Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign (1967 us, exceptional electric blues, 2013 remaster and expanded)

The familiar cover artwork to Albert King’s 1967 Stax album Born Under a Bad Sign hardly gives any indication as to its heavy contents.  A calendar reading Friday the 13th, the Ace of Spades, snake eyes on the dice, and an almost-cute black cat (!) adorned with a skull and crossbones all reinforce the title of the album but offer precious little hint as to the smoking electric blues within the sleeve.  Following 2012’s reissue of King’s 1972 Stax album I’ll Play the Blues for You, Concord Music Group has turned its attention to Born Under a Bad Sign, delivering another handsomely-expanded edition.

Born Under a Bad Sign, King’s first long-player for the Memphis label, is one of the watershed albums in the development of electric blues; backed by Stax house band Booker T and the MG’s as well as the Memphis Horns and Isaac Hayes on piano, King’s soulful tones blurred the lines between R&B and the new “rock” (sans the “and roll”).  The debt to Albert King has been recognized by such icons as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton, and indeed, the influence of his music on those players and others is readily apparent when revisiting the eleven tracks that formed the LP.  (Some of these tracks had actually appeared in single edits before being compiled as part of the full-length album.)

Booker T. Jones and William Bell tailor-made “Born Under a Bad Sign” specifically for King, though it later charted for Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker in Cream and was also recorded by the illustrious likes of Hendrix and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.  Hendrix sat up and took notice of King, not only of his tough guitar licks but his cool vocal delivery.  King nonchalantly confesses on the title cut, “I’ve been down since I begin to crawl…if it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all!”  At one point, he quickly adds, “That ain’t no lie,” as if we could ever doubt his verisimilitude.  Each element of the recording, from King’s forceful guitar to Donald “Duck” Dunn’s rootsy bass, The Memphis Horns’ sneering accents, Al Jackson’s assured drums and Cropper’s own complementary picking, fall into place.  The magic recurs on the greasy “Oh, Pretty Woman,” not the Roy Orbison song, but an A.C. Williams composition.  As on the title track, King enjoys a little yelp or two as he tears into its bluesy foundation.

King effortlessly brings his distinct guitar voice to “Crosscut Saw,” introduced in 1941 by Tommy McClennan, introduces an Afro-Cuban rhythm to the blues standard, and injects Leiber and Stoller’s “Kansas City” with a sense of swing.  The Memphis Horns have ample opportunity to shine on tracks such as King’s own, funky “Down Don’t Bother Me” but it’s always his piercing, controlled blasts of metallic guitar that carry each song.  A group composition by King and the MG’s, “The Hunter” is a bit of sly, rock-ish fun in which the singer boldly proclaims a lucky lady “in the sights of [his] love gun.”  It’s nothing too puerile, mind you; the love gun is loaded with hugs and kisses.  But when he pulls the trigger, “there won’t be no misses!”    And “Laundromat Blues” manages to be both seriously menacing and seriously humorous: “I don’t want you to get so clean, baby, you just might wash your life away!”  (King revisited the song for a rather awkward sequel, “Answer to the Laundromat Blues,” on I’ll Play the Blues for You.)

The brash swagger of “The Hunter” cedes to longing, and even sweetness, for “I Almost Lost My Mind,” one of the few ballads on the album.  King caresses the Ivory Joe Hunter song, gently accompanied by tinkling piano and Joe Arnold’s swirling flute.  There’s still room for a gritty guitar solo, of course, wringing each ounce of emotion out of the 1950 R&B hit.  The sinuous Stax sound is evident on “Personal Manager,” as potent a slab of soul-blues as any, with its scorching, searing solo as later emulated by Eric Clapton with Cream.  Another blues standard is immortalized by King with the dark, atmospheric “As the Years Go Passing By,” yet the original album ends with a standard of another kind.  Ray Noble’s “The Very Thought of You,” written in 1934 and recorded over the years by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Rod Stewart, among so many others, isn't reinvented by King here.  Rather, he ramps up the husky resonance in his voice for a hip yet timeless rendition of a classic, aided by a saxophone solo from Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns.

Four of the five bonus tracks offer alternate takes of album material.  First takes of “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Crosscut Saw” and “The Hunter” all offer peeks into King’s development process.    Each version has differences, both pronounced and subtle, from the final takes, with a loose “Crosscut Saw” clocking in at around thirty seconds longer thanks to an additional chorus.  Take 15 of “Personal Manager” is considerably shorter than the album version, thanks to a brisker groove.  King might have refined his approach to the song, but this take cooks, too.  The fifth bonus track is an “Untitled Instrumental,” and it's a real find.  The MG’s are locked into a tight, crisp groove as King deliciously riffs over steamy horns for its all-too-brief running time.

The 2013 Born Under a Bad Sign (part of the ongoing Stax Remasters series) includes two essays, a new appreciation by Bill Dahl as well as Michael Point’s fine notes from the 2002 CD reissue.  Joe Tarantino has remastered all tracks, and Paul Blakemore has mixed the five newly-discovered songs.  A true cornerstone of electric blues, this taut R&B workout remains as timeless as the heavy blues-rock music it inspired on both sides of the Atlantic.

by Joe Marchese, April 2, 2013

Tracks

1. Born Under A Bad Sign (William Bell, Booker T. Jones) - 2:40

2. Crosscut Saw (R. G. Ford) - 2:35

3. Kansas City (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 2:33

4. Oh, Pretty Woman (A.C. Williams) - 2:50

5. Down Don't Bother Me (Albert King) - 2:11

6. The Hunter (Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson, Jr., Junior Wells) - 2:45

7. I Almost Lost My Mind (Ivory Joe Hunter) - 2:31

8. Personal Manager (Albert King, David Porter) - 4:31

9. Laundromat Blues (Sandie Jones, Sandy Jones) - 3:22

10.As The Years Go Passing By (Albert King, Deadric Malone) - 3:48

11.The Very Thought Of You (Ray Noble) - 3:50

12.Born Under A Bad Sign (William Bell, Booker T. Jones) - 2:52

13.Crosscut Saw (R. G. Ford) - 3:01

14.The Hunter (Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson, Jr., Junior Wells) - 2:48

