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Sunday, October 01, 2023

The Elastic Band - Expansions on Life (Pre. The Sweet) (UK 1970)



Size: 117 MB
Bitrate: 320
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Ripped by ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

A sole album by this British band later became Sweet. The album features mixed bag sound of blues, psychedelic, progressive rock. Unfortunately, never made to the chart but the album is pretty impressive indeed. The Elastic Band is a psychedelic rock/blues band formed in North Wales during the late 1960s. The band features Andy Scott , Mike Scott, Ted Yeadon, and Sean Jenkins. Andy Scott would go on to become a member of Sweet. The band released one album, Expansions On Life , on the Decca Nova label.


The Elastic Band was a Welsh rock music group band, formed in Cardiff in the 1960s. They were one of the exponents of the UK psychedelic rock scene from the late 1960s and featured Andy Scott who would go on to become guitarist with Sweet. Other members were August Eadon (Gus) who went by the name Ted Yeadon when he was a member of Elastic Band, Sean Jenkins (drums) and Mike Scott (bass - Andy's brother). The band broke up in 1970 when Yeadon accepted an offer to join Love Affair.


The opening gambit for future Sweet axeman Andy Scott, The Elastic Band were born from the embers of The Silverstone Set, a mid-decade Welsh soul band of some note, who had their minds expanded when they supported some of the emerging underground acts whenever they strayed across the border. When they finally made it to the studio in 1969, their music was a long way from the highly-collectable mod pop of their two early singles, incorporating psych with an amateur proggishness, which remains very endearing, if not very well recorded.


Step forward this reissue, which does right some of the studio wrongs and makes intrinsically good tracks such as Crabtree Farm and Has Anybody Seen Her sound as they should have done at the time. The addition of four bonus tracks and a wealth of archival material also goes some way to putting this very decent album back into some order.

♦ Andy Scott – guitars (1968–1971)
♦ Mike Scott – bass (1968–1971)
♦ Sean Jenkins – drums (1968–1971)
♦ Ted Yeadon – organ, piano, flute, congas, harmonica, vocals (1968–1971)

01. Mother Goose
02. Last Person In The Bar
03. Crabtree Farm
04. Has Anybody Seen Her
05. Dear John
06. Room Full Of Room
07. That's Nice
08. Life Still Goes On
09. Sad Jazz
10. Sunrise Work 'Till Sunset

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Steve Morgen - Morgen (Really Good Heavy Psychedia US 1969)


Size: 172 MB
Bitrate: 320
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

Formed in Long Island in 1968, MORGEN (fronted by vocalist/guitarist Steve Morgen) released its unique album in 1969, one that is considered a major heavy psychedelic rock record, mixing fuzzy garage and freaky hard rock, covering Summer of Love flowers under furious guitars and a massive rhythm section.


US heavy psych masterpiece from 1969. Powerful sound and recording with thunderous drums, piercing fuzz guitars and the incredible vocals of Steve Morgen. Formed as Morgen’s Dreame Spectrum in 1967 in NY, Morgen were one the first bands signed to ABC’s offshoot Probe Records (home also of Soft Machine in the US).


Fuelled by the chemistry between ace guitar player Murray Shiffrin and creative songwriter/singer Steve Morgen, they recorded their self-titled album in 1968 but, much to the band’s dismay and frustration, it wasn’t released until December 1969. Morgen included seven impressive tracks, all of them written by Steve Morgen. You can hear subtle influences of Hendrix, Stones, Who, Doors or Donovan but Morgen’s sound is clearly a beast of its own kind. The mysterious gatefold cover featured Edvard Munch’s iconic 1893 composition The Scream on the front. Welcome to the Void!

* Audiophile restoration / remastering by Ezra Lesser.

01. Welcome To The Void 04:48
02. Of Dreams 05:38
03. Beggin' Your Pardon (Miss Joan) 04:51
04. Eternity In Between 05:10
05. Purple 04:13
06. She's The Nitetime 03:31
07. Love 10:56
08. Of Dreams (45 Version) [bonus track]  03.24
09. She's the Nitetime (45 Version) [bonus track]  03.27
10. Street Walker [bonus track]  03.39
11. Lady [bonus track]  04.06
12. Too Many Americas [bonus track]  05.47
13. Don't You Tell Me [bonus track]  05.52
14. Maryjane [bonus track]  02.59
15. Alpha Omega [bonus track]  05.01

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Richard Thompson - Guitar, Vocal (Unreleased Songs UK 1967-76)



Size: 163 MB
Bitrate: 256 & 320
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan SHM-CD Remaster

(guitar, vocal) is a 1976 album by Richard Thompson. It was released by Island Records as a career retrospective after he and his wife Linda had gone into semi-retirement from the business of making and performing music following the release of Pour Down Like Silver (1975).

