Old Melodies ...
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Tony Rivers and The Castaways (I love You/ I Like the Way you Walk) Single
USA 1964
Posted: 07 Aug 2019 02:16 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/08/tony-rivers-and-castaways-i-love-you-i.html"TONY RIVERS AND THE CASTAWAYS", pictured with "THE BEATLES" after their
show at "THE PIGALLE" night club in Piccadilly 21st April 1963.
l to r. Paul McCartney, Lon Lyons (in front), Tony Rivers, John Lennon, Ray
Brown, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Steve Scott and Brian (Shirt) Talbot.
Tony Rivers began way back in 1961 as leader of Tony Rivers and The
Castaways, a very fine harmony pop group who travelled the country amid the
beat boom. The band then changed their name to Harmony Grass with a hit
record “Move in a Little Closer Baby”. Tony then also began producing and
releasing records under various names. It was Tony who sang the theme tune
for the popular "The Likely Lads" TV show. Then Tony was asked to join
Cliff Richard’s band, initially arranging the harmonies and singing backing
vocals on hits such as Miss You Nights and Devil Woman to name just a few,
staying with Cliff recording and on the road for over a decade.
Tony Rivers autobiography - I'm Nearly Famous (The Tales of a Likely Lad)
A large section of the book is focused on the crazy Cliff Richard era.
However Tony worked not only with Cliff, but many other artists from Elton
and George Michael on Live Aid to making hits including a number One with
Shaky, plus studio time with Pink Floyd, Year Of The Cat album with Al
Stewart, Lulu, Linda Ronstadt, INXS, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. He
recorded two albums with The Shadows, another with Gerard Kenny, others
were with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Symphony Orchestra,
Barbara Dixon, Sheena Easton (in Caribou Ranch Studio),he toured the World
several times, made the US top ten with Devil Woman. Sang on all of those
popular 70’s Top of The Pops albums sometimes doing a better job than the
original! Tony sang harmonies on the St Etienne album “Tales from Turnpike
House”.
Tony tells his story in a personal and engaging style. This is a genuine
and fascinating insider’s view of 50-plus years of music-making, enhanced
by dozens of photos from Tony’s collection.
"Music is a power like no other. Once you connect to a song and the lyrics
you're hooked... it never leaves you" (Tony Rivers)
It's all in the book plus more...
Book can be ordered at www.tonyriversbook.com
Release Date – February 2019
Publisher – D.A. Thompson
Contact :- Lorraine Duncan 07530 961014 or email patotonyrivers@yahoo.com
Contact Name:
Lorraine Duncan
Role:
PA to Tony Rivers.
Enjoy
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Chad And Jeremy ( Before and After) LP (1965)
Posted: 07 Aug 2019 12:50 PM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/08/chad-and-jeremy-before-and-after-lp-1965.htmlBefore and After is the third studio album and first Columbia record by
English duo Chad & Jeremy. It was released on May 25, 1965. Before and
After was recorded in 1965. This album includes many sunshine pop, baroque
pop and folk rock styled songs by the duo, including their final top 20
hit, "Before and After".
"The flip-flopping between folk music, ballads and rock 'n roll is still
apparent here," Chad Stuart said. "I remember feeling frustrated because I
wanted to arrange everything. Our producer, Lor Crane, ran a pretty tight
ship, and he wasn't about to let that happen. To be fair, our touring
commitments made it difficult anyway, so we surrendered to the system and
went along for the ride.""Say It Isn't True" was originally written for
Freddie and the Dreamers, and was included on their album You Were Mad for
Me. Chad Stuart remarked that Jeremy Clyde really enjoyed
doing "Evil-Hearted Me," but that he himself liked "Tell Me Baby."
Track listing
"Before and After" (Van McCoy) – 2:39"Why Should I Care" (Jeremy Clyde,
Chad Stuart) 2:46"For Lovin' Me" (Gordon Lightfoot) – 2:17"I'm In Love
Again" (Jeremy Clyde, Chad Stuart) – 2:38"Little Does She Know" (Russell
Alquist, Chad Stuart) – 2:58"Tell Me Baby" (Jeremy Clyde, Chad Stuart) –
3:23"What Do You Want With Me" (Jeremy Clyde, Chad Stuart) – 2:57"Say It
Isn't True" (Chad Stuart)– 2:03"Fare Thee Well (I Must Be Gone)"
(Traditional) – 2:12"Evil-Hearted Me" (C. C. White) - 2:15"Can't Get Used
to Losing You" (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman) – 2:03
Enjoy.
