Welcome to the Kosmos

i created this blog to share some of my collection ... i have over 3,500 lp`s.

i am using an old vintage marantz 1150D amp [ thanks pa ! ], Yamaha YP-D4 turntable , seasound SOLO EX soundcard , & Cubase 5 to do all transfers.

this seems to capture the warmth of vinyl as well , which is really nice !

most of my wax is real clean so i hope to get some clean transfers.

maybe some recordings will be cd transfers , but the majority will be scare psych LP`s.

i have about a thousand cds , many of which are OOP & obscure enuff to share.

i have noticed alot of really obscure stuff being posted here & there. i will try & fill in the cracks as best i can , but i am sure there be someone / somewhere who beats me to the punch , so to speak. i just dont wanna waste time with something that is already avaliable , so i will try & keep my posts as original as feasable. all lp`s could range a bit in style , but most will be pop in nature.

all files are the result of my own effort & time , from my own personal collection. no files here are borrowed or otherwise mirrored & or cloned.

i expect the same reciprication.

LASTLY IF YOU LIKE/LOVE ANY OF THESE LP`S , PLEASE SEEK IT OUT & BUY IT `

enjoy your time in the kosmos & if ya take time to download the music , take time to let me know what ya think please!

aka`

well................

sad to say the blog will be in limbo for an indefinite period of time. had to move out of deep ellum in downtown dallas , now i am in BFE wylie texas - yee haw. should be able to restore contact at some point & start back up.. -- will try & keep current files updated throughout tho ; if u find a dead link , just make a comment about it & i will RE UP ! ! also will try & keep in touch some via the chat box on front pg - spin on kidz !

Michele - Saturn Rings - `69

OK kids , i still havent got turntable hooked up & all , but i thought i would share some kewl
lps i have found over the yrs @ various blogs , credit where credit is due ! this one produced by Curt Boettcher i believe ! great folk-psych pop ! -- enjoy



I’m going to say this album is great, but let’s be clear: folk-psych is always tricky, precisely because how much you get from it will depend on how much you can stand outdated sentiments. That said, a glut of reissues have refocused attention on long-neglected late-sixties works, and I thought this one, at least, was worth highlighting. Michele O’Malley’s only album is certainly a mixed bag; wedged between haunting gems are quirky folk tunes and reed-driven MOR jazz ballads. If you can navigate the Head Shop-isms, though, oh wow are there some great songs here. It shouldn’t be that hard; Michele’s voice is pretty dynamic, wrenching between full-timbre wailing and clipped, sweet phrasings, and her backing band includes excellent Mothers of Invention alums like Elliot Ingber and Lowell George (who, interestingly, never actually played together in that group).

Not that this sounds much like Captain Beefheart (Ingber’s band at the time) or Little Feat (George’s seventies outfit). Michele exists somewhere between Judee Sill, Vashti Bunyan and Tim Buckley, which (obstacle number one) becomes apparent only after the first song, the oddly-chosen “Would You Like To Go.” The song is a predictable hippy presentation of the world: “Would you like to go / back to the land that you and I once knew?” Prophets playing electric guitar? Check. Choruses of angelic hosts sing hallelujah with portable phonographs made in Japan? Check. I see – it’s about a psychedelic Macy’s! The reductive portrait of humanity is only made more annoying by the burying of Michele’s vocals in a swarm of lazy instrumentation and chorused singing. Fortunately, “Blind As You Are” has Michele exerting more influence; even if the lyrics are still a bit mystified with their own mysticism, her lilting vocals lead into a sped-up mid-section, and the interplay between flutes, piano, and bass is intoxicating. Towards the end, the switch is flipped on the hippiedelia: “You can die / as blind as you are / Nobody’s gonna care.”

In quick succession, “Song to a Magic Frog” defies its ludicrous title, turning out to be my favorite song on the album. Michele unfolds the line “Will you ever / will you ever know?” over a steadily building arrangement that never overshadows the power of her naked voice, spiking her own syllables with the spelunking proficiency of a Rita Lee or Joni Mitchell. “Frog” is followed by the brilliant Eastern-tinged “Fallen Angel”; clanging percussion and violin swirl as Michele bends her voice like Tim Buckley on Starsailor, three years before that particular monster would be unleashed on the world. Both songs are excellent, but even more enticing is how their two extremes are almost mutually exclusive, and the dynamic range Michele reaches between the two is pretty fascinating.

Of course, the excellence is deflated somewhat by obstacle number two, the quirky “Spinning, Spinning, Spinning.” Opening with a flute/reed duet, Michele brings the straight-folk inflection to overwrought lyrics like, “A cripple taught me how to dance / A blind man taught me how to see / A fallen angel taught me how to fly / And a prisoner taught me to be free.” True story: a rabid dog taught me how to gnaw my own face off. The song is particularly sad given that two songs later “Musty Dusty” fulfills the straight-folk quota for the album without the teeth-grinding lyrics, allowing Michele to wind a slight child imitation over sighing violins and guitars as she details her attic-exiled toys. “Know Yourself” relies a bit too much on the jazz-glut verse structure, a curious vehicle used by many adult contemporary artists wherein the band simply plays drippy chords while the singer sings pretty with pretty much no melody, but then suddenly, out of the blue, we launch into this majestic honky tonk chorus and the song is awesome for a brief moment before becoming all drippy again. The chorus is so good it seriously saves the song, but it’s a shame that the verses weren’t crafted with the same attention to detail.

“Lament of the Astro Cowboy” throws a McCartney bass line under a psychedelic workout that bounces Michele’s voice all over the spectrum; she chokes clipped shrieks and growls bluesy Slickisms without skipping a beat. “White Linen” marries Foxtrot sensibility to a “Wooden Ships” attitude, and Michele works the Scott Walker out of her system, baroquing her delivery over beautiful piano structures and undulating tempos. “Misty Mirage” is lovingly stripped down, hinging on a series of gushing background harmonies as the chorus winds out. The lyrics are a bit paltry, but the song as a composition is a pretty hot joint, ascending at its coda to a dog pile of overdubbed Micheles cycling over a triumphant drumbeat. The album closes with “Believe You,” another strong vocal performance, uniting a country lilt with a rock approach. It’s similar to the effect achieved by Pink Floyd’s work on the soundtrack for Zabriskie Point.

