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30.11.10

Wilson Diesel


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Wilson Diesel - Short Cool Ones - 1996 - Aurora Records/Mushroom

"Short Cool Ones" contains sixteen roots tracks from the great American born guitarist and vocalist (Mark Lizotte) Johnny Diesel and the brilliant Australian vocalist and harmonicist Chris Wilson. Many blues styles from everywhere between delta to the dust bowl and beyond, are covered here. Fifteen 0f the sixteen tracks are covers of blues standards by artists including Elmore James, Fenton Robinson, and Willie Dixon. The first track is a great soulful cover of Ann Peebles' classic "I Can't Stand The Rain". The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to Chris Wilson's "Live At The Continental" album, and Johnny Diesel & the Injector's great "Soul Revival" album. N.B: "Short Cool Ones" was also available as an "interview" disc with no music. It has nothing to do with the album here

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

I Can't Stand The Rain - Bryant/Peebles/Miller
Other Man - Diesel
Spoonful - Willie Dixon
Strange Love - Moore/West
Evil - Willie Dixon
Tee Ni Nee Ni Nu - Moore/West
Little Red Rooster - Willie Dixon
Running Shoes - Bonner
Too Wet To Plough - Johnny Shines
My Babe - Willie Dixon
Somebody Loan Me A Dime - Fenton Robinson
Sun Is Shining - Elmore James
Sugar Babe - Fenton Robinson
Cherokee Dance - Landers
Don't Start Me Talkin' - Williamson
Who Will Your Next Fool Be - Charlie Rich

BAND

(Johnny) Diesel aka Mark Lizotte - Lead Vocals on Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, Guitar
Dean Addison - Bass
Wayne Duncan - Bass on Track 13
Rob Woolf - Keyboards, Vocals
Angus Diggs - Drums
Gary Young - Drums on Track 13
Chris Wilson - Lead Vocals on Tracks 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, Harmonica
BIO (JOHNNY DIESEL/MARK LIZOTTE)

Under the name Diesel, American born guitarist/singer Mark Lizotte became one of the biggest selling and most awarded Australian recording artists of the late '80s/early '90s. He arrived in Perth as a child when the travels of his itinerant, saxophone-playing father exhausted America and the family settled in Western Australia. Lizotte always contended that he grew up with musical instruments in his play box. No instrument intimidated him, but it was the electric guitar which excited him. While his siblings gravitated toward music as teachers, Lizotte started playing in bands, making the long trek from Perth to Sydney in 1986 to record with Innocent Bystanders. He left to form his own group, Johnny Diesel & the Injectors in June 1986, adopting the Johnny Diesel persona for the first time (a stint of pumping petrol had earned him his Diesel nickname). The group's blend of Southern rock, soul, and R&B, plus Diesel's adept guitar playing and pop star looks quickly earned the band a strong reputation on-stage, and in September 1987 they relocated to Sydney. Almost immediately, Diesel was offered a place in Jimmy Barnes' band, playing the opening slot on the Freight Train Heart tour with the Injectors as support act, and then joining the headlining Barnes band on guitar. His group was signed to a worldwide recording contract by Chrysalis and recorded a self-titled debut album in Memphis with Terry Manning (Joe Cocker, Fabulous Thunderbirds, ZZ Top). After four years and a mini-album recorded live in London the Injectors broke up, and Johnny Diesel became Diesel , solo artist. His March 1992 Hepfidelity album shifted the musical ground to rock-funk and soul, reached number one in Australia and earned him awards for Best Album and Best Male Artist at the annual ARIA awards. From there, a restlessness seemed to overcome Diesel, as if he felt everything should be possible but a certain "something" was expected of him. He released an album of new songs and reworkings of songs from the previous album with The Lobbyist, and finally got down to business on 1994's sophisticated Solid State Rhyme. But his heart seemed much more in the raw blues album Short Cool Ones he made with Melbourne bluesman and harmonica player Chris Wilson. Diesel ended up packing up his career and young family and relocated to America. Nothing was heard from him until October 1997 when he reappeared with Lost Soul Companion, released under his own name of Mark Lizotte. Every live encounter confirms a musician and songwriter of immense natural talent. The perfectionism that seems to take over in the studio and results in long, drawn-out sessions and constant rethinks robs his latter records of the spirit and life so evident on-stage. © Ed Nimmervoll © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/diesel-rock-band

BIO (CHRIS WILSON)

Chris Wilson has been an essential part of blues and rock music in Australia since taking the stage with the Sole Twisters twenty years ago. Stints with Harum Scarum and Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls followed, and the end of the 80s saw Wilson as one of our finest vocalists, harmonica players and songwriters, fronting the superb Crown of Thorns. His instrumental gifts have oft been utilised on recordings by the likes of James Reyne, Hunters and Collectors, Vika and Linda, Renee Geyer, Archie Roach, X, Deb Conway and Ross Hannaford's Dianna KIss. Chris has enjoyed the company of Australia's best musicians on stage and in the studio when realising his own visions in song. Chris has performed in the U.S. at SXSW and two Folk Alliance Conferences. He has won the respect of many overseas artists, among these Joe Henry,Charlie Musselwhite and Tony Joe White. Bob Dylan once made a special trip backstage to shake Chris' hand after a show together in 1992! Chris has appeared at every major Australian festival and his performances, filled as they are with his own brand of sensuality and the dynamic power that leaves his audiences so satisfied, are always a highlight. Chris' stage presence, voice and talent are all as big as the country he lives in. Chris Wilson is a master of his craft. Chris has toured and/or recorded with the following Australian acts of note; Paul Kelly, Mark Seymour, X, Chris Bailey, Crowded House, Vika and LInda Bull, Monique Brumby, Kerri Simpson, The Badloves, Diesel, ...and these artists from the US and UK; Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Charlie Musselwhite, John Hiatt, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Billy Bragg, Bill Kirchen, John Mayall, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Blues Traveller, Buddy Guy. © http://www.chriswilson.com.au/media/biography.htm

Head


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Head - Blackpool Cool - 1977 - Head

There are many bands called Head. The band here is a very obscure '70's Scottish jazz-rock group from Glasgow who recorded 3 albums between 1973 and 1977. The first album was entitled "GTF" in 1973, followed by "Red Dwarf" in 1975, and "Blackpool Cool" (posted here) in 1977. The band's music has been compared to early 70s Miles Davis, and even early King Crimson. However, Head's music is probably more in the in the Ian Carr/Nucleus style. It's a very good album, and if anybody has any information on this band, A.O.O.F.C would love to hear from you

TRACKS

1. I met a man - 6:52
2. G.B.H. - 8:29
3. There's a lot of it around - 6:21
4. Blackpool cool - 6:11
5. Pauline - 3:57
6. Kick me quick - 8:47

BAND

Lachlan McColl - Guitar
Graham Mince - Bass
John Davies - Keyboards, Trumpet
Billy Kyle - Drums
Gordon Cruickshank - Saxophone

ABOUT HEAD

Sometimes known as "the haggis of jazz fusion bands," the small combo Head were active in Glasgow in the '70s. The rhythm section of drummer Billy Kyle and bassist Graham Mince were consistent factors in the three albums released by the group over a five-year period, as was the presence of multi-instrumentalist John Davies, who doubled on keyboards and trumpet. Other members of the group changed from album to album, guitarist Charles Alexander drifting away to be replaced by Lachlan McColl, saxophonist Gordon Cruickshank taking up where previous honker Howard Copland had left off. Self-determination, an important concept in documenting improvised music during the '70s, was vital to the Head liturgy. The group's debut release -- entitled GTF in reference to a crude Scottish way of suggesting someone should depart quickly -- was released through SRT, basically a vanity consortium. The band started up its own label, Head Records, for its final and most commercial production, Blackpool Cool. This Head should not be confused with other bands that use this name, such as a more recent outfit fronted by © Gareth Sager. Eugene Chadbourne © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/head-p735727/biography

ABOUT JOHN DAVIES

John Davies is a Scottish jazz fusion musician who doubled on keyboards and trumpet in a Glasgow-based band known as Head. This is hardly the only use of this word as a combo name; between the word's slang connections to both sex and drugs and its importance as jazz technical jargon, it is actually surprising that more, if not all, groups haven't decided to call themselves Head. Davies' associates in the '70s band include heads such as guitarist Charles Alexander and bassist Graham Mince. There were three albums created by this group between 1973 and 1978, starting off with GTF, often misprinted but very clear in its meaning to a native Glaswegian: it is an abbreviation for the first three words in a colorful if crude expression commonly used to tell someone to get lost. It is the pronunciation of "tae" for "the" that gives this phrase its charm, at least for the non-Scottish. Other albums Davies appears on with the group are the mid-'70s Red Dwarf -- fired out of the Cannon label -- and the final more rock-oriented Blackpool Cool, for which the ensemble started up its own record label, also called Head. © Eugene Chadbourne © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://allmusic.com/artist/john-davies-p200829/biography

29.11.10

Head


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Head - Red Dwarf - 1975 - Cannon

There are many bands called Head. The band here is a very obscure '70's Scottish jazz-rock group from Glasgow who recorded 3 albums between 1973 and 1977. The first album was entitled "GTF" in 1973, followed by "Red Dwarf"(posted here) in 1975, and "Blackpool Cool" in 1977. The band's music has been compared to early 70s Miles Davis, and even early King Crimson. However, Head's music is probably more in the in the Ian Carr/Nucleus style. There are great funk grooves with lots of trumpet and sax leads throughout the album. This is a really good album, and if anybody has any information on this band, A.O.O.F.C would love to hear from you

TRACKS

1 Quasar
2 Solaris Dream
3 White Giant
4 Event Horizon
5 Red Dwarf
6 Earthsong Suite
7 Su Salvavida Esta Debaso De Su Asienton

BAND

Charles Alexander - Guitar
Graham Mince - Bass
John Davies - Keyboards, Trumpet
Billy Kyle - Drums
Howard Copland - Saxophone

ABOUT HEAD

Sometimes known as "the haggis of jazz fusion bands," the small combo Head were active in Glasgow in the '70s. The rhythm section of drummer Billy Kyle and bassist Graham Mince were consistent factors in the three albums released by the group over a five-year period, as was the presence of multi-instrumentalist John Davies, who doubled on keyboards and trumpet. Other members of the group changed from album to album, guitarist Charles Alexander drifting away to be replaced by Lachlan McColl, saxophonist Gordon Cruickshank taking up where previous honker Howard Copland had left off. Self-determination, an important concept in documenting improvised music during the '70s, was vital to the Head liturgy. The group's debut release -- entitled GTF in reference to a crude Scottish way of suggesting someone should depart quickly -- was released through SRT, basically a vanity consortium. The band started up its own label, Head Records, for its final and most commercial production, Blackpool Cool. This Head should not be confused with other bands that use this name, such as a more recent outfit fronted by © Gareth Sager. Eugene Chadbourne © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/head-p735727/biography

