PRISCILLA/PRISCILLA SINGS HERSELF YORK 4005 (-67) US

A reminder of an album that still can be found in the cheapest bins and sold for a buck or two, but as it saw just one release and then in US only it might soon be harder to find and considered more collectible, at least by lovers of femal vocal. Priscilla was the youngest of the "Paris Sisters", a sibling trio that started at very young age first half of the fifties, performing and recording 78:s much like a teen version of Andrew Sisters. In the early sixties they were picked up by Phil Spector, who brought them up to date with contemporary pop and among other things produced their biggest hit - the 1961 million seller "I Love How You Love Me" reaching Billboard #5. The follow-ups didn't do that good and though they continued to perform and record with healthy results, the hype was over. This was the first of three Priscilla solo albums. All tracks are self penned more or less love songs and her vocals personal. I can't help hearing a resemblance to contemporary Marianne Faithful. Difference would be Priscilla's vocals comes out a little more unbridled at parts and some of the arrangements here, albeit in a soft "summer of love" way, may be called psych. Favorite tracks - "He Noticed Me" and "Stone Is Very Very Cold". In my world this is good female vocal, not top five but well worth spinning and collecting for genre gatherers. This US was the only release, also as mono (same number). Never issued like this on CD though the UK 2012 compilation "Love, Priscilla - Her 1960s Solo Recordings" (Ace CDCHD 1343) has all the songs. Premiere US had label as shown here and glossy cover. (FÄV*) (YZÄ*)

SLADE/SLAYED PD 5424 (-72) US

Sometimes I don't get the genre division at all. Take for exemple Move's "Looking On" album, most of it stone hard built on a rock foundation but I never see that tagged "hard rock". Same thing with this - filled with offensivly raw rock'n'roll crowned by catchy sing-a-longish refrains, both hard and rocking still seldom labeled accordingly. Maybe not considered cool enough, cause there's no dark strokes here. Instead, though the setting is offensive, you get 100% positive with a kind of happy feeling. Nothing mysterious, just right on. I've always loved it. Tophole vocals to hard working backing with tons of crude guitars, seemingly recorded more or less live in the studio. But there's also melodies that stick and make me wanna return and rekindle. Tracks like "Mama Weer All Crazee now", "Gudbuy T'Jane" and "Gudbuy Gudbuy" have so much positive energy they're downright uplifting and more than once got me dancing alone in front of the stereo. Especially "Gudbuy Gudbuy" - it don't get much harder than that, yet with a very catchy melody, together making it a fetching remainer in my mind. So however you tag it, in my world this is one of the good guys, strong enough to stand on its own and stay fresh regardless of any flavour-of-the-month shiftings. Issued on vinyl pretty much all over the world 1972/73, also on cassette. UK 2006 CD (SALVOCD 002) came with five bonus tracks. Premiere UK on Polydor (2383-163). I guess this US is early, having A-1C/B-1C matrixes with Δ17599 showing on a Monarch press. It came with label as shown here and glossy cover. (YZÄ*) (ZPÄ*)

LOVE SCULPTURE/BLUES HELPING UK MONO PMC 7059 VS. STEREO PCS 7059

Another format comparison, this time on one of the classic guitar albums. My ears are getting too old and my patience too short for doing a track by track mono-stereo collation, so here I'm just pointing out the most facile signs. This time the stereo is a close to perfect compatible, but obviously they made a separate mono anyway. Some of the cuts differ in fadeouts but then only by a second or so. The most notable would be "3 O'Clock Blues" where the stereo has a seven seconds longer fading with a couple more guitar notes at the end. No much to go on though enough to know that the mono isn't a straight fold. Most of the rest sounds about the same, but overall the mono has a somewhat clearer and more dynamic audio than a fold. Makes me happy...even if there was a very good compatible that would have produced a totally ok mono they still bothered to remake for an even better result. The two-channel itself is great - big, strong and balanced with tons of overlapping. My heart is with the mono, but both are audiophile killers for their time and the stunning guitars come out equally good. Even race. This stereo copy lacks the "Sold In UK..." text, but still has the first -2/-2 matrixes and early 1M/1P mother/stampers, so either a mispress or they didn't press enough 1968-69 to endorse much change in equipment. (PÖX*) (DÄWÄ*) (CPYC*) (MÅW*)