Saturn Rings are dust, and this is a dusty album. I’m pretty sure you could sync it up with Passenger and everything would seem kosher. Even the ending has a similar effect to that of that film: over fading guitars, a voice intones, “Come. Come listen.” And…silence. If these are the sorts of things labels like Fallout can unearth from the late sixties, then I hope the silence surrounding their existence will cease.
[ Mark Abraham ]



Michele - Saturn Rings - `69 - MP3 @ 192 





   01 - Would You Like to Go
   02 - Blind as You Are
   03 - Song to a Magic Frog
   04 - Fallen Angel.
   05 - Spinning, Spinning, Spinning
   06 - Know Yourself
   07 - Musty Dusty
   08 - Lament of the Astro Cowboy
   09 - White Linen
   10 - Misty Mirage
   11 - Believe You


DOWNLOAD : -- HERE --

Brian Hyland - 70 - UNI Records

Brian Hyland and Del Shannon celebrate the success of the

Shannon-produced Hyland album on Uni Records in 1971

ok , back to the pop. this one is really nice , i remember gypsy woman from when i was young - cool song. the reast of the lp is decent as well , great harmonies & arrangements. dell shannons production doesnt hurt either ! enjoy


Del Shannon's sublime production of Brian Hyland on this 1970 album titled after the singer resulted in the Hyland's eighth hit (and one of his three biggest). The cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" is totally commercial and totally wonderful, as is this album. Of the eleven tunes there are five Del Shannon/Brian Hyland co-writes, all pretty incredidble, from "Lorrayne" to "Drivin' Me Crazy," a hit waiting to happen. The version of Larry William's "Slowdown" sounds nothing like The Beatles, if anything it anticipates the "New Wave" about to come. "You & Me" is another strong original from the producer / performer team, but the surprise of the album is the breadth of Hyland's artistry. He and Del Shannon play guitars alongside the drums of Russ Kunkel, bass of Leland Sklar, and sweeping string arrangements of George Tipton, but it is the work on the rhythm and blues numbers that is outstanding. A stirring reading of the Benson/Pettite title that became B.B. King's signature tune, The Thrill Is Gone (with more of Tipton's magical string work), is as memorable as the Bernstein/Sondheim medley of "Maria" and "Somewhere" which opens the album. If only engineer Dave Hassinger put some of this sparkle into the grooves of his latter day Electric Prunes released on ABC. This crew takes Berry Gordy's "Lonely Teardrops" and make it a performance, not just a cover of a Jackie Wilson hit. Hyland's only composition without Del Shannon as a collaborator, "Mail Order Gun," is an interesting look at suicide a few years before Elton John's "I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself," but it can't touch "On The East Side," a Del Shannon/Brian Hyland original that cries out for The Hollies. The album is a real work of art full of hooks, musicianship, and the pop star's familiar voice in territory that should have made him a huge star. "Gypsy Woman" is the chestnut here, and quite the herald for an album that should have been a monster. Irresistable and tremendous. [ amg ]


Brian Hyland - 70 - UNI Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez scans


A.
Maria -Somewhere
Lonely Teardrops
On The East Side
Lorrayne
Mail Order Gun
The Thrill Is Gone
B.
Gypsy Woman
I'm Without You
Slow Down
Drivin' Me Crazy
You And Me


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Jim Stafford - `74 - MGM

ok time for comedic break , ha - i think i am showing my age here. this guy was all over the radio when i was growing up. always thought he was hilarious. recently found this LP & thought i would share .
maybe i`ll start posting a comedy LP every now & then. i have most of carlin`s old stuff , some cheech & chong & such - good idea ?  
anyway , for those who never heard of this bloke , check out "wildwood weed" & "swamp witch" ! ha - oh & LOBO helped produce this , go figure ! 


Jim Stafford's self-titled debut album gave him four Top 40 chart singles, with the schoolboyish charm of "Spiders and Snakes" reaching the highest at number three in July of 1973. His friendly voice and novelty style of songwriting actually carried some well-deserved weight, especially throughout the lesson-teaching lightheartedness of "Swamp Witch," a well-crafted story song, and again on the laughable "My Girl Bill." "Wildwood Weed" sticks with Stafford's love of playing with words, and non-hits like "I Ain't Sharin' Sharon" and "16 Little Red Noses and a Horse That Sweats" carry on with the same type of innocent jocularity that ran amuck throughout the mid-'70s, bolstered by artists like Ray Stevens and CW McCall.


Personnel: Jim Stafford (acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica, vocals); 
Richard Bennett (guitar); Slyde Hyde (trombone); Gallagher (whazoo); Alan Lindgren (keyboard, synthesizer); Emory Gordon (bass); Dennis St. John (drums); Alan Estes (conga). 
Recorded at Producer's Workshop, Sound Lab and Master Sound, Atlanta, Georgia.------------- All songs written or co-written by Jim Stafford.


Jim Stafford (Music Performer)
Lobo (Producer)
Phil Gernhard (Producer)
Michael Lietz (Sound Engineer)


Jim Stafford - `74 - MGM
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps
includes high rez scan


L.A. Mamma (2:24)
I Ain't Sharin' Sharon (2:14)
Medley: Mr. Bojangles/A Visit With An Old Friend (5:10)
Wildwood Weed (2:41)
16 Little Red Noses And A Horse That Sweats (3:54)
Spiders And Snakes (3:07)
Last Chant (3:19)
My Girl Bill (3:13)
Nifty Fifties Blues (3:03)
Real Good Time (3:33)
Swamp Witch (3:48)


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

The Shocking Blue - Colossus - `70

here we go ! - the debut LP on colossus , sister LP to the post below , Tee Set. this is a great lp as well. these guys could really play , lots of change ups groovin goin on here. um , fuzz acid & flowers here , need i say more ? - don`t make em like this anymore , oh i hear nirvana covered love buzz , dunno.