ABOUT JOHN DAVIES

John Davies is a Scottish jazz fusion musician who doubled on keyboards and trumpet in a Glasgow-based band known as Head. This is hardly the only use of this word as a combo name; between the word's slang connections to both sex and drugs and its importance as jazz technical jargon, it is actually surprising that more, if not all, groups haven't decided to call themselves Head. Davies' associates in the '70s band include heads such as guitarist Charles Alexander and bassist Graham Mince. There were three albums created by this group between 1973 and 1978, starting off with GTF, often misprinted but very clear in its meaning to a native Glaswegian: it is an abbreviation for the first three words in a colorful if crude expression commonly used to tell someone to get lost. It is the pronunciation of "tae" for "the" that gives this phrase its charm, at least for the non-Scottish. Other albums Davies appears on with the group are the mid-'70s Red Dwarf -- fired out of the Cannon label -- and the final more rock-oriented Blackpool Cool, for which the ensemble started up its own record label, also called Head. © Eugene Chadbourne © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://allmusic.com/artist/john-davies-p200829/biography

28.11.10

Roy Buchanan


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Roy Buchanan - Live In U.S.A. & Holland 77- 85 - 1991 - Silver Shadow

If you like the styles of Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, SRV, or Jimi, you may appreciate the late Roy Buchanan's great talent. Chet Atkins once said "that Roy's pickin' is just about the best there is". Although Roy Buchanan was regarded as a great musician by people like Lennon, Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson, Billy Gibbons, and influenced some of these people, he has never been a household name to "Joe Public". A TV documentary, "The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World" was broadcast in the early seventies, and Jeff Beck dedicated his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" to Buchanan on his 1975 Blow by Blow album. Roy Buchanan, himself once said, "Probably the reason I never made it big was because I didn't care whether I made it big." Roy Buchanan remains a very much overlooked bluesman, and master of the Fender Telecaster. The album notes on this live album states that Tracks 1-8 were recorded at My Father's Place, Roslyn, New York, on September 27, 1977, and Tracks 9-13 were recorded in Amsterdam, Holland, on February 2, 1983. (Roy played Amsterdam in 1985). The first eight tracks sound like a radio recording and sound quality is fair to good. The last five tracks are most likely from a soundboard recording of decent quality. The album notes list the artists playing as Roy Buchanan on guitar and vocals, Larry Exum on bass and vocals, and Morris Jennings on Drums. However, Tracks 1, 2, 7, & 13 are mislabelled on the cover, and Tracks 3, 5, & 9 may not be correctly titled. Also, some catalogues list this album as an official release. Other sources say the album was never officially sanctioned. The track list posted here has been amended but may still not be correct. Any info on this album would be appreciated. Buy Roy Buchanan's great 1973 "Second Album" album. His "Roy Buchanan American Axe: Live In 1974" is also an outstanding album. Check out the great tribute album, "Fred Chapellier & Friends - A Tribute To Roy Buchanan". Roy's "Master Series" compilation album is @ ROYBUCH/MS and his "Messiah On Guitar" album @ ROYBUCH/MOG

TRACKLIST / COMPOSERS [NOT DEFINITIVE]

1 I'm a Ram - Green "Teenie" Hodges
2 Honky Tonky
3 My Baby Says She's Gone
4 Further On Up The Road - Mack Veasey Robey
5 Blues Before The Sunrise
6 Slow Down - Larry Williams
7 I'm Evil - Roy Buchanan
8 I'm a Lonesome Fugitive - Casey Anderson, Liz Anderson
9 Honky Tonky in F
10 Sweet Dreams - Don Gibson
11 Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini
12 Roy's Blues aka Roy's Bluz / Night Train - Roy's Bluz by Roy Buchanan
13 The Messiah Will Come Again - Roy Buchanan

MUSICIANS [NOT DEFINITIVE]

Roy Buchanan - guitar and vocals
Larry Exum - bass and vocals
Morris Jennings - drums

BIO

Roy Buchanan has long been considered one of the finest, yet criminally overlooked guitarists of the blues rock genre whose lyrical leads and use of harmonics would later influence such guitar greats as Jeff Beck, his one-time student Robbie Robertson, and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. Although born in Ozark, AR, on September 23, 1939, Buchanan grew up in the small town of Pixley, CA. His father was both a farmer and Pentecostal preacher, which would bring the youngster his first exposure to gospel music when his family would attend racially mixed revival meetings. But it was when Buchanan came across late-night R&B radio shows that he became smitten by the blues, leading to Buchanan picking up the guitar at the age of seven. First learning steel guitar, he switched to electric guitar by the age of 13, finding the instrument that would one day become his trademark: a Fender Telecaster. By 15, Buchanan knew he wanted to concentrate on music full-time and relocated to Los Angeles, which contained a thriving blues/R&B scene at the time. Shortly after his arrival in L.A., Buchanan was taken under the wing by multi-talented bluesman Johnny Otis, before studying blues with such players as Jimmy Nolen (later with James Brown), Pete Lewis, and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. During the mid- to late '50s, Buchanan led his own rock band, the Heartbeats, which soon after began backing rockabilly great Dale ("Suzy Q") Hawkins. By the dawn of the '60s, Buchanan had relocated once more, this time to Canada, where he signed on with rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. The bass player of Ronnie Hawkins' backing band, the Hawks, studied guitar with Buchanan during his tenure with the band. Upon Buchanan's exit, the bassist-turned-guitarist would become the leader of the group, which would eventually become popular roots rockers the Band: Robbie Robertson. Buchanan spent the '60s as a sideman with obscure acts, as well as working as a session guitarist for such varied artists as pop idol Freddy Cannon, country artist Merle Kilgore, and drummer Bobby Gregg, among others, before Buchanan settled down in the Washington, D.C., area in the mid- to late '60s and founded his own outfit, the Snakestretchers. Despite not having appeared on any recordings of his own, word of Buchanan's exceptional playing skills began to spread among musicians as he received accolades from the likes of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Merle Haggard, as well as supposedly being invited to join the Rolling Stones at one point (which he turned down). The praise eventually led to an hour-long public television documentary on Buchanan in 1971, the appropriately titled The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World, and a recording contract with Polydor Records shortly thereafter. Buchanan spent the remainder of the decade issuing solo albums, including such guitar classics as his 1972 self-titled debut (which contained one of Buchanan's best-known tracks, "The Messiah Will Come Again"), 1974's That's What I Am Here For, and 1975's Live Stock, before switching to Atlantic for several releases. But by the '80s, Buchanan had grown disillusioned by the music business due to the record company's attempts to mold the guitarist into a more mainstream artist, which led to a four-year exile from music between 1981 and 1985. Luckily, the blues label Alligator convinced Buchanan to begin recording again by the middle of the decade, issuing such solid and critically acclaimed releases as 1985's When a Guitar Plays the Blues, 1986's Dancing on the Edge, and 1987's Hot Wires. But just as his career seemed to be on the upswing once more, tragedy struck on August 14, 1988, when Buchanan was picked up by police in Fairfax, VA, for public intoxication. Shortly after being arrested and placed in a holding cell, a policeman performed a routine check on Buchanan and was shocked to discover that he had hung himself in his cell. Buchanan's stature as one of blues-rock's all-time great guitarist grew even greater after his tragic death, resulting in such posthumous collections as Sweet Dreams: The Anthology, Guitar on Fire: The Atlantic Sessions, Deluxe Edition, and 20th Century Masters. © Greg Prato, allmusic.com

BIO (Wikipedia)

