Jimi Hendrix - Cosmic Turnaround [Nutmeg Records] (1981) - Bootleg

(U.S 1963 - 1970)

Cosmic Turnaround: a classic find of rare Hendrix tapes never before released on an album, spins you back to the time when Rock ruled and Guitar was King. When you talk about Rock and Guitar only one name can come to mind, Jimi Hendrix. Stratocasters, Marshallamps, Feedback and Slinky Strings, that was the Hendrix sound.
Jimi loved to jam with friends and fellow musicians. This album contains unreleased live jams, and studio sessions.

Cosmic Turnaround begins with "No Such Animal" which was produced by Curtis Knight whom he had been working with prior to the Jimi Hendrix Experience. They collaborated together on an album released in 1967 called "Get That Feeling." We see Hendrix forming his own totally distinctive style on this cut-straight ahead guitar, drum, bass.

[Note: "No Such Animal" has also been released under the name of Jimmy James and His Blue Flames]

Jimi then slides into a live jam "Tomorrow", recorded during the era of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. What's notable about this cut is the way Hendrix sets up his own unique bluesy riff, so that the rhythm guitar could fall into the groove. The slinky strings give Jimi the ability to stretch notes farther than any guitarist before or after him. Towards the end of this jam, Jimi breaks into Cream's smash hit of 1967, "Sunshine Of Your Love." 

[This jam was recorded at the Scene Club (NY) on the 13th March, 1968 and featured Jim Morrison on vocals and harmonica, Johnny Winter on Rhythm guitar, Randy Hobbs on bass and Buddy Miles on drums.  The track is really called "Tomorrow Never Knows" and actually first  appeared on the bootleg "Woke Up This Morning And Found Myself Dead" which was released in 1980. So Nutmeg's claim that the album contained Previously Unreleased Material is misleading]

Opening Side Two we see the seeds of The Hendrix Sound growing. "Come On Baby Parts 1 & 2" was written by Hendrix and Lonnie Youngblood. Youngblood was another one of Jimi's associates before forming The Experience. What's interesting about this cut is that this is one of the few times where we find Hendrix sharing lead riffs with saxophonist Youngblood.

["Come On Baby Part 1 & 2, otherwise known as "Wipe The Sweat 1 & 2" had also been previously released, first appearing on the Springboard International Records release called "Roots Of Hendrix" in 1971 and a compilation called "Two Great Experiences - Together", also released in 1971]

"l Love My Baby" is a blues cut. The bass and drummer keep the sound together so that Jimi can let loose. Jimi then goes low-down on "Down Now." The vocal phrasing on this cut correlates with his guitar playing. The album closes with sweet "Louisville" - a real change of pace for Jimi, smooth and straight ahead.

The Hendrix Sound is as new-today as it was in the late 1960's. Rock fans, young and old, are discovering and re-discovering that special Hendrix sound. Jimi might be gone, but his music will always live. 

[Album Liner Notes by John Veranes & Len Lovallo]

Stop Press:  The last three tracks on this album are not Hendrix recordings, and Jimi did not play guitar on them.  These tracks are referred to as FAKE Hendrix recordings, as reported below.

And don't believe everything you see also !

Fake Hendrix Tracks

(http://earlyhendrix.com/youngblood-menu-fakes)

(https://sfodblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/jimi-hendrix-the-collectors-unconfirmed-fakes-frauds-related.pdf)

There are tracks that have appeared on various albums claiming to be Jimi Hendrix or Youngblood / Hendrix -material, but in reality did not involve Hendrix in any way. Nor do they feature Lonnie Youngblood but as these fake tracks have often been included on releases containing genuine Youngblood / Hendrix recordings they too have become known among collectors as fake Lonnie Youngblood recordings even though that really isn't the case...

In a testimony given by [Lonnie] Youngblood in a 1986 court hearing during the case Ed Chalpin vs. Audiofidelity he identified the guitar player on "I Love My Baby" (aka "Bring My Baby Back") was an imitator named "Mike" from Baltimore (the LP incorrectly transcribed as Cosmic Cloud is in fact the LP Cosmic Turnaround):

Q. Now, still looking at the Cosmic Cloud record on the Nutmeg label distributed by Audio Fidelity, which was marked as Exhibit 6, have you ever heard, "I love my baby"?

A. I don't know.

Q. On side two?

A. I couldn't say unless I heard it.

Q. Okay. This is the third cut on side two that I am now playing entitled on the label, "I love my baby."

(Record played)

Q. What can you tell us about that one?

A. It is a track with an imitator on it.

Q. You say an imitator?

A. Yes

Q. How do you know that?

A. Because I know it is not Hendrix.

I know who the imitator is.

Q. Who is the imitator?

A. A young kid out of Baltimore named Mike. I don't know his last name.

Q. Why do you know it's Mike?

A. I know how Mike plays, I know his flavours. I am [next page of the transcript is missing]

If "Mike" does play on the track in question he probably plays on several (or all) of the Hitson tracks as most of these clearly feature the same guitar player. Could he also have played on other fakes or provided overdubs to the material on "Two Great Experiences - Together"? 

Lonnie does not appear on the Hitson tracks so he might have worked with "Mike" on other occasions (since he says that he is familiar with his style). Until someone comes up with his full name, "Mike" remains a mystery missing person. 

