Rainer Degner, known as the guitarist of the 60s beat group German Bonds, had a passion for the old German children's song "Meister Jakob". This is also the name of the studio project (featuring session musicians). This is one of the first psychedelic albums in Germany and is therefore a very interesting and unusual listening pleasure. Not only members of the Rattles are involved in this project, but also old acquaintances from German Bonds times, namely Peter Hecht and Dieter Horn, who in addition to their normal career with Lucifers Friend produced several unusual albums under pseudonymous names, including many productions under the Europe label. An example would be the band Electric Food.
The only album by Bokaj Retsiem released on the Fass label, and their name is the result from the backwards spelling of "Meister Jakob”. The listener can expect an excellent psychedelic album with a very good lead guitar, wobbly keyboard and crazy ideas. On the tracks that contain the word "Bokaj" in their name, snappy corruptions of the topic "Meister Jakob" are given at best. The highlight of the album for me is the beat number "I'm so afraid", which contains an extremely long fuzz guitar solo with wonderful feedback. "Bokaj Retsiem" is another relatively unknown gem from the interesting late '60s.
Southern Comfort (no relation with any other band by that name), was a late sixties Memphis band led by Bob Jones an American guitarist, singer, drummer and arranger, born in O'ahu, Hawaii. In between 1968 and 1979 Bob recorded five albums with Michael Bloomfield on which he played drums, guitar and sang. During those years he also recorded with Mississippi Fred McDowell, Nick Gravenites, Sam Lay, Harvey Mandel, Otis Rush and Taj Mahal. Between 1970 and 1973 Bob played drums, percussion and sang in the band Alice Stuart & Snake with bassist Karl Sevareid. They toured Europe twice and made two albums for Fantasy Records. He also played drums on two Brewer and Shipley albums.
With Southern Comfort he recorded and released one and only -self-titled- album in 1970, produced by Nick Gravenites and with Mike Bloomfiled contributing co-writing a song. They sound like soul freaks with blues and jazz elements. Other members were Ron Stallings (saxes and vocals) who was born in December 02, 1946 in Houston, Texas, USA Died April 13, 2009 in Berkley, California, USA. Mainly tenor saxophonist who was known as melodic rock and jazz musician, but he also played flute and clarinet. He was member of Huey Lewis & The News from 1994. Also he was a session musician who played with Elvin Bishop, Jerry Garcia, Jesse Colin Young, Merl Saunders, Boz Scaggs, Mike Bloomfield, McCoy Tyner and Gladys Knight, among many others. He joined the Machete Ensemble and co-led the Latin jazz band Que Calor with pianist Mark Levine.
Fred Olson (Fred Burton) guitarist and co-leader, who also played in Bloomfield's several recordings, Steve Funk the keyboard player, John Wilmeth as the trumpeter, and several bass players came in and out like, Bob Huberman, Art Stavro (played with Barry Goldberg, Albert Collins, Harvey Mandel and Elvin Bishop among others) and Karl Sevareid (later joined the Robert Cray band). Although they were very popular with the players at the time (like Tower of Power) and in the bay area, but couldn't get help from CBS to break out nationally.
Tracks
1. Wild Western Cheetah (Ron Stallings) - 2:48
2. Talkin ‘Bout My Baby (John Kahn) - 3:03
3. Mountain Girl (Ron Stallings, John Kahn, John Wilmeth) - 2:52
4. Ride On Mary (Bob Jones) - 3:23
5. All Day Long (Ron Stallings, John Kahn, Mike Bloomfield, Fred Olson) - 3:28
6. Love Got Me (Arthur Conlay) - 2:48
7. Come and Sit Down Beside Me (John Kahn, Bob Jones, Ron Stallings) - 3:52
8. Get Back (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:26
9. Who Knows (John Kahn, Bob Jones, Ron Stallings, Fred Olson, Steve Funk, John Wilmeth, Bob Huberman) - 3:52
Six years went by between the release of Crazy Horse's third album, At Crooked Lake, and its fourth, Crazy Moon, and a lot of water went under the bridge in the meantime. Crazy Horse was, in effect, three different bands on its first three albums because the only constants were bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina as lead singers, songwriters, guitarists, and keyboardists came and went. The band name seemed to be retired by 1973, but in 1974 Talbot and Molina hooked up with singer/guitarist Frank Sampedro as Crazy Horse, leading to sessions with their erstwhile employer Neil Young that resulted in the Young/Crazy Horse album Zuma. At the same time, they recorded some Crazy Horse tracks that sat around for years, finally being finished off in the summer of 1978 for release here.
