Not to be missed: Speed, Glue & Shinki - Selftitled (Japanese Psychedelia 1972)

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Bitrate: 256
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This far flung, double yellow Tiger bomber wrapped brown bag in paper was unleashed in Japan on Atlantic Records, Speed, Glue & Shinki’s second album did the impossible by being even more of a wrecked and loose a masterpiece as their previous album, “Eve.” Two separate LPs came tethered together in the oversized obi enclosure of one wraparound brown paper bag sleeve designed by the Taj Mahal Travellers’ self-made instrumentalist Michihiro Kimura. And the album’s lyric and credits sheet were littered with typos, crossed out words and all the reproductive cut marks, tape and detritus no white-out or non-repro blue zone exposure of all fuckups unmasking. 

And most of the music here on their final and eponymous named effort mirrored this, comprised of one-takes mishandled with searing guitar overdubs, occasional phasing on the drums and a direction mapped out not by some flimsy, preconceived fad but by a truly unselfconscious and of-the-moment reaching, succeeding and staggering just over the finish line in such a sublimely wrecked and burnt manner that it made an art form out of just teetering on the edge of falling apart altogether. It’s a miracle it was ever played and recorded, let alone released for Speed, Glue & Shinki were loose cannons on the loosest ship of the loosest navy ever and seemed more like three stringless kites that soared so high upon the currents of Rock they never came down. Nothing was ever a big deal for these guys, they were so damn loose.

Speed, Glue & Shinki were a highly unorthodox trio comprised of three rock’n’roll kings of oblivion disguised as Pacific Rim gipsy mongrels who already had spent nearly a decade apiece performing a succession of groups and loose musical configurations. Previous bassist Masayoshi “Ruiseruis” Kabe had spent several years in the successful Group Sounds outfit The Golden Cups before subsequently joining fellow Yokohama native, guitarist Shinki Chen, in the premier Japanese supergroup Food Brain. And Shinki himself had cut his teeth in innumerable blues-based bands, the “New Rock” group Power House and many sporadic live jam sessions. By the end of 1970, Shinki quickly recorded his solo album “Shinki Chen & Friends” with various Power House members and included Kabe on bass on the album’s one true classic: the distended, 13-minute freak out, “Farewell To Hypocrites.” By this time, Shinki had already checked out Zero History, a Filipino quartet hired to perform in a circuit of Tokyo department stores. 

Although their repertoire was primarily cover versions of psychedelic top ten hits, it was the unforgettable power of longhaired vocalist/drummer Joey Smith who caught Shinki’s attention. Shinki performed several times with Zero History, and once Food Brain was no longer a going concern, Shinki invited Smith to form a band. Once Kabe was tracked down, the trio was complete. Smith’s pedigree went as far back as the late fifties performing as vocalist, drummer and sometimes both through a succession of popular Filipino rock’n’roll bands that were virtually all but unknown outside The Philippines. The best-known were The Downbeats, who scored a coveted opening slot for The Beatles at their notorious concert in Manila on July 4, 1966. And Smith’s vocals grew to be a yammer of a soul hammer while his drum fills were deft, hit hard and oftentimes spun out exaggeratedly as if replicating the sound of a sack of potatoes being flung down a corridor lined with floor toms and set-up crash cymbals and laced with extra volleys of spud-lobbing galore.

And on “Speed, Glue & Shinki” it was different kettle of mess boiling all over the kitchen to match the Little Rascals’ surprise cake, for the group were augmented by a further trio of musicians; the most prominent of which was drummer/vocalist Joey Smith’s longtime friend and bandmate Michael Hanopol, brought in to replace original bassist Masayoshi “Glue” Kabe at the onset of the album’s recording. It would be an inspired choice as Hanopol not only evenly matched Smith’s contributions song for song and brought to the shebang heavy bass, heavier vocals and the heaviest lyrics for tracks of the heaviest sludge properties, but also contributed occasional keyboards and even co-wrote side four’s synthesizer suite with Smith. And as the new Glue in town, Hanopol helped drive the band to their very outermost limits: igniting Shinki’s guitar playing to unlock his inner Jimi and through his re-connection with his previous Filipino Rock Brother No. 1, drove the drumming, lyrics and (especially) the vocals of Joey Smith right up the wall, and into an overall lower, larynx strangulating register.

When the world tries to make one feel meaningless of life, to join their robot parade, crank the music of the hard rock idiom loud to chase bad vibes off the cliff and reinforce inner fortress of mind, heart, spirit. For too soon are we all crushed into dust. Live we must. Love we trust. Hate is a bust. Break the crust. Blow out the must. Shake off rust. Pant with lust. Woman is all inside, outside log waits to jam up inside cream with flesh rag and dance continues. The people of big hassle remain balcony hidden with cheat masks of extra bad actor faceless like a sore crack in hell.

The air becomes heavy: feeling the energy which it tries probably to create good ones. The vigor fullest capacity is with the sound, which overflows. Rock soul is felt in the performance which is made dark slippery. When such dark sound is decided, it becomes the pleasant sensation which is hard to change into many things -- In the vocal which is approached to the force perfect score darkly with thick voice; it is the case that the timbre of the functional guitar keeps being covered. Speed, Glue & Shinki have something to say, and say it over and over to make it stick. And it would, anyway: Woman do Joey wrong, so he sings pain how it is. You know. Terror you want no one to know, and tears well in your heart to stretch out time to infinity between minute and second hands of heart clock within and nothing familiar seems real or comfort provide as life merges into constant corner of crushing no change where once was only life: sun; with face. Then rain, on your head and all free forever. 

Tiger Album the FirstSides 1&2 of Tiger Album the First starts off with sniffing, snorting and overall gleeful knocking stuff all over the place during a bargain basement jumble in the dark for “Sniffin’ & Snortin’ Pt. 1 (Vitamine C)” barges in and kicks down the door with a sonic moronic display driven off the edge with Shinki’s buzz-sawn-off Chuck Berry riffing shot up with immediate stomp appeal and Joey Smith’s lead foot kick drum stepping on the gas and bashing out at all around him...And to think that this is only a warm-up exercise for once the faders and mental house lights go up on “Run And Hide,” the band are firing on all cylinders at once, cutting loose like a retarded version of “The Immigrant Song.” Backwards. 

