Duke Ellington - A Toast to the Duke vinyl rip

Haven just been given a dozen or so albums from a friend to rip onto Cd i found myself remembering my first post which stated that this blog would be dedicated to music "REAL MUSIC". So I now find myself posting this.

If you like Jazz you will love this. recorded December 1953 and Jan 1954

SLEEVE NOTES

Looking once more with incredulous admiration at the unique history and achievement of Duke Ellington and his orchestra, it seems that the best comparison would be with a soccer team that has managed to stay at or near the top of the league since 1927, outright champions more often than not and many times winner of the cup. Guided by a genius of a player-captain-manager-coach, loaded with goal-scoring stares,a team with hardly a weakness. They may have slipped a few places in the table occasionally with the critics quick to pounce in and predict the end; they may have played better on some grounds than others; their collective style may have changed a little; but they have always come back to the top and they're still there 35 years later

Within the unpredictable and ever-changing field of popular music and jazz, this achievement is doubly remarkable. Duke Ellington was recording when the Charleston was just becoming popular,while the Goodman orchestra was still only an idea, before Chris Barber was even born.The idea of a team of musicians who not only played but also contributed to the creation of music was one that could only be fulfilled within the jazz idiom--and it is this organic growth and development of the band that has ensured its survival

The range of expression of which the band is capable is also remarkable; from the introverted musings of a small group centred round the composer to the extroverted high spirits of powerful, swing music played with the relaxed ease of faultless professionalism.

The material used on this record was partly classic compositions by Ellington and partly numbers that had become closely associated with other great bands. Ellington's desire to pay tribute to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Fats Waller,Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton doubles the interest in a way, because it is fascinating to compare his versions of these tunes with the originals - giving insight into the Ellington transformation process that was to find a peak in later adaptations of Tchaikovsky and Grieg

Rockin' in Rhythm:- with Carney credited as co-composer, was first recorded in 1930 and again in 1931. The character is maintained in this much expanded version. Ellington plays a longer introduction in place of the original few bars, against a sort of rehearsal room atmosphere. The first part uses the whole band, then, after employing the original style of rhythmic break the middle section features Russell Procope playing the old Bigard solo on clarinet. A few bars from Quentin Jackson lead into a Collective finale built around Carney's active baritone

Black and tan fantasy:- was one of the first Ellington classics conceived with Bubber Miley in 1927. Again the old jungle style is retained. Russell Procope has the first solo, This time on alto and then Ray Nance plunges in on a high glissando as Miley used to.A lazy solo from Ellington leads to Quentin Jackson taking Nanton's old part on trombone. Procope solos again on clarinet,an addition to the old routine,before Nance once more pays Tribute to Bubber Miley to round off this well-shaped composition

In Stompin' at the Savoy a number which both Chick Webb And Benny Goodman regularly featured when Edgar Sampson came up with the original idea in 1935, the Ellington band indulges in a little parody. Hamilton nicely hits off certain elements of the Goodman style; but the highpoint of the track is an effortless and impressive solo by Clark Terry. Harry Carney And Paul Gonsalves both have effective solos offering a fine contrast in timbres and Rick Henderson has a few notes before the exiting ending

In the mood was not exactly introduced by Glenn Miller but it was his version that made Joe Garland's riff tune popular. Again the Ellington band manages some of the atmosphere of the other band. Clark Terry has a few superb bars and Russell Procope a few very odd ones. Jimmy Hamilton a smooth solo and Ray Nance a meditative one, before the band riffs out a la Miller. Stompin' at the Savoy, this number' and Flying Home were arranged by Dick Vance

In One o'clock jump Ellington puts things in motion with an affectionate copy of Basie's inimitable piano style in the Basie band's signature tune, and elsewhere they get very close to the right sound with Jimmy Hamilton on tenor emulating Lester Young. Britt Woodman, Paul Gonsalves and Cat Anderson are the other featured soloists. the arrangement was made by an old Basie man, Buck Clayton

Honysuckle Rose came, of course, from the mind of that great jazz personality Fats Waller. He and the Duke were struggling pianists together. Waller's own interpretation of his tune never rose to the splendour of an orchestra like Ellington's. The main featured soloist is Jimmy Hamilton who made the orchestral arrangement

The real masterpiece of this disk, and for which it is worth the money alone, is Ellington's own Happy-go-lucky local which he arranged with Billy Strayhorn. The band previously recorded this trainload of happily inebriated locals in 1946 in a fine but not quite so hi-fi rendering.Many composers, of which Honegger and Villa-Lobos are the most notable, have tried impressions of trains in music but nobody has ever surpassed Ellingtons essay. it is both descriptive and impressionistic with the rollicking and propulsive rhythm that only a good jazz orchestra could supply-and Cat Anderson's unoiled squeaks are put to effective use. Other soloists who lend colour are Procope,Marshall, Gonsalves and Hamilton, but it is definitely the total effect that matters here.

The band finish in dashing style with the Hampton- Goodman speciality Flying home, which Hampton must have played hundreds of times. Lacking any substitute for his genius the band employs as soloists Jimmy Hamilton, Clark Terry and Cat Anderson, with plenty of full-band excitement in true Hampton Style

Peter Gammond


Link http://www.mediafire.com/?llqgjlyyt2n

Spirit of Rock - The Probe Sampler - Vinyl Rip

Whilst flicking through my somewhat extensive vinyl collection I turned my attention to the compilation section and I came across this album , I was somewhat mystified as to where it came from as I can generally remember where and when I obtained each of my precious pieces of plastic. It wasn't in the best of conditions but nevertheless looking at the track list decided to give it a spin and I was not disappointed.
What we have here is a 1972 sampler from probe records which was released through mfp( Music For Pleasure) here in the UK. It is an excellent collection from some of the top artist on the ABC /Dunhill labels in the USA

I cant find much more info on this album other than what is stated above.
well worth a listen to though

I am particularly proud of the way this album has cleaned up as it really was in a bit of a state. For those of you who have Vinyl collections it really is an easy process, I have included B.B. Kings summer in the city as it was recorded(IE before it was "cleaned Up") as an example of what can be done. See if you can spot the difference!!!