15.Personal Manager (Albert King, David Porter) - 3:21

16.Untitled Instrumental (Albert King) - 2:06

Bonus Tracks 12-16

Personnel

*Albert King - Vocals, Guitar

*Steve Cropper - Guitar

*Booker T. Jones - Piano

*Isaac Hayes - Piano

*Donald "Duck" Dunn - Bass

*Al Jackson Jr. - Drums

*Andrew Love - Horns 

*Wayne Jackson - Horns 

*Joe Arnold - Horns 

1968  Albert King - Live Wire / Blues Power  

1972  Albert King - I'll Play The Blues For You (2012 bonus track remaster)  

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Jo Mama - Jo Mama (1970 us, awesome blend of blues country folk rock, from James Taylor's and Carole King's support band, 2013 japan remaster)

The members of Jo Mama were well established in the LA music scene when this LP came out. Guitarist Danny Kootch (aka Danny Kortchmar, who started out with James Taylor & Original The Flying Machine) and drummer Walt O'Brien were together in the King Bees. Organist Ralph Schuckett had played in the acid psych groups Clear Light and Peanut Butter Conspiracy, while Charles Larkey was in The City with his then wife Carol King, along with Kootch. When this Jo Mama LP debuted in 1970, Larkey was dating singer Abigale Haness (aka Gayle Haness), who takes lead vocals here. If you're looking for a terrific vibe, JO Mama certainly embodies it with this album of West Coast pop rock, a lá The Band, as well as some jazzy tunes. 

Selections such as Machine Gun Kelly; Midnight Rider; Searching High, Searching Low; Lighten Up, Tighten Up; Venga Venga; Sailing; Great Balls Of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis song); The Sky Is Falling; The Word Is Goodbye; Check Out This Gorilla; Cotton Eyed Joe; Love’ll Get You High. Additional musicians include: Bob Williams; Michael Dubkin; Ollie Mitchell; & Mayo Tiana. This debut album was produced by Peter Asher. 

After Jo Mama, Abigale Haness (with Danny Kootch) did lots of sessions, including Carly Simon, James Taylor and on Bill Wyman's Monkey Grip album. She was also the featured voice of Janet Weiss in the "Rocky Horror Picture Show".

Tracks

1. Machine Gun Kelly - 3:27

2. Midnight Rider - 4:20

3. Searching High, Searching Low - 3:46

4. Lighten Up, Tighten Up - 3:24

5. Venga Venga (Danny Kortchmar, Abigale Haness, Ralph Schuckett) - 3:39

6. Sailing - 5:31

7. Great Balls Of Fire (Otis Blackwell, Jack Hammer) - 2:40

8. The Sky Is Falling - 3:30

9. The Word Is Goodbye (Danny Kortchmar, Zachary Wiesner) - 4:29

10.Check Out This Gorilla - 3:55

11.Cotton Eyed Joe (Traditional) - 3:45

12.Love'll Get You High (Danny Kortchmar, Abigale Haness, Ralph Schuckett, Charles Larkey) - 5:50

All songs by Danny Kortchmar except where noted

Jo Mama

*Abigale Haness - Vocals

*Danny Kortchmar - Congas, Guitar, Vocals

*Charles Larkey - Bass

*Ralph Schuckett - Keyboards, Vocals

*Joel O'Brien - Drums, Vibraphone

With

*Ollie Mitchell - Trumpet

*Mayo Tiana - Trombone

*Bobby Williams - Trumpet 

*Michael Dubkin - Saxophone 

Related Act

1966-70  Barbara 'Sandy' Robison With The Peanut Butter Conspiracy - Barbara (2014 release)  

1967  Clear Light - Clear Light (2002 remaster)  

1968  The City - Now That Everything's Been Said (2015 remaster)  

1968  James Taylor - James Taylor  

1969  Peanut Butter Conspiracy - For Children Of All Ages (2008 bonus tracks remaster)  

1970  James Taylor - Sweet Baby James (2011 Audio Fidelity)  

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Tom Jans ‎- Loving Arms Best Of (1971-82 us, remarkable folk country rock, 2013 release)

 

Folk singer/songwriter Tom Jans was born February 9, 1948, in Yakima, WA. The son of a farmer (whose own mother played in a jazz group dubbed the Rocky Mountain Five), he was raised outside of San Jose, CA, weaned in equal measure on the Hank Williams records beloved by his father and the flamenco of his mother's native Spain. Ultimately, the Beatles proved Jans' most profound influence, however, and as a teen he learned guitar and piano, also writing poems he later set to music. After playing in a high-school rock & roll band dubbed the Breakers, Jans studied English literature at the University of California, turning down a graduate scholarship to Columbia University to pursue a career as a performer and songwriter.

Shortly after graduation he was playing in a San Francisco coffee shop when, in 1970, he met Jeffrey Shurtleff, a singer who previously collaborated with Joan Baez. Shurtleff soon introduced Jans to Baez, who in turn introduced him to her younger sister Mimi, who with her late husband Richard Fariña recorded a series of cult-classic folk LPs for Vanguard. After a failed second marriage and a stalled career as a dancer, Mimi Fariña was seeking to return to music. Jans, reminiscent of Fariña in so many respects, seemed the ideal collaborator, and together they began performing in Bay Area clubs, earning widespread notice for their breakout performance at the Big Sur Folk Festival. From there, the duo toured in support of Cat Stevens and later James Taylor before signing to A&M to record an LP, 1971's Take Heart.

