MIROSLAV VITOUS-THE BASS.
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. This includes The Bass, which was recently remastered and rereleased by BGO Records. It was the album that 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 in the process, had saved jazz from obscurity and irrelevance. Pre-fusion, jazz’s popularity was at all-time low. However, since the birth of fusion, the genre’s popularity had soared. 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 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. This is the track listing that features on BGO Records’ recently reissue of The Bass. It was released scheduler for release by the Hör Zu Black Label later in 1972.
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.
MIROSLAV VITOUS-THE BASS.
JOHN WETTON-THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG-ARCHIVE VOLUME 1.
JOHN WETTON-THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG ARCHIVE VOLUME 1.
For the best part of fifty years, artists and record companies have been plagued by bootleggers smuggling recording equipment into concerts. This started when bootleggers began smuggling tape into concerts. Often the tape recorders were hidden under coats or in bags. As a result, the sound quality was often poor quality. This forced a rethink by the bootleggers.
Eventually, they realised that they had place their tape recorders in places where they could they could best capture the sound quality. After all, they planned to release recordings on vinyl. This marked the birth of the first rock bootlegs.
Little did anyone realise that this was the start of an underground record industry, that would do untold damage to the music industry. However, in the early days, there was an element of cloak and dagger to buying bootlegs.
Some of these recordings were sold almost clandestinely in small record shops. Other bootlegs labels sold their releases via mail order. Usually, record buyers sent their money to a Post Office Box. They eventually received their bootleg album. This included some of the biggest recording artists of the day. Everyone from Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones to Pink Floyd fell victim to the bootleggers.
Especially, as bootlegging became an underground industry. The recording equipment used by bootleggers was improving, and some went as far as investing in top of the range professional equipment. This meant recordings were much more professional sounding. It was a worrying time for the music industry. They were caught on the hop, and soon, seemed to be fighting a losing battle.
The bootleggers had nurtured contacts with pressing plants, concert arenas and even record companies. Some of the contacts within record companies smuggled out recordings of unreleased material. These stolen recordings were then released by the bootleggers. This was just the latest worrying trend.
Another was that some bootleggers seemed to have access to a band’s soundboard at concerts. Some bootleggers were able to setup recording equipment onstage. Questions were asked about the road crew? Had they been involved, and did they facilitate the recording of these bootlegs? They often proved costly.
Especially if these bootlegs were released just before a band planned to release a live album. This could prove costly. Efforts were made find the bootleggers. Sometimes this proved successful. Mostly, though, it was a costly and frustrating cat and mouse game.
This has continued for decades. Often, a few bootleggers are caught, and inroads are made into the supply chain. Still, though, bootleggers continue to prosper. This is no victimless crime. It costs record companies and artists money. However, over the years, some artists have fought back, including John Wetton.
Recently, John Wetton released The Official Bootleg Archive Volume 1, a six CD box set through his own website. It’s a collection of three of John Wetton’s previously released Official Bootlegs, which have been out of print for the best part of ten years. These three concerts were recorded between 1996 and 1999. The first is Live In Argentina 1996 which features on discs one and two. Live In Osaka 1997 features on discs three and four. On discs five and six, is Live At The Sun Plaza Tokyo 1998. With his tongue firmly in his cheek, John Wetton decided to call this box set The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1. It’s the latest addition to John Wetton’s burgeoning back-catalogue.
John Wetton served his musical apprenticeship in Bournemouth, where he grew up. That’s where he first met Richard Palmer-Jones. They were members of The Corvettes, The Palmer-James Group, Tetrad, and Ginger Man. After that, John Wetton joined Mogul Thrash. That’s where he made his breakthrough.
Mogul Thrash-Mogul Thrash.
Mogul Thrash were a prog rock band, who had evolved out of Brotherhood. They released their debut single Sleeping in the Kitchen in 1970. Then a year later, Mogul Thrash released their eponymous debut album in 1971. It was produced by Steampacket founder Brian Auger. On its release, Mogul Thrash was well received by critics. The future looked bright for Mogul Thrash. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.
As Mogul Thrash was released, the group were locked in a legal battle with their management. It didn’t end well. Mogul Thrash had no option but to disband. So, 1971s Mogul Thrash proved to be group’s only album. For bassist John Wetton, and the rest of Mogul Thrash, this was a huge disappointment. Mogul Thrash looked like they were going places. Luckily, Family were looking for a bassist.
John Wetton fitted the bill. Not only could he play bass, but he was a guitarist and vocalist. So, the multitalented twenty-two year old joined Family. He played on their next two albums, starting with Fearless
Family-Fearless,
Family’s fifth album, was released on 29th October 1971. This marked John Wetton’s Family debut. He played bass, guitars, and keyboards. Family were almost getting three musicians for the price of one. He would more than play his part in Fearless’ sound and success.
On its release, Fearless was well received by critics. The new lineup of Family seemed to have gelled quickly. Fearless was littered with highlights, including Spanish Tide, Save Some for Thee and Take Your Partners. So, it’s no surprise that Fearless sold well.
After its release, Fearless climbed the British and American charts. Eventually, it reached number fourteen in Britain and number 177 in the US Billboard 200. This was a first for Family. Never before had any of their albums charted in America. John Wetton it seemed, was Family’s good luck charm.
Bandstand.
After the success of Fearless, Family returned to the studio, and recorded Bandstand at Olympic Studios, London. This was where they had recorded Fearless. Just like Fearless, Bandstand was produced by George Chkiantz and Family. However, it marked a change in style for Family.
Bandstand was released in September 1972. It marked a stylistic departure for Family. Their music moved towards the mainstream. Partly, this was because Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney had accepted the standard method of songwriting. It made life a lot easier. However, this move towards the mainstream risked alienating Family’s fans.
Prior to Bandstand’s release, critics had their say. Critics liked Family’s more mainstream sound. The album was released to near critical acclaim. A few contrarian critics disagreed. However, the people that mattered were the record buying public.
As Bandstand hit the shops, the members of Family wondered how their new sound we he received? When the dust settled, Bandstand had reached number fifteen in Britain and number 183 in the US Billboard 200. This was almost the same as Fearless. It seemed their new sound had neither lost, nor gained, Family any new fans. However, before long, Family had lost their bassist.
By 1972, John Wetton had attracted the attention of King Crimson. They were prog rock royalty, and one of the biggest and most innovative bands of the prog rock era. So, when John was asked to join King Crimson, he couldn’t say no. He made his debut on Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
King Crimson-Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
Larks’ Tongues In Aspic was King Crimson’s fifth album. The album marked an almost new lineup of King Crimson. This was the third lineup in the group’s history. Joining Robert Fripp were bassist John Wetton, ex-Yes drummer Bill Bruford, percussionist Jamie Muir and David Cross, who played violin, viola, Mellotron, electric piano and flute. This new lineup saw the band head in a new direction.
King Crimson incorporated different instruments, including percussion and African mbira. They moved away from their jazz sound, to a fusion of prog rock and experimental music on what became Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
It was released in March 1973, to critical acclaim, reaching number twenty in the UK and number sixty-one in the US Billboard 200. With a new lineup and having released their strongest album in recent years, King Crimson looked as if they were about to become one of the biggest bands of the early seventies.
Starless and Bible Black.
Just about every prog rock band released a concept album. Starless and Bible Black, which is a quotation from the first two lines of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, was King Crimson’s concept album. The album is a commentary on the sleaziness and materialism that was blighting society. Richard Palmer-James, a former member of Supertramp, cowrote four of the songs on Starless and Bible, which saw King Crimson take a different approach to recording.
Unlike previous albums, there’s no drums on Starless and Bible. Despite the lack of drums, drummer Bill Bruford played percussion and cowrote three tracks. While he played on Starless and Bible, Jamie Muir didn’t. He’d left the band. Another change was that only the first two tracks on Starless and Bible, The Great Deceiver and Lament recorded in the studio. The rest of the tracks were recorded live, with the applause edited out. This was a very different approach from previous King Crimson albums.
Despite this, Starless and Bible Black was well received. Some critics hailed Starless and Bible Black as King Crimson’s best album since their debut. With its fusion of prog rock and experimental music, it was an ambitious and groundbreaking album. On its release in March 1974, it reached number twenty-eight in the UK and number sixty-six in the US Billboard 200. With King Crimson having released two consecutive critically acclaimed albums, it looked as if they were about to join the royalty that included Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. However, that wasn’t to be.
Red.
Having just released to consecutive critically acclaimed albums, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic and then Starless and Bible Black, critics and fans wondered what direction King Crimson seventh album Red would take? Being King Crimson, fans and critics had learnt to expect the unexpected. The first change was in the lineup. After their 1974 summer tour, David Cross left King Crimson. This meant the band was now a trio consisting of Robert Fripp, bassist John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford. They cowrote much of Red.
Red featured just five tracks. Recording of Red began on 30th June 1974 at Olympic Studios, London and finished in August 1974. Four of the songs on Red were recorded live. The exception was One More Red Nightmare, which was recorded live. In the studio, Robert Fripp played guitar and mellotron. He was joined by bassist John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford. They were augmented by a variety of musicians who often, played on just one track. These musicians played their part in not only what’s a landmark album, but an album that marked the end of an era.
On its release in October 1974, Red reached just number forty-five in the UK and number sixty-six in the US Billboard 200. Critics hailed Red as an innovative album. There are obvious similarities with Larks’ Tongues In Aspic and Starless and Bible Black in sound and quality. One change was the lack of the acoustic guitars that featured on previous albums. With its fusion of prog rock and classic music, Red proved to be a hugely influential and innovative album. Sadly, it was the last King Crimson studio album to feature John Wetton.
Uriah Heep-Return To Fantasy.
Having left King Crimson, John joined Uriah Heep. They had already realised seven albums since their 1970 debut …Very ‘Eavy …Very ‘Umble. John was brought in to replace Gary Thain. He joined just in time to play on their eighth album Return To Fantasy. John it seemed had the Midas touch.
Return To Fantasy was recorded at Lansdowne Studios and Morgan Studios, London. Just like previous albums, Gerry Bron took charge of production. Initially, Mick Box thought found that the chemistry he had with Gary Thain was missing. However, soon, John was making his presence felt, playing bass, mellotron and adding backing vocals. He played an important part in Return To Fantasy’s success.
When critics heard Return To Fantasy, they hailed it a vast improvement on 1974s Wonderworld. Return To Fantasy was the album critics knew Uriah Heep were capable of recording. Critical acclaim accompanied Return To Fantasy’s release.
It wasn’t just critics who loved Return To Fantasy. So did the recording buying public. On its release on 30th June 1975, Return To Fantasy reached number seven in Britain and was certified silver. Return To Fantasy reached number thirty-eight in the US Billboard 200 charts, selling 450,000 copies. The new lineup of Uriah Heep had just released their biggest selling album, Return To Fantasy. The problem was following it up.
High and Mighty.
Nearly a year later, Uriah Heep released High and Mighty on 8th June 1976. It was the last Uriah Heep album to feature vocalist David Byron. He had been battling with alcohol. Sadly, his drinking was beginning to affect the band. So, he was sacked after the release of High and Mighty.
What didn’t help, was that High and Mighty wasn’t well received by critics. Some critics slated the album. They weren’t impressed by the move towards the mainstream. Nor did the lack of lengthy tracks please critics. The longest song on High and Mighty was just under six minutes. This was quite unlike Uriah Heep. So was the chart placing.
High and Mighty stalled at number fifty-five in Britain. This was their lowest chart placing since their sophomore album, Salisbury. Across the Atlantic, American record buyers turned their back on Uriah Heep, with High and Mighty reaching number 161 in the US Billboard 200. For Uriah Heep, something had to give.
David Byron was sacked by Uriah Heep. John Wetton decided that this also was the time to part company with Uriah Heep. He had plenty of session work and collaboration to keep him busy.
For the next couple of years, John was kept busy. John played on Roxy Music’s 1976 album Viva! He also accompanied Bryan Ferry on 1976s Let’s Stick Together, 1977s In Your Mind and 1978s The Bride Stripped Bare. This wasn’t John’s only collaboration with members of Roxy Music.
Previously, John had played on Andy McKay’s 1977 album, Score. Then in 1978, Phil Manzanera asked John to play on his 1978 album K-Scope. The pair had worked together on Phil’s 1975 debut Diamond Head. So, this was no surprise. Neither was John joining a new band UK.
UK-UK.
UK were another prog rock supergroup. Their lineup included John, Yes drummer Bill Bruford, keyboardist Eddie Jobson and guitarist Allan Holdsworth. This was the lineup that recorded two critically acclaimed albums. The first was UK.
Recording of UK took place between December 1977 and January 1978. It was released in March 1978. Although critics gave UK glowing reviews, referring to the music as innovative and progressive, UK passed record buyers by. The four members of UK were going to give up.
Danger Money.
Nearly a year to the day, UK returned with their sophomore album, Danger Money. It featured a new lineup of UK. Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth had left the group. Replacing them was Terry Bozzio. So, with UK reduced to a trio, they returned to the studio.
The new lineup were set record six songs at Air Studios, London. These songs were penned by John and Eddie. They were recorded between November 1978 and January 1979. Once Danger Money was recorded, it was ready for release in March 1979.
History repeated itself, when Danger Money was well received by critics, but failed to chart. At least Nothing to Lose reached number sixty-seven in the British charts. Despite this modicum of success, it was a frustrating time for groups like UK. They certainly weren’t lacking in talent. Far from it. UK were a hugely talented group. Part of the problem was the changing musical landscape.
The nihilist sound of punk and post punk was polluting the airwaves. Many critics were little more than cheerleaders for the talentless punks. It truly was the great rock ’n’ roll swindle. Its victims were talented prog rock groups who punks referred to as dinosaurs. However, little did they realise that in three years time, John Wetton would have the last laugh. Before that, UK released their swan-song.
Night After Night.
Danger Money was John Wetton’s final studio album with UK. He featured on their live album Night After Night. It was recorded during UK’s tour of Japan, in early June 1979. The album was recorded at Nakano Sun Plaza and Seiken Kan, in Tokyo. It was released in September 1979.
This was perfect timing. UK were about to head out on tour, supporting Jethro Tull on their American tour. So, the release of Night After Night was timed to coincide with the American tour. Sadly, Night After Night wasn’t a commercial success. This resulted in John leaving UK.
John Wetton-The Solo Years
Caught In The Crossfire.
Following his departure from UK, John decided that now was the time to embark upon a solo career. So he began work on what became Caught In The Crossfire.
Given John Wetton is a talented multi-instrumentalist, he was able to record much of Caught In The Crossfire himself. He played bass, guitars, keyboards and added vocals. To play the drum and percussion parts, John drafted in Simon Kirke of Bad Company. Another guest artist, was saxophonist Malcolm Duncan. They played their part on Caught In The Crossfire, John Wetton’s long-awaited debut album.
On its release in 1980, Caught In The Crossfire was well received by critics. Although quite different from his work with Family, King Crimson and Uriah Heep, it showed John’s versatility and ability to create ambitious and innovative music. Although the album sold well, it wasn’t a huge success. Despite that, ecord buyers awaited John’s sophomore album. It would be a long time coming.
There was a reason for this. John was a busy man. He worked with Roger Chapman on their 1980 album Mail Order Magic and 1981s Hyenas Only Laugh for Fun. The former Family frontman had reinvented himself as a solo artist. However, later in 1981 John joined Wishbone Ash, where he replaced Martin Turner.
Wishbone Ash-No Smoke Without Fire.
With Martin Turner leaving Wishbone Ash, the English rock group found themselves with a problem. They had an album to record, but had no bassist. This was where John Wetton came in. He joined in time to record No Smoke Without Fire.
No Smoke Without Fire was a stylistic departure for Wishbone Ash. Previously, their music had taken on an American influence. Some fans didn’t take to this. What they wanted was Wishbone Ash to return to the prog rock of their past. Other fans wanted Wishbone Ash to return to their hard rocking best. With Derek Lawrence returning as producer, for the first time since 1972s Argus, they did both.
When No Smoke Without Fire was released later in 1978, the album has hailed Wishbone Ash’s heaviest album to date. Critics welcomed the inclusion of prog rock epic The Way Of The World. Wishbone Ash many thought were back.
Sadly, The Way Of The World stalled at number forty-three in Britain, and failed to chart in America. For John Wetton and the rest of Wishbone Ash, this was a huge disappointment. Especially considering The Way Of The World was John’s only album with Wishbone Ash. He left the group to join Asia.
Asia-Asia.
Asia were another British prog rock supergroup. Its lineup featured John, guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Geoff Downes. They were both members of Yes. The final piece of the jigsaw was Carl Palmer, or E.L.P. With Asia’s lineup complete, they began working on their eponymous debut album.
Recording of Asia took place at the Townhouse Studios, London. For the five months between June and November 1981, the four members of Asia recorded nine tracks. Eventually, the album was finished and ready for release on 18th March 1982.
After their five months of hard work, reviews of Asia were mixed. This some critics felt, didn’t bode well for the release of Asia. They were wrong.
On its release, Asia’s 1982 eponymous debut album sold eight million copies worldwide, and reached number one in the US Billboard 200 charts. This lead to Asia being certified platinum four times over. John Wetton it seemed had the Midas touch.
Alpha.
Following the commercial success of Asia, the four members of the band started work on their sophomore album Alpha. John and Geoff penned nine of the ten tracks. The other track, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, was a John Wetton composition. These tracks were recorded between February and May 1983.
It was never going to be easy following up Asia. The album had sold eight million copies. Unsurprisingly, Alpha wasn’t as popular. Again, reviews of Alpha were mixed. Critics pointed towards the change in sound. Asia, just like Family had done a decade earlier, had moved towards the mainstream. Part of Asia’s appeal, was their progressive sound. While it was less prominent, Alpha was still a commercial success.
On its release on 26th July 1983, Alpha reached number six in the US Billboard 200 and number five in Britain. This resulted in Alpha selling two million copies worldwide. Alpha was certified platinum in America and gold in Britain. Sadly, after Alpha, Asia never reached the same heights
Astra.
There was a gap of two years between Alpha, and Asia’s third album Astra. It marked the end of an era. Astra was the last album to feature founding member John Wetton. He didn’t return until 2008s Phoenix. No wonder. All wasn’t well within Asia.
Astra had been two years in the making. Recording started in 1983. However, John left in September 1983, and was replaced temporarily by Greg Lake. He featured during some of Asia’s live shows. When John returned, Steve Howe departed. This was blamed on the tension between Steve and John. Replacing Steve, was Mandy Meyer, who brought a harder edge to Asia’s sound.
Asia’s new lineup spent much of 1984 and 1985 recording Astra. The band moved between studios. Eventually, Astra was finished, and ready for release in November 1985.
When critics heard Astra, reviews were mixed. While some critics weren’t impressed, other called Astra a solid album. The jury were well and truly out. As usual, the record buying public had the deciding vote.
On its release, Astra stalled at number sixty-seven in the US Billboard 200 and number sixty-eight in Britain. This was a far cry from Asia and Alpha.
Following Astra, John Wetton left Asia. While they enjoyed a degree of commercial success, Asia never reached the same heights. The lineup of Asia with John, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer proved to be the classic lineup of Asia. We wouldn’t see their likes again until 2008s Phoenix. By then, John Wetton was enjoying a successful solo career. Before that, John and members of rock royalty collaborated on an album.
John Wetton and Phil Manzanera decided to collaborate on an album where rock met pop. The resultant album, Wetton Manzanera was released on 1987. It was well received by critics. However, there was still no sign of John releasing his sophomore album. Eventually, it would be released in 1994.
Battle Lines.
Fourteen years after John Wetton released his debut solo album Caught In The Crossfire, he returned with his sophomore album Battle Lines in 1994. It marked the return of a musical innovator.
Throughout his career, John was also an early adopter of technology. That was the case on Battle Lines. He made good use of the new technology that had become available. Keyboard parts were programmed and samples were used to create orchestral arrangements. With its mixture of technology and traditional instruments, Battle Lines was a captivating album.
Critics agreed. Battle Lines veered between beautiful and elegiac, to dramatic and innovative. Genres melted into one, as with elements of folk, folk rock, progressive rock and rock shine through. John and his small, talented band made a welcome return on Battle Lines.
Battle Lines, John Wetton’s long awaited sophomore album found him evolving musically and as a musician. This ensured his music continued to stay relevant in an ever-changing musical landscape. John’s fans welcomed the release of Battle Lines, but the album failed to find a wider audience. Despite this, John returned with a live album in 1995.
Chasing The Dragon.
This was Chasing The Dragon, Johhn Wetton’s first live album. It was recorded during John’s 1994 Japanese tour. During the tour, John played songs from Caught In The Crossfire and Battle Lines. When the tour arrived in Osaka and Tokyo, John ensured that the tapes were running. These shows were recorded, and later, became Chasing The Dragon.
It features fifteen tracks from the Osaka and Tokyo shows. This included Heat Of The Moment, Caught In The Crossfire, In The Dead Of Night, Only Time Will Tell, Hold Me Now and Battle Lines. John revisited the King Crimson back-catalogue on Starless and Book Of Saturday. This also made Chasing The Dragon an attractive proposition for King Crimson fans upon its release in 1995.
Upon its release, Chasing The Dragon proved popular. Alas, not enough for the album to chart. It was a similar story to John’s previous albums. Despite this, John continued to record and release live albums. This includes The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1.
Live In Argentina 1996.
The first of the three concerts that features on The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1, in Live In Argentina 1996. It was recorded on 19th of October 1996, at Broadway Theatre, Buenos Aries, during John’s South American tour.
That night, John Wetton was accompanied by a small band. John plays bass, acoustic guitar and takes charge of lead vocals. He’s joined by drummer Thomas Lang, guitarist Billy Liesegang and keyboardist and vocalist Martin Orford. With his band, John works his way through seventeen tracks.
The show opens with In The Dead Of Night, and includes Sole Survivor, Only Time Will Tell, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, Hold Me Now, Caught In The Crossfire, Battle Lines and closes with Don’t Cry. Disc two opens with Thomas Lang’s Drum Solo. It’s a six minute drumming masterclass that’s a reminder of rock’s over-indulgent glory days. Thomas is important member of this small, but tight and talented band. Their performance was recorded for posterity.
Alas, seven years passed before the release of Live In Argentina. It was released in 2003, complete with a number of spelling mistakes on the sleeve notes. These have been rectified on the remastered version of Live In Argentina on The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1. However, it’s not alone.
Live In Osaka 1997.
Live In Osaka 1997 features on discs three and four of The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1. It was recorded on the 2nd of October 1997, at the Club Quattro, Osaka, Japan during John’s Japanese tour. That night, he and his band worked their way through eighteen tracks.
For the Japanese tour, there was a new member of John Wetton’s band. Keyboardist and vocalist John Young replaced Martin Orford. Apart from that,drummer Thomas Lang and guitarist Billy Liesegan joined John who switched between bass and acoustic guitar, whilst adding vocals during the eighteen song set.
This time around, The Last Thing On My Mind opens the set. After this, Sole Survivor, I Can’t Lie Anymore and Battlelines follow. They give way to John Young’s Solo. The keyboardist enjoys in moment in the spotlight, before John delivers some of his finest songs, including like The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, The Night Watch and Hold Me Now. Later, the Osaka audience are privileged to hear another Thomas Lang’s Drum Solo. John then follows this with Easy Money and In The Dead Of The Night. Closing the show are Starless and Don’t Cry, which like so many of the sings, prove the perfect showcase for John’s considerable talents. However, despite recording the show in 1997, it was six years before it was eventually released.
Live In Osaka was released in 2003, the same year as Live In Argentina. Since then, Live In Osaka has never been released..until now. It’s been remastered and is the perfect companion to Live In Argentina. However, John Wetton has kept a rerecording of one of his favourite concerts until last, Live At The Sun Plaza Tokyo 1999.
Live At The Sun Plaza Tokyo 1999.
Discs five and six of of The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1 feature Live At The Sun Plaza Tokyo 1999. The concert was recorded during a concert that took place on 5th August 1999. That night, a different lineup of John Wetton’s band accompanied him.
For the 1999 Japanese tour, John’s band featured a new drummer Steve Christey. He was joined by guitarist Billy Liesegan and keyboardist Martin Orford who had returned to the fold. They accompanied John who took charge of lead vocal and switched between acoustic guitar as he worked his way nineteen tracks.
Opening the concert was The Circle Of St. Giles, which featured on his 1997 album Arkangel. It gave way to The Last Thing On My Mind, Sole Survivor and Battle Lines. John like during the two previous concerts was playing some of his best, and best loved tracks. After Book Of Saturday came Martin Orford’s Solo. The keyboardist gives a dazzling display before the baton passes to John.
More old favourites, including The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, Hold Me Now and Only Time Will Tell follow. So do In The Dead Of The Night and Easy Money. However, for the final three songs of show, John’s kept back Starless, Heat Of The Moment and Don’t Cry. He then takes his bow, on what he remembers as one of his favourite concerts.
I Live At The Sun Plaza was released a year later, in 2000. John Wetton’s fans welcomed the release of this latest live album. However, before long, it was out of print. It was a similar story with Live In Argentina and Live In Osaka 1997.
So it made sense to reissue this trio of live albums. After all, these three Official Bootlegs have been out of print for over ten years. This meant newcomers to John Wetton’s music were unable to discover Live In Argentina, Live In Osaka 1997 and Live At The Sun Plaza Tokyo 1999. John decided that the time had come to rectify this. Each of the three concerts were remastered and are reissued as part of The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1. It’s a six CD box set that has recently been released by the Primary Purpose label.
The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1 box set is a reissue that will appeal to many music fans. This includes fans of Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, UK and Asia. Then there’s John Wetton’s loyal fans, who have followed his solo career closely over the past four decades. Especially during the nineties, when the three concerts on The Official Bootleg-Archive Volume 1 were recorded. They’re sure to bring back memories of John Wetton live, in the late nineties, which was one of the most fruitful periods of his solo career.
JOHN WETTON-THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG-ARCHIVE VOLUME 1.
THE KRAUTROCK AND PROGRESSIVE BOX SET.
THE KRAUTROCK AND PROGRESSIVE BOX SET.
Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, the late-sixties was the start of a golden age for music. It continued right through the seventies. During this period, some of the most important music ever recorded was released. This included countless classic albums. These classic albums ranged from classic rock, psychedelia, heavy rock, pop and even soul. That’s not forgetting two often misunderstood genres, progressive rock and Krautrock.
Despite being somewhat misunderstood, progressive rock was one of the most popular genres from the late-sixties through to the end of the seventies. That was the case in North America, Europe and especially in Britain. No wonder. Many of the best and most successful progressive rock bands were British. This included some of the giants of British progressive rock, Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull and Emerson Lake and Palmer. Meanwhile, in Germany another misunderstood musical movement was blossoming, Krautrock.
Across Germany, this new musical movement was producing some of the most inventive and innovative music of the seventies. Despite this, much of this music failed to find an audience. This wasn’t helped by many within the music press failing to understand never mind cover the music properly. As a result, groups like Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Amon Düül II, Cluster and Harmonia was largely unknown outside of a small coterie of discerning record buyers.
It was only much later, that Krautrock began to find the audience it so richly deserves. Since then, it’s grown in popularity. Still, though, most people know very little about Krautrock, and can only name a few bands. It’s a similar case with progressive rock, with many people able to name some of the genre’s giants. After that, they start to struggle. What they need is an introduction to progressive rock and Krautrock.
That’s what the good people at the Music Brokers label have spent time compiling. The result is The Krautrock and Progressive Rock Box Set. It’s a mammoth six CD set that features many well known name. However, don’t expect to find Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull. Nor Can, Cluster, Kraftwerk or Neu! Despite that, The Krautrock and Progressive Rock Box Set features many familiar faces.
Representing progressive rock are Steve Hackett, Atomic Rooster, GTR, Gong, Van Der Graaf Generator, Third Ear Band, Ginger Baker, Anthony Philips, Blonde On Blonde and Hawkwind. Krautrock is represented by Annexus Quam, Birth Control, Cosmic Jokers Hölderlin, Embryo, Mythos and Sergius Golowin. They were part of the burgeoning Krautrock movement, and far too often, their music is often. Not on The Krautrock and Progressive Rock Box Set. It features fifty-nine tracks which are spread across six CDs.
Disc One-Looking For An Answer In The Sky.
Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett opens disc one with Watcher Of The Skies. It was originally released as a single by Genesis in 1972 and featured on the Foxtrot album. Twenty-four years later, Watcher Of The Skies featured on his 1996 Genesis Revisited album. It’s foretaste of the progressive rock delights still to come on The Krautrock and Progressive Rock Box Set.
Giles, Giles and Fripp’s I Talk To The Wind is taken from their 1968 album, The Cheerful Insanity Of Giles, Giles And Fripp. It’s a beautiful, dreamy mixture of folk rock and progressive rock. So too is God If I Saw Her Now, a track from Anthony Phillips’ 1977 album The Geese And The Ghost. It too has an understated sound. Joining Anthony Phillips is his old Genesis bandmate Phil Collins. Despite his presence, the album wasn’t a huge success.
Very different to the two previous tracks is Atomic Rooster’s 1970 single Friday The 13th. It features Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Friday The 13th is much quicker, and features a rockier sound. This shows another side to progressive rock. So too does the music of Rick Wakeman. He pioneered and legitimised the use of synths in progressive rock during the early seventies. Thirty years later, Rick Wakeman and The New English Rock Ensemble released a new album in 2003, Out There. One of its highlights was The Mission, which showcased the skills of a musical pioneer.
So were Steve Hackett and Steve Howe. They were among the musicians who pioneered progressive rock in the early seventies. By 1986, they were part of GTR, when they released their eponymous debut album. It featured The Hunter, which was one of GTR’s finest moments. While GTR released just one album, Gong were prolific and enjoyed an enviable longevity. Their music is a mixture of musical genres and influences, including fusion, progressive rock, psychedelia and space rock. An example of this is Gong’s OM Riff a track from their 1987 album Shapeshifter. Just like the rest of disc one, OM Riff shows that progressive rock popularity continued way past the seventies.
Disc Two-The Unanswerable Passion Of The Strands.
Just like Gong, Van Der Graaf Generator who open disc were formed in 1967, and broke up in 1978. The classic lineup of Peter Hammill, Guy Evans, Hugh Banton and David Jackson were reunited in 2004 and released the album Present in 2005. A year later, David Jackson left in September 2006. Van Der Graaf Generator’s first studio album as a trio was Trisector in 2008. It featured Lifetime, where the veteran progressive rockers roll back the years. Suddenly, it’s the seventies, when progressive rock was King.
Fission Trip were formed by John Billings and Michael Clay thirty years after the golden age of progressive rock. They’ve released just the one album, Volume One in 2005. It features King Crimson vocalist Adrian Belew. He can be heard on Santa Maria, which is an introduction to this sadly, short-lived band. Audience released a quartet of studio albums between 1969 and 1972. Their 1969 eponymous debut album featured Heaven Was An Island, where elements of jazz and progressive rock are combined by Audience. They’re a vastly underrated band.
Third Ear Band’s career began in 1967. Thirty years later, they released the Magic Music. It featured Gog and Magog, where Elements of modern classical, improv, trance and neofolk are combine to create a captivating track. Gong’s very own space whisper Gilli Smyth, a.k.a. Mother Gong contributes the genre-melting The House Is Not The Same. She and her band combine free jazz, psychedelia and progressive rock on a track from 1994 live album Tree In Fish. Mother Gong, just like Third Ear Band, Fission Trip and Audience shows a different side to progressive rock.
Disc Three-Visions And Marmalade Thoughts.
Opening disc three are Cressida with To Play Your Little Game. This was a track from their 1970 eponymous debut. It’s melodic as hints of jazz and psychedelia combine with progressive rock. Cressida only released two albums in the early seventies, but made a welcome comeback in 2013 with their album Choices.
Warhorse only released two albums between 1970 and 1971. Their 1970 eponymous debut features the rocky ballad No Chance. It’s an introduction to another talented band who should’ve gone on to greater things. It’s a similar case with Audience, who return with Poet, a ballad track from their 1970 eponymous debut album. Field Of Eternity is an understated and thoughtful acoustic instrumental from Anthony Philips’ 1978 album Parts And Pieces. Blonde On Blonde’s The Rut is taken from their third and final album Reflections On A Life. Psychedelia meets progressive on this moody, ruminative track.
Slapp Happy were an Anglo-German avant-pop group were formed in 1972 in Hamburg. In 1998, they released the album Ça Va, which featured Scarred For Life. With its avant-pop sound, its very different to many of the tracks on disc three. So is Stroking The Tail Of The Bird, Daevid Allen’s collaboration with Gilli Smyth and Harry Williamson. It’s a beatific ambient track that was the title-track from their 1990 album. Hawkwind were one of the pioneers of the space rock sound. Their music evolved over the years. However, their space rock roots can be heard on Clouded Vision, an understated track from their 1997 album Distant Horizons. It’s part of what’s the most eclectic disc of The Krautrock and Progressive Rock Box Set…so far.
Disc Four-Phosphorescent Creatures On German Skies.
Walpurgis open disc four with Hey You Over There, a track from Queen Of Saba. It was released on the Ohr label in 1971, and is a fusion of blues rock, psychedelia and progressive rock. Sadly, Queen Of Saba was the only album Walpurgis released, and their career is a case of what might have been?
Birth Control’s released their eponymous debut album in 1970. A year later, they returned with one of their finest albums Operation. It was released in Ohr, and featured Stop Little Lady and The Work Is Done. Both tracks feature Birth Control at their hard rocking best, at the start of what was a long and successful career. Atlantis also enjoyed successful career. They were formed in 1972, and later that year, the progressive rockers released their eponymous debut album on Vertigo. In 1975, Atlantis released Get On Board, which featured Change My Mind. It’s one of the highlights of what’s a melodic and accessible progressive rock album. Three years later, in 1978, Atlantic released their swan-song, Top Of The Bill. That was fitting, as they were one of the most successful German progressive rock bands. He’s Got A Gun In His Hand is a reminder of Atlantis just before they took their final bow.
Unlike Birth Control and Atlantis, Annexus Quam’s career lasted just two albums. They released their debut album Osmose on Ohr in 1970. It featured Osmose 1, where Krautrock is combined with avant-garde, experimental and improv. The result was ambitious and innovative track that’s part of an album that later, would be hailed a cult classic. A year later, Annexus Quam returned with their sophomore album Beziehungen, which featured Troubluhs El E Isch. Just like the music Osmose, it’s ambitious and groundbreaking. Sadly, the album failed to find an audience until much later. Like so much Krautrock and Berlin School music, it was way ahead of its time.
Originally, Hölderlin were a folk band who played covers of songs by Pentangle and Fairport Convention. This soon changed as they became part of Düsseldorf’s thriving and eclectic music scene. Suddenly, Hölderlin’s music was transformed. It became lysergic and cosmic as the music moved towards progressive folk. There’s more than a hint of this on their 1972 debut album Hölderlins Traum, which features Requiem Für Einen Wicht. For Hölderlin, this was the start of a musical journey that lasted eight albums. However, disc four is just a tantalising taste of what Krautrock has in store for the newcomer to the genre.