Most tracks are unreleased recordings from Thompson's career to date - though the two instrumental tracks were recorded specifically for this compilation. (guitar, vocal) spans Thompsons's early years with Fairport Convention as well as the time he spent performing and recording as a duo with wife Linda. The release was notable for two live cuts from the 1975 Richard and Linda Thompson tour — "Night Comes In" and "Calvary Cross" — which featured lengthy guitar solos by Thompson, and for the Fairport Convention tracks "The Ballad of Easy Rider" featuring an excellent vocal from Sandy Denny which was an unreleased track from the Liege & Lief sessions and "Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman" which had been recorded for and then omitted from that group's Full House album.


(guitar, vocal) has been out of print for some years now. Several tracks first released as part of this compilation have subsequently been included as bonus tracks on remastered Fairport Convention and Richard & Linda Thompson albums issued by Island Records. However the BBC version of Mr Lacey remains unavailable elsewhere, and did not feature on the recent Fairport Convention boxset.


A superb 68-minute collection of obscure and unreleased tracks from Thompson's career, covering late 1967 until April 1976. The album's first six tracks are devoted to Thompson's career with Fairport Convention -- highlights include "Throwaway Street Puzzle" (the B-side of the single "Meet on the Ledge"), the BBC recording of "Mr. Lacey," the Liege and Lief session outtake "The Ballad of Easy Rider," the Full House session outtake "Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman," and "Sweet Little Rock 'N' Roller" from the L.A. Troubadour (House Full) concert tapes. 


Thompson plays some sizzling guitar on these cuts, though "Ballad of Easy Rider" -- played here the way Dylan might've covered it on John Wesley Harding -- is more representative of Sandy Denny than Thompson. The post-Fairport material includes an alternate arrangement of "A Heart Needs a Home" from Hokey Pokey, a beautifully sung live rendition of "The Dark End of the Street" (featuring one of Linda Thompson's best performances); their hard-rocking live rendition of Jack Clement's "It'll Be Me"; the exquisite solo acoustic guitar instrumental "Flee as a Bird"; and two epics, "Night Comes In" and "Calvary Cross," featuring Thompson and his band stretching out on-stage. Despite the existence of the triple-CD career retrospective, this disc still has enough prime rarities to rate as a must-own, even for casual fans. [Source: Wikipedia + AMG]

Joe Boyd – Producer
Sandy Denny – Vocals
Timi Donald – Drums
Pat Donaldson – Guitar (Bass)
Judy Dyble – Vocals
Fairport Convention – Performer
Victor Gamm – Engineer
Ashley Hutchings – Bass, Guitar (Bass)
John Kirkpatrick – Accordion, Button Accordion
Martin Lamble – Drums
Todd Lloyd – Producer
Dave Mattacks – Drums
Ian Matthews – Vocals
Simon Nicol – Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Mellotron
Dave Pegg – Guitar (Bass)
Pete Ross – Harmonica
Peter Ross – Harmonica
Dave Swarbrick – Mandolin, Violin
Linda Thompson – Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Performer
Richard Thompson – Dulcimer, Guitar, Mandolin, Arranger, Vocals, Producer, Appalachian Dulcimer
Ian Whiteman – Harmonium, Piano (Electric)
John Wood – Producer, Engineer

01."Time Will Show the Wiser" (Emmitt Rhodes) - this recording was included on Fairport Convention's first album. – 3:03

02."Throwaway Street Puzzle" (Ashley Hutchings, Thompson) - originally released as the b-side to Meet On The Ledge, the single from Fairport's second album What We Did On Our Holidays. This song was a bonus track on the 2003 re-issue of What We Did On Our Holidays. – 3:18

03."Mr Lacey" (Hutchings) - this version is from a 1968 BBC radio broadcast and remains unavailable eleswhere. – 2:53

04."The Ballad of Easy Rider" (Roger McGuinn) - Recorded during the sessions in 1969 for Fairport's Liege & Lief album. The 2002 re-issue of the Unhalfbricking album included The Ballad of Easy Rider as a bonus track as it was felt that the song fitted better with the mix of contemporary songs on that album rather than the traditional feel of Liege & Lief. – 4:34

