THE LA DE DAS - The Happy Prince (Columbia Records SCXO 7899, 1969)

In their 12-year journey through New Zealand and Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, The La De Da’s never took a backward step. They conquered New Zealand with a passionate live show, a string of hard, uncompromising chart singles and two of the best NZ albums of the 1960s. Changing gear from R&B to psychedelia, The La De Da's shifted base to Australia in 1967 and 1968 where they released New Zealand’s first rock opera, The Happy Prince. In England in 1969 they captured a fine version of The Beatles’ voodoo rocker ‘Come Together’ at Abbey Road studios before returning to Australia and success as pioneering festival blues rockers.  By the time the Auckland band went their separate ways in the early 1970s they were a chart group once again and considered among Australasia’s best. The new wave of R&B was already breaking big in charts across the world when four of its best practitioners – The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Rolling Stones and The Pretty Things – rolled through New Zealand in 1965 for a series of concerts still vividly recalled decades later. The raw pull of the sound and the style and ethos of the players galvanised local teenagers, throwing up a large and responsive audience to be serviced by the likes of The Unknown Blues in Invercargill, The Third Chapter in Dunedin, Peter Nelson and The Castaways and Chants R&B in Christchurch, Bari and The Breakaways and Tom Thumb in Wellington, The Mods and The Trends in Hamilton, and The Dark Ages and The La De Da's in Auckland, along with dozens of lesser lights.

While beat music provided a new soundtrack to teenage lives, the group aesthetic and anti-social veneer of R&B offered up an alternative lifestyle to teenage fans, and a good living, local fame and the distant lurking prospect of a hit for groups, by pushing a covert message that being uncompromising not only paid, it gave you the freedom to behave in the way you wanted. Teenage heaven. In West Auckland at Te Atatu’s newly opened Rutherford High School, were the mod-ish Mergers with Kevin Borich (lead guitar/vocals), Trevor Wilson (bass), Brett Neilsen (drums) and Phil Key (rhythm guitar/vocals) who attended Mount Albert Grammar. They had heard the word and flirted with an anti-social name, The Criminals, before settling on the provocative ambiguity of The La De Da’s. Establishing an immediate following through hall and club dates, they stepped into a residency at inner city teen club The Platterack in April 1965. That’s where NZBC producer Robert Handlin found them and soon became their manager, releasing Kevin Borich’s folkie ballad ‘Ever Since That Night’ backed with the Borich/Wilson penned R&B of ‘Hey Little Girl’ on his Talent City label in June. The emerging group soon found space in their ranks for classically trained organist Bruce Howard, who swelled their sound and added another vocalist. With guitar whiz Kevin Borich picking out the leads, they had a strong rhythm section in Wilson and Neilsen with Phil Key on rhythm guitar. And when Samoan New Zealander Key came out of his shell, he revealed one of New Zealand’s finest R&B and soul voices.

By February 1966, now signed to Eldred Stebbing's Zodiac label, The La De Da’s were in Stebbing's Auckland studio with producer John Hawkins, recording ‘How Is The Air Up There ?’. The song now most readily identified with them is usually mentioned as a Blues Magoos cover. However, The Blues Magoos never recorded the song and was most likely sourced from US folk pop group The Changin’ Times, who released it as the follow-up to ‘The Pied Piper’, a version of which was on the flip of The La De Da’s’ hit single. Both songs were written by The Changin’ Times’ Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff. Success didn’t mellow The La De Da's. They were right back in your face with their third single, the hard swinging R&B of ‘Don’t You Stand In My Way’, a Bruce Howard/Trevor Wilson original backed by the pumping soul of Sam and Dave’s ‘I Take What I Want’, which was also released by Philips Records in Great Britain, Australia and the USA via a deal with Zodiac. A creative triumph it may have been, but it was also a chart mis-step that was quickly redeemed by another cover, the slow fuzzed R&B of John Mayall’s ‘On Top Of The World’, which threatened the top of the New Zealand charts in November 1966.  The La De Da’s stepped up to a residency at the harbourside Galaxie Lounge, where their sharp stage set, live verve and impeccably tailored look  established them as one of Auckland’s top groups. With two hits under their finely styled belts, The La De Da’s stepped up to a residency at the harbourside Galaxie Lounge, where their sharp stage set, live verve and impeccably tailored look - by Jerry at His Lordships - established them as one of Auckland’s top groups. While no film or live recordings exist of the group in their early prime, you need only slap the much-reissued first La De Da’s album from December 1966 onto the record player to get a taste of what Auckland fans heard.

Lead track ‘On Top Of The World’ was a John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers song, first recorded three months after Eric Clapton joined in June 1965. Jimmy Page was the producer. ‘My Little Red Book’ was a show tune made popular by Manfred Mann and LA group Love who edged it to No.52 in the US charts in March 1966. Manfred Mann’s version, released in April 1966, is a more likely source for the song. ‘Jump Back’, ‘Bright Lights, Big City’ (sung by Phil Key) and ‘I Put A Spell On You’ (sung by Kevin Borich) are R&B standards taken from Rufus Thomas’ October 1964 Atlantic single and Jimmy Reed and Screaming Jay Hawkins (1956 Okeh Records) respectively. They were all songs covered by British R&B groups, which is likely where The La De Da’s copped their versions. ‘Whatcha Gonna Do About It ?’ was a recent R&B hit for group faves The Small Faces. Wilson Pickett's frantic soul hit ‘Land Of A Thousand Dances’ was a No.6 hit in 1966 on Atlantic Records. ‘I Take What I Want’ was a Stax/Atlantic hit for Sam and Dave, although, The La De Da’s version was most likely taken from The Artwoods' fourth single released on Decca in April 1966. ‘Shake’, a Sam Cooke 1965 No.7 for RCA Victor – was another Small Faces cover and a No.3 hit single from the first Small Faces album from May 1966. The La De Da’s returned to John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers for ‘Parchman Farm’ (a John Mayall solo), originally released in September 1966. ‘The Pied Piper’ I’ve already mentioned. Rounding out one of our finest 1960s albums is Muddy Waters' ‘I Got My Mojo Working’ (sung by Kevin), and ‘Ride Your Pony’, a foot down R&B screamer sung by Phil Key which was written by Allen Toussaint and originally released by Lee Dorsey on Amy Records in 1965, when it became a No.28 hit in the US. and just in case the fans still didn't get the point, The La De Da’s unleashed a live EP called Stupidity in April 1967.

Having shown their knack and feel for interpretation, and with a good grasp on the best music coming in from overseas, Auckland’s finest R&B group dipped into their own strong collection of songs in May 1967 for successful follow-up album Find Us A Way. They were billing themselves live as “Soul Blues”, which nicely sums up the churchier, more gospel feel of their new record. While the band still found a frantic sweaty beat on ‘Find Us A Way’, ‘I Gotta Woman’, ‘Tell The Truth’, ‘Cool Jerk’ and ‘Gimme Some Lovin’, they left room for the sunny pop of ‘Sonny Boy’ and spacier keyboard-led originals ‘All Purpose Low’, ‘Thank You For The Flowers’, ‘Rosalie’ and ‘Beside Me Forever’. Meeting the two strands in the middle was the fine organ-led, gospel inclined soul of ‘Goodbye Sisters’ – a take on The Artwoods' third single from April 1965, and their version of The Marvelettes’ ‘Too Many Fish in the Sea’ from 1964. The heavy nature of The La De Da’s NZ-recorded covers reflects the importance of interpretation in the 1960s and echoes the similar makeup and musical influences heard on early records by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, amongst others. The care taken to find rare B-sides and album tracks or songs that were minor or non-hits, and therefore contemporary, chart-minded and accessible to Kiwi musicians, is similarly an echo of other groups who fished around in rare back catalogues for material.

The La De Da’s spent 1967 managing themselves, running their fan club and touring, including a long national jaunt in January alongside frequent appearances on the new and influential live pop TV show C’Mon. The group's pop currency was still high after another massive No.1 hit in March with a laid back version of Bruce Channel’s ‘Hey Baby’, a song recommended by blind pianist and former Johnny Devlin and The Devils member Claude Papesch one night at the Galaxie Lounge. With four hit singles, two classy albums and a national following behind them, The La De Da’s set out for Sydney. Their first two singles had been released across the Tasman, but with pop’s menu changing daily they had quickly fallen from view. The independent quintet struggled, finding their R&B and soul based set outdated. They also bristled at micro-management and unsuccessful recording attempts, despite gaining fans at Ivan Dayman’s Op Pop disco. They flopped even worse on the strong Melbourne club circuit before heading home in September 1967 for a month-plus residency at 1480 Village in the old Top Twenty premises in Auckland, where they retooled their set and sound before touring New Zealand. Godzone hadn’t forgotten them, sending ‘All Purpose Low’ to No.5 in June and ‘Rosalie’ to the same spot in August. In January 1968, Brett Neilsen left the group, replaced by The Action’s Bryan Harris, who gave way on the group’s return to Sydney in June to Australian drummer Keith Barber (The Wild Cherries). Wielding a wide and eclectic array of instruments and introducing Sydneysiders to The Doors, Vanilla Fudge, Traffic and The Band, this was the psychedelic La De Da’s, and their heady themed sets immediately caught on.

