Old Melodies ...
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VA - Sunshine Days Pop Classics Of The '60S
Posted: 02 May 2019 02:18 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/05/va-sunshine-days-pop-classics-of-60s.htmlSunshine Days, Vol. 1: 60's Pop Classics
The opening gun in this five-volume set collects up 14 tracks from the
sunshiney '60s with a strong pop leaning to the entire set. Obvious hits
(Dennis Yost and the Classics IV's "Stormy," the 5th Dimension's "Go Where
You Wanna Go," the Happenings'"I Got Rhythm," and Spanky and Our
Gang's "Sunday Will Never Be the Same") sit alongside not so obvious ones
(the Critters'"Mr. Dieingly Sad," the Arbors'"A Symphony for Susan,"
Mercy's "Love [Can Make You Happy]" and Tommy Roe's "It's Now Winter's
Day") from the period, making this lightweight but fun listening that fills
more than a few holes in the collection.
Sunshine Days, Vol. 2: 60's Pop Classics
The second volume in this set features 14 more tracks from the poppiest,
most non-psychedelic side of the 1960s. Although there are drivetime hits
galore on here (the Buckinghams'"Don't You Care," Keith's "98.6," the
Mamas & the Papas'"Dedicated to the One I Love," the Friends of
Distinction's "Grazing in the Grass," and the Monkees'"Daydream Believer"
for starters), the real surprises come with off-the-wall chart fodder
like "Mind Excursion" by the Trade Winds, "There's Got to Be a Word!" by
the Innocence, "The Disadvantages of You" by the Brass Ring, and the
never-ending beauty of "Sandy" by Ronny and the Daytonas. Nice transfers
throughout in this series, too.
Sunshine Days, Vol. 3: 60's Pop Classics
14 tracks of '60s pop sugar in a big way. This is probably the most
hit-laden entry of the bunch, sporting the likes of "Monday, Monday" by the
Mamas & the Papas, "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind" by the Lovin'
Spoonful, "Workin' on a Groovy Thing" by the 5th Dimension, and "Don't
Sleep in the Subway" by Petula Clark. But the less than standard-issue
inclusion of "Tomorrow" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, "Beautiful People"
by Kenny O'Dell, "Yellow Balloon" by the Yellow Balloon, and "Kissin' My
Life Away" by the Hondells make this volume just as much of a left-field
delight as the other two volumes in the series.
Sunshine Days, Vol. 4: 60's Pop Classics
Well, the title says it all: another in a series of Varese Sarabande's fine
collections of sunshine pop. As usual, these are a great way for fans of
some obscure '60s pop hits to pick up some hard-to-find titles at a
convenient, mid-line price. Tunes like Petula Clark's "I Couldn't Live
Without You," Don & the Goodtimers'"I Could Be So Good to You" (with an
awesome Jack Nitzsche arrangement), and several others make volume four a
tasty little disc to pick up. Many of these aren't the tunes that you
usually hear on oldies radio, and this is a great way to get 'em. The
obscurities on this disc are buttressed by some bigger this like "Pleasant
Valley Sunday" and "Feelin' Groovy" (and boy, has that aged well), so you
have plenty to enjoy here. The one thing that might make these volumes
better is if they were to cover a specific period (i.e., spring 1968). This
is a minor point, however. If you enjoy one of the titles, you're likely to
have a good time listening to the entire disc.
Sunshine Days, Vol. 5: 60's Pop Classics
Volume five of Sunshine Days is another excellent buy for the pop music CD
fan on the never-ending search for obscure '60s titles. Some of the cooler
titles on volume five are "Back on the Street Again" (the Sunshine
Company), "Pretty Ballerina" (the Left Banke) and the Monkees' excellent
version of the Paul Williams/Roger Nichols composition "Someday Man." One
of the cuts on here has really aged remarkably well, that being the
Turtles'"Elenore". Boosted by drummer Johnny Barbata's unbelievable
marriage of hard rock and swing, along with nimble conga overdubs, this
song is an absolute joy to rediscover; the vocal performance carries it
over the goal line. It's the feel that counts on records like this,
and "Elenore" has it. As usual, the tracks by the Mamas & the Papas and the
Lovin' Spoonful are completely ageless. To be sure, there's some crap (like
the Buckinghams' abominable "Hey Baby," among others), but if you like any
of the records mentioned above, you'll love volume five.
