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
Heartsfield is an American vocal rock group. Formed in 1970 by J.C. Hartsfield and Perry Jordan, Heartsfield toured throughout the United States during the 1970s and early 1980s. "Country-rockers Heartsfield emerged during the '70s halcyon days of that genre; however, despite major-label releases and arena tours with the likes of the Doobie Brothers, Eric Clapton, and Fleetwood Mac, the group never experienced the success of peers like the Eagles or the Pure Prairie League. The band's most recognizable tune from that era was "Music Eyes," which hit number 95 on Billboard in 1974. Heartsfield were known for their vocal harmonies and layers of rootsy instrumentation (characterized by accents of pedal steel, dobro, banjo, mandolin, dobro, etc.) and have been credited with influencing such monster '90s acts as the Dave Matthews Band and Phish. The group was also known for their grueling, Grateful Dead-like touring ethic, which saw them playing 300 shows a year throughout the '70s. (And, like that aforementioned group, Heartsfield also had a propensity for extended jams.) Heartsfield disbanded in 1981 after a decade together." (AMG) 01 - I'm Comin Home 02 - Hush A Bye 03 - Gypsy Rider 04 - Music Eyes 05 - Understanding Woman 06 - Just That Wind 07 - The Only Time I'm Sober Is When You Are Gone 08 - Please Save Her Life 09 - The Wonder Of It All LINK
The band was formed by three Juilliard students, Michael Kamen, Marty Fulterman (Mark Snow) and Dorian Rudnytsky, as well as two rock musicians, Brian Corrigan and Clif Nivison. After the new group's first "gig" at a Juilliard Halloween dance in 1967, they were signed by Atlantic Records. Their debut in discography was in 1968 with this self-named album. The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble broke the tradition by using classical music instruments in rock songs and rock instruments in classical pieces. This fusion, daring at the time, impressed legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein so much that he invited the group to appear at one of his Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra where they performed their signature song "Brandenburg" which was based on the first movement of Bach's Fifth Brandenburg Concerto. Brandenburg showed the group at their best: starting off with a "straight" rendition of Bach's music (featuring two oboes, guitar and cello); then migrating slowly but surely into a straight rock song all the while continuing to use Bach's original music for its musical base. Soon after the tour supporting their 1972 album Freedomburger, the band dispersed. 01 - Intro 02 - Sounds Of Time 03 - Began To Burn 04 - Monkey 05 - Trio Sonata No. 1 In C Major, 2nd Movement-Alla Breve F 06 - She's Gone 07 - Poor Pauline 08 - Question 09 - Mr. Tree 10 - You Know Just What It's Like 11 - Studeao Atlantis 12 - Pick Up In The Morning 13 - The Seasons (Fall-Winter-Spring-Summer) LINK
The Gods were an English group founded in 1965. The bandmembers included Mick Taylor (later with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones), Brian Glascock and John Glascock (later of Jethro Tull). They were schoolmates from Hatfield and had been playing together as The Juniors (or The Strangers), a band they formed in 1962. Also part of this band were Malcolm Collins and Alan Shacklock. They had a record deal with Columbia. Their first 7 single (Columbia DB7339) appeared in 1964. The Gods were the successors of the Rolling Stones at the famous Marquee Club in London. After recording two albums, Genesis (1968) and To Samuel a Son (1969), they signed with a new record company, recruited Rebel Rousers singer Cliff Bennett and changed their name to Toe Fat which also lasted two years and two albums. To Samuel A Son, The Gods' second album is, like their debut, Genesis, early keyboard-based progressive rock with a psychedelic hangover, vaguely tied into a concept about the experiences of the "Samuel" in the title track. It's more varied in tone than their first record, though, and more surprisingly, a little lighter in touch, though you can still hear some of the bluster of keyboardist Ken Hensley's subsequent group, Uriah Heep.
