John Hart and the LittleJohn Band delivers Jazzed Up Rock n Funk [NEW ALBUM RELEASE]
John Hart and the LittleJohn Band is an East Bay band, deeply rooted in the musical traditions of two, great, bayside cities, San Francisco and Oakland, California. Armed with a new album full of original songs, the band that never bowed to the insider, corporate politics of their record label where they made their debut, John and his band embrace the indie spirit and resume their journey in a label-less-world, where freedom of expression and musical plot twists and turns flourish.
So, fasten your seat belts all you who have ears to hear, it’s likely to be one helluva jazzed up rock ‘n’ funk ride!
Jaim – The Preservation Of The Hereafter (1970)
Artist: Jaim
Title: The Preservation Of The Hereafter
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Ethereal
Contributed by ????
Jaim’s second album “The Preservation Of The Hereafter” is a mystery in terms of release, the album was “released” inside of later released copies of their first album “Prophecy Fulfilled” (see December 8, 2010 post) and is actually an extension of that release and could have been out-takes from that session.
Most likely recorded at the same time as “Prophecy”, the album is classic west coast pop with a production style very reminiscent of Curt Boettcher. Both albums are deserving of a decent reissue, perhaps as a two-fer. (Tamara Bonfiglioli)
Back in December 2010, hearing Jaime (One), “Prophecy Fulfilled” for the first time, courtesy of redtelephone66, simply confirmed the value of the red phone music blog. Music from the likes of Jaime is a revelation, enabling one to listen with one’s ears and heart not to the opinions of the music press who have mainly rallied round ‘big names’ and thereby supporting the greedy ‘music industry’ who want ‘us’ to ‘buy, buy and buy’ from the same trough.
I know nothing about Jaime other than what my ears and heart inform me ie they are a couple of true ‘songsters’ ably supported by whatever studio resources were on hand to the ‘Ethereal’ label. Comparisons with Brian Wilson and Curt Boettcher are not far off the mark….cos Jaime like them were into creating ‘floral sound-scapes’ ie pop songs with credibility and ones which will appeal to lovers of melody.
My ears detect that Jaime were responding to the Brit Invasion ala The Fab Four etc a path pursued by Merry Go Round etc and Emitt Rhodes solo career in particular and it’s a Rhodes persona that I hear most strongly in Jaim’s, second offering, “The Preservation of the Hereafter”.
This second offering, is more of a stripped back affair and the songs stand out clearly like beacons to cries of “what happened to these guys”? In 2012 they have no problem in finding an audience so why not back then in post Woodstock days? Ahh therein lies the fickle nature of the public?
The songs are propelled by excellent piano and in some cases harpsichord with the orchestration kept to a minimum, however, in “Overture” they are given full rein and it washes over you like a tidal wave of angst. Throughout the ivory tinkling is beautifully accompanied by simple guitar work, with notable bass.
The album’s voices, are the Rhodes sound-alike, simply dripping with honey and a darker voice who takes us out with “When” and it is his voice which is the more haunting of the two, and haunting is how I would sum up both of Jaime’s offerings, the first a case of, ha ha, “lost classic” ie their serious attempt to make a break into The Big Time and the second a case of, hmmmmm, now just what have we got here?
What redtelephone66 has brought to our attention here, is poetry in action……these lads deserve your ears and heart…..they are the real thing…..hauntingly wonderful purveyors of beautiful, heart-tugging music…..Ethereal threw it all away…cos, maybe they didn’t know what to do with it.
Time marches on and it to is our gain that redtelephone66 continues to bring to our ears such delicate, flawed masterpieces….flawed, aha, maybe not flawed, just misunderstood….the flaw may have been in the lack of faith the boys had in their abilities to ‘make-it’ in the music industry….
There are many examples of musos who have carried on and trudged down their chosen musical path….sometimes wearied by their lack of success, but always finding something of relevance to say……e.g. David McWilliams, Ian A Anderson in music (or Ken Russell in film-land)…..Jaime I take my hat off to you and thank you from a distance for making my day…..I cannot recommend ‘The Preservation of the Hereafter’ highly enough. (REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- Ten Thousand Lanterns
- Key To The Treasure
- If There’s A Way
- Your Lucky Man
- (No I’ll) Never Promise You A Mountain
- (Overture) Time Came Beside Me
- (Danello) Never Near Never Far
- Half A Dream
- Be My Someone
- Just To Be Near
- When
The Mother Love – Carousel Of Daydreams (1970)
Artist: The Mother Love
Title: Carousel Of Daydreams
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Epic
Requested by James L.
