The College Crowd Digs Me

Interview -- Laurence Juber (Wings, solo guitarist, session musician)

2026-06-05T18:48:49.805-05:00

"And Paul said,

'What are you doing

for the next few years?'"

~ Laurence Juber ~

Hailing from East London, but now calling L.A. home, Laurence Juber has had plenty of days playing in the sun. With a 30-plus discography of critically acclaimed CDs under his belt, the fellow definitely knows his way around a guitar. Juber is recognized as one of the top acoustic guitar players of all time and was once voted Guitarist of the Year. He has received two Grammys, and his fingers have never once left his hands. The guy can play.

Since moving to California, Juber has put his guitar stylings to good use composing or co-composing soundtracks and scores for shows as diverse as Dateline NBC, Ken Burns documentaries, and even The Brady Bunch. Juber has added his guitar to soundtracks and dozens of films and television shows. From "Good Will Hunting" to "Dirty Dancing." From Eric Carmen To Harry Styles. The man walks through golden halls. And yet, even Laurence Juber knows he will always be recognized as the baby-faced guitarist whom, in 1978, Paul McCartney pulled aside to join his band, Wings. Sir Paul McCartney, that is. And don't misunderstand me, no one is complaining. When the Rock 'n' Roll face on Mt. Rushmore asks you to join his band, you don't wait for the waitress to bring you a to-go box. Laurence Juber has done plenty. But, I mean, what could be any more satisfying than having that ace card in your pocket? Laurence Juber. Here, there, and everywhere. Go get you some.

Laurence Juber Interview -- June 2026

Laurence Juber

[The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.]

Casey Chambers: Let's start with your involvement with Alan Parsons. You were doing a little session work for him before anyone really knew there was actually gonna be a Project! Not exactly, but it was definitely new ground. And this was later to become "Tales of Mystery and Imagination." (1976) How did that come about?

Laurence Juber: That was actually my very first session at Abbey Road in Studio Two. I didn't know when we did the session that it was for that album. I was friends and had been doing some studio work with Francis Monkman, who was the keyboard player from a band called Curved Air, which was kind of one of the early prog rock bands in England. And he was friends with Andrew Powell, who's an orchestrator and arranger. Somehow, I got booked to play guitar for this session. Francis was playing harpsichord. I was on acoustic. There were a couple of mandolin players, and we did this instrumental piece. And when we finished, I just forgot all about it.

Then, probably about 25 years later, I was reading Musician Magazine, which was interviewing Alan Parsons. And he said, 'We had Laurence Juber play guitar.' (laughs) And that was when I learned the session was for "Tales of Mystery and Imagination." Even Terry Sylvester, who sang on the album, said that as far as he knew, it was a secret session. So that was really the extent of my involvement with it. I was on that one session. When the vinyl first came out, my name wasn't even on the credits. I didn't get credited until the CD came out. That's kind of par for the course in the studio world. You don't always get credited for what you do.

Casey Chambers: I wanted to bring this up because "Tales Of Mystery and Imagination" is my favorite Alan Parsons Project album. Most days, anyway. And you contributed your guitar in "Pavane," which is a section of a much larger instrumental suite..."The Fall Of the House of Usher." Everything fits like a tailored suit.

Laurence Juber: Yeah, I thought it was a very cool album.

"The Fall of the House of Usher (Pavane)" - Alan Parsons Project / "Tales of Mystery..." (1976)

Casey Chambers: Not knowing how your contributions would be used in the larger scheme of things is a trip to me. And you find out years later, your credits.

Laurence Juber: That's not so unusual. I had played on an album in Paris for a singer named Charles Aznavour. Very famous singer. Kind of old school. And I learned from my own Wikipedia page that the album that I played on was number one in France for almost the entire year of 1978. (laughs) It's the nature of that stuff. And I'm constantly...people will come up to me at the merch table at a show and hand me an album, and I'll say, 'Why am I signing this?' And then they point to my credit and say, 'Well, you played on it!' (laughs) So you never know.

Casey Chambers: Later in the '70s, you grabbed the golden ring and were asked to join the band Wings.

Laurence Juber: I was, indeed.

Casey Chambers: Tell me how that all came about.

Laurence Juber: Well, as you mentioned, I was working as a studio musician in London. And I was playing lead guitar on a TV show with David Essex, who was a big pop star over there. And Denny Laine was a guest on the show, and he liked my playing and recommended me to Paul and Linda.

Casey Chambers: And so they reached out to you?

Laurence Juber: Yeah, I mean, about six months later. It wasn't like an instant thing. And I knew Wings were looking for a new lead guitarist, but I was so busy with my studio work at that time that I didn't really pursue it. But as luck would have it, it ended up pursuing me.

Casey Chambers: So you go in and meet Paul and Linda. And then you have to do your thing. What was that like?

Laurence Juber: I was a little nervous 'cause I really didn't know any Wings tunes. (laughs) But as it turned out, we did some Chuck Berry and some reggae grooves, and then Steve Holley and I, you know, were both auditioning at the same time, he on drums. And Paul said, 'What are you doing for the next few years?' (laughs) So I think I fit the suit, as it were. They were looking for somebody versatile. My predecessor, Jimmy McCulloch, was a great rock guitar player, but I covered a lot more stylistic ground.

Casey Chambers: "Back To The Egg" has a lot of meat on the bone. And I love kicking cobwebs with "Spin It On." It's a great burner.

"Spin It On" - Wings / "Back To The Egg" (1979)

Laurence Juber: Yeah, well, the guitar solo was done after we had cut the track. I was in the control room, sitting with Paul eye to eye, when we did that recording. And it was really kind of a revelation to me. I had worked with some major record producers before, but I'd never worked with somebody who was bringing stuff out of me to the extent that Paul was. I think it was a mark of his capabilities as a producer to dig deep and really guide me in the direction of doing something that really matched the intensity of the punk rockabilly character of that song.

Casey Chambers: Which Wings songs are you proudest of?

Laurence Juber: Oh, you know, it's kind of been a shifting perspective. I've found that the "Back To The Egg" album is coming around to the point where it's like fine wine that's been lying down for nearly 50 years and is finally ready to drink. People are starting to really realize the strengths of that record. In fact, Mojo magazine just put it at #10 in their Top 10 of all of Paul's post-Beatles work. I'm certainly fond of "Spin It On" because it was kind of rockabilly, but beyond. That was really cool. I really like the intro I did on "Baby's Request." That was a very nice spontaneous jazzy moment. And "Rockestra..." was an amazing session, and we won the first Grammy for Rock Instrumental for that. There are aspects to all the songs on that album that I'm very fond of, but "Spin It On" is just an important one.

Casey Chambers: It's a good song. It was the B-side of the single, "Getting Closer."

Laurence Juber: Right. Yes, it was. You know, to be honest, the big hit single was "Goodnight Tonight," which wasn't even on the album. And I did this flamenco-ish solo on that, which was one of my favorite ever one-take solos. We were so busy getting the album promotion going that I wasn't really paying attention to which singles were out, because they were different in England than in America. Another one of my favorite songs from that period was actually "Daytime Nighttime Suffering," the B-side of "Goodnight Tonight."

Casey Chambers: Oh yeah. I first heard "Daytime Nighttime Suffering" as a bonus track on the "Back To The Egg" CD. That's a deep cut that got some airplay in its own right.

Laurence Juber: Yes, it did. Some radio stations wouldn't play "Goodnight Tonight" because they considered it too disco. But having played on a number of French disco records by an artist named Cerrone, which were big club hits at the time, I knew very well that "Goodnight Tonight" was more of a Latin rock thing than a disco record. Nonetheless, the record company described it that way and released a 12-inch disco single.

Casey Chambers: Wings made a whole bunch of music videos around this period, and this was before MTV. Any of them memorable for you?

"Back To The Egg" - Wings (1979)

Laurence Juber: Yeah, it was fun doing that kind of thing. The "Goodnight Tonight" video was probably the more interesting one to do because that was the first one we had done of those particular tracks. And we did that one at a dance hall called the Hammersmith Palais. When I was just getting started as a studio musician, I used to play in the house band there. And so I was very used to the revolving stage they used at the end of the video. Of all of them...I like the "Getting Closer" video. "Love Awake" was especially cool because you can see the castle where we recorded. I didn't play on the record, but we did a video for "I've Had Enough" from the album "London Town," and that was interesting because it was an all-nighter, shot with a single camera. It was almost like a film-like approach.

Casey Chambers: Were you feeling much pressure to catch up on the backlog of Wings and Beatles songs before you guys headed out on tour? I'm guessing a crash course.

Laurence Juber: Well, yeah, we had a set list. And you just study the songs and rehearse them until they become second nature. Many songs have specific guitar parts, while others allow for a little more play. I mean, for example, we would open the show with The Beatles' song "Got To Get You Into My Life," and much of the Beatles' repertoire has very specific guitar parts. But there are also a few songs where you could take liberties. With "Let It Be," for example, there was really no definitive guitar part or guitar solo I had to play, so I could just craft my own approach to it. And that was great fun. One that I really enjoy playing.

Casey Chambers: What was the famous show where you played that song, and...there was Pete Townshend, and The Pretenders, and just a bunch of biggies on stage?

Laurence Juber: Oh, that was the Kampuchea concert. We did "Let It Be" as part of the Rockestra set there. I think that perhaps the "Let It Be" solo I did at the Glasgow concert is probably my favorite. But it's close.

"Getting Closer" - Wings / "Back To The Egg" (1979)

Casey Chambers: What show stands out for you the most?

Laurence Juber: The one that really stands out was the last night show of the UK tour in Glasgow, which is the show that the live version of "Coming Up" came from. And I think that was an interesting juxtaposition because Paul was busy promoting his "McCartney II" version of it, which he made a very cool video for. But the radio flipped it over and played the live version instead of the studio version because it was more of a rock-and-roll record. And that record was number one for three weeks. (laughs) But that whole concert, I think, was kind of the epitome of where that band was going after it had been on the road for a month or so.

Casey Chambers: Recording at one of those beautiful castles must feel really different than recording in town at Abbey Road. I'm thinking in terms of privacy. When Wings were recording at Abbey, were there a lot of drop-ins and howdy-dos?

Laurence Juber: Oh, yeah. When we were at Abbey Road, people loved to drop by. I remember when we were in Studio Three one time, doing the horns on the song "Arrow Through Me," Paul Simon came in. He was marveling at the bass sound on that track. But in fact, there was no bass guitar on that record. It was just the left hand of a Fender Rhodes electric piano. (laughs) He just wanted to come in and say hello. People would show up quite a bit just to say hello. I remember David Bowie dropping by, and another time, Abba came in when they were at the height of their success. They were just like little kids around Paul. It was fun.

Casey Chambers: After Wings, and that's a golden ticket right there, you wound up in Hollywood, making music for television and films as well as doing session work for big artists with big hits. How did all that happen?

Laurence Juber: Yeah, well, what had happened was that after Wings, I moved to New York. And it was while in New York that I met Hope, who became my wife. She was from L.A., so I moved out there and started getting into studio work. It was at that point that I hooked up with various record producers and started doing a lot of session work. I played on "Mad About You" for Belinda Carlisle and Eric Carmen's single, "Make Me Lose Control," that you mentioned earlier. Both top three. As well as the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack on "She's Like the Wind" and "The Time Of My Life." I also got to play on the last Top 20 single by The Monkees, the song "That Was Then, This Is Now." The '80s were especially busy times.

"She's Like The Wind" - Patrick Swayze / "Dirty Dancing" (1987)

And during that period, I was also getting to do a lot of television and movies. Over the years, I was involved with "Good Will Hunting" and the song from "Pocohontas"..."Colors of the Wind." I'm going back, but I think "Splash" was the first movie I did. And I was very fortunate to do a great many TV shows, including "Roseanne" and "Home Improvement." There was also a show called "7th Heaven" that ran for 11 years, and I did all the acoustic guitar work. I mean, I'm still finding things that I played on that I didn't even know I'd done. (laughs)

Casey Chambers: Your mailbox must be like opening a Cracker Jack box! (laughs) I'm going to throw this out at you because this movie has become a silly, nostalgic holiday tradition around our house. It was one of those made-for-TV movies, and my family watches it every year. "A Very Brady Christmas." We love it. (laughs)

Laurence Juber: Oh, yeah, "...Brady Christmas," I actually did the score for.

Casey Chambers: Right! And catching a Christmas gig is always a cool thing. A year after year thing.

Laurence Juber: Well, you have to understand that Hope's father, my late father-in-law, was Sherwood Schwartz, who created "The Brady Bunch." And "Gilligan's Island." And when they had the idea for the Brady Christmas movie, he asked me to score it. And it was a very fun experience. Especially recording at Paramount on a big scoring stage. I had a fairly decent-sized orchestra. I had Vinnie Colaiuta playing drums on it. And a great horn section made up of some of the top L.A. horn players. I got to write a lot of the strings and the orchestral side of it. And of course, being Christmasy, there's a certain kind of stylistic area that occupies. It was a fun project to do.