Disc Five-5: Trippin´ On Krautrock Lands.
The adventure through Krautrock continues on disc four with Embryo’s Got No Time. This is a track from the Munich jazz-rockers 1970 debut album on Ohr. It’s a mesmeric genre-melting track where elements of avant-garde and ambient combine with improv and jazz.
When Mythos released their 1972 eponymous debut album on Ohr, tracks like Hero’s Death epitomised the Kruatrock sound. By the time Mythos released their sophomore album Dreamlab in 1975 their music had changed. It had taken on a much more experimental sound, and was reminiscent of Manuel Göttsching’s 1975 album Inventions For Electric Guitar. Mythos certainly hadn’t stood still and were determined to stay relevant.
Swiss born author Sergius Golowin released his Lord Krishna Von Goloka album on Ohr in in 1973. It featured Die Weisse Alm, that’s variously dreamy, lysergic and mediative. Walter Wegmüller was a Swiss painter and musician who released the cult album Tarot in 1973. Both Die Hohepriesterin and Die Sterne have a trippym hypnotic and captivating. Sadly, these tracks are the nearest most people come to hearing Tarot. It’s one of the rarest Krautrock albums, with copies changing hands for up to £600. Another rare album is the Cosmic Jokers’ 1974 eponymous album where Krautrock meets psychedelia on the two lengthy jams. One of them is Galactic Joke, which is uber trippy Krautrock. Some of the tracks on disc four are the most psychedelic Krautrock tracks ever recorded.
Disc Six-Isolated Mansions On Faraway Weekends.
Opening the sixth and final disc in The Krautrock and Progressive Box Set is Carmen’s Stepping Stone. It’s a track from the Anglo-American band’s 1973 debut album Fandangos In Space. Carmen successfully fuse folk rock with progressive rock to create a melodic and memorable track.
Space rockers Hawkwind released Choose Your Masques in 1982. The title-track is a slice of psychedelic space rock from Hawkind, who were in the midst of one of the most prolific periods of their long career.
In 1972, Wallenstein released their sophomore album Mother Universe on Pilz. The title-track, like the rest of the album, married folk rock with progressive rock and Krautrock. This resulted in one of Wallenstein’s finest albums. A year later, in 1973, Wallenstein released Cosmic Century. It featured Silver Arms, the final part of the three part suite The Symphonic Rock Orchestra. It’s a ten minute progressive rock epic.
Mogul Thrash are one of the many bands who released only one album. That was their 1971 eponymous debut album. It featured Elegy where Mogul Thrash unleash a musical masterclass combining fusion and progressive rock. The same year Mogul Thrash released their debut album, Blonde On Blonde released their swan-song Reflections On A Life. It features the wistful sounding Sad Song For An Easy Lady,
The final track on The Krautrock and Progressive Box Set is Guy Evans’ Der Traum Von Julius. This is a track from his 1983 album The Long Hello Volume Four. It’s a compelling mixture of free jazz and progressive rock, that’s shows the enduring nature of this misunderstood genre, progressive rock.
It outlasted many other musical movements. This included punk, who the gunslinger critics forecast was the future of music in 1976. Progressive rock the misguided gunslinger critics called musical dinosaurs. How wrong they were.
Over the next forty years, progressive rock’s popularity continued. Many of the giants of progressive rock continued to tour and record and release new music. Meanwhile, new progressive rock bands were formed and released albums. That’s still the case today. However, there’s more than progressive rock on The Krautrock and Progressive Box Set.
There’s also progressive folk, space rock and psychedelia. The Krautrock and Progressive Box Set is about much more that progressive rock. This includes Krautrock.
Over the last few years, Krautrock has grown in popularly. Nowadays, Krautrock is more popular than ever. Many of the albums that failed to find an audience first time round, are now regarded as classics. This includes a number of albums from artists that feature on The Krautrock and Progressive Rock Box Set. Some of these artists and bands are often overlooked by compilers, so the inclusion of Anexus Quam, Birth Control, Cosmic Jokers Hölderlin, Embryo, Mythos and Sergius Golowin is to be welcomed.
They show a very different side to the Krautrock that Can, Cluster, Harmonia, Kraftwerk and Neu! These are the groups that most people are familiar with. That’s no surprise, as they’re Krautrock royalty. However, that is just the tip of the Krautrock iceberg. There’s much more to discover. It’s a similar case with progressive rock. Most music fans know Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull and Emerson Lake and Palmer. However, they may not have heard of Steve Hackett, Atomic Rooster, GTR, Gong, Van Der Graaf Generator, Third Ear Band, Ginger Baker, Anthony Philips, Blonde On Blonde and Hawkwind. Now is the perfect opportunity to do so. Especially for newcomers who want an introduction to Krautrock and progressive. The perfect place to start is The Krautrock and Progressive Rock Box Set a mammoth six CD set.
THE KRAUTROCK AND PROGRESSIVE BOX SET.
ADELBERT VON DEYEN-NORBORG AND ATMOSPHERE.
ADELBERT VON DEYEN-NORBORG AND ATMOSPHERE.
After Adelbert Von Deyen released his debut album Sternzeit on Günter Körber’s Sky Records in 1978, the label became his home for the next nine years. This was the most productive period of Adelbert Von Deyen’s career. His creativity blossomed and he released eight studio albums and one live album. This included his sophomore album Norborg in 1980, and his third album Atmosphere in 1979. Both were recently reissued by Bureau B, and mark the next chapter in the career of Adelbert Von Deyen, who originally, began making music as a hobby.
By 1977, Adelbert Von Deyen was working as a retoucher for a Berlin newspaper. While this kept him busy during the day, Adelbert had plenty of free time in the evenings. Wanting to put his free time to good use, Adelbert decided to take up a hobby. The hobby Adelbert Von Deyen chose was music.
This was no surprise, as at that time, Berlin had a thriving music scene. Many of the Krautrock bands, were formed in Berlin. Meanwhile, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Manuel Göttsching were pioneering the Berlin School of electronic music. However, Adelbert Von Deyen didn’t just want to listen to the music being made in Berlin, he wanted to make music.
The type of music Adelbert Von Deyen wanted to make was electronic music. So he began to working out what type of equipment he would need to buy. Having made a “shopping list” of equipment, Adelbert headed out and bought a second hand synth, a Revox A77 tape recorder and keyboards. Little did he realise that this was just the first of numerous shopping trips he would make.
Having started making music in the evenings as a hobby, gradually Adelbert Von Deyen was bitten by the music making bug. Soon, he was adding new pieces of equipment to his home studio. This meant making sacrifices. Sometimes, when Adelbert hadn’t enough money to buy new pieces of equipment, he borrowed from the funds from the bank. Adelbert was dedicated to making music.
When he returned from work each night, Adelbert Von Deyen began making music. He often worked late into the night, and sometimes, into the early hours of the morning as he perfected his elegiac soundscapes. This took time, patience and determination.
After eight months, Adelbert Von Deyen had finished his first compositions. He decided to tape the compositions, and send a copy to various German record companies. Maybe he hoped, one of the record companies would interested in his album? This was a long shot. Adelbert Von Deyen was a new artist, who had only been making music for eight months. However, it was a case of fortune favouring the brave.
One of the record companies Adelbert Von Deyen had sent his tape to, was Hamburg based Sky Records. They had been formed just three years earlier, in 1975 by Günter Körber. Since then, Sky Records’ had only released eighteen albums. However, Sky Records had released albums by Bullfrog, Streetmark, Wolfgang Riechmann, Michael Rother, Cluster, and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. This was already an impressive roster, and one that many musicians were keen to sign to.
Sky Records had already established a reputation for releasing groundbreaking music. Just like most record companies, Sky Recordswere being sent many tapes during 1978. Usually, the tapes would range from good and bad to indifferent. One of the tapes that Günter Körber had been sent was Adelbert Von Deyen’s. Having listened to the tape, Günter Körber made the decision to add a new name to the Sky Records’ roster,.. Adelbert Von Deyen.
Sternzeit,
Günter Körber contacted Adelbert Von Deyen to offer him a recording contract. Sky Records were willing to record Adelbert Von Deyen’s debut album worldwide. The as yet unnamed album became Sternzeit, which featured a distinctive cover painted by Adelbert Von Deyen.
Sky Records’ release of Sternzeit rewarded all the time and effort Adelbert Von Deyen’s had spent recording his debut album. From March to August 1978, Adelbert worked on the two lengthy tracks that became Sternzeit. They were Per Aspera Ad Astra ,which was a three-part suite, featuring Mental Voyage, Stellardance and Astral Projection. Then on the second side of Sternzeit was the title-track a twenty-five minute epic. These tracks were recorded in Adelbert new home studio.
Although Sternzeit was recorded in his home studio, Adelbert Von Deyen had access to an enviable array of equipment. This included a myriad of strings including an ARP Odyssey. They were joined by synth strings, an organ, electric piano and electric guitar. Adelbert Von Deyen played each instrument, and produced Sternzeit. Once the album was recorded, it was mixed at Star-Studio, in Hamburg. Now Sternzeit was ready for release.
When Sternzeit was released later in 1978, it was well received by critics. Sternzeit sold reasonably, well and certainly was more successful than many Krautrock and Berlin School albums. It was only later that Adelbert Von Deyen’s music would receive the credit and critical acclaim it deserved. By then, Adelbert Von Deyen had an enviable back-catalogue.
Norborg.
After the commercial success of Sternzeit, Adelbert Von Deyen was able to give up his job as a a retoucher for a Berlin newspaper and devote his energies to making music. This was a dream come true. Adelbert Von Deyen had also become something of a celebrity in his home town of Lübeck. He began to receive fan mail from record buyers, and was being booked to sign autographs. However, Adelbert Von Deyen wasn’t going to let his newfound celebrity status go to his head. Not when he had music to make.
When Adelbert Von Deyen had signed with Günter Körber’s Sky Records, the contract specified that he must deliver one album each year. So Adelbert Von Deyen’s thought’s turned to his sophomore album. Part of the inspiration for one of the tracks came something that happened during a short holiday after the release of Sternzeit.
To celebrate the success of Sternzeit, Adelbert Von Deyen decided to book a short holiday in Nordborg, on the Danish island of Alsen. This would allow Adelbert to recharge his batteries. He had spent the best part of a year juggling his full-time job and recording his debut album. Sometimes, Adelbert had worked into the wee small hours of the morning. So he was due a break. Little did Adelbert realise as he journeyed to Norborg, that his short break would later, provide the inspiration for his much-anticipated sophomore album.
On his return to Lübeck, Adelbert Von Deyen began work on his sophomore album, which he decided to call Norborg. His holiday provided plenty of inspiration for an album. On Side One, which Adelbert decided to call Moonrise, he decided to replicate sounds of life on Norborg from the moment the moon begins to rise. To do this, Adelbert decided to recreate the sound of nature and the elements taking their toll on Norborg. He remembered the wind blowing, eddying and swirling. Meanwhile, Seagulls cry and protest as they battled the buffeting wind. Other times, Adelbert remembered a calmness that descended. This brought with it a sense of serenity that he planned to replicate in a ruminative, ethereal and elegiac soundscape. It would invite introspection and reflection. Then on the B-Side, Adelbert planned to recreate a ferocious blizzard that he had witnessed during his break. This he decided to call Iceland. Having plotted the ideas for his sophomore album, Adelbert Von Deyen headed into his Turm-Studio, in Lübeck.
That was where Adelbert Von Deyen kept his enviable array of instruments. He was gradually adding new equipment to the studio. He would play on Norborg, a variety of instruments. This would include his ARP Odyssey, It was joined by a Farfisa String Orchestra, Hohner Electronic Piano, Farfisa Organ and Rhythm-Computer. These instruments were recorded into a Revox A 77 Taperecorder and mixed using a Roland Mixer. Gradually, the album began to shape.
Eventually, Norborg was completed. By then, Adelbert Von Deyen had written, recorded, played each instrument, produced and mixed Norborg. This was quite incredible, considering Adelbert was still a relative newcomer to music. He was making up for lost time.
With Norborg complete, Adelbert Von Deyen turned his attention to the album cover. Just like Sternzeit, Adelbert painted a picture that became the album cover to Norborg. This distinctive painting depicts perfectly the music on Norborg.
Now that the album was completed, Adelbert Von Deyen delivered the album to Günter Körber at Sky Records. Just like Sternzeit, he was won over by the music on Norborg. Its release was scheduled for later in 1979.
Before that, copies of Norborg were sent to critics. They too, were won over by the music on Norborg and the album received critical acclaim. That was no surprise.
Norborg is evocative, ethereal, elegiac and has a cinematic quality. So much so, that it’s possible to imagine the moon rising over Norborg as nature and the elements take centre-stage on Moonrise. Synths swirl, replicating the gusts of eddying winds, before the sound of seagulls battle the buffeting winds. Meanwhile, Adelbert Von Deyen continues to improvise, sculpting and carefully creating the ruminative, introspective, meditative and sometimes dramatic soundscape that is Moonrise.
Iceland where Adelbert Von Deyen recreates the ferocious blizzard he witnessed during his holiday in Norborg. What follows is the perfect musical storm. To create this, he deploys his arsenal of instruments effectively and creates an authentic sounding soundscape. It builds, ebbing and flowing, veering between dramatic to wistful and melancholy. Always, there’s a cinematic quality to this second ambient soundscape. It finds Adelbert successfully combining ambient, avant-garde, Berlin School and electronica on much-anticipated sophomore album Norburg. Its ethereal beauty was sure to find an audience.
That proved to be the case. When Norborg was released by Sky Records later in 1979, it was to widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. Norborg sold reasonably well, outselling many similar albums. It also surpassed the success of Adelbert Von Deyen’s debut album Sternzeit. The Adelbert Von Deyen success story would continue into the eighties.
Atmosphere.
Having released Norborg, there was no chance that Adelbert Von Deyen would rest on his laurels. He was already contemplating his third album. This would be an album where Adelbert sonically explored the subject of Atmosphere, which lent its name to the album. To help Adelbert on what was essentially a concept album, he enlisted the help of a few musical friends.
This included drummer Wolfgang Zabba Lindner. In the early seventies, he had previously been a member of the progressive rock band Tomorrow’s Gift. They released their eponymous debut album in 1970, with their sophomore album Goodbye Future following in 1973. That marked the end of Tomorrow’s Gift’s recording career. However, in 1974 Wolfgang collaborated with Carsten Bohn on an experimental percussive album Vollbedienung Of Percussion. It was released in 1974 and hailed an innovative album. Six years later, he joined forces with Adelbert Von Deyen.
When work began on Atmosphere, Adelbert Von Deyen headed to Studio Norgaard in August 1979. This would become a second home for him. Apart from the drums on Time Machine and Silverrain, Adelbert deployed his trusty synths on Atmosphere Part I and Atmosphere Part II. Both were four part suites, where swathes of glacial and ethereal synths were layered and glide elegiacally as sustained drones are added. Sometimes, they seem omnipresent as they last for minutes on end. Just like drums beats and a myriad of effects, they play an important part in the sound and success of Atmosphere. Adelbert worked tirelessly honing and sculpting the atmospheric soundscapes. Eventually, after eleven months work, Adelbert completed his work on Atmosphere in June 1980. He dispatched the tapes to Lars Hidde in Hamburg
At the Star Studio, Hamburg, Lars Hidde added a few finishing touches to Atmosphere. After that, he mixed and mastered Atmosphere. Now that Adelbert Von Deyen’s third album Atmosphere was completed, it was sent to Günter Körber at Sky Records.
Having listened to Atmosphere, he scheduled the release for later in 1980. Günter Körber liked what he heard, and decided to that Time-Machine should be released as the lead single. This would test the water, and give some indication of whether Atmosphere would be a commercial success.
Upon the release of Time-Machine, the instrumental gave Adelbert Von Deyen his first hit single. Eventually, 50,000 copies of Time-Machine were sold. Adelbert Von Deyen’s had never been higher. This bode well for the release of Atmosphere. Before that, the critics had their say on Adelbert Von Deyen’s third album.
The critics spoke as one, calling Atmosphere, Adelbert Von Deyen’s finest album. Many critics referred to the album as an epic, others went further, calling Atmosphere a Magnus Opus. No wonder.
Atmosphere begins with the pulsating, hypnotic Electro-Krautrock of Time-Machine. Synths buzz, adding an almost futuristic sound, while swathes glacial synths add the melody. Silverrain with its ethereal, ambient sound, meanders melodically along. Beauty is omnipresent on this atmospheric soundscape. Atmosphere Part 1 is a three part cinematic soundscape, where Sunrise gives way to Altitude Flight and Astralis. Swathes of glacial synths and drones combine with sound effects to create a soundscapes that are variously elegiac, crystalline, dramatic, moody and futuristic. Always, they captivate with their timeless and cinematic sound. It’s a similar case with Atmosphere, Pt. II, which is a five part sci-fi suite. What follows is a voyage of discover as Skywards gives way to Spaces of Infinity then Crystal Clouds, Voices of Infinity and Dawn. Without doubt, this twenty-two minute epic is one of the finest moments not just of Atmosphere, but Adelbert Von Deyen’s three album career. Record buyers agreed.
Upon Atmosphere’s release later in 1980, record buyers across Germany sought out Adelbert Von Deyen’s third album. It had received ringing endorsements from each and every critic. They confidently told record buyers that Atmosphere was Adelbert Von Deyen’s finest hour. When record buyers heard Atmosphere, they too agreed that Atmosphere was indeed, Adelbert Von Deyen’s Magnus Opus. In Germany, Atmosphere became Adelbert Von Deyen’s biggest selling album.
Elsewhere, Adelbert Von Deyen’s music was growing in popularity. Especially in Britain and France, where both Krautrock and Berlin School were popular. The Adelbert Von Deyen success story continued. He had come a long way in just two years.
By 1980, Adelbert Von Deyen was well on his way to becoming one of Germany’s most successful musicians. He was helping popularise the music of the Berlin School. This he did with his hit single Time-Machine. It sold 50,000 copies and was a staple of German radio for part of 1980. Suddenly, many German record buyers were hearing the music of the Berlin School for the first time. It wasn’t new. The Berlin School had been around since the early seventies. However, very few of its practitioners had enjoyed widespread commercial success.
Time-Machine and the album it was taken from, Atmosphere were the exception rather, than the rule. Suddenly, it looked liked Adelbert Von Deyen was about to become one of the biggest names in German music. He certainly had the talent.
Proof of this is the music on Norborg and Atmosphere, which were recently reissued by Bureau B. Both album were the result of many months of hard work and dedication. In his home studio, gradually, Adelbert Von Deyen. honed and sculpted two of his finest albums, Norborg and Atmosphere. They’re variously atmospheric, cinematic, elegiac and ethereal. Occasionally an element of drama and darkness is introduced. So too are futuristic, sci-fi sounds. Sometimes the soundscapes reveal a melancholy, wistful sound. They’re sometimes ruminative and invite introspection and reflection. There’s also beauty, sense of melancholia and wistfulness Norborg and Atmosphere. Both albums reveals nuances secrets and subtleties aplenty, on two classic albums from Berlin School pioneer Adelbert Von Deyen.
He’s one of the few artists whose first three albums are now regarded as genre classics. Sternzeit in 1978 started the ball rolling, with Norborg following in 1979. It became Adelbert Von Deyen’s second classic album. However, Atmosphere was Adelbert Von Deyen’s finest hour. It was his Magnus Opus, and the album all of his future albums would be compared too. With its mixture of ambient, avant-garde, Berlin School, electronica, experimental and Krautrock, Atmosphere was a career defining album from Berlin School pioneer, Adelbert Von Deyen.
ADELBERT VON DEYEN-NORBORG AND ATMOSPHERE.
GEOFF MULDAUR-IS HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME AND MOTION.
GEOFF MULDAUR-IS HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME AND MOTION.
After leaving Paul Butterfield’s Better Days in 1975, Geoff Muldaur decided to resume his solo career. So he signed to Warner Bros. and began work on what would be the followup to his 1964 debut album Sleepy Man Blues.
Later in 1975, Geoff Muldaur released his much anticipated sophomore album, Is Having A Wonderful Time on the Reprise Records imprint. It was an eclectic album with widespread commercial appeal. So was the second album Geoff released for Reprise Records. This was his third album Motion, which was released in 1976. Sadly, it was the last album Geoff Muldaur would release on Reprise Records.
Forty years after Geoff Muldaur released Motion, it’s receiving a welcome reissue. Both Is Having A Wonderful Time and Motion have been digitally remastered and are being reissued by BGO Records on one disc. These two albums were another chapter in the career of Geoff Muldaur.
He was born in Pelham, New York, on August 12th 1943. Growing up, Geoff Muldaur developed a love music. This lead to Geoff learning to play the guitar. Soon, he developed into a talented blues guitarist. Little did he realise that this would be how he would make a living.
Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band.
Geoff Muldaur’s musical career began in the early sixties, while he was living in Boston. That was where he first met Jim Kweskin, who founded Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band. It would eventually become a nine piece band, that nowadays, is regarded is the original Americana band.
To create this new sound, Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band incorporated a variety of different musical genres into their music. Elements of blues, country, folk were combined with the influence of the jug bands of the thirties and even ragtime and rock ’n’ roll.This unique fusion of musical genres and influences made Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band stand out from the crowd.
During the early sixties, Boston’s music scene was thriving. A number of jug bands played in the pubs and clubs of Boston. However, Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band were a cut above the competition. They were a tight and talented band who were young, enthusiastic and energetic. It was only a matter of time before a record company signed them up.
That proved to be the case. In 1963, Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band signed to Vanguard. Later in 1963, Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band released their eponymous debut album. Its mixture of blues, country, folk and ragtime was well received by critics, and found favour within the folk community. The only downside was that the album hadn’t reached a wider audience. However, when Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band returned to the studio, their number would have risen from five to seven.
In 1964, Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band recruited a new vocalist and violinist, Maria D’Amato. Soon, Geoff Muldaur began a relationship with Maria D’Amato, and later in 1964, the pair married. By then, Geoff had released his debut solo album Sleepy Man Blues on Prestige Folklore.
The Solo Years Begin-Sleepy Man Blues.
Given Geoff Muldaur’s love of blues music, it was no surprise that he decided to record a blues album for Prestige Folkways. For the twenty-one year old blues guitarist and vocalist, this could be the perfect showcase for his considerable skills. Especially if he chose the right songs.
For his debut album Sleepy Man Blues, Geoff Muldaur decided to record twelve blues songs by some giants of the Delta Blues. This included Lonnie Johnson’s Jelly Roll Baker; Blind Willie Johnson’s The Rain Don’ Fall On Me; Bukka White’s Sleepy Man Blues, Good Gin Blues and Aberdeen, Mississippi Blues; Jim Jackson’s This Morning She Was Gone and I Have Had My Fun. They were joined by Robert Hick’s Motherless Chile Blues; Peg Leg Powell’s Georgia Skin Game and Sleepy John Estes’ Everbody Ought To Make A Change and Drop Down Mama. These songs were recorded with bassist Fritz Richmond and Eric Von Schmidt on mandolin and harmonica. Once the twelve songs were recorded, they became Sleepy Man Blues.
Upon its release later in 1964, Geoff Muldaur’s debut album Sleepy Man Blues was well received by the critics. The album found a following within the blues and folk community. However, it failed to make much of an impression with the wider record buying public. So Geoff returned to Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band.
Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band.
A year later in 1965, the Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band returned to the studio to record their sophomore album. It featured the debut of vocalist and violinist Maria Muldaur. When the album was completed, it became Jug Band Music.
Later in 1965, Vanguard released Jug Band Music. It was a similar to story to Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band, with the album being well received by critics. Especially the cover of Memphis, where the song is rem imagined by Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band. Despite a resurgence in interest in folk music, Jug Band failed to find a wider audience. Despite this Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band were influencing a number of band, including members of the Grateful Dead.
After the release of Jug Band Music, Jim Kweskin decided to launch his solo career during 1966. The recorded and released his debut album Relax Your Mind in 1966. Then in 1967, work began on Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band’s third album See Reverse Side For Title.
By then, Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band had signed to Elektra, which home to many of music’s rising stars. Executives at Elektra hoped that Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band would become the label’s latest rising stars. However, music was changing, and changing fast. Folk rock and psychedelia had overtaken folk in popularity. This didn’t bode well for the release of See Reverse Side For Title in 1967.
Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band decided not to change their trademark sound. However, they decided to use a heavier production style. This they hoped would make the album relevant and appeal to a new audience. However, the results were somewhat mixed. When See Reverse Side For Title was released, the album wasn’t the commercial success Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band had hoped.
It was the end of the line for Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band. They split-up after the release of See Reverse Side For Title. Meanwhile, Maria and Geoff Muldaur signed to Reprise.
Maria and Geoff Muldaur.
Maria and Geoff Muldaur could’ve and should’ve enjoyed much more critical acclaim and commercial success than they did. Geoff was a talented and versatile guitarist. Although blues was his first love musically, he could seamlessly flit between genres. So could Maria as she breathed life and meaning into lyrics. She did this on the two albums Maria and Geoff Muldaur recorded and release two albums for Reprise.
The first of these was Pottery Pie in 1970. When it was released in 1970, commercial success eluded Pottery Pie. However, the couple weren’t lacking in talent, and surely, a success couldn’t be far away?
Two years later, and the followup Sweet Potatoes was released. While reviews of Sweet Potatoes were mostly positive, history repeated itself. Again, commercial success passed Sweet Potatoes by. However, by then Maria and Geoff’s relationship was at end. They would divorce later in 1972. By then, a new chapter in Geoff’s career had begun.
Paul Butterfield’s Better Days.
Next stop for Geoff Muldaur was the Paul Butterfield’s Better Days. This was the group Paul Butterfield formed after the break-up of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. For Geoff, Paul Butterfield’s Better Days would be his musical home for the next few years.
Joining Paul and Geoff in the lineup of Paul Butterfield’s Better Days were Amos Garrett, Bill Rich, Chris Parker and Ronnie Barron. With its stellar, multi-talented lineup, Paul Butterfield’s Better Days were the band that should’ve become one of the biggest bands of the seventies.
Sadly, the story of Paul Butterfield’s Better Days is one of what might have been. They released just two studio albums during 1973. The first was Better Days, with It All Comes Back following later in 1973. Of the two albums, Better Days is considered one of the great lost albums. It showcases the considerable talents of what was more than a blues rock band.
Paul Butterfield’s Better Days’ combined various sub-genres of
blues, including boogie-woogie, cosmopolitan, New Orleans and rural with country, R&B and even, soul. Their unique sound, meant that Paul Butterfield’s Better Days became a popular live draw. However, by 1975 Geoff time with Paul Butterfield’s Better Days was over. Geoff Muldaur decided to resume his solo career
The Solo Years-Part Two.
Later in 1975, Geoff Muldaur signed to Warner Bros. Never before had he been signed to a major label. This was unknown territory. However, Warner Bros had the financial and marketing muscle to bring Geoff’s music to the attention of the wider record buying public. So he began work on the followup to his 1964 debut album Sleepy Hollow Blues.
Is Having A Wonderful Time.
For his sophomore album Is Having A Wonderful Time, Geoff Muldaur wrote Why Should I Love You? The other eight songs were cover versions. They were an eclectic selection of songs, including some that would be familiar to many record buyers.
None more so than Carl Smith, Gary Jackson and Raynard Miner’s Higher and Higher, which gave Jackie Wilson a hit single. It was joined by Al Lewis and Al Sherman’s Livin’ In The Sunlight (Lovin’ In The Moonlight); Andy Razaf and Don Redman’s Gee Baby Ain’t I Good To You; Dorothy Love Coates’ 99 1/2 and Robert Denham and Miklós Rózsa’s I Want To Be A Sailor. The other songs Geoff chose were Pam Carrier and Merl Saunders’ Wondering Why, Walter Vinson’s Jailbird Love Song; Huey “Piano” Smith and John Vincent’s High Blood Pressure and Bobby Charles’ Tennessee Blues. These nine songs were recorded A&R Studios, New York.
To produce what became Is Having A Wonderful Time, Geoff Muldaur was joined by producer Joe Boyd and engineer John Wood. Both were vastly experienced and successful. This was the perfect partnership to kickstart Geoff’s career. Joining him, was a huge all-star band.
At least sixty musicians and backing vocalists would eventually work on Is Having A Wonderful Time. The band’s lineup changed from track to track. However, on every track Geoff Muldaur was working with top musicians. This ranged from musicians Geoff had played with previously, a few of his friends and many of New York’s top session players. It was an impressive and enviable array of musical talent.
Included in Geoff’s all-star band, were drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, bassist Ron Carter, guitarists Amos Garrett, lead guitarists Cornell Dupree, Billy Butler and Richard Thompson. John Cale formerly of the Velvet Underground, played viola; Bob Siggins of Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band played banjo and Geoff’s ex-wife Maria Muldaur played violin and added backing vocals. They were joined by a horn section, backing vocalists and The Capitol City Stars. With such an abundance of talent on display, Warner Bros. must have had high hopes for Is Having A Wonderful Time, once it was completed.
With Is Having A Wonderful Time completed, now the might of Warner Bros’ marketing machine could get behind the album. It was due to be released later in 1975 on Warner Bros’ Reprise Records’ imprint. Before that, critics had their say on Is Having A Wonderful Time.
On receiving their copies of Is Having A Wonderful Time, critics discovered a truly eclectic album. Geoff Muldaur transports the listener back in time, as he croons his way through Livin In The Sunlight and Gee Baby Aint I Good To You. This gives way to the funky blues of 99 1/2. Jazz and blues then combine on I Want To Be A Sailor, as Geoff delivers a needy, hopeful vocal. Higher and Higher is totally transformed as the tempo is dropped, and horns punctuate what becomes a joyous ballad. It’s followed by Wondering Why, a spacious, jazz-tinged ballad, where Geoff breathes meaning and emotion into the lyrics. Jailbird Love Song finds Geoff and band seamlessly fusing elements of blues and country to create a heady musical brew. The same can be said of High Blood Pressure where elements of boogie-woogie, blues and jazz combine head-on, Closing Is Having A Wonderful Time, is a beautiful, understated cover of Bobby Charles’ Tennessee Blues. Without doubt, the best has been kept until last on this captivating album.
Given the quality and variety of music on Is Having A Wonderful Time, it was no surprise that the album received critical acclaim from the critics. This was half the battle. However, how would record buying public react?
Is Having A Wonderful Time was released later in 1975. Alas, the album wasn’t a success and failed to even trouble the charts. Geoff Muldaur’s genre-melting album Is Having A Wonderful Time, slipped under the musical radar. For Geoff, this was a huge disappointment.
Motion.
Despite the disappointing sales of Is Having A Wonderful Time, Geoff Muldaur began work on the followup album, Motion. He chose another nine songs. This included a couple of familiar songs, Southern Nights and I Don’t Want To Talk About It. These tracks had given Glen Campbell and Rod Stewart hit singles. Now was the time for Geoff to rework them. Among the other tracks he decided to record on Motion, were Let It Out, Since I’ve Been With You Babe, What Do You Want The Girl To Do? Motion, When You Touch Me This You, Why Don’t We Live Together and Hooray For Hollywood. These songs were recorded with a different producer, Trevor Lawrence.
He replaced producer Joe Boyd, who had produced Is Having A Wonderful Time. Another change was that the huge, all-star band had been scaled back. Maybe Warner Bros. were having second thoughts about Geoff Muldaur and were scaling back the budget?
Still though, Geoff Muldaur was accompanied by a tight, talented band. Their lineup changed throughout the album. However, what had changed was the quality of musicians in Geoff’s band. It included drummers Jim Keltner and Ed Greene; bassists James Jamerson and Klaus Voormann plus guitarists Dean Parks, Dennis Coffey and Jesse Ed Davis. They were joined by saxophonist Bobby Keys, keyboardist Dr John and Bonnie Raitt who featured on two songs, Since I’ve Been With You Babe and Motion. Geoff and his new band and producer got to work. Eventually, nine songs were recorded and became Motion.
Reprise Records scheduled the release of Motion later in 1976. Before that, critics received copies of Motion. They had given Geoff’s previous album their seal of approval. Geoff and executives at Warner Bros held their breath while they awaiting the reviews. Bad reviews had the potential to kill an album.
Motion opened with Let It Out, a driving and irresistible fusion of blues, country, funk and rock where Geoff sound not unlike John Fogerty. Since I’ve Been With You Babe is another uptempo track, where Bonnie Raitt proves the perfect foil to Geoff. They combine to create a slick, radio friendly track. What Do You Want The Girl To Do is the first of the ballads on Motion, and marries elements of AOR with country and soaring gospel harmonies. It’s one of the highlights of Motion. So too is Motion, which is another ballad. It marks the return of Bonnie Raitt, who provides the perfect accompaniment to Geoff’s vocal on this understated and beautiful ballad. After this, it’s all change.
The tempo rises on When You Touch Me This Way, where the hooks haven’t been rationed as rock combines with funk. Geoff’s band create a funky backdrop as sultry and soaring harmonies accompany him. This results in another slick, radio friendly track. It’s a similar case with Why Don’t We Live Together, where elements of AOR, country and pop stylings combine seamlessly. Southern Nights is then reinvented as the tempo drops, and Geoff delivers a languid, heartfelt cover. He stays true to the original of I Don’t Want To Talk About It. So much so, it’s as if he’s lived the hurt and heartache. Closing motion is a string-drenched cover of Hooray For Hollywood. It bursts into life, with a piano, harp and harmonies playing a leading role as Geoff Muldaur takes his bow with this dance-floor friendly track.
Critics were won over by Motion, which continued to showcase Geoff Muldaur’s versatility. He was equally at home on the uptempo tracks as he was on the ballads. Motion was a slick, polished album that was commercial and radio friendly. More so than its predecessor, Is Having A Wonderful Time. Surely, the much more commercial, radio friendly Motion would transform the fortunes of Geoff Muldaur?
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. History reposted itself and Motion failed to chart. It was the wrong album at the wrong time. Again, music was changing, and changing fast. Rock was still King, but disco was growing in popularity by 1976. Punk had just reared its ugly head and the repercussions were already being felt. Sadly, it was a similar case for Geoff Muldaur.
Following the commercial failure of Motion, Geoff Muldaur was dropped by Warner Bros. He been with the label since 1975, and released two hugely underrated albums, Is Having A Wonderful Time and Motion. They’ve been digitally remastered and have recently been reissued by BGO Records on one disc. This is the perfect opportunity to discover two hidden musical gems.
They’re two very different albums. On Is Having A Wonderful Time, Geoff and his band combine elements of blues, boogie-woogie, country, folk, gospel, R&B and rock. Then on Motion, Geoff is steered in different directions by his new producer Trevor Lawrence. Motion takes on a much slicker, radio friendly, commercial sound. Geoff combines AOR and country with gospel, pop and rock. Ballads rub shoulders with uptempo tracks on Motion which should’ve caught the imagination of the record buying public. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.
