Thursday, December 16, 2021

Mick Softley (folk / England)


Mick Softley
 was born on 26 September 1939, South Woodford, Essex, England and died on 1 September 2017 (aged 77) in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He was an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A figurehead during the British folk scene, Softley set up his own folk club, released three albums and worked with performers such as Mac MacLeod, Donovan, and Maddy Prior. 

Donovan covered two of Softley's songs ("Goldwatch Blues" and "The War Drags On") in 1965. Dave Berry also covered two of Softley's songs ("Walk Walk Talk Talk" and "I Love You Baby") in 1966. 





Genres: Folk 

Instruments:  Guitar 

Years active Early 1960s - 2017

Softley grew up in Essex near Epping Forest. His mother was of Irish origin (from County Cork) and his father had East Anglian tinker roots, going back to a few generations. Softley first took up trombone in school and became interested in traditional jazz. He was later persuaded to become a singer by one of his school teachers, and this led to him listening to Big Bill Broonzy and promptly changed his attitude to music, to the extent of him buying a mail-order guitar and some tutorial books and teaching himself to play.

By 1959, Mick Softley had left his job and home, and spent time travelling around Europe on his motorbike, with a friend, Mick Rippingale. He ended up in Paris, where he came into the company of musicians such as Clive Palmer, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and Wizz Jones. Here he improved his guitar skills and spent time busking with friends until his return to England in the early 1960s. He set up a folk club at The Spinning Wheel in Hemel Hempstead. It was shut down by the police after only a year, however, for "various reasons", mainly health and safety; a very small basement room, with only one way in (and out). Softley did not look back on this time favourably claiming during production he had gone "through a lot of hells and no heavens, a terrifying amount of personal pain" to the extent that he quit the music business for over four years. During this time he survived as a market trader in Hemel Hempstead, fathered two children, in 1963 and 1964, and still played gigs frequently in folk clubs around the south east. He returned to life on the road in 1968. Due to contractual issues he never received any royalties in the later years.

Softley began singing in 'The Cock', a pub in St Albans, which was a hang out for beatniks and hippies and attracted musicians down from London. Informal sessions were common. This was where he met a young Donovan Leitch, to whom he taught cross-picking guitar techniques. (Leitch later cited Softley as a "major influence").

Donovan was soon snapped up by a record label and shot to stardom, but this enabled him to bring Softley to the attention of producers and record companies. His first release was the 1965 single "I'm So Confused", released by Immediate Records.

He went on to work with Peter Eden and Geoff Stephens, and his debut album Songs For Swinging Survivors, which was a purely folk record. The album featured only Softley and his acoustic guitar and includes the songs "The War Drags On" (covered by Donovan on his Universal Soldier EP), and Softley's own interpretations of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit", and Woody Guthrie's "The Plains of the Buffalo".

Time Machine: https://youtu.be/C15LXv4uEDI :






Discography:

- Songs For Swingin' Survivors (1965), 

- Sunrise (1970)

- Street Singer (1971)

- C'est la Fête à Malataverne (1971), Expression Spontanée – one track, "Time Machine"          record live in French folk festival

- Any Mother Doesn't Grumble (1972)

- Capital (1976)

- Mensa (1978)

- War Memorials (1985)


More infohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Softley




Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Best Live Performances / Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (1972)

Pink Floyd live in Pompeii


Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a 1972 concert documentary film featuring the English progressive rock group Pink Floyd performing at the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, directed by Adrian Maben. Although the band are playing a typical live set from this point in their career, the film is notable for having no audience.

The main footage in and around the amphitheatre was filmed over four days in October 1971, using the band's regular touring equipment, including studio-quality 24-track recorders. Additional footage filmed in a Paris television studio that December made up the original 1972 release. The film was then re-released in 1974 with additional studio material of the band working on The Dark Side of the Moon, and interviews at Abbey Road Studios.

The film has subsequently been released on video numerous times, and in 2003 a "Director's Cut" DVD appeared which combines the original footage from 1971 with more contemporary shots of space and the area around Pompeii, assembled by Maben. A number of notable bands have taken inspiration from the film in creating their own videos, or filming concerts without an audience.


Live at Pompeii (full concert): https://youtu.be/fhDfmUnN1vY :




Track listing:

   1. "Pompeii"

   2. "Echoes, Part 1"

   3. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene"

  4.  "A Saucerful of Secrets"

  5.  "One of These Days"

  6.  "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"

  7.  "Mademoiselle Nobs"

  8. "Echoes, Part 2"



Source and more info:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd:_Live_at_Pompeii


Friday, November 19, 2021

ALBUM OF THE WEEK / Universe - Universe (1971)

Universe - Universe (1971)

Tracks:

1. Twilight Winter

2. Cocaine

3. Universe

4. Rolling

5. Spanish Feeling

6. The Annexe

7. Bleak House

8. Track Four


British heavy bluesrock band, based in Cardiff, Wales, formed in 1968 as 'Spoonfull'. In 1970 the band changed its name to 'Universe' and eventually disbanded in 1972. 


Members:

Steve Finn (guitar, vocals, harmonica) 

Mike Lloyd Jones (lead guitar) 

John Healan (bass) 

Mike Blanche (organ) 

Rob Reynolds (drums, 1968 -1970) 

Steve Keeley (drums, 1970 -1972)


Universe: (Full Album): https://youtu.be/4kSma2pgcaI



Forever More (prog rock / UK)


Forever More
was a late 1960s and early 1970s progressive rock band, featuring Alan Gorrie, Mick Strode (aka Mick Travis), Onnie McIntyre (aka Onnie Mair) and Stuart Francis. The principal songwriters for Forever More were: Alan Gorrie and Mick Strode, writing either as individuals or co-writing. Alan Gorrie, Onnie McIntyre, and Stuart Francis all originated from Scotland, whereas Mick Strode was born in Oldbury in the West Midlands. The band toured extensively in the United Kingdom and in Europe. They recorded two LPs: "Yours" and "Words on Black Plastic".

