THE HOUSE THAT TRACK BUILT 613016 (-69) UK MONO + STEREO

UK Polydor/Track sampler that back in the days only saw one issue and then wasn't a big seller at all, but today considered one of the most valuable compilations and highly collectable. And rightly so, cause this has a lot going for it. Most of the tracks were 45 only prior to this and a couple remains very rare regardless of format. You even get a one-off - the first version of The Who track "Young Man Blues", as recorded during the "Tommy" sessions, a raw riff rocker with lots of power. Another take than the one used for "Odds & Sodds", which is a slower and softer variety recorded during the same sessions. Not sure about the CD reissues, but as I get it - since the original tapes were lost those either used the "Odds & Sodds" version or a needle-drop from the LP. Here was also the first time for a true stereo mix of "A Quick One", and apparently the only original as all later pressings of it were edited in different ways. And more - Crazy World Of Arthur Brown "The Devils Grip" non-LP A-side, Fairport Convention's 45 only "If I Had A Ribbon Bow", Tunderclap Newman "Wilhelmina" flip-side to "Something In The Air", John's Children (with Marc Bolan) psych classic "Desdemona" and Parliaments (with George Clinton) "(I Wanna) Testify". Though the labels state "stereo" I get at least some of it in mono - e.g. "Magic Bus", "Purple Haze", "Desdemona", both "Crazy World..." cuts and the Parliaments one. Audio shifts depending on origin, but most tophole and non really bad. With such a plethora of wealth it's hard to pick favorites, but if I have to it'll be "Young Man Blues" not only for it's rarity, but a because a raw riff rocker from The Who always does it, plus the quirky "Wilhelmina" and of course "Desdemona" and "If I Had A Ribbon Bow". Sleeve design, as it seems parodying "Sgt Pepper", created by David King (1943-2016), who also designed the ones for "Electric Ladyland", "Axis...", "Crazy World Of Arthur Brown" and "The Who Sell Out". So not only good listening, it's also fun to look at. To my knowledge not originally released elsewhere or reissued anytime in any form. It came with labels as shown here in a fully laminated fold/out cover. (SÄM*) (WÖH*) (TRÄC*)

POTLIQUOR/LEVEE BLUES JLS 3033 (-71) AUSTRALIA

Louisiana outfit existing 1969-79 and today often recognized as a forerunner in the "southern rock" genre that would spread domestically and sometimes internationally from the seventies and on. For band story I recommend the extensive Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potliquor - got nothing to add on that. Listening to this their second LP now it feels unfair they didn't hit it bigger at the time - apart from the 45 "Cheer" reaching #65 on Billboard they seem to have stayed under the list radar. I hear a very cool heavy blues album made in a southern tradition, carrying both hardhitting rock/blues backing with emotional guitars and more quiet gospel-like parts. Performance and production excellent all the way, topped by George Ratzlaff's delicate vocals. I've seen they've been compared with Guess Who, but to me this is more in the vein of Spooky Tooth's "Spooky Two" for the blend of hard blues and gospel. I like it all, but if I have to pick two favorites - the "Lady Madonna" cover is far from the original, slower and more soulful with lots of feeling, and this version of "Little Red Rooster" - here called "Rooster Blues" - gotta be one of the heaviest ever. Originally released on Janus label in US (JLS 3033), also in Canada, UK, Italy and Downunder. French on Stateside (2C 064-93.206). German 2010 CD on O-Music (OM 71002). First Australian had label as shown here and laminated fold/out cover. (DÖW*)

THE MOST COLLECTION - VOLUME 2 MFP 50016 (-71) UK

Part two of "The Most Collection", containing various numbers handeled by UK producer Mickie Most. While the first was all about rock'n'roll (see earlier post), this concentrates on more mellow pop tracks at the time only existing as 45:s in UK. So for most of them this was the first time on LP. Not all to my taste. The main reson I picked it was the Herman's Hermits cut "My Sentimental Friend" - a beautiful ballad issued on single over a year after their last original album - and the two Peter Noone solo efforts. His early cover of "Oh You Pretty Things", a little sped up with prominent psych strings and top vocals, is a killer with David Bowie himself (uncredited) taking part on piano and background vocals. And "Walnut Whirl" a very handsome piece of British pop - nice melody, well sung with lots of soothing strings everywhere. Good listening. Rear sleeve saying five of the cuts are "electronically enhanced" could be a warning sign, but it's not that bad - I still hear more or less mono, just slightly widened, so it's ok with me. Also released on vinyl downunder, but to my knowledge never as CD. First UK had label as shown here and laminated cover. (HÄHX*) (SÄM*) (SXS*)

