The Hook - Hooked - `68 - UNI

hey all :

ok , here`s some fuzz & organ for you... just found this one - pretty heavy in the iron butterfly vein i would say. anything on the UNI label is great in my book. bit heavier than my usual taste , but i know its scarce - so i hope you enjoy.
dont have much on these guys but it features Bobby Arlin from the Leaves, Bobby Sklar, Dennis Provisor & Dale Loyola. - These guys rock ~

• "ALL TRAX FROM WAX" - transferred by da` shaman - 2007 - 67 MB
• includes high rez scans , band inner art & photo
  

• The Hook - Hooked - `68 - UNI
  

• 1. Go
• 2. You're Lookin' Fine
• 3. There's Magic In The Air
• 4. Son Of Fantasy II
• 5. Hook Can Cook
• 6. Love Theme In E Major
• 7. A Beautiful Tomorrow
• 8. You Need People
• 9. All Around The World
• 10. You Don't Have To Say

download -- here --

Zebra - 3.V - `86

hey all :

you guys trust the the shaman by now huh ? :::)
every now & again you know i like to catch you guys off guard. some might remember zebra for thier epic hit in the 80`s "who`s behind the door". this is thier 3rd lp. i think its more solid than thier debut. maybe this is what zeppelin would have sounded like had they made it into the 80`s & went more in a pop direction ?!
this one is a grower , give it a couple spins !

heres a review from AMG :
Taking a cue from the almighty Zeppelin on the numerical album title, Zebra bestows a most un-Leded offering. 3.V is mastermind Randy Jackson's last-ditch effort to conquer civilization through his New Orleans power trio; a wise and distinct musical mural depicting the delectable joy of living beyond drugs and despair. The insular production (along with Hanemann's keys) may be off-putting, but once inside 3.V, "He's Making You the Fool," "Your Mind's Open," "Better Not Call," and "Hard Living Without You" rank as some of the best songs ever written in any regard. Following Geddy Lee's lead, Jackson tones down his banshee wail and delicately weaves these masterworks around his powerful pipes, resulting in a (shudder) heavy metal Bee Gees (much cooler than that sounds). Jackson scats, scolds and soars, always keeping things tight. Like the deceptively simple title indicates, 3.V has that certain something extra: more than an album, 3.V opens the mind of an unheralded genius.

Signed Zebra Promo shot i found in debut LP !



Zebra - 3.V - `86 - 320 kbps - 75mb

1. Can't Live Without You

2. He's Making You the Fool

3. Time

4. Your Mind's Open

5. Better Not Call

6. You'll Never Know

7. About to Make the Time

8. You're Only Losing Your Heart

9. Hard Living Without You

10. Isn't That the Way

download -- here --

Jigsaw - s/t - 1975 - Chelsea Records

hey all :

here is yet another installment in my "killer one hit wonder lp`s". this means of course that beyond the bands "one hit wonder" song , the lp is actually quite good & usually never heard. i have already posted , others : climax , pilot , stories , etc. -- many more to come

anyway , here is the band "Jigsaw" , this LP is from 1975 & the song "sky high" was a huge hit w/ much radio play. yes , quite an ear worm this one.
very poppy , even tinges of power pop here & there. power pop fans will dig i am sure.... enjoy ~


"Jigsaw continued to make music and signed a new deal with independent UK label “Splash”, which was founded by Chas Peate (who would be the group's record producer). Their first single for their new label, entitled “Sky High”, was recorded for the film The Man From Hong Kong, a 1975 martial-arts action movie starring George Lazenby. The record company didn’t think the disco-infused song would be a hit, and therefore pressed only a couple of hundred promotional copies to satisfy contractual obligations. However, radio stations put it on playlists, causing the label to issue it commercially, and it made the UK Top 10. Chelsea Records released it in the USA (where Splash had no pressing plants) and it was also a hit there, going to #3. It charted all over the world and was #1 in Japan.

Their album “Sky High” also sold very well, especially in Japan. Their next single “Love Fire” was another hit, although not in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, 'Love Fire' was followed by two new albums, one for the British market called “Pieces of Magic” and another for the American market, the eponymous “Jigsaw”."

