Stuck In The Past!

Rick Roberts - She Is A Song (1973)

Rick Roberts is an American singer-songwriter, known for having been a member of The Flying Burrito Brothers and Firefall.

Rick Roberts' brief solo career continued with She Is A Song, produced by ex-bandmate Chris Hillman and produced in 1973. It was more mellow Californian country-rock, and very good country-rock at that. Most of the songs were originals, though it did include some interesting covers of Paul Siebel's "She Made Me Lose My Blues" and Stephen Stills' "Four Days Gone". Musicians on the album included Hillman (bass) and some of his recent bandmates from Manassas - Paul Harris (keyboards), Al Perkins (guitar & pedal steel), Kenny Passarelli (bass) and Joe Lala (percussion), plus Rusty Young (dobro) and George Grantham (drums) of Poco, and guitarist Joe Walsh.

After this album Roberts formed the band Firefall, with whom he had a number of hits in the late 70s.

Windmills (1972) <|
More from Rick Roberts

Download

Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 (1970)

Blood, Sweat & Tears are an American jazz-rock band originally formed in 1967.

1969 had seen Blood, Sweat & Tears rebuild themselves and scoring three hit singles shortly after ousting their leader Al Kooper. They had also played at the Woodstock festival. Their third album came in 1970, and featured further explorations of their high-brow jazz-rock sound, full of complex arrangements and instrumental flash. They were now relying heavily on cover material, cleverly re-arranging songs by James Taylor, Traffic, The Band, Joe Cocker, Laura Nyro and others. However sometimes their cleverness tripped them up, as their version of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil" (paired in a suite with "Symphony For The Devil") ended up losing all elements that gave the original its appeal and resulted in a bit of an awkward mess.

Nevertheless, the album did give them two more hits, a cover of Carole King's "Hi-De-Ho" (#14), and "Lucretia McEvil" (#29), which it's worth noting was actually one of their few original compositions, written by singer David Clayton-Thomas. The album itself was another #1 hit.

Though they were still managing to do well on the charts, the band's days as a popular counter-culture group were numbered. They had made the unpopular decision of going on a government-sponsored tour of Eastern Europe, as well as performing at Las Vegas casinos and doing the music for comedy film The Owl And The Pussycat.

Blood, Sweat & Tears (1969) <|> Blood, Sweat & Tears 4 (1971)
More from Blood, Sweat & Tears

Download

John Mayall - Bare Wires (1968)

John Mayall is a British blues singer and multi-instrumentalist, who was a major figure in the 60s British blues scene.

After a successful US tour, 1968 continued with more lineup changes for the Bluesbreakers, Bassist Keith Tillman left and was replaced by a young Andy Fraser, who himself didn't last long (he went on to be a founding member of Free) and was replaced by Tony Reeves. Drummer Keef Hartley also left and was replaced by Jon Hiseman (who had been previously playing with The Graham Bond Organization). They also found a new member in Henry Lowther, who played both cornet and violin. So when they came to recording their next album, the band consisted of John Mayall (vocals/harmonica/keyboards/guitar), Mick Taylor (lead guitar), Dick Heckstall-Smith (sax), Chris Mercer (sax), Henry Lowther (cornet/violin), Tony Reeves (bass) and Jon Hiseman (drums).

Bare Wires was released in the summer of 1968, and it turned out to be a very interesting milestone in Mayall's career. With this album he started to experiment more, stepping outside of the familiar blues constraints, incorporating more jazz elements. With the new lineup the focus was no longer just on Taylor's lead guitar, and there were plenty of solos from Heckstall-Smith, Mercer and Lowther. The material was also by now all original, as he no longer was relying on covers of American blues songs. The first half of the album was one twenty minute track labelled as a suite, but in realtiy was just several seperate songs strung closely together.

Heckstall-Smith, Reeves and Hiseman all left after this album to form Colosseum. Mercer and Lowther also didn't stay for much longer, and before long only Taylor remained by Mayall's side. Bare Wires was actually the last album to feature the Bluesbreakers name - after this his albums would be simply credited to him as a solo act, though it didn't change his relationship with his backing musicians in any way, and he was soon recruiting new musicians to play with.

Diary Of A Band (1968) <|> Blues From Laurel Canyon (1968)
More from John Mayall

Download

Kaleidoscope - Incredible! (1969)

Kaleidoscope were an American psychedelic band originally active from 1966 to 1970.

Before their third album, Kaleidoscope went through a small lineup change. Chris Darrow and John Vidican left, and they were replaced by bassist Stuart Brotman (who had been in an early lineup of Canned Heat) and drummer Paul Lagos. This gave them an excellent new rhythm section which was showcased well on 1969's Incredible! It was another experimental fusion of styles, among them psychedelic rock, folk, blues, country, Cajun, and of course the middle-eastern sounds that surely no other rock band were exploring at the time. It featured a cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" and a hard-rocking version of the traditional folk tune "Cuckoo", alongside some excellent band originals. These included the Cajun tune "Petite Fleur" (sung in French), the instrumental "Banjo" (showcasing David Lindley's banjo skills through an echo unit), and the remarkable "Seven Ate Sweet". This song was not only the highlight of the album, but maybe of the band's entire recording career, an 11-minute middle-eastern-rock fusion in 7/8 time, featuring saz, clarinet and Turkish vocals from Solomon Feldthouse.

Incredible! turned out to be maybe their best album, and as was to be expected, didn't give them any pop success. It did become their highest charting album though, albeit only as #139!

A Beacon From Mars (1968) <|> Bernice (1970)
More from Kaleidoscope

Download

James Taylor - Mud Slide Slim & The Blue Horizon (1971)

James Taylor is a highly successful American singer-songwriter.

The beginning of 1971 saw James Taylor start work on his third album, and by now he had become very popular, having scored a Top 10 album (in both the US and UK) and a #3 hit single. He was one of the most successful of the new breed of California-based singer-songwriters, with his mellow, radio-friendly style. He even earned himself a Time magazine cover story.

