Crystal Circus were an American psych-rock band from Los Angeles that test-ran the album In Relation to Our Times on small-press All-American in 1968.
Most of the songs have nice, bouncy tunes with major/minor melodic alternations; pleasing sunshine pop harmonies; and appropriately psychedelic organ, fuzz guitars, trippy orchestration, vocal distortion, and odd effects. The lyrics might be superficially far-out, but again, impressions like those recorded in "Circus and Zoo World" are a good complement for this kind of candy pop-psych. Occasionally, they get into more of a straightforward garage-ish hard rock-soul blend, like on "Never Again," but it's the more ethereal and poppy numbers that stand out.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. In Relation (To Our Times) (Bill Holmes, Bob Feldman, Jack Bielan) - 2:21
2. Don't Say I Didn't Warn You (Bill Holmes, Jack Bielan, Rose Kaufman) - 2:33
3. Girl Like You (Greg Munford) - 2:13
4. Sittin' And Thinkin' (Bill Holmes, Gary 'Solo' Solomon, Norma Dunman) - 2:07
5. Twisted Conversation (Greg Munford) - 3:38
6. Merry-Go-Round (Bill Holmes, Gary 'Solo' Solomon, Jack Bielan, Norma Dunman) - 3:26
7. Circus And Zoo World (Bill Holmes, Gary 'Solo' Solomon) - 2:49
8. Never Again (Bill Holmes, Jack Bielan) - 3:15
9. Castles (In The Sand) (Greg Munford) - 2:58
10.Sweet High (Bill Holmes, Norma Dunman) - 2:51
11.The Difference Between Us (Greg Munford) - 2:26
12.The World Of Seas And Rivers (Bill Holmes, Jack Bielan) - 4:31
Crystal Circus
*Bruce Turner - Lead Guitar
*Greg Munford - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Bob Feldman - Bass, Lead Vocals
*Jack Bielan - Keyboards, Vibraphone
*Gary "Solo" Solomon - Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Lead Vocals
Moloch was a lynchpin of the Memphis psychedelic scene of the late ’60s. Moloch emerged from the fertile musical scene in Memphis, Tennessee, in the year 1969. Formed by guitarist Lee Baker - guitar, backing vocals, Phillip Durham - drums, backing vocal, Fred Nicholson - keyboard, Steve Spear And Gene Wilkins - vocals, toured alongside the MC5 and the Stooges and were offered the opportunity to make an album for the local company Stax in 1970.
Moloch’s self-titled album is a combination of rock, hard blues, psychedelic acid-washed guitar solos, and blue eyed soul. But despite the band members’ abbreviated time together, Moloch remain influential in the Blues world, and, even more so in Memphis lore. In his liner notes, Bob Mehr writes, “the legacy of the band is bigger than a single song. Over the decades, the LP became a totem for guitarists and blues seekers alike, for whom Moloch remains godhead.” Mehr goes on to praise the band’s late guitarist, Lee Baker, declaring that “Baker’s work continues to exert a profound influence on a generation of Memphis guitar players. The Moloch LP served as a touchstone for the North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson and the Hold Steady’s Steve Selvidge, among other acolytes.”
Recorded in the legendary Ardent studio with producer Don Nix - producer of Lonnie Mack, Furry Lewis, Freddy King, Albert King, Delaney & Bonnie, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers and others, and often credited as one of the leading architects of "Memphis Sound ", although most of the songs were written by Nix - including the original version of Goin 'Down, which later became a hit re-recorded Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Deep Purple, Pearl Jam among others the sound is unmistakable , And brings influences from the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Blue Cheer, as well as blues musicians such as Mississippi Fred McDowell, Sleepy John Estes and Bukka White - all of whom Baker had previously played in the legendary Memphis Country Blues Festivals of the late 60's. The album was a triumph, but could not sell, which led the band to separate in 1971.
