TRAPEZE THS 2 (-70) UK

 Group formed 1969 by members of two moderately successful UK sixties pop/rock combos - John Jones and Terry Rowley from The Montanas plus Glenn Huges, Mel Galley and Dave Holland from Finders Keepers. After this debute flopped John Jones and Terry Rowley left so their second album "Medusa" became a Finders Keepers album, just under another name. For more on that check  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2016/04/trapezemedusa-ths-4-70-uk.html . Just repeating here that this band must be seen as one of the cradles of late seventies hard rock as Glen Hughes later went to Deep Purple, Mel Galley to Whitesnake and Dave Holland to Judas Priest. Like the follow-up this was produced by Moody Blues bassist John Lodge, but coming out somewhat different. While that has a hard rock idiom way ahead of its time, with long cool cuts much building on guitar riffs backed by distinctive bass and drums, this is more diverse and melodic. More like hard pop, sometimes with a psychedelic touch. The arrangements of "It's Only A Dream", the track that opens and close the album, reminds a lot of contemporary Moody Blues, though with a slightly different core. The intense "Suicide" is garnished with some nice doomsday organ towards the end. The three-folded "Fairytale" comes with tempo changes and again some very nice organ notes. Full album below. To me a very interesting piece of vinyl, hinting the transition of genres from the melodic poppy sixties to the more hard core and proggy seventies, but also presenting early material from musicians that would became a big part of the late seventies and early eighties hard rock scene.  1970 issues also in US, Canada, France, Germany and a couple of South American countries. Japan 2023 CD on Belle Antique (BELLE 233932) in paper sleeve came with six bonus tracks. Premiere UK had label as shown here in a matte fold/out cover.  (DÄRR*)

                                                                              

                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                         

 

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD/THE VERY BEST OF DUSTY SPRINGFIELD NE 1139 (-81) UK MONO + STEREO

 Contninuing my recent K-Tel research, this time with an eighteen track compilation from Dusty Springfield (1939-99), to my taste the best white female soul vocalists ever. For more on her please check post on her UK debute   https://monolover.blogspot.com/2013/06/dusty-springfielda-girl-called-dusty.html  . On this you can enjoy her smooth, melodic, and dare I say - sexy voice, in some of her most prominent hits - like "I Only Want To Be With You", "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Son Of A Preacher Man" plus many more killers. For exemple her vocals in "Son Of A Preacher Man" are downright heavenly, so controlled yet emotional they still give me goosebumps even after hearing it hundreds of times through the years. Perfect!  A couple of the earliest recorded tracks comes in original mono, the rest in true stereo. As with most of these K-Tel compilations they've packed in as many cuts as they dared which makes some of it sound somewhat crammed, though nothing too bad and I can enjoy her here all the way without worries. To my knowledge only officially issued in UK. Also on cassette (CE 2139). Vinyl had label as shown here in a thin glossy sleeve. (FÄV*)  (TÖZ*) (KÄJT*)

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                               

                                                                                  

                                                                                 

 

FAIRPORT CONVENTION/NINE ILPS 9246 (-73) UK

 Obviously the band's ninth album. It was the second to include Trevor Lucas (1943-89) and Jerry Donahue (1946-) after the "Rosie" album  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2022/08/fairport-conventionrosie-ilps-9208-73-uk.html  . Both had also been part of the shortlived "Fotheringay" project  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2019/09/fortheringay-6339-010-70-germany_23.html  . As with all FC albums without Sandy Denny I miss her voice and presence, but this offers quite a lot good listening anyway. The mandolin and fiddle play are top notch, especially on the two instrumental tracks - "The Brilliancy Medley & Cherokee Shuffle" and "Tokyo". The performances are very good all through and even if I miss Sandy on vocals the ones here sound all right for the purpose. Apart from the aforementioned the ones I like most are - the energetic "The Hexhamshire Lass", the heavy arrangement on "Polly On The Shore" and the rocking "Possibly Parsons Green". For those who didn't know the group before, be aware this is UK folk pop and rock, either reworks of traditional songs or written in that style. I happen to like that so this will fit perfectly in my collection, though I would have preferred a little more up-tempo and genuine folk rock, more directly catchy. Issued and reissued on vinyl and CD over Europe, US and Canada, Downunder and Japan. Also as UK cassette and 8-track. Japan 2006 CD on Island (UICY 9681) came with four bonus tracks. First UK had label as shown here in a glossy fold/out cover.  (FÄH)

                                                                                

                                                                                 

                                                                               

                                                                             

                                                                             

  

 

BEE GEES/CUCUMBER CASTLE 2383.010 (-70) SCANDINAVIA

 The group's seventh album, then performed by a core consisting of Barry and Maurice Gibb supported by various other musicians, as Robin Gibb had left for a solo carreer just before recordings. The issue can also be called a soundtrack since it carries songs from their TV special "Cucumber Castle", named after a song on their debute LP. I've always thought Bee Gees did best before the disco era and try to find originals of their earlier stuff in nice nick. For some reason this has been hard to find like that, but now I have and giving it a first listen. After getting through for the first time I'm feeling almost overly romantic. It's all very dramatic in a quite soothing way. The arrangements, mix and audio all impeccable, though maybe a little too generous with the reverb. No rock'n'roll, nothing very adventurous. I wouldn't even call it regular pop, most of it just slow idyllic ballads. Very melodic. Then after listening a couple of more times I'm rather pleased, though miss something sticking out, something very out of the ordinary, something downright catchy, but I don't get much of that. "Dont Forget To Remember" is one you do remember, "I.O.I.O." has bongos and some chanting, making it fun to listen to, and the jazzy "My Thing" odd enough to become my favorite so far. Apart from those I'm not all in, but it's still early days for me rooting around in the castle and I might be more comfy there given time. Issued and reissued on all possble formats all over the world through the years. Premiere UK on Polydor (2383.010). Japan 2022 CD on Capitol (UICY 16107). First Scandinavian had label as shown here in a fully laminated fold/out cover. (BÅXÅ*) (CCÖ*) (ZÖNT*)

