"Page 45" Singles #12 - Strap / Jumbo / Roy Young / Wrath

Strap - "Love is Dead" b/w "Are You Ready Lazy People"
RCA/Victor 74-16248 Belgium, 1973

Jumbo - "Classified Love"
Swingin - 45-654 U.S., 197?

Roy Young - "Dig a Hole" b/w "I'm a Loner"
MCA 110.050 France, 1973

Wrath - "Warlord" b/w "Rock and Roll Fever"
Stone Cold Records 45 (1237) - 1975

Page 45 Singles #11 - Quo Vadis / Flight / Dynamite Butch

Quo Vadis - "La Baraka" b/w "A Descendre Cette Riviere"
Altlantic 10.198 France 1971

Quo Vadis - "Devant Et Derriere" b/w "Zeppelin Party"
Atlantic F10256  France 1972

Flight - "Get You"
Blecman Records 1974

Dynamite Butch - "Hungover You" b/w "Freedom Song"
Dynamite Butch - 33931 U.S., 1974

2016: Good Riddance

I think it's safe to say when it comes to 2016, good riddance to bad garbage. If not for the drastic course the whole world has taken with the supposed "election" (some may call it a Russian coup), but the list of musicians who died is something else all together.

 Starting out just before the new year, and days after his 70th birthday, Lemmy left us without Motorhead, and set the pace for 2016, the year that will be remembered as the year that turned Emerson, Lake, & Palmer into just Palmer, Bowie, Alan Zavod (Frank Zappa), Leonard Cohen, Leon Russel, Jerry Corbetta (Sugarloaf), NIN keyboardist James Woolley, Micky Fitz (The Business), David Enthoven (manager of T-Rex), Alan Vega (Suicide), Sandy Pearlman (B.O.C.), Bernie Worrell (Parliment - Funkadelic), Bill Ham (manager of ZZ Top), Dave Swarbrick (Fairport Convention), Nick Menza (Megedeth), Richard Lyons (Negativeland), all followed, and the list goes on...

But hey, you don't need me to pick the scabs of this years wounds.

Apart from all the bullshit, there was another extensive list to follow this year. The list of all the bad-assed re-issues that we've seen hit the shelves. Far too long to list here, (well, not really, just very taxing to the wrists after the dead list) some of them I featured here in the blog, others will make an appearance shortly.

Rather than give you a "Top Whatever" list of my fave, or what I consider among the best of them, I'm just gonna go ahead and call it a tie for #1.
 Okay, without further ado:

Wicked Lady Box Set

Spanning their entire career, Guerssen records presents their complete recordings from 1969-1972 on

two double L.P.'s housed in a deluxe leatherette box, in a limited press of 500 never to be pressed

again. Includes "The Axeman Cometh" 2XLP and "Psychotic Overkill" 2XLP in two gatefold covers

with printed lyrics and special designs for this release, plus an eight page LP size booklet with liner

notes by Martin Weaver and photos, a Wicked Lady tote bag, Wicked Lady badge, Wicked Lady patch, and a Martin Weaver postcard number stamped.

It's a spendy little package but do not frett, if you can't swing the dough for the collectors version, both albums are slated for re-issue separately after these are all gone. 

http://www.guerssen.com/

Soggy

From Dangerous Minds: "This may be the coolest thing to come out of France since Francoise Hardy. Fuck Daft Punk and M83... and Plastic Bertrand. Soggy were a French hard rock band from the early 1980's who managed to channel the spirit of the MC5 and Stooges in ways that few bands have managed to as convincingly as these dudes."

