One of the first psychedelic rock bands to ever come out of Denmark in the 1960's, Young Flowers were a blues based power trio heavily influenced by Cream & Hendrix. Formed in 1967 by guitarist Jens Dahl and drummer Ken Gudman, both former members of The Defenders, and bassist and singer who previously worked with Seven Sounds. Young Flowers cut their first single in 1967 "Like Birds" but soon afterwards Dahl dropped out of the band, and Peer Frost, who had played guitar for Les Rivals joined the trio. In 1968, they were recruited to provide music for a television movie starring Danish actor Thomas Winding. Much of the music on their debut album, Blomsterpistolen (meaning Flower Pistol) was written for the television film of the same name, and the album had a powerful impact on the Danish rock scene which at the time, was dominated by folk rock and pop groups.
A second album, simply called No.2, appeared in '69, and when film maker Jens Jorgan Thorson asked Young Flowers to record another soundtrack. In 1969, Young Flowers became the first Danish group to tour North America, playing a string of dates in the U.S. and Canada, but the members of the group developed different musical interests, and Young Flowers broke up in 1970. Popularity and historical importance led to a steady stream of reissues and archival releases in Denmark. In 2010, the Danish label RPM released The Complete Studio Recordings.
Toe Fat was another Ken Hensley vehicle. Toe Fat formed in 1969, right after the release of Hensley's Head Machine L.P. In Fact, the Toe Fat album is The Gods under a different name (including John Glascock, Allen Kendall, Cliff Bennett). Toe Fat was signed to the record label Rare Earth in the U.S., in the U.K. they signed to EMI who released thei eponymous debut on the Parlaphone label, and the second on Regal Zonophone. The album flopped commercially but gained considerable critical praise. They were booked on a tour supporting Derek and the Dominos in the U.S. Hensley quit the band to join Uriah Heep and Kendall joined Jethro Tull. Johnathan Peel (not the D.J.) produced their second album Toe Fat Two, after hearing the band on several BBC radio sessions. However, this album flopped as well despite more airtime and a successful U.S. tour to promote it. Following these successive failures, the label told the band they could no longer fund them.
Canadian teenage group from small town Ontario, Canada had a sound, pre-dating punk rock and surpassing all the older groups in that region. Recorded for a soundtrack at the National Film Board in 1976, and released nearly two years later. Originally released as a sleeveless gold labeled 7" in a very small edition. Re-issued by Supreme Echo, this edition includes repro labels, delux vintage cover, and 16 page booklet out lining the history of the band with tons of photos. Fully authorized limited edition of 600 copies. This is a proto-metal must have.
Wow, there really is hardly any info out there on this one. Fronted by Pat Boss 1976. The song is from a record released by 92.1 FM called "Home Made Album" 12" vinyl from Madison Wisconsin. Pretty Awesome ripping Proto-metal. I read in a comment that one of the members nephews had just come across some tapes of this band where his dad had a basement studio (apparently he recorded them) and was looking to pass them on to the band. If we're lucky, perhaps more of this band will see the light of day.
A very early Sonny Vincent project released 40 years after it's inception, Fury has for the first time in all those years found a record label in HoZac Records. Recorded in 1972 (and finally released in 2012) the record was meant to pass out to labels as a demo, but to very little interest. Disillusioned by the lack of enthusiasm from any label at all, the band broke up shortly after. Sonny Vincent going on to play in Liquid Diamonds, and then made a name for himself in the New York punk scene. This record is thunderous! This is proto-metal in its purist form. HoZac Records describes it on their web sight as: "driping with chainsaw grease and burnt skin, a true ball-crushing, tit-ripping rock and roll gem for the ages.
Founded in Germany in the late 60's, Hairy Chapter was a thunderous prog/hard rock/krautrock band with reminiscence of Amon Duul II, Guru Guru, and Agitation Free. In 1969 they recorded the obscure "Electric Sound For Dancing L.P." under the name The Chaparall Electric Sound Inc. In 1971 they released the catchy heavy psych album called "Eyes", and in 1971 they recorded what is considered to be their most successful album "Can't Get Through" which was produced by Dieter Dirks (Nektar, Ashra Temple, Passport). It's bluesy hard rock that they seem to throw right at you and it hits you in the face. Definitely a must have.