Formation of Forever More, 1969

Scottish musicians Alan Gorrie, Onnie McIntyre and Stuart Francis had previously been part of a band called Hopscotch, alongside two other Scottish musicians, namely pianist/vocalist Graham Maitland and vocalist Hamish Stuart (later of Crocodile, and Sir Paul McCartney's Wings). Mick Strode, meanwhile, had been the lead guitarist in various bands in the Midlands and in London, most notably with Robert Plant and John Bonham in the final 1968 lineup of their pre-Led Zeppelin group Band of Joy. Early in 1969 in Shepherd's Bush, London, Mick Strode met Alan, Onnie, and Stuart of Hopscotch; and soon afterwards the four of them formed Forever More. All of Forever More also played as session musicians in various studios in London.

Morphing and Evolution of Forever More:

Shortly before disbanding in 1971 Forever More, by means of a simple name change, morphed into a band called Glencoe. The line-up was still the same: Mick Strode, on lead electric guitar, had already incorporated his mandolin playing and acoustic guitar into their live performances; and all four members were offering vocal harmonies, although Alan Gorrie remained the principal singer with Mick Strode singing solo on some numbers, especially on his own compositions. Since Alan Gorrie played both bass and piano, Onnie McIntyre would sometimes switch to playing bass for live performances.

Not long after Forever More's change of name to Glencoe, however, Onnie McIntyre and Alan Gorrie decided to leave the band. Determined to continue as Glencoe, Mick Strode and Stuart Francis set about recruiting two new members for their band. The first musician who joined them was Graham Maitland, a pianist who had previously played with Stuart Francis, prior to Forever More's formation. The second new member was a very young bass player called Norman Watt-Roy, whose audition to join Glencoe is described in Dr.Sonja Strode's book (2011). This line-up toured widely in the United Kingdom until April 1972 when guitarist/songwriter Mick Strode decided to leave the band. Strode was replaced by John Turnbull and they released 2 further albums "Glencoe" (1972) and "Spirit Of Glencoe" (1973).

Having left Forever More in 1972, Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre formed the Average White Band, teaming up with Scottish saxophonists Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan who had been part of Jimmy Litherland's Brotherhood (later known as Mogul Thrash). Together with trumpeter Mike Rosen, they were known as the Dundee Horns. In the heyday of Forever More it was not unusual for this brass section to jam with Forever More whenever their gigs coincided.


Past members:

Alan Gorrie : bass guitar, piano, vocals

Onnie McIntyre (aka Onnie Mair) - guitar, vocals

Mick Strode (aka Mick Travis): guitar, vocals

Stuart Francis: drums, vocals


Discography:

- Yours (1970)

- Words on Black Plastic (1971)

- Forever More: Yours + Words On Black Plastic (2007)


Forever More : https://youtu.be/iEfjT--Eh58




Back in the States:  https://youtu.be/WV5SdUz2yM0




Source: Wiipedia

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Dragonwyck ( psych, garage, space rock / USA)


Dragonwyck
started in October 3, 1969 in Cleveland , Ohio. The original members were Bill Pettijohn (vocals), Mike Gerchack (bass, vocals) Jack Boessneck (drums), Tom Brehm (guitar) and Kenneth Staab (keyboards, vocals). In the five years of performing in the Cleveland area, Dragonwyck recorded three albums: "Dragonwyck" in 1970, "Chapter 2" in 1973, and "Fun" in 1974, and a 45 RPM single "Lovin' the boys/The music" in 1974.

The core membership of Dragonwyck began in 1965 when drummer Jack Boessneck, guitarist Tom Brehm and organist John Hall formed their first band, The Mortycyans, whose name was fashioned after the English band The Undertakers. With the singer Roy Baker, the bass player Pat Osines and the rhythm guitarist Ned Fairfield, The Mortycyans played a mixture of American and British rock at schools functions, C.Y.O dances, fraternity parties and V.F.W Legion Posts throughout the west Cleveland suburbs. In 1967, John hall left the band to attend Northwestern University, and was replaced by John Chandler. A year later, both Roy Baker and Neil Fairfield left the band to attend college. At that point, The Mortycyans callled it quits.

In 1968, Tom Brehm, Pat Osines, the drummer Gary Sanger, the organist Skip Foster and the singer Greg Reese formed the short lived band Sunrise. The band performed music by The Small Faces and Procol Harum. When Greg Reese left the band, the singer Bill Pettijohn auditioned. Bill was uncomfortable with the high vocal range of the Sunrise song list and during a break he asked Tom to listen to a song he wrote called "Fire climbs". The band learned "Fire climbs" that night and soon booked time at Landon Magnetic Sound, a 2-track recording studio in Garfield Heights, Ohio. The sound engineer was George Stage. At Landon Magnetic Sound, Sunrise recorded "Fire climbs", "Flowers grow free", "The vision", "Anything I'd give" and "Ancient child". Although crude, these 1968 Sunrise recordings became the early sound of Dragonwyck. By 1969, the bands membership evolved to include The Mortycyans drummer Jack Boessneck, the bass player Mike Gerchack and the keyboardist Kenneth Staab. On October 3, 1969 Sunrise changed their name to Dragonwyck.

Their line-ups varied, but keymembers on all albums are Tom Brehm playing guitars and Bill Pettijohn singing.

Dragonwyck's intention was to write, perform and record their own music. Their musical style moved towards progressive rock. Their first album was released in 1970 for only 85 copies, as a demo LP. Musically they combine the elements of both British and American psychedelic sound with heavy metal tones. The mood of their music is dark and mystical, and their sound is dominated by guitar and Hammonds, Moogs and Mellotrons. This music was dark and hauting, with Doors-like vocals and keyboards and heavy fuzz-psych guitar. On January 20, 1970 they recorded a Kenneth Staab song, "God's dream", at Landon Magnetic Sound, where Sunrise had recorded. Landon Magnetic Sound was now a 4-track studio. The sound engineer again was George Stage. Dragonwyck soon returned to Landon Magnetic Sound to record an entire album.