Back on the front foot, they returned to Melbourne in August 1968 with the show they had wowed Sydney with. This time the city fell for their charms, sparking a long and close relationship with the Victorian capital’s music scene. At year’s end they were voted Australia’s Best Disco Group in popular music magazine Go Set. Better was to come in 1969. ‘Come and Fly With Me’, their first single since mid-1967, was an upbeat burst of good feeling and the standout track on The Happy Prince, the rock opera on based on Oscar Wilde’s short story, which Trevor Wilson and Bruce Howard had long been working on. The ambitious project had finally found firm ground in January with the group entering EMI studios in Sydney with producer David Woodley-Page and narrator Adrian Rawlings to record for an April release. Rock operas were thick on the ground by then, and while the opera created by The La De Da’s had its highpoints in Kevin Borich’s slide guitar and Phil Key’s soul-gospel vocals, the songs too often struggled to elevate the storyline. None of the band ever dismissed it. It was an artistic statement they needed to make. But now it was done, they set their sights on London, a trail well-worn by New Zealand and Australian groups. Finding their set out-dated and record company interest in London lukewarm, it was Melbourne the first time all over again – a comedy of missed opportunities and half chances. The La De Da’s performed little outside of a short tour of West Germany, and recorded only once, a menacing take on The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’ taped with Norman “Hurricane” Smith at Abbey Road Studios for Parlophone Records, which was released in Great Britain (as The La De Dah Band), Australia and New Zealand. 

Down, but not out, they headed home in February 1970 and regrouped with new bass player Reno Tehei (Sounds Unlimited/Compulsion), then refocused their repertoire and settled into a booming Australian circuit energised with the opening of pub venues and the sparking of large outdoors festivals. All that travel inevitably took a toll on the group’s stability. Trevor Wilson remained in England and wouldn’t return until October. When he did, the group fractured, first with Bruce Howard, then everyone except Wilson departing. Wilson didn’t want to start all over again, leaving the remaining La De Da’s to claim the name. Managed by Phil Key, they headed out on the live circuit with new bassist Peter Roberts and a core set of hard-rocking blues and boogie. Bruce Howard soon joined The Clefs and went on to one of Australia’s biggest groups, Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs, where he was a key member in 1972 and 1973. Trevor Wilson joined fellow New Zealand veterans Glyn Mason and Mal Logan in Sydney-based Home in early 1972, pushing what Australian music historian Ian McFarlane called a light and nimble country rock with a clean blues edge. The La De Da’s meanwhile set about building a dedicated live following for their hard, blues-based rock. This time, pop culture’s fast flowing current was running their way. Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs had opened up a successful circuit of big live rooms in Melbourne’s suburban pubs and the public’s taste for bigger festival events was rising. The group took on Sydney-based Mike Chugg as their manager in November after he signed them to his new booking agency Sunrise, then released their first Australian hit record, the Borich-sung, Howard Gable-produced, locomotive blues of ‘Gonna See My Baby Tonight’, which spent eight weeks in the Go Set National Top 20 between November 1971 and February 1972. It was only one of a number of distinctive songs that The La De Da’s got down that year. Their take on Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along The Watchtower’ became a signature live song, and they captured a studio version with Bruno Lawrence drumming, which would appear belatedly on 1976’s Legend compilation. There's also a fine live-for-TV interpretation featuring a haunted Phil Key vocal and biting Borich guitar lead, filmed for Melbourne magazine show, GTK (Get To Know).

After cancelling a New Zealand tour in November 1971, The La De Da's fronted up at Rosebud, a Melbourne free festival, which drew 40,000 fans to Mornington Golf Course at Christmas to hear Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and Daddy Cool. It was a dress rehearsal for what was to come. In the early 1970s live music spilled from city clubs into summer festivals in the surrounding countryside, and The La De Da’s nearly always played. They were there at the successful first three-day Sunbury festival outside the city on Australia Day long weekend in January 1972, which showcased Melbourne’s rock and roll talent and community, and New Zealand musicians’ prominent place in it. As one of the festival’s highpoints, The La De Da’s had three songs, their upcoming hit single ‘Morning Good Morning’, the dynamic blues rock of ‘Roundabout’ and their 1971 hit ‘Gonna See My Baby Tonight’, included on EMI Records’ Sunbury live album, from a set which included ‘Carol’, B.B King’s ‘Rock Me Baby’ and Traffic’s ‘Give More Than You Can’. The La De Da’s didn’t linger at Sunbury long. The same weekend they had a festival date at Meadows Technicolour Fair in Adelaide in South Australia where they performed before 30,000 people. Again, New Zealand musicians were thick on the stage with John Bissett in Fraternity, Wellington’s Highway, and Spectrum and Friends wowing the crowd. Six weeks later on March 12, The La De Da’s helped break Australian attendance records at a free 3XY concert at Melbourne’s traditional Moomba festival at Myers Music Bowl. Three weeks after that, on Easter weekend, they fronted the Mulwala Festival midway between Sydney and Melbourne, which no doubt helped push their festival anthem, the Phil Key sung, ‘Morning Good Morning’, into the Australian charts in May for a 10 week run, peaking at No.17.

When The La De Da’s closed the year out at the Bungool Festival of Music outside Sydney with Band of Light, Bakery, Home, Spectrum and Sherbet before a disappointing crowd of 2,000 people, they were a three-piece with sole remaining member and Go Set best guitarist winner Kevin Borich in charge, backed by Ronnie Peel on bass and Keith Barber drumming. Phil Key and Peter Roberts had jumped ship in September, forming Band of Light with ace slide guitarist Norm Roue and experienced drummer Tony Buettel after arguments over money and frustration that Key’s songs weren’t being played live. Roberts soon departed, replaced by Ian Rilen. The stripped down La De Da’s had boogied on, playing out again by November and supporting Manfred Mann Chapter Three, Little Richard, The Guess Who, Gary Glitter, Lindisfarne and Three Dog Night. They were a massive hit back home in January 1973 at The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival, returning on the back of the buzz generated for a successful national tour in April. New Zealand Rolling Stone caught up with them in Dunedin, asking Borich about the trio’s drug consumption – no dope or acid in the mid-1960s but he noted there was now plenty of acid around – and he revealed the group had been stalling on doing anything with EMI Records to get out of the contract, but were now working on the blues-boogie Rock And Roll Sandwich album, which would be released in November, following non-charting single ‘The Place’. Recorded live at Doncaster Theatre in Kensington and tidied up at EMI studios in Sydney by ex-pat New Zealand producer Rod Coe, the album showed Borich firmly in charge, augmenting his searing blues guitar with flute and piano. A subtler La De Da’s can be heard that year, backing folkie cum street rocker Richard Clapton on the bright and breezy funky blues of ‘Hardly Know Myself’ (B-side to ‘All The Prodigal Children’ October 1973) and providing a wordy, weary-eyed blues shuffle with sparking Borich solo, ‘I Am A Survivor’ (July 1974 single) on Clapton’s November 1973 Infinity Records’ album Prussian Blue.