CILLA BLACK/YESTERDAY ST. 1100 (-69) UK EXPORT

One of many Cilla Black compilations issued all over the world from 1968 and on. It's hard to find hard fact about this particular release so it'll be conclusions derived from surrounding circumstances. After UK EMI took over the British branch of World Record Club 1965 it became a small subsidiary used for mail-order and then mainly serving countries in the old commonwealth. So as this is on that label and hardly ever shows up in bins or on listings I guess it was one of those mail-order releases for export only. Can't be absolutely sure about release year, but since the latest cuts on it are from 1966 and the whole package has a genuine sixties feel I'm thinking 1969, give or take a year or so. In any case it's a good selection of early numbers, all in true stereo produced by George Martin and the audio is a-ok. Personally I prefer when she goes soft so my favorites here would be "Yesterday", "I've Been Wrong Before" and "Don't Answer Me". I don't believe it was ever released on CD, though a UK vinyl reissue came 1989 on C5 Records (C5-547). Premiere UK had label as shown here, thick vinyl and matt flip/back Garrod & Lofthouse cover. (CÄLÄ*) (FÄV*) (ÖXÄP*)

KATCH 22/IT'S SOFT ROCK & ALLSORTS EROS 8047 (-68) UK

Band formed 1966 as The Midnite Blues. After being spotted at the 100 Club in London by manager and producer Tokenam Aw he changed their name to Katch 22 and got them a contract with Fontana for which they issued five 45's 1966-69, plowing through genres as freak beat, mod rock and psych pop. I'm not familiar with how they went from doing major label singles to release an album on the most notorious British budget label, but maybe Fontana dropped them, they felt they had more to give and Saga was the only option. And why not? In fact this doesn't sound Saga at all. Instead of the for the label too common outcome, often including amateurish, unproduced, badly arranged and unbalanced audio you get a very well done pop (psych?) album with surprisingly fine audio. If I didn't know better I'd guess originally recorded for Fontana -67 or -68, then for some reason put away till picked up and finally released by Saga. Well maybe not, but that's how it sounds. Anyway this is good. Four tracks penned by the band, two by Aw, the rest cover versions. Arranged by band friend Richard Hartley from the group "Fire". Style a blend of British psych pop and American summer of love. Soft without being mellow. Vocals are beautiful, especially the background quires, bright and soothing with some high pitch here and there. Good listening all through though without any obvious hit feeling. The cuts with most potential would be the self-penned "Open Up Your Eyes", slightly reminding of The Turtles yet firmly stuck in British soil, or the "There Ain't No Use In Hangin' On" cover - already a pop psych marvel with Marmalade, but this is very catchy too. In all in a way rather typical for British late sixties - some baroque pop, some folk pop and some just pop - all kind of soft but with a built-in positive feeling I can't resist. So if you like that style and don't mind it being from an odd outfit on an odd label it's highly recommended. Spanish 2010 vinyl reissue on Wah Wah Records (LPS 086). Don't know of any CD release. Premiere UK had label as shown here, thick unflexible vinyl, thin laminated cover with "Saga" inner and very early also a "promo" pic/info insert missing with this copy. (SÄGÖ*)