• Jigsaw - s/t - 1975 - 256 kbps - 56 mb
• includes high rez front cover scan

• 1 - sky high
• 2 - thats the way it goes
• 3 - listen to the joker
• 4 - love fire
• 5 - mystic harmony
• 6 - have you heard the news
• 7 - mention my name
• 8 - baby dont do it
• 9 - tell me why
• 10 - i`ve seen the film , i`ve read the book
• 11 - call collect

download -- here --

The Lovin` Spoonful - Everything Playing - `68 - Kama Sutra

hey all :

gotta love these guys. i have all thier lp`s , but i really like
this one the best. it has alot of experimentation on it & some
great songs , by sebastian.
this was thier last lp i believe.
enjoy ~

REVIEW :
"The Lovin' Spoonful's fourth album, Everything Playing, was made under trying circumstances. Musically, the Sgt. Pepper/Summer of Love era had made the Spoonful's good-time, jugband approach obsolete, and chief songwriter John Sebastian had to try to keep up. Personally, the group had suffered the disaster of a drug bust that resulted in the departure of lead guitarist Zal Yanovsky, who was replaced in August 1967 by Jerry Yester. Despite these problems, Sebastian was able to turn out a good album paced by its three Top 40 hits, "Six O'Clock," "She Is Still a Mystery," and the deceptively comic "Money," in which he castigated financial aspects of the music industry. Also excellent were "Boredom" and "Younger Generation," which Sebastian later would sing at Woodstock. When Sebastian wasn't at the mic, the singing could be mediocre, and the group was often all over the map in its attempt at musical sophistication, but the record was saved by Sebastian's writing and singing. Then he too jumped ship." - AMG

• "ALL TRAX FROM WAX" - transferred by da` shaman - 2007
• Lovin Spoonful - Everything Playing - `68 - 58 mb - 320 kbps
• includes high rez front/back cover scans !
  

• She Is Still A Mystery (3.01)
• Priscilla Millionaira (3.13)
• Boredom (2.25)
  
• Six O'Clock (2.43
• Forever (4.23)
• Younger Generation (2.42)
• Money (1.55)
• Old Folks (3.05)
  
• Only Pretty, What A Pity (3.030)
• Try A Little Bit (3.06)
• Close Your Eyes (2.47)
  

download -- here--

LOBO - Best Of - `74

hey all :
here is some great soft rock from the early 70`s.
everyone knows the "me & you & dog named boo" song huh ?
some other great stuff on here. this one was a request ..
not one i would get to probably , but great none-the-less !
enjoy~


LOBO - Best Of - `74 - Phillips - 320 kbps - 93 mb
"ALL TRAX FROM WAX" - transferred by da` shaman - 2007
*includes front cover scan

1 - i`d love you to want me
2 - armstrong
3 - i`m the only one
4 - rock n roll days
5 - rings
6 - she didn`t do magic
7 - don`t expect me to be your friend
8 - me & you & a dog named boo
9 - a simple man
10 - standing at the edge of the line
11 - it sure took a long , long time
12 - a little different
13 - how can i tell her
14 - goodbye is just another word


download -- here --

Free Design - Kites Are Fun - `67

hey all :
here some great lite psych pop. some of the tightest harmonies around -- this stuff is super sweet , so be careful.
fans of true cali sunhsine pop will dig , enjoy ~


"In 1967, this sibling act was signed to Enoch Light's soft jazz label. Spearheaded by chief songwriter and arranger Chris, they produced six beautifully crafted albums of contemporary pop for the label. Though none of their albums sold many copies, they are now considered one the best groups to come out of the sunshine pop era along side groups like The Association and The 5th Dimension. In 2000, they reunited for the critically acclaimed album Cosmic Peekaboo. Acts such as Stereolab, Cornelius...

