CULT CLASSIC: THE ZODIAC-COSMIC SOUNDS.
Cult Classic: The Zodiac-Cosmic Sounds.
By 1967, many critics and record buyers regarded Elektra Records as a folk rock label that had released albums by some of the genre’s finest exponents including Judy Collins, Love, Tom Rush and Tim Buckley. Many of these albums would later become important and influential albums, and some nowadays, are regarded as genre classics. However, some people’s perception of Elektra Records was about to change in May 1967 with the release of The Zodiac’s album Cosmic Sounds, which became a cult classic.
The Zodiac’s Cosmic Sounds was a groundbreaking concept album which featured twelve tracks that were described as psychedelic mood music. It featured a myriad of exotic and electronic instruments and spoken prose that came courtesy of Cyrus Faryar. Cosmic Sounds was no ordinary album, and The Zodiac was no ordinary band.
That was certainly the case. The Zodiac didn’t even exist before the recording of Cosmic Sounds. Jac Holzman the head of Elektra Records came up with the concept for Cosmic Sounds after the success of The Doors’ eponymous debut album which had been released in January 1967. He then set about making The Zodiac and their debut album Cosmic Sounds reality.
To do that, Jac Holzman hired Alex Hassilev, formerly a member of The Limeliters, to produce the album. Alex Hassilev brought onboard Mort Garson who he had recently formed a production company with, to write the music for Cosmic Sounds.
With producer Alex Hassilev and composer and musician Mort Garson onboard, the Cosmic Sounds’ concept quickly grew legs, and the pair were planning to record and release a series of similar concept albums. Before that, Mort Garson began work on Cosmic Sounds.
Eventually, composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor and pianist Mort Garson had written twelve tracks, with one for each astrological sign. This included Aries-The Fire-Fighter, Taurus-The Voluptuary, Gemini-The Cool Eye, Cancer-The Moon Child, Leo-The Lord of Lights, Virgo-The Perpetual Perfectionist, Libra-The Flower Child, Scorpio-The Passionate Hero, Sagittarius-The Versatile Daredevil, Capricorn-The Uncapricious Climber, Aquarius The Lover Of Life and Pisces-The Peace Piper. These tracks would become Jac Holzman’s album of psychedelic mood music-Cosmic Sounds.
By then, producer Alex Hassilev had returned from producing The Dusk ‘Till Dawn Orchestra’s Sea Drift album. One of the tracks incorporated a piece of music that was meant to feature on a followup album, The Sea. However, it had been scrapped, after Rod McKuen, who was meant to feature on the project, left and worked on his own version with Anita Kerr. This had been a disappointment, but Alex Hassilev was fully focused on producing Cosmic Sounds.
To record Cosmic Sounds, and capture the sounds that producer Alex Hassilev required wasn’t going to be easy. It would require a variety of exotic and electronic instruments. Fortunately, Alex Hassilev knew a couple of musicians who could help create the sound that he was looking for.
This included Paul Beaver, who back in 1967, was known as someone who provided sound effects for the film industry. He was also passionate about the new electronic instruments and had amassed an enviable collection, including a Moog synth. He would play the Moog and other electronic instruments on The Zodiac.
In 1967, the Moog synth was a new instrument, which its inventor Robert Moog and Paul Beaver had just demonstrated at the California Audio Engineering Society convention in early 1967. This was the assembled audience got the opportunity to see and hear the Moog on the West Coast. They realised it was a gamechanger, as did Jac Holzman the head of Elektra Records. The Moog he knew would play an important part on Cosmic Sounds.
Jac Holzman was keen to bring Paul Beaver onboard for The Zodiac project, as he was one of just a handful of people on the West Coast who knew how to setup and use the Moog synth. Paul Beaver agreed to join The Zodiac project and was keen to showcase the instrument’s vast capabilities on Cosmic Sounds,
With Paul Beaver onboard, producer Alex Hassilev was keen to enlist percussionist Emil Richards, who had played with great and good of music, and on over 1,700 movies. Emil Richards was also a collector percussion instruments, and had already amassed a collection of 700 instruments from all over the world. He would put some of the strange and exotic percussion to good use on The Zodiac.
The day of the recording sessions, electronics guru Paul Beaver setup his Moog synth, and an array of electronic instruments. When percussionist Emil Richards arrived at the studio, it was in a truck. As members of the band looked out, they were amazed to see that half of the truck was filled with myriad of exotic percussion instruments including water chimes and angklungs, bamboo rattles from Southeast Asia. They were unloaded from the truck, along with a sitar and harpsichord. These instruments were taken into the studio, where producer Alex Hassilev introduced Emil Richards to the rest of the band.
It featured some of L.A’s top session musicians, including members of the legendary Wrecking Crew were waiting. This included drummer Hal Blaine, who was joined in the rhythm section to bassist Carol Kaye. They were joined by keyboardist Mike Melvoin and Bud Shank on bass flute. Other members of this experienced group of musicians that recorded Cosmic Sounds weren’t credited on the album.
With The Zodiac in the studio, they began recording the twelve tracks that became Cosmic Sounds. Mostly, the recording sessions ran smoothly. The only problem the band encountered was that the Moog’s oscillators were somewhat unstable and this meant that Paul Beaver had switch the machine on way before the sessions began, to allow them to warm up. Occasionally, the Moog failed to stay in frequency and the tuning was out. Apart from that, there were very few problems. What many members of the band remembered, was percussionist Emil Richards dashing round the studio playing anything up to five or six instruments live. Somehow, he managed this and after four recording sessions, the twelve backing tracks were recorded.
With Cosmic Sounds complete, The Zodiac listened to the playback, and listened intently to the twelve tracks that featured a spacey but tight groove. Cosmic Sounds sounded like an instrumental psychsploitation soundtrack. However, that would soon change.
With the backing tracks completed, folk singer Cyrus Faryar was brought onboard to narrate Cosmic Sounds. He was the final member or The Zodiac, and added the twelve vocals against a futuristic, moody, haunting and lysergic backdrop that combined the debut of a Moog synth with a sitar, flute, Hammond organ, haunting harpsichord and even searing, mid-sixties rocky guitar riffs as Cyrus Faryar’s voice veered between ruminative to dramatic and ironic. This was the final piece of the musical jigsaw that was Cosmic Sounds.
Once Cosmic Sounds was completed, Jac Holzman decided to release The Zodiac’s debut album in May 1967. William S. Harvey was hired to take charge of the artwork on Cosmic Sounds, and must have surpassed even Jac Holzman’s expectations. The elaborate sleeve was a patchwork of bright, bold and gaudy colours, and was almost luminous. It also featured wavy undulating lettering and pictures that were lysergic and had been influenced by classical mythology. This was a perfect cover for The Zodiac’s album of psychedelic mood music, Cosmic Sounds.
Not for the first time, Jac Holzman’s timing was perfect, with the release of The Zodiac’s debut album in May 1967 coinciding with a resurgence of interest in astrology, while psychedelia had also become hugely popular. Surely, this was the perfect time for The Zodiac to release their groundbreaking and innovative concept album Cosmic Sounds? It was sure to appeal to those who were about to turn on, tune in, drop out.
Unfortunately, Cosmic Sounds divided the opinion of critics, many of whom failed to understand this groundbreaking and imaginative album of psychedelic mood music, which came with instructions that the album “must be played in the dark.” Some critics embraced and understood the album, and were won over by its mixture of exotic and electronic instruments and spoken prose.
It was essentially a fusion of psychedelia, rock and astrology played by some the of L.A’s top musicians and narrated by Cyrus Faryar. This Jac Holzman hoped would tap into the burgeoning market for all things psychedelic.
Unfortunately, there was a degree of confusion amongst critics and soon, record buyers who were unsure about who the album was by. Some thought that the album was The Zodiac by Cosmic Sounds, while others were of the opinion that the album was Cosmic Sounds by The Zodiac. Even after looking at the sleeve and the insert critics and record buyers remained confused. This wasn’t good news for Jac Holzman who had masterminded Cosmic Sounds.
It was his concept, and one that he hoped would cash-in in the recent resurgence of interest in astrology and psychedelia’s popularity. Sadly, The Zodiac’s debut album Cosmic Sounds didn’t sell in vast quantities, but still found a small but appreciative audience. Soon, Cosmic Sounds was a cult classic, and for many, who aficionados of psychedelia, the album was part of the soundtrack to the psychedelic era. Some record buyers played the record so often that they got through several copies. Especially as they sat cross-legged on bean bags ingesting tetrahydrocannabinol as lava lamps flickered in the background.
Despite the popularity of Cosmic Sounds within some parts of the psychedelic community, the album failed to crossover and find audience within mainstream music fans. By then, Cosmic Sounds was a psychedelic cult classic, and over the next fifty-three years would be discovered by several new generations of record buyers.
That’s still the case today. With each passing year more and more record buyers discover The Zodiac’s groundbreaking concept album Cosmic Sounds, which is a cult classics that features psychedelic mood music that: “must be played in the dark.”
Cult Classic: The Zodiac-Cosmic Sounds.
CULT CLASSIC: MIROSLAV VITOUS-THE BASS.
Cult Classic: Miroslav Vitous-The Bass.
In 1967, twenty year old Miroslav Vitous was playing alongside Clark Terry in a Chicago club. It was just the latest gig for the up-and-coming Czech bassist. He had made America his home in 1966, when he won a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, in Boston. Now he was putting into practise everything he had learnt at the Prague Conservatory and then Berklee College of Music. As he played, Miroslav Vitous didn’t see a familiar figure in the audience…Miles Davis.
After the set finished, Miroslav Vitous was approached by Miles Davis. After introducing himself and complimenting him on his performance, Miles Davis told Miroslav Vitous how his band had been booked to play at The Village Gate for a week during August 1967. However, his regular bassist, Ron Carter was unavailable. Would Miroslav be willing to deputise for Ron Carter at The Village Gate? This was a huge break for the young bassist.
Just under a year later, the lineup of Miles Davis’ band began to change. Bassist Ron Carter left. Not long after his departure, Miroslav received a call from Miles Davies. By then, his music was changing, and moving towards fusion. Within this new sound, Miles Davis envisaged the bass playing just “repetitive motifs.” This was a very specific and disciplined role. Miroslav wanted more freedom and to be able to express his creativity.The two musicians were on different pages musically. As a result, Miroslav Vitous proved to be just a temporary replacement for Ron Baker until Miles Davis could secure the services of Dave Holland.
After leaving Miles Davis’ employ, Miroslav Vitous’ services were in demand. He joined Stan Getz’s band, which included tenor saxophonist Chick Corea. This proved to be a another lucky break for Miroslav.
Not long after this, Chick Corea got the chance to record an album for the Solid State label. He decided to record to put together a trio. Its lineup included Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitous and drummer Roy Haynes. They recorded Now He Sings, Now He Songs, which was released to critical acclaim later in 1968. Nowadays, Now He Sings, Now He Songs is regarded as one of the most important and influential trio albums.
Later in 1968, Miroslav Vitous joined Roy Ayers when he was recording Stoned Soul Picnic. This was just the followup to Virgo Vibes, which had found favour with critics. So did Stoned Soul Picnic, with its fusion of soul and jazz. It was released in 1968, the same year Miroslav Vitous made his recording debut as part of flautist Herbie Mann’s band.
Having joined Herbie Mann’s band in 1968, Miroslav Vitous made his debut on Windows Opened. When it was released in 1968, it was hailed a classic. The following year, Herbie Mann released Live At The Whisky A Go Go in 1969. Miroslav Vitous and Roy Ayers were part of the band on this memorable live album. It was just one of the albums Miroslav Vitous played on during 1969.
Among the others were Jack DeJohnette’s eclectic and genre-melting album The DeJohnette Complex. It was released in 1969. So was Wayne Shorter’s Super Nova. Miroslav Vitous was chalking up the credits and proving the go-to-guy for anyone looking for a bassist. However, Miroslav Vitous was looking beyond a career as a sideman, and one as a solo artist.
The opportunity arose when Herbie Mann was setting up his Embryo Records label. He had managed to secure a distribution deal with Atlantic Records. Now, Herbie Mann began adding to Embryo Records’ small roster. One name he was keen to add the roster was Miroslav Vitous.
That was how Miroslav Vitous found himself making his way to A&R Studios, New York in November 1969. That was where Herbie Mann was waiting to produce his debut album. It’s an album that would eventually be released under three different titles including The Bass. It was the album Herbie Mann hoped would launch the career of the Miroslav Vitous.
He was already more than a musician. Miroslav Vitous was also a composer, and had written most of his debut album. This included Mountain In The Clouds, Epilogue, Infinite Search, I Will Tell Him On You and When Face Gets Pale. The only composition that Miroslav Vitous decided to cover, was Eddie Harris’ classic Freedom Jazz Dance. It would prove the perfect showcase for Miroslav Vitous’ all-star band.
Despite being a month short of his twenty-second birthday, some of the biggest names in jazz accompanied Miroslav Vitous on Bass. That was no surprise. He was already an experienced and well respected musician. Miroslav had played alongside Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Roy Ayers, Herbie Mann and Jack DeJohnette, and had more than held his own musically. So when it came to putting together a band, Miroslav was able to choose from the creme de la creme of jazz,
They joined Miroslav Vitous and producer Herbie Mann at A&R Studios, in New York. This included drummer Jack DeJohnette, whose album The DeJohnette Complex Miroslav had played on. Jack DeJohnette slotted into the rhythm section alongside This included one of the musicians Miroslav Vitous had played alongside bassist Miroslav Vitous and guitarist John McLaughlin. They were augmented by Herbie Hancock on electric piano and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. During the session, Joe Chambers was brought in to deputise for Jack DeJohnette on When Face Gets Pale. For the rest of the recording, the band remained unchanged. Backed by such an experience and talented band, and with Herbie Mann taking charge of production, the album was soon complete.
As the sixties gave way to the seventies, Herbie Mann’s Embryo Records began preparing for the release of Miroslav Vitous’ debut album in spring of 1970. By then, Miroslav had decided to name his debut album Infinite Search. It featured six of the tracks that had been recorded, Freedom Jazz Dance, Mountain In The Clouds, When Face Gets Pale, Infinite Search, I Will Tell Him On You and Epilogue. Before the release of Infinite Search, copies of this carefully sequenced album were sent to critics.
They lauded Infinite Search, which hailed as an ambitious, progressive and innovative album. Accompanied by some of the biggest names in jazz, bandleader Miroslav Vitous pioneered the nascent fusion sound. To do this, he combined fusion with elements of free jazz, modal jazz and a hint of bebop. There’s a fluidity, invention and energy to the all-star band’s playing. Other times, the rhythm section probe or drive the music forward, as they play with an urgency. Sometimes, the music is rhythmic, dramatic or melodic. However, other times, the music is thoughtful, understated, languid and mellow. Infinite Search was a captivating and groundbreaking album that showcased the nascent fusion sound.
That was the apparent from the opening bars of Eddie Harris’ Freedom Jazz Dance through to the closing notes of Epilogue. Miroslav Vitous gave his audience a foretaste of the new fusion sound that saved jazz from obscurity and irrelevance.
Accompanied by critical acclaim, Infinite Search was released in the spring of 1970. The album wasn’t a huge seller, but found an audience within the jazz community. Especially those who had latched onto the emerging fusion sound. It was already growing in popularity.
By 1972, fusion’s popularity had soared, and one of the genre’s most popular bands was Weather Report. Miroslav Vitous confounded Weather Report with Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. As their popularity grew, so did interest in Miroslav Vitous’ solo albums.
This resulted in Hör Zu Black Label a German experimental label licensing Infinite Search from Atlantic Records. They owned Herbie Mann’s Embryo Records. Previously, Hör Zu Black Label had released a myriad of jazz, progressive and avant-garde albums. Their back-catalogue included everything from Alice Coltrane to Karlheinz Stockhusen to Soft Machine. However, Hör Zu Black Label didn’t plan to rerelease Infinite Search exactly.
Instead, they decided to give Infinite Search a new title. It became The Bass. The track listing was also totally resequenced. That wasn’t the end of the changes. A seventh track was added, Cerecka to The Bass. By now, it was a very different album.
Upon its release by Hör Zu Black Label later in 1972, the track listing was Mountain In The Clouds, Epilogue, Cerecka, Infinite Search I Will Tell Him On You and When Face Gets Pale.
Just like two years earlier, The Bass was released to critical acclaim and found an audience within the jazz and fusion communities. This groundbreaking album had found a new audience for the second time.
That was no surprise. Fusion was still popular in 1972, and Miroslav Vitous continued to pioneer the genre. He was enjoying a successful solo career and was still a member of Weather Report until 1974. By 1976, fusion was no longer as popular.
Despite this, Warner Bros decided to released The Bass in Europe in 1976 as Magical Shepherd. To give the album broader appeal, a bonus track was added, New York City. Its disco-tinged sound was meant to appeal to dancers and DJs. Alas, that wasn’t the case and Magical Shepherd wasn’t the success that Warner Bros. had hoped for.
Despite this, The Bass was still a groundbreaking album, and one that pioneered the nascent fusion sound. Forty-five years later, and The Bass is regarded quite rightly regarded as innovative and influential fusion classic. Not only did The Bass launch Miroslav Vitous solo career, and helped popularise fusion, it ensured that jazz remained relevant and saved it from potential obscurity.
Cult Classic: Miroslav Vitous-The Bass.
MUSAX BACKGROUND MUSIC LIBRARY VOLUME 1.
Musax Background Music Library Volume 1.
Label: Farfalla Records.
The resurgence of interest in library music that began a few years ago is still continuing, with collectors keen to add to their burgeoning collections. For many, it’s original releases from the golden era of library music which covers the late-sixties through to the mid-eighties.
Alas, many of these albums released during this golden era are nowadays, incredibly rare and with each passing year, become more valuable. They’re attracting a premium, especially the more collectable labels. That comes as no surprise many of these releases were pressed in relatively small quantities, and very few have survived since the late-sixties and seventies.
Often when a collector discovers a stash of library music for sale, they’re not in the best condition. That’s always disappointing. More so, when the seller quotes a ridiculous price for a pile of badly beaten up records. When questioned about this, they usually justify the price because that was what was quoted on a website. Usually, that is for a near mint copy not one that is badly beaten and looks as if it has been used as a frisbee and then left in the back of Ford Cortina during the winter of discontent. In a case like that, it’s better to forget about the album and either wait for another copy to come up for sale. There is however, an another option…reissues.
Over the last few years, hardly a week goes by without a compilation of library music being reissued or original albums being rereleased by labels like Be With Records. For anyone who is interested in library music this is a wonderful way to add those elusive albums to their collection. It’s also an opportunity to discover some of the hidden gems lurking in the vaults of British, French, German, Italian and Polish record library labels.
This includes Musax Background Music Library Volume 1, which was recently released by Farfalla Records. It features twelve tracks from the Musax back-catalogue and is a tantalising taste of the delights awning the newcomer to this French library label.
The Musax story began in the late-seventies after Eddie Warner’s L’illustration Musicale closed its doors for the last time. It was founded in the late-fifties, and over the next two decades released twenty-six albums of library music. However, that wasn’t the end of story.
Rather than close the business completely, the existing music publishing license was passed to one of the partners in the business, Jacky Giordano. He called the new company Musax, and continued to record library music.
By then, Jacky Giordano had established a reputation as one of the leading lights of the French library music scene. He had recorded for various labels including L’illustration Musicale. Musax was a new chapter for Jacky Giordano.
His new company continued to release a myriad of new releases right through until the late-eighties. Some of these releases were recorded by well known artists including Jean-Pierre Decerf, Jean-Claude Pierric, Serge Planchon, Patrick Petitbon, Gérard Gesina, Jean-Charles Capon and Daniel Humair. There’s also a group that featured members of the legendary Crazy Horse cabaret, including Pedro Perea, Claude Brisset, Bruno Bompard, Jean-Claude Guselli, Claude Thirifays, Vincent Momplet and Joseph Gatineau. Some new names also recorded for Musax, while other artists weren’t always what they seemed.
Jacky Giordano was prolific when it came to recording library music. During his career, he used a number of aliases when he recorded library music. This continued at Musax and he recorded eight albums using a variety of aliases. Among them were Joachim Sherylee and José Pharos. There’s tracks by Jacky Giordano using both of his aliases on Musax Background Music Library Volume 1.
The twelve tracks on Musax Background Music Library Volume 1 are best described as eclectic and ranges from jazz-funk and fusion to electronic music. This ranges from spacey electronica right through to more experimental electronic music. There’s something for everyone and back in the in 1978 and 1978 when the twelve tracks were released this would be perfect for television and companies as well as advertising agencies looking for music for their latest production or advert. It’s music of the highest quality.
Side One.
Proof of this is Pedro Perea ’s My Wooden Cross a stunning cinematic jazz-funk workout. This sets the bar high and the Joseph Gatineau’s Pete doesn’t disappoint either. It starts off a wistful slice of swinging jazz before metamorphosing into a spacey slice of fusion that sounds as if it should be theme to an intergalactic cop show.
Jacky Giordano makes his debut on the compilation as Joachim Sherylee on the beautiful dreamy sounding Cimarone.
Remorse is a genre-melting collaborations between Jean-Claude Pierric and Serge Planchon that has veers between tough and spacey as sci-fi sounds emerge from an arrangement that later, becomes jazz-tinged. Vincent Momplet’s Trois Caros is an emotional and musical roller coaster that bobs and weaves, as horns, shimmering keyboards and later a blistering guitar play their part in this filmic opus.
Liberia Land closes side two and marks the return of Joachim Sherylee. His second of three contributions is a a pulsating slice of memorable jazz-funk.
Side Two.
Watery State is a spacey, futuristic sounding electronic track from Jean-Pierre Decerf.
Joachim Sherylee’s last contribution is the ruminative sounding Iceberg, which is a quite beautiful and wistful sounding.
Patrick Petitbon’s Pictures Of My Soul has an understated sound, but still manages impart a degree of drama. Then Gérard Gesina fuses electronica, funk and jazz on Man Fly which sounds as if it belongs on a sci-fi soundtrack.
Ghost March is a contribution from another of Jacky Giordano’s aliases, José Pharos. The pulsating arrangement glides dramatically along emitting a series of sci-fi beeps. It’s a captivating track from one of the leading lights of French library music.
