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30.12.08

Alquin




Alquin - Live On Tour - 1976 - Polydor

Named after club-house Alcuin of the catholic student's corps Sanctus Virgilius, established in the St. Barbaraklooster in Delft. The group is from Delft and was called Threshold Fear until 1971. Members in 1971: Ferdinand Bakker (vocals, guitar, piano, violin ex-Py Set) Job Tarenskeen (vocals, drums, percussion), Ronald Ottenhof (sax, flute) Dick Franssen (piano, organ, Wurlitzer), Paul Westrate (drums). In 1974, Michel van Dijk (ex-Amsterdam) became the lead singer and Job replaced Paul on drums. From 1976 to 1977 (when the group disbanded), the line-up was: Job, Ronald, Ferdinand, Dick, Michel and on bass, at first (for a short while) Rob ten Bokum (ex-Vitesse) and after that Jan Visser (ex-Beehive). Bassist in the first years was Hein Mars, ex-Davies. Job and Ferdinand formed the rockgroup the Meteors in 1977.

A good blend of progressive rock, blues, and jazz, from the forgotten Dutch band, Alquin. These guys could really play, and were quite well known in the seventies, Alquin supported The Who, and Golden Earring, and made a few important TV appearances. They still have a loyal fan base. This is a 128 post, so no sonic miracles here, but sound quality is acceptable. Check out their 1972 "Marks" album.

TRACKS

1. New Guinea sunrise (5:75)
a) Sunrise - 2:35
b) Wake me up - 3:40
2. L.A. rendez-vous (3:30)
3. The dance (15:30)
4. High rockin' (5:45)
5. Amy (4:20) / I wish I could (10:20)
6. Wheelchair groupie (3:35)

BAND

Ferdinand Bakker / guitar, piano, vocals
Ronald Ottenhoff / saxophone, flute
Dick Franssen / organ, piano, wurlizter
Michel van Dijk / vocals
Jan Visser / bass
Job Tarenskeen / drums, percussion & vocals

SHORT BIO

Dutch band Alquin released four studio albums in the early to mid-'70s, initially playing prog-rock influenced by Pink Floyd and Roxy Music. However, by 1975's Nobody Can Wait Forever (the only Alquin album released in the U.S.), the band turned to a more varied style encompassing blues and hard rock. The original group comprised guitarist/vocalist Ferdinand Bakker, vocalist Job Tarenskeen, bassist Hein Mars, drummer Paul Weststrate, and horn player Ronald Ottenhoff; Michel Van Dyke joined the band as lead vocalist in 1975. A live album appeared in 1976, and the best-of Crash was released a year later. Strangely enough, Bakker and Tarenskeen later played in a punk band (the Meteors) later in the 1970s. © John Bush, allmusic.com

MORE ABOUT ALQUIN

Innovative early Dutch progressive band sounding little like contemporaries Earth and Fire or Focus, but showing elements of Soft Machine, Pink Floyd, various fusion bands. Alquin mixes many of these elements in a fascinating way and are a band that deserves to be reissued on CD... And evidently the first two are available on one CD! The Mountain Queen is the second album by this Dutch six-piece. The line-up consists of bass, drums, saxes/vocals/percussion, saxes/flute, guitar/electric violin/piano/vocals and keyboards. The songs have very long instrumental passages with prominent lead guitar, whirling Hammond organ, dual saxophones and (on "Mr. Barnum Jnr's. magnificent and fabulous city") electric violin. I can hear bits of Caravan, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music and Curved Air running through the album, but overall it's pretty original. The one drawback to this album is the vocals, mostly by Job Tarenskeen; they're remarkably wimpy and unconfident and there's no real vocal presence. Fortunately, the vocals are very incidental. Beyond the vocals, a fine and intensely rewarding album. Issued on CD only in tandem with the first album, Marks. For Nobody can wait forever, the band added full-time vocalist Michel van Dijk, who vocally resembles Rod Stewart a bit. The album adds more straight-ahead rock songs than its predecessor, ranging from blues-rock ("Mr. Widow," "Farewell, Miss Barcelona") to hard-rock. ("Wheelchair Groupie") The rest of the album has a more pronounced Roxy Music feel, thanks to the heavy sax-work, the Ferry-esque lyrics and the droning Moog synth on "Revolution's Eve." There's some fine soloing on this album, notably from Ferdinand Bakker on guitar and Ronald Ottenhoff on flute and sax. NOTE: Job Tarenskeen and Ferdinand Bakker from this band later appeared in a punk (!) band called the Meteors. This band started in 1970, most of the musicians were students in Delft, a prominent university city. Their first album was released in 1972 Marks, mainly instrumentals, a mixture of rock, jazz and classical music. The group quickly built up a following and in '73 the band went to the U.K.to perform in The Marquee and to appear on TV in the "Old Grey Whistle Test." Their second album The Mountain Queen was recorded in England and is one of the better progressive albums of the seventies. The music is similar to Marks and the album sold well. The band toured Germany and England together with Holland's top rock band, Golden Earring, and also toured France to support The Who. The band wanted to change their hippy image and add more rock 'n' roll to their music, with more emphasis on the vocals. One of Holland's best singers, Michel Van Dijk, is recruited and the third album is once again recorded in the U.K. This album, Nobody can wait forever, was also released in the States but a tour there was cancelled at the last minute. The album sold well and Alquin played lots of gigs, mainly on the European continent. In 1976, the last studio album Best Kept Secret was released, once again recorded in England. The style is similar to their third album, but with a slightly more funky sound. Another tour followed and a live album Alquin on Tour is released. In 1977 the band disbanded because of disagreements on musical style. Various members turned up in other groups, none of them progressive. Guitarist Ferdinand Bakker and drummer Job Tarenskeen formed The Meteors, a great new wave band. After the demise of Alquin the record company released Crash, a double album with some tracks from all of their albums. I can recommend this as a good overview, but their first two, Marks and The Mountain Queen will appeal most to the lover of progressive music. © Hans Van Dongen, www.gepr.net/aa.html

Daryl Hall & John Oates




Daryl Hall & John Oates - X-Static - 1979 - RCA

One of Hall & Oates' lesser known albums. It is not their usual "blue-eyed soul" fare, and is certainly not "ballad-oriented pop". If you'e looking for a "Sara Smile" or a "She's Gone", you won't find it here. This is a different Hall & Oates sound, and it's great. This album was a complete reversal to their usual uptempo "Philly" soul and slow balladic tunes. Definitely not what was expected of the duo in the late seventies, and the album didn't shift many units. Darryl Hall once called the seventies disco boom "a period of mindless dance music". If you listen to "X-Static", carefully, you will see how cleverly a subtle blend of disco and punk rock is constructed on this album. The album is obviously a move into the eighties "new wave" genre. A very clever album, that on first hearing, seems to contain it's fair share of disco orientated tunes, and then with further listenings, the album reveals a few avant garde moments, and makes you realise just how clever Daryl Hall & John Oates are in their compositions. A very creative and underrated album, with a great sound, and definitely years ahead of it's time. N.B: The album is also released with two bonus tracks, "Time's Up (Alone Tonight)" and "No Brain, No Pain". Listen to Hall & Oates' classic "Abandoned Luncheonette" album, and you can find info on their "Beauty On A Back Street" album @ H&O/BOABS

TRACK DETAILS

1 "Woman Comes and Goes" (words and music by Daryl Hall)
Daryl Hall: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Electric Guitar
John Oates: vocals, Electric Guitar
G.E. Smith: Lead Guitar
Jerry Marotta: drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Saxophone Solo
2 "Wait For Me" (words and music by Daryl Hall)
Daryl Hall: Lead Vocals, keyboards
John Oates: Vocals, Electric Guitars
G.E. Smith: Lead Guitar
Jerry Marotta: Drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards
3 "Portable Radio" (words by John Oates; music by John Oates and Daryl Hall)
Daryl Hall: Vocals, synthesizers
John Oates: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitars
G.E. Smith: Lead Guitars
Jerry Marotta: Drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards
4 "All You Want is Heaven" (words and music by John Oates)
Daryl Hall: Vocals, Mandar Guitars, Synthesizers
John Oates: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitars
G.E Smith: Lead Guitar
Jerry Marotta: Drums
Yogi Horton: Bass
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards
5 "Who Said the World Was Fair" (words and music by Daryl Hall and Sara Allen)
Daryl Hall: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitars, Keyboards
John Oates: Vocals, Electric Guitars
G.E Smith: Lead Guitar
Jerry Marotta: Drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards
6 "Running From Paradise" (words by Daryl Hall and Sara Allen; music by Daryl Hall)
Daryl Hall: Lead Vocals, Synthesizer Solo
John Oates: Vocals, Electric Guitars, Vibraphone
G.E Smith: Lead Guitar
Jerry Marotta: Drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards
7 "Number One" (words and music by Daryl Hall)
Daryl Hall: Lead Vocals, Synthesizers, Electric Guitars
John Oates: Vocals, Electric Guitars
G.E Smith: Lead Guitar
Jerry Marotta: Drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards
8 "Bebop/Drop" (words and music by John Oates)
Daryl Hall: Vocals, 2nd Guitar Solo
John Oates: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitars, Vibraphone
G.E Smith: Guitar Solo
Jerry Marotta: Drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards
9 "Hallofon" (music by Daryl Hall)
Daryl Hall: Hallophone Solo
10 "Intravino" (words by Daryl Hall, John Oates and Sara Allen; music by Daryl Hall)
Daryl Hall: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitars
John Oates: Vocals, Electric Guitars
G.E Smith: Lead Guitar
Jerry Marotta: Drums
John Siegler: Bass
Charlie DeChant: Keyboards