With Band of Light, Phil Key was determined to find an outlet for his slow, slide-driven hard blues originals. He had near immediate success with the Sunbury’ 73 blooded ‘Destiny Song’, which climbed to No.18 in the Go Set national chart in July 1973, having placed ‘Messin’ With The Kid’ onto a triple LP Sunbury festival soundtrack, once again crammed with other New Zealand musicians. Key clearly still had as much of an Australian following as Borich. Band of Light’s debut album Total Union showed he had paid close attention to the distinctive utopian cover, aspirational words, importance of packaging and the mournful expressive slide and churchy vocal of The Happy Prince. His new group had its own distinctive logo, emotive music and words concerned with racial equality, social justice and spiritual harmony. Key also found the creative freedom he sought by leasing the tapes to record companies for release. Total Union was on record shelves by August 1973 and while it sold well, reaching No.13 in the Go Set charts, it lacked the “stinging white heat” of their live shows. That could be found on the B-sides of their three singles in ‘Over B’, ‘The Cat’ and ‘If’. A second, less well received album, The Archer appeared in 1974 with two more singles. But with core line-up changes stunting their progress, Band of Light soon split up, leaving fans with memories of “Norm (Roue) storming across the stage like a kind of psychedelic Eddy [sic] Cochran, cutting the air to ribbons with bottleneck” and a peerless cover of blues standard ‘Crossroads’ on GTK. In 1974, Kevin Borich’s La De Da’s had the pub rock formula down and were filling a hungry Australian live circuit, scoring one last Top 30 hit with Chuck Berry’s ‘Too Pooped To Pop’ in July, followed by a neat take on Hank Williams’ ‘Honky Tonkin’, both produced by Rod Coe. Their final New Zealand show was a brief visit to Western Springs Stadium in Auckland to support Elton John. They were back on the bill at the final Sunbury in January 1975, but with the appeal of festivals dwindling the group weren’t going anywhere new on the endless pub circuit. They finally called it a day in May, 1975. Kevin Borich would soon be back on the road to being one of Australia’s favourite guitarists. But the others faded away, with Phil Key leaving music completely. He died young in Sydney in 1984 from a congenital heart problem.

MAGIC BUS - Transmission From Socmore's Garden

(Back To The Garden Records BTTG002, 2017 - Original Private First Release 2014)

Hailing the that hotbed of rock'n'roll excess, Totnes in Devon, Magic Bus are rather accurately musically described on their PR sheet as turning out "sun-drenched harmonies and vintage prog rock noodling". That kind of retro warning would normally have me groaning, but Transmission From Sogmore's Garden is such a charming affair, you'd have to be an even more battle-weary old scrote than moi not to appreciate its thorough winsomeness. There is a review on Amazon that is headlined "Better than Caravan ?", well, obviously not, but these chaps and chappess have certainly been playing the first few albums by the Canterbury instigators on heavy rotate, along with large helpings of the the first two Crosby Stills Nash & Young albums. There are worse things to be influenced by, it has to be said. Opening with "Sunflower", Magic Bus lay their cards on the table. This band are not going to be pushing any envelopes anywhere soon, but hey, that's just fine. Nostalgia certainly is what it used to be in Sogmore's Garden. "Sunflower" is infused with a heady West Coast aroma, via Welsh wizards Man's own appropriated Californian vibe on their Rhinos album. Led by a winsome flute line it skips away down the winding path, full of the joys of life, including a very Caravan-esque solo from the keys player.

Three of the songs here were composed by singer and guitarist Paul Evans, the remainder by Evans in tandem with keyboard player Jay Darlington. Paul has one of those voices that while it sometimes struggles with staying on note in a fashion similar to Pye Hastings' charmingly strained high croon, manages not to make me wince, but smile to myself. This despite living with perfect pitch, which can be a curse as much as a blessing, particularly as I no longer have a practical use for it. Paul's singing is enhanced no end by the lovely harmonies of Viv Goodwin, Benny Brooke and Terence Waldstradt, the "flowers in the hair" on the head of the blissed-out and occasionally wavering lead voice. The top line instrumentation consists of guitar, keyboards, mostly of the organ variety, and flute, in varying combos. You will have recognised the name of the keyboard player, yep, it's the tall one from Kula Shaker. After the demise of Kula Shaker, Jay Darlington spent five years as the touring ivory tinkler with Oasis, but we'll forgive him that, everyone has to make a living. More recently he has reconnected with his true pastoral psych-prog calling, contributing organ to a couple of cuts on the fabulous "The Unrecorded Beam" by fellow Devonians Billy Bottle & The Multiple, as well as being a full-time member of Magic Bus since their debut album in 2010. However, this second album is not a showcase for any one individual, but a complete band effort. Even so, that won't stop me mentioning the organ break four and a half minutes in to "Seven Wonders", which is a straight copy of Dave Sinclair's reedy sound on "Nine Feet Underground".

What Paul might lack technically in the tonsil department, but not I must emphasise to the detriment of the record, he more than makes up for with his gently fried guitar lines. Together with Jay's swelling organ, the two make for a lovely combination on the introduction to the rambling and pastoral "Ballad of Lord Sogmore", which from the start of the vocal section has that indefinable "getting it together in the country" feel that Traffic used to great effect waaay back in the day. Paul's marvellously acidic solo towards the end of the tune is followed by a flute solo on the outro, all quite lovely. And that is the general tone of the album, as it combines drifting across the cosmic vastness under the influence of many cups of mushroom tea with an inescapable pastoral English vibe. "Cosmic Rays Of Dawn" lights the way with a waltz across the lawn, and "Three Days" hints that if they could do it again, they'd do it all over you, I'm sure. "Climb aboard the bus, let's head off for the summer" sings Paul, and indeed this is one of those hazy, lazy records recalling stoned days in the countryside. Marvellous. Pretty soon the Bus is away across the universe on an expanded trip, and it's real good out here, we may even be immaculate. Hints of jazzy keys enlighten "Jupiter 3AM", Dave briefly vacating the place behind the electric piano, Steve takes over, only for one album. Jay knows his Caravan keyboard players, is all I'm saying! Melody is never far away, and a simple but effective tune points the way to the small hours as the biggest planet fills our view, before the trip goes skewiff on the back of a atypically aggressive section. Flung back out of gravity's pull, the trip continues.

That's probably more than enough individual track description. If you like what you've heard and hopefully read, then just go buy the thing! Helpful links provided at the end of this nonsense. I'm always griping about prog bands who want to make "Fragile By The Pound", and it might seem a tad hypocritical of me to shout this band's praises as I have been doing, for they are just as unashamedly nostalgic as any Yenesis wannabee you care to mention, but you see, the thing is, bands that wish to be stuck nine feet underground in early 70s Canterbury while dreaming of toking with Crosby and Nash in Laurel Canyon are, perhaps thankfully - I wouldn't want this album to be the start of a trend - a damn sight rarer and therefore far easier to enjoy. I like this album a lot. It seems everything in Sogmore's Garden is rosy. While there are melody lines here, riffs there that have you thinking you're sure you've heard that before, in the fullness of time it matters not a jot, just get on the Magic Bus and enjoy the trip. You pay your fare in bananas, 'cos they got no bones :-)

MAJOR ARCANA - Major Arcana (A Major Label 1001, 1976)

The Major Arcana or trumps are a suit of twenty-two cards in the 78-card tarot deck. They serve as a permanent trump and suits in games played with the tarot deck, and are distinguished from the four standard suits collectively known as the Minor Arcana. The terms "Major" and "Minor Arcana" are used in the occult and divinatory applications of the deck, and originate with Jean-Baptiste Pitois, writing under the name Paul Christian. Michael Dummett writes that the Major Arcana originally had simple allegorical or exoteric meaning, mostly originating in elite ideology in the Italian courts of the 15th century when it was invented. The occult significance only began to emerge in the 18th century when Antoine Court de Gébelin (a Swiss clergyman and Freemason) published Le Monde Primitif. The construction of the occult and divinatory significance of the tarot, and the Major and Minor Arcana, continued on from there.

For example, Court de Gébelin argued for the Egyptian, kabbalistic, and divine significance of the tarot trumps: Etteilla created a method of divination using tarot: Eliphas Lévi worked hard to break away from the Egyptian nature of the divinatory tarot, bringing it back to the tarot de Marsailles, creating a "tortuous" kabbalastic correspondence, and even suggested that the Major Arcana represent stages of life. The Marquis Stanislas de Guaita established the Major Arcana as an initiatory sequence to be used to establish a path of spiritual ascension and evolution. Finally Sallie Nichols, a Jungian psychologist, wrote up the tarot as having deep psychological and archetypal significance, even encoding the entire process of Jungian individuation into the tarot trumps. These various interpretations of the Major Arcana developed in stages, all of which continue to exert significant influence on practitioners' explanations of the Major Arcana to this day.

Collectors have long known about Milwaukee's Major Arcana, but I'm surprised it hasn't attracted more mainstream attention. Jim Spencer originally made his name as a writer and publisher, responsible for a series of early 1970s underground magazines, including Freek.  He also found time to record a pair of mid-1970s solo LPs that attracted local attention, but did little on the national scene. In 1974 he decided to form a band, recruiting the talents of bassist Michael Burdecki, lead guitarist Randall Dubis, and percussionist Jim Kitchen.  Released on Spencer's own A Major Label (which also released the highly sought after "Anonymous" album), "Major Arcana" served as a showcase for Spencer who handled all of the vocals and was credited with writing, or co-writing nine of the ten songs (the one exception being a cover of the traditional "Greensleeves"). Propelled by Spencer's likeable voice (for some reason every time I listen to the LP I think of Jack Black in 'High Fidelity'), musically the album was hard to describe since it bounced all over the horizon including stabs at conventional blues, commercial ballads, folk-rock, Dr. John-styled funk ("Papa Doc") and even jazzy interludes. 