Tracks
1. Helping Hand - 3:20
2. Maverick Woman Blues - 3:04
3. Outta Hand (Don Nix, Gene Wilkins) - 2:50
4. Same Old Blues - 2:57
5. Going Down - 2:57
6. She Looks Like An Angel - 4:13
7. Gone Too Long - 4:30
8. Dance Chaney Dance - 2:53
9. Mona - 2:06
10.People Keep Talking - 2:48
11.I Can Think The Same Of You (Don Nix, Gene Wilkins) - 2:44
This is Pollution's second effort, (they won the grammy contest for the best cover art) featuring the soul singer Dobie Gray, and Táta Vega (born Carmen Rosa Vega), Dobie and Tata both appeared in the L.A. Cast of Hair.
The album is an infectious mix of blues rock, psychedelic soul, funk (close to Lydia Pense & Cold Blood). A musical discovery that is more than worth listening to. Highlights Ballad of a Well Known Gun (written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin), Dry Dream, Underdog (by Sly Stone) with the impressive vocals of singer Tata Vega and the song Lo and Behold (written by James Taylor).
Tracks
1. Travelin' High (With The Lord) (Christiaan Mostert, John Sargent) - 3:21
2. This Feelin' Won't Last Long (James Quill Smith) - 3:49
3. Ballad Of A Well Known Gun (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) - 4:43
4. Do You Really Have A Heart (Paul Williams, Rodger Nichols) - 3:31
5. Dry Dream (Christiaan Mostert, James Quill Smith) - 3:45
6. Underdog (Sylvester Stewart) - 3:59
7. River (James Quill Smith) - 4:17
8. Lo And Behold (James Taylor) - 3:52
9. Mother Earth (Lewis Simpkin, Peter Chatman) - 7:04
Pollution
*Táta Carmen-Rosa Vega - Lead Vocals, Choir Leader, Percussion
Edgewood were from Memphis, Tennessee and were around long enough to record an album called \’Ship Of Labor\’ so they may have made some waves back in their hometown. \’Ain\’t Had No Lovin\’ is laid back west coast style hippie rock circa early 70s and in places goes a bit jazzy which of course reminds of Spirit.
Edgewood recorded one and only album for TMI Records (it stands for Trans Maximus Inc) and was the name of Recording Studios run by Steve Cropper. The record label lasted from 1971-1973.
Tracks
1. Ain't Had No Lovin' (Steve Spear, David Beaver, Pat Taylor, Jim Tarbutton, Mike Blecker) - 4:42
2. Why Don't You Listen (David Mayo, David Beaver) - 4:37
3. Burden of Lies (Pat Taylor, David Beaver) - 3:51
4. Ship of Labor (Steve Spear, David Beaver, Jim Tarbutton) - 6:34
5. Unconscious Friend (Joel Williams) - 3:15
6. Medieval People (David Beaver) - 3:45
7. We Both Stand to Lose (Reni Crook, Wayne Crook) - 4:45
8. What You See (Steve Spear, David Beaver) - 3:03
Pollution was the brainchild of guitarist and songwriter James Quill Smith (aka Smitty), who appears to have organized the band and wrote a good deal of the songs they recorded. With most of the rest of their material written by other members of the group.
Tha band released three albums, the 1969 "Heir: Pollution" for Capitol records, and two more simply named "Pollution I" and Pollution II" 1971 and 1972 for Prophesy Records. Their manager was Max Baer Jr., son of the onetime World Heavyweight champion and the actor who played Jethro on the Beverly Hillbillies. This didn't appear to help their career as much as one might expect since, by all accounts, he was a lousy manager. He did better as a movie producer having put out some profitable gems like Macon County Line & Ode to Billie Joe.
Prophesy Records, which issued both of these albumes, was distributed by Atlantic that only had a few releases including a couple Kraut rock bands, a Clifton Chenier album & Quincy Jones' soundtrack for The Hot Rock–odd selection to say the least. Interestingly, Pollution I won a Grammy for it's cover (done by Gene Brownell). It's a good cover but I like the one for Pollution II better. On the other hand, I prefer the music on the 1st one. The music on both releases is soul-inspired rock with horns and occassional nods to country rock.
After Pollution disbanded, James Quill Smith became a member of Three Dog Night in 1974 after Joe Schermie and Michael Allsup left to form S.S. Fools. He left them in 1975 and was replaced by Al Ciner. Turning to the big screen he appeared in the 1992 movie A Private Matter that starred Aidan Quinn and Sissy Spacek.