The album generated little interest outside of folk circles, and Jans and Fariña soon dissolved their partnership, with the former relocating to Nashville to resume his career as a songwriter. There he joined the publishing house Irving/Almo as a staff writer, scoring his first hit with "Loving Arms," initially recorded by Dobie Gray and later covered by Elvis Presley and Kris Kristofferson. In 1974 Jans issued his self-titled solo debut, recorded with the assistance of guitarist Lonnie Mack and producer Mentor Williams. Despite critical acclaim, the record earned little commercial attention and he returned to California, settling in Los Angeles and entering an 18-month period of seclusion that yielded the songs comprising his Lowell George-produced sophomore effort, 1975's The Eyes of an Only Child. Featuring the country-rock gem "Out of Hand" (later a Nashville chart-topper for singer Gary Stewart) as well as the minor FM radio hit "Struggle in Darkness," this record too reached only a small cult audience, and when the following year's Dark Blonde -- considered by many to be Jans' masterpiece -- met the same fate, he fled to Europe, telling interviewers of plans to record a new album over the summer months.

The years to follow remain something of a mystery: no new material appeared, and instead Jans dropped from sight until 1982, when a new LP, Champion, appeared solely in a limited-edition release on the Japanese label Canyon International, its existence virtually unknown in the U.S. Sometime in late 1983, Jans was in a serious motorcycle accident. While his long-term prognosis appeared positive, he died March 25, 1984, of a suspected drug overdose. Tom Waits later paid homage to Jans with the Bone Machine cut "Whistle Down the Wind."

by Jason Ankeny

Tracks

1. Carolina - 4:14

2. Letter To Jesus - 3:23

3. Loving Arms - 2:56

4. Old Time Feeling (Will Jennings) - 3:21

5. Margarita - 4:20

6. Free And Easy - 3:01

7. Gotta Move - 4:20

8. Once Before I Die - 3:20

9. Struggle In Darkness - 5:44

10.Out Of Hand (Jeff Barry, Thomas Jans) - 3:21

11.The Eyes Of An Only Child - 3:43

12.Inside Of You - 3:11

13.Why Don't You Love Me (Scott Shelley, Thomas Jans) - 5:07

14.Distant Cannon Fire - 5:43

15.Back On My Feet Again - 4:05

16.Mothers Eyes - 4:39

17.When The Rebel Comes Home - 3:12

18.Working Hot - 4:16

19.Lost In Your Eyes (Scott Shelley, Thomas Jans) - 4:19

All song by Tom Jans except where stated

Tracks 1-2 with Mimi Farina from 1971

Tracks 3-6 from 1974

Tracks 7-12 from 1975

Tracks 13-15 from 1976

Tracks 16-19 from 1982

Musicians

*Tom Jans - Vocals, Guitar, Piano

*Mini Farina - Vocals, Guitar (Tracks 1-2)

*Craig Doerge - Piano (Tracks 1-2)

*Jim Keltner - Drums (Tracks 1-2, 7)

*Leland Sklar - Bass (Tracks 1-2, 17-18)

*Reggie Young - Guitar (Track 3-6)

*Mike Leech - Bass (Track 3-6)

*Lonnie Mack - Acoustic Guitar (Track 3-6)

*Troy Seals - Acoustic Guitar (Track 3-6)

*Kenny Malone - Drums (Tracks 3-6)

*David Briggs - Piano (Tracks 3-6)

*Herb Pedersen - Vocals (Track 8)

*Jeff Porcaro - Drums (Track 9)

*Mike Utley - Organ (Track 7)

*David Lindley - Lead Guitar (Track 7)

*Lowell George - Guitar (Track 9)

*Bill Payne - Synthesizer (Tracks 7,9, 13-15)

*Kerry Hatch - Bass, Vocals (Tracks 13-15)

*Kelly Shanahan - Drums (Tracks 13-15)

*Fred Tackett - Guitar (Tracks 13-15, 17-19)

*Jerry Swallow - Guitar (Tracks 13-15) 

*Scott Shelly - Guitar (Tracks 13-15)

*Valerie Carter - Vocals (Tracks 13-15)

*Ernie Watts - Saxophone (Track 13)

*Michael Utley - Piano, Organ (Track 13)

*Jeff Osborne, Kate Markowitz, Richard Kerr - Backing Vocals (Tracks 16-19)

*Don Grusin - Keyboards  (Tracks 16-19)

*Jerry Vinci - Concertmaster (Track 16)

*Carlos Vega - Drums (Tracks 17-19)

*Ken Wild - Bass (Track 19)

*Steve Forman - Percussion (Track 17)

*Lee Ritenour - Guitar (Tracks 16-18)

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Mortimer - Mortimer (1967-68 us, magnificent swinging beat psychedelia, 2006 remaster with bonus tracks)

Being forever overshadowed by their brief liaison with Apple Records, in spite of never even getting a chance for a full “bite”, Mortimer is a bunch of ex-garage rockers (as The Teddy Boys), hailing from another (Big) Apple, turning mellower under the influence of sounds of the day, coming both from the American West Coast, as well as Britain.

Dropping their initial full-band punky attitude for a peculiar, mostly acoustic/congas-backed harmonizing, in 1967 they delivered an item that has become pretty sought after among popsike collectors over the years. The opening track, Dedicated Music Man, with it’s innocent folky verses being followed by a full blown rock-out, is the only one incorporating the traditional guitar-bass-drums set up.

