When Earl and Earnie Cate forned their first band in Springdale in the early 60;s, they called themselves the Del Rays. By 1970they were The Cates Gang, regulars this on the Dickinson Street and frat party circuit in Fayetteville, and MetroMedia label had issues their first album, "Wanted".
"Wanted" is a fine album that really puts is all together musically on "If You Got The Time (I Got The Love)", with some delicate but exciting rhythms "Song Man" and "Leavin' This Town", are also good, while message type songs like "We All Got To Help Each Other", and "When Will We Learn" have programming strength and could happen.
"The Eyes of an Only Child" by Tom Jans was released in 1975. I loved that record and used to play it a lot, along with his eponymous debut LP on A&M, featuring his best known song, “Lovin’ Arms,” recorded by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, Dobie Gray, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and many others. I still have those two on vinyl, so I retrieved them, album covers, sleeves and all.
Jans was a songwriter and performer of some standing in the 1970s, a “folk” singer strumming an acoustic guitar, but he also played keyboards, plugged in and toured with a backup band. He was born in 1948. He was from California and had majored in English Literature at UC-Davis (graduating Phi Beta Kappa) before playing clubs in San Francisco and being discovered by Joan Baez and her sister Mimi Farina.
He and Farina toured for a year as a duo, opening for Cat Stevens and James Taylor. They made an album for A&M before he went his own way with the self-titled disc for A&M, recorded in Nashville, followed by The Eyes of an Only Child, produced in part by Little Feat’s Lowell George, with backing by marquee talent like Fred Tackett, David Lindley, Billy Payne, Jeff Porcaro, Herb Peterson, Valerie Carter and Jim Keltner.
Jans was so versatile, and that might have been an obstacle in the biz at the time — not sounding the same on each cut. He could write a tender standard like “Lovin’ Arms” and an uptempo two-step like “Out of Hand” that honky tonk hero Gary Stewart (more royalty) made into a #4 country hit. Other keepers include “Gotta Move,” “Struggle in Darkness,” and “Green River.” Somebody should be playing these on the radio.
by Sean Mitchell, January 31, 2021
Tracks
1. Gotta Move (Tom Jans, Lowell George) - 4:15
2. Once Before I Die - 3:15
3. Where Did All My Good Friends Go? - 4:50
4. Inside Of You - 3:05
5. Struggle In Darkness - 5:40
6. Out Of Hand (Tom Jans, Jeff Barry) - 3:15
7. The Lonesome Way Back When - 4:20
8. Lonely Brother - 5:45
9. Directions And Connections - 4:35
10.The Eyes Of An Only Child - 3:35
All compositions by Tom Jans except where stated
Musicians
*Tom Jans - Electric, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Piano
Originally released in 1970. "Entire genres of music would look and sound vastly different if not for the contributions of Vicksburg, Mississippi's Willie Dixon. A writer of songs such as 'Hoochie Coochie Man', 'Spoonful', and 'My Babe', among so many others, Dixon's songs have gone on to become standards of blues music, after being covered by legends such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Walter, while these same songs served as inspirational templates for the evolution of rock and roll music. Along with Muddy Waters, Dixon is to this day considered one of the most influential figures to the development of the post-World War II music scene. Dixon originally began as a performer, but as his career as a songwriter and session musician took off he performed less and less, working behind the scenes more frequently.
In 1970 however, he entered the studios to record a selection of his own tunes. The end result was titled I Am The Blues, and consisted of songs written during his time as a staff-writer with Chess Records, previously performed by the likes of Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Otis Rush, and Willie Mabon. Dixon was joined by a solid lineup of seasoned session veterans the "Chicago Blues All Stars", many of whom had performed as sidemen for the same singers he'd written for. A remarkable collection of new renditions of classic songs, straight from the original source.
