Picture of the day...

Gibson Les Paul, Marshall

Roky Erickson ‎– Live At Oyafestivalen, Oslo, Norway, August 10th, 2007 (Quality Sound)

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Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (born July 15, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, harmonica player, and guitarist from Texas. He was a founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre.

Erickson was interested in music from his youth: he played piano from age 5 and took up guitar at 10. He attended school in Austin and dropped out of Travis High School in 1965, one month before graduating, rather than cut his hair to conform to the school dress code. His first notable group was The Spades, who scored a regional hit with Erickson's "We Sell Soul"; the song is included as an unlisted bonus track on Erickson's 1995 All That May Do My Rhyme CD and had also been adapted as "Don't Fall Down" by the 13th Floor Elevators for their first album. The Spades' original version of "You're Gonna Miss Me", later a hit for 13th Floor Elevators, was featured on the compilation album The Best of Pebbles Volume 1.

Erickson co-founded the 13th Floor Elevators in late 1965. He and bandmate Tommy Hall were the main songwriters. Early in her career, singer Janis Joplin considered joining the Elevators, but Family Dog's Chet Helms persuaded her to go to San Francisco, California instead, where she found major fame.

In 1966 (Erickson was 19 years old) the band released their debut album The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. The album had the band's only charting single, Erickson's "You're Gonna Miss Me." A stinging breakup song, the single remains probably Erickson's best-known work: it was a major hit on local charts in the U.S. southwest, and appeared at lower position on national singles charts as well. Critic Mark Deming writes that "If Roky Erickson had vanished from the face of the earth after The 13th Floor Elevators (band) released their epochal debut single, "You're Gonna Miss Me", in early 1966, in all likelihood he'd still be regarded as a legend among garage rock fanatics for his primal vocal wailing and feral harmonica work."

In 1967, the band followed up with Easter Everywhere, perhaps the band's most focused effort, featuring the epic track "Slip Inside This House", and a noted cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".

The album Live was put out in 1968 by International Artists. It featured audience applause dubbed over studio recordings of cover versions, alternate takes and older material, and it had little to no input from the band.

The 13th Floor Elevators arrest in early 1966

Bull of the Woods, released in 1969, was the 13th Floor Elevators' last released album on which they worked as a group and was largely the work of Stacy Sutherland. Erickson, due to health and legal problems, and Tommy Hall were only involved with a few tracks, including "Livin' On" and "May the Circle Remain Unbroken".

In 1968, while performing at HemisFair, Erickson began speaking gibberish. He was soon diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and sent to a Houston psychiatric hospital, where he involuntarily received electroconvulsive therapy.

The Elevators were vocal proponents of LSD, mescaline, DMT[citation needed] and marijuana use,[citation needed] and were subject to extra attention from law enforcement agencies. In 1969, Erickson was arrested for possession of a single marijuana joint in Austin. Facing a potential ten-year incarceration, Erickson pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to avoid prison. He was first sent to the Austin State Hospital. After several escapes, he was sent to the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he was subjected to more forced electroconvulsive therapy and Thorazine treatments, ultimately remaining in custody until 1972. Six tracks from the 1999 Erickson collection Never Say Goodbye were recorded during his time there.

In 1974, after having been released from state hospital, Erickson formed a new band which he called "Bleib alien", Bleib being an anagram of Bible and/or German for "stay," and "Alien" being a pun on the German word allein ("alone") - the phrase in German therefore being "remain alone." His new band exchanged the psychedelic sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators for a more hard rock sound that featured lyrics on old horror film and science fiction themes. "Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)" (produced by The Sir Douglas Quintet's Doug Sahm and inspired by Vladimir Demikhov's 1950s head transplant experiments) was released as a single.

The new band was renamed Roky Erickson and the Aliens. In 1979, after playing with the Reversible Cords on May Day at Raul's, Erickson recorded 15 new songs with producer Stu Cook, former bass player of Creedence Clearwater Revival. These efforts were released in two "overlapping" LPs — "I Think Of Demons" (CBS UK, 1980) and "The Evil One" (415 Records, 1981). Cook played bass on two tracks, "Sputnik" and "Bloody Hammer." Roky performed with The Nervebreakers as his backup band at The Palladium in Dallas in July 1979. A recording was issued on the French label New Rose and was recently re-issued elsewhere.

In 1982, Erickson asserted that a Martian had inhabited his body. He came to feel that, due to his being alien, human beings were attacking him psychically. A concerned friend enlisted a Notary Public to witness an official statement by Erickson that he was an alien; he hoped by declaring so publicly he would be in line with any "international laws" he might have been breaking. Erickson claimed the attacks then indeed stopped.