"I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free"
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Janis Joplin (The Typewriter Tape) 1964
Posted: 07 Aug 2019 07:28 AM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/08/janis-joplin-typewriter-tape-1964.htmlJorma Kaukonen on Janis Joplin and Recording the 1964 'Typewriter Tape'by
Gabe MelineMay 3, 2016.
Of the many Janis Joplin bootlegs out there in the wild, there's one that
holds a special importance for diehard fans. The Typewriter Tape, recorded
in 1964 with guitarist Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna),
captures an early Joplin at a pivotal moment, just after her folk-autoharp
phase and just before joining Big Brother & the Holding Company.
The Typewriter Tape would go on to attain mythic status, and, as is the
norm for bootlegs, the details of its existence have been distorted over
the years. In advance of PBS' broadcast of the documentary Janis: Little
Girl Blue, I decided to go to the source: Jorma Kaukonen himself, who spoke
to me from his ranch in Ohio about that day in 1964, when his wife was
typing a letter in the background and he casually recorded some favorite
folk-blues songs with an unknown girl from Texas.
Note: Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Typewriter Tape was recorded in 1964. Tell me a little bit about where
you were at in life.
I was a senior in college, at the University of Santa Clara. I was recently
married to Margareta, may she rest in peace, and we were renting a house on
Fremont Street in Santa Clara, where the tape was recorded.
And where was Janis at in life, in 1964?
That's a good question. My intersection with Janis was fortuitous for me on
many levels. She was one of the great blues voices of my time, without
question -- I knew that the first time I heard her. To be able to play with
her was such an honor. Now, people often say, "You played with Janis," as
if we were a duo or touring band or something. It really wasn't like that.
When Janis would come down the peninsula and she needed somebody to play
with her, then I would play with her. We did a benefit together at the
Coffee Gallery in San Francisco. But most of the time, I played with her
down the peninsula, whether it was the Tangent in Palo Alto, or the
Offstage in San Jose.Do you remember how you two originally came together?
It was in 1962. I'd just flown out to California, and was going to the
University of Santa Clara. I'd been overseas for a while with my parents
and I had lived on my own in New York, so when I came back to Santa Clara,
back in a dorm again, it was sort of a social regression for me on some
levels. I remember I took the Greyhound Bus down from San Francisco, got to
Santa Clara and I got into my dorm room. I'm walking around the campus and
there's a mimeograph sign about a hootenanny in the upcoming weekend at a
place called the Folk Theater.I went, "Wow. It'll be like I'm back in New
York or in Washington, DC." I grabbed my guitar and somehow I got a ride
over to San Jose to First Avenue, near First and Edwards. And in that first
weekend that I was there, I met Janis, and a guy named Richmond Talbot,
who's passed away since, and Jerry Garcia and Pigpen. I think Herb Pedersen
might have been there with the Dry Creek Ramblers. A whole host of people
that became known later on were there at this little hole-in-the-wall
coffeehouse that first weekend.
Being backstage with all these people in this little room the size of a
closet, I met Janis and we got to talking. I'd just flown up from the East
Coast. We realized that we had some music in common. She asked if I wanted
to back her up. The songs that she wanted to do, if I didn't already know
them, were sort of intuitive anyway. So that's what we did.
These songs on the Typewriter Tape are mostly all classic blues songs
-- "Trouble in Mind,""Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out." Did you
share a love of these songs with Janis?
I've sort of gotten to know Janis' sister Laura a little bit, and what
Laura's told me is that Janis was always reinventing herself. The Janis
that I knew was that Bessie Smith, bluesy Janis -- and to be honest with
you, that's my favorite Janis. When we found that that was the center at
that moment of our universe, we just fit together. With me and Janis, like
I said, I didn't know her well personally, but we loved the music. Janis
was always great any time I was around her, because it was always about the
music and we both loved it so much.