LONNIE YOUNGBLOOD, THE ICEMEN, JIMMY NORMAN, BILLY LAMONT, LENNY HOWARD, GEORGE SCOTT Recordings:

(https://ldb-sites.neocities.org/word2007docs/jhe1b.pdf)

Most of the material released on these albums does not involve Jimi at all. The songs that do contain Hendrix performances were recorded in an uncertain studio, probably Abtone Studios or Allegro Sound Studios, New York, NY, in early to mid 1966, with Lonnie Youngblood (sax, vo). Other tracks feature The Icemen or Jimmy Norman on vocals; these tracks were originally released as singles under their names. Several other artists also used backing tracks from these sessions for their own later releases. The other musicians are uncertain.

The first six 45RPM singles were released before Jimi died, and did not advertise his participation. All releases starting with the LP "Two Great Experiences Together" in 1971 mentioned him prominently, usually (but not always) also mentioning Youngblood. The other musicians were generally not acknowledged, although a few releases do so.

Since posthumous releases usually contain mixes of tracks by these artists, they are all grouped together in these listings.

The following is a list of tracks not involving Hendrix, and probably many do not involve Youngblood either. Many of these tracks are associated with Herman Hitson (g) and Lee Moses (g). Timings vary slightly from release to release due to slightly different mastering speeds.

These can be grouped into three categories. The first consists of essentially the tracks released on "Moods"; these are characterized by a resonant guitar sound, almost a fuzz guitar. Most of these also appear to have been tampered with. See Niko's site for a much more thorough coverage of all of these tracks.

All Alone / Two and One Goes (i) 2:28

Every Little Bit Hurts / Gotta Find Someone (i) 3:19

Feel That Soul (i) 2:11

From This Day On / She's So Fine (i) 2:25

Get Down / Git Down / Down Now 2:35

Girl So Fine / Let Me Go (i) 2:44

Human Heart version 1 / Let Me Go (i) 2:41

Human Heart version 2 / Louisville (i) 3:04

Miracle Worker (i) 2:51

A Mumblin' Word / Funky 2:18

So Called Friend / Backroom Lady 2:24

You Say You Love Me / Freedom and You 2:20

The second category also have a similar guitar sound; this is a straight wailing electric guitar, in many instances with slight echo added. These appear to be Herman Hitson songs, without alterations.

Bring My Baby Back / I Love My Baby 6:27

Free Spirit 5:40

Good Feeling (except for intro edit by Jimi) 4:08

Good Time(s) / Let Me Thrill Your Soul 6:00

Hey LeRoy 4:46

Hot Trigger / Not Trigger / Walking with Bessie (i) 4:01

House of the Rising Sun (i) 5:35

Let the God Sing 11:21

Something You Got 4:52

Suspicious / I Love My Baby 3:53

Voice in the Wind / Voices 5:27

This post consists of  FLACs ripped from my almost virgin 'shrink wrapped' vinyl, along with full album artwork and label scans.  As mentioned above, it's buyer (downloader) beware - this bootleg contains material which has been pre-released on other 'Hendrix Bootlegs' and contains 3 fake Hendrix tracks.   But for the collectors, it is still highly desirable.  

Official Track Listing

Track Listing:

A1 No Such Animal Part 1  (2:25)

A2 Tomorrow (10:10)

A3 No Such Animal Part 2   (2:35)

B1 Come On Baby I (2:50)

B2 Come On Baby II   (3:28)

B3 I Love My Baby (6:25)

B4 Down Now (2:35)

B5 Louisville (2:20)

Cosmic Turnaround Link (190Mb)

Repost: Baker Gurvitz Army - BGA Live In Derby (1975) Excellent SB

(U.K 1974-76)

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Baker Gurvitz Army (BGA) was a short-lived English rock group. Former The Gun and Three Man Army members, Paul Gurvitz and Adrian Gurvitz joined forces with ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker in 1974. Things had not been going too well for Ginger Baker since the demise of his own band Ginger Baker's Air Force. The Gurvitz Brothers, too, were looking for a new way ahead after the early success of their band The Gun. In 1974, though, it seemed all three could use their greatest talents in the Baker Gurvitz Army.
Their self-titled debut album was released the same year and featured a dynamic mixture of heavy rock, guitar themes propelled by Baker's irrepressible drumming. 

He also contributed a lengthy dramatic opus called 'Mad Jack' which told the story of a motor race in Africa partly sung by Paul with a spoken narration by Ginger, sounding as if he had a bit of trouble with his teeth! He added some tyre squealing sound effects, presumably from his beloved high speed Jensen sports car - fortunately recorded before the fan blade disintegrated and destroyed the engine.

The Baker Gurvitz Army would later take on extra musicians, including vocalist Snips from the band Sharks and keyboard player and arranger Peter Lemer from Seventh Wave. At its best the band was very tight and powerful and the music still stands up today, at a time when many Seventies albums sound weak and poorly produced. Certainly Adrian was a much underrated guitarist, who had a tremendous turn of speed and passionate feeling for the blues. It was perhaps not surprising he sometimes seemed pissed-off at the world. He was a much better guitarist than many of his more publicised contemporaries.

Paul Gurvitz and Ginger Baker

The band recorded two more albums, 'Elysian Encounter' (1975) and 'Hearts Of Fire' first released in 1976. Maybe it should have been called 'Tempers Of Fire' because personality clashes eventually led to the band breaking up the same year! In the aftermath Ginger briefly led a band called Energy, and was associated with Vincent Crane's Atomic Rooster and Hawkwind. Baker the master drummer would spend the next few years dividing his time between playing polo and olive farming in Italy, until he returned to play with such bands as Masters Of Reality and a Cream style trio with Jack Bruce and Gary Moore in 1994 (BBM). Adrian Gurvitz embarked on a solo career and became a successful writer and producer based in Los Angeles, writing for such artists as Whitney Houston. Most of the 'Hearts On Fire' material was written by Adrian, although Snips contributed a couple of songs, 'Neon Lights,' and 'Mystery.'
Paul Gurvitz wrote 'Smiling', something he did rather more than Adrian. Ginger Baker devised the opening title track, but it wasn't long before the fires went out, at least until the next gig and the next band. [Taken from the liner notes of the Hearts On Fire and Wikipedia]

Ginger Baker

Adrian Gurvitz went on to record several solo albums and released the hit single 'Classic' in 1982. He also joined up with Graeme Edge (Moody Blues) and his brother Paul to form the Graeme Edge Band in the late 70's - releasing 2 successful albums 'Kick Off Your Muddy Boots' and 'Paradise Ballroom'.