Beginning in the 1980s, Erickson began a years-long obsession with the mail, often spending hours poring over random junk mail, writing to solicitors and celebrities (dead or living). He was arrested in 1989 on charges of mail theft. Erickson picked up mail from neighbors who had moved and taped it to the walls of his room. He insisted that he never opened any of the mail, and the charges were ultimately dropped.

Several live albums of his older material have been released since then, and in 1990 Sire Records/Warner Bros. Records released a tribute album, Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson, produced by WB executive Bill Bentley. It featured versions of Erickson's songs performed by The Jesus and Mary Chain, R.E.M., ZZ Top, Poi Dog Pondering, Julian Cope, Butthole Surfers, Bongwater, John Wesley Harding, Doug Sahm and Primal Scream, among others. According to the liner notes, the title of the album came from a remark Erickson made to a friend who asked him to define psychedelic music, to which Erickson reportedly replied "It's where the pyramid meets the eye, man," an apparent reference to the Eye of Providence and the Great Seal of the United States.

Solo albums:
♣ Roky Erickson and the Aliens (1980, CBS Records)
♣ The Evil One (1981, 415 Records)
♣ Don't Slander Me (1986, Pink Dust Records)
♣ Gremlins Have Pictures (1986, Pink Dust Records)
♣ Casting the Runes (1987, Five Hours Back)
♣ Holiday Inn Tapes (1987, Fan Club)
♣ Live at the Ritz 1987 (1988, Fan Club)
♣ Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play (1988, New Rose Records)
♣ Openers (1988, Five Hours Back)
♣ Live Dallas 1979 (1992, Fan Club)
♣ Beauty and the Beast (1993, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
♣ All That May Do My Rhyme (1995, Trance Syndicate)
♣ Demon Angel: A Day and a Night with Roky Erickson (1995, Triple X Records)
♣ Roky Erickson and Evilhook Wildlife (1995, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
♣ Never Say Goodbye (1999, Emperor Jones)
♣ Don't Knock the Rok! (2004, Norton Records)
♣ I Have Always Been Here Before (2005, Shout! Factory)
♣ Halloween (2008, Norton Records)
♣ True Love Cast Out All Evil (2010, ANTI- Records)

01. Cold Night For Alligators 03:35
02. White Faces  02:39 
03. Don't Shake Me Lucifer  03:21 
04. The Interpreter  02:52 
05. The Beast  06:15 
06. Bermuda 03:23
07. Splash 1 03:23
08. Creature With the Atom Brain  03:42
09. Starry Eyes 03:49
10. Bloody Hammer  05:57
11. Before You Accuse Me  03:30
12. Two Headed Dog  03:45 
13. You're Gonna Miss Me  03:17 
14. 'Audience' 01:39 
15. Night of the Vampire  07:03 
16. The Wind and More  06:08
17. I Walked With a Zombie  09:26

Bonus:
18. For You  03:46
19. Mine Mine Mind  03:18
20. Stand For The Fire Demon  07:55
21. I Love How You Love Me 02:58

Part 1: Link
Part 2: Link
or
Part 1: Link
Part 2: Link
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Another Picture of the day...

The Beatles - Record Retailer, September 27th 1962

Atomic Rooster - BBC Radio 1 Sessions 1970-72 (Bootleg)

Atomic Rooster - France Single 1970

Size: 64.6 MB
Bitrate: 320
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Found in Outerspace
Some Artwork Included

Atomic Rooster were an English rock band, originally formed by former members of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Throughout their history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member, and wrote the majority of their material. Their history is defined by two periods: the early-mid-1970s and the early 1980s. The band went through radical style changes, however they are best-known for the hard, progressive rock sound of their hit singles, "Tomorrow Night" (UK No. 11) and "The Devil's Answer" (UK No. 4), both in 1971.

Atomic Rooster - France Single 1972

Original period (1969–1975):
In summer 1969, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown had to cease touring in the middle of their second U.S. tour because of keyboardist Vincent Crane's mental illness. When he recovered, he and drummer Carl Palmer took the step to leave Arthur Brown and return to England, the return date being Friday, 13 June 1969, which was the year of the rooster in the Chinese calendar, and arranged a meeting with Brian Jones to discuss a collaboration. After Jones's death, they adopted the name Atomic Rooster (with influence from the US band Rhinoceros), and soon recruited Nick Graham on bass and vocals. They followed with what had emerged as The Crazy World of Arthur Brown formula of vocals, organ, bass, and drums.

