Sunday, October 30, 2011

W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Tiny Tim: Vancouver (1968)

.
Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny
.
.
Tiny Tim can easily be one of the most peculiar of music figures. Considered a novelty by some (thanks to his unexpected smash "Tiptoe Through The Tulips"), to the rest of us he has one of the greatest voices (and styles) of the 20th century! Probably the most recognizable song and Tiny Tim lyrics were to "Tip Toe Through the Tulips." His signature rendition of "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips" became a hit, and the LP sold over 200,000 copies. Tiny Tim also gained notoriety for being wed with Miss Vicky on national TV. His other top recording was "God Bless Tiny Tim."
Sadly, on December 1, 1996, Tiny Tim passed
away at the age of 64. For a full biography of Tiny Tim's musical career, see lownoise blog
.

This is a Obscure,
never-before circulated live recording of Tiny Tim at BC Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver - September 21st, 1968 at the peak of his commercial success. The tickets were $5.50 a piece, and also on the bill that night were Country Joe and the Fish, and popular local act The Collectors (later known as Chilliwack).
This is a mono soundboard recording, preserved on two 7" reel-to-reel tapes at 7.25 ips,
so the quality is very good, considering the source and the age. The unfortunate thing was whoe
ver recorded it had to change the reels in the middle of the show, and so one track, "Rock-A-Bye Baby Days" is incomplete. But otherwise, great for 1968!
The only short coming with this post is that it is a 128kps rip (sourced somewhere on the www some time ago), however, the reproduction is still quite acceptable. I have fond memories of seeing Tiny Tim perform on various T.V shows during the 70's (The Don Lane Show was one of these) and although I didn't really see him as a serious performer (more of a strange novelty act) at the time, I now realise that he was both a talented musician and showman. The mere fact that his bizarre hit single comes ringing to my ears every time I see a field of tulips, is testimony to the fact.
.
Track Listing
01. Livin' In The Sunlight, Lovin' In The Moonlight

02. Save Your Sorrow

03. On The Old Front Porch

04. I Gave Her That

05. The Viper

06. Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life

07. As Time Goes By

08. On The Good Ship Lollipop

09. High In The Hills

10. I Got You Babe

11. Rock-A-Bye Baby Days (excerpt)

12. Tweedle Dee

13. I Love Me

14. Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me (I'm A Nut)