ABOUT HALL & OATES

From their first hit in 1974 through their heyday in the '80s, Daryl Hall and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them enormous commercial success — including six number one singles and six platinum albums — yet little critical success. Hall & Oates' music was remarkably well constructed and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of new wave and hard rock. Daryl Hall began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; the group featured Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways, as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver; the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding. After Gulliver's breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for the Stylistics, the Delfonics, and the Intruders, among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records — Whole Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) — the duo were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period, they only managed one hit — the number 60 "She's Gone" in the spring of 1974. After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single. Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall & Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their mid-'70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates' greatest commercial and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," reached number 12, yet it was the second single, "Kiss on My List" that confirmed their commercial potential by becoming the duo's second number one single; its follow-up, "You Make My Dreams" hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," as well as the Top Ten hit "Did It in a Minute." "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" also spent a week at the top of the R&B charts — a rare accomplishment for a White act. H20 followed in 1982 and it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two million copies and launching their biggest hit single, "Maneater," as well as the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured two new Top Ten hits — the number two "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education." In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Hall & Oates had surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles, including the number one "Out of Touch." Following their contract-fulfilling gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall & Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall's 1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped to release 1988's Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single, "Everything Your Heart Desires," went to number three and helped propel the album to platinum status. However, none of the album's other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990, confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one Top 40 hit — the number 11 single, "So Close." The duo mounted a comeback in 1997 with Marigold Sky, but it was only partially successful; far better was 2003's Do It for Love and the following year soul covers record Our Kind of Soul. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

BIO (Wikipedia)

Hall & Oates is a popular music duo made up of Daryl Hall & John Oates. The act achieved its greatest fame in the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles which they dubbed "Rock and Soul". They are best known for their six #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Rich Girl", "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater", and "Out of Touch", as well as many other songs which charted in the Top 40. They last reached the pop top forty in 1990 and then slowly faded from public view, though they did not formally break up. They have continued to record and tour with some success. In total, the act had thirty-four singles chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. As of 2006, Hall and Oates have seven RIAA platinum albums along with six RIAA gold albums. A greatest hits compilation was released in 2001 from Bertelsmann Music Group. The BMG collection was expanded in 2004 and reissued the following year, after BMG merged with Sony. In 2003, Daryl Hall and John Oates were voted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Forty years after they first met in Philadelphia -- and twenty years after they became the single most successful duo of all time -- Daryl Hall & John Oates continue to record and perform together their distinctive and enduring blend of soulful sounds. Starting out as two devoted disciples of earlier soul greats, Hall & Oates are soul survivors in their own right. They have become such musical influences on some of today’s popular artists that the September 2006 cover of Spin Magazine’s headline read: “Why Hall & Oates are the New Velvet Underground”. Their artistic fan base includes Rob Thomas, John Mayer, Brandon Flowers of the Killers, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and MTV’s newest hipsters Gym Class Heroes who dubbed their tour “Daryl Hall for President Tour 2007”. Daryl Hall & John Oates first met back at Philadedelphia's Adelphi Ballroom in 1967. Both were attending Temple University, but they first discovered their shared passion for soul music during a show at which both of their groups -- The Temptones and The Masters, respectively -- were on a record hop bill with a number of then nationally known soul acts like the 5 Stairsteps and Howard Tate. When a gang fight broke out inside the Ballroom, the pair met each other in a service elevator while trying to get out. Hall had already become a fixture in the Philly soul scene, recording a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos featuring future Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell. Hall – now considered one of the great soul singers of his generation -- became a protégé of the Temptations at the young age of 17. Oates too had performed with a number of R&B and doo-wop groups on the Philadelphia scene, and recorded a single with famed Philly soul arranger Bobby Martin. In the early 1970’s Hall & Oates began performing as a duo, and a year later -- with the help of manager Tommy Mottola -- they signed to the legendary soul label Atlantic Records. The group’s major label debut Whole Oats -- produced by legendary producer Arif Mardin who had already worked with The Rascals and Dusty Springfield -- combined the group’s soul and folk influences, but failed to make a significant commercial impact. That breakthrough would come with the duo’s following effort, 1973’s Abandoned Luncheonette, still considered one of the group’s finest albums by many of their admirers. Abandoned Luncheonette’s acoustic soul sound was groundbreaking and widely acclaimed, and the album’s stunning standout track “She’s Gone” would become a #1 R&B smash on the Billboard Magazine charts for Tavares in 1974, and eventually become a pop hit for Hall & Oates when it was re-released in 1976. Hall & Oates took a rather dramatic turn with their third album, 1974’s War Babies, a rockier and more experimental song cycle recorded with producer Todd Rundgren. Leaving Atlantic, Hall & Oates signed with RCA Records and in 1975 released the Daryl Hall and John Oates (also unofficially known to fans as The Silver Album) which yielded the duo’s first critical and commercial smash “Sara Smile” .The group’s 1976 follow- up Bigger Than Both Of Us yielded the infectious “Rich Girl,” the group’s first #1 on the Pop Singles chart, and a track that once again artfully combining their rock and soul influences into a cohesive whole. The group continued to experiment and expand their rock n’ soul sound with ambitious albums like 1978’s Along The Red Ledge (with David Foster as producer) and 1979’s X-Static. During that same period, Hall recorded and released on RCA his critically acclaimed first solo album Sacred Songs with experimental guitar innovator Robert Fripp. In 1980, Hall & Oates’ released the Voices album which would prove a true watershed moment in their illustrious career. Producing themselves for the first time, Hall & Oates created the template for a brightly infectious but still soulful sound that would help them become one of the dominant group’s of the Eighties. Voices included the group’s second #1 on the Pop Singles chart, “Kiss On My List,” as well as significant hits in “You Make My Dreams” and a cover of the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” In addition, “Everytime You Go Away” from the Voices album became a #1 hit in America and around the world when later covered by British soul singer Paul Young in 1985. 1981’s Private Eyes album featured two more #1 hits, the title track and “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) ”and the Top Ten “Did It In A Minute.” This remarkable run continued with 1982’s H2O and more smashes in the form of "Maneater," “Family Man” and “One On One.” Two more hits -- “Say It Isn’t So” and “Adult Education” -- were included on the smash anthology Rock ‘n Soul, Pt. 1 that was released in 1983. Big Bam Boom continued the duo’s momentum with the help of another #1 hit, “Out Of Touch.” Having achieved so much together -- including appearing on the “We Are the World” recording session, at Live Aid and performing and recording at the Apollo Theater along with former Temptations David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick -- Hall & Oates took a hiatus to focus on individual efforts in the mid-Eighties. Hall recorded and released his second solo effort, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, produced by his now long time friend, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The album would produce another hit for Hall in “Dreamtime”. The pair would then reunited to record their final 2 albums for Arista Ooh Yeah and Change of Season. In the past decade, Hall & Oates have toured consistently and with considerable success around the world, and have continued to record both together and separately with impressive results including Hall’s third solo album, Soul Alone. Sensing the change in the business, they abandoned the major labels and released independently Hall’s fourth solo album, Can’t Stop Dreaming and the duo’s 1997’s Marigold Sky –– with both receiving considerable acclaim. Forming their own label, U-Watch Records, 2003’s Do It For Love rightly marked a major return to form with the album being embraced as the group’s finest in many years. It also had considerable commercial success with the passionate title track reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts, while “Forever For You” also hit the Top Ten on the same chart. Most recently, Hall & Oates saluted their deep soul roots with 2004’s Our Kind Of Soul – an album that found them recording inventive re-workings of some of their favorite soul classics like the Spinners’ “I’ll Be Around” and the Four Tops’ “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” as well as three new originals with a decidedly classic soul feel, “Let Love Take Control,” and “Don’t Turn Your Back on Me”. 2004 also saw Hall & Oates’ body of work inducted together into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. In 2006, Hall & Oates released their first ever full Christmas album on U-Watch entitled Home For Christmas, a soulful seasonal effort highlighted by a cover of Robbie Robertson's “Christmas Must Be Tonight” and two moving originals-- “No Child Should Ever Cry At Christmas” written by John Oates and the albums title track written by Daryl Hall with Greg Bieck and longtime Hall & Oates player and collaborator T-Bone Wolk. The single “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” became the #1 Holiday song of the 2006 season, The fortieth anniversary of their first meeting finds Daryl Hall & John Oates very much at the height of their powers making their own kind of soul, with a new generation of musicians recognizing not only their historic track record of success, but also their continuing influence and achievements.

Cold Chisel


Cold Chisel - Cold Chisel - 1978 - WEA

"What has happened is that Cold Chisel turned out one of the finest Oz rock albums for a long time. It showcases the writing of Don Walker, who has a fine musical and lyrical sense, the wood-rasp voice of Jimmy Barnes and some fine flashes of guitar work from Ian Moss, perhaps one of the most expressive and hard-working guitarists currently playing in Oz. © 'Juke' magazine, June 1978.

By the time Aussie rockers Cold Chisel did their sold-out farewell shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in December of 1983, they had established themselves as one of the all-time legendary bands down under. But this is the album that lit the fuse in the days when the crowds were eager but thin. After migrating from their home town of Adelaide, South Australia, to the big smoke of Sydney in 1977, the Chisels gained a rep for slugging it out on the pub circuit with an ardor worthy of their illustrious forebears AC/DC. But as Cold Chisel clearly illustrates, Chisel was a band married as much to melody as power. Pianist Don Walker's songwriting reflects an emotional depth and range rarely rivaled by other max-volume outfits. The Vietnam-vet song "Khe Sanh" became one of Aussie rock's most enduring anthems with its punchy piano line and everyman pathos. But full-throttle rockers like "Juliet," "Home and Broken Hearted," and "Daskarzine" — with Ian Moss' Page/Hendrix-tinted guitar histrionics blitzing away — packed all the clout pub fans could want. At the other end of the spectrum, gin-soaked ballads like "Rosaline" and "Just How Many Times" reveal the band's predilection for the occasional jazz/blues-inflected number. An enhanced, remastered version of the disc was released in May 2000 and included four bonus tracks. The lyrical imagery, the mix of musical finesse and freneticism, and Barnes' razor-wire vocals all came together in perfect synergy on this stunning debut album. At once polished and raw, this is a classic. © Adrian Zupp, allmusic.com

The well established Australian blues rock outfit, Cold Chisel got off to a good start with this debut album, over thirty years ago. Cold chisel play some great jazz blues rock. Although they are not well known outside the Australasian region, the band's musicianship and songwriting is of a very high standard, and deserves a bigger audience. N.B: In 1999, Atlantic released a remastered version of this debut album with four bonus tracks:- "Teenage Love Affair" from the Teenage Love album, "Drinkin' In Port Lincoln" also from the Teenage Love album, "H-Hour Hotel", and "On The Road" . If you can find it, buy the band's excellent "Circus Animals" album, which is arguably a "stronger" album than this s/t one.