They soon undertook live dates around London; at their first headlining gig at the London Lyceum on Friday, August 29, 1969, the opening act was Deep Purple. They eventually struck a deal with B & C Records and began recording their debut album in December 1969. Their first LP, Atomic Roooster, was released in February 1970, along with a single, "Friday the 13th". By March, Crane felt it was best that they add a guitarist, and recruited John Du Cann from acid-progressive rock band Andromeda. However, just as Du Cann joined, bassist-vocalist Graham left. Du Cann (who played guitar and sang for Andromeda) took over vocal duties, whilst Crane overdubbed the bass lines on his Hammond organ with a combination of left hand and foot pedals. 

Atomic Rooster - Germany Single 1971

Atomic Rooster resumed gigging until the end of June 1970, when Carl Palmer announced his departure to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Ric Parnell filled the drum spot until August, when the young Paul Hammond was recruited from Farm to the drum spot. They then recorded their second album, Death Walks Behind You, released in September 1970. Originally it was not commercially successful, as with the first album, but by February 1971, the single "Tomorrow Night" reached No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart, with the album reaching No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart. Atomic Rooster made an appearance on the Top of the Pops, and toured to support the album.

In June 1971, just before they began configuring their line-up once again, the single "Devils Answer" hit No. 4 in the UK. Atomic Rooster saw considerable popularity, and they began recording In Hearing of Atomic Rooster (UK No. 18). Crane felt the band needed a singer who could "project" to an audience, and asked Leaf Hound vocalist Pete French to audition for the band. Not long after French came into the studio, Crane promptly sacked Du Cann, and Paul Hammond followed him to form Bullet, later re-named Hard Stuff. French recorded all the vocals on the album (save for "Black Snake", sung by Crane), and the album was released in August 1971.

Atomic Rooster - Netherlands Single 1970

The latest Atomic Rooster line-up featuring Pete French on vocals, Steve Bolton on guitar, Ric Parnell on drums, and Crane on keyboards toured Italy, right across America and Canada. This line-up ended their international tour to appear at a benefit gig in September 1971 at the Oval cricket ground, appearing in front of some 65,000 people, supporting The Faces and The Who. After this concert, French moved on to sign with Atlantic records and joined the American rock band Cactus. In February 1972, Crane recruited vocalist Chris Farlowe, at that time with Colosseum, to take the place of French. They went on tour and recorded their first album together in spring 1972. They released the album Made in England along with the single "Stand by Me", on Dawn Records. They were more into soul at this point, and the progressive and heavy rock leanings from the other releases had receded. The single did not chart and the album just barely caught any attention, but touring followed through.

Guitarist Steve Bolton left at the end of 1972, and was replaced by John Goodsall, appearing under the name Johnny Mandala. They released the album Nice 'n' Greasy in 1973 along with the single "Save Me", a re-working of "Friday the 13th". This time, it was in a complete funk style. After nearly two years without any hits, Dawn Records dropped the group and Atomic Rooster began to split. After a tour, Farlowe, Mandala and Parnell left. The single "Tell Your Story, Sing Your Song" was released in March 1974 as "Vincent Crane's Atomic Rooster" on Decca. All subsequent gigs were played by Crane along with members of the blues band Sam Apple Pie. A final concert was played in February 1975, a benefit gig for the RSPCA. Afterwards, Crane disbanded Atomic Rooster.

Atomic Rooster - FM Broadcast
BBC Radio 1 Sessions 1970-72
Broadcast on Alan "Fluff" Freeman's 
Saturday Rock Show

01. Save Me  04:05
02. Seven Lonely Streets  05:44
03. Tomorrow Night  04:59
04. Stand By Me  03:07
05. Breakthrough  02:50
06. Save Me #2  03:21
07. Close Your Eyes (cuts off)  02:33

1. Atomic Rooster BBC
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2. Atomic Rooster BBC
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Atomic Rooster - UK Single 1972

Picture of the day (1965)...

Johnny Watson - Johnny "Guitar" Watson (Good Blues Album US 1963)

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"Reinvention" could just as easily have been Johnny "Guitar" Watson's middle name. The multi-talented performer parlayed his stunning guitar skills into a vaunted reputation as one of the hottest blues axemen on the West Coast during the 1950s. But that admirable trait wasn't paying the bills as the 1970s rolled in. So he totally changed his image to that of a pimp-styled funkster, enjoying more popularity than ever before for his down-and-dirty R&B smashes "A Real Mother for Ya" and "Superman Lover."