Enjoy
Track List

* Birtha - Free Spirit
* Three Dog Night - The Writing's on the Wall
* Grassroots - Move Along
* Ray Charles - What Have They Done to My Song, Ma
* Steely Dan - Dallas
* Mamas & Papas - Go Where You Wanna Go
* Gladstone - Livin' in the Country
* B. B. King - Summer in the City
* Emitt Rhodes - Tame the Lion
* Steppenwolf - Hippo Stomp
* Joe Walsh - I'll Tell the World About You
* Four Tops - Put a Little Love Away


Link http://www.mediafire.com/?yqamd1lczjm

Detective - Detective

Review By Michael Thomas Roe

Count me as one who is mystified as to why Detective never made it to the Big Time. All the ingredients were there: all star line up, big push by big record label and gobs of l.p.'s produced at the time (how many vinyl copies of "Detective" have YOU seen in the bargain bin?).
But let's face it, Detective was a little bit "different". Right off the bat on "Detective" they are definitely playing it cool. That is to say that the first track, "Recognition", is hardly the rockin' head blast that the at-the-time Led Zeppelin-heads were expecting, let alone wanted. It's a spooky little number with a bluesy slide guitar and some jazzy riffs. Things heat up a little with "Got Enough Love", but it seems that the boys are taking their cue from the Philly soul bands, not Bad Company, who quite literally stole their thunder.
Things finally click on "Grim Reaper" wherein Detective solidly lays down the heavy metal thunder, sheets upon sheets of black and dark blue. But I suspect that at the time of release not many listeners had made it that far. Certainly not to "Nightingale", the fourth track, a brutally beautiful "dreamy love ballad" (Michael Des Barres' description), which could be the band's finest hour.
The remainder of the CD does manage to chart some Bad Company territory, the galloping drums of Jon Hyde (who would figure so prominantly on "It Takes One To Know One") finally stepping out. But all is tempered with a flavourful jazz instrumental "Deep Down" that finally highlights the keyboard talents of Tony Kaye.
Come to think of it, this music is down right unselfish. Not one musician outshines the other. Detective is a perfect cohesive unit. Remarkable.
Things get hot and sticky with "Wild Hot Summer Nights" and bass man Bobby Picket finally gets a go at it. Deliciously funky.
Detective was a cut above in the quality department (please refer to the list of band-mates again) and certainly uncompromising. And not to go in to too much detail about Mr. Michael Des Barres, but given his pretty boy glam roots and "Decadent with a D" lifestyle, he was probably a little too far out for the day. But god, could he sing and turn phrases and coo and caw.
"Detective" is tasty, bluesy and thoughtful. Something completely unexpected at the time. So why wasn't Detective "the next big thing"? I think we're looking at the time honoured tradition of how the really practiced and talented bands don't get near the success the gimmick laden and untalented bands get. Unfair? Hell yes.


1. Recognition
2. Got Enough Love
3. Grim Reaper
4. Nightingale
5. Detective Man
6. Ain't None of Your Business
7. Deep Down
8. Wild Hot Summer Nights
9. One More Heartache

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?ky2x3yoitmo

Grand Prix - There For None To See

Grand Prix surfaced in the wake of the emerging New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene in the late 70's. Not for them, however, the meat and two veg. approach of the likes of Saxon, Dedringer or Jaguar to their sound, from the outset, Grand Prix offered something distinctly more melodic and polished.

This album is pivotal in Grand Prix's short but enjoyable career; the link between their early attempts at melodic metal and the polished sound of "Samurai" (the band's follow-up).

Track list

1 Heaven to Hell 4:11

2 Troubadour 3:47

3 Take a Chance 3:38

4 Paradise 4:10

5 Keep on Believing 4:32

6 Taking Your Life Away 3:28

7 Runaway 3:19

8 Tough of the Track 6:27

9 Atlantis 3:47

10 Relay 3:20

Credits

Robin Mcauley Vocals
Andy Beirne Drums
Phil Lanzon Keyboards
Michael O'Donoghue Guitar
Ralph Hood Bass

link http://www.mediafire.com/?nmeed3ojmgy

Billy Cobham - The Best Of - Vinyl Rip

Born in Panama, Cobham's family moved to New York City during his early childhood. A drummer from his youth, Cobham attended New York's High School of Music and Art, graduating in 1962.
He played in a U.S. Army Band from 1965 to 1968. Following his discharge, Cobham joined the group of pianist Horace Silver for about a year, also playing or recording with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, organist Shirley Scott, and guitarist George Benson.

Cobham branched out to jazz fusion, which blended elements of jazz, rock and roll and funk, playing and recording with the Brecker Brothers (notably on their 1970-founded group Dreams, and guitarist John Abercrombie, before recording and touring extensively with trumpeter Miles Davis. Cobham's work with Davis appears on Live-Evil and A Tribute to Jack Johnson, among other recordings. Cobham is also one of the first drummers to play open handed lead: a drummer that can lead (or ride) with either hand and begin or end a beat or fill with either hand (most drummers lead with 1 hand). He was also one of the first drummers to play with 3 or more snare and/or bass drums and multiple hi-hats.

The preface to his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra was his work on guitarist John McLaughlin's album My Goal's Beyond.

In 1971, with fellow Davis alumnus McLaughlin , Cobham co-founded Mahavishnu Orchestra, a definitive jazz fusion ensemble. Cobham toured extensively from 1971 to 1973 with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, who released two studio albums and one live album. The original studio versions of tunes on the live album were later released as The Lost Trident Sessions in 1999.

In May 1973, while still with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham recorded his first solo album Spectrum, one of the finest fusion albums of all time, with musicians including keyboardist Jan Hammer, from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and guitarist Tommy Bolin, who later played with heavy rock band Deep Purple. Just before the Mahavishnu Orchestra's last touring leg, in late 1973, Cobham recorded and toured with guitarists Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, in concerts which featured material from their album Love Devotion Surrender, and Cobham's own material.




