San Diego Reader Interview

Yeah, so I a did an interview recently with the San Diego Reader where I talk about my album Quartet and some other things.

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Thomas & Richard Frost

The Frost bros bring you something harmonious for your Sunday morning coming down.

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The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

"Ricochet," the Dirt Band's second album, finds the group transitioning from a folky-pysch sound into something a little more rootsy. It's a fun record with a couple of rare Jackson Browne tunes tossed in, but I could've used with a little less kazoo.

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Pendulum & Co.

Obscure Boston-based psych-rock band on the Perception label.

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Jerry Merrick

Jerry's songs have been recorded by B.J. Thomas, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Susan Tedeschi, but he is best known for writing "Follow," which appeared on the 1967 Richie Havens album "Mixed Bag." Here is his LP from 1968.

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The Abstracts

One-off record on Atlantic’s short-lived Pompeii subsidiary. No great work of art, but not without merit.

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Chad Mitchell

In which the veteran folkie jettisons his trio and becomes ... himself. If anyone has his "Love, a Feeling Of" album, please put a link in the comments.

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Heart

No, not that Heart.

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Remember Me

So I am a peephole
Into a windowless room
Where the sweat on the tiles
Is the only perfume
On the desk is a diary
And next to it a vase
The rose draws blood
And it drips on the lace
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Nino Tempo

In which the sessioning sax man sheds his sultry chanteuse.

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The Rubber Band

The quintessence of exploito.

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Siegling & Larrabee

Look label-mates saddled with the CSN tag for their layered harmonies.

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Ray Brown

Aussie Ray came to L.A. in 1967 with high hopes, one would assume. After all, Capitol had just signed him, and studio ace David Axelrod was to be his producer. But despite a $30,000 budget, the album tanked - something about an odd choice of cover songs. Still, this lush little record has its moments. (This is a re-up, by request.)

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Stephen Monahan

Keeping you up to date on the obscure.

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Geoff & Maria

A slice of pie with some sweet potatoes on the side. Enjoy.

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Pure Love & Pleasure

Indeed it is.

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Les Baxter

Got your Les Baxter right here.

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Los Feliz

Here is my new album. It's got Sharon, my ex, on the cover. I took this shot in 1985 when she was going to college in Santa Cruz and we were about at the peak of our crazy love thing. After that, her mom committed suicide and, of course, she (and we) were never the same. She eventually had an affair, and then after we split she married the guy. She went on to become a therapist, and on her web site now she talks about the virtues of being kind and honest and authentic ... ironic, because those are all the things she denied me. She has kids who are in their 20s, and I'm guessing they don't know that she was ever married before or that I ever existed. Hell, I bet if you asked her, even she would say that I never existed and that our relationship never happened. This photograph is my proof. Look, see for yourself.

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Dick Campbell

Never was a Dylan rip-off so blatant. Doesn't hurt (or help) that Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield are on board.

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B.S. I Love You

By request, here's the soundtrack to "B.S. I Love You," featuring Stouffville Grit, whoever they were.

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Christopher Kearney

Once again, many thanks to bayouangel for fulfilling this request!

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Great Movie Themes

By request, here's a re-up of this sweet Colgems comp.

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Maxine Sellers

Thanks to bayouangel, here is Maxine Sellers' album, produced by Beach Boy associate Nick Venet and featuring a host of Wrecking Crew sessioners.

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Christopher Cloud

In 1973, Tommy Boyce (sans Bobby Hart) teamed up the the band Aim (see entry below) to record this glam-rock album. Perhaps he was trying to distance himself from his bubblegum past, because this record has a meatier edge to it, and Boyce billed himself merely as "Tomme."

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Aim

Here's an obscure '70s pop-rock record that features guitarist and singer Michael W. Overly who, along with Tommy Boyce, was part of the group Christopher Cloud (which I'll post soon).

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Nancy Michaels

Found this one at a crate dig yesterday. Nancy definitely sounds influenced by Joni Mitchell, which more than likely is why she was on Warners. Alas, "First Impressions" would be her last impression. The vinyl is pretty noisy, but I did my best to clean it up.

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Smokey and His Sister

Before White Stripes, there was this brother snd sister act.

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Dreamland

This was an attempt to make an album in singular style (in this case, a mostly acoustic record), rather than hopscotching all over the map stylistically, as I tend to do. I wouldn't exactly say that this is a mellow record; rather, like the title, it's more dream-like. A couple of the songs - "How Can Anybody Get Anything Done 'Round Here," "Late Night Companion" and the title track - are among my all-time personal favorites. I also like "Turtles All the Way Down," which came about after watching an episode of the long-ago cancelled series "Awake." If you are having trouble sleeping, I suggest putting this one on the ol' hi-fi.