Watson's roots resided within the fertile blues scene of Houston. As a teen, he played with fellow Texas future greats Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland. But he left Houston for Los Angeles when he was only 15 years old. Back then, Watson's main instrument was piano; that's what he played with Chuck Higgins' band when the saxist cut "Motorhead Baby" for Combo in 1952 (Watson also handled vocal duties).

He was listed as Young John Watson when he signed with Federal in 1953. His first sides for the King subsidiary found him still tinkling the ivories, but by 1954, when he dreamed up the absolutely astonishing instrumental "Space Guitar," the youth had switched over to guitar. "Space Guitar" ranks with the greatest achievements of its era -- Watson's blistering rapid-fire attack, done without the aid of a pick, presages futuristic effects that rock guitarists still hadn't mastered another 15 years down the line.

Watson moved over to the Bihari Brothers' RPM label in 1955 and waxed some of the toughest upbeat blues of their time frame (usually under saxist Maxwell Davis's supervision). "Hot Little Mama," "Too Tired," and "Oh Baby" scorched the strings with their blazing attack; "Someone Cares for Me" was a churchy Ray Charles-styled slow-dragger, and "Three Hours Past Midnight" cut bone-deep with its outrageous guitar work and laid-back vocal (Watson's cool phrasing as a singer was scarcely less distinctive than his playing). He scored his first hit in 1955 for RPM with a note-perfect cover of New Orleanian Earl King's two-chord swamp ballad "Those Lonely Lonely Nights."

Though he cut a demo version of the tune while at RPM, Watson's first released version of "Gangster of Love" emerged in 1957 on Keen. Singles for Class ("One Kiss"), Goth, Arvee (the rocking introduction "Johnny Guitar"), and Escort preceded a hookup with Johnny Otis at King during the early '60s. He recut "Gangster" for King, reaching a few more listeners this time, and dented the R&B charts again in 1962 with his impassioned, violin-enriched blues ballad "Cuttin' In."

Never content to remain in one stylistic bag for long, Watson landed at Chess just long enough to cut a jazz album in 1964 that placed him back behind the 88s. Along with longtime pal Larry Williams, Watson rocked England in 1965 (their dynamic repartee was captured for posterity by British Decca). Their partnership lasted stateside through several singles and an LP for OKeh; among their achievements as a duo was the first vocal hit on "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" in 1967 (predating the Buckinghams by a few months).

Little had been heard of this musical chameleon before he returned decked out in funk threads during the mid-'70s. He hit with "I Don't Want to Be a Lone Ranger" for Fantasy before putting together an incredible run at DJM Records paced by "A Real Mother for Ya" in 1977 and an updated "Gangster of Love" the next year.

Bow Wow After a typically clever "Strike on Computers" nicked the R&B lists in 1984, Watson again seemed to fall off the planet. But counting this remarkable performer out was always a mistake. Bow Wow, his 1994 album for Al Bell's Bellmark logo, returned him to prominence and earned a Grammy nomination for best contemporary blues album, even though its contents were pure old-school funk. Sadly, in the midst of a truly heartwarming comeback campaign, Watson passed away while touring Japan in 1996.

01. Cuttin' In 03:03
02. Embraceable You  02:35
03. Broke And Lonely  02:50
04. What You Do To Me  02:23
05. Gangster Of Love  02:50
06. Highway 60  02:23
07. Those Lonely, Lonely Feelings  02:45
08. Posin'  02:40
09. That's The Chance You've Got To Take  03:10
10. I Just Wants Me Some Love  02:40
11. Sweet Lovin' Mama  02:47
12. You Can't Take It With You  02:37
+ 3 Bonus Tracks

1. Link
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2. Link
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Hawkwind - At The BBC 1972 (Great Performance)

Hawkwind - Doremi Fasol Latido Album 1972

Size: 235 MB
Bitrate: 256
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BBC Radio One Live in Concert is a 1991 live album of a 1972 concert by Hawkwind.

"It was recorded straight to quarter-inch tape – there were no overdubs and no possibility of remixing. This particular performance was also continuous for one hour which made for an interesting change over when the programme was aired since the reels of tape only lasted approximately 30 minutes each." – Jeff Griffin, BBC in Concert series producer.

This concert is still regularly aired by BBC Radio on the Live at Midnight slot on the BBC 6 Music channel . Despite Griffins' claims that remixing is not possible, the broadcast version does sound markedly different from the CD release, having greater clarity and definition on the instruments and vocals. The broadcast version also has some brutal edits, removing the first 4 minutes of "Brainstorm", and during "Earth Calling" and the end credits.

