Angel Pavement - Maybe Tomorrow (1969 uk, elegant mix of sunshine pop rock and late psychedelic whimsy, highlighted by exquisite harmonies, 2005 remaster)

You’re forgiven if you have never heard of the psychedelic/sunshine pop band Angel Pavement which formed in York, England in 1967 and disbanded just four years later. The band only released a couple of singles which didn’t do well on the charts and disagreements between the band and their label prevented their first album from ever seeing the light of day. The band did have a following in their hometown but it never translated to country wide success, thus relegating them to underground status. The good news is the band’s tracks have been indelibly preserved on the compilation titled Maybe Tomorrow, released on the Morgan Blue Town label, a subsidiary of Secret Records Limited. This edition comes as a six panel digipack with twenty-eight tracks spread over two CDs and includes an extensive booklet.

The band’s music clearly references The Hollies and The Beatles, major influences for sure and I have to say this CD is a real treat, especially suited for anyone who enjoys psychedelic/pop rock of the era.

This was a talented band with lush vocal harmonies and tasty guitar all over the place, sometimes in the form of pretty acoustic arpeggios or jangly electric rhythms. No matter, it’s all tastefully executed beginning with the upbeat pop of “The Man In The Shop On The Corner”, emphasizing the band’s penchant for great melodies. Lovely acoustic guitar and lush vocals highlight “Time Is Upon Us”, with a sparser arrangement but no less of an earworm. “Socialising” is part ballad, part up-tempo pop rocker while “Jennifer” is pure ear candy with its feel good melody and tasty vocal arrangement. The playful and childlike “Water Woman” and the incredibly lush psychedelic pop of the Beatles inspired “Little Old Man” are more nice tracks.

The second disc also contains some nice surprises like the hippy soaked jaunty pop of “Phantasmagoria”, the languid psych pop of “Rooftop Memories”, the harder driving rhythm section in “Tootsy Wootsy Feelgood” and the wonderful guitar melodies in “Flying On The Ground (Is Wrong)”. The gorgeous melodies and vocals in “I’m A Dreamer” and the lush Beatles-ish “Maybe Tomorrow (early mix)” are more stand out tracks.

Listening to Maybe Tomorrow has been like a breath of fresh air. Music like this just isn’t made anymore but if you want to be taken back a few decades I can’t recommend this one enough. 

by Jon Neudorf

Tracks

1. The Man In The Shop On The Corner (Alfie Shepherd) - 3:07

2. Maybe Tomorrow (Tom Evans) - 4:11

3. Time Is Upon Us (Alfie Shepherd) - 3:32

4. Green Mello Hill (Danny Beckerman) - 2:35

5. Little Old Man (Alfie Shepherd) - 4:16

6. When Will I See June Again (Alfie Shepherd) - 4:47

7. Genevieve (Malcolm Spence, Michael Candler) - 2:36

8. Water Woman (Jay Ferguson) - 3:25

9. Napoleon (Alfie Shepherd) - 3:27

10.Socialising (Alfie Shepherd) - 4:05

11.Jennifer (Cliff Wade) - 2:19

12.Carrie (Geoff Gill) - 3:14

13.I'm A Dreamer (Alfie Shepherd) - 2:57

14.Baby You've Gotta Stay (Danny Beckerman) - 2:22

15.I'm Moving On (Alfie Shepherd) - 3:59

16.Tell Me What I've Got To Do (Danny Beckerman, Geoff Gill) - 2:30

17.Phantasmagoria (Malcolm Spence) - 2:28

18.Rooftop Memories (David Smith) - 3:24

19.Tootsy Wootsy Feelgood (Graham Harris) - 2:42

20.Flying On The Ground (Is Wrong) (Neil Young) - 4:15

21.Five Sisters (Alfie Shepherd) - 3:51

22.Desperate Dan (Alfie Shepherd) - 4:11

23.I'm Moving On (Alfie Shepherd) - 3:31

Angel Pavement

*Alfie Shepherd - Vocals, Lead, Six, Twelve String Guitars

*Graham Harris - Bass, Vocals

*Mike Candler - Drums, Vocals

*John Cartwright - Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Trumpet

*Paul Smith - Vocals

*David Smith - Vocals

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NRBQ - Scraps (1972 us, loveably rockabilly bar-band blooze with free jazz infection, 2000 expanded)