After just two albums, Is Having A Wonderful Time and Motion, Geoff Muldaur left Warner Bros. It was a case of what might have been for Geoff Muldaur? He was and still is a hugely talented and versatile vocalist. That’s apparent from his much anticipated sophomore album Is Having A Wonderful Time, and the followup Motion. They showcase the different sides to Geoff Muldaur on two hidden musical gems, Is Having A Wonderful Time, and the followup Motion.
GEOFF MULDAUR-IS HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME AND MOTION.
JETHRO TULL-STAND UP AND AQUALUNG BOX SETS.
JETHRO TULL-STAND UP AND AQUALUNG BOX SETS.
When Jethro Tull were formed in December 1967, little did they realise that this was the beginning of a adventure that would last five decades. Jethro went on to release thirty-eight studio albums. This includes their debut album This Was.
Just fifteen months after they were first formed, Jethro Tull released This Was in February 1969. It reached number ten in Britain and sixty-two in America. For a relatively new group, this regarded as a success.
Seven months later, Jethro Tull released their sophomore album Stand Up in September 1969. It reached number one Britain and gave Jethro Tull their first gold disc in America. Commercially Stand Up was a landmark album, and taste of what was in store for Jethro Tull in the future.
The commercial success continued when Jethro Tull released their third album, Benefit in April 1970. It followed in the footsteps of Stand Up, and was certified gold in America. This would pale in comparison compared to the success of their fourth album, Aqualung.
Jethro Tull released Aqualung in March 1971. Aqualung sold three million copies in America, and was certified triple platinum. This surpassed the success of their three previous albums. Not only was Aqualung was the most successful album of their career, but it marked the coming of age of Jethro Tull. It became classic album, and regarded as one of the most important albums of Jethro Tull’s career.
Aqualung is one of two Jethro Tull box sets that were recently released as box sets by Chrysalis. The first is Stand Up-The Elevated Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition which was remixed by Steven Wilson. It’s part of a two CD and one DVD set. Meanwhile, Aqualung-40th Anniversary Adapted Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition is a two CD and two DVD set.. Both Stand Up and Aqualung were important albums in the long and illustrious career of Jethro Tull.
The origins of Jethro Tull can be traced to Blackpool, in 1962, That’s when Ian Anderson formed his first group Blades. Originally a four piece, featuring Ian Anderson on vocals and harmonica, they became a quintet in 1963 and sextet in 1964. By that time, they were a blue eyed soul band. After three years, the band decided to head to London.
Having moved to London, the band split-up within a short time. Just Ian Anderson and bassist Glen McCornick were left. This proved a blessing in disguise. They were soon joined by blues guitarist Mick Abrahams and drummer Clive Bunker. This was the lineup that featured on their debut album This Was. That was still to come.
Before that, the band had to settle on a name. Various names were tried. Then someone at a booking agent christened them Jethro Tull, after the eighteenth century agriculturalist. Not long after that, Ian Anderson acquired his first flute.
Up until then, Ian Anderson played just harmonica and was trying to learn to play the guitar. He realized wasn’t a great guitarist though. So, decided the world had enough mediocre guitarists, decided to expand his musical horizons. So he bought his flute. Little did he realize this would be one of Jethro Tull’s trademarks. After a couple of weeks, Ian had picked up the basics of the flute. He was learning as he played. Not long after this, Jethro Tull released their debut single.
Sunshine Day was penned by Mick Abrahams, with Derek Lawrence producing the single. On its release, the single was credited to Jethro Toe. It seemed thing weren’t going right for Jethro Tull. The single wasn’t a commercial success and failed to chart. Despite this disappointment, thing got better when they released their debut album This Was.
This Was.
Recording of This Was took place at Sound Techniques in London. The sessions began on 13th June 1968, and finished on 23rd August 1968. Unlike later albums, Jethro Tull recorded This Was on a tight budget. Only £1,200 was spent recording Jethro Tull’s debut album This Was. This money would soon be recouped when This Was released.
Having released their debut album This Was in 25th October 1968, it reached number ten in the UK. This Was was well received by critics. They were won over by Jethro Tull’s fusion of blues rock, R&B and jazz. This lead to This Was being launched at the Marquee Club.
Jethro Tull were only the third band to launch their debut album at the Marquee Club. The other two were The Rolling Stones and The Who. Both were now amongst the biggest bands in the world. They had certainly conquered America. So would Jethro Tull.
When This was released in the US on 3rd February 1969, it reached just number sixty-two in the US Billboard. This was seen as a success by Island Records in Britain and Reprise in America. Jethro Tull had made inroads into the most lucrative music market in the world. It was a successful start to Jethro Tull’s career, which was about to enter a period where critical acclaim and commercial success were almost ever-present. However, there was a twist in the tale.
Prior to the recording of Stand Up, Jethro Tull’s sophomore album, Mick Abrahams left the band. Mick and Ian Anderson disagreed over the future direction of Jethro Tull. The problem was, Mick wanted Jethro Tull to stick with blues rock. Ian Anderson realised there was no real future in blues rock. He wanted to take Jethro Tull in different directions, exploring a variety of musical genres. So Mick left Jethro Tull and was replaced by Michael Barre. Neither Mick nor Michael realised that Jethro Tull’s sophomore album Stand Up would be a game changer for the band.
Stand Up-The Elevated Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition.
Following the departure of Mick Abrahams, who was replaced by Michael Barre work began on Jethro Tull’s sophomore album. It would be very different to This Was.
Stand Up was a much more eclectic album. Ian Anderson, who was now the primary songwriter, penned nine of the ten tracks. He drew inspiration from everything from blues rock, Celtic, classical, folk and rock. The ten tracks became Stand Up, which was recorded over three months in 1969.
Recording of Stand Up took place at Morgan Studios and Olympic Studios. The sessions began at Morgan Studios on the 17th April 1969. Unlike many bands in the late sixties, Jethro Tull were a disciplined and organised band. Each morning, they arrived at the studios around 9am, and would work until 5pm. By then, they would worked on at least one, but more likely two songs. This disciplined and organised approach worked. Before long, the early sessions produced A New Day Yesterday, Back To The Family, Fat Man and Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square. Everything was going well until April 24th, when Jethro Tull were told that Morgan Studios was double booked.
Olympic Studios was free, so Jethro Tull made the journey to South London. It was well worthwhile, with Jethro Tull recording Bourée during their brief stay at Olympic Studios. The next day, April 25th, Jethro Tull returned to Morgan Studios.
Recording continued through to May 1969. Stand Up was almost finished. Three months later, Jethro Tull briefly reconvened at Morgan Studios in August 1969. Soon, Stand Up was ready for release in September 1969. Before that, critics had their say on Stand Up.
Before the release of Stand Up in September 1969, reviews of the album were positive. The musicianship and production were praised. So were Ian Anderson’s lyrics. Some of the songs dealt with his relationship with his parents. Especially on Back To The Family and For A Thousand Mothers. Other songs, including Fat Man and Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square, are best described as observational poetry. Then on We Used To Know, Ian Anderson remembers the early days of the band as they struggled to make a breakthrough. Ian Anderson it seemed, was already maturing as a songwriter. Meanwhile, Jethro Tull’s music was beginning to evolve.
Whilst there was still a blues rock sound on Stand Up, Jethro Tull were expanding their musical palette. Elements of Celtic, classical, folk and rock can be heard throughout the album. The blues rock of This Was, can be heard on A New Day Yesterday and Nothing Is Easy. Elsewhere, Jethro Tull stretch their legs musically. Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square combines elements of traditional Celtic with folk music. This folk sound features on Fat Man and Reasons For Waiting. However, on Bouree Back To The Family and Look Into The Sun Jethro Tull move towards folk rock. It’s combined with a more traditional rock sound on We Used To Know and For A Thousand Mothers. This new and more eclectic sound struck a nerve with critics and record buyers.
On its release in September 1969, Stand Up reached number twenty in the US Billboard 200 Charts and number twenty in Britain. This resulted not just in the start of Jethro Tull’s first gold disc of their career and the beginning of a golden period in their career.
The album that marked the beginning of this golden period was recently released as The Elevated Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition of Stand Up. Disc one features the original album remixed and remastered by Steven Wilson. He has remastered several Jethro Tull albums, and as usual, has done a good job. Stand Up certainly has’t become a victim of the loudness wars. However, remastering was only part of Steven Wilson remit.
Steven Wilson’s remixes result in a quite different album. His mix is larger, wider and has a more open sound the than original album. There’s a greater degree of separation, while some instruments sounding much clearer. That’s apparent from A New Yesterday, which is a taste of what’s to come. However, there lies a subject that will always provoke debate, remixing an entire album. Maybe the way to view The Elevated Edition isn’t as a replacement to an original copy, but something to complement it.
Complimenting the remastered and remixed version of Stand Up on disc ore are six bonus tracks. This includes the 1969 single mono version of Living in the Past and the Morgan version of Bourée. There’s also four tracks recorded for a BBC Session, Bourée, A New Day Yesterday, Nothing Is Easy and Fat Man. These were likely recorded in June 1969, just as Jethro Tull were completing recording Stand Up. They’re welcome additions and complete disc one.
Disc two features Jethro Tull in concert at the Stockholm Konserthurst, 9th January 1969. Other tracks include mono single versions of Living in the Past and Driving Song. The DVD features 5.1 surround mix, a flat transfer of the original stereo album, film footage and Jethro Tull live at the Stockholm Konserthurst,on 9th January 1969. However, by December 1969, Jethro Tull were about to record another album in this golden period, Benefit.
Benefit.
Following the commercial success of Stand Up, Jethro Tull returned to the studio in December 1969. Ian Anderson had written ten new tracks. These ten tracks were recorded at Morgan Studios, London. For the first time, Ian Anderson was the sole producer of a Jethro Tull album. He started as he meant to go on, producing what would become a much more experimental, and darker album, Benefit. It was completed in January 1970 and release in April and May 1970.
Before the release of Benefit, the critics had their say. They remarked upon the much more experimental sound of Benefit. Ian Anderson had allowed Jethro Tull more freedom to express themselves. He also wanted Benefit to have a live sound. This shines through. So, does Benefit’s darker sound. This Ian Anderson claimed was because of the pressure of a forthcoming American tour, and his disillusionment with the business side of the music industry. However, this didn’t affect sales.
When Jethro Tull released Benefit in the America. It was released 20th April 1970, and reached number eleven in the US Billboard 200 Charts. This meant another gold disc for Jethro Tull. However, how would British record buyers react to Benefit?
Already, Jethro Tull were more popular in America, than in Britain. Stand Up, Jethro Tull’s previous album was more successful in America, than Britain. It seemed American record buyers “got” Jethro Tull more than their British counterparts. Benefit just reinforced this. Upon its release on May 1st 1970, Benefit reached number three in Britain. While there was no gold disc, Jethro Tull were on a roll, and about to release a classic album.
Aqualung-40th Anniversary Adapted Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition.
By December 1970, Jethro Tull had just returned from their American tour. They were on a gruelling schedule, where they recorded an album, then embarked upon long, exhausting tours. It wasn’t ideal, and already, Ian Anderson wasn’t enjoying the months away from home. He missed his friends and family. However, this was one of the downsides of being a member of one of the most successful rock bands in the world. So, while others were readying themselves for the forthcoming festive season, Ian Anderson and the rest of Jethro Tull were about to begin recording their fourth album, Aqualung.
Despite Jethro Tull’s gruelling touring schedule, Ian Anderson’s creativity hadn’t been stifled. Far from it. Ian returned with the lyrics to Jethro Tull’s most ambitious and cerebral album, Aqualung. It was a concept album that examined ”the distinction between religion and God.” This seemed an unlikely subject for an album, even a seventies concept album. However, Aqualung, which feature two new members, would transform Jethro Tull’s fortunes.
As Jethro Tull arrived at Island Studios in December 1970, two new members made their debut. Keyboardist John Evans and bassist Jeffrey Hammond were the latest recruits to Jethro Tull. Right through to February 1970, Jethro Tull recorded their most cerebral and philosophical album. Aqualung was produced by Ian Anderson and Terry Ellis. It was also their most successful album.
Once Aqualung was completed, neither Chrysalis in Britain, nor Reprise in America wasted time in releasing Jethro Tull’s fourth album. Given the subject matter, there must have been a some trepidation amongst the executives at Chrysalis and Reprise. After all, concept albums were controversial. However, what about a concept album that examined ”the distinction between religion and God?”
As copies of Aqualung were sent out to critics, executives at Chrysalis and Reprise awaited their reviews with baited breath. They need not have worried. Most of the reviews were positive. Reviews remarked upon the quality of the music, the standard of the musicianship and Ian Anderson’s lyrics. Many critics hailed Aqualung Jethro Tull’s finest album. It was certainly one of their most eclectic.
Throughout Aqualung, Jethro Tull combined progressive rock with folk, blues, hard rock and even psychedelia. The music features Jethro Tull at their most cerebral as they explore the distinction between religion and God.
On Aqualung, Ian Anderson comes of age as a songwriter. Sometimes, his lyrics are introspective, other times, there’s irreverence to them. Both sides of Ian Anderson can be heard the case on My God, Hymn 43 and Wind-Up. Other times, the lyrics are observational and character based. An example is Cross-Eyed Mary, about a teenage prostitute and Aqualung which tells the story of an elderly homeless man. A couple of songs Ian Anderson based on his own experiences. This includes Cheap Day Return, which he based upon visiting his critically ill father. This song would become part of Aqualung, a classic and cerebral album. Aqualung was music for the mind, and music that critics and record buyers worldwide would embrace.
On the release of Aqualung on 19th March 1971, it reached number seven in the US Billboard 200, and was certified triple platinum. Across the Atlantic, Aqualung reached number four in Britain. Elsewhere, Aqualung reached number five in Germany, and was certified gold. In total, Aqualung sold over seven million copies. Forty-five years later, Aqualung 40th Anniversary Adapted Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition has been reissued by Chrysalis.
The 40th Anniversary Adapted Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition of Aqualung follows a similar formula to Stand Up. Disc one features a remastered and remixed version of the original album. Again, Steven Wilson appears to have taken great care with the remastering. It’s certainly not over loud and has a punchiness. Comparing the album to the 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition version, the remix version seems slightly larger and wider. There’s also a slightly more open sound than the 2011 remaster. This remix also benefits from a greater degree of separation, while some of the instruments much clearer. However, this remix won’t suit everyone, and just like the remix of Stand Up is bound to promote debate. That’s why the 40th Anniversary Adapted Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition of Aqualung should be seen as something to compliment the original album. It’s definitely not a replacement for the original album, which was how Jethro Tull intended the album to sound. Having said that, it’s a worthwhile addition to a collection and would make the perfect companion to the 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of Aqulung.
There’s much more to the 40th Anniversary Adapted Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition of Aqualung than a remix of the original album. This includes disc two, which features sixteen “associated recordings” from 1970 and 1971. This includes alternate takes of Slipstream, an early version of My God, Wind Up and Up The ‘Pool. There’s also the original EP Stereo Mixes of Life is a Long Song, Up The ‘Pool, Dr. Bogenbroom, From Later and Nursie. Other songs includes include Lick Your Fingers Clean, Just Trying To Be, a version of Wondering Aloud recorded on 13th December 1970 and Take 2 of Slipstream. Some of the songs are work-in-progress, and it’s interesting to compare them to what they eventually became. Some of the songs never found their way onto Aqualung, This will make them an interesting musical document for fans of Jethro Tull. So will the two DVDs.
DVD one features the Steven Wilson 5.1 surround and stereo mixes of the Aqualung, and associated recordings 1970-1971. In total, thirty-nine tracks feature on DVD one. This includes the “associated recordings” from 1970 and 1971. Then on DVD two, there’s flat transfer of the original album and EP, plus stereo and quadrophonic mixes. There’s also a promotional film of Life Is A Long Song promotional film with new remixed stereo soundtrack. Both the flat transfer of the album and the quadraphonic mixes are interesting musical artefacts from a musical point of view. They’re a fascinating insight into Aqualung, the album that transformed Jethro Tull. They were now one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
For the two new members of Jethro Tull, this must have been hard to take in. Suddenly, they were part of a band who had just sold over seven million albums. This doesn’t happen often, even in the seventies, the heyday of the album. However, after the success of Aqualung, another member of Jethro Tull decided to call it a day.
Drummer Clive Bunker had been a member of Jethro Tull since the early days. He was part of the furniture, and replacing him wasn’t going to be easy. However, at least Clive Bunker had been able to enjoy what was the most successful album of Jethro Tull’s career, Aqualung. Following up Aqualung many critics said, wasn’t going to be easy.
Jethro Tull returned in 1972 with their fifth Thick As A Brick on the 3rd March 1972. It reached number one in Britain and five in America, where it was certified gold. Following up Aqualung hadn’t been easy. However, the Jethro Tull success story continued.
It lasted five decades. During that period, Jethro Tull released thirty-eight studio albums, nine live albums and fifteen compilations. They sold over sixty million copies. That figure continues to rise with the release of reissues.
This includes The Elevated Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition of Stand Up which were both remixed by Steven Wilson and released by Chrysalis. Stand Up is a CD and one DVD set. The 40th Anniversary Adapted Edition-Remixed and Remastered Edition of Aqualung is a two CD and two DVD box sets. Both are released in book form, and feature lengthy, detailed and informative sleeve notes. They will tell the listener everything about Stand Up, which was Jethro Tull’s breakthrough album and their classic album Aqualung. It marked a coming of age for Jethro Tull, and was the most successful album of their long and illustrious career.
That’s why Chrysalis Stand Up and Aqualung were remastered and remixed by Jethro Tull. This has provoked debate among critics and music fans. Should any album, never mind a classic album be remixed? After all, surely the original album is how Jethro Tull meant Stand Up and Aqualung to be heard? If not, why wait so long to do something about it? Therefore, are the remixes of Stand Up and Aqualung purely a money making exercise, and yet another attempt to make music fans to buy copies of albums they already own? That may sound cynical. However, it’s what many music fans are saying about remixed albums. There is another point of view.
Many people, this critic included, welcome the remixed versions of Stand Up and Aqualung. They’re welcome additions, and compliment the original albums. The remix brings new life to both albums, as Steven Wilson makes good use of 21st Century technology to give Stand Up and Aqualung a welcome makeover. Add to this, the release of myriad of different formats, bonus tracks and concerts, make Stand Up and Aqualung welcome additions to any music collection. They’re certainly not a replacement to the original version of Stand Up and Aqualung and weren’t meant to be. Instead, they belong on a collection beside the original version Stand Up and Aqualung. This will allow the listener to compare and contrast the remixed versions of Stand Up and Aqualung, to the originals, which were two of the most important albums of Jethro Tull’s five decade career.
JETHRO TULL-STAND UP AND AQUALUNG BOX SETS.
THE CHARLATANS-WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
THE CHARLATANS-WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Between 1964 and 1969, The Charlatans’ star shawn bright. During that period, The Charlatans were larger than life mavericks. They dressed like 19th Century outlaws, and embraced the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. L.S.D. and pot were part of The Charlatans’ diet. It fuelled The Charlatans as they took San Francisco by storm. Commercial success and critical acclaim looked a formality. It wasn’t to be.
By 1969, The Charlatans were no more. They were just the latest band that should’ve enjoyed widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. However, for whatever reason, commercial success passes these bands by. That was the case with The Charlatans whose story begins in the summer 1964.
That’s when The Charlatans were formed in San Francisco, by autoharp player George Hunter, and bassist Richard Olsen. Soon, they were joined by lead guitarist Mike Wilhelm; keyboardist Mike Ferguson and drummer Sam Linde. With the lineup complete, The Charlatans began to practice. Before long the the band realised they had a problem.
The Charlatans had an achilles heel. This was drummer Sam Linde. He just wasn’t good enough for the band moving forward. So a decision was made to replace Sam Linde. His replacement was none other that Dan Hicks. With a new, improved lineup in place, The Charlatans moved forward.
When The Charlatans began to play live, they looked like a cross between 19th Century, wild west outlaws and Victorian dandies. This image wasn’t just thrown together. It was carefully cultivated. Despite this, it soon began to prove popular with the audience at their gigs. They arrived dressed in similar attire. Little did The Charlatans realise that their stage clothes would influence the a generation.
With the hippie counter culture about to blossom, The Charlatans image would go on to influence a generation. They would dress like dandies and outlaws. By then, The Charlatans a familiar face in the San Francisco music scene.
In June 1965, The Charlatans had secured a six week residency at at the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada.. For this residency, two members of The Charlatans had to produce a concert poster. What Mike Ferguson and George Hunter came up with, is regarded as the first psychedelic rock poster. Since then, ordinal copies of The Seed have become prized items among collectors of psychedelia. However, the Red Dog Saloon residency marked a first for The Charlatans.
During the residency, the five members of The Charlatans took L.S.D. for the first time. It wouldn’t be the last. Soon, The Charlatans had a penchant for acid, and were tripping whenever they could. Despite their penchant for acid, The Charlatans weren’t an acid rock band. They were much more than that.
Instead, The Charlatans’ music would veer between folk rock, country rock and psychedelia over the next four years. Their recording career should’ve began in September 1965.
Fresh from their residency at the Red Dog Saloon, The Charlatans had an audition Autumn Records September 1965. They didn’t sign to Tom “Big Daddy” Donahue’s label. He was a local DJ, promoter and producer. However, The Charlatans didn’t sign to Autumn. There were disputes between Tom “Big Daddy” Donahue and The Charlatans over what they would record and money. Soon, though, it became apparent that The Charlatans had had a close escape.
Autumn Records was teetering on the edge of insolvency. Financially, the cupboards were bare. Eventually, Warner Bros. bailed Autumn Records out, and The Charlatans lived to fight another day.
As 1966 dawned, The Charlatans signed to Kama Sutra Records. The Charlatans wasted no time in recording a number of songs. Once the recording sessions were complete, The Charlatans had decided that they wanted to release Codine as their lead single. That executives at Kama Sutra Records said wasn’t going to happen.
They obviously hadn’t listened to Buffy Sainte-Marie’s song about the dangers of drugs. Mistakenly, executives at Kama Sutra Records thought that Codine glorified or encouraged drug taking. So Codine wasn’t releases as a single. It features on he Limit Of The Marvellous. So does The Shadow Knows and 30-20 as The Shadow Knows E.P.
Instead of Codine, The Shadow Knows was chosen as the lead single. On the B-Side was 32-20. When The Shadow Knows was released by Kapp Records in October 1966, the label failed to adequately promote The Charlatans’ debut. Unsurprisingly, The Charlatans debut single failed. This was The Charlatans’ one and only release on Kama Sutra Records. The remainder of the songs weren’t released until 1996, when they resurfaced on the Amazing Charlatans’ album.
Following their departure from Kama Sutra Records, The Charlatans’ lineup changed. Mike Ferguson was sacked in 1967, and replaced by Patrick Gogerty. Not long after this, Dan Hicks vacated The Charlatans’ drum stool. He moved to rhythm guitar and became the lead vocalist, singing many of his own compositions. It was a time of transition for The Charlatans.
During this period, The Charlatans were mostly playing live. They didn’t have a record contract, and watched as many of their contemporaries signed with record companies and enjoyed successful careers. This was galling as The Charlatans had played at the Fillmore Auditorium, California Hall, Avalon Ballroom and Longshoreman’s Hall. They were a popular live draw, and had been since their live debut in 1965. By 1968, The Charlatans must have wondered if a record contract would elude them?
By then, The Charlatans had embraced the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle fully. Their dropped L.S.D. and smoked pot regularly. Many who enjoyed the same diet of drugs would become acid casualties. Not The Charlatans. They were still one of San Francisco’s top live bands. Then in 1968, one of The Charlatans called it a day.
In 1968, Dan Hicks decided to form his own band, Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks. This was always going to happen. It was almost written in the stars. Dan Hicks was a talented singer, songwriter and musician. He seemed destined for greater things. However, this left a huge void in The Charlatans. Filling it wouldn’t be easy.
Worse was to come. Throughout 1968, arguments were commonplace within The Charlatans’ camp. Gradually, the escalated, and reached a breaking point. However, Mike Wilhelm, Richard Olsen and Terry Wilson had a cunning plan.
To all intents and purposes, it looked as if they had decided to disband The Charlatans. However, the cunning plan was that shortly afterwards, they would reform The Charlatans without George Hunter. It was a musical coup d’état. This would ultimately backfire on The Charlatans.
At first, things looked up for The Charlatans. They drafted in a new keyboardist and vocalist, Darrell DeVor. Not long after this, The Charlatans secured a deal with Phillips, and began recording their debut album.
Recording of what became The Charlatans took place at Pacific High Recorders, San Francisco. Dan Healy co-produced what became The Charlatans with the band. Eleven songs were recorded. Five were cover versions and six were written by members of The Charlatans Mike Wilhelm penned Ain’t Got the Time and The Blues Ain’t Nothin’; while Richard Olsen contributed When I Go Sailin’ By. New recruit Darrell DeVore wrote Easy When I’m Dead, Time to Get Straight, Doubtful Waltz and When the Movies Are Over. However, when the album was released, The Charlatans luck changed.
By then, music had changed, and the music on The Charlatans was beginning to sound dated. As a result, The Charlatans failed commercially. So did the the Van Dyke Parks’ penned lead single High Coin. To make matters worse, one of The Charlatans had been busted on a drugs charge.
Drummer Terry Wilson had been caught in possession of marijuana. In 1969, this was a serious offence in America, where the drug laws were quite strict. So when Terry Wilson received a prison sentence he had to leave The Charlatans. This resulted in a u-turn from two members of The Charlatans.
Mike Wilhelm and Richard Olsen agreed to join a reunited lineup of The Charlatans. Mike Ferguson who had previously been sacked returned. So did George Hunter who had been ‘misled’ into thinking that The Charlatans had disbanded in 1968, even was willing to let bygones be bygones. Even Dan Hicks returned to the fold.
While The Charlatans continued as a quintet until the end of 1969, the writing was on the wall. The Charlatans’ music was regarded as outdated, and yesterday’s sound. It was almost inevitable that The Charlatans would split-up at the end of 1969. This was the end of the road for The Charlatans.
Four years earlier, the future looked bright for The Charlatans when they enjoyed their six week residency at Red Dog Saloon. When they returned to San Francisco, The Charlatans looked as if they were going to join the elite of city’s music scene. They had the talent, and their music which veered between country rock to folk rock and psychedelic rock should’ve found a wider audience.
Sadly, The Charlatans struggled to get a record deal. The time they spent at Kama Sutra Records resulted in The Charlatans recording the best music of their five year career.
Little did Kama Sutra Records realise that, they had captured The Charlatans at the peak of their powers. At that moment in time, their music was bang on trend. That was the time to release an album, not 1969.
When The Charlatans released their eponymous debut album for Phillips in 1969, their music hadn’t evolved. Instead, it sound outdated to record buyers who had moved on musically. Sadly, The Charlatans hadn’t. They came late to the party with an album that would’ve fared better if released in 1967. However, by then, the end was neigh for The Charlatans.
Despite getting the classic quintet together, The Charlatans’ story was over by late 1969. Their musical legacy amounted to one album, two singles and material they had recorded for Kama Sutra Records. It was a case of what might have been.
Fiver years earlier, ,usical mavericks The Charlatans, had taken San Francisco by storm. They should’ve found fame and fortune. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. After several breakups, makeups and changes in lineup, The Charlatans, called time on a career that promised much, but ultimately, through bad luck and misfortune, came to little.
THE CHARLATANS-WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
BEVERLEY MARTYN-WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
BEVERLEY MARTYN-WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
It was fifty-one years ago, when Beverley Martyn made her recording debut. Back then, she was a member of The Levee Breakers, a jug band that featured Mac McGann, Johnny Joyce and Beverley Martyn. They released their debut single Babe, I’m Leaving You on Parlophone in 1965. Beverley was just sixteen and already, The Levee Breakers were a regular fixture on the folk circuit. It looked like Beverley Martyn was destined for a great things. However, since 1965, Beverley has only released two solo albums.
Beverley Martyn somewhat belatedly released her debut album No Frills in 1998. It was sixteen years later, before Beverley Martyn returned with The Phoenix and The Turtle in 2014. Since then, folk’s reluctant star hasn’t returned with the followup to The Phoenix and The Turtle. However, back in the mid-sixties, it looked as if Beverley Martyn was destined for commercial success and critical acclaim.
The Solo Years.
A year after The Levee Breakers released their debut single, Beverley Martyn’s solo career began in 1966, when she signed to the newly formed Deram Records. This was a new imprint of Decca Records. It’s raison d’être was to showcase stereo. The pop and rock music Deram were about to release would feature more space. This would allow record buyers to hear the difference between mono and stereo. So executives at Deram began the search for the what would be Deram’s first single. It had to fit the vision they had for their new label. The single chosen was Beverley Martyn’s debut single Happy New Year. It featured Beverley and what would later be regarded as an all-star band,
Accompanying Beverley were future members of Led Zeppelin John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page. Then there was Nicky Hopkins who had collaborate with The Beatles and Rolling Stones. Drummer Andy White was best known as having played the drums on The Beatles’ Love Me Do. He went on to forge a career as one of the top session musicians. Each of these musicians featured on Beverley Martyn’s debut single.
Released as Beverley, Happy New Year wasn’t the commercial success many people envisaged. Worst was to come. Picking Up The Sunshine, Beverley’s sophomore album was recorded, but not released. However, Beverley’s luck was changing.
It was during this period, Beverley met Bert Jansch. He taught Beverley how to play guitar and encouraged Beverley to write her own songs. Meanwhile, Beverley was relying on other people to write songs for her. Donavon wrote her third single Museum. Denny Cordell who would produce Joe Cocker, The Move, Procul Harum and The Moody Blues was drafted in to produce Museum. Sadly, Museum wasn’t a commercial success. So, Beverley moved to New York with another stalwart of the folk scene Paul Simon.
Paul Simon was a regular on the British folk scene. He’d arrived a few years earlier. Back then, he was an up-and-coming folk singer. Now with Art Garfunkel, he was about to record Bookends. This was Simon and Garfunkel’s fourth album. Recorded in New York, Beverley wrote Fakin’ It. She also sings a line in the song. Things were looking up for Beverley. Especially when she appeared at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Music Festival. However, two years later, Beverley would meet the man she recorded two critically acclaimed albums with, John Martyn.
John Martyn and Beverley Martyn.
He who was already an established name of the British folk circuit. H had already released two solo albums, 1967s London Conversation and 1968s The Tumbler. Beverley and John would release two albums in 1970.
Stormbringer was released in February 1970, with Beverley penning four tracks and John six. Recording of Stormbringer took place in Woodstock, with Joe Boyd producing Stormbringer. Upon its release, Stormbringer wasn’t the success Island Records had hoped for, but nowadays is regarded as a British folk classic. Despite the failure of Stormbringer, John and Beverley entered the studio again.
This time it was in London. That’s where The Road To Ruin, the followup to Stormbringer, was recorded. It was released in November 1970, and it features one of Beverley’s finest songs, Primrose Hill. It’s a song about what Beverely calls the “joys of domesticity.” Apart from Primrose Hill, Beverley cowrote three songs with John for The Road To Ruin They had just written and recorded another British folk classic. Sadly, on the release of The Road To Ruin, the album failed commercially. This proved to be the end of John and Beverley’s collaboration.
Island Records decided that with John and Beverley’s two albums failing commercially, it would be best to market John as a solo artist. Right through until John Martyn was recording Grace and Danger in 1980, Beverley divided her time between spending time with her family and working on John’s solo albums.That came to an end in 1980.
John and Beverley Martyn were divorced whilst John was recording Grace and Danger. It proved to be a highly personal album, which featured a cathartic outpouring of emotion from John. After their divorce in 1980, Beverley took a break from music, concentrating on her family.
The Comeback.
By the nineties, Beverley’s family had grownup, and she decided the time was right to make a comeback. This began with Beverley supporting Loudon Wainwright III. Then in 1998, Beverley released her long awaited debut album No Frills. It was released to widespread critical acclaim. Beverly Martyn was back.
Over the next few years, Beverley worked with some of the biggest names in music. This includes Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Levon Helm of The Band, Richard Thompson, Dave Pegg and Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention and British folk guitarist Davy Graham. Then in 2004, a new generation were introduced to Beverley Martin’s music.
Fatboy Slim sampled Primrose Hill from John and Beverley Martin’s 1970 album Stormbringer. It featured on North West Three, a track from his Palookaville album. This introduced Beverley to another generation of music. For many musicians, they’d have rushed out a new album. Not Beverley. That isn’t her style. It wasn’t until 2014 that Beverley releasedThe Phoenix and the Turtle.
At the time of its release, Beverley described The Phoenix and the Turtle “as a very personal album.” It featured songs that she had written throughout her fifty year career. This includes the first song she wrote, Sweet Joy. Reckless Jane was a song Beverley and Nick Drakes started to write. Sadly, they never finished it. Belatedly, Beverley finished the song. When The Levee Breaks and Going To Germany were songs Beverley used to sing with her first group The Levee Breakers. Women And Malt Whiskey was a song based on Beverley’s late husband John Martyn. Along with Potter’s Blues, Nighttime, Mountain Top and Jesse James, these nine tracks became The Phoenix and The Turtle, Beverley Martyn’s sophomore album, which was recorded in Wales and California.
When The Phoenix and The Turtle was released in 2014, it was to the same critical acclaim that accompanied No Frills in 1998. The nine songs were variously beautiful, poignant and wistful. Heartbreak and hurt sits side-by-side pathos and melancholia. Beverley’s lyrics have a cinematic quality and each of the songs to life. As a result, The Phoenix and The Turtle is like a series of musical journeys, where Beverley takes on the role of narrator on a captivating album that was the finest album of Beverley Martyn’s solo career.
Nearly two years have since Beverley Martyn released The Phoenix and The Turtle. Theres no sign of her returning with her third solo album. That is a great pity, as Beverley Martyn is a hugely talented singer-songwrter. Just like a fine wine, Beverley Martin has improved with age. She’s now sixty-nine, and it’s fifty years since Beverley Martyn made her recording debut. That was the start of her career that promised much.
Sadly, Beverley Martyn’s discography amounts to just four albums. However, it’s a case of quality rather than quantity.
Nowadays, the two albums Beverley and John Martyn released, Stormbringer and The Road To Ruin are both regarded as British folk classics. Nearly a generation later, Beverley Martyn released two solo albums No Frills and The Phoenix and the Turtle. They were a reminder of a truly talented singer-songwriter who had the potential to one of the finest British folk singers of her generation. Sadly, that never came to pass, and nowadays, the Beverly Martyn is one of unfullfied potential and what might have been.
BEVERLEY MARTYN-WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
SYLVIE-EN ANGLAIS…ET EN AMERICAIN.
SYLVIE-EN ANGLAIS…ET EN AMERICAIN.
Sylvie Vartan was just seventeen when she embarked upon a career as a ye-ye singer. Little did she realise that this was the start of a five decade career, where Sylvie would be crowed queen of French pop. By then, she was one of the most successful of the new generation of French singers. This success was set to continue.
Ye-ye’s popularity didn’t last for ever. Towards the late sixties, its popularity began to dwindle. That marked the end of many ye-ye singers’ career. However, unlike many of her contemporaries, Sylvie went on to enjoy a long and successful career.