05."Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman" (Thompson, Dave Swarbrick) - originally recorded during the 1970 sessions for Fairport's Full House album. Thompson was unhappy with the vocals and insisted that the track be omitted from the original album. However the track was included on the 2001 re-issue of Full House. The recording included on (guitar, vocal) has extra vocals by Linda Thompson recorded in 1975. – 5:23

06."Sweet Little Rock 'n Roller" (Chuck Berry) - recorded in concert at the Troubador club in Los Angeles during Fairport's 1970 tour. – 4:18

07."A Heart Needs a Home" - this is a different recording and arrangement of the song included on the Hokey Pokey album. This track was included in the 2000 Island Years compilation. – 4:04

08."The Dark End of the Street" (Dan Penn, Chips Moman) - recorded during a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London in April 1975. The same recording was included as a bonus track on the 2004 re-issue of the Pour Down Like Silver album. – 4:22

09."It'll Be Me" (Jack Clement) - recorded during a concert at Oxford Polytechnic in November 1975. The same recording was included as a bonus track on the 2004 re-issue of the Hokey Pokey album. – 4:22

10."Flee As a Bird" (trad., arr. Thompson) - recorded in 1976 for this compilation. – 3:11

11."Night Comes In" - recorded during a concert at Oxford Polytechnic in November 1975. The same recording was included as a bonus track on the 2004 re-issue of the Pour Down Like Silver album. – 12:24

12."The Pitfall/The Excursion" - recorded in 1976 for this compilation. – 3:02

13."Calvary Cross" - recorded during a concert at Oxford Polytechnic in November 1975. The same recording was included in the 2000 Island Years compilation. – 13:27

Bonus Tracks
14. Fairport Convention - If I Had A Ribbon Bow (Bonus 1967) 02.44
15. Fairport Convention - Throwaway Street Puzzle (Bonus 1968) 03.30
16. Fairport Convention - You're Gonna Need My Help [BBC Bonus 1969]  04.11
17. Fairport Convention - Some Sweet Day (BBC Bonus)  02.18

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JJ & The Real Jerks - Rat Beach (Ramones Alike Punk US 2023)


Size: 121 MB
Bitrate: 320
mp3
Ripped by ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

For those late to the party, L.A.’s JJ & The Real Jerks have been kicking around since 2009, bashing out a handful of singles, e.p.’s and full-length platters for labels like Dead Beat, Rock N' Roll Manifesto, Stamp Out Disco, Heavy Medication, and Pat Todd’s Rankoutsider Records. Now, these Sons of The Dolls are back in business with their strongest batch of sleazy barroom rock ‘n’ roll yet.

Steeped in boozy swagger and Stonesy git-down, these 17 songs do exactly that. Joe “JJ” Jennings and company mix their Johnny Thunders with SoCal punk’n’roll from the glory days of The Humpers and The Dragons and add a spritz of Buzzcocks’ melodic attack. They come blazing out of the gate with dual-guitar overdrive and thrashing rhythms, segue into hooky-as-hell barstool anthems, then celebrate the miracle of life with uplifting swagger infused rock n' roll ditties.. This is one fun, raging garage-punk release so hop on aboard and hitch a ride with us on over to Rat Beach. 


Published by 4 May 2013:
Can you tell us a bit about the band’s history? What have you released so far?

The band started in mid 2009, essentially as a recording project just to get some ideas out. Eventually when we had enough material, we started playing out live and releasing records.  So far we’ve put out 3 seven inch singles, and one 12 inch EP, and currently working on a new recording now.

You played your first show opening for MICHAEL MONROE, how was it and how did it happen?


That was an amazing night!  It was at a small 200 person venue in Redondo Beach, right under the pier.  It was one of Michael Monroe’s first shows with his new band, before their record was even out.  We kind of just got lucky to get on that bill, it was a Sunday night and we got in front of a good amount of people.  I think we only rehearsed once and played like 5 songs, it was loose to say the least, but really fun!  Michael Monroe ruled, and it was pretty great to get that opportunity to see him perform right in my neighborhood!

How did you get to work with Rankoutsider Records?