01 - To Samuel A Son 02 - Eight O'clock In The Morning 03 - He's Growing 04 - Sticking Wings On Flies 05 - Lady Lady 06 - Penny Dear 07 - Long Time, Sad Time, Bad Time 08 - Five To Three 09 - Autumn 10 - Yes I Cry 11 - Groozy 12 - Momma I Need 13 - Candlelight 14 - Lovely Anita 15 - Maria
The Mint Tattoo was born as an offshoot of the legendary 60's proto punk acid band Blue Cheer. Bruce Stevens and Ralph (Burns) Kellogg had played together in Blue Cheer on band's self titled album in 1969, but after that one album, Stevens left the band to pursue other interests. Kellogg stayed on with Blue Cheer until the demise of the band in 1971, but during his tenure with Blue Cheer he reunited with Stevens along with drummer Gregg Thomas to form the band Mint Tattoo. Produced by James William Guercio (Chicago) and engineered by Phil Ramone in New York, Mint Tattoo is a mixture of blues styled original songs, a cover of classic a blues numbers and some rather uninspired, typical for the era hard rock tunes. Mint Tattoo, had opened shows for Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Ten Years After, James Cotton and Janis Joplin.
Vampire Symphony
01 - Sister Bleu (1st Movement) 02 - Leper's Epitaph (2nd Movement) 03 - Policeman's Ball (3rd Movement) 04 - Littal Lieu Lieu's Revenge (4th Movement) (Adventures In The Clubhouse N.S.U. P. II) 05 - Faces Of Roses 06 - I'm Talking About You 07 - Wrong Way Girl 08 - Scorpio Woman 09 - Mark Of The Beast 10 - Moanin' 11 - With Love 12 - I Hear The Spirits
French jazz/prog/rock band of the 70s. François Bréant (keyboard, vocals), Patrick Jean (drums), Marc Perru (guitar), Bernard Paganotti (bass). "Excellent and fairly diverse prog rock with English vocals, some cuts are fairly hard. What a shame this was to be their only release. Overall quite consistent". 01 - Big Bird 02 - What Did You 03 - Let's Try 04 - A Nice Way Out 05 - Gimme Some I 06 - It's Got To Be A Rule 07 - Jungle Child 08 - Annabel Lee LINK
Black Merda (pronounced "Black Murder”) is an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan, active from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. They consider themselves to be "the first all black rock band". The core band members are guitarist Anthony Hawkins (aka Wolf), bassist VC L. Veasey (aka Veesee, aka The Mighty V!), and guitarist Charles Hawkins (aka Charlie Hawk), plus original drummer Tyrone Hite. All were born in Mississippi (except Hite, born in Detroit) but came of age in Detroit. Chess released Black Merda’s debut album in 1970, and the band briefly became known as leaders among the burgeoning black rock and heavy funk scene that also included up-and-comers Funkadelic and The Bar-Kays. The album suffered from a lack of promotion due to management changes at Chess Records. 01 - Prophet 02 - Think Of Me 03 - Cynthy-Ruth 04 - Over And Over 05 - Ashamed 06 - Reality 07 - Windsong 08 - Good Luck 09 - That's The Way It Goes 10 - I Don't Want To Die 11 - Set Me Free LINK
Buffalo Springfield was a folk rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina, two of whom played in rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young later in their career. Buffalo Springfield is best known for the song "For What It's Worth". After the band's formation in April 1966, a series of disruptions, including infighting and the pressure of working in the music industry, resulted in constant changes in the group's lineup and ultimately culminated in the group's disbanding after roughly 25 months. Buffalo Springfield released a total of three albums but left many demo recordings, studio outtakes and live recordings, as well as a reputation for excellent personnel and high band dysfunction. Despite the band's short tenure and relatively limited output it was one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, with virtually all members going on to successful careers and with two (Stills and Young) reaching the top of rock stardom. Last Time Around is the third and final album by Buffalo Springfield, released in 1968. The members included Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Richie Furay. The record was released to fulfill contractual commitments. The group had already disbanded; nowhere do all members appear together on any track, and even the cover photo of the group is a montage.
01 - On The Way Home 02 - It's So Hard To Wait 03 - Pretty Girl Why 04 - Four Days Gone 05 - Carefree Country Day 06 - Special Care 07 - The Hour Of Not Quite Rain 08 - Questions 09 - I Am A Child 10 - Merry-Go-Round 11 - Uno Mundo 12 - Kind Woman
Stray are a British band formed in 1966. Vocalist Steve Gadd, guitarist Del Bromham, bass player Gary Giles and drummer Steve Crutchley formed the band whilst all were attending the Christopher Wren School in London. Richard "Ritchie" Cole replaced Crutchley in 1968. They signed to Transatlantic Records in January 1970. The group's brand of melodic, hook-laden hard rock proved to be a popular draw on the local club scene during the early 1970s. However the band did not have commercial success with its record releases. At one stage Charlie Kray, was their manager. Gadd left the band in 1975 due to artistic differences and was replaced on vocals by Pete Dyer. The original Stray finally dissolved in 1977, although Bromham later continued to play in various resurrected versions of the project well into the 2000s. From late 2006 until early 2007, the band's back catalog of eight studio albums issued originally during the 1970s were re-released by the UK-based Sanctuary Records in compact disc format. This is the debut album from 1970.