Pop history has often seen invasions. The most powerful and renown was the British invasion of American pop music in 1963, when the Merseybeat groups led by The Beatles swept across the new world followed by more R&B orientated British bands like The Stones. Each invasion creates new energy and offers fresh inspiration to a music scene lying in idle sleep.
The spearhead of the brief 'Dutch invasion' of the early Seventies was Shocking Blue. They conquered the international charts with their self-penned hit single ‘Venus'. This song not only made the European Top Ten but also reached the Number One position in the US on December 6, 1969 and stayed eight weeks in the Top Ten.
The Shocking Blue had been formed in 1967 by guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, a veteran of a well-known Dutch rock band The Motions. But the eye-and-ear-catching attraction of the band was the dark-haired singer Mariska Veres. Her soul-tinged voice gave the music a distinct R&B sound that was often compared with The Small Faces. Shocking Blue successfully combined Beat and R&B with psychedelic elements of the time like Indian sitar and odd production techniques.
After some inconsequential recording work, they signed with the Pink Elephant label and released 'Venus' in 1969. They recorded successfully well into the mid-seventies and had more international hits with 'Mighty Joe' and 'Long And Lonesome Road' (both in 1970). The Shocking Blue released their first LP also in 1969 titled, ‘At Home', and it featured, of course, the million-seller ‘Venus'. 1970 saw two album releases with 'Scorpio's Dance' and 'Hello Darkness', the latter containing the above mentioned singles 'Mighty Joe' and 'Long And Lonesome Road'. The German Metronome issued the next album in 1971 with the confusing title 'Third Album' which was followed by the studio production of 'Inkpot' and a live album a year later.
For the 1973 'Dream On Dreamer' and 'Eve And The Apple' the line-up changed slightly. Bass player Klaasje van der Wal was replaced by Henk Smitskamp. Finally in the mid-seventies The Shocking Blue disbanded after a very successful career.
Their first hit 'Venus' became an all-time evergreen and was re-recorded by the British pop trio Bananarama in 1986 (produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman). It, again, made a huge impact on the international charts and showed the hit potential of this song.  [ Ulf Marquardt ]


Lineup :
Mariska Veres (voc)
Robby Van Leeuwen (g, sitar)
Klaasje Van Der Wal (b)
Cornelius Van Der Beek (dr)


The Shocking Blue - Colossus - `70
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez scans


A.
Long and Lonsesome Road
Love Machine
The Butterfly And I
Venus
California Here I Come
Poor Boy
B.
Mighty Joe
Boll Weevil
Acka Raga
Love Buzz
I'm A Woman
Send me a Postcard


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Tee Set - Ma Belle Amie - `69 - Collosus

ok , here is some more older pop psych for ya ~! some might remember title track here "ma belle amie" - was a pretty big hit here in the states in `70 i believe. this is a really great record & one of two on the same label i am posting next. the other one is "shocking blue" with hit venus on it - these are the first two records to come out on colossus records. enjoy !


Tee Set was a pop rock band formed in 1966 in Delft, Netherlands.
The group recorded a single in 1969 entitled "Ma Belle Amie", which was a hit in their native country, selling over 100,000 copies. The group released an album in the United States on Colossus Records in 1970 entitled Ma Belle Amie, which reached #158 on the Billboard 200 chart, just as the single took off in America, eventually reaching #5. The single sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. In the Netherlands, the next single "She Likes Weeds" attained #1 there. However, the track was banned in the U.S., because it was said to refer to using drugs. However, the title was taken from the film The Ipcress File. A follow-up single, "If You Do Believe in Love", hit #81. The group disbanded in 1975, but briefly reunited in 1979 and 1983.
Their former lead singer Peter Tetteroo died in September 2002 from liver cancer, at the age of 55.


Ma Belle Amie,
You were a child of the sun and the sky
And the deep blue sea.
Ma Belle Amie,
Apres’ tous les beaux jours je te dis merci merci.
You were the answer to all my questions,
Before we’re through,
I want to tell you that I adore you
And always do.
That you amaze me by leaving me now to start anew.
Ma Belle Amie,
I’m in love with you.


Let the bells ring,
Let the birds sing.
Let’s all give my substitute a big cheer.
Let the bells ring,
Let the birds sing.
For the man after him waits here.




Arranged By, Organ - Hans van Eijck
Bass - Franklin Madjid
Drums - Joop Blom
Guitar, Flute, Banjo - Dill Bennink
Producer, Lead Vocals - Peter Tetteroo


Tee Set - Ma Belle Amie - `69 - Collosus
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez scans


A1 Ma Belle Amie
A2 What Can I Do
A3 Walk On By My Door
A4 I Don't Want To Know
A5 Charmaine
A6 Finally In Love Again
B1 If You Do Believe In Love
B2 Since I Lost Your Love
B3 Long Ago
B4 Here In My House
B5 Bring A Little Sunshine
B6 Magic Lantern


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Vanity Fare - Early in the Morning - Page One Records - `70

back with some fun pop , really love this LP ! lots of harmonies with tons of stlye ~ most of you will remember hitchin` a ride , but check out  "in my lonely room" AND TITLE TRACK as well , for another GROOVY treat !
this one will leave ya smilin - enjoy