It’s spanned five decades, and during that period, Sylvie released over fifty albums. This resulted in Sylvie becoming one of the biggest names in French music. Her music also found an audience outside of France. Especially, Sylvie’s English language recordings.
Just like many ye-ye singers, Sylvie recorded in French and English. That was the case throughout the sixties. Nearly all of Sylvie’s English language recordings feature on En Anglais…Et En Americain, which was recently released by Ace International, an imprint of Ace Records. It documents the period between 1962 and 1968, when Sylvie’s star was in the ascendancy and she was one half of France’s golden couple. That was still to come.
Before that Sylvie was born on August the 15th 1944 in Iskretz, Bulgaria. Life was tough for the Vartan family in post war Bulgaria, so they moved back to France in 1952, where her father was born.
In Paris, life was tough for the Vartan family for the first couple of years. The family lived in just one room. Eventually, things began to improve for the Vartan household, where music was omnipresent.
Sylvie’s father George was a composer and pianist. Music was a constant in the Vartan household. Later, Sylvie’s brother who was seven years her senior began to play the French horn. Soon, he switched to the trumpet, and later, joined a jazz group. Meanwhile, Sylvie was struggling to learn French. Soon, though she would master not just French, but English too,
In high school, Sylvie’s language skills improved. She became fluent in French, and later English. Her love of English novels helped her learn English. So did her love of American jazz, which her brother introduced her too. Later, Sylvie started going to the movies and later, discovered jazz and later, rock ’n’ roll. This she preferred to French music. Sylvie’s love of music, movies, art and literature would result in her becoming fluent in English. So much so, that later, she was equally comfortable recording in English and French.
Despite her love of music, Sylvie never contemplated a embarking upon a musical career. That was until her brother Eddie decided to he no longer wanted to study law. Upon leaving university, he got a job working in A&R at Decca Records.
One of the artists Eddie was responsible for was Frankie Jordan. He was going to cover the John D. Loudermilk penned Out Of Gas in French. To make the song work, it needed a female vocalist to provide the counterpoint. Eddie Vartan decided that Sylvie would be perfect for the part.
First he had to persuade his parents to all seventeen year old Sylvie to sing on the Panne D’essence. They eventually agreed, and Sylvie made her recording debut on Panne D’essence. The single was released in late 1961, and became a hit.
The success of the single resulted in Sylvie having to appear on French television. This lead to Sylvie being given the nickname collégienne du twist by the press. Soon, the the twisting schoolgirl would leave the Victor Hugo High School and embarked upon a musical career.
This began when Sylvie signed with RCA Victor, and released the E.P. Quand Le Film Est Triste. It featured a cover of another John D. Loudermilk song Sad Movies (Make Me Cry). The E.P. was released in December 1961, and gave Sylvie her first hit single as a solo artist.
In 1962, the hits kept coming for Sylvie. She enjoyed hits with covers of What’d I Say, The Locomotion and Baby It’s You. There’s an unreleased alternate take of the ballad Baby It’s You. This was one of Sylvie’s earliest English language recordings. It features on En Anglais…Et En Americain, This version of Baby It’s You is a reminder that although Sylvie’s career was in its infancy, she was already a talented vocalist. Her music was about to reach a much wider audience in 1963.
Especially as music began to play an important part in the life of French youths. Pop and rock music grew in popularity. Meanwhile, the ye-ye scene began to explode. So did Sylvie’s popularity. She was well on her way to becoming one of the stars of French music. So much so, that Sylvie travelled to Nashville to an album record with The Jordanaires, A Nashville.
When Sylvie returned to Paris, having recorded A Nashville, an EP was released. This was Sylvie À Nashville 1, which features Since You Don’t Care. Later in 1963, Paul Anka offered a number of songs to Sylvie. One of these, was one of her first English language recordings, (I’m Watching) Every Little Move You Make. It was released later in 1963, and gave Sylvie a hit single. By then, she was part of French music’s golden couple.
Earlier in 1963, Sylvie had met French singer Johnny Hallyday, and the pair embarked upon a high profile relationship. They would later marry two years later in 1965. During that two year period, Sylvie’s career had blossomed.
1964 was a huge year for Sylvie. She shared the bill with The Beatles in Paris. This was a huge step, considering her career only began in 1961. Now she was rubbing shoulders with musical royalty. She was also a prolific artist.
During 1964, Sylvie release her eponymous album Sylvie Vartan. It featured He Understands Me, which Sylvie would release again in 1995. She also released her Sha La La EP, which featured the Paul Anka penned USA. However, one of Sylvie’s most-anticipated releases of 1964 was her A Nashville album in 1964.
Most of the songs on A Nashville had been recorded in French. That is apart from Love Has Laid His Hands On Me, Since You Don’t Care and I Wish You Well. They’re part of an album that features Sylvie maturing as a singer, on an album where she flitted between different styles. Already Sylvie was a versatile and hugely popular singer with an international fan-base. This would continue to grow in 1965.
In March 1965, Sylvie released I Made My Choice as a single, with One More Day as the B-Side. This was a high profile release, with the might of RCA Victor getting behind the single. This includes a round of television and radio appearances, including an appearance on Shindig and the Tonight Show in America. RCA Victor were trying to launch Sylvie’s career the lucrative American and Canadian market.
To help do this, Sylvia released the LP Gift Wrapped From Paris in 1965. Some of its highlights were I Can’t Make Him Look At Me, My Boyfriend’s Back, Alley Oop and It’s Not A Game, One More Time and Encore Une Fois. Gift Wrapped From Paris introduced Sylvie to an even wider audience internationally.
Back home, Sylvia continued to release singles and EP’s throughout 1965. This included the Quand Tu Es Là, which featured an emotive reading of It’s Not A Game. The Dans Tes Bras EP featured Sylvie’s heartfelt cover of Gonna Cry. Sylvie was a prolific and popular artist. She also recorded the ballad Another Heart and delivers a needy vocal Thinking About You. These two tracks from 1965 are welcome additions to En Anglais…Et En Americain compilation. 1965 had been another successful year for Sylvie.
As 1965 drew to a close, was crowned France’s top female pop singer for the third consecutive year. Sylvie now an international star, whose music had made inroads into the European and Japanese markets. However, the biggest change in her life was she had married Johnny Hallyday. The pair were regarded as French music’s golden couple. Soon, two would become three.
Before that, Sylvie’s brother became her manager in March 1966. By then, Sylvie was pregnant and expecting her first child. Still, she continued to release singles and her album Sylvie. Later in 1966, Sylvie gave birth to her son David Hallyday on August 14th 1966. Then as 1966 gave way to 1967, Sylvie’s successful career continued.
Still Sylvie continued to enjoy hit singles in 1967. She also released a new album, Ballade Pour Un Sourire. This was quite different to her earlier ye-ye sound. Sylvie who was still just twenty-three was maturing as a singer, and reinventing herself.
That’s one of the reasons why she has enjoyed such longevity. The success that she had enjoyed since 1961 continued. Sylvie’s singles were hits, and early seven years after her career began, she returned with a new album, Sylvie Vartan. This was the eighth album of her career. However, this was just the start for Sylvie.
Eventually, Sylvie would release around fifty studio and live albums. Her career has spanned five decades. The Ace International compilation En Anglais…Et En Americain features Sylvie’s English language recordings the period between 1962 and 1968. As well as featuring singles and tracks from EP’s and albums, En Anglais…Et En Americain includes a number of previously unreleased bonus tracks.
This includes You Please Me So, Stupid Cupid, Baby It’s You, Whirlpool and Friends In Need Are Friends Indeed. These tracks show different sides to Sylvie. They also document how she evolves and matures as a singer. Especially by 1965
That’s when Sylvie released her single I Made My Choice. This is a beautiful song that’s bristling with emotion. However, two of the best of the previously unreleased tracks are I Heard Somebody Say and Gonna Cry. They were recorded during the sessions for Sylvie’s 1965 album Gift Wrapped From Paris. Both tracks are welcome additions to En Anglais…Et En Americain, which was recently released by Ace International, an imprint of Ace Records.
For the newcomer of Sylvie, then En Anglais…Et En Americain is the perfect introduction to her music. It features twenty-five ylvie’s English language recordings the period between 1962 and 1968. They range from singles, tracks from from EP’s and albums and a number of unreleased tracks. These songs document the first six years of the Sylvie’s long and illustrious career.
During this period, Sylvie was one of French music’s most successful artists. She won the title of the best French pop singer on serval occasions. Sylvie’s music became popular across Europe and as far afield as Japan and North America. Already she was an international artist, who enjoyed commercial success and critical acclaim. That’s no surprise.
Sylvie was a hugely talented and versatile vocalist, who was capable of breathing emotion and meaning into a song. This does throughout the twenty-five songs on En Anglais…Et En Americain. It charts and charts the rise and rise of the Queen of French Pop, Sylvie.
SYLVIE-EN ANGLAIS…ET EN AMERICAIN.
SPACE ROCK: AN INTERSTELLAR TRAVELLER’S GUIDE.
SPACE ROCK: AN INTERSTELLAR TRAVELLER’S GUIDE.
Music like fashion is cyclical. One minute a musical genre is hugely popular, the next it falls from grace. That usually, isn’t the end of the story. There’s usually always a resurgence in popularity of that musical genre at a later date. This has been the case with countless musical genres. Everything Krautrock to progressive rock and psychedelia have made a comeback. So has space rock.
Over the last few years, there’s been a huge resurgence in popularity in space rock. This has fuelled by the formation of new generation of space rock bands. Groups like Sons Of Hippies, Electric Orange, Yuri Gagarin, The Spacelords, Aqua Nebula Oscillator, Magic Wands, Vibration Eater and Nexatras have introduced space rock to a new generation of music fans. After hearing these bands, many music fans have decided to investigate the origins of space rock.
What would’ve made this voyage of discovery much easier, was if newcomers to space rock could buy a box set featuring some of the genre’s finest exponents. Now they can. Just last week, Cleopatra Records released their much anticipated six disc box set Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide. This is the perfect starting place for newcomers to space rock.
Soon, they will be able to discover the delights of some of the most popular space rock groups. This includes Hawkwind, Gong, Nik Turner, Ozric Tentacles and Omega. They’re joined by Gilli Smith, Daevid Allen Weird Quartet and even William Shatner and Alice Cooper. The new generation of space rockers are also well represented, with Aqua Nebula Oscillator, Electric Orange, Magic Wands, Nexatras, Sons Of Hippies, The Spacelords, Vibration Eater and Yuri Gagarin all making a welcome appearance. So do a number of groups whose space rock credentials are sure to be challenged.
Among the bands on Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide are a number of Krautrock groups. This is a is regarded by some as a catch-all category where a wide variety of groups are brought under the one musical umbrella. Some of these bands aren’t Krautrock bands in the true sense of the word. However, Can, Tangerine Dream, Faust, Popol Vuh, Guru Guru, Amon Düül II and Nektar have all been previously categorised as Krautrock bands. Other music fans may well disagree, and define their music differently, including space rock.
Similarly, some of the music on Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide may be perceived as progressive rock. Others can be defined as avant-garde, Berlin School, electronica, experimental or psychedelia. That may well be the case. Despite that, there’s an element of space rock on each of the seventy-three tracks on Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide.
Disc One.
Can are one of several Krautrock bands that feature on disc one of Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide. Their contribution is All Gates Open a track from their 1979 album Inner Space. There’s a definite a space rock influence to this Krautock track. Another of the Krautrocker bands are Popol Vuh. They contribute the dramatic and genre-melting Sateh Auf, Zieh Mich Dir Nach Das Hohelied Salomos. It’s taken from their 1975 album Das Hohelied Salomos. This is one of their finest albums. The other Krautrock band on disc one is Guru Guru Groove Band. They’re an early incarnation of Guru Guru, who are still going strong today. When they recorded UFO Love in 1969, their career was in its infancy. Recently, UFO Love featured on a compilation of the Guru Guru Groove Band’s music, The Birth Of Krautrock 1969. However, there’s much more to disc one that Krautrock.
Hedersleben are one of the new breed of space rock bands. Their most recent album was 2015 The Fall Of Chronopolis. It features Gulf Of Lost Souls, which is an introduction to one of the rising stars of space rock. By comparison, Øresund Space Collective have been together since 2004, and are best described as a Scandinavian supergroup. They’re also one of the most prolific space rock bands. The Trichophantic Spire is taken from their 2014 album Music For Pogonologists. It showcases a truly talented band.
The same can be said of the band Joel Vandroogenbroeck went on to form, Brainticket. Before that, he released a trio of albums in the early seventies. Then in 1980, he released Biomechanoïd, which featured the futuristic Sign From Space. It’s the perfect introduction to this pioneering veteran musician.
Other veterans on disc one include Ozric Tentacles, who contribute Space Out from their 1995 album Become The Other. Another space rock veteran and pioneer, is Nik Turner, formerly of Hawkwind. He contributes Out Of Control which originally featured on Hawkwind’s Space Ritual album. Gong are another group who pioneered the space rock sound, and in 1972 recorded the live version of Fohat Digs Holes In Space that closes disc one of Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide.
Disc Two.
Just like disc one, disc two of pace Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide features thirteen tracks. Again, several bands who many music fans would classify as space rock bands. This includes Tangerine Dream, who released their sophomore album Alpha Centauri in 1971. It features Ultima Thule Part 1, which has a space rock influence. However, Tangerine Dream were musical chameleons, whose music constantly evolved. The same can be said of musical pioneers Faust who contribute Parasiten. Their music constantly evolved and they as a result, they continued to create innovative music.
They weren’t alone. Brainticket were based in Switzerland and featured Belgium born multi-instrumentalist Joel Vandroogenbroeck. They released a total of seven studio album. Their 1971 eponymous debut album featured Watchin’ You. It’s part of a genre-melting album, where Krautrock, psychedelia and space rock shine through in this lysergic classic. Groups like Brainticket would inspire the new generation of space rock bands.
This includes Spanish space rockers, Pyramidal who were formed in 2009. They’ve obviously been influenced by classic seventies, space rock.l That’s apparent on their contribution, Black Land, the title-track from their 2011 eponymous debut album. Het Droste Effect are another relatively new band. They’re also one of the best. You Know That I Knew a track from their 2015 sophomore album Soar, showcases a truly talented band. It’s similar case with Oranssi Pazuzu, who released their third album Valonielu in 2013. It features Reika Maisemassa, where Oranssi Pazuzu combine elements of black metal, psychedelia and space rock. In doing so, they pay homage to some of the veterans on disc two.
This includes Daevid Allen who cofounded Gong. This time he’s with the Daevid Allen Weird Quartet, and contributes The Cold Stuffings Of November. This is a track from their 2016 debut album Elevenses. However, it’s Omega who are the true veterans of disc two. They were formed in 1962, released their Time Robber album in 1976. It featured Don’t Keep Me Waitin’ seven minutes where psychedelia and progressive rock become one seamlessly. In doing so, they create one of the highlights of disc two.
Disc Three.
There’s just eleven slices of space rock on disc three of Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide. Again, familiar faces rub shoulders with new names. Two of the familiar faces are Steve Hillage and William Shatner. They covered Rocket Man on Steve Hillage’s Madison Square Garden 1977. When the album was released in 2015, Rocket Man was one of the bonus tracks. It’ll be of interest to Trekkies everywhere.
So will Hawkdope a track from Italian psych fuzz rockers Black Rainbows. It was the title-track of their fourth album, which was released in 2015. They’re another of the new generations of space rockers. So are The Spacelords, a German band who released their third studio album Synapse in 2014. One of its highlights is Pyroclastic Monster, an eleven minute epic that showcases their considerable skills. They’re not alone.
Since Aqua Nebula Oscillator were formed in 2000, their music has been impossible to define. They combine disparate musical genres and draw inspiration from a variety of cultures, literature. films and art. The live live version of Human Toad on disc four was recorded in 2014, a year after the track made its debut on their third album Spiritus Mundi.
Another of the new wave of space rockers are Magic Wands, who released their sophomore album Jupiter in 2013. The title-track features on disc four, and features Magic Wands at their hard rocking best, as they fusea variety of musical genres. So do Yuri Gagarin who were formed in 2012. They’re without doubt, one of the finest of the new space bands. Proof of that is At The Center Of All Infinity, the title-track of their 2015 album. It’s a future space rock classic. However, the artist that closes disc three is anther of space rock’s rising stars.
Forty-two year old Federico Farnè has been a member of bands all his adult life. However, he only started writing music in 2010. Since then, he’s been a member of various bands and has released albums under a variety of monikers. Federico is multitalented, and wrote, produced and played all the instruments on rocky, futuristic What Illuminates The Night. It closes disc three and is one the highlights.
Disc Four.
Disc four of Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide features another thirteen slices of space rock. This includes Spaceship, from Krautrock band Guru Guru’s 1971 sophomore album Hinten. This is one of their finest albums, and is the perfect introduction to one of the most underrated Krautrock bands. By comparison, Hawkwind became one of biggest space rock bands in history. Their 1971 debut album Hawkwind featured Seeing It As You Really Are. It was part of an album launched the career of Hawkwind. They featured writer, poet and lyricist Robert Calvert. He also enjoyed a solo career, and contributes Lemmy and I Swallowed Massive Amounts Of Drugs to disc four. Meanwhile, Gong’s space whisperer Gilli Smyth contributes a live version of What Do You Really Want. It was recorded at the Roundhouse, London in 1971. That was way before many of the members of the new space rock bands were born.
Psychedelic rockers It‘S Not Night- It‘s Space were formed in New York in 2010. Two years later, they released their debut album Bowing Not Knowing To What in 2012. It featured Vibration Eater, which heads in the direction of space rock and showcases a truly talented band. They’re not alone. There are a number of talented space rock bands are based in Europe.
First stop, is the North West England where the Earthling Society were formed in 2004. Since then, this talents band have been prolific, and have released twelve albums. Their 2009 album Sci-Fi Hi-Fi featured EA1729, is akin to a homage to Can. It’s an inventive and genre-melting track that’s sure to introduce Earthling Society to a whole new audience. Next stop is Moscow, where The Re-Stoned were formed in 2008. By 2012, they were ready to release their fourth album Plasma. It features Faces Of Earth, a hard rocking eleven minute epic. For newcomers to The Re-Stoned, this is a perfect introduction to their music. The final leg of this pan European journey takes the listener to Portugal, which is home to the Equations. In 2015, they released their sophomore album Hightower, which featured Sssuuunnn. This fusion of Krautrock, psychedelia and space rock proves a heady and delicious brew from this new and exciting band, Equations.
Disc Five.
Disc five has a stellar lineup of space rockers. This includes one of the most innovative and influential Krautrock bands, Amon Düül II. They released their sophomore album Yeti in 1970, and it featured Archangels Thunderbird. It’s a tantalising taste of one of the founding fathers of Krautrock in full flight. Since releasing Yet, Amon Düül II have influenced countless bands. This could includes some of the new bands on disc five of Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide.
Naxatra are one of this new wave of space rock bands. They were founded in Greece in 2012, and three years later, released their debut album Naxatras in 2015. It features Space Tunnel, where stoner rock meets psychedelia to create a memorable slice of space rock. Equally memorable is Celestial Bums’ lysergic cover of the Rolling Stones’ Child Of The Moon, which featured on the 2015 Cleopatra Records compilation Stoned-A Psych Tribute To The Rolling Stones.
There are a trio of Finnish space rock bands on disc five. Dark Buddha Rising is the first. Their recording career began in 2007. Six years later in 2013, they released their fifth album Dakhmandal. It includes L, where Dark Buddha Rising successfully fuse post rock, doom metal and psychedelia. Fellow countrymen Hidria Spacefolk released their eponymous debut album in 2001. A year later, they returned with their sophomore album Symbiosis in 2002. One of the tracks from the album, Kaneh Bosm epitomises everything that’s good about space rock, and indeed, Hidria Spacefolk. The last of Finnish space rockers, Dasputnik were formed in 2006, and take a differnt approach to music. They released their sophomore album, Cyclokosmia in 2011. It features Orbitary Volcano, which has a progressive sound, as Dasputnik combine fusion, with psychedelia and space rock to create one of the highlights of disc four.
Another of the highlights of disc four is MKM’s Retorn Al Planeta Imaginari. It’s a track from their 2014 album Ad Astra Per Aspera. A myriad of disparate influences, including art rock, expeiremtal, electronica, Krautrock and progressive rock combine to create Retorn Al Planeta Imaginari. The result is a compelling soundscape closes disc four, and is sure to make the listener want to here more from MKM.
Disc Six.
Eleven tracks feature Nektar on Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide. The first comes courtesy of Nektar, a British band who were formed in Hamburg, Germany. Nektar would be heavily influenced by Krautrock. Proof of that is Astronaut’s Nightmare, a track from their 1972 debut album Journey To The Centre Of The Eye. It’s a fusion of psychedelia, progressive rock and Krautrock that launched the career of Nektar.
Space Debris were formed in Germany in the early nineties. Since then, they’re released twelve albums. These albums have been ispired by psychedelia and Krautrock. That’s the case with their 2014 albim Phonomorphosis. This fusion of psychedelia and Krautrock results in space rock Space Debris’ style, on the title-track. However, space rock like Krautrock seems to be catch-all genre.
In 1980, Chrome released their fifth album Red Exposure. It features a much more expirmental sound that earlier albums. That’s the case on Eyes In The Center. Despite this much more experimental sound, it’s still regarded as space rock. This is sure to provoke debate among conissuers of space rock. So is the inclusion of a live track from Alice Cooper. B.B. On Mars was recorded in 1969. However, it showcases a space rock sound, and is a reminder of what Alice Cooper sounded like before fame came his way.
Leroy Powell and The Messengers never enjoyed the commerical sucess and critical acclaim that Alice Cooper enjoyed. Recently though, Leroy Powell and The Messengers’ inimitable and unique brand of music has been finding a wider audience. No wonder; given
the quality of the genre-melting Weightlessness. It’s a track from
the 2015 album The Overlords Of The Cosmic Revelation. This is the perfect intrdoduction to Leroy Powell and The Messengers.
One of the finest and most prolific of the new wave of space rock bands are Electric Orange. They were founded in 1992, and since then, have released over twenty albums. These albums feature a mixture of musical genres, including Krautrock and psychedelia. They’re combined successfully on Meals Of Confusion, which is a tantalising taste of what’s awaiting the newcomer to space rock pioneers Electric Orange.
Two Russian bands feature on disc six, including Gdeva, who were formed in Saint-Petersburg in 2005. They recorded Autobahn for their 2007 debut album Bubbles, Bubbles… Elements of post rock, psychedlia and progressive rock are combined scucessfully on Autobahn, and create a captivating, genre-melting track. The other Russian band are Vespero. They were formed in Astrakhan, in Southern Russia in 2003. Since then, they’ve been a prolific band, relsasing fourteen studio album. This incldues their 2015 album Fitful Slumber Until 5 AM . It features Vision 7. Kidish Hail where Vespero showcase and talent as they combine folk rock meets jazz, Krautrock, psychedlela and progressive rock on what’s one of the highlighs of disc six.
Alas, the final track on disc six of Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide is one that will divide opinion and indeed, disappoint. That’s the 1975 Interview with Nik Turner. While he’s played an important part in the devlopment of space rock, the interview has no place on the compilation. It’s adition is a mistake. It’s nearly eleven minutes that could’ve been given over to music. This is eleven minutes you’ll never get back.
Apart from the interview with Nik Turner, Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide is the perfect inroduction to space rock. This six CD box set could very well be the start of a voyage of discovery through the history of space rock. Forty-seven years worth of music features on the six discs, and features familiar faces and new names. All of them are referred to as space rockers. That will provoke debate anong some music historians and indeed, music fans.
Some of these bands on Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide weren’t originally aren’t know as space rock bands. This incldues Can, Tangerine Dream, Faust, Popol Vuh, Guru Guru andAmon Düül II. Their music has often been described as Krautrock. However, many music fans will debate this. Faust and Tangerine Dream’s constantly evolved throughout their career. So did Popol Vuh’s. That’s why many music historians are so reluctant to
label many of these bands definitively.
What is Krautrock to one person, could be regarded differently by another. It’s all a matter of interpretation.That’s the case throughout Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide.
Many of the bands in the box set combine several different genres. This includes everything from avant-garde, Berlin School, doom metal, electronica, experimental, free jazz, Krautrock, progressive rock, psychedelia and of course space rock. With several musical genres being combined by bands on the one song, many music fans will struggle to define the musical genre that they’re listening to. Some may even disagree with the use of words space rock on some of the tracks. However, on nearly every track, there’s at least a hint of space rock. That’s the case throughout Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide.
For newcomers to space rock, then Cleopatra Records’ six CD box set, Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide is good starting point. It might result in a voyage of discovery through the history of space rock. Similiarly, Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide could be the start of lifelong love affair with space rock. Espeically, for those yet to discover the delights of space rock. For them, Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide box set is everything you wanted to know about space rock, but were too afraid to ask.
SPACE ROCK: AN INTERSTELLAR TRAVELLER’S GUIDE.
MOTORPSYCHO-ANGELS AND DAEMONS AT PLAY.
MOTORPSYCHO-ANGELS AND DAEMONS AT PLAY.
Nowadays, not many bands stay together twenty-seven years. Longevity seems to be a thing of the past in the music business. Sadly, so is releasing an average of an album a year. That was common in the sixties and seventies. Not any more. Very few bands come close to releasing an album a year. Instead, many bands spend several years working on an album. However, there is one band still that average an album a year, Motorpshycho, who have been together twenty-seven years.
Motorspycho were formed in Trondheim, central Norway, in October of 1989. Since then, Motorpsycho have become a musical institution. They’re now veterans of the Norwegian music scene, and continue to influence a new generation of musicians. These new bands aspire to follow in the footsteps of Motorpsycho.
They’ve come a long way since releasing their debut album Lobotomizer in 1991. Since then, Motorpsycho have been a prolific band, averaging nearly an album a year. This includes studio albums, live albums, mini albums and collaborations. These albums have been released to critical acclaim and commercial success.
That is almost an understatement. Since the release of their fourth full length album Timothy’s Monster in 1994, Motorspycho’s last fifteen albums have reached the top ten in the Norwegian charts. Motorspycho’s music has also found an audience across Europe, with their albums regularly charting in Belgium, Germany and Holland. They’re also a hugely popular live band, and are familiar faces across Europe and further afield. Motorpsycho it seems, are one of Norwegian most successful musical exports.
Meanwhile, back at home in their native Norway, Motorpsycho have scooped some of the most prestigious musical prizes. This includes an Edvardprisen and a total of four Spellemannprisen Awards. These are the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Winning a Spellemannprisen is a huge honour. Most groups are lucky to be nominated for one award. So far, Motorpsycho have won four. One of the Spellemannprisen awards was for their 1997 double album Angels and Daemons At Play. It was a landmark album for Motorpsycho, and marked their coming of age musically. This makes Angels and Daemons At Play one of the most important albums in Motorpsycho’s back-catalogue.
Given the importance of Angels and Daemons At Play this made it a prime candidate to become the fourth instalment in Motorpsycho’s luxury box set eissue program. Angels and Daemons At Play will be reissued by Rune Grammofon as a six CD set on the 23rd of December 2016. This loving curated box set features the album as Motorpsycho meant the listener to hear it.
Angels and Daemons At Play is spread across the first three discs in the box set. Disc four features is entitled The Ones That Got Away: Rarities and Live Recordings, and featuresB-Sides, outtakes and live tracks. Discs five and six feature Parts 1 and 2 of Motorpsycho Live At Rockefeller, on March 14th 1997. This brings to an end the six CD Angels and Daemons At Play box set. It’s an in-depth and comprehensive retrospective of Motorpsycho’s sixth studio album, Angels and Daemons At Play. However, how did they get to Angels and Daemons At Play?
Motorpsycho’s musical journey began in Trondheim, in central Norway in October 1989. That was when three local musicians decided to form a new band. They were drummer Kjell Runar “Killer” Jenssen, bassist and vocalist Bent Sæther and guitarist and vocalist Hans Magnus “Snah” Ryan. Now the began to think of a name for their new band.
This is a problem many bands are faced with. The three friends were faced with a similar situation, and were struggling to come up with a name. This problem was solved during a trip to London. The bandmates decided to watch a Russ Meyer double bill featuring Mudhoney and Faster Pussycat. Both would’ve been the perfect name for their new band. However, someone had beaten them to it. One name that was still free, was Motorpsycho, and that day, a Norwegian musical institution was born.
Maiden Voyage.
Recording of Maiden Voyage began on the 29th of April 1990, when How Was I To Know recorded How Was I To Know at UFFA, which was a youth club in Trondheim. It was also a meeting place for local musicians. This was where Motorpsycho returned to, between the 2nd and 6th June 1990. They recorded another four tracks. With one track left to record, Motorpsycho moved to Studentradion on the 6th of June. That was where they recorded Blueberry Daydream. This was the final track that would feature on Maiden Voyage.
Later in 1990, Maiden Voyage was released on cassette as a limited edition, mini album. Only 100 copies of Maiden Voyage were released by the Knallsyndikatet fanzine. It’s now one of Motorpsycho’s rarest releases. Maiden Voyage introduced Motorpsycho’s genre-melting sound to a wider audience. It helped launch the career of Motorpsycho, who in 1990, were a new and up-and-coming band.
Lobotomizer.
Later in 1990, Motorpsycho returned to the studio to begin work on their debut album, Lobotomizer. They recorded six of the tracks on Lobotomizer at the Warehouse, in Oslo during December 1990. Then three months later, in March 1991, Motorpsycho reconvened at Studentradioen. Two more tracks were recorded, Eternity and Lobotomizer. It would lend its name to Motorpsycho’s debut album.
After completing their debut album, another nine more months passed before Motorpsycho released their debut album, Lobotomizer in December 1991. This allowed them to further hone their sound, and continue to build a following. Motorpsycho did this the tried and trusted way, by playing live. By the time, the release of Lobotomizer came round Motorpsycho were already a popular live draw.
Lobotomizer was released by Voices Of Wonder Records in December 1991. Initially, the album was only released on vinyl, as a limited edition of 1,000 copies. This was because Motorpsycho were still a relatively unknown band. Not for much longer though.
When Lobotomizer was released, it was to critical acclaim. Motorpsycho with their unique fusion of grunge with heavy metal and indie rock were hailed as the future of Norwegian music. Things were looking up for Motorpsycho.
Especially, after the shock departure of drummer Kjell Runar “Killer” Jenssen earlier in 1991. That was huge blow for the band. Kjell was replaced by Håkon Gebhardt who made his Motorpsycho debut on the mini album Soothe.
Soothe.
The new lineup of Motorpsycho made their recording debut at Brygga Studios on the 2nd of January 1992. Over the next four days, five tracks were recorded. This included a cover of the Mamas and Papas’ California Dreamin’, which featured Lars Lien on backing vocals. This cover of California Dreamin’ became part of Motorpsycho’s second mini album, Soothe.
Later in 1992, Voices Of Wonder Records were preparing to release the Soothe mini album. It was a limited edition of 100, with seventy copies of Soothe being released in a signed steel box. They would later become highly collectable. Before that, the Motorpsycho success story continued apace.
Again, critical acclaim accompanied the release of Soothe. Critics were won over by Motorpsycho’s fusion of hard rock and psychedelia. Soothe was quite different to previous releases. Already, Motorpsycho’s music was evolving as they continued to reinvent themselves. This would be the case throughout Motorpsycho’s career.
After the release of Soothe, Motorpsycho returned to the studio in July 1992 and recorded their single 3 Songs For Rut. On its release later in 1992, 3 Songs For Rut didn’t receive the same reception as Lobotomizer and Soothe. Gone was the critical acclaim that had accompanied previous releases. For Motorpsycho, self doubt entered the equation, just when everything had been going so well.
8 Soothing Songs For Rut.
Despite the critics reaction to 3 Songs For Rut, Motorpsycho 8 Soothing Songs For Rut decided to included the songs on their sophomore album. This would also feature the songs from the Soothe mini album. These eight songs became Motorpsycho’s sophomore album, 8 Soothing Songs For Rut.
It was released later in 1992, and 8 Soothing Songs For Rutwas well received by critics. They were won over by Motorpsycho’s mixture of hard rock, psychedelia, stoner rock and grunge. Again, this proved popular with Norwegian record buyers. However, not as popular as Motorpsycho’s next album, Demon Box, which was a game-changer.
Demon Box.
After the release of 8 Soothing Songs For Rut, a new name joined Motorpsycho. This was sonic scientist Helge “Deathprod” Sten. His sonic noise experiments would move Motorpsycho’s music in a very different direction as they pondered their next album.
By then, Motorpsycho had only one roll of the dice left. Their contract with Voices Of Wonder Records was almost up. They owed the record company one more album. In such a situation, most groups would’ve tried to replicate their debut album Lobotomizer. However, Motorpsycho weren’t most bands. Instead, they decided to moved their music in a new direction, and in the process, created an ambitious, double album, Demon Box.
Recording of Demon Box took place in December 1992. On a number of tracks, Motorpsycho brought in a few musical friends. Their job was augmenting Motorpsycho’s sound. To create this new sound, Motorpsycho’s friends deployed an eclectic selection of instruments. This included a sitar, violin, mellotron, synths, percussion and organ. None of these instruments had featured on a Motorpsycho album. This was a first, with Motorpsycho and their friends crafting a very different album. Demon Box found Motorpsycho’s music heading in new directions.
During the recording of Demon Box, Motorpsycho drew inspiration from a wide variety of musical influences and genres. This included everything from avant-garde, electronica, folk and free jazz and grunge, to heavy metal, indie rock, jazz, Krautrock, psychedelia and rock. They all shine through on Demon Box. Often, there’s only the merest of glimpses of these influences. However, they can be heard, and made Demon Box a captivating, innovative and progressive album that launched the career of Motorpsycho.
When Demon Box was released later in 1993, Motorpsycho hit the jackpot. Demon Box received praise, plaudits and critical acclaim from critics and cultural commentators. They couldn’t praise Demon Box highly enough. It was a hailed an ambitious, groundbreaking and genre-melting album of innovative music. Suddenly, Motorpsycho were bring described as one of the most important Norwegian bands. Motorpsycho’s plan to reinvent their music had worked, and resulted in a career defining, classic album. Demon Box was also the most successful album of their career. This however, would soon change.
Timothy’s Monster.
After the release of Demon Box, Motorpsycho’s contract with Voices Of Wonder Records came to an end. By then, the success of Demon Box had brought Motorpsycho to the attention of what was, one of the world’s biggest, and most prestigious record labels, EMI. They were keen to sign to sign Motorpsycho, whose star was very much in the ascendancy.
For Motorpsycho, this was a dream come true. They were about to sign to a major label. It was what they had been working towards since 1989. This was the start of a new chapter in the Motorpsycho story.
Motorpsycho decided to launch their career at EMI by recording the most ambitious album of their career. This was Timothy’s Monster, q sprawling triple album that featured fifteen tracks. To record this Magnus Opus, Motorpsycho were joined by Lars Lien and Helge “Deathprod” Sten. He would coproduce Timothy’s Monster with Motorpsycho.
