This seems to have been a one-off venture on Mainstream. Thought to hail from the Louisville, Kentucky area and not connected with New York City's Patriots on Murbo or another Patriots on White Cliffs. Compilation appearances include: Last Time on The Louisville Scene (LP); The Prophet on Mindrocker, Vol. 13 (LP).
NB: (1) had a limited edition reissue of 300 copies in 1994, and has recently had an exact reissue with booklet, taken from the master tapes and issued by the band themselves. This reissue (JT 1001) also includes a bonus 7". There's also a CD of 1969 demos Proto Bohob (Patron Saint PSCD 104). "Fohhoh Bohob" is a phrase common to many of the various, small tribal languages of Africa, which roughly translated means "Greetings of the mouth" - so now you know. This privately - pressed album contains nine songs penned by Tuttle and Bergman. On offer is pleasant but boring guitar folk in the Shadrack mould. The album was originally issued in a plain sleeve with paste-ons. Some copies came with a booklet. The reissue comes with an insert with all the song lyrics printed inside. Overall, though, an amateurish, non-essential item, from a New York band. Compilation appearances include: Reflections On A Warm Day on Love, Peace And Poetry, Vol. 1 (LP & CD). (Clark Faville)
This band operated out of Wheaten, Illinois, for the second half of the sixties. The flip to their first 45, Say Ma, Ma, was a Gene Vincent cover. Compilation appearances include: Say Ma, Ma on Pebbles Vol. 6 (CD) and Highs In The Mid-Sixties Vol. 4 (LP); You Should Know and Jump on A Journey To Tyme, Vol. 5 (LP); and Jump on Glimpses, Vol. 3 (LP).
A Texas outfit who were an early version of Thursdays Children. They have a pleasant cut In My Own Time on Epitaph For A Legend (Dble LP).
Brenda Patterson came from Arkansas where she was born circa 1949. A white singer with a very powerful "black" voice, she began singing in the Memphis clubs where she was noticed by Larry Cohn, a producer who also worked with Wayne Cochran. Cohn arranged for her to be signed to Epic and produced her first album with the help of Pat and Lolly Vegas, who wrote three songs and provided the backing group with the newly formed Redbone. The other songs were covers of Hank Snow (I'm Movin' On), Dylan (This Wheel's On Fire) and Al Kooper (I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes), plus a traditional adapted by Brenda Patterson, Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down. Although the album has its moments and may interest fans of singers a la Joplin, it suffers from the rather pedestrian backing of Redbone. Next she married Sam Samudio (of Sam The Sham) and worked with Don Nix. Her next album was recorded in 1973. Well produced by Jim Dickinson, it's a great blues rock album, with the superb guitars of Ry Cooder and Wayne Perkins and her excellent vocals. It was unfortunately poorly distributed however. Her next move was a total disaster, as she signed a deal with Snuff Garrett who tried to change her into a cabaret singer. The album on Discreet reflects this attempt and must be avoided at all costs. Patterson then worked with a country blues bar group, the Coon Elder Band (who recorded one decent album on Mercury). She still appears on some records produced by Jim Dickinson. (Stephane Rebeschini)
The Paulist Folk Singers' folk mass comprises one side of this album. The other features live material from John Ylvisaker.
Students at the University of Northern Iowa formed this outfit. Their last effort tended to a heavy Cream / Blue Cheer sound, especially the excellent fuzz-crunchin' cover of the Steve Miller Band's Dime-A-Dance Romance. The flip is in a blues-rock vein. To find out the full low-down, including personnel and minutiae, get yerself a copy of the excellent, but sometimes xenophobic, 'Lost And Found no. 4'. Compilation appearances include: Someday on The Best of IGL Folk Rock (LP) and The IGL Rock Story: Part Two (1967 - 68) (CD). (Max Waller)
Their first 45 is very catchy bubblegum/punk and almost certainly the work of a studio group. Ride was also released as Love Tunnel, which is what the lyrics were all about and was apparently suppressed because someone considered it pornographic! The same song was also released as Take A Ride by an outfit called River Deep on Bell (791). Break My Mind was a pop cover of John D.Loudermilk. The 45 was produced by a George Tobin, who also produced the Roads End 45 on Brahma. Ohio has been suggested as the band's locale but hasn't been confirmed. Pawnee Drive's Ride can also be heard on Pebbles, Vol. 12 (LP). (Max Waller)
An obscure band from Hornell, New York state who's Mean Willie was included on Garage Punk Unknowns, Vol. 8 (LP). (Max Waller)
NB: (1) reissued on CD (World In Sound WIS 1005). Cincinnati, Ohio was home to this singer-songwdter, who wrote, produced and arranged all ten tracks on the above album. Essentially of the folk-rock genre it's a pleasing collection of varied guitar styles from the fuzz guitar of Reflections I See; to the jangly guitar of It's Been So Long and Goodbye; the wailing guitar and catchy percussion of Sad Surprise, the melody of High Time We Made Love and Love Me Like A Stranger and the crisp guitar style of Hello My Lady Friend- Already a very rare album it is worth checking out if you find a copy. (Max Waller)
From Miami, an overlooked act on the same label as Marcus. Their album sported a wonderful front cover and contained six self-penned compositions. On one, Margo's Leaving Song, Flock's Jerry Goodman helped out on violin. The best track is the finale, the lengthy instrumental jam Looney Tunes. Not a psychedelic album but an interesting mainstream rock effort with lots of good organ and guitar work and a few country rock and jazz rock passages. Some members had early played with: The Birdwatchers, Razor's Edge, The Villagers, and The Convairs. (Vernon Joynson / Ron Bronholc / Stephane Rebeschini)
NB: (1) was a 10" album issued in a silk-screened paper envelope cover with an insert booklet. (1) due to be reissued on CD and vinyl, along with later material from 1973 and 1978, Liberation Music 1969 - 1978 (Retroll Records ) 2002. A local Washington band who made albums into the seventies. This major collectable from the Northwest underground scene was distributed by the band. It consists of political electric folk rock, with appealing female lead vocals and is highly-rated. Sid Brown had earlier been in The Spikedrivers. He now directs and produces a cable TV show called "PrimeTimers" which gives voice and inspiration to older adults. (Clark Faville)
See The Human Equation entry.