During the short 3 year period that the Baker Gurvitz Army were together, they were captured live on a number of bootleg recordings, and I am including the best one of these here for your enjoyment. Recorded live in Derby (1975), this recording captures the band at the height of their career and the sound qualty of this boot is excellent. Playing a selection of tracks from all three of their albums along with a number of covers ('Freedom' by Hendrix, and 'White Room', 'Sunshine Of Your Love' by the Cream), each band member gets an opportunity to strut their stuff. In particular, Baker produces a dynamic (but not too lengthy) drum solo at the end of Memory Lane which leads straight into the nostalgic 'Sunshine of Your Love'.
Their Cream renditions are fresh and tight and fit nicely in amongst their own BGA classics. My favourite BGA tracks are 'Remember' and 'Inside Me', mainly due to the awesome guitar work from Gurvitz along with the interplay of vocals and drums from Mr. Snips and Baker respectively. However, it would have been nice to see the inclusion of 'Mad Dog' in this set, as it was their first big hit and has been an all time personnel favourite.

The rip included here was taken from CD in MP3 (320kps) format and includes full album artwork along with selective pictures of the band. 

Note: This MPL recording is no longer available for purchase from the MLPLIVE.com website, and so becomes a Public Domain recording which can be freely shared.

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Track Listing

01 - The Hustler

02 - Space Machine

03 - Remember

04 - White Room

05 - Neon Lights

06 - Inside Of Me

07 - Memory Lane

08 - Sunshine Of Your Love

09 - The Artist

10 - Freedom

11 - Time

12 - Going To Heaven

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Ginger Baker (Drums)

Adrian Gurvitz (Guitar, vocals)

Paul Gurvitz (Bass guitar, backing vocals)

Steve Parsons aka 'Mr Snips' (Lead Vocals)

Peter Lemer (Keyboards)

BGA Link (193Mb)

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Rare Earth - One World (1971) + Bonus Track

(U.S 1960 - 1983)

Based in the Motor City (Detroit, MI, USA), hometown to such (in)famous rockers as The MC5 and The Stooges to name but two, psychedelic influenced rhythm and blues rockers Rare Earth were notable on at least three accounts. 

First and probably most importantly they were the first white band signed to Berry Gordy’s prestigious Motown label, receiving their own eponymous imprint, Rare Earth Records. 

Second, the band’s front man and lead vocalist was their drummer. Finally, the band’s repertoire consisted almost entirely of cover versions. During the 5 year period, 1969-1974, they were one of the hottest acts in the land (the USA), releasing 6 albums (5 studio and 1 live), as well as a string of 5 hit singles (followed by a few near misses) that ensured the band lots of Top 40 AM radio time, as well as extended album cuts that garnered the band airplay on the newly emerging FM radio market. 

 As a result Rare Earth consistently scored highly on the Billboard charts, albums and singles alike, and achieved this despite a rather limited repertoire of original material. In fact, all of the songs the group was best known for, and continues to be remembered for, were cover versions and this occurring at a time when original material was deemed absolutely essential to success in the ever burgeoning rock market.

Motown’s Rare Earth Label from August, 1969 through 1976

For a more extensive account of Rare Earth's recording history, see my earlier Rare Earth Post for their 'Ma' LP.

One World Album 

Their third LP, 'One World' was released almost one year after Ecology, and yielded another huge hit single in a longtime classic, "I Just Want to Celebrate." The song peaked on the pop charts at number seven and the album broke the Top 50 in the U.S.

One World is an underrated album produced by Tom Baird with a brilliant long version of "What I'd Say" by Ray Charles, and original cuts like "If I Die", a remarkable song written by Rivera since the prospect of a soldier at war (supposedly from Vietnam) about to die ... rain is falling on my head, pretty soon I might be dead, the end is here, Lord, it's plain to see, I guess my country's made a fool of me .... which could be interpreted by Crosby, Stills & Nash.

"Any Man Can Be a Fool" rhythmic, melodic rock composition with soul influences by the bassist John Persh in which it speaks of the wise advices of his mother, or "The Seed", another great theme by Pete Rivera with funk rock, jazz rock and blues traces and a phenomenal synergy between first-rate instrumentalists and outstanding solo guitarist Ray Monette ... tell me where will it go from here

One unique feature regarding this album is the song writing contributions by all members of the band, each contributing to at least one track on the album, all exibiting unique styles and catchy tunes backed by strong lyrics. This is my favourite Rare Earth album by far and it gives me great pleasure in sharing it with you. So enjoy.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my near mint vinyl, purchased back in the 70's from a record store located in a small arcade running off Ryrie St in Geelong, now long gone. It's name escapes me but it was the only record store in Geelong to stock imports, mostly German and US pressings, and was the main source of my record collection at that time. 

It was here that I heard "I Just Want To Celebrate" for the first time, and was why I purchased the album. Good Times !

Full artwork for CD and vinyl are included, along with label scans and choice photos of Rare Earth. 

As a Bonus, I am also including their 1969 hit "(I Know) I'm Losing You', freshly ripped from my Motown 45.  