Casey Chambers: Hey, I love the Brady Bunch. (laughs)

Laurence Juber: Well, Hope was on "The Brady Bunch." She played Greg's girlfriend. She's the one with the frog on her head. (laughs)

Casey Chambers: No kidding! Don't eat the pizza! (laughs) If ya know, ya know.

Laurence Juber: Yeah, all of that. She was on a few episodes. She was also in the one where she got uninvited to Marcia's slumber party, too. (laughs)

Casey Chambers: Good for Hope! That was my show when I got home from school growing up, you know, before starting on my homework. I'd watch "The Brady Bunch." Whaddyagonnado?

Laurence Juber: Well, "The Brady Bunch" really became the long-running success because it went into syndication. Repeat viewings. It was in that 'come home from school' time slot, and you'd watch it.

Casey Chambers: Along with all that, you've recorded quite a few albums yourself. The two I'm most familiar with are "Between The Wars" (1995), which you recorded with Al Stewart. And the beautiful acoustic Wings tribute called appropriately..."One Wing" (2005). A really chill square to listen to in the evenings.

"Another Day" - Laurence Juber / "One Wing" (2005)

Laurence Juber: Thank you. What happened was I recorded "LJ Plays The Beatles" (2000), and Paul said, "Well, what about Wings?' (laughs) And Hope, who had produced it, just kept asking me to tackle that repertoire. And so I did. I think my favorite track on that is probably "Another Day" because it's just so much fun to play. I mean, playing that is like playing Bach.

Casey Chambers: I also like what you did with "Listen to What the Man Said."

Laurence Juber: Thank you.

Casey Chambers: Before I let you go, how about recommending a couple of albums by other artists you've enjoyed?

Laurence Juber: Oh, that's a tough call. Clearly, The Beatles' "Abbey Road"...such a classic album. And sometimes I'll go back and listen to "Disraeli Gears." The Cream album was very influential when I was a teenager. Listening to it now, I realize the guitar sounds aren't quite what I thought they were at the time. But one that's always been a favorite of mine is the John Mayall Bluesbreakers album. Known as 'The Beano Album,' with Eric Clapton reading a Beano comic on the cover. I think that's kind of a definitive album for many guitar players. The guitar tone that Clapton got on that record. It really launched a million Les Paul sales. So that really has got to be in my top three.

There's also an album by John Renbourn that was a big influence on me. The full title of it is "Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng and ye Grene Knyghte." But it's known as "Sir John Alot..." That was a very important album for me because it really demonstrated what a solo guitar was capable of doing. And John Renbourn was a member of Pentangle, which was very much a definitive English folk-rock band. They were basically traditional folk, but with a jazz rhythm section and guitar players who could stretch out in either direction. Either the folk or the more improvisational end of things. Stuff like that. Important material.

And Nick Drake did some really amazing work, and of course, never lived to get the accolades for it. I think he committed suicide. And it wasn't until many, many years later that his music started to get the kind of traction that it should have gotten originally. It has since appeared in TV shows like "Dawson's Creek" and those kinds of shows. It's kind of the nature of the music business that sometimes music takes a long time to find its audience. You should really listen to Nick Drake. I mean, he was very influential in later years.

Casey Chambers: Which album should I grab first?

Laurence Juber: Oh, there's "Pink Moon." Well, his first album is called "Five Leaves Left." And there's a song called "River Man" on it that's very, very cool. Also, that album was produced with some amazing strings. And it's in 5/4 time too. Very, very cool. Oh, and this kind of relates to what I was talking about earlier with Pentangle. Nick Drake really is considered part of the folk-baroque style that came out of England, which also, to some extent, includes early Fairport Convention. And the kind of crossover between folk music, jazz, and rock. And also, Baroque and Renaissance music were very much part of the English musical scene I grew up in. But to pinpoint any one particular artist, I would probably say that the Bluesbreakers album is one of the most influential things for me.

Another artist I should absolutely recommend is my daughter, Ilsey. She put out an album on Elektra a couple of years ago called "From The Valley." She's also written or co-written many, many hits over the years. Panic! at the Disco's "High Hopes." She wrote "Mercy" with Shawn Mendes and "All Night" for Beyoncé's "Lemonade" album. "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" with Miley Cyrus. She has seven cuts on Jelly Roll's latest album. And she also wrote and is featured on the latest Chainsmokers.

Casey Chambers: That's good stuff. Ilsey is all over the place. What a talented family. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. It's been a real treat.

Laurence Juber: You're welcome. And thank you.

"Goodnight Tonight" - Wings / Non-LP Single (1979)

*******************************************

Laurence Juber Official Website

Ilsey Official Website

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Dig and Flip: Sandman Mystery Theatre: Vol. 5: Dr. Death and The Night Of The Butcher (2007)

2026-06-04T19:26:47.277-05:00

Sandman Mystery Theatre: Vol. 5

Dr. Death and The Night Of The Butcher

Matt Wagner /Steven T. Seagle (writers)

Guy Davis/Vince Locke (artists)

Vertigo Comics

First published April 7, 2007

Graphic Novel, 208 pages

NO SPOILERS:

This is late-1930s, early 40s crime noir. The two stories within are dusted with a delicious pulp flavor, making them all the more fun to read. But don't be fooled by the time era; the violence is real and in your face. One story is about someone who determines if a person's life is worth living; the other story is about a serial killer. Much darker than one might expect. The words and drawings within fill your senses with a wonderfully unsettling atmosphere. Our hero, Wesley Dodds, aka The Sandman, is a pudgy, average social businessman who solves mysteries with his wits, donning a rather clumsy gas mask and carrying a sleeping-gas gun. No superpowers whatsoever.

Sandman Mystery Theatre: Vol. 5 (inside)

Wesley Dodds' identity is known only to his butler and possibly his on-again/off-again love interest, Dian Belmond, the daughter of the chief of police. Surprisingly, their courtship is a fascinating subplot. And as you should know, Sandman uses the sleeping gas to also extract truthful answers from his targets before sending them off into la-la land. The Vertigo graphic novels are well done, and I recommend grabbing one when you can.

"Sleeping Gas" - The Teardrop Explodes / "Kilimanjaro" (1980)

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits (1967)

2026-05-28T11:47:37.537-05:00

"Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits (1967)

The album name and cover art 'had me at hello.' And as it turns out, the music is pretty good, too. If you’re a fan of pop-psych that rubs shoulders with sunshine pop, The Hobbits...”Down To Middle Earth” will be your cookie. There are ten songs…each oddly different and clever, as if the artist is having us on. Not overly psychedelic, and yet it's there.

There are a few tracks that are obviously meant for the mind, but a lot of this has a “more than meets the eye” kind of vibe. A grower by design. There are a couple of weaker tracks, but no bad ones. Not a whole lot is known about the album other than it's a Queens, NY Jimmy Curtiss project, and any other involvement is mostly speculation. This album has been tagged with the “exploitation” label as if that’s a universal bad thing. Well, it’s not. Not always. Sometimes the square is good in spite of itself. And "Down To Middle Earth" has just enough flux to keep it above the median.

"Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits (back)

Favorites include:

"Down To Middle Earth"

"Daffodil Days (The Affection Song)"

"Let Me Run My Fingers Through Your Mind"

This copy is a white-label promo that has been well cared for. It has a median discog price of around $38, though it can top $100. The vinyl looked really nice, as did the cover, but for a stupid red number 50 on the back cover. He wanted $40. I bundled it with a couple of things and got it for less, and we shook hands.

This wasn’t a grail for me. I mean, it’s not rare, although a white label promo doesn't show up every day, nor is it expensive. The Hobbits album isn’t the greatest slice of sweet bread ever or anything like that, but it’s very good for what it is and has been on my want list since outta sight/outta mind. Back when Mellow Yellow and the Psych Professor were still making videos. It's been a few years. Actually seeing it in the wild gave me that hunter’s rush. You know what I'm talking about. I couldn't get to it fast enough. This was found in Andover, KS.

Decca label

(white label promo)

Cat #

DL 4920

SIDE A DEADWAX

MG11180T1 1 1

SIDE B DEADWAX

MG11181T1 1 1

"Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits / "Down To Middle Earth" (1967)

TRACKS:

A1 "Down To Middle Earth" 2:52

A2 "I’m Just A Young Man" 2:53

A3 "Daffodil Days (The Affection Song)" 3:17

A4 "Break Away" 2:53

A5 "Treats" 2:42

B1 "Hands And Knees" 2:48

B2 "Let Me Run My Fingers Through Your Mind (Buy My Flowers)" 2:48

B3 "Out Of My Mind" 2:39

B4 "Clap Hands Til Daddy Comes Home" 2:28

B5 "Sunny Day Girl" 2:32

PERSONNEL:

Jimmy Curtiss - vocals

Jerry Vance - arrangements

Terry Philips - producer, arrangements

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Presence" - Led Zeppelin (1976)

2026-05-21T15:23:17.235-05:00

"Presence" - Led Zeppelin (1976)

Believe it or not, I've never owned a copy of Led Zeppelin's "Presence." In any media format. Nor did I have any recollection of ever listening to the square front-to-back at any time. So I was excited to find a nice used first pressing for $12. It was at a garage sale. Literally. Everything for sale was inside the garage. Anyway, the cover and spine were clean. The embossed title on the front is still readable. And most importantly, the vinyl was a strong VG+.

I have to admit, watching the needle drop on a Led Zeppelin album I knew very little about for the first time gave me a bit of a rush. This was the follow-up to Zeppelin's tour de force, "Physical Graffiti," so, of course, "Presence" was obviously gonna pale in comparison. No surprise there. But after shaking hands with the square a few times, apart from one misguided dirtclod, a rockabilly kinda thing, it's good. And maybe because all the songs sounded fresh and unfamiliar to me. Or maybe 'cause I just like getting the Led out. Who knows? Whatever the reason, I had this album on frequent rotation. This was Zep's seventh studio album, and what a long, strong run of albums they had. Hearing "Presence" on vinyl really brought it out.

"Presence" - Led Zeppelin (back)

"Presence" - Led Zeppelin (inside gatefold)

"Presence" - Led Zeppelin (embossed title)

Favorites include:

"Achilles Last Stand"

"For Your Life"

"Nobody's Fault But Mine"

Swan Song label

Cat #

SS 8416

SIDE A DEADWAX

ST-SS-763559-E 0-ISM 2-1 SP PR ATLANTIC STUDIOS

SIDE B DEADWAX

ST-SS-763560-F 0-ISM 1-3 AT ATLANTIC STUDIOS SP PR

"For Your Life" - Led Zeppelin / "Presence" (1976)

TRACKS:

A1 "Achilles Last Stand" 10:26

A2 "For Your Life" 6:21

A3 "Royal Orleans" 2:58

B1 "Nobody's Fault But Mine" 6:15

B2 "Candy Store Rock" 4:10

B3 "Hots On For Nowhere" 4:42

B4 "Tea For One" 9:27

PERSONNEL:

John Bonham - drums

John Paul Jones - bass

Jimmy Page - guitars, production

Robert Plant - vocals, harmonica

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."That Acapulco Gold" - The Rainy Daze (1967)

2026-05-18T20:35:19.401-05:00

"That Acapulco Gold" - The Rainy Daze (1967)

The Rainy Daze one-and-done offering, "That Acapulco Gold," shakes hands a little with the psych driver but leans a little more into some good garage crankage. And it is good. Nothing here that's gonna really blow your mind. On the other hand, there's nothing to make you want to lift the needle either, even if the songs are all over the map. There's a little bit of everything. The Rainy Daze even throw in a couple of covers and a medley. (Nothing special, but they do no harm.) The title track "That Acapulco Gold" is a kind of jugband thing atypical of the rest of the album and was released as a single, but then radio stations quickly pulled it from rotation because of the subject matter. And finally, amongst all the other, there are still a few tasty lysergic affairs to keep the square real.

The variable Yahtzee cup of songs could've been a disaster, but it's an enjoyable spin front and back. I only wish The Rainy Daze had jumped into the psych waters with both feet. That's probably just the record company overstepping. Kind of "You guys do a couple of our songs, and we'll let you do a couple of your songs." Whatever the reason, they deliver. From Colorado, The Rainy Daze is not a must-own, but it is some early psych with some good fuzz breaks, and good for what it is.

"That Acapulco Gold" - The Rainy Daze (back)

Favorites include:

"Snow And Ice And Burning Sand"

"In My Mind Lives A Forest"

"Discount City"

"Weatherman"

This is an original US mono copy pressed on the beautiful swirly UNI label in Terre Haute.