In October 3, Dragonwyck celebrated its first year as a band and, on October 23, Kenneth Staab quit and moved to Florida. Kenneth Staab died in 1973.

During 70s, the original Dragonwyck performed in the Cleveland Ohio area at D'Poo' and Die, Mickey Finns, Pandora's Box in Elyria, The Electric Boathouse in Mainsfield, Admiral Bimbo's in Westlake and J.B.'s in Kent, where Glass Harp was the houseband at that time.

In 1976 Tom Brehm and producer Bill Cavanaugh started the band called Flying Turns, to continue the musical direction of the album "Fun".

Band leader Tom Brehm reformed Dragonwyck with a new and younger lineup in 2006 and embarked on a short European tour before fading once again into obscurity.



Dragonwyck 1970 (full album): https://youtu.be/Kg2V1vxsIGk :







Source: https://progmusicparadise.blogspot.com/2019/07/dragonwyck-psychedelic-progressive-rock.html  and Progarchives.com

Janis Joplin - Woodstock performance 1969



Woodstock:  Janis Joplin



Complete Woodstock 1969 recordings of Janis Joplin :   https://youtu.be/H3DlFjKo9H8


Performed Sunday morning, August 17, 1969:  2:30–3:30 am


Woodstock '69 :

Joplin appeared at Woodstock in the late hours of Saturday, August 16, 1969. She performed until the early morning hours of Sunday, August 17. Despite her reportedly not even knowing of the festival's existence, the Woodstock promoters were advertising her as a headliner. She thus became one of the main attractions of the historic concert.


Joplin informed her band that they would be performing at the concert as if it were just another gig. When she and the band were flown in by helicopter with the pregnant Joan Baez and her mother from a nearby motel to the festival site and Joplin saw the enormous crowd, she instantly became incredibly nervous and giddy. Upon landing and getting off the helicopter, Joplin was approached by reporters asking her questions. She deferred them to Caserta as she was too excited to speak. Initially Joplin was eager to get on the stage and perform, but she kept getting delayed as bands were contractually obliged to perform before her. Faced with a ten-hour wait after arriving at the backstage area, she shot heroin with Caserta and was drinking alcohol, so by the time she hit the stage, she was "three sheets to the wind".Joplin took the stage following Creedence Clearwater Revival. On stage her voice became slightly hoarse and wheezy and she found it hard to dance.


Throughout her performance she frequently spoke to the crowd, asking them if they had everything they needed and if they were staying stoned. She pulled through, however, and the audience was so pleased they cheered her on for an encore, to which she replied and sang "Ball and Chain". Her performances of "Kozmic Blues" and "Work Me, Lord" at Woodstock are notable, though her voice breaks while she sings.


Janis Joplin Band Members:

Janis Joplin: vocals

Terry Clements: tenor saxophone

Cornelius "Snooky" Flowers: baritone saxophone

Luis Gasca: trumpet

John Till: guitar

Richard Kermode: keyboards

Brad Campbell: bass

Maury Baker: drums


Janis Joplin Woodstock Setlist:

- Raise Your Hand: https://youtu.be/TZodp57vITk

- As Good as You've Been To This World: https://youtu.be/HWDxkx7Jhwc

- To Love Somebody: https://youtu.be/k19r0riS794

- Summertime: https://youtu.be/cI75VAn8JMM

- Try (Just a Little Bit Harder): https://youtu.be/dBJnoMP1Uyc

- Kozmic Blues: https://youtu.be/NVC1y-51exc

- Can't Turn You Loose: https://youtu.be/RCIGi0DS380

- Work Me, Lord: https://youtu.be/6agb04hmrBE

- Piece of My Heart: https://youtu.be/1Vz8cvJPZRs

- Ball and Chain: https://youtu.be/h66qXAK-q3o


 Complete Woodstock 1969 recordings of Janis Joplin :   https://youtu.be/H3DlFjKo9H8

















David Bowie - rare and unreleased tracks from 1970-1971

Divine Symmetry (rare and unreleased tracks from 1970-1971)

As 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of David Bowie’s album Hunky Dory I thought I would put together a mix of rare and unreleased music from this period. 

Considering the Bowie estate have been marking the 50th anniversary of albums with some sort of archival release of unreleased music (as they did with 2019’s Conversation Piece box set and 2021’s Width Of A Circle), it’s likely that at least some of this material would be released in some shape or form in the next 12 months. Like the period in the run up to Space Oddity, Bowie was a very prolific songwriter in the period from late 1970 to the release of Ziggy Stardust with many of the songs recorded ultimately left on the sidelines. Unlike the songs recorded in run up to Space Oddity, a good portion of that music has surfaced through unofficial means, though some songs continue to elude the bootleggers including Black Hole Kids, Only One Paper Left, It’s Gonna Rain Again and King of the City.


The demo version of Quicksand, as well as (most of) Lightning Frightening were previously released on the Ryko reissues of Hunky Dory and The Man Who Sold The World respectively, though those disks have been out of print for about 30 years. Bombers was from the 1971 BOWPROMO promotional disk, which was previously officially released as a Record Store Day exclusive in 2017. The Glastonbury Fayre clips were sourced from the 2019 documentary film David Bowie: Finding Fame.

This mix doesn’t comprise of every recording available from the period, but features at least one version of every unreleased song in circulation. If this list was more thorough you’d have to sit through at least five versions of Looking For A Friend.


https://youtu.be/1EJQ5d2HwfE : 




NOTE: This mix originally included the alternate take of Eight Line Poem, as well as most of the alternate mix of the chatter leading up to Andy Warhol. Both of these were copyright striked resulting in the video being blocked worldwide. I have since removed these tracks from the mix though curiously you can still find the tracks elsewhere on YouTube. Both are sourced from the 1971 BOWPROMO promotional disk.