Closing side two and the compilation is Jean-Charles Capon and Daniel Humair’s Marchaleco. Eastern sounds and drama combine during this musical journey, and paint pictures of adventures in faraway places. It’s the perfect way to close Musax Background Music Library Volume 1.
And it’s the perfect introduction to the library music that Jacky Giordano’s Musax label released between the late-seventies and late-eighties. During that period, Musax released just over thirty albums. Nowadays, these albums are rarities, and if copies come up for sale are usually prohibitively expensive for the average record collector.
Collecting the albums that feature the twelve tracks on Musax Background Music Library Volume 1 wouldn’t be easy, would take time, patience and a large amount of money. Many collectors of library music, whether veterans and newcomers, will be unable to afford the original albums then Musax Background Music Library Volume 1 is the next best thing and offers a tantalising taste of the cinematic sounds Jacky Giordano’s label released over the course of a decade.
Musax Background Music Library Volume 1.
ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-BUHAINA’S DELIGHT.
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Buhaina’s Delight.
Label: Blue Note Records.
By the time Art Blakey arrived at Van Gelder Studio, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on the ‘28th’ of November 1961, he had just turned forty-two a month earlier, and had already established a reputation as one of the greatest jazz drummers of his generation. He had started out in the forties in playing in Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine’s big bands, before turning his attention to bebop and playing alongside Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. However, Art Blakey didn’t want to spend all his career working as a sideman, and knew he wanted to lead his own band.
This he would do with great success leading Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers for thirty-five years. During that time, they released several classic albums including Buhaina’s Delight which has just been reissued by Blue Note Records. It was recorded in late 1961, and was the final album to feature the classic lineup of drummer Art Blakey, bassist Jymie Merritt and pianist Cedar Walton with a front line of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, trombonist Curtis Fuller and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter who left the group after the recording of Buhaina’s Delight. It was the end of an era for the Jazz Messengers whose roots can be traced to 1947.
Fourteen years earlier, on the ‘17th’ of December 1947, twenty-eight year old Art Blakey made his way to WOR Studios, in New York for what was a day of firsts. He was about to lead a group called Art Blakey’s Messengers in what was his first recording session as a bandleader for Blue Note Records. The new group recorded four tracks, which were later released on two 78s. This was the start of Art Blakey’s recording career with Blue Note Records and was the genesis of the Jazz Messengers.
Art Blakey then led a big band called Seventeen Messengers briefly for a while in late-forties, but the group split-up. This wasn’t the last time the Messengers name was used.
When Art Blakey and Horace Silver co-led a new band, they called it the Messengers. However, the name wasn’t used on the band’s earliest recordings. Things changed in 1954.
That was when Horace Silver and Art Blakey used the Jazz Messengers name for the first time. They were billed as Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers on the recording that took place at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, on November the ’13th’ 1954. That was the name the group adopted for the next year.
By the time the band played at Cafe Bohemia, in New York, on November the ’23rd’ 1955, the band had shortened their name to The Jazz Messengers. However, this would change the following year.
Another change was the departure of trumpeter Kenny Dorham, who was replaced by Donald Byrd in Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. The newly named band made their recording debut on the ‘5th’ of April 1956, and a new chapter began in the career of Art Blakey.
By 1958, nineteen year old trumpeter Lee Morgan joined The Jazz Messengers. He was a prodigiously talented musician who had signed to Blue Note Records as a solo artist in 1956 when he was just seventeen. Two years later Lee Morgan made his Jazz Messengers’ debut on the classic album Moanin’. Over the next few years some of the biggest names in jazz joined the band.
In 1959, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers’ lineup included bassist Jymie Merritt, pianist Bobby Timmons, trumpeter Lee Morgan and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter. This lineup was together until 1961 and recorded several albums together including The Big Beat and in 1960 A Night In Tunisia. However, Art Blakey!!!!! Jazz Messengers!!!!! released on September the ‘1st’ 1961 was Lee Morgan’s swansong for the Jazz Messengers.
Talking his place was twenty-three year old Freddie Hubbard who had played bebop and embraced hard bop and later post bop. He had honed a a distinctive tone which would go on to influence other musicians. However, in 1961 Art Blakey realised that Freddie Hubbard would be the perfect replacement for Lee Morgan.
Another new addition was pianist Cedar Walton who replaced the departing Bobby Timmons. They would make their debut on Mosaic which was recorded on the ‘2nd’ of October 1961, at Van Gelder Studio, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The new lineup of Art Blakey and His Jazz Messengers would return in a month for the first of the Buhaina’s Delight sessions.
For Buhaina’s Delight, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messenger chose six tracks that they were going to record. This included five tracks written by members of the Jazz Messengers. They were Cedar Walton’s Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller’s Bu’s Delight and Wayne Shorter’s Backstage Sally, Contemplation and Reincarnation Blues. The only cover was Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s Moon River. These tracks became Buhaina’s Delight.
On the ‘28th’ of November 1961 Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded the first Buhaina’s Delight session. Joining drummer Art Blakey was bassist Jymie Merritt and pianist Cedar Walton with a front line of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, trombonist Curtis Fuller and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter. They returned just under a month later on the ‘18th’ of December 1961 to complete the album. However, it wasn’t released until July 1963.
By then, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers had left Blue Note Records and signed to Riverside Records in late 1962. However, one of the last albums he recorded for Blue Note Records, Buhaina’s Delight, was a hard bop classic.
Opening Buhaina’s Delight is Backstage Sally, which made its debut on the 1960 album Big Beat. Straight away, the horns take centrestage as the arrangement becomes upbeat and joyful while the rhythm section lock into a groove and play a shuffle on what’s nowadays regarded as one of Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers’ classic tracks. Contemplation is a ruminative sounding track where Wayne Shorter takes the lead. He delivers a stunning tenor saxophone solo on this heartachingly beautiful track. Bu’s Delight bursts into life and is a nine minutes high octane hard bop featuring breathtaking solos from pianist Cedar Walton and bandleader Art Blakey who powers his way round his kit and in doing so, drives his band to greater heights as the track reaches a dramatic ending.
There’s no stopping Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers now, and from the get-go as the sprightly soundingReincarnation Blues swings. Playing an important role is Jymie Merritt’s walking bass. Then when it’s time for the solos, it’s one of the newcomers trumpeter Freddie Hubbard who steals the show playing with speed, agility and fluidity. However, it’s a close call as pianist Cedar Walton more than plays his part in what’s one of the album’s highlights. From there, there’s a detour via soul-jazz on Shaky Jake is a truly memorable track. Closing the album is Moon River, which is given a makeover and becomes a breathtaking and pulsating slice of hard bop that makes the listener sit up and take notice. Especially when the solos come round and this talented and youthful line of the Jazz Messengers get the chance to shine. And shine they do stretching and other times staggering phrases as drums interject. One of the finest solos comes from from Wayne Shorter. He sets the bar high and newcomers Freddie Hubbard and Cedar Walton as they play their part in the reinvention of this familiar song. It’s the perfect way to close Buhaina’s Delight.
As was often the case with albums recorded for Blue Note Records, Buhaina’s Delight wasn’t released for nearly two years. By then, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers had left the label and signed with Riverside Records. This seems a strange move as Blue Note Records was one of the premier jazz labels, and by comparison, Riverside Records was a relative newcomer.It had only been founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer in 1953, and turned out to be a relatively short-lived venture.
Tragedy struck in December 1963 when Bill Grauer died after suffering, and seven months later in July 1964 Riverside Records filed for voluntary bankruptcy.
By then, Blue Note Records had released Buhaina’s Delight in early July 1963, to widespread critical acclaim. It would later be regarded as a classic, and nowadays, is regarded as one of the finest albums by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers released during the sixties. That is no surprise given the line of the Jazz Messengers.
Ever since he formed the Jazz Messengers, Art Blakey had an uncanny ability to spot the best young up-and-coming jazz musicians and regardless of their youthfulness or relative inexperience brought them onboard. He recruited Lee Morgan when he was nineteen and when he left, many thought that it would be impossible to replace him.
Art Blakey replaced him with twenty-three year old Freddie Hubbard, which proved to be a masterstroke. And so was recruiting Cedar Walton to replace pianist Bobby Timmons. They had made their Jazz Messengers’ debut on Mosaic, and then came of age on Buhaina’s Delight playing starring roles.
Nowadays, the lineup of the Jazz Messengers that features on Buhaina’s Delight is regarded as one of its finest lineups of this ever evolving band, which during its thirty-five year history, featured the great and good of jazz. Art Blakey and The Jazz Messenger’s were prolific and recorded forty-seven studio albums, twenty-one live albums and two soundtracks. However, the time Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers were signed to Blue Note Records resulted in several classic albums including 1959s Moanin’, 1960s A Night In Tunisia and 1963s Buhaina’s Delight which is truly timeless, and showcases one of the greatest and most influential jazz drummers and his all-star band on what’s undoubtably one of their finest recordings.
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Buhaina’s Delight.
TEA AND SYMPHONY-AN ASYLUM FOR THE MUSICALLY INSANE.
Tea and Symphony-An Asylum For The Musically Insane.
Label: Magic Box.
When the original lineup of Tea and Symphony was founded in Birmingham, England, in the late-sixties, they were an acoustic group who have since been compared to Marc Bolan’s Tyrannosaurus Rex. The group was founded by Jeff Daw, James Langston and Nigel Phillips, but when they played live they were sometimes augmented by guest musicians.
That was also the case when they recorded their debut album An Asylum For The Musically Insane in 1969, which has just been reissued on vinyl by Magic Box. It’s a reminder of an ambitious, oft-overlooked and underrated album that sadly, never found the audience it deserved. However, looking back, commercial consideration was never Tea and Symphony’s raison d’être.
After the group was formed in the late-sixties, Tea and Symphony soon became familiar faces on Birmingham’s vibrant music scene which was thriving. However, Tea and Symphony were unlike most of the groups playing locally. Their stage shows which were regarded as “strange” and gig goers weren’t used to a band who combined music and theatrical content in their sets. This was something that they would add to over the next year or so.
Before that, Tea and Symphony became the first local band to appear at the now famous Mothers’ club, in the Birmingham district of Erdington. It was previously the Carlton Ballroom, and was run by John ‘Spud’ Taylor and promoter Phil Myatt, until it closed its doors on the ‘3rd’ of January 1971. By then, over 400 artists and bands had played their ranging from the great and good of rock right through to aspiring and up-and-coming bands like Tea and Symphony.
They were following in the footsteps of groups like Pink Floyd by using light shows and projecting films onto the stage. However, they went further when they added a mime artist to their act.
This was Jonathan Benyon who at the time was also known as Cockroach, and roadied for Tea and Symphony as well as Locomotive. However, he was also the mime artist Dr Smock, who wore a surgeons gown and danced under a strobe light.
Mime wasn’t just a gimmick and according to James Langston was an important part of their music: “The mime is very much related to what is going on musically. Our music has a lot of mood changes and we improvise to a certain extent…I think audiences who haven’t heard us before sometimes find our music very strange because of its originality. I see Tea and Symphony developing as a mini travelling theatre.” Alas, that didn’t happen.
In 1969, Tea and Symphony headed out on tour with Tamworth-based progressive blues group Bakerloo. The tour transformed both their careers when they were signed by Harvest, the new EMI imprint.
Later in 1969, Tea and Symphony began working with producer Gus Dudgeon, who previously, had been working Ten Years After. By then, their sophomore album Stonedhenge had enjoyed success on both sides of the Atlantic, and so would Ssssh when it was released in August 1969.
When Tea and Symphony headed to Trident Studios, in London, for their first session with Gus Dudgeon they recorded a cover of Procol Harum’s Boredom which became their debut single. It was an accessible and radio friendly song that had commercial appeal. On the B-Side was the Jeff Daw composition Armchair Theatre which was more like Tea and Symphony’s true sound and featured on their debut album An Asylum For The Musically Insane.
Despite Tea and Symphony’s debut single Boredom having commercial potential, it failed commercially upon its release in 1969. This was disappointing for the group who hoped that their debut album would fare better.
For An Asylum For The Musically Insane, Tea and Symphony’s songwriter-in-chief Jeff Daw penned Armchair Theatre, Feel How So Cool The Wind, Sometime and The Come On. He also cowrote Maybe My Mind (With Egg) and Terror In My Soul with Nigel Phillips who contributed Nothing Will Come Of Nothing. James Langston the other member of the group wrote Winter and the one cover versions was Fred Neil’s Travellin’ Shoes. These tracks became An Asylum For The Musically Insane.
Recording took place at Trident Studios, with producer Gus Dudgeon and engineer Barry Sheffield. Jeff Daw, James Langston and Nigel Phillips played an interesting and eclectic collection of acoustic and electric instruments and were joined by several guest artists. This included bassists Ron Chesterman and Mick Hincks, drummer Bob Lamb and Gus Dudgeon who added percussion on album that was very different to the majority of the albums being released in 1969.
Most groups were releasing albums that had commercial potential. This sometimes meant compromising and got in the way of artistic integrity. However, Tea and Symphony wanted to make an artistic statement and weren’t it seems, willing to compromise. Their debut album An Asylum For The Musically Insane was totally different from anything that was released at that time.
Critics on hearing the album couldn’t make up their mind about Tea and Symphony’s debut. Some called the album “brilliant,” others “bizarre” and others regarded the music as “self-indulgent.” That was a word that was often used to describe albums of progressive rock. Usually when the critic didn’t understand, or take the time to understand what a group were trying to achieve. That may have been the case with Tea and Symphony’s musical statement An Asylum For The Musically Insane. It was way an album that was way ahead of its time.
When An Asylum For The Musically Insane was released by Harvest later in 1969, the album failed commercially. For the group this was disappointing, but they wanted to be successful on their terms and weren’t willing to compromise.
That was the case on Armchair Theatre which opens An Asylum For The Musically Insane finds Tea and Symphony doing things their way. They flit between genres including folk and incorporate elements of vaudeville as they combine their vocals with an eclectic selection of instruments on this wonderfully eccentric track. It’s just a musical amuse bouche though.
Initially, Feel How So Cool The Wind is eerie and atmospheric, and as soon as the vocal enters there’s an element of drama as the wind blows. What follows is a story of demon worlds where it looks like someone is about to freeze to death. However, there’s a twist in the tale with a barroom singalong. Sometime is another adventure in acid folk, and features just a hand drum, guitars and bass. Jeff Daw and James Langston share the lead vocal and are accompanied by backing vocals which have been treated with echo. This is effective and plays a part in the song’s sound and success. It gives way to the lysergic and Eastern sounding Maybe My Mind (With Egg) before the bluesy sounding The Come On closes side one.
Terror In My Soul opens side two and as it unfolds, Tea and Symphony’s love of theatre is apparent. There’s an element of drama as the tension builds as a guitar is strummed briskly and a flute adds to this sinister sounding song that is one of the album’s highlights. A bluesy harmonica sets the scene on a captivating cover of Fred Neil’s Travellin’ Shoes which is rich in imagery. So is Winter which veers between haunting, atmospheric and cinematic. Providing a backdrop for the vocal are a carefully chosen selection of instruments, a myriad of sounds and even birdsong. They play their part in what’s an outstanding track. Closing side two is Nothing Will Come Of Nothing, and as a harpsichord plays, there’s no hint of what’s to come. Soon, a piano accompanies a dramatic, powerful vocal before surprises aplenty are sprung. Meanwhile, every instrument seems to have been perfectly chosen as the arrangement waltzes and swings and seems to head in the direction of free jazz before preferring an apology. It’s not needed and instead, Tea and Symphony should take a bow as one of the great lost albums of the late-sixties comes to a close.
An Asylum For The Musically Insane was an ambitious and unconventional album where Tea and Symphony flit between and fuse disparate musical genres. This includes everything from avant-garde, blues and classical to folk rock, progressive folk, psychedelic rock and progressive rock. As they do, they use acoustic instruments as the basis for many arrangements and the vocal arrangements were very different to the majority of albums. They’re sometimes theatrical and dramatic as if Tea and Symphony are playing parts in a play. That is no surprise as the group loved theatre and it was always part of their sets. They decided to incorporate an element of theatre and drama into their music. Alas, this was something that some critics and record buyers neither understood nor were willing to embrace.
Maybe a wonderfully eccentric album like An Asylum For The Musically Insane was the type of album a more established group could’ve risked releasing? It was maybe too soon for Tea and Symphony who were just beginning their recording career. However, they were musical mavericks and were determined to do things their way.
Most groups who were signed to by a label of the stature of Harvest would’ve “played the game” and recorded an album that had much more commercial potential. Even if deep down, they may have wanted to make a musical statement with an ambitious album that was very different to everything else on the shelves of record shops. That was the case right down to the distinctive album cover.
Tea and Symphony succeeded in making a musical statement with An Asylum For The Musically Insane which is akin to a musical roller coaster with twists and turns aplenty during the nine tracks. It was an unconventional album where the music that is well worth discovering and persevering with. Not everyone will “get” the album when they first listen to it. However, after several listens they’ll have discovered the delights of Tea and Symphony’s oft-overlooked debut album An Asylum For The Musically Insane, which is a hidden gem full of subtleties and nuances where the imaginative and multi-talented Birmingham-based trio dared to be so different, and thanks goodness they did.
Tea and Symphony-An Asylum For The Musically Insane.
NIGHTMARES ON WAX-SMOKER’S DELIGHT 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION.
Nightmares On Wax-Smoker’s Delight 25th Anniversary Edition.
Label: Warp.
Four years after releasing their debut album A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter in 1991, Nightmares On Wax returned with their much-anticipated and critically acclaimed sophomore album Smoker’s Delight. It was released on the ‘24th’ of October 1995, Warp, who have just reissued a ’25th’ Anniversary edition on vinyl as a 2-LP set. This is a welcome reissue of an album that was part of the soundtrack to many people’s lives in the mid-nineties. However, the Nightmares On Wax story began in Leeds, in the late-eighties.
DJ and producer George Evelyn, was born in Leeds, in Yorkshire, and growing up, his father and sister introduced him to the soul music of Curtis Mayfield and Quincy Jones. This love of soul music would become apparent in his DJ sets and his work as a producer.
So would his love of hip hop, which he later discovered. Tracks like The Sugarhill Gang’s Rappers delight and Malcolm McLaren and The World’s Famous Supreme Team’s Buffalo Gals became favourites and would influenced George Evelyn when he embarked upon his production career.
In 1988, in Leeds, he founded Nightmares On Wax with John Halnon. Later, the pair were joined by Kevin Harper. They released their debut single a year later.
By then, Nightmares On Wax had signed to the Warp label, and late in 1989, released their debut single Dextrous. Little did George Evelyn realise that he would still be signed to Warp in 2020.
Nightmares On Wax returned with their sophomore single Aftermath #1 in 1990. It found George Evelyn and Co. digging deep into their record collections and sampling Cuba Gooding’s Happiness Is Just Around The Bend and Newcleus’ Jam On It. Sampling would play an important part in the group’s sound over the next few years.
1991 was a year of firsts for Nightmares On Wax as they released their debut EP A Case of Funk.They also released their debut album A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter.
A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter.
Despite Nightmares On Wax being a trio, A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter was the work of George Evelyn. However, the other members of the group promoted and toured the album.
It was released on September 1991 and featured Nightmares On Wax’s mellow, laidback and smokey fusion of funk, hip hop and soul as well as elements of house and techno. The result was very different from previous releases from the group, and some critics didn’t know what to make of the album? Reviews were mixed and the album failed commercially. Since then, A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter is regarded as an underrated album in Nightmares On Wax’s back-catalogue.
A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter, especially the track Night’s Interlude also laid the foundations for the group’s next two albums Smoker’s Delight and Carboot Soul.
Following the release of A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter Kevin Harper left Nightmares On Wax to concentrate on his DJ-ing.
In 1992, Nightmares On Wax returned with two singles. Neither Set Me Free nor Happiness were taken from their debut album. It looked as if the release of this new material was the start of a new chapter for the group. Sadly, that wasn’t the csae.
Not long after this, Nightmares On Wax disbanded, and George Evelyn started making house music for Warp imprint Nucleus. He then joined forces with Robin Taylor-Firth who had worked with Nightmares On Wax. However, eventually, George Evelyn decided to revive Nightmares On Wax as a solo project.
Alive was released in 1994 and marked the return of Nightmares On Wax. They were back to stay and would released their debut album Smoker’s Delight the following year 1995.
Smoker’s Delight.
George Evelyn spent much of 1995 recording Smoker’s Delight at Don Studios, Sheffield, TTB Studios, Wakefield and at Touchwood Studios, in Leeds. Eventually, he had recorded the sixteen tracks that became Nightmares On Wax’s sophomore album Smoker’s Delight.
Smoker’s Delight was much-anticipated and released to widespread critical acclaim on the ‘24th’ of October 1995 and reached eighty-four in the UK. It was the album that featured Nightmares On Wax’s trademark trip hop sound that was much-admired and copied by many.
To create Nightmares On Wax’s trip hop sound on Smoker’s Delight, George Evelyn wove what can best be described as a musical tapestry. He combined elements of funk, soul, jazz and hip hop with dub, electro, easy listening and cinematic sounds. There’s even detours via electronic, jazz funk and Latin music as well as the unmistakable sound of warn vinyl and a number of samples.
This includes Quincy Jones’ Summer In The City on the album opener Nights Introlude. The Dells were sampled on Love Is Missing From Our Lives on Me and You, and Smokey Robinson’s Just My Soul Responding on (Man) Tha Journey. Sample spotters will have heard Positive Force’s We Got The Funk on Bless My Soul and finally, a sample of Bob James’ Fireball on Mission Venice. These samples played their part in what was hailed as a trip hop classic upon its release.
That was apparent from the opening bars of Night’s Introlude, four glorious minutes of symphonic and cinematic chill out. Dreddoverboard starts off laidback before revealing its secrets and becomes soulful, funky sometimes hypnotic. It gives way to the mellow and mesmeric Pipes Honour as it meanders memorably along soothing even the weariest of souls. Me and You is a slice of smith and slinky downtempo music that is over all too quickly.
Very different is Stars which is another track that gradually unfolds. Soon, pounding drums, a probing bass and percussion combine as this captivating and carefully crafted genre-melting track unfolds as hip hop, electronica, funk, jazz and soul melt into one. Wait A Minute finds George Evelyn combining snippet of dialogue with elements of funk, acid house, gospel and soul. The result is a track that sounds as if it’s a missing track from Primal Scream’s Screamadelica.