TRACKS

1 "Juliet" (Walker, Jim Barnes)
2 "Khe Sanh"
3 "Home And Broken Hearted"
4 "One Long Day"
5 "Northbound"
6 "Rosaline"
7 "Darskarzine"
8 "Just How Many Times"

All songs composed by Don Walker, except "Juliet" by Don Walker, & Jim Barnes

BAND

Jim Barnes - vocals
Ian Moss - vocals, guitar
Don Walker - organ, piano
Steve Prestwich - drums
Phil Small - bass
Dave Blight - harmonica, track 2
Peter Walker - acoustic guitar, track 2
Wilbur Wilde - saxophone, tracks 3, 6 and 8

ABOUT COLD CHISEL

Cold Chisel is the classic Australian "pub rock band", playing a tough breed of rock and blues inspired by seventies bands like Free, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin but characterised by the story-telling skills of their main songwriter, Don Walker, whose personal influences came from Bob Dylan. Between 1978 and 1983 Cold Chisel ruled as Australia's most popular band on record and stage. The band sold over three million records in Australia alone, two thirds of that number after their bitter break-up. br /br /They came together in Adelaide during September 1973 on the initiative of guitarist/singer Ian Moss. In the beginning the band used a different name for every performance. After they used the name of the Don Walker song "Cold Chisel" for one particular performance that name stuck. Keyboard player Walker gradually came up with a strong catalogue of songs to match the group's tough rock reputation on stage, centred mainly on their raw voiced, vodka swilling dripping-with-sweat singer Jimmy Barnes. At the start of 1977 the band resettled in Sydney hoping to land the record contract that had alluded them for more than a year. In the era of Fleetwood Mac, ELO and the Eagles Cold Chisel's sound was not deemed commercial. However WEA Records took the chance and the first self-titled album was released in April 1978 without setting the world on fire. The first single "Khe Sahn" about an Australian Vietnam veteran was banned from airplay over part of the lyric. It has since become one of the most played classic rock tracks on Australian radio. The second album saw Cold Chisel into the top ten, less raw than the band on stage, but concentrating on the songs. Filled with localized lyric references Breakfast At Sweethearts earned the band its first platinum record. June 1980's East album took the band over the top, tougher than Breakfast At Sweethearts but still stacked with strong songs, this time with other band members joining in the songwriting, and guitarist Ian Moss taking lead vocals on two songs with his strong soul voice. They followed East with the #1 live album "Swingshift while supporting the US release of East with tours across the country. The next album was aimed at the world market, but its title said how out of place they felt. They called it Circus Animals. Tours of Europe and the UK followed. br /br /Disillusionment set in when the band's music failed to find favour in America, adding to the internal tensions created by various members' songwriting ambitions and singer Jimmy Barnes' volatile personality. On innumerable occasions throughout the band's life he had quit the band and rejoined. But now, after ten years together Cold Chisel decided to call it quits with a farewell tour ending at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in December 1983. Barnes immediately launched an incredibly successful solo career, accumulating seven Australian No.1 albums. Guitarist Ian Moss took five years off before releasing a #1 album of his own, reuniting him with the songs of Don Walker. Walker started his own low key recording and performing career, forging relationships with a varied assortment of Australian music makers, both rock and country. Drummer Steve Prestwich joined Little River Band for two years. br /br /Throughout the rest of the eighties and into the nineties Cold Chisel albums kept selling and fans vainly hoped for a reunion. Then, after almost two years of secret discussions and jam sessions a reunion album and tour was assembled in October 1998, but The Last Wave Of Summer project proved to be a shadow of Cold Chisel's glorious past. © Ed. Nimmervoll, All Music Guide
BO (ikiped
Cold Chisel were a rock band from Adelaide, Australia. They are regarded as the canonical example of Australian pub rock, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they are acknowledged as one of the most popular and successful Australian groups of the period, although this success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to Australia and New Zealand. The band was formed in Adelaide in 1973 as a heavy metal act by bassist Les Kaczmarek and keyboard player Ted Broniecki, with the rest of the line-up being organist Don Walker, guitarist Ian Moss and drummer Steve Prestwich. Seventeen-year-old singer Jimmy Barnes -- known throughout his time with the band as merely Jim Barnes -- joined in December after a brief spell as Bon Scott's replacement in Fraternity. The group changed its name several times before settling on Cold Chisel in 1974 after writing a song with that title. Barnes' relationship with other band members was volatile; as a Scot he often came to blows with English-born Prestwich and he left the band several times. During these periods Moss would handle vocals until Barnes returned. Kaczmarek left Cold Chisel in 1975 and was replaced by Phil Small. After this, Walker took creative control of the group, writing virtually all the band's material. When he left them to complete his studies in Armidale, the rest of the group followed. Barnes' older brother John Swan was a member of Cold Chisel around this time, providing backing vocals and percussion but after several violent incidents he was fired. In August 1976 Cold Chisel relocated to Melbourne but found little success and moved to Sydney in November. Six months later, in May 1977, Barnes announced he was quitting Cold Chisel in order to join Swan in Feather, a hard-rocking blues band that had evolved from an earlier group called Blackfeather. A farewell performance took place in Sydney that went so well the singer changed his mind and the following month Cold Chisel was picked up by the Warner Music Group. In the early months of 1978, Cold Chisel recorded their self-titled debut album with producer Peter Walker. All tracks were written by Don Walker (Barnes contributed some lyrics to the song "Juliet"). Cold Chisel was released in April and featured appearances from harmonica player Dave Blight, who would become a regular on-stage guest, and saxophonists Joe Camilleri and Wilbur Wilde from Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons. The following month the song "Khe Sanh" was released as a single but was deemed too offensive for radio airplay by censors because of the lyric "Their legs were often open/But their minds were always closed". Despite that setback, it still reached #48 on the Australian singles chart and number four on the Adelaide charts thanks mainly to the band's rising popularity as a touring act and some local radio support in Adelaide where the single was aired in spite of the ban. "Khe Sanh" has since become Cold Chisel's signature tune and arguably its most popular among fans. The song was later remixed for inclusion on the international version of 1980's East. The band's next release was a live E.P. titled "You're Thirteen, You're Beautiful, and You're Mine", in November. This had been recorded at a show at Sydney's Regent Theatre in 1977 that had featured Midnight Oil as one of the support acts. One of the EP's tracks, "Merry-Go-Round" was left off the first album and later recorded on the follow-up, Breakfast at Sweethearts. This album was recorded between July 1978 and January 1979 with experienced producer Richard Batchens, who had previously worked with Richard Clapton, Sherbet and Blackfeather. Batchens smoothed out some of the band's rough edges and gave their songs a sophisticated sound that made the album a hit. Once again, all songs were penned by Walker, with Barnes collaborating on the first single "Goodbye (Astrid, Goodbye)". This song became a live favourite for the band, and even went on to be performed by U2 during Australian tours in the 1980s. By now the band stood at the verge of major national success, even without significant radio airplay or support from Countdown, the country's most important youth music program, which the band consistently boycotted throughout its career. The band had become notorious for its wild behaviour, particularly from Barnes who was rumoured to have had sex with over 1000 women and was known to consume more than a bottle of vodka every night during performances. Moss and Walker were also known to be heavy drinkers and the constant physical altercations between the singer and Prestwich also attracted widespread attention. Following their problematic relationship with Batchens, Cold Chisel chose Mark Opitz to produce the next single, "Choir Girl", a Don Walker composition dealing with a young woman's experience with abortion. The track became a hit still played on radio and paved the way for Cold Chisel's next album. Recorded over two months in 1980, East reached No. 2 on the Australian album charts and was the second-highest selling album by an Australian artist for the year. Despite the continued dominance of Walker, during Cold Chisel's later career all four of the other members began to contribute songs to the band, and this was the first of their albums to feature songwriting contributions from each member of the band. Cold Chisel is one of the few Australian rock bands to score hits with songs written by every member of the group. Of the album's twelve tracks, two were written by Barnes with Moss, Prestwich and Small contributing one each. The songs ranged from straight ahead rock tracks such as "Standing on the Outside" and "My Turn to Cry" to rockabilly-flavoured work-outs ("Rising Sun", written about Barnes' relationship with his girlfriend Jane Mahoney) and pop-laced love songs ("My Baby", featuring Joe Camilleri on saxophone) to a poignant piano ballad about prison life, "Four Walls". The cover featured Barnes asleep in a bathtub wearing a kamikaze bandanna in a room littered with junk and was inspired by Jacques-Louis David's 1793 painting The Death of Marat. The Ian Moss-penned "Never Before" was chosen as the first song to air by radio station Triple J when it switched to the FM band that year.Following the release of East, Cold Chisel embarked on the Youth in Asia Tour, which took its name from a lyric in "Star Hotel". This tour saw the group play more than 60 shows in 90 days and would form the basis of 1981's double live album Swingshift. In April 1981 the band was nominated for all seven of the major awards at the joint Countdown/TV Week music awards held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, and won them all. As a protest against the concept of a TV magazine being involved in a music awards ceremony, the band refused to accept their awards and finished the night by performing "My Turn to Cry". After only one verse and chorus, they smashed up the set and left the stage. Swingshift debuted at No. 1 on the Australian album charts, crystallizing the band's status as the biggest-selling act in the country. Elsewhere, however, Cold Chisel was unable to make an impact. With a slightly different track-listing, East had been issued in the United States and the band toured with Cheap Trick but while they were popular as a live act the American arm of their label did little to support the album. According to Barnes biographer Toby Creswell, at one point the band was ushered into an office to listen to the US master only to find it drenched in tape hiss and other ambient noise[2], making it almost unreleasable. The band were even booed off stage after a lackluster performance in Dayton, Ohio in May, 1981 opening for Ted Nugent, who at the time was touring with his guitar army aka the 'D.C. Hawks'. European audiences were more accepting of the band and the group developed a small but significant fan-base in Germany. Cold Chisel returned to Australia in August 1981 and soon began work on the album Circus Animals, again with Opitz producing. The album opened with "You Got Nothing I Want", an aggressive Barnes-penned hard rock track that attacked the American industry for its handling of the band. The song would later cause problems for Barnes when he later attempted to break into the US market as a solo performer as senior music executives there continued to hold it against him. Like its predecessor, Circus Animals contained songs of contrasting styles, with harder-edged tracks like "Bow River" and "Hound Dog" in place beside more expansive ballads such as "Forever Now" and the Prestwich composition "When the War Is Over". This track has proved to be the most popular Cold Chisel song for other artists to record. Uriah Heep included a version on the 1989 album Raging Silence and John Farnham has recorded it twice, once while he and Prestwich were members of Little River Band in the mid-80s and again for his 1990 solo album Age of Reason. The song was also a No. 1 hit for former Australian Idol contestant Cosima De Vito in 2004 and was also performed (by Bobby Flynn during that show's 2006 season. To launch the album, they performed under a circus tent at Wentworth Park in Sydney and toured heavily once more, including a show in Darwin that attracted more than 10 per cent of the city's population. Circus Animals and its three singles, "You Got Nothing I Want", "Forever Now" and "When the War is Over" were all major hits in Australia during 1982 but further success was continuing to elude them and cracks were beginning to appear. In early 1983 the band toured Germany but the shows went so badly that in the middle of tour Walker upended his keyboard and stormed off stage during one show and Prestwich was fired. Returning to Australia, he was replaced by Ray Arnott, formerly of the 1970s progressive rock band Spectrum. After this, Barnes requested a large advance from management. Now married with a young child, exorbitant spending had left him almost broke. His request was refused however because there was a standing arrangement that any advance to one band member had to be paid to all the others. After a meeting on 17 August during which Barnes quit the band it was decided that Cold Chisel would split up. A final concert series known as The Last Stand was planned and a final studio album was also recorded. Prestwich returned for the tour, which began in October. Before the Sydney shows however, Barnes lost his voice and those dates were re-scheduled for December. Their final performance was at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 12 December 1983, apparently precisely 10 years since their first live appearance. The Sydney shows formed the basis of the film The Last Stand, the biggest-selling concert film of any Australian band. Several other recordings from the tour were used on the 1984 live album Barking Spiders Live: 1984, the title of which was inspired by the name the group occasionally used to play warm-up shows before tours, and as b-sides for a three-CD singles package known as Three Big XXX Hits, issued ahead of the release of the 1994 compilation album, Teenage Love. During breaks in the tour, Twentieth Century was recorded. It was a fragmentary process, spread across various studios and sessions as the individual members often refused to work together, but nonetheless successful. Released in February 1984, it reached No. 1 upon release and included the songs "Saturday Night" and "Flame Trees", both of which remain radio staples. "Flame Trees", co-written by Prestwich and Walker, took its title from the BBC series The Flame Trees of Thika although it was lyrically inspired by the organist's hometown of Grafton, New South Wales. Barnes later recorded an acoustic version of the song on his 1993 album Flesh and Wood and the track was also covered by Sarah Blasko in 2006. Barnes launched a solo career in January 1984 that has since seen him score eight Australian No. 1 albums and an array of hit singles. One of those, "Too Much Ain't Enough Love" also peaked at No. 1. Throughout his solo career he has recorded with INXS, Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, John Farnham and a long list of other Australian and international artists and continues to the present as arguably the country's most popular male rock singer. Prestwich joined Little River Band in 1984 and appeared on the albums Playing to Win and No Reins before departing in 1986 to join John Farnham's touring band. Walker, Moss and Small all took extended breaks from music. Small, the least prominent member of the band virtually disappeared from the scene for many years, playing in a variety of minor acts. Walker formed Catfish in 1988, ostensibly a solo band with floating membership that included Moss, Charlie Owen and Dave Blight at various times. The music had a distinctly modern jazz aspect and his recordings during this phase attracted little commercial success. During 1989 he wrote several songs for Moss including "Tucker's Daughter" and "Telephone Booth" that the guitarist recorded on his debut solo album Matchbook. Both the album and "Tucker's Daughter" peaked at No. 1 on the chart in 1989 and won Moss five ARIA Awards. His other albums met with little success. Throughout the 80s and most of the 90s, Cold Chisel was courted to re-form but obstinately refused, at one point reportedly turning down an offer of $5 million to play a single show in each of the major Australian state capitals. While Moss and Walker often collaborated on projects, neither would work with Barnes again until Walker wrote "Stone Cold" for the singer's Heat in 1993. The pair then recorded an acoustic version for Flesh and Wood later the same year. Thanks primarily to continued radio airplay and Jimmy Barnes' massive solo success, Cold Chisel's legacy remained solidly intact and by the early 90s the group had surpassed 3 million album sales, most of which had been sold since 1983. The 1991 compilation album Chisel was re-issued and re-packaged several times, once with the long-deleted 1978 EP as a bonus disc and a second time in 2001 as a double album. The Last Stand soundtrack album was also finally released in 1992 and in 1994 a complete album of previously unreleased demo and rare live recordings also surfaced. Teenage Love spawned a string of hit singles that fuelled speculation Cold Chisel would reform, to no avail. Cold Chisel eventually reunited in 1998 to record the album The Last Wave of Summer and supported it with a sold-out national concert tour. The album debuted at number one on the Australian album chart. In 2003, the band re-grouped once more for the "Ringside" tour and in 2005 again reunited to perform at a benefit for the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. In recent times it has been suggested that the band would reform and do another "Ringside" type tour in mid-2008, however this has not occurred. While typically classified as a hard-driving rock and roll band, the Cold Chisel musical repertoire was extensive. Influences from blues and early rock n' roll was broadly apparent, fostered by the love of those styles by Moss, Barnes and Walker and Small and Prestwich contributed strong pop sensibilities. This allowed volatile rock songs like "You Got Nothing I Want" and "Merry-Go-Round" to stand beside thoughtful ballads like "Choir Girl", pop-flavoured love songs like "My Baby" and caustic political statements like "Star Hotel", an attack on the late-70s government of Malcolm Fraser and inspired by a riot at a Newcastle pub. The songs were not overtly political but rather observations of everyday life within Australian society and culture, in which the members with their various backgrounds (Moss was from Alice Springs, Walker grew up in rural New South Wales, Barnes and Prestwich were working-class immigrants from the UK) were quite well able to provide. Typically then, Cold Chisel's songs were about distinctly Australian experiences, a factor often cited as a major reason for the band's lack of international appeal. "Saturday Night" and "Breakfast at Sweethearts" were observations of the urban experience of Sydney's Kings Cross district where Walker lived for many years. "Misfits", which featured on the b-side to "My Baby", was about homeless kids in the suburbs surrounding Sydney. Songs like "Shipping Steel" and "Standing on The Outside" were working class anthems and many others featured characters trapped in mundane, everyday existences, yearning for the good times of the past ("Flame Trees") or for something better from life ("Bow River"). To many of the group's fans, Cold Chisel's honest songs about the working-class experience provided an often starkly accurate insight into and soundtrack to their own lives that they were unable to find from other popular artists of the time. Even album tracks like "Bow River" and "Standing on the Outside" became widely popular and were given airplay during an era when commercial radio playlists were predominantly populated by hit singles. Nevertheless, the band's aggressive image, apparent anti-establishment stance and particular popularity among young working-class men (typically those born in the late 60s and mid-70s) often made them the subject of some disdain, both during their career and in the years following their dissolution. Alongside contemporaries like The Angels and Midnight Oil, whose rise to popularity came in their wake, Cold Chisel was renowned as one of the most dynamic live acts of their day and from early in their career concerts routinely became sell-out events. But the band was also famous for its wild lifestyle, particularly the hard-drinking Barnes, who played his role as one of the wild men of Australian rock to the hilt, never seen on stage without at least one bottle of vodka and often so drunk he could barely stand upright. Despite this, by 1982 he was a devoted family man who refused to tour without his wife and daughter. All the other band members were also settled or married; Ian Moss had a long-term relationship with late actress Megan Williams (she even sang on Twentieth Century) whose own public persona could have hardly been more different. Yet it was the band's public image that often saw them compared less favourably with other important acts like Midnight Oil, whose music and politics (while rather more overt) were often similar but whose image and reputation was far more clean-cut. Cold Chisel remained hugely popular however and by the mid-90s had continued to sell records at such a consistent rate they became the first Australian band to achieve higher sales after their split than during their active years. While repackages and compilations accounted for much of these sales, 1994's Teenage Love album of rarities and two of its singles were Top Ten hits and when the group finally reformed in 1998 the resultant album was also a major hit and the follow-up tour sold out almost immediately. Cold Chisel is one of the few Australian acts (along with AC/DC, and Slim Dusty) to have become the subject of a major tribute album. In 2007, Standing on the Outside: The Songs of Cold Chisel was released, featuring a collection of the band's songs as performed by artists including The Living End, Evermore, Something for Kate, Pete Murray, Katie Noonan, You Am I, Paul Kelly, Alex Lloyd, Thirsty Merc and Ben Lee, many of whom were still only children when Cold Chisel first disbanded and some of whom, like the members of Evermore, had not even been born.