The result is the first album since their debut, 1971's Crazy Horse, that sounds identifiable as the band that backs Young. In part, that's because Young himself is present on guitar on the tracks "She's Hot," "Going Down Again," "New Orleans," "Downhill," and "Thunder and Lighting," and brings along his production associates David Briggs and Tim Mulligan as well as his pedal steel player Ben Keith. But it's also because this is a well-realized effort on which Sampedro proves to be the first of the many successors to original guitarist Danny Whitten to fit in well with Molina and Talbot; because Molina and Talbot have upped their participation beyond providing the rhythm and some vocals, contributing to the songwriting as well; and because the guest musicians include a bevy of Crazy Horse alumni and friends including keyboardist Barry Goldberg (producer of the pre-Crazy Horse band the Rockets); Greg Leroy (Crazy Horse guitarist, 1971-1972); Bobby Notkoff (Rockets violinist); and Michael Curtis (Crazy Horse keyboardist, 1972). This is something of a Crazy Horse reunion effort, and it shows the band off at its best, or at least probably as good as it could be without co-founder Whitten, who died in 1972.
by William Ruhlmann
Tracks
1. She's Hot (Steve Antoine, Frank "Poncho" Sampedro) - 3:11
2. Downhill (Frank "Poncho" Sampedro) - 4:15
3. Going Down Again (Ralph Molina) - 3:26
4. Thunder and Lightning (Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, Billy Talbot) - 3:58
5. New Orleans (Ben Keith, Billy Talbot) - 3:11
6. That Day (Billy Talbot) - 3:18
7. Lost and Lonely Feelin' (Frank "Poncho" Sampedro) - 3:10
8. End of the Line (Ralph Molina) - 3:10
9. Dancin' Lady (Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, Billy Talbot) - 3:23
10.Love Don't Come Easy (Ralph Molina) - 3:10
11.Too Late Now (Frank "Poncho" Sampedro) - 2:54
12.Lady Soul (Mike Curtis) - 3:40
13.Rock And Roll Band (Sydney Jordon) - 3:08
14.Pills Blues (George Whitsell) - 4:01
15.Let Me Go (Danny Whitten) - 3:47
16.Stretch Your Skin (Danny Whitten) - 4:10
17.Won't You Say You'll Stay (Danny Whitten) - 2:45
18.Mr Chips (Danny Whitten) - 2:22
Tracks 1-11 Original album "Crazy Moon" 1978
Tracks 12-13 from "At Crooked Lake" 1972
Tracks 14-18 as The Rockets from "The Rockets" 1968
Crazy Horse
*Billy Talbot - Bass, Vocals
*Ralph Molina - Drums, Vocals
*Frank "Poncho" Sampedro - Guitars, Vocals, Harmonica, Piano
Gary Shearston, Australian singer and songwriter, was a leading figure of the folk music revival of the 1960s. He has an enduring legacy in his meticulously researched versions of old 'bush' songs (folk songs), which have long been source material for younger performers. In his own younger years he was a popular singer with chart success in Australia (especially Sydney) and had his own TV show ("Just Folk").
As he matured, Gary achieved international success as a songwriter (including Sometime Lovin' performed by Peter, Paul and Mary) and as a recording artist (his distinctive version of Cole Porter's I Get A Kick Out Of You was a worldwide hit in 1974).
Over the years his music absorbed and adapted a diverse range of elements including Australian Aboriginal and West Indian reggae (before either was popular with mainstream western audiences). He wrote songs with influences that ranged from Irish traditional to Japanese, and released an album with jazz arrangements that perplexed his folkie and pop music fans.
Since returning to live in Australia in 1988 Gary was often placed in the country music genre and he showed that he was equal to the best in that style too. In 1990 his iconic song Shopping On A Saturday was recognised with the Tamworth Songwriters' Association's award for Bush Ballad of the Year.
Gary Shearston thwarts attempts to categorise his musical style because he never stuck to just one, but we can say that over an active recording life of some 50 years he wrote, sang and recorded wonderfully evocative and distinctively Australian original songs.