NOTE: the inner gatefold of the LP features artwork by the great Roger Dean. Another bonus folks !

Tracks Listing:

1. What'd I Say (Ray Charles) - 7:14

2. If I Die (Pete Rivera) - 3:30

3. Seed (Pete Rivera) - 3:32

4. I Just Want To Celebrate (Dino Fekaris, Nick Zesses) - 3:37

5. Someone To Love (Gil Bridges) - 3:47

6. Any Man Can Be A Fool (John Persh) - 3:35

7. Road (Tom Baird) - 3:36

8. Under God's Light (Eddie Guzman, Ray Monette, Mark Olson) - 4:51

9. (I Know) I'm Losing You [Bonus Track] (Gran, Holland, Whitfield) - 3:37

Rare Earth :

Gil Bridges - Woodwinds, Vocals, Percussion, Flute

Ray Monette - Guitars, Vocals

Mark Olson - Keyboards, Vocals

John Persh - Bass, Vocals

Pete Rivera - Drums, Lead Vocals, Percussion

Ed Guzman - Conga, Percussion  

Rare Earth Link (225Mb)

REPOST: Shane Howard - River (1990) + Bonus Track

(Australian 1975-Present)
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Shane Howard is a well respected and influential Australian songwriter, both as a solo artist and from his early years as part of the band Goanna. His songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Ireland’s Mary Black and Australia’s John Farnham and Troy Cassar-Daley. He has devoted much of his working life to working with Aboriginal musicians, as well as touring Ireland and forging Irish-Australian connections. He has worked as music producer for numerous artists, including the Pigram Brothers, Street Warriors, Mary Black and Archie Roach, as well as the Jimmy Chi musical Corrugation Road. A recipient of an Australia Council Fellowship, Shane is also patron of the Spirit of Eureka Committee and a founding member of the Tarerer Gunditj Project Association, (a group of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people committed to cultural and environmental restoration in southwest Victoria). [extract from blackarmband]
In 1976, while enrolled at the Geelong Teachers College, Shane started recruiting people for a new folk-rock band. Originally known as the 'Ectoplasmic Manifestation', the group later shortened the name to 'The Goanna Band', their songlists filled with Bob Dylan and Little Feat covers. The band performed up and down the Great Ocean Road, playing pubs and hotels and any place with a stage and an audience. In May 1980, on a doctor's advice, Shane took a month's hiatus from 'The Goanna Band' and travelled to Ayers Rock (Uluru).
In his own words:
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"I had come from this beautiful inspiring aboriginal tradition, and the contrast between that and this harsh reality of conflict with western world 300 kilometers away, it marked me for all time. I saw an incredible injustice that needed to be dealt with. And also, I realized that this country that I grew up in, that I thought was my country, it wasn't. I had to reassess my whole relationship with the land and the landscape, and understand that we had come from somewhere else, and we had disempowered a whole race of people when we arrived" —Shane Howard
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On the way back to Melbourne and a reunion with the group (who shortened their name to simply 'Goanna'), Howard began working on a song called "Stand Yr Ground." But a new set of lyrics were pouring out of his pen - lyrics that didn't match the folk-rock music that had been Goanna's stock in trade. He put "Stand Yr Ground" aside, and began developing a different, rougher melody for the new lyrics. By the time Howard arrived back in Melbourne, he had a new song for the group to record, based upon his experiences at Uluru, "Solid Rock." The Goanna Band later became the opening act on James Taylor's Australian tour, which eventually led to a record deal with WEA (Warner Bros.' Australian affiliate) in February, 1982.
In 1982 Shane's massive anthem, "Solid Rock" from the album 'Spirit of Place', recorded with his band, Goanna, was one of the first mainstream pop songs to broach the subject of Aboriginal rights in Australia.

In 1987, Shane returned to the pop world, this time as a solo artist. His first solo album, Back to the Track, a self-produced record with his own Big Heart Band, was a classic collection of Australian music, both white and aboriginal.
BMG Records signed Shane as a solo recording artist and released his next album, River, in 1990, which in my opinion is his best solo release.
In 1993, Shane made his first tour to Ireland, and Irish star Mary Black's recording of Shane's song, "Flesh & Blood" was a Top 5 hit there.
Shane Howard has spent many years working, writing, performing, touring with, and producing Aboriginal musicians throughout Australia and in 2000 he was awarded a Fellowship by the Music Fund of the Australia Council in acknowledgement of his contribution to Australian musical life. [extract from wikipedia]

For more information about Shane Howard, see his website where you can read about his latest release 'Goanna Dreaming'.

The 'River' rip was taken from CD (no longer available) in FLAC format and includes full album artwork and lyric sheet. As a bonus, I have included the single "Let The Franklin Flow" which was recorded by Shane under the alias ' Gordon Franklin and the Wilderness Ensemble' in 1983 (ripped from my 45). My favourite tracks on this album are "Walk On Fire", "If The Well Runs Dry" and "Love Is A River", but I can highly recommend the whole album for those of you who enjoyed the music of Goanna, from the 70's.

     NEW IMPROVED RIP !
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Track Listing

01 - Walk On Fire
02 - Heart Of The Country
03 - If The Well Runs Dry
04 - Love Is a River
05 - Here And Now
06 - No Giving Up
07 - Gabrielle
08 - Without You
09 - Land Of Broken Hearts
10 - Your Love
11 - Let The Franklin Flow (Bonus track)
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Band Members:
Shane Howard (Guitar, Keyboards and Lead Vocals)
Jo Imbrol (Bass)

Mark Punch (Guitar, Vocals)
Mark Moffatt (Guitar)
Kirk Lange (Slide Guitar)
Marcia Howard (Keyboards, Vocals)
Ricky Fataar (Drums
Tim Reeves (Percussion)
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Shane Howard Link (344Mb) 

New Link 03/04/2025
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W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Earth (Pre-Black Sabbath) - The Rebel & Other Rare Demo Tracks (1969)

 Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song / album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.