The Mother Love were a light-weight pop group consisting of Wally Keske, Danny Janssen, Myrna Janssen and G.C. Prophut. Though husband and wife band members Danny and Myrna Janssen appear to be Danish, the group apparently coalesced in California. their only LP features a mix of soft, male/female vocal harmony flower pop, and comm. easy listening. (tymeshifter RYM)
Boy oh boy what it is to find the dial of some long lost radio (even though here in the moment it be an mp3 of “The Mother Love”)……and to be able to stretch out on the porch (here in the darkness of Alba…with the sea running high) and wait on the valves ha ha, warming up and be able to tune in and listen to some radio pap that is pure pop from the Tymes…..
Well the tale end of them. In this moment, “The Mother Love” as that radio station hint at music ala Association etal in their prime but with the bonus of some magical female voices to boost the buzz…..we have all the ingredients here of Sunshine Pop at its purist, breathy faultless vocals, magical trumpet work and a house band to die for…..for those who think they have heard this stuff all before…..sure, but there were some who wanted more than one sugar-lump??
A down point is this pop group play everything a tad too safe?
This is music for those outsiders who didn’t secure the sanctum of Laurel Canyon, this is for the hangers on of a faded dream….this is not Exploito-persee, though I’m sure there are some listeners out there who might believe it to be so. Even though “The Mother Love” murder The Who’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, thankfully in a truncated form and a tad inessential here….I love em!
So by and large this redtelephone66 offering sits safely in mainstream, middle of the road easy listening territory, it comes over all the stronger for that for nowhere in the tracks will be found any of the dislocation that Jimmy Morrison and all cohorts of darkness poured out and into our scrambled brains……this is psyche n psuch with “Easy-Rider” as a motto?
“The Way You Look Tonight” is pretty camp….a bit like the Mike Samme Singers meeting Woody Allen and all on the way to Alice’s party at the end of the Yellow Brick Road….yup, simply a hoot…..and not really helped by being followed up by “Put A Little Love In Your Heart”…..ah, so 7 great tracks out of 10….and 7/10 elevates “Carousel of Daydreams” into a pretty essential listen for this pretty minor group…..but oh I could tune into this radio station any day or night of the week.
Recommended for all faded and jaded week-end hipsters……(REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- A Carousel Of Daydreams
- Medley: Everybody’s Talkin’/Gentle On My Mind
- Little Woman
- Sherry Don’t Go
- Goodbye Mary
- We’re Not Gonna Take It (From The Rock Opera “Tommy”)
- Only Friend
- The Way You Look Tonight
- Put A Little Love In Your Heart
- Sidewalks Of My Mind
Meadow – The Friend Ship (1973)
Artist: Meadsow
Title: The Friend Ship
Year: 1973
Format: LP
Label: Paramount
Meadow were an early seventies folk-psych group remembered mostly for featuring future pop star vocalist Laura Branigan. The group also included Walker Daniels (acoustic guitar-vocals), Chris Van Cleave (vocals-acoustic guitar) and Bob Valdez (bass) backed by a large group of studio session musicians.
After recording their lone album “The Friend Ship“, the group broke up and Branigan would move on to various jobs, including a stint as one of Leonard Cohen’s backup singers for his European tour before signing with Atlantic Records in the late seventies.