The band was founded in 1978 on the ashes of obscure bands from Reims (Woman Bleed, Antechrist, and Hardfuckers. All of which I will be investigating immediately!) The bands professionalism along with their live energy got them noticed pretty quickly, and they set out on the road, booking their own tours regionally. Spending time in the studio, they tracked a lot of material, but up until recently, only two songs had been released, as a single in 1980 "Waiting for the War" b/w "47 Chromosomes."  The band remained unsigned for their refusal to sing in French, After playing more than a hundred concerts, they split, leaving behind a support slot for Judas Priest in 1982.

http://www.outerbatteryrecords.com/

Paternoster s/t 1972

From This is My Affliction Blog: "Nightmarish organ fueled/heavy prog/proto-proto-proto funeral doom from Austria. Lengthy instrumental passages dominated by eldritch pipe organ and fuzzed-out near-black metal guitar interspersed with harrowed, mock-operatic vocals hymning frustration and despair. Standout track, "Stop These Lines" goes from almost ludicrous descriptions of mundanity "Lunchtime snack-bar eating chips, ketchup dripping down your lips") into the repeated impassioned  plea to "Stop These Lines." Elsewhere, "Paternoster" and "The Pope is Wrong" turn the formal liturgies of the Catholic church into bitter hymns of  cynicism."
The band's lifespan was only a brief two or three years (no one can quite remember) and this would be their one and only release.

Zarathustra - s/t 1972

Formed in Germany in 1969, Zarathustra chose a name associated with both Nietzsche and Strauss. They were Ernst Hernzer (lead vocal), Wolfgang Reimer (guitar/vocals/percussion), Michael Just (bass/vocals), Klaus Werner (organ), and Wolfgang Behrman (drums/percussion). Throughout 1969, two of the members also were part time members of the beat group: Why Five, contributing to an obscure beat-age sampler "Ausgerecitent Bananen (Elite Special XZ LP 5105). Hardly distinguishing from other raucous progressive bands of the time, Zarathustra were still able to get a recording contract with Metronome in 1971. It seemed this label was quite open-minded when it came to signing bands, but on the other hand failed to promote their artists in a proper manner. Zarathustra were booked into the Windrose Studios in Hamburg in November of 1971 with an unknown production team of Till Landsman (producer) and Freidrick Bischoff (engineer). The resulting album was a tour-de-force of energetic heavy rock, a kind of Teutonic Uriah Heep ("Gypsy" was one of their live favorites) with some added Jon Lord like organ licks. Six great tracks with "Nightmare" as the melodic highlight. The group was not "progressive" in the sense of expanded instrumentation and arrangements, rather it was a straight power-rock album the way it used to be. Zarathustra broke up in spring of 1972.

Message - "At Dawn Anew is Comin" LP 1972 / "From Books and Dreams" LP 1973 / "Smile" b/w "Painted Lady" debut single 1971

Message were a progressive rock band based in Germany formed by British guitar player Allan Murdoch and vocalist/woodwinds player Tommy McGuigan. Between 1972 and 1980 the released seven albums. McGuigan left after the fourth, Synapse. Murdoch continued to lead the band through several lineup changes and a succession of three different singers.

Florian Geyer - "Baeggar's Pride" 1976

From Prog Archives: "German act Floria Geyer, named after a prominent knight in the time of Martin Luther was formed in Rheinland in 1971 by Jergun Gluge (drums), J Dieter Stieg (bass/vocals), and Manfred Wolf (vocals/guitar).

It took the band five years to produce their one and only album "Beggar's Pride", a curios collection of glam inspired songs heavily spiced with psychedelic elements.

The band recorded some material for a sophomore effort planned to be issued in 1980, but for some reason or another this project was shelved. In 1982 they changed their name to Hurrican, and issued one single under that name before dissolving."

Page 45 Singles 10 - Opus Est / Hammerhead / Palace / Master Danse

Opus Est - "Maggie Johnson's" / "Bed"
???????

Hammerhead - "Summer Nights" b/w "Jewels"
GNP Crescendo GNP 499 U.S. 1975
Known for their affiliation with Kim Fowley.

Palace - "Baby Jane" b/w "One of Those Days"
Purple Eye Productions P.E. 1205 Netherlands 1971

Master Danse - "Feelin' Dead"
!97????

