolstenholme’s ever present Mellotron lets the side down sounding a tad muddy despite the post production tinkering.
Summer Soldier segues into Medicine Man which is basically an excuse for the band to indulge in some rare and lengthy soloing. This includes some very Yes like moments especially Woolly’s manic synth break and Les Holroyd’s thunderous bass workout. Crazy City sounds as tuneful as ever and reveals Holroyd’s love of US west coat music including some neat harmonies in the vein of The Eagles. Following the obligatory band introductions from Wolstenholme they launch into After The Day where the keyboardist also provides the vocals. This song remains the bands crowning glory in my humble opinion although the slightly ragged sound here doesn’t match the quality of the version that can be found on 2007’s Legacy DVD. Lees’ guitar work however is as stirring as ever and there is also a sneaky reference to The Moody Blues’ Nights In White Satin.
The poignant The Great 1974 Mining Disaster is treated to a fine performance with superb harmonies from Lees and Holroyd and once again drummer Pritchard provides a master class in technique. A beautiful rendition of the exquisite Galadriel leads into the uncharacteristic (for BJH) sounding Negative Earth, a pleasant if not outstanding tune and probably the weakest from the then latest album despite the Pink Floydish coda. It’s no surprise that it quickly disappeared from the bands set list after this tour. She Said is more like it, taken from the bands second album it’s full of pomp and splendour with Lees’ rousing guitar solo going into overdrive. Paper Wings is another tuneful but fairly average song from Holroyd and even the lively instrumental break sounds a little contrived by BJH’s usual standards.
For No One is another standout song from Everybody Is Everybody Else with the memorable chorus providing the albums title. Lees’ soling over the backdrop of Mellotron strings is archetypal Barclay James Harvest. Unsurprisingly the bands signature tune Mockingbird provides the encore and as prog rock classics go this is the genuine article. Furthermore this is quite possibly the definitive version with a stunning performance from the band interlocking brilliantly during the instrumental section. Even the Melly behaved itself on this occasion sounding suitably grand.
by GeoffF Feakes
Tracks
1. Summer Soldier (John Lees) - 10:19
2. Medicine Man (John Lees) - 10:27
3. Crazy City (Les Holroyd) - 4:59
4. After The Day (John Lees) - 7:11
5. The Great 1974 Mining Disaster (John Lees) - 6:32
6. Galadriel (John Lees) - 3:09
7. Negative Earth (Les Holroyd, Mel Pritchard) - 6:20
8. She Said (Les Holroyd) - 8:33
9. Paper Wings (Les Holroyd, Mel Pritchard) - 4:19
10.For No One (John Lees) - 5:51
11.Mockingbird (John Lees) - 7:41
Recorded Live at the Theatre Royal, London and at the Stadium, Liverpool in 29-30/June 1974
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.
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
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