"Are they just a weird, clueless close-knit family of music nerds? Or are they clever, self-aware geniuses who saw a need for ridiculously gleeful "psychedelia lite"? Is this kitsch or is this camp? If it's camp, is it intentional camp, or is it perceived camp? And does it even matter??? It's fun, beautiful, innocent and soooo dated. I'm talking ironed hair, bell bottom polyester slacks and turtle necks with fringe vests dated. They seem so sincere and committed to all this desperate optimism - helps you understand why cults were so big in 1967. Three talented siblings singing relatively complex arrangements, living somewhere in between The Swingle Singers and The Brady Bunch. Sometimes they have a social conscience with groovy lingo ("The Proper Ornaments"), while sometimes they just trip out on things like a swarm of colorful umbrellas snarling traffic ("Umbrellas" - dig that drum solo!) I got this even though I already had 5 of these songs on their Best of... CD, and I'm glad I did - it reveals a more cohesive, relaxed and intimate group than I thought they were. I need bliss, man. Screw Uncle Bill - let's fly a kite." - [ Zeke - rateyourmusic.com ]

"blow your mind , but not completely - make the madness stop !"

• Free Design - Kites Are Fun - `67 - 2003 reissue light in the attic records - 73 mb - 320 kbps
• "ALL TRAX FROM WAX" - transferred by da` shaman - 2007
• includes high rez front/back/inner scans

• 1.) Kites Are Fun
• 2.) Make the Madness Stop
• 3.) When Love is Young
• 4.) The Proper Ornaments
• 5.) My Brother Woody
• 6.) 59th Street Bridge Song
• 7.) Don't Turn Away
• 8.) Umbrellas
• 9.) Michelle
• 10.) Never Tell the World
• 11.) A Man and a Woman
• 12.) Stay Another Season

download -- here --

The Ship - A Contemporary Folk Music Journey - `71 [Gary Usher]

the one & only todd bradshaw today - thanks !


i got nothin` on these guy`s & this isnt really psych , but was produced by gary usher & is of a conceptual nature & came out in `71.... (-_-)
great epic storyline about a journeys at sea , & all that that entails.
more folk/rock than anything & not too far removed from CSNY , really catchy tracks tho , that definately grows on you. pretty scarce as well. let me know what ya think !it comes in at just under an hour , so this one is @ 224 kbps.
oh , & as all the songs ran together , you get two tracks : side I & side II ..:)


[ there is a bit of noise at 6:40 for a bit , had some pops that i removed & left it all a bit under par , so i appologize in advance for this , but the rest sounds great ! ]


bit of a review : thanks to dr. do-good !

"I'll readily admit to vacillating on this one ... I've played it quite frequently over the five years it's been in my collection and during that timeframe I've continuously flip flopped as to whether it's an undiscovered (and still affordable) classic, or simply a dull and plodding slice of early-1970s folk-rock. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle ground ...
Singers/guitarists Steve Cowan and Steve Melshenker got their start while attending the University of Illinois, Urbana. Playing dances and local clubs, the pair managed to generate some local buzz, somehow attracting the attention of producer Gary Usher, who helped the pair sign with Elektra Records. Produced by Usher and credited to The Ship, 1971's "A Contemporary Folk Music Journey" was a concept piece, though the plotline was largely lost on me (the gatefold inner sleeve has the lyrics for anyone interested in the story line). While nothing here was overtly commercial or toe tapping catchy, all eleven performances were engaging in a low-keyed fashion. Exemplified by material like 'The Ship', 'The Calm' and '' the songs were highlighted by interesting lyrics, strong melodies and some pretty CSN-styled vocal harmonies. A little bit self-concious and the occasional country touches were forgettable ('The Man'), but it was never less than pleasant, and if you played it in the right mood it was a true keeper."

