Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets (and variations thereof), was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of white America and the rest of the world. From the end of 1954 until the end of 1956 the group would place nine singles into the Top 20, one of those a number one and three more in the Top Ten. Bandleader Bill Haley had previously been a country performer; after recording a country and western-styled version of "Rocket 88", a rhythm and blues song, he changed musical direction to a new sound which came to be called rock and roll. Although several members of the Comets became famous, Bill Haley remained the star. With his spit curl and the band's matching plaid dinner jackets and energetic stage behaviour, many fans consider them to be as revolutionary in their time as The Beatles or the Rolling Stones were in theirs. The band initially formed as Bill Haley and the Saddlemen( 1949–1952). Bill Haley's Chicks was the eighth album of Bill Haley & His Comets for Decca Records. Released in January 1959 and produced by Milt Gabler, the album was the third "theme" album Haley recorded for Decca, following Rockin' the Oldies (rock and roll versions of standards) and Rockin' Around the World (rock and roll versions of folk songs). This album is built on the theme of women's names, with each song being about a different girl. Included on the album is "Skinny Minnie", which was a major hit for the band in 1958, reaching no.22 on Billboard and no.25 on Cashbox, 01 - Whoa Mabel! 02 - Ida, Sweet As Apple Cide 03 - Eloise 04 - Dinah 05 - Skinny Minnie 06 - Mary, Mary Lou 07 - Sweet Sue - Just You 08 - B.B. Betty 09 - Charmaine 10 - Corrine Corrina 11 - Marie 12 - Lean Jean LINK
Rock & Roll is the fifth album by the American psychedelic rock band Vanilla Fudge. It was released in September 1969, and peaked on the Billboard album charts at #34 in October of that year. It was the band's last studio album prior to their initial break-up in spring 1970. Carmine Appice - drums, vocals, Tim Bogert - bass, vocals, Vince Martell - guitar, vocals and Mark Stein - lead vocals, keyboards. 01 - Need Love 02 - Lord In The Country 03 - I Can't Make It Alone 04 - Street Walking Woman 05 - Church Bells Of St. Martins 06 - The Windmills Of Your Mind 07 - If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody
The Blues Magoos was a rock music group from the Bronx, New York. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend, beginning as early as 1966. The band was formed in 1964 as "The Trenchcoats". The original members were Emil "Peppy" Thielhelm aka Peppy Castro (vocals and guitar), Dennis LePore (lead guitar), Ralph Scala (organ and vocals), Ronnie Gilbert (bass) and John Finnegan (drums). The band made a name for itself in various clubs in Greenwich Village. By 1966 the band had changed its name to fit in with the psychedelic vibe of the times - they first changed their name to the Bloos Magoos, though they changed that to the more conventional Blues Magoos. They also made some line-up changes, bringing in Mike Esposito as lead guitarist, and Geoff Daking as drummer. After a good debut, either of the two albums released after Psychedelic Lollipop, Electric Comic Book and Basic Blues Magoos, had much success. By 1968, the band was discouraged and they split up. The group's management had other plans. The band was signed to ABC Records, but most of the members did not go along with this plan. Only Castro agreed and started up a revamped Blues Magoos, with Eric Kaz, Richie Dickon, John Leillo and Roger Eaton. In 1969, the Castro-led band completed Never Goin' Back To Georgia, but that release did not attract public attention either. Eaton left the band, and the other Blues Magoos used session musicians for the follow up Gulf Coast Bound. It did poorly as well and though the Magoos struggled for another two years, they eventually parted ways.
01 - Heartbreak Hotel 02 - Heart Attack 03 - The Hunter 04 - Feelin' Time 05 - Gettin' Off 06 - Never Goin' Back To Georgia 07 - Brokedown Piece Of Man 08 - Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out 09 - Georgia Breakdown
Gulf Coast Bound from 1970 is the final release of the band. In July 2008, the Blues Magoos with original members Ralph Scala, Castro and Geoff Daking reunited for the first time in years for two concerts, including one with The Zombies at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza in New York City. In December 2009 they traveled to Spain for the Purple Weekend festival.