In March 2010, EMI re-issued the concert as Hawkwind: At the BBC – 1972 as a double CD; the first CD containing the original Windsong version, the second CD containing the version BBC uses for broadcast. The first CD also includes the studio session recorded for the Johnnie Walker show in August 1972, with performances of "Silver Machine" and "Brainstorm".

Hawkwind At The BBC 1972 captures the band just after the surprise of the UK number three hit single in July with the classic "Silver Machine", and before their live experience Space Ritual which was recorded on tour later in the year.
Whilst the bulk of this double CD release is made up of the live set recorded for the BBC In Concert programme, it opens with a previously unreleased session recorded for Johnnie Walker featuring a shortened version of the Doremi Fasol Latido album classic "Brainstorm" and a version of the then hit single "Silver Machine", featuring Lemmy on vocals as per the single. 

The In Concert itself, a hypnotic continuous performance, is presented in both mono and stereo versions. The mono version was previously released by Windsong on CD in 1991 and has been remastered and re-indexed to include all of the pieces originally performed, and the concert itself in its entirety.

The stereo version has long been in the domain of the bootleggers as an off-air recording known the as "Broadcast" version. 

This mix was in fact distributed by the BBC for broadcast internationally and features an edited "Brainstorm", missing approximately 4 minutes from the front of the song, a shorter "Welcome To The Future" and "Electronic No. 1" (not indexed on the previous CD release), but a longer "Countdown" introduction. Officially released for the first time, apart from being in stereo, the sound quality is superior to the mono version and the mix is generally more exciting.

Whilst the CD racks and on-line listings are full of unofficial and poor Hawkwind live recordings, this set is a prime chunk of space rock from the band at the peak of their powers and is an essential addition to the band's huge discography. 

Recorded at 28th September 1972
at The Paris Theatre London
Broadcasting 14 October 1972

★ Dave Brock - Guitar, Vocals
★ Nik Turner - Sax, Flute, Vocals
★ Del Dettmar - Synthesizer
★ Dik Mik - Audio Generator, Electronics
★ Lemmy - Bass, Vocals
★ Simon King - Drums

Disc 1 (Live At The Paris Theatre, London on 28/09/72 - apart from tracks 1 and 2) MONO
01 - Brainstorm (Johnnie Walker Radio 1 Session) 
02 - Silver Machine (Johnnie Walker Radio 1 Session) 
03 - Countdown
04 - Born To Go
05 - The Black Corridor
06 - Seven By Seven
07 - Brainstorm
08 - Electronic No. 1
09 - Master Of The Universe
10 - Paranoia
11 - Earth Calling
12 - Silver Machine
13 - Welcome To The Future

Disc 2 (Live At The Paris Theatre, London on 28/09/72) STEREO
01 - Countdown
02 - Born To Go
03 - The Black Corridor
04 - Seven By Seven
05 - Brainstorm
06 - Electronic No. 1
07 - Master Of The Universe
08 - Paranoia
09 - Earth Calling
10 - Silver Machine
11 - Welcome To The Future

Part 1: Hawkwind 1
Part 2: Hawkwind 2
or
Part 1: Hawkwind 1
Part 2: Hawkwind 2
.

Hawkwind - In Search Of Space (March 1971)

Hawkwind - France Single 1972

Hawkwind - UK Single 1970

Good torrent uploader at Pirate Bay

Hi all, just found this Torrent uploader at Pirate Bay: "Beolab1700"

Hundreds of good albums at: Link

I have forgot my own old (2005) uploads at Pirate Bay, some are still alive: Link

Picture of the day...

Assorted Bootlegs, All with Very Good SoundQuality 1970-2013 (@320)

Buddy Guy

Hi all.

Here is a bunch of assorted bootlegs in great soundquality. The Folder is 1.5GB Enjoy!!

01. Buddy Guy - Chicago WXRT FM Broadcast  2001-05-16 (2CD) (Bootleg) (@320)
02. Dark Star Orchestra - Live at Starr Hill Music Hall 2006 (3CD) (Bootleg) (@320)
03. Koko Taylor - House of Blues LA FM Broadcast 1995 (Bootleg) (@320)
04. Little River Band - Pauls Mall 1977 WBCN-FM (Bootleg) (@320)
05. Possum Jenkins - Pleasant Ridge House Concerts 2013 (2CD) (Bootleg) (@320)
06. Robert Cray Band - Center of Performing Arts 1978-11-24 (Bootleg) (@320)
07. Stone the Crows - Beat Workshop 1972-73 (Bootleg) (@320)
08. The Sweet - Rare Outtakes 1970-1977 (Bootleg) (@320)

Part 01: Link 01
Part 02: Link 02
Part 03: Link 03
Part 04: Link 04
Part 05: Link 05
Part 06: Link 06
Part 07: Link 07
Part 08: Link 08
Part 09. Link 09
or
Part 01: Link
Part 02: Link
Part 03: Link
Part 04: Link
Part 05: Link
Part 06: Link
Part 07: Link
Part 08: Link
Part 09. Link
.

