Scaffold - L.P. (Lily the Pink) 1969

The result of the meeting of Michael McCartney (brother of Beatle Paul), who would work as Mike McGear to avoid accusations of coat-tailing, and Post Office engineer John Gorman, the Scaffold took a blend of absurd humor and catchy songs to chart-topping glory throughout the 1960s. Their lineup filled out with Roger McGough and Adrian Henri, the group was briefly known as the Liverpool One Fat Lady All Electric Show, to the horror of everyone around them. Henri soon departed. A change of name later, they were gaining a reputation as one of the most amusing outfits on the scene, with a residency at Peter Cook's Establishment Club (where the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band also held court). 
The Scaffold's biggest successes were their cheerfully silly singles, starting with "Thank U Very Much" and continuing with "Lily the Pink" (a sterilized adaptation of an old rugby song, featuring Jack Bruce on bass) and the somewhat incomprehensible "Gin Gan Goolie," all of which had a knack for sticking in the mind on endless repeat without causing undue annoyance. These three songs, in particular, are well remembered even as the 1990s draw to a close. 
In 1973, the Scaffold officially ceased to exist, being blended into the immense stage antics of Grimms alongside a couple of former Bonzos and a great many other people. Three Grimms albums followed. The Scaffold made occasional reappearances for various purposes. During the 1970s, Michael McCartney would begin using his real name again, although his infrequent recordings would still use the McGear pseudonym. Post-music, he has pursued careers as a photographer and children's author. AMG.

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Joe Walsh - So What 1975

Joe Walsh's catalog by this point was two albums strong and of a consistently high quality. Despite a change of lineup for So What -- a wide range of musicians is used, including the Eagles' Don Henley -- the sound is very similar to previous releases. A number of classic Walsh tracks are featured, including a more polished version of "Turn to Stone," originally featured on his debut album, Barnstorm, in a somewhat more riotous style. "Help Me Thru the Night," Walsh's mellowest song to date, is helped along by some fine lead and backing vocals from the band. So What sees Walsh in top form as a guitarist. Most of the nine tracks feature solos of unquestionable quality in his usual rock style. The classic rock genre that the man so well defined with his earlier albums is present here throughout, and it is pulled off with the usual unparalleled Joe Walsh ability. AMG.

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Bonnie Raitt - Give It Up 1972

Bonnie Raitt may have switched producers for her second album Give It Up, hiring Michael Cuscuna, but she hasn't switched her style, sticking with the thoroughly engaging blend of folk, blues, R&B, and Californian soft rock. If anything, she's strengthened her formula here, making the divisions between the genres nearly indistinguishable. Take the title track, for instance. It opens with a bluesy acoustic guitar before kicking into a New Orleans brass band about halfway through -- and the great thing about it is that Raitt makes the switch sound natural, even inevitable, never forced. And that's just the tip of the iceberg here, since Give It Up is filled with great songs, delivered in familiar, yet always surprising, ways by Raitt and her skilled band. For those that want to pigeonhole her as a white blues singer, she delivers the lovely "Nothing Seems to Matter," a gentle mid-tempo number that's as mellow as Linda Ronstadt and far more seductive. That's the key to Give It Up: Yes, Raitt can be earthy and sexy, but she balances it with an inviting sensuality that makes the record glow. It's all delivered in a fantastic set of originals and covers performed so naturally it's hard to tell them apart and roots music so thoroughly fused that it all sounds original, even when it's possible to spot the individual elements or influences. Raitt would go on to greater chart successes, but she not only had trouble topping this record, generations of singers, from Sheryl Crow to Shelby Lynne, have used this as a touchstone. One of the great Southern California records. AMG.

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Masterfleet - High On The Sea 1973

Unlike a lot of the east coast bands on the Sussex label, Masterfleet hailed from California — Compton, to be exact (which was also the home of The Jackson Sisters, The Sylvers, and War). This hard to find debut album is a mix of vocal soul tracks that have an East Coast sound, with other cuts that get a little bit more funk into the mix. The group’s harmonies are quite good, and they really shine on a number of tracks. Thanks to FunkMySoul.