In his 50s, an age when he might have started taking it easier, Gary followed his faith and became a hard-working grass-roots country-based Christian minister. When he finally retired in 2007 he again threw himself into songwriting, and over the following several years his output was prodigious! Many of the 'new' songs reflect on a life full of twists and turns and the characters he's known along the way. And, as always, his heart is on his sleeve, for all to see (or hear).
Mention the name Simon Napier-Bell to ’60s music aficionados and they will remember him as manager and producer of The Yardbirds and/or John’s Children. ’70s/80s buffs might think of his stints managing Japan and Wham! But not many will remember that Napier-Bell actually ran his own label, SNB Records, for a period of roughly 18 months between ’68-69. A venture shared by hipster/actor David Hemmings and mostly a ploy to escape an old EMI contract Napier-Bell was saddled with, SNB nonetheless released some memorable material during its short run.
Many of the 20 tracks assembled here are of the baroque pop variety, making the compilation something like a mini-Nuggets if some of the minor acts were trying to be The Left Banke instead of The Stones and The Who, et al. The most notable name from the rag-tag bunch on SNB’s roster is Mellow Candle, whose ’72 album Swaddling Songs is now a rediscovered acid-folk treasure. The song that will make you howl is Andy Ellison’s (former singer for John’s Children) fey, camped-up version of The Beatles’ ‘You Can’t Do That’. Hubert Thomas Valverde & The HTs (who?!) do a number called ‘Genevieve’ that sounds like a drag performer tarting up Scott Walker. A lot of this stuff is throwaway but almost all of it is at least interesting (if not just for its oddness), and a few tracks are downright jewels.
by Brian Greene
One of the movers and shakers of the music biz in the modern era has been Simon Napier Bell, and during 1968-1969 he put his talents into A&R-ing his own label. Fresh from managing The Yardbirds, Johns Children and co-authoring for Dusty Springfield, and with backing from CBS, SNB picked up on the hip pop world flowing through London at the time. It is an extraordinary assortment from which we have high production values with the likes of the talented Ian Green as arranger. As you would expect most of the singles are today very rare, and have not been reissued or released on CD. That said there is growing awareness of the music from numerous quarters, with pick up from internet radio stations to magazines, and the label has attained a cult standing.
Artists - Tracks - Composer
1. Jon Plum - Alice (David Plummer, Jonathan Kennett) - 3:35
2. Hubert Thomas And The HT'S - We Don't Care (Nanette Workman, Richard Keen) - 2:31
3. Mellow Candle - Feeling High (Clodagh Simmonds) - 2:21
4. Andy Ellingsen - Cornflake Zoo (Terry Maundrell) - 2:03
5. Clive Sands - Marie (Clive Sands) - 3:20
6. Andy Ellinson - You Can't Do That (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 2:48
7. Flamma Sherman - Move Me (Corina Flamma Sherman, Georgia Flamma Sherman, Louiza Flamma Sherman, Victoria Flamma Sherman) - 2:42
8. Sheila Scott Wilkinson - Quiet Man (Ray Singer, Jimmy Winston) - 2:48
9. Sue Wilshaw - Empty Sunday (Simon Napier-Bell, Rose Wickham) - 2:16
10.Rory Fellowes - Endlessly, Friendlessly Blue (Rory Fellowes) - 4:27
11.Clive Sands - In A Dream (Clive Sarstedt) - 2:24
12.Jon Plum - Sunshine (David Plummer, Jonathan Kennett) - 2:40
13.Jon Plum - An Apple Falls (David Plummer, Jonathan Kennett) - 2:25
14.Hubert Thomas And The HT'S - Hubert Thomas And The HT'S (James Luck, John Szego) - 2:39
15.David Blake - Now Is The Time (Terry Maundrell) - 2:58
Jake Jones were a quintet from St. Louis Missouri, formed sometime in late ‘60’s. They had an unusual sound with the use of various instruments, like melotron, violins, cellos and flutes. In addition to melotron, Phil Jost (one of the five members of the band) also plays the more conventional electric organ and piano. Chuck Sabatino was the lead singer, Joe Marshall on lead guitar, Mike Krenski the bass player and Jim Bilderback was the drummer.
Jake Jones performs all original music, Different Roads is a 1971 release on the Kapp label featuring a mix of progressive rock and folk rock, there are three long tracks (over 6 minutes each), where the band unfolds its virtues. There is a also a third record which never came out in the record stores. Their last job was in 1973, opening act for the Eagles, and Dan Fogelberg, in Springfield, Illinois, soon after they split.
