"NOTHING COMES EASY" Vol 1 - Basement Beat

20 Hard-Edged Stompers From The British Beat Era (20 Top Bands, 20 Top Tunes, Prime Raw British Beat)Over the past 20 years there have been countless compilations of prime, raw British Beat. Many of these have featured tracks that have appeared several times already. This might give the impression that this particular well has run dry. The Psychic Circle label admits that the gushing torrent of undiscovered pure R&B frenzy has now been reduced to a babbling country brook, but if you dig deep enough, there are still some untapped reserves of top quality beat waiting to be unearthed. Nothing Comes Easy is a compilation of 20 such gems, previously uncomped on CD. Some of these bands may be familiar to you as they have appeared on other collections of this genre, some have never been comped until now. Artists include: The UK Bonds, The Pirates, The Dee-Tees, The Gamblers, The Peasants, Barry Benson, The Rats, The Panthers, Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men, The Luvvers, The Times, The Zephyrs, Winston G, The Cheatin' Hearts, Guy Darrell, The Marauders, The Liverpool Five, Tommy Bruce, The Mark Four and Ten Feet. (Amazon)Just when you thought the well had dried up, yet another Beat comp arrives. At least with Nick Saloman as the compiler, the chances are you won't have any of these, at least not on CD. There is no denying the diversity - the comp opens with the snarling 'The Last Thing I Ever Do' by The UK Bonds. Next up are The Pirates with probably the best known track here 'I Can't Understand'. The Dee-Tees shows off with some flashy harmonica a la Brian Jones on 'Got Love If You Want It'. High Wycombe's The Peasants fire up the Diddley beat on the short, but direct 'Got Some Lovin' For You Baby'. Fave track by far is the very un-beat sounding 'Sunshine Child' by PJ Proby's hairdresser Barry Benson. The Panthers from Sweden get tuff on 'I'll be Pleased'. Greatness come from Rey Anthony & The Peppermint Men who smoulder, dangerously over the punky 'Nothing Comes Easy.' Lulu's exes The Luvvers 'Most Unlovely' features some great fuzz. The Times on 'Tomorrow Night' are let down by a weedy chorus. 'Over Suzanne' by the 40 a day sounding Tommy Bruce could easily have found it's way on to a freak beat comp - check the distortion. Gimme the Wine by The Rats, whose vocalist sounds like a dead ringer for Joe Strummer, is a jazzy romp you'll either love or loathe. On the much covered 'I Can Give You Everything', The Liverpool Five (actually from London) sound like a fully fledged Garage Band and may well be the only band here to have played in the States. Ten Feet's 'Got Everything But Love' has a great poppy beat that starts out like The Jams 'Start' - itself a steal from Taxman. (Beat Beat Beat Magazine)

trax:
1. The Last Thing I Ever Do - The UK Bonds 2. Can't Understand - The Pirates 3. Got Love If You Want It - The Dee-Tees 4. Find Out What's Happening - The Gamblers 5. Got Some Lovin' For You Baby - The Peasants 6. Sunshine Child - Barry Benson 7. Gimme That Wine - The Rats 8. I'll Be Pleased - The Panthers 9. Nothing Comes Easy - Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men 10. Most Unlovely - The Luvvers 11. Tomorrow Night - The Times 12. Wonder What I'm Gonna Do - The Zephyrs 13. That Way Too - Winston G 14. The Bad Kind - The Cheatin' Hearts 15. Stupidity - Guy Darrell & Wind Of Change 16. Lucille - The Marauders 17. I Can Only Give You Everything - The Liverpool Five 18. Over Suzanne - Tommy Bruce 19. Slow Down - Mark Four 20. Got Everything But Love - Ten Feet
...served by Gyro1966...

THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND "Ricochet" 1967

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's second album is a masterpiece. From the opening bars of Jackson Browne's "Shadow Dream Song," the high spirits overflow the grooves of the record. The singing and playing are more confident, and some of the songs -- including the bluesy "Ooh Po Pe Do Girl" and the hook-laden "I'll Search The Sky" by Jeff Hanna, and Copeland and Noonan's (the "Buy for Me the Rain" team) "Tide of Love" -- are as solid as anything coming out of California. Even the kazoo-dominated "Coney Island Washboard" and "Happy Fat Annie" and the nostalgic '20s-styled Jackson Browne-written "It's Raining Here in Long Beach" fit well into the mix, reflecting the full range of the band's influences. As to why this record never caught on, it could be the timing -- released late in 1967, in the wake of Sergeant Pepper (which had its own musichall influences, albeit of the English variety, and covered with lots of psychedelic overdubbing) and the Summer of Love, it just wasn't what college kids starting their search for the Lost Chord were looking for. Maybe a kazoo or two less would've helped, and a real drug song or two wouldn't have hurt, but these guys would play a jug band number ahead of a drug anthem anytime. Their cover of Brewer and Shipley's "Truly Right" is pretty spacy in its production, though, but "The Teddy Bear's Picnic" -- an adaptation of an old children's song -- was probably beyond the pale of most listeners. Beyond NGDB completists, anyone looking for a companion to Notorious Byrd Bros. or the Monkees' Aquarius, Capricorn Pisces & Jones Ltd., or a precursor to Crazy Horse's At Crooked Lake, need look no further. (Bruce Eder, Allmusic)

trax:
01 Shadow Dream Song 02 Ooh Po Pe Do Girl 03 Coney Island Washboard 04 Put A Bar In My Car 05 It's Raining Here In Long Beach 06 I'll Search The Sky 07 Truly Right 08 Tide Of Love 09 Happy Fat Annie 10 I'll Never Forget What's Her Name 11 Call Again 12 The Teddy Bear's Picnic
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BLUES TOWN STORY" Vol. 2

Rough and tough 60's blues!trax:
1. Three Times A Fool - Otis Rush 2. Sit Down Baby - Otis Rush 3. My Love Will Never Die - Otis Rush 4. I Can't Quit You Baby - Otis Rush 5. Dealin' With The Devil - James Cotton 6. Decoration Day - James Cotton 7. You're Gonna Miss Me - Albert Washington 8. Ramble - Albert Washington 9. Slow That Disco Down Pt 1 - Little Scotty 10. Slow That Disco Down Pt 2 - Little Scotty 11. I'm Gonna Pack Up And Leave - Walter Allen 12. Airplane Blues - Walter Allen 13. Gin Fizz - Walter Allen 14. Just Like A Woman - Walter Allen 15. Stormy Monday Blues - Walter Allen 16. One Of These Days - Walter Allen 17. Circle Round The Sun - Walter Allen 18. Hey Girl - Walter Allen 19. I've Got A Woman - Walter Allen 20. The Things I Used To Do - Walter Allen 21. Saturday Nite - Walter Allen 22. All About My Girl - Walter Allen 23. Drown In My Own Tears - Walter Allen
...served by Gyro1966...

MERLE JAGGER "Rancho Los Angeles" (2006)

A brilliant, souped up mix of hot rod roots rock. Fire up your chopped top '51 Merc and hit the road with this baby! The musical equivalent of a 40 foot strip of burnin' rubber on a two lane blacktop.. (David Wilson, Surf Hillbilly Association)On paper, it might not make sense that an instrumental country band could make sounds engaging enough to hold listeners for an entire CD, but that's quite what "Rancho Los Angeles" offers. It's kind of a cross between Dick Dale's beach music and the country genre. On "Hillbilly No. 9" Mark Christian's guitar and banjo picking is so agile that the pace is dizzying. "Trash Tornado" has that needle-like electric lead that makes it seems like a wave across a Kansas wheatfield. "Ranch Party" smokes and rips its way to make three minutes sound like an extended country hoe-down. "Granny Takes a Trip" has old-style electric leads on a break-neck pace with Mark Christian's mandolin and Brandon Goldstein's drums pounding. "Three-Legged Hog" combines a Beverly Hillbillies feeling with some blistering lead guitar. Whatever one may think about the Merle Jagger genre, it is not boring. Beach country! Enjoy! (Lee Armstrong, Country Surf Fanzine)
Perhaps this L.A.-based trio of sessionaires called their exuberant electric hillbilly experiment "Merle Jagger" because "Mick Haggard" didn't have the right ring to it, but the hybrid idea is clear and brilliant -- fusing bluegrass, hard country-rock, and jazz into an instrumental cauldron that is unlike anything any of those individual genres has heard before. Driven by Mark Christian's blazing, lightning-fast electric guitar, banjo, and mandolin, Patrick Flores' bubbling bass, and Brandon Goldstein's explosive drumming, this disc is a sh*tkicker's dream, a near hour of fast-paced, raucous party music that flies in the face of much of today's ultra slick country-pop. Think Johnny Cash on speed, and you're off to a good start on the slammin' opening track, "Ranchero," and on "Ranch Party." They crank it up even more for the appropriately titled "Hillbilly No. 9," which makes you wonder how incredibly rockin' the other eight were. "In Through the Out Take" is a little more conventionally bluesy, but "Trash Tornado" is a place where surf guitar wears a cowboy hat that just won't stay on. Even when "Granny Takes a Trip," she's flyin' off her rocker. Anyone who's ever loved country-rock, modern or classic, will enjoy the trip; these guys do their namesakes, Mick Jagger and Merle Haggard, very proud.(Allmusic)

trax:
01 Ranchero 02 Hillbilly No 9 03 In Through The Out Take 04 Trash Tornado 05 Runaway Bride 06 Ranch Party 07 Granny Takes A Trip 08 Swing House 09 Papa Tooth 10 Possom Trot 11 Three Legged Hog 12 Duck Hunter
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BLUES TOWN STORY" Vol. 1