Mud Slide Slim & The Blue Horizon came out in March, and became another massive critical success. Among the backing musicians featured were fiddler Richard Greene, bluegrass musician John Hartford, Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love of The Memphis Horns, bassist Leland Sklar, drummer Russ Kunkel and guitarist Danny Kortchmar. Kortchmar also contributed "Machine Gun Kelly", one of the two songs featured not penned by Taylor. The other was Carol King's "You've Got A Friend", which featured backing vocals from both King and Joni Mitchell. King's own version (with the same musicians) had been released just a month before on her Tapestry album. However it was Taylor's version that became the hit, as it got to #1 and gave both him and King a Grammy each.

A second single, "Long Ago And Far Away", got to #31. The album itself got to #2 (just held off the #1 spot by Tapestry!) and set Taylor's success in stone.

Sweet Baby James (1970) <|> One Man Dog (1972)
More from James Taylor

Download

Leon Russell & Friends - The Master Of Space And Time, Live! (1971)

Bootleg
Leon Russell is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as a pianist.

In 1971 Leon Russell performed at KCET studios in Los Angeles, a performance which was broadcast on TV (supposedly it was the first ever stereo rock & roll broadcast). Joining him was a band consisting of Joey Cooper (guitar), Don Preston (guitar), John Gallie (organ), Jim Horn (sax), Carl Radle (bass) and Chuck Blackwell (drums). This same band (minus Jim Horn) also backed him for his 1973 Leon Live album. Backing vocals came from Claudia Lennear and Kathi McDonald, and there were also guest spots from Don Nix and old bluesman Furry Lewis.

The set consisted of songs from Russell's first two albums, plus some interesting covers - Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country" (which he had been performing as a duet with Joe Cocker the year before), Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man", an instrumental reading of Van Morrison's "Caravan", the traditional gospel tune "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and The Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women". Nix and Lewis also got to sing a song of their own each.

Recordings of this concert broadcast have seen much bootlegging activity over the years, as they make for an excellent live album. Unfortunately the sound quality is not particularly great, but its nevertheless a very interesting listen.

Bobby Charles - Clean Water (1987)

Bobby Charles was an American singer-songwriter.

After his years in Woodstock (which had resulted in one classic eponymous album), Bobby Charles returned to Louisiana. He appeared in 1976 for The Last Waltz, where he performed "Down South In New Orleans" with Dr John, but after that he was not heard of for a very long time, practically going into retirement. In the mid 80s he became interested in environmental issuses, and released the ecology-themed single "Clean Water", complete with a children's chorus chanting the refrain 'let's clean up the waters of the world'. This single, and a couple of others from 1986, was released on his own label Rice N' Gravy.

In 1987 he combined these singles with some new recordings to make the Clean Water album, a laid-back mix of New Orleans R&B and cajun. Being recorded in the 80s, it wasn't as organic-sounding as his classic 1972 album, and perhaps at times a little too slick, but nevertheless the songs and performances were all top notch. It included two old songs which had been recorded by others years ago - "But I Do" was best known as a 1961 hit for Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, and "Cowboys And Indians" had been recorded by many including Rita Coolidge and Bonnie Bramlett.

It was good to have another album from Bobby Charles (it was his first in fifteen years, and only his second ever in thirty three years in the business!), but unfortunately it was only ever released in Europe and so completely missed his local audience.

Bobby Charles (1972) <|> Wish You Were Here Right Now (1994)
More from Bobby Charles

Download

Sandy Denny - The North Star Grassman & The Ravens (1971)

Sandy Denny was an English singer-songwriter, best known for her role as lead singer for folk-rock band Fairport Convention.

Sandy Denny was born and raised in London, and studied classical piano as a child. During the 60s she began singing folk music, and performed in various London folk clubs. She appeared on BBC television in 1966, performing two traditional songs. She became known for her distinctive clear, powerful voice, and made some recordings for Saga Records in 1967 (they appeared on the albums Alex Campbell And His Friends and Sandy and Johnny, an LP shared with folk singer Johnny Silvo). She then joined The Strawbs, and recorded an entire album with them which was never released, before leaving. She also managed to get her own composition "Who Knows Where The Times Goes" recorded by American folk singer Judy Collins.

1968 was the year she joined folk-rock group Fairport Convention, who had already recorded one album. She replaced original singer Judy Dyble. With Denny on board they released three brilliant albums in 1969, and with each one they became more and more emersed in traditional English folk material, resulting in their masterpiece Liege & Lief, generally considered the most important album of English folk-rock. It was then, at the height of their success, that Denny left. She started a new band in 1970, Fotheringay, which followed a similar style but focused more on her songwriting as well as her piano playing. They did not last long, and broke up after releasing one classic album.

She then began her solo career. Her debut, The North Star Grassman & The Ravens, came out in 1971. It was an excellent album, showcasing her broad range of folk-rock styles, from traditional English material to more American-sounding numbers with hints of blues and country (among them a cover of Bob Dylan's "Down In The Flood"). Among the backing musicians were featured all her past bandmates from Fotheringay, and Richard Thompson of Fairport, plus American pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons. A couple of songs had string arrangements.

Most importantly this album proved her worth as an independent singer-songwriter without the need of a band. All but three of the songs were her own compositions.

|> Sandy (1972)

Download

Ry Cooder - The Long Riders (1980)

Film soundtrack
Ry Cooder is an American musician, best known for his skill as a slide guitarist and his interest in American roots music.

In the 1980s Ry Cooder became known for his film soundtrack work, and indeed this lucrative side-line became in many ways much more successful for him than his solo albums of the 70s had been. He was no stranger to film music, having played guitar on Jack Nitzsche's soundtracks for Performance (1970) and Blue Collar (1978). However the first time he was to be put in charge of a film's entire soundtrack was for Walter Hill's 1980 film The Long Riders, a western which told the story of the James-Younger outlaw gang. Cooder proved to be the perfect man to score the picture, as his knowledge and passion of American roots music served him well.