Generally acclaimed as fusion's greatest drummer, Billy Cobham's explosive technique powered some of the genre's most important early recordings -- including groundbreaking efforts by Miles Davis and the Mahavishnu Orchestra -- before he became an accomplished bandleader in his own right. At his best, Cobham harnessed his amazing dexterity into thundering, high-octane hybrids of jazz complexity and rock & roll aggression. He was capable of subtler, funkier grooves on the one hand, and awe-inspiring solo improvisations on the other; in fact, his technical virtuosity was such that his flash could sometimes overwhelm his music. After debuting as a leader with the classic Spectrum in 1973, Cobham spent most of fusion's glory days recording for Atlantic; briefer stints on CBS, Elektra, and GRP followed, and by the mid-'80s, Cobham was de-emphasizing his own bands in favor of session and sideman work. Even so, he continued to record for various small labels with some regularity.

William C. Cobham was born May 16, 1944, in Panama, where as a very young child he became fascinated with the percussion instruments his cousins played. When Cobham was three, his family moved to New York City, and at age eight he made his performance debut with his father. He honed his percussion skills in a drum-and-bugle corps outfit called the St. Catherine's Queensmen, and attended New York's prestigious High School of Music and Art, graduating in 1962. From 1965 to 1968, he served as a percussionist in the U.S. Army Band, and after his release, he was hired as the new drummer in hard bop pianist Horace Silver's band. Cobham toured the U.S. and Europe with Silver in 1968, and also moonlighted with Stanley Turrentine, Shirley Scott, and George Benson. After eight months with Silver, Cobham departed to join the early jazz-rock combo Dreams in 1969, which also featured the Brecker brothers and guitarist John Abercrombie. From there, he landed a job in Miles Davis' new fusion ensemble, and played a small part in the seminal Bitches Brew sessions; he also appeared more prominently on several other Davis albums of the time, including more aggressive classics like Live-Evil and A Tribute to Jack Johnson.

Cobham and guitarist John McLaughlin split off from Davis' group to pursue a harder rocking brand of fusion in the Mahavishnu Orchestra, which debuted in 1971 with the seminal The Inner Mounting Flame. With Mahavishnu, Cobham's fiery intensity was given its fullest airing yet, and his extraordinary technique influenced not only countless fusioneers in his wake, but also quite a few prog rock drummers who were aiming for similarly challenging musical territory. The 1972 follow-up Birds of Fire cemented his reputation, and by this time he had also become something of an unofficial in-house drummer for Creed Taylor's CTI label, known for a smoother, more polished style of fusion; here Cobham backed musicians like George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, and Grover Washington, Jr. Unfortunately, the volatile group chemistry that made Mahavishnu's recordings so exciting also carried over into real life and the original lineup disbanded in 1973.

Deciding to make a go of it on his own, Cobham formed his own band, Spectrum (which initially featured ex-Mahavishnu cohort Jan Hammer on keyboards), and signed with Atlantic. His debut as a leader, also called Spectrum, was released in 1973, showcasing an exciting blend of jazz, funk, and rock that benefited from the presence of guitarists John Scofield and Tommy Bolin (the latter better known for his rock recordings); it also found Cobham experimenting a bit with electronic percussion. Spectrum is still generally acknowledged as the high point of Cobham's solo career, and holds up quite well today. Cobham followed Spectrum with a series of LPs on Atlantic that, like fusion itself, grew increasingly smoother and more commercial as the '70s wore on. For his second album, 1974's Crosswinds, ex-Dreams mate John Abercrombie joined the band, as did keyboardist George Duke, who would become a frequent Cobham collaborator over the years; that same year's performance at Montreux produced the live Shabazz. After Total Eclipse, Cobham moved more explicitly into commercial jazz-funk with 1975's A Funky Thide of Sings, which featured an expanded horn section. He pared the group back down for the improved Life and Times in 1976, and also played Montreux again, in tandem with Duke.

In 1977, Cobham switched to the CBS label, which set him firmly on the path of commercial accessibility. In addition to his records as a leader, he'd remained highly active as a session drummer, and began to focus on that side of his career even more in the late '70s. By 1980, he was done with CBS and began pursuing side opportunities, playing live with the Grateful Dead and Jack Bruce, as well as the Saturday Night Live band. He drummed for the Grateful Dead side project Bobby & the Midnites in 1982, and recorded three albums for Elektra in the early '80s with his new quartet the Glass Menagerie. During the mid-'80s, he cut three commercially oriented LPs for GRP, and spent the next few years stepping up his international touring and absorbing a healthy dose of world music. He played Peter Gabriel's 1992 WOMAD Festival, and the following year recorded The Traveler, inspired by a sojourn in Brazil. In 1996, he formed a more acoustic-oriented quartet called Nordic with three Norwegian musicians; the following year, he also started a German-based fusion outfit called Paradox. In 1998, Cobham began playing with a group called Jazz Is Dead, which devoted itself to jazz reinterpretations of Grateful Dead material; their album Blue Light Rain proved fairly popular among Deadheads. As Cobham maintained his touring, session, and bandleading activities, Rhino released the excellent two-CD retrospective Rudiments: The Billy Cobham Anthology in 2001.

Biography by Steve Huey


Track List

1 Quadrant 4
2 Snoopy's Search/Red Baron
3 Spanish Moss "A Sound Portrait"
4 Moon Germs
5 Stratus
6 Pleasant Pheasant
7 Solo/Panhandler
8 Do Whatcha Wanna

Link 

Grand Prix - The First Album

Rising out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in the late '70s, Grand Prix featured a more melodic approach to heavy metal than most of the bands on the British scene, generating an AOR sound closer in feel to American rock groups like Journey. Original members of Grand Prix included ex-Dirty Tricks drummer Andy Beirne, bassist Ralph Hood, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, guitarist Michael O'Donoghue, and ex-Legend singer Bernie Shaw, who was eventually replaced by singer Robin McAuley. The group signed to RCA and released a debut album, simply called Grand Prix, in 1980, followed by the more focused There for None to See in 1982, after which the group jumped to Chrysalis Records for the polished Samurai in 1983. Beirne left Grand Prix later that same year, reportedly because he felt the group's studio output wasn't hard-enough sounding. His drum chair was filled by Clive Edwards, but by early 1984 the group was out of gas and closed the door on a roughly three-year run as a band, leaving behind a small but solid discography.