While Life’s Sweet Progression, though acoustic based, also offers a kind of a more rocking approach, compared to the rest of the content, which is exclusively lightweight psychedelicacy, ranging from dreamy Beatle-ish vocal arrangements as heard in Where Dragons Guard The Doors, through catchy sunshiny pop gems.

Such as another pair of Beatlisms, Would You Believe and To Understand Someone, and the equally sunny, but kinda moody at the same time, Singing To The Sunshine, to Waiting For Someone, finding them somewhere between Simon & Garfunkel and the Everlies, or the genuinely Britsike-sounding piece called Take Your Troubles, that wouldn’t sound out of place on any of the Zombies’ or Kinks’ late ‘60s releases.

After failing to gain much recognition out of the New York region, the band was taken to London by their manager Danny Secunda, securing a deal with Apple, and even recording an album for the label, which still remains to be bitten, but that’s another story of course.

by Garwood Pickjon, September 6, 2006

 Tracks

1. Dedicated Music Man - 3:29

2. Where Dragons Guard The Doors - 3:30

3. Would You Believe - 2:39

4. Singing To The Sunshine - 3:21

5. Mortimer's Theme - 2:53

6. Take Your Troubles - 3:15

7. To Understand Someone - 2:21

8. Waiting For Someone - 2:36

9. Life's Sweet Music - 2:26

10.Yes We Know - 2:47

11.Dedicated Music Man - 3:28

12.To Understand Someone - 2:20

13.Igenue's Theme (Tom Smith, Guy Masson, Tony Van Benschoten) - 2:26

14.Slicker "Beauty Hints" (Jackie Brandwin, Tom Smith, Guy Masson, Tony Van Benschoten) - 2:27

15.Christine Tildsley (Tony Van Benschoten) - 3:35

16.And They Sang (Tom Smith, Guy Masson, Tony Van Benschoten) - 4:19

All songs by Tom Smith, Robert Ronga, Guy Masson, Tony Van Benschoten except where stated

Tracks 1-10 from (US) Philips LP 'Mortimer' PHS 600-267, 1967

Tracks 11-12 (US) Philips single 40524, 1967

Tracks 13-14 (US) Philips single 40567, 1968

Tracks 15-16 previously unreleased, recorded 1967-1968

Mortimer

*Guy Masson - Vocals, Drums, Percussion

*Tom Smith - Vocals, Guitar

*Tony Van Benschoten - Vocals, Bass, Guitar

1969  Mortimer - On Our Way Home (2017 release)  

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The Move - Something Else From The Move (1968 uk, exciting pub rock bash 'n' crash, 2016 remaster)

In February, 1968, Regal Zonophone Records decided to document the live performances of their artists, The Move, at one of London’s musical hot spots The Marquee Club.  Problems with the vocal levels of the recordings led to the scheduling of a second Marquee gig, in May, 1968.  Five tracks were subsequently selected for release on the 45 RPM mono EP “Something Else From The Move,” released in June, 1968, a quick follow up to their debut eponymous LP released two months earlier.  Esoteric Recordings’ compiler Mark Powell has combined the EP’s tunes with all twelve songs recorded at the Marquee gigs in stereo mixes, remastered in 2007 by Nick Robbins and Rob Keyloch at Sound Mastering Ltd., a total of 17 tracks, 56 minutes of high octane Mod rock. 

In keeping with the times the set list of “Something Else” is a wonderful mix of Roy Wood originals and cover versions of hit songs of the day from bands such as Spooky Tooth, The Byrds, Love, Janis Joplin and Jackie Wilson among others.  The blend is perfect.  The inclusion of the EP’s five original tracks as “bonus material” is novel, but the opportunity to compare the stereo mixes with the EP’s original mono mixes, remastered by Ben Wiseman at Broadlake Studios, works wonderfully.  To make things even more interesting the personnel of The Move changed in between the recorded gigs, with bassist/vocalist Chris “Ace” Kefford exiting the band, making it a four piece with rhythm guitarist/vocalist Trevor Burton moving to bass forming The Move’s new rhythm section with drummer Bev Bevan.  Carl Wayne remained on lead vocals and Wood sang and played lead guitar in addition to being the band’s chief songwriter.

As for the music, the disc opens with snarling guitars and pounding drums of the short intro “Move Bolero” which segues into a cover of Jack Clement’s “It’ll Be Me” with Kefford’s thundering bass and Bevan’s pounding drums leading up to a wonderful guitar solo courtesy of Wood.  Wayne’s vocals are absolutely gorgeous.  Bevan and Kefford are absolutely locked in on this two and a half minute rocker.  “Too Much In Love” is a racing r and b number.  Gorgeous harmony vocals complement Wayne’s lead vocals as Wood’s guitar once again dominates.  The first album cut (from “Move”) featured is “Flowers In The Rain” with Wood’s fuzzed out guitar and Bevan’s  drums pushing the beat on this psychedelic pop classic.  Next up is another album cut “Fire Brigade” with its Beatlesque intro followed by the insistent drumming of Bevan and more incredible guitar by Wood.  The band covers Love’s “Stephanie Knows Who” with Wayne’s vocals mirroring those of Arthur Lee.