The music he crafted for the film contrasted greatly with his own recording career, which at the time was focusing on electric rock music. For The Long Riders he emersed himself in old-time folk music, with a focus on songs from the Civil War era. It was authentic-sounding traditional music, but with unusual elements of Cooder's own design subtley blended in. Most of the soundtrack was instrumental, performed on a variety of stringed instruments, but there were some vocal tracks as well. Cooder only sang himself on one song. One of the songs, George F. Root's "Rally 'Round The Flag", he had originally recorded back in 1972 on Boomer's Story, but here it was given a much more exciting, joyful arrrangement. Likewise, the whole soundtrack was full of brilliant, innovative arrangements, brimming with atmosphere. Cooder approached this material as he had done the roots music of his 70s solo albums, updating it with fresh ideas yet still keeping it firmly and respectfully rooted in the past.

The soundtrack was a resounding success, and pefectly fitted the film. It won Cooder the Best Music award from the Los Angeles Film Critic Association Awards. Released on CD, it made for a fine album away from the picture, another much-welcome addition to Cooder's extensive canon. It also marked the start of a new era for his career, as many more successful soundtracks would follow, and throughout the decade they would take up much of his time than his solo albums.

The Steampacket - The First Supergroup (1965-1966)

The Steampacket was a short-lived British R&B band.

British blues singer Long John Baldry had discovered a young Rod Stewart in 1965, and recruited him as a second vocalist in his own band The Hoochie Coochie Men. This band soon broke up, and so Baldry and Stewart put together a new group. Joining them was female vocalist Julie Driscoll, along with Brian Auger (organ), Vic Briggs (guitar), Richard Brown (bass) and Micky Waller (drums). The plan was for it to be a soul-style revue, with each singer taking a turn on their own numbers. They played in R&B clubs around London, and also got to support The Rolling Stones on their 1965 tour of Britain. They were managed by Giorgio Gomelksy (who also managed the The Yardbirds), and things looked promising.

However a number of contractual problems meant they never got to record an album. Baldry and Stewart both retained seperate managers, and Baldry also had a solo record deal with United Artists. Stewart left in 1966, and the band brokeup shortly afterwards with no recorded output to show for their time together.

Baldry continued with his solo career and had some pop hits later in the 60s. Stewart joined The Jeff Beck Group and later the Faces, and of course had a massively successful solo career himself. Driscoll, Auger, Briggs, Brown and Waller formed jazz-rock group The Trinity, who had a hit in 1968 with a cover of Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's On Fire".

Years later some rehearsal tapes from The Steampacket surfaced, and they were hastily put together into an album called The First Supergroup. It shows them as a solid R&B group, with good arrangements driven by Auger's Hammond organ. All three singers get chances to shine, with Rod Stewart's voice proving the most distinctive. It also had some cool jazzy instrumentals. A shame they never got it together to record a proper album, as it could have been great!

Download

The 13th Floor Elevators - Easter Everywhere (1967)

The 13th Floor Elevators were an American psychedelic rock band active from 1965 to 1969.

In 1966 The 13th Floor Elevators had found success with their single "You're Gonna Miss Me", which charted at #55 and is looked back on as an early example of psychedelic rock, a sound which they explored fully on their debut album. This was followed by a tour of California, where they played alongside popular San Francisco psychedelic bands such as Quicksilver Messenger Service and Moby Grape. They then returned to their home state of Texas and started work on their second album. It was then that bassist Ronnie Leatherman and drummer John Walton left, and were replaced by Dan Galindo and Danny Thomas respectively.

Easter Everywhere was completed with the new recruits, and released in late 1967. Its featured the same ingredients that had made their debut so distinctive - raw guitar-driven rock with passionate vocals from Roky Erikson, and Tommy Hall's bizarre electric jug playing. They refined this sound further, resulting in perhaps an even better album, the highlight being the 8-minute opening masterpiece "Slip Inside This House". It also featured a cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".

The album didn't produce another hit like they would have liked, and as a consequence its sales were disappointing. However it's generally very highly regarded among the canon of 60s psychedelic rock.

The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators (1966) <|> Live (1968)
More from The 13th Floor Elevators

Download

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Mardi Gras (1972)

Creedence Clearwater Revival (often abbreviated as CCR) were a popular American rock band active from the late 60s to early 70s

By 1971 CCR had been reduced to a trio, as Tom Fogerty had left when his brother John's dictatorial leadership style finally got too much for him. However surprisingly John Fogerty then announced to his remaining band members (bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford) that the group would now become a 'democracy'. The songwriting and singing duties would now be split between the three of them, which no doubt came as quite a shock. Fogerty threatened to quit if they didn't agree to this 'democracy', so Cook and Clifford had to come up with some songs of their own.

Their next single was Fogerty's "Sweet Hitch Hiker", which gave them their ninth Top 10 hit at #6. Their next album was a long time coming (considering CCR's previous record for fast output), as they went on tour throughout both the US and Europe. Mardi Gras finally came out in 1972, with the singing and songwriting split between the three of them. As of such it was quite a disjointed affair, and was panned by the critics, though it did still manage to chart at #12.

Cook and Clifford's songs were all quite respectable, but they were obviously going to pale beside the band's previous Fogerty-penned output. "Sweet Hitch Hiker" was included, and the other three songs Fogerty sang included a cover of the Ricky Nelson classic "Hello Mary Lou", and the excellent "Someday Never Comes". The latter was clearly the strongest song on the album, and released as its second single it got to #25 (a modest chart position for CCR). It actually turned out to be their last single. After one more US tour, CCR broke up in October 1972.

Pendulum (1970) <|
More from Creedence Clearwater Revival

Download

Hearts & Flowers - Now Is The Time For Hearts & Flowers (1967)

Hearts & Flowers were a short-lived American folk-rock band.

