60s / Beat / Folk etc - 1960-luku
Result of your query: 956 products
| Bob Dylan - Folk Singer-Humdinger - Just About As Good As It Gets 2CD |
 |
Smith & Co 2013 | CD | 15.00 € |
|
| Bobby Vinton - Roses Are Red |
 |
Hallmark Music 2013 | CD | 6.00 € |
|
| Brian Hyland - Sealed With A Kiss |
 |
Hallmark Music 2013 | CD | 6.00 € |
|
| Brothers Four - Greenfields 2CD Greenfields and Other Folk Greats - First Five Albums Featured here, as the title suggests, are a plethora of Folk greats including the groups hit singles 'Greenfields' and 'The Green Leaves of Summer' and many standards and popular songs all given The Brothers Four's stylish touch. In fact across this 2CD set we have crammed no less than five complete albums! Original founding member, Bob Flick still leads a Brothers Four group today and this is your chance to grab yourself the best overview you could find of their first couple of years at the top. |
 |
Jasmine Records 2013 | CD | 15.00 € |
|
| Francoise Hardy - Midnight Blues - Paris London 1968-1972 The events of May 1968 across France signalled the end of the yé-yé era and a new seriousness in French pop. Unlike perky domestic stars such as Sheila or France Gall, Françoise Hardy had always had a moody image – in reality she was chronically shy. A keen astrologer, this is something she has always been quick to blame on her star sign, Capricorn: “You have the longest nights, the longest absence. When the sun is in Capricorn, you are not there. You are below the horizon. You are invisible.” 1968 was also the year she retired from public performance after a rare tour of Britain. Françoise had set up her own independent Asparagus Productions in late 1967. Initially, her old label Vogue continued to distribute her records, but in 1969 Françoise signed a deal with the small Sonopresse imprint, where she would stay until 1972. For many of her fans this is the most intriguing and exciting part of her career. From the beginning of her career and into the early 70s, Françoise recorded quite extensively in English, German, Italian and Spanish, but that material is not easy to find these days. This collection, recorded variously in Paris and London between 1968 and 1972, comprises tracks drawn from her albums “En Anglais”, “One-Nine-Seven-Zero” and “Françoise Hardy” (aka “If You Listen”) and offers a very welcome opportunity to hear her perform in English. 1965’s ‘All Over The World’ had given Françoise her only UK Top 20 hit. Although she couldn’t follow it up in Britain, France remained loyal and she was still a huge star there when she made her first full, specially recorded English language album “En Anglais” in 1968. “One-Nine-Seven-Zero” – released worldwide in 1969, but never in France– was recorded at several different sessions in London and Paris, and with a number of disparate collaborators. Though its variety of studios and arrangers could have made it a patchwork, the album is held together by a clutch of songs written and produced by Tommy Brown and Micky Jones. The opening trio – ‘Song Of Winter’, ‘Magic Horse’, ‘Strange Shadows’ – are especially strong, with warm, full arrangements by Jean-Pierre Sabar. Jones and Brown also contributed ‘Bown Bown Bown’ to 1972’s “Françoise Hardy”, recorded at Sound Techniques in Chelsea with folk rock producer Tony Cox. Sound Techniques was a bit like a social club for folk musos from Joe Boyd’s Witchseason stable. The Trees album had been recorded there, as had albums by Fairport Convention and Fotheringay. The latter’s Gerry Conway and Pat Donaldson played on the sessions for Françoise’s album, along with Richard Thompson and Fairport drummer Dave Mattacks. There are precious few enough albums from this golden period of folk rock as it is; this release gives long overdue exposure to a unique coming together of the British folk underground and a French musical legend. By Bob Stanley (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2013 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Helen Shapiro - Tops With Me And More |
 |
Hallmark Music 2013 | CD | 6.00 € |
|
| Johnny Rivers - This Could Be The One Although it wasn't until 1964 when Johnny Rivers finally became a star with his hit 'Memphis' he had a career going back to 1958. Here we have the earliest recordings of the 60s superstar getting their most comprehensive reissue yet! He recorded rockabilly and beat ballads and examples of all of his early attempts at a hit are featured on this full length CD. Anyone entranced with the roots of 60s pop can't help but be hooked on this collection. Fully Detailed liner notes with biography and career achievements. |
 |
Jasmine Records 2013 | CD | 13.00 € |
|
| Kustom Kings - Kustom City U.S.A. Prior to becoming a full-time Beach Boy and well before he wrote the song that made the whole world sing, Bruce Johnston was a key member of the West Coast music scene. In 1959, while still in high school, Johnston played piano on friend Sandy Nelson's hit single, "Teenbeat." This opportunity kicked off an incredibly prolific period for the young musician. Johnston recorded under his own name as well as many group names, playing with the cream of the California session personnel, The Wrecking Crew. He also made records with his friend Terry Melcher until Melcher moved on to pursue record producing full time. Johnston was producing as well but saw no reason to stop his musical pursuits. Songwriter, vocalist, producer, session musician—if the surf and hot rod scene had a renaissance man, surely it was Bruce Johnston. By 1964, Johnston was already a proven veteran. Following up the success of The Rip Chords collaboration with Melcher and its hit single "Hey Little Cobra," Johnston revved up The Kustom Kings. With a mission statement "to present the most authentic hot rod album on the market," the Kustom City U.S.A. album brought together an all-star team. Bruce Johnston wrote and co-wrote much of the LP's material, as did producer/arranger/saxophonist Steve Douglas. Rounding out the band were guitarists Tommy Tedesco and Glen Campbell, Ray Pohlmann on bass, Jay Migliori on second sax and Hal Blaine on drums—WOW! For added authenticity, car designer George Barris, "THE KING OF THE KUSTOMIZERS," jumped on board as a special adviser. He, along with several of his rolling works of art, is pictured on the album's artwork. Looking at the full-color front cover slick, you can practically smell the burning rubber and fresh coats of paint! The too-cool visuals are just a bonus, however, because the REAL story is the music! A hi-octane mix of vocal tracks and charging instrumentals, there is not a second of filler to be found among the twelve tracks. Tedesco and Campbell lock in gripping guitar duels while Douglas and Migliori wail over the timing belt beat of Blaine and Pohlmann. Johnston contributes superb vocal and piano work and together, the Kustom Kings jam the accelerator down to floorboard! An album this magnificent should have ruled the charts, but things were moving quickly in 1964 and the public's attention soon turned elsewhere. Through the ensuing years, word of Kustom City U.S.A. and its brilliance spread through the collector scene, with copies of the LP changing hands for considerable sums. And now, just when you thought the tank was on E, Sundazed roars in with a maniacally marvelous reissue! Sourced from the original stereo masters, Kustom City, U.S.A. has been tuned up and restored to showroom condition. |