Sutherland Bros. & Quiver




Sutherland Bros. & Quiver - The Very Best Of The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver - 2002 - Columbia

The Sutherland Bros. & Quiver are another seventies band who never got the success and recognition they deserved. The early 70s had many bands like the Sutherland Brothers. They were great songwriters, more than competent musicians and made great records, none of which sold in any great numbers. Iain Sutherland is a remarkably talented songwriter. As an individual, and with his brother, Gavin, he wrote many great songs, the most notable being "Sailing," a massive hit for Rod Stewart, and "Arms of Mary". Yet many of the duo's great songs have never been heard by so many people. The brothers wrote many fine, catchy, and melodic pop songs with tasteful instrumental work and fine harmony vocals. This album is a good 20 track compilation by the Scottish band. As usual, in this type of compilation, there are some great songs excluded. This will always be a problem with "Best Of" albums, as everybody will always have their own favourites. If you are interested in more of the band's music, check out their "Beat of the Street" and "Dream Kid" albums. Quiver had a s/t album released in 1971, and any info on this recording is welcome. For more music in the same vein, listen to Gallagher & Lyle's great "Seeds" album, or the "Ferguslie Park" album by Stealers Wheel. Also check out some of Gerry Rafferty's early recordings. His "Can I Have My Money Back" album is a good example. As an afterthought, isn't it incredible, the musical talent that Scotland has produced :- Alex Harvey, The Proclaimers, Deacon Blue, Aztec Camera, Blue Nile, Average White Band , and Maggie Bell. There are dozens omitted here, but Rock On, Scotland The Brave!

