Artist: Don Cooper
Title: The Ballad Of C. P. Jones
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Roulette

Contributed by Eliot W.

Cooper rides the narrow furrow between folk, country and rock, uses his disaffected voice and guitar on some story themes and keeps the backup group (which has some strong jazz names) down. All in all it’s a good example of offbeat talent comin’ through. Good sample track is the opener, “The Ballad Of C.P. Jones.” (Billboard Magazine)

Track Listing

1. The Ballad Of C. P. Jones
2. Lonely Blue
3. Rhinestone In The Rough
4. Let Myself Go
5. Fat Lovebirds
6. A Better Way
7. If It’s Gotta Happen
8. Haven’t Much Time
9. Howlin’ At The Moon
10. Good Ol’ Gal
11. Do Or Die

Artist: Seagull
Title: Seagull
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Burdette

Seagull were a Seattle-based duo consisting of Jonathan Perry (violin) and Ronald Orden (guitar). The album is a conceptual piece of Folk Rock Fusion Jazz New Age Violin/Bass/Guitar pertaining to the “day in the life” of a Seagull.

Released on the Burdette label (Springfield Rifle etc.), this fits in very well with the “New Age” genre and was recorded way ahead of it’s time in the early part of the seventies. (Howard Hales Broom)

Track Listing

1. Dawn
2. I Can Fly
3. Toward Heaven
4. Within Us All
5. Power Dive
6. Seagull
7. No Limit

Artist: Tedd Smith
Title: Smash And Grab World
Year: 1969
Format: LP
Label: Word

This is truly a great but often overlooked psychedelic Christian album on the very unpsychdelic Word label. And an obscuro fringe record to say the least. This is Tedd Smith’s attempt to convert all the drugged out hippies into nice Christians, I presume as he was a Billy Graham sidekick. But he had an ace up his sleeve. He was going to be working from the inside.

By making an album that sounded psychedelic, he could reach the people that needed help the most. The drugged-out hippies who actually seek out strange noises, exotic instrumentation and trippy lyrics! Perhaps Tedd Smith’s little spoken word bits have been the problem for those seeking heady sounds these days as they do tend to devalue the rest of the albums mood.

The mood being an unworldly mix of avant-garde, Egyptian circus keyboards and drums, semi-fuzz spy guitar, and the beautiful folky-fragile voice of Joan Hettenhouser that swirls and pulsates into a nice 60’s sound experience. And man what a voice. Whether she’s singing about “jumping for joy” or how all the kids are “getting high on grass and acid arrows”, Hettenhouser can create an atmosphere with the best of them. It’s a crime she isn’t better known.

Evidently, she was also in a Christian Rock band called The Sons of Thunder who released four albums starting in 1968. She certainly has a sound that belongs on the Hippie Goddess compilations. Tedd’s keyboards and songwriting, if not directly influenced by psychedelics, have enough second-hand exposure to make them seem genuine.

The rest of the band was probably sneaking away now and then behind Tedd Smith’s back to engage the practices that he was preaching against. They certainly sound “experienced”. Towards the end of “Runnin’ Man”, it starts to feel like I’m dreaming and floating away and I thank Heaven for Tedd Smith’s creations.

Even if he didn’t fulfill his intended purpose, his music is definitely nice to get high too (or remember getting high). In the end, the joke’s on Tedd Smith if he thinks that he could possibly convert a wayward soul with his jams.

He seems more converted into the psychedelic culture than vice versa in my book. I guess he got his revenge with those dreadfully awful spoken word sermon poems that he threw into the album though. If you can overlook this, you’re in for a treat with this album. He ventures places that few have or ever will. (Shane Georges)

Track Listing

1. Jump For Joy
2. Games
3. Smash And Grab World
4. A Little Understanding
5. Circles
6. The Runnin’ Man
7. Outside
8. The Good I Would Be

Artist: Hairband
Title: Band On The Wagon
Year: 1969
Format: LP
Label: Bell

U.K. Psych Blues album featuring Alex Harvey, Mickey Keene, Laurie Baker, Peter Woolf etc. This album was recorded when Alex was in the rock musical ‘HAIR‘ and the band that played all the music was deemed good enough to record for this album. Harvey wrote many of the songs and plays guitar and sings. Produced by former Animals keyboardist Alan Price.