And slowed to 8rpm. Minus a handful of random notes. Sort of. Cradled in woman’s arms and your broken head. Forever. Joey sings like he plays drums; crude and willful to make a stand for himself and the people in the streets (IN THE STREETS!) but not bitter: rather, knowing ultimately of compassion not himself only but for all living things and none surviving impact of tsunami culture war but for all living things and no surviving brain cells. Shinki Chen rips and tears through the track like Food Brain LP never was but only looked: charging drunken elephant sleeve with big tease Amon Düül the Second gatefold masking a dozen overplayed Zoot Money overdrafts from the Hammond B-3 bank. Over-amplified bass dump from Kabe and Shinki’s alternating buzzsaw rhythm and multi-dubbed soloing like tattooed brain of small but effective “Electric Ladyland” detailing in both production and guitar. “Give us back the night..!” barks out Joey into the impending dusk, the sinking sun and the dying embers of old land.

The first of Michael Hanopol’s contributions enters with “Bad Woman”, setting Speed, Glue & Shinki off into West, Pappalardi & Laing territory but with half the calories, the map being read upside down and topped off with the stinky tiara of “Mississippi Queen” and Hanopol handling the Steve Knight role on organ. And with its Leslie (!) speaker-filtered guitar solo, tops off an already overqualified Mountain metaphor about as unwieldy as the Les Weinstein of old hisself. Hanopol lets loose a bevy of insane bass propulsions near the coda, and it’s equally weird that this is the sole song of Hanopol’s that Smith sings -- and in his newfound slow and strained, near-Louis Armstrong holler.

“Red Doll” is another Hanopol composition, performed at the speed of burning barge and oozing kooze with Hanopol on accompanying spook-o-rama spidery organ fills following his overdubbed bass propulsions following Joey Smith’s raining blows of sticks upon his tiny kit, clearing a 2mph riff and drumming to approximate a desert belly crawl with no oasis sighted for days and at the speed of surgery at the pace of exhaustion that presses on regardless. In all certainty, if it stopped for one moment to think it would perish outright. Shinki tosses in a Leslie-fed guitar solo, flanked by Smith’s errant drum fills that always fling themselves just across the tempo’s finish line every damn time. And although sung by Hanopol, the character here is Joey, for:

I always imagined Red Doll is ginger lady Joey walks to over his bed to kiss naked and only he cares and Joey and her both know but no bother for Speed brother. Red sister and Joey draw together and big bang later make them both go dead to disperse bad world silt from their ocean souls. They want whole world to get tired so they sleep in each others hair and walk better as people. You kiss a red hair sister and hair fire shoots into your belly and her body lays fine and two breast shine below only moonlight attic window in Joey’s crash pad. It’s dark and next morning not so and Joey smokes big cigarette to make things whole and light again. Red woman is circle unbroken for Joey. Not clean, but cleansed. Apple woman she says take a bite, my wound is your head inside, then we fall. Fire in the darkness from red sister spark cream delight inside. Rejoice. Joey Smith: motherfucker drummer with two team totem pole sticks twice as big as wood, looking through the knothole of goddess unblinking and rolling a jay. Heaving big log in forest of silence only he hears, up against open seam of woman and push into love dish of sugar outside in the rain. Stay and awake the stamen.

Album side the Second of Album No. One begins with a gradual build of super-phased drumming that projects outward through a massive mushroom cloud exhalation of cannabis sativa and they’re off and walking through “Flat Fret Swing.” Joey’s vocals once more swell like a big Louis Armstrong (and a little headstrong Mark E. Smith) soul holler lodged in the throat against the horizontal, mid-tempo backing. Joey’s trying to get his head together for the umpteenth time, and the greatest lines of the album are: “And leave all the miseries behind me/Cradle all of the good things in mind...” Joey’s thinking things over and hanging out, making air whistle out of his head and trying to figure out how to get up off the floor and leave so he can get back once more to some more good times. At first listen, I never thought too much of this track, but it’s now grown to anthem proportions in my head. Forever. 

A reprise of the opener, “Sniffin’ & Snortin’ Pt. 2 (Vitamine C)” follows and bears about as much resemblance to the version on the previous side as the two versions of “Revolution” by The Beatles...Which is to say, they’re night and day and this one’s high noon and with a far wilder speed differential to and all the while continually cops successive quick feels off of Jimi’s “Come On (Part 1).” It’s probably Masayoshi Kabe pounding out the bass here, for his style always easily reached those rave up qualities of an amphetamine’d Paul Samwell-Smith channeling through Jack Bruce’s amplification. As it races into hyperspace stereo “War Pigs” tape-sped warp conclusion, the soothing Shinki Chen instrumental “Don’t Say No” wafts in like a summer breeze through opened window. In your head. Forever. 

Shinki collaborates here with drummer Hiroshi Oguchi and keyboardist Shigeki Watanabe (two musicians he’d team up with the following year in the short-lived and unrecorded band, Orange.) It gathers together becalmed organ buoyancy floating above the surface of low slung bass, drums as a wordless wail of content melodiously sounds over the instrumental’s slow and measured paces like “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” in dub and capturing that same heartfelt sense of farewell Steve Winwood channeled through his organ playing so poignantly well on “Sea of Joy.” It approximates that feeling of being suddenly caught within the cool shadow of a huge, dark and imperceptibly moving cloud formation on an otherwise clear and sunny day. Oddly, there’s only one appearance from Shinki’s guitar here and it is a single, small but perfectly placed overdubbed ‘woman tone’ solo -- inserted like a perfect crystal within this organically framed setting. 

The entire scene turns upside down with the entry of “Calm Down” as wave upon wave of crazily hit fills and cymbals part for a two-toned BRAANNGGG-INGGG guitar to steam shoveling all to the side in its wake all silence up against the wall and out of existence. Guitar tone is a loud and bronzed blur, fried from the sun, hallucinogens and who the fuck knows what else. Tremendous wah-wah guitar from Shinki over a second fuzz rhythm combined with Hanopol’s piledriving bass with a vocal delivery that sidles right up against the rhythm and feels it up just to get off. Here, my mind is already drowning in all the colours, especially with a musical bridge cut from the most rudimentary material I’ve ever heard. Giddily, the song falls away and into a drum solo like no other: Namely, taking its fucking time taking a major tumble down a ravine while going out of its way to hit as many branches, boulders and rocky outcroppings as possible before finally landing crumpled on the valley floor two miles down.