1 Waiting for the Night Lanzon, O'Donoghue 3:29

2 Day in the Life Lanzon, Lennon, McCartney 4:57

3 Thinking of You Lanzon, O'Donoghue 3:36

4 Mama Sayes Grand Prix 3:52

5 Which Way Did the Wind Blow Lanzon 7:10

6 West Wind Lanzon, O'Donoghue 5:50

7 Next to You O'Donoghue 4:14

8 You Know It Can Be Hood, O'Donoghue 3:40

9 Feel Like I Do O'Donoghue, Shaw 3:31

10 The Very Last Time (Dreamer) O'Donoghue, Powell, Rundgren 4:49

http://www.mediafire.com/?mygjz2omkn1

Tear Gas - Self Titled

Originally known as Mustard. Their first vocalist Andy Mulvey had previously been with The Poets. However, he was soon replaced by David Batchelor and around the same time Gilson Lavis (their original drummer, who later played with Squeeze) was replaced by Richard Monro from Ritchie Blackmore's Mandrake Root. This line-up recorded Piggy Go Getter, which made little impact. In 1970 Hugh McKenna took over Batchelor's vocal role and Ted McKenna (ex-Dream Police) relieved Monro on drums. They recorded a second album and tried to establish themselves on the underground scene but were going nowhere with their brand of tired boogie heavy rock, until they teamed up with Alex Harvey in August 1972 to become The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

from Delerium's Psychedelic Web Of Sound


Tear Gas was the second and final album by rock band Tear Gas. After the release of this album, Alex Harvey joined the group. It went on to become The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, without David Batchelor on vocals.

Track listings

1. "That's What's Real" 6:03
2. "Love Story" 7:02
3. "Lay It On Me" 3:45
4. "Woman For Sale" 4:25
5. "I'm Glad" 5:49
6. "Where Is My Answer" 5:59
7. "Jailhouse Rock"/"All Shook Up" 5:50
8. "The First Time" 4:54
9. "The Temptation of St Anthony" (live with alex harvey on vocals) 5:06



Personnel

* David Batchelor - Lead vocals
* Zal Cleminson - Guitar
* Ted McKenna - Drums
* Chris Glen - Bass
Link http://www.mediafire.com/?jknntzzne5o

Maggie Bell - Suicide Sal

Maggie Bell (born 12 January 1945, Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish rock and blues-rock singer. Vocally regarded by some as Britain's answer to Janis Joplin.

From a musical family, she sang from her teenage years, leaving school at the age of fifteen, to work as a window dresser by day and singer at night. Bell was introduced to Leslie Harvey, by his older brother Alex, after getting up on stage to sing with him (Alex). Leslie Harvey was, at that time, a guitarist with the Kinning Park Ramblers. Bell joined the group as one of the vocalists. After the band split up, Bell moved to the Mecca Band at the Sauchiehall Street Locarno, and later to the Dennistoun Palais Band.


She then rejoined Harvey, forming a group, initially known as Power, eventually travelling to Germany to sing on United States Air Force bases in the mid 1960s. Peter Grant, who was managing The Yardbirds at the time, spotted Power playing at one of these bases, and agreed to produce and manage them, impressed by the vocal ability of Bell and the guitar playing of Harvey. Power was renamed as Stone the Crows, an expression used by Grant upon hearing this band.

First solo album

This group lasted until 1973, finding that Harvey's death from accidental electrocution, on 2 May 1972, took too much out of the group for them to continue. The live chemistry between Bell and Harvey was missing.Peter Grant remained as Bell's manager after the split, and organised her first solo album, Queen of the Night, which was recorded in New York with record producer Jerry Wexler.

Swan Song and Midnight Flyer

With the establishment of Swan Song Records in 1974, Bell along with Bad Company and The Pretty Things, were some of the first signings to the label. Jimmy Page contributed to her first album Suicide Sal. Bell then tried to capture past blues rock glories by fronting Midnight Flyer, a phenomenal live-act but their sole eponymous album (1981)was not a commercial success











Track List:
01 - Wishing Well
02 - Suicide Sal
03 - I Was in Chains
04 - If You Don't Know
05 - What You Got
06 - In My Life
07 - Comin' on Strong
08 - Hold On
09 - I Saw Him Standing There
10 - It's Been So Long

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?znhnyzjm0zz

Russ Ballard & the barnet dogs - Into The Fire

Russ Ballard

For an Englishman who was born and still lives in the heart of the British countryside, Russ Ballad has certainly made his presence felt around the globe.
He has sung, played, produced and written his way to over 50 million record sales, capturing Top 5 status in virtually every known record market in the world.
It all started off with The Shadows covering the first ever song Russ wrote (aged just 15 year old!!!). By the age of sixteen he was a co-founder of The Roulettes alongside Adam Faith, and made his professional stage debut playing at an awards show alongside both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
His work as a singer and guitarist has seen him as part of many trend setting groups from Unit 4 plus 2 (he played on the No. 1 UK hit "Concrete and Clay" and Top 20 in USA) and The Zombies through to being the figurehead of Argent. Whilst in Argent he made 6 successful albums, culminating in hit single "Hold Your Head Up" and LP "All Together Now".
Ballard's catalogue of hits include "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll To You"(Kiss), "Since You've Been Gone" & "I Surrender" (Rainbow), "So You Win Again" (a UK #1 for Hot Chocolate), "The Border" & "You Can Do Magic" (America) - the latter a US #1, "Winning" (Santana), "No More The Fool" (Elkie Brooks).
Russ has enjoyed entire years without being out of the US Top 100 holding as many as four separate chart positions the same week with different hits AND albums!
Frida's (ABBA) "I Know There's Something Going On" was # 1 in many countries and provided Russ with one of three separate ASCAP "Most Performed Songs Of The Year" in 1985. He received the other two for his success with America's "You Can Do Magic" & "The Border".

