The Maze -Armageddon -Rare US psych 1968

ALBUM: 1(A) ARMAGEDDON (MTA MTS 5012) 1969 NB: (1) counterfeited on vinyl in 1989 and reissued legitimately on CD(Sundazed SC 6060) 1995 with six previously unreleased tracks - a combination of outtakes from the album and earlier folk-rock offerings from 1967. From Fairfield, California, this band were previously known as Stone Henge, who in turn had evolved out of The Donnybrookes. Their album was produced by Larry Goldberg and Leo (De Gar) Kulka who operated out of Golden State Recorders in San Francisco. The album starts out with the melodramatic Armageddon which comprises most of Side One, the rest is taken up with the more melodic and laid back I'm So Sad.

The second side begins with the rather lightweight goodtime Happiness, but Whispering Shadows opens with some great discordant guitar work which gives away to some good group harmonies and Kissy Face also features some great vocals, Dejected Soul, with its sleepy vocals and fine fuzz guitar work, is among the album's finer moments. The final track, As For Now, seems to return to the more melodic, laid back style of I'm So Sad An album well worth tracking down. The Sundazed CD bonus cuts nclude two unreleased efforts from 1967 as by Stone Henge Compilation appearances have included: Whispering Shadows on Psychedelic Crown Jewels, Vol. 1 (CD); As For Now on Sundazed Sampler, Vol. 2 (CD); Kissy Face and Dejected Soul on Crystalize Your Mind (CD).(Vernon Joynson / Max Waller)

Tracks

1. Armageddon 7:13
2. I'm So Sad 7:03
3. Happiness 2:08
4. Whispering Shadows 4:22
5. Kissy Face 3:05
6. Dejected Soul 2:32
7. As For Now 2:40

kissy kissy

***Halfnelson (pre-Sparks) A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing -very rare '68 charming, whimsical Psych-pop Demo album, excellent fun!***

**Psychelatte says: this is a super early psych-pop bit of fun from the U.S band that later became the well-known glam-rock legends called Sparks. This demo version of the album is DIFFERENT from the official Halfnelson release a few years later, with completely different (and in my opinion, better) songs. If you like Syd Barrett sounding songs (with the occasional operatic tendency!) Plus lots of swirling organ, you'll LOVE this! I can't see that it has been featured on any other blogspots offering Psych, so I'm very happy to oblige! xxx

Ron Mael Russ Mael and Earle Mankey made quite a lot of home recordings during the late 60's and the most famous one was the Halfnelson's "A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing" demo (not to be confused with the second official Sparks' Bearsville album). The band was Russell Mae(vocals & bass), Ron Mael (keyboards), Earle Mankey (guitar & vocals) All the songs had been written by the Maels. There are two songs on this demo, which were early versions of songs : " The War" available later on the official Bearsville release. The demo album was produced by Earle Mankey who also sang " Mountain". More info here. The demo version of the album was packaged in a large rectangular box resembling a restaurant checkbook. A hand-written bill for " $100,000 For One Halfnelson Album" was scrawled on the checkbook. Inside were photos, a bio, and the vinyl disc.

Songs :
Chile Farm Farney /
Johnny's Adventure /
Roger / Arts & Crafts Spectacular
/ Landlady /
The Animals At Jason's Bar & Grill /
Big Rock Candy Mountain /
Millie /
Saccharin And The War /
Join The Firm /
Jane Church /
The Factory

60's Sparks!:-D

Vigrass & Osborne -Queues (1972) -Soft Psych with folky and country touches, very good and rare. Fading Yellow artist

1.MEN OF LEARNING
2.DON'T YOU WORRY
3.BALLERINA
4.MISSISSIPPI LULLABYE
5.VIRGINIA
6.SAIL AWAY
7.FOREVER AUTUMN
8.AN INVITATION
9.REMEMBER
10.THE END

Queue!

***Bob Ray - Initiation of a Mystic (1968) -Beautiful melancholy Pop-Psych. Fading Yellow Artist***

**Psychelatte says: -sorry about the pops and crackles, but it is from a vinyl rip and the only copy I could get. But it is *WELL WORTH* hearing if you like melancholy, gentle, haunting music.