The cover is very clean, as is the vinyl. This was an eBay pickup. Harder to find in the wild, but not terribly expensive and not a waste of your coinage, either.

Uni label

Cat #

UNI 3002

SIDE A DEADWAX

UM-1002-T2

SIDE B DEADWAX

UM-1003-T2

"Discount City" - The Rainy Daze / "That Acapulco Gold" (1967)

TRACKS:

A1 "Absurd Bird" 2:57

A2 "Baby I Need Your Loving" 3:31

A3 "Weatherman" 2:30

A4 "Out Of A Calico Dream" 2:26

A5 Medley 3:57

a. "Shake"

b. "Knock On Wood"

c. "Respect"

B1 "Discount City" 2:37

B2 "That Acapulco Gold" 2:23

B3 "Try A Little Harder" 2:30

B4 "For What It's Worth" 2:56

B5 "In My Mind Lives A Forest" 2:45

B6 "Snow And Ice And Burning Sand" 3:11

PERSONNEL:

Tim Gilbert - vocals, guitar

Mac Ferris - lead guitar

Bob Heckendorf - organ, keyboards

Sam Fuller - bass

Kip Gilbert - drums

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Dig & Flip: The Dead Zone - Stephen King (1979)

2026-05-14T21:02:40.057-05:00

The Dead Zone

by Stephen King

(1979)

Hardback, 426 pages

NO SPOILERS:

The Dead Zone was Stephen King's fifth novel (not counting Bachman) and had the unenviable task of following his epic tome, The Stand. That's too bad for any book. Whaddyagonnado? But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got into it. It was also the earliest novel of his that I hadn't gotten around to reading until now. It's not horror, this one. The story is more of a slow-burning thriller wrapped inside a mystery. The main character is John Smith. Smith is a nice, average fella, a schoolteacher, who suffers an unfortunate accident and recovers only to find he has occasional premonitions.

John Smith is just another one of King's well-written characters who, through no fault of his own, catches the wrong end of the life-stick. We like Smith, and we grow to hold a great deal of empathy for him. King develops or describes all his characters with a precise pen, and we easily root for the good guys and comeuppance for the bad. Plus, King always seems to have a real knack for writing conversation like nobody's business. The same is true here. Nothing ever feels forced or sounds fake. I don't often hear this novel mentioned when discussions of Stephen King's better novels come up, but I think it should be included. Of the 60-plus books he's written throughout his career, The Dead Zone would be in my top 20, 25 for sure. Stephen King, even this early in his craft, is on another level, and we'll not see another like him for a very long time.

"Monolith" - T. Rex / "Electric Warrior" (1971)

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Tales Untold" - Kopperfield (1974 - Rei-2024)

2026-05-11T17:34:00.004-05:00

"Tales Untold" - Kopperfield (1974 - Rei-2024)

So what if this gnarly, cool album cover looks like it was ripped from a three-ring binder of that one kid who sits drawing fantasy characters by the corner window during Algebra class? How can you not love it? This was a blind purchase, except for the hype sticker. Apparently, this 70s band had been drinking from the rock waters of Michigan. That was all I needed to know to make up my mind. Kopperfield's "Tales Untold" sounds like the kind of early hard rock album you'd hear on the cooler radio stations. Which is also cool, 'cause I kinda like that early classic rock stuff.

The band sounds a little bit like Bloodrock, but without the gloom. And there's a Grand Funk vibe hanging around, as well. Prog rock dust is all over it, but not heavily so. Stoners will have no problem getting behind this. "Tales Untold" is a banger and a lot of fun to spin.

It was only after I got the album home that I saw Kopperfield mentioned in the Acid Archives. Always a cool thing. The book basically said the album was nothing stellar, but not bad, either. And that's about accurate, although I think I enjoyed the album a little more than the "Archive" author did. That happens...on either side of the coin. Another one-and-done band that slipped through the cracks, but still gets your motor running. "Tales Untold" was a reissue, purchased new, with a $24 price sticker. A number easier to part with than most of the overpriced squares on the market. This, my friends, was a good purchase.

"Tales Untold" - Kopperfield (back)

"Tales Untold" - Kopperfield (hypesticker)

"Tales Untold" - Kopperfield (4-page insert)

Favorites include:

"Brain Rot"

"Nothing Left To Give"

"Tales Untold"

This copy is on the Out-Sider label, which is part of the Guerssen label family. The album includes an insert with liner notes and photos of the band. The album was housed in a resealable plastic sleeve and comes with a round pink hype sticker.

Out-Sider label

Cat #

OSR100

SIDE A DEADWAX

V56228 Aꓥ OSRꓥ00

SIDE B DEADWAX

V56228 Bꓥ OSRꓥ00

"Brain Rot" - Kopperfield / "Tales Untold" (1974 - Rei-2024)

TRACKS:

A1 "Moonride" 3:40

A2 "Anatomy" 3:06

A3 "Brain Rot" 4:40

A4 "Watching The Time Go By" 4:31

A5 "Nothing Left To Give" 4:51

B1 "Truckin'On" 3:42

B2 "Tales Untold" 3:31

B3 "Magic In Your Mind" 3:22

B4 "A Thousand Warriors" 2:58

B5 "Wiseman" 2:06

B6 "Dreams" 4:25

PERSONNEL:

Jimmy Robison - lead vocals

Chuck Eagan - guitar, vocals, lead vocals (A2)

Jerry Opdycke - bass, vocals

Keith Robinson - keyboards, vocals

Tom Curtis - drums, percussion

Paul Decker - vocals, percussion

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

Interview -- B.J. Cole (pedal steel guitarist, session musician)

2026-05-06T17:21:00.000-05:00

"In L.A., it was The Wrecking Crew.

And there was the equivalent in London as well. I was a part of it."

~ B.J. Cole ~

Session musicians like B.J. Cole may never know when they'll be asked to come into the studio, or who they'll be working with, but the good ones, the very good ones, always know the ask is coming. From Elton John to David Gilmour. T. Rex to The Alan Parsons Project. R.E.M. to Robert Plant. And it must be a double-edged sword at times. The anonymity of it all. Only music aficionados of a particular song or album might know the names of everyone involved in the recording. Perhaps a blessing and a curse. But for the last six decades, London's B.J. Cole has been the premier pedal steel guitarist, called on when an artist needs a particular sound and vibe to enhance their song.

B.J. Cole has been adding his unique pedal steel flavors and flares in all the right measures since the beginning of the 70s. And alongside all the juicy session work, Cole has been building a solid discography of his own, recording a variety of ambient, exotica, and paintbrush jazz albums to give music fans a mind rush. B.J. Cole has been fortunate to continue living out his passions, keeping the musical juices flowing and contributing to the common musical cause. You already know him and didn't know it. B.J. Cole...Go get you some.

B.J. Cole Interview -- May 2026

B.J. Cole

[The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.]

Casey Chambers: You've worked with so many artists over the years, I'm just going to cherry-pick a few. You were invited to play on Elton John's "Madman Across the Water" album. And provided the beautiful pedal steel we hear in the iconic song "Tiny Dancer."

B.J. Cole: And oh, that was a long, long time ago...1971. Well, I knew Elton John a bit already, and I also knew the people at Dick James Music quite well because I was in a band called Cochise. Named after the Apache Chief. (laughs) We did a few albums for United Artists, so I was in the Dick James offices quite regularly. I'd encounter Elton, or Reginald as he was known then, walking around the offices, doing demos in the demo studio. And so I knew him on a day-to-day basis. And just one day, I got a call in the afternoon asking, 'Can you come into Trident Studios?' And as I said, I knew Elton anyway, so it wasn't a big surprise.

So I went down to Trident Studios, which was in the center of London. At that time, you could just park your car virtually outside the studio. (laughs) There weren't any restrictions or anything then. And it became very clear that they put that session together at the very last minute. It was a last-minute track that we recorded. And it was "Tiny Dancer." When I got there, I knew most of the people involved. It wasn't really Elton's regular band on that session, you know, with Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray, etc. At that point, his band was only just coming together, and it wasn't there yet.

He used a couple of guys from a band called Hookfoot. That was Caleb Quaye's band, and they were playing on lots of stuff in that studio. That's who Elton used, 'cause I don't think the other guys were available at that time. And the studio was full of musicians when I arrived...all wondering what was gonna happen. Elton was there at his piano, and he had the arrangement pretty much hammered out right on the spot.

Casey Chambers: What was your impression of the song when you first heard it?

B.J. Cole: Well, it was coming together right before my eyes. Or ears. (laughs) I was familiar with Elton's songs over the previous couple of years. And "Tiny Dancer" sounded like a great song. It didn't have all the extended arrangements it came to have in the final analysis, but it was good even then. It took a long time to record that song. I was in the studio from about 10:00 PM, and we didn't get out until at least six in the morning. We were there all night. That was how long it took to hammer out that one track.

Casey Chambers: Your steel guitar adds such a nice, gentle balance to Elton's piano. And the song wound up becoming the opening track for the album.

"Tiny Dancer" - Elton John / "Madman Across The Water" (1971)

B.J. Cole: "Tiny Dancer" is such a strong song. It's not surprising that it was early in the running order on "Madman Across The Water." I imagine they wanted it to be a single, but obviously, being the length that it was, that put a doubt about that in their minds. But still, it got promoted very well.

Casey Chambers: I remember hearing the song again in Cameron Crowe's film, "Almost Famous," and it was like a revelation. For new fans and old alike. And it reminded everyone why we love music so much.

B.J. Cole: "Madman Across the Water" was a great album. And "Tiny Dancer" is one of my personal favorite Elton John songs, certainly. Well, obviously because I played on it. (laughs) But I love a lot of songs Elton was writing back then. We all had a sort of synergy about us. We all loved The Band, for instance, and much of what Elton did was influenced by The Band. At that time, anyway. The whole industry was much different then. It was more relaxed. You could try things out, especially as he was such a great artist. They allowed him a lot of leeway in terms of things he did. The studio was spending a lot of time promoting and gigging him, and once he started gigging over in the States, that broke him. And it was all very justified. He was great.

Casey Chambers: You worked with Gerry Rafferty on his mega-successful "City to City" album, one of the best albums of '78. Still sounds wonderful today.

B.J. Cole: I was very lucky to work on that one. That's a great album. I got into being a session man in the very early '70s, late '60s, and I'd been working pretty flat out. Everybody knew me. I had actually worked on a few things with Gerry Rafferty before "City To City." I worked with him while he was in Stealers Wheel. The band that had the hit, "Stuck In The Middle With You." So we knew each other already. The "City To City" album was made for United Artists Records, if I remember, and it did very well here... as it did in the States. And the song "Baker Street" was a huge hit over here, which makes sense because Baker Street is actually a famous road right in the middle of London. So it would be. However, "Right Down The Line" wasn't so big here. In the United States, "Right Down The Line" did pretty well, didn't it?

Casey Chambers: Oh yeah. Great song. Radio plays it all the time. And you sound fantastic!

B.J. Cole: I did play on that one. And I must have worked on four or five other songs on that album. I'm not really a country pedal steel player, but there was a bit of a country element to the album. I know that sounds like a contradiction in terms, but many people like Gerry Rafferty and Elton...the songwriters...were inspired by American music in their songwriting. I think I'm more inspired by American sounds in general, rather than being a copier of the greats of pedal steel. If that makes any sense to you. I got a lot of session work because most of the songwriters in the '70s were coming from that direction, without directly having the pedal steel sound too much like Nashville. Elton is probably the most high-profile example of that.

"Right Down The Line" - Gerry Rafferty / "City To City" (1978)

I think "Right Down The Line" is my favorite Gerry Rafferty song I've played on. It's the one I remember best because I've heard it more than any other track from "City To City," apart from "Baker Street." There was even an American pedal steel player, Weldon Myrick, who did a lot of work in Nashville, and he did an instrumental version of that song. You can find it online somewhere.

Casey Chambers: Inspiration works both ways, right? He must have enjoyed what you were doing and wanted to get in on some of the fun. (laughs) How cool and interesting it must be as a session musician to be part of it all and help bring so many other artists' songs to life.

B.J. Cole: I was there. I was here. And it is. It's a great thing. But session players in the studio are also concerned about making a living. Which was a lot easier back then than it is now. (laughs) At the time, I was the best-known pedal steel player around. There was another guy called Gordon Huntley who'd played on "Tumbleweed Connection," actually on "Country Comfort." And a contemporary of mine called Gerry Hogan. He was a regular session man who played with Albert Lee and Heads Hands & Feet, which was the band Albert Lee was in in the early part of the '70s.

But I did a lot of session work. I loved playing with Scott Walker. The Walker Brothers did a fantastic cover of "No Regrets" in the 70s, which was a big hit here. He was such a fantastic singer. One of the best singers I ever worked with, actually, if I had to say. Scott was much bigger here than in the States, bizarrely because he came from the States.