Great heavy psych prog beast that would be as big and as valuable as other similar monsters like Open Mind and Motherlight if it weren’t for the presence of horns on some tracks.  Personally, I don’t mind a little sax here and there, especially in public places.

Anyway, there are some really killer tracks on here, like “Golden Egg“, which starts off in a cool loungey funk mode before switching gears to a KILLER late 60′s go-go dancefloor theme with dramatic orchestral stabs and some sexy, jazzy sax solos.

“Electric Blues” isn’t really blues at all, but more of an upbeat rural-flavored psych rock track with some trippy backwards guitar.  It gets more upbeat and picks up tempo as it goes along, culminating in a psychedelic maelstrom of wild guitar solos courtesy of Mr. Alex Harvey himself. (Ned Ginty)

Track Listing

1. Sacrifice
2. I’m Living
3. The Yellow Bay Tree
4. Swan Song
5. Big Louis
6. Band On The Wagon
7. Travelling Song
8. No Offence Eddie
9. The Golden Egg
10. Electric Blues
11. How Deep Is The Ocean

Artist: Hair [Hairband]
Title: Rave-Up
Year: 1969
Format: LP
Label: Pye

Originally released on vinyl in 1969, the eleven tracks recorded by the Hair stage band should be appealing to fans of Alex Harvey, 1960s pop culture and/or – simply – the rock musical, which had a special twist in London that is chronicled in a lengthy essay by David Wells.

Harvey handles nearly all the lead vocals and his performance art wit snatches the spotlight on “Royal International Love-In,” though his lyrical interpretations of “All Along The Watchtower” and “Birthday” are scintillating.

The instrumentals aptly demonstrate how the shows merged a true concert experience into the production. The musical had a tremendous run of nearly 2,000 performances – September 1968 to July 1973 – which only ended when the theatre’s roof collapsed. The band had a number of side projects during those years. (Groovy Times)

Track Listing

1. Hair
2. El Pussy Cat
3. Royal International Love-In
4. Bond Street Baby
5. Harekrishna
6. All Along The Watchtower
7. Birthday
8. Keep Out
9. Candy
10. Movin’ In The Right Direction
11. I Know Where You Are

Artist: Bartel
Title: Bartel
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Perception

Raised in Pennsylvania, Jon Bartel was bitten by the rock and roll bug while a kid. By the mid-1960s he was playing keyboards and fronting Johnny Bartel and the Soul Masters (Jeff Martin, Larry O’Brien and Lou Stellute).

1968 found Bartel and company living in Southern California where they released a highly collectable single for the small Solid Smoke label: If This Isn’t Love” b/w ‘I Waited Too Long’ (Solid State catalog number SD 2514). Shortly thereafter he formed the Jon Bartel Thing, which released a self-titled album for Capitol Records in 1969 (see August 31, 2011 post). 

In the early seventies Bartel signed with Jimmy Curtiss’ newly formed Perception label and released this his second LP “Bartel” with the same line-up of his first album: Jon Bartel (keyboards), Lou Stellute (reeds), Larry O’Brien (guitar) and Abe Blasingame (percussion).

The album is a fusion of rock, jazz and blues featuring a balance of instrumentals and vocal tracks including a funky treatment of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer In The City”  (tymshifter/RDTEN1 RYM)

Track Listing

1. Naturally Good
2. On The Road
3. Green Back
4. Summer In The City
5. Meat Cleaver
6. Boogie
7. You’ve Just Been Bitten

Artist: Al Anderson
Title: Al Anderson
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Vanguard

Over the years Anderson’s recorded a handful of solo albums; his debut coming with 1972′s cleverly-titled Al Anderson released by Vanguard Records, the album was actually recorded as a contractual obligation package, Anderson having been left to make good on The Wildweed’s contract which required a second LP (see June 29, 2010 post). Produced by Maynard Soloman, the collection featured nine Anderson originals and a Hank Williams cover (“Honky Tonkin’”).