I’ve been friends with Pat Todd’s rhythm guitarist Kevin Keller for a few years now.  He got us an opening slot with The Rankoutsiders a couple years ago, and Pat was there to see our set.  I gave him a few of our older recordings, and through that the relationship with the label began.  We’ve released ‘The Wringer’ 7” single, as well as the latest ‘Economy Class Ego Trip’ EP on Rankoutsider.  I also had the opportunity to play sax on two songs on their new record that will be out this year.

Greg Kuehn (The JONESES/TSOL) appears on the EP. How did you meet? When did you hear The JONESES and TSOL for the first time?

I met Greg when my old band got to play with Prima Donna & The Joneses at a club in West LA back in 2008 or so.  Around that time, Full Breach Kicks had just re-issued a few of the Joneses records, and the band was starting to play shows around town again.  TSOL I had been familiar with just through being into the early LA and OC punk rock stuff.  Greg’s an amazing musician, and when we were looking for those real rollicking ‘ham-fisted’ piano parts, he was more than willing to lay down some tracks for us!

You probably get a lot of comparisons with The HANGMEN. Your opinion about the band?

I think they’re great!  I’ve gotten to catch them a few times. One of the best shows I saw was them along with the Zeros (the original Zeros from Chula Vista) on New Year’s eve a few years back at a tiny bar in downtown LA.

J.J., you also play sax in WALTER LURE’s West Coast backing band, right?


Yes, since about 2009. I met Joey Pinter (The Waldos lead guitarist who played on the Rent Party record) through Real Jerks bassist Hiroshi Yamazaki. Walter wanted to line up a few SoCal shows, and Joey basically put the backing band together. They were looking for a sax player and through Hiroshi I got the gig. Since then, Walter has come out to LA about three times. We actually just played a show a few weeks ago put together by Roy J. Morgan, it was the fourth annual Johnny Thunders tribute show that he does. It was a blast. Close to 400 people came out, and just about every good rock n’ roll band from L.A. was on the bill!

Do you only release your records on vinyl? It seems like this format is getting more popular than the CDs nowadays…

All of the releases have come out on vinyl & digital so far. Usually 300-500 copies pressed on colored wax. I’ve always been a big record collector, so it just seemed natural to release the music on this format. It’s definitely not the cheapest route, but it’s been a great experience and I’ve learned a lot. The pressing plant we use is local here in LA, and I’ve gotten to know them pretty well over the years. Also it seems like people will pay a little more attention to a vinyl release. It’s more likely to get reviewed, airplay on radio stations etc.

Do you feel like a new American rock’n’roll scene is rising from the underground with bands like PRIMA DONNA or The BITERS?

It’s definitely still an underground ‘niche’ thing, but what’s really cool is to see more and more younger guys and girls showing up at the gigs, and maybe even forming bands of their own. There seem to be a lot of younger groups that are looking to bands like the Dolls, Stooges, MC5 etc as an influence, and still putting a modern spin on it.

What are the last live bands you’ve enjoyed?

The Night Marchers, The Hives, Fidlar, The Zeros, Crazy Squeeze, Dirty Eyes, Telephone Lovers, Black Mambas,

Your projects?

Aside from doing JJ & The Real Jerks, I play bass in The Legendary Swagger, which is a five piece straight ahead rock n’ roll/punk band. A few of the guys in that band Geoff Yeaton, Skot Pollok and Richie Mendez play in the Real Jerks too. They’ve been around for a while, I loved their band so much they were one of the major influences on me forming The Real Jerks. Eventually I got a couple of those guys to agree to play in my band, and in turn, they let me join their band as the bass player!! We play out a couple times a year.

01. Rat Beach 02:58
02. Girl I Want My Money Back 02:39
03. Mile High Fight Club 03:29
04. Crash Pad 03:10
05. Bridge Worth Burning 03:12
06. Built To Blast 02:28
07. Dead In The Water 02:14
08. Lost Souls Pub 02:49
09. I Don't Know 03:01
10. Ten Cent Beer Night 02:58
11. Mess You Up 03:48
12. Deprecation Blues 02:28
13. Split Decision 02:19
14. Sinking Feeling 02:54
15. Put Me Out 01:58
16. Shaken Down 02:26
17. Wasted Time 02:56

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Sunday, September 10, 2023

Bent Wind - Lost Ryerson Tapes (Original Album US 1969 & Unreleased) Anyone who have the original album from 1969?