The album was never re-released to capatilize on her solo career and Branigan for personal reasons, preferred not to discuss her involvement with Meadow publicly. (Tamara Bonfiglioli)
Track Listing
- In The Beginning: When You Were Young
- The Illusion: Vanity Fair
- The Game: See How They Run
- The Street: Lawless Lady
- The Question: Completely
- The Dream: Artist
- The Road: Cane And Able
- The Celebration: Sweet Life
- In The End: Everything I’ve Known
- The Word: There’s Only One Thing To Remember
- In The Beginning: Home Free (The Friend Ship)
Risa Potters – Take Me Away (1972)
Artist: Risa Potters
Title: Take Me Away
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Buddah
Risa Potters’ follow-up album “Take Me Away” released in 1972 and featuring backing and vocal arrangements by the group Capability Brown. “Introspective, Emotional and Brilliant. Underrated 70s bubbler rated as a “Best Buy” in Acid Archives.” (Backspin Records)
Track Listing
- Take Me Away
- Too Many People
- Second Choice
- Birds
- Moving
- Love Song
- It Must Have Been Hard
- My Mistake
- I Think I Always Knew
- Traveling Man
- If I Could Sing
Risa Potters – Half Woman/Half Child (1970)
Artist: Risa Potters
Title: Half Woman/Half Child
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: National General
Miss Potters’ lovely voice is only one plus in this debut album for National General; her perceptive songs translate youth’s dealing with family, friends and life’s experiences in a simple poetic fashion. “Michael”, “Half Woman/Half Child” and the outstanding “I Made My Father Cry” are exellent examples of her art. (Billboard Magazine)
Track Listing
- Half Woman/Half Child
- Lullabye
- Old Man
- I Made My Father Cry
- Michael
- Harvey Wrote A Play
- Ned
- I Want To Have Your Baby
- Did You Ever See The Mountains?
Pure Love & Pleasure – A Record Of Pure Love & Pleasure (1970)
Artist: Pure Love & Pleasure
Title: A Record Of Pure Love & Pleasure
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Dunhill
Pure Love & Pleasure were a San Fransisco, CA band consisting of Pegge Ann May (lead vocals), David McAnally (lead vocals), John Allair (vocals-organ-piano), Dick Rogers (vocals-drums-percussion) and Bob Bohanna (vocals-guitar-bass).
Guitarist/Bassist Bob Bohanna had previously been a member of Morning Glory, whose “Two Suns Worth” album was released by Fontana Records in 1967. “A Record Of Pure Love & Pleasure” was produced by the trio of Steve Barri, Harvey Bruce and Joel Sill and features a mix that ranged from hippie rock to more lightweight flower power. A sort of mixture of Cold Blood and The Mamas and Papas.
Pure Love & Pleasure continued gigging into 1971 with Jacques Furman replacing Rogers on drums and adding Rod Moitoza as full-time bassist and were ready to return to the studio to record their follow-up album when Dunhill terminated their contract for unkown reasons. (Howard Hales Broom)
Track Listing
- Too Scared To Go
- All In My Mind
- What’cha Gonna Do
- My Lies
- Hard Times
- Mama Said
- Joyce
- Relax
- Love, Love, Love You
- The Lord’s Prayer
James Late – Fulton Fish Market (1970)
Artist: James Late
Title: Fulton Fish Market
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Metromedia
The Fulton Fish Market is a fish market in The Bronx, New York, United States. It was originally a wing of the Fulton Market, established in 1822 to sell a variety of foodstuffs and produce. In November 2005, the Fish Market relocated to a new facility in Hunts Point in the Bronx, from its historic location near the Brooklyn Bridge along the East River waterfront at and above Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City.
During much of its 183-year tenure at the original site, the Fulton Fish Market was the most important wholesale East Coast fish market in the United States of America. Opening in 1822, it was the destination of fishing boats from across the Atlantic Ocean. By the 1950s, most of the Market’s fish were trucked in rather than offloaded from the docks.
The wholesalers at the Market then sold it to restaurateurs and retailers who purchased fresh fish of every imaginable variety.It was possible for fish to be rushed from fishing ports in New England to wholesale buyers at the Fulton Fish Market, who might then resell it to retail markets and restaurants in the very same towns where the catch originated. (Wikipedia Excerpt)
Folk artist James Late was discovered by Metromedia executives while performing his songs in Central Park. Late also had another source of employment, “moonlighting” at the historic Fulton Fish Market in New York City, which provided an unusual artistic concept for this album, which features Late talking intros of his experiences and observations working at the fish market followed by his original compositions dealing with the trials and tribulations of everyday life there.
