Feb 23, 2009

PESKY GEE - EXCLAMATION MARK (PYE 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve



Starting out as a typical U.K. club soul band, and then turning toward psychedelia and prog rock in the latter half of the '60s, it wasn't until Pesky Gee! changed their name in 1970 to Black Widow, transformed, and released the satanic Sacrifice that they reached the public eye. If not singular in any particular way, the prog-edged Pesky Gee! album, released on Pye in 1969, has enough cool Hammond organ flourishes and late psych-intoned vocals (male and female) to cause interest. Much is aimless, relies too much on the blues-rock boom, or is downright bad ("Born to Be Wild"), but when they got the mix right they were superb, as on their original psych/soul/prog numbers: on "A Place of Heartbreak" there is a superb male/female vocal, a soulful beat, and some haunting changes; while "Where Is My Mind" (both songs were released as a 45) has a driving rhythm, a unique use of horns, and sees the beginning of the band's fascination with sinister subject matter and horror vocalization. The covers get a bit much, although the Julie Driscoll-intoned reading of Donovan's "Season of the Witch" has some fine moments. Not a solid affair but representative of the change in the British music scene of the late '60s...[net]
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...The group broke-up in September 1969 and by 1970, had transformed into BLACK WIDOW with fewer members and a completely re-hauled format, and debuted 'Sacrifice' that year.
Here

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good One.Thanks

mscmichael said...

Thanks indeed...

Anonymous said...

I like the fact that you provided music from this release on your page. I really liked the sound. Thanks for sharing the music!

preacher said...

Great blog, awesome music and i really appreciate the back covers here...
I've added you to my list , please reply if you don't agree with that...
PEACE

Georgie Hirezola said...

thank you guys....
thnx Preacher for adding me...
cheers

Anonymous said...

Thankx for this nice record. Your blog are fantastic. Congratulation.

Anonymous said...

Very nice blog, reminds me chris goes rocks. I will stay tuned on ya. Peace

Chris Dredge said...

Glad there's still some interest.
Contrary to the album credits, I was the guitarist & founder member, along with, Clive Box, Bob Bond, Kay Garrett, Jess'Zoot'Taylor, Clive Jones, & Alan'Bum'Hornesby.
Hope this is of interest to dedicated fans.
Chris Dredge

Ozzy said...

Thank you man, I'm a huge fan of Black Widow but I've never tried Pesky Gee! Love the Japanese artwork, with Aubrey Beardsley's paintings.