Casey Chambers: It's kind of interesting how some American artists struggle in the US but make it big overseas. Why is that, you think?

B.J. Cole: I think because in the States, it's more tied down to the commercial considerations. The market. Whereas in Europe, we have the luxury of picking up on obscure things. The things the audiences in the States miss. That's the general principle. It's not totally true. But a lot of stuff gets bigger...like Zappa, for instance. Captain Beefheart. People like that. They had more time to break in Europe than they did in the States. A lot of the more offbeat records that came out in the '60s and '70s made it much better in Europe. The Velvet Underground and the band Love, for instance. More offbeat things are all pretty much bigger here.

Casey Chambers: Since you're letting me cherry-pick songs, I heard the deep track "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" from the "I Robot" album. The Alan Parsons Project. I was just listening to that the other night and saw you grabbed a piece of chair for that one, too.

B.J. Cole: I do recollect going into Abbey Road, sitting in while the sessions were happening, and playing a bit. That record, strangely enough, was bigger in America than it was here, I think. But I've done a lot of sessions in Abbey Road for many various people, and I was certainly aware of Alan Parsons. He engineered The Beatles and almost everybody, it seemed. I knew him through just being in that studio. That's where I met him. It was a much more social scene back then. I'd walk into a studio, and people would pick up on you from being in other studios, and they'd go, 'Are you free on so and so?' and 'Come in, we'll put you on this track.' It was a lot more like that.

"Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" - The Alan Parsons Project / "I Robot" (1977)

Casey Chambers: You were in one of those very cool "circle of trust" kind of things. A club by invitation only. And fellas like me ain't gettin' in! (laughs)

B.J. Cole: (laughs) It's like all the big recording centers in L.A., Nashville, Austin, and places like that. Recording centers where the musicians have a big bond. An identity together. Obviously, in L.A., it was The Wrecking Crew. And there was the equivalent in London as well. I was a part of it. The pedal steel player in London in the '70s.

Casey Chambers: So much good music made better thanks to contributions from session players like yourself. It must be extra sweet when you get a session call from someone whose music you really dig.

B.J. Cole: Thank you. It's... fantastic. It's a great compliment. It was a compliment to have worked with Humble Pie on about three albums in the early '70s. I played on a lot of heavy rock records then, and Humble Pie was one of the most interesting because of Steve Marriott. Another great singer. A great rock singer. What a character. People like that don't exist anymore. I worked with John Cale a lot in the '90s. I did loads of sessions for people in the '80s, '90s, and into this century.

Casey Chambers: Doing what you love and loving what you do. That's a lucky person in anyone's book.

B.J. Cole: I've loved it. Just focusing on doing sessions and making music with the pedal steel. It was really the instrument that got me into music.

Casey Chambers: How did you discover the pedal steel? How did you start on that instrument?

B.J. Cole: Well, I started playing the guitar a bit, as most people did back then. I was inspired by a guy called Hank Marvin with a group called The Shadows. I was of the era of Eric Clapton and all those people. Then I heard a record called "Sleep Walk" by Santo and Johnny.

Casey Chambers: A great instrumental.

B.J. Cole: Exactly, exactly. Beautiful. It's a great song. They played it on "The Perry Como Show" in the late '50s, and that was aired here. And I just...not only did I love the sound of it, I just loved the look of it. And I became completely passionate about it, and I still am.

Casey Chambers: I dig the sound of the pedal steel, as well. Before I let you go, would you recommend a couple of albums from other artists to check out?

B.J. Cole: My favorite record of the '60s is...Love "Forever Changes." You know that one?

Casey Chambers: Oh yeah, a great album. Great psych album.

B.J. Cole: Yeah, I think it is probably my favorite record of all time. "Forever Changes" just had everything. Very much of its time, as well. '67. And it was very popular here. It was one of those records that everybody was listening to. It was one of the big records of the Flower Power era. Not only was it psychedelic, but it was sort of punky and folky at the same time. Their other records were good too, but they weren't in the league of that one.

There's a very interesting story I read about Arthur Lee and that record. It was that the band were all out on acid for a lot of the time...being where they were. And they'd pretty much gone to seed. Not really capable of playing properly after their first couple of albums. So the producer at Elektra brought in The Wrecking Crew for a couple of their songs. I'm trying to remember which tracks. I think "Andmoreagain" was one of them. And The Wrecking Crew was so damn good that Love actually pulled it back together to finish the rest of the record, which is quite a story.

I also like Little Feat. Early Little Feat with Lowell George. "Sailin' Shoes" and the very first one before that, just called "Little Feat." And that one was really just a bunch of demos. They were so damn good. At the time, all the musicians were listening to Little Feat and The Band. Very influential. Great musicians, all of them.

Casey Chambers: Okay, so recommend a couple of The Band albums.

B.J. Cole: The Band's self-titled album with the brown cover and the one with the sort of rainbow colored cover, "Stage Fright," I like. But they were all great. It was all very down-homey, but electric. The Beatles were influenced by The Band, and I love The Beatles. "Abbey Road" was, I think, my favorite. Largely, because I happened to be in the publisher's office when the white label (promo) came in. We were in Dick James' office, and we all gathered around to listen to the new Beatles record that was coming out. It was actually their last record that they recorded. All the songs on "Abbey Road" are amazing. "Come Together"...amazing. The medley at the end, edited from different songs...amazing. That's George Martin's genius for you. And just hearing the record like that before the public heard it...that was a great moment in my career.

"Tiny Dancer" - Bus scene from "Almost Famous"

Casey Chambers: Hell yeah! A chance of a freakin' lifetime. Mr. Cole, thank you for sharing a few of your past accomplishments with me this morning. I know we've barely scratched the surface, but it's been an honor and a real pleasure.

B.J. Cole: It's great to still be here to remember it. (laughs) Great to talk to you, too.

*****************************************

B.J Cole Official Website

B.J. Music

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Every One Of Us" - Eric Burdon & The Animals (1968)

2026-05-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

"Every One Of Us" - Eric Burdon & The Animals (1968)

The album definitely has a smidge of ringwear front and back. And by smidge, I mean, gangster whitewalls. There are no seam splits, but the darker album covers always seem to bring out the worst. I would've left it behind, but the vinyl looked almost minty. Played VG+ or better when I got it home. And the songs are pretty good. The music has a nice psychedelic dusting about it. There are some jammin' fuzz burns and jazz flourishes. A little experimental here and there, for sure, but overall, "Every One Of Us" is more acoustically driven than I expected.

As I said, the music sounds fine, but there are a couple of songs with spoken interludes in the middle. And even that's not bad, the first couple of times you spin it. Then it starts to wear out its welcome. For me, anyway. You'll want to pick it up for the song… "Year Of The Guru"...and, but for the aforementioned interludes, the rest of the tracks hold up pretty strong. This was to be the second of three albums Eric Burdon & the Animals would release in 1968. I'm still looking for a nice copy of their "Love Is" album.

"Every One Of Us" - Eric Burdon & The Animals (back)

Favorites include:

"White Houses"

"Year Of The Guru"

"St. James Infirmary" (really nice cover.)

MGM Records label

Cat #

SE4553

SIDE A DEADWAX

SE-4553 SIDE-1 MGS-1444-3 11 [Block S]

SIDE B DEADWAX

SE 4554 SIDE 2 MGS 1445-1 21

"Year Of The Guru" - Eric Burdon & the Animals / "Every One Of Us" (1968)

TRACKS:

A1 "White Houses" 4:43

A2 "Uppers and Downers" 0:24

A3 "Serenade To A Sweet Lady" 6:17

A4 "The Immigrant Lad" 6:15

A5 "Year Of The Guru" 5:25

B1 "St. James Infirmary" 4:15

B2 "New York 1963-America 1968" 19:00

PERSONNEL:

Eric Burdon - vocals (except track 3)

Vic Briggs - guitar, bass

John Weider - guitar, celeste

Danny McCulloch - bass, vocals, 12-string guitar

Barry Jenkins - drums

Zoot Money ("George Bruno") - Hammond organ, vocals, piano

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Phluph" - Phluph (1968)

2026-04-28T11:10:00.000-05:00

"Phluph" - Phluph (1968)

Phluph (pronounced Fluff) is some cool organ-driven psych. Much like The Doors in their approach, but without sounding the least bit dark or dangerous. The music is pop-psych, less blues psych. A little spacey, at times. You've got some excellent organ-play shenanigans pushing things along with some guitar fuzz burns showing their head, which is always welcome. Nothing here is a mindblow, but it's fun. It's all a cool snapshot of the lysergic times and pretty good for what it is.

Think of Phluph's only album...as the square you needle drop early in the evening while friends are still coming in and out of the kitchen for a hit on the bong snake. There'll be plenty of time for some Ultimate Spinach and other heavy hitters before the flavored Altoids have had a chance to kick in. Phluph is an under-appreciated psych album that still flies under the billfold radar.

"Phluph" - Phluph (back)

"Phluph" - Phluph

(sleeve front & back)

Favorites include:

"Dr. Mind"

"Ellyptical Machine"

"Love Eyes"

I picked up my copy on eBay, but I did see a used copy at The Record Ship for a good price just a few days after I got mine. I didn't pull the record out, but it had a good price. I'd never seen one in the wild before, and of course, one pops up after I've already pulled the trigger online. And so it goes.

Verve Records label

Cat #

V6-5054

SIDE A DEADWAX

V6-5054 SIDE-1 MGS-1470 11 ['S' block-shaped]

SIDE B DEADWAX

V6-5054 SIDE-2 MGS-1471 11 ['S' block-shaped]

"Ellyptical Machine" - Phluph / "Phluph" (1968)

TRACKS:

A1 "Dr. Mind" 2:51

A2 "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry" 2:41

A3 "In Her Way" 3:03

A4 "Another Day" 4:40

A5 "Girl In Tears" 3:10

B1 "Ellyptical Machine" 2:30

B2 "Lovely Lady" 5:50

B3 "Death Of A Nation" 2:30

B4 "Love Eyes" 6:56

B5 "Patterns" 2:33

PERSONNEL:

Benson Blake IV - vocals, guitar

Lee Dudley - vocals, drums

Joel Maisano - vocals, organ

John Pell - vocals, bass

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Everyone Is Everybody Else" - Barclay James Harvest (1974)

2026-04-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

"Everyone Is Everybody Else" - Barclay James Harvest (1974)

On their fifth album, "Everyone Is Everybody Else," the band leaves the proggy, symphonic Moody Blues sound they were tagged with, stuffs it in their back pocket, and takes a different prog path. Like travelers passing through the corners of Catan, Barclay James Harvest bring a prog-pop CSN flavor to the wax. Lighter on the prog to be sure, but I'm absolutely cool with that. The harmonies are nice and confident, as ever. The guitars bang when it's time to clock in. And the beautiful Mellotron and other keys all help push things forward.

The song arrangements may not be as complex by prog standards, I suppose, but they are creative enough and definitely not cheap. It's a really good square, yet nothing truly stands out. Is that bad? Not necessarily. When the needle returned to its resting place, I wanted to spin it again.

To be fair, I was already familiar with some of Barclay James Harvest's discography before picking this one up. I already had "Time Honoured Ghosts," which is still my favorite. And "Gone To Earth," which I highly recommend, as well. As for "Everyone Is Everybody Else"...let's just call it a trifecta. Best of all, their albums are a low-risk/high-reward purchase. Most can be found in a record bin for less than a five-spot, so why not roll the dice? Pay it forward, if it doesn't work out. Good karma is good karma.

"Everyone Is Everybody Else" - Barclay James Harvest (back)

Favorites include:

"Child Of The Universe"

"For No One"

"The Great 1974 Mining Disaster"

My copy has the "MR in circle" and the word "STERLING" stamped in the deadwax. It also has the UK Cat #2383-286 listed on the labels and the back cover. The record looks VG and plays VG+. It had a bit of krispies at the beginning of both sides when I got it home, but a good spin-cleaning cleared most of that up. This was found at The Record Ship.

Polydor label

Cat #

PD 6508

SIDE A DEADWAX

PD-6508-A-3 (MR in circle) △19062 (1) STERLING

SIDE B DEADWAX

PD-6508-B-3 (MR in circle) △19062-X (1)

"For No One" - Barclay James Harvest / "Everyone Is Everybody Else" (1974)

TRACKS:

A1 "Child Of The Universe" 5:04

A2 "Negative Earth" 5:32

A3 "Paper Wings" 4:15

A4 "The Great 1974 Mining Disaster" 4:47

B1 "Crazy City" 4:06

B2 "See Me See You" 4:32

B3 "Poor Boy Blues" 3:05

B4 "Mill Boys" 2:47

B5 "For No One" 5:07

PERSONNEL:

John Lees - vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, b-vocals

Les Holroyd - vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, 'picked guitar', b-vocals

Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme - keyboards, b-vocals

Mel Pritchard - drums, percussion, b-vocals

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Bravery Repetition And Noise" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre (2001 - Rei 2007)

2026-04-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

"Bravery Repetition And Noise" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre (2001 - Rei 2007)

Formed in San Francisco, The Brian Jonestown Massacre's 8th album has an undertow of neo-psychedelia about it, as I was hoping it would, but this is on a different shelf, sounding both fresh and nostalgic. The album is filled with layers of atmospheric glaze, both dreamy and moody, in various tempos. Pop-sensibilities with an oddly lysergic dusting. Plenty of heady levels to play with your senses.