Perhaps not a big surprise, but with backing from a healthy part of the NRBQ line up – horn player Donn Adams, keyboardist Terry Adams, and drummer Tom Staley the album bore more than a passing resemblance to NRBQ’s recording catalog.  (For trivia buffs Al Lepak, Jeff Potter and Stanley had also played with Anderson in The Wildweeds.)

Anyone familiar with Anderson’s NRBQ contributions was liable to find the eclectic mix of humor, pop, rock and soul influences familiar territory.  Anderson’s always struck me as being NRBQ’s best singer and he sounded in fine voice throughout these sessions.

Highlights included the blazing rocker “Ain’t No Woman Finer” (check out Anderson’s meltdown guitar solo), the reflective soul ballad “You’re Just Laughing Inside”(Dobie Gray or Bill Withers could have enjoyed a massive hit with the track) and the should’ve-been-a-hit, slide-propelled “I Haven’t Got The Strength To Carry On”.

Not to imply the set was perfect – recalling his work with The Wildweeds, tracks like ”I Don’t Believe I’ll Stay Here Anymore” and “Honky Tonkin’” featured a distinctive country influence which simply didn’t do much for me.  Still, a solo debut that’s worth lookin’ for.  Any NRBQ fan should have it in their collection. (Bad Cat)

Track Listing

1. Be My Woman Tonight
2. We’ll Make Love
3. Ain’t No Woman Finer
4. You’re Just Laughing Inside
5. I Don’t Believe I’ll Stay Here Anymore
6. Honky Tonkin’
7. Goin’ Back To Indiana
8. Don’t Hold The Line
9. I Just Want To Have You Back Again
10. I Haven’t Got The Strength To Carry On
11. C’mon If You’re Comin’

The Farm Band’s communistic classic from 1972. In the late 1960s, Stephen Gaskin, a countercultural icon, made a name for himself teaching a weekly class on the meaning of the psychedelic experience in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury District.

At the start of the ’70s, he led a hippie exodus to Tennessee, where he created “The Farm,” just about the only successful hippie commune from that era still standing.

This is the first album by Gaskin and The Farm Band, who fall somewhere between the Grateful Dead and Jethro Tull, performing long, psycho blues suites with good guitar solos, flute and violin. They released four albums between 1972 and 1977, generating more country boogie, good-time, free-loving vibes. (J.J. Hildreth)

Track Listing

1. Om
2. Loving You
3. Lord’s Work
4. Keep Your Head Up High
5. Being Here With You
6. Let It Ride
7. Prayer
8. I Believe It
   ]]> http://www.redtelephone66.com/2012/02/the-farm-band-the-farm-band-1972/feed/ 2 http://www.redtelephone66.com/2012/02/teddy-the-pandas-basic-magnetism-1968/ http://www.redtelephone66.com/2012/02/teddy-the-pandas-basic-magnetism-1968/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:58:26 +0000 redtelephone66 http://www.redtelephone66.com/?p=17473

   Artist: Teddy & The Pandas
   Title: Basic Magnetism
   Year: 1968
   Format: LP
   Label: Tower

   Teddy & The Pandas was an American group, formed in 1963 as the Sensations in Beverly, Massachusetts. The band originally consisted of Al Lawrence on vocals, Billy Corelle on bass, Ralph Cooper on drums, Joe Daly on guitar, and Dick Winters on saxophone.

   Shortly thereafter, the group added Dick Guerrette on keyboards, and guitarist William “Teddy” Dewart, while Winters moved on. In 1964, Jerry Labrecque replaced drummer Ralph Cooper, finalizing the line-up that was to become known as Teddy & The Pandas.