Size: 185 MB
Bitrate: 256
mp3
Ripped By: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

‘THE LOST RYERSON TAPES’
This is a 2 CD special edition of 25 songs which include: - All eight songs from BENT WIND’S original ‘SUSSEX’ lp (A great album with some mind blowing acid guitar licks)
- The two songs from the sole 45 rpm single
- Four live rehearsal songs from Ryerson University
recorded in 1970 with the original lineup of musicians.
- One rare psych version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’
(rare in the sense that they never played cover tunes)


The second CD,
‘BENT WIND AT THE PSYCHEDOME’
includes: Three previously recorded songs from earlier BENT WIND releases Plus seven new songs by BENT WIND all recorded in 2005


Finally here is the definitive version of the classic and super rare Candian 1969 heavy/garage acid psych album. A major influence on Sundial, and several other bands, this album is loaded with searing acid fuzz guitar and dark trippy songs that drip late '60's psychedelia. 


CD1 includes all the tracks from the band's seminal album 'Sussex', both songs from their sole 45, four live rehearsal songs from Ryerson University, Ontario (recorded with the original lineup) and an incredibly rare bonus in the shape of a cover of 'Eleanor Rigby'. CD2, aka 'Bent Wind At The Pyschedome' features three previously recorded songs from earlier Bent Wind reissues, plus seven new songs recorded in 2005! Housed in a beautiful three fold digi pak this is the last word on this great album all officially licensed and sanctioned by the band. Not to be missed.

CD1 The Original 1969 Album & Unreleased:
01.Sacred Cows (1969) - 4.12
02.Touch Of Red (1969) - 3.15
03.Mystify (1969) - 3.40
04.Hate (1969) - 5.26
05.Going To The City (1969) - 2.53
06.Look At Love (1969) - 4.05
07.The Lions (1969) - 5.29
08.Sacred Cows (1969 Single) - 2.27
09.Castles Made Of Man (1969 Single) - 3.27
10.Riverside (1969) - 6.15
11.She Wants (Lost Tapes) - 3.21
12.Blow My Fuse (Lost Tapes) - 4.24
13.Gotta Find My Way (Lost Tapes) - 4.55
14.Leroy Goes West (Lost Tapes) - 2.56
15.Eleanor Rigby (Lost Tapes) - 4.40

CD2 At The Psyche dome Studios 1989-2005:
01.Leroy Goes West (1989) - 2.58
02.Bent Wind (1995) - 4.00
03.The Chant (1995) - 3.43
04.Spies (2005) - 4.00
05.Shame Me (2005) - 4.13
06.The Show (2005) - 3.05
07.When I Met Her (2005) - 3.05
08.You´re Chameleon Tonight (2005) - 2.51
09.Heaven And Hades (2005) - 2.45
10.Riverside (2005) - 6.21

 + Bent Wind - Sacred Cows Single US 1969

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Deep Purple - Live in Japan (Alternative Version Album UK 1972) All songs are recorded during the 3 days that the label recorded 3 concerts in Japan. Here are the songs that didn't make the cut for the 1972 album.



Size: 236 MB
Bitrate: 320
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Some Artwork Included

Made in Japan is a double live album by English rock band Deep Purple, recorded during their first tour of Japan in August 1972. It was originally released in December 1972, with a US release in April 1973, and became a commercial and critical success.

The band were well known for their strong stage act, and had privately recorded several shows, or broadcast them on radio, but were unenthusiastic about recording a live album until their Japanese record company decided it would be good for publicity. They insisted on supervising the live production, including using Martin Birch, who had previously collaborated with the band, as engineer, and were not particularly interested in the album's release, even after recording. The tour was successful, with strong media interest and a positive response from fans.


The album was an immediate commercial success, particularly in the US, where it was accompanied by the top five hit "Smoke on the Water", and became a steady seller throughout the 1970s. 

Deep Purple "Mk II" formed in July 1969 when founding members, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, organist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice recruited singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover to progress from their earlier pop and psychedelic rock sound towards hard rock. They began touring extensively, becoming a well received live band, and had recorded several shows either to broadcast on the radio or listen to privately. However, they had rejected the idea of releasing a live album commercially as they believed it would be impossible to reproduce the quality and experience of their stage act on an LP.