"The Rebel" is without a doubt one of the most sought-after Black Sabbath songs ever recorded. Although a small fragment of this very un-Sabbath like song can be heard on 'The Black Sabbath Story Volume 1' video, most fans have never heard this still-unreleased 1969 demo, until now.

"Is it an Earth or Black Sabbath demo? One of the most frequently asked questions about "The Rebel" is whether the song could be considered as an Earth demo. Although the actual acetate credits the recording to Black Sabbath, the song was recorded during a transitional period. It has been alleged in several recent Black Sabbath biographies that the band decided upon changing their name from Earth to Black Sabbath while they were on route to The Star Club in Hamburg in early August 1969. To avoid the inevitable confusion arising from this sudden change, the band performed many prior bookings as Earth. In fact, their final gig as Earth was performed in Kilcaldy, Scotland just one day after recording "The Rebel".

Earth (Pre-Sabbath) 1968

"The recording session for "The Rebel" took place at Trident Studios in St. Anne’s Court in Soho, which was an 8-track facility at the time. Overseeing the session was Gus Dudgeon, who had also worked with the band Locomotive and would later produce albums for Elton John and David Bowie. The band was less than impressed with Gus, who kept using Locomotive as the benchmark for anything they did. It was than that engineer Rodger Bain was offered his first chance to produce a record…and of course the rest is history.

"The band had just returned from a German tour to begin rehearsing. Manager Jim Simpson suggested that they record "The Rebel", a song that was written by Norman Haines. Norman played keyboards in Jim's band Locomotive. Haines also took part in this session, playing organ and piano. Two months later, the band recorded yet another Haines composition called "When I Come Down", which was retitled "When I Came Down" for the Sabbath version. The band weren't pleased with either of these songs, but went along with the sessions so their manager would have something to shop to the record labels. Neither song represented the heavy rock direction they were already formulating or their Earth-y blues based roots."  

Early Sabbath - 1969

So, The Rebel itself provides yet another long missing puzzle piece to the early history of Black Sabbath.  “The Rebel” has remained shrouded in mystery simply because due to Sabbath’s reluctance to a share a moment in time that wasn’t up to their usual standards.  For them, it was simply an experiment, as well as an opportunity to record the band.  Yet the band wasn’t above playing ballads or experimenting on later records (“It’s Alright” or “Changes”, for instance), so “The Rebel” isn’t necessarily that much of a departure within that context.  It just didn’t impart the sort of direction or image the band desired for the launch of their recording career. [Review by Rob Dwyer, 25/11/2006]

Ozzy's voice is interesting on these tracks. His enunciation is pretty poor but there's still that certain plaintive, emotional Ozzy thing encoded into the vocals.

Tony & Geezer are much more subdued than usual on “The Rebel”, where they seem to be laying back and playing more of a supporting role.  On later recordings, their volume went UP and usually often dominated the proceedings – but not here.  Bill Ward isn’t quite as content to melt into the tapestry, adding some additional percussion during the bridge sections.  In addition, Norman Haines provides the piano introduction and additional playing throughout the song.  He isn’t very loud in the mix on the earlier takes, but does get turned up as the sessions progressed.  

When I Came Down" is actually a pretty good song - if they'd recorded it better it could have easily slotted in well on their first album.

Note: There are no COMPLETE versions of the Demo "When I came down" and the 2min version included here is actually a loop that has been spliced together by a fan at some stage. Listen closely. There are only :53 seconds of actual recorded "When I Came Down" material, the rest is just repetition with fade.

I also read somewhere that "Early one morning blues" is in fact a cover of Elmore James' song "Early One Morning" with slightly changed/butchered lyrics. The band playing it on this recording is Sabbath, but it isn't a demo. In fact, it was taped by Alex Wilson on their now-famous concert in Dumfries, Scotland, UK, on November 16th, 1969.

So folks, this month's W.O.C.K on Vinyl post certainly ticks the Obscure box, and what makes it even rarer is that the enclosed files are in lossless format.  So grab em' now, before the Osbournes try to take them down.

Track Listing

Earth (Pre - Black Sabbath)

01 The Rebel *

02 When I Came Down

03 Early One Morning

04 Blue Suede Shoes (Black Sabbath soundcheck

on 5/25/70 at Radio Bremen Studios)

Earth were:

Ozzy Osbourne - vocals

Tony Iommi - guitar

Geezer Butler - bass

Bill Ward - dfrums

Norman Haines – keyboards *

Earth (Pre-Sabbath) Link (70Mb)

REPOST: Can - Tago Mago (1971)

(German 1968–1979, 1986, 1991)
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Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968, with Malcolm Mooney on vocals and David Johnson, an American flautist and electronic composer, who quickly departed the scene. They recorded and privately distributed Monster Movie before Mooney was taken ill and replaced by Kenji 'Damo' Suzuki, who had been discovered by Bassist Holger Czukay busking outside a cafe in Munich. He introduced himself as a member of an experimental rock band and invited Suzuki to join them. That evening, Suzuki performed with the band at the Blow Up club and subsequently became a member of Can.

Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music. Can constructed their music largely through free improvisation and editing, which bassist Holger Czukay referred to as "instant compositions". Their sparse style, based on repeated rhythmic figures and simple harmonies, was employed as basis of long hypnotic improvisations, several of which can be found on this featured album, Tago Mago.