ALMA COGAN/THE BEST OF ALMA COGAN C 1044 (-68) MONO GERMANY

For artist story with the fatal ending check post on her Swedish only eponymous LP https://monolover.blogspot.com/2018/01/alma-cogan-pmes-535-65-mono-sweden.html . While that came directed to the Swedish public, this posthumous 45 compilation was aimed to please the German, with five of the songs sung in German, including versions of "Tennessee Waltz" and "A Lovers Concerto". I also get one of her biggest hits at the time "The Birds And The Bees" and both sides of her now very rare Lennon/McCartney 45 - "Help!"/"Eight Days A Week" - where the flip side has to be one of the more unexpected Beatles covers. The original perky up-tempo, but this coming out incredibly slow, fully orchestrated with prominent grand piano. Interesting. It seems all cuts comes with initial mono mixes. Audio shifts a little due to original recordings, but most of it tophole - big and strong, still natural. More schlager than pop and not even close to rock, but good listening for any openminded music lover with a rave for the sixties. To my knowledge this German was the only issue. It came with label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (FÄV*) (GÖXÄ*) (ÖLMÖ*)

THE VIOLENTS/LIVE AT THE STAR CLUB SLP-42 (-64) MONO SWEDEN

Rock'n'roll combo from Stockholm, Sweden, existing between 1959-66. Today probably most know for being an early backing band to the on home turf ever popular singer Jerry Williams (1942-2018), who was recruited as vocalist 1962 and continued as such up to band break-up. This outfit also became next step for The Shanes founder and original lead guitarist Staffan Berggren after quitting his band 1965. Here it's 1964 and you get an early setting playing the legendary Star Club in Hamburg, but in this case without Jerry Williams. The group did a recording at the same place about the same time including JW, resulting in a German only issue (Jerry Williams And The Violents "Star-Club Show 5" on Star-Club Records 148004 STL), but I'm not sure how that relate to this. Anyway what I get here is some good old rock'n'roll, part instrumental, with more inspiration from early sixties US than contemporary Merseybeat UK. Right on, simple and very tight. Vocalwise you might miss JW:s power and charm, but the other guys do ok too and it fits. Audio is very good for a sixties live recording - clear and natural bringing you close. It's one of those where I can just shut my eyes in the listening chair and then be part of the enthusiastically applauding and shouting public below stage. May sound dated for todays computerized ears, but if your heart still beats with the old fashioned direct and unalloyed it's worth a spin or two. Released in Sweden only. 1967 reissue in Sonet's budget "Grand Prix" serie on green label (GP 9913). First had label as shown here, thick unflexible vinyl and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*) (LYBÖ*) (FÖGÄ*) (SÖNÄ*)

THE BEATLES/PLEASE PLEASE ME PMC 1202 (-63) UK MONO

I have a very complicated relation to this record. It is the debute album from the most famed band ever and thus of great historical importance. At the same time it's rather uneven, greater part firmly rooted in early sixties pop with only a couple of tracks showing the magic that later would take them to the top and make them stay there. To me title track, "I Saw Her Standing There" and the "Twist And Shout" cover are what make this LP. The rest also good, considering the zeitgeist in which it was made, and certainly better than most contemporary competing combos, but not that special. In my world the first real Beatles album is "With The Beatles" and this the training camp, the place where they started to get things in order and set for lift-off. In comparison to what they did later more interesting than fantastic, but still a must in any serious music collection. The UK copy here is what is called a "fourth press", after two gold label variations and the first yellow/black that came without "Recording first published". But even if a "fourth press" it's still 1963, as shown by the large "mono" on sleeve and label lacking the "Sold In UK..." print. The matrix no.s are also the same as the gold label mono - XEX 421-1N/XEX 422-1N and the audio just fine. For listening I do prefer the first German HörZu issue (see earlier post) as I hear that a tiny bit rawer and more natural, but maybe that's just me. (BÄ*) (PÖX*) (LGÅ*)

