John Hart and the LittleJohn Band delivers Jazzed Up Rock n Funk [NEW ALBUM RELEASE]
John Hart and the LittleJohn Band is an East Bay band, deeply rooted in the musical traditions of two, great, bayside cities, San Francisco and Oakland, California. Armed with a new album full of original songs, the band that never bowed to the insider, corporate politics of their record label where they made their debut, John and his band embrace the indie spirit and resume their journey in a label-less-world, where freedom of expression and musical plot twists and turns flourish.
So, fasten your seatbelts all you who have ears to hear, it’s likely to be one helluva jazzed up rock ‘n’ funk ride!
Giant – What’s In This Life For You? (1970)
Artist: Giant
Title: What’s In This Life For You?
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Mercury
Giant, a simple name for a complex of ideas. So here we have another new group; there are so many popping up why should we get excited about this one? The point is we shouldn’t; the idea here is to relax and let their music do it to you.
While we’re asking the questions, we may well try to figur out what set GIANT apart from so many others. First of all the people, and second, the music and the way David Spinozza and Al Del Monte have arranged it.
On the people’s side we have nine individuals who, though each is a distinct musical personality in him (and her) self, have formed a cohesive musical unit which is apparently capable of thinking, creating and performing as one.
That, it seems, is what it’s all about. The arrangements speak for themselves: in this era of superhype which leads to super group which in turn leads to superduper egos, it is indeed refreshing to hear that Al and Dave have devised some unique yet unpretencious ways of putting it down, as it were.
Much attention will most likely be focused on Christie as she is (a) the only girl in the group, and (b) really good. Again, as with the arrangements, she does her numbers with taste, balance, and control. She’s thoroughly professional.
People, mostly critics (whether they’re people or not is a highly debated point) are spending a lot of their time talking about jazz rock, classical rock, blues rock, slock rock, and fusions and permulations of all of these terms.
The possibilities are theoretically and semantically endless. GIANT can be classified as being in any number of modes you can make up, but the only correct category for thier scene is mucic – some of it funky, some polished, but all real.
So there you have it, or as much as you can say about them in print. The previous suggestion therefore stands, that you simply listen to GIANT and just let it happen. (Bob Moore Merlis – Record World)
Track Listing
- Think! What’s In This Life For You?
- You Ain’t Gonna Find Me
- That’s The Way It Goes
- Range Rider
- Dear John
- One Night Stand Man
- Plastic World
- Queen Of Downs
- In My World
- Dedicated To Your Head
- Last War
Akido – Akido (1972)
Artist: Akido
Title: Akido
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Mercury
An obscure Afro Funk combo from the early 70s – produced by Ronnie Lane of The Faces, who may very well have been inspired by Ginger Baker’s love of the style!
The record’s got some pretty heavy guitar work, and there’s lots of funky rock running through the grooves – so those African-inspired rhythms are touched by more than a bit of heavy tripped out electric fuzz. The album features a hard-hitting, irresistibly funky blend of rock and funk that’s sure to appeal to beat-diggers everywhere.
Recorded at London’s Marquee Studios, this lost Afro-funk classic was originally released in North America only in August 1972. Akido was a quartet consisting of Ghanaian percussionist Speedy Acquaye (who also worked with the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart and many others), Nigerian bassist Biddy Wright (a member of the legendary Blo), Jamaican conga drummer Jeff Whittaker and London-based guitarist Peter Andrews. (Howard Hales Broom)
Track Listing
- Awade
- Psychedelic Baby
- Midnight Lady
- Happy Song
- Jo Jo Lo (Delicate Beauty)
- Gone With Yesterday
- Confusion
- Wajo (Come And Dance)
- Blow
Baxter – Dance Of Delight (1974)
Artist: Baxter
Title: Dance Of Delight
Year: 1974
Format: LP
Label: Unreleased
Baxter were a Long Island New York group that included Doug Arioli (guitar-keyboards-vocals), Steve Belgrade (guitar-vocals), Lawrence Di Natale (drums-percussion), Steven Kirshenbaum (keyboards-synthesizer), and Edwin Damus Perry (bass-vocals).