.Tago Mago was recorded in 1971 by Czukay in a castle near Cologne called Schloss Nörvenich. The band were allowed to stay there for a year without paying any rent by the owner, an art collector named Mr. Vohwinkel.
The album was inspired by sorcerer Aleister Crowley which is reflected through the dark sound of the album as well as being named after Isla de Tagomago, an island which features in the Crowley legend. Czukay reflects that the album was "an attempt in achieving a mystery musical world from light to darkness and return". The group has referred to the album as their "magic record" and I personally agree - it is my favourite avante-garde LP.

This was the first of Can's albums to be made from not only regularly recorded music, but combined "in-between-recordings", where Czukay secretly recorded the musicians jamming while waiting for various technical problems to be resolved. Czukay would edit these long, disorganized jams into structured songs. Recording was completed in three months.
Julian Cope wrote in Krautrocksampler that Tago Mago "sounds only like itself, like no-one before or after", and described the lyrics as delving "below into the Unconscious".

Tago Mago finds Can changing to a jazzier and more experimental sound than previous recordings, with longer instrumental interludes and less vocals; this shift was caused by the dramatic difference between Suzuki and the band's more dominant ex-singer Mooney. Can took sonic inspiration from sources as diverse as jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and from electronic avant-garde music.

Tago Mago almost becomes an exception to the "double-album-that-could've-been-a-single" rule. There's a little bit too much experimentation on the second disc to make it, but it's usually interesting and the first disc is an absolute masterpiece.

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The album opens with what is basically a three song suite of "Paperhouse," "Mushroom," and "Oh Yeah." While the band is uniformly strong, pretty much the entire first LP is a showcase for drummer Jaki Leibezeit. By this point he takes his place as one of the very best drummers in rock. The CD reissue liner notes speak of "Paperhouse" taking off and levitating, and for once this is not hyperbole. Leibezeit along with Karoli's percolating rhythm and some interstellar stabs from Schmidt's keys make the song really take off, glide above the ground, pick up speed, and slam into "Mushroom." 

The groove here is so infectious that the Flaming Lips would pretty much rip off the song wholesale twenty years later on their track "Take Meta Mars." Suzuki mumbles right through these songs glorious, stumbling gleefully through languages and gibberish and ranting about peeing off a bridge in Japanese (at least that how my wife translates it). By "Oh, Yeah," Damo gets the chance to emote backwards and does a damn successful job of it. It doesn't hurt that Holger Czukay and Leibzeit accompany him at their metronomic best as Karoli and Schmmidt provide aural window dressing.

"Halleluwah" (the stand out track in my opinion) takes up the entire second side at almost 19 minutes but never gets boring despite its epic length. Leibezeit manages about the most complicated beat that I imagine you could play in 4/4 time and the song still manages to be the funkiest track that anyone from Germany has ever produced. Our majestic moment her occurs when the beat briefly drops out, with the band shortly plunging back in at full lurch. "Halleluwah" might be a tiny notch below "Mother Sky" from Soundtracks, but being second to that track is still nothing to sneeze at.

"Oh Yeah" and "Halleluhwah" contain the elements that have been referred to as Can's "trademark" sound: "Damo Suzuki's vocals, which shift from soft mumbles to aggressive outbursts without warning; Jaki Liebezeit's mantric drumming; Holger Czukay's production manipulations (e.g. the backwards vocals and opening sound effects on 'Oh Yeah')." Both "Oh Yeah" and "Halleluhwah" emphasize repetitive grooves.

The second LP features Can's more avant-garde efforts, with Roni Sarig, author of The Secret History of Rock calling it "as close as it ever got to avant-garde noise music." There are lots of interesting ideas present but the band's modern compositional tendencies come to the fore and as good as these guys are, they're not Gyorgy Legiti or Steve Reich. "Aumgn" creates some soundscapes that would make for some great music to go along with Captain Kirk and Spock on the exploration of a new styrofoam planet, with lots of oscillated tones and Suzuki's delayed and reverbed mutterings before Leibzeit comes back in on the last few minutes to give another great demonstration of his drumming prowess.

"Peking O" unfortunately drops Leibezeit's drumming, but Suzuki sounds creepier than hell and I love the moment where it sounds like he literally snaps and starts spewing forth high-speed gibberish. In fact the only thing here that resembles a song is the closing "Bring Me Coffee Or Tea," which is sort of like an after dinner mint.
Can's magnum opus may be a little impenetrable at times, but it's worth the effort. If you're new to the band, I'd spend some time with the more immediate first half before delving into the mysterious din of "Amugn" or "Peking O."

The rip was taken from a remastered CD release in FLAC format and includes both the UK/Australian artwork (as depicted above) and the more common orange cover artwork released in the states (see below).

Artwork for CD and Vinyl included along with label scans.

Select photos of the band are also included (sourced from the official Can website spoonrecords with thanks)

NEW IMPROVED RIP !

Track Listing

01 - Paperhouse
02 - Mushroom
03 - Oh Yeah
04 - Halleluhwah
05 - Aumgn
06 - Peking O
07 - Bring Me Coffee Or Tea

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Band Members:
Damo Suzuki (vocals)
Holger Czukay (bass guitar, sound engineer, electronics)
Michael Karoli (guitar, vocals, violin)
Jaki Liebezeit (drums, percussion)
Irmin Schmidt (keyboards, vocals)

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Can Link (462Mb)  New Link 26/03/2025
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Darryl Cotton - Best Seat In The House (1980) + Bonus Single (1979)

(Australian 1965 - 2012)

Darryl Cotton, a product of Adelaide southern coastal suburb Christies Beach where he captained its senior colts football team in 1965, went on to a solo music and television career after the breakup of nationally popular band Zoot.