Roy Buchanan (September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988) was an American guitarist and blues musician. He is noted for his use of note bending, volume swells, staccato runs, and pinch harmonics. Buchanan was a pioneer of the Telecaster sound. Roy Buchanan was born in Ozark, Arkansas and was raised both there and in Pixley, California, a farming area near Bakersfield. His father Bill was a sharecropper in Arkansas and a farm laborer in California (but not a preacher, as Buchanan often told interviewers). Buchanan related how his first musical memories were of racially-mixed revival meetings his family would attend. "Gospel," he recalled, "that's how I first got into black music". He in fact drew upon many disparate influences while learning to play his instrument (although he later claimed his aptitude was derived from being "half-wolf"). He initially showed talent on the steel guitar before switching to the standard instrument in the early 50's. In 1958, Buchanan made his recording debut with Dale Hawkins, including playing the solo on "My Babe" for Chicago's Chess Records. Two years later, during a tour through Toronto, Buchanan left Dale Hawkins to play for his cousin Ronnie Hawkins and tutor Ronnie's guitar player, Robbie Robertson. Buchanan soon returned to the U.S. and Ronnie Hawkins' group later gained fame as The Band. The early 60's found Buchanan performing numerous gigs as a sideman with multiple rock bands, and cutting a number of sessions as guitarist with musicians such as Freddy Cannon and Merle Kilgore. Buchanan's 1962 recording with drummer Bobby Gregg, "Potato Peeler", first introduced the trademark Buchanan pinch harmonics. An effort to cash in on the British Invasion caught Buchanan with The British Walkers. In the mid-'60's, Buchanan settled down in the Washington, DC area, playing as a sideman before starting his own groups. One of these groups was called The Snakestretchers, an allusion to Buchanan's disdain for the vagaries of the band experience. The Snakestretchers became a semi-permanent combo for Buchanan starting in this period, with whom he made his first acclaimed recording as a front man. Danny Gatton was another respected Telecaster master who lived in Washington, D.C. at that time. Both musicians gained reputations as under-appreciated guitarists. In 1971, riding on word-of-mouth reputation that included praise from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Merle Haggard, and an alleged invitation to join the Rolling Stones, Buchanan gained national notoriety as the result of an hour-long Public broadcasting television documentary. Entitled "The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World", the show rejuvenated a contract with Polydor and began a decade of national and international touring. He recorded five albums for Polydor (one went gold) and three for Atlantic Records (one gold), while playing most major rock concert halls and festivals. Finally, Buchanan quit recording in 1981, vowing never to enter a studio again unless he could record his own music his own way. Four years later, Buchanan was coaxed back into the studio by Alligator Records. His first album for Alligator, When a Guitar Plays The Blues, was released in the spring of 1985. It was the first time he was given total artistic freedom in the studio. It was also his first true blues album. Fans quickly responded, and the album entered Billboard's pop charts and remained on the charts for 13 weeks. Music critics, as well as fans, applauded Roy's efforts with favorable reviews. His second Alligator LP, Dancing on the Edge, was released in the fall of 1986. The album, featuring three songs with special guest, rock'n'soul vocalist Delbert McClinton, won the College Media Journal Award for Best Blues Album of 1986. He released the twelfth LP of his career and his third for Alligator, Hot Wires, in 1987. In addition to Donald Kinsey (formerly with Albert King and Bob Marley and The Wailers), keyboardist Stan Szelest, and Larry Exum (bass) and Morris Jennings (drums), this album includes guest vocals by veteran soul singer Johnny Sayles and blues singer Kanika Kress. Buchanan used a number of guitars throughout his career, although he was most often associated with a 1953 Telecaster guitar, which he used to produce his trebly signature tone. Rarely did Buchanan utilize 'stomp boxes' although later live performances utilized a digital delay. The 'sound' of Buchanan is essentially a Telecaster to an overdriven Fender amp on 10. Buchanan taught himself many guitar styles, including the 'chicken pickin' style. He sometimes used his thumb nail rather than a plectrum and also employed it to augment his index finger and plectrum. Holding his thumb at a certain angle, Buchanan was able to hit the string and then partially mute it, suppressing lower overtones and exposing the harmonics, a technique now known as 'pinch harmonics'. Buchanan had the ability to execute pinch harmonics on command, and could mute individual strings with free right-hand fingers while picking or pinching others. Having first trained as a lap steel guitarist, Buchanan would often imitate its effect and bend strings to the required pitch, rather than starting on the desired note. This was particularly notable in his approach to using double and triple stops. Staccato hammer-on/offs and volume/tone knob sound effects were also used by Buchanan. Buchanan honed his live technique through many years of playing dance halls and bars. Buchanan played Carnegie Hall several times, and is perhaps the only lead guitarist to have consistently headlined there for over 15 years. Buchanan encouraged a tradition of 'roots' performances that grew out of country, blues, and especially rock and roll. He often stuck around long after shows to talk with loyal fans. Many live CDs were released after his death. Buchanan's long-standing alcohol and substance abuse problems seemed to worsen with time, culminating on August 14th, 1988, when Buchanan was arrested for public intoxication. Several hours later Buchanan was found hanging by his own shirt in his cell in the Fairfax County Jail. His cause of death was officially recorded as suicide, a finding disputed by Buchanan's friends and family.Roy's musical career took him from underground club gigs in the sixties and seventies to national television, gold record sales, and worldwide tours in the eighties with the likes of Lonnie Mack, the Allman Brothers, Willie Nile. Even posthumously, he has the respect of many guitarists and a large number of fans, particularly for his unique sound. Buchanan was noted for the ability to get 'wah wah' and 'violin swell' effects from his Telecaster by use of the instrument's knobs and a plectrum. Finally, he was a pioneer in the use of pinch harmonics, and some of rock's most notable guitarists acknowledge Buchanan's mastery of the technique. British guitar legend Jeff Beck dedicated his performance of a Stevie Wonder composition "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" to Buchanan on his 1975 landmark album Blow by Blow. In 2006, the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, The Departed by Martin Scorsese, ends with Buchanan's soulful instrumental treatment of the Don Gibson country music classic, "Sweet Dreams," as the credits begin to roll. In 2007, French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier released a CD entitled "Tribute to Roy Buchanan featuring a guest appearance from former Buchanan lead vocalist Billy Price.

26.11.10

Paul Carrack


support this artist

Paul Carrack - Beautiful World - 1997 - Ark 21 Records

For various reasons "Beautiful World" was poorly promoted and made none of the impact of his previous "Blue Views" album release. "Beautiful World" is another outstanding album from the master of British adult contemporary pop-soul, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Baz "Vinyl man", said on amazon.co.uk, "Paul Carrack is undoubtedly one of the greatest underrated talents this country has ever produced. His list of credits is almost endless yet most people haven't a clue who he is. Best seen live - don't hesitate. he only plays in small venues and is constantly touring so you dont have to wait too long before he will be somewhere near. I must have seen him a dozen times in the last 6 ears or so and he never disapppoints. Fabulous voice, pianist, guitarist and song writer and all accompanied by some very decent musicians. If you like quality soul, pop and soft rock all mixed up Paul is your man". http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:72Qr_NAe7YcJ:www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Borrowed-Blue-Paul-Carrack/dp/B000WTNCVI+paul+carrack+groovin+credits&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie This article says a lot about Paul Carrack. Not a household name, but one of the greatest British vocalists, songwriters, and musicians ever born. The guy is a legend. His name may be unfamiliar to many, but his great soulful voice is one of the most recognizable voices in the rock business. He has been a member of several bands including Warm Dust, Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well. His distinctive voice shows up on some of his affiliated bands' best-known hits, two of the most memorable being "How Long" with Ace, and "Tempted" with Squeeze. If Paul Rodgers is "The Voice", then Paul Carrack is the "other voice". Two of his best albums are "Blue Views" and "Suburban Voodoo". Search this blog for other Paul Carrack releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 The Way I'm Feeling Tonight - Paul Carrack, Graham Gouldman 4:40
2 Time to Let Go - Paul Carrack 5:16
3 Beautiful World - Paul Carrack, T-Bone Wolk 5:31
4 Perfect Love - Paul Carrack 4:08
5 You Give Me Something - Paul Carrack 4:04
6 Satisfied - Paul Carrack, Toby Chapman 4:19
7 Close to Me - Paul Carrack 5:05
8 It Goes Without Saying - Paul Carrack, Chuck Cannon, Maia Sharp 4:59
9 If You'd Ever Needed Someone - Paul Carrack, Mark Hudson, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Greg Wells 4:46
10 Some Kinda Love - Paul Carrack, Mark Hudson, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Greg Wells 3:43

N.B: Album later released with two bonus tracks, "Into The Mystic" & "Warm And Tender Love"

MUSICIANS

Paul Carrack - Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Vocals
Tim Renwick - Guitar
Dave Bronze - Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background)
Toby Chapman - Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Gary Wallis - Drums
Mark Feltham - Harmonica
Paul "Tubbs" Williams, Beverley Skeete, Tessa Niles, Claudia Fontaine, Tommy Blaize - Vocals (Background)

ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

Paul Carrack was pop music's ultimate journeyman. A vocalist and keyboardist who enjoyed considerable success over the course of his lengthy career while in the service of bands ranging from Ace to Squeeze to Mike + the Mechanics, his finest work often came at the expense of his own identity as a performer; indeed, of the many big hits on which the unassuming singer was prominently featured, only one, 1987's "Don't Shed a Tear," bore his own name. Carrack was born April 22, 1951, in Sheffield, England; he joined the pub rock group Ace in 1972, eventually writing and singing their debut single, "How Long." After reaching the Top 20 in the group's native Britain, the record hit the number-three position in the U.S.; however, after subsequent material failed to match the success of "How Long," Ace disbanded in 1977, and Carrack signed on with country artist Frankie Miller. He soon resurfaced in Roxy Music, appearing on the LPs Manifesto and Flesh and Blood before releasing his solo debut, Nightbird, in 1980. Carrack next joined Squeeze, replacing keyboardist Jools Holland; in addition to contributing to the group's 1981 creative pinnacle East Side Story, he also assumed lead vocal duties on the single "Tempted," their best-remembered hit. However, Carrack's stay in Squeeze was brief, and after working with Nick Lowe he again attempted to forge a solo career with the 1982 LP Suburban Voodoo, cracking the U.S. Top 40 with the single "I Need You." A tenure as a sideman with Eric Clapton followed, and in 1985 he joined Genesis' Mike Rutherford in his side project Mike + the Mechanics. Their hits include "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle." While remaining a rather anonymous figure at home, Carrack achieved a higher level of visibility in America as a result of Mike + the Mechanics' success; subsequently, his third solo album, One Good Reason, proved to be by far his most popular effort to date, with the single "Don't Shed a Tear" reaching the Top Ten. Another tenure with the Mechanics followed, and with the title track of 1988's The Living Years, the group scored their first number-one hit. After the 1989 Carrack solo LP Groove Approved, Mike + the Mechanics issued 1991's Word of Mouth, which failed to repeat the chart performance of its predecessors; by 1993, Carrack was again a member of Squeeze, appearing on the album Some Fantastic Place and also resuming lead chores for a re-recording of "Tempted." However, he was once again back in the Mechanics' fold for 1995's Beggar on a Beach of Gold; the solo Blue Views was issued the next year, followed in 1997 by Beautiful World. Satisfy My Soul was issued in 2000, his first album for Compass Records. © Jason Ankeny, allmusic.com