It’s all change on Groove Street which is dark, hypnotic and cinematic with surprises aplenty during this multilayered track. It gives way to Time (To Listen) a short dramatic cinematic snippet. Then (Man) Tha Journey veers between funky, joyous and uplifting as Nightmares On Wax fuse elements of soul, funk, easy listening, dub and hip hop to create a dancefloor friendly track for B-boys and girls.
Bless My Soul features a sample of Smokey Robinson’s Just My Soul, and is another carefully crafted track. George Evelyn combines hip hop, soul, dub and the sample with a whispery vocal to create a truly memorable track. As it fades away Cruise (Don’t Stop) unfolds, and is full of twists and turns and seamlessly disparate genres melt into one during this seven minute epic.
The cinematic sounding Mission Venice sounds as it should be part of the soundtrack to a French film from the late-sixties or seventies. What I’m Feelin (Good) is a joyous sounding track that is the perfect soundtrack to lazy days lying on a beach watching the world pass by. Rise is a beautiful meandering track that epitomises everything that is good about Nightmares On Wax’s mellow downtempo sound. It’s so good it’s followed by Rise (Reprise). Then the spacious sounding Gambia Via Vagatorbeach ambles along and closes Smoker’s Delight.
While Smoker’s Delight received critical acclaim upon its release, Nightmares On Wax’s sophomore album is now regarded as a trip hop classic. It’s one of the most important albums in the genre’s history, and so was the followup Carboot Soul. These two albums were Nightmares On Wax’s finest albums, and were career defining for George Evelyn. He never bettered these albums despite releasing five further albums.
For record buyers in 1995, Smoker’s Delight was a gamechanger of an album and became part of the soundtrack to their lives. It was an album that people could listen to all day, and with each listen they would hear some subtlety or nuance. Disparate genres and musical influences were part of Nightmares On Wax’s musical tapestry on Smoker’s Delight. Sonically this genre-melting album of music was vibrant and a mini masterpiece that was almost flawless. The music on Smoker’s Delight was captivating, sometimes cinematic or sun kissed and always enchanting as it wove its spell and for seventy-four magical minutes.
That is still the case today, with the 25th Anniversary Edition of Smoker’s Delight which was recently reissued by Warp on green and red vinyl. The album also comes with a digital version of the album which features bonus tracks This reissue of Nightmares On Wax’s first trip hop classic is a welcome one, as it’s the first time the album has been reissued on vinyl since it was released in 1995. However, like so many reissues it’s a limited edition and it’s a case of get your copy of Smoker’s Delight which is sure to bring back memories and will once again, become part of the soundtrack to your life.
Nightmares On Wax-Smoker’s Delight 25th Anniversary Edition.
PIRANA-PIRANA.
Pirana-Pirana.
Label: Magic Box.
Although Australian progressive rockers Pirana were together for just over three years, they played live over 600 times and released two albums on Harvest Records. This included their 1972 debut album Pirana, which has just been reissued on vinyl by Magic Box. It’s a cult classic and a reminder of a group that should’ve reached greater heights. Sadly, commercial success eluded Pirana, and theirs is another case of what might have been?
The Pirana story begins in Sydney, fifty years ago in mid-1970, when former members of Gus and The Nomads’ rhythm section decided to head form a new band. By then, the group had been together since the mid-sixties and released several singles as Gus and The Nomads and also as The Nomads. Despite that, drummer Jim Yonge, bassist Graeme Thomson and guitarist Tony Hamilton plus keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist John Millyard decided to start afresh with a new group and make a different type of music…progressive rock.
Before long, Pirana were playing live and had a nightly residency in Sydney, at the Hawaiian Eye, a club run by promoter and manger John Harrigan. Things were looking good for Pirana. That was until keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist John Millyard announced that he was leaving the band.
This was a huge disappointment for Pirana who had lost their lead vocalist and keyboardist. Fortunately, they were told about a tattered keyboard from New Zealand Stan White, who was worth checking out. Maybe he could fill the gap left by John Millyard?
Stan White was originally from Lake Tekapo, in the South Island, and later, moved to Christchurch, where he became a members of The Chapta. They became a successful group and during the early seventies, were signed to Festival Records and HMV. However, by then, Stan White had moved on.
He left Christchurch and moved to Sydney where he joined the group Multiple Balloon. They were often to be found playing in a cellar bar at the bottom of William Street, Sydney. This was where other members of Pirana saw Stan White play and quickly realised he was the perfect replacement for John Millyard.
After speaking with the members of Pirana, Stan White agreed to join group. The second lineup of the group was born, and when Pirana’s powerhouse of a rhythm section combined with Stan White’s dazzling, mesmeric keyboard skills the newcomer played an important part in its sound and success.
So would his flare and ability to write and arrange songs. Stan White would prove to be the perfect foil and compliment Pirana’s other songwriter, Tony Hamilton. He had a thirst and passion for songwriting and Stan White helped bring out the best in him. The group’s new keyboardist was soon proving his worth.
Each night, Pirana made their way to the Hawaiian Eye, in Castlereagh Street, and when they took to the stage used each set to plan for their future. They road tested new songs and honed their sound, which was a fusion of progressive rock and Latin percussion.
By then, Jim Duke Yonge had already established a reputation as progressive and innovative drummer who played with power and rhythmic invention, with bassist Graeme Thomson was steady and played with feel as he provided the musical pulse. Playing an important part in the group’s sound was Stan White’s coursing, swirling Hammond organ and his high vocal. Meanwhile Tony Hamilton’s blistering, searing, soaring guitar answered its call and when needed, he was capable of adding a vocal powerhouse. Pirana in full flow was an impressive sound, and it wasn’t going to be long before Pirana they came to the attention of one of the A&R scouts that were regulars in the Hawaiian Eye.
It was Michael Barclay, who had just taken over as A & R Manager for EMI who spotted Pirana playing one night in the Hawaiian Eye. The former manager of Decca Records UK realising that Pirana were a cut above the competition signed the band to a longterm contract to the nascent Harvest label. Pirana were in good company as Michael Barclay had previously signed The Moody Blues to their new label. For Pirana, these were exciting times.
They started to work on their debut album and paid more attention to the set lists for their concerts. This in included an appearance at Wallacia, which was a one day festival to the west of Sydney.
Pirana weren’t the only new signing to Harvest records on the bill at the Wallacia Festival. They were joined by Greg Quill and Country Radio. This would be Pirana’s last major concert before recording their debut album.
The members of Pirana thought that their appearance at Wallacia was the perfect place to road test some new songs they had written. However, this was risky, a newly signed band playing new songs in front of a large crowd. If the material wasn’t well received they would fall flat on their face. Fortunately, Pirana and their new material went down well receiving rapturous applause. This augured well for the recording of their eponymous debut album.
By the time Pirana entered the studio, the rock magazine Go Set wrote an article praising their barnstorming performance at the Wallacia Festival. This was the perfect boost to their confidence as they started recording Pirana.
Joining Pirana at EMI’s 301 studio in Sydney was producer Gus McNeil and engineer John Taylor. The rhythm section of drummer Jim Yonge, bassist Graeme Thomson and Tony Hamilton who played rhythm guitar, lead guitar, timbales and added vocals. Stan White played Hammond organ, piano and contributed vocals during what was a relatively quick session. The band were devoted to what they were doing and innovative, like so many progressive rock band. Their eponymous debut album featured their trademark sound. This was traditional progressive rock sound combinedLatin rhythms, which critics compared to a Santana influence. This Pirana hoped would prove popular when their album was released later in 1971.
This was the sound that Pirana had been playing and had proven popular when they played live. By then, Pirana were no strangers to Sydney’s live scene, having started out at the Hawaiian Eye before spreading their wings and unleashing a barnstorming performance at the Wallacia Festival just before recording Pirana. They hoped that the album would find an audience across Australia where progressive rock was popular.
By then, many other groups had turned their back on the traditional pop sound, and embracing progressive rock. This included Company Cain, Greg Quill and Country Radio, Spectrum, Mackenzie Theory, Taman Shud, The Aztecs and The La De Da’s. Just like Pirana, these groups featured talented, inventive and versatile musicians brought a new level of creativity to the studio was they showcased a new sound with the music they made. It was ambitious, innovative and progressive and would stand the test of time. Sadly, not all of the albums released by these groups found the audience they deserved.
That includes Pirana’s eponymous debut album which was released in 1971. Sadly, although the album was well received by critics who were won over by Pirana’s ambitious and innovative fusion of progressive rock, Latin percussion with a hint of pop, psych and country rock. From the opening bars Pirana was a compelling and captivating album.
Elation opens the album and is designed to grab the listener’s attention. It doesn’t disappoint and and connoisseurs of progressive rock the lengthy drum and percussion solo will prove a veritable musical feast. One of the highlights of the album Sermonette which features some stunning interplay between Tony Hamilton’s guitar and Stan White’s Hammond organ. The Time Is Now breezes gently along before becoming rocky and anthemic. It’s a song with a message that is still relevant today as Pirana seamlessly combine pop, blistering guitars, Latin percussion, a swirling Hammond organ with hints of psych and their trademark progressive rock to create another of the album’s highlights.
Straight away, there’s a wistful sound to Find Yourself A New Girl and nod to The Beatles and even The Move. A flute plays a leading role in this melodic and memorable song that is without doubt the most commercial on the album. Quite different is The River where Pirana drop the tempo on what’s a country rocker. It features a looser sound that may not be as polished as other tracks. The vocal is impassioned and emotive while the rest of the band showcase their versatility. Both Easy Ride and then Stand Back have much in common with Sermonette as they feature a much heavier sound with the Hammond organ and guitar playing starring roles. On Stand Back, which is a ten minute epic there’s lengths solos as this talented and versatile band close their debut album on an uber rocky high and considerable talents.
Following the release of Pirana, the band left Sydney in late 1971 and headed to Melbourne where they hoped to introduce their music to a new and wider audience. That made sense as the city had a bigger live scene and their were more venues for Pirana to play at.
This included Berties, Sebastians, Thumping Tum and countless other suburban pubs as well as the universities and RMIT, which was a fantastic venue for live bands at lunchtime. Pirana played all these venues and more in the hope that their eponymous debut album would start to find the audience it deserved. It was a gruelling schedule.
The members of Pirana found themselves playing three times on a Saturday, and by the end of the week had always played seven or eight gigs. They were lucky that Michael Chugg’s Sunrise agency were always able to find work for the band in Melbourne.
The band were part of a bill that featured Deep Purple, Free and Manfred Mann and toured Australia. For Pirana that was one of the highlights of the year. Another was being on the bill at the Pink Floyd concert at Randwick Racecourse as 50,000 watched on. Despite rubbing shoulders with the great and good of rock, Pirana still wasn’t selling as 1972 dawned.
At the start of 1972 Pirana played their first Sunbury, and executes at EMI decided to record the set. They played another breathtaking set bit only their encore of Santana’s Soul Sacrifice made it onto a compilation album. That however, was the least of the group’s worries.
In February 1972, Stan White left Pirana after just under two years. He left behind two songs, I Hope You don’t Mind and Funny Games which featured on Pirana II. They were part of his legacy.
The rest was his contribution to Pirana, which was overlooked and underrated upon its release in 1971. Maybe part of the problem was it was only released in Australia, and fans of progressive rock in Britain and America never got the chance to discover Pirana’s trademark sound?
They took as a starting point progressive rock and Latin percussion and added elements of pop, hard rock, psychedelia and even a detour via country rock. Add to the mix a sweeping, swirling Hammond organ and blistering, scorching guitar licks and the result was an ambitious, inventive and innovative album of genre-melting music from four talented and versatile and musicians.
Sadly, theirs is a case of what might have been. In 1971, they released their eponymous debut album, Pirana, which should’ve found a much wider audience, but remained one of music’s best kept secrets for far too long and is only new receiving the critical acclaim it so richly deserves.
Pirana-Pirana.
CULT CLASSIC: IAN MATTHEWS-SOME DAYS YOU EAT THE BEAR AND SOME DAYS THE BEAR EATS YOU.
Cult Classic: Ian Matthews-Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You.
Having completed recording of Journeys From Gospel Oak, Ian Matthews had discharged his contractual obligations to Vertigo. Journeys From Gospel Oak was the third and final album he owed Vertigo. This left Ian Matthews free to sign a two album deal with Elektra Records. For Ian Matthews this was the start of a new chapter in his career.
Not only was Ian Matthews signing to a new record label, but he and his family had decided to move to Los Angeles. That was where Ian Matthews would record his next album Valley Hi, with producer Michael Nesmith. Valley Hi and the followup Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You and are a reminder of Ian Matthews’ Elektra Records’ years.
Valley Hi.
Once Ian Matthews had settled in Los Angeles, work began on his Elektra Records debut, Valley Hi. This was a dream come true for the twenty-four year old singer, songwriter and musician. He was about to record an album in LA, which was something Ian Matthews had dreamt about. Now that dream was about to become a reality. It had been a long time coming
The discussions about the album, and who was going to produce it, began before Journeys From Gospel Oak was recorded. When it came to choosing a producer, Electra Records’ founder Jac Holzman had suggested that Ian Matthews talk to Michael Nesmith.
He had embarked upon a solo career after leaving The Monkees, but was also a successful songwriter and budding producer. At Jac Holzman’s suggestion, Ian Matthews flew from Britain to LA to meet Michael Nesmith, and talk about recording an album together. The talks lasted two weeks, with Michael Nesmith agreeing to produce Ian Matthews’ Elektra Records’ debut Valley Hi.
For Valley Hi, Ian Matthews decided to record an album of new songs and cover versions. This included three songs that Ian Matthews had penned, Keep On Sailing, Leaving Alone and Save Your Sorrows. Ian Matthews decided to cover one of Michael Nesmith’s songs Propinquity. The other six songs included the traditional song Old Man At The Mill, Richard Thompson’s Shady Lies, Jackson Browne’s These Days, Steve Young’s Seven Bridges Road, Randy Newman’s What Are You Waiting For and Don Gibson’s Blue Blue Day. These ten tracks would become Valley, which was recorded in LA with some top musicians.
Recording of Valley Hi took place at The Countryside Studio, in Los Angeles. Producer Michael Nesmith was assisted by engineer Fritz Richmond. They were joined by a band that had been hand picked to record an album of country rock. This included a rhythm section that featured drummer Danny Lane, bassist and fiddler Billy Graham and guitarists Jay Lacy, Bobby Warford and Michael Nesmith. They were augmented by keyboardist David Barry and O.J. Red Rhodes on pedal steel and dobro. This all-star band accompanied Ian Matthews, who played guitar and laid down the vocals on Valley Hi. Once it was completed, Ian Matthews’ Elektra Records’ debut was released in the summer of 1973.
Before the release of Valley Hi, critics had their say on the album. It found favour with critics, who hailed the album a country rock masterpiece.
That was no exaggeration. Valley Hi was a strong and cohesive album that showcased Ian Matthews’ talents as a songwriter and showcased his versatility as a singer. That’s the case from the opening bars of the Ian Matthews’ composition Keep On Sailin’ right through to the closing notes of Don Gibson’s Nashville classic Blue Blue Day. They’re just two of the highlights of Valley Hi and feature two sides to Ian Matthews.
He’s equally comfortable interpreting urban and rural songs. Sometimes he stays true to the original, like on his rueful cover of Jackson Browne’s These Days, while he takes Randy Newman’s What Are You Waiting For in a new direction. Always though, he breathes life, meaning and emotion into each and every song. Especially on Shady Lies and Leaving Alone which are perfect for Ian Matthews’ interpretative style. It’s as if Ian Matthews has lived and survived the lyrics. However, one of the most melodic and beautiful songs on Valley Hi was Seven Bridges Road. Valley Hi was a country rock classic in waiting, that oozed quality, and had the potential to transform Ian Matthews’ fortunes in America.
When Valley Hi was released in the summer of 1973, the album failed to find an audience. For Ian Matthews, producer Michael Nesmith and everyone at Elektra Records, this was a huge disappointment. Especially given the quality of music on Valley Hi, which nowadays, is regarded as one of the hidden gems on Ian Matthews back-catalogue.
Despite the disappointment, Ian Matthews returned to the studio in late 1973 to record his second album for Elektra Records Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You.
Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You
Not long after the release of Valley Hi, Ian Matthews began work on the followup album Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You. Ian Matthews wrote four new songs, A Wailing Goodbye, Keep On Saying, Home and The Fault. They were augmented by six cover versions. This included Tom Waits’ Ol’ ’55, Danny Whitten’s I Don’t Wanna Talk About It and Gene Clark’s Tried So Hard. They were joined by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s Dirty Work, Pete Dello’s Do I Still Figure in Your Life and Jesse Winchester’s Biloxi. These songs were recorded at one of LA’s top studios in late 1973.
Elektra Sound Recorders was booked for the recording Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You. The session began on the ‘3rd’ December 1973, but there was no sign of producer Michael Nesmith. This time around, Ian Matthews decided to produce the album himself. Still though, he was joined by some top musicians.
It was essentially an all-star band that joined Ian Matthews at Elektra Sound Recorders. The rhythm section included drummer Willie Leacox, bassist David Dicke and guitarist Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter who played electric, acoustic and pedal steel. David Lindley played lap steel guitar, while Danny Weis and Steve Gillette acoustic guitar. They were joined by pedal steel guitarist B.J. Coles, saxophonist Lyn Dobson pianist Michael Fonfars, pianist and organist David Barry, fiddler Richard Green and Richard Curtis on mandolin. Ian Matthews played guitar, added lead vocals and took charge of production. By the ‘10th’ of January 1974, Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You was complete. Now it was ready for release.
Before that, critics had their say on Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You. They were greeted by carefully crafted album that was quite different from Valley Hi.
Ian Matthews moved away from country rock on Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You, and switched between the LA country sound, the West Coast Sound and soft rock. The music was slick, polished and radio friendly. That was no surprise, given the personnel that played on the album. They provided the perfect accompaniment for Ian Matthews. Especially on his rueful cover of Tom Waits’ Ol’ 55, and soul-baring covers of I Don’t Wanna Talk About It and Tried So Hard. There was also a cover of Steely Dan’s Dirty Work, where Ian Matthews and his all-star band stay true to the carefully crafted original. Then on Wailing Goodbye, Keep On Sailing and Home Ian Matthews’ showcased his talents as a singer and songwriter. However, he had kept one of his finest songs until last. The melodic and memorable strains of The Fault closed Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You.
When Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You was released in 1974, the album was bang on trend. However, just like Valley Hi, the album failed to trouble the charts. Given the quality of music on Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You this was a huge disappointment for everyone involved.
For Ian Matthews, this was the end of the Elektra Records’ years. When his two album deal expired, it wasn’t renewed. So Ian Matthews signed to Columbia Records. While the Elektra Records’ years weren’t the most successful years of Ian Matthews recording career, he released two albums that ooze quality.
The first of these albums was Ian Matthews’ oft-overlooked 1973 country rock masterpiece, Valley Hi. It was followed up by his cult classic Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You where Ian Matthews reinvents himself and switches between the LA country sound, soft rock and the West Coast Sound. It was a carefully crafted album that featured slick, radio-friendly music. Despite its undoubted quality, Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You failed to find an audience. For Ian Matthews, these two albums were the ones that got away and are a reminder of what was an oft-overlooked period in Ian Matthews’ career, the Elektra Records’ years.
Cult Classic: Ian Matthews-Some Days You Eat The Bear and Some Days The Bear Eats You.
MILES DAVIS-BITCHES BREW AT 50.
Miles Davis-Bitches Brew At 50.
Although Miles Davis’ recording career began in 1951, when he released his debut album The New Sounds, he soon had established a reputation as a prolific, and innovative musician. He released further forty-three albums between 1951 and 1969. This included classics like 1957s Round About Midnight and 1959s Kind Of Blue. While both of these albums would become classic albums, neither sold in huge quantities at the time of their release. Certainly not enough to result in a gold or platinum disc. That was all about change when Miles Davis released his forty-fifth album, Bitches Brew which was released in 1970 and celebrates its 50th “anniversary: in 2020.
Bitches Brew was the third of Miles Davis’ “electric albums,”as he continued to embrace the fusion sound that was growing in popularity, and as was seen by many as jazz’s saviour. This latest period in Miles Davis’ career began with In A Silent Way. It was released in July 1969, and completed the shift that began on Filles De Kilimanjaro in September 1968.
In a Silent Way
For Miles Davis, In a Silent Way marked a stylistic change and indeed, a change his fortunes when the album was released on ‘30th’ July 1969. The forty-two year old had recorded the album at CBS 30th Street Studio, on the on February the ‘18th’ 1969 with a band that featured some of the future greats of fusion. This included twenty-seven year old guitarist, John McLaughlin who was a relative newcomer. However, he would win the trust and respect of his Miles Davis and the rest of the band with his playing on In A Silent Way, where they incorporated elements of the classical sonata form plus elements of jazz, psychedelia and rock. With the session over, Miles Davis left Teo Macero to edit the recordings.
Teo Macero’s part in the success of In A Silent Way can’t be underestimated, as he began editing the album. When it came to the two lengthy tracks, Shhh and In A Silent Way, Teo Macero’s idea was to edit them so that they consisted of three different parts which can be regarded as exposition, development and recapitulation. By the time Teo Macero had finished editing Shhh, the first and last six minutes of the track featured the exact same piece of music. However, this would play its part in the sound and success of album that some critics called ‘space music’ upon its release.
In A Silent Way was an album that divided the opinion of critics. Some critics were shocked at Miles Davis’ decision to incorporate electric instruments on the album, and took this as a betrayal and Miles Davis was seen by some critics as heretic. While some jazz critics sent Miles Davis to Coventry, where he was forced to sit on jazz’s equivalent of the naughty step, other critics welcomed the addition and incorporation of electric albums on In A Silent Way which they called a groundbreaking album from musical chameleon Miles Davis. However, with critic’s opinion split on In A Silent Way, record buyers had the final say on the album.
When In A Silent Way was released, it reached number 134 in the US Billboard 200, and became Miles Davis’ first album to chart since Seven Steps To Heaven in 1963. In A Silent Way also reached number three in the US Jazz charts, which meant it was Miles’ most successful album. It seemed Miles’ new sound had introduced a new generation to Miles Davis. So, it’s no surprise that Miles decided to return to the studio straight away.
