CACÉRÈS - Contigo Mi Vida / Rompe Con Todo (1973)

Siempre que voy de mercadillos me gusta traer algo por lo menos para convencerme de que el viaje no fue inútil. Este pasado domingo escogí llevarme éste sencillamente por que me molaba el título de la cara B y al final he de decir que acerté con la elección. La cara A es una adaptación sosita de una pieza de Mozart que en su momento tuvo cierta repercusión. 

Juan Carlos Cáceres 

JACK BONUS - Jack Bonus (Grunt, 1972)

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A pesar de que la portada y el nombre del artista no incitan a su escucha, he de decir que el único disco de Jack Bonus editado por el sello Grunt, áquel invento de la Jefferson Airplane para dar salida a sus cosas y a la de los coleguitas, tiene su punto. La mejor es sin duda "The Hobo Song" pero el resto no desmerecen. No hay mucha información sobre él, casi todo lo que se sabe del misterioso personaje está aquí: christianschou

ROBERTO JORDÁN - "Estos Ojos" y cinco más

No conocía de nada a Roberto Jordán, el Tom Jones mejicano, pero compré el disco porque me sentía un poco intrigado por la adaptación al español del "These Eyes" de los Guess Who. El resto es bastante convencional pero hay otras cinco versiones que no están mal, en especial aquellas en las que se hace acompañar por Los Zignos: las dos chicleteras de 1910 Fruitgum Co: "1910 Cotton Candy Castle" y "Indian Giver, el "Make it With You" de  Bread y el "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" de Steam. La que falta es el "Take it Easy" de Jackson Browne/Eagles.

DOUG OWEN - Evenings East (ABC, 1978)

Xa hai un tempo puxemos o primeiro Lp de Doug Owen, "From The Start", e aquí vai o segundo nunha liña semellante de clásico pop-rock. Isto que ven a continuación é o que nos escribiu o propio Owen no seu día:

"It's interesting how records can hang around for so long. I recorded another one after "From the Start". It's called "Doug Owen/Evenings East. I was but a kid when I got my break in Nashville. I've never pursued  a career in music where I wanted to be a star. Just writing songs and traveling around the world. I'm now in the Atlanta area looking for jobs playing and doing session work. Anyway, thanks again for liking my early work".

Best wishes

Keith Destry (Doug Owen)

Por certo, tódolas ligazóns de Mediafire xa non están dispoñibles, cancelaron a miña conta. Se alguén quere algo en concreto terá que pedílo por mail.

THE CALIFORNIA POPPY PICKERS - ¡Guateque! (Yupi, 1969)

Unha selección persoal das miñas favoritas dos catro discos editados polos California Poppy Pickers no ano 1969. Evidententemente case tódolos temas son puro expolio de éxitos do momento pero os poucos orixinais, case sempre asinados por Gary Paxton, non están nada mal.

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The California Poppy Pickers were one of several relatively anonymous studio projects assembled by Alshire label head Al Sherman to record budget-priced copycat LPs of '60's pop hits. Virtually all of the groups in question -- Fats and the Chessmen, Los Norte Americanos, and the Bakersfield Five, among them -- were helmed by producer and songwriter Gary Paxton, best-known for composing the novelty smash "The Monster Mash." In 1965, Paxton founded his own Hollywood recording studio, assembling a session crew that variously included guitarist Clarence White, bassist Jerry Scheff, and guitarist/fiddler Gib Guilbeau -- he also discovered brothers Rex and Vern Gosdin, releasing their country hit "Hangin' On" on his Bakersfield International label. By the late 1960s, Paxton was regularly licensing material to Alshire, and at Sherman's request, he put together The California Poppy Pickers to capitalize on the growing country-rock trend. Comprised of singers/multi-instrumentalists Ken Johnson and Dennis Payne, along with pedal steel guitarist Leo LeBlanc, the group released three 1969 LPs -- Sounds of '69, Hair/Aquarius, and Today's Chart Busters -- comprised primarily of covers and thinly-veiled rewrites. For reasons unknown, the fourth and final California Poppy Pickers album, Honky Tonk Women, was recorded without Paxton's involvement, and featured an entirely different lineup -- singer/guitarist Mike Messer, singer/bassist Don Larson, guitarist Randy Wilcox, and drummer Tom Slipp were, in reality, a Christian rock band called the Wilson McKinley, and they used the proceeds from their lone Alshire date to fund a self-released 1970 date titled Jesus People's Army: On Stage. Jason Ankeny

K. PYTHACUNTHAPUSERECTUS - Voodoo Ju Ju Obsession (Barclay, 1969)

K. Pythacunthapuserectus foron un proxecto de estudo feito desde Francia por Davy Jones & Janko Nilovic. A folla de promo que acompañaba ó disco non ten desperdicio.