In the late 50s singer-songwriter-guitarist Larry Murray moved from his home state of Georgia to California, where he joined bluegrass group The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers (which also later included Chris Hillman and Bernie Leadon). After his time with the Squirrel Barkers he went through several groups before teaming up with two other singer-guitarists, Dave Dawson and Rick Cunha. Together they became Hearts & Flowers, and performed in the folk clubs of L.A. throughout the 60s. Usually they worked as an acoustic trio, but at times they were joined by a rhythm section and moved into folk-rock territory.

They were signed to Capitol Records in 1967, and their debut album came out that same year. Its folk-rock style was really quite interesting, a perfect balance of pop and roots styles (the trio's folk, bluegrass and country backgrounds coming to the fore on certain tracks). It was mostly acoustic guitar based, with some flourishes of autoharp courtesy of Dave Dawson. Most of the material was made up of covers, including numbers by Donovan, Kaleidoscope, Tim Hardin, Hoyt Axton, Roger Tillison, Merle Haggard, and Goffin & King.

With superb vocal harmonies it really could have been successful, but sadly never really got much coverage. It remains today a truly under-appreciated and often forgotten 60s folk-rock gem.

|> Of Horses, Kids & Forgotten Women (1968)

Download

Love - Da Capo (1967)

Love were an American rock band founded in the 1960s who saw only modest success on the charts yet have come to be regarded as one of the finest groups of the era.

Following the modest success of their debut album, Love released the single "7 And 7 Is" in July 1966. The song was a real rocker, and has retrospectively been tagged with the label 'proto-punk'. It was their most successful single, getting to #33. They then expanded their line-up to seven members, bringing in Tjay Cantrelli on sax and flute and Michael Stuart on drums. Original drummer Alban Pfisterer moved over to keyboards (he was a classically trained pianist before he was ever a drummer). The new Love's first release was the brilliant single "She Comes In Colors", which moved the band's sound forward through its sophisticated arrangement with harpsichord and flute. Though it did not chart, it is often considered one of Arthur Lee's best compositions.

Their second album came out in early 1967, featuring both recent singles with a number of new compositions. The new songs made full use of the expanded line-up, many of them again featuring the harpsichord. Love were moving away from their folk-rock roots and exploring interesting new ideas, in really quite unique ways for a rock band of their time. They were capable of both raucous rockers and delicately beautiful arrangements, all under the guiding hand of singer and songwriter Arthur Lee (who was also playing guitar, harmonica and drums when needed).

However whilst Da Capo could have been a masterpiece, it was ultimately flawed. There were only enough of these brilliant new songs to fill out one side of vinyl, so side two was taken up by one long blues-based jam called "Revelation". Whilst certainly very good, this track diluted the impact of the rest of the album, which is a great shame, as side one taken by itself features some of the most interesting rock music of the 60s.

Love (1966) <|> Forever Changes (1968)
More from Love

Download

Manfred Mann Chapter Three - Manfred Mann Chapter Three (1969)

Manfred Mann Chapter Three were a short-lived British jazz-rock band founded by keyboard player Manfred Mann

Following the breakup of Manfred Mann the band, Manfred Mann the musician was keen to move away from pop music and start something new. Drummer Mike Hugg (whom he had originally formed the band with) stuck with him, and also moved out of the drum seat to play keyboards. The result was Manfred Mann Chapter Three, featuring the lineup of Mann (organ), Hugg (vocals/piano), Bernie Living (sax/flute), Steve York (bass) and Craig Collinge (drums). The new band made their debut performance in October 1969, and introduced their experimental jazz-rock sound.

Their debut album came out a month later. It was fated to never be commercially successful, but was a truly remarkable record. It joined slow, brooding grooves with Hugg's eerie, whispered vocals, creating something brilliantly dark and menacing, somewhat akin to Dr John's Night Tripper albums. The band was also bolstered by a large horn section which added some real power, and at times broke up into blaring free jazz solos. The songs were all originals written by Mann and Hugg, and included one which would have been familiar to many. "Mister, You're A Better Man Than I" had first been recorded by The Yardbirds back in 1965, and was re-invented here as to make it almost unrecognizeable.
The result was a great album with a unique sound. However it was clear from the start that this new band were not going to have any hits and would be restricted to an underground audience.

|> Manfred Mann Chapter Three Volume Two (1970)

Download

Billy Preston - The Kids & Me (1974)

Billy Preston was an American singer-songwriter and keyboard player, best known for his talents on the Hammond organ.

Coming home from his two-month tour of Europe as opening act and guest keyboard player for The Rolling Stones, Billy Preston quickly got to work on his next solo album, mostly recorded with his own band (keyboardists Hubert Heard and Kenneth Lupper, and drummer Manuel Kellough). He also found time to play on the Stones' It's Only Rock & Roll album shortly afterwards.

The Kids & Me came out later in 1974, showcasing more upbeat, finely polished R&B full of great keyboard playing. Several of the songs were notable for the prominent use of synthesizers. One song, "You Are So Beautiful", was co-written with Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. Guitarist Joe Walsh also made an appearance.

The album was one of his most successful, charting at #17 on the Billboard Top 200. It also generated another #1 hit single, with the brilliant "Nothing From Nothing". The instrumental "Struttin'" also got to #11 on the R&B chart. In 1975 Preston was a musical guest on the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live, performing "Nothing From Nothing".

Later in 1974 Joe Cocker covered "You Are So Beautiful", and it gave him a huge hit at #5.

Live European Tour (1974) <|> It's My Pleasure (1975)
More from Billy Preston

Download

Lonnie Mack - Whatever's Right (1969)

Lonnie Mack is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Whatever's Right was Lonnie Mack's second album of 1969, and like its predecessor (Glad I'm In The Band) it exhibited his blend of rock & roll, blues, soul and country, highlighted by fantastic vocals, excellent band arrangements, and of course superb guitar playing. The songs included covers of The Falcons' "I Found A Love", Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To Do", Bobby Bland's "Share Your Love With Me" and Willie Dixon's "My Babe", along with a couple of very strong originals which bookended the album.