This is Baxter’s unreleased second album “Dance Of Delight” from around 1974. (see September 4, 2010 post for their self-titled first album) According to Baxter drummer Lawrence DiNatale, both albums were recently digitaly remastered for CD release though i’m not sure of the exact release date. Perhaps Lawrence will give us more info on this subject. (Max Collodie)
Track Listing
- Start Doin’ What You Say
- Lines
- Toward Success
- Tasha
- Point Of Blue
- Dance Of Delight
John Hurley – John Hurley Delivers One More Hallelujah (1972)
Artist: John Hurley
Title: John Hurley Delivers One More Hallelujah
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Bell
Contributed by Eliot W.
WoW! first Spirit in Flesh and now…..John Hurley…..where will the phone’s calling take us next time it rings?
Now here’s some sort of obscurity from redtelephone66…..for starters, I thought, “Yikes could this be part of Michael Hurley’s extended family”, some hope, nope……then I thought, ‘dejavu’….I recalled John Hurley, ‘Sings About People’ from a previous redtelephone posting (see October 9, 2010 post)
So what we’ve got here is one of those 1972 issues pressed on a decent piece of thick vinyl….and a natural extension to ‘Sings About People’ and one that springs from that bottomless pit (no folks not Hell) called Salvation Music, a source that Neil Diamond tapped into….Neil and all those unsung heroes of Southern Gospel/Rock hanging onto folk/country roots….Alex Harvey, (no not our Sensational Scottish mad-cap one) springs to mind….
So ‘Sings About People’ indicates that John in 1970 is of and from the streets and by 1972 he is on the fringes of taking on the cloak of John the Baptist, heh heh…….
If I were to open a bookies’ book and take bets on this one, then it’s odds on that listeners will form an orderly queue knowing that this to be a two ton classic? Well all listeners with the modicum of interest in either matters of the spirit or music performed by solid senders and a voice to die for and if this were to be played in Church, heh heh….I’m sure that it would be played to packed houses. Give this a try; you won’t be disappointed in the grooves and riffs to be found herein.”
For starters just stick track 1 and hear John clear his throat with a “heuck!!” and in come the whole nine yards of funky soul, lead singer, horns, hot and sweaty backing vocals and all ending in sublime fade out, better still (to get into the heart of the album) is stick on track 5 “Heavy Burdens” and you’ll back my point of view and possibly accept the use of the J word in rock and roll.
Track one and two, “You Got the Right” and “Salvation Lady” are deep into funky rocking territory, while tracks three and four, “The Family” (poetic?) and “Bring Me” are sweet little tracks of quiet beauty and heart wrenching vocals, (with piano to the front) while track 5, as I have said, simply takes the biscuit, coming as it does from deep within the soul of Hurley and his supportive players set up such a sympathetic backdrop….
This is testimonial music from the top drawer, (close your eyes and you can visualise King El having a go at this in Hawaii, no probs there), the whole thing simply grows from silence into full frontal throaty power, yessiree!
“Lullabyes of Jesus” brings in the second use of the J word which though revered in many quarters is equally reviled by as many good folks out in music land….and J struggles in these cynical ‘rock n roll press’ times. However, go stick on some Larry Norman and that will set things straight and redress the balance.
That said, even though there is a decent bit of slide on show in “Lullabyes”, it doesn’t quite engage as much as the first five openers, possibly because it employs that nagging annoying chunky chuck-a-boom-ba-beat, a tad lazily and possibly because it hangs around a little too long?
“Sleepin’ With Love”, finds the horns in full flow (no not His), there’s some fine finger pickin’ and the piece has the heavenly girl chorus working along to support all on show.
“Getting’ It Free” has some of the best slide and pickin’ on show. It is also full of punchy horns and excellent sax and the lyric fits neatly into a ‘universal’ theme.
“Sweetwater”, lives up to its title. It is a beautiful quiet piece, but ‘be prepared’ as the J word is given a fair hearing in the chorus. Sweetwater pulls out all the stops in the vocal area….a choir piece with a superb lead vocal…..pow!
The title track “One More Hallelujah”, Has the producer announce “This one we threw together for you this morning?” WoW! and the track takes us out with all stops pulled out…..Hallelujah Amen!!