Tough and raw 60's blues!trax:
Alabama Watson
01 I Gotta Boogie 02 Short Haired Woman 03 Bring Me My Shotgun Tke1 04 Bring Me My Shotgun Tke 2 05 Boogie Like You Wanna 06 Mean Old Train 07 I_m Ready 08 Cost Time 09 I Wanna Boogie 10 My Baby Left Me 11 Mean Old Train
Guitar Nubbit
12 Meletonia 13 I Feel So Relaxed 14 Georgia Chain Gang 15 I've Got The Blues 16 New Orleans 17 Evil Woman Blues 18 Crying Blues 19 Hard Road 20 Big Leg Woman 21 Laura
...served by Gyro1966...

BEA & BABY PRESENT: The Best Of Chicago Blues, Vol. 3

Great 60's Chicago Blues!
For nearly 20 years beginning in 1959, Chicago businessman Narvel Eatmon (aka Cadillac Baby) presided over his Bea & Baby record label, by far the most enduring of his many investments, which included a nightclub, a record store, an appliance repair service, and a confectionary. Wolf Records released a 3 Cd, 64 song set from the Bea & Baby catalog. The lineup is very impressive, and reflects the original label's profile pretty well. It includes guitarists Hound Dog Taylor, Homesick James Williamson, L.G. McKinley, Robert Jr. Lockwood, and Earl Zebedee Hooker; pianists Eddie Boyd and Sunnyland Slim; blues harpists James Cotton, Carey Bell, and Little Mack Simmons; singing drummer Willie Williams; and vocalists Bobby Saxton and Andrew McMahon. (Bluesbeat)Chicago has seen its share of resourceful entrepreneurs and colorful characters, and one who left his mark on its musical landscape was producer and nightclub owner Narvel Eatmon, professionally known as Cadillac Baby. Chiefly remembered today as the man behind Bea & Baby Records, he signed many of Chicago's top bluesmen and assembled an impressive catalog that has been reissued piecemeal since his death in 1991. Eatmon was born in Cayuga, MS on July 3, 1914, and followed the same route northward as several of the musicians he would later record. His gradual success as businessman and impresario was built upon a number of simultaneously maintained storefront operations which included an appliance repair service, a well-stocked record store, and a candy shop heated by a wood burning stove.
The crowning glories of Eatmon's little empire were Cadillac Baby's Showbar at 47th and Dearborn and the Bea & Baby record company which he founded with his wife Bea in 1959. This label, and its subsidiaries, Keyhole and Miss, steadily racked up an impressive array of titles by ROOSEVELT SYKES, JAMES COTTON, SUNNYLAND SLIM, HOMESICK JAMES, EDDIE BOYD, HOUND DOG TAYLOR, EARL HOOKER, ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD, LITTLE MAC SIMMONS, L.G. MCKINLEY, Willie Williams, JOHNNY LITTLEJOHN, DETROIT JUNIOR, HAMMIE NIXON, Porter Kilbert, Oett "Sax" Mallard, TALL PAUL HANKINS, SLEEPY JOHN ESTES, Arlean Brown, MENARD ROGERS, WILLIE HUDSON, ANDREW MCMAHON, and pop-oriented vocal harmony groups like the Chances, the Daylighters, and Faith Taylor & the Sweet Teens. In 1960, Bea & Baby released their most successful hit: BOBBY SAXTON's "Trying to Make a Living."
Tragedy struck near the end of the '70s when a fire obliterated the record store and headquarters of the label, destroying LPs and 45s, tapes, photos, and documentation. With the help of Michael Frank, whom he'd known since 1974, Eatmon managed to continue promoting music, and during the '80s they co-produced a recording project for rapper 3D. Cadillac Baby passed away in 1991. After portions of the Bea & Baby catalog resurfaced haphazardly on a number of carelessly contrived compilations, Michael Robert Frank set out to compile and reissue Eatmon's complete legacy of great recorded music in a more orderly and comprehensive manner on his own Earwig label. Unfortunately, confusion arose in 2008 when Cadillac Records, a major motion picture dramatizing the story of Chess Records, was released to great acclaim. The irony here is almost palpable, as Vee Jay and Chess were two of Bea & Baby's biggest competitors. (Allmusic)

trax:
1. Story Telling - Cadillac Baby 2. Ruthie Baby - Willie Williams 3. Wine Headed Woman - Willie Williams 4. Sky Is Crying - Little Mack Simmons 5. Hoochie Coochie Man - Little Mack Simmons 6. Key To The Highway - Little Mack Simmons 7. Inflation Blues - Little Mack Simmons 8. Commin' Home - Eddie Boyd 9. Reap What You So - Eddie Boyd 10. What In The World - John Littlejohn 11. Can't Be Still - John Littlejohn 12. Worried About My Baby - Sunnyland Slim 13. Drinking And Clowning - Sunnyland Slim 14. Calvins - Singin' Sam 15. My Story - Singin' Sam 16. Coming Home Baby - Menard Rogers 17. Just A Little Smile - Menard Rogers 18. Hudson's Jump - Willie Hudson 19. It's You I'm Going To Miss - Willie Hudson 20. Red Lips - Tall Paul Hankins
...served by Gyro1966...

BEA & BABY PRESENT: The Best Of Chicago Blues, Vol. 2

Great 60's Chicago Blues!
For nearly 20 years beginning in 1959, Chicago businessman Narvel Eatmon (aka Cadillac Baby) presided over his Bea & Baby record label, by far the most enduring of his many investments, which included a nightclub, a record store, an appliance repair service, and a confectionary. Wolf Records released a 3 Cd, 64 song set from the Bea & Baby catalog. The lineup is very impressive, and reflects the original label's profile pretty well. It includes guitarists Hound Dog Taylor, Homesick James Williamson, L.G. McKinley, Robert Jr. Lockwood, and Earl Zebedee Hooker; pianists Eddie Boyd and Sunnyland Slim; blues harpists James Cotton, Carey Bell, and Little Mack Simmons; singing drummer Willie Williams; and vocalists Bobby Saxton and Andrew McMahon. (Bluesbeat)Chicago has seen its share of resourceful entrepreneurs and colorful characters, and one who left his mark on its musical landscape was producer and nightclub owner Narvel Eatmon, professionally known as Cadillac Baby. Chiefly remembered today as the man behind Bea & Baby Records, he signed many of Chicago's top bluesmen and assembled an impressive catalog that has been reissued piecemeal since his death in 1991. Eatmon was born in Cayuga, MS on July 3, 1914, and followed the same route northward as several of the musicians he would later record. His gradual success as businessman and impresario was built upon a number of simultaneously maintained storefront operations which included an appliance repair service, a well-stocked record store, and a candy shop heated by a wood burning stove.
The crowning glories of Eatmon's little empire were Cadillac Baby's Showbar at 47th and Dearborn and the Bea & Baby record company which he founded with his wife Bea in 1959. This label, and its subsidiaries, Keyhole and Miss, steadily racked up an impressive array of titles by ROOSEVELT SYKES, JAMES COTTON, SUNNYLAND SLIM, HOMESICK JAMES, EDDIE BOYD, HOUND DOG TAYLOR, EARL HOOKER, ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD, LITTLE MAC SIMMONS, L.G. MCKINLEY, Willie Williams, JOHNNY LITTLEJOHN, DETROIT JUNIOR, HAMMIE NIXON, Porter Kilbert, Oett "Sax" Mallard, TALL PAUL HANKINS, SLEEPY JOHN ESTES, Arlean Brown, MENARD ROGERS, WILLIE HUDSON, ANDREW MCMAHON, and pop-oriented vocal harmony groups like the Chances, the Daylighters, and Faith Taylor & the Sweet Teens. In 1960, Bea & Baby released their most successful hit: BOBBY SAXTON's "Trying to Make a Living."
Tragedy struck near the end of the '70s when a fire obliterated the record store and headquarters of the label, destroying LPs and 45s, tapes, photos, and documentation. With the help of Michael Frank, whom he'd known since 1974, Eatmon managed to continue promoting music, and during the '80s they co-produced a recording project for rapper 3D. Cadillac Baby passed away in 1991. After portions of the Bea & Baby catalog resurfaced haphazardly on a number of carelessly contrived compilations, Michael Robert Frank set out to compile and reissue Eatmon's complete legacy of great recorded music in a more orderly and comprehensive manner on his own Earwig label. Unfortunately, confusion arose in 2008 when Cadillac Records, a major motion picture dramatizing the story of Chess Records, was released to great acclaim. The irony here is almost palpable, as Vee Jay and Chess were two of Bea & Baby's biggest competitors. (Allmusic)

trax:
1. Mother In Law - Little Mac Simmons 2. Help Me Little - Little Mac Simmons 3. Trouble No More - Little Mac Simmons 4. I'm Tore Down - Little Mac Simmons 5. Done You Wrong - Sunnyland Slim 6. Got That Jive - Sunnyland Slim 7. Little Girl - Sunnyland Slim 8. You Got To Reap - Eddie Boyd 9. Come Home - Eddie Boyd 10. Lost In The Jungle - Andrew McMahon 11. Worried All The Time - Andrew McMahon 12. Potato Diggin' Man - Andrew McMahon 13. Hello Baby - Arlean Brown 14. I Love My Man - Arlean Brown 15. Nit Wit - L.C. McKinley 16. MoneyTree - Detroit Jr. 17. So Unkind - Detroit Jr. 18. Santa Claus Home Drunk - Clyde Lasley 19. The Christmas Song - Lee Jackson
...served by Gyro1966...