MORE ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

After years spent bringing a little soul to artists as diverse as Mike & The Mechanics, Nick Lowe, and Squeeze, singer's singer Paul Carrack makes his most persuasive play so far with the release of his stunning new album Satisfy My Soul. Recorded with minimal outside assistance at his Hertfordshire home studio, the album represents a quantum leap beyond Paul's previous work, showcasing his songwriting abilities and allowing his natural soul qualities to shine through with a new clarity and power. In the past, he's often tended to let others mould and direct his considerable talents, but Satisfy My Soul serves to re-establish Paul Carrack as a major solo artist, with both the vision and the capabilities to take control of his own career, and the musical instinct to know which direction it should take. A lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by this latest chapter in the life of one of pop music's most distinctive voices. Paul was first bitten by the music bug as a small child back in his native Sheffield, where he would bash away at a home-made drumkit up in his parents' attic, playing along with an old wind-up gramophone. By the time he reached his teens, the Mersey Boom was in full swing, and the young Carrack proceeded to swindle his way into a series of local bands, learning to play the organ and following the gig circuit to Germany, where he underwent the obligatory Hamburg nightclub baptism, as pioneered by such as The Beatles. In the early '70s, his progressive rock outfit Warm Dust released a few albums, but it was only when his pub-rock band Ace had a huge global hit with his song How Long that Paul's career really started to take off. Immediately, the band was catapulted from the British college circuit into huge American arenas, as How Long soared into the US singles chart, eventually reaching #1. When Ace broke up toward the end of the '70s, Paul found himself wrong-footed by the punk-rock boom, but secured some session work, playing on albums by Frankie Miller and Roxy Music, and touring with Roxy, an experience which gave him a taste for the big time. Paul's 1980 solo debut, Nightbird, failed to establish him as an artist in his own right, so he continued playing sessions, biding his time, and honing his talents as a musician and songwriter. As the '80s proceeded, Paul reached a rapprochement with the new-wave scene, playing on albums by The Undertones, The Smiths, and The Pretenders, and joining Squeeze for their masterwork East Side Story, helping redefine the group's profile with his soulful vocal on the hit single Tempted. After leaving Squeeze, obstensibly to pursue a solo career, he hooked up with Nick Lowe, an association which, though resolutely out of step with public taste and radio formats, would nevertheless generate five albums for Lowe and another for Paul, 1982's Suburban Voodoo. Though largely ignored in the UK, the album was a critical success in the US, where it was cited as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 20 Albums of the Year. I Need You, a Carrack composition lifted from the album, provided him with another US Top 40 hit, and was subsequently covered by Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville. The biggest break in Carrack's career came in 1985 when he was invited to contribute vocals to a solo album being recorded by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. Despite the apparent differences in their musical styles, the very first track Paul sang on, Silent Running, became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Encouraged by such instant success, Mike & The Mechanics developed into more of a group, touring America extensively and securing a string of hit albums and singles over the next decade. Before they could produce a follow-up album, however, Paul found time to sing and play on Roger Waters' Radio KAOS album and record another solo album of his own, 1987's One Good Reason, scoring another couple of hits through the title track and Don't Shed a Tear, which again broke into the US Top Ten, staying on Billboard's Hot 100 for nearly half a year. Even better was to come when Mike & The Mechanics resumed recording. Sung by Paul, the title-track of their second LP The Living Years was a huge worldwide hit, peaking at number one in America, and hoisting the band to megastar status. Further touring was followed by another Carrack solo album, 1989's Groove Approved, whose standout track - the Motown-flavoured Carrack / Lowe composition Battlefield - was later covered by Diana Ross. The following year, Paul was co-opted to perform at Roger Waters' grandiose presentation of The Wall in Berlin, where he sang Hey You in front of over 250,000 people. A third Mike & The Mechanics album, 1991's Word of Mouth, saw Carrack's creative input increasing, with four songwriting credits; and also donated a performance of Ain't That Peculiar recorded with Paul Shaffer's house band on Late Night with David Letterman to Nobody's Child, a charity album for Romanian orphans. Between tours again, in 1993 Paul busied himself with Spin 1ne 2wo, a classic rock covers collaboration with Rupert Hine, Tony Levin, and Steve Ferrone, and rejoined Squeeze for their Some Fantastic Place album. The next year was spent touring the world with Squeeze, working on an ultimately abortive band project with Don Felder, Timothy Schmidt, and Joe Walsh of The Eagles (which nevertheless garnered Paul an award for the most played song in America that year, when the reformed Eagles covered Love Will Keep us Alive, a song he co-wrote with Peter Vale and Jim Capaldi), and recording another Mike & The Mechanics album, Beggar on A Beach of Gold. This contained another couple of Carrack co-compositions, including his collaboration with Mike Rutherford, the hit single Over my Shoulder, which revived the band's flagging fortunes in the UK and Europe, paving the way for a subsequent Greatest Hits compilation. Paul's fifth solo album, Blue Views, appeared in 1995, and despite problems occasioned by the collapse of the record label, it was still highly successful in Europe, earning him a gold disc in Spain. When it was finally released a couple of years later in America on another label, the single For Once in Our Lives became a Top Five hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, cementing Carrack's growing reputation as a singer-songwriter of class and distinction. He was also developing a parallel reputation as an able and accomplished sideman to the stars, playing keyboards on albums by Eric Clapton, BB King, Simply Red, Mark Knopfler and Elton John, and being invited by Elton to play on Something About the Way You Look Tonight, which, as the B-side of "Candle in the Wind '97," is officially the biggest-selling single ever. Unfortunately, a management change at EMI resulted in his next album, Beautiful World failing to get the promotional push it deserved, and a bitterly dissillusioned Paul elected to take matters more into his own hands. After years spent biding his time, contributing to other musicians' projects and allowing outside producers to impose their designs on his material, it was a long overdue move, and one which reflected Paul's growing belief in himself as a singer-songwriter. Accordingly, he recorded his new album, "Satisfy My Soul" at his home studio, relying on his own musical instincts and playing everything himself, with the exception of the sax parts (which are by Steve Beighton), some backing vocals (by Lindsay Dracass) and some of the drum parts (by Ian Thomas or Paul's old chum Andy Newmark, the former Sly & The Family Stone sticksman.) Steeped in the classic and funk sounds of the '60s and '70s, but with an ear firmly trained on the future, Satisfy My Soul is clearly a labour of love, and features some of Carrack's most accomplished songwriting, with three tracks being co-written by Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford. Carrack's journey to make a record that truly does satisfy his soul has come full circle. "I've been doing this a long time, and I've often made it quite difficult for myself, one way or another, but I'm at the point now where I just want to enjoy my musicality, and I have the technical resources and the stability to be able to follow my instincts more confidently. Alot of the time, I've gone against my own instincts, but I'm not fighting them any more, I'm doing what comes naturally now. I'll be happy just to reach the people who already like what I do, but who knows, by making a more personal record, I might reach more people anyway." Satisfy My Soul brings Carrack to Compass Records, also the American home to other British popsters Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart, Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine and Clive Gregson. © 2003-2008 Compass Records. All Rights Reserved

Deacon Blue


support this artist

Deacon Blue - Homesick - 2001 - Papillon

Newly re-emerged (with the band's original line-up intact) from a lengthy bout of self-imposed exile and with Ricky Ross' still ongoing solo career failing to grip the public's imagination, Homesick is just the kind of record which Deacon Blue ought to have made in 1993--if only they'd had it in them at the time. The occasional chorus is a mite overplayed (the sunny Carl Wilson disposition of "A Is For Astronaut" fails to build on a promising start), but this is a record benefiting from sensible, well-conceived arrangements and the unshakeable belief that every album track ought to good enough to be a single. This aspiration is frequently realised--the lush, loungey "Rae" (imagine a quality Prefab Sprout / Burt Bacharach collaboration), the expression of faith in God on the gospel "Out There" and the soft-pop ballad "Everytime You Sleep" meriting special attention. They've left it late, but clearly it's us not them who've got some catching up to do. © Kevin Maidment © 1996-2010, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.co.uk/Homesick-Deacon-Blue/dp/B00005B16D

Paul Heaton of the great The Beautiful South band once made an "interesting" comment, saying "Who are the people who buy Deacon Blue records? Eh? Do you know any?" The comment sounds a bit cynical, and not having read the full article, maybe it is taken out of context. (I know many people who bought DB's "Raintown", "Fellow Hoodlums", and "Homesick" albums, including "Yours Truly"). Deacon Blue once held the reputation as one of the best live acts in the UK. When they played Glasgow's SECC in May, and December, 1989, they broke the world record at the time for the fastest sell-out concerts. In 1990, DB played in front of 250,000 fans at the free "The Big Day” concert, in Glasgow Green, Scotland. It is estimated that Deacon Blue shifted over six million albums, but considering that one of their albums, "Raintown", was in the UK album charts for over nineteen months, the figure may be underesttimated. If you listen to timeless songs like "Dignity", "Queen Of The New Year", "Fergus Sings The Blues", "Chocolate Girl", and "Real Gone Kid", and albums like " Raintown", and "Fellow Hoodlums", it is obvious that DB was a hugely talented band, and a class act. "Homesick" was the sixth studio album from the Scottish pop band, Deacon Blue fronted by the brilliant musician and songwriter Ricky Ross. As is usual with most of the band's albums, it's subtle, sophisticated, and dominated by Ricky Ross' fabulous songwriting talents. The album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. "Who are the people who buy Deacon Blue records? Eh? Do you know any?"....YES !! Buy Deacon Blue's classic "Raintown" album. Check out DB's "Ooh Las Vegas" album @ DEACBL/OLV and "Fellow Hoodlums" album @ DEACBL/FH Try and listen to Ricky Ross' 1996 album "What You Are" featuring Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter the brilliant ex-Steely Dan guitarist. For music in the same genre, listen to Prefab Sprout's classic "From Langley Park to Memphis" album.

TRACKS

1."Rae" (Ross, Prime, MacDonald)– 4:46
2."Out There" – 3:46
3."This Train Will Take You Anywhere" (Ross, Slaven) – 4:48
4."Everytime You Sleep" – 4:06
5."Now That You're Here" (Ross, Prime) – 4:00
6."Silverlake" (Ross, Prime) – 4:36
7."A is for Astronaut" – 3:03
8."Beautifully Still" – 4:12
9."Homesick" – 4:14
10."Even Higher Ground" (Ross, Gary Clark)– 3:52
11."I Am Born" - 4:22

All songs composed by Ricky Ross, except where stated

MUSICIANS

Graeme Kelling - guitar (RIP)
James Prime - acoustic guitar, keyboards, bass
Mick Slaven - guitar on "Rae", "This Train Will Take You Anywhere", "A is for Astronaut", "Beautifully Still", "Homesick", and "I Am Born"
Scott Frasier - guitar on "Out There"
Guliano Gizzi - guitar on "Silverlake"
Davy Scott - guitar on "Everytime You Sleep"
Ewen Vernal - bass, glockenspiel
Ricky Ross - keyboards, glockenspiel, vocals
Dougie Vipond - drums
Jim MacDermott - drums on "A is for Astronaut", "Homesick", and "Even Higher Ground"
Kenny MacDonald - drums on "Homesick"
The Kick Horns - brass on "Now That You're Here"
The Scottish BT Ensemble - strings on "Now That You're Here", "Homesick", "Even Higher Ground", and "I Am Born"
Lorraine McIntosh - vocals

SHORT BIO

Taking their name from a Steely Dan song, Deacon Blue is one of the best unknown bands in Scotland. With the vocals of singer-songwriter Ricky Ross backed by jazz and soul-inspired melodies, the group recorded several British hits in the late-1980s. Their success, however, failed to carry over to American audiences. Frustrated by their inability to secure international popularity, the group disbanded in the summer of 1994. Although he launched a solo career, Ross had no greater success than he had as frontman for Deacon Blue. In May 1999, the group agreed to reunite for a series of concerts in Great Britain and Europe. Their first new album in five years, Walking Back Home, was released shortly afterwards. Formed in 1985, Deacon Blue performed their first concert as the opening act for The Waterboys' first show in England. The group continued to go through personnel changes with only Reed and drummer Dougie Vipond remaining from the original band. As of November 1999, Deacon Blue was rounded out by bassist Ewen Vernal, guitarist Graeme Kelling, keyboardist Jamis Prime and second vocalist Lorraine McIntosh. Craig Harris © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gifrxqe5ld6e

BIO (WIKI)

Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band. Their name is rumoured to be taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". Formed in 1985 once Ricky Ross moved from Dundee to Glasgow, Deacon Blue were one of the top-selling UK bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group's members were Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, James Prime, Dougie Vipond, Ewen Vernal and Graeme Kelling. Ross, a former school teacher originally from Dundee, was the group's frontman, penning the vast majority of Deacon Blue's songs. He married female vocalist Lorraine McIntosh in the later years of the band's career. In 1986, the band contributed a track ("Take the Saints Away") to a compilation cassette entitled Honey at the Core, featuring then up-and-coming Glasgow bands, including Wet Wet Wet and Hue and Cry. The band's debut album, Raintown, produced by Jon Kelly and released in 1987, is regarded by many as the band's finest effort, spawning the singles "Dignity", "Chocolate Girl" and "Loaded". Many consider Raintown to be a concept album, since nearly all the songs contribute to the overall theme of being stuck in a dead-end life in a deprived city, longing for something better. The city that the album's title refers to is Glasgow, and the memorable cover art of the album is a photograph (by the Scottish-Italian photographer Oscar Marzaroli) of the River Clyde's docks taken from Kelvingrove Park on a miserable day. The second album, 1989's When the World Knows Your Name, was the band's most commercially successful, generating five UK top 30 hits, including "Real Gone Kid", "Wages Day", and "Fergus Sings the Blues" (all five singles from the album were top 10 hits in Ireland). However, music critics began to criticise the band for pursuing commercial success over artistic integrity, citing the earlier achievements with Raintown. By this time, the band had gained a reputation as one of the best live acts in the UK. Ticket sales for shows in Glasgow's SECC in both May and December 1989 would break the world record at the time for the fastest sell-out. The following year saw the band play in front of an estimated 250,000 fans at the free concert on Glasgow Green "The Big Day", which was held to celebrate Glasgow being named that year's European City of Culture. The band also played Glastonbury and the Roskilde festivals that summer, as well as released Ooh Las Vegas, a double album of B-sides, extra tracks, film tracks, and sessions. This seemed to confirm the band's eminent status by reaching No. 3 in the UK album charts. Jon Kelly returned to the producer's chair in 1991 for the album Fellow Hoodlums. The album was met with more critical success, but by now the group's honeymoon period was over and their success had started to wane somewhat—the album peaked at No. 2 on the UK album charts. Fellow Hoodlums was followed up by 1993's Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, a much more experimental album in the vein of U2's Achtung Baby. The album garnered critical praise, but was not as commercially successful as the previous two albums, peaking at No. 4 on the UK album charts. The band embarked on another sold out UK tour in 1994, but not before recording new material for their greatest hits compilation Our Town. This saw the band return to No. 1 in the UK album charts and was one of the year's top sellers, while "I Was Right and You Were Wrong" and a re-release of "Dignity" saw the band reenter the Top 20 singles chart. With Vipond's decision to quit the group in favour for a career in television, Deacon Blue split up in 1994. Five years later, the band held an unexpected reunion gig in 1999, and this led on to a new album, Walking Back Home, with the band now working on a part-time basis. The band released another album, Homesick, in 2001. Though Graeme Kelling died from pancreatic cancer in 2004, the band has vowed to continue in his absence. The year 2006 saw Deacon Blue returning to the studio to record three new tracks for a Singles album - including the track "Bigger than Dynamite". The band performed at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium, as the pre-match entertainment for the Rugby League Super League Grand Final on the 14 October, and continued on to a full UK tour in November. They were also due to open Stirling's New Year party in 2006, but this was cancelled at the last minute due to extreme weather. They did appear at Stirling's Hogmanay in 2008. Deacon Blue appeared at the Montrose Music Festival Deacon Blue appeared at The Homecoming Live Final Fling Show, at Glasgow's SECC on 28 November 2009, and headlined Glasgow's Hogmanay on 31 December 2009. Ricky Ross, who had released a solo album before the formation of Deacon Blue, released two solo albums during the time between Deacon Blue's breakup in 1994 and reformation in 1999. Due to Deacon Blue's part time status after reformation, Ross released additional solo albums in 2002 and 2005 and has written for and with other recording artists. In 2009 Ricky and Lorraine McIntosh recorded an album together under the name 'McIntoshRoss'. This album, The Great Lakes, will be released on 28 September 2009.

ABOUT RICKY ROSS

Ricky Ross is the instantly recognisable frontman of Deacon Blue, one of Scotland's most successful bands. However, he still regards himself as first and foremost, a songwriter. That was the original idea. When he first sat down at a piano, it belonged to the youth project where he worked in his home city of Dundee. His ambitions were not for fame, but to create great songs for other artists. Following his move to Glasgow, Ricky continued to write and play keyboards in bands. Having no outlet for his songs was frustrating, however, and he cites one night in 1984, when his band were supporting The Waterboys, as the point of no return. He needed to concentrate on his own material. Following the release of a solo album on an independent label, his London publishers advised him to put a band together. The rest is ingrained in Scottish music history. A string of top 5 albums, including two numbers 1s, and 18 top 40 singles later, Deacon Blue decided to go their own ways. Ricky has never stopped writing, releasing critically acclaimed solo albums and becoming the writer of choice for artists looking for songs which offer more substance than a fleeting hit. He has also written music for theatre. Whether in a theatre or on a festival stage, his solo live shows are intimate affairs, allowing the audience to experience an increasingly skilled raconteur with a dry sense of humour. His solo work complements his work with Deacon Blue and provides a backdrop for his reputation as a writer for others. So Ricky has come full circle, but with the added bonus of seeing how an audience reacts to many of those songs first hand. [1983 to 1985 - As keyboard player with a band called Woza, Ricky has something of an epiphany on a night when the band is supporting The Waterboys at The Heathery Bar in Wishaw. He decides that he needs an outlet for his own material. In 1984, he releases an album, So Long Ago, on the independent Sticky Records in Glasgow, but on the advice of a publisher recruits a band in 1985, naming it Deacon Blue for a song on Steely Dan's seminal Aja album. [1986 to 1994 - Frontman and main songwriter of Deacon Blue, the band goes on to worldwide success, with five top 5 albums (When The World Knows Your Name, Ooh Las Vegas, Fellow Hoodlums, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing and Our Town: The Greatest Hits. Bizarrely, Raintown reached number 14 but spent 77 weeks on the chart) and 18 top 40 singles. In 1989, the band achieves the record for the fastest-selling show in history at the SECC and in the same year the band's second album When The World Knows Your Know topples Madonna's Like A Prayer from No 1 in the album chart's. Despite Ricky's initial ambition to only write for other people, he proves to be a charismatic and energetic frontman, with the perfect foil in Lorraine McIntosh who becomes his wife in 1990. [1995 to 2001 - Ricky signs a solo deal following Deacon Blue's decision to disband in 1994. He begins work on What You Are, which is released on the Epic Label in 1996. With a band he calls The Sinners, he plays small venues and festivals. A prolific writer, the following year sees another album, New Recording. Throughout the next couple of years, Ricky tours, combining small, intimate shows with theatre venues and festival appearances. In 1999, Deacon Blue tours and an album, Walking Back Home, features new songs and established tracks. The promise of another Deacon Blue album of new material comes to fruition in 2001 when Homesick is released and the band tours extensively. At the end of 2001, the band go their separate ways again. [2002 to 2007 - With a new publishing deal in hand, Ricky starts work on This is the Life, an album which on release suffers from the same poor promotion and availability as Homesick. During 2002, he travels to Japan with Gary Clark (formerly Danny Wilson) and Boo Hewerdine (formerly The Bible) to play a string of solo dates. The district of Tokyo where they play, Kichijoji, inspires a song which appears a few year later. His reputation as a songwriter is stronger than ever however, and he is in demand to write for, and with, other artists. His connection with James Blunt is perhaps the most high profile, but there are collaborations with performers as diverse as KT Tunstall, David Sneddon, Cathy Burton, Gareth Gates and Emma Bunton. Ronan Keating recorded She Gets Me Inside, which Ricky reclaims as the opening track for his 2005 album Pale Rider. This is the solo album which, at last, establishes Ricky's position as a solo artist and receives universal acclaim. He embarks on perhaps the longest solo tour yet, an intimate acoustic show where he is accompanied by friend and Pale Rider producer Davie Scott (The Pearlfishers). In 2006, twenty years of Deacon Blue is celebrated with a Singles collection featuring three new compositions and an extensive greatest hits tour, while 2007 is shaping up to be a year when Ricky can celebrate Deacon Blue and stretch his solo legs in equal measure. Last Updated ( Monday, 16 July 2007 ) © 2010 The official site of Deacon Blue & Ricky Ross © http://www.deaconblue.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=62

23.11.10

Nicole Hart & the NRG Band




Nicole Hart & the NRG Band - Live! NRG - 2006 - ONG

Nicole Hart stands at the crossroads of many musical boundaries, undefined by any genre. The sound is a natural evolution of Blues, R&B, Funk & Soul, aggressively combining a seductive, funky feel with the soulful nuances of the Blues. Under the direction of producer, arranger, and keyboardist Lance Ong (David Sanborn, Andre Crouch), the mission of this consortium is to bring an intense, provocative listening experience & a musically enticing & satisfying show to the audience. "I am an artist influenced by all great music, undefined by genre,” says Hart. “Our music is inspired by many of the greatest artists of our time...we aspire to create a feeling & a depth of integrity representing those influences, while also conveying a viewpoint toward the world all our own." Nicole’s timeless, powerful, intoxicating voice is beautifully soul/sweet – silky, then gritty – classic yet absolutely contemporary – and she is renowned for her electrifying stage presence. Lance Ong’s masterful command of the keyboards is undisputed; Ong is one of the most exciting and versatile soloists on the scene today. Nicole’s impressive resume includes work with a variety of music greats such as Harry Belafonte, Billy Joel, Michael Bolton, Oscar Winning Film Director Jonathan Demme, Richard Bona, Drew Zingg, Chuck Berry, & Bo Diddley; she has opened for Bernard Allison, Odetta, E.C. Scott & Richie Havens, & has the distinction of being the first-ever Caucasian singer for the R&B super group, The Shirelles. : Lance Ong, Keyboards, Vocals, Musical Director: Lance Ong was part of a team that produced, wrote and arranged over 700 songs and whose credits include a Grammy Award-winning record by Andre Crouch and recordings with David Sanborn, The Pointer Sisters, Grand Funk Railroad, Michael Murphy, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Anne Murray, Johnny Halliday and Sylvie Vartan, Trini Lopez, Erykah Badu & many others. His masterful command of the keyboards is undisputed. : Guest Guitarists: Grammy-nominee Gil Parris (David Sanborn) is one of very few artists who have 5 nationally released albums in over four different genres: R&B, smooth jazz, traditional jazz and blues. He has solo albums on RCA/BMG ("Gil Parris shines through as the brightest star in the genre since Larry Carlton" -Guitar One Magazine), Okra-Tone/Koch ("Parris has the goods and all seven cuts here show it" -Vintage Guitar), and his own "Jam This" release ("When it comes to improvising epic, crowd-pleasing solos in an eclectic range of styles, Parris is more than qualified to deliver the goods" -Guitar Player); Special Guest Stanley Behrens, Harmonica & Tenor sax: Stanley has toured with Ruth Brown, recorded two records with Willie Dixon, three records with Jimmy Smith, “Friends in the Can” for Canned Heat alongside guest artists John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Roy Rogers, Corey Stevens and Walter Trout, & recorded for more television shows & movies than we can name here. For more on Stanley, simply "Google" him! © 2002-2010 bandVillage Inc http://bio.bandvillage.com/nrgband