Bitches Brew.
Miles Davis booked three days at Columbia Studio B, New York for the sessions that would later become Bitches Brew. They began on August the ‘19th’ 1969, and over the next three days, Miles Davis’ extended band would record six songs that became one of Miles’ most ambitious and innovative albums, Bitches Brew.
Between the ‘19th’ and ‘21st’ August 1969, a huge cast of musicians, that can only be described as the great and good of jazz, made their way Columbia Studio B. This included a rhythm section of drummers Lenny White and Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland on standup bass, Harvey Brooks on electric bass and guitarist John McLaughlin. They were joined by Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea on electric piano. Adding a percussive backdrop were conga players Don Alias congas and Juma Santos, who also played shakers. Soprano saxophonist Wayne Shorter joined soprano saxophone, Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet and Miles Davis trumpet. With the lineup in place and in situ, the session on the ‘19th’ of August set the tone for the next three days.
‘19th’ of August.
Three songs were recorded on the ‘19th’ of August by producer Teo Macero, Bitches Brew, John McLaughlin and Sanctuary. This was quite a feat as Miles Davis’ band was very different to most bands of that time. He used two drum kits and two electric pianos. Lenny White’s drum kit was situated on the right, and Jack DeJohnette’s on the left. Similarly, Chick Corea electric piano sat on the right, while Joe Zawinul was situated on the left. There were also two bases used. Dave Holland played standup bass and Harvey Brooks electric bass. Some of the musicians had never encountered this setup before, nor had engineer Frank Laico. Nobody it seemed, had encountered Miles Davis’ way of working on Bitches Brew, but were willing to try it.
What’s quite remarkable given what happened over the three-day session, is that Miles Davis had brought the band together without much notice. Looking back, it’s as if he wanted them to arrive without any preconceived ideas. He needed them to work with him and trust him as he pioneered what was an innovative way to record what would be a groundbreaking album.
Very little of the material on Bitches Brew had been rehearsed by the band. That was how Miles Davis had planned it. He wanted everything the band played to be off-the-cuff. Briefly, he would give them some hints and guidance about tempo, chord structure, melody, mood or tone, then when the red light came on, Miles Davis stood watching and studying each of the musicians If needed, he would encourage and cajole a performance out some of the musicians who were struggling with this new way of working, and other times would give cues when to change tempo or chord. Often, the only cue a musician had, was when Miles Davis clicked his fingers. With Miles Davis guiding his all-star band, gradually a very different style of music emerged.
The three tracks that were recorded on the ‘19th’ of August, Bitches Brew, John McLaughlin and Sanctuary hinted at the direction Bitches Brew was heading. Miles Davis was turning his back on traditional jazz rhythms and instead, had decided to fully embraced the much looser rock-tinged, improvisational style. This was what Miles Davis had been trying to cajole out of his band. As Miles Davis sat down at the end of the session with producer Teo Macero and played the tapes back, he knew he was on the right road.
Miles Davis had coaxed and cajoled the basis for three tracks out of the band he had hastily put together.Bitches Brew would eventually become a twenty-seven minute epic. John McLaughlin would be trimmed to just over four minutes. Sanctuary, which was penned by Joe Zawinul, would close Bitches Brew. It would eventually clock in at just under eleven minutes. However, there was still half an album to record, plus a lot of editing to do.
‘20th’ of August 1969.
As the ‘20th’ of August 1969 dawned, the same musicians made their way to Columbia Studio B. The only change was Stan Tonkel engineered the rest of the sessions. Everything else stayed the same.
If the previous day had been a shock to their system, the band now they had some idea of what Miles Davis and producer Teo Macero were trying to achieve. The band embraced the concept, and having thought about it, realised that they had the opportunity to be part of musical history, as Bitches Brew potentially, was a truly innovative album in the making. Especially, those in the rhythm section.
For those in the rhythm section, they must have realised the enormity of rhythmic innovations. The use of two bassists, two drummers and two electric pianos was groundbreaking. Especially, as they all played together as one. This was what some rock groups had been doing, and this had influenced Miles Davis. So had the Jimi Hendrix Experience who influenced and inspired Miles Davis to reinvent his music, and head in a new direction.
As part of the reinvention of Miles Davis, he decided that his rhythm section should be allowed off the leash. They enjoyed the opportunity to take centre-stage, as they unleashed lengthy and improvised solos. For musicians of the calibre of John McLaughlin, Dave Holland and Chick Corea, this was music to their ears.
Whereas the previous day, Miles Davis’ band had recorded three tracks, they only recorded the one track on the 20th August, Miles Runs The Voodoo Down. It’s an equally ambitious track, that eventually, was edited down to fourteen minutes. However, that day in August, when the red light went on, Miles Davis again, coaxed, cajoled and encouraged a performance out of his band. He wasn’t interested in a good performance. That wasn’t good enough for a perfectionist like Miles Davis who demanded an outstanding performance befitting a potentially groundbreaking album. His band was capable of this, and as bandleader, it was Miles Davis’ job to coax it out of the band.
Unsurprisingly, Miles Davis managed to do so. He had been a bandleader long enough, and using a mixture of praise and constructive criticism, somehow, encouraged the band to raise their game and reach even greater heights.
Just like on the ‘19th’ of August, the rhythm section was responsible for a truly innovative performances. Similarly, Wayne Shorter’s soprano saxophone, Bernie Maupin’s bass clarinet and Miles’ trumpet played leading roles in another epic track. It would later be edited down to fourteen minutes. That was still to come. There were two more tracks to record.
‘21st’ of August 1969.
The two final tracks that would make up Bitches Brew, were Spanish Key and Joe Zawinul’s Pharaoh’s Dance. They were scheduled to be recorded on the ‘21st’ August 1969, and when the same band reconvened, Miles Davis announced that he had decided to add a third pianist. He knew the very man, Larry Young.
Bringing in a new face so let on in the Bitches Brew session made sense, as Larry Young would have no preconceived ideas about what to play. He would play with an unbridled freedom. That was what Miles Davis and producer Teo Macero wanted from Larry Young, whose piano would sit in the centre of the arrangement. This resulted in yet another layer of music, as Miles Davis and Ted Macero continued to push musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes, even beyond.
Over the course of the 21st August, Miles encouraged, coaxed and persuaded two final performances out his band. They responded to Miles Davis’ encouragement and delivered two sterling performances. As engineers Frank Laico and producer Teo Macero looked on, little did they know that they were in the process of making history.
Making History.
With the six songs that became Bitches Brew recorded, the band left Columbia Studio B, New York. None of them realised that they had just played their part in an album that would transform jazz music. However, there was a lot of work to do before then.
Much of this entailed the editing process, which was Teo Macero’s area of expertise. He had plenty of material to choose from. This came as no surprise, as Miles Davis had encouraged the band to lay down a series of performances. Now he was left to pick and choose what made its way onto the final tracks. Surrounded by piles of reel-to-reel tapes, Miles Davis and Ted Macero worked their way through the various reels. What followed was like piecing together a musical jigsaw. Sometimes, numerous edits featured in the one track, and on Bitches Brew alone, there were fifteen edits, including the same loop being repeated on three occasions.
Then on Pharaoh’s Dance, the number rose to nineteen. Never before had editing been used so extensively, and later, Bitches Brew was seen as a landmark album in terms of utilising the available studio technology to is full potential This wasn’t the only reason though.
In the studio, all producers had a variety of effects they can use. Like most musicians, Miles Davis was well aware of this and encouraged Teo Macero to deploy them effectively and if he wanted, extensively. Essentially, Miles Davis wanted to transform the studio into another musical instrument. This wasn’t a new concept, and was one the musique concrète composers of the fifties and sixties had used extensively. Now Miles Davis was about to follow in their footsteps, as he and Ted Macero deployed tape delays, reverb and echo. They would play their part in what would be the most ambitious and innovative album of Miles Davis’ career. However, before then, Miles returned to Columbia Studio B, New York, on January 28, 1970.
January ’28th’ 1970.
Many of the same musicians that featured on the other tracks on Bitches Brew returned to Columbia Studio B. This included a rhythm section of drummers Lenny White and Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland on standup bass and,Harvey Brooks on electric bass and guitarist John McLaughlin. They were joined by Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea who both played electric piano. Percussionist Airto Moreira also played cuíca, and was joined by soprano saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bass clarinetist Bennie Maupin and trumpeter Miles Davis. This was the band that would record Wayne Shorter’s composition Felio.
Over the course of January the ‘28th’ 1970, Miles Davis, producer Teo Macero and engineer Stan Tonkel recorded Felio. Gradually, the song began to take shape. Eventually, by the close of play, Miles Davis had another song in the can. However the big question was would it make its way onto Bitches Brew?
The answer was no. Despite its quality, Felio didn’t make it onto Bitches Brew. It was an ambitious and groundbreaking double album that lasted ninety-four minutes and eleven seconds. Miles Davis and Teo Macero had poured their heart and soul into an album which they believed, could, change the face of jazz music.
There was a stumbling block though. Critics weren’t won over by Bitches Brew. Just like In A Silent Way, the reviews were mixed. Rock critics seemed to “get” Bitches Brew, and most were excited by this melting pot of musical genres. They could understand the marriage of avant-garde, experimental, musique concrète, funk, jazz, psychedelia and rock. It seemed to harness the best of various disparate genres. However, not everyone agreed.
Jazz critics especially, wrote the most disparaging and damaging reviews of Bitches Brew. Some went as far as to say this wasn’t jazz music. The problem was, many of these critics over the past two decades had been fed on diet of “mainstream jazz,” and just didn’t understand this gushing vortex of groundbreaking, genre-melting music. An expanded rhythm section featuring multiple drummers, bassists and pianists wasn’t something they had encountered before. This was something new, imaginative, influential and innovative that was being referred to as fusion. It caught the attention of a several generations of music lovers.
Unlike some music critics, record buyers tuned in and were turned on to the music on Bitches Brew when it was released on March the ‘30th’ 1970, and before long, became Miles Davis’ biggest selling album. Bitches Brew reached number thirty-five in the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Jazz charts. This resulted in Miles Davis’ first ever gold album in America. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, in Britain, audiences had embraced Miles Davis’ groundbreaking opus Bitches Brew, which was certified silver.
It was fitting that Bitches Brew had given Miles Davis his biggest selling album on both sides of the Atlantic, as it was the forty-fifth album of the forty-three year old trumpeter’s career. Eventually though, Bitches Brew sold over two million copies in America, and was certified double platinum. By then, people understood Bitches Brew.
Just like so much groundbreaking music, many people didn’t understand Bitches Brew initially and many critics, musicians and record buyers were puzzled. Why had Miles Davis plugged in? What was with the expanded rhythm section and the myriad of effects? They found it hard to comprehend where Miles was coming from. Soon, it all became clear, at least to those who cared to listen.
The Godfather of cool and modal jazz was at the vanguard of a yet another new musical movement, fusion. Where Miles Davis lead, others followed. Soon, it would become one of the biggest musical movements of the seventies. Miles Davis would, eventually, be crowned its founding father. Recognition came a year later.
In February 1971, Miles Davis released The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions. This four album set featured the Bitches Brew Sessions in their entirety. In some ways, this further explained where Miles Davis was coming from musically. The four discs explained the musical journey that became Bitches Brew. Suddenly, many who hadn’t understood Bitches Brew were enlightened. Already enlightened however, were the Grammy Awards’ judges.
From 1961, there had a Grammy Award for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. One of the nominees in 1971, was Miles Davis’ Magnus Opus Bitches Brew. Looking back, it seemed inevitable Miles’ would win a Grammy Award for Bitches Brew. However, it was far from a fait accompli.
On its release, Bitches Brew had divided opinion. While Bitches Brew won the hearts and minds of rock critics, jazz critics weren’t convinced. To them it was strange brew of disparate musical genres and influences; one they either didn’t understand, or want to understand. However, the Grammy Award judges were made of sterner stuff, and understood innovation when they heard it. They were more than happy to reward Miles Davis’ innovative fusion classic Bitches Brew.
At the glittering Grammy Awards’ ceremony in April 1971, Miles Davis was vindicated. His decision to plug-in, and change direction musically on Bitches Brew, was richly rewarded. He won a Grammy Award for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. By then, fusion as it became known, was growing in popularity, and the man who gave birth to fusion was receiving his reward. This has been the case over the last forty-five years.
Ever since the release of Bitches Brew, it has been recognised as a landmark album. This musical tour de force is now perceived as one of the most important albums in the history of jazz. Bitches Brew was a game-changer. Suddenly, jazz’s rhythmic rules were rewritten. Anything was now possible. Rhythm sections grew in size, and suddenly, two drummers, bassists or pianists were acceptable. The use of effects were embraced, transforming the recording studio into an extra instrument. Similarly, editing was used as part of the creative process. Here, Miles Davis drew inspiration from the musique concrète composers of the fifties and sixties. This was just another piece in the musical jigsaw that was Bitches Brew. It rejuvenated interest in jazz.
By 1970, many critics and record buyers regarded jazz as yesterday’s music. It was the music their parents and grandparents listened to. A new generation of record buyers turned their back on jazz. That was until Miles Davis released Bitches Brew.
Suddenly, jazz was back in fashion. It had been reimagined and reinvented by Miles Davis on Bitches Brew. This was a game-changer, and fusion as the genre became known, proved to be happy a marriage between jazz and rock. Before long, fusion was the most popular genre of jazz. A generation of jazz and rock musicians collaborated, resulting in jazz that was commercially successful and critically acclaimed. It’s also music that’s stood the test of time.
That’s the case fifty years after the release of Bitches Brew, which belongs in every self-respecting record collection. It’s not just one of Miles Davis’ best albums, but one of his most ambitious and groundbreaking albums. Yet again, Miles Davis set out to reinvent himself and jazz music, and succeeded in doing so, and in the process, created a timeless and innovative Magnus Opus that transformed, and rejuvenated jazz, Bitches Brew.
Miles Davis-Bitches Brew At 50.
OTO NO WA: SELECTED SOUNDS OF JAPAN 1988-2018.
Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018.
Label: Music For Dreams Denmark.
Each and every week of the year, record companies from all over the world, release countless compilations into the global music marketplace. These compilations range from lovingly curated compilations released by small indie labels to the cheap and cheerful, nostalgia-inducing budget box sets like released by majors and often sold in supermarkets alongside cheap plonk and even cheaper pizza. Everything Tesco thinks your average suburban Lothario needs for a Saturday night in.
It’s no exaggeration to say that there’s something for everyone in the modern day compilation market. There’s genre specific compilations that include everything from acid house and easy listening to gospel, hip hop, dream pop, hard rock, R&B, reggae and zydeco.
Then there’s compilations that concentrate on music from one particular country. Over the last few years, record companies have traversed the globe looking for released compilations of music from all over Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, North and South America and Asia. This includes Japan, which since the seventies has always had a vibrant and eclectic scene.
Recently, there’s been lovingly created compilations of J-Jazz and ambient music released to widespread critical acclaim. The most recent compilation of Japanese music was Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018, a two LP set released by Music For Dreams Denmark.
Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018 is the fifth instalment in Music For Dreams Denmark’s Collector’s Series. This time around, they brought onboard a triumvirate of musical connoisseurs based in Japan. This includes Ken Hidaka, Max Essa and Dr. Rob who are responsible for a compilation of fourteen chilled out Japanese tracks that were released between 1988-2018.
There literally is something for everyone on Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018 including ambient music, dancefloor fillers, a contribution from the nine piece reggae band Little Tempo, a track by percussionist Kazuya Kotani and one by the organic, psychedelic collective Olololop. This is an eclectic and loving curated compilation from three top tastemakers.
Opening the album is Yoshio Ojima’s Seale which is an example of late-eighties environmental music. This beautiful, meandering track was computer generated and is a stunning example of the genre.
There’s also contributions by two of Yoshio Ojima’s contemporaries who in the nineties released albums of music designed for art galleries and museum installations. BGM was made using the nascent technology and sometimes the counterpoint was played by tapping sticks and stones. This includes Yoshiaki Ochi’s Balasong from his 1990 album Natural Sonic, and later, the filmic and ruminative ambient sound of Takashi Kokubo’s Quiet Inlet. It paints pictures and sets the imagination racing.
As the eighties gave way to the nineties, Susumu Yokota was making a name for himself as a pioneer of electronic music. An example of this is Uchu Tanjyo, one of the highlights from his 1999 classic electric album Sakura, which is a reminder of a musical visionary.
In Japan some critics compared Scha Dara Parr to The Beastie Boys. The prolific rap trio released Nice Gus as a single in 1991, and the third and final track was Nice Guitar Dub which is mellow, melodic and truly memorable.
Then as the new millennia dawned, Flower Records released a series of post house productions. This included the title-track to Kentaro Takizawa’s 2006 album Gradual Life. However, this is the album version of this captivating track where a lush orchestral arrangement is successfully combined elements of dub, jazz, electronica and house. The same year 2006, Little Big Bee released their sophomore album Waterman which featured the cinematic sounding post house of Scuba.
Another track from 2006 is Wave Traveller from Kaoru Inoue’s album Slow Motion. It’s a blissful and mesmeric fusion of ambient and new age music which will soothe even the weariest soul.
Since Coastlines released their debut single East Dry River, on Flower Records in 2018, great things have been forecast for the group. They draw inspiration from the classic fusion of the late-sixes and early seventies, library music and subtle nova bossa nova rhythms on East Dry River which also featured on their 2019 eponymous debut album.
Other contributors to Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018 included the sun kissed electro acoustic sound of Karel Arbus and Eiji Takamatsu’s Coco and The Fish. Then there’s Time and Space which is a previously unreleased meandering, spacious analog-modular genre-melting jam by Chillax. It’s a welcome addition to the compilation.
Unlike so many other compilations released each week, the trio Ken Hidaka, Max Essa, and Dr. Rob dig deep in their search for musical treasure. They’ve struck gold and as a result, Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018 which is a lovingly compiled and eclectic compilation that’s a musical treasure trove that discerning record buyers will want to add to their collections and discover its delights.
Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018.
MIKE TINGLEY-THE ABSTRACT PRINCE.
Mike Tingley-The Abstract Prince.
Label: Music On Vinyl.
Mike Tingley was born and brought up in Southern California, and in the early sixties started playing the guitar and like a lot of aspiring musicians was influenced by The Beatles, the Beach Boys and folk music. However, it was only when the twenty year old singer, songwriter and guiatrist headed to Sweden in search of love that he started playing live.
Mike Tingley had met a Swedish exchange student who had spent a year in America, and was just about to return home and head to university. The young Mike Tingley thought he was in love with her, so packed his duffle bag and twelve-string guitar, and hitchhiked along Route 66 to Oklahoma City. From there, he took a Greyhound Bus to New York, and because didn’t have a enough money, bought a oneway ticket to Gothenburg.
Soon, Mike Tingley was boarding the Icelandic Airlines’ flight and bound for the Swedish capital. Like many a young man in love, he was expecting a warm welcome when he arrived in Gothenburg, in October 1967. While, the object of his affection was shocked, and a little surprised to see him she took Mike home to meet her family. Things seemed to be going well for Mike Tingley.
He started playing in bars and coffee shops in the city. Mostly, he played covers of his favourite Beatles along with some folk and country as well some of his own songs. This allowed Mike to get used to playing in front of audience which once scared him. Not any more, and life was good in Sweden with the girl he had travelled halfway around the world to be with.
Then she told Mike she wanted him to move on. This was a bolt out of the blue and left him reeling. Mike was devastated. To make matters worse, he had had only bought a oneway ticket and didn’t have enough money to get home.
Mike had enough money to head to another part of Europe, and decided to tale head to the Danish capital, Denmark. Once he was there, he took stock of the situation, and then decided to head to Amsterdam.
In the Dutch capital, Mike found himself living in a hostel, in the Hague, which was subsidised by a church. At night, he was playing in bars and coffee houses for tips. He was now doing requests, and often he asked to play his own songs. By then, Mike was maturing as a singer, songwriter and musician. It wasn’t an easy way to make a living, and was akin to a musical apprenticeship.
One night, Mike had finished playing when he was approached by Cees de Best, the guitarist in the Dutch rock group Blues Dimension. He asked if Mike had a demo tape of his songs? Fortunately, he had recorded one at home a few months before leaving for Sweden. When Mike handed over the demo, Cees de Best told him he wanted to play it to producer Tony Vos.
When Tony Vos heard the demo, he realised that Mike Tingley was a talented singer, songwriter and musician and offered him a recording contract. Mike Tingley signed to Decca, and entered the Phonogram Studios in Hilversum, Holland in February 1968. That was where he recorded the twelve tracks that became his debut album The Abstract Prince, which was recently reissued by Music On Vinyl.
Joining Mike Tingley in the Phonogram Studios were a group talented Dutch musicians. This included drummer Cees Kranenburg and bassist Jan Hollesteller who were veterans of many a session. Bert Paige was onboard to take charge of the orchestrations on the album. Even producer Tony Vos played on the album.
While many people knew Tony Vos for his production work in 1968, he was also a talented jazz saxophonist and played on The Abstract Prince. The sessions lasted a couple of weeks and producer Tony Vos and engineer Gerard Beckers then spent four or five days mixing creatively to get the sound he envisaged. Having succeeded in doing so, Mike Tingley’s debut album The Abstract Prince was scheduled for release later in 1968.
There was a problem though. Decca decided to only please The Abstract Prince in Holland. This meant that record buyers in other parts of Europe as well as Britain and America were unable to buy The Abstract Prince. It was a beautiful and cerebral album of orchestral baroque pop that’s tinged with psychedelic sounds. Mike Tingley songs broached subjects like loneliness and love, an individual’s search for truth and Vietnam War. Each song told a story.
The album opener A Real Fine Time which was living in a city for the first time. Mike wrote Begin The Sun before leaving South California to head to Sweden, and is about how much he was in love with the girl he was traveling to see. Connected To Nothing was written by Mike when he was an idealistic nineteen year old, who thought that the older generation weren’t doing nothing to improve the world, and how his generation were going to do better. Monotony Message is about meditation and revelation, and the individual finding their own truth. See The People closes side is about being alone in a big city, and wanting it to have a big band sound.