Curiously lots of reviews have slapped a 'psych' label on the LP. Frankly that's the one genre I just don't hear much of - maybe a little in side two's "Down Under Blues" and the closing "Greensleeves".  Maybe I'm simply going deaf. In spite of some cheesy synthesizers, co-written with Milwaukee poet Charles Dynzof (aka Chuck Simmons), "Western Wind" started the album off with a stunning ballad, with "Shake Me" and "Steal Your Love Back Home" turning in equally engaging mid-tempo pop pieces.  It wasn't perfect. "Deanna Durbin Blues'" and "Fran's Blues" were okay, if unexceptional blues numbers. Interestingly guitarist Dubis went on to pursue the genre in his post-Major Arcana career (see below).  Elsewhere, courtesy of buddy Sigmund Snopek III, the flute interludes quickly became an irritant. Still, the album's loose, low tech feel more than compensated for the somewhat fragmented musical lineup, making it a perfect LP to play on one of those cold, rainy or snowy Sunday mornings when you can't get much energy going.  

Depending on which source you use, between 1000 and 2500 copies were pressed. Regardless, the LP is hard to find. Original copies are also worth owning for the cool Denis Kitchen cover art (the only album cover he's ever done), as well as the hard to find Peter Poplaski poster insert. On a related note, in 1999 Kitchen had artist Roger May convert the original print into 3D. I believe he had 100 copies printed and he sells signed artist print copies for $50 over the internet. Suffering from a number of personal issues and apparently heavily into drugs, Spencer died of a stroke. He was only 39 years old. In the late-1970s Dubis moved to Denver, Colorado where he ended up touring with a number of local acts including the late Son Seals and Sonny Rhodes. He also formed The Randall Dubis Band which has released a series of albums.

 

CHILLIWACK - Chilliwack (Parrot Records PAS 71040, 1970)

As the driving force behind Chilliwack during their illustrious career, Bill Henderson knew that music was his calling early in life. The native of Vancouver was already a working musician while still in high school. He was a student at UBC in 1964 when he formed the group, The Classics. Two years would pass before he then founded The Collectors and was signed to a record deal. After two records and a string of radio singles between 1967 and 1970, including "Lydia Purple" and "Early Morning" which found them touring with the likes of The Doors and Jefferson Airplane, The Collectors were dead and Chilliwack was born, consisting of drummer Ron Turney, Clair Lawrence on sax and keyboards and Glen Miller on bass. The group cut their self-titled debut in late 1970 on the independant Parrot Records and released two singles, "Chain Train" and "Rain O". Other noteable tracks included "Sundown" and "Everyday". The band came back the next year with a double album set. Releasing a "self-titled debut" turned out to have more success the second time around featuring the timeless "Lonesome Mary" and "Music For A Quiet Time". 

"All Over You" came out in 1972 and contained the hit "Groundhog", which showcased Henderson's incredible slide-guitar work, and the cool little ditty "Chickenshit Man". Next up for the band was "Riding High", which hit the stores in the spring of 1974. Featuring newcomer Howard Froese as a second guitarist, the record was released on Terry Jacks' Goldfish Records label. Jacks also brought his experience in the business, co-founder of The Poppy Family and his solo hit "Seasons In The Sun" that same year among others, to the studio and served as album co-producer. By the end of the year Chilliwack practically owned the airwaves, with the title-track, "Come On Over" and the absolute classics "Crazy Talk" and the raucous "There's Something I Like About That". Next up was "Rockerbox" in 1975. The band switched to another independant label, Casino Records and produced another masterfully-crafted album, highlighted by "If You Want My Love". Another switch with labels the next year saw the release of "Dreams Dreams Dreams" on Mushroom Records. Backed by the mega hits "California Girl" and "Fly At Night", Henderson and company had firmly established themselves as one of Canada's top acts, touring the world in support of the album. Other hits included "Something Better", "Baby Blue" and "Mary Lou And Me". 

1977 saw the debut of one of Canadian rock's highest regarded collaberations. With the departure of Froese, Henderson found himself looking for another guitarist and took a chance on a young local sensation - Brian 'Too Loud' MacLeod. "Lights From The Valley" hit the stores in early 1978 and the band was again met by rave reviews. MacLeod's unbridled passion for his craft mixed with the raw energy that earned him his nickname were showcased in the hit "Arms Of Mary", considered as one of the best Canadian songs that year, if not the decade. "Never Be The Same", and "We Don't Have To Fall In Love" also exemplified solid Canadian rock at its finest. "Breakdown In Paradise" came out a year later and saw a re-vamped lineup. Ab Bryant had replaced Miller on bass, Rick Taylor assumed the drummer's role and John Roles was added on guitars. The record contained the hits "Road To Paradise" and the classic "Communication Breakdown", while other noteable mentions included "So Strong" and "Let It All Begin" . 

Again the band found themselves shopping for a label following the demise of Mushroom Records in 1980. This led to Bryant and MacLeod venturing off and starting The Headpins, initially as a sideline project. After signing with Solid Gold, a slight shift in gears was heard when Chilliwack's next lp, "Wanna Be A Star" came out in 1981. Roles and Taylor had left, basically leaving Chilliwack a trio. "My Girl (Gone Gone Gone)" was gold practically on arrival at the radio stations. Other hits from WBAS included "I Believe" and "Don't Wanna Live For A Living". "Opus X" was unleashed in '82 and contained the smash hits "Whatcha Gonna Do (When I'm Gone)?" and "Secret Information", which earned MacLeod and Henderson a Juno for producer of the year. Also on the record was the sleeper hit "Don't It Make You Feel Good". Bryant & MacLeod left the band to pursue the Headpins full-time after its release. Despite this, the record re-affirmed Chilliwack as undeniably one of the country's top draws, while Henderson was firmly establishing himself as one of rock's most sought-after engineer/producers. A compilation of their hits was on the shelves in 1983 with the release of "Segue". Henderson put out Chilliwack's final studio album in the summer of 1984. "Look In Look Out" quickly went gold, backed by the success of the single "Got You On My Mind". With an entirely new lineup, other great tracks included "Getting Better", "Who's Winning" and the soulful "Dream Of You". Henderson's outside commitments caused the unofficial breakup of the group later that year. 

Chilliwack's name wasn't heard for nearly a decade, as Henderson was dabbling in an outside project of his own, UHF, with Shari Ulrich and Roy Forbes. Initially as little more than 'something to do in their spare time' , the trio would get together to record their debut in 1990, and their follow-up in 1993, whose artistic tones instantly earned them favour with the critics. Bill Henderson is the guiding light of Chilliwack, and one of our most treasured musical talents, contributing in the studios to such artists as Junior Gone Wild, Toronto, Long John Baldry, The Nylons and The Irish Rovers, among others. His work in UHF is also a constant fave of the critics, and he's also written material for stage and screen, and became one of the people in your neighborhood during the 90's while working on material for 'Sesame Street'. In Chilliwack, fans of "Too Loud" MacLeod are treated to the early work of one of Canada's greatest talents, God rest his soul. Superb musicianship and a strong pop-sensibility are common threads of all Chilliwack records, weaving together arguably one of this country's greatest gifts.

 

THE COSMIC REMEDY - The Cosmic Remedy

(Seacrest Oy Records SCR-1007, 2013)

The Cosmic Remedy are relatively a new band tracing their origins back to early in 2012. Initially a solo project for Bogáti-Bokor Ákos (Yesterdays & Tabula Smaragdina), who decided to utilise some downtime from Yesterdays to work on material he had amassed, but not entirely suited to his other bands. A fairly short period of time saw the completion of much of this material, however rather than release as a solo album Ákos decided to go for a band name. The main core of this band therefore centres around composer and guitarist Bogáti-Bokor Ákos, drummer Kimmo Pörsti (The Samurai Of Prog, Paidarion & Mist Season), bass man Francesco Faiulo and vocalist Tico De Moraes. Added to this core band are a large ensemble of musicians and singers. Before looking at the music a quick glance at the album track listing, which on the actual CD lists only four tracks. Now had I read the booklet first I would have also realised that each of the aforementioned tracks are denoted as suites and are then subdivided into either three or four tracks. Each suite shows a different aspect to the band’s music - important to bear in mind. So now armed with this information.