This live album is mixed and sounds like an in-studio recording. A terrific album of blues, soul, funk, and R&B by the great vocalist Nicole Hart from Atlanta, Georgia, and some fabulous backing musicians including guests, Gil Parris and Rich Cohen on guitar. The album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Nicole Hart's "Treasure" album, and support these great artists.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

I Heard - Lance Ong
Voodoo Woman - Koko Taylor
Treasure - Nicole Hart, Lance Ong
Every Night of the Week - Ted Jarrett
Hurt So Bad - Tom Hambridge
Think About Love - Joe Mack
Hot 'Lanta - Allman, Allman, Betts, Johanson, Oakley, Trucks

MUSICIANS

Nicole Hart - Lead Vocals, Harmony & Background Vocals
Gil Parris - Guest Guitar
Rich Cohen - Guest Guitar
Vonnie Hudson - Bass
Lance Ong - Keyboards, Vocals
Joe Piteo - Drums
Stanley Behrens - Tenor Sax, Harmonica

REVIEWS

"This vocalist can be hotter than hot or cooler than cool but, make no mistake, Nicole Hart & NRG lights up the phone lines like a x-mas tree - a treat instead of a treatment, both in person, or on the airwaves...I know talent when I hear it. She has a tremendous future in the music industry...A major star." - Bill Nolan, host of "Antique Blues", WPKN-FM 89.5, Bridgeport, CT

Record label scouts take note: Nicole Hart & The NRG Band gots chops! The independently-released "Live NRG" (***) is a splendid showcase for frontwoman Hart and the trusty NRG Band. Though recorded live the sound is crystal clear and mixed right. They slip into a tight groove on the Jazzy Blues original "I Heard", written by keyboardist Lang Ong allowing Gil Parris (David Sanborn) to flex his guitar digits. Guitarist Rich Cohen is also impressive on the instrumental cover of The Allman Brothers "Hot'Lanta" which also has Ong unleashing layers of icy organ and funky drums by Joe Piteo. A great take! Also noteworthy is the version of Koko Taylor's "Voodoo Woman" with Hart delivering a particularly confident vocal. Visit www.thenrgband.com to learn more.- Dylann DeAnna: BLUESCRITIC.COM

"The musicianship and vocals carry the listener along on a musical journey spanning a cohesive mix of Blues, soul, funk, R&B & Nicole Hart's sultry vocals. If you love your Blues mixed in with a touch of soul & sprinkled with a bit of good old fashioned rock n' roll, The NRG Band delivers! " - Robert John, Correspondent, BARRELHOUSE BLUES

“A top notch band of immense talents...something special in a world cluttered with the ‘next best things’...this band IS the next best thing...” - UNITED JERSEY BLUES NETWORK

ABOUT NICOLE HART

Coming to national attention in 2008 on the Blues, Roots, Soul & R&B scene, Nicole Hart made an impressive beginning completing three highly successful tours: she was the featured female performer of Jacksonville Beach, Florida's “Springing the Blues”; the featured female headline act of Laconia, New Hampshire's Big Three Motorcycle Week; she performed many more prominent festivals, including the Jersey Shore Red Bank Jazz & Blues Fest, among other renowned venues on the national circuit. Her initial independent CD release, “NICOLE HART & THE NRG BAND, LIVE!” received airplay on radio stations worldwide & continues to receive airplay to this day. During a recording session for 2008 Blues Foundation Nominee Albert Castiglia, she met up with Blues Leaf Records label president Joseph Morabia, who soon signed her to the label. Her 2009 Blues Leaf release, "TREASURE," debuted on the Living Blues charts at # 14, and is currently in rotation on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio and the nationally syndicated Music Choice television channel. In May 2009, Nicole became an award-winning vocalist, being recognized as "Female Vocalist of the Year" by the 5th Annual Los Angeles South Bay Music Awards. "Treasure" features a duet with label mate Castiglia, is produced by Grammy award winner Jack Kriesberg (Paquito D’Riviera, Elvin Jones), is mixed and mastered by Grammy award winning engineer Ben Elliott (Eric Clapton, Keith Richards), is distributed by Allegro and available nationwide at Barnes & Noble, Borders Bookstores, J&R Music World, Amazon.com, CD Universe, on this website (see "SHOP!") and at every performance. As a modern day Blues woman, Nicole straddles a diverse musical terrain defined by such icons as Koko Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Janiva Magness, & Bonnie Raitt. Hart’s impressive resume also includes work in television, film & live performance outside the realm of Blues. “As an artist, I am influenced by all great music, and inspired by many of the greatest artists of our time. I aspire to create a feeling & a depth of integrity representing those influences, while also conveying a viewpoint toward the world of my own." Longtime collaborator, music director & keyboardist extraordinaire Lance Ong, who produced her previous CD, shines as musical arranger for "TREASURE" & played baby grand & B-3 organ. His credits include a Grammy Award-winning record with Andre Crouch, a first round Emmy nomination for CBS Sports, and recordings with David Sanborn, The Pointer Sisters, Grand Funk Railroad, Michael Murphy, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Anne Murray, Johnny Halliday and Sylvie Vartan, Trini Lopez, Erykah Badu & many others. His masterful command of the keyboards is undisputed, and as arranger and collaborator for Nicole Hart’s Blues Leaf debut, "‘TREASURE”, his piano & organ work is at its finest yet. Hart and Ong were married on August 8th, 2008. © 2010 nicolehart.com. All Rights Reserved http://www.nicolehart.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=53

22.11.10

The Tablerockers

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The Tablerockers - Shake Your Junk - 2004 - Fart Head Records

Recorded at George's Majestic Lounge, Dickson St, Fayetteville, Arkansas,"Shake Your Junk" is a good live album of "down to earth" blues rock played by The Tablerockers who are based in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The band is composed of three experienced musicians: Bassist, Larry Boehmer, drummer David Watson, and Baby Jason Davis on Guitar and vocals. The band cover many music styles including R & B, soul, rockabilly, jazz, funk, rock 'n' roll and country. They also play many blues styles, including Delta and Texas blues, and tracks like Willie Dixon's "I'm Ready," Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man, "Otis Rush's "All Your Love" and Howlin' Wolf's "Shake for Me" are brilliantly played in a great Chicago blues style. If you like traditional blues rhythms, and straightforward well executed blues rock, you may like this album. Has anybody any info on other releases by this band?

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Good Evening, Thanks for Coming 0:17
2 Think - unknown 6:27
3 I'm Ready - W.Dixon 5:53
4 Big Boss Man - J.Reed 5:31
5 Temperature - Walter Jacobs, A.Cohen 6:11
6 Can't Hold Out - Elmore James 6:18
7 All Your Love - Otis Rush 5:17
8 Me and My Woman - G. Barge 4:20
9 When She Was My Girl - Larry Gottlieb, Marc Blatte 4:36
10 Ball and a Biscuit - J.White 6:42
11 She Belongs to Me - Al Benson, Samuel Maghett 4:47
12 Thrill Is Gone - Rick Ravon Darnell, Roy Hawkins 5:39
13 Shake for Me - Howlin' Wolf 5:39

BAND

Baby Jason Davis - Guitar, Vocals
Larry Boehmer - Bass
David Watson - Drums

ALBUM NOTES

"...Based in Eureka Springs, AR, this gutsy blues trio is comprised of a pair of expatriate Lincolnites (Nebraska), Baby Jason Davis on guitar and vocals and bassist and former Zoo Bar owner Larry Boehmer, along with drummer David Watson. This is the real stuff, done very, very well."...L. Kent Wolgamott, Lincoln Journal Star, 04/30/04

"I couldn't have assembled a better back-up band."...James Harman

"The Tablerockers are playin' the blues. They bad!"...Magic Slim

"I played it (The Tablerockers' CD) and I had to go to Alaska to cool off. They remind me a lot of Clapton's first band. I like them."...Sunshine Sonny Payne, King Biscuit Flour Hour, KFFA Radio, Helena, Arkansas

"This is a well-seasoned three-piece blues band in top form. The sound/mix of the CD is really, really good. The songs are hot, hot, hot, and so is Jason Davis, who makes a darn fine front man."...Betsy Finocchi, All About Town, Fayetteville, AR, July 21, 2004

"...Shake Your Junk is a solid album of barroom blues played by three veteran performers...Songs like Willie Dixon's "I'm Ready", Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man", Otis Rush's "All Your Love", BB King's "Thrill Is Gone", and Howlin' Wolf's "Shake For Me" immediately identify The Tablerockers as purveyors of the pure stuff. And they play it the way it should be played-with respect for the tradition, drawing strongly on the Chicago style, but with enough variation and personality to keep the music fresh."---GROUND ZERO, Lincoln, NE, June 18, 2004

"You guys were great last night. The best trio I've heard in a long time."---Sean Costello

The Tablerockers might not be a completely familiar name to blues aficionados across the US (or beyond), but if your tastes run toward high-powered blues with more than a gallon of rock guitar in the fuel tank for added punch, this CD will satisfy. Comprised of Baby Jason Davis on guitar and vocals, Larry Boehmer on bass, and David Watson nailing down the drums, this trio shoots from the hip and rolls through a pair of funky covers of Think and I'm Ready before kicking up the horsepower with a smoldering version of Jimmy Reed's Big Boss Man. Little Walter's Temperature is slowed to a crawl oozing power and passion, and while Baby Jason's guitar work might recall Jimmy Page and other rock heroes at times, he avoids many of the excesses that can sometimes drag a power trio into boredom. Otis Rush's All Your Love gets a heady treatment and proves Jason's guitar schooling comes from where it should, and even though B.B. King's Thrill Is Gone is a done-to-death warhorse, these guys handle it with enough originality to add freshness to it. Magic Sam's She Belongs To Me and Wolf's Shake For Me are potent and powerful, but the true sleeper might be Ball And A Biscuit, a slow grinder peppered with gritty guitar and hoarse vocals. While many blues/rock power trios fall into an abyss between ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Tablerockers steer clear of that territory and it serves them well on this hot and sweaty disc recorded 'live' at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Nicely done. © Blueswriter- 10-10-2004 © http://blindman.15.forumer.com/a/new-reviews_post1853.html

ABOUT THE BAND

The Tablerockers are influenced by a variety of musical styles that include Delta blues, Chicago and Texas blues, R & B, soul, rock-a-billy, jazz, funk, rock 'n' roll and even country, all filtered through the Tablerockers' blues sensibilities. The result is a high-powered blues attack featuring the smokin' guitar and soulful vocals of Baby Jason Davis, and the tight grooves provided by Larry Boehmer on bass and David Watson on drums. Guitarist and vocalist, Baby Jason, toured for 10 years with his trio, "Baby Jason and the Spankers". During that period, they played some of the top blues venues in the country, including Buddy Guy's Legends, Antones, the Grand Emporium, the Zoo Bar, and Blues On Grand. Jason has fronted the Tablerockers since 2002 and recently has added acting to his many talents. He also has the sole distinction of having played the South Loup River Blues Festival for 14 consecutive years, the last 7 with the Tablerockers. Drummer David Watson was born and raised in Dallas where he learned to shuffle from two of the best...his uncle Doyle Bramhall and the late Freddie Walden. David played with Keith Ferguson and Mr. Conrad in the Excellos and was also Anson Funderburgh's first drummer. David brings over 30 years of playing experience to the Tablerockers. Former owner of the Zoo Bar, bassist Larry Boehmer played with the "Nebraska" Tablerockers from 1981-1991, and was also a member of The Heartmurmurs, Not All There and Bobby Lowell and the Rocka-Boogie-Boys. Larry had the honor of playing bass with Charlie Musselwhite, Snooky Pryor, Carey Bell, Joe Houston, Larry Davis, and Magic Slim prior to his move to Arkansas. Over the last few years the Tablerockers have performed as a trio in clubs and festivals around the Midwest and Midsouth. They have also, on occasion, served as the backup band for James Harman, Magic Slim, Jimmy Thackery, Earl Cate, Madison Slim, RJ Mischo and Lewis Cowdrey. The Tablerockers currently have upcoming shows with both Harman and Mischo. Whether you see them by themselves or with one of their better-known blues friends, they'll rock your socks off. Check out their MySpace page @ http://www.myspace.com/thetablerockers © http://www.midwestmusicmasters.com/bands3.aspx?name=Tablerockers,%20The

21.11.10

Medicine Head



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Medicine Head - Don't Stop the Dance - 2005 - Angel Air

With Don't Stop the Dance, the Angel Air label provides the missing pieces to the Medicine Head story, filling in the gap during the mid-'70s when the duo of John Fiddler and Peter Hope-Evans expanded to a quintet before shrinking back to a twosome for their grand finale, Two Man Band. Bringing on board former Family drummer Rob Townsend, ex-Freedom guitarist Roger Saunders, and future Cockney Rebel bassist George Ford, the pumped-up Head began work on a new album in 1974. It was never finished, although two singles, "(It's Got to Be) Alright"/"Part of the Play" and "Mama Come Out"/"Come On Over" did eventually emerge. In the end though, the band never really coalesced, mostly because Fiddler and Hope-Evans never quite worked out how best to use them as a unit. Individually, though, they arranged them magnificently, as "Dark Side of the Moon" illustrates. This exquisite ballad was delicately constructed solely around a bassline and acoustic guitar to splendid effect. Still, on the blues-heavy title track, the driving covers of "Walking Blues" and "Just Wanna Make Love to You," and both sides of its rocking R&B second single, the band does function more than adequately. However, the showstoppers are the sparser-sounding numbers, like "You Gotta Love Somebody," for even at its most driving the band never quite gels. This is equally evident on the three live bonus tracks, all which hint at a hesitation in Head's sound and a sense of insecurity about the music. Perhaps the unit just needed more time to feel its way through, but it wasn't to be. By 1975, Head were again a duo, without even an album to show for their efforts. The final act was yet to come, but Dance finally puts to rest all the questions and speculation about this shaky period in their career. Jo-Ann Greene © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/dont-stop-the-dance-r820856/review

Don't Stop the Dance features lost recordings of Britain's Medicine Head, dating from 1974, the time on which the outfit changed ways from a duo into a full rock band (adding ex-members of Family and Freedom to the force). Full of harmonica, Jew's harp and blues rock, these recordings sound like a crossover between the free-spirit white-blues of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, the R&B pychedelia of The Rolling Stones and the fierce folk romanticism of Thin Lizzy. The sound issue, while suffering some tape hiss and muffle on certain tracks, is certainly nothing to be troubled about, as the recordings seem to be clear enough and quite effective. However, as such products tend to be, this release should be considered as a compilation of unreleased songs rather than a consistent, materialized body of work. It is definitely a worthy addition for fans (who would also appreciate the era-documenting booklet), but others should approach it more carefully and knowingly. (8/10 for the fans, 5.5/10 for the others) review by & © Avi Shaked All Rights Reserved 2004 http://www.maelstrom.nu/ezine/review_iss34_2417.php?sid=&page_rs=4&osCsid=d5f4759fb8c26d6f3e8d7af537c3a39d

Medicine Head always were a two man band (John Fiddler and Peter Hope-Evans) but mid-74, when this album was recorded, found them having expanded into a full five-piece band for both live and studio work. With hit singles under their belt, this album should have built upon their new-found commercial success. I say "should have" because this album finds the band unsure what they want to be - a full band or the minimalist two-piece they always were. As such, this album is neither one nor the other. Hope-Evans felt he was reduced from being half the band to just being the harmonica player and ironically is most clearly audible on the live bonus tracks. The result is an album that isn't bad, but isn't a smash either. Unreleased at the time, the band began to disintegrate shortly afterwards (becoming a two-piece again) but by then it was too late and the momentum had been lost. This album certainly bears repeated listening, and it would be unfair to place too much emphasis on the "unreleased at the time" tag (meaning there must be something wrong with it). Recommended. © 2005 Adrian Perkins http://www.hunter-mott.com/discography/dont_stop_the_dance.html

Q. Who recorded the very obscure album, "Dark Side of the Moon" recorded in 1972 ?...........A. Medicine Head ! Despite having recorded six original albums, and having four hit singles in the early seventies, including "(And The) Pictures in the Sky," "One and One is One," and "Rising Sun," this band is now all but forgotten. "New Bottles Old Medicine," @ NBOM was Medicine Head's first album released on the late, great BBC Radio One DJ John Peel's Dandelion label. In the early days Peel helped the careers of Marc Bolan, David Bowie and Captain Beefheart, by giving them studio-time to record. He also saw the potential in bands like Joy Division, The Fall, The Smiths, and the Undertones, whose great Teenage Kicks was his all-time favourite single. Peel saw the potential in Medicine Head, who had a sound all of their own. The original two man line-up produced some great folksy blues rock using a Jew's Harp,mouth organ, an acoustic guitar, and a handheld drum. Their albums never received much commercial notice. Medicine Head never placed an album on the UK album chart, but this wasn't unusual in the early seventies, as many great bands were overshadowed by huge groups like Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple to name but two. "Don't Stop the Dance" has been called Medicine Head's 'lost' album. Partly recorded at The Manor, Oxfordshire, England in 1974, it includes some singles from an unsuccessful phase with the WWA label, and also some unreleased sessions by Medicine Head as a five piece band. John Fiddler and Peter Hope-Evans were the original Medicine Head. On these recordings from the 1974/5 period, they were joined by Rob Townsend (Family), Roger Saunders (Freedom) and George Ford (Cockney Rebel). At other times the line-up also included Tony Ashton, formerly of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, and Keith Relf, the former Yardbirds vocalist. It has been said that the duo were never fully at ease with the extra musicians, and felt overshadowed by musicians like Rob Townsend and George Ford. John Fiddler provided the master tapes from his personal archives, and also supervised the remastering of these tracks. Arguably, Medicine Head had the potential to be a lasting force in rock music. Give this album a listen, and if you can find their 1975 "Live At The Marquee" album, you should buy it.

TRACKS

1. Don't Stop the Dance
2. Dark Side of the Moon
3. Walkin' Blues - Robert Johnson
4. Lay Around
5. You Gotta Love Somebody
6. Part of the Play
7. Can't Live a Lie
8. Just Wanna Make Love to You
9. Come on Over
10. Mama Come Out
11. It's Got to Be Alright
12. Don't Stop the Dance - (Live)
13. One and One Is One - (Live)
14. Rising Sun - (Live)

MUSICIANS

John Fiddler (vocals, guitar)
George Ford (vocals, bass guitar)
Roger Saunders (guitar, background vocals)
Rob Townsend (drums, percussion)
Peter Hope-Evans (harmonica, mouth bow, Jew's harp)

BIO

Formed in Stafford, England in 1968, the British blues duo Medicine Head comprised vocalist/multi-instrumentalist John Fiddler and Peter Hope-Evans, who played the harmonica and jew's harp. Upon their formation at art college, Medicine Head became a staple of the local club circuit, eventually recording a demo which found its way to influential BBC radio personality John Peel, who began championing the track "His Guiding Hand." Other DJs soon followed suit, and quickly the duo was on the brink of stardom. With Peel's continued assistance, Medicine Head entered the studio to begin recording their 1970 debut LP New Bottles Old Medicine. Their focus shifted from basic blues to a more intricate sound for 1971's Heavy on the Drum, produced by former Yardbird Keith Relf; after scoring a surprise hit with the single "(And the) Pictures in the Sky," Hope-Evans left the group, and was replaced by Relf and drummer John Davies for 1972's The Dark Side of the Moon. Hope-Evans rejoined prior to 1973's One and One Is One, which launched the title track to the Top Three of the U.K. singles chart. Now a five-piece also including guitarist Roger Saunders, onetime Family drummer Rob Townsend and bassist George Ford, Medicine Head notched two more hit singles, "Rising Sun" and "Slip and Slide," but 1974's Thru' a Five failed to chart, and the group began to disintegrate. Only Fiddler and Hope-Evans remained by the time of 1976's Two Man Band, and after one last single, "Me and Suzy Hit the Floor," Medicine Head officially disbanded. Fiddler later resurfaced in the British Lions, followed by a stint in Box of Frogs and finally a solo career, while Hope-Evans contributed to the Pete Townshend albums Empty Glass and White City. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/medicine-head-p19278/biography