TRACKS

1. The Pie
2. I Was In Chains
3. Real Love
4. Sailing
5. You Got Me Anyway
6. Lifeboat
7. Dream Kid
8. Champion The Underdog
9. Beat Of The Street
10. Laid Back In Anger
11. When The Train Comes
12. Arms Of Mary (Single Version)
13. Dr. Dancer
14. Love On The Moon
15. Moonlight Lady
16. Slipstream
17. Secrets
18. Something's Burning
19. When The Night Comes Down
20. Easy Come, Easy Go (Single Version)
N.B: Tracks 1 - 8 , & 19 - 20 by The Sutherland Brothers, & Tracks 9 - 18 by The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver. Tracks 1 - 5, 8, 10 - 12, 15 - 17, & 20 composed by I.Sutherland. Tracks 6, 9, & 13 - 14, & 18 - 19 composed by G.Sutherland. Track 7 composed by I.Sutherland, and G.Sutherland

MUSICIANS

Iain Sutherland (vocals/guitar/keyboards)
Gavin Sutherland (guitar/vocals)
Pete Wood (piano)
Quiver are Tim Renwick (guitar), Bruce Thomas (bass) and Willie Wilson (drums)

BIO

Folk rockers the Sutherland Brothers formed originally in London during 1970, but it wasn't until a few years later (when the group fused together with another band) that they enjoyed their greatest chart success. Brothers Ian (vocals, guitar) and Gavin (bass, vocals) first went by the name of A New Generation (at the insistence of their manager at the time) before the duo changed their name to the Sutherland Brothers and recorded a demo. The tape caught the ear of former Traffic bassist Muff Winwood, who helped sign the duo to Island Records, a label that Winwood served as an A&R man for at the time. A pair of largely folk-based recordings were issued in 1972, a self-titled debut and Lifeboat, the latter of which scored the group their first bona fide hit, "(I Don't Want to Love You But) You Got Me Anyway," as well as an original composition that would later be covered by Rod Stewart, "Sailing." By the dawn of 1973, the Sutherland Brothers decided to augment their group (they were unhappy with their live sound at the time) by teaming up with an obscure rock act named Quiver (who had issued a pair of underappreciated albums on their own — 1971's self-titled release and 1972's Gone in the Morning) — as the new group went by the name of the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver, or SBQ. The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver remained intact for much of the '70s and Stewart's aforementioned cover of "Sailing" hit the number one spot in the U.K. and during 1975, the group scored another sizeable hit on their own with "The Arms of Mary" (peaking at number five in the U.K.). The group steadily toured both the United States and Europe, issuing such further releases as 1973's Dream Kid and 1974's Beat of the Street before leaving Island for Columbia Records and releasing 1975's Reach for the Sky, 1976's Slipstream, 1977's Down to Earth, and 1979's When the Night Comes Down. But by the dawn of the '80s, the hits had dried up and SBQ decided to call it a day. Both of the Sutherland brothers attempted to launch solo careers on their own during the early '80s, but both failed to retain the audience of their previous band. © Greg Prato, © allmusic.com

BIO (Wikipedia)

Sutherland Brothers (Gavin, born 6 October 1951, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, bassist / vocalist ) and Iain (born 17 November 1948, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) - vocalist / guitarist / keyboards) originally performed as a folk / rock duo in the field of British music in the early 1970s, and then joined with Quiver to record and tour as The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver. The Sutherland Brothers began their career in 1968 as A New Generation, having some yearly success with the single "Smokie Blues Away" (which used a melody based on the main theme of Dvořák's, New World Symphony). Subsequently re-billed as The Sutherland Brothers Band, they won a new recording contract with Island Records and put out two albums in 1972. Their first minor hit was "The Pie" in 1970. In an effort to diversify and expand their folk based sound, the Sutherland Brothers joined forces with a local rock band known as Quiver. Quiver originally comprised guitarist and singer Cal Batchelor, guitarist Tim Renwick, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer John "Willie" Wilson. Keyboardist Peter Wood had replaced Batchelor just before the band joined up with the Sutherland Brothers. The band were then known as The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver. Their joint greatest success came under this name. Several moderately successful albums were released by Island Records throughout the 1970s under this joint name before they moved to CBS Records where they recorded, amongst other songs, the Top Ten hit single, "Arms of Mary", which also became a hit when covered two years later by the Canadian group, Chilliwack. The band were just reaching their peak as the punk music explosion happened; they ended up being ousted from their residency at London's Marquee Club to make way for the likes of The Damned and X-Ray Spex. The group quickly found that its cheerful, folk-rock style had fallen out of fashion, and disbanded after recording a final album in 1979. One of the earlier Sutherland Brothers recordings is "Sailing", which exists in two versions: one with The Sutherland Brothers alone, the other together with Quiver. "Sailing" was no success for the Brothers, but in 1975, it became a major hit for Rod Stewart. Quiver's Tim Renwick went on to play with Al Stewart, and even a later incarnation of Pink Floyd. Bassist Bruce Thomas went on to join Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Peter Wood (aka Peter Woods) later worked with Cyndi Lauper. Born in 1950 in Middlesex, England, he died in 1994 in New York.

28.12.08

The Georgia Satellites




The Georgia Satellites - Greatest and Latest - 2001 - Disky

A very underrated , and not very prolific band, The Georgia Satellites, created some great rock & roll music with a Southern slant. Their sound is very much in the style of Little Feat, although less sophisticated. They are best known for their 1986 top five hit single "Keep Your Hands to Yourself". The original band were only around for five or so years in the eighties, but were definitely overshadowed by the post punk/new wave genre. This band had some success, but should have been taken more seriously.They never really "got off the ground" the way they should have. "Greatest and Latest" is an excellent compilation album, and contains some unusual but good cover versions of songs by Joe South, Chuck Berry, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Ronnie Wood. The album is full of great Rock 'N' Roll, and is very enjoyable. There is another 20 track GS compilation, "Let It Rock: The Best of the Georgia Satellites" available, which includes a great version of John Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night/Rockin' All Over the World " and fourteen of the tracks are written/co-written by the great songwriter, Dan Baird. Their s/t "Georgia Satellites" album is well worth buying, and there is info on the band's "In the Land of Salvation and Sin" album @ TGS/ITLOSAS

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Games People Play - South, Joe
2. Hippy Hippy Shake - Romero, C.
3. Running Out - Rivers, T.
4. Let It Rock/Bye Bye Johnny - Berry, C.
5. Deep in the Heart of Dixie - Price, R.
6. Anna Lee - Price, R.
7. Don't Pass Me By - Starkey, R.
8. Hand to Mouth - Richards, R.
9. Battleship Chains - Anderson, T.
10. Six Years Gone - Baird, D.
11. Slaughterhouse - Richards, R.
12. Can't Stand the Pain - Richard, R.
13. My Fault - Wood, R.
14. Shaken Not Stirred - Richard, R.
15. She Fades Away - Richard, R.
16. Rain - Lennon, John

BAND

Dan Baird Vocals, Guitar
Mauro Magellan Drums
Rick Price Bass, Guitar
Rick Richards Guitar, Vocals

SHORT BIO

At a time when rock & roll didn't care about its roots, the Georgia Satellites came crashing into the charts with a surprise hit single to remind everybody where the music had come from. The hit single, 1986's "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," rocked as hard as an old Chuck Berry song, as well as being almost as clever. The Satellites weren't a back-to-basics roots rock band, either — their straightforward sound borrowed equally from Berry, the Rolling Stones, the Faces, Little Feat, and AC/DC, with a Southern backwoods bent. At their best, the Satellites were just a damn good rock & roll band, driven by the classic yet fresh songwriting of lead singer/guitarist Dan Baird. On the strength of "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," their first major-label album sold well, but the follow-up, Open All Night, did not; radio and MTV had treated the band as a kind of novelty — a bunch of hicks kicking out rock & roll offered a break between the slick pop-metal of Bon Jovi and the introspective pop of Peter Gabriel. By the time they released Open All Night in 1988, no one was interested, even if the album was only slightly weaker than the debut. After one more album, 1989's In the Land of Salvation and Sin, the band called it quits. Guitarist Rick Richards joined Izzy Stradlin's Ju Ju Hounds three years later; Baird pursued a solo career and had a small hit in late 1992 with "I Love You Period." In 1996, he helped form the Yayhoos after releasing his second solo album. The Yayhoos have two albums, the most recent being 2006's Put the Hammer Down. During the mid-'90s, the Georgia Satellites reunited without Baird. They released Shaken Not Stirred in 1997. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

BIO (Wikipedia)