Roy Wood’s guitar is on display as he takes the listener on an incredible musical journey with his solo.  Covering a song by The Byrds is always risky business, but The Move simply tear up “So You Wanna Be A Rock And Roll Star” with Wayne’s vocals and Wood’s guitar dominating as usual.  Wood’s wah wah adds just the right amount of flavoring to this swirling, trippy piece of psychedelia.  The Everly Brothers wrote “The Price Of Love” but The Move make it their own with the deafening cacophony of Kefford and Bevan  giving way to Burton’s chunky rhythm and Wood’s understated lead guitar work.  Jerry Ragavoy and Bert Bern’s chestnut “Piece Of My Heart” was made famous by Janis Joplin with Big Brother but The Move do a more than adequate job of giving the tune their special touch.  Carl Wayne’s vocals may not be quite as guttural as Joplin’s but he sounds mighty good to my ears.  Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher” may seem an odd choice, but the band again shows off its r and b roots, with Wayne’s vocals dominating until Wood’s guitar inevitably takes center stage.

The set closes with a cover of Spooky Tooth’s debut single, the Gary Wright penned “Sunshine Help Me”, the band showing off its vocal harmonies, moving easily through the classic tune.  Roy Wood proves he is up to the challenge of matching Luther Grosvenor’s guitar work on the original recording with his incredible lead guitar line and solo. The band stretches this one out in style.  Roy Wood even quotes “Strangers In The Night” in the midst of his fuzzed out jet fueled solo just for good measure.  The song is the perfect closer for a gig by The Move

.  

The original “Something Else” consists of five of the tracks, all covers, selected to be mixed in mono.  Every performance is inspired and arguably comparable to the original recordings.  To put things in perspective, Roy Wood’s monster guitar solo on “Sunshine Help Me” should have been heard around the world on the then newly emerging FM radio format.  The applause that roars following each and every performance is well deserved as this is one of the best live documentations in rock annals.

“Something Else From The Move” is accompanied by a 16 page color booklet with an essay by reissue series compiler Mark Powell, complete track annotations and tons of groovy photos.  This release is symbolic of the entire reissue project of pre-EMI Harvest recordings by The Move and I cannot recommend it highly enough.  The original EP is a classic and this edition’s inclusion of the stereo mixes makes it the absolute last word in those regards.

by Kevin Rathert, July 16, 2016

Tracks

1. Move Bolero (Roy Wood) - 0:26

2. It’ll Be Me (Jack Clement) - 2:38

3. Too Much In Love (Denny Laine) - 2:39

4. Flowers In The Rain (Roy Wood) - 2:23

5. Fire Brigade (Roy Wood) - 2:35

6. Stephanie Knows Who (Arthur Lee) - 3:01

7. Something Else (Bob Cochran, Sharon Sheely) - 2:24

8. So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:10

9. The Price Of Love (Don Everly, Phil Everly) - 4:44

10.Piece Of My Heart (Bert Berns, Jerry Ragovoy) - 4:33

11.(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher (Carl Smith, Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner) - 4:06

12.Sunshine Help Me (Gary Wright) - 6:33

13.So You Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:00

14.Stephanie Knows Who (Arthur Lee) - 3:03

15.Something Else (Bob Cochran, Sharon Sheely) - 2:26

16.It'll Be Me (Jack Clement) - 2:41

17.Sunshine Help Me (Gary Wright) - 5:19

Bonus Tracks 13-17

The Move

*Ace Kefford - Bass, Vocals

*Bev Bevan - Drums

*Roy Wood - Guitar, Vocals 

*Trevor Burton - Guitar, Vocals 

*Carl Wayne - Vocals

Related Act

1968-76  Ace Kefford - Ace The Face (2003 remaster) 

1970-71  Rick Price And Mike Sheridan - This Is To Certify The Gemini Anthology (2004 two disc set)  

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Judd - Judd (1970 uk / france, excellent country blues classic rock, 2015 remaster)

Judd was essentially a front for British singer/songwriter Kris Ife, the co-writer for much of (and vocalist for all of) the act's sole album, 1970's Snarling Mumma Lion. Prior to Judd, Ife had been part of the British Invasion group the Quiet Five, who had a couple of small U.K. hits in the mid-'60s. Ife had also done some solo singles, most notably a 1967 cover of Joe South's "Hush," which inspired Deep Purple to record their big hit version of the same tune. South's influence is also obvious on Judd's LP, which contains some swamp pop-flavored originals and covers. Judd's brand of swamp pop was poppier and less distinguished than South's, however, and the album also included more middle-of-the-road-oriented tunes with a Righteous Brothers and Tom Jones flavor.

The Judd album arose in part because of Ife's association with producer Mark Wirtz, most famous for his work on Keith West's 1967 U.K. hit "Excerpt from a Teenage Opera." Ife put together a band, the Matchmakers, that recorded for Wirtz, and then recorded some tracks from musicians from the Matchmakers (including Ife's old Quiet Five bandmate/guitarist Roger McKew), most of which were Ife-Wirtz compositions. The released LP was actually a compilation of demos and finished tracks, and sold little, though Judd did put out a 1971 non-LP single, "I'll Be Gone"/"Louisiana Woman." Ife went on to record a couple of singles as part of Jackson & Jones before entering the publishing side of the music business. All of the material from Judd's Snarling Mumma Lion LP is included on the Kris Ife CD compilation Definitive Collection 1967-1973, which also includes the "I'll Be Gone"/"Louisiana Woman" single and an outtake from the LP, as well as the Jackson & Jones singles and some Ife solo tracks.

by Richie Unterberger

Alsatian wunderkind Mark Wirtz led many successful pop music projects during the 1960s and 70s, especially during his long tenure at Abbey Road.

A gifted painter, musician and actor, Wirtz's college band was signed to EMI as Mark Rogers and the Marksmen, while Wirtz was still attending the RADA in London; by 1965 he was producing music independently and became an in-house producer at Abbey Road in 1967, working with Keith West & Tomorrow and fronting the Mark Wirtz Orchestra, AKA The Mood Mosaic.