Cotton, as lead singer, and Beeb Birtles were among the Adelaide original members of Zoot that ended in 1971. Cotton and Birtles formed Darryl and Beeb as a soft rock duo that soon became Frieze, sponsored by a clothing company. Their first recording, with Sparmac, was a cover of the Mann-Weill’s “Feelings”. In 1972, Cotton wrote “Try yourself” under Darryl and Beeb Frieze, followed by the 1972 B. C album. By June, Frieze had disbanded and Cotton issued "Why do little kids have to die" from 1972 B. C. as his debut solo single.

Beeb Birtles and Darryl Cotton - Frieze

Cotton went to the United Kingdom while Birtles joined Mississippi that evolved into Little River Band in 1975. In 1973. Cotton joined United States-based group Friends, with Michael Lloyd and Australian singer-songwriter Steve Kipner. They issued a single, “Gonna have a good time" (a cover of The Easybeats’ "Good times") backed by "Would you laugh", written by Cotton, Lloyd and Kipner. Friends put out a self-titled album before Cotton and Lloyd left to form vocal trio Cotton, Lloyds and Christian, with Chris Christian.

In 1975, the trio issued a self-titled album and the single, "I go to pieces", that reached the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album, Number Two (1976) was followed by the "Crying in the rain" single (1977). Cotton based himself in Los Angeles as a singer and songwriter and performed with Olivia Newton John, The Osmonds, Shaun Cassidy and Cliff Richard. His songwriting credits include work for Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, Englebert Humperdinck and The New Seekers.

In 1978, Cotton returned to Australia, signed with Oz Records and released a single, "Don't let it get to you", also on his solo album 'Best Seat in the House (1980) on EMI Records and produced by Christian.

In 1979, Cotton hosted a TV music series, Summer Rock, on Adelaide's Channel 9, and released solo singles followed, "I don't want to lose you" and "Glamour girl". Cotton also acted on the Australian soap The young doctors for a season and hosted another series of Summer Rock in 1980. Also in 1980, his most successful single, "Same old girl" (written with Christian) reached the top 10 and he won the award for best solo male performance.

TV Weeks Darryl Cotton Album Competition

Cotton formed a backing band, The Charts (later The Divers) that toured pubs and clubs. In 1980-81, Cotton had three more singles but none charted. Cotton appeared in the lead of the 1983 Australian stage production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and released his second solo album, 'It's Rock 'n' Good Fun' in 1984 (see right).

From 1985-89, Cotton was host, with Marie Van Maaren, on Network Ten’s children’s The Early Bird Show, working alonside Marty The Monster.  In 1989, Cotton was awarded the Advance Australia Award for support of many charities and groups. He also sang "Surfin" from the TV’s Pugwall's Summer and released a children's album, Just for Kids (1994).

In 1996, he formed Burns Cotton & Morris with Ronnie Burns and Russell Morris for a self-titled album. When Burns retired in 2000, it became Cotton Keays and Morris (with Jim Keays, ex-The Masters Apprentices), who also released an album.

From 1987, Cotton performed with the Australian Youth Choir and was the patron of the National Institute of Youth Performing Arts Australia. His solo performances were backed by the Darryl Cotton Band that performed at corporate functions. In 2011, Zoot reunited for a short performance cruise out from Miami with Cotton joining Birtles, Rick Brewer and Rick Springfield.

Cotton was still performing with Cotton Keays & Morris in 2012 when he died after being diagnosed with liver cancer. [Bio by Bronwyn Carnegie] 

The Album

The following notes were taken from an interview held with Darryl Cotton by 'Purple Haze's' radio host Mark Naumann, during which Darryl's classic album ‘Best Seat In The House’ was discussed at length. The album is played in its entirety during the interview and includes the hits ‘Same Old Girl’, ‘Don’t Let It Get To You’ and ‘Here Comes Another Heartache. Originally broad cast back in December 2011 – it is available to listen to on Southern FM 88.3 Radio's website 

Album Cover: Darryl's initial idea for the album cover was a picture of a nun (in suspenders) sitting prevocativily on a lounge couch in front of a T.V. After deliberation with his record company the idea was considered too riskee at the time, so he changed it an audience (wearing 3D glasses) in an old movie theatre, located in Sydney.

The infamous 3D Glasses

Album songs: Many of the songs on the album were written by Cotton, or in colaboration with Chris Christian. LRB members David Briggs and Graeham Goble also co-wrote some tracks. Most songs were auto-biographical, usually centered on his love relationships and heartbreaks. In Darryl's own words, most tracks on the album were just another 'heartbreak' song....the album had a typical 70's sound with heavy influences from Pablo Cruise, Hall and Oates and the Beach Boys. Most songs were written while Cotton was in L.A but were recorded in Australia.

Charting position: The album debuted at #98 on the Kent Music Report National Top 100 Albums chart (KMR#306, week commencing (w/c) Mon May 5, 1980) peaking at #56 w/c May 26, 1980 (KMR#309) and dropping out w/c July 14, 1980 (KMR#316) after 10 weeks on the charts. 

Album Promo Shot

Track By Track:

1. Darlin' - A dancey, boppy 70's Synth track with a distict Pablo Cruise / Hall & Oated feel. Chris Christian produced and co-wrote the track with Cotton. In the interview, Darryl admits that he was very much a pop singer at the time.

2. No More Lonely Nights - One of the many 'broken heart' songs on the album. Co-written with David Briggs and featuring other LRB members playing instruments, the song has a distinct Eagles feel about it.

