New York based, Last Ritual's lone LP from 1969 is definitely a step above that dubious wheelhouse, and if it was in better condition, I'd probably hang on to it and spend more time trying to decipher its weirdness. Many of the elements are there: good, occasionally heavy guitar work, a mix of long and short cuts, crazed, rambling lyrics, production work from Tom Wilson, etc. There's also lots of horns -- never fear, it's not horn rock, and the arrangements are very well done -- and maybe too much rambling.
The Last Ritual is more proto-prog rock than psych and features shifting tempos and styles from country to chamber music, heard best/worst and most seemingly random on the near-17 minute album closer, "Bugler's Reveille." Conducted, composed and arranged by one Allan Springfield, there's nearly nothing about this album or band online; in fact, many listings on discographies or the occasional copy for sale seem to think there's no band name for some reason. the album was recorded mostly live rather than tracked in pieces -- which would be truly impressive considering the complexity of much of this material. A few clues here and there also turn up info about a direct follow up band named Chelsea Beige.
Gas Mask formed in New York City when Italian jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava teamed with reedist Richard Grando and saxophonist David Gross. The trio paired their talents with a five-piece rock band comprised of guitarist Bill Davidson, bassist Ray Brooks, drummer James Strassburg, keyboardist Nick Oliva, and singer Bobby Osborne.
Rava first recorded a decade earlier with titles on the Italian Cetra label. During the mid-1960s, he played on albums by Piero Umiliani and Steve Lacy. He also did a stint in Gato Barbieri‘s Italian quintet. After his appearance on the 1969 FMP release European Echoes by German trumpeter Manfred Schoof, Rava moved to Manhattan, where he caught wind of the burgeoning fusion of jazz and rock.
Osborne hailed from The Del-Aires, a surf-rock band from Paterson, NJ, that released four singles between 1961 and 1964 and appeared in the B-movie The Horror of Party Beach.
Grando played on 1969 albums by Earth Opera (The Great American Eagle Tragedy), Tom Paxton, and Steve Elliot. Just as Gas Mask got underway, he played on the 1970 Elektra release The American Revolution by David Peel & The Lower East Side.
Davidson played on the 1969 folk-rock album The Mother of Us All by the Steve Baron Quartet.
Gas Mask signed to the short-lived NY label Tonsil Records and released their singular album, ironically titled Their First Album, in 1970. It features 10 songs: two by Gross (“The Immigrant,” “The I Ching Thing”) and eight by Oliva, including “If You Just Think of Me,” “Just Like That,” “Thank You My Dear,” and “Watch Myself Grow Tall.”
“If You Just Think of Me” rides on a shaky groove in Gm/Cm with percolating bass, rippling organ, and a darting sax riff. Osborne’s gruff, soulful vocals command the staccato, angular refrain and major-seventh chorus.
A subdued bass in B heralds “Just Like That,” where emotive, stretched-vowel vocals soar amid cascading organ keys and trumpet overlays. Midway, sax/trumpet tradeoffs are undercut with loose tom rolls.
“Thank You My Dear” enters on a tight, two-chord, half-step riff (F#/G) with a drum-pummeled, locked-horn pattern. It soon unfolds to an open-cadence chorus with cascading organ, bobbing bass, and Osborne’s sonorous croon. Midway, brass floodbursts collide with icy organ layers.
The band cuts loose on the two instrumentals. “The Immigrant” features a persistent bassline in E against an ascending brass/organ riff (C-D-E). It soon cuts to a mute trumpet solo.
“The I Ching Thing” begins with dark, faint, distant billowing sounds. One minute in, a shaky pattern in Cm/F forms with flute, muted trumpet, and chordal strikes. Things loosen in the middle with perforating flute, scaling bass, and roaming drums.
Their First Album was produced by Teo Macero, best known for his production work on jazz classics by Miles Davis (Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, Miles In the Sky), Charles Mingus (Mingus Ah Um), and Thelonious Monk (Criss-Cross). Original copies are housed in a gatefold sleeve with a lyric/photo inner-spread. The label bears Tonsil’s distinct open-mouth trademark against a red background.
The Gask Mask album was one of three released on Tonsil, which otherwise only handled the acts Canada Goose, Great Jones, and a field recording by actor Robert Redford (The Language and Music of the Wolves), plus a single by Joey Dee and the New Starliters. In France, the album was released on Musidisc as Pop No End and credited just to Bobby Osborne with generic, psychedelic gogo girl cover art.