Ken Hensley is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970's. It was during this time he co-wrote some of Heep's hits including "Lady in Black", "Easy Livin'" and "Stealin", as well as Look At Yourself" on which he sang lead vocals. In early 1965, Hensley formed a band called The Gods, with young guitarist Mick Taylor, known for his work with the Rolling Stones. The Gods lineup included, at one time or another, vocalist guitar/bass player Greg Lake (later of King Crimson and Emerson, lake, and Palmer), Bass player Paul Newton (Uriah Heep), drummer Lee Kerslake (also of Heep) and bass player John Glascock (later of Jethro Tull). In 1968, the Gods signed with Columbia Records and released two albums and a few singles. Ken also played on a 'one album side' project intended to be The Gods third album, but was recorded and eventually released in '69/'70 under the moniker Head Machine's Orgasm. It featured Hensly, Glascock, and The Gods producer David Paramore on vocals, all of which went under pseudonyms. The Band split, but The Gods reformed under the name Toe Fat for two albums. Hensley was only on one of them. Ken Hensley has been involved in numerous projects since 1980, including a stint In Heep, Blackfoot, and Shotgun, and continues to write and perform to this day.
Blues Creation was a Japanese psych band from the late 60', 70's, and early 80's. Led by guitarist/singer Kazuo Takeda, they were known as Blues Creation from '69 to '72, and after a three year hiatus returned as Creation in 1975. In 1969, Blues Creation released their self titled debut album of American blues covers, featuring songs by Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, Chester Burnett, J Mayall E. Clapton, and Willie Dixon among others. After some lineup changes, the band released their first album of original material "Demon And Electric Children" in August, 1971. That year they also released "Carmen Maki and Blues Creation" which had the band fronted by female vocals from Carmen Maki. Each Blue Creation album other than their first, features songs written by Takeda and consists of a constantly shifting lineup. At the end of that same year, Blues Creation released their final album: "Blues Creation Live"
Takeda started a three piece group simpl known as Creation, and toured Japan with American Band Mountain in 1973. Mountain broke up soon after their Japanese tour partly due to hearing loss from playing so loud, Felix Pappalardi Focused on producing other bands. In 1975, Creation released a self titled album and featured a front cover picture of a dozen nude boys full-frontal peeing. In April 1976, after rehearsing in Massachusetts by Pappalardi's invitation, they released Blues Creation $ Felix Pappalardi. Creation released a final live album "Pure Electric Soul" in 1977, again featuring a cover with nude boys at the front of a bus. They are currently touring again, and you can see the dates on their official webpage HERE.
Juicy Lucy is a British blues rock band officially formed on Oct. 5th, 1969 after the demise of a band called The Misunderstood. The band name was inspired by a character in The Virgin Soldiers (1966) by Lesley Thomas. The band immediately notched a top 20 hit with their cover of "Who Do You Love" by Bo Diddley. Their self titled debut feel just short of hitting the top 40 on the U.K. albums chart. The cover featured a burlesque dancer named Zelda Plum, naked except for the covering of fruit. The band had multiple lineup changes before recording their 1970 album "Lie Back and Enjoy It." (#53 on the U.K. albums chart) 1970 also saw them appear at the NME poll winners concert.
1971 saw the release of "Get a Whiff a This", and in Aug of that year, Juicy Lucy appeared at the Whitley Festival. The constant turnover took it's toll on the band both creatively and commercially with another significant lineup change befor the recording of 1972's "Pieces", which was recorded with a make-shift lineup. The band broke up shortly after. They reformed and produced new material from 1995 until 2010,
Attila was the name of a band featuring a young Billy Joel. Joel was in a band called The Hassles, he and the drummer John Small, broke away from The Hassles and formed the two man band Attila in 1969. The instrumentation was organ and drums, with Joel handling the bass lines as well with a keyboard, similar to The Doors' Ray Manzarek. Their creative partnership ended in 1970 when Joel ran off with Small's wife, Elizabeth, although this did not end their collabarations as Small produced Joel's KOHUEPM video, as well as the "Live at Shea Stadium" performance.
Their only album "Attila" was released on July 24th, 1970. Attila has been selected by AllMusic critics as one of the worst rock albums of all time (that alone is enough to garner my attention).
Joel himself has gone on to describe the band as "psychedelic bullshit."
Steven Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic worte: "Attila is undoubtedly the worst record released in the history of rock & roll - hell, the worst album in the history of recorded music itself."
Take a listen. You be the judge.