                                                                                    

                                                                                   

                                                                                    

                                                                                   

                                                                                        

                                                                                   

 

K-TEL'S 40 SUPERGREATS NE 708 (-75) US

 Thought I was done with picking and posting K-Tel compilations for a while now, but after finding this feel I must add add it to the page as well. A 2-LP set counting forty UK hits, whereof sixteen topped the list. For a guy like me who already was a big music lover back then and listened to about everything this set offers a plethora of wealth, trigging many memories along the way - like Alice Cooper "Schools Out", Rubettes "Sugar baby Love, Sweet "Fox On The Run", Wizzard "See My Baby Jive", Elton John "Rocket Man", Faces "Pool Hall Richard" and many more. I also get stuff that for some reason passed me by unnoticed in those days by acts as Hues Corporation, Ken Boothe, Stephanie De Sykes and John Holt. So listening through set off a jouney where I both can reminisce and learn new things. For this retiree since eight years listening to music has become a way to enjoy my days as much as I can and this is a welcome contribution. Audio shifts a little between tracks. As they crammed in ten cuts on each side not all top of the line, but even if some may not do it very close to the ears it's good as background to about anything, creating a snug seventies mood in my home. This copy, still as new when I picked it, has US vinyls in a UK sleeve, so either the records was imported to UK or the sleeve was imported to US. Not sure which. Originally released in UK and Germany, also on cassette. This US came with label as shown here in a UK laminated fold/out cover. (SÄM*) (KÄJT*)

                                                                                 

                                                                                    

                                                                                    

                                                                              

                                                                                      

                                                                                 

 

 

MARYLIN MONROE/REMEMBER MARILYN NSPH 28500 (-73) UK MONO

 An artist that needs no further presentation. Marylin Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson (1926-62), is probably the all time best known sex icon, still vividly remembered and copied, but she was also a good actress when she got the chance to show it and an excellent singer in her own special way. Here you get to hear some of that, including her maybe most known song "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend". All cuts here are mono, some of them enhanced, but non so much it can be called fake stereo. However it's not the music that does this for me since these songs can be found on a large number of issues. Instead it's the beautiful sleeve design, including a large twelve page booklet containing 30+ images of her, showing both sensuality and vulnerability, some of them rare. So for me this is more about looking than listening and good looks it is. This has been released multiple times on vinyl all over the world from 1962 up to today, also as US cassette, reel and 8-track, with differing names and sleeve designs, too many to count. First US 1962 as "Marilyn" on 20th Fox (FXG 5000). Very first UK seems to have been on blue label, so this is probably somewhat later, but as I get the beautiful fold/out sleeve with the twelve page booklet it's not a problem. (FÄV*)

                                                                                 

                                                                                   

                                                                                    

                                                                                     

                                                                                  

                                                                                  

 

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND/SUPERSTARSHINE, VOL. 20 2356 097 (-73) MONO + STEREO NETHERLANDS

 One, to my taste, very rewarding Velvet Underground compilation, blending ten songs from their first three albums with three from Nico's debute LP "Chelsea Girl"   https://monolover.blogspot.com/2012/05/nicochelsea-girl-v-5032-67-us-mono.html  . A mix of true stereo and mono, probably from choosing the ones that sounded the best, cause the audio here is surprisingly good considering some of the original recodings wasn't all high quality. I especially like that the two VU classics "I'm Waiting For The Man" and "White Light/White Heat" comes in mono. Of the Nico solo cuts "Fairest Of The Season" is mono while both "Winter Song" and "Eulogy To Lenny Bruce" are stereo. So a good choice if you want to get to know this legendary combo but don't wanna spend a fortune on the original LP:s. The issue was part of the Dutch only thirtythree volume serie "Superstarshine", which covered a lot of the sixties and early seventies pop and rock scene. This is the first from that for me, but if the rest are of this quality I wanna hear more. I take this is the only issue. It came with label as shown here in a laminated cover. (HÖLX*) 

                                                                              

                                                                                  

                                                                                 

                                                                                   

 

K-TEL'S MUSIC EXPRESS TE 702 (-75) UK

 

 Mentioning another TV vended K-tel issue while I'm at it. As no one in this neck of the woods seems to appreciate vinyl compilations anymore I can get them for a buck or so and therefore pick them when I see them. This one has a collection of UK hits recent to its release date, blending a multitude of genres like disco, pop, reggae and rock. What makes it for me is that apart from classics from acts like Roxy Music, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, Hot Chocolate, Roy Wood and Sparks, I also get to be acquaited whith artists new to me, as Philadelphia disco-soul combo Trammps "Hold back The Night". UK band Stretch counted former members of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera and Curved Air. As the story goes it was co-founded by Mick Fleetwood who had promised to join on a US tour but failed to do so and the song "Why Did You Do It" was an attack on him for leaving them behind. Also Jamaican reggae singer Susan Cadogan's "Love Me baby" is very sweet raggae-pop. I hadn't heard any of those three cuts before. All good music and a welcome addition to the collection.  As a whole the audio shifts a little between tracks, but most sounds fine and non bad. To my knowledge this was UK only, also as cassette (CE 802). Vinyl had label as shown here in a thin laminated cover.  (SÄM*) (KÄJT*)