TOMMYKNOCKERS' BEAT CLUB VOL. 4 - KEEP-A-KNOCKIN'! THE RARE AND UNCOMPILED BRITISH SIXTIES BEAT BOOM BOOM GOES ON.

Fantastic collection of non-comped 60's Beat! Read all about this great comp here (and leave a comment if you can.): ROOTS AND TRACES: SPURENSICHERUNG

trax:
1. I Don't Care (Columbia,65) - The Golden Crusaders 2. I'm Taking Her Home (Fontana,64) - The Others 3. Sometimes (CCA,66, released in Germany) - Johnny Cliff & The Conquerors 4. When Love Means So Much To You (Columbia,66, released in Sweden) - The Iveys 5. I've Done It All Wrong (Hit-Ton,68, released in Germany) - The Washington D.C.'s 6. Feel So Blue (Columbia,63) - Freddie & The Dreamers 7. I'm Not Going To Cry (RCA,66 released in USA) - The Sages (aka The 4 Avengers) 8. Hurt (VA-LP "England's Fab Sound", Pentagon,64, rel. in Canada) - The Liverpool Lads 9. Making Love To Another (Decca,64) - The Cymerons 10. I Can't Stand It (Columbia,63) - The Sinners 11. She's A Yum Yum (Page One,68) - The Memphis Three 12. The Train (EP, Vogue,67, released in France) - The Kinetic 13. The Leaving Of Liverpool (EP "Pantomania", Cavern Sound,65) - The Roadrunners 14. Stop Press (Decca,66) - Hedgehoppers Anonymous 15. Set Me Free (VA-EP, Embassy,65) - The Jaybirds 16. Boo Zooh (CBS,64, released in Germany) - Georgie & The Monarchs 17. Ain't That Just Too Bad (Polydor,65) - Alex Harvey & His Soulband 18. Love Me Baby (Columbia,64) - Peter & Gordon 19. Party Doll (Roulette,65, released in USA) - The Hullaballoos 20. Mighty Fine Girl (Decca,64) - The Redcaps 21. Nights (Columbia,64) - The Originells Four 22. Just To Be With You (Polydor,65) - Johnny Gustafson (aka Johnny Gus Set) 23. Something I Can Always Do (Decca,64) - The Pathfinders 24. Don't You Want Me No More (RCA,66, released in Finland) - The Kirkbys 25. Please Be My Love (Decca,64) - The Hillsiders 26. Holiday In Waikiki (Decca,67) - Steve Darbishire 27. Please Don't Change Your Mind (Alp,66) - The Poor Souls 28. Premeditation (Parlophone, 65) - Rey Anton & Pro Form 29. Get It Right (CBS, 66) - Gary Walker 30. I'll Cry Each Night (Philips,64) - The Cockneys 31. There's A Place (Oriole,63) - Bobby Sansom & The Giants 32. You Don't Love Me Anymore (Philips,63) - Dave Curtiss & The Tremors 33. Love Come Shining Through (Columbia,.65) - The Graham Bond Organisation 34. I Want To Dance (V.A.- LP "Brum Beat", Dial, 64) - The Kavern Four 35. Things Go Better with Coke (Short) - The Troggs
Compiled by The Lolly Pope.
From ROOTS AND TRACES: SPURENSICHERUNG Blogspot, served by Gyro1966

THE NEW TWEEDY BROTHERS "The New Tweedy Brothers" (1968)

Reissue of the lone album this SF-based psych band, originally issued in 1966. This is a legit reissue, with three bonus tracks (now packaged in regular jewel case). "This album became to most sought after Psych album and so many collectors love it. It was recorded in 1968. New Tweedy where based in San Francisco and played several times at the Fillmore with bands such as Grateful Dead, Them, Beach Boys and 13th Floor Elevators. Because of a very bad manangement this album never had an official release and came only out as a very limited pressing way back than. Every track is a winner." "Even better is the much-rumored but long-lost music inside, which manages to hit all the worthwhile points of early-SF songage in a way that often betters their more-known contemps. Starting from a sorta jugband/Byrds base (surprise), they head straight out from there: 'What's wrong With That' kicks up a kazoo-led jug-blues wail that leaves even the Charlatans just sitting there; 'Wheels of Fortune' deals in a mystic-folk code so obscure that it achieves some weird protest anthem status, at least until somebody flips a switch and the cosmos stops by for a visit; 'I Can See It' is the sorta driving folk-pounding that Moby Grape or the Springfield woulda killed for, with a great spaced/jazzy drop at the end.; and so on, and so on.... Every cut kills , the sound is nicely lo-fi, and this one pushes all the right buttons with a naïvely blasted optimism that's really hard to put into words but that will absolutely slay anyone whose head is into this stuff." -- (Kevin Moist, San Francisco Vibe)By the time the New Tweedy Brothers put out their only album in 1968, the group had been on the San Fran scene for several years, opening for the Grateful Dead, Them, the 13th Floor Elevators, and a slew of other big-name bands. Originally hailing from Portland, these Puddletowners could have easily risen to the top of the local rock heap, had it not been for ... well, why didn't the band make it? Who knows? The Brothers simply sank into obscurity and were absorbed by the Me Decade and the vast morass of time.Fortunately, after being highly sought after in record collector circles for decades, The New Tweedy Bros! has been reissued, complete with a classy package that mimics the original multigatefold, acid-cube design. The record shows the variety of its time, with tracks that range from thumping electrified boogie to jangly folk rock, from Elizabethan chants to full-on, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic freakouts. While the work of other artists -- Canned Heat, the Byrds, Jerry Garcia, the Jefferson Airplane -- echoes throughout this disc, the New Tweedies had a distinctive feel that was individual, if not entirely original. The group's yearning, somewhat shaky vocals are part of what stands out, as well as its diverse repertoire and its ability to shift from one style to another. Of the New Tweedy crew's contemporaries, probably only Moby Grape could match the group for its stylistic range and offbeat songwriting.
In the wake of the commercialized canonization of '60s pop, it's commonplace to split the music between perfectionist pop (the Beach Boys, the Beatles) and druggie self-gratification (the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) As we gaze back through the gray shades of hindsight, it's easy to overlook the original psychedelic scene's genuine experimental growth and diversity. Occasionally, however, records like The New Tweedy Bros! reappear, offering a glimpse at the real creative excitement of the time. While the Tweedy Brothers' album has all the clunky charm of modern lo-fi recordings, it is undeniably a work of its era -- you can't help but smile when you hear it, both because of its stereotypical '60s motifs and because of those ideas' continued ability to enchant us, even across the digital divide of our cynical, post-everything era. (Lawrence Kay, San Francisco Weekly)

trax:
01 Somebody's Peeping 02 I Can See It 03 I'd Go Anywhere 04 Danny's Song 05 Wheels Of Fortune 06 I See You're Looking Fine 07 Whats Wrong With That 08 Someone Just Psssed By 09 Her Darkness In December (Drone Song) 10 Lazy Livin'
...served by Gyro1966...