MORE

It's fair to say that no one, not even us, the people who packed their shows, quite realised at the time exactly what Medicine Head were. They were great fun. They were loud. They had long hair. They were a rock band (well, two people who sounded like a rock band). And they were very personable to young chaps in their fourth year at grammar school who appreciated all of that sort of thing. Certainly by the time they'd started sneaking blues into the charts with the likes of (And The) Pictures In The Sky under the guise of beguiling pop songs, outsiders found it difficult to look beyond the fact that one of them, Peter Hope-Evans, was doing something with a jew's harp and the other, John Fiddler, was playing his guitar while sitting behind a bass drum. What we all missed, of course, was that Medicine Head were actually the history of rock 'n' roll (and, as it turned out, the future) and blues and plenty of other strands of American music. All channeled unselfconsciously through two unlikely young men from the Midlands. Not something you¹d understand in your teens, but with 20-20 hindsight... They were the spirit and the sound of grizzled bluesmen while at the same time their crashing, home-made two man band noise, in a period when the rest of the pop-making world was wearing Lurex trousers, was the spirit and the sound of the incoming tide of punk. One second they were angry young men, the next they were playing the sweetest songs imaginable (His Guiding Hand, from their debut album, New Bottles, Old Medicine, was even memorably played during our school assembly, during a brief period when students were invited to select appropriate music for the occasion). In Medicine Head music there were definitely no guitar solos, even more definitely no drum solos, and certainly no synthesisers (except the guest appearance of a Mellotron on the One And One Is One album). Just tape-loopy, bluesy, boogieing guitar riffs coming round and round, riffs that made - and still make - you want to smile and dance, all played through the rudest of amps. And then there¹s Peter's awesome harmonica huffing and puffing, coming down like a steam train on vitamin supplements, who thought nothing of 10-minute solos, particularly on the roaring favourite To Train Time (originally on the album Heavy On The Drum with a stomping live version on One And One). Even today memories of those early thrashing, sweaty shows linger as a highpoint of youth, like going to see no other band before or since "We saw ourselves like San Francisco Bay blues guys," says John. "We didn't consider ourselves musicians. It almost seems sad sometimes that we had hit records, it might have been better to have stayed an album band." Listen to any of their records - half a dozen albums between 1969 and 1976, another album's worth of dedicated singles tracks and the recent Angel Air album Live At The Marquee 1975 - and there are road songs, and the train songs, and girl songs. The sound of America infused with English charm and innocence. John and Peter went at it for well over half a decade, through thick and thin, the group bobbling, uneasily, through different line-ups, Peter leaving and then returning, eventually going through a spell as a five-piece. But while every record was touched with that Medicine Head magic, they were never a big group at heart. Two Man Band captures the best of their, well, two man band outlook on life but combines it with flourishes from the best of British musicians, including Ashton, Gardner & Dyke and Family piano man Tony Ashton, Mott the Hoople keyboard whiz Morgan Fisher (later to rock the States with John in British Lions and form a lasting friendship), and pedal steel virtuoso BJ Cole, who has played with everyone from John Cale to The Verve. The result is Medicine Head at their most innnocent, John's rootsy, bluesy, poppy songs reinvented so that even the gentle rockers are imbued with a dreamlike quality. Rock 'n' roll for a still summer's afternoon. It was to be the band's final album. They went out in a laid-back fashion, the music hand-crafted to perfection. Released on CD for the first time, the album includes three bonus tracks, the freewheeling single Me And Suzie (Hit The Floor), and the almost-forgotten, under-rated B sides Moon Child and Midnight, both Medicine Head at their softest and best. "Pete Townshend helped us out on the album," says John. "We were broke at the time, being sued by all sorts of people because we didn't want to carry on as we were, as a five-piece. Our deal with Polydor had ended and Pete just suggested that we make a record at his Eel Pie studio. I got in touch with Chas Chandler, who had produced Slade, and he liked it and so it came out on his Barn label. It was basically Pete and myself with some friends. And we were still playing live then, just the two of us, often to punky-type audiences. We were akin to punk in spirit, and that's where we failed as a full band. The heart and soul was so diluted that we lost direction. We'd had to draft people in because we'd got trapped by the "That's not how the record sounds syndrome. Back in the old days we'd have just wound up the amps and had the sweat flying." It wasn't exactly a comeback, yet, says John: "We'd lost a lot of credence by then, what with all the changes. I felt shattered, drained but we started getting our audience back. The single off Two Man Band, it's Natural, was getting a lot of play and got into the lower fifties." But Pete decided, for the final, time to go his own way. That was the end of the track for John and Peter whose relationship had always been somewhat, aah, precarious, and emotionally turbulent. The pair still haven't played together since. British Lions : - John finished the Medicine Head date sheet with the help of Morgan Fisher and guitarist Roger Saunders, only recently out of a job when the five-piece disbanded. Almost immediately John, who'd never been glimpsed without his long hair, droopy moustache and glasses, had, to everyone's surprise, reinvented himself as a rock star frontman. Flash clothes and, it has to be said, distinctly dodgy permed hair, for the post-glam British Lions, the tail end of Mott the Hoople with a new head. Oddly, what appeared to be a culture clash actually worked, John's supercharged chugging, strumming electric guitar and rocking romantic songs proving the perfect foil for the laddish Mott outlook on life. Of course, while early Medicine Head were the embodiment of the lo-fi punk spirit, the Lions were somewhat at odds, or at least were seen to be at odds by both public and record company, with the actuality of punk in the late Seventies. A couple of singles on the by now drifting Harvest label, one Medicine Head, one under the Fiddler name, came and went almost unnoticed. Well, not exactly true...completely unnoticed, even by the most dedicated fans. Box Of Frogs : - Then came what is the best Medicine Head album never to be a Medicine Head album, with John taking charge of yet another headless band... the Yardbirds. The irony wasn't lost on anyone. Keith Relf, the original Yardbirds singer on songs like For Your Love had moved on to produce Medicine Head's (And The) Pictures In The Sky, and to be bassman in the three-man, Peter-less line-up that recorded the album Dark Side Of The Moon. Before being electrocuted in a studio accident in 1976, the year of Medicine Head's demise. But while it wasn't a Medicine Head album it wasn't the Yardbirds either, both record and band called - and whoever came up with it should be shot - Box Of Frogs. Anyway, with John involved in writing all the songs, singing them all and playing that chugging electric guitar, in a blind tasting nine of out ten fans would have said it was a Medicine Head record for the Eighties. Snappier and rockier than of old - given the Lions experience, no surprise - but unmistakeable. Producer Paul Samwell-Smith, veteran Yardbirds bassist, was forced to give a sizeable cover credit to John, who'd previously established his production credentials on Two Man Band, for his "assistance". The opener, Back Where I Started, even featured harmonica from ex-Nine Below Zero ace Mark Feltham - who vies with Peter even today for the position of Britain's premier harp sessioneer. Peter, incidentally, now stands in on occasion for Feltham in ex-Pretenders/Paul McCartney guitarist Robbie McIntosh's band. The album was a sizeable college radio hit in the States and should have meant a life in the fast lane but the others had done the Stateside star thing before, vetoed a tour and, needless to say, the whole thing ended in tears. Relations remain fraught - at the end of the Nineties John and I went to see the Yardbirds (shortly after Ray Majors had quit as lead guitarist), and the meeting was, well, strained. : -John Fiddler While John then went on to try various abortive projects he was content to work in his home studio and watch his children grow up and it was the end of the Eighties before I stumbled on him playing solo with an acoustic guitar. But John acoustic isn't an evening of quiet introspection... it's a full-blown one man band rock 'n' roll experience. Standing alone on stage turning a half-empty hall into a jumping joint was a speciality touring with the Blues Band and the Manfreds (for whom ex-Medicine Head drummer Rob Townsend is a stalwart. Another is his regular holiday stint playing the human jukebox for hours each night in the bar of the Sporthotel Strass, owned by the rock 'n' roll loving Erich Roscher in the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen.) From the early Nineties a couple of shows stand out as being up there with the best John's ever done. One, at London's sweaty Mean Fiddler, with John's chugging electric guitar ringing out once again, backed by the likes of Ray (helping out on bass) and ex-Cockney Rebel/10cc keyboard man Duncan Mackay. Shortly after that in Feltham, Middlesex, the band were joined for a steaming show by Morgan Fisher, over from his new home in Japan. Since then John's been his own man, doing the quirkiest of solo shows. Earlier this year he took over the packed non-music bar of his local, the Marlborough, in Richmond, Surrey, and made friends with a Friday night crowd of all ages as he prowled amongst them. He's fronted a blues club in Phoenix, put out his home-made cassette State Of The Heart and then - quite astonishing after 30 years - his first solo album Return Of The Buffalo (even bigger in its Angel Air form, The Big Buffalo). He's now back living in Phoenix and, infused with the energy of the endless summer sun, is working on a new band, perhaps Medicine Head, perhaps not, but certainly taking Medicine Head's rootsy, bluesy, rocking sound and creating the lasting legacy the band deserves. Curiously, given their music, John and Peter never got to play the US. Now could finally be the moment for John to pick up the music and run with it. Medicine Head with a dry, dusty desert backdrop. From the train whistle that opens Two Man Band, leading into the airy streamliner strum of it's Natural, through the eerie, pedal steel-tinged Sun's Sinkin' Low and the haunting Too Much Love, this might have been Medicine Head's finale but unlike most farewell albums it's got the feel of a fresh new beginning. It truly is timeless music. By & © Nick Dalton (reprinted with permission). © 2002 - 2010 http://www.john-fiddler.com/bio.html

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Medicine Head was an English blues rock band, active in the 1970s. The group worked as a duo for most of its career, consisting of John Fiddler (born 25 September 1947, Darlaston, Staffordshire, England) - (vocalist, guitarist, piano player, drummer), & Peter Hope-Evans (born 28 September 1947, Brecon, Powys, Wales) - (harmonica, jew's harp, and mouthbow player). Medicine Head formed in Stafford in 1968, and came to prominence when championed by influential DJ John Peel, who signed them to his Dandelion record label. The group recorded six original albums, the opening trio of which were on 'Dandelion'. That label enjoyed its only UK Singles Chart hit when "(And The) Pictures in the Sky" reached number 22 in 1971. Despite consistent touring, often as support to acts with larger commercial appeal, Medicine Head failed to place an album on the UK Albums Chart. One of their albums was titled "Dark Side of the Moon" (1972), released the year before the Pink Floyd album of the same name. If the Medicine Head release had gained attention, Pink Floyd may have had to reconsider the title of their masterwork. They went through line-up changes with their largely backing personnel, but did achieve a total of four hit singles, the best-known of which are "One and One is One" (No. 3, 1973) and "Rising Sun" (No. 11, 1973). At various times the line-up also included Tony Ashton, formerly of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, and Keith Relf, the former Yardbirds vocalist. Their later recordings were released on the Polydor record label. Two Man Band was their last album, and Medicine Head finally folded in 1977. In 2005 Angel Air released the album Don't Stop The Dance. In effect it was a 'lost' album, compiling some singles from an unsuccessful period with the WWA label, and some unreleased sessions with the band as a five piece. Since the band's break-up, both members have continued to work in music: Hope-Evans appears on many albums, most prominently with Pete Townshend, and Fiddler was a member of British Lions and Box of Frogs. Fiddler has occasionally revived the Medicine Head name, to tour a show of their hits and release further low-key recordings.