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The Psychedelic Sixties Music French EP Collection (2003)
Posted: 02 May 2019 01:24 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-psychedelic-sixties-music-french-ep.html"The Vogue French singles were the most highly prized and collectible1960's
picture sleeves, and Magic Records did me a huge favor by reproducing these
exactly as they would have been seen in the mid-60's. I'm a picture sleeve
collector AND and 60's music collector.How can you not love the bands'
pictures on the front AND the music. It's like a sugar coated cereal for
diabetics.I love the look of these pic sleeves,cause they say it all. 60's
PUNK! Yeah baby!While there's nothing new musically if you're a typical
60's music collector,(you should already own this music stuff or you're an
idiot anyways) the little CD singles of happiness sound fabulous, and
feature 3-4 tracks per sleeve.And I count 14 sleeves, with some
great "B-sides" They also sound like nothing else-it says on the back of
the box set that they are remastered in High Definition 24-Bit. Yeah,they
really do sound different, and I must always say that most 60's singles
were produced in MONO and do generally sound better that way! If you didn't
know it,and need to be reminded, MOST 60's singles came out originally in
the MONO form,because they were geared for the teenage lima bean market of
AM radio top 40 charts,and they have a terrific sound all of their own.When
played on your 1960's car radio with one measly speaker, those singles
sounded like a symphony. They sound better than your current CD's and vinyl
and have a nice 3D feel to them. So,vinyl purists, you can still have your
sound, and quality, and eat your cake too. I just don't know, the idea of
playing only 3-4 tracks on one CD,and then having to change the disc,is
sorta stupid, but, that's the way these singles came out originally,in
France.And they're keeping that artistic look of them nicely, they even
reproduced the single's paper sleeve centers on the printing directly on
the discs! Talk about fans! These guys are as crazy as I am, I would have
done the same thing! Make it look exactly like it did in the mid-60's, and
make it sound the same too. Bravo!I couldn't afford these original
singles,whenever I saw one, and whenever I saw a picture of one,I drooled.
So, I included scans of each and every single,because they are pretty
little jewels. What can be said about the bands that already hasn't been
said before? I can't add anything, and besides, I'm lazy.The music speaks
for itselfwell enough. Some of the music is more ground breaking for the
time, and some of it is clever pop music, that's slightly better than most.
(the Electric Prunes,We The People and the like are far more
ground-breaking than say the silly Kasenetz-Katz Music Explosion bubblegum
sticky sweet pop) But still even THAT kind of music has it's place in my
black garage punk heart. I'm not crazy about Western Union Man By The Five
Americans, buthearing it again, on these discs, actually makes it sound
like fun again! The sound is luscious, thick, and as gorgeous as a freshly
popped open original copy of the 13th Floor Elevators album right from that
era. Even you die hard vinyl purist collector scum will want to hear
this.It would be nice if you liked this stuff, and made a comment. I always
like reading your opinions and thoughts, and just knowing you appreciatemy
efforts bringing you this music,it makes my little heart go pitter,patter.
Who's on this? The Electric Prunes, We The People, The Seeds,The 13th Floor
Elevators, The Music Explosion, The Five Americans, The Syn, The Shadows Of
Knight, The Count 5 and The Shakepeares." ~ MOJO REPAIR SHOP
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VA - Soft Sounds For Gentle People
Posted: 02 May 2019 01:17 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/05/va-soft-sounds-for-gentle-people.htmlSoft Sounds For Gentle People 1 (2003)
Subtitled "Far-out and beautiful tracks from California and beyond
1966-1971," Soft Sounds for Gentle People scours the nooks and crannies of
the sunshine pop archives to unearth nearly two dozen singles and album
cuts long forgotten by all but the most rabid collectors. Although there's
a strong psychedelic dimension to the material -- nothing here would seem
out of place in the Nuggets series -- the radiant harmonies and lush
orchestral arrangements wonderfully capture the more tranquil side of
late-'60s pop; sweet but never syrupy, should-have-been hits like the
Pleasure Fair's "Today," the Lewis and Clarke Expedition's "Blue
Revelations," and the Moorpark Intersection's David Axelrod-produced "I
Think I'll Just Go and Find Me a Flower" sound far fresher and even more
contemporary than the overplayed chart hits that dominate oldies radio.