Recording of Timothy’s Monster took place during the winter and spring of 1994. Most of the album was recorded at Brygga Studio, in Trondheim. Some sessions took place at Strype Audio, where the album was later mastered.
Then EMI could prepare for the release of Timothy’s Monster. The release was scheduled for the 6th of August 1994. This was a huge step for Motorpsycho, as Timothy’s Monster was their major label debut.
Before that, the critics had their say on Timothy’s Monster. Just like previous albums, critical acclaim accompanied the release of Timothy’s Monster. Things got even better when the album was released. It entered the Norwegian charts, and eventually reached number seven. For Motorpsycho this was a proud moment.
So was when the album cover for Timothy’s Monster was nominated for the most prestigious Norwegian music award, a Spellemannprisen. At the award ceremony, Timothy’s Monster won Motorpsycho their first Spellemannprisen award. It certainly wouldn’t be the last. Not by a long chalk.
Blissard,
Following the commercial success of Timothy’s Monster, Motorpsycho spent much of 1994 and the early part of 1995 touring. They were determined to build up their following outside of their native Norway. However, by September 1995, Motorpsycho returned to their studio with Bent Sæther and Helge “Deathprod” Sten taking charge of production.
This time around, Motorpsycho decided to change their modus operandi. Rather than spending time experimenting and working on ideas in the studio, Motorpsycho arrived with songs already written and committed to tape. The theory was, that Motorpsycho would be more focused and spend less time recording their new album, Blissard. This new idea worked, and by December 1995, Motorpsycho, with the help of a few of their musical friends, had recorded another ambitious double album Blissard.
Two months later, and EMI subsidiary Columbia were preparing to release Blissard. Just like previous albums, Blissard won over critics, and it was released to widespread critical acclaim. Again, critics were impressed by what was another genre-melting album. Motorpsycho combined alternative rock, avant-garde, electronica, psychedelia and stoner rock on Blissard. It was a captivating album that was sure to capture the imagination of record buyers.
That proved to be the case. When Blissard was released on February 16th, 1996, the album proved popular amongst Norwegian record buyers. The album began to climb the charts, and eventually reached the top ten. Still Blissard kept climbing the charts. Eventually, it reached number three. This made it Motorpsycho’s most popular album. That however, wasn’t the end of the success story that was Blissard.
Later in 1996, Motorpsycho found themselves being nominated for a second Spellemannprisen award. Blissard had been nominated for the best album in the hard rock category. This was always a category where the competition was tough. Despite this, Motorpsycho triumphed when Blissard won the group their second Spellemannprisen award. Soon, two would become three.
Angels and Daemons At Play.
Motorpsycho had just released the most successful album of their seven year career, Blissard. Following this up wasn’t going to be easy. If any Norwegian group was capable of surpassing Blissard, it was Motorpsycho.
Throughout their career, they had built on their previous success. Motorpsycho were determined that this would continue on their sixth album Angels and Daemons At Play. It’s about to be reissued by Rune Grammofon as a six disc box set. This is the definitive version of the album, and features Angels and Daemons At Play as Motorpsycho intended.
The Angels and Daemons At Play story began in October 1996, when Motorpsycho entered the studio to record a new album. It would be co-produced by sonic scientist Helge “Deathprod” Sten. He would also feature on Angels and Daemons At Play.
Ever since Helge “Deathprod” Sten first began working with Motorpsycho, their sound had changed. Partly, this was because of the array of instruments and effects used. Similarly, Motorpsycho were now using a much more eclectic selection of instruments. This was the case on Angels and Daemons.
As Motorpsycho and their friends arrived at the studio, they brought began setting up a vast arsenal of musical instruments and effects. Drummer Håkon Gebhardt would play banjo, percussion, piano and add vocals. Bassist Bent Sæther played acoustic and electric guitars, double bass, mellotron, Fender Rhodes, Moog Taurus, percussion, organ, piano and drums on Sideway Spiral I. He too, would add vocals. So would Hans Magnus Ryan, who would play acoustic and electric guitars, bass, double bass, percussion, vibes, piano, organ, Moog Taurus and drums on Atlantic Swing. The three members of Motorpsycho were joined by three of their friends.
This included co-producer and associate member of Motorpsycho, Helge “Deathprod” Sten. He brought with him oscillators, an echoplex, reverators and a ring modulator. Ole Henrik Moe arrived with an alto and soprano saw, violin and would play piano. Morten Fagervik brought with him his guitar, which he played on Atlantis Swing. It was one of fourteen songs that Motorpsycho recorded during October 1997. They were meant to become Motorpsycho’s next album, Angels and Daemons.
Before that, Motorpsycho decided to release the tracks that had been recorded during the Angels and Daemons sessions as a trio of limited edition E.P.s. Only 500 copies of each E.P. would released early in 1997.
As 1997 dawned, Motorpsycho began to prepare for the release of the three limited edition E.P.s This was a first for them. Never before had they released three E.P.s on consecutive weeks. The first E.P. was due to released in the last week of January 1997.
Baby Scooter-Disc One.
This was the Baby Scooter E.P It was released on the 27th of January 1997, and featured five tracks. This included Sideway Spiral, Walking On The Water, Heartattack Mac, Pills Powders and Passion Plays and In the Family. These tracks proved popular amongst record buyers in Norway.
When the Baby Scooter E.P. was released, it reached number fourteen in the Norwegian charts. This was just the latest success to come Motorpsycho’s way. That was no surprise. The Baby Scooter E.P. which features on disc one of the Angels and Daemons box set, showcases the different sides to Motorpsycho.
Throughout the Baby Scooter E.P, Motorpsycho showcased their versatility throughout the Baby Scooter E.P. This ranges from the thoughtful psychedelia of Sideway Spiral to the hard rocking Heartattack Mac. Other times, elements of alt and indie rock shine through. So does Krautrock on Pills, Powder And Passionplays (Miss Mitchell In The Ladies Room). Sometimes, several genres melt into one, including on In The Family. It’s a fusion of alt rock and post rock, where as usual, Motorpsycho stay one step ahead of musical trends. That had been the case throughout their career, and continued on the next E.P
Have Spacesuit Will Travel-Disc Two.
A week later and Have Spacesuit Will Travel was released on the 3rd of February 1997. It was a very different E,.P. This time, the E.P. consisted of one epic track, that featured three parts.
The three parts to Have Spacesuit Will Travel are truly captivating. Constantly, Motorpsycho spring surprises as the music changes direction. Seamlessly, they shift between disparate musical genres, and incorporate a variety of musical influences. All the time, subtleties and surprises are sprung during this musical Magnus Opus. It’s no surprise that Have Spacesuit Will Travel proved popular amongst Norwegian music fans.
Upon its released, Have Spacesuit Will Travel charted, and eventually, reached number thirteen in the Norwegian charts. Motorpsycho’s decision to release the trio of E.P.s had been vindicated, as it gave them another hit single. The Have Spacesuit Will Travel E.P. is replicated on disc two of the Angels and Daemons box set, and is a reminder of Motorpsycho at their groundbreaking best.
Lovelight-Disc Three.
The third and final E.P. that Motorpsycho released, was Lovelight. It was released on the 10th of February 1997, and featured another six tracks. This included Sideway Spiral II, Like Always, Stalemate, Starmelt, Lovelight, Timothy’s Monster and Atlantis Swing. Again, a myriad of musical genres and influences can be heard throughout Lovelight.
Elements of alt rock, post rock, psychedelia and space rock could be heard on Lovelight as Motorpsycho flit between and combine genres on the six tracks. They ooze quality. Especially when Motorpsycho kick loose and rock hard on Like Always, Starmelt, Lovelight and Timothy’s Monster. Just like the two previous E.P.s, Lovelight proved popular upon its release.
When Lovelight was released, it followed in the footsteps of Baby Scooter and Have Spacesuit Will Travel, and reached thirteen in the Norwegian charts. This meant that each of the E.P.s from the Angels and Daemons sessions. For Motorpsycho, this augured well for the release of Angels and Daemons later in 1997.
Angels and Daemons.
Later in 1997, Motorpsycho were preparing to release their sixth album Angels and Daemons. It was a truly eclectic album stylistically, and it wasn’t going to be easy to program the album so that the album flowed. However, Motorpsycho had a plan that would ensure that the album ‘worked’ and made sense sonically.
Motorpsycho wanted Columbia, who in 1997, were owned by Sonym to release three separate versions of the album on CD and LP. This included a shortened CD version that featured just twelve tracks. There would be a three CD box set that replicated the three E.P.s, Disc one would replicate Baby Scooter, disc two Have Spacesuit Will Travel and disc three Lovelight. The vinyl version was a double album. However, given the constraints of vinyl, two tracks were omitted and only fourteen tracks made their way onto the double album. This was a complicated project, and one that took a lot of planning. Producing three different versions of an album was almost unheard of in 1997. Nowadays, it’s commonplace. Not for the first time, Motorpsycho were pioneers.
Now that Motorpsycho had worked out how they wanted to release Angels and Daemons, Columbia started to make plans for the release of the album later in 1997. Eventually, Angels and Daemons was ready for release.
Just like previous albums, critical acclaim accompanied the release of Motorpsycho’s sixth album Angels and Daemons. It was one of their most eclectic album, with Motorpsycho drawing inspiration from a myriad of musical genres and influences. This found favour with the Norwegian music buying public.
Upon the release of Angels and Daemons, it entered the Norwegian charts. It began to climb the charts, and eventually reached the top ten. Angels and Daemons didn’t stop there. Eventually, it reached number two becoming the most successful album of Motorpsycho’s career. That however, wasn’t the end of the success for Motorpsycho.
Later in 1997, Motorpsycho found themselves being nominated for a third Spellemannprisen award. Angels and Daemons was nominated in the hard rock category. This was the category that Motorpsycho won with Blissard in 1996. They made it two in a row in 1997, when Angels and Daemons won Motorpsycho the third Spellemannprisen award of their career. This they won with what many critics called the most eclectic album of their career. It features on the first three discs of the Angels and Daemons six disc box set.
Discs 4-B-Sides, The Ones That Got Away: Rarities and Live Recordings.
The fourth disc in the Angels and Daemons box set is entitled The Ones That Got Away: Rarities and Live Recordings. It features sixteen tracks. Many of these tracks make their debut on disc four. Others however, have been released before.
This includes the five tracks that featured on the Starmelt E.P. It was released on Columbia in 1997, and featured Starmelt/Lovelight, a live cover of Humble Pie’s Up Our Sleeves and what was then a new song, Wishing Well. The other two tracks included a rerecording of Flick Of The Wrist and a version of Instamatic recorded in April 1997. That however is just part of the story of disc four.
There are a number of outtakes on disc four. This indues Back To Source, which later featured on the Ozone E.P. Another outtake is a captivating version of Caterpillar, which was recorded for the AADAP sessions. It’s never been released until now. Neither has this version of King Bong Hop, which is a welcome addition to disc four of the Angels and Daemons box set.
The same can be said of the three songs that featured on a split-CD that was released to benefit a local housing cooperative, Star Dancer Vs Car Cancer, La’Moen Rag and Baby Jesus II. They’re an eclectic trio of tracks that show a very different side to Motorpsycho. Especially the country tinged Baby Jesus II, which is a hidden gem in the Motorpsycho back-catalogue. It’s not alone.
Another five tracks feature on disc four, and they were songs that Motorpsycho contributed to various compilations. They’ve never been collected together before. That is until now. Two of the highlights are understated Mad Sun and Nature’s Way. They join Syk, and the post rock soundscapes Un Chien D’Espace and Timothy In The Magic City. They’re both welcome additions to disc four and again, showcase Motorpsycho’s versatility as they flit between and combine musical genres. This they do in the studio and live.
Discs 5 and 6-Rockefeller, March 14th 1997 Parts 1 and 2.
The final two discs in the Angels and Daemons box set feature Motorpsycho live. This is no ordinary live recording. Instead, it’s a live broadcast Motorpsycho recorded for the Norwegian radio station NRK/P3. It was recorded on March 14th 1997, just a month after the release of the Lovelight E.P. Sadly, the show was never broadcast in its entirety. Nor was the show released as one of Motorpsycho’s live albums. It’s lain in the archives for nearly twenty years, and makes a welcome debut on the Angels and Daemons box set.
That night at the Rockefeller, Helge “Deathprod” Sten took to the stage on March 14th 1997. He is joined by Ole Henrix Moe and two percussionists, and they open the show with one of Helge’s tracks Komet. This is no ordinary track. Instead, it’s a twenty-six minute genre-melting musical adventure featuring twists and turns aplenty. Once Komet draws to a close, Hege introduces Motorpsycho, and he and his band accompany them throughout the next sixteen tracks.
Motorpsycho open their set with STG, which featured on the Definitivt Beat Nr 1 · 96 compilation the previous year. It’s one of their lesser known tracks. Soon though, Motorpsycho unleash one of the tracks from Timothy’s Monster, Kill Some Day. Already Motorpsycho are up and running.
There is no let up as Motorpsycho revisit a trio songs that would later feature on Angels and Daemons for the first time. Like Always gives way to Heartattack Mac and Pills, Powders And Passion Plays. After this, Motorpsycho return to their 1995 album Blissard, and revisit The Nerve Tattoo, and then Young Man Blues from the 1996 Ozone E.P. As disc five draws to a close, Motorpsycho return to Angels and Daemons and deliver a blistering version of Starmelt/Lovelight. This seems a fitting way to close disc five of the Angels and Daemons box set. However, it’s only half time in football terms
Motorpsycho who in 1997, were already one of Norway’s top bands return on disc six of the Angels and Daemons box set. They open the second part of their set with a seventeen minute, genre-melting, experimental epic, Un Chien d’Espace. It’s another track that would appear on Angels and Daemons later in 1997. So would Sideway Spiral II and You Lied. After this, Motorpsycho dip into their impressive back-catalogue.
First stop is Hogwash, a track from Motorpsycho’s debut album Lobotomizer. That was the album that introduced Motorpsycho to the record buying public. Hogwash gives way to The One That Went Away, which is another hidden gem from Motorpsycho’s back-catalogue. This is followed by Nothing To Say, from Motorpsycho’s first classic album Demon Box. It was released in 1993, the same year as Motorpsycho’s split-single Into The Sun. It’s another of their lesser known tracks, but features a performance that veers between dramatic, rocky to melodic. Motorpsycho never miss a beat, and are at their tightest. However, they’ve only time for one more track, The Golden Core from Timothy’s Monster. This is another epic, and for fifteen minutes, Motorpsycho are at their most innovative as they push musical boundaries to their limit, and sometimes, way beyond. After such in impressive closing track, Motorpsycho take their leave, expecting the whole show to be broadcast in its entirety.
Sadly, that never happened, and nearly twenty years later, the recording makes a belated debut on the six CD Angels and Daemons box set. It’s a snapshot of Motorpsycho live, as the musical chameleons continued to reinvent their music. This they had been doing throughout their eight year career. That would the case as their career progressed.
Never again, would Motorpsycho sound like the band that took to the stage at the Rockefeller on March 14th 1997. Instead, they moved forward, their music constantly and continually evolving as the years passed and the new millennia dawned. Nineteen years later, and Motorpsycho are a very different band from the band that features on discs five and six of the Angels and Daemons box set. One thing hasn’t changed though, Still, Motorpsycho are musical pioneers who create ambitious, innovative and genre-melting music.
That has been the case since they released their mini album Maiden Voyage in 1990. Since then, Motorpsycho have been a truly prolific band, averaging nearly an album a year. This includes studio albums, live albums, mini albums and collaborations. These albums have been released to critical acclaim and commercial success. However, when Motorpsycho released Angels and Daemons in 1997, it was their sixth album.
Motorpsycho had already released their first classic album, Demon Box. It’s one of the most important albums of Motorpsycho’s early career. That is why Rune Grammofon decided to reissued Demon Box in 2014 as port of Motorpsycho’s luxury box set reissue program. Two years later, and Angels and Daemons become the fourth instalment in Rune Grammofon’s luxury box set reissue program. That is fitting.
Angels and Daemons a groundbreaking, genre-melting, classic album, where Motorpsycho combined elements of alt rock, avant-garde, electronica and experimental music with Krautrock, post rock, psychedelia, space rock and stoner rock. All these genres can be heard on Angels and Daemons. Some are only glimpsed briefly, while others play a larger part in the sound and success of Angels and Daemons. It marked a coming of age musically for Motorpsycho, who were also well on their way to becoming one of the most successful Norwegian bands in 1997.
Especially after Angels and Daemons reached number two in the Norwegian charts, and became the most successful album of Motorpsycho’s career. It also went on to win a Spellemannprisen awards in the hard rock category later in 1997. This was the third Spellemannprisen awards of Motorpsycho’s career so far. So it’s fitting that Rune Grammofon have decided to celebrate the release of Motorpsycho’s sixth album Angels and Daemons with the release of this lavish, luxurious and lovingly curated six CD box set. It will be released on 23rd of December 2016, and is a fitting way to celebrate Angels and Daemons which was Motorpsycho’s coming of age musically and nowadays, is regarded as one of their classic albums.
MOTORPSYCHO-ANGELS AND DAEMONS AT PLAY.
LINDA JONES-PRECIOUS: THE ANTHOLOGY 1963-1976.
LINDA JONES-PRECIOUS: THE ANTHOLOGY 1963-1976.
The story of Linda Jones is one of triumph and tragedy. Growing up, Linda Jones was diagnosed with diabetes. Despite this, Linda Jones went on to forge a successful career as a soul singer.
Her breakthrough single, was Hypnotised, which reached twenty-one in the US Billboard 100 and number four in the US Billboard R&B charts in 1967. Suddenly, great things were being forecast for Linda Jones. These forecasts proved prescient.
As 1972 dawned, twenty-seven year old Linda Jones was a successful soul singer. She had already enjoyed five hit singles and a successful debut album. This looked like it was just the start of a long and successful career for a singer who had the potential to rival Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Irma Thomas for the title Queen of Soul. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.
On March the 13th 1972, Linda Jones was resting at her mother’s home between a matinee and evening show at the Harlem Apollo. She took unwell and an ambulance was called. The following day, Linda slipped into a diabetic coma. Later that day, Linda Jones was pronounced dead on the 14th February 1972. Linda Jones was just twenty-seven. Tragedy had robbed soul music of his its talented and promising singers, Linda Jones.
Her career is documented on a new compilation, Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976. It was recently released by Kent Soul, an imprint of Ace Records and celebrates the life and music of Linda Jones.
Linda Jones was born on December 14th 1944, in New Jersey. By the age of six, Linda Jones had joined the family gospel group The Jones Singers. They sang in churches in the New Jersey area. This was Linda’s introduction to music. However, as Linda became a teenager, she discovered another type of music…R&B.
Discovering R&B transformed Linda Jones’ life. This was a revelation. Suddenly, Linda knew what she wanted to do with her life…sing soul. So when she left high school, Linda had a plan. By days, she worked a series of dead end jobs. Then at night, she became Linda sang in local clubs in Newark, New Jersey. That was where she came to the attention of an A&R scout for MGM Records.
He spotted the potential in the nineteen year old Linda Jones. Soon, Linda was signed on a short term deal, and was net into the studio to record her debut single. The song that was chosen was a cover of Lonely Teardrops, which had given Jackie Wilson a hit single. When it was released, MGM billed Linda Jones as Linda Lane. Despite the change in name, Lonely Tears failed to make an impression on the charts. Linda’s time at MGM was over before it had even begun.
Despite the disappointment, Linda Jones remained stoic and returned to working dead end jobs by day, and singing in clubs at night. That was where she met Jerry Harris, a staff songwriter at Jobete Music, Motown’s publishing company.
Straight away, Jerry Harris realised that Linda Jones was a cut above most of the singers he came across. He promised Linda that he would do all he could to help her. Jerry Harris was as good as his word.
He introduced Linda Jones to producer George Kerr. Little did Linda realise, that this was the start of a six year partnership.
Not long after their initial meeting, George Kerr booked a session at a New York recording studio in October 1964. For the session, Jerry Harris had recorded some top session players. The rhythm section included drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, bassist Cornell Dupree and guitarist Eric Gale. They were joined by pianist Richard Tee. This was the band that would be by Linda’s side for the next six years. However, during that first session, Linda recorded the two songs that featured on her next single, Take The Boy Out Of The Country, I’m Taking Back My Love.
After the recording sessions, George Kerr shopped the tracks to various record companies. When executives at Atco, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, heard the two songs, they were keen to sign Linda Jones. When the contract was signed, Linda Jones’ Take The Boy Out Of The Country, was released in March 1965 as Linda Jones’ sophomore single. Tucked away on the B-Side was the heart-wrenching ballad I’m Taking Back My Love. Despite the quality of both sides, Linda’s sophomore single failed commercially. This marked the end of her time at Atco.
George Kerr wasn’t about to give up on Linda Jones. After leaving Atco, Linda returned to the club circuit. This was the equivalent of serving a musical apprenticeship. It helped Linda hone her style. Eventually, George took Linda back into the studio, and they recorded Fugitive From Love and You Hit Me Like T.N.T. These two tracks George took to Blue Bird Records.
Again, executives at Blue Bird Records liked the two tracks, and agreed to release them as Linda Jones’ third single. Linda was maturing as a vocalist, and combined power and emotion on Fugitive From Love. It became her next single when it was released on Blue Cat Records in July 1966. On the flip-side was You Hit Me Like T.N.T., which later would find an audience on the Northern Soul scene. Sadly, Blue Cat Records lacked the funds to promote Fugitive From Love properly. Unsurprisingly, it failed to find an audience, and Linda Jones was once again, looking for a new label.
Still though, George Kerr continued to believe in Linda Jones. Undaunted he managed to find the funds to finance another session. One of the songs he planned to record was Hypnotised. George Kerr took Linda and her band into the studio and they cut the two tracks. Then Jerry went looking for a label to release Linda’s fourth single.
First stop for George Kerr was Brunswick. However, they weren’t in the market for any more female singers. They already had Barbara Acklin, who they were promoting heavily. However, a Brunswick staffer suggested that George head over to Warner Bros, and meet Ron Moseley. He was working for Warner Bros’ R&B imprint Loma. That’s what George decided to do.
At Warner Bros, George Kerr met with Ron Moseley. He took out a copy of Hypnotised and began to play it to Ron. At that moment, Jerry Ragovoy walked past. The song stopped the songwriter and producer in his tracks. He thought it had hit potential. Within a matter of minutes, a deal had been struck. After that, George headed home to Florida.
On his return to New York, Jerry Ragovoy and staffers from Loma had been looking for Linda Jones. They wanted her to play some shows to support Hypnotised. This she did, and when Hypnotised was released in May 1967, the single began to climb the charts. Eventually, it reached twenty-one in the US Billboard 100 and number four in the US Billboard R&B charts in 1967. After four years and four singles, Linda Jones had made her breakthrough. This was just the start of the journey for Linda.
Four months later, and Linda Jones released the followup to Hypnotised was released in September 1967. The song that was chosen was the soul-baring ballad What’ve I Done (To Make You Mad). Again, the single climbed the charts, and eventually, reached sixty-one in the US Billboard 100 and number eight in the US Billboard R&B. This gave Linda Jones back-to-back top ten single in the US R&B charts.
Buoyed by this success, Loma decided to send Linda into the studio to record her debut album. Hypnotised was released later in 1967. It featured the singles Hypnotised and What’ve I Done (To Make You Mad). Other songs included the rueful If Only (We Had Met Sooner), A Last Minute Miracle reached twenty-six in the US R&B charts. By then, great things were being forecast for Linda Jones.
As 1967 drew to a close, Linda Jones released her third single of the year. This was the hopeful power ballad Give My Love A Try. This is one of the highlights of Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976. It was released in December 1967. Despite its quality, Give My Love A Try failed to make an impression on the charts. However, 1967 had still been the most successful year of Linda Jones’ career.
Just two months after the released of Give My Love A Try, Linda Jones returned with her first single of 1968, My Heart Needs A Break. This Sammy Turner composition was produced by George Kerr. When it was released in February 1968, the single charted but stalled at ninety-four in the US Billboard 100. In the US R&B charts, Give My Love A Try fared better, reaching thirty-four. It seemed that Give My Love A Try’s failure to chart had been a minor blip. Or was it?
In June 1968, Linda Jones returned with a new single, What Can I Do (Without You). It doesn’t feature on Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976. When What Can I Do (Without You) was released, it failed to trouble the chart. Hopefully, this was another minor blip and the hits would soon resume.
Three months later, and Linda Jones returned with her new single It Won’t Take Much (To Bring Me Back). It’s also omitted from Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976. When What Can I Do (Without You) was released in September 1968, but it too, failed to chart. This was a further disappointment for Linda Jones. Worse was to come.
By 1969, Warner Bros. had realised that there was more money to made in rock than soul. Warner Bros. called time on their Loma imprint. It wasn’t part of their future plans. Nor it seemed was Linda Jones. She only released one more single for Warner Bros.
This was My Heart (Will Understand), which is omitted from Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976. My Heart (Will Understand) was released the main Warner Bros. label in April 1969. When the single failed commercially, this must have made Warner Bros’ mind up. Linda Jones left Warner Bros not long after this.
Later in 1969, George Kerr took Linda Jones back into the studio with her usual band. They recorded a cover of The O’Jays’ I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow and That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You. These songs, George Kerr shopped to various labels.
Eventually, George Kerr agreed to lease the songs to Gamble and Huff’s Neptune Records. For Linda, this in a step down in career terms. She had previously, been signed to a major label, that was one of the most famous labels in music. Now she was about to release her next single small independent label.
The only saving grace was that Neptune Records had signed a distribution deal with Chicago based Chess Records. This should’ve helped get Neptune Records’ releases into more shops than other independent labels. One of these releases was Linda Jones’ single I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow.
It was released in October 1969, with That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You on the B-Side. Upon its release, I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow entered the US R&B charts, and eventually, reached forty-five. Meanwhile, some DJs took to playing the B-Side That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You on the radio. The song became so popular, that it too charted, reaching number forty in the US R&B charts. Linda had enjoyed two hit singles. Maybe Linda’s luck was changing?
She was certainly busy with live work when I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow and That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You charted in January 1970. Linda Jones was part of package shows that toured America. At each show, Linda appeared three times, singing between three and five songs. This introduced her to a much wider audience. However, this must have been taking its toll on Linda.
She had been diagnosed with diabetes at an early age. Like all diabetics, Linda had to take medication and be careful with her diet. Linda had to eat regularly and watch her blood sugar level. Out on tour, this wasn’t always easy, and sometimes, Linda suffered from diabetes attacks. Gradually, they began to happen more often. For Linda and her mother, this must have been a worry. Despite this, the twenty-five year old continued her career.
In May 1970, Linda Jones recorded a cover of Ooh Baby You Move Me. It had previously been recorded by Ben Aitken in 1968. On the B-Side, was Can You Blame Me? Again, producer George Kerr decided to lease Ooh Baby You Move Me to Neptune Records. This wasn’t his best decision.
At the time, Gamble and Huff were planning on launching a a new label, Philadelphia International Records. Neptune Records was being wound down, so the pair could focus their attention on the new label. Maybe George Kerr wasn’t aware of these plans? As a result, Ooh Baby You Move Me wasn’t promoted properly on its release in May 1970. This proved to be the last Linda Jones record leased to Gamble and Huff.
That wasn’t the only change in the offing. Linda Jones moved to Turbo Records, which was a subsidiary of All Platinium Group, a New Jersey funk, R&B, and soul label. This was the start of a new chapter in the career of Linda Jones. However, changes were afoot.
For Linda Jones Turbo Records’ debut, Stay With Me Forever was chosen. It was penned by George Kerr with Sharon Seiger and Nate Edmonds. He would co-produce Stay With Me Forever with George Kerr. On the B-Side was I’ve Given You The Best Years Of My Life, which Linda cowrote with Gerald Harris. He co-produced the song with Toby Henry. What was Linda’s thirteenth single was released in May 1971
This was Stay With Me Forever, Linda Jones’ first single for her new label, Turbo Records. It was released in May 1971 and featured a vocal tour de force from Linda. She showcased every vocal trick in the book during what was a musical masterclass. The record buying public agreed, and the single reached forty-seven in the US R&B charts. Given the success of Stay With Me Forever work began on the followup.
The song chosen was a cover of the Goffin and King composition, I Can’t Make It Alone. It was ‘produced’ by a veteran of the New York music scene, Sylvia Robinson. She would go on to found and become the CEO of Sugar Hill Records. Meanwhile, Al Goodman and Nate Edmonds co-produced the B-Side, Don’t Go (I Can’t Bear To Be Alone). The single was released in November 1971. However, the single failed to replicate the success of Stay With Me Forever.
As 1971 gave way to 1972, Linda Jones entered the studio to record her next single, Your Precious Love. It was released in February 1972. Soon, it had entered the charts and began to climb. Then tragedy struck and suddenly music no longer mattered.
On the afternoon of March the 13th 1972, Linda Jones performed at a matinee at the Harlem Apollo. She returned to mother’s home, where she lived to rest between shows. That was where tragedy struck.
Later that afternoon, Linda Jones became unwell. An ambulance was called and she was taken to hospital. The following day, George Kerr visited the Jones’ household. He was told by a neighbour of Linda becoming unwell and an ambulance taking her to the hospital. By the time George made his way to the hospital, Linda had slipped into a diabetic coma. Later, that day, 14th February 1972 Linda Jones was pronounced dead. She was just twenty-seven.
Meanwhile, Your Precious Love continued to climb the charts, reaching number seventy-four in the US Billboard 100 and fifteen in the US R&B charts. Ironically, this was Linda Jones most successful single since What’ve I Done (To Make You Mad) in 1967. However, Your Precious Love was Linda’s final hit single.
Despite her death, Turbo Records continued to release singles bearing Linda Jones’ name. This included Linda Jones And Whatnauts’ collaboration I’m So Glad I Found You. It was released in June 1972, but failed to chart. That wasn’t the last Linda Jones single Turbo Records would release.
Let It Be Me was then released in September 1972. It doesn’t feature on the Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976 compilation. However, it features on an album released by the All Platinum Group, Your Precious Love.
It featured number of tracks had been stockpiled during various recording sessions. These tracks were somewhat hastily released as a Linda Jones’ sophomore studio album. Among the tracks that featured on Your Precious Love, were Your Precious Love, Behold, Stay With Me Forever, Not On The Outside and I Can’t Make It Alone. When it was released later in 1972, Your Precious Love didn’t replicate the success of the single. Despite this, Turbo Records released another posthumous album of Linda Jones’ music.
The second Turbo Records’ album was Let It Be Me. One of the highlights was a beautiful, soulful ballad I Do. It allows Linda Jones to use her full vocal range. It’s a poignant reminder of a truly talented singer. Meanwhile, however, Turbo Records continued to release singles bearing Linda Jones’ name.
This included a new versions of Fugitive From Love. It was released in 1973, with Things I’ve Been Through on the B-Side. However, the single failed to trouble the charts. Later in 1973, the single was flipped over and Things I’ve Been Through was released as a single. Still success eluded the single which marked the end of the Turbo Records years.
By then, the first anniversary of Linda Jones death was approaching. However, her music lived on. That’s still the case today.
Nowadays, her music is growing in popularity, and she is reaching a wider audience. Hopefully, that audience with increase with the release of a new compilation, Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976. It was recently released by Kent Soul, an imprint of Ace Records and celebrates the life and music of Linda Jones.
Linda Jones is now remembered for possessing one of the finest and most versatile voices in soul music. If she had lived, Linda Jones had the potential to rival Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Irma Thomas for the title Queen of Soul. Sadly, that wasn’t to be, and Linda Jones died far too young. She passed away on 14th of December 1972. Today, Linda Jones would’ve been celebrating her seventy-second birthday. Instead, today we’re celebrating Linda Jones musical legacy. This includes the music that features on Precious: The Anthology 1963-1976. It’s the perfect introduction to another of soul music’s best kept secrets, Linda Jones.
LINDA JONES-PRECIOUS: THE ANTHOLOGY 1963-1976.
CONRAD SCHNITZLER-FILMMUSIK 1.
CONRAD SCHNITZLER-FILMMUSIK 1.
Conrad Schnitzler was, without doubt, one of the most important and influential figures in German music. Having studied under Joseph Beuys, he cofounded the legendary Zodiak Free Arts Lab in Berlin with Hans-Joachim Roedelius.
For next the two years, the Zodiak Free Arts Lab became one of Berlin’s cultural hubs. Artists and musicians made their way to the Zodiak Free Arts Lab, seeking out like minded individuals. They found them. This included Klaus Schulze, plus members of Can, Ash Ra Tempel, Agitation Free and Tangerine Dream, who Conrad Schnitzler joined in 1969.
By then, Tangerine Dream had become the Zodiak Free Arts Lab’s house band right up until its closure in March 169. Regularly Tangerine Dream played five and six our sets of loud, improvised music. Often these sets ended with the band smashing their equipment up. Tangerine Dream it seemed, were making a statement. This they certainly did on their debut album.
Tangerine Dream.
Conrad Schnitzler joined Tangerine Dream just in time to play on their groundbreaking debut album Electronic Meditation in October 1969. Tangerine Dream fused elements of avant-garde, electronic music, free jazz and rock. This proved popular with critics and cultural commentators.
Nine months later, Electronic Meditation released on Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser’s Ohr label. Critical acclaim accompanied the release of this future Krautrock classic. However, by the time Electronic Meditation was released Conrad Schnitzler had parted company with Tangerine Dream.
Kluster.
After leaving Tangerine Dream, a new chapter in the career of Conrad Schnitzler began later in 1969. He and Hans-Joachim Roedelius decided to form a new band, Kluster with Dieter Moebius.
Kluster wasted no time in recording their debut album. To record their debut album, Kluster had managed to secure sponsorship from a local church. This would offset the cost hiring the Rhenus-Studio on 21st December 1969. That day, Kluster were joined by Christa Runge who added religious texts to Kluster 1. Just like Kluster 2, it was an ambitious improvised piece where Kluster combined avant-garde and experimental music.These tracks became Klopfzeichen, which was released in November 1970. By then, Kluster had recorded their sophomore album.
Just two months after recording their debut album, Kluster returned to the Rhenus-Studio on February 23rd 1970 to record Zwei-Osterei. Just like Klopfzeichen, it was financed by a local church. Manfred Paethe added religious texts Electric Music and Text. It became part of Zwei-Osterei., a fusion of avant-garde, experimental music and Krautrock. However, Kluster’s sophomore album wasn’t released until 1971.
Later in 1971, Kluster performed what would be their swan-song. That night, the tapes were running and captured Kluster at their purest. There were no religious texts accompanying the two lengthy improvised pieces. They find Kluster’s music evolving towards the electronic sound that featured on later Cluster albums. That night, Kluster came of age musically, having saved the best until last. It was released in late 1971 as Schwarz. By then, Conrad Schnitzler was contemplating a solo career.
The Solo Years.