Tiger Album No. TwoSides 3&4 of Tiger LP No. Two begins with a word from behind the now streaming, sweaty and belaboured kit of Smith after downing a long, tall cool one. Smacking his lips, he do declare “That’s the best wine I’ve ever tasted” and he’s already crashed into his cymbals, prefaced with another quick drum roll and is already headlong into his Armstrong-along-60-second-long holler, “Doodle Song.” After which, they just grease most of the album side out in the most wrecked and transcendental way possible. Smith calls out to regroup with a “Right!” “Yeah!” and “Ya ready?” and they break directly into the epic “Search For Love.” Oh, Motherfucker. What a track. 

The running time sez 8:44, which is ridiculous: for time seems all but suspended for the duration of the raging depths of this howling, sprawling track. The intro to “Moby Dick” off “Zeppelin Album No. One” is all but hustled roughly into a burlap sack with the drum solo thrown off the back of the Speed, Glue & Shinki 18-wheeler as they head steaming down the highway on 24 hour beaver patrol: But at 80mph in fourth gear with their collective scroti dragging behind them alongside a case of empty Sapporo beer cans and 12 drained plastic gallon jugs of Happy Sunshine cough mixture marked ‘For Institutional Use Only’; set off by two oversized silver foil pinwheels that catch, refract and shine into all eyes of creation sun’s bright rays of illuminated genius at the gates of dusk as impromptu sunspots get caused by residual white powder still alighting on the surface from the previous night’s snort-sesh. 

The main part is hazardously heavy and simple and Hanopol brays out the vocals swaggering all the way. All else cuts out during the guitar solo number 1: overlaid with the very same number 1 and staggered directly at the only point where it could and does extend into a 3D topographic mind map of the DNA emotion spiral in ancient memory banks’ nighttime deposits of the contact high as exquisitely overdriven bass amplitudes in a howling buzz discharged from the belching innards of Rock Behemoth until all fades out to leave Shinki alone perched upon a cloud with his guitar, plugging into the rising sun rays extending from behind as they exchange complimentary, throbbing hues and using them as amplification. It all vanishes like the techincolour daydream it is, awakening back to the “Moby Dick”-ed up introduction and the vocals. 

Bass resounds, thunder craps, rain and wind storm and through this weather pattern breaks through another insane guitar solo. Out cuts a trap door from within and TADA out falls Joey Smith still rapping out his spastically insistent drum heads while Pinoy brother Michael brays out his will to get woman, get high, get good and stoked and fucked. Enter guitar solo two number up causing heavens to thunder and split and crack open with rain to make the parched drains green with moss and make love grow in one’s head, body caught in uncontrollable shudder, to shake your brains to the core, body to the mantle and spirit out of baked seasonal crust. Dough girl smiles from within, winking. Me, too...a pinky. Thunderclaps drown it out as crickets and other mossy denizens resound in humid black air.

Dropping in for a brief, mood-breaking baroque keyboard not unlike the “Lake Isle of Innisfree” upchuck on Sir Lord Baltimore’s “Kingdom Come” is the nonplussing “Chuppy.” This hiccough sounds nothing like the rest of the album and is a saccharine-sweet nightmare performed on cembalo; a keyboard that looks like a spinet (apparently), sounds like a harpsichord and is entirely incongruous to its surroundings. The only annoying moment of the album, “Chuppy” is light years away in approach from Shigeki Watanabe’s far more subtle and unstudied keyboard performance on “Don’t Say No.”

“Wanna Take You Home” commences as the final blare’n’bump’n’grind of the album, as well as being the slowest moment of the album outside of the near-standstill “Red Doll.” Originally written and recorded in 1969 by the obscure San Franciscan trio Fields as “Take You Home,” here it’s appropriated by Speed, Glue, Shinki & Friends, which is more than all right: ‘Specially as Fields’ version was nothing less than taking Cream’s cover of Albert “Flying V” King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign”, dropping a few notes, adding new lyrics and PRESTO came up with this bird-doggin’ come-on supreme for all the sweet young things of heaving nubile bosom with stars in their eyes at their West Coast ballroom gigs opening for John Mayall (This track would also spill over into a third version by Juan de la Cruz, the Filipino power trio Smith would form the following year back home with Hanopol and guitarist Wally Gonzalez.) The Blue Cheer sand in the grease grinding of the original is greatly adhered to, especially since it was already such an integral part of Speed, Glue & Shinki’s lexicon of sound and a long lost cousin that they could’ve written, anyway. Michael Hanopol, with a fantastic sense of the appropriate and appropriation judged it as worthy noise to work into the loose collage that is this huge and expansive double album. Because:

Where there’s nothing left and day is caught darkness on its tail, the last people left waiting dazed are collected up and into black drug pit at nighttime Texas Pop Festival ’69 when Zeps unfurl “Dazed And Confused” for people who forgot their name yet remember nighttime soul and no hangnail hang-ups on monkey’s uncle backside besides. Evening is balm to head, silence no longer crazy and no mystery any longer left: so Joey Smith reminds heaven and earth through tinny portable sounds Grundig machine and he grokks and all are zonked as well: remembering their reason for being by taking a form under circling sun so many times half in darkness left.

Completing an ingenious album that is one of the best records of the hard rock idiom stoned emperor 100 percent comes the run-on suite of “Sun”/“Planets”/“Life”/“Moon” and “Song For An Angel” performed on Moog synthesizer for Side four’s entire seventeen minute duration. A lift-off from all earthly desires prostrate on the floor as a series of charged electronic trajectories waft and smear together. Even on Moog synthesizer, Joey Smith makes it as Rock as his vocals, drumming and guitar playing because his attitude is so strong, careless and perfect, discharging a slow motion round of rocket launchings, pink noise twittering and knuckle dragging undertows as the air-locked elevation of soul continues to jettison all with Moog starship to lift-off beyond prefecture of asteroid, stratospheric inner space where neurons circle and spark brain coral of interior pink neon to litter all around sensation’s head quarters to ultimate collision with your only self. Self and soul unite. In your head. Forever. 