Stone the Crows 1972

Velvet Opera - Ride a Hustler's Dream (Great Rock UK 1969)

Size: 109 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, at various times also known as "Velvet Opera", was a British rock band active in the late 1960s. Members of the band would later become members of The Strawbs, Hudson Ford and Stretch.

The group emerged from a soul/blues band called 'The Five Proud Walkers'. After supporting Pink Floyd on tour, they were inspired to change their approach and become a more psychedelic outfit. The band consolidated as Richard Hudson on drums, John Ford on bass, Colin Forster on lead guitar, Jimmy Horrocks (Horovitz) on organ and flute (who left early in the band's history), and Dave Terry on vocals and harmonica. Initially just calling themselves Velvet Opera, they developed their full name when Terry took to wearing a cape and preacher's hat in the style of the title character in the 1960 film adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' novel, Elmer Gantry.

They started to make club appearances in London, using electronic backing sounds, and secured a record deal with the short lived Direction Records subsidiary of CBS Records in the UK. Their first recording was the single "Flames" (November 1967) which also featured on the CBS sampler record "The Rock Machine Turns You On", and was later covered on stage by Led Zeppelin.[4] Further singles and a self-titled album followed, including the track "Mary Jane" which was taken off the BBC playlist after they realised its drug connotations,[4] although the band continued to make regular live appearances on John Peel's Radio 1 programme 'Top Gear', and other BBC radio shows.

However, the recording success of the band was limited, and Forster left when Hudson and Ford wanted to take the band in a different direction.[citation needed] Forster was replaced by Paul Brett. Elmer Gantry was the next to depart, along with Paul Brett, and the band reverted to the name "Velvet Opera". Gantry and Brett were replaced by John Joyce and a returning Colin Forster respectively, and the band released a second album, Ride a Hustler's Dream. This again failed to achieve success, and in 1970 Ford left (to be replaced by Colin Bass), subsequently followed by Richard Hudson; both of them joining The Strawbs shortly afterwards. At this point the band dissolved.

In 1971, Forster and Bass formed a new version of Velvet Opera with ex-Tintern Abbey vocalist, Dave MacTavish and drummer Mike Fincher. Short-lived, they recorded one single on the Spark Records label.

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera - Netherland Single 1969

Meanwhile, Terry formed his own band with ex-members of the Downliners Sect and performed in Hair. In 1974 he went on to tour with the "Fake Mac" version of Fleetwood Mac, when manager Clifford Davis claimed he owned the name "Fleetwood Mac" and promoted a new version without any original members. After the tour collapsed in litigation with the original members of Fleetwood Mac,[6] the band continued as Stretch. Later, Terry recorded with The Alan Parsons Project and sang lead vocals on the tracks "May Be a Price to Pay" on The Turn of a Friendly Card and "Psychobabble" on Eye in the Sky. He also worked with Cozy Powell and Jon Lord.

This popular UK act, which adeptly mixed soul and psychedelic/progressive styles, evolved from Jaymes Fenda And The Vulcans, one of several bands to secure a recording contract following their appearance on the televised contest, Ready Steady Win. Former Vulcans songwriter John Ford (b. 1 July 1948, Fulham, London, England; bass) joined members of R&B band Five Proud Walkers, which included Dave Terry (vocals/guitar), Colin Forster (guitar) and Richard Hudson (b. Richard William Stafford Hudson, 9 May 1948, London, England; drums). 

The new unit was named Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, in honour of lead singer Terry's stage garb modelled after the preacher in the 1960 movie Elmer Gantry. Their excellent 1967 debut album included the pulsating "Flames', which, despite regular appearances on BBC Radio 1"s Top Gear, failed to become a hit.