15. Down Below

16. I Hold Your Hand in Mine / Earth Angel

17. Tiptoe Thru The Tulips

18. Fill Your Heart
.
Tiny Tim Link (38Mb) REPOST

.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Machinations - Esteem (1982) plus Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1980- 1989, 1997)
.
Machinations was a popular Sydney-based outfit working the mid-1980s independent Australian music scene. They toured Australia many times, appearing on every imaginable entertainment program and sold over 200,000 records in Australia.
Notable national hits included "Pressure Sway", "My Heart's On Fire" and "No Say In It". They also achieved indie prominence with the two versions of their first single, "Average Inadequacy". Machinations failed to achieve as much commercial success, either at home or abroad, as many of their peers. Nevertheless, the band had a cult following in dance clubs, by far their strongest supporters.
The band formed around Tim Doyle and Tony Starr, who started writing together around the end of 1979, using what electronic instruments they could find. Their school friend Fred Loneragan joined as singer and they played their first show at Garibaldi's in Darlinghurst, Sydney in early 1980. Another school friend, Nero (Nick) Swan, soon joined on bass.
In late 1980, with the assistance of radio Triple J, the band recorded some songs at Trafalgar Studios; in November 1980, the band entered the studio with producer Lobby Loyde. These recordings resulted in the band's debut single, "Average Inadequacy"/"Arabia" (released 26 August 1981), and the four-track debut self-titled EP (20 November 1981), both released on the independent Phantom Records label.
"Average Inadequacy" created enough interest for Mushroom's White Label to sign the band and reissue the single with a new B-side, "Machinations of Dance" in March 1982. A year later, Machinations issued a new single, "Jack"/"Be Double" in February 1983. The track "Jack" was about US writer Jack Kerouac, and due to lyrical reference to illegal drugs ('I wanna take some 1960s LSD'), "Jack" was often not played in live sets when audiences included minors.
This was followed by "Pressure Sway"/"Pushbike" in June 1983. "Pressure Sway" became the band's first national mainstream charting single when it peaked at #21 during July 1983. "Pressure Sway" also made an impact in the United States reaching #40 on Billboard's Club Play Singles chart. In April 1983, Machinations released their debut album, 'Esteeem', which peaked at #54 on the Australian album charts. The third single from the album was, "Jumping the Gap"/"Terminal Wharf", released in October 1983.
Following the album's release, and an Australian tour support slot with Joe Jackson, Machinations added Warren McLean on drums; prior to that the band used a drum machine (a Roland CR-78). The band entered Rhinoceros Studios with English producer Julian Mendelshon, emerging with the smoothest and most fully realised album of its career, Big Music, in July 1985. The album produced four hit singles. The first of these, "No Say in It"/"Man Overboard" pre-empted the album by nine months (it was released in September 1984) and ended up being the band’s highest charting single, peaking at #14 in October 1984. The second single, "My Heart's on Fire"/"Spark" followed in May 1985, it reached #27 in June 1985.The third single, "You Got Me Going Again"/"I Ain't Waiting for No Train" was released in August, 1985, making #39, however the fourth single, "Execution of Love"/"Dusted Down", released in December 1985 failed to chart. Naomi Star sang backing vocals on most of the album, although Inez Anthony was featured on "No Say in It". The album peaked at #20 on the national album charts, spending several weeks at that position. It was also released in the United States on the A&M label.
In 1985 Machinations performed the three national hit songs for the Oz for Africa concert (part of the global Live Aid program). It was broadcast in Australia (on both Seven Network and Nine Network) and on MTV in the US.
..
In 1986, White Label issued the mini-album 'The Big Beat', a collection of dance remixes of singles like "No Say in It", "Execution of Love", "Pressure Sway" and "You Got Me Going Again", which reached #83 on the charts. That year, Warren McLean left Machinations to join Melbourne funk-pop outfit I'm Talking. Henry Downes took his place on drums. Downes was then replaced by John MacKay (ex-Sea Monsters) in early 1987. The band was back in the studios soon after with American producer Andy Wallace (Prince, Run DMC), recording a new album.