BUDDY GUY, JUNIOR MANCE & JUNIOR WELLS/BUDDY AND THE JUNIORS SHSP 4006 (-70) UK

Here's one for the black blues connoisseurs. After what I listened to in my teens I've always been a white blues man myself, but this fits so many of my other likings. As recorded live in the studio with larger part seemingly improvised carrying lots of feeling it could also be tagged good garage. All acoustic and very personal. Listening now I almost get the feeling I'm at home with the guys and they're giving me a private concert. Having a hard time to honestly pick out any favorite tracks since it's not my genre. For me it's all about the presence and atmosphere, which is enough to make it good for my ears. I'm reading interesting stuff about these recordings on Allmusic and other places on the net. Not copying that here, but it is good reading for the concerned . Apart from muscical content it could be a hit for the collector of UK Harvest as it just saw one tiny issue, didn't sell a lot then and remains one of the rarer from the label. Premiere US on Blue Thumb (BTS 8820), some on marbled vinyl (BTS 20). Also originally released on Blue Thumb in France (2C062-92230) and Japan (SWX-6167M). Reissued many times on CD through the years, but non with bonus tracks. UK had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (HÄVL*)

SIW MALMQUIST/ZU GAST BEI SIW MLP 15117 (-63) MONO GERMANY

Frequently awarded pop/schlager singer with one of the longest carreers for a Swedish female artist. Born 1936 in the south country she started as vocalist for local bands already in her mid-teens and got a domestic breakthrough late fifties. Since then she's recorded over sixhundred songs in ten different languages where of forty high on domestic lists and others all over Europe, culminating 1967 when managing ten high charters in Sweden within a year. She's worked as actor in movies, cabaret primadonna, many times contester in the European Schlager competition and lately as stand-up comedian. She became the first Swedish artist on Billboard hot hundred, reaching #86 with "Sole, Sole, Sole" - a duet with Italian artist Umberto Marcato. Still touring and doing TV performances today at age 82. Her home away from home has been Germany and her recordings in German always popular there. This release has ten of those and four sung in Swedish. Maybe an attempt to flirt with both markets. Outcome typical for early sixties European schlager - a mix of up-tempo and ballads, orchestrated with an all positive atmosphere. Very well produced and arranged with personal vocals. Only track that diverge a little is "Det Är Nå't Visst Med Twist" (Twist is Something Special) - a humoristic pop/rock trial where she partly sings in her native "skånska" dialect. Audio perfect - loud, clear and well separated. I guess most fitting for oldies like me who grew up with hearing the songs on radio and TV early on, but might also do it for die-hard collectors of female vocal or modern schlager lovers in general. To my knowledge this was the only release. A kind of reissue came 1967 (MLP 15252), carrying the same name, but different sleeve design and all German tracking. Premiere issue had label as shown here and fully laminated flip/back cover. (FÄV*) (GÖXÄ*) (SCÄ*)

ALICE BYG 529016 (-70) FRANCE

This is new to me and I would like to know what was going on in and around the band, but when searching the net all I get, apart from the member's names, is they were the first French prog combo, issuing two LP:s before breakup mid-seventies where of this was the debute. What I hear here is good pre-prog, with excellent guitars and some flowing organ, but also flute and occational violin. A blend of rather heavy rock and jazzy ballads, a couple with vocals that for me, not very aquainted with the French language, works more like other instruments than messages. If to compare with more known bands some of it can remind of late Traffic and the flute parts may be inspired by Jethro Tull. But I don't hear copying, if anything it's like a homage. To my ears sounding very mature and rather cool for a debute album so I'm guessing they'd already played together for a while, or the members were experienced separately. My favorite tracks would be the rockers - "Extrait Du" towards early hard rock embedded in guitars with an enticing riff, the peculiar guitar instrumental "Tournez La Page" and "L'Arbre" up-tempo with warped vocals and more good guitars. The audio is just fine and in all very pleasant listening if you're into pre-synth pre-prog. 1970 releases also in Japan (BYG 101) and Germany (Metronome MLP 15391). French 1996 remastered CD (Magic Records 528082) came with six bonus tracks. Premiere French vinyl had label as shown here and fully laminated fold/out cover. (MFÄX*) (GZÅ*)

