Blue Cheer were an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and were sporadically active from that point on until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues-rock style, and are also credited as being pioneers of heavy metal (their cover of "Summertime Blues" is sometimes cited as the first in the genre), punk rock, stoner rock, doom metal, experimental rock, and grunge. According to Tim Hills in his book, The Many Lives of the Crystal Ballroom,"Blue Cheer was the epitome of San Francisco psychedelia. The band is rumored to have been named after a street brand of LSD and promoted by renowned LSD chemist and former Grateful Dead patron, Owsley Stanley." Jim Morrison of The Doors called the group, "The single most powerful band I've ever seen." Blue Cheer is the fourth album by Blue Cheer, released in 1969 on Philips Records. Gary Lee Yoder contributed songwriting for the opening and closing tracks and would later join the group as guitarist on their next album The Original Human Being (1970). The album is the first Blue Cheer release as a four piece band, as they had always been a power trio prior. 01 - Fool 02 - You're Gonna Need Someone 03 - Hello L.A.,Bye Bye Birmingham 04 - Saturday Freedom 05 - Ain't That The Way (Love's Supposed To Be) 06 - Rock And Roll Queens 07 - Better When We Try 08 - Natural Man 09 - Lovin' You's Easy 10 - The Same Old Story LINK
Blackfoot Sue was a British pop rock band, formed in 1970 by the twin brothers Tom and David Farmer, Alan Jones and Eddie Golga. A single released in August 1972, "Standing in the Road", reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. Lack of further tangible success left them labelled as one-hit wonders. However, they did have another record enter the UK Singles Chart. "Sing Don't Speak" reached number 36 in December 1972. In November 1972, they appeared on the German television programme, Disco. According to Allmusic, "they were written off as a teen sensation and broke up in 1977". This is the debut album of the band. 01 - Messiah 02 - Country Home 03 - Cry 04 - My Oh My 05 - Now We're Three 06 - The Spring Of '69 07 - Glittery Obituary 08 - On His Own 09 - Too Soon 10 - Gypsy Jam 11 - Standing In The Road 12 - Celestial Plain 13 - Sing Don't Speak 14 - 2 B Free 15 - Summer(From The Seasons Suite) LINK
The V.I.P.'s (Art) were a British R&B musical ensemble formed in Carlisle, Cumberland, (North West England) in late 1963, out of an earlier outfit known as The Ramrods, who had formed in Carlisle in 1960. The band members were: Mike Harrison (lead vocals); Greg Ridley (bass guitar); Frank Kenyon (rhythm guitar) (1963-67); Jimmy Henshaw (lead guitar) (1963-67); Keith Emerson (electric organ) (1966 - 1967); Luther Grosvenor (lead guitar) (1967); Walter Johnstone (drummer) (1963-67) and Mike Kellie (drummer) (1967). With no tangible success, the band became later known as Art and then as Spooky Tooth. After the release of their only album, Supernatural Fairy Tales, as Art, the band split up in April 1967. 01 - I Think I'm Going Weird 02 - What's That Sound (For What it's Worth) 03 - African Thing 04 - Room With a View 05 - Flying Anchors 06 - Supernatural Fairy Tale 07 - Love is Real 08 - Come on Up 09 - Brothers, Dads and Mothers 10 - Talkin' to Myself 11 - Alive Not Dead 12 - Rome Take Away Three LINK
British progressive rock band formed by A.B. Benson - Organ, Vocals, Dave Chriss - Bass, John Cook - Drums and Dave Titley - Guitar, Lead Vocals. "This is a band whose concept album is based on the Ten Commandments. Each track deals with a different commandment. The album, which was produced by Miki Dallon, was dominated by Bob Leaper's orchestral arrangements, but there are also some good melodies, strong vocals and organ work and powerful drumming. The best tracks are those where the orchestral arrangements are more discreet: "He Is My God", on which the melody sounds like King Crimson in places; "Images", which features strong vocals, good drumming and organ work; the mellow and melodic "People" and "False Witness", a good progressive piece with some fine guitar leads and powerful organ."(Vernon Joynson) 01 - Prelude - He's My God 02 - Images 03 - People 04 - God's Day 05 - Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother 06 - Kill 07 - Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery 08 - Steal 09 - False Witness 10 - Possessions LINK
The beginnings of the Blossom Toes go as far back as to 1962, when Brian Godding and Brian Belshaw met as apprentices at the Hilger and Watts scientific instrument factory at Highbury, Islington. There they formed a group called The Grave Diggers and eventually played in The Ingoes, a R&B outfit. As The Ingoes, they teamed up with The Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky and went to Paris where they developed a strong cult following. When back in London for a break, they recruited Jim Cregan, and returned for a second spell in Paris. It was during this time that The Ingoes recorded a single version of Help!, sung in Italian for the Italian market, and an EP on the Riviera label. Right after their London return, drummer Colin Martin, left and was replaced by Kevin Westlake. It was around this time that The Ingoes became Blossom Toes. They were then housed in a flat in Fulham by manager Giorgio Gomelsky and entered the studio to record their debut album. The backing of much of the album was recorded by an orchestra and session men. The album was a 15 track collection of inventive psych pop with it's share of weirdness. Unfortunately, their live act suffered due to the inability to reproduce most of the album on stage. Their second album, If Only For A Moment was released in 1969. It was much less psychedelic than their debut, but still has some fine moments in the epic Love Bomb and the madness of the first track, Peace Loving Man. Brian Belshaw: Bass Guitar, Brian Godding: Guitar, Vocals, Jim Cregan: Guitar, Vocals, Kevin Westlake: Drums (1967-68), Poli Palmer: Drums, Flute, Vibes, Harp, Vocals (1968), Barry Reeves: Drums (1968-69). Disbanded in 1969. 01 - Peace Loving Man 02 - Kiss Of Confusion 03 - Listen To The Silence 04 - Love Bomb 05 - Billy Boo The Gunman 06 - Indian Summer 07 - Just Above My Hobby Horse's Head 08 - Wait A Minute LINK
Formed by Jim Mandell - Organ, Flute, Piano, Vocals, David Ryan - Bass, Vocals, Vin Campisi - Guitar and Robert H. Henderson - Drums, Vocals,Puff was the 1969 extension-group of the Rockin Ramrods with songs written by founding Ramrods leader Ron Campisi and featured guitarist-vocalist David Allen Ryan (later of Sha Na Na) and jazz flutist/keyboardist Jim Mandell. The sound of the group was a marked departure from the Rockin' Ramrods. It was softer, more experimental, and for the first time introduced jazz, blues and classical themes into their music. Although the lyrics Ronn Campisi wrote in the early, middle and late stages of his groups were set against different musical idioms, there was always one thematic-constant of kid's dreams, adolescent desires & growing up. 01 - Dead Thoughts Of Alfred 02 - Rainy Day 03 - Vacuum 04 - Walk Upon The Water 05 - Who Do You Think You Are 06 - Of Not Being Able To Go To Sleep 07 - When I Wake Up In The Morning 08 - Trees 09 - It's My Way 10 - I Sure Need You 11 - Go With You 12 - Changes LINK