Machinations' third album, 'Uptown' was released in October 1988 and produced four singles spread out over eighteen months. The first single, "Do to You"/"Looking Out for You", was released in August 1987 and almost matched the highpoint of "No Say In It", reaching #15 in October 1987. The second single, "Intimacy"/"Hit by a Missile" (May 1988), reached #44[5], the third, "Do It to Me"/"Normal" (October 1988), peaked at #69 and the fourth, "Cars and Planes"/"Beats and Planes" (February 1989) failed to chart. The album was well received upon its release and reached #46 on the national album charts.
By that stage, Machinations had established themselves as a popular band on the Australian touring circuit. The band's activities were curtailed in early 1989 when a hit-and-run accident left Loneragan unconscious and with a broken back. He spent several months recuperating in hospital. Initially other band members intended to continue writing new material whilst Loneragan recovered from his injuries, but over time the various members left to pursue other projects. Swan toured with the James Freud's band and with MacKay performed with Absent Friends.
In early 1997, Machinations with Loneragan reconvened for some live appearances, which they hoped would lead to new recordings; however these plans never came to fruition.
In September 2006 US label, Almacantar Records reissued the band's original 1981 EP, with one additional track, "Average Inadequacy" [extract from wikipedia]
.
This is a transcript of the Band's first official biography released by SCAM Management in 1981.
Scam Management comprised it's legendary founder Lobby Loyde, an accountant, receptionist and the various tour managers of the other bands it managed, Sunnyboys, TableWaiters and Local Product. MACHINATIONS Tim Doyle and Tony Starr first started writing together at the end of 79. Using varied 'electronic gadgetry', ie drum machines, synths, their initial musical ideas were realised. Upon the return of old school friend Fred Loneragan from overseas, lyrics were soon written, and they had a singer. This original nucleus of the band played their first gigs in the inner city of Sydney in early 1980. The band were not so concerned with commercial aspirations but with the desire to perform for an audience. Their first show was at Garibaldis, a punk venue disguised as a restaurant in Darlinghurst. This was followed by residencies at the Heritage Hotel in King's Cross and at the Rock Gardens down the road in William St They had played only a few shows in all before they were joined onstage by another enlisted schoolmate, Nero Swan on bass guitar, although their drummer remained a Roland CR-78 for the next couple of years * With the support of the then 2JJ radio station *, the band recorded some of their songs at Annandale's Trafalger Studios with Lobby Loyde at the helm in November 1980. These sessions produced the single "Average Inadequacy" and their debut selftitled EP. They were recorded essentially live in the studio with little production and released on the Phantom label, headed by Jules Normington ( soon to become a trusted friend). Again with the support of 2JJJ both releases received plenty of airplay and dramatically increased the bands following, the band were joined briefly around 1982 by drummer Henri Downes ( appears in the Jumping the Gap filmclip). Warren Maclean ( drums on Big Music ) joined in 1983 and remained till 1986 when he was headhunted by Kate Ceberanos outfit, I'm Talking. He went on to join Divinyls for their last few years together as a band.
Maclean was followed by kiwi John Mackay, late of Castles in Spain, Nick Conroys band. Mackay was the final addition to the Mach's line-up and remained till the end in 1989. The Mach's residency at the Rock Gardens proved fortuitous for the band. The venue was located across the road from JJJ's then studios on William St ( just down from the Coke sign). Any band that played more than once there was likely to be noticed ( particularly if they were any good ) It was an unofficial proving ground for many of Sydneys unsigned bands. Pel Mel, Laughing Clowns, JMM, Scapaflow, Surfside Six, the Thought Criminals all received JJJ attention. Average Inadequacy was a huge JJJ favourite. The song remained in their Hottest 100 well into the early 90's.
.
This post consists of a rip (320kps) taken from a CD release of this album along with full album artwork. As a bonus, I have also chosen to include some rare dance mixes and extended plays of some of their most popular singles, all ripped from mint condition Vinyl 12" singles.
Although I wasn't really big on Dance music in the 80's - Machinations had a certain sound which made their music more appealing than some of the other Dance music at the time.
Not that I'm trying to 'Pressure Sway' you into listening to the album, but I reckon it is worth a listen if you haven't heard it yet.
.

