Little Deuce Coupe is The Beach Boys' fourth album, and third overall LP release in 1963. Almost unintentionally, the album was rush-recorded and compiled when leader Brian Wilson sought to protect his band from exploitation from Capitol Records. Little Deuce Coupe hit #4 in the US during a 46-week chart stay. Little Deuce Coupe is now paired on CD with All Summer Long, with bonus tracks from that period. In the summer of 1963, Capitol Records compiled a "hot rod" compilation album called Shut Down, including The Beach Boys' "Shut Down" itself and "409" - without their approval or involvement. Brian Wilson promptly readied several songs he had already been working on (mainly with radio DJ Roger Christian) and the band zipped through recording sessions to put Little Deuce Coupe on the record shop racks, remarkably, one month after Surfer Girl had come out. Eight of the tracks were new, while "Little Deuce Coupe", "Our Car Club", "Shut Down" and "409" had all come out on their last three albums. Although it was a gamble putting so much vinyl out at once, Little Deuce Coupe became a big hit, reaching #4 in the US, and eventually going platinum. Because it mostly deals with cars as a subject matter (save "Be True to Your School", although even that has a mention of cruising), some observers have retroactively called Little Deuce Coupe an early rock example of what would become known as the concept album. 01 - Little Deuce Coupe 02 - Ballad Of Ole' Betsy 03 - Be True To Your School 04 - Car Crazy Cutie 05 - Cherry, Cherry Coupe 06 - 409 07 - Shut Down 08 - Spirit Of America 09 - Our Car Club 10 - No-Go Showboat 11 - A Young Man Is Gone 12 - Custom Machine LINK
The Beau Brummels were an American rock band, formed in San Francisco in 1964. The band's original lineup included Sal Valentino (lead vocals), Ron Elliott (lead guitar), Ron Meagher (bass guitar), Declan Mulligan (rhythm guitar, bass, harmonica), and John Petersen (drums). The Beau Brummels were discovered by local disc jockeys who were looking to sign acts to their new label, Autumn Records, where Sylvester Stewart—later known as Sly Stone—produced the group's early recording sessions. Initially, the band's musical style blended beat music and folk music and typically drew comparisons to The Beatles, while their later work incorporated other music genres such as psychedelic rock and country rock. The Beau Brummels were responsible for two excellent folk-rock albums (Introducing/Vol. 2), a respected Country Rock platter from 1968 (Bradley's Barn) and their '67 masterpiece "Triangle". Sandwiched between their first and last two LP's was their major label debut "Beau Brummels 66". Actually the Brummels were in the midst of recording their third album for Autmun Records as the label called its day. They got a deal with Warner Bros. and the label forced them to do a covers-only LP. That leads to the aforementioned "Beau Brummels 66", a really poor offering compared to their abilities. However, the tapes of their intended release remained in the can until Sundazed released "Gentle Wanderin Ways". It's a collection of demos and alternate takes, and if you have a little imagination then you know how the third album could really sound. Most of the tracks are previously unreleased but of a high standard. The only song that had a prior release is "Gentle Wanderin' Ways", published first on their '60s collection "Vol. 44".(ODIMN) 01 - She Sends Me 02 - This Is Love 03 - Friend Of Mine 04 - Hey Love 05 - I Grow Old [Version 2] 06 - On The Road Again [Demo] 07 - Till The Day [Demo] 08 - Gentle Wanderin' Ways 09 - Let Me In 10 - Cry Some 11 - What Do You Want [Demo] 12 - Find A Place [Demo] 13 - Down On Me 14 - Stay With Me A While [Demo] LINK
Excellent 1968 Californian band who with their mix of male and female vocalists and fuzz lead guitar bear comparisons with Yankee Dollar or Peanut Butter Conspiracy. If anything this band are better than those acts and their album features some excellent harmonies and nice trippy touches - in particular the Doors like keyboards and backward effects. Other than Vernon Joynson's entry in Fuzz, Acid and Flowers and his very similar summary of the album in "Flashback", used in the sleeve notes for the CD re-issue, there is very little information on this excellent band and their work. Joynson's summary from the sleeve notes was as follows "...similar to Jefferson Airplane and Peanut Butter Conspiracy...based in LA, they were probably Californian. The album contains some pleasant vocal arrangements/harmonies and nice touches of acid and fuzz guitar and is recommended". If it's light and breezy West Coast psych inflected pop you're looking for, then this band make all the right