Consequently, there was a demand for bootleg recordings of the band. The most notorious of these was an LP entitled H Bomb, recorded at Aachen on 11 July 1970, which led to a subsequent court case when Virgin Records' Richard Branson was prosecuted for selling it. An article in Melody Maker that examined the bootleg phenomenon claimed that H Bomb was the best selling one at that time. This success, along with albums from other artists such as the Who's Live at Leeds and the Rolling Stones' Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out convinced the band that an official live album would be commercially successful. At the time, Glover told Sounds magazine that "there are so many bootlegs of us going around, if we put out our own live set, it should kill their market."

By 1972, Deep Purple had achieved considerable commercial success in Japan, including several hit singles, so it made sense to tour there. Three dates were booked; the Festival Hall, Osaka on 11 and 12 May, and the Budokan, Tokyo on 16 August, though these were later changed to the 15 and 16 August, and 17 August respectively due to an earlier US tour being rescheduled. The dates sold out almost immediately, and consequently the Japanese arm of the band's label, Warner Bros. Records, wanted to record the tour for a live album to be released in the country. The band eventually agreed to the idea, but insisted if it was going to be released, they wanted it to be done properly. Gillan recalled, "we said we would have to OK the equipment, we wanted to use our own engineer and we would have the last say on whether the tapes were released". The band enlisted producer Martin Birch, who had worked on previous studio albums, to record the shows onto an 8-track recorder so they could subsequently be mixed.

The band's live setlist had been revamped at the start of the year, immediately after recording the album Machine Head, and that album made up a substantial proportion of new material. Although the setlist remained the same for most of the year, opening with "Highway Star" and closing with "Lazy" and "Space Truckin'", the band's musical skill and structure meant there was sufficient improvisation within the songs to keep things fresh. The original intention was the stage act would be used for about a year before being dropped, but Gillan and Glover both resigned from the band in June 1973. When this line-up reformed in 1984, the 1972 setlist made up a significant amount of material performed in concert.

The band arrived in Japan on 9 August, a week before the tour started, to a strong reception, and were greeted with gifts and flowers. Birch was not confident that the recording quality would be satisfactory, since the equipment supplied by Warner Bros. did not have any balance control and that the recorder's size did not appear big enough on sight to capture a commercial quality recording. The band were uninterested in the end result, concentrating on simply being able to deliver a good show. Lord later noticed however that he felt this attitude meant the spontaneity of the performances and interplay between the band members was captured well.


The second gig in Osaka was considered to be the stronger of the two, and indeed this show made up the bulk of the released LP. Only one song, "Smoke on the Water" from 15 August show was used, and this may simply have been because it was the only gig that Blackmore played the song's opening riff as per the studio album.

The band considered the gig at Tokyo on 17 August to be the best of the tour. Glover remembered "twelve or thirteen thousand Japanese kids were singing along to 'Child in Time'" and considered it a career highlight, as did Gillan. At the venue, a row of bodyguards manned the front of the stage. When Blackmore smashed his guitar during the end of "Space Truckin'" and threw it into the audience, several of them clambered past fans to try and retrieve it. Blackmore was annoyed, but the rest of the band found the incident amusing. The gig was not as well recorded as the Osaka shows, though "The Mule" and "Lazy" were considered of sufficient quality to make the final release.

There were no overdubs on the album. Lord claimed once in a magazine interview that a line from "Strange Kind of Woman" had to be redubbed from a different show after Gillan had tripped over his microphone cable, but no direct evidence of this was found when the multitrack tapes were examined. According to Lord, the total budget for the recording was only $3,000 (equivalent to £35,696 in 2015).

"That double album ... wasn't meant to be released outside of Japan. They wound up putting it out anyway and it went platinum in about two weeks."

Jon Lord

The band did not consider the album to be important and only Glover and Paice showed up to mix it. According to Birch, Gillan and Blackmore have never heard the finished album. The band did not want the album to be released outside Japan and wanted full rights to the tapes, but it was released worldwide anyway.


The album was released in the UK in December 1972, with a special offer price of £3.10, the same as a typical single LP from that period. It reached number 16 in the charts. The cover was designed by Glover and featured a colour photo of the band on the front and rear covers, and black and white photos in the inside gatefold. The release in the US was delayed until April 1973, because Warner Bros. wanted to release Who Do We Think We Are first. They were motivated into releasing it due to a steady flow of UK imports being purchased, and it was an immediate commercial success, reaching number 6 in the charts. Warner Brothers also released "Smoke on the Water" as a single, coupling the live recording on Made in Japan with the studio version on Machine Head, and it reached number 4 in the Billboard charts. A recording of "Black Night" from the Tokyo gig, one of the encores that was not on the album, was released as the B-side to the single "Woman from Tokyo" in Europe, and as a single in its own right in Japan.