Rava played on the 1971 experimental big band release Escalator Over the Hill by Carla Bley and Paul Haines. He then launched his career as a bandleader, starting with the 1972 Fonit Cetra International release Il Giro Del Giorno In 80 Mondi.
Grando played on a string of 1971–73 folk and country albums, including titles by David Bromberg, The Quinaimes Band, and Cat Mother. In 1974, he served as a touring musician on David Bowie‘s Diamond Dogs tour, as documented on David Live.
Oliva played on 1972 albums by singer Genya Raven (formerly of fellow brass-rockers Ten Wheel Drive) and singer/songwriter D.R. Hooker.
Strassburg partook in the soul-funk octet Gotham, which issued the 1972 album Pass the Butter. As Jimmy Strassburg, he played on High On You, the 1975 debut solo album by Sly Stone. He then played on the 1977 albums Home In the Country by (ex-Gotham saxophonist) Pee Wee Ellis and Light’n Up, Please! by David Liebman. In 1983, he played on the jazz-pop album So Nobody Else Can Hear by Jimmy Cobb with Freddie Hubbard and Gregory Hines.
Brooks played on the 1973 release This Is Marva Josie, recorded with Earl “Fatha” Hines and His Orchestra. Gross resurfaced in the mid-1980s on a pair of Gramavision titles by jazz drummer Bob Moses.
Group Therapy was a New York rock band, formed in 1966 by Ray Kennedy (vocals). The other members were Art Del Gudico (guitar), Jerry Guida (keyboards), Tommy Burns (drums) and Michael Lamont (drums).
The group rose to prominence in Europe when they joined Moby Grape on a tour in UK, in 1968. Group Therapy impressed audiences with their exciting, soul-based stage act. Two strong-voiced vocalists, Ray Kennedy and Tommy Burns give Group Therapy a solid base. Lead guitarist Art Del Gudico, also prossessing a stong voice. The band’s debut album largely comprised of covers like ‘Hey Joe’, ‘Morning Dew’ and ‘Come See About Me’.
On their second release "37 Minutes Of Group Therapy", their biggest and most significant change was the emphasis on original material, and this material is good! The band failed to larger succes and sales, and split up without achieving their potential.
During the '70s Ray Kennedy found some of his greatest success, co-writing a number of songs covered by other artists (including the Beach Boys classic 'Sail On, Sailor' as well as the Babys' 'Isn't It Time' and 'Every Time I Think of You') and co-founding the group KGB with Barry Goldberg and Michael Bloomfield. KGB proved short-lived, lasting only long enough to produce a pair of albums, but Kennedy's career continued unimpeded; in 1980, he released his second solo LP, 'Ray Kennedy.'
He spent the '80s engaged in an eclectic array of pursuits, from contributing to the music for the 1988 Olympics to opening a studio and touring with Aerosmith and the Michael Schenker Group; he also enjoyed a long professional association with Englebert Humperdinck and worked with Wayne Newton before beginning a brief songwriting partnership with Mick Fleetwood that produced 'These Strange Times,' the closing track on Fleetwood Mac's 1995 'Time' album.
Ray Kennendy passed away on February 18, 2014.
Tracks
1. Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix) - 3:05
2. Yours Until Tomorrow (Carole King, Gerry Goffin) - 3:41
3. Come See About Me (Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier) - 2:46
4. Morning Dew (Bonnie Dobson) - 2:40
5. Who'll Be Next (Art Del Gudico, Tommy Burns) - 2:31
6. People Get Ready (Curtis Mayfield) - 4:13
7. Really Together (Billy Vera) - 2:06
8. Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 4:00
9. The Exodus Song (Ernest Gold, Pat Boone) - 4:25
10.Expressway To Your Heart (Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff ) - 2:37
11.Let It Be Me (Gilbert Bécaud, Mann Curtis, Pierre Delanoë) - 4:08
12.Remember What You Said (Ray Kennedy) - 2:57
13.Wait (Ray Kennedy, Tommy Burns) - 6:03
14.River Deep Mountain High (Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector) - 4:40
15.A Very Happy Day (Jerry Guida, Ray Kennedy) - 3:17
16.I Got To Live (Ray Kennedy) - 2:34
17.Can't Stop Lovin' You Baby (Tommy Burns) - 2:56
18.I Must Go (Art Del Gudico, Michael Lamont) - 3:52
19.Cheer Up Baby (Art Del Gudico, Tommy Burns) - 2:01
20.Willie (Art Del Gudico, Tommy Burns) - 2:56
21.I Can't Believe It (Tommy Burns) - 3:49
Tracks 1-11 from "People Get Ready For Group Therapy" 1967
Tracks 11-21 from "37 Minutes Of Group Therapy" 1969
Parish Hall was a power trio from the California Bay Area. The band consisted of Gary Wagner (guitar, piano, vocals), John Haden (bass), and Steve Adams (drums). Specializing in a hard rock/blues rock sound, their album was originally released near the end of 1970 on a small local California record label. Reminiscent of the sound of another popular trio of the day, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Parish Hall had begun to gain the recognition of some European collectors by the late 1990s, and originals have fetched high prices in collector's markets. All songs on this album are originals written by Wagner and hold up well when compared to other hard rock acts.