The songs are direct observations, a sort of musical diary, dealing with various themes in the work place and they hold up very well on their own. The listener might get the impression that these songs could have been in Late’s head while he was working those long nights on such songs as the title track, “Fulton Fish Market“, “Very Good Man“, “We Work Together“, “Make It On My Name“, “Five More Miles” and “My Mind Has Got To Keep Rolling Along“. “Dust” contains an actual “live” track recorded at Fulton Fish Market. (Jack Dominilla)
Track Listing
- Fulton Fish Market
- Very Good Man
- Man On The Corner
- Hard Hard Life
- Baby Please Come Home
- We Work Togethe
- Lazy River
- Make It On My Name
- Dust (Instrumental)
- Five More Miles
- Dock Of Beekman Street
- My Mind Has Got To Keep Rolling Along
Great Jones – All Bowed Down! (1970)
Artist: Great Jones
Title: All Bowed Down!
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Tonsil
Great Jones is an odd combination: a jazz loving guitarist, a blues-freaking drummer, and an ex-folk- singing bassist. A mixture of diverse musical stylesfor sure. Though this could easily be a hinderance to a group in eastablishing itself a smooth textured, unified sound,it is just the opposite in this case.
Billy Cadieux, Gary Kollarus, and David Tolmie have been able to mold their different musical preferences into a common denominator of natural blues and funk, and have created a fantastically novel and racy sound.
In about any song on this album, one can hear Great Jones alternating blues and funk, funk and blues, or a fusing of the two to make an unusually new entity. The group offers an overabundance of originality and a constant variety for one to select a favorite musical mood.
For instance, in “I Ain’t Got Long”, the group’s own composition, one can hear Billy Cadieux emoting some of the most delicate sounding blues guitar yet rendered. It’s soft and tender, yet cringing with the most emotional tension.
Interweaving with Billy’s guitar are David Tolmie’s commanding and directive bass notes which enhance the blues effect; Tolmie’s raspy and gutsy vocals; and gary Kollarus’ all-engulfing drumming, which sets the perfect mood for the blues tune.
Yet the group can alter it’s identity drastically, and, listening to “Cripple Creek”, one can hear how they obiously change the atmosphere to a funky dimension. Bouncy bass notesd and sharply accenuated drum beats create a giggling sensation.
The acoustic guitar adds to the euphoria as Cadieux plays a catchy riff which permeates the memory and repeats itself over and over again. ”Cripple Creek” becomes a request for all to rejoice and it lightens the load of the heavy blues doldrums.
There’s a plentiful supply of good material to be peceived and grasped in this album. There’s been a lot of planning, a lot of learning, a lot of experimenting for Great Jones, the outcome being a lot of finesse and good technique. Great Jones is an odd combination-and it’s great that they are. (Allan Richards)
Track Listing
- Cripple Creek
- Finding My Way
- United State Of Mind
- You Don’t Know Nothin’ About Love
- All Bowed Down
- Idaho Potatoes
- Leaving Trunk
- I Ain’t Got Lon
- Leaving California
Spirit In Flesh – II (1979)
Artist: Spirit In Flesh
Title: II
Year: 1979
Format: LP
Label: Private Pressing
Here’s the second recording by the Massachusetts communal band Spirit In Flesh released as a Private Pressing at the end of the seventies. On this album the group progressed into a matured Country Rock outfit, which is a bit of a departure from the more rock oriented sounding debut of eight years earlier.
Among the album’s twelve tracks are three remakes from the that first LP, “Fine Line“, The Jack Baker Song and “Flesh & Gut” here titled “Flesh & Guts” and has been transformed into a beautiful Country/Gospel track which closes the album. For more info, see the first album’s post of June 18, 2010. (Max Collodie)
Spirit in Flesh…1971…took some finding on the phone….having been first posted in one of its earliest incarnations on June 16, 2009….ahhhh…now where is that old red phone logo…..
In my search for SIFlesh, I got sidetracked by giving Spirits And Worms another spin…now there’s a record…goat on the grave and all…and before realising that S&Worms ain’t SIFlesh….Worms took me back into an olive grove on the island of Crete listening to Grace Slick type licks…hmmm finding the correct wave-length….a play of SIFlesh, 1971 will take you into the heart of “communal hippie psych” being played at blistering pace and full of power riffs, and well worth seeking out……a mammoth album from that pivotal year. The album never gives up, never runs out of steam and there ain’t a ballad to be had. A good place is to compare the two S’sIFlesh are the three tracks that double up from 71-79.