Bob Ray, onetime bass player for Donovan (that's him on Season of the Witch) and later a member of the pop trio Thorinshield. This release doesn't have the sunshine vibe of that band but is certainly as good or better in its own somewhat darker way.

The core band on this one (see below) featured some fine LA session players and the record was produced by Johnny Rivers.

HAL BLAINE drms
JIM GORDON drms
JIM HORN flute, sax
LARRY KNECHTEL bs, keyb'ds
JOE OSBORNE bs
BOB RAY vcls
(There's also some strings (as in orchestral) but players are unknown.)

(Girl With the) Cameo Ring (3:55)
Live Today (3:32)
City of Toys (3:33)
Green Green (Big Big River) (3:16)
Smog Song (5:20)
Resurrection (4:00)
Money Tree (3:40)
Personal Movie (2:58)
Woman of the Highlands (4:15)
Right Relations (3:30)
Islands (Poem) (2:10)

Lovely melancholy

Design -Design/Tomorrow is So Far Away (2 LPS) -Rare vinyl rip of band featured on Fading Yellow 5)

Design -Design. Sunshine Psych Pop, vocal harmony and sparkly acoustic fans will fairly gag when they hear this masterpiece. It would definitely fall into the Free Design and Collage domain but like the others, occupies its own unique locale and that locale might be called 'Art'. The musical arrangements are stunning and the vocal arrangements are creative but never inaccessible. The songwriting ranges from perky to zany to introspective to ethereal and on and on - exemplary.

Tracklisting:
1. Coloured Mile
2. Willow Stream
3. Marguaretta
4. The Lonely
5. Thinkin
6. Matchbox Man
7. The Minstrel's Theme
8. Speak
9. Buttercup Stranger
10. Children Of The Mist
11. Dawn Chorus

All songs by A.C. Smith except The Minstrel's Theme by Barry Johnston
Musical Director: Sydney Dale
Vocal Arrangements: Tony Smith

DESIGN: Kathy Manuell, Gabrielle Field, Tony Smith, Barry Johnston, Geoff Ramseyer and John Morgan Original B&W Graphic: Karenlee Grant

Design - Tomorrow Is So Far Away -Two of the original group members have been replaced but the essence is the same. The opening track, Take A Boat is as sensational as any cut from the 1st album as are a number of the others like Sad Fisherman and Love Is. There is an artful cover of the Beatle's Strawberry Fields Forever and a lush and faithful cover of The Groop's The Jet Song. One more cover is Paul McCartney's Man We Was Lonely that the group does beautifully by - a sight better than Paul himself did with this substandard, throw-away tune. Also of note is the album's title track, the lovely and tender Tomorrow Is So Far Away.

track listing :

Take A Boat
Jet Song
Celestina
Ladybird Don't Fly
Strawberry Fields Forever
Tomorrow Is So Far Away
Sad Fisherman
Butterfly Catcher
The Time Has Come
Man We Was Lonely

musicians

Barry Alexander : vocals
Gabrielle Field : vocals
Kathy Manuell : vocals
Geoff Ramseyer : vocals
Chris Spedding : guitars
Alan Parker : guitars
Herbie Flowers : bass
Tony Campo : bass
Clem Cattini : drums
Roger Coulam : keyboards
Alan Hawkshaw : keyboards


*see comments!/Make comments!

Markley, A Group (1969) (West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band rarity)

Arguably this is in fact the last WCPAEB album, produced by Bob Markley and Michael Lloyd. All the tracks are composed by the above personel. Musically, it's not as good as the WCPAEB but contains some good tracks: Next Plane To the Sun, Sweet Lady Eleven and Magic Cat. Quite surprisingly, there are also several bubblegum influenced tracks (Zoom, Zoom, Zoom being the worst).