   Teddy & The Pandas released five singles from 1966 to 1968, in addition to one album. During their heyday, Teddy and The Pandas toured with The Beach Boys, The Dave Clark Five, The Lovin’ Spoonful, and Paul Revere & The Raiders, and were also part of Gene Pitney’s 1966 tour

   In addition to their appearance on Where The Action Is, the band performed on Cleveland’s Upbeat TV television program. Excluding a handful of appearances on 1980s compilation albums, the music of Teddy & The Pandas has generally been unavailable since the group’s disbanding in 1969. (Wikipedia)

   Track Listing

   1. Childhood Friends
   2. Kona, Idaho
   3. Shine A Little Light
   4. 69 Days ‘Till September
   5. Running From Love
   6. Basic Magnetism
   7. Crossing Man
   8. At The Debutantes’ Ball
   9. Look Back In Love (Not In Anger)
   10. Raspberry Salesman
   11. Once Upon A Time [bonus Coristine 45 A-side]
   12. (Bye Bye) Out The Window [bonus Coristine 45 B-side]
   13. We Can’t Go On This Way [bonus Musicor 45 A-side]
   14. Smokey Fire [bonus Musicor 45 B-side]
   15. Searchin’ For The Good Times [bonus Musicor 45 A-side]
   16. Sunnyside Up [bonus Musicor 45 B-side]
   17. The Lovelight [bonus Timbri 45 A-side]
   18. A Day In The City [bonus Timbri 45 B-side]
   ]]> http://www.redtelephone66.com/2012/02/teddy-the-pandas-basic-magnetism-1968/feed/ 6 http://www.redtelephone66.com/2012/02/the-east-side-kids-the-tiger-and-the-lamb-1968/ http://www.redtelephone66.com/2012/02/the-east-side-kids-the-tiger-and-the-lamb-1968/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:56:04 +0000 redtelephone66 http://www.redtelephone66.com/?p=17355

   Artist: The East Side Kids
   Title: The Tiger And The Lamb
   Year: 1968
   Format: LP
   Label: UNI

   One of those odd rarities that’s always had a place within my collection, going all the way back to the beginning of my record collecting days. Though definitely not one of the more memorable albums of the late 60′s, as over the years it’s been considered second rate by some.

   Understandably, as is the case with many late 60′s one shot bands, the album does contain what some may refer to as filler. Nevertheless, I’ve always had a soft spot for it. Though it admittedly required many listens back in the day before I was able to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

   The Tiger And The Lamb was produced by Buzz Clifford and Dan Moore, previously members of Hamilton Streetcar (see March 8, 2011 post) . The musicianship on this album is quite good…most notably for me, David Potter’s drumming. Yet at the same time The Tiger And The Lamb seems to be lacking in direction and has a tendency to wander, in particular with some of the vocal passages.

   This was quite possibly the band and production staff’s intention, as it was 1968 after-all…and far stranger things were issued during that era in an attempt to please the youngsters. The album definitely has a psychedelic/pop vibe, and if you can get past the intermittent directionless and just flow with the music, it’s rather enjoyable.

   The Tiger And The Lamb was released on “UNI Records”, who were a subsidiary of Universal City Records/MCA. Many other late 60′s psychedelic and hard rock American bands saw issue on this label, and are today all very sought after by collectors. A few of those bands/artists were; The Hook, The Yellow Payges, Warm Dust, Giant Crab, Alexander’s Timeless Bloozband, Mars Bonfire, Fever Tree, and The Smoke, to name a few (see various posts). (DrProgensteinphp RYM)

   Track Listing

   1. Is My Love Stong
   2. I Remember The Good Times
   3. Move Like Love
   4. Pidgeon Of L. A.
   5. Taking The Time
   6. I See I Am
   7. Heavy Love The Ballad Of The Gentle People
   8. Can’t Feel Love
   9. Ask The Bo
   10. Dancing In The Street
   ]]> http://www.redtelephone66.com/2012/02/the-east-side-kids-the-tiger-and-the-lamb-1968/feed/ 5