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
Air – Air (1971)
Artist: Air
Title: Air
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Embryo
Air was one of a number of bands that were signed to the Embryo imprint in the early 1970s, and is probably the most significant. The band featured the vocals of Googie Coppola, who later went on to record albums with her then-husband Tom Coppola as well as provide vocals on an album by John Blair. The band disbanded shortly after the release of their self-titled debut album.
Not to be confused with the French techno band or the R&B band from the late ’80s. Air was one of the groups featured on Herbie Mann’s Embryo label, a jazz/rock imprint of Atlantic from the early 1970s. It featured Googie Coppola on vocals.
Air’s sound was extremely jazz based with a slight pop influence. The main selling point was Googie Coppolla’s vocals. Whether telling off an ex-lover in “Mr. Man” or telling a Lolita tale in “Man Is Free”, her voice is strong and lovely at the same time. Unfortunately, not all the songs are up to the same level, and the album starts to fall apart toward the end.
Still, if you can find it, it is definitely worth picking up, as it is one of the lost gems of the early 1970s and probably the Embryo label’s best release. Also, for jazz completists, it is produced by Herbie Mann. (Ezreal RYM)
Track Listing
- Realize
- Mr. Man
- Baby I Don’t Know Where Love Is
- In Our Time
- Martin
- Man Is Free
- Sister Bessie
- Lipstick
- Man’s Got Style
- Jail Cell
- I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
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
Risa Potters – Half Woman/Half Child (1970)
Artist: Risa Potters
Title: Half Woman/Half Child
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: National General
Miss Potters’ lovely voice is only one plus in this debut album for National General; her perceptive songs translate youth’s dealing with family, friends and life’s experiences in a simple poetic fashion. “Michael”, “Half Woman/Half Child” and the outstanding “I Made My Father Cry” are exellent examples of her art. (Billboard Magazine)
Track Listing
- Half Woman/Half Child
- Lullabye
- Old Man
- I Made My Father Cry
- Michael
- Harvey Wrote A Play
- Ned
- I Want To Have Your Baby
- Did You Ever See The Mountains?
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!