The Japanese release was titled Live in Japan and featured a unique sleeve design, with an overhead stage shot of the band, a selection of photographs from a gig at the Rainbow Theatre in London, and an insert with lyrics and a hand-written message from each band member. The first pressing came with a 35mm film negative with photos of the band which buyers could develop into their own prints. The sleeve notes claimed that the recording only contained the Tokyo gig, though in fact it was musically identical to the version released in the rest of the world. Phil Collen, later to play in Def Leppard, was in the audience for the Rainbow gig as captured on the sleeve.

In Uruguay, the album was released in 1974 as a single LP (with just the first two sides) on Odeon Records. It used a simplistic sleeve design unlike any other release, with a rising sun on the cover.


The band as a whole had mixed feelings about the album. Gillan was critical of his own performance, yet was still impressed with the quality of the live recording. Paice gave a very positive impression, suggesting that the shows were some of the best the group had performed, and the album captured the spirit of them well.[16] Lord listed it as his favourite Deep Purple album, saying, "The band was at the height of its powers. That album was the epitome of what we stood for in those days."

The response from critics was favourable. Rolling Stone's Jon Tiven wrote that "Made in Japan is Purple's definitive metal monster, a spark-filled execution ... Deep Purple can still cut the mustard in concert". Subsequently, a readers' poll in the magazine declared the album to be the sixth best live album of all time, adding the band have performed "countless shows since in countless permutations, but they've never sounded quite this perfect."

Recent reviews have been equally positive. Allmusic's William Ruhlmann considered the album to be "a definitive treatment of the band's catalog and its most impressive album". Rock author Daniel Bukszpan claimed the album is "widely acknowledged as one of the greatest live albums of all time". Goldmine magazine said the album "defined Deep Purple even as it redefined the concept of the live album." Deep Purple author Dave Thompson wrote "the standing of Deep Purple's first (and finest) live album had scarcely diminished in the quarter-century since its release".

Personnel
♫♪ Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
♫♪ Ian Gillan - vocals, harmonica, percussion
♫♪ Roger Glover - keyboards, backing vocals
♫♪ Jon Lord - keyboards backing vocals
♫♪ Ian Paice – drums, percussion

01. Highway Star - 08.01 [Tokyo 17 August 1972]
02. Child in Time - 12.33 [Tokyo 17 August 1972]
03. Smoke on The Water - 07.28 [Osaka 16 August 1972]
04. Strange Kind of Woman - 11.03 [Tokyo 17 August 1972] 
05. Lazy - 10.11 [Osaka 16 August 1972]
06. Space Truckin' - 20.08 [Osaka 16 August 1972]
07. Speed King - 08.28 [Osaka 15 August 1972]
08. Black Night - 08.01 [Tokyo 17 August 1972] 
09. Lucille - 09.03 [Osaka 16 August 1972] 

Part 01. DP 01
Part 02. DP 02
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Part 01. DP 01
Part 02. DP 02
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Part 02. DP 02

Friday, August 18, 2023

Bob Markley - Markley, A Group (Psychedelia US 1969)



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Markley, A Group is the sixth and final album by the American psychedelic rock group, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and was released in 1970 on Forward Records, owned by Mike Curb. In this case, the album was released under another group name, Markley A Group, as decided by the group owner, Bob Markley. 


It features compositions by Danny Harris, Michael Lloyd and Shaun Harris with lyrics by Bob Markley. The content is simple and soft, reminiscent of the band's earlier work. Lyrically, however, the band was continuing the trend set by Where's My Daddy?, in which they describe class resentment, paranoid psychedelia, and an unsettling interest in young girls. 


Reissue on CD of what was actually the 5th and final album by West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Singer/womaniser Bob Markley thought it better to release it under his own name, as a showcase for his various dementia's. The album is chocked full of rich harmonies and delicate arrangements which show the abundant influence of Michael Lloyd, who co-produced the album with (mad) Bob . A surprisingly consistent and accomplished album for a band about to collapse under the collective weight of it's own insanity.