Best remembered in the U.S. for the classic "Hitchin' a Ride," harmony pop ensemble Vanity Fare formed in Kent, England in 1968. Comprising vocalist Trevor Brice, guitarist Tony Goulden, bassist Tony Jarrett, and drummer Dick Allix, the group originally dubbed themselves the Avengers; soon local entrepreneur Roger Easterby signed on as manager, orchestrating a contract with the Page One label and instructing the group to cover the Sunrays' "I Live for the Sun" for their debut single. With their sophisticated harmonies and clean-cut image, the Avengers needed a suitably genteel name, remixing the title of William Makepeace Thackeray's most famous novel to create Vanity Fare; "I Live for the Sun" cracked the U.K. Top 20 in the summer of 1968, although it would take the group a year to return to the charts, with "Early in the Morning" reaching the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic. Around this time, Vanity Fare jettisoned its tailored suits for neckerchiefs and fashions direct from Carnaby Street; more importantly, they also added keyboardist Barry Landeman, previously a member of Kippington Lodge, alongside Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwartz; Landeman would prove the dominant instrumental element in the group's biggest hit, 1969's infectious "Hitchin' a Ride," which sold over a million copies in the U.S. alone. A North American tour was met with little interest, however, and soon after Vanity Fare returned to Britain. Goulden quit, quickly followed by Allix; Candy Choir guitarist Erica Wheeler and Canterbury Tales' drummer Mark Ellen signed on as their replacements. The new lineup scored a minor hit with 1972's ballad "Better by Far," and concentrated on touring the cabaret circuit, performing as many as 14 dates a week; the grind ultimately forced Jarrett to resign, with former Tranquility bassist Bernard Hagley signing on for "I'm in Love With the World," Vanity Fare's first single for new label Phillips. In the wake of 1974's "Fast Running Out of World" their recording career screeched to a halt, but the group continued touring, including several passes through Scandinavia. During one trek to Denmark, Brice fell in love and quit the group, with singer Phil Kitto taking his place. Kitto also exited a few years later, with vocalist Kevin Thompson installed as frontman by the time Vanity Fare recorded 1986's "Dreamer," its first single in over a decade. With 1993's "Rain," their recording career again went into mothballs, but the band continues touring, with singer Steve Oakman replacing Thompson in early 2002. ~ [ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide ]


Vanity Fare - Early in the Morning - Page One Records - `70
all trax from wax- akashaman - 2010
http://akashaman.blogspot.com/
MP3 @ 320 kbps
includes high rez cover scans


early in the morning
in my lonely room
music , music , music
man child
i live for the sun
hitchin` a ride
highway of dreams
(i remember) summer morning
four strong winds
you made me love you
hey baby


DOWNLOAD  -- HERE --

Roger Glover & Guests - The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast - `75 - Polydor

ok , here is another really cool conceptual piece ala planet earth or intergalactic band stuff ! this one features deep purples roger glover at the helm , with guest stars ; ronnie james dio , david coverdale, glenn hughes & more ! this one is pretty amazing AND very diverse -- the songs kinda all run together so u get a full side A & side B , hard to cut each song & i thought it might detract : OH & hehe , thats really DIO ! - enjoy ~ !


Of all the multitudinous highways and byways down which the enterprising Deep Purple collector can travel, none, perhaps, is so surprising as The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, Purple bassist Roger Glover's first "solo" album, and -- almost incidentally -- one of the most delightful children's records ever made. Yes, a children's record. In 1973, Glover was approached about creating a musical adaptation of artist Alan Aldridge and poet William Plomer's book of the same name -- a commission that surprised him, but which he nevertheless accepted. The book itself is delightful and, while Glover's work is unquestionably more heavily flavored by the near-psychedelia of the illustrations, the spirit of the text is retained as well, to create an album that stands among the few truly successful musical adaptations of an existing story yet committed to vinyl. Although Glover, as the album's premier composer, takes the bulk of the credit for this success, his co-conspirators, too, merit praise. Convening what resembles one of the greatest all-star lineups in heavy metal history -- and then banning them from even glancing toward their usual territory -- Glover is joined by Purple stalwarts David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, future Rainbow frontman Ronnie James Dio, session stars Eddie Hardin and Tony Ashton, soul singer Jimmy Helms, Roxy Music's Eddie Jobson and John Gustafson, and three quarters of funk-rock aspirants Fancy. Each was given his own role to play and the resultant album is a tremendous mishmash of musical styles, from folky balladeering to psychedelic whimsy, but leaning most heavily toward an early-'70s pop/rock vibe -- for some reason, one could imagine the early Queen spending an awful lot of time listening to The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Given the heavily narrative nature of the project, it is best listened to in one session -- a handful of tracks certainly exist more to carry the tale than make a musical impact. Highlights, however, leap out from across the platter, with the macabre "Old Blind Mole" and the positively buoyant "Love Is All" the twin extremes around which the action revolves. Gustafson's hard rock "Watch out for the Bat," meanwhile, must surely have induced nightmares within the album's younger fans, while Dio's closing "Homeward" all but predicts the course of arena rock during the '80s. [The original vinyl packs 19 tracks; the 25th-Anniversary CD adds one, the European B-side "Little Chalk Blue," together with a fabulous enhanced multimedia clip ("Love Is All" again) taken from a projected animated TV series. It's a great package, as well as a chance to reacquaint yourself with one of childhood's most treasured tales.] ~ [ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide ]


If there is one word to describe this album, it is MAGICAL! The music and lyrics are woven together to create a musical journey into a magical fairytale land. The listener drifts away to another time and place, a place of animals and insects in the forests and meadows all preparing for the grand ball. Conceived, written, and directed by Roger Glover of Deep Purple fame, this is brilliant stuff. There are 20 short songs which flow together perfectly to tell the hopes, dreams, desires, and feelings of the various characters as they approach the grand event. One might think that on such a massive project with so many artists involved, that too many cooks might spoil the soup. This is definitely NOT the case. For example, each vocalist is perfectly suited to the type of song he/she is singing and to the character he/she represents. And althiugh numerous various instruments are employed, they are never employed so indulgently that they get in the way of each other or clutter up the total sound. The production quality is very good and for the most part the mix of instruments is just about right. This is a far cry from the hard rock of Deep Purple, but it is a refreshing change and definite "classic" that should find a comfortable home in anyone's CD collection, whether you are a fan of Barry Manilow or Led Zeppelin.
[ amazon ]


Roger Glover & Guests - The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast - `75 - Polydor
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320kbps - includes high rez cover scans


Side A
1 Dawn 1:18
2 Get Ready 2:07
3 Saffron Dormouse and Lizzy Bee 1:24
4 Harlequin Hare 1:26
5 Old Blind Mole 1:13
6 Magician Moth 1:34
7 No Solution 3:16
8 Behind the Smile 1:59
9 Fly Away 2:22
10 Aranea 1:37
11 Sitting in a Dream 3:40
Side B
12 Waiting 3:06
13 Sir Maximus Mouse 2:40
14 Dreams of Sir Bedivere 4:41
15 Together Again 1:36
16 Watch Out for the Bat 1:41
17 The Feast 1:46
18 Love Is All 3:17
19 Homeward 4:17
DOWNLOAD - -- HERE --