A Foot in Cold Water - s/t 1972

Canadian rock band A Foot in Cold Water was formed in Toronto in 1971. They are best known for the song "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want", which was a Canadian hit single in 1972, and again in 1974.
Formed from the remnants of three bands, Lords of London, Island, and Nucleus. The band's first album, A Foot in Cold Water was released in 1972 with the song "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want" which reached no. 25 on the Canadian charts. In 1973, the band released their second album, The Second Foot in Cold Water which spawned the singles "(Isn't Love Unkind) In My Life" (#34), and "Love is Coming" (#27). In 1974, the band released a third album All Around Us which contained a shortened version of "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want)" which again, made the Canadian singles chart. The song was later covered by the Heavy Metal band Helix, in 1984.
The band released one more single "Midnight Lady" before their label, Daffodil Records filed for bankruptcy in 1975, leaving the band without a label.
The single "Breaking Through" was released in 1977, but it was not a success and the band folded.

Point Blank - s/t 1976 - "Second Season" 1977

Point Blank was discovered and managed by Bill Ham's Lone Wolf Productions (ZZ Top, Jay Boy Adam's, and Eric Johnson). Hailing from Texas, USA, the band was formed in 1974 and recorded six album's between 1976 and 1982. Garnering occasional air play on AOR stations. The band is best known for their 1981 hit single "Nicole."
In their heyday, the band was known for their relentless touring, sometimes playing over 200 shows in a year. In 1984 the band broke up.

The band's core members reunited for a benefit gig in 2005. It was recorded and released as a live album titled Reloaded. After it's initial release they continued touring and in late 2009, they released their seventh album Fight On!. Bassist Phillip Petty died from cancer on June 7, 2010, the studio musician who played keyboards died also of cancer on May 13, 2011.
James Russel Burns (known as "Dusty" Burns) died in Denver from cancer on Feb. 19, 2016

Page 45 Singles No. 9 - Macabre / Blow Ball / Bagshot Row / Rock Creek /

Macabre (Pre-Pentagram) - "Be Forewarned" b/w "Lazy Lady"

Intermedia Productions - TBSM 003, U.S. 1972

Blow Ball - "Goodnight Irene" b/w "When I Die"
Polydor - 2050 183, Netherlands 1972.
Another single: "Spectacles" b/w "View" was released in 1971
(Polydor - 2050 115)

Bagshot Row - "Turtle Wax Blues" b/w "Big Fat Momma"
Pirate Brand-Guda Records FCS 1008 / 1973

Rock Creek - "Call Me" 
Test Press - Acetate / Little Rock, AK. 197?

Savage Grace - s/t 1970 / "2" 1971

Savage Grace (not to be confused of the heavy metal band from the 1980's of the same name) was a progressive rock band from Detroit, Michigan formed in the late 1960's by guitarist Ron Koss, keyboardist John Seanor, and drummer Larry Zack, who were the nucleus of a jazzy trio called Scarlet Letter (with two albums released on Mainstream Records). The addition of vocalist/bassist Al Jaquez transformed the band into Savage Grace. The band was signed to Reprise and released their eponymous debut in 1969.
Upon moving to Los Angeles the following year, the band embarked on a second (and much more heavier!) album which took almost two years to complete. By 1972, the trail had ended and the band went their separate ways, having never achieved the success that seemed their due. The songwriting and musicianship was top notch, but in the long run, perhaps the band was too eclectic for mainstream audiences.

Cravinkel - s/t 1970 / "Garden of Loneliness" 1971

Founded in 1969 in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, Cravinkel was formed by guitarist Claw Cravinkel. He, along with Rolf Kaiser (bass/vocals), Klaus George Meier (guitar/vocals), and George B. Miller (drums) moved to Hamburg to be closer to record companies. It paid off, seeing the band signed to Phillips. The band then moved to Volkmarst to be in a more creative environment.
After the release of their self titled debut L.P., the band found themselves in London to embark on a European tour with Frumpy and Spooky Tooth, and opening "The Love-And-Peace Festival" (Europe's answer to the "Woodstock" Festival.) in September, 1970. (technical problems led to the band's premature abortion of their set).
!971 saw not only the release of their second album, but also a change in lineup, which led to a more "progressive" sound.
In early 1972, the house that the band inhabited in Volkmarst burned down, along with all of their belongings, after which, the band dissolved.