THIN LIZZY SKL 5082 (-71) UK

Band background story is well known and as Wikipedia has it all I'm not repeating it here. To me the most important part would be the connection with Skid Row, as Phil Lynott was an early member together with Gary Moore, but sacked due to band leader Brendan "Brush" Shiels wanted a power trio rather than a quartet. In any case they seemed to have stayed on good terms - Shiels eventually taught Lynott to play the bass and Moore later became famed guitarist in Thin Lizzy. In retrospective it's interesting how things turned out for both bands given their early works. Skid Row's first two LP:s (see earlier posts) are powerful blues/prog efforts, though far from commercial no less than brilliant, and still sounding important today. However not very successful back then and now mostly seen as a parenthesis in rock history. This Thin Lizzy debute on the other hand sounds somewhat more trembly. A couple of blues/rock tracks - "Clifton Grange Hotel", "Ray-Gun" and "Look What The Wind Blew", all powerful showing guitarist Eric Bell was a lot better than his current reputation. He's now always compared with and then coming out short to Gary Moore, which seems unfair when you listen to this cause the guitars on those blues numbers are very good. But there's also parts where Lynott more or less talk-sings layered over a vacillating background and though there are some interesting stories told in fitting drag I can't help also hearing unfinished. Still from this rather uneven start the band developed and soon became one of the most celebrated acts in rock history. I guess that's the main reason this UK original is very sought after today and sometimes sold for big bucks...the minty ones that is, but if you can just settle with decent it's still possible to get an original at affordable price. I've seen copies with laminated sleeves flaunted as absolutely first, but I'm not so sure. Mine has the earliest -3D/-3D matrixes and 1B/1K mother-stampers, so it's with all certainty pressed pre-release, and the sleeve is unlaminated. I might add this is cut very loud and the sound may crack at one or two places depending on what equipment you use, but as a whole it sounds a-ok. 1971 US and Canadian on London (PS 594) came with different sleeve design, German (SLK 16718-P) on green "art" Decca label. Japan 2010 CD (Decca UICY-94741) had eleven bonus tracks, including the 1971 "New Day" EP. Premiere UK had label as shown here and thin matt cover with "-71" dated blue box stereo inner.

FABULOUS FOUR/AFTER ALL T 687 404 Y (-66) SWEDEN

Pop/rock combo formed 1964 in Stockholm and up to dissolving 1968 managing one #1 - a cover of "Puff The Magic Dragon" - and a couple more top ten singles on the Swedish list. They also got an early breakthrough in Italy with the "After All" 45. Back then their Swedish hits were all soft and rather unexciting cover versions, apart from PTMD also stuff like "Island In The Sun", "Rythm Of The Rain" and "Don't Go Out Into The Rain". Listening today those come out rather dated, while some of the then not so successful self-penned stuff still stands. This was their only album, recorded after they were contracted to write film score for the Janne Haldoff movie "Livet Är Stenkul" (Life's Just Great). Never seen it, but as I understand side one on the LP was written for the soundtrack while side two are covers made more or less as fill-outs. Wont waste many words on the latter though the cover of Billy Swan's "Lover Please" using part chipmunk vocals is rather funny. To me side one is more interesting. "Rotten Rats" has a pop/rock foundation, but drowned in so much fuzz guitar it converts to psych. "Uffes Drimm" garage rock with some good guitars and "What's In The Sky" slow rock with an almost hypnotic feel. I hear an uneven album with many less exciting spots, but offering enough good to deserve a home in any serious sixties collection. To my knowledge released in Sweden only. Seveties reissue as "Fabulous Four Med Lalla Hansson" came with other sleeve design on grey Fontana label (6425 008). Premiere release had blue label as shown here, thick unflexible vinyl and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*) (ZÖNT*)

POPS STEREO SAMPLER - MY FAIR LADY/GREAT FILM SONGS SKL 4005 (-58) UK STEREO

Now to something completely different. One of the very first UK stereo recordings, made with for the time groundbreaking technique. Side one having then famed artists - like The Beverly Sisters, Vera Lynn, Diane Todd and Jack Warner - doing numbers from "My Fair Lady". Side two with six different orchestras playing known film songs. All caught just for this issue. I sometimes fancy listening to music like this as it reminds me of my toddler years in front of the radio. But even if you're considerably younger and just, let's say, a lover of good audio it does have something to offer. As the format was new in Britain 1958 and they struggled to sell it in it's clear an extra effort was made to get the audio as good as possible. And to me this stereo sounds better than many made during the pop era up to 1967. Though obvious two-channel takes there are no splits beween them so the picture comes out in one piece sounding completely natural, big and warm as a fifties recording should be. I guess the result of live in the studio directly captured by two valve mikes and no further meddling. I'm hearing all the benefits of an old mono, but in true stereo. Also issued in Australia (SKLA 4005). Premiere UK had label as shown here, thick unflexible vinyl and fully laminated cover with crescent flips and "ffss" inner. (FÄV*) (SÄM*)

