Archive for the ‘Epic’ Category
Saturday, January 30th, 2010
Listen: Two For The Price Of One / Larry Williams & Johnny Guitar Watson 01 Two For The Price Of One 1.mp3
These guys teamed up around ’66 and reportedly invented the term ‘party animal’ Hollywood style. Fantastic stories of cocaine and sexual escapades surround the myth. The whole time, they were contracted to the Okeh label, as both solo artists and a duo; as well writers and producers. That label’s output in the the mid 60′s is pretty flawless, and feeds the Northern Soul fetish solidly: Little Richard, Cookie Jackson, Billy Butler & The Enchanters, Sandi Sheldon, The Vibrations etc. The singles and the LP they did together, TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE, are all musts for a proper record collection. The autobiographical 7″ of the same name tells you the story.
Listen: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy / Larry Williams & Johnny Guitar Watson Mercy Mercy Mercy.mp3
Then it’s their East LA/Watts version of ‘Mercy Mercy Mercy’ which packs soul grease (as the DISC & MUSIC ECHO review described it) into the otherwise bland Pat Boone style rendition The Buckinghams bravely brought to US Top 40. Not surprisingly, Larry Williams & Johnny Guitar Watson’s version went unheard. Ahh – American radio.
Tags: Epic, Johnny Guitar Watson, Larry Williams, Larry Williams & Johnny Guitar Watson, Okeh
Posted in Billy Butler & The Enchanters, Cookie Jackson, Epic, Johnny Guitar Watson, Larry Williams, Larry Williams & Johnny Guitar Watson, Little Richard, Okeh, Sandi Sheldon, The Buckinghams, The Vibrations | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
Listen: Justified & Ancient / The KLF Featuring Tammy Wynette KLFTammy.mp3
The last time Tammy Wynette played New York was October 25, 1994 at Town Hall. I’d scored a pair of tickets off a friend at Epic, Michael Alago came along with me. She was spectacular. Despite all the health scares, there were no physical signs of anything but beauty and strength. The voice was other worldly. We sat awestruck the entire time. She did all the hits and should’ve-been hits. Her stories were both personal and fun.
At one point, she thanked her label Epic for their loyalty and support since the 60′s and asked if anyone from the label was present, to please stand, asking the audience to give them a round of applause. No one stood. No one from Epic bothered to go. It was humilating for her and us. And this was a living legend.
Brilliant move on The KLF’s part getting her to vocal ‘Justified & Ancient’, also known as ‘Stand By The Jams’ in the UK. Rivals The Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield as top collaboration ever.
Tags: Arista, Dusty Springfield, Epic, Michael Alago, Tammy Wynette, The KLF, The Pet Shop Boys
Posted in Arista, Dusty Springfield, Epic, Michael Alago, Tammy Wynette, The KLF, The Pet Shop Boys | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
Listen: Cigarettes, Women And Wine / Chicory Tip ChicoryWinesomanyrecordssolittletime.mp3
Having scooped a UK release of ‘Son Of Your Father’ off Giorgio Moroder’s own German version, Chicory Tip ended up at #1 as a result. Not so in the US. Giorgio’s reached #48, while Chicory (as their name was shortened to for that one US single) peaked at #91. Despite the UK coup, Moroder wrote it, thereby still earning off every sale without having to schlep about in glam trousers and platforms, as the band did. In fact, Chicory Tip apparently hated their new found teen success, thus live, would deliver heavy blues rock instead. Bad career move.
Back in the studio, the Chicory Tip camp was smart enough to keep a winning formula going for a few more replicas of that lone #1, right down to having the band cover Moroder songs exclusively as A sides. A few charted, but despite heavy airplay from the influential Radio Luxembourg, BBC’s Radio 1 wouldn’t touch ‘Cigarettes, Women And Wine’, supposedly due to the cigarettes mention. Big cheat. They were a perfect mix of Glam and synth rock, and had they continued mixing the two elements, the result may have been much closer to what Manfred Mann’s Earth Band achieved, especially with Giorgio Moroder as producer.
Their sound certainly pointed to a whole musical revolution that wasn’t too many years away.
Tags: BBC Radio 1, CBS, Chicory Tip, Epic, Giorgio Moroder, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Radio Luxembourg
Posted in BBC Radio 1, CBS, Chicory Tip, Epic, Giorgio Moroder, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Radio Luxembourg | No Comments »
Friday, October 30th, 2009
Listen: The Day My Pad Went Mad / John Cooper Clarke JohnCooperClarkePad.mp3
Speaking of John Cooper Clarke (see previous post), the day a package from Howard Thompson in the UK arrived, with ‘The Day My Pad Went Mad’ inside, was the day my favorite picture sleeve list had a new entry at #1. I mean, look at this beauty.
It took me a few singles to really appreciate the genius of JCC. God, he’s so fantastic. Get as many of his records as you can. You’ll never regret it. Find him and send him money too, he deserves it. A national treasure.