01 - All In Your Mind 02 - Taken All The Goog Things 03 - Around The World In Eight Days 04 - Time Machine 05 - Only What You Make It 06 - Yesterdays Promises 07 - Move On 08 - In Reverse Some Day
Mungo Jerry is an English rock group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most instantly recognisable song. Their name was inspired by the poem Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, from T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. According to Joseph Murrell's The Book of Golden Discs (1978), 'Mungomania' was possibly the most startling and unpredicted pop phenomenon to hit Britain since The Beatles. Impala Saga was Mungo Jerry's first LP for Polydor, released in early 1976. The title track was a screaming, high-energy roots rock song, with a loud lead guitar, growling vocals, and full-on drumming in the best metal/arena rock manner. It showed off a hard rock side to this band that wasn't necessarily its best, although that song certainly shook up fans who associated the group exclusively with good-time music. Elsewhere, however, Impala Saga was a direct carryover from the group's Pye Records years, opening with the delightful acoustic rocker "Hello Nadine," which they'd first recorded (but never released) for their earlier label. The record never sold in large numbers and is considered a rarity in England. (Wiki-AMG)
01 - Hello Nadine 02 - Never Mind I've Still Got My Rock And Roll 03 - Ain't Too Bad 04 - Too Fast 05 - Ain't Gonna Work No More 06 - Impala Saga 07 - Bottle Of Beer 08 - Get Down On Your Baby 09 - Hit Me 10 - Quiet Man 11 - Never Mind I've Still Got My Rock And Roll (Reprise)
Southampton garage rock/beat group from the early sixties. 01 - New Orleans 02 - The Hully Gully 03 - Schade 04 - Caravan 05 - Lovers To Friend 06 - Blue Kangeroo 07 - My Summertime Baby 08 - You Better Move On 09 - La Bamba 10 - Willie´s Hully Gully 11 - Susie 12 - Jezebel 13 - Wilhelm Tell Twist 14 - Tears 15 - Liverpool Beat 16 - If I Had A Hammer 17 - Lonely 18 - R & R Machine 19 - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling LINK
Animalization is the fifth American album by The Animals. It has a track listing somewhat similar to the British album Animalisms. The album, which reached number 20 on the US Billboard album chart, included three US Top 40 singles. It was during this period that drummer John Steel left the group and was replaced by Barry Jenkins, previously of The Nashville Teens. Both drummers appear on the cover, Jenkins on the front (upper right in brown shirt) and Steel on the back.The song She'll Return It not listed on the original back cover. Members: Eric Burdon – vocals, Dave Rowberry – keyboards, Hilton Valentine – guitar, Chas Chandler – bass, John Steel – drums, Barry Jenkins - drums. 01 - Don't Bring Me Down 02 - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show 03 - You're On My Mind 04 - She'll Return It 05 - Cheating 06 - Inside Looking Out 07 - See See Rider 08 - Gin House Blues 09 - Maudie 10 - What Am I Living For 11 - Sweet Little Sixteen 12 - I Put A Spell On You LINK
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and broadcaster whose career spans more than five decades. With a stage show that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, boa constrictors and baby dolls, Cooper has drawn equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a grandly theatrical and violent brand of heavy metal that was designed to shock. Alice Cooper was originally a band consisting of Furnier on vocals and harmonica, lead guitarist Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar, Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar, and drummer Neal Smith. Alice Cooper, adopting the band's name as his own name, began in 1975. This is a compilation of early demos of Alice Cooper band. 01 - Changing Arranging 02 - Apple Bush 03 - Fields Of Regret 04 - Ballad Of Dwight Fry 05 - Be My Lover 06 - Halo Of Flies 07 - Desert Night Thing (Desperado) 08 - Killer 09 - Call It Evil 10 - School's Out 11 - Gutter Cats Vs. The Jets 12 - Never Been Sold 13 - Hard Hearted Alice LINK