BEA & BABY PRESENT: The Best Of Chicago Blues, Vol. 1

Great 60's Chicago Blues!
For nearly 20 years beginning in 1959, Chicago businessman Narvel Eatmon (aka Cadillac Baby) presided over his Bea & Baby record label, by far the most enduring of his many investments, which included a nightclub, a record store, an appliance repair service, and a confectionary. Wolf Records released a 3 Cd, 64 song set from the Bea & Baby catalog. The lineup is very impressive, and reflects the original label's profile pretty well. It includes guitarists Hound Dog Taylor, Homesick James Williamson, L.G. McKinley, Robert Jr. Lockwood, and Earl Zebedee Hooker; pianists Eddie Boyd and Sunnyland Slim; blues harpists James Cotton, Carey Bell, and Little Mack Simmons; singing drummer Willie Williams; and vocalists Bobby Saxton and Andrew McMahon. (Bluesbeat)Chicago has seen its share of resourceful entrepreneurs and colorful characters, and one who left his mark on its musical landscape was producer and nightclub owner Narvel Eatmon, professionally known as Cadillac Baby. Chiefly remembered today as the man behind Bea & Baby Records, he signed many of Chicago's top bluesmen and assembled an impressive catalog that has been reissued piecemeal since his death in 1991. Eatmon was born in Cayuga, MS on July 3, 1914, and followed the same route northward as several of the musicians he would later record. His gradual success as businessman and impresario was built upon a number of simultaneously maintained storefront operations which included an appliance repair service, a well-stocked record store, and a candy shop heated by a wood burning stove.
The crowning glories of Eatmon's little empire were Cadillac Baby's Showbar at 47th and Dearborn and the Bea & Baby record company which he founded with his wife Bea in 1959. This label, and its subsidiaries, Keyhole and Miss, steadily racked up an impressive array of titles by ROOSEVELT SYKES, JAMES COTTON, SUNNYLAND SLIM, HOMESICK JAMES, EDDIE BOYD, HOUND DOG TAYLOR, EARL HOOKER, ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD, LITTLE MAC SIMMONS, L.G. MCKINLEY, Willie Williams, JOHNNY LITTLEJOHN, DETROIT JUNIOR, HAMMIE NIXON, Porter Kilbert, Oett "Sax" Mallard, TALL PAUL HANKINS, SLEEPY JOHN ESTES, Arlean Brown, MENARD ROGERS, WILLIE HUDSON, ANDREW MCMAHON, and pop-oriented vocal harmony groups like the Chances, the Daylighters, and Faith Taylor & the Sweet Teens. In 1960, Bea & Baby released their most successful hit: BOBBY SAXTON's "Trying to Make a Living."
Tragedy struck near the end of the '70s when a fire obliterated the record store and headquarters of the label, destroying LPs and 45s, tapes, photos, and documentation. With the help of Michael Frank, whom he'd known since 1974, Eatmon managed to continue promoting music, and during the '80s they co-produced a recording project for rapper 3D. Cadillac Baby passed away in 1991. After portions of the Bea & Baby catalog resurfaced haphazardly on a number of carelessly contrived compilations, Michael Robert Frank set out to compile and reissue Eatmon's complete legacy of great recorded music in a more orderly and comprehensive manner on his own Earwig label. Unfortunately, confusion arose in 2008 when Cadillac Records, a major motion picture dramatizing the story of Chess Records, was released to great acclaim. The irony here is almost palpable, as Vee Jay and Chess were two of Bea & Baby's biggest competitors. (Allmusic)

trax:
1. My Baby's Gone - Homesick James 2. My Kind Of Womam - Homesick James 3. Homesick Sunnyland Special - Homesick James 4. One More Mile - James Cotton 5. There Must Be A Panic - James Cotton 6. My Baby's Coming Home - Hound Dog Taylor 7. Five "Take Five" - Hound Dog Taylor 8. Thank You Baby - Eddie Boyd 9. Blue Monday Blues - Eddie Boyd 10. The Blues Is Here To Stay - Eddie Boyd 11. I'm Commin' Home - Eddie Boyd 12. All The Way - Eddie Boyd 13. Where You Belong - Eddie Boyd 14. Don't Come Back - Little Mac 15. Times Are Getting Tougher - Little Mac 16. I'm Your Fool - Little Mac 17. Let Out Of Jail - Little Mac 18. Dynamite - Earl Hooker 19. Trying To Make A Living - Bobby Saxton 20. Sharpest Man In Town - L. C. McKinley 21. Too Late To Pray - Sunnyland Slim 22. House Rock - Sunnyland Slim 23. Special Agent - Andrew Mcmahon 24. 38 Woman - Willie Williams 25. Somebody Changed The Lock - Williams
...served by Gyro1966...

"HITS THAT JUMPED!"

Expanded version of famed Chess LP. Great Chess label R&B collection!trax:
1. Happy, Happy Birthday - The Tune Weavers 2. So All Alone - Bobby Lester & The Moonlighters 3. Come On, Let's Stroll - The Lewis Sisters 4. You Got Me Whistling - Johnny Fuller 5. Train, Train, Train - Danny Overbea 6. I Want Somebody - Harvey 7. The Walk - Jimmy McCracklin 8. All Night Long - Johnny Fuller 9. Misirlou - Earl Washington 10. Forty Cups Of Coffee - Danny Overbea 11. Shoo-Doo-Bee-Do - Bobby Lester & The Moonlighters 12. Anything To Say You're Mine - Lula Reed 13. My Soul - Clifton Chenier 14. See You Later, Alligator - Bobby Charles 15. All I Want - The Miracles 16. Driving Home Part 1 - Paul Gayton 17. Loud Mouth Annie - Myles & Dupont 18. Music, Music, Music - The Sensations 19. I Found A Home - Clarence "Frogman" Henry
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BAYTONE RECORDS STORY"

Excellent collection of blues, R&B and doo-wop recorded for the San Francisco based Baytone label between 1958 and 1963.trax:
1. Midnight Blues - Baby Calloway w/The Roland Mitchell Band 2. Chuck Wagon (Instr) - The Roland Mitchell Band 3. Baby I Love You So - The Romancers 4. You Don't Understand - The Romancers 5. Do You Remember - The Famous Flames 6. Do You Remember (Alt. Take) - The Famous Flames 7. Get To Stepping - The Famous Flames 8. Pleading - Robert "Chick" Willis 9. Yes I Do - Robert "Chick" Willis 10. You Did Me Wrong - Big Mama Thornton 11. Big Mama's Blues - Big Mama Thornton 12. I'm So All Alone - The Famous Flames 13. Lover - The Famous Flames 14. I Need You Dear - The Famous Flames 15. Too Young - Eugene Jefferson 16. Don't Cry No More - Eugene Jefferson 17. Runnin Around - Mitch Myron & Group 18. True Love Is Hard To Find - Mitch Myron & Group 19. It Hit Me Where It Hurts - Vernon & Jewell 20. Since You Left Me All Alone - Vernon & Jewell 21. Prove You Love Me Baby - Rita Thomas w/The Mike Lewis Band 22. Take Care Of My Heart - Rita Thomas w/The Mike Lewis Band 23. Run - Johnny Morissette 24. Bad Shape - Johnny Morissette 25. (Bat Man) For Days - Johnny Morissette w/The Mike Lewis Band 26. For Days (Instr) - Johnny Morissette w/The Mike Lewis Band 27. High Sailing - Claude & The High Tones
...served by Gyro1966...

"CONSTELLATION OF RHYTHM & BLUES"

25 great soul/R&B tracks recorded for Chicago based Constellation label in the mid 60's.trax:
1. Island Of Love - The Sheppards 2. You're Breaking Me Up - Lee Dorsey 3. School Days - Sonny Holiday 4. Whoa (She's All Mine) - Bobby Miller 5. Give a Hug to Me - The Sheppards 6. I Hate to Be the One to Say - Gene Chandler 7. Mama Mama Mama - Wilbert Harrison 8. Witness to a Heart Break - The Dynettes 9. She's Got Everything - The Mystics 10. Ocean Full of Tears - Frankie Ford 11. Things Won't Be the Same - Mill Evans 12. Aunt Molly Pt. 1 - Billy "The Kid" Emerson 13. Aunt Molly Pt. 2 - Billy "The Kid" Emerson 14. I Need You Around - Carol Vega 15. Ten Steps to Love - The Freedoms 16. The Frog - Rolls Royce & The Wheels 17. Home Work - Al & Bunky 18. Mr. Big Shot - Gene Chandler 19. New Guy - The Dynettes 20. New York World's Fair - Wilbert Harrison 21. Just a Loser - The Mystics 22. I've Got to Have Your Love - Mill Evans 23. You Lied - The Freedoms 24. Sometime - Sandra Lynn 25. Organ Grinder Swing - Lee Dorsey
...served by Gyro1966...

"BAD, BAD WHISKEY" The Galaxy Masters 1962-1972

trax:
1. She's Looking Good - Rodger Collins 2. Rufus Jr. - Merced Blue Notes 3. I Got To Tell Somebody - Betty Everett 4. Chicken Heads - Bobby Rush 5. Get Your Lie Straight - Bill Coday 6. (Tell Me) Why Do You Have To Lie? - The Right Kind 7. You Better Stop - Sonny Rhodes 8. Nightingale Melody - Little Johnny Taylor 9. I Pity The Fool - Merl Saunders 10. It's A Shame - J.J. Malone 11. Rainbow 71 - Loleatta Holloway 12. Foxy Girls In Oakland - Rodger Collins 13. When You Find A Fool Bump His Head - Bill Coday 14. Mama Rufus - Merced Blue Notes 15. For Your Precious Love - Little Johnny Taylor 16. Abraham, Martin And John - Charles Brown 17. Bad, Bad Whiskey - Merced Blue Notes 18. How Can I Forget You - Lenny Williams 19. Ain't Nothing Gonna Change Me - Betty Everett 20. A Woman Rules The World - Bill Coday 21. Why Did Our Love Go - Claude Huey 22. Let Me Be Your Handy Man - Bill Coday 23. Fever, Fever, Fever - Bobby Eaton 24. Lisa's Gone - Lenny Williams 25. I Don't Want To Be A Lone Ranger - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 26. Get Away From Me - Rodger Collins
...served by Gyro1966...