It was another hit with the critics, but sales were disappointing. Mack then moved away from recording and into a producing / session work / A&R role for Elektra Records. He recruited many southern blues and country artists to the label, and his most well-know studio session saw him playing bass (and according to rumours, some lead guitar as well) on The Doors' Morrison Hotel album.

Glad I'm In The Band (1969) <|> The Hills Of Indiana (1971)
More from Lonnie Mack

Download

Donovan - In Concert (1968)

Donovan is a British singer-songwriter, who in the 60s emerged from the British folk scene to become a psychedelic pop icon.

Back in September of 1967 Donovan had performed a concert at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, which had been recorded. It had featured lots of material which would then have been unfamiliar to a US audience, the only real 'hits' present being the then-current "There Is A Mountain" and a cursory performance of "Mellow Yellow". Since that concert he had released his double album A Gift From A Flower To A Garden and gone on a much-publicised trip to India with The Beatles and Mike Love of The Beach Boys.

The recording from Anaheim was released in the summer of 1968, and In Concert became Donovan's much-welcome first live album. It turned out excellently, with a relaxed, jazzy vibe throughout which thoroughly explored the extent of Donovan's talent. Sparse instrumental support came from Tony Carr (drums & percussion), John Carr (percussion), Harold Mcnair (flute & sax), Andy Troncosco (bass) and Lorin Newkirk (piano).

A Gift From A Flower To A Garden (1967) <|> The Hurdy Gurdy Man (1968)
More from Donovan

Download

Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign (1967)

Albert King was a highly influential American blues guitarist and singer.

Albert King was born in Mississippi in 1923. His family moved to Arkansas when he was young, where they worked the cotton plantations. In the early 50s he took up the blues guitar. He left the cotton fields behind to go north, spending time in Indiana, Missouri and finally settling in Chicago. He became a very skilled electric guitarist, with a distinctive string-bending style. He was also memorable in appearance, being 6ft 4, smoking a pipe and playing a Flying V guitar. His first single was released in 1953, but it wasn't until almost ten years afterwards that he finally had a hit - "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" was a #15 R&B hit in 1961, on Cincinnati-based King Records. An album called The Big Blues was released in 1962, which compiled singles from this era, and saw King playing in a jazzy horn-driven style.

1966 saw him move to Memphis and sign with Stax Records, and it was here that he finally made his mark. He recorded a series of fine singles backed by the Stax house band Booker T. & The MGs, which charted modesty on the R&B charts - "Laundromat Blues" at #29, "Crosscut Saw" at #34 and "Born Under A Bad Sign" at #49. In 1967 Stax released the Born Under A Bad Sign album, and revealed in full the new style they had helped craft for King - a sparse, clean, modern R&B sound. His guitar and smoky voice were front and centre, with tight backing from The MGs and The Memphis Horns. This album contained many classics, included the title song, written by Booker T Jones and singer William Bell, which became King's signature tune.

Though it wasn't much of a chart success, the album turned out to be massively influential, especially among the young rock & roll crowd, many of whom had only just heard of Albert King. At age forty-four he had finally achieved widespread popularity, and Born Under A Bad Sign turned out to be one of the most important blues albums of the late 60s.

The Big Blues (1962) <|> Live Wire/Blues Power (1968)

Download

Janis Joplin - I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969)

Janis Joplin was an American singer, one of the most popular female rock vocalists of the 60s.

Janis Joplin was born in Texas in 1943, and as a teenager started listening to blues music, which inspired her to start singing. In 1963 she moved to San Francisco, where she befriended and recorded with guitarist Jorma Kaukonen (the recordings became a popular bootleg called The Typewriter Tapes). It was also at this time that she started drinking and using drugs heavily. In 1965 she moved back to Texas for a change of lifestyle, in an attempt to kick her habits. However she returned to San Francisco when she was invited to be the lead singer of rock band Big Brother & The Holding Company, and together they became a very popular part of the city's psychedelic rock scene. At this time she also relapsed into her excessive drink and drugs habits.

Big Brother & The Holding Company became very successful, and Joplin became known as the most powerful white female vocalist in rock music. However she left the band for a solo career in late 1968, taking Big Brother guitarist Sam Andrew with her to form a new backing group, which she called the Kozmic Blues Band. Her first solo album with them was released in 1969, titled I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! It was a fine debut, shifting direction away from acid rock towards more concise, funky R&B music. It was a style that suited her bluesy voice well. Among the covers featured on the album were The Chantels' "Maybe", The Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody", two songs by Nick Gravenites, and Jerry Ragavoy's "Try (Just A Little Bit Harder"), which became something of a signature tune for her. Though opinions were divided over whether her new direction was a good thing of whether she should have stayed with Big Brother, she was still generally seen as one of the greatest voices of her era. The album got to #5.

|> Pearl (1971)

Download

David Grisman - Hot Dawg (1978)

David Grisman is an American mandolin player.

1978 saw David Grisman release his third solo album, with which he further explored his brilliant fusion of bluegrass and swing, what he started to call 'Dawg Music'. Support for his dazzling mandolin playing came from a number of equally talented musicians, including his own group the David Grisman Quintet - fellow mandolin player Mike Marshall, guitarist Tony Rice, violinist Darol Anger and bassist Bill Amatneek. The Quintet only appeared in their entirity on one song though, as elsewhere the bass role was shared around between Todd Phillips, Buell Neidlinger and Eddie Gomez. There was also a very special guest appearance from the original master of jazz violin, none other than Stéphane Grappelli himself. One of the songs he played on was "Minor Swing", originally by the Quintette du Hot Club de France (the band which had pioneered the genre of gypsy swing), of which Grappelli had been a member. It was also actually the second time Grisman had recorded this song, as it also featured on his previous album.

The David Grisman Quintet (1977) <|> Quintet '80 (1980)
More from David Grisman

Download

The Small Faces - Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)

The Small Faces were a highly influential English rock band active from 1965 to 1969.

