Beautiful brother...Thank you so much! Methinks someone gave the squares some L.S. & D at some point though...ha ha ha ...I hear that smiling twinkle in the eye! This is fuckin great, I had some of these tracks but your rip is soo superior, love love love the master Mondo sound! Oh dig those Mecca Flat Blues!! .......love....... ...come from within a person, don't matter where you're from, if it's in you it's in you ...and it might begin to teach you how to give a damn... ...and it might begin to reach you why we give a damn
Anyone who thought Spanky and Our Guys were nothing more than a second rate Mamas and the Papas is likely to be pleasantly surprised by 1968's "Without Rhyme or Reason b/w Anything You Chose". Co-produced by Stuart Scharf and Bob Dorough, the band's third studio set was recorded in the wake of personnel upheavals that saw original bassist Oz Bach replaced by Kenny Hodges and the addition of new singer/guitarist Lefty Baker. Musically the album stood as their most diverse, experimental and enjoyable collection. Apparently intended as a concept piece, the collection found the band turning in an impressive and seamless suite of music that included stabs at blues, vaudeville, folk-rock, jazz, MOR, pop, psych, and hard rock. Highlights included the weird lead off rocker 'Leopard Skin Phones', the Malcolm Hale sung 'Jane' and the should've been hits 'Since You've Been Gone' and 'And She's Mine' (one of the niftiest sunshine pop songs you'll ever hear). Curiously Mercury chose to release 'Give a Damn' b/w 'The Swinging Gate' (Mercury catalog number 72831) as a single. It seems funny in this day and age, but in 1968 the song title was enough to provoke a widespread airplay ban though the 45 still managed to hit the top-100 charts. That's even funnier given the lyrics were one of the era's more effective pleas for understanding and cooperation. Go figure ... Mercury also tapped 'And She's Mine' b/w 'Leopard Skin Phones' (Mercury catalog number 72926) as a follow-on single. Sadly, the album was completed amidst personal tragedy - guitarist Malcolm Hale contracted pneumonia and died during the recording sessions.
Band members - Oz Bach (RIP 1998) - bass (1966-68) - Lefty Baker - vocals, guitar (1968-69) - Malcolm Hale (RIP 1968) - guitar, drums (1966-69) - Kenny Hodges - bass (replaced Oz Bach) (1968-69) - Elaine 'Spanky' McFarlane - vocals, percussion (1966-69) - Nigel Pickering - bass (1966-69) - John Seiter - drums (1967-69)
This, is, a, freaking, pop, masterpiece. I picked up an original vinyl back when there were record stores with cutout bins full of treasure. It's one of the greatest headphone albums of all time. (Play Sgt Pepper after this and hear how dull it sounds in comparison)
Beautiful brother...Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteMethinks someone gave the squares some L.S. & D at
some point though...ha ha ha
...I hear that smiling twinkle in the eye!
This is fuckin great,
I had some of these tracks but your rip is soo superior,
love love love the master Mondo sound!
Oh dig those Mecca Flat Blues!!
.......love.......
...come from within a person, don't matter where you're from,
if it's in you it's in you
...and it might begin to teach you
how to give a damn...
...and it might begin to reach you
why we give a damn
...as a wiseMan once said
You Set The Scene
Thank you again my friend
Anyone who thought Spanky and Our Guys were nothing more than a second rate Mamas and the Papas is likely to be pleasantly surprised by 1968's "Without Rhyme or Reason b/w Anything You Chose". Co-produced by Stuart Scharf and Bob Dorough, the band's third studio set was recorded in the wake of personnel upheavals that saw original bassist Oz Bach replaced by Kenny Hodges and the addition of new singer/guitarist Lefty Baker. Musically the album stood as their most diverse, experimental and enjoyable collection. Apparently intended as a concept piece, the collection found the band turning in an impressive and seamless suite of music that included stabs at blues, vaudeville, folk-rock, jazz, MOR, pop, psych, and hard rock. Highlights included the weird lead off rocker 'Leopard Skin Phones', the Malcolm Hale sung 'Jane' and the should've been hits 'Since You've Been Gone' and 'And She's Mine' (one of the niftiest sunshine pop songs you'll ever hear). Curiously Mercury chose to release 'Give a Damn' b/w 'The Swinging Gate' (Mercury catalog number 72831) as a single. It seems funny in this day and age, but in 1968 the song title was enough to provoke a widespread airplay ban though the 45 still managed to hit the top-100 charts. That's even funnier given the lyrics were one of the era's more effective pleas for understanding and cooperation. Go figure ... Mercury also tapped 'And She's Mine' b/w 'Leopard Skin Phones' (Mercury catalog number 72926) as a follow-on single. Sadly, the album was completed amidst personal tragedy - guitarist Malcolm Hale contracted pneumonia and died during the recording sessions.
ReplyDeleteBand members
- Oz Bach (RIP 1998) - bass (1966-68)
- Lefty Baker - vocals, guitar (1968-69)
- Malcolm Hale (RIP 1968) - guitar, drums (1966-69)
- Kenny Hodges - bass (replaced Oz Bach) (1968-69)
- Elaine 'Spanky' McFarlane - vocals, percussion (1966-69)
- Nigel Pickering - bass (1966-69)
- John Seiter - drums (1967-69)
This, is, a, freaking, pop, masterpiece. I picked up an original vinyl back when there were record stores with cutout bins full of treasure. It's one of the greatest headphone albums of all time. (Play Sgt Pepper after this and hear how dull it sounds in comparison)
ReplyDelete