Pete Bardens- 1988- Speed of light

This post is dedicated to the last new member of Uriah Heep, Mr. Russell Gilbrook.

In my informations, this is the first album at that Mr. Gilbrook has worked, 22 years ago...

Songs:

1 - Westward Ho!

2 - Black Elk

3 - Gold

4 - This Could Be Paradise

5 - Afterthought

6 - Speed Of Light

7 - Wishper In The Wind

8 - Heartland

9 - Columbine

10 - Gold (Reprise)

Written and produced by Pete Bardens

Members:

Pete Bardens- Keyboards

Neil Lockwood- Vocals

Honey Hylton - Vocals

Neil Nicholas- Vocals

Neale Heywood- Guitar

Dave Foster- Bass

Russell Gilbrook- Drums

This album, from former member of Camel, features Russell Gilbrook on drums in songs 3 and 8 (Gold and Heartland), but all album is a good listening.

LINK

Plastic Penny - Two Sides of a Penny

This is the debut album from "Plastic Penny" released in 1968

Bass Guitar - Tony Murray
Drums, Vocals - Nigel Olsson
Lead Guitar - Mike Graham
Organ, Piano,Vocals - Paul Raymond
Vocals - Brian Keith

Plastic Penny originally came together in the summer of 1967 when ex-Universals members vocalist Brian Keith, organist Paul Raymond and bassist Tony Murray decided to form a new band with guitarist Mick Grabham and drummer Nigel Olsson. The Universals had released two singles on producer Larry Page's Page One Records ("I Can't Find You" and "Green Veined Orchard") before disbanding and so it was to Mr. Page that the newly named Plastic Penny turned to form a contract. The band's debut single was "Everything I Am"/"No Pleasure Without Pain" (POF 051). Released in December 1967, the A-side was a cover of a song originally released by The Box Tops and Plastic Penny took it straight into the UK top ten, reaching No.6 and spending ten weeks in the charts. However, the follow-up single "Nobody Knows" (written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter)/"Just Happy To Be With You" (POF 052) failed to chart and the various members began to indulge in other activities. Vocalist Brian Keith already had a lot of session experience and he left in mid-1968, later turning up in Congregation, Big Balls and The Great White Idiot and Screaming Lord Sutch amongst others.

The remaining members soldiered on, with Raymond taking on vocal duties. In mid-1968, they released the album "Two Sides Of A Penny" (POL 005) and followed it with the single "Your Way To Tell Me To Go"/"Baby You're Not To Blame" (POF 079). November 1968 saw a cover of Leiber/Stoller's "Hound Dog"/"Currency" (POF 107) followed by "She Does"/"Genevieve" (POF 146) in mid-1969 by which time the group existed only in name as the various members decided to go their separate ways.

Tony Murray joined The Troggs and also contributed bass to Elton John's "Empty Sky" album. Paul Raymond joined Chicken Shack for two years and then played with Savoy Brown between 1971-76; heavy metal band UFO was his next step between 1977-79, and he was also a member of the Michael Schenker Group. Mick Graham formed Cochise with Rick Willis, released a solo LP "Mick The Ladd" in 1972, and was a member of Procol Harum between 1973-77. Since then he's been an in-demand session guitarist working with the likes of Bandit, The Dukes, Yvonne Elliman, Dave Greenslade and Micky Jupp amongst others. Nigel Olsson’s post Plastic Penny career reads like an A-Z of Rock! He provided the drums for Uriah Heep's debut LP "Very 'Eavy Very, 'Umble" and then worked with Elton John on a permanent basis between 1969-74. He also released five solo albums ("Drum Orchestra", "Nigel Olsson", "Drummers Can Sing Too", "Changing Tides" and "Nigel") and has worked with the likes of Eric Carmen, Spencer Davis, Kiki Dee, Randy Edelman, Linda Ronstadt, and the Who to name but a few. History may remember Plastic Penny as 'one hit wonders' but there's no doubting the excellent musicians training ground it provided!