Joe Marshall moved back in St. Louis, where he played at local bars between 1984 and 1996 he also was member in a group called "The Sloppy Joes", as well as with a weddiing band called "Sundance and Brass", until his death.
Phil Jost moved to LA in 1978 and became assistant to Producer/Engineer Ken Scott. (Superertramp, David Bowie, Elton John) he worked on albums both as a player and or engenering & production with the Dixie Dreggs & Steve Morris, Stanley Clarke, Jeff Beck, Kansas, Supertramp and many orthers including Missing Persons. He also passed away.
Chuck Sabatino had a stroke while playing for Mike MacDonald in Los Angeles in 1994. A benefit was put on at Mississippi nights in 1994 for Chuck by many of his friends and former bandmates. He passed away in 1996 in Belleville, Illinois where his family had moved back to. Mike Krenski, who wrote "The Cheater" in 1965 for Bob Kuban and the In-Men, quit from his musical activities and became a teacher for would-be pilots, worked for McDonnell Douglas/Boeing.
Tracks
1. I'll See You Through (Joey Marshall) - 3:46
2. Of No Concern (Phil Jost) - 3:00
3. When Your Brother (Mike Krenski) - 3:17
4. Motherly Comfort (Chuck Sabatino) - 3:15
5. A Suite From The Court Jester (Chuck Sabatino) - 9:29
One of the greatest bands no ones heard of who are hereby rescued from slipping into the ether, despite once being on the verge of a deal with Transatlantic and garnering a massive live following in their native Newcastle Upon Tyne area during the early to mid seventies its only now that they have their lp debut. A hard working live band that played alongside the greats, its unbelievable they didnt have at least 3 lps released. starting as an underground folk singer then going the progressive route, Steve Brown formed this outfit in 71 and they quickly developed a tight style of cool but potent jazz rock, characterised by lengthy powerful instrumental breaks and sax, and infectious beats.
This lp pieces together what should have been a debut LP on Transatlantic from remaining studio tapes and acetate sources and has good audio quality, the six tracks are pure killer, opening with the masterpiece ‘Hitman’ which is sung first person from the point of view of an assassin for hire, stone cold cool with a fantastic bassline and rhythm it conjurs up early seventies nihilistic film and tv imagery such as The Sweeney, Dirty Harry and Michael Caine...the side then ends with a genuine lost anthem in ‘Shine A Light’ which is epic and melancholic and should have had stadiums of people lifting up their lighters.
The lyrics are fab, and have a worldly wise quality about them, another song is a paean to an english Pint (quite probably Newcastle Brown Ale), but utterly, obscurely poetic, evoking the sense of peace and pleasure gained when sitting finally alone in a tranquil environment and gazing in silent anticipation at a drink in front of ones person, it evokes the pleasure that only comes with experience of hardship before that moment. This is a completely pro band, with brilliant songs, and a unique style. Hitman and Shine A Light could easily achieve staple late night radio play, and indeed thats when you want to hear this album, late night, in contemplative serious mood.
In 73 the band hit a bad patch, burnt out by extensive gigging, they crashed their Transit Tour Van on a motorway, miraculously surviving with the Van straddling central crash barriers and written off, police then took away their jamaican keyboard player and imprisoned him on suspected illegal immigration reasons. management then tried to push the band toward a mainstream direction and a single was issued of their worst ever tracks, we have enough material restored for two lps, this is the first and its highly recommended. the LP is a genuine lost classic and all 6 tracks are fab.
The Zipps were a delightful little mid-'60s Merseybeat band from the Nether Regions, playing their zippy peppy tunes with an Easybeats-esque sense of decent mid-60s hookery before diving headlong into mind-not-expanding harpsichord-fuelled light psycho-delia. The hooks may not be timeless, but there's certainly a lot of unintentional humor to be enjoyed! First of all, who doesn't adore an adorable Dutch accent? "Hurt" becomes "Hirt," "too" becomes "tu" with an umlaut over the u, and the adoration of adorable angora ardure arbor
Instead of making unlimited fun of the Dutch and their silly Dutch ways (i.e. splitting the check whenever they go out on a date), why don't I describe the band's history chronologically? Wouldn't that be nice? Seemingly not content to rely on the speedy Chuck Berryisms of "Highway Gambler" and charmingly naive Bo Diddlyisms of "Roll The Cotton Down" that adorned their harmless and catchy debut single, the band quickly progressed to writing darker and more dynamic (not to mention shake-your-headingly dated) '60s lingo pieces like "Hipsterism" and "Kicks And Chicks" ("So hang arond, stick arond - git yir kicks! Hang arond, stick arond, git yir chicks!") Catchy? Heck yes! Good tunes all around those two are, with recorders, jazzy guitar solos and everything. But The Zipps' career wasn't over yet. Not by a longshoreman!