THE STUDIO GROUP - Los Éxitos Del Espacio (Nevada, 1978)

Xa estou de volta e o disco escollido é este subproduto de 66 céntimos cunha bonita portada e un contido moito mellor do agardado. As tres versións de Bowie están ben, a de Deodato mola e a de Klaatu sorprende. Hai incluso un par de temas que non están nada mal asinados polos enigmáticos North e Dailly, probablemente membros do grupo de sesioneiros encargados de dar forma a este tipo de expolios baratos dos éxitos do momento. Este mesmo disco apareceu publicado en Italia con bonita portada tamén como "Space Concept" por The Atoms e en Francia  como "Spatial Disco 2005" por 2005 Stars Group.

JIMMIE RAYE "Mr. Soul Spectacular" - That'll Get It / It´s Written All Over Your Face (Moon Shot, 1969)

Unha peza de northern soul sesudo a cargo de "Mr. Soul Spectacular" que nós fixo felices a mín e a o finés que me pagou 100 euros por el. 

ARTHUR ALEXANDER - Cry Like A Baby / Glory Road (Sound Stage 7, 1969)

THE JOHNY LOUIS TRIO - The In Crowd (Crown Records, 196?)

Hard soulful grooves from an obscure little combo – that of west coast pianist Johnny Louis, working here on a set that's clearly designed to challenge the 60s fame of the Ramsey Louis Trio! The record's got a very similar approach – highly rhythmic, very soulful piano lines that are heavy on the left hand – which fits perfectly with the album's jumping grooves – handled by a bassist and drummer who are definitely not as fluid as Eldee Young and Redd Holt – but who more than make up for that fact with a lot of drive and enthusiasm!  Dusty Groove.

RUSSELL MORRIS - The Real Thing (Part I) / The Real Thing (Part II) (Diamond Records, 1969)

Unha clásica en tódalas discoteques e boites de Barallobre.

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"The Real Thing" is a song originally recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris in 1969. His version, which was produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum and written by Johnny Young was a huge hit in Australia and has become a classic. 

Young had originally written the song for Meldrum's friend Ronnie Burns, but when Meldrum heard Young playing it backstage during a taping of the TV pop show , he determined to secure the song for Morris, reportedly going to Young's home that night with a tape recorder and refusing to leave until Young had taped a "demo" version of the song for him.

In collaboration with engineer John Sayers, Meldrum radically transformed "The Real Thing" from Young's original vision of a simple acoustic ballad into a heavily produced studio masterpiece, extending it to an unheard-of six minutes in length and overdubbing the basic track with many additional instruments, vocals and sound effects. The bed track used the services of The Groop as backing band, with vocal contributions from Danny Robinson (Wild Cherries), The Chiffons, Maureen Elkner, with Sue Brady and Judy Condon, guitarist Roger Hicks from Zoot — who devised and played the song's distinctive acoustic guitar intro - and Billy Green who played electric guitar and sitar. The children's choir singing toward the end is the Hitler Youth singing "Die Jugend Marschiert" (Youth on the March). The single is reported to have cost A$2,000 — the most expensive single ever made in Australia up to that time (the typical budget for an entire album at the time) — and features one of the earliest uses of the studio technique known as "phasing" on an Australian recording. "The Real Thing" became a national number one hit for Morris in mid-1969 and is widely considered to be one of the finest Australian pop-rock recordings of the era. Wikipedia

MIKI - Dear Auntie Mary / A Piece Of Heaven (RCA 1969)

O tal Miki é en realidade Miki Anthony do que tedes unha wikipédica biografía máis abaixo. "Dear Auntie Mary" é unha peza composta por Mark Wirtz que ben podería ir incluída naquel proxecto chamado "A Teenage Opera" pero eu prefiro a cara B, unha composición do propio Anthony.

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Miki Anthony's career in the music industry lasted approximately from 1970 to 1985 . During that time he had several hit records, as a singer, writer, and record producer, both in United Kingdom and abroad. As a singer he had a top 20 hit "If it wasn't for the reason" and a follow-up top 50 "Another without you day" both Greenaway/Cook songs and record productions. His only LP was "City of the Angels" recorded in LA for EMI in 1976, which is a collection of all his best songs, many of which were covered by other artists.

As a writer, his songs have been recorded by 5th Dimension, Vince Hill, Pat McGlynn (Bay City Rollers), Nolans, Congregation, Bob Monkhouse, The Goodies, Demmis Roussos,... His disco library music was strongly featured in all the Benny Hill TV series and the Avengers TV. After leaving the music industry he had a very successful career as a property developer converting NHS hospitals into apartments and houses until he retired in 2001 to work from home in Windsor and spend more time with his family. He continues to write songs and in 2010 "If you never have the chance" got to the final of the UK songwriting contest. Wikipedia

THE SPACEMEN - Beat à Gogo (Tip, 1967)

Os alemáns The Spacemen eran o típico grupo beat de segunda especializado na gravación de discos expolio con éxitos do momento. A que máis me gustou foi esta dos Kinks As voces femininas nalgúns temas son de Tina Rainford alias Peggy Peters

SAVOY BROWN - A Hard Way To Go / Waiting In The Bamboo Grove (Decca, 1970)

O blues rock e derivados abúrrenme un pouco pero hei de recoñecer que esta peza de Savoy Brown orixinalmente aparecida no seu Lp "A Step Further" ten o seu aquel.

LOS AUTONAUTAS - Vete (2007)

Esta fantástica adaptación do clásico dos Amaya aparecía como pista agachada ao final do primeiro traballo dos madrileños los Autonautas que estarán tocando dentro dun mes nunha nova edición do Felipop.

LOS SANTOS - Vivo En El 1º (1985)

De Los Santos, grupo poproqueiro biscaiño de primeiros oitenta, gústanme especialmente un par de cancións: "Tú, Tú, Tú" incluída no seu primeiro sinxelo e esta que escoitamos hoxe que pechaba o seu único longa duración de portada non moi atractiva, así que escollemos a foto da contra que mola máis. O seu cantante José Ignacio Dermit, Bilillo, segue aínda traballado, agora como Bilillo y Los Sullos.

THE FIRST STREET MARBLE TEAM - Honey Love / You And Me And Happiness (Exit, 1969)

"Honey Love"

Podería parecer que estos rapaces eran admiradores confesos de Arthur Lee e dos efluvios sicódelicos do "Forever Changes" pero a realidade é ben distinta. The First Street Marble Team foron probablemente un grupo de estudio do selo Honor Brigade que  tentaba aproveitar a febre chicleteira do momento. Na cara A daban conta do "Honey Love" de Clyde McPhatter e os Drifters mentras que polo outro lado facían o propio cun tema dos Newbeats. O deseño da portada haberá que agradecerllo a algún dos responsables do selo Exit.

JEREMY KIDD - Petals And Ashes / Crocodile Tears (Self -Drive Music, 1985)

"Petals And Ashes"

Inencontrable en internet hasta ahora como da fe alguno de nuestros colaboradores, “Petals & ashes” (pétalos y cenizas) es el único single que publicó Jeremy (o Jerry) Kidd tras su salida de los experimentales The Red Guitars, una banda de culto procedente de Hull y asociada al ambiente independiente británico de mediados de los 80. En el 85 Kidd decide emprender una esperanzadora carrera en solitario cuyo único resultado es este sencillo en cuya cara b figuraba otro tema propio, la lánguida e inocua “Cocodrile tears”. Con los excesos de las producciones de los 80, su tema principal es un homenaje a la anarquista lituana Emma Goldman (1869-1940), una canción de belleza serena y ecléctica que muestra lo mejor (la pieza en sí)  y lo más incómodo (esas baterías electrónicas) de una década de la que todavía hay mucho que rascar. La emoción acaba por imponerse y su vibrante mensaje tan actual convierte a esta canción en una joya perdida y hallada para goce de nuestros lectores y oyentes. Una vez recuperada no se la pierdan.

TOMBSTONES - Mujeres (CD EP, 1992)

"Don´t Look Back"

Seguimos con adaptacións de clásicos do garaxe feitas por aquí. Hoxe recuperamos aos Tombstones, unha banda de Santiago que despois das consabidas maquetas en casete, chegou a editar un cd para o selo vigués MAN Records. No seu momento escoitei o disco e a verdade non me deixou pegada. Como promo editaron este cd con tres temas no que incluían o "Don´t Look Back" dos Remains. Non lembro se o tema ía tamén no disco ou era só un bonus deste cd.

LOS CAFRES - Algún Dia Caeré / Me Voy Derecho Al Infierno (DRO, 1988)

"Algún Dia Caeré"

Outra versión dos Standells feita por terras galegas. Nesta ocasión son os vigueses Los Cafres que pasan ao castelán o "Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White”. Os dous temas ían incluídos no único Lp publicado polo grupo, "S.F. 13 Tractor Cerebral".

FAMILIA CAAMAGNO - Se Magnan Chove (2012)

Levo uns días na cabeza con esta caralluda adaptación ao galego do tema dos Standells "There's A Storm Coming" polos santiagueses Familia Caamagno. Podedes descargar de balde o disco desde o seu bandcamp.

JOHNNY JOHNSON & HIS BANDWAGON Soul Survivor (Stateside-EMI, 1971)

"In The Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)"

Orixinalmente coñecidos como The Bandwagon, este grupo americano formouse en 1967 con Artie Fullilove, Billy Bradley, Terry Lewis e Johnny Johnson como cantante. Editaron un LP e unha serie de sinxelos, dos que o seu maior éxito foi "Breakin' down the walls of heartache", que chegou ao número catro das listas británicas. En 1970 caen en mans de Tony Macaulay, un dos mellores compositores ingleses de música chicleteira dos 60, cuxos traballos máis coñecidos foron os que protagonizou con The Foundations.  "Soul Survivor" foi editado para aproveitar o éxito  dos seus últimos sinxelos "Sweet Inspiration" e "(Blame It) On The Pony Express" que ademáis son os temas estrelas dun album composto case na súa totalidade de versións dentro das que destaca, "In The Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)" que ten case os mesmos arranxos que o propio Macauley fixera para os Foundations uns anos atrás. Morreu de cancro en 1979.

Máis Johnny Johnson

BARRABAS - Woman / Cheer Up (RCA, 1972)

"Cheer Up"

Xa que falabamos de Barrabás hoxe recuperamos "Cheer Up", a única peza lenta do do seu primeiro disco que ademáis é unha das que máis aprezo de todo o seu repertorio.

SOUNDATION - Tricky Dicky / Chu Chu (Bocaccio Records, 1971)

"Tricky Dicky"

O máis interesante deste sinxelo dos alemáns Soundation está na súa cara A  "Tricky Dicky", que ben podería ter asinada Fernando Arbex no seu paso por Barrabás. "Chu Chu" é chicle do que se pon duro e perde o sabor aos cinco minutos.

NOEL HARRISON - Suzanne / Museum (Reprise-Hispavox, 1967)

"Museum"

Estes dous temas de Noel Harrison viñan orixinalmente no seu Lp "Collage". Mola máis a adaptación de Donovan.

DADDY LINDBERG Shirl - Wade In The Shade (Columbia, 1967)

"Wade in The Shade"

The Fingers foron unha das primeiras banda británicas en definirse a si mesmos como sicodélicos alá polo 66. Tamén, segundo as lendas que acompañan a todo grupo de rock, saían a escena cun mono de nome Freak Out. Na súa curta carreira deixaron tres sinxelos aínda que  o seu terceiro apareceu baixo o seudónimo de Daddy Lindberg. "Shirl", una peza de Geoff Stephens e John Carter non vale moito pero "Wade in the Shade" é realmente impresionante.  Hai uns días púxose en contacto con nós John Bobin,  baixista orixinal de The Fingers,  que nos conta isto:

Hi:
I saw a track called "Wade in the Shade" in your blog which my old band The Fingers recorded in 1967 under the name Daddy Lindberg (The Fingers were under contract to EMI, with a certain amount of recording time allotted to us at Abbey Road. We had run out of time for that period so Peter Eden (our producer) booked us in as Daddy Lindberg!). We were recently persuaded to reform for a one-off gig and the evening was recorded for posterity. Henry Scott-Irvine (the well known author, broadcast media consultant and radio presenter) was present at the reunion gig when The Fingers played together for the first time since 1967. Henry described the gig thus: 

“The Fingers emerged in 1966 and recorded their best songs in the summer of 1967. With former members of Dr Feelgood, The Kursaal Flyers and Wilko Johnson’s Solid Senders, gathered alongside former associates of Procol Harum, The Fingers took to the stage on the night of September 21st 2012 in the shape of their original line-up. During the break several TV screens came to life showing The Fingers in May 1967 from the German TV series Beat Beat Beat, which was televised, live in Frankfurt. The pinnacle of the show was ‘Wade in the Shade’, which was the B-side of ‘Shirl’ undertaken by The Fingers’ alter-ego band Daddy Lindberg. I did say to their bass guitarist, John Bobin, that it was a shame they had not played ‘All Kinds Of People’ and its B-side ‘Circus With A Female Clown’, which are now regarded as psychedelic masterpieces by many, which brings us back to that particular tag ‘psychedelic’. Record Mirror newspaper said in 1966, ‘The Fingers are as about as psychedelic as Ken Dodd!’ Leaving aside the above two songs, the Daddy Lindberg single and the songs seen on Beat Beat Beat, Record Mirror probably had a point. The Fingers were a great 60’s Pop group. They were extremely versatile, then and now. And they had their psychedelic moments, too!” 

Our new CD "Wade in the Shade" is available from www.mickeyjupp.com.. All the best,  John

LIVING JAZZ - Memphis Underground (RCA, 1970)

"Memphis Underground"

Living Jazz eran un invento del trompetista y arreglista Phil Bodner, también conocido por estar al frente de otro combo de similares características, The Brass Ring (Los Anillos de Bonce). La bonita portada y el título inducen a pensar que nos vamos a encontrar toques de lisergia o algo parecido pero la realidad es otra, sólo un agradable disco de easy listening con bonitos detalles del teclista, un poco de fuzz ligerito y una aceptable selección del repertorio. La mejor es sin duda la  adaptación del tema de Herbie Mann que se puede escuchar en el reproductor.

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Since its early formative years in New Orleans, jazz has been imbued with an astounding variety of outside influences, absorbing and utilizing features of other musical styles in order to enrich and broaden its own development. Yet, it has always managed to retain its own unique identity, its essence unsubmerged by appearances. Whatever else jazz may seem to be, it is always jazz, always the music of now. 

Rock and bossa nova are two of the more recent contributors to the growth and development of that protean organism we call jazz. Here is particularly fertile ground for the jazzman: the rhythmic, electric excitement of rock and the gentle, lyrical understatement of bossa nova. In the right hands this combination of ingredients promises some very groovy music indeed. 

Which brings us to the present album. Phil Bodner, along with a superbly gifted group of instrumentalists, has come up with an outstanding example of jazz it la mode. The recipe calls for a brimming bagful of choice, Grade A, now hits liberally seasoned with the sounds of rock, a dash of bossa nova and served with a great heaping of jazz soul. 

Included in this collection of tunes are such tasty morsels as Lennon-McCartney's Eleanor Rigby, Otis Redding's (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay, Herbie Mann's Memphis Underground and Nilsson's I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City. Phil Bodner's arrangements are as upto-the-minute as the material itself, and Living Jazz plays them with its customary sound and spirit. 

All in all, MEMPHIS UNDERGROUND stands as living proof of the fact that although the face of jazz may change the groove goes on and on. (Notas contraportada)

LALLY STOTT - Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep (Philips, 1971)

"Love Is Free, Love Is Blind, Love Is Good"

Antes de que Middle of the Road, Los 3 de Castilla y Mac & Katie Kissoon bombardearan a medio mundo con "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep", su autor, Lally Stott ya había grabado su propia versión que alcanzó cierta popularidad en Australia e Italia donde residía entonces. Lally nació cerca de Liverpool y en los primeros sesentas en plena explosión beat formó parte de varios grupos como The Vaqueros o los algo más conocidos Four Just Men que posteriormente mutarían en los recomendables Wimple Winch. En 1965, como muchos músicos británicos del momento, desembarcó en Italia dónde formó parte de los Motowns hasta 1969. Éste, su único Lp, grabado con apoyo de los Black Jacks, contiene las dosis justas de bubblegum mezclado con popsyke de época con excelentes momentos, un disco realmente agradable. Murió en 1977 en accidente de coche. Como bonus va la cara B de "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep", otra estupenda canción titulada "Henry James".

GEORGE TIPTON - Nilsson By Tipton (Warner Bros. 1970)

"Rainmaker"

With his background as a television soundtrack and jingles arranger, but also possessing a deep knowledge of the history of jazz and popular orchestration, George Tipton was the perfect collaborator for Harry Nilsson in the late '60s, bringing Nilsson's wonderfully skewed sense of pop to life on a series of classic albums that flirted with commercial appeal even as they undermined that appeal with deliberate quirkiness and a wink of the eye. At some point the two had a falling out, but assumedly before that happened, Tipton released this charming set of Nilsson tunes reassembled and reshaped as MOR instrumental fare in 1970. The album works for the same reason that Nilsson's albums work -- that goofy love of what pop music can be when a little intelligence, grace, and joy are applied to it. “Rainmaker” emerges in Tipton’s tribute version as strong, sturdy, and sure, like a bold theme to some sweeping television Western, while the repositioning of “Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore" sounds like a vintage 1940s vocal jazz piece. “Think About Your Troubles” is lovely, bouncing, and soothing, sugary but not to a fault. “Without You” keeps its wounded grace even as it emerges as a gentle dance samba. True, these tracks are really just a button away from being elevator music, but somehow they aren't. Tipton saw the musical history and structure that were inherent in Nilsson's songs, and with his own musical background, he knew how to bend them into familiar shapes -- make that almost familiar shapes. Nilsson's odd and joyful melodic signatures always shine through. Steve Leggett