1971’s ……“Fine Line” is rocking C/W with blasting electric guitars and head-shaking organ work……“Jack Baker Song” is full of punching power, searing guitar with heavenly girlie chorus and our gruff singer veering from macho-posing into falsetto…. “Flesh and Gut”….is pyche n psuch in spades of swirling singers and stone swamp rock all a bit like having Meatloaf round for afternoon worship…..wow….how any of these guys and guys got through 71-79…oh of course they were part of a “Hippy Commune”….thank God for tomatoes and butter-nut squash….and crystal clear water from a mountain stream….
1979’s……. “Fine Line” is in another place….our noble singer is upfront and accompanied by banjo, a strolling bass and neat stick work by the drummer….oh yes the girls are still with us and their heavenliness is wholesome…..we get a “ye hah” and our banjo gives us a Hobart Smith workout……I may say that the lyric here is in your face not a bit like the rock n roll from 71 blasters…… “Jack Baker Song”….aha…this too is all about the singing….the band are in fine form….but they are more Xian C/W than psyche n psuch….
I missed the Bible quotes first time around….now they are upfront and that is not a bad place for them to be…… “God in me, God in you”…… “Flesh & Guts”…completes the trio of cross-over tracks…..confirming the transformation from rock group, into two ton solid country rockers…..and brings home the spirituality of the band….they may have veered towards the Xian side of the road….but enter with no fear, this band are not on a recruitment drive rather they have had to go Private Pressing to enable others to hear of their joyful existence, down on the farm, and “Flesh and Guts” clocks in at 5.17, double the time spent on the 1971 rockers……
Spirit In Flesh II contains songs of testimony…..they may be finger pointing, but firmly at the band pointing at themselves, thereby somehow, making them Universal. Spirit in Flesh, clothing all on show, in strikingly good Country Rock comes over not just as Gospel/Xian…rather the band truly live up to their name…..Spirit in Flesh. The songs are not about personal salvation, they are about placing a focus on Our time ‘here and now’…rather than the ‘Hereafter’….
The two openers “Greater Than Man”, “I Have Walked”, are straight in your face Country rock with the guitars and pedal steel to the fore….. “Cold Winds” is a song Johnny Cash should have recorded?“Riverside Song”….dwells on ‘animism’, certainly not Xian…… “Bury My Body” does veer off into the ‘hereafter’ and the more cynical may find this a giggle….be assured these boys mean business, and Marty Robbins or Hank Snow could have had a real good go at this….. “Heaven Don’t Allow”….continues the theme of spend your time here wisely….be wholesome as you rock and roll and stay away from the cess-pit…..again many may find the theme/songs simply a gas….however, it takes one to know one…
So if you prefer the blasting 1971 Spirit in Flesh ‘power-house’ then stick with it…however, if you want to see what clean living does to your ability to communicate straight to the heart (as against the head-banging or foot-stomping) then grab yourself a sack and head off to Spirit and Flesh’s farm someway downs the road….. “Yellow Wings”…..is a gentle acoustic folk rock ballad….and we are on Steve Cash Land’s front porch with just the empty sky and far away mountains within reach….gorgeous…..and it all swirls up into the lands beyond flight….
“One Little Thought”…is a gentle strolling ballad delivered in world-weary tones…this is the most finger-pointer on show…… “Reason for Living” finds the boys picking up their electric guitars again but this is simply to add bounce and tone to the message…..
What you have is what you find and I recommend this to all those who have grown tired of ‘downer-folk’ like Dave Bixby etal…..this will get you up dancing to a whole new outlook? (REVIEWED BY AYE-AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- Greater Than Man
- I Have Walked
- Cold Winds
- Fine Line
- Riverside Song
- Bury My Body
- Heaven Don’t Allow
- Yellow Wings
- One Little Thought
- Reason For Living
- Jack Baker Song
- Flesh & Guts