"WITH THE SUN IN MY EYES" 20 Psychedelic Spins From The UK & Europe

In his liner notes, Nick Saloman, the man behind the Bevis Frond and proprietor of Psychic Circle Records, confesses that "tracking down twenty proper, uncomped psych tracks from the UK is now no easy task," and some might suggest he's cheated just a bit on With the Sun in My Eyes. There's a difference between psychedelia and pretentious pop, and Peter Sarstedt's engagingly silly "Mary Jane" clearly belongs in the latter category, while "Hang on Baby" by the Gnomes of Zurich plays more like prog-leaning beat music, Peter & the Wolves' "Woman on My Mind" is fine folk-rock but hardly psychedelic, and "Lady Love" from the Rattles sounds like heavy metal's primitive ancestor. But folks looking for trippier stuff will find some real gems on this set, such as genuinely freaky folk from Foggy, acid-flavored heavy rock from Plastic Penny (whose rhythm section would go on to join Elton John's road band), inspired minor-key droning from Ola & the Janglers, the spooky and gleefully paranoia-inducing Youngbloods (with Cozy Powell on drums), spacy keyboard-based explorations from Giorgio Moroder (yes, Mister "I Feel Love" himself) and the epic-scale orchestral grandeur of Schadel. Saloman does a heroic job of tracking down the known facts about the artists featured on this disc in his liner notes, and while the fidelity varies throughout this disc (these tunes appear to have been lifted from vinyl for the most part), most of the tracks sound surprisingly good given their obscurity. With the Sun in My Eyes is a real treat for fans of lesser-known psychedelic rock and pop, as well as devotees of rock's more curious tributaries. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guidetrax:
1. Give Me Money - Plastic Penny 2. Mary Jane - Peter Sarstedt 3. Yellow Brick Road - The Mindbenders 4. No One Knows What Happens Around The Corner - Ola & The Janglers 5. Ten Thousand Paces - Omega Group 6. Me - Zion De Gallier 7. Hang On Baby - The Gnomes Of Zurich 8. Lady Love - The Rattles 9. She's Far Away - Foggy 10. Get Back Home - Majority One 11. With The Sun In My Eyes - Schadel 12. Watching - Sound Network 13. Don't Leave Me In The Dark - Youngblood 14. Balloon - Ramases 15. She Said - Grand Union 16. Bye Bye Baby - Winston G 17. Woman On My Mind - Peter & The Wolves 18. In The Corners - Don Curtis & Scoopes 19. Stop - Giorgio 20. Seen Through A Light - The Mooche
...served by Gyro1966...

"BLOW BY BLOW" An Anthology Of Harmonica Blues

Incredible collection of raw, rough and tough rocking' blues! This LP is out of print and hard to find.trax:
1. A Tribute To Little Walter - Junior Wells 2. She's Tough - Jerry McCain 3. Travellin' Mood - Andy Belvin 4. Somebody Stole My Love - Sammy Lewis 5. My Love Is Here To Stay - Sammy Myers 6. Working Man - Long Tall Lester 7. A Fool No More - Eddie Hope 8. My Babe - Charles Walker 9. Lost Child - Eddie Hope 10. You Lied To Me - Sammy Lewis 11. Steady - Jerry McCain 12. Nine Below Zero - Cliff Jackson 13. Sleeping In The Ground - Sammy Myers 14. 40 Days And 40 Nights - Charles Walker 15. All Because Of You - Long Tall Lester 16. Hello Little School Girl - Smokey Smothers
...served by Gyro1966...

Long Boards "Motorhythm" 2008

Sensation Surf Sounds from fantastic instro-trio The Long Boards. A winning mix of authentic Surf styles with lots of great original material, displaying influences of guitar legends Dick Dale and Link Wray along with the great Surf groups of the original era.I'm not really sure how the waves are off the coast of Spain, but with bands like the Longboards laying down blazing instrumental surf rock, at least we know the tunes are in good hands there. Recalling the Endless Summer days of big boards and fast cars, the Longboards rip it out in style on vintage pieces to match their retro cool vintage sounds full of reverb, wild guitar work and solid rhythms. Wickedly high-octane riffs, dynamic bass lines and cymbal crazy action on the kit mark the Longboards sets. They channel the big wave sounds of the King of the Surf Guitar himself, the one and only Dick Dale. - Ryan Osterbeck – Santa Cruz Reviews.

trax:
01 Tour de France 02 Motorhythm 03 Going Nowhere 04 Del Mar 05 I'm Branded (Mono) 06 Harlem Nocturne 07 Playa Girls 08 Surf City Girls 09 Lullaby of The Leaves 10 Old Race Car 11 Mothra 12 Mr. Guitar 13 Le Mans 14 Motorhythm (mono)

"THE AD LIBS & FRIENDS"

The Ad Libs & Friends feature recordings by the Ad Libs, who scored with "The Boy From New York City"; the Dixie Cups of "Iko Iko" and "Chapel of Love" fame; and three less successful Red Bird and World Artist recording groups: the Poets, the Butterflies, and the Charmettes. The Poets -- Don McPherson, Luther Simmons, and Tony Silvester -- who became the Insiders then Main Ingrediant represent with "Merry Christmas Baby"; the Butterflies do Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry's "Gee Baby Gee"; while the interesting Charmettes wail about their "Sugar Boy." These 22 sweet mid-'60s Brill Building sounds revisit a time when music was sugar, spice, and everything nice. (Andrew Hamilton, Allmusic)

trax:
1. The Boy from New York City - The Ad Libs 2. Bottom of My Soul - The Ad Libs 3. Kicked Around - The Ad Libs 4. Down Home Girl - The Ad Libs 5. He Ain't No Angel - The Ad Libs 6. Ask Anybody - The Ad Libs 7. Ooh Wee Oh Gee - The Ad Libs 8. Johnny My Boy - The Ad Libs 9. The Slime - The Ad Libs 10. Nothing Worse Than Being Alone - The Ad Libs 11. Gee Baby Gee - The Butterflies 12. Merry Christmas Baby - The Poets 13. The La La Song MCD256 - Roddie Joy 14. Sugar Boy MCD256 - The Charmettes 15. Chapel of Love - The Dixie Cups 16. People Say - The Dixie Cups 17. Iko Iko - The Dixie Cups 18. Gee, The Moon Is Shining Bright - The Dixie Cups 19. appreciation (Share) - The Ad Libs 20. I'm Just A Down Home Girl - The Ad Libs 21. Giving Up - The Ad Libs 22. Nothing's Worse Than Being Alone '69 - The Ad Libs
...served by Gyro1966...

"WEST COAST" Vocal Group Rarities (Plus One) Volume 2

Here is Volume #2 in this series. Very good mix of West Coast group harmony and rhythm and blues. Plus one! Yep! This volume throws in an unreleased gem from Washington D. C.’s Syncopators.trax:
1. True Fine Mama - Little Julian Herrera & The Tigers 2. Our Love's Forever Blessed - Linda Hayes & Group 3. Oooh La La - The Hollywood Flames 4. Echoes On My Mind - Jay Richards & Group 5. Volcano - The Flames 6. I'm So Crazy About You - Ben Hughes & The Twigs 7. Ding Dong Daddy - Wynona Carr & The Turks 8. Got A Little Shadow - The Flames 9. She Done Me Wrong - The Whips 10. No Next Time - Linda Hayes 11. What's New With You - Joe Lyons & The Arrows 12. Out In The Cold Again (Wash, DC bonus cut) - The Syncopates 13. Is It A Dream - Johnny Flamingo & Group 14. Don't Do Nothing Baby - Linda Hayes 15. No End To True Love - Joe Lyons & Arrows 16. The Natural Thing To Do - Sticks Herman & Group 17. My Girl - Johnny Flamingo & Group 18. I Wish - The Dots 19. Baby Pretty Baby - Bobby Byrd & The Flames 20. Johnny - Jeanette Baker & The Dots 22. Pleadin' Heart - The Whips 23. Together - Bobby Byrd & The Flames 24. Why Johnny Why - Linda Hayes 25. I Lost You - Jeanette Baker & The Dots 26. You're Mine - Johnny Flamingo & Group 27. Hurt Me - Wynona Carr & The Turks 28. Tears Come Tumbling Down - David Ford & The Flames
...served by Gyro1966...