(Stephane Rebeschini)
unknown:
Reissue on CD of what was actually the 5th and final album by West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Singer/womaniser Bob markley thought it better to release it under his own name, as a showcase for his various dementia's. The album is chocked full of rich harmonies and delicate arrangements which show the abundant influence of Michael Lloyd, who co-produced the album with (mad) Bob . A surprisingly consistent and accomplished album for a band about to collapse under the collective weight of it's own insanity.
There are few groups as enigmatic, as mysterious as The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. The prime mover in the band was Bob Markley, born in Oklahoma and the son of an oil tycoon. He moved to Los Angeles early in the 1960's, and in late 1961 he began his recording career with "It Should've Be Me" / 'Summers Comin' On", released on Warner Bros. Both sides were pure teen doo-wop, giving little indication what would follow. Markley remained involved in music, and three years later he met up with two brothers, Shaun and Danny Harris, whose interest in music seemed inevitable as their father was a renowned classical composer and their mother a concert pianist. In 1964 Shaun and Danny formed a group The Snowmen, with two musicians who would go on to form The Sunrays and score 1967 hits with 'Andrea' and 'I Live For The Sun'. Later, with the group now split, Shaun and Danny were studying at the Hollywood Professional School where they met Michael Lloyd, leader of yet another local band, Laughing Wind, who had cut some tracks for Tower Records. With Bob Markley and John Ware, a friend of the family, they started a new group. In 1966 the line-up was Dan Harris (lead guitar), Shaun Harris (bass), Michael Lloyd (guitar), John Ware (drums), and Bob Markley who became the inspirator of the band. They band played around all the Sunset Strip clubs and "every freakout that ever happened at the Hollywood Palladium" (to quote Ware).
By 1966 the band had signed to Reprise and their debut album, 'Part One', included some daring cover versions of L.A. contemporaries as Van Dyke Parks, Frank Zappa and P.F.Sloan. The album opened with one of its strongest cuts, the marvelous 'Shifting Sands'. Here is all that was good about the early WCPAEB, that mixture of understatement and melody, with exceptional guitar work which flew over the top of the song, creating an atmosphere that was itself unique. It's the style that the group would expand on. The album-sleeve was a colored collage of anonymous photographs, with no personnel listed. It is not clear who actually played on the album, although Bob Markley is listed as the co-producer.
With the release of the group's second album 'Vol 2', Markley's hold on the group was obviously completed and the air of anonymity removed. The WCPAEB was clearly seen as a trio, with photographs on both the front and back sleeves. Alongside Markley were the Harris brothers. The album included some gems. "Smell of Incense" is particularly good with some strong instrumentation. Released as a single (in a cut-up and remix version), it was the hit the group never had; They were curiously beaten by a cover version by the Southwest F.O.B., who reached no.56 a few months later.
The third album 'A Child's Guide to Good and Evil' appeared in mid 1968 and was the group's most accomplished collection. Still operating as a trio the band now found themselves with a new depth of sound, better able to shape their ideas. This was fully explored in "Eighteen is Over The Hill", where by using layers of multi-track, there was now a fuller wash of harmonies and instruments to complement the often-complex material.
Another confused period followed after the group was dropped by Reprise, as their sales were falling. Bob Markley took out some time to work as producer on other projects.
The WCPAEB did, however, re-appear, and a further album 'Where's My Daddy' was released on Amos Records late in 1969, although not of the same class as the Reprise material. Once again the line-up was made up of the crucial three.
This album effectively ended the name of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, although some time later the trio resurfaced together for one last project, a Bob Markley solo album.
'Markley, A Group' released on the obscure Forward label, was effectively the fifth Pop Art album; the personnel was the same and indeed, the music too was an extension of 'Where's My Daddy'. Once again it lacked the heady atmosphere of say "Smell Of Incense", but it was by no means indispensable.
'A Group' did, however, mark the end of the collaboration between Markley and the two Harrises and they each went their separate ways.