The blues and soul-tinged Judd album, issued in 1970 on Larry Page's Penny Farthing label, featured Wirtz on keyboards and rhythm guitar, fronting a studio band with bassist Roger Flavell, guitarist Roger McKew and drummer

Tat Meager (who had played on Siren's eponymous, John Peel-produced debut LP); backing vocalists such as Madeleine Bell, Doris Troy and sisters Yvonne and Heather Wheatman, AKA Sonny and Sue, gave a more rounded sound. Much of the material was co-written by Kris Ife, who had worked with McKew in The Quiet Five, though there is also an individual cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Down On The Corner,' made livelier by Wirtz's piano chords.

Tracks

1. All Right - A Little Bit Of Soul (J. Vincent Edwards, Kris Ife, Michael Derrick) - 2:35

2. Merrilee Thompson (Kris Ife, Mark Wirtz) - 2:54

3. Do I Still Figure In Your Life (Pete Dello) - 2:14

4. Oddjob (Kris Ife, Mike Anthony) - 2:21

5. Let's Work Together (Wilbert Harrison) - 3:29

6. Daylight (Kris Ife, Mike Anthony) - 2:52

7. The Days Of Flesh And Blood (Are Over) (Kris Ife, Mark Wirtz) - 3:19

8. Down On The Corner (John Fogerty) - 2:46

9. Stronger Than A Man (Can Only Be A Woman) (Kris Ife, Mark Wirtz) - 4:10

10.Until Tomorrow (Kris Ife, Mark Wirtz) - 3:10

11.Lousiana Sunday (Kris Ife, Mike Anthony) - 3:05

12.Thee (Kris Ife, Mark Wirtz) - 4:36

13.Snarlin' Mumma Lion (Kris Ife, Mark Wirtz) - 3:55

Judd

*Kris Ife - Vocals 

*Roger Flavell - Bass 

*Tat Meager - Drums 

*Roger McKew - Guitar, Keyboards 

*Mark Wirtz - Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar

With

*Davey Clague - Bass

*Doris Troy - Vocals 

*Madeleine Bell - Vocals 

*Sue And Sonny - Vocals

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Tin Tin - Tin Tin (1970 australia, elegant baroque pop, 2009 remaster)

Tin Tin are really only remembered for their shimmering 1971 single "Toast and Marmalade For Tea", a US and Australian hit in mid-1971. Predictably they've been pegged as one-hit wonders, which obscures the fact that Tin Tin recorded a body of quality harmony psych-pop songs during its short life, with nine singles and two LPs to their credit. Although it's technically a UK band, Tin Tin qualifies for inclusion on Milesago because all the members (except Peter Beckett) were Australian and the band has its roots on the Australian music scene of the 1960s. Like so many other groups documented here, the history of Tin Tin is intricately connected with many other prominent Australasian bands and performers.

Named after the popular Hergé cartoon character, Tin Tin was founded in London in 1969 by Steve Kipner and Steve Groves. Both were ambitious young veterans of the fertile Aussie beat scene of the mid-1960s. Kipner -- the son of producer and songwriter Nat Kipner -- had been the lead singer-guitarist with popular mid-60s Sydney band Steve & The Board. His partner in Tin Tin, Steve Groves, came from another highly-rated band of the same period, The Kinetics, who scored a Melbourne Top 20 hit in 1966 with "Excuses".

Steve & The Board had close connections with The Bee Gees. Nat Kipner had known the Gibb boys since their early days in Brisbane and at the start of 1966 he came to the rescue of the struggling trio when they were about to be dumped from their label (Leedon) by its owner, Festival Records. Nat was able to negotiate a deal that transferred them to the newly-established Spin label (which kept Festival happy because they distributed it). The group disbanded in 1973. The two original members went on to become successful songwriters producers.

Tracks

1. She Said Ride (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 2:34

2. Swans On The Canal (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 2:11

3. Flag (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 1:25

4. Put Your Money On My Dog (Steve Kipner) - 3:00

5. Nobody Moves Me Like You (Steve Groves) - 1:54

6. Tuesday's Dreamer (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 1:20

7. Only Ladies Play Croquet (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 2:19

8. Family Tree (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 2:29

9. Spanish Shepherd (Steve Groves) - 2:35

10.He Wants To Be A Star (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 2:10

11.Toast And Marmelade For Tea (Steve Groves) - 2:22

12.Come On Over Again (Geoff Bridgford, Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 3:23

13.Manhattan Woman (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 3:08

14.Lady In Blue (Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 3:28

15.Have You Heard The Word? (Billy Laurie, Maurice Gibb, Steve Groves, Steve Kipner) - 4:30

Bonus Track 15 as The Fut

Tin Tin

*Steve Groves - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Percussion

*Steve Kipner - Vocals, Piano, Bass, Percussion, Mellotron, Drums, Harpsichord, Organ, Tambourine, Electric Piano

With

*Maurice Gibb - Piano, Organ, Bass, Drums, Harpsichord, Mellotron

*Geoff Bridgford - Drums

*Carl Groszmann - Bass

1971  Tin Tin - Astral Taxi (2009 remaster)  

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The Sidewinders - The Sidewinders (1972 us, solid power pop, Vinyl edition)

In the backwoods of Biddeford, ME, Catfish Black took first form. The band members were all Harvard University students, hippie style. Upon return to the Crimson Castle, in the fall of 1970, the band began testing the local waters in a handful of college appearances. Itching for big- ger and better things, they sought management. Bassist Ernie Brooks' classmate suggested his girlfriend, Museum School attendee, Wellesley, MA native, Suzie Adams. Lead singer Jimmy Mahoney departed. Drummer Andy Paley reaped vocal responsibilities. At the First Earth Day, held next to Harvard Stadium, backing a group based out of Tennessee's Hog Farm commune, Adams saw Catfish Black magic and agreed to fill the management void. A multitude of college mixers, and endless nights of lead guitarist Eric Rosenfeld, (Paley's childhood friend and songwriting partner) screaming chord changes to not-so-well rehearsed Brooks (A! C! Bb!) followed. What also followed were Marblehead brothers, Neil and Loy Grossman.