“One More Halleujah” sort of sums up the album….sung from the Tymes before cynicism crept in, be rest assured that nowhere does the content on any track preach the way Dylan did in his three overt xian offerings…no this is music of the Soul from the soul sounds of Rockin’ Memphis and the music is on a par with the best of straight sweet and sweaty rockin’ soul records….nor are the lyrics ‘Gospel Words’ breathed into life by the power of Johnny-Cash-type vocals…
Though John Hurley does possess a pretty decent set of pipes himself….no the lyrics are basic and simple….they simply sit back and allow the music as the medium deliver the message and it is the music that makes me recommend this album most highly and go stick on ‘Sings About People’ and ‘Delivers One More Halleujah’ as a twofer and you will be sure to go out into your streets and skip into your day trippin’ the light fandango……. (REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- You Got The Right
- Salvation Lady
- The Family
- Bring Me
- Heavy Burdens Me Down
- Lullabyes Of Jesus
- Sleepin’ With Love
- Gettin’ It Free
- Sweetwater
- One More Hallelujah
Randy – Lady Luck (1975)
Artist: Randy
Title: Lady Luck
Year: 1975
Format: LP
Label: Transatlantic
Contributed by Beau G.
Yuck a do-day dandy….what a title and what a gross album cover…..would I have picked this off of a rack….hmmmm?
Transatlantic….now there was a label to treasure….Fugs to Eddie and Finbar etc….ahhh the DAZE…..
The caboodle kicks in with the title track, “Lady Luck”which is effortless, quality countrified rock; your head will soon be nodding to the pedal steel and when the banjo cuts in….you will have to suppress your “Yeehas!!” So no probs with the title track……4.04 of sweeties,
Hmmm 1975…..over here on this side of the pond….the Brinsley Schwarz and Nick Lowe’s sweeties were under attack from the punkers….and sweet Nick had to slip to Stiff to keep an audience………however Brits did welcome and take to our heart Captain Cody and his ‘ozone players’…..
“Call Her Any Name”… hmmm will I last its length? If you like Burritos this will slide along fine…….though many will be making their way to the bar, knowing that the groove will still be there when they come back and pick up from where they left off…..
“City Life”…these boys like to hang around?……the drummer has an easy job here…..tap tap, boom boom, but he does get a go at some neat little timpani tricks, when a serious little groove gets going after 2minutes…..WoW! and after 3….we get back into the tap tap, boom boom…..yike!!! what a stormer of a fright over the last 30 secs….when some mad cap Beach Boys Smile outtake kicks in….one weird little track….2 sections little related to the main groove….turning this into a fine comic number…..
“Break Your Heart” cuts in with some Stonesy, Nicky Hopkins type groove….and the music chuntles along fine….this singer though doesn’t quite cut it?? and the lyrical content is pretty weak??….but good folks there is some seriously good playing on show….what the heck…another snatch of a BB outtake???
“Take Me Back”has a Byrdism feel and nice little harp player on show….our faithful drumming is trained in Mike Clarke school…..yup and the pedal steel is more than fine…..WoW! and in comes another section of madness as we go out on a Beach Boys outtake from Smile….heh heh, these boys love whoopee cushions…what’s going on here, surreal or what?
“Crazy Love” we are taken to outer space land underwater…..I’m really warming to this Randy, I know nothing about the band….then they stream out onto their little bit of psyche n psuch….and we are taken into the yellow-mellow of a sweet guitar break with breathy ooohs, ooohs….lovely….and then a bit of phasing….before pedal steel reinstates order….”Crazy Love” does have sweet playing on show…..boysy boy….I’m into Steely Dan Land…..surely Beau G is guilty of these splices showing up at the tail ends of tracks?
“Got a Feeling” is pretty standard fare….a bit of a filler, not that it’s bad…its just filler?? but the sort of filler needed if the girl you are dancing with is requiring of you and your blue suede shoes……these blips at the end are getting tiresome….
“Honky Tonk Downstairs”… gives the crooner of the band a chance to give his voice an airing…..and this would fit in well with any Gram Parson/Barritos platter….some nifty pedal steel and tinkling of the ivories on show…..be sure and press advance and move to the next track to remove Mr Sabotage and BB’s at work…..
“Alright”….. another voice on show?….with a TRexy feel? playing behind Southern Fried Funk….at 2 minutes we get treated to the band in full flow…..they are a fine boogie on down stew of a band…..cut the 30sec splice on…..
“On The Road” 45 secs of blissful playing before we hear the best singer on show……the band don’t bust a gut but do know their way round country-rock…..