There are few groups as enigmatic, as mysterious as The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. The prime mover in the band was Bob Markley, born in Oklahoma and the son of an oil tycoon. He moved to Los Angeles early in the 1960's, and in late 1961 he began his recording career with "It Should've Be Me" / 'Summers Comin' On", released on Warner Bros. Both sides were pure teen doo-wop, giving little indication what would follow. Markley remained involved in music, and three years later he met up with two brothers, Shaun and Danny Harris, whose interest in music seemed inevitable as their father was a renowned classical composer and their mother a concert pianist. 

In 1964 Shaun and Danny formed a group The Snowmen, with two musicians who would go on to form The Sunrays and score 1967 hits with 'Andrea' and 'I Live For The Sun'. Later, with the group now split, Shaun and Danny were studying at the Hollywood Professional School where they met Michael Lloyd, leader of yet another local band, Laughing Wind, who had cut some tracks for Tower Records. With Bob Markley and John Ware, a friend of the family, they started a new group. In 1966 the line-up was Dan Harris (lead guitar), Shaun Harris (bass), Michael Lloyd (guitar), John Ware (drums), and Bob Markley who became the inspirator of the band. They band played around all the Sunset Strip clubs and "every freakout that ever happened at the Hollywood Palladium" (to quote Ware).

By 1966 the band had signed to Reprise and their debut album, 'Part One', included some daring cover versions of L.A. contemporaries as Van Dyke Parks, Frank Zappa and P.F.Sloan. The album opened with one of its strongest cuts, the marvelous 'Shifting Sands'. Here is all that was good about the early WCPAEB, that mixture of understatement and melody, with exceptional guitar work which flew over the top of the song, creating an atmosphere that was itself unique. It's the style that the group would expand on. The album-sleeve was a colored collage of anonymous photographs, with no personnel listed. It is not clear who actually played on the album, although Bob Markley is listed as the co-producer.

With the release of the group's second album 'Vol 2', Markley's hold on the group was obviously completed and the air of anonymity removed. The WCPAEB was clearly seen as a trio, with photographs on both the front and back sleeves. Alongside Markley were the Harris brothers. 


The album included some gems. "Smell of Incense" is particularly good with some strong instrumentation. Released as a single (in a cut-up and remix version), it was the hit the group never had; They were curiously beaten by a cover version by the Southwest F.O.B., who reached no.56 a few months later.

The third album 'A Child's Guide to Good and Evil' appeared in mid 1968 and was the group's most accomplished collection. Still operating as a trio the band now found themselves with a new depth of sound, better able to shape their ideas. This was fully explored in "Eighteen is Over The Hill", where by using layers of multi-track, there was now a fuller wash of harmonies and instruments to complement the often-complex material.


Another confused period followed after the group was dropped by Reprise, as their sales were falling. Bob Markley took out some time to work as producer on other projects. The WCPAEB did, however, re-appear, and a further album 'Where's My Daddy' was released on Amos Records late in 1969, although not of the same class as the Reprise material. Once again the line-up was made up of the crucial three. This album effectively ended the name of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, although some time later the trio resurfaced together for one last project, a Bob Markley solo album.



'Markley, A Group' released on the obscure Forward label, was effectively the fifth Pop Art album; the personnel was the same and indeed, the music too was an extension of 'Where's My Daddy'. Once again it lacked the heady atmosphere of say "Smell Of Incense", but it was by no means indispensable. 'A Group' did, however, mark the end of the collaboration between Markley and the two Harrises and they each went their separate ways

○ Bob Markley: backing vocals, percussion
○ Danny Harris: vocals, electric guitar
○ Michael Lloyd: vocals, electric guitar
○ Shaun Harris: vocals, bass guitar

01. "Booker T. & His Electric Shock" (Markley, D. Harris) – 2:22
02. "Next Plane to the Sun" (Markley, Lloyd) – 2:14
03. "Roger the Rocket Ship" (Markley, D. Harris) – 2:45
04. "Elegant Ellen" (Markley, D. Harris) – 2:19
05. "Little Ruby Rain" (Markley, D. Harris) – 3:02
06. "Message for Miniature" (Markley, Lloyd) – 0:26
07. "Sarah the Sad Spirit" (Markley, D. Harris) – 2:36
08."Truck Stop" (Markley, D. Harris) – 3:20
09. "Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!" (Markley, D. Harris) – 2:12
10. "Sweet Lady Eleven" (Markley, Lloyd) – 2:19
11. "The Magic Cat" (Markley, D. Harris) – 2:59
12. "Outside/Inside" (Markley, S. Harris) – 2:40

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