Disc 1:
01. Sniffin' & Snortin' Pt. 1 (Vitamine C) (3:48)
02. Run And Hide (4:47)
03. Bad Woman (4:34)
04. Red Doll (4:54)
05. Flat Fret Wing (4:42)
06. Sniffin' & Snortin' Pt. 2 (Vitamine C) (2:36)
07. Don't Say No (5:35)
08. Calm Down (4:50)

Disc 2:
01. Doodle Song (1:32)
02. Search For Love (8:50)
03. Chuppy (1:42)
04. Wanna Take You Home (5:58)
05. A) Sun, B) Planets, C) Life (13:16)
06. Song For An Angel (4:22)

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The Gentle Soul - Gentle Soul (Outstanding Pop-Rock Album US 1968)

Size: 122 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
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Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

The Gentle Soul's sole album is suffused with pretty and wistful folk-rock tunes, deftly produced by Terry Melcher to incorporate dreamy orchestral instrumentation -- harpsichord, flute, and cello -- while retaining an understated subtlety. If you like the Stone Poneys, who made similar material in the late 1960s, there's no way you're not going to like this album. If you're sitting on the fence after that conditional recommendation, it might be too mellow for your tastes. If you want to know how exactly it might differ from the Stone Poneys, it's a little more on the soft-rock side, and definitely heavier on the male-female harmonies. All of which might be underselling the record, which is pretty attractive, though not astounding, on its own terms. That's probably Ry Cooder making his presence felt on the gutsiest and bluesiest tunes, "Young Man Blue" and "Reelin'," both of which feature excellent acoustic slide guitar. Although Pamela Polland and Rick Stanley sing and write well together, it's Polland whose personality comes through stronger, particularly as she takes the occasional unharmonized lead vocal and is the sole composer of one of the record's strongest tunes, "See My Love (Song for Greg)." Is this worth the three figure prices it commands on auction lists? No. But what is? It's decent music if you can get it.

It was finally reissued on CD by Sundazed in 2003 with the addition of nine bonus cuts, including all five songs from their late-'60s non-LP singles, an alternate take of the single "Tell Me Love," and three previously unreleased outtakes, among them the early Jackson Browne composition "Flying Thing." With the exception of a bluesy 1968 version of "2:10 Train" (also covered by the Stone Poneys and the Rising Sons), most of these have a poppier sound than the album, sometimes showing the influence of the Byrds and the Mamas & the Papas in the harmonies and guitar parts.

 It’s kind of amazing that this record wasn’t reissued much sooner than just a few years ago. While the Gentle Soul themselves faded into obscurity within a couple years of the release of this album, the name-dropping of musicians involved with the band pretty much demands that these tracks be made more widely available to all manner of music fans. Rick Stanley and Pamela Polland formed the nucleus of the band and aren’t exactly household names, but they ran with an impressive crowd. A very young Ry Cooder appears here on guitar and more importantly mandolin. Van Dyke Parks appears on the heels of his fated collaboration with Brian Wilson on the Beach Boys’ ‘SMILE’ recordings. Larry Knechtel was already a well-known keyboardist of Simon & Garfunkel fame and plays organ here. Flautist Paul Horn had just left a lucrative gig with Tony Bennett and is also on the record. And a teenage Jackson Browne had caught the ear of Polland, who recorded one of his first compositions, “Flying Thing”. This track didn’t appear on the original vinyl, but is included on the CD reissue. Browne also briefly replaced Stanley in the touring version of Gentle Soul before it disbanded and he went on to a solo career.

The Gentle Soul - US Promo Single 22 May 1967

Unfortunately this CD version was produced from a digital copy of the vinyl release and suffers a bit as a result. The sound isn’t bad, but there are a few slightly fuzzed-over spots that seem to have been too manipulated. But if you are looking for this record you’ll have to settle for the CD for the time being at least, unless you have a very fat wallet and feel like hunting down one of the few and rare original vinyl copies.

In the 21st century this comes off as a very mild, West Coast soft-rock and country-tinged body of work. But for its time this was really fairly innovative stuff. The Eagles hadn’t yet made Hollywood country rock a radio staple yet, and the blending of folk, country, and some orchestral instrumentation with well-harmonized vocals was still a novel thing. The sounds here are in stark contrast with what Simon & Garfunkel were doing in New York, much less ethnic and more rural-sounding and a bit closer to the less-jaded West Coast hippie crowd, but not quite Haight-Asbury hippie. Very refined really. While Simon & Garfunkel were more likely to appear on an Ivy League college’s student green for a wine and cheese recital, Gentle Soul come off as just as likely to show up in a smoke-filled coffee house or even on the beach. The songs are almost all about relationships or introspection, and seem to consciously avoid more controversial social topics, and certainly not anything political.

The Gentle Soul w. Papersleeve - US Promo Single 27 Feb 1967

Almost all the songs on the original release were composed by Polland, with the exception of “Young Man Blue” and the last two tracks. An interesting trivia note: the lyrics for “Dance” were actually written by actor the late Ned Wynn, best known for his role of the dastardly Colonel Bat Guano in the Stanley Kubrick film ‘Dr. Strangelove’. Enough name-dropping already? Like I said, this album itself isn’t as impressive as are the number of accomplished artists who were involved with the band at some level or another.

Ry Cooder is the musical star though, turning out consistently excellent if rather simple guitar and mandolin performances on every track. Polland and Stanley are a great matched set on vocals, harmonizing well with each other and giving this a truly folk tinge. The more interesting tracks include the opening “Overture”, a sort of medley of the rest of the album’s tracks; the harpsichord-dominant “Marcus” written as a lullaby for band manager Billy James’ young son; and the Stanley autobiography “Young Man Blue”, which succeeds almost entirely due to Cooder’s bluesy and trance-like slide guitar. “Empty Wine” offers the most exquisite vocals from Polland, as well as some fine cello from sometime Bob Dylan sideman Ted Michel.