Most of the tracks are mastered directly from the original vinyl, and while
there are some cracks and pops present in the mix, the overall fidelity is
excellent and the liner notes are witty and informative -- all told, a
fantastic package, although its legitimacy is questionable.
Soft Sounds For Gentle People 2 (2003)
The second volume of the Soft Sounds for Gentle People series digs up
another fantastic batch of groovy sunshine pop obscurities from the heyday
of the West Coast scene, possibly even surpassing its predecessor for sheer
quality and consistency -- it's amazing how much of this stuff the major
labels were putting out, how much of it is truly great, and how much of it
has for so long remained relegated to the dustbin of history. Like last
time, there's a strong psychedelic dimension to these songs, and nothing
would seem glaringly out of place on a Nuggets compilation, but the radiant
harmonies and lush orchestral arrangements wonderfully capture a more
peaceful, even earnest side of late-'60s flower-power pop -- nothing here
sounds horribly dated, either, especially standouts like the Collage's "My
Mind's at Ease," the Pleasure Fair's "Nursery Rhyme," the Garden
Club's "Little Girl Lost and Found," and the Family's "San Francisco
Waits." The legitimacy of this disc is a question and some of the material
sounds mastered directly from the original vinyl, but the sequencing and
liner notes are excellent and it's hard not to wish official releases were
handled with so much obvious care and affection.
Soft Sounds For Gentle People 3 (2004)
This series of CDs from Pet Records is supposed to be devoted to sunshine
pop releases from the second half of the 1960s -- but most of the acts here
know a good beat when they find it. Starting with the Mojo Men (billed by
this time as Mojo) doing "Candle to Burn," the makers have generally chosen
psych-pop sides with a beat. Even the most "produced" side here, "January
Girl" by Pipedream (who apparently didn't exist as a group), manages to
throw together enough of a rhythm section and effects to make it worthwhile
psychedelic rock, even if the song itself sounds like a leftover from a
sub-Hair musical. The Fun and Games apparently hailed from Texas, but that
didn't stop them from sounding as spaced-out and languidly pretty as their
trippy California surroundings on "Close to Carmel." Bryan's
mysterious "Learn to Love" actually comes off as closer to psychedelic rock
(with a decent beat) than most of the rest here, despite its being the
product of a studio ensemble -- Tommy Roe producer Steve Clark evidently
knew how to create those sounds on the fly. Leon Russell was one of the
prime movers of Le Cirque, along with Marc Benno and Jerry Riopelle of
Parade, and for a piece with a fairly conventional brass-loaded
accompaniment, it does achieve a colorful effect with its trippy lyrics.
The disc gets better as it goes along, the talent of the results (or both)
becoming very imposing midway through -- far and away the best cut on this
album is "Time Goes Backwards" by Jim & Jean, the folk duo; this
psychedelic folk track is a totally unexpected permutation of their sound
that lingers long after it's over. The Hung Jury's "Buses" is also pleasant
psych pop in a Monkees-like mode, and "Lovin' Day" by the Status Cymbal is
a surprisingly garage punk-ish cut to come out of Felton Jarvis' orbit in
Nashville. Jacobson & Tansley were a virtually unknown Curt Boettcher
project from 1966, whose "Dream With Me" managed to chart in New York and
Cleveland, and deserved better. And the Second Helping's mouthful of a
title, "Floating Downstream on an Inflatable Rubber Ball" -- which
prominently features a pre-Loggins & Messina Kenny Loggins, with sitar and
spacey lyrics -- makes for surprisingly pleasant listening. Less
interesting and more ponderous is Stained Glass'"A Scene In Between,"
which is more pure psychedelia than sunshine pop -- produced by Rick
Jarrard, it does have a nicely brittle lead guitar part that recalls the
12-string on "Eight Miles High" slowed down a bit.