Very active in the music industry, he performed with artists such as Dr, John, Billy Joel, Roger McGuinn and Sylvester & The Hot Band to name a few and was the guitarist in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers from 1977 appearing on many of his album releases from that time onwards. In 1999 he released Down to Earth with his James Quill Smith Band.
He suffered a stroke in 2007 which ended his career and he passed away in Lawrenceville, Georgia in 2018 when he was 74 years old.
Tracks
1. Hospitals (James Quill Smith) - 3:42
2. Vegetable Soup (James Quill Smith) - 4:26
3. Polly (Christiaan Mostert, John Sargent) - 3:23
4. The End (Chris Mostert, Dennis Kenmore, James Quill Smith, John Lambert, Richard Lewis) - 3:14
5. How Does It Feel (James Quill Smith) - 4:55
6. Why (James Quill Smith) - 3:21
7. Sharecropper's Blues (James Quill Smith) - 3:42
8. Allen P. Ader (Christiaan Mostert, John Sargent) - 4:30
Psychedelic pop band Chamaeleon Church is best remembered as the launching pad for a pre-Saturday Night Live Chevy Chase. The group formed in Boston in 1967 after singer/guitarist Ted Myers, an alumnus of the Lost, met multi-instrumentalist Tony Schueren through mutual friends in another Bosstown Sound band, the Ultimate Spinach. After recruiting another Lost alum, Kyle Garrahan, to play bass, Chamaeleon Church (so named -- and, presumably, misspelled -- in honor of the Myers/Schueren composition "Camillia Is Changing") completed its lineup with Chase, whom Myers met while recording in New York. At the time Myers was under contract as a songwriter to N.Y.C. producer Alan Lorber, who agreed to produce the fledgling band's debut LP -- Chamaeleon Church later renounced the end result, issued on MGM in 1968, claiming Lorber's soft psych production ethos compromised their original vision.
The band dissolved soon after a brief tour that included an appearance on the ABC television special What Gap? Myers and Schueren next reunited in the Ultimate Spinach, with the latter also collaborating with Chase on some sketch comedy pieces for The Groove Tube. Myers later worked at Rhino Records, while Schueren went on to join the staff of the National Lampoon, appearing regularly on their Radio Hour as well as on the Grammy-nominated albums The Missing White House Tapes and Goodbye Pop. Chase, of course, joined the original cast of the landmark NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, becoming the program's first breakout star -- he left after one season to pursue a film career, appearing in comedy classics like Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Fletch before his career nosedived thanks to a series of painfully unfunny features. He also hosted his own notoriously short-lived late-night talk show.
by Jason Ankeny
Tracks
1. Come In To Your Life (Ted Myers, Anthony Scheuren) - 2:16
2. Camillia Is Changing (Ted Myers, Anthony Scheuren) - 4:11
3. Spring This Year - 4:15
4. Blueberry Pie - 3:30
5. Remembering´s All I Can Do - 4:00
6. Flowers In The Field - 2:33
7. Here´s A Song - 2:02
8. In A Kindly Way - 3:05
9. Tompkins Square Park (Ted Myers, Anthony Scheuren) - 3:02
10.Picking Up The Pieces - 2:15
11.Off With The Old - 4:20
All songs by Ted Myers except where indicated
Chamaeleon Church
*Ted Myers - Vocals, Guitar
*Anthony Scheuren - Vocals, Guitar, Electric Bass, Harpsichord
*Kyle Garrahan - Vocals, Electric Bass, Lead Guitar, Piano
The first serious Grass Roots compilation since Rhino's Anthology: 1965-1975, Real Gone's 2014 The Complete Original Dunhill/ABC Hit Singles isn't as comprehensive as that 1991 double-disc set, running 24 songs to its predecessor's 36, but that still leaves plenty of room to be thorough.
Every one of the group's charting singles between 1966 and 1973 are here, beginning with "Where Were You When I Needed You" -- their first Top 40 hit in 1966, climbing all the way to 28 -- and ending with "Love Is What You Make It," which topped out at 55. "Mamacita," a 1975 single for Haven, isn't here but their first Dunhill side, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man)" is, along with a censored version of their breakthrough hit "Let's Live for Today," two inclusions which underscore the group's folk-rock roots, but the band's hot streak really began with "Midnight Confessions," a piece of snazzy blue-eyed soul that opened up a run of AM pop nuggets that ran until 1972.
