A hard-rock/progressive outfit who formed in 1969 from the ashes of Liverpudlian band The Business, Albert 1, released in 1971, featured future Thin Lizzy, Caravan and Camel keyboard player Jan Schelhass, future Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake, guitarist Neil Ford and bass guitarist David Paull (soon to join Jonesy). Produced by Yes and ELP engineer Eddie Offord. Initially known as The Business, Lee Kerslake had joined from Toe Fat. Their varied album, which was prouced by Eddie Offord, featured a laborious selection of introverted riffs and one song, Too Much..., which was very Beatle-ish. They split in November 1971. Jan Schelhaas was later in The Gary Moore Band and Caravan, whilst Lee Kerslake went on to Uriah Heep. 01 - Got No Time 02 - You 03 - Too Much Country Water 04 - Lead Me Back 05 - Listen To The Music 06 - Ilsington Farm 07 - Try To Reach You 08 - Brand New World 09 - Mister Jesus LINK
New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead.(wiki) "Anyone who enjoyed the Grateful Dead's Workingman's Dead or American Beauty and wanted more, then or now, should get the New Riders of the Purple Sage's eponymous release and follow it with the Riders' next two albums. With Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart in tow, and Jefferson Airplane's Spencer Dryden playing what drums Hart didn't, plus Commander Cody at the piano, New Riders of the Purple Sage is some of the most spaced-out country-rock of the period. Even ignoring the big names working with John Dawson, David Nelson, and Dave Torbert, however, this is a good record, crossing swords with the Byrds, the Burrito Brothers, and even Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and holding its own. Maybe a few of the cuts (especially "Henry") are predictable at times, but mostly, New Riders of the Purple Sage was full of surprises then (the amazingly sweet, brittle guitars, in particular) and has tunes that have held up well: "Portland Woman," "Whatcha Gonna Do," "I Don't Know You," and "Louisiana Lady," not to mention the eight leisurely paced minutes of acid-country found in "Dirty Business." There are no added notes, but they'd hardly be vital -- the album is an open book." (Bruce Eder,AMG) 01 - I Don't Know You 02 - Whatcha Gonna Do 03 - Portland Woman 04 - Henry 05 - Dirty Business 06 - Glendale Train 07 - Garden Of Eden 08 - All I Ever Wanted 09 - Last Lonely Eagle 10 - Louisiana Lady LINK
Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles best known for their 1967 hit "Incense and Peppermints". The group took its name as an homage to the Beatles' psychedelic hit "Strawberry Fields Forever", reportedly, at the suggestion of their record company Uni Records. They are often thought of as a "one-hit wonder" and were instrumental in the development of bubblegum pop music in the United States. Lee Freeman on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Ed King on guitar, Gary Lovetro on bass, Gene Gunnels on drums, Mike Luciano on tambourine, Steve Rabe on lead guitar. The group disbanded in 1971
01 - Incense And Peppermints 02 - Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow 03 - Sit With The Guru 04 - Tomorrow 05 - Black Butter - Present 06 - Love Me Again 07 - Pretty Song From 'psych-Out' 08 - The World's On Fire 09 - Birds In My Tree 10 - The Birdman Of Alkatrash 11 - Small Package 12 - The Saw The Fat One Coming 13 - Strawberries Mean Love 14 - Desiree 15 - Barefoot In Baltimore 16 - Paxton's Back Street Carnival 17 - Hummin' Happy 18 - Sea Shell 19 - (You Put Me On) Stand By 20 - I Climbed The Mountain 21 - Three
Mad River formed at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio in December 1965. The band took its name from the nearby Mad River. By March 1967 they had relocated to Berkeley, California. There they came to the attention of cult author Richard Brautigan who launched the band into the growing hippie culture. They released an EP on the independent Wee label before signing a contract with Capitol Records in February 1968. The group's lead songwriter was Lawrence Hammond, but all of the members sang vocals. They released two albums before disbanding in July 1969. David Robinson, guitar, Thomas Manning, 12 string bass & Vocals, Gregory Leroy Dewey, Drums, Rick Bochner, Vocals, Guitar and Lawrence Hammond, lead Vocals & bass. Recorded in 1968 at Golden State Recorders, San Francisco. 01 - Merciful Monks 02 - High All The Time 03 - Amphetamine Gazelle 04 - Eastern Light 05 - Wind Chimes 06 - The War Goes On 07 - Hush, Julian LINK
The Rats are known by very few listeners, and they most likely know about them because Mick Ronson was a member before playing on David Bowie's highly influential early-1970s albums. Formed in Hull, England, the first version of the group did not include Ronson, but did manage to release a couple of singles on Columbia U.K. in 1965. This included a tough cover of "Spoonful" that — although the liner notes of Pebbles Vol. 6 assert the contrary — did not feature Ronson. A decent but unexceptional R&B/rock unit, the Rats continued to slog it out in Hull over the next few years, with Ronson joining in 1966. Although the Rats stayed together (with varying lineups) through the rest of the '60s, they didn't make any more records, although a few unreleased tracks finally surfaced in the 1990s. They evolved into a heavier blues-rock combo, Ronson in particular showing the influence of Jeff Beck, whose group the Rats opened for at a March 1968 show. By 1969, onetime Rats drummer John Cambridge was in Junior's Eyes, which briefly became David Bowie's backup band. Cambridge recommended Ronson to Bowie as a lead guitarist, and Ronson's crunchy style was a key ingredient on Bowie's 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World. Woody Woodmansey, who had replaced John Cambridge as drummer in the Rats in 1969, also played on the record.(Richie Unterberger). This album is a 1998 compilation of the band's work over the years. 01 - Spoonful 02 - I've got my eyes on you Baby 03 - I've gotta see my Baby 04 - New Orleans 05 - The Rise and Fall of Bernie Gripplestone 06 - Stop Get a Hole of Myself 07 - Guitar Boogie 08 - Morning Dew 09 - Early in Spring 10 - Telephone Blues 11 - It Ain't Easy 12 - I Feel Free 13 - The Hunter 14 - Colour Me 15 - Life's a River LINK
Formerly Fat Harry are one the forgotten greats of late '60s British rock. The band was formed in London in 1969 by ex-Country Joe & the Fish bassist Bruce Barthol and two old friends from the Berkeley California folk music scene, Gary Petersen and Phil Greenberg. Fat Harry was soon signed up by the original Pink Floyd management company. Playing a highly idiosyncratic brand of Americana that frequently experimented with jazz time signatures, the band played at two of the now legendary free concerts in Hyde Park, the 1970 Bath Festival, Phun City and many of the clubs of the era such as The Marquee in London. Laurie Allen – Drums, Bruce Barthol – Bass, Phil Greenberg Vocals, Guitar, George Khan – Sax, Gary Peterson - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion 01 - Passing The River 02 - Mt Friend Was A Pusher 03 - About My Life 04 - Please Go Away 05 - I Saw The Rising Of The Bell 06 - Tell Me All About It 07 - Captain Heart 08 - Goodbye For Good LINK