Taking some time out to spend more time with his family, Russ decided to return to writing again in the 90's, and this time he teamed up with his son Christian on a number of projects. After scoring hits for the likes of Peter Andre and UK boyband 911, he had considerable European and US success in 2002 with writing credits of chart hits for the likes of Bomfunk MCs and Infinite Mass and enjoyed a great start to 2003, with the Top Ten success of Blazin' Squad "Love On The Line".

1. Rock & Roll Lover 3:32
2. Breakdown 3:19
3. Where Do We Go From Here 4:11
4. Guilty 3:31
5. Don't Go To Soho 4:29
6. Tonight 4:04
7. Madman 5:05
8. Strangers 3:54
9. Here Comes The Hurt 3:57
10. I Will Be There 4:24

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?ayyazm0zint

Ananta - Night And Daydream

Found the following review on the net and thought I would include it here simply because of how he acquired it. I swear I got my copy under exactly the same circumstances except for Manchester read Edinburgh
I don't agree with his overall rating of the album (I have much worse in my collection!!) although at the time I did think it quit appalling and even now I would never include it in a list of my favourite albums
nevertheless it has grown on me over the years and is well worth a listen

It was also released in some markets as " Wheels of Time"














This album is without equal in the whole of my collection. It is quite simply appalling and an embarrassment which, when you consider some of the other
trash I've bought, is really saying something, but at least there is a story behind it.

Walking through Manchester town centre one Saturday morning clutching an armful of recently purchased albums, totally oblivious to everything going on around me, I'm suddenly accosted by a bloke dressed in a sheet." Would you like to buy one of these, sir?", he said thrusting this album under my nose. "Do you like any of these singers?", he said, pointing out the names of Santana, Dylan, Harrison, Diamond, Wonder and Marley on the cover. Well, I admitted that I did and so sealed my fate. For what seemed the next hour, I was appealed to, exhorted with, pleaded with to buy one of these things and, after beating him down from some ridiculous price, I added it to my others. It was only when playing it that I realised he should have paid me. Ananta are basically a group of very sad people spouting crack-pot religious ideas and all those artists named on the cover simply support those ideals and have never been within a million miles of this thing. So, what do I think of the music? Well you can tell by the amount of space left to review it.
It's just aaaaaaaaahhh!!

Tracks

Side A
01- Vrindavan 4:30
02- Behind The Mask 4:35
03- Causal Ocean 3:34
04- Home Sweet Home 3:24
05- Wheel Of Time 8:40

Side B
01- The Game 4:10
02- Be With You 5:00
03- Fill Your Heart And Mind 4:45
04- Night And Daydream 7:30

Album Info

*All Lyrics and Music by Henk Keilman, Patrick Bernard,
Mark Francis & Ilan Chester.

Musicians

Lead Vocals, Piano, Moog & String Synthesizer: Ilan Chester

Lead Guitar, Flute, Saxophone, Harpsichord, Synthesizer,
Bass & Vocals: Mark Francis

Acoustic Guitar, 12 String Guitar & Vocals: Patrick Bernard

Bass Guitar & Vocals: Jorge Spiteri

Percussion & Vocals: Charlie Spiteri

Drums: Dave Early

Backing Vocals: Bradley Weinberg, Virginia Weinberg, Pamela Sidney
& Clapham Manor School Girls Choir

Other Credits

Produced & Arranged by Ilan Chester

Production Assisntant: Alejandro Blancouribe

Executive Production: Henk Keilman

Recorded & Mixed by Steve Picco at Majestic Studio (London)

Graphic Design & Artwork: Stephen Perry

Font Photo: Frank Lane

Back Photo: Harold Sunds

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?1ydywjyijwj

Spider - Rock 'N' Roll Gypsies

Amongst the assorted arachnidae currently doing the rounds. Spider are four guys from Merseyside who stand as much chance of superstardom as my grandmother does. . .and she's dead. However, impending superstardom isn't the only plus-point that a band can offer, and Spider's brand of boogie goodtime should at least assure them of a reasonable level of popularity, and many enthusiastic receptions.

The music's good-natured and unpretentious, leaning heavily towards Quo, with a rousing version of 'Don't Waste My Time' emphasising the point. Every number is delivered at maximum velocity, a raucous violation of decibel limits with the drummer coaxing a huge wail of sound out of a pretty small kit. Over the top (a highly appropriate phrase in Spider's case) is a brutal guitar onslaught, lead, rhythm and bass all thrashing away like madmen on their way to boogie heaven.

Musically Spider have only got one actual virtue, which is manic tightness (apart from the occasional difference of opinion over when a number finishes), but then for heads-down boogie what else is necessary? They're spectacular in a low-budget sort of way, with explosions and flashing lights to complement their on-stage cavorting, and their reconstruction of 'Born To Be Wild' has got to be seen — and heard — to be believed.

Spider and alcohol go together excellently, and anyone looking for a really wild band for a drunken bop need look no further. Social secretaries, are you listening? Your audience is primed and ready to rock.
(Paul Suter, Sounds, 01/03/80)

Although they were always labelled as Status Quo clones this was way off the mark. Sure they were influenced by the mighty Quo, but they were also influenced by a host of others too - Slade for example (anyone who saw Spider live will attest to this), they even used to cover Get Down And Get With on stage. The problem Spider had wasn't the Quo comparisons it was their own image - they seemed to be content to be a club band rather than push forward to bigger and better things. The fact that bassist Brian Burrows would throw 'sweeties' out to the crowd and would include as much inuendo into introducing some of their songs merely constrained the band rather than endear it, which was a great pity.

A couple of years ago the two guitarists (Dave 'Sniffa' Bryce and Col Harkness) actually got together (ironically with members of a Quo tribute band!) for a few laughs and played a handful of songs from this album in a London pub. The energy was still there, the talent was definitely still there......who knows a reunion at some point maybe?