The songs seem to swing easily from one trapeze to the next. No dirtclods. No speedbumps. Just an introspective stroll through an empty park. And though not what I usually gravitate toward, this may change. There's a lot to like about "Bravery Repetition And Noise," and I'm sure I'll drop the needle on the bone from time to time just to feel that feeling again.

"Bravery Repetition And Noise" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre

(back)

"Bravery Repetition And Noise" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre

(inside gatefold)

Favorites include:

"Just for Today"

"Open Heart Surgery"

"Nevertheless"

"You Have Been Disconnected"

First released in 2001, my copy is a 2007 UK reissue on the A Records label. It was pressed on light purple vinyl and limited to 2000 copies. (Also released on black vinyl.) The record comes with a gatefold cover and is held in a printed inner sleeve.

I had always been curious about The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Heard of them, but never heard them, if you know what I mean. But I saw "Bravery Repetition And Noise" in the new arrivals bin at Spektrum Records with a $20 sticker and an additional "We're Moving" 10% off at the register, so I reached for my gift card and wound up buying a few things that day. Now I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for some of their other albums.

"Bravery Repetition And Noise" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre

(sleeve front & back)

A Records label

(front & back)

Cat #

A/AUK003LP

SIDE 1 DEADWAX

AUK003LP-A 69905E1/B

SIDE 2 DEADWAX

AUK003LP-B 69905E2/D

"Nevertheless" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre / "Bravery Repetition And Noise" (2001)

TRACKS:

A1 "Just for Today" 4:18

A2 "Telegram" 2:33

A3 "Stolen" 1:30

A4 "Open Heart Surgery" 4:19

A5 "Nevertheless" 3:32

A6 "Sailor" 3:43

A7 "You Have Been Disconnected" 3:24

B1 "Leave Nothing For Sancho" 2:56

B2 "Let Me Stand Next To Your Flower" 4:55

B3 "If I Love You?" 2:31

B4 "(I Love You) Always" 3:29

B5 "If I Love You?" (New European Gold Standard Secret Babylonian Brotherhood Cinema Mix) 6:19

PERSONNEL:

Anton Newcombe - vocals, guitar, bass, mini moog, mellotron, organ, drums, horns

Jeffrey Davies - guitar, organ, fuzz, vocals

Rob Campanella - Hammond organ, Mellotron, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, 12-string electric guitar, Vox fuzz repeater

Frankie Emerson - guitar

Hunter Crowley - drums

David Koenig - bass

Bobby Hecksher - guitar

James Ambrose - vocals, guitar

Raymond Richards - pedal steel guitar

Jeff Levitts (Jeff Levitz) - guitar

Mara Keagle - vocals

Raugust - flute

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Dig and Flip: Stone Cold - C.J. Box (2014)

2026-04-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

Stone Cold

by C. J. Box

(2014)

Paperback, 398 pages

NO SPOILERS:

Stone Cold is the 14th novel from the "Joe Pickett Series" created by author C. J. Box. Each story stands alone, so don't be afeard. Joe Pickett is a Game Warden, a family man with Boy Scout virtues and skills. And Joe's job title might sound lame, but the action and pacing of the novel quickly put any reading trepidations to rest. In this story, Joe Pickett has been requested by the governor to go to far corners of Wyoming to quietly investigate large land purchases made by some moneybag mysterioso and the small town he seems to have a grip on. Oh yeah, and there are also rumors that this fellow might be involved in a murder-for-hire operation.

Our hero Joe Pickett is smart and clever, and he likes to push the envelope. He's not a bad-ass rogue, like say, Jack Reacher, but Pickett is easy to root for. The story is more mystery than thriller, but there are a lot of plot twists and violence to keep things edgy. After reading any tome of considerable length, it's nice to clean out the palette with something quick-paced and easy to chew on. Stone Cold is a lot of fun and fits that bill to a T.

"Which Man Are You" - Tommy Tutone / "Tommy Tutone II" (1981)

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Aoxomoxoa" - Grateful Dead (1969)

2026-04-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

"Aoxomoxoa" - Grateful Dead (1969)

I've never been a deep-diver of The Grateful Dead, but I do have a handful of their albums, both studio and live stuff. I like the vibes they give off. I like the spirit. I like the mojo. I've been especially wanting to collect their early stuff from the 60s when the purse strings allow. I still need "Anthem Of The Sun," but I did pick up "Aoxomoxoa" recently. I'd been looking for a nice copy for quite a spell, and knew one would show up soon enough, so I forgoed listening to the album until I had one in my hands. On this square, The Grateful Dead still employ the psychematized strangeness of the late 60s, but now with hints of "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" which were soon to follow. Of course, the improvised noodling still remains, and it's almost the best of both worlds. Apart from one dirtclod on side two, mostly because it's out of place, this would be rated higher. "Missed it by that much!"

One thing I've learned is that every Grateful Dead album that I have ever spun sounds magically better with frequent spins. That's been my experience, anyway. And I remind others not to necessarily give up on the rainbow after one listen. I mean, the Grateful Dead is an album grower's paradise. Their albums can fiddle with your mind-clock, so try giving the record another lap or two and see what happens. I promise, I'm not a real Deadhead, but I do play one on TV.

"Aoxomoxoa" - Grateful Dead (back)

Favorites include:

"St. Stephen"

"China Cat Sunflower"

"Mountains Of The Moon"

This "Aoxomoxoa" copy is an original first press/early press before any remix tinkering was done. It is a Santa Maria pressing on the olive green label. It has a "boxed W7" logo on the label and jacket. (This would later change to a WB "shield" logo.) The "RE-1" in the deadwax indicates the original mix. I don't know if it was added on later pressings, but there are no song times on the label or jacket. There are other rabbit holes to explore concerning the remix, but I'll leave those for you to chase. For those curious, I won a bid on the "Bay" for $22 and some change.

Interestingly, it was rumored that the young girl on the back cover was Courtney Love. Her father worked with the band during this period, so the possibility was always there. Turns out the little girl was identified as the daughter of Grateful Dead drummer and founding member, Bill Kreutzmann. Still kind of a cool curio legend. This was also one of the first times a rock album was recorded using 16-track technology.

Warner Bros. - Seven Arts Records label

Cat #

WS 1790

SIDE 1 DEADWAX

39493 WS 1790 A RE-1 - 1B. o B5 S 1

SIDE 2 DEADWAX

39494 WS 1790 B RE-1 - 1B. o S 1

"St. Stephen" / Grateful Dead / "Aoxomoxoa" (1969)

TRACKS:

A1 "St. Stephen"

A2 "Dupree's Diamond Blues"

A3 "Rosemary"

A4 "Doin' That Rag"

A5 "Mountains Of The Moon"

B1 "China Cat Sunflower"

B2 "What's Become Of The Baby"

B3 "Cosmic Charlie"

PERSONNEL:

Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals

Bob Weir - guitar, vocals

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - organ, percussion

Tom Constanten - keyboards

Phil Lesh - bass, vocals

Bill Kreutzmann - drums, percussion

Mickey Hart - drums, percussion

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Hall Of The Mountain Grill" - Hawkwind (1974)

2026-04-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

"Hall Of The Mountain Grill" - Hawkwind (1974)

"Hall Of The Mountain Grill" is much more chill than I expected, but wonderfully so. The music is dense with layers of synths, Mellotrons, and oboes. Saxes and tasty guitar-riffage. Pleasing sounds that surprise the mind. Hawkwind rocks and trips whenever and wherever it pleases, as they are wont to do. But this square sounds even more in-the-moment. Cosmic, but without the debris. I really liked it.

Perhaps not as hard as Hawkwind's earlier albums, but it doesn't disappoint. Apart from an occasional odd mixing (a little muddy in places), I like everything about it. And it's a delicious conundrum that you can crank this puppy without restraint in the daytime or kick back in the late-evening and chill the fawk out. It's a square that's two mints in one.

"Hall Of The Mountain Grill" - Hawkwind (back)

"Hall Of The Mountain Grill" - Hawkwind

(inner-sleeve front & back)

Favorites include:

"The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)

"D-Rider"

"You'd Better Believe It"

"Lost Johnnie"

One thing you might not have immediately noticed is that the previous owner did a rescue job on the back cover, and it's perfect. I suspect the album was packed too tightly with other albums in a very humid room, causing part of another cover to stick to it and leaving about two inches of ugly white paper damage on the back. I'm guessing the previous owner might've tried the hair-dryer trick or something, but to no avail.

So the owner made lemonade by painting over the white paper damage, blending the colors in with the rest of the original album cover. The owner obviously loved this album because they did a pretty nice job. And now a little history follows it around, and that's kinda cool. The vinyl is an early US pressing and plays in strong VG mode. I think I paid $15 at The Record Ship.

I couldn't find an exact match on Discogs. The vinyl has all the variables from a Terra Haute pressing, but there is no "T" identifier in the deadwax. The album was issued with a custom inner sleeve with credits, photos, track listings, and times. The track times, however, differ from the label. The track listing on the inner sleeve also has a different spelling of Lemmy's song, "Lost Johnny." (It appears as "Lost Johnnie" on the label.) Finally, this label version does NOT have "Ⓡ" printed beneath United Artists Records. This was Hawkwind's fourth studio album.

United Artists Records label

Cat #

UA-LA328-G

SIDE 1 DEADWAX

UA-LA328-G-1- #2

SIDE 2 DEADWAX

UA-LA328-G-2- #22

"D-Rider" - Hawkwind - "Hall Of The Mountain Grill" (1974)

TRACKS:

A1 "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)" 7:20

A2 "Wind Of Change" 4:37

A3 "D-Rider" 6:15

A4 "Web Weaver" 3:12

B1 "You'd Better Believe It" 7:12

B2 "Hall Of The Mountain Grill" 2:20

B3 "Lost Johnnie" 3:28

B4 "Goat Willow" 1:34

B5 "Paradox" 5:26

PERSONNEL:

Dave Brock - lead guitar, 12-string guitar, synthesizer, organ, harmonica, vocals

Nik Turner - sax, oboe, flute, vocals

Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) - bass, vocals, guitars

Simon House - synthesizer, Mellotron, violin

Simon King - drums, percussion

Del Dettmar - keyboards, synthesizer, kalimba

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Dig and Flip: Once An Eagle - Anton Myrer (1968)

2026-03-27T11:17:00.001-05:00

Once An Eagle

by Anton Myrer

(1968)

Paperback, 1291 pages

NO SPOILERS:

Once An Eagle is a story that explores soldiering and the choices made in becoming a good soldier and leader. And rank, fair or not, means almost everything. And how the military can become an intoxicating lifestyle for some. Just as interesting are the effects on the family. Wives, in particular, must be skillful in weaving their way through the unwritten social rules within the military circle. That's an interesting trip in and of itself.

Amid all this flibbety-floo, the book introduces two main characters, each with their own approach to leading men. Each presented as the antithesis of the other. Neither is completely right nor wrong. However, our main protagonist, Sam Damon, is a leader we would all hope to follow as he rises through the ranks. Damon's military journey takes him through the course of three wars and to the cusp of another.

Author Anton Myrer has many extremely well-written scenes within these pages, both on the battlefields and at the strategic planning tables. On the training base, and away from it. Even casual social gatherings can be a bit of a minefield. And they sucked me right in. However, the negative rug-pull about this novel is that it's so much longer than it needs to be. A good editor could have sliced off a couple of hundred pages easily. And it's those unnecessary pages that drag the story down a bit. I mean, it's nearly 1300 pages after all. Anton Myrer, like Bob Seger, definitely struggles with "What to leave in, what to leave out." Whaddygonnado? So, as it stands, Once An Eagle is still a good read, apart from the aforementioned, and gives a fascinating glimpse into a military career path. For this tome, I give this free bird...a mild 4 outta 5 feathers.