Track Listing

01 Esteem

02 Pressure Sway

03 Transient

04 Castle Hunting

05 Jack
06 Terminal Wharf
07 The Hunt

(Bonus Tracks)

08 Average Inadequacy (A-Side Single)

09 Arabia (B-Side Single)

10 - Pressure Sway (Extended Club version)

11 - Pressure Sway (Instrumental version)

.
Band Members:
Vocals – F. J. Loneragan

Bass – N. M. Swan
Guitar – T. J. Doyle

Keyboards – A. W. Starr

.
Machinations Link (128Mb) Link Fixed 04/10/2013
.Link

Friday, October 21, 2011

BTO - Live! Live! Live! (1986) with Bonus Tracks

(Canadian 1973-79, 1983-05, 2009-present)
.
These tracks were recorded while BTO (Bachman-Turner-Overdrive) was on tour with Van Halen in the 1980's and originally released as the "Live, Live, Live!" album on Curb records. BTO had re-grouped with Randy Bachman, his brother Tim, Fred (C. F.) Turner and Guess Who drummer Gary Peterson to release a new studio album and this tour was to support that album. Sales were slim to none on the studio album, so Curb records released this album which features two new BTO tracks "Fragile Man" by Randy and "Bad News Travels Fast" by Fred to satisfy the contract with BTO. This album is not bad and features a great cover of Mountain's classic "Mississippi Queen." This album has also been re-released more recently under the title 'All Time Greatest Hits Live'.
.
Biography
Randy Bachman left the Guess Who out of frustration with the band's decidedly non-Mormon lifestyle (Bachman himself was a convert), and formed a new band, Brave Belt, with fellow Canadian Chad Allan and Randy's brother Robbie (on drums).
Brave Belt's self-named album did not do especially well, despite the presence of two big Canadian names. Chad Allen left shortly after recording it to get married and go to school. Not having a replacement ready, Randy Bachman took Neil Young's advice and called Fred Turner, another Canadian who had been in a few bands.
Brave Belt's second album, in 1972, was still country rock, but C.F. Turner's influence started to make itself felt, and the heavy guitars that became BTO's trademark were clearly evident. A few years later (1975), this record was released using the "Bachman Turner Bachman" names to capitalize on the new band's success. That's the version most of us have seen, with "Bachman Turner Bachman" at the top and "as Brave Belt" underneath.

Brave Belt III was sent to 26 music publishers, but none was willing to sign it. Finally, Randy Bachman ran into Charley Fach at Mercury; it turned out he had been away when their tape arrived, and had not heard it. Fach agreed to sign the band, but only if they worked hard to promote it with a vigorous touring schedule, and used a new name that reflected both Bachman and Turner's fame. Their new name was inspired by the truckers' magazine Overdrive; Bachman-Turner Overdrive, the record formerly turned down by every record company they sent it to, was released in 1973 and did fairly well: it stayed on the charts for 68 weeks. Bachman-Turner Overdrive II followed soon afterwards; it was more polished and had their biggest hit, Takin' Care of Business, as well as the hit Let It Ride. Tim Bachman left the band shortly afterwards for personal reasons (not artistic differences).

BTO at the CapitalNot Fragile (1974) had two hits, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" and [Let It] "Roll On Down The Highway"; the first was propelled to radio by stuttering "n-n-n-othin'." Then came 'Head On' with its foldout poster and excellent songs.
Finally, the last "original" BTO album, 'Freeways', was released, with only one heavy-guitar-crunch tune, from Fred Turner, which was more reminiscent of Brave Belt than recent BTO. All the other tunes were written by Randy Bachman, reportedly because the other members of the band did not feel they had any songs good enough for recording; and all but Freeways were sung by Randy Bachman; C.F. Turner refused to have his photo taken head on for the cover. Their style was starting to dissipate, with the heavy sound of Fred Turner fading and the more country-rock side of Randy Bachman showing (this side was very evident in his solo 'Survivor' and nearly absent from his later solos 'Any Road and Merge').

In 1977, the Japan Tour album was released; a German version was available by special order in the US (1982), but it remains rare. Lacking in the sophistication of the studio albums, it had only one new song (Slow Down Boogie) and may not be worth the effort of tracking down.

In the same year, after some artistic disputes around Freeways and his control over pushing albums out, Randy Bachman left and formed Ironhorse. The band changed its name to BTO in 1978, under the impression that Randy Bachman owned the rights to the full name. Robbie Bachman, formerly the youngest member, was in charge, and Jim Clench was added to replace Randy Bachman (as Blair Thornton had replaced Tim Bachman some time before). Two records were released, neither successful and neither easily recognizable as BTO efforts: 'Rock n Roll Nights' and 'Street Action' (which had two long bluesy tunes possibly reflecting the band's reaction to their current straits). Both Jim Clench and Fred Turner sang lead. Rock n Roll Nights had a number of outside writers; Fred Turner's only song, "Heartaches", was interesting in its use of three different musical styles in alternation. The last track, "Amerlia Earhart", was later re-recorded by a different band, in 1982, with different words and identical music and, I suspect, no royalties.