0:00:00 - 0:04:42 Quicksand (Demo)

0:04:42 - 0:07:41 Rupert The Riley

0:07:41 - 0:11:44 Lightning Frightening (The Man)

0:11:44 - 0:12:03 Oh! You Pretty Things (Excerpt, Glastonbury Fayre, 23 June 1971)

0:12:03 - 0:15:21 Oh! You Pretty Things (Sounds Of The Seventies: Bob Harris, 21 September 1971)

0:15:21 - 0:18:24 Tired Of My Life

0:18:24 - 0:18:54 Life On Mars? (Excerpt, Demo)

0:18:54 - 0:22:16 Kooks (Sounds Of The Seventies: Bob Harris, 21 September 1971)

0:22:16 - 0:24:56 The Supermen (John Peel: In Concert, 3 June 1971)

0:24:56 - 0:27:52 Bombers (BOWPROMO mix)

0:27:52 - 0:30:43 Andy Warhol (Sounds Of The Seventies: Bob Harris, 21 September 1971)

0:30:43 - 0:34:15 How Lucky You Are (Miss Peculiar)

0:34:15 - 0:34:38 Changes (Excerpt, Glastonbury Fayre, 23 June 1971)

0:34:38 - 0:38:22 Shadow Man

0:38:22 - 0:41:31 Looking For A Friend

0:41:31 - 0:45:39 Man In The Middle

0:45:39 - 0:49:09 Changes (Demo)

0:49:09 - 0:51:31 Buzz The Fuzz (The Sunday Show: Introduced by John Peel, 5 February 1970)

0:51:31 - 0:54:18 Fill Your Heart (Sound Of The Seventies: Bob Harris, 21 September 1971)

0:54:18 - 0:56:42 Right On Mother

0:56:42 - 1:00:36 Amsterdam (Sounds Of The Seventies: Bob Harris, 21 September 1971)


Source: YouTube by Fish Magick May 7th 2021



Sunday, October 24, 2021

Best Live Performances / Genesis - Paris Bataclan 1973 long version

Genesis, live at the Bataclan, Paris, 01/10/1973, 16mm master. 

(From YT: ikhnaton: 

Well, I think it's time to release this film. In collaboration with the Genesis Museum, I present to you: Genesis, live at the Bataclan, Paris, 01/10/1973, 16mm master.

 

Long version: https://youtu.be/8qMsr7jjQF0 :




1. The Musical Box 

2. Supper's Ready 

3. The Return of the Giant Hogweed 

4. The Knife

5. Interview


Source: YouTube


Thursday, October 21, 2021

Martha Wainwright , Rufus and Martha and Kate McGarrigle - Proserpina

Martha Wainwright:

Martha Wainwright's soaring yet delicate harmonies take center stage in her performance of elegy "Proserpina," written by her late mother, the legendary folk singer Kate McGarrigle, in filmmaker Matthu Placek's intimate video. 

Taken from her forthcoming album Come Home to Mama, the track was recorded in Sean Lennon's New York home studio and continues a lifelong musical dialogue between Wainwright and McGarrigle, who passed away in 2010. "It's the last song my mother wrote, and of course I also think that she wrote it for me, and for Rufus," explains Wainwright, referring to her critically acclaimed crooner brother, Rufus Wainwright. "We wrote songs together, ever since we were children. As we sing her songs, I think her voice can be heard in ours, literally through our pipes."  Placek's single-take film was inspired by the premise of "Proserpina," which recounts the story of the creation of the seasons by the Roman goddess Ceres, who withholds the world's bounty for six months every year in protest about her daughter's abduction by Pluto, lord of the underworld. "It's all about Martha's performance," says the director, who has also produced music videos for Trixie Whitley and Hannah Cohen. "Martha's vocal range is insane, it's outrageous—I've never seen anyone like her."


Martha Wainwright: Proserpina : https://youtu.be/zAFFA3g17J0 : 




Rufus and Martha Wainwright:  https://youtu.be/ykxeEg_s_Iw




Kate McGarrigle - Proserpina:  https://youtu.be/ITyTquxTjhQ : 




SONG OF THE DAY / Rufus Wainwright - Martha

Rufus Wainwright performing "Martha" on KCRW :

After writing his first opera, renowned singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright returns to our studio to perform songs from his new album, "All Days Are Nights": Songs for Lulu on our piano. He joins us on Morning Becomes Eclectic.


Martha: https://youtu.be/fwGTZpv1aUc




Tuesday, October 12, 2021

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCES - Steve Hillage (1977)

Steve Hillage performing at the Otto Hahn Schule Bensberg for Rockpalast, Germany 20th March 1977


Steve Hillage - Live in Germany (1977) : https://youtu.be/HkVF_YM0i-w :




 

The Band: 

- Steve Hillage / Guitar, Vocals 

- Miquette Giraudy / Synthesizer, vocals, Tibetan bell 

- Clive Bunker / Drums 

- Colin Bass / Bass, vocals 

- Christian Boule / Rhythm Guitar and Glissando guitar 

- Phil Hodge / Keyboards 

- Basil Brooks / Synthesizer, Sequencer, Flute 


The Set:

1. Salmon Song

2. Solar Music Suite

3. Lunar Music Suite

4. Meditation of the Dragon



Source: YouTube

Frumpy (progressive rock/krautrock / Germany)


Frumpy
was a German progressive rock/krautrock band based in Hamburg, which was active between 1970–1972 and 1990–1995. Formed after the break-up of folk rockers The City Preachers, Frumpy released four albums in 1970–1973 and achieved considerable commercial success. The German press hailed them as the best German rock band of their time and their vocalist Inga Rumpf as the "greatest individual vocal talent" of the contemporary German rock scene. They disbanded in 1972 although the various members all worked together at various times over the following two decades and they reunited again in 1989, producing three more albums over five years after which they disbanded once more.

Years active: 1970 -1972, 1990 -1995

Formation:

All of the band members met as performers with Germany's first folk rock band The City Preachers [de], formed by Irishman John O'Brien-Docker in Hamburg in 1965. In 1968, the band had split, with O'Brien-Docker and several other members parting company. Singer Inga Rumpf, a distinctive "un-feminine" sounding vocalist often compared favourably with Janis Joplin, continued to use the band name with a line-up including drummer Udo Lindenberg, singer Dagmar Krause, French organist Jean-Jacques Kravetz and bassist Karl-Heinz Schott. In the spring of 1969, Lindenberg left to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Carsten Bohn, who by November that year had grown disappointed with Krause and called for the band to pursue a new creative direction, "a fusion of rock, blues, classical, folk and psychedelic."