The Gentle Soul - US Promo Single 27 Feb 1967

The ‘bonus’ tracks are mostly b-sides or earlier tracks that didn’t make it onto the original album. “2:10 Train” features Taj Mahal himself on harmonica. The sound quality of these tracks varies widely, but all of them are at least cleaned up enough to merit being put into this collection. Most are fairly forgettable, although the flower-powered “Our National Anthem” (not the one you’re probably thinking of) is mildly interesting in a hippie/love/peace kind of way. Pretty dated sentiments today though.

This is a very decent folk album, probably qualifying as progressive just because it would have been a bit of a novelty in 1968, especially the stringed instruments and harpsichord. Extra points for providing an early and obscure glimpse into the genius of Ry Cooder. I’ll give it a very high three stars with recommendation for most folk fans. [progarchives.com]

Personnel:
♦ Pamela Polland - female vocals, guitar
♦ Rick Stanley - vocals, guitar
♦ Tony Cohan - tabla
♦ Ry Cooder, Mike Deasy - guitar
♦ Van Dyke Parks - harpsichord
♦ Paul Horn - flute
♦ Ted Michel - cello
♦ Larry Knechtel - organ
♦ Bill Plummer - bass
♦ Gayle Levant - harp

and

♦ Riley Wyldflower - guitar
♦ Jerry Cole - guitar
♦ Joe Osborne - bass
♦ Sandy Konikoff - drums
♦ Hal Blaine - drums
♦ Terry Melcher - producer (01-11)

01. Overture - 4:35
02. Marcus (Pamela Polland) - 2:52
03. Song For Eolia - 2:12
04. Young Man Blue (Rick Stanley) - 2:30
05. Renaissance - 3:10
06. See My Love (Song For Greg) (Pamela Polland) - 3:55
07. Love Is Always Real - 2:55
08. Empty Wine - 2:35
09. Through A Dream - 3:54
10. Reelin' (Pamela Polland) - 3:17
11. Dance (Rick Stanley/N.Wynn) - 3:23

Rare Bonus Tracks:
12. Tell Me Love (mono, single A-side) (Rick Stanley) - 2:24
13. Song For Three (mono, single B-side) (Pamela Polland/G.Copeland) - 2:56
14. 2:10 Train (mono) (T.Campbell/L.Albertano) - 2:52
15. Flying Thing (previously unissued) (Jackson Browne) - 3:15
16. God Is Love (previously unissued) - 2:19
17. You Move Me (single A-side) (Pamela Polland) - 2:12
18. Our National Anthem (single B-side) (Pamela Polland) - 2:28
19. Tell Me Love (alternate version, previously unissued) (Rick Stanley) - 2:22
20. Love Is Always Real (alternate version, previously unissued) - 3:02

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Breakthru - Adventures Highway (Psychedelia UK 1967-70)

Size: 128 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

Breakthru were a powerful live act who never managed to "break through" into the record charts despite a talented and charismatic line-up. 40 years later, Circle Records has released a compilation of their recorded material that we can now hear and appreciate for the first time.

Breakthru never managed to have an album released of their own which was unfortunate as their only record was a solitary single "Ice Cream Tree" that has since appeared on various 1960s compilations. The group were never happy with the single as it was not a good representation of their "sound", and particularly as the song was not composed by the band themselves. All the group members were actively involved in song writing with some of this backlog occasionally committed to tape whenever time and money would permit. Now, decades later, the previously un-released recordings they made have been assembled into the one and only Breakthru album titled "Adventures Highway". This collection the band members say, represents how they would like the group to be best remembered.

Circle Records is an independent U.K. based record label that specializes in obscure groups from the 1960s and 70s. Operated by Peter Wild, the label prides itself in releasing high-quality vinyl pressings and CDs with the emphasis on attention to detail as well as respect for the artists themselves. "Quality not Quantity" is their motto so if the Breakthru album is any indication of this, I look forward to any other projects they do involving West Midlands bands.

Circle Records is an independent U.K. based record label that specializes in obscure groups from the 1960s and 70s. Operated by Peter Wild, the label prides itself in releasing high-quality vinyl pressings and CDs with the emphasis on attention to detail as well as respect for the artists themselves. "Quality not Quantity" is their motto so if the Breakthru album is any indication of this, I look forward to any other projects they do involving West Midlands bands.

Circle Records have done an amazing job in putting this package together. With full co-operation and assistance from former group members, the Breakthru "Adventures Highway" album includes the best of the band's previously un-issued recordings from 1967 to 1970. The audio quality of some individual tracks does vary as you can pretty much tell those done as demos or salvaged from acetates but do not let this distract you from enjoying the music. Reportedly a year in the making, the complete "Breakthru package" comprises two compact discs (CD and CD EP) in a jewel case with booklet, a vinyl LP in an attractive printed sleeve with full-size book, and a reproduction vinyl 45 rpm single in its own printed sleeve.

You can order the CDs separate from the vinyl, but then you'd be missing out on the full-size artwork and book. After getting used to CDs over the years, it feels wonderful to hold a new "vinyl" album in my hands again and being able to clearly read all the liner notes and book without use of a magnifying glass! The quality of the packaging for both LP and CD is exceptional with full-colour artwork throughout and more than 100 vintage photos (some in colour) of the band as taken by their "official" photographer Barry Gonen. Also appearing in the artwork are reproductions of original advertisements and other memorabilia associated with the group. The CD booklet comprises 16 pages with a well-researched and highly detailed history of the group as written by Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine.

Getting down now to the music - did I mention there was music in this package? Well yes there is and lots of it too! Chronologically and starting with Ice-Cream Tree, this was the A-side to the group's only single and issued in 1968. It's very much a period piece but really not half as bad as the group made it out to be. I rather like it as there's a very catchy chorus (ring-a-ring of roses I can see, let's all dance round the ice cream tree...) and indeed could have become a hit. Just as well for the band it wasn't though so they were spared the embarrassment of having to perform it for more than a few times live on stage. The B-side Julius Caesar was an original composition by drummer Richard Thomas and less "pop" but more "rock". I love the drums and bass on this one - too bad it didn't go on for longer as it lends itself to an extended instrumental solo somewhere in the middle.