All of these are here, and while the big hits "I'd Wait a Million Years," "Temptation Eyes," "Sooner or Later," and "Two Divided by Love" are the group's best, the Grass Roots' bench is deeper than this suggests, thanks in part to some nifty songs by Harvey Price & Dan Walsh, the authors of "Temptation Eyes" (these include "Baby Hold On" and "Heaven Knows") and Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter ("The Runaway," "Anyway the Wind Blows"). This is state of the art turn of '70s pop, and Real Gone finally gives it the showcase it has long deserved with this fine compilation.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
1. Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man) (Bob Dylan) - 2:54
2. Where Were You When I Needed You (Steve Barri, P.F. Sloan) - 3:00
3. Only When You're Lonely (Steve Barri, P.F. Sloan) - 3:12
4. Let's Live for Today (Uncensored Version) (Ivan Mogol, Norman David Shapiro) - 2:48
5. Things I Should Have Said (Steve Barri, P.F. Sloan) - 2:22
6. Wake Up, Wake Up (Steve Barri, P.F. Sloan) - 2:49
7. A Melody for You (P.F. Sloan) - 2:54
8. Midnight Confessions (Lou Josie) - 2:47
9. Bella Linda (Steve Barri, Lucio Battisti, Barry Gross, Ivan Mogol) - 2:54
10.Lovin' Things (Artie Schroeck, Jet Loring) - 2:46
11.The River Is Wide (Billy Admire, Gary Knight) - 2:40
12.I'd Wait a Million Years (Mitch Bottler) - 2:39
13.Heaven Knows (Harvey Price, Dan Walsh) - 2:27
14.Walking Through the Country (Dennis Provisor) - 3:02
15.Baby Hold On (Harvey Price, Dan Walsh) - 2:38
16.Come On and Say It (Warren Entner) - 2:29
17.Temptation Eyes (Harvey Price, Dan Walsh) - 2:33
18.Sooner or Later (Mitch Bottler, Ted McNamara, Andeneyi Paris, Ekundayo Paris, Gary Zekley) - 2:36
19.Two Divided by Love (Marty Kupps, Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter) - 2:45
20.Glory Bound (Steve Barri, Harvey Price, Dennis Provisor, Dan Walsh) - 2:37
21.The Runway (Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter) - 2:51
22.Anyway the Wind Blows (Brian Potter) - 2:52
23.Love Is What You Make It (Harvey Price) - 2:54
24.Let's Live for Today (Censored Version) (Ivan Mogol, Norman David) - 2:45
The fifth "Redbone" album is the most famous one. I think this is totally deserved, it mixes songs with much indian roots and rythms with very "pop" arrangements. The result is real great. And we still have those strange and atmospheric tunes ("Liquid truth" or "23rd and Mad") aside their most popular hit ever: " Come and Get Your Love".
The appearance of Come and Get your Love in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie in 2014 will add to the legend of this album. This is the album were Butch Rillera replaced Pete DePoe. They both are playing on it.
Redbone's official
Tracks
1. Wovoka (Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas) - 3:01
2. Sweet Lady Of Love (Lolly Vegas) - 3:03
3. Someday A Good Song (Pat Vegas, Tony Bellamy) - 4:13
4. Liquid Truth (Lolly Vegas) - 5:04
5. Come And Get Your Love (Lolly Vegas) - 5:01
6. Day To Day Life/Chant Wovoka(Pat Vegas, Tony Bellamy) - 2:43
7. Clouds In My Sunshine (Pat Vegas) - 4:45
8. 23rd And Mad (Lolly Vegas, Pete DePoe) - 6:49
Redbone
*Lolly Vegas - Lead Guitar, Electric Sitar, Leslie Guitar, Vocals
Their first of six Epic releases is a strong follow-up to the self-titled debut the same year. The album-opening "Maggie" is a perfect example of their distinctive sound, a funky, highly rhythmic itch that gets under your skin. The limitations of Lolly Vegas' singing means the all-native California quartet is more adept on faster numbers, although "Alcatraz" is a touching ballad with a seldom-heard Indian perspective. The segue on "Chant: 13th Hour" from tribal chanting to Redbone-style funk predates Robbie Robertson's similar experiments by more than 20 years.
by Mark Allan
Redbone was a Los Angeles-based group led by Native American Pat and Lolly Vegas. They hit paydirt in 1974 with the million-seller 'Come and Get Your Love.' Lead singers Pat and Lolly Vegas had previously worked under their own names, appearing in the 1965 film It's a Bikini World prior to forming Redbone. Their first success as Redbone came in 1970 with 'Maggie' on Epic. This reissue of their 1970 debut adds 2 bonus tracks 'Maggie' and 'New Blue Sermonette'.