Between the release of Uriah Heep's albums, "Salisbury" and "Look at Yourself", in 1971, Ken Hensley went to Germany to work on a project simply called Weed. Aside from Hensley, the other musicians came from a band called Virus. All 6 tracks were composed by the bands promoter Bobo Albes, and Phillips' house producer Rainer Goltermann made sure the sessions in Windrose Studios were saved for posterity. The album is pretty straight forward hard/prog rock, with twin guitars and organ culminating in the kick ass long instrumental title track. Weed can be compared to other German heavy prog bands such as: Zarathustra, Blackwater Park, Epitaph, and Armageddon, as well as Hensley's obscure Head Machine album "Orgasm" dating to 1969 or 1970.
Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist from Detroit, Michigan. He was a studio session player on many soul & R&B records. He learned how to play guitar at 13, and at 15 had his first recording session backing Vic Gallon. In the early 60's he joined The Royaltones, who had hits with "Poor Boy" in 1958, and "Flamingo Express" in 1961. By the late 60's, he was a member of Funk Brothers studio band and played on many Motown records He introduced a hard rock guitar type to Motown, including distortion and wa-wa pedal most notably on "Cloud Nine", "Ball of Confusion", and "Psychedelic Shack by the Temptations. He played on numerous hit records of the time including "War" by Edwin Starr, The Supremes "Some Day We'll Be Together" and Freda Payne's no.3 hit "Band of Gold." Throughout the 70's he recorded multiple solo albums and even scored the blaxploitation film "Black Belt Jones." "Hair and Thangs" is a fine example of his hard rock sound and his talents. It is his first full length among many from 1971 to 2011.
Dick Wagner is an American guitar player, author, and songwriter best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and Kiss. He also fronted his Michigan based bands The Frost and The Bossmen. In 1972, Wagner moved to New York and formed the group Ursa Major. The original lineup included Billy Joel on keyboards and Rick Mangone on drums. As Billy Joel had to leave the band for personal reasons, Wagner replaced him with former Amboy Dukes bass player Greg Arama. They released one seminal acclaimed self titled album as a power trio. The band toured regularly with Jeff Beck and Alice Cooper. Wagner, along with Steve Hunter as a guitar duo were featured on Lou Reed's "Berlin" and as band leader and arranger, he arranged songs from Lou's Velvet Underground days for the stage and appeared on "Rock and Roll Animal."
It was during Wagner's days with the Frost that he first met Alice Cooper, Wagner had already appeared on Cooper's "Schools Out" album, and pretty much played all the lead guitar and solos on the earlier Alice Cooper records. Sometimes uncredited. After the break up of the original Alice Cooper Group, Wagner beacme Alice's lead guitar player, song writer, and band arranger. (in fact you can hear music from "Wish you were Here" off the "Goes to Hell" album on this release). Wagner co-wrote and played lead on the Alice Cooper albums "Welcome to My Nightmare", "Goes to Hell", "The Alice Cooper Show", "Lace and Whiskey", From the Inside, "Zipper Catches Skin", and DADA among others.
Wagner played on Kiss' "Destroyer", Aerosmith's "Get you Wings" as well as albums by Hall & Oats, Nills Lofgren, Peter Gabriel, Air Supply, Tina Turner, Guns & Roses, Lita Ford, Tim Curry, Mark Farner, and even appeared on the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" soundtrack.
One Hell of a guitar player and nothing proves it more than this album.
On July 30, 2014 Wagner died of respiratory failure.
Smack was formed by 4 students from Longview, Washington on a summer scholarship for music and arts at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Within' a few weeks of their inception, the were playing gigs around campus. Someone from the University arranged for them to cut an album. They recorded it live on a 4 track, (except vocals) in late July, early August 1968, and played all covers form the likes of Cream, Hendrix, The Kinks, and others. I would have loved to hear some original material from the band. It's great heavy fuzz psych, and the musicianship is damn good.
This is a pretty good album from start to finish. Although a number of reviewers say it lacks originality. Day Blindness was formed in the bay area in 1967. It's pretty heavy psychedelic rock wit alot of organ, and almost constant fuzz guitar. Sort of an Iron Buttefly/Blue Cheer/Doors kind mix. The band made a name for themselves playing clubs around the bay area, like the Filmore, and Golden Gate Park. They landed an opening gig for Sly and the Family Stone both locally and touring. The album was recorded at studio 10, and during the sessions, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and others would stop in to give ideas/advise. Their self titled debut came out to little fanfare and was brushed off by critics, and the band split shortly after.
Afterward, Day Blindness turned into Fox, (basically their second album) recorded an album in '69/'70 and a single was released on the Studio 10 label. (it is very rare) It's more heavy and metallic without the organ. Their music was not released until 2010.