Soft Sounds For Gentle People 4 (2006)
Soft Sounds For Gentle People 5 (2010)
Mystic Males (Soft Sounds For Gentle People Presents Tripped-Out
Troubadours From 1965-1970) 2005
Compiled by the same Pet Records crew that previously assembled the
three-volume folk-rock smorgasbord Soft Sounds for Gentle People, Mystic
Males unearths 23 weird-beard psych-folk obscurities from the late '60s,
spotlighting the hirsute singer/songwriters that sprouted like weed in
post-Dylan Greenwich Village and post-Byrds Los Angeles. Though created in
the laboratories of metropolitan America, much of the material here boasts
a pastoral, back-to-nature sensibility. Between them, the sensual delights
of either flora or flesh dominate virtually every song. Meanwhile,
Svengali-like figures including Curt Boettcher, Tom Wilson, and Terry
Melcher lurk on the sonic periphery, contributing the trademark touches
that make this music so wonderfully emblematic of its era. Highlights
include Harumi's heady "Hunters of Heaven," Bob Ray's
Donovan-inspired "(Girl with The) Cameo Ring," and Dick Domane's
heavy-lidded "Bad Dream."
Soft Sounds For Gentle People - He & She (2007)
Soft Sounds For Gentle People - Sounds Of She (2008)
Wanted : Mystic Males 2 (2014)
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People ! - I Love You (1968) & Both Sides Of People (1969)
Posted: 02 May 2019 01:16 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/05/people-i-love-you-1968-both-sides-of.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Love_You_(The_Zombies_song)Best remembered for their 1968 hit single "I Love You," the San Jose,
California-based rock band People! was also an early vehicle for singer,
guitarist, and songwriter Larry Norman, who would later become a pivotal
figure in Christian rock. People! was formed in 1965 by guitarist Geoff
Levin; the initial lineup also featured bassist Robb Levin, keyboard player
Albert Ribisi, drummer John Riolo, and singer and guitarist David Anderson.
When he formed the group, Geoff Levin was a student at San Jose State
University and giving guitar lessons in his spare time; one of his students
was Mike Hunter, a disc jockey and program director at a popular local
radio station, KLIV-AM, and Geoff persuaded Mike to become the group's
manager. After Hunter came aboard, Anderson left the group and two
singer-guitarists joined, Larry Norman and Gene Mason, with the intention
of giving the band a more dynamic appearance on-stage; the band also added
drummer Denny Fridkin after Riolo left to focus on his education. Combining
elements of pop, folk-rock, and psychedelia, People! earned a loyal
following on the California rock scene, headlining at a variety of venues
and opening for the Who, the Doors, the Dave Clark Five, and Paul Revere &
the Raiders. In 1967, People! scored a deal with Capitol Records; their
debut single, "Organ Grinder" b/w "Riding High," attracted little interest,
but the follow-up, a cover of the Zombies'"I Love You" with "Somebody Tell
Me My Name" on the flipside, slowly became a hit in the United States,
rising to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1968, and a
major chart success in Japan, Australia, Israel, and Italy. In response to
the single's success, People! began work on an album, but just as the I
Love You album was being released, Norman, who sang lead on the hit, left
the group; Norman would later claim that Capitol made changes to the album
without his permission (this has been dismissed by many people close to the
group) and that the core members of the band had joined the Church of
Scientology and were pressuring him to follow their lead (several members
of the band did embrace Scientology, and are still involved with the
church). Despite Norman's absence, People! continued, recording a second
album for Capitol, Both Sides of People, in 1969, and in 1970, the group
signed with Paramount Records for a third LP, There Are People and There
Are People. A number of musicians drifted in and out of the band following
their departure from Capitol, and in 1971, People! broke up. In 1974, Larry
Norman and Gene Mason staged a People! reunion as a benefit for the Israeli
Fund, though they were the only original members of the group to take part;
the performance was later released as a live album by Norman's label Solid
Rock Records, as was a 2006 People! performance in Oregon featuring Norman,
Mason, and Denny Fridkin. In the fall of 2007, People! were inducted into
the San Jose Rock Hall of Fame, and for the occasion, Norman, Mason,
Fridkin, Ribisi, Riolo, Geoff Levin, and Robb Levin reunited for a short
concert. It was one of Norman's final public performances; he died four
months later.