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Prosper - Broken Door 1975

Prosper was born in Bottrop, a town situated in the northwestern part of the german Ruhrgebiet which is dominated by an eponymous coal mine. The band's story began 1973 as Prosper I with heavy line-up changes. Jürgen Pluta (keys) was a co-founder but soon went to Wallenstein to play the bass. Evert Brettschneider (guitar) and Matthias Geisen (bass) were early members to form a constant line-up and to reduce the name to Prosper. They were later followed by Friedhelm Misiejuk (drums, percussion), Fritz A. Frey (guitar, vocals) und Ernst Müller (keys). This five musicians finally produced the self-released, very professional and diversified debut 'Broken Door' from 1975.

Prosper's sound is a typical mix of different styles. Jazz rock respectively Fusion are having a dominant role but there are also psychedelic parts to point out. Composed with a versatile structure the eight songs contain many instrumental parts interspersed with e-piano, mellotron, moog or nice twin guitar work. Brettschneider, also known as a member of the band Contact Trio, often provides the jazzy attitude inspired by John McLaughlin or Gary Boyle. Unfortunately the current line-up didn't manage to record other releases afterwards. Some member changes occured and Prosper became less important until 1979 when the band tried to make a new start. Only bass player Geisen remained and he gathered some other musicians to record new material. Finally in 2006 some songs of this rehearsals were digged out and released as a vinyl named 'Second Running - The Basement Tapes' with music similar to Doldinger's Passport. More other songs are in a waiting position and therefore Prosper's story might not be closed yet.

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Profile - Sands Of Time 1973

Originally released in 1973 on Encounter Records, Profile's Sands of Time was produced by Bernard Purdie (a living, walking definition of soul-jazz drumming), and the album bears his signature sound. With Don Sands on organ, Dave Barron on guitar, Seldon Powell on tenor sax, Garnett Brown on trombone, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Paul Martinez on bass, and Purdie and Butchman Bateman sharing the drum kit, with help from percussionist Norman Pride, the album catches an easy, gently funky shuffle tone from the opening track, Barron's "99 Baseball," and then never lets go. Instrumental versions of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," Isaac Hayes' "Shaft," and Jimmy Webb's (via Isaac Hayes) "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" all fall into a delightful rainy-day groove, making Sands of Time somewhat of a lost classic. AMG.

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Quill - Sursum Corda 1977

Three-piece progressive/symphonic rock band that formed in Santa Barbara in 1975 and disbanded in the late 70s. They reunited for a one-off performance at the inaugural Progfest in 1993.

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Leroy Hutson - Love Oh Love 1973

After working as a writer and producer for such soul music stalwarts as Donny Hathaway and a stint replacing Curtis Mayfield as the lead vocalist in the Impressions, Leroy Hutson embarked on a solo career with 1973's Love Oh Love. The album combines the kind of smooth soul music that Hutson performed with the Impressions with more ambitious and conceptual outings in the vein of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. When Hutson sticks to love songs, Love Oh Love is magical: "So in Love With You" combines a honey-sweet romantic vocal from Hutson with a spine-tingling string arrangement to create an elegant and heartfelt ballad, while the title track raises its tale of lost love to an up-tempo level with jazzy horns and a percolating rhythm arrangement. "As Long as There's Love Around" is another effective romantic track that layers Hutson's velvety vocals over a complex instrumental track that combines gentle strings and brash horns with an insistently grooving bassline. The progressive-minded tracks are less satisfying: "Time Brings on a Change" is a political commentary song whose use of a Martin Luther King sample is a little too gimmicky for its own good, and "Getting It On" is a funk instrumental that fails to work any memorable hooks into its pleasant groove. Despite these problems, nothing on the album is less than listenable and everything flows together nicely to create a cohesive (if somewhat short) album. In short, Love Oh Love is one of the most consistent albums in the Leroy Hutson catalog and a good introduction to his silky soul style. AMG.

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The John Dummer Band - Blue 1972

The John Dummer Band also known as John Dummer's Blues Band, John Dummer's Famous Music Band, John Dummer's Oobleedooblee Band and The John Dummer Band Featuring Nick Pickett was a British blues band, of the 1960s and 1970s, noted for its extensive roster of members, including Graham Bond, Dave Kelly, Jo Ann Kelly, Tony McPhee, Bob Hall, John O'Leary and Pick Withers, and for supporting US bluesmen such as Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker on UK tours.