The Georgia Satellites is a Southern rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. They are best known for their 1986 top five hit single "Keep Your Hands to Yourself", and draw inspiration from Chuck Berry, Little Feat and AC/DC, among others. Formed in 1980, a lineup of Dan Baird, Rick Richards, Dave Hewitt (Bass), and drummer Randy Delay recorded a six-track demo at Axis Studios in Atlanta. For a short period of time from 1981 to 1982 drummer Randy Delay was replaced by a new drummer, Keith Christopher (formerly of The Brains). Christopher left the band in 1982 to perform with Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush. Jeff Glixman, who had produced the likes of Paul Stanley and Kansas, was enlisted to produce. Soon after the demo was recorded, the band broke up in the summer of 1984. However, while the band felt they weren't making any progress on their musical path and had moved on, their English manager took the demo to a small Yorkshire record label, Making Waves, who liked the material and released the demos as the Keep The Faith EP in 1985 (Kerrang #113). The press response to the EP was positive and prompted the band to regroup in the United States. Baird had been playing with the Woodpeckers in North Carolina, while Richards remained in Atlanta with the Hell Hounds, who included both Mauro Magellon (drums) and Rick Price (bass). With Baird essentially joining the Hell Hounds, the Satellites were reborn and American record labels started taking notice of the band. By 1986 only Elektra Records was willing to sign the band, who then reunited with Glixman to record their debut full-length album at Cheshire Sound Studios in Atlanta. The album, Georgia Satellites, was their most successful album, featuring the track "Keep Your Hands To Yourself." The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard chart, topped only by Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," It went into extremely heavy MTV rotation. Other minor hits included "Battleship Chains" (#86) and "Can't Stand The Pain." In 1988, the band recorded a cover of The Swinging Blue Jean's 1964 hit "Hippy Hippy Shake" for the movie Cocktail. Released as a single, the song made it to #45 on the Billboard chart. During the year the band released their second album, Open All Night, which included a cover of the Ringo Starr song "Don't Pass Me By," though the album didn't build on the success of the debut. A single, "Open All Night" backed with "Dunk 'N' Dine," failed to chart. A third studio album, "In The Land Of Salvation And Sin," was released in 1989, which included re-recordings of "Six Years Gone" and "Crazy" from the 1985 EP. Though the album received very positive reviews, it, too, failed to do well commercially, and Baird left the band in 1990 for a solo career. The band's 1993 compilation Let It Rock: The Best of the Georgia Satellites included a selection of the best tracks from the three studio albums and bonus material that had been released on the Another Chance EP (1989): "Saddle Up," "That Woman" and "I'm Waiting For The Man." Also included was a live version of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock." The 1997 album Shaken Not Stirred didn't include Baird or Magellan who were replaced by drummer Billy Pitts and keyboardist Joey Huffman, with the two "Ricks" handling lead vocal duties. The album was a mix of re-recordings of their earlier material and eight new songs: "Running Out," "Let It Rock (Bye Bye Johnny)," "Deep In The Heart Of Dixie," "Anna Lee," "My Fault," "Shaken Not Stirred," "She Fades Away," and "Rain." Following the album's release Huffman soon departed and the band split again. After a brief sabbatical following the departure of Baird, The Georgia Satellites returned in 1993. Led by original band members Rick Richards (lead guitar and vocals) and Rick Price (bass and vocals), with Kenney Head on keyboards and Todd Johnston on drums, they continue to perform. Mauro Magellan joined "The Crashers" after moving to Wisconsin in the early 1990s. Mauro played on both of Baird’s solo albums and has since performed periodically with Dan Baird, most recently joining Baird on the road as a member of Dan Baird & Friends, also occasionally known as Homemade Sin. In addition, Dan Baird performs as a member of the country group Trent Summar & The New Row Mob. Along with his commitment to The Georgia Satellites, Richards also plays with former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin in his band, The Ju Ju Hounds. They have recorded seven albums, not all released.

Hawkwind




Hawkwind - Live Seventy Nine - 1980 - Bronze Records

Hawkwind should be noted as one of the great prog./psychedelic/space rock bands to energe from Britain. They will be remembered for their great space rock hit "Silver Machine" in the early seventies, but the band have a considerable back catalogue, and much of their music remains unheard. This album was recorded live at St. Albans, City Hall, England on 8th December, during the band's U.K. Winter Tour in 1979. The band is full of energy, and there is some great playing here. “Brainstorm” is played with an "appetite for destruction". The guitar work here is explosive, and the rhythm section is brilliant. Mind numbing stuff! There is some great keyboard work on this album from Tim Blake,(of Egg), one of progressive rock's most underrated keyboardists. There is a good version of "Lighthouse", and another great power version of “Master Of The Universe”. Note the shortened version of "Silver Machine" at the end of the album. The band obviously had no interest in playing it for the "millionth" time. It is not labelled "Requien" for nothing! But all in all, the album is a great example of highly charged or highly "spaced" rock music, and is really worth hearing. Buy Hawkwind's amazing "Space Ritual [live]", which is a masterpiece of "Space Rock". Read a detailed bio of Hawkwind @ HWKWND/BIO/WIKI

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Shot Down In The Night - S. Swindells
A2 Motorway City - D. Brock
A3 Spirit Of The Age - D. Brock, R. Calvert

B1 Brainstorm - N.Turner
B2 Lighthouse - T. Blake
B3 Master Of The Universe - D. Brock, N. Turner
B4 Silver Machine (Requiem) - D. Brock, R. Calvert

MUSICIANS

Dave Brock - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Huw Lloyd-Langton - lead guitar, vocals
Harvey Bainbridge - bass guitar, vocals
Tim Blake - synthesisers, keyboards, vocals
Simon King - drums
N.B: This album has also been released on vinyl and CD with two bonus tracks, "Levitation "and "Space Bandits"

REVIEWS

This is a Grade-B live Hawkwind recording, taken from their Winter tour of 1979. At this point, the members remaining from the golden years of the band earlier in the decade were guitarist and leader Dave Brock and drummer Simon King. Tim Blake of Gong had joined the band around this point, and though his role is generally auxiliary, he does provide one song entitled "Lighthouse," and supplies lead vocals there. Usual expectations of Hawkwind (who were always a question mark as an honest-to-goodness 'prog rock' act) apply here as well. No complex time signatures or intricately structured music in sight. Hawkwind simply weren't about that. It's more like the highly testicular, Spinal Tap-ian rock (manic power chords, sci-fi imagery, vocal boxes, etc.) with more prominently featured synthesizers. The set-list features an energetic opener, "Shot Down in the Night" and continues through eventually hitting two of the band's anthems, "Brainstorm" and "Master of the Universe." As might be expected, this lacks the mystique and stoned-out, Dionysian intensity of the band's classic live recording, Space Ritual. It's more streamlined and sounds very turn-of-the-decade. One can almost picture the band wearing sweat bands, etc. performing this stuff. As an analogue, think of Magma's sound during Live/Hhai and then what they sounded like circa the Retrospektïw concerts, or Yes during the Relayer tour and then the 90125 tour. Still, I find if you take this album for what it's worth, it's a fun enough listen, though nothing essential. © Joe McGlinchey, 7-21-00, © www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=hawk-l79

Live Seventy Nine is a 1980 live album by Hawkwind recorded on their Winter 1979 tour. It reached #15 on the UK album chart. This is a reconstituted Hawkwind with Brock, Bainbridge and King emerging from the dissolved Hawklords, joined by lead guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton who had played on the debut album Hawkwind and keyboardist Tim Blake who was a long standing friend of the band and had played on Gong's Radio Gnome trilogy. This band embarked upon a UK Winter 1979 tour despite not having a record deal nor any product to promote, recording one of the shows. Originally the band "didn't think the Oxford gig was very good, but we listened to the mixing-desk tape and were really surprised. So we mixed the master tape and got a deal with Bronze. If we hadn't got that deal, we'd probably have split up - we couldn't have carried on on our own." Manager Douglas Smith secured a two album deal with Bronze Records, even if Gerry Bron confessed "I don't think we would have signed Hawkwind if it weren't for Motorhead, I can't say I was that interested... Once you run a record label and you're employing people, you have to make good commercial decisions - you can't turn away business, even if the business isn't what you particularly want to do". The music is more energetic and aggressive than the previous albums released on Charisma Records and the album benefited in the rise in popularity of NWOBHM at the time. "Shot Down In The Night" had been written by Hawklords keyboardist Steve Swindells for single release, but he departed during the year to record a solo album. The single was backed by the non-album cut "Urban Guerilla" and reached #59 on the UK singles chart. Swindells also released a studio version of this track as a single and on his Fresh Blood album which he recorded with King, Lloyd-Langton and Nic Potter. [ From Wikipedia ].