"Childhood Suite" opens with the brief but impressive Overture. Multiple keyboards, guitar, bass and drums kick things off in true prog style conjuring Yes and Emerson Lake & Palmer in all their early pomp and glory: great stuff. In contrast "Blue Skies" opens with gentle rippling guitar with the (initially) somewhat reverb drenched vocals Ulf Yacobs. Despite some early misgivings Ulf’s voice turned out to be a big plus in these opening songs. Another huge plus is the wonderful flute work of Kecskeméti Gabor, which makes a first appearance here. The combination of Hackett-esque guitar fills, flute and the nature of the music, early Genesis was an obvious comparator. Final track in this section is the rockier "What You Are" which features some strong backing vocals and nifty bass work did bring Rush to mind, at times.

The transition into "A Suite-Case Of Memories" is fairly seamless. The trio of Ákos, Pörsti and Gabor brought a smile to my face with the jazzier feel of "Postcard From Prague". Again an all too brief instrumental but one that includes a lighter touch with the inclusion of a studio or performance glitch, nice that they left this in. Gabor is particularly impressive and finishes the track in fine Ian Anderson style. The lightness of the previous track leads us nicely into the delightful "Susie And Me". Quirky and hideously infectious it has the hallmarks of Supertramp in their more idiosyncratic modes, as well as capturing some of Queen’s more ‘tongue in cheek’ moments. It is also our first introduction to vocalist Tico De Moraes, who does a fantastic job and I particularly enjoyed the close harmonies throughout.

Tico is equally impressive in the superb McCartney/Beatles influenced "I’ll Be Your Friend" - again great backing vocals from Iulia Paradau and Ákos. The crafted pop sensibilities continue through the summery "I Don’t Have To Run" - retro guitars, layered mellotrons and again splendid flute from Gabor. So far so good, but it is at this point on the album sort of lost direction for me. "The Cosmic Remedy", so the story goes, isn’t intended to be a prog album as such. I have no issue with this and certainly found the earlier proggier and pop/rock elements combined very well. "The Lost Marbles Suite" however just didn’t work for me and somewhat lost the flow. This is not to say that the four songs in this suite are not good, in fact they are well written acoustic pop songs. The three female vocalists, Vera Klima, Iulia Paradau and Ercsey Andrea Emese who sing on these tracks also have splendid voices and the songs are enjoyable and well written. Like I say it just seemed out of place and as a consequence lost the flow of the album for me. Material perhaps more suited to another project.

So to the final section of the album and the aptly named "Farewell Suite". That McCartney/Beatles vibe returns with the gentle "Welcome To The Pepperland Lounge" featuring De Moraes on voice and Ákos on acoustic guitar. Super track and a great little solo. "Train To Nowhere" kicks in with a 60s style drum beat leading us into an upbeat pop song, but not one for me really, as I couldn’t stop bringing pop duo Wham! to mind, each time I heard it. So to the final cut from "The Cosmic Remedy" and "Hiding From The Sun", which I’m glad to say ends us on high. A stylish track, which stems from the arrangement and De Moraes is on form, as he is throughout. Sting came to mind at times along with The George Harrison/Beatles and also several contemporary acts from Progressive Rock.

 

DINAH LEE - The Mod World Of Dinah Lee (Viking Records VP 195, 1965)

Dinah Lee is a New Zealand-born singer who performed 1960s pop and then adult contemporary music. Her debut single from early 1964, "Don't You Know Yockomo?", achieved No. 1 chart success in New Zealand and in the Australian cities, Brisbane and Melbourne. It was followed in September by her cover version of Jackie Wilson's, "Reet Petite", which also reached No. 1 in New Zealand and peaked at No. 6 in Melbourne. The Australian release was a double A-sided single with "Do the Blue Beat". On her early singles she was backed by fellow New Zealanders, Max Merritt & His Meteors. Lee appeared regularly on both New Zealand and Australian TV variety programs, including Sing, Sing, Sing and Bandstand. She toured supporting Johnny O'Keefe, Ray Columbus & the Invaders and P.J. Proby. According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, in the 1960s, "Lee was the most successful female singer of in both her New Zealand homeland and Australia ... on stage and on record Dinah had all the adventure and exuberance for the time the boys had".

Dinah Lee was born as Diane Marie Jacobs on 19 August 1943 in Waimate, South Island, New Zealand. After her parents separated, she was fostered by a family near Christchurch where she attended Cashmere High School. Her father was a saxophonist, who worked selling carpets in a Christchurch department store and, part-time, ran a teen dance club – The Country Club Cabaret. In 1958, Lee was asked to sing at the club on Saturdays and became popular with local patrons. As a 15-year-old, she had her first professional gig with Bobby Davis & the Dazzlers in a small hall and they later worked in a coffee lounge. In 1962, Lee was working with Christchurch group, Saints, and dating their guitarist and vocalist, Phil Garland. By year's end Saints had split and Lee and Garland formed The Playboys with Mark Graham on guitar, Brian Ringrose (ex-Ray Columbus & the Invaders) on guitar, Dave Martin on guitar and Graeme Miller on drums. They relocated to Auckland for a residency at Top 20 Club, Lee shared lead vocals with Garland, one of her covers was Huey "Piano" Smith's "Don't You Know Yockomo?" popularised by American R&B artist Dee Dee Sharp. Playboys returned to Christchurch, but by 1963, Lee returned to Auckland to pursue her solo career, she supported gigs by Max Merritt & His Meteors or Ray Columbus & the Invaders. Playboys recruited Graeme's brother Dave on vocals and later became The Dave Miller Set in Sydney.

Lee adopted the latest Mod fashions following advice from boutique owner, Jackie Holme – a page boy haircut, white make-up, op-art clothes and white boots. After being recommended by Merritt, she joined the Startime Spectacular Tour of North Island which was headlined by Bill & Boyd and Max Merritt & His Meteors – Merritt's band backed her during her set. Her performances were more animated and energetic than typically demure female pop artists. Lee was heckled at some regional venues and her mother was unable to recognise her when catching up at an airport. Tour organiser, James Haddleton, became her manager and she was signed with Viking Records, an independent label based in Wellington and she was promoted as 'Queen of the Mods'. Dinah Lee's debut single, "Don't You Know Yockomo?", was released in August 1964 – under the name Diane Lee, chosen by Viking – and peaked at No. 1 in New Zealand. Viking used Merritt's band to back her in the studio and after the first pressings had sold out, Viking changed the attribution to Dinah Lee. Ray Columbus & the Invaders' single, "She's a Mod" became the first by a New Zealand act to reach No. 1 on an Australian chart. Only weeks later, Lee's single, "Don't You Know Yockomo?" was issued there by EMI on their HMV label and reached No. 1 in Brisbane and Melbourne.

Lee's second single, "Reet Petite" was a cover of Jackie Wilson's hit and had also been recorded with Merritt's band, when released in September it reached No. 1 in New Zealand. Her third single, Ray Rivera's "Do the Blue Beat", followed in October in New Zealand. "Reet Petitie" and "Do the Blue Beat" were issued as a double A-sided single in Australia and reached No. 3 in Adelaide and No. 6 in Melbourne. Lee toured New Zealand and Australia on Starlift '64, promoted by Harry M. Miller, with a bill headed by The Searchers, Peter and Gordon and Del Shannon. Backing Lee at some gigs were Ray Columbus & the Invaders and, in Sydney, a newly formed group – The Easybeats. With "Reet Petite" charting in Australia, rock'n'roller Johnny O'Keefe invited Lee to appear on his television series, Sing, Sing, Sing and join his Sydney club shows. Upon return to Auckland, Lee issued her fourth Viking single, "Who Stole the Sugar?" in November. She featured on two half-hour specials on New Zealand TV, while "I'm Walking" was issued as her next Australian single by HMV. By year's end, Viking had also released two extended plays, Don't You Know... and Yeah, Yeah We Love Them All and her debut album, Introducing Dinah Lee.