Going now to the unreleased material, the first batch of which was recorded at Tetlow's Recording Studio in Birmingham at the end of 1967. The group-written Yours was an early attempt of an original song but would have been difficult to dance to with its stops and shifting rhythm. A cover of the Gershwin classic Summertime sounds much more accessible with plenty of Hammond organ powering it along. Toyland from 1968 was an unusual one for the band as it was a cover of the Alan Bown version and according to Keith Abingdon, may not have ever been played live by the group. All these mentioned tracks appear on the CD EP that comes with the standard CD package.

As for the "Adventures Highway" album itself, this was assembled from a combination of unreleased-demos, BBC sessions, and surviving recordings from the results of various excursions into the studio by the group between 1967 and 1970. Side one kicks off with the high-energy group-composed Believe It from 1970. You can just imagine the band going all out on this one with its high-energy blues-driven attack. Here Comes The End from 1967 is a lot more psychedelic sounding with abundant echo effects but still very powerful. The bluesy cover of Willie Dixon's Spoonful really gives an indication of what Breakthru were all about. Gary Aflalo's blues-harmonica playing on this one is exceptional against a backdrop of thundering hammond organ and distorted guitars. If you really hate your neighbours then this is the one to play loud!

Love Is Strange starts out with some crashing guitars/bass/drums highly reminiscent of The Beatles Rain. This one is supposedly based on the Everly Brother's version of the song and features both Gary Aflalo and Keith Abingdon doing a good job harmonizing on the vocals. This is followed by the album's title track Adventures Highway from 1968 and what a number it is too! Menacing hammond organ joined by pounding drums and guitar build into a climax of sheer volume that soon becomes a backdrop for spaced-out lyrics; Oh let's get transmitted, there's no planet that's too far. We'll see Jupiter and Mars, we'll see strange and weird sights on our space bound trip tonight... (make of it what you will).

The melodic and hypnotic I Have A Dream composed by Geoff Garratley, reaches the height of social consciousness to include actual recorded excerpts from Martin Luther King's famous speech. Interestingly, this track was left off the vinyl version of the Breakthru album. Bob Booth's Growing Older is similarly laid-back but does include some wild hammond fingering towards the end. Troubleshoot co-written by Keith Abingdon and Richard Thomas is an excellent psychedelic rampage with lyrics to match. It has some great wah-wah guitar effects similar to what Roy Wood was doing at the time on many of The Move's records. We then go right into The Story Of Peer Gynt with its opening riff taken directly from Hall Of The Mountain King (almost seems like a tradition amongst Brum bands to pay tribute to classical music at some time or another). This rocking track was considered for single release at the time but for some reason it never happened. A pity as it would surely have made a good follow up to Ice Cream Tree.

The remaining tracks on the album were recorded in 1970 at London's Piccadilly studios. Although the group were on the verge of splitting by this time, they recorded (ironically) what are regarded as some of their best tracks. Alice Dropped Out from these sessions, would have made a fine single. As one of several Breakthru tracks co-composed by Keith Abingdon and Richard Thomas, this one is a driving blues-rock number with guitars very much at the forefront and the trademark hammond absent. This would have been a powerful one when performed by the band live. It is followed on the album by Happiness which shows the band could still be tuneful in a commercial direction when they wanted to. Shake Off That Lead is another such radio-friendly track that bounces along with a catchy keyboard-driven melody.

The final track on the Breakthru album is titled Sailor Song. A wonderfully harmonious partnership of keyboard and guitar, and as the title suggests, the lyrics tell of a seafaring character who would rather spend his life out on the ocean rather than be troubled by the problems experienced by those on land. Maybe it's meant as an expression of ultimate freedom (or freedom of expression) that seems to run through the groups music from start to finish on these collected tracks that make up the Breakthru album.

The Circle Records "Breakthru" album package serves as a fine tribute to one of the West Midlands great performing groups of the late 1960s. Breakthru were one of those bands who were at the leading edge of the pop music revolution at a time when innovation and the growth of new musical ideas was reaching its peak during the 1960s. "Adventures Highway" fulfills a dream they had back then and this time you can join them on their journey. Highly reccommended!

Only known for the one single in 1968 “Ice Cream Tree” /”Julius Caesar” on Mercury, (and largely misunderstood from this to be a ‘pop’ act), Birmingham’s Breakthru were in fact one of the loudest, hairiest and most exciting ‘psychedelic’ rock bands of their time. However, they could create soulful, sensitive or just plain ‘catchy’ sounds too. Young and very fashionable, many audiences had seen nothing like them. They took their wild stage show, complete with smoke and lights, all over Great Britain: Playing many of London’s most important clubs of the day in the process, such as “Happening 44”, “The Electric Garden”, “Blaises” and “The Marquee”. They also were resident at a club in Switzerland for a time, and made a big impression at Plumpton’s 1969 “National Jazz and Blues Festival”.

This is their first complete album, and gathers together all their surviving recordings. Despite the sole single release, the band recorded much material from 1967 to 1970. Included here are their cancelled second Mercury 45 “Peer Gynt”/”Troubleshoot”, alongside 14 other unreleased titles, and two which only made a brief appearance on a contemporary compilation. The ‘album’ C.D. runs for over 50 minutes, and has been put together to show the band as the ex-members would like best to be remembered.

The ‘E.P.’ disc contains their single release, alongside three of their earliest/more pop-orientated numbers. Together, these show the band’s musical range in full. In the overcrowded, constantly re-cycling ‘60s reissue market, this is new, fresh and largely unheard, restored as far as possible from original tapes and acetates. In development for over a year, this C.D. gives something different to the seasoned collector and curious ‘adventurer’ alike.

Breakthru were formed in 1967 as a professional group and were based in Sutton Coldfield. The members came from a couple of young semi-pro bands; The Clampets who were an R&B band from the Kingshurst area of Birmingham, and The Set who were a pop group from Castle Bromwich. The original members of Breakthru were Keith "Smoke" Abingdon (guitar), Bobby Booth (bass guitar), Geoff Garratley (Hammond organ), and drummer Jim Leyland. Breakthru were fronted by the charismatic and afro-equipped Gary Aflalo who more than filled the position of lead vocalist.