The Grossman's game plan was this: Take the band into an MIT Union Hall, record them on a TEAC 2-Track, and shop the tapes. The tape shopping caught Janus Records' eye, but other interesting occurrences happened meanwhile. Ernie Brooks' lackadaisical approach to remembering songs got the band thinking in the direction of possible replacements. The outstanding prospect was local bassist Leigh Razowski. The problem with Leigh was that he was in another band and was quite loyal to his situation. After much persuasion, a paid trip from New York to come to one rehearsal, Leigh agreed to join. Ernie in the meantime persuaded Catfish keyboardist Jerry Harrison to come with. At this time, the band looked like this: Andy was fronting the band. Eric was handling lead guitar. Leigh was on bass. Mike Reed, of Hawaii, an original member (I didn't bring him up yet 'cause he was busy reading) played rhythm guitar. Henry Stern was playing drums in Andy's place. Somehow, Adams got all of them to cut their hair. Next came Richard Robinson.

A New York friend of Paley's, Richard Robinson (husband of the rock columnist Lisa Robinson) visited Boston in the summer of 1971. Robinson was riding high being responsible for the Jaggerz' one hit wonder The Rapper and he booked Catfish Black into some New York City Max's Kansas City dates, the home away from home for Warhol's Factory workers.

Record corporation RCA had recently cleared house and Dennis Katz, manager of Blood, Sweat and Tears, and brother of band member Steve Katz was brought in for A &R. When Katz and RCA president Rocco Laginestra signed an inordinate number of new acts, trying to quell the company's previous buffoonery, Catfish Black (now the Sidewinders) were included. (Note: When the band hit New York, they learned of a band with a too-similar moniker and changed their name to the Sidewinders after a line in Roger McGuinn's Chestnut Mare.) Now the Sidewinders were slated to hit the studio under Robinson's production direction for RCA Records.

A week prior to the studio, Richard Robinson rang and informed the band that he was off to London to produce ol' Lou Reed's first solo LP. He also informed the band that his dear friend, Lenny Kaye, later of Patti Smith fortune, was to fill his shoes. The band was too naive to question the situation. The session got off on a positive note. The new direction of RCA and its enthusiasm helped. Fellow label mate, David Bowie, was among the many who slipped through to check out how things were going. Katz was happy. Andy spent the session saying everything was going to be ok. Keep positive. Eric didn't necessarily trust Lenny. Mike was doing a lot of reading. Henry was trying to adjust to a newly found wealth. Leigh was unavailable for comment. One of those cultural phenomena followed. After an infamous Cambridge Boathouse bash, the album was released to mixed radio feelings and excellent press. Billboard Pick of the Week, and those wonderful reviews in Circus, Creem, Variety and Rolling Stone. The record sold well, ironically, in Texas and some scatterings around the country. The record, however, flopped in general.

Henry Stern and Mike Reed quickly departed after the album's release. After 1,000 auditions, blues keysman Larry Luddeke (Far Cry) and drummer Bryan Chase joined. Xmas 1972, the band returned to live performing but after a couple of gigs it was clear that Luddeke wasn't gelling with the band and Susie was called upon to drop the axe again. As a four piece, Rose, Paley, Razowski and Chase played a couple of shows which are best described as disasters. The band needed another guitar.

The audition worked fairly well in terms of sound but the band was dubious of the man. The Sidewinders were informed that Squier was their newest member not long after. Adams was growing weary and decided it was best to pass the band, taking a secondary position, to a big agency. Really big. She figured about a five-month preparation for a Max's industry showcase for New York management would be appropriate to make the transition. With a Billboard Cross Reference (the Who's Who of What's Who), she began the Sidewinder drive. Jerry Weintraub, Nat Weiss, Sid Bernstein, Chrysalis and Katz, who by now had become Zeppelin's American management rep. All showed up at a Sidewinders' gig and all were very impressed. In a sad turn of events, Squier tried to remold the band. Rose felt his creativity was being squashed and Katz (who knew all the words to the Sidewinders' songs), the band's prospective management, ironically thought Squier had to go. Susie thought it would be best to ease Billy out of the situation, slowly. But Squier's alleged innate ability to dismantle had already crippled the band. The Sidewinders slowly unwound.

by Charles William White III, The Beat 1985

Tracks

1. Bad Dreams (Leigh Lisowski) - 3:12

2. Superhit (Andy Paley, Eric Rosenfeld) - 2:11

3. Moonshine (Andy Paley, Eric Rosenfeld) - 2:49

4. The Bumble Bee (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov) - 2:45

5. Told You So (Andy Paley) - 2:43

6. Rendezvous (Andy Paley, Eric Rosenfeld) - 3:22

7. O Miss Mary (Andy Paley) - 4:06

8. Got You Down (Andy Paley, Eric Rosenfeld) - 2:26

9. Slip Away (We're Gonna Try) (Andy Paley) - 5:24

10.Reputation (Andy Paley, Eric Rosenfeld) - 2:20

11.Parade (Leigh Lisowski) - 3:03

The Sidewinders

*Leigh Lisowski - Bass, Vocals

*Henry Stern - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

*Eric Rosenfeld - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Gong

*Andy Paley - Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Percussion

*Mike Reed - Rhythm Guitar

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McChurch Soundroom - Delusion (1970 Switzerland, fine heavy jam psych bluesy rock)

McChurch Soundroom is a Swiss krautrock band formed in Basel Switzerland near the German border. The band was fronted by the Italian-Swiss multi-instrumentalist Sandy Chiesa. All together the band consisted 5 members. Heiner Althaus (guitar), Alan Veltin (organ, piano, vocals), Noby Jud (drums, percussion), Kurt Hafen (bass) and Sandy Chiesa (vocals, flute and acoustic guitar).