So all in all good start which led into a pretty ‘safe listen’…..soft and melodic flourishes adorn this pretty interesting but hardly ground breaking album…..it will reward a listen, but will not take you anywhere you have not been before….AND DO CUT OUT THE ANNOYING LAST 30SECS FROM TRACK 3 through to TRACK 10. (hey Beau, how the heck did the “Smile” sessions end up on these cuts? RT) (REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- Lady Luck
- Call Her Any Name
- City Life
- Break Your Heart
- Take Me Back
- Crazy Love
- Got A Feeling
- Honky Tonk Downstairs
- Alright
- On The Road
Jaim – The Preservation Of The Hereafter (1970)
Artist: Jaim
Title: The Preservation Of The Hereafter
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Ethereal
Jaim’s second album “The Preservation Of The Hereafter” is a mystery in terms of release, the album was “released” inside of later released copies of their first album “Prophecy Fulfilled” (see December 8, 2010 post) and is actually an extension of that release and could have been out-takes from that session.
Most likely recorded at the same time as “Prophecy”, the album is classic west coast pop with a production style very reminiscent of Curt Boettcher. Both albums are deserving of a decent reissue, perhaps as a two-fer. (Tamara Bonfiglioli)
Back in December 2010, hearing Jaime (One), “Prophecy Fulfilled” for the first time, courtesy of redtelephone66, simply confirmed the value of the red phone music blog. Music from the likes of Jaime is a revelation, enabling one to listen with one’s ears and heart not to the opinions of the music press who have mainly rallied round ‘big names’ and thereby supporting the greedy ‘music industry’ who want ‘us’ to ‘buy, buy and buy’ from the same trough.
I know nothing about Jaime other than what my ears and heart inform me ie they are a couple of true ‘songsters’ ably supported by whatever studio resources were on hand to the ‘Ethereal’ label. Comparisons with Brian Wilson and Curt Boettcher are not far off the mark….cos Jaime like them were into creating ‘floral sound-scapes’ ie pop songs with credibility and ones which will appeal to lovers of melody.
My ears detect that Jaime were responding to the Brit Invasion ala The Fab Four etc a path pursued by Merry Go Round etc and Emitt Rhodes solo career in particular and it’s a Rhodes persona that I hear most strongly in Jaim’s, second offering, “The Preservation of the Hereafter”.
This second offering, is more of a stripped back affair and the songs stand out clearly like beacons to cries of “what happened to these guys”? In 2012 they have no problem in finding an audience so why not back then in post Woodstock days? Ahh therein lies the fickle nature of the public?
The songs are propelled by excellent piano and in some cases harpsichord with the orchestration kept to a minimum, however, in “Overture” they are given full rein and it washes over you like a tidal wave of angst. Throughout the ivory tinkling is beautifully accompanied by simple guitar work, with notable bass.
The album’s voices, are the Rhodes sound-alike, simply dripping with honey and a darker voice who takes us out with “When” and it is his voice which is the more haunting of the two, and haunting is how I would sum up both of Jaime’s offerings, the first a case of, ha ha, “lost classic” ie their serious attempt to make a break into The Big Time and the second a case of, hmmmmm, now just what have we got here?
What redtelephone66 has brought to our attention here, is poetry in action……these lads deserve your ears and heart…..they are the real thing…..hauntingly wonderful purveyors of beautiful, heart-tugging music…..Ethereal threw it all away…cos, maybe they didn’t know what to do with it.
Time marches on and it to is our gain that redtelephone66 continues to bring to our ears such delicate, flawed masterpieces….flawed, aha, maybe not flawed, just misunderstood….the flaw may have been in the lack of faith the boys had in their abilities to ‘make-it’ in the music industry….
There are many examples of musos who have carried on and trudged down their chosen musical path….sometimes wearied by their lack of success, but always finding something of relevance to say……e.g. David McWilliams, Ian A Anderson in music (or Ken Russell in film-land)…..Jaime I take my hat off to you and thank you from a distance for making my day…..I cannot recommend ‘The Preservation of the Hereafter’ highly enough. (REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- Ten Thousand Lanterns
- Key To The Treasure
- If There’s A Way
- Your Lucky Man
- (No I’ll) Never Promise You A Mountain
- (Overture) Time Came Beside Me
- (Danello) Never Near Never Far
- Half A Dream
- Be My Someone
- Just To Be Near
- When
The Mother Love – Carousel Of Daydreams (1970)
Artist: The Mother Love
Title: Carousel Of Daydreams
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Epic
The Mother Love were a light-weight pop group consisting of Wally Keske, Danny Janssen, Myrna Janssen and G.C. Prophut. Though husband and wife band members Danny and Myrna Janssen appear to be Danish, the group apparently coalesced in California. their only LP features a mix of soft, male/female vocal harmony flower pop, and comm. easy listening. (tymeshifter RYM)
Boy oh boy what it is to find the dial of some long lost radio (even though here in the moment it be an mp3 of “The Mother Love”)……and to be able to stretch out on the porch (here in the darkness of Alba…with the sea running high) and wait on the valves ha ha, warming up and be able to tune in and listen to some radio pap that is pure pop from the Tymes…..