Gigs were booked by the Richardson Entertainments agency of Birmingham. The original concept of the band was to establish an exciting live act that would combine soul and Tamla standards with self-composed progressive music. Some reviewers who attended a Breakthru performance would describe the band's music as "Psychedelic Soul" which was probably a good description of it for that time. The Breakthru soon became a popular live act who played most of the well known local venues in Birmingham and throughout West Midlands. The group also had a residency at London's Marquee Club as well as playing bookings all over the U.K. which included performances at outdoor music festivals.

By 1968 there were a few changes to the Breakthru line-up with Jim Leyland leaving to be replaced by drummer Richard "Plug" Thomas, and Frank Farrell replacing Bobby Booth on bass guitar. A significant booking for the band was the Woburn Abbey "Festival of Flower Children" held in August of 1967. This three day event also included such famous names as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Bee Gees, Eric Burdon, and The Small Faces amongst others. The festival was hosted by the influential British DJ John Peel (film footage of this concert still exists). Breakthru also performed at the highly-rated Plumpton and National Jazz and Blues festivals (for more information, check out The Archive - an excellent website that profiles the great UK rock festivals from 1960 to 1975).

Breakthru were signed to the Mercury Records label in 1968 for whom they recorded a single. The A-side entitled Ice Cream Tree was composed by Tom Loach, while the B-side Julius Caesar was a song composed by the bands' manager Russell Thomas. According to drummer Richard Thomas, the record was not a good representation of the band's sound at that time. The single was released in November of 1968 but apparently had no success in the record charts. A follow-up single Peer Gynt remained unreleased.

One of the more unusual performances by the band was a gig played on the roof of Nelson House clothing shop on Birmingham's Bull Street. This ground-breaking event was organized to drum up publicity for the opening of the new store and it pre-dated the Beatles famous rooftop concert by a year! 1969 saw more changes to the Breakthru line-up when Birmingham School of Music graduate Bill Hunt replaced Geoff Garratley on the Hammond organ.

The recording of a proposed Breakthru album of original material for Mercury Records was well underway during 1969 but unfortunately nothing was ever released due to the cancellation of the band's recording contract. In 1970, the group toured Europe but disbanded shortly after returning to the U.K. with the various members going in their own musical directions.

Gary Aflalo went on to a lead role in the famous musical Hair in 1971. Frank Farell (now deceased) played bass guitar with the successful progressive rock band Supertramp and later worked with Leo Sayer co-composing his No. 1 hit record Moonlighting. Keith Abingdon carried on as a working musician and composer. Bill Hunt became part of the first live line-up of the Electric Light Orchestra (see The Move) and later became a member of Roy Wood's chart-topping band Wizzard. He is now a music teacher.

Richard Thomas moved to London and worked with American guitarist Joe Jammer before joining the respected prog-rock band Jonesy with whom he recorded three albums. In 1974, Richard Thomas formed the group "Gold" who were originally a pop act but later became one of the most successful bands to record advertising "jingles" during the 1980s. Richard also formed a recording group with former Breakthru band-mate Keith Abingdon called "Spot The Dog" under which name they released a couple of good (though non-charting) singles during the early 1980s. Richard is still a full-time musician and song writer, also producing music for TV. To read more about Breakthru, visit the website of Richard Thomas at www.dickiethomas.co.uk

Breakthru never managed to have an album released of their own which was unfortunate as their only record was a solitary single 'Ice Cream Tree' that has since appeared on various 1960s compilations. The group were never happy with the single as it was not a good representation of their "sound", and particularly as the song was not composed by the band themselves.

All the group members were actively involved in song writing with some of this backlog occasionally committed to tape whenever time and money would permit. Now, decades later, the previously un-released recordings they made have been assembled into the one and only Breakthru album titled 'Adventures Highway'. This collection the band members say, represents how they would like the group to be best remembered.

Circle Records is an independent U.K. based record label that specializes in obscure groups from the 1960s and 70s. Operated by Peter Wild, the label prides itself in releasing high-quality vinyl pressings and CDs with the emphasis on attention to detail as well as respect for the artists themselves. "Quality not Quantity" is their motto so if the Breakthru album is any indication of this, I look forward to any other projects they do involving West Midlands bands.

Circle Records have done an amazing job in putting this package together. With full co-operation and assistance from former group members, the Breakthru 'Adventures Highway' album includes the best of the band's previously un-issued recordings from 1967 to 1970. The audio quality of some individual tracks does vary as you can pretty much tell those done as demos or salvaged from acetates but do not let this distract you from enjoying the music. Reportedly a year in the making, the complete "Breakthru package" comprises two compact discs (CD and CD EP) in a jewel case with booklet, a vinyl LP in an attractive printed sleeve with full-size book, and a reproduction vinyl 45 rpm single in its own printed sleeve.

You can order the CDs separate from the vinyl, but then you'd be missing out on the full-size artwork and book. After getting used to CDs over the years, it feels wonderful to hold a new "vinyl" album in my hands again and being able to clearly read all the liner notes and book without use of a magnifying glass!

The quality of the packaging for both LP and CD is exceptional with full-colour artwork throughout and more than 100 vintage photos (some in colour) of the band as taken by their "official" photographer Barry Gonen. Also appearing in the artwork are reproductions of original advertisements and other memorabilia associated with the group. The CD booklet comprises 16 pages with a well-researched and highly detailed history of the group as written by Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine.

Getting down now to the music - did I mention there was music in this package? Well yes there is and lots of it too! Chronologically and starting with 'Ice-Cream Tree', this was the A-side to the group's only single and issued in 1968. It's very much a period piece but really not half as bad as the group made it out to be. I rather like it as there's a very catchy chorus (ring-a-ring of roses I can see, let's all dance round the ice cream tree...) and indeed could have become a hit. Just as well for the band it wasn't though so they were spared the embarrassment of having to perform it for more than a few times live on stage.

The B-side 'Julius Caesar' was an original composition by drummer Richard Thomas and less "pop" but more "rock". I love the drums and bass on this one - too bad it didn't go on for longer as it lends itself to an extended instrumental solo somewhere in the middle.