Tracks

1. AWOL

2. Talkin' 'Bout Rock 'n' Roll

3. Part Of The Legend

4. Did Ya Like It Baby

5. Them That Start The Fighting (Don't Fight)

6. What You're Doing To Me

7. Lady (I'm Dying For You)

8. Till I'm Certain

9. Rock 'n' Roll Forever Will Last

10. All The Time

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?4rmmoiudczn

John Lawton - REBEL ["Stargazer"] and ZAR ["Live Your Life Forever"]

Following his departure from URIAH HEEP in '79 singer JOHN LAWTON recorded a solo album [Heartbeat] as well as a killer Hard rock album from a reformed LUCIFERS FRIEND titled "Mean Machine" [1981 Elektra], a very underrated album from the early 80s HR/HM period.

Mean Machine set the tone for a few future '80s projects that Lawton would be involved with; these being the hard rock / metal albums by REBEL ["Stargazer"] and ZAR ["Live Your Life Forever"] - both featuring German guitarist Tommy Clauss. The Rebel album was also Lawton's produced by Lawton, and featured a number of strong songs such as "Broadway Nights", "Surrender" [not the Russ Ballard tune!], and a great remake of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" [which was quite different to HEEP's of a few years later]. The ZAR album had more of a 'metal' bite to it, and featured a few gems such as "Heart Of The Night", "Gone For Tomorrow" and the title track

Songwriter, guitarist and producer Tommy Clauss was the one who founded Zar in 1989. Within a year his/their debut album "Live Your Life Forever" was ready, featuring no one else than John Lawton (ex-Uriah Heep) on lead vocals. But Lawton didn't stay for too long, because the material for the second album sounded a bit too heavy for his taste. In came Tommy Bloch and with him behind the mike "Sorted Out" was released in 1992. Another two albums, "From Welcome To Goodbye" (1994) and the rather tough and weird "Holy Rhythm Of Nature" (1996), followed, before Clauss and his mates disappeared from the scene.

01. Stargazer

02. Broadway Nights

03. Give It All You Got

04. Iron Horse

05. Surrender

06. Innocent And Wild

07. Hold Your Head Up

08. Wings Of Fire

John Lawton (Vocals)

Tommy Clauss (Guitars)

Albert Stübler (Keyboards)

Peter Weber (Bass)

Peter Garratoni (Drums)

REBEL ["Stargazer"]

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?oyywqkyizmz

• John Lawton - vocals
• Tommy Clauss - guitars
• Jerry Schafer - keyboards
• Peter Kumpf drums
  
• Bernard Grunen - bass
• Rolf Kersting - bass ( on 3 tracks )
• Richard Schwarz - drums ( on 1 track )

Tracklist:

1. Heart of the Night 03:57

2. Line of Fire 03:46

3. Live Your Life Forever 03:56

4. Lost Son of the King 05:27

5. Cry of the Nile 04:01

6. Gone for Tomorrow 04:04

7. The Look of Your Eyes 03:49

8. She's a Liar 04:27

9. Fire and Ice 03:56

Total playing time 37:23

ZAR ["Live Your Life Forever"]

link http://www.mediafire.com/?zttw1gomztz

Fiona S/T - 1985

Of Irish origin, Fiona was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey after her parents moved from Dublin to the United States. Brought up in a family of Catholic traditions, right from childhood she felt drawn towards traditional Irish music and even learnt to play the clarinet at school. Even when she was awarded a grant for the University School of Drama in New York, she decided on a musical career.

There are videos for the songs "Talk To Me" from Fiona, "Hopelessly Love You" and "Living In A Boy's World" from Beyond The Pale, "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)" (a duet with Kip Winger) and "Where the Cowboys Go" from Heart Like A Gun, and "Hearts Of Fire" from the Hearts of Fire (soundtrack) (which features 4 exclusive otherwise unreleased songs from Fiona).

She also guested on Warrant's Cherry Pie album, appeared in an episode of the US television show Miami Vice in the second season episode "Little Miss Dangerous", and acted in the movie Hearts of Fire. Winger members Kip Winger, Reb Beach, and Rod Morgenstein have played on Fiona's albums. Despite popular assumptions that Kip and Fiona were romantically involved at one point, Kip maintains that they were never more than just friends.[1]

Fiona was once married to producer Beau Hill, who produced, played some instruments on, and sang backing vocals on, some of her albums. She was also in a relationship with guitarist Reb Beach of Winger who likewise performed on her album Beyond The Pale.[2]

Fiona now resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young children.


Personnel

Fiona Flanagan vocals
Bobby Messano guitar
Donnie Kisselbach bass
Benjy King keyboards
Joe Franco drums
Elena Aazan backing vocals
Rick Bell sax
Schuyler Deale bass
Tom Flanagan backing vocals
Aaron Hurwitz keyboards
Peppi Marchello backing vocals
Louie Merlino backing vocals
The Mob backing vocals
Tara O'Boyle backing vocals
Gregory Tebbitt rhythm guitar
Jimmy Wilcox backing vocals
Peter Zale keyboards

Tracks

1. Hang Your Heart On Me
2. Talk To Me
3. You're No Angel
4. Rescue You
5. James
6. Love Makes You Blind
7. Over Now
8. Na Na Song

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?znuzn5w3yyn

Ananta - Songs From The Future

Formed in England by Ilan Chester and the Spiteri Brothers, all natives from Venezuela.
The band had a brief career and during its time recorded 2 albums with diffrent formations, only Ilan would remain in the band until its end.
The Spiteri brothers edited an album in England called "Spiteri", that forms part of those elusive albums from Venezuela
On the second album Alvaro Falcon and Luis E. Mauri are part of the band, both were members of Aditus in the past

Tracks

Side A
01- Songs From The Future
a- Questions
b- Apples
c- Over The Edge
d- Logical Progressions
e- Phase Three

Side B
01- Break With The Past
02- The Weaver
03- That Precious Machine
04- Dawn

Alternate Cover

*Based on the original words by Stephen Perry, adapted for Music by Ilan Chester.