NEW ship web site : the ship music

*steve melshenker [ 6 string guitar(2nd lead), vocals ]
*steve cowan [ 12 string guitar, vocals ]
*steve reinwand [ llead guitar . dobro , mouth harp , vocals
*mark hamby [piano , flute , vocals
*todd bradshaw [ 4 & 8 string bass ]
*with tim scott on cello

• "ALL TRAX FROM WAX" - transferred by da` shaman - 2007
• includes high rez front/back/inner lyrix scans ~ 86 mb - 224 kbps
  

• track I :
• the ship
• the order
• the innocence
• the man
• the calm
• the storm
• 
  
• track II :
• the lost
• the island
• the reason
• the return
• the ship

download [ NEW LINK ! ] -- here --

or
-- here --

The Alan Lorber Orchestra - The Lotus Palace - `67 - Verve

hey all :

not much i can find on this one , did not get very good reviews as far as i can tell, but this is a pretty kewl recording. tons of sitars & indian instruments throughout , all intrumental , no vox. has the infamous "vincent bell" on sitar & quite a few popular tunes of the day. pretty rare find , grab it while ya can :

• ALL TRAX FROM WAX - transferred by da` shaman - 2007
• The Alan Lorber Orchestra - The Lotus Palace - 320 kbps - 52 mb
• includes high rez front/back/inner scans

• 1 - up , up & away
• 2 - the flute thing
• 3 - lucy in the sky with diamonds
• 4 - hang on to a dream
• 5- roopaka dha teri dhin dhin
• 6 - within you , without you
• 7 - mas que nada
• 8 - the look of love
• 9 - where ?
• 10 - djellaba (the hooded one)

download -- here --

Tin Tin - Debut - `70 - Atco

hey all :

ok , that 2nd tin tin LP was just a teaser , here is the real deal~
if the beatles & bee gee`s ever had a kid , it would be made of tin.
this LP is epic in my book. some might be familiar with thier hit "toast & marmalade for tea" , other highlights include ;
swans on the canal , manhattan woman , she said ride , tuesdays dreamer , hell its all grand. another of my all time fave psych pop lp`s. enjoy ~



REVIEW :
"Tin Tin were an Aussie four-piece who formed in 1968 and had a strong Bee Gees connection, via the Gibb brothers' early success in their adopted country; Steve Kipner's father, Nat, produced their early work, and members of Steve's band played on their records. Maurice Gibb's patronage did Tin Tin no harm at all, of course, and he's credited as a band member on at least one issue of this album. Tin Tin is slightly harder-edged than you'd expect, all things considered, although they were never exactly going to rival Black Sabbath in the heaviosity stakes. 'Baroque pop' is possibly the best description I can think of, with tracks like Swans On The Canal and the instrumental Spanish Shepherd conjuring up images of lace cuffs and the like. Or maybe that's just me.

I've seen one source that lists not only Maurice, but also band members Steves Groves and Kipner as playing Mellotron, although there's no way of telling. There's a passable amount of MkII to be heard, with occasional string chords on Flag/Put Your Money On My Dog, brass on Nobody Moves Me Like You, more strings on the harpsichord-driven Only Ladies Play Croquet, a brass/strings mix (?) on Family Tree and finally, flutes on Come On Over Again. There's genuine orchestral accompaniment on a few tracks, too, notably Swans On The Canal, and I'm not sure if it's 'Tron or 'real' woodwind on Spanish Shepherd, so it's possible I've missed the odd bit of 'Tron.

So; something of a period piece, but not at all bad, and more listenable than most of the Bee Gees' work from the time. Again, reasonable Mellotron work, though not a classic. Worth hearing for fans of the era. There was a second Tin Tin album the following year, Astral Taxi, but I believe it's 'Tron-free. Incidentally, Toast And Marmalade For Tea was apparently a major hit for the band worldwide, and Steve Kipner went on to be a successful songwriter, still working today." -- [planetmellotron.com]

& did you know that :!?
Steve Kipner went on to greater "fame" as a songwriter (unfortunately not in the same vein) with hits such as Physical - Olivia Newton John, Hard Habit To Break - Chicago, Too Much Too Little Too Late - Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams, and Genie In A Bottle - Christina Aguilera !???? -- i know , "its crazy"

• ALL TRAX FROM WAX - transferred by da` shaman - 2007
• TIN TIN - DEBUT - `70 - ATCO - 320 kbps - 67 mb
• includes high rez scans of front / back covers + liner notes for astral taxi