In early 1965, Lee appeared on Australian TV shows, Bandstand and Saturday Date. One of her Bandstand performances was at Myer Music Bowl with headlining Jamaican Blue beat singer Millie Small.  Lee travelled to the United States to appear on Shindig! – she sang with Glen Campbell – and on other TV shows. Lee then went to the United Kingdom where she released, "I'll Forgive You Then Forget You" on Island Records' label Aladdin. In August–September, Lee toured New Zealand and Australia with US pop sensation, P.J. Proby – noted for splitting his pants on stage in the UK in February – who had been banned by the BBC. In Australia, HMV released "Let Me In" to coincide with the tour. Lee won 'Entertainer of the Year' at New Zealand's inaugural NEBOA Awards in late September – soon after she decided to base herself in Australia. Late in the year, Viking released a string of singles, "He Can't Do the Blue Beat", "Nitty Gritty" and "That's it I Quit", in New Zealand. In November, they released her second studio album, The Sound of Dinah Lee. Late in 1965, Dinah Lee relocated to Sydney and in March 1966 she undertook a second tour with Small. Lee's next single was "He Don't Want Your Love Anymore" but her chart success had begun to decline. On 29 June 1966, Australian teen newspaper, Go-Set published "The Dinah Lee Story" and she appeared on their front cover. Her public popularity was still high – she was voted No. 2 'Female Vocal' in Go-Set's pop poll in October and was in the top 5 for 1967 and 1968. Lee continued to release singles in 1966, she toured with Proby in September–October and followed with a third studio album, The Mod World of Dinah Lee late that year. In April 1967, she became the 'face' for Yardley Cosmetics' commercials on Australian TV. Her July single for Viking and HMV was "Sorry Mama" but neither company renewed her contract.

Lee spent most of the late 1960s on the night club circuit with occasional variety TV appearances. Lee successfully sued her former manager, Haddleton, for money owed and re-took control of her financial interests. According to Australia rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, in the 1960s, "Lee was the most successful female singer of in  both her New Zealand homeland and Australia ... on stage and on record Dinah had all the adventure and exuberance for the time the boys had." Lee entertained troops in Vietnam in the late 1960s on Australian Broadcasting Commission-sponsored tours (under her birth name, Diane Jacobs) and was awarded the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal. In the 1970s, she continued to release singles including "Tell Him" in 1972 on Polydor. In 1974, she joined O'Keefe on his comeback show, The Good Old Days of Rock'n'Roll, at St. George's Leagues Club. Her next single, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" appeared in 1976 on Festival Records. "I Can See Clearly Now" was released in 1979 on Laser Records. In 1982, a compilation, Best of Dinah Lee was issued on Music World. By 1984, she had become involved in body building winning the 'Australian Female Body Builder of the Year' in the over 35s category. In the 1990s and 2000s, Lee continued performing on the club circuit and became a motivational speaker. ABC-TV series, Long Way to the Top, was broadcast in August 2001. Lee featured on "Episode 2: Ten Pound Rocker 1963–1968" where she discussed the mod look and her appeal to rebellious teens, "I had this image and it wasn't cute and pretty". The TV series inspired the Long Way to the Top national concert tour during August–September 2002, which featured a host of the best Australian acts of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Lee's performances of "Yokomo"  and "Reet Petite" at the final Sydney concert, as well as an interview with promoter, Michael Chugg, feature on the associated DVD, Long Way to the Top: Live in Concert released in 2002.

STARZ - Violation (Capitol Records SW-11617 1977)

They had it all: Songs that managed to be both rocking yet melodic (think a merger of Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Kiss), a hunk of a frontman, a pyro-heavy stage show the featured lots of shooting sparks, the same management as Kiss, but for whatever reason, Starz just didn't hit the big time. The group's roots can be traced back to the early-'70s pop band Looking Glass, which scored a number one hit single, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in 1972. And it was Looking Glass' rhythm section that would be transplanted to Starz: bassist Peter Sweval and drummer Jeff Grob (who went under the colorful name Joe. X. Dube upon becoming a member of Starz), who were joined by guitarists Richie Ranno and Brendan Harkin, as well as singer Michael Lee Smith (brother of '70s teen heartthrob Rex Smith). Signed to Capitol Records, the label issued the self-titled debut from Starz in 1976, followed by "Violation" in 1977, "Attention Shoppers!" in 1978, and "Coliseum Rock" in 1979. Along the way, the group issued their share of arena-worthy anthems ("Detroit Girls," "Violation"), had some close calls with songs that should have been hit singles ("Cherry Baby," "Sing It, Shout It"), opened for the era's biggest bands (Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Rush), and Ranno even guested on Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album. But Starz just didn't translate to the masses, and by 1980, they were kaput.

In the wake of their split, the group retained a sizable cult following, as quite a few hair metal acts later in the decade were quite vocal about their Starz fandom (Poison, Cinderella, Bon Jovi). A steady stream of releases from the vault appeared, especially after the launch of the official Starz website, including a live set recorded in 1978 that has been reissued several times over the years, "Live in Louisville", which offers proof that Starz could easily stand alongside the era's big boys of rock (despite including some of the most ridiculous stage raps you'll ever hear on a live recording). The early 21st century saw all of the group's studio albums remastered and reissued via Rykodisc, which resulted in Starz reuniting for live shows, something they've sporadically done ever since. Starz' sophomore album, "Violation", was quite similar to its predecessor. Jack Douglas was still the band's producer, and Starz continued to favor the type of slick, commercial hard rock that would be called pop-metal in the '80s and early '90s. This 1977 LP didn't establish Starz as major players in the pop-metal field; the New Yorkers did have a small following, although not a huge one. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable record. Tracks like "Cherry Baby" and "Rock Six Times" are certainly decent. Most of the time, Starz vocalist Michael Lee Smith sings about the same things that Kiss and Sweet were singing about in the '70s; namely, all-night parties and wild young women in tight dresses. Starz's lyrics, as a rule, were meant to be fun, not profound, and while Violation didn't go down in history as one of pop-metal's all-time classics, it's worth hearing if you're a fan of the style.

Starz was formed out of the ashes of the early 1970s pop music band, Looking Glass, which had the No. 1 hit single "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in the summer of 1972. After lead singer Elliot Lurie left Looking Glass in 1974, the three remaining members (keyboardist Larry Gonsky, bassist Pieter Sweval and drummer Jeff Grob, who adopted the stage name Joe X. Dube) teamed up with Michael Lee Smith (vocals) and guitarist Brendan Harkin to continue the band and soon changed their name to Fallen Angels. In September 1975 they were joined by former Stories guitarist Richie Ranno. After keyboardist Gonsky was dropped from the group, they changed their moniker once again (to Starz) and pursued a more heavy metal direction. Kiss manager Bill Aucoin was introduced to Starz via his right-hand man Sean Delaney, who had befriended Pieter Sweval, and Aucoin began handling Starz in late 1975, helping them to get signed to Capitol Records in early 1976.

Their major hit single "Cherry Baby" in the spring of 1977 came from the album Violation, produced by Jack Douglas of Aerosmith fame. Jack Douglas produced their first two albums Starz and Violation. Most fans consider Violation their best album and compare it stylistically to Kiss and Aerosmith output. Their third album, the self produced "Attention Shoppers!", was more in the vein of power pop than heavy metal and featured a Cheap Trick influence in songs like "X-Ray Spex". Brendan Harkin and Pieter Sweval were asked to leave the band after Attention Shoppers!, reportedly since they wanted to continue in that record's musical direction, while the others favored a return to the harder sound of the first two releases. On their final Capitol album, "Coliseum Rock" (produced by Guess Who producer Jack Richardson), Harkin and Sweval were replaced by Bobby Messano on guitar and Orville Davis on bass. Previously Orville was the bassist for the southern rock band Hydra who released multiple albums in the mid-70s. His contributions can be heard on the first two LP's: 1974's "Hydra" and 1975's "Land of Money". After leaving Hydra, Davis joined Rex, a hard rock outfit fronted by Michael's brother Rex Smith, who went on to TV and pop stardom in the late 70s and early 80s.

After leaving Capitol, Starz split up in 1979 and Dube and Ranno put together a trio with bassist Peter Scance called Hard Core. In 1980 Starz reunited with a lineup of Smith, Ranno, Harkin, Orville Davis and Doug Madick (later with Prism), a drummer who was working with Smith at the time. The group played clubs up and down the East Coast in what amounted to a farewell tour. In 1981 Smith, Ranno, Madick and Peter Scance regrouped. At first they were to continue as Starz but decided to change their name to Hellcats. Hellcats recorded five new songs and released them as an EP on the small Radio Records label in 1982. Radio Records, unfortunately, went out of business not long afterward. Another mid-80s lineup of Hellcats with Ranno and Scance, this time with Perry Jones on lead vocals, also went nowhere after putting out another record in 1987 on the King Klassic label as well as a 4-track EP in 1988.

Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records contacted Ranno in 1989 telling him of his longtime admiration of the band and asked if Ranno held the rights to any of the band's material. Ranno stated he owned two unreleased live shows and allowed Metal Blade to compile them as Live in Action, which contained cuts from a 04.08.1976 Cleveland show and a 30.03.1978 radio promotional show in Louisville, KY previously known as Live in Louisville. The release of Live in Action was a precursor to the 1990 release of the four Starz studio albums on compact disc as the inaugural releases by Metal Blade's "Classics" imprint. The albums have subsequently been re-released on CD (by other labels and the band themselves) several times, most recently in 2005 with bonus tracks primarily made up of material from the band's days as Fallen Angels, as well as a few songs from the 1992 reunion independent album, "Requiem".