Reforming in March 1970 as Frumpy (a play on Rumpf's surname inspired by seeing the word "frumpy" in a CBS record catalogue) the new line-up of Rumpf, Bohn, Kravetz and Schott debuted at the Essen International Pop & Blues Festival in April 1970, where two of their songs "Duty" and "Floating" were recorded and released on the live compilation album Pop & Blues Festival '70. This was followed by more tour dates in France, Germany and the Netherlands, an appearance at the Kiel Progressive Pop Festival in July 1970, and at the Open Air Love & Peace Festival at Fehmarn, September 6, 1970.

Recordings

They recorded their debut album "All Will Be Changed" in August 1970. To promote the album the band embarked on a fifty-night German tour with Spooky Tooth, as well as playing supporting slots with Yes, Humble Pie and Renaissance. The album received both critical acclaim and commercial success.

Initially the band played without a guitarist, which was unusual in the rock genre, and the band instead made great use of Kravetz's "spacey organ excursions" and his powerful Leslie Rotating Speaker System, a sound modification and frequency modulation device. Rumpf said: "In the beginning we were happy enough as a quartet. I played and composed exclusively on an acoustic guitar. It was only later that we began to write songs that called for a guitar." In 1971, just before the band started recording their second album, called simply 2, they recruited former Sphinx Tush guitarist Rainer Baumann to the line-up. The album, "heavier and more mature progressive rock with classical overtones in Kravetz's organ ([and] occasionally mellotron) work," repeated the success of the first, and gave the band a hit single with "How the Gipsy Was Born", which would become their "signature tune." The German music magazine Musikexpress dubbed Frumpy as the best German rock act of the year, while Inga Rumpf, variously described as "smoky", "demonic" and "roaring," was declared by national newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to be the "greatest individual vocal talent" of the German rock scene so far.

More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frumpy


Past members:

Inga Rumpf [de]

Jean-Jacques Kravetz

Rainer Baumann [de]

Karl-Heinz Schott

Carsten Bohn

Erwin Kama

Thomas (Carola) Kretschmer [de]


Discography:

- All Will Be Changed (1970)  

Frumpy 2 (1971)

- By the Way (1972)

- Live (1973)

- Inga Rumpf – Second-Hand Mädchen (1975)

- Now! (1990)

- News (1991)

- Live NinetyFive (1995)


How the Gypsy was Born: https://youtu.be/gqq2tBk49Fs :




Source: Wikipedia


Monday, October 4, 2021

SONG OF THE DAY / Henrik Freischlader Band - The Memory of Our Love

Henrik Freischlader Band - The Memory of Our Love

Henrik Freischlader (born 3 November 1982) is a German blues guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer, and autodidactic multi-instrumentalist from Wuppertal, Germany. He has been the supporting act for Joe Bonamassa, B.B. King, the late Gary Moore, Peter Green, Johnny Winter and other blues legends.

His style of music cannot be considered pure blues. He often blends in musical styles such as rock, jazz, soul, and funk, even though blues is the basis of all of his songs. His guitar-playing is influenced by Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Peter Green, Albert Collins and Albert King. As he grew up, Freischlader taught himself how to play drums, bass guitar, guitar and other instruments.

Since his first album, Henrik Freischlader has been using Realtone amplifiers culminating in a signature amp. Freischlader's main guitar is a Haar Stratocaster copy in sunburst that has a Fender decal on its headstock. Further, he uses various Gibson Les Pauls and a Fender Telecaster.

During his teenage years, he started his career as a blues guitarist and singer in bands such as Lash and Bluescream. In 2004, he formed the Henrik Freischlader Band and released his first album The Blues in 2006.


The Memory of Our Love: https://youtu.be/yYSMsuhFpWg :




Band:

Henrik Freischlader guitar, vocals

Theofilos Fotiadis bass guitar

Moritz Fuhrhop piano, keyboard, Hammond organ

Björn Krüger drums


Source: Wikipedia



ALBUM OF THE WEEK / Paul Kossoff - Back Street Crawler (1973)

Paul Francis Kossoff (14 September 1950 – 19 March 1976) was an English blues rock guitarist. He was most notably a member of the band Free.

Back Street Crawler is the first solo album by Paul Kossoff. The same year as Free's demise, Kossoff was able to pull himself together, moderating his drug addiction enough to record a solo album, Back Street Crawler, which surprisingly featured contributions from his former Free bandmates as well as Yes drummer Alan White. Original release, 1973.

Molten Gold is not, as has been alleged, a Free reunion; it is a 1972 outtake from the Free album Free At Last, with overdubs.

Time Away features three-fifths of the Mk II Free lineup (Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu) plus 70s songwriter-guitarist John Martyn, who would in 1975 invite Kossoff to guest on his own tour. The collaboration can be heard on expanded editions of Martyn’s Live At Leeds album.


full album 1973: https://youtu.be/UnPhLqUOgWo  : 


Tuesday Morning: 




Tracks Listing:

A.Tuesday Morning 

B1.I'm Ready 

B2.Time Away 

B3.Molten Gold 

B4.Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)


Personnel:

Paul Kossoff – lead guitar

Trevor Burton – bass guitar ("Tuesday Morning")

Alan White – drums ("Tuesday Morning", "I'm Ready")

John "Rabbit" Bundrick – keyboards ("Tuesday Morning"); organ, chimes, piano ("Molten Gold")

Alan Spenner – bass guitar ("I'm Ready")

Jean Roussel – keyboards ("I'm Ready", "Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)")

Jess Roden – lead vocals ("I'm Ready"); harmony vocals ("Molten Gold")

Tetsu Yamauchi – bass guitar ("Time Away")

Simon Kirke – drums ("Time Away", "Molten Gold")

John Martyn – lead vocals, guitar ("May You Never"); guitar ("Time Away", "Leslie Jam")[2][3]

Paul Rodgers – lead vocals ("Molten Gold")

Andy Fraser – bass guitar ("Molten Gold")

Conrad Isidore – drums ("Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)")

Clive Chaman – bass guitar ("Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)")

JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE - documentary

 JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE - Janis Joplin Documentary with dir. Amy Berg


This is the new Janis Joplin documentary that explores the life and music of the psychedelic queen of the blues. Director Amy Berg shares the film with clips and the trailer, discusses Janis on the Dick Cavett show, and also details her collaboration with Cat Power on the film. The sexual and social impact of Joplin, and the progression of the film from early stages to its premiere is all explored, and we also revisit Berg’s work PROPHET’S PREY, with Ondi Timoner on BYOD.