Tags: Epic, Howard Thompson, John Cooper Clarke
Posted in Epic, Howard Thompson, John Cooper Clarke | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Listen: Doctor’s Orders / Sunny SunnyDoctors.mp3
Basically Sunny has loads of history. Solo artist, one half of Sue & Sunny (both of whom were also members of The Brotherhood Of Man) and background voice on many, many, many hit singles (Dusty Springfield, Elton John, The Love Affair, Lulu, Mott The Hoople, T. Rex, Tom Jones, and Joe Cocker to name but a few bigger ones). She’s probably on more records than even she can remember – let alone you or me.
Often associated with the Cook & Greenaway writer/producer team, it was their song ‘Doctor’s Order’ (co-written with Geoff Stephens, himself claim to a long list of song credits: The Applejacks, Manfred Mann, Scott Walker, Dave Berry, Frank Sinatra, The Carpenters) that became a favorite for literally months in ’74. As into rock and soul as I was in ’74, the occasional pop track would bite me hard. I was never comfortable that Sunny’s version didn’t become the US hit version, it was better and smoother than Carol Douglas’. Rest of world though, the crown went to the awesome Sunny. I want to meet her someday.
Tags: Carol Douglas, CBS, Dave Berry, Deram, Dusty Springfield, Elton John, Epic, Frank Sinatra, Geoff Stephens, Joe Cocker, Lulu, Manfred Mann, Mott The Hoople, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Scott Walker, Sue & Sunny, Sunny, T. Rex, The Applejacks, The Brotherhood Of Man, The Carpenters, The Love Affair, Tom Jones
Posted in Carol Douglas, CBS, Dave Berry, Deram, Dusty Springfield, Elton John, Epic, Frank Sinatra, Geoff Stephens, Joe Cocker, Lulu, Manfred Mann, Mott The Hoople, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Scott Walker, Sue & Sunny, Sunny, T. Rex, The Applejacks, The Brotherhood Of Man, The Carpenters, The Love Affair, Tom Jones | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Listen: Forget Me Baby / Lulu & The Luvers LuluForget.mp3
Listen: Satisfied / Lulu & The Luvers LuluSatisfied.mp3
Listen: Surprise Surprise / Lulu & The Luvers LuluSurprise.mp3
With a moniker like Lulu, it’s not too surprising if your powerful voice is overlooked. Shame. Lulu could, well still can, really sing. Does anyone honestly not love ‘The Boat That I Row’ or ‘Me, The Peaceful Heart’?
But even in ’65 the ruthless star making machinery was in aggressive full swing, preceding Clive Davis’ criminal dismantling of Big Brother & The Holding Company for a solo Janis Joplin by several years. Decca’s victims, although not as cleanly disassembled: Lulu & The Luvers or as sometimes listed, Lulu & The Luvvers. Initially known as The Gleneagles with Lulu as one of the vocalists, they played their brand of R&B regularly around Glasgow’s clubs. At 14, Lulu and band had their first hit with The Isley Brothers’ ‘Shout’, making theirs the definitive version in the UK. Pretty quickly peeling her away from a band setting began. But not before one more single as Lulu & The Luvers was released (after a few solo Lulu singles confused the process): ‘Satisfied’ / ‘Surprise Surprise’. They sounded like a hot band, even if they were part studio guys, and I wish Decca had afforded them an album before her solo career commenced. Plus the way their name alliterates off the tongue is just perfect.
Seems even Lulu forgot about the Luvvers, based on her jukebox tab below:
Tags: Big Brother & The Holding Company, Clive Davis, Decca, Epic, Janis Joplin, Jukebox Tab, Lulu, Lulu & The Luvvers, Mickie Most, Parrot, The Gleneagles, The Isley Brothers
Posted in Big Brother & The Holding Company, Clive Davis, Decca, Epic, Janis Joplin, Jukebox Tab, Lulu, Lulu & The Luvers, Lulu & The Luvvers, Mickie Most, Parrot, The Gleneagles, The Isley Brothers | No Comments »
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Listen: Goodnight Sweet Josephine / The Yardbirds YardbirdsJosephine.mp3
The band’s stock had nose dived by April ’68, the month their final single ‘Goodnight Sweet Josephine’ was released. Maybe because having both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck in the lineup, as well as producer Mickie Most, all pretty much deciding on their material. It was a recipe for disaster, although I love the final few singles that resulted. Their live show was moving toward what would become Led Zeppelin, yet the records were being positioned for pop radio success (‘Ha Ha Said The Clown’, ‘Ten Little Indians’ and this). ‘Goodnight Sweet Josephine’ was my very favorite single for months, it’s psychedelic attack still sounds incredible. The guitar tone, lead line and solo being signature Jimmy Page. The band lip synched this on the syndicated UPBEAT show out of Cleveland, whose archive is apparently still intact but being hideously under exploited. There’s a lot of fantastic stuff in those file cabinets guys.