"Day Of The Eagle" - Robin Trower (1974)

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."The Revolt Of Emily Young" - Foxx (1970)

2026-03-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

"The Revolt Of Emily Young" - Foxx (1970)

Well, the album cover and gatefold are very cool, and guess what? "The Revolt Of Emily Young" is pretty cool, as well. The album is a mix of psych-pop and psych-rock, lightly lysergicafied. And without the least bit of gum. "…Emily Young" is an attempt at a concept album, but don't let that scare you away. A young girl, a bit of a rebel, but a good kid, takes off on her own, where her mind gets expanded, as does her view of the world. And, spoiler alert, Emily becomes a death notch on the belt of life. Something like that, but it doesn't really matter because the songs are amazingly good. No stinkers anywhere. The band mixes up the vibes with crazy-smart lyrics and tempos that keep everything interesting.

Foxx may be a little-known band with a little-known album, but for a psych obscurity, it still has a modest price. "The Revolt Of Emily Young" is a pleasant surprise. Not a lost gem, should my hyperbole get the best of me, but it's ambitious, entertaining, and succeeds where some others have left us disappointed. This was Foxx's only album, and you can definitely find this square for under $20, and it's worth taking a flier if you do.

"The Revolt Of Emily Young" - Foxx (back)

"The Revolt Of Emily Young" - Foxx (inside gatefold)

Favorites include:

"Opus Epyllion (The Age of Light)"

"The Revolt Of Emily Young"

"Doctor John"

"Rock Jock Bobby Sloan"

This is an original pressed in Pinckneyville, Illinois, as indicated by a dot on the B-side label deadwax. There is a label variation on my copy that includes four lines of production info below the track listings. Later copies had only two lines.

Inside the gatefold are cool graphics and a loose explanation of the "Emily Young" concept for each song. Also, a picture of the band who look crazy-cool and weird in that unexpected "seeing what they look like for the first time" kinda way. On the back cover is a "Sample Copy" sticker. Initial copies included an inner vinyl sleeve with lyrics, but it was missing from my purchase. My copy was snatched at Spektrum Records for under $10, so deals are still out there.

Decca label

Cat #

DL 75193

SIDE 1 DEADWAX

7 12352 4 2

SIDE 2 DEADWAX

7 12353 4 2 ⦁

"Opus Epyllion (The Age of Light)" - Foxx / "The Revolt Of Emily Young" (1970)

TRACKS:

A1 "New Bethel Awakening" 3:40

A2 "Rebecca's Prayer" 2:00

A3 "Doctor John" 2:10

A4 "Sunshine Children" 2:37

A5 "Rock Jock Bobby Sloan" 3:32

A6 "In The Garden" 3:18

A7 "Syndrome Of Change" 4:29

B1 "Highway Children" 3:26

B2 "Into Something Real" 3:24

B3 "Opus Epyllion (The Age of Light)" 3:55

B4 "Flight Termination" 3:54

B5 "Just Another Village Incident" 2:28

B6 "Last Words" 2:16

B7 "New Bethel Awakening II" 1:12

B8 "The Revolt Of Emily Young" 2:32

PERSONNEL:

Pepper Martin - vocals, guitar

Al Perkins - guitar, vocals

Butch Bourque - bass, vocals

Little Joe Martin - drums, vocals

ADDITIONAL:

Buzz Cason - piano, organ

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

Interview -- Gerry Polci (The Four Seasons)

2026-03-15T16:06:00.000-05:00

"And it humbles you in ways that

you should be humbled because there are so many great players."

~ Gerry Polci ~

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. Everyone loves The Four Seasons, the golden vocals of Frankie Valli, and the gazillion hit singles they released. To some, they were The Beatles before The Beatles. When the 70s arrived, however, the band was still loved but mostly forgotten. Frankie was still pulling down solo hits now and then. Good ones, but not the same. But then some strange rock-n-roll magical thing happened, and The Four Seasons caught everyone by the unawares. In 1975, the band released a new album, "Who Loves You," and it was like Boom Boom Mancini going fifteen again. And radio loved'em.

Sure, the golden one, Frankie Valli, was still sounding great as ever, but as the 70s rolled on, new faces were beginning to replace old faces in the band, including 21-year-old drummer and singer Gerry Polci. And together, a fresh, almost magical energy surprisingly emerged. The harmonies and musicianship were amazing, just killing it. Sometimes, it's the people chemistry that can make all the difference.

From the first moment the bullet hits the bone on the album's lead single, "Who Loves You," radio DJs knew we were in for something tasty. Gerry Polci's opening hi-hat razz-a-ma-tazz and band harmonies immediately tell listeners that it's a new day for The Four Seasons, crushing the song to #3 on Billboard. And still sounds exciting. The band would follow up that gem with their #1 smash, "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)". It became the first #1 single for the Four Seasons since "Rag Doll" had topped the charts. The song would also appear on many "end of year" top-five lists. The album would have another radio spinner with "Silver Star," which blew up all over Europe and hit the top 40 in the States. Like a phoenix rising up from the ashes, The Four Seasons were back. And new member Gerry Polci was playing no small part. Fantastic drummer. Great singer. Gerry Polci…Go get you some.

Gerry Polci Interview -- March 2026

Gerry Polci

[The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.]

Casey Chambers: I'd like to start out by asking you about the song "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" (1975). The song seemed to come out of nowhere and became the biggest-selling single The Four Seasons ever had. And The Four Seasons had a bunch of hit singles.

Gerry Polci: When we started working on the "Who Loves You" album, Bob Gaudio and his late wife, Judy Parker, presented us with a number of songs. And one of them was that song. Everybody loved the track and felt really good about it...but the song was not what it would later become. It was initially about Prohibition, and flappers flipping on the floor, and various aspects of Prohibition. And as we were just young guys, the band, you know, we were in our 20s, and we're all going, 'Oh, man, I don't know.' (laughs) We really didn't care for the story of the song. It didn't seem very current. And we really griped about it. So Bob and Judy changed the song entirely and gave us a new version, "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" literally the very next day! Obviously, Bobby had quite the track record for The Four Seasons with all the songs that he wrote and produced, and Frankie, too. We're talking about a pretty solid business. And so to their credit, they kind of went along with it. (laughs) It worked out pretty well for them.

Casey Chambers: How did you come to sing the lead on this particular song?

Gerry Polci: Of course, Frankie, being the lead singer, sang on everything. But at the time, there were groups doing multiple leads. Like Chicago would do different leads. And Fleetwood Mac. A lot of bands were doing that sort of thing. So I think to some degree, it was trendy to have multiple leads. Also, the song was from a very naive type of young person's perspective. And my voice had a quality to it that just fit the track and the song. And with my voice being fairly high, it just seemed to work.

"December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" - The Four Seasons / "Who Loves You" (1975)

Casey Chambers: When you think about all the classic songs The Four Seasons recorded, I mean, learning that this puppy had a real bark must've been a huge revelation.

Gerry Polci: I know, it was quite something. I was a little surprised by it myself. I mean ya got "Sherry," "Candy Girl," and so many others. So many tunes that were such big hits. So yeah, that was quite the honor. It ran on Billboard 100 for 54 weeks and beat out "White Christmas" for the longest-running single on Billboard's Hot 100.

Casey Chambers: The "Who Loves You" album was a really strong dark-horse, with the title track rocketing to #3 right off the bat. When did you learn that your follow-up "December..." had done even better?

Gerry Polci: I joined up with The Four Seasons in '73. We had done some other recordings and different things that weren't published. So hearing a song I was involved with on the radio was really cool. I remember I was in a car when I heard "Who Loves You" for the first time. That was the lead single from the album. That was the first song where I could honestly say, 'Wow! I was there. I did it!' When they later released "December...", Bob Gaudio let us know the week coming up that the song was going to be the #1 record. And it was! Cash Box, Record World, and Billboard all listed the song at #1. And they actually made a plaque for us. And it was a pretty cool plaque, too. I still have it. But yeah, that's how I found out.

Casey Chambers: Sweet. Also, I saw on Billboard's Year-End List for 1976, "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" was just behind "Silly Love Songs" as the hit single of the year.

Gerry Polci: Oh, that's pretty cool. I know back East there's a radio station that does the Hot 500, where they play the 500 most popular songs from the last 50 years or something like that. And "December..." has been the number one song on that list a number of times. So people still listen to the song. (laughs)

Casey Chambers: It's timeless. And it shows up on the screen all the time. I've seen it in episodes from "Family Guy" to "Sherlock."

(Wedding Photos) / "Family Guy"

Gerry Polci: I know. That's pretty wild.

Casey Chambers: And this is kinda interesting, in both of those shows, the song plays during a wedding scene.

Gerry Polci: Yes, yes. And the same thing. I watched this show...it was kind of a bang bang shoot'em up thing. It's not Batman. It's something, devil. "Daredevil." But it was featured during a wedding scene in that show, too. (laughs)

Casey Chambers: Maybe we'd better grab ourselves a bowl of minestra maritata and check in with Coast to Coast! (laughs) But hey, if it works, it works, right? I wanna jump to the song "Who Loves You." It's a fantastic high-energy number, and your drums are just killer. It's all about the vibe.

Gerry Polci: The whole "Who Loves You" album was more collaborative for all of us. We really were a band during the making of that album. Bob and Frank really let us be ourselves and really have a lot of input into the music. "Who Loves You" was another song that really didn't start out the way it ended up. The form was very different in the beginning from its present state. Lee Shapiro played keyboard and arranged the strings and horns for the record. He totally took that song and made it make sense, with the verses flowing into the choruses and the choruses coming back into the verses. And again, we had a lot of input. And yeah, it was a high-energy thing. It was something completely different for The Four Seasons. It felt like we were making a statement. That this is the new Seasons. This is The Seasons of the '70s. Starting with the hi-hat and the phased hi-hat. And I was able to just play out and interpret the song in a way that we felt it should be. There was a lot of freedom with it. So we were very pleased with that. I was very pleased with that.

Casey Chambers: What influenced you guys to begin adding elements of what would later be known as "The Fever" sound?

Gerry Polci: Well, yeah, we were all pretty much different. I was different. Don Ciccone...the late Don Ciccone, he would listen to different things than what Lee listened to or what John Paiva would listen to. And of course, you know, Bobby and Frank, they had a myriad of influences. I had been working since I was 14, and I got with the band when I was 21. So I was relying on my own experiences. The same with Don and Lee. And we were given the freedom to express ourselves with that album. That was super important for all of us. And I think it paid off. Everyone was all in with that album. I did a lot of percussion overdubs. I was able to do that. And of course, we did so much background work. That was always a trademark of the group. Still heavy into background vocals, but a little different, as well.

"Who Loves You" - The Four Seasons / "Who Loves You" (1975)

Casey Chambers: Were you a fan of the group before you joined?

Gerry Polci: You know, the connection that I had with the group was through my father. My father grew up in Newark. He went to the same elementary school as Frankie did. He was a few years older than Frankie. But they went to the same elementary school. They knew many of the same people. My parents went to see The Four Seasons when they were The Four Lovers at different clubs in Newark.

So when I joined The Four Seasons, and I've said this many times...to my father, it was like I had joined the Beatles. When I went with the group, he thought that was amazing. Musically, he really loved that group. I knew of the group, obviously. But I was, you know, more of a progressive rock kind of guy. I was into jazz because of my upbringing and who I studied with. I studied with Joe Morello, who was the drummer with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. So I had a varied musical upbringing.

Casey Chambers: You guys did a lot of TV both here in the States and abroad. What are some of your takeaways from those experiences?

Gerry Polci: One show we often did was "The Mike Douglas Show." And that was in Philadelphia. One time, we hosted for a week, and they had us doing silly things that, as a musician, you wouldn't normally do. Cooking meals and wearing different outfits. It was TV, and you're creating somewhat of an image. I thought "The Mike Douglas Show" was a lot of fun. And we did the show fairly often. We did the Johnny Carson show, of course. We did "The Merv Griffin Show." A lot of talk shows. And then, of course, in Europe, we did "Top Of The Pops," and that was a lot of fun. "Top Of The Pops" was very interesting.

Casey Chambers: Speaking of "Top of the Pops," you guys performed "Silver Star," which was the third single from the album. You also sang lead on that one, as well.

Gerry Polci: The song was really popular over there. "Silver Star" reached #1 in England and parts of Europe. It didn't do all that great here in the States. It was a European-style tune with a very interesting rhythm track. It changed tempo in the middle, you know, in the bridge. But it just did very well in Europe. "Top Of The Pops" was great, and it was an honor to do that show.

"Silver Star" - The Four Seasons / ("Top Of The Pops")

Casey Chambers: While you were touring with The Four Seasons, were there any shows that particularly stood out?

Gerry Polci: Yeah, we played all the big venues like Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl. Places like in Chicago. The Nassau Coliseum. Doing it in the big venues was a lot of fun. And the smaller venues were just as much fun, especially when you're on a center stage, and it's slowly turning so everybody can see what's going on. I really enjoy that. I always did. But there was this one time we were in Philadelphia, doing an outdoor show at Independence Mall, which is not a mall at all, but an area of Philly that has two large buildings on either side. It was July 5th, 1980. And there were like 45,000 people there. There had been threats of a storm coming through, but we went on anyway.