FILM AND GUEST INFO:

Oscar-nominated documentarian Amy Berg examines the meteoric rise and untimely fall of one of the most revered and iconic rock ‘n’ roll singers of all time: Janis Joplin. Joplin’s life story is revealed for the first time on film through electrifying archival footage, revealing interviews with friends and family and rare personal letters, presenting an intimate and insightful portrait of a bright, complicated artist who changed music forever.


documentary: https://youtu.be/T94YPOkDyuE :




On December 15, 2015, Amy J. Berg released her biographical documentary film, Janis: Little Girl Blue, narrated by Cat Power. 


Thursday, September 16, 2021

Glencoe (prog rock / UK) ; Loving Awareness Band

Glencoe emerged from the ashes of Scottish progressive rock band Forever More, after Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre left in 1971 to form the Average White Band.

The remaining duo of Mick Travis (aka Mick Strode, guitar) and Stuart Francis (drums) formed Glencoe with Graham Maitland (keys) and Norman Watt-Roy (bass). Initially, they played mainly folk-flavoured rock, reflecting Travis's writing and guitar work, touring in 1972 as support to stablemates Wishbone Ash and Deep Purple. John Turnbull, ex Skip Bifferty, Arc and session musician, replaced Travis after the tour.

British progressive rock band, early 1970s. Glencoe was one of those bands people tend to overlook, which is a pity since they have a surplus of significant music to offer.

The second (and final) album from this British prog band originally appeared in August 1973. Glencoe should have been a great success, gigging extensively their live act was superb, quite heavy and very loud! An effective mixing of speed, power and melody that sits very comfortably together. Graham Maitland's piano work sets a driving air to their music that is truly enjoyable. With the added rhythm of Norman Watt-Roy on bass and Stewart Francis on drums, the group's sound is filled to capacity. They disbanded in February 1974 and in March 1974 a third Glencoe LP was made with a different line up and name as “Loving Awareness”.

The band recorded two albums, both with Turnbull, 'Glencoe' (1972) and 'The Spirit Of Glencoe' (1973), and four John Peel radio sessions. In March 1974 a third Glencoe LP was made with a different line up and name as “Loving Awareness”.

Years Active1971 - 1974


Members

Graham Maitland - Keyboards, vocals

John Tumbul - Guitar, vocals

Stuart Francis - Percussion/drums

Norman Watt-Roy - Bass, Vocals


Discography

- Glencoe' (1972)

- The Spirit Of Glencoe (1973)

- four John Peel radio sessions


Glencoe - 1972 (full album) : https://youtu.be/WWOV101jjII :





In March 1974 a third Glencoe LP was made with a different line up and name as “Loving Awareness”.

The Loving Awareness band were heavily promoted on Radio Caroline in 1976 and comprised of:

John Turnbull – Guitars

Norman Watt-Roy – Bass

Mick Gallagher – Keyboards

Charlie Charles – Drums

Unknown vocalist on this track.

(These guys would later find fame and fortune as Ian Dury’s backing band The Blockheads).


https://youtu.be/hyDTSelFkjw :






Janis Joplin - Biography


Biography:

Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970) was an American blues-influenced rock singer and occasional songwriter with a distinctive voice. Joplin released four albums as the front woman for several bands from 1967 to a posthumous release in 1971.

Joplin was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Port Arthur, Texas. The daughter of Seth Joplin, a worker of Texaco, she had two younger siblings, Michael and Laura. She grew up listening to blues musicians such as Bessie Smith, Odetta, and Big Mama Thornton and singing in the local choir. Joplin graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur in 1960 and went to college at the University of Texas in Austin, though she never completed a degree. While at Thomas Jefferson High School, she was mostly shunned, but found a group of boys who allowed her to tag along. One of those boys, a football player named Grant Lyons, played her the blues for the first time, an old Leadbelly record. Primarily a painter, it was in high school that she first began singing blues and folk music with friends.

Cultivating a rebellious manner that could be viewed as “liberated” – the women’s liberation movement was still in its infancy at this time – Joplin styled herself in part after her female blues heroines, and in part after the beat poets. She left Texas for San Francisco in 1963, lived in North Beach and in Haight-Ashbury. For a while she worked occasionally as a folk singer. Around this time her drug use began to increase, and she acquired a reputation as a “speed freak” and occasional heroin user. She also used other intoxicants. She was a heavy drinker throughout her career, and her trademark beverage was Southern Comfort.

Like many other female singers of the era, Janis’ feisty public image was at odds with her real personality. The book Love, Janis, written by her sister, has done much to further the reassessment of her life and work and reveals the private Janis to have been a highly intelligent, articulate, shy and sensitive woman who was devoted to her family.

After a return to Port Arthur to recuperate, she again moved to San Francisco in 1966, where her bluesy vocal style saw her join Big Brother and The Holding Company, a band that was gaining some renown among the nascent hippie community in Haight-Ashbury. The band signed a deal with independent Mainstream Records and recorded an eponymously titled album in 1967. However, the lack of success of their early singles led to the album being withheld until after their subsequent success.