The Small Faces' move to Immediate Records had started the most artistically creative era of their career, first with the #12 hit "Here Come The Nice" and a brilliant self-titled album. They then released three of their best singles, the first of which was the psychedelic pop tune "Itchycoo Park", which was a #3 UK hit in 1967. It also gave them their first (and indeed only) US hit, getting to #16 on the other side of the Atlantic. This was followed by "Little Tin Soldier", a soulful rocker which got to #9 and is surely one of their finest songs. The third hit was "Lazy Sunday", a rowdy knees-up which saw Steve Marriot singing in an exaggerated cockney accent. Originally recorded as a joke, it actually got to #2 and became one of their biggest hits.

Their next album saw them fully commit themselves to the new psychedelic pop sound with 1968's Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. "Lazy Sunday" was featured, as was another similar cockney-rock song ("Rene"). The entirity of side two was taken up by a bizarre, whimsical fairy tale told through song, with narration between each track from comedian Stanley Unwin spoken in his own self-crafted 'Unwinese' gobbledegook. The album turned out to be a critical success, the band's very own Sergeant Peppers', and it made it to #1 on the UK album chart. Due to the complexity of the material they only ever performed it live once, on the BBC.

Small Faces (1967) <|> The Autumn Stone (1969)
More from The Small Faces

Download

Barry McGuire - This Precious Time (1966)

Barry McGuire is an American singer-songwriter.

Following the success of the "Eve Of Destruction" single, Barry McGuire began working on another album for Dunhill Records with producer Lou Adler. Whilst he was recording he was reunited with some old friends from his folk days, as the newly-formed The Mamas & The Papas came to California. He invited them to sing backing vocals for him. The result of these sessions was This Precious Time, which took his music forward with a more sophisticated folk-rock-pop sound. It included one song written by John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas - "California Dreamin'" was first recorded here with the four of them singing backing vocals for McGuire's lead. Other songs on the album included more P.F. Sloan compositions, The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe In Magic", Bob Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", The McCoy's "Hang On Sloopy" and two Beatles songs ("Yesterday" and "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away").

The album, though a strong one, was not a chart success - perhaps the media backlash "Eve Of Destruction" caused had permanently tarrred McGuire's name. "California Dreamin'" had all the makings of another obvious hit single, and he was going to release it, until John Phillips asked if maybe The Mamas & The Papas could release it instead. Impressed by what he saw, Lou Adler had signed them to Dunhill. They replaced McGuire's vocal track and added a flute solo, but otherwise used the same recording. Released as a single, this version gave them a massive hit and launched their careers.

Eve Of Destruction (1965) <|> World's Last Private Citizen (1968)
More from Barry McGuire

Download

James Carr - You Gotta Have Soul (1964-1970)

Compilation
James Carr was an American soul singer.

From 1964 to 1970 the great James Carr only released two albums, as his career was severely hampered by his mental health problems. However he did release a total of fifteen singles, many of which weren't included on the albums. Since the re-issue of those two albums in 2002 and 2003 with plenty of bonus tracks, and the 2001 release of The Complete Goldwax Singles, there is now much more James Carr material on the market. This compilation brings together the reissue bonus material and the singles not to be found on either albums, and so features non-charting a-sides, b-sides and outtakes. It includes his first three singles from 1964 and 1965 ("You Don't Want Me", "Lover Competition" and "Talk, Talk"), before he had his first hit in 1966, a wonderful version of Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire, and his last two minor R&B hits from 1969, the civil rights song "Freedom Train" (#39) and a cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" (#44). Despite his behind-the-scenes problems, Carr's voice remained on top form thoughout. Sadly his music career could not continue and by 1970 any hope of becoming a star had faded.

JJ Cale - Number 10 (1992)

JJ Cale is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.

JJ Cale has never been adverse to using modern technology - indeed his debut album opened with the sound of a drum machine, which was certainly unusual for 1971, especially for an artist with such a rootsy style. His tenth album (predictably titled Number 10) saw him update his sound further through the use of new digital technology. It was a home-made affair, and featured more modern drum machine sounds and the careful use of synthesizers. All this could have perhaps ended badly, but the result was actually just more typically laid-back JJ Cale music, just with a slightly more modern sound which in no ways got in the way. He played alot of the instruments himself, but there were also appearances from drummer Jimmy Karstein, organist Spooner Oldham, bassists Tim Drummond and Nick Rather, and his regular collaborators Christine Lakeland and Bill Boatman.

There were two songs which were notable for not having the slick digital sound of the rest of the album - "Take Out Some Insurance" and "Low Rider" stood out for their natural, acoustic country-roots style.

Travel Log (1990) <|> Closer To You (1994)
More from JJ Cale

Download

Don Covay - Bip Bop Bip (1957-1970)

Compilation
Don Covay is an American soul singer and songwriter.

Don Covay's recording career began way back in 1957, but for most of his life he has found more success as a songwriter than a singer. He only ever released three albums in the 60s (Mercy!, See-Saw and The House Of Blue Lights), but there were also many singles in this era released on a variety of labels, most of which sank without a trace. Dug up and collected together, they make for a wealth of brilliant songs which could well have been compiled into at least one more album at the time. Coming from a span of over ten years, their style varies quite considerably. His earliest singles were in a straight rock & roll format, coming from when he was performing as part of the Little Richard Revue. Over the next several years he moved through doo-wop, soul and funky R&B styles.

His first song to become a big hit through another artist was "Pony Time", which was covered by Chubby Checker and in 1961 and got to #1. He went on to write songs for others including Solomon Burke, Jerry Butler, Gladys Knight, Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin (who had a huge hit with "Chain Of Fools" in 1967). The two songs which did give him Top 10 R&B hits of his own were "Mercy Mercy" and "See-Saw", but as they were featured on albums of the same names they are not included on this compilation (and neither are a few more singles from those albums). In fact this compilation goes no where near collecting all of the singles, some of which still remain very obscure and elusive (most notably his own version of "Chain Of Fools" isn't here). Instead it should be considered a selection of songs to showcase the scale of his talent, both A-sides and B-sides taken from thirteen years of his career .

It includes one cover - Allen Toussaint's "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky", from 1970.