Long Boards "Big Surf" 2006

The Longboards play really dark and heavy surf, and they play it fast and loud. What a great release! The track titles are a guess past Big Surf because the CD names from the net aren't quite the same as the sleeve listing, and the way the sleeve listing works, there is either a missing track, or you have to guess at the two word title from separate entries. Not that it matters to your ears. This is a pummeling workout! - Phil DirtThe Long Boards deliver a feast of solid surf instrumentals, recorded on vintage equipment to recreate the atmosphere of the original Surf era. Power-packed delivery has drawn comparisons with Los Straitjackets, Dick Dale and even Link Wray, and there's plenty of original material here showing that the Longboards are no pale imitations of what has gone before. There's enough originality here to create something new and fresh, whilst drawing inspiration from th Surf Guitar greats.

trax:
01 Moment of Truth 02 Requiem For Link 03 Downhill 04 Jeff Phillips Journey to the Stars 05 Banzai Washout 06 Big Surf 07 Wallride 08 Guinchy 09 Rollout 10 Toro 11 Desert 12 Sky Beach

"WEST COAST" Vocal Group Rarities (Plus One) Volume 1

Yet another series started on the Vocal Group sounds that emitted from the West Coast. Twenty-seven tracks of West Coast Vocal Group Harmony and one bonus track that Sneaks in from the East Coasttrax:
1. don't cha go - Richard Berry & Group 2. if you ever get lonesome - Preston Love & Group 3. when i met you - The Native Boys 4. cloudy and raining - The Five Hollywood Bluejays 5. so worried - The Five Hollywood Bluejays 6. i guess you're satisfied - The Victorians 7. should i ever love again - Wynona Carr & Group 8. give me a chance - The Jet Aces 9. ain't got the money to pay for this drink - George Zimmerman & The Thrills 10. i'm only a fool - Jesse Belvin 11. love cry - The Starlighters 12. papa shotgun - Billy Staford & Group 13. someday, someway, someplace - Ben Hughes & The Twigs 14. whose baby are you - George Zimmerman & The Thrills 15. falling in love - Johnny Watson & Group 16. i've tried so hard - Linda Hayes & The Twigs 17. you are the first one - The Rockets 18. it was you - Bobby Sanders & Group 19. i want to be ready - Bobby Byrd & The Voices 20. i'm sorry - Shirley Gunter & Group 21. don't do me wrong (bonus NY cut) - Little Butchie Saunders & Group 22. roll hot rod roll - Oscar McLollie & The Honey Jumpers 23. it ain't to play with - Sheryl Crowley 24. to keep your love - The Chanticleers 25. a place in your heart - Bobby Milton & The Debutones 26. i can tell - The Challengers 27. i believe - The Twilighters 28. my silent love - Charles Brown & Johnny Moore's Blazers
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BEST OF CHIEF RECORDS" Vol. 3

Chief Records (together with its Profile and Age subsidiaries) was an independent record label that operated from 1957 to 1964. Best known for its recordings of Chicago blues artists Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and Earl Hooker, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen.Chief Records was founded in Chicago in 1957 by Mel London, a twenty-five year-old R&B entrepreneur.[1] London served as producer and wrote several of the label's best-known songs. Earl Hooker, one of the most well-regarded blues guitarists of his era,[2][3] was an important contributor to the label. He worked closely with London and "was involved in over a dozen recording sessions, and his playing was featured on some forty titles and twenty-five singles, a dozen of which were released under his own name, the rest being ascribed to Junior Wells, A.C. Reed, Lillian Offitt, and Ricky Allen."[1] Among Hooker's recordings are several several slide-guitar instrumentals, including the 1961 Age single "Blue Guitar," on which Muddy Waters would later overdub a vocal and call it "You Shook Me."
"Little by Little," written by Mel London, was a hit for Junior Wells, reaching #23 in the Billboard R&B chart in 1960.[4] Wells would continue to perform and record several of his Chief and Profile songs ("Messin' with the Kid," "Come on in This House," and "It Hurts Me Too") during his career. "Cut You Loose," another London composition, was a hit for Ricky Allen; the song reached #20 in 1963.[5] Next to Wells, Allen had the most singles on the label (all on Age).
As with many independent blues labels in the early 1960s, Chief was plagued by financial problems.First to be discontinued were the Chief and Profile labels; finally the Age label was discontinued in 1964 and the company went out of business.During its seven years of operation, Chief/Profile/Age released about eighty singles (including reissues) from approximately thirty-seven artists. Later, various singles (including reissues) by Chief artists would be released by All-Points Records, Mel/Mel-Lon Records, Bright Star Records, and Starville Records, but none had the impact of the originals. (SundayBlues) read more about the Chief label here:
http://sundayblues.org/archives/tag/chief-records

trax:
1. Ruby Duby Du - Tobin Mathews 2. Come On In This House - Junior Wells 3. Cry For My Baby - Elmore James 4. Jack The Ripper - The Elites 5. Doggin' Me Round - Mel London 6. Elmore's Contribution To Jazz - Elmore James 7. I Can't Believe It - Frank Buttler 8. Try And Understand - Melvin Simpson 9. I Could Cry - Junior Wells 10. Irish Washerwoman - Tobin Mathews 11. The Blues - The Elites 12. Blues In "D" Natural - Earl Hooker 13. I'm A Stranger - Junior Wells 14. Mama Look At Me - The Elites 15. Girl Of My Dreams - Frank Buttler 16. You Don't Have To Work - Magic Sam 17. My Love Is Your Love - Magic Sam 18. I Love My Baby - Melvin Simpson 19. The Twelve Year Old Boy - Elmore James 20. Leather Jacket Cowboy - Tobin Mathews 21. The Things I'll Do For You - Junior Wells 22. Mr. Charlie - Magic Sam 23. Steel Guitar Rag - Tobin Mathews 24. Cry For Me Baby - The Five Duchess 25. When Someone Loves You - The Labradors 26. So Tired - Junior Wells
...served by Gyro1966...

Los Cobras "De Capello" 2005

Head-boppin', Hip-shakin', Sand-kickin' Surf! Perfect for bonfires, beach parties, clam bakes, luaus, and backyard hootenannies. DANGER: this CD may influence you to speed if played in you car. Awewsome!Michigan's Los Cobras first release is consistent and dark, but with a grin peaking out at times. It pays homage to vintage surf with simple riffs, but is not vintage sounding. A fine first effort! - Phil Dirt

trax:
01 Watery Grave 02 Edy 03 Astro Jam 04 Cobra Strike 05 Graveyard 06 Sunset Blue 07 Mastadon't 08 Jazz Thing 09 Venomous 10 Galiathon

"HIDE AND SEEK" A Collection Of British Blue-Eyed Soul 1964-1969

Hide and Seek: British Blue Eyed Soul 1964-1969 collects 20 tracks from an overlooked aspect of the '60s U.K. rock scene, namely the blue-eyed, mod soul sound that lurked behind the scenes between 1964-1969. Some well-reissued bands like the Action or the Small Faces dipped their toe into similarly soulful waters, but the bands here for the most part go all out and draft in big horn sections, chunky Hammond organs, backing singers and a feel pitched somewhere between a Northern soul All-Nighter, a sweaty night at the cabaret, and the bottom half of a package tour. In other words, you're looking at pure gold here. Well, almost pure. As with most collections the track list has some clear winners (Barry St. John's devastatingly hot "Turn on Your Light" that out-Lulu's Lulu by a mile, Jon & Jeannie's strutting "We Got Lovin,'" Kevin "King" Lears' wild, indescribable take on "Cry Me a River" (think Bobby Darin on peyote and you're halfway there), the funky antics of Johnny & John on "Bumper to Bumper," the chunky bubblegum soul of Bernie & the Buzz Band on "Don't Knock It.") Hide and Seek: British Blue Eyed Soul 1964-1969 is a vital piece of crate digging scholarship that fills a gap most U.K. music geeks didn't even know was worth investigating. ~ Tim Sendra, Allmusic

trax:
1. Hide And Seek - Dave Antony 2. Our Love Is Getting Stronger - Jason Knight 3. Turn On Your Light - Barry St. John 4. Now I Taste The Tears - Fearns Brass Founndry 5. Sign On The Dotted Line - Gene Latter 6. We Got Lovin' - Jon & Jeannie 7. Traveller Man - The Stone Graphics 8. Daytime Lover - The Anglians 9. Cry Me A River - Kevin "King" Lear 10. You And Me - Carl King 11. Don't Lead Me On - The Exotics 12. Bumper To Bumper - Johnny & John 13. You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies - Five & A Penny 14. I've Lost You - James Royal 15. You Got Me Baby - Johnny Carr 16. Surrender Your Love - The Carrolls 17. Don't Knock It - Bernie & The Buzz Band 18. You Won't See Me Leaving - Cinnamon 19. Help Me - Owen Gray 20. I Close My Eyes - Watson T. Browne & The Explosive
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BEST OF CHIEF RECORDS" Vol. 2