• She Said Ride
• Swans on the Canal
• Flag / Put Your Money on My Dog
• Nobody Moves Me Like You
• Tuesday's Dreamer
• Only Ladies Play Croquet
• Family Tree
• Spanish Shepherd
• He Wants to Be a Star
• Toast and Marmalade for Tea
• Come on Over Again
• Manhattan Woman
• Lady in Blue

download -- here --

Tin Tin - Astral Taxi - `71 - Atco

hey all :

i give to you one of my fave psych pop lp`s i own. along with thier debut this is some really great stuff in the vein of early bee gees. maurice in fact produced & co-produced this stuff !
"i took a holiday" is my fave track here , one of the lovliest tracks i know of ~
these lp`s are super hard to find , i will get to thier debut next , with the infamous "toast & marmalade for tea" !
check out the last track on this "is that the way" for what i consider part II of "toast" , with the same crazy piano sound.
there is alot of variety on this lp , but most of it is very soft & flowing. you can tell this is from wax , but i cleaned it up rather nicely i think , let me know how it sounds !
enjoy `

all trax from wax , transferred by da` shaman - 2007

REVIEW:
Astral Taxi is an excellent second album from keyboard player Steve Kipner, guitarist Steve Groves, and their group, Tin Tin, whose 1971 Top 20 hit "Toast and Marmalade for Tea" actually sounded like a sequel to Marmalade's 1970 Top Ten hit "Reflections of My Life." The Scottish Marmalade was often confused with the Bee Gees, though Tin Tin had more reason to be -- not only did they really sound like the brothers Gibb, they shared the same manager in Robert Stigwood, the same record label in Atco, and Maurice Gibb was executive producer on this follow-up to their debut, Gibb having more hands-on involvement with the first disc. Both the title track, "Astral Taxi," and the second song, "Ships on the Starboard," would have been perfect on a Paul Kantner solo disc. Consider Aztec Two-Step in outer space. Steve Grove's "Our Destiny," on the other hand, is an orchestrated progressive rock instrumental. A heady philosophical essay accompanies the song credit, though the bandmembers don't get the same courtesy. Gerry Shury did the orchestral arrangements, Geoff Bridgeford is most likely on drums, and Johnny Vallins is probably part of the ensemble as well, but the lack of information on who is playing what is distressing for such a great recording and eventual historical artifact. Vallins contributes his songwriting skills to "Ships on the Starboard," "The Cavalry's Coming," and "Benny the Wonderdog." The songwriter also wrote the 1978 number one hit for Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," along with Kipner's father, Nat Kipner. Steve Kipner and Steve Groves craft a poppy Moody Blues-type number in "Tomorrow Today" along with their producer, Billy Lawrie. Lawrie also co-wrote the final track, "Is That the Way," with the duo, its very Beatlesque elegance being one of the LP's many highlights. Astral Taxi is an enigmatic album for sure, but it works on every level. The more rocking "Jenny B." has horns and guitar battling it out toward the end, a departure from the rest of the music. This 1971 album has three of the guys on the cover photo (as well as on the inside gatefold), but none of their names accompany the faces. They weren't the Bee Gees just yet, nor were they going to be that visible, but when you add up Steve Kipner's Australian hit along with his smash songs for Olivia Newton-John and Chicago in the mid-'80s and include the Tin Tin composition written by Steve Groves, this band -- who was pretty much written off as a one-hit wonder/Bee Gees clone -- turns out to have had immense depth. "I Took a Holiday" will delight fans of the Bee Gees' song "Holiday"; it has their vocal style, charm, and string arrangements. Astral Taxi is a very pleasant album which should be a collectors' item within pop circles.

• TIN TIN - ASTRAL TAXI - 1971 - ATCO RECORDS - 68 MB - 320 kbps
• includes high rez front cover scan

• 1. Astral Taxi
• 2. Ships On The Starboard
• 3. Our Destiny
• 4. Tomorrow Today
• 5. Jenny B
• 6. I Took A Holiday
• 7. Tag Around
• 8. Set Sail For England
• 9. The Cavalry's Coming
• 10. Benny The Wonder Dog
• 11. Is That The Way

download -- here @ rapidshare

& . . . . . . -- here @ sendspace