The band was formed by drummer John Dummer (born Anthony John Dummer 19 November 1944, Surbiton, Surrey). He formed Lester Square and the G.T's in 1963 with Chris Trengove (alto saxophone and vocals) and Elton Dean (tenor saxophone, later of Soft Machine) and toured the UK and Germany for two years.

Dummer formed the John Dummer Blues Band in 1965. The original line-up was John Dummer (vocals, harmonica), Roger Pearce (guitar) and Pete Moody (bass) - both recruited from London R&B band The Grebbels – plus Bob Hall (piano) and Dave Bidwell (drums). Moody later left to be replaced by Tony Walker (bass) and his sister Regine Walker joined Dummer as a second vocalist. The featured guitarist was Tony 'Top' Topham, the original Yardbirds guitarist. The band changed its line-up and began a regular Sunday afternoon residency at the Studio 51 Club in London's West End. Dummer had moved onto drums, and Dave Kelly and Tony McPhee joined as guitarist/vocalists, with Iain "Thump" Thomson (bass) and John O'Leary (harmonica). Dave's sister, Jo-Ann Kelly, was also a regularly featured vocalist at these sessions. The band picked up a following at the club with visiting artists such as John Mayall, Keef Hartley, Champion Jack Dupree, Long John Baldry, Duster Bennett and Alexis Korner. The band was signed to Mercury Records and their first album, Cabal, was released in 1969. Dave and Jo-Anne Kelly and Tony McPhee were featured artists, and the band was the same as had regularly played the Studio 51 Club. Tony McPhee left the band shortly after to re-form The Groundhogs.

The second album, The John Dummer Blues Band, featured Dummer, Hall, Thomson, Dave and Jo Ann Kelly (vocals), with a new lead guitarist Adrian "Putty" Pietryga, from The Deep Blues Band from Bristol. This band toured extensively in Britain and Europe for two years.

By the third album, John Dummer's Famous Music Band (1970), Dave Kelly and Bob Hall had left to be replaced by Nick Pickett (guitar, violin and vocals) Pietryga and Thomson remained, being augmented by Chris Trengove (alto sax) and Davey 'Crabsticks' Trotter (Mellotron).

After the third album the band "drifted apart", only to reform to record again when their instrumental "Nine By Nine", featuring violinist Nick Pickett, was number 1 in France. The 1972 album Blue, released as the John Dummer Band, featured a cover by Roger Dean, whilst the band had shrunk to a four-piece blues-rock band, comprising Dummer, Pickett, Pietryga and Thomson. The band's fifth album, Oobleedoobleejubilee (1973), released as John Dummer's Oobleedooblee Band, had a country music style, whilst the line-up again included the Kellys, along with Michael Evans (violin) and Roger Brown (vocals). The band's final album, recorded in 1973, included Graham Bond (saxophone), Pick Withers (drums), Pete Emery (guitar) and Colin Earl (Foghat) (keyboards), but the album was shelved, and the band broke up in 1974. This final album was eventually released in 2008, as the Lost 1973 Album.

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Charles Mingus - Reincarnation Of A Lovebird 1960

A virtuoso bassist, composer, pianist, arranger, and bandleader, Charles Mingus cut an indelible path through 20th century jazz, creating a legacy that continues to influence, instruct, and enrich. His powerful tone and unshakeable rhythmic facility drove an original music, ambitious yet earthy. Influenced musically and culturally by Black gospel, Mingus drew inspiration from each sound that grabbed him -- blues, New Orleans jazz, swing, bop, Latin traditions, classical, and avant-garde -- and adapted them for his ensembles. Influenced by Duke Ellington, Mingus grafted the maestro's harmonic innovations and swing onto gutbucket blues, dissonance, and abrupt rhythmic and meter changes. His important '50s albums -- Pithecanthropus Erectus, The Clown, Mingus Ah Um, Blues and Roots -- offered traditional notation, oral dictation, and space for his sidemen to improvise. Further, Mingus introduced many future jazz luminaries and leaders through his bands including Jackie McLean, Eric Dolphy, Dannie Richmond, Don Pullen, George Adams, Jimmy Knepper, and Jack Walrath. AMG.