Conrad Schnitzler’s solo career began in 1973 would span four decades. During his long career, Conrad Schnitzler continued to create ambitious and pioneering music.
This includes the music on the first two albums of Conrad Schnitzler’s career. Con was released in 1972 with Blau following in 1973. Both albums were self-released by Conrad Schnitzler and featured intriguing electronic patterns, tape manipulations and dark, moody experimental sounds. These albums were later hailed as classics, and would introduce Conrad Schnitzler’s music to a wider record buying public.
So did the first in a series of cassette albums Conrad Schnitzler released. Cassettes were the perfect medium for Conrad Schnitzler. They were much more affordable than vinyl, and it was easy to run off further copies as and when they were needed. The first cassette album Conrad Schnitzler released was The Red Cassette in 1973. It was followed by The Black Cassette in 1974. Both albums feature Conrad Schnitzler experimenting and pushing musical boundaries, as he combines musical genres with his sonic palette. The two cassette albums increased interest in Conrad Schnitzler’s music.
Despite this, Conrad Schnitzler next album, Work In Progress was a limited edition box set. Only 100 copies were pressed, and each box set included three LPs and a cassette. This included copies the Kluster live Schwartz and Conrad Schnitzler’s first two solo albums, Rot and Blau. After the box set was released, Conrad Schnitzler returned the master tapes to his archives.
That’s where Conrad Schnitzler stored all the music he recorded during a career that spanned five decades. By the time of Conrad Schnitzler’s death in 2011, his vast, sprawling archives featured the master tapes to several hundred recordings. The job of organising the master tapes fell to Conrad Schnitzler’s former musical partner Wolfgang Seidel.
He was appointed guardian of Conrad Schnitzler’s archive. This is a important role, and one Wolfgang Seidel has dedicated himself to. He realises the importance of the music within Conrad Schnitzler’s archive. This includes everything from the master tapes to albums, to recordings of concerts that were committed to cassette. Some of the master tapes and cassettes Wolfgang Seidel discovered, only featured the one track. The archive was proving to be a treasure trove. Especially when Wolfgang Seidel discovered long lost, hidden treasure.
Tucked away in Conrad Schnitzler’s archive were two tapes which were mysteriously marked Filmmusik 1975 and Filmmusik 1980. Wolfgang Seidel dusted these down, and looked at them. However, there was no other information with the tapes. Conrad Schnitzler hadn’t noted down if the tracks were meant to accompany a film or video. The tapes was turning into a mystery.
So Wolfgang Seidel setup the tape machine and began to listen to the music that featured on Filmmusik 1975 A and Filmmusik 1980. In an instant, Wolfgang Seidel was transported back to 1975 and then 1980. He was listening to his old friend Conrad Schnitzler at his most accessible.
Mesmeric, entrancing and pulsating bass lines are joined by washes of ethereal, elegiac synths on Mrz 80, which opens Filmmuzik 1. Other times, including on Okt 75 and Okt 80 the synths are futuristic and take on a cinematic, sci-fi sound. Both tracks still sound like the soundtrack-in-waiting to a sci-fi film. Then Apr 80 takes on a proto-techno, cinematic sound. There’s a moody and menacing undercurrent to Dez 80 as drones wash in and out. These drones return on Sep 75, as it veers between haunting and wistful to melodic and beautiful. Soon, though, it’s all change.
A pumping, pulsating bass provides the heartbeat to Feb 80 on this example of ethno-electro. Jul 80 then features Conrad Schnitzler at his most inventive. He combines synths and drones to create an eerie, otherworldly and chilling cinematic soundscape. It has the word soundtrack written all over it. So does Aug 75 which somehow, manages to be minimalist, menacing and futuristic all at once. This is quite an achievement. The closing track Jan 80 features oscillating synths that sound as if they were meant to feature on a film about space travel. Jan 80 paints pictures, and sets the listener’s imagination racing. That has been the case throughout Filmmuzik 1.
It’s a welcome release and a reminder of a true musical pioneer, as his solo career began to unfold. Conrad Schnitzler was in a rich vein of musical form by 1975. He had already recorded classic albums with Tangerine Dream and Kluster. These albums featured inventive and innovative music that would influence further generations of musicians. So would Conrad Schnitzler’s first two albums, 1972s Con and 1973. Both of these albums are nowadays, regarded as classics. Along with the release of Black Cassette and Red Cassette albums, Conrad Schnitzler was in the midst of one of the most creative periods of his career.
This continued between 1975 and 1980. Proof of this is the music on Filmmuzik 1. It has lain unreleased in Conrad Schnitzler’s archives until relatively recently. That was until the tapes were discovered by Wolfgang Seidel, who is the guardian of Conrad Schnitzler’s archive. He realised the importance of the music on Filmmuzik 1, so approached the Hamburg based label Bureau B about releasing some of the music. Ten of these featured on the recently released Filmmuzik 1. It looks like the start of a series.
Already, Bureau B have announced that were will be a followup to Filmmuzik 1. The second volume in this series, Filmmuzik 2 will be released in February 2017. This is a welcome release. Especially if the music is as good as that on Filmmuzik 1.
On Filmmuzik 1, Conrad Schnitzler combines elements of ambient and avant-garde, Berlin School and Krautrock with electronic and experimental music. Usually, several genres are combined by Conrad Schnitzler to create a soundscape. To create these soundscapes, Conrad Schnitzler deploys an array of keyboards, synths, drum machines, sound effects and found sounds. They’re Conrad Schnitzler’s sonic palette, which he puts to good use on on Filmmuzik 1.
Each of the soundscapes on Filmmuzik 1 have a cinematic sound. They’re guaranteed to set the listener’s imagination racing. Some of the tracks futuristic, with a sci-fi sound, while others are eerie, moody and otherworldly. Some have a mesmeric quality, while others are ethereal, elegiac or melodic and have an inherent beauty. However, each of the tracks on Filmmuzik 1 have one thing in common…they’re timeless.
Despite being recorded in 1975 and 1980, there’s a freshness to the music which still sounds relevant today. Indeed, it’s hard to believe that some of tracks are forty-one years old. These tracks have aged well. They’re also among the most accessible music that Conrad Schnitzler has recorded.
That’s why Filmmuzik 1 is the perfect starting place for newcomers to the music of Conrad Schnitzler. It’s a gateway album to the rest of Conrad Schnitzler’s back-catalogue. Filmmuzik 1 is sure to be the first step in a voyage of discovery through the delights of Conrad Schnitzler’s back-catalogue. However, this is no ordinary back-catalogue. Conrad Schnitzler’s back-catalogue is vast. He was a prolific solo artist and collaborator. The journey through Conrad Schnitzler’s back-catalogue brings to mind Loa’s quote that: “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The first step in the journey through Conrad Schnitzler’s back-catalogue is Filmmuzik 1.
CONRAD SCHNITZLER-FILMMUSIK 1.
TIM MAIA 1970.
TIM MAIA 1970.
For many musicians, choosing the title for an album can prove problematic. Especially, for a debut album. As a result, many of new artists and bands have gone done this route. This includes everyone from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band to Art In America and Ash Ra Tempel. Then there’s Cluster, Dire Straits and 10CC, The Band, The Beta Band and The Doors. Eponymous debut albums it seems, have always been popular over with new artists. This included Tim Maia.
When he released his debut album in 1970, it was entitled Tim Maia. It seemed he was following in the footsteps of many other artists. Following the success of his debut album, Tim Maia returned in 1971 with his sophomore album. It too was entitled Tim Maia. So were his third and fourth albums. This was guaranteed to cause confusion.
Nowadays, Tim Maia’s debut album is known as Tim Maia 1970. It was recently reissued, by Oficial Arquivoknown, and marks the start of the reissue of the Tim Maia quartet. These four albums were released between 1970 and 1973 and feature some of the best music Tim Maia released during his long and illustrious career. This reissue program is also a celebration of Tim Maia and his music.
He was hugely talented, charismatic and larger life singer, who lived life on the edge, and was determined to do things his way. Early on, Tim Maia realised he was only here for a visit, and was going to live life to the full. It was as Tim Maia was determined that he would have no regrets. Tim Maia packed a lot of living into fifty-years, but still left behind a rich musical legacy. However, the Tim Maia story began in Brazil in 1942
On September 28th 1942. Tim Maia born in Rio De Janeiro. He was the eighteenth of nineteen children. Aged just six, Tim earned a living delivering homemade food, which his mother cooked. This would be the nearest Tim got to an ordinary job. From then on, Tim devoted himself to music.
At the age of eight, Tim Maia had already written his first song. By the time he was fourteen, Tim had learnt to play the drums and formed his first group Os Tijucanos do Ritmo. They were only together for a year. During that period, Tim took guitar lessons. He was soon a proficient guitarist, and was able to teach his friends. With some of his friends, Tim formed a new group in 1957.
This time, it was vocal harmony group, The Sputniks. It was formed in 1957, and made a television appearance on Carlos Eduardo Imperial’s Clube do Rock. Alas, the group was a short-lived affair, which resulted in Tim embarking upon a solo career. This lasted until 1959, when seventeen year old Tim made the decision to emigrate.
Tim Maia decided to head to America, which he believed he was heading for the land of opportunity. With just twelve dollars in his pocket and unable to speak English, Tim arrived in America. He called himself Jimmy at customs, and bluffed his way into the country, saying he was a student. Living with extended family in Tarrytown, New York Tim worked various casual jobs and augmented his meagre earnings by allegedly, committing petty crimes. Soon, he learnt to speak and sing English. This lead to him forming a vocal group The Ideals.
During his time with The Ideals, they recorded a demo of New Love, which Tim Maia had written the lyrics to. Making a guest appearance on the demo, was percussionist Milton Banana. Nothing came of the demo, and Tim later resurrected the song for his album Tim Maia 1973. However, by the time Tim recorded New Love with The Ideals, he planned on never returning home to Brazil. America was now his home. That was until things went awry for Tim.
Confusion surrounds why Tim Maia left Brazil. There’s two conflicting accounts. The first and more rock ’n’ roll version is that Tim was arrested on possession of cannabis in 1963, and deported shortly thereafter. That seems unlikely. There were punitive penalties for possession of even a small quantity of cannabis in the sixties. This meant it was unlikely Tim would’ve been just deported, without serving a jail sentence. This lends credence to the allegation that Tim was caught in a stolen car in Daytona, Florida. After serving six months in prison, Tim was deported back to Brazil in 1964.
Now back home in Brazil, Tim Maia’s life seemed to be going nowhere. He got and lost several jobs, and was arrested several times. So Tim decided to move to São Paulo, where he hoped maybe, he could get his career back on track.
Having moved to São Paulo, Tim Maia, hoped he would be reunited with one of The Sputniks. Ironically, it was Carlos, who Tim had insulted before he left The Sputniks. However, Carlos proved inaccessible, and Tim had to make his own way in the São Paulo music scene. Tim made an appearance on Wilson Simonal’s radio show, and then appeared with Os Mutantes on local television. Still, though, Tim was determined to contact Carlos, and sent a homemade demo. Eventually, Tim’s persistence paid off.
Carlos on hearing the demo, recommended Tim Maia to CBS. They offered him a recording deal for a single, and an appearance on the Jovem Guarda television program. Tim’s first single was Meu País in 1968. It failed commercially. So did the followup These Are the Songs, which Tim recorded in English. Things weren’t looking good for Tim Maia.
His luck changed when Tim wrote These Are the Songs for Carlos. It gave his friend a hit single. At last, things were looking up for Tim Maia.
Things continued to improve when Elis Regina became entranced by Tim’s song These Are the Songs. Elis Regina asked Tim to duet with her on the song. They recorded the song in English and Portuguese, and the song featured on Elis’ 1970 album Em Pieno Veroa. This gave Tim’s career a huge boost. Recording with such a famous Brazilian singer lead to Tim signing a recording contract with Polydor.
1970.
Having signed to Polydor, Tim Maia somewhat belatedly began to work on his eponymous debut album. Tim Maia was fast approaching his twenty-eighth birthday, and musically, had a lot of catching up to do.
Soon, work began on Tim Maia’s debut album. He began writing new songs and choosing cover versions for his what became Tim Maia 1970. Eventually, Tim had the twelve songs he planned to record.
This included three Tim had penned himself, and three he cowrote. Tim wrote Jurema, Flamengo and Azul Da Cor Do Mar, and cowrote Cristina and Cristina Nº 2 with Carlos Imperial. His other collaboration was Padre Cícero, which Tim cowrote with Cassiano. He penned Você Fingiu and cowrote Eu Amo Você and Primavera (Vai Chuva with Silvio Rochael. The other three cover versions included João Do Vale and Luiz Wanderley’s Coroné Antônio Bento, Fabio and Paulo Imperial’s Risos and Claudio Roditi’s Tributo À Booker Pittman. These songs were recorded with producers Arnaldo Saccomani and Jairo Pires.
Accompanying Tim Maia, was a relatively small, but tight and talented band. The rhythm section provided the heartbeat, and were augmented by keyboards, piano percussion and vibes. Meanwhile, Tim laid down his vocals, and added acoustic guitar. Later, strings were overdubbed on six tracks. Only then was Tim Maia 1970 complete. Little did any of the musicians realise that they know that they were about to make musical history.
When Tim Maia 1970 was released later in 1970, the album was hailed a groundbreaking, genre-melting classic by critics. The album was a successful and seamless marriage disparate genres. Soul and funk rubbed shoulders with samba and Baião. There’s even hints of easy listening and soul jazz on Tim Maia 1970. It also featured three future Tim Maia classics, that showed different sides to Tim Maia. This includes the album opener Coroné Antonio Bento. It’s a stomping fusion of soul and funk, where Tim’s vocal becomes a vamp. Primavera (Vai Chuva) and Azul Da Cor Do Mar are both beautiful ballads. This is were Tim seems to come into his own.
There’s several ballads on Tim Maia 1970. Cristina and Padre Cícero are soul-baring ballads. So are Você Fingiu and Eu Amo Você, where the lushest strings prove the perfect accompaniment to Tim’s vocal. Then on Cristina, Tim combines power, passion and emotion. However, there’s more to Tim Maia 1970 than ballads.
Risos is a mid-tempo track that floats along, constantly captivating. Jurema sounds as if was recorded in Memphis. Stabs of brassy horns and soaring harmonies accompany Tim, as his soulful vocal becomes a vamp. It’s a similar case on Cristina Nº 2, where soul meets funk and Tim’s vocal becomes a swaggering vamp. Tributo À Booker Pittman which closes Tim Maia 1970 has a jazz-tinged, soulful sound. This shows Tim’s versatility. Seamlessly, he switches between, and combines musical genres. This he’s been doing throughout Tim Maia 197o.
When Tim Maia 1970 was released, this marriage of soul and funk with samba and Baião was a first. No Brazilian artist had attempted this before. It was unheard of. However, it proved popular amongst record buyers.
Tim Maia was released in 1970, and spent twenty-four weeks in the upper reaches of the Brazilian charts. It had been a long, hard struggle. Ever since he was deported from America, Tim Maia had been struggling to make a breakthrough. Now as he approached his twenty-eighth birthday, Tim Maia’s star was in the ascendancy. This should’ve been the start of a long and glittering career.
Instead, Tim Maia’s career was a mixture of genius, farce and tragedy where the hugely talented, charismatic and larger life singer proved to fundamentally flawed. Thing went well for Tim Maia initially.
In 1971, Tim Mai released his much anticipated sophomore album, Tim Maia 1971. Just like its predecessor, Tim Maia 1971 was hailed as another groundbreaking album. Critics were won over by Tim Maia 1971’s imaginative fusion of soul and funk with samba and Baião. There were even hints of jazz, psychedelia and rock, during what was hailed as an ambitious and innovative album of genre-melting music. Having won over critics, Tim Maia 1971 was released to critical acclaim.
On its release, Tim Maia 1971 entered the Brazilian charts, and gave Tim another hit album. It also featured two hit singles, Não Quero Dinheiro (Só Quero Amar) and Preciso Aprender a Ser Só. Tim Maia’s star was still in the ascendancy, and at this rate, it looked as if he was well on his way to becoming one of the biggest stars in Brazilian music. That should’ve been the case, given the quality of music on Tim Maia 1971.
After the success of Tim Maia 1971, Tim headed to London to celebrate. He had just enjoyed two successful albums, after six years of struggling to make a breakthrough. Tim wanted to celebrate, and enjoy the fruits of his labour. It was during this trip to London, that Tim first discovered his love of the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle.
Realising that he was only here for a visit, Tim Maia embraced the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Almost defiantly, Tim Maia lived each day as if it was his last. He hungrily devoured copious amounts of drugs and alcohol. They became part of Tim Maia’s daily diet. Fortunately, his new found lifestyle didn’t seem to affect Tim’s ability to make music. That was until Tim discovered a new drug that would prove to be his undoing.
In London, Tim discovered L.S.D. He became an advocate of its supposed mind opening qualities. He took two-hundred tabs of L.S.D. home to Brazil, giving it to friend and people at his record label. Little did Tim know, but this was like pressing the self-destruct button.
Over the next two years, Tim Maia’s released two further albums, Tim Maia 1972 and Tim Maia 1973. Both albums were released to critical and enjoyed commercial success in Brazil. The only problem was after Tim Maia 1973, Tim became unhappy at the royalty rate he was receiving from his publisher. So Tim founded his own publishing company Seroma. This coincided with Tim signing to RCA Victor.
They offered Tim Maia the opportunity to record a double album for his fifth album. Tim excited by this opportunity, agreed to sign to RCA Victor, and began work on his fifth album. Somehow, Tim was still seemed able to function normally on his daily diet of drink and drugs. He had already recorded the instrumental parts. All that was left was for Tim to write the lyrics.
Seeking inspiration for the lyrics, Tim Maia decided to visit Tibério Gaspar. They had previously written together. That was where Tim found a book that would change his life, and sadly, not for the better. That book was the Universo em Desencanto (Universe in Disenchantment), which revolved around the cult of Rational Culture. They didn’t believe in eating red meat or using drugs. Considering Tim had a voracious appetite for drink and drugs, it seemed unlikely that he would join the cult. However, he did.
Straight away, the cult’s beliefs affected Tim Maia and his music. Ever since he joined cult of Rational Energy, who fixated on UFOs, Tim was now clean-shaved, dressed in white and no longer drank, ate red meat, smoked or took drugs. Always in his hand was a mysterious book. Even his music changed.
The lyrics for his fifth album, and RCA Victor debut, were supposedly about his newly acquired knowledge. This came courtesy of Universo em Desencanto. With the ‘lyrics’ complete, Tim’s vocals were overdubbed onto what became Tim Maia Racional, Volumes 1 and 2. With the album completed, Tim took it to RCA Victor. They who promptly rejected the album.
Tim Maia Racional, Volumes 1 and 2 it appears, wasn’t of a commercial standard. To make matters worse, the lyrics made absolutely no sense. The only small crumb of comfort was that Tim’s voice was improving. That hardly mattered for RCA Victor, who weren’t going to release the album. For RCA Victor, it was huge disappointment.
They thought they had signed an artists who would become one of the biggest names in Brazilian music. Instead, their star signing had joined a cult, and handed over the worst album of his career. Tim and RCA Victor at an impasse. There seemed to be no way forward.
That was until decided to buy the master tapes from RCA Victor. Tim then released the album independently. However, it failed to match the commercial success of his four previous albums. For his many fans, Tim Maia was no longer the artist he once was. Then in 1976, Tim quit the cult.
When Tim quit the cult, after Racional Volume 2, he’d fallen out with its leader. He felt duped and wanted Tim Maia Racional, Volumes 1 and 2 destroyed. That was the past. Now Tim wanted to move forward.
Tim Maia’s music changed after Tim Maia Racional, Volumes 1 and 2. He released a new album in 1976, entitled Tim Maia, released in 1976. This was the start of the most prolific period of Tim’s career.
From 1976 right through to 1998, Tim Maia continued to release albums. He released another twenty-five albums between 1977 and 1998. By then, Tim had released around thirty-four albums.
Just like his live shows, the albums were hit and miss affairs. Sometimes Tim would turn up, play an outstanding set. Other times he would play a mediocre or shambling set. On many occasions, he’d fail to turn up. He returned to is rock and roll lifestyle, living life to the fullest.
The last album Tim released was Nova Era Glacial in 1995. Other albums were released bearing Tim’s name right up until 1998. However, Nova Era Glacial is regarded as Tim Maia’s swan-song He passed away on March 15th 1998, aged just fifty-five. Sadly, by then Tim’s shows and behaviour had become predictable. That had been the case since his 1976 post-Racional comeback. Tim Maia was never the same man or musician after his dalliance with the cult of Rational Culture.
It’s fair to say that the four album Tim Maia released prior to joining the cult were the highlights of a career that spanned three decades and thirty-four albums. The album that introduced Brazilian record buyers to one of their most talented sons, was Tim Maia 1970, which was recently reissued, by Oficial Arquivoknown . This genre-melting album was one the highlight of Tim Maia’s career.
After Tim Maia 1970, Tim returned with his second classic album album, Tim Maia 1971. He followed this up with Tim Maia 1972 and Tim Maia 1973. They complete a quartet of albums that feature Tim Maia at his very best. Between 1970 and 1973, his star shawn the brightest.
Sadly, since his death in 1998, Tim Maia’s music has been a well-kept secret outside of his native Brazil. Even within Brazil, many record buyers haven’t heard Tim Maia’s music. Those that have, speak about his music with reverence and in hushed tones.
Like many maverick musicians, Tim Maia’s story sees myth and reality become intertwined. Truth and reality become one, just like his music was fusion of influences and musical genres. However, over the past few years, Tim Maia’s music has started to find a wider audience. They will embrace the reissue of Tim Maia 1970, which offers further insight into his music.
Just like many maverick singer-songwriters, Tim Maia was touched by genius but fundamentally flawed. He could’ve, and should’ve, been a huge star. Sadly, something held him back, and stopped him from enjoying the widespread commercial success and critical acclaim his music richly deserved. This was music shaped by a multiplicity of musical influences, genres and of course, his lifestyle. His music is a compelling, captivating fusion influences and musical genres.
Everything from soul, funk, jazz, rock, samba, bossa nova and baiao thrown into Tim Maia’s mystical and psychedelic musical melting pot. Similarly, Tim’s lifestyle including drink, drugs, multiple-marriages and imprisonment all shaped and influenced Tim Maia’s music. It’s then given a stir by one of music’s true maverick’s, who on the verge of critical acclaim and commercial success, made a couple of decisions he would later come to regret.
The first of these was Tim’s dalliance with L.S.D. in 1971. If that was his first mistake, his second was definitely, his decision to join a cult derailed his career. Maybe if Tim had never celebrated his success in London, then things might have been very different? Somewhat ironically, given the amount of music Tim Maia recorded and released, the two albums he recorded during his time with cult, have gained cult status. These two albums, however, were just a snapshot of his career, but one that affected his future.
After leaving the cult, Tim continued releasing music, but his live shows became unpredictable. They were either outstanding, mediocre or didn’t happen. All this fuelled the mythology that surrounds Tim Maia.
In a cruel and tragic twist of fate, Tim Maia died young, like many maverick musicians. He was just fifty-five when he died in 1998. Since then, the mythology and rumours surrounding Tim have increased, as has his popularity.
The recent rerelease of Tim Maia 1970 will fuel the increase in interest in Tim Maia and music. He’s one of music’s larger than life characters. Tim Maia realising he was only here for a visit, embraced the excesses of the rock and roll lifestyle and lived life in the fast line.
Maybe without living his life in this way, Tim Maia’s music wouldn’t have been as memorable, magical, eclectic and timeless? Tim Maia 197o is all these things and more. It’s also a classic album that influence and inspired several generations of songwriters. So did the followup Tim Maia 1971. Both albums are regarded as classic albums in Brazil, and are without doubt, among the highlights of Tim Maia’s three decade recording career. However, the album that launched his career, was Tim Maia 1970. It’s the work of a charismatic singer-songwriter career, who was touched by genius and fundamentally flawed, Tim Maia,.
TIM MAIA-1970.
CANNED HEAT-THE LIBERTY RECORDS YEARS.
CANNED HEAT-THE LIBERTY RECORDS YEARS.
8th of March 1973 marked the end of an era for Canned Heat. They had just released their ninth album The New Age. It was their swan-song for Liberty Records. After six years and nine studio albums, Canned Heat were about leave Liberty Records. They had managed to negotiate their release from their Liberty Records contract. This left Canned Heat free to sign for Atlantic Records. By then, Canned Heat had come a long way since they were formed in Los Angeles in 1965.
Canned Heat’s roots can be traced to a community of blues collectors in Topanga, California. They had been meeting at Bob Hite’s house for some time. The blues aficionados listened to music, and traded records. Then in 1965, some of the people who attended the group decided to form a band.
The initial lineup featured vocalist Bob Hite, Alan Wilson on bottleneck guitar, Mike Perlowin on lead guitar, bassist Stu Brotman and drummer Keith Sawyer. With the lineup complete, all that was needed was a name. Eventually, they named their new band Canned Heat, after Tommy Johnson’s 1928 song Canned Heat Blues. However, within a matter of days, the lineup changed.
Mike Perlowin and Keith Sawyer both dropped out. This was a huge disappointment for the nascent band. Fortunately, guitarist Kenny Edwards, a friend of Alan Wilson agreed to replace Mike Perlowin. Drummer Ron Holmes agreed to join until permanent replacements could be found.
Fortunately, a friend of Bob Hit’s was between bands. Henry Vestine had been sacked by Frank Zappa for “excessive drug use.” However, Henry Vestine was a talented and experienced lead guitarist. So he joined Canned Heat; and it was agreed that Henry Edwards could remain on a temporary basis. Soon, though, Henry Edwards left Canned Heat to form The Stone Poneys with Linda Rostadt. With the lead guitarist role filled, all that was needed was a new drummer.
Canned Heat found their new drummer in Frank Cook. His previous employers included jazzers Charlie Haden, Chet Baker and Elmo Cook. With their second lineup complete, Canned Heat set about honing their sound.
By 1966, Canned Heat were playing in the clubs of the L.A, and were a popular draw. Their sets included reinterpretations of blues numbers. Canned Heat were keen to promote blues music, which had fallen out of fashion. That was until the British Invasion groups began to promote its merits. Just like Canned Heat, they appreciated the blues and recognised its importance in modern music. It certainly played an important part in Canned Heat’s music as they played in the clubs of L.A. Later in 1966, Canned Heat recorded what should’ve been their debut album.
In the summer of 1966, Canned Heat hooked up with bandleader and producer Johnny Otis. He produced the twelve tracks that Canned Heat recorded. This included covers of Willie Dixon’s Spoonful and John Lee Hooker’s Louise. Once the album was recorded, Stu Brotman announced he was leaving Canned Heat. Worse was to come.
What should’ve been Canned Heat’s debut album lay unreleased until 1970. By then, Canned Heat were a successful band. So Janus Records decided to release the twelve tracks as Vintage Heat. It’s the only Canned Heat album to feature the lineup of Bob Hite, Alan Wilson, Frank Cook, Henry Vestine and Stu Brotman. After Stu Brotman’s departure, the search for a new bassist began.
Despite Canned Heat not having a permanent bassist, they still managed to secure a management contract with Skip Taylor and John Hartmann. Then in March 1967, Canned Heat finally found a permanent bassist in Larry Taylor. He had previously been a member of The Moondogs and had worked with Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. Larry Taylor made his debut on the band’s eponymous debut album, Canned Heat.
Canned Heat.
Just month after the classic lineup of Canned Heat was finalised, Canned Heat began recording their debut album for Liberty Records in April 1967. Calvin Carter the former head of A&R was drafted in to produce what became Canned Heat. He was well qualified, having previously recorded albums with Jimmy Reed and John Lee Hooker.
Recording of Canned Heat took place in L.A., with twelve songs being recorded. Eleven of them were cover versions, including Muddy Waters’ Rollin’ and Tumblin’, Willie Dixon’s Evil (Is Going On) and Robert Johnson and Elmore James’ Dust My Broom. The only track penned by Canned Heat, was Bullfrog Blues. Once the twelve songs were recorded, Canned Heat would be released in July 1967.
Before that, Canned Heat were due to appear at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival, on June 17th 1967. Canned Heat pulled out all the stops, and produced one of the best performances of their two year career. Critics struggled for superlatives to describe Canned Heat’s performance. The twin guitars of Henry Vestine and Alan Wilson stole the show; while Bob Hite’s powerhouse vocals came a close second. Critics agreed, that Canned Heat had a bright future in front of them.
Following their successful appearance at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival, Canned Heat released their eponymous debut album in July 1967. Canned Heat reached seventy-six in the US Billboard 200, and in the process, launched the band’s career. Everything seemed to be going almost too well.
Already, drugs had entered the equation. Over the next few years, drugs would become a problem with Canned Heat. It earned them a degree of notoriety, and the reputation “the bad boys of rock.”
One of the first incidents was when the band were arrested and jailed in Denver, Colorado on a possession charge in October 1967. With Canned Heat in jail, their manager Skip Taylor had to sell the band’s publishing rights to Liberty Records’ to raise the bail of $10,000. It was a costly mistake, and cost Frank Cook his place in Canned Heat.
Replacing Frank Cook was Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra. He made his debut on December 1st 1967 at Long Beach Auditorium. That night, Canned Heat and The Doors shared top spot on the bill. This was the debut of the classic lineup of Canned Heat.
Boogie With Canned Heat.
Just six months after Canned Heat released their eponymous debut album, they returned with their sophomore album Boogie With Canned Heat. It was the first album to feature the classic lineup. By then, each member of Canned Heat had adopted a nickname. Canned Heat now featured Bob “The Bear” Hite, Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson, Henry “Sunflower” Vestine, Larry “The Mole” Taylor and Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra. They made their debut on Boogie With Canned Heat.
By then, Canned Heat were writing more of their own songs. They wrote four of the ten songs. Other songs were written by members of Canned Heat. Bob Hite penned Whiskey Headed Woman No. 2; Henry Vestine contributed Marie Laveau and Alan Wilson wrote An Owl Son. Alan Wilson also cowrote On The Road Again with Floyd Jones. It would play an important part in rise and rise of Canned Heat.
When Boogie With Canned Heat was released on 21st January 1968, it was to critical acclaim. The album epitomised Canned Heat’s unique sound. Loose limbed jams and Canned Heat’s trademark boogies rubbed shoulders on Boogie With Canned Heat. This found favour with record buyers when Boogie With Canned Heat reached number eighteen in the US Billboard 200. That wasn’t an end of the success.
Boogie With Canned Heat included what’s without doubt, Canned Heat’s most famous single, On The Road Again. It reached the top ten in the US Billboard 100. The success of On The Road Again further cemented Canned Heat’s reputation was one of America’s top bands.
Living The Blues.
After the success of Boogie With Canned Heat, there was no resting on their laurels for Canned Heat. They returned to the studio and recorded their part of third album Living The Blues. It was a double album with a twist.
The eight songs on sides one and two were recorded in the studio. They were a mixture cover versions and original songs. The covers included Charley Patton’s Pony Blues, Jimmy Rogers’ Walking by Myself and Blind Lemon Jefferson’s One Kind Flavour. Canned Heat penned nine part suite Parthenogenesis. Bob Hite wrote Sandy’s Blues and Alan Wilson wrote My Mistake. Alan also wrote another of Canned Heat’s best known songs, Going Up The Country. These songs were recorded between August and October 1968, at .D. Sound Studios. However, the two lengthy jams on sides three and four Refried Boogie I and II were recorded live at The Kaleidoscope, Hollywood, This mixture of studio and live songs became Living The Blues.
When Living The Blues was released in October 1968, the reviews of this sprawling double album were mixed. The experimental nature of Parthenogenesis seemed to catch critics on the hop. They didn’t seem to know what to make of this genre-melting collage. However, one track stood out on Living The Blues, Going Up The Country.
When Living The Blues was released, it reached number eighteen in the US Billboard 200 and number forty-five in the US R&B charts. The lead single Going Up The Country seemed to speak to a generation, and it reached number eleven US Billboard 100, and number one in twenty-five countries worldwide. Later, Going Up The Country became the unofficial anthem to Woodstock. That was still to come.
Before that, Canned Heat enjoyed a triumphant end to 1968, when they played at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. To crown what had been a barnstorming performance from Canned Heat, they were joined by Bob Hope sitting a atop an elephant. It was a surreal sight, but proof that Canned Heat were now one of the biggest bands in America.
Hallelujah.
Canned Heat returned to I.D. Sound Recorders Hollywood, in May 1969. They recorded eleven tracks that became their fourth album Hallelujah. Canned Heat wrote two tracks, while individual members of the band wrote most of the tracks. Alan Wilson contributed four tracks, Change My Ways, Time Was, Do Not Enter and Get Off My Back. He was quickly becoming Canned Heat’s songwriter in chief, and played an important role in Hallelujah.
Canned Heat released their fourth album, the blues based, Hallelujah on July 8th 1969. Again, the reviews were mixed. They ranged from favourable to positive. However, again, there was no consensus on Hallelujah. Despite this, Hallelujah still reached thirty-seven on the US Billboard 200. This in part, was a result of Canned Heat taking Woodtstock by storm. Before that, the classic lineup of Canned Heat was no more.
Just after the release of Hallelujah, Canned Heat were due to play two nights at Fillmore West. On the first night, there was an onstage altercation between Larry Taylor and Henry Vestine. After the show, Henry Vestine left Canned Heat.
With Canned Heat a man down for the second show, Mike Bloomfield and Harvey Mandel filled the void left by Henry Vestine. They jammed onstage with Canned Heat. So impressive were their performances, that both men were offered a place in Canned Heat. However, it was Harvey Mandel that agreed to join Canned Heat.
Harvey Mandel made his official Canned Heat debut in August 1969. Canned Heat played two nights at the Fillmore West, in preparation for their performance at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair took place between the 15th and 18th August 1969. Canned Heat were booked to play on the 16th August 1969. Logistically, the only way for Canned Heat to arrive was in a helicopter. They flew over what was a heaving mass of humanity. Having arrived by helicopter, Canned Heat took to the stage as the sun set. Their legendary set included some of their greatest songs, including On The Road Again and Going Up The Country, which became the unofficial anthem to Woodstock. As they left the stage, it was apparent that Canned Heat were one of the stars of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.
Future Blues.
1969 had been both an eventful and momentous year for Canned Heat. They had lost a member of the classic lineup of Canned Heat, then were one of the stars of Woodstock. By 1970, “the bad boys of rock” had been booked to tour Europe. With some time to spare, Canned Heat decided to record their fifth album, Future Blues.
Canned Heat headed to Village Recorders, where they were due to record nine songs. This included covers of Eddie Shuler’s Sugar Bee; Charley Patton’s Shake It and Break It; Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s That’s All Right (Mama) and Wilbert Harrison’s Let’s Stick Together. Canned Heat penned So Sad (The World’s In A Tangle) and Future Blues. Alan Wilson who was still Canned Heat’s songwriter-in-chief wrote Skat, London Blues and sadly, prophetic My Time Ain’t Long. Once the album was complete, it was scheduled for release in late summer 1970.