Doug Sahm - Texas Tornado (1973)

Doug Sahm was a Texan singer-songwriter and musician, best known as founder and leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet.

Doug Sahm's second solo album quickly followed his first in 1973. Confusingly it was actually credited to the Sir Douglas Band, but as the Sir Douglas Quintet had by then definitely broken up it can safely be considered a solo release (though members of the Quintet, including organist Augie Meyes, do appear). Releasing his albums under various confusing names would become something of a habit.

Like his first album, and indeed like all the Sir Douglas Quintet albums, Texas Tornado presented a raw Tex-Mex mix of rock & roll, blues, jazz, country and tejano. Parts of it were actually leftovers from the sessions that produced his debut. It featured some great original songs, and a lovely cover of Bobby Charles' "Tennessee Blues". Among the various backing musicians featured can be found Dr John (piano), Flaco Jimenez (accordion), David Bromberg (dobro) and Fathead Newman (sax).

Doug Sahm & Band (1973) <|> Groover's Paradise (1974)
More from Doug Sahm

Download

Buddy Guy - Left My Blues In San Francisco (1967)

Buddy Guy is a highly influential American blues guitarist and singer.

Buddy Guy was born in Louisiana in 1936, and started playing the blues in Baton Rouge clubs during the 50s. In 1957 he made the move north to Chicago, where he started playing in the West Side clubs along with Otis Rush and Magic Sam. He started to become known for his exciting live performances, and was briefly signed to Cobra Records for a couple of singles before the label folded. He then signed with Chess, but they had trouble marketing him (apparently they weren't too keen on his loud, aggressive style of blues). He worked extensively as a session musician at this time, most notably for Muddy Waters (on his 1964 Folk Singer album) and harmonica player Junior Wells (two albums from 1965 and 1966).

Eventually Chess released an album of his own recordings - Left My Blues In San Francisco became Buddy Guy's belated debut, and introduced his flashy style of soulful electric blues to the record-buying public. It was a modern record which fit in well with the soul and rock styles of the day, and indeed he had become very popular in the rising blues-rock scene, influencing many better known guitarists, both American and British. By this time his contract with Chess had run out, and he was quick to sign with a new label who would market his style more effectively.

|> A Man And The Blues (1968)

Download

Tim Hardin - Tim Hardin 4 (1969)

Tim Hardin was an American singer-songwriter.

In 1969 Tim Hardin left his record label, Verve. They were obviously keen to get some more releases out of him though, as they got hold of some unreleased demos and put them out as Tim Hardin 4. These recordings reportedly date back to 1964, before he was signed to Verve, so maybe came from his brief stay with Columbia Records, which didn't result in anything at the time. Back then he was performing in more of a folk-blues style, so Tim Hardin 4 was very different to the albums that came before and immediately after. Interestingly a similar album of unused blues demos (1967's This Is Tim Hardin) had come out on Atco. The Atco album had featured solo acoustic performances, but Tim Hardin 4 saw him playing electric guitar backed by a small band (mostly just bass and drums). The songs themselves were mostly originals, along with Willie Dixon's "Seventh Son", Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" and the traditional "House Of The Rising Sun". "Airmobile", though credited to Hardin, was clearly a thinly-veiled cover of Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me".

Though it didn't in any way represent where Hardin was at as an artist in 1969, it turned out to be a fine album. Verve's desire to milk as much product out of him as possible after he had left them led to a greatest hits collection the same year. Meanwhile, he re-signed with Columbia.

Tim Hardin 3: Live In Concert (1968) <|> Suite For Susan Moore And Damion (1969)
More from Tim Hardin

Download

Rare Earth - Dreams / Answers (1968)

Rare Earth are an American rock band.

The band that was to become Rare Earth formed in the early 60s, at that time calling themselves The Sunliners. They spent most of the decade playing R&B in Detroit clubs, but in 1968 they managed to get themselves signed to Verve Records, and this is when they changed their name to Rare Earth. By this point the band consisted of Gil Bridges (sax/vocals), Rod Richards (guitar/vocals), Kenny James (keyboards), John Persh (bass/trombone/vocals) and Peter Hoorelbeke (drums/vocals). Their debut album came out that same year. Dreams/Answers mixed their R&B roots with psychedelia, resulting in a satisfying rock/soul style with plenty of excellent vocals and instrumental work. It included covers of The Coasters' "Searchin'", The Temptations' "Get Ready" and Wilson Pickett's "634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)". It was ultimately unsuccessul and didn't get anywhere on the charts, though good things were just around the corner for the band....

|> Get Ready (1969)

Download

Emmylou Harris - Luxury Liner (1977)

Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter.

1975 and 1976 had been breakthrough years for Emmylou Harris, giving her two Top 10 country albums and four hit singles. Now recognised as the queen of country rock, she was much in demand as a backing vocalist, and made guest appearances on albums by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt and Guy Clark. She recorded her next album throughout 1976. At this time guitarist James Burton left The Hot Band to go and work with Elvis, and he was replaced by English guitarist Albert Lee. The rest of The Hot Band consisted of pedal steel guitarist Hank DeVito, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Rodney Crowell, pianist Glenn D. Hardin, bassist Emory Gordy and drummer John Ware.

Luxury Liner came out in 1977, and like her first two records it showcased stellar performances of an impressive repertoire of cover material. The songs included those by Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Chuck Berry, The Louvin Brothers, The Carter Family and Jimmy Work. It also had two new numbers by Hot Band member Rodney Crowell. Guest musicians included bluegrass multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs, dobro player Mike Auldridge, harmonica player Mickey Raphael and singer Nicolette Larson (who duetted with Harris on The Carter Family's "Hello Stranger"). The highlight of the album was without a doubt her outstanding cover of Townes Van Zandt's enigmatic outlaw song "Pancho And Lefty".

The album got to #1 on the country chart, and ended up being her biggest selling record. It also generated another two Top 10 country singles - Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" (#6) and Jimmy Work's "Making Believe" (#8). That same year she also married her producer, Brian Ahern.