The 1983 reunion included Gary Peterson from the Guess Who as a replacement for Rob Bachman, and Tim Bachman rather than Blair Thornton. They released a rather good, self-named studio record and two live recordings; Gary Peterson's drumming took some getting used to, but adds to the sound. The band toured as an opening act for the then-in-vogue Van Halen.
The members of the band dropped out except for Tim Bachman, who remained as manager and performer, with three younger musicians. While they were touring, the sorta-original lineup (with Blair Thornton) came back and played with Ringo Starr's tour. The new/old band lasted from 1988 through 1991, with no new recordings; without Randy Bachman (replaced by Randy Murray), they continued to tour, and are still playing now and then, and cranked out a new studio album, not widely available 'Trial by Fire' with five new songs and ten re-done classics.
They played good music in their comeback. They had energy, they had great new songs, they had no publicity and they just couldn't do it on their own. Times had changed. Simply touring and being good weren't enough without commercial backing and bucks for the DJs. So they disappeared back into obscurity.

Randy Bachman did a couple of solo albums, leaving the band in 1991, but they never really got any airplay despite a video with Neil Young. At least they had a little fun and we got a little music. BTO was still playing in 1993 as Randy Murray, Fred Turner, Robin Bachman, and Blair Thornton.
Randy Bachman's new band, Ironhorse, produced two records, then changed its name to Union and added Fred Turner for their final record. While these are certainly worth getting, they are very, very hard to find.

Various versions of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, BTO, and the Randy Bachman Band have been touring on and off through to the 21st century, even as Randy cranked out an autobiography and a bunch of country and jazz songs. Most recently, Randy Bachman produced an album with Burton Cummings, as well as his Jazz Thing CDs. In 2008, Bachman was on tour alone, presumably doing his jazz thing. The other members of the band do not appear to be active. [extract from allpar.com]
.
This post consists of a rip taken from my cassette tape copy - which plays the same as the day I bought it. I really like this Live Recording, and their take on "Mississippi Queen" is as good as Mountain's version. Full album artwork is also included and I have taken the liberty of including a couple of live BTO standards "Give It Time" and "Let It Ride" to strengthen the song selection for this release. If you liked BTO in the 70's then you are going to like their 80's reformation, especially as their live material matches anything they could produce in the studio.
.
Track Listing
01 - Hey You

02 - Mississippi Queen
03 - Sledgehammer
04 - Fragile Man
05 - Bad News Travels Fast
06 - You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
07 - Roll On Down The Highway
08 - Takin' Care Of Business
Bonus Tracks
09 - Give It Time (King Biscuit Flower Hour)
10 - Let It Ride (King Biscuit Flower Hour)

.
Band Members:
C.F. Turner (Bass, Vocals)

Garry Peterson (Drums, Vocals)

Randy Bachman (Lead Guitar, Vocals)

Tim Bachman (Rhythm Guitar , Vocals)

Billy Chapman (Piano)

.
BTO Live Link (90Mb) New Link 17/12/2023
.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Radiators - Life's A Gamble (1984) plus Bonus Track

(Australian 1978 - Present)
.
Few survive the Rock ‘n Roll road to stardom but The Radiators (the Rads) are Rock’s greatest survivors! They are approaching 30 years of outstanding music, exciting and sometimes controversial lyrics, more than 4,000 electrifying live performances and platinum and gold album sales.
The Rads debuted late 1978. Their first album “Feel the Heat” was released late 1979 and by March 1980 these Aussie Rock Icons had achieved platinum status.
Little did they then know they would go on to forge a unique sound and influence thousands of music lovers throughout Australia.
Since 1978 The Rads have achieved many “firsts”
* First Australian Band to have advance/pre-sales on a debut album (6,000 copies of “Feel the Heat” had been sold before it was released);
* First Australian Band to achieve platinum status and a Top Ten position with their first two albums;
* First Australian Band to play more than 320 gigs in their first year of formation;
* One of very few Rock Bands worldwide to have survived so long with their original frontline intact [extract from The Radiators Website]
.
Radiators Biography
Formed in Western Sydney in 1978, The Radiators were originally lumped in with the New Wave scene in Sydney but in reality were a pub rock band with a sense of humour. In their hey-day they were one of the hardest working bands in Australia, touring constantly and racking up over 2,500 gigs by the early 1990s.
Their first single (on WEA) was "Comin’ Home" which reached number 33 (and probably earned them their New Wave tag). "Fess’ Song" (“I take drugs, I like sex, I like looking at dirty pictures, I like lying in bed with Fess”) and the album 'Feel The Heat' followed and The Rads’ then went on to support The Police on their Australian Tour in 1980.
'Hit And Run' was the third single lifted from their debut LP which went on to sell 90,000 copies. In 1981 they changed record labels and released Roomful Of Diamonds. 1982 brought the singles Up For Grabs and Nothing’s Changed. A new contract with EMI produced the album Scream Of The Real and the singles No Tragedy and You.
Another LP followed in 1984 'Life’s A Gamble' along with 3 singles; The Beatles’ "Revolution", "Life’s A Gamble" and "A Bit Of Pain Never Hurts". Long-serving drummer Chris Tagg left in June 1984 to be replaced by a string of others. The band with more record labels than hot dinners continued recording well into the 90s but by then their brand of boogie-influenced rock had been superseded by more alternative guitar bands. But, being the pub-rock warhorses that they were, The Radiators would not stop.
The Radiators (still one of the hardest working bands in the land) still play live in Australia today (I saw them in January 2003 actually, and despite the absence of as keyboard player these days, these guys still R.O.C.K). Of special note is the bands most (in)famous song (and solid live favourite), a charming little ditty entitled Give Me Head which is about, well . . . you work it out! [extract from Nostalgia Central]
..
'Life's A Gamble' is a strange album - the first side of the album is a little disappointing with only the title track holding its own, however the flip side a completely different story. The B-Side tracks are much stronger with some great riffs and lyrics. In particular, "Scream Of The Real" which oddly enough was the title of their previous album, has some strange moments where you almost think that 'master reel' is running slow, however, it soon becomes apparent that the sound effects serve a purpose. The final track "Rock and Roll Carnivore" is the best track by far and closes the album on a real high.
However, don't expect any of their usual larakin songs amongst this lot - The Rads have finally grown up from their 'Gimme Head' days.
The post consists of a rip (320kps) taken from my 'virgin' vinyl (a Promo Copy) along with full album artwork, including an inner record jacket which is one of the best album artworks that I have come across - similar to Elton John's Yellow Brick Road.
I have also included two bonus singles: "Room Full Of Diamonds" from 1981 and their brilliant cover of the Beatles hit "Revolution" released in 1984, along with a copy of a Publicity Photo (see B&W above) that was included with this promo copy.
.
Track Listing
01 - Life's A Gamble