Soundroom's first and only album was produced by Conny Plank. The music is heavy krautrock with jazz, fusion, progressive and psychedelic elements. The songs are well arranged and the musicianship is absolutely amazing!!

The album does have a rather rough, unpolished production, starts off acoustic and sounds a whole lot like it came right off Stand Up, right down to vocals that sounds just like Ian Anderson. As the song progresses, the music turns to electric guitar and Hammond organ with bluesy undertones, and progressive passages that oddly sound like they belong on a Yes album, then there's a totally killer jam I wished was much longer, then it goes back to the acoustic beginning.

The next cut, "Dream of a Drummer" is an instrumental, guitar-oriented piece that would have done much better if it wasn't for that useless drum solo. That's the only weak spot on the album, by the way. "Time is Flying" is more of the same great bluesy prog rock sound.

The next song, "What Are You Doin'" is much in the same vein as the previous cut, but I really can't stomach the preachy, anti-drug message in the lyrics, this band totally predates Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" by a full decade. That's plain silly, because people in to that kind of music at the time were likely lighting up the bong every now and then. The album ends with a two part instrumental called "Trouble" which is basically a jam, played in a rather jazzy manner with flute and Hammond organ dominating.

Unsurprisingly, the LP is quite rare and difficult to find (one online dealer was selling it for $200).The cover to the album is way cool, which is a picture of a skull all covered in dripping candle wax, which also clues you in on the underground nature of the album.

Tracks

1. Delusion (Heiner Althaus, Sandro Chiesa, Marcel Schaar) - 5:47

2. Dream Of A Drummer (Norbert Jud) - 9:24

3. Time Is Flying (Heiner Althaus, Sandro Chiesa, Marcel Schaar) - 6:17

4. What Are You Doin' (Heiner Althaus, Sandro Chiesa, Jakob) - 8:31

5. Trouble Part I (Alain Veltin, Heiner Althaus, Kurt Hafen, Norbert Jud, Sandro Chiesa) - 4:29

6. Trouble Part II (Alain Veltin, Heiner Althaus, Kurt Hafen, Norbert Jud, Sandro Chiesa) - 5:40

McChurch Soundroom

*Alain Veltin - Organ 

*Heiner Althaus - Guitar 

*Kurt Hafen - Bass

*Norbert Jud - Drums 

*Sandy McChurch "Sandro Chiesa" - Vocals, Flute

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Nitzinger - One Foot In History (1973 us, strong blues rock with extra track)

Aside from jettisoning some increasingly archaic psychedelic tendencies (and welcoming second guitarist Bugs Henderson to the fold), Nitzinger's rather arrogantly named sophomore outing, One Foot in History, pretty much picked up right where the Texan band's critically lauded first album had left off. Which is to say that it too boasted an eclectic batch of songs whose only common denominator was orbiting Planet Southern Rock in some capacity, at a time when the genre was approaching its summer solstice, thanks to the tenacity of its star-crossed founding fathers, the Allman Brothers Band, and their fast-rising heirs apparent, Lynyrd Skynyrd. 

Among Nitzinger's novel stylistic diversions on One Foot in History were the mellifluous saxophone and orchestrated string backdrops added to the title track and the imperial, Cream-like "Uncle John"; the full-blown jazz breakdown anchoring the Allmans-esque "Motherload"; and, on a negative note, the misplaced, easy listening schmaltz of "Driftwood." Yet heavy Southern rockers were also available in droves, with clear standouts including the barroom brawler "The Cripple Gnat Bounce" (whatever that means!); the driving "Let the Living Grow" (clearly inspired by Humble Pie's barnburning cover of "I Don't Need No Doctor"); and the all-time classic "Earth Eater," which contrasted a pummeling main riff against an amazing melodic hook, the likes of which seems to have cropped up in many an Aerosmith song over the ensuing years. 

In fact, were it not for the aforementioned "Driftwood" and a pair of rather average rockers in "Take a Picture" and "God Bless the Pervert" (hmmm...funny, but no "Louisiana Cockfight," that one), One Foot in History might have turned out as impressive and enduring as its predecessor. In the end, it was close enough to give no indication of the troubles that lay ahead, as bandleader John Nitzinger became embroiled with too many distractions and made fans wait almost four years for another Nitzinger LP. [New millennium reissues of One Foot in History were enhanced with a pair of bonus tracks: the funky album outtake "Power Glide" and a hair-raising, nine-minute live jam on "Texas Blues, Jelly Roll."]

by Eduardo Rivadavia

Tracks

1. Take A Picture - 3:17

2. Motherlode - 3:47

3. God Bless The Pervert - 3:20

4. Earth Eater - 2:55

5. Driftwood - 3:53

6. Let The Living Grow - 3:13

7. The Cripple Gnat Bounce - 2:51

8. One Foot In History - 4:12

9. Uncle John - 5:12

10.Texas Blues / Jelly Roll - 9:18

All songs by John Nitzinger

Bonus Track 10

Nitzinger

*Linda Waring - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

*Curly Benton - Bass, Vocals

*Bugs Henderson - Lead Guitar

*John Nitzinger - Lead Guitar, Vocals. 

1972  Nitzinger - Nitzinger (Akarma)  

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