moves. In addition to melodies and male/female vocal harmonies to rival The Mamas & The Papas, and a groovieness in the vein of Ultimate Spinach, there's a few more things that really stand out on the album for me. These are the technically brilliant snappy keyboard backing on most tracks, the stunning lead guitar breaks that really lift several of the tracks, and the sprinkling of flute over the album. The standout tracks are the title track "From Within" and the amazing "I Got To You" which is contains the best harmony work on the album and some beautifully introspective guitar pieces. Yet another talented bunch of musicians that never received the attention they deserved. (CGR) 01 - Melancholy Baby 02 - I Feel A Bit Strange 03 - Get Along Boy 04 - Blues On You 05 - From Within 06 - I Got To You 07 - Not Another Night 08 - Let Her Come In 09 - Please Understand 10 - Blind With A Borrowed Light 11 - There's A Woman 12 - Doin' Alright LINK
The Creation were an English rock band, formed in 1966. The most popular Creation song was "Painter Man", which made the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart in late 1966, and reached #8 in the German chart in April 1967. It was later covered by Boney M in 1979, and reached the #10 position in the UK charts. Their song "Makin' Time" was used in the movie Rushmore. Guitarist Eddie Phillips described their sound as "Our music is red – with purple flashes." Most of the members of what would eventually become The Creation were initially members of The Mark Four, a British beat group based in Cheshunt. By late 1963 The Mark Four was a quintet consisting of Kenny Pickett (vocals), Eddie Phillips (guitars), Mick "Spud" Thompson (rhythm guitars), John Dalton (bass), and Jack Jones (drums). This line-up played regularly in the UK and in Germany before issuing two non-charting singles for Mercury Records in 1964. How does it feel to feel is a compilation released in the 80's. 01 - How Does It Feel To Feel 02 - Life Is Just Beginning 03 - Through My Eyes 04 - Ostrich Man 05 - I Am The Walker 06 - Tom Tom 07 - The Girls Are Naked 08 - Painter Man 09 - Try And Stop Me 10 - Biff Bang Pow 11 - Making Time 12 - Cool Jerk 13 - For All That I Am 14 - Nightmares 15 - Midway Down 16 - Can I Join Your Band 17 - Uncle Bert 18 - Like A Rolling Stone 19 - If I Stay Too Long 20 - Hey Joe LINK
British band Room offers progressive rock with strong bluesy overtones and even some excursions into jazzy territory, without ever leaving their rock foundations. A host of instruments, both strings and brass enliven the music, though at times it tends to get a bit too brassy. Jane Kevern sings well, but without much ability for different moods. Luckily the guitar parts are good too, so although more diversity in atmosphere would have made the record excellent, it is now not more than plain good. The arrangement of the final track Cemetery Junction with its unexpected foray into late 19th century symphonical, lifts this cut above the rest. This in fact refers to the major traffic crossroads in central Bournemouth (where the band were resident at the time). A Blandford Forum band, they won an NME 'Beat Contest'. Shortly after Pre-Flight was released John Hutcheson, who'd been in Ginger Man with drummer Bob Jenkins, joined the band on organ.(MK) 01 - Pre-Flight - Parts I & II 02 - Where Did I Go Wrong 03 - No Warmth In My Life 04 - Big John Blues 05 - Andromeda 06 - War 07 - Cemetery Junction - Parts I & II LINK
Alan Hawkshaw is a British composer and performer, particularly of themes for movies and television programmes. Hawkshaw worked extensively for the KPM production music company in the 1960s and 1970s, composing and recording many stock tracks that have been used extensively in film and TV. In the 1960s, he was a member of rock and roll group Emile Ford and the Checkmates. He also formed the Mohawks band and Rumplestiltskin with some session musicians. At that time Hawkshaw was an exponent of the Hammond organ, heard in the Mohawks' music, and also on the UK recording of the musical Hair. Black Magician is the second German only LP of excellent funky prog by UK session/library heroes Alan Hawkshaw, Clem Cattini and Herbie Flowers amongst others. Has Peter Lee Sterling on vocals and Shel Talmy producing. Peter Lee Stirling (vocals), Alan Hawkshaw (keyboards), Alan Parker (guitar), Clem Cattini (drums) and Herbie Flowers (bass) 01 - Lord Of The Heaven And The Earth 02 - Can't You Feel It 03 - Evil Woman 04 - I Am The Last Man 05 - Lonliness Is What My Life's All About 06 - Trough My Looking Glass 07 - Black Magician's Daughter 08 - I'm So Afraid I'll Leave Unsaid 09 - I Am Alone 10 - I've Had Enough Of The Army 11 - Wimoweh LINK