On this Typewriter Tape, there's something very different, almost innocent
about this Janis than people are used to in her later recordings. How would
you describe that difference?
Keep in mind, this is '64. I was barely 23 years old. We were much more
innocent I think than a lot of young people today at that age, on many
levels. This was pre-hippie, so Janis was sort of a beatnik demimonde. By
the time we recorded the Typewriter Tapes, I was married and living in a
house.
It was before hard drugs. I didn't even smoke pot until I was 21 years old.
All that stuff that everybody takes for granted, the excesses of everything
that came later on, they didn't happen then. I wouldn't have known where to
get any of that stuff. I wouldn't have had the money if I did know. So on
some level, it really was an innocent time. Janis coming down to visit
Margareta and myself, and to rehearse with me, was a burst of pure artistic
innocence.
How would you describe her singing then? In your own words, what's
different about it than the later Janis, when she pushed her vocal chords
really hard on Cheap Thrills and Pearl?
She pushed them pretty hard back then too, but not in the same way. I think
that her voice ... Once again, listen: nobody cares about Jorma's opinion
about what Janis should or shouldn't have been doing. But that's my
favorite Janis. Her voice as a blues singer to me was so pure and elegant.
She was a great rock singer too, don't get me wrong. I'm not critical of
the artistic Janis. We do what we have to do, or what we're called upon to
do. But she was just so good at that stuff. Again, it was so pure. Of
course we weren't that loud, so it didn't need to be that forceful.
You were a hell of a guitar player for your age, too. What do you hear when
you listen to yourself on that tape?
That's good stuff. I'd done only finger picking for maybe three and a half
years at that time. What I hear is that I didn't know a lot of left hand. I
didn't know a lot of chords or stuff, but what I got from Ian [Buchanan]
and the guys that I looked up to was a strong right hand. My groove is
really solid. One of the things when I hear myself back then, I go, "Wow. I
was pretty good." The pretty-goodness that I hear is in my groove, my right
hand.
Technical questions here: the tape, you said, was recorded in Santa Clara
at your house on Fremont Street?
That is correct. If you want to know about the tape recorder, it was a Sony
TC-100 tape recorder, mono. My first tape recorder. I get people saying, "I
can't believe that somebody was playing the typewriter."
And that's your wife at the time, Margareta, typing in the background?
That's her. I met her in Russia the year before, because my grandparents
took us back to Russia. She was a Swede. People ask, "Was that a rhythm
track?" She was just writing a letter home. Janis and I were rehearsing and
Margareta was writing a letter home.These weren't demos for a record
company, or anything?
They were not. Oh, gosh. We were so far away from record companies back
then. Janis had come down to rehearse for a gig we had coming up... I think
it might've been the Tangent, but I can't really remember what it was.
Fast-forward six years. Do you remember where you were when you learned
that Janis had died?
I was at Winterland. That's my best recollection, that we were doing a
Winterland show. Carlos Santana was there that night, and I remember he
said to me, "Jorma, don't let this happen to you."
How did it affect you? Did you vow to not let it happen to you, or did you
reassess your life path?
I can only speak for myself, but it was hard to imagine, up to that point
in my life, that anything might kill me. We were in our 20s back then. We
were sort of all like Superman. The Janis thing, it was almost unthinkable.
How could this happen to somebody who's younger than I am? I didn't know
much about hard drugs back then. That didn't have the same relevance to me
that it does today. I understand that these things can kill you. I didn't
know that back then.
My last question: are you surprised that we're still talking about Janis
all these decades later?
No. Absolutely not. I think that she's... I was talking to my wife about it
today. It's just so sad that we'll never know what she could've become. I
was just at the Grammys earlier this year; we got a lifetime achievement
award and I had the chance to talk to Grace Slick and tell her what an
honor it was to be able to play music with her. She is one of the great
voices of my time, even though she doesn't sing anymore. The same would've
been true of Janis. Who knows who she could've become, what she would've
become?She is one of the great ones. You can't take that away from her. But
her career was so short. We're starved of some of the richness we'll never
get.