The NRBQ history goes back to 1965 in Kentucky, and while there have been various changes in band members and there was a period in the ‘60s and ‘00s when the band didn’t exist, they are still going strong today and remain true to the template of their self-titled debut 1969 album which included covers of Eddie Cochrane and Sun Ra, which just shows their eclecticism. Also in place is the band’s sense of fun and founder and current leader Terry Adams’ unique keyboard flourishes, vocals and writing skills, and the songwriting and musical chops of bass player and vocalist Joey Spampinato. Over the years drummers and guitarists have changed, and horns have been added and removed and founding member, bassist and songwriter Joey Spampinato left in 2004 leaving Terry Adams as the last founding member.  Among NRBQ aficionados, The Q line-up from 1974-1993 with Terry Adams and Joey Spampinato being joined by songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Big ‘Al’ Anderson and drummer and occasional live vocalist Tom Ardolino is considered to be the classic line-up and the run of three albums from 1978 – 1980 to be their studio recorded peak. Al Anderson left The Q in 1993 and subsequently became a leading Nashville songwriter, guitarist for hire and he also maintained a lower-key solo career, and while his songwriting and guitar skills are exceptional, the overall quality of The Q’s music was not lost over subsequent years.

If The Q are so good with excellent power pop and country rock credentials, and not forgetting their Tin Pan Alley and jazz credentials, then why I hear some of you ask are they only a cult band, even if they are the template for all cult bands. That is a difficult question to answer, it could be that they were just too eclectic and too quirky in their humour. The more likely reason is that for the majority of their career they were on independent labels which, while allowing them to be true to their own artistic ideals, they were never shaped and polished by a major for the stardom their talents warranted. They established themselves as one of the best live bands around with a very large catalogue of songs and this provided a very steady income that allowed them to support themselves. The quirkiness of The Q is again shown by the fact that a band, famed for their live performances, didn’t release a live album until 1987.

‘Scraps’ is The Q’s third album and things are really beginning to fall into place. Al Anderson is on board as lead guitarist, but due to contractual issues wasn’t allowed to sing. Back in 1972 two and three minute pop songs weren’t all the rage, but NRBQ managed to get 14 tracks on the original album. That is a lot of songs, and fortunately, Joey Spampinato comes into his own as a songwriter with 5 tracks he wrote or co-wrote and also takes lead vocals on.  While I said pop songs, these included such songs as ‘Howard Johnson’s Got His Ho-Jo Working’ and ‘Who Put The Garlic In The Glue’, which gives a hint of the thought processes going on in the band. Columbia had released NRBQ from their contract after two albums and ‘Scraps’ was released on Kama Sutra which was a clear sign they were not heading for major label success while they honed their own sound and style. Joey Spampinato’s ‘Only You’ is a standout track.

by Martin Johnson, August 19, 2021

Tracks

1. Howard Johnston's Got His Ho-Jo Workin' (Terry Adams) - 3:17

2. Magnet (Joseph Spampinato, Terry Adams) - 3:25

3. Don't Knock At My Door (Joseph Spampinato) - 2:58

4. Tragic Magic (Terry Adams) - 1:47

5. Only You (Joseph Spampinato) - 2:44

6. Who Put The Garlic In The Glue? (Terry Adams) - 1:56

7. Get A Grip (Steve Ferguson, Terry Adams) - 4:18

8. Boys In The City (Joseph Spampinato) - 2:26

9. New Tune (Terry Adams) - 2:31

10.Scraps (Terry Adams) - 4:05

11.It's Not So Hard (Joseph Spampinato) - 2:43

12a.Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive (Harold Arlen, Steve Ferguson)