New Mirror Site

With all the things goin` on in the world , i thought it prudent to set up a mirror site :
set your bookmarks - if anyone knows any other "cool" host blogsites , please let me know !
Mirror Site = Akashaman`s Kosmos II

Rabbitt - A Croak And A Grunt In The Night - Capricorn Records - `77

ok ,as promised here is the 2nd & last Rabbitt LP from 77. this one might be better , hard to say they both are so good. came out pretty clean , lp is in ex shape ! - turn it up ~ enjoy


Musicians:
Trevor Rabin: Vocals, guitars, piano, electric piano, harmonica, tubular bells, string arrangements, producer
Neil Cloud: Drums, percussion
Duncan Faure: Vocals, rhythm guitar, organ, piano
Ronnie Robot: Bass
Margaret Singana: Guest vocals on 'Tribal Fence'
Patric van Blerk: Producer
Julian Laxton: Remix engineer
Peter Thwaites and Greg Cutler: Engineers
Release information:
South Africa: 1977, Jo'Burg Records, TJL 13014
* USA & Canada: 1977, Capricorn , CP 0190


Comments:


'Tribal Fence' is a cover of the Freedoms Children track from the album Astra. The Rabbitt version features the incredible vocal talents of Margaret Singana, who was the lead singer on The Warrior album by Ipi 'N Tombia in 1973. Trevor has worked with Margaret on a number of her albums.
Margaret Singana also recorded a very powerful version of 'Tribal Fence' which is available on the Lady Africa compilation CD.
The Rollers re-recorded 'Working For The People' in 1980 (on 'Voxx'). Similarily, Rabin re-did 'Hold On To Love' as 'Hold On To Me' for his 1989 solo album 'Can't Look Away', which featured Duncan Faure on backing vocals.
-- Hannes, Bay City Rollers Discography website


Review:


I was a little young when Rabbitt were at their peak and had not yet developed an interest in music. All I remember about them was my grandmother complaining about the racket these long haired boys were making when they appeared on Pop Shop. So when I came across "A Croak.." about a year back, I though I'd better check out what the fuss was all about.
My initial reaction was that they are not as hard rock as I expected. There are hints of Jazz in the intro to "Everybody's Cheating" but the over all feel of the album is one of 70's glam rock which I suppose it was. The use of the piano on a number of tracks is reminiscent of Billy Joel and Elton John of the same era.
There are some nice rock ballads and some quite tuneful pop numbers some almost Beatles-esque. One highlight for me is the cover of Freedoms Children's "Tribal Fence" where they are joined by Margaret Singana. It is a up tempo version and one I find less "busy" than the Freedoms Children version, but does not have the same depth as the original.
"A Love You Song" is the vehicle for a great guitar work out for (I presume, as the album I bought didn't have any sleeve notes) Trevor Rabin and is the other highlight of the album. You can see why supergroup Yes took him on.
Overall this is a solid album but I must say that I was a little disappointed. I guess you had to be there to have really appreciated this, or maybe my grandmother just psychologically scarred me for life. [John Samson, July 2000]  


Rabbitt - A Croak And A Grunt In The Night - Capricorn Records - `77
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scans


Tracks:


T.C. Rabin In D-Minor (Rabin) [0.24]
I Sleep Alone (Rabin) [2.52]
A Croak And A Grunt In The Night (Rabin/van Blerk) [2.37]
Everybody's Cheating (Rabin/van Blerk) [4.10]
Sugar Pie (Rabin) [3.22]
Searching (Rabin) [4.13]
Working For The People (Rabin/Robot/Faure/Cloud) [4.21]
Pollyman (Rabin) [2.23]
Schumann (Trad. arr. Rabin) 0.21]
Hold On To Love (Rabin/van Blerk) [4.06]
Dingley's Bookshop (Faure) [2.10] theme from a TV series
Never Gonna Ruin My Life (Rabin) [0.56]
Tribal Fence (MacKay) [3.51] featuring Margaret Singana
Gift Of Love (Rabin/van Blerk/Robot) [3.44]
Lonely Loner Too (Faure) [3.35]
Take It Easy (Rabin) [3.40]
A Love You Song (Faure) [1.46]


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Rabbitt - Boys Will Be Boys - `76 - Capricorn Records

DAMN THESE GUYS WERE GOOD ! i know , u never heard of them but i bet you have heard of YES , eh ? well , trevor rabin played in yes , singer/guitarist - well this was his first band , from south africa !
from what i understand they were quite the stir back in the day ! [google that shit ! ] screamin girls the whole bit ! - check them out & let me know what YOU think - i friggin love this LP -------- oh & i have their 2nd one up next ,[ if i start getting some feedback ?!] so there :P  : total power pop & the like here KIDZ ~ does it get any better than this ? not any more



Comments:
Locomotive Breath
Rabbitt covered the Jethro Tull classic 'Locomotive Breath' in 1972 and released it as a single. It was number 96 in the LM Radio Top Hits of 1972. I guess you could say it was a runaway smash!
Patric van Blerk engaged Trevor on a session to play guitar on a version of Jethro Tull's 'Locomotive Breath' he had wanted to do. The recording session had Errol Friedman playing guitar (Ronnie Robot's brother), Fransua Roos on keyboards (who did the arrangement), Lou "Moose" Forer (from Suck) on bass and Cedric Samson on drums. The single was put out under Rabbitt and took off into the charts (it made the LM top ten).
-- The History Of Contemporary Music Of South Africa(1994, Toga)
The lyrics were "cleaned-up" for the SA censors: "his woman and his best friend" were now "travelling to the sun" and "the all-time winner" had got him by..."the hands"!
When Rabbitt re-recorded this track in 1975 for the 'Boys Will Be Boys!' album, the original Jethro Tull lyrics returned; a brave move at the time!