02 - I'd Die For You

03 - Suddenly We're Strangers
04 - Getting Away From It All

05 - A Bit Of Pain Never Hurts

06 - Let's Do It Again

07 - Hollywood (The Love You Steal)

08 - Night Slave

09 - Scratch It Off

10 - Scream Of The Real

11 - Rock And Roll Carnivore

12 - Room Full Of Diamonds (Bonus Single 1981)

13 - Revolution (Bonus Single 1984)
.
Band Members:
Brian Nichol – Lead vocals

Mick Buckley – Drums & vocals

Brendan Callinan – Keyboards & vocals

Steven “Fess” Parker – Guitar

Geoff Turner – Bass & vocals

.
The Radiators Link (123 Mb) Link Fixed 05/05/2020
.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Kiss - Killers (1982)

(U.S 1973-Present)
.
In the light of my previous post which featured the record label Casablanca, I thought I would dedicate this post to their most successful band Kiss.
Kiss was formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. Kiss has been awarded 24 gold albums to date, the most of any American rock band.
The 1973–'80 classic lineup of Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, percussion and vocals) is the most successful. With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personas of comic book-style characters: Starchild (Stanley), The Demon (Simmons), Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley) and Catman (Criss). The band explains that the fans were the ones who ultimately chose their makeup designs. Paul Stanley became the "Starchild" because of his tendency to be referred to as the "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic." The "Demon" makeup reflected Simmons's cynicism and dark sense of humor, as well as his affection for comic books. Ace Frehley's "Spaceman" makeup was a reflection of his fondness for science fiction and supposedly being from another planet. Peter Criss' "Catman" makeup was in accordance with the belief that Criss had nine lives because of his rough childhood in Brooklyn.
Because of creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had waned considerably by that point
The 1980's 'Unmasked' barely achieved gold certification, and the band toured exclusively outside the United States for the first time in their career that year. 1981's Music from "The Elder" fared even worse—it failed to gain any certification and the band did not tour behind it at all. The album, released in November 1981, was off the charts by February 1982.
That month, Phonogram Records (the parent company of Kiss's label, Casablanca Records) requested that Kiss record four new songs, to be included in an upcoming greatest hits album called 'Killers'. Phonogram requested hard rock songs specifically, in contrast to the progressive rock style of Music from 'The Elder'.
.
Numerous outside songwriters and session musicians were employed for the writing and recording of the four new songs on 'Killers'. Songwriter and musician Mikel Japp, who co-wrote three songs on Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album, co-wrote "Down on Your Knees" with Stanley and Bryan Adams. Adam Mitchell, another outside songwriter, was brought in by producer Michael James Jackson.
Despite being pictured on the album's cover art (from the photo-session for "Music From The Elder"), lead guitarist and co-founder Ace Frehley did not participate at all in the production of 'Killers'. He had essentially ended his active involvement with Kiss in late 1981, although he would not officially leave the group until the end of 1982, after the release of this compilation. His replacement for the 'Killers' sessions was Bob Kulick, who had previously subbed for Frehley on a handful of studio tracks on 1977's 'Alive II'. However, whereas Kulick had been asked to mimic Frehley's playing style when recording for 'Alive II', he was permitted to employ his own techniques for Killers.
Due to the large volume of Kiss live albums and greatest hits albums already available domestically, Phonogram decided to issue the album outside the United States. The album sold in moderate numbers, reaching #21 and #27 in Australia and Japan, respectively. None of the singles released from the album, however, charted in any country [extract from wikipedia]
..
Album Review
A superb collection of vintage 70s rockers from this glam metal quartet, includes "Nowhere To Run" and "Detroit Rock City."
1981's 'The Elder' was such a bomb worldwide that Kiss' record company outside the U.S., Casablanca/Phonogram, demanded that the band immediately assemble another greatest-hits package to prove to their befuddled fans that they were still a heavy metal group, not experimental prog rockers. Since a greatest-hits set was issued just four years prior in the form of the double LP Double Platinum, the band decided to include four brand-new tracks along with some hits, under the title of Killers (a single album). The new tracks ("I'm a Legend Tonight," "Down on Your Knees," "Nowhere to Run," "Partners in Crime") resembled the Kiss of old more than anything the band had released for a few years by this point (again, guitarist Bob "Alive II" Kulick subs for Ace Frehley). The only hits on Killers that hadn't already appeared on Double Platinum were "I Was Made for Loving You," "Sure Know Something," and "Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)"; the rest were repeats ("Love Gun," "Detroit Rock City," "God of Thunder," "Cold Gin," and "Shout It out Loud"). Killers didn't accomplish what the record company hoped it would -- re-establishing Kiss as chart-toppers -- but it did show their fans outside the U.S. that the band meant business again.
The Australian and Japanese versions of Killers include a slightly different track listing. The release in Japan featured two additional tracks not found on the LP as released in all other countries: "Escape from the Island" (Frehley, Eric Carr, Ezrin) and "Shandi" (Stanley, Poncia). Additionally, the version released in Australia (both LP and Tape) also included "Talk to Me" (Frehley), and "Shandi" (Stanley, Poncia). The version of "Shout It Out Loud" found on this release features the single mix that has all the vocals in the center channel, whereas the original Destroyer version features Paul Stanley on the right channel, and Gene Simmons on the left. It also fades about 10 seconds earlier than the album version [review by Greg Prato]
..
This post consists of a rip (320kps) taken from Cassette Tape and is flawless. The tape itself is in brilliant condition considering its age and plays perfectly. As this is an Australian release, the two additional tracks "Talk To Me" and "Shandi" are included. However, when I first came across this compilation, I was a little disappointed that it did not include the live classic "Let Me Go Rock and Roll" which pairs nicely with the live version of "Rock And Roll All Nite" that was included.
So I have taken the liberty of including it as a bonus track and have altered the CD artwork accordingly. Full Artwork for Vinyl, CD and Cassette Tape has therefore been included.
This collection of Kiss tracks provides a good sample of their work spanning almost 10 years of their career but I must say that their first double live album is my all time favourite Kiss release.
Note: This particular compilation is a must for all Kiss fans as it contains 4 tracks previously unreleased on any of their studio albums.
.
Track Listing
01. I'm a Legend Tonight

02. Down on Your Knees

03. Cold Gin

04. Love Gun

05. Shout It Out Loud

06. Talk To Me*

07. Sure Know Something

08. Nowhere to Run

09. Partners in Crime

10. Detroit Rock City

11. God of Thunder

12. I Was Made For Loving You

13. Shandi*

14. Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)

15. Let Me Go Rock and Roll (Bonus Live)

* Track only included on Australian release.
.
Kiss were:
Gene Simmons – bass guitar, lead vocals
Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, lead vocals

Ace Frehley – lead guitar, backing vocals

Peter Criss - drums

Bob Kulick – lead guitar on all new (1982) songs.

Eric Carr - drums on all new (1982) songs.

Anton Fig - drums on "I Was Made For Lovin' You" and "Sure Know Something"

.
Kiss Killers Link (128Mb) New Link 11/01/2023
.
Link

Monday, October 10, 2011

Various Artists - The Casablanca File (1975)