 |
Sundazed Music 2013 | LP | 20.00 € |
|
| Marvelettes - Playboy By the time Playboy was released in July 1962, it was the third Marvelettes album in just eight months, althoughboth of the predecessors had struggled for acceptance.Playboy is a much more consistent album than Please Mr Postman, despite lacking that number one smash,and unlike Smash Hits of 62 features an abundance of material written with the group in mind, such as Playboy,Beechwood 4-5789 and Someday Someway.Whilst the achievements of The Marvelettes would eventually be surpassed by The Supremes, this album showsthey were worthy of their lofty mantle in 1962 - Motowns first breakthrough act. |
 |
Hallmark Music 2013 | CD | 6.00 € |
|
| Mouse And The Traps - Fraternity Years Mouse & the Traps are known principally for their “Nuggets” classic ‘A Public Execution’, a Dylan cop so brazenly authentic it even had the hallowed bard’s promo men fooled. Based in the city of Tyler, Texas and evolving from a group of pickers who populated Robin Hood Brians’ recording studio, Mouse (Ronnie Weiss) and his band ruled the region in the latter half of the 60s. The Traps made a name for themselves not only with some incendiary performances but several regional hits, with ‘Execution’ making the national charts in 1966. Signed to the venerable Cincinnati indie Fraternity, for whom they were to cut a dozen singles, for years there were rumours amongst collectors that a Mouse & the Traps LP existed on the label. There never was, but now Big Beat has decided to condense the contents of their well-received Mouse & the Traps CD anthology “The Fraternity Years” into one all-killer vinyl edition. It’s the kind of power-packed set fans would have hoped for back in the day, as the record showcases the band’s two very different but nevertheless compatible sides. On stage they were known for a tight and rocking showmanship, yet in the studio they expertly crafted folk-rock and pop gems with a deft production touch from Brians that oozed commercial appeal. Each single release coupled speaker-shredders such as ‘Maid Of Sugar’ and ‘Lie, Beg, Borrow And Steal’, with radio-friendly items such as ‘Like I Know You Do’, ‘Cryin’ Inside’ and an almost-but-not-quite smash in ‘Sometimes You Just Can’t Win’ (as a bonus, it is featured here in a rare and previously unissued incarnation from late 1966, before being sweetened for eventual release). Now, the best of the band’s recorded output has been newly remastered for wax. With such a precise distillation of their recorded legacy, the world can once again marvel at the quality and consistency that seemed to come naturally to Mouse & the Traps. “The Fraternity Years” LP is a fitting tribute to these fine musicians. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2013 | LP | 25.00 € |
|
| Sonics - The Witch EP As the revitalized Sonics traverse the globe thrilling audiences with their visceral brand of rock'n'roll, Big Beat presets a very special vinyl-only release from this the legendary Northwest garage band. The Witch EP collects four gems from the group’s quintessential Etiquette catalogue, and features for the first time on wax, the rare “switchblade” version of ‘The Witch’, with Larry Parypa scraping metal across his guitar strings to menacing effect. Also making its vinyl debut is the full-length recording of the band’s bloodcurdling ‘Psycho’ direct from the studio master tape. In recent years the Sonics’ pounding take on Richard Berry’s ‘Have Love Will Travel’ has become their biggest box-office item, having appeared upon countless TV commercials and soundtracks around the world. Rounding out this very special Witch EP is the original, classic take of the title cut. Housed in a handsome sleeve featuring a rare colour picture from an unused session intended to promote the original Witch single, shot by famed Northwest photographer Jini Dellaccio, The Sonics’ Witch EP is an essential item for any fan of this unsurpassed rock’n’roll combo. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2013 | CD | 15.00 € |
|
| VA: - Joe Meek - Twangy Guitars, Reverb And Heavenly Choirs 2CD Long before he'd evolved into a fully-fledged cult figure, Joe Meek was the UK's first fully independent record producer. This unique 2CD set traces his career from his earliest sessions, as a sound balance engineer in the mid-'50s, to his emergence as a major songwriter and hit maker in the early '60s. It includes many of Meek's biggest records, including five UK # 1s by, Anne Shelton, Lonnie Donegan, Frankie Vaughan, Emile Ford and John Leyton, plus several other major million selling hits! Indeed, more than half of the sixty sides included herein were significant UK hits. This set also includes several collectors' rarities, previously unavailable on CD, most notably Gary Miller's unfeasibly-rare 'Moby Dick'. John Fraser's 'Golden Cage' and Geoff Goddard's 'Girl Bride'. If you are looking for what is by far the most interesting Joe Meek-related compilation for years then this is it! |
 |
Jasmine Records 2013 | CD | 15.00 € |
|
| VA: - Nippon Girls By popular demand, the series kicks off with “Nippon Girls”, a celebration of the female side of Japan’s 1960s pop scene. The LP comprises a dozen highlights from the CD of the same title issued on our Big Beat International logo a couple of years back, one of our recent top sellers. Compiled by DJ Sheila Burgel, a former Tokyo resident, the “Nippon Girls” CD raised a few eyebrows here at Ace HQ, but girl-pop maven Sheila knew what she was doing. The collection drew rave reviews, becoming something of a left-field hit with the club crowd and young hipster types. Sheila also supplied the fascinating and scholarly liner notes, from which we learn that bikini-clad cover girl Jun Mayuzumi’s ‘Black Room’ “boasts booming bass lines and a dancefloor readiness that’s already caught the ear of freakbeat collectors, while Mie Nakao’s fuzz-rocker ‘Sharock No. 1’ takes ‘Green Onions’ as its template. ‘Tsukikage No Rendezvous’ by Keiko Mari is a tamer affair, with Latin rhythms and cute banter between Mari and her all-male chorus. J Girls were sisters Shinobu and Jun Hazuki. Their ‘Kiiro No Sekai’ was recorded in 1969 but remained under wraps until 1995’s “Cutie Pops Collection”. Reiko Ohara’s ‘Peacock Baby’ was released in 1968 and came in a mouth-watering gatefold sleeve. Mieko Hirota was a music