Rabbittmania

This is great rock album, but unfortunately the "rabbitt-mania" that followed the boys appearances on the then brand-new medium of TV, meant that serious rock music-lovers ignored the band because they "only attracted 14-year old groupies". I was sixteen and liked "14-year old groupies" so it was cool!
What a pity, though for some, to miss out on such rock classics as 'Hard Ride', 'Lifeline', 'Savage', etc.

Charlie

'Charlie', was a huge radio hit, but did very little to win over the rock fans.
"As dogs go you're groovy
not as predictable as some
but you're not as paranoid as Lady Marmalade
and really much more fun"

I knew Rabbitt, and so far as I know, Charlie was Trevor's dog, but I'm not certain of this.

-- Mandy Vose, September 1999

I co-produced this track with Patric van Blerk and Charlie is not a 'dog'. He is actually Patric's close friend and partner [Charles Coetzee]. 'Lady Marmalade', lyrics from the song, is their persian cat.
-- Julian Laxton, November 1999

Awards

'Boys Will Be Boys' became a gold record (25 000 copies sold) faster than any other South African record.
Rabbitt won a Sarie award, the South African equivalent of a Grammy award, for Best Contemporary Pop Music.
Engineer Julian Laxton, producer Patric van Blerk, and Trevor himself all received Saries. Trevor's was for best arranger.
Nearly all these great tracks (and others) can be found on Rabbitt - The Hits CD released by Gallo in 1996.

Review:
 Kurt Shoemaker, Texas, May 2001

If I had heard Rabbitt's 'Boys Will Be Boys' before hearing Rabbitt's 'The Hits' the boys would have lived up to my expectations for a rockin' band. Before I bought 'The Hits' I had heard 'Charlie' and knew that they had covered 'Locomotive Breath', so after all the praise sung about Rabbit I expected some power pop of higher proof than on 'The Hits'.
'The Hits' is a nice CD at a nice price, but the rocking content is somewhat diluted by slower, sentimental numbers. Ballads are all well and good, but if 'Boys Will Be Boys' is typical of their other albums, Rabbitt would be better served by a reissue program of LPs on CD. I expected something rockier and 'The Hits' is a tad on the glossy side.
However, 'Boys Will Be Boys' rocks. It is not raw rock, but rather has the polished production I associate with their sound (at times reminiscent of 10cc). 'Boys Will Be Boys' should be a listener's introduction to Rabbitt, to be followed by 'The Hits'. It has creative songs and wonderful musicianship.
Six of the ten songs from 'Boys Will Be Boys' are on 'The Hits', but their impact there is diluted by the number of wistful, pretty songs on 'The Hits'. In their original line-up, the songs on 'Boys Will Be Boys' add up to a nice rocking album with a few slower interludes that set apart the up-tempo numbers.
The four songs on 'Boys Will Be Boys' that are not on 'The Hits' mostly git up and go. Songs like 'Something's Going Wrong with My Baby' and 'Looking for the Man' add jump to the album. Overall, 'Boys Will Be Boys' is like a 33 minute rocking live set that also has a few slow numbers thrown in for close dancing.
Don't get me wrong, Rabbitt's 'The Hits' is essential to my South African music collection -- just as 'Boys Will Be Boys' is essential music, too. This album rules, ok?    
[ rock.co.za/files/rabbitt_boys.html ]

Musicians:
Trevor Rabin: Vocals, guitars, keyboards, producer, arranger
Neil Cloud: Drums, percussion
Duncan Faure: Keyboards, lead vocals on 'Hard Ride'
Ronnie Robot: Bass

Patric van Blerk: Producer
Julian Laxton: Producer, engineer
Strings by Pro Arte, led by Bram Verhoef
Solo violin on 'Hard Ride' by Godfrey Rabin (Trevor's father)


Rabbitt - Boys Will Be Boys - `76 - Capricorn Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010 
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan

Tracks:
Something's Going Wrong With My Baby (Rabin) [4.45]
Savage (Rabin) [4.43]
Lifeline (Rabin/Van Blerk) [6.00]
Locomotive Breath (Ian Anderson) [3.35]
Hard Ride (Rabin) [4.05]
Baby's Leaving (Rabin) [2.20]
Eventides (Rabin) [2.34]
Looking For The Man (Rabin/Van Blerk) [4.00]
Death Of Tulio (Rabin) [0.22]
Charlie (Rabin/Van Blerk) [2.35]

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Sky - Dont Hold Back - `70 - RCA Records

well , this one is for knack fans ...wait , were there any knack fans ? ha - just joshing , this is a great LP with `ol doug on bass & vox. ya , we lost him recently , so here is my tribute to the man & his mission ! - let me know what u think of tis 70`s gem ! - take off and fly will ya ?

I have to admit here that I was never a huge fan of the Knack. It would be accurate to say that in 1979, ‘My Sharona’ was nothing less than a blight on my senior year of high school, the kind of song that sent me flying to change the radio dial whenever it came on. It wasn’t until a few years later, when I heard their cover of the Kinks’ ‘The Hard Way’ that I softened in my appraisal of the band (which would have happened eventually since they were right up my power pop alley).
Anyway, it was early last year, on a digging/DJing trip to Washington DC that my man DJ Birdman turned me on to the fact that the Knack wasn’t Doug Fieger’s first band. That honor goes to the group you’re hearing today, Sky.
Fieger came of age in Detroit, where in the late 60s, he apparently sent a letter off to uber-producer Jimmy Miller (Rolling Stones, Traffic among many others) and suggested that if he were ever to come to the Motor City, he should drop in and hear Fieger’s band, that being Sky. Miller took him up on his offer, and at the ripe old age of 17, Fieger and his bandmates were spirited off to the UK where they recorded their debut album, ‘Don’t Hold Back’ in 1970. They would record a second LP with Miller (this time back in the States) before breaking up in 1972.
I grabbed the Sky album out of sheer curiosity, but was blown away when I actually heard it. Doug Feiger and his bandmates were making music with the same kind of proto-power pop sting as contemporaries like Big Star and the Raspberries. This is not to suggest that they sound anything like either of those bands, but rather that the benefit of hindsight suggests that they were all sailing in the same general direction.
The sound of Sky is a mix of 1970-appropriate heavy guitars, mixed with some great hooks. They were clearly ahead of their time, which is probably what doomed them to obscurity.
The three tunes featured today are fairly representative of the sound of that first album. ‘Goody Two Shoes’, ‘How’s that Treating Your Mouth Babe’ and ‘One Love’ all have the same tight, choppy guitar riffs that with a tiny bit less of the ‘stadium filling’ vibe would resurface as the decade progressed with Grin, Dwight Twilley, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers i.e. the earlier, rockier end of what would eventually morph into new wave and power pop.
I don’t know if any of the Sky material has ever been reissued on CD, but it ought to, since it’s quite good.
I hope you dig it, and you raise a glass in memory of Doug Fieger. [ larry ]


