"Against the Grain" contained a dozen original songs written by Dodson, Berly and King in the style of the band was unique but it has been compared to such American bands as CCR, Poco or even the Byrds at times but with a Canadian twist to the lyrics. The album garnered Juno Awards for ‘Best Vocal Instrumental Group,’ ‘Best Producer,’ ‘Best Single’ and ‘Best Composer’ and was released in England and Europe.
Tracks
1. Carry Me - 2:55
2. Train To Nowhere - 2:54
3. Gator Road (Ronnie King) - 2:23
4. Only A Friend - 2:30
5. Oklahoma Country - 2:59
6. You Got To Go (Kim Berly) - 2:36
7. Sweet City Woman - 3:24
8. Sunday Prayin' - 3:05
9. Tuscaloosa Women (Ronnie King) - 2:48
10.With You I Got Wheels - 2:20
11.I Didn't Love You Anyhow (Ronnie King) - 2:19
12.Man From P.E.I. - 2:51
13.Oui Tu Es Mon Ami (Rich Dodson, Nicole Dufour) - 3:22
"From the Fire" is the third full length studio album from Canadian band, The Stampeders. Consistently releasing two albums per year at this point, the band continued their string of well produced, well composed and well received projects with this release. The album charted at 12th in Canada, which was their fourth straight album to appear in the top 20.
The male-female duo Jon & Robin are thought of as a one-hit wonder for their playful 1967 Top 20 hit "Do It Again a Little Bit Slower." Actually, however, they recorded quite a bit in the mid-to-late '60s, with an engaging if somewhat lightweight style craftily mixing AM radio mid-'60s pop/rock with a little psychedelia and Southern soul. "Do It Again a Little Bit Slower" was certainly the best of their discs, with its likable male-female vocal tradeoffs, a "Cool Jerk"-like soul piano riff at strategic points, and an effective fadeout that languorously stretched out the suggestive title phrase. But their two LPs and a bunch of 1965-1969 singles included some enjoyable material as well, devised with help from some fine songwriters and some of the best production and backup musician talent in their Dallas base.
The male half of the duo, Jon Abdnor, had recorded some solo singles for his millionaire father's Abnak label before hooking up with teenage singer Javonne Braga, who was billed as "Robin" on the records the pair made together. Their one national hit, "Do It Again a Little Bit Slower" came from the pen of Wayne Carson Thompson, most famous for writing the Boxtops' "The Letter." The duo also recorded several other Thompson compositions, including the fairly gritty soul-popper "Dr. Jon (The Medicine Man)," which was a big hit in Texas, although it didn't break nationally.
Jon & Robin themselves wrote little original material, although they did benefit from production by ex-rockabilly star Dale Hawkins and Mike Rabon of the Five Americans, a fellow Abnak act. Indeed, several of the Five Americans played on some Jon & Robin sessions, and another Abnak artist, soul singer Bobby Patterson, also helped out with some of their recordings. By the end of the 1960s, however, Jon & Robin had split, though Jon Abdnor did put out a 1969 solo LP, Intro to Change, billed to John Howard Abdnor & the Involvement.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Do It Again A Little Bit Longer (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:32
2. Dr. Jon (The Medicine Man) (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:07
3. You Got Style (Andy Kim, Jeff Barry) - 2:06
4. Drums (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:45
5. Love Me Baby (Bobby Patterson, Bobby Rambo, Jon Abnor) - 2:38
6. I Want Some More (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 2:01
7. You Don't Care (Jon Abnor) - 2:35
8. Like I Know You Do (Knox Henderson, Ronnie Weiss) - 2:17
9. We Watched Each Other Fall In Love (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 1:56
10.Thursday Morning (Jerry Lynn Williams, Mike Rabon) - 2:25
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
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
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
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
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".
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)
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