heavyweight, close to Dusty Springfield in the ability to inspire awe with her voice. In the mid-60s, she was paired up with Kyohei Tsutsumi, one of Japan’s greatest pop writer/producers. His love of Anglo-American records is clearly audible on ‘Nagisa No Tenshi’, its backing track not very subtly swiped from ‘Cool Jerk’.” The second side makes for an equally compelling listen. Opener Rumi Koyama was “a go-go dancer for TV show Beat Pops. Her debut single is rather square, but its jazzy flip ‘Watashi No Inori’ is just the right amount of raw and teenage. A year after the Carnabeats hit paydirt with a reading of the Zombies’ ‘I Love You’, re-titled ‘Suki Sa Suki Sa Suki Sa’, Nana Kinomi included the same song on her album “Let’s Go Nana!” with GS band Leo Beats. You can hear half-American, half-Japanese model Miki Obata struggle to hit the high notes on ‘Hatsu Koi No Letter’, but it’s considered a Japanese girl-pop staple. Ryoko Moriyama’s ‘Ame Agari No Samba’ attests to the high quality of Japanese bossa nova – as laidback and atmospheric as the Brazilian originals it emulated. Former figure skater Ayumi Ishida’s ‘Taiyou Wa Naite Iru’ is total melodrama, a whirlwind of harpsichord and strings. The star of over a hundred films, Sayuri Yoshinaga appealed to the Japanese mainstream with her modest image and ability to leave audiences in floods of tears. Her ‘Koi No Yorokobi’ is the perfect Japanese girl-pop primer – dark yet upbeat, with all-girl chorus the Schoolmates chirping in the background.” “Nippon Girls” is highly recommended to girl group fanciers, GS groovers and anyone else with a keen ear for eclectic sounds. The LP version sports a zingy gatefold cover by designer Niall McCormack, who also created the 23-inch square poster found tucked inside. By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2013 | LP | 25.00 € |
|
| Canned Heat - Essential feat Little Richard on track # 18 |
 |
Emi Music 2012 | CD | 9.00 € |
|
| Cliff Richard - 21 Today |
 |
Hallmark Music 2012 | CD | 6.00 € |
|
| Gerry & The Pacemakers - Alle 40 Goed 2CD 2CD = 40 tracks |
 |
Emi Netherlands 2012 | CD | 10.00 € |
|
| Hep Stars - 5CD Original Album Serien |
 |
Emi Music 2012 | 2-CD | 29.00 € |
|
| Jeanne And The Darlings / The Charmels - We're The Soul Girls ! - The Complete Volt Recordings This Stax distaff double-header anthologises two underrated teams of ladies whose voices were utilised behind the scenes at McLemore Avenue as well as in their own right. Both were with the company for a number of years and neither ever had a long-playing vinyl release, which makes this new CD extremely welcome. “We’re The Soul Girls” features everything released on Volt by Jeanne and the Darlings and the Charmels, as well as eleven tracks that were not issued at the time. Their original 45s are admired by girl group fans, and both the Darlings’ ‘Soul Girl’ and the Charmels’ ‘As Long As I Have You’ are also cherished by collectors of original breakbeats. The Charmels were at Stax throughout the Atlantic-distributed years. As the Tonettes, theirs were the first voices to be heard on the Volt label when ‘No Tears’ became Volt 101 in early 1962 (#100 was an instrumental by the Triumphs). The Tonettes had a second single a few months later, and recorded enough material to fill four more 45s, but they caught an unexpected break when Nashville label Sound Stage 7 needed a black female group to go out as the Dixiebelles to promote a studio-created Hot 100 hit called ‘Down At Papa Joe’s’. The Tonettes masqueraded as the Dixiebelles until that concept had run its course, and returned to the Volt roster in late 1966 as the Charmels (and, on their final Volt 45, the Charmells). Working with Isaac Hayes and David Porter they rolled out four exemplary 45s over an 18 month period that extended into the early days of the post-Atlantic era. They also backed up a number of Stax’ solo artists during part of that period, a role they shared with a trio of equally estimable ladies led by Arkansan Jeanne Dolphus – or Jeanne Darling as she was known professionally. Jeanne and her fellow Darlings would quickly become Stax’ equivalent of Motown’s Andantes, lending their vocal backups to an increasing number of sessions featuring solo Stax acts. Unlike the Andantes, who managed just one single in their own name during the years they were with Motown, Jeanne and the Darlings saw six singles issued over a three-year period with Volt. They too started their own career under the supervision of Hayes and Porter, before moving on to work with other great Stax writer-producers, including Don Davis and the celebrated ‘We Three’ trio of Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson. None of the unissued tracks by either group is inferior, and just about all of them could have been considered for singles. You might think that there can’t be much left to do with Stax, given how many great CDs have preceded these two on the Ace catalogue. That’s not the case and, even as these two are finding their way into your collections, I’m mining the tape vaults for yet more exciting projects by both familiar and fairly obscure Stax acts. The ‘clicks’ just keep on coming…. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 23.00 € |
|
| Jerry Cole - Psychedelic Guitars “Psychedelic Guitars” is Ace’s third collection of Jerry Cole’s 1960s recordings for the Crown and Custom labels. “Hot Rod Twangin’”, the first in this series, showcased some of Jerry’s early R&B work as Billy Boyd and tracks from his hot rod-themed LPs of the mid-60s. The second, “Guitars A Go Go”, found him playing some fierce disco-fuelled guitar wizardry. And when everybody started tuning in and dropping out, Crown turned to Jerry Cole to save the day. It was at this time that Crown launched Custom Records, the label on which his six psychedelic albums were released. Custom’s first psychedelic LPs weren’t psychedelic at all. Released as “Psychedelic Guitars” and “More Psychedelic Guitars”, they were merely Jerry’s “Guitars A Go Go” and “A Go Go Guitars” albums repackaged in new, splashy covers. But with the release of the Projection Company’s “Give Me Some Lovin’” LP things started to get a bit more interesting. In 1966, avant-garde violinist and composer Paul Arnold hired Jerry and his main recording mates – Don Dexter, Norm Cass and Glenn Cass – to record a psychedelic concept album, “The Inner Sounds Of The Id” for RCA. At the same time, LA-based Alshire Records released the psychedelia-exploitation LP “The Animated Egg”, another album prized by collectors of the genre. It’s not entirely clear which came first, “The Id” or “The Egg”, tracks and outtakes from both of which also appeared on Jerry’s Custom albums. The Projection Company’s “Give Me Some Lovin’” LP contained three alternate takes from “The Id”: ‘Wild Times’, ‘Boil The Kettle’ (with its Freudian psychobabble removed) and ‘I Love You, I Do’. A down-in-the groove take