The band’s big break came with their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, which included a version of Big Mama Thornton’s “Ball and Chain” and featured a barnstorming vocal by Joplin. (The D.A. Pennebaker documentary Monterey Pop captured Cass Elliot in the crowd silently mouthing “Wow, that’s really heavy” during Joplin’s performance.) Their 1968 album Cheap Thrills featured more raw emotional performances and together with the Monterey performance, it made Joplin into one of the leading musical stars of the late Sixties.

After splitting from Big Brother, she formed a new backup group, modeled on the classic soul revue bands, named the Kozmic Blues Band, which backed her on I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969: the year she played at Woodstock). That group was indifferently received and soon broke up, and Joplin then formed what is arguably her best backing group, The Full Tilt Boogie Band. The result was the posthumously released Pearl (1971). It became the biggest selling album of her short career and featured her biggest hit single, the definitive cover version of Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee”, as well as the wry social commentary of the a capella “Mercedes-Benz”, written by Joplin and beat poet Michael McClure.

Among her last public appearances were two broadcasts of The Dick Cavett Show on June 25 and August 3, 1970. On the June 25 show she announced that she would attend her ten-year high school reunion, although she admitted that when in high school she had been “laughed out of class, out of school, out of town, out of the state”. She made it there, but it would be one of the last decisions of her life and it reportedly proved to be a rather unhappy experience for her.

Shortly thereafter, during the fall 1970 recording sessions for the Pearl album with Doors and Phil Ochs producer Paul A. Rothchild, Joplin died of an overdose of unusually pure heroin and alcohol, after being off of drugs (clean) for a period of time, on October 4, 1970 at the Landmark Motor Hotel located at 7047 Franklin Ave, room #105 in Hollywood, California, aged only 27. The last recordings she completed were Mercedes-Benz and a birthday greeting for John Lennon on 1 October; Lennon later told Dick Cavett that her taped greeting arrived at his New York home after her death.

She was cremated in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California, and her ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean. The album Pearl, released six weeks after her death, included a version of Nick Gravenites’ song “Buried Alive In The Blues”, which was left as an instrumental because Joplin had died before she was able to record her vocal over the backing track.


The 1979 film The Rose was loosely based on Joplin’s life. The lead role earned Bette Midler an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress. As of 2005, two biopics of Joplin’s life are being planned, one called Piece of My Heart starring Renée Zellweger, the other one called Gospel According to Janis. Gospel According to Janis, a biographical film starring Zooey Deschanel as Joplin, was originally scheduled to begin shooting in early 2007, now has a projected release date of 2010.

In the late 1990s, the musical play Love, Janis was created with input from Janis’s younger sister Laura plus Big Brother guitarist Sam Andrew, with an aim to take it to Off Broadway. Opening in the summer of 2001 and scheduled for only a few weeks of performances, the show won acclaim and packed houses and was held over several times, the demanding role of the singing Janis attracting rock vocalists from relative unknowns to pop stars Laura Branigan and Beth Hart. A national tour followed.

Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Among the artifacts at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum Exhibition are Joplin’s scarf and necklaces, her 1965 Porsche 356 Cabriolet with psychedelically-designed painting, and a sheet of LSD blotting paper designed by Robert Crumb, designer of the Cheap Thrills cover. Also in 2009, Joplin was the honoree at the Rock Hall’s American Music Master concert and lecture series.

In 2013, Washington’s Arena Stage featured a production of A Night with Janis Joplin, starring Mary Bridget Davies. In it, Joplin puts on a concert for the audience, while telling stories of her past inspirations including Odetta, Aretha Franklin, and others. It went on tour in 2016.

On November 4, 2013, Joplin was awarded with the 2,510th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the music industry. Her star is located at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard, in front of Musicians Institute.

On August 8, 2014, the U.S. Postal Service revealed a commemorative stamp honoring Janis Joplin, as part of its Music Icons Forever Stamp series during a first-day-of-issue ceremony at the Outside Lands Music Festival at Golden Gate Park.

On December 15, 2015, Amy J. Berg released her biographical documentary film, Janis: Little Girl Blue, narrated by Cat Power. It was a New York Times Critics’ Pick. Among the memorabilia she left behind is a Gibson Hummingbird guitar.


Source: Wikipedia


Friday, August 27, 2021

Gun (proto-metal, acid rock, psych rock, hard rock, prog rock / England)

Gun were a late 1960s British rock guitar trio who had a single British Top Ten hit, "Race with the Devil" and recorded two albums before disbanding. The band included brothers Paul Gurvitz and Adrian Gurvitz.

Years active: 1967 - 1970

History: 

Gun were renamed in 1967 from The Knack, formed by guitarist/vocalist Paul Gurvitz (born Paul Anthony Gurvitz,  (he was known by the surname Curtis until the early 1970s after which he returned to his original name Gurvitz). The Knack changed their name in the spring/summer of 1966, and the setup was Paul Curtis (Gurvitz) on guitar and vocals, Louie Farrell (born Brian John Farrell,  (who had joined The Knack in mid 1966) on drums, Gearie Kenworthy on bass guitar , Tim Mycroft organ ( Dorset died 1 January 2010), and later for a short while, Jon Anderson of Yes. Gun performed at the UFO Club, supporting bands such as Pink Floyd, Arthur Brown and Tomorrow. Recording sessions at Olympic Studios produced the unreleased single "Lights on the Wall", while in November 1967 they recorded for the BBC alternative music radio programme Top Gear and twice played on air. In early 1968 the band changed its line-up to a trio, with Paul Curtis (Gurvitz) on bass, Louie Farrell on drums and Adrian Curtis (Gurvitz) on guitar.

After being signed to CBS Records in early 1968, the band scored a hit with the opening track from their eponymous album (1968), "Race with the Devil". Jimi Hendrix quoted the song's riff during his song "Machine Gun" at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, as did Status Quo on their song "Forty Five Hundred Times" during a stage show at Apollo Theatre in Glasgow in 1976. "Race with the Devil" has been covered by Judas Priest (on the remastered CD version of Sin After Sin), Black Oak Arkansas (on their album Race with the Devil), Girlschool (on their album Demolition), and Church of Misery (on their 1996 demo, released as a split album with Acrimony, and on their full-length LP Vol. 1).