I Love You (1968)
The title track's cover of Zombies member Chris White's fabulous song "I
Love You" went Top 15 in the spring and summer of 1968. The anomaly that
drifts in from seemingly out of nowhere, this causes one to wonder why
bands who have success with someone else's music do not try reinventing
other tunes. As Tommy James' composition "Tighter Tighter" for Alive 'N
Kickin', Stan Vincent's "O-o-h Child" for the Stairsteps, and producer Paul
Leka's visionary "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye for Steam identified those
bands, all three acts failed to follow up their radio play majesty with
another magical arrangement of a great tune. In the case of Alive 'N
Kickin', it's a poor album of filler to round out a sublime 45 RPM. People
needed to craft an album of songs as beautifully arranged and performed as
the title track here, and they failed to do so. Thirteen minutes and 25
seconds of "The Epic" is all that is on side two, and it is a major-league
rip-off. At least Iron Butterfly made their signature song, "In a Gadda Da
Vida," interesting by dragging it across most of an LP side, and an
extended "I Love You" would have made this album a classic. Instead, there
are competent but boring exercises like "1,000 Years B.C.,""Crying Shoes,"
the born-again-tinged "What We Need Is a Lot More Jesus and a Lot Less Rock
& Roll," and "Nothing Can Stop the Elephants." Nothing can help this album,
actually, except for the marvelous hit single. It's not as bad as the
Alive 'N Kickin' disc, but it isn't as good as an album by Gary Lewis with
no hit singles, like his New Directions disc, for example. And what does
that say? The hit single is so perfect, so stunning, they really should
have spread it across both sides of this Capitol record.
Both Sides Of People (1969)
https://www.discogs.com/artist/393115-People-4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People!https://longshotsblues.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/tuesday-time-machine-i-love-you-people/http://laicreatives.com/people-the-band-you-never-knew-50-years-later-an-interview-with-geoff-levin/***
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The Four Tops - Main Street People (1973)
Posted: 02 May 2019 12:18 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-four-tops-main-street-people-1973.htmlFormed in 1953, in Detroit as The Four Aims. Made their recording debut in
1956. The four founding members remained together for over four decades,
until 1997 without a single change in personnel. In the 60's they were the
main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of
Holland-Dozier-Holland. After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967,
the Four Tops were assigned to a number of producers, primarily Frank
Wilson. When Motown left Detroit in 1972 to move to Los Angeles,
California, the Tops stayed in Detroit and moved over to ABC Records, where
they continued to have charting singles into the late-1970s. Since the
1980s, the Four Tops have recorded for, at various times, Motown,
Casablanca Records and Arista. Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in
1990 (Performer). Sometimes credited as "The Four Tops"
https://www.discogs.com/Four-Tops-Main-Street-People/master/36419***
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Group Therapy - People Get Ready (1968)
Posted: 02 May 2019 12:11 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/05/group-therapy-people-get-ready-1968.htmlThis New York-based psychedelic blues rock quintet featured Ray Kennedy
(vocals), Art Del Gudico (guitar), Jerry Guida (organ), Tommy Burns (drums)
and Michael Lamont (drums). The band’s debut album largely comprised of
contemporary hits, notably ‘Hey Joe’, ‘Morning Dew’ and ‘Come See About
Me’. An unknown quantity when they supported Moby Grape on a brief UK tour
in 1968, Group Therapy impressed audiences with their exciting, soul-based
stage act. The album, retitled You’re In Need Of...Group Therapy was
belatedly issued in the wake of this interest, but although their version
of ‘River Deep - Mountain High’ garnered interest when issued as a single,
the set failed to emulate its corresponding in-concert intensity. The band
split up without achieving their potential, although Kennedy later secured
success as a singer and songwriter.
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VA - Some People..And Some Beginnings of Britpop! (vol.1-2)
Posted: 02 May 2019 10:46 AM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2018/08/va-some-peopleand-some-beginnings-of.html