The Shaggs were an American all-female rock group formed in Fremont, New Hampshire in 1968. The band was composed of sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin (vocals/lead guitar), Betty Wiggin (vocals/rhythm guitar), Helen Wiggin (drums), and later Rachel Wiggin (bass). The Shaggs were formed by Dot, Betty, and Helen in 1968 on the insistence of their father, Austin Wiggin, who believed that his mother foresaw the band's rise to stardom. The band's only studio album, Philosophy of the World, was released in 1969. The album failed to garner attention, though the band continued to exist as a locally popular live act. The Shaggs disbanded in 1975 after the death of Austin. The band is primarily notable today for their perceived ineptitude at playing conventional rock music; the band was described in one Rolling Stone article as "...sounding like lobotomized Trapp Family singers." As the obscure LP achieved recognition among collectors, the band was praised for their raw, intuitive composition style and lyrical honesty. Philosophy of the World was lauded as a work of art brut, and was later reissued, followed by a compilation album, Shaggs' Own Thing, in 1982. The Shaggs are now seen as a groundbreaking outsider music group, receiving praise from mainstream artists such as Kurt Cobain. 01 - Philosophy Of The World 02 - That Little Sports Car 03 - Who Are Parents 04 - My Pal Foot Foot 05 - My Companion 06 - I'm So Happy When You're Near 07 - Things I Wonder 08 - Sweet Thing 09 - It's Halloween 10 - Why Do I Feel 11 - What Should I Do 12 - We Have A Savior LINK
Not to be confused with the Danish band of the same name, this Rainbow Band was an American outfit that released one record on Elektra back in 1971. It never ceases to amaze me that there was a time when major labels put out really good records (technically Elektra was a major at this point, having been sold to Warner in 1970). This album appears in the Elektra catalog between the intriguing Crow Dog's Paradise' album of peyote songs & Mike Heron's fantastic Smiling Men With Bad Reputations record. So why all this talk about the Elektra catalog? Well, to be honest, it's because I know very little about the group that put together this very cool slice of rural, commune psych. Participated in the recording (although not what they did): Mahesh, Pavarthi, Maruga Booker, Nithyan Gefron, Scotty Avedisian, Phil Catanzaro, Ragunath Mancini, Trevor Young, Gary Olerich, Darius Brubeck, Colin Wolcott, Nirmala, Sharon Simon, Lalitha, Janiki Tenny, Priscilla, Victoria, Felix, Anandi, & Shiva. Some of the names are familiar. Colin Wolcott was a founding member of the group Oregon. Darius Brubeck, a jazz performer in his own right, is Dave Brubeck's son. However, I can't say anything about the duo who fronted the outfit except that they look blissed out on the cover.(Amadeus) 01 - Rama Rama 02 - Lotus 03 - Sweater Song 04 - Simple Song 05 - Midnite Sun 06 - Song Of The Navajo 07 - Now Is The Time LINK
Sam Apple Pie were a British blues-rock band, of the late 1960s and 1970s, noted for having played at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970, and for playing a role in the early careers of several musicians including Gary Fletcher, Dave Charles and Malcolm Morley. The British blues-rock boom was such a big deal at the end of the 1960s that plenty of also-ran bands got the chance to fill out the bottom of concert and festival bills, and also to record. Sam Apple Pie were among them, and their self-titled debut album didn't offer much in the style that was out of the ordinary, though it did possess basic competence. You needed more than basic competence to make a mark, however, even in a genre that could be as hidebound as British blues. Sam Apple Pie didn't have those extra special somethings, relying too much upon stock blues riffs and good-time energy that might have been effective in a concert setting, but are pretty dull on record. If any influence from their peers seems strongest, it's early Fleetwood Mac (in both their stinging blues modes and their quieter, more reflective ones).
01 - Hawk 02 - Winter Of My Love 03 - Stranger 04 - Swan Song 05 - Tiger Man (King Of The Jungle) 06 - Something Nation 07 - Sometime Girl 08 - Uncle Sam's Blues 09 - Annabelle 10 - Moonlight Man 11 - Tiger Man (Mono Single Mix) 12 - Sometime Girl (Mono Single Mix)