Tracks
1. Maggie - 5:10
2. Light As A Feather (Patrick Vegas) - 1:59
3. Who Can Say - 2:54
4. Judgement Day - 2:33
5. Without Reservation (Lolly Vegas, Patrick Vegas, Tony Bellamy, Pete DePoe) - 4:15
6. Chant: 13th Hour (Patrick Vegas) - 5:42
7. Alcatraz (Patrick Vegas) - 2:38
8. Drinkin' And Blo - 2:20
9. Bad News Ain't No News At All (Patrick Vegas) - 3:14
Even relative to some other mid- to late-'60s Dutch groups (like the Outsiders, Les Baroques, and Q 65), the Ro-d-y-s have a fairly low profile beyond their native Holland, even to collectors of 1960s Continental European rock. But the group did release quite a few records on the large Philips label between 1966 and 1969, including nine singles and two LPs. Stylistically, they favored, like many Dutch groups, a very British-influenced sound with a slightly raw and sardonic edge.
At various points, their songs (all written by lead singer and guitarist Harry Rijnbergen) incorporated prominent streaks of mod rock, soul, and late-'60s British pop-psychedelia, the lyrics often informed by archly phrased anti-establishment youth viewpoints. Some idiosyncratic Continental influence also seeps in with some of the unusual choices of instrumentation within rock arrangements, including xylophones, whistles, bicycle bells, bagpipes, and accordions. When the Ro-d-y-s broke up at the end of the 1960s, some of the members, including Rijnbergen, were in another Dutch band, Zen.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
Disc 1
1. You Better Take Care Of Yourself - 2:24
2. Wheels, Wheels, Wheels - 2:03
3. Take Her Home - 2:33
4. Only One Week - 1:59
5. Just Fancy - 2:59
6. Gods Of Evil - 3:04
7. Nothing To Change A Mind - 2:28
8. Stop Looking On A Deadlock - 2:49
9. Sleep Sleep Sleep - 3:04
10.Show Me By Candlelight - 2:30
11.Anytime - 3:10
12.Dr. Sipher - 3:15
13.Ungorgettable Girl - 2:52
14.Everytime A Second - 3:28
15.Earnest Vocation - 4:55
16.Isn't It A Good Time - 2:13
17.Winter Woman - 4:25
18.Looking For Something Better - 2:57
19.Get Me Down - 2:53
20.Wayfaring Stranger (Traditional) - 3:28
21.Take Me Down To Riverside - 2:48
22.Let Me Try To Cry - 4:05
All compositions by Harry Rijnbergen except where noted
Tracks 19-22 as Zen
Disc 2
1. Tomorrow - 2:30
2. Hitch-Hiking - 2:34
3. Bad Babe - 2:10
4. My Woman Has Got Loose - 2:33
5. Waiting For A Cloud Burst - 3:33
6. When You Hear This Song - 3:16
7. Just Go On - 2:51
8. Destination - 3:00
9. I Still Got You - 2:00
10.Let's Try - 2:25
11.Wrong Shoe - 2:10
12.Flowers Everywhere - 2:52
13.Love Is Almost Everywhere - 3:10
14.Robinetta - 3:01
15.No Place Like Home - 4:21
16.Easy Come, Easy Go - 2:36
17.Look For Windchild - 2:35
18.Let It Be Tomorrow - 2:14
19.Peace Ants - 3:52
20.Rock 'n' Roller (Niels Lingbeek, Harry Rijnbergen) - 4:34
21.Mysterious Ways (Niels Lingbeek, Harry Rijnbergen) - 4:21
All compositions by Harry Rijnbergen except where stated