Opening the second side was The Abstract Prince an anti war song inspired by Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Universal Soldier. Of Sand is about being lonely and trying to forge relationships with people only to realize that they don’t care about you. It’s Time to Leave Her documents the breakup of one of Mike’s friend’s relationship with his wife. Album closer Crossroads is an uptempo, orchestrated song that was written mostly by Mike’s brother Jim. It finds a thoughtful Mike questioning and wondering on this melodic and memorable track. It closes The Abstract Prince on a high.
When The Abstract Prince was released in Holland 1968, the album wasn’t a commercial success. Neither was the single A Real Fine Time. That was despite performing on a Dutch television on one of the music programs and being interviewed on Radio Veronica. Sadly, The Abstract Prince wasn’t the commercial success it deserved to be.
When Mike returned home to California in the early seventies, in his luggage was a master tape of The Abstract Prince. At the time, Decca seemed keen on releasing the album in America. Mike wanted to rerecord the vocals and use have his brother Jim add harmonies. However, after a few meetings with record company executives in Hollywood, there was bad news.
Mike was told that because The Abstract Prince sessions were recorded in Europe, the EQ and bias curves were recorded to a different standard than what American studios were using. This meant that they couldn’t use the master tape. For Mike Tingley this was another blow.
It may have been that he was being spun a line by the record company executives who incredibly didn’t realise how good an album The Abstract Prince was.
Thankfully, Music On Vinyl did and recently released The Abstract Prince as a limited edition of 500 on gold heavyweight vinyl. This is a lovingly curated reissue of an album that failed to find the audience it deserved upon its release in 1968, but has been rediscovered and nowadays is regarded as a cult classic. That is is no surprise as Mike Tingley’s debut The Abstract Prince is beautiful, carefully crafted and cerebral album of orchestral baroque pop and psychedelic sounds that once heard, will soon become a firm favourite of discerning record buyers.
Mike Tingley-The Abstract Prince.
COCTEAU TWINS-GARLANDS AND VICTORIALAND.
Cocteau Twins-Garlands and Victorialand.
Label: 4AD.
In 1979, guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie formed a new band in their hometown of Grangemouth, in Scotland. The new band they called the Cocteau Twins after a song by Johnny and The Self-Abusers, who later changed their name to Simple Minds.
Not long after forming the Cocteau Twins band its founders were in a local disco Nash, where they met Liz Fraser who became the nascent group’s vocalist.
Her inimitable and ethereal vocals would play an important in the rise and rise of the Cocteau Twins between 1979 and 1997. During that period, they became one of Scotland’s most successful bands releasing eight studio albums. This included their 1982 debut Garlands and their fourth album Victorialand which was released in 1986, and were recently reissued by 4AD on vinyl.
Having met Liz Fraser, the first lineup of the Cocteau Twins was complete, and they began honing their sound. It was almost inevitable that record companies would show an interest in the band including 4AD.
At the time, one of the Cocteau Twins’ influences included Sex Pistols, Kate Bush, Siouxsie and The Banshees and The Birthday Party. It was their drummer, Phill Calvert, that encouraged the Cocteau Twins to sign to 4AD, and they released their debut album Garlands in 1982.
Garlands.
For what eventually became Garlands, the three members of the Cocteau Twins had written eight tracks, which they recorded at Blackwing Studios, in London during 1981 and 1982. Vocalist Liz Fraser was joined by bassist Will Heggie and guitarist Robin Heggie and his drum machine which he put to good use on the album. Augmenting the band was Cindy Sharp of Cindytalk who added backing vocals on Dear Heart, Hearsay Please and Hazel. The three members of the Cocteau Twins coproduced Garlands with Ivo Watts-Russell the co-founder of 4AD. When the album was completed, Garlands was scheduled for release in the autumn of 1982.
When Garlands was released on the ‘1st’ of September 1982, the album was mostly received plaudits and praise. However, there were some barbed comments with Spin saying that the album sounded like “Siouxsie and The Banshees with echo.”
Some critics tried to dismiss the Cocteau Twins as merely copying Siouxsie and The Banshees. Another critic felt the album was too repetitive. However, other critics embraced and recognised the quality of music on Garlands.
It was an ambitious and innovative fusion of post punk, gothic rock and dream pop, that sounds as if it’s been influenced by The Cure’s third album Faith and the followup Pornography; PIL’s classic Metal Box and even a nod to Joy Division. During Garlands, the music veers between visceral to dark, heavy and moody as it throbs and pulsates. Sometimes the music is edgy and has an unsettling effect. Then when Robin Heggie unleashes his guitar it screeches, sears, soars and sometimes shimmers and glistens. Occasionally, the music becomes atmospheric and hints at what was to come from the Cocteau Twins. However, for much the time they stick to the same formula which they believed was a winning one.
And so it proved to be. When Garlands was released, the album reached number four in the UK Indie chats and was eventually certified silver after selling 60,000 copies. This resulted in the Cocteau Twins being called an overnight success despite having been founded three years earlier.
Buoyed by the success if Garlands, the Cocteau Twins returned on the ‘1st’ of October 1982 with the Lullabies EP. It found their music evolving, and the EP showcasing a louder, driving fusion of post punk and gothic rock. This proved popular and reached number eleven in the UK Indie charts.
Six months later, the Cocteau Twins released their Peppermint Pig EP on the ‘4th’ of April 1983. This time, Alan Rankin of The Associates took charge of production. Stylistically, the music on the Peppermint Pig EP was similar to that on their Lullabies EP. However, the Cocteau Twins weren’t happy with the release. Despite that, it reached number two in the UK Indie charts. While the success continued for the Cocteau Twins, things were about to change for them.
Head Over Heels.
By the time work began on Head Over Heels, the Cocteau Twins were now a duo. Bassist Will Heggie had left the group leaving just Liz Fraser and Robin Guthrie who wrote the ten tracks that became their sophomore album Head Over Heels.
Recording of Head Over Heels took place at Palladium Studios, in Edinburgh during 1983. The two remaining members of the Cocteau Twins co-produced the album with John Fryer of This Mortal Coil. Head Over Heels found the Cocteau Twins changing direction as their trademark sound made its debut.
When Head Over Heels was released on the ‘31st’ of October 1983, it was to widespread critical acclaim. The music was very different, with a much more ethereal sound that the Cocteau Twins would become known for.
This was thanks to Liz Fraser’s wordless sounding vocals where it sounded as if she was singing some lost Tolkienesque language. Meanwhile, the multilayered arrangements featured chiming, glistening, shimmering and sweeping guitars often, Robin Guthrie makes good use of reverb. Occasionally, there’s a nod to Siouxsie and The Banshees, especially on In Our Angelhood. However, on most of Head Over Heels the Cocteau Twins were well on their way to forging their own inimitable sound.
When Head Over Heels was released, the Cocteau Twins’ sophomore album reached fifty-one in the UK charts and topped the UK Indie Charts. Just like Garlands, Head Over Heels was later certified silver as the Cocteau Twins’ success story continued apace.
That was the case when the Cocteau Twins released their Sunburst and Snowblind EP on the ‘7th’ of November 1983 and it reached eighty-six in the UK charts and number two in the UK Indie Charts. It was the perfect way to end what had been a difficult year for the Cocteau Twins.
Their first releases of 1984 were the single Pearly Dewdrops’ Drops and The Spangle Maker EP. When they were released on the ‘2nd’ of April 1984 they reached number twenty-nine on the UK charts and number one the the UK Indie Charts. This augured well for the release of their next album, Treasure.
Treasure.
By the time the Cocteau Twins began recording their third album Treasure, there had been another change in the group’s line. The addition of bassist Simon Raymonde was the final piece in the jigsaw, and this was the start of a new era for the classic lineup of the Cocteau Twins.
They wrote and produced the ten tracks which later, became Treasure. Recording sessions took place at Palladium Studios, in Edinburgh, and Rooster Studios, in West London, between August and September 1984. Less than two months later the album was released, and it proved to be musical Treasure.
When critics heard the Cocteau Twins’ third album Treasure, it was immediately hailed as their finest album. It showcases their trademark ethereal dream pop sound which was now fully formed. The music was inventive, imaginative, beautiful and sometimes, was cinematic and wistful. This musical Treasure trove was the Cocteau Twins’ most melodic offering and nowadays, is regarded as a dream pop classic and one of the group’s finest hours.
Record buyers agreed, and when the album was released on the ‘1st’ of November 1984 it reached twenty-nine in the UK charts and two in the UK Indie charts. Elsewhere, Treasure reached thirty-four in New Zealand and thirty-two in Sweden. Later, the Cocteau Twins received another silver disc in the UK for Treasure. It seemed that they could do no wrong.
During 1985, the Cocteau Twins released three more EPs. The first was the Aikea-Guinea EP which was released on the ‘4th’ of March 1985 and reached forty-one on the UK charts and topped the UK Indie charts. It also reached the thirty-eight in New Zealand, where the Cocteau Twins were becoming popular. By then, the Cocteau Twins’ popularity was growing and their music was finding favour with record buyers in other parts of the world.
November 1985 was a busy time for the Cocteau Twins who released two EPs within the space of a fortnight. Tiny Dynamine was released on the ‘15th’ of November and reached fifty-two in the UK charts and again, topped the UK Indie charts. It was two in a row for the Cocteau Twins.
Two weeks later, Echoes In A Shallow Bay was released on the ‘29th’ of November, reaching sixty-five in the UK charts and became the Cocteau Twins’ third consecutive EP to top the UK Indie charts. Meanwhile, the EP reached forty-eight in New Zealand. 1985 had been a successful year for the new lineup of the Cocteau Twins.
The Pink Opaque.
As 1986 dawned, the Cocteau Twins prepared to release the first compilation of their career,The Pink Opaque. By then, they were growing in popularity in America, partly because they had been played on college radio. However, the Cocteau Twins didn’t have a distribution deal in America, which made reissuing their back-catalogue or new albums problematic.
A way round this was to have the American label Relativity Records distribute the Cocteau Twins’ albums under license. This started with the compilation The Pink Opaque, which was essentially a sampler of the Cocteau Twins’ music up until 1985. The Pink Opaque compilation was released on the ‘13th’ of January 1986 and was the first time many Americans were able to find a Cocteau Twins’ album in their local record shop. Another would follow later in 1986.
Victorialand.
This was Victorialand, which found the Cocteau Twins once again recording as a duo. The newest member of the group Simon Raymonde, had been asked by This Mortal Coil to collaborate with them on their album Filigree and Shadow. For the second time, it was a case of and then there were two.
For their fourth album Victorialand, Liz Fraser and Robin Guthrie wrote nine tracks. Some of the track titles were were borrowed from passages on the Arctic and Antarctic that feature in David Attenborough’s The Living Planet: A Portrait Of The Earth, a book that accompanied his 1984 BBC documentary series The Living Planet. The album title was a reference to the part of Antarctica known as Victoria Land, which was named after Queen Victoria.
When recording of Victorialand began, it was a very different album to everything that preceded it. The album featured just Robin Guthrie’s guitar and Liz Fraser’s vocals with Richard Thomas of Dif Juz playing saxophone and tabla. There were neither drums nor percussion on Victorialand just acoustic guitars which were drenched with reverb to create space for Liz Fraser’s vocals inimitable ethereal vocals. They played an important part in the sound and success of Victorialand.
The only problem arose during the mastering of Victorialand. It wasn’t easy to replicate the Cocteau Twins minimalist soundscapes on vinyl. A solution was to press an album that played 45 rpm rather 33⅓ rpm. This worked and the Cocteau Twin’ fourth album Victorialand was ready to be released.
When Victorialand was released on the ‘14th’ of April 1986, it was to widespread critical acclaim, and reached number ten in the UK charts and became their second album to top the UK Indie charts. For the Cocteau Twins, Victorialand was the most successful album of their career and for many critics their best.
Victorialand which featured nine carefully crafted soundscapes where the Cocteau Twins take as a starting point their trademark dream pop sound and add elements of ambient, ethereal wave and even hints of psychedelia. It’s a genre-melting opus from the Cocteau Twins.
The nine soundscapes on Victorialand were variously understated, atmospheric, crystalline, dreamy, ethereal, elegiac and cinematic as the Cocteau Twins paint pictures with music that cocoons the listener and transports them to another time, place or even planet. It’s a case of listeners relaxing and allowing themselves to drift away and let their imagination run riot. That’s easy to do as you immerse yourself in these multilayered and nuanced soundscape which also have a psychedelic side. This comes courtesy of the the guitars drenched in reverb and Liz’s ethereal, cooing vocal. When all this is combined it results in a truly beautiful album of relaxing music that allows the listener to drift away and forget their troubles. It’s music to soothe the weariest of souls and when it was released in April 1986 was the finest album of the Cocteau Twins career .
Eventually, the Cocteau Twins went on to release eight studio albums before splitting up in 1997. Nowadays, Victorialand is regarded as one of their finest albums and a genre classic. It’s also a reminder of the Cocteau Twins during a period when it seemed like they could do wrong. From Treasure onwards, the Cocteau Twins enjoyed commercial success and critical acclaim. That was the case right through to their 1996 swansong Milk and Kisses.
The recent reissue of Garlands and Victorialand on 180 gram vinyl is to be welcomed. This gives a new generation the opportunity to discover the delights of the Cocteau Twins music which was always ambitious and innovative. That was the case throughout their career and was the case on Garlands and especially Victorialand where the Cocteau Twins scaled new heights on what was regarded upon its release as a career-defining album.
Cocteau Twins-Garlands and Victorialand.
STANLEY TURRENTINE-COMIN’ YOUR WAY.
Stanley Turrentine-Comin’ Your Way.
Label: Blue Note Records.
When bandleader and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine entered Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, in New Jersey on January the ’20th’ 1961, he was twenty-six and about to record what would eventually become Comin’ Your Way. It was the third time he had made this journey since he had signed to Blue Note Records.
The first time was just a month earlier, in December 1960, when he completed the recording Blue Hour, a collaboration between Stanley Turrentine and The Three Sounds. It had been recorded during two sessions in 1960, and was scheduled for release during March 1961. This album he was about to record would be released later in 1961. Or so Stanley Turrentine thought.
Sadly, that wasn’t the case and the release of Comin’ Your Way was postponed at the last minute. In its place, Up At “Minton’s”, a live album that was recorded at the famous Harlem venue, just one month after the Comin’ Your Way session. This came as a surprise to Stanley Turrentine and must have been disappointing and frustrating. However, he had still released his debut solo album on the legendary Blue Note Records. Surely it was only a matter of time before Comin’ Your Way was released?
Little did Stanley Turrentine realise that seventeen years would pass before the tracks on Comin’ Your Way were eventually released in 1978 by Blue Note Records as part of the Jubilee Shouts’ compilation. By then, he was signed to Fantasy Records and changed direction musically. However, Comin’ Your Way was a reminder of Stanley Turrentine as he blossomed as a bandleader and tenor saxophonist.
Now forty-two years later, Blue Note Records have reissued Comin’ Your Way as part of their Blue Note Tone Poet Series and is a 180 gram audiophile LP. It’s a welcome reminder of the late, great Stanley Turrentine who nowadays, is recognised as one of the great tenor saxophonists.
Stanley William Turrentine was born on April the 5th 1934, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and grew up in a musical family in the Hill District. His father Thomas Turrentine, Sr, was a saxophonist with Al Cooper’s Savoy Sultans, while his mother played piano and Stanley’s elder brother Thomas became a professional trumpeter and in January 1961, played on Comin’ Your Way. That was in the future.
When Stanley Turrentine started out, he wasn’t playing jazz. Instead, he was a member of various blues and R&B bands. However, his main influence was jazz tenor saxophonist, Illinois Jacquet who is remembered for his solo on Flying Home, which nowadays, is regarded as the first ever R&B saxophone solo. He wrote his name into musical history and later, so would Stanley Turrentine.
During the fifties, Stanley Turrentine was a member of Lowell Fulson and Earl Bostic‘s bands. However, when he joined Earl Bostic‘s band he was literally standing in the shadow of a giant as he replaced John Coltrane in 1953. Stanley Turrentine was also a member of pianist Tadd Dameron’s band during this period. Then in the mid-fifties Stanley Turrentine was drafted.
During his time serving his country, Stanley Turrentine received the only formal musical training he ever had. When he left the US Army in 1959 he was a much more complete musician.
Upon leaving the military, Stanley Turrentine joined Max Roach’s band. He featured on four albums by the jazz drummer including 1959s Moon Faced and Starry Eyed, 1960s Quiet As It’s Kept and Parisian Sketches plus 1964s Long as You’re Living. However, when Stanley Turrentine wasn’t working with Max Roach he was in constant demand as a sideman.
Another album he played in during 1959 was Abbey Lincoln’s Abbey Is Blue. This was just the start of prolific period for Stanley Turrentine, who by then, had met his future wife.
As the new decade decade dawned, Stanley Turrentine married organist Shirley Scott in 1960, and the pair often played and recorded together. He accompanied his new wife on nine albums between 1961 and 1978. However, there was no sign of Shirley Scott when Stanley Turrentine recorded his debut album.
In 1960, he signed to Blue Note Records and on June the 16th recorded the six tracks with drummer Al Harewood, bassist George Tucker and pianist Horace Parlan that became Look Out! It was a recording of traditional bop which was quite different from his later bluesy, soul-jazz outings. However, his debut was well received by critics who were impressed by the power, clarity and sweet and articulate album where Stanley Turrentine played within himself. Look Out! was a sign of what was to come from Stanley Turrentine.
Apart from recording his debut album Look Out! in 1960, Stanley Turrentine recorded Blue Hour, a collaboration with and The Three Sounds. It was recorded on June the ‘29th’ and December ‘16th’ 1960 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, in New Jersey.
That was also where hard bop and post bop pianist Horace Parlan recorded his album Speakin’ My Piece on July the ‘14th’ 1960. It was just one of a number of albums Stanley Turrentine played on during 1960. These albums were released during 1961.
As 1961 dawned, Stanley Turrentine journeyed to Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, in New Jersey on January the ’20th’ 1961 to record his sophomore album Comin’ Your Way.
It featured six tracks including Dorothy Fields and Albert Hague’s My Girl Is Just Enough Woman For Me; Yip Harburg and Arthur Schwartz’s Then I’ll Be Tired of You; Leon Mitchell’s Fine L’il Lass; George and Ira Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me and Wild Bill Davis’ Stolen Sweets. While Stanley Turrentine didn’t write any of the tracks on Comin’ Your Way, his brother Tommy contributed Thomasville and joined the band.
Just like in his debut album, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine was joined by drummer Al Harewood, bassist George Tucker and pianist Horace Parlan.The addition of his brother Tommy Turrentine on trumpet meant Comin’ Your Way was a quintet recording.
The session was engineered and ran by Rudy Van Gelder with Alfred Lion producing Comin’ Your Way. It found Stanley Turrentine moving away from the traditional bop of his debut album towards a bluesy soul-jazz sound.
Comin’ Your Way opens with a pliant and swinging version of My Girl Is Just Enough Woman For Me. While the rhythm section of drummer Al Harewood and bassist George Tucker create a jolting groove, Stanley Turrentine takes centrestage when he plays the main melody with an expressiveness and a smoothness that many of contemporaries would be envious of. However, he’s not finished and raises the bar with a solo that twists and turns. Then like any good bandleader, Stanley Turrentine lets other band members showcase their skills. This includes hs brother Tommy on trumpet and pianist Horace Parlan on this breathtaking opener.
Many people will know and love Ella Fitzgerald’s version of Then I’ll Be Tired of You. After one listen to the quintet’s cover that will be the case here. Tommy Turrentine takes centrestage before the baton passes to his brother and bandleader Stanley. Just like on his debut album he plays within himself, playing tender and emotively. When Tommy returns he ads to the sense of melancholy before later, the two horns combine on this beautiful, wistful, late night ballad.
There’s almost a subdued sound to Fine L’il Lass before Stanley Turrentine’s plays his a soulful saxophone solo. Later, George Tucker plays his only bass solo on the album. By then, this soulful track is starting to reveal its secrets, and is swinging.
Thomasville was penned by the older of the Turrentine brothers and is a blistering, driving slice of hard bop. Drummer Al Harewood drives and powers the arrangement along and also adds some swing. When it’s time for the solos it’s Stanley Turrentine whose up first and then his brother Tommy. It’s then time for Horace Parlan to steals the show with an uber funky piano solo, before Al Harewood enjoys a brief moment in the sun. Just like on the album opener, Stanley Turrentine allows his band the opportunity to shine on this hard bop opus.
Very different is the Gershwin’s standard Someone To Watch Over Me. It’s another beautiful, emotive ballad where Stanley Turrentine mournful, melancholy tenor saxophone plays a starring role. It’s soul-baring sound is accompanied by the rhythm section who take great care to play within themselves. In doing so, they play their part in a breathtakingly beautiful version of a much-loved jazz standard.
Closing Comin’ Your Way is Stolen Sweets which was written by R&B organist Wild Bill Davis. Following what’s akin to a fanfare, the Turrentine brothers lock horns as they play a series of ascending melodies. Then Tommy Turrentine drops out and leaves his younger brother to showcase his considerable talents as he plays an emotive and impassioned bop-tinged solo. Although Comin’ Your Way was only his sophomore album, Stanley Turrentine was determined to close the album on a high and does so.
After Stanley Turrentine and his band recorded Comin’ Your Way in January 1961, the twenty-six year old bandleader must have been looking forward to what was a breathtaking album of soul-jazz with diversions via hard bop and balladry. Here was an album that showcased the considerable talents of Stanley Turrentine and his band. They had accompanied him on his debut album with the exception of his brother Tommy, and he proved to be the missing piece of the jigsaw.
Tommy Turrentine could prove the perfect accompaniment for his brother, and other times was the perfect foil. Sometimes, he spurred his younger brother on to even greater heights and helped bring out the best in Stanley Turrentine. While he had been playing professionally for a while, he was relatively inexperienced as a bandleader and solo artist. Maybe having his elder brother beside him in the studio brought out the best in him. Stanley Turrentine playing is almost flawless on Comin’ Your Way and why executives at Blue Note Records decided to shelf the album at the last moment seems strange?
In its place, Up At “Minton’s”, a live album that was recorded at the famous Harlem venue, just one month after the Comin’ Your Way session was released by Blue Note Records later in 1961. The album was a success, and Up At “Minton’s” Volume 2 followed later in 1961. This allowed executives at Blue Note Records to argue that their decision to shelf Comin’ Your Way was vindicated. That is debatable as it may have been a much more successful album than Up At “Minton’s” and could’ve transformed Stanley Turrentine’s nascent solo career.