3. What You Gonna Do - Written by Cotton, the song is about essentially about being "Humped and then Dumped". Darryl talks openly about the nightlife whilst in L.A, partying to the early hours of the morning with the ladies, only to have it end in disappointment. The music was influenced by Dave Edmonds and The Beatles.

4. Dance - Written by Cotton, the song was first started in L.A and then finished in Australia. Lyrically, the song was put into the 3rd person, and is about dancing until your heart is broken. Yet another Pablo Cruise - Hall & Oates influenced track with a soul, moody feeling. It was also the B-Side to Cotton's 3rd single "Here Comes Another Heartache".

5. Same Old Girl - Released as a single, this song reached the top 10 Australian Charts and had What You Gonna Do as the B-Side. The single debuted on the Kent Music Report National Top 100 Singles chart at #85 w/c March 31, 1980 (KMR#301) peaking at #6 w/c Jun 2, 1980 (KMR#310) and dropping out w/c Aug 11, 1980 (KMR#320) after 20 weeks on the chart. Written by Cotton & Christian, Darryl states that he always thought the song sounded a bit whimpy at the time, and during his Cotton, Keays, Morris period he sung it with a much tougher sound.

 
The single won Cotton 'Best Male Single' at the 1980 Australian Record Awards, which coincidently was on the 10th Anniversary of his Best Band Single award with Zoot's "Eleanor Rigby"( see above). The film clip was taken at the State Theatre in Sydney, along with the front cover image.

6. I Can't Let Go - Covered by Linda Ronstat, this song was always a favourite of Darryls and always wanted to do his own cover of this Hollies hit.
Russell Hitchcock (from Air Supply) features on backup vocals.

7. Don't Let It Get To You - the first single from the album, this song was written by Cotton and Jamie Dunn (alias Agro) and was released in 1978. Yet another Heartbreak song, the song featured multiple members of LRB backing and Russell Hitchcock on harmonies with Cotton.

In the interview, Darryl explains that Air Supply were just taking off in America at the time and actually asked him if he wanted to join them. But Darryl respectfully declined and in hind sight felt that he made the right decision, as he would never had time to marry and have a family if he had accepted the offer.

8. Somebody Must Have Known - this track was written by Cotton and Goble. Essentially it is about a girlfriend cheating on him and he was the last to find out. But as Darryl says: 'Somebody Must Have Known'. He originally had the idea for the song and a basic melody in mind but just couldn't finish it, so he went and saw his mate, Graeham Goble who helped write the middle eight for him and assisted with its' arrangement.

9. Love Too Strong - Another cover track on the album. Darryl comments that Americans thought he sounded a bit like Cliff Richard and Donny Osmond on this track. An EMI associate of Cotton, John Kerr, suggested to Darryl that he should record this song, because he thought the track had a Roger Voudouris sound about it, and would therefore suit him. Roger Voudouris was big on the charts at the time with his hit "Get Used To It".

10. Here Comes Another Heartache - Co-written with Chris Christian, this track features the late Harvey James (Sherbet) on guitar and Warren Morgan (Chain) on piano. Darryl happily admits that this song was about another love in his life, but this time she is still around. [On 16 July 1977 Darryl Cotton married Cheryl Forehead; the couple had two children].

This track was the 3rd single taken from the album, released in June 1980. The single debuted on the Kent Music Report National Top 100 Singles chart at #98 w/c July 28, 1980 (KMR#318) peaking at #89 w/c Aug 4, 1980 (KMR#319) and dropping out w/c Sep 1, 1980 (KMR#323) after 5 weeks on the chart.

11. Hollywood - the final track on the album, and the shortest; it was written by Cotton and Christian. The song is about Daryl when he came home from the U.S, '"with his tail between his legs" (his own words). But he laughs it off these days saying that coming back to Australia was the best thing that could have happened to him.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from vinyl and includes full album artwork along with label scans (taken from my copy).  The bonus single was provided by Sunshine (thanks mate) and was released in 1979 on OZ Records. Interesting to note that the A-Side "I Don't Wanna Lose You" is a Hall/Oates track.  

Thanks to Shorrock Birtles Goble Website for the newspaper articles and many of the photos included in this post.

Finally, a big shout out to Mark Naumann for his wonderful interview and podcast with Darryl Cotton, recorded back in 2011, only 12 months before Darryl's passing.  So, so sad.

This post is therefore a tribute to one of Australia's best musicians and all round talent. RIP Darryl Cotton

Tracklist:

01 Darlin'

02 (No More) Lonely Nights

03 Whatcha' Gonna Do

04 Dance

05 Same Old Girl

06 I Can't Let Go

07 Don't Let It Get To You

08 Somebody Must Have Known

09 Love Too Strong

10 Here Comes Another Heartache

11 Hollywood

12 I Don't Wanna Lose You (Bonus A-Side Single, 1979)

13 Let The Music Take You Away [Bonus B-Side Single, 1979]

Band Members:

Vocals - Darryl Cotton

Bass - Phil Scorgi, Georgle McArdle, John Young

Guitars - Harvey-James, David Briggs, Beeb Birtles, Rick Formosa, Tommy Emmanuel, Chris Christian

Drums & Percusion - Derek Pellici, Terry Fogg

Piano - Warren Morgan, Dave Alladice, Peter Sullivan, Chris Christian

Synthesiser - Andrew Wilson

Clarinet - Chris Christian

Saxophone - Bill Harrower, Tony Buchanan

Congas - Sunil de Silva

Backing Vocals - Russell Hitchcock, Chris Christian, Adian Campbell, Beeb Birtles, Graeham Goble

Darryl Cotton Link (294Mb)