Future Blues was well received by critics. They praised the album, calling it Canned Heat’s best albums of recent years. With critical acclaim accompanying its release, Future Blues was released on August 3rd 1970. However, Future Blues stalled at fifty-nine on the US Billboard 200. This made Future Blues Canned Heat’s least successful album since their eponymous debut album. The only small crumb of comfort for Canned Heat and Liberty Records, was that Let’s Work Together reached twenty-six in the US Billboard 100. By then, Larry Taylor and Harvey Mandel dropped a bombshell.
The two men announced that they were leaving Canned Heat not long after the release of Future Blues. Larry Taylor joined John Mayall’s band, and Harvey Mandel followed in his footsteps. This left just drummer Adolfo de la Parra, vocalist Bob Hite and guitarist Alan Wilson.
Hooker ’N’ Heat.
After the departure of Larry Taylor and Harvey Mandel, guitarist Henry Vestine rejoined Canned Heat. Replacing bassist Larry Taylor was Antonio de la Barreda. He had previously played alongside Adolfo de la Parra in Mexico. This new lineup of Canned Heat entered the studio to record an album with veteran bluesman John Lee Hooker.
Canned Heat had met John Lee Hooker at an airport in Portland, Oregon. When they got talking, the members of Canned Heat told John Lee Hooker they were longtime fans of his music. It turned out that apparently, John Lee Hooker just happened to be a fan of Canned Heat’s music. So they decided to record an album together.
This would be no ordinary album. Instead, Hooker ’N’ Heat was a sprawling double album. It was recorded at Liberty Records, in Los Angeles, with Bob Hite and Skip Taylor taking charge of production. John Lee Hooker wrote or cowrote every song on Hooker ’N’ Heat. Some of the songs, featured just John Lee Hooker. On other tracks, Canned Hat were reduced to a backing band on Hooker ’N’ Heat. Once Hooker ’N’ Heat was completed, the album was scheduled for release in January 1970.
Between the completion and release of Hooker ’N’ Heat, tragedy touched Canned Heat in September 1970. Just after the completion of the Hooker ’N’ Heat, Alan Wilson attempted to commit suicide when he drove his van off a a cliff near Bob Hite’s home in Topanga Canyon. Fortunately, Alan Wilson survived. Sadly, not for long.
After years of bravely battling depression, Alan Wilson’s life came to an end on the 3rd of September 1970. Alan Wilson was found dead on a hillside at the rear of Bob Hite’s Topanga home. The cause of death was an overdose of barbiturates. When the other members of Canned Heat were told of Alan Wilson’s death, they believed that he had committed suicide. It was a huge blow for the rest of Canned Heat. They were grieving over the loss of a not just a bandmate, but a friend.
Despite the death of Alan Wilson, Canned Heat were due to tour America, Australia and Europe. Then they had a studio time booked to record a new album. So Joel Scott Hill, who had been a member of The Strangers and Moby Grape was drafted in to replace Alan Wilson. Then in January 1971, Hooker ’N’ Heat was released
Reviews of Hooker ’N’ Heat were mixed. However, critics agreed that Canned Heat had returned to their R&B roots. Some of the songs varied in quality. Especially some that featured only the veteran bluesman. Two of the poorest songs on Hooker ’N’ Heat were Send Me Your Pillow and Drifter. However, things improved when Canned Heat joined the fray. Together, they formed a potent partnership, and suddenly, Hooker ’N’ Heat was a very different album. Despite this, Hooker ’N’ Heat stalled at seventy-three in the US Billboard 200. Normally, this would be regarded as disappointing. However, given the death of Alan Wilson, this hardly seemed to matter. Some things mattered more than music. The loss of a friend was one of them.
Live At Topanga Corral.
Later in 1971, Canned Heat belatedly released the first live album of their career. The band had wanted to release a live album for several years. However, Liberty Records who Canned Heat were contracted to, weren’t interested in releasing a live album. Despite this, Canned Heat’s manager Skip Taylor managed to get Canned Heat’s live album released.
Skip Taylor took to Liberty Records a recording of five tracks. They he said, had been recorded at the Topanga Corral during 1966 and 1967. That wasn’t strictly true. The recording was of a concert that took place in 1969, at the Kaleidoscope. When Liberty Records heard that Live At Topanga Corral had been recorded in 1966 and 1967, they allowed Canned Heat to release the album on Wand Records.
When Live At Topanga Corral was released, the album was well received by critics. It featured the lineup of Bob Hite, Alan Wlson, Henry Vestine, Larry Taylor and Adolfo de la Parra. They open the set with Bullfrog Blues, and work their way through Sweet Sixteen, I’d Rather Be The Devil, Dust My Broom, Wish You Would and When Things Go Wrong. Sadly, despite being one of the best live recording of Canned Heat, it failed to find an audience. However, it’s a fitting farewell to Alan Wilson. Their next album, Historical Figures and Ancient Heads was the start of a new era for Canned Heat.
Historical Figures and Ancient Heads.
Having released an album in January 1971, Canned Heat closed the year with the released of their eighth album, Historical Figures and Ancient Heads. It was released in December 1971, and was the first album not to feature Alan Wilson. Joel Scott Hill was given the job of replacing Alan Wilson on guitar. His were big shoes to fill.
Alan Wilson was more than a musician. He was also a songwriter. On Historical Figures and Ancient Heads, Canned Heat penned just the one song, Utah. The other seven songs were cover versions. Among them, were Jessie Mae Robinson’s Sneakin’ Around and Jimmy Rogers’ That’s All Right. They were recorded by Canned Heat, and a few friends.
This included Little Richard on the Skip Taylor and Richard Wayne Penniman penned Rockin’ With the King. Harvey Mandel returned to add lead guitar on a cover of That’s All Right. Charles Lloyd joined Canned Heat when they covered his song I Don’t Care What You Tell Me. Producing Historical Figures and Ancient Heads were Skip and Jim Taylor. Once the album was complete, it was released in December 1971.
When Historical Figures and Ancient Heads was released, the reviews were mixed. Some critics felt Canned Heat were no longer the same group. While they still were still able to boogie with the best of them, Canned Heat seemed to have lost their bluesy roots. However, Historical Figures and Ancient Heads was not without merit.
Cherokee Dance and Utah were regarded as the highlights of the album. Both songs found their way onto FM playlists. Another highlight of Historical Figures and Ancient Heads was Rockin’ With The King, where Canned Heat joined forces with Little Richard. They proved a potent partnership. Despite this, and Cherokee Dance and Utah finding their way onto FM radio, the album stalled at a lowly eighty-seven in the US Billboard 200. Historical Figures and Ancient Heads became the least successful album of Canned Heat’s career. Surely, the only way was up?
Following Historical Figures and Ancient Heads, all wasn’t well within Canned Heat. Joel Scott-Hill and Antonio de la Barreda seemed to have developed an attitude problem. This lead to drummer Adolfo de la Parra threatening to quit the band. Fortunately, he was talked out of leaving Canned Heat, and instead, the insurgents exited stage left. This meant another change of lineup for their next album The New Age.
The New Age.
Joining Canned Heat for their ninth album The New Age, were rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Shane, keyboardist Ed Beyer on keyboards and bassist Richard Hite. Bob Hite’s brother would slot into the rhythm section alongside drummer Adolfo de la Parra and rhythm guitarist James Shane. They headed to The Record Plant in Los Angeles to record The New Age.
For The New Age, nine songs were chosen. Most of them were new songs, which were penned by members of Canned Heat. The only cover version was Lieber and Stoller’s Framed. Bob Hite penned Keep It Clean, Don’t Deceive Me and Rock and Roll Music. However, the new recruit came up trumps. Ed Bayer wrote You Can Run, But You Sure Can’t Hide and Election Blue. James Shane went one better, and wrote a trio of songs. This included Lookin’ For My Rainbow, So Long Wrong and the biker anthem Harley Davidson Blues. It would become a favourite of Canned Heat fans. That was still to come. Before that, Canned Heat had an album to record.
When recording of The New Age began at The Record Plant, Clara Ward joined Canned Heat. Her vocal features on Lookin’ For My Rainbow. Sadly, this was the last recording of one the most successful gospel singers. She joined the latest lineup of Canned Heat, as they tried to get their career back on track.
Despite the best efforts of Canned Heat and producer Skip Taylor, The New Age wasn’t the start of a new era for Canned Heat. The album wasn’t well received. One critic in particular, was less than impressed. Lester Bangs savaged The New Age. His over the top review was regarded as “disrespectful,” and Lester Bangs was sacked by Rolling Stone. However, the damage was done.
Other critics took a much more balanced approach to The New Age. They pointed out highlights like Lookin’ For My Rainbow and the biker anthem Harley Davidson Blues. However, when The New Age was released on March 9th 1973, the album failed to trouble the charts. Worse was to come for Canned Heat.
They were now heavily in debt. Skip Taylor was desperately looking for a solution to the problem. That’s when it’s alleged that Skip Taylor advised Canned Heat to sign away all their future royalties to Liberty Records and United Artists’ recordings, and in return, Canned Heat would be allowed to sign to Atlantic Records. If this was the case, it would prove to be one of the worst deals in the history of music.
Having negotiated a release from their Liberty Records’ contract, Canned Heat signed to Atlantic Records in 1973. They began work on their tenth studio album One More River To Cross. However, Canned Heat’s time at Atlantic Records got off to a bad start.
Bob Hite and Henry Vestine were about to use a vending machine at Atlantic Records. Suddenly, the pair began to argue, and brawl began. Now two members of Atlantic Records’ latest signing were fighting amongst themselves. While this didn’t present Canned Heat in a good light. Things didn’t get much better. surely things would improve?
One More River To Cross was released later in 1973. Canned Heat’s Atlantic Records’ debut, was the tenth studio album of their career. This was a remarkable feat, considering Canned Heat only released their debut in 1967. A lot had happened since then.
The lineup had changed numerous times, there had been countless drugs busts and controversies aplenty. However, only one Canned Heat album failed to chart. That was their previous album The New Age. Sadly, One More River To Cross followed in its footsteps and failed commercially. It came to be regarded as possibly, became one of the most expensive albums in music history.
Especially if the allegations that Skip Taylor advised Canned Heat to sign away all their future royalties to Liberty Records and United Artists’ recordings, so they could sign to Atlantic Records were true? After the commercial failure of One More River To Cross, Atlantic Records cut their ties with Canned Heat. Their relationship with Atlantic Records was brief and potentially ruinously expensive.
If the allegation regarding future royalties are indeed true, then Canned Heat were very badly advised. The decision to trade their future royalties, for their freedom, backfired, and backfired badly. Who knows how much this cost Canned Heat in lost royalties? Even today, the cost of One More River To Cross continues to rise. To some extent, all the success Canned Heat enjoyed early in the Liberty Records years had been for nothing, and they became just the latest ill-advised band in musical history.
CANNED HEAT-THE LIBERTY RECORDS YEARS.
RHYTHM ON THE RADIO: OVAL RECORDS-SINGLES 1974-1987.
RHYTHM ON THE RADIO: OVAL RECORDS-SINGLES 1974-1987.
By 1972, Charlie Gillette was a successful journalist, based in London. He wrote for various publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including Creem, NME and Let It Rock. Occasionally, Charlie presented the BBC TV music program The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was a program that suited Charlie’s eclectic taste in music.
Unlike many music journalists in the early seventies, Charlie’s taste wasn’t restricted exclusively to rock music. Instead, Charlie’s preference was for blues, country rock, reggae and soul. This he would play on his new BBC London radio program. Before that, Charlie embarked upon a new business venture.
Charlie Gillette and his friend Gordon Nelki had been planning to cofound a new label. They eventually took the plunge, and confounded Oval Records later in 1972. Their initial plan, was to release an album of swamp pop.
The two owners of the nascent Oval Records headed to Louisiana, looking for material for their planned swamp rock compilation. On their return home, Charlie and Gordon couldn’t find a distributor for their planned compilation. They were forced to rethink their business model.
After some thought, Charlie and Gordon decided to go into music management. The first artist they worked with, was Kilburn and The High Roads, who were fronted by Ian Dury. Other managers had passed on Kilburn and The High Roads, believing they had little or no commercial appeal. Despite this, Charlie and Gordon were willing to manage them.
What followed was a steep learning curve for the nascent management team. They managed Kilburn and The High Roads until Ian Dury embarked upon a solo career. That spelled the end of the road for Kilburn and The High Roads and Charlie and Gordon’s management deal. This was especially galling for the pair.
They had managed to interest Virgin Records in Kilburn and The High Roads. However, Ian Dury wasn’t interested. He saw Virgin Records as a: “hippie label.” For Ian Dury and his managers, there was a parting of the ways.
They all stayed friends, and in 1978, when Ian Dury was looking for B-Side to Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, he chose a song from Oval Records’ publishing arm. That was all in the future. Before that, Charlie and Gordon began working with Virgin Records.
Despite this disappointment surrounding the Kilburn and The High Roads’ deal, the A&R team at Virgin Records were still interested in any other artists that Charlie and Gordon were working with. The only problem was, Kilburn and The High Roads was the pair’s only client. Charlie and Gordon had something else that might interest Virgin Records.
This was when Charlie and Gordon told the A&R team at Virgin Records about their swamp pop compilation. They were interested, and in 1975, Another Saturday Night was released on Virgin Records. By then, Oval Records was up and running.
In December 1974, Oval Records had released its first single, OVAL 1001. This was Johnnie Allan’s cover of Chuck Berry’s Promised Land. Tucked away on the B-Side was Shelton Dunaway cover of Betty And Dupree. These tracks became Oval Records’ first single and in 1975, featured on the swamp pop compilation Another Saturday Night. This was just the start for Oval Records. It was active between 1974 and 1987.
During that period, Oval Records releases were just as eclectic as Charlie Gillette’s musical taste. Oval Records released singles by Jimme Shelter, Lene Lovich, ABC, Woodhead Monroe, Helen Shapiro, African Connexion, George Darko, Bobby and The Boys and Jack ‘N’ Chill. They all feature on Ace Records recently released compilation Rhythm On The Radio: Oval Records Singles-1974-1987. It features twenty-two tracks from Oval Records’ back=catalogue.
This includes the single the launched Oval Records in December 1974, Johnnie Allan’s cover of Chuck Berry’s Promised Land. Fittingly, it opens Rhythm On The Radio: Oval Records Singles-1974-1987. Promised Land also featured on the swamp pop compilation Another Saturday Night. Upon its release, Promised Land looked chart bound. That was until RCA decided to rush release Elvis Presley’s version of Promised Land to celebrated the King’s fortieth birthday in January 1975. It was Elvis’ version that charted and reached number fourteen in the US Billboard 100. For Johnnie Allan, who ironically, had been inspired by Elvis Presley, it was a case of so near, yet so far. He had come tantalisingly close to enjoying commercial success outside of his native Louisiana.
Pete Fowler came to the attention of Charlie Gillette in 1975. He thought that he was an artist with potential. So Charlie put together a band of top musicians to record Pete Fowler’s debut single, One Heart One Song. This included Gallagher and Lyle, former Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks and keyboardist Pete Wingfield. Together, they provide the backdrop for a melodic folk rock single. It was well received by critics on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite this, when the single was released by Oval Records in 1975, it failed commercially. For Pete Fowler, that spelled the end of his recording career.
By 1979, punk was long gone and the punk rock era was well underway. One of the new wave of punk rock bands were the Reluctant Stereotypes, who featured future King frontman Paul King. The Reluctant Stereotypes’ debut single was the Pete Bosworth produced The Lull. It was released in 1979, and fused of post punk, pop, free jazz and progressive rock. Although The Lull failed to make an impression on the UK charts, it was enough for WEA to sign the Reluctant Stereotypes. They went on to release four singles and album on WEA, before parting company with the label in 1981.Later, Paul King would enjoy commercial success between 1984 and 1985.
Back in the late seventies, it wasn’t unheard of for bands to make their way from the other side of the world looking for a record deal. Holly and The Italians made this journey from Los Angeles, one of the music capitals of the world. In London, Holly and The Italians began to play the pub circuit, which was a well trodden path for hopeful bands. This worked, and they were soon supporting Blondie. That was where Charlie Gillette and Gordon Nelki first saw Holly and The Italians. They liked the band, and cut a single with them, Tell That Girl To Shut Up. It’s a mixture of post punk, power pop and indie rock. The single was released on Oval Records in 1979, and caught the attention of critics, and indeed, Virgin Records. They signed Holly and The Italians, and they spent the next three years signed to Virgin Records.
By 1981, Oval Records had grouted to releasing LPs. This included OVAL 302, a split release. On side one, were four tracks from Local Heroes SW9, including the genre-melting Hippy Street. Elements of new wave, post punk and indie rock combine, as Local Heroes SW9 bring to mind The Jam and The Police. They were an accomplished band, who sadly, only ever released two albums. It was a case of what might have been?
In 1982, jazz funk was providing the soundtrack to many of the capital’s clubs. Direct Drive were one of the new jazz funk groups playing the London circuit. They sent a cassette of their music to Oval Records, including Don’t Depend On Me. The version on the cassette, is more or less the version that appears on the 12” version of Don’t Depend On Me. It’s a memorable, melodic and dance-floor friendly slice of the early eighties’ jazz funk from Direct Drive. Their career continued until 1986. By then, their music had evolved and was quite different to the two singles they released on Oval Records.
Helen Shapiro first came to prominence as a fifteen year old in 1961, when she released Don’t Treat Me Like A Child. Twenty-three years later, and Helen Shapiro had recorded a cover of Brickyard Blues. This was a song that New Orleans’ songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint wrote for Glasgow born singer Frankie Miller’s 1974 album High Life. Ten years later, Helen Shapiro’s bluesy cover was released on Oval Records. It’s without doubt one of the highlights of On The Radio: Oval Records Singles-1974-1987. Brickyard Blues shows another side to Helen Shapiro, and is a long way from Walking Back To Happiness.
Phil Shaw and Greg Mason were familiar faces on the London musical scene from the mid-seventies onwards. They decided to pull their resources and form a new musical vehicle, Swimming To France in the early eighties. Sadly, their recording career consist of one 12” EP Swimming To France. It was released on Oval Records in 1983, and features the Phil Shaw penned You Never Even (Asked My Name). It’s Swimming To France’s finest moment, and features their stock in trade, slick, cerebral new wave pop.
Given his eclectic musical taste, it was no surprise that Charlie Gillette embraced what the media called ‘world music’ during the early eighties. One of the bands Charlie championed were African Connexion. They were formed in London by Mwana Musa, who was born in Sierra Leone. African Connexion made their debut on Oval Records in 1984, when they released a 12” EP Midnight Pressure. The highlight of the EP was C’Est La Danse (K Wanza Kwanza), where Congolese rhythms, funk and jazz combine with Afro-pop. Sadly, African Connexion only released one more single and an album Welcome in 1989. After this, Mwana Musa headed home to Sierra Leone, where he swapped music for a career in politics,
George Darko was one of the finest exponents of Burger Highlife, the sub genre that came to prominence in Germany. Burger Highlife was made by the many Ghanian musicians who had settled in Germany during a period of political instability in Ghana. These musicians combined funk and highlife, which became known as Burger Highlife. It found an audience in Germany and Ghana. One of George Darko’s Burger Highlife singles was the propulsive Highlife Time, which was released on Oval Records in 1984. Four years, later, the situation in Ghana had improved, and George Darko left exile in Germany, and returned home in 1988.
Closing Rhythm On The Radio: Oval Records Singles-1974-1987 is the single that gave Oval Records their first top ten single. This was Jack ’N’ Chill’s 1987 acid house single The Jack That House Built. It was produced by Sonic Graffiti and released through the Virgin Records’ imprint 10 Records. Upon its release, The Jack That House Built began to climb the charts and eventually, reached number six in the UK. This seems a fitting way to bring to end the Oval Records’ story, with their biggest hit.
Nearly thirteen years after releasing Johnny Allan’s cover of the Promised Land in December 1974, Oval Records closed its doors for the last time. During that period, Oval Records had launched new artists’ career. Oval Records had also given existing artists the opportunity to kickstart their career. This included Helen Shapiro in 1984. By then, Charlie Gillette and Oval Records were championing new musical genres.
Charlie had been championing what the press later dubbed as: “world music.” He was passionate about the music, just as he had been about swamp pop a decade earlier. From Afro-pop, to Burger Highlife, Cuban and Latin music, Charlie flew the flag.
Later, Charlie would champion other new, and emerging genres, including Acid House. All of these genres and more feature on Rhythm On The Radio: Oval Records Singles-1974-1987.
It features twenty-two tracks, and fittingly, is a suitably eclectic compilation which is a mixture of new names and familiar faces. These artists were part of Oval Records thirteen year history, and are part of Charlie Gillette’s musical legacy.
Rhythm On The Radio: Oval Records Singles-1974-1987 reflects Charlie Gillette’s eclectic musical taste, and is a fitting homage to a true music man, who sadly, died in 2000 aged just fifty-eight.
RHYTHM ON THE RADIO: OVAL RECORDS-SINGLES 1974-1987.
TERRY ALLEN- JUAREZ AND LUBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING).
TERRY ALLEN- JUAREZ AND LUBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING).
Terry Allen’s career began back in 1966, when he was just twenty-three. Since then, his various careers have blossomed, and he’s now a successful country singer, conceptual artist, sculptor and painter.
Given his many talents, nowadays, Terry Allen means different things to different people. Some people know Terry Allen as a highly respected artist, whose drawings, paintings and sculptures can be found in private collections and top art galleries worldwide. Others have seen Terry Allen’s installations, while some remember his theatrical performances. Many more however, remember Terry Allen for his music.
Over the last fifty years, Terry Allen has forged a successful career as a country singer, who has released eight albums. This includes his 1975 debut album Juarez, and the followup Lubbock (On Everything), which was released in 1978. These albums are now regarded as cult classics, and recently, were reissued by the Paradise Of Bachelors label. However, music is only part of the Terry Allen story.
It’s a story that began in Wichita, Kansas on May 7th 1943. That was when Terry Allen was born. He grew up in Lubbock, Texas, which would later establish a reputation as a musical town.
Lubbock would produce Buddy Holly and The Crickets, bluesman Delbert McClinton, country singer and songwriter Mac Davis, The Flatlanders, songwriter, musician and producer Lloyd Maines and his daughter Natalie Maines of the Dickie Chicks. Another of Lubbock’s musical alumni was Jo Harvey, Terry Allen’s future wife. She would play an important part in his later career.
So would Terry Allen’s parents. Especially, his mother. She was a barrelhouse piano player, and occasionally, took her young son along when she played. Terry’s father was a professional baseball player, but in his spare time promoted wrestling bouts to concerts. These concerts took place on Friday and Saturday at nights at a gospel church, with Terry lending a hand.
The Friday night concerts featured blues players, including BB King, T-Bone Walker and Jimmy Reed. These concerts were attended by mostly a black audiences. Then on Saturday, country musicians swung by Luddock and played at Terry’s father’s concerts. This included the legendary Hank Williams and Ernest Tubbs. As the music played, Terry Allen sold patrons bottles of Coke and slices of lemon. This they combined with whatever they had smuggled past the doormen. However, for Terry seeing the various characters and hearing the music would influence his later musical career.
Having graduated Monterey High School, Terry Allen decided to escape the clutches of Lubbock. He felt constrained in the small town, and headed to Los Angeles. Terry had been accepted at the prestigious Chouinard Art Institute in L.A. That was where Terry trained as an architect, and graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1966. However, Terry didn’t take architecture any further.
Instead, Terry Allen’s art and music career began in 1966. Terry had drawn the first Juarez drawing. It would later evolve and provide inspiration for The Juarez Device, a “surrealistic hog killing machine” that features on the Juarez album in 1975. A year later, Terry’s music career began.
Within a year, Terry released his first single Gonna California. It was released in 1967. However, disaster struck for Terry when he signed a seven year recording and publishing deal with Clean Records. Terry was locked into a punitive deal, and as a result put his recording career on hold. By then, Terry had returned home.
Two years after gradating from Chouinard Art Institute in L.A, Terry returned to Lubbock. Between 1968 and 1969, he returned to his alma mater Monterey High School and taught a new generation of students. During this period, Terry first tried to combine music and images at the Michael Walls Gallery, in San Francisco.
This is where Terry Allen setup framed pictures and reel-to-reel tapes of music. Terry pushed a piano round the gallery, stopping at various picture and playing pieces of music while interacting with the patrons. One of the pieces of music was Cowboys and The Stranger, which nowadays, is regarded as a forerunner of the music on Terry’s 1975 debut album Juarez. That was the future.
Before that, Terry Allen left the employ of Monterey High School in 1969. Then in 1970, he exhibited his trilogy of mixed media drawings, Dogwood, Border Vows and Cortez Sail. It made inspired the song Cortez Sail, which became the centrepiece of Juarez. That was still four years away,
By 1971, Terry Allen was married to Jo Harvey and the pair had two young children. Terry was still a struggling artist. This meant life was tough for the couple. Fortunately, Terry got a job teaching at the University of California, Berkeley for five months. He also became a guest lecturer at the California State University, Fresno, where he served on the faculty. This lasted until 1973. During this period, Terry drew, wrote songs and taught children art in the Latino neighbourhood where the Allen family lived. It was around this time, that the Juarez paintings were stolen. Incredibly, the burglars broke back in to replace them, as if terrified by the images and scared they would bring bad luck upon them. Meanwhile, Terry was about to go up in the world.
In 1974, Terry Allen became an associate professor at California State University, Fresno. This was a position he held until 1977. A year later, in 1978, Terry Allen became Professor Terry Allen and held this position until 1979. By then, he had decided to pursue other opportunities. This included his music career, which began in 1975 when Terry Allen released Juarez.
Juarez.
The seven year recording and publishing deal Terry Allen had signed with Clean Records was about to expire in 1974. During the past few years, Terry had continued to write. These songs had been partly, been inspired by his art. Terry Allen was also a people watcher, who had studied people from an early age. He then told their stories in his songs. Some of these songs Terry recorded. He worked on his own, and didn’t collaborate with other musicians. This was how Terry seemed to prefer to work. That was all about to change.
One day in 1974, Terry Allen received a phone call from an old friend, Jamie Howell. He was the manager of Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna. The two bands owned a label Grunt Records, and Jamie Howell was the label A&R man at Grunt Records. He had a proposition for Terry.
Jamie Howell wanted to record an album with Terry Allen. There was only one problem, there wasn’t much in the way of a budget. However, there was enough to book Studio A at Wally Helder’s Studio in San Francisco. This legendary studio was where the great and good went to record an album. Mostly, albums were recorded late in the day. Studios were quiet between 9am until noon each day. Wally Helder’s Studio was no different, and Jamie Howell proposed recording the album in the morning, when the studio was quiet. All Terry had to do was make his way to San Francisco.
Terry Allen packed, and drove from his home in Fresno to San Francisco. That was where he met Jamie Howell. Soon, though, Jimmy’s plans started to unravel.
Just like most musicians, Terry wasn’t a morning person. He would’ve preferred to record during the night. That wasn’t an option, given the small budget to record. It was so small, there wasn’t enough in the budget to rehearse a band. Juarez was recorded on a shoestring budget, with just a few local musicians joining Terry at Wally Helder’s Studio.
This included Black Kangaroo guitarist Peter Kaukonen. He also played mandolin and added backing vocals on La Despedida (The Parting). Peter was an experienced musician who had already worked with Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, Link Wray and Johnny Winter. Greg Douglass was another experienced guitarist, who previously, had worked with Hot Tuna, Van Morrison and The Steve Miller Band. Adding vocals on La Despedida (The Parting) was Dianne Harris. Producing Juarez was Jamie Howell. In preparation for the recording sessions, Terry Allen found an unusual but effective way to prepare for the early morning sessions.
Terry Allen took to staying up all night. Day became night for Terry as he headed into the studio with his tight and talented band. They would eventually record fifteen tracks. These tracks were a mixture of songs and dialogue, including The Characters (A Simple Story) and The Run South. The arrangements were spartan and minimalist, with just a piano or guitars accompanying Terry, as he became a storyteller.
The Juarez Device (aka Texican Badman) opens Juarez, and epitomises the album’s understated, alt-country arrangements. It also showcases the first of a series of compelling characters, the Texican Badman. He’s introduced by Terry, before this gives way to the first piece of dialogue, The Characters (A Simple Story).
What follows, is an album of alt-country, where Terry Allens tells of “The Characters” motivations and desires. Unlike many albums, the characters are believable and three dimensional. Some of the characters are hard bitten, with a life is cheap attitude. Other characters have a seen it all, worldweary outlook. Some are cynical, like on Border Palace, while other characters are dysfunctional. A couple even become murderous, on another piece of dialogue, The Run South. Terry uses his Texan drawl to narrate the story of a drinking spree that ends up in murder, and a chase through the South Californian desert. Just like so many of the songs on Juarez, there’s a grittiness to the song.
Many of them look at the dark underbelly of life on the wrong side of town. This is the case on Jabo/Street Walkin Woman. Then on La Despedida (The Parting), a mixture of dialogue and music, Terry Allen takes his leave on what was his much anticipated debut album.
When Juarez was released on Grunt Records in 1975, sadly, the album passed most people by. It even passed most critics by. The few critics who reviewed the album, were won over by this tale of life on the wrong side of the tracks in small town America. It was one of the earliest alt-country albums, and would inspire and influence other artists. However, commercial success and widespread critical acclaim would elude Juarez…until much later. By then, Terry Allen had released several albums, including his sophomore album Lubbock (On Everything).
Lubbock (On Everything).
Three years after the release of Juarez, Terry Allen returned to the studio to record his sophomore album. By then, Terry was still living in California, and was now a professor at California State University, Fresno. Terry’s art career was blossoming, and his reputation was growing. He had also been writing a new album of songs.
They were based around the Texan town where Terry and his wife Jo Harvey grew up. All these years of observing and people watching had given Terry a wealth of material for his sophomore album. He had written twenty-one songs about the people of Lubbock. They would become Lubbock (On Everything), an insightful album into human nature in small town America. They were recorded this time around, by a full band.
This time, Terry Allen returned home to where it all began for him, Lubbock. He booked Caldwell Studios to record Lubbock (On Everything). Terry who played piano became the leader of what he called The Panhandle Mystery Band. It was a large band, with strings and horns. This was the polar opposite to the lo-fi approach to Juarez.
At Caldwell Studios, Terry Allen was joined by The Panhandle Mystery Band. Their rhythm section featured drummer Curtis McBride and bassist Kenny Maines. Meanwhile Luis Martinez added jazz guitar and Jesse Taylor flatland guitar. They were joined by accordionist Ponty Bone, fiddler Richard Bowden, Joe Ely on harmonica and percussionist Alan Shin who also played marimba. Don Caldwell arranged the string section, which featured Leslie Blackburn on viola, cellist Karen Blalack and violinists Ruth Ann Truncale and Susan Allen. The horn section included trumpeter Tommie Anderson, trombonist Mark Anthony, saxophonist Don Caldwell and Russ Standefer on tuba. Some of Terry’s musical friends added harmonies and the Monterey High School Marching Band even made a guest appearance. Producing Lubbock (On Everything), was Terry Allen. This was the first album he would produce.
Terry Allen had thrown himself into the deep end on Lubbock (On Everything). Now it was a case of sink or swim. Terry embraced the role of producer, and soon, the twenty-one songs were recorded. These songs had a strong narrative and would introduce the listener to another cast of captivating characters.
Some of them are flawed, fragile or vulnerable. Some are lonely, others in love or lovestruck or struggling with their identity. Others are browbeaten by life, and are worldweary and even desperate. Especially the one time high school football star, who having fallen on hard times, robs an off license on The Great Joe Bob (A Regional Tragedy). Then there’s Lubbock Woman whose: “forty and lonely” and still hasn’t found love and happiness. This is the only relationship or love song on Lubbock (On Everything),
There’s several more. They examine relationships and love, in the romantic and erotic meaning of the words. This Terry Allen does on The Wolfman Of Del Rio, The Girl Who Danced Oklahoma, Cocktails For Three, The Beautiful Waitress and Blue Asian Reds (For Roadrunner). Many of these songs are cinematic, as Terry paints pictures of love in small town America. Other times, Terry gives love songs a new twist with lyrics that are metaphorical. Essentially, Terry is looking for a new way to tell what is one of the oldest stories known to man, a love story. This he certainly succeeds in doing.
Some of the songs on Lubbock (On Everything) have a poignancy. Other times, the lyrics are insightful and sometimes, personal, including The Thirty Years Waltz (For Jo Harvey). There’s also a affection, compassion and even empathy in some of the songs on Lubbock (On Everything). That’s even the case when the characters are downtrodden and foolhardy, and even appear to be pitiful and even absurd. Terry has mercy on them, unlike on Juarez, where his lyrics would’ve been much more acerbic. This shows another side of Terry Allen. So do several other songs on Lubbock (On Everything),
Among them, is The Great Joe Bob (A Regional Tragedy), where the one time high school football star has fallen on hard times, and robs an off license. There’s a sadness and even a degree of poignancy in the song. Sometimes, satire is the order of the day. Especially, when it comes to the songs about the art world, including Truckload Of Art, The Collector (And The Art Mob). These songs find Terry Allen laughing at a world he himself was part of. This new world looked like providing a wealth of material for his musical career as it began to unfold.
Alas, when Lubbock (On Everything) was released as a double album on Fate Records in 1978, it was a familiar story for Terry Allen. The album failed to make any impression on the charts. Again, a few critics went into bat for Lubbock (On Everything). They regarded it as be a carefully crafted and accomplished album of insightful, cinematic and cerebral songs. These songs introduced the listener to three dimensional characters. However, the only problem was that when Lubbock (On Everything), this album of alt-country was released at the height of the disco boom. Country music and alt-country wasn’t what record buyers were looking for.
Still, though, a small and discerning coterie of record buyers discovered Lubbock (On Everything), and flew the flag for Terry Allen’s first two albums. They realised that Terry Allen was a talented singer, songwriter and storyteller. His speciality seemed to be telling the story of life in small town America.
In Juarez, this included people living on the wrong side of the tracks in small town America. Lubbock (On Everything) was a much more hopeful album, where songs about relationships and love sat side-by-side with personal and poignant songs, and songs where tragedy touches the people of Lubbock. The people of Lubbock Terry Allen paints using the equivalent of every colour in artist’s paintbox. They range from the hapless, happy and hopeful, to those who are lonely and those in love. Some come across lost causes, others seem pitiful. However, this isn’t just a snapshot of Lubbock. Instead, it’s a snapshot every town, in every country. Providing this insightful snapshot is Terry Allen, whose music is cerebral, cinematic, beautiful, hopeful, poignant and sometimes tinged, with sadness and satire. Gradually, people began to discover Lubbock (On Everything).
Belatedly, Lubbock (On Everything), and its predecessor Juarez began to find a wider audience. This has been helped by the Paradise Of Bachelors label’s reissue of Terry Allen’s first two albums, Juarez, and Lubbock (On Everything). These two albums are introduction to one of the most underrated musicians of the past fifty years. However, music is just part of Terry Allen’s life.