NB. (1) and (2) reissued on CD. (3) reissued by Line in 1981 and on CD by Collectables (COL-0529) with seven extra tracks. There is also a compilation of their first two LPs called Turn On A Friend (Drop Out) in 1988.
NB: (2) some promo copies in PS. (6) also issued in Belgium in a picture sleeve (London 5 662) 1968. Both tracks were written/produced by Alan Brackett. Evolving out of the remains of The Ashes, which has included Brackett, Merrill and Robinson, they recorded their first 45 for Vault before signing with the major-label Columbia in November 1966. Much of their material was written by Brackett and Merrill and produced by Gary Usher. It was well produced and often orchestrated. Their first album was a fine debut. The stand-out track was Then Came Love, a beautiful love song on which Sandy's gorgeous voice was supported by excellent orchestration. Also of note were the goodtime sounds of You Took Too Much and Why Did I Get So High? which sounds like an anti-drug song. The chorus lyrics to this one were:- 'Why did I get so high?' The second LP was in similar vein, bursting with ravishing harmonies and psychedelic lyrics (e.g. "Everyone has a bomb / In their mind / And when it explodes / Blows your mind" from the transcendent Living, Loving Life). The single off the album, Turn On A Friend found its way on to the Rock Machine Turns You On compilation. However, the end of the flower-power era sounded the death bell for the band. Their third album dispensed with the folk-rock and psychedelia in favour of gospel-rock and gruff male vocals fronting horns and girlie choruses (the CD bonus tracks, however, do include a couple of glorious Barbara Robison vocal performances). After the album's failure, Al Brackett went into session and production work, Lance Fent played for Randy Meisner and Bill Wolff (who'd also played with Sound Machine) later joined Fusion. Sadly, Sandy Robison died a few years back. Compilation coverage has so far included: It's A Happening Thing on Nuggets, Vol. 10 (LP) and Psychedelic Visions (CD); Time Is After You on Mindrocker, Vol. 1 (LP); Too Many Do, from their second album, on Psychedelic Dream: A Collection of '60s Euphoria (LP); Angels From Hell on Turds On A Bum Ride Vol. 4 (CD); Time Is After You, One-Nine-Six-Seven, Big Bummer and Floating Dream on West Coast Love-In (CD); Angels From Hell, Crystal Tear and No Communication on Filling The Gap (4-LP); and Roses Gone on First Vibration (LP). In addition, Love Exchange's Swallow The Sun, featured on Nuggets, Vol. 10 and Highs In The Mid-Sixties, Vol. 3 is actually Peanut Butter Conspiracy's Dark On You Now with slightly altered lyrics - Peanut Butter Conspiracy under a pseudonym or a faceless studio outfit? Drop me a line if you know. (Vernon Joynson / Lloyd Peasley / Stephane Rebeschini)
Probably from Texas hence the inclusion of Terminal Loser, Riding On A Rainbow and She Was The Doctor on Acid Visions - The Complete Collection Vol. 1 (3-CD). Any additional information anyone can give would be much appreciated.
NB: (1) and (2) have been reissued on CD by ESP (ESP 1075-1 and 1075-2 respectively). (2) reissued on vinyl by Base in Germany.