01 - Booker T & His Electric Shock 2:23
02 - Next Plane To The Sun 2:14
03 - Roger The Rocket Ship 2:45
04 - Elegant Ellen 2:19
05 - Little Ruby Rain 3:01
06 - Message For Miniature 0:27
07 - Sarah The Sad Spirit 2:36
08 - Truck Stop 3:20
09 - Zoom Zoom Zoom 2:12
10 - Sweet Lady Eleven 2:19
11 - The Magic Cat 2:59
12 - Outside - Inside 2:39

http://www.mediafire.com/?oz2zny5ytcx

Hen's Teeth 3 -Various Artists (rare Psych compilation)

The Fire -"Man in the Teapot" -, -typical track, Hen's Teeth 3

1. The Anteeeks - I Don't Want You
2. Kippington Lodge - I Can See Her Face
3. The Fire - Man In The Teapot
4. Mandrake - Len
5. The Glass Menagerie - Somebody To Love
6. Now - Marcia
7. The Smoke - Utterly Simple
8. The Orange Machine - Dr. Crippen's Waiting Room
9. The Barrier - Dawn Breaks Through
10. Ron Grainer Orchestra - Boy Meets Girl
11. Factory - Castle On A Hill
12. Jigsaw - Seven Fishes
13. Team Dokus - 60 Million Megaton Sunset
14. Tales Of Justine - Sitting On A Blunestone
15. The Difference - Sweet Sounds Everywhere
16. Nimrod - Don't Let It Get The Best Of You
17. The Blue Effect - Sun Is So Bright
18. The Scene - Scenes (From Another World)
19. White Trash - Illusions
20. unknown - Out Of My Mind (Over You)
21. The Flames - Mod Trad
22. The Nashville Teens - I'm A Lonely One
23. The Mirage - I See The Rain
24. The Matadors - Don't Bother Me
25. Strange Brew - Mr. Paradise
26. George Bean - Floatin'
27. The Majority - Time Machie Man

HEN'S TEETH 3.rar

Sofistifunk Vol 2 -Various Artists (Great 70's Jazz-Funk Rare Compilation)

Andei (and I walked) -sofistifunk 2

1. In a silent way
2. Primal scream
3. Danish drive
4. Wind danse
5. Parana
6. Mr. McFreeze
7. Ilha grande
8. Andei (I walked)
9. Salve o verde
10. Rumplestiltskin
11. Oceanus
12. Modern times
13. Aspirations

Sofistifunk, Vol. 2.rar

Ready Steady Stop! -Various Artists (Rare Beat/ Freakbeat Compilation)

typical track from this great Mod collection.

Track Listings:
1. Stop - Pan Pipers
2. She's Got Everything - Kinks
3. I've Laid Some Down In My Time - Colton, Tony & The Big Boss Band
4. Gonna Find A Cave - Sorrows (1)
5. Can't Help Thinking About Me - Bowie, David & The Lower Third
6. I Really Care - Bown, Alan Set
7. Working Man - Riot Squad
8. You're Good To Me - Blue Chips
9. You've Gotta Be With Me - Onyx
10. Who's Wrong - Truth
11. We Ain't Got Nothing Yet - Spectres
12. My Way Of Thinking - Bystanders
13. Can't Stop Thinking About Her - Chapters
14. Top Hat - Montanas
15. World Keeps Going Round - Lancastrians
16. You've Been Unfair - Clique
17. Big Kill - Five's Company
18. Head For The Sun - Movement
19. First Time I Saw The Sun Shine - Time
20. Good Times - Pussyfoot
21. I Take It We're Through - Riot Squad
22. She Can't See For Looking - Bobcats
23. Somewhere They Can't Find Me - Justin & Karlsen
24. Don't Leave Me In The Dark - Youngblood
25. Some Kind Of Loving - Blue Chips
26. Make Up Or Break Up - Leslie, Michael
27. Call Out The Name - Worrying Kynde
28. I Don't Wanna Be Free - Sorrows
29. You'd Better Make Up Your Mind - Koobas
30. Evil Woman - Darrell, Guy

READY STEADY STOP!.rar

Intaferon: Get out of London -12 inch 80's single (Rare bonkers track, gotta hear!!)