Elite Hotel (1975) <|> Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town (1978)
More from Emmylou Harris

Download

The Radiants - The Singles (1962-1965)

Compilation
The Radiants were an R&B vocal group active in the 1960s.

The Radiants were formed in Chicago in 1960, consisting of Maurice McAllister (lead), Charles Washington (tenor), Jerome Brooks (tenor), Wallace Sampson (baritone) and Elzie Butler (bass). They began singing gospel, but also on the side performed R&B songs written by McAllister. In 1962 Washington was replaced by Green 'Mac' McLauren, and that same year they went fully secular and got themselves signed to Chess Records. Their first single was the brilliant "Father Knows Best", which unfortunately didn't become a hit anywhere except in Cleveland. A string of equally good singles followed, none of which charted. McLauren was drafted in 1963, and was replaced by Frank McCollum.

However by 1964 they had pretty much broken up. Brooks, Butler and McCollum had all departed, and so McAllister and Sampson were joined by Leonard Caston Jr. and continued as a trio. In this format they finally found some success, scoring two R&B hits with 1964's "Voice Your Choice" (#16) and 1965's "Ain't No Big Thing" (#14). This success turned out to be brief. Caston left and was replaced by James Jameson for "Baby You've Got It", but then McAllister left. Without their leader this should have been the end of The Radiants, but Chess shoe-horned new members in to keep the name active until 1969 when they were dropped by the label. They officially broke up in 1972.

This compilation groups together sixteen singles and b-sides from the McAllister years. Some really hot soul, featuring some true lost gems!

Download

Al Kooper - A Possible Projection Of The Future / Childhood's End (1972)

Al Kooper is an American singer-songwriter, producer and musician.

In 1972 Al Kooper returned to London to record for his next solo album. A Possible Projection Of The Future / Childhood's End came out later that same year, showcasing his usual soul-rock blend. It was notable for featuring his first use of synthesizers, used extensively in place of the usual horns and string arrangements. The result was very effective, giving the album something of a cold, dark feel in places. He played all the keyboards and guitars himself, just backed by bassist Herbie Flowers and drummer Barry Morgan. Alongside some great original songs were covers of Smokey Robinson's "Swept For You Baby", Jimmy Cliff's "Please Tell Me Why", Curtis Mayfield's "The Monkey Time" (which had been a 1963 hit for Major Lance) and Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" (originally from Dylan's New Morning album, which Kooper had co-produced).

One song ("Swept For You Baby") was not recorded in London, and was an outtake from his previous album.

New York City (You're A Woman) (1971) <|> Naked Songs (1973)
More from Al Kooper

Download

Fred Neil - Other Side Of This Life (1971)

Fred Neil was an influential American singer-songwriter.

Fred Neil had been a major figure of the New York folk scene in the early 60s, and inspired many better-known artists. However his recorded output was very sparse. He released no albums at all in the late 60s as he faded into obscurity, retreating to Coconut Grove, Florida (where his one-time musical partner Vince Martin had also gone). His song "Everybody's Talkin'" became a massive hit for Harry Nillson in 1969, whose version won a Grammy after being featured in the film Midnight Cowboy. The song has since become a well-known standard, though most are not aware of its author. By the end of the 60s Neil had pretty much retired.

A final album did come out in 1971, compiled from live recordings and studio outtakes, so he may well have had no involvement with his release. The live half of Other Side Of This Life was recorded years back in New York, with Neil backed by second guitarist Monte Dunn. The studio half featured alternate takes of a few tunes, plus some surprise duets, one with jazz pianist Les McCann and one with country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons (the latter on a cover of William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water").

Neil was barely heard of again for the rest of his life. He reportedly returned to the studio in the 70s, but the recordings were never released, and he only occasionally performed in public. He died in 2001.

Sessions (1967) <|
More from Fred Neil

Download

Hot Tuna - First Pull Up, Then Pull Down (1971)

Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band.

In 1971, as Jefferson Airplane began a period of decline , Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady dedicated more and more time to their Hot Tuna side project. It became an independent group and gigged apart from the Airplane. At this time they also went electric, and recruited two new members - drummer Sammy Piazza and fiddler Papa John Creach. Their second album was another live one, different to their debut in that it was electric, and at the same time featuring a very similar style of folk-blues (with songs by Reverend Gary Davis, Bo Carter and Blind Blake). It also featured a guest appearance from harmonica player Will Scarlett. Like its predecessor it was a modest success, and got to #43 on the album chart.

Hot Tuna were becoming really quite successful and attracting their own live following. The same year Kaukonen and Casady worked on the Jefferson Airplane album Bark, which Papa John also appeared on. One of Kaukonen's songs on Bark, "Third Week In The Chelsea", was musically in the same vein as Hot Tuna, and lyrically was about his thoughts on leaving the Airplane.

Hot Tuna (1970) <|> Burgers (1972)
More from Hot Tuna

Download

The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Toucan Do It Too (1977)

The Amazing Rhythm Aces are an American country-rock band originally formed in the early 70s.

1977 brought another album from the Amazing Rhythm Aces, their third. Toucan Do It Too was a solid follow-up to their highly regarded first two, with a similar soulful country-rock sound, full of their characteristic eclecticism. Standout tracks included "Living In A World Unknown", their hardest-rocking number at the time, and the achingly sad and beautiful "Last Letter Home", sung from the point of view of a hospitalized (and possibly dying) American Civil War soldier. This song in particular is perfect testimony to the band's songwriting abilities and instrumental skills, and Russell Smith's wonderful vocals. Elsewhere on the album several tracks were notable for some soaring lead guitar from Barry 'Byrd' Burton.

Unlike its predecessors, Toucan Do It Too produced no hit singles. It did modestly well on the country album chart, getting to #24.

Too Stuffed To Jump (1976) <|> Burning The Ballroom Down (1978)
More from the Amazing Rhythm Aces

Download

Stuck In The Past!

Subscribe

Artists