Their debut album's cover is noteworthy as it was the first by Roger Dean. AllMusic described it as having a "distinctive psych-flavoured proto-metal" sound. Their second album, Gunsight was released in 1969. Despite releasing a number of other singles, and an attempt by their record label to identify them with the underground counter-culture, the band had no further hits.

After a short time working separately, the Gurvitz brothers formed Three Man Army in 1971 and recorded three albums. Between 1974 and 1976, Three Man Army became the Baker Gurvitz Army with Ginger Baker, the former drummer for Cream, in the line-up. The trio recorded three albums: Baker Gurvitz Army, Elysian Encounter and Hearts On Fire. During the same period, the Gurvitz brothers recorded two albums under the name The Graeme Edge Band, with drummer Graeme Edge of The Moody Blues: Kick Off Your Muddy Boots and Paradise Ballroom. It was not a touring band, and also featured Baker. Paul Gurvitz now tours as the Paul Gurvitz and the New Army.


Past members: 

- Adrian Gurvitz - guitar

- Paul Gurvitz - guitar, vocals

- Louie Farrell - drums

- Gearie Kenworthy -  bass guitar

- Tim Mycroft - organ


Discography:

- Gun (1968)

- Gunsight (1969)


Rat Race: https://youtu.be/-Ayo55Q92GY : 





Source: Wikipedia

Friday, August 20, 2021

Carol of Harvest (psych folk, prog rock / Germany)

Biography:

Carol Of Harvest was founded in Cadolzburg, Bayern, Germany in 1978 - Alex Schmierer recorded under the revived moniker in 2008

One of the many German bands to release a single album on a private label and watch it grow into a collector's dream. Carol of Harvest played a dreamy blend of Progressive Rock and Folk with female vocals that might be compared with Mellow Candle and early Clannad mixed with Jane, Pentangle and Renaissance. The music has the added edge of long arrangements with Moog synth and acid guitar solos, and in reality has little to do with Krautrock.

The front cover photograph was taken, in Nymphenburg Palace park in Munich, by a friend, Manuel, of Alex Schmierer's then girlfriend Rita.

Members:

Beate Krause (vocals)

Axel Schmierer (guitars)

Jürgen Kolb (keyboards)

Robert Högn (drums)

Heinz Reinschlussel (bass)

(Helmut Reinschlussel - technic)


Discography:

- Carol of Harvest (1978)

- Ty I Ja (2008)


Somewhere at the end of the rainbow : https://youtu.be/MXRNL80je6c :




Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Best Live Performance / Jon Lord - intro solo When A Blind Man Cries (Deep Purple)

Jon Lord on keyboard playing an intro solo of "When a Blind Man Cries"  


https://youtu.be/WNWR-bRVJBQ : 




John Douglas Lord (9 June 1941 - 16 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple.

Friday, August 13, 2021

SONG OF THE DAY / DeWolff - Birth of the Ninth Sun (Live)

 DeWolff - Birth of the Ninth Sun -  Live in Tivoli Vredenburg, Holland (2021)


From March 14 to March 23, 2021 Tivoli Vredenburg was completely dominated by 'DeWolff's Nonagon Marathon'. In ten days, the band played their nine albums in full in chronological order through a livestream marathon. From their very first EP 'DeWolff' to their latest achievement WOLFFPACK. Every evening a different album in a different special setting and with a bunch of guest musicians. A long cherished wish of the band that finally came true!


DeWolff Nonagon Marathon #2 - Strange Fruits & Undiscovered Plants (2009)

Live in TivoliVredenburg - March 15, 2021


https://youtu.be/ulbaEI5tfuw : 





Source: YouTube


Skip Bifferty (psych rock , pop/ England)


Skip Bifferty were an English psychedelic rock band formed in early 1966. The band featured future members of Ian Dury and The Blockheads.

Years active:  1966 - 1969


History: 

Skip Bifferty were formed when Newcastle upon Tyne band The Chosen Few (featuring Alan Hull, later of Lindisfarne) changed their name and recruited a new singer, Graham Bell, to replace Hull. Managed by Don Arden, father of Sharon Osbourne, the band were given a contract by RCA Records. For RCA, the group released a number of psychedelic singles, including "Man in Black" (produced by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, both then in the Small Faces), and the 1967 album Skip Bifferty, most recently released with bonus tracks as The Story of Skip Bifferty on Sanctuary Records. Some of their songs were covered by established artists such as Cilla Black, The Tremeloes and The Kingsmen, and they built a following on the "live" circuit, including touring with The Who in October 1968.They also appeared in the 1960s cult film Smashing Time, featuring Rita Tushingham.

However, a management dispute with Arden eventually led to the band's demise under that name in November 1968. Early in 1969, under the pseudonym 'Heavy Jelly' and with Paul Nichols replacing Jackman on drums, the band released one single on Island Records, "I Keep Singing That Same Old Song", which received exposure on the Island Records sampler LP Nice Enough to Eat. The name was taken from a joke review in the London magazine Time Out, and confusingly was soon after also used by another group, which featured Jackie Lomax as lead singer, prior to the commencement of his solo career. Uncovered as Skip Bifferty and without a recording contract, the band, now with Fred Wheatley on drums, split soon after.


Members:

Graham Bell: vocals

Mick Gallagher: keyboards

Colin Gibson: bass

John Turnbull: guitar, vocals

Tommy Jackman: drums

Paul Nichols: drums on Heavy Jelly


Discography:

On Love" / "Cover Girl" (1967)

"Happy Land" / "Reason to Live" (1967)

"Man in Black" / "Mr. Money Man" (July 1968)

L.P.: Skip Bifferty (July 1968)

"I Keep Singing That Same Old Song" / "Blue" [as Heavy Jelly] (January 1969)

"Skip Bifferty--The Story of Skip Bifferty " (2003) 



Follow The Path To The Stars:   https://youtu.be/Er40FVq-Ehw : 




Source: Wikipedia