by Keith Pettipas
This superb San Franciscan power trio only recorded one album, which stands as one of the best of its kind. Rooted in blues, its snappy, self-penned songs display a clear acid rock influence, whilst avoiding excess of any sort. Though it was released in Europe and even Australia in 1970, it sank without trace, spelling the end for the band, though their reputation has been growing ever since.
Excellent sophomore album by this San Francisco band, Roy Halee took over the production at the newly created Columbia Records studios in San Francisco. Impressed with the technique of the boys, Roy (who had worked with Simon and Garfunkel, Byrds, Moby Grape and Blood, Sweat & Tears , among others) had no doubts about inviting them to record. The result is this formidable selftitled record, released in 1971 on the Epic label.
New members on brass section, and a keyboardist. All musicians dominating the groove sphere, Germain Wallace (saxophone and flute), Jon “Chicken” Greg (vocals), Jim Tompkins (trumpet and flügelhorn), Richard Lewis (trombone), Lex Silva (bass), Sal Saccardo (drums, percussion and vocals), Dan Buttington (organ, piano and vocals on the track “Thinking 'Bout You” ) and John Hart (guitar and vocals), who's the only Englishman, not to forget Bill Atwood who plays trumpet on all songs.
For Example is an another band from the SWF-broadcast vaults, with their recording they did in 1973. The band, founded in the late sixties, consisted of students of various study fields. In the beginning they played, under the name Frida III, cover versions of sixties hits, but after they had been taken on for 2 productions by the State Theatre Tübingen, they changed their music style, added three wind players with jazz experience and formed For Example. At first they played pieces of their favourite bands Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears, but their repertoire also comprised soul numbers with horn sections.
Step by step they added self composed titles and found their own music style, still influenced by their favourites. Still unsigned they were invited to the legendary 2nd German Rock Festival on Burg Herzberg in summer 1971, where all leading German groups, from Frumpy to Guru Guru got together and the big audience was impressed by For Example. In 1972 they´ve fought in vain for the release of a album on CBS records. A demo tape had been produced at Jankowski Studio in Stuttgart, but after a change of the management, CBS was not further interested to release the recordings.
That´s why the band called these "Cancelled". The SWF broadcast invited them in 1973 to do a recording session of 4 titles. This is the chance to listen to a long forgotten band.
Tracks
1. Of Our Freedom (Gerhard Glombik, Micha Franz) - 4:58
2. Turn Me Back (Gerhard Glombik, Micha Franz) - 4:29
3. Spätlese (Hanspeter Schickle, Gerhard Glombik, Jörn Heher) - 5:52
4. Das Lied Der Keuschen Jungfrau (Hanspeter Schickle, Günther Schmid) - 0:59
5. Commercial Song (Hanspeter Schickle, Günther Schmid) - 4:10
The only self-titled album from New York based, Pig Iron. A highly talented band, unfairly pushed into oblivion. Former and leader of “Pig Iron” was drummer Alan Abrahams. He was also lead vocalist and main songwriter of the group.
In 1970, “Pig Iron” recorded an album which was well received by critics, but somehow went bad on sales. Label as usual, did not renew the contract, and by 1971 the band broke up. Alan Abrahams went on to become a professional producer, worked at RCA, Capitol and Columbia Records, recorded by Miles Davis, BB King and many others … As for the fate of the other musicians: keyboardist-trumpeter Adam Ippolito and bassist Gary Van Scyoc trumpeter joined a group of “Plastic Ono Band” and a later incarnation of Elephants Memorie. Saxophonist Marty Fogel became a member of Lou Reed's band.