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Spirit of Rock

Here's yet another choice sampler that was released on Probe, which was an offshoot of ABC/Dunhill.

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Jacob's Ladder

A mystery surrounds me
Like none I've ever known
And I don't know the meaning
As it spins 'round me like a cyclone
I have spent whole my life searching
Trying to figure out just why I'm here
But try as I may and try as I might
I don't think I've ever come near

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Friend & Lover

Music from a seemingly more innocent time.

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Don Kirshner

In which dandy Don lets his hair down (so to speak). A prime slice of exploito, from a guy who really knew how to cash in on the craze of the day.

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Michael McGinnis

Here's another wonderful record I picked up at In Your Ear. Check the comments for a link for Michael's third album, "Hobo's Holiday."

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The Bully Boys Band

Not sure who the Bully Boys really were, but since this was recorded in the late '60s and because it is on Dunhill, it likely has some of the Wrecking Crew on it. In any event, this is a minor treasure.

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The Aquarians

There's a breezy Latin vibe about this record that makes me think of spring. Hope it does the same for you.

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Original Caste

Update: Check the comments for a link of this obscure Original Caste album.

Spooner Oldham

Very obscure record from Muscle Shoals vet and Dan Penn partner. Some find his singing a little lacking. Me, I think it's part of the charm.

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Tartaglia

By request, here's a lushly orchestrated record by Tartaglia, whose arrangements remind me somewhat of David Axelrod. His other album, "Good Morning Starshine," is in the file as well.

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Muve

Here's an obscure spoken-word album from a guy named Richard Christensen, who sounds at times a little like Rod McKuen. The arrangements, by Tartaglia, are ornate and rather beautiful, and because it's on Capitol it sounds as though no small expense was made. But really, what were they thinking?

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6680 Lexington

Another one of those records full great songs and amazing players (including Darlene Love and Bill Medley) that came and went with little buzz. Very much worth hearing, nonetheless.

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The Groovin' Strings and Things

Groovin' ... on a snowy afternoon.

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Hey Baby!

From Allmusic: Nino Tempo & April Stevens (who were actually brother and sister, born Nino LoTempio and Carol LoTempio) bobbed up and down through the pop charts through much of the 1960s, enjoying only a couple of major successes ("Deep Purple" and "Whispering") but maintaining enough momentum to stay in the good graces of several major labels throughout the decade. Hey Baby! was recorded during the duo's tenure with Atco Records, and it's fairly typical of their work of the period, a polished set of well-known pop tunes ("Hey Baby," "Land of 1000 Dances," "These Arms of Mine") and some well-crafted originals ("Swing Me," "Tomorrow Is Soon a Memory," "Ooh La La") alongside a few genuine eccentricities ("Mohair Sam" is given a fairly improbable parody as "No Hair Sam" and an otherwise strong folk-rock arrangement of "I Love How You Love Me" is punctuated with a hyperactive bagpipe). While Nino & April's efforts to sound hip usually end in failure, they harmonize well and they were capable solo vocalists too, with April sounding sweetly seductive on a new recording of "Teach Me Tiger" and Nino handling his Otis Redding cover quite well indeed. Nino was a talented producer and sax player as well as a vocalist and songwriter, and if this isn't top-shelf mid-'60s pop, the craft is strong throughout and if he and April often sound as if they'd be more comfortable in a supper club than at a rock show, they avoid the suggestion that they're looking down on the material; Hey Baby! doesn't include any of their major hits, but it's certain to please completists.

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Rudy Ramos

Anyone remember "The High Chaparral"?

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Reuben Howell

Here are the two albums by Reuben Howell, the first white dude signed to Motown. A caveat: for reasons unknown, my frickin' iTunes won't let me tag the song titles of the first album.

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Richard Twice

A band so nice they named it ... Twice. Features Wrecking Crew back-up. 'Nuf said.

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Far Country

I see justice
Just out of view
Yeah, I see justice
Don't have much to do
But I got no worries
Why give a toss
I'm already long gone from here
And I don't feel a loss

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San Fernando Brass

Here's an interesting curio: a hits-of-the-day record produced in Quad by Capitol for Realistic, the company that owns Radio Shack. Don't know who plays on it, but the performances are first rate.

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Noel Harrison

From the boy behind the girl from U.N.C.L.E.

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Children of Prague

Thanks so much to Yahwehfrk, who supplied us with this sweet bubblegum rarity.

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Pete Jolly

By request, here's a sweet and mellow record by Pete Jolly.

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