BIO

Any sci-fi fan with long memories probably remembers those 1970's DAW paperback editions of Michael Moorcock's sword-and-sorcery novels, with their images of heavily armored, very muscular warriors, carrying large swords and standing against eerie land- and starscapes. Take that imagery, throw in some terminology and names seemingly lifted from the Marvel Comics of the era (The Watcher, etc.) and particle physics articles of the period, translate it into loud but articulate hard rock music, and that's more or less what Hawkwind is about. One of England's longest-enduring heavy metal bands, Hawkwind was formed during the late '60s, just as art-rock was coming into its own. They combined bold guitar, synthesizer, and Mellotron sounds, creating heavy metal music that seemed to cross paths with Chuck Berry and the Moody Blues without sounding like either of them. At their best, their early records sounded like the Beatles of "Yer Blues" combined with the Cream of "I Feel Free." The introduction of lyrics steeped in science fiction and drug effects on their second album helped define the group and separate them from the competition — in some ways they were like Pink Floyd with more of a rock & roll beat and a vengeance. They've never charted a record anywhere near the heights that Dark Side of the Moon has achieved, but it's a sign of the dedication of the fans they do have that the group has about 30 CDs out, including archival releases of decades-old live shows and multiple compilations. Hawkwind's history has been marked by a series of confusing lineup changes, as members began an almost revolving-door relationship with the band virtually from the outset. The seeds of the group were planted when guitarist/singer Dave Brock and guitarist Mick Slattery of the group Famous Cure, which was playing a gig in Holland in 1969, met saxman/flautist/singer Nik Turner, a member of Mobile Freakout, on the same tour.Once back in England, Brock, Slattery, and Turner hooked up again and, adding John Harrison on bass, Terry Ollis on drums, and DikMik Davies on electronic keyboards, called themselves Group X, later changed to Hawkwind Zoo, and finally to Hawkwind. They secured a contract with United Artists/Liberty Records in England. Before the group recorded, however, Huw Lloyd Langton replaced Mick Slattery on guitar. The fledgling band hooked up with two Pretty Things alumni — drummer Viv Prince, who occasionally joined them on stage, and bassist (and onetime Rolling Stones member) Dick Taylor, who was recruited as a producer but played on their early records. Their first single, "Hurry on Sundown" (aka "Hurry on a Sundown") b/w "Mirror of Illusion," was released in July of 1970, just in time for Harrison to exit the lineup, to be replaced by bassist Thomas Crimble. Their first album, Hawkwind, was released to little public notice in August, but that same month the group made a modest splash by playing outside the fences of the Isle of Wight Festival. The following month, Huw Lloyd Langton quit the band along with Thomas Crimble — the replacement bassist, ex-Amon Duul member Dave Anderson, joined in May of 1971, the same month that DikMik Davies quit, to be replaced on keyboards by Del Dettmar. In June of that year, two more new members came aboard — poet Robert Calvert, who became lead vocalist, and a dancer named Stacia, who began appearing with the group on stage. Meanwhile, the band also hooked up with artist Barney Bubbles, who gave the group a new image, redesigning their stage decor and equipment decoration, and also devising distinctive new album graphics. Ex-bassist Crimble helped arrange for the group's performance at the Glastonbury Fayre in Somerset in June of 1971, which gave Hawkwind fresh exposure, and brought them to the attention of writer Michael Moorcock, who was entering a vastly popular phase in his career as the author of many science fiction and fantasy novels. Moorcock helped organize some of their performances, as well as occasionally serving as a substitute for Calvert. Equally important, in August of 1971, Dave Anderson departed the group, while DikMik Davies returned to the lineup to join Dettmar on keyboards and brought as Anderson's replacement — his friend Lemmy (born Ian Kilmister), an ex-roadie for Jimi Hendrix and a member of the rowdy mid-'60s Blackpool rock & roll band the Rocking Vicars. Lemmy had joined the group just in time to participate on the recording of the band's second album, In Search of Space. Released in October of 1971, it proved a defining work, carving out new frontiers of metal, drug, and science-fiction-laced music, including one major classic song, "Masters of the Universe," which became one of the group's most popular concert numbers and turned up on numerous studio and live compilations. More lineup changes followed, as Simon King succeeded Terry Ollis on the drums in January of 1972. The group played the Greasy Truckers Party — a showcase of underground and alternative music and politics — at the Roundhouse in London the next month, parts of which later surfaced on a pair of subsequent albums. All of these lineup changes and career steps had been compromised by a string of annoying bad luck and thefts of equipment, which were serious enough to threaten their solvency. Coupled with Bob Calvert's shaky health, the result of a nervous breakdown, Hawkwind went into 1972 on a very uncertain footing. The group's early sound, characterized by their singles up through this point, was essentially hard rock with progressive trappings. They slotted in perfectly with the collegiate and drug audiences, putting on the kind of show that acts like King Crimson and ELP were known for, but with more of a pure rock & roll base (not surprising, considering Lemmy's background). Their commercial breakthrough took place when a version of the driving hard rocker "Silver Machine," sung by Lemmy, got to number three on the British charts in August of 1972. They were unable to follow up on this unexpected flash of mass success, particularly when their follow-up single, "Urban Guerrilla," a surprisingly melodic rocker with lots of crunchy guitar at the core of multiple layers of metallic sound, was withdrawn amid a series of terrorist attacks in London, even though it had reached the British Top 40 and seemed poised to mimic "Silver Machine"'s success. The British tour that followed "Silver Machine," their first major circuit of the country, gave them more concert exposure, and their third album, Doremi Fasol Latido, released in November of 1972, which got to the number 14 spot on the British charts. This album codified the group's science-fiction orientation, presenting an elaborate mythology about the history of the universe (or some universe) into which the group and their music was woven. By this time, they had a major reputation as a live act, and rose to the occasion with an elaborate concert show called the Space Ritual. Their fourth album, a double-disc set recorded in concert called Space Ritual, issued in June of 1973, got to number nine. By the time of their next album, In the Hall of the Mountain Grill in 1974, Bob Calvert had departed to work on a planned solo project (Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters), and violinist and keyboard player Simon House had joined the group. This was the heyday of progressive bands such as Yes, ELP, and Genesis, and Hawkwind's mix of dense keyboard textures and heavy metal guitar and bass, coupling classical bombast and hard rock playing, became the sudden recipient of massive international press coverage — though they'd never charted a record in the United States, they became well known to readers in the rock press, and their records were available as imports. The group toured the United States twice during this era, once in late 1973 and again in the spring of the next year. These tours had their usual share of problems — the band and its entire entourage were arrested in Indiana for non-payment of taxes — but it was after the release of their 1975 album, Warrior on the Edge of Time, that a major membership change ensued. They were touring the United States behind the release of the album when Lemmy was arrested on drug charges. He was fired from the band and went on to form Motörhead, a successful and influential metal band. His exit also took away a lot of the energy and focus driving Hawkwind's sound. There was talk about the band calling it quits, but they carried on with Lemmy's replacement, Paul Rudolph, and with Bob Calvert back in the lineup. By this time, their chances for a breakthrough in America had been reduced considerably by the chart success of such groups as Kansas and Blue Oyster Cult, both of which melded proletariat rock with progressive sensibilities in just the right portions to appeal to kids on this side of the Atlantic. Hawkwind's revamped lineup did release a new album, Astounding Sounds, which performed moderately well, and followed it a year later with Quark Strangeness and Charm (1977), which had a good title song, among other virtues. Hawkwind was still working as a quintet, but by this time their chronic instability was about to reach critical levels — at the end of their 1978 American tour, Calvert quit the band again, and then the entire group virtually disbanded. When the smoke cleared, Calvert had put together a direct offshoot group, the Hawklords, and abandoned an entire finished album to record 25 Years On with a lineup that included Brock, Martin Griffiths on drums, Steve Swindell on keyboards, and Harvey Bainbridge on drums. That record made a respectable showing at number 48 on the British charts with a supporting tour, but the new group wasn't much more stable than the old one, with drummer Griffiths gone by December of 1978. Then Calvert quit (again), while Simon King, who had been a Hawkwind member a couple of years back, rejoined on drums, replacing Griffiths. The group was left as a four-piece and resumed the use of the name Hawkwind in January of 1979. Huw Lloyd Langton was back in the lineup by May of 1979, while Tim Blake replaced a departing Swindell. This lineup proved relatively stable and recorded a very successful live album (number 15 in the U.K.), released as part of a new contract with Bronze Records. The one big change took place in September of 1980 when Ginger Baker replaced Simon King, although Baker himself only lasted until March of 1981, when he was let go from the band and replaced by "Hawklords" drummer Martin Griffiths. This core lineup cut a string of good-selling albums through 1984, which were embraced by the heavy metal community and initially propelled into the Top 30 and Top 20 in England, culminating with another live album. By their 1984 album This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic, released under a new contract with Flickknife Records, Turner, Brock, and Langton were back together again.By this time, the band's 1970s recordings were starting to show up in profusion, in competition with their current work. Ironically, it was in 1985, just as the current group was starting to compete with their own early history, that they released their most ambitious record of all, Chronicle of the Black Sword. An adaptation of Michael Moorcock's sci-fi novels, the album was a return to their old style as well. It was in this same period that Brock, Turner, Langton, Anderson, Crimble, Bainbridge, and Slattery attended the first Hawkwind Convention, held in Manchester — Turner left soon after, but the remaining members held together for three years, a record for the band. Bob Calvert, who had quit the band twice at the end of the '70s, died of a heart attack in 1988. Hawkwind was still together, however, and the following year even managed its first American tour since Calvert's first exit from the band. By 1990, their fortunes were on the upswing again, when their sudden embrace of the rave culture on a new album, Space Bandits, gave them a new chart entry and a distinctly younger listenership. Their commercial revival was short-lived, however, and by 1991, they were busying themselves re-recording their classic material. They toured America again in 1992. They were left as a trio after a falling out among the members at the end of that tour, and in recent years, apart from periodic reissues of their classic material, the surviving group has achieved a serious following on the underground, drug-driven dance/rave scene in England, ironically returning to a modern version of their roots. They've played various major showcases (including the 12 Hour Technicolor Dream All Nighter at Brixton Academy), as well as benefit performances. Their entire catalog has been reissued on CD by several different labels (Griffin, Cleopatra, One Way, Magnum, etc.), in some cases recompiled and retitled (especially the live recordings), including numerous compilations and archival explorations, all very confusing and numbering in the dozens. © Bruce Eder, allmusic.com

27.12.08

Barclay James Harvest Through The Eyes Of John Lees




Barclay James Harvest Through The Eyes Of John Lees - Nexus - 1999 - Eagle Records

A very good album. Recorded under the band name, "Barclay James Harvest Through The Eyes Of John Lees", it may as well be a fully blown BJH album. John Lees and Woolly Wolstenholme recreate the great BJH sound, admirably, and all the tracks are good. BJH were one of the most underrated English progressive rock bands. Buy the bands' wonderful "Gone To Earth" album, and there is info on the "Glasnost" album @ BJH/GNOST and the superb "Early Morning Onwards" album @ BJH/EMO

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Festival! - (Lees/Wolstenholme)
2. The Iron Maiden - (Barclay James Harvest)
3. Brave New World - (Lees/Wolstenholme)
4. Hors D'Oeuvre - (Lees/Wolstenholme)
5. Mocking Bird - (Barclay James Harvest)
6. Sitting Upon A Shelf - (Lees/Wolstenholme)
7. Hymn - (Lees)
8. The Devils That I Keep - (Lees/Wolstenholme)
9. Titles - (Trad/arr. Lees)
10. Float - (Lees/Wolstenholme)
11. Loving Is Easy - (Lees)
12. Star Bright - (Lees/Wolstenholme)
(CD reissued in 2007 on Tyrolis with two bonus tracks, "She Said" and "Galadriel" taken from "Revival - Live 1999" ).