01 - Gulf Coast Bound 02 - Slow Down Sundown 03 - Can't Get Enough Of You 04 - Magoos Blues 05 - Tonight The Skies About To Cry 06 - Sea Breeze Express
Beck, Bogert & Appice was a hard rock supergroup power trio formed of guitarist Jeff Beck after two previous incarnations of The Jeff Beck Group, bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice who were both previously in Vanilla Fudge and Cactus. Beck, Bogert & Appice started work on their eponymous debut album on December 11, 1972 at Chess Studios, with sessions continuing until December 22. Recording sessions resumed on January 2, 1973 with producer Don Nix and the trio transferred to The Village in Los Angeles. Beck, Bogert & Appice was released on March 26, 1973 in US, and in UK on April 6 the same year. The album reached #12 in US and #28 in UK album charts. 01 - Black Cat Moan 02 - Lady 03 - Oh To Love You 04 - Superstition 05 - Sweet Sweet Surrender 06 - Why Should I Care 07 - Lose Myself With You 08 - Livin' Alone 09 - I'm So Proud 11 - I'm So Proud (Single) 12 - Lady (Single) LINK
The Dakotas is a group of British musicians, which initially convened as a backing band in Manchester, England. However, they are most closely associated with the singer Billy J. Kramer, a Liverpudlian who was the lead vocalist for the group during the 1960s. In the USA they are regarded as part of the British invasion. Billy J. Kramer is a former British Invasion/Merseybeat singer. In sharing Brian Epstein as a manager with The Beatles he enjoyed access to the songwriting of Lennon and McCartney, recording several of their original compositions. Early in 1964, the group felt they needed to release a single that wasn't written by the Beatles and chose "Little Children". This controversial move paid off, and the record went to No.1 on the British charts in the spring of 1964. Later that year, both "Bad To Me" and "Little Children" made the American Top 10, and the group visited the States, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, and playing to sell-out frenzied fans of the "British invasion" sound. 01 - Little Children 02 - Da Doo Ron Ron 03 - Dance with Me 04 - Pride 05 - I Know 06 - They Remind Me of You 07 - Do You Want to Know a Secret 08 - Bad to Me 09 - Great Balls of Fire 10 - It's Up to You 11 - Tell Me Girl LINK
Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The group, originally called "The Knowbody Else", was formed in 1965 in Black Oak, Arkansas, by Jim "Dandy" Mangrum (vocals), Rickie Reynolds (guitar), Stanley Knight (guitar), Harvey Jett (guitar), Pat Daugherty (bass), and Wayne Evans (drums). Their first PA system was stolen from a local high school. Members of the group were subsequently charged in absentia with grand larceny and sentenced to 26 years at the Tucker Prison Farm (this sentence was later suspended). This led to their retreat to the hills of rural northeast Arkansas where they lived off the land and refined their musical style. They also lived in Long Beach, Mississippi and played at the local Lobe theater/dance hall. Some of their influences during this time were the Beatles and the Byrds along with Art Mendez. Gary "GT" Taylor of West Memphis Arkansas soon took reigns on drums and played 1969-73 and soon resigned because of personal reasons and still declared "BOK" as head of their time.A five year contract was turned down because of no money mentioned."GT" said,"I wished I'd stayed another two years "!"These guys rocked and had carisma, to say the least." The Knowbody Else moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1969 and signed a record deal with Stax Records. Their self-titled debut album, and their only album with Stax, was largely ignored by the populace. During this time the band became interested in psychedelia and Eastern spiritualism which, combined with their Southern Baptist upbringing, contributed to their sound. After several trips to Los Angeles, California, in 1970, the band was signed by Atco Records and rechristened "Black Oak Arkansas". 01 - Hold Me Down 02 - In Your Quiet Home 03 - Fools And Friends 04 - No One And The Sun 05 - Vieux Carre 06 - Flying Horse Of Louisiana 07 - After I Smoke, I Like To Sleep 08 - One Life Two Live 09 - Black Blues LINK