Tracks
1. Back Door Man - 6:13
2. I Can't Quit You, Baby - 6:45
3. Seventh Son - 4:19
4. Spoonful - 4:59
5. I Ain't Superstitious - 4:08
6. You Shook Me (Willie Dixon, J. B. Lenoir) - 4:18
Fenton was born on September 23, 1935 in Greenwood, Mississippi. Inspired by the blues he heard on the radio (especially T-Bone Walker), he moved to Memphis at age 16 and concentrated on playing music. He broke onto the Southern blues scene while still in his early twenties. His first single, Tennessee Woman, was recorded for the Memphis-based Meteor label. This young, upstart guitarist carved out a strong, devoted following from among the most demanding of blues audiences. He went on to record for Duke Records in Houston (and played lead guitar on Larry Davis' original version of Texas Flood) before moving to Chicago in 1962. In Chicago he recorded for singles for U.S.A., Giant and Palos Records (where he first recorded the famous Somebody Loan Me A Dime in 1967). Night after night, Fenton proved himself in club after club, eventually winning a regular gig at the legendary Peppers Lounge.
The man's reputation didn't just rest on one great song, though. His classic recordings have inspired countless cover versions. Albert King, Elvin Bishop, Eric Burdon, Maggie Bell and Charlie Musselwhite have recorded Fenton's early hits. But even greater recognition came in 1969, when Boz Scaggs, along with Duane Allman, recorded the classic blues/rock version of Somebody Loan Me A Dime , and introduced Fenton to a whole new legion of fans.
Before hooking up with Alligator, Fenton wrote for Lowell Fulson and Larry Davis, and performed with Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, and many other blues legends. He toured with Charlie Musselwhite and worked the blues circuit with his own bands. In early 70's he signed for John Richbourg's Sound Stage 7/Seventy 7 labels, and in 1972 he recorded and released "Monday Morning Boogie And Blues", having a lot of problems during the recordings, but the result was a record of classic chicago electric blues straight to the point with a solid upbeat rhythm section.
Tracks
1. The Sky Is Crying (Elmore James, Morgan Robinson) - 3:30
2. Smokestack Lightning (Chester Burnett) - 2:48
3. Little Red Rooster (Willie Dixon) - 3:03
4. Somebody Loan Me A Dime (Fenton Robinson) - 3:43
5. Moanin' For My Baby (Chester Burnett) - 3:16
6. Little Turch (Fenton Robinson) - 3:49
7. Don't Start Me Talkin' (I'll Tell Everything I Know) (Traditional) - 2:56
The wheels on the “big, blue” hippy bus went round and round as the Contents Are weaved their merry way across Iowa spreading the word of paisley protest. For four years during the ’60s, the Quad Cities-based quartet created a heady brew of subdued blues beats, catchy psych-pop and tripped-out folk that sugar-coated the hardcore messages which lurked beneath the 13 original tunes on 1967’s Through You.
The Contents Are’s songs weren’t all filled with cotton candy clouds floating in a marshmallow sky but dealt with more serious issues including a very bleak view of modern democracy (“Peace At Last”) set to a tune that borrows from the Beatles “Dr. Robert”, a hook-laden wake-up call to the U.S. government (“In Trouble”) that, some would say, is still relevant today, and the ever-present nuclear threat (“If You’re Relaxing”). This previously hard-to-find (only 100 copies were pressed and sold at gigs) regional gem is bolstered by the band’s two excellent, and not quite so hard-to-find, singles. The best of these sides, “Future Days”, is a piece of moody, early psych-blues that sounds like it hails from the dark side of Haight-Ashbury and, even with the poor audio quality, is alone worth the price of admission to this particular band’s garage.