Chief Records (together with its Profile and Age subsidiaries) was an independent record label that operated from 1957 to 1964. Best known for its recordings of Chicago blues artists Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and Earl Hooker, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen.Chief Records was founded in Chicago in 1957 by Mel London, a twenty-five year-old R&B entrepreneur.[1] London served as producer and wrote several of the label's best-known songs. Earl Hooker, one of the most well-regarded blues guitarists of his era,[2][3] was an important contributor to the label. He worked closely with London and "was involved in over a dozen recording sessions, and his playing was featured on some forty titles and twenty-five singles, a dozen of which were released under his own name, the rest being ascribed to Junior Wells, A.C. Reed, Lillian Offitt, and Ricky Allen."[1] Among Hooker's recordings are several several slide-guitar instrumentals, including the 1961 Age single "Blue Guitar," on which Muddy Waters would later overdub a vocal and call it "You Shook Me."
"Little by Little," written by Mel London, was a hit for Junior Wells, reaching #23 in the Billboard R&B chart in 1960.[4] Wells would continue to perform and record several of his Chief and Profile songs ("Messin' with the Kid," "Come on in This House," and "It Hurts Me Too") during his career. "Cut You Loose," another London composition, was a hit for Ricky Allen; the song reached #20 in 1963.[5] Next to Wells, Allen had the most singles on the label (all on Age).
As with many independent blues labels in the early 1960s, Chief was plagued by financial problems.First to be discontinued were the Chief and Profile labels; finally the Age label was discontinued in 1964 and the company went out of business.During its seven years of operation, Chief/Profile/Age released about eighty singles (including reissues) from approximately thirty-seven artists. Later, various singles (including reissues) by Chief artists would be released by All-Points Records, Mel/Mel-Lon Records, Bright Star Records, and Starville Records, but none had the impact of the originals. (SundayBlues) read more about the Chief label here:
http://sundayblues.org/archives/tag/chief-records

trax:
1. Queen Of Swing - The Labrados 2. Oh Mama - Lillian Offitt 3. You Sure Look Good To Me - Junior Wells 4. Will I Ever Make - The Duchess 5. The Man From The Island - Mel London 6. I Feel So Strange - Bobby & Lucy 7. Coming Home - Elmore James 8. Cha Cha Cha In Blue - Junior Wells 9. Blue Light Boogie - Magic Sam 10. Shine On - Lillian Offitt 11. Did You Ever Love Someone - G. 'Davy" Crockett 12. Two Headed Woman - Junior Wells 13. Rockin' With The Kid - Earl Hooker 14. Every Boy In Town - The Duchess 15. Every Night About This Time - Magic Sam 16. Love Me - Junior Wells 17. Troubles - Lillian Offitt 18. Queen Without A King - The Four Duchess 19. It's Nothing - Bobby & Lucy 20. It Hurts Me Too - Junior Wells 21. Square Dance Rock, Pt. 1 - Magic Sam 22. Square Dance Rock, Pt. 2 - Magic Sam
...served by Gyro1966...

The Link Quartet "BEAT.IT" 2002

"Beat.It" is raw 60's drenched fuel to feed a world dominated by an otherwise anemic and bland soundscape. How Hammond organ funk is meant to be heard.There is a feeling – a timeless groove, for lack of a better word – that some bands (the good ones at least) spend countless hours / days / years to tap into to. It is hard to put into words, but you know it when you hear it.
BEAT.IT certainly taps into this groove and, man, can you ever hear it! The Link Quartet boasts the solid sound of four excellent musicians who have obviously put in the time, done their homework, and are capable of delivering the goods. Their sound is extroverted Hammond beat of the first order and in Paolo Negri; they possess one of the best organists on the scene today.
There are, of course, the obvious touchstones: the James Taylor Quartet, the Small Faces, Booker T. & the MGs, and the ubiquitous Brian Auger. But add to that the unmistakable Italian flair of cinematic sense and take away the fear many groups on the scene have of sounding “contemporary” and you can begin to get a sense of where this disc is at. Each of the tracks shifts from sound to sound, but when the smoke clears you know that the Link Quartet have found their own sound. And, man, it sounds good! - Nick Rossi (The Nick Rossi Set)

The Link Quartet:
Giulio "Link" Cardini (guitar); Paolo Negri (Hammond b-3 organ); Renzo Bassi (bass instrument); Tony "Face" Bacciocchi (drums, percussion)

trax:
01 Strudel Girl 02 Be Yourself 04 An Evening With Linda Lovelace 05 Beat.It 06 Crosstown Traffic 08 Little Italy Serenade 09 Happy Boys Happy 10 Gianni Fuso Nerini 11 If I Could Only Be Sure 12 Marshall Jim 100 13 Theme From Hammondbeat

"Nattsudds Rojare" Rhythm & Booze Blasters

Despite the Swedish title (which is the name of a comedy variety show over there), this is a solid collection of what is subtitled as "rhythm & blues blasters." As all of these songs get played as background music on the show, the tunes are a combination of old and newer recordings, all solidly in the boozin' and cruisin' format. Of the new ones, included are the Leroi Brothers doing Buck Owens' (Corky Jones) "Rhythm & Booze," piano man G.M. Hooker tackling Amos Milburn's "Bad Bad Whiskey," Ted and the Talltops contributing "Double Shot," the New Rotics doing the Tex Williams favorite "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke," and Cub Koda's take on Morris Pejoe's "Let's Get High." A small smattering of Cajun style shows up on Aldus Roger's monochord version of "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" and Johnnie Allan's "Let's Go Get Drunk." But the R&B classics are the meat and potatoes of this collection, and the inclusion of Screamin' Jay Hawkins ("Baptize Me In Wine"), Peppermint Harris ("I Got Loaded"), Willis "Gator Tail" Jackson and the Four Gators ("Wine-O-Wine"), Stick McGhee ("Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee"), Tommy Tucker ("Drunk"), Billy Love ("Juiced"), Papa Lightfoot ("Wine, Women, Whiskey") and J.B. Lenoir ("Give Me One More Shot") make this one top-flight single-subject compilation. Closing things are two tracks with European (Swedish?) vocals, Anita Lindbloom's "Cigarettes, Cigarettes" and Simon Brehm's "Dunder och snus." ~ All Music Guide

trax:
1. One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer - Aldus Roger 2. Smoke, Smoke Smoke - The New Rotics 3. Let's Go Get Drunk - Johnnie Allan 4. Drunk - Tommy Tucker 5. Rhythm & Booze - The LeRoi Brothers 6. Drinkin' Wine - Stick McGhee 7. I Got Loaded - Lil' Bob & The Lollipops 8. Let's Get High - Cub Koda 9. Wine-O-Wine - The Four Gators (Willis Jackson) 10. Baptize Me In Wine - Screamin' Jay Hawkins 11. Cigarettes, Whiskey And Wild Woman - The Big Three Trio 12. Alcohol - Alexandros Perros & The Lonestars 13. I Got Loaded - Peppermint Harris 14. Wine, Women, Whiskey - Papa Lightfoot 15. Mean Old Gin - Ed Kirby 16. Who's Been Drinking My Wine - Eddie Snow 17. Double Shot - Ted & The Talltops 18. Give Me One More Shot - J.B. Lenoir 19. Bad Bad Whiskey - G.M. Hooker 20. Juiced - Billy Love 21. Dunder Och Snus - Simon Brehm 22. Cigarettes, Cigarettes - Anita Lindblom
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BEST OF CHIEF RECORDS" Vol. 1

Chief Records (together with its Profile and Age subsidiaries) was an independent record label that operated from 1957 to 1964. Best known for its recordings of Chicago blues artists Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and Earl Hooker, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen.Chief Records was founded in Chicago in 1957 by Mel London, a twenty-five year-old R&B entrepreneur.[1] London served as producer and wrote several of the label's best-known songs. Earl Hooker, one of the most well-regarded blues guitarists of his era,[2][3] was an important contributor to the label. He worked closely with London and "was involved in over a dozen recording sessions, and his playing was featured on some forty titles and twenty-five singles, a dozen of which were released under his own name, the rest being ascribed to Junior Wells, A.C. Reed, Lillian Offitt, and Ricky Allen."[1] Among Hooker's recordings are several several slide-guitar instrumentals, including the 1961 Age single "Blue Guitar," on which Muddy Waters would later overdub a vocal and call it "You Shook Me."
"Little by Little," written by Mel London, was a hit for Junior Wells, reaching #23 in the Billboard R&B chart in 1960.[4] Wells would continue to perform and record several of his Chief and Profile songs ("Messin' with the Kid," "Come on in This House," and "It Hurts Me Too") during his career. "Cut You Loose," another London composition, was a hit for Ricky Allen; the song reached #20 in 1963.[5] Next to Wells, Allen had the most singles on the label (all on Age).
As with many independent blues labels in the early 1960s, Chief was plagued by financial problems.First to be discontinued were the Chief and Profile labels; finally the Age label was discontinued in 1964 and the company went out of business.During its seven years of operation, Chief/Profile/Age released about eighty singles (including reissues) from approximately thirty-seven artists. Later, various singles (including reissues) by Chief artists would be released by All-Points Records, Mel/Mel-Lon Records, Bright Star Records, and Starville Records, but none had the impact of the originals. (SundayBlues) read more about the Chief label here:
http://sundayblues.org/archives/tag/chief-records