P.J. PROBY/I AM P.J. PROBY LBY 1235 (-64) UK MONO

American singer, songwriter and actor - born James Marcus Smith in Houston 1938. After releasing a few unsuccessful 45:s in US early sixties he moved to Britain and got a breakthrough there, managing five top ten singles and a couple of big-selling EP:s 1964-65. But his controversial live show, including him splitting his tight pants on stage, scandalized the British press and public and following media bans lowered the sales considerably. However the English reacted, pants-split wasn't a problem in Scandinavia where he stayed on the lists and toured through the sixties and in to the seventies. While there he also dated the outrageous Swedish female vocalist Lena Junoff (thought I'd mention that since I've posted her story earlier - check Johnny Bode's album "Bordellmammas Dotter"). It's fun to think this debute LP was released at the same time as the British invasion, where UK artists flooded US with the UK version of American pop, rock and blues. This guy went the opposite direction, recorded an album in contemporary American pop/rock style for the English market and it became quite successful, managing top 20 and some on the list. A cover album blending rock'n'roll with slow movers - from James Brown to Doris Day - mixing peeled-off with orchestrated. Even if backing and arrangements are typical for its time and not very exciting, it's the vocals that spice things up and make it raise above average. Unlike most other anglo-saxon male pop singers at the time his voice is far from fastidious, instead unbridled in a good way showing a wide range - from falsetto to sincerely dark - and big heart on his sleeve. He's working hard to get it out which makes it personal. So even if the genre as such may be considered dated today there's enough feeling revealed to make it worth while. Favorite tracks "Whatever Will Be Will Be" (Que Sera Sera), "I'll Go Crazy" and "Just Call And I'll Be There". This release was UK only and never reissued, also on reel-to-reel (TA-LBY 1235). The US 1965 version "Somewhere" with alternate sleeve design (Liberty LRP 3406/LST 7406) had six cuts in common and was reissued all over the world - including England (Sunset SLS 50404) - in the seventies and eighties on vinyl. 1994 EU CD on C-Five Records (C5HCD 605) coupled this with his second eponymous album. Premiere UK had label as shown here with "Recording First Published 1964" and laminated flip-back cover with "rice-paper" Emitex inner. (MÖRS*) (XLÄ*)

BEAT INCORPORATED SWELP 9 (-64) MONO SWEDEN

Shortlived garage band from Uppsala, Sweden, for which I don't know and can't seem to find any facts on formation or early history. Later on bassist Kjell Matchke took part in the "New Shanes" reformation, keybordist "Ola" played in a couple of less known groups in the eighties and nineties and drummer Christer Jarlstrand was a member in Maniacs from 1967. As the story goes this one-off LP was recorded in just five hours at the Stockholm music scene Kingside with help of a "recording bus" in freezing cold. If that's true it was sure an heroic effort, cause this is a surprisingly good pop/beat album. All songs written by singer Christer Berglund (1942-2016) - here under alias "Chris Corday" - most in a contemporary merseybeat style. Well written, played and sung, spiced with just enough imperfection and live feeling to make it good garage. Fourteen cuts crammed in in just over thirtyone minutes. Simple and catchy with lots of presence. I guess most rewarding for us oldies who grew up with music like this, but could also do it for lovers of early sixties pop/beat in general. Rumour say only fifty copies were pressed. I've seen a couple before but I live in Uppsala, where they came from, so maybe most copies were sold here and have stayed since. In any case the "sheet music" insert promised on cover was never printed and don't exist. To my knowledge this was the only issue, but two of the cuts can be found on the German 1964 compilation "Beat Inc. A Showcase Of Swedish Beat Groups" (Polydor 237 649). Premiere Swedish in mono only had label as shown here, thick vinyl and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*) (ÖGÄ*)