Musicians

Lead Vocals, Piano, Prophet 5 Synthesizer &
Hammond Organ: Ilan Chester

Guitars: Alvaro Falcón

Bass: Emilio Mauri

Drums & Percussion: Gerry Lopez

Backing Vocals: Kevin Yee, Michael Cassidy,
Ron Marinelli & Ilan Chester

Violin Solo: Doctor Subramanium (on "Over The Edge")

Other Credits

Produced & Arranged by Ilan Chester

Recorded by Carl Lange at Golden Age Studios (Los Angeles, CA)

Mixed by David Cole at Capitol Records (Los Angeles, CA)

Graphic Design & Artwork: Stephen Perry

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?5yzzzrqxztm

David Bowie - Images - Vinyl Rip

Images 1966–1967 is a compilation album by the British pop singer David Bowie. It comprises his first long player release as a solo artist for Decca Records, titled The World of David Bowie, released in 1967, and various singles and B-sides recorded for Decca during 1966 and 1967. The arrangements are not for any sort of rock or pop group, they are mostly orchestral with sound effects created in the recording studio. The music reflects a period in Bowie's career when he was influenced by the London cabaret scene and the song styles created therein, particularly the work of singers such as Anthony Newley. In the UK, the World of Davis Bowie had never gone out of print, when Bowie finally had his breathrough in 1972 with the album Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and could still be obtained in British record shops at that time. In the US, where none of the Decca material was ever released, the original LP and singles were packaged into this double-album set and released in the US on Decca's American branded label, London Records. The release came at about the same time as Bowie's sixth studio album, Aladdin Sane, and was planned to cash in on Bowie's then-growing popularity in the US.


David Bowie :- The Early years

David Bowie (then David Jones) was born in Brixton, London. Bowie's parents, Margaret Mary "Peggy" (née Burns), of Irish descent,and Hayward Stenton "John" Jones, were married shortly after his birth.When he was six years old, his family moved from Brixton to Bromley in Kent, where he attended Bromley Technical High School.
When Bowie was fifteen years old, his friend, George Underwood, wearing a ring on his finger, punched him in the left eye during a fight over a girl. Bowie was forced to stay out of school for eight months so that doctors could conduct operations to repair his potentially blinded eye.Doctors could not fully repair the damage, leaving his pupil permanently dilated. As a result of the injury, Bowie has faulty depth perception. Bowie has stated that although he can see with his injured eye, his colour vision was mostly lost and a brownish tone is constantly present. Each iris has the same blue colour, but since the pupil of the injured eye is wide open, the hue of that eye is commonly mistaken to be different. Despite the fight, Underwood and Bowie remained good friends, and Underwood went on to do the artwork for Bowie's earlier albums.

Bowie's interest in music was sparked at the age of nine when his father brought home a collection of American 45s, including Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and, most particularly, Little Richard. Upon listening to "Tutti Frutti", Bowie would later say, "I had heard God". His half-brother Terry introduced him to modern jazz and Bowie's enthusiasm for players like Charles Mingus and John Coltrane led his mother to give him a plastic saxophone for Christmas in 1959. Graduating to a real instrument, he formed his first band in 1962, the Konrads. He then played and sang in various blues/beat groups, such as The King Bees, The Manish Boys, The Lower Third and The Riot Squad in the mid-1960s, releasing his first record, the single "Liza Jane", with the King Bees in 1964. His early work shifted through the blues and Elvis-inspired music while working with many British pop styles.

During the early 1960s, Bowie was performing either under his own name or the stage name "Davie Jones", and briefly even as "Davy Jones", creating confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees. To avoid this, in 1966 he chose "Bowie" for his stage name, after the Alamo hero Jim Bowie and his famous Bowie knife. During this time, he recorded singles for Parlophone under the name of The Manish Boys and Davy Jones and for Pye under the name David Bowie (and The Lower Third), all without success.

Bowie released his first album in 1967 for the Decca Records offshoot Deram, simply called David Bowie. It was an amalgam of pop, psychedelia, and music hall. Around the same time he issued a novelty single, "The Laughing Gnome", which utilised sped-up Chipmunk-style vocals. None of these releases managed to chart, and he would not cut another record for two years. His Deram material from the album and various singles was later recycled in a multitude of compilations.

Influenced by the dramatic arts, he studied with Lindsay Kemp—from avant-garde theatre and mime to Commedia dell'arte—and much of his work would involve the creation of characters or personae to present to the world. During 1967, Bowie sold his first song to another artist, "Oscar" (an early stage name of actor-musician Paul Nicholas). Bowie wrote Oscar's third single, "Over the Wall We Go", which satirised life in a British prison. In late 1968, his then-manager, Kenneth Pitt, produced a half-hour promotional film called Love You Till Tuesday featuring Bowie performing a number of songs, but it went unreleased until 1984.












Track listing

All songs are written by David Bowie

Side one

1. "Rubber Band" – 2:17
2. "Maid Of Bond Street" – 1:43
3. "Sell Me A Coat" – 2:58
4. "Love You Till Tuesday" – 3:09
5. "There Is A Happy Land" – 3:11

Side two

1. "The Laughing Gnome" – 3:01
2. "The Gospel According To Tony Day" – 2:48
3. "Did You Ever Have A Dream" – 2:06
4. "Uncle Arthur" – 2:07
5. "We Are Hungry Men" – 2:58
6. "When I Live My Dream" – 3:22

Side three

1. "Join The Gang" – 2:17
2. "Little Bombardier" – 3:24
3. "Come And Buy My Toys" – 2:07
4. "Silly Boy Blue" – 3:48
5. "She's Got Medals" – 2:23

Side four

1. "Please Mr. Gravedigger" – 2:35
2. "The London Boys" – 3:20
3. "Karma Man" – 2:58
4. "Let Me Sleep Beside You" – 3:24
5. "In The Heat Of The Morning" – 2:59 (produced by Tony Visconti)

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?jyzet1yjn2g

Graeme Edge Band - Paradise Ballroom

Graeme Edge is best known as the drummer and a songwriter for the Moody Blues, but has also led his own outfit from time to time, the Graeme Edge Band.

The Graeme Edge Band released two albums in the 1970s.