by Alan Brown, 15 May 2008
“Rumours of a limited demo LP pressing from this renowned Iowa garagey-folk rock band remained unconfirmed until a copy popped up at a 2005 Austin Record Show. Curiosity grew into excitement as the album turned out to feature 13 band originals in a terrific melodic Beatles ‘65-66 style with a sprinkling of Byrds on top. In other words, an ideal sound for a ’lost’ 60s album, reminiscent of the Beauregard Ajax recordings from L.A. Drawing inspiration from the Beatles is usually an indication of both taste and cojones, and the Contents Are deliver a string of skillfully arranged 3-minute gems from the point where beat and folk rock turn into melodic psychedelia.” – Patrick Lundborg, The Acid Archives
The Contents Are’s debut album was originally issued in 1967 in an edition of just 100 copies. Hailing from Quad City, Iowa, these four young men recorded one incredible song after another, their ambitions well beyond that of the typical group at the time.This record, more rumoured than heard, lives at a wild nexus in American culture, simultaneously expansive and reflective, searching for answers in society through music and art. The great German label Shadoks first reissued this legendary set almost ten years ago, and we’re very happy to bring you a new deluxe edition of “Through You”, this time with the very special addition of the band’s two non-album 45s, originally released on the ROK label (these two singles are seeing their first ever reissue on vinyl; previously only available as CD bonus tracks, and well worth rediscovery). Let this record turn you on to new horizons.
Lesley Duncan (12 August 1943) was one of England's top session vocalists, Lesley Duncan sang on recordings by Elton John, the Dave Clark Five, Pink Floyd, the Alan Parsons Project, Michael Chapman, and Joyce Everson and the soundtrack of Jesus Christ Superstar. Her songs have been covered by Elton John, Olivia Newton-John, and Long John Baldry.
While her vocals and songwriting brought her respect from the British music press, Duncan was unable to break through as a soloist. Dropped by MCA in 1976 due to poor album sales, she continued to work with producer Tony Cox as a singles artist until 1986. Her last album vocal appearances came in 1979 with "If I Could Change Your Mind" on the Alan Parsons Project album Eve and in 1980 with "Hold on to Love" from the album Exiled by the Bob Mitchell/Steve Coe Mysteries. Duncan's early albums, Sing Children Sing and Earth Mother, were released on CD in the early 2000s. During her latter years Duncan continued to perform with Jimmy Horowitz on keyboards and Chris Spedding on guitar. She died from cerebrovascular disease at age 66 on March 12, 2010, on the Isle of Mull in Scotland.
by Craig Harris
Tracks
1. Times - 4:00
2. Queen To Your King - 3:50
3. Love Will Never Lose You - 3:02
4. Thunder - 3:39
5. God Is Real (In My Soul) (Traditional) - 3:29
6. Fortieth Floor - 4:42
7. Old Friends (Jimmy Horowitz, Lesley Duncan) - 4:35
"Absolutely" was Boxer's and Mike Patto's final album. Mike was the only member of the original lineup on the album. Chris Stainton, who contributed on the "Bloodletting" from 1976, played most of the keyboards. Tim Bogert's (Cactus, Beck Bogert & Appice et al.) creative bass playing is prominent throughout the album. Adrian Fisher had the challenge of filling Ollie's shoes on guitar. Adrian and Eddie were probably session players primarily. Adrian played on a Sparks album that was produced by Muff Winwood, the producer of the Patto albums.
Of course, with the completely new band lineup, the "Absolutely" album is very different from the first two Boxer albums. It moves away from the rawer, straight-ahead rock approach with a slicker production and more finessed instrumentation. Mike's vocals are still in fine form -- he sounds great throughout the album. While Adrian and Eddie are solid musically throughout the album, Tim Bogert's bass and Chris Stainton's keyboards perhaps dominate the musical side of things. Tim Bogert's bass playing is particularly impressive, but it seems a bit too busy on some of the more simple tunes -- maybe too much of a good thing?
Mike collaborated with all the band members to write the album's material. "Big Lucy", "Red Light Flyer", the Randy Newman-esque "Everybody's A Star...", and "No Reply" (despite the terribly out-of-place musical extravaganza after the first verses) are among the better cuts on the album.. Mike delivers a great vocal on "As God's My Judge". "Rich Man's Daughter" is a remake of the version recorded by the original Boxer lineup for the 1976 "Bloodletting" album, which was not released until two years later in 1979.