INTERFERON GET OUT OF LONDON.rar

Hold Tight
Monday morning wake up yawning
Break an egg, bust my head, maybe it's a warning
Ring on the bell says it's half past eight
Kees on the TV, hey Im gonna be late
I'm walking on the pavement skipping all the lines
so the bears don't eat me send me to the saltmines
Get on the bus but the bus don't stop my feet are sitting downstairs my head on the top
I can't see out the window cuz there ain't no sun
I think somebodys tellin me to G-G-G-G-Get out of London

My feets keep movin and i don't wear any socks
Can't stop singing, head ting-a-lingin
Left my house, now I hang out in a phonebox
Making coffins out of bits of old wood,
Sell 'em cheap to the council though i know it's no good to be a traitor,
collaborator, still i'd rather be a snitch than a cocktail waiter
Commit my crime now pay my penalty later
Okay allright i know i'm doin wrong but save it till tomorrow got to G-G-G-G-G-Get out of london

Last night I lost my purity it started with a kiss, I settled in to revel in a night of bedded bliss
I had a bee in my bonnet, a tiger in my tank
I was on my maiden voyage but my liner just sank
They call me jack of hearts, some would say a knave
My mother was the queen of tarts my baby was a sex slave
Pa's selling weapons to the Red Army Faction
I burn myself in public just to get a reaction
Tattoo my face so my race is run
My car is on fire got to G-G-G-G-G-Get out of London

Don't wear a suit don't wear a smile,
Don't wear my spikes out on the golden mile
Keep my hand on my gun, keep my eye on my mines
Keep my heart on the beat when i'm running through the front lines
Chain Gang chasin' me but I'm quick as a fox
An' i rock my body to the sound of the box
the louder you scream the faster we go
It's an ack ack battery a boom-boom-boom
Helter Skelter flattery coming down soon
Pay packet, jug drug, babies buying fun,
Purdie's on speed I got to G-G-G-G-Get out of London

Run don't walk keep as straight as a crow, I'm waiting for my treasure at the Admiral Benbow,
Blues in my pockets, Reds in my bed, the weights are building bodies and the blacks are pumping lead

A Face in a photo, the beauty is bare tears on her cheek
She's living in a nightmare turn the page to a brand new leaf,
Resolute swagger loot time to be a thief,
Go to task wear a mask four ponies a ton,
Keep out of Sing Sing got to G-G-G-G-G-Get out of London

Everybody in the land turn into a sugartooth beg like a puppy dog,
Brains like a hedgehog
Gimme Ten P and I'll tell you the truth, sell you a wonder drug, elixir of youth
Threw a party for my friends so they wouldn't be lonely
They wouldn't let me in said it's membership only don't worry bout me
Cuz i'm doin fine standin on my head
And sittin on a gold mine
Keep taking the nitro three times a day, Keep out of the cross fire and G-G-G-G-G-Get out of London.

Hen's Teeth -Various Artists (Rare 60's Psych Compilation)

My favourite track from this interesting collection of obscure UK psychedelia. (this track is about the day the Titanic sank). Oh the urgency!

David - Light Of Your Mind
Glass Opening - Does It Really Matter
Matadors - Get Down From The Tree
Freedom - Trying To Get A Glimpse
Alan Avon & The Toyshop - A Night To Remember Edwick Rumbold - Boggle Woggle
Svensk - Getting Old
Wheels Of Time - 1984
Juniors Eyes - The Black Smoke
Virgin Sleep - Halliford House
Enough's Enough - Please Remember
Mandrake - Sunlight Glide
State Of Mickey & Tommy - I Know What I Would Do
The Executives - Moving In A Circle
The Bluejeans - Sandfly
John Carter - The Laughing Man
Giorgio & Marco's Men - Baby I Need You
Favourite Sons - Walking, Walking, Walking
Hifi's - Tread Softly For The Sleeper's
Tangerine Peel - Trapped
Gibsons - City Life
Motivation - Little Man
Kinetic - Suddenly Tomorrow
Tickle - Good Morning
Enough's Enough - Look Around You Baby
Kirkby's - It's A Crime

HEN'S TEETH.rar