on ‘That’s The Way It Is’ from “The Egg” resurfaced as ‘Tune Out Of Place’ and the instrumental ‘‘T Morrow’ had vocals added to become a pretty good version of Spencer Davis’ ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’. New tracks included ‘What Else’, ‘Uh, Uh, Uh’ and the standout ‘Our Man Hendrix’. With the release of T Swift & The Electric Bag’s “Are You Experienced” album Jerry and crew must have really started to come on to the Orange Sunshine. On tracks such as ‘Expo In Sound’ and ‘Free Form In 6’ Jerry waved his freak flag higher than most. ‘Kimeaa’ is a classic in its own right, as is Jerry’s 12-string workout on ‘What’s Your Bag?’, and even the cover version of ‘Are You Experienced’ is fun to listen to. While the title track is a rather dreadful affair, the Generation Gap’s “Up, Up And Away” album is actually quite good. ‘Fool’s Luck’, ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Strange Shadows’ are excellent instrumentals and ‘High On Love’ and ‘Lisa’ are good examples of Jerry’s writing skills and vocal ability. The Stone Canyon Rock Group’s “MacArthur Park” album duplicates the same “Id” material as the Projection Company LP. It also contains a repeat of ‘Strange Shadows’ (re-titled ‘Light Show’), the rockin’ ‘I Can’t Stand It’ and a couple of MOR vocal tunes. Jerry Cole was a space age, soul-surfin’, hot roddin’, go-goin’, blues-pickin’ psychedelic ranger if there ever was one. Not many know these hard-to-find LPs even exist. I hope this compilation and the others in the series give listeners an opportunity to discover, re-evaluate and enjoy his unique and fun recordings for Crown and Custom. By Mike Vernon (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Jerry Lordan - All My Own Work A key figure in British Pop during the pre-Beatles era. He had a parallel career as a late 50’s early 60’s pop performer and songwriter. Dale Hawkins scored with Lordan’ s A House, A Car,A Weddding Ring and I’ve Waited So Long was a top 5 for Anthony Newley. Lordan himself scored three hits in 1960, with Who Could Be Bluer going top 20. Also in 1960 Lordan wrote Apache . A number 1 in the UK for The Shadows and no.2 in the US for Jordan Ingmann. Lordan wrote two more no.1’s Wonderful Land for The Shadows and Diamonds for Jet Harris & Tony Meehan. His songs were also covered by Cliff Richard, Shane Fenton and he had another huge hit with Louise Cordet and I’m Just A Baby Included here are all Lordans recordings for Parlophone , which in turn represents the majority of his recording career. They include his one LP , all his singles and his authors version of Apache. Reissued officially here for the first time, this is also the first time the recordings have appeared on CD. |
 |
RPM 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Jimmie Rodgers - 21 Greatest Hits |
 |
IMC Music 2012 | CD | 10.00 € |
|
| Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Shakin' All Over - The Early Singles 1959-1961 |
 |
Rumble Records 2012 | LP | 19.00 € |
|
| Jose Feliciano - If I Really Bug You / Everybody Do The Click early rockers from Jose |
 |
Rca Victor 2012 | Single/EP | 6.00 € |
|
| Karl Denver - Wimoweh |
 |
Hallmark Music 2012 | CD | 6.90 € |
|
| Lovin' Spoonful - The Best Of The Lovin' Spoonful |
 |
Music On Vinyl Records 2012 | LP | 23.00 € |
|
| Manfred Mann - The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann japanese pressing |
 |
Emi Music Japan 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Mr. Gasser & The Weirdos - Hot Rod Hootenanny Hot Rod Hootenany featured an eye-popping, full-color cover illustration by Roth. Upon release in 1963, it created quite a stir among surf/hot rod aficionados and entered the lower reaches of the Hot 100. Falling out of print after the crest of the hot rod craze, this album quickly became a prized collectable. Out of print for decades, Sundazed Music is gassed to roll this LP out of the garage and back onto your turntable! Pressed on competition-ready vinyl and compact disc, packaged in a retina-searing reproduction of the original Big Daddy artwork, it will go from zero to 33 1/3 RPM in seconds! FLOOR IT!!! A true "renaissance man," Ed "Big Daddy" Roth excelled in a number of pursuits. Artist, cartoonist, car-customizer and pinstriper were but a few of his specialties. Growing up in California, surrounded by the surf and hot rod movements of the late '50s, Roth's expansive imagination was set in motion and popular culture would never be the same. Working closely with Ed Roth, who assumed the nom du disc "Mr. Gasser," Fred Rice carefully selected vocalists and musicians for the recording session. Gary Usher assembled and led the vocal talent, which included Jackie "Robyn" Ward, Chuck Girard, Richard Burns and Darlene Love. And how's this for a guitar line-up: Glen Campbell, Jerry Cole and Howard Roberts! On drums you've the great Hal Blaine. Meanwhile, Cliff Hils anchored the bass position and Leon Russell played piano while Steve Douglas wailed on sax. What a fabulous group of "Weirdos"! The combination of A-list players and a top-notch studio produced a superior-sounding LP, every bit the sonic equal of contemporary recordings from stars like the Super Stocks and the Beach Boys. |
 |
Sundazed Music 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Mr. Gasser & The Weirdos - Rods N' Ratfinks When it came time to follow up the success of Hot Rod Hootenanny, Capitol's Fred Rice wisely stuck to the arithmetic of the first LP: great Ed "Big Daddy" Roth-inspired songs + the best session musicians + Capitol Studios = another outrageous LP! Rods n' Ratfinks continued the party started on the first album under the direction of Gary Usher. Piling in the Weirdos' woodie for this road trip were Glen Campbell, James Burton and Billy Strange on guitar, Ernie Freeman on piano, Carol Kaye and Steve LaFever on bass, Earl Palmer on drums and Steve Douglas on sax. Gary Usher, Richard Burns and Chuck Girard returned to do vocal duty. And, of course, "Big Daddy" himself created another screaming-technicolor-suitable-for-framing LP cover! Looking at the illustration, if you peep past the wacked-out jalopy, you'll spy Rat Fink hanging at least two as he shoots the curl. Take that, Sponge Bob! A true "renaissance man," Ed "Big Daddy" Roth excelled in a number of pursuits. Artist, cartoonist, car-customizer and pinstriper were but a few of his specialties. Growing up in California, surrounded by the surf and hot rod movements of the late '50s, Roth's expansive imagination was set in motion and popular culture would never be the same. Working closely with Ed Roth, who assumed the nom du disc "Mr. Gasser," Fred Rice carefully selected vocalists and musicians for the recording session. Gary Usher assembled and led the vocal talent, which included Jackie "Robyn" Ward, Chuck Girard, Richard Burns and Darlene Love. And how's this for a guitar line-up: Glen Campbell, Jerry Cole and Howard Roberts! On drums you've the great Hal Blaine. Meanwhile, Cliff Hils anchored the bass position and Leon Russell played piano while Steve Douglas wailed on sax. What a fabulous group of "Weirdos"! The combination of A-list players and a top-notch studio produced a superior-sounding LP, every bit the sonic equal of contemporary recordings from stars like the Super Stocks and the Beach Boys. |
