Omega Plus - "How to Kiss the Sky" 1969

Recorded and released in 1969 in an edition of 1000 when guitarist Claude Engel (later of Magma and others) was obviously very, very young, this presents a pretty cool, excedingly rare French power trio that combines blues rock elements with freaky/psych elements in a very attractive way. (Shagadelic)

First ever real psychedelic release in France during the 1960's. Omega Plus consisted of three session men including Claude Engel who's main career started with Christian Vander's Magma after Omega Plus disbanded.

Interesting to note that Engel himself does not even reference this album, at least on his own website. It's not a bad example of Hendrix like psych sound. One side Cream style, the other Magma style. Also includes one long rock improvisation that's pretty interesting. A short record, not even cracking 30 minutes.

A used copy will set you back more than $1200, if you can find one. It has since been issued on CD.

Page 45 Singles - No.5 / Unity / Corporation / Jerry Williams / Clockwork

Unity  - "Jimi" b/w "O Wa Nou Me Nou Ma"
France, 1970. The band also went under the name "Acanthus" and scored the soundtrack to Jean Rollin's 1968 film "Le Frisson Des Vampires"

Corporation - "Wild Time b/w "Let's Try to Put Him Down"
Negram 1971 Netherlands
The first of three 7" singles released by Corporation between 1971 & 1972.

Jerry Williams - "Crazy 'bout You Baby"
B-Side of "Sing For Happiness"
Spindizzy Records ZS7 4003 Promo Only.
Anyone familiar with Jerry Williams knows this "throwaway" B-Side is a bit displaced from the rest of his catalog, but not by far. The American blues/rock singer/songwriter was known for not only his own music but as writer of Eric Clapton's "Running on Faith", Bonnie Raitt's "Real Man", and B.B. King's "Standing on the Edge of Love."

Clockwork (a.k.a. Blind Ravage) - "Mean Lady" b/w "Cybernaut"
Sonogram SG 9002, Canada, 1974 /
"Cybernaut" b/w "Mean Lady" Clockwork Self Released CK-250, Canada, 1974
Blind Ravage was formed in September, 1969 in Laval, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec. Jean (John) Charbonneau (guitar/vocals), and Bob DuFour (bass/lead vocals) had been working together along with drummer Danny Gorman doing gigs in various nightclubs around Montreal. They met with Andre Deguire (drummer/vocals) at one of those nightclubs. On account of Danny's departure, Jean and Bob asked Andre to join them. They played clubs mostly in Montreal doing covers of Rod Stewart, Deep Purple, Spencer Davis, Zeppeiln, & others that influenced them in their own material. They produced an album on the Crecent Street label and it was released in 1971. The band played clubs in Canada and some North Eastern states before disbanding in 1973. Bob, Andre, and Serge (Fleury) came up with Clockwork and became very popular in Quebec. "Mean Lady" / "Cybernaut" was their only release before disbanding in 1975.

Thundertrain - "Teenage Suicide" 1977

Thundertrain formed in August of 1974 and came from Nantick, Mass, and became popular among Boston's early days of "punk." (a term that was used much more liberally at the time). Thundertrain weren't "punks", but they were much more accepted by the punk community than The Beams or The Dead End Kids. According to Allmusic, this is what you get when you mix Slade with The Rolling Stones and add the final incarnation of The Joe Perry Project.

They released their first single in 1975, and by 1976 they scored a hit with "Hot For Teacher!" It was one of the first indie singles to have an impact on Boston's early underground rock scene. A "formidable and powerful bunch on stage", Thundertrain became headliners all over the New England area and were written up in "16" magazine, "Creem", and even "Time." They did shows supporting the Cars, The David Johanson Group, The Runaways, and many other bands of the day. After years of touring, Thundertrain broke up in 1980.

Mach Bell joined The Joe Perry Project and is featured on the album, "Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker." He later became a chef and then a music teacher, and in 1996 formed a group called Last Man Standing. The other members of Thundertrain spun off in different directions, and just about all of them continued to play music when they could. In 2002, the band reunited for several shows, and Gultcher Records re-issued "Teenage Suicide."
In 2004, Gulcher released "Hell Tonight", a Thundertrain show from 1979.