MUSICIANS

Drums, Percussion - Kevin Whitehead
Electric & Acoustic Bass, Vocals - Craig Fletcher
Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Recorder, Producer - John Lees
Vocals, Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Producer - Woolly Wolstenholme
Recorded at Friarmere studios, Saddleworth, England, between April & November 1998

REVIEW

Not strictly a Barclay James Harvest album - the band is in hiatus following the departure of Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard - this 1999 offering sees founder member John Lees reunited with the bands original keyboard player, Woolly Wolstenholme, on a selection of new songs, plus some old favourites, rearranged. Craig Fletcher plays bass, and Kevin Whitehead drums. First up is a rather jokey piece - 'Festival' describing the writers no doubt considerable experiences with festivals over the years, with added weather sound effects! Next is the lush 'The Iron Maiden', this reminds me of early BJH with a pastoral feel, enhanced by orchestral passages from Woolly's keyboards - very nice indeed. 'Brave New World' is a sad song of regret at the end of a life that changed nothing. Rather depressing, but well written. 'Hors D'oeuvre' is a short instrumental that leads into the classic 'Mocking Bird'. This version, especially in the instrumental passage, is less frenetic than previous versions, and makes a nice change. 'Sitting Upon a Shelf' is another reflective song that brings the mood down, before we go into 'Hymn' - another BJH classic that never fails to uplift. Just when we feel up again comes 'The Devils that I Keep' - this one is positively suicidal, but again is well written and performed. 'Titles', a song written using only Beatles titles follows, again this is an excellent new version of this moving song. 'Float' is one of my favourite tracks on this album, and reminds me of much of the earlier pastoral period of the band. 'Loving is Easy' another old song is given a new, radical bluesy arrangement that works well. Finally 'Star Bright' - again that trade mark orchestral sound, cut through by John's soaring guitar runs - really excellent and a new classic for all BJH fans. This in general is a very good album indeed, and I recommend it to all those who appreciate fine songs beautifully executed. © Jon Hall, www.bjharvest.co.uk

BIO ( JOHN LEES' BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST)

John Lees and Stuart “Woolly” Wolstenholme were founder members of Barclay James Harvest, the melodic rock band with classical leanings which emerged from Oldham in the late sixties. Their relationship endured through nine studio albums and two live doubles, the period of BJH's history which most fans regard as their most creative and productive, and their musical collaborations included such classics as "Mocking Bird", "Galadriel", "Child Of The Universe" and "Hymn". John stayed with BJH after Woolly left in 1979, and it would be nearly twenty years before the guitar and keyboard legends would work together again. When it was announced in March 1998 that Barclay James Harvest would be taking a sabbatical, it was effectively the end of the original band. Henceforth the members of the band would be pursuing solo projects, albeit using variations of the Barclay James Harvest name. John renewed his musical friendship with Woolly, and they began work together with bassist Craig Fletcher and drummer Kevin Whitehead under the name Barclay James Harvest Through The Eyes Of John Lees. This line-up recorded an album of half new songs, half re-recordings of BJH classics, entitled Nexus, which was released by Eagle Records in February 1999. A tour of Germany and Switzerland followed and was recorded for the Revival - Live 1999 CD which appeared in March 2000, after which there were more concerts in Germany and Greece, plus the first concerts in England by any of the band members since 1992. John and Woolly started work on a second studio album, with the working title North, but following the sudden death of his manager, David Walker, John didn't feel ready to make an album at that time and it was shelved. Woolly turned his attention to solo work, producing two studio albums and a live set between 2003 and 2005. By March 2005, John was ready to resume his musical endeavours, and an announcement was made to the effect that future live and studio work in collaboration with Woolly was planned, under the new name John Lees' Barclay James Harvest. The first full UK tour by any members of Barclay James Harvest since 1992 took place in late 2006, and was a great success. The London show at the Shepherds Bush Empire was filmed and released in November 2007 as a DVD and CD entitled Legacy. Meanwhile both John and Woolly have been busy writing new material and are looking forward to new projects in 2008. The story continues ... © Keith & Monika Domone, 2007, http://bjharvest.co.uk/jlbjh/biog.htm

BIO BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST (Wikipedia)

Barclay James Harvest is a British rock band specialising in Symphonic/Melodic Rock with folk/progressive/classical influences. The band was founded in Saddleworth, a civil parish now in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in 1966 by John Lees, Les Holroyd, Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme and Mel Pritchard (1948-2004). After early success in the UK with their second album Once Again, the band broke into the mainstream European market with their 1977 set Gone to Earth. Woolly Wolstenholme – whose mellotron playing was a trademark of the band's sound in the 70s – left in 1979. Woolly pursued a short solo career fronting Maestoso before retiring from the music business to pursue farming. The remaining three members continued. At the height of their success they played a free concert in front of the Reichstag in Berlin (Germany), with an estimated attendance of 250,000 people (30 August 1980). They were also the first Western rock band to play an open-air concert in pre-Glasnost East Germany, playing in Treptower Park, East Berlin on 14 July 1987 to a 170,000+ audience. The band continued as a threesome, with regular guest musicians supporting, until 1998. Some 1990s albums were released under the abbreviated name BJH. In 1998, musical differences in the band saw the three members agree to take a sabbatical. John Lees subsequently released an album mixing new songs and BJH classics, entitled "Nexus", under the band name "Barclay James Harvest through the eyes of John Lees". Woolly Wolstenholme played in (and composed for) this band, subsequently resurrecting Maestoso to record and tour with new material, as well as back-catalogue favourites. Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard teamed up to record under the name "Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd". Lees and Wolstenholme recently (2006/7) toured under the slightly modified band title "John Lees' Barclay James Harvest" Mel Pritchard died suddenly of a heart attack in early 2004. All three "derivatives" of the original Barclay James Harvest lineup continue to record and tour, and enjoy ongoing popularity, particularly in Germany, France and Switzerland.

MORE ABOUT BJH

Barclay James Harvest was, for many years, one of the most hard-luck outfits in progressive rock. A quartet of solid rock musicians -- John Lees, guitar, vocals; Les Holroyd, bass, vocals; Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme, keyboards, vocals; and Mel Pritchard, drums -- with a knack for writing hook-laden songs built on pretty melodies, they harmonized like the Beatles and wrote extended songs with more of a beat than the Moody Blues. They were signed to EMI at the same time as Pink Floyd, and both bands moved over to the company's progressive rock-oriented Harvest imprint at the same time, yet somehow, they never managed to connect with the public for a major hit in England, much less America. The group was formed in September of 1966 in Oldham, Lancashire. Lees and Wolstenholme were classmates who played together in a band called the Blues Keepers; that group soon merged with a band called the Wickeds, which included Holroyd and Pritchard. They became Barclay James Harvest in June of 1967 and began rehearsing at an 18th century farmhouse in Lancashire. The psychedelic era was in full swing, and the era of progressive rock about to begin -- the Moody Blues, in particular, were beginning to cut an international swathe across the music world. BJH cut a series of demos late in the year, and by the spring of 1968 they were signed to EMI's Parlophone label; in April they issued their first single, a folky, faux-classical song called "Early Morning." The group got caught up a year later in a corporate change at EMI, and it was decided to move the more progressive sounding groups on the label onto a new label -- Harvest, taken from BJH's name. Their first release on the new label was the single "Brother Thrush." In 1970, they released their first album, Barclay James Harvest, which included several of the early songs and displayed the group's strengths: filled with strong harmony singing, aggressive electric guitar, and swelling Mellotron parts, it set the pattern for their subsequent releases, with Lees and Holroyd handling most of the songwriting. The album failed to chart, and a subsequent tour was a financial disaster. Their second album, Once Again (1971), was an artistic letdown, made up of rather lethargic songs, although it did contain the superb, "Mockingbird," The band recorded two more albums for Harvest, Short Stories (1971) and Baby James Harvest (1972), and spent much of 1972 on the road, including an unsuccessful tour of the U.S. They also released a pair of singles, "When The City Sleeps" and "Breathless," under the pseudonym "Bombadil" (a name taken from a J.R.R. Tolkien short story), all to no avail. 1973 saw them part company with EMI after one last single, "Rock and Roll Woman." Later in 1973, the band signed with Polydor, and their fortunes began turning around, though only very gradually. Their first album for the new label, Everyone Is Everybody Else, seemed promising: it was a more powerful and coherent work than the group had ever released for EMI, with Lees' guitar dominating on songs like "Paper Wings" and "For No One." The album also presented the first example of the group consciously paying tribute to (and satirizing) another group's hit song -- "Great 1974 Mining Disaster" was a very heavy sounding tribute/satire of the Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster 1941." (They would later do work in this vein involving the Moody Blues.) The album failed to chart, however, as did the single "Poor Boy Blues," with its gorgeous harmonies. It seemed at first as though BJH was locked once again into a cycle of failure. Finally, in late 1974, their double album Barclay James Harvest Live broke through to the public -- the group was rewarded with a Top 40 placement in England and more sales activity on the European continent than they'd previously seen. Their next album, Time Honoured Ghosts, recorded in San Francisco, continued this gradual breakthrough when it was released in 1975, reaching number 32 in England. A year later, Octoberon reached the Top 20. An EP containing live versions of "Rock 'N Roll Star" and "Medicine Man" became another chart entry in the spring of 1977. By this time, EMI had begun to take advantage of the success of the group's Polydor work, and released A Major Fancy, a John Lees' solo album that had sat on the shelf for five years. In 1977, they released Gone to Earth, their most accomplished album to date, and by the end of the year the group found themselves playing to arena-sized audiences. The release of XII in 1978 -- which managed to just miss the British Top 30 -- was followed by the group's first (and only) personnel shake-up. In June of 1979, Wolstenholme announced his exit from the band in favor of a solo career; the group's final tour with Wolstenholme was recorded and later released by Polydor under the title The Live Tapes. He was replaced by two new members, singer-keyboardman-saxophonist Kevin McAlea and singer-guitarist-keyboardman Colin Browne; Wolstenholme released one solo album, 1979's Maestro, to little success and then retired for a time from the music business. Their 1979 album Eyes of the Universe was a modest hit in England, but its release marked a flashpoint in Barclay James Harvest's career in continental Europe, especially Germany; on August 30, 1980, the band performed a free concert in front of nearly 200,000 people at the Reichstag in Berlin, which was filmed and recorded. A subsequent live album, Concert for the People, became the group's biggest selling album in England, rising to number 15 in 1982. Turn of the Tide (1981) and Ring of Changes (1983) were less successful, although the latter did spawn their last charting single, "Just a Day Away." Their subsequent Polydor albums, Victims of Circumstance, Face to Face, and Welcome to the Show, charted ever lower in England, even as the group's popularity grew in Europe. In 1988, they released a new live album, Glasnost, cut at a concert in East Berlin.The group marked the 25th anniversary with a concert in Liverpool, and toured to support a British Polydor compilation, The Best of Barclay James Harvest. © Bruce Eder, All Music Guide