Going now to the unreleased material, the first batch of which was recorded at Tetlow's Recording Studio in Birmingham at the end of 1967. The group-written 'Yours' was an early attempt of an original song but would have been difficult to dance to with its stops and shifting rhythm. A cover of the Gershwin classic 'Summertime' sounds much more accessible with plenty of Hammond organ powering it along.

'Toyland' from 1968 was an unusual one for the band as it was a cover of the Alan Bown version and according to Keith Abingdon, may not have ever been played live by the group. All these mentioned tracks appear on the CD EP that comes with the standard CD package.

As for the "Adventures Highway" album itself, this was assembled from a combination of unreleased-demos, BBC sessions, and surviving recordings from the results of various excursions into the studio by the group between 1967 and 1970. Side one kicks off with the high-energy group-composed 'Believe It' from 1970. You can just imagine the band going all out on this one with its high-energy blues-driven attack.

'Here Comes The End' from 1967 is a lot more psychedelic sounding with abundant echo effects but still very powerful. The bluesy cover of Willie Dixon's 'Spoonful' really gives an indication of what Breakthru were all about. Gary Aflalo's blues-harmonica playing on this one is exceptional against a backdrop of thundering hammond organ and distorted guitars. If you really hate your neighbours then this is the one to play loud!

'Love Is Strange' starts out with some crashing guitars/bass/drums highly reminiscent of The Beatles Rain. This one is supposedly based on the Everly Brother's version of the song and features both Gary Aflalo and Keith Abingdon doing a good job harmonizing on the vocals.

This is followed by the album's title track 'Adventures Highway' from 1968 and what a number it is too! Menacing hammond organ joined by pounding drums and guitar build into a climax of sheer volume that soon becomes a backdrop for spaced-out lyrics; Oh let's get transmitted, there's no planet that's too far. We'll see Jupiter and Mars, we'll see strange and weird sights on our space bound trip tonight... (make of it what you will).

The melodic and hypnotic 'I Have A Dream' composed by Geoff Garratley, reaches the height of social consciousness to include actual recorded excerpts from Martin Luther King's famous speech. Interestingly, this track was left off the vinyl version of the Breakthru album. Bob Booth's 'Growing Older' is similarly laid-back but does include some wild hammond fingering towards the end.

'Troubleshoot' co-written by Keith Abingdon and Richard Thomas is an excellent psychedelic rampage with lyrics to match. It has some great wah-wah guitar effects similar to what Roy Wood was doing at the time on many of The Move's records. We then go right into 'The Story Of Peer Gynt' with its opening riff taken directly from Hall Of The Mountain King (almost seems like a tradition amongst Brum bands to pay tribute to classical music at some time or another). This rocking track was considered for single release at the time but for some reason it never happened. A pity as it would surely have made a good follow up to Ice Cream Tree.

The remaining tracks on the album were recorded in 1970 at London's Piccadilly studios. Although the group were on the verge of splitting by this time, they recorded (ironically) what are regarded as some of their best tracks. 'Alice Dropped Out' from these sessions, would have made a fine single.

As one of several Breakthru tracks co-composed by Keith Abingdon and Richard Thomas, this one is a driving blues-rock number with guitars very much at the forefront and the trademark hammond absent. This would have been a powerful one when performed by the band live. It is followed on the album by 'Happiness' which shows the band could still be tuneful in a commercial direction when they wanted to. 'Shake Off That Lead' is another such radio-friendly track that bounces along with a catchy keyboard-driven melody.

The final track on the Breakthru album is titled 'Sailor Song'. A wonderfully harmonious partnership of keyboard and guitar, and as the title suggests, the lyrics tell of a seafaring character who would rather spend his life out on the ocean rather than be troubled by the problems experienced by those on land. Maybe it's meant as an expression of ultimate freedom (or freedom of expression) that seems to run through the groups music from start to finish on these collected tracks that make up the Breakthru album.

The Circle Records "Breakthru" album package serves as a fine tribute to one of the West Midlands great performing groups of the late 1960s. Breakthru were one of those bands who were at the leading edge of the pop music revolution at a time when innovation and the growth of new musical ideas was reaching its peak during the 1960s. 'Adventures Highway' fulfills a dream they had back then and this time you can join them on their journey. Highly reccommended!

Breakthru Personnel were:
♣ Keith (Smoke) Abingdon: guitar (still colleague and writing partner)
♣ Gary Aflalo: lead vocal (joined cast of ‘Hair’ in leading role 1970)
♣ Bob Booth: bass guitar (left in 1968, now photographer)
♣ Geoff (Gladys) Garratley: Hammond organ (left in 1968, now AV producer)
♣ Jim Leyland: drums (left in 1968)
♣ Frank Farrell: bass guitar (joined in 1968, now deceased, multi-talented Frank played bass for Supertramp later worked with Leo Sayer co-writing his no1 hit ‘Moonlighting’)
♣ Richard (Plug) Thomas: drums (joined in 1968)
♣ Bill Hunt: Hammond organ (joined in 1969, later joined first ELO line up and later Wizzard)

Album Disc:
01. Believe It (Farrell, Abingdon, Aflalo, Thomas) - 3:51
02. Here Comes The End (Aflalo, Abingdon) - 3:06
03. Spoonful (Dixon) - 5:05
04. Love Is Strange (Smith, Robinson, Baker) - 2:55
05. Adventures Highway (Abingdon, Booth, Garratley, Thomas) - 4:10
06. I Have A Dream (Garratley) - 4:35
07. Growing Older (Booth) - 3:43
08. Troubleshoot (Abingdon, Thomas) - 3:01
09. The Story Of Peer Gynt (Farrell) - 2:44
10. Alice Dropped Out (Abingdon, Thomas) - 2:52
11. Happiness (Farrell) - 4:28
12. Shake Off That Lead (Abingdon, Thomas) - 3:33
13. The Sailor Song (Abingdon, Thomas) - 4:32

EP:
01. Ice-Cream Tree (Loach) - 2:39
02. Julius Caesar (Thomas) - 2:49
03. Yours (Abingdon, Thomas, Leyland, Booth, Garratley, Aflalo) - 2:50
04. Summertime (Gershwin, Heyward) - 3:26
05. Toyland (Roden, Catchpole) - 2:52

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