Thursday, August 16

PROMISE - PROMISE?! (1980)




















A couple of days ago, a friend of mine gave me one song "Back In My Heart" by a band called Promise. I'd never heard of them in 32 years and when i got some info about them, i was not really surprised just because it was a very RARE Limited-Pressing of 500. Then i learned it was listed in the almighty "Acid Archives" book.

Yesterday, with a little help from another friend I was able to find a very listenable rip (160, mp3) of the album. So, i decided to include this lost gem on PPC even though this is not my rip. Thanx to the original ripper.

Of course, if anyone has a better rip of the album, feel free to contact me.

The songs are ranging from strong Power Pop, to Beatles-influenced  just like Badfinger could sound in their best days.

On the RYM site, i found some notes by Curt Mangan (a band member)

"Born 1951 in Longmont, Colorado. Lived in Berthoud, Colorado for first 17 years with parents. My mother played piano and sang very well. My father was an auctioneer and had a fondnest for Ernest Tubbs, Leroy Van Dyke, Hank WIlliams and Chuck Berry. My earlist influense were Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers, Chet Atkins.
Starter playing at age 10 and everything changed at age twelve when I was ill with sleeping sickness and the Beatles happened. Began playing professionally at age 13, had first label interest at age 17.
Started Mangatube records at age 21, had local Denver area hit with a "A Song for Casey" with a band called Joe Cool (that is still playing today) which lead to a brief recording experince with 20th Century Fox records in 1976.
Since age 17, I i also worked at music stores and taught guitar lessons, plus learned how to repair guitars. in 1977, after three years of non-stop performing, recording etc, I return to retail music store so I could focus on writing.

Promise was form with two childhood friends Randy jones (bass) and Gary York (drums) and new friend Dan Dachel (Dan Mae guitar). we decide to to have some fun and do a project which ended up being the Promise project.
This band never played live until the record was finished and we began receiving major label and management interest because some of the Denver stations were playing the record and a song was added to Billboard's "new releases charts." We began to play live but immediately had some divisions in the band as too not wanting to play live and a change in direction of music.

Randy Jones is playing bass in Las Vegas, i hear that Gary York is still living in Colorado, Dan Dachel is living in Ft Collins, Colorado and is a fine luthier.
After Promise I went back to playing with Joe Cool and released an ep with several new songs that were produced by Mark Harmon (credits include the Band, Snuff Garrett, Leon Russell, Neil young). i left Colorado in 1984 and began writing jingles in San Diego while still persuing my writing. While in San Diego I wrote songs with Wayne Nelson, lead singer for the Littel River Band. I left San Diego in 1986 and moved to Morro Bay California, and began working for Ernie Ball. I stayed with Ernie Ball until 2003 and launched my own string company in in 2004. i have hundreds of unfinished songs and have started to organize them for a new recording project
. Curt Mangan

Songs

Say All Right / Back in My Heart / Guitar / Later On Tonite / Main Street Lanes / Hands of Luck / Lucky Star / The Find / Captain Domino / Putman's Ranc

Wednesday, August 8

FLAMIN' GROOVIES - YOU TORE ME DOWN (1975)

First single ever released by (Who Put The) Bomp Records. The song was later included on "Shake Some Action", it was one of the set's finest moments.
B side is a cover of the Paul Revere & The Raiders' classic. "Him or Me" was not included on any Groovies' album, but can be found of "The Roots of Power Pop".

Special note: This vinyl rip was made in 24 bit/96khz then dithered and resampled to 16bit/44.1khz with iZotope RX 2. It is now available in both lossy and lossless versions and comes with the scans of the original 7".

mp3 (320 lame 3.98) : RS (26mb)
FLAC : RS (51mb)

Songs
1. You Tore Me Down
2. Him Or Me (What's It Gonna Be)