Sky - Dont Hold Back - `70 - RCA Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps
- includes high rez cover scans


Goodie Two Shoes
Take Off And Fly
Rockin' Me Yet
I Still Do
Make It In Time
One Love
There In The Greenbriar
How's That Treating Your Mouth Babe
Homin' Ground
Feels Like 1000 Years


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The World of Terry Jacks and The Poppy Family - `76 - London Records

Man i love these guys ! partridge family meets the manson family , ha - the poppies can get pretty dark for such a flowery band ..... don`t  let this one fool ya. for those who havent heard much of da poppies , u will be amazed - the production is really good with lots of cool sounds drifting in & out half the time. they always did a lot with so little. terry was a great writer , producer. and susan`s voice is just haunting ! doesnt get any better than this one kids ! let me know what ya think ! 
[ cause i got more poppies ! ] -------------  where is everyone at ? ! lol


Susan Jacks' voice became highly recognizable when "Which Way You Goin' Billy" climbed the charts in 1970, and her husband hit number one in 1974 after they divorced with a remake of a song once performed by the Kingston Trio, "Seasons in the Sun." The meticulous songwriting, production, and arranging skills of guitarist/mastermind Terry Jacks (who later had a huge solo hit with the classic pop single "Seasons in the Sun") lift these recordings above the work of many of the group's better-known contemporaries. Singer Susan Jacks has a beautiful voice that sometimes sounds like (but predates) Karen Carpenter, but is eminently more soulful. Although characterized in the liner notes as a "soft pop" band, the Poppy Family was also capable of a somewhat tougher sound that sometimes recalled Surrealistic Pillow-era Jefferson Airplane and folkier material in the Kenny Rogers & the First Edition/Roger McGuinn vein. Throughout, Jacks frames the songs with creative, if often dated, arrangements that compare favorably to his obvious influences, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Phil Spector.

The World of Terry Jacks and The Poppy Family - `76 - London Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scans

seasons in the sun
i`m gonna love you too
today i started loving you again
remember the rain
the love game
shadows on my wall
sail away
where evil grows
if you go away
rock n roll
of cities and escapes
someone must have jumped
i`m so lonely here today
a good thing lost
concrete sea

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The Cyrkle - Neon - `69 - Columbia

i havent forgotten about the 60`S pop ! here is some old cyrkle for yaz - they dropped their red rubber balls & experimented a bit. fun ride - enjoy


The band was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes (bass guitar), who met while studying at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. The other members were Earl Pickens on keyboards and Marty Fried on drums. They were originally a "frat rock" band called The Rhondells but were later discovered and managed by Brian Epstein, who was better known as manager of The Beatles. Epstein's partner was New York attorney Nathan Weiss, who heard the band in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Labor Day in 1965. He became their manager and renamed them. John Lennon provided the unique spelling of their new name, which is a reference to the circular roundabout located in downtown Easton. They were produced by John Simon.
In the summer of 1966, they opened on fourteen dates for the Beatles during their U.S. tour. On August 28, they headed the opening acts performing prior to The Beatles at Dodger Stadium. The other artists who appeared were Bobby Hebb, The Ronettes, and The Remains Before touring with The Beatles, The Cyrkle had a successful engagement at the Downtown Discotheque in New York City
The Cyrkle is best known for their 1966 song "Red Rubber Ball," which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was co-written by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel and Bruce Woodley of The Seekers. It was released on the Columbia record label. The band had one more Top 20 hit, "Turn-Down Day," later in 1966. After the release of their debut album, Red Rubber Ball, they recorded a second album, Neon, in late 1966, and a movie soundtrack, The Minx, in 1967. They followed that with various singles and then disbanded in late 1967.
Both Dawes and Danneman became professional jingle writers after The Cyrkle disbanded. Dawes later wrote the famous "plop plop fizz fizz" jingle for Alka-Seltzer. Danneman wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods. He penned the original 7Up Uncola song In 1977, Dawes produced Foghat [ wiki]


Tom Dawes – (born July 25, 1944, Albany, New York – died October 13, 2007, New York, New York) – lead vocals, lead guitar, bass
Don Dannemann – (born May 9, 1944, Brooklyn, New York) – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Marty Fried – (born Martin Fried, 1944, Wayside, New Jersey) – drums, vocals – (now[when?] a bankruptcy lawyer in Southfield, Michigan)
Earle Pickens – keyboards (first album) – a general surgeon in Gainesville, Florida)
Michael Losekamp – keyboards, vocals (second album) – an engineer for AT&T and an active musician in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio)
Jon Alexander – (born April 29, 1950), Brooklyn, New York (keyboards)


There are some excellent cuts on this album as well as a few clunkers. During that time of the 60's many a band tried some sort of novelty and the Cyrkle was no exception. Problem Child and Weight of Your Words come to mind.
However there was some beauty. Michael Losekamp singing The Visit (She Was Here) is a great track. Maybe it should have been a release. I Wish You Could Be Here, In my opinion just never received the air time it should have. It is a beautiful song and Don Dannemans voice made a good song better.
Terry's Theme and Camaro give the album some good balance.
Don't Cry No Fears, No Tears Coming Your Way, might have been a top twenty song had it been released.
All in all it is a good album and a die hard Cyrkle fan would want this for their collection.