(Various Casablanca Artists 1974-1975)
.
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture. Casablanca had become one of the most successful labels of the 1970s, signing and releasing albums by such acts as Kiss, Donna Summer, The Village People, Cher, and Parliament featuring George Clinton. The label's film division, Casablanca Filmworks, had hits with the movies 'The Deep' and 'Midnight Express'.
In 1977, PolyGram Records acquired a 50 percent stake of Casablanca for $15 million, and then in 1980 it purchased the other 50 percent. Also in 1980, one of the label's biggest acts, Donna Summer, left for another record company as she and Casablanca could not come to terms on her musical direction in the new decade. That same year, Polygram pushed Bogart out of Casablanca due to what it viewed as the label's overspending and accounting irregularities. In the early 80s, with Bogart no longer heading the label, Casablanca had hits with acts Lipps Inc and Irene Cara, but it did not have the same level of success it had in the 70s. The label was eventually shut down with some of the artist roster and catalog absorbed into sister label Mercury Records [extract from wikipedia]
.
Kiss (Selftitled, Dressed To Kill, Hotter Than Hell)
In only four short years, Casablanca had become a blockbuster record company due to KISS, arguably the most sensational live act in rock music at the time. Ray D’Ariano, who was based in Casablanca’s New York office, noted: “The disco thing was so huge and at the same time, we had this phenomenon going on with KISS. Totally nothing to do with disco, totally nothing to do with anything”. The team behind KISS was instrumental in the innovative marketing of the group. Bill Aucoin, who managed KISS through his own Rock Steady management company, and Joyce Bogart-Trabulus, who co-managed the group with Aucoin, ensured that KISS was constantly breaking new ground. Aucoin even copyrighted the band’s make-up in the Library of Congress. 1978 brought a rock music “first” to fruition when each member of KISS released a solo album simultaneously (however, not very strong albums in my opinion).
Astor records (Astor radio corporation) became the sole distributor of Kiss in Australia at the time. Their first single release in Australia was from 'Hotter than Hell' LP: "Let Me Go Rock N Roll"/ "Hotter than Hell". Then came Australia's first Kiss LP release 'Hotter than Hell' and similar to the USA the blue boghart label (see pictured at the bottom of this post) was used for these early records.
.
.
The second record was there selftitled album 'Kiss', sadly no singles were released from this LP in Oz. In that same year, 'Dressed to Kill' was released and featured singles "Rock N Roll All Nite"/"Getaway" and "C'mon Love Me"/"Getaway". All these singles and LPs didn't make the charts and did poorly in sales. Which is extremely tough to find for KISS collectors as they rarely appear at local garage sales and alike. In the same year, Kiss featured on this Australian Casablanca sampler compilation called 'The Casablanca File'.
.
Greg Perry (One For The Road)
Greg was one of major staff writers for Invictus/Hot Wax and co wrote most of the hits of Chairmen of the Board, Freda Payne etc. This his first solo album was originally released on Casablanca in 1975.
Greg is one ot the most impressive new progressive soul talents to emerge in years," reads Cashbox and his debut album tor Casablanca 'One For The Road' was reviewed as a "stunning/perfectly tasteful, high voltage blend of the Shaft/Superfly and Philly sound breakthroughs."
Listen to "I'll Be Comin' Back" and "Variety Is The Spice Of Life" and you'll understand why these reviews are worthy. This album is now regarded as one the best soul albums of all time.
.
James & Bobby Purify (You & Me Together)
They were an R&B singing duo and 'Bobby Purify' was actually two different singers. The first was James's cousin, Robert Lee Dickey, who adopted the Purify name for performing, and sang on their early records. The second Bobby, was vocalist Ben Moore, who replaced Dickey in 1971 when Dickey suffered health problems.
James and Bobby's new album 'You and me Together' produced by Don Schroeder and Tommy Gogbill for the Casablanca label, marked the first time the duo had recorded together since their earlier string of hits including the classic "I'm Your Puppet" and what an album to come back with; they've come up with a brand new hot disco sound that will knock you out, so be warned!
.
Fanny (Rock And Roll Survivors)
When you ask people to name the very first all-female rock band ever, THE GOGO'S, THE BANGLES or THE RUNAWAYS might come close to the truth. But the real answer would be FANNY. Formed in the late sixties, led by the two sisters, June and Jean Millington, they sounded like a real rock band. From that moment on, it was cool and accepted for women to play rock music. As there was no competition back in these days, FANNY were quite unique and on their own, so to speak.
'Rock 'n' Roll Survivors' their fifth and latest album is unquestionably their best to date. With the addition of Patti Quatro (Suzi's sister) Fanny are, in their own words, much "harder", "heavier", "tighter" and "funkier" than any of the previous Fanny incarnations. Check out the hot single "Butter Boy" and the Jagger/Richard "Let's Spend The Night Together" and you'll see what they mean.
As a final album, Fanny's 'Rock & Roll Survivors' is not as bad as the reviews of the time made it out -- specifically in the United States (in the U.K. the album was received quite well, both critically and commercially). For instance, it does contain their most successful charting single with "Butter Boy," which reached number 29 in the Billboard Hot 100. That said, it does reveal a band struggling to maintain its identity in the midst of tremendous pressure. For starters, founding member and guitarist June Millington left before the album was recorded, as did drummer Alice de Buhr. Bassist Jean Millington replaced her sister with former Detroiter Patti Quatro, sister of Suzi, and drummer Brie Brandt (who left immediately after the recording and was replaced by Cam Davis for the band's final tour).
Patti began to take over the role as band leader. Although this didn't last too long. As Jean was one of the founding members of FANNY, she wasn't too happy with this situation of course. Early 1975, Cam left the band and Patti followed shortly thereafter. FANNY called it quits and the story was over.
.
Parliament (Up For The Down Stroke, Chocolate City)