Despite one week on Billboard’s Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart at #127, (see below), there were apparently very few copies in actual circulation. Impossible to find for years, the occasional one that does appear still commands a $75+ price tag. I bought mine week of release. Somehow, our local shop got the obligatory three (always started with three to test the water) copies. A best friend and record nut at the time, Denny and I scooped one each and the third…an old girlfriend Marsha. Hmmm. I think she lives close to my sister still.
Tags: Bubbling Under The Hot 100, The Yardbirds
Posted in Billboard, Bubbling Under The Hot 100, Epic, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Mickie Most, The Yardbirds | No Comments »
Friday, April 10th, 2009
Listen: Misty Roses / Colin Blunstone ColinBlunstoneMisty.mp3
I still obsess about missing the US tour by The Zombies / The Nashville Teens / The Hullaballoos. I lived in a wrong city – one the tour did not play. Long before ODESSEY & ORACLE was recorded, Colin Blunstone established his greatness in my world. The very first Zombies single, ‘She’s Not There’ tells all. Every song that ever followed was instantly recognizable because of Colin Blunstone’s other worldly voice. In hindsight, Colin was – still is – one of the greatest interpretive singers of all time. Up there with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Scott Walker, Dusty Springfield – name anybody and he will stand equal. If not for him, would Rod Argent’s great songs have succeeded as they did? Who else could do justice to ‘Time Of The Season’?
Mercifully, years later, Rod reconnected with the struggling Colin to spin their partnership together into a dazzling and deserved business – going as far as to reform The Zombies for ODESSEY & ORACLE in it’s entirety. Sharing some of that songwriting wealth to the voice that made it all valuable, Rod will now be allowed into heaven.
Once The Zombies dissolved, and Colin abandoned his three single career as Neil MacArthur, he was back to being Colin Blunstone. Signed to Epic in 1971, he began releasing a series of under appreciated albums. A few spawned the occasional hit in the UK but not here. His version of Tim Hardin’s ‘Misty Roses’ was issued as the US B side to ‘Caroline Goodbye’. How lucky for those owning it. Just listen.
In ’72, he toured The US. Epic made a bit of effort, and presented him at a college radio convention showcase I got to attend in Washington DC. It was stunning. No idea who was in the band, but his voice and persona alone filled the room. Magnificent.
Listen: Wonderful / Colin Blunstone ColinBlunstoneWonderful.mp3
I heard ‘Wonderful’ on BBC’s Radio 1 just before leaving England to return home after an extended London stay in ’73. It was one of the last singles I bought before boarding the plane. The 7″ version clocks in at 3:20, proving the power of editing. I think it works much better than the five minute plus album track.
Posted in Colin Blunstone, Dusty Springfield, Epic, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Rod Argent, Scott Walker, The Hullaballoos, The Nashville Teens, The Zombies, Tim Hardin | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
The NY Subway System and an iPod shuffle make for a great couple. I love when something comes up I haven’t heard for a bit, and it sounds so good you play it a bunch of times. Of course, in the subway, there’s no phone, no email, no distractions really from the music – not that I’m telling you anything you don’t know. My iPod rule is, only songs I love. At the least one I take on the subway. It’s filled with my favorites. So the other day, up comes ‘Battleship Chains’ from The Georgia Satellites first album. Now the two front guys of the band, Dan Baird and Rick Richards, they made a great couple as well. Danny pretty much sang lead on the songs, but occasionally Rick would, taking the roll of Keith if you will. And it’s Rick doing the singing on this one, with Dan’s signature harmonies making it very ‘them’. This band could set fire to any stage – that never failed – ever. I love this song, and their performance on it, so fucking much. It brings back the most incredible memories of great, fun times. I have a picture of the band and I on stage at London’s Marquee Club (during soundcheck) which is like the alter of life for me. I remember the second time I went down to Nashville to check them out. They were looking for a deal, and a bunch of labels were after them. Howard and I had pretty much decided we were signing them to Elektra, but for whatever reason, I made that second trip down as I think Epic were trying to close in on us. They played a bar, a restaurant really, called Margaritaville. Something was going wrong with their amps, and the guys were quite nervous probably thinking they’d blown their record deal. As the Epic fellows stood arrogantly at the bar, I just jumped on stage and offered everyone a valium. Jaws dropped (the courage you muster up on a valium is amazing). It probably clinched the deal. Even though Dan never did a drug, I’d bet he used his pill to negotiate something out of Rick relatively soon. I must remember to ask Dan about that next time we talk. Luckily, I still see both guys if I’m down south, or when they come to NY. Friends for life. Oh, an important piece of trivia: the natural wood coloured Strat that Dan played, and can be seen holding on this sleeve, was originally owned by Steve Marriott of The Small Faces. It’s the guitar he played on ‘Tin Soldier”.
Posted in Dan Baird, Elektra, Epic, Howard Thompson, Marquee, Rick Richards, Steve Marriott, The Georgia Satellites, The Small Faces | No Comments »