He spent the rest of the sixties signed to Blue Note Records and released albums of the quality of Hustlin’, Easy Walker, The Spoiler and The Look Of Love. Then as the seventies dawned, Stanley Turrentine left Blue Note Records.
In 1970 Stanley Turrentine signed to Creed Taylor’s CTI Records and changed direction musically. He recorded a series of albums of fusion including one of his finest outings Sugar which was released in 1970.
The following year 1971, Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott divorced after eleven years of marriage. Sadly, this talented couple never recorded another album together.
Following his divorce, Stanley Turrentine continued to record for CTI Records and released several critically acclaimed album. This included Salt Song, Cherry with Milt Jackson and Don’t Mess With Mister T. Then in 1974, Stanley Turrentine left CTI Records and signed for Fantasy Records. It was the end of an era.
Just like his time at Blue Note Record and CTI Records, Stanley Turrentine was prolific during his time at Fantasy Records. He released nine albums between 1974 and 1980 which encompassed a variety of styles. These albums were orchestrated by the likes of Gene Page and featured an all-star group. Despite that, the albums received mixed reviews, with some of the negative reviews often unwarranted. The Fantasy Records’ years weren’t as successful as Stanley Turrentine’s time at Blue Note Record and CTI Records.
In 1978, Comin’ Your Way was discovered in the Blue Note Records’ vaults and belatedly released as part of the Jubilee Shouts’ two LP compilation in America.
Another nine years passed before Comin’ Your Way was released on LP and CD by Blue Note Records in 1987. It was a case of better late than never. At last, record buyers were able to hear Stanley Turrentine’s stunning, mythical lost album of soul-jazz, hard bop and beautiful ballads which had the potential to transform his nascent solo career if it had been released in 1961.
Stanley Turrentine-Comin’ Your Way.
LOCOMOTIVE-WE ARE EVERYTHING YOU SEE.
Locomotive-We Are Everything You See.
Label: Magic Box.
By 1965, all over Britain, new groups were being founded every day. They had watched as The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion groups took America by storm. The new groups watched enviously, hoping and dreaming that one day soon, they would be signed by a record label.
For many of these groups, they would’ve been happy to release even one single. It would be something to show the grandchildren in the future.
Others groups however, wanted more than that. While they recognised the importance of singles, they wanted to make a statement musically, and the only way to do that was by releasing an album. They could also explore and fuse different musical genres and experiment musically. Birmingham-based Locomotive did all this on their 1970 debut album We Are Everything You See, which was recently released on vinyl by Magic Box. However, the story begins five years earlier in 1965.
That was when the group the Kansas City Seven was founded in Birmingham, England, by trumpeter Jim Simpson and singer Danny King, drummer Mike Kellie, bassist Pete Allen, organist Richard Storey and saxophonists Chris Wood and Brian “Monk” Finch. They had all been members of other local bands before joining forces in the Kansas City Seven.
Initially, the new group played a variety of music including jazz. However, when they started to play more R&B and soul and less jazz, they changed their name to The Locomotive. That was when the group started to gain a reputation for their live performances. However, as is often the case with new bands, The Locomotive’s started to change.
By the end of 1966, Chris Wood had left to join Steve Winwood, Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi in Traffic. Danny King, Mike Kellie, Pete Allen, Richard Storey and Brian “Monk” Finch all left The Locomotive. Jim Simpson was the only original member of the group.
During this period, new arrivals included drummer “Mooney” Mezzone, bassist Jo Ellis, keyboardist Norman Haines and saxophonist Bill Madge. The arrival of Norman Haines was particularly important to the development of The Locomotive.
Norman Haines had worked in a record shop in Smethwick, a district of Birmingham, where he developed an interest in ska.
He also filled the void after vocalist Danny King’s departure from the group. For The Locomotive this was the start of a new era.
By 1967, The Locomotive had signed to the Direction label and had recorded their debut single Broken Heart, which was written by Norman Haines. Tucked away on the B-Side was a cover of Dandy Livingstone’s Rudy-A Message To You which twelve years later in 1979, gave The Specials a hit single. That was still to come.
Before that, Broken Heart was released by The Locomotive and their debut single gave them a hit single in 1967. This could’ve launched the group’s career.
In 1968, Jim Simpson left the group and became The Locomotive’s manager. He also setup a new record label Big Bear Records. This wasn’t the end of the changes in changes in lineup.
Bassist Jo Ellis was replaced by Mick Hincks, while drummer “Mooney” Mezzone left and his replacement was Bob Lamb. The final change in personnel was the addition of Mick Taylor who replaced Jim Simpson who was now The Locomotive’s manager.
It was also at this time that The Locomotive decided to shorten their name to Locomotive. They also signed to Parlophone Records, and it was full steam ahead for Locomotive.
Their sophomore single was another Norman Haines composition, Rudi’s In Love. When it was released in late 1968, it reached twenty-five in the UK charts and gave the group another hit single. Executives at Parlophone Records wanted to build on the momentum, and work began on Locomotive’s debut album.
The majority of the album was written by the band. Mick Hincks penned Rain, Mick Taylor wrote Now Is The EndThe End Is When and Overture was written by Nigel Phillips who cowrote Nobody Asked You To Come, A Day In Shining Armour and The Loves Of Augustus Abbey-Parts One, Two and Three with Norman Haines. He also contributed Mr. Armageddon, Lay Me Down Gently, You Must Be Joking and Times Of Light And Darkness. They were joined by covers of the United States Of America’s Coming Down and Love Song For The Dead Che on what would eventually become We Are Everything You See.
By the time recording took place at Abbey Road Studios, with producer Gus Dudgeon, Locomotive had changed direction musically and were playing progressive rock. This was based around Norman Haines’ keyboard skills. We Are Everything You See was going to be a very different album than their first two singles.
As the recording began, Locomotive’s lineup featured drummer and percussionist Bob Lamb, bassist Mick Hincks who added backing vocalist and sang the lead on Rain. Norman Haines took charge of the rest of the lead vocals and played harpsichord, mellotron, organ and piano. Horns came courtesy of trumpeters Mick Taylor and Henry Lowther plus tenor saxophonists Bill Madge, Chris Mercer, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Lyn Dobson plus trumpeter Henry Lowther. While the completed album saw Locomotive move in the direction of progressive rock, there were also elements of progressive folk, psychedelia, soul and a good deal of jazz, especially the changes in tempo. Executives at Parlophone Records were in for a surprise when they heard We Are Everything You See.
That’s the case from the album opener Overture, a cinematic and symphonic sounding track that is a tantalising taste of what’s to come. This includes the dramatic sounding Mr. Armageddon. The drama comes courtesy of the vocal, washes of organ and sweeping, swirling string. Horns add to to the drama in We Are Everything You See, a lysergic, progressive rock track where effects are used effectively by Locomotive and producer Gus Dudgeon. Then Lay Me Down finds Locomotive seamlessly switching between rock and jazz, while there’s a progressive folk sound to Nobody Asked You To Come. Closing side one is You Must Be Joking, a carefully crafted, melodic and memorable genre-melting track which is one of the highlights of the album.
Elements of progressive rock, jazz and even R&B can be heard on A Day In Shining Armour, where Locomotive showcase their versatility and ability to switch between and fuse disparate genres. This they continue to do on The Loves of Augustus Abbey, Parts 1-3 which features on side two. Unlike other similar suites, it’s broken up by other tracks including the wistful and ruminative sounding Rain which features Mick Hincks only lead vocal. There’s also a “suite” of United States Of America’s Coming Down and Love Song For The Dead Che which later featured on several progressive compilations. Closing the album was the lysergic and anthemic rocker Times Of Light and Darkness which closes this hidden gem of an album on a high.
It was a very different album to the one executives at Parlophone Records expected. So much so, that when they heard it, they decided to delay the release of the album. This was a huge disappointment for the group.
It also caused a great deal of uncertainty and Parlophone Records decided that Locomotive should record a cover of Question Mark and the Mysterians’ I’m Never Gonna Let You Go. When it was released later in 1969, i sunk without trace. Things then went from bad to worse.
Keyboardist Norman Haines left the group later in 1969. He was then asked to join Black Sabbath, but turned down the chance and formed the Norman Haines Band. This wasn’t his best decision, and Locomotive had lost one of its creative forces.
Later in 1969, Mr. Armageddan was released as the lead single from We Are Everything You See. However, just like Locomotive’s previous single it failed to trouble the charts. This didn’t augur well for the release of their debut album.
As the seventies dawned, We Are Everything You See was belatedly released in early 1970. While the album was well received by critics who appreciated Locomotive’s new and more sophisticated sound, their fans weren’t won over by it. They preferred the group’s previous R&B sound and the album failed commercially. For Locomotive this was another disaster and spelt the end of the line for that lineup of the group.
After the release of We Are Everything You See most of the group left. Only Mick Hincks and Bob Lamb remained and tried to continue Locomotive with two new members John Caswell and Keith Millar. The new lineup released one more single a Locomotive, Roll Over Mary.
Later in 1970, Locomotive was no more, after group as renamed as The Dog That Bit People. The new band released their eponymous debut album in 1971, but spilt up later that year.
Fifty years after the release of We Are Everything You See, Music Box has rereleased Locomotive’s only album on vinyl. For too long it was an oft-overlooked album, but nowadays We Are Everything You See is starting to receive the recognition this progressive cult classic deserves.
It’s not just an album of progressive rock. We Are Everything You See also features elements of progressive folk, psychedelia, R&B, soul and jazz. Throughout the album Locomotive switch between and fuse disparate genres and seamlessly change tempo on an album where the vocals are impassioned, emotive and sometimes sound almost tormented. It’s a captivating album and a reminder of one of the great lost British groups of the late-sixties and early seventies. Sadly, their star only was shining brightly for only a short period of time. We Are Everything You See is a reminder of Locomotive, a tight, talented and versatile band whose music on what was an album of ambitious, imaginative and innovative music that features a band at the peak of their powers when their star was shining at its brightest.
Locomotive-We Are Everything You See.
CULT CLASSIC: LONNIE MACK-THE WHAM OF THAT MEMPHIS MAN!
Cult Classic: Lonnie Mack-The Wham Of That Memphis Man!
By 1963, twenty-two year old Lonnie Mack was already an experienced musician. He had been making a living as a musician since he was thirteen. That was when Lonnie Mack quit school, after getting involved in an argument with a teacher. For most thirteen year olds, this would’ve spelt disaster. This wasn’t the case for Lonnie Mack. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life…make a career out of music.
That’s what Lonnie Mack went on to do. He recorded thirteen albums during a career a career that spanned six decades including his debut album was The Wham Of That Memphis Man! By then, Lonnie Mack was being hailed a musical pioneer who had changed music. However, when Lonnie embarked upon a musical career aged thirteen this must have seemed a pipe dream to Lonnie’s parents, Robert and Sarah Sizemore McIntosh.
They were living in West Harrison, Indiana when the future Lonnie Mack was born on July 18th 1941. He grew up in a series of farms along the Ohio River. However, by the time Lonnie Mack was seven, he had already developed an interest in music. The young Lonnie Mack swapped his bicycle for an acoustic guitar. It would soon prove to a wise move.
It was Lonnie Mack’s mother that showed him a few rudimentary chords on his new guitar. After this Lonnie practised long and hard, in an attempt to master the guitar. Then when his finders were sore with practising, he would listen to The Grand Ole Opry on a battered old radio. It was powered by a truck battery, as there was no electricity in the McIntosh house. Listening to the stars of The Grand Ole Opry made Lonnie all the more determined to master his guitar.
Before long, Lonnie Mack had mastered the acoustic guitar, and would sit outside the family home and playing country music. Passers-by would throw spare change to Lonni3. Soon, he was braving the nearby hobo jungle, where he would play for spare change. Little did Lonnie know, that he was serving what was akin to the first part of his musical apprenticeship.
Lonnie Mack’s musical apprenticeship ended somewhat suddenly, when he was thirteen. He got involved in an argument with one of his teachers. When Lonnie came off second best, he vowed never to return. He was as good as his word, and that proved to be the end of his formal education. Now the next chapter in Lonnie’s life began; when he decided to embark upon a career as a musician.
There was a problem though. Lonnie Mack was only thirteen, and too young to play in Cincinnati’s bars and roadhouses around. Luckily, Lonnie looked older, so with the help of a fake id, he was able to play in Cincinnati’s bars and roadhouses. They were a tough and uncompromising audience, but this never phased Lonnie . Nothing seemed to.
Not even the thought of forming his own band or making an appearance on television. This came after Lonnie Mack heard Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins. This inspired him to form his own rockabilly trio. They were invited to appear on a local television show, and covered Blue Suede Shoes. For fifteen year old, Lonnie Mack this was his first, but wouldn’t be his last television appearance. Not long after this, Lonnie played on his first recording.
This came when Lonnie Mack played on a session by Al Dexter. He was recording Pistol Packin’ Mama. Later, Lonnie played on two single by his cousins Aubrey Holt and Harley Gabbard. Already, it seemed, Lonnie was comfortable within the environs of a recording studio. However, before long, he would make a change to his sound.
Up until then, Lonnie Mack’s musical weapon of choice had been a Gibson Kalamazoo. However, in 1958 Lonnie decided to buy a Gibson Flying V. This came at a cost. The Gibson Flying V was an expensive and desirable guitar. Lonnie knew this, and was willing to pay $300 to order the new guitar. Maybe he secretly knew it would be a musical investment? Especially when he added the final piece of the jigsaw? Then his trademark sound would be complete.
Over the next few years, Lonnie gigged regularly throughout Ohio. It was in the early sixties at the Twilight Inn, that club owner Frog Childs christened Lonnie’s band. Thereafter, they became known as Lonnie Mack and The Twiliters. However, when Lonnie heard Robert Ward play in 1960 he realised what was missing from his sound..,a tube driven amplifier.
This was what gave Robert Ward’s guitar the rich vibrato sound. When Lonnie Mack asked about the amplifier, Robert Ward explained it was a tube driven Magnatone 460 amplifier. However, it had been modified, and included an inbuilt electronic vibrato. Instantly, Lonnie knew that this amplifier could transform his guitar sound. He went out and bought one of the amplifiers, and Lonnie’s trademark sound was complete.
With the new amplifier Lonnie Mack showcased his new sound. This involved Lonnie fitting the thickest strings available to his guitar. However, the Magnatone 460 amplifier was crucial to what Lonnie called a “watery” sound. Later, Lonnie added a Magnatone 440 amplifier, and ran it through a Fender Twin guitar amplifier. Gradually, Lonnie began to experiment, changing amplifiers to suit venues. At one point, he used an organ amplifier, which Lonnie described as a “rotating, fluttery sound.” That was still to come. Before that, Lonnie was a session musician at Fraternity Records, based in Cincinnati, Ohio
After working at Fraternity Records for a few years, Lonnie Mack’s solo career began on 12th March 1963. The sessions took place at King Records’ studio, where Lonnie and his band were backing The Charmaines, who were signed to Fraternity Records. At the end of the sessions, there was just enough time for Lonnie and his band to lay down an instrumental version of Chuck Berry’s Memphis. The with literally minutes to spare. Lonnie and his band recorded his own composition Down In The Dumps. When producer Carl Edmondson heard the recordings, he thought they had potential.
So Carl Edmondson went to see Harry Carlson, who owned Fraternity Records. Harry Carlson agreed, and decided to release Memphis as a single.
By the time Memphis was released, Lonnie Mack was out on tour, working with the Troy Seals band. Troy had been a member of Lonnie band in the late fifties; and the two men had been friends ever since. So when news came through that Memphis reached number five in the US R&B charts, it was a cause for celebration.
The release of instrumental version of Memphis saw Lonnie Mack hailed a musical pioneer. The electric guitar took centre-stage on Memphis, as Lonnie unleashed breathtaking and blistering solos. Lonnie played with speed, accuracy and some said, aggression. Other guitarists could only look on enviously. It was obvious to them that the arrival of Lonnie was a game changer. Critics agreed, hailing Lonnie a musical pioneer. Already, Lonnie’s thoughts had turned to the followup to Memphis.
For his sophomore single, Lonnie Mack chose one of his own compositions, Wham. On the B-Side, he added a cover of Dale Hawkins, Stanley Lewis and Eleanor Broadwater’s Suzy-Q. Everyone thought that Wham would repeat the success of Memphis. However, the single stalled at twenty-four on the US R&B charts. Wham dissevered to fare much better. Lonnie’s sophomore single had been short-changed. It featured another breathtaking performance from Lonnie, as he unleashed a series of blistering solos on Wham. Again, he played with speed, accuracy, determination even a little aggression. Lonnie’s rivals were awestruck, as he drew inspiration from the blues and R&B to create his own unique blues-rock sound. It would go on to influence everyone from Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck; to Duane Allman and Stevie Ray Vaughan; and even Ted Nugent and Bootsy Collins. However, in 1963, Lonnie was thinking no further than his next single.
The song chosen, was Jimmy Reed’s Baby, What’s Wrong. On the flip-side, was Lou William’s Where There’s A Will (There’s A Way). On its release later in 1963, the Carl Edmondson entered the US Billboard 100. Usually, this would’ve been a cause for celebration. Not this time. Baby, What’s Wrong reached a lowly ninety-three on the US Billboard 100. For Lonnie Mack, this was a bitter blow. It had been downhill since the release of his debut single. Despite this, Fraternity Records’ owner Harry Carlson agreed to release Lonnie’s debut album The Wham Of That Memphis Man! in October 1963.
In many ways, Harry Carlson had little to lose. The Wham Of That Memphis Man! featured Lonnie Mack’s first three singles and their B-Sides. To this, two new songs from Lonnie and three cover versions were added. Lonnie penned the ironically titled Down and Out and Why. The cover versions included Hank Ballard’s I’ll Keep You Happy; Martha Carson’s Satisfied and Charlie Fizer, Eddie Lewis and Walter Ward’s The Bounce. These songs were recorded at King Records’ studio and produced by Edmondson. Once the tracks were recorded, Fraternity Records began work on the release of Lonnie Mack’s debut album.
The Wham Of That Memphis Man! was released in October 1963, and was hailed a groundbreaking album. Critics and record buyers had never heard an album like The Wham Of That Memphis Man! Partly, that was down to Lonnie Mack’s band.
Accompanying Lonnie Mack on The Wham Of That Memphis Man! were a rhythm section of drummer Ron Grayson and bassist Wayne Bullock. Pianist Fred Stemmerding was joined by a horn section of Irv Russotto, Marv Lieberman and tenor saxophonist Donald Henry, who also added maracas. He and the rest of the band provide eleven backdrops that veer between bluesy and soulful. Meanwhile Lonnie Mack steps up and unleashes a series of breathtaking, virtuoso performances.
Wham! opens The Wham Of That Memphis Man! which is two minutes of foot to the floor music. Growling horns add an element of drama, as the rhythm section power the arrangement along. When the horns drop out, up steps Lonnie Mack. He unleashes a blistering solo. It climbs high above the arrangement, as the fleet fingered virtuoso never misses a note. Later, when the horns return, Lonnie and the band are heading towards a crescendo, and do so in style. However, it’s Lonnie the musical pioneer, that steals the show.
Where There’s A Will (There’s A Way) shows another side to Lonnie Mack. It’s a heartfelt, soulful ballad, where gospel tinged harmonies accompany Lonnie. He delivers a soul-baring vocal, as the rhythm section, origin and harmonies provide a slow backdrop. This proves the perfect accompaniment to his vocal which later, becomes needy, impassioned and emotive. It’s a track that shows there’s more to Lonnie Mack than a fleet fingered guitar slinger.
Braying horns join the jaunty rhythm section in driving the arrangement to The Bounce along. They’re joined by Lonnie, and his shimmering, vibrato guitar. Its crystalline sound is accompanied by punchy, soulful harmonies. Meanwhile, Lonnie fingers fly up and down the fretboard. Later, a backing vocalist sings: “just one more time.” She sings calla and response, as Lonnie and the bands head for the finishing line and another impressive crescendo.
I’ll Keep You Happy marks another change in style. Lonnie delivers another heartfelt, needy vocal. He’s joined by backing vocalists, while the rhythm section and wistful piano create a slow meandering backdrop for this ballad. His vocal veers between needy to hopeful, as Lonnie breathes emotion into the lyrics. It’s further proof that Lonnie was a talented vocalist, as well as a virtuoso guitarist.
Memphis was the single that launched Lonnie Mack’s career. Choppy, bristling and chiming guitar licks join the rhythm section, and add a degree of urgency. The guitar is crucial to the sound and success of this instrumental. Especially, as this instrumental unfolds. By then, Lonnie has taken centre-stage and is playing a starring role. His searing, blistering guitar is played briskly, chirping and chiming. A hint of vibrato is used sparingly, before the choppy licks bookend this instrumental version of Chuck Berry’s Memphis. It’s one of the highlights of The Wham Of That Memphis Man.
Baby, What’s Wrong was written by a giant of the blues Jimmy Reed. It’s given a makeover by Lonnie Mack. Choppy, chirping guitar licks join the rhythm section in setting the scene for Lonnie’s vocal. It’s full of hurt and sadness, as he asks “Baby, What’s Wrong with you.” Backing vocalists accompany and then augment his scorching guitar solo. They add soaring harmonies, before Lonnie rejoins them. He adds a vocal, while adding a bristling guitar solo. It rings out, as the punchy and later, soulful harmonies join Lonnie’s hurt-filled vocal. By then, it’s obvious that this another of Lonnie’s finest moments. Despite this, commercial success eluded this song when it was released as a single. Fifty-three later, and this reworking of Baby, What’s Wrong has an almost timeless sound.
Down And Out is a slow, bluesy shuffle. The horns add to the bluesy sound while stabs of piano help the rhythm section drive the arrangement along. Meanwhile, Lonnie unleashes a vibrato soaked guitar solo. It shimmers, glistens and quivers. Other times Lonnie plays with urgency and aggression, before later, deploying speed and accuracy. This shows how versatile a guitarist he is. However, playing an important part in the sound of the bluesy instrumental, are Lonnie’s band. They frame another spellbinding performance from the virtuoso guitarist, as he pioneers the blues rock sound.