Ranno eventually ran into their former producer, Jack Douglas, at an Aerosmith concert and he expressed an interest in doing another Starz record. So in 1990, Michael Lee Smith and Brendan Harkin came to NY to join Ranno in writing and recording five new tunes. Doug Madick played drums on the new project as Dube had left the music business to work as an architect and Harkin played bass, since Pieter Sweval had died of AIDS earlier that year (on January 23). Since the band was unable to acquire a new record deal, the songs were put out (with some live tracks and other odds and ends) on their own label, Drastic CD, in 1992 as the aforementioned "Requiem". After this, Ranno continued on his own with the Richie Ranno Group, which put out a CD, "RRG", in 1996.

Ranno was approached in 2003 by a British promoter who wanted to bring Starz over to the U.K. This failed to pan out but the surviving original members (Smith, Ranno, Harkin and Dube), with new bassist "Insane" George DiAna, regrouped that same year for a number of successful club dates, culminating in the two-day 2005 "Starzfest" held in Teaneck, New Jersey, which featured the entire band joined by Bobby Messano and Orville Davis. They played their entire album catalog, including songs which had never been played live before. Two concerts in California were also performed in late 2005, one recorded for a television special. In addition, a show recorded in Cleveland, Ohio in 2004 was released on CD in late 2006. The Ohio show was done as a 4 piece since Harkin had missed his plane flight to Cleveland. In 2005 Messano once again replaced Harkin as guitarist and Ranno also did shows with DiAna and Dube as the Richie Ranno All Stars.

Former Ted Nugent drummer Cliff Davies filled in for Joe X. Dube for a Starz show in San Francisco in October 2007; for additional shows in California in April 2008, Billy Howe filled in on guitar for Messano. Former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick did the honors at that year's Kiss Convention on May 3 in Secaucus, NJ. But in 2012 Messano was replaced by new guitarist Steve DeAcutis. Then Alex Kane took over the second guitar slot from DeAcutis in 2013. And Kane played guitar and Ginger Wildheart subbed on bass for a one night only gig in the UK at The Garage, London in London's Highbury section on December 2013. Although not being able to build up major commercial success and not well remembered, Starz has proven to be influential far beyond their commercial success. Several 1980s glam metal artists, including Poison, and Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, cite Starz as a primary influence. Ginger of the Wildhearts has also cited the band as an important influence, and Kerrang! magazine included the first two Starz albums on their list of the most important heavy metal albums of all time.

 

DR. MUSIC - Bedtime Story (GRT Records 9233-1005, 1974)

Dr Music was the brainchild of Toronto native and Doug Riley, who first took piano lessons as a child as a means of coping through polio. Born in Toronto in 1945, he took lessons in classical piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto beginning at the age of four. Later, in Montreal, he studied pipe organ with Harry Duckworth at St. Anne de Belleville Church, and piano with Paul DeMarky, Oscar Peterson's piano teacher, and eventually developed into one of the country's most up and coming arrangers. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in composition from the University of Toronto, while playing R&B with the Silhouettes, appearing at the Blue Note and the other Toronto nightclubs of the day. and turned down an offer to join Ray Charles' band after working on his 1969 album, "Doing His Thing". He was working as the Music Director for a number of TV shows, when in 1969 Ray Stevens ("Guitarzan," "Ahab The Arab") came calling. CTV had given him his own show, and Riley, dubbed 'Dr Music,' was recruited to put together a band.

Several members came and went at first, but following the cancellation of the show after the 1970 season, Riley kept the core of the group in tact and began touring the local area jazz clubs. The actual band was rounded out with Doug Mallory on vocals and guitar, bassist Don Thompson, vocalist Diane Brooks, and the Kennedy brothers - Michael on vocals and percussion and ex-Motherlode member Steve leading the horns section that also included Gary Morgan, Keith Jollimore, and Barrie Tallman. RCA Records approached Riley later that year for a Coca-Cola jingle they were releasing, and so they recorded one of two versions of the new theme song, a cover of The New Seekers' "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing", with the Laurie Bower Singers doing the other. It was released internationally as a single, gaining both groups some overseas notoriety.

Riley had also just opened up Toronto Sound Recording Studio with producer and engineer Terry Brown (Klaatu, Rush, etc), where they mostly did jingle work. This connection came in handy when looking for a label, as GRT Records was fledgling, and Riley signed a deal with them the following spring, knowing studio time was obviously going to be available. During this period, he also manned the helm for some other GRT projects, including the sole album from Everyday People, and his own debut album, "Foxey Lady". With a cast of session players including singers Laurel Ward, Brenda Gordon, Trudy Desmond, Rhonda Silver, and Terry Black (who was also featured on "Foxey Lady", Dr Music's eponymous debut album was in the stores later that year. Three singles hit the airwaves before year's end - "Try A Little Harder", Neil Sedaka's "One More Mountain To Climb" and "Gospel Rock". The last Single's b-side, "Sun Goes By" was released as its own single the following spring. But following some select shows around the Toronto and Detroit regions, Riley disbanded this version of the group so he could focus on the studio.

But by the end of 1972, Riley had resurrected a new version of the group that included Mallory, the Kennedys, Jollimore, and Tallman, along with new drummer Wayne Stone. After some live dates across the country, they went into the studio the first couple of months of the new year, and released their sophomore album that summer, "Dr. Music II". "Long Time Comin' Home" b/w the unreleased "Stay Real" and "Tryin' Times" were released as singles, following in Riley's tradition of finding a common ground between sophisticated jazz arrangements and a pop attitude that got decent airplay. Other noteable cuts included the Robbie Robertson-penned "Where Do We Go From Here" and Steve Kennedy's "6 - 5". The TV bug bit Riley again, and he worked for the CBC on Keith Hampshire's new program, "Music Machine." That run lasted two seasons, but before the final curtain was dropped in 1974, Riley had already reformed Dr Music, which was working as the show's house band.

By that summer, they released their third album, "Bedtime Story". The new supporting cast had Mallory, Steve Kennedy, Jollimore, and Tallman returning, and new to the lineup were drummers Claude Ranger and Dave Brown, Don Thompson on bass, and trumpet and horns player Bruce Cassidy. The album was generally more progressive than his previous outings, with a heavier guitar-oriented sound. The songs were longer, and more complex, and the title track (written by Herbie Hancock) b/w the lead-off "I Keep It Hid" became the only single, but didn't fare as well on the charts or in airplay that was expected. So following some dates around the Toronto area, Riley once again disbanded the group so he could concentrate on producing and engineering other artists.

TYLA GANG - Yachtless (Beserkley Records BSERK-11, 1977)

Shortly after the final demise of Ducks Deluxe towards the end of 1975, Sean Tyla convened a new group to go back to the original, “no-holds barred” idea of the Ducks, which had been rather smoothed over on their two albums for RCA. The stripped-down, tough street rock that the Tyla Gang specialised in seemed purpose-built to run alongside the coming Punk explosion and their meaty, slightly Beefhearty debut single “Styrofoam” was one of the first few records issued on Stiff into the bargain. Sean himself was insulting bone-idle hippy audiences while John Lydon was still a lank-haired Hawkwind fan and by the first LP the line up included veterans of pioneering Glam/ProtoPunk/Pub Rock group the Winkies in bassist Brian Turrington and drummer Mike Desmarais.

The Tyla Gang received favourable mentions in “Sniffin’ Glue” but as was his want, Tyla shied away from any active engagement with the UK New Wave, apart from the necessary rubbing shoulders on the live circuit. Their two tracks from the fondly remembered “Hope And Anchor Front Row” comp LP, which are a more than fair demonstration of their live power of the time, end this collection on a fitting note. One can’t help but feel that the live arena was their natural habitat – their no-nonsense, thoroughly authentic aggression combined with great playing and catchy tunes would have marked them out as “difficult to follow” I’m sure.

First album “Yachtless”, released on Matthew Kaufman’s Beserkley label in 1977, makes up part of the first disc presented here and definitely marked them out as contenders even if it didn’t sell that much. Here they threw an occasional twelve bar boogie and Velvets’ rhythm guitar chug into the already potent, hard rockin’ brew. With strong numbers like “On The Street” and “The Young Lords”, it “ticked all the right boxes” as current parlance would have it. Possibly lacking quite the lyrical finesse of his Pub Rock contemporaries like Nick Lowe or Graham Parker, this may have possibly thwarted Sean and the Tyla Gang reaching the same level of success they attained during this period. Maybe the beard didn’t help either? We were living in fashion-conscious times then that was for sure. But the LP itself is very good and the early singles tracks are also a delight, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie” tapping into the kind of “sick joke” side of Punk and “The Young Lords” focussing on those heady greaser gang days of the late 50s for imagery and inspiration.