Growing disagreements over musical direction led to the departure of Gantry and Forster. The remaining members truncated their name to Velvet Opera, added Paul Brett (guitar) and John Joyce (b. 1933, England, d. February 2004, England; vocals) to the line-up, and recorded Ride A Hustler's Dream. The album lacked the purpose of its predecessor, save for the excellent "Anna Dance Square". The quartet fell apart when Hudson and Ford joined the Strawbs, with whom they remained until 1973. Having written several of the band's most commercial offerings, the duo then left to pursue their own career as Hudson-Ford. By 1974, Gantry was fronting a band which, until checked by litigation, accepted illicit bookings as "Fleetwood Mac" while the genuine article were off the road. A year later, Gantry emerged once more as singer on Stretch's solitary UK chart entry, "Why Did You Do It?", before going on work with the Alan Parsons Project and Cozy Powell. Former member Colin Forster briefly worked with a new line-up of Velvet Opera in the early 70s.

Line-up - Musicians: (1969 LP CBS 63692)
♦ Paul Brett - Guitar 
♦ Richard Hudson - Drums 
♦ John Joyce - Guitar, Vocals 
♦ John Ford - Bass 

01. Ride a Hustler's Dream (0:56)
02. Statesboro Blues (3:38)
03. Money By (3:55)
04. Black Jack Davy (3:34)
05. Raise the Light (4:09)
06. Raga (5:29)
07. Anna Dance Square (3:00)
08. Depression (4:01)
09. Don't You Realize (3:36)
10. Warm Day in July (5:06)
11. Eleanor Rigby (5:54)
12. Volcano [Bonus] (2.37)
13. A Quick 'B' [Bonus] (3.04)
14. She Keeps Giving Me These Feeling [Bonus] (2.41)
15. There's A Hole In My Pocket [Bonus] (3.47)

1. Link
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2. Link
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Family Tree
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Some Led Zeppelin Stuff for reading on a boring sunday....

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Luther Allison - Amazingrace Evanston 1978-07-22 (Bootleg)

Size: 134 MB
Bitrate: 320
mp3
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An American-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter who lived in France since 1980, Luther Allison was the man to book at blues festivals in the mid-'90s. Allison's comeback into the mainstream was ushered in by a recording contract with an American record company, Chicago-based Alligator Records. After he signed with Alligator in 1994, Allison's popularity grew exponentially and he worked steadily until his death in 1997.

Luther Allison Fillmore West Concert 1970 Poster

Born August 17, 1939, in Widener, AR, Allison was the 14th of 15 children, the son of cotton farmers. His parents moved to Chicago when he was in his early teens, but he had a solid awareness of blues before he left Arkansas, as he played organ in the church and learned to sing gospel in Widener as well. Allison recalled that his earliest awareness of blues came via the family radio in Arkansas, which his dad would play at night. Allison recalls listening to both the Grand Ole Opry and B.B. King on the King Biscuit Show on Memphis' WDIA. Although he was a talented baseball player and had begun to learn the shoemaking trade in Chicago after high school, it wasn't long before Allison began to focus more of his attention on playing blues guitar. Allison had been hanging out in blues clubs all through high school, and with his brother's encouragement, he honed his string-bending skills and powerful, soul-filled vocal technique.

It was while living with his family on Chicago's West Side that he had his first awareness of wanting to become a full-time bluesman, and he played bass behind guitarist Jimmy Dawkins, who Allison grew up with. Also in Allison's neighborhood were established blues greats like Freddie King, Magic Sam, and Otis Rush. He distinctly remembers everyone talking about Buddy Guy when he came to town from his native Louisiana. 

After the Allison household moved to the South Side, they lived a few blocks away from Muddy Waters, and Allison and Waters' son Charles became friends. When he was 18 years old, his brother showed him basic chords and notes on the guitar, and the super bright Allison made rapid progress after that. Allison went on to "blues college" by sitting in with some of the most legendary names in blues in Chicago's local venues: Muddy Waters, Elmore James, and Howlin' Wolf among them.

His first chance to record came with Bob Koester's then-tiny Delmark Record label, and his first album, Love Me Mama, was released in 1969. But like anyone else with a record out on a small label, it was up to him to go out and promote it, and he did, putting in stellar, show-stopping performances at the Ann Arbor Blues Festivals in 1969, 1970, and 1971. After that, people began to pay attention to Luther Allison, and in 1972 he signed with Motown Records. Meanwhile, a growing group of rock & roll fans began showing up at Allison's shows, because his style seemed so reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix and his live shows clocked in at just under four hours!