Mark Brennan

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T REX - 1972 - Chicago (Bootleg)

Marc Bolan & T. Rex - 24 02 1972 - Auditorium Chicago

Marc Bolan (rip) - Guitar and vocals

Mickey Finn (rip) - Percussion and vocals
Steve Currie (rip) - Bass and vocals

Bill Legend - Drums

Tracklist:

01 - Cadillac

02 - Jeepster

03 - Baby Strange

04 - Spaceball Ricochet

05 - Jamming

06 - Spaceball Ricochet

07 - Girl

08 - Cosmic Dancer

09 - Hot Love

10 - Get It On

11 - Summertime Blues

From "The Clock that Went Backwards Again" (here) this historical bootleg photographs a moment that is an anedocte in whole Heep history.

As Mr. LiborioFriki (Thank you very much for this document) says in his Blog:

"A truly legendary concert with Marc Bolan being booed off stage like no tomorrow with calls and shouts for Uriah Heep (who had opened the show) drowning him out. Marc Bolan getting totally mad and using some "bad" (to put it milddly) language".

If i'm not in error (remember: i'm Italian), at the beginning of song 2, when people said "Uriah Heep" for another time, you can hear Bolan that rename our band Uriah Shit... People, also about this your comments are wellcome....

Covers by Rockitaly (here). Thanks a lot

Link to part 1

Link to part 2

Siren- 1969- Siren

Tracks:

1 - Ze ze ze (3:05)

2 - Get right church (3:22)

3 - Rock me baby (3:30)

4 - Wake up my children (3:53)

5 - Wasting my time (2:49)

6 - Sixteen women (2:47)

7 - First time i saw your face (2:53)

8 - Gardner man (3:32)

9 - And i wonder (2:46)

10 - Asylum (3:45)

11 - Bertha Lee (3:17)

Band members:

Kevin Coyne - Guitar & Vocals

John Chichester - Guitar

Dave Clague - Bass & Guitar

Nick Cudworth - Guitar & Piano

Tat Meager - Drums

Colin Wood - Keyboards & Flute

I post this album of solid rock'n'blues because the presence of Mr. Colin Wood, original keyboard player of "Come away Melinda" and "Wake up (set your sights)" in the first glorious Heep album, Veri eavy, very umble.

Colin Wood (born 15 June 1943) is a British musician engaged in the field of jazz and rock music. Wood was born in London and was moved to Somerset in 1950. He played jazz piano whilw still at school. In 1962 he went to Durham University to study mathematics. In 1965 he moved to London to play with Bill Nile's Deta Jazz Band and with Monty Sunshine (1968). He was also playing on rock sessions with the Yardbirds, David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Kevin Coyne and was the keyboardist on two songs included as part of the Uriah Heep's debut album. Wood, whose other musicl talents also include playing the flute, did not, however (although offered the job), become an official member of the band. He lectured in maths for a time while freelancing musically. In September 1977 he joined Acker Bilk and remained with him into the 2000s.

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John Lawton - Last Christmas

Well it is that time of year again and i thought i would post this Christmas single from Mr Lawton which is a passable version of George Michael's Last Christmas(Far too close to the original for my liking) along with a far superior (to my ears anyway) self penned song "Christmas In My Heart" and another version of "Free Me"

Enjoy

Link

Joshua- 1983- The Hand is Quicker Than the Eye

TRACKS:

01. Falling Again
02. November is Going Away
03. Sweet ´Lil Hurricane
04. A Song for Lisa
05. Let´s Breakway
06. Broken Dream
07. Flying High
08. Portrait of a Woman

Steff Fontaine and Joshua Perahia

Line-up:

Joshua Perahia - Lead and Rythm Guitars,Vocals
Stephen Fontaine - Lead and Background Vocals
Donnie Gougeon - Keyboards, Background Vocals
Mahlon Hawk - Bass
Tony Zaccaglin - Drums, Percussion