The follow up “Moonproof” (which follows on here on Disc 2) was not quite as strong as the debut, it appeared that now Tyla coverted the US audience via adding a strong Springsteen influence to the formula. You can understand why he choose to look to America, as there were few takers unfortunately for his brand of Rock n Roll in the rapidly changing UK Pop environment of 1978. It didn’t come off sadly, though “Suicide Jockey” is effective (though probably not as tough as on the original Skydog outing, featured as an extra on disc one here). 

Though this second LP didn’t meet with a great deal of commercial success, the Gang was made of stern stuff and started demoing material for a projected third long player and some of these tracks that were salvageable are presented here on disc 2 as part of this collection. These offerings do not deviate much from their standard sound with perhaps a little extra in the way of slide guitar and although they have their merits they are more low-key than their fiery recordings of a couple of years earlier. One exception is when they delve right back to their very early days for “Amsterdam Dog”, though on the whole it is the sound of a band out of time. Around this time they also recorded incognito as Speedballs and Spitballs (both of which figure amongst the bonus tracks), but the response was the same and as Beserkley closed up shop in 79 so did the Tyla Gang with Sean opting for a solo career mostly based stateside.

In this modern era of the growing underclass,where the rich are out of sight of the super rich elite. The Haves, and the Have Yachts. To be Yachtless means you are excluded from the exclusive club of the 1% who own 99% of global wealth. One can't help but feel sorry for those struggling millionaires who can only dream of owning their own private jet....the Jetless. Of course as the class divide widens, post 'credit crunch', and the underclass are paid less, forced into zero-hour contracts, and to be 'self-employed' as a way around workers rights. These second tier millionaires are almost certain to get their private Jet, and upgrade their sad little 50ft yacht to something nearer the €340 million container ship size boat that Roman Abramovich spent his stolen cash on. Not unlike the 'yacht' as featured on the cover of ean Tyla's post Ducks Deluxe group, The Tyla Gang's, debut album, "Yachtless". Tyla's new band played a bunch of faultlessly played hard mid tempo rockers, not unlike a UK version of The Heartbreakers(both Johnny T's and Tommy P's), but without the style. This could easily have been by an american group, and i'm not surprised they got signed up by an American label.

AVERAGE WHITE BAND - Person To Person 

(Atlantic Records SD 2-1002, 1976)

The Average White Band (also AWB) are a Scottish Funk and Rhythm'n'Blues band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million-selling instrumental track "Pick Up the Pieces", and their albums "AWB" and "Cut the Cake". The band name was initially proposed by Bonnie Bramlett. They have influenced others such as the Brand New Heavies, and been sampled by various musicians including the Beastie Boys, TLC, The Beatnuts, Too Short, Ice Cube, Eric B. & Rakim, Nas, and A Tribe Called Quest, Christina Milian, as well as Arrested Development – making them the 15th most sampled act in history. As of 2018, 46 years after their formation, they continue to perform. The band was formed in early 1972 in London by Alan Gorrie and Malcolm "Molly" Duncan, with Owen "Onnie" McIntyre, Michael Rosen (trumpet), Roger Ball, and Robbie McIntosh, joining them in the original line-up. Hamish Stuart quickly replaced Rosen. Duncan and Ball, affectionately known as the Dundee Horns, studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art (now part of the University of Dundee, but which at the time was part of the Dundee Institute of Art and Technology, now known as Abertay University), and were previously members of Mogul Thrash. Gorrie and McIntyre had been members of Forever More. McIntyre and McIntosh were used as session musicians on Chuck Berry's recording of "My Ding-a-Ling".

According to Duncan, members of the band had played together before in Scotland, but had moved to London separately and met up by chance at a Traffic concert. They decided to jam together; a friend heard them and remarked: "This is too much for the average white man," which became adapted as the name of the band. Their breakthrough was a support slot at Eric Clapton's comeback concert in 1973. MCA Records released their debut album, "Show Your Hand" (1973), which sold poorly. Bruce McCaskill, who was Clapton's tour manager, liked the band's music and agreed to manage them. He borrowed money to take them to the US and to promote them. McCaskill had many contacts from his days with Clapton and managed to get Atlantic Records to sign them. The band relocated to Los Angeles and released the follow-up, "AWB", better known as The White Album. It reached No. 1 and was the first of many with renowned producer Arif Mardin.

McIntosh died of a heroin overdose at a Los Angeles party on 23 September 1974. Gorrie also overdosed, but Cher kept him conscious until medical help arrived. The New Musical Express reported in January 1975 that AWB played a benefit show for McIntosh's widow at the Marquee Club in London. McIntosh was replaced by Steve Ferrone (previously of Bloodstone), and, like McIntosh, previously with Brian Auger's Oblivion Express. In 1975, the single "Pick Up the Pieces", taken from the No. 1 "AWB" album, reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song knocked Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good" out of No. 1 and sold over one million copies. It was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1975. It also prompted The J.B.'s, the backup band of the "Godfather of Soul", James Brown, to record and release a song in reply, "Pick Up the Pieces, One by One", under the name AABB (Above Average Black Band). It was both a tribute to AWB's knowledge of funk and a tongue-in-cheek play on the Scottish band's name. AWB followed up with the LPs "Cut the Cake" (1975) and "Soul Searching" (1976), both big sellers and yielding further Top 40 singles. "Cut the Cake" was dedicated by the surviving band members to McIntosh's memory. A double live album "Person To Person" was issued in late 1976. Their next LP, "Benny & Us", was a collaboration with Ben E. King.

After several more albums, "Warmer Communications" (1978), "Feel No Fret" (1979) and after a switch to the U.S. Arista label, "Shine" (1980) and "Cupid's In Fashion" (1982), AWB's audience and sales dwindled. The group initially disbanded by 1983. Their 1980 disco hit "Let's Go Round Again" (UK No. 12), was covered in the late 1990s by Louise. Ferrone went on to work with Duran Duran whilst Hamish Stuart joined Paul McCartney's touring group. In 1985 Gorrie released a solo album, "Sleepless Nights". The classic lineup of Gorrie, McIntyre, Ball, Stuart, Duncan and Ferrone reunited for one last time at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary in 1988. Gorrie, McIntyre, and Ball then continued in 1989 to record Aftershock. Alex Ligertwood (ex-Santana, Jeff Beck Group and another veteran of Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) also appeared on this album, replacing lead singer Hamish Stuart, along with Eliot Lewis who co-wrote with Gorrie and joined the band. Ligertwood left after the album's recording and drummer Tiger McNeil joined for the reunited band's live shows. McNeil was with the group until 1994. He was then succeeded by Peter Abbott (ex-Blood Sweat and Tears), who in turn was replaced by Fred "Catfish" Alias in September 1998.

Drummer Adam Deitch did a two-year stint with AWB from 1999 to 2001. Average White Band has continued recording (1997's "Soul Tattoo", 1999's "Face to Face") and touring since. Ball worked on "Soul Tattoo" with the group but was replaced by Fred Vigdor (aka Freddy V.) in 1996. Brian Dunne took over the drum chair in 2001 and when Eliot Lewis left the band in September 2002 to pursue other musical opportunities (including a stint with Hall and Oates), he was replaced by Klyde Jones. Their line-up as of 2002 became Alan Gorrie (bass guitar, guitar, lead and backing vocals), Klyde Jones (keyboards, bass guitar, guitar, lead and backing vocals), Onnie McIntyre (guitar, vocals), Freddy V (sax, keyboards, vocals), and Brian Dunne (drums). Dunne was replaced by Rocky Bryant as drummer as of the 2006 tour. After Jones left in 2011 to join Hall and Oates, Monte Croft (keyboards, bass, guitar) and former Earth Wind and Fire member Morris Pleasure (keyboards, bass, guitar) came in to do brief stints before Rob Aries arrived in 2013. Brent Carter (ex-Tower of Power) has been singing with AWB since 2011. In July 2015, Malcolm ‘Molly’ Duncan, Steve Ferrone and Hamish Stuart reunited to form The 360 Band. This is in essence one half of the original AWB. They released an album titled "Three Sixty" in 2017 and have been performing live together along with supporting musicians. As of 2018, Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre are the only two original members left in the Average White Band.