The drug use continued, resulting in the 15-minute Dutch-language (if there IS in fact a "Dutch language") "Beat And Poetry" single, which is exactly what it sounds like, and not in a good way. This was followed by the much more enjoyable (if not for the reasons they intended) laugh-yourself-hoarse "Marie Juana" (a FAR too dramatic harpsichord song about a.... "girl".... named "Marie Juana") and what I'd have to guess was intended as a legitimate novelty track, "The Struggle For Ice-Cold Milk of Benzi The Bassplayer or How To Promote Original Dutch Milk" (or "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite Part II," if you ask my vocal melody). After this they backed up some lowlife non-American lounge singer for one unlistenably bland single before all bustin' up, reforming a couple years later to record the fuzzed-out mind-expanding drug fucking over-serious idiocy "When You Tell It, Tell It Well" and its presumed b-side, the cool evil thumping psych-beat nugget "Lotus Love." Then there's a couple of live tunes, a non-English interview that's news to me, and four hundred billion goddamned alternate versions of "Kicks And Chicks" for all those folks who bought the disc after hearing the Nuggets Vol. II box set.
2. Roll The Cotton Down (Philip "Byron" Elzerman) - 2:42
3. Kicks And Chicks (Ben Katerberg, Peter Nuyten) - 3:11
4. Hipsterism (Ben Katerberg, Peter Nuyten) - 3:07
5. Beat And Poetry (Part 1) (Ben Katerberg, Cees Boender, John Noce Santoro, Peter Nuyten, Philip "Byron" Elzerman, Theo Verschoor) - 7:06
6. Beat And Poetry (Part 2) (Ben Katerberg, Cees Boender, John Noce Santoro, Peter Nuyten, Philip "Byron" Elzerman, Theo Verschoor) - 7:40
7. Marie Juana (Ben Katerberg, Peter Nuyten) - 3:14
8. The Struggle For Ice-Cold Milk Of Benzi The Bassplayer Or How To Promote Original Dutch Milk (Ben Katerberg, Peter Nuyten, Philip "Byron" Elzerman) - 2:23
9. When You Tell It, Tell It Well..! (Marian De Garriga) - 3:09
10.Lotus Love (Philip "Byron" Elzerman) - 2:50
11.Walking On This Road To Mine Town (Traditional) - 2:48
12.The Beer Hall Song (Traditional) - 4:54
13.Kicks And Chicks (Ben Katerberg, Peter Nuyten) - 3:35
14.Avec De L'Italie (Philippe Salerne) - 2:08
15.Venez Voire Comme On S'Aime (Philippe Salerne) - 1:30
16.Lotus Love (Philip "Byron" Elzerman) - 2:54
17.The Struggle For Ice-Cold Milk Of Benzi The Bassplayer Or How To Promote Original Dutch Milk (Ben Katerberg, Peter Nuyten, Philip "Byron" Elzerman) - 2:21
18.Kicks And Chicks (Ben Katerberg, Peter Nuyten) - 3:10
Ol' Pant were formed in Syracuse, NY, round 1970, their only album released 1971, is a collection of psych-tinged power pop first appeared in 1971, and has languished in undeserved obscurity ever since. The band are thought to have come from New York, and display a clear Beatles influence, covering similar ground to that which Big Star would make its own a couple of years later.
Tracks
1. Always In The Way (Tony Caputo) - 2:44
2. She Leaves Free (Tony Caputo) - 2:45
3. It’s My Birthday (Tony Caputo) - 3:43
4. All For Love (Tony Caputo) - 3:11
5. I’m A Natural Man (Tony Caputo) - 3:02
6. Was I Surprised (Phil Zeppetello) - 4:04
7. Mogitah (Andy Mendelson) - 3:23
8. Victims Of The Sex Revolution (Tony Caputo, Allen Williams) - 2:59
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