Horns bray, and washes of organ join the rhythm section on Satisfied. It has a surprise in store. This comes when Lonnie sings: “on well you ask me if I’m happy, I have a peace within, if I worry…as I reach my journey’s end.” This gospel track is reworked by Lonnie, and shows yet another side to him and his music. Blazing horns, gospel tinged, soaring harmonies testify as Lonnie unleashes an impassioned, powerful vocal. It’s soulful and delivered with sincerity as also Lonnie adds a guitar part. This time, it’s Lonnie’s vocal that steals the show. Aided and abetted by the backing vocalists, Martha Carson’s song takes on new life and meaning; and back in 1963, was heard by a new audience.
Dale Hawkins is regarded as being responsible for the definitive version of Susie Q. Despite this, Lonnie’s version is one of the best cover versions. Subtle rasping horns punctuate the arrangement while the rhythm section provide the heartbeat. Meanwhile, Lonnie’s crystalline, chiming and bristling guitar soars above the arrangement. It quivers, as vibrato is added and steals the show. Especially, as Lonnie’s fingers fly up and down the fretboard at breakneck speed. All this effort is well worthwhile, and results in one of the best cover versions of Susie Q.
Slow, bluesy and moody describes Why. Lonnie’s crystalline guitar quivers, ringing out as blues horns join the rhythm section. They set the scene for Lonnie’s heartbroken vocal. He delivers the lyrics as if he’s lived them. His vocal is a mixture of power, emotion and hurt. Meanwhile, cooing harmonies soothe and sympathise. Lonnie continues to lay bare his soul on this tale of hurt and heartbreak. It’s without doubt one of the best songs Lonnie wrote for The Wham Of That Memphis Man! and is one of most moving songs on the album.
Down In The Dumps closes The Wham Of That Memphis Man! It’s another instrumental, penned by Lonnie Mack. His quivering guitar is joined by braying horns as the rhythm section and piano drive the arrangement along. Soon, the scorching guitars soar high above the arrangement. When they drop out, Lonnie’s guitar takes centre-stage. From there, the horns and guitar play leading roles, on what’s a perfect showcase for Lonnie Mack and his talented band.
Despite the undeniable quality of The Wham Of That Memphis Man!, the album reached just 103 in the US Billboard 200 when it was released in October 1963. Those that bought a copy of The Wham Of That Memphis Man! heard a musical pioneer, who changed the future direction of music.
Suddenly, the electric guitar could play a starring role in track. It was no longer just playing a supporting role. Nobody tried this before Lonnie Mack released Memphis and Wham as singles. They were game-changers, which would influence several generations of musicians. Everyone from Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck to Duane Allman, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ted Nugent were inspired by Lonnie Mack. They owe him a debt of gratitude.
Without Lonnie Mack, the musical landscape would be very different. Many musical historian credit Lonnie for laying the foundations for Southern Rock. Lonnie Mack was also a pioneer of blues rock, but was equally comfortable playing rock ’n’ roll, rockabilly and singing soul. Indeed, Lonnie Mack is regarded as one of the greatest blue eyed soul singers in musical history. He shows his considerable skills as a vocalist and guitarist on The Wham Of That Memphis Man!
Although it’s an important and influential album, it wasn’t a hugely successful upon its release and isn’t as well known as it should be. The Wham Of That Memphis Man! is a cult classic whose importance is understood by musicians and critics who realise it’s a gamechanger of an album. It’s also an album that’s stood the test of time and is a reminder of a multitalented and versatile musician, as he embarked upon a recording career that lasted until 1990. During that period, Lonnie Mack released thirteen solo albums. Sadly, in 1990, Lonnie Mack called time on his recording career.
That wasn’t the end of Lonnie Mack’s career. He continued to play live up until the early years of the new millennia. Sadly, on April 21st 2016, Lonnie Mack passed away in Smithville, Tennessee. Lonnie Mack was only seventy-five. That day, music lost a true pioneer, whose had a huge influence in modern music. Even today, Lonnie Mack continues to influence a generation of guitarists and his debut album The Wham Of That Memphis Man! is a fitting reminder of a truly versatile and talented musician who is sadly missed, but will always be remembered.
Cult Classic: Lonnie Mack-The Wham Of That Memphis Man!
CULT CLASSIC: GARY BARTZ-LOVE SONG.
Cult Classic: Gary Bartz-Love Song.
By 1976, saxophonist Gary Bartz’s reputation was on the rise.This came as no surprise to those within the jazz community. Already, Gary Bartz had played with some of the biggest names in jazz. Especially before he formed his own band in 1969.
Baltimore born Gary Bartz had started his career playing with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln in 1964. This came about when Gary happened to meet Max Roach in Baltimore a few years earlier. The two men swapped numbers and kept in touch. Eventually, Gary decided to move to New York. Max Roach had given him his number, and told Gary to phone him when he arrived in New York.
Upon his arrival in the Big Apple, Gary Bartz phoned Max Roach. He took the young saxophonist under his wing, and even brought him into his band. For Gary Bartz, this opened doors that might have remained closed.
In 1965, Gary Bartz spread his wings and joined Art Blakeley’s Messengers. Gary who could play alto and soprano saxophone became the Messengers’ new alto saxophonist. He made his recording debut on Art Blakey’s 1966 album Hold On I’m Coming. This was the start of a prolific recording career.
Two years later, and Gary Bartz was back working with Max Roach. He played on his 1968 album Members, Don’t Git Weary. The same year, Gary played on Roy Ayers’ Stoned Soul Picnic, and on Helen Merill’s A Shade Of Difference. Gary also joined McCoy Tyner’s band and was a member from 1968 until 1976. However, the most significant release of 1968 was Gary’s debut as bandleader.
The Gary Bartz Quintet released their debut album Libra in 1968. It had been recorded on May 31st and June 15th 1967 at Plaza Sound Studios, New York. Libra was released in 1968 by Milestone Recordings. They would also release Gary’s next release, Another Earth in 1969. That was the year Gary release one of his most famous bands, Gary Bartz NTU Troop.
Over the five years, Gary Bartz NTU Troop would release six groundbreaking albums. That was no surprise, Gary was aided and abetted by all-star cast that included Andy Bey, Ron Carter, Stafford James and Woody Shaw. However, throughout the life of Gary Bartz NTU Troop, their lineup, just like the music would evolve. Gary Bartz NTU Troop’s debut album featured a sextet. It was released their debut album as the seventies dawned.
This was Home, which was released on Milestone Records in 1970. This was followed by the release of two of Gary Bartz NTU Troop’s finest albums during 1971, Harlem Bush Music-Uluru and Harlem Bush Music-Taifa. Both were innovative, genre-melting albums where elements of avant-garde were combined with free jazz, jazz funk and post bop. These two albums brought Gary Bartz NTU Troop to the attention of Prestige.
Gary Bartz NTU Troop signed to Prestige and released their fourth album Ju Ju Street Songs in 1972. It was another ambitious album. This time though, the music moved in the direction of fusion. It seemed that Gary Bartz NTU Troop were a musical chameleons, their music constantly changing to ensure it stayed relevant.
That was the case when they released Follow, The Medicine Man was released in 1973. Everything from jazz-funk and fusion to avant-garde and soul could be heard on Follow, The Medicine Man. Later in 1973, Gary Bartz NTU Troop returned with a double live album. I’ve Known Rivers and Other Bodies had been recorded Montreux Jazz Festival, in Switzerland on Saturday, July 7th 1973. By then, the lineup featured Gary, Howard King and Stafford James. Despite being reduced to a trio, the Gary Bartz NTU Troop produced a show-steeling performance, which is replicated on I’ve Known Rivers and Other Bodies. This proved to be their swan-song.
Although one further album was released, it didn’t bear the Gary Bartz NTU Troop name. Instead, when Singerella-A Ghetto Fairy Tale was released in 1974, it was credited to Ntu Gary Bartz. This was the only album that Ntu Gary Bartz released. After this, Gary Bartz returned to his solo career.
Accompanied by some top New York based session players, Gary Bartz bang work on sophomore album. This would become The Shadow Do. It was released on Prestige in 1975, and was the start of a new chapter in the career of Gary Bartz. This continued when Gary Bartz released Ju Ju Man in 1976.
Ju Ju Man.
After the release of The Shadow Do, Gary Bartz began work on his third solo album. He wrote the title-track Ju Ju Man and Pisces Daddy Blue. The other three tracks were cover versions. This included Rogers and Hart’s My Funny Valentine, John Coltrane’s Straight Street and Billy Strayhorn’s Chelsea Street. These five tracks would become Ju Ju Man, which was recorded by some top session players.
Recording of Ju Ju Man took place at Sage and Sound Studio, Hollywood, Los Angeles during 1976. Accompanying Gary Bartz, were a rhythm section of drummer bassist Howard King and Curtis Robertson. He switched between acoustic and electric bass on Ju Ju Man. The other members of the band were pianist Charles Mims Jr, and vocalist Syreeta whose vocal features on My Funny Valentine. On Ju Ju Man, Gary Bartz showcased his versatility. The reedman played alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, synths and added vocals. Taking care of production was Pat Britt. Once the five tracks that became Ju Ju Man were completed, the album was released later in 1976.
Before that, critics had their say on Ju Ju Man. They were won over by what was the strongest album of Gary Bartz’s solo career. It had a much more traditional jazz sound. There were neither diversions into avant-garde nor free jazz, like in the days of the Gary Bartz NTU Troop. This much more traditional sound, was the perfect showcase for Gary Bartz and his band.
That was the case from Ju Ju Man, where vocals pay homage to John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Just like the rest of Ju Ju Man, the rhythm section drive and power the arrangement along. Pianist Howard King plays a starring role. However, it’s Gary’s blistering, braying saxophone that steals the show. Soon, though it’s all changed.
My Funny Valentine has an understated and later sultry arrangement. It’s the perfect accompaniment for Syreeta’s soulful vocal. As she takes her bow, Straight Street unfolds, and showcases a much more tradition jazzy sound, Again, Gary is at the heart of the action, as he delivers one of finest best solos on Ju Ju Man. There’s no letup, as Gary and drummer Howard King take centre-stage on Pisces Daddy Blue. Soon, the rest of the band are playing their part. However, Howard King’s piano plays a starring role, as Gary plays with controlled power on what’s blues-tinged slice of straight ahead jazz. It’s another of the highlights of Ju Ju Man. It closes with Chelsea Bridge where Gary switches to alto saxophone. There’s a slow, sparse wistful sound for much of the track. Later, the tempo increases and Gary plays with intensity and passion on what’s a quite beautiful track.
Given the consistency and quality of Ju Ju Man, it was no surprise that critics hailed the album the finest of Gary Bartz’s career. This more traditional sound seemed to allow him to showcase his considerable talents. However, given that many regarded this as the sound jazz’s past, how popular would Ju Ju Man be?
Later in 1976, Prestige released Ju Ju Man. Despite the critical acclaim that had preceded the release of Ju Ju Man, the album failed to chart. It still found a small but loyal audience who had followed Gary Bartz’s career closely. They released that the majority of music fans had missed out on his finest solo album so far.
Music Is My Sanctuary.
That was until the release of Music Is My Sanctuary in 1977. This was the first album Gary Bartz released on Capitol Records. It was also a big budget recording.
For Music Is My Sanctuary, some of the top session players were brought onboard. So were one of the most successful production teams, the Mizell brothers. However, it would be a familiar face that played a starring role on Music Is My Sanctuary, Syreeta.
She added the vocal on the anthemic title-track. It would later become synonymous with Gary Bartz. Similarly, Music Is My Sanctuary is regarded as one of Gary’s finest hours.
It found him following in the footsteps of Donald Byrd, as he combined elements of funk, soul, jazz, fusion and even disco. This looked like being the album that brought Gary Bartz to the attention of the wider record buying public.
Music Is My Sanctuary won over the majority of critics. That was apart from jazz purists. They turned turned their back on Music Is My Sanctuary, disappointed and disapproving of the direction Gary Bartz’s music was heading.
Despite bring released to mostly critical acclaim, Music Is My Sanctuary failed to make much of an impression on the charts. The album had been released a year to early.
Later, though, Music Is My Sanctuary would be regarded as one of Gary Bartz’s finest hour, with the title-track becoming a classic, and a favourite of DJs and compilers. However, the followup to Music Is My Sanctuary, would be another accessible album that should’ve appealed to a wider audience, Love Song.
Love Song.
Despite the disappointing sales of Ju Ju Man and then Music Is My Sanctuary, Gary Bartz began work on his next solo album, Love Song, later in 1977. For his fourth solo album he penned two new songs Afterthoughts and Love Song, which lent its name to the album. They were joined by Earl Shuman and Leon Carr’s Prelude and Lonely Girl; Eddie Holman and James Solomon’s Interlude And Don’t Stop Now; Ivy Jo Hunter, Jack Alan Goga and Jeffrey Bowden’s You and George Cables’ Interlude And Just Suppose. These six songs would become Love Song, which was recorded in the familiar surroundings of Sage and Sound Studio in L.A.
When recording of began later in 1977, the same rhythm section accompanied Gary Bartz. Drummer Howard King and basset Curtis Robertson were joined by guitarist Carl McDaniels. They were joined by keyboardist George Cables and vocalist Rita Greene. She would feature on Love Song and Interlude And Just Suppose. Adding backing vocals, were Clydie King, Shirley Matthews and Billy Thedford. Meanwhile, Gary played alto saxophone, soprano saxophone and added vocals. He also decided to take charge of production on Love Song. The result was a very different album than Ju Ju Man.
Critics realised this when they received their gold stamped promo copies in 1978. Love Song wasn’t just a jazz album. Elements of soul, R&B and pop shawn through on an album that featured familiar tracks. That’s apart from Love Song a sultry, soulful and jazzy track. The soul came courtesy of Rita Green’s vocals, which were augmented by harmonies. So were the familiar strains of Prelude and Lonely Girl, where jazz meets soul. Gary’s alto sax and harmonies play leading roles as the rhythm section provide a slow, steady backdrop. Soon, though, the tempo rises.
What doesn’t change on Interlude and Don’t Stop Now is that soul meets jazz. There’s a tougher, slightly funkier sound as the tempo ebbs and flows. This allows the band to stretch their legs. You has a similar sound as the two preceding tracks. It’s jazz-tinge and soulful, as the backing vocalists and Gary’s saxophone play leading roles.
Then on Interlude and Just Suppose, the tempo drops as Rita Green returns. Before that, it’s just Gary accompanied by the keyboards. When Rita’s vocal enters, the track heads in the direction of jazz funk. Later, when her vocal drops out, futuristic synths and then keyboards take the track in the direction of fusion and then jazz funk. This nine minute epic finds Gary at his most inventive, as he embraces the role of producer. Afterthoughts which closes Love Song, is a short track penned by Gary. With the piano for company, Gary produces an understated, late night, jazzy sound. Its melancholy sound is a reminder of another of Gary’s albums, Ju Ju Man. It hadn’t found the audience it deserved. Would Love Song?
Critics found Love Song a very accessible and listenable album. It was also a much more eclectic album. There was much more than jazz on Love Song. Elements of soul, R&B, pop, funk, fusion and jazz funk can be heard. This soulful, funky, jazzy and dance-floor friendly album should’ve meant that Love Song appealed to a wider audience.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. When Love Song was released later in 1978, the album failed to find the wider audience it deserved. Just like Ju Ju Man, it found an audience within the jazz, soul and R&B community. They welcomed this much more eclectic sounding album from Gary Bartz. However, it would only be later that Gary Bartz’s music was discovered by the wider record buying public.
Many people were introduced to Gary Bartz’s music through his previous album Music Is My Sanctuary, whose title-track later, became a favourite of compilers. This lead to record buyers digging deeper into Gary Bartz’s back-catalogue.
Many started at the beginning, with the Gary Bartz Quintet’s 1968 album Libra. After this, record buyers discovered Gary’s 1969 debut solo album Another Earth. This was just the start. There was still Gary Bartz NTU Troop and Ntu Gary Bartz’s back-catalogue to discover. Eventually, they made their way to Gary’s solo career. The Shadow Do was Gary’s long-awaited sophomore solo album. However, it was his next album Ju Ju Man, that was one of Gary Bartz’s finest albums.
Ju Ju Man was very different to previous albums, and was an album of straight ahead jazz. This many jazz fans thought was yesterday’s sound. However, Gary Bartz was perfectly suited to this sound. It was the perfect showcase for one of the most talented reedman of his generation. Whether he was playing alto saxophone, soprano saxophone or clarinet, Gary Bartz played with power, passion inventiveness and control. Time after time, he came into his own. This was the case on 1977s Music Is My Sanctuary, and its followup, the cult classic Love Song.
Backed by a tight, talented and versatile band, backing vocalists and Rita Green, Gary Bartz showcases his versatility on Love Song. The music is funky, jazzy, soulful and dance-floor friendly. It should’ve won over dancers, DJs as well as anyone interested in soul, jazz and funk. Alas, it wasn’t to be, and Love Song remained one of the hidden gems in Gary Bartz’s back-catalogue and features one of finest reedman of his generation at the peak of his musical powers.
Cult Classic: Gary Bartz-Love Song.
PAVLOV’S DOG-PAMPERED MENIAL.
Pavlov’s Dog-Pampered Menial.
Label: Music On Vinyl.
In the history of progressive rock, Pavlov’s Dog’s 1975 debut album Pampered Menial is regarded as a genre classic. That was despite the album’s commercial failure. It was released initially by ABC-Dunhill. The initial commercial failure was totally unexpected as the label had given Pavlov’s Dog a large advance, which was thought to be in the region of $650,000. For everyone concerned this wasn’t just disappointing, it was a disaster.
Pavlov’s Dog was a big signing for ABC-Dunhill, who thought that the group’s debut album Pampered Menial was going to be a commercial success. They were regarded as rising stars of the progressive rock scene, and had come a long way in just three years.
The Pavlov’s Dog story began in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1972, but how the band came into being is disputed. Mike Safron claims that he and Siegfried Carver founded the band. However, the other version of the story is that after the demise of a local covers band High On A Small Hill, which featured vocalist and guitarist David Surkamp and bassist Rick Stockton, Pavlov’s Dog was formed. By 1973, they were joined by drummer and percussionist Mike Safron, guitarist Steve Levin, keyboardist David Hamilton and flautist Doug Rayburn who also played mellotron. This was the first lineup of the Pavlov’s Dog.
Within a year, there was a change in the group’s lineup when Steve Levin left and was replaced by lead guitarist Steve Scorfina, who previously, was a member of REO Speedwagon. This new lineup headed to a studio in Pekin, Illinois.
That was where Pavlov’s Dog recorded a number of songs that they had recorded. When they listened to them, it wasn’t a case of the tracks having potential, the band felt they were good. So did executives at ABC-Dunhill Records.
When they heard the recordings, they wanted to sign Pavlov’s Dog and were willing to pay a hefty price. This was thought to be around $650, 000 a not inconsiderable amount of money in the mid-seventies. It was no surprise when Pavlov’s Dog signed on the dotted line.
Like many groups who are signed by a label, they had already written what they thought would be part of their debut album. However, despite having liked the songs Pavlov’s Dog had already recorded, only some of them made it onto the album.
It featured nine songs, including Julia, Fast Gun, Theme From Subway Sue, Episode and Of Once and Future Kings which were penned by David Surkamp who cowrote Late November with Steve Scorfina. He also contributed Natchez Trace and Mike Safron penned Song Dance and Siegfried Carver wrote Preludin. These nine songs were produced by Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman who had worked with Blue Oyster Cult. When the album was completed, the release was scheduled for the spring of 1975.
Pavlov’s Dog’s much-anticipated debut album Pampered Menial was released on April the ‘4th’ 1975, it featured that distinctive cover, which featured engravings by Sir Edwin Landseer. By then, he had been dead for almost one hundred years and a new generation were discovering his work.
Mostly, critics were won over by Pampered Menial and it received plaudits and praise. Some critics disliked the band, and one reason was David Surkamp’s voice. It seemed to divide the opinion of critics. Despite this, executives at ABC-Dunhill thought they had a successful album on their hands.
When Pampered Menial was released it failed to even trouble the charts. To make matters worse, Pampered Menial Siegfried Carver left the band just after the release of the album. What happened next was unusual.
In mid-June, Pampered Menial was reissued by Columbia with a slightly different sleeve. The album entered the lower reaches of the charts, and stalled at a lowly 181 in the US Billboard 200. Pampered Menial wasn’t the commercial success that executives hoped although Julia gave the group a minor hit in Australia when it reached seventy-nine.
Forty-five years later, and Pampered Menial has been reissued on vinyl by Music On Vinyl, and this for many record buyers will be the first opportunity to discover the delights of an album which features elements of progressive rock, hard rock and art rock.
Pavlov’s Dog in 1975 were a tight, talented and versatile band and Pampered Menial is proof of it. Each of the mucicians were master craftsmen, and David Surkamp’s inimitable vocal was unlike the majority of progressive rock vocalists. They showcase their considerable talents on Pampered Menial.
Seamlessly, Pavlov’s Dog switch between a variety of songs on Pampered Menial. They open the album with the instrumental Julia, which gave them a minor hit single in Australia. It gives way to the beautiful, emotive sounding instrumental Late November and then the hard rocking Song Dance. Fast Gun features an impassioned vocal from David Surkamp as the rest of the band combine to create one of the finest arrangements on the album. Then Natchez Trace which closes the first side, is a beautiful, melodic and sometimes haunting and dramatic song.
Opening side two is Theme From Subway Sue where blasting guitars give way to a piano and David Surkamp’s trademark vocal. It’s a mixture of power, passion and emotion on this anthemic track. The quality continues on Episode which gradually reveals its secrets and showcases Pavlov’s Dog’s considerable talents and another highlights of the album. Preludin is a stunning progressive rock instrumental and one of the album closer Of Once And Future Kings is one of the most ambitious tracks on Pampered Menial.
Although Pampered Menial wasn’t a commercial success upon its release in 1975, the album eventually started to find the wider audience it deserved. Gradually, fans of progressive rock discovered the delights of the album that should’ve launched Pavlov’s Dog’s career. Nowadays, this once lost album is regarded as a genre classic and in retrospective reviews is getting the critical acclaim it deserves.
No wonder, Pavlov’s Dog were like musical master craftsmen on their debut album Pampered Menial. The members of Pavlov’s Dog successfully combined an esoteric mixture of instruments to create a carefully crafted cult classic that forty-five years after its release, is best described as an ambitious and timeless progressive rock opus.