 |
Sundazed Music 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Mr. Gasser & The Weirdos - Surfink ! originally released in 1964 on Capitol Records. |
 |
Sundazed Music 2012 | LP | 20.00 € |
|
| Mr. Gasser And The Weirdos - Rods N' Ratfinks When it came time to follow up the success of Hot Rod Hootenanny, Capitol's Fred Rice wisely stuck to the arithmetic of the first LP: great Ed "Big Daddy" Roth-inspired songs + the best session musicians + Capitol Studios = another outrageous LP! Rods n' Ratfinks continued the party started on the first album under the direction of Gary Usher. Piling in the Weirdos' woodie for this road trip were Glen Campbell, James Burton and Billy Strange on guitar, Ernie Freeman on piano, Carol Kaye and Steve LaFever on bass, Earl Palmer on drums and Steve Douglas on sax. Gary Usher, Richard Burns and Chuck Girard returned to do vocal duty. And, of course, "Big Daddy" himself created another screaming-technicolor-suitable-for-framing LP cover! Looking at the illustration, if you peep past the wacked-out jalopy, you'll spy Rat Fink hanging at least two as he shoots the curl. Take that, Sponge Bob! A true "renaissance man," Ed "Big Daddy" Roth excelled in a number of pursuits. Artist, cartoonist, car-customizer and pinstriper were but a few of his specialties. Growing up in California, surrounded by the surf and hot rod movements of the late '50s, Roth's expansive imagination was set in motion and popular culture would never be the same. Working closely with Ed Roth, who assumed the nom du disc "Mr. Gasser," Fred Rice carefully selected vocalists and musicians for the recording session. Gary Usher assembled and led the vocal talent, which included Jackie "Robyn" Ward, Chuck Girard, Richard Burns and Darlene Love. And how's this for a guitar line-up: Glen Campbell, Jerry Cole and Howard Roberts! On drums you've the great Hal Blaine. Meanwhile, Cliff Hils anchored the bass position and Leon Russell played piano while Steve Douglas wailed on sax. What a fabulous group of "Weirdos"! The combination of A-list players and a top-notch studio produced a superior-sounding LP, every bit the sonic equal of contemporary recordings from stars like the Super Stocks and the Beach Boys. |
 |
Sundazed Music 2012 | LP | 20.00 € |
|
| Neil Sedaka - Circulate |
 |
Hallmark Music 2012 | CD | 6.90 € |
|
| Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel - Two Teenagers - The Singles 1957-1961 There have been many collections of these pre Simon & Garfunkel releases but this is the first chronological compilation to feature all of their commercially released singles between 1957 and 1961. Includes tracks originally recorded as Tom & Jerry, Jerry Landis, Artie Garr and Tico & The Triumphs plus rare solo singles from both Art and Paul. The music on this disc is a far cry from the music that Simon and Garfunkel produced over the last forty years yet all of it captures the American pop music world in the years just before the pop British Invasion better than any greatest hits collection of the era ever could. Fully detailed liner notes with biography and career achievements. |
 |
Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 12.00 € |
|
| Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers - Jaywalkin' Singles 1962-1965 |
 |
RPM Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Phil Spector - Designing The Wall Of Sound 2CD Designing The Wall of Sound - "I Love How You Love Me" and 47 Other Bricks in the Wall Following on from the success of 'Building the Wall of Sound - JASCD 582' Jasmine are proud to continue charting the early career of rock's greatest producer, Phil Spector. 48 tracks across 2 CDs with early work by, Ben E. King, Johnny Nash, Gene Pitney and more! Don't miss the first releases on Phil Spector's own label by The Crystals and the first ever version of 'Twist & Shout'! Fully detailed liner notes continue to cover his entire history. |
 |
Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 13.00 € |
|
| Priscilla Paris - Love, Priscilla “She was a conundrum.” The words of her older sister Albeth ring true, not just for Priscilla Paris’ life, but for her musical career. This beautiful, intelligent young woman, the voice that launched a thousand transistor radios with the dreamy ‘I Love How You Love Me’, was a study in contradiction. Forthright yet extremely private, seemingly sure of herself while quite hopelessly lost. Long before their chart visibility at the turn of the 1960s, the Paris Sisters had been trained to be professional entertainers for the best part of a decade, and Priscilla yearned to break free, to rebel. This she did in several different ways, but the most significant was with her creativity; a bold move in an era when female artists of her ilk were poppets to be dangled by the likes of a Phil Spector. Her background was as a performer, not a writer, but Priscilla was determined to say what she needed to say, in song. On “Love, Priscilla”, the first ever collection of her 1960s solo recordings, we hear both sides of Ms Paris. The consummate professional, whose phrasing and exceptional microphone technique was amongst the best in the business; and the earnest, searching singer-songwriter looking so very desperately for a way to convey what she felt inside. The paradox is particularly evident in her debut album from 1967, the enchanting “Priscilla Sings Herself”, where on the one hand, she spoke of ‘Wandering,’ yet openly declared ‘I’m Home’. Or reversed the cheerful sentiment of ‘I Can’t Complain’ with an urgent plea to ‘Help Me’. All these anomalies create the unseen tension that can so often transform straightforward good music into something very special indeed. An altogether more relaxed Priss is evident upon “Priscilla Loves Billie”, a classily arranged set of Billie Holliday covers released in 1969. Four recently discovered tracks from the same year feature on “Love, Priscilla”: one tune in particular, ‘Some Little Lovin’ Lie’, is amongst the best productions of her career. By that time, The Paris Sisters had split and Priscilla was on her own, but her solo career would never gain traction, and eventually she would move to Europe, passing tragically in her adopted home Paris in 2004. I’ve been a fan of the Paris Sisters for many years, but it wasn’t until the assembly of this compilation that I really began to understand, and fully appreciate, Priscilla’s artistry. Discussing Priss with her sisters Albeth and Sherrell, manager Clancy Grass, and arranger (and one-time paramour) Don Peake, a picture emerged of her as a true maverick; a one-of-a-kind talent who shone brightly when she chose to, but was never truly able to capitalize on her abilities, or the unique gift she had with a song. What remains however, in the work of the Paris Sisters, and the solo recordings collected on “Love Priscilla”, is a legacy that resonates deeply with anyone who hears it. No singer could ask for a more fitting tribute than that. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Ronettes - Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica |
 |
Sundazed Music 2012 | LP | 20.00 € |
|
| Rory Storm And The Hurricanes - LIve At The Jive Hive March 1960 "Although the history of Merseybeat & the growth of the Beatles have been examined in forensic detail there are still discoveries to be made & sometimes something special comes along that is both unexpected and exciting. How come over 50 years on we now have a full set from Rory Storm & The Hurricanes in 1960? They are on great form and whats more the set has been professionally recorded". "As someone who has followed every niche of Merseybeat I have never come across anything like this & I am delighted to be telling you about it. Although up to 125 Liverpool beat groups were performing at any one time over the city and it's suburbs precious few live recordings were made & this is the first time that a full set from a Merseyside group recorded before 1963 has been released. |
 |
Rockstar Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Rumblers - Rumblin' & Rare This new Rumblers set makes the group’s entire output available on CD. (To complete your Rumblers collection, you’ll need our previous Rumblers comp “It’s a Gas”, plus a couple of free-floating oddities exclusive to two of our other compilations of Downey material.) All but eight of the tracks here are hitherto unissued. Of the previously released material, ‘Boss Drums’, ‘Harlem Nocturne’, ‘Walking With The Boss’, ‘Boss Blues’ and ‘Lost Weekend’ are from the only album the group issued in its lifetime (the rest of which is available on “It’s A Gas”). The latter three titles have never been reissued before. ‘Sorry’, ‘Til Always’ and ‘Gospel Truth’ are from single releases. The first two are vocals and the last was the B-side of the 45 the group released under the moniker the Nylons. Nine cuts are released here for the first time anywhere. Of these, ‘Poor Boy’, ‘Underwater’ and ‘Wockytok’ are from the group’s initial Downey sessions, and are contemporary with their big hit ‘Boss’. ‘Slingshot’, ‘Rumblin’ And Stumblin’’, ‘Wedgee’, ‘Charger’ and ‘Saxwax’ are from the second line-up of the band (which cut the great ‘Soulful Jerk’). Then there’s ‘Lots To Learn’, an unreleased vocal track lifted from the session the group did using the name Bel Canto’s, under the production eye of a young Barry White. The booklet contains a host of rarely seen photos supplied by members of the group. By Brian Nevill (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Sandy Nelson - Big Sixties Frat Party!!! Chock full of prime dance-floor movers, with no mid-60s favourite left unturned, “Big Sixties Frat Party!!!” is conclusive proof that Sandy Nelson could make you dance to even the most gloomy Leonard Cohen tune. Although Sandy's New Orleans-style sax-led instros were mostly behind him by the time that he recorded the material here, his embrace of black music continued just the same as he took on Motown marvels such as the Temptations’ ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’ and the Supremes’ ‘My World Is Empty Without You’, soul heavyweight Wilson Pickett’s ‘Mustang Sally’, the Larks’ poised R&B on ‘The Jerk’ and Jimmy Smith's jazzy reworking of ‘I Got My Mojo Working’ with the vocal line replaced by an enormously fuzzed-up guitar. Best of all is Sandy stomping through Stevie Wonder’s ‘Nothing’s Too Good For My Baby’ featuring deep baritone sax, high-flying trumpets, shrieking Hammond organ and a beat that could power a rocket to Jupiter. We also get beaty covers of the McCoys’ ‘Hang On Sloopy’, Paul Revere & the Raiders’ ‘Good Thing’ and ‘Just Like Me’, Tommy James & the Shondells’ bubblegum classic ‘Hanky Panky’, the Lovin’ Spoonful’s classy ‘Summer In The City’ and the Mamas & Papas’ haunting ‘Monday Monday’. Less expected are dynamite versions of Question Mark’s ‘I Need Somebody’, all stinging guitars delivered with a punk attitude, and a barmy treatment of Khachaturian’s ‘Sabre Dance’ taken at breakneck speed with Sandy’s tom-tom riff laying down the template for Al Capps’ imaginative arrangement. Who would have thought it was originally written as music for a ballet. There’s a healthy dose of instrumental classics too with a thrilling chase through an echoey ‘Batman’, a ton of paradiddles on drum feature ‘Tim Tom Drum’, a brace of surfing classics with Dick Dale’s ‘Let’s Go Trippin’’ and all-time anthem ‘Pipeline’. Henry Mancini’s dramatic ‘Peter Gunn’ is a tour-de-force only ever previously heard on 45, and entirely different to the LP version. The jewel in the crown is ‘Casbah’, which reunites Sandy with Richie Podolor, who’d helped him create all of his big hit singles; Richie’s tune is a mesmerising blend of Eastern and surfing sensibilities and is a stone classic. Sandy scored no less than 11 entries into the US album charts between 1962 and 1966, and with this compilation we draw from 10 of them. Although his style of music may have changed over the years, Sandy always gave it his all – plus he used the best producers, arrangers and musicians. Within you will hear the accomplished skills of producers Joe Sarceno, Dave Pell, Dallas Smith and Ted Glasser; arrangers Nick deCaro, Rene Hall, Don Peake, Al Capps and Mike Post as well as top Hollywood musicians such as guitarists Bill Pitman, Tommy Tedesco, Ben Benay, Dennis Budimir, Barney Kessell, Mike Deasy, Howard Roberts, Lou Morrell; saxmen Plas Johnson, Steve Douglas, Jim Horn, Jackie Kelso and Billy Green; bassists Carol Kaye, Larry Knechtel, Lyle Ritz, Red Callender and keyboard players Gene Garf, Mike Rubini, Ray Johnson, Jim Hobbs, Don Randi and Kay Klassy. By Dave Burke (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 23.00 € |
|