SMALL FACES/IN MEMORIAM 1C 048-90201 (-69) GERMANY

When posting the UK "Autumn Stone" double album earlier I wasn't too pleased with the outcome and still isn't. An unholy blend of earlier unissued, alternate versions, in Britain previously 45 only's and stereo mixes then new to UK - most of them better handeled on other issues. For the Decca 45:s nothing can beat the 1976 UK budget LP "The Singles Album - All the Decca A+B Sides" and the "new" stereo mixes came out a lot better on the 1967 US "There Are But Four Small Faces" (see earlier posts). Only thing making me happy with that was to get the great "The Universal" 45 for the first time on LP. As I understand this single album, only containing cuts recorded and/or meant for the bands planned but half way cancelled album "1862", was Immediate's original idea also for UK before they decided to make it a double bursting with fillers. But as it turned out only first issued that way as UK export and getting early domestic press in Germany, France and Australia. Listening to this German it fits me a little better than AS, but not by much. Side two has five studio recordings meant for the cancelled album, all sounding more or less unfinished - "Collibosher" and "Wide Eye Girl On The Wall" instrumental, with all certainty backing tracks waiting for vocals. Then "Red Balloon" a Tim Hardin cover sounding promising but not quite ready. The two remaining - "Autumn Stone" and the 1967 recording "Call It Something Nice" - are the only cuts here fitting for an agreeable release, the rest could as well have stayed in the vaults. Side one has six live cuts. Listening to that you can't escape they were a great live band and this is about the only reminder, but sadly the audio is rather messy with some added reverb so the joy is purely academic. I do prefer this over AS, cause with lots of good will it could be called Small Faces last original album, unfulfilled and not all pleasant, but still. UK export came with UK vinyl in German sleeve (IMSP 022), French on Immediate (2C 054 -91.871), Australian on Columbia (SOEX 10122). Japan 2009 CD (Immediate VICP 70110) came with fifteen mono versions, most of them Immediate 45:s, as bonus. Not all familiar with German issues, but guess this is early with label as shown here, thick unflexible vinyl, laminated cover and ad inner. (GÖXÄ*) (YDÄ*) (SXÅH*)

WHISTLING JACK SMITH/I WAS KAISER BILL'S BATMAN DE 16006 (-67) US MONO

Not sure how to put this. Title song a one hit wonder written by British artist/songwriter duo Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway - for more on them check post on their "David and Jonathan" album https:// monolover.blogspot.com/2017/10/david-and-jonathan-scx-6031-66-uk.html. Recorded as a single for Deram by Mike Sammers Singers and assorted studio musicians, whistling done by MSS trumpeter John O'Neill. When it surprisingly became a world wide hit, reaching #5 in UK, #20 on Billboard and top ten on many other lists, an actor - Billy Moeller, for the purpose using the name Coby Wells - was hired to personify Whistling Jack Smith and mime the whistling before the public. So the recording was an effort by a then anonymous studio group and pseudo-performed before audiences by a man who didn't had anything to do with it in the first place...and what you get is the exact same short riff repeated all through the song to a somewhat shifting background. That said - it is disturbingly catchy. I hated it back then, but today, with most of my old defense mechanisms gone, I can't get it out of my head...and believe me I've tried. I wont waste any words on the rest of the LP - one hit and eleven fillers may be accurate - but as it carries that hit and is a rather late US mono it may find a place on my shelf after all. LP originally also issued in Canada (same number) and Germany (SML 1009). UK release as "Around The World With Whistling Jack Smith" (DML/SML 1009) and Japanese with the same name (DL3) came with different sleeve design. Don't know of any CD issues. (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)