12b.Things Are Getting Better (Julian Adderley) - 3:15

13.Do You Feel It? (Terry Adams) - 2:50

14.Ain't It All Right (Steve Ferguson) - 2:23

15.Just Close Your Eyes And Be Mine Ruby (Terry Adams) - 3:18

16.Hymn #9 (Terry Adams) - 1:14

17.Trouble At The Henhouse (Joseph Spampinato) - 2:13

Bonus Tracks 15-17

NRBQ

*Joseph Spampinato - Bass, Vocals

*Al Anderson - Guitar, Slide Guitar

*Terry Adams - Keyboard, Harmonica, , Vocals 

*Frank Gadler - Vocals

*Tom Staley - Drums

With

*Steve Ferguson - Guitar

*Donn Adams - Trombone

*Ken Sheehan - Rhythm Guitar 

1966-2016  NRBQ - High Noon A 50 Year Retrospective (2016 remaster 5 disc box set)  

1969  NRBQ - NRBQ (debut album, 2018 remaster)  

1977  NRBQ - All Hopped Up (2018 remaster and expanded)

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Spriguns - Revel Weird And Wild (1976 uk, ethereal prog folk with traditional touches, 2004 japan remaster)

Originally a folk duo formed in 1972 by husband and wife Mike and Mandy Morton, they released their debut album Jack With A Feather in 1975 under the name Spriguns Of Tolgus. It contained mostly traditional tunes and was produced by Steeleye Span's Tim Hart which gives a fair indication of where they were coming from musically at the time. It also brought them to the attention of a major label, Decca Records, and after reducing their name to the more economical 'Spriguns' they released Revel Weird And Wild and Time Will Pass in 1976.

In addition to the change of name, the Morton's established a new band for the recording of Revel Weird And Wild which included Tom Ling (electric violin, vocals), Dick Powell (electric guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Chris Woodcock (drums). Mandy provided the lead vocals and acoustic guitar whilst Mike took care of bass guitar and vocals. Tim Hart was once again responsible for production and guesting on pedal steel guitar for two tracks was the imitable B.J. Cole. The end result was more rock friendly than its predecessor although their folk roots were still very much in evidence as track titles like Trysting Tree and Piscie Song testify.

Whilst the songs on Revel Weird And Wild are all original compositions penned mostly by Mandy Morton, they have an earthy folk charm thanks to her warm and sensitive delivery, the story-telling lyrics and the traditional instrumentation. Mandy's singing has been misleadingly compared to Steeleye Span's Maddy Prior even though her tone is less distinctive and closer to the late Sandy Denny and the neutral side of Kate Rusby. This she uses to good effect, sounding suitably melancholic or playful (as in Piscie Song) as the mood takes. Violinist Tom Ling also plays a major role, shining throughout with a succession of lively jigs, reels and hornpipes during Outlandish Knight, Sir Colvin and Nothing Else To Do. Elsewhere as in Hasberry Howard and Lord Lovell his playing is masterfully rich.

B.J. Cole's pedal steel appearances are brief but sublime adding a country tinge to Trysting Tree and When Spring Comes In (but he can be forgiven for that) whilst Dick Powell provides beautiful, rippling piano for Sir Colvin and When Spring Comes In. Laily Worm features strong, almost a capella harmonies whilst electric guitar and bass add an edge to the multi-part Outlandish Knight and the instrumental Hasberry Howard. Regular visitors to this website will also be encouraged by the fact that in true prog fashion the longer songs are divided into several distinct sections. Perhaps the only drawback to Revel Weird And Wild is the drums could have been more prominent and the production punchier. 

by Geoff Feakes

Tracks

1. Trysting Tree - 4:01

2. Outlandish Knight - 4:33

3. Sir Colvin (Dick Powell, Mandy Morton) - 5:56

4. Piscie Song (Dick Powell, Mandy Morton) - 4:03

5. Nothing Else to Do (Dick Powell, Mandy Morton, Mike Morton) - 2:58

6. Hasberry Howard (Dick Powell, Tom Ling) - 2:54

7. Lord Lovell - 4:48

8. Laily Worm - 3:18

9. When Spring Comes In - 3:09

All songs by Mandy Morton except where stated

Spriguns

*Mandy Morton - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

*Tom Ling - Electric Violin, Vocals

*Dick Powell - Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals

*Mike Morton - Bass Guitar, Vocals

*Chris Woodcock - Drums

With

*B. J. Cole - Pedal Steel Guitar (1, 9)

1977  Time Will Pass

1978  Mandy Morton And Spriguns - Magic Lady

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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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