Enjoy.
"I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free"
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John Kay and The Sparrow (Pre Steppenwolf) 1968
Posted: 07 Aug 2019 06:59 AM PDT
https://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2019/08/john-kay-and-sparrow-pre-steppenwolf.htmlThe Sparrows was a Canadian blues rock band that existed in the 1960s.
Notable for being the first group to break out musician John Kay into the
mainstream, The Sparrows later morphed into the popular heavy rock group
Steppenwolf.
The original Jack London and The Sparrows line-up was formed in Oshawa,
Ontario in early 1964 by British émigré Dave Marden (A.K.A. Jack London),
(born February 16, 1944 in London, England), guitarist Dennis Edmonton
(born Dennis McCrohan, April 21, 1943 in Oshawa, Ontario), and keyboard
player Dave Hare, who later played with Everyday People.
Jack London and The Sparrows began as a beat group and played heavily on
Dave Marden's English background. Their early repertoire reflected the
influence of the “British invasion” and London even went as far as coaxing
the others to “fake” English accents, in order to convince the audience
that they had just arrived from England. Shortly afterwards, Dennis’
brother Jerry (born Jerry McCrohan, October 24, 1946 in Oshawa, Ontario)
replaced the original drummer and Brent Maitland (stage name: Bert Enfield)
joined on bass. The group began to build up a local following, playing at
various venues, such as the local Jubilee Auditorium (which was owned by
the Edmonton brothers’ father).
After moving to Toronto later that year, C.J. Feeney joined on organ. A
short while later, Bruce Palmer replaced Maitland, who went to university.
This line-up signed to Capitol Records and scored a #3 hit on the RPM chart
with debut single “If You Don’t Want My Love”. Palmer, however, soon tired
of affecting an English accent and was traded for The Mynah Birds’ member
Nick St. Nicholas in January 1965. Around the same time, local jazz
musician Art Ayre (born March 18, 1942 in Toronto) replaced Feeney, who
formed a new version of his former band, The Spellbinders.
The new line-up was responsible for the band’s lone album and the
subsequent singles. Only “Our Love Has Passed”, however, neared the success
of the debut single, reaching #7 on the RPM chart in May 1965.
By mid-1965, the group was beginning to progress beyond its early British
influences and was starting to incorporate more of a North American
blues-rock sound. At the same time, resentment was growing over London's
role in the band; he had signed the recording deal so that he would collect
most of the group's royalties. As a result, the band separated from London
(who went solo) and recorded a final single as The Sparrows, “Hard Times
With The Law”, which hit #13 on the RPM chart in August.
During September 1965, The Sparrows added singer/songwriter and guitarist
John Kay to the line-up. Art Ayre left at this point to pursue a career in
jazz with The Art Ayre Trio (and later Moe Koffman) and ex-The Diplomats
and former Mynah Birds keyboard player Goldy McJohn was recruited. The band
shortened its name to Sparrow in May 1966.
When the group separated from singer Jack London, The Sparrows recorded a
final single on their own before adding new members,
vocalist/guitarist/harmonica player and songwriter John Kay and keyboard
player Goldy McJohn.
As the new look Sparrows, the group made its live debut at Waterloo
Lutheran University (now Wilfrid Laurier University) in Waterloo, Ontario
during September 1965 and immediately made an impact with its high energy,
blues rock sound. The following month, the band supported Gary Lewis & The
Playboys at Massey Hall in Toronto and also found regular work at Chez
Monique and the El Patio in the city's Yorkville village.
After his solo career dried up, London moved into production and then
became president of the Canadian Association of Real Estate
Investors.Throughout the first few months of 1966, the group consolidated
its following on the local club scene. Realising that they needed to
attract a wider audience, The Sparrows (as the band was now called)
attracted the interest of electronics executive Stanton J. Freeman, who
became their manager and arranged for a booking at Arthur, Sybil Burton's
hot new club in New York. Freeman then flew them to New York so the A&R
people at the major record companies could see them perform. The Sparrows
were so well received that over the next five months, they commuted back
and forth between Toronto and New York. While in the Big Apple, The
Sparrows also appeared at the Barge in Westhampton (The Rascals had played
there the previous summer) on Long Island and at another New York club, the
Downtown.Producer David Kapralik, later manager of Sly & The Family Stone,
was introduced to Freeman by Jerry Brandt (head of Rock & Roll at the
William Morris Agency). Freeman brought Kapralik to see and hear the band.