The first was Kick Off Your Muddy Boots in 1975 on the Threshold record label, a subsidiary of the Decca Records, catalogue umber THS 15. It was released as a gatefold with album art by Joe Petagno and featured Adrian Gurvitz and Paul Gurvitz.

The second was Paradise Ballroom in 1977, also on the Decca label, catalogue number TXS 121, and in the U.S. on the London Records label, catalogue number PS 686. It was also released as a gatefold with album art by Joe Petagno, and again featured Adrian and Paul Gurvitz.

Graeme once admitted on Rockline that his girlfriend Sue will not marry him because she doesn't want to be called "Sue Edge" (Sewage).

Edge is a fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. An article about him said he has "plenty of time for overseeing some rental properties, doing charity work, playing lots of golf and watching 'Deep Space Nine' at his home on Florida's Gulf Coast". [1].

Edge is the only remaining original member currently in The Moody Blues.

Graeme is from a family of five generations on the stage. He finished school at his father's insistance but after getting his degrees quickly went into music full tilt. He never started out to be a drummer, he was in fact, the Manager of a group called the BLUE RHYTHM BAND. In those days a Manager of the group was somebody who could move the equipment about and had a house big enough for the band to practice in. Graeme always watched the drummers in the groups and fooled around on them, but never really drummed professionally until the drummer of his group quit and Graeme had to fill in. He played with the group for three weeks until a replacement was found, he then bought is own kit and went to work in earnest. He worked with group's around Birmingham until in Graeme's own words "Ray and Mike came over and asked me to join them as they needed someone to cover their more obvious faults"...

A lover of all rhythms, Graeme became particularly enamoured for the Salsa and Reggae beats when he visited the Caribbean. Graeme had sailed there on his 70ft sloop, crossing the Atlantic. Now a landlubber he drums with a precision beat while spicing the Moodie's sound with a wide range of percussive instruments.

GRAEME EDGE was born on 30th March 1941 in Rochester, Staffordshire. His mother was a pianist for the silent movies and his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all music-hall singers.

Graeme trained as a draughtsman but soon went into music full time. He never started out to be a drummer, he was, in fact the Manager of a group called the Blue Rhythm Band. Graeme always watched the drummer in the group and fooled around on the drums, but never really drummed professionally until that drummer quit and he had to fill in. He then bought his first drum kit.

The first band that Graeme formed was the Silhouettes followed by The Blue Rhythm Band. He then helped to form Gerry Levene and the Avengers, who recorded a single for Decca, and appeared on TV in "Thank Your Lucky Stars". Following the collapse of this group in April 1964 Graeme formed The R & B Preachers, which included Denny Laine and Clint Warwick. When that group disbanded the three of them linked up with Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder to form The M & B 5, which later changed its name to The Moody Blues.

During the Moodies' break in recording and touring, Graeme released his first solo album KICK OFF YOUR MUDDY BOOTS in 1975. He became particularly enamoured with the salsa, calypso, samba and reggae beats when he visited the Caribbean during his ocean going voyage round the world in his 70ft yacht. The journey also helped to inspire his second solo album PARADISE BALLROOM, released in 1977.

Graeme drums with a precision beat while spicing the Moodies' sound with a wide range of percussion instruments. When away from the spotlight he lists his hobbies as sailing, golf, war films and sci-fi - Graeme is a confirmed Trekkie.

Track List

1. Paradise Ballroom
2. Human
3. Everybody Needs Somebody
4. All Is Fair
5. Down, Down, Down
6. In The Night Of The Light
7. Caroline
8. Be My Eyes

Album Information

Original LP released April 29, 1977 by Decca Records
Original CD release: September, 1989 by Decca Records

All songs written by: Graeme Edge and Adrian Gurvitz
Produced by Graeme Edge and Adrian Gurvitz
Published by Gredge Music/Led Panache

Recorded at Threshold Studios, London
Brass & Strings: Recorded at Andent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee.
Recording Engineers: Anton Matthews & Paul Gurvitz
Mixing Engineers: Paul Cooper & Paul Gurvitz
Engineer: Andent Studios Memphis: Ron Capone

Musicians:
Ann O'Dell: Keyboards & Moog
Tony Hymas: Keyboards
Blue Weaver: Organ & synthesizer
Rebop Knaku Baah: Percussian
B.J. Cole: Steel Guitar

Memphis Strings and Horns:
Bill Easley: Sax, Tenor Alto Flute and all sax solos
Ken Spain: Trombone
Ben Cawley: Trumpet, Flugel Horn
Edgar Matthewes: Trumpet, Flugel Horn
Lawnie McMillan: Tenor Flute
Bill Floores: Trombone, Bass Tenor
Emerson Able: Baritone Sax

Sleeve Design: Joe Petagno

Singles:
Jun 1977 Everybody Needs Somebody/Be My Eyes

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?ggezzydajmn

Chris Tetley presents.. The Uriah Heep Story (Vinyl Rip)

Liner Notes

For nearly twenty years Uriah Heep have been one of the major influences and most admired bands in the heavy rock world. Formed by David Byron and Mick Box the band made there debut in 1969 with 'Very 'Eavy,Vey 'Umble and mick has remained faithful to Heep ever since. David sadly no longer with us. It was David who was responsible for my debut in broadcasting when he was promoting his 'The Byron Band' Album in 1979
My first meeting with Mick was in 1982with the release of Abominog. We've remained good friends ever since - both in and out of the boozer-more often than not "in"... Our unique conversation covers the entire history of Heep, in brief,and I think Mick's warm personality comes over beautifully. there is also a nice contribution from recent recruit Bernie Shaw.
The two Rare tracks featured on this album chart the early days and the later years of this fine rock band

Chris Tetley

I have included the two "rare tracks" even although only Gypsy could have conceivable been called this at the time, as it was only really available on the (B-side from the 'Easy Livin''/ 'Corina' 12') although it has since resurfaced on the remastered Live in Moscow CD as a bonus track

Tracks

1 . The Chris Tetley Interview
2 . Gypsy
3 . Cry Freedom

Link http://www.mediafire.com/?iury4tymn2n