Although his Motown albums got him to places he'd never been before, like Japan and new venues in Europe, the recordings didn't sell well. He does have the distinction of being one of a few blues musicians to record for Motown. Allison stayed busy in Europe through the rest of the 1970s and 1980s, and recorded Love Me Papa for the French Black and Blue label in 1977. He followed with a number of live recordings from Paris, and, in 1984, he settled outside of Paris, since France and Germany were such major markets for him. At home in the U.S., Allison continued to perform sporadically, when knowledgeable blues festival organizers or blues societies would book him.

As accomplished a guitarist as he was, Allison wasn't a straight-ahead 
Chicago blues musician. He learned the blues long before he got to Chicago. What he did so successfully is take his base of Chicago blues and add touches of rock, soul, reggae, funk, and jazz. Allison's first two albums for Alligator, Soul Fixin' Man and Blue Streak, are arguably two of his strongest. His talents as a songwriter are fully developed, and he's well-recorded and well-produced, often with horns backing his band. Another one to look for is a 1992 reissue on Evidence, Love Me Papa. In 1996, Motown reissued some of the three albums worth of material he recorded for that label (between 1972 and 1976) on compact disc.

Well into his mid-50s, Allison continued to delight club and festival audiences around the world with his lengthy, sweat-drenched, high-energy shows, complete with dazzling guitar playing and inspired, soulful vocals. He continued to tour and record until July of 1997, when he was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Just over a month later, he died in a hospital in Madison, WI; a tragic end to one of the great blues comeback stories. 1998's posthumous Live in Paradise captured one of his final shows, recorded on La Reunion Island in April 1997. Thomas Ruf, who was inspired by and became a friend of Allison's shortly before the bluesman's death, issued Underground on Ruf Records in 2007.

Luther Allison (August 17, 1939 – August 12, 1997) was an American blues guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas, and moved with his family, at the age of twelve, to Chicago in 1951. He taught himself guitar and began listening to blues extensively. Three years later he began hanging outside blues nightclubs with the hopes of being invited to perform. He played with Howlin' Wolf's band and backed James Cotton.

His big break came in 1957 when Howlin' Wolf invited Allison to the stage. Freddie King took him under his wing and after King got his big record deal, Allison took over King's house-band gig on Chicago's west side. He worked the club circuit throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s and recorded his first single in 1965. He was signed to the Delmark Records label in 1967 and released his debut album, Love Me Mama, the following year. A well-received set at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival resulted in his being asked to perform there each of the next three years. He also toured nationwide and, in 1972, was signed to Motown Records, one of the few blues artists to do so. By the mid 1970s he began touring Europe and moved to France in 1977. Allison was known for his powerful concert performances, lengthy soulful guitar solos and crowd walking with his Gibson Les Paul. Allison lived briefly during this period in Peoria, Illinois, where he signed briefly with Rumble Records, resulting in two live recordings, "Gonna Be a Live One in Here Tonight", produced by Bill Knight, and "Power Wire Blues", produced by George Faber and Jeffrey P. Hess. Allison played the "bar circuit" in the USA during this period, spending eight months per year in Europe at high-profile venues, including the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 1992, he played as a duo with legendary French rock'n'roll star Johnny Hallyday for 18 shows in Paris, also playing during the intermission.

Allison's manager, and European agent, Thomas Ruf, founded the label Ruf Records in 1994. Signing with Ruf Records, Allison launched a comeback in association with Alligator Records. Alligator founder Bruce Iglauer convinced Allison to return to the United States. The album Soul Fixin' Man was recorded and released in 1994, and Allison toured the U.S. and Canada. He won four W.C. Handy Awards in 1994. With the James Solberg Band backing him, non-stop touring and the release of Blue Streak (featuring song "Cherry Red Wine"), Allison continued to earn more Handys and gain wider recognition. He scored a host of Living Blues Awards and was featured on the cover pages of major blues publications.

In the middle of his summer of 1997 tour, Allison checked into a hospital for dizziness and loss of coordination. It was discovered that he had a tumor on his lung that had metastasized to his brain. In and out of a coma, Allison died on August 12, 1997, five days before his 58th birthday, in Madison, Wisconsin. His album Reckless had just been released. His son Bernard Allison, at one time a member of his band, is now a solo recording artist.

He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times called him "The Bruce Springsteen of the blues". He was a chief influence on many young Blues guitarists such as Chris Beard and Reggie Sears.

Allison is buried at Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery in Homewood, Illinois.

LUTHER ALLISON AMAZINGRACE 
EVANSTON ILLINOIS 1978-07-22 
WRXT FM BROADCAST

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02. Night Life
03. Messin' with the Kid
04. Ain't Nobody's Business 
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06. Star Spangled Banner > Auld Lang Syne 
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09. Rock Me Baby
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