| Seeds - The Seeds he 60s punk anthems ‘Can’t Seem To Make You Mine’ and ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ pack as resonant a punch today as they did when first heard as the first two singles by a strangely attired, off-beat sounding Los Angeles outfit known as the Seeds. The group stands prominent amongst the handful of mid-60s garage bands whose influence is palpable in rock to this day. Led by charismatic frontman Sky Saxon, their unique and exciting brand of minimalist rock’n’roll has remained forever contemporary. Both of these classics were included upon the Seeds’ eponymous debut long-player, which was the apotheosis of the band’s achievement. Like the first Ramones album, it is one of rock’s great debuts; a record where a signature style was sharply defined. Never mind that, at the time of its release in July 1966, “The Seeds” was one of the very few albums by an unknown group that contained completely original material; it was also one of the few albums from a group of their kind, full stop. Saxon’s insistence upon a stark and eye-catching front cover, depicting the combo in all their hirsute glory, guaranteed curiosity at the very least. But it was what the record contained that counts, and it is mandatory listening for any true fan of rock’n’roll in its purest, most elemental form. With cuts such as ‘No Escape’, ‘Girl I Want You’ and ‘Nobody Spoil My Fun’, “The Seeds” still represents the band at their edgiest and most focused. Richard Marsh had arrived in late 1950s Hollywood from his native Salt Lake City hungry for stardom, but it was only after a half-dozen schlock singles that he turned what might have seem a distinct disadvantage – a thin, whining voice, less than movie star looks, and only a modicum of musical prowess – into the charismatic persona of Sky Saxon. Those familiar with Saxon’s often diffuse and rambling post-Seeds work may hardly recognise the incredible focus and power he brought to the band’s first two years of existence. Saxon would not and could not have achieved his eventual breakthrough without the express assistance of his fellow Seeds – who were never, ever his “sidemen,” no matter how the media (or on occasion, the band’s management) viewed them. Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage and Rick Andridge were, like Saxon, all refugees from middle America, subsisting on cheapHollywoodgigs in the vague but resilient hope that success might come their way. The quartet span their own relentless web of sound, tinged with a haunting patina that is uniquely Seeds. With the generous co-operation of original label GNP Crescendo, no stone has been left unturned in order to present “The Seeds” in the best possible quality. Our deluxe reissue boasts the superlative, punchy mono mix, heretofore unavailable on CD, along with ten bonus tracks – seven of which are previously unissued – thereby doubling the length of the original album. These include the full length, unedited take of ‘Evil Hoodoo’, the unreleased song ‘Dreaming Of Your Love’ and early versions of their classic B-sides ‘Daisy Mae’ and ‘Out Of The Question’, spiced with some priceless studio chat. The 36-page booklet examines the Seeds’ early career in unprecedented detail, based on fresh research and interviews with the surviving participants. Keyboard player Daryl Hooper – the true architect of the Seeds sound – opened his files to share a swathe of incredible, rarely seen illustrations. Big Beat’s expanded and definitive edition of this cornerstone garage rock opus is the first salvo in our campaign to reinstate the Seeds’ catalogue to its rightful glory – watch this space. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Shanes - 5CD Original Album Serien |
 |
Emi Music 2012 | 2-CD | 29.00 € |
|
| Shocking Blue - Love Buzz 2x10" Shocking Blue from the Beat-scene of the Hague of the 1960s was the first Dutch band to have a #1 hit in the US, 'Venus'. After a number of other hits and international tours, the band sadly split in 1975. Their influence on music passed on to new generations; both Nirvana and The Prodigy covered the song 'Love Buzz' at some time in their careers. 'Love Buzz', the new vinyl-only compilation released specially by Music On Vinyl, is a collection of their best hits. It's ssued in a gatefold sleeve on two 10" with a swelteringly sexy poster of singer Mariska Veres. A special treat awaits the early birds: the first batch of 500 copies will be pressed on shockingly blue vinyl! • 120 grams audiophile 10" vinyl • Gatefold sleeve • Music On Vinyl exclusive compilation • Includes Poster • First 500 limited on Blue vinyl |
 |
Music On Vinyl 2012 | 10" LP | 25.00 € |
|
| Sten & Stanley - Guns Of Bofors 1962-63 Their best instrumental and Rock & Roll recordings 1962-1963 |
 |
Triola / Star Club Records 2012 | CD | 15.00 € |
|
| Swinging Blue Jeans - Blue Jeans A' Swinging japanilainen painos |
|
Emi Music Japan 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Terry Manning And The Wild Ones - El Paso Rock Vol. 7 Legendary producer Terry Manning grew up in El Paso, with his eyes and ears glued on his hero Bobby Fuller. Steeped and stewed in local rock n’ roll sounds, Terry, and his teenage garage combo the Wild Ones, recorded their version of the burgeoning early 60’s Southwest ruckus. Terry came across this lost tape box recently and brought it home to Norton to hitch another piece onto the expanding El Paso rock n’ roll puzzle. Norton’s EL PASO ROCK series is available on LP and CD. Collect them all! |
 |
Norton Records 2012 | LP | |
|
| The Wheels - Road Block Rave ups don’t come any wilder than ‘Road Block’ by the Wheels, who keep the party going on this CD of their complete output, 1965-1966. Tough, shouting R&B vocals and crunching riffs from Belfast’s other great combo. ‘Road Block’ and ‘Bad Little Woman’ are garage-beat classics of which anyone raised on American “Pebbles” albums will be very familiar. The Wheels, however, were not American; they were from Northern Ireland. Yet their band original ‘Bad Little Woman’ was picked up by Chicago garage deities the Shadows Of Knight, and in contrast they covered Paul Revere & the Raiders’ ‘Kicks’. Don’t even get me started on the feral intensity of their beat-punk opus ‘Road Block’. Big Beat’s new Wheels collection comprises the A and B-sides of their three singles, released across 1965 and 1966, plus the remaining sessions they cut at Regent Sound; this is their album, its great period design making up for the fact that these talented young men didn’t get to release one first time round. Like many who have bought Big Beat releases over the past 20 years, I came to the label knowing I would find great garage, beat and psych. Now the Wheels are in the company of the Beau Brummels, the Chocolate Watchband, the Zombies and Thor’s Hammer. And by heck, they deserve it. Anyone who has bought releases by those artists will adore the Wheels. Steaming out of Belfast’s Maritime Hotel (an R&B hotbed on par with the Crawdaddy in Richmond and Newcastle’s Club A’GoGo), where they graced the stage with friend Van Morrison and his similarly clued-up Them, before moving on to an obsessive following in the glamorous environs of Blackpool. The Wheels lived their lives to the full, playing wild shows, popping pills and adapting R&B to their own means. Under the tutelage of industry bigwig Phil Solomon and producer Tommy Scott, they issued singles on Parlophone and turned heads with their long hair (or, in Brian Rossi’s case, bald head). It looked as if the charts would be theirs. Unfortunately, their sound and songbook may have shared too much with Them’s; Van and his gang stole the Wheels’ thunder and fashions changed fast. In hindsight, the magnificent punk/R&B attack of ‘Road Block’ rivals anything the toughest US garage bands recorded, ‘Bad Little Woman’ was a really decent song, their choice of covers was inspired and there’s no denying their musicality or Rod Demick’s wild-but-soulful vocals. Okay, the Wheels were a beat band versed in R&B and they didn’t make an album like “Revolver” or sell many records, but by Jove they were exciting. The 12 tracks here are testament to that. By Jon “Mojo” Mills (Ace Records) |