Four songs are original written by Alan Abrahams co-penned with musicians, not from the band. The group is very different from “Chicago” and “Blood, Sweat & Tears” actually more solid rock, blended heavenly with blues, jazz and soul.
Tracks
1. People Gonna Talk (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) - 3:01
2. I Put A Spell On You (Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins) - 4:45
3. Neighbor, Neighbor (Alton Joseph Valier) - 2:48
4. I Can't Make It Alone (Carole King, Gerry Goffin) - 4:58
5. Easy Time Now (Alan Abrahams, David Ahlers, M. Barcley) - 3:18
6. Abe's Blues (Alan Abrahams) - 5:20
7. Wake Up Mr. Charlie (Lloyd Baskin) - 2:49
8. Out Of Town (Alan Abrahams, M. Barcley) - 1:34
9. Top Of The World (Alan Abrahams, David Ahlers, M. Barcley) - 2:43
Little John formed in the late 60's, in Oakland, California. Members were John Hart, Mike Pia, Sal Saccardo, Lex Silva and Vince Wallace. they recorded and released an album on Columbia/Epic tittled "Up And Down". Wallace said that the company sabotaged the album, stating, "They made us sound like a mediocre band, when we were really one of the best bands around." Wallace claims Little John was undercut because Columbia was intent on pushing Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago and didn't want competition from other horn bands. Ultimately, the record company abandoned the group, and they soon broke up.
On "Up and Down" appears the original version of "Bombay Calling", written by Vince Wallace, and got fame by LaFlamme's band "It's A Beautiful Day" and a different treatment from Deep Purple as "Child In Time".
Karen Beth's wide range voice and fragile songs on her second LP "Harvest", focused on the effect of words and music as sound as often as on meaning and the result is most pleasing to ear.
Tracks
1. Like Wine To Me - 4:00
2. Last Time - 2:39
3. Sometimes True - 4:10
4. The Way Back - 4:02
5. Hard Luck Mama - 2:10
6. Hold Tight - 2:21
7. Gentle Place - 4:22
8. I'm No Good For You - 2:47
9. No Apologies - 2:56
10.Ribbon - 1:22
11.Up To My Neck In High Muddy W - 2:48
Music and Lyrics by Karen Beth
Musicians
*Karen Beth - Voclas, Acoustic, Electric Guitar, Piano, Autoharp
Green Lyte Sunday formed in 1968 when bassist James Wyatt and keyboardist Michael Losekamp hired guitarist Jason Hollinger, reedist Fly Barlow, drummer Rick Kalb, and singer Susan Darby.
Wyatt and Losekamp hailed from Dayton, Ohio, garage rockers Mark V, which issued two singles in 1967: the speedy fuzz/farfisa rocker “Hey Conductor” (b/w “You Bring These Tears to Me,” a crooning baritone ballad with silvery organ) and the Rascals-style soul rocker “Can’t Buy My Soul” (b/w “When I Close My Eyes”). Losekamp briefly joined Pennsylvanian posters The Cyrkle for their 1967 second album Neon.
In 1969, Green Lyte Sunday cut a standalone single for small-press King, “She’s My Lover” (b/w “Lenore”). Their singular album appeared on RCA Victor in 1970. It features six Losekamp originals, including “Glen Helen,” “Happy Happy,” and “What Makes Him Happy.” The side 2 centerpiece, “High Up in the Sky,” is a Losekamp/Hollinger co-write. Green Lyte Sunday also includes compositions by Joni Mitchell (“Chelsea Morning”) and Laura Nyro (“Emmie,” “Woman’s Blues”).
Green Lyte Sunday was recorded at RCA’s Music Center of the World studios in Los Angeles. The album was produced by one Peter Shelton and engineered by Grover Helsley (Myrth, Harry Nilsson, Ivar Avenue Reunion, Friends of Distinction). US copies came in a gatefold sleeve with a psychedelic stained-glass illustration of the band on a green lamp (front and back). The innerfold features lyrics and a b&w photo of each member. “Chelsea Morning” and “Emmie” were paired for an RCA 7″.
Losekamp sang backing vocals on a 2013 reunion disc by southern rockers Dixie Peach.