trax:
1. A Sinner In Love - The Serenaders 2. Messin' With The Kid - Junior Wells 3. Look Out Mabel - G. 'Davy" Crockett 4. Knocking At Your Door - Elmore James 5. Dapper Dan - The Elites 6. I Need Me A Car - Junior Wells 7. Will My Man Be Home Tonight - Lillian Offitt 8. Come On Dance - The Elites 9. It Hurts Me Too - Elmore James 10. The Man Won't Work - Lillian Offitt 11. Lovey Dovey Lovely One - Junior Wells 12. Pajama Songs - The Serenaders 13. Universal Rock - Earl Hooker 14. Darling What About You - The Elites 15. Come Back My Love - Terri Anders 16. Galloping Horses And A Lazy Mule - Junior Wells 17. Take Me Where You Go - Elmore James 18. All In My Mind - Terri Anders 19. Do The Camel Walk - Magic Sam 20. Rockin' Wild - Earl Hooker 21. My Man Is A Lover - Lillian Offitt 22. Calling All Blues - Elmore James
...served by Gyro1966...

"DOWNBEAT"

trax:
1. Down And Out - 4PK
2. I Can Only Give You Everything - The Fab 3. Glory Lovely Girl - The Want Group 4. Now It's Your Turn To Cry - The Sparklings 5. Let Me Tell You About The Things I Need - The Inn-Sect 6. Sweeter Than You - The Rolling Beats 7. Wooly Bully - Pee White & The Magic Strangers 8. I Can Live Without You - Dat & Wat 9. Song Of A Devil Servant - The U.S. Sound 10. I'm Drifting - The Lazy Bones 11. Go On Home Little Girl - The Humbugs 12. After Tomorrow - The Phantoms 13. What's Going On With Me - The Spec's 14. Go Go Mojo - The United Five 15. Dead Man Blues - Dat & Wat 16. Little Girl - The Black Knights 17. Double Cross - The Double Dutch 18. Crying All Day - The Flashcall 19. Everytime - The Rhythms 20. But Tomorrow - The Honest Men 21. Down Home Girl - The Entertainers 22. Foolish Day - Peps 23. Greensleeves - The Marks 24. Will You Teach Me How To Love - The Group $oall 25. No Time For Tears - The Kwyet 26. Bonus Track - Various Artists
...served by Gyro1966...

Les Aiglons "Stalactite" '63 - '65

Les Aiglons were young musicians who came from Lausanne in Switzerland and made a million seller in 1963 with Stalactite. They made the charts in 16 countries including Japan and the USA. The track was composed by Jean-Marc Blanc the organ player, like two other minor hits Troika and Christine. The lead guitar Leon Franciloli penned Panorama (another hit), Dans le vent, Tennessee, Europa and Rosko. - jukebox.au.nu/Avec le groupe suisse les AIGLONS, l'orgue électronique fait son entrée dans la musique moderne. En 1963, les AIGLONS enregistrent le premier disque de la série Golf Drouot, label de la maison Barclay.
Les AIGLONS ont un son clair et cinglant. Ce n'est pas la folie galopante des SPOTNICKS, mais le vibrant "Stalactite" obtient un beau succès et est diffusé en stéréo aux USA, par Mercury (sous le nom de EAGLES). Leurs enregistrements suivants n'ont pas la même chance, et les AIGLONS se recyclent en accompagnant EVY ou LE PETIT PRINCE avant de s'arrêter. - instromania

trax:
01 Stalactite 02 T'En Va Pas 03 Christine 04 Marie Line 05 Panorama 06 Dans Le Vent 07 De L'Amour 08 Expo 64 09 Tennessee 10 Europa 11 Troika 12 Bal. 10-10, Sunday Stranger 13 Rosko 14 Patricia 15 Reverie 16 California 17 Panorama 1992 (Bonus Track) 18 Succes D'Annees (Bonus Track) 19 Docteur L, I Premuse (Bonus Track) 20 30 Ans Apres (Bonus Track)

NAZZ "Open Our Eyes" - The Anthology

An anthology is usually understood to be a selection of material, but Sanctuary's compilation of recordings by the Nazz, Open Our Eyes: The Anthology, actually collects all of the band's legitimately released tracks on two CDs with a running time of over two hours and ten minutes. That's the 34 songs that made up the albums Nazz, Nazz Nazz, and Nazz III, plus an outtake cover of "Train Kept a Rollin'" first released on the 1985 LP Best of the Nazz and making its CD debut here. But if compiler Kieron Tyler exercises no judgment about what to include, he does take it upon himself to provide a new sequence rather than just running one album after another in the order they were released originally in 1968-1970. There is some justification for this. Nazz Nazz was first intended to be a double album but truncated into a single one, with the extra material being released as Nazz III 20 months later. So, Tyler, after extracting the novelty song "Loosen Up" (a parody of the Archie Bell & the Drells hit "Tighten Up") from Nazz III to lead off the compilation, takes a shot, in the last seven tracks of the first disc and all of the second disc, at assembling a version of that never-released double album. This does not explain, however, why he also finds it necessary to re-sequence the ten songs from the first album. The new sequencing is not an improvement on the old, and for Nazz fans accustomed to the running order of the old LPs after 30 years, it will sound odd. But in whatever order, the package contains all of the group's recordings on one album. Tyler's liner notes, detailing the band's history with the help of Todd Rundgren, are excellent and contain new information. by William Ruhlmann, Allmusictrax:
CD 1
01 Loosen Up 02 Open My Eyes 03 Hello It's Me 04 Crowded 05 If That's the Way You Feel 06 See What You Can Be 07 When I Get My Plane 08 Lemming Song 09 Wildwood Blues 10 Back of Your Mind 11 She's Going Down 12 Train Kept a Rollin' 13 Kiddie Boy 14 Featherbedding Lover 15 How Can You Call That Beautiful 16 Kicks 17 Magic Me 18 Christopher Columbus 19 Under the Ice
CD 2
01 Forget All About It 02 Meridian Leeward 03 Hang on Paul 04 Rain Rider 05 Not Wrong Long 06 Letters Don't Count 07 Only One Winner 08 Gonna Cry Today 09 A Beautiful Song 10 Some People 11 It's Not That Easy 12 Resolution 13 Plenty of Lovin' 14 Old Time Lovemaking 15 Take the Hand 16 You Are My Window
...served by Gyro1966...

Piano Slim "That's Fat" 1959-1963

Born Robert T. Smith, a resident of St. Louis where he is known as Piano Slim. He paid his dues way back in the '40s and '50s in Houston, Texas working among such first rate bluesman as Gatemouth Brown, Little Willie Littlefield, and Henry Hayes. It was there that he made his first record for a small label that also starred Smokey Hogg.
In 1959 he moved to St. Louis and recorded '"Workin' Again" for the local Bobbin label, released along with the works of Albert King and Little Milton. In St. Louis Slim played in about any club or bar worth mentioning and today there are no signs of him slowing down.
His first album for the Swingmaster label, "Mean Woman Blues", was recorded in August of 1981. Other recordings and singles followed, such as the 1983 album, "Gateway To The Blues". This led to six European tours featuring Piano Slim as either a headliner, supporting act, or sideman. When home in St. Louis, he continued to play the local clubs and work with some of the areas notable bluesmen, such as Tommy Bankhead and J.R. Reed. In 1991, Slim was featured on a compilation of St. Louis' blues artists on the Wolf Records label, called "St. Louis Blues Today". Besides Piano Slim, this album included songs and performances by Tommy Bankhead, Doc Terry, J.R. Reed, Oliver Sam and Johnny Johnson.
During this period, Slim began using a popular local St. Louis band, Blues Inquisition, as his backup band. They performed together at regular engagements and special events through the mid nineties. In 1993 they recorded an album together, "Minnie Skirt", his best produced album to date. Shortly after that album was finished, Slim took another "real job" driving a cab, to help raise his grandson. After being "retired" from that job in 2003, he's playing the blues again. Don't miss his latest CD, "Sneaky People", on the Swingmaster label.
Piano Slim is back, and this time to stay. He will get everyone's feet moving and faces smiling, and is again available for hire with his own combo, or backed by Blues Inquisition. Don't miss this opportunity to have one of the "Living Legends" of the blues boogie down at your venue. - from stlblues

trax:
01 aw get it 02 whole lot of shakin', whole lot of jivin' 03 that's fat 04 lazy daisy 05 please forgive me 06 my darling, my darling 07 pat your rock 08 whammy in the gizzmo 09 western fun 10 squeezing 11 spinning top, PART 1 & 2 12 sadie hawkins day 13 mister twister 14 gonna leave you this time
...served by DooWopDaddyO...