And during the song "December..." as I was singing, the storm came up, and the wind got so violent it was scary. There was a lighting truss about 40 feet long above us, with 100 lights on it, and it's fairly weighty. And while I'm singing, I see this thing starting to come down right at me. I had to get underneath my drums because I couldn't get away. There were monitors on either side of me and behind me, so I had to duck underneath the drums. And sure enough, the lighting truss literally hit the bass rack that was next to me and landed on my seat. And I'm under the drums. (laughs) There were thousands of people, and it got completely quiet. There was just this hush. People thought I had bought it. And when I finally crawled out from under the drums, I did that "Rocky" thing with my hands over my head and jumping up and down...and the place went crazy. It was amazing. And then a torrential downpour hit, like God was pouring a bucket right on top of us. It was total chaos. But yeah, that was definitely a memorable time singing that song. (laughs)

Casey Chambers: That's insane. And nobody got hurt?

Gerry Polci: No. I had some abrasions on my back. I know one of the singers got knocked off the stage, but she was fine. Oh, and Jerry Corbetta, who was playing keyboards at the time, broke a bone in his hand. It wasn't serious enough that he couldn't play, but we all went to the hospital and got checked out.

Casey Chambers: Was Jerry Corbetta the same guy who was in Sugarloaf?

Gerry Polci: Yes, he was. Jerry toured with us for a couple of years, and we would do "Green-Eyed Lady" at our shows when he was with us. He passed, unfortunately.

Casey Chambers: Yeah, I was sorry to hear about that. I was a fan of Sugarloaf, as well. Before I let you go, how about recommending a few artists you really enjoy?

Gerry Polci: Well, my early years were definitely twofold. First of all, I had a really heavy jazz influence growing up. Very heavy jazz. I mean, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk. All of John Coltrane's stuff is amazing. All those guys. All the masters. And then it was...Led Zeppelin. You can't do away with Led Zeppelin. The Stones. The Beatles, of course, because of their songwriting and McCartney's voice. And then in the '80s, it was absolutely The Police and Sting for me. And Stewart Copeland is a hell of a drummer. He approached the drums with a sort of reggae-rock feel. Very unique. There wasn't one Police album that I didn't listen to. As soon as "Roxanne" came out, it was over. It was done. (laughs) I mean, Sting's voice on "Roxanne" is sick! And the way Stewart played. Wow! I mean, I really enjoyed the early eighties.

By the end of the '70s, disco was becoming a little too formulaic. I mean, some of it I still love. But when the '80s hit the waves, there was such great music. And then later Pearl Jam, and of course, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. And it's like, 'Oh man! It's getting real again.' I also got heavy into fusion. One of my favorite drummers of all time is Billy Cobham. I followed him. I saw him a couple of times in New York, and he knocked me out. His "Crosswinds" album is some of the funkiest stuff. That was his second album, and Billy wrote and arranged most of it. And just some amazing drum work. I was also into Mahavishnu Orchestra. John McLaughlin is playing guitar, and Billy is playing drums. Great stuff. I was into all those guys.

John Paiva, Gerry Polci, Don Ciccone, Lee Shapiro, Frankie Valli

Casey Chambers: It sounds like you keep a pretty open mind to all kinds of music.

Gerry Polci: Yeah, it's true. (laughs) I just love to listen to everything. You gotta listen. When I was growing up, I was playing in wedding bands and clubs. For seven years, from 14 to 21, I was playing everything. I played cha-chas, rumbas, jazz, swing, and rock. I was playing in Dixieland bands. (laughs) I was constantly playing different stuff. You have to adapt constantly to whatever style you were playing. You have to adjust to that genre. And it was a great teaching tool for me because it made me listen to everything.

A great friend of mine, Richie Garcia. Gajate. Great percussionist. Have known him for 50 years. He took me to clubs in Chicago. Latin clubs in Chicago and New York. And we'd go see salsa bands, Johnny Rodriguez, Tito Puente, and all these guys. So just so much out there. You shouldn't limit yourself to just one or two genres. And it humbles you in ways that you should be humbled because there are so many great players. When you're fortunate to do what you do...nobody's the end of the world because again, there's just so much out there. You gotta listen.

Casey Chambers: Well, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I really enjoyed talking with you, and I appreciate you doing this.

Gerry Polci: Thank you, Casey. You're a good guy. Take care.

****************************

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Rare Bird" - Rare Bird (1969)

2026-03-05T10:17:00.000-06:00

"Rare Bird" - Rare Bird (1969)

I've been a fan of Rare Bird for a while now, but I had never heard their self-titled debut album, except for one or two songs on KSHE. I'd been choosing to wait until I owned the square so I could actually drop the needle on it myself. I recently picked this up for $10, and it doesn't disappoint. It's as enjoyable as I had hoped.

Rare Bird's debut was on the earliest cusp of the Prog movement, one of the proto-prog puppies of rock. Not prog-heavy, but something's happening, for sure. There is a pretty broad spectrum of progressive rock out there, and Rare Bird definitely falls closer into the realm of Procol Harum than King Crimson, but believe me, Rare Bird sounds nothing like them at all.

One of the fascinating things about Rare Bird and their debut… is that there is no guitar to be found. And yet, you don't miss it. It's like the guitar is there in spirit, and that's good enough for me. And like all really good progressive rock, the music becomes more entertaining the more spins you give it.

"Rare Bird" - Rare Bird (back)

"Rare Bird" - Rare Bird (inside gatefold)

Favorites include:

"Beautiful Scarlet"

"Sympathy"

"Bird On A Wing"

"God Of War"

This copy is an original US pressing with the rainbow PROBE logo on the right side of the label and the Command ABC logo on the left. There are variables with slightly different labels. The deadwax also has CPL 4514-A and CPL 4514-B stamped; the rest is etched. On the back of the album, the year "MCMLXIX" still appears.

My one big regret and a small potatoes one, really, is that I could never get my hands on a UK version with the colorful majestic bird on the album cover. For some reason, the US pressings feature a drab, lumpy, prairie-chicken-like bird. Whatever it is, it gives a totally different impression of the music inside. I hope to grab a UK version one day, but it's the music that matters, and it's all good whichever side of the pond you're on.

Probe / Command-ABC Records label

Cat #

CPLP-4514

SIDE A DEADWAX

CPLP 4514-A ILT (MR) LW ⴴ 14456

SIDE B DEADWAX

CPLP 4514-B ILT (MR) 14456-X

"Beautiful Scarlet" - Rare Bird / "Rare Bird" (1969)

TRACKS:

A1 "Beautiful Scarlet" 5:23

A2 "Sympathy" 2:30

A3 "Nature's Fruit" 2:32

A4 "Bird On A Wing" 4:13

A5 "God Of War" 5:08

B1 "Iceberg" 6:46

B2 "Times" 3:19

B3 "You Went Away" 4:17

B4 "Melanie" 3:27

PERSONNEL:

Steve Gould - vocals, bass

Graham Field - organ

David Kaffinetti - electric piano

Mark Ashton - drums, timpani, b-vocals

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Halloween III: Season Of The Witch" (STK) - John Carpenter (1982 - Rei 2023)

2026-02-28T09:56:00.000-06:00

"Halloween III: Season Of The Witch" (STK) - John Carpenter

(1982 - Rei 2023)

"Halloween III: Season Of The Witch" is not quite as iconic as the "Halloween" soundtrack, but it doesn't kowtow either. "Halloween III" has its own eerie, sinister vibes to please the discerning ears. The synthesizer movements are unnerving and filled with trepidation. Just another excellent John Carpenter soundtrack with a satisfying replay factor for sure.

And now might be just the right time to keep an eye out for one while the October holiday is still months away. I grabbed my copy in mid-January at 25% off. That made my purchase about $27. If you find one near the $30 mark, you're getting a steal. I'd recommend keeping the peepers open now.

"Halloween III: Season Of The Witch" (STK) (back)

"Halloween III: Season Of The Witch" (STK)

(gimmix sleeve & contents)

Favorites include:

"Halloween III - Season Of The Witch - Main Titles"

"Chariots of Pumpkins"

"Hello Grandma"

"Drive to Santa Mira"

"South Corridor"

This copy is a 2013 reissue remastered from the original master tapes. The spin sounds really quiet. Basically, little to no surface noise. It was pressed on 180g vinyl, and my copy has a murky green-and-black color swirl. The vinyl comes housed inside a gimmix album cover and custom jacket that also includes four Halloween 'Mind Trick' cards with an instruction sheet.

Mondo - Death Waltz Recording Co. label

(front/back with semi-transparent green-black swirl)

Cat #

DW008R

SIDE A DEADWAX

123110E1/E

SIDE B DEADWAX

123110E2/C

"Halloween III - Season Of The Witch - Main Titles" - "Halloween III: SotW" (1982)

TRACKS:

A1 "Halloween III - Season Of The Witch - Main Titles"

A2 "Chariots Of Pumpkins"

A3 "Gas Station"

A4 "Robot Kills Grimbridge"

A5 "Ellie Enters"

A6 "Microphone"

A7 "Drive To Santa Mira"

A8 "Challis And Starker"

A9 "Marge Revealed"

A10 "Silver Shamrock - Two More Days"

A11 "Robots At The Factory"

A12 "First Chase"

A13 "Hello Grandma"

B1 "Silver Shamrock - 1 More Day"

B2 "Santa Mira Night"

B3 "The Rock"

B4 "Buddy's Death"

B5 "Cochran Speaks"

B6 "Silver Shamrock - Happy Happy"

B7 "Challis Escapes"

B8 "South Corridor"

B9 "Halloween III - Titles And Chariots" (Alt Mix)

PERSONNEL:

John Carpenter - composition, performance

Alan Howarth - composition, performance, synthesizer programming, sequencing, editing, recording, production

Tommy Lee Wallace - announcer (A7)

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Rockin' At The Hops" - Chuck Berry (1960)

2026-02-22T11:13:00.000-06:00

"Rockin' At The Hops" - Chuck Berry (1960)

This was Chuck Berry's fourth album, and not one of his best, but not bad by any means. There are twelve songs on the square. Six tracks are "I wanna hear that one again" kind of songs. And the other six tracks are just Chuck Berry generic. Good, but I think you know what I mean. Still, it's Chuck Berry, so even his weaker stuff has some legs. Remember, we're still a few years away from The Beatles and The Stones breaking out, so this was all solid groundwork.

I didn't really need this album since I already had CB's yellow "The Great Twenty-Eight," but this album cover was too cool to pass up. I may not play this one as often, but I like to display it. It looks too cool to hide away. Spektrum Music had this in their bin for $17, and for an album over 60 years old, the cover is still poppin' fresh! Very clean. This isn't an expensive album, but I think Spektrum did me right with this purchase. As for the vinyl, no complaints. Looks and plays just like a-ringin' a bell. Again, not his best, but it's fun, and there are several nuggets to be found.

"Rockin' At The Hops" - Chuck Berry (back)

Favorites include:

"Bye Bye Johnny"

"Let It Rock"

"Down The Road A Piece"

"Too Pooped To Pop"

And so the story goes, Mick Jagger was hanging at a railway station holding two records, "The Best of Muddy Waters" and this square, "Rockin' At The Hops," when he ran into Keith Richard. They talked about music and whatnot, and the rest is RnR history. Kinda gives me chills just holdin' it.

Chess label

Cat #

LP-1448 / U-10198

SIDE A DEADWAX

LP-10,198 P.P. Sheldon

SIDE B DEADWAX

LP-10,199 P.P. Sheldon

"Bye Bye Johnny" - Chuck Berry / "Rockin' At The Hops" (1960)

TRACKS:

A1 "Bye Bye Johnny" 2:05

A2 "Worried Life Blues" 2:10

A3 "Down The Road A Piece" 2:14

A4 "Confessin' The Blues" 2:08

A5 "Too Pooped To Pop" 2:25

A6 "Mad Lad" 2:20

B1 "I Got To Find My Baby" 2:14

B2 "Betty Jean" 2:30

B3 "Childhood Sweetheart" 2:35

B4 "Broken Arrow" 2:25

B5 "Driftin' Blues" 2:18

B6 "Let It Rock" 2:28

PERSONNEL:

Chuck Berry - vocals, guitars

Matt "Guitar" Murphy - electric guitar (A1 - A4, A6, B1, B5)

Johnnie Johnson - piano (A3 - A6, B2 - B5)

Willie Dixon - bass

Fred Below - drums (A5, B1, B5)

Eddie Hardy - drums (A1 - A4, A6, B1, B5)

L. C. Davis - tenor sax (A5, B1, B4, B5)

The Ecuadors - b-vocals

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Chamaeleon Church" - Chamaeleon Church (1968)

2026-02-14T13:16:00.001-06:00

"Chamaeleon Church" - Chamaeleon Church (1968)

This album was a Christmas present to myself. I bought it in January. I knew it was going to be a bit of a pony-up, but I was hoping to find a copy closer to $40 or $50. That never happened. Most were floating closer to the $100 mark. I never once saw one in the wild. I had to pay up, but it was a price I could live with. $70, plus shipping. You can find one cheaper, I'm sure, but I'd waited long enough, so I jumped. "Chamaeleon Church" is a psych album, but it seldom gets talked about much in the community, other than the fact that SNL alum Chevy Chase was the drummer. I'm sure this has moved the price needle up just a smidge.