Joshua Perahia (pronounced Pûr-i-yä) is pioneer in Christian rock. Before there was a Stryper, before Barren Cross appeared on the scene, there stood alone one band, and that was JOSHUA. Through his faith and desire to share his love of God, Joshua made it his life's mission to realize his musical vision and JOSHUA was born. The original line-up of JOSHUA, featuring vocalist Stephen Fontaine, was assembled in Los Angeles and in short time took the Sunset Strip by storm. Show-after-show were sell-outs at all the top venues in town. Bands like Great White, Ratt and other future successful metal bands were opening up for JOSHUA. The band's debut album "The Hand is Quicker Than the Eye" on Enigma Records was released in 1982 and spawned the Los Angeles Radio hit "November is Going Away". Metal radio stations across the country were adding the epic classic. To say the album caught on in Japan would be a understatement. "November is Going Away" went all the way to the top as a NUMBER 1 HIT! The band's exposure in Japan also caught the eye of the Japanese Music press. Burrn! Magazine, the 1 rock magazine in Japan, hailed the band's debut album and in BOLD PRINT declared Joshua "The World's Fastest Guitarist." Metal press around the globe followed suit, complimenting Joshua for his note-for-note perfect guitar virtuosity. Joshua was even voted Kerrang Magazine's "Guitarist of the Year" in 1982. radio stations across the country were adding the epic classic.

This is the only JOSHUA album to feature the outstanding vocals of Stephen ["Steff"] Fontaine! One of the few albums to feature Fontaine, as he would later go on to work with URIAH HEEP, Eddie St James, and in more recent years sang on the lone HEARTACHE CITY disc. Gems such as "Falling Again", "Sweet Lil' Hurricane" and "Broken Dream" are evidence that this was a killer debut, and a shame it was never followed up by this line-up.

Uriah Heep with Steff Fontaine (the first from right)

Steff fontaine was Singer in Heep for a very brief period of time early 1986. Between Pete Goalby who quitted after the Equator 1985 album and Bernie Shaw who joined the band autumn 1986, Steff did a USA tour with Heep. His early departure according to Mick Box had to do with Steff being not diciplined enough for a professional rockband as Heep. Mick Box :" And then came LA vocalist Stef Fontaine. "He was desperately bad," says Mick. "I couldn't believe anyone could be so unprofessional. He had a great voice but his discipline was something else.

LINK

Italian prog masterworks 6 - Le Orme

LE ORME Felona & Sorona (English language version)
Studio Album, released in 1973

Tracks Listing

1. In Between (8:43)
2. Felona (1:58)
3. The Maker (1:57)
4. Web Of Time (3:47)
5. Sorona (2:28)
6. The Plan (3:25)
7. The Balance (3:29)
8. Return To Naught (4:08)

Musicians

Tony Pagliuca - keyboards
Aldo Tagliapietra - voice, bass, guitars
Michi Dei Rossi - drums, percussions
Peter Hammill - English lyrics

From Prog archives:
Le Orme were one such band. On this album, the lyrics throughout are provided by Peter Hammill (VDGG and solo). His words are based on a concept which originated within the band, relating to two contrasting planets which have no knowledge of each other. Felona is a happy planet whose people are sustained by "soap balls" falling from the sky. Their houses are spherical mobile homes which bounce through the countryside "like elastic whales".

Sorona on the other hand is a depressive place which is waiting for a miracle. When this conveniently comes along, the planets co- exist in harmony only briefly before the change in the equilibrium bring with it disaster to both planets. The lyrics actually tell a slightly different story to the summary on the album sleeve, but you get the picture.

OK, nice imaginative story, how about the music? There is a definite neo-prog feel throughout this album, indeed this could be the missing link from symphonic prog to neo. Considering the trio who make up the band use a sparse array of instrumentation consisting only of keyboards, guitars and drums, the sound is lush and melodic. Indeed the melodies provide the underlying strength for the album, which has a generally soft feel. There are no aggressive guitar solos or manic synthesiser runs, the album being based on symphonic influences as much as it is in rock.

There are no tracks which stand apart from the others here, with the possible exception of "The balance" which is commercial enough to have been a potential single. The album really demands to be heard as a whole though, something most listeners should be able to accomplish easily given the albums meagre running time.

LINK