Parliament (aka Funkadelic) was a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums and memorable live performances. They had a large cult following.
Parliament first recorded for Invictus Records in 1970, and after a hiatus in which Clinton focused on Funkadelic, Parliament was signed to Casablanca Records and released its debut album 'Up for the Down Stroke' in 1974 and a followup LP 'Chocolate City' in 1975. Notable members to join during this period include keyboardist Bernie Worrell, bassist Bootsy Collins, guitarist Garry Shider, and The Horny Horns.
They have been lauded as America's top purveyors of a kind of Soul Music that picks up where Sly leaves off. A reviewer said of a recent concert "The group must have hit those special notes that Sly discovered in "Dance To The Music" because the effect was just that, you had to move." Listen to their two albums on Casablanca "Up For The Down Stroke" and their brand new L.P "Chocolate City" and you'll agree.
.
Hugh Masekela (The Boy's Din' It)
Hugh Masekela has an extensive jazz background and credentials, but has enjoyed major success as one of the earliest leaders in the world fusion mode. Masekela's vibrant trumpet and flugelhorn solos have been featured in pop, R&B, disco, Afropop and jazz contexts. He's had American and international hits, worked with bands around the world, and played with African, African-American, European and various American musicians during a stellar career. His style, especially on flugelhorn, is a charismatic blend of striking upper register lines, half valve effects, repetitive figures and phrases, with some note bending, slurs and tonal colors. Though he's often simplified his playing to fit into restrictive pop formulas, Masekela's capable of outstanding ballad and bebop work.
One of the Superstars and vital spokesmen in our society, has come up with an absolute blockbuster of an album for his debut on Casablanca records; with 'The Boy's Doin' It', Hugh has returned to his roots. Produced by himself and Stewart Levine, the album was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria using local musicians to capture the ethnic feel — and it works, full of primeval rhythm, it is a beautiful musical experience and can only enhance Hugh's standing as a leading musical innovator.
No other work during Hugh Masekela's long and fruitful career blended all of his interests -- jazz, funk, pop, Afrobeat, and R&B, plus a little Latin and a lot of disco -- into such an exciting mixture as 1975's The Boy's Doin' It, his first record for Casablanca. Influenced by Kool & the Gang as well as the growing tendency for Latin artists (like Joe Bataan) to cross over toward contemporary dance trends (and labels), Masekela recruited a few veterans from the Ghanian high life band Hedzoleh Soundz -- with whom he'd worked with on one album before. Recorded in Lagos, Nigeria and dedicated to Fela Kuti, The Boy's Doin' It has six extended jams, each of which does an excellent job of playing off deep grooves against ensemble vocals and catchy hooks, with plenty of room for Masekela's own trumpet and every note polished to a fine '70s sheen. It didn't matter what type of music fan you were: pop, disco, funk, world music, and any but the most hidebound jazz purist could get into these tracks.
.
Gloria Scott (What Am I Gonna Do)
"I really love to sing hearty songs — songs I can live and experiences I can identify with." says Gloria. Gloria Scott's debut album on the Casablanca is full of such songs and the title track "What Am I Gonna Do?" captures the feel perfectly. A glorious Barry White production which is bound to launch Gloria into stardom where she belongs.
One of the greatest soul records of all time, and an album that we'd never part with! Gloria Scott only ever recorded this one full LP, but that's more than enough, as the whole thing's a masterpiece, produced by Barry White with the best of his 70s approach, and featuring songs written by lesser-known White protege, Tom Brock! Nearly every single cut's a classic, a mixture of deep soul, mellow soul, and slight traces of funk, all gliding effortlessly together with White's stone cold production, and Gloria's instantly captivating vocals.
For newcomers to the album, this album was released in 1974 in limited quantities on vinyl, and to date is vocalist Gloria Scott's only album (no one knows what happened to her either). As the only album she recorded, it failed within the US, but for some reason developed a cult following in Europe, and strangely enough, in Japan. In fact, the Japanese audience was sizable enough that the first ever CD release of this happened only within Japan.
So what does the music sound like - well, think of some old school Diana Ross, slowed down even more and layered with a luscious jazz and blues ambiance. Its stripped down, almost acoustic, and yet every track manages to sound different and unique. My personal favorite is "Its Better to have no Love" which best exemplifies the kind of superb songwriting that was present back in the 1970s. "A Case of too Much Lovemakin" was actually a minor R&B hit within the US in 1974 - but ask anyone who followed music back in that year about Gloria Scott and they'd go "Who?"
I love obscure, rare releases such as this one. Gloria Scott created an instant classic, and it holds up just beautifully. I'd suggest you get your hands on this as soon as possible. I think Mary J Blige possibly has this album though, as almost EVERY song on this album sounds like it could have inspired almost all of the best songs in Blige's catalog. Either way, this LP is a must-have.
.
.
This post consists of a mp3 (320kps) rip taken from my vinyl which I acquired when it was first released - and yes, it was the inclusion of the relatively unknown band Kiss that drew my attention to the album. Full album artwork is included.
The remaining tracks never really excited me at the time but on reflection, there are some good Disco and Funk tracks on this record sampler also.
And so, in the infamous words of that well known actor who put the city of Casablanca on the map - Play It Again Sam !
.
Track Listing
01 - I'll Be Coming Back
(Greg Perry)
02 - Do Your Thing (Bobby & James Purify)

03 - Ride On (Parliament)
04 - Strutter (Kiss)

05 - Two Timer (Kiss)

06 - Beggar Man (Fanny)

07 - Testify (Parliament)

08 - Hot Down In Chile (Danny Cox)
09 - Too Much Love Makin' (Gloria Scott)

10 - The Boy's Doin' It (Hugh Masekela)

11 - Let Me Go Rock 'N' Roll (Kiss)

.
The Casablanca Link (84Mb) New Link 24/10/2015
.