But here's the thing. The album has more going for it than just Chevy on the skins. This self-titled album is pretty darn good. The songwriting is especially strong, thanks to leader Ted Myers, previously with The Lost. Songs are nicely laced with phasing, echoing, and a few other studio tricks, but not overdone. There is a little Zombies "O & O" in the presentation. Maybe a little of The Millennium. Not on that level, to be sure. But the dream-dream vibes are abloom here. The Beatles' influences abound, but not in a copycat way. And with some Baroque pop dust sprinkled about, Chamaelon Church makes for a very enjoyable listen.

"Chamaeleon Church" - Chamaeleon Church (back)

"Chamaeleon Church" - Chamaeleon Church

(inner sleeve front & back)

Favorites include:

"Blueberry Pie"

"Camillia Is Changing"

"Spring This Year"

"Tompkins Square Park"

This is an original MGM copy still in the shrink wrap. The cover looks beautiful. It has a bb hole in the corner, but that's something that's just never bothered me. The vinyl is a strong vg+ and looks hardly played. It was well taken care of. There is a variation with the label. My copy has the cat # SE4574 on the right of the spindle hole; sides 1 and 2 are printed on the left.

Chamaeleon Church is just one of many unfortunate psych albums that just got lost in the shuffle. Seven years later, Chamaeleon Church would become better known for having had pre-SNL Chevy Chase in the band and more or less an RnR footnote. I'm glad I finally own this square, and it will be loved. Anyway, this is Valentine's Day. "Candygram! Candygram!"

MGM label

Cat #

SE-4574 / SE4574

SIDE A DEADWAX

SE4574 Side 1 MGS 1580 A 1A · L 21 ≈

SIDE B DEADWAX

SE4574 Side 2 MGS 1581 1A 11 ≈

"Blueberry Pie" - Chamaeleon Church / "Chamaeleon Church" (1968)

TRACKS:

A1 "Come Into Your Life" 2:16

A2 "Camillia Is Changing" 4:11

A3 "Spring This Year" 4:15

A4 "Blueberry Pie" 3:30

A5 "Remembering's All I Can Do" 4:00

B1 "Flowers In The Field" 2:33

B2 "Here's A Song" 2:02

B3 "In A Kindly Way" 3:05

B4 "Tompkins Square Park" 3:02

B5 "Picking Up The Pieces" 2:15

B6 "Off With The Old" 4:20

PERSONNEL:

Ted Myers - vocals, guitar

Tony Scheuren - vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, harpsichord

Kyle Garrahan - vocals, bass, lead guitar, piano

Chevy Chase - vocals, drums, percussion, piano, electric organ, Roxichord

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Ram" - Paul & Linda McCartney (1971)

2026-01-30T09:59:00.000-06:00

"Ram" - Paul & Linda McCartney (1971)

I'm still catching up on my "new arrivals" box, which goes back to October. I'm slow, I know. But I give almost every album I bring into the house at least a couple of active listening spins before moving on. Often, a particular album will hang around the turntable even longer. Busy is as busy does. (I'm talking like young Forrest Gump as I type that last sentence.) But it's all good one way or the other.

As for Paul and Linda McCartney's "Ram," it was rescued from a nearly full box of albums marked at $1.00 each. Giving this square a good once-over, I would say the cover was VG. There are corner dings and a mild bit of ring wear, but no splits or tears. No watermarks. As for the vinyl, it looks VG and played VG+ after a couple of laps with my spinclean. This will make a good player copy, and I'm cool with that.

I'm not a rabid member of the McCartney camp, but I do enjoy a lot of his stuff. Both solo and Wings. His Beatles stuff wasn't too shabby either. "Ram" has plenty of cool, catchy ideas and a little meat on the bone in places. Plus, I think Linda is just fine and dandy. (I'm talking like young Forrest Gump again.) It would've been cool if John and the others were involved, but I wish that were true of all the early Beatle solo albums. Whaddygonnado? Anyway, this was one of those cheap, simple one-dollar pickups that make record hunting fun. A 1976 reissue, but I don't care. I believe that I can't be wrong.

"Ram" - Paul & Linda McCartney (back)

"Ram" - Paul & Linda McCartney (1971 - Rei-1976)

Favorites include:

"The Back Seat Of My Car"

"Eat At Home"

"Too Many People"

"Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey"

"Heart Of The Country"

This copy is a 1976 gatefold reissue on the black Capitol Records label. It is an L.A. pressing, indicated by an asterisk in the deadwax. This was Paul McCartney's second album after leaving the Beatles.

Capitol Records label

Cat #

SMAS-3375

SIDE A DEADWAX

SMAS-1-3375-G-21 . 1 MASTERED BY CAPITOL ✲

SIDE B DEADWAX

SMAS-2-3375-G-37 . 1 MASTERED BY CAPITOL ✲

"The Back Seat Of My Car" - Paul & Linda McCartney / "Ram" (1971)

TRACKS:

A1 "Too Many People" 4:09

A2 "3 Legs" 2:48

A3 "Ram On" 2:30

A4 "Dear Boy" 2:14

A5 "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" 4:50

A6 "Smile Away" 4:01

B1 "Heart Of The Country" 2:22

B2 "Monkberry Moon Delight" 5:25

B3 "Eat At Home" 3:22

B4 "Long Haired Lady" 6:05

B5 "Ram On" 0:55

B6 "The Back Seat Of My Car" 4:29

PERSONNEL:

Paul McCartney - vocals, acoustic/electric guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, ukulele

Linda McCartney - harmony/b-vocals, co-lead vocals (B4)

Hugh McCracken - guitar

David Spinozza - guitar (A2, B3, B6)

Denny Seiwell - drums

Heather McCartney - b-vocals (B2)

Marvin Stamm - Flügelhorn (A5)

New York Philharmonic - (A5, B4, B6)

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Back From Rio" - Roger McGuinn (1991)

2026-01-26T19:21:00.000-06:00

"Back From Rio" - Roger McGuinn (1991)

"Back From Rio" was an album I'd been looking for...for longer than I thought would be necessary. Not an easy album to find, though CDs are aplenty. This was Roger McGuinn's sixth studio album and the one where all his cool cat friends showed up to cast their lot with the jingle-jangler. And a lot of love can be heard on this album. It's fun and special.

The album has the 12-string McGuinn magic all over the square, making everything a whole lot better. (See what I did there?) Not perfect, but nothing to skip either. A fun one to spin. A couple of original Byrd-peeps make an appearance. Elvis Costello contributes a great song. Michael Penn and even Stan Ridgway help butter the bread. And there are other musicians that contribute, as well, but it's Tom Petty and a few of his bandmates that really shine the light on Roger McGuinn. No surprise there, of course, as McGuinn has always been a big influence on the Heartbreakers.

"Back From Rio" - Roger McGuinn (back)

"Back From Rio" - Roger McGuinn (hype sticker)

Favorites include:

"King Of The Hill"

"You Bowed Down"

"The Time Has Come"

"Suddenly Blue"

"Your Love Is A Gold Mine"

I found this copy still in shrink with its hype sticker at a record swap in Maize, Kansas, back in November, I think. It was late in the year. The vinyl came in a light blue paper inner sleeve and was pressed on the mountain-sunset Arista label by Specialty Records Corporation in PA. The seller was a regular with plenty of albums for sale, and no problem with bundling a few. "Back From Rio" is getting harder to find, but deals are still out there. After all was said and done, I brought this one home for less than the median price.

Arista label

Cat #

AL-8648

SIDE A DEADWAX

AL-8648-SA F-1 1-1 MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally [SRC logo]

SIDE B DEADWAX

AL-8648-SB F-1 1-1 MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally [SRC logo]

"King Of The Hill" - Roger McGuinn / "Back From Rio" (1991)

TRACKS:

A1 "Someone To Love" 3:32

A2 "Car Phone" 4:33

A3 "You Bowed Down" 3:52

A4 "Suddenly Blue" 3:49

A5 "The Trees Are All Gone" 3:51

B1 "King Of The Hill" 5:27

B2 "Without Your Love" 3:59

B3 "The Time Has Come" 3:45

B4 "Your Love Is A Gold Mine" 4:06

B5 "If We Never Meet Again" 4:28

PERSONNEL:

Roger McGuinn - lead vocals, 12-string electric & acoustic guitar, b-vocals,

Mike Campbell - electric guitar, slide guitar, baritone guitar

Benmont Tench - organ, keyboards, Hammond B-3

David Cole - percussion, piano, acoustic guitar, MPC-60

Elvis Costello - b-vocals

David Crosby - vocals, b-vocals

Chris Hillman - vocals, b-vocals

John Jorgenson - acoustic & electric guitar, baritone guitar, sax, bass, mandolin

Michael Penn - b-vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar

Tom Petty - co-lead vocals ("King of the Hill"), b-vocals

Stan Ridgway - telephone voice

Kimmy Robertson - telephone voice

Timothy B. Schmit - b-vocals

J. Steven Soles - b-vocals

George Hawkins - bass guitar

Michael Thompson - electric & acoustic guitar

Dan Higgins - saxophone

Stan Lynch - drums, percussion

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK

TCCDM Pulls One Out..."The Baroques" - The Baroques (1967)

2026-01-17T11:08:00.000-06:00

"The Baroques" - The Baroques (1967)

In 1967, The Baroques were walking their walk, bringing some early psychedelic desserts to an underground hookah house somewhere, I'm sure. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but their self-titled album has its moments. The square has a folky-garage-pop delivery that falls right in my wheelhouse. The album has a few fuzz-bomb jammers. There are a few atmospheric janglers with vocals that invoke a hint of the Brummels. And there are a couple of songs a bit off-center, as one might expect, but even those arrive at a good place. One of the earlier psych albums to be released, and a grower in the best of ways.

Not nearly as baroque as their name suggests, but the album does cross off a few Ts. And the songwriting is especially good. The album is often described as dark, and its cover suggests that, but that doesn't quite capture its essence. However, an atmospheric vibe does float throughout the square. It's not heavy, but it's there. And I like it when my head feels it. You can find them mentioned in The Acid Archives, and the album has become a highly sought-after psych record. A nice complement to any psych collector's shelf.

"The Baroques" - The Baroques (back)

Favorites include:

"Iowa, A Girl's Name"

"Musical Tribute To The Oscar Mayer Weiner Wagon"

"Mary Jane"

"Bicycle"

My copy is an original mono pressing that still has a nice shine. It does have a very light scratch on side one, but you can't feel it. The vinyl sounds clean and plays a strong VG+. The white part of the cover had heavy black scuffs all over the top, but I used a simple grade-school eraser, and it cleaned up rather nicely. After a good cleaning, the cover really pops.

There is a small punch hole at the top-left. The cover has "mono" on the front bottom, "stereo" on the back top. Apparently, some mono copies came in stereo sleeves. The vinyl was pressed on the blue gradient Chess label, which was better known for recording Chicago blues and R&B artists. And this ain't that! The Baroque's self-titled offering is considered the first psychedelic square from the Midwest region...Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for those taking notes...so wave over your hookah attendant and enjoy a spin.

"The Baroques" - The Baroques (sleeve)

Chess label

Cat #

LP 1516

SIDE A DEADWAX

U4RM-5937-1D S-1 15364 LP-1516 ⴴ

SIDE B DEADWAX

U4RM-5938-1F S-2 LP-1516 15635 ⴴ

"Iowa, A Girl's Name" - The Baroques / "The Baroques" (1967)

TRACKS:

A1 "Iowa, A Girl's Name" 2:45

A2 "Seasons" 3:00

A3 "Mary Jane" 2:45

A4 "Rose Colored Glasses" 2:40

A5 "Musical Tribute To The Oscar Mayer Weiner Wagon" 3:35

A6 "In Silver Light" 2:07

B1 "This Song Needs No Introduction" 3:00

B2 "There's Nothing Left To Do But Cry" 2:55

B3 "Bicycle" 2:25

B4 "Purple Day" 2:45

B5 "Boop" 1:45

B6 "Love In A Circle" 2:30

PERSONNEL:

Jay Borkenhagen - lead vocals, guitar, piano,harpsichord

Jacques Hutchinson - vocals, guitar

Rick Bieniewski - bass

Dean Nimmer - drums

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK