Saturday, February 27, 2010

tommy roe - its now winters day - `69 - abc records




i already posted tommy roes phantasy LP , here is another in the same vein. pretty trippy stuff ! - vocal arrangements by curt boettcher - of association & tons more / need i say more ? he also did percussion & who knows what all , ha . this album is really good ! here is a lossless share. have the mono lp , but its too noisy !
i really love this album. i give it 5 stars MF ! -- ! there is a lot to listen to , they had fun with this one in the studio ! - TURN IT UP !!!!


***

This album takes me back to the winter of 1967. Here Tommy Roe musically embraces the more experimental atmosphere of the period just prior to the Summer of Love and creates a gem of mod/pop/rock with tinges of psychedelic influence. While Tommy Roe wrote or co-wrote all the tunes, the production of the album is heavily influenced by Curt Boettcher who produced the classic Association hits "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish". Boettcher is credited with Vocal Arrangements although the liner notes indicate he was involved with a large part of the production of the album.

While this album is all Tommy Roe, you can hear similarities to other artists of that era. "Leave Her" is a good pop/rock opener with a Lou Christie-type feel. There's a tinge of early Neil Diamond in "Aggravation" and "Misty Eyes", two other pop/rockers.

"Long Live Love" and "Nightime" have a message similar to the non-comedy songs of Ray Stevens ("Mr. Businessman"/"Unwind") with the theme of slowing down and appreciating life.

"Golden Girl" is a pop love ballad with a Tin Pan Alley tint that could easily have been done by Davy Jones.

"Sing Along With Me" is a sunshiny-sweet 60's pop song (remember the Coke commercials teaching the "world to sing") which (for me at least) can get a little old.

"Moontalk" is a unique pre-moonlanding gem (written just as the Gemini program was winding down and the Apollo program was starting up) about the romantic ramifications of landing a man on the moon. I don't know of any other song that ever tackled this topic.

"Have Pity on Me" is a bluesy torch song which I don't remember liking that much back then, but now I see it as something that could be done by the Blues Brothers.

"Cry on Crying Eyes" is not a typical Tommy Roe song having a darker feel of a love gone wrong and reminds me of the later hits of the Turtles.

"Sweet Sounds" is a nice song is probably the tune closest to a typical Tommy Roe hit ("Sheila", "Hazel", et al.). It was released as a B-side single ("Moontalk" as the A-side). Perhaps the record would have charted better with Tommy Roe's core fans if the sides had been reversed.

The title cut - "It's Now Winters Day" - is my favorite cut. It evokes wintertime imagery and could have become a seasonal Christmas song. I find similarities in this track to the songs on the recent Kenny Loggins "December" album. Quite a nice track.

The bonus track, "Kick Me Charlie" is the B-side of the "It's Now Winter's Day" single and is a good rocking cut from that era.

According to the liner notes (which are quite informative), this album was not embraced by Tommy Roe's fans. It was a departure, less pop/bubblegum and frankly, was a more mature album. I think anyone interested in Tommy Roe, the styles of the Association, Lou Christie, early Neil Diamond or the mod/pop/pre-psychedelic period on the eve of the Summer of Love might want to give it a listen. [bruce d. davis]


tommy roe - its now winters day - `69 - abc records
LOSSLESS


1. Leave Her
2. Moontalk
3. Aggravation
4. Golden Girl
5. Misty Eyes
6. Have Pity on Me
7. Sing Along with Me
8. Long Live Love
9. Nightime
10. Cry on Crying Eyes
11. Sweet Sounds
12. It's Now Winter's Day


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

tommy roe - its now winters day - `69 - abc records

Friday, February 26, 2010

dick hyman - the electric eclectics of - `69 - command records




alright !
here is another request. gotta luv this one. all out MOOG from the man himself , mr. dick hyman ~ i am still seeking his 2nd one on command , the orange one !
but this one rox - very experimental & vintage .. this one is real fun !
enjoy

*********************

Dick Hyman. Tell me this guy did not get beat up in school because of his name! Yet, somehow he managed to survive and become a prolific musician, multi-keyboardist, and film composer. Though he is best known for his talent at capturing the keyboard sounds of the past, some of his earliest work was with giant Moog synthesizers.

The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman is a snapshot of some of the earliest Moog music, at the height of Moog-mania. Moog albums were popping up everywhere, thanks to Switched-On Bach, and Gershon Kingsley’s cheesy psychedelic Moog albums. This CD captures that era in all its glory(?). The tracks range from the goofy to hardcore lounge synth work that will bring a smile to your face. Hyman’s tunes may sound a little dated, but that’s part of their charm, and his playing is nothing if not virtuosic.


Several cuts foreshadow the music of recent electronica artists. “Topless Dancers of Corfu” is cheesy as hell, with its squawky synth sound, and European folk dance melody. Yet, Hyman was doing something that nobody had really done before, making pop music with the giant Moog modular synthesizer. “The Legend of Johnny Pot” is cheesy, too, but the songs have a retro appeal. In fact, you’ll hear some sounds and grooves that would be right at home on some modern lounge electronica.

“Four Duets in Odd Meter” are more experimental. The sound choices are more “far-out”, sounding odd, if not quite spacey. The track has an improvised feel, and it explores continous key changes and complex rhythms.

Listen to “The Minotaur”, and you can hear where Keith Emerson cribbed some of his ideas. The track starts with a primitive drum machine track, and some early sequenced bass. On top of this, Hyman plays a short tune, and then plays variations and improvisations on the theme. The sound he uses sounds very familiar…think “Lucky Man”. Hyman’s improvisational style on “The Minotaur” seems to anticipate the chromatic style that Emerson made popular a few years later. He also uses lots of octave jumps, with the notes sliding from one octave to another. This is one of the most listenable cuts on the album because of the great playing. It’s also interesting as one of the earliest examples of jazz-rock synthesizer improvisations.

Several other improvised tracks explore other territory, from a quiet, almost ambient track, that will remind some listeners of Raymond Scott’s work, to a funky take on James Brown’s “Give it up, turn it loose”.


Not a classic, but nevertheless enjoyable listening and an interesting record, The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman is old enough to be appreciated for what it is, well-crafted pop electronica from the early days of electronica.

dick hyman - the electric eclectics of - `69 - command records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez scans of front/back - inside covers ~!


Topless Dancers Of Corfu
The Legend Of Johnny Pot
The Moog And Me
Tap Dance In The Memory Banks
Four Duets In Odd Meter
The Minotaur
Total Bells And Tony
Improvisation In Fourths
Evening Thoughts



DOWNLOAD -- HERE --


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Very Best of Orpheus - 2001 - CD





here is another request. i have 3 orpheus lp`s , but they are pretty common via da blogs. so here is the best of from cd , still @ 320 !
[ MIGHT STILL GET TO THE FULL LENGTH LP`S , SO HANG TOUGH , NOT AT TOP OF LIST THO ]
enjoy

*****

Orpheus is a Worcester, Massachusetts-based rock band that enjoyed popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the avant guard band. Original members included guitarist/vocalists Bruce Arnold and Jack McKennes, bass guitarist Eric "The Snake" Gulliksen, and drummer Harry Sandler but many others have since been a part of the group. Orpheus recorded three albums and four singles for MGM Records produced by musical legend Alan Lorber, including their best known hit, Can’t Find The Time, though it was later work that came to actually define the band.

Very Best of Orpheus - cd , 2001
MP3 @ 320kbps , includes scans ~

1-Can't Find the Time
2-I've Never Seen Love Like This
3-Walk Away Renee
4-To Touch Our Love Again
5-Joyful
6-By the Size of My Shoes
7-Congress Alley
8-I'll Stay With You
9-Me About You
10-Brown Arms in Houston
11-Never in My Life
12-I Can Make the Sun Rise
13-I'll Fly
14-Just a Little Bit
15-Big Green Pearl
16-Tomorrow Man


DOWNLOAD
-- HERE --

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Kasenetz-Katz Super Circus - `69 , buddah records



ok kids ; this one is by request ; a bit of bubblegum for ya , from the leaders of the pack -- Kasenetz-Katz ! - enjoy ~


Future bubblegum producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz met at the University of Arizona, where Katz was attending on a football scholarship and Kasenetz was one of the managers on the football team. Upon leaving the University, Katz returned to New York and received a call from Kasenetz who was living on the West Coast. Kasenetz asked Katz to come out west and join him in starting a new business, something in the music business. Katz didn't know a thing about the business and had no intention on moving to California. So Kasenetz moved to New York and the two started to manage acts in Greenwich Village. One of the groups, the Palace Guards, were signed to Mercury and a single was produced. Kasenetz and Katz didn't like the results and figured they could do a better job of producing. And that's how they started producing!

They met up with Neil Bogart at Cameo and followed him to Buddah, his new label. Once set, K&K were responsible for Little Bit O' Soul by The Music Explosion (for Laurie Records) and -- with their first project for Buddah -- the 1910 Fruitgum Company. The group was one of a billion garage bands back then, but K&K gave them a new name and a song: Simon Says, a #4 hit in early 1968. They continued their initial success by having studio musicians play instead of the group only keeping singer Mark Gutkowski for the hits 1-2-3 Red Light and Indian Giver. Working with the Ohio Express and Joey Levine in the same manner, at the same time, they produced the massive hits Yummy, Yummy, Yummy and Chewy, Chewy.

The Buddah label took off and this inexperienced production team was now dominating the charts. The Express followed with Down At LuLu's and Mercy and Levine handled vocals for Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run) for the Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus and Bubble Gum Music for the Rock 'N' Roll Dubble Bubble Trading Card Company of Philadelphia 1914 (whew!). Probably the most respected song of Bubblegum was Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by Crazy Elephant and the list goes on. Admittedly, Bubblegum music is a small niche of pop but imagine if one production team produced The Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Who . . . well, that's the impact Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz had on the charts and on your big sister and brother's transistor radio.

Probably the most endearing quality of the duo was their willingness to get product out on the streets as soon as they could. Only an A-side recorded? No problem! They'd quickly write Sticky, Sticky, the simplest song of all time or Pow Wow a pre-recorded song played backwards! Call it psychedelic experimental if you want, but don't think for a minute that Bubblegum didn't try to push pop farther than it had ever gone. They even orchestrated a Bubblegum concert at Carnegie Hall and recreated the event in the studio in order to release a good sounding "live" album.

"Those two were difficult to work with," said Ohio Express guitarist Doug Grassel. "It was strictly a money game with them. They'd tell us, 'Keep it simple. Hurry up. You're costing us money. They'd tell us what songs to play. And if we didn't like a particular song, they'd say something like, 'Who do you think you are? Jimi Hendrix?'"

By 1972, Bubblegum lost its flavor with the public and Kasenetz and Katz tried to move on. They produced a slew of mid-western rock groups and found little success until Ram Jam had a hit with Black Betty in 1977. Like most, if not all of the Bubblegum participants, K&K haven't resurfaced since. Maybe they'll be surfing the net one night and find a site dedicated to Bubblegum and . . .


check out what they are up to now !
kasenetz and katz all-stars

Kasenetz-Katz Super Circus - `69 , buddah records
all trax from wax , by akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320kbps - includes high rez front cover scan

Quick Joey Small
Let Me Introduce You
Easy to Love
Log in Fire
Shake
I'm in Love with You
New York Woman
Up in the Air
I Got It Bad for You
Down at Lulu's
The Super Circus

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --


Sunday, February 14, 2010

Planet P Project - Pink World - 1984



hey all :

here is another obscurity , the classic conceptual underground double LP ..
some may remember , some may not know.
engineered by the same guy that did "the wall" -- Nigel Jopson.
i found this treasure back in the 80`s , so i kinda grew up on this one.
i rank it up there with elo`s "out of the blue" both in scope & magnitude.
its rather lengthy & a tough chew , but if you are into the sci-fi , space rock conceptual all out sort of vibe , this will be your new treasure.

tony carey had a couple hits b4 this ; a fine , fine day & why me ?
he also played keyboards with ritchie blackmore & ronnie dio in rainbow.
pink world was conceived shortly after his departure from rainbow & carey wrote, plays & produced the whole project.
one of my all time faves , i actually have this on double PINK vinyl !

transfered from CD MP3 @ VBR , 111 MB

enjoy

let me know what ya think !

"and the minute men stood as we knew they would & the world went temporarily sane - the radio said "my god , cover your head & get out of the pourin` rain"



*******

"Still a one-man show, Tony Carey, under the banner of Planet P Project, again teamed with producer Peter Hauke for this 1984 follow-up to the self-titled debut of the prior year. It's a sprawling, ambitious double album with a sketchy plot line revolving around Artimus, a boy who doesn't speak, and a Cold War-inspired Armageddon. Like it's predecessor, the music features a heavy emphasis on synthesizers, although there's also a good dose of guitar, giving it appeal to rock fans. Carey infuses Pink World with solid melodies, and there's plenty to enjoy on tracks like the surging title cut, the brooding "What I See," and the folk-tinged "A Boy Who Can't Talk." And, to his credit, despite the somewhat cumbersome premise, Carey manages to keep it all from getting too pretentious. Pink World is a curiously interesting work that has managed to achieve a certain cult status." -- AMG


"this record is one of the greatest of the concept albums made in the class of Pink Floyd's The Wall or The Who's Tommy, comparable only in the type of the album, not the story. Pink World is fascinating in how it interprets the subconscious terrors of the cold war into a coherent artistic work. The imagery is fascinating and speaks to Tony Carey's talent. To make sense of what the story is about, you have to realize that Tony Carey is at least nominally a Native American and his culture placed premium value on visions and storytelling, the other part of it is that at the time he recorded the album he lived in West Germany, that in an event of al all out Nukewar was going to bear the brunt of the US/Soviet Armor/Artillery/Nuclear/Chemical Biological exchange in which the main casualties were going to be civilians. In general terms, the gist of the story is about a messianic visionary leading the survivors of the nuclear holocost across the devastated landscape, much as shamans in the pre-historic times attempted to lead their fellow tribesmen out of starvation. It is unfortunate that this album did not receive greater acclaim or that Tony Carey did not have his own band or worked with other artists since greater artistic collaboration would have created a stronger piece. The fact that the album played on all of the fears of Tony Carey's generation, and yet did not receive greater acceptance is a good argument against the concept of Collective Unconsciousness as postulated by Dr. Jung. Finally, his last laugh is that Artemis was the goddess of hunting in Greek panthenon, and historically, the oldest worshipped deity in ancient Greece, mayhaps even The Goddess. Mona Lisa has her smile, Buddha has his, and so does Tony Carey." --- amazon



*********
PLANET P PROJECT - PINK WORLD : 1984 - MCA

tracklisting :

1. In the Woods
2. To Live Forever
3. Pink World
4. What I See
5. To Live Forever, Pt. 2
6. Power
7. In the Forest
8. Boy Who Can't Talk
9. Stranger
10. What I See, Pt. 2
11. Shepherd
12. Behind the Barrier
13. Pink World Coming Down
14. Breath
15. This Perfect Place
16. What Artie Knows
17. In the Zone
18. Behind the Barrier, Pt. 2
19. March of the Artemites
20. This Perfect Place, Pt. 2
21. Letter From the Shelter
22. What Artie Knows, Pt. 2
23. One Star Falling
24. Baby's at the Door
25. Requiem
26. Boy Who Can't Talk, Pt. 2

download -- here --

Planet P Project `- 84 , Geffen - - [ QUIEX II PRESS ]




OK , veering off course a bit , but here is the second planet p installment.
i already posted the second , pink world - double !
i figured it was fitting being 2010 & all. there is a line in Why me that goes
"the last man to be here-was never heard from again-he won't be back this way till 2010...!! - and now I'm riding on a fountain of fire-with my back to the earth-I go higher and higher-why me? " ! -- so , here i am , ha -
for those that never heard this , your in for a real treat. especially if you are into spacey sci-fi rock , with lots of keys , layers & mood shifting imagery.
it doesnt get much better than this. i am proud to say that when this came out in `84 , i was delivering pizzas & the why me song was a huge hit , yes; it was my fave song that year ! - oh , & i have the cd , but this is ripped from a QUIEX II Press of the vinyl [ IT REALLY SOUNDS GREAT , WAX WAS REAL CLEAN ! ], + 2 bonus trax takin` from CD ! tony wrote & played most everything here & even produced it , it is an amazing recording !
enjoy ~


"Back in the 1980's, Tony Carey had enough musical and lyrical ideas in him that he split his output into two different outlets. Songs about individuals and stories at a personal level were released under his own name, while songs about societies and technology issues were released under the name "Planet P Project". This album was the first one for the PPP, released on Geffen records. There were a few spacey music videos which got a fair amount of airplay on MTV, back in the early days of MTV when it still had something to do with "music". I *thnk* there was a video for "Static" which got some video-play, but the video that most people will remember was one for "Why Me?".
"Static" is a song that views a world after some major man-made disaster, generally believed to be a nuclear war but never specifically mentioned as such. With lyrics such as: ``But you can't believe it, where did all the people go? A finger on the button -- static on the radio''. It's a wistful song of loss and tragedy on a grand scale.
I have always liked the song "King for a Day", which talks about those people with a insatiable thirst for power and writing their name in history. ``Build me a castle, and throw a parade. Put my name in stone, so the words won't fade. Start a religion, and name it for me. Build me a city, and give me the key! I'm king for a day, and can do no wrong...''. But in some ways it is also a commentary on the societies who *WANT* to crown their own kings for a day, one king after another.
Another interesting song is "Armageddon", which in some ways is a revisiting of the end-of-world theme from "Static". I am probably reading into this song that Tony wasn't meaning to write, but to me this song is about the major failing of modern society's success with technology. While we keep making tremendous strides in technology, societies are still hell bent on destroying each other (or themselves, for that matter). The main line from the song is simply, ``Armegeddon, oh no. Armageddon -- you came too soon''. Mankind might have the brainpower to solve all of it's problems, but not the willpower.
"Why Me?" is the song that got the most airplay. It's about an astronaut being launched on a very long-term space mission. With lines like: ``Thinking about the girl I left behind -- Houston can you hear me, or have I lost my mind? Why Me? Why Me?'', and ``The last guy to be here was never heard from again -- he won't be back this way until 2010 !! !''.
That gives you a basic idea of the lyrical theme of the album. It's a theme that resonated well back in the early 1980's, but it also works quite well in this post-9/11 world. The cold war may have faded away, but societies as a whole still face (and generate!) the same old problems.
Many people like to label this under progressive music, but to my mind that isn't quite right. The *theme* is obviously similar to what Pink Floyd might write on a bleak day, and Tony Carey does also have a great talent for writing and performing music. And it is a "concept album", which one might expect from progressive music. But each of the songs here is more like a pop song. They may have much better instrumental work than 98% of pop songs, but they are still short memorable songs. They have a standard structure of verses and a chorus, and each one can stand by itself. You don't need to listen to the whole album for any of these songs to make sense. Admittedly, the lyrics are not "sweet pop happy bubblegum" themes, but it seems a bit wrong (to me) to think of this as a progressive album. But I can understand why people say that. The instrumental work here is excellent, and he has the right voice for singing these themes."



Planet P Project - [tony carey/x-rainbow] `- 84 , Geffen - [ QUIEX II PRESS ]
ALL TRAX FROM WAX [ save bonus trax ] - by akashaman , 2010
MP3 @ 320 as always !


Static – 4:04
King for a day – 3:57
I won't wake up – 3:46
Top of the world – 4:34
Armageddon – 4:20
Why me? – 4:06
Power Tools – 3:59
Send it in a letter – 3:52
Adam and Eve – 3:36
Only you and me – 3:22
Tranquility base (bonus track - from cd) – 1:55
Ruby (bonus track from cd) – 3:59

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Saturday, February 13, 2010

The Rose Garden - Atco - `68











ok i brought the pop psych back , ha -- man i tripped when i saw this as i knew it was old ; really good shape too - from 68 ~
pretty good lp , but i am surprised they didnt get sued by the byrds for copping thier guitar tones , haha - its uncanny how similar they sound , i am talking jangly , jangly , jangly ! - but there is a nice blend of male & female vox here that reminds us of mamas & papas too.
not much fuzz guitar on this one , u get the idea. it really brings back the times tho , my faves are : next plane to london & flower town !
enjoy --

The Rose Garden's only album is a fair but unmemorable pop-folk-rock record, able in its emulation of the Byrds' 12-string guitar sound with some competent stirring male-female vocal blends. Indeed this contains some of the most blatant mimicry of Roger McGuinn's style that you'll find, without nearly as much of McGuinn's imagination. Far more pop-oriented than the Byrds, the record was also handicapped by the absence of original material; the sole song bearing writing credits of group members, "Flower Town" (on which Kim Fowley also somehow manages to squeeze into the credit line), is in fact an adaptation of the traditional folk song "Portland Town." Big Byrds collectors, though, might want to keep an eye out for this not-too-easy-to-find LP as it contains two Gene Clark songs that never appeared anywhere else, "Till Today" and "Long Time." Neither of these songs are wonderful, but they're okay and better than the rest of the album (save the hit "Next Plane to London"), with "Till Today" bearing a countryish feel not unlike some of the songs on Clark's debut album. In other curious footnotes, three of the tunes were co-written by Pat Vegas, later to rise to fame as part of Redbone, while "Look What You've Done" was co-written by Bob Johnston, who at that time was producing superstars Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.


The Rose Garden - Atco - `68
ALL TRAX FROM WAX - AKASHAMAN - 2010
MP3 @ 320 - includes front/back/label high rez scans !


1 - Next Plane to London
2 - I'm Only Second
3 - February Sunshine
4 - Coins of Fun
5 - Rider
6 - She Belongs to Me
7 - Flower Town
8 - Till Today
9 - Look What You've Done
10 - Long Time

tons more info on band , history , pics , 45`s - very kewl - see link below !!

--- The Rose garden ---



DOWNLOAD -- HERE --



Friday, February 12, 2010

David Werner - Whizz Kid - `74 - RCA Records





ok folks :
here is another one that got lost ! - i know there are a couple shares out there on this , but i bet they dont sound as good ! HA
this is a lost Glam type LP , think bowie , mott the hoople & the like.
its a shame these great LP`s never get the recognition they deserve , but i guess thats why i am here ! enjoy this one whizz kids !



Werner takes a more measured tack than his flashier brethren, though Mark Doyle's and Max Kendrick's guitars can pounce and snarl with the best of them. Songs alternate between mid-tempo rockers and plaintive ballads like "The Lady in Waiting" and "It's Too Sad," which offers encouragement to a lonely person ("but you're no one's clown/'cause they're the ones that have to grow"). "One More Wild Guitar" opens the album decisively, casting its rocker-versus-fogeyish-parents lyric as a coming-of-age story -- a theme he further develops on "The Death of Me Yet" and the title track ("everything I try to say somehow comes out crazy"). The musicianship isn't flashy, but it's first-rate throughout (especially Doyle and Kendrick, who carry most of the load). Werner addresses his inner life on the winsome "Love Is Tragic" and "A Sleepless Night," in which a rebuffed lover plays for more time. As if to ensure he's not playing things too straight, Werner trots out another Bowie-esque touch -- "Plan 9," a one-minute, free-associative spoken-word piece. The public may not have known how to read him, but David Werner was a distinctive artist, which may have worked against him. His style's definitely an acquired taste, but you'll never forget it once you hear it.
Whizz Kid remains the best known of his three albums, probably because everyone who ever owned it during it's day never paid more than a dollar or two tops for it. Whizz Kidd was one of the most golden of all cut-outs during The Golden Age Of Cut-Outs 1972-1980. EVERY greater cut-out bin across the country, whether it be a record store, a K-Mart, or your corner drug store, ALWAYS had plenty of copies of Whizz Kid.



David Werner - Whizz Kid -`74 RCA Records
ALL TRAX FROM WAX - by akashaman - 2010 - MP3 @ 320 kbps


One More Wild Guitar
Whizz Kid
The Lady in Waiting
The Ballad of Trixie Silver
It's a Little Bit Sad
Love Is Tragic
Plan 9
Counting the Ways
The Death of Me Yet
A Sleepless Night

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Brian Protheroe - Pinball -- Chrysalis, 1974









wow , well the story behind this lp for me. the song "pinball" was recently posted by per gessle of Roxette who is one of my facebook friends - he posted it as a song of the day thing. i had never heard the song & checked it out. i really liked it. . fast forward a couple weeks & i am browsing through some records at half priced books & came across the full length Pinball LP ! - its really amazing to me that there are still gems like this yet to be found. not a dud on this one. on the whole its very ambitious & takes from many influences , i hear - beach boys , beatles , bob welch , steve miller , 10cc , queen , bowie , nilsson , emmitt rhodes - et al , ha.
i think there will be a few folks REALLY surprised to see it , as i could see how this would be a great re visit ! -- me , i am hearing it for the first time !
i am calling lost epic here ! - love to hear your own stories !!
headphones ~ ....:)

" Prior to his career as an actor on the silver and small screen in Britain, Brian Protheroe was a pop singer/songwriter primarily inspired by Paul McCartney, something that he was not alone in during the early '70s. He sits comfortably alongside such British troubadours as Elton John, Al Stewart, and Gilbert O'Sullivan, and obscurities like John Howard, who along with Protheroe was revived on RPM's excellent soft rock installment in their Lipsmackin 70's series, 2003's Zigzag: 20 Junkshop Soft Rock Singles 1970-1974. Protheroe's exquisite "Pinball" opened up Zigzag, setting the wheels in motion for EMI's 2006 set, Pinball and Other Stories, the first CD compilation of Protheroe's work to see release on CD. Unlike Howard, who truly was a maverick, Protheroe was quintessentially English in his understatement and impeccable taste, borrowing the best from McCartney, whether it's his ballad style or his enduring taste for vaudeville camp. But far from being a mess of affectations and influences, Protheroe was a sharp craftsman of soft pop, blessed with a gift for melody and a wry wit, along with possessing a fondness for lush, layered productions that makes him a quintessentially '70s singer/songwriter, yet the craftiness behind his music means that this collection of highlights from his '70s albums is far from a mere artifact: the craft helps these songs transcend their era of origin even if the sound of the recordings effortless evokes its time. Which, of course, is a large part of the appeal of Pinball -- this smartly selected collection of highlights showcases Protheroe at his best as a pop craftsman, and even if he's hardly the genius of McCartney, or as commercial as either Elton or O'Sullivan or as eccentric as Stewart, fans of any of those four '70s pop songwriters will find this pretty close to irresistible. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine "

Released in 1974, Pinball was a very minor hit (number 22 for a week) in the UK. It had no chart action in the US. It is the title cut of an album also called Pinball, which like the non-hit single tends toward the quiet, introspective side of glam. Protheroe did two more albums and they stiffed harder than his debut. One of the reasons for Protheroe's lack of success is that he was at heart an actor and would rather spend his time on stage doing Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Pinter than playing the ol' sing song. Thus Pinball, as his other records, was made between acting gigs. Protheroe's last big theatrical splash? He played Saruman in The Lord of The Ring



Brian Protheroe - Pinball -- (Chrysalis, 1974) CHR1065
MP3@ 320 kbps - includes back cover / lyrics high rez scan !
[ cause these lyrics are kewl - ha ]
ALL TRAX FROM WAX - AKASHAMAN - 2010

1. Clog Dancer
2. Money Love
3. Moon Over Malibu
4. Mickey Dollar Dreams
5. Goodbye Surprise
6. Pinball
7. Kinotata
8. Changing My Tune
9. Monkey
10. Lady Belladonna
11. Fly Now
12. Interview / Also In The limelight
13. Wrong Kinotata

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --



Cryan Shames - A Scratch in the Sky - `67 - Columbia Records





ok kids , here is the second cryan shames LP. i think its a bit better , trippier than synthesis I JUST POSTED , go figure. i know this isnt that hard to find , but here it is at 320 ! - let me know what ya think if ya have time - OH , ALSO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEW FILE SHARING SITE , like how kewl is that ? forget about deleted files !!

aka`


Cryan shames - a scratch in the sky - `67
MP3 @ 320 kbps

1. A Carol for Lorelei
2. The Sailing Ship
3. In the Cafe
4. Mr. Unreliable
5. The Town I'd Like to Go Back To
6. Up on the Roof - The Cryan' Shames, Goffin, Gerry
7. It Could Be We're in Love
8. Sunshine Psalm
9. I Was Lonely When
10. Cobblestone Road (She's Been Walkin')

Just like scientists posturing the existence of an unknown particle or detecting a planet through its gravitational pull, you knew this had to exist - a Chicago psychedelic pop-rock album. Okay, maybe you did not know it, but it does exist and if you can accept the fact that the Cryan' Shames never had an original idea in their entire lives, you'll enjoy A Scratch in the Sky. The album succeeds because Fairs and new bassist Lenny Kerley did a great job writing hooks, coming up with catchy melodies, and getting the group's vocal harmonies into shape. Instead of the Byrds, the Chicagoans now echoed West Coast harmony groups like the Beach Boys and the Association, as well as British psychedelia. So, the group gathered up every conceivable instrument they could play, and went on a psychedelic pop-rock binge. A Scratch in the Sky is not a masterpiece by any means, but it was more cutting edge than Paul Revere and the Raiders ever got. The band's flexibility is apparent, from happy little tunes like "The Town I'd Like to Go Back To" and the cosmopolitan "In the Cafe," to more Beach Boys influenced songs like "It Could Be We're In Love." The group had enough chops to successfully venture into more rock territory ("Sunshine Psalm" and the humorous "Dennis Dupree from Danville") and their psychedelic jams are rather, erm, pretty (the intricate "The Town I'd Like to Go Back To"). Fairs and Kerley just cranked out a pile of fine pop songs such as "A Carol for Lorelei", "In the Cafe", "Cobblestone Road" and the tripped out "The Sailing Ship," among those already mentioned, and the band's playing is credible and detailed enough to enable the Fairs/Kerley songwriting team to present all this without it coming off as crude. Sure, there is plenty of outright copying: "Mr. Unreliable" is a fine Beatles knockoff and "I Was Lonely When" is a dead-on impression of a Marty Balin led Jefferson Airplane track, and there's an unnecessary cover of the Goffin/King "Up on the Roof". Still, if you like psychedelic pop-rock (or think you might) check this out - it's rather good, even if unoriginal. (Isaac Guillory (guitar) replaced Stone as well.)

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --




Tuesday, February 9, 2010

cryan shames _ synthesis _69_columbia records




Here is another new find , great pop psych LP by Cryan Shames ~
fans of association , byrds , and cowsills will dig this one !


cryan shames _ synthesis _69_columbia records
MP3 @ 320 kbps
all trax from wax _ ripped by akashaman_2010

01 - Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David , Smith & Jones
02 - Baltimore Oriole
03 - It's All Right
04 - Your Love
05 - A Master's Fool
06 - First Train To California
07 - The Painter
08 - Sweet Girl Of Mine
09 - 20th Song
10 - Let's Get Together
11 - Symphony of the Wind

In the mid to late 1960's, Chicago was a boom town for bands that broke nationally-The Buckinghams, Spanky and Our Gang, The New Colony Six, The Ides Of March, The American Breed, and The Shadows Of Knight.
Although their national success didn't quite match those groups, the Cryan' Shames were hugely popular in the Chicago area and the upper Midwest and received lots of airplay on local radio. Their three Columbia LP releases were essential records of the time if you lived in the area.
Their last album, "Synthesis", is part of the Sundazed reissue series of the group's catalog. It features the original eleven song line-up (along with six single or mono versions of those tracks) and two songs previously unavailable on album.
It's always been a mystery why leader James Fairs' final contribution to the group, "First Train To California", wasn't a monster hit single. It featured an exciting vocal performance by the group and interesting production. Other highlights include the hard edged "Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones"; the percussive "20th Song"; a country styled "Your Mother Should Know"/Beatle homage entitled "It's All Right"; the moody "Baltimore Oriole"; a vocal workout on "Let's Get Together"; and Lenny Kerley's ultra romantic "Your Love".


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

The Flying Machine_1969_Janus Records




ok kids , i am still alive , ha - recently found this GEM , forgot all about the hit ! thats always fun. whats a great song , the whole lp is actually quite good. fans of pop psych & bubblegum will really enjoy this one ~

The Flying Machine_1969_- Janus Records
ALL TRAX FROM WAX - transferred by akashaman - 2010 - MP3 @ 320kbps
includes high rez cover scans !

1- SMILE A LITTLE SMILE FOR ME
2- MARIE TAKE A CHANCE
3- WAITING ON THE SHORES OF NOWHERE
4- THAT SAME OLD FEELING
5- THERE SHE GOES
6- BABY MAKE IT SOON
7- BROKEN HEARTED ME, EVIL HEARTED YOU
8- A THINGS CALLED LOVE
9- MY BABY'S COMING HOME
10- SEND MY BABY HOME AGAIN

This was a British studio rock band not to be confused with the American folk-rock group “The Flying Machine” with “James Taylor” that was also formed in the 1960’s. The members were “Stewart Coleman” on bass, “Steve Jones” on lead guitar and vocals, “Samuel Kemp” on autoharp and vocals, “Anthony Newman” on rhythm guitar and vocals and “Paul Wilkinson” on drums. Jones was not the same “Steve Jones” who later would be a member of “The Sex Pistols” and “Neurotic Outsiders” even though they were both from England. “Flying Machine” formed by “Pye” records producer/songwriter “Tony Macaulay” and producer/songwriter “Geoff Stevens”. Macaulay was the co-writer of “The Foundations” biggest US hit “Build Me Up Buttercup” that peaked on the US singles pop chart at #3 in 1969. Coleman, Kemp and Newman had both been members of “Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours” also known as “The Pinkertons”, Wilkinson had been with “The Peeps” and “The Sabres” and Jones had also been with “The Sabres”. “The Pinkertons” formed in 1964 in Rugby, England as “The Liberators” but changed the group name after adding their newest member “Samuel Pinkerton Kemp”.

“The Pinkertons” had one charting hit in the UK in “Mirror, Mirror” with “She Don’t Care” on the flip side that peaked at #8 in 1966 there. Their next release “Don’t Stop Loving Me Baby” backed by “Will You” but it failed to chart. Their manager “Reg Calvert” was killed in June and “Decca” records decided to drop them from the company. They then decided to change their style and group name and add 2 additional members and became “Flying Machine” in 1969. The group’s music was a combination of bubblegum, pop, rock and psychedelia. They next signed a contract with "Congress" records in the US and with "Pye" records for Canada and overseas distribution. They released "Smile A Little Smile For Me (Rosemarie)" with "Maybe We've Been Loving Too Long" on the B-side on 4 October. It peaked at #5 on the US pop singles chart and sold over a million copies going gold. In December they released “"Send My Baby Home Again" backed by "Look At Me, Look At Me" but it failed to make the charts. On 24 February 1970 their next release debuted on the charts titled "Baby Make It Soon" with "There She Goes" on the B-side.

Even though Macaulay had composed the song another British group by the name of “Marmalade” recorded and released it as a B-side the year before “Flying Machine”. “Marmalade’s version was on the flip side of “Time Is On My Side” on “Epic” records but it failed to make the charts. “Flying Machine” had their version peak at #87 on the US pop singles chart. The group next switched record companies in the US signing with the “Janus” label. They released 2 albums on their new label this year in "Smile A Little Smile For Me" and "The Flying Machine". Only their self-titled album made the charts and it peaked at #179 on the US pop album chart. They released only 1 single this year on “Janus” in "Hanging On The Edge Of Sadness" with "My Baby's Coming Home" on the B-side but it failed to chart. In 1971 they released a 2 album set titled "Down To Earth With The Flying Machine The Complete Recordings" but it failed to chart. They also issued one final single on “Janus” this year in "Hey Little Girl" backed by "The Devil Has Possession Of My Mind". “Hey Little Girl” was not the same version of the song recorded by “Dee Clark”, “Del Shannon”, “Foster Sylvers”, “Major Lance”, “The Techniques” or “The Syndicate Of Sound”. All the other versions of the song by these artists made the US pop charts except for their version.

Shortly after the release of their final record on “Janus” the group decided to split-up. Wilkinson went on to play drums for the short live Canadian punk rock group “Red Tide”. He would later play in the 5-piece nu-metal group “Sphere” as one of 2 drummers in the group. Newman would later play for “T. Rex”, “Sounds Incorporated” and “Three Man Army”. In 2004 “Castle Music America” records released a 2-CD, 5-track compilation titled “Flight Recorder From Pinkerton’s Associated Colours To The Flying Machine” which also failed to make the charts. This group’s 2 US charting singles are listed below.


1. Smile A Little Smile For Me (Rosemarie)/Maybe We’ve Been Loving Too Long - Debut 10/04/69, Peaked at #5 (GOLD)
2. Baby Make It Soon/There She Goes – Debut 02/21/70, Peaked at #89


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Monday, February 1, 2010

"VINYL" -- Documenatry_ Alan Zweig_2000







ok folks :

gonna get back into the swing of things soon. just ordered a new cartridge for my turntable , then we can start getting more lp`s up !
in the meantime , here is a hard to find doc about record collecting & collectors.
i hope i never get this bad , ha. these DOODS are truly serious -- anyway this film is quite amusing -- enjoy


"Excellent, excellent film about record collectors from the perspective of a film maker AND record collector. What's so unique about Alan Zweig's documentation, is that he includes his own person in it, sometimes filming a location and himself in a mirror, or speaking directly to the audience about his private and personal thoughts. The other record collectors portrayed in this 110 minutes movie are beyond belief; can you imagine someone seriously claiming to collect EVERY song ever made? Or being able to tell the tracklists of ALL of his ten-thousands of albums by heart? "Vinyl"will blow your mind beyond the subject of sheer record collecting. It's a study on human obsessions in general."


download ---- HERE --