"Everybody's A Star..." was released as a single in the UK with "Can't Stand What You Do" as the flip side (Cat. # Epic EPC 5540). A promotional single with a picture sleeve was also issued and contained the "No Reply" track.
1975 Rock with two lead guitars, from Winnenden near Stuttgart. Their first LP out of three. With Kono Konopik on drums who went to Anyone's Daughter after Pancake.
Nyrvana Pancake were founded in 1970 at Winnenden, a town located close to Stuttgart. They released one of the best German psychedelic singles, nothing else more. After having shortened their name to Pancake, they released three LPs: Roxy elephant in 1975, Out of the ashes in 1978, and No illusions in 1979. Their style, as well as their line-up, often changed. The only one of the line-up who stayed until the end was Walter Negele. Drummer Günther Konopik left after their first LP. He went to Anyone's Daughter, where he remained for some years. Werner Bauer left the group too, to became the long time manager of Anyone's Daughter. Though on Roxy elephant there are no keyboards, one can clearly hear symphonic echoes.
Tracks
1. Heartfire - 4:09
2. Rolltreppe - 1:12
3. Aeroplane - 13:30
4. End Of The Day - 1:26
5. Remember - 4:51
6. Long Life - 4:36
7. Harmony - 2:38
8. Roxy Elephant - 6:57
All songs by Walter Negele, Tommy Metzger, Hampy Nerlich, Werner Bauer, Günther Konopik
Noah was Salem, Ohio based hard psych rock group that recorded a concept album in 1972 that remained unissued in its time. Guerssen is releasing a 2LP/CD/Digital reissue of the Noah’s ‘Brain Suck’ album including bonus tracks of Sound Barrier [pre-Noah].
Formed in the late 60s in Salem, Ohio, out of the ashes of two garage bands, the Markees and the Sound Barrier (of the legendary ‘Hey, Hey’ 45 on Zounds), Noah consisted of Mark Scheuring (guitar and lead vocals), Larry Davis (drums), Paul Hess (bass and backup vocals) and Danny Hall (keyboards and backup vocals). In 1972 the band recorded in just two days a concept album titled ‘Brain Suck’ at Cleveland Recording studios with engineer/producer Ken Hamann (of Grand Funk Railroad and James Gang fame).
Noah’s music was dark and heavy, featuring killer Hammond organ, hard guitar and powerful vocals. This is truly a major find for anyone into hard psychedelia. In the words of Steve Krakow (Plastic Crimewave): “it conjures the heavy, doomy vibe of Blue Cheer’s “Fruit and Icebergs” suite; the bluster of Sir Lord Baltimore (but maybe with Keith Emerson on keys); and a biker ferocity found on the Fraction ‘Moonblood’ Lp. I’m also imagining Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, or Vanilla Fudge on some bad drugs with a Mothers-like malignance”.
The LP sessions were never released properly (in fact a truncated vinyl edition with some songs missing and late Sound Barrier demos added was released in 1995 by Al Simones on his Head Records label, without the band’s knowledge) so this is the first time that the ‘Brain Suck’ album is released as originally intended by the band. The Noah album project was mastered by Javier Roldon at Vacuum Mastering.
by Klemen Breznika
Tracks
1. Brainsuck - 7:32
2. Avocados Grumbled - 5:18
3. Goodbye Earth - 7:25
4. Wish I Knew My Name - 5:56
5. Maybe You’ve Changed / Trouble / Still No Reason - 14:35
6. Why Should I Care - 3:31
7. We Wanna Be Free - 6:07
8. Nature’s Lament - 4:43
9. Hey, Hey 2:33
10.(My) Baby’s Gone 2:51
11.I Can’t Explain - 2:28
12.Greasy Heart - 3:23
13.Black Mother Nature - 3:25
All Songs written by Danny Hall, Larry Davis, Mark Scheuring, Paul Hess
Track 1-5 original LP "Brain Suck" 1972
Tracks 6-12 Singles and Unreleased Demos, 1967-1971