The Cyrkle - Neon - `69 - Columbia
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan


1. Don't Cry, No Fears, No Tears Comin' Your Way
2. The Visit
3. Weight of Your Words
4. I Wish You Could Be Here
5. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
6. Two Rooms
7. Our Love Affair's in Question
8. I'm Happy Just to Dance With You
9. Problem Child
10. Please Don't Ever Leave Me
11. I'm Not Sure What I Wanna Do


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Emitt Rhodes - Dunhill Records - `70

i have no idea why i havent posted this LP yet , probably cause i know most of you have it , ha - this is one of my FAVORITE moments in record collecting when i found this one for the first time - it blew me away & for 50 cents , ha .-  pure pop here ,  ala MR C From the B`s !  pure greatness - OH & he recorded this at home as well , played all instruments !
*** even says "recorded at home" on the dead wax ! with fancy scrolls around the lettering. very cool ~ !
enjoy ~ [ PS , I HAVE THE CD VERSION OF THIS , IT SUX - THERE IS NO PUNCH - YOUR WELCOME ]


***********

Why Emmit Rhodes is not a household name is beyond me. After his 60s Byrds/Beatles experiment Merry Go Round, he spent the early 70s making do it yourself, McCartney pop.
This may sound derivative, but Rhode's writting and craftsmenship are so above parr, whether he has transended his influences is irrelevent. The music simply sounds THAT good.
Most of his songs are short, piano driven confections. His guitar leads have tbe spare bite of George Harrison, but without large studio productions behind them, making them more even more powerful. When he plays bass-and he plays everything on his albums- his slides and fills are unusual, often leaving space and sneaking in right behind or ahead of the beat. But the playing is so natural, Rhodes makes it seem like his timing choices are the only correct options.
His writting is melodic, which lends itself to the spareness of his music. Like McCarteny, he has an instinctive feel for melody--this music works on the heart, not the head. Like looking at Chinese art, you'll appreciate the simplicity, and then find it is not so simple.
If you are not sold, consider this: when I was a kid my best friend and I used to trade records, 100s of them. This is the only album we would have physical tug of wars over. I won--don't worry. I have since made him a copy. [ amazon ]

Emitt Rhodes - Dunhill Records - `70
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan

1. With My Face on the Floor
2. Somebody Made for Me
3. She's Such a Beauty
4. Long Time No See
5. Lullabye
6. Fresh as a Daisy
7. Live Till You Die
8. Promises I've Made
9. You Take the Dark Out of the Night
10. You Should Be Ashamed
11. Ever Find Yourself Running
12. You Must Have

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Psychedelic Psoul - The Freak Scene - `67 Columbia Records

i thought i heard someone say bring the freak back !? - ha , well - this one is pretty far out kids. this is a reissue not an original - sounds great ! some heavy bass on this one - headphones if ya got em ! - enjoy [ 134 downloads & NO COMMENTS ! whats wrong with u peeps ?! ]


This is quintessential extreme example of early experimental psy. Very obscure, so information is sparse but I’d guess it came out quite early in 67. The bass playing is original and unusual and dominates the mix in an album dominated by lyrics and bass. The vocals and vocal production (thin, nasal and processed) is the albums main weakness. Despite its faults and lack of good songs, its still somehow works and remains a fascinating and unusual micro-selling psy gem. [ mykepsych ]


Having enjoyed some success with their 1966 studio project The Deep, the following year the song writing/performing team of Mark Barkan and Rusty Evans decided to take another stab at making some money off of the public's growing interest in psychedelia and political activism. Signed by Columbia, the duo pulled together most of the studio pros who'd worked with them on the earlier project (reportedly including guitarist David Bromberg), resulting in the release "Psychedelic Psoul".
A lot of critics have labeled this as nothing more than a sophomore The Deep release. There are clearly similarities between the two albums, but I'll tell you that (contrary to popular opinion) I think The Freak Scene project is the stronger of the two. Material such as 'The Subway Ride Thru Inner Space', 'Butterfly Dream' and 'My Rainbow Life' offered up a great mixture of over-the-top psych lyrics, stoned vocals and wild studio production effects. The biggest difference with the earlier album was that tracks such as '... When In the Course of Human Events (Draft Beer, Not Students)' and 'Behind the Mind' added a bit of social and political commentary to the acid-drenched mix. It may be an exploito offering, but it's first rate exploito and is actually better than 75% of the non-exploito competition. [ RDTEN1 ]


at first listen i thought this one was a sham. it sounds slapped together in a drug-fueled weekend, using sound effects and flower power poetry/messages to make it stand up as psychedelic.
one day i was in such a mood that this was the only album i felt like listening to, and so i did over and over, and that is where it happened. i realized that i really enjoy this one, despite it's usually half-assed songwriting and slapdash feel/recording.
one thing about the sparse instrumentation is that the excellent bass playing practically carries the whole band. guitars usually stay in the background, and everything else, sans vocals & feedback/sound effects, take a back seat to the always prominent bass playing.
i can't give this more than 3 and a half because for every great tune ["a million grains of sand", "behind the mind", "butterfly dream"] there are one or two throwaway tunes ["subway ride thru inner space", "mind bender"] though the whole thing whizzes by quickly, 12 songs in a half an hour, so i'm more intrigued by the record as a whole, rather than being disappointed by a track i don't like. i love these kind of albums.
for those who like the pop in their sike, ideas, rather than some poorly recorded garage band content to just thrash away at "hey joe", this one may be of interest to you. [ a owens ]


Psychedelic Psoul - The Freak Scene - `67 - Columbia Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan


1 A Million Grains of Sand
2 "When In Course Of Human Events" (Draft Beer, Not Students) / Interpolation: We Shall Overcome
3 Rose of Smiling Faces
4 Behind the Mind
5 The Subway Ride Thru Inner Space
6 Butterfly Dream
7 My Rainbow Life
8 The Center of My Soul
9 Watered Down Soul
10 Red Roses Will Weep
11 Mind Bender
12 Grok!


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