This group focused on Tom Rapp, who had apparently once finished ahead of Bob Dylan in a local New York talent contest. Although the group's original line-up is listed above, after their first two albums it became much more flexible, consisting of whoever Tom Rapp could gather around him in the studio. The group's acid sound seems almost certain to have been drug-inspired and their music was always mystical, innovative and mysterious. Their debut album was recorded on the avant-garde ESP label, and characterised by Rapp's gentle vocals and a woodwind musical accompaniment. Morning Song and The Surrealist Waltz were two of the stronger tracks, although a consistently high standard was maintained throughout. The album's lyrics were often inquisitive and philosophical; for example: 'Where have you been to? Another track, Shall Not Care has a strange Eastern sound. The follow-up Balaklava, was in similar vein, and based around the concept of the charge of the Life Brigade at Balaklava in 1852. It also includes a beautiful version of the Leonard Cohen song Suzanne. All the other compositions are Rapp's, including the final track Ring Thing, which is possibly the strangest of all - taken as it is from the cornerstone verse of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings. Rapp abandoned his use of abstract themes for his remaining albums which were more conventional. He also signed for the better known Reprise label. Although possibly less interesting than those first two albums, the remaining four Pearls Before Swine LPs are still well worth hearing. The Use Of Ashes album and part of the follow-up, City Of Gold were recorded in Nashville. The remainder and Beautiful Lies You Could Live ln were made in New York. In 1972, Tom Rapp started recording under his own name, although his first solo album was largely comprised of re-recordings of songs from his earlier albums. Fans of the band and Tom Rapp will also be interested in a tribute album For The Dead In Space, including Fit And Limo, Bevis Frond, Mourning Cloak and even an exlusive track by Tom Rapp himself. More recently Tom Rapp has performed at Ptolemaic Terrascope's 'Terrastock III' and released a fine solo album, A Journal Of The Plague Year. Roger Crissinger was later in One. For more information, check the following websites:
Whilst Free is standard pop rock tune, the flip is a cool trippy instrumental. Free charted in (at least) New York on WMCA at a high of #50 on Nov 5, 1969. (Stephane Rebeschini/Marty Childress)
From Brooklyn, New York. Their haunting and rather trippy psychedelic instrumental called Tripsy can also be on the Beyond The Calico Wall (LP & CD) compilation. Worth a spin. Some copies of the 45 were miscredited to Vincent Oddo, the owner of the recording studio where the 45 was cut. (Max Waller/Mike Markesich/Richard McGrath)
An anonymous Mersey-folk outfit who we thought were from the Texas/New Mexico border, but actually were from Belgium! You'll also find Love Me Again on Pebbles, Vol. 13 (LP) but it's really very ordinary.
NB: Some copies came with a PS. Great fuzzy garage-pop, not rough enough presumably to make it onto compilations so far, but given the band name, a natural for that classic series. The flip is straight bouncy pop fodder with some brass. Produced by Brian Ross (of Music Machine fame), both sides are composed by Cooper / Blackwell who played with Leon Russell and Delany Bramlett in The Shindogs. The Pebbles may well have been a pseudonym for that band. (Max Waller / René Aagaard)
A quintet from St.Petersburg, Florida. Originally the Satins, they lost their original bassist to Tommy Roe and The Roemans and by 1965 were known as The Pebbles. Recorded in Tampa in early '65, their sole 45 was released on manager Ralph P. Hitchcock's vanity label. Endless Tears, a Merseybeat style ballad, is included on Psychedelic Crown Jewels Vol. 3 (CD). (Max Waller/Jeff Lemlich/Roger Maglio)
Yet another Pebbles? The first of these 45s is orchestrated pop on both sides, the 'B' side as usual much better, but still quite unexciting. Therefore it's a nice surprise that Mother Army is punchy pop-rock rock with a strangely bouncing backdrop and some good guitar work. Its flip again veers into melodic pop, too bloody relaxed to delight, unfortunately. A certain Mr. Bobbot co-wrote all four tracks here. (Marcel Koopman)
NB: (2) as Pex's Bad Boys. The first 45, released as by Peck's Bad Boys, is rare and sought-after for the frenzied Crazy World. Their second 45 however, as Pex's Bad Boys tends towards garagey pop with Silver Dawn winning out with its mesh of jangling guitars and waltzing rhythm. Compilation appearances include: Crazy World on Tougher Than Stains (LP) and Teenage Shutdown, Vol. 11 (LP & CD). (Max Waller)
From Michigan. Think Twice is a haunting garage ballad with an early sixties feel (shadowy guitars chiming) with an intro whistled a-la spaghetti Westerns! It's Too Late harks back to 1965 garage beat sounds - definitely 'out' in '68. It was featured on a 1968 radio sampler EP, WLAV Memory Pack Vol. 1. Compilation coverage has so far included:- Its Too Late on Psychedelic Patchwork (LP), Psychedelic Unknowns, Vol. 5 (LP & CD) and Every Groovy Day (LP); and Think Twice on Best of Michigan Rock Groups, Vol. 1. (Max Waller) |
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