He also heard some demos that the group had recorded at Allegro Sound
Studios in New York on April 28, 1966. Impressed by the quality of the
songs, he assisted Freeman get a recording deal with Columbia Records. On
June 25, the group recorded Dennis Edmonton's “Tomorrow’s Ship”, which was
subsequently coupled with the Dennis Edmonton-Nick St. Nicholas
collaboration, “Isn’t It Strange” for the group's debut single.
The single failed to chart on its release. The band returned to Columbia's
New York studios in October and recorded a follow up, the Edmonton
brothers’ “Green Bottle Lover”, which was coupled with the Dennis
Edmonton-Nick St. Nicholas collaboration, “Down Goes Your Love Life”.
Released the following month, the second single also failed to chart.By
then, the band had abandoned Canada (and New York) for the warmer climates
of California. During November 1966, The Sparrows debuted at It's Boss in
West Hollywood. Shortly thereafter, they moved to San Francisco where they
performed at the Ark in nearby Sausalito as well as the Matrix and the
Avalon Ballroom (sharing the stage with The Youngbloods and Moby Grape at
the latter).
Sparrow (as they now called themselves) continued to commute back and forth
between Los Angeles and San Francisco throughout the first six months of
1967, performing alongside The Doors, The Steve Miller Band and many
others. During June, Dennis Edmonton announced his decision to go solo and
the band recruited American guitarist Michael Monarch in early July.
Edmonton subsequently changed his name to Mars Bonfire.In 1967 St. Nicholas
also joined a Los Angeles-based group called The Hardtimes, who soon
renamed themselves T.I.M.E., which stands for Trust in Men Everywhere.
Capitol Records signed them to a $500,000 recording contract. After having
recorded two albums with Mars Bonfire and bassist Rushton Moreve along with
producer/arranger Gabriel Mekler, St. Nicholas's Sparrow bandmates
(vocalist/guitarist John Kay, drummer Jerry Edmonton and organist Goldy
McJohn) came to see him perform with T.I.M.E. at the Whiskey A Go Go on the
Sunset Strip and asked him to leave T.I.M.E. to rejoin them as Steppenwolf.
In 1969 and in the wake of Steppenwolf's success, Columbia Records pulled
out of its archives and released the recorded (but not released) 1967 live
performance album of Sparrow at the Matrix. This LP release included
unknown material as well as a totally remixed version of "Isn't It Strange"
(leaving the 45 rpm record single the only place to find the quite
different original mix of the song).
Official Sparrow members1964(as Jack London & The Sparrows) Jack London –
rhythm guitar, lead vocalsDennis Edmonton – lead guitar, vocalsBert Enfield
– bass, vocalsDave Hare – keyboards, vocalsJerry Edmonton – drums1964–
1965(as Jack London & The Sparrows) Jack London – rhythm guitar, lead
vocalsDennis Edmonton – lead guitar, vocalsBruce Palmer – bass, vocalsC.J.
Feeney – keyboards, vocalsJerry Edmonton – drums1965(as Jack London & The
Sparrows) Jack London – rhythm guitar, lead vocalsDennis Edmonton – lead
guitar, vocalsNick St. Nicholas – bass, vocalsArt Ayre – keyboards,
vocalsJerry Edmonton – drums1965–1966 John Kay – rhythm guitar, lead
vocalsDennis Edmonton – lead guitar, vocalsNick St. Nicholas – bass,
vocalsArt Ayre – keyboards, vocalsJerry Edmonton – drums, lead vocals1966–
1967(as Sparrow) John Kay – rhythm guitar, lead vocalsDennis Edmonton –
lead guitar, vocalsNick St. Nicholas – bass, vocalsGoldy McJohn –
keyboards, vocalsJerry Edmonton – drums, lead vocals
Enjoy
"I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free"
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