Pavlov’s Dog-Pampered Menial.
JAMIE 3:26 PRESENTS A TASTE OF CHICAGO.
Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago.
Label: BBE Music.
Release Date: ‘27th’ March 2020.
Two years after releasing a 12” preview sampler, BBE Music will release Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago on the ‘27th’ March 2020. It’s a compilation of edits from the DJ and producers Jamie 3:26, who hails from the birthplace of house music, Chicago. The sound of the Windy City can be heard throughout this much-anticipated compilation that features seven edits from Jamie 3:26.
He was born Jamie Watson, and was brought up in Beverley, on the South Side of Chicago. Growing up, music was an important part of his life, and it was no surprise when Jamie became a DJ and then producer.
One of the secrets of Jamie 3:26’s success as a DJ, was his willingness to embrace and spin all types of music from different eras. Old favourites, floorfillers and long long hidden gems found their way into his record box as he was a man on a mission. Jamie 3:26 was determined to help people for the problems in their lives and keep the dancefloor full. This he succeeded in doing home and then, further afield.
Meanwhile, Jamie 3:26 was embarking upon a career as a producer, and in 2008, released his debut single The Basement Edits-Volume One. Two years later, in 2010, The Basement Edits-Volume Two. This was the start of Jamie 3:26’s production career.
Over the next few years, he released singles on labels in America, Britain and the UK. This included Insanity Project on Rush Hour Store Jams in 2014.
There were also a couple of collaborations, including with Masalo on Testify which was released on the Local Talk label in 2016. They pair were reunited in 2017 for Red Light which was released on the Japanese label Eureka! The following year, Jamie 3:26 released a 12” sampler on BBE Music.
This was the Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago. It featured edits of Calender’s Comin’ On Strong and a remix of Cabrini-Greens And Cornbread’s Stomps And Shouts. The two edits were a tantalising taste of what was to come from Jamie 3:26, who was by then, an international touring DJ.
Two years after the release of the 12” sampler on BBE Music comes the album Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago. It features seven of Jamie 3:26’s edits that are guaranteed to fill any dancefloor.
This includes the album opener Venus and Mars by BSTC’s album Music For A Saturday Evening which was released in 2008. It’s a genre-melting track where elements of Acid House, funk, stabs of blazing horns, rocky guitars and a myriad of percussion that drives the arrangement to this uplifting and irresistible track along.
Mighty Science released The Lesson on 2010. It was written and produced by Errick P Spencer and the version included on the compilation is an edit of Doc Brucio’s Original Mix. The arrangement is almost mesmeric, and more than hints at house music’s roots in the Windy City as the vocal adds the finishing touch to what’s a welcome addition to the compilation.
The Jungle was released by Jungle Wonz in 2011 and was edited by Jamie 3:26. This became Jamie’s Jungle Sounds Edit. It’s pulsating, hypnotic and filmic as a myriad of jungle sounds assail the listener on this captivating and memorable track.
When Quest released Mind Games in 1989, it featured a vocal from Liz Torres. There were three tracks on the original 12” and Jamie 3: 26 has edited the Underground Mix. It’s the musical equivalent of time travel, and for many people of a certain age, will be a welcome reminder of the early days of house.
Just like Jamie 3:26, Braxton Holmes is a producer, remixer and DJ from Chicago. In 2003, Braxton Holmes featuring Cabrini-Greens and Cornbread released Stomps and Shouts. Fifteen years later, the Jamie 3:26 Basement Edit featured on the 12” sampler Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago. It makes a welcome return on the compilation and is a fusion of funk, disco and house. Together they play their part in what’s a joyous, driving and hands-in-the-air floorfiller that’s guaranteed to get any party started.
In the history of house music, Chip E’s name looms large. He started DJ-ing in 1982 and by 1984 was working as a producer. In 1985 he released the genre classic It’s House which was one of the reasons why Street Mix magazine crowned Chip E as the Godfather of House Music in 1986. Thirty-five years later and It’s House is recognised as one of the most important, influential and innovative house tracks and Jamie’s Basement Edit is a homage to a classic.
Jamie 3:26 Edit of New Jersey funk band Calendar’s Comin’ On Strong closes the compilation. It’s taken from their 1976 album It’s A Monster, which also features their proto-disco song Hypertension. However, Comin’ On Strong is an oft-overlooked hidden gem where funk and disco are fused by Calendar and provide the perfect way to close Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago.
For anyone who enjoyed the 12” sampler which BBE Music released in 2018, then Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago is a must have compilation. It features seven edits from Jamie 3:26 and showcase his eclectic taste in music that is a feature of his DJ sets. Classics and hidden gems rub shoulders on Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago which is a tantalising taste and a sample of the sound, style and culture of the Windy City and the genre it lents its name to, house.
Jamie 3:26 Presents A Taste Of Chicago.
HIDETO SASAKI, TOSHIYUKI SEKINE QUARTET +1-STOP OVER.
Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1–Stop Over.
Label: BBE Music.
Release Date: ‘27th’ March 2020.
Ever since the sixties, rather than sign to a label, many artists and bands have released their albums as private pressings. However, the majority of the labels releasing private pressings during this didn’t have the same resources as the major labels or even an indie labels.
Sometimes, the label was owned by the artist and it has only been setup for the release of this one album. Often the release was only a short run, with anything from 200-300 pressed. The more optimistic artists and groups took a chance and press 1,000-2,000 copies of an album in the hope that they don’t gather dust in a basement, spare room or garage. They tried not to think of that, and instead, hoped that the album was picked up by a bigger label. That was further down the line, and they had albums to sell before that.
The label usually didn’t have a distribution deal, so often the band hauled copies of the album around local record shops, hoping that the owner would take five or ten copies. Often, the best offer was sale or return, and as they looked at store owner, they wondered what were the odds of getting paid or their records back? It was a case of handing over the albums and hoping the vinyl gods smiled on them. If they were lucky, they would get either get some money back, or a pile of dusty vinyl. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about as often, artists and bands had put their savings into a private press and couldn’t afford to lose money.
Given many of the private presses released since the sixties were distributed by the artist or band locally, they never found their way to other parts of the country, never mind halfway around the world. This was all happening in world where before Spotify or You Tube where it’s now possible to find music from all the world in an instant. So every year, thousands of private presses were released to little or no fanfare, and often disappeared without trace.
Especially, if there were only between 50 and 100 copies of an album pressed. With so few copies of an album pressed, it would be easy for the album to disappear without trace and never be heard again. However, that didn’t happen to Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1’s groundbreaking J-Jazz cult classic Stop Over, which will be reissued by BBE Music on the ‘27th’ of March 2020. This all-acoustic hard bop album is the sixth instalment in their critically acclaimed J-Jazz series which is curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden.
The story begins at Chuo University in 1975, where a group of amateurs musicians joined the modern jazz study group. During term time they held regular jam sessions where the members of the modern jazz study group were joined by some of the top local jazz musicians.
Sometimes, the modern jazz study group headed to what were referred to as jazz training camps. They were held in Kita Kuraizawa, a rural area an hour to the North West of Tokyo. One of the musicians who attended a camp in the spring of 1975 was Toshiyuki Sekine, a twenty year old pianist who was a student at Chuo University. That was where he met Hideto Sasaki who just over a later, would produce Stop Over.
Before that, various jam sessions that took place at the jazz training camps and having heard them, Hiroyuki Inokari decided that he wanted to record an album by the university jazz study group in a recording studio. By then, he had already recorded some of their jam sessions and concerts. This was the next logical step for him.
Meanwhile, Toshiyuki Sekine’s band had just split up. They were raising stars and had been taking to the stage in some of Tokyo’s jazz clubs, including the Pit Inn. It was the end of an era, and the young bandleader decided to return to the environs of the modern jazz study group.
His timing turned out to be perfect, and Toshiyuki Sekine played piano at the modern jazz study group’s first formal concert. That night, they were joined by guest artist pianist Fumio Karashimo and his trio. This was a landmark concert for the modern jazz study group.
During the mid-seventies, Japan had a vibrant jazz scene and there were many jazz clubs not just in Tokyo, but across the country. This was perfect for young, up-and-coming artists like the members of the modern jazz study group who were making their way in the world of jazz.
By then, most jazz musicians had gravitated towards fusion, the marriage of jazz and rock. As a result, it wasn’t unusual to see drums, electric bass and guitars joining forces with synths and saxophones as well as piano and horns. However, that was not the case on the ‘15th’ of August 1976.
That was when Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1 entered the studio to record their debut album Stop Over. The line up was drummer Takashi Kurosaki, bassist Kei Narita, pianist Toshiyuki Sekine, trumpeter Hideto Sasaki and alto saxophonist Noriyasu Watanabe. This was an all acoustic group who had decided to record an album of material that was similar to what they played in their live sets.
This included Denny Zeitlin’s Carole’s Garden, Tadd Dameron’s Soultrane, Cedar Walton’s Turquoise Twice, Robert Hutcherson‘s Little B’s Poem and Hideto Sasaki’s Stop Over. These five tracks were recorded with produced Hiroyuki Inokari on the ‘15th’ of August 1976 and released later that year on the Smile label.
The Smile label had been set up by Akihiro Nakayama, who was a member of the modern jazz study group. Stop Over was the first album released on the label and it’s thought that there were only between 50 and 100 albums pressed. Most of the them were given away to friends and family of the band and those involved in the making of the album. This wasn’t an album that was going to be available in the record shops of Tokyo and across Japan.
That’s a great shame as this blistering and breathtaking romp through four cover versions and Hideto Sasaki’s Stop Over as this acoustic combo turn back the clock and revisit the hard bop sound. This was very different to the majority of the albums their peers and contemporaries were making. Maybe, it was a case of playing the music they loved and were passionate about?
Stop Over opens with a cover of Denny Zeitlin’s Carole’s Garden, which originally, featured on his 1964 album Carnival. However, instead of staying true to the original version, the combo draw inspiration from Jean Luc Ponty’s cover on his 1967 outing Sunday’s Walk and breeze through the track at breakneck speed never missing a beat. It’s a truly impressive performance and Toshiyuki Sekine’s piano playing alone, is worthy of a rapturous round of applause.
Tadd Dameron wrote Soultrane for his 1957 collaboration with John Coltrane’s Mating Call. In the combo’s hands it has a beautiful, melancholy, late night sound. It’s music for those that have love and lost, and those that are yet to find that special one.
Cedar Walton recorded Turquoise Twice for his 1967 album Cedar. On Stop Over, the acoustic combo stay true to that version as this nine minute epic breezes along, the drums and bass locking down the groove with Toshiyuki Sekine’s piano drive the arrangement along. For some purists, a minor criticism would be that the ride cymbal is too prominent in the mix. That’s because of the close miking technique that had been used since the late-sixties. Having said that, Stop Over wasn’t a big budget recording run by a professional recordist, and it would be easy for an inexperienced engineer to place the microphone to close to the ride cymbal. However it could be argued this adds to the authenticity and honesty of the recording. Meanwhile, the maestro Toshiyuki Sekine plays with urgency, fluidity and confidence as his fingers effortlessly fly up and down the keyboard showcasing his considerable skills on this epic track.
The late, great vibes and marimba player Robert Hutcherson penned Little B’s Poem and it featured on his 1965 Blue Note album Components. It’s another beautiful, dreamy sounding track with another virtuoso performance from Toshiyuki Sekine, while the guitar and bass play supporting roles. Later, the alto saxophone soars above the arrangement its wistful sound adding the finishing touch to one of the album’s highlights.
Stop Over closes with the title-track which was written by Hideto Sasaki. It’s a breathtaking, blistering and explosive track that features nine magical minutes of hard bop as this group of young, talented amateur musicians shine brightly and never burn out as they close the album on a truly memorable high on this opus. Hopefully, having closed the album in such style Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1 all took a bow as they finished recording Stop Over.
Sadly, Stop Over was the only recording by Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1. It features four almost flawless covers and the one original Stop Over, where the combo shine bright as they showcase their combined and considerable skills on an album of hard bop that veers between spellbinding, beautiful, breathtaking, blistering and melancholy.
By then, hard bop was regarded by critics and most jazz fans as yesterday’s sound, but that didn’t matter to Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1 when they were recording Stop Over. They wanted to record the music they loved and were passionate about. It wasn’t as if the album was a big budget release on a private press. Instead, it was a reminder of a group of friends studying together and making music in their spare time. When they went their separate ways after leaving Chuo University, Stop Over was a reminder of the time they spent together and the music they made. Or so they thought.
The Smile label only pressed between 50 and 100 albums, and they were given to friends of family of the band and everyone involved in the album. Despite that, Japanese jazz fans heard about Stop Over which remained tantalisingly out of reach given its rarity.
That remains the case today, and it’s almost impossible to find a copy of Stop Over which is on every J-Jazz fan’s want list. However, unless they’re fortunate enough to come across a copy in a thrift store, junk shop or dusty warehouse Stop Over will continue to elude them. Thankfully, BBE Music will reissue Stop Over on the ‘27th’ March 2020 and at last, a wider audience can discover the delights of one of rarest albums of J-Jazz released during its golden era.
Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1–Stop Over.
CULT CLASSIC: EL POLEN-FUERA DE LA CIUDAD.
Cult Classic: El Polen-Fuera De La Ciudad.
Sadly, not every influential and innovative band enjoys a long and illustrious career, and instead, their career is short-lived. That was the case with the groundbreaking Peruvian rock band El Polen who released just two albums between 1972 and 1973. This includes their debut album Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido) and their much-anticipated sophomore album Fuera De La Ciudad which was a groundbreaking album from one of the most important Peruvian rock bands of the late-sixties and early seventies,
The El Polen story began in 1969, when brothers Juan Luis and Raul Pereira decided to form a new band. They had decided that their new band would head in a new direction and make music that was different to their previous band, the Pereira brothers realised that Peruvian music was about to change.
By 1969, the first wave of new Peruvian bands were combing beat music and surf sounds, which they played at Matinales which were concerts that took place on a Sunday morning. These concerts were always popular, and so were the bands that took to the stage. However, the music was starting to sound tired, and yesterday’s sound. What Peruvian music needed was a revolution.
Juan Luis Pereira who was part of the burgeoning hippy movement, realised this, and with his brother Raul formed El Polen, and set about reinventing music in the new Peru. It was a very different country since 1968, and it was an exciting time for the Pereira brothers as they started their new band.
Peru was transformed in 1968, when a nationalist government was established by Juan Velasco Alvarado. This brought to an end the oligarchic state, which had previously ruled Peru. Suddenly, many people started to migrate from the country to the city, seeking a new life in the new Peru.
This coincided with new Andean singers and bands playing concerts in Coliseums located on the outskirts of cities. Many within the audience were those who had migrated from the country to the city, and they enjoyed the concerts that they attended.
Meanwhile, their was an upsurge of interest in Andean music, and sales of new recordings increased. The Andean sound which had first been recorded and promoted by Jose Maria Arguedas by the late-forties was growing in popularity. Soon, new bands were being formed and Andean sound became more popular than ever and the Peruvian musical industry expanded. However, Juan Luis and Raul Pereira had their own plans for Peruvian music.
As the sixties, gave way to the seventies, Juan Luis and Raul Pereira realised that the fusion of beat music and surf sounds many bands had been playing was yesterday’s sound and no longer as popular as it had once been. It was time for Peruvian music to change. The Pereira decided to fuse the sound of today with some of the music that they had heard growing up.
This included classical music, Peruvian waltzes and huaynos, which had influenced and moulded the Pereira brothers in their formative years. So did Andean folklore music which would become part of El Polen’s sound. They were about to combine Andean music, folk rock and psychedelia, and this new genre-melting was groundbreaking. Nobody had ever tried this before and the members of El Polen were about to become musical pioneers.
By then, the members of El Polen had been on a journey which would help them improve as musicians and spiritually. El Polen had traveled to Cusco, where they learned more about Andean instruments and musical traditions. This was they saw as part of their continuing musical education, and having gathered new knowledge, El Polen began the next part of this two-part journey.
It took El Polen to Santa Eulalia high in the mountains above Lima, where they examined their burgeoning spirituality. After this, the members of El Polen were ready to change Peruvian music forevermore.
By then, the hippy movement had exploded in popularity as Peruvian music fans embraced psychedelia and sought altered states of consciousness. With the new hippy generation enjoying and embracing the new, alternative lifestyle and psychedelic music El Polen had a captive audience.
The members of El Polen had much in common with the people who they hoped would embrace their music. They had lived in a community, and shared many of the same values and beliefs. El Polen also hoped that the new hippy generation would embrace their music.
When El Polen took to the stage, they sought to eliminate the boundaries between rock and huayno. To do this, they deployed acoustic guitars, a cello, mandolin, percussion and quenas, as they combined Andean music, folk rock and psychedelia. This proved popular, and soon, El Polen was at the forefront of a new musical movement that was blossoming in Peru.
Given their popularity, it was only a matter of time before El Polen came to the attention of one of the Peruvian record companies. Virrey won the signature of El Polen who soon, began work on their debut album.
Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido).
For their debut album, El Polen was asked to write the soundtrack to the film Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido), which was based on the life of the famous Peruvian Soccer Player Hugo Sotil.
For Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido), El Polen wrote six new tracks, and covered Cholito Pantalion Bianco which was written by singer and songwriter Luis Abanto Morales. These seven tracks were recorded by the six members of El Polen.
As recording of Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido) began, El Polen’s lineup featured guitarist Juan Luis Pereira and his brother Raul who played guitar and took charge of the vocals. They were joined by cellist Juan Sebastián Montesinos, violinist Fernando Silva, percussionist Ernesto Pinto and Carlos Martínez who played mandolin. As Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido) took shape, the six members of El Polen had no idea that they were about to make musical history.
Prior to the release of Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido), critics had their say on El Polen’s debut album. While El Polen’s debut album was well received and hailed as an ambitious and exciting release, it was only later that critics realised the importance of Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido).
It was a game-changer of an album, and Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido) proved not just to be innovative, but also influential. El Polen paved the way for other bands to fuse Andean music and rock and would influence several generations of bands and musicians.
Nowadays, Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido) is regarded as a landmark album in the history of Peruvian music. That is no surprise as El Polen was the first band to fuse traditional Andean music with folk and psychedelia and rock. They were also the first group to combine traditional Andean instruments with Western instruments.
Fuera De La Ciudad.
Buoyed by the commercial success and critical response to their debut album, El Polen began writing their sophomore album. Eventually, El Polen had written five new songs that would eventually become Fuera De La Ciudad.
When El Polen entered the studio, they were no longer a six piece band any more, and their lineup had changed. It featured lead guitarist, harpist and vocalist Juan Luis Pereira and his brother Raul who played rhythm guitar, Quena and took charge of the vocals. They were joined by violinist Fernando Silva and percussionists Ernesto Pinto and Cuto Vásquez who also played mandolin. Gradually, Fuera De La Ciudad started to shape, and it wasn’t long before the album was completed. El Polen were about to make history once more.
Critics on hearing Fuera De La Ciudad in 1973 recognised the quality of what was another which innovative genre-melting album. However, they didn’t realise that Fuera De La Ciudad was a game-changer of album and that would inspire and influence two generations.
Side A
Ironically, this was apparent from the uptempo album opener Concordancia, where El Polen combine blues, folk rock and traditional Peruvian instruments. Sweeping, swirling strings , a bluesy harmonica and mandolin accompany a beautiful soul-baring vocal. By comparison Mi Cueva has a much more tradition Andean sound.This is because of the choice of instruments during what’s a haunting sounding fusion of folk and traditional Andean music. Strings sweep as the joyous sounding A Las Orillas Del Vilcanota unfolds and reveals its secrets. What follows is an irresistible mixture of the traditional Andean music and folk.
Side B.
From the get-go, there’s a degree of drama during the fourteen minute epic El Hijo Del Sol. It’s cinematic and rich in imagery, even before the choir, harpsichord and pizzicato strings are added. Later, folk, folk rock and traditional Andean music combine as the tempo and drama increase on this ambitious, innovative and genre-melting Magnus Opus, which is El Polen’s finest moment on Fuera De La Ciudad. It closes with La Puna a slow and ruminative sounding track where traditional Andean instruments take centre-stage as Fuera De La Ciudad closes on a high.
Fuera De La Ciudad which found El Polen switching between and combining blues, folk, folk rock, psychedelia, rock and traditional Andean music saw the Lima-based band pickup where they left off on Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido). The followup Fuera De La Ciudad was another landmark album, full of ambitious and innovative music from musical pioneers El Polen.
They began their mission to revolutionise Peruvian music on Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido) in 1972. El Polen’s musical revolution continued in 1973 with the release of Fuera De La Ciudad. Ironically, many critics didn’t realise just how important and influential Fuera De La Ciudad.
Despite that, two generations of Peruvian musicians were influenced and inspired by El Polen’s sophomore album Fuera De La Ciudad.
El Polen managed to revolutionised Peruvian music in the space of just two albums. This included Fuera De La Ciudad a groundbreaking and genre-melting album from El Polen, who looked as if they were about to enjoy a long and illustrious career.
Sadly, two years after the release of Fuera De La Ciudad a El Polen split-up in 1975. By then, many bands would follow in El Polen’s footsteps, after being influenced by Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido). These albums were regarded as turning point for Peruvian music, and revolutionise Peruvian music forevermore and in the process.
Nothing more was heard of El Polen for twenty-one years, until they made a comeback in 1996. Three years later, self-released their third album Signos E Instrumentos. Sadly, not long after releasing their first album in twenty-six years El Polen split-up once again.
Fifteen years later, in 2014, there was an El Polen reunion, as they rolled back the years. Sadly, that was the last that was heard from one of the most important groups in the history of modern Peruvian music.
El Polen certainly made their mark on Peruvian music during the six-year period between 1969 and 1975. During this period, they released two ambitious and innovative albums Cholo (Música Original De La Banda De Sonido) in 1972, and followed this up with Fuera De La Ciudad in 1973 which was El Polen’s second classic album in Peru. Sadly, outside of Peru,El Polen aren’t as well known as they deserve to be, and Fuera De La Ciudad is a cult classic that that has only been discovered by a coterie of discerning musical lovers. However, hopefully this hidden gem of an album one day finds the wider audience it so richly deserves.
Cult Classic: El Polen-Fuera De La Ciudad.
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