He’s a highly respected artist, whose drawings, paintings and sculptures can be found in private collections and top art galleries. Nowadays though, more and more people remember Terry Allen for his music, including his 1975 debut Juarez, and his 1978 sophomore album Lubbock (On Everything). These two albums are the perfect introduction to the multitalented Terry Allen, singer, songwriter and storyteller extraordinaire.
TERRY ALLEN- JUAREZ AND LUBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING).
KOLLECTION 06: CLUSTER 1971-1981-COMPILED BY JOHN McENTIRE.
KOLLECTiON 06: CLUSTER 1971-1981-COMPILED BY JOHN McENTIRE.
One of the most important, influential and innovative bands in the history of German music were Cluster. Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius formed Cluster in 1971. Previously they had both been members of Kluster since 1969. However, Conrad Schnitzler, the third member of Kluster, left the band in mid-1971. This resulted in the two remaining members of Kluster deciding to form Cluster.
Little did Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius realise that this was the start of a musical journey that would span four decades. Cluster were together until 2010. By then, Cluster had released eleven studio albums and five live albums. However, the most prolific period of Cluster’s long and illustrious career was the period between 1971 and 1981.
During that ten year period, Cluster were at their most prolific and productive. They released eight studio albums and one live album between 1971 and 1981. This included some of their most important and innovative work, including albums like Cluster, Cluster II, Zuckerzeit, Sowiesoso, Cluster and Eno and After The Heat. These albums are the work of true music pioneers, who have influenced several generations of musicians. That is still the case today.
Cluster outlasted the majority of bands that were born in Germany in the early seventies. Their career lasted thirty-nine years. That’s something to celebrate. To celebrate the career of Cluster, the Hamburg based Bureau B label released the limited edition 1971-1981 box set earlier this year. More recently, Bureau B released a new compilation of Cluster’s music, Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. It features eleven of Cluster’s finest moments from their first eight albums. This includes a track from their eponymous debut album.
Cluster.
When Cluster were preparing to record their eponymous debut album , they were joined in the studio by another legend of German music, Conny Plank. He featured on Cluster, which marked a change in sound. Gone was the almost industrial, discordant sound of Kluster. It found Cluster move towards an electronic sound. Hans-Joachim Roedelius remembers: “Dieter and I played all the instruments and Conny added all sorts of effects. For us this was the start of a new era.”
Cluster began work on their eponymous debut album. In the studio, Cluster set about honing and sculpting a trio of soundscapes. “Cluster which had very little melody, is a series of improvised and atmospheric soundscapes.” This includes 21 32, which features on Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. It’s an eight minute edit of this captivating, epic soundscape.
Just like the other soundscapes, they’re best described as futuristic, moody, dramatic and truly captivating. Heavy rhythms, beeps, squeak and drones drenched in effects assail the listener. It’s as if Cluster have been inspired by avant-garde, free jazz, early electronica, industrial, free jazz and even rock. This fusion of influences eventually became Cluster.
Once Cluster was completed, the album was released later in 1971 on Philips. Little did anyone, even Cluster themselves, realise the effect album bearing the serial number Philips 6305074 would have. Nowadays, Cluster is regarded as an innovative classic, and in a sense, this was the start of Cluster’s career in earnest.
“This was Cluster’s major label debut. It found Cluster at a crossroads.” They were ready to turn their back on the avant-garde, almost discordant and industrial sound of Kluster, and begin the shift towards the ambient and rock-tinged sound of the late seventies. That was the future.
Cluster II.
“For the followup to Cluster, Conny Plank was no longer a member of Cluster. We were now a duo, consisting of Dieter and I. Conny had other projects he wanted to concentrate on.” With three becoming two, the two remaining members took a different approach to recording.
Cluster had added to their impressive arsenal of equipment. As Conny Plank watched on, two organs, analog synths, a Hawaiian guitar, a bass and an electronically treated cello were brought into the studio. Cluster weren’t finished yet. The two members of Cluster started setting up array of effects. This included audio-generators which usually, was found in an electrician’s toolbox. They became part of Cluster’s alternative orchestra. With everything setup, Cluster got to work.
“To some extent, it was trial and error. We tried different things. Some worked, others didn’t,” Hans Hans-Joachim Roedelius explains. The end result, Cluster II “saw a further shift towards a more electronic sound.” This is apparent on Für Die Katz, which features on Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire.
The music veered between futuristic and dramatic to hypnotic, dreamy, lysergic and otherworldly. Sometimes the music becomes pastoral; other times understated and occasionally, explodes into life. However, for much of the time, Cluster II is melodic and mesmeric. Again, Cluster had produced an album that was way ahead of its time.
When Cluster II was released, it was on Germany premier label when it came to ambitious and innovative music, Brain. Cluster II was assigned the serial number Brain 1006, and when in was released in 1972, it was well on its way to becoming a groundbreaking genre classic.
Ironically, many German critics and record buyers overlooked groups like Cluster. Instead, they were more interested in the music coming out of America and Britain. Incredibly, they never realised that some of the most innovative music was being made in their own backyard. This includes that made by musical chameleons, Cluster whose music would continue to evolve.
Zuckerzeit.
Zuckerzeit, Cluster’s third album, was released in 1974, and was co-produced by Michael Rother of Neu! “Michael first met Dieter and I in 1971. By 1973, Michael was on a break from Neu! We decided to head into the countryside to Forst, to build our own recording studio.” This could’ve been fraught with problems? “No. We knew what we were doing and trying to achieve. All of us had experience in studios, so knew what was required.” The result was a studio “where Michael, Dieter and I recorded the two Harmonia albums, Musik Von Harmonia and Deluxe.” However, before that, Zuckerzeit was released.
On the release of Zuckerzeit, in 1974 Michael Rother’s influence is noticeable. He placed more emphasis on melody, rhythm and the motorik beat.” Hans-Joachim Roedelius explains that previously, Cluster didn’t place the same importance on melody or structure. Michael introduced structure and discipline.” The result was a very different album.
That’s apparent from the opening bars of Hollywood, a beautiful, but haunting soundscape It’s a welcome addition to Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. That’s the case with Heiße Lippen were crisp Motorik beat provides the backdrop for Cluster’s synths. Cluster with the help of Michael Rother are transformed into a very different band.
They create music that’s variously melodic, ethereal, evocative, haunting and cinematic. Especially on tracks like Hollywood, Rosa, Fotschi Tong and Marzipan. Then on Rote Riki, the music becomes futuristic, with the man machine adding sci-fi sounds that sound as if they’re from a distant planet. Meanwhile, Caramel would influence future generations of dance music producers. Although Caramba has futuristic sound, it’s melodic and contemporary. It sounds as if it belongs on the dance-floors of Berlin’s clubs. This is incredible, given Zuckerzeit was released later in 1972.
Cluster had released two albums on Brain during 1972. Both would become future genre classics, and both would show a different side to Cluster. Zuckerzeit with its mixture of electronic pop, art rock and avant-garde, was an album way ahead of its time. It’s a truly innovative and timeless album, where Cluster continue to reinvent themselves. The decision to bring Michael Rother onboard as producer was a masterstroke; and also resulted in the birth of a new band, Harmonia.
Sowiesoso.
Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius founded Harmonia with Michael Rother. The new band released two studio albums, Musik von Harmonia in 1974 and Deluxe in 1975. Both albums featured inventive and innovative music. Despite that, and Brian Eno calling Harmonia “the most important band in the world,” neither album sold well. Then when Harmonia recorded the album Tracks and Traces with Brian Eno, the master tapes went missing. They were only discovered nearly four decades later, and belatedly released in 2007. However, in 1976,Hans-Joachim Roedelius remembers: “Harmonia had ran its course, we returned to Cluster. We had never stopped being Cluster. We played live, but didn’t release a new album until Sowiesoso, in 1976, which we recorded in just two days.”
Despite being recorded in just two days, Sowiesoso found Cluster at their creative zenith. They had recorded an album of understated, beautiful, poignant and melancholy melodies, including Zum Wohl, Es War Einmal and the edit of In Ewigkeit that feature on Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. The arrangements are often minimalist, but always, cinematic. Sometimes, the music is evocative and atmospheric. Occasionally, there’s an air of mystery. Especially, Halwa, with its cinematic sound. Just like the rest of Sowiesoso, the music paints pictures. That was the case in 1976, and is the case in 2016.
When Sowiesoso was released in 1976, it was on Günter Körber’s Sky Records. It had been formed in 1975, and by 1976, was already regarded as a label that released ambitious, influential and innovative music. This described Cluster’s first album in four years. However, Sowiesoso was a very different album to Zuckerzeit.
That was no surprise to those familiar with Cluster’s music. They were like musical chameleons, constantly reinventing their music. The musical chameleons were about to enter a three year period where Cluster could do no wrong.
Enter Brian Eno.
In June 1977, the two members of Cluster were joined by three old friends. The first was Holger Czukay of Can. “Dieter and I knew Holger from way back, back to Zodiak Free Arts Lab. We hung around with members of Can. Back then, there was a great sense of community. Everyone helped and influenced each other. We even went on to tour together.” Another of the guest artists on Cluster’s 1977 album first met Dieter and Hans at a Cluster concert.
That was Brian Eno: “who Cluster jammed with in 1974. Brian joined us on stage, and we spent the second half of the concert jamming. That was how we first met Brian. Then in 1977, he joined as for the recording of Cluster and Eno. We learnt a lot from Brian. Similarly, I like to think we influenced him. That was the case when we recorded After The Heat.” Before that, Cluster and Eno was recorded.
Cluster and Eno.
The four great innovators got to work. They spent part of June 1977 recording enough for two albums. Conny Plank laid down bass lines, while Dieter and Hans-Joachim Roedelius played synths and keyboards. So did Brian Eno who added bass and vocals. Once the recording session was complete, the first collaboration between Cluster and Brian Eno was released later in 1977.
When Cluster and Eno was released later in 1977, the album was a meeting of minds. Elements of both Cluster and Brian Eno’s music melted into one. Especially on Wehrmut, which features on Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. Just like other tracks, Cluster supplied elements of avant-garde, while Brian Eno’s supplied the ambient influence. When this was combined with drone and world music, the result was another classic album.
Widespread critical acclaim accompanied the release of Cluster and Eno. It was hailed a groundbreaking album, one that was way ahead of its time. Cluster and Eno is an album that Hans-Joachim Roedelius: “is proud of.” He remembers the recording sessions fondly, and sees both Cluster and Eno, and its followup After The Heat, as an equally “influential album.”
After The Heat.
Just a year after the release of Cluster and Eno, the second collaboration between Cluster and Brian Eno was released. It too, was released to critical acclaim. This fusion of ambient, art rock, avant-garde, experimental and Krautrock were combined by Cluster and Brian Eno. Again, both Cluster and Brian Eno were influencing each other. Especially on The Shade, which features on Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. The influences of both Cluster and Brian Eno can be heard.
“This was not one way. We both influenced each other. On After The Heat, I believe we influenced Brian’s production style. If you listen to David Bowie’s Low and Lodger albums which Brian Eno produced, Cluster and Harmonia’s influence can be heard. So while Brian influenced Cluster, we certainly influenced him.” After two albums with Brian Eno, Cluster’s next album saw them return to a duo.
Grosses Wasser.
Following two albums with Brian Eno, Cluster returned to the studio in 1979. This time, Cluster were joined by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream. He would produce Grosses Wasser, Cluster’s seventh album.
It was an album where Cluster drew inspiration from ambient, art rock and avant-garde to electronica and free jazz. The result was music that’s ambitious, challenging and experimental. Other times, the music becomes ethereal, elegiac, melancholy and cinematic. Sometimes, though, Cluster decide to throw a curveball. This they do on the ten minute edit of Grosses Wasser that features on Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. It finds Cluster springing surprises and throwing the occasional curveball on this ambition, genre-melting track. This adds to avant-garde sound of Grosses Wasser.
When Cluster released Grosses Wasser later in 1979, it proved to be Cluster’s most avant-garde album. “This wasn’t a conscious decision. Instead, it was just a case of evolution. That was the way that the Cluster worked. It was the same live.” That became apparent on Cluster’s first live album.
Live In Vienna.
Despite releasing seven studio albums, Cluster had never released a live album. That changed when Cluster took to the stage at the Wiener Festwochen Alternativ, on June 12th, 1980. It was the only time that Cluster took to the stage with Joshi Farnbauer. The result was one of Cluster’s most experimental albums.
Sometimes, the music veered towards discordant, and was reminiscent of early performances by Kluster. Hans-Joachim Roedelius remembers: “a song was just the starting point. We never knew what direction it would take. It was improvisation at its purest. Partly, it was because we couldn’t replicate our music live.” That was the case on, Live In Vienna, which featured Cluster at their most ambitious and inventive. However, just like Harmonia four years earlier, the end was nigh for Cluster.
Curiosum.
Cluster recorded their eighth studio album Curiosum in 1981. Recording took place at Hamet Hof, in Vienna, which was now Hans-Joachim Roedelius adopted home.
At Hamet Hof, Cluster recorded seven tracks. Some were relatively short by Cluster standards. Given the title, the seven tracks on Curiosum were somewhat unorthodox. However, they were unusually melodic. This includes Oh Odessa, that features on Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. It’s melodic as elements of avant-garde, electronica and experimental music are combined by musical chameleons, Cluster. They were about to bring the curtain down on chapter one of the Cluster story.
Just like Harmonia, “Cluster had run its course. We decided to concentrate on other projects. There was no fall-out, Cluster just came to a natural end. After eight studio albums, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius put Cluster on hold. They would reunite on several occasions, in the future. However, Cluster had already recorded eight studio albums. Custer would only release three more albums between 1984 and 2009.
Cluster’s music would continue to be relevant right through their swan-song Qua in 2009. However, by 1981 Cluster had released some of the most important music of their career.
Albums like Cluster, Cluster II, Zuckerzeit, Sowiesoso, Cluster and Eno and After The Heat are the work of true music pioneers. Incredibly, these albums were released during the first ten years of Cluster’s career. They also recorded two other ambitious albums, Grosses Wasser and Curiosum. Each of these eight albums features Cluster’s music as it continues to evolve.
That’s apparent on Bureau B’s new compilation of Cluster’s music, Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire. It documents Cluster’s career between Cluster in 1971 right through to 1981s Curiosum. To do this, John McEntire chose eleven of the finest moments from the first ten years of Cluster’s career. Three of these tracks have been edited so that the eleven tracks can fit on one CD. The result is the perfect introduction to Cluster.
Especially for newcomers to Cluster. They might be unsure where to start in Cluster’s impressive back-catalogue. Not any more. Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire gives them an overview of the first eight studio albums. From there, newcomers to Cluster can dig deeper. A good place to start is Bureau B’s 1971-1981 nine disc box set. However, it’s a limited of just 1,000 CD and LP box sets. They’ve almost sold out, and are well on their way to becoming collector’s items. Anyone wanting a copy of 1971-1981 will need to be quick. It’s the perfect followup to Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire.
Both the 1971-1981 box set and Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire features the music a pioneering group. The released ambitious, groundbreaking and timeless music. It has gone on to influence several generation of musicians. Even today, musicians cite Cluster as one of the bands who influence and inspired them. That will continue to the case as the music Cluster made was timeless.
There’s a reason for this. Cluster weren’t afraid to push musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes, way beyond. Musically, Cluster were willing to go, where others musicians feared to tread. This was the case during the period 1971-1981, which Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire covers. During that period, Cluster released eight studio albums, including several classic Krautrock albums. Each of these albums featured ambitious, groundbreaking and genre-melting music that even four decades later, is truly timeless. One listen to Kollection 06: Cluster 1971-1981 Compiled By John McEntire and that will be apparent.
KOLLECTiON 06: CLUSTER 1971-1981-COMPILED BY JOHN McENTIRE.
TIM BUCKLEY- LADY, GIVE ME YOUR KEY: THE UNISSUED 1967 SESSIONS.
TIM BUCKLEY- LADY, GIVE ME YOUR KEY: THE UNISSUED 1967 SESSIONS.
Having released his eponymous debut album in 1966, Tim Buckley was told by Elektra wanted to record a followup album. Before that, Elektra’s founder Jac Holzman told Tim Buckley he wanted him to record a single. Then the album would follow. This made sense.
Elektra were trying to introduce Tim Buckley to a wider audience. A successful single would certainly do that. There was only one problem though. Tim Buckley hadn’t any new songs. So Tim Buckley and his songwriting partner Larry Beckett began work on new material.
Their priority was the single project. Before work began, the pair spent time relaxing in lyricist Larry Beckett’s Venice Beach apartment, listening to AM and FM radio. This was where the pair hit on the idea of writing an AM and FM side.
The Buckley and Beckett partnership worked quickly. They were already a prolific partnership, who could reel off songs in a short space of time. Soon, the pair had penned four songs, Once Upon A Time, Lady, Give Me Your Key, Sixface and Contact. These songs were demoed at Larry Beckett’s Oak Court apartment.
It’s just Tim Buckley accompanying himself with an acoustic guitar. They were recorded onto Larry Beckett’s reel-to-reel tape. Despite having four songs for the single project, the Buckley and Beckett songwriting partnership weren’t finished yet.
This prolific partnership began to write some more songs. Before long, they had written three more songs, Once I Was, I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain and Pleasant Street. Neither Tim Buckley, nor Larry Beckett, knew that two of these songs would later be regarded as Tim Buckley classics. Just like the other four songs, Tim Buckley recorded these songs at Larry Beckett’s Oak Court apartment. They became part of the Oak Court Demo Tape.
The songs on the Oak Court Demo Tape weren’t the finished versions of the songs that would later feature on Goodbye and Hello. Instead, they were work-in-progress. It was a similar case with an acetate recorded at Madison Studios, in Manhattan.
By then, Tim Buckley was touring in an attempt to build up a following. He was due to play several dates in New York. During some downtime, Tim Buckley planned to book some studio time in one of the Big Apple’s many studios. His manager Jerry Yester was keen to hear some songs that might find their way onto his sophomore album.
Once Tim Buckley knew when he had some downtime, he booked studio time at Madison Studios in midtown Manhattan. Rather than take his band, Tim Buckley decided to record acoustic demos like those on the Oak Court Demo Tape. This time though, Tim planned to record just six Buckley and Beckett compositions. The pair had penned Knight-Errant, Marigold, Carnival Song, No Man Can Find The War, I Can’t Leave You Lovin’ Me and She’s Back Again. With just his acoustic guitar accompanying him, Tim recorded the six songs. Once the session was complete acetates were pressed.
These acetates featured songs that Tim Buckley thought may feature on his forthcoming sophomore album. One of the acetates, Tim Buckley mailed to his manager Jerry Yester, on the West Coast. He was keen to hear the new songs that Tim Buckley and Larry Beckett had written. So was Jac Holzman at Elektra.
Eventually, the acetate arrived at Jerry Yester’s office on the West Coast. He was finally able to hear the songs that Tim Buckley and Larry Beckett had been working on. Tim hoped that some of these songs would feature on his sophomore album, Goodbye and Hello. Only Knight-Errant and Carnival Song and No Man Can Find The War were rerecorded and eventually found their way onto Hello and Goodbye. The other three songs, Marigold, I Can’t Leave You Lovin’ Me and She’s Back Again Tim quickly dropped from his set. They’ve never been heard since then…until recently.
These three long lost songs are among the thirteen that feature on Lady, Give Me Your Key-The Unissued 1967 Sessions. It was recently released by Light In The Attic Records. Lady, Give Me Your Key-The Unissued 1967 Sessions features what many Tim Buckley fans, will be the equivalent as the Holy Grail. This includes the seven songs the Oak Court Demo Tape, and the six songs on The Acetate recorded at Madison Studios. Neither of these sessions have been released before. Indeed, The Acetate was only discovered by chance.
The Acetate only came to light when Jerry Yester was tidying out his house. He found an old suitcase, and began looking through its contents. Tucked away in the suitcase, was The Acetate. By then, several decades had passed and Tim Buckley’s career had been cut tragically short on June 29th 1975.
By then, Tim Buckley was a prolific artist. His songwriting partnership with lyricist Larry Beckett had proved a fruitful one. Tim released nine albums between 1966 and 1974.
His debut album Tim Buckley was released by Elektra in 1966. Goodbye and Hello followed in 1967. Two years later, Tim released Happy Sad and Blue Afternoon during 1969. Then in 1970, Tim released another two albums, Lorca and Starsailor.
Already, Tim Buckley had flitted between jazz, funk, psychedelia and avant-garde. Then on his three final albums, Tim’s music moved towards sex funk on 1972s Greetings from L.A., 1973s Sefronia and 1974s Look at the Fool. Alas, Tim’s dalliance with sex funk resulted in his music being banned from radio. Sadly, that was the least of his worries.
Over the years, Tim Buckley had grown dependent on drugs. For some time, Tim had managed to control his drug habit. This he was still managing to do on the 28th of June 1975, as he prepared to play a concert in Dallas, Texas. After the show, headed out to celebrate a party.
At the party, Tim Buckley took a combination of heroin and alcohol, and reacted badly. Tim’s tolerance level was no longer as high as they had once been. So his friends took Tim home. What happened next is unclear.
It’s thought that Tim Buckley took some more heroin. At some point, Tim collapsed on the floor. When his wife Judy found him on the floor, she put Tim to bed. Later, when she went to see how Tim was, Judy found Tim blue and unresponsive. Tim Buckley was pronounced dead on the 29th of June 1975, aged just twenty-nine. Music has lost one of its most talented sons, Tim Buckley. He however, left behind a rich musical legacy.
Sadly, that musical legacy hadn’t been discovered by a wider audience during Tim Buckley’s lifetime. He was still a relative unknown. That would change after his tragic death.
Since his death, interest in Tim Buckley’s music has grown. Especially, over the last twenty-five years. Just like Gram Parsons and Nick Drake, Tim Buckley’s has grown in popularity. Tim Buckley’s music is more popular than ever. This has resulted in many compilations and live recordings being released. They vary in quality, and range from lovingly compiled to albums that cash in the rise in interest and popularity of Tim Buckley’s music. However, Lady, Give Me Your Key-The Unissued 1967 Sessions is a welcome reissue, and is like stepping back in time.
Suddenly, it’s late 1966, early 1967 and the listener is transported to Larry Beckett’s L.A. apartment. Larry sets up his reel-to-reel tape recorder, and presses play. This he does during several sessions. The songs he records Tim Buckley singing became the Oak Court Demo. However, these songs are work in progress. Having said that, they’re of historical importance. Especially to anyone interested in Tim Buckley’s music. Two of the songs on the Oak Court Demo would later be transformed, into Tim Buckley classic. The versions of Once I Was and I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain on Lady, Give Me Your Key-The Unissued 1967 Sessions show these songs evolving. It’s a similar case with the six songs on The Acetate recorded at Madison Studios.
Despite Tim Buckley’s high hopes for the six songs on The Acetate recorded at Madison Studios, the only three songs that were rerecorded. Knight-Errant and Carnival Song and No Man Can Find The War later found their way onto Hello and Goodbye. It was released later in 1967. So was the single that Elektra’s founder Jac Holzman wanted Tim to record.
Ironically, none of the seven songs that feature the Oak Court Demo were chosen as the single. Once I Was found its way onto the B-Side, when the single was released by Elektra in December 1967. By then, Once I Was a quite different song than the one that was recorded at Larry Beckett’s L.A. apartment. However, somewhat belatedly, the songs from the Oak Court Demo are available for all to hear.
Nearly fifty years later, the songs from the Oak Court Demo and The Acetate recorded at Madison Studio, in Manhattan feature on Lady, Give Me Your Key-The Unissued 1967 Sessions. It was released recently by Light In The Attic. For fans of Tim Buckley, the music on Lady, Give Me Your Key-The Unissued 1967 Sessions is akin to the musical Holy Grail which has been discovered after nearly fifty years.
TIM BUCKLEY- LADY, GIVE ME YOUR KEY: THE UNISSUED 1967 SESSIONS.
CHARTBUSTERS USA-SPECIAL COUNTRY EDITION.
CHARTBUSTERS USA-SPECIAL COUNTRY EDITION.
It was back in June 1999 that Ace Records released Chartbusters USA Vol.1. Little did they realise that this occasional series would still be going strong over seventeen years later. That’s quite a feat in the increasingly competitive compilation market.
What has been crucial to the continued success of Chartbusters USA series, is the quality and consistency of music. These are lovingly curated compilations. That was the case with Chartbusters USA Vol.2 which was released in January 2002. Here was a compilation that oozed quality. So Chartbusters USA Vol. 3 when it was released in March 2003. Ace Records seemed to have found a successful formula for a long-running compilation series.
Most record companies would’ve turned Chartbusters USA into an annual event. Not Ace Records though. This wasn’t going to be a compilation series that reached Volume 22. Instead, Chartbusters USA was about to become an occasional series.
Five years later, and the next instalment in the Chartbusters USA series was released in June 2009. The series made a welcome return with a Special Edition. This was Chartbusters USA Special Edition-Sunshine Pop. It was a welcome reminder of this popular series.
Despite the glowing reviews and popularity of the latest instalment, Ace Records again eschewed the temptation to make the series an annual occurrence. Instead, Chartbusters USA would remain an occasional series.
Then after seven year absence, Ace Records announced the release another in the Chartbusters USA series. Just like the previous instalment, it was another Special Edition. This time, though, Ace Records had turned their attention to country music on Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition. It’s the latest instalment in this long running and occasional compilation series.
For Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition, compiler Tony Rounce chose twenty-four tracks released between 1963 and 1969. This includes songs from country music royalty. There’s no bigger names than George Jones, Hank Williams Jr, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Merle Haggard and The Strangers. That is not forgetting Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette, Eddy Arnold, Chet Atkins, Jeannie C. Riley and Buck Owens. These songs are just a few of the artists on a compilation that contains hits aplenty.
In total,twenty-three of these songs reached the top ten in the US Country charts. Twelve of these songs reached number one. Each of these songs crossed over, and were a hit in the US Billboard 100. Four singles reached the top ten, with one topping the Billboard 100. That was Jeannie C. Riley’s Harper Valley PTA, which topped the US Country and US US Billboard 100 in 1968. It’s just one of the familiar songs that feature on Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition. They were recorded by some of the biggest names to set foot in a Nashville Studio.
This includes George Jones, the man who for the latter part of his life was known as: “the greatest living country singer”. He opens Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition with his 1964 single, The Race Is On. It was released on United Artists, and reached number three in the US Country charts and ninety-six in the US Billboard 100. A year later, The Race Is On lent its name to a new George Jones album in April 1965. Upon its release, it reached number three in the US Country charts, and became the most successful album of George Jones’ career so far.
In 1968, Jerry Lee Lewis was in the process of reinventing himself as a country singer. It had been a long, hard slog for The Killer after his fall from grace in 1957. He had signed to Smash Records, an imprint of Mercury in 1963 and began his comeback. The American public were unforgiving and Jerry Lee Lewis’ music failed to find an audience.
By 1968, his hard work and persistence was paying off. Jerry Lee Lewis released what was billed as his comeback album, Another Place, Another Time. One of the singles released from the album was What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out Of Me) on the Smash label. Its melancholy sound struck a nerve with record buyers across North America. The single reached number one in the Canadian Country charts; two in the US Country Charts and ninety-four in the US Billboard 100. After ten years, The Killer was on comeback trail, thanks in part to the melancholy strains of What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out Of Me).
In 1964, Hank Williams Jr’s career was just beginning. He had decided to follow in the footsteps of his famous father. Already comparisons were being drawn between Hank Williams Jr and his famous father. Meanwhile, the doubters wondered whether the family name would weigh heavy on Hank Williams Jr’s shoulders? That proved not be the case. Long Gone Lonesome Blues showed that musically Hank Williams Jr was his father’s song. When it was released as a single on MGM 1964, and reached number four in the US Country charts and sixty-seven in the US Billboard 100. This was just the start of a long and successful career for Hank Williams Jr, where he would release over 106 singles and fifty-six albums. These albums went on to sell over seventy million copies, and in the process prove the doubters wrongs.
By 1968, country music was changing and Glen Campbell was at the vanguard of the countrypolitan sound. Two features of this new sound were smooth vocals and strings. These pop stylings feature on Glen Campbell’s 1968 single I Wanna Live. This John D. Loudermilk composition was a call for tolerance. When it was released on Capitol in 1968, this countrypolitan ballad waltzed hopefully, and into the charts. It reached thirty-six in the US Billboard 100 and gave Glen Campbell the first of five US Country number one singles.
Adultery and murder have long been the subject of country songs. Songwriter Jack Clements managed to combine both subjects into Miller’s Cave. This was covered by Bobby Bare covered in 1964 at RCA’s Nashville Studio. His vocal is a mixture of country and folk, as the lyrics come to life. When Miller’s Cave was then released on RCA, and eventually, reached twenty-three in the US Billboard 100 and four on the US Country charts. This was one of a string of hits Bobby Bare enjoyed between 1962 and 1970.
Fifty years after the release of David Houston’s 1966 single Almost Persuaded, controversy sounds the song. Rick Hall remembers driving Dan Penn and Donnie Fritts from Muscle Shoals, Alabama to Nashville to let Billy Sherrill hear Almost Persuaded. Maybe he would be interested in recording the song? Alas, their journey was a wasted one. That however, wasn’t the end of the story.
Some time, later Rick Hall was listening to a country radio station and heard a song entitled Almost Persuaded. Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton had used the title and written a new song. When it was released by Epic in 1966, this confessional ballad made it to number twenty-four in the US Billboard 100 and number on the US Country charts. For David Houston, Almost Persuaded kickstarted his career
Another giant of country music is singer and songwriter, Marty Robbins. He enjoyed a long and successful career. In 1963, he wrote and recorded Begging You To Stay. This heart-wrenching ballad was released as a single on Columbia later in 1963. Although it only reached seventy-four in the US Billboard 100, it topped the US Country charts. This was the tenth of sixteen number ones Marty Robbins enjoyed during a career that spanned four decades.
Tammy Wynette’s career began in 1966. Success came quickly for her, when Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad gave Tammy Wynette a top ten single and album in 1967. However, in 1968 she released a song that would become synonymous with her, D-I-V-O-R-C-E. The single and album topped the US Country charts and crossed over. Suddenly, Tammy Wynette was one of the hottest properties in country music.
She returned in 1969 with the ballad Singing My Song. This tale of heartbreak had been penned by Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton with Tammy Wynette. When it was released in 1969 it topped the US Country charts and reached number seventy-five in the US Billboard. For Tammy Wynette this was the sixth US Country number one of her career. It certainly wasn’t the last. Tammy Wynette enjoyed twenty US Country number ones between 1966 and 1976, making her one of the most successful country singers.
Eddy Arnold’s career began back in 1937. By 1965, he was signed to RCA and was regarded as one of the finest practitioners of the Nashville Sound. He was also one of the most popular country artists. He had enjoyed twenty US Country number one singles. When Eddy Arnold released a hurt-filled cover of Hank Cochran’s Make The World Go Away it reached number six on the US Billboard 100 and topped the US Country charts. This hurt-filled ballad gave Eddy Arnold the twenty-first US Country number one single. Eventually, Eddy Arnold sold eighty-five million records, a total that’s only surpassed George Jones.
Charley Pride was the footballer turned to country music singer. His career was beginning to flourish, and had enjoyed seven consecutive top ten hits in the US Country charts. However, none of these singles had topped the chart. That was until Charley Pride released All I Have to Offer You (Is Me) in June 1969. Not only did it top the US Country charts, but reached ninety-one in the US Billboard. This heartfelt ballad was also Charley Pride’s first single to crossover. For Charley Pride this was just the start. He became one of the most successful country artists of the seventies.
Charley Pride was the footballer turned to country music singer. By 1969, his career was beginning to flourish. Already he had enjoyed seven consecutive top ten hits in the US Country charts. However, none of these singles had topped the chart. That was until Charley Pride released All I Have to Offer You (Is Me) in June 1969. Not only did it top the US Country charts, but reached ninety-one in the US Billboard. This heartfelt ballad was also Charley Pride’s first single to crossover. For Charley Pride this was just the start. He became one of the most successful country artists of the seventies and early eighties.
When Jeannie C. Riley released Harper Valley PTA on Plantation Records in 1968, it transformed her career. The single topped both the US Country and US Billboard 100 charts. This Tom T. Hall penned song was akin to a mini-drama, where Jeannie C. Riley exposes the hypocrisy of the Harper Valley PTA. Within four weeks this country classic was certified gold. The following year, Jeannie C. Riley the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and was the Country Music Association’s single of the year. Eventually, Harper Valley PTA sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide. For Jeannie C. Riley this was just the start.
Later in 1969, Jeannie C. Riley hosted her own major network variety special. Then as the seventies dawned, the commercial success continued. During the late-seventies, Jeannie C. Riley was a familiar face on televisions. There were also offers from Hollywood to star in films. By then, Jeannie C. Riley was a born again Christian, and started singing gospel. This lead to her distancing herself from the song that transformed her career just a decade earlier.
Jimmy Dean’s The First Thing Ev’ry Morning (And The Last Thing Ev’ry Night) closes Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition. It was released on Columbia in 1965, and reached number one on the US Country charts and number ninety-one on the US Billboard 100. It’s another example of the countrypolitan sub-genre, which is country music with pop stylings. There’s even a nod Dean Martin stylistically, as the song takes on an easy listening singalong style. Sadly, Jimmy Dean only enjoyed two more hit singles, and never again enjoyed another US Country number one. A new breed of country singers were about to make their presence felt, as country music continued to evolve.
Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition is a snapshot of country music between 1963 and 1969. During this period, the Nashville Sound peaked in popularity and countrypolitan sound began to take centre-stage. Country music also began to crossover and reach a new audience. Each of the songs that feature on Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition crossover to some extent. Most were just minor crossover hits, apart from Roger Miller’s Chug-A-Lug, The Statler Brothers’ Flowers On The Wall and Jeannie C. Riley’s Harper Valley PTA. However, as the sixties gave way to the seventies, country music’s crossover appeal grew. The artists on Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition had sown the seeds.
Many of the artists on Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition would go on to enjoy commercial success throughout the seventies. Among them, were George Jones, Hank Williams Jr, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Billie Jo Spears, Tammy Wynette, Charley Pride and Jeannie C. Riley. Country music’s crossover appeal grew, with more and more country singers reaching the upper reaches of the US Billboard 100. Belatedly, country music was reaching a wider audience.
Nowadays, country music is as popular as ever. Partly, that’s because country music has continued to evolve and stay relevant.
However, it’s often the music from country music’s past that a new generation of record buyers discover. Often this begins with discovering one artist. This often leads them to embark upon a voyage of discovery through country music’s history. The same can be said of Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition.
A copy of Ace Records’ Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition could well be the start of a musical voyage of discovery
through the Chartbusters USA series. Chartbusters USA-Special Country Edition may well even be the start of lifelong love affair with country music.
CHARTBUSTERS USA-SPECIAL COUNTRY EDITION.
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