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Billy Cobham, Alphonso Johnson, Steve Khan, Tom Scott - Alivemutherforya 1978

Drummer Billy Cobham is heard on this live set heading an all-star quintet also including Tom Scott on tenor, soprano and lyricon, keyboardist Mark Soskin, guitarist Steve Khan and electric bassist Alphonso Johnson. Although the music is mostly funky and uses plenty of electronics (Scott sounds quite faceless on lyricon), there are some strong solos, particularly from Khan and Scott (when he is on tenor). The six group originals are highlighted by "Bahama Mama," "Some Punk Funk" and "On a Magic Carpet Ride." Due to the amount of variety and spontaneity, Alivemutherforya is superior to most of these musicians' individual projects of the era. AMG.

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John Blair - We Belong Together 1977

John Franklin "Ellington" Blair was an American violinist & guitarist, born November 8h 1943 Toledo, Ohio, died June 3rd 2006 in New York, NY, USA. Dr. John Blair (or Master John Blair) grew up in California and began taking violin lessons as a child, graduating with honors from Lincoln High School in San Diego in 1961. Blair became a heavy academic, holding degrees from Eastman and Curtis conservatories. He even founded a school (The Universal Natural System). He is best known as the inventor of the Vitar, an acoustic combination of violin and guitar. He featured on many jazz funk LPs in the early 1970s and released a few sought after psych-funk releases on Mercury, Columbia and CTI. During the 1980s he disapeared off of the map, never to return. He died of heart failure, homeless.

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Climax - Gusano Mecánico 1974

Bolivian rock band of the late 1960's to mid 1970's. They started as a beat, largely covers, band mixing hard rock, blues and psychedelic influences, issuing a few singles. They went through many styles during their history, later reinventing themselves as an experimental progressive rock outfit with the album "Gusano Mecánico". The Climax LP is widely regarded as a pinnacle of Bolivian prog alongside the the debut by the group Wara. 

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Dah - Veliki Cirkus 1974

Serbian heavy rock band with folk influences active in period 1972-1977 in former Yugoslavia. The group enjoyed brief but prominent international success when they recorded hit single "Shoshana" during their sojourn in Belgium. Under new name "Land" "Shoshana" single was issued by Polydor across Europe and it even raised to No. 1 on the top list of Radio Morocco. Upon return to Yugoslavia in 1976 they released the third album "Povratak" and soon disbanded. Goran Manojlović then continued with new line-up and it lasted until 1979.

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New Riders Of The Purple Sage - The Adventures of Panama Red 1973

One has to wonder if 1973 was the year of drug references in songs...never mind. In any case, The Adventures of Panama Red established the New Riders of the Purple Sage as something more than a Jerry Garcia side project -- which they never were. John Dawson, Spencer Dryden, David Nelson, and Dave Torbert along with pedal steel ace Buddy Cage -- replacing Garcia -- and producer and multi-instrumentalist Norbert Putnam crafted a smoking, hard country-rock and bluegrass hippie record. Also along for the ride were guest vocalists Donna Jean Godchaux from the Grateful Dead and no less than Buffy Sainte-Marie and the Memphis Horns. Trad country it ain't, and dated it is; but nonetheless, Panama Red has considerable charm as a relic from the era. Nelson, Torbert, and Dawson were decent songwriters and enthusiastic performers, and Columbia knew a good thing when they saw one and got behind the album -- which was a minor hit. The title track and "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy," with Cage's whinnying steel, carry a lot of the band's weight and separate them from virtually every other West Coast outfit trying the same thing. The Flying Burrito Brothers were more country and Commander Cody's Lost Planet Airmen swung harder, but one thing the New Riders were more of than anyone was stoned, and these songs with titles like "Important Exportin Man" and "Kick in the Head" and lyrics like "I've been smokin' dope, snortin' coke/Tryin' to write a song/Forgettin' everything I know until the next line comes along" only underline this. The freakiest thing is that the record segues together so beautifully and the songs are so tight with nothing extra between, it feels like it's a lot longer than the mere 29 minutes it is. The listener feels satisfied that after 11 songs it's all been said and done in a delightful way. This endures despite its obvious lyrical stupidity. Musically it can do a lot to teach modern-day alt-country cookie-cutters something about knowing the rules before trying to break them. AMG.

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