 |
Big Beat Records 2012 | LP | 18.00 € |
|
| Tom & Jerry - Tom & Jerry Meet Tico & The Triumphs |
 |
Hallmark Music 2012 | CD | 6.90 € |
|
| VA: - A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector 2CD uusi upea tuplaversio. Ykköslevyllä se "klassikko" joululevy ja kakkoslevyllä samojen artistien hittibiisejä. Yhteensä 31 biisiä. Loistava paketti ! |
 |
Phil Spector Records 2012 | CD | 22.00 € |
|
| VA: - Action ! The Songs Of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart The latest in our popular songwriter series spotlights Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the duo whose instinctive marriage of folk-rock and pre-bubblegum teen pop created and defined the Monkees sound. Boyce and Hart each started out as teenage rock’n’rollers in late 1950s Los Angeles and first met in 1960. Their formative years are represented here with ‘Be My Guest’, written by Boyce for Fats Domino in 1959, ‘Beverly Jean’, one of the handful of Boyce compositions recorded by Curtis Lee and ‘Too Many Teardrops’, an early Bobby Hart solo single. By 1963 both had relocated toNew York, where they began writing as a team. They made their big breakthrough the following year with ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’, a Top 3 hit for Jay & the Americans, which helped land the twosome a contract with leading music publishers Screen Gems. They reached the peak of their success and creativity in 1966, writing for and producing the Monkees. Three of the group’s best recordings are here, and a further six songs popularised by them are featured in less-frequently heard, but equally good, mostly pre-Monkees versions, including ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’ by UK fuzz-beat combo the Flies and ‘She', an almost hit for Del Shannon. By the end of 1966 the Monkees had recorded nearly 50 titles, 21 of them Boyce and Hart songs – quite an achievement considering they were in competition with Carole King, Gerry Goffin and the rest of the Screen Gems stable. Apart from the duo’s joint compositions, the collection also features examples of their work with other co-writers. ‘Never Again’ by the Royalettes and ‘Hurt So Bad’, as defined by Little Anthony & the Imperials, stem from Bobby Hart’s spell collaborating with Teddy Randazzo. ‘Action’ – the theme for TV’s Where The Action Is, here by Paul Revere & the Raiders – and ‘Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day’ by Sir Raleigh & the Cupons represent Tommy Boyce’s brief partnership with Steve Venet. And Wes Farrell gets a look-in via three songs co-written with Boyce and Hart. Come 1969 Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were stars in their own right, with four hit singles and three albums to their name. This CD kicks off with ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight’, a power-pop precursor from 1967 and the pair’s biggest hit as performers. By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 20.00 € |
|
| VA: - All Kinds Of Highs - A Mainstream Pop-Psych 1966-70 2CD Between 1967 and 1970, New York’s Mainstream label, a respected imprint known principally for its high quality jazz and soundtrack catalogue, recorded and released over two dozen full-length rock albums. “All Kinds Of Highs: A Mainstream Pop-Psych Compendium 1966-70” collects the best moments from these records, along with selected highlights from Mainstream’s singles inventory of the same period. It was still an era where there was no guarantee that even a significant hit single would grant an artist the luxury of a long-playing disc. Yet, in an assiduous move, company president and A&R chief Bob Shad single-handedly traversed the nation to assemble a roster of unknown rock bands, have them quickly record LPs in the styles of the moment, and then throw it all up at the proverbial ceiling, to see what would stick. At the time, and for some years after, Shad’s rock’n’roll splurge was viewed, somewhat cynically, as emblematic of the industry’s gross exploitation of the baby-booming psychedelic milieu. As popular music got more self-consciously cerebral and the Rolling Stone mindset took over, the rock album had become a sacred totem, an instrument of the “serious” artist. Which no doubt precluded any of the Mainstream acts getting taken seriously. I always did, however. Back in the 80s, a Mainstream album, when you were lucky enough to spot one in the vinyl hostelries of London, was a fascinating curio. Intriguingly cryptic names such as the Bohemian Vendetta or Tangerine Zoo, emblazoned upon garish pop-art sleeves, stood out in the racks. My friend Tom (later in Th’ Faith Healers and Quickspace Supersport) and I vied with each other to “collect the set”, as it were, but truthfully, at the time, the Mainstream psychedelic albums seemed too few and far between, and I was frankly too broke. It wasn’t until I later moved to the US that I caught up on classics from the Tiffany Shade, Jelly Bean Bandits and Growing Concern and also started acquiring some of the numerous non-LP singles on Mainstream and its subsidiary Brent – many of which, by Fever Tree, Paraphernalia, the Country Gentlemen and suchlike, are true gems. It always struck me that Bob Shad was a kind of unwitting patron of pop-psychedelia, or at least a chronicler of American rock at a grass roots level. He had a knack for frequently choosing groups that had something a little out of the ordinary, whether it be in songwriting chops, instrumental abilities, or just a unique slant, that to revisionist ears is a most appealing aspect of the label’s rock legacy. Mainstream artists in this era touch equally on Anglophile pop, folk-rock, world music, country and vocal harmony, in often thrilling manner. It also occurred to me as I collected Mainstream releases that, while each album had merit, there were always tracks that stood out. Using the “Nuggets” precept, it made sense to gather all these strongest moments together. Thus we have “All Kinds Of Highs”, which focuses squarely and unapologetically on the pop-psych end of the spectrum, eschewing the hard rock or horn rock stylings of later Mainstream acts such as Last Nikle, Josefus etc. That can be someone else’s compilation – in the meantime, revel in the glorious, groovy miscellany assembled here. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 23.00 € |