Well the tale end of them. In this moment, “The Mother Love” as that radio station hint at music ala Association etal in their prime but with the bonus of some magical female voices to boost the buzz…..we have all the ingredients here of Sunshine Pop at its purist, breathy faultless vocals, magical trumpet work and a house band to die for…..for those who think they have heard this stuff all before…..sure, but there were some who wanted more than one sugar-lump??
A down point is this pop group play everything a tad too safe?
This is music for those outsiders who didn’t secure the sanctum of Laurel Canyon, this is for the hangers on of a faded dream….this is not Exploito-persee, though I’m sure there are some listeners out there who might believe it to be so. Even though “The Mother Love” murder The Who’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, thankfully in a truncated form and a tad inessential here….I love em!
So by and large this redtelephone66 offering sits safely in mainstream, middle of the road easy listening territory, it comes over all the stronger for that for nowhere in the tracks will be found any of the dislocation that Jimmy Morrison and all cohorts of darkness poured out and into our scrambled brains……this is psyche n psuch with “Easy-Rider” as a motto?
“The Way You Look Tonight” is pretty camp….a bit like the Mike Samme Singers meeting Woody Allen and all on the way to Alice’s party at the end of the Yellow Brick Road….yup, simply a hoot…..and not really helped by being followed up by “Put A Little Love In Your Heart”…..ah, so 7 great tracks out of 10….and 7/10 elevates “Carousel of Daydreams” into a pretty essential listen for this pretty minor group…..but oh I could tune into this radio station any day or night of the week.
Recommended for all faded and jaded week-end hipsters……(REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- A Carousel Of Daydreams
- Medley: Everybody’s Talkin’/Gentle On My Mind
- Little Woman
- Sherry Don’t Go
- Goodbye Mary
- We’re Not Gonna Take It (From The Rock Opera “Tommy”)
- Only Friend
- The Way You Look Tonight
- Put A Little Love In Your Heart
- Sidewalks Of My Mind
Meadow – The Friend Ship (1973)
Artist: Meadsow
Title: The Friend Ship
Year: 1973
Format: LP
Label: Paramount
Meadow were an early seventies folk-psych group remembered mostly for featuring future pop star vocalist Laura Branigan. The group also included Walker Daniels (acoustic guitar-vocals), Chris Van Cleave (vocals-acoustic guitar) and Bob Valdez (bass) backed by a large group of studio session musicians.
After recording their lone album “The Friend Ship“, the group broke up and Branigan would move on to various jobs, including a stint as one of Leonard Cohen’s backup singers for his European tour before signing with Atlantic Records in the late seventies.
The album was never re-released to capatilize on her solo career and Branigan for personal reasons, preferred not to discuss her involvement with Meadow publicly. (Tamara Bonfiglioli)
Track Listing
- In The Beginning: When You Were Young
- The Illusion: Vanity Fair
- The Game: See How They Run
- The Street: Lawless Lady
- The Question: Completely
- The Dream: Artist
- The Road: Cane And Able
- The Celebration: Sweet Life
- In The End: Everything I’ve Known
- The Word: There’s Only One Thing To Remember
- In The Beginning: Home Free (The Friend Ship)
Risa Potters – Take Me Away (1972)
Artist: Risa Potters
Title: Take Me Away
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Buddah
Risa Potters’ follow-up album “Take Me Away” released in 1972 and featuring backing and vocal arrangements by the group Capability Brown. “Introspective, Emotional and Brilliant. Underrated 70s bubbler rated as a “Best Buy” in Acid Archives.” (Backspin Records)
Track Listing
- Take Me Away
- Too Many People
- Second Choice
- Birds
- Moving
- Love Song
- It Must Have Been Hard
- My Mistake
- I Think I Always Knew
- Traveling Man
- If I Could Sing
